The Northguard*/ Exordium File

A variant super-team backed by the Canadian government, this group is the best evidence for the rumor in the espionage community that the Canadians have access to Rainfall Project-level variant generation technology. All members of the Northguard have held positions in the Canadian Armed Forces or RCMP. All are highly trained agents, and all are devoutly loyal to Canada (there is one exception to these, but he is not perceived by Canada as being an actual Northguard member). The odds of this in a nation with a fairly small variant population are astronomical.
    The funding for the Northguard comes directly from the Canadian government, and it is a highly contentious issue. The team has had a few successes and no noticeable failures, but their operating budget is apparently astronomical, and is a natural for MPs, both conservative and liberal, to complain about. Since several Canadian cities have their own native variants (one or two per city), Northguard's political enemies are quick to point to these as models for Canada's variant defenders, rather than a costly government project. The fact that these independent variants are at best Beta level and mostly Alphas with little firepower does little to dissuade Northguard's critics.
    The Canadian populace is moderately "for" the Northguard as a concept, and there are some fan clubs and the like emerging. The vastness of Canada and the lack of significant variant threats works against the team's PR machine; there are rumors that the team is very active, but that most of their missions involve matters of top secret national security that the public simply can't know about. Thus, the most publicized victories of the team are against the variant jewel thief Overdrive and the time/light manipulating bank robber known as Strobe. Other activities, such as battling hyper-violent eco-terrorists, preventing the usurpation of the Canadian government, and covering up the existence of a UFO in the Arctic tundra are rumors, with no basis in fact.

The Exordium File
While originally the connection between the Northguard and the Canadian government was secret, several of the team's political enemies have leaked classified information to the press. These include: ties between the Northguard and a secret government division code named the Exordium File; that David Tristam, formerly a soldier and diplomatic attache, is in charge of the Exordium file; and enough rumors to assume the existence of Rainfall Project-style technology leading to something called the Exordium Process, which is highly successful but hideously expensive. This process may have been developed/perfected by Dr. Michael Malachai and Technomancer, explaining the latter's presence on this very Canadian team.

Cadence
Mentioned only briefly in one interview, Cadence is apparently a base-only member of the Northguard, and might be evidence for a failure in the variant induction process. His powers are unknown.

Dart
Anastasia Murphy was a Vancouver police officer and firearms expert, with a history of fast-thinking action that, while solving the problem, was more associated with her profession's American counterparts than with the Mounties (read: she shot people). She has somehow developed the power of variant agility and reflexes, and she is roughly ten times faster and more agile than a normal human—coupled with her weapons skills, this makes her quite potent.

Ignis Wolfe
Former marathoner and highly skilled martial artist, Julia Wolfe is best known for her capture of a serial killer in Ontario several years ago. This made her somewhat of a celebrity, and she is the most widely known of the Northguard. Her new variant powers include variant strength, movement and an ability to generate chemically based flame. She can combine this flame with her variant strength and fighting skills for devastating effect in close combat.

Savage
Often seen as the Northguard's token Quebecois, Savage's real name is unknown, though his press dossier lists him as having military experience. His powers focus around the psychic manipulation of plant matter, with effects ranging from obscurement to entanglement to detonation. He carries an axe made of amazingly strong and sharp hardwood. While he doesn't appear to have variant strength, he hardly needs it, standing well over 2 meters and 125 kg of pure muscle.

Thunderbird
Emergency field doctor for the Canadian Armed Forces, Dr. Frank Green has a lifetime's experience at visiting dangerous places to aid people. Naturally large, strong and tough, his induced variant aura gives him indefinite protection from any environment (including space) and gravity-propelled flight at Mach 7 or twice light-speed in space. His flight lets him lift and carry vast amounts or toss his opponents about by slapping them with his gravitic slipstream.

Technomancer
The only member of the Northguard who is not a native Canadian, Christopher Tavares is an American variant whose powers of hyperintelligence and enhanced technical skill allowed him to perfect a limited-use form of nanite technology. Given a few seconds his nanites can form themselves into any piece of conventional or cutting-edge technology or ordinance, or into a variety of variant technology devices of Technomancer's design. Formerly part of The Penumbra at Lancaster University, he is now the Northguard's technical field support. He is an avid Kendo enthusiast.

* Northguard is a trademark of Mark Shainblum and Gabriel Morrissette. Brian liked the name; Mr. Shainblum has been kind enough to not mind us using it here.

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