• The site has now migrated to Xenforo 2. If you see any issues with the forum operation, please post them in the feedback thread.
  • Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
  • For prospective new members, a word of warning: don't use common names like Dennis, Simon, or Kenny if you decide to create an account. Spammers have used them all before you and gotten those names flagged in the anti-spam databases. Your account registration will be rejected because of it.
  • Since it has happened MULTIPLE times now, I want to be very clear about this. You do not get to abandon an account and create a new one. You do not get to pass an account to someone else and create a new one. If you do so anyway, you will be banned for creating sockpuppets.
  • Due to the actions of particularly persistent spammers and trolls, we will be banning disposable email addresses from today onward.
  • The rules regarding NSFW links have been updated. See here for details.

With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

As for the Caps thing, what are you paying your guys, max benefits? So long as you don't go crazy with intel upgrades it should be pretty easy to stay above water money wise.
No, regular wages. With Rio Technate, economy and trade laws for maximum caps and a lot of conquered territory, I could just about pay the upkeep for six armies of 24 divisions. Thousands of robots sitting in reserves with no way to use them. With Ouroboros, after beating Inculta, I had literally couldn't maintain the army that beat him after taking his territory.
 
Do you habitually murder/assault every rude customer, every child that cry's loudly in the street, every teenager who acts like an uppity prick, every boomer who condescendingly states "back in my day" simply because you are bigger and stronger than them?
No, but I do think about it. Also it....has happened. Maxx has been in a LOT of fights. I have long struggled to back down from confrontation. Now add in a level of super powers where fear of injury, police intervention, or any of that?

Ugh....that's a level of self control I'm not sure I have.

I also don't have super powers to the level that I could wreck planets. I could easily see myself murderizing Joker, and then smacking the shit out of Gordon when he tried to Cop at me, and then atomizing Batman if he gave me any shit over it and...well it's a downhill slide. Lex would be dead as soon as I could manage it.

Just the idea of having to deal with illogical comic book bullshit would just drive me up a wall I know it.

Granted, I can already see Superman/Kon acting as a morality chain to SI me. Because "Superman wouldn't like it." Is probably the only convincing thought I'd have.

I mean, when I look at my country's current political environment.....oh yeah, everyone should take a moment to be grateful that I don't have super powers.

Can I ask what you mean by, "The ring would be enough" because if you are in a DC setting there are lots of things that can overpower a power ring.
Give that my understanding of a power ring is that it is both the most powerful weapon in the universe, and an omni-tool of almost, if not, limitless applications. I could not see myself as a writer believing that my character would require any additional tools. A back up or two sure. But I often swear that OL's random gear is more effective than his actual power ring.

This is, of course, just how I see the setting. Though, to be honest, I prefer Alan Scott's OG Magical ring to the Xeno hyper-tech of today.
 
Last edited:
Granted, I can already see Superman/Kon acting as a morality chain to SI me. Because "Superman wouldn't like it." Is probably the only convincing thought I'd have.

I mean, when I look at my country's current political environment.....oh yeah, everyone should take a moment to be grateful that I don't have superpowers.

Personally, in such a situation, I'd feel too responsible for turning (possibly) everything shit to do a mass purge of political opponents or giant political reconstruction, of course, there'd be a few people I'd end up killing but that would be more for actions disconnected from politics and I'd probably try gathering evidence and reporting such actions to the police if not public first... actually probably a lot like Grayven's raid the Caligula club.

I'm sure since you say yourself that everyone should be grateful you don't have superpowers and not that they should wish that you did because you'd fix everything at least a part of you recognises that too.

Give that my understanding of a power ring is that it is both the most powerful weapon in the universe, and an Omni-tool of almost, if not, limitless applications. I could not see myself as a writer believing that my character would require any additional tools. A backup or two sure. But I often swear that OL's random gear is more effective than his actual power ring.

This is, of course, just how I see the setting. Though, to be honest, I prefer Alan Scott's OG Magical ring to the Xeno hyper-tech of today.

