Africa. Night. The volcanic island.The Dominion of Man had come to its closing. It was the end of all things. Soon there would be no cars or pollution or television or nuclear missiles or greed or war as the green took back the world.
At this time of endings, Vanguard found themselves at the end of their long trail. The lair of the Primate lay beneath them, dark, mysterious and forbidding.
Girding their courage with speeches and shouts of defiance (and Kairos’ imperceptible powers) the team was ready to take the plunge.
Sentinel’s wondrous energy construct took the form of a giant, golden drill machine with Sentinel and most of Vanguard inside it. It burrowed down into the rich dark earth with Slingshot following, scooping out loose soil with strong, oversized hands.
In short order the impossible machine burst out into the volcano’s throat (map area 6)! Sentinel opened the construct onto a steel catwalk system and Vanguard deployed rapidly, ready for anything, as the drill transformed into Sentinel’s personal shields. The catwalks branched toward three closed steel doors that had been cut into the rock walls.
Sixty feet above them was the mouth of the volcano opening to the starry sky.
Twenty feet beneath them was a massive, futuristic geothermic power station that was powered down! (map area 12) Fifty feet below that was live lava whose heat and light filled the tall column of the volcano core!
Suddenly, Vanguard felt ill. Wrong. Their own forms contorted and changed. Arms lengthened, hands blackened and bodies sprouted thick black hair, tearing open the costumes of AEGIS. Their voices died in their throats, replaced by guttural howls and grunts. In horror, they felt their minds dwindle as they recalled Doc Rocket’s briefing, “The Primate has leadership initiative and was scheming to actually devolve all of humanity to a simian state.” (You saw it here fans, in Issue 62! –Ye Expositional Ed)
Vanguard had been transformed into mountain gorillas!
A great silverback appeared at the end of the catwalk, standing within the northwestern door. From the depths of their intelligence, Vanguard recognized the Primate’s fiercely intelligent eyes and terrible dignity. They were hard pressed to resist his overwhelming intellect and charisma!
He was not alone. Behind him was a strong feline woman of smirking humor. Beside her was a butterfly man, and a ghastly human centipede creature whose countless limbs writhed disgustingly.
The Master of All Beasts laughed. “What ploy is this? I know from your scent that you are not AEGIS. Is this another trick of Man? …Vanguard, I presume?”
The Primate addressed his comrades with pride that was all too human. “You see? They have succumbed to the most powerful Ani-man of all.
An airborne, infectious micro-organism. It will transform humans into apes by activating their dormant DNA and devolving them back into what they once were. Mankind shall become the very thing it despises most: a member of the animal kingdom. Then shall Man, and this world, know peace at last!”
The Vangorillas did not understand all of that. But they remembered that this mighty ape was their enemy... and that they were about to attack the great engines beneath them. And they remembered that they needed to keep the Sentinel-Simian’s machine-stick near them for some reason.
They could smell Primate and the Ani-Men… Recognize them by their scent.
They could detect the iodine stink of Inhuman, their friend. It was faint... He was not near.
They detected the scent of three others… also not present… also faint.
And they could detect the scent of a dead body somewhere…
The Primate snarled: “Something is amiss! These apes are not obeying my mental commands!”
OOC:
Actions?
Thanks to Doc Rocket’s Transmission Disruptor, you are not controlled by the Master of All Beasts! The Primate’s immediate plan has been foiled… for now!
In addition to their own powers and weaknesses, every member of Vanguard gains:
Powers:
Heightened Strength: +10
Heightened Agility: +15
Body Power: Weight x 2
Body Power: Thick fur protects against exposure to temperatures of down to 32 degrees F
Heightened Senses: Smell
Weaknesses:
-Lowered Intelligence: (Int/5) Vanguard IQs now range from toddler to kindergartner. Powers and skills that require intellect, or are mind-based, will be affected. But memories remain.
-Mute: cannot speak any language, but can vocally express emotions
-Minor Low Self Control: Savage animal instincts and temper
-Unusual appearance: Difficulty passing for human, no secret ID possible
-Physical Handicap: Movement speed halved unless on all fours, climbing, or moving through treetops
-Physical Handicap: Can’t (or won’t) swim
Sentinel: You didn’t specify you were going to keep your construct ‘atmosphere’ secure at all times.
