Cthulhu was
coming. And with him, the end of the
world.
Vanguard had
undertaken a desperate quest. Earth’s greatest heroes had seven days to secure
nine artifacts of power, else all would be lost.
The Mystic, Archimedes
and Oracle would blindgate Vanguard to each of the artifacts. Once there,
they would have up to an hour to secure the artifact before the gate could be
re-opened to return them.
The first artifact
lay hidden somewhere within the Lost Laboratory of Dr. Swastika, behind the
Iron Curtain!
Dr. Swastika was
a mad Nazi scientist with a heart as twisted as his name. Creator and leader of
the nefarious Ubermensch, Swastika conquered science itself to create the Over
Man ideal.
Slate discovered
a journal in the lab that revealed Swastika’s fascination with sorcery,
especially the Cthulhu Mythos. There was an amazing illustration of the Star
Giant, penned in Swastika’s hand.
The journal covered the Nazi expedition to the Lost Lands of
Antarctica, wherein lay the Temple of Terror. There were illustrations of the Dinosaur
Men, and of temple hieroglyphs depicting the race of Inhumans. Next to that, to
Slate’s surprise, was a depiction of a creature that resembled his father,
Slingshot! Slate was jarred from the book by the sudden sound of rending iron!
Slingshot pulled
the fire door from its hinges as quietly as he could and Vanguard peered into
the dark stone hallway that lay beyond it.
Menagerie and
Sentinel detected the emanations of the artifact of power coming from the
north.
Sentinel prepared
to create a construct to trigger any traps that lay in their path when suddenly
the air shifted! Somehow there were now more people in the lab! Even in the
poor light, Vanguard recognized them!
The Soviet Super
Soldiers!
- Mother Russia! Strong, invulnerable and courageous!
- Polar Bear! The ursine abomination!
- Hammer and Sickle! Experienced, ruthless super-agents!
- Siberian?! Vanguard knew the frozen fiend was in custody in
CHESS Castle!
- The Collective?! This man looked like the Clone when Vanguard first
met him in the Lost Lands!
- Proletariat and Revolution! Vanguard knew their appearance and
names but no more, despite the fact they had researched the Soviet Super
Soldiers earlier that day!
Both super-teams were equally prepared for trouble, so neither
got the jump on the other.
The Soviet Super
Soldiers were 100 feet away from Vanguard on the other side of the dark,
abandoned lab!
The air here was bad, almost dangerous.
Mother Russia
shouted in Russian, “Super Soldiers, Go!”
Avatar, ever the
battle tactician, said softly to his team mates, “We must keep in mind that we
have several of these things to secure. We can't expend ourselves on any one if
we can help it. "Snatch and grab" rather than brawling should be our
goal on each of them. This is a fight we wouldn't likely win without serious
depletion of our resources.”
Menagerie quickly
asked Sentinel "Do we fight or go for the artifact?"
Sentinel concurred
with the demigod of destiny, "Our objective is the artifact. It would be best to avoid any conflicts that
we can, but that decision may not be ours to make here."
Vanguard had arrived just moments ago, Sentinel thought. With our earliest possible retrieval being
almost an hour away it seemed that a conflict with the SSS was inevitable. They couldn’t just grab the artifact and
depart.
“Mother Russia… Tatiana.
Stop! Whatever you’ve been told,
this conflict is unnecessary. Vanguard’s
sole purpose here is to prevent the total destruction of Earth’s inhabitants
including those under your protection.
Surely that objective is in harmony with the goal of the Soviet Super
Soldiers.”
Kirk voiced the words waiting to see the response; was there
free will on her part and was she misinformed or was she a puppet being
controlled and manipulated against her desire?
And then suddenly it all began to come together in his head,
and if he was right, it didn’t paint a pretty picture. Vanguard has already seen at the Embassy that
their enemy had the means to confound their extra sensory perceptions… the SSS
appearing here at this very moment was no coincidence. They came in response to Vanguard triggering
an undetected alarm system. And the SSS
wasn’t here to retrieve the artifact… no, it was already in the possession of
the one sending them here. They were
sent to protect it until the exact time it was needed.
If Swastika was the one behind this it fit his MO. It followed what he did with the Star Giant
in their first encounter. If not him
then surely the same insane thought pattern; they think they have the means to
summon and control and harness the power of Cthulhu!
