City of Heroes - Live Forum Archive

Things NOT to do during an RPG!

POST-ACTION

813. I cannot summon a horde of werewolves just because I thought it would be cool to have an all-werewolf party.

814. I cannot then skin said werewolves to sell their furs.

Things NOT to do during an RPG!

POST-ACTION

978. You can't save the reactor by unplugging it.

Worlds of Confusion ((Story))

POST-ACTION

"What the hell is that thing?!" yelled Danica, pointing at the Praetorian.

"Why she's you, in a sense," said Blightlord as he resisted the urge to grin.

"Whatever you're trying to pull, you rotting sack of [censored], I swear I'll-"

"Now now, can't we get along," said Deseca as she walked towards the two heroes, both still too stunned to attack. "I mean, we're so alike, can't we agree to let things go?" Suddenly she lunged forward and grabbed Danica by the throat. "Oh right, now I remember."

Burning whirled to toss a fireball, but suddenly froze. Blightlord reloaded another paralytic poison into his launcher as Muck and Guck moved forward to bring down the hero.

Deseca smiled maliciously as dark energies wrapped about her hand and began absorbing Danica's life force. The heroine suddenly brought her arms up in between Deseca's and broke her grip. As the villainess stumbled back Danica leapt forward to land a kick.

Suddenly, Danica was on the ground with Deseca holding her leg. The warrior stared, stunned, then cried out in pain as her leg was snapped in two at the knee. "Oh yes, you won't be surprising me," said the villain. "I know everything you'll try to hit me with, and revived as I am, I'm not twice as strong as you could ever be." The villainess twisted the broken leg, making Danica scream.

The cry broke Burning from the hold of Blightlord's toxin. He whirled around to his both Muck and Guck with a blast of fire, sending them stumbling back just before they could strike.

Deseca looked up and saw the fireball heading her way. She lept away from Danica and brought up her arms to lessen the effect. Before Burning could attack again, Sludge descended, cackling wildly as he hurled screaming skulls at the hero.

Burning ducked away, luring the ghost to somewhere where he could bind it. Danica sat on the ground, gripping her broken leg. She hissed as she reset the bone, and began focusing her energies to make it mend quicker.

Deseca came back into view, about to snap a kick at the her other self's head. Danica caught the kick and twisted, flipping the undead woman in the air and putting her on her back. They both stood and readied themselves to fight.

Blightlord had turned back toward where Burning had run. He knew Deseca would want to kill her 'good' counterpart herself. He soon knew without a doubt where the hero was when he heard the sound of a toilet flushing and Sludge's unmistakable wail of, "Nooooooooooooooooooo!"

Muck and Guck charged past Blightlord. The master of the undead called a warning, but was too late as the Knight's slipped on the large patch of ice, sliding down the open elevator shaft. The villain cursed. Where on earth was Grime?

The hooded figure leapt into view, a fireball leading the way. Blightlord staggered back, taking the hit. He repayed it with the swirling energies of the souls he commanded. Tendrils of power shot from his arms and ensnared him, making the man spin in the air.

He groaned before whispering the incantation to dispell the energies, but Blightlrod was already in the process of hitting him with various potions, each making him feel weaker and more helpless than the last.

"It's interesting that things should end this way," said Blightlord as he fired another paralytic toxin. "All it took was one other truly competent individual to bring you both down. All this time wasted on Elitist's attacks on your friends, when a quicker solution was there all along. It's almost funny."

He finished his spell, breaking free and falling to the ground, then suddenly had the urge to throw up as the toxins hit him full on.

"Yes, I've managed to actually improve my recipes since last time," said the villain as he walked forward. The hardened black ooze that made up his costume began to melt on his arm. It slid down, forming a large sword in Blightlord's hand. "All challenging rivals must come to an end I suppose."

He brought the sword down on the hooded man's head. Blightlord felt the satisfying sensation of steel cutting through flesh and bone, and laughed as the body slumped to the floor. "And then I will bring him back as a will-less slave for all eternity..." He bent down and grabbed the limp man's chin. He lifted his face into the light, and staggered back in surprise. He had been tricked! The hero had cast a disguise spell on Grime!

Burning dropped down behind the villain. Blightlord whirled around, releasing another group of tendrils. The bounced off a mystic shield, flying wide. "And now I have you all alone," said the hero as his hands lit.

There was a scream of pain. They both looked in its direction, then at each other. Burning turned to go see what had happened. Blightlord chuckled at his foolishness and let loose another wave of power. The tendrils caught Burning's feet, tripping him.

Danica and Deseca back into view. The two were trading kick for shadow-wrapped kick, and blow for blow. Though Deseca was blocking somewhat slower, the darkness that empowered her was easily making up for it. They both were working hard to keep the other on guard. However, being undead meant Deseca would never tire, whereas Danica was already sweating, her own blocks and kicks coming less quickly.

