D.A.T.A. MEMO

From: Department of Advanced Technology Application

Re: Technology to Improve Quality of Life

~ For Distribution ~

Changes are heading to Paragon City!  New communications systems and increased clarity of vision for all heroes will help in their fight for justice.  As our technologies improve, heroes will soon be able to see the very expression on the face of their enemies with added bump and specular mapping and a variety of higher resolution textures, or see danger coming miles away with full depth of field effects!  They can even take pride in the new sparkling gleam in the windows of their fair city.

With this new visual acuity, the protectors of Paragon will also have access to Global Chat upgrades such as an improved ability to switch between chat channels, default channels, and a channel search feature.  Their new User Interface will allow heroes to fine tune control of their powers with buff icons that blink right before they go away, toggling of buff powers in the icon list, and the ability to access character and power information through the r-click menu.

Unfortunately, Longbow reports suggest that Arachnos has already learned how to imitate these communications technologies giving the villains of the Rogue Isles access to the same advantages.  Only time will tell how much it will improve the villains’ nefarious tactics against the valiant heroes of Paragon City! 

See examples of these new marvels of modern hero technology below:

New Issue 7 base features will allow you to spruce up, buff up, and share gear all in the comfort of your own base! 

Tired of not being able to store those special Inspirations you’ve been lugging around for months?  Do you wish you could leave your Salvage and Enhancements in your cozy citadel for you and your compatriots to use later?  With the new Storage Items you will be able to create Inspiration receptacles, Enhancements containers, and bins to keep all your Salvage in a convenient spot for all to share! 

Have you ever wished you could throw together some powerful instant buffs to prep for battle in your deadly lair?  Now you can prepare for a fight with Empowerment Stations.  These Stations, ranging from basic to advanced levels, will allow you to create amazing buffs from salvage recipes - increasing your speed, boosting your resistances, and other special bonuses! 

Finally, have you ever felt that your impenetrable fortress just does not reflect your Supergroup’s flair for design?  Soon you will be able to buy banners, tables, holograms and other items to decorate your base with your Supergroup’s colors and symbol!

With the release of Issue 7 you can strategize in the great hall around your new table - your Supergroup banner flying high - grab the best Inspirations, update to the latest Enhancements, buff up at your Empowerment Station, and head off to battle confident that you shall be victorious no matter what plans your vile enemies might have in store.

Those who wish to become true champions of Paragon City are faced with difficult choices – it is never easy to walk the path of the hero.  Every hero’s journey is unique, fraught with trials and crossroads shrouded in uncertainty.  Those who heed the call to adventure are rare enough; fearless in choosing to step beyond their everyday lives.  Fewer still are those who do not take the easy roads of violence and fear, and instead make necessary sacrifices in order to become genuine defenders of all that is right and just.  Along this way lie temptations that could lead even the most steadfast heroes astray and it is in walking this difficult path that a true hero is born. 

Inextricably linked, each hero’s fate is tied to that of the villains of the Rogue Isles.  The future is woven together, a web created as heroes and villains alike choose their destiny, intersecting and overlapping paths that unfold over time.  Soon, all heroes will move closer to their ultimate fate as the villainous Destined Ones grow in strength.  This threat looms ever larger as they unleash chaos and mayhem, raging through the streets of Paragon. 

With villains letting loose a destructive rampage, there is evidence of a nefarious plot by Lord Recluse to take over Paragon City itself!  Rumors abound that Recluse has gained access to advanced portal technology and is trying to manipulate the very fabric of time to dominate Paragon.  Soon the outcome of Recluse’s attempt to take over this fair city will lie in the hands of those heroes willing to rise in defense of their home.  Fortunately, an improved communication system and new base features will be implemented soon aiding heroes as they struggle to prevent Recluse’s victory.

Under the watchful eye of Lord Recluse, a select few villains have survived an unending string of trials, earning them a place in the elite inner circle of Arachnos.  Forging close bonds with Recluse’s top agents, these once fledgling villains have gained access to new and more dangerous powers. 

What fate might hold for those who strive to be a true hero or a true villain no one can know.  Moving inexorably into the future, every individual choice has an effect, every deed sowing a seed leading toward an unseen harvest.  Soon, destiny will manifest as conflicting actions lead to a unique future for the cities of heroes and villains.

CONFIDENTIAL – WYVERN – CONFIDENTIAL

***RAPTOR EYES ONLY***

To: Raptor Agent Kapera

From: Wing Agent Rice

Re: Target “DJ Zero”

Backgrounder:

Per instructions, we have kept the target known as DJ Zero under long-distance observation. Now that the reconstruction of his base of operations – the nightclub Pocket D – is completed, we expect him to become more of a player in local affairs.

NOTE: Pocket D appears to exist outside of the normal geography of Paragon City. It also does not actually sit in the Rogue Isles. It can, however, be reached from both locations – and in fact from many hotspots or gateways, almost like teleporters.

If DJ Zero *is* allowing both heroes and criminals into his space, what does he gain? Is he just a rebellious iconoclast, or does he have a specific agenda he is working towards? Based on our limited intel, a best case scenario would assume he is finding a way to co-opt the villains, to turn their selfishness into a way to help Paragon City. While this is not a tactic that Wyvern should openly condone, the value of an asset who can freely mingle with the enemy is obvious.

Conversely, the worst case scenario must assume that DJ Zero is bribable or too weak to hold the forces of Arachnos in check. The portals leading from the Rogue Isles directly into Paragon City are critical vulnerabilities that would allow Recluse’s lackeys and sycophants to bypass the War Walls.

2/08/06
DJ Zero has apparently allowed two new contacts to set up operations in Pocket D – Scratch, a resident of the Rogue Isles, and Ganymede, an agent of Eros. Both seem to be recruiting (from both sides!) for their agendas.

Ganymede

A Greek-styled hero, Ganymede claims to be an agent of Eros [NOTE: there is no entry for an Eros in our database]. Eros’s Super Group (all styled after the Greek Pantheon) has lost an item of power to Arachnos. Ganymede is trying to recruit heroes to assist him in this mission.

UNCONFIRMED ACCOUNT: DJ Zero was overhead telling Ganymede that Pocket D is perfect for his recruitment because “…both sides hang out here. You’ll have no trouble finding some shiny capes to help you out. And if Eros is serious about needing a villain to unravel whatever evil mojo is trapping the artifact, you’ll never get a better assortment of colorful characters than here.”

ANALYSIS: What is Ganymede offering the villains to help out his boss, Eros? It must be something of worth, playing into their selfish natures, to get them to act on the side of angels.

Scratch

On the surface the agent called Scratch is a simple musician who knows DJ Zero from the club scene. Minor digging reveals him to have extensive connections through the underworld of Paragon City and the Rogue Isle’s black market. He’s stayed out of the spotlight, but PPD reports describe him as a fence, hustler, and con-man. Our surveillance confirms he is enlisting the services of a number of super-powered criminals to move against an Arachnos operation.

UNCONFIRMED ACCOUNT: There are several rumors concerning Scratch’s agenda. The report given highest degree of plausibility describes a military enhancement program to turn normal Arachnos agents into super-soldiers.

ANALYSIS: What catalyst could they be using as the basis for their super-soldier steroid cocktail? If such an operation is occurring, success will not only make the Rogue Isles a first world military threat, but will also displace the many super-powered villains currently occupying the islands. The ensuing civil strife would undoubtedly spill into Paragon’s borders. This may be how DJ Zero and Scratch are manipulating super-powered thugs into working against Arachnos. It’s also clear why heroes would want to stop any Arachnos operation, but why would villains need to ask for their help?