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It was inevitable

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Total Members Voted: 34

[Hawk132]

Survival

Blast any hostile\projectile that comes into the range of my bling-arm.

[Alarith]

Bryan, survival
to everyone again: <I don't think these men are a threat yet, I only sense fear and confusion>
Head next to the almost finished car and be ready to leave at a moments notice.

[Parisbre56]

Entity Challenge

These are mission briefings for the entity challenge mission choices.

This is in reverse. Instead of choosing a mission and then seeing its briefing, this time I'm showing you the possible briefings first. There's not too much info here, but it should help give you a better idea OOC about some things.

It's not yet done, but I thought I should write what I have. Consider it a holiday present or something.

Spoiler: Single (click to show/hide)

• Burn my shadow away
  Opponent: In this scenario you will be facing an avatar of the entity you refer to as Charlie. The avatar you will be facing is capable with both melee and ranged weapons, although he lacks extraordinary skill with either. He does not possess any inherent weapons, armour or supernatural abilities in this scenario, thus he will be limited to whatever his environment provides. His preference for theatricality, playing with his enemies and his belief in his capacity for victory under any circumstance lead to wasted opportunities and severely limit his efficiency. When fighting, he avoids danger and tries to set things up so that his victory is guaranteed, relying more on outsmarting and misdirecting his enemies than on beating them outright. Victory will require more than just combat prowess.
  Difficulty rating: 9
  Arena: The images show a large room on the three top floors of a skyscraper, the tallest one in the cityscape. The skyscraper appears to be made from modern materials, nothing too extraordinary. From the outside it wouldn't look like much more than an office building. The room itself is made out of wood and ecru walls and lit by dim orange lights and the city lights coming through the window that makes up one of its sides.
  The centre of the room is dominated by what looks like a miniature Mayan pyramid made out of brown and grey stone pieces. On the flat top of the pyramid exists a holographic projection of Earth made out of red light. The pyramid is surrounded by small desks with computers on them. There are red banners with the image of a black arrow hanging from the walls. There are also three doors, one on each wall, each leading to other rooms. The one on the left has a wooden sign that says "Armoury", the one on the right has one that says "Security" and the one on the north is unlabelled.
  There's also an image of the Armoury there. It contains racks filled with mostly modern weapons and armour. Knives, machines pistols, assault rifles, kevlar vests, all of them in mechanized racks that seem capable of retracting to the floor. There are also some things that do not fit amongst them. Some things that could be called relics (katanas, medieval armour sets) and some things that don't look like any weapon you've seen before (one of them looks like a fishing rod, another like a yo-yo with blades). There's even a couple of exosuits there.
  ARROW headquarters in Earth-6, also known to the public as Diana Investment Group. Now those guys had style. Controlling governments, collecting artefacts, reverse engineering alien technology... This is just a replica I made from memory and reconstructed a bit. Removed the people from it. Changed the armoury to add some of my favourites. Removed all ways to go down except jumping out of the windows. Made a few... personal additions. Generally things to make the battle more fun. More fun for me, at least.
   
  
• Technosteel
  Opponent: I asked S0 to use an early prototype S0 unit for this fight, since it kept proposing things like putting you in a mile long corridor with him as a laser rifle on the other side or turning into liqu-
  It was the most efficient option.
  We're supposed to give them a chance.
  They had a chance.
  *sigh* Anyway, like I was saying, it's a prototype with debug output enabled, so that should give you an easier time. It is quite capable with melee and ranged weapons and has heavy armour and powerful weapons with limited ammunition and durability. Its mobility is limited but it is capable of short bursts of rapid movement and limited flight. It is a ruthlessly efficient fighter. Expect no mercy.
  Difficulty Rating: 10
  Arena: The images show a large room made out of shiny metal and white plastic. There's only a single, airlock-like door leading out of the room. On the other side of the room there are dark windows showing a dimmed view of the outside: Dark grey skies. A steep mountain side covered in snow, with snow-capped fir trees occasionally jutting out of it. A small valley at the bottom of the mountain side, surrounded by rocky mountain peaks, probably similar to the one this room is standing close to.
  The most interesting feature of the room is that around the room there are pairs of straight, single-edged blades with very simple coloured plastic handles embedded in sockets on the floor. There are also circular things on the floor that look like the faces of your interfaces but larger, each of them displaying a simple coloured symbol, each of them with a pedal next to it.
  Hello and welcome to Siberia Russia, Earth-25. It is as usual a cold and snowy evening here in Krasnoyarsk Testing Facility for potentially dangerous substances. This small facility is made out of interconnected modules resting on a mountainside, ready to slide down to the isolated valley below in case of accident. It contains just the bare essentials for survival and testing, so don't expect anything fancy in it. The module you'll be starting in is the entertainment module, modified to be larger and contain all the ammunition and weapons your opponent might need. This facility has also been modified to support 'magic', since S0 has a habit of purging the worlds he controls from all things 'supernatural'. Be sure to enjoy the view of the surrounding wilderness as you are lying on the cold metal floor, bleeding to death.
   
