Vanguard did it. Vanguard had saved the world!
The Vanguard Reserves and the Soviet Super Soldiers rout the Ubermensch and the Japanese Imperial Guard of WWII that were transported here by the time-travelling magic of Mystic when he was possessed by Dr. Swastika.
Mystic says with sincere humility, “Thank you, Vanguard, for all you have done. For me, and for this universe.”
Sentinel replies, “How long? How long did he have you? Was that you back in the 1940’s or him already?”
“I… I don’t know,” Mystic replies.
[OOC: In time, Mystic is able to divine with his mystical insight that he had been ‘himself’ up until Vanguard travelled back in time to the 1940s to quest for the Ring of Eon. Doing so altered the timeline of Earth: The Ubermensch reported what they saw of Vanguard to Dr. Swastika; metahuman foes from an American future! Hearing this and understanding that the Reich would fall, the Dr. Swastika of the 1940s then altered his plans to ensure above all else that he would survive to see this ‘dystopic’ future, and have an army of extranormals with him to overturn it, including the body of his hated enemy, Mystic.
It was directly after that time travel that Oracle was killed by Mystic (Swastika) and Vanguard Vault was destroyed by SKULL (ever the agents of Swastika). The time distortion from the trip to the 1940s, and the ensuing alteration to the timeline by Swastika, prevented Oracle from predicting these ghastly events, including her own death and that of Archimedes.]
The World Storm soon dissipates and Soldier contacts CHESS via his cybernetic satellite link. They are en route to secure the defeated supervillains from beyond time and the grave for eventual transport to CHESS Castle.
Menagerie extends his Nature Sense. The threat to the Natural Order is no more. But his patron remains silent… missing. Somehow, Menagerie knows deep inside that he must take her place.
Mystic answers Vanguard’s many questions. “It will be centuries before the stars are right again for the Swastika-possessed Cthulhu to attempt to return to Earth. Until then, I can think of no better guardians of these Artifacts of Power than you, Vanguard.”
“To Aperture goes the Mirror of Worlds from Ancient China. It has the ability to show other dimensions of existence, including your ‘Digital Zone.’
“To Avatar goes the Spear of Destiny. Wield it with honor, warrior son of Ares and Athena, and leader of men.
“To Clone goes the Circlet of Telepathy. When worn, you will be in telepathic contact with your legion of selves, anywhere on Earth.
“To Lightning Strike goes the Emerald of Life, it can heal any wound, even upon your unusual form.
“To Menagerie goes the sword, Excalibur, forged by the Lady of the Lake. The torch is passed.
“To Sentinel goes the Splinter of the True Cross. Locked inside is the secret of Resurrection and Life… for your wife, and your unborn child. I will show you how. But from then on, I shall refer to Lancaster only as “Pop Pop.”
“To Slingshot goes the Stone Idol of Cthulhu from the Ruins of Remorse in the Lost Lands. Its nullification powers over sorcery can help you continue to overcome your eldritch origins.
“To Soldier goes the Dagger of the Maya. This indestructible knife is a fearsome addition to your already formidable arsenal.
“And I shall safeguard the Ring of Eon. I will not use it, nor alter our timeline again for fear of causing further catastrophe.”
[OOC: In fact, altering a different future obscured the coming of Cthulhu! It all happened in the now-classic Issue 169! -Ye excitable editor]
Aperture’s nanotechnology will transport the heroes back to New York again.
The World Storm ends. In time, order is restored globally. Vanguard are recognized as having ended the global crisis, and saving the world.
Those friends and loved ones that Vanguard had lost contact with during the global crisis are found alive.
Mystic works with Sentinel and the Splinter of the True Cross to return Shelley Harper to life. She is still pregnant and has no memories of death. Months later, Shelley gives birth to a healthy baby boy. He looks just like Lancaster.
Vanguard, REACH and other superheroes around the world (including the Vanguard Reserves, the former Liberty Legion, and the Soviet Super Soldiers) join the effort to rebuild and recover.
A new era of détente with the Soviets begins.
Vanguard Vault is restored.
CHESS is lauded for their efforts in the crisis, Director Grey is promoted and MEDUSA defunded, including its special projects division headed by Soldier’s father, General Steele.
Detective Hank Archer is found to be innocent of all charges and he is reinstated in the NYPD.
Government legislation targeting extranormals, and sentient non-humans like Nanite and Aperture, loses all steam.
