>>18782564

Or, What do do with a [something] Javelin?

>Previous Threads:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Metahuman%20Renaissance%20Quest

PREVIOUSLY, ON METAHUMAN RENAISSANCE:
After getting back to campus, Dan met with the Evokers, who regretted to inform him they weren't soldiers, and they need to get out before they were pulled back in. Dan gave them his regards, and Dan spoke with Professor Blackstone, who had a job for him. Which was to plant several magic rods in an arrayed formation, which when finished would allow Blackstone to cancel out all basic summoning magic happening in the immediate vicinity of Campus. And then it was completed.

>>18782608

>Or, What do do with a [something] Javelin?

Should be "What do you do with a [something] Javelin?"

And since we left off without a set course, you are standing on the campus lawn, outside the Parapsychology building.

>Wat do?

rolled 2 = 2

>>18782631
Let's write a last will and testament, just in case. After all, we might die and then someone else saves the world as we fall. Let's not leave our friends and family hanging.

>>18782640

You decide, somewhat morbidly, to return to your room, and sit down to compose your last will and testament. Since this is your first time doing so, you're not exactly sure what to put in it, and how to phrase it, but you'll make do.

>Anything specific you want to put in the Will?

rolled 9 = 9

>>18782762
Oh you know. Write about how we love our parents, how we respect our step-mother, reconcile with anyone we need to. Ask to be cremated I suppose. Let's leave any money we have to...well, split it between Roxy and Johnny. They've been with us for a while now and they'll make good use of it. If there are any remains left ask to be cremated. Something about how we wish we had more time with Roxy. Divvy up our material possessions amongst everyone.

>>18782640
>>18782762
>>18782795
Oh god what. We're a college student, it's not like we have much in the way of assets to leave. And we won't be doing this right without a lawyer, and I don't really fancy phoning up Mom to ask how to write our will. Wills aren't really the sort of thing you do on a whim.

>>18782795

You write a little note, making sure to mention anyone you think you should. The results are a little corny, but you'll be dead before anyone reads this, so you don't care about that so much. You make sure your assets are split up fairly, then sign the document in place it in a handy envelope. Not that it matters a whole lot, you'd still need a lawyer to make it official. It's the thought that counts, though, right?

This process takes you about 10 minutes, all together, so it is now 6:40.

>What now?

OP, I've been trying to catch up lately, am already at thread 31 but.... I'll be honest with you, it has been hard. Hard and mindbogglingly boring. You might as well rename this to "Nothing Much Happens: The Quest". I mean, hell, how long do we have to deal with this stupid bullshit? Entire threads bogged down with inane shit, where nothing gets done instead of sitting around and talking. I understand that you cannot be blamed since it is mostly the players who bog down action by clinging or minor, offhand details like romance novels or start discussing theories without giving any input on the next course of action. In almost 15 threads, barely anything of note has happened. Sometimes you just have to force action.

And I cannot be the only one who doesn't like the way the quest is doing, you can see in the archives how the popularity has been dropping and by how less and less players participate.
At the start of the quest, we had free reign, we were pretty much free to do anything. We were planning on doing awesome shit, going on adventures, making plans on going to SPAAAACE, maybe beat small criminals and vigilante it up. But then we had a little fight this dramatic bitch and all slowly started to get to hell. To be frank, I hate Anne, and not in the sense "a good villain is the one you personally hate", no she is extremely boring, two-dimensional villain who we should have dealt with the first time we beat her. I really want that plotline to be dealt with. Shit, I don't even care for dramatic fight anymore, just pop her head with a gun and be over with this shit.

>>18783103
Quests are supposed to be mostly open and free.... at least at the beginning. But we've been stuck in this narrow plotline with little space to deviate for so fucking long now. I mean, ffs, we still haven't made that expedition to claim caches of Cedonian tech, something that we have been planning pretty much from thread one.
This Anne/RedStar thing has been dragging to long and I honestly think you've lost many players to that.

To be clear. I like exposition, I like character development. But everything must be done in moderation. We cannot have a quest where 90% of the game is a damn infodump and dialogue after dialogue.

>>18783103
>>18783118

I know that we are almost done with this plotline but please, in the future, do not let this get dragged out for so long. I understand that it was not your intention and that the players don't let things going by asking too many damn questions, but still...

Anyway, gonna try to catch up now. Just a little bit left.

Oh neat, I hadn't even noticed this thread until just now. Anyway, aside from ignoring this guy:
>>18783103
I don't have many ideas for things for Dan to do now. Take a walk? Take a nap? Hang out with Johnny and Roxy? We're pretty much as prepared as we can be and are now just waiting for Anna to tip her hand, if I'm not wrong.

>>18783237
I think that sort of post is indicative of what we can do at this point and how the quest has slowed down a lot.

>>18783118
>>18783103

Working on it. I will admit this part of the story has dragged on way longer than I planned. I never intended for this part to last this long. Part of it is me lacking the ability to just burn up time. As I've said before, I know why say, planefag over at SWQuest has the MC black out from injuries or general stuff so frequently. It burns up loads of time nobody cares about. And of course, I also have verisimilitude to worry about. I can't just say "Hey guys, shits going down, and now it is dramatically midnight, even though there's no way that stuff you did took two or three hours". Or can I? because I would love to do that. I've had the finale for this plot thread planned for what has to be close to a month now. I would like to get it over with, because I have much more fluid plans for the story later.

>>18783237

Well, last time, some people had expressed a desire to go visit Jeanne in the hospital, or check on Ashwood at the museum. And some going for chatting with Gespenst, but I don't recommend that.

