Free Meriquai Falls Products!

Recently, I posted first on Google Drive, then on DeviantArt, a three free samples of what I've been working on at DWR Game Studio. Meriquai Falls isn't the largest of cities, by any stretch of the imagination. But it does host a sizable number of metahumans, both good and evil, with powers beyond mortal ken. The following documents are free to download over at DeviantArt, so please feel free to look them over and give me your feedback.

• Live-Wire: A humble bus driver who was caught in a freak accident during the rampage of the Fire Serpent, Con Rắn Cháy, Trent MacDaily now uses his lightning-based powers to aid the disenfranchised residents of Rampage Row while working for top dollar for the DHS, the CIA, IRON, and other government entities.
• Longhorn: One of the strongest entities in the world, and easily the strongest in Meriquai Falls, the minotaur-like Longhorn wants nothing more than to eradicate us "hairless monkeys" to create a safer world for his bovine brethren. He was originally featured in Digital Hero #39 and is updated here to the HERO System 6th Edition ruleset.
• Crimson-Hawk: The iconic hero of Meriquai Falls, his passing left an indelible mark on the citizens of the city. This document details the hero himself, the anti-hero Sworddancer, the villain Steel Hawk, and eludes to the Crimson-Hawk's Alpha Horde counterpart, Blood Vulture.

Grab those documents now and get a taste for what Meriquai Falls has to offer.

Meriquai Falls – The Music

It just occurred to me that I never did post last Friday like I was supposed to do. So, tonight, I’m going to pull a quick and dirty. It’ll be Thursday once most of you read this, so I’ll just say I’ll get myself back on schedule by posting “tomorrow,” as well.

I’ve been trying to put together a playlist of music evocative of Meriquai Falls and this is what I have so far. I could definitely use some opinions, yay or nay, on it and some suggestions to expand the list and round it out.

I’m specifically looking for music that evokes a “superhero” atmosphere. Music that has a Native American undertone or at least sounds like it mistaken for Native American is especially welcome as suggestions.

Disc One – The Omega Legion

Atlanta (Bond)
Everyone Get Down (Tiffany)
Feels Like A Prayer (Meck feat. Dino)
Heartbeat (Robby Romero)
My Vision (Jakatta feat. Seal)
Proud Warrior (Brian Davis)
Sweet Harmony (The Beloved)
Those Human Ways (Brulé)
True Faith (Liz Kay)

Disc Two – The Imperions

Beautiful Killer (Madonna)
Club Villain (Your Favorite Martian)
Demon Speeding (Rob Zombie)
Dragon Rider (Two Steps From Hell)
Get Up (Korn feat. Skrillex)
Magika (Two Steps From Hell)
Super Villain (Powerman 5000)
This Is How I Disappear (My Chemical Romance)
Ultimate Power (Epic Score)

Disc Three – Fall From Grace

Bring Me To Life (Evanescence)
Dreamtime (Daryl Hall)
Dream Weaver (Erin Hamilton)
Edge & Flight (Solar Fields)
Hero (Chad Kroeger feat. Josey Scott)
Live To Tell (Lucrezia)
Street of Dreams (Blackmore’s Night)
Time After Time (Inoj)
Try (Deborah Gibson)

Meriquai Falls – The Legend Force

The heroes watched as the landscape around them changed. The utter devastation that surrounded them quickly and magically undid itself. Shattered streets pieced themselves back together and closed off seams. Demolished buildings erected themselves, shattered glass and concrete flying back into place. People thought to be dead or mortally wounded began to wake up and stand up as if nothing had ever happened.

The awe-inspiring scene was soon overshadowed by a brilliant flash of light. The heroes turned to see the fey overlord, Auberon of Arcadia, hovering over them like kingly phoenix, smiling proudly down upon them.

“You mortals are champions beyond compare, even in Arcadia,” Auberon intoned. “Lady Falcon, ever a thorn in my side yet as noble of heart and great of beauty as you are beautiful. Blood Shadow, weakest of your ilk in body yet strongest of them all in intellect and cunning. Shotgun Rider, blessed by spirits so that your fate is as yours to command as your aim with a weapon. Prairie Maid, vested with mighty magic and the wisdom to weild with heart and soul. Deejay, a stout champion of your people as none I have ever beheld before. Doc Bionic, as much machine as you are man, yet more human than any other alive today. And Tethys, goddess of the sea and beautiful guardian of goodness and right.”