Kirk was exposed to the microorganism when he opened the drill machine to let Vanguard out.
In the past, like in an energy bubble creation, Kirk hasn’t put personal shields around him when already inside a bubble (thereby creating two layers of construct around him at all times).
Sorry. Unless you enjoy being a superhero ape. In which case, you’re welcome.
Current Conditions: (your new IQs give vaguer awareness of this)
At this time of endings, Vanguard found themselves at the end of their long trail. The lair of the Primate lay beneath them, dark, mysterious and forbidding.
Girding their courage with speeches and shouts of defiance (and Kairos’ imperceptible powers) the team was ready to take the plunge.
Sentinel’s wondrous energy construct took the form of a giant, golden drill machine with Sentinel and most of Vanguard inside it. It burrowed down into the rich dark earth with Slingshot following, scooping out loose soil with strong, oversized hands.
In short order the impossible machine burst out into the volcano’s throat (map area 6)! Sentinel opened the construct onto a steel catwalk system and Vanguard deployed rapidly, ready for anything, as the drill transformed into Sentinel’s personal shields. The catwalks branched toward three closed steel doors that had been cut into the rock walls.
Sixty feet above them was the mouth of the volcano opening to the starry sky.
Twenty feet beneath them was a massive, futuristic geothermic power station that was powered down! (map area 12) Fifty feet below that was live lava whose heat and light filled the tall column of the volcano core!
Suddenly, Vanguard felt ill. Wrong. Their own forms contorted and changed. Arms lengthened, hands blackened and bodies sprouted thick black hair, tearing open the costumes of AEGIS. Their voices died in their throats, replaced by guttural howls and grunts. In horror, they felt their minds dwindle as they recalled Doc Rocket’s briefing, “The Primate has leadership initiative and was scheming to actually devolve all of humanity to a simian state.” (You saw it here fans, in Issue 62! –Ye Expositional Ed)
Vanguard had been transformed into mountain gorillas!
A great silverback appeared at the end of the catwalk, standing within the northwestern door. From the depths of their intelligence, Vanguard recognized the Primate’s fiercely intelligent eyes and terrible dignity. They were hard pressed to resist his overwhelming intellect and charisma!
He was not alone. Behind him was a strong feline woman of smirking humor. Beside her was a butterfly man, and a ghastly human centipede creature whose countless limbs writhed disgustingly.
The Master of All Beasts laughed. “What ploy is this? I know from your scent that you are not AEGIS. Is this another trick of Man? …Vanguard, I presume?”
The Primate addressed his comrades with pride that was all too human. “You see? They have succumbed to the most powerful Ani-man of all.
An airborne, infectious micro-organism. It will transform humans into apes by activating their dormant DNA and devolving them back into what they once were. Mankind shall become the very thing it despises most: a member of the animal kingdom. Then shall Man, and this world, know peace at last!”
The Vangorillas did not understand all of that. But they remembered that this mighty ape was their enemy... and that they were about to attack the great engines beneath them. And they remembered that they needed to keep the Sentinel-Simian’s machine-stick near them for some reason.
They could smell Primate and the Ani-Men… Recognize them by their scent.
They could detect the iodine stink of Inhuman, their friend. It was faint... He was not near.
They detected the scent of three others… also not present… also faint.
And they could detect the scent of a dead body somewhere…
The Primate snarled: “Something is amiss! These apes are not obeying my mental commands!”
OOC:
Actions?
Thanks to Doc Rocket’s Transmission Disruptor, you are not controlled by the Master of All Beasts! The Primate’s immediate plan has been foiled… for now!
In addition to their own powers and weaknesses, every member of Vanguard gains:
Powers:
Heightened Strength: +10
Heightened Agility: +15
Body Power: Weight x 2
Body Power: Thick fur protects against exposure to temperatures of down to 32 degrees F
Heightened Senses: Smell
Weaknesses:
-Lowered Intelligence: (Int/5) Vanguard IQs now range from toddler to kindergartner. Powers and skills that require intellect, or are mind-based, will be affected. But memories remain.