I see the logic there, I think it's because if a villain knows they're gonna fight OL then they think "oh I should think of a way to counter a power ring" which means that OL falls back on his other equipment that they haven't prepared for.

I suppose if you as a writer were to write a story it turning into a slugfest between power rings and whatever you want to though at it tension could come from running out of charge or getting overpowered or perhaps a Homelander situation where you are more bound by social constructs than anyone seriously being able to stop you.
 
Give that my understanding of a power ring is that it is both the most powerful weapon in the universe, and an omni-tool of almost, if not, limitless applications. I could not see myself as a writer believing that my character would require any additional tools. A back up or two sure. But I often swear that OL's random gear is more effective than his actual power ring.

This is, of course, just how I see the setting. Though, to be honest, I prefer Alan Scott's OG Magical ring to the Xeno hyper-tech of today.
Keep in mind, Zoat buffed Power Rings a lot from what they are normally capable of...

And removed nearly all of the down sides and limitations...
 
The second is punishment. It sets a good behavioral precedent to see someone who has done something society perceives as 'wrong' having liberties taken away from them and serves as a warning to others that the same might befall them if they choose to transgress against the law. (A secondary consideration on this point is retributive punishment as opposed to utilitarian punishment, which is designed to insure the specific individual, as opposed to the society at large, knows the consequences of committing another crime.)

This is usually called general and specific deterrence -- making it less likely for crimes like this to be done, because people in general, or the offender specifically now know they can get caught and punished.

Retribution is a different thing -- the assertion that it is a good thing in itself for malefactors to be punished, not for any consequence thereof, but as a karmic "balancing of scales". Lots of people really do believe this. I would claim it is nearly a human universal, but humans are
actually quite varied and culture can shift a lot.

And of course, because lots of people believe this, enforcing punishments keeps these people happy, and thus aids the security of the state.
 
Personally, in such a situation, I'd feel too responsible for turning (possibly) everything shit to do a mass purge of political opponents or giant political reconstruction, of course, there'd be a few people I'd end up killing but that would be more for actions disconnected from politics and I'd probably try gathering evidence and reporting such actions to the police if not public first... actually probably a lot like Grayven's raid the Caligula club.
See, I don't know that I'd think that far.

If I'm being honest, were there one ring to be attracted to me. I'd imagine it'd be a Red ring. Which I imagine would not help my temper in the slightest. Of course, canon rings turn their users into mindless berserkers, so I'd already be changing things.

Actually I've thought of several ideas I like a bit more than a Power ring.

And I can't see myself bothering with all the evidence gathering and reporting and trusting in the courts when I can just yank someone into deep space and find out just what actually happens. Because dead is dead, and there isn't a punishment worse than dead.

I've honestly never understood the whole "Lets leave them in a cage until they die." Thing. Like...I could just do it now? Save everyone a lot of time? Plus, the whole comic cardboard prisons.

I can just see myself getting really annoyed and given the ring going "You know what....fuck you and everything in a mile radius around you." Then later having a "Oh....I should not have done that." Then sadly having to admit that I don't care that I shouldn't have done that.

I'm sure since you say yourself that everyone should be grateful you don't have superpowers and not that they should wish that you did because you'd fix everything at least a part of you recognises that too.
There would be many a boom.

see the logic there, I think it's because if a villain knows they're gonna fight OL then they think "oh I should think of a way to counter a power ring" which means that OL falls back on his other equipment that they haven't prepared for.
I mean, its just how I personally think.

I'm not big into sci-fi or tech and the like. Were I writing, I'm sure the ring would be far more powerful than Zoat portrays it. Just how I go about it.

As for villains trying to counter a power ring. I suppose my answer would be "you don't" or that the counter to the counter would be the ring itself.

I admit, I find the applications of a power ring more interesting than anything else I could have him carry. I also admit that, as I'm not into sci-fi, a Me SI would be more construct heavy than OL is.

In addition, I've always understood the effects of a power ring to be whatever the user thinks/wills them to be. So rather than carrying additional devices, in my mind...the ring just does it.

But that's me.

