Post by Dead Sidekick on May 17, 2010 8:31:17 GMT -5
ooc: I'm going to do something I despise doing - railroading - to corral all of the characters except Vendetta to the Paladin Institute base at the Angel Towers building for Arc's briefing. I'll have Karma awards up to date in a later post.
Arc speaks to each of the heroes, taking notes of everything they've witnessed over the last few days on their search for the missing book and begins summarizing it into a briefing report.
After contacting Solo and finding out that his attempted teleportation shunted him to Oldschool's homeless shelter rather than his intended destination in Brazil, it is discovered that the strange amulet around his neck is keeping him from teleporting off of Manhattan Island. Attempts to teleport away make the amulet glow red hot, hot enough to burn Solo's skin. And for some magical reason, the amulet crumbles into dust when Solo removes it, only to see it reappear around his neck. Spellbound creates a gateway to the homeless shelter and retrieves Solo, bringing him back to the Angel Towers building to join the others.
As the heroes gather in the top floor office of One Angel Tower, Arc explains the situation.
"Maximillian Pride was captured by a sect of HYDRA, and replaced with.... that." Arc points to a pile of dust on the floor. "That is the Maximillian Pride that brought you here after your battle with the Dreadnought robots. Fortunately the Paladin Institute has not fully moved any significant operations to this building, but the HYDRA forces that have Mr. Pride were somehow able to replace him with a doppleganger that disintegrated when we discovered he was an imposter. Well, not really an imposter, but a sort of psycho-physical projection that transforms thoughts into temporarily physical animated matter. These monster attacks around the city upon various gang hideouts also appear to be psycho-physical projections created somehow. Our biggest clue in that regard are the various piles of dust and ash scattered around this building. Tests upon the dusty remains of the vehicles and fake Paladin agents that brought you here once before point to a theoretical device HYDRA was working on years ago known as a "Hypnoporter."
"The Hypnoporter's basic function is that any mind connected to it can create a physical form that can manifest in the real world, anywhere within range. We don't know much about this device, except that it utilizes several exotic psychoactive chemicals as a power source. Likely to manipulate anyone connected to the machine and control them with illusions. Security cameras in this building captured some of the fake Paladin agents disappearing in a ball of lightning with the crate of strange chemicals you all captured while battling the robots. Which means, this hypnoporter allows the psycho-physical projections to grab physical objects and teleport away with them, presumably back to the location of the hypnoporter. I understand that Flashdance, Shockwave, and Elixir have experienced this effect. Apparently living matter cannot be abducted easily in this fashion, which is why you all immediately were teleported back to where you were when you were holding the monsters that teleported away. I do not know what happened to the old man the Frankenstein's Monster teleported away with. Presumably, a vast expenditure of energy was needed to achieve this effect."
"And now for the weird part," Arc relates, "as if things weren't weird enough. The Hypnoporter somehow taps extradimensional energies and unleashes chaotic forces from a dimension known as the Formorexian Dimension every time it is used. And it seems that while HYDRA is busy using their Hypnoporter device to sow confusion among the gangs of New York City, they're also weakening dimensional barriers between Earth and some particularly nasty demonic forces. Demonic forces that have historical occultic ties to the author of the missing book, Bartholomew Jacobs. And the amulet that seems to have linked itself to Solo here apparently had some sort of importance to Jacobs centuries ago and seems to be some necessary component in controlling the side effects of using the Hypnoporter and / or controlling the Formorexian demons. Not only must the users of the Hypnoporter be stopped, they can't be allowed to get their hands on Solo."
Turning to Solo, Arc says, "Unfortunately, what the Maximillian Pride duplicate told you about having a means to clear your name was a lie, apparently to trap you into being captured at the pool hall. I don't know how they - HYDRA and / or the demons, are tracking you. Perhaps through the amulet that appeared on your neck after the warehouse explosion. We still don't know the extradimensional effects of the chemicals that were destroyed in the fire. But, as long as you're with us, we'll do what we can to help you."
"In short, HYDRA might not have full knowledge or control over the havoc they are causing, if the Formorexian demons are involved. It may well be that the HYDRA sect behind this menace are themselves under control of those demons. God knows the damage mystically oriented HYDRA sects have unwittingly unleashed in the past, with their searches for the Serpent Crown of Set and the fanatical Kobra's cult that has made the intelligence communities a Byzantine mess of infighting."
