((This looks pretty good. I think I'll post in here when I get home tomorrow.))
((Oooo, are villains allowed too? I have a good one!))
((Whatever you like. I had assumed that the initial conversation would branch out pretty quickly. In particular, email tends to get CC'ed to many people with the resulting soap opera when someone misunderstands a nuance. I have to admit that Brust and Bull's _Freedom and Neccesity_ is the only epistolary novel I've read, but using that as an example - in addition to letters, the story was also told via journal entries and newspaper notices when strict letter writing wasn't quite sufficient to illustrate some event. In the twenty-first century, email, forum postings, blogs, clips of television or radio news reports, even You-tube videos might serve the same function. The point of the style is that the story is told by the protagonists each from his own point of view and generally in the past tense, as said protagonist is relating the events to another person in some way.
If it isn't obvious, the setting of this opening letter is the launch of CoH. "Stateman's Call". That means, for instance, that the Fifth Column are still around and that Sister Psyche is still cohabiting with Aurora Borealis. Technically, it was a time when capes were still banned, in honor of Hero 1 and Omega Team. *heh* Do with that as you will. Capes weren't available in-game until Issue 1 or 2, I forget now. Have to research that!
In terms of villains, I don't think it's strictly neccesary that every letter be a reply to something that's gone before. New ones should be popping up regularly. Any "new" chains that appear should be obviously related in some fashion to what's gone before, is all. It might well turn out that a successful thread along these lines would have multiple storylines that intersect at various times and places, rather than a single over-arching storyline. Hypothetically speaking, you might see a villain planning some major piece of villainny, while the hero(es) follows a trail of clues, leading to a clash between them. The results of that clash might be worked out between the parties writing those characters, then the results reported in character from their independent points of view. ))
OOC:
While I admit this is a very interesting and refreshingly creative form of RP, this would very quickly become complicated and more trouble than its worth. Mapping out simple conversations and interactions with other characters will be a complete nightmare.
Don't get me wrong, this will be wonderful if you can pull it off. Just seems a little mind-boggling to me.
[ QUOTE ]
OOC:
Don't get me wrong, this will be wonderful if you can pull it off. Just seems a little mind-boggling to me.
[/ QUOTE ]
(( Only one way to find out. 
))
((So we're just supposed to post e-mails, newspapers and stuff like that? If I understand this right, I'll just e-mail some relative of mine. If not, correct me please? =) ))
May 29, 2004
Paragon
Uncle Jim! How are you guys up there in Maine? Mom called and told me you got internet now, congrats. I hsven't seen you in forever. Katie give up smoking yet? We should throw a party when she finally does, right?
Anyways, I arrived in Paragon a couple weeks ago, got a nice apartment in Atlas Park. I know you don't know of it, but it's not so bad. Well, except for the villains. Obviously, though, that's why I'm here!
I got registered yesterday, or the day before, I'ts so confusing with all these heroes running around. You have it nice and quiet up there in the woods, you'd go deaf if you lived here.
I'm registered as Gravity's Enforcer. You know I wasn't always the imaginative guy out there. Although the few guys I knoe, heroes and citizens, mostly in the apartment, call me Grav. I like that, maybe I can lie and say that's my registered name.
Nah, mom would kill me for something like that. Very strict, y'know?
I don't have much news other than I'm registered. I still don't even have a costume, that's what I'm doing tomorrow. Anyways, give my love to everyone, and gimme a ring.
Sadly, I don't know my number by heart yet. Call mom if you will.
That's me though, right?
Lovin' ya,
Gravity's Enforcer
a.k.a.
Blake
P.S. Hah! I can right that as my name now!
May 30, 2004
Castle Rock
>Uncle Jim! How are you guys up there in Maine? Mom called
>and told me you got internet now, congrats.