If you guys really want to burn time until something dramatic happens, I can do that. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THAT I CAN DO.

>>18783299
I would be totally okay burning up some time in idle conversation with friends or taking a nap or eating a possibly-last-and-therefore-awesomely-overpriced meal at a nice restaurant or something.

>>18783299
Verisimilitude is always appreciated, but I think we've reached the point of diminishing returns right now. There really is nothing left for us to do but sit and wait for a pretinent event to reveal itself. If you think we're at a point where a timeskip is safe, then go for it. We could go see Jeanne and Ashwood, but that's really it.

>>18783338
>pertinent

>>18783103
>>18783118
>This Anne/RedStar thing has been dragging to long
Metahuman Renaissance Quest 26: Dan begins the final day
This day has taken 8 threads so far. That's 24% of the whole quest. I think 'dragging' is kind of an understatement.

>I understand that you cannot be blamed since it is mostly the players who bog down action by clinging or minor, offhand details like romance novels or start discussing theories without giving any input on the next course of action
We just don't really have anything left to do. We're prepared as we can be for the final showdown, and we can't exactly start going to space or anything with 5 hours to go. Omega gives us the occasional little hook like 'put out the anti-summoning ring' and then we go 'ok, let's do that' then he goes 'ok, you do that what now?' and still insists on keeping track of every little second in the final countdown.

>>18783299
> I can't just say "Hey guys, shits going down, and now it is dramatically midnight, even though there's no way that stuff you did took two or three hours". Or can I?
You totally can. It's this thing called pacing that happens in stories and it's why authors don't describe the main character brushing their teeth every morning. Presumably Anna has to start shit before midnight in order to be ready to do the ritual then so you just have to pass the next few hours. You can do that in a single post, it doesn't have to translate directly to real time.

>>18783361
Namek will explode in five minutes!

>>18783361
Then again, this is the climax to an entire plot arc, so I suppose things have to be expounded on in a smaller scale to build up to the showdown.

>>18783422
Haha, yeah ok. Timing has to be roughly believable. But if he hadn't said "ok that took 31 minutes and 20.6 seconds and it is now 15:32:54.624" after every update we could easily believe it's late evening now and Anna's started revving up the generator in preparation for midnight. We have done quite a few things today, nobody keeps track of timing that closely when reading.

booyah, thought this would pop up today, been lurking around for this.

>>18783361
I agree with everything here. Sometimes you should just say "and you spend the next four hours talking to those guys, then something dramatic happens"

Vote timeskip until something happens, spend our time with roxy and johnny in the mean time.

>>18783460
Ok I'm being unfair here; he didn't quite do that. People kept asking what time it was which is understandable given the circumstances. Writing a quest is different to writing a book. But you can still fudge it a bit and do time skips and what have you.

>>18783014

With nothing much left to do but wait, you leave your dorm room, and head back to the workshop to check on Johnny and Roxane, where they show you the improvements and modifications they made to the Hammer. From there, you chat idly about a number of subjects, before everyone gets hungry, and you all go out for dinner, somewhere moderately class in the Campus district, but not so classy that you'd need reservations.

Afterword, you head back, and spend more time talking, just passing the hours. You ultimately decide to head back to your room to just sit and wait for it to get a little closer to time before you head on to figure out what's up with Anna and her plan. Hopefully dramatic stuff will just happen to you. Roxane excuses herself to head back to her dorm room to drop off her tools and things, and you and Johnny wait down in front of your dorm building to meet her, admiring the stars. They remind you of something tonight. A distant memory? A half-remembered dream?

Man, Roxane seems to be taking an inordinately long time. Just as you have this thought, your phone rings. Unknown number.

>Pick up the phone

>>18783626

Okay, I mean to there to be a question mark there.

But it doesn't matter because you guys will totally pick up that phone.

Right?

>>18783634
Right.

>>18783634
Nope. We go and rescue her before Anna gives us the demands. Somehow. Then she can't kill the hostage because she hasn't done the "do what I say or she gets it" bit. Another Flawless™ plan.

>>18783626
Unknown number? Probably Red star calling us to apologise and ask us to forget the whole thing. Maybe buy us apology-ice cream.
Answer it.

>>18783664
>>18783658
>>18783636

Something in the back of your mind warns you about this call, but you ignore it. It's just the phone, what harm can it do?

You answer the phone. "Hello?" "Daniel," says Anna's voice, cool and collected. She sounds better than she did when you last talked. "Anna..." You say evenly, and shoot Johnny a look. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" "I have something of yours Daniel." She says. Your stomach turns to ice. You try and keep it together though, and manage to keep your voice level. "What is that, Anna?" "You know what." She says flatly. "Just a little insurance. I want you to be there, at the end. No running, no hiding. Do that, and she'll be fine. Or at least as fine as any other human being will. If not, well, I don't like to make threats, but it wont be pleasant." You grit your teeth, and open your mouth, but Anna cuts you off. "No need for any of that heroic speech Daniel. Let's be professional about this. I have a job to do. It's not just me who wants you here, after all." The chill spreads from your stomach and into your blood. "He wants you to show to. And if you're not there when he rises? Well, again, it wont be pleasant." She hangs up.

You get a picture message on your phone, maybe half a minute later.

>>18783658
THIS GUY! Fucking called it right there, this guy.

>>18783848

It was pretty telegraphed.

>>18783864
Well, Anna now has her insurance that we'll show up. Not like we weren't gonna show anyway. Unfortunately, she didn't give us the courtesy of telling us where she is, which is pretty irresponsible of her, in hindsight. If you want to ensure someone shows up, you could at least offer directions.