"From what the Maximillian Pride duplicate was trying to access in the Paladin Institute's archives, it would seem that some agent of the Formorexians is working with or through the HYDRA sect, kidnapping key people and, for lack of a better way of explaining it, impersonating them in the real world through use of the Hypnoporter. Which leads to our list of missing persons."
"We've been able to establish that the monster-themed hero group known as the Night Shift has not been seen in their Los Angeles area of operations in a week or so. Their members include Shroud, a Darkforce manipulator; Dansen Macabre, a dangerous priestess of Kali; the Werewolf By Night; a true lycanthrope; the Frankenstein's Monster, and a few others we've not been able to find much information on."
"They've also got Oldschool, Windchill, Mr. Pride, his assistant Felicia Bifrost, and apparently an old man known to our new aquaintance Renegade."
At that, Tommy Bifrost says "I don't know what kind of crackpot story you're trying to sell, lady, but my mother don't work for nobody but that old geezer at the museum. Word on the street is that Hammerhead stole your fairy tale book and is using it to summon monsters to eliminate gangs around the city that don't join his 'Faces of Fear' group. They caught me to use as bait for the Buzz Cuts, then all hell broke loose. If you ask me, you take down Hammerhead and you take down your problem."
Arc invites everyone to make themselves at home, offering that the Angel Towers building can serve as the group's makeshift headquarters. She also offers that at the beginning of the month of November, the Paladin Institute will have full ownership of the building and will upgrade it to be a team base, with workshops, laboratories, and living areas in exchange for assistance in recovering Mr. Pride and the missing book. She glibly suggests, "I the coming days, your names are going to be in the media spotlight. You might think about coming up with a catchy superhero group name for yourselves."
=====
Before retiring for the night, Shockwave finds the three deactivated Dreadnought robots just as they were left before the battle at the pool hall.
=====
Most of the day (after sunrise) the heroes can pursue their daily civilian lives. Elixir and Spellbound have classes at ESU to attend. Shockwave can work on the Dreadnought robots. Flashdance can pursue further information from Arc / the Paladin Institute. Renegade can get to know the other heroes better...
(it's diceless RP time, basically)
ooc:
Vendetta is going to show up at the homeless shelter with information about Windchill "later" after sundown, so between "now" and "then" everyone has about 15 hours to play with to sleep, attend school, work, etc. Soon the group is going to be all together at the same time, hehehe. Chapter 9 is going to blow up with action....
No initiatives needed for now, just give me a free-form idea of what everyone hopes to accomplish and we'll roll FEATs if necessary.
Arc speaks to each of the heroes, taking notes of everything they've witnessed over the last few days on their search for the missing book and begins summarizing it into a briefing report.
After contacting Solo and finding out that his attempted teleportation shunted him to Oldschool's homeless shelter rather than his intended destination in Brazil, it is discovered that the strange amulet around his neck is keeping him from teleporting off of Manhattan Island. Attempts to teleport away make the amulet glow red hot, hot enough to burn Solo's skin. And for some magical reason, the amulet crumbles into dust when Solo removes it, only to see it reappear around his neck. Spellbound creates a gateway to the homeless shelter and retrieves Solo, bringing him back to the Angel Towers building to join the others.
As the heroes gather in the top floor office of One Angel Tower, Arc explains the situation.
"Maximillian Pride was captured by a sect of HYDRA, and replaced with.... that." Arc points to a pile of dust on the floor. "That is the Maximillian Pride that brought you here after your battle with the Dreadnought robots. Fortunately the Paladin Institute has not fully moved any significant operations to this building, but the HYDRA forces that have Mr. Pride were somehow able to replace him with a doppleganger that disintegrated when we discovered he was an imposter. Well, not really an imposter, but a sort of psycho-physical projection that transforms thoughts into temporarily physical animated matter. These monster attacks around the city upon various gang hideouts also appear to be psycho-physical projections created somehow. Our biggest clue in that regard are the various piles of dust and ash scattered around this building. Tests upon the dusty remains of the vehicles and fake Paladin agents that brought you here once before point to a theoretical device HYDRA was working on years ago known as a "Hypnoporter."
"The Hypnoporter's basic function is that any mind connected to it can create a physical form that can manifest in the real world, anywhere within range. We don't know much about this device, except that it utilizes several exotic psychoactive chemicals as a power source. Likely to manipulate anyone connected to the machine and control them with illusions. Security cameras in this building captured some of the fake Paladin agents disappearing in a ball of lightning with the crate of strange chemicals you all captured while battling the robots. Which means, this hypnoporter allows the psycho-physical projections to grab physical objects and teleport away with them, presumably back to the location of the hypnoporter. I understand that Flashdance, Shockwave, and Elixir have experienced this effect. Apparently living matter cannot be abducted easily in this fashion, which is why you all immediately were teleported back to where you were when you were holding the monsters that teleported away. I do not know what happened to the old man the Frankenstein's Monster teleported away with. Presumably, a vast expenditure of energy was needed to achieve this effect."