I suppose if you as a writer were to write a story it turning into a slugfest between power rings and whatever you want to though at it tension could come from running out of charge or getting overpowered or perhaps a Homelander situation where you are more bound by social constructs than anyone seriously being able to stop you.
I know just enough about Homelander to know that I don't care to know about Homelander. It's from "The boys" isn't it? Which means Garth Ennis.

Which means crap.

For myself, I'd imagine a Me SI being more a construct heavy smasher to OL's long range blaster.

Whereas OL goes "Railgun shoot the thing." I can see Maxx-RL going "Big fucking red light hammer smashy smashy."

I distinctly remember you bitching all over the thread about how merged the power rings are in this fix.
I don't recall ever complaining about power rings being combined into one....if that comment is directed at me.

I, myself, tend to find OL's ring to be terribly weak.
 
No, regular wages. With Rio Technate, economy and trade laws for maximum caps and a lot of conquered territory, I could just about pay the upkeep for six armies of 24 divisions. Thousands of robots sitting in reserves with no way to use them. With Ouroboros, after beating Inculta, I had literally couldn't maintain the army that beat him after taking his territory.
That's odd, I've never been in that situation for whatever reason. From what I remember the upkeep on robots is supposed to be a quarter of what it is for generic infantry. Maybe something in the code got borked because that makes no sense at all.

Granted I tend to make small numbers of dense 20 weight units with full support company slots. I've never really done the full horde of robots.

On another note, I absolutely loathe getting locked special template divisions that I can't bring in line with the rest of my army and I can't get rid of.
 
This is usually called general and specific deterrence -- making it less likely for crimes like this to be done, because people in general, or the offender specifically now know they can get caught and punished.

Retribution is a different thing -- the assertion that it is a good thing in itself for malefactors to be punished, not for any consequence thereof, but as a karmic "balancing of scales". Lots of people really do believe this. I would claim it is nearly a human universal, but humans are
actually quite varied and culture can shift a lot.

And of course, because lots of people believe this, enforcing punishments keeps these people happy, and thus aids the security of the state.
As I said to someone else, my aim was to give a broad overview and not devolve into nitpicking specifics, which I feel like this level of detail is.

My aim was not to get into philosophical statements, but generalize underpinning reasons why people would want Sivana punished.

Also, I've already gone on the record as disagreeing with retributive justice on a personal level, so please do not claim it's anything close to universal, because I consider it a major societal problem.

As I said to the other person who wanted to quibble, if you feel like the topic hasn't been covered in-depth enough, you're welcome to do you own full write up instead. I feel justified in saying it was detailed enough.
 
Cold Iron (part 5)
25th June 2012
23:53 GMT +7


The Director regards me impassively.

"And if he were granted this pardon, what would he do after the Sheeda were defeated?"

"Attempt to woo Venus. He relaxed his empathic shielding enough for me to confirm that his desires were genuine."

"Do you think that he could have fooled your abilities?"

I nod. "It's quite possible. Certainly, if anyone could, it would be him. However, based on what I've observed of his behaviour, this offer fits. If nothing else, his total lack of remorse combined with his ability to elude law enforcement for this long means that I don't see a more likely reason for him to ask for a pardon. And… His… Mental processes are… Disturbing. It wasn't the obvious choice to reassure me."

I now know that Dr. Sivana would make an excellent Orange Lantern. I also know that I'll never give him a ring to prove it. I think I remember feeling a little like that for a few moments prior to achieving enlightenment. And he's been like that for nearly two decades, if not longer.

"I am concerned that his own manias will lead to him returning to his criminal habits."

"He has faster than light travel. It really wouldn't be that hard for him to go somewhere else in the galaxy if the mood took him, and Venus originally divorced him due to his criminal activity on Earth."

"And the aliens he targeted, they would not seek revenge here?"

"Humans aren't all that well known, and he's managed to evade human law enforcement when they only had a single planet to search rather than the entire universe."

"You do not have your colleague's reservations on the use of lethal force. Is your relationship with his elder daughter the only reason why you have not killed him?"

"No. Killing him seemed wasteful, and I knew that the Sheeda were coming at some point."

