OOC: New thread for Eric, GMed by JohnA1nut.  :)

OOC) You never did give me an equipment sheet for what you were starting out with, and I don't recall everything you picked up in the last world. You had a Katana sword, a bag of jewels and a urine moped. That I recall. What else did you have? And there's going to be a few things you're not expecting. Muhahahaha

The rock splits you in half. Then Magehammer waves his hammer and puts you back together. Then the rock jumps up and punches Magehammer in the face. He hits it with his hammer and reduces it to dust.

So you just fell off the cliff and impaled yourself on the rocks below. Waking up, you're back in your original clothes. Where were you when you died? Who knows? What you do find around you though is the gear that you had when you were at the airport. You find Magehammer's cloth bag with the black iron ring around it, the device to call him is still in your pocket. What else did you have at the airport? The vector to your other gear is off in That direction.

You are laying on cracked pavement underneath a freeway overpass. It looks like a rather rough 20th century neighborhood. There's a car sitting next to you that looks like it's been there for a while. Flat tires and broken glass. Stapled to a wall behind you is a propaganda poster reading "Be a Good Citizen. Five Minutes Minimum." and has a picture of someone being shot. Where you would expect to see graffiti though, you see multiple colored paintball hits. All different colors.

Two Posts

Almost forgot, you also have that bow and arrow set from the airport. That was with you at the airport.

What else do you have?

As I'm tired, I'll skip replying for now.  Try to get a long post back up next morning.

1. Wire framed glasses.
2. Metal snap shut wallet
3. Cards, driver's license, etc.
4. Three keys on fake carabiner ring
5. Clothes and shoes
6. Kindle
7. Jackknife
8. Bible
9. Half dozen other books
10. 'Sun' lamp on cord with bendy neck

Keeping a nervous eye out, I dart and look, and gather up my stuff, keeping low.  Then I...oh yeah, I pray for God's help in this new place.  Then I check to see if my weapons are ready enough by half-drawing the katana, checking the jackknife, and a pointon one of the arrows.

This is very, very weird.

Ok, try to stay out of sight, but if seen, act arrogant.  Predators go for the weak, think strong.

I start moving, looking to stay to cover, and to find high ground.

This is what you would have had in your pockets when you jumped in the river. Would you have your Kindle on you when you did that? The Katana sword and the rest would be back where you were staying with Samantha and Magehammer, and you've got that vector off That way.



So you check the knife and the arrows. Everything is in order.



It's about to get weirder.



I'm going to say that you're heading in the direction of the rest of your gear. Unless you object, that is. It's a few miles That way, which just happens to follow the main road you're on. You're underneath the overpass, laying in a vacant lot by the side of the road.

And you hear a paintball gun fire and a loud cursing from the shooter. You can't seem to identify the direction. But then somebody jumps up from behind the car and shoots you in the chest with a paintball gun.

(Doing Therapy)

"Ow!"  That stung, and it messed up my shirt.  I stand full upright at slightly over six foot, and snap out...
"What on Earth was that for?"

The shooter, a punk kid about 18 or 19 years old looks wide-eyed like he's just seen a ghost. Then he stammers "You're supposed to die when you get shot." And then turns and runs like a bat out of Hades.

*Blink*

Not going to be able to catch up with him, I realize after a moment when the thought of questioning him for info occurs to me.

Next plan?  Find a nearby place to hide.

Some facts occur to me.  1) Some guy I never met just tried to kill me.  This bothers me a LOT.  I did nothing to this guy, and yet....my emotions rocket from shame to guilt to a desire to hunt that guy down and cut his hands off.

2) He thought a paintball gun would kill me.  That tends to suggest the locals are significantly weaker than I am.

3)I'm in a society where killing random strangers is A-OK, or at least commonplace.  That's all kinds of bad.

GE26

If all you're doing is hiding, you're going to hide and wait and wait and wait. Nothing will happen, no cars will come by, no people will come by. You will just sit and hide until the sun sets.

