Chapter One: Laying the Foundation - Part One

[Eanwulf]

Catching You Up To Par
The following is a brief summary of what all has transpired prior to the game actually beginning.

Party members have agreed to join their respective recruiter's offer to join Operation Homefront. The next several weeks have been spent relocating to Freedom City's own Lonely Point Naval Base where not only have they been introduced to their fellow teammates, but to some of the key members that comprise the head of the operation itself as well. For the time being, the band of superheroes' new living quarters has consisted of a makeshift barracks contained within an isolated medical ward located in a very secluded portion of Lonely Point.

During their time spent at the military base, each of the party members has undergone a series of numerous examinations, each of which proved to be quite grueling. Among the list of ordeals that party members had to endure included a routine regiment of arduous physical and mental exercises, a thorough psychological evaluation, and an extensive series of inoculations. The good doctors informed you that the tests were necessary so that they may ascertain and isolate your individual capabilities and determine how they might aid one another in the days to come.

It was finally after a full day of signing numerous legal documents, each designed to secure each individual's loyalty to the US of A, that the party members were allowed a full day's R&R.

---

From the GM

After long last, I can finally say Welcome to the Game everyone! Now that you have been officially indoctrinated into the fold, I will begin the game abruptly, during the middle of the night after each of you has spent most of the day resting and relaxing.

If you wish to take the time to post any of your player responses and/or reactions to your past weeks spent becoming one of the team, by all means do so. Also, if you wish to take this time to describe your character and any of their abilities please do so.

I will continue with the next part soon enough.

Until then, Game On!
Wulf

[JohnnyWeird]

The days at Lonely Point have found Paladin occupied by constant training. Beyond the demands of his new company, he maintains a regimen that set him out even from career soldiers. When he has exercised to exhaustion, he will beg or borrow any written material to improve his knowledge of English and America.
As a conversational companion, Paladin can be unnerving, responding slowly in fluent but clearly non-native English with a Prussian accent and staring intently at every newcomer to the discussion. Despite this, he is clearly making the effort, trying to engage his teammates in dialogue about any point of mutual interest. With every day, his English grows a little more fluid, a little more polished.
As Paladin's voice becomes easier on the ears, he remains easy on the eyes. He is a tall, well-muscled man with blond hair and blue eyes - the textbook German soldier, save for the sword that is constantly sheathed across his back. Whether eating in the mess hall, doing pull-ups in the gym or hunched over a book in his room, the sword is never out of his arms' reach.

[Trogdor]

Lonely Point has not been kind to Silver Scarab. Much like those others called up for military service on both sides of the Atlantic, he finds himself subjected to physical challenges more extreme than any he'd experienced before. And while he does his best to meet them head-on, it's clear that it will be a long time before he can match half of what his companions can manage. Still, while he may not be the fastest, or the strongest, or the quickest, he does prove to be nearly indefatigable. Though he may stumble more than the others, he's always willing to try again, usually with a smile on his face and a self-effacing comment on his lips. And even after a full day of hard exercise, he's never very badly winded.

But it quickly becomes clear to all that it's not his physical capabilities that have brought the Silver Scarab to the Operation Homefront. On his right hand, he wears a ring that allows him to control large amounts of mystical power to do any of a large variety of things '€" from firing energy from his hands, to flying through the air, to shrinking to the size of a scarab, to vanishing from sight. And it is these abilities that truly prove his worth. His biggest problem during training seems to be controlling the power he has, or at least using it effectively, since it's all still pretty new to him.

Outside of training, he proves to be a very personable fellow. The son of a British lord and an American heiress, he has lived his life on both sides of the Atlantic and is comfortable with both cultures '€" though his early years were spent in the United Kingdom, giving him that lilt of an accent that marks him as a Brit. He has black hair, blue eyes, and an attractive appearance and typically wears well-tailored clothes.

Paladin also learns that Silver Scarab's European upbringing offers an unexpected benefit. A family vacation home in Switzerland has left the British hero fluent in German, allowing him to converse freely with the German hero in his native tongue '€" should Paladin desire it.

