#Alien: Rogue Incursion - Part One | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mortallyclearwonderland · 4 years ago

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Star Wars Alien Species - Nosaurians

The Nosaurians were native to New Plympto, a verdant jungle planet on the outskirts of the Corellian sector near the border with the Deep Core. Although they themselves had little interest in questions of their own evolutionary origins, xenobiologists speculated that the species' forebears were predators who, like many carnivores on the world, used their luminescent mouths to attract prey such as insects. After evolving sentience, the Nosaurians organized themselves into competing clans and eventually city-states.

As early as 27,500 BBY, the Nosaurians had contact with the nearby Corellians, and at least one member of the species had left his homeworld and joined the galactic community by 25,000 BBY. However, not until about 10,000 years before the rise of the Galactic Empire did the species have regular relations with offworlders. These early visitors, traders from Corellia, visited the world and made contact. The Corellians named the Nosaurian homeworld after the Plympto system, a minor reach on the Corellian Trade Spine hyperlane. New Plympto itself became a part of that trade route, located on it between the planets Jumus and Duro, and Nosaurians spread along the trade lanes of the Corellian sector. Nevertheless, the world was only marginally integrated into galactic society, being far off the path of most visitors to the Core.

With the introduction of galactic technology and trade came the Nosaurians' entrée into galactic government. Although the species joined the Galactic Republic, their debut began what would be a long chain of events that the Nosaurians interpreted as marginalization at the hands of Humans. For one, the world was placed under representation of the senator from the Corellian sector. When the Nosaurians petitioned the Republic for a representative from their own species, their request was denied. Second, the Republic chose to build its New Plympto consulate on the world's only natural satellite, Karsten Moon, rather than on the world itself. The world became caught up in galactic conflicts, falling briefly to Darth Revan's Sith Empire from 3959 to 3956 BBY, but remaining part of Republic space during the New Sith Wars of 1004–1000 BBY.

Meanwhile, the Corellians seemed more eager to exploit New Plympto's resources, scant as they were, than to help develop its infrastructure and people; most Corellian investment into the world was limited to the purchase of the spice ji rikknit. The Nosaurian economy became increasingly dependent on the export of rikknit eggs and ji rikknit, and for centuries, this served as the only real engine of economic development. Some Nosaurian clans and city-states grew their wealth by participating in the trade, but Corellians rather than Nosaurians were the major beneficiaries of the industry. Unsustainable harvesting practices depressed the population of rikknits on the world, and by the administration of Republic Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, the impending extinction of the rikknit threatened the entire trade. Attempts to breed the crustaceans in captivity failed. Things came to a head when environmentalists pressured the Republic to outlaw the rikknit trade or, worse, took to sabotaging shipments and infrastructure. At one point, for example, the Ho'Din environmentalist Maki Salak attempted to poison a stash of ji rikknit before it could be shipped from Karsten Moon. Chancellor Valorum sided with the environmentalists; he approved a law that made rikknits a protected species, outlawed ji rikknit, forbade the export of rikknit eggs—and effectively turned almost all of New Plympto's Nosaurian population into criminals. New Plympto fell into a depression, and the Nosaurians pointed their fingers at the Republic and its invasive laws as the source of their troubles. Hundreds of thousands of Nosaurians fled their homeworld and settled on other Core Worlds.

In 24 BBY, the Nosaurians were caught up in a chain of events that would alter their society drastically. In what came to be known as the Separatist Crisis, the rogue Count Dooku and his allies declared a Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS), a government free and separate from the Galactic Republic. The CIS offered New Plympto membership and promised to recognize the legality of the rikknit trade. The Nosaurians saw little choice. They seceded from the Republic and declared themselves members of Dooku's new coalition.

When the Republic refused to recognize the Confederacy and the secession of its member worlds, the Clone Wars were officially declared. A hostile contingent of Republic clone troopers landed on New Plympto, led by a Jedi Master named Dass Jennir. Meanwhile, the Separatists bolstered the Nosaurian forces with battle droids. Nosaurian forces put up a stiff resistance to Jennir and his clone troopers in confrontations such as the Battle of New Plympto in 19 BBY, and his campaign against them led many Nosaurians to develop a hatred of the Jedi.

The war was ongoing when Palpatine declared himself Emperor and enacted the New Order in 19 BBY. After the defeat of the Confederacy, things grew worse: Palpatine turned his eye toward retribution against the Nosaurians for siding with the Separatists. The Nosaurians kept up their guerrilla war against the Republic-cum-Empire. Their former enemy, Dass Jennir, switched his allegiances when he found himself targeted by his former soldiers, the clone troopers. Without their droid allies, however, the Nosaurian resistance was a much weakened force. The Empire dispatched a brigade of clone troopers from the 501st Legion to crush them once and for all, and the Nosaurians and their Jedi ally knew theirs was a lost cause. In a last stand against the 501st, the Battle of Half-Axe Pass, the Nosaurian Commander Rootrock and his forces were wiped out. Nosaurian fighters who surrendered were summarily killed, while refugees trying to flee the world—mostly women and children—were rounded up and sold into slavery on Orvax IV. Despite his own misgivings about their enslavement, Darth Vader visited New Plympto to oversee the conquered planet.

Citing the species' "primitive" level of development and "undistinguished" culture, the Imperial Procurator of Justice added New Plympto to a list of "expendable" alien homeworlds and thus opened the door for the Empire to legally enter the world and extract any useful resources by force without concern for the native population. The Empire seized the world's money-making enterprises, razed entire city blocks in Phemiss to make way for more "orderly" construction, and commandeered the rikknit trade. It also continued to round up and sell countless Nosaurians as slaves, an example to other would-be opponents of the New Order. Those Nosaurians who had been offworld during the wars grew disillusioned when they felt pro-Human bias in the Core Worlds and the galactic government intensify.

The Nosaurians did not just lay down; in 1 BBY, they rose up against their Imperial overlords. The resistance organized and rallied behind the one-eyed General Fefar Blackeye. His forces employed guerrilla tactics and harassed the Imperials for two years in a vicious campaign. In 1 ABY, Blackeye found himself hemmed in by Imperial forces. At sundown, his sun-singing brays betrayed his location. He was captured, shipped to Coruscant, and placed in a cage at the zoo with a group of non-sentient primates. He lasted for six months before killing himself. Back on New Plympto, the resistance crumbled without him.

