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File: THE GENERALS!.png (1.21 MB, 1280x1158)
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Twitter:https://twitter.com/QuestGuy1

AKA the Amanda Waller/Maxwell Lord/Nick Fury Sim

EXPLANATION: The Statesmen are an eclectic group of American superhumans from the Capeworld setting from Baron Bizarre Quest and The Generals Quest. They're a diverse group of gods, warriors, scientists, sportsmen, social workers, and showmen. They aren't assembled to fight threats. They aren't chosen to fight threats. They are elected, one from each of the fifty states, for being weird, interesting, heroic, sexy, traditional, or popular.

Their purpose, as stated by Herbert Hoover when he helped launch the first incarnation of the Statesmen, is to "demonstrate and celebrate the diversity of America's supra-humanoid population and to show that this diversity unifies in service of our great nation".

The Statesmen have been called "Ms. America for superheroes". But it has also been called a way to draw attention to the many walks of life superhumans choose for themselves in America.

Around the world superhumans often sacrifice their personal desires for what their society demands of them. Superhumans are subject to a mandatory draft in China and Russia. In Japan they are pressured to join a voluntary public registry of superhumans. In Canada they are pressured to choose sides in a swiftly fragmenting country. In Germany they are pressured to humble. In Africa they are pressured to be rulers.

In America, for better of worse, there is no such pressure. There is chaotic, dangerous, wonderful, potent diversity in the superhuman culture. There is the Statesmen.

And you are the Strategic Supervisor for the current incarnation of the Statesmen.

You will decide how this incarnation of the Statesmen is managed. Will you try to expand operations beyond America? Will you run the Statesmen more like a "real" superhero team? Will you make advertising deals with fast food companies for cash?

The choice is yours.

But today you are not here by choice.

Today you are at Washington DC to do what all great public servants must do.

You are here to beg Uncle Sam for money.

LORE UNLOCKED: ORIGINAL STATESMEN BIOS
http://pastebin.com/qCgQBDgr
>>
You adjust your tie as you clear the scanner device flanked by national guardsmen in red white and blue power armor. The scanner has always been here. The guardsmen are here because people are on edge from the Selenite hive violence in Europe and Patmos' last attack on the white house.

Maybe you can do something about all that malaise?

You walk through the classics-inspired rotunda past portraits of previous speakers of the house and a never-melting ice sculpture of a bald eagle left by the princess of Frostland as a token of goodwill after her senate hearing.

You find Jenny outside the doors of the Senate busily chatting on her phone.

"I know dear. I promise I won't let them kill me. Not without a fight anyway! We can get dinner at the Holy Dragon afterwards. Now YOU be careful, and I'll talk to you later. Love you. Bye."

"How do you like that?" Jenny says turning to you. "She fights psychopaths and monsters and she's still more worried about her mom getting in front of the Senate than herself!"

"Any names for those psychopaths and monsters?" You ask.

"Oh no no no." Jenny gives a light chuckle. "You know what I said. I'm not giving you her name. Loving daughter or not she'd kill me if she thought you were signalling her out for special treatment."

JENNY is the head of Statesmen human resources. She's like a combination social worker, parole officer, psychiatrist, and den mother. It's her job to see that the 51 members of the Statesmen all get along and don't self destruct into the soap opera cliches that trip up even the greatest superhuman teams.

She has a personal stake in this expansion of the Statesmen. Her daughter is on this incarnation of the team.

JUSTICE JOLT: There's an achievement for finding out who Jenny's daughter is before she tells you.

JENNY Is who you need to talk to if you ever want to know how a member is doing without talking to them face to face. If you want to recruit new members or retire current members you talk to her about it.

"Relax Mr. Supervisor!" Jenny says. "Its just the senate, not a Chroman war council. If we stick to our bottom line we should be fine. Remember that the overall idea of the expansion is-"

SAY/DO?

TO MAKE THE STATESMEN A LITTLE MORE LIKE OTHER SUPERHERO TEAMS WHILE CONSERVING ITS SPIRIT. MORE PROACTIVE. MORE MISSIONS AND OPERATIONS.

TO PLAY IT CONSERVATIVE. THIS EXPANSION IS MORE OF THE SAME. MORE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. MORE STATESMEN SPONSORED THINK TANKS. MORE TALK SHOW APPEARANCES.
>>
Who are we, besides the representative and supervisor. Do we have a character or just write one ourselves?

Also, glad to see you are back

>>687053
>Will you make advertising deals with fast food companies for cash

>"B-but, do i have to? This is degrading"
We are low on funds, we all have to do our part
>"You don't understand. I have an image to uphold! What if any of the heroes of old hears about this? I'll become a subject of mockery!"
I know, i know. Just, once? Thinks about all the supers we could help if w-
>"Okay, okay, i get it. I'll do it"


>"I am Baron Bizarre, and this is my favorite store in the country"
>>
>>687125
Right now we're just the supervisor, but our choices will gradually inform our personality.

>"Good news team! We got the new super-suits in the mail today!"
>They're all fast food employee uniforms
>>
>>687122
Let's talk about enrolling statemen into law enforcement agencies. Not to throw them into the streets just yet, but to show the world that we are willing to help the supers integrate and and work with the law.
Some training facilities not only for the statesmen but to train other supers with low-key powers (assuming the ones with the cooler ones end up in other teams) about how to use their powers to serve their communities and to house young homeless supers, keeping them away from the streets. We can test the waters by opening only one of these training centers and seeing if they have a positive impact

So, a little bit of column A and a little bout of column B.
>>
>>687161
>Statesmen sponsored training centers and superhuman homes

I really dig this idea.

IS THIS OKAY FOR OUR BOTTOM LINE?
>>
>>687184
Also, do we know who the current statesmen are or you will introduce the mas we see 'em?
>>
>>687198
We know everyone on the list in the OP, but not personally. We'll gradually run into them.
>>
>>687184
works for me
>>
>>687330
>>687184
"The centers. The centers are our bottom line." You finish for her. "We show them super-powered diversity is a good thing when you integrate it into the communities."

"You two just remember what props up all that sentiment." A familiar voice calls from behind you. "Good old USD and lots of it!"

You turn and shake Alan's hand. Alan's a polymath wunderkin. His cognitive test scores skirt the line between normal human and superhuman. He wants to cross over the line and move up from Mensa to the super-intellect club Thoth and hopes that a successful run managing the Statesmen's finances can convince Thoth to fudge a percentage point in his favor.

ALAN is your chief of finance. You will have a pool of resources to manage during the game and he's who will help you manage it. Uncle Sam is your chief sugardaddy but your cash flow is subject to the fickle, fickle whims of politics. You might want to seek additional funding throughout the game...

"Well, ready to go panhandle for loose shekels?" He says giving your hand a hearty shake. "Just remember that our fiscal policy is mostly going to be-"

SAY/DO?

TO PUSH THE SENATE TO LET US SEEK ADDITIONAL FUNDS. WE GOT TO SHOW THE WORLD THE STRENGTH OF AMERICA'S SUPER ENTREPRENEURSHIP AFTER ALL.

TO ASK THE SENATE TO THROW US WHATEVER POLITICAL HOOPS THEY WANT US TO JUMP THROUGH SO WE CAN INCREASE OUR FUNDING.

Naturally you'll be able to both play politics for money and make deals with companies. This will just determine toward whom you lean-big business or big government.
>>
Axeman is a motherfucking Manu So, which idea came first?

>>687409
We pander to the liberals with our inclussive platform
And to the conservatives with our plans to "weponize" supers for law enforcement

I say we push the senate to loose our leash and let us beg the libertarians for dosh
Also, Alan is working for this setting's /pol/, i am calling it right now.
>>
>>687409
>TO PUSH THE SENATE TO LET US SEEK ADDITIONAL FUNDS. WE GOT TO SHOW THE WORLD THE STRENGTH OF AMERICA'S SUPER ENTREPRENEURSHIP AFTER ALL.
>>
>>687459
>>687683

Axeman came first. I made quite a few of the Statesmen.

Three IPs...maybe I should have started with some combat? We'll get to running some rookies through a simulator as a tutorial for the strategy system, we just need to get our ducks in a row first.

"To get the senate to loosen our leash so we can beg them AND the liberatarians for dosh." You say. "The inclusive nature of our centers appeals to the liberals. The involvement of law enforcement appeals to conservatives. Its only right that we get the libertarians on board by courting the corporations."

"Right on." Alan says. "Speaking of which, I know we're about to head into the lion's den but I've finally done it. I've finally scored us some offers. It took way too much coffee and way too little sleep but I got some really good ones."

"Alan!" Jenny says. "If you fall asleep in front of the Senate I will personally strangle you to death! Please tell me you took a nap or something before showing up!"

"Eh...I might have gotten some sleep. I think..." He grins bashfully. "ANYWAY here's the list. Just look it over and tell me what you think-"

RESOURCES AND RESOURCE POINTS:

Running a team of superhumans isn't cheap! Sometimes it seems the greatest power of all is the power of money. You can use resource points for a variety of actions from building and improving bases to issuing bribes and recruiting and training superhumans. But first you have to acquire resources.

RESOURCES can be corporations, wealthy philanthropists, grateful magical kingdoms, or even members of the Statesmen itself.

You begin with UNCLE SAM as a resource, and have room for two more resources. The number of resources you can use will increase as your prestige increases and the whole world knows that this Statesmen Expansion is the real deal.

CHOOSE TWO RESOURCES:

Dundo Industries: A corporation devoted to the expansion of metahuman potential headed by super-billionaire Martin Dundo.

Pros: Bleeding edge technology, disturbingly skilled legal team. Get close to the truth behind Dundo Industries...

Cons: Dundo Industries has a lot of nasty rumors attached to it. Nothing legal has ever stuck however.You don't believe rumors do you?

Chase Labs: Making the world stranger and stronger. Chase Labs is ran by Doc Chase of the Generals fame.

Pros: Access to the latest super scientific experiments and research. Good PR, people love the Statesmen.

Cons: Most of Doc's work is theoretical and experimental.

Super NOWER: A massive media conglomerate focused on superhumans (some would say exploitive of superhumans). Their products hit across all demographics.

Pros: Have the media on your side.

Cons: Owe the media favors. "So we got this idea for a reality show..."

Carter Corp: Family business of Cassandra Carter, aka Emerald Blaze, Statesman of Delaware. Specializes in military technology.

Pros: Access to advance weaponry. Get in on the military industrial complex.

-cont
>>
>>687702
Cons: Certain groups and people will hate to see you get chummy with the military


Pizza Underground: Pizza company that delivers across time, space, and the multiverse. Operates out of the New York underground (don't call it the New York sewers!)

Pros: Simple flow of cash.

Cons: Nothing beyond the cash flow.


Davis Garages: Owned and managed by Jake Davis, The current Hoosier and Statesmen for Indiana. Creates elite combat vehicles for superhumans (they make supercars!)

Pros: Support for tech and vehicle users.

Cons: As with Carter Corp expect some groups to get mad at you for "associating with weapons manufacturers".


Gardner's: Chain of casual dining restaurants known for their cheese fries and attractive super powered hostesses and waitresses.

Pros: Good PR team.

Cons: THAT'S SEXIST!!!!!


Binder Burger: The world's most popular burger joint and jockeying for interstellar territory with their rival Earth Burger.

Pros: A great deal of money.

Cons: Can be demanding and pushy at times. They want someone to wear the uniforms.

STEELO: Always in all caps. STEELO is a German fashion company ran by the titular metal skinned superheroine STEELO. They specialize in creating form flattering outfits for the super strong and durable.

Pros: Snazzy uniforms, support for team bricks.

Cons: THAT'S BODY SHAMING!!!


Martha's: Founded out of a farmhouse back in the 1930's Martha's was one of the first fashion companies to create clothes for superhumans.

Pros: Highly venerable. Classic look. Respected by the old guard.

Cons: Get with the times grandpa. Who wears capes and masks?

CHOICES RECAP:

Dundo Industries
Chase Labs
Super NOWER
Carter Corp
Davis Garages
Pizza Underground
Binder Burger
Gardner's
STEELO
Martha's

10 options. 2 choices.

VOTE!
>>
>>687813
>Pizza Underground
>Carter Corp
>>
>>687813
>Dundo
I'd like to "get close to the truth", but I'm worried that yet another con could be that Doc wouldn't be too happy about that, assuming this coincides with your earlier Cape World quest, which could make working with him in the future a bit more complicated.

I'd vote for Super NOWER, mostly just because the "cons", "so we got this idea for a reality show..." might be entertaining, more than thoughtfully weighing pros and cons.

Torn between working with Doc as second vote, or something more simple a business thing. That's the idea, right, to appeal by working with businesses?

If that's the case then voting for any of the three restaurants.
>>
>>687878
>That's the idea right, to appeal by working with businesses?

Yeah. It's to show that superhumans can contribute to the economy as well as beat up other superhumans.
>>
>>687813
>STEELO
Ms America for freaks? Gotta look sexy!
>Super NOWER
more cape media all the time. Wanna seem like a normal part of society? Be exploited just like everyone else!

>>687122
>>687409
Have you considered using green text for options instead of ALL CAPS, it would make it a bit easier to read.
>>
>>688062
>Green text for options instead of ALL CAPS

You got a point there. I'm going to switch to greens for now on.
>>
>>687702
>Chase Labs
>Pizza Underground
>>
>>688074
Doesn't sound nearly as epic when there are no caps. It is cruise control for cool, after all

>>687813
Dindu Corporation
Pizza sewer

We should support our own industry if we want the nationalists on our side
>>
RESOURCES:

Uncle Sam

Pizza Underground

Super NOWER

"We'll talk about the details later Alan but these two...I think we can start with them." You say.

"The tabloids? Really?" Jenny scoffs.

"The multimedia conglomerate with an audience of billions. Really." Alan says. "Think of it this way. We play ball we get on the cover. We don't play ball, we also get on the cover. The difference is if we play ball they'll likely to put someone like Captain Justice or Virginia Daring on the cover. If we don't its likely to be someone like Ghost or Dr. Glacier. Probably with "Statesmen hero" in scare quotes under them."

"You want to seem like a normal part of society? Be exploited just like everyone else!" You say. "Besides. I can't wait to be on one of their infamous covers. Do you think they'll put me on a throne with a pope hat like they did with the Reverend?"

"Oh god..." Jenny pinches her brow.

"Heh. I remember that one, from when he crossed international lines hunting for Patmos." Alan says. ""Now all nations of the world must change their flag to this!" Classic."

"Well Pizza Underground looks like a safe partner." Jenny says. "Nothing objectionable about them."

"A successful company ran by superhumans with teleportation, quantum control, dimension manipulation, and other scary powers people associate with Crisis-level events is jackpot for keeping up a good public image." The fourth member of your fearsome four tips his hat to the guardsmen on his way through the scanner. "Do not forget. Its not just the eyes of America on us but the eyes of the entire United Nations as well." Leonard says.

LEONARD has serious history with America's super community. He ran the Ganymede Society, a society dedicated to providing quality valets and support crews to superhumans regardless of powers or wealth, for decades. He retired back in the late 1980's but he's back to help manage the social aspect of the Statesmen.

There are a lot of organizations in Capeworld, and Leonard is your link to them.

"Good morning gentlemen, Jenny, are we all prepared to dive head first into the shark tank? Also, I believe the deadline isn't for a couple of months but I took the liberty of getting this done ahead of time." Leonard reaches into his coat and produces a folder for you. "These are the optimal locations for the expanded headquarters."

HEADQUARTERS EXPLANATION:

The traditional home of the Statesmen has been the CLUBHOUSE, a private retreat located underneath the Smithsonian Museum of Metascience. But with the expansion comes the need for a fresh base with its own teleporation matrix and communication network. In time you might find yourself in charge of several headquarters....

>SELECT THE TYPE OF NEW HEADQUARTERS YOU WANT

>EAGLE'S NEST

A satellite base once used by 90's "super soldier" team EAGLE X. The tricky nature of orbital territory means that you will appear both local-minded and global-minded depending on where you orbit.

-cont
>>
>>688460

>SCIENCE FORTRESS

A massive heavily fortified techno-fortress the size of a small town. The fortress itself is a big softy, a warrior poet from a race of space warriors, but moving in will tell the world that the Statesmen aren't messing around with all the good and bad that comes from it.

>MUSEUM

A classy brownstone apartment complex in the back of a Superhero Museum in historic Jolly Harbor. The close proximity to the public means setting up here poses security risks, but it also shows a desire to get along openly with the public.

>GORILLA SKULL ISLAND

A moving, living island off Hawaii created by a super intelligent giant gorilla named Thorg who sought to conquer Hawaii only to be defeated by Pele. The base will show that you're global-minded.

>BASTION OF JUSTICE

A gleaming, impressive citadel at the heart of a bustling metropolis. Its statues and large meeting rooms give the sense of entering a temple of gods. There's even a large fountain up front! The bastion shows that you're local minded.

>THE BLISTER

A subspace artificial reality nexus island that was used until recently by ARGO as one of its emergency multiversal "lighthouse" beacons. The Blister alters itself to the thoughts of its inhabitants, sometimes appearing as a peaceful and mild tropical island and other times as a cosmic funhouse of strange gizmos and devices of no readily describable function. The Blister is the ultimate in privacy and protection, but makes the Statesmen look relatively detached from Earth.

>SELECT A HEADQUARTERS!
>>
>>688619
>>THE BLISTER
>>
>>688619
>A moving, living island off Hawaii created by a super intelligent giant gorilla named Thorg who sought to conquer Hawaii only to be defeated by Pele. The base will show that you're global-minded.
>>
>>688619
Wait, is the science fortress alive as well?

Though I think I'll vote for the museum for now.
>>
>>688619
The museum so we can turn it into something like the Xavier Institute's Students & Faculties
The stories that permeate those halls will inspire the little shits we pick from the streets to not be so shit and becoming big shitters
It also shows that we are 'Merica, son! We ain't afraid of nothing While hiding our irreplaceable stuff in a hidden bunker underneath all of it

We should start small and local. We will be dependant on the Govs for a while.
>>
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>>688656
Science Fortress is indeed more than meets the eye.
>>
>>688681
>inspire the little shits we pick from the streets to not be so shit and becoming big shitters
Honestly I think that should be our main goal. Stopping villains before they are even made. A lot of villains only exist because the world is hostile to them. Giving misfits a safe place to go to would go a long way towards preventing super villains.
>>
>>688691
Oh, go with Science Fortress then.
>>
>>688713
Do you remember the Captain America movie, when they tried to use him as a morale boost for the soldiers, and they just laughed him off the stage? It was because they already had pretty girls to do that, why would they need an idiot in a blue suit?

Here, we have a bunch of heroes chosen more for their public appeal and image than their actual powers. How can they compete with other, more powerful, teams?
We should focus on their strengths. And that is the place they hold in the common people's hearts and minds.
Soon will come the time where they will face against impossible odds and win. For now, it's all about the little victories.
>>
>>688641
>The Blister

>>688647
>GORILLA SKULL ISLAND

>>688681
>>688656
>THE MUSEUM

>>688747
>SCIENCE FORTRESS

"Jolly Harbor. Now that is classic." You say poking at the picture in the file. "I think this will be for the best. It gives a sense of openness and a sense of tradition. We want the people that crawl into our shelters to pick themselves up and see that there is a tradition and fellowship that will welcome them."

A frail thin rail of a man in a suit with a white cowboy hat walks up to you and shakes hand with your group. "Howdy. Ya'll ready for this?"

"Good to see you again Noah." You say shaking his hand. "We wouldn't have gotten this far without your support."

Noah Moore. The latest Captain Justice. He's helped you and your crew establish yourself as the new Statesmen support team.

There has always been a Texan on the Statesmen, and that Texan is always Captain Justice. Its a family legacy that goes all the way back to the first Captain Justice, a captain of the Union Army who fought crime in reconstruction era Texas. He's the first Captain Justice to use power armor to make up for his lack of innate superhuman powers and his frail physicality.

"Yall are going to make this work." Noah says as the doors to the Senate floor open and you walk through a sea of flashbulbs. "Remember that yall are heroes yourselves."

......

"The world has a problem with diversity." Jenny breaks the silence of the senate hearing. All eyes and all cameras turn to her. "Selenite refugees erect hives in the middle of Paris, raid neighborhoods for building materials and human captives, and retreat back behind their walls. We have seen experimental telepath cities fail and divide into psychic-only and psychic-free zones. Arguments over extra-dimensional jurisdiction has caused our nation's relationship with the Choir of Heaven and the Free States of the Abyss to deteriorate. And then there are the superhumans. Always the superhumans. Always the most diverse. Always the most dangerous. When a child with super strength kills his playmates that is diversity. When a woman with super speed breaks several international treaties by running laps around the world that is diversity. When a super criminal's arrogance causes the cops to open fire on him with experimental weaponry that vaporizes a city block and all who live there that is diversity."

You can't help but tug on your collar a little. Jenny is dropping some serious truth. But you don't get to be where you are now without having the guts to tell it like it is. You are here for a purpose, a purpose you and your friends believe in.