[JohnnyWeird]

Paladin's relief is clear even on his face, as the bumbling, inarticulate Hun turns into the urbane and sophsticated Prussian. Though eager to practice his English still, the chance to do so wih a fluent German speaker proves a powerful panacea to his concerns about isolation.

[Valleda]

Jana spends the first part of her time at Lonely Point signing autographs and posing for photographs for whatever admirers that she might have. The young actress is glad to have the support of her fan base and does all that she can to make sure that they know it. Once properly settled into her new residence, Jana focuses in on the trials to come. Though she finds the physical regime to be quite exhilarating she struggles with the more 'œcerebral' ones. This is not to say that the young woman still doesn't prove to be quite cunning and resourceful when needed to be. On several occasions during their time spent at the base, Jana is instructed to don a pair of cumbersome, drab-looking maintenance coveralls. It appears that the officials conducting their tests find the young Latin woman's customary attire to be too provocative and thus in turn distracting. It quickly becomes apparent during this time however, that the young actress known as Rita Ramirez is in fact truly her on-screen personae, Jana of the Jungle. The young woman is highly gifted in the arts of climbing, acrobatics, hand-to-hand combat, and anything relating to agility and grace. She also shows an uncanny ability to actually communicate with animals. This ability manifests itself best in the form of Jana's movie sidekick, Mono the chimpanzee. Throughout her entire endeavor, Jana inquires a lot about Admiral Cale's son, Nathaniel. The young actress seems to show a strong interest in knowing where he is, how he is doing, and why he hasn't come to see her in such a long time. Her attraction, though playful at best, seems to be quite sincere and serves as a method to keep the young woman focused on the trials that she must face each and every day.

Appearance

Jana is an athletic and curvaceous woman. Five and a half feet tall, slim of build, she is obviously in top physical condition. Her smooth black hair is very straight though not very long, reaching just a bit beneath her shoulders. She has green eyes and a distinctive nose. Jana is obviously of mixed Hispanic descent and her accent is most likely Brazilian.

Costume

Of impressive stature, Jana does indeed wear 'œsome' clothing. Her outfits usually consist of a single strapped slip-on dress fashioned from authentic tigerskin. She prefers to travel shoeless, as they merely slow her down. Jana accentuates her outfit with a series of handmade bracelets fashioned from tiger's claws tied together on a leather thong. She generally wears these on her extremities, i.e. on her ankles, wrists, and as a headband. About her waist is similarly designed belt, in which she keeps an unsheathed dagger made from sharpened stone.

[Kharn]

Identity
The Shroud is among the first to divulge his secret identity to the rest of his teammates. Born Sean Patrick Malone and later adopting his appropriate nickname, The Shroud is a former Freedom City police officer who has decided not to let his obvious handicap hinder him from protecting the streets of his fair city any more than it has to. When not in uniform, Malone walks about the complex wearing round, darkened glasses and uses a simple white cane to assist him in finding his way about. His social skills match those of his physical ones and his naturally inherited '˜Fighting Irish' spirit mixed with his '˜Never Say Quit' attitude has won him the admiration of both his fellow teammates as well as several of the local doctors and nurses. Overall Malone has enjoyed his time spent at Lonely Point, even though it has managed to tax his physical abilities well past their normal limits.

Powers
The Shroud has the ability to generate a magical darkness around him out to an area of 100 ft. diameter. He also has the ability to see in total darkness as well. He states that his abilities were bestowed upon him during an altercation with an Asian gang back during his police days. Other than this, the former police officer seems to be quite skilled in pugilism and the art of Irish Stick Fighting. Malone also seems to be quite sociable as well, making friends with ease and always seems comfortable talking about whatever topic may arise.

