The Merge Universe

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kirinke
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by kirinke »

I'm not terribly familiar with that fandom.
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Neo-Paladin »

You should check out the tv show - (on Amazon prime) if you can. It's really well made.
I cannot really recommend the comic, though.
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Bladewind
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

yeah - the few panels of the comic I've seen... *** shudders ***

Which is something that I can see being played up by Vought and the Seven (well those that still try to be the Seven) - You've read the comic? And seen the show? Does is not stand to reason that both of those are far worse than the reality? Do you really think a corporation would let that much power go unchecked ? Or a child with Homelander's power to grow up without some kind of support structure to make a kind and decent - or at the very least well adjusted - person ?
Last edited by Bladewind on Wed Sep 30, 2020 1:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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kirinke
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by kirinke »

Um, Bladewind.... You're talking about corporations. In real life if they can get away with it, they will. :lol:
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

that's my point... they want to make money off of supers they won'T intentionally create monsters... still, the show is good sick fun
Thorpocalypse wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 6:01 pm Building to be comics "accurate" is different than building to run a PC or building something to challenge a group.
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Neo-Paladin
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Neo-Paladin »

Bladewind wrote: Wed Sep 30, 2020 1:33 am that's my point... they want to make money off of supers they won'T intentionally create monsters... still, the show is good sick fun
To be fair, they did not intentionally turn Homelander into a sociopath. They were just really, really, really stupid. Normal people do not grow up right when isolated from normal social relationships.With supers, it's no different...who would've thought...
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betterwatchit
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Re: The Merge Universe

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The Griffin of London

Native World: Earth-Prime.
Hometown: South-East London, United Kingdom.
Height: 6'1".
Hair: Brown, kept short. Clean shaven.
Eyes: Blue.
Wings: White, Feathered, Concealable. Estimated cruising speed 400 KPH/250 MPH.

Deity: The Glory.

Notable Characteristics: Strong London accent. Will address someone he knows to be of deific nature as a Lord or Lady if they're not known to prefer a different title, believed to be his way of showing respect to such beings and of warning everyone else in earshot to do the same.

Estimated Power Level (O'Brien-Holt Scale): 10.
Estimated Power Level (PRT Scale): Brute 2, Mover (Flier) 5, Thinker (Sense) 2. With sword: Blaster (Beam) 5+, Striker 7+.

Legal Status: As of 2020, Griffin is a Dual Citizen of New Mechanicsburg and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, possessing no criminal record in either nation. Griffin holds the Mechanicsburg title of Waffenbrüder (Brother-In-Arms), equivalent to a British knighthood.

Languages: British English (native), is a known Doolittle and Omniglot.

Weapon of Choice: Shortsword with mono-molecular edge popularly named "Justice". Justice can fire beams of holy light. Both blade and beam are known to have the "Ghost Touch" property.


Simon Wentworth had just gotten back to his London house from hospital after being hit by a bus on M-Day. "Miraculous" was the term given for his recovery. It probably was, as it would explain why on Earth there was a pair of white feathered wings on his back which he used to get back home. And how was he able to use them so soon?

As he went to his room to work out how to deal with his wings, he saw a sword on his bed. It was a shortsword, about the length of his forearm.

When he touched the sword, Simon had what he would only describe as a revelation. He had a vision, revealing the nature of his new and literally God-given gifts. As well as his wings, he now knew all tongues and scripts, his touch could heal the living and harm the walking dead. It was now much harder to hurt him, he could endure hazardous conditions without harm. He would never hunger, thirst, burn, freeze, sicken or fear again, and he could see through illusions. And he also learned how to conceal his wings.

After concealing them, he then tried swinging the sword, and soon found himself performing flourishes with it. Evidently, whoever apparently transformed Simon into an angel also gave him the skill needed to wield the shortsword properly. Given that he was an atheist, the transformation disturbed Simon to a fair degree.

During one flourish, Simon fired a beam of light from the sword, hitting an empty bottle he hadn't cleared up yet. It took Simon a few minutes before he worked out how to fire the beam reliably. Due to his ASD, he considered the possibility that whoever changed him also did something to his head. After all, his brain was already wired a bit differently from birth. The possibility of someone rewiring it on purpose was now a legitimate possibility. He reckoned that he now had a "switch" and a "trigger" in his head: The "switch" to reveal or hide his wings, the "trigger" allowed him to fire the beam from the sword. He tried it with a knife on an empty milk bottle in his back garden, but it didn't work. Only the sword could fire it properly.