When the Empire fell at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY and the New Republic was formed, New Plympto was once again able to communicate with the outside galaxy. News of General Blackeye's fate reached the species and strengthened their anger and resentment toward the Humans who seemed perpetually in charge of galactic affairs. The Nosaurians rejected overtures to join the new government, seeing little difference between the Humans of the New Republic and those who had come before. The world entered a period of isolationism during which the Nosaurians attempted to repair their devastated economy. Nevertheless, the world fell within Grand Admiral Thrawn's sphere of influence during the Thrawn campaign of 9 ABY.

In 18 ABY, the Corellian sector planet of Sacorria declared itself independent of the New Republic. New Plympto threw its allegiance behind the First Corellian Insurrection, and the New Republic declared war. The rebellion faltered and failed, and the Nosaurians once again found themselves on their own. With reluctance, they finally agreed to join the New Republic out of economic desperation. The New Republic enacted programs to rehabilitate the planet and its economy, which was still reeling from the Imperial occupation. Nevertheless, Nosaurian attitudes toward Humans barely budged. In 23 ABY, the world seceded once again to join the alien-friendly Diversity Alliance of the Twi'lek Nolaa Tarkona. Thousands of Nosaurian fighters joined the Diversity Alliance's armed forces to defend it against the New Republic before the Diversity Alliance was defeated.

In 26 ABY, shortly after the fall of neighboring Duro, New Plympto once again came under attack, this time from extragalactic beings known as Yuuzhan Vong. Many Nosaurians died in the initial invasion, and the world's defenses crumbled. The alien invaders used the world as an advance base for further incursions into the Corellian sector.

Like history repeating itself, the Nosaurians put up a stiff resistance. The Twi'lek Jedi sisters Alema and Numa Rar traveled to the world and helped lead the campaign. The resistance demolished Yuuzhan Vong biohatcheries, Shaper damuteks, and religious shrines, and received additional support from the New Republic; Kyp Durron, for example, ran supplies to the Nosaurian fighters, and spacers worked to smuggle Nosaurian refugees off the planet. After a year of unremitting harassment and disruption, the Yuuzhan Vong abandoned New Plympto in 27 ABY. They did not leave quietly, however, and unleashed a viral plague upon the planet that reduced almost 7 million Nosaurians into liquid goo and left the world unable to sustain life. The Rar sisters happened to be offworld at the time with a few thousand refugees escaping aboard ore freighters.

After the defeat of the Yuuzhan Vong in 29 ABY, the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances—the reconstituted New Republic—quarantined New Plympto. Decontamination experts visited the world and found nothing but a sea of liquefied, jelly-like biomass as deep as a Human's ankle. With no homeworld to go back to, Nosaurian refugees were resettled by the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. New Plympto was later declared a memorial, along with other planets devastated by the war, such as Barab I and Ithor.

Among friends, Nosaurians were perceived as cool-headed and congenial. To outsiders, however, they were known to disdain Humans—and, to a lesser extent, other species—for what the reptilians considered a history of mistreatment. This attitude began in the days of the Old Republic and festered and deepened under the regime of the Galactic Empire. By the time the Yuuzhan Vong War broke out in 25 ABY, Nosaurians still had a reputation for surliness and hotheadedness from outsiders. The despoliation of their planet during that conflict deepened this sullen humor and plunged many Nosaurians into a miasma of hopelessness and dismay.

Nosaurians tended to live in the mossy, coastal swamps of their homeworld. Their population fluctuated with the times. New Plympto was home to some one billion Nosaurians in the days of the Old Republic, but this number dropped to a mere 20 million after the Clone Wars. Under Imperial occupation, the numbers fell to 7 million.

The species was divided into clans. Some of these lived in isolated villages, while others banded together to create city-states, the highest form of government on the world. The city of Phemiss was considered the planetary capital. Nosaurian cities featured domed, earthen homes with rounded entrances and window-bearing turrets. These buildings were typically amassed into rings that centered on a shared courtyard used for communal feasting and child-rearing. Although these arrangements made Nosaurian cities feel disorganized and difficult to navigate to offworlders, Humans made up 4% of New Plympto's population, and most cities featured offworlder districts that followed a layout more familiar to non-Nosaurians.

The Nosaurians relied on outside traders for much of their food, communications gear, high technology, and weapons. In exchange, they offered simple products and their world's major export, the eggs and ovum sacs of a native species of crustacean known as the rikknit. These eggs were a component in the production of several intoxicating substances, including the spice known as ji rikknit.

Upon molting his or her down feathers, a Nosaurian typically apprenticed to a master from his or her clan for a few years to learn a trade. Many Nosaurians took up mundane vocations such as candlemaking, fishing, or piloting local transports known as swoopshaws. Others took darker-tinged occupations such as raiding. A few Nosaurians were clanless, and thus outcasts in Nosaurian society. Xant Flashheel, for example, operated from Phemiss and took risky jobs to make ends meet. Many others relied on the rikknit trade or rikknit hunting for their living. Rikknit harvesters became experts at arboreal locomotion, climbing trees using crampons known as tree-claws and brachiating to get into position. They then spread a net a few meters below a rikknit nest. Bracing themselves in place, the hunters used a sharp harvest blade to cut the food caches and slit the ovum sac of the rikknit above. When done properly, this harvesting did not kill the animal. Nevertheless, rikknits could and did fight back, so rikknit harvesters learned to fight skillfully despite the staggering heights, bracing themselves against the tree bark with their foot claws. Their harvest tools doubled as deadly weapons, and even a few non-Nosaurians used them for combat purposes. Some Nosaurian harvesters worked illegally; Glarc Leapfar was one of the more successful rikknit poachers and the leader of a group who operated in a forest called the Hajial Chase; nevertheless, his group made efforts to harvest rikknit eggs sustainably.

Marriages were monogamous and typically arranged by the partners' clans. Young males sparred with one another in public bouts of head-butting to prove their physical prowess and, they hoped, their desirability to the clans of unmarried females. Members of the species could form fierce bonds with their mates and their families; the Nosaurian Bomo Greenbark traveled to three different worlds to track down his wife and daughter, who had been sold into slavery after the Empire took control of New Plympto.

Nosaurians were proud of their culture and conscious to keep their old ways alive. They were not afraid to fight to protect that which they valued and could be determined combatants when provoked. A Nosaurian could turn claws, horns, and teeth against an adversary, and young males were known to cross horns with rivals in a skull-bashing display of dispute resolution. In times of war, Nosaurian forces employed everything from simple axes, force pikes, knives, and polearms to advanced blasters. Their armies used guerrilla tactics: they kept to jungles, subsisted on locally available substances like nectar, communicated silently over long distances using mouth flashes, and set up only temporary camps of dome-like tents. They were not beyond torturing prisoners of war.

