Round 66: Cambio De EscenarioLocation: Denmark, WisconsinWeather Conditions: Light RainTime: Night Dolosus, after burying a Soucouyant several feet into the ground and covering it with dirt like he was overseeing its
Texas Funeral, sets off running back to Denmark. [Athleticism: 8+1] Thanks to his newfound NBA-player levels of speed and stamina, Dolosus is able to reach the town of origin in record time. Along the way, he looked for any nearby farms that could contain horses, but doesn't see a single equine on his return trip.
NAV shakes free of the blanket and goes after the weakest patients in the room to perform a Soucouyant coup de grace. [6 vs. 2] A nurse leaps in front of NAV and tries to beat the fireball away with a medical tray, but NAV ducks under the tray and slams into the nurse, knocking him on his back before he proceeds to a comatose patient. NAV latches directly onto her neck, easy prey...
Execute compliments the Shaman's artistic creation, "Knew you had it in you!" He reaches inside the painting and pulls out what looks like a necklace that comes together with a small green carving of a tree, made out of a smooth, unknown metal. (+Shaman Nature Charm) The Shaman smiles, "I'm glad you like it! It's nothing special, but as long as you wear it, you need not worry about being attacked or pestered by wild animals, in fact you'll find it easy to befriend them. And if you're in a tight situation, you can break it in your palm and it will unleash a spell and the Goddess of Nature will come to your aid in some form."
During this time, the American warship draws closer along the river and shouts over his megaphone, making sure they hear that his group means them no harm. The response is machine gun fire, not at them, but into the air, most likely to serve as a warning. Execute asks the Shaman if she can assist in pacifying the ship's crew or hiding them, "I'm afraid I can't do anything at this range, and even if they get close, I can't do anything to a boat of that size. I can't hide everyone here at once." Yuri considers his options, but not before he feels an ominous chill run through his body. He orders Yuri to run back into the mansion and to check on the status of the all of the portals, "Right away master!"
The warship draws nearer, and with it a hostile crew of armed soldiers. Execute orders everyone into the painting of the nuclear silo as a defensive measure. Execute goes first, followed by the Aztecs, then Fallacy (who snatches up all of the paintings supplies she was using) and the Shaman. They all come out into a totally different world, a coniferous forest darkened by the tall trees that block the sun, only allowing the rays to shine through in sparse areas. In the distance, a family of deer gnaw at the ground. The land mark, is of course, the towering nuclear silo in front of the party, which dwarfs the surrounding trees although it has clearly fallen into disuse, likely abandoned many decades before. The Shaman squats and runs her hand over a flower, "This world looks, sounds, even smells much more like my home."
Fallacy finds a flat, dry patch of grass and sets down a sheet of canvas paper. [Landscape Drawing: 8+2] Fallacy makes a field that is rich with the mystical Devil Fruit, odd plants the give their consumers powerful magical abilities at the cost of being permanently unable to swim.
Person responds to the Macedonian Loyalist,"For the motherland! However, before we begin our glorious revolution, we must find the lay of the land, observe its people. Only then can we see how best to make it become ours. We have waited long, and we can wait a few moments longer, for failure is no option." Person pilots the flying car from above the city of Denmark, telling his Loyalist to construct a map of the area while simultaneously noting each of the important structures, landmarks and roads in the area while also on the lookout for competition. Denmark appears to be badly damaged, with some parts of it still smoldering, leaving Person to speculate what had happened here before they had arrived. Surely this process in noting the various parts of Denmark will come to great use, right?
The hunting dog mirthfully barks.
Wipeout continues their sailing, onward to their destination of Minnesota. [Sailing: 7] Catching a good bit of wind, Wipeout hurries to the next major spot, Beaver Island. In the distance, she spots the coastline of Michigan to the East.