  
• Razorback
  Opponent: In this scenario you will be facing the being known as River. He is a mediocre magic user, focusing mainly on his innate abilities, but he is capable of performing any magic adequately if given enough time. He possesses great strength, melee combat skill, natural weapons as well as the capacity to withstand severe physical harm. He prefers to use the shadow, to use his abilities to ambush, sneak attack and attempt to wound, using fear as a weapon, trying to separate his enemies and force them into a one on one fight, where he will hold the advantage and use his abilities to become even more powerful.
  Difficulty rating: 6
  Arena: The images show a cave with a large entrance, large enough to fit a truck. It's a very spacious cave, with varied pillars of stalagmites and stalactites adorning it. There is a chasm with a naturally formed bridge a few dozens of metres away from the entrance.
  You can see bright light coming from the outside. Said outside looks filled with leaves and plants, with only a small path leading away from the entrance.
  This place... I made some of the most important hunts of my life in this place. Now I shall hunt you here. The shadow and the jungle shall be my allies. I am eager to test my skill against you.
  This is not a nice place. Be sure to watch your step. If you aren't careful, the environment can be more dangerous than your opponent.
   
  
• Sunkissed
  Opponent: In this scenario you will be facing an avatar of the entity known as Stellar. The avatar is an average magic user and skilled with melee weapons and shields. She is also capable of limited flight and possesses low level armour. Her preference for defence and non-lethal combat may lead to wasted opportunities and severely limit her efficiency.
  Nah, don't listen to that. She'll burn you alive if you give her a reason. Not to mention what I'm goi-
  Difficulty rating: 7
  Arena: The images show a sandy beach that stretches for a couple of kilometres in either direction, where it ends in a small rocky hill. The sea is calm and the skies are clear blue. There's a small ruin a couple of dozen metres away from the sea, made out of marble blocks and columns with intricate decorative carvings. Further in the distance the beach gives way to a small village, a sparse collection of single or two storey old houses, most of them with a small garden. Behind the village is a small hill, barren and brown except for a number of olive trees and a few thorny bushes.
  It'sa the shoresa of Italia. Mama mia, magnifico, eh? Let'sa go hava some fun on the beach and eat some magnificently fatty food. Leave the gun, take the cannoli.
   
  
• Shoot to Thrill
  Opponent: Yes, it's the moment you've all been waiting for, the bestest guy around these parts, me!
  You will be facing an avatar of the entity known as Roger D. Drake. This avatar focuses mainly on heavy melee weapons, meaning he is good all around, with an extra focus on strength and endurance. In battle, he attacks with overwhelming force, looking for a quick kill. He is also not averse to using trickery, unfair fighting and causing disorientation. His propensity for fooling around may lead to wasted opportunities and limit his efficiency.
  Difficulty rating: 8
  Arena: The images show a dark room with what looks like a circular stage with a radius of about a dozen metres in the centre of the room. It is connected to a rectangular stage at the end of the room with a small ramp. There are a great many people surrounding the stages. At the end of the room opposite to the stage there's a small booth with a DJ board and assorted electronic equipment. On the left of the stage is a small bar and on the right an exit with a few burly men in black suits standing in front of it. The entire room and especially the rectangular stage is fitted with a large number of stage lights, though only some of them are active, painting the crowd with moving beams of colourful light.
  What's a little match without an audience to cheer my awesomeness? Don't worry I'll try not to embarrass you. Too much.
   
  
• Valiant
  Opponent: You will be facing an avatar of the entity known as Icarus. The avatar is a jack of all trades, focusing on both melee and ranged weapons. He also possesses high speed flight and moderate armour. His preference for non-lethal combat and occasional childlike behaviour may lead to wasted opportunities and limit his efficiency.
  Difficulty rating: 7
  Arena: The images show a relatively small room with a bridge suspended over a pit of a red hot molten material that lights the room with a red glow. There are several pipes going down the pit and several obscure and convoluted machines around the room connected to them. There are also some lockers and giant screens around the room and a couple of doors leading out of it on opposite sides. The ceiling is shaped like a dome with a hole near its top through which sunlight enters. There are several metal supports around the room holding the dome up, most of them with a ladder attached to them.
  Ah, going for the standard supervillain base I see? I approve. Let's see how much collateral damage will happen during this 'heroic' showdown.
   
  
• Poison
  Opponent: You will be facing an avatar of the entity known as Kathryn. The avatar is a skilled magic user specialising in illusion and mind control. She also possesses some skill with melee and ranged weapons. However she lacks any serious advantage in her physical attributes. She fights with her mind more than she fights with her body.
  Be careful. Battles against her are at best frustrating and at worse a confusing, devastated mess.
  Just the way I like them.
  Difficulty rating: 9
  Arena: The images show a long hall made out of black and white marble. On either side of it there are pillars holding up something like a balcony. Behind the rows of pillars and on the walls of the balconies are wooden double doors. In one end of the room there's a grand stairway leading up to those balconies. On the other, there's a wall that has been carved to look like a door. In the centre of the room is a circular wooden bar, much like the one that exists in some libraries.
  The Hall of Mirrors. A museum, a library... A place that holds samples of the beauty and the shadows of the worlds. Don't worry about disturbing its silence. It will be hard to scream with a knife in your lung.
   
  
• Battle with Magus
  Opponent: You will be facing a form of the one you call Scion. An excellent user of magic, her capabilities are limitless. Given enough time, she can do almost anything.
  She possesses some skill with melee weapons. Her chosen melee weapon works well with her preferred use of magic. Her chosen avatar lacks notable physical capabilities. Her temper may cause her to overextend herself.
  Do not underestimate her though. If you do, she will destroy you.
  Difficulty rating: 9
  Arena: The images show a dusty, desert-like landscape with a river canyon cutting through it. Sparse shrubs break the monotony of the brown-red dirt. At one point, the canyon and the river inside it split, forming an island that looks more like a giant pillar. A walled town with a castle on the hill near its centre rest precariously on top of the island. Most of the images show the area near the drawbridge connecting the island-village to the desert outside its walls, a small plaza surrounded by houses made primarily out of grey stone that has been painted slightly brown by the sand.
  Makes you wonder where the hell they found that stone in the first place, given how everything around it is all brown and Grand Canyon-y.
  Maybe it's like the Stonehenge?
  Nah, more likely they traded for it. What other reason to build out there if not for the commerce?
  Magic?
  Religion?
  A post-apocalyptic world where there's valuable oil under the city?
  Impossible. The geology is wrong.
  I really don't think that's what interests our players right now.
   