The Nosaurian voice was typically high-pitched and twittering, and spoken Nosaurian sounded like a chorus of musical hisses, trills, tweets, and warbles. Nevertheless, their vocal tone dropped into bass, coarse honks, and woofs when angry, disturbed, or upset. The written form of the language employed two separate alphabets that could be used in conjunction and relied on metaphors and imagery related to nature, the seasons, and the weather. Nosaurian morphology allowed the species to speak Basic; most Nosaurians knew the language, but preferred to avoid it due to its Human associations. A typical Nosaurian had both a personal name and a clan name. Personal names tended to be non-Basic terms, such as the masculine names Bomo, Clegg, Fefar, and Moco; and the feminine names Mesa and Resa. Clan names, on the other hand, were often compounds of two Basic terms. Examples included Blackeye, Farlock, Flashblade, Fishgather, Greenbark, Holdfast, Leafhorn, Leapfar, Limbfree, Minkfruit, Riverwander, Rootrock, Seawatcher, Sunsinger, and Tallmeadow.

Nosaurians retained an ingrained trait from their evolutionary past. When on their homeworld, twilight triggered the overwhelming urge to "sing down the sun." Although the compulsion could be resisted, most Nosaurians brayed as loud as they could as day turned to night. The behavior was so ingrained that Nosaurians went through the nightly ritual even when indoors or out of sight of the sun. Nosaurians who left New Plympto did not lose the behavior, either, but their distance from their homeworld threw their internal rhythms off and resulted in their "singing" at strange, seemingly inexplicable times. This compulsion could all but counteract a Nosaurian's attempts at stealth; if the pursuers knew of the quirk, they could simply wait for the Nosaurian's vocalizing to give his or her location away.

The Nosaurians, a species of sentient bipedal reptiles. They had lithe, long arms and short legs in proportion to their bodies. Each hand featured three or four fingers and an opposable thumb, and each birdlike foot three forward-pointing toes; some members of the species had a fourth, backward pointing toe as well. All of these digits sported sharp claws. Nosaurian musculature was similar to that of a Human. Their hides were tough and covered in scales. Light green to black pigmentation was most common, but other scale colors included blue, green, yellow, orange, red, brown, white, gray, and black. Nosaurians often had markings of another hue such as a lighter belly and chin or a mask about the eyes. Members of the species were nimble acrobats with acute combat reflexes.

One trait that distinguished Nosaurians from other reptilian species was a crest of horns that grew atop their heads. Most members of the species displayed six bony spikes of varying lengths, although children could have fewer, and some adults had many more, often growing on the back of the skull as well. These horns were quite strong; the Nosaurian Bomo Greenbark once broke chains over his head spikes, and members of the species used their spikes as defensive impaling weapons. Nevertheless, they were not indestructible, and Nosaurians often wore protective gear to prevent horn damage. The older and more pugnacious the Nosaurian, the more likely he or she was to have suffered a broken horn. Some individuals featured hornlike protrusions on other parts of the body, including the cheeks, chin, knees, and shoulders.

A pair of small eyes lay below the horns. The sclera and iris could be of any number of colors, including pink, yellow, white, brown, and gray. The species saw only in black and white, although they typically learned to distinguish the subtle differences of what other species perceived as color, at least much of the time. Nevertheless, this monochromatic vision sometimes led to problems interpreting technological devices such as datapad screens that assumed the user had color vision.

A long, beaklike snout full of sharp teeth and perforated by two nostrils was another distinctive Nosaurian facial feature. The lower canines sometimes protruded from the mouth even when closed. Nosaurians had the ability to light up the lining of their mouths at will. The resulting flash was bright enough to briefly illuminate a room and even blind someone, but it could not be sustained for long.

Nosaurian children were covered in a coat of downy feathers of the same color as their scales. As the Nosaurian aged, these feathers fell out, lingering latest on the head and elbows. During adolescence, beginning at age 11, the remaining feathers molted, leaving the Nosaurian bald by age 13. Most members of the species wore clothing as a matter of habit, and females sometimes hung long, diaphanous ribbons from their horns.

A typical Nosaurian stands 1.4 meters or 4.6 feet tall and weighs 75 kilograms or 165 pounds.

Nosaurians age at the following stages: 1 - 10 Child 11 - 15 Young Adult 16 - 45 Adult 46 - 79 Middle Age 80 - 99 Old

Examples of Names: Fefar Blackeye, Bomo Greenbark, Clegg Holdfast, Churra Leafhorn, Moco Minkfruit. Languages: Nosarians learn Basic, as well as their own language, which is a complex collection of sounds featuring barks, warbles, and hissing, plus a written language consisting of two alphabets and metaphors about nature, the weather, and seasons.

#star wars species #Nosaurians #Nosaurian #star wars aliens #star wars nosaurians

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notyourfathersdungeonmaster · 5 years ago

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How to Make Powerful NPCs Interesting Again

We all know the trope: the powerful wizard hires the party to go run some minor errand, which inevitably leads to them stumbling onto the World-Ending Plot, which they have to solve, alone, with only the occasional advice from their wizened mentor. It's a trope as old as time; even Hercules got occasional boons from godly beings to help him on his quests. It's a great narrative device, until some player stops and asks, "If this wizard is able to stop time with a snap of his fingers, why doesn't he just stride into the field and shove a ninth-level fireball into the Lich's cranial cavity?"

This simple bit of cognitive dissonance can really ruin the fun and undermine the urgency of an otherwise great adventure. If the party knows that the only reason they're on this quest is because Randalf the Off-White can't be bothered to deal with the horde of undead outside his tower, it can make them feel like chumps or patsies, and undermine any sense of gratitude that comes later during the campaign's denouement.

There's a few simple ways to fix this, though: tricks that can help you, the DM, keep your high level NPCs while also explaining why the great powers of the world are relying on this band of scrappy adventurers to solve all their problems. Below are just a few.

The Balance of Powers

This principle is a great one, but is often sadly overlooked in many campaigns. Simply put, in the above example, the wizard mentor doesn't get involved not because he can't, but because doing so would bring in a whole host of other powerful beings that would complicate the conflict. Perhaps there's a council of archmages who have all agreed, for the sake of maintaining the fabric of reality, that they should keep their Ninth-level spells in their pockets unless they all agree it's necessary. Perhaps the BBEG has a patron on the Council, and the mentor can't interfere on his own without dragging his evil opposite into the campaign. This can actually make for a great part of the climactic battle: the mentor decides he can't stay on the sidelines anymore, and joins the fray, participating in an epic wizard's duel.

