Once again all the heroes came to the Mansion at
Doctor Arcane's request. Dr Avery announced he was no longer the Sorcerer
Supreme of Earth. He had all the amulets returned to him. He offered to allow
anyone to stay at his house as his and Donnah's guests as long as they like but
he would now be retired.
All the heroes said their goodbyes to each and
only Adamas, Black Orchid, and StrikeForce decided to stay for dinner that
night. As they were eating Jessica Anderson suddenly appeared in great hall.
Jessica said "The Governor of Florida has
contacted me. He needs licensed super hero help but it can't be just any
heroes. When he told me what skills were required I knew it was you three. Will
you help?"
After agreeing to help Dr Avery reminded Black
Orchid that she was still an active CHESS agent so she can reach them for
transportation and support.
Adamas mentioned he once was a member of the
Super Forces branch of the Military. He could contact them for transportation
and support.
StrikeForce reminded that Manta Man was still
recruiting members to the Crusaders. Maybe they should contact him to see if
they would provide transportation and support.
The Black Orchid, upon hearing the others said
"I am just recently a field agent for CHESS, so I'm not sure how much pull
I have. I like of the idea of the Crusaders, especially if there is a need for
collaboration between the two. I could be 'on loan' to the Crusaders from
CHESS, if that works. In addition to transportation, do we have fairly
unrestricted searching capabilities? Ideally we could do such searching en
route to Florida and hit the ground with appropriate intel.
Thinking on it, The Black Orchid mused out loud,
"Who we contact for travel/research assistance may depend on the nature of
the problem in Florida. Jessica, is there anything you can tell us about the
situation or is it still too hush-hush?"
Jessica said she told them all that she knew.
Doctor Avery listened quietly. "I think I can
help you with that". He made a call
on his phone. After a few minutes he
returned Doctor said "I contacted Manta Man. He would be glad to help. We
agreed that I could open a portal in the Citadel.”
“If you need that care of first; let me know when
you want to enter the portal and I will open it.”
As Dinner was winding down, StrikeForce stood and
lightly tapped his silverware against his glass. Addressing those assembled
around the table. "Ladies and Gentlemen, if I may have your attention. I
wanted to take this opportunity to propose a toast to our host. Dr. Avery also
known as Dr. Arcane, The world owes you its thanks for your years of service. I
pray that your retirement is peaceful and full of joy." Raising his glass,
he finished with. "To Doctor Arcane."
Everyone agreed and drank in toast to Doctor
Arcane
Later he spoke with Dr. Avery alone. "Doc,
you have given the world so much. It sucks to see you in this chair. Please
take this number and speak to Kurt Miller. If there is some way he can aid your
situation he will. Tell him you are a friend of mine."
“Thank you kindly friend while either science or
magic is capable of removing this limitation it would only be a substitute that
pales to truly being as I was before. Thank you but not thanks I have accepted
my condition.”
StrikeForce replied to Dr. Avery, "I really
need to contact my father and run a diagnostic test before I go."
When StrikeForce finished he returned to the
mansion where Adamas and Black Orchid were waiting.
Dr Avery opened a portal for what could be the
last time for his friends.
They stepped through and into Crusader Citadel.
Manta Man greeted them. He took them to the
computer room where he introduced and granted them access to TEACHER, their
computer system, a near-sentient computer of ultra-advanced design.
“Unfortunately none of the other Crusaders are
able to join us. The others are trying to reestablish their personal lives or
haven’t overcome the effects of the invasion. So it will be the 4 of us.”
Manta Man, Adamas, Black Orchid, and StrikeForce
boarded the Crusader shuttle. Manta Man contacted the Governor of Florida.
He told them, “Three days ago, a supposedly
secret military installation in the Florida Everglades was broken into. There
are very few clues on who was responsible or even on how the existence of the
base was discovered. There are, however, some very puzzling facts which you
could investigate once you get here.”
“Please, do not notify the news media or the
general public as we wish to keep the nature of the theft which occurred under
wraps. Please go to Sanza, Florida as quickly as possible, for delays in
uncovering the culprit or culprits responsible could be disastrous”
Manta Man gave communicators to the other heroes.
“StrikeForce sit up front with me. I would like to teach how to fly the
shuttle. Black Orchid if you sit over there you can interface with TEACHER as
we are in route. Adamas, you also have cellular communication ability from that
panel next to where you are sitting as well.”
Black Orchid with TEACHER research Sanza,
Florida. There is a military installation there but what kind isn’t available.
