Hello, here is where I'll be posting background fluff and setting details for my RP, The League. The League is an Always Open Casual Roleplay with elements of science fiction and fantasy in a world filled with superheroes and supervillains. Myself and the players within the RP are crafting a vivid and highly detailed world that is hopefully filled with potential for great roleplaying and fun to play in. These Codex entries offer a taste of the world we are building and there's always room for more people to play in it. Ambitious though it may be the goal is to eventually create a Persistent RP with a fleshed out and amazing setting that survives the usual RP problems and remains a blast to play for a long, long time. Hopefully these entries are entertaining to read and encourage you to join the thread. I'll keep up the updates so check in often. [u] [b] The Meta Codex [/b] [/u] [b] The United States Government [/b] [hider=The Department of Superhuman Affairs] The Department of Superman Affairs is the United States Government's premier agency in dealing with anything involving metahumans or supernatural beings. It's duties are wide and vary from law enforcement to intelligence gathering to matters of national defense. The DSA was founded following the events of the Awakening, drawing members from several federal agencies and branches of the military. The current DSA Director is former CIA Operative Jonathon Miller, who is a long-time colleague of Eric Freeman. The Agency has thousands of agents in various roles and is one of the largest and fastest growing federal agencies in operation. The Agency is responsible for communication with the Supernatural nations and their interactions with the various supernatural powers are often strained, even the Fellowship of Sorcerers despite technically having the same goals. The DSA's smaller and secretive precursor a joint task-force between the CIA and FBI, had been responsible for investigating arcane events such as troll sightings, vampire feedings, and faerie abductions along with investigation into ESP and psychic powers in the US and those duties are continued in the Agency. The DSA is often called in to investigate federal level crimes that involve superhumans. They have had in an instrumental role in combating the rising threat of superpowered drug cartels, domestic terrorists, gangs, serial killers, hitmen, and all other kinds of empowered criminals. Perhaps one of the DSA's most infamous cases was the investigation into the murder of dozens of young women all along the East Coast and the subsequent arrest of the metahuman David Smith. Smith is also known as Abattoir, possesses the power of psychic surgery and is one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. Pariah assisted the DSA in the case and it remains one of the most gruesome investigations in the history of Law Enforcement, with Abattoir becoming an urban horror figure and bogeyman. Abattoir remains in Death Row in a supermax facility, and is one of several candidates for a transfer to the potential superhuman-centric maximum security facility in the Midwest. The DSA has also combated various other professional criminals enterprises made up of superhumans. Los Diablos, the only metahuman cartel in Mexico and principal rival of the Los Zetas cartel with agents along the border, is one of the most violent and vicious cartels in history and the continuing efforts of the DSA and the Southern supehero team the Guard keep the violence from spreading into America. Conflicts between DSA agents, other federal operatives, and Guardsmen with the Diablos and their American allies are bloody and violent. The DSA has been responsible for trying to stop growing gang violence across the country between organized mobs of a wide array of nationalities and the growing number of superpowered street gangs, gangs like the violent New York group Butcher Street, have been responsible for the national decline of established organized crime syndicates like the Gambino crime family while breaking the law with their superhuman abilities. Organized groups of professional kidnappers, smugglers, bank robbers, hitmen and all other kinds of criminals with superhuman powers that operate in America from at home or abroad are under the DSA's jurisdiction. Corporate Espionage and White Collar Crime committed by superhumans in the shadowy world of Corporate America is also investigated by the DSA. The DSA also occasionally lends superpowered agents to other federal agencies to help further dismantle non-powered organizations like the Gambinos, and because of their efforts traditional organized crime is on a sharp decline in the United States. The DSA is also a principal defender against superpowered terrorism in the United States. These terror groups run the full gamut of political extremism. The DSA is investigating Gaia's Chosen, a superhuman eco-terrorist and animal liberation group hell-bent on "bringing balance back to the world" along with a right-wing luddite extremist Christian movement called the Wolves of God, composed of metahumans and supernaturals who believe they were chosen by God to "vanquish the evils of homosexuality, feminism, abortion, moral bankruptcy, magic, and false idols in God's chosen land". The Wolves of God have some ties to a Neo-Nazi group called Aryans Reborn, who received metahuman powers and saw them as proof of their superiority against other ethnic groups and who wish to ignite a Racial Holy War. They must also contend with the Liberty Front, an anti-establishment anarchist movement with dangerous superhuman powers and the goal of overthrowing the government and the "oppressive oligarchic 21st century nobility" to supposedly improve conditions in America and bring social change and make extensive use of technopathic hackers. But perhaps the Agency's two most infamous targets are the opposing True Humans and Novus Sapiens movements. The True Humans are composed entirely of normal humans and seek to "take back the country from the freaks and monsters," and are responsible for destructive acts of violence against metahumans, supernaturals, and their supporters. Their mortal enemies are the Novus Sapiens who are composed entirely