Burning whirled towards Blightlord, flinging a fiery blast. It hit another wave of tendrils, causing a blinding explosion of magic. The villain heard the unmistakable words of a teleportation spell. The villain cried out in anger as he hurried to say the counter-spell.

Two flashes ran through the room, but when everything had cleared, the heroes were gone.

Worlds of Confusion ((Story))

POST-ACTION

The plan was fairly simple. Blightlord's base was well hidden, so they needed to lure him out. What better way to do so than by attempting to break into his secrets with an Arachnos supercomputer? He wouldn't realize who the real attackers were until the deed was done.

To reach the Rogue Isles was fairly easy. A few people owed them favors for the bases they had kept from being blown up and were more than willing to give them a ride on the Longbow Chopper. It landed on the roof of the hospital where the two heroes waited to be picked up. A little more than an hour later and they were in the City of Villains.

Burning had watched Danica carefully the whole ride. She was definitely nervous. Her plan sounded like it would work. He just hoped she knew what they were getting into.

"Alright, we're clear for landing," said the Longbow officer as he brought the chopper down in the hills of Cap Au Diable. "Good luck."

The two climbed out and looked at the city, smoke rising from it into the night sky. "The base is this way," said Brawler, turning her back down behind the hill. They took a few steps before hearing metal instead of dirt beneath their feet. Burning bent down to brush away the grass, revealing a hidden door.

"I'll get it," said Danica as she knelt. The heroine stuck her fingers in the door and pushed. It groaned and prosted, but soon could hold out no longer. Burning stared at her for a moment and she shrugged. "Comes with the training."

Alarms blared as they tore a path of destruction through the base. Arachnos guards ran to stop them, but were halted themselves by a hail of fists and fireballs. They left unconcious guards in their wake, their forms fading away from mediports and the Paragon Prisoner Transit System.

The base leader was typing furiously on the keyboard of an enormous supercomputer when they approached. The room was gigantic, filled with similar, yet somewhat smaller machines that formed a maze of technology. "You're too late! I've already deleted them! All of this base's work from the past ten years is gone forever! You heroes will never know the secret!"

Danica rolled her eyes and lunged forward, grabbing the Huntsman's collar. He struggled, but as soon as she dug her fingers into a pressure point in his neck the man fell limp. "We're not hear for your little science project," she said before dropping him to the floor.

"So... the files..."

"Yeah, you didn't need to delete them. Thanks for saving us the trouble though," said Burning before he stole the heat around the air around him, encasing the man in a block of ice and cutting short his stream of curses.

Danica sighed in frustration. "I can't crack this thing."

Burning walked over to the supercomputer and placed a hand on it. "Let me try." The mage shut his eyes and concentrated. He saw not the wires and metal, but power and commands opened as easily as a spellbook. He was transforming his view from the technological to the mystical.

He spoke the incantation and set a black piece of cloth from one of Blightlord's costumes into the computer's DNA tray. It slid into the computer which began to hum.

--------------------

Blightlord looked up. Deseca stared at him curiously. "What's wrong?"

"The mirror..." He moved quickly towards it and pressed a hand against the glass surface. The image twisted and showed the symbol of Arachnos, then a shadow that resembled the unmistakable rock formation on Cap Au Diable. Blightlord opened his eyes. "An Arachnos base is spying... I must leave to teach them their foolishness."

"I will come with you," said Deseca, sliding up beside him. Blightlord smiled, nodding. The two stepped into the mirror, vanishing.

They reappeared near the control room, unaware that Burning and Danica were setting up a trap just ahead. Blightlord held out his arms and shut his eyes. Instantly several zombies, as well as his Grave Knight lieutenants Muck and Guck were at his side. A few seconds later, Grime stepped from the shadows.

They group of villains stepped into the large room. Blightlord gestured at the rows, and a zombie ran down each, searching for their prey. A ghost came up beside Blightlord with a wide grin.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiill the heroesssssssss!"

"Heroes? Sludge, we are here for Arachnos. Later," said Blightlord impatiantly.

"Arachnos goooooooone. Sweet smellllllllll of pain heeeeeeeere. Allllllllll defeated."

Immediately, Blightlord saw the trap for what it was. He turned to leave only to be stopped by a wall of mystic energies. He raised his hands to dispel it, but the wall did not budge. He turned back to see Burning Brawler and Danica standing there, ready to fight.

"Of course," said the master of undeath. "You are now so tired of waiting out the inevitable, you've decided to give yourselves up?"

"I don't think that's what they came for, my love," said Deseca as she slid into view from the darkness. Her eyes locked with Danica's, the villain's glinting with evil glee as Danica stared in terror and revulsion at the perversion of all she was. "Oh good, I was hoping we'd meet soon."