"So are we surprised when people say that diversity has failed? Because it has failed. But what then is the solution? We have heard the cry around the world for division. The world is too large they say. It is too open and too complex and too uncontrollable. Let us then shrink the world. Let us then have tiny worlds behind large walls and then we will be safe."
-cont
>>
>>689160
"I do not believe in diversity, nor do I believe in division. I speak as an American, as a normal human mother with a super human daughter, I do not believe in either diversity or division. I believe in America. I believe in Americanism. I believe that our motto E Plurubus Unum out of many one is more than just words. I believe in unity. Differences can be united for a common purpose. What works is added to the whole and the whole becomes stronger. What doesn't work is discarded and the individual is improved. There are traditions, there are virtues, there are commonalities that speak to all sapients. This is the lesson of the Statue of Liberty. Her torch is the light of truth and freedom and all people from all cultures flock to it because when the light of truth and freedom is seen it can never be misunderstood. We must fight to bring our differences together in harmonious and constructive unity. So we must fight. Who shall do the fighting? Who else but the superteam? Who else but superheroes? Have they not been at the vanguard of human progress leading the way, lighting the path for the rest of us? Did superheroes not lead this nation through WW2 and through the perils of the atomic age? Did superheroes not lead us into space, across dimensions, and into the multiversal community? So superheroes must once again be our vanguard. They must show the world the motto of America. They must show the world that out of many differences can come one people, one cause, one unity for the advancement of the common good. Thank you."

The applause is thunderous. But there are plenty of still hands among the crowd. And there's no telling what the ones that are clapping actually think in their hearts.

"So how did I do?" Jenny says sitting down next to you.

SAY/DO?

RIGHT ON JENNY. PREACH IT.

HOLY SHIT JENNY REIGN IT IN. ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US CANNED?

IT WAS GOOD. BUT MAYBE TONE IT DOWN A LITTLE?
>>
>>689234
"I am not sure if the ones that are clapping are with us or against us. I don't think they have idea either."
>>
>>689234
>IT WAS GOOD. BUT MAYBE TONE IT DOWN A LITTLE?

Not bad, but let's not try to attribute all humanity's advancements to metahumans.
We might be the tip of the spear, but they're the hands that shape us, guide us, and ultimately benefit from the group effort.
>>
>>689257
>>689264

"Its not bad. But lets not try to attribute all humanity's advancements to metahumans. The registration and restriction crowd aren't going to like that at all. And remember, we might be the tip of the spear but they're the hands that shape us guide us, and ultimately benefit from the group effort."

"That tip of the spear thing is really good. I'm going to have to remember that one...well, at least they seem to have enjoyed it."

"Well yeah. They SEEM to. But I'm not sure if the ones that are clapping are with us or against us. I don't think they have any idea either."

The opening questions are standard softballs about boring formalities. Mostly you read off your script and they read off theirs. Its just going to the motions...until Senator Jacobin gets a chance to open his mouth.

"Mr. Supervisor," The stern faced old man clears his throat. "What your college says about unity and the failures of diversity is good. I doubt there are any in this room that disagree with the er, spirit of the address. However, that being said, there are rather troublesome and problematic issues my committee has with your roster."

"Oh boy." Alan mumbles in your ear. "I was wondering when they would get around to this."

"You talk of showing unity by bringing together a diverse group of superhumans under a common cause. But what is unity if it is founded on exclusion?"

"The Statesmen doesn't exclude anyone." You reply. "Everyone was voted in fairly as in decades past."

"Oh, I'm not implying any tampering with the voting process. But you have to admit that leaving the voting the public, especially when framed as an "anything goes" competition will lead to certain...inequalities in the roster? Some superhumans are privileged by a legacy as with Noah Moore. Others are bluebloods such as Cassandra Carter. Or celebrities like Barnstormer and Virginia Daring. When you say the Statesmen represent unity I must ask you sir, unity of which parts of the American superhuman population?"

SAY/DO?

PLAY IT COOL. SAY SOMETHING NONCOMMITTAL AND POLITICAL. DANCE AROUND THIS LIKE A MINE.

PLAY HARDBALL. IF HE HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE WAY THE VOTING PLAY OUT THEN HE CAN TRY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE VOTING WITH HIS PRECIOUS SUB-COMMITTEE. GOOD LUCK.

PLAY HIS GAME. ARGUE THAT THERE'S PLENTY OF ODDBALLS ON THE TEAM. LIKE....(RUGARU, MS. CRYPTIC, PALMETTO BUG...)

PLAY YOUR GAME. TELL HIM THE STATESMEN REPRESENT A BROAD RANGE OF IDEAS, CULTURES, AND EXPERIENCES AND IF THAT'S NOT THE KIND OF DIVERSITY HE WANTS THEN TOUGH.
>>
>>689392
>PLAY YOUR GAME. TELL HIM THE STATESMEN REPRESENT A BROAD RANGE OF IDEAS, CULTURES, AND EXPERIENCES AND IF THAT'S NOT THE KIND OF DIVERSITY HE WANTS THEN TOUGH.

>There is no doubt that all members possess unique experiences and backgrounds that other both within and outside the Statesmen do not possess and, at times, cannot and will not possess. We do not shame these members for having or not having specific experiences and backgrounds. This is does not mean that any one member is superior or inferior, merely different. We expect to do a lot of good with the members we have and to those who were not chosen, we wish them the best in future endeavors and for them to bring as much good tot he world as we aim to on their separate paths.
>>
>>689392
"Can you tell me, in which ways our selection system differs from the one we use to appoint our politicians? Outside of the fact that there is a lower barrier of entry for becoming a candidate for Statesman than Governor, that is. One could think that you having a problem with our election method in particular would mean you have a problem with our electoral process as a whole. Do you have a problem with our democratical process... Sir?"

Time to put those levels of Fedora Atheist i gained during HS to good use
>>
>>689392
>Plenty of oddballs on the team

Also point out that Barnstormer isn't just another super celebrity; born and raised a nobody farm girl and has well-earned her fame.
>>
>>689428
>>689443
>>689443
>>689443
>>689595

"There are plenty of oddballs on the Statesmen Senator Jacobin. Fisher Girl is a Thule-human hybrid. The Unfathomable Otherthing is listed as "unclassifiable" by ARGO biochemists. Ushabti is living clay, Dr. Glacier living ice, Four Fathers living stone. Barnstormer, one of the celebrity superhumans you thumb your nose at was born and raised a humble Kansas farmgirl and earned her fame for uncovering the Hollywood supercrime ring and leading the Blockbusters."

"The Statesmen are filled with many, many, many kinds of superhumans. No one disputes that. But I ask you Mr. Supervisor, how well does this reflect America?"

"Very well I would say. We have examples of men and women that use their powers and abilities in many ways to better the nation. We have warriors, scientists, explorers, entertainers and businessmen, religious leaders and bounty hunters. I say we got a good picture of American demographics, yes."

"I do not speak of those kinds of demographics." Senator Jacobin jabs the pointy end of his long black cane toward you. "I speak of the demographics in which the Statesmen show gross under-representation."

"Oh boy, here we go..." Alan mumbles.

"There are 51 members of the Statesmen. Of those 51 a sizable portion are female. This is good, and addresses concerns of lack of female representation in high profile superhuman fields. However, consider the following facts Mr. Supervisor. There is only one First Nation representative-Coyote-who may or may not be an extradimensional being like Alien God Killer."

"Hold on." You interrupt. "In this tally system you've devised Nayenezgani doesn't rank? Are you sure you want to say in front of all these cameras that he of all beings isn't Navajo? How about Pele? Is she not native Hawaiian?"

"Those beings are extradimensional entities that identify with First Nation peoples. That is different."

"And are worshiped by many of them."

"Many-but not all. Some see them as little better than Barnstormer whose source of power as I'm sure you know is a First Nation amulet while she herself is a blue eyed blonde haired white girl? She is scientifically closer to a First Nations person than anyone like Pele. Or do you want to argue that extradimensional beings such as Bobcat the "spirit of the Mississippi" who bases her person on white characters written about by a white man is not a cat but a white woman simply because she appropriates certain cultural signals? It is fine and good that these extradimensional Americans wish to adopt Native culture as their own. But that does not make them anymore First Nations than you or me. It does not make them apart of the systematic disadvantages First Nations people have suffered. They do not count in making up for these disadvantages through fair representation in government funded superhuman programs."

-cont
>>
>>689910
You have to suppress a smirk. You can't help it. You just imagined what Pele would do to poor Senator Jacobin if she ever got her hands on him.

"Besides fretting over the racial identity of Coyote-who I guarantee is laughing right this moment over how much of an issue you're making it-what other quotas do you want toe Statesmen to fulfill Senator?"

"There is one-just one-African American on the team. When America is 15 percent Black and growing eveyday this is hardly representative, especially when Tornado Allie is, and let's be frank here, a walking PR nightmare."

You nod. He's right about that. Allie is not someone to get in front of cameras. She's up there with Mountain Lion and Buckeye one your list of Statesmen that should not talk around cameras.

"There is one Latin American, Waveracer. There is decent telepath representation-Haunter, Extra Human, Ms. Cryptic, and decent artificials representation-Ushabti, Gemstone, Four Fathers and the like. But there are no Extraterrestrial Americans. There are no Asian Americans. And white males, as with every other major American superhero team not under strict committee oversight, once again dominate."

"Well. I think I see the problem here Senator. You care about diversity of blood and origin. You care about what people were. I care about diversity of ideas and skills. I care about what people are. Let me be clear." You say moving closer to the mike. "There is no doubt that all members possess unique experiences and backgrounds that others both within and outside the Statesmen do not possess and, at times, cannot and will not possess. We do not shame these members for having or not having specific experiances and backgrounds. This does not mean that any on member is superior or inferior, merely different. We expect to do a lot of good with the members we have and to those who were not chosen by the vote, we wish them the best in future endeavors and for them to bring as much good to the world on their separate paths as we aim to."

"And another thing." You stare down the Senator as you continue. "White males are not the dominant demographic on the Statesmen this year. That would be female rats. The gestalt super-intelligence Rat Pack numbers 5,000 strong and 52 percent of them are female."

Senator Jacobin makes a face for a moment then adjusts his grip on the diamond head of his cane and replies. "So you won't do anything about the disparities in the Statesmen?"

"Even if I wanted to what could I do? They were all fairly elected."

"They were elected fairly, yes, but they were elected through power structures that promote inequality. Take Texas for instance. It has one of the largest Latino populations but Statesmen election after Statesmen election is won by a Captain Justice. Or take Alaska. You would think after so many incarnations we would have one, just one, with a Indigenous Alaskan. Not so. Dr. Glacier has won time and time again."
-cont
>>
>>689940
"Unless action is taken these power structures will remain in place and they will further a continual and systematic under-epressentation of the American people that the Statesmen claims to represent!"

"So do you propose we do away with the vote? Can you tell me, in which ways our selection system differs from the one we use to appoint our politicians? Outside of the fact that there is a lower barrier of entry for becoming a candidate for Statesmen than Senator or the fact we continue to have higher voter turnout then for governmental elections, that is. One could think that you having a problem with our election method in particular would mean you have a problem with our electoral process as a whole. Do you have a problem with our democratic process...Sir?"

"No. Not at all. However, there is talk of expanding the Statesmen service network to other superhuman organizations if it proves successful, adding "Statesmen Associates" to the roster as it were..."

EXPLANATION: You can't add to the Statesmen (unless something happens that would create an opening...) but you can team up with characters from across the Capeworld universe and have them hangout at the Headquarters! "Statesmen Associates" allows you to run dream teams of characters from the Generals, Young Generals, Tokyo Guardians and more! Keep your reputation good and the team-ups will keep rolling in! You'll even be able to Create characters .

"We want to make sure that when the time comes to add Associates to our services you remember to make up for the inequalities within your team."

"And if we instead pick our Associates based on skill and ability instead?"

"Then I'm afraid you'll force my hand Mr. Supervisor and I'll have to put all my clout behind putting you under a committee."

Well this sucks. A committee is no joke. You've been relatively free from Washington red tape so far and it would really suck to give the politicians an easy stranglehold on your operations....

SAY/DO?

AGREE TO BE MORE "INCLUSIVE".

TELL HIM YOU REFUSE TO BE INTIMIDATED. YOU WILL RUN THE STATESMEN YOUR WAY AND HE'S WELCOMED TO TRY AND STOP YOU WITH HIS PRECIOUS COMMITTEE IF HE CAN!
>>
>>689957
>TELL HIM YOU REFUSE TO BE INTIMIDATED. YOU WILL RUN THE STATESMEN YOUR WAY AND HE'S WELCOMED TO TRY AND STOP YOU WITH HIS PRECIOUS COMMITTEE IF HE CAN!

You forgot to green text the vote options. Add that if he can find an acceptably diverse supergroup that isn't a bunch of useless posterboys, then they'll get to be first on our list.
>>
>>689957
Implying I wont pick anything but the best will imply any super of a minority demographic I recruit through associates were brought in through your threat rather then their own merits.

I'm sure our first nations, latin, black, and extra terristral communities have members that greatly exceed the Statemen's stringent requirements and I implore them to apply to our Associates program once it is opened. That is all I will do and that is all I SHOULD do."
>>
>>689957
If I'm picking up the spirit of the quest right, that we are as much a pr organisation as anything else, I don't see a problem with his reasoning. We don't need to focus on fighting ability.
> Agree to be more inclusive
>>
>>690619
We dont need to focus on fighting abillity true, with Atomic Cowboy we are pretty safe regardless.

BUUUUUUT we are not going to allow superheroes in through a representation program, it demeans the group in the same way we cant let miss america be about diversity.
>>
>>690822
Oh I agree being included out of pity is demeaning but most people (in our very large demographic) won't care. Do we want to hurt our main goal just so we can maintain out intellectual integrity?
>>
>>690929
No, we want to hurt our main goal cause fuck this guy. I'm not going on the papers as someone who bowed down to PC senator.
>>
>>690149
>Forgot to green text

Sorry about that. Old habits.

>>690149
>>690150
"Implying I won't pick anything but the best will imply any super of a minority demographic I recruit through associates were brought in through your threat rather than their own merits. I'm sure our first nations, latino, black, and extra terrestrial communities have members that greatly exceed the Statesmen's stringent requirements and I implore them to apply for our Associates program once it is opened. That is all I will do and that is all I SHOULD do."

"Do you think they would be comfortable with applying to an organization that appears so...ahem..."unified" in "traditions"? How do you expect to attract minorities when you seem so exclusionary?"

"If you can find an acceptably diverse supergroup that isn't a bunch of useless posterboys then they'll get to be first on our list."

Gauntlet. Signed. Delivered. And Thrown. You can feel the Senate floor wince a little.

"Mr. Supervisor, your obstinate refusal to even consider implementing affirmative action in your organization has forced me to go through with my committee." You can almost hear his gloves tighten around the head of his cane. "I assure you, you have not heard the last of me."

NEW POLITICAL ENEMY: JACOBIN COMMITTEE ON METAHUMAN TOLERANCE. THE JCMT.

EXPLANATION: You take Uncle Sam's money, you play by Uncle Sam's rules. You virtually have total control over the Statesmen as you currently are, but there are those that will campaign and lobby to take that control away from you and force you to follow their orders.

You can deal with political enemies by pacifying them, by spending political clout and popularity points (more on that later) to outmaneuver them, by bribing them with resource points, or by...other, less savory means should you choose to go that dark.

Senator Riley is next. The tall red haired man is fairly young for a Senator and just won the office this term.

He is also half angel. And of course, the Senator of New York.

His impossibly white face turns toward you as he rises on the podium and glowing golden eyes fix on you and make you feel strangely calm.

"Well, my question to you Mr. Supervisor is about these centers of yours. I'm sure you've heard about the recent scandal in Canada over their metahuman schools."

You nod. Who hasn't heard? The government recently had a hemorrhage of classified data that showed how deep and how far its exploitative metahuman "schools" went. Their metahuman education system is trying to pick up the pieces. The Headmaster is doing great work in helping the victims of the conspiracy but no one is going to forget about what the schools did anytime soon.

"Everyone is taking a closer look at how we handle our young Metahumans. Even the Chinese and Japanese have been taking a closer look at their schools sense the Canadian incident. Your centers, will they be full on educational facilities or will they be supplementary?

-cont
>>
>>690952

> Tell him we want to give them the best educaiton possible as well as helping them manage being metahuman. Too many organizations sweep the psychological side effects of powers.

Educate, Improve, Support. Will be the Centre's Motto.
>>
>>690965
Slow down bro he's not done yet.
>>
>>690952
"And will the facilities and programs you provide be mixed gender and power levels?"

>SAY? DO?

>THEY'RE GOING TO BE FULL ON SCHOOLS.

>THEY'RE GOING TO BE SUPPLEMENTAL. THEY WILL PROVIDE TUTORING AND COUNSELING AND WORK WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS BUT WILL NOT BE SCHOOLS,

>And decide how divided up you want the schools/non schools to be. Classes/programs for both normal children and metas? Classes/programs for different types of metas? Classes for girls and boys?
>>
>>690972
Just had a little bit more to write I couldn't squeeze in the last post. I wonder if we can convince god mod to up the word limit just a little bit?

Probably not...

>>690965
I'm liking our motto and psychological focus. Haunter would be VERY interested in trying her hand at teaching as would other Statesmen.
>>
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>>690965
>>690979

Resubmitting write in. I was busy writing my post and didn't notice he wasn't done. My bad, have a wagon.
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>>690996
But are they schools or supplemental? I Still don't know.
>>
>>691013

It's pretty much saying to him we wont pigeon hole ourselves. Some people need psych and some people need education.

If we want to be the best we need to be willing to work in whatever capacity we can. AKA non specialised; we go full X Men - School for gifted and have a lot of psych and adjustment stuff on site.
>>
>>691023
Xavier got caught doing some skeevy shit. Also we are not going boarding school after canada.

They get to take their hours learning from us, then they get to go home to their loving families and no one gets brainwashed in their sleep.

And fortunately for us good men like Senator Jacobin have already announced their intent to form a committee to guarantee that Statesmen follows the highest standard in quality.
>>
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>>689940
>There is decent telepath representation-Haunter, Extra Human...
>But there are no Extraterrestrial Americans
Yeah that one's actually pretty fucked. You'd think we could get at least one little green man in here to break up all the white/slightly gray males.

>>690979
I think that supplemental schools would be best for now. We already have our hands full without trying to get into managing a complete educational curriculum.

That said, we may want to keep our policy on that somewhat flexible. If a superpowered child winds up under our care, and their superpower is something along the lines of vaporizing whoever they touch, creating black holes when embarrassed, catching on fire when under peer pressure; anything that would make public schooling particularly dangerous and problematic, then we may try to keep their education in a controlled and safe environment. Some kind of tutor system for particular individuals, but not entire classes or catering to any kid with an relatively innocuous power like flight.
>>
>>691034

I feel I'm lacking context mate, was this last quest?
I'm talking like, the people who are superheavy or super strong and can't function in normal apartments can live on site. So they can adjust.
>>
>>691041

This guy gets it.

Help those who need help. Teach those who need Taught.

Case by Case.
>>
>>691043
Canada was mentioned just earlier in this post. Whatever happened is unknown, but was so bad that it forced even countries that openly weaponize their super population to reevaluate their education systems.

Which means it's either full nazi, or the trunchbull was hired...

>>691041
Isnt Extra human latino though? I thought his whiteness was from excessive human juice.
>>
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>>691094
>Extrahuman claims at some point to be of some demographic other than white male not knowing what he's getting into
>Mr. Supervisor latches onto that and tries holding up Extra as more evidence of the Statesmen's ethnic diversity
>JCMT demands to see his birth certificate
>>
>>691138
Given Jacobin's dismissal of Pele as native hawaiian i dont think Extrahuman's claims will get anywhere.
>>
>>691138

I have no idea what this image is but I love it.
>>
>>691152
Its the big bang theory, distilled into pure comedy.
>>
>>691041
>>691043
>>691050
>>691094

>Extra Human Latino

Sort of doesn't jive with what Jacobin says but I'm retconning it in. Gary Gray is officially an oddly-shaped Latino American Psychic.

......

"We don't want to pigeon hole ourselves. We see ourselves as supplemental to local education systems but altering our care on a case by case basis to suit the individual. A child may require personal tutors and on-site facilities but we do not intend to scare anyone. We will work fully and openly with the child's parents and guardians to provide the best education possible."

"That is good to know. So we're talking a case by case education system?"

"Yes."

"Will normal humans be able to take advantage of your programs or is this exclusively for superhumans?"

>SAY? DO?

>WE WILL PROVIDE PROGRAMS WHERE NORMALS AND SUPERHUMANS CAN LEARN AND WORK TOGETHER.

>WE WON'T TURN AWAY NORMALS, BUT OUR PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED FOR SUPERHUMANS. NORMALS THAT COME TO OUR DOORS FOR HELP WILL BE GUIDED TO OTHER INSTITUTIONS GEARED TOWARD HELPING THEM.

