wei yau

I used a combination of the "Feral" face with the "Raider" mask to make Qiang Hou (Gun Monkey). I suppose it could be tailored to be more dog-like, with maybe the floppy ears.

I decided to cover up the lower-face, because "Feral" has some wicked teeth, but it might work for you (see Wolf of Winters)

And since dogs aren't all that far removed from wolves, you can always use the more wolf-like monstrous faces (see Iron Wulf)

Whenever I see the name "Sister Psyche", I'm immediately reminded of Juke Joint Jezebel" by KMFDM:

Lyrics:
I can't reject this empty hole.
I cannot count this bloody cost.
I can't believe this wretched soul.
Come Penetrate all this loss.
Come on and kill this sense of life,
And be the one who is denied.
Now show me one more upturned knife,
And fill the emptiness inside!

Be mine, sister salvation.
Juke-Joint-Jezebel is coming for my cremation
Be mine, sister salvation.
Closer now - see the revelation.

If I could leave my burning skin,
That has been used up in your skin.
Is there a tiny part of me,
Untouched -- unsoiled by misery!

I am the city that will lie.
You are the one that blame passed by.
This is the place where I will weep.
The lonelisness of sweet conceit!

The revelation.
See the revelation.
The revelation.

I spent Sunday morning logging in all 32 of my alts on Virtue for the Jubilant badge. Sure, the repeated need to login with password was somewhat annoying, but rarely do I ever have to login that often.

CoH being my first MMO, I just never thought anything of it. I figured it was just par for the course. Frankly, it doesn't bother me all that much, but I suppose it could be a handy feature.

I've not yet purchased this Booster Pack, but the screenshots of the two-layered capes are really intriguing.

Add me to the chorus of voices asking for this "bug" to become a "feature"

I guessed I missed an earlier announcement, but I guess they are not placing an AE building in Croatoa.

I'm sure that will make a lot of people very happy.

I'm not sure if I'll burn 'em just for the sake of burning 'em. I've got a ton of alts and I haven't played many of them enough to warrant even knowing how I would respec 'em.

I've got some mains who have burned through their respecs already and I welcome the new ones.

I forget, do freespecs stack?

Oh, nevermind I just answered my own question. Hmmm, not sure if I need to burn the ones I have already? To what end?

Kassai is a woman without her pony.

Aigiam was born on the Mongolian steppes nearly 800 years ago. She might as well have been born on a horse, as she is a natural rider. She proved herself the equal of any man and soon trained to be a horse archer or kassai.

Aigiam is no happier than when she is riding one of her steppe ponies, the cold sharp wind biting at her face and her heart racing to beat the galloping hooves of her own horse. She also learned to be deadly accurate with her bow, whether on horseback or not.

One fine morning, Aigiam became separated from the rest of her tribe. This was no great concern, as she often rode ahead as a scout or just to be on her own. Little did she know that this action would save her life. While Aigiam was away, her tribe was set up on by raiders in the service of an outlaw sorcerer. Her tribe and her family were captured and enslaved. Any who dared to resist were killed on the spot.

Aigiam returned to the camp to find only burning yurts and dismembered corpses. She gathered a few stray ponies, strung them all to a rope and led them on the hunt. For many weeks, Aigiam tracked the sorcerer and his band of raiders. She would never rest, always moving from one pony to the next. Eventually, she would wear out even the hardy steppe ponies.

At the point of exhaustion, she finally found the sorcerer. He was performing some type of ritual, which required the blood of all of her remaining clansmen. Aigiam drew her bow and aimed for the sorcerer's black heart as he completed his incantation.

Her arrow flew straight and true. The sorcerer fell, shrieking out the last of his dark words. Something stirred in the night wind and something flew out of the cauldron before the sorcerer's body. Together, they encircled the corpse and then issued a disgusted hissing sound. The demon spirits circled the cauldron looking for another living soul. They found Aigiam.

Her legs felt as if they were made of stone, she was rooted to the spot in fear. The wind spirit rushed towards her and she felt a chill deeper than any she'd ever felt in her life. The other spirit uttered a terrifying wail and dove towards Aigiam. Its claws had only just brushed across Aigiam, when she heard the sorcerer scream "No! I was promised immortality, you shall not grant it to my murderer!". The demon spirit whirled around replied to the sorcerer; "Yes, you shall live forever, but I've already touched this one. She will not be immortal, but you will see her again."

Then Aigiam felt herself falling into a dark, endless tunnel. When she awoke, she found herself in Atlas Park in Paragon City.

