RECRUITMENT REPORT
Everyone had +1 max team size this round, and so most recruited. I accidentally got really into it and spent way too much time on this.
The Watch hold tryouts... [3+1] Four heroes turn up:
Name | Known Powers | Traits | Fame
Mr. Spawnman | Mutant frog powers | Shifty, Inquisitive, Hungry | 0
Saluki |Heightened Smell, Hyperspeed Running | Elegant, Thoughtful, Lazy | 1
Pincushion | Needle-spray| [hidden], Accurate, Trigger-Fuse | 1
Miraculous Mirror Maiden | Power Copying? | Enthusiastic, Gimmicky, Athletic | 3
Mr. Spawnman and Saluki are considered most cohesive and are recruited:
Name | Known Powers | Traits | Fame
Mr. Spawnman | Mutant frog powers | Shifty, Inquisitive, Hungry | 0
Saluki |Heightened Smell, Hyperspeed Running | Elegant, Thoughtful, Lazy | 1
Mr. Spawnman is a rather squat man who wears an elaborate frog mask. This was at least the second time he'd tried out for The Watch. Of all the teams, he was set on joining this one, as he had history with one its members. During the exercises, after impressing all with his high jump and long tongue, Mr. Spawnman slipped away from the others, and found Void shaving off rock on one the walls in the extensive cave structure under the base.
"
...don't get close"
Mr. Spawnman pulled off his mask, revealing an identical frog face underneath.
"Uh... it's me, it's ZO-0809," the frog man says.
"
you're not their subject anymore... you can use your real name"
The giant frog looks sadly at the ground. "If I, uhhh, ever had a name, I um... don't know it now."
"
does your brother not know it?"
Mr. Spawnman puts his mask back on. "My brother couldn't hold in his, uh, hunger. He was burnt alive by some assholes. But I uhh, gotta thank you... if you um... if you hadn't broken back into the uh, the uh lab, we would have never gotten out of cryo. Better he uh, died free than lived... like that."
Meanwhile, during the trial, the Watch were having trouble encouraging Saluki to really show his full power. Saluki was a trim young man, immaculately dressed, with gentle manners.
"I thank you kindly for inviting me here today. I wouldn't want to go all out," he says, "I might ruin your nice floor."
"Oh I insist!"
"No, we insist," Frostara reiterates.
"We don't mind, just show us what you've got," Frostara insisted.
"Well, perhaps a little run. We're having snacks after, right? I thought I could smell some cinnamon buns with..." he smells the air. "Is that orange zest and nutmeg? What an amazing cook you must have!"
Chiffon goes red. "Oh wow, no, I'm not that great, well, I mean..."
"For that, I'll give you a little demonstration..." Saluki says with a smile. He takes a few steps away from the others and sets off faster than a speeding train.
Mr. Spawnman reappears. His large stomach rumbles. "Did, uh... someone mention cake?"
House Edge successfully recruit Old Lady Claiming To Be Tin Soldier:
Name | Known Powers | Traits | Fame
Old Woman Claiming To Be Tin Soldier | None? | Cunning, Heroic, Authentic, Veteran, Body Dysphoria | -1
The little old filipina lady looks around the secret base in the museum behind the statues of the goddess Fortuna. "Nice hideout, she says with a southern drawl. "Real cosy. I've been following your team's progress, along with everyone else, and y'all got a lot of promise. That's why I agreed to join, but there's some self goals we can avoid. First off, y'all look like shit. No offence, but you're running on fumes. This guy's hobbling around, you three are hacking out your lungs. If you keep fighting all the time without rest, then you're going to have more missions like the Odd Squad."
Luke tries to get a word in edgeways, but the old woman continues.
"About that last one? The intelligence from last month's shipjacking pointed to it being the Odd Squad. Y'all knew they were tough cookies. It was suicidal going in injured and outnumbered."
"We're never outnumbered," PB says. "And we had Cursed Legacy."