  
• Aerodynamic
  Opponent: You will be facing an avatar of the entity known as Saita. She focuses on extraordinary speed, accuracy and melee attacks to the detriment of all else. She is also equipped with light armour that augments her mobility, at a cost. Her preference for non-lethal combat may lead to wasted opportunities and limit her efficiency somewhat.
  He aint' kidding folks. She can kick your ass before you even realise she's there. Don't take her lightly.
  Difficulty rating: 9
  Arena: The images show the gate of what looks like a Japanese castle or temple during night time. It has the build of a castle, sturdy stone walls and smaller buildings surrounding a courtyard and a large, multi-storey central structure. And yet it has all the extravagance of a temple, with colour and decoration making its way everywhere. The outside looks a bit dark, with only the moon and whatever light is coming from the entrance providing illumination to the road leading from the forest to the building complex. Everything has a thin covering of snow, making the environment more visible in the dim light, at the same time blurring out the details by replacing colour with shades of white. More snow is slowly falling towards the ground, sparse snowflakes ready to be carried away by the slightest wind.
  The serenity this mountain fortress offers is very suitable for meditation. It helps one come to terms with what must be done.
   
  
• Come on
  Opponent: You will be facing an avatar of the entity known as Violet. She focuses on stealth, unconventional tactics, long range weapons and heavy weapons. She tries to keep her distance from her targets. She strives to be an effective assassin, however she may sometimes get distracted or carried away, limiting her effectiveness.
  Difficulty rating: 8
  Arena: The images show a location in a modern city. Apartment buildings, some of them with fire escapes, some stores, a gas station and a pair of tall office buildings surrounded by a small park-like area with a few sparse trees and bushes jutting out of the concrete, encircling a modern art piece. The office buildings are circular, with chrome decorations, clearly very new, clashing with the old apartment buildings surrounding them. The night is dark and starless, leaving most alleys without much light, but the street lamps and the light coming from the modern art piece provide ample illumination to central locations.
  I always liked taking jobs in cities. The urban jungle, as some call it. My marks never knew what hit 'em. And if the authorities ever bothered to investigate, I made sure to leave them a present...
   
  
• Storm coming Fought and defeated
  Opponent: You will be facing an avatar of the entity known as Nick. This is his original bond-former body and as such possesses most of the species' common strengths and weaknesses. Those are a large size, strength and endurance, with limited mobility. A biological with avian characteristics, he focuses primarily on flying above an area and delivering devastating electricity-based attacks, using his limited weather control to provide cover for himself. He delivers hit-and-run attacks while using his flight capability to increase his mobility. Despite his attempts to utilize them intelligently, the simplicity of his abilities, biological body and lack of notable magical talent leaves him weaker compared to others of his kind.
  Difficulty rating: 6
  Arena: The images show what looks like the site of a major disaster. The ground is grey with ash that is occasionally lifted into the air by wind, creating obscuring grey clouds. There are half-destroyed and collapsed buildings dotting the landscape, filled with burnt furniture, with pieces of rebar sticking out of broken concrete. Fires still burn in some of the buildings. It looks like the destruction originated from somewhere nearby, some kind of crater around which the ground has cracked. Thick dark clouds overhead make everything appear dark, despite it presumably being daytime.
  Hey, what's with all the doom and gloom?
  Cover, mostly. Cover for me, lack of cover for them. Thought about making it like home, but I think the caverns would make it too hard for them.
   
  
• Giant
  Opponent: You will be facing an avatar of the entity known as Knight. He has heavy armour and focuses on strength, endurance, shields and heavy melee weapons. His obsession with what he considers honour limit his effectiveness.
  Difficulty rating: 7
  Arena: The images show a plaza in an old medieval town, surrounded by rickety wooden houses strewn about disorderly. The plaza is little more than an area that has nothing in it (except dirt). It looks like some sort of fair is taking place in the plaza, since tents of varying sizes have been erected in it and various counters have been set up. The central area has been left clear and surrounded with benches for people to sit on, probably the site of some sort of performance. It's a clear but frigid morning, the kind of day where there is little humidity, when you can see every detail for miles, like the battlements of that giant castle resting on a nearby hill, looming over the town.
  Test your might.
   
  
• The Whistler
  Opponent: You will be facing an avatar of the entity known as  Rhymerer. Known to cause extreme distortions, mainly spatial and biological. Large and physically capable. Erratic, undocumented behavioural patterns. Highly unpredictable. Recorded instances of extreme violence and sadism. Presumed to be incapable of human-like emotional response and long term planning.
  Difficulty rating: Unknown. Estimated 9 or higher.
  Arena:
  There is no doubt Here.
  You are going to Loose.
  This may lessen your Fear
  I am letting you Choose:
  Choose wherever you Desire
  For this scuffle to Transpire
   
  
• Reign
  Opponent: Razor
  Difficulty Rating:
  Arena:
  
  

Spoiler: Pair (click to show/hide)

