{Location: Ancient Burial Mound in the Everglades Florida}
As-vaholo slowly faded away. His link to the
physical world gone he had to go back to the Spirit Lands. The other Indians
lowered their arms and the one with the remaining weapon, the bow, lowered it
as well. They would be returning to their final resting spots having been freed
from their bondage. With the eerily silence of a tomb, the Spirit Warriors
faded away.
As Manta-Man and the other New Crusaders
gathered up Shaman, Black Orchid thought about the 2 wooden statues they passed
when they had entered the Indian Burial Mound. They hadn’t paid attention to it
because they were focused on following where Shaman had gone. Black Orchid
walked to the wooden statues.
She recognized 1 of the wooden statues. It
was Evergreen. “No, it isn’t possible is it?” she said as she thought about
Asi-vaholo changing Manta-Man into a wooden statue during the fight.
As Black Orchid looked on in shock, the
wooden statues started to change and move. In 10 seconds, the wooden statues
were no more but Evergreen was standing bent over with her hands on her knees.
Next to her was a man, wearing a cowl, Black Orchid had never seen before.
Evergreen looked up and locked eyes with Black Orchid, “It would appear you are making it a habit of rescuing me. I am supposed to feel flattered.”
Manta-Man quickly joined Black Orchid and
Evergreen. Manta-Man checked on Evergreen to make sure she was okay. Manta-Man
turned to the stranger. “Are you Dr. William Wildman? Evergreen has told me
about you.”
Manta-Man introduced Dr. Wildman to Adamas,
Black Orchid, Skink, and StrikeForce.
"Well that's not an experience I wish to
repeat in a hurry!" Dr. Wildman lowered his hood, shook his head like a
wet dog shaking off water, and stretched his limbs - enjoying flesh and bones
over root and bark. "Even a druid has limits!" He looked to the
heavens as he made his complaint. "No offence intended my dear Evergreen
but plant life is just not for me."
“None taken, I have my own personal issues
with the situation too”, Evergreen said.
"Well hello everyone." Dr. Wildman
seemed genuinely pleased to meet everyone present, enthusiastically shaking
hands with each person and greeting them with a bright smile and in a very
British accent: "Hello, William...William Wildman...so good to meet
you...thank you so much for coming to our rescue...has it really been two
weeks...take it from me photosynthesis is not as nice as eating...do you have
by any chance anything to eat...I'm starving?”
Manta-Man replied, “Not with us, we will get
something when we get back to the base.”
Evergreen asked Manta-Man, “How long have we
been statues?”
Manta-Man replied, “I don’t know. Why don’t
you both tell us what brought you here and when that was. Maybe we can figure
that out.”
{How
Evergreen and Dr. Wildman arrived here is in Crusade Issue 44 ~ GM}
Manta-Man told Evergreen and Dr. Wildman that
there was a robbery of a Military base not far from here. Chemicals were
stolen. That was about 5 days ago. The New Crusaders believe the Ancient was
part of the robbery. The mystical construct was assisting another person, called
Swamp Rat. Swamp Rat called it Sludge. The New Crusaders had destroyed the
mystical construct called Sludge. With the breaking of the Amulet, the Ancient
was no longer a threat.
It appeared that Evergreen and Dr. Wildman
had been trapped for 2 weeks in the Indian Burial Mound.
Manta-Man asked Dr. Wildman if he would
continue to assist them.
"It would seem our two investigations
complement one another...of course. It would be my genuine pleasure to assist.
I have to say one does meet some very interesting people in this line of work.”
Dr. Wildman said.
Manta-Man said to the New Crusaders, “We have
captured two associates of whatever is going on here. We now know what they
wanted the chemicals for. What should we do next?”
StrikeForce took a breath and said
"Manta-Man is correct; we need to formulate a strategy moving forward to
deal with this situation. We have to come up with a way to track down Dr. Velo,
and how we can take him down. We can probably surmise that Tank Commander is on
the bad Doctors payroll, but we have to assume that there are more surprises
coming our way."
StrikeForce asked if there was any new information
on the location of Tank Commander? Manta-Man said, “No, He never returned to
the Military Base. He is AWOL believed to be in the Swamp somewhere. Det. Nash
reported that Tank Commander never came into town. He was last seen in the
Indian village but isn't there now.”
StrikeForce reflected on all the information
that had been collected on the Dr. and his associates. He tried to figure based
on the needs of his, where would be the best location for the Doctor's hideout.
"Dr. Wildman, I would like to inquire as
to what abilities you possess? If we are going to function as a cohesive unit,
I believe that knowledge of each other's powers would help."
StrikeForce gave Dr. Wildman a rundown on his
powers.
Without missing a beat Dr. Wildman looked at
the cyborg soldier still warmly smiling: "Ah, the American Super Soldier
motif...quite right, quite right...always good to know the capabilities of the
troops...well mainly I do this..."
The shadow deepened under the hood of Dr
Wildman's costume and where eyes would be two points of arc-light glow.
Extending his right gloved hand the temperature of the chamber dropped
noticeably and thunder can be heard rumbling overhead. The dust of the cavern
began to stir and slowly at first rotate, picking up speed until a small funnel
of speeding air was formed. Adamas’ cloak snapped in the wind and as quickly as
the funnel was formed, it dispersed.
Dr. Wildman pulls back his hood...the warm
smile still present but with a cheeky glint in his eye.
It was obvious to everyone who is watching
that Dr. Wildman was a bit of a performer, comfortable with being the center of
attention. He waited a heartbeat, working the attention of those gathered.
"I'm a druid...so there is a bit of
magic that allows me to give creation a little bit of a gentle nudge...I'm also
quite a good cook, I can sleep practically anywhere, and I used to be on TV
back in the day. I hope that's helpful enough my dear StrikeForce...?"
"Sooo..... When Dr. Velo stopped to ask
for your autograph, we grab him?" StrikeForce replied in a monotone voice.
"Sadly that didn't happen in
Germany...none of us had a pen!" With a wink Dr. Wildman pulled his hood
back over his head.
Dr. Wildman looked at the group: "What
we didn't have a fortnight ago was any idea what the chemical compound did.
Evergreen was sensitive to the fact that the water elements were
disquieted...so we can assume it's not a positive contribution. Mr. Manta-Man
are we any closer to understanding what the chemical does?
Manta-Man said, “No, we don’t. They didn’t
steal a single chemical but several. It would appear Dr. Velo will have to
create his chemical compound from the stolen chemical components.”
Dr. Wildman said “What it does might give us
some clues...and who is the man behind this Dr. Velo persona...?”
Manta-Man said “Most likely but until we
rescued you we didn’t know Dr. Velo was here. We were tracking the thieves but
didn’t know who they were yet.”
Directed toward the team StrikeForce replied,
“If we can determine if the chemicals require a water treatment plant or can be
dumped straight into a water source that might help us narrow down some of the
locations they could be."
StrikeForce asked if chemicals required a
water treatment plant for getting it into the water supply?” Dr. Wildman
explained it was the opposite. They were testing pre-treated water, so they
need a large water supply like the Everglades Swamp would provide.
The Black Orchid shook hands with Dr.
Wildman. "Hello, I'm called The Black Orchid. I work with the absence of
things, absence of light, absence of sight, absence of matter. I'm still
figuring out what I can do with manipulating darkness, and I'm not nearly as
handy as these gentlemen in a fight, but I've been useful when subterfuge is
required."
