Where to begin? I was just a down on his LUCK gumshoe casting about for a few COINS to line my pockets with and maybe pay off a few outstanding markers. I certainly was no HERO OF THE CITY. I wasnt above taking a client for whatever GOLD or jewelry I could get in lieu of cash. Its a TOUGH world out there and a mans got to eat.
She came to me ostensibly to aid her in finding a FAMILY heirloom. Im still not sure what form of DEMONIC summoning called her forth from whatever DARK PIT she had been residing. All I know is that I wish that Id had the FORTITUDE to resist her CHARM. Some sort of POTION to provide me with the CLARITY of mind to not fall in love. As FORTUNE would have it, I did not.
Eventually, I found the heirloom. It was an AMULET of some ancient design. She demanded I turn it over to her. I would have, regardless of her intentions for its use, but I could not. Through some TRANSFERENCE of vital essences, it had become a part of me. When she realized that this was true, she changed her TACTICS. She did everything she could to HASTEN my conversion into her DARK SERVANT. I dont know how I managed to resist her. I guess through some hidden STRENGTH OF WILL.
However, it was a close contest and I barely had the STAMINA to go on after escaping her DARK EMBRACE. Sometimes though, after NIGHT FALL, I wonder if I did the right thing, Our emotions CONFUSE us when they run contrary to the black and white morality of our society. Could I have continued to DECIEVE myself and been happy in her LUSCIOUS yet TYRANNICAL allure? I suspect its a good thing I havent seen her since
.
Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.
Thank you everyone who competed! This contest is officially closed (well has been for 3 hours and 45 minutes, but I was not awake then 
).
I will do my VERY best to have the scoring done by Friday and will send out mystery prizes ASAP. If you win 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place, you will be given a choice of whether you would like the inf on red or blueside. Mystery prizes will be sent via email to your globals.
~*~Madame Pistacio~*~
Guardian of CHRYSALIS
Victory Limitless- /chanjoin "Victory Limitless"
P.E.R.C. First Chair- P.E.R.C. Site, Victory Over Hamidon
Guardian of CHRYSALIS
Victory Limitless- /chanjoin "Victory Limitless"
P.E.R.C. First Chair- P.E.R.C. Site, Victory Over Hamidon
Newest event- The Great Makeover
Quote:
*snerk*|
Originally Posted by The_Masque
|
Let's hope he doesn't have Super Jump or Fly for a travel power, or he may be scarring half of Paragon for life! (and I think the commando portion is more dangerous than the warhead, hehe)
You need to make this contest happen like a week later, MP. I was hard-pressed to work on mine much around finals and such. I still rather wonder if it's too sentimental or not, but it seems to work fairly well.
Guide: Tanking, Wall of Fire Style (Updated for I19!), and the Four Rules of Tanking
Story Arc: Belated Justice, #88003
Synopsis: Explore the fine line between justice and vengeance as you help a hero of Talos Island bring his friend's murderer to justice.
Grey Pilgrim: Fire/Fire Tanker (50), Victory
Yeah, I actually had a story that there was no way I could complete in time so I went with the lymeric.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Grey Pilgrim
*snerk*
Let's hope he doesn't have Super Jump or Fly for a travel power, or he may be scarring half of Paragon for life! (and I think the commando portion is more dangerous than the warhead, hehe) You need to make this contest happen like a week later, MP. I was hard-pressed to work on mine much around finals and such. I still rather wonder if it's too sentimental or not, but it seems to work fairly well. |
If I run this contest again, I will take that into consideration. My (grad) school was over, so I guess I assumed others were over hehe.
I am thinking I may do another writing thingy for Going Rogue. Look for it
~*~Madame Pistacio~*~
Guardian of CHRYSALIS
Victory Limitless- /chanjoin "Victory Limitless"
P.E.R.C. First Chair- P.E.R.C. Site, Victory Over Hamidon
Guardian of CHRYSALIS
Victory Limitless- /chanjoin "Victory Limitless"
P.E.R.C. First Chair- P.E.R.C. Site, Victory Over Hamidon
Newest event- The Great Makeover
Hey Masque, just a heads up, you probably want to stop using the wikia version of CoH in favor of the titan network one (which is located at http://www.paragonwiki.com). The reason I bring this up is due to a post by TonyV about it being infected by malware:
Quote:
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< snip > I discovered tonight that the Wikia City of Heroes wiki (please note: not the Paragon Wiki!) has been infected with malware. I discovered it when Google Chrome gave me a huge alert box saying that it was trying to load content from a known malware site. After digging around for a while on a sandboxed virtual machine, I discovered a hidden iframe that is being attached to the top ad banner that is, indeed, attempting to load malicious code. < snip > |
On a more related note, cool stories, everyone.