"And now for the weird part," Arc relates, "as if things weren't weird enough. The Hypnoporter somehow taps extradimensional energies and unleashes chaotic forces from a dimension known as the Formorexian Dimension every time it is used. And it seems that while HYDRA is busy using their Hypnoporter device to sow confusion among the gangs of New York City, they're also weakening dimensional barriers between Earth and some particularly nasty demonic forces. Demonic forces that have historical occultic ties to the author of the missing book, Bartholomew Jacobs. And the amulet that seems to have linked itself to Solo here apparently had some sort of importance to Jacobs centuries ago and seems to be some necessary component in controlling the side effects of using the Hypnoporter and / or controlling the Formorexian demons. Not only must the users of the Hypnoporter be stopped, they can't be allowed to get their hands on Solo."
Turning to Solo, Arc says, "Unfortunately, what the Maximillian Pride duplicate told you about having a means to clear your name was a lie, apparently to trap you into being captured at the pool hall. I don't know how they - HYDRA and / or the demons, are tracking you. Perhaps through the amulet that appeared on your neck after the warehouse explosion. We still don't know the extradimensional effects of the chemicals that were destroyed in the fire. But, as long as you're with us, we'll do what we can to help you."
"In short, HYDRA might not have full knowledge or control over the havoc they are causing, if the Formorexian demons are involved. It may well be that the HYDRA sect behind this menace are themselves under control of those demons. God knows the damage mystically oriented HYDRA sects have unwittingly unleashed in the past, with their searches for the Serpent Crown of Set and the fanatical Kobra's cult that has made the intelligence communities a Byzantine mess of infighting."
"From what the Maximillian Pride duplicate was trying to access in the Paladin Institute's archives, it would seem that some agent of the Formorexians is working with or through the HYDRA sect, kidnapping key people and, for lack of a better way of explaining it, impersonating them in the real world through use of the Hypnoporter. Which leads to our list of missing persons."
"We've been able to establish that the monster-themed hero group known as the Night Shift has not been seen in their Los Angeles area of operations in a week or so. Their members include Shroud, a Darkforce manipulator; Dansen Macabre, a dangerous priestess of Kali; the Werewolf By Night; a true lycanthrope; the Frankenstein's Monster, and a few others we've not been able to find much information on."
"They've also got Oldschool, Windchill, Mr. Pride, his assistant Felicia Bifrost, and apparently an old man known to our new aquaintance Renegade."
At that, Tommy Bifrost says "I don't know what kind of crackpot story you're trying to sell, lady, but my mother don't work for nobody but that old geezer at the museum. Word on the street is that Hammerhead stole your fairy tale book and is using it to summon monsters to eliminate gangs around the city that don't join his 'Faces of Fear' group. They caught me to use as bait for the Buzz Cuts, then all hell broke loose. If you ask me, you take down Hammerhead and you take down your problem."
Arc invites everyone to make themselves at home, offering that the Angel Towers building can serve as the group's makeshift headquarters. She also offers that at the beginning of the month of November, the Paladin Institute will have full ownership of the building and will upgrade it to be a team base, with workshops, laboratories, and living areas in exchange for assistance in recovering Mr. Pride and the missing book. She glibly suggests, "I the coming days, your names are going to be in the media spotlight. You might think about coming up with a catchy superhero group name for yourselves."
=====
Before retiring for the night, Shockwave finds the three deactivated Dreadnought robots just as they were left before the battle at the pool hall.
=====
Most of the day (after sunrise) the heroes can pursue their daily civilian lives. Elixir and Spellbound have classes at ESU to attend. Shockwave can work on the Dreadnought robots. Flashdance can pursue further information from Arc / the Paladin Institute. Renegade can get to know the other heroes better...
(it's diceless RP time, basically)
ooc:
Vendetta is going to show up at the homeless shelter with information about Windchill "later" after sundown, so between "now" and "then" everyone has about 15 hours to play with to sleep, attend school, work, etc. Soon the group is going to be all together at the same time, hehehe. Chapter 9 is going to blow up with action....
No initiatives needed for now, just give me a free-form idea of what everyone hopes to accomplish and we'll roll FEATs if necessary.