Sentinel called out to the man who now called himself the
Collective! "Alex. What is going on
here with you? The one thing that I do
know is that at your core, the very center of your being, you would never
willingly do anything to endanger a single innocent... let alone all of them! Help us to help you. Help us to save the world again."
Slingshot
thought, Damnit! Sentinel was right, they may have the same intent as we do. He
added to what Sentinel just said, "Clone! Polar Bear! Wait! We are here to
save the Earth from certain doom! We have had a glimpse of the future and if we
do not do our duty, everyone will die..."
The Soviet Super
Soldiers ignored Vanguard’s plea, instead conferring further in terse
Russian barks. Then they divided their forces with practiced precision and
leapt into action!
With the recent loss of Lightning Strike and Soldier,
Vanguard had lost some of its speed.
Avatar, like a
Spartan general, assessed the field of battle. (OOC: delaying his action)
Sickle raced out
of the room, headed north, with incredible speed and agility.
Polar Bear fell
to all fours and bounded after her.
Revolution glowed
with white light and flew after them.
The Collective
exploded outward, impossibly forming 22 selves! The one man search party joined
Sickle, Revolution and Polar Bear in
the race north, through the nearest fire door, into the lab complex!
Flashlights, and Revolution’s energy signature, illuminated
their way through the dusty, cobwebbed, dark complex. They triggered no booby
traps… yet.
The Collective
knew that Revolution could detect energy sources, Polar Bear had highly
developed senses, and Sickle had a handheld scanner. But he had 22 pairs of
eyes and ears searching the abandoned mega-bunker! He spread out, had one
duplicate stay with each SSS member, and used his eerie telepathy to coordinate
their efforts to maximum efficiency!
He could feel the effects of the bad air in this
claustrophobic subterranean warren!
(OOC: Rules time. Normally, instead of charging 2 Power Points
for your second action as per the rules, I charge 1 PP for every action. But in
this bad air, it will cost 3 PP per action for any character that needs air.)
Menagerie
suddenly transformed into a large Siberian tiger! “ROAR!” He bared his teeth with
ferocity and waited for the remaining members of the SSS to charge!
Slate was shocked
to see his friend Clone looking so different.
He slid back against the wall he was standing near... He was aware of
the Soviet Super Soldiers and knew that they had fought a larger Vanguard group
almost to a standstill in the Lost Lands from his studies of Vanguard’s mission
reports.
Staying behind his team, Slate used his disintegration
powers on the wall beside him, away from the door, to get around any mechanical
traps Dr. Swastika might have set to.
ZARK! He left the rest of Vanguard delaying the SSS, and tried to find
the artifact so they can get back home.
As soon as he sees Menagerie shifting, he will attempt to
let him know telepathically what he is doing... he'll try to do the same thing
with Sentinel, but he's not sure how exactly this works... he's received
thoughts from Menagerie before, and thinks it will work, at the same time,
he'll ask if Menagerie has a "sense" of the direction/distance to the
artifact. He received no telepathic response!
Avatar spied
Slate’s action and knew this was the better path. He joined Slate and manifested the power of
the sun god, Apollo, illuminating their way through the darkness! The hunt began!
Avatar and Slate had
no supernatural senses to locate the artifact, and so tried to continue north
as best they could; following their last instructions from Menagerie and
Sentinel.
The competing search parties found ancient machinery,
bunkers, offices, storage facilities, war rooms, all abandoned and frozen in
time beneath a layer of grey dust. Neither team had found the artifact yet!
(OOC: More rules! In this PBEM, I halve your movement rate
to determine how far you can move in one issue (Two issues = one full combat
turn). When searching in dark, tight corridors, that movement is halved again!)
Sentinel, Slingshot
and Symbiote, seeing Avatar and Slate leave to search for the artifact,
joined Menagerie and (held their
actions and…) faced off against Mother
Russia, Hammer, Proletariat and Siberian, waiting for an attack!
The Super Soldiers
did not charge Vanguard. But they were now ready to respond to their pleas.
Mother Russia
spat defiantly: “Dr. Swastika has ever been the enemy of the Soviet Union!
In 1945, after we defeated the Nazis at great loss to our
people, America rescued Nazi scientists from justice and recruited them by the
hundreds to gain a scientific advantage in the coming Cold War!”
Sentinel, one of
Vanguard’s two resident historians, knew this to be true. It was called
Operation Paperclip.