This can also be used with deities bestowing boons on the party: they can act indirectly by helping the party, perhaps because one of their rival deities is already helping the BBEG. Thus, the conflict of the campaign turns into a proxy war for a larger divine conflict that can't be fought, because it would annihilate all of existence. If you do take this path, make sure your NPC stresses to the party how essential it is that they solve this issue, because if the major players themselves join the fight, no one will survive.

The Protector of Reality

Similar to the Balance of Powers, this rationale places the Epic NPC in a conflict from which they cannot afford to divert their attention or resources, even for a moment. Perhaps there is a constant threat of otherworldly incursion for which they need all (or almost all) of their capabilities; after all, you don't want to be caught with your pants down and your spell slots expended when Tiamat bursts through the material plane like an alien parasite from a man's stomach. Even the threat of such an apocalyptic event would mean that, like a missile in a silo, an epic level NPC would have to sit dormant, never expending his magical capabilities because he never knows when they may be required. This is actually a great archetype to use for the Wizard in the Tower trope; they may have built themselves a convenient magical retreat at great cost because they couldn't afford the spell slot to cast Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion everyday, not while that same spell slot may be needed to banish an archduke of the Nine Hells. So, they sit in the tower, separated from the affairs of the world by necessity - but, still caring about the world and wanting to make sure it's not a shit place to live, they can find and recruit adventurers to handle the more mundane threats that don't shake the foundations of the universe. This is also a great twist finale to use on the party: perhaps the Wizard in the Tower joins them in the final boss battle, expending all his magical power -- only for, at that moment, the threat he's been guarding against for centuries to finally arrive, and now it's up to the party to stand against them where he cannot.

The Otherworldly Being

This works especially well with warlock patrons, but it can work similarly well with questgivers and friendly NPCs that have an otherworldly or spiritual bent. The key idea is that the force recruiting, motivating, and rewarding the players is not located on the material plane itself and is therefore unable to act on it; they need to find a local agent to handle the problem. There is plenty of inspiration throughout myth and folklore; dream visitations, whether by angels, fiends, fey, or Lovecraftian horrors, are particularly common as an impetus to get an uncooperative character to fall into line. There are more tangible methods of communication as well; perhaps they are a being of immense power that is trapped in every mirror in the world and needs an agent to eventually get them free, or perhaps they can only manifest through signs and omens that require interpretation. If you want to pull from Greek mythology, there's also the possibility of a dedicated oracle who acts as the voice of the gods, but gives only vague, ominous prophecies that won't reveal their true weight until later. In all cases, a clear distinction is established between the power of the questgiver and the limitations of their abilities to influence the mortal realm, making the party the ones with agency in the situation.

The Hidden BBEG

You'll want to be careful how you use this one, because you only get one shot to pull it off with a given group, and once the players suspect something it is really, really hard to recover from it. The basic premise is that the powerful NPC who recruited them, who sent them off to fight against the Big Bad Evil Guy, was secretly a villain themselves, trying to bring down their rival or clear the way for their own scheme. Think of Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars, sending the Jedi across the galaxy to deal with the Sith and the CIS, only to betray them all. Unfortunately this has become a major trope, and given how paranoid players typically are, it's very hard to pull off. There's a couple of tricks to making it work, and some of them may seem counterintuitive.

Do not make the Hidden BBEG perfect or flawless. Establish a set of motives for their actions, ones that may seem prosaic but also have a selfish bent. The high priest wants to rid the land of the evil king who is oppressing the population, but who is also stifling the priest's ability to build his church. The noble ruler wants to defeat the opposing empire that threatens the peace and stability of his lands, but also is motivated by revenge for the war crimes committed in the past. Create a pretext that puts them on the same side as the party, but a subtext that leaves the party slightly uneasy. If the party is concerned about their ally having selfish motives, they'll be expecting selfishness, even recklessness, but not duplicity and betrayal.

Do not reveal the full capabilities of the Hidden BBEG. If anything, they should appear to be about mid-level; capable, but not able to handle world-shaking threats. Most often they are hiding their capabilities until some final piece is brought into their grasp. One excellent example would be Fraz-Urb'luu, one of the demon princes of the Abyss, who is obsessed with recovering his staff of power; as a Hidden BBEG, he might pose as a friend to the party, waiting until they recover all the pieces and bring them to him before he strikes, showing his true might. Another excellent example is the Heirophant from the classic geek movie The Gamers: Dorkness Rising.

Show genuine conflict in the Hidden BBEG. Let them display passion and inner conflict, moments where they are troubled by the methods the party uses and the methods they and their followers are forced to use. There's an old adage that every villain is the hero of their own story; if you can make that ring true for your Hidden BBEG, to make the party invested in not just their cause but in maintaining their moral character, then the betrayal will hurt even more.

The Common Crowd

This might seem counterintuitive, but sometimes the best Epic NPC isn't epic at all, but just a collection of ordinary folk. If your campaign originates in a specific village or town, especially one full of colorful, memorable NPCs with personal ties to the party, then the collective needs and will of that settlement can become a questgiver NPC in its own right. The town is suffering from an unnatural drought? Send the party to seek out aid or a magical cure. The town is displaced following an invasion? Keeping the town safe and finding them a new home becomes a priority. This can also become a source of individualized side quests for the PCs; they're likely to be far more concerned about seeking out the rare medicine required to save the orphan girl who the rogue took under wing than they are about exploring a random tomb for loot drops. Plus, if the PCs invest their time and effort into protecting the town, it can make for an amazing final battle when the townsfolk come to support the party in battle, armed with everything they can get their hands on, ready to die for their heroes (a.k.a. The 'Mass Effect' Effect).

I hope these provide some good inspiration for your campaign! Let me know if there's any tricks you've used on your campaigns that worked particularly well, or any that you think should be added.

