#0 Personal Missions
See opportunities phase for the results.
#1 Highwaymen
Night falls, and Route Horizon are chasing off after a gang of motor-scooter-riding thieves. It's their home turf and they were first on the scene.
Their souped up coup reaches incredible speeds, easily catching up with the gang. There's five young men on three scooters. This should be a piece of cake. Longfire, still feeling sickly from poison, heads them off with a sudden fireball. The scooters scatter before the fire, and Route Horizon are quickly able to hem them in.
Stuck in the middle of the street, surrounded by flames, the men on scooters stop and look about.
The ring leader hops off his ride. While the other men have balaclavas on, this one has a yellow demon mask. It's Brouhaha the sound amplifier! He begins laughing, his voice getting louder and louder. His buddies must have ear plugs in, but even still, the sound is so loud they cower, hands over their ears.
Endless Highway lets the sound waves hitting him turn into physical force, but instead of pushing the car backwards, he uses his main power to redirect that accelerating energy into driving full force at the villain!
At this stage, Iron Gavel jogs onto the scene, to see Brouhaha dive out of the way as Endless Highway's car slams into the scooters. From there, the thugs are easily rounded up. One tries to run away through a gap in the flames and runs straight into Iron Gavel.
Endless Highway stuffs a Chamois cloth into Brouhaha's mouth. Job done. But he reflects that it was a shame that Brouhaha was a villain, as their powers could work quite well together...
Iron Gavel felt his normal disgust for the criminal element rising. They'd be out on the streets in five minutes if nothing happened...
OUTCOME
Mission: Route Horizon: Overwhelming Success. Constellation Aurora: Success
Brouhaha enters custody.
Longfire: Gains trait "Cunning", and +1 fame
Endless Highway: Gains +1 fame. Gains an additional opportunity.
Iron Gavel: Gains an additional opportunity.
Team reward: Route Horizon and Constellation Aurora gain +1 reputation in Warren.
#2 Subsidence
Bolt Blue and Joshua Tree go to investigate the tower collapse in Sandown. The pair arrive at the building site and begin picking around the ruins. As they walk, the puddles begin rising. Water sloshes across the broken ground. The pair climb up the rubble as the water grows deeper around them.
They see a woman wreathed in a huge blue cloak, a stylised heron mask upon her face.
"That's a jolly good effect!" Bolt Blue shouts across, with some considerable admiration.
"Its not safe, leave here!" the woman shouts.
"You're breaking the law, ruining these building projects, and we must take you in!" Joshua Tree calls out. He begins to grow vines out of the earth towards the woman.
"Such a beautiful power is wasted on you!" the woman shouts.
By this point, Mentat arrives on the scene. He gets a read on the woman. She's Bittern, and she hates that the swampland is being drained to make way for ugly buildings, displacing the natural habitat of wading birds. Her motivation chimes with Mentat's protective instincts, and he doesn't feel particularly inclined to slug it out with her. Especially given the fact he realises she could drown any of them.
Bolt Blue and Joshua Tree are not quite so circumspect. The first conjures a small lightning cloud to zap the water around her, to hem her in. Joshua Tree concentrates on wreathing vines to catch her.
Realising she's outgunned for now, and not wishing to flood the lot of them, Bittern breaks out her second power: flight! The cloak is in fact a pair of huge wings! She unfurls them and with a few flaps, she's away into the air. Bolt Blue hurtles some lightning her way but she slips away.
The tower project is saved, though the villain escaped. There's a significant reward from the Brody fund for discovering the source of the subsidence and saving the rest of the project. Chase gets his dad's company to put it directly into continuing the refurbishment on his building. Protection Inc. didn't really contribute much and get no team reward.
OUTCOME
Mission: Bro Club: Success. Protection Inc: Personal Success.
Bittern enters the Rogues' Gallery
Bolt Blue: Gains trait "Respects Bittern"
Joshua Tree: Gains +1 fame
Mentat: Gains trait "Respects Bittern"
Team reward: Bro Club gain +1 Base Size.
#3 Dog Fight
Jack Dandy and The Man In Grey both go to the zoo. Extra and Camarada do as well. The four of them meet in the queue at the entrance and make their way in together.
