I agree that Huntsclan is probably worth chucking actions at. They play too directly into Toffee's hands, and that is the threat most narratively fitting with our focus on Star Vs heroes as well as Gargoyles (Demona and Thailog both being easy recruits for him).
Thailog is a much greater pressing issue as of right now though. He has the best stats of Goliath and Xanatos, which means he is probably the best statted unit we know, and he has an active agenda to murder David. Additionally he'd make an excellent general for Toffee, is in an excellent position to recruit from New York's magical community (especially given David's interactions with the Huntsclan) and due to Demona becoming embroiled in the Star Vs stuff he is very likely to end up interacting with Toffee in the long term.
I think that step 1 of reducing Thailog's power might look like striking/weakening the Huntsclan just to reduce his recruiting bonuses (I'm sure he has more options due to the Huntsclan rising in power). Huntsclan isn't priority 1, we have a lot of constructive and relationship-building desires as well, but I think they're worthy to strike at
In my mind, we should (preferably in collab with Xanatos as to lower the chances of us accidentially shooting each others argumentations down via contradictions):
- Make Contact with Magical NYC to both deprive Thailog of disgruntled cannon fodder and to protect them from the Huntsclan and similar extremists
- Crack down on Nightstone by implicating them as involved in the attack on NY (extent depends on the kind of cover David was able to cook up) to weaken Thailogs position
- Crack down on the Huntsclan as maniacal extremists
- Keep Demona from finding Star and maybe snatching Star up ourselves.
I know that most of this would normally fall into Davids domain, but A) right now he got all hands full with smoothing over the fallout of Demonas attack and would appreciate some genuine help and B) most of it also will spill over onour plate soon enough if left untended.
The meeting had finished, so Hego said his goodbyes and left the room with a profound sense of relief. There was something about Gilbert Huph that made his teeth itch.
He didn't seem to be the only one to feel like that.
The employees here didn't like their boss. That much had been obvious from the moment he had seen the kind of looks that the workers here directed at the little man whenever his back was turned, but a quick trip to the bathroom earlier in the day had revealed a wealth of graffiti casting aspersions on the "penny pinching little bastard", among a variety of far cruder descriptors.
No. Above and beyond the usual corporate standards, Insuricare was an unhappy workplace, to a clearly unhealthy degree. He would need to have a word with the doctor about this when he returned to Danville, because it was an outrage that in the comparison between Insuricare and the business front of a supervillain, it was Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated that clearly had the superior workplace culture.
Even before Hego had tricked the villain into spending tens of millions in improving the benefits of his entire workforce to a level usually reserved for executives.
Here, in stark contrast, he had found the proverbial cubicle hell, brought to dreadful life by the sheer stinginess of the CEO.
And not only did the little man know the kind of place he was running, but he seemed to take it as a point of perverse pride. When Hego had mentioned the matter during the negotiations, Huph had smiled a broad, self-satisfied smirk, just before getting started on a tale about the resemblance between clocks and companies.
No, Gilbert Huph was neither a good boss, nor a particularly pleasant man. Perhaps not a criminal and definitely not a villain, but almost certainly the slimiest character that he had met in all his years as a restaurant manager, including members of the Bueno Nacho board of directors.
And yet he had thought of doing exactly that within moments of meeting the man. The horrible impulse hadn't stopped growing in strength since then.
Nothing had managed to dislodge the repugnant idea from his head, nothing! Not even thinking about what Mister Incredible would do!
If anything, thinking about the great hero had made the urge almost overpowering, for some reason.
It was a good thing, a very good thing that the takeover process had finished and that he probably wouldn't be meeting Mister Huph ever again.
It was a bad thing, a very bad thing that such ideas had crossed his mind in the first place.
His mood was dismal as he made his way out of the depressing building and the cold drizzle he encountered outside did nothing to help. Dark thoughts gnawed away at him the whole ride back to the airport and then during the wait for the next plane to Danville.
Was this EVIL? Was this the darkness that lurks in the hearts of men? The same thing that had driven his sister to forsake heroism for a life of crime and perfidy?
Had his efforts to bring down Doofenshmirtz from within tainted him?
Had this been the fiend's plan all along?
...
...
Yes, that had to be it.
That had to be why Doofenshmirtz had approved his initial proposal for the company's benefit package without hesitation, in spite of the cost, and why he had allowed Hego to take time off to do good deeds. He had seen through Hego's plans and decided to play a long game of his own, waiting for the right moment to open a hero's soull to evil's siren song of corruption.
In understanding the cleverness of the doctor's scheme, Hego found himself speechless.