This new world was filled with beings that seemed much greater than any sorcerer. Aigiam herself had changed, the wind spirit had granted her the ability to wield the icy air of the steppes. Still, even with her newfound powers, Aigiam would be challenged by this new world.

For, she still knows how to use her bow. She still remembers her clan. And, she is still Kassai.

But she is still without her pony.

"Excuse me…captain….seatbelt…", the voice crept into Tsagaan's sleep.

"Excuse me, sir. Sorry for waking you, but the captain has turned on the fasten seatbelt sign.", repeated the flight attendant.

Tsagaan stirred in his seat, he had to blink several times before his eyes could focus on the face of the flight attendant. She looked apologetic, but also a little annoyed. Tsagaan understood, customer service was an often thankless job. He knew she had much greater responsibilities than waking old men.

"No, no, it's quite alright. Thank you." said Tsagaan sincerely.

He found that he was dozing off quite a bit as of late. Despite his best efforts, he continued to age. He wondered where he was this time, when the flight attendant woke him. Perhaps it was in St. Petersburg, reveling in one of Rasputin's debaucheries. Or maybe he was serving in the Philippines with the Imperial Wind. He didn't think he was dreaming of the Mongolian tundra again. No, his chest didn't hurt, which was often the case whenever he dreamt of that far off place from so many centuries ago.

Tsagaan stretched and looked around the cabin. First class was pretty full, but that wasn't surprising. It was a Friday night flight out of Paragon City headed for Las Vegas. Even with all the excitement in Paragon City, its citizens craved the type of action that could be found only in Vegas. For himself, he was going to Vegas to celebrate. He had recently completed a goal he had set for himself.

As his eyes surveyed the cabin, he noticed someone watching him. He smiled at the young lady and nodded slightly. She was sitting next to a young man; the two were quite clearly newlyweds. The pair was sitting across the aisle from him and returned the smiles.

Tsagaan politely cleared his throat, "If I may ask, are you two newly married?"

The young lady answered, "Yes, as matter of fact, just today."

Tsagaan smiled, "Well, allow me to offer my congratulations. Vegas is a wonderful place for a honeymoon."

Her eyes brightened as the young lady replied, "Oh, we've never been, but we've heard so much about it."

"Indeed and all the stories are true. All of them. Ah, but forgive me for being so rude. I am T.D. Wong", said Tsagaan.

"I'm Anna and this is Brian", she said as she introduced her husband.

"Hello, Mr. Wong. It's a pleasure to meet you", said Brian.

"Please call me Teddy", replied Tsagaan, "And again, congratulations to the two of you. I was just telling Anna that Las Vegas is the perfect place for a honeymoon."

"Do you go to Vegas often?" asked Brian.

"Since I've retired, more often than I probably should; but, yes, Lady Vegas and I are quite familiar with one another. Though, I have to admit that her sister, Lady Luck, doesn't know me quite as well." said Tsagaan.

Brian chuckled politely, "Well, here's hoping that we all make Lady Luck's acquaintance on this trip."

Tsagaan smiled, "Of that I have no doubt; fortune must favor such a lovely couple as yourselves."

"So, Teddy, what are you retired from?" asked Anna.

"Mostly consulting work, I was what you might call a freelance problem-solver", answered Tsagaan. As he replied, he thought about his appearance. He looked like an older Asian gentleman, nicely groomed and in a fine suit. The corners of his eyes had deep laugh wrinkles and his hair was white and thinning. Of course, he only "looked" like this; it was really the effect of a minor magic glamour.

If Anna and Brian were to see his current true form, he doubted that they would be so keen to speak with him. As a matter of fact, the last time he was in his true form was the reason for his little celebratory trip.

He had decided to go to Las Vegas to celebrate his recent induction into Anathema. He had heard much of this confederation of residents of the Rogue Isles and was eager to join their ranks. He had a larger goal in mind and would need the resources and assistance of Anathema to realize it. For such an occasion, it was only proper for Tsagaan to meet Anathema in his true form.

"That sounds so mysterious", cooed Anna.

"I wish it were so, but things are not always as they seem; especially when a foolish old man dresses up his profession when speaking with a beautiful young lady." said Tsagaan, "In actuality, it was little more than helping various corporations and organizations become more efficient."

"Oh, we had an efficiency expert visit my company a couple of years back" interjected Brian, "They ended up laying a lot of people off."

Tsagaan thought about whenever he was asked to make an organization more "efficient". It typically began with screaming and cries for mercy and would end with deathly silence punctuated by the mewling of the grievously wounded.

"Yes, that is a regrettable outcome, though sometimes wholly unavoidable", said Tsagaan.
Their conversation paused as the attendants served their meals. None of the three were particularly hungry. Anna and Brian were too excited to eat and even first class food did not suit Tsagaan's palate. They continued to talk after the attendants had finished.