-Mute: cannot speak any language, but can vocally express emotions
-Minor Low Self Control: Savage animal instincts and temper
-Unusual appearance: Difficulty passing for human, no secret ID possible
-Physical Handicap: Movement speed halved unless on all fours, climbing, or moving through treetops
-Physical Handicap: Can’t (or won’t) swim
Sentinel: You didn’t specify you were going to keep your construct ‘atmosphere’ secure at all times.
Kirk was exposed to the microorganism when he opened the drill machine to let Vanguard out.
In the past, like in an energy bubble creation, Kirk hasn’t put personal shields around him when already inside a bubble (thereby creating two layers of construct around him at all times).
Sorry. Unless you enjoy being a superhero ape. In which case, you’re welcome.
Current Conditions: (your new IQs give vaguer awareness of this)
Forest-rilla: Hit Points: Injured Power Points: Full
Kairos Kong: Hit Points: Injured Power Points: Full
Lightning Lemur: Hit Points: Very injured Power Points: Full
Simian Sentinel: Hit Points: Injured Power Points: Almost full Shields: ?
Sling-utang: Hit Points: Slightly injured Power Points: Full Invulnerability: ?
Symbaboon: Hit Points: Slightly injured Power Points: Full Charges:?
Go ape, gentlemen.
Best,
Ye Ed
------------------------------------
Kairos:
Ha! Kairos Kong will use the hesitancy of the silverback to charge him and attack! The silverback will be struck with Kairos Kong's stick repeatedly until he submits because Kairos Kong wants to DOMINATE all the gorillas!
PS: "Monarch"...?!!?!Where's Brock Samson when you need him?
------------------------------------
Symbiote:
Hoo! Hoo! Symbaboon wants to know if Primate and others standing on catwalk over mouth of volcano. If so, Symbaboon may try to use stretchy powers to pick up buggy thing and throw him over catwalk into hot, nasty lava.
Let Symbaboon know and then Symbaboon make decision, B'wana.
------------------------------------
Forester:
As Forester began to transform, he initially suspected that he was turning into a super-lupine form (a coyote-like counterpart to the villain Hyena). Forester was both intrigued and horrified as he instead became a gorilla. This was not the right totem.
He swallowed hard as his intelligence sank from 15 to 3. Becoming an animal-man was not as much fun as he had secretly, subversively suspected.
Bah.
For his next action..
Forest-illa throw stick at bad talking ape. (In this case, it's the scented arrow he had already selected.)
------------------------------------
Slingshot:
Sling-utang feels much stronger. Much more powerful. He sees Primate and sees the Alpha Male. He must challenge him and take his place as ruler of all beasts. Thunderously pounding his chest, he lets out a challenge at Primate and charges.[OOC: Pound the living shit out of Primate]
------------------------------------
GM Replies:
To Symbiote: Primate and the Ani-Men are at the start of the steel catwalk, having just entered the volcano core from a door set into the wall. So Symbaboon's plan is feasible.
Who is "buggy thing?" Centipede or Monarch?
To Slingshot: FYI, while possessing nonhuman physiology, Slingy still has dormant human DNA, and therefore simian DNA.
To Kairos: Brock Samson's presence in the game universe would unbalance everything.
Plus, he can't be captured by any mere rules system!
Best,
Jeff
------------------------------------
Symbiote:
Let's go with Centipede. Sure hope this works, as my super-elastic poop flinging backup plan won't be pretty for anybody involved.
Also: Simbaboon will stay near Simian Sentinel's machine stick, seeming to remember that it's important not to stray too far from it for some reason. Plus, the blinky lights are pretty.
Go, Go Vangorillas!
Best regards,
Greg
------------------------------------
Forester:
OOC: Does Forester remember how to identify each of his arrows and what the effects of each arrow happen to be? With a 3 intelligence, is he smart enough to use a bow?
Also, do his Zen bonuses remain? If so, do his already heightened sight and hearing provide any more information about possible direction of the other individuals who his can vaguely detect with his gorilla-strength nostrils?
------------------------------------
Kairos:
Hey...isn't there something called "no-mind" in Zen? We're all pretty close.
------------------------------------
Lightning Strike:
Hi Jeff, Since we are asking what powers we can use, does turning into electricity need a lot of intelligence or is it sort of an innate ability? Since I would probably need to know what is a conductor, I could see not being able to do it but I will defer to the all powerful GM. Also, what is my current intelligence level? I should be able to figure it out but I don't remember what it was to start.
