THIS QUEST IS NEWBIE FRIENDLY

Reading this plot summary:

http://ironmaster.wikia.com/wiki/Plot_Summary

Will tell you what you need to know to jump right into this thread.

THE IRON MASTER
Health: 1 (3)
Power: 4 (12)

Athletics: 2
Cunning: 3
Technology: 4
Insight: 2
Observation: 3
Nefariousness: 2
Stealth: 1

Powers: Super Strength, Super Speed, AI, SynthSkin, Model T, Mobile Dolls, Ghost Whisperer, Deathless

>Link to rules (including powers list): http://pastebin.com/cVXaZb4x

Action Points:

The Iron Master: 1/2
Julio Pedone: 1/3
Rica Rivera: 0/2
Red Death: 0/2

Resources: 9
XP: 4

When we last left off, we had retaliated against Chimera, the Ronin and the Santos Espada were going to blows, the city was freaking out at rising crime rights and the return of the cloaking Chimera bomber, and a strange meteorite had landed on Catalina Island. I believe checking that out was to be the next order of business.

Also, I think it's probably time we officially update the map to show Compton and surroundings as under the control of the Iron Guard and the Ronin if anyone could make that work.

File: 1351189518098.jpg-(1.45 MB, 1600x1162, Villain Quest Gang Map 3.jpg)

That said, here is the old map anyway. Tried to post this with the character sheet like normal, but Captcha swallowed it.

Bump?

Rolled 9, 1, 10, 6, 3, 10, 1, 3, 6, 1, 3, 6 = 59

>>21286200
Okay, so Julio takes our remaining bruiser set and hits whichever shielding set just got uncovered. Then the IM will investigate the meteor. Oh and as mentioned last thread, Kestral convinces team blue to finish off Chimera, on the grounds that with all the whole Chimera just shot in us, plus our recent expansion, there is no way we will be able to grab territory fast enough to prevent Team Blue from reestablishing a bunch of robbery precincts on former Chimera territory, giving them desperately needed cash. It has the benefit of being true, and being a smart move on the LAPD's part. Plus, when we can't expand that fast, kestral will be vindicated.

Hope more people show up, anyway check out that meteorite!

we really need to go check out that metoirite, who knows what crazy stuff it brought into our reach

>>21286236

The closest thing you have to a Bruiser set available right now is the unique Fifty-Second Stalkers set, so Julio takes that to hit the Garrison Division. The two trade blows to little effect.

What are you sending to investigate the meteorite?

>>21286327
we are sending 1 mech and a few synth skinned termies with a truck to go pick it up and bring it to one of our factories if it proves interesting

>>21286327
do we have a spare droid? Does any mind if we have a squad of armed synthed up terminators grab it?

I was going to avoid sending out a mech but ok, might be something nasty that needs perforated

>>21286423
it will be in the back of the truck unless needed anyway

You send a few terminators driving a truck with a mech waiting in the back to the impact site. The meteor has drilled a small crater into the ground, and upon getting closer, the terminators discover that it is a metal sphere with several antennae sticking out of the back. The artificial craft has no visible means of propulsion, so it either runs off of space magic or else it may have been launched through space and carried on its own momentum. The odds of a randomly flung craft colliding with a planet are incredibly small, so if this thing doesn't have any means to correct course, its makers likely calculated the trajectory with quite a bit of precision...

There's only been one alien to make contact with the Earth in the past. The New Paragon arrived, fleeing the destruction of his old planet at the hands of an unknown alien menace, and took up the name, costume, and cause of the recently killed Paragon, as per a custom among his people. Unfortunately, the New Paragon wasn't exactly a history buff, scientist, or a politician on his old planet, just one of the people who happened to be left after the devastating initial attack by the unknown aliens and subsequent panicked evacuation. As such, there's no telling whether this craft comes from the attackers, New Paragon's people (often called paragonians, since their true name of xar'telget'illiad is pretty hard on human tongues), or some other, third alien race.