"Tell me, Brian, what is it that you do?" asked Tsagaan.

"I work in City Hall, actually so does Anna. That's where we met", answered Brian, "We both work in Hero Registration, although on different shifts. We met when there was a Rikti raid during shift change. We ended up in a shelter together and well, things just kinda took off from there."

Outwardly, Tsagaan smiled at Brian, but inside he grimaced. This city was full of altogether too many so-called heroes. Fools who would interfere with his plans, some were veterans but many more were just neophytes. He wasn't sure which were worse.

Tsagaan would never choose to have come to Paragon City, if it weren't for a compulsion to be here. But, for a little more than a year now, he felt a tickling in the back of his mind, urging him to go to Paragon City. He had little desire to do so, he was old, older than he wanted to be and simply no longer had the patience for such a loud and boisterous place.

But, he knew why he was being compelled to make the trip. He knew it because it was the one thing he had been waiting for nearly a thousand years now. He felt a tremendous amount of relief and the annoyance of having to relocate to Paragon City was quite minor in comparison.

Returning to the conversation, Tsagaan said, "Well, then the two of you are most fortunate to have found one another. Even more fortunate to have endured the Rikti attack, they are very fearsome."

Brian smiled at Anna, "Oh you don't know how lucky I am. As a matter of fact, we'd never be able to afford to fly First Class on our salaries. But, just before the wedding I won a small lottery and we decided to splurge."

Anna added, "After all, we're only going to do this once, right?"

Brian continued, "Yeah, I've always been a little lucky here and there. I mean, the biggest payoff is meeting Anna, of course. But, sometimes things just happen my way. I'm hoping that I get a good run in Vegas, you know?"

Tsagaan perked up at this bit of information. It could very well have been random chance, but he had lived long enough to know that luck wasn't always as it seemed. For many, it truly was random, but for a select few the luck was actually a manifestation of a minor bit of clairvoyance. It was not enough to be useful on a regular basis, but could occasionally bring about some fortune. It seems that this young man may have possessed this minor talent.

Tsagaan decided to probe a little further; this could be an interesting diversion while in Las Vegas.

"If I may ask, then, where are you staying", asked Tsagaan.

Anna answered, "Oh nowhere special. City Hall is great, but it doesn’t pay much. We're staying at a little place off the main strip."

Tsagaan took the opportunity, "Well, then you must allow me to give you a wedding gift. I will not take no for an answer. I must insist."

"Oh no, we couldn't" protested Anna.

"Nonsense, of course you could. Indulge a lonely old man in this one small thing. The two of you have made this flight very pleasant for me. I have some friends, more like business colleagues, who are placing me at the Grand Celestial hotel. It would be simplicity itself to extend their hospitality to the two of you."

Tsagaan could see that the two would accept his generosity. The Grand Celestial Hotel was an extravagant location and newly opened. Even if they could afford it, it was doubtful that they would have found a vacancy. His "business colleagues" were the Tsoo. He was currently engaged with them as an advisor. They were largely petty criminals, despite their pretensions to loftier ideals. But, their contacts were useful in helping Tsagaan establish a foothold in the Rogue Isles.

He did not necessarily share their goals and was largely unconcerned by their activities. However, he was more than willing to use them to achieve his own goals, as well as provide a leisurely distraction such as this trip.

Brian would be the first to accept; "Mr. Wong, that is so nice of you. We really shouldn't, but the Grand Celestial is supposed to be amazing."

"It is, it is. And please, do call me Teddy", said Tsagaan, "You see, your luck continues already, Brian. And I am honored to be the medium in which Lady Luck has chosen to act."

Anna and Brian thanked Tsagaan profusely, before turning to their brochures. The two were excitedly planning their trip, in light of Tsagaan's generous gift. Tsagaan decided to return to sleep to pass the time. He would awaken himself before landing in Las Vegas.

In his sleep, Tsagaan reviewed his situation. He had come to the Rogue Isles to establish a base from which he could operate in Paragon City. There were far too many "heroes" for him to live comfortably in the city itself. Many were of magic origin and could detect him. Still others may have even been foes of his, he did not remember the names and faces of those he had wronged in his long life, but a few always turned up wherever he went. Even in the Rogue Isles, he had encountered a handful of long-forgotten enemies.