How underhanded!
How diabolical!
Well, no matter. Now Hego knew what he was up against and knowing is half the battle. And if he had anything to say about it, Doofenshmirtz's plans against Shego would fail, too.
Justice must triumph in the end, he swore in the safety of his own mind, a clenched fist the only outward sign of his inner turmoil.
His newfound resolve was tested minutes later, when the public address system reported delays because of "ongoing developments" at Danville.
A quick search with his phone later, he learned that ongoing developments meant an open supervillain attack, perhaps the most blatant in a decade.
Raw, bitter regret was the first reaction that his brain managed to form after reading the headlines. The chance that he had been waiting for to protect the innocent and thwart the evildoer lost, because he had had to play the part of a corporate lackey to help expand an evil business empire.
Hego forced himself to stand still with clenched fists and gritted teeth, fearing what may happen if he allowed his anger to pour out. He calmed himself down, eventually, but it took him a long time.
Somewhere between furious and despondent, trapped hundreds of kilometers from where he really wanted to be, he sat down and followed the conflict through the latest new updates.
That is a very nice thing to say, but in all honesty I am having a lot of trouble nailing Hego's internal voice.
I find it hard to strike the right balance when trying to write someone who is a doofus, good natured but sort-of-depressed and trying to be sneaky while being terribly incompetent about it.
"No. Well yes. No, but actually yes. You seee David, I may have accidentally left one of my more conceptual Inators lying out while my intern Janna- you remember Janna, right? Help saved the world, we were talking about her forty seconds ago? Yes good. I made the Probabilinator with the intent to finely manipulate reality and achieve literally anything! By calculating the chance of a specific improbability occurring, and then just changing probability so that improbability was probable. Like the probability of teleporting halfway to Mars, or the probability of a whale materializing over Doofania. Or… something like that. I dunno why I said whale. Anyway! Turns out there's really no way to calculate something like that, so I had to call the whole thing off. But thanks to Janna, I now know that the Inator still worked! But on activation, it ended up hitting the probability that my Inator-Inator would spontaneously activate, and then that made a Super-Inator-Inator, which then hit the original Inator which started the whole mess, and well… long story short, you should probably expect the very concept of chance and uncertainty itself to be a little wibbly for ahhh, I dunno, two months or so? About that? Things that go well will go really well with no explanation or reason, but things that end poorly will end extremely poorly. Everything's just gonna be more extreme-y for a while as really improbable things are suddenly probable. So uh, yeah. Keep an eye on that."
Xanatos Intrigue Check: Stay. Calm.
DC 150
81+72=153
Bare Success
"How far is this… effect... going to reach?" Xanatos asked weakly.
"Well, I'm not sure." You reply, rubbing your chin. "Not so far as the Kuiper Belt, I don't think, but it'll definitely reach Mars. I'm still trying to figure out the exact details, I only just got it down to the exponent."
"I see." Xanatos said through clenched teeth. His fists balled for a single, brief moment, before he released the tension and replied continued in a controlled, clipped burst. "If you'll excuse me Doctor, I believe there are a few plans I need to get in order."
"Oh of course, of course." you answer, waving him off. "I understand, schemes to be scheming. I do apologize for the inconvenience. Only, one thing. I don't suppose you would be willing to talk to Shego about this for m-"
But Xanatos was already gone.
---
Xanatos had wasted no time.
On Christmas Day, the public had been faced with the unimaginable. Monsters assaulting New York City. Fear and anger ran higher than they had in well over a decade, fear and anger that threatened to spill over. The public needed a face, needed a name. Needed Demona.
The gargoyle, along with as much of her history as Xanatos was willing to make public, was plastered across every wall. Shouted on every station. Mention was made of the gargoyles who had willingly surrendered all knowledge they had on the 'desperate terrorist' within their midst. All carefully curated, managed, and directed to the same end: do not fear a people. Fear a face. A name. A solid form to pin the world's amorphous fears upon.
As faces across the city tuned in, one would do well to bemoan that the shift in probability had not yet taken effect.
For Xanatos' plan was only partially effective.
---
The Hunstclan turned from the broadcast as the anchor turned to other news.
The room, contrary to expectation, was not in shadow. Little point when your uniform includes a mask.
What members could be present sat around the table, while others whose duties kept them occupied in other lands appeared on vast screens across the room. All paused as the door opened. Officers and veterans all united in respect of a fallen leader.
The Huntsmaster had been shattered. His will was unbroken, his mind unfettered, but his body would never walk again. The man was wheeled into the meeting by two unspeaking adepts, the cold malice emanating from his body changed, but somehow undiminished. Gone was the imposing, towering figure of past hunts. In its place was a dark and brooding thing, like a spider in its own web.
