ooc Searching for Vanguard

[Ari]

Computers roll: 9. Oh well.

Edited February 8, 2014 by Arichamus

[Aoiroo]

27 for Jasmine to aid.

[Thevshi]

Well, sadly, Dee fell a bit short, even with the bonuses from aid and studying the plans, only getting a 28.

[Tiffany Korta]

Whilst there playing with poor VERA I'd like to spend a HP for Begininer's Luck to gain Medicine. Then if I can take 10 to see if I can work out what's been done, and what can be undone to the Antibodies. Skill total will be 15.

[Supercape]

so Dee can get into Vera and turn her on and off, as well as stop the Antibody program and deactivate the weapons. She cant get into the files of the Haven, however. 

[Thevshi]

Cape, did Cruxberry enter the Haven with us, or stay outside the entryway?

[Supercape]

Outside! :)

[Ari]

"Discretion, thy name is Cruxberry!"

[Supercape]

Ok with immediate danger out of the way and as far as I can see it no real conflict ahead, I am going to suggest a scene cut. How does this sound?

 

Basically the link between Haven to FC was to allow some good in-game reason for your PCs to float freely between FC threads and Vanguard UK threads. 

 

As it is we can have Haven as an "area", or, if you wish, chip in a few PP and its your new home/HQ. In any case, Vera can be hacked given time by either yourselves or the Ministry. 

 

So, time to think about actually tracking down the old Vanguard, and/or any stories/conflicts you wish to tell on your PCs. 

 

Ill leave this open a few days for you guys to think about, then its scene cut time. Of course, do feel free to make IC posts to tie up this scene if you wish. 

[Ari]

I've got basically nothing else to add, unless we do a quick 'dismantling small-talk' epilogue, which could be good for setting up something for the next thread.

[Aoiroo]

Me neither, seems like we got everything down for the moment.

[Tiffany Korta]

Yeah I'm good now.

[Thevshi]

I am good for moving ahead (though what did we decide regarding the prior Ministry team that has been cyborgized?)

 

As for the Haven, I currently have 9 unspent equipment/minon/etc points from my last player award that can be chipped in for the base (and likely some for VERA as well).

[Ari]

Why-Bee and Catalyst decided to head over to Freedom City and ask the Lab to help restore them. And nothing's come up to invalidate that plan, so I guess it goes forward.

[Thevshi]

Well, I thought it was decided as well, until Tiff's most recent post where she had YB mention going to "get Cruxberry off our backs," which is why I asked what the plan was now.

[Tiffany Korta]

Sorry should have been clearer. She basically going outside to tell him that they're looking into things themselves and to give them some space, then we'll return to the plan.

[Supercape]

Ok, Ill leave this thread open for a week or so for you guys to narrate the plan. 

 

Then I suggest move onto a new thread. 

 

Its your characters and stories so please speak up if you want to go anywhere. This thread was to set scene, start up, and gain the Haven. 

 

The key conflicts* and issues I propose would be:

 

1. Bringing in Eileen Rose as the soldier / lab rat that was exposed to the Opsrey formula. In conjunction with this, looking at Prof Thomas Blackpool and the fractured relationships he has with Osprey and Catalyst. Does he continue his experiments? who is backing him? how does this make people feel? Perhaps he could offer a cure for Susan Farrington with his research? or was he part of the experimentation on the Farrington girls? Can he be mined for conflict between the PCs and between NPCs and PCs?

 

2. Y Dweren is the complex green environmentalist character, with an ambigious relationship. He protects Britain, but from his perspective, and dislikes industry and cities. He has retreated to the country side, but for what purpose? Does he know think that Industry has become too corrupt? DOes he view the Osprey forumla as an abomination he would like to destroy? Is he out to eliminate Osprey, Eileen Rose, Blackpool...and the Tylluan? What is his relationship with the more modern Young Brittania? 

 

3. Lucy DIamond has gone rather (more) crazy, or delerious. What is her relationship with the also crazed Susan Farrington? Could she help or harm her? is she dangerous or helpful, or both? Perhaps she becomes a threat that must be eliminated, but could also save Susan. What is her loyalties and relationships to Young Brittania's history?

 

 

Those are the three things I think could be explored. But thats just my little old head. 

 

Ideas? Thoughts?