“You have risen above all odds and achieved the impossible,” Auberon continued as the rebuilding of Meriquai Falls continued apace. “By uncovering Crystalon’s complicity in the disappearance of my beloved Tytania and bringing my wife safely to me, you seven have done what no other mortals have done before. You have earned not only my respect, but my gratitude as well. You are to be commended, heroes. You are truly a legendary force to be reckoned with. The wicked should ever fear you as I respect you.”

With that, Auberon rose his scepter and flew off into the sky, disappearing among the clouds. The heroes gazed around and saw that Meriquai Falls had returned to how it had been before Auberon had ordered the Arcadian invasion of the Middle World. It was as if the last twenty-four hours had never occurred at all.

“So, um, what now?” Doc Bionic asked, turning to look at the other.

“We return to our lives,” Blood Shadow replied, absently adjusting his cowl. “Just because Auberon’s threat has over doesn’t mean our work is done, not by any stretch of the imagination.”

“Indeed,” Tethys agreed, leaning her trident on her shoulder. “Auberon was but one threat that this city shall have to face. More threats will surely come.”

“I’m down with that, cats,” Deejay added. “Too much going down in Northtown for me to be chillin’ like it ain’t no thang. Gotta get back to work.”

“I’ve got an idea,” Shotgun Rider ventured, still staring at the scenery around him.

“What’s that, lover?” Prairie Maid asked, turning to her husband.

“I think we can all agree that no single one of us could have pulled off what we did today, right?” Shotgun Rider asked, turning to the others.

“That seems pretty obvious,” Blood Shadow agreed. “This was something we all needed to work together to get done. Wait, are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”

“I like the idea,” Lady Falcon finally said. “For years, I thought I was the only one of my kind… the only person possessed of super abilities who could face off against the growing number of villains in this city. The last couple of years have proven me wrong, thank goodness. Now is a great time for us to start showing a united front against these villains.”

Blood Shadow didn’t respond. He simply looked at Lady Falcon, then to Shotgun Rider, then to the others.

“I’m in,” Doc Bionic added. “I think my keepers will appreciate that I’m not throwing myself at danger without backup. I mean, it takes a pretty dime to keep me spic ‘n span, ya know?”

“And we can call on each other for whenever we need help,” Shotgun Rider said, looking around at the others. “Each of us has our area of expertise that the others don’t have. Pooling our skills together will make us a better unit.”

“That is your military background talking, Rider,” Blood Shadow pointed out.

“I do have my own misgivings,” Tethys replied, eliciting a surprised glance from Blood Shadow. “I am a goddess and I am used to handling my problems on my own.”

“And I work best when I’m not hindered with having to watch out for others,” Blood Shadow concurred.

“Of course we shouldn’t work as a team all of the time,” Prairie Maid said, offering a gentle hand in agreement. “Some of us, like my husband and I, make a perfect team while others, like our dear friend Blood Shadow work best alone while in the shadows. But the good that we did today should not be ignored. We should stand ready to do this again, if the threat calls for it.”

“Okay, I can accept being on the group Rolodex, so long as it isn’t abused,” Blood Shadow conceded.

“Fair enough,” Tethys replied, nodding to Blood Shadow. “I shall make myself available for assistance in such future emergencies as warrants my aid.”

“Cool,” Deejay smiled, slapping his hands together. “MC and I are in, too. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with lending a helping hand when needed, right boy?”

The large bulldog standing next to Deejay barked excitedly.

“Great!” Doc Bionic added. “I’ll have a talk with McLane, then. I’m sure he won’t mind pulling some strings and getting us some team resources… you know, for when we need them and all.”

“Adrian McLane from McLane Industries?” Lady Falcon asked. “Not a bad idea.”

“Of course, the Conestoga Base and Conestoga Mobile are available, too,” Shotgun Rider added proudly.

“Indeed,” Prairie Maid smile. “This is getting me excited.”

“Don’t get too excited,” Blood Shadow pointed out. “Remember, this isn’t a full-time team. Tethys and I are on-call only.”

“Fair enough,” Prairie Maid smiled, apparently undeterred.

“So, what do we call ourselves?” Doc Bionic asked.

“I guess anything with the word ‘justice’ is out of the question,” Deejay said, scratching the back of his head beneath his afro.

