Turn 6The Pioneer – Taricus
The pioneer gets back what he was doing, Using his neural uplink to hack the lock off the one in lockdown, after locking the one that has just been opened back up.
Not intending to take one step into the cell, you reach out and pull the door shut. You thumb the lock back active and back away, still wary of the voice inside. You can faintly hear it plead for one last time, asking you to come back.
[Perception (Hard/60):108] The corridor falls silent once more. Then, straining your hearing, you make out a sound – stifled laughter, coming from the direction of the elevators and the dead guard. Before you can focus on it at all, it's drowned out by abrupt buzz of static as the sound system comes back online. A calm male voice comes online and begins speaking.
"Hello inmates of the Black Castle, this is the Conductor speaking.” he begins. ”There is something wrong with this prison. We aren't free. No, far from it, we are trapped like rats within these walls. It's not enough to flush out and kill the guards, because there will always be more outside these walls. Instead we should sabotage their outside defenses, and set up traps at the entrances that only we can take down. We need to make this a well defended home until we unite in one final glorious strike. We will breach the walls that hold us, and take what is rightfully ours, the city."
You frown. Competition is the last thing you need right now, especially competition that has access to the prison sound system.
The voice dies away and silence descends upon the prison once more. Keeping your eye on that end of the corridor, you move to the first door you attempted to open, clear the lockdown and jack yourself in. Your vision is flooded by a plethora of moving symbols, snaking white-hot circuits and bundles of information pressing against your skull, just waiting to be let in and used. It is an unintended side effect of the implants, but it helps you visualize what you're doing.
[Electronics (Medium/40):128] Getting the door open is child's play, and you instantly regret wasting your strenght on the primitive lock. You peer into the darkness, [Perception (Medium/40):70] making out a human body huddled against the corner. He moves his head slightly at the sudden light.
You call out, but he doesn't answer. He falls to his hands and begins crawling towards you, his identity hidden by the darkness.
Health Points: [¤¤¤¤¤]
Energy Points: [¤¤¤¤] (Recharge rate: 1p/turn)
Abilities:
Superstrong Brawl [Free, 3 physical melee damage]
Neural Uplink [3 EP, +40 to active Electronics test]
Augmented Eyesight [Passive, +20 to Perception]
Engineering Genius [Passive, +30 to Construction]
Current Effects:
Immune to Gas [Protected from gas and airborne toxins]
Weighed Down [-30 to Acrobatics]
Inventory:
Damaged Pioneer Armoured Suit
Gas Mask [Enables Immune to Gas, -5 to Perception]
Ayers' Body [Enables Weighed Down]
Light Metal Plates
Assets:
None
Location: Solitary Confinement Corridor [The Hold]
– Terenos
"In time, when I regain my full strength I will show you that walls such as that are no barrier to me and mine. For now, as far as you know, this building..Is there only one entrance?"
Try to get through the locked door, successful or not, take henchman through "main doors"
"In time, when I regain my full strength I will show you that walls such as that are no barrier to me and mine. For now, as far as you know, this building..Is there only one entrance?"'Err... I dunno. I've never been inside before.' your henchman says, glancing around nervously.
You move over to the locked door. You're not too familiar with modern electronics, and this one looks very complex. You decide to give it a try anyhow.
[Electronics (Very Hard/80):39] It's pointless. You don't even know where to start, and end up activating a temporary lockdown of some kind. It does not matter – as you said, once you've regained your strenght you can simply tear the door off its hinges and see what secrets it holds.
You turn on your heels and beckon your minion to follow. There is nothing else for you to do in Fountain Hall at the moment, and it is about time you found out what lies beyond.
You step out of the building and onto the meagre sunlight of the yard. Dry gravel crackles under your feet and the stagnant air feels cold against your skin. Fountain Hall stands behind you, a structure of dark stone and wood spread wide and long, its roof draped down like an avalanche in motion.
To your right rises a similar building, high gothic arches and long windows giving it a grim appearance. A large statue of an angel, a sword in one hand, stands by the entrance, as if driving away any would-be visitors.
To your left, in the hillside above the Fountain Hall, stands the largest of the three halls, bulging with added wings and towers, sporting a prominent chapel on the roof like a warrior's helm. Even from this far away, you can feel the reek of magical energy emanating from it, calling you closer, drawing you in with a promise of power. You can feel a vast presence held within, a mind infinitely more powerful than you in your current state. Wide stairs have been dug into the hillside, leading straight to the entrance.
Beyond the three Halls, roads and paths spread out to every direction, some disappearing into the misty barrier, some heading for the other buildings in the horizon.
Straight forward, behind a darkened patch of woods, you can make out a ruin of some kind, broken brick and stone. A lone tower still stands, half-collapsed. [Perception (Medium/40):73] After a few moments, you realize you can make out wild electricity arcing across its top.
Half-hidden behind the ridgeline to your north-east, two gigantic, looming shapes can be made out. The first is without a doubt a castle, a sprawling structure home to a hundred different towers, narrow and wide, plain stone or extravagantly ornamented, all rising high into the air and making the actual castle look much smaller than it is.
In the shadow of this castle sits, in sharp contrast, a large, modern prison, tripwire fences on intimidating prison walls, lone searchlights still stabbing into the air. This must be the Hold.
Scattered around the landscape, you can see ancient and modern watchtowers, long-abandoned hamlets and huts, overgrown woodlands and gardens, though the uneven, hilly landscape hides much from view. Two inmates are currently moving up a path through the hillside, leading towards the castle. You can just make out another group waiting for them up ahead.