"Sivana has committed few crimes in the Russian Federation. While we do not know precisely how many Russian citizens the Sheeda have killed, it is large. Only the President can authorise the pardon which Doctor Sivana wants. I will recommend that he sign it, and I will recommend that he request that Russia's allies also comply. They should not be difficult to convince; they are far more vulnerable than the Russian Federation to Sheeda raids."

"Than-."

"I will also recommend that an open death warrant be issued should Sivana return to criminality after the Sheeda are defeated, and he will never be granted a visa to visit Russia under any circumstances. Please pass on to the relevant American officials that we expect the United States to ensure that its super criminal population is either controlled or contained."

"I… Don't have much sway with the American government, but I will pass that along. Thank you for your cooperation, Director."

26th June 2012
01:46 GMT +8


In stark contrast to the Director's ever-flawless appearance, Chairman Jiang looks severely sleep-deprived. China's wonky development means that they're even worse defended than Russia is and his team is intended to deal with small area high intensity combat, not widespread raids where they can't prevent their enemies from disengaging. I haven't checked -because he might have someone who can detect it and that would make things worse- but I rather imagine that his phone is ringing off the hook with requests for aid that he literally can't provide. And I'm sure that after this is over he's going to be removed from office for not doing the impossible.

"The People's Republic of China is not aware of the American Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana committing any criminal acts within our territory. As such, I cannot issue him a pardon, even with these…"

He picks up the Chinese part of Sivana's confession and slaps it against his desk.

"Claims. I can announce that as chairman of the committee responsible for oversight of such… Activities, that we are not seeking to arrest or extradite either Thaddeus Sivana Senior, Georgia Sivana or Thaddeus Sivana Junior. Will that be sufficient?"

These 'activities' include killing the board of a prominent Chinese investment corporation who turned down his initial business proposal. While he's never actually been convicted and I.. don't.. think he publically boasted about it, I think that's only because he immediately left, Thundermind was out of the city at the time and Sivana doesn't speak Chinese. Does Jiang see this as a way of avoiding the circular firing squad after the crisis is over? It wouldn't surprise me, but I am glad that I'm not having to burn my favour to get this approved. If that would even be enough.

"I don't know for sure, but I suspect so. I'll pass it on and report back to you if the answer is 'no'." I perform a short bow. "Thank you for your time."

26th June 2012
15:24 GMT -3


I look down at… What's left of Brasília. The Sheeda like high population density targets, and places like Brazil… Have a combination of being advanced enough to support high-density housing and being insufficiently good at fighting Sheeda forces to attract them. There was a Harvest Dreadnought parked over the city for… Probably a month, with a terrified population cowering in their homes and never knowing when they would be stolen away by people they couldn't see.

That Harvest Dreadnought is still here, impaled on a colossal thorn which erupted from out of Lake Paranoá when the counterattack started. Guess they weren't paranoid enough.

A squad of Accala warriors wait for me as I descend, and given the way two of them are drawing a response from the local plant life I suspect that they're shamen. Certainly, the armour of antediluvian wood they're all wearing is a marked contrast to the relative state of undress they seemed to prefer when I visited one of their villages. Unlike most places that have managed a victory over the Sheeda, they aren't bothering to loot their weapons at all.

Hugo Danner waves his right hand in greeting. He's dressed in the same armour as his escort, though his armour has brightly coloured fronds extending from the helmet as an organic headdress.

"Orange Lantern. You wanted to talk to me?"

"I… Understand that you've been made Paramount Chief?"

"It's a ceremonial thing." He looks around as a tower block's cladding crumbles away, a forest of vines growing through the building's skeleton. "We're going to have a proper tribal council once the war's over. The power's mostly in the hands of the chiefs, anyway."

More cracks, and more trees erupt through tarmac and concrete at unrealistic speeds. Perhaps I should be more surprised, but both the Accala and Euanthe have been open in their distaste for technocratic civilisation.

"Do you have the authority to pardon criminals?"

"Probably? Why?"