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novantinuum · 7 years ago

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i always think wips are fun and can sometimes be useful, so a step-by-step of that latest art thingy from sketch to finish + some explanation...

sketch- in which i blatantly misused gettyimages stock photos to get these poses right. stock images are you friends, do not fear using them and blatantly tracing over them to get poses if you’re still learning and don’t quite know how to draw them freehand yet. most people still don’t have that skill. i wasn’t even worrying about the details of the background yet here, i just wanted to get the main gestures solidified at this stage.

midway through lines- river’s hair was utter hell to get looking right, i honestly think i spent like twenty minutes fussing on that hair alone. i’m super super happy with how she turned out though, it was really fun trying to translate a live action character into gravity falls style! i’ll definitely have to do the same for all the modern doctors at some point.

flats- always my favorite part of art, filling in those flats. it took a long while to figure out what colors i wanted to use for ford’s uniform. generally, my thought was that he’d stolen a uniform from one of the crew of this ship to masquerade among them and get a lift, and it was on this flight that he happened to meet river, and teamed up with her when some alien incursions occurred.

background line art- i wasn’t entirely sure at first how i wanted this space to look, but eventually i decided upon messy + lots of wires and the rest of it came along easy enough. i’ve been trying to challenge myself to draw more cohesive, complicated backgrounds lately, so tried to push as much small detail as i could.

full flats- finally, everything is colored! well, sort of. my flats are always really hideous at first, to be honest- and i mask the initial “hideous” with shading and light and overlays after! at this stage, all i’m worried about is getting an idea for the different tones in the scene- which bits will be lighter, which are darker. especially when it comes to the wall and floor, texture/shading will provide the rest of the detail and help bring the piece’s colors together more harmoniously.

shading/light- oh, there we go! much better color harmony already. i used the ‘rust’ and smooth india ink brushes to add texture to the wall and floor, along with adding a streak of light grey under the lineart to give a bit more of a metallic sheen. a cool crosshatch brush gave the pattern on the floor. added some glow from river’s sonic screwdriver and from the lights in the panel box, and a bit of shading to river and ford + the background. for shading, i generally use a light blue or purple set on multiply. below this wip is a version with multiply taken off, so you can see what this layer actually looks like:

there’s also a layer of multiply airbrushed over this one. i like having airbrushed shadows alongside apparent, stark ones. adds a bit more depth and drama for me.

final- the last thing i did was add a color balance layer to fully get the colors harmonious the way i wanted them. i boosted up the blue/cyan and the red/magenta. never underestimate the power some color balance layers can have on a piece, is my new moto. well, not really a moto, but- they’ve helped make my stuff pop, in my experience. can’t hurt to mess with them, and it’s pretty fun to play around with ‘em too!

anyways, that’s this piece! thank you for reading! my thought on this scenario is that this takes place for ford maybe a few months before he crosses into bill’s nightmare realm and ends up home. he’s already got his prototype weapon all built and along with him for the ride there, as you can see. he’s currently stuck in this one dimension- which so happens to be the doctor’s dimension- long term, and ends up knocking about trying to find a rift to move on to the next. for river, this takes place sometime between ‘the husbands of river song’ and ‘silence in the library/forest of the dead,’ cued in by her sonic screwdriver in her hand, which was gifted to her by the twelfth doctor in the first ep of the two listed. they’re trapped in the engine room of a ship that’s slowly crumbling to pieces at the hands of rogue alien scrappers, and trying to figure out how on earth to get out of this scenario alive AND keep a precious technology being carried on this ship out of those aliens’ hands.

#jen rambles #wanna read a really exhaustive detailing of art wips + scenario behind my latest piece? step right aboard #my art stuff #long post

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agdistis-sanctified · 7 years ago

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A few underrated raw moments from the Deadpool comics. (Underrated = None of the recent hell from “Despicable Deadpool” or the Secret Empire arc, nothing related to the fantastic "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" arc, not the infamous Typhoid Mary scene, not Cable's main touching goodbye, not the "we keep doing stupid things to stay together" Cable scene, nothing with Ellie or Evan, not his death during the Incursion, etc.)

When Wade was sadistically mocking Wolverine with a plan to 'kill' him, transparently overcompensating and insisting that he didn't need Logan's approval or anyone else's (he does), having flashbacks to his abusive father and hallucinating the whole time, only to be thrown completely off-guard and uncharacteristically speechless for a few moments by Logan saying, simply, "You're not crazy." [Wolverine: Origins #24]

The time they tried to get the soul of one of his closest friends, Emily Preston, out of his head and into a new mechanical body, and they thought they were being sabotaged because things went wrong, but it was actually Wade's fear of being alone again causing his own subconscious to attack her. When he woke up, he ran away before she did because he felt guilty and embarrassed. [Deadpool (2012) #24]

When Wade and Cable tried to figure out who'd murdered a terrorist Cable was trying to make peace with, only for them to realize Wade himself had done it and couldn't even remember because of his brain damage and memory problems. He spent an issue fantasizing about all of the heroic reasons he could have had to kill the man, only to acknowledge to himself with shame that he'd probably just felt like it. Cable threw him out of his utopia and when Wade asked what he'd do if he messed up like that again, Cable told him he'd kill him. Wade called it the one question he actually didn't want to know the answer to, and upon getting that answer from his best friend, the one person that really accepted him at the time, he decided to kill himself. [Cable & Deadpool #14]

That time Cable died and Wade took his metal arm- the only part of him that remained- on an absurd trip to the country Cable had saved, forcing people there to respect him and ultimately saving the day with a humorous combination of his and Cable's powers while reminiscing about their relationship, only for it to be revealed that he'd been standing by Cable's grave the whole time, just mourning and trying to figure out how to process the loss. Within that issue: "He had the whole world on his mind, not just the two of us. [Memory of Cable: “I can’t be mad at you for being who you are.”] See? Nate understood me like nobody else." [Deadpool & Cable #26]

When he'd been led to believe he could fulfill a world-saving prophecy by defending an alien "Messiah" from another alien that would try to assassinate it. He struggled for a long time to be a better person that was worthy of the task and fought harder than he'd ever fought before only to humiliatingly lose the big fight against the assassin alien. In one of the most vulnerable, raw moments I've seen from an adult male character, he ran away from the botched fight and went straight to Blind Al, sobbing in her lap because he “wasn’t good enough.” [Deadpool (1997) #23]

That panic attack he had in front of Cable after his face was exposed in a fight with him. He tried to run from the fight but Cable was angry and wouldn't give him a break. [Deadpool (1997) #22]

When Deadpool became “Zenpool” during the Axis arc and it looked like it’d be all fun and games, but he struggled with usual tasks, felt like he was disappointing his family, and ultimately concluded that he was legitimately depressed after things went back to normal. “I ruin it because I can... because it’s easy.” [Deadpool (2012) #37]

When Deadpool didn’t want Cable to leave him again, and any of the times he notes missing him. [Deadpool & Cable #25]

Deadpool’s friend/assistant, Sandi, was hospitalized by her abusive boyfriend and he felt incapable of comforting her, believed that she wouldn’t want someone like him hugging her and telling her things would be okay, and noted that he’d lost the ability to cry or scream about things to feel better. [Deadpool (1997) #69]

EDIT: When Steve Fucking Rogers, his hero (or at least, the Hydra version, but Wade didn’t know that), punched Wade and called him “just another failed experiment” because he’d disobeyed him to help the mutants. To help Rogue, his best friend, and his daughter. (I said no Secret Empire because it’s low hanging tragedy-porn fruit but Uncanny Avengers is underrated enough to count anyway.) [Uncanny Avengers #14]

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hermanwatts · 5 years ago

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Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 09 May, 2020

This week’s science fiction and fantasy new releases feature alien chi cultivators, intergalactic skip tracers, dragon riders, the Legion, and the Four Horsemen.

