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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

does doctor gotham have money to get a lawyer. Public defenders in america are so overworked that I expect his lawyer would have less than an hour to review the case before the court time. So no way is an overworked underpaid public defender gonna be able to go with the new magic laws to get Mister Gotham out of a jail sentence.
Yes, but Paul and John just stole it.

Mind you, he likely doesn't need it as "40,000 year old sorcerer" is high level "pro-bono" bait.

Of course, I am not even sure Doctor Gotham will need that. Because everything said and done, it's pretty much a sure thing that the Feds will show up with an employment contract before the week is up. Which given what I know about such things will likely include "You won't be on the hook for anything Strega did and we will get a court order demanding the return of your stuff" wording in it.
 
does doctor gotham have money to get a lawyer. Public defenders in america are so overworked that I expect his lawyer would have less than an hour to review the case before the court time. So no way is an overworked underpaid public defender gonna be able to go with the new magic laws to get Mister Gotham out of a jail sentence.
Realistically, if Zoat goes with the Lich Trial plot point, it'll be that some wealthy individual who wants access to ancient lich magic is paying for his lawyer. Probably some sort of supervillian.
 
Honestly, I would think that Dr Gotham could overpower a chain that can suppress a lord of order.

The impression I got is that being a lord of order or chaos, when it comes to magic power, is like water out of a hose. It's not that they can use all the power at once, but rather that the power is effectively infinitely renewable.

Dr Gotham, from what I remember, has like tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of magical artifacts in his timelord trenchcoat, which he taps for magic like a magic the gathering player tapping land.

I would therefore while his magic reserve isn't infinitely renewable, I see no reason why he couldn't tap as many of those artifacts as he needs for the task at hand.

In DnD 3x terms, Lords are like warlocks, they can cast their spells 24/7 without their mojo going dry, but I would think that Dr Gotham would be like a psion- His mojo runs out, but he can "go nova" by spending all of his mojo at once.
This could explained by it taking him non-instant amounts of time to tap more of his artifacts to produce a bigger effect, so he have time to scale up to Maximum Strength before Lord John took away his mana sources.

(Also, for what it's worth, a 3.5e psion can actually only spend a number of Power Points on a single manifestation equal to their manifester level, possible up to plus 3 if they have Overchannel and are level 20, which comes out to 23 power points on a single manifestation, or between one fifteenth and one twentieth of their total power point pool.)
 
literally all the chains do is make him unable to use his "talents" offensively-
Please don't use factually and technically wrong arguments when arguing with Vaermina, all it does is bolster hie ego and make it harder for everyone else.

They aren't called 'you can't attack me with magic' chains, they are called 'magic suppression' chains, and presumably shut down all the magic they can, including any he might be using or wish to use to maintain his life or support his body.

Blaze needs to show up and do a mass sanctification of Gotham or something; it might be a long-term project but there should be enough popular/political will for such a course of action
No, trying to muster up popular support or political permission is just dumb.
We can't have christmas decorations most public places any more, because of the religious affiliation. Asking for permission through the governmental just gives them the right to say no.

Try to set the precedent that it is more like the pope doing a blessing on one of his visits. It's a free country, so he can blass as he wants. If you feel infringed, your rabbi or imam or vestal virgin or witch doctor or shaman can come down and do one as well. Demand indulgence or forgiveness, not permission.

Realistically, if Zoat goes with the Lich Trial plot point, it'll be that some wealthy individual who wants access to ancient lich magic is paying for his lawyer. Probably some sort of supervillian.
OR... anyone and everyone who just doesn't want to die. Like if he is steeped in death because that is what he started with, or because he does it as a religious observance ("He's pledged himself to some sort of life-eater."), but doesn't actually need to kill someone sapient to extend human life...

Like if he can drain a chicken or cow to extend life, then that is something worth paying out the nose for, and prohibiting it would be just as bullshit as when corrupt lawmakers make animal sacrifice illegal 'on health/sanitary grounds' to prosecute a religion they don't like.