>>18783834
>DO WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO DO ANYWAY OR YOUR GIRLFRIEND WILL DIE JUST LIKE SHE WOULD ANYWAY WHEN I DESTROY THE WORLD
Cool threat there, Anna. She didn't even tell us where we were supposed to go. I guess we have to study the picture for clues.

>>18783898
>>18783905
inefficientAnnamind

>>18783919
Unfortunately, "more sane" is still quite far from "sane".

>>18783898
>>18783905
Can we call her back for that?
"Hey, anna, You kinda forgot where I had to go. Mind telling me?"

>>18783834

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgZF4chvMpk&feature=related)

You open up the message, and get a shitty cell-phone picture of Roxy in a dark room, suspended by a heavy industrial chain over what looks like the top of the black-rock box. Moon and starlight streams in from somewhere, and Roxy looks like she has some duct tape around her hands and over her mouth, she also looks slightly unconscious. There's not much to tell from the picture, the room was deliberately darkened to minimize them. Why go out of her way to conceal it when she just threw the gauntlet? Because there's still some time before she starts, you reason to yourself, and she doesn't want you showing up early and ruining everything.

You turn back to Johnny. "How bad?" He asks. "Pretty bad." You admit. "Go get the Hammer running. We might want the sensor suite." You tell him. "What are you going to do?" He asks. "Not entirely sure. I need to think of what action is best to take." Ne nods at you, and dashes off.

>Immediate response?

>>18783905
>>18783898

>>18783950
You'd think we could *69 or something.

>>18783950
Second. It'll be funny. "You forgot to *69"

>>18783966
>>18783967
*69mind

>>18783964
So, Omega is planning a twist like always.
Not even going to try and predict it, that'd just ruin the fun.

We should tell the police about this. She didn't tell us we couldn't get anyone else involved, she just wants us there. So show up with as many allies as possible.

>>18783958
Shoot the photo to Blackstone (assuming he has a phone that has that function. See if he can recognize whatever room or building they're in.

>>18783980
>show up with as many allies as possible
This. Let's also call the evoker's club, tell them that you're looking for volunteers and are 100% okay with them if they don't want to volunteer. Call Ashwood, call everyone. Hell, the police can probably help us find her based on the fact that she called our cell. We have a lead.

>>18784001
The Evoker's Club already said they don't want anything to do with this since they'd get steamrolled. Jeanne in the hospital is proof of that. But yes, it's about time Gondor called for aid.

>>18783958
Look at the metadata and see if she left the GPS coordinates attached like an idiot.

>>18784001
The evoker's club just backed out from volunteering.

>>18783964
>>18783958
tactics roll. Relationship with roxy. Also johnny if roxy alone isn't enough to get 10 dice.

Reminder: Captain Skinner gave you a reverse red-phone number to call if you needed police assistance faster than regular 911.

>>18784025
>Look at the metadata and see if she left the GPS coordinates attached like an idiot.
If we can't do this, maybe Johnny can, being a journalist and all.
>>18784048
That is also an option. We could call Skinner. "She's got Roxanne. I've got a photo. Can you make anything of it?"

>>18784019
>>18784025
They said we should still contact them if we might actually need them. I'm 100% certain that Sunshine and Anya will decline, but I think there's some chance that Huan and/or Summanus will want in when the stakes are this high.

rolled 7 = 7

>>18783958
call Blackstone then police

>>18784048
I still say tactics roll first, we got nothing to lose on something like that.

>>18784087
>>18784068
>>18784019

You remember the message Skinner gave you with her emergency contact number. You pull up programmed number (Which is listed as "Red Phone"), and dial. She picks up instantly. "Sitrep, kid." "Anna has kidnapped Roxane. She called me, and sent me a picture on my phone as proof. I need police assistance as soon as humanly possible." She grunts into the phone. "Forward that image to this number. I'll get someone in tech to analyze it immediately, though the feds will want to but in for a Kidnapping. I'll try and cut the red tape." She sounds like she's about to continue when someone else on her side says "Captain!" in an urgent tone. "Hold on a sec, kid." She puts the phone down, but leaves it on, and you hear a hushed, rapid conversation on her end, with the words "museum", "fire" and "detectives" in it. "Fuck!" says the Captain, loud enough you can hear her clearly. "Dispatch all available units with the fire crews. Get my armor ready, I'll be on this one personally."

She picks the phone up. "Kid, Anna's at the museum. Just came in the fucking front door, and scared everyone out with a fire. Security guards are reporting fighting some spider monsters. Detectives Howard and Philips are there right now, talking with Ashwood about something, but they're clearly out numbered. I'm sending everyone in MRT I have over there, but you want to help, you need to get over there ASAP. She's making her move!" The call is disconnected. You need to cross a massive distance in a short time. There's only one one man to call.

(cont)

>>18784179

You quickly forward the picture anyway, as you sprint toward the Parapsychology building. Surprisingly, Blackstone stands ominous outside the door, black duster coat flowing in a surprisingly cool evening wind. Staff in hand, the Master Rod for the counter circle strapped to his back. He has a Colt .45 in a shoulder holster on also. The moon shines mostly full overhead, for now, but the Eclipse will start soon. He looks up at you as you run up. "I need to get to the Museum yesterday." You say, panting slightly. He nods. "I'd love to, but the portal is only safe when I go through. And I can't leave and maintain the barrier at the same time." You're about to say something, possibly something uncool, when someone speaks from behind you. "We have you covered, Professor." You wheel around, and see the Evoker's Club standing behind you, including Jeanne, who now has a sling on one arm. They smile up at you. "We might not be much for fighting," Says Jeanne, "But we still have some talent. We'll keep your array running while you go Professor." He nods at them, and tosses the master rod from his back, which Jeanne catches in her good hand, and plants firmly on the ground.

