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let T. Levin inspect the Cherub situation in Argentina before sneaking him out with a bunch of convicts. I still have some questions about this - for example, are you going to publicly announce that he’s being allowed to go to Argentina? But either way, let’s go on to Subplot Resolution Week, day 3.
Stats list check:
- +1 military
- +2 scientific
- +1 informational
- -1 political
- BONUS: Scientific designs get one die automatically 4
- BONUS: D7s are rolled on anything relating to Wenton Celling
- Fingerprint scanners on military base doors
- Uplifted dogs
- Lobotomized child soldiers called “Cherubs”
- Plans for a shield against Andantesite wormhole disruption, although power-intensive and requiring a lot of Andantesite
- Large, cracked Andantesite shard, ready to link
- Radio-frequency Andantesite disruptor - 14.03 hour working time
- Loading of wormhole onto SFN Pylos planned, to follow Magellan back home
- Hammerspace parrot
- Venomous implants for dogs
- Hammerspace disruption masers, although in control of Padelheb Fansworth
Plot points to be resolved:
- T. Levin inspecting Tommy DeMarco’s memory removal, then leaving for America
- Interrogating captured rebels
- Order of the Stick
- Padelheb’s remaining supporters
Celling steps through the planar gateway, ducking to fit through the simmering portal of energy. It had grown somewhat since the last time he’d seen it and it was now almost the height of a typical door, and just a little bit wider. The floor ruined by the Key core blast had been replaced hastily with wooden planks, and there were scientists and equipment scattered around monitoring the rift.
On the other end of the gate is a room full of blue. The other end of the rift seems to be at the top of a pedestal of some sort, with steps leading down to the floor. Pieces of a throne ly to the back of the rift, toppled over on their side and blackened as if burnt. The floor under the gate, made of vibrant blue stone, is cracked, likely from the force of the gate opening. The walls and ceiling are colored with the same shade of blue.
“You really have this blue thing going on, don’t you?” Celling asks.
“It’s called Azure City for a reason,” Soon Kim replies, hovering a few inches above the ground. He's translucent like a ghost (which he is) , and surrounded with a airy aura of turquoise light.
Several more soldiers holding rifles march, single file and with their heads lowered, through the gate. Celling gestures at their leader to the current ruler of Azure City, a blue-haired, bearded man who’s introduced himself as Hinjo. “This is Sergeant Vincent Nelson. I’ve got stuff to attend to on my side of the portal, so he’s going to be leading the First Interplanar Expeditionary Force for the time being.”
Hinjo shakes Nelson’s hand. “We are all grateful for your help. Based off what we’ve heard, your aid could turn the tide of this war.”
“Well, I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Nelson replies. “I’ve been briefed on conditions on your side. Correct me if I’m wrong, but what I know is that this world operates on different physical laws than mine, and supernatural phenomena and magic are a fact of life. Your city is under siege by an army of monstrous creatures lead by an undead sorcerer named Xykon?”
“That is correct,” Hinjo says. “We did our best to defend against them, but there were just too many.”
“And what are our advantages?” Nelson asks. “Superior technology, superior communications, superior weaponry-”
“Don’t forget this,” Celling says, gesturing at the planar gateway. “They don’t know it exists, they don’t know we are here. It’s a natural choke point and a potential evacuation site for refugees.”
“Have we worked on closing it yet?” Nelson asks.
“Good point, I’ll remember to ask someone when I get back. And what are our disadvantages? Smaller force.”
“They have a single high-powered magic-wielder,” Celling adds.
“Two,” Hinjo corrects. “We believe that the leader of the goblinoids is High Priest of the Dark One. He can channel his god’s energy into a variety of unholy feats.”
“Wouldn’t a mission to assassinate these leaders be in order? Granted that our weapons beat their magic, of course.” Nelson suggests.
“That might be too risky,” Celling notes. “We should be focusing on saving people, not trying to be heroes. We may wish to barricade and defend this tower, or even to abandon this plane entirely and defend from the other side of the portal. We should also look at diplomatic solutions.”
“There is no reasoning with Xykon,” Soon Kim says sternly. “He is an unholy abomination that seeks only destruction.”
“He wanted the Gate, didn’t he? Will he go away if we just tell him to?” Celling asks.
“He hates all that lives and is good in the world. He will try to destroy us just to amuse himself.”
“Maybe his lieutenant will be more reasonable?” Celling suggests. “Redcloak seems motivated by quite understandable factors. Perhaps we can get him to betray his master.”
“Goblins are brutish creatures of chaos,” Hinjo says. “He has not shown us mercy in the past, there is no reason to believe that he will in the future.”
That puts a somber mood in the room and nobody speaks for a few seconds before Celling says, “Wait! Before I forget.” Taking a box carried in by one of the soldiers, he sets it facing down on the floor, then counts for ten seconds and lifts it up. A large green and red bird is under there.
“That’s a parrot!” Hinjo exclaims.
“How is there a parrot?” Nelson asks flatly, sounding almost bored with all the stuff he's seen today.
“Long story short, Quill managed to infuse a parrot with the ability to cross planes. I will be gone soon, so my orders will be sent through that bird.” Celling turns to walk away and heads back to the portal.
Nelson stops him on the way, dragging him by the arm. “Celling, wait,” he says. “I’m not sure how much longer you can keep this a secret. The soldiers are sworn to secrecy but one of them is sure to spill the beans soon. I’ll be able to get much more forces in here if I don’t have to hide it from the outside world.”
“Revealing this may just cause mass panic and public protests on our side,” Celling says.
“You always say that,” Nelson retorts. “This is one of the greatest scientific discoveries in the history of Antarctica. That over there-” he points to the crackling gate “-that over there is quite literally the door to a whole new world in science and culture. The people will find out, I suggest we tell them on our terms.”
Time to make your decisions. I will happily accept any other plans or strategies that you come up with, and provide commentary by OOTS characters on them when first proposed. Plans that get a net of two votes will occur, you may vote against plans to take them further from this limit.What is your general strategy?A: Use the throne room and tower as a line of siege, defend it with Antarctican technology.
B: Start evacuating citizens through the Gate and barricade it.
C: Launch an all-out offensive on the enemy forces throughout the city.
D: Begin hit and run attacks on the occupying forces using superior technology.
How will you deal with Xykon and Redcloak?A: Attempt to strike at them and take them out of the picture with Antarctican firepower.
B: Don’t do that. Ignore them for now, unless they confront us.
C: Negotiate with Xykon and tell him that the Gate is gone.
D: Negotiate with Redcloak, offer our help in ensuring Goblin equality and get him to turn on Xykon
What will your priority be when researching the Gate?A: Double-check that it isn’t going to expand or explode
B: Attempt to find a way of closing it upon request
C: Study it for insights into stabilizing the Wormhole
Will you reveal this to the outside world?A: Yes. Publish these results and let everyone hear about this.
B: No. Keep it a state secret for now, we can’t have this info out there.
Poll
13 (46.4%)
Author
Topic: (SG) SPAMOVERLORD: Epilogue: Guest Week (Read 286891 times)