Return of the Avatar

After a wait of over a year, The Legend of Korra returned last week for it's second season. If your not familiar with Korra or the Avatar franchise, take a look here.

Like the first season, it seems societal change will pay a part in the action as it unfolds. This time, the conflict may be between tradition and modernity, though as has been true of both Avatar series so far, family dynamics seem to play a big part. The story is set outside of Republic City this time (the first two episodes feature the territory of the Southern Water Tribe and the Southern Air Temple); Hopefully will get a bit of a "world tour" like in the original Avatar. Unlike the first season where Korra's foes were strictly human, malign spirits get in the game this time around--presenting a threat Korra seems ill-prepared to handle.

The animation and writing is just as good as it ever was. While it's hard to tell from just two episodes, it seems this season may not require extensive knowledge of the first to follow, other than knowing the characters and the basics of setting--something easily gotten from the internet (Though the first season is available on Amazon Instant video.)

Check it out. The first two episodes are online at Nickolodeon and new episodes air on Fridays.

Wisdom and War

Fights As: L18

Movement: 120' (40')

Armor Class: 2 (in armor), 1 (+shield)

Hit Points: 225

Attacks: 1

Damage: by weapon

Save: L18

S: 24      I: 23       W: 23    D: 22      C: 25      CH: 23

Special Abilities: standard Olympian and see below

Athena is the bio-engineered “daughter” of Zeus. He created her with the aid of the artificial intelligence, Metis, as his ideal heir—though he shows no signs of being ready to abdicate, as yet. She provides him with wise counsel and supports arts necessary for civilization among humans, including various crafts and warfare. Her roll makes her a rival of several other Olympians, but so far none have been able to best her.  Unlike most of her people, Athena does not take human lovers. She is generally positively disposed toward humans, but prideful and unwilling to tolerate an insult.

Athena usually appears as a beautiful woman dressed in armor (an has fully encased, environmentally sealed variants for use when necessary).  She habitually carries a short sword (a quantum-edged blade, +5 to hit/1d6+5 dmg) When actually going to war, she wields an energized spear (+2 to hit/5d6 dmg) and carries a shield that can emit a swirling flash of colored light, causing seizures in any of baseline human neurostructure who view it (save vs. Stun Attack at a -1 penalty, lasts 1d4 rounds).

The Muvian-American War (1898-1903)

In the wake of the Spanish-American War, the U.S. went to war with at least two of Spain's former colonial holdings. The most protracted was on the islands of Mu. There, American troops faced a foe they were totally unprepared for.

Though Mu appeared to a peaceful colony of Spain, in reality the power of it's Priest-Kings was only held in check by certain ancient ceramic seals in possession of the Spanish. When the American inadvertently broke these, the  Priest-Kings were free to unleash their power and reveal their true, inhuman nature. Not only were these reptilian humanoids adepts at amazing powers of the mind, the heirs to ancient Agharta, but they were also in possession of machinery older than all of human civilization that could create monsters.

Of course, Mu hadn't had to wage a war since men were armed with bronze. The U.S. forces were able to hold on, if barely. It was only when the first of the clandestine draftees from the ranks of mentalists, spiritualists, and Theosophists arrived that the Americans began to turn the tide.

Warlord Wednesday: Justice League

Here's another installment of my examination of  the adventures DC Comics' Travis Morgan--The Warlord.  The earlier installments can be found here...

"Doomed" / "Sword of the USAF" / "Godwar!"

Justice League Task Force #34-36 (May-July 1993)

Written by Priest; Pencils by Ramon Bernado, Inks by Anibal Rodriguez

Synopsis: Returning from an adventure in space, the stolen shuttle carrying the Justice League Task Force (like the Justice League but 90s EXTREME!) crashes in Skartaris. They accidentally disrupt the attack of a group soldiers working for a wizard named Eballum. The soldiers need to collect talismans for the wizard to save their people from the hordes of Devvar.