Vanguard are the guests of President Taylor at a White House dinner in their honor where the President and hundreds in attendance raise their glasses and toast them in gratitude as the finest examples that America and mankind has to offer.
“To Vanguard!”
[OOC:
Congrats everyone!
Two things:
1) Experience Point Time!
Experience is awarded for:
-Battling and thwarting Doctor Swastika, preventing the coming of Cthulhu, and for saving the universe: 5000 points
The new totals: Current XP XP Gained New XP Total Your Level
Aperture: 9,000 5,000 14,000 5, a new level!
Avatar: 30,500 5,000 35,500 8, a new level!
Clone: 23,500 5,000 28,500 7, a new level!
Lightning Strike: 33,500 5,000 38,500 8, a new level!
Menagerie: 19,500 5,000 24,500 6, a new level!
Sentinel: 33,500 5,000 38,500 8, a new level!
Slingshot: 34,000 5,000 39,000 8, a new level!
Soldier: 16,500 5,000 21,500 6, a new level!
Everyone gains a level.
Your ‘Level Advancement’ is the Artifact of Power you just received.
2) Well, it’s with a heavy heart that I have to tell you real life has finally caught up to me and I no longer have time to run Vanguard. But I can’t imagine a better way to end the campaign.
(Sorry, Jamey. I didn’t realize this was going to happen when you asked to join.)
I’d like to thank all of you. It’s been a real pleasure playing with you. Over the past many years, from 1st level to 8th level, in 227 issues, I had a blast and learned a lot.
If you care to write any IC wrap ups for your awesome characters, or their plans for the future, feel free to do so in the next two weeks and I’ll include it in this issue’s upload to the game blog: http://vanguardhq.blogspot.com/
Thanks again everyone, for everything. I wish you all the best in gaming and in life.
Viva Vanguard!
Best,
Jeff ]
The End.
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Soldier:
OOC: Wow. I don't have words right now. I will come up with something soon.
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Aperture:
OOC: Where's the weeping. And gnashing of teeth. Bittersweet Jeff. One of the best games I've ever had the pleasure of being in.
Thanks for allowing me to join!
Jon
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Slingshot:
OOC: Jeff,
I've been mulling this over for the last two days. I'm a little sad. This was probably one of the constant little joys in my life. Every two weeks to a month, I would get my comic and look at it with anticipation.
Thank you for hosting us throughout all these years. It was an awesome ride. I really enjoyed your challenges and your creative writing.
If you ever decide to start something up again, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I would be more than happy to do this with you again.
If you ever come to Toronto, reach out, I would love to have dinner/coffee/beer/what have you.
Same goes for the rest of you all.
Damn.
Stephane
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Menagerie:
OOC: I thought I would have my character response by now but I am conflicted. Menagerie is happy and I am sad. I will get to Menagerie this weekend but for now it is just me.
Thanks for a wonderful gaming experience.
Thanks for showing me how to GM by email. I had researched the Vanguard Vault archives as I prepared to launch my V&V email game and blog. Your advice and encouragement was invaluable especially when I started.
Thanks for gathering a great group of players which I am proud to say I was one of.
Thanks for sparking my imagination and entertaining me with each and every issue.
Thanks for being my friend. If you are ever coming to McKinney, Texas or the Dallas-Fort Worth area please let me know. Jon and I would love to see you. If it is June 6 2018 weekend I know a great Role-playing game Con that we could play with Jeff Dee at.
Thanks for everything.
Tom.
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Soldier:
OOC: I wanted to thank all of you for having this opportunity to be a part of Vanguard, even if was for a shorter time than I would have preferred. I have read all the issues, and I will miss the adventures. I hope that one day I will be able to play again with you. Jeff, thanks for allowing me to participate. I agree with Tom, I am sad as well.
Jamey
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Sentinel:
OOC: Wow...
So I didn't look at the issue (or posts) until Thursday evening and had to go out right afterward and was a bit overwhelmed by the announcement.
In my mind I'd really felt Jeff had been bringing the game to a conclusion and that things had such a definite feel since the 'death' issue (the dice gaming gods must have been mean drunks that day...) but I'd put it out of my mind when Jamey recently joined the game so I was surprised.
I'd like to thank Jeff above and beyond for all of his time and such an amazing run. I felt so bad so many times as he begged, pleaded, and cajoled us into doing our posts ... all the while pulling all the heavy weight himself.
