Traveler:
Page: A panel showing Octavian look at the farmer. Octavian: “Yes, whatever information you could provide would be appreciated. I was Roman, living in Germania, if that helps you know what to explain.” [color](Farmer’s Knowledge check: 2+1(easy) = 3)[/color] A panel showing the farmer scratch his chin in thought. Farmer: “Let’s see here. So, Rome was built about 700 years… what do they call it these days, Before Common Era? What does that even mean, Common Era?” A panel showing the farmer blink back to awareness. Farmer: “As I was saying, about six and a half centuries later Julius Caesar took over, and then got assassinated... I forget when. That turned the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. Four hundred years and maybe a dozen, two dozen emperors later, the Western Roman Empire got destroyed by an alliance of barbarians or something.” A panel of the farmer snapping his fingers. Farmer: “Oh, right! Sometime between Augustus’s rule and then, the Roman Empire split in half. Western, ruled from Rome, and Eastern, ruled from… some place in… you’d call it Asia Minor? And then… I think a thousand years after that, the Eastern Roman Empire turned into the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire lasted five centuries before its colonies were taken away at the end of the Great War, which was about seventy years ago. It’s called Turkey now. At least, I think that’s how it went.”
A lot to take in?
The Lifebringer:
Page: A panel of Dora looking at Jebediah. Dora: “What war were you in, Jebediah?” A panel of Jebeiah looking wearily off into the distance. Jebediah: “Only World War Two. But if I wanted to sound impressive, I’d also say the Seventh Occult War and the Zeroth Anomalous War, seeing as how they didn’t refer to separate fronts.”
No, that shouldn’t be surprising.
Anathema:
Page: A panel of Orion sitting at the desk, typing away at his laptop. In the background, a calendar is shown, with the first day of the month crossed out and the last day circled. (Anthropology (Wits) check: 1+0 = 1, 3+0 = 3) A zoomed-in panel showing the laptop’s screen. A text file begins “This essay is an anthropological report on the newly discovered pyramid in Egypt. Anthropology is the practice of digging up buried cities of ancient civilizations in hopes of learning what their culture was like.” and is then cut off by a page showing an excerpt from the Illiad.
How on earth did you get into anthropology classes in the first place?
Dr. Mutagen:
Page: A panel showing Burt touch the hamster. Burt: (Okay, let’s see if I can turn this thing back into a rabbit.) (Magnitude (Precision) check: 6+0 = 6, 5+0 = 5) Several panels showing the hamster turn back into a rabbit. A panel showing Burt look at the rabbit. Burt: “Now what, uh… roll over!” A zoomed-in panel showing the rabbit. A panel showing Burt touch the rabbit. (Magnitude (Precision) check: 6+0 = 6, 3+0 = 3) A panel showing Burt look at the rabbit, determined. Burt: “Let’s try this again. Roll over.” Several zoomed-in panels showing the rabbit first do nothing, then flop on its belly, then roll over. A panel showing Burt touch the rabbit on its belly. Burt: (Let’s see if I can avoid mutating anything I touch.) A panel showing the rabbit roll away from Burt.
What now?
The Negotiator:
Page: Several panels showing Ethan as his hands are cuffed in front of him and he is led into the back of a police car. Several panels showing the police car driving. Several panels showing Ethan being led out of the police car and through a police station. A panel showing Ethan pressing his thumb onto a piece of paper. A panel showing Ethan standing in front of a height chart as a man in a blue shirt photographs him. A panel showing an officer uncuffing Ethan inside a one-person holding cell as a pair of officers stand guard in the hallway. A panel showing the officer lock the door to the holding cell from the outside.
Does Ethan want to do anything while waiting for his arraignment?