Or hell, even if he has to use Human life force, but doesn't have to take all of it. Should someone selling a year of their life to a multi millionaire/billionaire for a million dollars or so be illegal?
 
Or hell, even if he has to use Human life force, but doesn't have to take all of it. Should someone selling a year of their life to a multi millionaire/billionaire for a million dollars or so be illegal?
Keep in mind Zoat already established that even a "succubus has dinner" level of life energy drain has no negative long term effects and super minimal negative short term effects on a human.
 
Please don't use factually and technically wrong arguments when arguing with Vaermina, all it does is bolster hie ego and make it harder for everyone else.

They aren't called 'you can't attack me with magic' chains, they are called 'magic suppression' chains, and presumably shut down all the magic they can, including any he might be using or wish to use to maintain his life or support his body.


No, trying to muster up popular support or political permission is just dumb.
We can't have christmas decorations most public places any more, because of the religious affiliation. Asking for permission through the governmental just gives them the right to say no.

Try to set the precedent that it is more like the pope doing a blessing on one of his visits. It's a free country, so he can blass as he wants. If you feel infringed, your rabbi or imam or vestal virgin or witch doctor or shaman can come down and do one as well. Demand indulgence or forgiveness, not permission.


OR... anyone and everyone who just doesn't want to die. Like if he is steeped in death because that is what he started with, or because he does it as a religious observance ("He's pledged himself to some sort of life-eater."), but doesn't actually need to kill someone sapient to extend human life...

Like if he can drain a chicken or cow to extend life, then that is something worth paying out the nose for, and prohibiting it would be just as bullshit as when corrupt lawmakers make animal sacrifice illegal 'on health/sanitary grounds' to prosecute a religion they don't like.

Or hell, even if he has to use Human life force, but doesn't have to take all of it. Should someone selling a year of their life to a multi millionaire/billionaire for a million dollars or so be illegal?
*blinks*
my understanding was that his medical issue was simply that he was OLD- and was using stolen energy/life to halt/freeze his ageing process/ the shortening of his telomeres ect- and what OL means was that he'd either almost certainly die from old age before seeing sunlight, or the delayed-degradation of his body/genetics would kick back in if he was prevented from killing people to "recharge" (*edited in after first post* under the understanding that the sacrifices were due to the method/technique requiring the victims death- otherwise why bother with people smuggling/repeatedly killing people as human sacrifices when it's EASIER to have the cult make smaller, willing donations, spend a few days resting/ eating well then donate again)-was there something I missed/misread? o.o
 
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Like if he can drain a chicken or cow to extend life, then that is something worth paying out the nose for, and prohibiting it would be just as bullshit as when corrupt lawmakers make animal sacrifice illegal 'on health/sanitary grounds' to prosecute a religion they don't like.
I feel like if he could use animal sacrifices or non-fatal human sacrifices, he'd be doing that. Finding people that you can get away with murdering is hard work, and if there's not a steep advantage to doing it that way, why bother?
 
I feel like if he could use animal sacrifices or non-fatal human sacrifices, he'd be doing that. Finding people that you can get away with murdering is hard work, and if there's not a steep advantage to doing it that way, why bother?
Exactly what I was thinking!
To use a minecraft analogy, when playing with the blood magic mod, it's -far- more practical to get a group of friends/other players to join in on using sacrificial orbs/knives to donate a little blood at a time at the altar (and switch to bred livestock later) then trying to "harvest" in a village large enough to provide a meaningful amount of BP-the latter has a tendency to cause PO'd iron golems (or town guards/ vigilantes/ the police/ the national guard,in this case) to bumrush you >.<
on an entirely pragmatic level, you're making things more difficult/unsafe by killing other sapients -just- to extend your own life- therefore by logic if he/the little cult that was seemingly communicating with him has been doing so, it's because they -want- to, or their method of life extension -demands- sapient sacrifice....
 
