London, England
Sometime last week…
In the oldest part of the city, where dark, fog-ridden streets twist and
turn like crooked old snakes, and where buildings seem to huddle together
for warmth against the cold and dank, stood an old pub. This pub was a
small place, overlooked by many except for a few locals. It’s worn facade
was chipped and weathered, blending in easily with its neighbors. Once it
had a faded sign, but that fell a decade or two before and was never
replaced by the owner.
Tonight, a new patron graced the narrow doorway. He was tall, lanky, and
draped in an oversized trench coat of neutral color; the rim of his hat was
pulled low over his eyes. He stepped into the smoke-filled room and passed
by hunched-over shapes, sitting at creaky tables on creaky chairs. Patches
of muttering, curious whispers, and muffled coughing followed him as he
headed for the shadows at the rear of the pub.
In the corner, away from the other tables to afford a modicum of privacy, a
woman sat alone. Others would say she was draped in shadow, lit only on
occasion by the flair of a drawn cigarette, but he could see her features
clear as day. Her hair was thin and white; long straggling locks held back
from her wrinkled face by an old, black scarf. A thick, fringed shawl hid
most of her faded dress. The dark colors helped her blend into the shadows
here. One long, pale hand grasped a sleek, black cigarette holder, bearing
a smoking, brown-paper cigarette stub, while her other hand rested lightly
on a worn deck of cards. Gaudy rings hung loosely on near-skeletal fingers.
She turned her ancient face toward him, as if to study him while she slowly
finished her smoke. She deftly flicked the butt to the wooden floor and
ground it out with a flat boot heel before she finally acknowledged her
visitor.
When she nodded, he sat across from her. The soft sound of shuffling
commenced, taking up several minutes. He was patient. He’d never been here before, but he knew who she was. And he wanted to know what she knew.
“The elements work against you, it seems… guardian.” Her voice rasped
softly. She had placed the cards in an unfamiliar layout on the table. The
images on each were indistinct and the colors wan, but this did not seem to
phase her at all. Her hand hovered, just barely, over one card and then the
next, shaking ever so slightly which caused her rings to clink a time or
two. “The dread beast, cradled safely in the arms of mother earth- for now
it sleeps, but woe and misfortune to everyone when it wakes.” She moved to
another card, thumped it once with a crooked thumb. “To the element of air
we look for that which can’t be seen. Yes, you understand what I speak of…
the hidden veil that protects us all from malevolence and evil. The veil is
weakest here, but it is also weak in other places of this world. The dark
ones paw at it; poke and prod at it, just hoping for the chance to break
through. Time is on their side and they have the patience of eternity.”
“They await a time when you will not be here to hold them back, guardian.”
He nodded and she felt, rather than saw, his agreement. Her hand moved
again, a long finger brushing another card almost lovingly. “And here lies
the deeper depths, from whence the lost shall return… it is hard to see,
even for me, but this I know: it is you who will pull the thread which will
ultimately unravel this tapestry.”
“These are all brought together by fire, by conflict. It cannot be
avoided.” She flipped another card off the top of the worn deck, held up
between her thumb and forefinger. “Conflict… from within… by your… family.
A daughter’s betrayal and the loss of… a son.” She paused and took a deep
breath, tilted her head and stared into the aether for the briefest moment.
“You shall not gather him unto your bosom, as with the others. His way
lies to another path. One apart from yours.” The last card fell onto the
table. Face up or down, it didn’t matter; the reading was over. “You must
safeguard yourself this time, more than ever before. Danger comes from the
past and it lies in your midst… and so it has for a long, long time.”
He nodded and smiled. “Thank you, M’lady. I appreciate your unique
insight. And your advice.” He reached in the coat pocket for a roll of
bills to pay her.
The old woman held up a thin hand in protest. “Not from you, guardian. It
is payment enough that you promise to keep yourself out of harm’s way.” She knew he would not, though, so she slowly began to gather up her cards as he stood and walked away. And even if she feared for him and all of England, she chose not to worry. Her pale, sightless eyes seemed to follow him as he exited the small, nameless pub.
And time marched on relentlessly, as it is wont to do.
While the dread beast slept.
And the lost one bided his time.
And the daughter betrayed her family.
And the son was lost.
And then, one day, the tapestry unraveled…
…***…***…***…***…
Majestic is a standard superhero campaign set in the Global Guardians
Universe. It is a blend of traditional (and untraditional) UK legends, with
aliens, mutants, and magic. Characters should be from the UK or one of it's
past or presently held territories. Character backgrounds should be
submitted initially. Based on those, I will select a team lineup and will
ask for character sheets. I am looking for characters to round out the
team, of course, such as energy blasters and mentalists. I am especially interested in finding Players who will post 2-3 times a week (or
more).
All Majestic characters should follow these guidelines:
Starting Points: 200
Maximum Disadvantages: 150
Maximum Points From One Category of Disadvantage: 50
Maximum Active Points for Any One Power: 60
Special Restrictions, Requirements and Exceptions:
It is advised that the player make use of all 150 points of Disadvantages.
All player characters should have either the 20 point Psychological
imitation "Code vs. Killing", the 20 point Psychological Limitation "Will
ot Kill" or the 15 point Psychological Limitation "Reluctant to Kill".
If the character submission is a conversion from the previous version of the
Global Guardians, and the character has any accrued experience points, the
character may retain those points.
Current PCs include:
Ultra (traditional flying brick and current team leader)
Archdruid (magician and shapeshifter)
Samsonite (nigh invulnerable, ageless brick)
Fortune (martial artist with luck)
Submission Deadline is Friday night, March 18th, midnight.
Cheers,
Mitzie
GM / Majestic
Mindscape/ The Damocles Directive
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Originally Posted by Magmarock
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