[img]http://i.imgur.com/NwL7ZlE.jpg[/img]

[i]"When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers" [/i]

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[center] [b][h1] War of the Gods[/h1][/b] [/center]

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[hider=Origins of War] 

The year is 2040 and the world is in the midst of the Second Cold War, with World War 3 looming on the horizon. In the year 2016, Superman flew through the sky and revived humanity's hope for the future. In the months and years that followed, hundreds of metahumans and mystery men followed his example and became superheroes, with the Justice League representing the greatest of their number. They defended Earth from every threat, from would-be human overlords to alien conquerors. Their numbers grew as their apprentices, children, and heirs took up the fight themselves. Hundreds of times, civilization was threatened by supervillains and inhuman invaders. And hundreds of times, Earth's heroes stood fast and stood strong against the wolves at humanity's door. Mundane crime fell drastically, quality of life soared, and the future had never seemed brighter. It seemed that the world was in the midst of a Golden Age, with the Superheroes as its' shepherds. But that would soon pass. 

A decade past, the Legion of Doom undertook one of the most ambitious and brutal campaigns of conquest in human history. After years of being defeated and rebuffed by Humanity's heroes, the villains came to a realization. The wealthy, industrialized nations of the world were simply too powerful to defeat, especially with the Justice League and other heroes protecting them. But they were hundreds of vulnerable poor nations, minimally defended by Earth's heroes, and ripe for the taking. Factions and organizations as diverse as the Kobra Cult and the League of Shadows united under the Legion of Doom's banner, pooling their vast resources and wealth together. They made alliances with alien empires and supernatural horrors. They raised armies of mercenaries and metahumans and fanned the flames of dissent in volatile nations. Then they struck. In a single day, the Legion's western associates launched simultaneous acts of terror and wanton destruction in the western world, while the Legion marched on the third world, demons and monsters ran amok, and Sinestro's army invaded from space. 

With the Joker and other villains wreaking havoc in Gotham, Metropolis, and dozens of other cities, it was all the Justice League and their allies could do to dampen the fires while Superman and the mightiest of his comrades repulsed the alien attackers. The Justice League brought peace back to their home cities and thwarted the invasion, all according to the Legion's plan. By the time the dust settled on that first day, the Legion had toppled nearly half of the world's governments in South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Black Adam, Queen Bee, Gorilla Grodd, Ra's al Ghul, the Brain, Lord Naga, Vandal Savage, and many others were now world leaders, with their own fiefdoms and territories. Atlantis, Themyscira, the Ape Kingdom, and other lands allied with the Justice League suffered civil war, incited by Legion operatives, while creatures straight from nightmare still wreaked havoc among the world's populace. 

Though the G20 and others still remained in the United Nations, almost half of the assembly's member-states had been usurped by the metahuman conquerors, and the Legion showed no signs of stopping. Legion armies were solidifying control in their conquered territories but Russia, China, India, and many other countries had hostile armies right on their doorstep and blood was still being spilled under the seas and in mystical hidden lands. If something was not done soon, the majority of the world would be under the Legion's control. But they could not be defeated quickly without even greater destruction and expenditure of lives, and some of the nuclear powers began to consider their options. And so, to prevent widespread violence the Justice League, delegates from the surviving members of the UN, and the Legion's warlords gathered in Metropolis to sign a cease-fire. 

The Legion would halt their campaign of conquest in the human world in exchange for the right to keep control of their territories. Borders were redrawn and the world was split between the Allied Powers of the UN and the Hegemony Powers led by the Legion. Peace ostensibly returned to the human world while the wars still raged on in Atlantis, Themyscira, and dozens of super-powered nations, collectively known as the Sovereign Powers. But both the Legion of Doom and the Justice League knew it was a farce. Open war was avoided, but a shadow war began. The Legion focused its efforts on attacking the Sovereign Powers allied with the Justice League while sponsoring terrorism and rebellion in the Allied Powers. The Justice League, unwilling to be caught unaware again, united all of the world's heroes under it's banner and reformed. The organization leveraged its considerable assets and resources to become a finite political power with its own diplomatic voice, military might, and clandestine operations. The Justice League United, with thousands of members, received official sanction from the United Nations to operate in protection of the Earth and defended its allies from Legion attack while becoming more active in their prosecution of crime in their home countries. 