>Anything dramatic you want to say to them before you go?

>>18784323
"Thanks, guys. I mean it. I'll try not to die. No promises, though."

>>18784323
Beckons? Rhohan?

"I'm gonna owe too many favors by the time I'm done. Sheesh, you guys."

>>18784323
For once, I don't think we should suave it up. Let's be sincere.

"Thanks. Without you guys, I might not be able to get to Anna in time. I owe all of you. If I make it, make sure to take me up on a favour, alright?

>>18784439
>>18784432
>>18784342

"Thanks guys," You say, honestly, and gratefully. "I owe you all for this. Don't forget to take me up on it later." You respond earnestly. They all nod at you, and each of them places a hand on the master rod, which resumes glowing brightly when before it was flickering. The static buzz on the edge of your magical perception is much stronger now. You turn back around to find Blackstone having already opened up a way. He gestures for you to go first. You cock an eyebrow. "I thought you said-" "I do have to go through. I just don't have to go first." He smirks a little. "I don't want to be stuck in front of you as you go barging in." You nod, and then rush through the gap in space and time.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuaX0Fq_Ork&feature=related)

After that blistering half second of silence and cold, you emerge into a much warmer summer night. The smell of smoke fills the air. You open your eyes to find yourself standing at the top of the History Museum's steps. Smoke pours lazily out of several of the front windows. You rush forward into the lobby, where fire suppression systems are still going. You hear helicopters and fire engines in the distance. Looking around you notice something odd. All the fire remnants on the left side of the lobby and corridor is red-orange, and all the fire on the right side is blue white. You spot a security guard as you sweep your eyes over the room, who is curled up on the floor, half of his body coated in some hard looking, white substance, like hardened glue.

>Plan of Action?

>>18784646
>themarkofmydeityshallscarthydna.jpg
Can we free that guard? Maybe he can explain things for us if he's lucid.

>>18784439

>I might not be able to get to Anna in time.
>be able to get to Anna in time
>in time

Clearly sir, you have no idea how cinematic time works.

rolled 10 = 10

barrier up , move to guard to find out whats going on.

>>18784703
If we hadn't teleported, I'm pretty sure the scenario would have been somewhat different.
Still 'in time', but it would probably have been a more difficult fight.

>>18784646
Throw up barrier, then tactics roll.
Use relationship with roxy, and if needed with Johnny. We're gonna save her and come back alive to see everyone else!

>>18784646
Barrier Up, Tactics, Psibolts out. In that order.
Advance towards the guard, but don't let our guard down. Anna might be expecting us to help him.

>>18784709
>>18784700
>>18784772
>>18784784

(2x8 on barrier)

Psychic force crystalizes around you as you rush up the guard. You quickly pull out your knife and slash the stuff like a regular knife through yarn, then pry it off him, and toss the crust of white fiberous substance aside. The guard flops over on his back, and his breathing changes. He opens one eye and looks up at you. "Wha?" He articulates. "I'm here to help. What happened here?" You say, trying to be gentle.

"Girl... girl in red. Brought fire. Then, then the spiders. Great white spiders! With hands and faces!" He says, breathlessly. Or at least, you think that's what he says. Half of his face seems numb, like after a visit from the dentist. You suspect the white stuff has a paralytic effect. Blackstone enters the room and whistles, as you stop for a second to consider it.

(3x1 on Tactics)

This place isn't exactly the best place for an ambush. Anywhere that's hidden by smoke is also, y'know, filled with smoke. You don't detect anything living in the immediate vicinity, but the fire does feel off, somehow. You look back to the guard, and notice he still has his gun in his holster. Looks like a Glock.

>Take the gun?

>>18784833
Leave the gun. He needs to protect himself, and we're more than capable of defending ourselves. Does the fire set off our magic Spidey sense?

>>18784833
Ask him if we can borrow his side arm.
Then carefully reach down and towards it, trying not to startle him.

Keep alert for the fire coming alive and trying to eat us.

>>18784833
we're off better with our psibolts, and I don't think we have much experience with a handgun anyway.

>>18784899

You're as good with a gun as you are with your knife.

>>18784899
>>18784866
>>18784862

That fire irritates your senses, but you can't but your finger on it. You look back down at the guard, and nod in the direction of his gun. "Can you still use that okay, buddy?" He shakes his head slightly. "Then I'm going to borrow it for a minute." You reach down slowly for the holster. He nods is assent, and you unsnap the holster and pull out the pistol, chamber a round, and tuck it into a jacket pocket for a second. You're about to try and pull the guard back, out of immediate harm, when your ears are assaulted by the sound of a rocket in motion, mixed with the strangest song you've ever heard. Your senses flare with something approaching to your right, and the band encircling your upper arm flares red. You tuck your arms under the security guard and jump back with all your might, and just in time, as a ball of blue-white fire the size of your head screams through the air, leaving a trail of fire behind it as it passes, moving just where you were standing. As you rise to your feet, another ball screams from the other direction, this one red orange. Blackstone mutters something, and a swirl of wind fills the room, pushing aside all the smoke, and causing the two balls of flame to wobble in the air for a second.

