Savinien Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Just because I know all of you folks want to know all there is to know about my groups Champions campaign, I'm going to put RCU stuff in this here very important thread. First off, the link! http://rcuhero.net Tune in next time for some fan-fiction by yours truly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted May 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! Here is a write-up of my first session as GM of Eclipse, a Houston-based super-team in the RCU. And the Band Played On It’s a gentle spring Saturday evening in Houston. Soft gray skies expand to the distant horizon, broken by the city's skyline. A large crowd has gathered at Miller Outdoor Theater for a Tesla reunion tour. The seats are full and the hill is an expanse of humanity, dotted with blankets and coolers. One are is cleared however for a stage prop. A large globe lounges on the hill, supported by fresh pine woodwork about the base of Antarctica. Long black cables snake down the hill past the pavilion seats and under the wide stage. The crowd sways, bouncing and speaking in low tones as the vast array of speakers on stage and behind the Super Screen, buttressed against the back of the globe, pulse to the beat of an old Tesla tune. John Spratt nods idly at his wife’s chatter as he watches two fellow fans walk past. One is well built and sporting a large brown back pack and wearing a cowboy hat. The other is speaking quietly to his friend as he points out the globe on the hill sporadically surrounded by security guards. Spratt continues to ignore his spouse and turns his attention to the stage as high pitched guitar riffs blast through the speakers. The crowd’s roar blasts upon the man testing the band’s equipment on the stage to no effect, John raises his voice with the others. Night descends on Hermann Park and the crowd, Spratt and his wife are dancing with the rest of the crowd as Tesla rocks, lazer lights shining into the night sky, both from the stage and the large globe on the hill. John sees an occasional fight breaking out and his wife, Carla seems abnormally aggressive. It’s all the same to John though, as long as the band plays on. Another hour passes, Carla just punched out the woman next to her and fights are prolific upon the hill, John is wrestling the woman’s man. Down in the seats, cans and can coolies fly through the air towards the stage, and the band plays on. John releases his hands from the throat of the bespectacled, balding man beneath his knees as the speakers along the hill and the lights of the globe suddenly shut down. John glances about at the other hill-goers wondering if his own face mirrors the blank staring looks he sees about him. Near the globe, two men stand with costumed familiarly, one just straightening after severing the snaking cables connecting the globe to the rest of the stage. “What are Sentinel and Mass Master doing at the Tesla Reunion,†he wonders. “They must be fans, too.†The next instant finds John and all the other fans panicking and creating as much distance between themselves and globe as possible. A costumed man rises out of the orb on a scintillating green circle, his voice echoing above the still playing band on stage, “How dare you defy the machinations of, Decibel?!?!†Sentinel replies, “Who?†as Mass Master disappears from sight. From his vantage point near the top of the hill, Mr. Spratt holds his wife behind him as a green bolt of energy spears from the blue and orange clad individual's gauntleted hand. The bolt flies between his legs and harmlessly through the green circle he stands upon. The helmeted figure known as Decibel bellows, “Your tricks won’t work on me, Mass Master!†At that moment an unblemished silver shield flashes through the night to slam into some unseen barrier between Sentinel and Decibel. Emerald sparks dance along the invisible wall. Mass Master appears, a larger than life effigy, above Decibel, arms and legs spread wide. Both hero and villain plummet back into the partially destroyed simulacrum of the earth with a resounding thud. Moments later, a discernible bubble of green energy propels the twelve foot Mass Master out of the sphere to land gracefully on his feet some distance from his starting point. At this instant, both heroes realize their communicators are good for nothing but ornaments. They trade blows with the villain, neither side gaining much until the bubble radiates from the hovering villain once more. It catapults both Eclipse members in opposite directions. Mass Master lands far up the hill and Sentinel alights past the pavilion where the band continues to play to the aggressive, rowdy crowd of about two thousand screaming fans. Sentinel notices more of the emerald energy near the Museum of Natural Sciences and decides to investigate, leaving Decibel to his long time team mate and friend, Mass Master. T The latter quickly takes the battle to greater heights as he grows to forty feet and sprints across the slight decline to muster a great punt against the sound wielding scientist. The barrier about Decibel is shattered. This only serves to make the evil villain angry though, he flies up near Mass Masters head and emits a new blast, this one affecting the density controllers eardrums, stunning him. John Spratt watches as the villain blasts the hero once more and flies off. The globe is a smoldering ruin on the hilltop. A strange vehicle of some sort sits at a cant and two technicians are rousing themselves from a stupor near the remains of the sphere. The crowd below howls as their favorite band lowers their instruments, gazing up the hill at the titanic battle. Mass Master, at a stupendous height of forty feet lays sprawled along the cement walk separating the pavilion from the slight grade of the hill. Meanwhile, Harvey Munroe, clad in his Sentinel outfit, reaches a gaping hole in the Museum wall. The Egyptian section of the building lies on the other side. A quick search of the are reveals the backside of a costumed villain greedily gathering items from a broken glass display case. A short battle ensues, interrupted momentarily by another costumed thug joining the fray. Both are quickly dispatched our favorite Aegis bearing brawler. Using the operating head sets of the thugs, Sentinel calls in the police and his Eclipse allies Demolition and Ion Storm. All four eventually gather once more upon the hilltop. They are joined by one Captain Roger Stevens, leading officer of Houston Strike Force. The Strike Force team and other HPD members calm the crowd, which is quickly regaining its senses when a device found in a speaker on the stage is found and removed from its power source. A few days later, at the Eclipse observatory, a few things are discussed amongst the super team as reports arrive from Strike Force. Three robberies were executed near Hermann Park that night, each consisting of a strike force of two costumed goons bearing sonic gadgetry. One was foiled by Sentinel and those two perpetrators have been incarcerated and their equipment impounded. The objectives of the robberies were seemingly unconnected, the items consisting of a cellular-degeneration halting serum, a dating device on the cellular level consisting of electronic stimulus , and some cryogenic paraphernalia. The aircar, kevlex armor of the thugs, their gadgets, the signal jamming device, and the audio-subliminal aggression enhancer all seemed to be constructed using out of date Freedom Force components. The heroes discuss some of the possibilities and ponder their recent failures in curtailing super-villain activity in the Houston area. All involved vow to improve their performance in the future and get to the bottom of this latest criminal spree by this mad scientist of sound, Decibel. 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Savinien Posted May 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! Here is the promised fanfic. We held a little fanfic contest among the players and GMs of the RCU. I wrote this piece for two reasons. One, was for the contest and the other... I wanted to debut Pariah. I actually used a 'revivified' version of the character later in an Eclipse story and I wanted the other people to ahve a little background on the character. Of Beasts and Men CLICK, CLICK, CLICK. The sound of his heels striking the highly polished floor rang along the corridor. The décor was impeccable. No surprise, it was the Pentagon. How much were the conspiracy theorists saying they spent on toilet seats these days? He rotated his shoulder, wincing slightly. The sharply dressed officer lounging rigidly at a nearby closed door asked softly, “Trouble with the rotator cuff, Senator Kelley?†Kelley nearly nods distractedly and continues down the hall. CLICK, CLICK, CLICK. His tie sways gently, his face stoic as he thinks and rubs his shoulder, **It’s too bad Riptide was unavailable to take care of Tritan this time. His attacks outside of Hudson had been going on too long. I hope our meeting will be delayed for a long time to come.** He shakes his head, auburn curls moving softly, **Erylusians, they call them. I’m glad we didn’t have much to do with them during the Squadron days. It’s bad enough with the Defenders.** CLICK, CLICK, CLICK. “Senator Kelley, Good Morning.†The General’s voice is loud, but, not nearly as bad as Tritan’s had been. The thought brings a smile to Kelley’s voice as he returns the greeting, “Good morning, General Wilcox. I trust all is well? Or, can I assume this meeting is something other than the possibility of a golf outing?†The older man’s face flickers amusement, “No, I’m afraid not. To get to the point, I was wondering what you knew about Valhalla or the status of Bill 78737.†**Blunt as always, aren’t you Wilcox,** he thinks. Kelley’s eyes narrow and ridges appear across his brow. “Valhalla, General? Wasn’t that the Viking’s idea of Heaven… A lot of drinking and fighting if I remember correctly. About 78737, I can’t possibly figure out the connection between the two.†The General nods, slipping the four-starred, olive drab hat from his head and resting it on his desk, “I see.“ He gestures to a black, leather upholstered chair across from his desk, “Have a seat Senator.†The other man takes the seat as Wilcox runs a rugged hand through his silvered hair, sitting in his own chair. He continues, “Valhalla is the Meta-Morgue based in New York. It is highly classified and specialized in its function, if the 78737 antagonists got wind of it, they’d certainly object to the cold-sleep practiced there. Regardless, there seems to have been a leak and I need to put a plug in it.†Burt’s mind races, **I never realized how old the General was getting. When did all of his hair turn so white? Probably about the time Mahn got into office, or at the time of Patsen’s death.** He only voices the following, though, “Ah, within that context, I believe I –do- know what you’re talking about.†In a small flash of a moment, Senator Burt Kelley, AKA Torpedo of the D.C. Defenders is reminded of a darker time. A time while he was with the Justice Squadron. A time when he first heard of Valhalla and who was laid to rest there. Drizzle fell in sheets in Hell’s Kitchen. Even at Torpedo’s and Critical’s speed it had taken a little longer than expected to get here, just due to the lack of visibility. It just didn’t seem worth it. Bodies were strewn everywhere and blood mingled with grime and water in brackish pools along with piles of rancid garbage. The smell of burnt ozone or perhaps flesh was enough to bypass the filters in Torpedo’s mask. Velocity, if his expression was any clue, was no better off. It seemed the Ripper had been following his path along the coast and had finally reached New York. “It looks like we might as well look for clues, Velocity. Too bad Lady America is off with the rest of the Squadron. We could use her experience.