• On the prowl
  Opponent: You will be facing an avatar the entity known as Scion and the being known as River.
  Her avatar will posses no skill with melee weapons in this scenario and will be limited mostly to her magical abilities.
  It should be noted that his behaviour in combat changes when fighting alongside with someone he has formed an emotional bond. When such a person is present, he primarily focuses on defending them and making sure they will remain in acceptable condition even if that means lower efficiency and survival odds for him. However when alone he is an efficient hunter that focuses primarily on defeating his enemies.
  While that would normally mean pairing with someone is undesirable given the overall frailty of organic bodies and his lack of armour, in this pairing it is less detrimental. His protection gives her the necessary time and focus to perform magic with even more devastating effect, while she acts as a multiplier, severely increasing their capabilities and survival odds if left unmolested.
  Friction may develop between the two. This sometimes leads to sub-optimal performance, while other times it actually increases their combat effectiveness.
  Difficulty rating: 12
  Arena: The images show a clearing with tall green grass. There's a small lake near the centre of the clearing whose waters reflect the setting sun. The clearing is surrounded by a lush forest with thick vegetation.
  It is great to hunt with you once more. Do you believe this time you will be able to surpass me?
  You insolent-! I'll show you! When this is over and I stand over their burning corpses, I will be the one laughing!
  Oh, then show me.
  I will!
  Oh, get a room you two.
   
  
• Conduit
  Opponent: You will be facing the avatar of the entities known as Violet and Nick.
  He will be using his aforementioned bond-former avatar.
  She will be using an avatar focusing on mobility and melee attacks.
  She will be using the Conduit, a melee weapon that allows her to channel and amplify his power for various uses, including increased mobility, increased damage, short range attacks and alteration of the arena.
  They are good at teamwork and will try to support each other despite their differing combat styles.
  Despite her playfulness when fighting in melee, she manages to maintain most of her efficiency.
  Difficulty rating: 11
  Arena: The images show barren brown rock, surrounded with dark grey clouds that form a large sphere around it. The rocky arena ends in nothingness on three of its sides, leaving only a fall to the clouds and whatever lies beyond them for those who walk there. The fourth side disappears inside the clouds. At the centre of the arena, on an elevated area is a black thing that looks like a mix of a staff and a mace, stabbed into the ground. There are more elevated areas and depressions in the ground, extending symmetrically around that central point.
  Awe-inspiring 
  Stupefying
  This pair is
  Electrifying!
   
  
• Devil's Dance
  Opponent: Scion Saita
  Difficulty rating: 13
  Arena:
   
  
• The Clouds
  Opponent: Roger D. Drake this
  Difficulty rating: 13
  Arena:
   
  
• Necromancy
  Opponent: Kathryn Scion
  Difficulty rating: 14
  Arena:
   
  
• Scarlet Dawn
  Opponent: Roger D. Drake Stellar
  Difficulty rating: 12
  Arena:
   
  
• Breaking Protocol
  Opponent: 10 River S0
  Difficulty rating:
  Arena:
   
  
• Gunmetal Black
  Opponent: Violet this
  Difficulty rating: 10
  Arena:
   
  
• Misunderstood
  Opponent: Saita Roger D. Drake
  Difficulty rating: 12
  Arena:
   
  

Spoiler: Triad (click to show/hide)

The missions here are incredibly hard. The opponents are meant to be OP when compared to low level characters. Do not select unless you are really powerful, suicidal or curious to see how long you'll last.

• Champion
  Opponent: The Architect, the Engineer and the Creator. The three beings responsible for the creation of the games. The first. The advocates of the dark. The Champion triad.
  The abilities of the Champion triad are powerful and are further amplified by their teamwork.
  The being known as Darkstar draws enemy fire by presenting a big slow-moving target and threatening the enemy, for if left unmolested, he is capable of launching devastating ranged attacks. He takes turns flying and engaging in melee combat, trying to keep the enemy occupied and disorganised and the rest of the triad safe. With his standard inorganic bond-former body, his endurance is severely increased. Furthermore, he becomes more resilient with each attack he survives. He is also capable of seeing through most forms of mundane and supernatural camouflage and providing detailed information about things he can see.
  This gives the S0 unit the opportunity to generate energy and create equipment specific to the fight at hand. Once ready, it will engage the enemy with superior armour, powerful ranged and melee weapons and flight capability. It is capable of regenerating from most injuries given enough time, assuming it has enough energy and body left.
  The avatar of Charlie tends to stay close to the S0 unit. He moves with it, requesting equipment and providing support whenever necessary. He may stay back to lay traps or ambushes or pick off stragglers. He possesses limited magical ability he can use to better defend himself or provide support to allies. He possesses limited regeneration. He tends to not engage in combat unless it is necessary or an opportune moment has presented itself, instead working to support the triad.
  
  Difficulty rating: 20
  Arena:
   
  
• Golden Sun
  Opponent: The Queen, the Prince and the Fool. The advocates of the light. Blinded by its brightness. The Golden Sun triad.
  Difficulty rating: 17
  Arena:
   
  
• Zero Two
  Opponent: The Ghost, the Servant and the Witch. The seekers of Silver. The trapped. The advocates of the grey. The Zero Two triad.
  Difficulty rating: 18
  Arena:
   
  
• Stomp
  Opponent: The Assassin, the Knight and the Wanderer.
  The Stomp triad, named for the disruption and noise they tend to cause. This tendency has not abated after their induction to the entities. Even though they are young and therefore not as powerful or experienced as others, the rate at which they have managed to obtain power is the best of their generation. This is evident in their participation in the games, a gamble that could leave them with great power or great loss. Time will tell if this meteoric rise will continue or if they are destined to crash and burn.
  One thing is certain though. Whoever faces them will crash and burn. Literally.
  They are quite capable at coordination, even though their abilities do not provide many opportunities for coordinated efforts compared to most guardian triads.
  Difficulty rating: 15
  Arena:
   
  

Spoiler: Q&A (click to show/hide)

Q: [some_thing]/[some_one] is missing!
A: Probably because I haven't thought of a way to do that thing that I find acceptable yet. Or maybe it's because this is still a work in progress. Still, feel free to mention it or PM it to me, since I might have actually made a mistake.
Oh, and that's not a question.

