IST San Angelo version 3.0

[Mark Rand]

Yep, I'm trying it again.

 

As many of you know, I like both San Angelo and the International Super Teams concept that was created for GURPS Supers, but can be used with any system.

 

I'd like to present the campaign timeline first. Some of the stuff is from IST author Robert M. Schroeck's own page, http://www.eclipse.net/~rms/ist1990s.html. Other items come from various other universes and my fevered imagination. Much of this has been adapted from the timeline in the second IST San Angelo thread. Since this is the San Angelo universe, aliens are not known to exist and, until 2004, the public wasn't aware that magic existed.

 

In 331 BC, Xena and Gabrielle were born to a tribe of Amazons in what is now Southern Greece. Gabrielle's mother was the tribal queen and Xena's mother was one of her field commanders. Unlike her television counterpart, Gabrielle was a skilled horsewoman and often drew blood in combat.

 

When Gabrielle became queen, she ruled wisely and Xena was one of her field commanders.

 

In 200 BC, 200 Amazons faced 2 Roman legions to give the rest of their sisters time to flee into the countryside and keep the Amazon nation alive. At the end of the battle, all 200 Amazons were dead, as were half the Romans.

 

In 425 AD, a Roman commander received orders to help a priest, located above Hadrian's Wall, control the local population. They were also told that this was their last mission before returning home. They went and, seeing what the priest was doing, turned against him.

 

The commander and his men joined forces with the newly-freed people to rteurn south of Hadrian's Wall. The commander and his warriors, both male and female, joined forces and made the invading Saxons to retreat.

 

After the battle, the commander was appointed king. Then, he married the bravest of the female warriors and was instrumental in building a timber-frame castle on Cadbury Hill. We know the couple as King Arthur and Queen Guinevere and their castle as Camelot. As a sidenote, Guinevere was an Amazon commander, but not the queen. Rowanne, a slender blonde and a decendent of Gabrielle's, was the queen. A highly-skilled warrior, she fought at Guinevere's side.

 

More to come,

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

Onward.

 

In 16th century Japan, an Englishman informed a young woman, who was secretly a kunoichi, or female ninja, that she'd been selected for a great destiny and had to come with her. Her parents refused to permit it. The man pulled a weapon and was promptly killed by a thrown knife.

 

After the Englishman's body was tossed into a cave, his books were studied and it was discovered that the woman had been Called as a Slayer and the man had been her Watcher, the clan elders agreed to let her fulfill her calling. Her elder sister, who was trained as a Guardian Witch, accompanied her.

 

During one battle, they saved the Shogun's life. He asked them about the strange attackers. When they told him about the demons, the Shogun nodded and made both women Samurai and charged them with defending Japan from the undead. In gratitude, he gave them each a special set of swords and the ring that went with them. The third set was sent to their parents, to be given to someone who deserved it.

 

Although their real names are lost to history, the Slayer is known as Lady Rain and the Guardian Witch is known as Lady Fire. Their katanas are known, respectivly, as Rainstorm and Firestorm.

More to come.

 

(A/N: A Guardian Witch is a white witch who has sworn a vow of guardianship over humanity. When she uses her powers, her hair turns white. The male version is a Guardian Wizard.)

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

In 1820, Santa Helena, in Spanish California, was home to the Queen of Swords, who, depending on your point of view, was either a bandit or a vigilante. In the 1930s, records were discovered that Maria Teresa Alvarado, who her friends knew as Tessa, was the Queen of Swords and that Vera Hidalgo, who most people in the village had dismissed as a fool, was the current Amazon Queen and a close ally of Tessa's.

 

In 2001, George Bush, Junior became President. He embraced the "America First" ideals that President Buchanon had embraced. After 9/11 George Junior claimed that Iran was involved in the attack on the World Trade Center that succeeded and the three others that superheroes stopped, but most nations didn't believe him and didn't support his war on Iran. That didn't stop him at all. He also threatened to quit the United Nations if they tried to interfere with his plans, and, possibly, evict the United Nations from the United States. Pundits said that George was full of hot air about expelling the United Nations from the United States.