†Critical Velocity nodded mutely, he was bent over a mutilated, still steaming corpse, “We can’t be far behind him Burt. It looks like we figured out his path only a few moments too late. He must be close… ARRGHH!†Even Benjamin Barry’s reflexes weren’t enough to dodge the attack. It had come from the shadows, leaving the hero stunned and lying in a heap below the indent in the brick wall on the opposite side of the alley, a few bits of masonry trickling about him. Torpedo leapt on the offensive, his form a blur as he sent a series of rapid punches towards the shadowy form enveloped by the darkness. All came up empty. Eyes squinted and peering about the darkness, Torpedo thinks feverishly, **Where could he have gone so quickly? Smart, fast, and deadly. I sure hope Ben is okay…** SSWWWIIISH A blood-dripping claw snakes from the shadows in a huge arc cutting closely to the blue and gray clad speedster. Silent on the outside, Burt’s mind is racing, **That came from the darkness, luckily I could hear it cutting the air before it reached me giving me time to dodge. I’ve got to get Ben out of here. I can’t let Ripper keep up this crusade of carnage, though.** An overwhelming voice splits the night, echoing along the alley, seeming to come from everywhere at once, “YOU HAVE INVADED MY HOME, BEAST. YOU HAVE KILLED IN MY SANCTUARY. YOU MUST DIE.†The words bounced about the alley, its tone grating Torpedo to the bone. **Who could it be?** A wave of vertigo swept past him in the darkness, something moving by but not quite touching him. “Not another one… must get Ben to safety…†Torpedo mumbles as he stumbles over to the unmoving crimson and black form of Critical Velocity and scoops him up. He quckly regains his senses and speeds to a circle of light barely fending off the nigh-overwhelming darkness of the alley. The sounds of combat follow him, careening through the shadows that birthed them. The grating voice and blood curdling yowls interspersed with guttural growls and the momumental impact of Titans clashing. Throughout the sounds of the battle, Torpedo stands in his small pool of safety, poised over the form of his fallen comrade, ready to sprint off at the first sign of attack. The fight seems short and brutal, ending with a sickening crunch. A gaunt shade, dressed in tattered patchwork of purple and black, steps into the edge of the light. “I am Pariah. Your foe shall do no more harm here. Take your friend and leave.†The voice and tone is completely neutral, devoid of emotion, but yet, still somehow conveying an underlying menace. His eyes shine in the night, seeming to drink deeply of the light. They resemble two twinkling onyx under a starlit sky. In one fist dangles the feral, Ripper, its clawed feet scritching divots along the concrete of the alley. Its head is bent at an unnatural angle and a purple aura seems to be fading from it. Burt finds his voice and speaks, “I’m Torpedo. Is the Ripper dead?†“Yes. Take the creature and leave.†Torpedo tenses, his thoughts teetering on the edge of violence, **A killer vigilante. If he can take the Ripper, I’m not sure I’m a match for him here.** He pauses and glances to the crumpled form of his teammate, **Ben desperately needs medical care.** He glances back up to the shade calling himself, Pariah, his voice hedge in a calm tone, “Very well, Pariah, this isn’t the last time we’ll meet.†The Squadroner leans over to gently lift up Critical Velocity. When he rises he notices the absence of Pariah. **I guess I won’t have to find out what might have happened. This time.** Two men stand before a massive monitor in Squadronbase, home and headquarters of the Justice Squadron. The time is the late eighties, not long before the end of an era. The screen was depicting a battle between a single man, clad in tattered shred of purple and black clothing and a handful of others, all dressed in red and orange. A few moments pass and the single man falls under seemingly unending blows and energy blasts from the others. Eventually, the victors fly off under whatever means capable of them leaving a smoldering, unmoving Pariah. “It was the Sun Lords, Burt. What few witnesses we could find say he put up a valiant effort, but, he didn’t stand a chance. They tag-teamed and killed him. It looked and sounded like there whole team was after him with a vengeance.†It was Megaman speaking, his cowl-hood bunched on his shoulders. “Ben said you met him a few years back during the Ripper case and had a bi-polar relationship with him.†Burt nods, “Yeah. We worked together a few times and fought a few. He just had a different ethic than the rest of us. It doesn’t mean he was wrong, though. Sometimes, the Man makes the Beast, Doyle. He didn’t have the System behind him like we do. “ Megaman nods thoughtfully, before the two lapse into silence. “Was there a funeral?†asks Torpedo. “Yes, a close casket affair. No family and only a few denizens of Hell’s Kitchen were there. If it wasn’t for Blue Dot, I’m sure you could have helped him. You know, we can’t be everywhere..." Megaman drops one hand on Torpedo’s shoulder before continuing, â€A few reports came in afterward, Burt. The body was missing.†“Missing?†Senator Kelley nods again, his thoughts back on the here and now. As his eyes focus once more on the General seated across from him. He says, “Yes, I’ve heard of Valhalla, General. Not much, though.†He sighs now, his features melancholy, “I’ll see what I can do in the Senate to slow down the rush of 78737. The public is fickle, General Wilcox. The system seems to have a mind of its own these days.†Senator Burt Kelley stands, smoothing his slacks. “If that’s all …?†As the door closes behind and he walks along the hall he whispers a few words, “Sometimes the Beast makes the Man and the system forces its own path. Farewell, Pariah.†Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMiller Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! Looking forward to more Sav! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! Very nice work, and repped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted May 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! Looking forward to more Sav! Very nice work' date=' and repped.[/quote'] Thanks! I'll keep these as testimonials (in and out of context!!!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted May 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! A few years ago, in June, a hurricane tossed some pretty nasty weather at Houston, Texas and really flooded the 'Underground'. I added this natural weather occurence as 'natural' backdrop to the story I wanted to tell in Eclipse. After some thought, the hurricane was part of the ensuing trouble that surrounded the Omnisphere story arc that swept ALL the campaigns of the RCU. The player-base schedule for Eclipse was a bit tattered, so I pulled Mass Master out and ran a 'solo' adventure for him. I included a cameo in this write up of Eclipse #2: Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head On the coast of the Gulf, the small town of Deleon wallows in the midst of a crisis. In the future, the coffee shop elder’s will say it is the worst in Deleon’s history. In the now though, it’s been raining for days and, if anything, the rain just stepped it up a notch. Deleon is situated along the southern coast of Texas and the man-made channel that leads to the Port of Houston, about twenty-five miles to the north. Near evening at the Thomas residence, things are about to get worse. The father, Edward, is loading his family into a Coast Guard boat, when a faint cry is heard above and some distance away from him. Edward’s eyes turn to slits as he gazes towards his house’s roof peak. His heart skips a beat as he realizes it is Marcus, his youngest son, dangling from the eave. Just as his little fingers finally give way to the strain, a giant, blue-gloved hand stretches down to catch him. A weary cheer goes up from the family and rescue team as they realize what is happening. The Thomas family and the town of Deleon is saved. Mass Master, of the Houston based super-team Eclipse is on location. The rain continues and little Marcus Thomas is gently placed into the rescue boat. Twenty-five miles to the north, in Houston, a mid-sized aircar hovers slowly along the Houston channel doing its own brand of super-heroeing. Inside, three men strive to right the wrongs and defeat all villainy, together, they are ECLIPSE... "Let's head down near the docks, Sentinel, and see if anyone needs help there." Demolition, the speaker narrows his eyes in his goggles, attempting to see through the torrential rains coming down around them as the red-clad leader of the team complies. A few streetlamps glow weakly here and there amidst the omnipresent blackness of the water. Behind him, another red-clad hero, Ion Storm adds his thoughts, "That's a good idea, Demolition. We've done what we can around here.." His words are interrupted by a voice coming over the radio. "Mass murder discovered in Warehouse 7, along Access Road 3, meta-human activity suspected. Captain Stevens and the Strike Force team has been dispatched." The three heroes exchange glances as the SliverJet banks heavily, turning towards the Warehouse district. A frown can be seen on Sentinel's face, as he pilots the vehicle, the recent memory of his rendezvous with A.N.T and Reaver seeming to trouble him as he returns to that area. A few minutes later, the gloom above Warehouse 7 is pierced by the opening hatch of the SliverJet. The three heroes disembark and disappear into the large, three-story building. The place is crawling with various agents of the Strike Force team, detectives, forensic scientists, and the hearty features of Captain Roger Stevens, the former war hero and leader of the Houston Strike Force Team. The meeting between the four is sterile but informative. The remains of fifteen Mafiosi, various automatic weapons, three limousines, bullet holes, and expended ammo cartridges litter the building. Many minutes pass as the heroes speak with the Captain and aid the various teams in the detective work, attempting to discover exactly what has happened at the warehouse. A theory is soon deduced; a battle between the Mafiosi and a flesh eating carnivore took place. The beast could withstand the shells of the Mafiosi and not a single man survived the encounter. The beast seemingly had great strength considering the method of entrance through the door on the roof. After the battle, as the beast fed on the human remains, another combatant entered the building, crashing through a high window, via some sort of swing-line. This other, used grenade-like devices to pummel the carnivore and drag him from the building. Further investigation is halted by an officer bursting into the building. The offender reports an individual costumed in red and black was seen sprinting down I-610. A request from the Strike Force captain sends the heroes to the SliverJet with the blessings of the HPD. Minutes later, Sentinel gently drops the SliverJet to a landing atop a large building with an attached lumber yard. As far as the team can tell, they should be able to head off the perp here. Beyond the lumberyard, I-610 stretches across the horizon towering nearly 60 feet in the air. A glance to the left reveals the inky blackness of a bayou outreaching its banks, and flooding the Train-yard beyond the interstate, as well as the lumberyard below, in two feet of water. The team disembarks as their quarry leaps from the heights of the interstate, over his shoulder a limp gray form can barely be discerned. The man fires