Thanks,
Tony
PS. I can't seem to get the theme from Magilla Gorilla out of my head
------------------------------------
Go ape, gentlemen.
Best,
Ye Ed
------------------------------------
Kairos:
Ha! Kairos Kong will use the hesitancy of the silverback to charge him and attack! The silverback will be struck with Kairos Kong's stick repeatedly until he submits because Kairos Kong wants to DOMINATE all the gorillas!
PS: "Monarch"...?!!?!Where's Brock Samson when you need him?
------------------------------------
Symbiote:
Hoo! Hoo! Symbaboon wants to know if Primate and others standing on catwalk over mouth of volcano. If so, Symbaboon may try to use stretchy powers to pick up buggy thing and throw him over catwalk into hot, nasty lava.
Let Symbaboon know and then Symbaboon make decision, B'wana.
------------------------------------
Forester:
As Forester began to transform, he initially suspected that he was turning into a super-lupine form (a coyote-like counterpart to the villain Hyena). Forester was both intrigued and horrified as he instead became a gorilla. This was not the right totem.
He swallowed hard as his intelligence sank from 15 to 3. Becoming an animal-man was not as much fun as he had secretly, subversively suspected.
Bah.
For his next action..
Forest-illa throw stick at bad talking ape. (In this case, it's the scented arrow he had already selected.)
------------------------------------
Slingshot:
Sling-utang feels much stronger. Much more powerful. He sees Primate and sees the Alpha Male. He must challenge him and take his place as ruler of all beasts. Thunderously pounding his chest, he lets out a challenge at Primate and charges.[OOC: Pound the living shit out of Primate]
------------------------------------
GM Replies:
To Symbiote: Primate and the Ani-Men are at the start of the steel catwalk, having just entered the volcano core from a door set into the wall. So Symbaboon's plan is feasible.
Who is "buggy thing?" Centipede or Monarch?
To Slingshot: FYI, while possessing nonhuman physiology, Slingy still has dormant human DNA, and therefore simian DNA.
To Kairos: Brock Samson's presence in the game universe would unbalance everything.
Plus, he can't be captured by any mere rules system!
Best,
Jeff
------------------------------------
Symbiote:
Let's go with Centipede. Sure hope this works, as my super-elastic poop flinging backup plan won't be pretty for anybody involved.
Also: Simbaboon will stay near Simian Sentinel's machine stick, seeming to remember that it's important not to stray too far from it for some reason. Plus, the blinky lights are pretty.
Go, Go Vangorillas!
Best regards,
Greg
------------------------------------
Forester:
OOC: Does Forester remember how to identify each of his arrows and what the effects of each arrow happen to be? With a 3 intelligence, is he smart enough to use a bow?
Also, do his Zen bonuses remain? If so, do his already heightened sight and hearing provide any more information about possible direction of the other individuals who his can vaguely detect with his gorilla-strength nostrils?
------------------------------------
Kairos:
Hey...isn't there something called "no-mind" in Zen? We're all pretty close.
------------------------------------
Lightning Strike:
Hi Jeff, Since we are asking what powers we can use, does turning into electricity need a lot of intelligence or is it sort of an innate ability? Since I would probably need to know what is a conductor, I could see not being able to do it but I will defer to the all powerful GM. Also, what is my current intelligence level? I should be able to figure it out but I don't remember what it was to start.
Thanks,
Tony
PS. I can't seem to get the theme from Magilla Gorilla out of my head
------------------------------------
GM Replies:
Forester wrote: Does Forester remember how to identify each of his arrows and what the effects of each arrow happen to be? With a 3 intelligence, is he smart enough to use a bow?Also, do his Zen bonuses remain? If so, do his already heightened sight and hearing provide any more information about possible direction of the other individuals who his can vaguely detect with his gorilla-strength nostrils?
GM Replies: Forester will need to make d20 Int saves to identify each arrow. He knows what kinds of arrows are in his arsenal.
He remembers how to use the bow, but will suffer negatives to hit with it. Apes have opposable thumbs and can be trained to use tools. He's just not used to fine manipulation with these hands.
All of Forester's Zen "one with nature" abilities remain except for his willpower defense.
Forester can track any of the scents he's detected in this chamber!