 

What I would like to try and do is use Thevshi's excellent relationship map to bring out conflict and complex relationships. Of course, by "conflict" I don't mean beat em ups (although you guys know I always put some punches in!), but the more generic form of the word conflict. 

[Aoiroo]

We can do the one with Blackpool, though I don't think Agnus and Dee would be involved, at least not right away. Jasmine (I'm calling her Jasmine up until a point they actually see her in costume, she's not hiding it, she just hasn't had the dang thing ready), is going to want to contact Blackpool directly so he and her can do a proper physical on Osprey because despite his seemingly stable state, she is exceptionally concerned about his health. Even if she has the best medicine score, she's not an actual doctor and this isn't her field of specialty after all. Mind you, it may be a bit tense, but Jasmine will lay down the line as thick as she can manage, if only because even if hand to hand combat isn't her cup of tea, she could very handily and quickly knock Blackpool across the head if he pushed her too it. I don't think Lab Rats has been taken as a thread name btw.

[Thevshi]

Well, here are some of my thoughts:

 

1)  Most of that has to do with other PCs and their elements in the relationship map, so more for them to address (though Roo seems to have some good ideas on how to start things).  As for Blackpool having possibly been part of the experiments performed on Dee and Susan, I was sort of thinking he had very little to do with that.  As for him being a possible source of a way to cure Susan, that could be an idea, but perhaps something to develop later rather than sooner? 

 

2.  Again, all of this mainly has to do with other PCs and their parts of the relationship map.

 

3.  Well, some connection between Lucy and Susan could be interesting, something we can think about later down the road?

 

Hmm, if we go with Roo's suggestion on how to start with number 1, then perhaps while Jasmine and Osprey are doing that, Dee and YB could be out either looking for Y Dweren (no 2) or Lucy (no 3).  After all, our purpose is to try to find out what happened to the older members of Vanguard, and both of those are the ones YB had a connection with.  Having them look for Y Dweren could especially work well if we wanted to go with him maybe wanting to destroy the Osprey formula (and those involved with it) as suggested, as that would tie it to what Jasmine and Osprey are doing.

[Ari]

Some comments on the three suggestions first.

 

1) Introducing Eileen as some kind of intermediary between the Ministry and the new Taskforce could be neat. And a good way for the Ministry to get a hold of the flightiest member and make him stay put. Anyway, I'm all for laying that Blackpool plot groundwork early on, and it seems like you've gotten it going anyhow, so I'm good for it. On the source of conflict potential I'd say that's either best kept at the beginning(when the characters really don't know each other) or later on(when they can be shocked at new information), rather than a recurring thing. Seeing as he was at least initially considered still in good enough graces to be invited to the ol' MoP HQ, my vote is to have him serve as the personification of the new team's worries about just what they'll be required to do as an official super-team backed by interests often very different from their own.

 

2) Y Dderwen is a quieter, more mystical kind of fellow, so I'd prefer we save him for later unless TiffanyKorta wants to do something with him and his bond with Britannia. Definitely in favor of him opposing the creation of 'artificial' powers, though for more reason than his nature.

 

3) Lucy Diamond is my favorite of the original Vanguard lineup, so I'd press strongly in favor of her being the first former member the team tracks down. Of course she showed up in Gallia Renaître, but that's more than work-aroundable.

 

Aoiroo, I'm totally down with Osprey being Catalyst's first patient. Do you want to start that or shall I?

 

And Thevshi, after I take a thorough look at your Relationship Map I'll start throwing ideas about for things to do. Osprey and Synapse having a low-key rivalry strikes me as a good plan, despite and partially because of how vastly disparate the power balance is between them.

 

EDIT:

 

Having them look for Y Dweren could especially work well if we wanted to go with him maybe wanting to destroy the Osprey formula (and those involved with it) as suggested, as that would tie it to what Jasmine and Osprey are doing.

That's just splendid, strongly in favor OF.

Edited March 21, 2014 by Arichamus

[Thevshi]

Ari, there is no need to work around anything, I took a look, Gallia Renaitre is set in April 2013, Searching for Vanguard was in August, 2013, so there is three months between the two, which fits the time table of Vanguard’s disappearance just fine.

As for a rivalry, not sure that makes sense between Osprey and Synapse, as they are very different (with Osprey being more physical, while Synapse is far more about the mind). Maybe not seeing eye to eye much because of very different social views.