some sort of swing-line into the bridge, coming to a splash landing in the water below. Demolition and Sentinel race towards the quickly descending figure some distance away, leaping from the roof the Jet landed on to the lumber-yard below. Out of the corner of his eye, Sentinel notices a door opening on the roof and a large figure silhouetted there. Ion Storm, the last one out of the aircar, barely hears his teammates warning before five projectiles streak towards his evasive maneuvering form. The flier adjusts easily to the single rocket connecting harmlessly with his force-field. Quickly taking cover behind a box-like, air-conditioning unit, Storm retaliates with a blast of his own. His attacker is blasted back into the stairwell he so recently emerged from. On the ground, the other two lose sight of their prey. An electric blast hums through the darkness, blasting Demolition from behind and propelling the camouflaged hero forward, towards the lumber-yard gate. Sentinel reacting with speed born of long training and enhanced speed, comes to the aid of his friend by turning and letting loose with his trademark shield. The shield careens off of the attacker lurking in the doorway of the building and returns deftly to the hand of Sentinel, leaving the manta-winged attacker reeling from the blow. Back on the roof, Ion Storm flies cautiously to the access door, ready to unleash his deadly blast on the armor clad villain that so futilely attacked him. A few steps down the spiral staircase reveals the villain moving up the stair. Storm’s blast propels his adversary bouncing down the stairwell. Sentinel follows up on his long range attack, closing with Devilfish, and hoping to pummel him into defeat. His plan is interrupted by a Spanish accented voice behind him. "No need to harm my winded comrade, Sentinel!" Close inspection of the attacker reveals him as a Cuban Assassin known as, El Vengaza which translates to English as, The Revenge. Vengaza’s expletive preludes a furious combat, punctuated with attack and counter-attack between he and the other martial artist, Sentinel. Meanwhile, Demolition has used his momentum to leap over the fence and dives into the shallow water on the other side. A quick reconnaissance reveals nothing, leaving the Seal to look about with greater proclivity. Behind him, back in the lumber yard, he notices an emaciated figure, only the remnant of pants covering his lower torso and thighs. Its eyes glow malevolently as it speaks in a raspy voice, "Food... Ghoul hungers..." The words echo hollowly in Demolition's gut, along the back of his neck, his hairs bristle of their own volition. The feeling passes and Demolition raises his fist, unleashing a nerve-damaging blast at the cannibal. It howls in unbridled rage, rushing through water and the chain-link fence toward Demolition. His claws rake through Navy Seal's defenses, leaving a slight trail of blood across his chest. Seconds ago, Sentinel saw a bit of Devilfish's wing as he leapt to the roof. Pleas for aid from Demolition cut across Sentinel’s communicator. Apparently, Ghoul's claws contain some sort of diseasing agent which saps Demolition’s strength. Sentinel, realizing Demotion can’t take another attack from the ghoul, offers a respite between he and Vengaza, “My teammate and your teammates need help. There is no reason for this to continue.” An unlikely show of honor is shown by the assassin as he acquiesces to Sentinel, halting his attack, and silently dashing into the building. Sentinel takes little time to ponder the anomaly before giving Ion Storm a warning and sprinting towards his fallen teammate. Ion Storm, hearing Sentinel's warning of company coming slowly retreats back up the stair, leaving Hydronaut to extricate himself from his location in the wall. With a flurry of wings and a high-pitched scream of "Lester!!!" Devilfish appears in the doorway of the roof access stairwell. He alights for only a few moments before he is blasted back halfway across the roof by the unleashing of an Ion bolt. The anguished cry of "Herbie!!!" echoes up the stairwell, followed by the lumbering form of Hydronaut. Storm turns towards the mercenary, once more leveling his fist at him. The Ion Bolt sizzles between the intervening space slamming into Hydronaut's chest, physically lifting him off his feet and slamming him into another section of the stairwell. This time, the armored villain stays there, unmoving. A ricocheting attack from the shield of Sentinel sends the bloodlusting Ghoul fleeing into the night. As the helmed hero ponders the whereabouts of Demolition, the latter springs up from the water, startling the Eclipse leader, and showering him with droplets from his watery emergence. Demolition trains his fist on the fleeing Ghoul and blasts him once more, glowing energy flashes into Ghoul’s emaciated gray back, causing him to stumble and fall, into the flood waters. He resurfaces slowly, floating face down along the surface, raindrops splashing about his back and the surrounding water. Ion Storm, while returning to the rooftop to gather the defeated foes, realizes Devilfish is gone. A quick inspection reveals El Vengaza's retreating form, bearing the unconscious villain to safety. Ion Storm attempts one last shot at the bandoleered assassin. The distance and intervening rain send the shot awry. It does however alert its target. He turns and salutes Ion Storm with his silvery spear, somehow, getting the last word in against our intrepid heroes. In the aftermath of the battle, some things are discovered. The lumberyard is found to have been abandoned in the last few months and is the likely hide-out of the two responsible for the sporadic attacks on ships in the channel and Port of Houston. Some booty is found as well as a strange object of unidentifiable quantification. Eventually, Strike Force arrives on the scene and takes Ghoul and Hydronaut into custody. The storm rages on, but like the postal service, rain or shine, ECLIPSE will prevail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted May 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! Here is a group shot of Eclipse. The characters I haven't posted yet had retired by the time I took over the campaign: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMiller Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! Nice use of the environment and injection of horror. Well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted May 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! Now for something a little different: Two of the GMs that 'shared' the RCU for quite awhile decided to create a 'newspaper' dedicated to costumed heroes. It is supposed to be a representation as if a rag-mag within th eRCU existed and wrote exposes concerning current affairs and the parahumans that abounded on 'that' Earth. The rag-mag was entitled, Modern Mythos. We've only done 1 issue to date. I sort of liked it, though. Modern Mythos Editor’s Rant: Passive Aggression– Tabatha Lloyd A Moment in Time –John “Dice†Driter Northern Sights – B. A. Dalibi CoJ Beat – Claude Ball Crime Watch – Miranda Wright Passive Aggression Tabatha Lloyd, Editor’s Rant The southern United States. Tobacco fields and moonshine stills. No. No. That was the south of half a century ago. The south of recent years is a grander place. Segregation is gone and a time of heroes has helped make The South a better place. And, no group has done more to ensure this than the American Rangers. It’s true, the last year or so showed us how the Super-hero community can work together to battle issues right here on our very own U.S. soil. In fact, Mythos reporter, John “Dice†Wright, will go into detail concerning the Uber-storm that the Gulf of Mexico experienced a few months ago. Now, I’d like to comment about the recent time on the scene, Rebel Yell. Who are these guys you ask? If you don’t know, you must not watch the news much. Rebel Yell is a new group of metas led by the mysterious Vindicator. It is this editor’s opinion that is the second incarnation of that name due to the LoC affiliate of the same name during the early years of supers on this emerald orb of ours. So, back to Rebel Yell. As I said, this southern based team is led by a fellow Vindicator. His membership includes a myriad roster. First, everyone’s favorite bigot, Real American. Even though he seems to be sporting a new costume, it seems to be the same old Roscoe Turner. Yes, the Roscoe Turner that did a number on philanthropic speedster of Chicago, Carl Johnston (better known as Thunder for our less informed subscribers). Another crimson-clad member of the team is none other than, Ruby, of the now (according to our Mid-west snoops) disbanded Crusaders. Ruby has always been one of the more aggressive metas on the Crusader roster (ignoring the height-challenged actor that has been producing in LA recently. Unfortunately, the other members of Rebel Yell make Ruby seem like a pacifist. These angsty bruisers include Rage, Maelstrom, and malcontented Power Gun. For those in the know, browse past the forthcoming commentary. For the rest of the masses, I’ll indulge in some spontaneous spewing of superfluous information. Rage was once affiliated with the lofty member of the American Rangers! It seems after the ruthless decimation of the Rangers on live television by Havoc, Billy Bob McGraw resigned from the group. A few months of rehabilitation in an undisclosed infirmary and Rage emerged with Rebel Yell. McGraw’s predilection with mayhem has continued but, in a new, more “passionate†ensemble. Less is known about Maelstrom and Power Gun than any of the others. This editor is of firm conviction that Maelstrom is none other than the London Fog that ravaged the criminals of England a few years ago in the vigilante group known as, The Vigil. There are some rumors surrounding Power Gun and a short stint with the Crusaders, but, I suppose only time will tell. This periodical has had a number of reports concerning Rebel Yell. The reports are relatively unsubstantiated and some of the criminals they’ve apprehended have filed suit against them. It seems Rebel Yell not only beats criminals into submission, they don’t always stop once the evil-doers have given up. Many of the super-powered villains that Rebel Yell have been reported to be involved in are left with broken bones, and their skins only barely left intact. Fortunately, few innocent bystanders have been harmed, though one report from Miami leaves a paraplegic mother of two in the wake of a battle between Rebel Yell and The Collection Agency. This editor will suppress his need to comment overly other than this. Rebel Yell seems to think aggression is the answer to today’s super-criminal. Maybe, criminals will stay gone for more than a few months when they’re captured. On the other hand, it’s probably only a matter of time before the fall-out of this group’s actions begins to leave a body count. - Tab It was a dark and stormy night John Dice Wright, A Moment in Time A few months ago, massive tropical storms bombasted the folks living around the Gulf of Mexico. At the time, our television screens were plastered with footage of the super-human community lending a hand with rescue efforts. We saw moments of despair turn into cries of victory as well known heroes aided folks where they might up and down the length of the Gulf. We saw the Champions of Justice, side-by-side with local heroes of Chicago, The Hawk. We saw the American Rangers, working with the high profile, Brotherhood of Freedom. It was an event of monumental proportions. The costumed ilk working together for this little place we call America. I found this to be an epic piece concerning what I want to do with this article as a journalist