>>18785066
Why is our band red? Did we turn down a challenge or destroy some knowledge?
Anyway, worry about that later.
The two colours are coming from different directions, so Anna either has help or a doppelganger. Or is teleporting to fuck with us.

Either way, return fire towards one of them?

>>18785094

The balls of fire are head sized. A person could not be in them.

And no, that's a warning sign. Spirits looking out for you, they've done it before.

>>18785094
It's probably the band of courage flaring, saying "Shit's about to go down right now, get set!"

>>18785111
Okay, glad to know.
And to clarify, I meant towards the apparent source of the flames.

>>18785124

Well, Anna is the source, but the flames don't act like somebody's magically shooting flames. They're balls of fire flying around, lighting stuff on fire.

>>18785155
Like Podoboos from Mario.
See if we can't use a Psibolt to friction the balls into pieces by ripping them apart.

>>18785155
>>18785155
If she has a homing weapon, staying where we are is not a good plan. Also, it might get the guard killed.
So lets move out from here. Don't split up with Blackstone though.

>>18785200
>>18785094

(2x2, 2x7 and 2x8 on Double Psibolt)

You wheel the guard around behind you, and summon up two Psibolts and let the little blighters have it. Then the little balls swivel in the air, and dodge harmlessly out of the way of your attacks, which sail on to crack some artistic masonry in the upper reaches of this area. You wince. Then quickly raise your arms over your face as the red ball swivels around to face you, gets brighter, and lets out a snarl, which sounds like a sparkler burning. The air temperature around you shoots up, and fire smacks off your barrier. Unfortunately, the the smoke doesn't, and you have to cough and close your eyes for a second. While doing so, the blue one tries to burn you to ash, but is met by a barrier conjured in the air by Blackstone. He gets ready to make a move his own, when you hear someone shout something in the distance.

(cont)

>>18785462

"Abra...cadabra!" Says a woman's voice off in the distance. A shower of icicles shoots through the air at the two balls of flame, which dance out of the way in a spiral pattern. A woman steps out of the smoke, and puts her top hat back on her head. She's dressed in a long dress coat, which is open revealing a black bow-tie, a corset which you recognize as being made from bulletproof material. She's also wearing long transluscent leggings over some bottom half of the outfit you can't quite make out. And surprisingly sensible combat boots. A black domino mask hides the details of her facial features, but not to well. There's a blue rose in her hair. She pulls out a black and white stage magician wand, and whips it into a mock salute and winks at you. "Stand back, citizens!" Then she whips the wand up and points it at the red-orange ball. "Alakazam!" A high-pressure jet of water shoots from the wand and penetrates through the fireball, which explodes into steam and sparks. The blue-white one lets out a shriek, and grows much brighter, and an aura of additional flames whirls around it. "Come get it, big guy!" The woman shouts, and jumps out a window into the street. The fire gives chase. "Was that?" You say. "Mhm." Says Blackstone. Well, now you can mark 'Meet Miss Mystery (II)' of your list of things to do before you die.

You hear very loud gunshots deeper in the museum.

>>18785476
Okay, hopefully she'll be back to help out.
Again, head further in. No sense waiting around here.
Drop the guard off as securely as possible.

>>18785476
>Miss Mystery (II)
Miss Mystery the Second?

>>18785667
The first one died.

>>18785476
Great, we have class-A(maybe) hero on our side.
No time to waste, go deeper into the museum.

About Roxxy. Do you think that Anna is trying to use her as a sacrifice? She is a metahuman after all.

>>18785756
Roxy is a metahuman in a more technical sense. She has a mental condition that made her a (benign) mad scientist supergenius.

>>18785779
But magic is weird, maybe even that counts as a boost somehow?

>>18785799
Magic is the most obvious, in this case. Super science, maybe.

>>18785756
>But, even with the theorized reduction given by the black rock box, a single human sacrifice will not cut it. Reading some notes, you do realize that mages are considered more potent sacrifices, but even then, Anna would have to subdue someone of Blackstone's caliber, which you think is unlikely. Willing sacrifices are also more potent, but since Anna lacks any allies, she'd have to be the one to do it, and as you've been told and observed, she's not suicidal.
She's technically a meta but she's not a mage. Maybe Anna's trying to make us sacrifice ourselves for Roxy or visa versa in order to get a willing sacrifice? I doubt it, but it's worth keeping in mind.

Aaaand I'm going to sleep.
Finally caught up with the whole quest too.

Thanks, Omega, for all it's worth, this is an awesome quest and you're an awesome dude for running it consistently.

>>18785523

You stick an arm under the security guard's armpits again, and hoist him up, and help him along to the guard booth, and sit him in it. He'll be relatively safe there. As you do this, you notice the fire seems to be dying down a lot quicker, and fire suppression systems suddenly more effective. Outside, you can hear fire engines and other vehicles pulling onto this street.

You and blackstone move on into the next area of the museum, A cafe area with benches, and some not so valauble objects on display for people to admire while they eat lunch at the museum. Main exhibit rooms are beyond it. Almost instantly a spider the relative size of a pony leaps from somewhere at you. You use spider in a loose sense of the word too, since, instead of a spidery face, atop its terrifying mandibles is a white, mask-like human face, with pure black eyes. And each of its eight limbs ends in five digited hands. "Eid!" It shows as it leaps for you. Blackstone steps up and raises his staff in his left hand. Silvery-white light flares in the runes and sigils carved into it, and the spider collides with an unseen force midair, stopping short as waves of silver light radiate from the contact point. Blackstone whips up his .45 and puts two shots in the underside of its face region. "Kca!" it cries and falls backward limply, before crumbling into dust and into nothing shortly there after. "Jacketed Hollow-Points." Says Blackstone, when you look at him. But no time to discuss that, as another half a dozen web-weavers crowd around you in a semi-circle, blocking your advanced. "Nimrev eid!" they cry in unison.

