The Emerald City Guard - Seattle Supers

[Omega Girl]

The Emerald City Guard
"Seattle needs heroes. Can you measure up?"

PL: 8-10
Team Orientation: Heroic Municipal Employees
Tone: High-science running head-first into mystical heritage; Modern/Platinum-age action and adventure

Duwamps, the Queen City, Gateway to the Pacific, the Emerald City; Seattle has had many names over the years, but it has always served as a home for the strange and unusual, a sort of second-hand city, soaking up the unwanted and unusual from across the continent. Aeronautics giant, Gone Aircraft, made the area their home after World War two, keeping it's industry alive, but the greater metropolitan area remained little more than an oversized town for decades. Until the tech boom in the 90's, the west coast city was largely ignored, both politically and metahumanly. But the coming of Richard Door and his software empire, Nanosoft, radically altered the city's place in the world. Suddenly, no one could ignore Seattle, or the millions of dollars its software captains were raking in.

The first supervillains were transplants. Villains from other major histories who were attracted to Seattle by its money, technology, or emerging music industry. Invariably, these transplants would attract their heroic rivals from back home to shut them down and drag them back. These 'guest star' super heroes intrigued the city's population for years, but it wasn't until the Brighton Comet threatened to destroy the city in 1995 that Seattle gained a protector to call it's own.

The Emerald Guardian emerged from nowhere: a glowing, green woman with astounding energy powers who stopped the comet and sent it hurtling back into the skies. For over a decade, she appeared and disappeared without warning, saving the city from disaster and battling newly-emerging local supervillains like the mastermind Templeton Frei. Some speculate that she was a local inhabitant, given powers by the oncoming comet, while others theorize she is some sort of avatar, tied to the city itself. Whatever her past, the Emerald Guardian fought tooth and nail to protect the city, as well as its people, its ecology, and its history.

But now, things have changed. With Templton Frei's supposed reform, and the election of business-friendly mayor Gregor Dimes, the city's tone began to change, and the Guardian along with it. She became more reluctant to protect the financial interests of the city, ignoring daylight bank robberies and the Triad's nonviolent operations. Things went from bad to worse when Frei declared his grand plan to rebuild Bellevue into an upper-class paradise, and begin his expansion into formerly-protected wildlife and historical district. The city's former protector responded by razing his nearly-complete refinery and hurtling an approaching oil tanker into orbit. Miraculously, only five were injured in the attacks.

Today, the Emerald Guardian has been declared a rogue and has disappeared into reclusion. Most of Seattle's residents are torn about how they feel: Most natives remember the decade of loyal service and heroism, but the city's recent population explosion has brought in newcomers who only know her as the monster the mayor and city council have labeled her as. Her appearances are rare, and as often destructive as they are beneficial. Meanwhile, the city's home-grown villain population continues to expand, and its existing criminal networks are taking advantage of the Guardian's absence by expanding across Seattle and the eastside. The Seattle PD are stretched to their limit and outclassed, and all the while opportunists like Templeton Frei continue to profit in the chaos.

The Emerald City needs new heroes. It needs you.

The Guard
The Emerald City Guard is a municipal super team, created to address problems that the SPD weren't equipped to handle themselves. While they are technically empowered by and answerable only to the City Council of Seattle, their jurisdiction is statewide, thanks to special arrangement with the King County Council and the Washington State Senate. They are intended as a responsive force, but are authorized to conduct their own investigations with council approval. Contrary to popular belief, Mayor Dimes has no power over the Guard directly or indirectly, and can only make official suggestions to the Council on how to handle the group.

The idea for a municipal superteam was first proposed in the late 90's, but deemed an unnecessary expense at the time, given Seattle's low supercrime occurrence and the presence of the Emerald Guardian. It gained grassroots support after the new millennium, leading to a yearly ballot initiative that voters handily approved, but the city council repeatedly tabled. Only after the Emerald Guardian went rogue did the council take the measure seriously, scrambling to assemble all the needed resources.

Like police officers or federal agents, member of the Emerald City Guard are accountable for their actions and must obey a strict set of discipline guidelines (copied, almost word-for-word, from the Seattle PD's own code of conduct). All official activities must be recorded, and any use of force must be justified with paperwork. Members are expected to behave professionally and courteously towards the public, keep any damages to a minimum, and never resort to violence unless a super-human threat does so first. Any use of deadly force is closely examined, just as it would be for any other law officer, but heroes of the City Guard are held more accountable, thanks to their heightened capabilities.

In addition, the team is also tried in the court of public opinion. The Emerald City Guard was formed by a populist ballot measure, and can be disbanded the same way. Many natives remain loyal the the Emerald Guardian and resent the Guard as stooges for Mayor Dimes and big business. The City Council takes the team's public image very seriously, and is quick to place sanctions upon or garnish the wages of heroes who flaunt their responsibilities. The Council is also more than willing to volunteer team members for volunteer work, regardless of what the hero themselves may want.

Local corporate giants Nanosoft, Gone Aircraft, Securco, Congo, and Washank all invested heavily to the team, making it feasible. This was done partially to promote good will, as the latent classism that ran through the city was ignited by recent activities, and partially out of a genuine concern for the city's continued well-being (dead employees, after all, don't contribute). Even former evil mastermind Templeton Frei contributed to the fundraising campaign, rolling the creation of a superteam into his "building a better tomorrow" advertising campaign. As a result, the team possesses some of the best technology, software, and insurance the northwest can offer. Gone Aircraft has even provided the team with a rejected military prototype as their patrolcraft, the Warhorse hovercraft.

Seattle as a Campaign Setting
Seattle was birthed by conmen and get-rich-quick artists on a tidal mudflat, killed in an orgy of fire, liquor, and dynamite, and reborn by settlers stubborn enough to construct buildings they knew would be buried inside of a decade. That same, peculiar spirits haunt the city to this day, giving the area a unique character, not to mention inspiration for countless characters and villains.

The Puget Sound area has been inhabited by humans for at least four thousand years, and has a rich tradition of native art, spiritualism, and culture. The ultramodern city, known for it's cutting-edge technology, literally butts up against ancient, primeval forests, mountains, and lakes that still remain largely unexplored. It is a city where thousands of immigrants pour in from across China, Japan, Russia, and the rest of Asia, bringing with them the histories, legacies, and superstitions of the old world. As the cherry on top, the last decade has seen an explosion in population and wealth, transforming Seattle from little-known redhead step-child to a bustling metropolis of old and new, haves and have-nots, technology and old magic.

In other words, Seattle BEGS for adventure and over-the-top personalities, and all too often it gets them.

The city proper has seen remarkable growth in the past decade, with new skyscrapers appearing monthly and construction cranes dominating the heights. The financial district and waterfront continue to expand, threatening to push out historic Pioneer Square and bulldoze the unique character of classic neighborhoods like Freemont or Beltown. Slowly but surely, turn-of-the-century two- and three-story buildings are being replaced with expensive high-rise condos. The harbor has expanded steadily, regularly receiving building-sized freighters from China loaded down with manufactured goods, exotic foods, and occasionally Triad drugs and indentured servants.

Beneath those million-dollar streets flies Seattle's Underground: the former sidewalks, streets, and storefronts from a century ago, now long since buried and playing host to every conspiracy, lunatic, or monster the city can dredge up, along with reasonably-priced hourly tours.

West lies Elliot Bay and Puget Sound, an astoundingly deep natural harbor that connects the city to the Pacific and plays home to giant octopi, exotic sharks, and alleged prehistoric beasts. Even further lies the Olympic Pennisula, home of Mt. Olympus and the world's only temperate rain forest, thick with millennium-old sequoias and animals found nowhere else on Earth.