for Modern Mythos, high-light past events involving the super-heroic community. More often than not, the staff here at the Mythos finds more conundrums than kudos with the Hero population. This column is my, and the other staff here at the Mythos, way of thanking you for all the good that you do. - Dice Thanks John “Dice†Wright Ladyhawke or Lady Hawk? Brenda A. Dalibi, Northern Sights In Northern Sights, I hope to enlighten the readers of the Mythos with the happenings of the crime-fighting community of Canada. Hopefully, you will find the column informative as well as entertaining. Well, without further ado… Kensington Park is a colorful addition to the Huron City landscape. Over the past twenty years since its consecration, the Park has been home to a number of residential recreational activities. A few of you American readers are probably wondering why you’re reading this. Okay, I’ll tell you. Kensington Park contains a small area on a knoll that holds a few statues in tribute to their local crime-fighter, Ladyhawke. I’m still feeling some blank stares. Okay, no problem. I hoped to be informative. Ladyhawke also did some work in America around the Chicago area with a team from the past you’ve all probably heard of, The Legion of Champions? Anyway, Ladyhawke hails from Huron City and the Tribute area of Kensington Park is the city’s way of saying thanks to that venerable heroine. In addition, Mayor Franc Hammerande, in a dib to be re-elected, has hired a sculptor to add a statue to the tribute and plans to unveil it in a celebration next week. Rumors in the area whisper the statue to be a rendition of the victory of Ladyhawke over Robogiant in the 70’s. Robogiant’s head measured in the vicinity of 20 meters alone! In conclusion, whisper a prayer and a thanks to the long retired heroine, Ladyhawke. - B. A. Where Have the Heroes Gone by Claude Ball, CoJ Beat Where have about several the Champions of Justice gone? It's been nearly a month since the last time we've seen former vice-presidential candidate Dwight "Spectrum" Jones in either of his identities. There are other, less public heroes, who have also not been seen in a while. When was the last time we heard anything of "Doctor" Technon? How will he be able to earn another honorary doctorate if he's never seen? Or the globe-trotting Count Zero? It used to be that we had at least weekly reports of him busting sweatshops, white slavery rings, or child pornographers. We haven't see one in a while there either. And does this have anything to do with Morning Star's almost-secret visit with the Pope last month? There have been other none-Champions who have dropped out of site, like the Arizonian hero Graviton or long-time hero Megaman in Philadelphia. If it were just the green giant, this reporter would just assume that he finally retired after being a part of so many failed teams and organizations, but why would a relative newcomer like Graviton retire after just a year? Now, if Brenda will forgive me for treading on her turf, there may be an answer to the North. Word has it that the Champions of Justice have increased their Canadian contingent by two: the archer from Toronto, Longbow, and Huron City's Osprey. While Morning Star was seen at the Vatican, la Chatte apparently went looking for Longbow. And Osprey has been skirting Champion membership for a number of years, ever since Prophecy arrived on Earth. Then again, she's another CoJer who has dropped out of site. New members and missing members. This reporter isn't sure what this means, but you'll read it here first when he finds out. –Claude Is the Villain Overextended by Miranda Wright, Crime Watch. The Villain, the generically named criminal who is apparently a clone of the equally creative Hero, seems to have a lot of irons in the fire. On one hand, he seems to have a serious mad on for Carl "Thunder" Johnston (and to a lesser degree Elasti-woman), having contracted out multiple organizations to attack the Hawk at multiple public events These were unsuccessful. Neither ex-Crusader even made it to the Lexington Industries gala which was attacked, in Chicago, by the Oddballs and the Thunder Twins. A coordinated attack in Washington against the D.C. Defenders was also defeated. On the other hand, he also apparently, just last week decided to send a dozen roses to la Chatte. Apparently he didn't have her new address, since he had them sent to Elizabeth Breie's house rather than Elizabeth's daughter Sylvie's apartment. In a Mythos exclusive, we know this to be true because an anonymous reader sent us a copy of his sale receipt from a Quebec flower shop. Fleur-de-lis. But what is he planning? Baiting the Champions of Justice, while engaged in an ongoing Crusade against the Hawk, and taking on the D.C. Defenders just for kicks, doesn't seem to be a prudent course of action for anyone. -Mir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted May 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! Here is a bit of fanfic background I did for my legacy character, Keymaster. Sweat and rainwater mix, dripping from his dark blue helmet in rivulets. A glance to the left and right, through sweat-stung eyes shows the over head lights glaring off the other players helmets. A feeling of anticipation comes over him as the cadence emits from the quarterbacks helmet, and a hush falls over the capacity crowd. The centers hand tenses slightly on the ball. The tailback’s eyes flick off-tackle, then focus momentarily on his own. A flash of insight, and Garreth Stone knows what the play is and where it’s going, he slaps the nose guard and calls an audible. If he can stop him here, this game is over and the Wolverines go to the Rose Bowl. -- “Good game, Stone. Looks like the Wolverines are going to Pasadena. Too bad you won’t be going with them. I saw the game. It was your stopping of James on that fourth and inches play with 1:45 left to that clinched it for Michigan. I’ll never understand why you kids with such bright futures insist on messing with drugs. Don’t you ever grow tired of letting down the people counting on you…†The speaker, Lt. Payne, drones on, Garreth’s eyes flutter in the bright light of the interrogation room. His jaw clenches in response to barely controlled anger. “Let’s go through it again, Stone. You’re saying you’ve been using your status on the football team to sell and pass drugs through Michigan University and not your brother, the guy with criminal file thicker than the Bible, has nothing to do with it?†Payne’s grating voice continues on and on. Garreth’s reply is a simple nod. Anger drains from him. It isn’t his brother’s fault, a big, terrible monkey rides his back. Derrick, never adjusted to their mother’s death, nor their father’ attempt to supplant the Stone family income. Roland Stone had been in the Pit for the last five years and five years still remain on his sentence. Such is the price for being caught with the purple uniform of an international terrorist organization. Derrick was Garreth’s responsibility and he would never survive the prison time. Garreth had to do it, even though it would cost him his chances at a professional football career. -- He had no clue how long he’d been out, but, his head sure hurt. He sat bound, in a metal chair, thick leather cuffs about wrist and ankle. It was difficult to see past the light shining in his eyes. The silhouette before him helped alleviate a bit of the befuddlement. Bits of memories flash through his head in a jumble of fleeting images. He was in the junk yard, hoping to get some pictures of the deal he’d uncovered. It would be his first evidence against Dr. Hathaway. A good step in bringing him down for what his drugs and empire had done to the Stone family. Then, the click of a hammer, the smell of gunpowder, and the voice behind him, “Bang. Bang. You’re dead.†Then nothing. It sure wasn’t like any Heaven or Hell he’d ever pictured. Purgatory, maybe and maybe the silhouette was St. Peter. “Garreth Stone. Good to see you’re awake. You’re even bigger than I thought. Good. I suppose you wonder why I’ve brought you here.†The silhouette pauses, for effect presumably, “I’m here to help you in your fight. I hope, you’ll help me in mine.†The light is flicked off, replaced by a softer gleam allowing Garreth to see his captor. He’s dressed in a tightfitting uniform of green and black, a yellow bandoleer of pouches crossing his chest. “I’m Keymaster, Garreth, welcome to my lair.†-- He didn’t think he’d ever get used to hiding in plain sight. The members of Demons were spread out, all about him, reclining in moldy couches, watching a porno flick on the television, and partaking of the affluent drugs all about them. Soon, if his instincts and detective work paid off, the Elephant Man would be showing up to give some orders. Carl Trask was a huge man, misfigured and cruel, as he was ugly. A small time hood with strength beyond that of a normal human. In the big scheme of things, Trask was a three or four bit hood. Here, the Elephant Man ruled over a court of Demons. He’d been giving Garreth trouble for some time now, it was time to take him and his Demons down. The Elephant Man was good, but, Keymaster was better. Besides, Harrison had said that Garreth was ready and was going to put the plan into motion during the next Champions emergency. This would be a good final exam. Today the Demons, who knows, maybe tomorrow it would be I.O.G.W.P. Sort of a funny thing. When I played my first session in an RCU campaign, I played a reformed criminal named Harrison Lambert, the first Keymaster in the Champions of Justice. In time (and after a few more sessions) I realized I wanted to keep playing Keymaster, but make him more my 'own'. So, I developed the idea of Keys, or Keymaster II. It has been a fun ride. I'm attaching pics of both. The first is Harrison and the second, Garreth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! Ahhh the RCU! THat is you!? I've been hitting that site every once in a while for...years? It seems that long. Good stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted May 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! Ahhh the RCU! THat is you!? I've been hitting that site every once in a while for...years? It seems that long. Good stuff. Yes, I'm one of the people mentioned on that blurb on the top of the home page. Of course, you'd also see my Secret ID on the characters that are mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted May 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! In some of the previous posts, you've seen hints of a massive story arc that swept all the active campaigns of the RCU and eventually changed the face of the setting. This would be the 'Omnisphere'. Basically a plot device, the Omnisphere could alter reality in a way which was 'wanted' by whoever was in proximity to it. The Omnisphere was a 'universe' level power artifact. I have a story somewhere about its creation and how it ended up on Earth. If I find it, I'll post it. Otherwise, you're going to have to make do with a quick synopsis. The Omnisphere was sent from a distant place, flying with that power through the Universe. Just arcing past a planet was enough to change things there. It crashlanded on Earth, early in its existence, the concussion enough to wipe out the dinosaurs. And then, it lay, buried in the Caymen Trench. A millenia of erosion was enough to let the tiniest bit of surface of the Omnisphere and the world began to change. A massive hurricane engulfed the Gulf of Mexico and even creatures changed. The powers of the RCU slowly began to realize something was up. Now, the write up of the third 'issue' of Eclipse. When it Rains... It Pours The next morning find the ECLIPSE team recuperating at the Observatory from the fight with Devilfish, Hydronaut, El Vengaza, and the mysterious Ghoul. Mass Master is still out on assignment at the Coast. The other three members of the team have rested and only Demolition remains wounded by Ghoul’s claws. The rain continues outside as well as the efforts of the idominable Houston rescue teams. Sentinel, Ion Force, and Demolition congregate in the training room for a light workout and an informal meeting of the strangeness so recently plaguing the team. Conversation centers around the robberies by Decibel and his SoundKnaves, the mysterious Ghoul, and how the two occurances might be connected. Various concepts are discussed, dropped, and recovered once more. Sentinel informs the rest of the team of Mass Master’s adventures in Deleon, surpising them with the few details Mass Master reported. The details include giant sea creatures and the appearance of a Canadian hero by the name of Osprey. Any more discussion is interupted by the crisis light and the voice of Ms. Taggert, “Eclipse, assemble and report to the meeting room. On the double!