"An American mad scientist thinks he can defeat the Sheeda, but he wants a pardon for his old crimes first. He said 'from every nation', but I suspect that as long as I get most of them he'll accept it. And… With the collapse of the Brazilian state, it looks like you're in charge around here."

"What's he done?"

"Quite a lot of murder, though only three of his victims were Brazilian citizens."

"As long you're sure that he's on the up-and-up, that should be fine." His eyes shift to the fallen Harvest Dreadnought for a moment. "I've got a… Shipment of Sheeda equipment you can take, if you want it. We don't really have much in the way of research and development here but I imagine that the US or the Justice League could use it."

I nod. "Thanks. Where's Euanthe?"

"She's… Everywhere. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have done much better than the army did. A lot of the Accala… Well, I suppose I should be glad that they're not worshipping me any more."

"And what are you planning on doing once the war is over?"

"We'll… See."
 
Last edited:
That's odd, I've never been in that situation for whatever reason. From what I remember the upkeep on robots is supposed to be a quarter of what it is for generic infantry. Maybe something in the code got borked because that makes no sense at all.

Granted I tend to make small numbers of dense 20 weight units with full support company slots. I've never really done the full horde of robots.
Okay, I think I know what went wrong with the Ouroboros. I set the caps system to 'off' on the options menu, but that doesn't actually turn the caps system off. I think it just turns off trade routes, which means that you can never get enough money for anything.
On another note, I absolutely loathe getting locked special template divisions that I can't bring in line with the rest of my army and I can't get rid of.
I feel that way too.
No, that's 'thank you' getting cut off.
 
I now know that Dr. Sivana would make an excellent Orange Lantern. I also know that I'll never give him a ring to prove it.

You have given rings to people that are much, much worse than him.

Kalmin being an example.

Also your future self will give a ring to a mad scientist that tried to destroy the environment and kill a bunch of kids, multiple times.

President can authorised the

'authorise'

criminal population either controlled or contained."

'is either controlled'

actually bee convicted

'been convicted'


'on a'


maybe 'enough to support'


'contrast to'

concrete and unrealistic speeds.

'at unrealistic'


So she's been teaching them some druidism or shamanism?


Ominous.

Is Fire still alive after the Sheeda invaded?

Are that Hitler clone and his family still alive?
 
Last edited:
That Sheeda attack is surely shaking things up, in sharp contrast to usual comic book continuity were status quo is god.

I suspect that trust in every government will be at an all time low after this.

Especially if Sivana succeeds and it comes out they needed a criminals help to win.

Zoat, is Atlantis being attacked as well? Oh, and what about Themyscira? Because if they aren't or if they defend themselves well, they might be the only stable states left when all is said and done
 
That Sheeda attack is surely shaking things up, in sharp contrast to usual comic book continuity were status quo is god.

I suspect that trust in every government will be at an all time low after this.

Especially if Sivana succeeds and it comes out they needed a criminals help to win.

Zoat, is Atlantis being attacked as well? Oh, and what about Themyscira? Because if they aren't or if they defend themselves well, they might be the only stable states left when all is said and done

Atlantis may be a more difficult target due to them employing magic on a massive scale and having experience with fighting magical threats.

Themyscira has some powerful wards and several gods to defend it, along with whatever mystic artifacts they may have.
 
Okay, I think I know what went wrong with the Ouroboros. I set the caps system to 'off' on the options menu, but that doesn't actually turn the caps system off. I think it just turns off trade routes, which means that you can never get enough money for anything.

I feel that way too.

Ah, yeah that would do it. The trade system looks more complicated then it actually is. Once you set the one trade route available to most nations, it basically runs itself except occasionally asking you to upgrade the trade node, which as far as I can tell costs nothing.
 
Atlantis may be a more difficult target due to them employing magic on a massive scale and having experience with fighting magical threats.

Themyscira has some powerful wards and several gods to defend it, along with whatever mystic artifacts they may have.

Also it's probably not worth the biomass required to make enough aquatic beasts capable of taking Atlantis. I suppose they could use magic to enable their fliers to move through the water like air, but that's still a lot of work for pretty slim pickings all told.
 