“Auberon already named us,” Lady Falcon pointed out.

The others looked at the paragon heroine curiously as she smiled.

“We are a legendary force to be reckoned with,” she repeated from Auberon’s earlier speech.

“THE RECKONERS!” Deejay, yelled pumping a fist into the air. The others simply looked at Deejay, who shrank from the glares. “What?”

Lady Falcon continued to smile at the others. “I’m thinking more along the lines of….

Legend Force

In 1984, Lord Auberon of Arcadia invaded the Middle World after banishing the cosmic imp Robin Goodfellow from his court. Seven heroes banded together to take on the threat. Proving themselves heroes who could think outside of the box, they routed out the source of Auberon’s wrath and fixed it rather than take on the forces of Arcadia directly. In gratitude, Auberon repaired all of the damage he had inflicted, welcomed Goodfellow back into his court, and returned to Arcadia.

The heroes, seeing what they had done, decided to remain in contact with each other. They formed a league of sorts; a means of quickly coming back together in the event of a threat greater than any single one of them. This league became known as the Legend Force. And it was one of the greatest hero teams in the world.

For 16 years, the Legend Force protected Meriquai Falls from all sorts of villainy. But the death of Prairie Maid in 1996 and the retiring of Lady Falcon and Deejay to start their own family took a toll on the team. On New Year’s Day, 2000 CE, most of the rest of the team died at the hands of the vicious Wolf Pack as they enacted their threats on the city during the Great Meriquai Falls Massacre. Only Lady Falcon and Shotgun Rider survived… and only after the two of them collapsed an entire warehouse building onto the villains, allegedly killing the Wolf Pack. The Legend Force officially disbanded that day, to be replaced by the Omega Legion a couple of months later.

The Members

Lady Falcon – The defacto leader of the team, Lady Falcon is the oldest standing superhero in Meriquai Falls, even today. Her Phalkyran heritage gave her super strength, super toughness, and winged flight, all of which she put to heroic use. Prone to act first and ask questions later, she still won the public’s approval due to her gentle heart and striking good looks.

Blood Shadow – The behind-the-scenes brains of the team, Blood Shadow was a brilliant strategist and detective. Possessing no superpowers of his own, Blood Shadow made up for it with skill, cunning, and the many gadgets he carried. He preferred to work alone against the organized crime families infesting the city, but he never failed the team when they needed someone who could think things through quickly.

Shotgun Rider – An excellent marksman with trick shotgun shells who seemed to have more luck than any one man could ever possess, Shotgun Rider was a thrillseeker and an adventurer in his day. Today, he is more refined, wiser, and pragmatic, but he is still prone to taking great risks knowing that his luck will usually carry him through.

Prairie Maid – Shotgun Rider’s wife, Prairie Maid was a Meriquai shaman of no small water. Her magic and her wisdom protected Meriquai Falls time and time again against all sorts of threats, both mundane and magical. Her death at the hands of the Totem member Coyote saved hundreds of thousands of lives that day.

Deejay and MC – This African-American man and his pet bulldog gained the ability to manipulate light and sound from a freak discothèque accident. He focused on street crime, battling the rising drug problems of the streets of North Meriquai Falls. But he was also one of the most enthusiastic members of the Legend Force.

Doc Bionic – A former construction worker who lost most of his body in a work accident, McLane Industries scion Adrian McLane had Samuel Blacksmith rebuilt as a cyborg. While primative by today’s standards (what with current Lyncon Technologies nanotechnology and Winters Industries cyberprosthetic technology), Doc Bionic was cutting edge for his day. His strength and superspeed made him a great asset to the team.

Tethys – A greek demigod of the sea, Tethys somehow found herself bound to the juncture of the Missouri and Meriquai Rivers. She protects her prison-home like she would have her true home in the Aegean Sea. She lends her aid to the team because she feels it is the proper and just thing to do.

State of the Union

I promised myself I would write every week, on Friday, on this blog concerning Meriquai Falls. I’ve already broken that promise once, so I’m reaffirming that promise and writing here today.

Just to let everyone know, work on Meriquai Falls still progresses on schedule. It’s not my ability to work on it that’s currently in question… it’s my ability to RELEASE that work that’s currently in question. And since the answer to that question is a tentative “probably,” I’m continuing to write so that I’m prepared if the answers turn out to be in my favor.

So, What’s Going On?