Greatness yanks Sir Lorne away from the street and into the nearest building, a family restaurant as she chastises him, explaining that he puts both of them in great danger when he hails a random tank on the street. The two of them then scour the restaurant for anything that would be useful in stopping a tank, but it's not like small restaurants had much equipped meant to fight back against military armored vehicles. Hazard, meanwhile, climbs out the top of the tank and apologizes for disturbing Greatness and her knight companion, and even offers them a lift. Flustered, Greatness explains herself,
"...Oh! Sorry. I just assumed, since you have a powerful tank of mass destruction and all. I accept, and so does Sir Maxwell Lorne over here. Where to?" It is agreed upon that they will drive towards the center of Denmark, with Greatness joining Hazard and her Caribbean Soldier inside the tank; Sir Lorne, still skeptical of the massive metal beast, elects to follow it from the rear on horseback. And so they set off, respectively rolling and trotting down towards the main streets...
Hawk begins firing divine projectiles down the road towards Elephant Parade, Thousand Bones and Cinder's location. [8 vs. 5] A single orb makes a straight beeline for the trio, and while Cinder dodges it, Thousand Bones magically deflects the attack, and it lands on the ground close to Hawk, causing to fall over as he suffers from traumatic explosive injury that exacerbates his current wounds. "Damnit!" yells Thousand Bones; the Cleric looks around as orbs of divine energy strike at buildings, blowing them apart. In desperation, he picks up Elephant's bloodied body and runs for the portal.
Cinder escapes the wrath of Hawk and hides behind a car, falling out of sight of the mad saint. In the meantime, she looks around to see if Denmark is worth turning into an industrial powerhouse. Hmm, small buildings, rural landscape, ruined infrastructure, population of -3...it didn't look like this place was going to have a good shot. Wouldn't it be convenient if she just randomly ended up in another, more deserving city?
Thousand Bones leaps through the portal with Elephant Bones, rapidly losing blood and consciousness, still within his arms. The two of them land right in the Mansion, surrounded by an assortment of surprised Aztecs. "Please you people! We need help!" The Aztecs do not understand a word from the ancient Cleric and instead reach for their bows and spears. Thousand Bones spins around, looking for a way out but they are surrounded, even if he killed a score of these warriors with a single spell, both he and Elephant would be killed under a flurry of arrows from every direction. Finally, he looks back upon the portal, and recalls the spells of the Old Times, spells that were considered Arcane, even Forbidden. But he had no option, Elephant Parade was a Good person, and Thousand Bones had devoted the last centuries of his life to helping the Good triumph over Evil at any cost. Thousand Bones, with a sense of resolution, begins to shine with such intensity that it blinds the Aztecs, as if his body were a massive spotlight. "Elephant, promise me two things: That you will always strive to rid Evil in its every incarnation in every world, and second, that you forgive me for what I will do next. Gooodbye my friend." Thousand Bones charges at the portal, not so much running as flying at a speed that threatens to break the barrier of light. He connects with the portal faster than a bolt of lightning, with more impact than a nuclear bomb and then-
Every Wiki-Warrior's vision, (with the exception of Execute, Fallacy, and Twinwolf) goes completely bright, as if a high-intensity flashlight was being pointed straight at their eyes...
Elephant Parade comes to on a pile of sand. As his eyes adjust to his surroundings, he finds himself sitting on the shore of a beach, an ocean stretching out before him with the pungent smell of saltwater, the waters populated by a few fishing boats. Behind him are some buildings and to the North East, a massive lighthouse. Even more miraculous than this seemingly random teleportation was the fact that his almost deadly wounds were all healed, whatever the Shaman did seemed to work. That just left him to think, where the hell was he now?
Just as NAV is almost finished with sucking the life out of the I.C.U. patient, he is blinded and then finds himself back in human form, in his bellhop's uniform, holding all of his supplies on his person, with his weapons strapped to his sides and his blue-footed chicken clucking beneath him. Once again, he can feel the pulsating, burning sensation in his left hand, a testament to previous injury. He is standing in what appears to be a hospital floor that looks nothing like a contemporary American hospital. It is so bustling and busy that no one notices his sudden appearance; medical staff run back and forth with stretches and carts carrying patients. These didn't look like typical patients either, they were all in military uniform and suffering the worst of casualties, missing limbs and bleeding from all sorts of orifices.