Clasping Black Orchid’s hand Dr. Wildman
replied: "It's a great pleasure to meet you...do you know there are over
25 species of Black Orchid across the globe, by far the most interestingly
named is Dracula Vampira...native to Ecuador if I remember rightly...only on
Mount Pichincha." He released the hand shake and gestured to the
environment around them: “I confess my interests are more on the creation side
of things rather than the absence of them...but it is good to meet you. What is
it that you do specifically? I suspect there might be brothers like me who
would be fascinated by a set of abilities that work with the absence of
things?" The ever present smile was there but Black Orchid probably sensed
there was a question behind the question.
Detecting that Dr. Wildman would appreciate a
bit of showmanship, The Black Orchid disappeared, replaces herself with a
darkness version of herself, sneaks up behind Dr. Wildman, taps him on the
shoulder and then reappears, "I can assure you I am no Dracula Vampira,
though I can also create a vacuum that seems to suck the life out of a living
creature it hits. I like to think of myself more as a Liparis Nervosa if you
don't mind."
Regaining his composure after Orchids
demonstration Dr. Wildman replied: "Tall two leaf it is then... native to
these parts interestingly!"
She described in more detail her
invisibility, darkness control and devitalization ray (vacuum blast). Dr.
Wildman may or may not get the feeling that she was not telling him everything,
not maliciously, but rather out a sense of modesty.
"Evergreen, good to see you again."
She shook hands with Evergreen.
With a slight tilt of his head, StrikeForce
replied to Adamas. "I don't think that I have heard her say this much in
the entire time I have known you guys."
Adamas nodded in agreement, and smiled
warmly, thinking to himself, "This is beginning to feel like a family
again."
"Welcome Doctor, glad we came
along. Hopefully working together we can
stop whatever plans Dr. Velo has. He has
done enough to these poor people, and it seems these are just the beginnings of
his master plan."
The Skink stayed close to Manta Man, truly
concerned for his mentor. He lifted the lower part of his mask showing his chin
and mouth, and short fangs, and showing that he is no more than a boy, a
teenager, but coughed a bit, seemed shaky.
"How you doin, MM? Recoverin' Ok? You
took some major hits back there. Hold on..."
He turned quick and was suddenly in front of
Dr. Wildman. "The Spectacular Skink at your Service, Sir... Superhero for
all Seasons! Good to meetcha! (Extended hand to shake) Welcome!"
As Dr. Wildman greeted Skink he took a
moment, crooked his head slightly to the right as if trying to recall
something: "Scincidae squamata reptilia...you and I sir must sit down one
day over a large brandy and you must tell me your story...fascinating, quite
fascinating."
Dr Wildman keeps staring at the teenager:
"Son, you look a bit peaky. I know we've literally just met but I'm a bit
of an expert on animal physiology and you do not look good!"
"Hold the phone, I just
remembered..." Dr. Wildman started patting down his jacket and then pulls
out a ruggedized mobile phone, one of those old Nokia 3310's that have a
reputation for indestructibility. "Blast! Well it’s to be expected; even
this will run out of charge after 2 weeks."
He turned to Manta Man and Strike Force
whilst producing a short charging cable from another pocket: "Forgive the
indelicate question gentlemen but do either of you have a USB port I could
charge this from? I could call my German colleague and see how they are
progressing on their end with the chemical analysis?"
Manta-Man replied, "Sure" He pulled
back his rubberized waterproof material covering his gauntlet, the gauntlet had
several USB ports and other connection ports. "Here you go, connect
in."
Dr Wildman held Manta Man's arm with an
exaggerated action as he plugged in the power cord and whispered. "I can
see you are putting a brave face on things but you are going to need a real
doctor soon if you are not careful. I can stabilize your condition temporarily
if you are happy for me to do so, but I would choose wisely your own part in
the conflict to come...like it or not that boy will need your help (he nodded
at Skunk)...he's in for a rough time ahead, and he need you hale and
hearty."
Dr. Wildman plugged in his phone into the
other end of the power cord, booted it up and called Blitzkrieg to see how the
investigation was going. Specifically asking about what the chemical might do
when introduced to a water supply.
Blitzkrieg informed Dr. Wildman that the
chemical compound evaporated water completely. The water doesn't even enter
into the atmosphere as normal evaporation does. This was as close to the
destruction of matter they ever seen.
Dr. Wildman put the phone on speaker and got
the German speedster to repeat what he just said so everyone could hear.
On hearing the list of chemicals and
Blitzkrieg’s descriptions, The Black Orchid suddenly becomes even more
interested. "If I can get to a lab, I'm pretty sure I can come up with
something to counter that process. It involves a lesser known phase change
where the phase the matter is shifting to outside of our dimension. Those
chemicals remind of some research I was doing on camouflage paint before...,
anyway I should be able to make a concoction that will slow that reaction down
to a crawl, should Dr. Velo decide to go through with his threat."
Manta-Man replied to Black Orchid. We have 3
choices when it comes to labs.
“The closest is the military base. With our
special invite and your Bishop status on CHESS you can access it but it isn't a
research facility so its lab is worse.”
“The police CSI lab is within driving
distance and Detective Nash will make sure we get access”
“There is a CHESS facility in Atlanta, GA. We
can fly there tonight and you can use the lab there. It has the best technology
and lab support staff.”
“Which lab do you want to go to, Black
Orchid?” Manta-Man said.
“I’m sure the extra time it will take to get
to the CHESS lab will be more than made up by the capabilities of the facility.
Also, the lab layouts are fairly standard so I should know my way around pretty
quickly.” Black Orchid said.
StrikeForce wanted to know, based on previous
actions whether Dr. Velo was likely to try to blackmail for money or go
straight to destruction?
Blitzkrieg answered StrikeForce's question.
"Our interrogations of the Fake Dr. Velo have revealed that they had no
intention of blackmail. This wasn't about money but restarting the world with
them in charge."
"Blitzkrieg, given the amounts of the
active components that have been stolen from the army base how much devastation
are we talking about?" Dr. Wildman said.
Blitzkrieg said "Based on our research
in a month's time all free standing will be gone. Only self-contained water in
enclosed tanks will remain"
The usual smile faded from Dr. Wildman's
face as the grim reality of the threat the world now faced at the hands of Dr
Velo.
"No wonder the Water Spirit was so
disturbed!" he mused to himself.
Pinching the bridge of his nose Dr Wildman
looked at the Crusaders: "If the chemicals were stolen 5 days ago they
could be almost anywhere...we desperately need some intelligence about where
this attack might happen. The fake Dr Velo knows nothing...what about this
Swamp Rat fellow? “
Manta-Man said, “We haven’t had a chance to
interview him yet. We have been going nonstop since we got here.”
Dr Wildman said, “He, we might assume, was
part of the robbery - might he know the location of where they were going to use
it? “
Manta-Man nodded in agreement with Dr.
Wildman’s assessment.
Dr Wildman said, “Do we know how the
chemicals were stolen?”
Manta-Man said, “It would appear Sludge,
Swamp Rat, and Dr. Velo crashed one to the base gates and overpowered the
guards”
Dr Wildman said, “Were they transported in
trucks?”
Manta-Man said, “No it was taken by boat. My
guess is was Swamp Rat’s swamp boat that Adamas destroyed.”
Dr Wildman said, “Thanks to Orchid it seems
we have a plan of how to retard the reaction speed of the chemical, we might
even be able to contain it for a short while but all of that is moot unless we
locate Velo. I'm sorry, its lots of questions and few solutions...we need a
plan."
All the New Crusader indicated their
agreement.
Dr. Wildman looked between StrikeForce and
Manta-Man, deferring to their leadership.
"Yes, it would appear that the situation
is quite dour." Replied StrikeForce, "We have the opportunity to
question Swamp Rat and Shaman tomorrow, which is probably our best course of
action at the moment, but if anyone else has another idea, please say so."