It is in the Everglades, near an Indian Reservation. A village is not far.
Aerial views showed several islands and a burial mound. The vegetation was
dense as expected for a swamp but the combination of satellite imagery with
both ultraviolet and infrared the land masses were able to be identified.
Adamas contacted the Super Forces. He greeted
former teammate Semper Fi, asking if the General was available. Semper Fi was
sure the General would be able to spare the time for a former Forcer. General
Wilson E Samuel was soon on the comms.
“What can I do for you Adamas?” Adamas explained
the Governor’s request and asked if he can shed any light on the situation.
“Yes, I think I can. Outside of Sanza, Florida
you say?”
“That would be a U.S. Army chemical Warfare
Technology Facility. We created several of those hidden locations during the
invasion. We were desperately trying to come up with something to stop those
Demons or convince them the Earth wasn’t worth having so they would turn around
and go home.”
“I have pulled up the situation report. It was a
straight smash and grab. Whoever it was ripped out a section of the electrical
fence and then crushed the side of the chemical storage building. That is all I
can tell you over the unsecured comms.”
“Lieutenant Donald Nash is waiting for you and
will be your liaison. He is a good soldier and you can trust him”
“Godspeed Adamas, glad to see you are handling
this one. Over and out”
<Turns
and Actions due Jan 9th >
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I was wondering what location the team would
return to. I need to know so that I can write my reply. I was wondering who
will be with us going forward.
Thanks,
Jamey
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
It will be in Megalopolis, assume at Dr.
Arcane's house
Best
Tom
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Great issue Tom. I would like to continue
playing. Earth villains would be my preference. StrikeForce would pursue the
avenues I conveyed to you earlier. I will do a write-up on him soon.
Jamey
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Appearing inside the Avery mansion,
StrikeForce will look around and observe his surroundings. He will perform a
satellite uplink to determine the time, date, and his G.P.S. location. He will
use his current location to plot his route home. He will talk to anyone who
seems interested. When the conversation dies down, he will excuse himself and
head home. Before leaving, he will tell the team "Contact me if you need
me."
StrikeForce will use his staff trial home as
quickly as possible. After ensuring that the coast is clear, he will jump upon
the roof, and enter through the skylight, using the thumb print scanner to gain
access. Grabbing a shower and putting on his street clothes. He will place his
gear into a gym bag and head to the lab for a diagnostic test on his gear and
himself. Taking his motorcycle, Jason will enjoy the short ride over.
Finding his father at the lab, Jason will
give him a rundown on what happened while he was gone. "How are you?"
His father asks. "Dad", he replies, "When I am StrikeForce, it
is when I am most relaxed. Between being frozen for five years while you worked
on a way to bring me back, and everyone's life moving forward without me, it
seems that I don't know where I fit in." Following his check-up; Jason
will head home.
Jamey
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I need to know if you are going to continue
playing or not. So far only Jamey (StrikeForce) has said he is. Please let me
know.
Thanks
Tom
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry Thomas, Adamas will continue as long as
you do. ;)
I'll try to respond by Monday if that works
for you.
My sons having a birthday party sleepover
tonight, so the weekend is pretty much tied up with that.
Jon
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Tom,
Yes I am still interested (even though I
always seem to be late), I am enjoying it a great deal!
- Marc
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom,
I can’t believe it’s been almost a month…
hopefully you were thinking you just didn’t receive my response with your email
issues, but I’m afraid that’s not the case.
Hope you guys had a happy Halloween!
We’ve had a crazy month… two birthday
parties, my daughter gave birth to my third grandchild, and football season is
rapidly coming to a close. This week is
the last week of games, so I’ll get two nights a week back, which sounds great,
but at the same time I’ll miss going to the games. J parenthood is such a mixed
blessing as I know you understand. You
want them to grow up, but it happens all too fast. Really realizing this as I start to see my
daughter’s kids starting to grow up… They seem so small and young, then she has
a baby, and you realize how big the others are… when did that happen? Anyway, enough waxing philosophical. Back to The Quest. J
Adamas actions would be:
1)
Bid farewell to his new team mates if they are not returning to “his”
Earth.
2)
Shepard those that are returning back, I’m guessing we’d head back to
Sanctuary Hills give updates to Doctor Arcane.
I’m guessing Agent America is going for good now, so that farewell will
need to happen, glad we got some closure there.
