Duel-Edged Sword
A Legion of Superheroes story like no other: The Legion has arrived in the 21st Century to maintain the timestream and bring Earth to the forefront of galactic commerce in the future, or so everyone believes. But the Legionnaires are truly super-powered sleeper agents developed by Project: Cadmus. Taking the world by storm, The Legion of Superheroes may be the greatest threat to the world without even knowing it.
What you can do:
- Play as a Legionnaire, both undertaking undercover missions and performing valiant heroics.
- Play as a non-Legionnaire and keep tabs or build relationships with the Legion.
- Develop the personal history lost to your character.
- Partake in mission-based adventures shared between players and find your way through a web of intrigue and drama.
4:00 PM, July 12 2015
Legion Clubhouse, Metropolis
If there was the tiniest trace of a solution, he was deadset on believing he would've found it by now. With a twelfth level intelligence, prized even among his own people, Querl Dox, better known as Brainiac 5, rarely miscalculated. Anxiously tugging his fingers through his stringy blonde hair, he tried to give his battle-ready body a way to work off the adrenaline he felt flooding his veins. Each of the Legion's members were occupied completing critical missions that were detracting from his ability to cope, though they were each essential and their inavailability was a necessary sacrifice.
Shifting in his captain's chair, Brainiac 5 quickly twisted around to face a holographic computer monitor and sat upright with a newfound sense of assurance. "Computo," he called to his electronic assistant, "Initiate the Irving Protcol XII." The machine made no noise as a response, instead it manifested a progress bar that began to fill as a stasis tube underwent several rapid changes to accommodate the awakening of a new Legionnaire.
1 Month Prior
The Grounds of The Legion Clubhouse
"This is Cat Grant from the Daily Planet speaking with The Legion of Superheroes' spokesman and leader, Cosmic Boy." Turning her head to face the youth, she readily began to let a few questions roll off her tongue. "What makes the Legion of Superheroes stand out in today's world. When there's been several Justice Leagues, a Justice Society, a Teen Titans, and a Young Justice, why does the world need another Legion?"
"Well, it helps that we're from the future, right? In a thousand years this city will be the most magnificent on the planet, and we're here to make sure that the people of Metropolis can bring it to that level. We don't have a hidden agenda or any rigid plan on what needs to be done at what second, but we are here to make sure that this critical point of history stays on course."
"You're talking about directing history, though. Shouldn't anything that happens be keeping it on course?"
"Well.." Cosmic Boy's voice trailed off for a moment, "that's not entirely correct. We're not the only time travelers here at the moment. We're just... holding down the fort, if you will. Showing that this world is... protected," he said, referencing a popular choice of entertainment for many.
"What do we need protection for? No offense, but you're a group of teenagers. Why do we need you when we have The Justice League."
Taken aback and vaguely offended, Cos took a moment to find the right words. "With temporal threats, they can hide anywhere and none of you would know what to look for. The Justice League may be like a Great Dane or Rotweiler, but we're like a bloodhound."
"Umhm," the reporter groaned, clearly unsatisfied, but lst the matter drop. "Why do you refer to yourselves with names like 'Boy' and 'Lass'. I can appreciate a lack of wanting to lose your innocence, but don't you find the names a little embarrassing? "
"Where we come from, being a boy is a good thing for those of us who don't want to pay taxes or get a job, but we still do what we can. We're just here to help."
"What does it require to join the Legion of Superheroes? The Clubhouse is about as secure as Fort Knox, I'd imagine."
"Well, the Clubhouse is only for those who can be exposed to sensitive information, but anyone can be a Legionnaire. In the future, we always said that the Legion isn't a team, it's a movement. We want as many teens as possible to get involved in their community. If you can do that, give it your all, your as much of a hero as any of us."
2 Weeks Prior
Project Cadmus
"Easy," groaned the voice of Amanda Waller, "Almost too easy."
She'd orchestrated the entirety of Project: Legion, a large offshoot of Project: Cadmus. Everyone loved the Legion. The Legion of Superheroes was on every T-shirt on every street corner across the globe. She was even charmed by the project's success.
All it had required was some time, genetic experimentation, orphans, and minor brainwashing to convince a clan of kids that they were aliens from across the galaxy, from the future, on a quest to bring Earth to the forefront of universal economics. And, now, now she had a personal strike force that blacked out and followed her will at the press of a button. Dozens of kids and one android made up her private army of pop culture icons.