"Elders." The Hunstmaster spoke, and many around the table and across the world looked on. They were greybeards, survivors, deciders of the clan's future by virtue of their pasts.
"I can no longer lead the Hunt."
A bevy of whispering broke out amongst the lower cadets, but the elders merely watched. They had known since the night of the Demon that this would come.
"A new Huntsmaster must rise from amongst the clan. I make no secret of the one I would choose as my successor.
"Rise, Thorn." The Hunstmaster said, a single trembling hand pointing outwards. His voice was deep and clear, smothering; one thing the Demon had not taken from him.
Thorn rose. Her hair was tied back in a lengthy tail, its blond tresses the only splash of color on her dark outfit as they fell from underneath the dragon skull, killed by her own hand, that crowned her among the clan's elite.
"Master. I stand ready to heed the Hunt's call."
The debate carried on for some time, but in the end there was little question. The Huntsmaster had been a legend to them; now he was a hero. The Elders as one approved his choice.
"Hunters. Today, a new marshal rises to command the Hunt. May no monster sleep safely until her end. Hail the Huntsmaster!"
The Clan, as one, banged their staves against the ground.
"Hail the Huntsmaster!" came the reply.
"Elders." Thorn began. "There is little time to waste on ceremony. "A grave disaster was avoided, but more loom."
One elder stroked his beard. "The Demon came perilously close to exposing the evils of magic to the world. Such power could tempt the minds of the unworthy."
"Our sacred charge is to stand in the shadows, so that others enjoy the light." Another concurred. "The revelation of gargoyles was shameful enough. To allow more of the beasts to enter the public's eye would be a failure of that duty."
"We are not enough." Thorn declared. "Our victories in the sundering of the dragons were many, but our losses have been great. We are slow to recruit, slow to train."
"You propose a solution, Huntsmaster Thorn."
Thorn took a breath. "Let me open the cadets to those who do not bear the mark."
This time the elders spoke freely. "Intolerable!" cried one. "Impurity!" said another. "Against our way!"
"Necessary." the former Huntsmaster replied.
The furor died down as the fallen hero expressed support for his successor. Thorn saw her chance and seized upon it.
"The birthmark has always been a sign of willingness to accept the way of the hunt. But it is not the only one. The Demon's revelation was horrible, but it has opened the eyes of many. Many who would serve mankind in the destruction of its foes. I have seen many; skilled, knowledgeable, with resources that could aid our cause."
A few of the elders contemplated the idea. The Huntsclan had always recruited only from those who bore the birthmark of their order, a coiling dragon said to symbolize their destiny in overcoming the magical races. But some felt that change was in the air. Others looked on more skeptically.
"What proof have you of this?"
Thorn raised a hand. A door opened, and three figures stepped out.
They were masked, but not as the Clan was masked. They wore armor, suited for combat, dyed in black and red. They bore no emblem, but over the mask of each was a set of three red, jagged lines.
"We have hunted the Demon for hundreds of years." The first said, taking off his mask. "If this be your cause, we would join with it."
The Huntsclan looked between the man in front of them and the viewscreen above, on which a news anchor still railed furiously against gargoyles. In a recorded polemic the man called for committees, police actions, scrutiny, anything to stem the threat the beasts clearly caused.
The same man who stood before them.
The potential was obvious.
"Who would you be, then?" one elder asked.
Jon Canmore smiled.
"The Hunters."
---
Rather than form their own organization, the Canmore Hunters have joined the Huntsclan! The Huntsclan has expanded its intake massively! Thorn has taken up the mantle of the Huntsmaster!
Xanatos Intrigue Check: Stay. Calm.
DC 150
81+71=152
Bare Success
"How far is this… effect... going to reach?" Xanatos asked weakly.
"Well, I'm not sure." You reply, rubbing your chin. "Not so far as the Kuiper Belt, I don't think, but it'll definitely reach Mars. I'm still trying to figure out the exact details, I only just got it down to the exponent."
"I see." Xanatos said through clenched teeth. His fists balled for a single, brief moment, before he released the tension and replied continued in a controlled, clipped burst. "If you'll excuse me Doctor, I believe there are a few plans I need to get in order."
"Oh of course, of course." you answer, waving him off. "I understand, schemes to be scheming. I do apologize for the inconvenience. Only, one thing. I don't suppose you would be willing to talk to Shego about this for m-"
Xanatos, why d'you gotta be so competent? We all wanted that panic moment... so clearly, we need to start submitting even crazier -Inators! We'll get him to spit take one day, gosh darn it!