I'm very grateful to have been a part of this game and to have had the opportunity to meet so many other great people along the way ... thank you all and thank you Jeff for bringing this rag-tag team together and making us shine. I've been amazed by and enjoyed some of the creativity and writing of all of you at different times. It's been a wonderful experience.
It is going to be incredibly difficult not having that little switch in my brain turn on and allowing me to bring Kirk to life anymore and not to have this creative outlet and the chance to be a hero and do good... even in our 'make-believe' world. But again, I'm incredibly grateful to Jeff in keeping this amazing game running for so long.
I looked back and although my saved emails on AOL don't go back to the very first few it appears we have been doing this since 2005. Well over a decade. I think of all that has changed during that time... all that has happened in my life (in all of our lives) through Vanguard's journey and I am in awe. Vanguard and Kirk have been through so many ups and downs of my personal life and has been an outlet. Sometimes it was a refuge... sometimes trying to find the time to think about it and post seemed an overwhelming task.
I'm also in awe that I have spent 25% of my life with Kirk 'living' in that creative area of my brain. That's crazy! Certainly the longevity of our run transcends most others in the comic world and I'd think the gaming world. Another testament to our incredible GM and all of you.
An early email asked where was the gnashing of teeth and tears... I can tell you none of us can gnash our teeth at Jeff not having the time to do this after all these years but I have shed tears thinking about this coming to an end and about my final posting which will hopefully follow.
I think aside from the creative outlet what I will miss most is the connection receiving that email gave me when it arrived. It always made me feel 19ish again and brought me back to who I was then… and I always see Jeff and Tony at that age (and the others from our original group when they were active) when thinking about the game instead of the old men we are today (ok... older men, why push it more than it need be).
One thing I do know however, is that given the circumstances (ie the time, health, and responsibility load) that Jeff will come back to his need to create. If there was a universal dictionary that defined 'GM' and tried to embody all that a good GM could and should be, our friend Jeff's picture would be beside it. I am and will be forever grateful for the blessing of his friendship and the opportunity he gave me to 'play' in his worlds and to express some of my own creativity that had no other such outlet both as a young guy and through all these years of our email campaign.
And Jeff, when that day comes again when you feel the burning desire to take up those reigns of GM (and in my mind I don't conceive of 'if', it can only be 'when') I very much hope this is the world that you choose to return to and that I'm one of the fortunate few to get the call to respond ... and that I can do so when that time comes...
Viva Vanguard!
Seth
PS: And I forgot ...
Jeff - Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for the happy ending.
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Menagerie:
IC: Menagerie stood silently allowing the sadness to wash over him in great waves of grief. In the secluded forest he stood before the saplings of what would be one day be great majestic trees. To his left was the beginning of a Juniper tree. It was Archimedes favorite tree. This would be his monument. "Man puts headstones for its departed but not Nature. Its monuments are built on the circle of life." The woodland shaman said repeating one of his lessons from his mentor.
To his right was where he had planted the Blue Spruce. "A tree to shelter you Snowball", Menagerie said with a wryly smile appearing, "blue because it was your favorite color to eat."
As the Mystical Guardian of Nature turned to walk away he said, "until we come full circle and meet again, take care my friends."
Menagerie returned to Vanguard to participate in the ceremonies to their departed friends and colleagues. He shared in times of mourning and remembrance with everyone.
Afterwards he announced to Vanguard he was leaving. "It is time for me to take on a new role. I will bring up and train the next protectors of the Natural Order."
Menagerie said to Sentinel, "Thank you for your leadership. I have learned a lot and I hope to lead my new team half as well as you led Vanguard."
To Avatar, "I will miss fighting by your side. Your brought courage to all of us. Please reach out to me from time to time so we can share in each other's research. I believe the gods will smile on that"
To Lightning Strike, "May your quest end soon and may justice prevail. Your tenacity and steadfastness has been an inspiration to me."
To Soldier, "We have never been able to team up long but when we do it is the stuff of legends. If you are ever in need call me and I will come."
To Slingshot, " Your family is the first family of heroes. It is all because of you. Be proud in all that you have accomplished."
To Aperture, "I was wrong. You are a true man among men and a hero above all else.
To Clone, "My little buddy, you are a man of joy and wisdom. Never be afraid to share those gifts with whoever you meet as you travel this world."
To Director Grey, "Thank you for allowing me to join Vanguard and to help protect this world. Without you pulling the strings behind the scene this wouldn't have been possible at all."