>>691150
I can't wait for you guys to meet her. I think she's going to be a lot of fun.

>>691170
BAZINGA
>>
>>691197

Anyone got anything for this? I don't want to seem intolerant but we only have so many resources.
>>
>>691197
>"Will normal humans be able to take advantage of your programs or is this exclusively for superhumans?"
As of now we want to focus on superhumans. We want to stay out of all the nitty-gritty or bureaucracy of a complete and standardized curriculum as we can.

That said I think that emphasizing flexibility is most important. In special circumstances, like, let's say a family with some superhuman member are in need of the Statesmen's protection for an extended period of time, then educational services could be provided for the non-superpowered children as well as any with powers.

But these are the exceptions, the Statesmen is not an open door, free ticket to a complete education.
>>
>>691197
The Statesmen program is to help ensure cordial relations between supers and mundanes. So naturally they will be able to.

However human programs besides our basic education will be geared with supers in mind, in the same way our Captain Justice has adapted to a super legacy without the powers that are typically hereditary to the roll.
>>
>>691256
>>691236
>Blended basic educational programs with additional programs geared toward superhumand and supernatural professions.

>IS THIS OKAY?
>>
>>691277

Sure.
>>
>>691277
Superhuman, supernatural, AND extraterristral you abelist scum you.

You knew what you were getting into when you made senator tumblr
>>
>>691277
Sounds good to me
>>
>>691298
>>691290
>>691284
>>691277
>>691236


"The Statesmen program is to help ensure cordial relations between supers and mundanes. So naturally they will be able to with our blended basic educational programs. However, human programs besides our basic education will be geared with superhuman and supernatural professions in mind, in the same way our Captain Justice has adapted to a super legacy without powers that are typically hereditary to the roll. We believe that emphasizing flexibility is most important."

"I rather like the sound of that." the half angel Senator says with a nod. "Your program sounds very maverick, very experimental, but that's the kind of stuff my state likes. What are you going to do about gender? There's been a lot of talk about female representation in the superhuman fields and declining male academic achievement. Some say keeping the girls and boys separate would be for the best."

>SAY? DO?

>KEEP THE GIRLS AND BOYS SEPARATE. SUPER POWERS AND HORMONES NEVER GO WELL TOGETHER.

>KEEP THE GENDERS TOGETHER. THE STATESMEN AREN'T SEPARATED BY GENDER AFTER ALL AND THEY'RE THE ROLE MODELS.

>BONUS QUESTION: WHAT IS OUR UNIFORM POLICY? DO WE HAVE ONE?
>>
>>691516

> Together

We're all about working together, diversity but above all integration. No matter the background, age, gender, race, creed, idealogy we're looking to integrate into one worldwide community.

> Uniforms

Will be customizable by our supers. It's traditional after all, but we will have a set of standards and regulations that must be met.

We will have a great logo. (Gotta get that merch and branding)
>>
>>691516
Togetherness is key, the last thing we want is to create a isolation that could foster the discontent that has led to various gender motivated superterrorists that have sprung up in recent years.

Big Bad Red Riding Hood and the Returned King are merely the most profilic of a problem that we do not seek to exaggerate. As the good senator Jacobin already mentioned, the Statesmen's inclusion of woman has always been ideal and we have no interest in fixing what isn't yet broke.

I like to think im more clever then i am.
>>
>>691539
>>691611

"Togetherness is key, the last thing we want is to create an isolation that could foster discontent that has led to various gender motivated superterrorists that have sprung up in recent years. I'm sure we all remember Big Bad Red Riding Hood and the Returned King. As the good senator Jacobin already mentioned, the Statesmen's inclusion of woman has always been ideal and we have no interest in fixing what isn't yet broke."

You can almost feel Jacobin glaring at you...

"We're all about working together, diversity but above all integration. No matter the background, age, gender, race, creed, ideology we're looking to integrate into one worldwide community."

"Well I'd like to help you with that if I can. Get in touch with my people at the Department of Metahuman Education. I think we can help each other out."

POLITICAL ALLY ACQUIRED: DEPARTMENT OF METAHUMAN EDUCATION (DME)

EXPLANATION: Not everyone in the rich alphabet soup of government organizations is out to get you. Some may even want to help you. Ally's generate political clout to help sway Uncle Sam to your side and fight off political enemies.

"Now one moment-" A bespectacled woman with her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail approaches the podium. "If Senator Riley is done asking questions I have some of my own."

"Sure thing Senator Barrows." He says yielding the podium.

"Right. Now Mr. Supervisor-you speak of integrating the Statesmen and center students into the worldwide community. Can you please elaborate on your international policy?"

"Watch out." Jenny whispers in your ear. "Barrows is tricky."

>SAY/DO?

>SAY SOMETHING POLITICAL AND NON COMMITTAL. DANCE AROUND THIS LIKE A LAND MINE

>WE'RE INTERESTED IN WORKING A LOT WITH ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE THE US.

>WE'RE AN AMERICAN ORGANIZATION. WE WANT TO TAKE CARE OF INTERNAL PROBLEMS THEN WORRY ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF THE REST OF THE WORLD.
>>
>>691861
I'm undecided on this something like;

We are first and foremost American. Our statesmen each represent a corner of this vast nation and we will be striving to unite and improve the lives of Americans living in all of these states.

But we must not ignore external allies. If our interests align with organizations, regardless of where they come from we would be foolish to ignore the chance of co-operation.

Which I think is dancing.
>>
>>691861

The statesmen feature a diverse portfolio and we must be similarly diverse in initiative. Our goals will align with whatever is most necessary at the moment, should it be aiding against international threats or, as we are currently focused, bolstering superhuman relations in domestic areas.

If other countries are interested in becoming exchange students into Statesmen centers they can, they are after all schools.

But our represenatives are first and foremost individuals. If Fish Girl wishes to visit the Thule and assists their law enforcement that is her prerogative."
>>
On uniforms can we use this avenue to get Martha and STEELO's early?
>>
>>692022
>>691935
>>691893
"The statesmen feature a diverse portfolio and we must be similarly diverse in initiative. Our goals will align with whatever is most necessary at the moment, should it be aiding against international threats or, as we are currently focused, bolstering superhuman relations in domestic areas. If other countries are interested in becoming exchange students in Statesmen centers they can, they are after all schools. But our representatives are first and foremost individuals. If Fisher Girl wishes to visit the Thule and assist their law enforcement that is her prerogative."

"So you intend for foreign students to take advantage of our taxpayer money?"

"If they qualify through an exchange student program there is no reason they can't join."

"If an American child and a foreign child with similar power portfolios wanted to enroll in one of your centers who would get the spot Mr. Supervisor?"

>SAY? DO?

>TELL HER THAT'S A LOADED QUESTION AND YOU REFUSE TO ANSWER. THE ODDS OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING ARE RIDICULOUSLY LOW.

>THE AMERICAN CHILD

>THE FOREIGN CHILD

>SAY SOMETHING POLITICAL AND NON-COMMITTAL.

>>692022
It might. There could be a mission about creating uniforms for the center students. Its not the most high stakes mission but it could be fun.

Maybe something like Martha's for normal in-class uniforms with skirts and ties and STEELO for the "PE" uniforms?
>>
>>692158
"If both qualify both will get a spot wouldn't they?"
>>
>>692204
I'd think so. We don't seem sparse on resources or space.
>>
>>692204
>>692296

"If they both qualified they both would get in, wouldn't they?"

"Do you think your resources are inexhaustible?"

"No. But I think they're sufficient. We're here today after all to make sure they stay sufficient."

"But say something unforeseen occurs? A new day, a new danger. What if there was something to cut your funding? A student develops a radical new mutation that requires an expensive living facility. A super villain targets one of your centers and damages expensive equipment. Or the Chromans invade and we start World War 3. I ask you Mr. Supervisor, when life and circumstances grab you by the short hairs will you put an American child before a foreign child?"

>SAY? DO?

>TELL HER THAT'S A LOADED QUESTION AND YOU REFUSE TO ANSWER. THE ODDS OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING ARE RIDICULOUSLY LOW.

>THE AMERICAN CHILD

>THE FOREIGN CHILD

>SAY SOMETHING POLITICAL AND NON-COMMITTAL.
>>
>>691861
Look at me using write ins to make Big Red a real supervillian. I should tell me mates.

>>692364
If we have to use chose the Statesmen program, being a local program, would have to go with the local child. However there could be exceptions to the rule, just as there are exceptions where we could have insufficent funding.
Suppose for instance the Chromans invade but rather then American soil they invade Britian? In this case the american child will have ample oppurtunity in the states without us, as Senator Riley will make sure of.

HOWEVER, Britain will be significantly less able to and fostering positive relations with our allies in such turbulent times will be even more vital then as it is now.

Equally important is that our students are exposed to different cultures so that our students do not grow up ignorant of how to properly wield the diplomatic weight they carried.

Could you imagine the consequences if a American hero accidentally insulted the Seelie court?

But baring these unlikely situations where aiding our allies benefits America more then a sole focus in domestic, we would naturally keep statesmen programs focused on the states.
>>
>>692364
If it comes to the point where we won't have funding to keep one more student then that will be a symptom of a bigger trouble than choosing between one or the other.

Let's say the correct answer would be choosing the student who costs us the less, but then we would be ignoring other factors like, which one of the two is more likely to turn into a criminal if left on their own, or which one is under the most danger, or which one shows more commitment, among others.
It isn't a clear cut question as you are trying it to make it seem and it ties into so many other policies within our organization that we could be discussing it all day. If you aren't willing to be more specific with your... Question, then i suggest you take a look at our enrollment policy document and come up with all the hypothetical cases you like, you'll find answers to most, if not all, of them.
The answer to your question in particular is "We need more information to make that choice", if both would-be students are impossibly identical then i already answered your question, i think.
If you would like to ask a more pertinent question, i am all ears.
>>
>>692674
This actually, mine sucks.
>>
>>692364
>TELL HER THAT'S A LOADED QUESTION AND YOU REFUSE TO ANSWER. THE ODDS OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING ARE RIDICULOUSLY LOW.
Particularly something like this >>692674
>>
>>692428
>Big Red
Well she does look like she comes straight out of a comic book.

>>692674
>>692695

"Well, that's a loaded question." You reply pointedly. "If it comes to the point where we won't have funding to keep just one more student then I think we'd have much bigger problems. I don't see much merit in following through these hypothetical situations. We deal with problems as they come with whatever we have to meet them with. These hypothetical situations are unhelpful because for the nuance of reality.Lets say the correct answer would be choosing the student who costs us less, but then we would be ignoring other factors like which one of the two is more likely to turn into a criminal if left on their own or which is under the most danger or which shows more commitment. If you aren't wiling to be more specific and realistic with your...question...then I suggest you take a closer look at our enrollment policy document. You'll find answer to most if not all your hypothetical questions. But let me spare you some time. The answer to your particular question is "We need more information to make the choice.""

"So American and Foreign students will be treated on an individual case basis?"

"Yes."

"You would allow foreign student to freely compete with our own for government funded programs?"

"We don't like to think of it as competing for spots. We'd like to provide services to as many students as possible."

"But that's what this is isn't it?"

"No. We haven't had an issue with space or funding."

"You haven't had an issue yet."

"Will there be an issue?"

"There already is. Mr. Supervisor I see a very virulent globalist agenda within your programs. You would allow a child from Japan to enter our tax paid system, reap the benefits of our system, and then return home? Why is it American's responsibility to care for the children of other nations?"

"There are good odds of foreign students integrating within American organizations and businesses."

"But some will go home. And all that potential our system has spent years cultivating will benefit THEIR system at ZERO cost."

"Are you saying you want there to be some sort of cost on foreign students?"

"A simple flat rate-albeit one negotiable based on individual circumstance. It's simply a way to balance the books Mr. Supervisor." The Senator pushes up her glasses. "These children are an investment. It is only fair to expect a return on an investment."

>SAY? DO?

>DANCE MINEFIELD DANCE POLITICAL DANCE

>THERE WILL BE NO EXTRA CHARGE ON FOREIGN STUDENTS

>THERE WILL BE AN EXTRA CHARGE ON FOREIGN STUDENTS
>>
>>692940
This might also be another minefield but, we could point out how these foreign students may help us. And I'm not just talking about doing hero work saving the day and catching bad guys.

Superpowers seem to be better understood in this setting than in most, but there is still a lot we can learn from accepting superpowered individuals. Learning how those with local-based powers, like a spiritual entity like Bobcat that is tied to or thought to be tied to a specific location, will have their powers changed by leaving that specific location, if there is a chance at all. By accepting those from other countries we increase the chance of getting to work with rarer, less understood abilities.

This whole thing is a learning experience, for us as much as anyone else. I'm just not sure how to spin that in a way that doesn't sound like they are meant to be research subjects or like we are spying on the future superheroes of foreign nations.
>>
>>692940
"I believe this pertains more to our exchange student policy then the Statemen system itself.

We will follow the laws congress sets regarding this, but I do not think we should treat our schools as any more exclusive then say, our ivy leagues."
>>
>>692996
That is to say that if we do not place a extra charge so foreign mundane students do not abuse our education system, doing so for the Statesmen wouldn't make sense. "
>>
>>692940
Can you cite examples of any prominent naturalized heroes and say by the extreme nature of supes one case like that will amortise of many potentially freeloading students?
>>
>>692940
>DANCE THE MINEFIELD DANCE

Someone call Minesweeper Man!
>>
>>692965
"Have you ever considered Senator the fact that there are simply foreign power portfolios that cannot develop domestically? Many superpowers are a result of dream-time radiation and as we all know the Atlantean Walls are not evenly distributed over Earth. The radiation is shaped and directed like how a lantern effects light."

"Yes. We all passed high school Mr. Supervisor. What is your point?"

"My point is that by accepting those from other countries we increase the chance of getting to work with rarer, less understood abilities and power portfolios."

"This is course highly conjecture based. You gamble on finding a gold mine in rare powers."

"Where is the entrepreneurial spirit of risk more celebrated than in America? Imagine what we could learn from a spiritual entity connected to his or her environment like the Statesmen's own Bobcat, from someone whose power portfolio actually changes as they move across the globe. Imagine if the student body contained a young Kirin or a Dragon. Its rare that such beings step foot in America let alone mature here."

"There are already institutes that study such things, that encourage the travel of location sensitive metabeings..."

"But slowly. And there is always more that can be done."

"One could say that."

>>693062
"And Senator Barrows, if you must make the argument that foreign students are somehow a drain on our resources, that they take away from our system more than they put back, make sure you include the contributions of our prominent naturalized heroes in your calculations."

Sometimes it really does pay to spend late nights brushing up on your metahuman biographies....

"Take the case of Silk Dragon. Born in Taiwan, raised and educated in America, moved to Korea in her teenage years. Was she a drain on our system? No. She's one of our greatest allies in Asia and works tirelessly to maintain peace between China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan."

"In her case yes. But she is rather exceptional as you agree."

"One Silk Dragon is worth many "washouts"."

"So you would wager a generation of educational resources-on the chance of producing another Silk Dragon?"

"Ms. Barrows I do believe Mr. Supervisor has had enough time on your merry go round." A deep throaty voice calls from the Senate and wretches all eyes away from you. "We all know what this is really about. We all know that you're trying to get as close as you can to talking about young martial superhumans without actually talking about it because of Canada."

The Senate erupts in chatter as the Speaker of the House bangs her gavel and tries to bring some order back to the proceedings.

Senator Jackson, once known as Black Crackle, just smirks and tilts the brim of his top hat.

Black Crackle. Still a thunderbolt in his old age. He was busting Hell's underground gambling boats on the Red River and driving the Red Cap Gang from the French Quarter before you were born.

-cont
>>
>>693328
He's traded his costume for a suit, but still keeps the Martha's brand domino mask. No one has been able to overturn the 1955 ruling that made masks permissible on the Senate floor.

"Well. You have a reason for this outburst Jackson?" Barrows snarls. "Something to say?"

"Only if you've had your fill."

"I think I have. It seems to me Mr. Supervisor is very attached to speculation and and theory and gambles. I'll be interested in knowing how he'll feel when reality brings facts against his ideals. For my part I do not approve of the way this Statesmen expansion is going. I do not approve of such globalism at the expense of American interest. I will push for...stronger oversight of Statesmen management. And with that I yield the floor to Senator Jackson."

NEW POLITICAL ENEMY: ORGANIZATION FOR YOUNG AMERICAN METAHUMANS (OFYAM)

Senator Jackson hobbles up to the podium hunched over his cane. A wound gained fighting a Voodoo God back in the 90's took him out of the action-but as he's so shown not out of the fight."

"Well now Mr. Supervisor, going over your documentation I see that you provide a variety of career paths for metahumans...including martial ones."

Its a touchy as hell subject-fighting teenage superhumans. Historically the legal age for joining the military or a superhero team has bounced all over the place. In the 40's the allies used anyone with superpowers to fight the Nazis regardless of age. In the 50's it was set at 18. Then it fell to 16 in the 60's, peaked in the mid 70's at 21, dropped back down to 18 in the 80's, and recently fell amid much controversy back to 16.

"A boy wants to use his powers to fight, a boy wants to use his powers to build, both ways benefit the common good and I'm glad to see both ways offered at your centers...but we both know balance is a very tricky thing to maintain. Schools sometimes specialize for a good reason. Two classmates with fire powers, one wants to be a superhero, one wants to be a thermoengineer. One is terrified of burning someone with his fire. The other has accepted that he will have to hurt others with his fire for the greater good. That's a recipe for tension. We have military academies and career academies and even preforming arts academies. My question for you Mr. Supervisor is this: will you try keeping a balance, never seeming to favor martial careers over civilian careers, or will you turn the focus of your centers toward one or the other?"

>SAY? DO?

>WE'RE GOING TO ENCOURAGE MARTIAL CAREERS

>WE'RE GOING TO ENCOURAGE CIVILIAN CAREERS

>WE ARE DETERMINED TO STRIKE A BALANCE
>>
>>693342

> Balance

We put all the cards on the table. We have speakers who have made a living in martial careers and speakers who have made aliving in civillain careers. We will try to be unbiased, we don't pick the future for our Statesmen and Associates - we simply show them the paths they can walk.
>>
Also, sense we're almost done with the Senate (for the time being!) which will generate our Position Perceptions ratings we're going to get to the real fun stuff-sending the Statesmen on missions.

There will be a tutorial mission in our not-danger room to explain the hair brained game system I cooked up for this quest, but after that comes the big question.

Do you want to start controlling all 50 Statesmen right out of the gate or do you want to start with a fraction at your control to avoid being overwhelmed?

>WIELD THEM ALL!

>START SMALL WITH A FRACTION OF THE ROSTER
>>
>>693399

I don't know. How would deployments work? Do we send out like an XCOM squad of supers?
>>
>>693402
Yes. The game is managed in cycles. Each cycle you produce points from your resources be they PR (we get a point form Super NOWER), political clout, or resource points representing raw capital.

And then there are the missions, called challenges. You'll only be to deploy so many Statesmen to a challenge (real reason-because game balance. In game reason-as a supehero team you are an all in one paramilitary strike team, emergency response squad, and scientific investigation squad. Deploying more than what is deemed necessary to handle a threat looks bad. That being said,you can spend political clout to add slots for certain missions) and each challenge is divided into threats. A challenge would be "stop the giant monster destroying the city". Threats would be "Defeat the monster, help civilians evacuate, put out the giant fire".

I promise its not as hopelessly complicated as it sounds. The tutorial will help explain things.

Each Statesmen has 3 stats. POWER which represents the raw ability to kick ass and take names. Its used to beat bad guys into submission.

UNDERSTANDING represents the ability to figure things out whether they be riddles left by criminal masterminds or the sky suddenly turning red.

CREATIVITY is positive application of superpowers whether it Pele constructing a makeshift dam out of earth to hold back a tidal wave or Deseret using her powers to reprogram a giant killer robot.

The goal of each challenge is to complete the threats as quickly as possible. Threats are completed by rolling 1D20 plus appropriate stat score for the threat. 1-5 is a critical failure. 6-10 is a failure. Normally these scores mean you simply do not generate a success, but some threats punish you for failures and critical failures. 11-15 creates a success. 16-20 creates two successes.

You want to finish threats quickly because as each turn goes by threats produce ESCALATION. The fire rises. The monster destroys more buildings. The zombies infect more people.

Each challenge has a different escalation limit-the point at which whatever is happening has grown outside Statesmen control and requires outside intervention. Different challenges have different "strategies" for tripping you up. Some have a high escalation ceiling and a slow escalation generation but require lots of successes to clear their threats. Some have easy to solve threats but produce more threats when they escalate. Some have threats that damage your team when they escalate.

I hope that the game system will allow lots of different types of situations to be simulated and "battles" to be fought fairly quickly. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask.
>>
>>693436

Ok I'm mostly here for the overarching strategy and characters than deployments etc. So I'm going to abstain from this.
>>
>>693436
Here's Deseret's power card.