I sent out the mystery prizes (well all but two because I am waiting on a global name). But if anyone was curious what they were, I'll post. I forgot to write down exactly what all of the pvp IOs were, sorry!
(all crafted enhancements)
1. Glad Jav
2. Glad Net
3. Shieldwall Trip
4. Fury of the Glad trip
5. Enyzyme (Hamio)
6. Endoplasm (Hamio)
7. lotg +rech
8. Pancea trip
9. Jav Volley Trip
10. Grav Anchor (purple)
~*~Madame Pistacio~*~
Guardian of CHRYSALIS
Victory Limitless- /chanjoin "Victory Limitless"
P.E.R.C. First Chair- P.E.R.C. Site, Victory Over Hamidon
Guardian of CHRYSALIS
Victory Limitless- /chanjoin "Victory Limitless"
P.E.R.C. First Chair- P.E.R.C. Site, Victory Over Hamidon
Newest event- The Great Makeover
Quote:
I wouldn't worry about it, MP. You have to set a date sometime, and it's not ever going to be good for someone. I was joking. |
Originally Posted by MadamePistacio
If I run this contest again, I will take that into consideration. My (grad) school was over, so I guess I assumed others were over hehe.
I am thinking I may do another writing thingy for Going Rogue. Look for it |
You gave us plenty of heads up, too. I just didn't have an idea for a long time, and when I finally did, I was really busy and had a hard time writing it. A Going Rogue contest definitely sounds like fun, though!
And thanks for the mystery prizes! Good added benefit for the event!
Guide: Tanking, Wall of Fire Style (Updated for I19!), and the Four Rules of Tanking
Story Arc: Belated Justice, #88003
Synopsis: Explore the fine line between justice and vengeance as you help a hero of Talos Island bring his friend's murderer to justice.
Grey Pilgrim: Fire/Fire Tanker (50), Victory
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by MadamePistacio
I sent out the mystery prizes (well all but two because I am waiting on a global name). But if anyone was curious what they were, I'll post. I forgot to write down exactly what all of the pvp IOs were, sorry!
(all crafted enhancements) 1. Glad Jav 2. Glad Net 3. Shieldwall Trip 4. Fury of the Glad trip 5. Enyzyme (Hamio) 6. Endoplasm (Hamio) 7. lotg +rech 8. Pancea trip 9. Jav Volley Trip 10. Grav Anchor (purple) |
So who won what?
Glad you're the judge. These were good. (Yes, even the limerick.)
Current favs: Champ: Frau Schmeterling-22 MM 50s: NOTW-Blaster, Cat-Girl Commando-corr, Queen of the Dawn-PB, NOTW-Def, Peterbilt-Brute, IcedTNA-Tank, Archilies-scrap, Mann Eater-stalk, Redemptive Soul-toller, Mt Fuji of A-Team-Tank, Hot Stuff Vale-Dom
My MiniCity
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Peterbilt
So who won what?
Glad you're the judge. These were good. (Yes, even the limerick.) |
There are several judges and it takes time for them to read and evaluate the stories. I don't judge contests like this on my own server to avoid any possible cries of favoritism. I am however counting the # of words in each.
The mystery prizes were random draw, so everyone got at least one
MP
~*~Madame Pistacio~*~
Guardian of CHRYSALIS
Victory Limitless- /chanjoin "Victory Limitless"
P.E.R.C. First Chair- P.E.R.C. Site, Victory Over Hamidon
Guardian of CHRYSALIS
Victory Limitless- /chanjoin "Victory Limitless"
P.E.R.C. First Chair- P.E.R.C. Site, Victory Over Hamidon
Newest event- The Great Makeover
Quote:
According to Masque, his was a "lymeric." So perhaps his limerick had Lyme's Disease? |
Originally Posted by Peterbilt
So who won what?
Glad you're the judge. These were good. (Yes, even the limerick.) |
I wouldn't recommend handing out the names of the judges, MP. I'd hate to have to go after whoever didn't hand me first prize.
Hehe. After judging writing and speeches (besides being a teacher), I can affirm the difficulty of judging a contest. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes at all!
Guide: Tanking, Wall of Fire Style (Updated for I19!), and the Four Rules of Tanking
Story Arc: Belated Justice, #88003
Synopsis: Explore the fine line between justice and vengeance as you help a hero of Talos Island bring his friend's murderer to justice.