My Lord, Boy, you make it sound like the stone age out here. The Thompsons up the road just got this great invention, called a "frigerator", keeps food cold so you can eat it two days after you kill it! Can you imagine? *snort*
Maybe you should ask your mother about why I decided to spend my "golden years" living in the woods a half-day's drive from anywhere, so's that I have to get my Internet from a satellite? Maybe not; less said to her about that, the better, I reckon.
>I hsven't seen you in forever. Katie give up smoking yet?
>We should throw a party when she finally does, right?
She's going to outlive all of us, Boy. She's tougher'n any cancer that might be hiding in a cigarette. You can keep pressin' her but don't be surprised if she lights up and blows smoke in your face when you see her.
>Well, except for the villains. Obviously, though, that's why
>I'm here!
I hope you know what you're doin', Boy. In my day, they used guns and knives. They didn't shoot fire out of their noses.
>I'm registered as Gravity's Enforcer. You know I wasn't
>always the imaginative guy out there. Although the few guys
>I knoe, heroes and citizens, mostly in the apartment, call
>me Grav. I like that, maybe I can lie and say that's my
>registered name.
"Enforcer?" That sounds like hit man or something. You going to beat up people who defy the law of gravity?
You stick with "Grav". That sounds a lot more like someone you can trust.
>Nah, mom would kill me for something like that. Very strict,
>y'know?
You know I love your mom, but trust me when I say that what she don't know ain't gonna hurt her.
>I don't have much news other than I'm registered. I still
>don't even have a costume, that's what I'm doing tomorrow.
'Slong as you're not running around in your underwear. "The clothes make the man" applies to superheroes even more than it does to reg'lar type folks.
Listen, Blake; I know a feller you should look up. He's a cop; name's Brogan. Jose Brogan. Used to work out of Philly. Don't ask how I know him. Just tell him that "Freightyard" sent you and is calling in a favor.
> Call mom if you will.
I'll call her and tell her all about you flyin' around the city in your underwear, nabbin' bank robbers 'n' sech. In the meantime, they got this new invention, called a "cellar" phone or some such. Us backwoods hicks never seen 'em before, but I wager you could probably get one there in the big city an' do your own callin'! *eyeroll* (Yeah, we even hear interweb slang out here in the woods sometimes!)
>That's me though, right?
You're a pistol, Boy, no doubt about it. I expect you to tread lightly at first. More'n one would be hero's ended up in a morgue cause he bit off more'n he could chew.
You watch after yourself out there, "Grav", and I'll see that someone watches after your mom.
"Uncle" Jim
((Should I respond to your first one? Should I be a different guy or the same one? I just don't want this the only conversation thing =) ))
(( Reply to mine, or "send" an update on Grav. I'm easy. I figure that with something like this, that people will be inspired to play as you go along. In essence, it's a cooperative story, where two or more people are each providing their own perspective of the events. ))
((Feel free to reply who ever wants to, would be interesting to see what pops up))
To: Roger Freefall, N. Dublin Faerie Mound, Dublin, Ireland
Roger,
Things have been great so far over here, although I will admit I have a confession to make...
I'm no longer a hero in the sense that the family would be proud of. You see, I started out in Paragon City just like everyone else, wide-eyed and ready to do good for the world. What no one ever told me was those guys in red and white you occasionally see on the news? They're not villains off doing dastardly deeds like that one news station claims. They're Longbow agents on the side of the good guys. Wish someone had told me that before I went and beat several into a bloody pulp. Would've made things much easier. Let me tell you what happened...
I was headed down to a seedier section of Atlas Park, minding my own business when I came across 3 men in red-and-white tights beating down two helpless citizens. So in a roar that would have made Grandad Oberon proud, I shouted, "Halt, foul villain!" and jumped into the fray with fists swinging and sonic shrieks flying. Oh you woulda been proud to see me fight! All those horrible years of voice lessons finally paid off.