†Moments later, in the conference room of Eclipse Observatory, the depleted team is watching a replay of a live broadcast. “Just a few moments ago, this broadcast came from Freeport, Eclipse.†An image from out of old japanese monster movies is visible on the screen. A large ship is grasped by a few of the tentacles and destroyed by crushing. Rain is sleeting about the beast and as the image zooms in on one steady tentacle, upraised from the bay, a black and white costumed figure can be seen. . As he speaks the camera has continued to zoom on the figure. The conflageration of the rain and mass destruction being rained on the port makes the cameraman unable to pick up the villains words. Moving away from the yelling man, the camera pans to Freeport PD stationed behind their cars along the docks. “Looks like they’re in trouble, Eclipse! To the SliverJet!†as the echo dies on an empty room, the members of Eclispe sprint to the roof and into the aircar. On the screen, the image of the enraged man dims to nothing. En route to Freeport, Demolition pours over the sattelite link to HeroNet, “As far as I can tell, the costumed guy is Orca. Most of the reports on HeroNet are from some CoJer named Riptide. Orca is a small time villian bent on keeping the seas safe from mankind. Superstrong, supertough, and superbad. Shouldn’t be a problem, eh?†Helmed and concentrating on the controls, Sentinel doesn’t answer. Ion Storm nods stoically, his eyes on the transparent roof of the SliverJet. Mintues later, the team skims over Freeport to the Port of Houston itself, silently entering the scene. A few yards before and below them, the Freeport Police have spread across the dock, effectively forming a barrier between innocents and the rampaging Orca and his giant Squid. Orca stand upon a large expanse of floatind debris, hefting a speedboat above his head, while the squid seems to have grabbed a yacht in many of its tentacles. “Sentinel! Open the hatch!†Free falling for a millisecond, the form of Ion Storm streaks ahead of the SliverJet. Ion Storm clasps his hand together firing a cylindrical jet of awesome power towards Orca, or, perhaps, the speedboat hefted above him. Back in the SliverJet, Demolition stands and levels his own blast at Orca’s feet, or, at least the flotsam the villain stands upon. A massive explosion erupts above and below Orca deposting him limply into the Port. Sentinel pilots the craft past the cops and out above the Port when suddenly, a large figure erupts from the port and smashes into the SliverJet. Sentinel leaps free and dives into the foamy waters. Demolition is lodged however and flies among the wreckage perilously close to the water before using his powers to become intangible and harmlessly crashing into the surface with the ship. Back on the surface of the Port, Ion Storm and Sentinel trade blows with the Enormous Squid. The squid releases the yacht and hurls a massive portion of a pier at Ion Storm which shatters harmlessly against his force field. As the squid eventually succumbs to the crimson clad duo, an alert Demolition spots the SliverJet’s destructor, a giant-sized porpoise. A dazed Orca hangs onto the beasts spout as they escape into the channel leaving Eclipse to deal with the Giant Squid and the wreckage of the Port. Within an hour, members of the Champions of Justice: Count Zero and Spectrum arrive and encase the squid with ice and fly off with it. Back at the Observatory, our heros find that Mass Master has retruned from an adventure of his own, but, any queries will have to wait as he’s retired to his quarters for a well earned rest. Any hope for the same is interupted by an emergency call from Strike Force. Fortunately, Mass Master’s return means access to the remaining SliverJet. Reports indicate that a small force of StrikeForce members have fallen into dire trouble due to an attack by the Soldiers of Fortune. Sentinel flying the craft gets as much information about the Soldiers as possible from Demolition as the later is once more browsing HeroNet files. This time focusing on the mercenary team. The ranks of Soldiers of Fortune have swelled with some new and old faces. Both Demolition and Sentinel have some bad blood with indvidual members of the group. Magnetron was once a comrade in arms with Demolition in his alter ego, before he gained his powers, James Black. Once friends the two have become bitter enemies. The mercenary Reaver, once a member of the London vigilantes known as Vigil has proved a rivalry between he and Sentinel. In fact, a few months back, the two shield bearers met in combat in the Warehouse District. The British Rogue proved the better in that match-up. The presence of A.N.T. might have been the cause of it, though. Swinging in on a scene of battle, Eclipse decides to come in under the radar. A few of the Soldiers of Fortune seem to be in combat with other, unknown supers at the site of the disabled Strike Force van. With some incoming distress signals deeper in the wood, Ion Storm deicdes to lead a recognizance and issues forth. Incoming calls were a mass of panic and Ion Storm flew in aware of only retreating Strike Force agents and something else… Black Arrow was stealthily preying on the Police Men from Houston. One went down as Ion Storm searched, nearly shouting into his mic in an effort to get the Agents to come to him so he could help. Finally, just as another Agent was about to be fletched, the Eclipse flyer blasted him with pure electromagnetic energy, nearly killing the Archer. Elsewhere, Sentinel was headed towards the other combat while Demolition moved back to aid Ion Storm. Unfortunately, the ex-SEAL was engaged by both A.N.T. and Magnetron, his arch nemesis. Ion Storm and Demoltion joined forces agianst the other to airborne antagonists, Storm eventually taking a powerful attack that knocked him reeling. With instinct born of Warriors, Demolition moved forward to protect him and was nearly killed by a powerful attack from Demolition. The Soldier of Fortune, caused the iron in Black’s body to disperse knocking him far into unconciousness. Simultaneously, Sentinel arrives on the scene of the OTHER battle in time to see the group on unknown heroes retreat into some portal hanging in mid-air. He finally recognizes one of them, though. The other member of Vigil, Maelstrom. What could possibly going on here. With the SoF seemingly contained, the shield-bearer decided to head back and help out his beleagured companions. Only to have Reaver step from the shadows of the wood. The broguish rogue wanted a rematch. The two exchanged blows for nearly a minute before a feint by Sentinel left an opening and Reaver went down. The two teams began to reaffirm their skirmish lines until Sentinel mentioned fallen comrades on both teams. Each team let the others go without further combat, A.N.T. swearing vengeance against the male dominated Eclipse. Discussions, back at the Observatory focused on the attack by the Soldiers of Fortune. Piecing together the various words of the mercenaries hinted at a tape. The next day, word from Captian Stevens of Strike Force expounded on the sketchy details. The Strike Force Agents had been sent to pick up a tape from far off Brownsville. Somehow, the SoF knew about the tape and attacked hoping to get their hands on it. A simultaneous attack on the town itself was interrupted by Morning Star and Meterorite of the Champions of Justice! The tape was found in Demolitions uniform. Empty. It seems the magnetic attack which nearly killed the ex-SEAL also erased any footage or data on the tape! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted May 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! The consecutive issue of Eclipse was another Omnisphere tie in. One of the master criminals of the RCU is Locksmith. He is slowly gathering data about the Omnisphere and has decided something is altering probability. To test his theory, he sends the mercenary supervillians A.R.M.O.R. to fight with Eclipse. What are the Chances? As the Storm comes to an intensifying apex, we find the members of Eclipse hovered about the medical ward of the Observatory. Demolition’s injuries from the fight with the Soldiers of Fortune is enough to require some time to recuperate. As the heroes discuss current affairs, a sudden visit by Mirage surprises them all, “We have three hours to save the World!†Mirage, the chosen heir to Dr. Tesseract, has arrived with forboding message. “Normally, I can flit between stages of time and have some ability to know the future. All strands of the multi-verse are nothing, three hours from now.†This news finds the team in disarray. Strange things are happening up and down the Gulf and heroes from all over the world are arriving to do what they can to discern the problem and rescue those they’re able. Eclipse themselves have thrown in with a gusto, offering aid day and night to the storm besieged Houston. Time passes while the team, joined by Mirage attempt to decipher the mysterious message and lack of future for one and all. Amidst their efforts, Ms. Taggert sounds the alarm. Converging on the War-Room, Eclipse learns a group of meta-humans are calling them out at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. Without Demolition, but joined by Mirage, ECLIPSE answers the call, ‘in spades’. Arriving at the park, Mass Master immediately joins a struggle against the radio-active mercenary known as Nuke. Barraged by the sharp-shooting of Sureshot and the nigh-unsurmountable defenses of Tank, Sentinel is sent reeling. Ionstorm finds his attack uncharacteristically shrugged off and Mirage finds himself busy looking for a weak point on Tank. During the combat, silver spheres are found to be commenting on the action. The voice is unknown but the fight seems to be some sort of scientific experiment. Eventually, enough data seems to be gathered and A.R.M.O.R. escapes the bewildered team. Later, when Captain Rogers, of Strike Force arrives on scene some startling news is revealed. The Sound Knaves and the creature Ghoul were rescued by invisible assailants. And, a group of human para-militants fought off an attack by two speedsters while Eclipse was fighting at the park. Returning to the Observatory, still pondering the quickly coming ‘End of the World, Eclipse finds a shock! A number of known dead former team-mates were clustered about the still injured Demolition! P.S. – I want to apologize for this weak write-up. But, in my defense, this issue was a cross-over for the quickly concluding ‘Omnisphere’ story arc taking place throughout the RCU. If you want to find out what was going on, please refer to the corresponding CoJ write-up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenn Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! You know, Savien, you should also send some of these to Mattt, as there is a section for downloadable fiction. And who wrote the various sections of Modern Mythos? I know who "Claude Ball" is. And I see your hand in the first few articles, but who wrote the Crime Watch Piece? