Halt Evil Doer! megaverse thread

[Libra]

The Heroic Universe

Imagine Earth as the central point of a compass. The Interstellar Powers of the Galaxy are (clockwise) The Stellar Khanate, The Lor Republic, The Thran Allegiance, The Tsavong Hunting Grounds and the Grue Unity. Where the borders of the other powers (Except the Stellar Khanate) meet the Lor Republic there are a string of independent systems. Earth is placed roughly at the centre of the largest single concentration of these.

The Stellar Khanate is bordered on all sides but one by the Republic, protected from the other Great Powers of the Galaxy by this - and utterly ungrateful. Ruled over by the Star Khan with an iron fist within a velvet glove, the Khanate is building it's strength for a second shot at the Lor Republic and intriguing with the Grue Unity - It's other neigbour - in order to so, although any aliens found within the Khanate without a permit are executed, spies are returned to their government (Not intact) and Invading Fleets are eliminated. Unsurprisingly it's left severely alone.

The Lor Republic is certainly the largest power in Earth's area of the Milky Way, definately the most enlightened and almost certainly the toughest. While the Thran are more powerful, the Tsavong are more agressive, The Unity more efficient and the Stellar Khanate led by the greatest military mind in the Known Galaxy the Republic endures, partly out of sheer stubborness and partially because they're a Titan. They've beaten every bordering power in combat and only the Tsavong continue to face them in open combat and their resources material, mental and in terms of manpower are staggering. It helps that it's almost impossible to infiltrate them thanks to their mentats and their current Supreme Praetor has made eliminating corruption and inefficiancy his Sacred Cause and he's not an infiltrator. Still, while he's broken the corrupt bureaucracies that previously throttled the state, former officers of those institutions have dedicated themselves and their slush funds to raising Cain in the Senate and Society at large.

The Thran Allegiance, while still arguably the most powerful Star-Nation in Earth's galactic neigbourhood is limited in their attempted conquests by the Lor Republic, which has beaten them in three Interstellar Wars, although at considerable cost. The fact that the Star Knights protect almost every independant world which they might claim has further exasperated them. Their defeats at the hand of a That Planet of Primates have infuriated them, although the recent actions of the Grue and the discovery of their Serpent Men progenitors - although much seperated from them in blood, culture and technology a fassscinating link to the past of their species - have kept their attention on Earth, despite their tradition of ignoring and avoidng the sites of their failures.

The Tsavong Hunting Grounds continue to reel, but their record of success against independant planets under the protection of the Star Knights is scanty to say the least. Still, a great opponent merely means a greater challenge to the Tsavong, so they continue to attack even the Lor Republic 'The Titan' itself, even if only the more remote planets.

The Purification War continues to claim the attention of the best and baddest of the Grue Unity and the Tsavong, for which the Lor thank the Gods of the Tree. While Tsavong Pursuits and Grue Inflitrations continue, they are smaller and less devestating than they might be.

The Order of the Star Knights acts as protector of all Independant Worlds, thwarting Grue infiltration, Tsavong Raid, Thran 'Great Fang Diplomacy' and various pirates, slavers and sundry scum operating in the Pacific Zone at the borders of Lor space. Given their long-standing alliance with the Grigorii few dare trouble them openly when their Quests cross interstellar boundaries.

One final note: Cap'n Kraken tends to use Earth as his Home Port partially due to the fact that it's in the largest and most prosperous of the various border zones - No-one picks them off because it would probably start a general war - and because he's made profitable connections on Earth. There are advantages to being 'Chief Negotiator' of the Crime League in Space. (The fun one, not the large, unfriendly 'legitimate businessmen')

[Charles Phipps]

Thank you for the kind words Charles. I'll have some ideas for the Interstellar political situation soon enough and I plan to post some ideas for the Golden Age thereafter. I'd appreciate any information you could give me about The Liberators, as they're the only element I can't quite fathom. Please?

The name is a nod to Marvel's "Invaders."

The Liberators were a "branch" of the Liberty Men that were created directly by the United States government to serve as super soldiers rather than directly from the ranks of existing heroes. Technically, all the Liberty Men belonged to the Liberators who had special rank and clearance but their numbers went beyond this well.