StrikeForce said, “Is it a viable course of
action that Swamp Rat is awake so we can get some Intel from him?”
Manta-Man said “Yes, Det. Nash will provide
you interrogation room. You will be able to try to get Intel from Swamp Rat and
Shaman when he is awake. If you decide to rest tonight both will be available
for questioning tomorrow.”
Dr. Wildman asked what time is it locally and
how far was it to where Swamp Rat and Shaman are being detained.
Manta-Ma replied it was past midnight and the
police station was a 2 hour drive by car from here.
StrikeForce said he would interview Swamp
Rat. He planned to play upon Swamp Rat's
ego.
Adamas said he was going to look for Vehicle tracks
or storage facilities nearby. He'll be
using his enhanced and ethereal vision.
“The volume of chemicals stolen was
significant (if Sludge had to carry it).
They would have to be stored in their original containers, or had to
have been moved to other containers.
Either way, they're either nearby, or they were moved, without Sludge,
that would take some kind of vehicle...”
Dr Wildman said “I will track the thieves but
I need to wait until dawn breaks.”
Adamas argued against the team splitting up,
and leaned toward actions that will keep the team together. He's currently in support of Dr. Wildman's
plan, but if he's hunting with scent, Adamas questioned waiting until dawn...
“Maybe we look around a little first, and if
we don't find anything, we look at our other options.” Adamas said.
Dr. Wildman explained he had no choice as he
had to wait until the sun could restore his powers.
StrikeForce said, "Adamas, since you
have more experience in this sort of thing, if you think we should start searching
the area, then I will assist and hold off on questioning anyone until
later."
StrikeForce said he would use his senses to
help search. If this was a dead end, he would be willing to the interview
option.
Manta-Man understood not wanting to wait but
"I have to get some sleep or I am not going to be of use at all."
"Black Orchid has to fly to CHESS
offices in Atlanta or finding the chemical is pointless as we won't have
anything to counteract it."
"You are all welcome to come with us if
you like".
StrikeForce replied, "I guess that I
will follow your leadership Manta-Man. Sleep and travel it is."
"Doc, mebbe MM is right. We should rack
out before tackling it. I’ll be regenerated by then an' ready to fight!"
Dr Wildman agreed: "Well I've been a dormant
tree for two weeks so sleep isn't my issue but I'm no good to anyone until the
sun rises!"
Adamas nodded to the team. “Very well, we should probably all rest
then”.
The New Crusaders travel to the military base
that the Crusader Jet was at. Evergreen and StrikeForce retrieved the Crusader
Shuttle from where Dr. Wildman and she had left it. Evergreen took the
opportunity to train StrikeForce on the basics on the controls.
{GM
Note: Manta Man healed 2 Hit Points. Current Hit Points are 3}
After all had properly rested, the New
Crusaders flew the Crusader Jet to Atlanta where the near CHESS Office was
located. Black Orchid quickly gained access to a lab. With the UK MoD providing
the information they had obtained from the raid of Dr. Velo’s lab and the CHESS
Rook technicians assisting; she was able to quickly determine how to invent a
compound to slow the reaction time of Dr Velo’s compound. Since Black Orchid
has access to the best tech available at the CHESS facility and Dr. Velo didn’t
she was confident that he hadn’t finished creating his compound from the stolen
chemicals while she had completed her task.
{GM
Note: Invention provided the following power: NEGATION: Duration reduced by 1
month, Opposing Save Bonus +6, 1 Charge 0
Limited Damage Type - specific form (-10), Reduced charges (-22.5)}.
During the same time Manta Man took both
Skink and himself to the medical facility in the CHESS Offices. Manta Man
received medical treatment while they ran Skink through a series of scans and
tests.
{GM
Note: Medical attention provided Manta Man another healing event. He healed 2
Hit Points. He now has 5 Hit Points}
Manta Man checked on the status of Skink. The
CHESS doctor told him there were still several more hours of testing to be
performed.
Manta Man asked StrikeForce to assist him in
a CHESS engineering lab that was available for their use. Together they were
able to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of Manta Man’s suit. The
improvement increased the electrical defense capabilities of his suit.
{Manta
Man used experience points and inventing points to increase his Electrical
Field from d6+1 to d8+1}.
Evergreen and Dr. Wildman communicated with
Blitzkrieg on the Dr. Velo case. The man they have captured has not provided
any concrete evidence that Dr. Velo is in America or what his plans are. The
British Authorities believe they have the real Dr. Velo. They believe this is
Dr. Velo trying to escape conviction by using the “It wasn’t me, the real Supervillian
put me in the costume” defense. Blitzkrieg tried explaining that Dr. Wildman
could smell the difference but until another Dr. Velo is produced they planned
to prosecute the Dr. Velo they had to the fullest extent possible.
Near the end of the day, Manta Man and the
rest of the New Crusaders checked on Skink. They were shocked when they saw
that Skink had grown a tail! It was an extremely flexible tail. He could lift
himself with it, just like he was using one of his arms to pull himself up. He
was able to hold objects with it. He had successfully held two at one time.
{GM
Note: Skink’s mutation resulted in the following power: PHYSICAL ABILITY: Extra
Limb, Tail, hold 2 objects, +1 Mass for KB, +3 to Acrobatic tasks}
The CHESS doctor explained to everyone that
Skink has skink iterons genetically laced with his human ones. It is very
common defense of reptiles like the skink to release its tail when it is
grabbed by a predator. The skink will grow back the tail later. That is what
happened here. The skink iterons asserted itself to grow a missing tail but the
tail is still laced with human iterons which the only appendage it could relate
to was an arm. So the tail has the musculature of human arm and skink tail
combined. CHESS Rooks helped Skink with costume alternations to accommodate the
mutation.
The New Crusaders flew back to the Florida
military base.
StrikeForce asked his teammates. "All
right, quick show of hands, who’s would be up for grabbing some rest before
interrogating Swamp Rat and Shaman in the morning?"
The majority of the New Crusaders indicated
they preferred the search option instead of the interrogating of the two
captured villains.
Manta Man indicated that he was concerned
about searching at night. While a lot of the team had senses that help with
sensing in the darkness, not all of them did. It would be easy to fall into
another trap like we did last time when they were searching the hut in the
middle of the night. Manta Man added he could use one more night’s rest as
well.
Adamas nodded to the team. “Very well, we should probably all rest
then”. After resting, he'll join those
searching, as planned.
{GM
Note: Manta Man healed 2 Hit Points. Current Hit Points are 7}
In the morning all the New Crusaders
gathered. They went to the island where the ambush occurred.
Dr Wildman said “I will track the thieves.”
He asked if Skink wanted to come with him. “I will use my favored wolf form to
investigate and track any scents.” Dr. Wildman told Skink.
The
Skink was still groggy from mutating, but shook it off, always up for
superheroing, and enthusiastically joined Dr. Wildman on the mission. "You
got it, Doc, let's hit it!"
Dr. Wildman turned into a wolf tracking the
scents around. Both Skink and he followed different trails that led to the same
spot to the water’s edge. Dr Wildman turned into a Crocodile and motioned for
Skink to climb onto his back. The two attempted to follow the path in the
swamp.
Adamas scanned the area with his enhanced
vision looking for clues that might lead them on their quests next leg. He
looked tracks or construction nearby.
StrikeForce attempted to identify any
electronic signals in the area.
The other New Crusaders attempted various
ideas to try to discover where the stolen chemicals were taken.
At the end of the first day, the made a
campfire on one of the larger islands and bedded down for the night.