"Now if you excuse me. I have one last friend to check on before I start my new adventure." With a big smile Menagerie said, "I will tell Pachyderm that Vanguard said Hi."
Leaping out the window, Menagerie turned into an eagle and flew away.
Via Vanguard Forever
Tom
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Soldier:
IC: Soldier, though saddened by the losses that they had suffered, was happy to be with his "family". He enjoyed being back with the team, and had no desire to leave. Coming so close to the end of everything had caused him to reassess his life. Matt decides to call Kelli Riker, and see where it leads.
To Menagerie: That phone works both ways. You are one of my "Brothers" and I've got your back.
Vanguard Forever!
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Sentinel:
OOC: Going to ask for a final extension for Kirk's last post. I'd planned yesterday morning for it but ended up at the hospital supporting a friend whose dad had a stroke. He has been extremely healthy for 76 and my buddy hasn't had to do the ER thing like this so we went to support and were there through the afternoon. Thankfully he seems to be doing well.
With the extended weekend coming up I should find the couple hours needed.
Hope that's ok.
Best,
Seth
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GM:
OOC: No problem!
It's not Vanguard if we don't extend the deadlines. ;)
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Avatar:
OOC: Oh, yes!!
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Clone:
IC: In the months following the defeat of Dr. Swastika: as the world slowly went back to normal, the courageous members of Vanguard awoke one morning to find Clone mysteriously missing from the Vanguard Vault. In his quarters, the group found his bed made, his room cleaned and tidy, and all of his personal effects strangely missing. His room looked as if he had never lived in it. The only thing they found in the room was a small note left neatly folded on the night stand next to Alex’s bed. The note read . . .
OOC: Wow! I can’t believe it’s actually over – I didn’t see that coming. I’ve been playing this game for eight years now and I can honestly say that I enjoyed every single moment of it. I’ve been playing it for so long that I can’t even imagine what it will be like not to play it. A really big piece of me actually didn’t want to write this final response for Clone – I was trying to convince myself that if I didn’t write it, then it wouldn’t be over. It is over though and I didn’t want it to end without saying a few things to all the members of our group.
You guys have become a part of my life – I know that sounds mushy, but after eight years I think of you guys as the friends I’ve never met lol. You’ve shared so much of your lives with me that I could never think of you as strangers. There were a lot of times that I wanted to offer condolences/advice/etc. to some of you as you shared the personal moments of your personal lives openly in the Vanguard emails, but I never did because I thought you might think me as ‘out of line’ or intruding or something (since I know a bunch of you are actually friends outside the game), but I just wanted to let you guys know that despite my silence, I always did feel sad/happy/etc. for you guys as the years and real-life experiences rolled by.
All of you have made a lasting impression on me, but there are a few that I want to address directly . . .
Seth (Sentinel), Thanks for ALWAYS raising the bar when it came to writing up responses lol! I put as much effort into my response as I could (and as real life would allow) simply out of respect for the amount of time that I saw you dedicating to yours – you truly inspired me to be a more dedicated player – thank you. I’ve always enjoyed reading your posts and I can’t believe that I won’t have the opportunity to read another. Take care of yourself and thanks again. I always saw Sentinel as a cross between Captain America (personality-wise) and Green Lantern (power-wise); I’m not sure if that’s what you were going for, but that’s always the way I saw it.
Stephane (Slingshot), Thanks for always being the ‘Awesome Side’ of Vanguard for me lol! Anytime that I wanted to get Clone in trouble, I knew all I had to do was look to you for a little assistance lol. You always brought out so much superhero-spirit in your character, but all the while never forgetting how important it was to laugh along the way – thank you for that.
Tom (Menagerie), We’ve played a couple of games together and I had a fun time in both. Thanks for always keeping the Snowball gag going; it might sound silly, but that always meant a lot to me for some reason.
Jeff (GM), I don’t think I can thank you enough for letting me be a part of all of this. You have been an AMAZING GM and a good friend – thank you. Where you found the time to always make this game happen, I don’t know. How you always managed to keep a game running for some many years and still keep the story fresh the entire time, I have no idea – but thank you for all the effort. You’re an absolutely outstanding writer and a great storyteller – thank you for all the great challenges. The time you spent making this world a ‘living place’ for all of us has never gone unnoticed – I always marveled at the dedication you gave each and every issue. Oh – and thanks for giving Clone the opportunity to start dating Rachael Ray – that was freak’n hilarious!