Q: This briefing does not mention [some_info] about [some_thing]!
A: Well, you can always ask, either IC or OOC (probably better if you do it IC after you select that mission, if you can). I can't write my entire mission notes here, wouldn't be very easy or good. Which is why I may not answer some questions.
I'd also like to point out that that's not a question.

Q: I have no idea what the difficulty rating means!
A: 5 means someone that would give much trouble to a single low-level character.
6 is someone who would probably be impossible to defeat for a single low-level character, unless they had incredible luck and/or the right stats/powers.
9 is someone who would be very hard to defeat for a group of players.
10 is someone almost impossible to defeat for a group of players.
I think you get where I'm going with this.
Do note that they are not based entirely on your opponent's stats and abilities, but also on how their abilities work together, how they work with the environment and how well they are going to use them.
And that's still not a question.

Q: But that means that fights with high difficulty rating are meaningless!
A: Not quite. First of all, all boss fights are balanced at mission start. Your opponent gets some upgrades points to put in stats. The number of upgrade points they get depends on your level and their difficulty rating.
So if you are all high level players and choose a low level opponent, you'll have an enemy that originally has somewhat weak abilities end up with very 'boosted' stats in order to match yours. If you choose a high level opponent, he'll get little or no stat boosts because they'll already have good enough stat bonuses or powerful abilities. Perhaps too powerful.
But there's a second thing to consider: the more powerful the opponent, the greater the rewards you will receive upon victory and the greater your bragging rights.
Also, your inability to ask questions is starting to distress me.

Q: I don't understand why there is need for pair/triad fights!
A: Two things. First thing is that it helps show interesting pairings and combinations of abilities.
Second thing is, it allows for more fun gameplay, since the power is spread between two opponents. It's one thing facing a single character with insanely boosted stats that requires very good actions, specific stats/powers and/or luck to be defeated and it's another thing fighting two characters that have more normal stats but work well together.
It also makes it easier if there is a low level character joining high level ones, since they won't be left attempting things like shooting an opponent with +6 reflex, they'll actually have an opponent they have a good (or at least better) chance of hurting.
And that is once again not a question. Ask questions or I'll have to rename this section to statement and counter-statement.

[Parisbre56]

Campaign

Campaign, Ike!

"Brilliant! Drama! It's what makes the world go around!"

Fetch a few of those bleach bottles. The nicest-looking ones in reach, mind you, not those Brand X ones that always fare poorly in the commercials.

Then surreptitiously guide the willing (or captive in the case of Nikolai) of the party out of the room (at least the members of the party not in clear view of Irene) while Mom and Dad work out their issues.

((Oh no! Looks like he's been using brand X!))

You grab a big litre-sized bottle of bleach (at least, you think it's bleach, the label is not in any language you know) that appears to be glowing slightly before you start shoving and dragging people out of the room. "Come on, people! Get out of the way of the crazy magic user drama argument thing."

The hallway looks much like the other room. It is just a large, wide, angular hallway similar in build to the other room that runs one side of it. It is mostly empty. A curious thing is that it lacks windows, torches or any other method of illumination, making it darker the further you get from the door. And the smoke left here by all those fires is definitely not helping with the visibility problems.

Then again, now that the fire is out, the situation will probably get better. You can sense hot air coming from the end of the corridor and disappearing somewhere through tiny holes in the wall behind you. That must by why it's so comfortably warm up here.

Your superior senses tell you that the hallway is surprisingly empty. There's a couple of parasites and a humanoid you guess is a slave walking around there, shambling towards your general direction, but not much else. You can also sense a... thing in the left wall some distance away, something like a triad of very irregular bumps.

The hallway continues a bit further until it reaches a right turn. You sense that it becomes larger and more irregular there, although you can't tell exactly what is there. A stairway or similar, probably.

"River's not even really dying. Why don't we let him do his heroic sacrifice thing? It is better than killing teammates or carrying a useless unconsious person.

By the way Zech, if you need a power boost send your crystals this way. I will give you more crystal to use. More crystal is always good, yes?"

Continue encumbering Ike.
If I get to relative safety then bandage my leg and neck to stop the bleeding.
If Zech sends a crystal over then give it a boost.

While Ike spends his time clicking and clacking at the darkness, you spend yours bandaging the cut in your leg, using some spare duct tape. You do a very good job, considering the materials you're working with. The bleeding has almost stopped.

But it is only a temporary solution. You really hope either River survives so he can heal you properly or that there is some sort of magical hospital around here. Wonder if the entities provide you with health insurance...

I stand there and watch River with wet eyes, refusing to evade, block, counterattack, or look away.
"Don't die, ok?"
I perform three tasks with my flames:
1) I maintain a defensive perimeter around the group, keeping any parasites off us.
2) I have my flames near the portal back away and then suddenly rush back towards it, catching any parasites that advance in their wake.
3) I protect River and any others out away from the group from any threats that come for them.