After wandering through the zoo (The Man In Grey takes them on a slight detour to see the penguins) they finally get to the spot outside the tiger cage. Baron von Woof is standing there in his velvet suit and dog mask.
A young man, skinny, dressed in all in black with giant round pink sunglasses, has a swarm of camera drones surrounding him. It's the cape scene presenter, BuzzOff! These drones are filming the scene, while BuzzOff narrates the scene.
"Will Baron Von Woof really catch a tiger by the tail or— now what's this, Buzzoffs?" Half the drones swivel to look at the Dandy Lads and Extra as they arrive. "The Dandy Lads have brought a friend... can she stop the upcoming cat-astrophe?"
Baron Von Woof starts growling, low and long as he stares directly at Extra. "I SMELL A CAT!"
Dandy Jack was feeling a bit upstaged, after all, the Baron was his nemesis.
Extra puts the mind wammy on Baron von Woof. His mind is quite unlike most normal people. Something else has been here, she knows, as its much like her own mind... He doesn't seem as affected by the alien predatory mindblast as a normal person might.
Meanwhile, Jack starts walking towards Baron von Woof. He hasn't committed a crime yet but he's definitely about to do something.
The Baron has other ideas. He slams his one huge arm down on the ground, propelling himself across the earth towards Extra. He grabs the lapel of her bodysuit and with a huge swing, he hurtles her towards a tree in the tiger enclosure!
Jack comes in swinging. The Man In Grey fades from view as the situation becomes charged. Baron Von Woof swings his one huge arm around, eventually tiring of the fight.
"YOU WIN THIS TIME, JACK DANDY, BUT I'LL BE BACK!"
A swarm of Buzzoff's drones swarm about the Baron, lifting him up into the sky and off out of the zoo.
The Man in Grey reappears. "It seems things have resolved themselves once again."
Jack peers up in the sky. He couldn't help but think if companion had been a bit more dashing, that might have ended differently.
Buzzoff's other drones settle around Camarada. "Wow, Camarada in the flesh! Perhaps you would do an interview...?"
"Well, since you asked so nicely," Camarada says, "How could I say no... but perhaps you'd rather speak to the whole team?"
Meanwhile, Extra hand landed elegantly in a tree, and merely had to wait for the keepers to move the tiger before being let out. Still, it was all a bit embarassing...
OUTCOME
Mission: Dandy Lads: Mixed Success. PUNCH!: Mixed Success? Protection Inc.: Success.
Buzzoff enters the Rogues' Gallery
Jack Dandy: Gains +1 fame. Gains trait "Unsure about The Man In Grey".
The Man in Grey: Gains trait "Calm". Has doubts about his own suitability [cohesion check 5+3+(2-1)] but ultimately decides to give it more time.
Extra: Gains trait "Cat-like grace". Loses 1 fame from ignominy.
Camarada: Gains an opportunity.
Team reward: Bro Club gain +1 Base Size.
#4 Shipjack
Sol Heart and Marigold make their way across the river and down to the docks, where the shipping company were willing to loan out a speedboat. Speeding out on the water, they see ahead of them another speedboat. A woman wearing a fur cape... Bloodmoon!
"I hope you've got a plan, darling..."
The boats speed along until the huge carrier ship is in sight. Bloodmoon gets there first, and drops her cape and changes into a wolf mid-air leaping onto the side of the ship and clawing her way up.
There's a series of screams and the sound of gunshots. A woman with tentacle arms is hurled overboard to land in a splash near Constellation Aurora's boat. The pair slow down in case a rescue is needed, but Cephala has other plans. She lashes out her tentacles around the boat and the occupants! The two women onboard and lifted high in the air. Marigold turns the tentacle around her to gold, but it's a foolish plan as the tip sloughs off and she's dropped into the water with a solid gold band around her midriff. Sol Heart focuses on trying to enduce a bit of empathy in Cephala. It works insofar as the villain drops Sol into the water, before pulling herself into the boat and speeding off with it.
Sol dives into the water to try and find Marigold.