Blanketing the Puget Sound area are enormous lakes, testament to the glaciers that once covered the area. Some, such as Lake Union, Lake Washington, and Lake Sammamish, are central features to the metropolitan area but their depths remain uncharted to this day. Rumors of at least one lake monster, the Willatuk, were confirmed in the 90's, when the beast battled the Emerald Guardian to a standstill on several occassions. The volcanic activity that plagues the area also implies that these lakes may be part of the same aquatic super-structure, connected to even deeper lakes that have never seen the light of day.

Meanwhile, across Lake Washington from Seattle lies the Eastside, a motley collection of towns that have exploded overnight into the city's suburbs, some like Kirkland and Bellevue have embraced this role, become high-class homes for the upper-middle class, while some like Issaquah, Renton, and Kent have been drug into this collective identity kicking and screaming.

Even further east lie the Cascade mountains, peaks that have never been fully explored and are crawling with bears, cougars, coyotes, wolves, and even the legendary sasquatch. Tiny mountain towns, some ignored for a century or more, and hidden valleys dot this range as it stretches from Canada down to California. Volcanoes dot the range, threatening eruptions or more sinister developments.

Seattle's modern reputation is a city on the cutting edge of science and technology. The software giant Nanosoft started the software revolution in the city in the late 80's, and attracted much of the nation's burgeoning software industry to the area. Over the years, other tech innovators have come to Seattle, resulting in strong chemical, electronics, and biotech industries. The constant pushing of boundaries have resulting in any number of "accidents" and fits of "science gone awry." With billions of dollars flying around, industrial espionage is flourishing as well.

With less history as a city, Seattle benefits from a less entrenched organized crime, but the Chinese mob, the Triad, has managed to gain a foothold among the city's high Chinese population. While they don't run unchecked as they do in other major cities, they have become an established force with firm control over the International District and much of the harbor. Most of the Seattle Triads' operations have revolved around smuggling immigrants into the country as indentured servants in various 'legitimate' businesses, running drugs, and smuggling, but without the oversight of superheroes, they've become more bold and branched out into high-profile robberies and extortion. Trying to muscle into the free market comes the Russian mob, as well, and while the Triads have managed to keep them at bay thus far, the Bratva are nothing if not determined. Unfortunately for everyone, the Russian mafia is far less reserved than the entrenched Triad.

As with organized crime, Seattle's history with disorganized crime, or gangs, is also sparse. Small youth gangs have sprung up and died out over the years, but the Puget Sound area has never had any strong connections with larger, national street gangs. Instead, the same pioneering spirit that settled the area lives on, and drives disgruntled youth and the disillusioned to form exotic "theme gangs". Most noteworthy among these are "The Grunge," an loose alliance of Seattle's worst anarchists into a terrorism gang dedicated to bring down The Man (whoever he may be that week). Other troublemakers, such as the Trick-or-Treaters (costumed bangers), the Fabulous (violent drag queens), and the Boys in Black (Eastsider), vary from obnoxious and annoying to deadly lunatics.

Finally, Seattle's history as a crossroads doesn't end with it's living population. Native tribes have known for millennia that the area attracts spirits and other abnormalities. The Seattle area is plagued with ghosts and spirits, most of which are benign, but nonetheless serve as tempting bait for those who wield supernatural powers. Some within the magical community even speculate that Seattle's next great revolution won't be biotech, but necromancy, if the city is not tended carefully. Thankfully, one person does just that: The Concierge, as it is called now, is a position handed down from generation to generation. His or her responsibility is to see to the safety and well-being of the area's deceased and the spirits of nature that still hold sway over the wild areas. Part sheriff, part ambassador, the Concierge keeps the living and the dead of Puget Sound from abusing one another.

Overall, Seattle offers all the superheroic potential of any other technology-oriented city, but adds the elements of deep, mystical traditions and unexplored wilderness literally next door. Though their job officially only entails preventing "supercrime," the Emerald City Guard acts as the city's defacto response to any of the weirdness that plagues the greater metropolitan area. Heroes may have to stop Triad bank robbery in the morning, have the lunch break cut short by the Barista as she rampages through downtown, stop sasquatch from devouring a class fieldtrip, and then get back to Hendrix's grave by sundown to stop Crux from taking control of the rocker on the anniversary of his death.

Exciting Seattle Locales
Bainbridge Island - Home to hippies and extensive military tunnels and bunkers abandoned since WWII
Bellevue- The "shining gem on the lake," according to the marketing hype; a small suburban town now being rebuilt into an upper-class playground by Templeton Frei
The Denny School for the Differently Abled - a proposed magnet academy to handle Seattle's increasing population of "specially powered" children and teenagers; if approved, it would be the world's first public school for superhumans
Dimesville - A mobile tent city consisting of many of Seattle's homeless; constantly at odds with Mayor Dimes (for who it is named) and his urban renewal plans
International District - Home to much Seattle's Asian immigrant population; a tight-knit community that prefers to handle their own problems and stronghold of the Triad
The Eastside - The various towns and villages located east of Lake Washington; generally considered 'the suburbs'; a strong rivalry exists between the Eastside and Seattle proper
Ft. Lewis - Closest army base, some 50 miles south of the city; home of several failed super-soldier projects in the 40's and 50's
Lake Washington - Largest and deepest of the extensive lake network surrounding the city; suspected resting place of Willatuk
Mercer Island - rests in the middle of Lake Washington; home of Seattle's richest and most powerful citizens; a shadow war rages on the island between the Technocrats and the old religious families
Pike's Place Market - Major tourist destination, and under the full moon opens it's doors to those in the know for the largest black/supernatural market on the continent
Renton - Seattle' lowest-class suburb; home to Gone aircraft, numerous industrial plants, and the sewage treatment plant
Seattle Monorail - extensive elevated-train service covering the metropolitan area; it's construction is mostly due to Emerald Guardian's championing of public transit in the late 90's and early 2000's
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport - considered the southern edge of the Seattle metropolitan area, and the city's fastest connection to the rest of the world
Space Needle and the Seattle City Center - Site of the 1962 World's Fair and features a permanent carnival, the Pacific Science Center (museum), Experience Music Project (rock-and-roll museum), and the Seattle Science Fiction Museum, and serves as a hub for the extensive Seattle Monorail
Tacoma - "The City of Destiny" located at the southern end of Puget Sound; Tacoma and Seattle have locked horns ever since their respective foundings; while Seattle has seen some decline in recent years, Tacoma is experiencing something of a renaissance
The Underground - a testament to Seattle's pioneer spirit and stubbornness; much of the original city now exists as a network of tunnels below the current streets
University of Washington - The West Coast's leader in software, medical, biotech research; the entire campus is connected with impossibly tangled underground tunnels and chambers


Dramatis Personae
Benjamin Doors - founder of Nanosoft, rabid philanthropist, and king nerd
Gregor Dimes - Seattle's mayor; seeks to 'redefine' the city by embracing big business, urban reclamation, and ridding the city of its poor and homeless
Templeton Frei - Business magnate and reformed villain
R.J. Patches - local and much-beloved children's show host

Noteworthy Companies
Congo - leading online sales company
Gone Aircraft - innovative aerodynamics firm
Myzogenetics - theoretically a biotech firm researching medical solutions to human illness
Nanosoft - Premiere Software Developer, and provider of the universal "Portals" operating system

Local Heroes
The Concierge - keeper of Seattle's spirits and lost souls
Constitution - Tacoma's newest super hero
Emerald Guardian - Seattle's former iconic heroine; being of living green energy