In general, the Liberators were an experiment with mixed results. Plenty of them were resented by the common soldiers around them, lacking the Liberty Men's innate charisma and significant Pre-War exploits. Others were not nearly as skilled beyond their special abilities as people expected. They also became chief targets for Hitler's own significantly more experienced Ubber Alles.

Nevertheless, the results included several significant results. Not the least including Jack Union and Jane Union's ancestors and several other European heroes. The final team that survived the war became Steel Commando, Jack Washington's favorite team. The bulk of their missions after the war were smashing Ex-Nazis and Soviet war mongers (even stopping Stalin from launching a urprise attack against Europe with a massive number of Nazi Superman Clones that he'd confiscated and remade into Communist ones).

Ultimately, James Moriarty the III's own traitorous forces, lead by his cousin Major General Moran were able to kill them off in a trap.

In an admission of guilt, I haven't yet figured out who the individual members are yet.

It did seem very reasonable. Depending on her age Zandar is probably Lady Grayhaven's uncle or first cousin. (I consider the former more likely.)

Yes, Lady Grayhaven is still in her mid to late twenties.

(Please note that I'm assuming that each of the Twelve Tribes of Nestoria have an animal totem and certain traditions dating back to their pre-Christian animism.)

Just note that the Nestorians have been Christianized since about 500 A.D. A Christian Missionary sought the Garden of Eden and eventually found Nestoria, where his religion of Peace impressed the King. Nestorian Christianity is its very own branch of the faith with the highest concentration of Christian Magicians in the world. Ironically, the Islamic population of Nestoria (I did envision Nestoria as racially mixed) has always been somewhat more quarrelsome as they've never particularly liked the mixing of faiths that the Christian/Animist tradition tolerated and are pretty much normal Muslims.

The head of the Lion Tribe of Nestoria is also a semi-supervillain of the area, desiring to conquer surrounding Ethiopia, Solamnia, and maybe even Libya and Egypt to create a Nestorian Empire with him as God-King (ostensibly for humanitarian concerns). This, he believed, was the work of Satan that he briefly sold his soul to but was actually Set. The "Lost" Tribe used to be the Rhino Tribe but cast aside this monikor when it converted to Islam. I envision all of the various tribes tending towards various jobs in the country.

Really, Nestoria is every cool thing about Africa in one place like Freedom City is America's all great cities.

I suspect that most of the racism would come from Nemo's people. Atlanteans aren't racist - They're just xenophobic. Anyone from outside their city and culture is an object of suspicion, given that until recently their only neigbours were Deep Ones or barbarians, Although suitable barbarians would be accepted into the City if they adopted the Proper Ways. It should be noted that part of the reason the Royal Family of Atlantis have retained such formidable physical abilities is due to their custom of sending their heirs out into the Seven Seas, ordered to return with a suitable consort or not at all.

True, in Nemo's case, his crew was a remarkably international one whose descendants fled the surface world to ESCAPE racism (often because their marriages were across racial lines or they had developed sympathy for subjugated peoples of the British Empire).

[Libra]

The head of the Lion Tribe of Nestoria is also a semi-supervillain of the area, desiring to conquer surrounding Ethiopia, Somalia and maybe even Libya and Egypt to create a Nestorian Empire with him as God-King (ostensibly for humanitarian concerns). This, he believed, was the work of Satan that he briefly sold his soul to but was actually Set.

M'Balla would like to note that his Great-Uncle, forever may he be accursed, usurped the title of White Lion by slaying his brother, the king's grandfather - Forcing the late King M'Zele, then serving with the Freedom League, to remain in America for some time and find employment as a teacher. (Incidentally meeting his future wife during this period of exile)

It is well-known that M'Zele cast down his Uncle with his own hands and took up the mantle of kinghip that was his by right. How was he to know the devil-beloved would survive a drop from Mgava?

While his ideas may have had some merit, his execution of them with the aid of sons of the hyena - mercenaries, pardon a literal translation - was rather lacking.