(OOC: It’s true in our world too!)
Mother Russia
continued, “How can we trust those, who have allied themselves with Nazi
scientists, to stop Dr. Swastika? And how can we trust your corrupt, compromised
government? Your politicians are bought and paid for by capitalists. We have
seen it with our own eyes! If a billionaire wanted to own the artifact we seek
here today, your craven politicians would turn it over. There is nothing that
money can’t buy in America! Your culture is infected with the sickness of
greed. And that greed overrules all other considerations, even mankind’s survival!
The world lies in the balance! There is too much at stake! This is OUR task!
Stand down, Vanguard!”
OOC: Replies? Actions?!
One round worth of orders, please.
Current Conditions:
Avatar: Hit Points: 38, Power Points: 67, Manifestation: Apollo
The Collective: Bodies: 22, Hit Points: 1, Power Points: 39,
Hit Point Pool: 22
Menagerie: Hit Points: 21, Power Points: 66 (62), Form: Tiger
Sentinel: Hit Points: 29, Power Points: 61, Creation Points:
122, Shields: 100: Held Action
Slate: Hit Points: 35, Power Points: 71
Slingshot: Hit Points: 50, Power Points: 92,
Invulnerability: 8: Held Action
Symbiote: Hit Points: 55, Power Points: 91, Charges: 13,
Copied: Zero G: Held Action
Viva Vanguard.
Best,
Jeff
--------------------------------------------------
Slate:
IC: Following Avatar's lead, Slate stayed to the center of
the hall way's peering into musty rooms and chambers, still utilizing his
comprehension skills to try and figure out what each of the rooms was for, and
if anything looked out of place, or if he say anything that might indicate a
hidden room or trap.
At the same time he kept reviewing the illustration from the
journal, and the hieroglyphs, what could they mean... could the illustration
have been from when Vanguard was catapulted through time, or was it something
else? Knowing Avatar's background and
more than a little nervous, Slate asked, "Avatar, back in the forgotten
lands at the Temple of Terror, did you ever get a look at the
Hieroglyphs?" He figures Avatar's
had a lot more experience translating texts that he has. With time and access to the web, he's
confident he could do it, but maybe Avatar can get the gist of the
illustration.
Jon
--------------------------------------------------
Avatar:
IC: "I
didn't. Not really." John's reply is a bit hesitant. "Look, Slate, we need to find this
artifact fast. I'm going to go ahead and
run through this place fast and see if I can find it. Hopefully it's obvious and I'm not going to
run headlong into any traps but we have to make this fast."
John waits a moment for any reply that Slate might have but
will then activate Heightened Speed and take off through the complex looking to
see if he can find something obvious. If
he sees an enemy, he'll try to flash them and blind them with Light Control or,
better yet, maneuver around them at super-speed and continue his search. Without more direction he feels a little
foolish but there's no time to waste. He
remembers that the stats for the Cthulhu mythos "gods" in the old
Deities & Demigods book are better than those for the Greek gods.
--------------------------------------------------
Sentinel:
Kirk didn’t miss a beat and replied, “Tatiana, I can’t
truthfully deny that there are those with money in the United States that have
used it to further their personal agendas any more than you could truthfully
deny that in your country there aren’t those that have worked their way through
your political system to further their own ends at the expense of the working
class. What I can tell you is that this
isn’t a United States mission, this is a Vanguard mission. Our government didn’t bring the facts to us,
we brought it to them.
“Also, you know where I choose to spend my personal time and
efforts. It’s furthering the REACH
program. And the REACH program is about
people, not governments, and it knows no borders.
And no one has more contempt for that filth Swastika than I
do.” And Kirk realized that she had just
identified Swastika as being currently behind this threat.
“The only people I trust are my team. And right now one of them stands at your
side. What I know about you firsthand is
you’re stubborn once your mind is set; I admire that. But I also bet you hate being played as much
as I do.”
Kirk looked at Clone and said, “Alex knows I will use every
means to my disposal to uncover the truth and will do the right thing to
protect innocents, just like I know that is exactly what Alex would do.” **
(** in game terms, trying once again as done last round to
trigger Clone’s ‘weakness’ into giving him additional attempts to break free or
fight any control of influence being exerted on him, if there is any)
And at that moment after, after in effect, choreographing to
Alex what he was about to do, Kirk triggered a mind read of Clone in hopes of
him being able to reveal what was going on here.