DESERET

TIER 1
POWER: 1
UNDERSTANDING: 1
CREATIVITY: 4

>ABILITIES:

ELECTRO BOOSTER AT MAX!: Deseret begins a challenge with 4 charge tokens.

FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY!: After an unsuccessful or successful roll Deseret can spend a charge token to move herself and allies to other threats, bypassing any potential penalties for moving from threats

STING LIKE A BEE!: Deseret can spend charge tokens to reroll.

>QUIRKS:
I HAVE TO PROVE MYSELF!: Deseret has +1 to her rolls if she passed her previous roll. If she failed her previous roll she has -1 to her rolls.


EXPLANATION: Tiers are the general "power level" of a hero and represent the total number of points they have in their stats. Tier 1 has 6 points. Tier 2 has 8. Tier 3 10. Tier 4 12.

If you don't like the tier a hero has they can be upgraded by spending prestige points (exp).

Abilities are positive effects the hero has. Quirks are effects that are both positive and negative.

Abilities are gained and improved through victory. Quirks are gained from defeat. Both can be improved on by spending prestige.
>>
>>693451
That sure sounds like something we should hire a manager for.
>>
>>693461

Deseret Strongk
>>
>>693461
If you guys think the system is too unwieldy I could streamline it.

Should I?

>>693447
I promise the strategy and character won't be left in the dust. We have plenty of role play to go with the roll play.

>>693463
She's still learning. Right now she's basically Reverend's sidekick.
>>
>>693475
Given its appears to be a turn based system that will involve multiple team of a total of 51 people deployed at once to different locations you'll get a big mess.
>>
>>693484
I don't plan on any cycle to involve all 51 Statesmen. At most I see about ten. But you have a point.

I could streamline it into percentile dice. We select who we send on the mission and based on who we select and what mission it is we roll a couple of d100s. Think of it sort of like the auto-battle in Star Wars Empire at War. Except less bullshit.

So we have the option before each challenge to micro-manage everything or deploy our BATTLE COMPUTER!

Would this be okay?
>>
>>693491
Makes sense, it helps that it doesnt quite make sense for us, who appears to be a normal politician, to give millitary advice over people like Black Minister who has worked extensively with the FBI.

All snips aside, this genuinely sounds like the thing you hire mission control for.
>>
>>693491
Let's give it a go. If things go sour we can always spend style points
>>
>>693343
You lock eyes with the old superhero. You want him to know that you're serious about this. This is not political claptrap. This is not trying to please both sides. This is YOUR side and YOUR way.

You lay your cards on the table...

"We will support both martial and civilian careers. We will be unbiased. The Statesmen are composed of men and women from all sorts of careers. They chose their careers. They chose. And we want to give our children the same choice. We will not pick their future for them. We will simply show them the paths they can walk."

Senator Jackson whistles. You think you see a faint blue arc of electricity pass along the edge of his glasses. "Can't say I support you Mr. Supervisor. But I can't say I'm against you neither. What you're trying to do is risky. I don't know if you'll succeed, but I hope you do. You know how tense the topic of "metahuman defense" is..."

Ah. The dreaded "md" word.

America has never been comfortable with "soldier supers". Traditionally they've trusted to private citizens-vigilantes even-to protect the country. And it doesn't help matters that eternal rival China has mandatory military service for all their superhumans.

And then there's the history. So much history.

For awhile after WW2 the government had a good grip on the superhuman population. Superhumans were fine falling in behind Uncle Sam fighting the Axis.

But then came the witch hunts.

And the war that nearly tore reality asunder in Korea.

Then the absolute disaster that was Vietnam.

After all that superhumans and the public in general became very wary of military superhumans. There were attempts to sell government sponsored superheroes to the public in the late 90's and early 21st century-The Cyber-Swad, Savage D.O.G.S, The Unconquerables, all had a meteoric rise and meteoric crash.

The Statesmen remains the most successful "government backed' American superhero team and they are BARELY controlled by it. The shear amount of freedom you have (so far) is proof of that. And the military is only connected to the Statesmen whenever a member happens to have previous experience with them, which is seldom. The closest link to the military this Statesmen incarnation has is with Emerald Blaze, and that is telling.

But the failure of previous "super soldier" teams to win over the public doesn't mean people are going to stop trying. Especially in today's political climate. Everyone is worried about increased Selenite refugee presence on Earth. Everyone is worried about the continued occupation of the once-Selenite empire by coalition forces.

It sure would make a lot of people happy to see you pushing for young supers to enlist.

But there's a push back against this sentiment. And its just as strong and just as desperate and just as sincere.

People aren't going to forget what happened in Canada for a long, long, long time.

Its to the point that even mentioning exposing teenagers to the military ends conversations with some people.
>>
>>693535
So when Senator Jackson waves his hands in front of the assembled Senate and says "...It's why you aren't going to get much support from either the side that wants more martial superhumans or the side that wants less martial superhumans." You know that understatement doesn't even begin to describe it.

"They know that as soon as they throw support the other support will do anything they can to balance that support. Son, I'm afraid you've just gotten lost in a no man's land between two deeply entrenched sides." The old man grins. "Welcome aboard. I'm not fully convinced in your Statesmen expansion project just yet...but I'll be watching you."

POTENTIAL POLITICAL ALLY: SENATOR JACKSON

.........

POLITICAL PERCEPTION

GLOBAL VS LOCAL

GLOBAL: 3
LOCAL: 1

PC VS MERIT

PC: 1
MERIT: 3

MARTIAL STUDENTS VS CIVILIAN STUDENTS

MARTIAL: 2
CIVILIAN: 2

EXPLANATION: Political Perception is how the world sees you standing on certain hot-button issues. It is influenced by the choices you make, but the numbers can be altered by spending PR points.

>>693506
I figured strategy would sort of be our "thing" like how Alan has finances and Jenny internal organization-even though we sort of control those facets as well.

>>693520
We can decide on a challenge by challenge basis. Something looks fun to micro manage we do it. If not BATTLE COMPUTER ENGAGED!

......

The rest of the meeting is thankfully boring and rather dull.

You never thought you'd be so thankful for boredom.

"Well. We got the funding anyway." You say loosening your tie and collapsing on the park bench. You stare at a statue of Waveracer channeling spouts of water through his bronze hands and try to relax a little.

"You sound a little glum there chum." Alan says crunching impossibly complex equations on a notepad.

"Well...I think we made more enemies than friends today."

"There's Riley. And Jackson."

"Jackson didn't exactly pledge support."

"Would you rather he got behind the "tie our hands behind our back with red tape and roast us alive" team?"

"No. No I guess not."

"Well. Any fight you can walk away from is a good fight."

"How about one you crawl away from?"

"Naw. The way you stood up to all of them, no way you crawled out of that lion's den. Whatever happens you held your head up high. That's more than can be said for most of those dirty rats...don't tell Rat Pack I said that...so what's next on the agenda?"

"Well, Jenny's at dinner with she-who-shall-not-be-named so I figured maybe we get a bite to eat, teleport over to the museum, introduce ourselves to some of the newer Statesmen, maybe talk to Haunter about becoming a part time teacher at the Museum center-"

Your phone rings.

Of course your phone rings.

"-curse my life, rage at the heavens, answer my phone..."

Leonard's throat clearing cough greets you. "I've managed to secure representatives that you can meet with at your leave."

"Representatives from what?"

"Why from all the organizations."

-cont
>>
>>693595
Our thing seems to be running things, rather then delegating tasks we do things like choose whos corp we back and what to do when Deseret finally goes awol like the wuss she is.

Or when Alien God Slayer tries to kill Ghost O Jarone.

And computer aside we really should hire for this, choose between ex heroes, ex millitary, current millitary....
>>
>>693595
"Wait...wait...you mean you arranged meetings with...everyone?"

"Why yes."

Freaking super butler. There goes any second of free time you had left..

"But HOW?" You ask trying not to sound too torn up. He is only doing his job, albeit a little too well for your comfort.

"With great difficulty."

"Well...thank you Leonard. You've done good. So I can meet with them whenever?"

"Yes. I thought you'd appreciate some flexibility in the scheduling."

"And I do...still, I thought there would be some red tape we'd have to get through to get these meetings."

"You know me. I go through red tape like a hot knife through butter."

"That you do Leonard old buddy, that you-"

Another call.

Jenny.

"Got to go Leonard. Something's up with Jenny.." You say switching calls. "Jenny, weren't you at dinner with...Deseret?" You try your old trick again.

"Deseret? Really? Come on. Now you're just getting desperate. You know I'm not a Mormon."

"So what's up?"

"Well...its Bobcat."

A trickster. Oh god. You want to end the call right now.

"What did she do?"

"Well...she happened to be in Japan."

"Why was she in Japan?"

"Why is she anywhere?"

"Good point." You mumble.

"There's this superteam over there, Midori no me, its this group of teenagers who help maintain peace in the countryside between civilization and the kami. Magic Woman's two apprentices lead it...and there's a kitsune on the team. Tricksters can be awfully competitive you know..."

"WHAT. DID. SHE. DO?"

"She uh...thought the kitsune named Kuzonoha went a little too far scaring some American tourist as a Halloween prank and to teach her a lesson she uh, turned her fur bright pink. Like crayola hot pink."

Alan is cracking up. The jerk.

You grab your head. "And now what?"

"She's thrown down the gauntlet. Shapeshifter duel, the one who can outthink the other wins, bring two seconds."

"And let me guess. She wants our help right? She wants us to loan her some seconds for her little catfight?"

"Er, no quite. She says that she doesn't need our help but thought it was only polite to let you know she would be busy this week."

"Oh. That's every thoughtful of her." You say through clenched teeth. "You know, call me crazy, but have they tried changing her color back?"

"Oh, Kuzonoha refuses to change back until after her duel. She calls it a matter of pride."

>SAY? DO?

>SURE. WE'LL GIVE HER (INSERT 2 STATESMEN HERE)

>THIS IS STUPID. I'M SENDING (INSERT TWO STATESMEN HERE) TO GET THINGS UNDER CONTROL BEFORE BOBCAT TURNS MORE LEGENDARY CREATURES PEPTO BISMAL FLAVORED.

>BOBCAT. MY OFFICE. NOW.

>GET ME MAGICAL WOMAN. I WANT TO TALK TO HER ABOUT THIS.

>BOBCAT IS ON HER OWN.
>>
>>693634
Who the hell is magical woman?
>>
>>693634
>GET ME MAGICAL WOMAN. I WANT TO TALK TO HER ABOUT THIS
A good leader knows who to talk to for advice and info
>>
>>693634
CONTACTS

This cycle you'll be building up the last list you need to get your Statesmen up and running. In between challenges you will have meetings to attend with representatives of the big organizations of Cape World.

US MILITARY: They want to talk to you about encouraging young superhumans to enlist. They have a special project they'd like your opinion on...

ARGO: Explorers of time, space and beyond. They want to talk to you about putting the Statesmen on exploration based challneges and encouraging center students to seek careers through ARGO.

PHOENIX: Global disaster relief. They want the Statesmen to take disaster watch challenges and for you to encourage center students to seek a career in PHOENIX

UN: The United Nation of Earth-and more. They want to commend you for choices and talk to you about exchange students. They have an offer...

CROW: Multinational intelligence organization. They have some serious cloak and dagger stuff to talk to you about...

NIGHTINGALE: International network of banks, charities, and corporations devoted to the advancement and development of the world through peaceful applications of superpowers. They want to commend you for your choices and talk to you about internship programs.

>SELECT A CONTACT TO MEET WITH AFTER THIS CHALLENGE CLEARS

>>693648
Briefly mentioned in the old Capeworld threads and in Baron Bizarre Quest. She's the Professor X of Japan's Magical girl population. She started the whole trend back in the 1960's as Magical Girl. Now she trains a new generation and helps them cope with magical powers that would otherwise overwhelm them.

Think "what if Sally the Witch grew up and took Sakura and Madoka under her wing".

She was one of the founding selections for the Tokyo Guardians and her seat has never been challenged, partly out of respect and partly because she's incredibly powerful.
>>
>>693666

Okay then lets get her on the phone. Whats important isnt stopping bobcat inevitably doing stupid shit, its making sure the clash of stupid shifters doesnt mess with public relations.
>>
>>693666
>CROW
Best to get the people who know things on your side. Get with a peace group then military after
>>
>>693666

UN, we already gave strong support for exchange students so we are likely on good terms with them already.
>>
>>693666
Changing
>>693677
To
>>693681
To move forward
>>
>>693691
Thanks to this being /qst/ you dont have to say which is your old vote, your already id tagged.
>>
>>693692
Eh, simplicity and habit.
>>
>>693461
>>693484
>>693506
You know, I originally thought of us doing all the strategy stuff by ourselves as a kind of strategy genius but the more I think about it the more I really like the idea of a mission control.

Maybe we could assign Statesmen to mission control and even recruit guys specifically to be mission control?

A mission control could be something fun to upgrade and play around with and mission control personal could be something Contacts offer us. US Military gives Sgt Rock types, CROW gives Nick Fury types, etc. What do you guys think?

>>693691
Might need to hold off on changing that vote.
Got to take care of something. Might be awhile before I can post again.
>>
>>693695
Hiring people is always fun, then we can avoid pesky things like "Fighting crime" and do what everyone really wants

Solve sordid superhero drama. Will we be the one who finally gets Ms Cryptic and Extra human together?
>>
>>693695
I like it. Just found the quest this morning. A5 work for a while but am very intrigued, love superhero s5uff.

It's sounds like you've run other super quests? I'll check those out after work. Have you read Worm?
>>
Having contributed to Cape World and creating a few Statesmen myself, I'm interested in seeing how this plays out. I agree that things can get unwieldy if there's so much to keep track of. Handling mission control would be good.
>>
I'm super Hyped for this.

> Phoenix

First meeting should be about giving back. What better than pulling kitties and kids from burning buildings?
>>
>>693666
May as well reach out to the UN, since we're already on the globalization track. I'm sure CROW will make itself known in due time. I remember when CROW was originally christened the OOPA or something similar. Can't wait for superspy shenanigans.
>>
>>694524

So Capeworld is a series? Why have I never heard of this seemingly great setting before?
>>
>>694545
It's not a series. It's a case of /tg/ worldbuilding that spun out of control and became this massive thing.
>>
>>694550
I saw that, i was going to contribute but i made a different hero setting earlier and was worried id just try to shove my ocs and shit in it.
>>
>>693666
Nightingale should give us enough PR power to defend ourselves against Big Red's onslaught

>>694550
>became this massive thing.
That's probably the reason the two quests that tried to run in this setting went under.
I am just giving this setting a chance because of the QM, desu
>>
>>693666
>CROW: Multinational intelligence organization. They have some serious cloak and dagger stuff to talk to you about...
Really worried about that after we gave this
>>692965
>>693328
argument. This might be what I was worried about, being believed to do or being asked to do less-than-honest shit when using exchange students from foreign, potentially problematic nations as research subjects.
>>
>>695017
It's probbably more to do with stealing the Skull of Enoch or something.

However CROW will understand if we refuse after Canada.
>>
>>694629
>just try to shove my ocs and shit.

Feel free to add them here. Diversity and Integration are themes here. If the don't jive with the immediate setting they could always come from he multiverse

>>694550
>>694545
Capeworld is an award winning biopic series created by the Super NOWER network, what are you guys talking about?

But seriously I think the setting has a lot of potential to tell really good stories in the cape genre, stories that aren't about killing good ideas and good characters to feed the undying status quo.

Capeworld is the anti-events comic.

>UN and Magical Woman

You pull up the details of the UN meeting on your Chase brand watch phone as you continue to talk to Jenny. When you're a politician you're a shark. If you stay still you die.

Ambassador Ming of the PRC wants to talk about exchange students.

Oh boy. This could go several ways...playing with America's frenemy can quickly rack up the political enemies...

"Jenny, can we get ahold of the Tokyo Guardians? I want to talk to Magical Woman."

"Already asked. They're in the middle of dealing with a Caspak incursion in the South Pacific. She said she'll be over as soon as possible, shouldn't take long."

"Tell her not to do the teleport thing. I hate it hen supers just appear like that. Makes me jump every time."

"Got you."

"Got to head to NYC. I got to meet with Chairman Ming about exchange students."

"Well that's good isn't it? We're doing something right if China wants to talk seriously about enrollment."

"It might be good. You know how these things are. They're never as simple as they seem...and by the way, get someone to check in on Coyote. Someone like Pele or Alien God Killer. Someone without a sense of humor. Tricksters are like kids. One gets a cute idea and then they all get cute ideas."

"Got it. Would Mountain Lion work?"

"Perfect. Got to go. Have fun at dinner with...Haunter?"

"You think I'm that old?"

"Oh, I'm in trouble now!"

"Well, you take care Mr. Supervisor."

"You to. Later."

You turn to Alan and find him getting up to leave. "Going to check on the mission control getting built into the Museum. The architects are thinking about putting the entrance behind a bookcase or something. Real old school super base."

"You go have fun playing haunted mansion. I'm off to talk to literally a Communist."

"It's not just that man. It's literally a Dragon as well."

......

The interway is travel for the modern age. Teleportation, space time tears, trans dimension portals, they're all managed by Americas network of ARGO reality monitoring metacomputers into the interway.

Emergency and priority travel is teleportation in the traditional sense. But you don't like to ever rush, so you take the standard route.

The interway is composed of doors, rooms, and even train cars for those that want an old time feel to their travels. For your travel to New York you decide to get a quick bite to eat at a "shifting diner" Binder Burger.

-cont
>>
> Villain fucking with interway when?
>>
>>695125
The doors slide shut with a hiss and an electronic timer above them starts counting down. Behind the windows showing a hologram of New York City to keep the shifting diner from feeling like a claustrophobic box reality is shifting. In a few minutes you'll have traveled from Washington to NYC and have gotten a bite to eat.

Your order a Double Thunder with cheese and take a table next to a stuffy looking white skinned Chroman ambassador flanked by aggressive looking red skinned Chroman warriors on one side and a guy with a "Place the Ace" T-shirt.

Bryan Ace, president of Ace incorporated and President of the United States of America. He won the presidency on a platform of "making America great again" which meant whatever policies he happened to agree with at the time.

He's likely to win reelection. His opponent keeps making blunder after blunder. The emails mentioning Dundo Industries leaked by the Brown Recluse have been killing her.

You'll don't think you'll have to deal with him. He's not too terribly concerned with education. But he'd love to crucify you if you start making deals with China. He's certainly someone to look out for...

A large black dog with its lips curled in what might be called a canine's version of a smirk stalks almost cat-like up to your table.

"Hey there boss." It says placing its head lazily on the table and staring at you with shining yellow eyes. "I heard you were talking about me."

"Coyote."

"Well that's one of my names. So you gonna eat all those fries or..."

>SAY? DO?

>NO. ITS MY LUNCH. GO HUMAN AND BUY YOUR OWN.

>SURE. WHATEVER.

>>695139
Its coming. Think of the classic Scooby Doo hallway gag. Except its a combination of parlors, diners, and railroad cars and people are fighting.
>>
>>695186

> You can have a few but I'm hungry Coyote.
>>
>>695186
>So you gonna eat all those fries or...
Yes.
CHINA
>>
>>695186
>NO. ITS MY LUNCH. GO HUMAN AND BUY YOUR OWN.
>>
>>695186
Eyeroll and push our fries towards Coyote
Not giving him the burger, tho'. That's ours.

>>695125
>Capeworld is the anti-events comic.
Uh?

>>695125
>Feel free to add them here.
Eh, you sure you want to open that floodgate?
>>
>>695222
Basically its the anti Civil War 2, crisis of infinite earth 52 electric boogaloo. Shit happens, its weird, life goes on, but it doesnt require tying in EVERYTHING, killing off 9 characters and being a metaphor for trump.
>>
>>695239
>it doesnt require tying in EVERYTHING
Although it does try.
>>
>>695239
>being a metaphor for trump.
Is this about that Red Skull thing?
I am not a comic reader. Never was. But that thing was so badly done it hurted in a deeply personal level.

Please, tell me there is not a FemThor with her Squirell girl levels of plot armor going around this setting
>>
>>695186
"If I give you the fries will you not cause me any troubles for the rest of the week?"

>>695125
Mine worked a little different in logic and ocs so im not sure how much.

For instance the way the setting works is that the reason comics happen at all is because, using a experimental material in project manhattan, when America broke Hiroshima they also so happened to break reality a little and mutants became a thing. Then ancient beings like fae came out of the woodwork and offered powers to others and some people got frustrated and did it the normal way.
So you have heroes born with them, heroes who got them from aliens, and so forth.

The setting was even broken up into 4 ages like comic books are. It had heroes like Hoodini's assistant who inherited and perfected his techniques to the point in the Gothic Fae war she was kiad and escaped death somehow.
>>
>>695259
I did mention Big Bad Red Riding hood as a canon thing so...
sorry.

>>695249
It so far ties in but doesnt require it.
I have a general idea whats going on and i only read the pastebin. Sure there is a dragon minister of china but stuff only matters one at a time.