Awakened (The Quintessence: Crucible #1) – C. M. Carney

Cultivation. Progression. Ascension.

On the world of Crucible, where humanity’s spiritual artists train to fight in a war of universal proportions, Aryc Tal Venn has the potential to be one of the gods.

But when he accidentally unleashes heretical powers during his Challenge, he is forced to flee his home or face the wrath of the Inquisition.

With his sister by his side, Aryc begins a quest to uncover the truth of his own existence.

Only to discover a terrible secret.

A secret with the power to destroy humanity.

Will Aryc master his unnatural powers in time to save the people of Crucible or will he be the harbinger of humanity’s destruction?

The Bonds of War (The Volatar Saga #3) – D. K. Holmberg

War breaks old bonds while new ones form.

The threat of the mysterious creatures that can drain different types of magic sends the Volatar and his friends on a mission to uncover answers from the tu’alan, but the last time he had visited them, they had refused to get involved. Finding answers poses a danger, and it involves him mastering his control over the great powers he possesses – or lose them altogether. With the coming threat, he begins to question if his new understanding of his magic will even be enough.

After an attack on the wagon caravan making its way north with the Jahor, Hevith chases an old foe for answers. What he uncovers will change the complexion of his purpose, but he must have the fortitude to make the difficult choices to protect his people. War with the Hith is coming, and he must be ready.

Colony Launch (Ixora Colony #1) – Jon Del Arroz

Humanity is at war…

…many citizens want no part of it.

Governor Antony Lemkin has done the unthinkable as a politician–voluntarily stepping down from his post in protest of Earth’s escalating war with the Aryshans.

With war drums beating and the machinery of government going full force, there’s little he can do to but voice his dissent, until mega-industrialist Fabio DePino presents him with a plan: build a new Earth, far away from humanity’s conflicts.

But will Earth’s government simply let colonists leave their control?

Defender of the Crown (Heir to the Crown #7) – Paul J. Bennett

The enemy of my enemy is still my enemy!

As peace settles across the land, two great kingdoms prepare for a royal wedding. With all eyes focused on the celebrations, the unexpected arrival of a Norland delegation throws everything into chaos.

For generations, they have laid claim to the throne of Merceria, yet now they want to negotiate?

With her own nobles council in constant conflict, Queen Anna is forced to question the motive of this visit. Is it a trap, or a genuine desire to end hostilities?

Against the wisdom of her advisors, she travels north, determined to forge a new future for her people.

Will her unwavering desire for peace lead to the destruction of all she holds dear?

Exodus (Forgotten Starship #1) – M. R. Forbes

In the year 2050, Earth makes first contact. By 2052, the war is over. We lose.

Our last hope for survival rests inside a massive hangar hidden within the Rocky Mountains. Pioneer is the largest starship ever constructed. A marvel of human ingenuity and the apex of our technological know-how, she’s ready to embark on a long journey across the final frontier in search of a new world to call home.

But space is full of danger.

And some problems are hard to leave behind…

The Eye of Sounnu – Schuyler Hernstrom

Once upon a time, short fiction was the mainstay of science fiction and fantasy readers. Titans like Robert E. Howard and Jack Vance worked their magic on magazine and pulp pages, delighting readers with strange visions and pulse pounding action. In 2016, editor P. Alexander dared to bring those days back with the launch of Cirsova, a magazine of science fiction and fantasy fiction.

DMR Books is proud to present a collection of one of Cirsova’s rising stars, Schuyler Hernstrom. These stories will take the reader across strange and sweeping landscapes of adventure. Life and death, blood and desire, greed and sacrifice, all and more are contained within. Classic barbarians and classic rogues are here, along with Dunsanian knights and witches, sentient computers and savage beasts. This collection includes all of Hernstrom’s stories from the first three years of Cirsova along with three tales that have never appeared in print before.

The Fold (Skiptracer #2) – Micky Nelson

Another job, another problem.

Skiptracer Blake Hartley has formed a tenuous alliance with the alien Sekkha on what should be an easy job: escort a young boy named Jorn Freyul to their client. That’s it.

But they soon find out that Jorn is more than he seems. He’s known as the Exegent, a divine-like figure among members of a fanatical order called the Fold.

Unfortunately for Blake and Sekkha, Jorn also possesses classified information that will not only put their lives in jeopardy, but also ties in to a devastating secret from Blake’s last job—Hypertek.

Now, Blake must hide the boy from Fold zealots while fighting to prevent yet another interstellar war.In other words, situation normal.

The Gates of Hell: More Tales from the Lyon’s Den (Four Horsemen Sagas #4) – edited by Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey

From the outside, The Lyon’s Den doesn’t look like much; there isn’t even a sign. But Mercs of all species know that if you head to southwest Houston, near the Starport, there’s a particular run-down strip mall that looks like it’s been abandoned for years. The glass door second from the south end of the strip is plastered over on the inside with blue paper, and the faint golden outline of a rampant lion is the only clue.

The door is locked, of course, and beyond the door is nothing but a darkened hallway with a downward slope and a slight curve to it. Once you follow this curve far enough, you are greeted by two very large, very well-armed Lumar. “Welcome to the Lyon’s Den,” the larger of the two says without a translator, and without a trace of an alien accent. “You know the rules?”

Welcome back to the Four Horsemen universe, where only a willingness to fight and die for money separates Humans from the majority of the other races. Edited by bestselling authors and universe creators Mark Wandrey and Chris Kennedy, “The Gates of Hell: More Tales from the Lyon’s Den” includes fifteen all-new stories in the Four Horsemen universe by a variety of bestselling authors—and some you may not have heard of…yet. Want to know why Asbaran Solutions changed its logo or where Roland’s head went? Better learn the rules to the Lyon’s Den…and then step inside!

The Hundred (Galaxy’s Edge: Savage Wars #3) – Jason Anspach and Nick Cole

The Legion has landed.

One hundred men met the brutal standards of General Tyrus Rechs and became legionnaires.

One hundred men embarked on a suicide mission to retake New Vega from the Savages.

One hundred men stood up… for the galaxy.

Also available in audio book format performed by Stephen Lang (Avatar, Gods and Generals), Galaxy’s Edge: The Hundred is the exciting conclusion to the Savage Wars trilogy as the Legion launches a desperate, brutal assault against the overwhelming forces of the Savage Alliance.