The Second Cold War, a war of small skirmishes, secret missions, guerrilla attacks, and supernatural conflict has raged for almost a decade. An entire generation of young heroes and villains have matured with this shadow war as their reality, and the Justice League has found itself in a position it never thought to be in. And after nine years of conflict, most believe it will get much worse before it gets better [/hider] 

[hider= Current State of the World] 

The Hegemony holds between 30-40% of the Earth's land territories, and the Legion has continued to secretly fund rebellions and insurrections in nations not under their dominion. Refugees are flooding the western nations while Russia, China, India, Brazil, and many others are suffering increasingly volatile insurrections and rebellions. The European Union has formally united most of Western Europe into one nation-state, with the notable exception of the United Kingdom. The Justice League United operates in every Allied Power save for those who opted out, such as Russia and China. Trade between the Hegemony and Allied nations is occurring but the world economy is stagnating overall. Themyscira, Atlantis, the Ape Kingdom, and many other Sovereign Powers who were longtime allies of the Justice League have formally joined the General Assembly, and make up a powerful coalition within it. While many Allied nations are struggling with rising crime and poverty, quite a few Hegemony nations have actually seen a great increase in quality of life under the tight control of their tyrants. While rebellion in response to lack of human rights has risen in many quarters, many other citizens have experienced peace under Hegemony rule and are satisfied.  

The Justice League and the Legion of Doom, while nominally at peace on human territory, are in open warfare among the superhuman lands of Earth. The sea kingdom of Atlantis broils with conflict between King Arthur and his brother the rebel King Orm. Princess Diana's Aunt Penthesilea and her cousin Arisia have led an exodus of like-minded Amazons to help the Legion with its war of conquest and there is much discontent in the Island nation as it fills with mystical refugees. Extra-dimensional realms such as Azarath, Nilaa, the Nightlands, the M-Zone, and Skartaris are under increasing threat from supernatural conquerors and mythical abominations. The Justice League is in a mutual defense pact with all of these realms, as many heroes hail from them, and there is constant battle as the Legion-allied forces attack and the League-forces defend. The alliance between the League and the Sovereign Powers is strong but this militarized coalition is becoming increasingly alarming to the human-controlled Allied Powers, especially as Atlantis and others becomes less and less charitable towards man's world. 

The JLU's main advantage over the Legion is superiority in space. To accommodate it's growing needs, the Justice League has expanded the original Watchtower to a city-sized construct with thousands of inhabitants. The JLU has expanded its operations in space, now funding colonization, research, and mining efforts throughout the solar system with several outposts built throughout the system. On Mars, a fragile peace has been created between the Green and White Martians. Other nations have followed the JLU into space but none can match the League's technology and expertise. Raiders from outside the system periodically attack civilian ships and outposts, necessitating a strong presence by the JLU. While the Legion has drawn up several alliances with space powers, the League has allied itself with planets such as Thanagar, Rann, and New Krypton where the freed citizens of Kandor now reside. The JLU and their space allies defend each other from attack and check the power of a coalition that includes Sinestro, Atrocitus, Despero, and Mongul. There are several Green Lanterns protecting the system and Earth has become the latest battleground between the forces of New Genesis who allied with the League and Apokolips, who are with the Legion. Many fear that the war of influence on Earth is a preface to an eventual invasion by Darkseid.