So are you just hiding?

Yeah, I'm going to wait until sundown, and then start to slowly move out heading in the direction I had been, but even slower because of the dark, and because of increased caution.

I'm not sure what's going on here, but its odd for sure.

GE12

OOC) You might not remember this, but Samantha told you that she had already met you. She was 8 years old when she versed out. This could very well be her first world. You didn't like Super Samantha. How about helpless 8 year old Samantha? Let me know what you think.

The streetlights are on. It's actually fairly well lit. You don't see any shady bad guy types. But you're walking down the road. It's still a rundown, not so great neighborhood. Occasionally you pass by propaganda posters. "Be a Good Citizen. Pick up litter." The one you see most frequently though is the picture of someone being shot, with the caption "Be a Good Citizen. Five Minutes Minimum." You see that a lot. You walk for miles, you haven't found your gear yet though. But you do see a police patrol officer. A flatfoot. He's got the standard police toolbelt. Handcuffs, baton. But instead of a pistol, he has an expensive looking paintball gun. He waves friendly enough when he sees you. But when he sees the paintball stain on your shirt, he looks rather sad. In a thick Irish accent he says:

"Ah laddie, ya was murdered was ya? Did ya get a look at the fella what done ya in? And don't forget to be a Good Citizen and report that."

"Say I was not paying attention in class when the teachers went over that, in fact, I may have been sleeping, just how would I go about that?  And yes, I saw the fellow."

I try for my best gentle, accomodating humor.

OOC: Someone else would be better.

GE16



He huffs and says in his thick Irish accent "What? Did ya just fall off'n the banana boat laddie? You're supposed ta be a Good Citizen and report when ya get shot. Ya did die like you were supposed to, didn't ya laddie? All Good Citizens are required to die for at least five minutes when they get shot. Don't ya see the bloomin posters?"




OOC) Would you want to bring in anyone else at all? Every other time I've run this world, it was the first time the player met Super Samantha. I'm doing you a little bit differently. Would you another verser or not? I'm just trying to learn here. It wouldn't be Super Samantha. It would be a younger version who is eight years old. Would you prefer a male or female? Or no one at all? Remember Olivia King? The lady who owned that bow and arrow set you've got? She might show up...... Tell me what you want.

"Well, I pretty quickly sat down somewhere and stayed there most of the day."  I give him a small smile.  "And I'm reporting it to you as  you're the first authority figure I've seen.  I rather think I was in a bad part of town."

GE 8

The officer accepts your explanation and pulls out his pad and pen to take a report. He asks for a description. (Young, 18 or 19, blond male.) and he advises you not to wait next time. Saying:

"Not dying when you're shot and failing to report are both violations of the Good Citizen act. They're Punishable Offense."

And there's a very ominous tone to his voice there.

(Doing Therapy)

"Right. Well, I did, sort of, but yes, I take your point officer.  I will be more quick to the task."  I put up placating hands even as I wonder if I can get my sword out before he gets his nightstick out.

That is, if I have my sword.

OOC) Which would you rather have? An Order weapon or a Chaos weapon? And don't say it's up to me. I know it's up to me. The Second Lieutenant is asking the Sergeant Major for advice.

You don't have your sword. You have your bow. The officer keeps looking at it strangely but says nothing.

"Ya be on yer way laddie. I'll get this report in to HQ and we'll catch the murderer."

And he sends you on your way.

The scriff sense to the rest of your gear is ahead.

(Doing Therapy)

Order weapon, definitely.  In fact, probably one of my favorite weapons would be a quarterstaff.

"Thank you, officer."  I am relieved, and I turn to walk on, letting myself become composed, and then remembering to thank God.  I continue up the street, and after a few minutes remember I'm supposed to be on the watch for other 'murderers'.

Weird, weird, weird, I mutter to myself as I track down the scriff vector.  But at the same time, I kinda like it.  Its fascinating.