Those of you who follow my personal Facebook page may have seen Jason Walter’s post on my wall on Monday. Some of you among those people may be wondering what that was all about and why it was important. So, here I go with an explanation as to how I understand the situation.

DOJ, Inc., Acquires Meriquai Falls

When I first published my Meriquai Falls articles (in 2002 and 2006), I signed a contract stating that everything that DOJ, Inc., published belonged to them, no questions asked. This was an important part of DOJ’s business model. See, back when the Big Three (George MacDonald, Steve Peterson, Ray Greer) and Bruce Harlick were running things, they were far more relaxed about IP ownership. Many of the characters that Hero Games published were still owned by their creators.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, if a particular character appears in more than one place, it becomes an issue. As was the case with the villain, Icicle. Many Champions fans saw her as an iconic villain, so of course DOJ wanted to use her. They even secured permission from her creator to use her. However, Heroic Publishing called shenanigans on that (my personal opinion being that they were still miffed about how Bruce Harlick pulled the Marksman and Foxbat out of the Heroic Publishing universe) by pointing out that they had by contract exclusive rights to the use of the Icicle character. DOJ created the villain Snowblind to replace Icicle and moved on with their lives.

Given that scenario, it is easy to understand why DOJ would want to possess full control over ALL of their IP. And given my personal anger at the whole Icicle debacle, I wholeheartedly agree. So, I thought nothing about signing the rights to Meriquai Falls over to DOJ. They were still giving me the freedom to continue creating it via the Digital Hero fanzine anyway, so as far as I was concerned it was business as usual.

Cryptic Studios Acquires the Champions Universe

In 2007, the video game studio that gave us City of Heroes, Cryptic Studio, had seen their latest project get canceled by the publisher. It was supposed to be a MMORPG set in the Mighty Marvel Universe (Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, et. al.) and Cryptic had the coding foundation for the game already set. Now, cancelations of this sort happen all of the time in the video game industry (far more often than many of us would be find comfortable), so Cryptic shrugged their shoulders and moved on with life. But they weren’t content to see their hard work on the MMORPG coding framework go to waste. They knew they had a worthy challenger to their former child if they only had a superheroic universe in which to set the game.

This is where the perfect storm coalesced. Cryptic needed an superheroic setting and just happened to be Champions fans. DOJ had a well fleshed out superheroic setting twenty years in the making that wasn’t beholden to some larger corporation and just happened to be in a position to see the benefit of the influx of capital that cutting a deal with Cryptic would bring. Cryptic, being as savvy in the IP department as DOJ was, knew that they would benefit best if they had full control of the Champions Universe IP. And so a deal was cut, contracts were signed, and Cryptic bought the IP for the Champions Universe and the Dark Champions Universe from DOJ. Only Steve Long’s personal character, the Harbinger of Justice, didn’t make the transition. DOJ would continue publishing books on the Champions Universe under contract from Cryptic Studios.

Where the Confusion Lies

When I wrote the original articles for Meriquai Falls in 2002, I wrote them as though Meriquai Falls were an unofficial part of the Champions Universe. There were even references to VIPER, PRIMUS, and other elements of the Champions Universe within the articles. However, when Steve Long and I sat down to plan a Meriquai Falls setting ebook in 2003, we both agreed that Meriquai Falls should be separate setting, one that could easily be inserted into any other setting, including the Champions Universe. The ebook never saw the light of day (having been canceled following the abysmal performance of the adventure Shades of Black), but when I wrote an update article on Meriquai Falls in 2006, I noted all of the changed made to the setting in light of the decision to separate it.

Shortly after that article was written, Cryptic Studios bought the Champions Universe.

So, which holds precedence? The original articles in 2002 stating that Meriquai Falls was part of the Champions Universe? Or the update article in 2006 stating that Meriquai Falls was not part of the Champions Universe?

Jason Walters is looking into the answer to that as we speak (on top of everything else he has in his very hectic schedule). I imagine part of the process is Jason getting in contact with the legal gurus at Cryptic Studios to find out if Meriquai Falls was part of the deal in 2007 or not. I am waiting for Jason to get back with me on that. Until then, I’ll continue writing, like I said before, to make sure I’m still on schedule if the answers come back in my favor.