In America, things are calm on the surface. Wayne Enterprises, Queen Consolidated, Kord Industries, and others banded together to form the Justice Foundation, and are sponsoring urban renewal projects, advances in medicine and technology, and other charitable works in concert with the JLU's law enforcement efforts. Titan Academy is training the next generation of superheroes and the hero community is at its zenith, with immeasurable popularity among the general population and world-shaking power. But tensions run deep under the surface. The United States government is wary of the League's influence and a shadowy faction in the government keeps a close eye on its activities. Civil unrest is growing, as many are becoming more and more disillusioned with their government and their society, the fires stoked by the Legion of Doom. Despite their best efforts, Gotham City is in a near-constant shooting war with militant supervillain gangs and Bludhaven is a disaster zone following an attack by the monster Chemo. The imminent presidential election proves to be a landmark event as there is not just one but two independent candidates rising to prominence. Lex Luthor and Michael Holt are both running for president and both represent very different interests. The Legion and League are watching the proceedings with great interest as they know the election will enormously influence the course of the war. 

The Justice League and the Legion of Doom are fighting on many fronts, with one poised to conquer the world and the other trying to defend it. But the line between hero and villain has become increasingly blurred as more and more patriots join the Legion and the young heroes of the League grow more brutal and ruthless in their methods. The Legion of Doom's members, as always, jockey among themselves for more power in pursuit of differing goals but even the Justice League is not as united as it once was. Many are beginning to resent the war and call for total peace, others wish for escalation, while others wish to retain the status quo. A few even wish for the League to take power for themselves and become their own nation to better shepherd humanity toward a correct course. Coalitions are being formed among both organizations, schemes and plots are being hatched, and allegiances are being questioned as the battles rage. When the dust settles, the world will look very different. 

[/hider] 

[u]Justice League United[/u] *

[hider= Structure of the JLU] 

The Justice League United has never been more powerful. It absorbed every other superhero team into its roster and the beginning of the war and boasts thousands of members, with more joining everyday as new metahumans arise or graduates of Titan academy join their ranks. There is a Hall of Justice in every major city in every allied nation and the new Watchtower has often been hailed the 8th wonder of the world. The JLU has entire fleets of spacecraft, armies of support troops, a widespread spy network, a massive economic support and trade base, an influential diplomatic corps, and a cutting edge scientific division. The League's activities are directed by the Senior Council, a dozen or so individuals who have been part of the League since it's founding. The original trinity have passed on their mantles to their successors but remain the heart of the League and its operations. 

Each Hall of Justice is run by one senior member with a dedicated team to each city, all with their own support teams. Each Hall has its own facilities for espionage activities and diplomatic personnel. The Watchtower is the core of the League's operations, monitoring situations around the planet and the sol system 24/7 with a dedicated control staff coordinating the League's activities with one hero on monitor duty at all times. There are several quick reaction forces of heroes and their troops ready to deploy on a moment's notice with the Blackhawk Squadron as air support. STAR Labs provides scientific research and technical support for the League and bands of Atlanteans, Amazons, Green Lanterns, and others are now a common sight. The JLU's ground forces, known as the Justice Battalions, are made up of both general infantry units with standardized equipment who support Leaguers in battle and specialist units that are trained and led by individual Leaguers. The Justice Battalions assist the League with crowd control, patrol, fire support and other roles depending on their unit and their leader. 

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[u]Legion of Doom[/u] *

[hider= Legion of Doom Hierarchy] 

The Legion has no leader but is ruled by a high council of criminal emperors. The council collaborates on the activities of the actual Legion of Doom and act as the executive body of the Hegemony Powers as a whole, though each villain's fiefdom is his or hers to rule. The system of government is akin to feudalism. Each overlord has control of a vast region with their own hierarchy of underbosses beneath each, though the individual titles for these positions vary from state to state. The overlords and their underbosses all have their own armies and their own cadres of superhuman henchmen. The Legion of Doom itself is made up of the overlords and their retainers as well as independent bands of rogues and like-minded villains all across the world. Their headquarters, the Fortress of Doom, is in a hidden location in another dimension. The Legion has a scientific and clandestine base to rival the Justice League and the overlords have many economic shadow partners such as Lexcorp. The Legion's constituent nations assist each other in their wars and conflicts as they will, each overlord with their own resources and specialized capabilities. 

