The Negotiator:
Page: Several panels of Ethan looking at his shift manager. Ethan: “Fine. Do what you will, but believe me when I say that there is something fishy going on, and that I have been clean my entire life.” Ethan: “Something is wrong with those results, maybe a mislabelling, maybe something far more malicious. Do me a favor, and do a surprise test next month or the month after.” Ethan: “I’d bet my job someone else comes up positive, but you already took it from me. Best of luck to you, sir.” (Wits check: 4-1(doubt) = 3) A panel of the shift manager looking contemplative. Shift Manager: “Maybe in two months, if the drug wave hasn’t stopped by then.”
Page: A panel of Ethan walking out of Bullseye. A panel of Ethan driving. A panel of Ethan looking at a newspaper. (Wits check: 5+1(easy) = 6) The headline “Emergency Services Expanding” is visible. Ethan: (Hmm. Another store clerk opening, and an opening at someplace called Vernon’s Tile and Terrace, but nothing much else.)
Are either of those good enough for Ethan?
The Stranger:
Page: A panel of the unkempt man entering the store. A panel of a man with a goatee looking up from a counter. Unkempt Man: “I saw that you had a Help Wanted sign and I was wondering if I could get a job here.” (Wits check: 3-1(appearance)+2(easy) = 4) Goatee Man: “Of course! It’s somewhat strenuous work, but the starting salary is good. Now, let me just get the paperwork out…” A panel of the man with a goatee placing a few sheets of paper on the counter. Goatee Man: “Now, I’ll need to know a few standard pieces of information. Name, previous work experience, long-term health conditions, that sort of thing.”
What does Victor say in response?
Anathema:
Page: Several panels of Orion walking through the pyramid, taking pictures on his phone as he goes. (Resilience check: 4+0 = 4) A panel of him looking down a sloping hallway. (Wits check: 5+1(easy) = 6) Orion: (There’s something down that hallway. An artifact of Ancient Egypt. I can feel it somehow…)
What does Orion do with this new piece of knowledge?
The Lifebringer:
Page: A panel of Dora reaching her hand towards the tombstone. Dora: “Hmm. I wonder why this is glowing…” A zoomed-in panel of Dora’s fingers about to make contact. A zoomed-in panel of Dora’s fingers touching the tombstone. A zoomed-in panel of Dora’s fingers brightly glowing the same shade of purple. A zoomed in panel of Dora’s fingers returning almost to normal.
Page: ([unknown]’s Physique check: 5-2(hard) = 3) A splash panel of a tanned hand punching out of a grave nearby, as Dora glances over in surprise.
Wait, what?!?
Dr. Mutagen:
Page: Several panels of Burt cleaning up the lab. A panel of Burt moving the extension cord to one side. A panel of Burt walking over to the lab animal cages. (Wits check: 4-1(hard) = 3) The lab animals look the same as always. Burt: (Something feels different about the lab animals. Maybe they’re just scared…)
What does Burt do now?
Ringer:
Page: A panel showing the amnesiac man turning around. A panel zooming in on the amnesiac man’s arm throwing a twisting punch. (Precision (Magnitude) check: 6+0, 7+0 = 6, 7) A panel showing a fireball shoot from the amnesiac man’s fist. (Blond man’s Physique check: 3-1(surprise)-1(speed)-1(accuracy) = 0) A panel showing the fireball slam into the blond man’s face, reversing his momentum and sending him crashing onto the floor.
Page: A splash panel showing a German man extending a hand towards the amnesiac man from behind. The amnesiac man is in the foreground, looking anxious. In the background are several shadowy figures. German Man: “Good show, good show! Excellent performance!”
To punch, or not to punch?
The Man of Stone:
Page: A panel showing Thrak on top of the rock as a caveman steps onto it next to him. Thrak: “They can kill me, but no can kill justice! Remember what I say! Cavepeople can be free!” (Caveman’s Wits check: 2+0 = 2) A panel showing the caveman looking angrily at Thrak. (Wits check: 4+0 = 4) A panel showing some of the cavemen in the crowd writing with lumps of coal on animal hide. A panel showing the cavemen close in on Thrak. A panel showing one place a hand over Thrak’s mouth.
It seems that the time for speeches is over. What now?
The Traveler:
Page: A panel showing Octavian open his eyes. Octavian: (Is this some form of dream, or merely another room, just unimaginable in scale?) (Wits check: 3+2(easy)) = 5) A panel showing Octavian rise to his feet. Octavian: (No. No dream is this, and never even at the height of the Mansion’s power did I encounter a room of this size.) Several panels of Octavian trudging through the field of grain. (Resilience check: 3+0 = 3) Octavian: (This farm is truly large. The master of these fields is likely a person of great import.)
What does Octavian seek, and how will he reach it?
Contingent:
Page: A panel showing Peter looking at the scientist. Peter: “Seems mostly inert, whether active or dormant I can’t say. Let’s see how it reacts to life that’s not in one of these suits. Bring in a lab rat!” A panel showing a scientist putting a bungee harness on a lab rat. A panel showing Peter, standing next to the pedestal, slowly lowering the rat onto the nanogoo using a pulley system, while scientists look on through various scopes. A zoomed-in panel showing one of the rat’s paws touch the nanogoo. A zoomed-in panel showing the nanogoo surge up around the rat, trapping it. Scientist: “Fascinating! The X-ray apparatus shows us that the rat remains unharmed; the nanogoo seems to be evaluating it in some manner.” A panel showing the rat be tossed out of the nanogoo… (Physique check: 4-1(surprise) = 3) and barely miss Peter. Peter flails around in momentary surprise… (Physique check: 4+0 = 4) but recovers his balance. In the background, one of the scientists is placing the rat in a cage. Scientist: “Well, I don’t think this rat passed the test.” Other Scientist: “Do you think the nanogoo meant to do that?”
Any other tests?
Cuddle Team Leader:
Page: A panel of Sofia staring at the man in a lab coat with a mixture of shock and anger. Sofia: “What. Did I. Just drink?” Lab Coat Man: “To use a simplified term: Pure energy.” A panel showing the man in a lab coat, slightly worried. Lab Coat Man: “Inside the mass-energy equivalence field, it behaved like a liquid, but now that you, well, drank it, there’s no telling what it’ll decay into.” A panel showing the man in a lab coat, contemplative. “Of course, “decay” might not be the right word…”
Does that answer the question?