What had brought him to Paragon City was simply revenge. Vengeance for an affront committed against him over 800 years ago in the Mongolian steppes. It had come time for Tsagaan to renew his sacrificial covenant with certain demons to extend his life. He needed to make a compact with an ice demon to preserve his body, while a separate agreement was made with a fire demon to extend his life force. All was in place, his victims had been slaughtered according to the dictates of the ritual. Tsagaan had just completed the summoning incantation when he felt a pain in his chest.

He looked down to see an arrow protruding from his heart. As he fell, he saw a mere wisp of a girl with a bow in her hand. Her face was a mix of fear and triumph. She must have been a survivor of the clan he had just killed. A young girl, just barely of age to be a horse archer, had avenged her murdered clansmen. Tsagaan crumpled to the ground, his hands already making the signs for a healing spell.

Tsagaan witnessed the ice demon take hold of the girl. He knew that the ice demon was already infusing her with its preservative magicks. Tsagaan had to act quickly before the fire demon did the same, leaving Tsagaan to freeze to death in the frozen tundra. The healing spell complete, Tsagaan rose to his knees and commanded the fire demon to return to him. The blood of the sacrifices were let by Tsagaan, not this foolish interloper.

The fire demon did return to Tsagaan, but only after imparting some of his touch to the girl. The fire demon declared that Tsagaan would receive the full benefit of its touch, but the girl would remain in Tsagaan's destiny. The two would meet once more. Tsagaan was always annoyed at the way demons tried to be enigmatic.

So it came to be that Tsagaan would have years, centuries, added to his life. But, without the preservative power of ice, he would age. Tsagaan would employ various methods to forestall the aging or even reverse it on occasion. But, they all would be temporary. The only way to achieve a more permanent restoration and preservation of his younger form was to transfer the ice demon's magic from the girl to himself.

Tsagaan spent the intervening years from then until now, hunting for the girl. He would allow himself to be distracted, as he did with his time served under the Lord of Storms and the Imperial Wind. But, even then, he kept himself aware of any signs of the girl. He knew that the fire demon's touch had caused the girl to travel through time. At first, he was very passive about the hunt for her. But, as the decades turned into centuries, his search became increasingly urgent. And now, with only 200 years remaining in his life-force and having aged beyond anything a mortal man should witness…Tsagaan received a sign.

His watching spells had alerted him to the return of the girl. She had re-appeared somewhere in Paragon City. Various attempts to pinpoint her location failed, but being the nexus of so many great powers, Paragon City was notoriously shielded from his efforts. He had little choice but to move closer to the city and find the girl by himself.

It was for this reason; Tsagaan found himself renewing his allegiances with the Tsoo. They had grown substantially since he first worked with them in what is known today as Hong Kong. Though, in many ways, they remained an organization of petty criminals. Still, they would prove useful in getting Tsagaan to the Rogue Isles. Eventually, he learned that the Tsoo were limited and Tsagaan decided to find other resources to aid him. It was this search that led him to Anathema.

Tsagaan woke as the plane began its descent. As always, whenever he recalled the events in Mongolia, he felt heartburn in his chest. If he were a man of science, he would attribute it to a psychosomatic reaction. But, as it was, Tsagaan knew it was the arrow wound in his heart.

After disembarking from the plane, Tsagaan led Anna and Brian to a limousine waiting for him at the airport. The couple became increasingly excited as they approached the Grand Celestial. With a few short commands, Tsagaan secured the Imperial Honeymoon suite for the two.

"Now, I must leave the two of you. I have some business to attend. The concierge will attend to all your needs. Please do me the honor of having dinner with me tonight." and with that Tsagaan left the couple to their own devices.

Tsagaan met with the Tsoo representatives at the hotel. They had a controlling interest in the property and welcomed Tsagaan with all the honors befitting one such as him. He made some arrangements with them for entertainment during his stay. When the time for dinner had arrived, Anna and Brian would find him waiting for them at their table.

"Mr. Wong…I mean, Teddy, thank you so much. The honeymoon suite is simply incredible!" gushed Anna "Everything is just so nice! We can't thank you enough!"

"Please, just witnessing your joy and knowing that I played a minor role in it is thanks enough", replied Tsagaan.

And with that, the trio enjoyed a luxurious dinner before proceeding to the gaming tables. Tsagaan wanted to see firsthand if Brian's luck was indeed simple luck or something more. They played various games of chance and met with a fair amount of success. Brian did not do so well with games such as poker or blackjack. But games which relied on pure random chance, such as roulette or craps (when Brian was not the roller) were fabulously rewarding for Brian.

"I can't believe this streak! It's amazing!", crowed Brian.

Tsagaan simply smiled, "Indeed, your fortune seems to have followed you all the way from Paragon City. It must be because of your good luck charm here." said Tsagaan as he gestured toward Anna.