Grey Pilgrim: Fire/Fire Tanker (50), Victory
As promised, it's Friday! The judges had a REALLY hard time with this. All of the entries were excellent.
The Winners:
First Place: Where Have You BEEN?- Death Conqueror
Second Place: A Hero's Memory- Grey Pilgrim
Third Place: Day of Calamity- Zamuel
Two of the other entries were literally within 3 points of third place!
Just a little info on scoring/judging (probably tl;dr, I know lol):
The judging was based on a 50 point scale judging on creativity, flow, content/plot, character/character development, grammar/spelling, and style. Entrants were then given one point for each term they used up to 50 points. The maximum possible score was 100.
The judges were: 2 college friends who do not play City of Heroes, 2 friends who used to play but currently do not, and my mom. I wanted to use a diverse group to give the best scoring possible. I did not judge, nor did any current or former member of PERC. Entries were sent via email without the participants names attached.
Thank you very much to all who competed, I really enjoyed reading your entries. I will be in contact with people to get their preference of faction for the influence. (I am leaving for Las Vegas tonight so if you do not hear back from me in a few days, don't be alarmed!)
MP
~*~Madame Pistacio~*~
Guardian of CHRYSALIS
Victory Limitless- /chanjoin "Victory Limitless"
P.E.R.C. First Chair- P.E.R.C. Site, Victory Over Hamidon
Guardian of CHRYSALIS
Victory Limitless- /chanjoin "Victory Limitless"
P.E.R.C. First Chair- P.E.R.C. Site, Victory Over Hamidon
Newest event- The Great Makeover
Cool, thanks for the contest again, MP.
Congratulations, all, and thanks for submitting. It's always fun to see what everyone comes up with.
Guide: Tanking, Wall of Fire Style (Updated for I19!), and the Four Rules of Tanking
Story Arc: Belated Justice, #88003
Synopsis: Explore the fine line between justice and vengeance as you help a hero of Talos Island bring his friend's murderer to justice.
Grey Pilgrim: Fire/Fire Tanker (50), Victory
Gratz to the winners!
Gratz winners!!!
gratz to the winners!
Current favs: Champ: Frau Schmeterling-22 MM 50s: NOTW-Blaster, Cat-Girl Commando-corr, Queen of the Dawn-PB, NOTW-Def, Peterbilt-Brute, IcedTNA-Tank, Archilies-scrap, Mann Eater-stalk, Redemptive Soul-toller, Mt Fuji of A-Team-Tank, Hot Stuff Vale-Dom
My MiniCity
by Grey Pilgrim
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Jonas hated the smell of the hospital as well. The hospital stink was anesthetized and scrubbed, somehow reeking of death and not life.
But Jonas and his mind tried to avoid these things. He had spaced out in the car ride to the hospital, his mother and the rest of his family silent as well. He watched the passing houses and natural spaces with a keen eye, secretly admiring and wanting to be in the rampant new green growth. Then his mind had passed even further, imagination flashing heroics through his mind of superhumans and JUSTICE AVENGERS battling villains. PUNCHES and KNOCKOUT BLOWS were thrown, rubble hurled, bodies knocked back—the frenetic pace of COMBAT, JUMPING and running, ENERGY BLASTS thrown about.
His mind sketched this all out, revising and tantalizing. None of this showed on his face in the car, and indeed the other parts of the hospital, for he turned to it as often as he could. But not in that hospital room, where his family stood watching that warm corpse—for wasn’t that what it was—and knowing what was coming.
His mother and family seemed determined not to discuss it or anything, maintaining a STOIC façade, seeming INVULNERABLE to pain. Jonas had nowhere else to go, no one to speak to, so he had to ask himself: why hadn’t he spoken to his grandfather more?
True, even before the cancer had set in, the Parkinson’s and its palsied hands and speech had presented a barrier. And before that, he had been too young and intimidated by his grandfather’s VENERABLE presence. Yes, that was why he had not spoken to his grandfather. They had been real barriers, right? Right? Jonas frowned and looked at his mother.
His mother must have known grandfather. He could see it when he looked at her, for her face was at WAR, its WALL of stoicism collapsing to tears and struggling back to impassiveness. She had been the STEADFAST one dealing with all the difficulties his grandfather had presented over the years. Grandfather had said things he shouldn’t, chasing his other children away—no matter that it may have been the potent medicines or Parkinson’s talking, more than the man. Grandfather had also wasted needed savings by gambling—again, perhaps induced by the Parkinson’s or the medicine. Or perhaps it was a lashing out against being CONFINED to a deteriorating body, a hope for something to go right? However and whatever it was, his mother had dealt with it all. She must have known who grandfather was to do all that.