“Tatiana I suspect you have some doubts about things here
too, otherwise you wouldn’t have held your team back just now. So how about it? Alex is the bridge between both of our teams
so let us hear what he has to say.
‘Alex, why did you leave us so suddenly without even talking to any of
us? And if you feel your mission here is
right, and ours off, talk to me.
Convince us. You know we’ll do
what is right.”
If Kirk’s mind read becomes a detected issue (hoping not
like last adventure) instead of being an undetected move he will say something
along the lines of, “Alex knows exactly what means I have at my disposal and
I’d just told him I was using it.” (or
anything along those lines)
If a fight breaks out despite their efforts at detente he
will encourage Menagerie to go for the item since likely a foe will follow him
anyway to prevent it and he and Kirk have the best shot to locate it for now.
OOC: Hey Jeff,
I thought a Clone was with Mother Russia since you had
mentioned him pairing off with a duplicate being with each SSS member for
communication via his telepathy…wouldn’t one stay with Mother Russia to update
her on the progress and if they find the artifact?
If yes, then what I wrote is fine. If not then it will have to be reworked to
perhaps see if she will call one of the Clones back or communicate with him via
communicator. Let me know.
If the battle ensues if Vanguard can separate from the SSS
to pursue the artifact that would be preferred but he won’t leave his remaining
teammates to be terribly outnumbered.
Seth
--------------------------------------------------
GM:
OOC:
Hi Seth,
As told in the now-classic Vanguard Issue 172, the
Collective left the lab to search for the artifact.
Please give me an if-then statement in case Mother Russia
doesn't re-direct one of the duplicates from the search effort.
And don't forget that you (and Symbiote and Slingy) need to
give me orders for two actions this time, since you saved your actions last
ish.
Thanks,
Jeff
--------------------------------------------------
Menagerie:
Menagerie will snarl and growl to warn the SSS that their
views of America does not apply to Vanguard. He will then run off after the
artifact to secure it. He will dodge and weave to keep from being followed. He
will mind speak to Avatar in an effort to guide him to it quickly.
Best
Tom
--------------------------------------------------
Avatar:
OOC:
After John does his Heightened Speed power activation, he'll
try to cover a bunch of ground looking for this object that we're supposed to
get and hoping that it's obvious.
--------------------------------------------------
Slingshot:
Listening to Sentinel, Scott nods. [If Tatiana needs more
convincing] "Vanguard tries to be true. We have bested greed recently.
Silas Caine thought his money was able to let him do anything, but that is not
the case anymore."
"Last time, we were at odds, it had to do with the
Entity. You were present there yourself! Did we not do the right thing? We are
looking for the artifacts to keep them away from the opposition that would want
to raise this ancient demon and lead us to world destruction. Let's work
together to find the items."
[if she doesn't let go.] "We have access to ways of
hiding and protecting the artifacts. What is your plan?"
[side note - anyways to contact the mystics? I would like to
ask them if there is any chance that the introduction of SSS is something new
and changes the future? Or they are part of the vision and they simply failed
at this hunting?]
[assuming that the mystics respond that they are part of the
mission and they fail] "Tatiana, the mystics are telling us that their
vision includes your attempts at gathering the artifacts and somehow, these
demons get summoned. Help us!"
[Move/Action]
If SSS is still threatening us, I'll stay as a diversion and
as muscle. My response to attack is the same as before, since all the muscle is
here. I'll play Slingshot Bowling Alley. I'll try to tie them up that way. I
will not attack, only if attacked.
If SSS relents and leaves us be, then I'll use my high move
rate and flexible nature to help with the search. I'll spread as far and as
wide as possible. I will ask sentinel/menagerie what it looks like.
--------------------------------------------------
Slate:
IC: As Slate watches Avatar's form, and his source of light
vanishing like a torch dropped down a hole, he stares into the darkness,
contemplating his next move... "This was a mistake," he thinks to
himself. He turns, and using his
photographic memory of the path that led him here, moves back to the hallway,
and the rest of the team in the dark.
Jon
--------------------------------------------------
Sentinel:
OOC: Hi Jeff.
Will continue to do best to avoid conflict. If it can be avoided, will take off in
pursuit of object using senses if situation makes sense to allow it.
You still didn't confirm if it was Clone via his energy
signature but assuming it is Alex, if we don't fight and he encounters one of
the Clones he will attempt to determine what is happening with him.
