[img]https://www.deuxiemepage.fr/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Justice-League-Earth-22.png[/img] [sub][sub][h3][color=darkgray][i]"Who watches the watchmen?" [/i][/color][/h3][/sub][/sub] [hr][center][b][h1][color=black]S H A D O W[/color] O F T H E [color=black]G O D S[/color][/h1][/b][/center] [hr] [indent][color=darkgray][hider= The Second Cold War] The year is 2052 and the world is in the midst of the Second Cold War, with World War 3 looming on the horizon. In the year 2018, Superman flew through the sky for the first time 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 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 unearthly foes. And hundreds of times, Earth's heroes stood fast and stood strong against the wolves at Earth's door. The heroes also sponsored great acts of altruism and scientific advancement. 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' stewards. This sentiment would not last. Five years past, the Legion of Doom undertook one of the most ambitious, brutal, and successful campaigns of conquest in human history. After years of being defeated and rebuffed by Earth's heroes, the villains came to a realization. The wealthy, industrialized nations of the world were simply too powerful to subjugate, 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, wealth, and connections together. They made alliances with alien empires and supernatural horrors. They raised armies of mercenaries, recruited metahumans, and fanned the flames of dissent in volatile nations. Then they struck. In a single day, the Legion's associates launched simultaneous acts of terror and wanton destruction throughout the industrialized world, while the Legion's armies marched on other nations, demons and monsters ran amok, and an interstellar invasion force led by Sinestro darkened the skies. 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 homes and thwarted the invasion, all according to the Legion's plan. By the end of the 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 Kingdom of the Apes, and other lands allied with the Justice League suffered civil war incited by Legion operatives, while creatures straight from nightmare still infested many parts of the world and brought slaughter and terror to the innocent. Though the great powers of the world and many of their allies 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. The Legionaries violently and ruthlessly cracked down on all rebellion and resistance in their conquered territories and began attacking Russia, China, India and many others. The seas ran red with blood as the upstart King Orm clashed with his brother King Arthur of Atlantis, and violence in hidden mystical lands spilled out into the mortal world with deadly consequences. Many feared that within months, the majority of the world would live under the Legion's control. It seemed that an even more destructive war of retaliation from the industrialized nations would follow, with many fearing the nuclear apocalypse. But the Justice League intervened. To prevent even more widespread violence the Justice League gathered the leaders of the free world and the Legion's warlords 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 Legion powers received seats in the UN. The members of their coalition came to be known as the Shiruta Pact, for the city where the Legion's plans were first hatched. Peace ostensibly returned to the human world while the wars still raged on in Atlantis, Themyscira, and dozens of super-powered nations, part of an alliance known as the Meta Entente. 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 Entente nations allied with the Justice League while sponsoring terrorism and rebellion in the human nations. 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 an intricate web of diplomatic connections, clandestine operations, technological infrastructure, and a military force to rival the world's superpowers. The Justice League United, with thousands of members, received official sanction from the United Nations to operate in protection of the Earth's peoples and in keeping the peace while becoming more active in their prosecution of crime in their home countries. The Second Cold War, a war of brutal skirmishes, secret missions, guerrilla attacks, cloak-and-dagger operations, political and economic intrigue, and metahuman-on-metahuman violence has raged for almost five years. 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. At the beginning of the year 2052, campaigns are well under way to elect the next President of the United States. And both the Justice League and the Legion of Doom are working behind the scenes to influence its outcome. Lex Luthor has announced his candidacy as President as an independent while decorated veteran Steve Trevor has done the same. Both Presidential hopefuls have vast networks behind them working to seat them in the Oval Office, as the American public will unwittingly decide whether the Justice League or Legion of Doom holds sway over one of the last remaining and most powerful democracies in the world. Meanwhile the secret war rages on many fronts as loyalties are tested and plots are enacted in a struggle that will shape the fate of the world. [/hider] [hider=FAQ] [b]- I can play as heroes or villains? [/b] 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. [b]- What can my character do exactly? [/b] 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 acts as a delegate for your faction. You can lead troops and other superhumans into combat whether it be in combat missions 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 superhuman-controlled nation. 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. [b]- Is character death possible? [/b] 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. [b]- Can I play canons or OCs? [/b] You can play both. This RP is a blend of all the disparate DCU continuities 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, Milestone, 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 legacy character who is related to a canon character somehow such as a non-canon child of a hero or villain. You can even put your own unique spin on a canon character. 