Local Villains
An Nu Long - metahuman Triad enforcer, known for her martial mastery and flaming breath
Art Denny - original founder of Seattle, now immortal and insane
Bishop Silicon - Powersuited leader of the technocrats
Crux - Mysterious darkness that seeks to control the city's countless ghosts and transform Seattle into a city of the dead
Drama Queen - super-strong drag queen who commits crimes for the attention
Epoch - An AI developed by Nanosoft, attempted to destroy the world on December 31, 1999; destroyed by Emerald Guardian
The Grunge - gang of drifters and squatters trying to bring down 'The Man'
H4xx0r - thrill-seeking adventurer who adopts the guise of various game characters
Hell Toupee - malicious hairpiece, seeking to overthrow the penal system
Hot and Heavy - villainous lesbian duo
Java Jane - a former employee for Buckster's Coffee, now quite mad
Jury Rig - a good cop gone very, very bad
Maelstrom - modern pirate who picks and chooses from Seattle's inbound freighters
Moonbeam - a psychic villainess in Birkenstocks and broomstick skirt
Sasquatch - tribe of primitive humanoids living in the Cascades and foothills
Salish - his words can twist reality and leave heroes helpless
Seattle Sunshine - Gloomy weather-controller
The Technocrats - secret society dedicated to the elimination of mysticism and superstition
Timberwolf - wild-man with curious wolf powers; occasionally allies with the sasquatch, but more often leads attacks against the city with a throng of beasts under his command
Triads - Seattle's entrenched organized crime, the Chinese mafia
Willatuk - ancient sea-monster living in Puget Sound and Lake Washington

[Omega Girl]

So, I've been tossing around ideas and jotting down notes for a Seattle-themed campaign for ages now, so I thought I'd finally put them all to use. Eventually, I hope to fill out everything mentioned above with statistics and mini-articles, giving players and game masters everything they might need to play an M&M game set in soggy Seattle, the Emerald City.

Obviously, some names and places will be pushed around to avoid offending anyone or just to make it a ore literary and dramatic setting. If you're a fellow Seattlite, please don't call me on my BS

[Omega Girl]

The Emerald City Guard Organization
"To stand and defend"



The Emerald City Guard is a municipal super team, meaning it serves the city and its citizens by protecting them from threats the police aren't equipped to handle, similar to a S.W.A.T. team. Members are government employees, draw a city paycheck, and their identities are known at least to the city council, and are often a matter of public record.

Ideally, the team will consist of (and is budgeted for) eight members in addition to basic support staff, though the general lack of superhumans in the Seattle area suggests that it may be a while before all those positions are filled.

Although they are city employees, distantly connected to the Seattle Police Department, they don't answer to the police commissioner or the mayor. Instead, the Guard answers directly to the city council, most often through its liaison, Leanne Law. Emergency calls are usually passed along from 911 or police dispatch to deter prank calls, but just as often the team responds based on television news announcements. A dispatcher coordinates all incoming calls and outgoing missions, assigning team members to the calls they seem best suited to handle.

Character Benefits
As a member of the Emerald City Guard, characters receive certain protections from legal prosecution in pursuit of their duties. Being a superhero is literally a job, and provides a healthy paycheck and excellent benefits for members and their immediate family. In addition, the city provides a headquarters, vehicles, and support staff

All Emerald City Guard characters receive the following traits for free:
Benefit (Law Officer)
Equipment 2 (Guard's Badge)
Equipment 4 (Guardhouse)
Equipment 2 (Guard Cruiser)
Equipment 4 (The Warhorse)
Wealth +2 (if the wealth system is used)

If the character looses their position with the Emerald City Guard, they likewise lose access to these benefits.

Character Responsibilities
As a government employee, a character's actions are scrutinized and documented more carefully than the average hero. A member cannot search a suspect's home, car, or office without a warrant and just cause, nor can they instigate a confrontation, only respond to illegal activity. While they are generally considered a response agency, the Guard is permitted to conduct investigations as well, provided they receive case-by-case approval from the council.

The city of Seattle grants the Guard a great deal of leeway in their conduct and methods, more so than any other policing agency, but Guardsmen are still expected to conduct themselves professionally. Dangerous, destructive, or offensive behavior is punishable by fines, suspension, expulsion from the force, or even criminal prosecution.

Treat a character's responsibility to the Guard and the city as a whole, as well as the red tape that entails, as a Complication, awarding a Hero Point whenever it causes trouble for the hero. In addition, members of the Emerald City Guard are local celebrities; some people love them, others hate them, but everyone pays attention to their actions. As a result, all current and former members of the Emerald City Guard receive the Fame complication.

Emerald City Guard Gear
Being supported by several technology firms, the Emerald City Guard has been given access to a well-appointed headquarters and vehicles.

While the original proposition that created the team suggested headquarting them in one of Seattle's landmark buildings, such as the Space Needle or the Smith Tower, insurance issues demanded a base of operations with less cultural history tied up in it. Instead, a small but secure facility was renovated south of the University of Washington, near Ballard. The retrofitted warehouse and adjoining yard served the organization's utility and security needs perfectly, and the now-operational site is constantly undergoing repairs and upgrades to make it visually appealing as well. Newly-constructed quarters are available for Guards, though members are not required to live on-site.

At any given point, at least two members are expected to be on patrol around the city, most often in repainted police cruisers, but in times of emergency, or when handling incidents further than 40 miles from the city, the team can requisition use of the prototype Warhorse hovercraft, donated by Gone Aircraft. While the vehicle itself was free, fuel and repairs are not, and the council is understandably sensitive to its use.

Guard's Badge - Communication 5 (Area, Subtle)
In addition to being a badge of office, a Guard's Badge also serves as a communication's device, broadcasting over civilian cellular networks, but using a sophisticated encryption. They can also operate without the cellular network, but at a limited range of only 5 miles.

The Guardhouse - Size: Large; Toughness: 15; Features: Communications, Computers, Defense System, Fire Prevention System, Garage, Gym, Hangar, Holding Cells, Infirmary, Living Space, Power System, Security System, Workshop; Cost: 17 equipment points
The Guardhouse is the public headquarters of the Emerald City Guard, housing their offices, training facilities, vehicle pool, and archives. To members of the Guard, it may also serve as a home. Team members are free to spend equipment points from their own reserves to add additional features, reflecting upgrades the characters make over time.

Guard Cruiser - Size: Huge; Strength: 35; Speed: 5; Defense: 8; Toughness: 10; Features: Alarm
The Guard Cruiser is essentially a Seattle Police Cruiser repainted to serve the Emerald City Guard as a patrol and fast-response vehicle (at least, for those without movement powers, or who have no desire to fly in Seattle's constant rain). It does feature reinforced shocks and frame to help handle some of the additional punishment metahumans tend to dish out.

The Warhorse - Size Gargantuan, Strength: 40, Speed: 6, Defense: 6, Toughness: 11, Features: Alarm, Navigation System, Immunity (suffocation, high and low pressure)
The Warhorse is an experimental hovercraft prototype developed by Gone Aircraft. Initially rejected by the military, it has been re-imagined as the iconic flagship for Seattle's own superteam. The craft essentially serves as a flying APC, and while the original design included offensive weaponry, the civilian version has been stripped of it's assault cannon and some of it's armor plating, making it more maneuverable.

Team Personnel and Support Staff
No government agency runs in a vacuum. While the official team members are the most recognizable face for the Emerald City Guard, the organization is supported by several unpowered but hard-working staff members who keep everything from the Guardhouse to the Guards themselves up and running. A staff of 1-4 assistants from carefully screened backgrounds supports most of the named NPCs below, and the city is discussing the possibility of an internship program with the University as well.