Anna stifled a yawn, "I'm sorry, but this good luck charm needs to sleep. It's been such a long day. Why don't you boys continue to play and I'll see you in the morning. Besides, I want to get some rest so I can get up early to use the pool and sauna. Nothing like a refreshing dip first thing in the morning."

Brian barely looked up from the roulette wheel, "Okay, babe. I'll probably be up soon. Just as soon as this streak ends". And with that, Brian gave Anna a small kiss.

Tsagaan and Brian would spend many more hours at the games. Tsagaan was satisfied that Brian did indeed possess some trivial form of clairvoyance. As the night progressed, however, Brian's lucky streak began to die down. The result of him being tired and the substantial number of drinks Tsagaan had ordered for the two of them.

Now, it was Brian's turn to yawn, "Oh man, Teddy, I gotta go. I didn't mean to keep Anna waiting this long, but I've just never been this lucky before. Thanks again for everything and maybe we'll see you around."

"Go, go, Brian. I am glad that you are enjoying yourself. If you find that anything displeases you, let me know. Anything at all."

At dawn, Tsagaan emerged from his own room. He went out to the balcony and greeted the rising sun. With a few utterances, Tsagaan began to rise into the air. The Imperial Honeymoon suite was directly above his room. Moments earlier he had heard Anna depart the room as she headed for the pool area. Tsagaan arrived at their balcony and a minor unlocking spell granted him access into their room.

Brian laid sprawled out on the bed. The previous night's activities had truly worn him down and he would not have heard Tsagaan even if he had broken the door down.

Tsagaan looked down at Brian, "My young friend, I do not envy the headache you'll awaken with…but, fortunately you will not awaken at all."

Sometime later, the door chimed as Anna returned to the room. She padded into the bedroom calling "Brian, you've got to see the pool! It is beautiful and the sauna is so relaxing. Brian? Are you up yet?"

Tsagaan looked in the bathroom mirror, he had just gone in to clean up. A wide grin spread across his face as he heard Anna scream.

"Whatever is the matter, my dear", said Tsagaan as he entered the bedroom.

Anna turned around, her face pale white and tears already streaming down her face.

"Teddy? What? Something happened to Brian? I think he's hurt….what are you doing here?", stuttered Anna.

Tsagaan sighed, "Well, Anna dear. You see, Brian is…, no, was…a lucky man. His kind of luck is a gift of sorts. There's a small area in his brain, just behind the eyes, which allowed him to catch a glimpse of the future. It is trivial, nothing of great importance, but it served him well in life. At least until now."

Anna looked uncomprehendingly at Tsagaan and then at Brian's corpse. Her eyes widened as she took the grisly scene in. Brian body remained untouched, but his head was a different story. The skull appeared to have been pried opened. Gouges on his scalp showed where a hand must have simply penetrated the skull and pulled the top of his head off. His brains were a scattered mess over the plush pillows.

Tsagaan approached Anna, "If it means anything, I doubt he felt a thing. I extended him that small mercy, at least."

Anna could not turn around to face Tsagaan, "Why….why….?"

"Ahh, you see I've come to Vegas to celebrate. And it would not be celebratory at all if I were to lose. I do so enjoy playing the games, but I do hate to lose. There are other ways I could guarantee winning, but they would largely be unsportsmanlike. No, this way is better. I simply had to take Brian's luck.", whispered Tsagaan.

Anna slowly turned around, surprised to see Tsagaan had gotten so close and was directly behind her, "I…I don't understand…"

Tsagaan took hold of Anna gently, "No, no. Of course, you don't. It doesn't really matter. It is most unfortunate that it has to come to this, it seems that Brian's luck didn’t extend to you. Had you delayed your return just a little bit later, you would have found nothing. This room would have been cleaned by my associates and Brian would simply have been reported as missing. Not the first honeymooner to run off in this town, I can assure you. But, as it is…well, I am sorry."

Anna finally focused on Tsagaan. He looked different now; older, much older. The eyes were milky white, as if blind. The skin was wrinkled and thin like parchment, veins visible underneath. And his smile, his smile was the last thing she saw. The lips were stretched and horribly bloodstained. She noticed there were bits of gristle inbetween the teeth. Her last thought was the terrible realization of just how Tsagaan took Brian's luck.

Thanks for the feedback and tips, Mr. Grey. I assure you it is very much appreciated.

I had the different times emphasized in my original, I just completely forgot about them when copying and pasting to the post. Ooops.

In and About Paragon City: Keep the Lighthouse in Sight

Jack coughed up blood. The pain in his chest snapped him out of unconsciousness. He looked at his hand and muttered a curse, "Damn." The blood was darker than before, not a good sign.