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted May 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! I'm pretty sure you wrote the articles I didn't do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted June 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! Omnisphere Minis There was no way we were going to play out every scene taking place all over the RCU during the Omnisphere story arc. So, Kenn and myself, collaborated on some prose write-ups that detailed some things going on 'elsewhere' that would impact and affect the RCU. Gemini is a 'creature' created by a matter/anti-matter experiment interrupted by IOGWP. He's basically a shell around an eternal internal explosion of matter and antimatter. He's also lost most of his humanity, with only shades of memories and hints of emotion. Plagued by the change, he'd left Earth to explore the rest of the Universe. Here is his mini: The vastness of space. So full of life and yet, empty. It’s many inhabitants, limitless universes, colossal galaxies, solar systems, and within them, planets. Orbiting, ever circling themselves and each other. All, eternally moving through their endless dances. Through it all roams the forlorn figure. Emotionless, yet inevitably lonely. He, it, streaks along, an enigmatic trail of black and white phosphoresce trailing the blackness behind him. Gemini ponders his existence, ever searching the vastness for answers. Answers to questions he doesn't understand and rarely asks. A quiet sole, a quiet creation. It has been weeks since he left Earth. Months since the accident, the explosion that created him. He spent some time upon the Champions orbiting space craft, contemplating. The woes of humanity and unfathomable conceptions of the other Champions intruding on his thoughts. He left, not long after the strange excursion involving the Erylusians and the so called Champions of In-Justice. That brought even more questions. The solace of space seemed a probably solution. If he found no answers, he’d have nothing to blame for it, at least. And, perhaps, the answer was out there… somewhere. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Gemini slowed from hyper-light travel, the pinpoints of stellar light once more becoming discernible. He looked about, a nearby moon, flying about a gas giant catching his attention. It held a close resemblance to the Moon of Earth. His mouth twitches, unbeknownst to him, a ghost of a smile creasing his black and white features. He eyes one formation of craters, his memory bringing up the face of his… Of Doctor LeRouche’s daughter, Amy. His placed features return. He wonders momentarily why the formation reminded him of her, of all people. Regardless, a moon similar to Earth’s own orbiting a gas giant is strange enough to garner a search. Gemini flies toward the moon, a smear of black and white trailing behind him. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A lone figure speeds across the rugged terrain, a cloud of lunar dust kicking up behind him. This slight cloud obfuscates the surface enough for the figure to miss the slight indentation of booted footprints. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * His pupil-less eyes examine the surface of the moon. A terracotta of lunar creation dots the moon’s surface. To any other, the sight may evoke a feeling of harmony, or at least, pleasure. In Gemini, though, neither of these a re possible. “Yes, similar configurations can be found on the Terran moon, “ he muses to himself, his emotionless voice echoes mutely and trails off as he ceases his recognizance of the planet. Before him is a structure of unknown materials. An odd thought surfaces in his mind, “Robinson Crusoe?†* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Hmmm. Are you human, or something else? You aren't Frank Gorshin under there are you?" A tall human figure in blue and red stepped out of the hovel. Even as the 'Star Trek' reference escaped him, Gemini noticed how much the man's raiment resembled that worn by the Champions. "We are of the Earth, but we are no longer human." Gemini replied. "We? You brought company?" "No we were alone in space until we came upon you." "Well, given that you seem to be fine in this thin atmosphere in the all together, can we assume that you are immune to radiation?" "Affirmative." said Gemini. "Well come on inside." said the man in blue. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The inside of the hovel was spartan. Four photographs sat together in a set of interconnected folding frames. And there was a stone box containing several journals. There was a table and chair made of the same material as the walls. The man in blue and red sat on a long slab of stone, the height of a bed. "This is your home?" Gemini asked. There was no hint of incredulity in his voice. "Yes. For now. When I pack and move on, I'll destroy it." Gemini looked around. His eyes were drawn to the second photograph. It was of a young girl with red hair. The blue mottled background spoke of a department store portrait studio. He recalled a similar photograph of Amy. "Is this your daughter?" Gemini asked. He imagined he was annoyed at his curiosity. "As a matter of fact it is. Except she must be in high school by now, maybe college. I've lost track of time out here. My watch broke, and I rarely sleep, so I'm really out of touch. I left Earth in 1986." Dr Julian LaRouche could remember the year 1986. The disaster of the shuttle Challenger and the accident at the nuclear reactor in Kiev were hard to forget. And suddenly, Gemini's mind realized who the man in blue and red was. "Doctor Radio?" Gemini asked. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * For the next half of an hour, Gemini shared the stories of his adventures with the Champions of Justice. Despite his interest in his daughter, Charcoal, and in the Erylusians he had helped imprison nearly three score years ago, Doctor Radio found the cold delivery dull and uninspring. For a man who rarely slept, he found himself tired. Doctor Radio explained to Gemini why he had left Earth after being contaminated by dirty radiation at Chernobyl, the disheartenment of arriving to late to aid the Challenger, and how much he missed his wife and daughter. Then they felt the ground tremble. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * << What did you think you were doing flying so close to that astrroid? >> shouted the tallest figure in the violet environmental suit. << It wasn't supposed to be there when we came out of warp! >> shouted the shorter one back, also in an environmental suit. << Will you two be quiet? This bickering is not the Way. >> said the third to his companions. << Please hand me that spanner. >> He was attending to the damage done to the star craft they had arrived in. The tall one reached for a wrench and handed it to his friend. The liquid in his suit felt funny as he gripped it << I am sorry Krai.> << So am I, Tusgug. So am I. Wait we have visitors. >> Gemini and Doctor Radio flew over the hill to see the three purple clad figures turning away from the crashed space ship they were examining. "The one is clearly not human. We have observed another of his kind shortly after our creation." Gemini said, speaking of the tall, blue skinned saurian who was only vaguely humanoid. "That purple skinned one doesn't look human, but his friend might be." added Doctor Radio, looking through the face screen on their suits. << They appear to be speaking to one another. >> << In this thin, poisonous atmosphere? >> << The one is dressed as a super hero. >> << Great more of them. Just what we need. >> << Quiet. Larrycarter tried to make you welcome. I'll try to establish contact. >> The Star Knight N'tx'n reached out with the way to establish mental contact with Gemini and Doctor Radio. He screamed and fell back. << What did they do to him? >> Krai-Ron telepathically screamed at Tusgu Teso. << I know not. >> responded the three eyed being. << ... >> N'tx'n was silent. Krai-ron energy sword produced a golden glow as he ignited it. His purple skin looked brown. "Please. We don't know what happened." said Dr. Radio futilely as Krai-Ron charged at them. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "He will be all right." said the grey skinned red head. She leaned over Krai-ron who was lying in sick bay, out of his EV suit and uniform. "Wow. Aliens who know English." Dr. Radio was astonished. "That's why we always get the missions to Earth. Technically, Earth is to primitive for the Star Knights to go there. It goes against the code of the Stellar Brotherhood. However, since we have four have all been there, Phlupheenja before she joined us, I by accident, and these two pursuing members of their own races, we have a dispensation." explained the one who looked the most human, N'txt,n. "I've missed a lot while I've been away." "Is your fellow Trinim a member of the International Organization to Gain World Power?" Gemini asked Teso Tusgug who was standing in the door way. "I do not know. I heard he belonged to a group called 'Ayahgwhip'." "Hmm. Maybe there are more than one." added Dr. Radio. "They are the same group." N'tx'n said. "They abbreviate their long name as I.O.G.W.P., but people often try to pronounce it." "Eye, Oh, Gee... are these names of characters in their written language?" Phlupheenja asked. "Yes," N'tx'n turned to Gemini and Doctor Radio. "We all speak English, but some of us cannot read the language. You have encountered Jaso Rwoke?" The final question was aimed at Gemini? "We believe we have." "And how are you, Doctor?" Teso asked. "I am very glad to discover that the radiation I absorbed all those years ago has finally dissipated. I can return home." "Yes, and we would be honoured to provide you with transport." "Thank you, it would save me several months of flight time." "We too should return to Earth. If there is a danger to our planet, we should be there." There was a tug at Phlupheenja's garments. She turned to the reawakened Krai-ron. "What's with him and his use of the plural?" he asked her. "I do not know," she answered. "And considering how N'tx'n was disabled, I shan't probe." Doctor Radio looked at N'tx'n and Gemini. "If both of you are honorary Champions of Justice, don't you think we should contact them?" "Soon. But if we send too soon, we would arrive before the message. Even though Liberty Station has a subspace antenna." And the repaired star craft headed onward towards Earth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zornwil Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! Wow, I am bookmarking this and will come back later, just started perusing, great stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted February 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! Time to dust this thing off. As schedules get tougher as we all grow older, we add more online stuff. Some times it works and some times it doesn't. This next bit is a write-up of one of the NEXT BIG THINGS after the Omnisphere story arc in the RCU. It's also some GM verbage from Kenn pertaining to how it did work and how it didn't. Regardless, there is some good stuff about how to run a game and what to steer clear of as well as a view into the depth of the setting. Hi, You probably recall that there was a big story that I was running on the CoJ pbem