 

In April of 2003, an earthquake shook the town of Sunnydale, California, causing a large crater to form. One year later, Sunnydale Crater National Park was created on that spot. Near the crater is a padlocked chain-link fence enclosure. Inside the enclosure, and covered by a plastic roof, is a yellow schoolbus. The sign on the enclosure indicateds that this was the last vehicle to leave Sunnydale.

 

Still more to come, folks. The timeline's not finished yet.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

In February of 2004, while Senator John Hoynes of Texas was the Democratic front runner for the Presidency, Governer Josiah Edward Bartlet of New Hampshire threw his hat into the ring. When he did so, he also told the world that he had MS. Within a few short months, he was the front runner.

 

June of 2004 saw an attack by a demon army on the Los Angeles offices of the law firm Wolfram and Hart. The stations covering it showed many people, men and women fighting the demons. Two stations were airing interviews with Michael Moore. In one, he stated that George Junior had ties to Wolfram and Hart, which had ties to Hell. In the other, he stated that George was having demons bussed into key districts to swing the vote his way.

 

On another station, a soldier was talking about fighting HSTs in South America. Another had Slayer Buffy Summers standing with the British PM. Another had Captain James Brass of the Las Vegas Police talking about his experiences with supernatural forces, Slayers, Watchers, and demons. It was revealed on one station that John Hoynes's 17-year old daughter, Ellen, was one of three Slayers based in the San Angelo, a city southwest of Sacramento, California. To most it was a lot more interesting than the story that Governer Bartlet's eldest daughter, Holly, was a married circus performer who handled a snake and entered the blade box in the sideshow and trained the big cats, rode a horse, and fired her brother-in-law's wife out of a circus cannon in the main show.

 

In November of 2004, Jed Bartlet was elected President and John Hoynes was elected Vice-President. They were sworn in on January 20, 2005.

 

The end of the timeline, but plenty more posts to come.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

Here's a mixed bag of stuff.

 

Amazons still exist. They're women that are skilled in armed and unarmed combat and have knowledge of Greek and Amazon culture, customs, and ceremonies. They also know Greek, worship Artemis (their patron diety), and will obey their queen.

 

With the Amazons living in many countries, most of the governing is done by the Elders of the various regions. Only when there is something that needs the attention of all Amazons, does the queen step in. The current Amazon Queen, Nancy Sterngood, a ceramist living in Perfection, Nevada, has sent her Amazons into action twice in her reign. Once on 9/11, when she told them to keep an eye out for terrorists and report them to the proper authorities, and in June of 2004, when the demons attacked, ordered them to help protect their communities.

 

The ladies that saved the Shogun's life in 16th century Japan were part of what is now the Nakamura family. Mariko Nakamura, a 17-year old member of that family, is a Slayer and wields Lady Rain's katana, Rainstorm. Her mother, Kimiko, who owns a dojo, wields Lady Wind's katana, Windstorm. A third member of that family, Kathy, who works in the White House as Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn's aide, and is both a Slayer and a Guardian Witch, wields Lady Fire's katana Firestorm.

 

(A/N: Kathy had just finished her training as a Guardian Witch when Willow activated all the Slayers. Kathy was very surprised when she was Called.)

[KawangaKid]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

Very interesting stuff - I'm always intrigued by these timelines.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

Very interesting stuff - I'm always intrigued by these timelines.

Thank you for your kind words.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

San Angelo's Slayer team consists of Ellen Hoynes, Mariko Nakamura, and Ronna Wells. Since we've already met Ellen and Mariko, let's meet Ronna. Like the other two Slayers, she's 17-years old, and, like Rona, African-American. Her father, John, is the school librarian and the team's Watcher. Her mother, Ann, is the school nurse.

 

Since Ellen's parents live in Washington, D.C., she's living with her maternal grandparents, both of which are professors in the Linguistics department of UC San Angelo.