Leanne Law - Official Council Representative. While the Emerald City Guard technically answers to the city council and petitions them for warrants and the right to begin investigations, individual team members rarely appear before the council to do so. As the granddaughter of the WWII-era mystery man John Law, Leanne Law is in a unique position to push for the Guard's political needs while tempering it with a very human perspective. To the team, she acts as the official voice of the council, passing along any rulings or orders, and making policy decisions on behalf of the council in the short-term. Leanne is stubborn, and while likeable, she doesn't let personal feelings get in the way of professionalism or civil rights. Use the Politician archetype, but increase Diplomacy to +10 and add Intimidate +6.

Franklin Fog - Public Relations. Originally a cartoonist for the Seattle Times, Franklin Fog broke into public relations almost by accident. His likeable, honest face and big grin make him the man with the plan whenever an event needs a positive spin. He views his work with the Emerald City Guard as a 'unique challenge', but always has a smile on his face. Use the Reporter archetype, but raise his Charisma to 16, increase the total bonus for Bluff to +9 and Diplomacy to +10, and add Knowledge (Pop Culture) +6.

Lily Hatsumasa - Dispatcher. Lily's years of service to the Seattle PD paid off with a high-profile assignment to work for the experimental super team. Far more than a receptionist, Lily coordinates teammates in the field, emergency services on the ground, and in dire emergencies, military communications. Her childhood spent playing with ham and CB radio have proven valuable, keeping the team connected when the rest of the city may be blacked out. Use the Police Chief archetype, but increase Int to 14 and add Computers +8 and Craft (Electronics) +6.

Dr. Kaja Murphy - Staff Physician. Technically only an on-call employee of the Emerald City Guard, Dr. Murphy spends most of her time teaching at the University of Washington. She is easily the northwest's leading authority on power theory and metabiology, making her a natural choice for the position. Kaja welcomes the opportunity to study her subjects first-hand, though her schedule is usually full enough to keep her frazzled and on-edge. Use the Scientist archetype, but increase Int to 18, Knowledge (life sciences) to +14, and add Treat Injury +14.

Deborah Drachen - Building Services. To Deb, this is just another job, and a stressful one at that. Bad enough the wiring and pipes for the Guardhouse are already 60 years old, but add the occasional supervillain attack and she's hopping night and day. Most of her time is spent coordinating her own work crew to manage repairs and keep the facilities clean, as well as coordinating efforts with civilian contractors constantly repairing and upgrading the facilities. Most of her spare time is spent petitioning for a few extra hands for her department. Use the Thug archetype, but increase Craft (mechanical) to +8 and add Craft (Structural) +6.

Will Watson -Vehicle Pool. Will always dreamed of being a superhero, but things never quite came together. But when he heard that Seattle was forming its own superteam, he jumped to help in any way he could, leaving his high-paying job with Gates Aircraft to help maintain and repair the Warhorse hovercraft the company donated the Guard, not to mention their patrol cruisers. Will is a bit of a fanboy, and likes to spend his breaks around genuine superheroes, asking them about their powers and adventures. Use the Scientist archetype, but increase Craft (mechanical) to +10 and replace Knowledge (life science) with Knowledge (technology).

Rex Wright - Webmaster. Seattle is a city that embraces technology, and the second position filled for the newly-formed Emerald City Guard was that of the webmaster. Formerly a game tester for Nanosoft, Rex is now responsible for maintaining the Guard's website, sorting through e-mail, securing the headquarters' computer systems, and occasionally pestering team members to update their blogs. He also sees himself as a burgeoning filmmaker, and posts weekly mini-documentaries about the Emerald City Guard and it's various members. Use the Butler archetype, but add Computers +11 and Knowledge (pop culture) +7, and replace Knowledge (history) with Knowledge (technology) and Profession (butler) with Profession (webmaster).

[Omega Girl]

EMERALD GUARDIAN
PL: 13 (210 pp)

"I can't let you succeed."

ABILITIES: STR: 14 (+2) DEX: 18 (+4) CON: 14 (+2) INT: 12 (+1) WIS: 15 (+2) CHA: 19 (+4)

SKILLS: Acrobatics 8 (+12), Bluff (+4), Climb (+2), Concentration 10 (+12), Diplomacy 6 (+10), Disguise (+4), Escape Artist (+4), Gather Info (+4), Handle Animal (+4), Intimidate (+4), Knowledge: Civics 8 (+9), Knowledge: Current Event 6 (+7), Notice 8 (+10), Profession 6 (+8), Search (+1), Sense Motive (+2), Stealth (+4), Survival (+2), Swim (+2)

FEATS: Accurate Attack, Attack Specialization (Green Blasts), Attractive, Fearless, Inspire (2), Precise Shot, Quick Change, Luck (2)

POWERS:
-The Green Glow (Cosmic Energy Control 14)
--DAP: Create Object (Stationary, Moveable)
--DAP: Dazzle (Visual)
--DAP: Telekinesis
-Comprehend 2 (understand only; Languages, Plants)
-Flight 7 (1,000mph)
-Force Field 12 (Impervious 10)
-Immunity 9 (Life Support)
-Super Senses 5 (Blindsight, Danger Sense)
-Super Strength [6]
--AP: Super Strength (Telekinesis)

COMBAT: Attack +10 [Green Blast 14 (Bruise)] Defense 22 (16 flat-footed) Init +4

SAVES: Toughness 14 (14 flat-footed) Fortitude 7 Reflex 9 Will 11

DRAWBACKS: Normal Identity

Abilities 32 + Skills 13 (52 ranks) + Feats 10 + Powers 101 + Combat 44 + Saves 19 – Drawbacks -3 = 216 / 210


The Emerald Guardian's specific history and origin are left to the GM to determine, but what is know is this: While she appears to be a beautiful being made of pulsing, green energy, she almost certainly is human deep down. The heroine, Seattle's first home-grown hero, made her debut in 1995, when she prevented the Brighton Comet from colliding with Seattle and turning the pacific northwest into a muddy crater. In the weeks to follow, she cleaned up much of the violent street crime throughout the Seattle area and sent several of its earliest supercriminals packing. She also made city preservation and environmentalism a priority: the only speaking engagements the normally-reclusive heroine made throughout her career were to advocate cultural awareness and promote environmentally-friendly urban renovations (most Seattle natives refer to the city monorail as the "Em Train;" the project may never have come to fruition without the Guardian's support).

Undoubtedly, the Emerald Guardian's greatest nemesis over the years was Templeton Frei, a criminal mastermind without compare. The madman's talent for analyzing and predicting behavior often turned her into an unwilling cog in his underworld machinations. Many believe that Frei's eventual reform, thanks to his own recipie of anti-psychotic medication, is what drove the Guardian to go rogue and lash out against not only Frei, but against any philosophies she felt were 'hurting' the region. She has certainly not been shy about causing property damage to her former rival, having destroyed three major industrial faciluties and hurtled a freighter into orbit.

Today, the Emerald Guardian is a random element in Seattle's culture. Since her rampage last year, she has only rarely reappeared. Two of these appearances were to inflict heavy damage to industrial sites, while another stopped a tsunami that would have washed the Olympic peninsula clean and devestated Seattle and Tacoma. Many residents still remain fiercely loyal to the mysterious stranger, though most fear her on some level. Thus far, the Seattle PD and the United States Army have been unable to find the Emerald Guardian, let alone confront her.

Seattle's own heroine has undergone a dramatic personality shift in the last two years. At one point in time, she was clearly human. Her attitude was serene and patient, and while distant, still obviously eager to help. Many critics accused her of being too maternal, and treating to city as a whole like a child. Lately, she has become colder. No longer is she concern with financial crimes like robbery, and her response to seemingly innocuous crimes seems overblown. Police are concerned that whatever has gifted her with powers is eroding her mind as well.