>How do you deal with this threat?

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=xMFsH-KFwDY)

>>18785756

>Great, we have class-A(maybe) hero on our side.

Si, Miss Mystery is one of the US Government sponsored heroes. Normally she works on the West Coast, but goes all over the US to handle magic stuff. She fights using a combination of actual spells, and sleight of hand and stage magic tricks. You be surprised how far the latter and a good right cross will get you.

>>18785681

Retired, actually, but close.

>>18785891

Doing my best. Remember I do it as much for my adoring fans as I do for my own edification, if not more.

>>18785936
>>18785936
The same way we deal with every threat. Psi bolt it.

rolled 10 = 10

>>18785936
necromancy bolts ? death bolt? immiquiz?

>>18786011

Can't you guys have a little originality?

I mean, you haven't used your magic to set something on fire yet.

>>18785936
>Spider-people
I'll be in my bunk. You guys can handle this, right?

>>18786035
The whole fucking building is already on fire.

>>18786056

>I'll be in my bunk

Terrifying Mythos spiders with human faces in their head and legs that end in hands.

Just saying.

>>18786035
Psi Bolt Brawling is pretty much our thing.

But to add to that, gusts of wind. We don't want them getting too close to us.

>>18786077
Oh you are going for the Atlach-Nachta reference here?

>>18786091

I have a pair of Detectives in this quest who's last names are Howard and Philips.

The answer to your question should be obvious.

>>18786035
What's the full extent of our magic, really? We've only ever extensively used it for scrying and enchanting and minor geomancy.

>>18786121
Oh I got that one. In genereal though, the Red Star hasn't been very Mythos yet, for an outsider.
I expect that to change now that we've got Spiders from Leng showing up.

Anyway, some air or earth evocation to knock the spiders away from us, and then shoot/blast them while they're disoriented.

>>18786155
Anything from Avatar, basically.

>>18786155

It has Attacks, Defends and Useful.

It has a maximum effective Range of 80 yards, and can affect 400 lbs of Mass.

You can use Evocation to affect the four classical elements. Other than that, the limit is your imagination.

>>18786198
Then yeah, let's get some heavy Fire Evocation to deter these oversized arachnids. Like, waving a giant torch or something.

>>18786198
Quick question, what offensive capabilities does our necromancy have, and what range does it have? I assume from how we've used it so far is that we can only use it to manipulate life force and that we can only use it hand to hand. If this is the case would slapping someone with a spell designed to convert a chunk of the target's life force into an explosion is out of the question, huh?

Also, first time participant in this quest, long time reader. Came in at around thread 20-21 and then stopped, caught up again in time to catch the quest live for once.

>>18786174
>>18786011
>>18786056
>>18786216

You point your fingers in the air and shout "Tlachinolli!" Fire shoots into the air and explodes outward, causing all the spider things to wheel back. And also to trigger the fire suppression systems in this room, spraying gouts of fire-retardant foam onto the floor in front of you. Blackstone whip his staff up in a lifting gesture, causing a pair of tables to flip up and land on one of the spiders with the force of a car crash, smashing it flat. You follow it up by blasting another one with a couple of psibolts. One of them sprays that sticky fiber stuff from its mouth, which is deeply terrifying in its own way. You and Blackstone shoulder roll in opposite directions. You summon wind around you, which deflects another burst of paralyzing silk. One of the spiders jumps at you, and you roll forward, under it, than jump and backflip back landing on top of it. You grab the side of its head with one hand, and drive a Psibolt assisted punch forward into the human like face. The creature grunts, and explodes into nothing. Blackstone empties his gun into one, then tosses his gun aside and takes staff in both hands and swings it in a vertical slashing motion. An arc of pure blackness, the blackness of space, lashes out, infinitely thin, and effortlessly bisects the spider, and leaves an almost invisible 30 ft line etched in the marble floor. The last spider charges you, and tries to punch you with one of its hand-legs. You catch the blow, and turn, and fucking judo throw the spider, flipping it onto its back. You jump back a pace and make a pulling motion at the ceiling. A block of stone separates from the ceiling, and drops on that spider like a safe on Wily Coyote.

>>18786448
>like a safe on Wile E. Coyote
lost it.

>>18786448
>counter-judo an oversized human-spider
Wow, we are legit badass.

>>18786328

You can use necromancy to cause harm to living creatures (It has Attacks), and also to disrupt undead. You can also create undead.

And technically, you can move Life Force at range too, its just you needed to touch everyone in the one healing you've done because you were drawing from multiple sources. If you want to just siphon life in normal combat (or the reverse) you can do it quite a ways away.

And no, you probably couldn't cause an explosion with it, but you could just try and snuff their life out with a thought. Dan doesn't really roll like that, most of the time though.

>>18786469

Dammit, I knew I wasn't spelling that right.

Y U NO DOUBLE-CHECK, ME

>>18786517
Can we bottle or store life force? When we're fighting inhuman monstrosities who wouldn't want a glass of cool refreshing spider-life?

>>18786077
>Terrifying
Subjective
>Mythos
That's usually bad.
>spiders with human faces
Hell yeah
>legs that end in hands
>8 hands
>bad
haha

>>18786602
...let's never bring this up again.

>>18786517
Damn.

RIP Necromantic Soul Bomb™, the world was not yet ready for you.