 

Mariko's father, Hikaru, is a fingerprint expert in the San Angelo County Crime Lab, which is part of the Sheriff's Department.

 

Elena and Consuelo Vargas, 17-year old twin sisters, are the team's two Guardian Witches. Their mother, a White Witch, teaches chemistry at the high school.

 

There are three mother-daughter teams of Amazons. The daughters are high school students and the mothers are physical education teachers.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

The White House staff is, more or less, the same as the ones on The West Wing. One difference is that some of them joined up before their television counterparts did. A second is the fact that the President's MS is public knowledge. He is sometimes seen either walking with a cane or in a wheelchair. A third is that there are White and Guardian Witches, as well as a Slayer working in the building. The Secret Service knows who they are and how powerful they are. Under the Edicts that created the IST, military supers were prohibited. However, since these women are normal White Staffers who just happen to be metahuman, they can't be fired because they are metahumans. The Secret Service, of course, has the right to request their services.

 

Abbey, a physician specializing in internal medicine and thoracic surgery, accepted an appointment as an adjunct professor in both specialities at the George Washington University School of Medicine. She also sees patients at the Medical Faculty Associates Building, located at 2150 Pennsylvania Avenue, and the hospital itself, located at 900 23rd Street. (All addresses are in Northwest Washington.) The Medical Faculty Associates Building itself has three sections, the H. B. Burns Memorial Building, the Student Health Service, and the Ambulatory Care Center.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

C.J. doesn't have a goldfish in a bowl in her office. Instead, she has an aquarium containing three goldfish, Gail, Carefree, and Clueless.

 

Abbey, Nancy (Mrs. Landingham's assistant), Margaret (Leo's assistant), and Ginger Toby's assistant) are all White Witches. Carol (C.J.'s assistant) and Bonnie (a communications aide) are both Guardian Witches. These seven women, and Kathy all belong to the same coven, which Abbey leads.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

The European public loves its heroes--and sometimes its villains, if they show style. Some criminals, such as le Char Noir (French for the Black Cat) of France are cult figures for their refusal to cause serious harm to either persons or property. Heroes are given as much government backing as the U.N. will allow.

 

England's best-known superhero team is the Knights of Pendragon. They're a group of men and women empowered by the Green Knight, a protective spirit that watches over the world in general and England in particular.

 

The current team consists of businesswoman Francesca Lexley Grace (who prefers to be addressed as Grace), Kate McClellan, Astra TV's fearless and beloved reporter, and Joey Chapman, the current Union Jack. Joey's lover, the rejuvinated Lady Jacqueline Falsworth-Chrichton, the World War II era superheroine Spitfire, sometimes joins the team.

 

A major enemy of the Knights are the Bane, minor demons that serve a greater demon known as The Red Lord.

 

More on the Pendragons and le Chat Noir to come.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

Grace, a dark-haired woman and former Bane Queen, always wears her armor in combat and, possible to make ammends for her misdeeds, is the team's fiercest fighter.

 

Blonde, blue-eyed Kate can generate electricity. she prefers to fight in street clothes and recently started wearing the black leathers she bought for a five-part series on the United Kingdon's motorcycle sub-culture. When she uses it, her armor looks like Medieval scale mail. She has, at least, once stated that she is the current wielder of the Pendragon powers that were once carried by Queen Guinevere. Upon hearing that, historians commented that the real Guinevere probably wore leather armor, not scale mail.

 

Joey prefers his Union Jack costume to armor, but has worn both.

 

When with the team, Jacqueline wears her Spitfire costume without the mask.

 

The Knights posess superhuman strength, endurance, and speed, enhanced fighting abilities, and can sense the Banes. They can also summon AI-equipped speeder bikes that can jump, through ley-space, to alternate realities. Additionally, they can change from what they're wearing to armor in a second and converse with the owls that act as the Green Knight's messengers and sentries.