Appearance
Sean Malone is a fit, healthy, and clean-cut man of athletic build. Over six feet in height, solidly built, Malone cuts a charismatic profile. His chocolate brown hair is stylishly cut. His eyes, though covered with the milky white film commonly found accompanying cataracts, are brown and a little green, hinting at hazel. His appearance is classic, with a square jaw, Roman nose, thin lips, and the beginnings of wrinkles.

Costume
The Shroud's outfit utilizes a standard police uniform as its base. Made from black leather and sewn with silver buttons in the front, the outfit is not unlike those commonly worn by police officers and enlisted men during the 30's and 40's. The getup is complemented further with a pair of matching gloves and knee-high boots. Each of the later is likewise made from black leather and sports rather flamboyant folds at the cuffs, not unlike the style worn by motorcyclists and aviators during similar times. Finally he wears a hooded cowl which is also done up a fashion similar to those worn by motorcyclists and aviators and is made from the aforementioned black leather. The cap is fitted with a pair of blackened goggles which cover his eyes at all times.

[BrokenWire2086]

Dr. Faustino may be many things, but the ideal soldier is not one of them. This aging man arrived with the others to Lonely Point and quickly adopted a passive resentment to the boot-camp treatment he received from the military personnel at the base. This is all taken in stride with a calm patients which has earned him several nick names among the personnel at the facility, none of which he has chosen to answer to. For the most part Dr. Faustino is an incredibly calm man who seems to move through life in a carefully measured pace which leaves many wondering if he would do anything quickly, even if the entire building was crashing down around him. To the other members of this rather eclectic team he is cordial and well mannered as anyone would expect from someone of good breading and refinement.

While the good doctor does not speak openly of his history it is clear he was chosen for the group for this very purpose. The occasional comments of Hitlers invasion of the United States in the past tense along with an encyclopedia of assorted other odds and ends of information show that Dr. Faustino may have very well seen the future of the world while flipping through one of the many books in whatever library he happens to find himself.

On the subject of powers: each member who has such a talent themselves must be on the lookout for the odd and unusual in those around them. To this end Dr. Faustino has demonstrated only one hint of a power, beyond his limited or perhaps simply non existent sleeping, and that was at the training range one day when he refused to partake in pistol training siting them as, "trivial pieces of equipment." He then quoted a passage about the pen being mightier than the sword, after which he tossed his ball point pen some 25 meters into the target and calmly went back to watching the rest of the training.

(ooc: more will be revealed after I find my character and remember what all was on it)

appearance

[Eanwulf]

Freedom City
Tuesday October 13th, 1939
Sometime Well After Midnight
A Remote Point On Lonely Point Naval Base

It was several hours past the middle of the night and each of the brave heroes laid lost deep in slumber. The past two and a half weeks had proved to have been thoroughly exhausting and each member of the group had retired to bed quite early. Despite their strenuous ordeals, everyone rested comfortably knowing that they were now part of a greater good whose immediate goal over the next several months was that of ensuring and preserving the American way of life.

Sadly, the heroes' dreams were rudely interrupted by a sudden series of loud crashing and clanging noises. As each person leapt wearily out of their beds, the source of the commotion soon became quite apparent. It would have appeared that two of the naval base's MP's had stormed their way into the band's makeshift barracks and were now banging their wooden batons against the inside of several large metal garbage cans. Accompanying the officers in their racket was a single navy seaman whom blew the all too familiar cadence of morning revelry upon a brass bugle.

Once the soldiers were satisfied that they had gained the group's full attention, the sleepy heroes were promptly escorted outside of the barracks where a huge transport truck eagerly awaited their arrival. One by one, each member of the group was then instructed to enter the back of the vehicle. After everyone was finished hauling themselves up into the back of the truck, the driver quickly fired up he engine and sped off into the darkness. After several minutes of intense driving, the troop transport then screeched to a halt and its occupants swiftly unloaded.

