Earth-9: TORG Cosms

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New Cosms

The Gaunt Man knows that Earth-9 will be a more dangerous endeavor than any other he has ever attempted. To that end, he has recruited a collection of High Lords even more deadly than their predecessors:

1) Darkseid (map, 27KB)

The baddest supervillain in any universe was the Gaunt Man's first choice to join the invasion of Earth-9. It was a good choice.

This image of a "boom tube" (from the Justice League animated series) is basically a picture of his maelstrom bridge. While he won't be bringing any flying island fortresses with him, there will be cosmic weapons of equal size coming through the super-Boom Tube. While his cosm works by the extremely flexible "rules" of the DC comics super-paradigm, his realm has a few curves thrown in. Like his own world Apokolips, good has no guarantees of triumphing over evil and Darkseid himself always returns to power sooner or later. The power level has very little in the way of upper limits, and most paradigms fit well within this reality. Science, magic, psionics, and other manners of High Weirdness function without much difficulty. Faith-based powers tend to be rare, but divine heroes definitely exist -- they just tend to be directly empowered rather than praying for "spell" effects. As the High Lord with the most experience dealing with superheroes, Darkseid lands on New York. Hard.

Fortunately, since Earth-9's paradigm is already quite similar to the invaders', those fighting the forces of Apokolips won't need to adjust much. Darkseid's grunts are the parademons, the gold standard of extras -- stronger than gorillas, as fast and agile as acrobats, they fly, wield blaster rods, can take bullets without flinching (much), and they actually have brains (though they aren't exactly Mensa material). His top agents are powerful enough to take on the greatest heroes of any Earth, and include the Female Furies, the Deep Six, and his terrible Ruling Elite. He has gathered cosmic menaces from across Hypertime. Finally, Darkseid himself is as powerful as Superman at his mightiest, capable of cracking worlds with his Omega Effect. Darkseid also creates menaces to order, so feel free to create your own Apokoliptic enemies.

The Darkseid page on Toon Zone is an excellent overview of Darkseid's character (in spite of some unjustified Kirby-bashing), but I want to add this caveat from the article "Fascism In The Fourth World":

Darkseid is complex and even majestic in his own way. He disdains destroying the Forever People (in #8), explaining to Desaad, "Greatness does not come from killing the young." Admonishing Desaad again (in New Gods #2), he serves up a moment of grudging admiration for Orion, his sworn enemy.

Even Darkseid needs a companion. In New Gods #6 (1984), he sadly confides, "I could use a friend. Desaad, perhaps." Other instances like this show the dark lord's vulnerability or humanity, not the least of which are two sequences in which he is finally shaken by the powers of automation (New Gods #6, 1984) and Micro-Mark (The Hunger Dogs). The machines have outstripped the makers and Darkseid is dismayed to be in the presence of a power more destructive than himself. He is astute enough to know that he cannot rule the universe if his weapons of war have destroyed it.

More potentially useful references:
From Toon Zone, Apokolips.
From the DC Universe RPG Resource Site Character Write-ups: Desaad, Granny Goodness, Kalibak, Kanto, Lashina, and Steppenwolf.
And from the Classic Marvel Superheros RPG site, DC character stats, the Apokolips Sourcebook.

2) Sauron (map, 51 KB)

The former Lord of the Ring should have become a powerless wraith, a wisp of smoke with memory, after the One Ring was destroyed. And indeed, at first, he was. But a crippled dragon fell to earth in Mordor bearing a terrible crown of dark magic. While not as powerful as his Ring, this "Drakacanus Crown" restored him sufficiently to move in the world once more. Clearly too weak politically to march against Middle-Earth again, he questioned the dragon and learned of the High Lords and the legend of the Torg. After a few quick conquests and a foothold in the dragon's old cosm, he proved himself restored enough to be worthy of the Gaunt Man's attention. Once he gains enough power from Earth-9, he can return to Middle-Earth. Then Gandalf and his little pawns will pay...

Middle-Earth is the archetype for modern "high fantasy," but in many ways the magical elements are usually subtle and in the background. Only in the greatest extremes of need do wizards evoke their powers fully and overtly. Still, there are plenty of challenges for heroes to face, including orcs, the deadly uruk-hai, trolls, savage human armies, dragons, wraiths, and many other bizarre horrors of high fantasy. Enchanted equipment may not be common, but it is almost always powerful. And those wanting more "common" high fantasy elements can have them come from some of those cosms Sauron conquered. Meanwhile, the war ended only recently on Middle-Earth, and while the High Lord isn't going to be bringing heroes into his realm, they can be found by those willing to brave the maelstrom bridge. His realm has covered the British Isles and the Nordic lands of northern Europe, transforming them into a cross between standard RPG fantasy and a strange fairy tale.

Update: At the end of the "Irish Solitare" story arc, one of the stelae in Ireland was pulled after Saruman was driven out. There is a smaller map showing the resultant change.