>>21286545
collect it and bring it to a secure location where we can disrupt its signals and study it

One of your terminators reaches down to grab it, and suddenly you lose the feed from the lot of them. Five seconds later it's back, and the terminators are hauling the thing back into the truck as though nothing happened at all. They don't appear to have taken any damage and all systems are running normally, but there's no trace whatsoever of anything that might have happened in those five seconds. It's like those terminators completely ceased to exist for a moment.

>>21286563
also set up an anonymous channel to new paragon and send him some details on it so we can identify the maker

>>21286628
DO NOT BRING THOSE MACHINES BACK TO BASE, we have deathless right? is there a spare body we can use that isn't our original? check out these robots manually

>>21286669
Agreed, they are to be taken to a non-networked location and isolated using the same protocols as the probe. They are to be studied for damage and if none is found they are to be melted down completely so that there is no chance of them corrupting the rest of the network. The probe is to be studied from an isolated lab that is lined with lead, wrapped in a faraday cage and deep underground. The machines in the lab do not connect to our network and there are to be no robots in the lab. The personnel in the lab are to wear hazmat suits and will leave all electronics outside the lab. No data is to leave the lab, it will all be analysed and reviewed on site.

>>21286635

Are you positive drawing the attention of the most powerful super hero in the world to your city is the best idea?

>>21286669

You can yoink a body if you ram yourself into enough random passers-by (though you'll have to kill the person afterwards unless you want the guy you're possessing to know the secrets of alien technology). Where do you plan on examining this thing? Just on Catalina Island?

>>21286739
that is why I said it was to be anonymous, but if that is not possible then we will avoid contacting him for now

>>21286739
as for where, how fast could we build an underground lab to house it, we can use the preexisting tunnel structure if we have to. Until the facility is built, we can house it in a lead lined room surrounded by a faraday cage

>>21286785

Constructing a new underground lair would take an action and 10 resources, but if you move your original workshop on Catalina to the mainland (or just to some other building in Catalina, since you basically own Avalon now), you could just use that.

>>21286828
ok, we will move the workshop to somewhere else in Catalina, and use that building to house the probe

>>21286862
but it is to be fitted to any and all signal suppressing specifications

Right. You move your workshop into Avalon, then move the probe into your old workshop, which has been converted into a sealed off lab, which you then enter with a possessed hobo, who you give a quick shower and shave to after you yank his body.

The personnel in the lab are mostly half-trained, being primarily pulled from your gang, which doesn't exactly attract the most highly educated people. Still, that doesn't mean they're all stupid and some of them are indeed teachable.

Preliminary scans reveal it to be of two previously unknown materials. Both metals, one making up the antennae, the other making up the spherical main body. You cautiously enter the lab to take a sample of the metals for further examination (within the lab, of course), when the antennae begin moving. They shift about, lithe and fluid, following your movements as you approach...They never did that to the terminators.

As your hand draws near to one of the antennae to try and take a sample, it suddenly springs forward, burrowing through the hazmat suit and beneath your skin, and you can feel a cold, icy fluid racing through your veins, pumping into your heart, and then back out. The feeling spreads throughout your entire body within seconds.

>Ditch the body now, or ride this out?

>>21287233
ditch and observe the effects from outside the body

>>21287254

The homeless schmuck you possessed takes control of his body as you exit. He panics, flailing his limbs frantically as the cold races through him, and then begins babbling to some unseen voice. Hard to tell if that's a side effect of the probe or just him being crazy.

>>21287380
Hop into one of our lab terminators and watch.

Record everything, prepare to attempt to communicate with it.

>>21287487

You were pretty explicit about not putting robots in the lab. Nothing else much changes about the situation; the man keeps babbling nonsense and seems terribly confused and also terrified. But again, he was already a hobo and he just got possessed and there is currently ice-cold mystery metal pumping through his veins, so maybe that's just normal.

>>21287705
Try using speakers to communicate

>>21287735

What do you plan to say?

>>21287777
Tell the hobo to calm down, and try to talk to the alien thing.