>>18786596

Well, you'd need something to store it in handy, which you don't have right this moment, but yes. Doing something like that in the future may be handy.

>>18786602

Yes, of course, the spiders are lovely moe monster girls. Not pony-sized bleach-white giant tarantulas with creepy expressionless faces mounted on top of your scheduled terrifying spider mandibles.

>>18786626
Plus, everyone we've ever encountered thinks necromancy, even for healing purposes, is unnatural and weird as shit.

>>18786716
>pony-sized bleach-white giant tarantulas with creepy expressionless faces mounted on top of your scheduled terrifying spider mandibles
Bleach-white is a bit unattractive. Where would they get that from? Tarantulas don't live in caves or anything. There are a couple of burrowing species but they still have to come up into the sun. I bet Cthulhu's mistreating the poor things.

>>18786732
But would Dan give in to peer pressure?
I think he's better than that?

>>18786448

You take a moment to admire your handiwork, but can't for too long, since the spiders dissipate. Before you can do too much celebrating though, doors on either side of the room burst in, and eight more spiders start crowding into the room. Blackstone slams his staff into the floor, and there's a bright flash, and the ground shakes. He looks over at you and says, over the sound of further gunfire in the next room, "Go on, Dan! I'll take out this trash." You nod at him and charge forward. You ready a pair of psibolts and rush for the next room. You touch one augmented fist to the double doors, which rupture open in a shower of splinters, and send the spider on the other side flying. You just keep going, dashing under him, and drive your right fist up in a strike at it, blasting it up and back where it vanishes in an instant. You stop to witness the scene before you. Detectives Howard and Philips stand in the center of this transition room, before the main display hall of the museum, taking cover behind some fallen over objects and displays.

(cont)

>>18787002

Detective Philips fires her side-arm into one spider, which falls over, but the gun clicks on its friend next to it. She drops the gun and draws her jian. In a swift motion, she slashes off two of its limbs, then draws back and drives the blade in a stab into its face, killing it instantly. Detective Howard is wielding two Dirty Harry-level magnums, one in each hand, blazing away at the spiders, not missing a shot. When his guns hit empty chambers, he flicks them open, dumps the brass, then tucks the pistols under his arms, draws out two speed loaders, slaps them in, flicks them away, and draws again. You notice a spider clinging to the ceiling, pull the Glock from its pocket, and shoot it three times. The 9mm FMJ doesn't seem to cause a whole lot of harm to the spider, but it does fall from the ceiling, where Howard catches it. With a boar spear from a nearby display.

>What do?

>>18787010
Duck into cover.
"Sorry I'm late. Skinner and the rest of 'em should show up soon. What's going on?"

>>18787010
>You notice a spider clinging to the ceiling, pull the Glock from its pocket, and shoot it three times.
I assume you mean "pull the glock from your pocket". Please don't say the spiders have guns. Or pockets.

>>18787084

I think I originally meant you pull the Glock [from the pocket in which you had put it]. But I can see now that that was unfortunately vague.

And no, the spiders don't have guns. Pockets...

I'm not so sure.

>>18787010
Fight our way over to the detectives and ask them what's up.

>>18787066
>>18787249

You dash over the relatively short distance, and hop into cover with the detectives, putting your back to a mannequin of Lincoln which must be filled with lead, since it is completely unharmed. Even his stovepipe hat remains firmly affixed. "Kept you waiting, huh?" You say. The detectives give you a welcoming nod, but don't say anything. Detective Philips picks her gun up off the floor, it might be a SIG but you're no expert, and reloads it. "Don't worry guys, back-up should be pulling up as we speak. What happened?" They relax a little, and Howard speaks. "We were meeting Ashwood, said he might have some leads on something Anna wanted. Then the Fire Alarms went off. We moved out here in time to see Anna go into that room," He jabs a thumb at the door to the "Interior Courtyard" a massive central display room that would be a courtyard under normal circumstances. You notice for the first time, glowing red sigils burning in the door. "We couldn't follow her after she warded that door. Then the spiders showed up." He finishes. "Fucking tons of them." Adds Philips. "Where's Ashwood?" You ask.

At that point, he makes an entrance.

>>18787274
No more spiders left around, right? We should go over and mess with the doors.

>>18787274

A trio of spiders burst in from the far room, backing up from something you can't quite see, but you can hear the familiar sound of Ashwood's High Frequency sword. The spiders scatter enough for you to see him wielding it in his off hand. He twitches the blade, taking out the front four legs on a spider, then he pulls a Webley revolver from a holster behind his back and as it falls onto its stumps, he puts a .455 slug into its head. He turns and dumps four rounds into the back joints of the spider to his right. It rears up like a horse and he get in under the guard and cuts it into two halves. He lets the gun drop, and it swings on a line attached to the grip to the holster, then he takes the katana in both hands and makes three quick slashes at the last spider, which falls down in twice as many pieces.

All in his fucking tweed.

>>18787398
Dude, fuck this guy. Why must he attempt to out-swag us everywhere he goes? We're sitting around in a Blue Lantern t-shirt while he's in a damn three-piece suit.

>>18787398
We should go and find out what's up. These guys seem to have this spider thing covered, we've got bigger Syrpents to fry.