Dolosus still stands in a rural area, but instead of the flat American plains, what he sees around him are rolling hills and valleys of lush farming vegetation, dominated by the occasional massive brick building that oversees several smaller buildings nearby similar in composition. The road's concrete has also been replaced by dirt. At least here he sees pastures containing horses, in addition to other livestock such as cattle and sheep.
Wipeout ends up in the same place she started, right off of Beaver Island. Although her location looks identical, looking towards Michigan she sees that the skyline is much shorter than it originally was, as if someone had taken down many of the tallest buildings and skyscrapers. In the waters, instead of seeing modern boats as she had grown use to, the ones she spots now are of much older models. Strange, she thought she was the only one in these waters with an antique ship.
Cinder is no longer taking cover behind a parked car, but a carriage. That's odd, but even more odd is that instead of Denmark being in front of her, she now sees a bustling city with crowded brick buildings with both people and horses going in every direction, without a car in sight; it was as if she were witnessing a historical reenactment. She could recognize, from the snippets of conversation from the people nearby, that she was somewhere where they spoke Spanish. It is at this time that the driver for the carriage comes back to his vehicle and sees Cinder sneakily crouched behind it, he offers her a concerned glance.
Hawk prepares another volley of explosive divines orbs when she suddenly finds herself in pitch black darkness. She lights up her surrounding area with her glowing scepter and finds that she is surrounded by crates that smell of old paper and alcohol. Approaching the crates, she discovers both Bibles (the title written as
La Biblia) and containers of wine. She turns around and almost jumps as she encounters a life-sized portrayal of a Crucifixed Jesus, his face contorted in agony. As a woman of her nature, she instantly knew that she was in a Church basement.
Person catches himself gliding above some sort of rolling countryside filled with vineyards. The Macedonian remarks, "What the hell?" The hunting dog barks in a way most confused.
Greatness and Hazard, rather than rolling into the heart of Denmark, are rolling down a rural dirt road next to a series of small brick houses. A single man, guiding a herd of sheep down said road, notices their tank and excitedly runs up to the side of it. He shouts (in Spanish, which of course Greatness and Hazard can understand considering all Wiki-Warriors go into the competition equipped with a brain chip, which features the ability to understand and communicate fluently in any language of human origin) loud enough so that those inside can hear him, "Hello!? Who is in there? Are you mad driving that sort of tank here?! There's a damn Soviet emblem on the side, they'll kill you for that!" He is referencing the explicit large red stars on each of the sides of the BT Tank. Sir Lorne, unable to understand the sheep herder, offers him a enthusiastic wave, which the farmer returns with considerably less fervor.
Execute falls his knees with a state of sudden extreme nausea, as if he had just made the decision to down a gallon of vodka along with a foot-long chili hot dog. It's a much more intense feeling of what he had sensed before, and this time he intuitively knew that something was greatly off.
The portal between Denmark and the Spanish Mansion has vanished as a result of ancient, forbidden spell by Thousand Bones. The World of the Spanish Mansion is now the main and default world.
Central America/Age of Exploration - Aztecs.
Philippines/Spanish-American War - The Spanish and Americans are battling it out in a major colonial war taking place in the Philippine Islands.
Painting Supply Box World - World where boxes of painting supplies grow like plants, inhabited by tribal people. Being explored by Twinwolf, Jaguar Soldiers and Aztec Civilian.
Nuclear Silo World - World where all that has been found so far has been a forest and a large, abandoned nuclear silo. Being explored by Execute, 12 Jaguar Soldiers, 1 Aztec Civilian, Fallacy and a Shaman.