"Those guys?" the old woman continues, "Never work with them again. Their flame kid only brings out the worst in Spork here, and Monkeypaw's bad luck power probably cancels out Luke's good luck. Whatever the opposite of synergy is, you've got that with them. Hermitage is probably a wash for you."
"You just here to chew us out?" J asks.
"Lord no! I'm here to get my old body back. To become the Tin Soldier once again. And if I can help you crack some villain heads along the way, well so much the better..."
PUNCH! successfully recruit The Chorist:
Name | Known Powers | Traits | Fame
The Chorist | Hypnotising Singing | Religious, Image Obsessed, Good-Looking | 3
The neatly turned out Chorist looks about the backroom of the nightclub. Extra is lying back, smoking a blunt. Bloodmoon is glowering at him from one corner. Princess Professional is sitting at a desk, the screen showing a complex map of the city.
"Bless you all for taking me in, in these troubling times," the Chorist say.
"I have prepared a brief for you to understand the team culture and mode of action," Princess Professional tells him. "It is very short, you will have little trouble with it."
"Can you fight?" Bloodmoon asks, sceptical about this pretty boy.
"Oh much better than that," the Chorist says. "I can sing!"
Proteccion Inc. successfully recruit Película:
Name | Known Powers | Traits | Fame
Película | Illusionary Projections | Teen runaway, Untrusting, Loves animals | -1
Película is a teenage girl, dressed in a big hoodie, carrying around a duffelbag with all her possessions. Mentat caught up with her riding (and sleeping on) the longest circular city bus route, the 33. They invite her back to the base in Warren, an invitation she cautiously accepts. There she meets the rest of the gang.
"Buenas tardes, Señores Nítrox y Crujidor, y Señorita Camarada," Película says to each of the heroes, stiffly, formally, suspiciously. "¿Usted tienen un perro?"
"I... don't think so?" Crackler says.
"¿Tiene un gato?" the young woman asks, peering about the apartment.
"No alligators here," Nitrox says, making up for his lack of Spanish with boundless confidence.
Película looks disappointed.
"¡Nosotros tenemos ratas grandes!" Camarada tells her, demonstrating an unlikely rodent size with her hands.
"¿De verdad?" Película suddenly brightens up.
"We have nothing but the biggest rats, here in Warren," Camarada confirms.
(Apologies for any mistakes. Mi español no es bueno.)
The
Dandy Lads attempt to recruit Spit Feathers [uncertain recruitment roll: 3+4+(2-10!)=-1].
The meeting with Spit Feathers starts off so well. She is curious about joining the Dandy Lads, eager to see what she might learn. She enthusiastically gushes at the Man in Grey about his marvellous performance at the hostage situation
"I did what needed to be done," he simply says.
But as she looks at Lotus Petal, that enthusiasm turns to fear. They shake hands and Spit Feathers stares into the gymnasts eyes.
"Well it was so lovely being offered this wonderful opportunity. Unfortunately, I will have to decline," she says.
Jack Dandy is crestfallen. "Are you sure there's nothing we could—"
"No no, but thank you," Spit Feathers says, backing towards the door, leaving a trail of pinfeathers.
On the precipice, she leans in close to Jack, as if to hug him goodbye. And she whispers, "She probably doesn't know it, but Lotus Flower is a sleeper agent for the Crimson Plague. I'd know those signs anywhere. When she hears a trigger, she'll switch allegiance. That's how they get the footsoldiers. It's very very worrying that there are sleepers here in Zircon. The League have our own fight with them on our hands, but I promise we will make an appearance here if you need us. If the Plague appear here, and I fear they will do soon, then you will need all the help you can get."
"Is there a cure for her?" Jack asks.
"Getting controlled by another controller overwrites it," Spit Feathers whispers. "That's the only thing I know for certain works... If the Plague have agents here, you must understand it isn't safe for me without the rest of my team. We have... countermeasures for their tricks."
The
Dandy Lads fail to recruit Spit Feathers. The Dandy Lads gain Cross-Over: The League of Paradise. Lotus Flower's [hidden] trait is revealed: "Crimson Plague Sleeper Agent".