Meanwhile, on the boat, Bloodmoon has been shot seven times by Slugnut, the quickest (and most pig-nosed) dual-wielding pistol shooter in the city. Keros, the man who once claimed to be a wax museum figure turned to life, is lying in three parts across the deck. Bloodmoon is responsible, and she's not going to let a few bullets stop her.
Reverend Pongo, an orangutan wearing a dog collar and cossack, signs to Slugnut that they should bail. He scoops up enough of Keros' parts and throws them into a sack and grabbing hold of Slugnut, the great ape leaps off the boat before Bloodmoon can wreak anymore havoc.
"This better have been worth it..." Slugnut says as the three of them go off the side of ship. They're caught by Cephala's tentacles, and pulled onto the stolen speedboat. They make their escape.
In the murky water, Sol is diving deeper after her team mate. She's running out of air and the pressure of the depths are crushing into her. Only the dimmest hope draws her in. And that's when she sees Marigold's aura shining like a beacon. She swims to her, grabs her gold restrained form and pulls her up to the surface.
Bleeding everywhere, back in human form, her wounds almost knitted together, Bloodmoon pulls an exhausted Sol Heart and a half-drowned Marigold onto the boat. She twists off the soft metal to release Marigold from her tentacle restraint.
"Nice to see you again, Sol," Bloodmoon says through the pain.
On the deck of the boat, Marigold, half-drowned, exhausted. "I... I think I'll just retire with my millions."
OUTCOME
Mission: PUNCH!: Mixed Success. Constellation Aurora: Abject Failure.
The Odd Squad [Cephala, Slugnut, Keros, Rev. Pongo] enter the Rogues' Gallery
Bloodmoon: Gains injury: "Gunshot wounds"; Gains an additional opportunity
Marigold: Gains trait "Fear of drowning", [Cohesion check 1+2+(2-1)] Decides to quit heroing.
Sol Heart: Gains trait: "Hates Cephala", Gains injury: "adrenal fatigue", gains new power! Aura Sight: Sol Heart can see and interpret a unique personal shimmer around every living being, even in the absence of light. This aura imparts information about their fundamental character, and, in the case of Evolved individuals, it gives some indication of the kind of power they possess.
Team reward: PUNCH! gain +1 reputation in the Docks.
#5 Sewer
House Edge head over the bridge to Mireton to investigate the old sewer systems. In 1800s, the old Mireton council put in extensive sewerworks, long before the town was officially swallowed up by the greater Zircon area. Luke Teach wasn't keen on wading through shit, but it's not like it'd be the first time.
"I've got ju- just the thing boss!" The Spork says when the group reach a large sewer grate. He pulls out of the inside pocket of a very lumpy jacket, what looks like a long tuning fork on an extendable rod. He extends out flap on the ends of the fork and adjusts a ratchet wheel along its length until the tines are the correct width. "I call it a universal tunodkey, for reasons which I will think should be quite apparent but in case they aren't, let me explain..."
Ten minutes later, The Spork finished his explanations and House Edge finally opened the sewer grate and slipped down. PB2 & J2 were taking point, with PB3 and J3 taking up the rear. The original pair waited by the grate. They'd all need to recombine soon enough to avoid a repeat of the Marmalade incident.
By torchlight, the group walked through the vaulted brick tunnels, trying to avoid the trickle of effluent.
"Oh now this is interesting," J2 says.
"Hey J, what do your eyes see?" PB3 asks.
"Ugh, it's hard to explain. Hold on, this'll be quicker..." J2 runs directly into the PB and with a loud crunch and squelch, the two recombine.
"I'm not doing that with you..." Luke insists.
The PB says, "There's a hole up near the ceiling and scuff marks and muck all around here. Something's climbed up this way."
"This is a job for the so-called infinity spife!" says The Spork who, fortunately for everyone else, had already explained it to the rest of them. It looked like a swiss-army-knife-meets-grappling-gun. After a few minutes of assemblage and unfurling, he had a line of rope shot up to the ceiling.
Soon, the group were crawling through a dank hole. Midway along J3 asks. "Remind me again what we're doing here...?"