Clone (My Character), I started playing Clone back in Vanguard: Issue 93: The Lost World! - Tuesday, July 14, 2009. My goal for him was never to make him a superhero, but rather a normal guy walking around amongst gods. I wanted him to be the flawed and innocent-side to superhero comics and not the ‘POW’, ‘BANG’, ‘BOOM’ side of them. I wanted readers to see the class clown that hid his pain behind his humor, and the superhero who craved only to be normal. I think I was able to pull that off a few times thanks to all of you, and for that I owe you all a warm round of ‘thanks’. Thank you all for the opportunity to play around with Clone’s fragile and sometimes unpredictable human-side and for not getting upset by it – your patience and support were always appreciated.
Fun Fact: I actually sat down as I was designing the Clone character with Jeff, and put together a ‘cheat sheet’ of Russian phrase and words so that I would never have to struggle trying to bring you guys a Russian speaking superhero partner. I even started reading over Russian to English dictionaries lol.
If any of you ever feel like dropping me a line, please do so – you have my email address – I would love to hear from you all in the future. Who knows, maybe there will be a Vanguard Reunion Issue(s) down the line at some point. If that ever happens, count me in! Maybe a mini-series Holiday Issue(s)? Swimsuit Edition?
Thanks for all the great memories guys . . . see you all in the funny papers,
-Kev
P.S. Random Vanguard-related thought - Two of the former members of Vanguard that I always secretly hoped would come back into the story somehow where Talon and Forester – I always enjoyed those characters for some reason.
Dos Vedanya, Comrades!
Viva Vanguard!
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Sentinel:
OOC: Thanks for the final extension Jeff.
Very early on in the campaign (likely the first issue or so), not understanding the workings of the game Jeff replied to my concerns and said something along the lines, "Hey, if you can't live out your dreams here, then where?"
So thanks Jeff for giving us that opportunity to do just that for so many years.
And it was with that in mind that I penned Kirk's final post. It's not my right to 'write canon' here in Jeff's playground nor would I want to do so, so simply consider it 'a possible future' for Kirk wherein some of the good that I wish was in my power to do actually gets done. And yes, Kirk gets to live a full happy life.
I look forward to reading all your final posts after this is sent...
IC: The Final Entry: The Possible Future
Kirk was amazed. With Swastika gone, something that had weighed upon him for years, a threat he was sure with all his soul existed, but that no one else could seem to see, was lifted. He was free. It was if he could breathe again after not knowing how long he had been oxygen deprived. And with that, so many more threats that he perceived seemed to unravel of their own accord. The world scene began unfolding around him the way it should. The way he always hoped it could. The way that made sense. It was almost as if he now took a step back and of its own accord the rich tapestry of life wove his hopes into reality.
And he felt blessed. When once he had wondered how he could go on and if he had forever lost his true self, and lost hope … somehow, he had received a gift greater than he had a right to conceive. He had been made whole once again. Shelley had been restored to him and Kirk stepped out of the darkness that had begun to envelope him for good.
(Personal Life)
Kirk’s bond with Shelly had always been intense and unique with his energy sense and telepathic connection, but having experienced her loss forever changed him. That sparkle in his eye when he looked at her, that all young couples have at first, would never fade. As their months together turned to years and familiarity could have bred indifference and being too comfortable to try, he never allowed that to happen. And Shell, the amazing woman that she was, never ceased to dazzle him in new ways; and ever the stronger one, it seemed she didn’t need to experience his loss to cherish him always.
Whenever he thought he couldn’t love her more, he would somehow discover that he could and did. The first time this happened was with the birth of their first child, his miracle boy that had been lost and miraculously restored to him.
They named him Jeffrey and he was gifted with an imagination and artistic sense second to none. He could see endless possibilities and express them in brilliant ways to inspire others. Kirk was in awe of his raw talent and envisioned him changing the world and inspiring others in ways Kirk himself could only hope to do so. He noticed something else about him; although he wasn’t quite as quick to see the good in others, once he did, and befriended them, he was loyal to a fault. Something he certainly shared with his dad.
Soon after they had a second son, Anthony. His approach to the world was far different from his brother taking after his mom and approaching things in an exploratory way. Instead of playing with his toys he would take them apart examining how they worked together so he could understand what made them tick. It came naturally to him. And although he put on a tough exterior, Kirk knew it was a façade. It seemed he was always bringing ‘strays’ in need of help into their home.