When all was said and done, both the men in red and white and the teens they had been attacking were unconscious on the ground around me. As the news cameras started recording, I put my best smile on and turned to face the nice reporter, who shrank back in fear. "So, Sonata, can you tell me why you trounced your companion crime fighters, the Longbow, so soundly?" Oops. I'll spare you the details, but needless to say, the interview went downhill from there, ending in a speedy but fair trail and a one way ticket to the Zig. (Note to self: Don't tick off those in power by stupid mistakes)
I'd been in there only a few weeks trying to keep my wings intact (those doorways are tiny!) when some group named Arachnos very nicely opened my cell for me and escorted me out of the prison via a large smoking hole in the wall. After rescuing one of their soldiers from those dratted Longbow (again! Do they follow me everywhere? I'm beginning to think so; it's really starting to get on my nerves.) and leaving a "thank you for putting up with me" present behind, I was taken to my new home on Mercy Island. Sure, it's been called "The City of Villains," But it's not really as bad as I thought it would be.
Granted, Kalinda's a bit on the creepy side...like your mom Morrigan-creepy, not the I'm-going-to-whistle-Dixie-while-stabbing-you kind of creepy...and Recluse has a massive Napoleon complex, while his four Council members remind me more of our cousin Puck's personality shifts...it's not all that bad.
Other than that, not much has been going on lately; went back in time to the early Roman days and said hi to Grandmother (and kicked a little butt on those Romans. A bunch of men in metal skirts...ew!), danced a jig on Recluse's prone body in the future, and met some absolutely crazy people here...crazy in the good sense, and yes that term is up with the times.
Well, gotta go. Those dratted Longbow seem to have found my apartment and are currently destroying my herb garden outside with their boots. Maybe I should hang a "Do Not Destroy" sign above it?
Hugs & Kisses from your demented magickal Eurotrash Cousin,
Treacherous Sonata
To: Angela Thomas(catlover@seattle_internet.org)
From: Roger Thomas(code_jockey@yahoo.com)
Date: 06/14/2004 02:25:32
Dear Angie;
I'm sitting here worrying about Michael, unable to sleep at 1AM thanks to the jet lag. At least if I was sleeping I wouldn't be wondering fruitlessly over and over what's happened to him.
I'm writing you from Michael's apartment. After I phoned from the Paragon City airport, I caught a taxi into town and booked a hotel room like I told you I would. It's probably a perfectly nice accomodation. My preoccupation with Michael's failure to respond to my letter or to any telephone calls made the place seem oppressive. I wanted to be anywhere else just then, doing anything other than visiting a strange city looking for my wayward cousin.
You know I like to walk around and explore when I'm on business trips. I've heard enough stories about the streets of Paragon that I judged it to be a bad idea at 11pm in this town. Instead, I hailed a cab, with the intention of finding a late-night movie or maybe a jazz-club that would be relatively quiet, yet filled with the comforting presence of fellow jazz-heads.
I'm not sure why I did it. When the cabbie asked "Where to?", I had reached into my pocket for my wallet. Instead of requesting some nearby entertainment, I pulled out the paper with Michael's address and handed it to the cabbie. Twenty minutes later, I was standing in front of Elm Court Apartments.
The apartment house looks to be an older building that was remodeled after the War. It looks like something from the sixties on the outside. The owners had upgraded it to appeal to the "hero community". Video surveillance. The latest Crey Home Security voice and hand-print recognition hardware. The works. Sadly for the residents, you still can't fight human nature. I had no trouble entering the building as some garishly dressed folks were leaving. One woman, whose hero uniform left very little to the imagination, even held the door for me and wished me a good evening. I made a note to razz Michael about his neighbors, assuming I actually saw him soon.
I found Michael's door and discovered why the residents were a bit lackluster about security. Instead of a key, the doors here use electronic combination locks. If you don't know the code, you can't open it. Likewise, the door turns out to be re-inforced with a metal core that's lightweight but strong as steel. (I'm quoting the rental materials I found in Michael's desk now.) Basically, once you got into the building, it would still take a small platoon to get into any particular apartment. I shudder to think what he must be paying for this place.