As he regained his senses, he heard the cacophony of explosions, blasts, gunfire and screams, horrible screams. He tried to crawl away from the noise, but it seemed to surround him on all sides. His eyes focused on his rifle, dropped only a few feet away when he fell.

The effort involved in dragging himself towards his weapon was too much and Jack fainted once more. His mind went elsewhere.

"Bang bang, I got you!" shouted Jack. He was playing in the shipping yard where his dad worked.

"Argh, you got me, Jackie!" said his dad, with a smile on his face. Jack and his rifle were inseparable, ever since Joe gave his son the toy cap gun for his birthday.

Jack smiled at his dad and reloaded his cap gun. Joe returned to his conversation with Mr. Solozzo.

"Sorry about that, kids, you know? Anyway, here's next week's shipping manifests. Check it over and make any corrections. Once the containers get here, our guys will make sure the inventory checks out." Joe knew that when he got the manifests back from Solozzo, specific containers would end up just a bit lighter than originally planned. The discrepancies would simply disappear from the containers and end up in Solozzo's trucks.

Solozzo sneered as he took the lists from Joe, "Yeah, no problem. Business as usual. I'll probably send a couple of the boys over for added security. Too many capes snoopin' around Family business right now."

Without a backward glance, Solozzo climbed back into his sedan. Two goons with barely concealed bulges in their jackets looked around one last time before getting into the car. With a spray of gravel, the car sped out of the shipping yard.

Joe sighed, this was life in Independence Port. There was just no way of operating without involving the Family. Still, as long as you kept your head down and made no trouble, you were good to go.

"Come on, Jackie boy. Let's go visit old Henry at the tugboat. He's been asking about you and might have a little birthday surprise for ya."

"Sure, Dad" said Jack "I like Henry, he's funny. And I wanna show him my new gun"

Joe smiled and took Jack by the hand, boys and their guns, he thought. He wondered if the goons in the Family started out that way before graduating to real hardware.

Something wet hit Jack in the face. He didn't even want to imagine what or, more likely, who it might have been. He had been out for only a few seconds and he was only a little bit closer to his rifle. The radio in his earpiece buzzed, it sounded like Georg, "I've got the target in sight. Repeat, in sight"

Jack thought that Georg sounded panicked. Who could blame him? Even the calm nerves required for a marksman would be shaken by the chaos erupting all around the area. If Georg wasn't so nervous, he would've taken the shot already. Jack's suspicions were confirmed when Georg babbled again, "I've got 'em in sight."

"Keep the lighthouse in sight and you'll be fine. I'll be there by the buoy" Jack said into the radio. He piloted the tug boat towards the buoy, the fog was very thick tonight, but he'd seen worse. Jack felt the engines thrumming beneath his feet, it was an old boat, but very reliable.

Old Henry had died in the pilot's chair a year or so back. Joe must have seen that coming when he had Jack train as tugboat pilot. Joe had done a good job raising Jack, especially after Jack's mom left them.

The CB crackled and Jack picked up the receiver "Yeah, Dad?"

"Just checkin' on the Sea Star, how's she doin'?" replied Joe over the static-filled radio.

"She's coming in, slowly. The fog is pretty bad, but the lighthouse is still beaming, so they're good"

"Good, good. damned capes and their fighting knocked out most of the power to the grid. At least the lighthouse back-up generators are still working, otherwise the Sea Star will have to wait until morning. You be careful out there, keep that damned lighthouse in sight, don’t want the Sea Star to plow you over, if they ain't careful." cautioned Joe.

"Roger that, Dad", Jack hung up the receiver. Piloting a tugboat isn't normally too hazardous of a job, certainly not when compared to just living in Paragon City. At any given moment, some cape might tussle with any number of assorted freaks and come blasting towards the port. Watching out for yourself around capes was second nature to anyone living in Paragon.

For Jack, the capes were just a nuisance. He didn't want to play super heroes when he was a kid, it was just too boring. Jack rather play at being a soldier or a cop, maybe even a Family tough guy. He still had that toy cap gun he Dad had got him years ago, it was tucked away in a shoe box in his closet at home.