The Emerald Guardian is made of an unknown energy, bound tightly into a physical form. Her own nature allows her to fly effortlessly, and gives her impressive strength and durability. More amazing, though, is her ability to project the energy that makes her up, lifting and manipulating objects ten times heavier than even her body could manage. She can alter the frequency of her projected beams, making them as harmless as a flashlight or more devestating than a tank round, and her control is refined enough to project massive (albeit green) images. Her behavior and emotional reactions indicate that she probably human (or at least was), and likely hides among the population of Seattle during the day. Some theorize that she is a native, and that her powers are somehow linked to the region itself. This theory is strengthened by the fact that she has never been seen to travel more than 300 miles from the city.

[Omega Girl]

JURY RIG
PL: 10

"Let's test your warranty, hero."

ABILITIES: STR: 14/30 (+10/+2) DEX: 12/22 (+6/+1) CON: 13/23 (+6/+1) INT: 10 (0) WIS: 12 (+1) CHA: 12 (+1)

SKILLS: Bluff (+1), Climb 2 (+12), Concentration (+1), Diplomacy (+1), Disguise (+1), Drive 2 (+8), Escape Artist (+6), Gather Info (+1), Handle Animal (+1), Intimidate 6 (+7), Investigate 2 (+2), Knowledge: Streetwise 6 (+6), Knowledge: Technology 4 (+4), Medicine 2 (+3), Notice 4 (+5), Pilot 2 (+8), Police Officer 4 (+5), Search 4 (+4), Sense Motive 4 (+5), Stealth (+6), Survival (+1), Swim 2 (+12)

FEATS: Critical Strike, Equipment (2), Favored Opponent: Robots and Cyborgs (2), Improved Grapple, Rage (2)

POWERS:
Cybernetic Arms
-Enhanced Strength 16
-Super Strength 5
--AP: Blast 5
Reaction Enhancers
-Enhanced Dexterity 10
-Leaping 5
--DAP: Speed
Bionic Organs
-Enhanced Constitution 10
-Immunity 7 (Fatigue, Suffocation)
Subcutaneous Plating
-Impervious Toughness 8
-Super Senses 3 (Infravision, Low-Light Vision, Radio)

COMBAT: Attack 8 [Unarmed +10 (Bruise)] Defense 18 (14 flat-footed) Init 6

SAVES: Toughness 6 (6 flat-footed) Fortitude 11 Reflex 11 Will 4

DRAWBACKS: Vulnerable (Magnetic Attacks; 50% more damage; Uncommon Moderate)

Abilities 13 + Skills 11 (44 ranks) + Feats 8 + Powers 72 + Combat 32 + Saves 13 – Drawbacks 2 = 147 / 150


Just like in the movies, Seattle PD officer Eliza Sanders sacrificed of herself in the line of duty, and he recovery lead to an addiction that quickly spiraled out of control. But instead of liquor or painkillers, Sander's horrific injuries led her to an insatiable need to upgrade. Eliza Sanders, now Jury Rig, is Seattle's first cybernetics junkie.

Responding to a Triad bank job, Sanders was caught in an explosion that destroyed her hands, crushed her skull, and left her organs failing one-by-one. Desperate to save their highly-decorated comrade, the SPD turned to the University of Washington's fledgling cybernetics program to heal the damages traditional medicine could not. Within six months, Officer Sanders was restored to active duty.

But this new, improved Eliza Sanders was different: colder, more erratic. Her performance slid quickly, and the department placed her medical leave awaiting psychological counseling. Before anyone knew it, Eliza Saunders disappeared into Seattle's underground. She reappeared weeks later to stage a daring daylight raid on the UW cybernetics labs. By the time she confronted her first superhero, challenging the powersuited Late Knight for his technology, she was calling herself Jury Rig.

Over the months, not only has Jury Rig managed to beg, borrow, and steal any number of new upgrades, but she has developed a small following of fellow Tech-heads willing to trade their humanity for technology. The Riggers, half gang, half cult, follow her commands without question, seeing Sanders as a sort of messiah of progress. A small stable of unethical doctors and scientists, lulled by money and cowed by threats, perform regular implantation surgeries on the group and their leader.

The Technocrats are an ally of convenience for Jury Rig. Her obsession with science isn't wrapped up in pretty philosophy and clandestine meetings. It's visceral and action-oriented. Still, the Technocrats are the most available source of repairs and upgrades, as well as competent medical attention. T times, Jury Rig has been little more than an indentured servant to the organization, though she always seems capable of wiggling free of their control.

Jury Rig is well and truly addicted to her implants: she feels powerless and weak without them, and like any good addict, she needs constantly increasing doses to maintain her high. For her, that means replacing more and more of her body with high technology stolen for Seattle's various tech firms, or even parts taken from defeated heroes and villains: anyone sporting advanced robotics is considered fair game to this urban hunter. All of her erratic tendencies and violent behaviors can be traced back to her illness, and she continues to become more unstable without psychological help. Worse, the mishmash of parts often creates software conflicts, pushing her even closer to the brink. Untended, Sanders will never be entirely happy until the last traces of her organic body, and her humanity, have been stripped away.

Her police training still dictates much of Sander's behavior in combat: She prefers to take control of a location through her followers whenever possible, and pin opponents from a distance. When facing a technologically advanced opponent, though, her addiction pushes her training aside and she becomes more like a rapid animal, often closing to melee and raging as soon as possible. Her implants provide her some ranged attacks, but she is primarily a melee powerhouse, and won't hesitate to use her superior strength when it's needed.

[Omega Girl]

Exciting Locale: Bellevue
Bellevue is coming to be a city of it's own, just across Lake Washington from Seattle. Even more than Seattle, Bellevue is a city of growth and construction, with cranes and work sites dominating the landscape. All of this is thanks to one man: Templeton Frei, the reformed villain and financial mastermind. Turning his genius towards urban planning and realestate, the one-time crime boss has transformed Bellevue from sleepy suburb into the bustling "City of Destiny" it has become today.

Frei's intention was to build a community where those could afford it, those who 'deserved' it, could live in an idyllic setting, far removed from crime, poverty, and homelessness. To that end, he dedicated his own fortune, and that of numerous investors, towards purchasing and demolishing the worst elements of the city, replacing them with gleaming, new high-rises. The city's entire infrastructure has been updated through Frei's efforts, running broadband internet to every condominium, installing a 'smart grid' to conserve electricity, and expanding public transit through clean, automated trolleys. Wireless network connections are available anywhere downtown. Many streets have been re-paved with brick or cobblestone to enhance the city's charm, and fresh gardens and parks, tended by city employees, cover any available free space.

While Seattle and Redmond remain the true technology powerhouses, Bellevue's infrastructure upgrades and stylish new setting have attracted much of the area's financial firms. Nearly all the money that passes through the Puget Sound area is funneled through Bellevue's brokerage firms, investment houses, and bank headquarters first. Those businesses within the city that don't revolve around finance either directly support it (technical support, restaurants, security firms), or else are deemed quaint enough and essential to maintaining the city's atmosphere that they receive tax credits to help them afford the rapidly-rising rent costs.

Bellevue's new wealth has not come without certain costs, however. As the land value within Bellevue continues to rise, many long-time locals are being forced out. Many members of the Grunge hail from the Bellevue area originally, and can trace their hatred for authority to Templeton Frei and his City of Destiny. Additionally, security is tight: Bellevue possesses more security cameras per capita than any other city in the country, and literally any activity happening downtown can be observed and recorded remotely. Police, instilled with a certain classism, are also quick to identify vagrants and other unwanted types and escort them to city limits, or worse according to recent news reports; while tourism is welcome, modern Bellevueites would rather you spend your money and get out than mill about ruining the atmosphere.