[Aoiroo]

Some comments on the three suggestions first.

 

1) Introducing Eileen as some kind of intermediary between the Ministry and the new Taskforce could be neat. And a good way for the Ministry to get a hold of the flightiest member and make him stay put. Anyway, I'm all for laying that Blackpool plot groundwork early on, and it seems like you've gotten it going anyhow, so I'm good for it. On the source of conflict potential I'd say that's either best kept at the beginning(when the characters really don't know each other) or later on(when they can be shocked at new information), rather than a recurring thing. Seeing as he was at least initially considered still in good enough graces to be invited to the ol' MoP HQ, my vote is to have him serve as the personification of the new team's worries about just what they'll be required to do as an official super-team backed by interests often very different from their own.

 

2) Y Dderwen is a quieter, more mystical kind of fellow, so I'd prefer we save him for later unless TiffanyKorta wants to do something with him and his bond with Britannia. Definitely in favor of him opposing the creation of 'artificial' powers, though for more reason than his nature.

 

3) Lucy Diamond is my favorite of the original Vanguard lineup, so I'd press strongly in favor of her being the first former member the team tracks down. Of course she showed up in Gallia Renaître, but that's more than work-aroundable.

 

Aoiroo, I'm totally down with Osprey being Catalyst's first patient. Do you want to start that or shall I?

 

And Thevshi, after I take a thorough look at your Relationship Map I'll start throwing ideas about for things to do. Osprey and Synapse having a low-key rivalry strikes me as a good plan, despite and partially because of how vastly disparate the power balance is between them.

 

EDIT:

That's just splendid, strongly in favor OF.

We'd need SC if he's playing Blackpool (Jasmine's not doing a physical without him, he is the expert (IE the one who has more then 1 rank in medicine).

[Ari]

That'll teach me not to check my sources, seriously thought that it took place later than that. And that's the point Thevshi, they're radically different enough that it would almost be more odd if they weren't at loggerheads at least some of the time. And not so much social status or upbringing as personal philosophy and worldview. Osprey's far less pragmatic that he should be, for example.

Edited March 22, 2014 by Arichamus

[Supercape]

Ill await Tiffs thoughts on this but my initial thoughts. 

 

There is a lead on Lucy Diamond, YB and Synapse hunt down. At the same time, Y Dderwen is involved, trying to "recruit" Lucy to the "cause". He wishes to destroy the Osprey formula and Tyullan because they are an "affront to nature", and yet he dare not do this directly. 

 

Meanwhile, Blackpool, Osprey, and Catalyst look at the Osprey Formula, in conjunction with Eileen Rose, a member of the Ministry who has very minor "Osprey Powers", being exposed to a tiny dose of the drug. 

 

It turns out the Osprey formula has regenerative powers, "resetting" the DNA of the target. It has potentially useful medical applications but also causes mutations, dangerous ones. As it so happens, the Osprey formula could also potentially cure Susan Farrington of her "Augmentation", resetting her DNA (although potentially turning her into another Osprey, or worse, Tyullan). Blackpool wishes to try out further test on the Osprey Formula. 

 

This will mean two seperate semi-social threads (Synapse, YB, Dderwen, Lucy) and (Blackpool, Catalyst, Osprey, Eilleen)

 

Then fusing them around the Tyullan, who has escaped. Dderwen (and maybe Lucy) wants to destroy the Tyullan, whilst Blackpool has found away to track / "sniff" the formula, and sets off to capture the beast. The two threads merge again and we have conflict of agenda's and interests. 

 

Thats my broad plan. 

 

As an aside, how do you guys feel about soft PvP type conflict, if agreed by all parties. I am not talking about glory seeking punch ups between your characters, but for instance, Character A throwing a punch at NPC B, and being grappled by Character C who screams "No, you must let him live!" etc etc!

[Tiffany Korta]

I'm Tiff and I approve this message .

 

Seriously as YB sorta kinda the leader, even if it's just for PR, then she's going to try and help the other out first even if she want to find out what happening to Lucy (unless she is in trouble, then bet's off). And I cool with soft PvP with the odd punch here and there. After all I'm the one that's had there character puched twice by other PC's, rightfully so as well as it was Merge.