DShomshak Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 I figure the iconic Mad Max setting has been around long enough, and is widespread enough in the public consciousness, for a version of it to have coalesced within the Australian region of Faerie. Could be an interesting place for heroes having fallen through the Well of Worlds to end up... or maybe some of its inhabitants might come out the Well the other way. The Way Outback, to go with the Even Wilder West? Dean Shomshak Lord Liaden 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelCold Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 I guess Beyond Thunderdome was the music video to said documentary. Case in point: Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DShomshak Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 The Mystic World presents an interesting thesis: that cities, counties, whole nations, may acquire a special mystical significance. When the British Empire dominated the world, London became the greatest center of occult affairs, just as it was for political and financial ones. Mystics who meddle in worldly affairs like to go where they can meddle most effectively. This can include influencing society to promote certain philosophies and behaviors, and creating mystical power sites by shaping the local geography or architecture. Immigration from elsewhere in the world draws and mingles spirits who normally confine their activities to one region of the globe. Britain's mystic significance in the world has faded significantly, but the same trends have contributed to raising the United States to preeminent occult region. Incidentally, Victorian/Edwardian London was surely the Earthly city with the greatest affinity to Babylon: It's Earthly avatar, if you will. Capital of the most far-flung empire the world had ever seen, with a population drawn from every corner of that Empire and beyond. If ever there was a World-City, a City of Man, London was it. New York City now takes that role. It isn't as absolute a financial hub as London was, but it's still in the top five. It isn't the American capital, but has a possibly greater claim to be Capital of the World as host of the United Nations. Its ethnic diversity is unsurpassed as well. It's well stocked with iconic landmarks, some rather explicitly mythic (the Statue of Liberty's crown is a direct copy of ancient statues of Apollo). Even the name of Central Park reinforces its role as the World-Axis, the Omphalos. (And this huge patch of green in the center of a vast city -- which has, I am told, become the hub of bird migrations throughout eastern North America -- would make an excellent embassy or neutral ground between Faerie and Babylon.) Some people say China is overtaking the US, but there's no chance of any Chinese city supplanting NYC anytime soon. Shanghai seems to be trying to channel the Futuropolis district, at least in its architecture, but I haven't heard of any Chinese city attracting large and diverse immigrant populations. (Has anyone heard differently?) Dean Shomshak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted June 7, 2015 Report Share Posted June 7, 2015 And in the CU New York City is also one of the hubs of superhuman activity. It has three resident superhero teams, as well as the home base for UNTIL's superteam, UNITY. Agencies and orgs with headquarters or major branches there include UNTIL, PRIMUS, the Goodman Institute, l'Instut Thoth, Angelstone Laboratories, Executive Control Solutions, and Bation Alpha Security. VIPER and DEMON have no fewer than three bases each in the greater NY area. Nearly every prominent supervillain and villain team has been active in the city at one time or another, and it was the site of several major superhuman-related events in CU history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 I've been thinking about how a Max-ish scenario would work in a superhero setting. Some powers would tend to break the feel of the setting, and would at least need to be compensated for. You can't really have an interesting car chase when you have characters that can run, or worse fly, at the speed of light. Mental powers are a little odd too. A Batman-ish character would be just right though - pedal to the metal in the Batmobile! There are some workarounds. The "it's part of Faerie" excuse allows for a lot of weirdness, as does the presence of magic in general, but it's not Mad Max anymore. Or Kansas. Obviously you could have a running fight spread out over hundreds of miles. Maybe somebody busts Taipan out, and he heads towards civilisation, or maybe the heroes have to escort something over a long distance that they can't just pick up and carry. That would probably be the closest you could get. Even if you tried, though, the feel would be Tina Turner at best. A more general post-Apocalyptic Australia might work. Unfortunately I haven't read enough Jonah Hex stories... Ooh. Now it's coming together... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 A general thought about Australia in the CU. There are four main canonical fictional places (not counting Canberra): Taipan's prison, the Well of Worlds, the UNTIL base at Port Hedland, and Mulraven House, one of Luther Black's safe houses. There are also some listed UNTIL, VIPER and DEMON bases. Any of these could be "officially" developed more in the future. Aside from that it's a blank slate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelCold Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Have the Dreamtime be a part of Istvatha V`han or Skarn The Shaper's empire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 I've been thinking about the chase problem a bit, and realised I was approaching it from the wrong end. It's the bad guys chasing the good guys, not vice versa. So the key thing is to have a McGuffin that can only travel at whatever speed is appropriate - enough to be dangerous, but not enough to outrun the bad guys - and then it doesn't matter how fast the PCs can move. They can't just run/fly/teleport off and leave the McGuffin to its fate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 I've been thinking about the chase problem a bit, and realised I was approaching it from the wrong end. It's the bad guys chasing the good guys, not vice versa. So the key thing is to have a McGuffin that can only travel at whatever speed is appropriate - enough to be dangerous, but not enough to outrun the bad guys - and then it doesn't matter how fast the PCs can move. They can't just run/fly/teleport off and leave the McGuffin to its fate. In video games, I hate escort missions with a passion. Christopher R Taylor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Where what you are escorting is slow and/or deliberately leads you into aggression zones? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Where what you are escorting is slow and/or deliberately leads you into aggression zones? Exactly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 If only the escortee had the self-preservation instinct of a concussed duckling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Exactly! I got in the habit of leading from the front once I knew the path they would take and pre-emptively cleared the way when I could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher R Taylor Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 A general thought about Australia in the CU. There are four main canonical fictional places (not counting Canberra): Taipan's prison, the Well of Worlds, the UNTIL base at Port Hedland, and Mulraven House, one of Luther Black's safe houses. There are also some listed UNTIL, VIPER and DEMON bases. Any of these could be "officially" developed more in the future. Aside from that it's a blank slate. Champions Down Under is needed now more than ever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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