>>18787483
>>18787433

You whistle, and Ashwood heads on over. He nods at you, and you return it. Then you turn to examine the door. You extend your hand, and your perception and feel... nothing. It's like the door doesn't exist. Or rather, that the universe stops at an area which also happens to contain the door. You try and touch it, but are stopped by an unseen force. "Well, that's just inconvenient." You say. "Hurry it up with the door, Fortesque." Says Ashwood, as he reloads his Webley. "We don't have much time." You know the Eclipse wont reach the complete phase for a while, even if it has started already, so he must be talking about something else. "This door isn't going anywhere." You say. "Give me the short version." "Dragon statue isn't just a statue. Checked its history, doesn't match up with other examples. Not sure what it is, but is more powerful than thought." You nod. "Then I need to get in there pronto." But how. Another half dozen spiders bust into the room, and the detectives start taking shots while their far away. You look around desparately for a way in. There is, a large window set into the wall, well above the door, and above climbing distance. You can't climb it normally... but you could use the displays and objects in this hall to make a flying jump to it. You'll just need someone to cover you from the spiders. But it can be done.

>Do you go through with it?

(This one's for you, parkouranon, where ever you are.)

>>18787608
Can we even see anything through the windows from where we are? I'm starting to wonder if Anna had the foresight to ward the door but not the windows.

"At last, the hour has come. None shall interfere with--"
*CRASH*
"..."
"I'd say something about God, closing a door and opening a window, but it seems excessive at this point, eh?"

>>18787648

Can't see through it, too high up. Well, you can see the giant glass dome over that section of the museum. But that's it.

The glass doesn't have glowing red symbols in it, though.

>>18787675
Then yeah, let's test Anna's foresight and bust through that window. Set up some props for a jump-off point if necessary and get a good running start. Use a Psibolt to bust the window as we approach just so we don't doink off the glass or cut ourselves on it as we crash through.

>>18787719
>>18787648

You back track the route you need, and quickly see how you can make it up into the window. You look back at the others and say "Quick, cover me", and you leave the cover of Honest Abe, running along the displays on one wall until you get to a point low enough to hop up on. Grabbing the boar spear from earlier, you drive it into a spider, and use it to vault up onto a glass case. The glass cracks, but doesn't break. You spin around and spring along down the display, jump a short gap to another, slightly higher one. Then you take a quick leap and spring of the shoulders of George Washington (seated on his horse) push off a large totem pole, and end up heading in a direction generally described as the window. You cross your arms and smash through the glass, like a boss, and roll as you fall, landing down on one knee in the circular "inside" courtyard.

(cont)

>>18787825

Anna is kneeling on the far-side of the courtyard, and you notice a giant pentacle inscribed in red, possibly paint, bridging the distance between you two. She's holding an obsidian knife in one hand. She's too surprised to do anything right away, and you get to your feet first, but she's not far behind. She whips a coin out of a pocket with her left hand, and holds it between two fingers and aims it at you, and forms something in backwards Arabic. Symbols in equations spiral through the air for a second, around her outstreched arm, and you dodge to the side instinctively, as a molten white streak closes the distance between her and you. The sound follows it half a heartbeat later, sounding like a combination of thunder and cloth tearing. Pain fills your torso, it feels like somebody punched you with a sledge hammer on the right side, and there's a smaller, sharper pain, like somebody slashed you with a box cutter. The marble statues behind you are reduced to powder in an instant, along with a circular chunk of the wall behind that. You land on your side, and notice some slivers of your diamondoid armor lying on the ground where you were struck. Anna grasps her arm with the other, as steam rises up from her skin.

(Dan takes two shock to the chest)

(cont)

>>18787912

"Not fast enough for this one, Dan!" Says Anna, through gritted teeth. She takes her knife, sweeps it over her palm, and says "From blood you were born, and by blood you return!" And presses her palm to the lip of the circle. It is only at this point that you realize that the dragon statue is in the exact center of the circle.

Lightning courses from various points in the array, which glows luminous red. You manage to get back up to one knee just as the bone gets a crack in the center of its forehead. Then a giant red eye opens up on its forehead, vertically. You think you know where Anna is getting the power to bridge worlds. The statue shifts, and shakes, and starts getting larger. Then a pillar of red lightning explodes out from it, shattering a great deal of the glass dome over head. When you can look again, it is now a full-size dragon, with blood red scales, and three eyes, the third being larger and glowing ominously red, and unnaturally protruding from its forehead. The dragon roars in a familiar voice, "I... EXIST!" It screeches, blowing out the remaining windows and the glass dome. It spreads its wings to a massive span. You get to your feet, as you understand what is going on here. Red has just summoned the Red Star's mind into the corpse of a long-dead dragon. And it is terrific.

It inspires terror.

METAHUMAN RENAISSANCE PART 34 END

Thank you ladies and gentlemen, you've been great tonight.

Next show is tomorrow, I hope to see you all here again.

>>18788054
"If the Red Star is a mighty dragon, then you can call me Saint Michael."

So, I'm going to go to sleep now.

As usual, Q&A is open until I fire up the next thread, but if you want your questions actually answered, either the thread needs to still be here, or they need to be pressing enough for me to address them at the beginning of the new one.

>>18788090
Mike's an Angel. The Slayer Saint was George.
Thanks for playing, though.

Now that we're no longer derailing the thread about it:
>Google "Atlach-Nacha"
>First result: "Atlach-Nacha is a visual novel by Alice Soft under the genres "romance and horror". It is named after Clark Ashton Smith's creation Atlach-Nacha, the spider-god from the Cthulhu Mythos."
>First result
>There are more references to Atlach-Nacha as porn on the internet than there are references to it as an eldritch horror
And THAT is how you make someone roll SAN.

>>18790699
>Atlach-Nacha
That sounds vaguely nahuatl.

>>18790699

New Thread
>>18794822