We arent going to get nixed for not buying every book.
>>
>>695222
OPEN THE FLOODGATES

>>695239
>Being a metaphor for Trump

Ace is Trump, but he's not going to be a MODOK Nazi bent on exterminating all non-Americans. He's just Trump. And he actually likes you for never picking the "say something political and non committal" option during the Senate hearing. He has a somewhat embarrassing prize for you that you can stick in the Museum's trophy room, which is sort of how Achievements work in this quest.

I want him to be like Mr. Justice from Samurai Flamenco

You got the rest right. The closest thing is Astro City. People talk to other people about their problems like adults. They don't suddenly start breaking out into death fights over politics. There's always a sense of the world being larger than the characters. The big difference is that event comics focus on big changes and big violence and neglect the human element inherent in the superhero idea. Capeworld is trying to bring a stronger focus on that human element. Our first challenge is getting tricksters to play nice after all.

>>695249
I do want some DANKEST LORE but I'm trying to make it so that the core of the stories are easy to understand. Two tricksters had an argument, one turned the other bright pink. Now they want to throw a shapeshift-off.

>>695259
>spoiler

Big Red is safely in jail, no worries.

There is a Kamala Khan analog who latched onto a superhero identity without asking permission first because she lacked the confidence of making her own identity. She wants to know if we can help her.
>>
>>695309
>Big Bad Red Riding hood
But can she make women supervillian surrender by "taking one for the team" and going to the jail after betraying her obnoxious partner to teach those sexists pigs about girl power? That's the point i lost any kind of hope i had for that character

>>695309
>We arent going to get nixed for not buying every book.
This is good, i lost interest in the previous one because pretty much every post from the QM presented new characters we should have known since the beginning in a setting too big for its own good.

This way is less overwhelming. We still get to explore and learn new things, but since we are something of a newcomer and we are turning a new leaf in this organization, it is not nearly as overwhelming
>>
You roll your eyes. "Sure sure, you can have some. Just promise me you won't cause me any trouble for the rest of the week."

"Me cause trouble boss? Come on. I'm just a big friendly dog."

"I'm serious. I got a lot on my plate and I really don't need you acting out."

"I promise to be as helpful as I always am!"

You sigh. That's probably the best you're going to get out of him without torture. You push the carton of fries toward his maw and he devours them with snaps of his sharp white teeth. "Ah, thanks boss!"

Coyote. The trickster's trickster. Is he the Native American god? Is he a scruffy young Native American who can transform into a wolf and use magical powers who just uses the name? No one knows. And he's having too much fun with everyone's frustration to tell the truth. There's even a theory that Coyote was the god Coyote but transformed himself into a mortal for a challenge. Another theory is that this Coyote is the son of the god Coyote and a mortal woman. Another theory is that this isn't Coyote at all but Raven in disguise teaching Coyote a lesson about stealing identities.

Whatever he is, he's Coyote to the core. Tricky. Mischievous. Sometimes even dangerous. But he's one of yours. He didn't get voted into the Statesmen for not being a hero. He won the hearts of voters by tricking Dundo Industries into signing away a chunk of exploitable land into a nature reserve, tricking DECK diamond Great Tornado into walking right into jail, and stealing Virginia Dare's bikini top.

"So I take it Mountain Lion told you what's happening?"

"No. Is she the one trying to find me?"

"Then how did you know I was talking about you?"

"Because you were talking about me."

Tricksters...

"The wind carries a lot of things to these ears on the roads between roads I travel." He says.

"Speaking of roads you know the interway isn't free."

"Oh, you know me. I only travel through MY paths. This just happened to be a place where they cross over."

"Tell it to the judge trespasser."

"Why boss, you say trespasser like its a bad thing!"

"Do you mind changing form? It's sort of weird talking to something that doesn't move its lips for me."

"Don't let the telepathic voting bloc hear that. I'm rather comfortable like this though. See my tail wagging?"

"I see. Come on. We both know you only take this form when you want to look cute and innocent or beg for food. I know you already know about what's happening in Japan."

"Yes." He sighs. "A shapeshifter's duel! Why its been so long...and three against three! Imagine how interesting that will be!" He stares up at you with wide puppy dog eyes. "You just got to let me on Bobcat's team boss! I'm Coyote! Let me win one for the home team! Put me in the game coach!"

-cont
>>
>>695381
>SAY? DO?

>ABSOLUTELY NOT. I'M GOING TO NIP THIS WHOLE FIASCO RIGHT IN THE BUD WITH MAGICAL WOMAN. JUST STAND IN THE CORNER AND TRY TO NOT BE YOURSELF UNTIL ITS ALL OVER.

>YEAH. I'M PLANNING ON LETTING THIS GAME PLAY OUT SO LONG AS NO ONE ENDS WITH THEIR FEELINGS HURT. A LITTLE HEALTHY COMPETITION COULD BE GOOD.

>...BUT YOU AREN'T ON THE TEAM COYOTE. YOU AND BOBCAT ARE OVERKILL.
>>
>>695387
>>...BUT YOU AREN'T ON THE TEAM COYOTE. YOU AND BOBCAT ARE OVERKILL.
We're trying to make friends with Japan, not embarrass them.

Play to Coyote's ego.
>>
>>695387
Supporting
>>695396
>>
>>695387
>...BUT YOU AREN'T ON THE TEAM COYOTE. YOU AND BOBCAT ARE OVERKILL.
>>
>>695387
Look, right now i am trying to have this situation not escalate to an international disaster. That means no.
Maybe some other day i'll arrange you a combat like that when my neck is not on line, if you are good.
(under our breath)
Goodness knows the media will pay up the butt for exclussive coverage

So, is it too late to go for a worldwide federation of supers combat?
>>
>>695298
Potential multiverse crossover? A big multiversal Faerie ball maybe?

>>694690
I think I went too Bizarre when I started Baron Bizarre Quest. I'm going to return to it later, but I feel like this is the best way to introduce the board to Capeworld.

I inspire loyalty through my name alone...anon, I'm touched...

>>693716
>Worm

I've heard its pretty good. Haven't read any of it yet though. It's on my to read list.

>I'll check those out after work.

They're uh...different. BioArmor is Slan meets Guyver with plenty of 90's OVA ultraviolence and darkness. Sibella Quest is much better than it looks, I promise you, and is the closest to Capeworld in style and theme (it even has its own superhero!) Mechagirl Quest...uh, just know that it is 200 percent magical realm. Like for real.

>>695396
>>695410
>>695416
>>695423
"I'm planning on letting this game play out so long as no one ends with their feelings hurt. A little healthy competition could be good....But you aren't on the team Coyote. You and Bobcat are overkill. We're trying to make friends with Japan, not embarrass them."

"Aw..." He rolls his head on the table. "But what if I promised to hold back just a little?"

"No Coyote. Look, right now I am trying to have this situation not escalate to an international disaster. I didn't help secure backing with Super NOWER just for them to print "International super brawl started over pink fox". Maybe some other day I'll find you some sort of competition. If you are good."

"Aw boss, you're tearing my little canine hear to ribbons..."

"Goodness knows the media will pay up the butt for exclusive coverage..." You mutter under your breathe. "I'm sorry, but my answer stands. Don't make me get Alien God Killer after you."

"Welllll you know Dice Head Casino is running this big Halloween "Haunted House of Terror deathtrap maze" fighting tournament thing right? Two teams enter, one team leaves with the gold plated jack o lantern..."

"Weren't you banned from Dice Head's casinos for changing his head into a D20?"

"It was funny! Look, use some of your new political super powers to get me an invitation and some guys to drag along with me and I'll bring back something nice and shiny for that new trophy room, what do you say?"

>SAY? DO?

>NO COYOTE.

>ALRIGHT. FINE. BUT YOU BETTER NOT LOSE.

>I'LL GET YOU A TEAM FOR A GAME THAT'S NOT RAN BY DICE HEAD.

>>695423
>Worldwide federation of supers combat

Such a thing exists and you can enter Statesmen in competitions. Super-sports, particularly Super combat and MMA, are big in Cape World. Las Vegas is a mecca of such things.
>>
>>695571
>ALRIGHT. FINE. BUT YOU BETTER NOT LOSE.
>>
>>695571
>I'LL GET YOU A TEAM FOR A GAME THAT'S NOT RAN BY DICE HEAD.
A fun little game with Coyote might be nice for PR. Not at the risk of starting an international incident, though.
>>
>>695571
"Maybe next time you'll realize that if you made less enemies more people will do things for you.
I will ask Dice Head, but if he says no im not cracking down on sports leagues just for a trophy.

Besides Tornado Annie probably is going to run anyway."

On the crossover thing, we COULD but who would want "Capeworld/Some faggot's setting crossover."?
>>
>>693716
>I'll check those out after work
Let me give you a rundown
>Winnie Quest
Fetish wish fulfillment. Almost got us in trouble with the mods. Character driven with a setting mostly unexplored. Horribly archived, good luck finding the stuff that started in /co/. We were yound and needed the money. Bound to become more shonen-like witha tournament arc and stuff in the future.
See ya in Halloween, QG

>Phanty Quest
This was the point when we realized the dice was haunted. Very overpowered MC, not really that dangerous on itself, but creativity was our main weapon, we weilded it like a nuke. The most memes and injokes come from this one. The plot got deeper and we were part of it this time. Nothing bad happens here, at all. It was a humbling experience nonetheless.
We have a sort of tradition about derailing his quests with good rolls, it first happened in WinnieQuest, but here is when it solidifyed

>Sibella Quest
Glorious power fantasy. Combat heavy. Romance heavy. Fetish heavy. Waifu heavy. Wrongbadfun at its finest. We are the most involved with the lore here and have the most authority we ever had. We got to name a pizza. The cosmology is slightly less complicated than the one in this quest. Slightly
I got my name in this quest, that's important

>RoboGirl Pitfighter
87% percent robotgirl sexual bloodsport 13% angry misantropy. The sex is more "spiritual" than physical, if that makes any sense. The bleakest and darkest one yet. Combat heavy.

>BioArmor Quest
Pretty standard fare for 80's anime. All important characters are like Axeman from the Statesmen. Bloody, brooding and violent but not as "oppressive" as the previous one. We do stuff that some regret later Buncha pussies
>>
>>695709
Axemen isn't brooding, he specifical isnt friends with Dr Glaciar because he has a similar issue as hers and he resents her for being so fuckin whiney over it when he puts on a brave face every morning and interacts with a society that would die if he isnt wearing his biosuit around.
>>
>>695608
What was your quest about, anon?

>>695571
>I think I went too Bizarre
Nah, too much info to take in one sitting. The writing was excellent but i felt i was watching a movie in medias res

>spoiler
I am a simple anon, i see quest with waifus, i follow quest guy

>Aw'ight but ya bettah not ooze

>Such a thing exists and you can enter Statesmen in competitions.

Heh, maybe we can send them to appear at public events for charities or something. Media loves that stuff.

>Be me
>Be Virginia Dare
>Decide to make a public appearance at an event in other country
>Ask the crowd around to make some space because you are going to challenge someone to a race
>Look at the public and see a kid
>Decide to make that kid's day
>Call up the kid
>Ask the state governor to participate too, because he invited you and shit
>Start the race
>Stay just behind the kid so he gets to win against Virginia Dare
>That is you
>Before the kid makes it to the finish line the governor crosses it JUST before the kids manages to do so
>Watch dumbfounded as this man celebrates being faster than you
>Even the kid is speechless
This shit happened, oh my fucking god, what a fucking idiot
>>
>>695736
No, the setting is kind of brooding.
But many characters use the same kind transformative biosuit and are just as harmful to life as he is.
>>
>>695755
I didnt say it was a quest did I? I said it was a superhero setting.

I'm the kinda fag who makes things to HAVE MADE THEM, then kinda tosses them out. I eventually gave up because I didnt know real cities well enough to have interpol's hero division declare martial law on supergang controlled detroit (With the cautious backing of president Luthor Trump).

There were some tidbits I'm happy about in it though, such as the cthullu expy not being a fuckin squid but a cross between a beetle and a naked mole rat twisted into the form of a phoenix.

It was destined to bring about the "the Age of Burial, where all of past civilization would be buried under a sandstorm so fierce it would blot the sky out and the worms will begin to walk the cities the rotting mortals built".

Cultists managed to summon it as a consequence of the Vietnam War only for China, Russia and NaTO to in a joint venture with their greatest heroes infiltrate enemy lines and subdue it. Imagine if Dr Manhattan, Superman, and Mint Berry Crunch broke into hell while its forces were being fended off by Goku, every power ranger, and a psychic pet rock.

After heavy casualties the dark god was beaten, subdued, put to trial on international court, and was executed, exorcised, and then cremated.

Such a act is what inspired the international league of heroes to begin with. No one could believe that actually WORKED.
>>
>>695795
Sounds like a post-"old man Henderson" with your old god destruction.

Why not setting it in a city you know about? Most quests i follow don't really specify where the events are happening apart from "Some city in an occident-like place"
The premise sounds interesting enough
>>
>>695820
i live in the suburbs.

And not strictly cause
1. Henderson got where he was by being insane and mostly cheating. Enamas lost the same way Galaxtus, Abraxas, and Thanos were beaten.
Good old fashioned numbers and gaming reality.

It helped that the most powerful alien, Satan himself, the Fae god, and Baba Yaga all had a stake in the Dirt Phoenix losing.

He's still relevant however because his corpse still contains fragments of his incredible power so you see old cultists of his using a piece of his chitenous feathers to animate a army of the moving dead. Also his vile broods still a thing if they hid well.
>>
>>695872
Well, a cataclysmic even just happened. Who could ever tell you that anything but the most recognizable of the landmarks of each city were left unchanged?

But that idea of an "insect" bird is quite interesting. I once made my lesser dragons (read wyverns) into "dino"-birds but that's as far as i went.
The only time i made a setting that took place in modern times i coulsn't come up with something as creative I think that was mostly because i was trying to flesh out what started as fetish races, but that's besides the point
>>
...Alright. Fine. But you better not lose."

"Daw. I knew you had a heart boss." Coyote nuzzles against you.

"Stop that. I'll talk to Dice Head about forgiving you. Maybe next time you'll realize that if you made fewer enemies more people would do things for you. I'll talk to the old criminal, but if he says no I'm not going to crack down on sports leagues just for a trophy....besides, Tornado Ally is probably going to run it anyway..."

"Well then that's something else I can help you with! You sign me and my team up as the official Statesmen team you won't have to worry about her showing up and saying something stupid in front of all the kids watching!"

"She'd just enter herself. She wants something nothing short of an army can stop her."

"But think if my team wins! You won't have someone holding the pumpkin saying "Yo yo peace out to all my little niggas in the Satesmen."

"That's a good point..."

>SAY? DO?

>SELECT THREE STATESMEN TO JOIN COYOTE'S TEAM

>DO YOU WANT TO ENTER ANY OTHER TEAMS IN THE "DICE HEAD'S HAUNTED HOUSE OF HORRORS TWO TEAM DEATHMATCH"?"

>>695608
>Some faggot's setting

That's basically what Capeworld is. Well, some faggots' setting to be exact. I didn't do all of it.
>>
>>695964
Pitt Fighter
Kentucky Rain
Virginia Daring

I'd send Barnstormer, but I want to leave her free for other stuff.
>>
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>>695964
>DO YOU WANT TO ENTER ANY OTHER TEAMS IN THE "DICE HEAD'S HAUNTED HOUSE OF HORRORS TWO TEAM DEATHMATCH"?"
>"DICE HEAD'S HAUNTED HOUSE OF HORRORS TWO TEAM DEATHMATCH"?"
>DICE HEAD'S HAUNTED HOUSE OF HORRORS
>HAUNTED
Haunter, please. Any other spooky/horror themed member, as well. Cryptic?
>>
>>696053
Ghost O' Jarone could join team horror along with Extra Human. Because as we all known, man is the real monster. But Rugaru being a giant wolf man could sub for anyone on the four person team.

These guys even formed a team all together, I can't remember what we called them. There are a couple of "sub teams" on the Statesmen. Blue Crab, Waveracer, Fisher Girl, and Madame Delphine are the Coast Guardians. Ghost, Brown Recluse, and The Hoosier are the Hell Riders. Reverend Luther, Deseret, and Snake Charmer are the Ecumenicals. And Alien God Killer has a strange friendship with Captain Justice because he knew the original Captain Justice.
>>
>>696133
Well, this looks like an interesting quest. Question unrelated to the current situation: any chance we can expand the team with members from Puerto Rico, Guam, and similar U S territories?
>>
>>696251
Sure! You'll be able to expand the Statesmen roster to include territories. Any character ideas for "Territory-Men?"
>>
I feel bad for Ally now if we run a trickster god/imposter/whoknows just so she doesn't.
>>
>>695964
>Satesmen
I like to think the typo was deliberate and spoken

We still haven't decided who we are so i propose this

The man formerly known as Mindshock
In his youth, he was a low tier superhero with a power to move things with his mind (And called himself the Poltergeist before The RIAA cracked down on him with a Cease & Desist). Later in life, he learned how to force sensory input inside his enemies' minds and became Mindshock.
His identity is unknown to all but the highest information gathering agencies in the world because, after detaching himself from his Poltergeist persona, he donned a full-head steel mask and a medieval looking armor that concealed all details about him but his deep voice and tall, yet skinny, imposing stature.

Truth is, he is an african american (If only because it makes the previous exchange with diversity senator that much more hilarious) who goes by the name Richard Jackson, born in New York and adopted into a loving family by Johnathan Jackson and Valeria Amato Jackson. Had a very quiet and normal life, aside from moonlighting as a hero, and chooses to go as his superhero persona 24/7 to keep his family safe.

Once he started feeling he was getting too old for the job he chose to embark in the wonderful and welcoming world of politics and vowed to never use his powers to gain unfair advantage in any way. A personal rule he has yet to break. Nowadays he traded his suit of shiny armor, one that caused him no small amount of mockery in the streets of NY, for a tailored suit, designer pants, and white gloves. The mask stays on, thought.

He still has a genetic predisposition to enjoy fried chicken and purple cool aid. But then again, who doesn't?
>>
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>>696497
>Not being Producer-san.

Pleb.
>>
>>695991
Going to be GeneSmith for a while to avoid the hassle of constantly switching trips.

"Oh yeah! Virginia Daring!" Coyote's tail wags excitedly. "That's a good pick boss!"

"I thought you'd be excited. She likes games and sports like this so I thought she'd be a good pick."

"She's also rather popular if you know what I mean!"

"I do. I also know about that time you stole her top. Its why I'm sending Pitt Fighter to keep an eye on you."

"Awwwww...you really got to pair me with that wet blanket?"

"It's either him or I put you on a leash."

"I think I'd rather prefer the leash...but fine, fine. Who is my last partner?"

"Kentucky Rain."

"The Elvis guy?"

"The Evils guy."

"Aw man..."

"What's wrong? Don't tell me you think you're going to need their help to win?"

"Of course not. I could take the entire tournament on my own!"

"Then what's the problem?"

"No problem at all. I just think it would look better to pair me with some more interesting people. Not counting the hottie of course."

"Think of it as a challenge. Make them look good."

"Oh I could do that easy. But what's in it for me boss? A good doggy deserves to be thrown a bone right?"

>SAY? DO?

>I TALK TO DICE HEAD REMEMBER? THAT'S THE REWARD. DON'T PUSH YOUR LUCK.

>SURE. WHAT DOES DOGGY WANT?

>>696053
>>696133
>OTHER TEAM

Ms Cryptic, Haunter, Ghost O' Jarone, and Rugaru okay for a second team?

>>696497
>>696514

>DO YOU WANT TO BE MINDSHOCK, OR SOMEONE WITHOUT POWERS?
>>
>>696450
We could squeeze her in on the second team by dropping someone (or go full crazy and make a third team and REALLY push the Statesmen behind this Haunted House tournament).
>>
>>697683
I want to still be ambiguous.

Tornado Ally will team up with Barnstormer and... I think i'll leave that last postion open for someone interested in going, (Extra human maybe?).

And for Coyote
>YOU WANTED TO DO THIS. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO REWARD ME?
>>
>>697683
Seconding
>YOU WANTED TO DO THIS. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO REWARD ME?
We're humoring Coyote as it is.
>>
>>697772
>>697753
"You wanted to do this. What are you going to do to reward me?"

"Oh, us winning the golden pumpkin isn't good enough for you boss?"

"I thin the great Coyote can offer more. Especially when I'm going to have to take time out of my schedule to go to Las Vegas and talk to Dice Head."

"Why in that case, you know I could resolve that entire fiasco in Japan for you boss!"

You glare at him.

"I told you that you aren't going to Japan."

"But that was to play with Bobcat and the kitsune! I won't be doing that now. I would be putting a stop to it."

"I see what you're doing. You're trying to get everything you want from me."

"I'm just trying to be helpful to you boss. The Statesmen is the most fun I've had in centuries. Pele's a big whiny annoying bitch-although she is kind of hot when she yells...-but she's got the right idea about this Statesmen business. We got to do it loud and do it proud. If you don't want me putting a stop to things in Japan I could help you out in other ways."