The White Lion would also like to point out both that his Uncle knew Seth for what he was - did not the White Lion treat with Pharoh himself as a near equal?*- but that he was still arrogant enough to beleive he could use that spawn of snakes and a devil for his own ends and that the Leopard people themself are not free of taint. Was not the Leopard King who so afflicted Dakana in the seventh decade of the last century one of their own, cast out for worshipping Leopard herself in the ancient manner and become a great threat to All Africa?

*It is an unwise Lion who roars his secret strength at a potential competitor before he has faced him in battle. . .

[Libra]

Charles, might I ask your confirmation of my deductions concerning the Liberty-Men's bases of operation?

Antaeus - New Amsterdam

Athena - Freehold

Graywing - Los Dios

Ink Spot - Freehold

Jenny Sprockets - New Amsterdam, although she visited Freehold often

Kung Fu King - Louisiana, near New Orleans

Aladdin - Middle East, British Eighth army

Eagle Eyed Horus - New Orleans

Jane Hermes - Wherever she pleased

Jet Boy - Split his time between Doc Aeon and Great Britain

Steel Commando I - New Amsterdam

Yankee Doodle Dandy - Probably Freehold, failing that New Amsterdam

[Libra]

Charles, I'd just like to point out that I believe that while New Amsterdam remains faithful to your vision, I'd probably use the name New York in the World of Heroes.

I'd also like to state that I believe Freehold is Freedom City's sister city, not far from it. While Freehold was more important at first Freedom City has increasingly come to dwarf her 'Little Twin.'

One last irksome question: Do you have any more information on the various tribes of Dakana/Nestoria? There's a Leopard clan - headed by the Quatermains, the former Rhino (Who I suggest have taken the name 'People of the Horn' in arabic, a play on their place near the Horn of Africa and their former tribal identity) and the Lion - technically the White Lion in World of Heroes - but that leaves at least 9 other tribes. Who are they?

If you lack for names, might I suggest Baboon, Vulture, Cobra, Crocodile and Hippo? (All rather Ancient Egyptian in character, but one suspects the influence of pre-Nestorian civilisation would be carried down the Nile. )

Oh and your thoughts on my ideas for the Stellar situation would be aprreciated, when you can find the time. I'm hoping to purchase Paragons at some future point as well, so I'll probably be posting some ideas to help combine Heroic Earth with ideas from that book as well.

[Charles Phipps]

A couple of notes for Heroic Universe.

Overall, very nicely done.

The Stellar Khanate is bordered on all sides but one by the Republic, protected from the other Great Powers of the Galaxy by this - and utterly ungrateful. Ruled over by the Star Khan with an iron fist within a velvet glove, the Khanate is building it's strength for a second shot at the Lor Republic and intriguing with the Grue Unity - It's other neigbour - in order to so, although any aliens found within the Khanate without a permit are executed, spies are returned to their government (Not intact) and Invading Fleets are eliminated. Unsurprisingly it's left severely alone.

In my universe, the Star Khanate is a pretty big stand in for the Empire of Ming the Merciless. Its also the favored breeding ground of Captain Aeon, the setting's Flash Gordon analogue (there is a Heroic Earth analogue to Ming the Merciless but Star Khan works just as well). Star Khan keeps all of his worlds subjugated with pillaging groups of space pirates and slavers while pretty much leaving each planet to govern itself. He doesn't actually do much ruling and manages to keep all of the various groups at each others throats by playing them off one another. Frequently, he employs mercenaries and levies from the other groups against other planets and makes them fight over the rest.

In one titanic note, this leaves the Khanate weaker than it might be.

The Lor Republic is certainly the largest power in Earth's area of the Milky Way, definately the most enlightened and almost certainly the toughest. While the Thran are more powerful, the Tsavong are more agressive, The Unity more efficient and the Stellar Khanate led by the greatest military mind in the Known Galaxy the Republic endures, partly out of sheer stubborness and partially because they're a Titan. They've beaten every bordering power in combat and only the Tsavong continue to face them in open combat and their resources material, mental and in terms of manpower are staggering.