The Legion's overlords have instituted a modern age nobility, and superhuman dynasties are now the dominant political factions of the Hegemony Powers. Conscription of their citizens is common and the Legion has been known to elevate loyal followers into their upper echelons by gifting them superhuman abilities. The Legion's western affiliates are highly active, much more militarized and organized than before. Joker and the other Gotham crime lords have turned the city into a warzone and the Central City Rogues have grown in number and power despite the best efforts of the JLU's Central City Hall and its leader the current Flash. The supercriminals have eliminated their mundane competition and the Legion has its fingers in every black market and underworld activity. The Legion is also sponsoring radical militant groups such as Bishop Blackfire's cult and the followers of Anarky. The highest overlords and influential Legionnaires are rivals and allies, and each is fighting for their own interests, some even see their fellows as more of a threat than the League itself. And more than a few desire to have supreme control of the Legion as its master, its Hegemon. 

[/hider] 

[u]Codex Meta[/u] *

[hider= Rise of the Metahumans] 

It is commonly believed that beings known as Metahumans have lived among humanity since the dawn of the Earth. Metahuman itself is a catch all term for all humanoid beings who display superhuman abilities. They may gain this ability through supernatural means or scientific augmentations as well as being born with innate powers or mutations. The metagene is not fully understood and it is unknown how it interacts with magic, but the reemergence of mystical traits and abilities along with other superpowers suggests a connection. It is known that the metagene is the reason for mutations such as those exhibited by Killer Croc. Those without such physically obvious changes can exhibit powers at any age from birth to adulthood, though it seems the age of puberty is when most metahumans commonly express a power. The metagene is also thought to be the reason why metas such as Mister Freeze, Poison Ivy, Clayface, and even the Flash survived horrific accidents and gained abilities instead of simply perishing. 

Some scientists believe the metagene may also be responsible for those who possess naturally superior cognitive or physical skills far beyond normal human achievement such as the assassin Deadshot or the hero Mister Terrific. Current estimates project that 12-15% of the population of Earth are superhumans or have the potential to be superhumans, though some will likely never express powers and individual power levels vary greatly. This includes augmented transhumans, supernatural beings, extraterrestrial lifeforms, genetic chimeras, engineered superhumans, uplifted sapient lifeforms, artificial inteligences, and those who use chemical enchancements like Venom or Miralco in addition to plain metahumans or mutants. It is unknown how many geniuses and savants can be included in this percentage but masked mystery men are usually counted as metahumans by the general populace despite their ostensible lack of powers and all superhumans are called metahumans in common parlance despite their categorization. 

Metahumans seem to have many natural advantages over normal people. When injured they will heal faster, and their resistance to pain, fatigue, or sickness is much greater. Their lifespans are longer and they age slower. They are not all necessarily stronger than humans but they are more often than not much more naturally physically fit than the average human. Studies suggest that metahumans are more naturally prone to aggression than humans are, as when it comes to fight or flight responses, the average meta will often elect to fight in spite of lopsided odds. These same studies suggest metas are more naturally promiscuous and fertile than normal humans as seen by the explosive exponential growth of the metahuman population in the past few decades. Due to all these factors, many in society fear that someday metahumans may eclipse humans entirely, and the recent conflicts have only exacerbated these fears. 

- A report from Dr. Emil Hamilton, STAR Labs, sent to the Senior Council of the Justice League United

[/hider] 

This RP is based off of DC Comics but you aren't just fighting crime or committing crime. You are fighting a war, with the Justice League on one side and the Legion of Doom on the other. You will fight this war on every possible front. Whether its making agreements in boardrooms, stealing secrets, manipulating propaganda, taking advantage of the underworld, building economic interests, brokering alliances, blackmailing and betraying one another, fighting in battles, or undergoing illicit affairs, the deeds of your characters both heroic, villainous, and anywhere in between will shape the course of history. Your choices and actions as a group will determine which side gains the upper hand over the course of the roleplay, whether it be the resolution of conflicts and the fate of entire countries and peoples. 