Random question. Mr Zoat, how would the Accala feel about Paul being good friends with their new god (Euanthe)?
 
25th June 2012
23:53 GMT +7


The Director regards me impassively.

"And if he were granted this pardon, what would he do after the Sheeda were defeated?"
That's the million-dollar question, isn't it? What guarantee do any of these nations have that Sivana won't eventually get pissed off at something and unleash some weird science assault on it? That'll be a big sticking point for most, I think.

"Attempt to woo Venus. He relaxed his empathic shielding enough for me to confirm that his desires were genuine."

"Do you think that he could have fooled your abilities?"
It's Doctor Thaddeus Sivana. He's ranked high amongst the smartest people on Earth. If he couldn't fool empathic senses that easily, it's only because he's not interested in trying.

I nod. "It's quite possible. Certainly, if anyone could, it would be him. However, based on what I've observed of his behaviour, this offer fits. If nothing else, his total lack of remorse combined with his ability to elude law enforcement for this long means that I don't see a more likely reason for him to ask for a pardon. And… His… Mental processes are… Disturbing. It wasn't the obvious choice to reassure me."

I now know that Dr. Sivana would make an excellent Orange Lantern. I also know that I'll never give him a ring to prove it. I think I remember feeling a little like that for a few moments prior to achieving enlightenment. And he's been like that for nearly two decades, if not longer.
Dear gods. Can you imagine what Sivana could do with a power ring, especially Orange? Instant analysis of just about anything he wants, instant prototyping of any tech he can imagine... It's a terrifying thought. Because of what he would do with that power, especially if he were still criminally-minded...

"I am concerned that his own manias will lead to him returning to his criminal habits."

"He has faster than light travel. It really wouldn't be that hard for him to go somewhere else in the galaxy if the mood took him, and Venus originally divorced him due to his criminal activity on Earth."
I could honestly see him pulling an exact words gag like that. "I said I wouldn't commit any more crimes on Earth, no..."

"And the aliens he targeted, they would not seek revenge here?"

"Humans aren't all that well known, and he's managed to evade human law enforcement when they only had a single planet to search rather than the entire universe."
To be fair, he'd probably be happiest finding an out-of-the-way, uninhabited solar system and converting it into a giant laboratory complex. Anything he wants in the name of SCIENCE! and no people to get in his way...

"You do not have your colleague's reservations on the use of lethal force. Is your relationship with his elder daughter the only reason why you have not killed him?"

"No. Killing him seemed wasteful, and I knew that the Sheeda were coming at some point."
And his declared intent to fight the Sheeda helped confirm the value of that choice. He just needed that extra push to actually help everyone else.

"Sivana has committed few crimes in the Russian Federation. While we do not know precisely how many Russian citizens the Sheeda have killed, it is large. Only the President can authorised the pardon which Doctor Sivana wants. I will recommend that he sign it, and I will recommend that he request that Russia's allies also comply. They should not be difficult to convince; they are far more vulnerable than the Russian Federation to Sheeda raids."

"Than-."
Hold on, OL, there's bound to be a 'but...' Though at least the Russians are being sensible about things.

"I will also recommend that an open death warrant be issued should Sivana return to criminality after the Sheeda are defeated, and he will never be granted a visa to visit Russia under any circumstances. Please pass on to the relevant American officials that we expect the United States to ensure that its super criminal population either controlled or contained."

"I… Don't have much sway with the American government, but I will pass that along. Thank you for your cooperation, Director."
In other words, the Director has had enough of America's shit landing in his yard. I doubt the threat of a kill order hanging over his head will stop Thaddeus Senior if the mood should take him, though.

26th June 2012
01:46 GMT +8


In stark contrast to the Director's ever-flawless appearance, Chairman Jiang looks severely sleep-deprived. China's wonky development means that they're even worse defended than Russia is and his team is intended to deal with small area high intensity combat, not widespread raids where they can't prevent their enemies from disengaging. I haven't checked -because he might have someone who can detect it and that would make things worse- but I rather imagine that his phone is ringing off the hook with requests for aid that he literally can't provide. And I'm sure that after this is over he's going to be removed from office for not doing the impossible.
:rolleyes: Gee, who'd have thought keeping the yokels in the countryside at near-medieval levels would bite them in the ass? Pity about the Party's sour grapes, though. Hopefully he can at least avoid a firing squad...