Worst case scenario: I turn over all of my notes to Cryptic Studios and give them seeds for what could possibly become a very kick-ass expansion to Champions Online and I move on to my other properties, like Elmenar and Lushei. Best case scenario: DOJ still owns the rights to Meriquai Falls and we all move forward as though this discussion never happened.

It’s a win-win, in my book.

Meriquai Falls – Aaaaaand, It’s A Go!

If you are friends with me on Facebook, you may already know this. Verbal permission from Jason Walters, General Manager of Hero Games, has been granted for me to publish Meriquai Falls! While I will still draw up contracts for Jason and I to sign, based on his templates, in order to make sure everything is legally covered, for all intents and purposes we are a go on this project. This is wonderfully timed, as now I can focus on getting material together for the 10-year Anniversary of Meriquai Falls’ original publication in Digital Hero #2 (way back in July/August 2002).

Thus far, I have the following documents on the queue…

• Meriquai Falls: Crimson-Hawk (free; May) – This will be a teaser document, presenting some basic history of the city as it pertains to Crimson-Hawk, plus details about Crimson-Hawk himself. It will discuss how he rose to superstardom only to lose it all during the Fall From Grace and how he rose back from those ashes only to make the ultimate sacrifice in the Battle of the Myste.
• Meriquai Falls: The Imperions (price pending; June) – In the original 2002 article, the Imperions, led by the enigmatic Galvakar, were lauded as the most famous and dangerous of the villain groups in Meriquai Falls. The truth is far more complex than that. While other villain groups exist and can be just as dangerous, the Imperions move with a sense of purpose unlike any other. For what villain could be more dangerous than a man determined to become a god?
• Meriquai Falls: Primer to the City of Spirits (price pending; July) – In time for Meriquai Falls’ 10-year Anniversary, this document will consolidate all of the general information about Meriquai Falls, apply all known errata, and modernize the setting for 2012. In addition, full character sheets and backgrounds will be provided for 14 heroes and 14 villains of the setting, giving value to the book regardless of whether you intend to use Meriquai Falls as a setting or not.

Other books are planned for further down the line. There is so much about Meriquai Falls to discuss: the Totems of Retribution, the Servants of Darkness, FENRIS, the Genetech Network, Count Dredmaus, and much much more. Stay tuned as plans are solidified.

Meriquai Falls – Count Dredmaus

Last week, I discussed a villain team that is integral to the Meriquai Falls setting, the Imperions. Since they won’t be included in the Primer (they will instead be featured in their own supplement), I chose to at least discuss them and their history here on my blog. In doing so, I hope to drum up interest in Meriquai Falls.

This week, I’m doing it again. This time, it’s a master villain. In fact, he is considered the most powerful and most dangerous villain in the Meriquai Falls setting. He is Count Dredmaus, the Mystic Lord of Weather. Imagine if you will if you took Marvel Comics’ Doctor Strange, gave him Storm’s powers, then gave him Doctor Doom’s mindset. Yeah, you’re getting pretty close to Count Dredmaus.

But who is Count Dredmaus? He appeared from out of the blue in the year 2000, mere months following the Great Meriquai Falls Massacre. At that point, he was every bit as powerful as he is today. Only the fortuitous presence of the mentalist Amethyst, the metamorph Masquerade, and the martial artist Silver Phoenix, along with the tactical genius of Major Brian Davenport (who was piloting the R.E.V.E.R.B. mecha suit), prevented the master wizard from inflicting more damage than he did. Even then, Count Dredmaus merely chose to quit the battlefield… he was not actually defeated.

Why then did he not appear sooner? As terrifyingly powerful as he is, he would have surely moved to conquer mankind long before now, right?

You have no idea just how right you are.

The Kingdom of Meriquai

The truth is considered beyond belief by the scant few individuals who know it. Count Dredmaus is a fey courtesan who was born more than thirteen millennia ago.

Count Syllus Dredmaus was a minor noble of the Empire of Arcadia at the time that the Kingdom of Meriquai was at its height. Like many fey, Dredmaus was fickle and shallow. But few even amongst the fey knew how dark Dredmaus’ heart was. He had designs. Grand designs. He intended to rule the Empire of Arcadia as its rightful emperor. Even the upstart Prince Auberon would not be able to deny him his destiny.