board (primarily, other bits of it were run in other places) that I called "The Great Darkness Saga" maintaining an RCU tradition of recycling names from famous big comic book stories. Sadly, in September of 2005 I abruptly stopped the story, and stopped running stories on that board. However, both in the solo stories that followed in RCU spotlight, and the CoJ stories that followed both in the face-to-face game and in the re-activated game, I have maintained that the situation had been resolved. There have been some changes to some team rosters, and I've allowed characters to speak a little bit about what happened, but I've never revealed the ending. I've also never made public why I stopped the game mid-stream. And to be honest, I don't know if I'm capable of separating the two. So, I'm putting down the canonical ending, but with the Special Features active, specifically, the GameMaster Commentary, on. [Okay, I am capable of separating the two. I went through and cut out the commentary. I'll be posting both versions. I'll warn you, this version is frank and honest. And sometimes I'm more specific about my take on situations and problems than might be considered nice or polite. Therefore, be warned. This may not be the version of this you want to see.] [No really. You may want to stop.] The set-up and story thus far: Several years ago, there was a blood-thirsty vigilante who possessed what are often mis-labeled darkness powers. He encountered some members of the Justice Squadron even. Eventually he was killed, just as he was attempting to 'shadow-walk' to safety. His body was taken to a government run morgue for parahumans that's nicknamed 'Valhalla.' [This was a retroactive story that Savinien added to RCU history as a part of a story that he ran in the Eclipse game a few years prior to the GDS. He was also the first person in a decade and a half who added a 'darkness' character to the universe that spoke directly about the character's powers working by drawing extra-dimensional stuff from the same dimension the chracater passed through when he teleported and was honest about the fact that said powers have nothing to do with darkness - the absence of light - in any real sense.] Several months ago, Eclipse was battling a villain called Necron, who employed, as hench-beings, reanimated cadavers. One of these was Pariah's body that Necron had stolen from Valhalla. While Eclipse was victorious, at the end Pariah was making a getaway by shadow walking. Sentinel hurled his shield at Pariah as Demolition dove after him. Demolition and Sentinel's shield were lost in the darkness dimension. [And for a variety of reasons, this ended up being the last of Savinien's Eclipse stories. Sadly not the first time thatDemolition's fate was left hanging by a departing GM.] More recently, when a consortium of magicians conspired so that Eldon Cameron (Mr. Omega) could re-assume the true Captain Miracle form, essentially stealing the ability from Eldon's grand-nephew Christian Cameron (the current Captain Miracle, and Mr. Omega's nemesis. A potion of the Champions of Justice (and a few friends) went to der Nacht (again) to rescue Christian. One of these was Miracle's former Hawk teammate Midnight who had also recently joined the Champions of Justice. While in der Nacht, Midnight did some shadow-walking. When he stepped out, Demolition and Sentinel's shield dropped into der Nacht. [Number one, I didn't like that Demolition's situation was unresolved. Number two, it seemed reasonable to me that characters with very similar powers and very similar special effects, should be essentially doing the same thing. So I established that Midnight's abilities involved accessing 'dark stuff' from and passing through the same darkness dimension that Pariah had. Since neither der Nacht nor the darkness dimension follow Euclidian space, I saw no problem with an interface between the two forming near Demolition.] In various locations around the world, portals were opening up from a mysterious dark dimensions and non-sentient, non-sapient creatures of great destructive capability were coming through. These locations were the Aerie, specifically the room that had been Midnight's when he lived at the Hawk's Nest; Midnight's homes in London, New York, Spain, and Hong Kong; Shade's apartment in Boston; the orphanage Shade lived at when he was boy (and where his powers first manifest); Darkling's laboratory at Miami University (where first gained his powers); Darkling's home; the former location of the island where IOGWP gave Midnight his powers (the island's been destroyed); the bordello in New Orleans where Silo (formerly of the SLUTs) was working; the former SLUTs base in East St. Louis where Silo received her powers; a laboratory on a former 'Black Ops' government base; the secret base currently used by said Black Ops group; locations in Detroit and Las Vegas where 'Shadow Soldiers' from that Black Ops group were using their powers at this very moment; a basement lab in West Virgina where two would-be super-mercs used the process the SLUTs had used to get powers; an estate in Germany; and the warehouse in Houston that had been Necron's base. [Essentially, it was the places where various 'darkness' users got their powers, where they live, and where they were using their powers. In the case of Midnight's other homes, they were his Memorised Locations for his Teleport power. He had to do *something* to make it easy for him to shadow-walk to those spots. The estate in Germany was a place Midnight had used his Shadow Walking ability, and the fabric of reality wasn't overly strong there due to other mystic reasons.] Various heroes checked out most of these locations (the exception being the current secret base used by the Black Ops group. Force d'Orleans dealt with New Orleans; the Gateway Guardians dealt with East Saint Louis; the Aces dealt with Las Vegas; Eclipse went back to necron's old base, and so on. The Champions of Justice, the American Rangers, and assorted solo-heroes got the rest. Eventually most of the heroes involved, and maybe even a few who weren't but had become aware of this 'global invasion' of darkness creatures, got together on Champions Island. This was intended to be a compare notes, figure out what is going on, and formulate a plan of how to handle it session. They'd gotten through the compare notes portion, and were part way through what was going on, and even had a partial plan, when the portal in Houston re-opened, a wave of darkness exploded outward (destroying the factory) which then launched a few hundred miles, brushed aside Graviton and Captain Miracle, and did something to Liberty Station. [i think Graviton had left Champions Island to check gravity fields around some of the portals I think; Miracle had gone after him to try to convince him to come and help with the planning.] Because of the tight computer links, the people on Champions Island immediately felt the affects of Liberty Station vanishing. Because Midnight's, Graviton's, and Count Zero's daughters were aboard, as well as Dr. Tslemnekov and Lyta Davis were aboard, several fast flying heroes (and Midnight who convinced Starlight to carry him) went to search for where Liberty Station went. [And this is where things really began to go wrong. The honest truth was that many of the players were on a VERY different page then I was. Besides interconnecting the darkness characters, I was also trying to get open the eyes of players to the vastness of the RC Universe. What I had failed to contend with was the genuine desire for people to game with as little information about the game world as possible. Where I hoped people would see lots of new-to-them NPCs to interact with, and would then do so - you know, playing a role, most of the players took a "There's too much to absorb" approach and closed down. Just sharing the information that took a whole paragraph to describe above, and figure out what was in a second paragraph was like pulling teeth. I blame myself for imagining a story with such a Tolstoy-esque sized cast. I blame certain players for not carrying about the world beyond the two hex area around their characters enough to even try. [i genuinely wonder if the players really thought that I'd construct a story with around six dozen npcs, and a few players doing septuple-duty with characters, just to let one PC solve the whole thing with one 'clever' application of a power. At no other point have I ever felt like my underlying 'value of teamwork' theme has ever been so resolutely rejected. [Anyway, since I was feeling as if about half the players weren't carrying enough to do what needed to be done, I concocted a reason for the PCs to care. Many of the NPCs were gathered in a safe place. I had the 'bad guy' steal the 'safe place.' Instant way to say, gee your character will be affected by this if you do nothing. It generated the concern. It was also a mistake, from a gamemastering stand point. But I'll get back to that.] So, one group of heroes (Stalwart, White mask, Jack of Diamonds, Jackie, Diamant, Longbow, Sentinel, Mirage, Micron, British Intelligence, Bulleteer, Energy Woman, Super Patriot, Osprey, Whirlwind, Emerald Knight, and Torpedo) had gone off to find the secret black ops base (run by Project Titan.) They found it too. [Jim wrote a write-up for what happened there. It's on his web-site. However it was, originally, going to be run, which is why most of my non-CoJ PCs were in that group.] One group of heroes went (Eidolon, Solaris, Pyre, Ion Storm, Demolition, Gator, Hailstorm, Prism, Privateer, Sea Bolt, Shield, N'tx'n, Charcoal, Bouncer, Dynamo, Bengal, Vanguard II, and Rage) to Houston to help deal with the problems stemming from an exploding warehouse. [This was primarily intended as a way to cut down on the number of NPCs, and even PCs for those who were running multiple characters. Although, there may be a discrepency between my records and what Jim wrote up. N'tx'n may have gone with the group looking for the Shadow Soldiers. Originally as played Darkling was going to go to Houston; his player had dropped out. Retroactively, I'm saying he stayed on the Island.] Two groups of heroes (Graviton, Sean Remington, Nova, Olympian, Psionic Man, Pulsar, Count Zero, Spectrum, Doctor and Lady Technon; and Midnight, Starlight, and Captain Miracle) were flying around over the southern United States looking for signs of what happened to Liberty Station. [Truth be told, Spectrum got there first, and verified that there was nothing to see. No debris, no smashed ship, no space dust, just thinning atmosphere. I didn't mind having another group of NPCs away from the island, double and triple checking what Spectrum found, and trying to investigate different ideas. But were enough PCs up there that I was getting really, really tired of saying 'No. There's nothing here.' I kind of hoped they'd get tired of hearing it, and therefore try something different. Or maybe think about the WHOLE situation and say 'everything else in this case has been about stuff passing between here and the darkness dimension, maybe Liberty Station was taken to the darkness dimension.' [Actually, right before things closed down, someone did. I don't recall if it was with my prodding or not. Don't care. It was Graviton's player. However, the route she then put Graviton on involved treating the Dark Matter theory from real world gravitational study as if it were fact, not theory, and trying to somehow connect that to extra-dimensional black gunk that empowered Midnight, Shade, et al. The theory of Dark Matter, I'm not going to try to explain it. I can't. And I'm not going to try to explain my problems with it. But since in the RCU, I get to decide if things like cold-fusion