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was there something I missed/misread?
You said all the chains did was prevent him from using his magic offensively, when they in fact suppress down all magic they can without making any distinction of type, including any purely defensive, or even health sustaining magics he might hypothetically want to use or have been using. Regardless of the reasonableness of using the chains in that situation, you made what seems to be blatant misrepresentation of fact when making your argument.

I feel like if he could use animal sacrifices or non-fatal human sacrifices, he'd be doing that.
That is why I mentioned religious reasons. OL doesn't have to spread chaos with his actions, but not doing so impacts his social relationship with his patron. Don't discount ideology pressing its thumb on the scales when weighing pros and cons. I mean you could apply your line of reasoning to the Third Reich. "They wanted to have free slave labour, and hated the Jews who they thought they were an inferior race. Obviously they needed to kill the Jews when using them as free labour, because why kill profitable slaves otherwise?" When in fact they were just going above and beyond in their ideology.
 
You said all the chains did was prevent him from using his magic offensively, when they in fact suppress down all magic they can without making any distinction of type, including any purely defensive, or even health sustaining magics he might hypothetically want to use or have been using. Regardless of the reasonableness of using the chains in that situation, you made what seems to be blatant misrepresentation of fact when making your argument.


That is why I mentioned religious reasons. OL doesn't have to spread chaos with his actions, but not doing so impacts his social relationship with his patron. Don't discount ideology pressing its thumb on the scales when weighing pros and cons. I mean you could apply your line of reasoning to the Third Reich. "They wanted to have free slave labour, and hated the Jews who they thought they were an inferior race. Obviously they needed to kill the Jews when using them as free labour, because why kill profitable slaves otherwise?" When in fact they were just going above and beyond in their ideology.
I mean- from what we've seen so far, his health-sustaining magic seems to be "vampyic life-draining"- Sounded offensively oriented to me-and There was no mention of him visibly degrading/decaying when he came into contact with the chains like you might expect to see if the anti-aging effect was a continuously-channeled one- you have to admit it feels like a reasonable assumption...
but I'll admit an assumption nonetheless-
and now I've made an ass out of myself and um- *is shot*
 
Thank you!

Yes, IP law joins insanity defenses and diplomatic immunity as legal fields that comic book writers seem to take delight in just babbling nonsense about.
Make it "any specialized field" (sometimes, even comic book knowledge itself).
On second thought, add tv shows writers to comic book writers.
 
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I'm afraid that today's segment will be delayed until this evening. I'm house-sitting for my parents once again while they visit my father's relatives, and while I did set my alarm I didn't actually turn it on.

Given Vandal Savage is ten-thousand years older than how long Mister Gotham has been imprisoned, I wonder if the more fit immortal knows the sorcerer well enough to do a spit-take the moment he appears on the news...
I doubt that they were aware of one another.
 
I'm afraid that today's segment will be delayed until this evening. I'm house-sitting for my parents once again while they visit my father's relatives, and while I did set my alarm I didn't actually turn it on.
If nothing else, it'll give you some time to write future chapters, maybe build up a little buffer. Let's just hope there's not a repeat of the last time's internet issues. And, fingers crossed, some of us get the pleasure of a chapter waiting when we wake up in the morning.
 
If nothing else, it'll give you some time to write future chapters, maybe build up a little buffer. Let's just hope there's not a repeat of the last time's internet issues. And, fingers crossed, some of us get the pleasure of a chapter waiting when we wake up in the morning.
No no, the internet's fine. I just didn't have time to post it before dashing for my train. It'll be up at about 18:45 this evening.
 
I doubt that they were aware of one another.
Well, in the case of Gotham knowing about Vandal, why would he? Vandar Adg was just one of those dime-a-dozen annoying and interfering loincloth wearing barbarian warriors back then, even if he did use immortality to cheat.

In regards to Vandal knowing Gotham, well, maybe he wouldn't know the man personally, but given the old wizard's extreme power and skill, and the a VERY large collection of powerful artifacts he had before his imprisonment below the lands of the Miagani that would one day become Gotham City, the ancient monster MUST have had some repute back in the day, even if no one knew his actual name.
 
