Location:
The Foundry
The
Phantom returned to the city. He hadn’t expected it to change much in his time
away. In most ways it hadn’t changed but in one way it seriously had. The
Nightshift had been bought out. When both Mafisto Crime Syndicate and the
Organizer made inroads it came down to a turf war. Face with the choice of
buying illegal weapons from Intercrime or getting on the payroll the Nightshift
rather make money than lose it. So corrupt cops did what corrupt cops always
did, sold to the highest bidder.
The
Buzzard came onto the Organizer’s payroll.
Trickshot
was still searching for the Albaster Avenger that had taken down the Son of
James. Word on the street he was working at a nearby Circus.
There
was a new gang near where the Phantom kept his arsenal. They were called the
Grinders. All the Phantom has seen of them were a bunch of kids, mostly
runaways and street orphans.
Location:
Champions Sports Bar.
Champions
Sports Bar was one of the bedrocks of the Foundry. While the community around
changed it was there unchanged. Even if the clientele change the bar didn’t.
Two things could be counted on.
1)
It
would have the biggest NFL draft night party in all of Megalopolis
2)
Father
Lonnigan would be in his usual spot enjoying a cold one and cheering for his
team’s selection
Those
were the constants the changes were more wide spread. The presence on
Megalopolis’ finest was no longer evident. No needed to ask why. The plywood
over the front window reminded everyone the night the Alabaster Avenger had
kidnapped Detective Hill. The reporter
Sam Jones had disappeared as well.
The
new patrons had more of a criminal element to them. Some were gang members and
others were in the employ of the Mafisto Crime Syndicate.
At
one table Scott Beckford, President of Mergent Systems, and his employee Max
Matthews were having a drink. They toasted bringing High Tech back to the
Foundry. It was a small start up but it was something. They toasted to the
success of their plan to save Mergent Systems.
At
the far end of the bar, Libby of the Caveat Allure modeling agency was enjoying
a drink with her “date”.
At
the back of the barroom, two thugs drank to get their courage. Their ride would
be here soon and they needed to have their nerves quieted.
They
quietly talked to themselves because a stranger had entered the bar. The man
wore a tweed coat and a fedora. He smiled and tried to make friends. This was a
strange man indeed.
The
man finally sat down with Father Lonnigan to talk and share a drink.
While
the others watched him over the edge of their drinks and whispered to each
other their words could still be heard by another, a man in white, a Phantom.
He
wasn’t in the Champions but across the street on the rooftop. He had a
listening device pointed at an unbroken window.
“Who
is that man? Why is he here?”
“I
don’t know but I think he used to be an accountant for the Boss.”
“I
heard his sister had tried to have him committed but he escaped.”
“Do
you think that Mr. Winthrope would want us to bring him in?”
“Maybe,
but I know his niece has been looking for him.”
“Does
anyone remember what his name is?
The
man of the rooftop focused his binoculars on where the rest of the room was
looking and said.
“Elwood”.
<Due Date: June 21st, Actions?
Replies?>
---------------------------------------
I
thought about writing an issue up but as I started I realized I hadn't discuss
with you want you want out of this game.
I
know Kev has enjoyed playing the unredeemable anti-hero with Phantom. His
source material is Punisher War Zone. While I still haven't been able to watch
it, it have been trying to get that tone. Is that still what you are wanting to
play Kev?
Kev,
I know we talked about having a Priest to challenge (not soften or change)
Phantom but we never really got that off the ground. It something you still
want to do as well.
Mike
I had thought a lot about the original back ground of Elwood being an accountant
for a crime family then left everything when he meet Harvey. Are those
connections something you would like to explore?
Do
you have any ideas on what Harvey is up to? Part of a Pooka is being a
prankster. It is always more fun to punk mean or cruel people. Could that be
something that attracts Harvey. Or is something along the lines of turning
serious people to pleasant, like Elwood and Chumly?
I
have an idea of how to start it off but I wanted to see if I am close to the
mark of not. Elwood is lead by Harvey to the Bar in the Foundry where the
Phantom was last seen before the crossover event. Elwood enjoys drinking and
getting know everyone there.
Phantom
has come back too. The trial has gone cold on the Nightshift, Nicotines, and
Trickshot. He needs help. He needs someone that can follow the money. Some to
work the Day Shift while he works the Night Shift.
Please
let me know if this sounds something that would be fun to play. If you don't
like please let me know what is the style you would like and we can work it out
together.
Thanks
Tom
----------------------------------------------
Hey
Tom, my apologies for not getting back to you sooner on this - This storyline
works great for me. I totally love the concept, the change in the story due to
Phantom's unexpected departure from the Foundry, and the way you want to work
Elwood in - totally playable. As for the priest - I never saw it as something that
needed to be a HUGE part of Phantom's story, but I thought it would be a good
addition - something to keep Phantom grounded to his humanity. Some other NPC's
that I thought would work as well might be a old veteran beat-cop, a young
rookie cop ( who might agree with some of Phantom's approaches to street crime,
but who's 'sense of duty' keeps him from openly excepting it ), maybe a young
street-wise street-urchin that reminds him of his daughters, etc. As someone
who has spent a ton of time on the streets and in some really bad
neighborhoods, I can tell you this - despite all the tons of bad people out
there - there are a few good ones. It’s the few good ones that I think might be
good to have floating around Phantom from time to time - interaction with them
might be the only thing that keeps him from crossing over that thin grey line
between vigilante and die-hard criminal. I was even thinking that the Ebony
Angel might be a good NPC to bring back every now and again - maybe even in a
quasi-romantic sense - sought of like the relationship between Batman and
Catwoman.
Regardless
of the side story stuff - I definitely want to get Phantom back onto the trail
of his 'old friends' and his new 'cowboy buddy' ( I can't wait to mix it up
with that guy lol ).
Also,
I've been working on a list of weapons Phantom has used in the past ( and might
use in the future ) along with a map of his hidden lair / weapon cache in case
you wanted to incorporate that into the storyline as well ( I'll get this stuff
to you as soon as I can ). Is there anything else you can think of, that you
might need from me to help with the story?
-Kev
-----------------------------------------