Health Points: [¤¤¤¤¤¤]
Energy Points: [¤¤¤] (Recharge rate: 1p/turn)
Abilities:
Brawl [Free, 1 physical melee damage]
Arcane Blade [3 EP, 4 magical melee damage]
Draining Ritual [3 EP, transfer 3 Health Points from the enemy to yourself. Must remain untouched to the end of the turn.]
Master of the Arcane [Passive, +30 to Occult Knowledge]
Hold Knowledge [Passive, +30 to Castle Knowledge in the Hold]
Current Effects:
None
Inventory:
Wayne's Clothes
Hangman's Noose
Hold Blueprints [Enables Hold Knowledge]
Black-and-Red Stone Fragment
Assets:
1 Henchman Brawler [¤¤¤][¤] – With Tombstone
Location: Fountain Hall Yard [Bloodworth Halls]
– The Fool
"Hello inmates of the Black Castle, this is the Conductor speaking. There is something wrong with this prison. We aren't free. No, far from it, we are trapped like rats within these walls. It's not enough to flush out and kill the guards, because there will always be more outside these walls. Instead we should sabotage their outside defenses, and set up traps at the entrances that only we can take down. We need to make this a well defended home until we unite in one final glorious strike. We will breach the walls that hold us, and take what is rightfully ours, the city."
Search the monitor room for a map, and search the break room for either a map, or radios. I'll head back down, grab the jacket, and head back the way I came if I don't find either.
Settling yourself into the guard's chair, you clear your throat and grab the mic.
"Hello inmates of the Black Castle, this is the Conductor speaking. There is something wrong with this prison. We aren't free. No, far from it, we are trapped like rats within these walls. It's not enough to flush out and kill the guards, because there will always be more outside these walls. Instead we should sabotage their outside defenses, and set up traps at the entrances that only we can take down. We need to make this a well defended home until we unite in one final glorious strike. We will breach the walls that hold us, and take what is rightfully ours, the city."
It seems to go well, for something you hadn't planned at all beforehand. If this doesn't cause a stir, nothing will.
[Perception (Easy/20):109] There's a map on the wall, showing the general layout of the Hold. It's not easy to move, and not exactly what you're looking for, so you check the drawers, and to your relief, find an information manual with the map printed out on the back.
You head out of the Monitoring Station and down the corridor to the break room. Opening the door, you see a few scattered tables, a fridge, a loud fan, a coffee maker – and three women in prison staff clothes. They're standing in a circle, talking nervously. The one facing the door spots you as you come in and her eyes go wide.
Health Points: [¤¤¤¤]
Energy Points: [¤¤¤¤¤]
Abilities:
Brawl [Free, 1 physical melee damage]
Silvertongue [Passive, +30 to Charisma]
Analytical Mind Passive, +30 to Perception]
Master of Disguise [Passive, +20 to Stealth]
Hold Knowledge [Passive, +30 to Castle Knowledge in the Hold]
Current Effects:
None
Inventory:
The Conductor's Clothes
Hold Information Manual [Enables Hold Knowledge]
Assets:
None
Location: Break Room Door [The Hold]
- MonkeyHead
Leaving the human pinned by the dead angel, disarm him - keep the gun and any ammo, it might prove useful. Find out from him about the current situation (where am I, what is the layout of the local area, what is the situation regarding other humans and so on...). He might need persuading, so a foot to the neck isnt out of the question. When I have found out all that I can from him that is useful, snap his neck. Then, examine the radio - hopefully it can be used to determine a frequency that KB-1981 can use to eavesdrop on communicatons, or even send some outward messages of his own to jam the communications of others. Once that is done, back to te shadows, looking for the most efficient route of escape.
The guard – rather out of shape, you notice – still struggles under the dead robot. You walk over, in no hurry, letting him see you coming. He freezes, reaching for his gun, but you kick him away and place your foot on his chest. Staring down into his miserable eyes, full of fear, you begin to question him.
'Where am I?' yields the answer of the Hold, or more specifically, its storage cellar. A few elaborations later you discover the Hold is a new prison-complex for the most dangerous of humanity's criminals part of the so-called Black Castle.
He tells you the cargo elevators lead to the surface to the main loading area. The doors lead to the staff cafeteria and its adjourning rooms, where his friends have holed up.
The most important question, of course, is 'what happened here?', and he gives a long, rambling explanation. Somehow, a few days back, the security system suddenly died on them and went out of control. Every single cell door was remotely opened and all security locks brought down – though they managed to revert the latter. Most of the prison staff and guards were evacuated, but they were stuck inside and now there's some kind of force field surrounding the area. They've been in contact with the guards left at the cryogenic sleeping tanks, where, he tells you, the supers were holed up, and they say the systems are failing and they'll all be out soon. This power/security system failure presumably led to the death of your restricting seal.
He pleads for his life, but you have no use for him. You remove your foot from his chest, rise it up to the air and reduce his windpipe to fine powder with a well-placed stomp.
[Perception (Medium/40):62] You can hear footsteps and shouting from the cafeteria corridor. It seems the 'friends' he mentioned are coming to his rescue.
Health Points: [¤¤¤¤¤¤]
Energy Points: [¤¤¤¤]
Abilities:
Brawl [Free, 1 physical melee damage]
Integrate Weapon [2 EP, removes energy cost for using a weapon]
Combat Droid [Passive, +1 to both melee and ranged attacks -1 to enemy attacks]
Robotic Mind [Passive, +30 to Perception, +30 to Electronics.
Heavy Frame [Passive, -10 to Acrobatics]
Gunshot [1 EP, 2 physical ranged damage]
Current Effects:
None
Inventory:
Guard Pistol [Enables Gunshot]
Guard Radio
Assets:
None
Location: Hold Cellar [The Hold]
Author
Topic: Supervillainry! - Started! Turn 14! (Read 14810 times)