Constellation Aurora hold a tryout. [1+3] Four heroes turn up:
Name | Known Powers | Traits | Fame
Jennifer | Normality Field | Boring, Friendly, Unheroic | -1
Pincushion | Needle-spray| [hidden], Accurate, Trigger-Fuse | 1
Lexicon | Master of Languages and Hidden Signs | Pedant, Observant, Out of Shape | 2
Parapraxis | Truth-Telling Gaze | Incisive, Commanding, Pseudo-Psychologist| 5
Parapraxis is the most famous hero and so joins the team:
Name | Known Powers | Traits | Fame
Parapraxis | Truth-Telling Gaze | Incisive, Commanding, Pseudo-Psychologist | 5
Parapraxis is dressed in a skintight masked black supersuit with a high poloneck. He also wears a beret. "It is truly an honour to be invited onto the team. Or as the French say, '
C'est une loutre'."
He is lucky Lexicon has already gone home. He takes a seat at the café and takes his coffee black, involuntarily wrinkling his face at the bitterness.
"As I'm sure you all know, I've been on a few teams in the past. Hacked a case or two. I'll be honest with you, I was trying it solo, but this Swappeldop business has me in a state of heightenened 'arousal'," he arches his fingers for the term. Everyone else looks perturbed. "I don't mean in the crude, 'id' sense. No, it's what the psychologists call what
you might refer to as discombobulation, you see?"
Bro Club hold a tryout. [4+2] Six heroes turn up:
Name | Known Powers | Traits | Fame
Jennifer | Normality Field | Boring, Friendly, Unheroic | -1
Gaffer | Sand Control, Glass-Based Weapons | Neat, Clever, Irritable | 0
Gigaman | Enhanced strength and durability, Laser eyes, Flight | Derailed Thinking, Unreliable, Friendly | 0
Pincushion | Needle-spray| [hidden], Accurate, Trigger-Fuse | 1
Lexicon | Master of Languages and Hidden Signs | Pedant, Observant, Out of Shape | 2
Reverso | Long-Range Gravity Warping | Intense, Secretive, Loyal | 2
Reverso, Lexicon and Pincushion are deemed most famous and join the Bro Club:
Name | Known Powers | Traits | Fame
Reverso | Long-Range Gravity Warping | Intense, Secretive, Loyal | 2
Reverso is a man wearing a black and white constantly whirling outfit. It's off-putting to anyone prone to vertigo.
"I'm ride-or-die," he says. "You in, I'm in. Except on Sunday evenings, because, well, Reverso needs to reverse it sometimes if you catch my drift." He raises one eyebrow, then shudders to himself, leaving the others none the wiser. "But the other hours of the week I'm yours."
Bolt Blue is confused by the new addition. "I've seen what your power does... but what's really happening there... is it wind?"
"Planes of reference, BB. Say I don't like the look of a guy across the road, because..."
"He's a villain?" Chase suggests.
"I was going to say, he reminds me of my ex's new flame and I think I already slashed his tyres and if he recognises me first we gonna be in trouble so I gotta get him first, you dig?"
Bolt Blue blinks twice.
"So I focus on this sucker, and suddenly his frame of reference is totally oblique, right?"
Joshua Tree scratches his head.
"So then now he thinks up is left and right is down and so he hurtles into the street, gets hit by the number 33 bus, I get twenty years in Longshanks prison and then when I get out I realise it's the wrong guy, and I become a penitent monk or some shit, right?"
The others share a glance.
"Well, no I don't do that because I'm not that reckless, that was what I call a joke," Reverso assures them, "The short of it is, I change gravity for other people, but it works better the further away they are. Still have to see them."
Lexicon and Pincushion also join Bro Club. Lexicon is pleased to be selected for the new squad, but has some particular doubts about the other new additions. He can't place Reverso's way of speaking, like a regular (if a but intense) guy who also knows some physics jargon... and there was definitely something unusual about Pincushion, beyond just his prickliness. Still, it was good to be safely on a team.
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Topic: Superhero Manager - Season Three - End Game Completed! (Read 23186 times)