Honestly, I also think the Lor Republic is a bit overconfident in its dealings with the Tsavong as well as the Grue. In the case of the Tsavong, the majority of them encountered are pretty much Space Klingons that are ready and willing to fight. However, it's occasionally easy to forget that the Tsavong Masters are individually geniuses and psychics on par with the finest minds in the galaxy including the Thran Scientist Supreme and Earth's Moriarty Family.

For every obvious plot that they take against their enemies, they have a dozen much more subtle and dangerous ones. For example, unlike the Grue who are unwelcome, Tsavong actually *DO* engage in commerce and thus are able to "infiltrate" in plain sight. The Tsavong even take up positions of diplomacy at time, often using it for their own gain.

While the Tsavong is a Tribute based state, it's also one that isn't adverse to sharing power (at least to a certain extent). Tsavong ships are often crewed by large numbers of mixed races and while you'd think these would be primed for revolt, most aren't. Like the Mongols, they've incorporated large numbers of peoples into their ranks and this will be the seed of their ultimate victory against the Grue.

(The Masters eventually plan to subjugate the Grue Meta-Mind or destroy it----which will essentially turn all surviving Grue into Tsavong. They are actually planning to recruit Earth's heroes for this plot as Catspaws, since they have a tremendous history of getting the impossible done).

When and if the Grue are defeated with this, the Lor Republic will suddenly find itself in a very very bad position with a lot of the Tsavong's plots turning against them.

The Thran Allegiance, while still arguably the most powerful Star-Nation in Earth's galactic neigbourhood is limited in their attempted conquests by the Lor Republic, which has beaten them in three Interstellar Wars, although at considerable cost. The fact that the Star Knights protect almost every independant world which they might claim has further exasperated them. Their defeats at the hand of a That Planet of Primates have infuriated them, although the recent actions of the Grue and the discovery of their Serpent Men progenitors - although much seperated from them in blood, culture and technology a fassscinating link to the past of their species - have kept their attention on Earth, despite their tradition of ignoring and avoidng the sites of their failures.

The Thran Allegiance is currently suffering repeated set backs due to the fact that it needs conquests in order to survive and infighting is really taking its tole on the old fellow. Based more than a little on the Visitors from V, their natural fascism is something that crimps the style of many. The central computers have also come to some inescapable conclusions that they have to join the Lor Republic to survive economically or add some serious new conquests to hold off the Empire's collapse for another thousand years. Most are considering the Star Khanate as the obvious choice for this. Unfortunately, its closeness to the Grue would seriously crimp any invasion's chance of success and any move against him would almost certainly invite a Grue attack.

Others have noted that another option may exist for the Thran allegiance. Specifically, human D.N.A. In what is something that may squick out humans, Thran find human beings sexually attractive in a way that makes no sense to other species (a sort of Lovecraftian connection that's difficult to describe). Finding them a bit like humans find elves, just similiar enough to be exotic. Thran who have themselves cosmetically altered to look like humans, often don't bother to transform back. They are also biologically compatible as a few Thran-Human Hybrids have proven (often red skinned beauties).

Given humanity's capacity for strange powers, The Thran are starting to consider the unthinkable that they can introduce large scale super powers into their society through crossbreeding. This would give them the edge that their armies lack. The only problem is that several previous infiltraitors to Earth seem to develop an appalling habit of going native (in part because of humanity's strangely appealing qualities).

The Order of the Star Knights acts as protector of all Independant Worlds, thwarting Grue infiltration, Tsavong Raid, Thran 'Great Fang Diplomacy' and various pirates, slavers and sundry scum operating in the Pacific Zone at the borders of Lor space. Given their long-standing alliance with the Grigorii few dare trouble them openly when their Quests cross interstellar boundaries.

Nicely handled.

A couple of groups to also note that haven't been detailed very much.

The Thundarians: A race of Human-like Eagle men that were created by the Grigori as warriors. The Thundarians proved to be highly honorable as the Grigori desired but also needlessly violent. The Thundarians eventually turned against their masters and engaged in rampant pillage across the galaxy. For a while, the Thundarians were engaged in a lengthy war against the Tsavong but the Masters sidestepped this issue by making the Thundarians into honorary Tsavong and the two races are now the only allies that they have (as opposed to slaves or subject peoples).