Insurgent (First Colony #10) – Ken Lozito

As Connor secretly searches for the enemy homeworld, he launches clandestine military operations to liberate other worlds in hopes of gaining allies before the enemy can find the last human colony.

The humans cannot hope to compete with the enemy’s vast empire, but with the discovery of a new ally, Connor believes their luck has finally changed.

Instead, when new allies clash with the old, Connor finds himself caught in the middle. Connor will have to choose whether doing what’s necessary to ensure the colony survives is worth compromising his loyalty to allies close to home, but the price could ultimately tear the colony apart.

Surviving a war with the enemy isn’t always a numbers game, but in choosing one ally, will Connor lose it all?

Salvation’s Dawn (Eve of Redemption #1) – Joe Jackson

When Citaria falls under the shadow of a demonic incursion, only a legendary hero can stop them.

For Karian Vanador, though, being resurrected comes with a price. Not only is she in a different time and place, but the world has changed in her absence, and she must face the dark demons of her past once again.

Partnered with allies who would’ve been her enemies in her past life, she must adapt to this new world and lead these young heroes to fulfill their potential – to stop a civil war being stoked by demonic influences. If they fail, Citaria may fall to a war that dwarfs the Apocalypse.

What lies beneath the demons’ sudden interest in Citaria? And how is one woman supposed to counteract it? The gods sent their best, but can she become the hero of today as well?

Thunder in Gunder (Dragon Wars #5) – Craig Halloran

When the blood brothers’ adventures begin to simmer down, a new sinister menace surfaces…

The newly reunited brothers, Grey Cloak and Dyphestive, deserve a break. After all, they spend their days and nights battling enemies who want to destroy them. It’s exhausting and overwhelming for the blood brothers who just crave some down time. But when their fiercest enemy launches a surprise attack, it puts all Sky Riders’ lives in peril.

Now, with a new set of thieves and kidnappers on their tails, Grey Cloak and Dyphestive must act fast. But as a war between giants and dragons brews hundreds of leagues away, the fate of their world is again thrust into their hands. Can the brothers band together to save a member of the Talon before it’s too late?

If you crave riveting tales, complete with magic, dragons, dwarves, and orcs, then you are sure to embrace the brazen and mysterious exploits of Grey Cloak and Dyphestive.

If you enjoy epic fantasy, filled with the gamut of elves, dwarves, halflings and orcs, along with mages, thieves and warriors to dragon riders, then you will devour the mysterious and brazen adventures of Grey Cloak and Dyphestive.

Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 09 May, 2020 published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/

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headquartersforlievmuses · 8 years ago

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► Maria Hill

Maria Hill was born in Chicago, Illinois, on a cold night when temperatures hit -44°F. While still in the hospital, Maria's mother died, and her father Ed blamed it on her. The abuse Maria endured from her father turned her into cold and troubled person. After finally falling out with her father, Maria joined the Marine Corps.

After serving with the Marines, and while still being fairly young, Maria joined S.H.I.E.L.D.. One of her earliest missions involved rescuing Agents Bradley and Reynolds, whose mission of infiltrating the ranks of the terrorist organization Hydra became compromised. Even though Reynolds was a senior agent, Hill decided to follow S.H.I.E.L.D.'s rules and relieve him, deeming him mentally unfit to take command. Reynolds refused to listen to Hill, and the skirmish resulted in Reynolds being caught in enemy fire.

Reynold's partner, Agent Bradley, accused Hill of field misconduct, but a tribunal found her innocent. Maria's conviction caught the attention of Director Nick Fury,[3] who presented Hill with the chance to be promoted. As it turned out, both Bradley and Reynolds were in reality triple agents, and Fury asked Maria to carry out the kill order against Agent Bradley. Hill accomplished the mission, and was subsequently promoted to the rank of Colonel. The assignment and the precursory incident left Hill haunted by images of Reynolds and Bradley's families, and the feeling that she had betrayed her beliefs and didn't deserve to continue living. Because of this, Fury gave her a pill to induce amnesia and forget the episode. Before taking the pill, Maria put a hit on herself that would only trigger as soon as she retired.

After the scandalous affair of the Secret War and its disastrous effect on New York City, Nick Fury went into hiding. Maria Hill, viewed by the leaders of several nations as being both an efficient agent and, more importantly in their eyes, not directly loyal to Fury or any of his personal cadre, was appointed interim Executive Director. Hill's role had apparently not been announced to the public as yet; a Life-Model Decoy of Fury was regularly used in public to maintain an illusion of normalcy within the Directorate's ranks. Hill was expected to be loyal to United States interests before those of the United Nations, which S.H.I.E.L.D. was supposed to serve before any other country. Hill quickly established new policies on super-powered heroes, as requested by the President of the United States and his peers in other national governments: to end S.H.I.E.L.D. support for the heroes. These policies were in full effect when Hill tried to prevent the Avengers from re-forming.

In the wake of events in the Savage Land that led to their reorganization, the Avengers suspected her of being complicit in various crimes, but lacked the evidence to prove her malfeasance. For her part, Hill had suspected the latest incarnation of the Avengers of harboring an illicit agenda in connection with, among other things, the House of M affair.

While her tough attitude had not made her very popular among the super-hero community, she earned Iron Man's respect when she ignored the president's orders to nuke an island the Avengers were on. Maria Hill was directly responsible for Captain America going underground to lead the opposition against the Superhuman Registration Act. Weeks before the act became law, Hill summoned Captain America to gain insight into the developments inside the super-hero community. When the Captain informed her that the registration issue was dividing heroes and setting them against each other, Hill attempted to force him into leading the Avengers in a preemptive measure to capture and detain heroes who would not consent to having their identities revealed. Since the act had not yet become law, the Captain dismissed her command as politically skewed, saying that heroes needed to "stay above" such affairs. Following Captain America's refusal, Hill summoned a battalion of soldiers armed with tranquilizers. Left with no other choice, Captain America fought his way out of the Helicarrier, becoming a fugitive. As S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, Hill was one of the leading enforcers of the Superhuman Registration Act, a task she carried out with relish and absolute ruthlessness. She blackmailed Wonder Man into actively supporting S.H.I.E.L.D.'s crusade to hunt down the super-heroes opposed to the Registration Act. She sent Kree supersoldier Noh-Varr, already brainwashed, to capture the Runaways and directed the murderous Thunderbolts to capture Spider-Man after he went rogue.