There was no answer to my knock. I hadn't expected one. If Michael was home, I'd have been sleeping soundly in Seattle, your arms wrapped reassuringly around me, instead of standing in a hallway wondering what I should do next. Waking up the neighbors at midnight seemed like a bad idea; I suppose even superheros need their beauty sleep. I needed to make some sort of plan before someone noticed a strange person hanging about and started asking what the heck I was doing there.
I was saved embarassment by Michael's predictability. On impulse, I typed "Dumbledore" on the keypad. The lock clicked. I turned the knob and entered the apartment.
I won't bore you with the details of my search. I spent an hour going through the place. My letter was lying on a table. He'd read it, apparently. There's food in the cupboards for a week (I'm sure he meant to thank you for that!). Otherwise, I haven't found any clue as to what he did or how long he was here before he dropped off the face of the earth. The bed has been slept in, but not recently, I think. I'm going to do a more thorough search tomorrow, and question the manager. I'll also examine his PC to see if I can at least figure out the last time he used it. For now, I'm finally getting sleepy. Talking to you always helps when I'm stressed; even if you're not really here to listen, it seems.
I'm going to sleep here tonight; it's not like Michael is here to object! I'll call in the morning, or at least text you and let you know that I'm okay and how to reach me.
Sleep well, Darling, and don't worry. I'm sure that we'll get this figured out one way or another.
Love always,
Roger
To: Roger Freefall, N. Dublin Faerie Mound, Dublin, Ireland
Codename: "Seeker"
From: Undercover Agent, Location Unknown
Codename: "Penny Arcade"
Seeker:
Enclosed you will find my first report as per instructions. I have received assurances that this method of transmission is a safe one, as well as promises that you have been given the necessary encryption keys. I hope that this is true.
No offense to you, but I personally feel that this "psych evaluation" thing is a half-cooked idea at the very best. It's too dangerous, not necessarily for myself (I know what I am getting into, after all) but for whoever it is that they pair me with (lucky you.) I tried to explain that to the psych boys, but they insisted that I "needed a contact on the mainland" and this method would "help me keep perspective" etc. I think they are afraid that instead of pretending to be a super-villain and spying on them, I will actually become one. (Needless to say I am skeptical of this.) At least I agree with them that it is too dangerous to write to someone I actually know, but it still feels odd to write such a letter to a total stranger whom I have never met.
Speaking of which, I suppose I should introduce myself. (Does this thing have an "erase" function? Of course not.) My moniker is Penny Arcade. I can't tell you too much about myself (see? Already running into trouble with the "psych evaluation" letters... crazy psych guys!) but first and foremost, you should know that I am a volunteer. The rest of my background should be available to you in the profile that the Paragon City Police should have forwarded to you.
So, the good news (bad news?) is that I have safely arrived in jail. I had thought that they might include some sort of trial, for cover, but you'll note in the records that they didn't do so. Instead they put that I "plead guilty" to "information brokering" and classified the rest of the file. Fortunately I do enough with actual information brokering to pull that off believably.
Maximum security isn't as bad as I was anticipating: however, things are definitely not being run "by the book," to say the least. Apparantly there have been a number of "unexplained" inmate deaths that I strongly suspect are murders. Security is lax in some places and tight in others. The guards are running the place in sort of a "Christians and the Lions" fashion. Did you know we have an underground arena out here? I bet the politicians don't - or didn't before my report.
When I got here there was some question of where to put me, since I am "in" for super-villain "crimes" but don't actually have super-powers without the suit (which was confiscated, of course. I am told it is being smuggled somewhere so that I will have future access to it.)
Whoops, guards are coming - I have more to tell you but I will have to transmit a bit later. I will check in with you soon!