You will either defend humanity or subjugate it, you'll either avert disaster or plunge the planet into war, you'll be the salvation of humanity or it's damnation. And you can be on either side while doing so. Whether you are a hero or a villain, your choices will shake the Earth to its core. The first iteration of this roleplay will focus on the outcome of the 2040 US presidential election as well as several other international crises. The war is still being fought in the shadows with neither side having a clear advantage but this is a very delicate point. Both sides are backing a presidential candidate and the one whose candidate wins will have a massive advantage. Your choices will also determine if the war remains covert or escalates into open conflict. Besides the overarching storyline I have in mind, you are encouraged to come up with your own sub-plots and ideas, and I highly welcome to chance to collaborate with you on both the storyline and the lore of the RP itself. 

[hider=FAQ]
- I can play as heroes or villains? 

Yup, you can play as a character affiliated with either the JLU or the Legion, but your character is perfectly free to pursue their own goals and ambitions and it is possible to make secret alliances with characters from the other side. Villains usually have their own agendas and we all know that heroes don't always get along. 

- What can my character do exactly? 

Pretty much anything you want. Your Leaguer or Legionnaire doesn't just have to be patrolling the streets or robbing a bank. You can be a spy, gathering information on the other side and sabotaging their operations. You can be a diplomat that sits down with political figures and act as a delegate for your faction. You can lead troops and other superhumans into combat whether it be in epic battles or covert operations. You can expand the economic interests of your faction with trade, manipulate public opinion through propaganda and media efforts, train the next generation of heroes or villains, or even act in a support role as a coordinator or a scientific genius. If you play a powerful enough Leaguer, you will make collaborate with other powerful heroes to decide the course of the JLU. You might even lead your own nation as a leader of a Hegemony or Sovereign Power. Anything and everything your character can do to advance their own interests and the interests of their faction is a valid course for your character, though almost every character should be a costumed hero or villain of some sort and non-costumed activities can be undertaken by your character's civilian persona. 

- Is character death possible? 

In extreme circumstances yes, if I throw a scenario at you and you do poorly enough, your PC can be killed. Your choices and actions decide the course of the roleplay and the fate of your PC is included in that. But this is only in very extreme and rare circumstances and your character runs a much higher risk of being severely injured, maimed, and captured by the enemy. 

- Do I play canons or OCs? 

You can play both. This RP follows no one particular continuity of the DCU and you can use characters and concepts from any comic storyline, tv show, animation, video game, film, and novel associated with DC Comics. Characters from AU stories and continuities like Watchmen, the Wildstorm universe, and Vertigo are fair game too. You can even bring in characters and concepts from myth or legend as well as public domain fiction. You can play an OC who is related to a canon character somehow such as a non-canon child of a hero or villain. You can even retool a canon character to some extent. However your PC, whether OC or canon based, should reasonably fit within the confines of the DC universe and your PC concept should be open enough in case other players wish to have their PC have shared history and connection to yours. 

- Do I need a lot of knowledge about the DCU to play? 

No, there will be many many geeks including myself who can help you out with any lore questions you might have. Since this RP isn't set in any continuity, we can tailor the canon into our own lore. Frankly main continuity can be very convoluted and is more of a guideline and source of inspiration than a firm rulebook on how characters and concepts should play out. 

- How many characters can I play? 

As many as you can handle without being too overloaded but the number of your PCs shouldn't be too lopsided to either side. So no playing five different heroes and one villain. However your PC can be a member of a family of associated characters who can be NPCs for your PC to bounce off of, and other players may wish to play in that family as well. Again I encourage collaboration if you want to recreate the Bat-Family or the Arrow Family. You may also put PCs in reserve to use later. Though any reserve PCs or NPCs you have I will reserve the right to control them myself.

- There's going to multiple parts to the RP? 