Heavy canvas trappings surrounded the back of the truck and had prevented its lethargic passengers from determining their exact route and final destination. The heroes, still half-asleep and greatly disoriented, blinked in awe as they soon found themselves at the base of a series of steps that lead up to a large wooden mansion. The band of exhausted heroes was then told to enter the large four-story wooden building that now stood before them. Though reluctant and still quite confused from the entire affair, each person did as they were instructed. As the last of the group entered the foyer of the large white-washed structure, the doors behind them were then shut and they could hear the truck that had brought them here once again speed off into the night.

After several moments a man entered the room. He wore a well-tailored suit made from brown tweed fabric and his haircut and general demeanor undoubtedly identified him as a businessman of some renown. The man paused at the entrance to the foyer to take a sip of what appeared to be steaming coffee from a porcelain cup. He then smiled warmly at the group, realizing that the last of their senses had finally returned to them. The man clearly bore a striking resemblance to Admiral Cale, though considerably younger.

Before anyone could utter a single word, the man spoke. 'œGood morning people. My name is Nathaniel Alvin Cale II. You might have heard of my father, Admiral Nathan Cale. I hope that this little stunt didn't scare you too much; but I had to guarantee that you and I would be the only parties privy to this conversation. The man then motioned for the group to join him in an adjoining room where several plush leather chairs and couches awaited them.

Once everyone had taken a seat, the man then paused long enough to offer the group fresh cups of coffee before he finally continued. 'I don't have time to beat around the bush so I'm going to get straight to the point. My father has instructed me to inform you that two days from now, the Research and Development Branch of a classified branch of the US military will be testing the new Cavalier Infantry Support System. We would like you to participate in that test. This isn't fun and games, boys and girls. The testing itself will be hard work; but if you cooperate we'll see that you're well rewarded. Any questions?'

---

Action

[Knowledge (current events) skill check, DC 10, Take 10, Success!]

All of you remember Admiral Cale dismissing himself roughly one week ago. He was rather vague as to why, but you do know that it was something to do with government work.

Admiral Nathan Cale

Nathan Jr

From the GM

I will pause here for appropriate player response.

[JohnnyWeird]

Paladin's hand goes to the sword strapped across his back. Even just touching it seems to stiffen his posture and bring light into his eyes. He even manages a weak smile, despite the early hour.

"I will help. Though with two days to go I'd assume we have time for more sleep?"

[Trogdor]

"Good morning Mr. Cale," Silver Scarab replied in a crisp, polite tone, despite the early hour. "It's a pleasure to meet you. And don't worry, after the weeks we've just had, a few soldiers with garbage cans aren't going to scare us." He gave the man a smile, offered his hand, and once greetings were done, took a seat in a comfortable leather armchair.

He leaned his head back against the chair, but his hand flicked in a gesture at the table holding the coffee. As it did so, the fine silver coffee pot stood up tall on it's legs and walked over to the nearby porcelain cups, the sugar bowl and the creamer following close behind. The coffee pot then leaned over and began pouring cups of coffee. Following in a line, the creamer and the sugar bowl deposited their contents, as appropriate, to flavor the coffee as his companions preferred - having spent many sleepy mornings gulping down a quick breakfast with them, the Silver Scarab had ample opportunity to see how each preferred his or her morning coffee.

Then, the cups complete, the coffeepot, creamer, and sugar bowl marched back to their regular place. As they settled in, the first of the cup and saucers rose from the table, as if carried by an invisible hand, and moved through the air to Jana. One by one, the others followed to the other heroes until at last the final cup and saucer came to rest on the small table beside the Silver Scarab. He picked up the cup, took a sip, and then rested it back on the saucer again.

"Just the thing for an early morning like this," he said in a more chipper tone. "A leisurely breakfast would call for tea. But coffee is far better for a pre-dawn wakening like this."

After Nathanial Cale had set forth his proposal, the Silver Scarab nodded his approval. "As Paladin says," he replied, "I'll be happy to help. This is what we're here for, isn't it? Though I'm not sure what you mean by well-rewarded. Putting an end to the Ratzi menace is the only reward I need."

OOC

Use Animate Object to get the tea to pour itself, and Telekinesis to get the cups to come to everyone.