 

The Pendragon power the Knights posess isn't on all the time. They have to activate it. Once when she did, Kate shattered all the glass in the vicinity.

 

Next, le Chat Noir and IST Sinai

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

There is only a brief mention of le Chat Noir in the GURPS IST book. My version of le Chat Noir is a tall, polite, and soft-spoken female cat burglar eith exquisit taste in loot and a silencer-equipped Beretta 92F that's always equipped with knockout darts.

 

Like all of Europe's "gentle" metavillains, confrontations with her are like chess matches instead of battles. She is a bit ticked off at the Suave Marauder, Metahumam Monthly's fashion columnist, over comments he made about her matt-black costume and has threatened to send him a hairball or two.

Recently, Paris was plagued by a seriel killer that targeted only prostitutes. Ordering the IST to let them handle it, the police were unable to catch him. However, le Chat Noir caught him in the act while burglarizing the 40th story penthouse of a wealthy Parisian lawyer. After knocking out, binding and gagging him, (the lawyer had already bound and gagged the prostitute) she stole what she was after, then escaped, tripping the alarm on the way out. The Paris Police tried to claim credit for the arrest, but the headline in the next morning's newspaper, CAT BURGLAR BAGS PROSTITUTE KILLER, and the accompanying story, left them with egg on their faces.

 

IST Sinai is located one kilometer north of Mount Saint Catherine, which is said to be the Biblical Mount Sinai and is home to monastery. Go to http://www.geographia.com/egypt/sinai/stcatherine.html to learn more about it.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

Unicorns exist. They come here, from the spirit world, through a now-sealed gate on the Tipsy Q Ranch, which is located just outside Snowy Falls, Colorado, a town too small to show up on most maps. The ranch is now the Tipsy Q National Wildlife Refuge. Samuel and Libby Quarrels Coldpony, the ranch's former owners, manage the refuge for the United States Department of the Interior. Most of the unicorms stay near the trees and mountains. However, one unicorn, Phyllis, a sturdy mare, stays with the horses and is Libby's usual mount.

 

Boeing recently unveiled the single-stage-to-orbit space shuttle they built using the 757 as a base. The ship was named Enterprise and has the tail number NCC-1701.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

My thread "Solara version 2.0" ties into this. The URL for it is http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38630.

 

In a previous post, I mentioned Captain Jim Brass of the Los Vegas Police. There are a number of other interesting forensics people in the campaign. Some are presented here.

 

Las Vegas CSI Supervisor Gil Grissim, PhD, a well-respected entomologist, is living with Lady Heather, the owner of a fetish club.

 

Catherine Willows, one of Gill's forensics experts, is a metahuman. She can become, at will, either a Bengal tiger or a cross between human and tiger. In all three forms her senses are heightened and she retains her intelligence in the two feline forms. Catherine is skilled in the type of combat police dogs know and is now helping er daughter, Lindsey, get used to being part tiger.

 

Sara Sidle, another of Gil's forensics experts is so fleet of foot that her friends have nicknamed her Cheetata. She can run at 30 miles per hour for hours on end and can maintain 62 miles per hour for 15 seconds before dropping to 30 miles per hour. She then has to wait 12 hours before going back to 62 miles per hour.

 

CSI Miami's Lieutenant Horatio Caine has a photographic memory.

 

Calleigh Duquesne, CSI Miami's firearms expert, is a direct decendant of legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley and is every bit as good with firearms as Annie herself.

 

CSI San Angelo's Mac Taylor performs magic tricks.

 

Stella Bonasera, Mac's strong right hand, belly dances. She and her lover, an astronomer at UC San Angelo's Wells Planetarium, are members of the San Francisco Region of the Sports Car Club of America. He's the region's chief starter and they both race Eagle Talons.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

A few minor corrections were made to the above post.

 

Onward.

 

Two years ago, game time, Congress, noting that a number of bureaucracies were giving conflicting orders to traveling entertainment groups, decided to do something about it. They authorized the Executive Branch to create a department to regulate the traveling entertainment industry. Their regulations would supersede the various state and local ones.