Yup, this first iteration will focus on a few aspects on the war and the results of this first part will influence the evolution of the conflict in the second part, and so on. Your choices and actions in this first part will decide the course of future threads. [/hider]

[hider= Rules] 

- All standard rules apply
- Extreme violence and swearing is allowed, as well as romance up to a PG-13 level. But innuendo is free game and there's always PMs. 
- No god-modding, meta-gaming, bunnying, or overwhelmingly OP characters
- One post a week, bare minimum, if you can't do it or want to shelve your PCs for later, let me know
- If you are not heard of in two weeks with no explanation, you'll be out of the game and I can puppet your characters 
- The OOC will remain civil and polite, if things get heated, take it to PMs. 
- If your PC dies, their "mantle" will remain in your possession and you can either make a legacy PC or grant the right to another player 
- Have fun. Seriously. It's why we play. If it stops being fun for you, let me know. 

[/hider] 

[hider= CS Skeleton] 
Birth Name: 

Nicknames: 

Codenames: Any codenames your PC currently has or had in the past. You can play Bruce Wayne without the title of Batman but you would still put Batman as one of his past codenames. 

Species: 

Gender: I'd like a good mix here and that should be possible since there's no cap on PCs. 

Age: If your character is canon, keep in mind that all of the main generation characters started their careers in their twenties around 2016, everyone is around 24 years older now. There is a bit more leeway on how old the older generation heroes would be by now, as well as the younger generation, who could have been anywhere from their early teens to young adulthood. Of course OCs can ignore this entirely. PCs who will be active in combat in the JLU need to be 16 at least, but non-combat PCs can be younger and PCs in the Legion can be of any age as long as you can think of a good reason.  

Birthplace: 

Allegiance: Justice League or Legion of Doom. Of course you can be a mole or double agent, and your PC can switch allegiances if it's organic in the RP. 

Position: What is your role as a member of your faction? Are you a diplomat? A funder? A covert agent? A field operative? Public relations? Scientist? Ruler of a nation? Senior leadership? This can be anything that would contribute to the war effort in any way but keep in mind that your PC is part of the world of costumed heroes and villains and shouldn't be just a civvie with no connection to that world. 

Appearance: A short written description is preferable but a picture can be used as an aid. I would like a good range of ethnic diversity in the RP. It's a global conflict and not every PC should be a WASP. If there's a canon justification for having a race-lifted version of a character and you think it fits, go for it. It should make sense towards their background however, you couldn't make Bruce Wayne a different ethnicity without radically changing his backstory. And if you want to go with the default ethnicity of the character than that's perfectly fine as well. 

When it comes to Aliens, it's a pet peeve of mine how humanoid all the aliens in DC are. If you're playing any species besides a Kryptonian, I would like them to actually look like they come from a different planet. They don't need to look radically inhuman but some more variation would be nice. If they're from Apokolips or New Genesis, I would like them to look like they actually look like gods or demons from an alien dimension, inhuman size, skin tones, and eye color are all fair game. And even Atlanteans should look more aquatic, even the humanoid ones. 

Powers/Skills: Please include the limits of your character's abilities and any weaknesses they might have. Please try for balance. Even a Superman-type character shouldn't be overwhelmingly powerful or invincible. Any non-combat skills your PC might have goes here too. 

Equipment/Resources: What your character carries or has access too. So if you're playing Batman, there's his gadgets and his vast fortune. 

Biography: An overview of their history as well as their personality, psychology, and motivations for their involvement in the Justice League or Legion of Doom. How do they feel about the conflict? What do they want to achieve? If your character is canon or connected to canon, keep this open enough so that any other PCs with common history have room to fit in your PC's backstory. 

Source: Just for fun you can put your inspiration for your character here if they are canon or connected to canon. Any DC media or comic continuity can apply here and of course you can have many sources for one character. 

Remarks: Anything else that doesn't fit in any other category such as sexuality, relationships with other characters, base of operations etc. 

[/hider] 

Post your CS here in the OOC, and in the CS tab once you are accepted. 

[u]Active Characters[/u]

[u]Reserved[/u]

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*Under construction