Every kid on the street wanted a shot at joining the trending team. Even actual teenage superheroes were getting involved in the team, adding to her own personal firepower. It was unbelievably easy. The only issue was that The Legion of Superheroes was fundamentally a Duel-Edged Sword against both evildoers and justice itself. But the politics were never Waller"s concern.
July 12 2015
Legion Clubhouse, Metropolis
Steam hissed as the silhouette of a dark haired seventeen year old emerged from one of many stasis tubes containing the comatose bodies of Project: Legion's subjects. As soon as he stepped out, Brainy rushed to his side and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him while he was still disoriented, and dragging him toward one of the holographic monitors.
Snapping at his machine, Brainy ordered "Computo: Fabricate history for subject XII."
Subject: XII
Name: Mon-El
Alias: N/A; subject is proud of personal identity
Age: 17
Background: Descendant of Superman, amongst other Kryptonian and Daxamite ancestors.
An entire biography flashed across the screen and was imprinted on the malleable mind of the post-stasis subject. At that moment, the teen became who all his teammates already believed him to be, though all his power belonged solely to his altered genetics. In an instant, a fresh set of emotions, convictions, and values were written where something else entirely had been before. And then, he was left like an open book, awaiting any command from the android who'd awakened him.
"You've just arrived from the thirtieth century," Brainiac spoke with a dull edge in his voice. "Despero is attacking the Statue of Liberty in New York. Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, and Saturn Girl need backup in order to survive and bring him into custody. You are that backup." Brainy pulled a red and blue outfit off of a shelf lying nearby before tossing it to the boy. "Go."
Hearing the air rip, Brainy watched as a field of papers were thrown into the air before slowly, gently falling back to their original positions. The mess aside, any trace of Mon-El was on his way to Rhode Island, and his previous life had beeen lost long ago. In his absence, Brainiac would be left to scheme and generate protocols for every conceivable contingency. After all, he wasn't really from the future. He had no way of knowing what to expect.
Is there any actual time travel in this game?
No. At least not on the part of the Legion. Any references to time travelers such as Booster Gold or Rip Hunter are to be avoided by the players, as they mau be useful later on.
Does the game take place in chronological order?
Not necessarily. Because it is mission based and involves a fair amount of players, some posts may predate the chronology of ones posted earlier, such would be the case if an ongoing mission were being completed at the time of a meeting.
How many players will I be interacting with at any given time?
The GM always assigns the missions and will usually have you with at least one other player.
What about posting order?
The GM will write a starter for every mission and describe the starting position of every player involved in the mission before every player involved will get a turn to post. The actual order is irrelevant as long as each player makes a post between every response from the GM.
Are original characters allowed?
Players are allowed to create a small amount of NPCs for a Legionnaire's personal history as well as their actual names, but as far as creating any characters for the heroes to struggle against though, that is not allowed.
What characters are off limits?
Brainiac 5, Amanda Waller, The Question, and Cosmic Boy are critical to the story, so no player may control them.
How do the psychics not realize the lie about their history?
Part of the brainwashing process included placing subconscious barricades to prevent anyone's mind with knowledge of the truth from being accessed.
No. At least not on the part of the Legion. Any references to time travelers such as Booster Gold or Rip Hunter are to be avoided by the players, as they mau be useful later on.
Does the game take place in chronological order?
Not necessarily. Because it is mission based and involves a fair amount of players, some posts may predate the chronology of ones posted earlier, such would be the case if an ongoing mission were being completed at the time of a meeting.
How many players will I be interacting with at any given time?
The GM always assigns the missions and will usually have you with at least one other player.
What about posting order?
The GM will write a starter for every mission and describe the starting position of every player involved in the mission before every player involved will get a turn to post. The actual order is irrelevant as long as each player makes a post between every response from the GM.
Are original characters allowed?
Players are allowed to create a small amount of NPCs for a Legionnaire's personal history as well as their actual names, but as far as creating any characters for the heroes to struggle against though, that is not allowed.
What characters are off limits?
Brainiac 5, Amanda Waller, The Question, and Cosmic Boy are critical to the story, so no player may control them.
How do the psychics not realize the lie about their history?
Part of the brainwashing process included placing subconscious barricades to prevent anyone's mind with knowledge of the truth from being accessed.