The conformity and artificial nature of modern Bellevue society seem to take their toll, at least on the teenage population. Recently, thrill-gangs like the Boys in Black have begun sprouting up, feeling untouchable and literally dying to feel something real. These gangs perform the usual round of youth gang crimes, but also bring extreme sports and dangerous stunts into the city, running across rooftops, car surfing, and roaming across high-rise construction sites. Their family status often makes them untouchable when caught, but no amount of wealth can save them from the injuries and deaths their jackassery often brings on. Adults don't seem to handle the atmosphere much better, as some whisper of a serial killer who stalks the streets by night, impossibly dodging Bellevue's cameras and picking off the weak or stupid one at a time.

Most of downtown Bellevue is dominated by the Bellevue Center, an interconnected network of skyscrapers and shopping centers linked by aerial walkways. Most notable are Bellevue Square Mall, Lincoln Square, Frei Plaza, and the Washington Square, the largest and most expensive elements. Each of these buildings is less than a decade old, and built using earthquake-proof materials and bullet-resistant glass. While everything is intended to be stylish, it is also built to stand up to the kind of punishment Frei himself might have dished out a decade earlier. As the city continues to grow more interconnected, rumors persist that Frei's ultimate goal is to transform the entire city into an archeology, an enclosed, private colony that houses homes, shopping, business, and health needs for it's citizens all in one place, eliminating any need to leave.

Surrounding downtown are thick, luscious forests of conifers and ferns, hiding office parks, planned communities, shopping centers, and mansions for miles. The winding roads and thick trees give residents a feeling of peace and isolation while living within walking distance of a major city. Micro-environments have been preserved (or in some cases, recreated), meaning that wild eagles, deer, coyotes, and cougars occasionally roam free in the suburban setting. The entirety of Bellevue has been plagued by raccoon infestations that seem to grow thicker and cleverer with every passing year.

Currently, the Bellevue PD is little more than a private security force for Templeton Frei's real estate interests, and are considered something of a joke by the Seattle PD. Frei is looking to change that in the future, and has been lobbying the Bellevue city council to develop an affordable power suit, to allow Bellevue police to respond to metahuman threats themselves. Despite Frei's financial support for the Emerald City Guard, he would rather see a metahuman policing agency he has a more direct hand in.

New Benefit (every Seattle locale introduces a new use of the Benefit feat player characters may select to reflect their intimacy with the area)
One of Our Kind: Something about you just seems to belong among the well educated and wealthy, making you welcome in areas like Bellevue or Lakeshore. Residents of these areas always have a starting attitude one step better than normal towards you, and you may use Knowledge (Business) in place of Gather Information regarding the rich and powerful of the area.

Bellevue Adventure Ideas
-A cabal of villains hits downtown Bellevue together, causing widespread destruction and mayhem, but their actions are all to conceal the activities of a loan hacker, infiltrating the Securities and Exchange building in the chaos and wire the city's entire operating budget to a Cayman Island account.
-Terrorists seize the headquarters of Washank, the largest banking company in Bellevue, and threaten to release nerve gas. Thanks to downtown's archeology-style design, it will flood half the city and kill thousands.
-Team members are expected to attend a fancy dress ball in Bellevue to help raise funds for the Guard (or possibly another charity). They must strive to make a good impression among the city's nouveau-riche, and keep everyone safe when the Fem Fatals break in to steal the pot.
-The Triad are using an import shop at the trendy Bellevue Square Mall to launder money, and the Bratva want to put a stop to that. Violently.
-Old rivals of Templeton Frei's are beginning to disappear from within his Bellevue Center. Is the mastermind up to his old tricks, or is someone framing him?
-Frei's proposed police armor is approved for a trial run, and a squad of Bellevue S.W.A.T. officers are issued an affordable power suit developed by Frei Industrial. All is well, until the officer's respond with extreme force against a minor villain, leading the heroes to protect the criminal from the cybernetic arm of the law.

[Omega Girl]

MAELSTROM
PL: 10 (150 pp)

"You boys may wanna get inside before this storm rolls in…"

ABILITIES: STR: 12/24 (+7/+2) DEX: 13 (+1) CON: 12 (+1) INT: 13 (+1) WIS: 12 (+1) CHA: 14 (+2)

SKILLS: Bluff (+2), Climb 4 (+11), Computers 2 (+3), Concentration (+1), Craft: Electronic 4 (+5), Craft: Mechanical 6 (+7), Diplomacy (+2), Disable Device 4 (+5), Disguise (+2), Escape Artist (+1), Gather Info 8 (+10), Handle Animal (+2), Intimidate (+2), Knowledge: Earth Sciences 2 (+3), Notice (+1), Pilot 6 (+7), Search (+1), Sense Motive (+1), Stealth 4 (+5), Survival 4 (+5), Swim 8 (+15)

FEATS: Attack Focus (Ranged), Attack Specialization (TK objects), Equipment 2, Fast Overrun, Favored Environment 2 (Underwater), Improved Overrun, Ranged Pin

POWERS:
Vortex Suit (Device 16, Hard to Lose)
-Blast 10 (Touch Range, Cone Area)
--AP: Telekinesis
-Enhanced Strength 10
-Immunity 9 (Life Support)
-Protection 4 (Impervious)
--AP: Flight 3)
-Spinning 5
-Super Senses 12 (Extended Radius Blindsight, Darkvision, Direction Sense, Distance Sense, Radio, Time Sense)
-Swimming 6

COMBAT: Attack +6 [Unarmed +7 (Bruise)] or +7 [Cyclone Blast +10] or +9 [Telekinetically controlled object +10] Defense 18 (14 flat-footed) Init 1

SAVES: Toughness 5 (1 unarmored, 10 vs. physical attacks) Fortitude 9 Reflex 6 Will 4

DRAWBACKS: Normal Identity

Abilities 18 + Skills 13 (52 ranks) + Feats 9 + Powers 64 + Combat 28 + Saves 16 – Drawbacks 4 = 144 / 150

The Maelstrom is the undisputed terror of Puget Sound. The whirling master of waves rides into combat like a modern pirate, jumping frieghters as they approach Seattle and Tacoma's harbors. His personal vortex generator makes short work of defenses, knocking crew or cargo into the cold, dark waters of the Sound with ease. Within minutes, he's back in the water, dragging his ill-gotten loot back to a hideout, eager to track down a buyer and begin squandering his earnings.

Eddie Storm was never born to be great. He was never smart enough to do well in school, or charismatic enough to get the girl. He didn't even make a great jock, playing second-stringer for his high school and college teams. Life eventually handed him a frustrating, dead-end job working maintenance for Gone Aircraft. He was never born to be great, so he had to take greatness for himself.

Thanks to his all-access pass, when Eddie finally decided he was tired of being someone else's toadie, it wasn't difficult to wander through Gone's R&D faciluty and cherry pick the nicest bits for himself. What finally caught his attention was a personal vortex generator, capable of generating tornado-force rotations. With Storm's rudimentary knowledge of mechanics and his grandfather's dive shop, it was only a matter of weeks before the disgruntled handy-man became Seattle's own modern-day pirate.

Maelstrom (a name given the Eddie by the press; he'd always favored "King Typhoon") is cocky and short-sighted. He believes his vortex belt and powered dive suit make him a top contender for Seattle's baddest villain, even though he normally works as someone else's hired muscle or aquatic specialist. Accusations that his spinning powers or aquatic abilities are 'lame' drive him into a frenzy. He tends to spend money almost as quickly as he gets it, leading to a vicious cycle of escalating crimes. Still, it can't be argued that he isn't a genuine threat in his element.