{GM
Note: Manta Man healed 1 Hit Point. Currently has 8 Hit Points}
The next morning the New Crusaders put out
the campfire, had a quick breakfast, and started the search again.
StrikeForce in frustration determined there
wasn’t any telecommunications activity occurring that he could find and use to
trace back to Dr. Velo.
Skink and Dr. Wildman reached a dead end as
well. While they were certain of the direction the thieves went, the swamp
water wasn’t stagnant enough to maintain a trail. They didn’t have anything to
follow.
Adamas used his Ethereal Vision for the next
two hours scanning the direction indicated. He noticed something out of the
corner of his eye. Slowly he gazed at the clump of trees that had briefly
caught his attention; he saw there were 5 trees obscuring an object. Slowly he
focused his vision to penetrate the density of the trees. There was a structure
in the center of them. As he looked at each tree, he saw that hidden cameras
and electronic eyes where hidden within the trunks of them.
“I found the island”, Adamas said.
<Turns
and Actions due May 28th>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Great issue Tom. Welcome to the group Steve.
Jamey
------------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC: Wow, I'm floored by the artwork, and the
story. Did you guys play it out, or
just write it up, either way, super cool.
Welcome to the team Steve!
Jon
---------------------------------------------------------------------
We played out everything except the combat
sequences
Tom
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
StrikeForce takes a breath and says
"Manta-Man is correct, we need to formulate a strategy moving forward to
deal with this situation. We have to come up with a way to track down Dr. Velo,
and how we can take him down. We can probably surmise that Tank Commander is on
the bad Doctors payroll, but we have to assume that there are more surprises
coming our way."
StrikeForce will reflect on all the
information that has been collected on the Dr. and his associates. He will try
and figure based on the needs of his, where would be the best location for the
Doctor's hideout.
Jamey
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi everyone,
Thanks for so warmly welcoming me on board!
It's been a blast so far!
Looking forward to all that's to come.
Steve
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve,
Your character is very cool. I can't wait to
see how he interacts with the team.
Jamey
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Well that's not an experience I wish to
repeat in a hurry!" Dr Wildman lowers his hood, shakes his head like a wet
dog shaking off water, and stretches his limbs - enjoying flesh and bones over
root and bark. "Even a druid has limits!" He looks to the heavens as
he makes his complaint. "No offence intended my dear Evergreen but plant
life is just not for me."
"Well hello everyone." Dr Wildman
seemed genuinely pleased to meet everyone present, enthusiastically shaking
hands with each person and greeting them with a bright smile and in a very
British accent: "Hello, William...William Wildman...so good to meet
you...thank you so much for coming to our rescue...has it really been two
weeks...take it from me photosynthesis is not as nice as eating...do you have
by any chance anything to eat...I'm starving? "
Manta-Man asked Dr. Wildman if he would
continue to assist them.
"It would seem our two investigations
complement one another...of course. It would be my genuine pleasure to assist.
I have to say one does meet some very interesting people in this line of work.'
Steve
--------------------------------------------------------------------
When Dr Wildman gets to greet Skink he takes
a moment, crooks his head slightly to the right as if trying to recall
something: "Scincidae squamata reptilia...you and I sir must sit down one
day over a large brandy and you must tell me your story...fascinating, quite
fascinating."
Steve
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"Dr. Wildman, I would like to inquire as
to what abilities you possess? If we are going to function as a cohesive unit,
I believe that knowledge of each other's powers would help."
StrikeForce will give Dr. Wildman a rundown
on his powers.
Jamey
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Without missing a beat Dr Wildman looks at
the cyborg soldier still warmly smiling: "Ah, the American Super Soldier
motif...quite right, quite right...always good to know the capabilities of the
troops...well mainly I do this..."
With a hand gesture that seems more for
dramatic effect than function an avatar of a bald eagle constructed of green
eldritch energy appears behind the Englishman. In an instant the man is gone
and in his place a stunning bald eagle stares resolutely at StrikeForce.
Uncharacteristically the eagle puffs up its chest and raises it's right wing,
performing a stiff salute.
The eagle then disappears, replaced once more
by Dr Wildman...the warm smile still present but with a cheeky glint in his
eye.
It is obvious to everyone who is watching
that Dr Wildman is a bit of a performer, comfortable with being the centre of
attention. He waits a heartbeat, working the attention of those gathered.
"I'm a druid...so there is a bit of
magic that allows me to give creation a little bit of a gentle nudge...I'm also
quite a good cook, I can sleep practically anywhere, and I used to be on TV
back in the day. I hope that's helpful enough my dear StrikeForce...?"
Steve
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"Sooo..... when Dr. Velo stops to ask
for your autograph, we grab him?." StrikeForce replies in a monotone
voice.
Jamey
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"Sadly that didn't happen in
Germany...none of us had a pen!" With a wink Dr Wildman pulled his hood
back over his head.
Dr Wildman looks at the group: "What we
didn't have a fortnight ago was any idea what the chemical compound did?
Evergreen was sensitive to the fact that the water elements were
disquieted...so we can assume it's not a positive contribution. Mr Manta-Man
are we any closer to understanding what the chemical does? That might give us
some clues...and who is the man behind this Dr Velo persona...?
Steve
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Directed towards the team StrikeForce
replied, “If we can determine if the chemicals require a water treatment plant
or can be dumped straight into a water source that might help us narrow down
some of the locations they could be."
Jamey
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Evergreen currently has 17.5 points in her
Shaping power. The MP V&V 3.0 rules state that it rounds up so she spent 18
CPs on Shaping. I want to add the SPEED power to her Shaping to go all with
Animation. This will allow her plants to move on their own instead of using
Evergreen's movement. I love the visual of Evergreen's plants lifting her up
reach heights she can't.
SPEED of 12/48 costs 2.5. Evergreen's
movement is 18" so I am keeping it pretty close which I like.
Now to add the total CPs; 17.5+2.5=20. So
Evergreen paid 18 CPs before so +2 CPs are need to add this ability to Shaping.
So I will spend 2 CPs and keep 1 CP in reserve.
For Manta-Man I want to increase his
Electrical Field Protection from 1d6+1 to 1d8+1. Do to that I need 5 CPs,
Manta-Man has only 3 CPs. I don't want to reduce any of his other abilities or
BC to find the 2 CPs so I will wait until I have earned 5 CPs.
Thanks
Tom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Tom,
I think my next plan on developing Dr Wildman
is to give him a lightning bolt that isn't dependant on him changing weather.
Is that a new power or an advantage bought for weather control? What sort of
points are we talking?
Cheers
Steve
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sounds cool Tom. Does this mean that we will
be having appearances by the Original Crusaders in our future adventures?
OOC:Are
our characters able to gather any information on
1) If chemicals require water treatment plant
for getting not a water supply.
2) Any information on the location of Tank
Commander?
3) Is it a viable course of action that Swamp
Rat is awake so we can get some Intel from him?
4) Can Evergreen or Dr. Wildman gather
information if we return to the site of our battle with Swamp Rat and his
conjured friend?
I was thinking that this could help us decide
our next move.
Thanks,
Jamey
----------------------------------------------------------------------
GM Suggestions:
Adamas: for 5 of your 6 CPs you can upgrade
the POWERBLAST from 2d6 to 2d8 or you could improve Power Points, H Expertise
with the Power Blast.
Black Orchid: Shaping could add SPEED like I
did with Evergreen to allow her Black Silhouettes to move on their own, or
STRETCHING to increase their range or you could increase Regeneration from 2 HP
per round to 3 HP per round.
Skink: Armor Piercing for his claws?