Simon went online to see if anything could actually explain what was happening to him. It didn't take very long for him to find out that people, places and abilities that only just last week, everyone thought of as just the stuff of fiction and myth, were now a fact. They were appearing and happening in front of too many people for anyone who could cover it up to even bother trying. And he was proof it happened! Simon was so freaked out that he swore for two minutes straight before he started calming down. Simon's father opened the front door and Simon called out.

Simon's father ran up the stairs. He heard that Simon had died, but not that he somehow came back to life. As his father had a heart attack, Simon ran over and used his new healing touch to save his dad.

Simon took the alias of "Griffin" and started to clean up his act while helping to increase the peace. Whether that was by reducing friction between natives and newcomers, busting heads or by pointing out at a council meeting that there were pre-Merge precedents that already covered certain power interactions. It's easier to re-interpret a law than it is to get it added, changed or repealed, after all.

A major turning point was in December 2016, when Griffin went to a vintage computer club in Rochester in Kent. He knew Dave, the man in charge, from before the Merge. As he was getting a drink, Griffin saw someone donating a Tellus Typhoon console. Griffin recognised the name of Tellus as a subsidiary of Pentex, a corporation from the World of Darkness which actively profited from environmental and spiritual corruption and destruction. Since they didn't make any computer games involving the Garou, Dave didn't smell a rat. But Griffin did.

Griffin could see the evil spirits known as Banes hovering around the console, waiting to corrupt anyone who played on the console they were haunting. He unsheathed his sword and outed the Black Spiral Dancer Garou handing the console over, openly revealing what the werewolf was and what he was trying to pull on Dave. The Garou turned into a nine foot tall wolfman (as in, he assumed Crinos form) and attacked Griffin. Griffin fought back against the Garou in a brutal fashion. He was badly wounded, but he took the Garou's head.

That was the first time Griffin had ever killed someone. He had enough presence of mind left to wash his hands and then use his holy touch to banish the Banes before he left the club. As he left, he encountered a whole pack of Gaian Garou who smelled the bloodshed and realised what he did. They helped him recover from his wounds, and he still owes them a favour for it. When they asked how he didn't come down with Delirium, Griffin simply told them "This world has had its fair share of atrocity, but nothing on the scale of the Impergium. No Impergium means no racial memories are triggered when a native human sees Garou in Crinos form."

Un/fortunately for Griffin, CCTV footage of him killing the Black Spiral was obtained by Kent Police, who handed it over to MI5 and to the DXDO. MI5 gave Griffin an offer he couldn't refuse: He was to join a DXDO team in what was effectively a suicide mission in order to stop what would later become known as the Chaos Incursion. If he failed, a killer getting themselves killed was simply what they had coming to them. If he succeeded, then what happened with the Black Spiral would be ruled as a case of justifiable self-defence, letting him go free.

It ended up being Griffin's most far-flung adventure yet. First, he was teleported from London to Castle Doom in Latveria to get the full briefing with the rest of the team. The team consisted of himself, an ice dragon stuck in human form calling himself Draco, Sanzo the Hand of Buddha, Supergirl, Dr. Manhattan and Lady Agrippina Edwige Heterodyne of Mechanicsburg AKA Aggie.

The first objective: The team had to go to the Lux nightclub in Los Angeles to convince Lucifer Morningstar to guide them to Hell to retrieve Rasputin's soul… without having to kill them first. During the negotiation, Lucifer used his very tempting voice on the entire crew, demanding to know their innermost desires. The Hand of Buddha and Griffin were the only ones with the strength of mind to resist the divine-grade mindwhack. They even got a nod of respect out of Lucifer, who agreed to guide them.

Lucifer led the team out of town, to a door hidden beneath a bridge. This was their way down into Hell.

What Griffin saw was in his own words: "The souls of the damned. I thought they'd be screaming or maybe weeping, that they'd have some feeling left. But they were just broken! Even if I could help them, I doubt it would have done any good. And then we had to make our way through the biggest battlefield I've ever seen, bigger and bloodier than every fight in pre-Merge history put together! Since no one there could actually die again, no one was going to win it. I've heard people say that 'war is hell'. I say that you would never forget seeing Hell at war!"