He prefers one-one-one fights, where his vortex blasts give him the advantage. Against multiple opponents he prefers to soften them up with vortex blasts, then lift large objects and make area attacks. He's also not shy about turning tail and running when things turn sour, or using civilians as a distraction. His vortex generator spins Maelstrom at incredible speeds, making him impossible to pin down and propelling him through air or water at amazing speeds. His own modifications to the device allow Maelstrom to project cyclones to send opponents flying or lift massive loads.

Eddie normally holes up in anything with ocean access, abandoned marinas and boathouses being his usual haunts. His modified dive suit makes almost the entire Sound his private playground, though, and he has emergency cash and supplies stashed in numerous sunken wrecks. He and the lake monster Willatuk have had confrontations in the past. Eddie's former girlfriend and sidekick, Diving Belle, left him two years ago the join the Fem Fatals, and he's still sensitive about that.

[Omega Girl]

TEMPLETON FREI
PL: 10

"My friend, are you brandishing a weapon at me? I'll have you know that not only is that illegal, it is also incredibly stupid."

ABILITIES: STR: 8 (-1) DEX: 11 (0) CON: 13 (+1) INT: 32 (+11) WIS: 21 (+5) CHA: 19 (+4)

SKILLS: Bluff 10 (+14), Climb (-1), Computers 12 (+23), Concentration 4 (+9), Craft: Chemical 8 (+19), Craft: Electronic 10 (+21), Diplomacy 9 (+13), Disable Device 8 (+19), Disguise (+4), Drive 3 (+3), Gather Info 12 (+16), Handle Animal (+4), Intimidate 6 (+10), Investigate 6 (+17), Knowledge: Behavioral Sciences 15 (+26), Knowledge: Business 12 (+23), Knowledge: Current Event 8 (+19), Knowledge: Physical Sciences 10 (+21), Knowledge: Technology 4 (+15), Medicine 4 (+9), Notice 10 (+15), Pilot 2 (+2), Search 4 (+15), Sense Motive 15 (+20), Sleight of Hand 4 (+4), Stealth 2 (+2), Survival (+5), Swim (-1)

FEATS: Assessment, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Wealth) 6, Connected, Contacts, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 10, Favored Opponent 5 (Super Heroes), Fearless, Inventor, Master Plan, Second Chance (Diplomacy checks), Skill Mastery (Computers, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Sense Motive)

POWERS:
Deductive Reasoning (Super Senses 8: Precognition, Postcognition)

COMBAT: Attack +6 [Unarmed -1 (Bruise)] Defense 14 (12 flat-footed) Init +0

SAVES: Toughness 1 (1 flat-footed) Fortitude 4 Reflex 3 Will 15

Abilities 44 + Skills 46 (184 ranks) + Feats 31 + Powers 8 + Combat 20 + Saves 16 – Drawbacks 0 = 165 / 150


To call Templeton Frei "mad" is to be out of touch. Tough he spent the 90's as Seattle' greatest criminal mastermind, the new millennium has seen a new side to this misunderstood genius. Thanks largely to his own blend of anti-psychotic medications, Frei came to realize that much more money and power could be had legally!

After pouring millions into the revitalization of downtown Belelvue anonymously, Frei revealed his intentions to a stunned world: to rebuild the city of Bellevue into a place where the upper and upper-middle classes could work, shop, and play without ever having to face the unpleasant side of the world that the poor often drag in with them. While it was hardly a politically correct vision, it appealed to many of Seattle's growing population of millionaires, and countless dozens of investors proved willing to place their money behind the genius who had proven himself capable time and time again.

Though hardly a man of virtue, Templeton Frei has genuinely seemed to reform. His plans thus far have involved no questionable bookkeeping, and his late nights are usually spent analyzing property trends rather than orchestrating chaos. Both the Seattle PD and the FBI watch the man constantly, wary of his past, but many local residents (including most of the Bellevue Police Department) accept Frei as a gracious benefactor of their city. Certainly, what he has done for Bellevue in under a decade is nothing short of astounding: land values within the city have never been higher, and the crime rate has never been lower.

Frei, for his part, is enjoying life as a law-abiding citizen living in the lap of luxury, and especially enjoys no longer having heroes burst into his home to foil his elaborate machinations. He exudes charisma, and the same sort of faux-politeness that most businessmen enjoy. His break from his earlier psychoses have done nothing to curb his confidence, and while he is now a law-abiding citizen, he does not tolerate insults or backstabbing. Frei is more than happy to use the full weight of the law to harass and defeat opponents now, an easy thing to do for a many who own half of the state's wealthiest city.

In his heyday, Frei was a criminal mastermind. While he occasionally fell back on mad inventions, it was never his calling card. Though he has no real powers beyond his prodigious intellect, Frei is a master of manipulation and planning. His machinations are often subtle enough that even heroes like the Emerald Guardian have unwittingly done his bidding in the past. These days, he uses his ability to predict human behavior to ride the stock market and trade real estate commodities like no other, though some critics have accused him (without evidence, of course) of using his uncanny talents to rig the market and direct it wherever he needs.


Bodyguards - PL 5 (Minion Rank 3)
Frei is rarely seen without three to six armed guards. As a man who managed to make many, many enemies in his lifetime, it only makes sense. These men are highly-trained, utterly fearless, and willing to take a bullet for their employer. These men are in addition to whatever devices Frei may have on his person or in his home or office for personal defense.
ABILITIES: STR: 14 (+2) DEX: 13 (+1) CON: 16 (+3) INT: 10 (+0) WIS: 15 (+2) CHA: 8 (-1)

SKILLS: Drive 8 (+9), Intimidate 8 (+7), Notice 10 (+12), Search 6 (+6)

FEATS: Attack Focus (Ranged), Equipment 3, Fearless, Interpose

EQUIPMENT:
Armor-piercing Pistol (Penetrating Blast 4), undercover Shirt (+2 Toughness, Subtle), Comlink

COMBAT: Attack +4 [Unarmed +2 (Bruise)] or +5 [Pistol +4 (Lethal)] Defense 15 (12 flat-footed) Init +0

SAVES: Toughness 5 (3 unarmored) Fortitude 4 Reflex 3 Will 5

[Omega Girl]

Exciting Locale: The Seattle Monorail
Known locally as "The Em," Seattle's monorail is an example of how fast, clean, and efficient public transportation can be. Although the idea had been popular among Seattleites for years, it wasn't until the Emerald Guardian voiced her support for the project that the city council took the voter referendum seriously. Construction began in 2000 to extend the existing network, left over from the 1962 World's Fair, but was not completed until 2006 due to repeated villain attacks. The monorail is operated and managed by the King County Metro.

The Em consists of eight interconnected loops, 114 stations, and a fleet of 65 trains. The electrical system is virtually silent and, while technically an elevated train, it dips below ground through many residential areas to further reduce noise and maintain the local aesthetic. Service even runs 24-hours through Seattle's Pioneer square, Beltown, and other night spots. Although every train has a driver and two metro police officers, the automated systems could keep the lines running on-time completely unmanned. Sophisticated security systems can even dispense debilitating light-pulses in the event of a riot or mass violence, rendering everyone in a car unconscious in seconds (treat as a rank 5 Stun effect).

The city of Seattle has made the monorail a flagship in its green revolution, and takes great pride in keeping cars safe, comfortable and clean. It has also turned out to be the fastest means of transportation around the city and beyond, making it popular with commuter who wouldn't normally consider Seattle's bus lines. In addition to the usual students and wage slaves, the monorail sees its fair share of ingenious programmers, city politicians, and even local celebrities. A specially chartered Sunday express even carries the Seattle Episcopal bishop and several of her deacons and followers to church downtown.