OOC) Your choices would be an Order hammer or a Chaos blade.



GE10
You're fine. No one else is out this late.




You find your gear in a small clearing in the woods. There's a bag full of gold, silver and gems that you got, the urine moped, your Katana that you brought from home. And whatever else you had. Give me the details of that. But you are most surprised to find among it a black iron Katana and black iron blacksmithing hammer.

The Katana is perfect for you. It's WOQ. Like it was made to fit your body. The hammerhead is round like a soup can. It looks like you could go around it with a micrometer and it would be within a thousandths of an inch all the way around. Both have ORDO IN CHAOS IN ORDINEM inscribed on the black iron. It seems Magehammer made them for you for when you decided to come back and learn to use them.

OOC) Like I said. It's an Order hammer and a Chaos blade.

(Doing Therapy)
This message was last edited by the player at 15:56, Thu 31 July 2014.

I load up my items, 'refuel' by scooter, and consider.  Evidently I'm some sort of quasi immortal being now, and have many lives instead of life now and life eternal, or being doctrinally correct, life eternal.

Hmmm, perhaps I should enquire into the state of the soul of the locals.

Survival?

Let's see what my gold or labor can bring tommorrow.  I'll rest here, and think, and pray (a bit), using my bag to lean up against (near up right), and compose my soul.  Manana at dawn will be a good time to see if I can purchase lodgings and food and water with a single piece of gold, keeping the rest hidden as noobs, which I now am tend to get robbed if they flash gold.

OOC) As far as I am concerned, Magehammer and Samantha explained versing to you. You have all of your OOC knowledge of it. Unless you feel like playing it like you don't know. But as far as I'm concerned, they told you everything you know OOC about versing. I think it's too hard to keep track of what you know and what you don't.



You did pass a couple of churches.



What about it?



GE20

So you find a place to sleep in the woods. And some hours later, you're woken by a thunderstorm. It's raining on your shelter. It's starting to leak a little.

(Doing Therapy)

OK to versing knowledge. Good point.

Churches, good.

Survival?  Just thinking of what I need to consider.

Wake up.  Grumble, grumble....try to do my best with my covering, and wait as patiently as I can in a sour frame of mind which gets occasionally interspersed by laughing at myself.

I'm tempted to sing 'rain, rain go away' but if it did that would be too freaky.

I mean, unless you Want to play it like they didn't tell you anything. Up to you. I'm just saying. I'd be cool with it either way.



Yeah, Referee wants to explore the religion of this kind of world.



Something I'd like you to answer. Why does no one like Magehammer? Krillis was the only player who ran well with him. Of course, he had the sack to physically attack Magehammer after he played a prank on Krillis. Anyone reading? Reply on the OOC thread if you would like. I'm serious. A teacher, trainer, who is willing to turn you into a Supercharacter. What's not to like? I want to learn how to run supercharacters. It's just my thing. Anyone tell me what I'm doing right or wrong?



GE 15

The rain continues for a maybe a half hour, then it stops. You get back to sleep. But you're still a bit groggy when you wake up. A large cup of coffee or a couple cans of Coke might be in order.

(Doing Therapy)

I can deal.  Although the thought of coffee...oh well.

I straighten up as best as I can, and head into the town looking for opportunities to buy food, or coffee, or lodging, or change gold to local currency, or newspapers.  Whatever comes first.

I try to be invisible, or at least non-descript, and not important.  My ideal would be 'he's big, too big to tangle with, but boring' and have people ignore me.

You have a black iron Katana and a black iron blacksmithing hammer. A Chaos blade and an Order hammer. I just wanted to make sure you were clear on that. Unfortunately you're like Ralph in The Greatest America Hero. Insanely powerful weapons and no instruction manual. Magehammer made them for you for when you came back to learn to use them.

Almost forgot. You've also got that 30-06 rifle that you found. That and 100 rounds of ammo.