The team managed to escape the infernal battlefield and reached Baba Yaga's Dancing Hut. The team soon got her attention. Aggie proved her mastery of diplomacy by convincing Baba Yaga to let them in. As the Hut followed Rasputin's trail, Griffin mused that they were doing wasn't restoring order, but restoring balance. Too much order and nothing could change. Too much chaos and no one could make anything last. And excessive amounts of chaos and order were simply unhealthy to anyone who wasn't embodying a particular force.

The Hut arrived at Yggdrasil, the World Tree. The team then got inside the tree while Nidhogg was distracted by Lucifer and Baba Yaga. Griffin felt like crap for leaving them behind, but he didn't have a choice. The team found Rasputin's soul in a nesting doll bearing his likeness. And it was guarded by the infamous Koschei the Deathless, who set a horde of draugr on the team. Griffin gave out the warcry "WE FIGHT FOR OUR HOME!" as he started fighting the draugr with the rest of the team. He covered Supergirl as she took the doll. One of the team made a portal to get them out of there. They landed somewhere in South America. Griffin noticed that Supergirl was shaken by what she saw, and he couldn't blame her. He stabilised her by hugging her with his healing touch active… and with wrapping his wings around her at the same time. After an hour of rest - and a cup each of Aggie's special blend of tea - the team made another portal back to Castle Doom.

It turned out that they spent a week in those otherworldly realms, and during that time, various powerful forces went all out on Earth.

Griffin and Draco hit St. Petersburg, as they were the only ones who could survive the cryogenic tempratures of the White Frost. Their objectives were to bring one of Aggie's inventions, a Hearthstone of Order, to a certain location in order to stabilise reality and force the White Frost's retreat. They were also to force the creature currently wearing Rasputin's body back out again. Griffin was hit with a vision en route, as some of his divine gifts were enhanced. He could now see much further away and his healing hands started glowing brighter. During the fight against the impostor's skeletal crew, Griffin was stricken by the impostor, being made to see a vision of his whole world crumble. He barely managed to shake off the shock and made the impostor answer for trying to break his brain by using a second invention of Aggie's to disrupt the creature long enough for Rasputin to reclaim his body.

After Rasputin reclaimed his body, he told Griffin and Draco to get to Kolkata at once, where the rest of the team were trying to install the last Hearthstone.

When Griffin and Draco reached the Temple of Kali, they saw what the problem was: the Sentry was losing control of the Void, while both Kali and Ganesh were badly wounded.

It led to the first time that Griffin had ever sincerely prayed since his transformation, due to his own philosophy of prayer as something that wastes time and effort better spent getting - and keeping - things done. When he finished, he caught something. The Void wasn't in complete control yet. They would have already lost if it was. Griffin told Sentry that if he wanted to be the Golden Guardian, he would do whatever the f*** it took to stop the Void!

He certainly didn't expect the man to effectively commit suicide and take the Void with him. After the last Hearthstone activated, Griffin was the one who called for a moment's silence for those who died in the Incursion. When it ended, he offered his help to Aggie. Mainly as he knew things he was reasonably certain most Mechanicsburgers didn't, like Earth-Prime history and the basics behind 20th and 21st century science and culture. Aggie accepted the offer. Before Griffin left, he was seen touching the temple's altar, apologising to Kali for the mess they made in her temple.
Last edited by betterwatchit on Sat Nov 06, 2021 11:15 pm, edited 8 times in total.
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Bladewind
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

I love that character, and that you have a "signature" Merge character.... I have two... My version of Nightwing and my MGS Supergirl... the latter of which I am currently playtesting against a version of Homelander that I statted up for shiggles...
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kirinke
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by kirinke »

I loved playing Aggie. It just goes to show you what a ridiculously high persuasion skill can accomplish in the right insane hands. I mean, her inventions where great, but her biggest "power" was her ability to sell sand to Hutts and have them thank her for the honor.
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Neo-Paladin »

Holidays in the Merged World

The Merge brought with it not only beings from different worlds but also religions, customs, etc. Besides the many holidays acknowledged only by certain groups, gods and beings, there are two major holidays now celebrated by the world at large, while some others have changed siginificantly.

M-Day
June 5th. The day everything changed. The Merge left such a mark not only on Earth but the whole universe, it should be no surprise that people would want to commemorate it in some way. In most countries, it is celebrated with parades and balloons celebrating " their" heroic individuals, whether they want it or not. There are quite a few who do not feel comfortable with so much veneration. But, to be honest, the people have a point. Without the heroes to hold everything together, Earth would have become a post-apocalyptic hellscape similar to the RIFTS universe.