Heightened Defense +3 to representing Skink jumping and dodging fighting style
(Currently I am giving Skink +3 to defense and -3 to hit to reflex it in his
fighting style.
Food for Thought.
Tom
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I have been studying the new Mighty
Protectors rules to figure out how to best setup the game mechanics for Skink's
acrobatic side swipe attacks. They should include velocity damage for his
movement. The old V&V 2.1 had an issue because "to Hit' was suppose to
be reduced base on distanced travel. In MP V&V 3.0 that is gone. In MP
V&V 3.0 there is a ramming attack that is close but Skink would receive the
damage as well. So that didn't work.
I finally figured it out. By using Bonus
Ability, I can buy Ability, in this case Velocity, to another ability. So I
bought the Bonus Ability to his HtH attack. So it applies for Punching,
Kicking, and Claws (even though Claw is used most). I figure the cost by
figuring the middle level bonus damage and looking up the costs in Strength to
get it, so 20 CPs.
That leaves 18 CPs for Skink to still use. In
a different email I provided other suggestions for the remaining CPs if you
want to use them. You can always save them.
Let me know if you are okay with this. Here
is the character sheet to review.
Thanks
Tom
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sounds cool Tom. Does this mean that we will
be having appearances by the Original Crusaders in our future adventures?
Yes, there can be other appearance in the
future. I play those by ear depending on game play instead of plotting it in
advance.
OOC: Are our characters able to gather any
information on
1) If chemicals require water treatment plant
for getting not a water supply.
Dr. Wildman explained it was the opposite.
They were testing pre-treated, so they need a large water supply like the
Everglades Swamp would provide.
2) Any information on the location of Tank
Commander?
No, He never returned to the Military Base.
He is AWOL believed to be in the Swamp somewhere. Det. Nash reported that Tank
Commander never came into town. He was last seen in the Indian village but
isn't there now.
3) Is it a viable course of action that Swamp
Rat is awake so we can get some Intel from him?
Yes, Det Nash will provide you interrogation
room. You will be able to try to get Intel from Swamp Rat and Shaman when he is
awake. If you decide to rest tonight both will be available for questioning
tomorrow.
4) Can Evergreen or Dr. Wildman gather
information if we return to the site of our battle with Swamp Rat and his
conjured friend?
They
can attempt to gather information but the cabin was blown up and a Superhero
battle was held across the entire island, it would be an extremely difficult
task which would depend a lot of the luck of getting a great roll.
Thanks
Tom
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
StrikeForce asks his teammates. "All
right, quick show of hands, who would be up for grabbing some rest before
interrogating Swamp Rat and Shaman in the morning?"
OOC: Tom, I for one enjoy appearances of the
Crusaders, and alternate universe heroes of yours.
Jamey
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks, I am glad to know my players enjoy it
as well.
Thanks again
Tom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I think Lighting Bolt as a new power would be
best. I could turn the Cowl of Storms into a multi-power but would mean you
could only use 1 or the other.
If we went the new power route, you have
several choices because you have 9 inventing points and would gain 5 CPs if you
made the new power an enchanted item. So here are the choices
Lightning Bolt from Storm: 2d12
Simple Spell: 3 CPs: Lightning Bolt, d10+1
damage
Enchanted Item: 3 CPs: Lighting Bolt, gear
(-5), d6+d8
When using Inventing Points (IP) they are
treated as if they are CPs and aren't available as long as that invention is
still used. I will provide a list Starting with adding Invention to the Simple
Spell.
Simple Spell:
3 CP + 0 IP: d10+1 dmg
3 CP + 2 IP: 2d6 dmg
3 CP + 5 IP: d6+d8 dmg
3 CP + 7 IP: 2d8 dmg
Enchanted Item: (includes gear -5)
3 CP + 0 IP: d6+d8 dmg
3 CP + 2 IP: 2d8 dmg
3 CP + 5 IP: d8+d10 dmg
3 CP + 7 IP: 2d10 dmg
I hope I did not made this too complicated.
What I really like about MP V&V 3.0 is as a GM I can work with a player to
create anything they want. All powers can be added, it will just be at a lower
level value. V&V 2.1 doesn't really tell the GM how to take a power and
make it 1/4 or 1/2 as the inventing rules talks about.
If you wanted to for 0 CP you could get an
Electrical Bolt that did d8+1 damage and an Electrical Field that did d4
Protection. So it all depends on how powerful you want it to be and how you want
to structure.
If you really want the power level has to be
equal to the Storm's Lightning Bolt 2d12 dmg, I can check into finding a -5 CP
weakness to add to the Enchanted Item.
Thanks
Tom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks Tom,
So it's just a lightning bolt attack I'd
want, it makes sense it’s a function of the Cowl of Storms, and id like it less
potent than a storm lightning bolt...Dr W can go there if he needs more power.
The 2d8 damage option seems best to me
please.
Many thanks
Steve
--------------------------------------------------------------------
BTW...How does charges Vs PR cost work in
3.0?
Steve
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Tom,
Sorry to bombard you with questions.
The only other modification I'd like to think
about is if the Amulet of Charming could work on animals as well as people. How
might that work?
Steve
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lightning Bolt Option:
Linked to Cowl of Storms (-5): 3 CP + 2 IP: 2d8 dmg, PR=1
In MP PR costs is a drain against the
characters Power Points. Dr. Wildman has 60 so he could send 60 Lightning Bolt
at PR=1 then he is fatigued. Every minute he rests he gains 1 Power Point back.
In MP Charges are single use item which have
the own quantity. For the equivalent of PR=1 they set 24 Charges. To regain
charge it either takes over night sleep or returning to base for the power
source (think Green Lanterns ring) or getting more ammo.
Charges are more restrictive because the
Player has all the PC's Power Points for other uses especially rolling with
damage.
I'd
like to think about is if the Amulet of Charming could work on animals as well
as people
I think we can say the Amulet already
provides that ability. In MP V&V 3.0 it doesn't detail out that Animals
have ferocity instead of intelligence. The Amulet works on anything that is
Sentient. If you were attempting an Alien I would add a complexity factor bonus
to the Opponent's save attempt. Since Dr. Wildman is a Druid then having the
Amulet work on both human and earth animal makes sense. The Amulet has only 3
charges so including animals would not be game altering.
Thinking about the charges for the Amulet of
Charming for 3 CPs you could increase it from 3 charges to 4 charges. So that
is another choice for you.
If you really wanted both, then you could do
this.
Lightning Bolt: Linked to Cowl of Storms
(-5): 5 IP: 2d8 dmg, PR=1
Amulet of Charming: Increase Charges (3 CP)
+1 for a total of 4 charges.
This doesn't bother me at all. I enjoy
discussing rules and character creation with my players. That is one of the
reasons I am so excited about MP V&V 3.0. The new rules finally have the
tool set for me, as GM, to create exactly the PC that the player wants to play
without creating something so out of balance that it diminishes the other PCs
or forces me down a restricted Villain path to have a balanced game.
If you ever decide to read through the old
issues on the Megalopolis website, you will read that I had that particular
situation with a character. When I tried to balance the character out it would
leave the player dissatisfied and he would want to quit playing the character and
create a new character. I really liked the player and wanted to keep him in the
game and I didn't want to have to figure out a new unbalance character. The
player couldn't help himself. He wanted to play on a team but the PC had to be
self sufficient. I couldn't effectively communicate how out of balance the PC
was. Now with MP V&V 3.0 it would be easy to show.
Having that player with that PC really grew
my GM abilities as I kept the game afloat. It wasn't bump free but it did
survive until 'Real Life' prevented the player from continuing.