The Ashura: The most powerful race in the universe, physically at least. The Ashura are a colony of the Mithran that were decidedly less mystical than their parent race. The Ashura are members of the Lor Republic (The Confederation in HED!) but pacifists by nature (a problem that their parent race never had). The Ashura are currently undergoing a bit of a severe religious problem as the Mithran colonists that survived their world's destruction have spread their religion amongst their cousins and its taken on an Apocalyptical tone with the destruction of the homeworld.

Orkus: The elephant in the room. Orkus is like the Darkness beyond Time in that there's very little that can be done to stop him when he shows up before a world. That doesn't prevent people from trying though. He is called "The Great Enemy" by most species. In what is unprecedented; Tsavong, Khanate, Lor, Thran, and every race BUT the Grue will ally against him when he and his anti-matter soldiers show up. The Black Crusades he's lead against the universe were so devastating in the past everyone will fight him together.

Orkus knows this and spreads his evil more subtlety across the universe. Many people, despite Orkus' reputation also revere his power (a bit like Thanos). On occasion, he leaves Abaddon to seek personal challenges and power.

[Charles Phipps]

M'Balla would like to note that his Great-Uncle, forever may he be accursed, usurped the title of White Lion by slaying his brother, the king's grandfather - Forcing the late King M'Zele, then serving with the Freedom League, to remain in America for some time and find employment as a teacher. (Incidentally meeting his future wife during this period of exile)

Very nice, and a nice tie in to the Black Panther's history.

Charles, might I ask your confirmation of my deductions concerning the Liberty-Men's bases of operation?

Pretty close, though actually Graywing worked from Falconcrest City. It made things more awkward for him but he wanted to go very far from his original location. Ditto the Steel Commando whom originally created his armor to fight Gangsters and was a student of Henry Ford/Edison's line of thought in manufacturing devices.

[Charles Phipps]

The Jaguar Clan: The Quartermains.

The current Royalty of Nestoria, the Jaguar Clan used to transfer power over time. However, Alan Quartermain broke that tradition and they've ruled ever since. Before, they were noted as Scouts and Trackers.

The Lions: A Warrior Clan. The Lions have long had severe issues with the Royal Family (they're next in line for power sharing between the clans and never got it) and supported both sides during the Civil War and the Red Jaguar during the United States coup. Currently, it's redressing its wounds.

The People of the Horn:: A primarily Islamic tribe, the People of the Horn favor increased association with the outside (and primarily Muslim) world. They dislike the use of magic in general but are the ones who most often handle diplomacy to the outside world.

Gorilla: A clan of healers and Doctors primarily, the Gorilla clan also has its own warrior tradition.

The Serpent: Oddly, not the bad guys you'd expect them to be. The Serpent Clan is widely reputed as a clan of sorcerers and wise men. Many scientists come from the clan now.

The Hippo Clan: The bulk of the populous comes from this clan, that is primarily river farmers and agricultural descendents.

The Cheetah Clan: A clan of merchants, the Cheetah clan supported the coup against the Red Jaguar to put their puppet on the throne. They suffered terribly in the civil war as a result.

The Baboon Clan: Scholars, Engineers, and Thinkers as a general rule.

The Warthog Clan: Mostly ranchers and miners but yet another warrior type clan. All of them have their own traditions to an extent.

The Jackal Clan: Formed from Undertakers, Scavengers, and often taking in criminals. The Jackals have an awful reputation and often serve as mercenaries abroad. Many fell to the worship of Set but the Red Jaguar's mother was a Jackal (a beautiful thief who was honorable in her own way)

The Crocodile Clan: Aka the "Lost Clan", They were Exterminated by the Lions. The Crocodile's territory is haunted. The return of a Crocodile Boy will signal a great change.