River brings his hand close to his face, its back facing you, opens it and then immediately closes it.
You feel like there's pressure applied to your body, focusing primarily on your head and chest.
A familiar pain overcomes you. You start to feel sick. Like you want to throw up. Everything is spinning. You can't focus. You can't even stay upright.
The pain lets up for a moment, only for another more intense wave to hit you a moment later. You feel weak. Every movement is hard. You feel like your insides are burning.
You're not sure how much time passes. You start to near unconsciousness. Probably for the best. Unconsciousness means no more pain. No more emotion.
But then it stops. You still feel sick and disoriented, but at least it feels like you're slowly getting better.
Should you open your eyes, you shall see that you have fallen on the floor.
You've lost control of all fires. The only thing that's left on fire is some of the burning supplies inside the room.

((In case you are wondering, you'd normally get both a will roll and an end roll for this sort of attack. I interpreted the lack of dodging as an autofail for the will rolls. You always get End rolls even if you're unconscious, since they are considered to both your and your body's reaction to harm.))

"Shit, Rover, what's the deal? I dunno what whatserface wants to do, but if there's one thing I've learned its that you have horrible judgement. Take a chill pill! That or the plentiful lemonade I've summoned everywhere.

Summon a large burlap sack/sturdy garbage bag. Keep Spot Rover distracted with rambling of the above kind while I sneak up to him and get him into the bag. Then drag it to safety.

((I'M HELPING))

((Too bad River can't hear you, because I had a great comeback.))
Dodge doesn't appear very interested in what you have to say. It's like he can't even hear or see you. Much rude. How sad. Wow.

In fact, his refusal to listen to you infuriates you so much you actually manage to run. And nobody is around to see it. That was like a once in a lifetime event and everyone missed it because they're busy doing something else. It's like the first time you walked all over again.

Running takes you there in record time although you are starting to feel a bit tired. River doesn't appear to have noticed you, or if he has, then he is not paying much attention to you. Well, that should make your job easier. Just need a sack.

And you get a sack! Flying at high speed. Out of your hand. Hitting River straight on the head. Throwing him down on the floor.
River whines and clutches at the air before he closes his eyes and his body goes limp. Well, that should make carrying him easier.

But there is a slight problem with that plan. You aren't really strong or quick or dexterous. Meaning that trying to carry him like this will be really slow, barring another stroke of luck (or unluck, depending on how you look at it).
Oh, and there's a bunch of parasites coming your way.
And the portal is acting up. Looks like it's coming towards you.
This is going great![/sarcasm]

Campaign

Zechariah gritted his teeth, his mind becoming frayed from too many tasks compounding themselves on him at once. He was a Medium, sure, but that meant he drew power from the people around him and their spirits, as well of the spirits of the natural world. However, if he could not take care of himself also, then there was no point. He was just as useless as a twig.

He had to keep up his fighting spirit, but he also had to know his limits. He would burn himself out far too quickly if he kept trying to become more than he was capable of.
This would seem to be a recurring problem for Zechariah. It's as if he is an addict to the pain that he experiences when he stretches himself too far.
A masochist, he is.

At any rate, he was far too preoccupied with his work to listen carefully to the words that were being thrown around by River and Irine. He could tell there was strife, but he couldn't focus himself too much on the argument. He could only pray that the two of them would keep themselves together long enough to have the group escape without anyone dying.

"Irine, I'm going to have to drop some of the protective shields. I can't manage so many energy sources and hardlights. Just keep the perimeter safe until I can help River with what he needs!"

Lose some of the shields protecting the group and refocus the power to maintain the portal's shields and draw on the Shadows to pull the parasites off of the Generator.

He seriously hoped that this would not endanger the group, but even he was human..

You already did that. I had you do it last turn by more loosely interpreting your action to make success easier. Yes, I am sometimes nice. Especially when there's a chance it will make a TPK less likely.

Anyway, let's try again.
You continue to fail to utilise the shadows. The good news is that with River K.O., that doesn't really matter.
The bad news is that River and Alan are near the portal.
The worse news is that the wall around the portal is starting to fail. You're pushing as much power and concentration as you can muster into it but it is still not enough. The parasites keep draining the wall faster than you can replenish it.

The ugly news is that the portal has stopped pouring out parasites and is simply getting larger. It engulfs a few of the parasites inside your wall but it looks like this isn't what's driving it. This isn't a chain reaction. It just keeps getting larger. It will reach your wall any moment now.
On one hand, keeping the wall where it is means that all the parasites caught inside it will disappear inside it. But that will also mean that you'll loose all those shields shards and will have to recreate them.
On the other hand, opening the wall will save those shards for later use but will also unleash the parasites inside in the room.

OOC
Note to self: NPCs' life expectency appears to be low when near players
Possible solution: Provide armour to all NPCs. Make all NPCs also be PCs scratch that, the life expectancy is even worse
Addendum: Store owners should move inside tanks to prevent (accidental) killing and looting. Look into Sandcrawler modifications.

[Xantalos]

((What was the comeback? I'm curious now.))

Alan looks about and sees the day is dire/
He knows what he must do, it's time to light the fire!
Summon COUCH!
Glorious wheeled couch that will save hiiiiiim/
Awesome couch!
Throw Doggy on the sofa and begin to speed away

((That was set to some sort of rythm in my head.))

[DarkArtemisFowl]

Zechariah kept moving around, trying to multitask but failing to do so. The best he could do was try to salvage the wall of crystals, but even then, the wall was diminishing. He had little room to observe his surroundings, but he could see Irine fall to the floor, her fires no longer under her control.