Thanks
Tom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
As always so grateful for the advice.
I'll just go lightning bolt PR=1 and not
worry about the extra charges for the AoC, however great to know it works on
animals as well!
If I may indulge further then can we explore
how Dr Wildman can do very minor spells such as make a flower grow, change its
color, understand the emotional state of an animal, find a water source etc.
Steve
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cantrips!...I couldn't think of the word!
Steve
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome Steve! (Sorry I missed the last
issue, I'm preparing two papers for a conference in France and that's been
eating up my time).
The Black Orchid shakes hands with Dr.
Wildman. "Hello, I'm called The Black Orchid. I work with the absence of
things, absence of light, absence of sight, absence of matter. I'm still
figuring out what I can do with manipulating darkness, and I'm not nearly as
handy as these gentlemen in a fight, but I've been useful when subterfuge is
required."
If pressed further, she'll describe in more
detail her invisibility, darkness control and devitalization ray (vacuum
blast). Dr. Wildman may or may not get the feeling that she is not telling him
everything, not maliciously, but rather out a sense of modesty.
"Evergreen, good to see you again."
She shakes hands with Evergreen as well, if she is willing.
After other introductions, The Black Orchid
says in her slightly faster voice indicating she is excited about the topic at
hand, "I may be able to help with understanding how they were going to use
the chemicals, if I can see a list. Better yet, if I can get to a lab, I might
be able to figure out something to counter it, at least temporarily. If we look
at the known compounds and either predict or generate their”
[OOC: I'm intending to use some inventing
points to counter or at least slow down the effects of the chemicals if
possible.
BTW Tom, I never thanked you for making Black
Orchid in 3.0. Great job! I haven't yet gotten around to trying 3.0 on my own
yet, but I hope to soon.]
Marc
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Understand
the emotional state of an animal, find a water source etc. These
are perception tests based on his Druid and Survival Expert background:
understand the emotional state of an animal, find a water source etc. It would
be against IN of 12 or less.
Cantrips would be handled by Arsenal ability.
I provided an example of a full Standard Level spells in an Arsenal.
For Cantrips we could do an Arsenal based on
a Spell Book with 5 IP that would get us 6 spells costing 2.5 CPs each which 4
be ready for whenever he leaves base on a mission. If you wanted to be able to
switch spells while on Mission then it would be 3 spells which can have 2 ready
for use
Here is a stab at an Arsenal using Cantrips.
I set it up where Dr. Wildman has 6 Cantrips and they are available all the
time. These are setup with Charges, so these spells can only be cast that
number for times in a single day.
Thanks
Tom
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Tom,
I love it - this is really helpful in
building a mystic character - thank you for all this hard work...it's so
appreciated!
So if I have this right for 5IP's (which I
currently have to spend) I can have an ancient tome that houses six basic
druidic Cantrips. At the start of a mission four of these may be memorized and
used a number of times a day (based on the charges each individual Cantrips
has). At sunrise of the next day they recharge and can be used again but if Dr
Wildman wishes to change a Cantrips he would need to spend some time studying
the tome afresh.
If that is right here are a few questions:
Do I have to carry the tome or can I leave it
at home, potentially using a gate spell to get access to it?
How much study would it take to swap in and
out Cantrips - a simple read or an hour or a day?
The suggestions you have made are fab, could
the healing also work on repairing an object, item etc?
Cheers
Steve
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi again,
So Dr Fate has his Tower of Fate and Dr
Strange has his Sanctum...
Can Dr Wildman have a Steading?
A timber structure in the centre of a dense
forested area of one of the more isolated Refuge islands. It's a mystery to
local residents how the hall was ever constructed as there are no records of it
being built. Whether these have been lost over time, no one can tell. The
local's joke that it was probably grown there! Those that have been there have
commented on the warmth of its hearth and the quaintness of its Celtic/Nordic
architecture. It's in a remote place, surrounded by a forest of ancient trees
and home to some of the areas rarer wildlife. The deeds have recently been
purchased by former TV presenter and world renowned Zoologist Dr William
Wildman who used to host Wildman's World about 10 years ago.
Possibility?
Steve
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes. It will start of as a basic house at 0
CPs and you can improve it when you earn more CPs
I will work that up this week after we finish
the Tome.
Thanks
Tom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes you have it right. I did have a mistake
in the spreadsheet, so I am sending the corrected one.
Do
I have to carry the tome or can I leave it at home, potentially using a gate
spell to get access to it?
It has to be at home. If ever you want to carry there is a Mobile
Arsenal Modifier that needs to be bought first. Yes, gating is a possibility if
you are in range. Currently Dr. Wildman's teleportation can cross the UK but it
isn't far enough to cross the USA or the Atlantic Ocean.
How
much study would it take to swap in and out a cantrip - a simple read or an
hour or a day? 5
minutes once Dr. Wildman is home and has access to the Tome.
Could
the healing also work on repairing an object, item etc?
Since objects have a Breakpoint which we can use as part of HP. I think yes but
I think a restriction is necessary. He can heal non-manufactured items or
simple manufactured items. He can heal The Steading but not a computer, the
panel of a metal wing can be healed but not instrumentation panel of the plane.
How does that sound to you?
Thanks
Tom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Tom,
That all sounds perfect - Thank you.
Cheers
Steve
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The Black Orchid shakes hands with Dr.
Wildman. "Hello, I'm called The Black Orchid. I work with the absence of
things, absence of light, absence of sight, absence of matter. I'm still
figuring out what I can do with manipulating darkness, and I'm not nearly as
handy as these gentlemen in a fight, but I've been useful when subterfuge is
required."
Clasping Black Orchids hand Dr Wildman
replies: "It's a great pleasure to meet you...do you know there are over
25 species of Black Orchid across the globe, by far the most interestingly
named is Dracula Vampira...native to Equador if I remember rightly...only on
Mount Pichincha." He releases the hand shake and gestures to the
environment around them: " I confess my interests are more on the creation
side of things rather than the absence of them...but it is good to meet you.
What is it that you do specifically? I suspect there might be brothers like me
who would be fascinated by a set of abilities that work with the absence of
things?" The ever present smile is there but Black Orchid probably senses
there is a question behind the question.
Steve
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Detecting that Dr. Wildman would appreciate a
bit of showmanship, The Black Orchid disappears, replaces heself with a
darkness version of herself, sneaks up behind Dr. Wildman, taps him on the
shoulder and then reappears, "I can assure you I am no Dracula Vampira,
though I can also create a vacuum that seems to suck the life out of a living
creature it hits. I like to think of myself more as a Liparis Nervosa if you
don't mind."
Marc
-------------------------------------------------------------------
With a slight tilt of his head, StrikeForce
replied to Adamas. "I don't think that I have heard her say this much in
the entire time I have known you guys."
Jamey
--------------------------------------------------------------------
After other introductions, The Black Orchid
says in her slightly faster voice indicating she is excited about the topic at
hand, "I may be able to help with understanding how they were going to use
the chemicals, if I can see a list. Better yet, if I can get to a lab, I might
be able to figure out something to counter it, at least temporarily. If we look
at the known compounds and either predict or generate their”
"Hold the phone, I just
remembered..." Dr Wildman starts patting down his jacket and then pulls
out a ruggedized mobile phone, one of those old Nokia 3310's that have a
reputation for indestructibility. "Blast! Well it’s to be expected; even
this will run out of charge after 2 weeks."
He turned to Manta Man and Strike Force
whilst producing a short charging cable from another pocket: "Forgive the
indelicate question gentlemen but do either of you have a USB port I could
charge this from? I could call my German colleague and see how they are
progressing on their end with the chemical analysis?"