Dredmaus, being the immortal creatures that fey were, patiently watched as the Kingdom of Meriquai slowly descended into decadence. The silly humans were so predictable. The natural spirits of the Middle World thought so highly of the creatures who couldn’t survive even a full century before dying of old age, let alone by natural dangers or even violence. So the spirits had given all of these gifts to the humans. And how did the humans thank the spirits? By exploiting the spiritual magic for their own selfish ends. Dredmaus couldn’t help but laugh… not only were humans every bit as bad as fey (or even worse), but humans also possessed the power to destroy their own world… something the fey did not have.

Without the Middle World to anchor them, both the Spirit Plains and Arcadia would spiral out into the multiverse and possibly into oblivion. Dredmaus saw his chance. If he could conquer the Middle World, he could claim he was preventing such a catastrophe (who knows, it could be true). Then, as a hero of Arcadia, he could claim the imperial throne for himself. And everyone would support him. Even that laughable buffoon Auberon.

With that goal in mind, Dredmaus began to slowly set all of the pieces into place. Turning certain powerful humans to his cause was so incredibly easy that Dredmaus almost grew bored with the play. But he entertained himself with the antics of one young human boy, Hania Spiritheart, and his erstwhile allies. Playing a cosmic chess game with Hania while the boy hero journeyed to defeat the terrifying Myste was just the sort of intellectual release Dredmaus needed.

But all good things must come to an end. So it was with Dredmaus’ game with Hania. The boy hero had tracked Dredmaus to his lair on top of Mount Darksky, just as Dredmaus was enacting a ritual to draw the Myste to him. Hania and his allies faced off against the Dredmaus, but the fey count’s incredible command of weather magic was more than they had bargained for. Hania and his allies were easily defeated. However, before Dredmaus could land the killing blow, something incredible happened. Dredmaus suddenly disappeared into a dark vortex of energy, never to be seen again. Hania and his allies simply assumed that Dredmaus’ attempt to control the Myste backfired and the Myste destroyed him.

For over thirteen millennia, there was no proof to otherwise.

Reappearance

In the year 2000 A.D., the recent Great Meriquai Falls Massacre had drawn the attention of national and international peacekeeping forces. The United States commissioned the formation of an ultra-elite anti-terrorist military unit called the Lambda Force. Lambda Force, in turn, jointly commissioned IRON and Impulses Unlimited to develop a powered armor suit that the Lambda Force soldiers could use against supervillains. In a record-breaking two months’ time, they presented the R.E.V.E.R.B. prototype. Plans were made to demonstrate the prototype to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a glad overlooking the Meriquai Falls itself (at the time far from any developed part of the city).

As Major Brian Davenport was demonstrating the basic mobility functions of the suit, a mysterious man with the powers of flight and weather control inexplicably attacked the gathering. To this day, the public at large assumed that the villain, who was later revealed to be called Count Dredmaus, had taken the opportunity to attack the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the hopes of crippling the American military and to squash the public image of the nascent Lambda Force. If not for the three heroes who had secretly been in attendance, along with Major Davenport’s leadership, the villain would have surely succeeded.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the truth wasn’t as clear-cut as that. In reality, Count Dredmaus had just emerged from the dark vortex that had stolen him away from the fight against Hania Spiritheart. Something, or someone, had pulled Count Dredmaus out of time. The good Count, unaware that he had been pulled over thirteen millennia into the future, assumed that a rival fey noble had teleported him away from victory. When Dredmaus did not recognize his surroundings, he lost his temper and lashed out at the world around him. He just happened to be near the R.E.V.E.R.B. demonstration when he did this.

After spending a few moments venting his frustration on foes who were admittedly competent, though nowhere near powerful enough to defeat him, Dredmaus quit the battle to cool down and think about the situation.

The Throne of Arcadia

Eventually, Dredmaus pieced it all together. He then traveled to Arcadia to find that the “upstart Prince” Auberon was now the Emperor. To add insult to injury, the ever-radiant Countess Tytania, who Dredmaus had been courting, had married the buffoon… and stood proudly at Auberon’s side when Dredmaus attempted to reclaim what was rightfully his. Dredmaus declared war on Auberon’s court and enacted a ritual intended to destroy Auberon’s palace. Only the timely sacrifice of the court wizard, Nastarius, prevented a cataclysm the likes of which Arcadia had never seen.