Lightning Strike wrote: Since we are asking what powers we can use, does turning into electricity need a lot of intelligence or is it sort of an innate ability? Since I would probably need to know what is a conductor, I could see not being able to do it but I will defer to the all powerful GM. Also, what is my current intelligence level? I should be able to figure it out but I don't remember what it was to start.
GM Replies: He might be able to turn into electricity, but navigation after that will be rough.
I do see him being able to fire blasts, as it's an emotional kind of thing.
Controlling devices or machines requires a d20 Intelligence save.
Strike's new Intelligence is 5. (Figure an average 4-5 year old child)
Your sheet is right here, confound you!...http://vanguardhq.blogspot.com/2008/12/lightning-strike-character-sheet.html
Best,
Jeff
------------------------------------
Forester:
If Forester has movement left after tagging Primate with his pre-selected Scented Arrow, he will move in the direction of Inhuman.
------------------------------------
Lightning Strike:
OK, I think I have figured out the new-fangled internet thing and looked at my character sheet.
Anyway, Strike with his diminished intelligence realizes that he is badly hurt (low hit points) and he doesn't want to be here. "Strike hurts!! Get away from bad gorilla!!" He hopes that triggering his electrical ability (and make the associated intelligence save) will get him away as fast as he can. With that he transforms into electricity and heads for the nearest exit.
OOC: As a player I am hoping this biological attack will be counteracted by changing my form from human to electricity so even if I can't find a conductor and have to turn back human/ape, then I am hoping that I turn back to human or if turning to electric turns me back to normal then I should be able to navigate and figure out a plan of attack without turning back into Grape Ape.
That’s all for now!
Punctual Tony
------------------------------------
Sentinel:
As Kirk felt himself devolving his outrage screamed in his head. He heard Primate’s words, “They have succumbed to the most powerful Ani-man of all. An airborne, infectious micro-organism.” Kirk tried to hold on to the meaning of those words and tried to use his energy sense to see if he could focus in on and sense the presence and composition of this ani-man.
Kirk’s enhanced sense of smell threatened to overwhelm him, but there was more. As he ‘devolved’ into this more primal state, as strong as olfactory sense had become, his energy sense was even stronger. It became dominant within him and his perceptions of reality were shaped primarily by his sixth sense, with the others forming impressions secondary. Kirk had seemingly forgotten how he had to learn to shape his perceptions of the world, to see things normally like the rest of ‘humanity’.
Kirk had already been frustrated and angry before their descent; this transformation accentuated those feelings. He looked across the chamber at Primate and his Ani-Men and a glare of disgust formed and Kirk began to use his sinewy arms to pound on his chest and then bellowed at the top of his simian enhanced lungs directing that disgust in their direction. As he did so, Kirk’s personal shields morphed in shape without his even thinking about it; responding to his state of mind. Adapting a color and appearance similar to his ape-like state they enhanced his physicality further. He grew taller. His brawny arms and fists seemingly grew denser and harder and another set of ‘energy arms’ formed in appearance to compliment his natural ones.
Kirk took to all fours and vaulted across the chamber to crush the body of Primate. He would have been amazed at his own sense of strength and physical presence, if his state of mind had allowed it. Instead, he just knew nothing could stop him.
At that moment his senses all combined to alert him to the fact that his teammates were making the same move against the Primate himself, and his senses noticed The Monarch in particular. The color of those wings and the energy waves that cascaded off them attracted Kirk. And the wings reminded him that he was special in a unique way. The air was his domain. Not his teammates, not even Primate. How dare this insect, Monarch enter what was his!
Without braking stride in his approach and while increasing his speed further, Kirk jumped from all fours into the ‘sky’ of the chamber directly at the Monarch. Without thought, and although unnecessary, wings sprout out of Kirk’s back, bigger, beast-like and more powerful in appearance than those of the Monarch.
As the Sentinel-Simian ascended towards Monarch, a guttural murderous howl came from his normally soft-spoken throat as he slammed into the ani-man. The Monarch would be smashed like the moth he was and would not be allowed to enter the sky domain of the Sentinel-Simian ever again!