Despite her example, Jonas had stayed away as much as he could, and now he did not know who his grandfather was, and he wondered. He had heard that his grandfather had been in combat, had been in the Pacific against the Japanese. What could it have been like? What had his grandfather been like then? His mother had never said, nor his grandfather. And Jonas had never asked.
So he imagined how it must have been for his grandfather—and for himself. He mulled it over on the car ride home, and in the days waiting for the inevitable to come. His grandfather was one of the quiet ones, so he must have been VALOROUS, the LEADER and unbelievable fighter of his squad, like the quiet ones always were in the movies. They disappear in the night, SUREFOOTED, and return with the swords or heads of the ruffians, much to the awe and amazement of the young, new soldier or beautiful maiden—depending on what kind of movie Hollywood was aiming for it to be.
Yes, here’s how it must have been. His grandfather crept through the benighted jungles of Guadalcanal, Thompson submachine gun held at the ready. His face was blackened, and he moved with the STEALTH of a tiger—no rustling vegetation to reveal his presence, oh no. He saw a sentry, and another, before they saw him. He eliminated both by THROWING two KNIVES perfectly into their throats.
He came in behind the company as it prepared to attack his fellow Marines—probably that very night. They were so certain of success—if only they knew. He timed FLARES to detonate off to one side, and picked off two enemy soldiers with a quick BURST while the company was distracted. He moved stealthily to a new position and heard them shout, wondering where “they” were. He threw more knives—invisible in the dark—adding to the death toll and the panic.
Three men ran into the TRIP MINES he had planted, shouting as the explosions engulfed them. He shot several more with a HEAVY BURST from his Thompson, while the bright light of the explosions drew the eyes of the company elsewhere. He heard the Japanese words for “GHOST!” shouted by a panicked solider. He smiled grimly, but remained quiet—as always.
He continued to pick them off with ease, until they shouted for peace. TRIUMPHANT, he had them throw down their weapons and took them back to camp, the Marines cheering him on—for one man had left, yet he came back with fifteen prisoners. He marched them up to the SCARRED colonel who looked at him and asked, “How?” He shrugged.
Jonas thought so, anyway. He was still working on that part, uncertain of what his grandfather should say. He hadn’t heard him speak enough to know. He kept working on the details until his grandfather died—and after. It was in his mind as he reluctantly helped with the funeral arrangements. His mother reminded him, “This will be good for us and him, you’ll see.” But Jonas wasn’t so sure.
His mind dodged and escaped, teasing over the story strands of the one grandfather army in Guadalcanal he had created. But he stopped tinkering with it as he contemplated his grandfather’s urn—he was just ash and char now—and saw it interred in Fort Snelling National Cemetery. FREEZING RAIN was falling and impacting with too much force on the temporary pavilion over the proceedings. The reminders were everywhere, the small service before him, the long lines of neat white graves stretching beyond sight.
From there his family ate—it seemed strange to eat, but Jonas was hungry—then moved on to the church and talked of other things while they waited for the service to start. There were a lot of people Jonas did not know, and he daydreamed sporadically as he waited, though not much—he was faintly bothered that some of these people knew his grandfather better than he did.
His irritation lessened as the service started. People started to speak of who his grandfather was, what he had done. Jonas listened carefully, OBSERVANT as he had never been before. His grandfather had been with the medical corps in the Pacific. He was not a MEDIC, but he had driven a jeep, carrying the wounded back from the lines. And Jonas’s grandfather had received a commendation for risking his life, driving through heavy enemy fire to save the wounded.
Afterwards, his grandfather had started a family, had provided for them by driving a taxi, studying to be an accountant between driving customers. He had made a good life for them. Jonas been to his house, had been cared for by him. There had been an orchard on a tiered hill in the back, with juicy fruit to collect each fall. His grandfather had a daughter who had loved for Jonas as a mother should.
Jonas heard many things, some that he had known, some that he hadn’t. They mixed the good and the bad together and he saw his grandfather for who he was—a human. No UNSTOPPABLE demigod from myth or HERO fabrication of Hollywood.
When the service was over, he stood near his mother. She looked over at him and smiled. The smile felt right, despite all the other things they were feeling. “That was good, wasn’t it?”
He smiled back. “Better than good.”
Guide: Tanking, Wall of Fire Style (Updated for I19!), and the Four Rules of Tanking
Story Arc: Belated Justice, #88003
Synopsis: Explore the fine line between justice and vengeance as you help a hero of Talos Island bring his friend's murderer to justice.
Grey Pilgrim: Fire/Fire Tanker (50), Victory