PC vs. PC conflict and the Magic War begins
We're back with Group 1 for Marvel Heroic Roleplaying, although since most of Group 1 showed up last weekend, it really just feels like we are picking it up from there...
Scene One
We begin with the various PC's going about their business, attending their regular jobs or lounging about the HQ. Argent, the NPC hero whose secret identity was publicly revealed in the last session, continues to rail against Randall Parker, the TV personality who aired footage of Argent transforming in a back alley.
Returning from a pilates class, Union Galactic witnesses an explosion at the hospital where the three victims of the Project: Sunburst nuclear facility meltdown are being treated. He rushes over and finds the three are now embued with superhuman abilities. The former head of the facility is now calling himself Helios, and claims to be sent to return humanity to worshiping the Sun. With him are Radium and Ray, and the three beat down Union Galactic into unconsciousness.
Thankfully, word gets to the rest of the team, who show up and after a tense battle subdue the trio, who are returned to hospitalization, only now under a lot more security.
Scene Two
The team heads back to HQ for some recovery (especially for the now traumatized Union Galactic) only to find that Argent has left the premises. Samkhara puts the word out through her underworld contacts but it is nothing so complicated as that: Argent has gone to the television studios of Randall Parker to confront (and assault) him. The Posse rushes over and instead of attacking Argent talks him down and gets him to agree to leave the studio. Randall Parker threatens to expose even more information about Argent on his program, but Doctor Mind uses his mental control powers to cause Parker to cease televising information about Argent.
Then it gets interesting. Union Galactic realizes that Dr. Mind has mentally controlled Parker, who isn't a supervillain, alien, or other kind of physical threat. He confronts Dr. Mind in the studio, accusing him of wrongly robbing someone of their free will. Words are exchanged, and Union Galactic pulls his gun on Dr. Mind. The Ferret and Mr. Eternity tell Union Galactic that they won't let him harm Dr. Mind, while Abrasax and Samkhara quietly wait by the sidlines. Realizing he is outnumbers, Union Galactic relents and leaves the studio, but a wedge has been driven into the team.
Scene Three
Later that night, Abrasax is meditating in his Crystal Vault. Suddenly, he hears a voice telling directing him to a railroad freight station on the outskirts of town. He summons the rest of the team, and they quietly make their way to the train depot. There they see demons, the same kind as they battled a year ago battling members of the Pact, a team of mystically-powered supervillains. After a quick discussion, the Ultimate Posse decides to support the Pact and the two teams drive off the demons and their leader, Hellknight.
The Pact is suspicious of their former adversaries, but reveal that they have been continually battling the demonic invaders for the past year in secret. What began as revenge for their theft of a magic crystal from Lady Moloch has accelerated into a secret war between the two groups. Abrasax asks if Lady Moloch was the person who contacted him, but the Pact claims to know no knowledge of any summons. A quick telepathic scan from Samkhara does confirm what the Ferret had suspected, however: every member of the Pact gained their powers from a deal made with a powerful demon named Glencannagh. With the demon Glencannagh on one side and Tyrannon on the side of the extra-dimensional invaders, the Earth is in the middle of a dangerous conflict.
Thoughts:
Most PC vs. PC conflict tends to just be a projection of player vs. player antagonism, but in this case it was two guys who just decided that their characters would react in very different ways. Union Galactic has traditionally been the "comic relief" character, so playing him as a serious figure was also a neat change of pace.
The best part? With the two-team approach, everyone agreed it made sense that UG would probably shift to the other team in order to avoid Dr. Mind. I'm thinking we're about to see two superhero teams battle it out in the future!
Scene One
We begin with the various PC's going about their business, attending their regular jobs or lounging about the HQ. Argent, the NPC hero whose secret identity was publicly revealed in the last session, continues to rail against Randall Parker, the TV personality who aired footage of Argent transforming in a back alley.
Returning from a pilates class, Union Galactic witnesses an explosion at the hospital where the three victims of the Project: Sunburst nuclear facility meltdown are being treated. He rushes over and finds the three are now embued with superhuman abilities. The former head of the facility is now calling himself Helios, and claims to be sent to return humanity to worshiping the Sun. With him are Radium and Ray, and the three beat down Union Galactic into unconsciousness.
Thankfully, word gets to the rest of the team, who show up and after a tense battle subdue the trio, who are returned to hospitalization, only now under a lot more security.
Scene Two
The team heads back to HQ for some recovery (especially for the now traumatized Union Galactic) only to find that Argent has left the premises. Samkhara puts the word out through her underworld contacts but it is nothing so complicated as that: Argent has gone to the television studios of Randall Parker to confront (and assault) him. The Posse rushes over and instead of attacking Argent talks him down and gets him to agree to leave the studio. Randall Parker threatens to expose even more information about Argent on his program, but Doctor Mind uses his mental control powers to cause Parker to cease televising information about Argent.
Then it gets interesting. Union Galactic realizes that Dr. Mind has mentally controlled Parker, who isn't a supervillain, alien, or other kind of physical threat. He confronts Dr. Mind in the studio, accusing him of wrongly robbing someone of their free will. Words are exchanged, and Union Galactic pulls his gun on Dr. Mind. The Ferret and Mr. Eternity tell Union Galactic that they won't let him harm Dr. Mind, while Abrasax and Samkhara quietly wait by the sidlines. Realizing he is outnumbers, Union Galactic relents and leaves the studio, but a wedge has been driven into the team.
Scene Three
Later that night, Abrasax is meditating in his Crystal Vault. Suddenly, he hears a voice telling directing him to a railroad freight station on the outskirts of town. He summons the rest of the team, and they quietly make their way to the train depot. There they see demons, the same kind as they battled a year ago battling members of the Pact, a team of mystically-powered supervillains. After a quick discussion, the Ultimate Posse decides to support the Pact and the two teams drive off the demons and their leader, Hellknight.
The Pact is suspicious of their former adversaries, but reveal that they have been continually battling the demonic invaders for the past year in secret. What began as revenge for their theft of a magic crystal from Lady Moloch has accelerated into a secret war between the two groups. Abrasax asks if Lady Moloch was the person who contacted him, but the Pact claims to know no knowledge of any summons. A quick telepathic scan from Samkhara does confirm what the Ferret had suspected, however: every member of the Pact gained their powers from a deal made with a powerful demon named Glencannagh. With the demon Glencannagh on one side and Tyrannon on the side of the extra-dimensional invaders, the Earth is in the middle of a dangerous conflict.
Thoughts:
Most PC vs. PC conflict tends to just be a projection of player vs. player antagonism, but in this case it was two guys who just decided that their characters would react in very different ways. Union Galactic has traditionally been the "comic relief" character, so playing him as a serious figure was also a neat change of pace.
The best part? With the two-team approach, everyone agreed it made sense that UG would probably shift to the other team in order to avoid Dr. Mind. I'm thinking we're about to see two superhero teams battle it out in the future!
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