Penny Arcade
To: Roger Freefall, N. Dublin Faerie Mound, Dublin, Ireland
Codename: "Seeker"
From: Undercover Agent, Location Unknown
Codename: "Penny Arcade"
Seeker:
Sorry about the interruption there. It's more difficult than I anticipated to get used to the life of a spy - I am just thankful that the drop points seem to be working.
At any rate, one of my handlers mentioned your guy to me: I won't insert his name (bad news if the message got intercepted, you see.) If he has been incarcerated in the Zig somewhere, I will find him. I have the impression he is pretty tough, so I am sure he will do fine.
However, interesting things are afoot here. I have earned a reputation as the local village idiot for my insistence that the Rikti will return, which is useful in some ways, but an annoyance in others. Did I tell you I got sent to the Arena? I was scared to death without my suit. Luckily for me the matchup was against one of those big Crey robots, and not even a new one at that. It's double-tough to manage without the suit, but I do know how to deal with Crey robots. Plus I earned a little respect into the bargain, so that's OK, and I am using the experience as a cover to listen to stories about other inmates who have won matches and things. No news of your guy yet, but if he is here, I will find him.
Oh, I should also add here that there are rumors of an Arachnos breakout. Of course breakout rumors are always common in the Zig but this particular one seems to have some teeth to it. A few things have happened (malfunctioning door locks and so on) that lead me to believe larger things may be afoot.
At any rate, sorry I don't have more or better news yet. Your guy may not be in the Zig at all (though it seems logical given what I know of his history.) I will send updates as I can get them.
Thanks
PA
May 28, 2004
Seattle
Hey, Cuz!
Figured I'd drop you a line and see how you're settling into your new digs! Don't mind the jet lag. It'll help you get oriented for those angsty moonlight crime-stomping patrols! Ha ha!
Seriously, I envy you! Here I am, stuck in a cube every day and working my butt off for $20/hour while you're running around saving the world! (How many more exclamation points can I put into this letter??!!!)
Let me know if you need any money. Yeah, I know you're determined to make it on your own, but that's what family's for. Besides, Tony bet me twenty bucks that you'd be back home in a month. He's holding your old mechanic job open; that's how sure he is!
Don't be a stranger just because you're a big-time superhero now! (I can't believe I just wrote those words!) We expect to get weekly reports. Liam's writing a report about it for school, so you gotta do your part to make him look good!
Have you settled on a super-hero name yet? 20/20 did a whole piece about Paragon City the other day and they made a big deal about how there are so many new recruits answering "Statesman's Call" that they've been having fistfights about people stealing each other's names. Some of these new heroes even want the city to release the names of heroes who died fighting the Rikti so that they can be re-used! It boggles the mind! Can you imagine what people here would do if someone tried to take the name of Thunderbird and just forget everything he did for Seattle? People never cease to amaze me.
Then again, anybody who wants to put on a costume and fight crime is crazy anyway, am I right? Yeah, Cuz, that means YOU! Ha ha!
Angela says hello, and make sure you're eating right. Liam wants an autographed picture of Statesman. Ha ha! You're his buddy by now, aren't you? *grin*
Oh, and make sure you write your mom and dad. The "rebel for a cause" routine is all well and good, but they've got good reasons to be worried about this little phase of yours. Best way to win 'em over is to show 'em that you're taking care of yourself and learning the ropes instead of plowing head first into something that'll get you killed.
I've enclosed a $100 gift card to Super Mart. Think of it as a house-warming gift. Angela is worried that you won't buy any groceries. Me, I'm just worried you'll spend it all on beer!
All kidding aside, we worry about you, but you've always known what you were doing in the past, and I figure you haven't gone completely psycho yet. If you DO end up coming home, we aren't going to think any less of you for it. Heck, just leaving town to give it a try is more than I would ever do!
That's it for now. I expect to see your name on the news any day now because you saved the world from a criminal mastermind or something! At the least you've gotta give me some good stories to tell the gang down at the Unicorn on Friday nights.
Your ever-lovin' cousin,
Roger