"Irine!" he shouted out to her. This was only going to make things harder, as he no longer had her to provide primary defense against the parasites. He fought his instinct to drop the shields and assist both her and River, and continued to mount the defensive wall, trying to keep the portal from spewing out more monsters.

He began shouting out to his teammates, trying to get them to help him with his endeavors. He wasn't sure if they were even going to listen, but he had to try. "The portal is unstable! Nikolai, I need you to help repair the crystals and keep them strong. After that, I need you to back away or hit the floor immediately. Try to help Irine out if you can. Ike... keep doing what you're doing. Alan, get River out of here  and help Ike move us out of here!"

He had a plan. It was a simple plan, and it wasn't a particularly good one. But it was a plan.

After Nikolai (hopefully) repairs my shields and gets out of the way, manipulate the wall so that it breaks up into sharp, jagged shards. Manipulate the new shards so that they form a maelstrom, spinning around the portal and killing any parasites that dare to touch the spinning shards. If possible, try to manipulate the Shadows to choke the portal, keeping it in a state of neutrality or collapse if I can.

[Lenglon]

Irine, Campaign

I slowly roll over and dazedly look around, trying to avoid jostling my head.

If I'm alone, then I curl up and rest my head on my knees, letting myself rest and recover.

If I'm in a room with few parasites and no teammates, then I let my predatory instincts take over, and grab the few flames in the room with me and begin hunting them down.

If I'm in a room with many parasites and no teammates, then I start crawling towards an exit.

If only a few moments have passed and I'm still in time-sync with the rest of the team, then I crawl towards the main group, trying to put a wall between me and the portal and the slabs, once I'm sure nobody is left behind in the room with the portal, I start siezing the fire it's using as fuel and tugging on it, backing it up, making it flow too fast, attempting to rip it away, just generally messing with it and pushing the limits of whatever is fighting with me for control.

[NAV]

"Understood."
Get to Zech's barrier as fast as a cripple can. Repair and strengthen it. Then retreat.

[Harry Baldman]

Campaign, Ike!

Take a look inside the portal room again. Is drama still in progress?

If not and nothing challenges the assumptions that immediately follow, fetch bag from Rover's vicinity and bag Irine for safe transportation using the Bag of K.O. while Alan takes care of our kindly host.

If yes or something challenges the assumptions in the preceding action, secure the hallway with sword in hand, like one of them knights!

[Salsacookies]

Survival

Well, keep out of site of those guys, don't want to mess with them, until I head to a hospital and get my shoulder hole fixed

[Parisbre56]

Survival

Morph to a large hawk, screaming a cry of rage at the oncoming creature, hoping to startle it. Then, flick around, and start flying around towards the way out.

Now I'm glad I had that training session with that weird entity that was the hawk. I'm used to flying through narrow bits!

((It was a crow. And it wanted to teach you how to use your head. Although I guess head-butting things does count as using your head.))

You turn tail and run away as fast as you can, trying to transform at the same time. The thing tries to bit you but you're too fast for that. Its teeth snap at empty air. The transformation works OK, for the most part. You think you might have left a small piece of you behind, but it wasn't anything important.

A minute later, you're flying out of the hole in the ground in front of the Gallery.
The area looks much the same, except that now most of the Gallery is on fire and there are a few more wrecked cars around.
As for ways to get off the island:
You've got the North, with the centre of the island and a bridge and a tunnel beyond that.
You've got the West with the docks and another bridge.
You've got the East, with yet another bridge.
Or you could choose to not follow a terrestrial escape route.

Bryan, survival
"Sorry man, I didn't mean anything by that."
To the dudes from around the corner.
"Hello there"

"Uuuuhhh..."
He takes a step backwards.
"Hi?"
He takes a few hasty steps backwards and disappears back where he came from.

Survival

Yeah, better finish it up.  Makes us safer and less conspicuous.

"Just a second longer... Bryan, you better drive..."

Almost done. Just the roof and the windows left.
Now that I think about it, you might want to skip the roof, make it a convertible. It would certainly make fitting Saevus in there easier, unless you're planning on throwing him in the trunk or dragging him behind you. Or you could just leave him behind, that would work too.
Anyway, consider yourself free to drive away next turn. As in, give me your destination. Just drive out of the alley and towards the nearest bridge (which is the western one)?

Survival

Blast any hostile\projectile that comes into the range of my bling-arm.

You keep your arm pointed at the corner behind which the man disappeared. About half a minute later, a pineapple flies out from the corner and towards you, bouncing on the floor. Well, littering like that is not going to be left unpunished. Especially when the perpetrators are using such evil fruits.
Strange. You never felt pineapples were dangerous or evil before. In fact, you don't think you've ever seen a pineapple before, yet you know its name. It's like this one triggers a memory you didn't knew you had.
Well, no matter, you'll deal with those foreign memories later. Right now the evil fruit plotting against you takes precedence.

A swift application of bling-arm pushes the pineapple away. The pinapple rolls and bounces a couple of times before it disappears behind a trashcan. The trashcan disappears with a bang and a flash of light.
Hah! You knew that pineapple was plotting against you. Now its plans are ruined and you are victorious.

Bryan, survival
to everyone again: <I don't think these men are a threat yet, I only sense fear and confusion>
Head next to the almost finished car and be ready to leave at a moments notice.

You take cover behind the car, making sure to keep your distance from all the things materialising around it.

You feel a transformation in feelings coming from the group. The fear of the man that left spreads to the others. All except one. That one also feels fear, true but he also feels more of anxiety, anticipation and relief at the same time. A moment later, this changes to something more like determination, courage or something similar. A few seconds later, similar emotions spread to the other two groups.