To Present Day

Count Dredmaus cut his losses and fled. During the Multiverse Wars, wherein the heroes of the Middle World sought the pieces of the Staff of the Phoenix in order to save reality itself, Dredmaus found a pocket dimension that had been left unclaimed. Naming it Cumulonymba, Dredmaus built a tiny kingdom he could rule as a base of operations while he conquered the Middle World, the Spirit Plains, and Arcadia.

For the most part, Dredmaus has contented himself with seeding plots within plots in order to undermine the heroes of the Middle World and to weaken the political power of Auberon and his loyal nobles. A few times, Dredmaus has committed more direct acts of villainy against the Middle World; these have always been feints and tests, not only to gauge the progress of his work, but also to misdirect heroes away from what he is really doing. More than once, Dredmaus has allowed heroes to believe they had defeated him so that he could fall back, reconsider his strategies, and reappear much to the surprise and consternation of heroes everywhere.

One day, Dredmaus will rule the multiverse under his iron fist. It is his destiny as rightful heir to the throne of Arcadia.

And when he discovers who pulled him away from his victory over Hania Spiritheart, so many millennia ago, there will be Hell to pay.

Meriquai Falls – The Imperions

Meriquai Falls – Primer to the City of Spirits will include 14 example heroes and 14 example villains (well, 15 villains, actually, but Flipside is just the villainous version of Vixen and is discussed in a sidebar in Vixen’s background). These are not the entirety of the Meriquai Falls pantheon, to be sure. In fact, the sample villains are unaffiliated to any villain group, except for Night Sparrow who is a master villain and commands the street gang alliance known as the GeneTech Network.

As such, the plan for the future is to produce eminently affordable supplements detailing the various groups and organizations found within Meriquai Falls. One of those groups will, of course, be the Imperions.

The Imperions were first introduced in Meriquai Falls (Digital Hero 02). Led by the enigmatic shapeshifter Galvakar, the Imperions have attempted one master villain plot after another for nearly three decades. But why do they do so? What motivates them and why has their membership changed over time?

In The Beginning

The idea for the Imperions actually began over a decade before their official introduction to the world. In 1974, the city’s first recognized supervillain, the Manitou, used his own group of villains, the Totems of Retribution, to assault the Silver Mines in an attempt to drive the white men off of Meriquai sacred land. Gregario Petropoulis, the majority shareholder of Lyncon Technologies, was present for the attack. During the chaos, Buffalo made a vague comment about “Grandmother Spider’s heart,” which promptly got him punished by the Manitou.

This got Gregario’s mind to thinking. What was this “heart” and why was it so important that its mention would prompt the villain to punish his men? For nearly ten years, Gregario researched for answers. Finally, in the early 80s, Gregario stumbled onto ancient Meriquai tablets that hinted at the answers. An ancient artifact that actually contained the essence of a goddess? And it could possibly be hidden somewhere in the Meriquai Falls region? Gregario knew he had to possess this power. To transcend humanity and become a god? What sane man did not wish for this… to possess the power to change the world for the better?

So, for five years, Gregario quietly assembled a team of villains who would be absolutely loyal to him and assist him in finding and acquiring this power. Along with his wife, the were-spider known as Arachne, Gregario found two solo villains sympathetic to his cause. The first was the super-strong photokinetic, Incandentus; his near animal-like intellect and pet-like loyalty made him a perfect servitor. The second was the gadgeteer Tripwire; while Tripwire was a bit more independent than Incandentus, his brilliant mind for technology nearly matched Gregario’s own vast intellect and made for a perfect match for the team. Gregario commissioned Tripwire to construct an android to round out the team. Thus, the beautiful archer-android, the Huntress, was created.

The Imperions made their official debut caper in 1987, attempting to construct a super laser weapon capable of destroying the world. After a hard-won struggle and several minor defeats, the hero team Legend Force managed to defeat the Imperions right before they could fire the laser off into space towards the moon. The Imperions all escaped except for Tripwire, who was rescued from jail shortly thereafter.

The Team Implodes

While the Imperions enjoyed quite a bit of success when compared to other villains, the team was not without its problems. Gregario and Arachnes, being husband and wife, were utterly devoted to each other and Incandentus was quite loyal (like the family dog), but Tripwire and the Huntress were still wild cards. Tripwire possessed ambitions of his own, which occasionally put him at odds with his teammates. The Huntress was programmed to be utterly loyal to Gregario… which may have been her (and the team’s) undoing.