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Guys from Gotham (part 11)
17th February
00:21 GMT -5

"Orange Lantern." Dr Balewa looks at my prisoners. "What is this?"

"An ancient sorcerer -allegedly-, his chief acolyte and a collection of minor magic-using criminals. Apparently, there are very few people that the Gotham police are allowed to hand criminal magic users over to… It's basically you, Giovanni Zatara and Angelica."

He gives Mister Gotham and Strega a slightly closer look.

"What became of that woman's leg?"

"It was used in the commission of a crime, so I confiscated it."

"I… See. Will it be returned to her?"

"Well, it's evidence now. That's up to the Gotham police."

I snort with laughter, though Dr Balewa does not appear to see the humour.

"Orange Lantern, are you well?"

I shake my head. "It's been a bit of a weird night. Can you take over here? I've got John Quinn dealing with any dangerous enchantments in the basement and I don't think I've really got anything to add."

"Yes." He nods. "I think that it may be for the best if you call it an evening."

"Probably." I raise my right hand to my forehead and

step out

and reappear on the top of a nearby building next to Selina, who's crouching at the edge of the roof and watching the activity below.

"Everyone away safely?"

I'm mildly impressed that she doesn't jump. On the other hand: Batman. "As safe as Gotham gets. Was one of those people the lunatic who organised this?"

"Yes, the one missing a leg."

She looks at me dubiously. "I know Batman's policy is no killing, but I don't think he's going to be happy about that either."

"Then he can deal with the next evil wizard on his own. Besides, she's going to be executed anyway, it's not like she's going to be disabled for long."

"So is that a policy..?"

"Yes, but not for all opponents. Against a powerful magic user whose precise capacities are unknown but probably quite advanced I'm not going to use rubber-tipped anti-magic rounds. Particularly not in the middle of an inhabited city. Taking them down fast takes priority over taking them down politely."

"Just so long as I don't have to worry."

I frown. "Is that what you..? Thought?"

"You don't have the best reputation for mental stability, and around here…"

"Crimson Avenger shot dozens of people dead."

She looks at me askance. "Am I supposed to know who that is?"

"America's first costumed adventurer. Wore a red suit?"

She shakes her head.

"He worked in Gotham a few times, back before Green Lantern settled here."

"What powers did he have?"

"I'm not sure he had any innate powers. I remember reading that his guns were possessed by demons who helped him hunt down evildoers, but I haven't confirmed that for myself."

"So the mystery man got shoved aside when the Lantern turned up?"

"No, I said that Crimson Avenger worked in Gotham sometimes. Green Lantern certainly wouldn't have kicked him out."

"I was just commenting on the obvious parallel-."

"He's in the Ukraine and yes, I spotted that."

She saunters over to a ventilation unit and hops up on it, then turns around and lounges on the metal in a mildly provocative pose. "It will be interesting to see how Batman reacts. I've never seen him disappointed in someone else before."

"And this attitude has got nothing to do with the fact that when the two of you were 'togetherish', you'd have been looking for some 'bat-personal time' after a heroic action like that?"

"I'm not confirming anything, but are you and that assassin girl-?"

"Yes, though thank you for including me on your bat-substitute list. It really validates my existence as a man."

She smiles and looks away, the claws of her right hand drumming on the metal.

"What were you doing here, anyway? I mean, good work-"

"Thank you, it's nice that you noticed."

"-but it doesn't seem like your area of expertise."

"People were disappearing. The albino, the one-eyed redhead and the white-haired girl stood out. I got a copy of the building's plans and rode the elevator down."

"Really? That seems a bit…"

"I make it sound easier than it actually was. And your charm helped me bypass their magic security." She thinks for a moment. "The Albino had a sword-."

I take it out of subspace. "I've been looking for a new magic melee weapon. I'll have Hephaestus have a look at it, see if we can find out what it can do."

"How much is it worth?"

"I can't appraise it until I know what it does. Also, I'm authorised to complete the documents required to confiscate supervillain equipment legally and you're not." She pouts. "How much do you want?"