The Justice League just need a way back to Earth since their shuttle exploded. Martian Manhunter figures a new arrival can help them with that:

The next issue begins with most of the League helping Morgan defend the village from raiders. They don't agree with Morgan's bloody tactics, but tells them things are different in Skartaris and they wouldn't be having to do this if they hadn't killed the barbarian leading the search for the talismans with their shuttle. Morgan also settles up with the Ray, for trying to keep him from killing a guy:

The Ray flies off to find this guy Quantum who is the leader of the bad guys his own way. Meanwhile, the Manhunter acquires the "Eye of the USAF." It turns out there's an ancient technology cache beneath the village that Quantum wants to get his hand on, and the "Sword of the USAF" Eballum plans to use to save the village is actually an ICBM that fell into Skartaris.

Eballum fires the missile and Ray (tricked and then possessed by the evil sorceror) attacks leading Quantum's hordes!

While the rest of the our heroes are in battle Triumph flies after the missile to try and stop it. He doesn't seem to be able to, until Martian Manhunter clues him in about Skartaris's sun being just a "ball of flame" held in places by strong magnetic forces. Triumph is able to fly closer and harness those magnetic forces to bolster his powers. The MIRV releases it's warheads. Triumph stops all but one!

Manhunter manages to use his telepath to force Quantum to change back into matter from Ray's light-form. Morgan comes in swinging a sword at Ray's throat scaring Quantum into fleeing back to his on body. It was a ruse, though, and the sword just touches lightly on a bewildered Ray's neck.

The one warhead doesn't explode. It turns out their were all dummies. Eballum, however, loaded them with "tainted fertilizer" which only serves to make Quantum and a few dinosaurs really nauseated.

Morgan takes them to the underground sub-shuttle station.The Justice League bids the Warlord good-bye and heads back to the surface.

Things to Notice:

• Morgan recognizes Martian Manhunter. Perhaps from their participation in Crisis?
• This is the only Warlord-containing comic with a blatant reference to a Janet Jackson song.

Where it Comes From: 
Priest seems to have read some old issues of Warlord--or at least done his research before writing the story. He has Martian Manhunter and Morgan discuss Grell's hollow earth explanation versus the later "alternate dimension" retcon. He utilizes the sub-shuttle to Peru to get the Justice League home that first showed up in issue #5.

Unfortunately, the artists don't seem to have seen any of them. Morgan wears much more elaborate armor than he ever wore in the series. The Atlantean sub-shuttle looks more like an urban subway train, complete with graffiti.

The Gates of Shamballa

In list nights WaRP Weird Adventures game, the gang made it through to the gates of Charles Ranulf Urst's estate--wherein a treasure supposedly lies. The snow globe, they discovered, made the otherwise unopenable front gate open. The swirl of the "snow" inside seemed to point toward the main house.

First, they decided to check out another closer structure, though. It was a pool house, like some sort of ancient Imperial bath. It was tiled from head to floor and arrayed with six marble statues of ancient gods and goddesses. The group looks around the place and doesn't find anything dangerous, which really only serves to heighten their anxiety.

On the way out, Jacques notices one of the statutes seems to have moved slightly. They quickly leave, but once safely outside they begin to wonder if they should investigate further. LaRue, their resident medium, tries to consult the spirits and detects a single, powerful presence, but it's not specific.

After some debate, they decide to go back in to mess with the statues. As Rob is moving one (to see if there's something underneath), the ever observant Professor Po notices another change the direction it's looking!

For a short adventure, this one seems to have got the players' interest. How a little bit of preternatural detail gets the player's animated. Is fear or curiosity the primary reaction? Sometimes, it's both.

A Good Map

Yesterday on Google+, Cole expressed his appreciation for a good map. I certainly understand their appeal: A good map really seems to conjure a sense of place, making the fantastic a bit more tangible. Here are some from fantasy literature. Maybe you can find some inspiration in them.

Pellucidar is Edgar Rice Burroughs's land within the hollow earth. Here's another map of the same setting:

Poictesme is a mythical French province, appearing in a series of novels by James Branch Cabell:

Lemuria is the stomping grounds of Thongor, Lin Carter's barbarian hero of the forgotten prehistoric past:

Stop for Refueling

I'm too tired to write a full post today, so that means you guys get a chance to catch up on any Strange Stars posts you might miss because I have updated the archive.

Check it out if you're curious as to who the Wizards of Rune are, what the bomoth might be smoking, why even the ssraad might fear the xann hunters, or just how do all these species communicate, anyway?

It's all there.