His love for Shelly would again take a leap when their third child came, their daughter. They named her Dinah and she was the apple of his eye. He adored her impish grin that reminded him so much of her mom. And she used it to her full advantage; yielding her power wrapping him around her little finger. One that Kirk sensed was also very powerful in the way of their family gift.
(Heroic Life)
Kirk had never been comfortable with the position of being a formal leader of men. And although he would assume whatever role was needed for the greater good, he was always most at ease taking a step back and advising and helping to bring out the best in others to let them shine. There was nothing better than seeing a person’s best self and helping them to become more than they thought possible. With the change in the world order he saw the means to do more of that. His bond with his friends in Vanguard allowed him to put his trust in them and he encouraged and invited them to work with him as they changed the world for the better. They began to change perceptions and values one step, one life, at a time. It was amazing what a difference a few years or a decade can bring in baby steps that grow larger. Especially with young ones as they mature and choose to envision a more positive and unselfish future and work towards that better world.
As REACH continued to grow and take on a life of its own Kirk wanted to do more. Kirk, with Hal’s help, developed the Heroes of Valor (HOV) initiative. It began as a means to honor those lost to The World Storm that gave their lives saving others like the team of CHESS that they had worked so closely with all those years and their mentors of the Liberty League like Sgt Strong and Doc Rocket. Then of course they thought of honoring all those heroes of years past from the Liberty League to the Freedom Force since they had influenced the two of them so much and done so much for so many. But they soon realized that the Museum and Social Media Presence they started needed to be expanded. They would honor heroes of all sorts that gave of themselves to contribute towards making the world a better place for all … that worked towards a better future. And to their surprise with the change in social thought after having lived through The World Storm and seen true loss, things took off quickly. Rather than simply stopping threats as important as that was, Sentinel and Vanguard’s influence began to make the world a better place. It seemed like each city wanted its own HOV Attraction with its various exhibits growing, and including local community figures further inspiring others to build a better future.
Those with gifts be it extranormal ones or not who wanted to do more were given the help to do so. Vanguard worked with REACH to set up mentor programs so that all could have the opportunity to become their best selves and help others to do so too. It was truly and amazing time and Kirk was thrilled to play a role in it.
Never the end:
With all the good taking place it would have been easy to forget about himself. Kirk would make sure he was the best father he could be spending the time needed with his family. And he would never neglect his true love.
But he remembered the need to be always be vigilant. He knew he needed to continue to work to find his own best self and to realize his own potential. He’d hoped it would be simply to train the next generation but he would be prepared if it was because he received ‘The Call’.
With the assistance of Gramps he continued to develop the mental disciplines learning and mastering all aspects of telepathy. He also continued to learn from Mystic to understand the workings of things from the mystical world view. However, it was in time, after convincing them both to help him understand and master the ability of the telekinetic ‘mind blast’ that it all came together for him.
With his unique gift of energy sense and now having worked so closely with so many types of energy - his energy that he could summon and manipulate, the energies of science so much a part of Shelly’s work, the mental energies including telepathic and telekinetic, and the energy of life and resurrection from the Splinter of the True Cross he could finally perceive it. The energy signature of a type of specific energy that ran through all the other energy forms, an ‘active force’ if you will, that seemed to support and propel them all. Interestingly the energy he summoned and manipulated seemed to have the greatest concentration of that universal energy followed by the energy of life.
Having seen it and its flow and interaction he was sure of one thing. He would grow to understand it further and he was confident that in time he would learn to wield it, to manipulate it, as he did his own energy. And he began to wonder what good he do with it, how he could use it to help others, and how it could make the world a better place …
VIVA VANGUARD!
OOC: Thanks to all of you for all your thoughts and creative expressions.
And I hope the two best friends a young lone teenager kid could be fortunate enough to have take my shot at in-game tribute in the spirit it is meant.
And more thanks I can ever express to Jeff, that crazy crazy man that held this game together for so long! You are an inspiration and the greatest!!!
Seth
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Avatar:
OOC: I wish emails had a "Like" button
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Menagerie:
OOC: Me too.
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Sentinel:
OOC: Tom, I loved the Archimedes remembrance quote - really nice. And the sayings to each team member.
Seth
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Menagerie:
OOC: Thanks.
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Sentinel:
OOC: Kev -
Thanks for the very kind words.
