Comatose

I think the explanation Elsa gave (or my head canon version of her explanation) is that Elsa was originally an Epic with Ice powers who was brainwashed by an Epic with Disney-fication (for lack of a better word) powers for the purpose of recreating Frozen. Then stuff happened and she escaped but now has reality issues? What do others recall?

So I just reread the scene where Nighthound uses Lucentia's weakness against her (the infamous page 31 of Portland - EDIT - But it was actually on page 25? I'm confused now), and went through Question 2 to see if anyone remarked or began theorizing on what her weakness is. On the way, I found these gems: Oops? I know Upgrade isn't exactly the Epic Kobold was talking about but...

That I bring them up? I believe there was a planned confrontation between Buttercup and Rainmaker over it, so it'll be fun to play out. Thanks for checking in about it.

The term is yours, Voidus. I'm flattered you'd apply it to your own offspring :D. So, since the Kenshin/Argon interaction seems to be near its end, I'm assuming once Kenshin reports to Buttercup we can move on to an all Queen meeting (with Chase as an NPC)? I think that was next on our list. In that case, @Chasmfiend can I assume that Chasmifiend falls into line and agrees to serve Rainmaker? If he does, I don't necessarily need another post from you, I'll just mention is response vaguely and move on so Rainmaker can be at the meeting. Next, for the Dalles, Frostfire has posted, so I think @Kobold King or I am next with Deathwish or Taylor swift, respectively. Kobold, do you have any suggestions? I know you've been busy, so no worries if you don't have time to post now, but if you know for certain Deathwish is next, or if you think Taylor should post, let me know so I'm not unintentionally holding you up. Life is busy, but I have the day off work so I'm hoping to get my Portland reread for Altermind continuity done ASAP. Does Altermind need to post any time soon in Portland?

So Craig and I are in the middle of a super complicated move, which is why I haven't been super active. Let me know if anyone is waiting on me! To Voidus: a hearty congrats!!! So excited for the Voidus clan and your newest voidlet. welcome here Wayne Spren!

GENERATION 10 - TURN 3 RP (Shan Elariel): EDIT: Not super happy with it, but it will do for now. I had fun with the AU bits, so I hope you all enjoy them too! Actions:

On my phone on my way out of the city so no RP. If I have time I'll edit some in later. Action 3: Host Ball (Public): Who: Shae Elariel What: Hosting a ball. When: Gen 10, Turn 2, Action 3. Where: Luthadel Why: To gain respect and show strength and wealth

Generation 10, Turn 1 Shae Elariel Actions:

PM received! I'll consult with @TwiLyghtSansSparkles And @Kobold King and see about tracking down those PMs. I'll avoid going over the top with the batman references then, and will probably just subtly work them in to dream sequences when it makes sense, instead of making it a focal point. Thanks for the note on the use of his powers Illusionists are so fun that it's tempting to do flashy things, but I hadn't realized just how conservative Altermind is with his powers until you pointed it out. I actually really like that aspect of the character so I'll try to stay true to it. I'll try to keep his pragmatic attitude towards killing in mind in future scenes as well. Thanks so much for the feedback! I had a lot of fun with these, do I'm excited to do more.

Love the proposed trailer!!! It reminded me of something GoT would use. Okay, so I'm not done my reread of Portland yet, but as promised here is the Altermind viewpoint. I'm going to go ahead and say this will NOT be canon, even if Mailliw approves it, since I haven't been able to make notes of all the pertinent continuity issues. So, this writing sample will be meant to capture Altermind's voice and personality only, and is not meant to be an addition to his story. @Mailliw73, if you approve, let me know what you think. Also, at some point before you leave, if you are okay with me taking care of Altermind in you absence, I will need some notes on his history and his weakness, and any future plans you have for him, so I don't mess anything up in the interim. Anyways, here's my take on Altermind! I hope you enjoy. I thought a dream-sequence would be a good way to display how I see the inner workings of Altermind's head. And now, let's have a short, non-dream sequence scene, just to get a taste of the day-to-day Altermind. I decided on writing about the day Altermind founded Thoughttown : And there we go! Let me know what you all think, or if there are things I got wrong or should improve on.

Sorry no RP! I've had something up every evening this week, and a funeral all day today to top things off. Also, sorry for the late actions (for some reason I thought BST was behind Saskatchewan time, but I had it backwards).

Ah. I did not realize Sightline's second post was in the present. For some reason I thought it was a flashback like the first one. Now on the reread I see you are correct. I may need to think of another flashback idea. Hoping to get something together soon. Didn't get home till now. Long day at work

Sorry @Mailliw73! I made more headway with my read through this weekend, but work and life have been crazy and I've had no time to finish reading or start writing. Im pretty busy every evening this week, but I think I'll leave the read through for now and just try to get a post up so you can review the writing. I was thinking of doing a flashback of when Corpsemaker first disappeared before Funtimes freed him. Any idea when that happened? I can't promise what I post will be completely canon without finishing the reread but hopefully I can at least get the voice and style down. Are you leaving next week already, or do you have one more week that we can pm about any outstanding issues?