Name: Execute/Dumbo.exe "Amihiyotzinuatmotlapal"
Gender: Male
Nationality: Iranian/Russian
Karaindash: +2 Administration, +2 Diplomacy
Rufa Mae Quinto: +2 Acting, +2 Singing
The Other Face of Janus: +Ability: Trans-dimensional Painting Transportation
Arman Sedghi: +2 Engineering
Sviatopolk I of Kiev: +2 Military Strategy, +2 Assassination, +Loyal Boyar Subject
Jacques Bernard Hombron: +2 Medical, +2 Botany, +1 Sailing
Status: Right Shoulder Bludgeoned [Bruised], Chest Seared [Burning Pain: 50% Chance of -2 on Any Action],
Points: 1
Assets: Police Pistol [7/9], Trench Knife, Type 69 RPG [0/1] [Long Reload], Paintbrushes, Futuristic Megaphone, Futuristic Binoculars, Shaman Nature Charm [Pacifies Wild Animals, +2 Animal Befriending, Can be broken to unleash an emergency magical spell of nature]
Abilities:
Trans-dimensional Painting Transportation - Can open up portals in paintings to travel in and out of them. A strange and enigmatic power, use it carefully.
Wings of Quetzalcoatl - Can fly.
Vassals: The Aztec Empire, The Texcocan Empire
Army:
Yuri - Aztec High Priest (Dagger, High Priest Robes, AR15 Assault Rifle [18/30] [Moderate Reload]) [In High Cover] [Right Foot Shot, Light Bleeding, -1 Agility]
87 Generals
308,884 Aztec Soldiers
Standard War Party Equipment - Bows, Obsidian Spears, Cloth Armor, Hardwood Helmets
Looted European Equipment: Muskets, Crossbows, Rapiers, Steel Armor, Steel Helmets
Name: Twinwolf
Gender: Male
Nationality: English/Yugoslavian
Johnny Strange: +2 Juggling, +2 Marksmanship, +Abilities: Black Hole Swallow Technique + Fire-breath Manipulator
Sluggish schizophrenia: +2 Psychological Torture
Dimitrije Ljotić: +2 Nationalistic Leadership, +2 Law, +Judge's Suit
Black Thunder: +Black Thunder Chocolate Bar (When a bite of the bar is taken, lightning will randomly strike in the nearby area)
Kartouwe: +Kartouwe Cannon
Abraham Louis Breguet: +3 Clock Making, +3 Clock Repair, +Small Antique Clock
Status: Normal
Points: 1
Assets: Judge's Suit, Kartouwe Cannon, Lighter, Pistol [8/8], Small Antique Clock
Abilities:
Black Hole Swallow Technique - Swallows any dangerous weapon or object that can fit inside his stomach with no negative effects.
Fire-breath Manipulator - Inhales a nearby source of fire and then can breathe it out of his mouth.
Name: Elephant Parade
Gender: Male
Nationality: Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani Art: +2 Art
Sean Buckley: +2 Entrepreneurship, +Thoroughbred Racehorse, +Business Suit
Thomas Wentworth: +2 Muskets, +1 Swords, +Musket, +British Empire Officer's Saber
LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course: +2 Agility & Speed in Natural Environments
Jake Deitchler: +2 Wrestling
Dmitri Tymoczko: +2 Music Composition, +2 Music Theory
Status: Fine
Assets: Musket [1/1] [Moderate Reload], British Empire Officer's Saber, Untitled Song with Musket Fire, Thoroughbred Racehorse, Untitled Song Inspired by Animal Noises, Song Inspired by Horse: "Horse, Of Course"
Allies: Thousand Bones [Legendary Cleric] - Iron Golem [Breath Attack: 4-Turn CD (Cooling: 4 Turns)] [Immune to Magic] [Large & Powerful]
Name: NAV
Gender: Male
Nationality: British/Polish
The Last Seven: +2 Scavenging, +2 Demon Hunting, +Bullpup Assault Rifle, +Post-Apocalyptic Rags
Bill Spence: +2 Driving, +Sports Car
Jaws Unleashed: +Ability: We Need A Bigger Boat
Ludomir Benedyktowicz: +2 Landscape Painting, +1 Guerrilla Warfare, +1 War Poetry, +1 Chess
Cardenas Medal: Cardenas Medal
Soucouyant: +Ability: The Bloodsucking Fireball
Esteban Julio Ricardo Montoya de la Rosa Ramírez: +2 Dancing, +1 Agility, +Bellhop's Uniform, +Blue-footed Chicken
Status: Soucouyant Form, Chest Shot [Light Bleeding], Left Hand Crisped [Burning Pain: 75% Chance -2 to Any Action, -2 Two-Handed]
Points: 2
Assets: $761.90, Old Poncho [Dirty], Boxers [Dirty], Katana, 2 Javelins, Bellhop's Uniform, Blue-footed Chicken
Abilities:
We Need A Bigger Boat! - While in water, NAV can turn into a Giant Great White Shark. While in this form, he gains +4 Swimming, +3 Biting, and eating large living organisms, such as dolphins or humans, will cure wounds.