As time went on, Gregario entrusted more and more missions to the Huntress. Gregario trusted her because she was emotionless, competent, utterly loyal, and hardly ever failed. His wife, Arachne, however, saw the Huntress’ flawless physical beauty and assumed less savory motivations from her husband. Arachne’s jealousy grew to a point that she decided to have the Huntress destroyed.

Simply destroying the Huntress would not do, though. The Huntress would have to be destroyed in such a way as to force Gregario to realize the folly of having another similar android created. So Arachne embarked on what was to possibly be the worst decision of her immortal life.

Over  the course of weeks, Arachne seduced Tripwire. It was very subtle at first. She did not want Gregario suspecting her activities. But as time went on, Tripwire’s resistance to Arachne’s overtures faded. Finally, Arachne felt the time was right and made her move. She confessed to Tripwire, lying to him about her unrequited desire for him. But she felt that the Huntress posed a danger to their affair, capable of reporting their dalliances to Gregario. So Arachne asked that Tripwire reprogram the Huntress to be loyal to Arachne rather than to Gregario. Tripwire, his resolve completely gone and desiring Arachne madly, readily agreed to Arachne’s demands.

That night would be the last night of the original team’s existence.

Tripwire tricked the Huntress into a “routine maintenance” session and quietly began to reprogram her. Unfortunately, the Huntress’ original self-evolving programming proved to be Tripwire’s magnum opus… and his end. When the Huntress realized what was really going on, she turned on Tripwire. She interrupted the reprogramming in mid-session, which caused some catastrophic code relooping that caused her to go beserk. She killed Tripwire and gravely injured Gregario and Incandentus before escaping into the night. Arachne got the two surviving villains medical attention, but never spoke of her involvement in the ordeal.

The Imperions, now down to three members, went on hiatus.

Rebirth

By the year 2000, Lyncon Technology’s research into nanotechnology had reached the point that it was able to save the life of Gregario’s daughter, Mellisa (albeit at a cost of some of her humanity). Heartened by the success nanotechnology had in giving Mellisa back her mobility, Gregario used specialized nanotechnology to transform himself into a genetic shapeshifter. Now calling himself Galvakar (after the Italian physicist Luigi Galvani), Galvakar felt he was ready to rebuild the Imperions and be a more hands-on leader.

Now with Arachne, Incandentus, and his daughter Cyber Dreamer, Galvakar reached out to more potential members. He found two who fit the bill perfectly.

The first was Walter Cameron. Walter was found blown clear of Count Dredmaus’ assault on the REVERB demonstration, nearly three miles downstream from the Falls. Walter had recently been rejected by a woman he had loved and now believed that the rest of his friends had abandoned him. Cyber Dreamer, smitten by his rugged looks and his fierce determination to live, convinced her father to give Walter some nanotechnological treatment of his own. Walter gained enhanced strength, speed, and claws, becoming Cougar.

A month later, a mutant named Tommy Flannigan inadvertently discovered his ability to create portals that could teleport anyone or anything over vast distances. Hearing that the Imperions were reforming, Tommy tracked who he thought was the leader down (Arachne) and petitioned for membership. After a series of grueling tests that Tommy barely survived, Galvakar begrudgingly allowed Tommy to join, dubbing him Nexus.

Up To Today

Over the course of the next decade, the Imperions enjoyed a string of successes and failures the likes of which they’d never enjoyed. The Imperions were instrumental in thwarting FENRIS’s first attempt to take over the city. But they were also the catalyst to the Multiverse Wars, where heroes and villains alike had to hunt down and reassemble the pieces to the Staff of the Phoenix in order to prevent reality itself from collapsing upon itself. The Imperions have made several attempts to assemble and activate one doomsday weapon after another. Although they have always failed, they have always succeeded in getting one step closer to realizing Galvakar’s true goal.

Into The Future

In Vixen’s future, the Imperions actually succeed. Galvakar finds the Heart of the Grandmother Spider. He kills Crimson-Hawk when the hero attempted to preserve the secrecy of the Heart’s location in one last desperate stand. Jackson Sullivan then leads the rest of the Omega Legion against the Imperions to prevent them from harnessing the Heart’s power. But the Legion is too late; they arrive to find the Imperions have already absorbed the Heart’s power and have been driven insane by its sheer intensity. The Legion is slaughtered to the last member, except for 12-year-old Vixen, who is somehow snatched by some unknown force and thrown back into the past.