3) Dr. Mobius (map, 51 KB)

The only original High Lord other than the Gaunt Man to survive the trip to Earth-9 intact, the Nile Empire's Pharaoh is one of the most brilliant, insane, and successful High Lords ever. His reality should be familiar to fans of Indiana Jones and the Mummy -- and going back to the era's origins, Doc Savage, the Shadow, Flash Gordon (for those who can get into space), Tarzan, and pretty much any contemporary cliffhanger serial. As I understand it, Spy Smasher is an excellent example of the genre, both in its original comic book form and the Republic serial adaptation. Though Mobius seems to be a typical pulp mad scientist/conqueror, his Darkness Device hints at a more sinister legacy -- it is a three-foot-tall sculpture of his patron god, the crocodile-headed Sebek. Sebek had turned away from Mobius once, but this idol seems to Mobius to be a mark of divine favor. In any case, it turned the mad genius into a High Lord, and reality after reality have fallen to his dark grasp. Only once has he failed -- against the world that Roland helped to defend.

Like the Gaunt Man, Dr. Mobius is eager for revenge; unlike the Gaunt Man, however, Mobius has respect for the hero, which has only increased with what the Pharaoh considers to be a long-overdue leap to mystery man (superhero) status, a bit of information he's kept to himself. (The Gaunt Man, after all, doesn't play fair.) Roland returns the respect, to a point, and each considers the other potential conversion material. Mobius is definitely a bit cracked, but he's not nearly as crazy as he looks...

The Torg - Nile Empire page is a good short reference for what the realm is like, though "my" version has stronger magic. (And turn off the annoying background if you can.) In brief, it's 30s pulp/cliffhanger action, with weird science (think Tesla coils and ray-guns), mind-clouding, jungles with animal-commanding heroes, and lost worlds with dinosaurs and mysterious civilizations. As before, Mobius has hit northeastern Africa and the Middle East.

4) Emperor Palpatine (map, 21KB)

An enigma to the galaxy he rules, Palpatine draws his power from the Dark Side of the Force, a corruption in the balance of his universe (and thus, possibly misnamed). Palpatine's secret is simpler than some might think, however -- he is the last master of the terrible Amulet of the Sith. Many other wicked amulets and talismans would be based on this artifact of singular evil, but the original made the early Dark Lords of the Sith a match for the wise and powerful Jedi. Only Palpatine, however, was able to unlock the true power of the Sith Amulet: it is, of course, a Darkness Device, which has allowed him to expand his Empire to entirely new realities. As the Galactic Empire waxes in power, Palpatine discovers threats from without and within. To consolidate his control and guarantee his supremacy, he accepts an offer from one of his rivals, the scheming Gaunt Man, to invade a world whose heroes have interfered with cognates of his...

Though the Sith have many dark powers that function like necromancy (undead monsters, twisting souls), for the most part Star Wars is a standard space opera universe. The Force does pervade all things, but its powers largely mirror traditional mentalist gifts. He has landed in India, where some beliefs bear a resemblance to Jedi philosophy, and whose combination of dense population, rich mythology, and relatively low development make for a prime target. Cities such as Delhi and Mumbai (Bombay) have become like the great supercities of Corellia, while more troubled regions such as Calcutta resemble the blighted sections of the city-world of Coruscant. Smaller towns resemble places like Mos Eisley, while many areas rich in life and low on habitation have become Force-rich forests, jungles and/or marshes reminiscent of Dagobah. (Curiously, "dagobah" is a Buddhist term for a holy site. 8^)

To help him deal with Earth-9's defenders, Palpatine has made a pact with another High Lord who is not risking its forces on this invasion, particularly since the Gaunt Man holds a deep grudge against it. Nevertheless, the evil Emperor expects the Champions to have considerable difficulties against the so-called "techno-demons" and their leader Thratchen...

5) Prince Vincenzo Caligari (map, 51 KB)

A High Lord who makes Mobius look sane and stable, Vincenzo spent his life seeking immortality through occult "Syrneth" artifacts. When all seemed lost -- his island destroyed, his power base devastated, his family scattered -- he found it. Desperate, Vincenzo led one last expedition to Cabora, a mysterious "island" made up of aether-gear machinery and other strange occult technologies. There, he found the ultimate Syrneth artifact -- Nerezza, Theah's Darkness Device. With it, he raised his lost island out of the sea, creating a flying fortress that made him unassailable. From there, he took back his mainland holdings as well as those of two other Princes. The Caligari family was a power once more. It wasn't enough. Nerezza spun dark tales of other worlds, and the power to become the immortal Torg. Caligari listened, and a cosm has already fallen to him.