 

Although, for the most part, they have straightened things up, they also ordered the shows to provide care for their people and animals. One nurse is required for every 100 employees or fraction thereof. Two medical assistants may be hired in place of one nurse. A veterinarian is required if there are animals, besides pets, traveling with the show. A physician and dentist are required if the show plays mostly small cities. All personal are to be licensed only in the state the show is based in and that license is to be accepted by the other states. The shows must provide proper work areas for the personal.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

While Jed Bartlet was running for the Presidency, he occasionally visited his married daughter Holly while she was on the road with the circus. Secret Service agent Connie Thompson was the usual advance agent for those trips. During one of them, Jed came face to face with George Bush. The two men shook hands and George stated that the show's animals looked wonderful.

 

That didn't please the animal rights activists who didn't want the show to have animals. They yelled and threw spray cans, rocks, and other things. One can hit President Bush on the back with a spray can. Before the Secret Service agents quickly arrested the protesters, one, who had super powers, managed to free the big cats.

 

The black leopard that had been in the menagerie walked over to Rumiko Nishigawa, D.V.M., the show's black-clad vet, sat beside her, and purred. Most of Holly's cats, the lion, two lionesses, two tigresses, and one liger, stayed close to Holly and the people with her. The other liger tracked down a protester that tried to get away. Once he was caught, the liger joined the others by Holly.

 

"Now what?" asked Secret Service Agent Ron Butterfield, who headed the President's detail, asked.

 

"You'll see," Holly replied. She turned to her cats, and said, "Please return to your cages. If any of you have a medical problem, I'll ask Rumiko to look at you." They did. Across the lot, the leopard returned to its cage, too.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

A few notes.

 

The Secret Service is aware that Rumiko can mentally communicate with animals. According to Holly, who, at Rumiko's suggestion, provided the information, the range of this communication is 2 meters and when she does it, her eyes glow, as do those of the animals she's talking to.

 

Some of the spray cans released a gas that increased the intelligence of the animals and gave them the ability to talk. The big cats, dogs, horses, elephants, animals in the menagerie, and their relatives on the lot seem to have decided to keep quiet when the public's around.

 

The show's medical needs are handled by Annette Campbell, M.D. and her two daughters, Rebecca, a nurse, and Catherine, a nurse practitioner. Catherine, who the show people address as Cat, drives the medical office, a converted motorhome, and bunks in it. Annette, her husband, Daniel, who heads the big top department, and Rebecca live in the family's motorhome. (In the old days, Daniel would be referred to as the boss canvasman.)

 

Next, we start looking at the IST itself.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

The United Nations refers to each IST headquarters building as an embassy. Most are located within the central core area of the city, but a few aren't. IST San Angelo is one of them.

 

Originally, they planned to build it in town, but development magnate and power broker Benjamin Morgan bought up all of the available properties in that area. IST Command was considering taking a plot of land by eminent domain when the UC San Angelo trustees offered IST Command a good deal for a plot of the same size. They accepted the offer.

 

IST Command hired Olympus Construction, Inc., owned by Aristeides Pappagianis, to build the new headquarters. Benjamin Morgan wasn't happy. Nobody at the U.N. cared.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

Here is IST San Angelo's layout.

 

Sub-basement two: Fusion reactor, electrical generator, 2 (10,000) Gallon water tanks, plumbing and electrical workshops.

 

Sub-basement one: Eight holding cells, combat simulation chamber, long-term storage, vault, morgue.

 

Basement: Receiving dock and associated offices, supplies and storerooms, including the ammo locker.

 

Ground floor: Newsstand, pay phones, assorted shops.

 

Second floor: Mechanicals (air conditioning, heat, related environmental systems, including filtering) cellular radio subsystems, HVAC workshop.

 

Third floor: Powered infantry barracks, armory, armor shop, parts storage, lockers, off-duty area firing range.