Cuddle Team Leader:
Page: A panel showing Sofia look at the man in a suit at the head of the table. Sofia: “Um, hi? I heard I was here about probably having superpowers now?” Suit Man: “Yes, that sounds about right. Wait, probably?” A panel showing a man in a lab coat look at the man in a suit. Other Lab Coat Man: “I don’t think Mark took her to power testing. Probably just wanted to get back to work.” Suit Man: “...you’re probably right, Nick. Okay then, let’s move this meeting to the power testing areas.” Several panels showing the group walking through hallways. A panel showing Sofia standing in the center of a large room with various objects scattered about on tables. The group is visible in the background. Nick: “Okay, let’s start with the basic process. Focus on your instinctive awareness of your body. Has anything changed?” (Wits check: 3+0 = 3) Sofia: “I feel… some sort of better-ness. Inside me.” A panel showing Nick look thoughtfully at Sofia. Nick: “Okay, pick up that sword over there. Try slicing that practice dummy with it.” A panel showing Sofia touching a plain, unadorned sword. (Precision (Magnitude) check: 6+0 = 6, 4+0 = 4) A panel showing pink electricity crackle across the sword. A panel showing the sword, now longer and much more stylized. A panel showing Sofia shrug, and lift the sword up, prepared to swing it down. (Swordsmanship (Physique) check: 1+1(enhancement) = 2, 3+2(enhancement) = 5) A panel showing the sword cut deep into the practice dummy, with a chiming sound as it cuts through the metal “skeleton”.
What does Sofia try next?
Contingent:
Page: A panel showing Peter gazing off. Peter: “Yes, but not physically… it’s like there’s these schematics, these blueprints, buzzing around in my head, waiting for me to call them…” A panel showing the speaker. Speaker: “Do they have anything in common? What’s the first one that comes to mind? Do you have any control over the ideas?”
How will Peter try and figure those questions out?
The Stranger:
Page: A panel showing Victor signing his name on the employment contract. A panel showing the man with a goatee look at Victor. Goatee Man: “So, allow me to give you a basic rundown on what Genescent Postproduction Services does. It’s all there in the name: After footage has been shot, the owners, usually amateurs who don’t have an in-house team, take it to us and we smooth out the lighting, make little tweaks to emphasize the mood and colors, add in subtitles, things like that.” A panel showing the man with a goatee look off to the side. “Our main customer is some mathematician who teaches a course about higher-dimensional fractals, something like that, and every week or so he wants a new batch of footage edited to serve as a background for his slideshow. He’s got all sorts of other requests, though, so I’ll handle most of that work while you ease in.” A panel showing the man with a goatee look back at Victor, smiling brightly and handing Victor a colored piece of paper. Goatee Man: “But allow me to introduce myself. I’m Bill Atherton. Oh, and here’s your signing bonus. Your shift doesn’t start until tomorrow.”
What does Victor do with the check?
The Man of Stone:
Page: A panel showing Thrak look at the museum workers. Thrak: “I handle this.” A panel showing Thrak walking off as the museum workers look at each other in the background. (Survival (Wits) check: 5+0 = 5, 2+0 = 2) Several panels showing Thrak searching through the hallways lined with doors. Thrak: (I smell sabertooth. It come near here.) Thrak: (I smell sabertooth twice. It double back?) (Wits check: 2+1(experience) = 3) Thrak: (Sabertooth nearby. ...ambush!) A panel showing the sabertooth leap across the carpeted floor of this section of the museum, straight for Thrak. (Physique contest: 5+1(surprise) = 6 vs 6+0 = 6) A panel showing Thrak dodge out of the way just in time. A panel showing Thrak look at the sabertooth, determination in his eyes. (Physique contest: 5+0 = 5 vs 5+0 = 5) A panel showing them pace around in a circle, warily eyeing each other. (Physique contest: 5+0 = 5 vs 4+0 = 4) A panel showing the sabertooth’s claws snag in the carpet as Thrak swings his club. (Precision check: 4+0 = 4) A panel showing the club hit the sabertooth’s head with a whumping noise as its eyes cross. A panel showing Thrak look at the sabertooth as it emits a tiny growl. Thrak: (Sabertooth subdued. That good.)
What Thrak do now?
Ringer:
Page: A panel showing the amnesiac man walking into town. (Wits check: 4+0 = 4) A panel showing a sign by the side of the road reading “Burton County Asylum: 2 miles north”. (Resilience check: 3+0 = 3) Several panels showing the amnesiac man proceeding through town, garnering nothing more than a few stares. (Resilience check: 2+0 = 2) A panel showing the amnesiac man a few hundred feet away from the other side of the town, looking tired. (Resilience check: 2-1(exhaustion) = 1) A panel showing the amnesiac man collapsing on the ground, exhausted from the sun beating down upon him.
Will the amnesiac man attempt to continue, or turn back?