Though over a century old, he is the newest of the High Lords. Even so, this cunning and diabolic tyrant should not be underestimated. He has survived Machiavellian intrigues and deadly sorcery, controls dozens of destiny-altering Fate Witches, commands legions (both living and otherwise), has loyal Lord's Hands who are masters of both swordplay and assassination, and is himself restored to youth and strength. Vincenzo possesses a wide and deadly variety of occult "machines," and is again the swordsman he was in his prime. He also has dire piratical allies, including the nigh-unstoppable (and undead) Captain Reis, whose scythe can slice cleanly through Unobtanium. (Unique artifacts like Captain America's shield can block it, but they have to qualify as legends in their own right. No "instant" Super-Unobtanium weaponry, sorry.)

Italy, southern Germany and France, eastern Spain, and a large swath of the Mediterranean are under his control. Unlike his predecessor, he enjoys a good relationship with his "neighbor" in northern Africa, Pharaoh Mobius. (Completely aside from their love of bizarre toys, they both want to show up heroic forebears and indulge in high melodrama routinely. As Morgan put it, "they're two cracked peas in a pod." 8^) Also like Mobius, he hasn't bothered conquering his homeworld, so heroes from Theah have come to Earth-9 to help fight the mad Vodacce Prince. On land and at sea, the Possibility Wars continue in perhaps their oddest venue...

Thean reality is somewhat cinematic, though not as over-the-top as the Nile Empire. It has dark secrets, a mysterious past, and strange sorcery. See the "7th Sea Sorcery Handbook" (PDF or search Google to view an HTML version) for more details on Thean magic, though CAoLers should only expect the major varieties (Fuego, Glamour, Laerdom, Porte, Pyeryem, Sorte) and possibly the "lost" Germanic Zerstorung. Though Theah has its creepier side, for the most part it's a world of chandelier-swinging, henchman-taunting, damsel-rescuing (or hunk-rescuing, depending on your prefs.), cliff-hanging, and last-minute triumphs over evil.

6.66) The Gaunt Man (map, 22 KB)

As elite a pack of High Lords as he's gathered, none of them are as purely evil as the Gaunt Man. More than any High Lord before him, this living nightmare understands the purpose of the Darkness Devices -- the death of possibility, the annihilation of hope, and the end of Ages.

And he's improved the process.

The entire problem of Oblivion is that it wants to destroy everything that is not...well, nothingness. Possibility itself is its enemy. So what the Gaunt Man has done is create a reality that crushes almost all hope...leaving just enough to feed him, while keeping the terrible Heketon, a literal Heart of Darkness, satisfied with the dearth of possibilities for change. Fear pervades the Gaunt Man's cosm, terror worse than the crushing despair of Apokolips, worse than the relentless onslaught of Sauron's vile armies or Palpatine's machine of conquest. Everyone is constantly afraid of the horrors in the shadows, which is like the sweetest wine to the foul master of Orrorsh.

The hope that remains feeds Oblivion's hunger for Possibilities, as the few heroes remaining fight a desperate and impossible war against his Ecology of Evil. Vampires, werewolves, and plant-like zombies are merely his shock troops; since nothing is more frightening than the unknown, Orrorsh realms are filled with unique terrors, each of which has a unique vulnerability. Part of the magical equation that makes this possible requires that the vulnerability be possible to uncover, but that is no guarantee of victory. Heroes die in Orrorsh, with crushing regularity. Still, the Gaunt Man can be defeated. It has been done before. And the Gaunt Man never forgets a slight. Never...

It has been said that the Gaunt Man has only two real emotions. Fear fills him with a terrible joy; there is nothing the High Lord loves more than to discover some new technique that invokes horror, some new permutation in the art of nightmare. When the Gaunt Man smiles, then something truly horrific has taken place. The other is rage at being thwarted. He is almost never defeated any more, so when his will is denied, his fury can topple entire cosms. Torg - Orrorsh is a good overview, but the technology is circa 1890s, not 1290s Earth.

As Europe is already crowded, invasion-wise, the Gaunt Man instead chose to strike at Roland's heart. Across North America, from Bay City to New Orleans to Mexico City to Haiti, small pockets of fear and uncertainty have spread like sinister fogs. Similar micro-invasions have also been conducted in Rio de Janeiro, Casablanca, Baghdad, the Transylvanian mountains, and the area where Isreal, the West Bank, and Syria meet. Except in a few deeply rural regions, these invasions are strictly mixed realms, which means that the cars still run and Internet service is still up, but...things haunt the night. The Gaunt Man himself has set up headquarters in Siberia, a direct slap in the face to his old rival Thratchen. In a cold, terrible waste, his one dominant zone festers, and a gothic castle rises from a mountain that should not be there. Slaves from a dozen cosms feed horrors from ten thousand nightmares. Even the CAoL will have its work cut out for it.

Miscellany: I've also decided to throw in a near-future anime realm, just because. Roland can go there while everyone else plays with some of the other realms. Zoltar, High Lord of Spectra, has imposed anime reality over most of Japan, Korea, and parts of southeast China. Anyone who wants a brief, wild side trip can go there to do something bizarre.

If you have any questions, you know where to send 'em.

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