New Benefit (every Seattle locale introduces a new use of the Benefit feat player characters may select to reflect their intimacy with the area)
Gold Pass: You are fortunate enough to have full access to Seattle's transit system. Either by hook or by crook, your pass card grants you unlimited travel on the Em, the light rails, and the bus system. You can reach any part of the Seattle or the Eastside in 2d20 minutes thanks to your expert knowledge of the lines and schedule (half that long with a DC 20 Knowledge: Local check). You can also take the light rail to Tacoma and Olympia free of charge. Finally, your time spent riding among the masses gives you a constant ear to the ground: You may use Knowledge (Local) in place of Gather Information whenever you use the Well-Informed feat.

Monorail Adventure Ideas
-The Technocrats plant a chrono-field distorter on the Sunday express, trapping Seattle's Episcopal bishop and much of her congregation in a train constantly circling 7:42 a.m.
-Drama Queen and the Fabulous are staging hit-and-run robberies on the after-midnight monorail lines leading out of the party districts.
-A hacker seizes control of the monorail's controls and threatens to start crashing trains together unless the city can pay him $15 million.
-Some otherworldly force transforms the rush-hour trains into giant fighting robots. Can the heroes destroy the robots without harming the passengers trapped inside?

[Omega Girl]

JAVA JANE
PL: 7 (105 pp)

"Dry grande non-fat double-shot soy whip machiatto this, motherf***er!"

ABILITIES: STR: 10 (0) DEX: 15 (+2) CON: 14 (+2) INT: 13 (+1) WIS: 7/17 (-2/+3) CHA: 12 (+1)

SKILLS: Bluff 4 (+5), Concentration (-2/+3), Craft: Mechanical 6 (+7), Craft: Coffee 8 (+9), Diplomacy (+1), Disable Device 2 (+3), Disguise (+1), Drive 4 (+6), Escape Artist (+2), Gather Info (+1), Handle Animal (+1), Intimidate 8 (+9), Knowledge: Popular Culture 10 (+11), Search (+1), Sense Motive (-2/+3), Stealth (+2)

FEATS: Ambidexterity, Attack Focus (Ranged) 2, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 3, Quick Draw

POWERS:
Cap' Gun (Device 4, Hard to Lose)
Caffeine Shooters (Device 6; Hard to Lose)

DEVICES:
Cappuccin'-Gun
-Espresso Shot (Blast 7, Split Attack)
--AP: Whip (Snare 7)
--AP: Milk Steamer (Dazzle 7, Visual, Slow Fade)
--AP: Nonfat Soy Whip (Nauseate 5, Ranged)
--AP: Americano (Corrosion 5, Ranged)
--AP: Decaf (Fatigue 5, Ranged)

Caffeine Shooters
-Mental Boost (Boost - Wisdom 10, Total Fade)
-Reaction Boost (Enhanced Feats: Improved Initiative 2, Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge; Linked to Mental Boost)
-Immunity 5 (Fatigue Effects; linked to Mental Boost)

EQUIPMENT OF NOTE:
Kevlar Apron (Impervious Protection 3)

COMBAT: Attack +5 [Unarmed +0 (Bruise)], +7 [Espresso Shot +7] Defense 17 (12 flat-footed) Init +2

SAVES: Toughness 5 (2 unarmored) Fortitude 4 Reflex 4 Will 8/11

Abilities 11 + Skills 11 (44 ranks) + Feats 11 + Powers 40 + Combat 18 + Saves 14 – Drawbacks 0 = 105 / 105

Loosing her job made her angry, but corporate policy drove her mad! This malicious barrista is Seattle's own Calamity Jane. Originally a mild-mannered worker for Beans 'n Things, an independent coffee house in Greenlake, Jane Desario lost her job and the back room she'd been renting when a Buckster's Coffee opened across the street. Underterred, and knowing only the coffee industry, she applied and was accepted to be a Buckster's barrista. Her years of experience landed her terrible shifts, short hours, and cruel mockery from hipster douchebag customers. The breaking point came when she revolutionized the branch's semi-automatic espresso machine to output three times the flavor from the same beans. For her innovation, she was promptly fired for tampering with company property without taking the mandatory four-day "Espresso Machine Diagnosis and Repair Qualification" course first.

With this final insult, Jane's mind boarded the espresso train to hell, and she plunged into a world of paranoia and hate. In her mind, Bucksters and other corporations that make a living strangling the life out of local trends were slowly but surely killing the spirit of Seattle, and if the city was going to hell in a hand basket, she'd get her share by carving it from their managerial corpses.

Jane has applied her practical knowledge of coffee and steam mechanics into an effective weapon, her "Cappuccin-Gun", or Cap-Gun, an ingenious device that turns scalding hot coffee and steamed milk into dangerous weapons. Armed with this and her home-brewed caffeine shooters, she engages in daring daylight robberies of corporate coffee houses, malls, and cookie-cutter concerts, putting yuppies in their place and making a healthy profit to boot. Her most recent robbery of a Sully's in the financial district netted an estimated $50,000 in laptops alone.

This cantankerous coffee server has no illusions about be a modern-day Robin Hood; she's in it to get her piece of the espresso brownie. Two years ago, she was one of the founding members of the Fem Fatals, and she occasional works with other villains and pulls jobs for the Triad, provided their move is against anyone on her ever-growing enemies list. She works with other villains as often as she shows up leading a gang of mooks, often other former barristas with grudges and their own scaled-down Cap Guns.

Java Jane is essentially a low-priority villain. While she and her goons are more than a match for the police, most heroes can wrap her up or chase her off in short order. While Jane is bold, especially while riding the caffeine train, she's no idiot. She plays a cocky role and loves to verbally spar, but she's happy to run like a coward if things turn bad. Her typical M.O. is to open up with her Double-Shot on soften targets like hostages, or else focus on Milk Steams and Whip on actual threats.

The bellicose barrista is frequently captured, but can't seem to stay in jail. She always seems to be skipping bail or out on a technicality, ready to get back out there a chai, chai again.

[Stumblefish]

Now admittedly I'm at work and sneaking a look at this on the sly but I just thought I should say that this looks like great stuff. Really good quality, can't wait to get home and read it properly without worrying about co-workers sneaking up behind me.

Keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing more.

PS I'm stealing Maelstrom immediately as I need a good soggy villain soon.

[Wasabi]

Brilliant! I am totally hooked on the whole concept for the team to playing a game set in the Emerald City! Top notch stuff - This is looking better then Freedom City in a lot of ways honestly!

[Davies]

The Emerald City Guard
"Seattle needs heroes. Can you measure up?"

PL: 8-10
Team Orientation: Heroic Municipal Employees
Tone: High-science running head-first into mystical heritage; Modern/Platinum-age action and adventure

This is brilliant.

Chris Davies.

[Foreshadow]

Brilliant! I am totally hooked on the whole concept for the team to playing a game set in the Emerald City! Top notch stuff - This is looking better then Freedom City in a lot of ways honestly!

Oh SNAP Steve Kenson, you've gotta prove you can top this one!

[~HANZO~]

lol as a fellow greener I salute ya!

Looks pretty sweet. Got just a few things.

You got to have a big foot villain or super.
And the real Emo-vamps In forks (could not resist).

An easy villain could be a radical environmental terrorist group.
Terran
Organized
Freedom
Ultimatum

And the corporation bent on world domination.
World
Organization of
Total
Corruption

Ok i better stop before I get into trouble!!


Kensen is the Clark Kent of the emerald city right! what is his super form?