and solar cars work, I have no problem with ruling that, in the RCU, the Dark Matter theory is wrong. And trying to connect it to extra-dimensional darkness gunk, forget it.] And two groups of heroes were still back on Champions Island, one standing by for whatever came next (Keymaster, Morning Star, Riptide, Megaman, Shockwave, Critical Velocity, Shade, Nighthawk, Felix Katz, Phoenix Fire, Masked Marvel, Maelstrom II, Ruby, Power Gun, Balatar, War Eagle, Lance Diamond, Bass Line, and Dr. Tesseract and retroactively Darkling), and one (Powerball, Backlash, Captain Victory) dealing with getting the headquarters' systems back on-line. Turbo was racing around the globe, rechecking all the other portals the groups were aware of. Oh, and the corpse of Noir, a renegade Shadow Soldier killed in Detroit, got up and started walking towards the main meeting room. [John, who was Victory's player at the time, had already dropped out of the on-line game; Matt, player of Powerball and Backlash, also hadn't been involved. I had let there characters be behind the scene. Matt did pop in briefly at this point, mostly because he was trying to help me keep the game from collapsing. [The other group, Jim was controlling Shade; Jasonn was controlling Keymaster, Lance Diamond, and Nighthawk; the rest were NPCs. Jasonn had also briefly taken over Darkling after Dave left. The problem was then that circumstances caused Jasonn to have to stop posting. Which left a cadre of NPCs and a PC controlled by my co-GM, to deal with whatever came next. And since 'whatever came next' was the main thrust of the story, and there were no PCs around to deal with it, there was, no way for the story to proceed. "And that your Honour, is when I shot him." [Okay, with Matt's characters nearby, I might have been able to do something. I even contemplated some off-beat ways to strong-arm Midnight and Graviton into going back where they could actually do some good. But the simple truth was I wasn't having any fun, and at that point it isn't worth doing. And I'd been bumping heads with Jeff, Midnight's player so much already, having to strong-arm the character wasn't going to increase my enjoyment. And sincePariah/Umbraegon was originally Jasonn's character, it felt hollow doing this huge story with that villain without Jasonn playing anymore. It was suggested that I let Jim take over the story. Why would Jim want to? Too few players. Too many NPCs. And the few PCs around weren't around the one character that the villain really wanted to confront.] ----------------------------------------------- What Happened Next Umbraegon, the Big Bad, using Noir's corpse as a conduit, walked into the main meeting room on Champions Island. He put a massive 'darkness' blast through Morning Star, forcing Megaman (the CoJ's field doctor) and a few others to deal with a seriously wounded ally. The other remaining CoJers, Rangers and Yellers (Rebels??) tried their best to battle/contain Umbraegon. [Masked Marvel and Phoenix Fire would have been targets of Umbraegon. The latter because, like Morning Star, he was too dangerous. The former, internal to the story, it would have been random. On a meta-level, I need a reason Psionic Man's psionic link wasn't a factor.] At the same time, Umbraegon attacked Starlight, the heroine carrying Midnight on the search. Umbraegon reaching out through Midnight's darkness amour/field, initially from behind. This left Starlight unconscious. Midnight stopped Umbraegon's attack simply by turning off his power. The nearby Captain Miracle then caught the two. They were then joined by Graviton, who had given up his Dark Matter/darkness powers idea, and was looking for Midnight. On Champions Island, Umbraegon finally talked to Shade, the brother he'd been looking for all along. At the moment that Sunshard and Co. were 'killing' Pariah, Pariah reached through the darkness dimension to his brother 1000 miles away. And that connection to the darkness dimension was where Shade's powers came from. Conversation was cut short, though, as Umbraegon was forced to retreat, even as Noir's corpse was destroyed by Rebel Yell. However, one detail that Shade would learn, Umbraegon believed that several of the darkness powered people it had encountered were evil, but one in particular was a traitor, working for the 'Queen of France.' Of course France is a democracy. Right after Umbraegon is chased off, Graviton, Midnight, and Captain Miracle get back to Champions Island. Eidolon also returned from Houston, having sensed Umbraegon's presence, but just missing him. The heroes on the island then had to figure out who the spy was, and who was the Queen of France. Eventually, the heroes deduced that the Queen of France is Paulette Beauchamp, the new First Lady of France, and that she was really Paulette Saint-Francoise (sometimes called Medulla.) From there, the 'spy' then was Midnight, who had gotten his powers when he was attached to the International Organisation to Gain World Power (IOGWP). The spying was unintentional. He didn't know that Paulette could get inside his head, and had been doing so, since right before Midnight joined the CoJ. It was also deduced that this link was why Midnight kept giving out incorrect information about IOGWP. [This is a band-aid on top of a band-aid on top of a band-aid. Jim, originally had the Hawk on his own gameworld; he called it the LU Universe. Any Hawk character prior to the creation of Eidolon, originated in the LU Universe. This includes Midnight. When Jim decided to bring the Hawk into the RCU, one of the areas of contention is that Jim had used Viper, from the 'Champions' books liberally. I find Viper, as its structure is described in those books to be 176.5 degrees away from what I want for the RCU. And because the #1 rule about me sharing the RCU with another game master is don't do anything that stops me from telling the stories I want to tell, Viper had to go. Actually, it was whittled down to be a successive series of organisations in different cities, but never at the same time. [Midnight's origin in the LUU was tied directly to Viper. I'm not sure why it couldn't still have been. My basic understanding is that Jeff wanted his origin to some big global threat type group. The group Jim and Jeff decided upon was IOGWP. In hindsight, I should have vetoed that. IOGWP is a big global threat, but it isn't structured like Viper-from-the-books. There's nothing in the RCU structured like Viper-in-the-books. There never will be. Jeff played Midnight as if IOGWP were structured like Viper-from-the-books. The end result was that whenever IOGWP was discussed with Midnight around, everyone else would describe IOGWP the way IOGWP has always been, but the man who had been 'inside' had been a part of it would get everything wrong. [Medulla had been a part of IOGWP for a long time. That she was in Midnight's head, using him, is consistent with my vision of IOGWP. It also means that Midnight's continued survival made more sense. Think like a villain: You don't let a renegade member run off and share your secrets with your enemies. But, if you make him unable to share your secrets, and can use him to get their secrets, then you can let him live.] It was also then deduced that since Midnight was still living off his ill-gotten wealth from his days as a thief, to a former vigilante like Pariah, he wouldn't seem to be truly reformed, hence appearing evil. Graviton had deduced that Liberty Station had been taken to the darkness realm. Umbraegon was in the darkness realm. Umbrageon had to be stopped. Liberty Station, and the CoJ's family and friends had to be rescued. Two specialised teams were put together. Midnight, Shade, and Darkling, being able to exist in the darkness realm, went in and confronted Umbrageon. Eidolon (of the CoJ) and Balatar (of Retribution) would combine their magical abilities so that they could create a dimensional warp to the darkness realm sufficiently large enough to bring the massive Liberty Station home. Once in the darkness realm, the trio confronted Umbrageon. And nearly got their heads handed to them. Darkling realised that if the darkness creatures communicated telepathically with one another and the darkness powered supers, and if he had in fact taken on the characteristics of one of the darkness creatures (he had been mistaken for one repeatedly) that he ought to be able to telepathically link the trio. He did. And once Shade and Midnight put aside their differences (they had had issues with one another since back when they were both in the Hawk) and the trio worked together, their combined mastery of the darkness stuff exceeded Umbraegon's. They beat Umbraegon. Umbrageon defeated, Eidolon and Balatar, now off Champions Island, did what they set out to do and rescued Liberty Station, and its passengers. Megaman saved Morning Star. The team in Las Vegas called into the two other groups for back up, but ultimately defeated an army of human-extra-terrestrial hybrids put together by a rogue government agency. The heroes of Earth realised that the reanimated cadaver of Pariah was still out there, somewhere. And that it was likely that while Umbraegon was defeated, he could probably some day return. The darkness empowered trio realised that using their powers weakened the barriers between Earth and the darkness realm, which would actually made it easier for Umbraegon to come through. A plan was agreed upon. The three darkness powered characters would relinquish their powers. And the two mages would try to create a magical 'firebreak' between Earth and the darkness realm. So that's what they did. Midnight gave up being a Champion. Shade gave up being an American Ranger. All three went back to their human lives. They're fairly certain it's temporary. Sooner or later, the firebreak will collapse. Eventually the dimensional interfaces will reopen and their powers will return. And they'll know that Umbraegon will be on his way back for a rematch. [This ending is more dramatic, and focuses in on the idea of heroic sacrifice. It's not mine. Jim, ever my RCU right-hand, suggested it. It is also a band-aid. Shade's original player has been gone for years. Dave, Darkling's creator and player, left. And I am not willing to gamemaster for Jeff anymore. So if the characters are depowered and semi-retired, they can just be set aside. But they can return if the circumstances are ever right.]- This was all done by the HGF poster, Kenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenn Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMiller Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! You should be punished for not removing manual line breaks! Good stuff as always! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted February 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! You should be punished for not removing manual line breaks! Good stuff as always! I stole the post verbatim from Kenn's post to our RCU list. I don't know how to get rid of them without manually doing it. Sorry about that, but you'll have to deal! Hoo hah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMiller Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! I can deal. That's 'ooRah!' (unless of course you were going the army route. The best way I know of removing manual line breaks is to use Word and do a find and replace ^l to nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Major Tom Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 Re: Telling YOU about the RCU! I just tried the link to the RCU website, and all I got was the message "Access Denied-". Is there a problem with the site? Major Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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