At that moment a long tongue lashes out of the dark and grabs the J around the waist and pulls him screaming into the dark.
"Hey, we were using that!" PB2 says.
Another tongue darts out and grabs the PB by the leg and drags him into the depths.
"Permission to use deadly force, sir?" The Spork asks, pulling out something that looks like a cross between a super-soaker and a hair-dryer.
A tongue darts out and narrowly avoids Luke's face. "You have permission, just skip the explanation this time."
"Got it..."
A few moments later the tunnel is lit up with brilliant flames and intense heat from The Spork's pocket flamethrower/deodorizer/hot-sauce distributor.
Then The Spork, Luke Teach, and the remaining PB head into the dark. There's a foul den, some singed bodies stll bubbling. One of them appears to be that of a giant frogman. A pile of eggs smoulder in one corner of the den.
Quite by chance, Luke spots a scrab of an old jumpsuit, caught on a snag in the tunnel. There's an embroidered patch on it that says
ECID[ZO-0808]
Was that this things name? The others poke about but don't find anything. Job done! The Spork has a big grin on his face and keeps looking down at his flame device.
Later, climbing back out of the sewer, the first PB & J that had stayed on watch by the grate look over the filthy party. "Where's the rest of us?!"
OUTCOME
Mission: House Edge: Success.
ZO-0808 has been killed
Luke Teach: +1 Fame
PB & J: +1 Fame
Spork: Gains trait "Pyromaniac"
Mission Reward: House Edge +1 Reputation in Mireton
#6 Graverobbery
Most of The Watch head out to investigate the graverobbery. Void and Frostara come to an agreement: he will trail behind at a safe distance and wait in a nearby golf course. If there's any trouble, and he's not about to have an episode, he can intercede.
And so they go with Retry over to Greenbelt. It's tricky to transport Void, but he as he is able to hold things and is unharmed by anything touching him, they drag him from a long chain from the back of their main ride.
They travel to Zircon County Cemetery. With limited space in the city, and a history of flooding, most of the dead of the city have been buried out here over the last two hundred years.
By the time they arrive, night is falling. Frostara isn't dressed for the cold, but she doesn't seem to feel it. Retry huddles in her big green coat. A mist has fallen over the graveyard, but they can see the dim yellow glow of car headlights nearby. The pair sneak through the dark towards it.
The hear the sound of scraping. Lit up by the headlights of a beatup old van, are five spindly figures wearing garish clown clothes and makeup. They are dragging a life-size solid gold statue of a man. They have nearly reached the van, parked as close as the graves would allow. Standing ontop of the van is a sixth man, wearing similar clown clothes, and holding a wooden frame. In the yellow light, they can just about make out thin threads leading down to the clowns below.
Frostara gulps. The clown heads all turn to her at once, revealing themselves to be wooden marrionettes with razors for teeth. They've heard of this guy... it's Marion Man!
The clowns on the ground immediately drop their statue and start clambering towards Retry and Frostara. Frostara wastes no time spraying the ground with ice, leaving them slipping and sliding all over the place. On a pre-arranged signal, the two woman back away and whistle. Void makes his way through the graves, leaves whipping along a wind pouring into himself. He pulls all the clown puppets into his blackhole body, and not a moment too soon, as Marion Man sends out a fresh wave of backup dolls from inside his van. They all perish within the Void. Before things get out of hand, Void leaves, as silently as he came.
Marion Man climbs into the van's cab and tries to make a getaway. Retry looks ahead and sees which way he's going to drive and then directs Frostara to spray the way with ice. The van accelerates headlong into an ice patch, and crashes into the side of a gate. Before he can try fleeing into the night, Frostara freezes the door of his van.
"Just like clockwork!" Frostara says, with a smile.
OUTCOME
Mission: The Watch: Overwhelming success.
Marion Man is in custody
Retry: +1 Fame, loses trait "Unsure about Frostara"
Frostara: +1 fame, gains additional opportunity
Void: Loses 1 infamy. Gains trait "Helpful"
Mission Reward: The Watch gain +1 Reputation in Greenbelt
Author
Topic: Superhero Manager - Season Three - End Game Completed! (Read 23083 times)