GENERATION 9 - TURN 3 Daerra Elariel: Public Action:

Speaking of researching stuff and cultural sensitivity... As I've been reading up, I don't think the history I have planned for Rainmaker works with her Saudi-Arabian heritage. Serves me right for not doing enough research at the beginning. To remedy this, I'm thinking of changing her father to Iranian with Saudi-Arabian connections and interests. I need to do more research before making the switch, but I thought I would check to see if there were any objections or helpful hints or advice first. Also, I'm aware I dropped the ball on getting the Altermind sample together. In my defence, I was probably either looking at a new apartment or playing Pokemon go instead. I'll try to finish up my review and get something together ASAP to @Mailliw73 has time to review before he leaves.

Gotta love when you start skimming Portland for Altermind tidbits, and then get caught up reading the Funtimes/Nighthound fight because it's just too good to skip, even though Altermind isn't involved at all.

Thanks for the reminder @Mailliw73! I'll try to get something together over the weekend so we have time to workshop things. Does that sound good?

I agree, which is why this would be end game type stuff. I would also note that the epics would be limited by their own fear and personalities. The Astorian epics, for example, could work together long enough to do some serious damage, but how long before the pain starts to get to them and they start to wonder who will turn against them? Then there's the link epic him or herself. Who will his or her loyalty lie with, and how will their personality play into things? I definitely see the potential for this to be game breaky, but if we are smart about how we plot things, I'm sure we could make it work.

So, I was thinking about Night's Sorrow (again), and a new brain bubble occurred to me. This is just an idea I thought might be fun, so I won't at all be offended if it gets shot down with prejudice. What if Night's Sorrow is more than one epic? I know (and love) that there's already plans for Bloody Mary to assume the mantle of Night's Sorrow at one point down the road (or possible plans, I wasn't sure how certain those were), and this idea would work in addition to the plot line, not instead of it. The gist is this: what if part of the reason that Night's Sorrow is so mysterious is because no one really knows what her powers are, because she (or he) is really more than one epic, using their powers in concert while pretending to be one epic. This could work a couple of ways, either by: (a) choosing a figure head to act as the avatar of Night's Sorrow, while others with distance-based powers use their abilities and make it seem like it is Night's Sorrow using them, (b) using some sort of common costume scheme (if they are similar enough physically) and each taking turns being Night's Sorrow (for the bronies and pegasisters on the forums, think Mare-Do-Well), or (c) through the creative application of an epic power (perhaps illusions or shape-shifting). If you guys like this idea, and have other ways to put it into action, feel free to comment. As I was contemplating option (c), I started thinking about a new meta power. I'm not sure if I'd want to play an epic with this power, or if adding it to the RP would even be a good idea generally, but my head started working it out and balancing it, so I figured I would share it here. I know we are trying to limit epics who don't serve a purpose, and that we should probably keep meta powers to a minimum as well, so I totally understand if people don't go for this. Anyways, here we go: The power I have in mind allows the user to 'link' two or more epics or humans together. When linked, the individuals share some sort of limited collective consciousness, and share skills, abilities, and (in the case of epics) powers. The epic using the power would not be able to link him or her self, and would thus only be a catalyst for creating groups of super epics. While linked, epics would have access to the full extent of each others powers, but other than what instincts could be sensed through the mental component of the link, they would not gain the same expertise as the original holder of the power had. The link has to work both ways, so it can't make one epic more powerful at the expense of others. If used on three epics, then you get three epics with access to all of the powers, and nothing in between. This epic could also only create one link at once, so he or she would not be able to make several pairs of linked epics. The link is also limited by consent - all epics must consent to the link at its creation, and if one of the linked epics decides to leave and take their powers back, the link is automatically destroyed. Calamity Spoilers For the non-Calamity readers still left in the group, basically this epic would generally be limited to linking five or less epics together, with a hard limit of ten in the case of epics with mutually high pain tolerances. Another effect of the link is that the people linked would feel each other's pain, and if one is killed, everyone who is linked dies. The deadly part of this effect is negated, of course, if you add one epic with a PI to the mix, since then everyone in the link would share the PI. Linked, epics would, of course, be incapable of killing each other without killing themselves, and would generally not want to do that (better to unlink, and then take their chances, lest the opponent dissolve the link first at an opportune moment). A chain of physical touch would be necessary to create the link, but once the link is created it will be maintained as long as mutual consent lasts, regardless of range or distance. Killing the epic who created the link (or activating his or her weakness) would also dissolve the link. The epic who creates the link can terminate it at will as well. One of the reasons I like this power profile is that it creates an interesting character dilemma for epics. As we have discussed with other meta-type characters, most epics would be extremely reluctant to surrender their powers to another, but what if you lost nothing by letting another epic use your power, and you could gain greater powers as well. Epics could be forced into uneasy alliances in the the interests of maintaining their maximum power-sets, while also tolerating the pain. Of course, the Lucentias of the world would not be linking with the Backtracks of the world, since the trade wouldn't really be worth it, but what could Mary accomplish if Corpsemaker, the Metal, Dr. Funtimes, or Rainmaker agreed to link with her? You might also see epics with different powersets linking to cover up weaknesses, like an epic with great destructive powers, but no PI, linking with an Epic with a PI who can't do anything else. It could also lead to some interesting power combinations (like if Backtrack linked with Reader? Or Edgerunner with Frostfire? Or the Financier and Funtimes?). These power combinations would, in turn, lead to interesting personalities colliding, as both epics would gain access to both powers. It could also be used to interesting effects with Vanillas. So, for Night's Sorrow, my idea was that Mary (if Edge still likes that plan) could get together with this epic, and some others, and collectively become Night's Sorrow. They could take turns appearing as Night Sorrow, or let part of her (if Mary is the base) mythos be a power that allows limited duplication/projection. They could collectively destroy Oregon, and then slowly turn on one another. We know that Night's Sorrow is still around during the time of the books, but only one of them would need to survive and to keep the mantle of Night's Sorrow in order for that to be true. For the 'link' epic, I think it would be fun to experiment with him or her linking different epics in the RP, and seeing different combinations, and then let her or him be discovered when it comes time for the rise of Night's Sorrow. What do you guys think about either idea (A - Night's Sorrow as a group of epics, and/or B- Linker Epic). Keep in mind they could exist without one another, or could both exist independently.