 

Fourth floor: Team administrator's office, other administrative offices, legal attache's office, public relations officer's office, photo studio, darkroom, staff conference room, restrooms, vending area, PC network room, auditorium for press conferences.

 

Fifth floor: Personal quarters for IST supers, labs, general reading library, kitchen, dining room, rec room.

 

Sixth floor: Gymnasium/CSC, showers, conference room, medical area, labs, technical library, command center, vending area, field leader's office.

 

Roof: Elevator mechanisms, primary satellite dishes, helipad, nesting box. (The roof elevators and elevator mechanisms share a structure on the roof that has exits on the north and south sides. The nexting box, which is home to a family of peregrine falcons, is near the north entrance.)

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

There are a number of important posts mandated by the U.N.'s Committee On Permanent Peacekeeping Forces. They are: Team Administrator, Field Leader (or Team Leader), Public Relations Officer (often a team member), Legal Attache, and Secutity Chief.

 

Recently, an Intelligence Analyst and an Intelligence Agent were added to the list of positions.The field agent may request a hero, with the proper skills, be assigned as an assistant. If so, this hero doesn't count against the regular compliment.

 

The embassy also has a support staff of over 100. Many are part of the domestic staff, which is headed by the majordomo. Other staffers are medical personal, trainers, physical plant, security officers, and administrative personal.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

Time to start meeting people.

 

Sir John Royal is the team administrator. He's a career diplomat from the United Kingdom and shares a suite in the hotel across the street from the embassy with his private secretary.

 

Carol West is Sir John's private secretary. She's efficent, easy to get along with, a low-power metahuman, and legally blind. Quoting Carol, "Without my glasses, I can see clearly to my elbow. Everying from there to my wrist is a blur. Beyond that, I can't see a thing. With my glasses on, I can see clearly the length of my arm. At twice the length of my arm, I can't see anything."

 

Carol's always accompanied by her guide dog, a well-mannered golden retreiver named Ginger, whose fur is the same color as Carol's golden hair.

 

Carol's metahuman abilities let her mentally communicate with Ginger, see through Ginger's eyes (by closing her own eyes and concentrating), and let Ginger see through her eyes. (Ginger does this by closing her eyes and concentrating.)

 

More to come.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

Lieutenant Colonel Jack Gray is the embassy security chief. A former army ranger, Jack has seen action in many places. His wife is a clinical psychologist and works in the embassy's medical department.

 

Major David Tower is Jack's able second-in-command. They served in the army together for many years before their unit was downsized out of existance.

 

Captain Amanda Stewart Tower is Dave's wife. A former special ops helicopter pilot, she was assigned to the unit Jack and Dave were in. Now, she the IST team's primary pilot and a good backup on a mission.

 

Kuntala Singh, Esq., is the embassy's legal attache. The daughter of two Indian diplomats, she attended Harvard Law School before joining the United Nations. She has long black hair and likes to wear saris.

 

The embassy's Public Relations Officer is Huntress, who is publicly-known to be Princess Sophia, the only daughter of the king of very small Baltic country. She is elegant, calm, collected, and easy to get along with.

 

Possibly more staff to come.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

Aki Nishigawa, M.D. is the embassy's chief medical officer. Educated at UCLA, she's originally from Japan. Like her staff, Aki wears scrubs.

 

David Allen is the embassy intelligence officer. A former MI-6 operative, he's skilled in many areas of his trade.

 

Black Scorpion, heiress April Curtis, is his assistant. An Olympic gymnast, she started her ninja training at age six, after she and one of the Nakamura girls became blood sisters. She had just gotten her B.S. in electronic enginering from UC San Angelo when she was invited to go to Japan with other members of her clan and take part in the selection of the next Black Scorpion. She never dreamed that it would be her.

[Mark Rand]

Re: IST San Angelo version 3.0

 

I've edited my posts to this thread to make them easier to read and, as necessary, fix spelling errors.