of metahumans or supernaturals and who believe that they are a "superior race" and who believe the Awakening signals their rise to power, they accept superhumans of all stripes even the often ostracized "mutant" metahumans and advocate unification of all superhumans to take power. The DSA also has agents abroad in many different countries to evaluate and deal with potential threats that have arisen in increasing tension across the Middle East, Russia, China, South America, and many other areas of the globe following the international tension caused by the Awakening and the growing international stability as various governments are engaging in a "Superhuman Arms Race" and embittering conflicts between themselves and with insurgencies across the globe. The DSA is said to have multiple agents undercover in various foreign governments and movements to monitor the multiple deepening situations as insurgencies and regimes alike recruit superhuman power into their causes. The DSA is often a subject of controversy and well-spring of conspiracy theories in America. The Director of the DSA is an outspoken advocate of the contentious potential Superhuman Registration Act proposed by Senator David Linden. The Act would call for the registration and monitoring of all superhumans in the nation and even includes clauses of superhuman segregation and that all superheroism should be controlled by the government. The bill is highly controversial and hotly debated in the nation even among the Agency itself. The DSA is also criticized for supposedly spying on superhumans and superheroes and on civilian activist groups that have exploded in number and variety of ideology following the Awakening and who are alleged to have connections to extremist groups like the True Humans and Novus Sapiens. The DSA's affairs around the world and with the supernatural nations are often a point of suspicion with many citizens and rumors of superpowered death squads and black ops groups are popular memes among the public along with rumors of the DSA recruiting international superhuman criminals to fight for the US. But most of all rumors of the DSA's connection with several prominent scientists has inflamed speculation that the Federal government is experimenting on superhumans and trying to weaponize manifestation by artificially recreating the Awakening and arming the US with various kinds of superhuman soldiers. The DSA's members are both normal humans and superhumans with a wide variety of motives for joining the Agency and skills. Their eclectic nature allows the DSA to enforce the law in a manner that is unprecedented in Law Enforcement. With multitudes of manpower, heavy government funding, sophisticated next-generation technology, a wide operational scope, and the flexibility superpowers provide the DSA is perhaps the most formidable government agency in the world. The DSA often works with superhero groups to fight superhuman crime, but many agents even Superhuman ones find groups like the League of Heroes as un-elected and dangerous wildcards that present a threat to national security. But if rampant chaos and destruction both in America and abroad is to be averted the League and the Agency must learn to work together to face the rising threats. [/hider] [b] Old World Powers [/b] [hider=The White Fellowship of Sorcerers] The White Fellowship of Sorcerers is an organization comprised of nearly all fully-powered users of White Magic among humankind. The Fellowship has existed for ages and was founded by Merlin and eight other powerful sorcerers to unify all those who practiced the Art with good intentions. The Fellowship came to encompass magic-users all over Europe, Asia, and Africa though it has always maintained a somewhat Eurocentric focus. Only recently, in terms of Supernatural beings, has the Fellowship expanded to the "New World" in the Americas. There are currently tens of thousands of recognized Fellowship Sorcerers with a wave of apprentices following the Awakening. The Fellowship is highly diverse and it's members practice all kinds of different schools, disciplines, and techniques of Magic and many ties to different religious practices. Membership in the Fellowship is only available to true Sorcerers as low-level practitioners and minor talents are not accepted and neither are other more narrowly focused mystical mortals such as Spiritual Mediums or Holy Knights. Prospective members may have a Master or attempt to enter the Fellowship themselves, but all must pass a Trial proving their power and skill as a full-blown Sorcerer. Full members are given status and privileges as part of the Fellowship and members of the Supernatural community and are allowed to vote in the proceedings of the organization. Members must abide by the Laws of Magic and perform their duties as a Fellowship Sorcerer whether they be martial or civil when the occasion calls. They aggressively recruit all Sorcerers of White Magic and those who choose to not be members are regarded with high suspicion. The Fellowship is ruled by the Elder Council, who are almost universally recognized as the Nine most powerful human sorcerers in the world. Elders are chosen by order of seniority and their potential membership is discussed and ratified by the existing Council and the assembly of other members. The Elders are in turn led by the Archmage, who is seen as the Sorcerer Supreme of the entire planet and the single most formidable magic-user in humankind. The Archmage and the Elders are responsible for quick decisions in times of crisis such as Supernatural war. The current Archmage is the english wizard Alexander Lincoln who has been a wizard since during the Renaissance. The Archmage is the Fellowship's leader and commands the Magus who are combat sorcerers of the Fellowship responsible for policing mortal magic users and acting as the Fellowships martial force. The Fellowship's members are mostly wizards who go about researching magic and pursuing scholarly interests but the organization was founded not just to unite White Magic sorcerers but to defend humanity from the supernatural, mainly from mortal sorcerers. The Fellowship has been one of humanity's few protectors against Black Magic for many