"The People's Republic of China is not aware of the American Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana committing any criminal acts within our territory. As such, I cannot issue him a pardon, even with these…"

He picks up the Chinese part of Sivana's confession and slaps it against his desk.
No doubt itemised down to the last fēn. Sivana is nothing if not meticulous.

"Claims. I can announce that as chairman of the committee responsible for oversight of such… Activities, that we are not seeking to arrest or extradite either Thaddeus Sivana Senior, Georgia Sivana or Thaddeus Sivana Junior. Will that be sufficient?"
So, "If we can't see them, we won't arrest them." I doubt you could ask for better from the champions of obnoxious bureaucracy.

These 'activities' include killing the board of a prominent Chinese investment corporation who turned down his initial business proposal. While he's never actually bee convicted and I.. don't.. think he publically boasted about it, I think that's only because he immediately left, Thundermind was out of the city at the time and Sivana doesn't speak Chinese. Does Jiang see this as a way of avoiding the circular firing squad after the crisis is over? It wouldn't surprise me, but I am glad that I'm not having to burn my favour to get this approved. If that would even be enough.
I have the feeling that'd be pushing it. Bringing them Klarion would only go so far...

"I don't know for sure, but I suspect so. I'll pass it on and report back to you if the answer is 'no'." I perform a short bow. "Thank you for your time."

26th June 2012
15:24 GMT -3
A whirlwind stop of familiar territories, eh? No doubt he's gotten the hard ones out of the way first? Adom probably went "Anything that helps bring these scum down."

I look down at… What's left of Brasília. The Sheeda like high population density targets, and places like Brazil… Have a combination of being advanced enough to suppose high-density housing and being insufficiently good at fighting Sheeda forces to attract them. There was a Harvest Dreadnought parked over the city for… Probably a month, with a terrified population cowering in their homes and never knowing when they would be stolen away by people they couldn't see.
The Favelas would be a smorgasbord for the bastards, wouldn't they? And the upper classes wouldn't lift a finger, as long as they weren't being targetted... Hooray.

That Harvest Dreadnought is still here, impaled on colossal thorn which erupted from out of Lake Paranoá when the counterattack started. Guess they weren't paranoid enough.
Ha! Nice pun. I see Euanthe took a hand in matters. Or rather, a vine?

A squad of Accala warriors wait for me as I descend, and given the way two of them are drawing a response from the local plant life I suspect that they're shamen. Certainly, the armour of antediluvian wood they're all wearing is a marked contract to the relative state of undress they seemed to prefer when I visited one of their villages. Unlike most places that have managed a victory over the Sheeda, they aren't bothering to loot their weapons at all.

Hugo Danner waves his right hand in greeting. He's dressed in the same armour as his escort, though his armour has brightly coloured fronds extending from the helmet as an organic headdress.
Not the best idea, given I doubt that even their superhuman durability would help against entropic weaponry. Marking the ones in charge would be a fine way to get their living god killed, much as it helps with their morale...

"Orange Lantern. You wanted to talk to me?"

"I… Understand that you've been made Paramount Chief?"
So, leader of all the Tribes gathered under the Accala banner? Quite a step up.

"It's a ceremonial thing." He looks around as a tower block's cladding crumbles away, a forest of vines growing through the buildings skeleton. "We're going to have a proper tribal council once the war's over. The power's mostly in the hands of the chiefs, anyway."

More cracks, and more trees erupt through tarmac and concrete and unrealistic speeds. Perhaps I should be more surprised, but both the Accala and Euanthe have been open in their distaste for technocratic civilisation.
They're taking Brazil back to basics, eh? That'll be ruffling some feathers in the government, won't it? On the other hand, what can they do to stop them, outside of War Crime-worthy tactics? They've basically abandoned the slums to the Sheeda, so most of the locals would be rooting for the Accala...