The Bloodsucking Fireball - While in human form, NAV can shed all of his skin into a pile and turn into a sentient Fireball that can fly and fit through holes as small as a keyhole. The Fireball can not ignite people with fire, but it can attach to them and drain them of their blood like a vampire. If a person is killed in this way, they will become an NPC Soucouyant. If the Soucouyant encounters any rice, it is forced to gather the rice one grain at a time unless it is caught by a person in this act, in which case it must return back to where its skin lies before it can set out again. The Soucoyant can be hurt in its fireball form, but not killed, by water. If someone destroys the Soucoyant's human skin, it will die.
Name: DolosusDoleus
Gender: Male
Nationality: Japanese
Okita Rintarō: +2 Swords, +Katana, +Yari, +Samurai Armor, +Samurai Helmet
Bill Nichols: +2 Documentary Filming, +Filming Camera
2003 Cheltenham Gold Cup: +2 Horseback Riding, +Racehorse
John F. Bickford: +2 Sailing, +2 Naval Combat, +Civil War Revolver, +Naval Captain's Uniform
Borovo Treasure: +Pouch containing the Borovo Treasure
RV Belgica (1884): +RV Belgica Steamship
O.J. Mayo: +2 Basketball, +1 Athleticism, +Basketball Shoes, +Basketball, +Large Ziploc Bag containing 1 Kilo of Cocaine, +Lifetime Ban from the NBA
Status: Normal
Points: 2
Assets: $11,556, Katana, Yari, Samurai Armor, Samurai Helmet, Filming Camera, Potato Vehicle Keys, RV Belgica Steamship, Basketball Shoes, Basketball, Large Ziploc Bag [0.8 Kilograms of High-Quality Cocaine], Lifetime Ban from the NBA
Pouch [The Borovo Treasure]
Name: wipeout1024
Gender: Female
Nationality: American/Swedish
Bonnie Blair: +3 Speedskating, +Ice Skates
Krister Stendhal: +2 Christian Theology (+3 New Testament Theology), +2 Christian Education
SS Alba: +SS Alba Cargo Ship
Space Jam: +2 Basketball (+4 vs. Aliens), +1 Reflexes, +Basketball, +Basketball Uniform, +Ability: Come on and Slam!
Dorothy Blum: +2 Computer Science, +2 Cryptanalysis
Status: Normal
Assets: Ice Skates, SS Alba Cargo Ship, Basketball, Basketball Uniform
Abilities:
Come on and Slam! - Wipeout can Dunk any held object on targets for increased accuracy and damage output. Must be within melee-range of target to use. 1-Turn Cooldown. [Ready]
Name: Cinder
Gender: Female
Nationality: German/Irish
Moscow Children's Ecological & Biology Center: +2 Ecology & Biology Knowledge
Moe Drabowsky: +2 Throwing, +Baseball Glove, +Baseball
Karl Friedrich Schinkel: +2 Architecture, +2 Painting, +German Aristocratic Garbs, +Ability: New Age of Industrialization
Ryan Hemphil: +2 Driving, +Racecar
Josie Dwyer: +2
Camogie, +2 Stick-Whacking, +Camogie Stick, +Camogie Helmet
Garrard Tyrwhitt-Drake: +2 Relationships with Animals, +Loyal Zoo Animal Companion of Choice
Status: Normal
Assets: Baseball Glove, Baseball, German Aristocratic Garbs, Racecar, Camogie Stick, Camogie Helmet
Abilities:
New Age of Industrialization - This ability can target a city/town/village/community/etc. that is either unindustrialized or was industrialized but has fallen into despair since. When used, the target city will rapidly industrialize and thrive with a whole new architecture and revitalized economy. 15 Turn CD. (Note: For some reason, this industrialization takes the form of an androgynous naked blonde person flying a Pegasus and blowing bubbles.
