Pistol_EU

Outside by the dumpsters, the dank wet floors where a drunkard once lied now showed nothing for it but a set of wet footprints trailing into the walls.

"Caught wind of some pretty interesting chatter before scaling up them walls. Turns out these part-time crooks had been paid by someone posing as the Countess to dig up these fresh vampires and bring them here. But the werewolf-looking beast was a genuine Courter and he didn't know nothing about the operation. Suddenly there was a change of plans and the poor undead kids were being tossed into the sewers. Figured with the gun-slinging Englishman holding them up, I had me just enough time to tail the wolf. I followed him through a patched-up tin roof and into the loading bay. At first I had to manoeuvre around several crates scattered around the cemented room but eventually caught sight of a ridged metal section built into the floor. The wolf creature reached a touch screen computer and somehow activated the metal floor. The whole damn place started to shake, boxes fell and split open, revealing rather curious contents; canned food, hollow needles and a blood bag. Basic stuff a madman might need to raise a bunch of monsters, or more innocently, a centre full of sick puppies. My money's on the former. Wolfman leapt into the hole and I followed through."

"Sup dog" I greeted. "I'm Hellskiller. I work with the Nighthunters. I understand you're with the Court of the Blood Countess? Yeah... you know the Pocket D crowd seem to think you beasts are misunderstood; that you're just a victimised bunch trying to get by. Me? I'm not so convinced. But you must have seen the news; a school of kids got blown up. As you might have noticed, some of them've been cursed with vampirism. I've tracked them here and probably so have you, so here we are. Now I don't think Bathory's done this, so how about you lot prove yourself; help me help you to get to the bottom of this case? Literally."

"Filthy friggin manky garbage" Hellskiller muttered to himself, still slumped in the shadows. He peered up hazily to see the van driver squinting in his direction, brandishing a pistol. The drunken detective remained sprawled on the floor, feigning unconsciousness the best he could.

Nine Days After The Attack. Friday September 10th. Moth Cathedral.

Sister Altair Mary Stevens was cloaked in her cleric attire, sat on one of the benches in the church nave talking with the Reverend Pious Hunter who was also in his cleric garments. The two spoke peacefully, quietly and yet fervently.

"Paragon City CSI forensics have completed their crime scene investigation" Altair reported. "Scans and analysis of the robot's remains reveal mundane tech modifications, hyper compressed. Which suggests the culprits are technologically masterful but not exactly a genius level threat."

The long-haired nun stood up and unrolled a large blueprint detailing the system schematics of a Malta Kronos Titan and began tracing it with a finger. "Look here father" she continued. "Titans usually have built-in flamethrowers, a pack of sixteen gas swarm missiles, sixteen incendiary swarm missiles, sixteen explosive swarm missiles, anti-regeneration plasma blast cannons and sleep gas canisters. They are heavily armoured with reinforced steel and are capable of maximum mobility for stomping and rampaging."

"That's a lot of fire damage, let alone the gas holds" the priest commented, also getting up to look closely at the blueprints. "That explains why it flattened the building so effectively."

"Well like I said, the CSI team's tech analysis shows that the machine was also modified. These diagrams here highlight the attached hydrocutters. It's a device that uses intense water pressure to cut things, only this had blood fuelling it instead of water."

"That explains the bleeding" the priest added. "For a while I did considered the possibility of a person sat within the machine and piloting it, like you do. So to be honest, I'm a little relieved to hear it wasn't manned."

"Yeah... can, can I finish?"

"Sorry, continue" said Pious.

"The incendiary missiles were also modified, mainly to offload napalm. The sleep gas canisters too had been replaced with a mix of various poisons including chlorine, which actually showed up a lot in the wreckage. Now get this, forensics found one of the incendiary missiles still intact. During the disassembling, the team noticed that parts of the weapon looked distinctively alien. As in unusual, not extraterrestrial. They found a certain accelerator device used to rapidly mix air with incendiary agents. The patent on this new device belongs to a Weapons R&D company based in the Rogue Isles, called Ironclad Enigma Solutions and the company is owned by who? None other than the Lady Irene Margaret Sepulcher."