"The Thirteen Clan": The Rabbit Clan. A group of tricksters and murderers. The Rabbit Clan worships Mister Hoppy and is the most incongruous symbol of evil you'll ever find. They're considered a scare legend.

Alas I never made any more. There's thus two more Lost Clans. I imagine Gazelle and Vulture. There's also an ethnic Jewish population that's unrelated to the tribes but arrived during the Crusades.

One more note about Nestoria's religion. While its primarilly Christianized, it's branches are pretty varied with the fact that it was already a mixture of Egyptian/African Shamanist/Jewish mythology (the closest thing would be Voudon) when found by missionaries. Nestorians identify themselves as a Christian nation but they also have a large tradition of spirits, Elohim (lesser divinities rather than Angels), and Totems that serve God directly. They take the line of "No other gods before me" to mean that you can worship others underneath him and that others exist.

Muslim, Jewish, and Coptic Christian Nestorians reject this. The Red Jaguar actually leans to the latter due to Alan Quartermain's Anglican influence. The Red Jaguar is just a symbol, not a god to him.

[Charles Phipps]

Charles, I'd just like to point out that I believe that while New Amsterdam remains faithful to your vision, I'd probably use the name New York in the World of Heroes.

To be honest, I was never all that pleased with New Amsterdam anyway. I just chose that to help highlight that Heroic Earth was slightly different from normal Earth. I might have renamed it something else if I could have.

I'd also like to state that I believe Freehold is Freedom City's sister city, not far from it. While Freehold was more important at first Freedom City has increasingly come to dwarf her 'Little Twin.'

Interesting and certainly fits that Freedom City is located where it is.

One last irksome question: Do you have any more information on the various tribes of Dakana/Nestoria? There's a Leopard clan - headed by the Quatermains, the former Rhino (Who I suggest have taken the name 'People of the Horn' in arabic, a play on their place near the Horn of Africa and their former tribal identity) and the Lion - technically the White Lion in World of Heroes - but that leaves at least 9 other tribes. Who are they?

If you lack for names, might I suggest Baboon, Vulture, Cobra, Crocodile and Hippo? (All rather Ancient Egyptian in character, but one suspects the influence of pre-Nestorian civilisation would be carried down the Nile. )

Nestoria's origins is actually pretty laid out. Basically, the original Valley (the circle of mountains around it cover many hundreds of kilometers in Africa) was discovered by Ramses the Second's younger brother, Moesha (Yes the Heroic Earth version of Moses). He noted that the place might be the legendary Garden of Eden since it contained seemingly every type of animal on Earth (why there's Jaguars there). Unnerved by the place, he left it and it wasn't settled until the Son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (The legendary Menelik of Ethopia)'s son settled the land with a number of Kushite followers. Thus, the Nestorians have a tradition of Monotheism and Jewish legends mixed with their own local spirits and angels.

Oh and your thoughts on my ideas for the Stellar situation would be aprreciated, when you can find the time. I'm hoping to purchase Paragons at some future point as well, so I'll probably be posting some ideas to help combine Heroic Earth with ideas from that book as well.

Sounds cool

[Libra]

Well I'm planning to purchase the book sometime this week, so hopefully soon.

A couple of notes for Heroic Universe.

Overall, very nicely done.

Thank you!

Star Khan keeps all of his worlds subjugated with pillaging groups of space pirates and slavers while pretty much leaving each planet to govern itself. He doesn't actually do much ruling and manages to keep all of the various groups at each others throats by playing them off one another. Frequently, he employs mercenaries and levies from the other groups against other planets and makes them fight over the rest.

In one titanic note, this leaves the Khanate weaker than it might be.

While I do agree that Star-Khan is supremely disinterested in bureaucracy, he is intimately involved with the political and military matter of his Empire. He would certainly set world against world - so long as the continue to send him their tithes and military levies. I doubt that he'd set foreign pirates and slavers on Worlds that displeased him. For one thing he considers it the first duty of a lord to protect his vassals from any outside menace and he despises slavers - Since he considers slavery a contemptible, weakening institution. If he wants his enemies punished he'll do it himself with the blades and bullets of his warriors.