>>21287846

The hobo starts yelling in confusion at the speakers and asks if he's been abducted, then demands to be returned to Earth.

>>21287864
... You are on earth. In LA even. Now explain what is happening to you so I can fix things.

As for the alien...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mWKgaZQLSw&feature=related

Oh, I think I finally figured out a way to turn Kestral to the Dark Side. When Steve tells Kestral the whole plan for team blue, he should bring up the whole refusing Bouncers terms. Something about how dad won't compromise his standards, and he would much rather have someone like you setting the tone of the Iron Guard then someone like Bouncer. (Basically hint that she can do the same thing that bouncer wanted to do, through steve ofc). Oh, and have the bad doctors look into finding someone to steal cloning tech from. They used to be players in the tech field, they should have a good idea of who would be doing that.

>>21288120
You are an idiot.

Anyway, great going, single poster. We've got a frightened, possibly superpowered hobo with legitimate reason to be mad at us.

I'd suggest that it's much more interesting to hold yourself to a certain standard of behavior as a villian rather than just go max practical, but let's be honest, there's no way you're going to listen to me.

>>21288006

The hobo keeps freaking out for a few moments. Then he seems to calm down a bit, and turns to look at one of the men in hazmat suits, asking "like this?" And a moment later the man's eyes roll back into his head, he collapses against the side of the wall, and then a minute later pulls himself back up, staggering around unnaturally. "Greetings," the man says, "you are called Earth, correct?"

>>21288358
Which one, the hobo, or a lab 'assistant'?

>>21288358
That is our planet, yes. Would you mind identifying yourself and your purpose?

>>21288376

Lab assistant is the one speaking for the alien.

>>21288382

"We are Eidelos," the assistant says, "we are all but dead. Another came from across the stars to destroy us. What you see now is all that is left. Give us the resources to heal ourselves. In exchange, our knowledge and our friendship is yours."

What do you need, and what do you know? The good news for you is that I'm the best person in the area for anything technological or medical. The bad news is that I've got a lot on my plate right now.

>>21288467
Why seek earth? What resources would you need, what, are you? if you were to describe your people, your psudoliquid metallic form and psychic powers bring up more questions than could be answered.

>>21288467
Would you mind giving a description of the other?

Seems like these guys could have been invaded by the same guys the Paragonians were. Or the two planets were at war, sent armies to blow up each other, then forgot about it in the insanely long time space travel takes. Or it's just a different kind of alien.

>>21288544

"You are one of few creatures we have observed which contains the power. We do not yet fully understand the power ourselves. It manifests in many different ways, taking many different forms. You are uniquely capable of manifesting nearly all forms of this power yet known to us. The power began manifesting in us, as well. It had advanced to a greater stage than yours, but our probes had discovered still others who had advanced even further. Now, however, almost all of our power is destroyed by the attack of the Other. The Other has attacked many. Dozens have been completely destroyed. All of them are attacked just as their powers begin to properly manifest, an event we have come to call the Quickening. The Quickening draws near, and we believe that soon you will also be attacked. We cannot be safe until the Other is destroyed. When the Other comes for you, we will do what we can to help you fight back."

"We require bodies like this one," Eidelos continues, "enough to survive and thrive on our own, until we can find another globe capable of sustaining life, and leave yours for that one. This will take many years. We know this shall be a great inconvenience to you, but without this we will die."

>>21288754
Doable. Not something I enjoy doing, but doable.

>>21288754
Can they possess bodies at will, or only ones of weaker will.

Because, we'd be happy to turn over chimera goons if they can just hop into people.

>>21288754
So superhero Reapers. Got it.

>>21288790
These guys seem like relatively nice guys. Let's get volunteers so we don't get on their bad side.

Also it looks like the original host sticks around, so having terrorist guys isn't the best idea.

>>21288790

Some are immune to body-snatching, some take a while (meaning 2-3 minutes of sustained eye contact or equivalent for other species), but the vast majority are basically just point-and-steal.