Steve
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Manta-Man replied, "Sure" He pulled
back his rubberized waterproof material covering his gauntlet, the gauntlet had
several USB ports and other connection ports. "Here you go, connect
in."
Thanks
Tom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Adamas nods in agreement, and smiles warmly,
thinking to himself, "This is beginning to feel like a family again."
"Welcome Doctor, glad we came
along. Hopefully working together we can
stop whatever plans Dr Velo has. He has
done enough to these poor people, and it seems these are just the beginnings of
his master plan."
Adamas will scan the area with his enhanced
vision looking for clues that might lead them on their quests next leg.
Jon
---------------------------------------------------------------------
[OOC: I'm intending to use some inventing
points to counter or at least slow down the effects of the chemicals if
possible.
BTW Tom, I never thanked you for making Black
Orchid in 3.0. Great job! I haven't yet gotten around to trying 3.0 on my own
yet, but I hope to soon.]
Glad to do it. In order to gain back the
Inventing Points needed (2.5) I used your 3 CPs to switch out on the Shaping. I
have added the Negation invention as a single charge invention. Please review
Black Orchid's Character Sheet to let me know if you are happy with the change.
Thanks
Tom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I have added the Lightning Bolt and Arsenal
(Ancient Tome) to the character sheet.
Please let me know what 4 Cantrip Spells he
has memorized now.
Thanks
Tom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks Tom, I'll go with the H. Expertise, it
doesn't matter how much damage you do if you don't hit. :)
Jon
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skink stays close to Manta Man, truly
concerned for his mentor. He lifts the lower part of his mask showing his chin
and mouth, and short fangs, and showing that he is no more than a boy, a
teenager, but coughs a bit, seems shaky..
"How you doin, MM? Recoverin' Ok? You
took some major hits back there. Hold on..."
He turns quick and is suddenly in front of
Dr. Wildman. "The Spectacular Skink at your Service, Sir... Superhero for
all Seasons! Good to meetcha! (Extends hand to shake) Welcome!"
OOC: the skink is some form of altered
person, altered as an embryo by unknown persons. In marvel terms, he was found
by the scientist that raised him like Marina or like Hellboy (dhc). He has
skink interons laced with his human ones, genetically, like Spiderman has
spider ones.
At creation, he was left with 3 unused power
slots that go along with that, they are for further mutations, expansions, and it’s
time for one if that’s ok with you, that’s why he seems sick and kind of
sluggish. I treat it like in the comics like when Spiderman suddenly grew 4
more arms, and mutated further... I leave it up to the gm to decide the nature
of this and how it unfolds, and just ask that it fits, and isn’t like he grows
a device or dimensional travel
Chuck
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Detecting that Dr. Wildman would appreciate a
bit of showmanship, The Black Orchid disappears, replaces herself with a
darkness version of herself, sneaks up behind Dr. Wildman, taps him on the
shoulder and then reappears, "I can assure you I am no Dracula Vampira,
though I can also create a vacuum that seems to suck the life out of a living
creature it hits. I like to think of myself more as a Liparis Nervosa if you
don't mind."
Regaining his composure after Orchids demonstration
Dr Wildman replies: "Tall two leaf it is then... native to these parts
interestingly!"
Steve
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Manta-Man replied, "Sure" He pulled
back his rubberized waterproof material covering his gauntlet, The gauntlet had
several USB ports and other connection ports. "Here you go, connect
in."
Dr Wildman plugs in his phone, boots it up
and calls Blitzkrieg to see how the investigation is going. Specifically asking
about what the chemical might do when introduced to a water supply.
Steve
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks Tom,
Dr Wildman will have grow plant, create
light, floating object and heal as his current memorized cantrips.
Cheers
Tom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Blitzkrieg informs Dr. Wildman that it
evaporates water completely. It doesn't even enter into the atmosphere as
normal evaporation does. This is as close to the destruction of matter they
ever seen.
Best
Tom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
StrikeForce would like to know, based on
previous actions whether Dr. Velo is likely to try to blackmail for money or go
straight to destruction?
Jamey
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skink stays close to Manta Man, truly
concerned for his mentor. He lifts the lower part of his mask showing his chin
and mouth, and short fangs, and showing that he is no more than a boy, a
teenager, but coughs a bit, seems shaky.
"How you doin, MM? Recoverin' Ok? You
took some major hits back there. Hold on..."
He turns quick and is suddenly in front of
Dr. Wildman. "The Spectacular Skink at your Service, Sir... Superhero for
all Seasons! Good to meetcha! (Extends hand to shake) Welcome!"
Dr Wildman takes a moment, crooks his head
slightly to the right as if trying to recall something: "Scincidae
squamata reptilia...you and I sir must sit down one day over a large brandy and
you must tell me your story...fascinating, quite fascinating."
OOC: the skink is some form of altered
person, altered as an embryo by unknown persons. In marvel terms, he was found
by the scientist that raised him like Marina or like Hellboy (dhc). He has
skink interons laced with his human ones, genetically, like Spiderman has
spider ones.
Dr Wildman keeps staring at the teenager:
"Son, you look a bit peaky. I know we've literally just met but I'm a bit
of an expert on animal physiology and you do not look good!"
Steve
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr Wildman put the phone on speaker and got
the German speedster to repeat what he just said so everyone could hear.
"Blitzkrieg, given the amounts of the active components that have been
stolen from the army base how much devastation are we talking about?"
Steve
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Looks good to me!
Marc
---------------------------------------------------------------------
On hearing the list of chemicals and
Blitzkrieg’s descriptions, The Black Orchid suddenly becomes even more
interested. "If I can get to a lab, I'm pretty sure I can come up with
something to counter that process. It involves a lesser known phase change
where the phase the matter is shifting to is outside of our dimension. Those
chemicals remind of some research I was doing on camouflage paint before...,
anyway I should be able to make a concoction that will slow that reaction down
to a crawl, should Dr. Velo decide to go through with his threat."
Marc
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Blitzkrieg answers StrikeForce's question.
"Our interrogations of the Fake Dr Velo have revealed that they had not
intention of blackmail. This wasn't about money but restarting the world with
them in charge."
To Dr. Wildman, Blitzkrieg said "Based
on our research in a month's time all free standing will be gone. Only self
contained water in enclosed tanks will remain"
Thanks
Tom
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The usual smile faded from Dr Wildman's
face as the grim reality of the threat the world now faced at the hands of Dr
Velo.
"No wonder the Water Spirit was so
disturbed!" he mused to himself.
Pinching the bridge of his nose he looks at
the Crusaders: "If the chemicals were stolen 5 days ago they could be
almost anywhere...we desperately need some intelligence about where this attack
might happen. The fake Dr Velo knows nothing...what about this Swamp Rat
fellow? He, we might assume, was part of the robbery - might he know the
location of where they were going to use it? Do we know how the chemicals were
stolen? Were they transported in trucks? Thanks to Orchid it seems we have a
plan of how to retard the reaction speed of the chemical, we might even be able
to contain it for a short while but all of that is moot unless we locate Velo.
I'm sorry, its lots of questions and few solutions...we need a plan."
Dr Wildman looks between StrikeForce and
Manta-Man, deferring to their leadership.
Steve
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Yes, it would appear that the situation
is quite dour." Replied StrikeForce, "We have the opportunity to
question Swamp Rat and Shaman tomorrow, which is probably our best course of
action at the moment, but if anyone else has another idea, please say so."
Jamey
------------------------------------------------------------------
Manta-Man replied to Black Orchid. We have 3
choices when it comes to labs.