3)
Get back to Jessica, and catch up on what’s been happening (how long
were we gone? I think time was different
there, but I can’t remember which way it went, faster or slower)
I’ll be happy to do write-ups for each of
these if you can give me the individuals in each group… who’s going, who’s
staying, and who’s saying good bye, as well as the timeline while we’ve been
away.
Apologies for this late response, and I’ll
try to do better with my new free time (until it gets filled with new events… I
don’t think I have any basketball players, but I’m sure other events will rush
in to fill the void!
Jon
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks. I have been trying to figure out what
to do next as we close the Quest and move on the next phase.
Best
Tom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom,
Found this in my draft’s… thought I’d sent
it.
That was a big one… had to follow up, it’s
like one of the big cross-over events, then returning to… less cosmic events. J
I remember after the Secret Wars, they had to “nerf” all of the heroes to get
them back to their pre-Power Cosmic levels.
Specifically, I remember Iron Man blowing the top of a mountain off
using his repulsors…
I don’t think we have that problem, but I
understand where you are coming from… One of the things I’ve seen Jeff J. do is
to do a short series of individual adventures to get things back in
perspective… It goes towards the heroes having their own lives, and the reasons
they do what they do, I know that’s hard to do with a lot of people, and is
probably a lot more work for you, but it’s a thought.
I’m OK with whatever you decide; it doesn’t
have to be a space
Jon
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope that all is well with you. If you are
able to, and feel like it, I was wondering about what your assessment of
StrikeForce is? Do you have any opinions on what his advancement should be?
Thanks,
Jamey
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It has been very busy. My son turned 16
today. Last weekend we spent celebrating. Now I am going on travel for work for
the rest of the week.
StrikeForce is a very well structured character.
I am having difficulty thinking of a level advancement too. I will think more
this week and get back to you.
Best
Tom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC: I am sorry I have been so late in
getting the next issue done. I am way overdue and for that I apologize. I will
be going on my last business trip of the year this week so that will help
things settle down in my life.
IC: As everyone has gathered at Doctor
Avery's to celebrate
o
the completion of the Quest,
o
the transformation of the Natural Forces back into their human selves
o
stopping the invasion of the Domain, the sober feeling of change floated
through the house. They spend the next month getting the private lives back in
order and well as visiting friends and family.
Does Black Orchid give the Scythe to Dr
Arcane or F.I.S.H.?
Once again all the heroes came to the Mansion
at Dr Arcane's request. Doctor Avery announced he was no longer the Sorcerer
Supreme of Earth. He had all the amulets returned to him. He offered to allow
anyone to stay at his house as his and Donna's guests as long as they like but
he would now be retired.
All the heroes said their goodbyes to each
and only Adamas, Black Orchid, and Strikeforce decided to stay for dinner that
night. As they were eating Jessica Anderson suddenly appeared in great hall.
Jessica said "The Governor of Florida
has contacted me. He needs licensed super hero help but it can't be just any
heroes. When he told me what skills were required I knew it was you three. Will
you help?"
After agreeing to help Black Orchid reminded
everyone that she is still an active CHESS agent so she can reach them for
transportation and support.
Adamas mentioned he once was a member of the
Super Forces branch of the Miltiary. He could contact them for transportation
and support.
StrikeForce reminded that Manta Man was still
recruiting members to the Crusaders. Maybe they should contact him to see if
they would provide transportation and support.
Which do you pick? Do you go straight to
Florida to meet the Governor or do research first?
GM Note: Which you choose will provide me my
supply of NPCs for your characters beyond the ones in your back story. It will
give you a base and access to special equipment and other resources.
You don't have to choose any of the 3
options; you could go it "alone". I would need to know if you will
create your own base or go without one. Technology is such that personal cell
phones with Bluetooth ear pieces can work for comms. I would also need to know
how you would get to Florida. Adamas does have the necessary strength to carry
everyone.
Please take this week to discuss with each
other and let me know
Thanks
Tom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Adamas is OK with Chess or the Crusaders…
leaning towards the Crusaders, I mean c’mon who doesn’t want to work with the
Crusaders…
OOC: Only three players, wow! From a world
cross over event with what seemed like 50 heroes, this will be a day in the
park for you. J
Jon
----------------------------------------------------------------------
StrikeForce would prefer The Crusaders
option. I agree with Adamas (Jon), The Crusaders option has that
"cool" factor.
OOC: Tom, we know that real life takes precedence
over the game. But, thanks for all the work you put into the game. It is
appreciated.
OOC: Jon and Marc, I would also say that it
is a privilege to game with you as well. All of you make this so much fun.