"What kind of other ways?"

"Secret ways boss. Trickster ways. Things will go a lot smoother for you. You know, politically and what not."

"If you could make things easier for me why haven't you already? I thought you were a helpful doggy?"

"Oh, good dogs need good rewards you know? A few french fries, a few words to Mr. Dice Head, that's all poor Coyote asks for his good deeds..."

>SAY? DO?

>DON'T DO ME ANY FAVORS COYOTE. JUST WIN THAT PUMPKIN AND MAKE YOUR TEAM LOOK GOOD.

>HELP ME BEHIND THE SCENES (GIVES YOU A PR POINT)

>TAKE CARE OF THE SITUATION IN JAPAN
>>
>>697829
>TAKE CARE OF THE SITUATION IN JAPAN
But don't make it obvious. We don't want to look like we're suddenly throwing our weight around across the globe now that the Statesmen are expanding.
>>
>>697829
>HELP ME BEHIND THE SCENES (GIVES YOU A PR POINT)

I guess i could do with some help, considering how many enemies i've made today. Just, don't hurt anyone or anyone's career
>>
>>697944
This, do a good job and I'll even let you swap Kentucky Rain out for someone you pick. Assuming of course they agree to it fully aware of what they are getting into.
>>
>>695941
Touche, maybe I'll work more on it, i spent more time figuring out organizations then heroes. Ended up with only two big ones (Silly Putty the clown clayface and Dorothy Young the worlds greatest escape artist (and i have no alias for her)

But you can do quite a bit with smut. I've run plenty of smut settings. Though smut eldritch horrors don't work well cause... yeah.
>>
>>698061
>i have no alias for her
Disappearing act? Gone? Au Revoir? Lockpick? Andromeda?(because chains)

>smut eldritch horrors
Elder god decides to test this thing lesser beings call sex, it has a detached and clinical approach to his studies and little care for its test subject's well being.

Also Shub Niggurath
>>
>>698127
Well see, eldritch gods are supposed to be unknowable, so knowing someone in the biblical sense makes them less of a eldritch.

As for the alais, those WORK (particurally Au Revoir) but thing is Dorothy is a REAL woman, Hoodini's former assistant to be exact who in this setting mastered his art to the point she can break mystical seals and even escaped death (walking into hq and punching in her hours 2 days after her funeral and beating the previous record by a solid day). Which makes it trickier since magicians.
>>
>>698200
>supposed to be unknowable
Half the unknowable things from Lovecraft work do the things they do because it amused them at the moment and simply don't care about us insignificant humans.
The uncomprehensible (for us) thing about them is not their motivation, but how we matter so little to them.

Also, again, Shub Niggurath
>>
>>697944
>>698021
"Give me some help behind the scenes. I got quite a few enemies I've made today. Just don't hurt anyone or anyone's career or we'll both wind up in a kennel, okay?"

"I'll play nice. I'm trying to be a good boy here, remember?"

"Good. You do a good job and I'll even let you swap out Kentucky Rain for someone you want-assuming of course they agree to it fully aware of what they're getting into."

"Ohhhh I think we're going to get along pretty well boss. I like you. You're fun." Coyote's form becomes very faint. You can see through him like mist. "Well, got to go. Got to do some secret things in the secret places. You'll know I'm helping when thing get easier..." He turns from the table as his voice becomes a quiet echo. In the next instant he's gone.

The doors slide open and the timer resets. The Chroman possess and Ace supporter leave. A group of Asian businessmen enter and form a line at the register. You decide to catch the next opening and spend the time sending the appropriate emails to get this "Halloween Haunted House of Horror" thing taken care of.

It would look good to have a strong Statesmen presence at it. People like super-fights. And Dice Head might be a useful ally to your expansion. Ex criminal though he may be he's very wealthy and very well connected. And it sure would be nice for him to comp you some suites the next time you're in Vegas...

A waitress walks up to you. "Oh I'm sorry, did you spill your fries?" You look down and see a pile of french fries on the ground where Coyote stood. "Don't worry. I'll get you some more on the house."

Freaking tricksters.

A hologram from your Chase-watch deploys the head and shoulders of Dice Head above your table. The ex-supevillian looks at you with one glowing black dot. "Hello Mr. Supervisor. I'm tickled that you would choose to enter Statesmen in this month's competition. I assure you this is be fun for the whole family...and be lucrative to both our organizations." He gives a polite tip of his top hat. "Maybe this can be a start of a beautiful friendship..."

>SAY? DO?

>CONFIRM THE FOLLOWING:

TEAM 1: Coyote, Pitt Fighter, Virginia Daring, Kentucky Rain

TEAM 2: Ms. Cryptic, Haunter, Ghost O'Jarone, Rugaru
>>
>>698354
>fries
It's the thought that counts


"I hope so, mr. Dice Head. As a matter of fact, i have here the roster of Statemen to compete in your games. Only, i need to talk to you about one of them in particular."

Did we just agreed to replace the motherfucking Elvis impersonator for a competition that takes place in Las freaking Vegas?
>>
>>698354
Confirm that roster.

>>698390
I specifically chose the Elvis impersonator to go to an event in Vegas.
>>
>>698429
You are a wonderful person but we kind of agreed to let Coyote pick somebody else in his place
>>
>>698444
>>698390
>>698429
Its all tentative, so we can tell Coyote "yeah, you were helpful. But not enough to replace Kentucky Rain. Maybe next time." Or we could have him replaced with whoever Coyote wants. There will be other challenges in Las Vegas.

"I hop so Mr. Dice Head. As a mater of fact, I have here the roster of Statesmen to compete in your games." You say sending the list through the hologram system.

"Well this all looks...wait! Coyote!" His head snaps to a side flushed with six dots. "No! Absolutely not!"

"I think his inclusion on team 1 will do a lot to smooth relationships between us. We do want to work together more in the future providing America with entertainment, right?"

"He turned my head into a...a...D20! I banned him from all my casinos!" His shifts to a diagonal bar of three dots. "He's barred from the premises PERMANENTLY!"

"I was hoping some of the other Statesmen might ameliorate some of those hurt feelings. Look at team 2. Halloween is coming up and we got a team with ghosts, skeletons, werewolves, and cryptids. And they can kick ass. And Coyote's team has Pitt Fighter and Virginia Daring-fan favorites. I didn't have to make the roster this good. And I can my offer to other casinos. You aren't the only one doing a Halloween special...but I came to you first."

Dice Head's head ticks back and forth from the side with one dot to the side with two dots as he strokes his non-existent chin. "Hmmmm...you were right to come to the best first. The other mooks in Vegas would give you the run around. But ol' Dice Head will play straight with you."

Dice Head is an old school bad guy. Games and traps were his gimmick. He'd turn a part of a city into a life sized version of Monopoly or force heroes to fight giant chess sets or trap them in a giant model of the mansion from Clue with one of their own replaced by the "killer"-a supervillian shape shifter called the Impersonator. He got busted for good back in the sixties and served time for everything his lawyers couldn't make go away. Now he's turned his passion for challenging super heroes with tricks and traps into a lucrative empire of public super-challenges and casinos.

He says he sometimes misses the challenge of a "real" game. But he's having enough fun with his current lifestyle to stay out of trouble.

"...I'll tell you what Mr Supervisor. You sign on Dice Head Inc. as manager and promoter of all Statesmen super-sport activities and I'll not only forgive Coyote, I'll throw all my support behind your new Statesmen push. Vegas is where its at for super-entertainment and I'm quite big in this town. You want people to love the Statesmen? I can make them love the Statesmen. We're talking action figures, T-shirts, lunch boxes, the works."

"This won't bar them from competing in anything they wont' will it?

"Of course not! They can compete in whatever they want wherever they want. Dice Head Inc will just be the ones to promote them...for a reasonable fee of course."
-c
>>
>>698610
Even if he's a promoter now, he's still an ex-supervillain, and that can be difficult to shake. People would go wild if we're openly consorting with him, as unjust as that may be.
>>
>>698680
That's a good point. How good is his current public image?

But anyway, his offer is just way too good to pass up. Besides, one of our main points is keeping the young would-be-villians away from the streets. What would send a bigger message than accepting Dice Head as being redeemed. Just how many people has he killed? Their families could protest against our union

Anyway, this is where a check out. See you later, guys.
>>
>>698680
>>698715
Tied vote so far.

Dice Head was very careful not to kill anyone. This is a setting where there's not invisible plot walls separating The Specter from Arkham Asylum. If you go full Joker someone is going to kill you. Hell has hitmen. If you murder someone you need to be very good at running away or pray someone nice catches you.

There are plenty of people that hate Dice Head's guts for all the kidnapping/extortion/ robbery/whatever you'd classify turning Times Square into a giant Crossfire board as (vandalism?).

His public image is very good. People see him as an eccentric with a game fixation who managed to find a positive outlet for his desires and turn his life around. Him being really really rich and providing quality super-entertainment helped a lot.

You might have to stop a robbery at one of his Casinos later.
>>
>>698220
I think you mean Sub niggurath amirite?

Anyway point you can make eldritch gods...

Actually in hindsight i did make evil gods out of fetishes before, i just made them more demon lord then cthullian. Huh. I should go to the corner.
>>
>>698897
I say go for it. We can have him as a guest speaker on initiatives for troubled superhero youths and let him make millions in pr.

Plus if Statesmen can be the bridge between TWO entertainment bigleaguers, Dice Inc AND NOWER it looks good to be us.

>>698429
Kentucky's a lover not a fighter. Most of his work involves, you know, actually helping people.
He'll tag along but i dont think he'll be in the arena. He'd probbably not even want to.
>>
>>698975
>He'd probably not even want to

A few of our choices are going to want to talk about entering the contest.

>>698975
>>698897

You finger-sign a hologram notice after reading over it twice and then a third time because old super villian habits die hard. You want to make sure if anyone gets played its not you.

"Excellent!" Dice Head claps his hands together as his switches to his one dot face. "The Statesmen are going to be big! International battle royals with the Tokyo Guardians and Deutsch Leiga! Maze races with Turnpike and Hoosier! Man vs Machine! Rival matches-Madame Delphine vs Fisher Girl, Coyote vs Bobcat, Virgina Daring vs Colette..."

Dice Head curls his white gloved fingers. "Ohhh...the games I will play with America's greatest super heroes...":

"Woah woah woah. Slow down. We'll get everything figured out, just don't let your die fall off your shoulders."

"Dice." He replies suddenly as his head quickly spins to five dots arranged in an X. "I Have a dice on top of my head."

"The singular of dice is-"

"Dice. As long as it involves MY documentation an MY business the singular of dice...is dice!"

"...okay..."

His head quickly changes to four dots in a square pattern around an open white center. "...I apologize for that sudden outburst. I know "Dice Head" isn't correct by traditional grammar but consider how "Die Head" sounds. It sounds horrible, doesn't it? It sounds like something one of those fans of Death Head would call themselves."

Death Head. That's an old bad guy. Fire powered bad guy that started with a demon gimmick back in the 80's when Hell joined the UN and kicked off a "Satanic Panic". Had a goat skull mask. Didn't survive the 90's. But he's strangely popular among young super-thugs. Its probably just an image thing.

"It rolls off the tongue so much better. "Dice Head...Dice Head...""

"Sure...well, we're keep in touch Dice Head."

"Cheers." His head snaps to its large single dot as the hologram starts to dematerialize. "Oh, and with Super NOWER involved there's so much potential..." He muses to himself. "We could sell tickets to their hologram simulation fights predicting the winner of our contests and then sell tickets to the actual thing! I'm a genius!"

Strange guy. But then you might be a little strange yourself if your head was a die.

Dice.

Whatever.

The timer chimes and the Binder Burger's doors slide open. You get up to leave only to sit back down again.

One day you'll escape Binder Burger. You're sure of it.

Sari Yumi, one of the world's most powerful magi users, up there with Baron Bizarre. She was exiled to Japan from her home dimension back in the 1960's when she was just a girl, a place in the Spiritual Earth called Heaven's Rest that was founded by people from Physical Earth way back in the Age of Exploration when Japanese and Spanish ships would wreck themsleves on the Mystic Archipelago. Their culture developed a potent system of magic combining eastern and western traditions

-cont
>>
>>699198
In the 20th century their magic was considered a threat by neighboring Elf Kingdoms and war broke out.

That was then. Now Dr. Yumi is empress of Heaven's Rest, although she usually leaves ruling to her council, preferring to say in Japan and teach its ever-swelling population of "Magical Girls' how to wield their vast and mysterious powers. Her two top apprentices are the young leaders of the super-team whose powerful and ancient Kitsune Bobcat cheesed off. You're hoping Magical Woman can help you

She looks her age. She could look like anything she wanted but chooses to look 55 with wrinkles and gray hair tied back in a braid. She does it for modesty and to make a point to her young students about the fleeting nature of youth and beauty.

She wears a wide brimmed hat with a towering point with a gold pentagram medal on the front-its something like her crown- and a long white robe that ends just over her bright brass buckled shoes. Its an ensemble most magic powered women would only wear ironically, but part of her culture comes from Magical Puritans. Back when she was Magical Girl the newspapers called her the "Witch Girl of Tokyo".

"You're the new Supervisor for America's Statesmen?" She asks with a polite bow.

You nod and motion for her to sit down.

"I'm honored to meet you. However, I wish it were under more auspicious circumstances. I understand my students' team has been causing you problems? I'm very sorry to hear that. I apologize on their behalf."

>SAY? DO?

Its your first meeting with a foreign super. Don't screw it up!
>>
>>699223
Return the geture to the best of our capabilities
"Oh, thank you. But i believe this started because of of our own saw what she believed to be an abuse of authority and power, and decided to take the matter on her own hands instead of contacting you or any other authority. I didn't call you today to complain or ask for reparations. I just want us to settle this as peacefully as possible"

If we mention we sent someone to retrieve Bobcat, don't mention Coyote. Just don't.

Also, since we are here we should ask for ice cream. one of those with coockies and sirup and enough calories to power a metal cutting beam. Ask her if she wants one, our treat. Also, are those fries here already?
>>
>>699223
I echo >>699458.
>>
>>699458
>coockies
That's not a freudian slip, i swear
>>
>>699458
>>699472
You return the bow. "Oh thank you. But I believe this started because one of our own saw what she believed to be an abuse of authority and power and decided to take the matter into her own hands instead of contacting you or any other authority. I didn't call you today to complain or ask for reparations. I just want us to settle this as peacefully as possible."

"Oh no, I assure you Kuzonoha is just as much at fault as your Bobcat. Like cats and dogs I believe the idiom is?"

"Yeah. I kind of got the gist of what happened. Something about Kuzonoha scaring some tourists and Bobcat turning her pink?"

Magical Woman demurely covers a chuckle with her hand. "I must admit, Kuzonoha is rather cute in bright pink. What happened was some tourist were at her shrine and she decided to put in a personal appearance given that she was in the area at the time. She appeared to them in her full majesty, nine tails glowing like solar rays...and they asked her if she could "please transform into the cute girl"."

"Ouch. Sorry about that."

"Ah, but I am sorry about the way she responded. She turned herself into a terrible beast of a fox with flashing fangs and flaming eyes! Naturally they ran for the hills."

"And then enter Bobcat."

"She said that Kuzonoha was giving tricksters a bad name through her actions. She said tricksters should be champions of the people. They should be "best bros to the average joes" as she put it. She decided to punish Kuzonoha. "If you want to act like a petty stuck-up princess you should look like one!""

"Ah, now the pink makes sense now."

"And you know the rest. They want to have an old fashioned shapeshifters duel and the want two seconds each to support them. Will you allow Ms. Bobcat to duel Kuzonoha? Will any of your Statesmen be attending?"

>SAY? DO?
>>
>>699653
"I don't see why not, though I'll let Bobcat pick her own seconds, its a personal affair of hers and thus I can't assign my heroes to it like I would a robbery.
Though I know several statesmen were interested in attending, fortunately I already dissuaded Coyote.
>>
>>699653
First see if Magical Woman is even okay with the duel in the first place. If she doesn't want it happening, we'll help put the kibosh on it.
>>
>>699676
>>699664
Your waitress finally returns with a new order of fries and you ask her some vanilla ice cream.

"Would you like anything Ms. Yumi?"

"Oh no, I'm fine thank you."

"Ms. Yumi, are you alright with this duel taking place? I can stop this like that if you want like that. Bobcat's rowdy but she'll listen if I put my foot down."

"There's no need for that. I'm quite fine with Kuzonoha blowing off steam. My old rival does tend to puff herself up every now and then. If anything it'll teach her not to scare foolish teenagers like that again."

"Then if you're okay with it I don't see why I can't allow it. I'll let Bobcat pick her own seconds. Its a personal affair of hers and thus I'm not really comfortable assigning my heroes to it like it was a robbery or something. I know some Statesmen are interested in attending. Fortunately I already dissuaded Coyote."

"Oh dear. Coyote? Yes...that was probably for the best. He would have made a wonderful opponent for my girls though..."

"Hold on, Your girls?"

"Do forgive me. I get ahead of myself sometimes. Kuzonoha's seconds will be her teammates-my apprentices Tsuki and Aki."

"You're okay with them participating?"

"I'm more than okay. I think it would be a great learning experience for them to participate in a shapeshifter's duel. Tsuki's not particularly skilled at shapeshifting and while Aki has a natural aptitude for the art her talent makes her rather lazy studying it. A challenge like this could motivate her to take her shapeshifting studies more seriously. I know you're cautious about involving the Statesmen in this little game but I'd appreciate it very much if you could assemble a team to really challenge Kuzonoha and my apprentices. Do you have anyone you wouldn't mind recommending to Bobcat?"

>SAY? DO?

> ASSIGN TWO STATESMEN TO BE BOBCAT'S SECONDS

>DON'T ASSIGN ANYONE. LET BOBCAT ASSEMBLE HER OWN TEAM.
>>
>>699852
The only available shapeshifters I can see who wouldn't be pissed off by dealing with something as "petty" as this (and aren't Coyote) are The Weatherman, Holograham, and the Ashman. Any of those guys might be able to help.
>>
>>699871
All three are good picks. We only need two though. Weatherman can't "transform" but he has enough control over weather to keep up with shapeshifters (really). Holograham can change himself but he's still technically always the same totality (being a hologram he's like a fractal. Every part is a reflection of the whole just at a smaller resolution). That could be both an advantage and a disadvantage in a shapeshifter fight. Ashman's magic smoke can "make men like gods and gods like men". He can alter the fundamental structure of a person or object and make it mental, physical, or spiritual.

They're all good choices, we just need two.
>>
>>699963
Send Holograham and Ashman, then.
>>
>>699978
Suggest them to Bobcat anyway.
>>
>>699963
Well, it looks like we overreacted.
I also vote for Holograham and Ashman.
One to decieve, one to ruin our opponent's impact.
And one to Bobcat it all.
>>
>>699978
This, weatherman wouldn't be the greatest practice.

Though if Ms Yumi wants to test her daughters we can tell Coyote we changed our mind.
>>
>>699963
Suggest Ashman, leave the second teammate up to Bobcat.
>>
>>699978
>>700277
>>700384
>>700385
>>701717

>Daughter

Only one is, and they're competing to be Magical Woman's successor and the next Empress of Heaven's Rest. Classic Magical Girl setup

"Well...if you want to give your apprentices a huge challenge I could convince Coyote to join up with Bobcat."

"That WOULD make a great challenge...perhaps when they are more skilled though. I don't see them learning much from competing with Coyote where they are in their studies. And forgive me for speaking badly of a Statesmen's character, but I feel Coyote might not play by the rules of the duel. And I fear even I wouldn't be able to tell if he was cheating or not."

"Don't worry about it. If he heard you say that about him he'd grin like an idiot."

And he probably has heard...

"Are you familiar with Holograham and Ashman?"

"Hmmmm....those two could be quite the lesson for my girls! They aren't the most traditional of shapeshifters. I doubt Kuzonoha would even consider them shapeshifters, and I KNOW Aki won't be expecting anything like them. I'm always trying to teach them to expect the unexpected. The kami of my homeland are diverse. But even they have their patterns and commonalities. In dealing with them all the time I fear my girls might grow complacent. A vagabond shaman of smoke and a man of light...yes, I believe those are perfect!" Magical Woman smiles. "Well...here is to a fun and rewarding challenge." She extends her hand. "May the best team win!"

You shake her hand.

"Now with that out of the way I have something I wanted to talk to you about. You are opening learning centers with your Statesmen expansion correct?"

"They're supplementary schools. They work with local school systems to provide students with additional education and resources."

"Would you be interested in recruiting a foreign instructor?"

You can't help but go a little bug eyed. "Are you... interested in teaching in our centers?"

"Oh I'm sorry, no!" She gives a light chuckle. "I'm much too busy with my own academy. But Aki and Tsuki have learned about half of what they'd need to know to succeed me. Now I am wondering how well they'd do in teaching to others what I have taught them. Magical Woman must be a great teacher after all."