They can also bond with someone without body-snatching the target completely by physically entering their bloodstream like with the hobo dude here.

>>21288754
That's probably doable. It appears you are capable of living alongside a person to sustain yourself?

Also, how should we tell them that we're a villian?

>>21288880
Cloning seems like a humane solution.

>>21288974
Yeah, cloning if they actively eat minds or whatever, volunteers otherwise.

>>21288754
On reflection, it seems these guys are a hivemind and thinks of individuals as appendages. In that case, we probably should see if they can eat monkeys, as they'd likely get horrified once they realized they were consuming hive-mind equivalents.

File: 1351206241868.jpg-(26 KB, 480x200, Hivemind Apes.jpg)

>>21289069

So exactly what do you plan to do or say with regards to the alien?

>>21289145
Wait, you are a collective organism, correct? Humans are individual creatures, each equivalent to one of you, but at a much smaller scale.

I apologize for not realizing this sooner, I am just as guilty of assuming you were the same as us.

This means that giving you bodies would be more than an inconvenience to a large planetmind. Luckily, we do have some nonsentient creatures that resemble us closely, is it possible for you to use them?

>>21289168
Also, what exactly is it you require from bodies to live? If it's non-lethal, we should be able to find volunteers for it.

Rolled 87

>>21289145
how many would you need?
see if they can use terminators

see what Kestral thinks

lets ask whisper if he knows of any one with cloning or working on cloning teck

>>21289207
Yes, I'm sure the psychic aliens can use terminators.

Also, what the hell does Kestral have to add to this? She's not exactly prepared to offer a sage opinion on extraterrestrial contact, and in terms of moral decisions, it's generally pretty obvious which way she'd lean.

Rolled 23

>>21289353
I mean perhaps we should warn team blue of impending inter planetary war

at the very least team red

>>21289516
well maby not Chimera

and defiantly not until we get at least some teak from this thing

as for what to say to them see what they will need

>>21289516
Good point.

"You are a collective organism, correct?" you ask.

"Explain," Eidelos asks.

"One consciousness spread out across multiple bodies," you say.

"Of course. Are you not the same?" Eidelos asks.

"No. Each human body contains an individual consciousness, equivalent to yours," you say.

"How do you survive the death of individual host bodies?" Eidelos asks.

"As a general rule, we don't," you say.

"Fascinating," Eidelos responds, "and...Tragic."

"We have a population of non-sentient creatures anatomically similar to ourselves. Will they work?" you ask.

"Any creature capable of manipulating tools will suffice," Eidelos says, "although without any assistance from any sort of power, the timeframe for the project will be extended dramatically."

>>21289539
Chimera's gonna hear about it if it becomes known by an entire group. It's just too big for them not to. Even if we just deal with a few trustable people, there's still so much chance for them to hear of it for whatever reason, be it selling information for gain or simple accident.

Still, the benefits from having a prepared hero response to this threat are arguably worth chimera getting wind of it.

I hate to say it, but I'm getting kinda tired. Try not to do anything stupid while I'm in bed, guys.

>>21289581
I shall endeavor to acquire these creatures as soon as possible. Some humans have managed to develop a technique to essentially create copies physical of themselves or others, called cloning. I shall see if I cannot acquire that technique as well to speed up your project. Unfortunately my the amount of resources I can currently divert to help you is currently contained by another group of powerful humans, who are currently trying to acquire my technology by force, and knowing them, they would certainty attempt do the same to you should they manage to defeat me.

>>21289581
can... can we just start abducting Chimera troopers for this?

>>21289693

I actually need to be off early. I have that thing I do on Thursdays.

>>21289626
I agree i was just saying we don't say a thing to them

Well, they came to us because we're one of the first people to transcend life and death not only through the matters of magic but mathematical thought and logic as well.
That's why they seeked us out? Or did they not look exactly for us, Who is it you came looking for, who are these other quickened people? People not of a mortal shell? People who've gained metahuman powers?