Incursion Day
December 11th was the day Earth was attacked by the forces of Chaos and dissolution, who claimed countless lives before being narrowly prevented from destroying the planet. It says a lot that this is the version being circulated because the truth is a tad worse. Nonetheless, Incursion Day serves as both a memorial day for all those killed and as a celebration of the heroic victories that averted the worst.
The day is usually celebrated by public processions and visits by officials to memorials. Traditionally, families and friends visit the graves of those killed. It is a quiet, somber day...until the sun sets. Once it gets dark, the fireworks start and the parties begin as everyone celebrates having lived through that ordeal. It's about on par with the 4th of July.
Last year, Incursion Day was also the day Spielberg's" Geek March" premiered, a movie depicting the struggles of a group of young men, women and teenagers with "nerdy" hobbies who famously came together and used their media-gained knowledge to secure an entire block from the worst depradations of the daemons, horrors and even the Word Bearers. Sadly, while they managed to keep hundreds of people safe, they all gave their lives.
The movie has been favourably compared to " Saving Private Ryan". It's also one of the most magically-warded movies to come out since the Merge, due to the many depictions of creatures and symbols considered memetic hazards.

There is a special memorial for them erected in Central Park and it's customary for one high-profile superhero to put down flowers there on Incursion Day. Last year it was Nightwing.
Last edited by Neo-Paladin on Sat Jan 09, 2021 9:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Bladewind
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

Neo-Paladin wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:28 pm There are quite a few who do not feel comfortable with so much veneration.
That's what makes them heroes, I would say. And I put my Supergirl in the uncomfortable category.
Neo-Paladin wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:28 pm Last year, Incursion Day was also the day Spielberg's" Geek March" premiered, a movie depicting the struggles of a group of young men, women and teenagers with "nerdy" hobbies who famously came together and used their media-gained knowledge to secure an entire block from the worst depradations of the daemons, horrors and even the Word Bearers. Sadly, while they managed to keep hundreds of people safe, they all gave their lives.
The movies has been favourably compared to " Saving Private Ryan". It's also one of the most magically-warded movies to come out since the Merge, due to the many depictions of creatures and symbols considered memetic hazards.
I like that. A lot.
I think I would like to play a character in that story... Knowing your character will die by the end of the story is a neat complication and done right makes for a compelling game.
Neo-Paladin wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:28 pm There is a special memorial for them erected in Central Park and it's customary for one high-profile superhero to put down flowers there on Incursion Day. Last year it was Nightwing.
I take it you mean Dick Grayson... ;)
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kirinke
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by kirinke »

In New Mechanisburg, Aggie built a chapel for the fallen. Every brick and stone has a name of the dead on it. It's actually built on the border of Latveria and New Mechanisburg and was the first joint venture between the two countries. It has since become a potent symbol of hope and remembrance for both countries.
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betterwatchit
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by betterwatchit »

Every year on 11 AM on the 11th of December ever since that day, Griffin spends at least half an hour on one knee in mourning for those lives lost in the Incursion. Even Aggie knows way better than to interrupt him if it isn't about a life-or-death situation. And all major and most smaller cities (including Griffin's home city of London) are known to have at least one public Incursion memorial.
Last edited by betterwatchit on Mon Jan 18, 2021 12:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Neo-Paladin »

Bladewind wrote: Sat Jan 09, 2021 12:20 am
Neo-Paladin wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:28 pm Last year, Incursion Day was also the day Spielberg's" Geek March" premiered, a movie depicting the struggles of a group of young men, women and teenagers with "nerdy" hobbies who famously came together and used their media-gained knowledge to secure an entire block from the worst depradations of the daemons, horrors and even the Word Bearers. Sadly, while they managed to keep hundreds of people safe, they all gave their lives.
The movie has been favourably compared to " Saving Private Ryan". It's also one of the most magically-warded movies to come out since the Merge, due to the many depictions of creatures and symbols considered memetic hazards.
Bladewind wrote: Sat Jan 09, 2021 12:20 am I like that. A lot.
I think I would like to play a character in that story... Knowing your character will die by the end of the story is a neat complication and done right makes for a compelling game.
And I actually wanted to write a short story about this for a while, but alas, never found the time. I might do a short section on the heroes of that moment, though.
I take it you mean Dick Grayson... ;)
Yes, exactly.
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Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

It's small details like these that makes the Merge so fascinating to me...
Thorpocalypse wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 6:01 pm Building to be comics "accurate" is different than building to run a PC or building something to challenge a group.
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