If battle cannot be avoided, Kirk will engage as
necessary. He also wouldn't throw the
first blow.
If he can use senses to determine if there is additional
influence on SSS that would be helpful.
Either they are unwittingly in Swastika's control (assuming their intel
about him being behind this is correct) or else we can likely expect to
encounter a 'third party' here too on Swastika's behalf (or whoever is trying
to get the object for the summoning). Also someone or something from them has
been giving himself and Menagerie issues with their senses so either it is one
of their new new members or again, that other influence (Swastika?). He will keep his senses alert for anything
that would indicate outside sources or the source of their blocked powers.
At this point Vanguard is going for the artifact and
Menagerie can likely figure out location as well as Kirk, so if he can
determine what is really happening here and ALL the players involved is now
becoming more of Kirk's goal than the object.
If he can somehow determine who via energy senses may be their
teleporter (if present) that would be another good goal so they don't disappear
with the artifact if they retrieve it.
Best,
Seth
--------------------------------------------------
GM:
OOC:
Thanks Seth,
Here's what I wrote (in Issue 171 reply) about scanning the
Collective:
"Sentinel, the Collective is within your range.
Scanning him takes some of the Movement segment of your Action. I'm happy to
give you the results now as they'll affect much, but wanted to confirm with you
the following:
During an Action, a player may Move and Attack in whatever
order they choose, but can only do each of these segments once. No one can
Move, Attack, Move, for example.
So scanning now means you're choosing to use your Move
segment and then your Attack segment this issue, in that order. Is that what
you want?"
I don't think I ever got an answer.
Thanks,
Jeff
--------------------------------------------------
Sentinel:
OOC: Sorry about missing that Jeff. Yes, we need to try to determine there
here. Let me get my 'reads' and that
intel may further help actions.
I suppose physical movement could be added to the 'read' if
the actions of others dictate it prior to any 'attack'.
Thanks.
Seth
--------------------------------------------------
Clone/ The Collective:
Private to GM:
Jeff, I'm assuming that the Soviet Super Soldiers were somehow teleported into the lab and have team communicators. Based on those assumptions I think I have a half-way decent battle plan for them.
While 'The Collective' army scrambles through the rear portions of the lab with Revolution and Sickle, the four duplicates in front of Polar Bear could split off from the search ( along with Polar Bear ) and use that tunnel/corridor that they're currently running through to attack Menagerie, Sentinel, Slingshot, and Symbiote from the rear/side. Hammer, Mother Russia, Proletariat, and Siberian would then follow suit and charge into battle against them as well. This assault on Vanguard wouldn't actually be meant as an attempt to destroy them, but rather a way to draw Slate and Avatar back to the main group and provide Revolution, Sickle, and the remaining Collective duplicates with the opportunity to search for the artifact on their own without competition. If they're successful in finding the artifact they would all simply teleport out.
If they can't teleport out - I think its still a half-way decent plan . . . it'll just have a slightly more involved 'exit strategy' attached to it now. lol ;)
The Collective doppelgangers will of course use their battle-staves in combat. If possible, they will attack Symbiote's harness directly in an effort to take him out of the fight quickly.
Talk to you soon, Jeff
-Kev
--------------------------------------------------
Symbiote:
Symbiote will again hold his action. After Sentinel speaks to the SSS, he'll also
speak to Mother Russia.
OC: "He's right,
Tatania," Hal said, keeping his hands to his sides and speaking in a
neutral tone. "I won't try to
debate history, economics or politics with you here today, if for no other
reason that none of us have the time.
Cthulhu's coming
"But if you don't trust our government--and believe me,
sometimes I don't either--can you at least trust US?" he asked,
earnestly. "I think Vanguard was
more than fair to your team during the Lost Lands incident, and afterwards,
when some of you defected--or at least seemed to. And I think you've had some positive
experiences with both Talon and Me. Do
we really seem like the kind of people who want to turn the power of Cthulhu
over to government--any government?
We're working with some mystic powers who hold no allegiance to any
earthly government. Please trust
us. It'd be a great waste of resources
if our teams fought while the house burned down">
If the Bolshevik Blockbuster listens to reason, Hal will
continue to stand down. If not, he'll
try the increase gravity/reverse gravity trick we discussed last issue.
Viva Vanguard,
Greg
--------------------------------------------------