Well this is an interesting offer. One one hand, they're foreign teenagers who might have students older than they are. On the other hand their skills are no joke. They're more than qualified for the job.

>SAY? DO?

>ACCEPT AKI AND TSUKI AS CENTER INSTRUCTORS?

>>700277
She's cool with anyone. She's cocky like that, and really only cares about taking on Kuzonoha.


CHALLENGE UNLOCKED: BOBCAT VS FOX! INTERNATIONAL SHAPESHIFTER DUEL!

EXPLANATION: When at the command center you can choose to activate a challenge. A cycle ends when all challenges are completed.
>>
>>704019
People might think it very presumptuous of us to consider Magical Woman's apprentices-still-in-training as worthy enough to be full-fledged Statesmen instructors. It might imply something about the quality of Japanese supers compared to American supers. Still, if they're as good as the Supervisor implies, it might be worth it to at least humor the opportunity. I'd put them on a small trial run, see how well they do. We promised to go in deep on this foreign exchange business, so this is as good a first step as any.
>>
>>704285
Some will think its highly presumptuous. Some will think hate the fact your'e using foreign teachers at all. But they are qualified to teach. They didn't become her personal apprentices by not knowing what they're doing.

The main effect is that your GLOBAL score will increase by one.
>>
>>704519
Let's give it a shot, then.
>>
>>704559
POLITICAL PERCEPTION:

GLOBAL: 4
LOCAL: 1

"Sure! I'll put them on a trial run, see how they do."

"Wonderful! I promise you they will not let you down. Young though they may be I have taught them well. They know much about the spiritual Earth and how it interacts with the physical."

"I'll start taking care of the paperwork. They can live on site at the Museum Center if you'd like. We have facilities for that."

"You would house them at your own base? You are too kind."

"Well you get good talent you take care of good talent. You might not want to send them over until November. We're still in the process of installing facilities. It's been wonderful talking to you Magical Woman. I'm very happy we've found a way to resolve Bobcat's little catfight."

"I'm happy as well. And do not be too hard on Bobcat. She say excess pride in Kuzonoha and sought to correct that. That is what tricksters do. For all the chaos of their nature they exist to create balance."

"That's a very poetic way of looking at it." You grin. "I'll try to remember that the next time Coyote does something foolish!"

The doors of the Binder Burger open, A couple of Frost-men clad in blue crystal armor march out as a sudden gust of frigid air makes you shiver.

"There's New York." You excuse yourself with a bow. "I got to go talk to a Dragon about our student body."

Magical Woman bows. "Thank you again for all your help Mr. Supervisor. I hope that as your organization grows you will remember that you have friends in Japan."

"Friends and teachers." You say. "After all you taught me something today Magical Woman. Tricksters aren't always trouble."

"Oh, such flattery! My girls always tell me that I spend too much time acting the teacher. I'm glad it paid off today though."

With a final exchange of bows you leave the Binder Burger, tray of fries still in your hands.

.....

The United Nations is a citadel of security. There are so many VIPs from so many parts of the galaxy and Three Earths and Multiverse that they can't afford anything but the strictest of security. You were monitored the moment you left the Binder Burger with an array of invisible means-psychic scans, magical auras, biometric readers-and then you actually get to the building and the real security begins.

You go through a gauntlet of tests. A stern-faced Blue Chroman pricks your finger and runs your blood through a Chroman DNA sequencer. They got to make sure you aren't some sort of shapeshifter. Then they make you walk through a invisible fore field that feels like walking under a waterfall. It's a Chase labs phase stabalizer to make sure you aren't a teleporter and won't be moving VIPs into an Earth they don't want to be in. Then there's the room with the vibrating walls and unearthly echoing sounds to check you for telepathic tampering. Everyone's seen Manchurian Candidate.

-cont
>>
>>704776

Then there's the octoaura field searcher, the redundant telepathic scan (given to you by a telepath in training who had to call her supervisor over to make sure she was doing it right), VK test to check for abnormal emotional responses (triple checking that psychic assassin thing), and some thing where they make you write your name three times on a sheet of paper (you have no idea. Some sort of magic thing?).

When they're finally sure you are who you claim to be they let you into the building proper-after you walk under a metal detector.

They don't want anyone walking in with a gun after all.

The white marble walls of the UN are lined with beautiful holograms of its member nations. The Chroman Empire has an entire wall to itself and its "client" states. The typical mobs of protesters are assembled underneath it chanting the usual demands for the Chromans to be kicked from the security council against the demands for the Chromans to be be given extra seats for their client states. Blue-armored soldiers in power armor keep the two sides separate from one another.

You round the corner and descend a gold staircase to a red carpeted hallway. The glossy ebony doors of this hallway lead to private meeting halls. The hallway itself is lined with marble statues of men and women who have "provided great aid to the United Nations", which basically means people that have saved the building from supervillians and supercrazies-Baron Bizarre, Sub-Zero the Venusian, the first Astra-man, etc.

There aren't any protesters here-not because someone can't find something objectionable with one statue or another, but because there's not all that much room in the hallway.

You find the door you're looking for marked 12, open it, and step through.

You're instantly aware that you've crossed over into the spiritual Earth. Everything is so surreal and vivid. The air feels cool and gentle but there's no motion to it. It doesn't matter against your skin. Rather you feel yourself move through it as it there were a clear fog in front o you. It smells strange but pleasantly sweet. It reminds you of nothing on Earth. The closest you can compare it to is fruit.

You walk on a long golden carpet. You see your feet move but you don't feel the floor. Its as if you were walking on air. The carpet snakes and winds until you come to an ornate fountain. You feel a refreshing coolness radiate from the sapphire-blue water rushing out of the mouths of stone dragons and crashing into a white foam that somehow leaves the pool so clear and undisturbed you can see yourself in it-and one other besides you. You see a man with a long black beard and majestic oriental robe in the water.

You turn to see the man who the reflection belongs to but see no one. You look back into the water and see the reflection bow to you.

Yeah. Its the Spiritual Earth alright.

You return the bow. "Ambassador Ming? You wished to speak to me about my program's exchange program?"
-cont
>>
>>704941
"Yes." He replies in a thickly accented voice that seems to just sound in your ear.

"Speak truthfully to me. What do you think about China? What do you think about its mandatory draft of all superhumans over the age of 15? Speak truthfully to me. It is horrible bad luck to lie to a dragon."

Well. Some guys like getting down to brass tacks...

>SAY? DO?
>>
>>704970
Well, you already had us as "mandatory draft." America has had a volunteer army for a long time; yes, everyone registers for the draft - even supers - but the draft itself hasn't been used in a long time. That aside, China has always been one of America's biggest rivals, so we've been conditioned to be wary of Chinese policy and agendas, as they tend to oppose American interests. We don't have a problem with the Chinese people (until they become a problem), but the government isn't doing them any favors.
>>
>>704970
We are not a fan. It goes against a lot of what our program is for.

>>693535
>The Statesmen are composed of men and women from all sorts of careers. They chose their careers. They chose. And we want to give our children the same choice. We will not pick their future for them. We will simply show them the paths they can walk.

Also I'd advise against going into the scandal with Canada. He doesn't seem like one to dance around with politics. To talk about our nations' rivalries with each other might be OK because it directly affects him and the rivalry between the US and China is a long and important one.

I think he might appreciate it if we keep the conversation on the principle of the matter, rather than the politics.
>>
>>704970
"And lie i shall not to you. It is very much against we were raised to accept as... Good. It has been mostly a necessity before, a necessary evil if you will. May i ask, why the sudden interest?"
>>
>>705216
>>705919
>>707262

"And lie I shall not to you. You already had us at "mandatory draft". America has had a volunteer army for a long time. Yeah, everyone registers for the draft-even supers-but it hasn't been used in a long time. That aside, China has always been one of our biggest rivals."

"Also one of your biggest trade partners."

"That to. But we've been conditioned to be wary of Chines policy and agendas as they tend to oppose American interest. We don't really have a problem with the Chinese people-until they become a problem-but the government isn't doing them any favors."

"That's very well and good. But I'm already very aware of what your government thinks. I am asking you personally, what do you feel about our mandatory military service?"

"I'm not a fan. It goes against a lot of what my program is for. We don't want to push supers into any particular path. We show them the roads but we expect them to pick the one they want to walk."

"Ah. That is good to hear." The reflection of Ambassador Ming says with a twinkle in his impossibly jade green eyes. "Very good to hear..."

"May I ask why the sudden interest?"

"Because I am a dragon, Mr. Supervisor. And our history sense the dawn of the 20th century has been a long series of continually failing to understand who are our friends and who are our enemies. Sense time immemorial we have ruled China. Her emperors have always had a little dragon blood in them. This has been true sense the Yellow Emperor himself. What your people call the Atlantean Walls and the Enochian Walls and what mine call the Celestial Walls-are not so thick in our part of the world. We dragons have guided, protected, and loved the people of China. The seat of power is called the Dragon Throne for a very good reason Mr. Supervisor. And then of course you Westerners come, the English and other colonialists. Your damned wizards and magicians sealed us beyond the walls when we wouldn't agree to their unjust trade regulations-and we could do not but watch as for the first time in history non-Chinese stood before the Dragon Throne in 1900, at the dawn of the 20th century."

The waters churn anxiously and you see brilliant water-colored pictures of the past. You see the boxer rebellion. You men with rifles standing before an empty throne, before an empty palace. You see a city full of history on fire.

"And so we believed Westerners were the enemy. We believed if we could crush the West all would be well. We made alliances with the thrice-damned gods of Shinto. We believed in their "Greater East-Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere"-right up until they stabbed us in the back."

"Not all the Shinto gods supported the invasion of Manchuria."

"But enough did. And before we were liberated we had to rely on you Westerners and your super-heroes to defeat the Japanese, to defeat an enemy we were unable to defeat ourselves. It was your Pele that fought against their sun goddess."
-cont
>>
The waters show you pictures of WW2, of the Black Terror and Tim fighting Japanese soldiers in Nanking, of Uncle Sam straddling battle ships in the Pacific, of the X-Bomb tearing a hole in the skies above Nagasaki...

"And so our enemies become our saviors, rescuing us from our allies who became our captors."

You see members of the Fox Squadron-Wraith, The Flame, Wonder Man, and Rulah-shattering the enormous building-sized chest that held the dragons prisoner as they streak into the air like multi colored fireworks to aid the Fighting Tigers in dogfights with Japanese Zeros.

"And so we think that wherever our enemies lie they must lie outside the nation. We consider isolating China from the rest of the world. We consider removing it from the physical and placing it firmly within our celestial homelands in the spiritual. But of course we know what happened. The communists. Mao and his "Great Leap Forward"..." The old dragon pauses.

"Your sure you want to be saying all this stuff to me Ambassador Ming?"

"Yes...yes I am sure." He replies shakily and then firmly. "We never expected they would hate us. We never expected them to think that we failed the nation. They prayed to us. They revered us. It had been that way so long and then...to make it a crime to even commune with us. To make it a crime to believe in us, to believe that we were their friends..."

You see soldiers with machine guns standing before an empty throne, before an empty place. You see a city full of history on fire.

"Our greatest threat was never from outsiders. Even the Shinto demons...even the English wizards..."

You see books burning while people cheer. You see scrolls torn from walls. You see shrines desecrated. You see temples demolished.

"...never hunted us..."

And the images you've seen before in school textbooks and documentaries, of majestic otherworldly creature stripped and dissected to the bone, of dragons bleeding to death in city streets as soldiers stand on top of them and pose for the cameras-those images he does not show you.

The old dragon sighs, and it is a sign of an old man.

"...And of course this was after Korea. This was after the world was terrified by the prospect of large scale superhuman violence destroying all of existence. National borders were sacrosanct. And Russia did not want anyone to interfere with the birth of a new and powerful Communist ally..."

"There were still the ones that helped under the radar." You say consolingly. "A couple of the Astra-Man. And all the super-spies from the nascent CROW. And the Youxia."

"Yes." He says with a smile. "The Youxia. The hero outlaws...they fight still in my country for justice. It is because of them that we were not hunted to extinction like animals."

"Now are you really sure you want to be saying that kind of stuff to an American diplomat?"

"Yes. Because what I am to ask you requires absolute trust between you and I. I expect you to speak only the truth to me, and so I speak only the truth to
>>
>>710018
you."

And here you thought CROW would be the first to ask you about highly risky cloak and dagger stuff...

"Most spiritual beings have fled to Taiwan. Or even Korea. Or even Japan. Although they try constantly to lure us back with promises and apologies we shall not forget. We do not forget....and yet I cannot forget a time when we were worshiped, when we were prayed to. I cannot forget. And neither man nor dragon can decide where their heart lies. So here I am, a dragon that obeys and represents a government that hunted him years ago. They give me this position to honor me. But what is that to one who remembers worship, who remembers prayers? My cousins are right to look down on me. But as I said...one cannot decide where their hear lies. Shall I show you my heart? Baozhai, come and meet your future tutor!"

Ohhhhh. So that's what all this about. And here you were sort of worried he was going to ask you to kill someone...

You feel a blast of warm air on your back and turn. You see a coiled dragon with scales the color of waxy jade. Its enormous head looms over you. Golden eyes squint at you.

"You? You are the one that gives orders to gods and more-than-gods?" The air around you quakes. "What makes you so special little creature?"

SAY/DO?
>>
>>710076
"I'm not, I was appointed by a commitee primarily for experience working with superhumans and a strong work ethic. My authority comes from what I do while in office, rather then how I got it."
>>
>>710076
Nothing. I was appointed to my position, but I consider it a heavy and honored opportunity. Everyone, even those gods and more-than-gods, trusts me because they know I do right by them.
>>
>>710076
Nothing. I'm just a person doing the best he can to try and make the world a little better.
>>
>>710144
>>710323
>>710502

"Nothing. I'm just a man trying to do the best he can to make the world a little better."

"That's what everyone says." Baozhai rolls her eyes that shine like pieces of polished metal. "Even the generals and the soldiers say that. What gives you authority? What gives you authority over beings like ME? You like like just another appointed-by-committee despot to me."

"My authority comes from what I do while in office, rather than how I got it. Everyone I work with, even those gods and more-than-gods, trusts me because they know I do right by them."

"Hmph! It all just sounds like talk and promises to me!"

"ENOUGH!"

The fountain erupts in a column of scintillating water. It flows like spun silk off the enormous reptilian body that rises out of it. Not one drop falls outside the fountain's pool.

Ambassador Ming looms over you like a skyscraper. You feel an innate, primal awe at his appearance. Your heart leaps into your throat. It reminds you of how you feel when you look at Alien God Killer. This is a god before gods.

Ambassador Ming bears a resemblance to his daughter. His scales are a darker jade, almost obsidian in their darkness. His eyes are a tinged, aged gold with just a hint of rusty orange. His mouth opens as he snarls revealing teeth that glimmer like icicles. "BAOZHAI! APOLOGIZE TO YOUR TUTOR!"

"B-But father!"

"NOW!"

The entire magical world you're in shakes.

"FINE!" Baozhai shouts back like a smaller aftershock. She lovers herself to your level placing her head on an invisible not-ground that feels like where you stand when you dream about things. "I...am sorry." She says with a nod.

First time in your life a dragon has ever bowed to you...

"I am sorry as well for my daughter's rude behavior." Even the dragon simply speaking makes the world ripple and shake like struck water.

"Its fine. I take it you'd like to enroll her in our programs? She's probably nervous about moving to a new place."

"I am not." She hisses.

"I would indeed like to enroll her. She is my treasure, and I am a dragon. We are not so uncivilized and covetous as our western cousins, but we are still jealous beings by nature."

"Hey. I seriously doubt you are any worse than humans in that regard. Have you been following our Presidential elections? Our politicians sure like their tax loopholes."

"It is appropriate that you mention loopholes. Baozhai's 16th birthday is coming soon. Soon they will demand her to enlist in the army."

"And she won't have to if she's in our program?"

"Yes. I wish to spare her the humiliation of having to obey a system that...has taken so much from my people. For a dragon, for my own daughter to salute some HUMAN because he wears a uniform...I cannot stand it...But in you I see respect, and goodness, and perhaps even the future of our countries. In you I would trust my treasure."

>SAY? DO?

>ENROLL BAOZHAI

>POLITELY DECLINE, THIS IS A POLITICAL HOT POTATO.
>>
>>716173
>ENROLL BAOZHAI
Helping a Chinese dragon dodge the draft by enrolling her in an American program? What could possibly go wrong?
>>
>>716186
Hell, thinking on it, foreign affairs might call it a boon to enroll Baozhai in the Statesmen program. The last thing they want is the Chinese getting a newly-enlisted dragon in their armed forces.
>>
>>716173
Seconding this >>716186
>>
>>716186
>>716316
>>716187

GLOBAL:5
LOCAL: 1

"Sure, we'll be happy to take Baozhai under our wing. She could over a lot to our Statesmen Centers. She's had a lot of experiences our American students haven't. I think they'd find having a dragon for a peer rewarding."

"Peer." Baozhai snorts. "Yeah right..."

"Don't sell them short Baozhai." You say. "You haven't even met them yet."

"I don't need to. I already know they're going to be a bunch of soft, pampered, decadent idiots who can't even find China on a-"

"BAOZHAI!" Ming roars.

"I'm sorry..." She says reluctantly.

"You'll have some time to prepare. My people will get in contact with yours. I promise you our students won't be nearly as bad as you think they'll be. You might even become friends with some of them."

"I don't WANT to be their friend. I just want them to leave me alone..."

>SAY? DO?

>GO TO NEXT SCENE?
>>
>>716382
Go to next scene, I can't think of much to say here that wouldn't just irritate her more.
>>
>>716402
You politely bow to Ambassador Ming and the dragon bows in return.

"I entrust my treasure to you Mr. Supervisor." Your vision begins to blur and you have the sense of the colorful world around you dissolving like a chalk drawing in the rain. "Take care of her and your name shall be mentioned in the Celestial City itself..."

You find yourself back in the UN's hall of meeting rooms feeling like you just woke up from a dream.

You yawn. Travel through the spiritual Earth always makes you feel a little sleepy. It's just all the stimulation coupled with the jarring return to mundane physical Earth.

To think, your name mentioned in the Celestial City...and you didn't even have to talk to Super NOWER about it!

......

Your next order of business is to head on over to the Museum and check in with Alan on the Command Center construction. If its ready you want to try out the "Battle Helmet" Alan's talked about. Its supposed to do something to your perception of reality that makes micro managing challenges quick and easy.

You aren't hungry, so you pass the rows of shifting diners lining the interway, walk down a flight of stairs, and decide to purchase a pleasurably meandering ride on a subway car to historic Jolly Harbor where the Museum lies.

A man concealed in a dark trench coat, sunglasses, and hat approaches you. "Good evening Mr. Supervisor." He says in a clear, slick voice. "I am a representative of the People's Republic of China."

Uh oh.

"Well good evening to you. So uh, classic disguise you got there. Are you affiliated with CROW by any chance?" You offer him a handshake.

He declines.

"No. I am not affiliated with CROW. I am a representative of the People's Republic of China. You just finished meeting with our ambassador, yes? Would you mind telling us what it was you discussed with him?"

>SAY? DO?
>>
>>716478
That would be a question better served to your ambassador, not me.
>>
>>716478
What do we know that they know? Do they know that Ming even has a daughter? Any other reason we know of why they would be suspicious of him, other than just his being a dragon?
>>
>>716502
"Wouldn't that question be better asked to your ambassador?"

"Ambassador Ming is under investigation for association with known super-criminals."

"What do you mean?" You say with a slight smirk. "Like "Deck and Hectonchires super-criminals or Youxia super-criminals?"

"Super-criminal" is not a cut and dry label in China. There are the superhumans that work with the government and then there are the Youxia, and they're both called super heroes and super criminals depending on who you ask.

"That's really none of your business. Now, we understand that you seek to do a lot of international work with your new Statesmen expansion. China appreciates the sentiment. We would love to help you in any way that we can. It is only fair that you should want to help us. Now, please tell me what it was you discussed with Ambassador Ming today? It would be a shame to think of you as...untrustworthy."

>SAY? DO?

>TELL HIM A LIE

>TELL HIM THE TRUTH

>MAKE A STATEMENT. TELL HIM ITS NONE OF HIS DAMN BUSINESS. HE CAN GET HIS INFORMATION FROM AMBASSADOR MING. THAT'S HOW THESE THINGS WORK.
>>
>>717070
>>MAKE A STATEMENT. TELL HIM ITS NONE OF HIS DAMN BUSINESS. HE CAN GET HIS INFORMATION FROM AMBASSADOR MING. THAT'S HOW THESE THINGS WORK.
>>
>>717070
I really don't want to fuck Ming over by leaving this all to him, but being caught in a lie would probably be worse for him.
>MAKE A STATEMENT. TELL HIM ITS NONE OF HIS DAMN BUSINESS. HE CAN GET HIS INFORMATION FROM AMBASSADOR MING. THAT'S HOW THESE THINGS WORK.
>>
>>717070
>>MAKE A STATEMENT. TELL HIM ITS NONE OF HIS DAMN BUSINESS. HE CAN GET HIS INFORMATION FROM AMBASSADOR MING. THAT'S HOW THESE THINGS WORK.