"What, you're not going to haggle?"

"I have infinite money, Selina. There's no market price for magic swords so I can't name that-plus-a-percentage. What do you wan-?"

There's an explosion to the south. We both turn to look at it, and even as I see the extinguishing of emotional lights that indicates people are dying I just feel… Frustration.

Disappointment.

I sigh.

"You know, I've worked something out this evening."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"It used to be that I got annoyed at other superheroes for using their abilities purely for crime-fighting and not using them to revolutionise human society. But I think I'm getting it now. It wasn't that they were.. too stupid to realise the opportunity, no. The problem was that a never-ending cavalcade of psychotic total morons were perfectly happy to throw themselves at them, and they never had the-. Gosh-darn time to do anything but fight them off."

I take a.. deep breath.

"I'm going to go and deal with whatever that is and then go and get this sword appraised. Think about what you want for it."
 
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"You know, I've worked something out this evening."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"It used to be that I got annoyed at other superheroes for using their abilities purely for crime-fighting and not using them to revolutionise human society. But I think I'm getting it now. It wasn't that they were.. too stupid to realise the opportunity, no. The problem was that a never-ending cavalcade of psychotic total morons were perfectly happy to throw themselves at them, and they never had the-. Gosh-darn time to do anything but fight them off."

I take a.. deep breath.
Sure not always the case, but yeah. Heroes are usually reactive force against criminal idiots who don't realize they can make money legally.

OL should just blame villains and human stupidity in general. I'm sure Dox would love to give lecture how humans are ruled by stupidity and emotions over logic.
 
Seeing as OL is making Selina an 'offer' for the sword, does she get to treat him as a wish-granting genie for this purpose? And, if so, what does she want?

We might doubt that Paul is willing to do anything too obvious that might give her an edge over Talia/Batwoman...
 
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"Orange Lantern." Dr Balewa looks at my prisoners. "What is this?"

"An ancient sorcerer -allegedly-, his chief acolyte and a collection of minor magic-using criminals. Apparently, there are very few people that the Gotham police are allowed to hand criminal magic users over to… It's basically you, Giovanni Zatara and Angelica."

Boy, the League really does need more magic-user members...

He gives Mister Gotham and Stegra a slightly closer look.

"What became of that woman's leg?"

"It was used in the commission of a crime, so I confiscated it."
Better than saying 'collateral damage during her arrest'.

"I… See. Will it be returned to her?"

"Well, it's evidence now. That's up to the Gotham police."

I snort with laughter, though Dr Balewa does not appear to see the humour.
I suppose he's seen worse, given where he usually hangs out.

"Orange Lantern, are you well?"

I shake my head. "It's been a bit of a weird night. Can you take over here? I've got John Quinn dealing with any dangerous enchantments in the basement and I don't think I've really got anything to add."

"Yes." He nods. "I think that it may be for the best if you call it an evening."
I guess you can call that... Doctor's orders?

"Probably." I raise my right hand to my forehead and

step out

and reappear on the top of a nearby building next to Selina, who's crouching at the edge of the roof and watching the activity below.
I see she decided to stick close.

"Everyone away safely?"

I'm mildly impressed that she doesn't jump. On the other hand; Batman. "As safe as Gotham gets. Was one of those people the lunatic who organised this?"

"Yes, the one missing a leg."
Is everyone going to harp on that?

She looks at me dubiously. "I know Batman's policy is no killing, but I don't think he's going to be happy about that either."

"Then he can deal with the next evil wizard on his own. Besides, she's going to be executed anyway, it's not like she's going to be disabled for long."
Given the comics plotline, he didn't have to at least. The ragtag band of magical adventurers known as Shadowpact did.

"So is that a policy..?"

"Yes, but not for all opponents. Against a powerful magic user whose precise capacities are unknown but probably quite advanced I'm not going to use rubber-tipped anti-magic rounds. Particularly not in the middle of an inhabited city. Taking them down fast takes priority over taking them down politely."