"Lady Irene" Pious repeated, recalling the name to memory. "That's the same name Detective Grayson reported owns Ocean Farm."

"The same frozen fish and seafood business where he found those icy warehouses" Altair added. "He reported encountering couriers ferrying the dead bodies of Saint John's victims to that same location."

"We have ourselves a new suspect"

"That we do Father" said Altair.

"We'll need a search running."

"It has already begun" she replied.

"Informed the police?"

"Two steps ahead of ya'"

"This means Bathory may slip down to suspect number two, with Malta at three" said Pious, thinking out loud. "How goes the warrant on her Castle?"

"To be honest with you Father, Longbow have no interest in requesting permission from Arachnos. Since the terror attack, Bathory's days have been numbered. The Ballista, Longbow's elite bosses are hot-headed heavy hitters with no vocabulary for negotiations. These tankers are tough enough to withstand direct hits from rocket launchers, and can dish out enough damage to take out the toughest brute Arachnos can throw at them, let alone Bathory's skinny zombies. The Court have always been locked in frequent skirmishes with Longbow in Cap Au Diable and often times Bathory and her ilk captures them, tortures them, and if they don't kill them, they drink or eat them. Longbow are a superpowered army forcefully occupying the Rogue Isles and when it comes to the Blood Countess, it's not just business for them, its personal. Father, I have reason to believe they are already preparing a strike. They've been very patient with us up until now, waiting for our leadership, for us to spearhead this thing, but now they think we're either stalling or wasting time. There's no denying it... they are going to take Castle Bathory, with or without us."

Awesome! Tyger's coming. \o/

We're at the Paragon Hotel for a night. Only £36 for all but distance was the deciding factor because I hate buses, so it's not far from the Net Cafe.

Yeah sorry I've taken so long before posting. Been real busy basically. It's probably best that it be you to offer out these clues OOC anyway, being the subplot's GM. I was only going to carry it out ICly. Question; is the Kronos Titan -confirmed- stolen, by Police or Government agents? I would imagine Malta dodging any contact with Law Enforcement and thus not cooperating with their investigation and instead carrying out their own. So are they too looking for the thief?

((Inspired by this thread: Q&A With James D. MacAvoy. I wanted to bring Pious to a hotseat and see how he would do with random questions. Be nice! ))

The lights on the long-running TV show returned to full brightness as the audience welcomed back the host Tracey Lionheart from a commercial break. Sat on the sofa next to her was the Reverend Pious Hunter.

"Welcome back, this is the Friday Night Talkshow with me Tracey Lionheart" said the corset-clad blonde in her trademark sultry voice. "Hollywood's favourite television show where we bring you Paragon City's heroes for all manners of interrogation. Our next guest is a world renowned hero, a beacon of light if ever there was one. Ladies and gentlemen please give a warm welcome the legendary, the resplendent, Reverend Pious Hunter!"

"Thank you" Pious greeted, blushing to the hail of applause as the cameras trained on him. "It's great to be here. I'm a big fan of the show."

"There has been some very interesting tweets since we announced you'd be appearing on the show, mostly questions about what's being done since the attack on Saint John's school, but lets get started with questions from the audience, then we'll move on to live callers and forums."

"Sure, I'm ready... I think" Pious joked.

"Erm, let's get the microphones to that person over there please" Tracy asked, "yes, what's your question?"

Not at all. Lots of ways to jump in. I'm pretty sure the bounty hunters are still hunting monster hunters, there are ongoing investigations looking into the Crest-branded Kronos Titan that caused the terror attack, vampire and demon activity are on the rise. Circle of Thorns, Hellions, Skulls etc would be visibly more active hunting down monster hunters, in want for the bounty rewards. I'm sure there are more ways in, but that's all I can recall for now.

I just think it would be a wonderful thing to have at least this once, a story we've -all- contributed to, at some level. A common event we can all share and proudly speak of as a real and successful Unionverse plot. It seems previous attempts have been made but largely fell only to a select group of supergroups. Should we at least try a more unique and evenly spread story? Possibly one already seeded into cannon by the Devs but grown into a plot we can all relate to and participate in? Is there sufficient interest? Are people accepting and willing? Off to work for now, back later tonight.