Alas, poor Jake, I knew you hardly, though I'm sure you were delicious served with a side of potatoes and spicy mustard.
As to the Huntsclan...good and bad for a variety of reasons, most of which not for us at the moment, surprisingly.
Like, sure, genocide of species is bad and all that, but we also happen to have a very Wizardy Lizard shaped problem who's long-term plan is to conquer the planet for its magic. What a wonderful target distraction/peace-offering.
As always, wonderful stuff, though we still have to survive telling Shego that the world's jus ta bit more off its rocker than usual
Xanatos, why d'you gotta be so competent? We all wanted that panic moment... so clearly, we need to start submitting even crazier -Inators! We'll get him to spit take one day, gosh darn it!
There's Canmore. Was wondering how they would handle this mess. Also, we ruined Xany's day! And any hope of an alliance as we accidently unleash mayhem on the planet.
Thorn was American Dragon Jake Long's love interest, which was uh........TENSE because he as a Dragon and she was a Huntsman, I can't remember how their relationship ended in canon, but considering this is DVV, and that Thorn wore a dragon she killed with her own hands, I'm saying shes now wearing the skull of her old boyfriend.
As for danger? Extreme. The Huntsmaster trained Thorn as if she was his own daughter, and more then that, she's a modern girl. She's not hide bound by tradition like most in the Huntsclan are. She's practical, pragmatic, willing to experiment and innovate to continue their mission, shes not nearly as experienced or dangerous in martial as the Huntsmanster was, not yet, but as a Leader? Her Vision for the Huntsclan? Her danger is extreme.
There's Canmore. Was wondering how they would handle this mess. Also, we ruined Xany's day! And any hope of an alliance as we accidently unleash mayhem on the planet.
Don't be so pessimistic! So what, we left a few inators lying around? We do that all the time! This is Janna's fault, so David can't blame us for this! There's still hope for the alliance... it just probably won't include Shego once we tell her...
They're the clan of anti-Gargoyle extremists that were both created by Demona's cruelty and whose constant attacks on her helped reinforce said cruelty.
I also never knew we needed this before, but we need a new meme.
One side is the regular pic of Xanxy, the other side is his inner self as a picture of Enel with a crudely drawn beard, screaming himself raw at the sheer terror and consequences of this Tropico-styling Scientist.
I'd do it myself, but my photoshop skills rest somewhere around -7. It's a Fault I never expected to come up again
Thorn was American Dragon Jake Long's love interest, which was uh........TENSE because he as a Dragon and she was a Huntsman, I can't remember how their relationship ended in canon, but considering this is DVV, and that Thorn wore a dragon she killed with her own hands, I'm saying shes now wearing the skull of her old boyfriend.
As for danger? Extreme. The Huntsmaster trained Thorn as if she was his own daughter, and more then that, she's a modern girl. She's not hide bound by tradition like most in the Huntsclan are. She's practical, pragmatic, willing to experiment and innovate to continue their mission, shes not nearly as experienced or dangerous in martial as the Huntsmanster was, not yet, but as a Leader? Her Vision for the Huntsclan? Her danger is extreme.
Iirc she died to save him and took out the huntsclan ( I believe she used a wish thing to take them out and it counted her as one of them) and Jake couldn't wish her back.
if I had to guess he wished her back and brought the clan back as well and killed him.
There's Canmore. Was wondering how they would handle this mess. Also, we ruined Xany's day! And any hope of an alliance as we accidently unleash mayhem on the planet.
Think of it this way. Doofenshmirtz is going to be doing this sort of stuff alliance or no. An alliance means Xanatos gets advanced warning and a chance to benefit when Doof decides to warp reality on a solar system spanning scale.
Iirc she died to save him and took out the huntsclan ( I believe she used a wish thing to take them out and it counted her as one of them) and Jake couldn't wish her back.
if I had to guess he wished her back and brought the clan back as well and killed him.
No, he did. He wished that she was never taken by the Huntsclan, which made her ineligible for destruction. However, she lost all her memories of her former life, but was able to get those back due to looking at a picture of the two of them. They were allowed to pick up their relationship from where they left off after that
Iirc she died to save him and took out the huntsclan ( I believe she used a wish thing to take them out and it counted her as one of them) and Jake couldn't wish her back.
if I had to guess he wished her back and brought the clan back as well and killed him.
I find it unlikely she'd be wearing his skin in that case... though not impossible, sentimentality can take some weird turns. More likely, things got derailed before she died.