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. [b]- Do I need a lot of knowledge about the DCU to play? [/b] 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. [b]- How many characters can I play? [/b] 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 Leaguers and one Legionary. You can also create NPCs associated with your PC. I encourage collaboration if you want to recreate groups such as 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 use them myself to advance the plot if needed, but they cannot be killed until you return or leave the game. [b]- There's going to multiple parts to the RP? [/b] 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, your characters can be used as NPCs to advance the story. Please contact myself or one of the Co-GMs if you are going to be gone for an extended period of time. - The OOC and the Discord 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] This RP is based off of DC Comics with its many heroes and villains, but you aren't just fighting crime or committing crime. You are fighting in 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 brokering agreements in boardrooms, stealing secrets, manipulating public opinion, dealing in the black market, blackmailing and betraying one another, or the fighting battles, the deeds of your characters 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 will either avert disaster or plunge the planet into war, you will be the salvation of humanity or it's damnation. And you can be on either side of the war while doing so. Whether you are a Leaguer or a Legionnaire, your choices will shake the Earth to its core. The first iteration of this roleplay will focus on the outcome of the 2052 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. Alongside the election will be other crises and flashpoints that will significantly influence the direction of the story and the world state. 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. [/color][/indent] [color=darkgray][b]CS CODE:[/b] Remove space in [hr ] [/color] [pre][color=darkgray][center][color=slategray][h1][b]A L I A S H E R E[/b][/h1][/color] [img]Character image goes here (optional).[/img][/center] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] N A M E[/sub][/color][hr ][indent][/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] A L I A S E S[/sub][/color][hr ][indent]Any other codenames and nicknames for your character.[/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] A G E[/sub][/color][hr ][indent][/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] B I R T H P L A C E[/sub][/color][hr ][indent][/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] A L L E G I A N C E[/sub][/color][hr ][indent]Justice League, Legion of Doom, or a third party. [/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] P O S I T I O N[/sub][/color][hr ][indent]What is your role as a member of your faction?[/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] A P P E A R A N C E[/sub][/color][hr ][indent]What does your character look like? Their costume? Pictures are allowed if used with a description.[/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] A B I L I T I E S // S K I L L S // E Q U I P M E N T[/sub][/color][hr ][indent]This includes your super powers, learned talents and any weapons, armor or tools that are used regularly by your character. [/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] L I M I T A T I O N S // W E A K N E S S E S[/sub][/color][hr ][indent] Limitations are examples of the maximum weight you can lift, top speeds etc. whereas weaknesses are exploitable like Kryptonite and magic are to Superman.[/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] B I O G R A P H Y[/sub][/color][hr ][indent]Your life before the IC begins -- your "origin." Can be as detailed, long, or brief as you like -- feel free to leave details to be discovered during the RP. Also include a section detailing the personality, views, and motivations of the character.[/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] N O T E S[/sub][/color][hr ][indent]Anything else that doesn't fit in any other category such as sexuality, relationships with other characters, base of operations etc.[/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] S O U R C E[/sub][/color][hr ][indent]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.[/indent][/color][/pre] [hider=CS Example][color=darkgray][center][color=slategray][h1][b]A L I A S H E R E[/b][/h1][/color] [img]Character image goes here (optional).[/img][/center] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] N A M E[/sub][/color][hr][indent][/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] A L I A S E S[/sub][/color][hr][indent]Any other codenames and nicknames for your character.[/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] A G E[/sub][/color][hr][indent][/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] B I R T H P L A C E[/sub][/color][hr][indent][/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] A L L E G I A N C E[/sub][/color][hr][indent]Justice League, Legion of Doom, or a third party. [/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] P O S I T I O N[/sub][/color][hr][indent]What is your role as a member of your faction?[/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] A P P E A R A N C E[/sub][/color][hr][indent]What does your character look like? Their costume? Pictures are allowed if used with a description.[/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] A B I L I T I E S // S K I L L S // E Q U I P M E N T[/sub][/color][hr][indent]This includes your super powers, learned talents and any weapons, armor or tools that are used regularly by your character. [/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] L I M I T A T I O N S // W E A K N E S S E S[/sub][/color][hr][indent] Limitations are examples of the maximum weight you can lift, top speeds etc. whereas weaknesses are exploitable like Kryptonite and magic are to Superman.[/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] B I O G R A P H Y[/sub][/color][hr][indent]Your life before the IC begins -- your "origin." Can be as detailed, long, or brief as you like -- feel free to leave details to be discovered during the RP. Also include a section detailing the personality, views, and motivations of the character.[/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] N O T E S[/sub][/color][hr][indent]Anything else that doesn't fit in any other category such as sexuality, relationships with other characters, base of operations etc.[/indent] [color=slategray][sub][ ◈ ] S O U R C E[/sub][/color][hr][indent]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.[/indent][/color][/hider] [color=darkgray][b]Header Template:[/b][/color] [pre][center][b][color=character colour][sup][h1]C H A R A C T E R N A M E[/h1][/sup][/color][/b][/center] [COLOR=character colour][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]P L A C E[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr ][/COLOR][INDENT][INDENT][sup][color=darkgray]Month 3[sup]rd[/sup], 2052 | Time | Location[/color][/sup][/INDENT][/INDENT][/pre] If anyone needs the link to the Group Discord, I can PM it to you.