Thanks,
Jamey
---------------------------------------------------------------------
StrikeForce would prefer to have someone
Intel on the situation. Not that he wouldn't help, but he likes to know what he
is walking into.
Jamey
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Black Orchid, upon hearing the others
says "I am just recently a field agent for CHESS, so I'm not sure how much
pull I have. I like of the idea of the Crusaders, especially if there is a need
for collaboration between the two. I could be 'on loan' to the Crusaders from
CHESS, if that works. In addition to transportation, do we have fairly
unrestricted searching capabilities? Ideally we could do such searching en
route to Florida and hit the ground with appropriate intel."
Relevant NPCs -
Goro Kokuran - father - Patent Lawyer - Fox
& Geis Law firm (semi-retired)
Eleanor (Ellie) Paige - mother - Special
Lecturer, Mathematics and Physics - Our Fair City High School (current)
Unknown - benefactor - paid for
"fast-tracked" Hallowed Hills education - status unknown
Robert Haskins - classmate - Blog reporter -
engscitech.com (current)
Aasiya Matan - classmate - Pharmacology
Professor - Hallowed Hills University (currently on sabbatical)
Dmitri Stolyanov - colleague - Biomechanics
researcher - National RoboDynamics Corporation (either current or former)
Veena Balasubramanian - colleague - AI
software developer - National RoboDynamics Corporation (either current or
former)
Marc
----------------------------------------------------------------------
LOL, that Relevant NPC list is almost a
background in and of itself!
Impressive.
Adamas only has his Hallowed Hills buddies, and Jessica… I could
probably come up with some commanders/co-workers… I think we’ve mentioned
before, he’s familiar with some of the other “known” aliens in Tom’s world.
Jon
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks! I just expanded on her background to
come up with a few names. I did make a mistake though. Her mother is a teacher
at Our Fair City High School, NOT University.
Marc
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I agree, that is quite a list. If we could
get the information in route that would be cool. We still need to reach out to
Manta-Man.
Jamey
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thinking on it, The Black Orchid muses out
loud, "Who we contact for travel/research assistance may depend on the
nature of the problem in Florida. Jessica, is there anything you can tell us
about the situation or is it still too hush-hush?"
OOC: I too have enjoyed gaming with you guys
and I apologize for the times that I dropped off the map for a while, but I
like this group of characters and want to see things keep going.
Marc
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doctor Avery listened quietly. "I think
I can help you with that". He made
a call on his phone. After a few minutes
he returned Doctor said "I contacted Manta Man. He would be glad to help.
We agreed that I could open a portal in the Citadel.”
If you need that care of first; let me know
when you want to enter the portal and I will open it.
Tom
------------------------------------------------------------------------
As Dinner is winding down, StrikeForce will
stand and lightly tap his silverware against his glass. Addressing those
assembled around the table. "Ladies and Gentlemen, if I may have your
attention. I wanted to take this opportunity to propose a toast to our host.
Dr. Avery also known as Dr. Arcane, The world owes you it's thanks for your
years of service. I pray that your retirement is peaceful and full of
joy." Raising his glass, he finishes with. "To Doctor Arcane."
Later he will attempt to speak with Dr. Avery
alone. "Doc, you have given the world so much. It sucks to see you in this
chair. Please take this number and speak to Kurt Miller. If there is some way
he can aid your situation he will. Tell him you are a friend of mine."
Jamey
----------------------------------------------------------------------
StrikeForce replies to Dr. Avery, "I
really need to contact my father and run a diagnostic test before I go."
Jamey
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If I took a stat increase for a level
advancement, how much would it be? I had been thinking that if I increased his
intelligence it would up his detects for both hidden and danger, and would
allow him some more skills such as pilot, which would help the team.
For later levels while getting rid of his 10
percent damage repair problem or buy down some of his lightning attack damage.
I was thinking that maybe allowing his staff to be used for attack/defense
owing to either telekinesis or gravity control, whichever would seem more
appropriate for how his leaping works. I would appreciate your thoughts on
this.
Thanks,
Jamey
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Stat increase would be 7 points. So
StrikeForce's intelligence would rise from 14 to 21.
On the later levels, be then we will have the
new V&V 3: Mighty Protectors rules out. That will make leveling up so much
easier. I will work with you at that point as we will have StrikeForce moved
over to the new system.
Thanks
Tom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks Tom. What skills do you think would
help the team? Pilot for sure, and what about knowledge of superheroes, and
knowledge of super villains?
Jamey
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