I think that he should be as much Conan the Barbarian as Ming the Merciless. He's essentially a semi-benevolent autocrat.

Honestly, I also think the Lor Republic is a bit overconfident in its dealings with the Tsavong as well as the Grue.

Probably true, but the thing you have to remember about my idea of the Republic is that it's collosal. Part of the reason it doesn't expand any more is that mentats and other savants have worked out that the Republic has reached the limits of what can be realistically governed.

I'm interested to learn that the Tsavong raid as well as trade. That has the ring of Viking habits to it. I suspect that the Lor would keep track of which Tsavong groups have peacable histories and which have raided before. (A small list. You only have One Chance with the Lor.)

Something I'd like to note Charles is that the Republic maintains significant Neutral Zones along all of it's borders with other powers, save that which it shares with the Stellar Khanate. An attack on any planet in these zones risks a Lor pre-emptive strike. Most of the independant Star Nations in Univserse-627 are located in thse areas, with Earth being located in the Pacific Zone, the largest of these, where the borders - and territorial claims - of all four major Interstellar Powers meet.

I'd suggest that the head of the Coptic Church in Nestoria occupy one of the Twelve Seats, probably alongside the most senior Rabbi.

While its primarilly Christianized, it's branches are pretty varied with the fact that it was already a mixture of Egyptian/African Shamanist/Jewish mythology (the closest thing would be Voudon)

That's actually one of the comparisons that occurred to me when thinking about Nestorian religious beliefs and mythology. The White Lions would almost certainly practice an almost purely animist belief though, being very tradition-minded.

The Red Jaguar is just a symbol, not a god to him.

He differs from M'Balla in that regard then. The White Lion very firmly believes in the Mystic World and in the Great Lion particularly. They take that sort of thing very seriously.

To be honest, I was never all that pleased with New Amsterdam anyway. I just chose that to help highlight that Heroic Earth was slightly different from normal Earth. I might have renamed it something else if I could have.

It's not a bad name Charles, it's simply that it's easier to fit the two settings together if I can call the City New York.

Interesting and certainly fits that Freedom City is located where it is.

Thank you. I rather thought it might funtion as an Opal City to Freedom City's Metropolis/Astro City.

Might one ask about how Alan Quatermain wound up married to the Nestorian royal family and what impact he had on that House and nation?

[Charles Phipps]

I think that he should be as much Conan the Barbarian as Ming the Merciless. He's essentially a semi-benevolent autocrat.

So noted on Star Khan.

Probably true, but the thing you have to remember about my idea of the Republic is that it's collosal. Part of the reason it doesn't expand any more is that mentats and other savants have worked out that the Republic has reached the limits of what can be realistically governed.

Understood, in purely Heroic Universe, the closest equivalent to the Lor Republic in the Confederation of Allied Worlds is significantly less imposing. There's a strong Cold War vibe between the Tsavong, the Thran, and the Confederation. The Tsavong take the role of China in that it's an extremely populated and developing state that can't quite match its neighbors but is a lot more radical and is an unknown quality (the Tsavong are still catching up to Galactic Standards).

The Thran, on the other hand, are a mixture of Soviet and Roman aethstetics in the fact that they've got everything but have lost some recent wars and infighting mixed with incompetent bureaucracy has resulted in the fact that it can't sustain its current economy. Like the Klingons in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the Thran are some disaster from needing either peace or total war with the Confederation.

I'm interested to learn that the Tsavong raid as well as trade. That has the ring of Viking habits to it. I suspect that the Lor would keep track of which Tsavong groups have peacable histories and which have raided before. (A small list. You only have One Chance with the Lor.)

The Tsavong are a race of warriors and conquerors in general. A mixture of the Skrulls and Dominators, but bizarrely they're not actually as hostile to the rest of the universe as people might think. They're also not one "bloc" like the Thran are. Plenty of Tsavong don't work for the masters and the head of the Foundation's Space Division was an invader who went native.