And your assessment of Kirk's inspiration was correct. Jeff suggested him to be the Cap/old school Superman good guy type and with Green Lantern being my favorite and my fondness for the Golden/silver age of comics the idea of a legacy character grew from there. Jeff went beyond Sentinel creating the awesome Liberty League and their foes. Totally cool.
And on a personal note I thoroughly loved your postings and your flair for humor in your writing which I simply don't have myself but wish I did (my one attempt trying in postings not succeeding). Clone was a total blast to read!
And I do certainly feel a bond with you guys too. I hope that at the least we get to occasionally email about hobby related goings on once in a while to keep in touch.
Seth
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Sentinel:
OOC: Thanks so much Harold. It means a lot to me.
I likely mentioned in the past but when we got to role play in person when we were young Jeff always had songs he chose to enhance the game mood for certain arcs of the adventure.
While his choosing I recall were more dynamic, for this, when thinking about this final post and envisioning it in my head and then penning it (and even rereading it), I just keep hearing John Lennon's 'Imagine'
Seth
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Lightning Strike:
OOC: Thanks for keeping me in the loop, even though I have not participated in quite some time. I guess there comes a time when we all have to give up our roleplaying (I hope that this won't be my last chance) but we will never give up on our dreams.
It is hard to believe that I was first playing Dungeons and Dragons more than 35 years ago and rolling those dice in my parents’ basement and eating brownies. The house is now sold and I can't go home again but this game kept me reminded of when I used to love playing a game for hours. Seth and I used to torture Jeff for hours changing things up and doing what was least expected and likely but like a true counter puncher he managed to screw up our plans just enough to make us work for what we wanted.
I am sure Lightning Strike has plenty of opportunities to turn evil and become Vanguard's ultimate villain (I have experience in this). Maybe we can all reunite and battle old age in about ten to fifteen years.
I have mixed feelings about letting my son role play. Now it is primarily done on line and we can't roll those dice anymore. I watched Stranger Things on Netflix and related in too many ways but those days are long gone. I want to use my mother's old fabric cutting board and lay over the plastic once again and use those printers pencils with the peel off tape! Damn I am old!
It has been great playing and reading and watching us all get older! LOL! If only real life could end up like Vanguard, we would all be heroes, but perhaps in different ways we already are!
Take care all,
Tony
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Stephane:
OOC: In the past couple of years, I've been playing with my boys on and off. I don't have the time to devote and GM a game for them. Usually I get to play a one-shot with them every long weekend.
We do it old style with dice around a table. I've picked up D&D 5th ed and Shadowrun. I keep an eye for kickstarters for anything that might be fun. The one problem is that I have not been able to get them to play V&V (sacrilege!). Might be because there is so much Supers in Movies and whatnot.
Stranger Things was really cool and brought me back too, which sort of spurred me into getting an occasional game setup for the kids.
Seth: Your posts were always awesome. This one is no different. I wish I had the gift of the words as well as you and Jeff do. I'd wax eloquent more often. :)
Kevin: Thank you. I'm glad it worked for you too. I always thought that you had a very novel approach to your character and also were very good at staying in character with your posts. They were some of the funniest and greatest things I've read. The way you intentionally went on bumbling through some situations.. priceless.
All: I want to thank you again for a great time and great adventures. I'll remember this game very fondly.
Stéphane
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Sentinel:
OOC: Thanks Stephane. Your insights saved us many times over too!
Seth
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Aperture:
OOC: I'd really like to thank Jeff for letting me Join the game, and all of you for making it such a rich experience.
This game has been one of my favorite gaming experiences, and probably the best in my adult years. I wish I had gotten involved sooner, but it was a great run.
Always open to doing it again if the opportunity presents itself, and I'd love to meet any of you in rl if your ever in the Dallas area let me know.
Aperture would probably be one of the next generation of heroes, and would definitely follow in his fathers footsteps.
I can see him becoming a leader of his own team down the road, possibly with Sentinel as a mentor behind the scenes.
Sad to see it end, but I certainly understand, and wish you all, especially Jeff the best. I'd love to support anything you are working on, I hope we'll all stay in touch.
Farewell for now my brothers from other mothers,
Jon
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GM:
OOC:
Everyone,
I was planning to finally give you guys the last word.
But I really have to say thanks for everything, especially those kind sentiments. They are entirely mutual and equally heartfelt.
If I ever have time for a Vanguard reunion game, you're all invited of course. This game has been a blast to run, thanks to all of you.
Please keep in touch!
All the best in gaming and life,
Jeff
Viva Vanguard!