Jack put the tugboat in idle and just let the boat rock gently in the waves. The Sea Star would be a few minutes more, so Jack just peered directly ahead of the boat. The revolving beam in the lighthouse was almost mesmerizing. Darkness, then blinding light, darkness, then blinding light, darkness, then …

Jack had moved about a full foot closer to his rifle when a flash of light filled the room. Georg let out a strangled cry over the comm and then silence. The battle continue to rage, it felt like it'd been going on for hours, but Jack knew it'd been a handful of minutes at the most. Another cough sent shockwaves of pain through his body. Jack was sure that finally getting his rifle would make no difference in the outcome of the battle, but he was determined to get it anyway. In his mind, it had become a talisman to ward off whatever harm was coming his way. His eyes narrowed as he focused on the rifle, as if it were a beacon. Sweat dripped from his brow and momentarily blinded him.

It was unbelievably hot today. Jack paused to wipe the sweat from his forehead, then with a grunt lifted the wheelbarrow. Jack hated construction work, but it was the only steady work he could find in Kings Row. They were always rebuilding something in this city, since there was always something being knocked down. It'd almost be a half decent job if it paid better, but construction labor supply wasn't a problem. Besides, half of the construction project costs were tied up in security. If it wasn't the Hellions or Skulls vandalizing the site, then it was those damned Clockwork always stealing material. Paying some guy to lug around a wheelbarrow was a minor expense, at best.

Life got worse for Jack since he left Independence Port. It'd gone good for a while, but got bad when the capes increased pressure on the Family. The Family felt profits from all of their business ventures begin to dry up. So, they started to muscle in on the dockworker's unions. Bad enough they had the workers steal for them, but now the Family stole from the workers.

Jack's dad wouldn't stand for it. Joe was too old-school for this new generation of Family. All of his old contacts were dead or imprisoned, the average lifespan of a criminal just wasn't that long. Joe couldn't even rally the other workers to back his play, they were all too scared. Even Jack begged his dad to stop making trouble.

But, Joe wouldn't listen. And finally, one night, the Family got tired of Joe and put three in the back of his head. Joe's fellow workers were too scared to prevent his murder, but urged Jack to get out of town. The Family didn't appreciate loose ends. They gave him some start-up money, not enough for more than a couple of weeks and sent him to Kings Row.

"Hey, Jack, come here." Shouted his foreman.

"Coming." Jack put down the wheelbarrow and walked over, "What's up?"

"I'm sorry, but this is your last paycheck." said the foreman, not even looking Jack in the eyes. "Two spandex freaks stopped a bunch of Hellions from burning down one of our other projects. But, they ended knocking down the damned thing in the process. Insurance will probably pay up, but until they do, we gotta cut costs."

Jack snatched the envelope from the foreman's hand "Yeah, yeah…last hired, first fired, I get it."

"Hey, once the insurance check clears, we might hire again. Check with us in a couple of months" offered the foreman.

"Yeah, right. Like there aren't a thousand other guys out there who could this for even less than the pitiful pay I'm getting. Don't do me any favors." Jack stalked off the construction site, tossing his hardhat into the ground behind him.

Jack spent the next few hours in some seedy bar, drinking his last paycheck away. It wouldn't have even been enough to cover the rent, so why bother? It was dark when he emerged from the bar, he stumbled across the street when he heard some commotion.

Some guy in a uniform was standing on an honest-to-goodness soap box and going on about something. He was surrounded by a couple of other tough looking guys in similar uniforms. A small crowd had gathered to watch the show. Jack finally got close enough to hear the speech.

"This city belongs to normal people. Good, honest people. Not these so-called heroes, with their oh-so-colorful costumes and utter disregard for your safety. And certainly not to the gangbangers and freaks. Especially those who aren't even from around here. I'm not just talking about foreigners, but some of these freaks are from different magical dimensions or even another planet!" shouted the officer from his soapbox.

"We're not like that, we're just regular people wanting to keep this city safe for regular people. We're tired of having to duck whenever a cape flies by or run around like headless chickens at the first sign of trouble. Not anymore. We're taking back this city for us. For you! But, we need more regular guys like you to do it. Come to our rally and see what we're all about. I promise you, if you're fed up like we are, we're gonna give you the means to do something about it!

Jack liked what he heard, it both tempered and fueled the bottled-up rage he felt ever since being run out of Independence Port. His fists clenched as he spoke to one of the recruiters. He barely remembered filling out the paperwork and signing his name, all he could think about what his father.

Jack blinked the sweat away from his eyes and took a deep breath. Another spasm of coughs wracked his chest. He heard someone grunt and then saw a body fly over his head, landing just beyond his rifle. It was Wilson, his head was caved in and Jack found himself staring at the mess that was Wilson's face. Jack felt his stomach turn, but it was more than the grisly site that filled him with revulsion. It was the laughter he could hear from his attackers, Wilson's back-flip must have been comical to them. Jack looked away from Wilson's body and returned his focus to his rifle, now just barely out of the reach of his gloved hand. Jack dug deep into himself and reached for the rifle.