It's a fun little fact that the Confederation refuses to sell warp technology to developing worlds and so on, maintaining a Prime Directive. However, after the failed invasion that created the Patriots, the Tsavong repariated a lot of their lost warriors and crashed ships in exchange for telling humans how to build hyperdrives of their own (amongst build laser canons and other tidbits)

The Tsavong Masters are an intensely practical people unlike the Thran Nobility. Defeating Earth is a lot more difficult than its worth and while individual Tsavong still might try, the majority of the race figures it can do better simply by dealing with it fairly. Since humans have very limited warp capabilities, they now have representation at the Confederation but frequently dislike its heavy handed arrogance and dismissive attittude. We're a bit like Micronesia at their United Nations.

(A lot of Earth's increasingly rapid technology is through private agreements with the Tsavong that exist with General Venom, the Foundation for World Harmony, and Death Mask).

Really, what's going to totally screw up the Power Dynamic in the galaxy is the Tsavong happily "tech up" their conquered worlds and trade with primitive societies. This has lead to a lot of primitives in space by comparison to other territories and people with Viking like habits that are usually resolved by Warp travel.

Might one ask about how Alan Quatermain wound up married to the Nestorian royal family and what impact he had on that House and nation?

My familiarity with Alan Quartermain's adventures is somewhat limited but basically, King Solomon's Mines actually takes place in Nestoria with Alan Quartermain crossing into the territory and looting one of their mines of its treasures leftover from the days of that period. Alan is actually off by a factor of a few hundred years but the Nestorian ties with King Solomon are real.

But roughly, by the end of Alan Quartermain's life, he's already intimately aware of Nestoria and its culture. He edited his dictations to remove all references to the nation specifically however, as a favor to protect their state. In general, though, most of the most fantastic elements that Alan encountered were in Nestoria or the surrounding area.

In general, the Nestorians opinion of Alan ranged tremendously but was fairly high for defeating a tremendously evil High Priest of Set and a number of other highly unpleasant individuals whose adventures were never recorded. When Alan chose to go to Africa to die, he instructed his chroniclers to write down his death and headed to Nestoria. There, he befriended a much younger woman and Princess of the Royal Family whom he wedded.

The Lion tribe then attempted to forward their rulership of Nestoria by killing the current Royal Family and only Alan's son, his wife, and he survived. This resulted in the current monarchy being permanent and no longer shifted between the tribes. Alan honestly didn't live very long in Nestoria and died after about four years with his son only two years old but the boy was educated with English tutors and became in his words "The Greatest White Hunter that ever lived...who was black."

[dirkgentry2000]

Charles - between working my way through HED and reading your threads on ATT - - I'm left with the distinct impression that you had to restrain yourself considerably to keep HED at a mere 147 pages. It looks to me like it could have easily been 200 to 300 without running out of good material.

Well I could write all day long about the setting without problem. I believe it's a responsibility of Superlink authors, however, to keep their material concise without rambling. Halt Evil Doer! is a setting that's got everything people really need at the start for it.

Everything else is optional.

How's the reading going anyway?

First full read-through is done. Reading through a second time - there's a lot to absorb there. Got a rough outline of a review written - polishing and reworking it.

One question - and I apologize if I've missed it - but I have spent some time looking---- why does Jenny Sprockets have the Wrench of Thor? It's a cool idea- I just don't see an explanation of it in her backstory.

[Charles Phipps]

That's because it was a random note that's meant to imply something funny in her backstory.

Specifically, Yes, the Liberty Men once visited Valhalla.

The story amusingly includes Thor trying to make Jenny his bride and getting his posterior kicked.

[dirkgentry2000]

That's because it was a random note that's meant to imply something funny in her backstory.

Specifically, Yes, the Liberty Men once visited Valhalla.

The story amusingly includes Thor trying to make Jenny his bride and getting his posterior kicked.

ah - cool. that explains it. I have to wonder how Sif or Járnsaxa would feel about that. But maybe they were in on the afore-mentioned posterior kicking.

[Charles Phipps]

ah - cool. that explains it. I have to wonder how Sif or Járnsaxa would feel about that. But maybe they were in on the afore-mentioned posterior kicking.

Thor isn't too concerned about bigamy.



But yes, I can't wait to see your review.