Pious here. This is characteristically optimistic of me but you know what would really be a nice thing to do? Just for the sake of bringing something tangible out from the flames of this debate and into fruition; an actual player-ran Unionverse plot. Now this is the important bit; it would need to be a plot so well ran it successfully transcends most of the well-expected woes of the player base. A story that is neither Dev-scale nor wide-scale, one that most of us can agree to subscribe to and though it negates the whole point of such a plot, still allow those who'd rather step out of it all, to do so ICly. So nothing massive or world-changing but still carrying enough momentum to reach the -hearts- of our characters; the heroes and villains of our beloved Unionverse. Can such a plot actually be enjoyed? Could it possibly be agreed on by the majority of the active Union Roleplayers? If not, then perhaps our 'shared' world... isn't so truly shared.

Welcome back Ardy! And wibbles Mum?

I left the thread yesterday to RP in-game. CB is getting told off here and it seems to me he needs all the luck for it. He's cited unfairness and double standards.

Back to the original discussion, I am still of the opinion that in a shared universe such as Union, we shouldn't always expect to be able to avoid or ignore the occurrence of what's happening around us, for whatever personal reason... except if it's a plot so silly its Dev-level world-changing. Common sense alone says this shouldn't be done but if and when it is, I understand the only reasonable option left is to isolate that player and his/her plot.

In CB's case, this is not what he intended to happen with St. John. I don't think he would knowingly do a story at Devs-level magnitude. But with a high number casualty, it seems that's what St. Johns has become. CB doesn't mind renumbering the scale and that's a notion I support. Whether he plays the papers's quote as inaccurate and that only twelve kids were actually playing in the school at the time of the attack, is up to him.

What I like about the plot is the scope of opportunity it offers to those RP'ers who would normally feel left out with their characters for whatever reason. Here is a news article about a brief yet startling terror attack that can reach everyone who wishes to help.

If you'd prefer to avoid it all, though in my opinion one should at least take note of the occurrences in these plots IC and OOC; I believe there is still an out. Only moments after the terror attack, following a shocking and inevitable public outcry, the United States's Federal Bureau of Super-powered Affairs have become involved (as will soon be revealed IC) and they are competent and accomplished enough for any hero to leave the situation to them... assuming the casualty numbers aren't so high it's unrealistic for any hero to overlook. This, as has been established, is something CB is prepared to address.

This thread, however bitter on the tongue, has so far, at least been productive in bringing the issues of concern (plot magnitudes and where to draw the line of common sense) to the masses for debate, and as a result has clarified, I hope, that the St. John's Open Season sub-plot will continue to be well handled.

"Not at all dear, everyone is welcome to pay their respects. Come on right in and have a seat", she replied, inviting the lady in. She noticed the gentleman with silver hair and beamed him in also. When she noticed the young woman and her company approach, she felt they might have been off duty policemen. "Good morning" she greeted the three, "come on right in, find a seat. Hope getting through our town's fog wasn't any trouble?"

Sunday, February 7th. 10:00 AM. Just outside Moth Cathedral.

Half an hour before the start of the funeral service, Reverend Dee Ann Klapp was stood by the church entrance greeting the people as they climbed up the stairs. She watched as the hearse carrying Reverend Pious's coffin slowly pulled into the drive way. The pallbearers alighted and proceeded to move the casket ceremoniously into the curch. Reverend Klapp, dressed in a black cope, greeted the coffin at the door of the church, sprinkled it with holy water, and began intoning Pslam 129 and Psalm 50.

When she saw Suraya, the Desert Princess and other fabled members of the Nighthunters arrive, her heart lifted with joy. "You must be Suraya" she greeted with a smile, speaking in a low and solemn voice. "Reverend Pious told me all about you and about the good work you're all doing to purify this world. Here, do you have a copy of the programme?" she asked, offering the sheet that was being handed to every entering person. "To be honest, I'm rather looking forward to the procession. I'm a big fan of the heroing community, so much good work you're all doing."