"Just so long as I don't have to worry."
Ah, so that's what she's concerned about.

I frown. "Is that what you..? Thought?"

"You don't have the best reputation for mental stability, and around here…"
I mean, she's not wrong...

"Crimson Avenger shot dozens of people dead."

She looks at me askance. "Am I supposed to know who that is?"

"America's first costumed adventurer. Wore a red suit?"
"Proper suit, not tights, that is..."

She shakes her head.

"He worked in Gotham a few times, back before Green Lantern settled here."

"What powers did he have?"

"I'm not sure he had any innate powers. I remember reading that his guns were possessed by demons who helped him hunt down evildoers, but I haven't confirmed that for myself."
One more thing for the gigantic to-do list.

"So the mystery man got shoved aside when the Lantern turned up?"

"No, I said that Crimson Avenger worked in Gotham sometimes. Green Lantern certainly wouldn't have kicked him out."
Safe bet Alan wouldn't have tolerated the whole 'excessive lethal force' thing...

"I was just commenting on the obvious parallel-."

"He's in the Ukraine and yes, I spotted that."

She saunters over to ventilation unit and hops up on it, then turns around and lounges on the metal in a mildly provocative pose. "It will be interesting to see how Batman reacts. I've never seen him disappointed in someone else before."
I'm sure Batman's disappointment is really important to OL these days... [/sarcasm]

"And this attitude has got nothing to do with the fact that when the two of you were 'togetherish', you'd have been looking for some 'bat-personal time' after a heroic action like that?"

"I'm not confirming anything, but are you and that assassin girl-?"
None of your business, kitty-cat.

"Yes, though thank you for including me on you bat-substitute list. It really validates my existence as a man."
Correction: 'on your bat-substitute'.

She smiles and looks away, the claws of her right hand drumming on the metal.

"What were you doing here, anyway? I mean, good work-"

"Thank you, it's nice that you noticed."

"-but it doesn't seem like your area of expertise."
Well, she's got to do something to keep busy, since she's more or less gone straight.

"People were disappearing. The albino, the one-eyed redhead and the white-haired girl stood out. I got a copy of the building's plans and rode the elevator down."

"Really? That seems a bit…"

"I make it sound easier than it actually was. And your charm helped me bypass their magic security." She thinks for a moment. "The Albino had a sword-."
Would you even know how to use it? Or is this a 'how much can I sell it for' thing?

I take it out of subspace. "I've been looking for a new magic melee weapon. I'll have Hephaestus have a look at it, see if we can find out what it can do."

"How much is it worth?"

"I can't appraise it until I know what it does. Also, I'm authorised to complete the documents required to confiscate supervillain equipment legally and you're not." She pouts. "How much do you want?"
Ah, OL, straddling the line of good guy and 'bad' guy.

"What, you're not going to haggle?"

"I have infinite money, Selina. There's no market price for magic swords so I can't name that-plus-a-percentage. What do you wan-?"

There's an explosion to the south. We both turn to look at it, and even as I see the extinguishing of emotional lights that indicate people are dying I just feel… Frustration.
Yeah, I can just imagine the mental shudder, grimace and 'Oh Eris, what now?'

Disappointment.

I sigh.

"You know, I've worked something out this evening."
Do tell?

"Oh? And what's that?"

"It used to be that I got annoyed at other superheroes for using their abilities purely for crime-fighting and not using them to revolutionise human society. But I think I'm getting it now. It wasn't that they were.. too stupid to realise the opportunity, no. The problem was that a never-ending cavalcade of psychotic total morons were perfectly happy to throw themselves at them, and they never had the-. Gosh-darn time to do anything but fight them off."
Hey, at least they keep busy... And save lives.

I take a.. deep breath.

"I'm going to go and deal with whatever that is and then go and get this sword appraised. Think about what you want for it."
I'm sure it won't take too long on the former task. The latter is up to Hephaestus...

Well, that was amusing. I bet Selina never gets to the chance to just sit and chat with Batman like this. Now, bets the explosion is something to do with Talia?
 

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