The closest is the military base. With our
special invite and your Bishop status on CHESS you can access it but it isn't a
research facility so its lab is worse.
The police CSI lab is within driving distance
and Detective Nash will make sure we get access
There is a CHESS facility in Atlanta, GA. We
can fly there tonight and you can use the lab there. It has the best technology
and lab support staff.
Which lab do you want to go to, Black Orchid?
Manta-Man said.
Thanks
Tom
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OOC: Can I ask what time is it locally and
how far is where Swamp Rat and Shaman are being detained?
Steve
---------------------------------------------------------------------
It is past midnight and the police station is
a 2 hour drive by car from here.
Thanks
Tom
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OOC: Ah ha...that being the case I suspect Dr
Wildman may not have been able to change into an eagle, unless the effects of
the sun are unimpaired when transformed into wood. Happy to rewrite that bit -
sorry!
Steve
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Manta-Man has less than 3 HPs. Dr. Wildman
can tell that Manta-Man has been beaten in the recent conflicts and is barely
standing.
Thanks
Tom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The transformation wouldn't have impaired his
receiving sunlight but he was underground inside the burial mound so he has
been touched by sunlight since he arrived at this location.
Please rewrite your action with this
knowledge
Thanks
Tom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry Tom, bit confused. Do you mean he
hasn't been touched by sunlight...and therefore is currently unable to use his
magic abilities?
Just clarifying
Steve
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry, the spells aren't available but the
gear is. So Cowl of Storms, Amulet of Charming, and the Ancient Tome magic
spells are available.
Having both the Special Requirement and Gear
weakness applied is too punitive.
Does that make sense?
Thanks
Tom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yep, if you are sure I'm obviously v happy
with that.
Will rewrite later.
Steve
----------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC: Apologies everyone, as you will see when
Dr Wildman's Character sheet is published he is unable to use his spells if he
goes more than 24 hours without sunshine. Being trapped inside a burial mound,
underground and transformed into wood does limit the opportunities for
sunbathing! On that note - with your agreement Jamey, can I offer this edit:
"Dr. Wildman, I would like to inquire as
to what abilities you possess? If we are going to function as a cohesive unit,
I believe that a knowledge of each other's powers would help."
StrikeForce will give Dr. Wildman a rundown
on his powers.
Without missing a beat Dr Wildman looks at
the cyborg soldier still warmly smiling: "Ah, the American Super Soldier
motif...quite right, quite right...always good to know the capabilities of the
troops...well mainly I do this..."
The shadow deepens under the hood of Dr
Wildman's costume and where eyes would be two points of arc-light glow.
Extending his right gloved hand the temperature of the chamber drops noticeably
and thunder can be heard rumbling overhead. The dust of the cavern begins to
stir and slowly at first rotate, picking up speed until a small funnel of
speeding air is formed. Adamas’ cloak snaps in the wind and as quickly as the
funnel was formed, it disperses.
Dr Wildman pulls back his hood...the warm
smile still present but with a cheeky glint in his eye.
It is obvious to everyone who is watching
that Dr Wildman is a bit of a performer, comfortable with being the centre of
attention. He waits a heartbeat, working the attention of those gathered.
"I'm a druid...so there is a bit of
magic that allows me to give creation a little bit of a gentle nudge...I'm also
quite a good cook, I can sleep practically anywhere, and I used to be on TV
back in the day. I hope that's helpful enough my dear StrikeForce...?"
"Sooo..... when Dr. Velo stops to ask
for your autograph, we grab him?." StrikeForce replies in a monotone
voice.
"Sadly that didn't happen in
Germany...none of us had a pen!" With a wink Dr Wildman pulled his hood
back over his head
Steve
--------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC: Sure Steve go ahead.
Jamey
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr Wildman holds Manta Man's arm with an
exaggerated action as he takes out the power cord and whispers. "I can see
you are putting a brave face on things but you are going to need a real doctor
soon if you are not careful. I can stabilize your condition temporarily if you
are happy for me to do so, but I would choose wisely your own part in the
conflict to come...like it or not that boy will need your help (he nods at
Skunk)...he's in for a rough time ahead, and he need you hale and hearty."
Steve
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Marc, which lab does Black Orchid want to go
to? If Black Orchid asked his opinion, he recommended going to Atlanta to use
the CHESS Labs
Jamey, who will StrikeForce 'interview' Swamp
Rat or Shaman. What would be his technique?
Steve, is Dr. Wildman going to 'interview'
Shaman or attempt to track the thieves from their blown up shack?
Jon, how far is Adamas going to scan for
clues with his vision?
Chuck, since Skink is feeling bad is he going
to go lay down in the Crusader Jet Plane?
Thanks
Tom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr Wildman will track the thieves but will
need to wait until dawn breaks. He will ask if Skink wants to come with him if
he doesn't want to rest. He will use his favored wolf form to investigate and
track any scents.
Steve
---------------------------------------------------------------------
“I’m sure the extra time it will take to get
to the CHESS lab will be more than made up by the capabilities of the facility.
Also, the lab layouts are fairly standard so I should know my way around pretty
quickly.”
Marc
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
StrikeForce will interview Swamp Rat. He will play upon Swamp Rat's ego.
Jamey
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Adamas is going to look for Vehicle tracks or
storage facilities nearby. He'll be
using his enhanced and ethereal vision.
The volume of chemicals stolen was
significant (if Sludge had to carry it).
They would have to be stored in their original containers, or had to
have been moved to other containers.
Either way, they're either nearby, or they were moved, without Sludge,
that would take some kind of vehicle...
With his enhanced vision he'll be looking for
tracks, or searching for construction nearby.
He will argue against the team splitting up,
and lean toward actions that will keep the team together. He's currently in support of Dr. Wildman's
plan, but if he's hunting with scent, Adamas will question waiting until
dawn...
Maybe we look around a little first, and if
we don't find anything, we look at our other options.
Jon
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Adamas, since you have more experience
in this sort of thing, if you think we should start searching the area, then I
will assist and hold off on questioning anyone until later."
OOC: StrikeForce will use his senses to help
search. If this is a dead end, I would be willing to the interview option.
Jamey
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skink is groggy, but shakes it off,
always up for superheroing, and enthusiastically joins Dr. Wildman on the
mission. "You got it, Doc, let's hit it!"
Chuck
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Manta-Man understands not wanting to wait but
"I have to get some sleep or I am not going to be of use at all."
"Black Orchid have to fly to CHESS
offices in Atlanta or finding the chemical is pointless as we won't have
anything to counteract it."
"You are all welcome to come with us if
you like".
GM Note: there are fatigue rules I will have
to start applying at 8 am if a character doesn't get sleep before then.
Thanks
Tom
-----------------------------------------------------------------
StrikeForce replies, "I guess that I
will follow your leadership Manta-Man. Sleep and travel it is."
Jamey
------------------------------------------------------------------
"Doc, mebbe MM is right. We should rack
out before tackling it. I’ll be regenerated by then an' ready to fight!"
Chuck
----------------------------------------------------------------
Dr Wildman agreed: "Well I've been a
dormant tree for two weeks so sleep isn't my issue but I'm no good to anyone
until the sun rises!"
Steve
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Adamas nods to the team. Very well, we should probably all rest
then. After resting, he'll join those
searching, as planned.
Jon
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I can't think of a reason to save CPs for an
emergency or put them into the Team ability without knowing that you want them
for. The Inventing point mechanic can easily recover this area because even if
you have spent all of them, you can temporarily quite using that power to
recover the Inventing points to use them for the emergency.
Thanks
Tom
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