OOC
At this point I’m hoping for the speed and ferocity of the attack to catch the Monarch off-guard and that hopefully Kirk will be getting additional damage for his ape-strength, his energy enhanced strike, and his velocity. Also I’m hoping that perhaps Monarch (admittedly an unknown factor at this point) will have a fearful reaction to this mad beast descending upon him. If Kirk can slam him into a wall and just pound into him until he is no longer conscious, that is what he would do here.
I couldn’t figure out good angry ‘ape-like’ shouts, so feel free to insert them for effect.
------------------------------------
Forester:
If Forester has movement left after tagging Primate with his pre-selected Scented Arrow, he will move in the direction of Inhuman.
------------------------------------
Lightning Strike:
OK, I think I have figured out the new-fangled internet thing and looked at my character sheet.
Anyway, Strike with his diminished intelligence realizes that he is badly hurt (low hit points) and he doesn't want to be here. "Strike hurts!! Get away from bad gorilla!!" He hopes that triggering his electrical ability (and make the associated intelligence save) will get him away as fast as he can. With that he transforms into electricity and heads for the nearest exit.
OOC: As a player I am hoping this biological attack will be counteracted by changing my form from human to electricity so even if I can't find a conductor and have to turn back human/ape, then I am hoping that I turn back to human or if turning to electric turns me back to normal then I should be able to navigate and figure out a plan of attack without turning back into Grape Ape.
That’s all for now!
Punctual Tony
------------------------------------
Sentinel:
As Kirk felt himself devolving his outrage screamed in his head. He heard Primate’s words, “They have succumbed to the most powerful Ani-man of all. An airborne, infectious micro-organism.” Kirk tried to hold on to the meaning of those words and tried to use his energy sense to see if he could focus in on and sense the presence and composition of this ani-man.
Kirk’s enhanced sense of smell threatened to overwhelm him, but there was more. As he ‘devolved’ into this more primal state, as strong as olfactory sense had become, his energy sense was even stronger. It became dominant within him and his perceptions of reality were shaped primarily by his sixth sense, with the others forming impressions secondary. Kirk had seemingly forgotten how he had to learn to shape his perceptions of the world, to see things normally like the rest of ‘humanity’.
Kirk had already been frustrated and angry before their descent; this transformation accentuated those feelings. He looked across the chamber at Primate and his Ani-Men and a glare of disgust formed and Kirk began to use his sinewy arms to pound on his chest and then bellowed at the top of his simian enhanced lungs directing that disgust in their direction. As he did so, Kirk’s personal shields morphed in shape without his even thinking about it; responding to his state of mind. Adapting a color and appearance similar to his ape-like state they enhanced his physicality further. He grew taller. His brawny arms and fists seemingly grew denser and harder and another set of ‘energy arms’ formed in appearance to compliment his natural ones.
Kirk took to all fours and vaulted across the chamber to crush the body of Primate. He would have been amazed at his own sense of strength and physical presence, if his state of mind had allowed it. Instead, he just knew nothing could stop him.
At that moment his senses all combined to alert him to the fact that his teammates were making the same move against the Primate himself, and his senses noticed The Monarch in particular. The color of those wings and the energy waves that cascaded off them attracted Kirk. And the wings reminded him that he was special in a unique way. The air was his domain. Not his teammates, not even Primate. How dare this insect, Monarch enter what was his!
Without braking stride in his approach and while increasing his speed further, Kirk jumped from all fours into the ‘sky’ of the chamber directly at the Monarch. Without thought, and although unnecessary, wings sprout out of Kirk’s back, bigger, beast-like and more powerful in appearance than those of the Monarch.
As the Sentinel-Simian ascended towards Monarch, a guttural murderous howl came from his normally soft-spoken throat as he slammed into the ani-man. The Monarch would be smashed like the moth he was and would not be allowed to enter the sky domain of the Sentinel-Simian ever again!
OOC
At this point I’m hoping for the speed and ferocity of the attack to catch the Monarch off-guard and that hopefully Kirk will be getting additional damage for his ape-strength, his energy enhanced strike, and his velocity. Also I’m hoping that perhaps Monarch (admittedly an unknown factor at this point) will have a fearful reaction to this mad beast descending upon him. If Kirk can slam him into a wall and just pound into him until he is no longer conscious, that is what he would do here.
I couldn’t figure out good angry ‘ape-like’ shouts, so feel free to insert them for effect.