Also, mention that we don't even have any proof that he is what he says he is.
>>
>>717142
If anyone knows how to negotiate with the Chinese, it's their own dragons.
>>
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>>717092
>>717142
>>717147
>>717153

You shake you head. "Come on agent whoever-you-are. You know how things work. You want to know what we talked about you ask your own ambassador. I'm not going to roll over just because you guys send over someone in a creeper outfit to talk tough to me."

Your tele-car pulls into the station.

"Better luck next time" You say over your shoulder as you depart.

"We'll be seeing you Mr. Supervisor." The mysterious man replies simply. "We'll be seeing you.

NEW POLITICAL ENEMY: MINISTRY OF STATE SECURITY (MSS)

You take out your phone. You got a lot to talk to Alan about....

.....

After a relatively relaxing subway ride and you explain the general gist of Baozhai and Ming over the phone to Alan you emerge in Jolly Harbor, Rhode Island.

It's a sunny little city. It doesn't have the congestion of most major cities. Its buildings are broken up by wide streets with reasonable traffic and the occasional park and greenery. It's hard to believe its in the same state Herbert Hutchinson and his brother the Unfathomable Otherthing call home.

LORE UNLOCKED: JOLLY HARBOR

Jolly Harbor is home to a sprawling natural cave formations, and it is this reason the city is so important to the history of American Super-Heroes. Following the nation-wide crackdown on "super vigilantes" in the 1950's the nation's superhumans became concerned about protecting their privacy. This caused a boom in demand for "secret bases" and "caves of solitude" where superhumans could work freely without fear of government identity hunter or noisy reporters. In 1960 Sekowsky Inc bought the local cave system out from a company aiming to convert the caves into underground X-bomb shelters and began converting the utilitarian shelters into lavish "solitude fortresses" and marketing them to superhumans. The result is that Jolly Harbor became home to several prominent superhumans and super-teams including The League of Unknowns and The Challengers.

Nowadays few actual super-teams work out of Jolly Harbor. The modern super-base is an orbital satellite or a pocket dimension or a science fortress and the super teams that once lived in Jolly Harbor have moved out, but they have not forgotten their old haunts.The old bases are now converted into museums and trophy rooms celebrating the history of the super teams that still hold onto the lease. The city is steeped in superhuman culture stemming from its collection of underground museums and this was a factor in you choosing it to house the second headquarters of the Statesmen. Its schools focus on superhuman related industries and sync well with the supplementary programs your center offers. The museums serve as reminders to your students that no matter how weird or dangerous their powers or origin might be they can integrate into the system, that they can work with it and be rewarded.

-cont
>>
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>>717378
Pic related in case it wasn't obvious. I thought a town full of Batcave museums would be nifty and show that Supers have pretty good relations with normal humanity in Capeworld (and that the past is celebrated instead of retconned into oblivion). I also thought the "transformed bomb shelters into super-team headquarters" was a nice tough. I'm sure Grant Morrison would approve.

.....

"It's odd." You say to Alan over the phone. "I mean really odd. Say Ming is trying to get her out of the country because he's working with Youxia and thinks they're going to catch him soon. They'd know the moment she started classes. We aren't a secret organization. So whats he going to tell them? No I did not talk to him about enrolling my daughter?"

"Maybe he's angling to get her transferred at the last minute. Maybe he doesn't want them to know until then because it would make them even more suspicious then they already are?" Alan muses.

"I can't see how they could be anymore suspicious then they are now. They tried to intimidate me on the interway for God's sake."

"They haven't thrown him in jail yet. That means they aren't too suspicious. And you know what, maybe they already know about Baozhai. Maybe they just wanted to hear you say it so they crush your balls."

"Yeah...that might be it. The guy was seriously big on trust. If he didn't want me to say anything about his daughter I'm sure he would have said something."

"And your'e assuming they were asking about her. It might have been about something else. Maybe they thought Ming told you about one of the Youxia he helped?"

"Aw shit..." You mumble. "I just had a really bad idea. What if this isn't Youxia? What if he's involved in legit super-criminals?"

"You think he is?"

"Damn...I hope not. He seemed like a pretty good guy. He's just trying to do right by his daughter."

"Well you do know that we have a very flexible vetting process for admissions to our programs. I say we take advantage of that."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm saying put the Statesmen on the case. Let's find out what's MSS's beef with Ming."

>INVESTIGATE WITH THE STATESMEN?

>NO, LET'S NOT GET MSS EVEN MORE MAD AT US.
>>
>>717446
>INVESTIGATE WITH THE STATESMEN?
It's worth looking into to see if there's any Chinese infighting.
>>
>>717446
Could investigating harm any sort of trust between us and Ming? Or with Baozhai?
>>
>>717488
Depends on what we find, naturally.
>>
>>717500
Alright, voting for investigating.
>>
>>717446
Isn't the Jolly harbor where the Fisherman operated out of?

And lets put Brown Recluse on the case, this is like, his entire job.
>>
>>717446
I'm all for looking into it, but I'm not sure about having the Statesmen do it. Not getting caught and plausible deniability if we are will be key, whatever we decide, lest this whole thing blow up in our faces.
>>
>>717805
I really want it to be. I love the idea that back in the 20's a family of fishermen used the caves that would become the not-justice league headquarters years later to fight smugglers and gangsters, but they're supposed to be based out of Maine.

I guess the family could have operated all over New England though...

>>717517
>>717805
>>717500
>>717488
>>717475
"Okay. I suppose if we're going to be involved in all this Chinese business we ought to make sure we know what we're getting into...poor kid though. She's not even 16 yet and she's involved in all this."

"She's a dragon. She'll tough it out."

"Still. Dragon or no dragon it can't be an easy life."

"Those are the kind of kids we're going to help with our centers, remember?"

"Yeah...if anything Baozhai is patient zero for our programs. Let's not let her down."

>ASSIGN UP TO 4 STATESMEN TO INVESTIGATE.
>>
>>717834
Brown Reculse and Librarian are all we need desu. If they need back up we'll send Fairy Finder and Black Hole Man.
>>
>>717826
>plausible deniability

You could totally suicide squad this. There are quite a few anti-heroes willing to take one for the team.

SUGGESTIONS:

Mountain Lion is a bounty hunter. It'll be easy to make her a cover story where she's hunting criminals in China. "I was looking into document X because I thought it had information on the Jade Scorpion."

Ghost O' Jarone has...contacts in the shadowy parts of the world, including China.

The tricksters are rather handy for this kind of mission, but they're preoccupied for this cycle.

Brown Recluse lives for this kind of stuff.

Buckeye is known not to play by the rules. If he gets caught doing stuff he shouldn't in China no one would be surprised.

Pele has a reputation of being hot headed and flighty. If she's caught they're likely to just roll their eyes and send her on her way.

Super Speedsters are great for sneaky work, and Turnpike has speed to spare.
>>
>>717852
Oh, that's actually a really good team. This group okay with everyone else?
>>
>>717834
>>717805
>>717852
Brown Recluse and Librarian sound good to me, but I'd also suggest the Palmetto Bug. The "danger sense" and "compressing himself to slip through incredibly small spaces" sound useful in a stealth situation
>>
>>717861
Skimmed through the pastebin again
>His very presence causes apathy and calm to settle in and actively (though not permanently) diminishes many sources of super-powers in his presence
Forgot about that part, thought Black Hole Man only diminished emotions. I'm fine with that team, too.
>>
>>717861
Works for me.
>>
>>717861
Who do you think I am? I'm the yellow anon guy, im the best at what i do.
>>
>>717871
>>717985

So Brown Recluse, Librarian, Palmetto Bug, and Fairy Finder?

>CONFIRM TEAM?
>>
>>718150
Sounds good.
>>
>>718150
I liked black hole man as a clean up crew to stop any scadel but sure Palmetto needs to get out more.
>>
>>718150
Sure
>>
"Get me Brown Recluse. The man practically lives for this kind of stuff. Get Fairy Finder. She's like a trickster but sane. She can go anywhere. Librarian as well. If he finds something in his books all the better."

"Speaking of which he wants to see you. He's got your library card for you."

"Finally! I've been waiting for it! He's in the Museum's library right?"

"He's in all libraries."

"You know what I mean..."

"Yeah. He's taken it upon himself to make sure our library is up to his standards. He wants to make sure its more than something the kids walk pass on their way to classes so he's customizing the selection for them. He's got shelves of superhuman biographies, metahuman history, studies of metahuman business, and an entire wing devoted to "essential character building philosophy." When I told him we could put all of those books on a flash drive for him he looked at me like he was going to teleport my head clean off my shoulders! You know I just don't get him. For a guy on the forefront of information science he's got a giant print fetish."

"Hey. Books are cozy. Sometimes you just want to flip pages you know?"

"Oh god. Now you're sounding like him. So anyone else for our cloak and dagger project?"

"Palmetto Bug."

"Why him?"

"The guy has an inbuilt cockroach-sense that science barely understands. If he starts twitching SOMETHING is going to happen. That's handy on a mission like this...and don't involve him, god knows he's busy enough with his prison, but keep Black Hole Man on standby. Tell him to get ready in case we need him to be our clean up crew."

"Got it. Over and out."

NEW CHALLENGE: OPERATION DRAGON

.....

You can't help but sign as you approach the Museum center. The brownstone building is picturesque in the October sunset. Brown and amber leaves swirl pass you clinking on the gray sidewalk. Trees full of orange leaves sway under a golden sunset.And in the center of all this is the Museum, so far the culmination of all your work in the Statesmen expansion.

The sun sets behind your headquarters-museum-school-civic center and you feel like you've earned this day. A little shining jack-o-lantern smiles at you as you walk up the gray steps to the front door. You can't help but smile back.

God. All it needs is a little bowl of candy. You think you'll ask someone about that...

You step through the door and feel good walking over the classic black and white tiled floor so clean you can see yourself in it and past little square glass exhibits holding items donated from the Statesmen-an ebony shell casing from Ghost O Jarone's infernal tommy gun, a deactivated Justice Grenade from Captain Justice, a model of The Hoosier's car, and other treasures all with brass plaques with deep set black letters detailing their importance.

"You love this place to huh?" Alan greets you around a turn. "Yeah. It doesn't have a backdoor to the Dreamtime or a view of the Earth but its really damn swell isn't it? Its got studies.
-cont
>>
>>720833
"I can actually say "I'm in the study" to people now. "I'm in the first floor study." How cool is that? You know all this place needs is a conservatory and you could play life sized Clue! Its already got secret passages!"

"Well now I'm 90 percent certain I know what Dice Head's donation is going to be..."

"Well, we got the Command Center up and running while you were at the UN. And Librarian is in in the library with your uh, library card. But there's something you need to see." Alan grins big. "In the trophy room. Its a surprise. Come on!"

"I don't know if I like surprises Alan..."

"Oh come on you drip, its fun!"

You sigh and follow him. It can't be any worse than finding yourself watched by MSS.

......

The Statesmen trophy room-or rather the new trophy room. The one back at the original Smithsonian base, the "club house" is near to overflowing with mementos of successful Statesmen adventures and rescues and missions from deactivated super-villain power armor to giant ever-glowing Atlantean glyps. But the new trophy room is empty. In a sense it is "your" trophy room for all the trophies to be earned by the Statesmen post-expansion. It is a huge room heavy with the weight of possibilities. Sometimes you've found yourself walking these halls listening to the echoing sound of your footsteps thinking about the future, thinking about this immediate moment where everything before you is undecided and unknown...

...Well, it was empty until today...

You walk into the trophy room and the first thing you notice is an enormous brass statue depicting Alan, Jenny, and yourself posed if you all were super-heroes about to lay an aggressive smackdown on some unsuspecting supervillian. Your statue's arms are crossed and you look smugly down on yourself, head slightly cocked to the side. Behind the three of you the American flag curls like a dragon's tail and a very angry looking Eagle shrieks, its bronze feathers stiff like dagger points.

"Oh my god does Jenny know about this?" The words are out of your mouth before you even think of them.

"No. And that's the best part! But look who's by the statue!"

You lower your gaze and found who else but President Adam Ace of the United States of America.

"Now that's what we need Mr. Supervisor." Before you can get over your shock he's giving you a hearty handshake with one hand and gesturing to the statue with another. "A symbol to show everyone how great the future is going to be under our program!"

NEW TROPHY: HEROISM IN BRONZE: During the first Senate Hearing never take the easy way out and say something non-committal and political.

"You know I going over the donations Ace Inc gives to the Statesmen and I thought to myself. I said "Ace, that's good but its not enough. Its not enough. I got to do something to really show people I'm behind this 100 percent." And I remembered your trophy room from my last visit here and I thought how empty it was, so sad it was like the hole in America's heart.
-c
>>
>>720900
"America's got all this infrastructure, all this possibility, and its got a hole in its heart like how you had this giant hole in the center of your base. Well no longer! I thought I'd do something nice for you and your support staff. You know, you guys deserve trophies even if you can't beat up bad guys. You stood up against Congress and believe you me, that's worse than any supervillian. I mean I'd rather face down Science Tyrant any day than Senator Jacobin! Whew! But you stuck to your guns, like me."

You wonder if an acute lack of self awareness can be considered a super-power?

"I appreciate gutsy honestly like that. I believe we're going to need more of that to make America great again. I believe in rewarding that quality. And here's the reward! So what you think Mr. Supervisor?"

>SAY? DO?
>>
>>720914
I'd call it vain, but I'm so giddy right now I can't.
>>
>>720914
"That's a fine addition the the new collection if i ever saw one"

I like this guy, he is a charming idiot.
>>
>>720971
>>721150

"That's a fine addition to the new collection if I ever saw one. Thank you Mr. President."

"Good man!" He shakes your hand again before sauntering out the door. "Keep up the good fight! We'll make America Great Again!" He gives you a snappy thumbs up.

"Well. I'm surprised he didn't bring a camera crew." You say to Alan.

"That's because he wan't sure what you were going to say. So really what do you think about it?"

"I'd call it vain, but I'm so giddy right now I can't."

"It is sort of impressive isn't it? Although I don't think you're that taller than me...but hey, its not a bad not-a-bribe."

"Oh come on. You think Ace did this just to try and get us on his side?"

"YES. It's October. It's certainly not trick-or-treat. And if he's going to lose-which seems likely after that lewd comment he made about the catgirl-he'll want to go out supporting us. Like it or not his legacy is tied up in ours now."

"The left could have backed us if we had gotten on their diversity train. But we're not going to put quotas in the Statesmen."

"Well it would have been nice to have two statues. Still, I think the Ace Inc money is good enough to offset worries about being seen as backing Ace and the right."

"Is it though?"

"Oh come on. We're 100 percent transparent. We can't say no to donations just because the left isn't giving us anything to balance Ace's money!"

"It's an effective strategy though. By letting Ace donate to us and not donating anything themselves the left makes us look like we're in bed with him, especially after the Brown Recluse leaked those emails."

"But this is nothing like that!"

"Yeah. But if "feels" like it could be and "feels" are what matter in politics, not facts. The single sentence tweets of our situation are going to be "Statesmen accept Ace money" and nothing else. The public's own cynicism and stupidity will do the rest."

"We have Super NOWER backing us."

"They're not the entire media though..."

>ACCEPT ACE INC AS A BACKER

>DECLINE ACCEPTING ACE INC
>>
>>721372
As long as we can keep not!Trump around? Sure
We can drop one or two comments about the left not giving us support to put them in a bad light if we need to
>>
>>721372
Donations should not be tied up with politics. Besides, you'd think the liberals would be happy with our globalization efforst.
>>
>>721372
Look liberal sponsership has been low energy, no class.
They haven't been sending their money, they haven't been sending their best heroes, they haven't been sending ANY heroes. We can't keep tagging along with loser senators with no class.

When was the last time Jacobin won anything? China's been beating them. Have you seen the dragon transfer student? Forward momentum thinking, high spunk. Very good dragon, the best, really.
Pack Rat has been beating them in the representation game.

We need to stop associating with loser senators and keep the statesmen as great as they already are.

If the Liberals won't play with a winning team like us then we don't even want them.
>>
>>721372
Try and find some liberal group first. We'll announce them simultaneously. It'll make us look bipartisan.
>>
>>721520
Holy shit, this. There must be SOME group out there willing to play ball.
>>
>>721491
>>721468
>>721410
>>721520
>>721529
You chill with Alan in the first floor study. A real honest to god marble fireplace crackles by the polished oak table you sit at. Above the mantle a living water color painting of an aquarium swims with life. Bright fairly realistic interpretations of tropical fish dart in and out of a cubist coral reef-a donation from Baron Bizarre and The Generals.

"Damn." You curse. "Donations should not be tied up with politics."

"EVERYTHING is tied up with politics."

"You'd think the left would be happy with our globalization efforts. Isn't that enough for them to throw us a freaking bone?"

"It's not that simple." Alan says lighting up a cigarette. "Chillton is their candidate. Its election season. Jacobin was big into the diversity thing. He almost got the nomination from Chillton...hell, he might have even gotten it. You know what those emails said. Chillton wants to get as many of his supporters as she can over to he camp-at least until elections are over."

"Damn. There's got to be SOMEONE we can bring on board. I don't want the Statesmen to be partisan. Its not our purpose to pressure anyone to do anything. That's not what we're here for."

"Well after our hard line stance on putting merit and need before "diversity"..."

"Holy shit Alan, there's got to be SOME group out there willing to play ball with us...and put that cigarette out. This is going to be a school soon."

"It's not a school YET." He leans back in his chair and puffs. "I'm going to live the fantasy of being a big shot in my own mansion as long as possible...and I THINK I can find something for us. The globalization angle is good but the right has a pretty big stake in that. It might not be the same stake the left has but its there, its not "their" issue. But...I think I can get us something...yeah...yeah..." Alan smiles. "How do some of these groups sound to you?"

-cont
>>
>>721554
SELECT ONE:

>INTRNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR META-ANIMALS

An animal rights organization, be those animals multi-dimensional squids, kaiju, or super powered animals. They encourage people to see meta-animals as parts of nature and not monsters. They oppose exploitation of meta animals.

>LEAGUE OF MAP MAKERS
A multinational group and historically left-leaning group who want to encourage re-interpretation of the world we live in by producing artistic maps-maps of psychic networks, maps of super speed travel, maps of 3 Earth overlap points, etc. The arthouse darling of post-structuralists.

>HIVE-MIND INTERNATIONAL

A group o hive-minds and non-hive-minds that wants to encourage positive representation of hive-minds. It not surprising that they tend to support collectivist policies. They tend to complain loudly every time someone makes a movie or video game in which the enemy is a hive mind.
>>
>>721642
Wow we really alienated the liberals all of these are more hobbiests.

is the ISFMA as bad as peta?
>>
>>721642
>LEAGUE OF MAP MAKERS
The Cape World universe is very complicated; I'm not surprised these guys don't see more work. Hell, their maps can help our curriculum if they're good.
>>
>>721655
We said no to quotas. That means a good third of their voters are against us. At least.

ISFMA is nowhere near as bad as PETA. They haven't done anything illegal. Mostly they're like a group of Crocodile Hunters-except the Crocodile is a giant primal god. They love nature and want to encourage conservation and nature education.

>>721658
Their maps tend to be more artsy then practical, but they have helped out scientists more than once and some of their maps find their ways into textbooks.
>>
>>721665
Then lets go with them. Hell as we pointed out most of our statesmen are magical animals.
>>
>>721642
One of the first two, preferably the League of Map Makers.

Helping animals would be good for publicity, but might lead to some issues down the road. Map Making seems like a solid and respectable cause, and one that a team of superheroes would be good at.
>>
>>721665
How hardline is their anti-testing stance though, exactly?
>>
>>721730
They're willing to compromise on issues of medical testing but not for so say, cosmetic testing.
>>
>>721929
Lets go with the maps society anyway, we got animal heroes to push for the metabeast angle but our cartographer is likely occupied for a good while.
>>
>>721929
Then I'm for the animal rights group. Let's remember the mapmaker's in case we need more funding in the future though.
>>
I wonder if Rat Pack would be more for the animal group or the hivemind group.

Not voting, I already did that, just wondering.
>>
>>721682
>>723023

>Save the animals

>>721658
>>721716
>>721994

>Save the maps

Save the maps is ahead so far.

>>723045
I can't wait to write Rat Pack. They're masters of origami because it allows them to collapse and construct their mobile rat nomad town in seconds. You find yourself talking to a few of them and you look away, and when you turn around they have little towers and walls build out of super-durable paper.

They're already members of HMI. They get along well with ISFMA and help them study the weird metamutant fauna that lives in New York City's sewer system.
>>
>>723406
I was one of the animal votes and switched it to the maps later. its not 2-3 its 3-1
pic related.
>>
>>723406
The animal one sounds tempting, but i'll go with maps



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