See here for details.)
Name: Hawk132
Gender: Female
Nationality: Irish
Susan B. Anthony: +3 Leading Suffragist, Feminist and Anti-Slavery Movements, +2 Persuasion, +2 Writing,
Yamaha C40: +Yamaha C40 Classical Guitar
MS European Mariner: +MS European Mariner Freight Ferry
Wilson Whitley: +2 Tackling, +Football Shoulderpads, +Football Helmet
Saint Patrick: +3 Catholic Divinity, +Saint Patrick's Holy Staff, +Saint's Robes, +Ability: Snake Banishment
Status: Normal
Assets: Saint's Robes [Divine], Saint Patrick's Holy Staff [Divine], Divine Scepter of Smiting [Divine]
Abilities:
Snake Banishment - Forces all of the snakes in the country where Hawk stands to flee immediately.
Name: Greatness942
Gender: Female
Nationality: American/French/Moroccan
Vernon Harrell: +2 R&B Singing and Songwriting, +Business Suit
Fitna of al-Andalus: +2 Leading Coup-de-etats, +2 Assassination, +Crossbow, +Ally: Mercenary Knight
Bouchra Ghezielle: +1 Athleticism, +Plastic Bag of Steroid Pills
Umanosuke Ueda: +2 Wrestling
John Locke (Lost): +2 Wilderness Survival, +2 Tracking, +Survival Knife
Status: Normal
Assets: Business Suit, Crossbow [1/1] [Moderate Reload], Plastic Bag [Steroid Pills], Survival Knife
Allies: Mercenary Knight [Plate Armor, Horse, Lance, Shortsword, Round Shield]
Name: H4zardZ1
Gender: Female
Nationality: Irish
Jan Ullrich: +2 Cycling, +Bicycle, +Bicycle Helmet
Wolfe Tone: +2 Irish Nationalism, +Musket
Susan Penelope Rosse: +2 Portrait Miniature Painting
BT Tank: +BT Light Tank
Hugh Lyle Carmichael: +2 Administration, +2 Troop Morale, +British Officer's Uniform, +Ally: Loyal Caribbean Soldier
Status: Normal
Assets: Bicycle, Bicycle Helmet, Musket, BT Light Tank [2/3 Crew], British Officer's Uniform
Ally: Loyal Caribbean Soldier [Footsoldier Uniform, Saber]
Name: Person
Gender:
Nationality:
José de Almada Negreiros: +2 Futurist Paintings, +Flying Car
Gyorche Petrov: +WWI Rifle, +Macedonian Nationalist Soldier
Carl Davis Drumond: +2 Punching
Huỳnh Phú Sổ: +2 Prostelyzation of
Hoa Hoa Religio, +Holy Hoa Hoa Robes
Call of the Wildman: +4 Nuisance Animal Catching, +Loyal Hunting Dog
Status: Normal
Assets: WWI Rifle [Moderate Reload] [5/5], Holy Hoa Hoa Robes
Allies: Macedonian Nationalist Soldier [WWI Pistol [7/7], Trench Knife, Macedonian Soldier's Uniform], Loyal Hunting Dog
Goodnight Sweet Prince
The skies over Minnesota remain purple, it seems that Prince isn't willing to go just yet. He left behind a cryptic note asking for "One last performance in the purifying waters."
Conditions:
*Locate the "purifying waters".
*Perform a cover of Purple Rain at this location, uninterrupted for a full turn. At the very least it should be a great performance so getting an [8] on the performance roll is required to fulfill the Quest. Music/Performance related abilities count toward this roll.
Reward: 2 Points
Pretty major shift ain't it? With such a dramatic change, consider this something of a mini-reboot for the game.