centuries and holds no tolerance for those who practice the Black Arts. Merlin and the first Elder Council drafted the Laws of Magic which stand to this day with very little amendment and govern the conduct of all mortal practitioners even those who aren't Fellowship members or even full sorcerers. Among others the Laws forbid necromancy, the domination of mortal minds, and killing mortal humans with magic save special circumstances. The Laws also Time Travel and the summoning of the Old Ones and such cosmic horrors. Any who are found in violation of the Laws of Magic are targets of the Magus who find, capture, prosecute, and usually kill the alleged Warlock. The Fellowship has also been one of Humanity's principal magical defenders against supernatural threats, keeping the Vampire Bloodlines and other dark beings in check. The Fellowship is a signatory of the Arcane Accords which where co-written by Merlin, Faerie King Oberon, Lord Dracula, and several other ancient beings to govern the conduct of the various Supernatural powers. As a signatory, the Fellowship and its members abide by the Accords and possess several privileges. Fellowship Sorcerers are often asked to appear at official functions as representatives and are expected to extend ancient traditions of hospitality to other Accord signatories and receive them in return. The Fellowship is a key player in supernatural politics and a major power. One of their most significant actions is their covert participation in World War 2 where they were instrumental in combating the Nazi Regime and its Supernatural allies. The Fellowship has ties to several mystical brotherhoods, secret societies, knightly orders, and such supernatural groups that are dedicated to the protection of Humanity from dark forces and the benign use of magic. The events of the Awakening has changed how the paradigm of how the Fellowship operated drastically. New and powerful magical talents manifest at an incredible rate and these newly empowered youths are often ignorant of the Laws of Magic, often ignorantly dabbling in Black Magic and slipping into full-blown Warlocks. The current structure of the Fellowship is unsuited to discover and apprentice these young sorcerers and the Magus are straining to defend against all of the newly appeared Warlocks and increasing numbers of dark mystical entities. The Awakening also thrust the Supernatural World into the focus of the mortal population, thanks in part to the efforts of the "New School" of Sorcery including American Wizard and Fellowship member Doctor Destiny. The Fellowship had been content with keeping magic a secret and must now deal with the effects of magic becoming common knowledge. Certain governments had always been aware of the Supernatural world in some manner but the Fellowship finds itself needing to interact with Mortal Authorities in public and quite a bit of political tension has arisen between governments of the world and the secret arcane society. Despite these challenges the Fellowship remains one of Humanity's key defenders against darkness and its continued survival is essential to humanity's own survival. [/hider] [hider=The Fellowship- The Magus] Magic encompasses hundreds of different schools of discipline if not more. It's practitioners often specialize in a few areas of the Art and focus their efforts on research and academic pursuit. Relatively few sorcerers have the focus, skill, and raw power to be Combat Mages. The majority of such practitioners within the Fellowship often serve in the Magus as the group's enforcement and military service. The Magus are all powerful sorcerers and skilled in combat both with magic and with mundane weaponry often with decades if not centuries of martial experience. In the Supernatural world there are relatively few that can contend with any Magus. Their duties include protection of Fellowship members, enforcement of the Laws of Magic, and to act as foot soldiers in any Arcane conflict. They are lead by a Captain who presides over regional Commanders. The current Captain is a french witch named Marie Bordeaux who has been the Magus's leader since the 17th century. The current regional Commander of North America is Thomas Syed who is known as the hero Doctor Destiny. The Magus are often identified by their badge of office, a pentacle crossed by dual swords resting on a shield. The blades of the Magus are customized to every individual Magus and are extremely sharp and heavily enchanted, able to cut through almost any enchantment and are formidable weapons in their own right. All of the Magus have access to a wide variety of combat spells which can range from calling down lightning from the heavens, summon gale force winds, swallow their enemies in the earth, and much more. They utilize magical bloodhounds, which have been magically enhanced and enchanted, to detect the presence of Black Magic or dark forces and are bred to be excellent trackers and killers. Several of the younger Magus are also skilled with firearms and their body armor is enchanted with wards to protect against magical and physical attack. When any Fellowship members receives word of Black Magic they report the activity to a Magus. Either a single Magus or several are sent depending on the severity of the situation and they investigate the alleged violation. The Magus will then pursue the alleged Warlock with relentless determination and complete willingness to fight. When the target is captured, for they almost always are if not outright killed in pursuit, then they are brought before the Elder Council to have their deeds examined. If they are found innocent or if their breach is not malicious, which isn't often the case, then they are cleared but are often placed under probation by the Magus who then watch their deeds waiting for another violation which results in instant prosecution and death unless it is lifted. If the violator is a minor then they are placed in the care of a Fellowship member as an apprentice. If they are found guilty, which is more common, they are put to death by a Commander of the Magus, who beheads them. This duty often falls to the Russian VIktor Petrovich who is said to be the Magus's most powerful member. [/hider]