Hello all! Sorry I was MIA this week. It's been gorgeous out and it's been hard to justify spending my free hours on a computer. I'll try to check more diligently. Im caught up, and don't think I owe any posts. Does anyone care to correct me on that? Edit: Also, welcome back Blaze! Glad you can have more time now, and I'm sorry the job thing did not work out. I hope you and your mom are doing okay!!

@Mailliw73 In the interest of getting more into Portland, I'd be interested in taking over Altermind while you are away (I've always loved illusionists). I'd also understand if it's preferred for a more established Portland player to have him. I'd also be okay with submitting an RP sample or something to see if I get his tone/voice correct. @mail-mi I think I mostly agree with Edge. Catching the bus is probably a good idea too, considering all of the characters on it could become inactive. The one character of yours I would really like to see someone adopt is Gregory since he's kind of a big part of the Corvallis rebellion plot line. If You'd rather Reader not be side lined, I would be willing to try him out as well, but I worry about over-committing, and it seems like he would work well as an NPC at least for the time being.

GENERATION 9, Turn 2: Daerra Elariel: Public Action:

Quota's grin did nothing to improve Upgrade's opinion of the epic. At least Upgrading his powers won't leave me naked. Unfortunately, being incredibly useful didn't have the same effect on snickering underlings as raw power did, and the debacle with Timeport had done quite a number on Upgrade's reputation. Let's just get this over with. Not bothering to reply, Upgrade reached out and placed his hand on Quota's shoulder. His powers did not require skin to skin contact in order to work, but they did require physical contact of some kind. As his palm connected with the fabric of Quota's sleeve, Upgrade let his power flow, and at first, nothing happened. Using his power did not make him feel anydifferent, and he usually had to rely on external clues to tell if his powers were working. He'd never amplified mental abilities like Quota's before, and usually the results he produced were less anticlimactic. Then, he felt it. A feeling of overwhelming dread and sorrow. Upgrade felt his pulse begin to quicken, and it soon became difficult to breathe. I can't stay here. I need to leave. I need to get away... As suddenly as it arrived, the feeling vanished, like the shadow of a passing cloud. Upgrade belatedly realized that he had almost let go of Quota's shoulder, and firmed up his grip. Thinking back on what he had felt, Upgrade couldn't help but shiver. I definitely don't like this guy. Though he still felt a little hollow and shaky, Upgrade felt his feelings bouncing back. To his view, Quota remained unchanged, and the room remained quiet and undisturbed. "Well," Upgrade broke the silence, more to distract himself from darker thoughts than to connect with his current company. "Is it working?"

@TwiLyghtSansSparkles: Nice post! For my reply, should I include Upgrade's reaction to Wuota beginning to use his upgraded powers, or just up until the point the upgrade starts? Would Upgrade feel Quotas powers as well, or would Quota direct them away from HQ? I'm excited to see how the rest of Portland reacts.

Has anyone checked in with @Queen Elsa Steelheart lately to see what her intentions are for the character are? I'm not directly involved in the scene, so I guess it's up to the people who are to decide how to proceed if she isn't able to write at the moment. If she decides to step out of the RP, or just isn't interested anymore, I'd take a crack at adopting and writing the character, depending on what others think.