After foiling an attack on Stark Tower, Maria Hill admitted to Tony Stark (with the film A Few Good Men in mind; she had tried to make this exact speech a few weeks prior to this following their skirmish with Magneto) that she didn't want her job as director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and thought she shouldn't have been offered it in the first place. She suggested that the only other person besides Nick Fury who should lead the organization was Stark himself. At the conclusion of the Civil War, the president of the United States appointed Tony Stark the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D., with Maria Hill as his acting deputy director. Stark seemed somewhat dismissive of her, offhandedly asking her to get him a cup of coffee. She did not look pleased.

When the alien Skrulls attacked the Earth as part of their long-term secret invasion, Maria Hill abandoned the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier after its systems had been infected by Skrull posing as the Avengers' butler, Edwin Jarvis.

Later, Maria reunited with Nick Fury who had not been seen in many months. Fury suspected Hill of being a Skrull, but this was later shown to not be the case.

Following the Secret Invasion, S.H.I.E.L.D. was decommissioned and Maria was let go. The organization was replaced with a new peacekeeping agency known as H.A.M.M.E.R.. The group's new director, Norman Osborn, knew that Maria was still colluding with Tony Stark after the latter deleted that Superhuman Registration Act database, and declared her a fugitive of justice.

Maria was sent on a mission by Tony, having found the Controller holed up in the basement of Futurepharm, hooked into a large machine holding many people in containers. She herself fell victim and was placed under his control. She eventually fought off his control and freed his mind slaves and managed to acquire the hard drive Stark sent her for. She then made her way to New York, where she enlisted the aid of a reluctant Black Widow in delivering the drive to Captain America. Unfortunately, the trauma during her time as a thrall of the Controller made her paranoid and disturbed.

While trying to deliver the drive, H.A.M.M.E.R., having intercepted an e-mail sent from Stark to Hill, captured them and locked them in Avengers Tower. Luckily, Pepper Potts, disguised as Madame Masque, rescued them. After managing to steal back the drive, Maria demanded to the H.A.M.M.E.R. agents waiting to shoot as to why they should take orders from a madman like Osborn, thus the agents let them leave.

Maria was looking after an unconscious Tony Stark with Doctor Don Blake when all of a sudden an explosion happened nearby from the neighboring town of Broxton, Oklahoma - this was Don Blake left to protect Asgard. Later on, when Thor was beaten down by Osborn and his Dark Avengers, Hill showed up with a local named Jason to rescue him. She launched many bazooka rounds on Osborn and laid down cover fire for Jason to grab Thor. Later, she transmitted images and reports on Asgard to the President. She then went back to Stark to protect him when Speed arrives with the Iron Man Armor.

After Osborn's reign was over, Hill was put in charge of the Avengers. She was later replaced by Captain America when the war against the Serpent was over.

After the attack of the Serpent was over, Rogers decided to reactivate S.H.I.E.L.D., with Maria again in the charge of deputy director. After director Daisy Johnson broke the protocols by sending the Secret Avengers to kill A.I.M. leader Andrew Forson, Quake was suspended indefinitely and Maria was put in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. once more.

Following the final reality-threatening event known as an incursion, Maria Hill initiated a program known as the Kobik Initiative, which consisted on the use of Cosmic Cube fragments to rewrite reality as S.H.I.E.L.D. could deem necessary without public knoweldge. Several weeks later, the existence of this project was leaked to the public by the hacktivist known as the Whisperer. The program was met with universal criticism, forcing Hill to shut it down and destroy the Cosmic Cube fragments,[28] or at least that was what she made the world believe.

The Kobik Initiative carried on in utmost secrecy. When the Cube fragments were being experimented on, they abruptly merged together into a sentient being with its consciousness so fractured it manifested itself as a small girl, the girl became known as Kobik. While Kobik wouldn't be used to rewrite reality in a global scale, she became the power behind a new project, known as Pleasant Hill. Plesant Hill was a small town in Connecticut which served as a special prison for super villains. The inmates had their memories and appearances tampered with by Kobik's power, turning them into productive members of society, living a happy suburban life in Pleasant Hill. Maria Hill oversaw the prison by posing as the Mayor.

The Whisperer tipped off Captain America over the town while the Winter Soldier warned Steve Rogers about the town, just in time for Maria to pick him up and take him to Pleasant Hill in an attempt to convince him it was a good cause. Despite her reassurances, Steve proved to be disgusted by the place and ordered her to have it shut down. Before anything could come to that, a group of villains that had reverted back to their normal selves, led by Baron Zemo, began a revolt, gravely wounded Maria during an attack at the main S.H.I.E.L.D. outpost in the town hall.

Knowing Maria wouldn't survive too much longer, Steve convinced Zemo to allow him to get Maria medical attention. With the aid of a priest named Father Patrick (who was actually the Red Skull in disguise), Steve was able to get Maria to a doctor within the town. However, Maria attempted to escape only to be recaptured and returned to Zemo. Whatever plans he had were scuttled when the Avengers and the Avengers Unity Division worked together to rescue the hostages and end the standoff.

Soon afterwards, Hill was brought before the World Security Council, and was reprimanded for her incompetence. For her actions, Maria Hill was placed on administrative watch only acting as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. while the World Security Council decided if she should be brought before a tribunal.

A tribunal was eventually held by the World Security Council to determine if Hill should remain as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Even though Hill brought in several civilian witnesses who provided compelling testimonies in her favor, Captain America's attestation represented a major hit against Hill. In a final attempt to convince the tribunal, she proposed the creation of the Planetary Defense Shield. She additionally argued that the then-current state of affairs in the world meant that the transition between directors could represent a liability for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s efficacy. In spite of her testimony, the Council ruled that Hill be removed.

While being escorted out of the Helicarrier, Hill made her escape with the plans for the planetary force field and took them to the Alpha Flight space initiative on a flying car, subsequently running off.

Following her outing, Hill's self-imposed hit came into effect. After avoiding several murder attempts, and without the knowledge she was the person behind it, Maria came to the aid of super-powered private investigator Jessica Jones. Jessica eventually learned the truth, and so did Maria. Hill shut down the hit, remarking that her past self was an angrier and more self-righteous person who naively thought the deaths of Agents Reynolds and Bradley were as bad as it was going to get.

Powers

Trained S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, experienced in espionage, hand-to-hand combat and the use of a variety of weapons.

Possesses the normal strength for a woman of her complex reinforced with continuous exercises.

Hill's favorite pizza is Vinnie's of Savannah, Georgia.

She has a crush on Cyclops.

She played Fantasy Football.

Verses

tba

#Avengers #Avengers [Maria Hill]#Female Character #non mutuals #face claim: Cobie Smulders

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