Now that you think focus on it, it feels like the other groups have stopped somewhere nearby. One somewhere towards the south and one somewhere towards the north. That leaves only the west clear.

Before you can contemplate more, there's the sound of air moving at high speed, followed by a trashcan some distance away exploding.

Survival

Well, keep out of site of those guys, don't want to mess with them, until I head to a hospital and get my shoulder hole fixed

You make sure not to visit those guys' website. They're probably full of boring status updates like "I just did the laundry." anyway.

It looks like they have finished preparing whatever they were meant to be preparing. The man talking in the radio says something and nods before removing his headset. He reaches for the handbag of the other and retrieves a revolver, the man with the handbag doing the same. The guy with the big hollow stick thing stands ready.

About ten seconds later, there's an explosion. The men get ready, kneeling and aiming somewhere down the road.

Staging Area

<Character>

You open your eyes.

You find yourself in a larger open area made of stone and wooden supports. One of the walls features a few of those gigantic wooden barrels that usually hold alcohol. It is lit by a large fireplace, complemented by a few torches hanging from the stone walls. The room is filled with tables and chairs, although they are all unoccupied. In a corner of the room, there are is a music band made up from humanoids that look like bioluminescent fungi.

Finally there's a counter, with a few smaller barrels, a small fire and some cooking implements behind it. Behind the counter is a a burly man with medium length platinum blonde hair, blue eyes and the facial characteristics of a stereotypical Viking, sans the braided beard. He simply has some short facial hair.
He's wearing a light cloth shirt with short sleeves that show off his muscles. A large wooden mug rests on the counter in front of him. He appears to be reading something, deep in thought.

He turns to face you once he notices that you're conscious.
"Hey." he says, acknowledging your presence.
He uses one hand to close the book and the other to make a motion towards you.
"Nice eyes. I bet they're really good for night reading."

"Don't think I have anything else to say, though if I recall correctly you wanted to see this."
Take the red apple and set it on the desk in front of me, then pull out my clipboard and use it to create a laser to cut the red apple into slices

You retrieve the red apple and the notepad and prepare to show off your skills.
"I am watching." the voice states through the speaker. To punctuate that statement, the screen behind the speaker splits into a grid, each square showing an image of you from a different angle.
With that, you start working. You get distracted a few seconds into the calculations and draw a doodle of yourself in a giant death robot instead. As you start drawing a man get crushed under one of your robot's legs, you suddenly realise where you are and what you were supposed to be doing.
"That was just a warmup."
You quickly flip your notepad into a new page.
"For a future design." you add. The lack of facial characteristics of the speaker does nothing to aid any feelings of awkwardness you may be having.
"Never mind that, now pay attention, here it comes."
You start working on your equation, trying your best to remember how everything was supposed to be written, how all the variables are supposed to interact. Then comes the setting of the variables, judging the location of your target and the intensity necessary to hit it, making sure there are enough components to account for the needed focusing and amplification. Finally, you work on solving the equation, trading variables around, rewriting things until it reaches the necessary form. And immediately, the moment your work is complete a line of distorted air appears near the apple. That surface of the apple is instantly obscured by vaporizing liquid, while more liquid drips from the newly forming hole, creating a small puddle around it. The generated pressure causes the apple to wobble a bit, melting uneven gashes across its surface. Smoke starts coming out of it as it gets hotter and hotter. Finally, the beam penetrates the other side of the apple and starts to melt the plastic of the wall. A moment later, it stops.

You are left with a smoking apple with many gashes molten across its surface and a funnel-like hole going through its middle, surrounded by a puddle of its own juices and a cloud of vaporised water.
"Good. A bit messy, but good." the voice says.
The robo-secretery comes through the door and approaches the desk with rubber gloves and a wiper in hand.
"Just give me a sec to consult my assistants. Opinions?"
<This being fits the minimum specifications provided in your search query.> you hear a voice in your head, cold, monotonous, deep.
<Give him a challenge. Let him show who he really is. If he does well, keep him. If he does not, kill him.> another deep voice in your head, accompanied with a small growl. It sounds slightly angry. It reminds you of thunder and giant rocks falling.
"Helpful, as always." the speaker replies sarcastically.

"Well, I'm a bit pressed for time at the moment." he adds after a small delay. "And I enjoyed this little conversation. You show promise, although it remains to be seen how you act in a more complex situation. But I think I can work through any issues. So... the job is yours. Congratulations."
The image behind the speaker shows confetti falling.
"Just go through the door you came in through when you're ready. I'll clean up in here in the meantime. Rebuild a bit. Make the place better. Any preference?"
Edit: Oh, people in the campaign mission are all at the same time and should be ablr to see each other, in case it matters.

[NAV]

<Give him a challenge. Let him show who he really is. If he does well, keep him. If he does not, kill him.> another deep voice in your head, accompanied with a small growl. It sounds slightly angry. It reminds you of thunder and giant rocks falling.

((River, what are you doing over there? I thought you were with us, and unconscious.
Maybe Charlie's impersonating him?))

[Coolrune206]

Fly up several hundred meters, then simply glide to my destination. East.

[Toaster]

((Can I get a health/status update of everyone who is with Team Car?  I need to know who needs prosthesis.))

[Tiruin]

((I've been absent primarily because of net troubles :x Sorry people.

...Oh...oh wow. Oh dear. I was reading this up when the new replies flooded in -_-
Ngghhh. Dislike being dead weight.

Can anyone post for me or fill me in for the next few days if no response occurs? :S))
Campaign

Theri

> Sequential aid allies generic action {Until I catch up to all this}