Jack stretched his arms and stifled a yawn. Luckily, the Adjutant's back was towards him. Wilson caught Jack's eye and gave him a wink. Even through their dark sunglasses, Jack could see Wilson shared his boredom. The Adjutant had one leg propped on a box, with his arm resting on his knee. He was blathering away about something with Georg. Georg was only half listening, as he polished his rifle.

Since becoming a marksman, Georg was obsessed with his weapon. A brief flash of recognition distracted Jack as he remembered his long-forgotten cap gun. It was probably in the hands of his Kings Row landlord's son or something. Jack lost all of his stuff when he was evicted from his apartment. Not that it mattered, by then Jack had already relocated to the barracks provided by the Council.

Jack had completed his boot camp training in a matter of weeks and was already on field assignments. He could see that others in his squad had the same minimal training. Most of the guys simply did the old "gun and run" tactic. Take a shot at your enemy and then charge them. He could never understand why that made any sense, especially when taking on capes. Half the time, they blasted you before you could get close. The other half of the time, they stood there, taunting you to get even closer. Those were much worse than getting blasted.

Jack had no idea why his squad was just standing in the lobby of this office building. Either somebody was getting the shakedown treatment or some painting was being stolen. Even in his short time with the Council, he'd lost track of his assignments. They seemed to just be the same thing over and over again, with maybe a slight change of scenery. Yesterday, it was a warehouse. Today it's an office. Tomorrow, it might be in the cargo hold of a ship.

Jack didn't like the assignments in cargo ships. Too many bad memories; he didn't like thinking about his dad these days.

Jack's attention shifted back to the Adjutant, as he stopped talking to Georg. The Adjutant was just about to say something, when the room got cold. It wasn't just the air conditioning kicking into overtime, it felt like the cold from the grave.

Suddenly, the Adjutant was frozen in a solid block of ice and an arrow sprouted from his chest. From out of nowhere, some cape with a baseball bat charged into his squad. Jack couldn't believe his eyes, a goddamned baseball bat. Two guys whom he didn't even get to know yet, reached for their guns. Mr. Baseball swung his bat in an arc and the two poor bastards were sent flying.

Jack fumbled for his rifle, when a chick with white skin and black tattoos suddenly in front of him. Jack was about to shout "Wait!", when she punched him in the chest. Jack felt like a ball of fire exploded inside him. He felt as if his entire rib cage had just collapsed.

And that's when things got really crazy. Some cape in a fedora was floating overhead, he was surrounded by ghosts which flew in the direction instructed by the cape. Over at another squad, the one which was supposed to cover Jack's squad, a gigantic dragon was smashing heads left and right. As Jack fell, he caught a glimpse of a woman in violet or purple, blasting guys with waves of energy.

Jack coughed hard as he hit the floor, he could see a spray of bright red blood fly from his mouth. Jack looked around for his rifle, before he blacked out.

Jack finally grabbed his rifle. His hand at just wrapped itself around the gun, the overhead lights of the lobby glinting off of the barrel. Suddenly, it looked like the lights went out. A massive shadow appeared right over Jack. He rolled onto his back, his rifle clenched in his fists, and looked up.

He didn't even have time to scream. Not that he wanted to, instead, Jack just let out a deep sigh. His last thoughts were "Oh for cryin' out loud, a dumpster!?"

[ QUOTE ]
Thank you for this strategy, I'm exactly the target player for this method.

I have a bunch of low-level alts who's costumes would really benefit from crafted wings, I just can't afford them.

Although, now it looks I will be able to in short order.

[/ QUOTE ]

Short order was right, using this method I got enough INF for a pair of Draconic wings, plus salvage in just under two hours.

Basically all I needed was a little more than 100K, so not a huge amount, but would've taken me much longer without this method.

I also was incredibly impatient, so I targeted recipes that had way more selling than being bid upon. I scooped those up for under vendor price pretty quickly. Usually, my 10-stack was fulfilled while I stood at the Black Market.

Thank you for this strategy, I'm exactly the target player for this method.

I have a bunch of low-level alts who's costumes would really benefit from crafted wings, I just can't afford them.

Although, now it looks I will be able to in short order.

As long as the toga and sandals mission rewards are there, I'm satisfied. I've only been playing since last November and I have a character who's gotta have these costume options.

Hello everyone, I've only just joined CoX a little more than a month ago. It seems I've spent more time creating characters instead of actually playing the game.

Here's a page for the Zodiac Guardsmen . Each one is a character currently on Virtue, though most are still very, very low-level. Maybe I should actually start playing them.