"Do you have the authority to pardon criminals?"

"Probably? Why?"
Huh... I mean, Doctor Sivana knows the Accala and Hugo danner exist. He used a variation of the formula to empower his older children, after all. But I don't see him caring about a pardon from them...

"An American mad scientist thinks he can defeat the Sheeda, but he wants a pardon for his old crimes first. He said 'from every nation', but I suspect that as long as I get most of them he'll accept it. And… With the collapse of the Brazilian state, it looks like you're in charge around here."

"What's he done?"
Ah... So the upper classes won't have any objection to things anyway. Makes sense. I hope the characters we know about survived.

"Quite a lot of murder, though only three of his victims were Brazilian citizens."

"As long you're sure that he's on the up-and-up, that should be fine." His eyes shift to the fallen Harvest Dreadnought for a moment. "I've got a… Shipment of Sheeda equipment you can take, if you want it. We don't really have much in the way of research and development here but I imagine that the US or the Justice League could use it."
Handy. A good gift to help cement their reputation. Establish themselves as considerate, but firm.

I nod. "Thanks. Where's Euanthe?"

"She's… Everywhere. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have done much better than the army did. A lot of the Accala… Well, I suppose I should be glad that they're not worshipping me any more."
Haha. A step up for the lady Dryad. And while the sudden worship won't have much effect on her mystical oomph, I'm sure it'll have an effect on her standing amongst her sisters...

"And what are you planning on doing once the war is over?"

"We'll… See."
Dun-dun-DUN... Yes, Hugo, that isn't ominous at all. Hope you don't plan to go grabbing the villain ball again. Remember how well that worked back in the fifties?

I see OL's being conscientious about his commitment to a global pardon for the Sivana family. Presumably he's been hitting up other governments off-screen, or he's making sure the big ones are pinned down before he checks around. On the upside, we're getting a better view of the situation world-wide. :( I kind of feel for the Chinese citizenry...
 
So, if Sivana senior is stuck a step before attaining enlightenment, wouldn't it make sense for Paul to help him attain it?
 
I prefer the Marine Air Corps, by virtue of them being the navy's army's air force.

The Alamo Chapter aren't my favourite people. I played Rio Grande as Rosado and they... Weren't very helpful, despite Rosado having worked with them for years. I literally have focuses based on what great friends we are, but they just weren't feeling it.

I think part of the reason I love the Texas and Alamo chapters so much is that their Vault-Tec Power Armor model on the map looks a lot like the FOX MNF NFL dancing robot, which is one if the most violently American (and Texan) things I can think of.
 
Ha! Nice pun. I see Euanthe took a hand in matters. Or rather, a vine?

She's being a real thorn in their side.

Haha. A step up for the lady Dryad. And while the sudden worship won't have much effect on her mystical oomph, I'm sure it'll have an effect on her standing amongst her sisters...

They're already calling her Second Eldest sister, and they apparently call Demeter Eldest Sister, so yeah.

Euanthe may honestly be the poster child for jumped up elemental.

Though after she put that Eden branch into her body she may honestly be more than an ordinary elemental now, maybe something like a New God.

So, if Sivana senior is stuck a step before attaining enlightenment, wouldn't it make sense for Paul to help him attain it?

I don't think he's a step away from enlightenment, but rather his mindset is like one of the many mindsets OL experienced before he became enlightened.
 
No... It really isn't that hard to get...

Pretty much every government on Earth has excused more for less then Sivana is offering.

you have a point-
Von Braun almost certainly knew his rockets were being built with slave labor, and the US was almost desperately eager to parden him for their rocketry program-
not to mention the blanket pardons the Japanese biowar program got in exchange for surviving hardcopies of their research, after... urgh.. the.... you know.
the whole "gags and straps" vivisection program/"injecting american POW's in the kidneys with horse urine"and worse thing...

hell, most pollies would (in private/off the record) call Sivana's price HILARIOUSLY cheap for making their latest problem go away, even if he had a bodycount matching OL's....
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top