GE21
Nowhere you see offers coffee. What kind of world is this? But you do see caffeinated soda for sale.



GE11
You pass by a couple of seedy looking pawn shoppes that say "We buy gold" There's your usual restaurants. McBurger, Dairy King, Burger Duke. There's hotels. Some of them rent rooms by the hour. You pass by a few trash cans that have newspapers in them. Pulling one out (probably yesterday's paper) you see the headline "Paintball violence on the rise." The story tells about how muggings and random shootings are growing more commonplace, and a call for stronger Paintball Control. And everywhere, you see the propaganda posters "Be a Good Citizen. Five minutes minimum." with the picture of someone being shot.

It strikes me that in a world where "Violent Crime" means getting shot with a paintball gun, the crime rates would be crazy high. Since no one is really getting hurt, there would be no conscience to the actions.



You pass by a couple of guys in leather biker jackets. You ever seen The Karate Kid? (The original) It's Johnny Lawrence and the Cobra Kai. When you pass by, one of them gives you a dirty look and says "Look at that freak." but they make no aggressive action towards you.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:17, Wed 06 Aug 2014.

I check the price on the soda, after wincing at the lack of coffee, and then multiply the soda price, in my head by five to get a guesstimate as to the cost of a meal.  Then I multiply that by three to get another guess as to the cost of a day's food.

Forex: Soda= $1, then meal = $5, then food for day = $15.

I think a bit and add a third to that total for $20.

I also check on the price of the hotel rooms (not by hour as that's going to give a strongly odd number of little use for my economic model), and the newspaper (if it has a price.  I can see it not having one, as being paid for by all subscribers or by a pure add supported system like local TV).

I spend about thirty minutes building my economic model of what I'm already calling World Three.

When Cobra Kai sneers at me, my fingers bunch up in fists momentarily, and then I deliberately relax them, and walk on, listening for the sound of footsteps coming up behind me.

I check if my economic model matches McBurger and Burger Duke.  Science requires experiments.

And once I think I have a handle on the economics, I go into a pawn shop with a single bit of gold in my hand, with the other stuff well tucked away.

GE15

Prices are a little bit better than you would expect. Like maybe $6 instead of $7 for a fast food meal. The hotel would be perhaps $35 instead of $45 a night. And it's in dollars. That cash you brought from home would probably be good here.


GE11

They pay no further attention to you. You were just a moment of entertainment to them. You do notice though that they're all carrying collapsible batons on their belts.



GE13
The pawn shoppe is small and quaint. It's run by a middle aged man who speaks with a Russian sounding accent. His name tag says Alex. Where you would normally see a collection of firearms, you see a collection of high end paintball guns. If you checked the gold section of the newspaper, you would see that gold was going for $1000 an ounce. Alex looks at your ounce gold bar, looks up some things in a computer, and says "I'll give you Seven-Fifty."

Worthy of note, the computer says "Manufactured by CarterTech Industries."

I smile to myself, pleased at the low prices and the relative accuracy of my model.

Hmmm, thugs have actual weapons while normal citizens carry paintball guns?  That could be a sign of a problem, like back Home where the bad guy's ran around packing and the good guy's had legal restrictions.

Umm, anarchotyranny, I think Jerry Pournelle, SF Grandmaster, called it.  Its the worst of Anarchy and Tyranny combined.  Of course, I could be overreacting, but I keep my eyes open for clues.

"Alex, I think we can make a deal." I offer my hand to shake, and give him the gold bar with the other hand.  It occurs to me I should have waited until I had cash in hand, but oh well, too late now.

CarterTech, not Apple, or Dell, or Microsoft, or even Linux?  Ok.

OOC) There's a Russian guy named Alex that runs a pawn shoppe near where I live. So that's who this guy is.

Alex hands you the cash. You notice that sitting next to the paintball guns in the display rack, there are also a number of the collapsible batons that the Cobra Kai were carrying. Alex has a paintball gun and a collapsible baton in holsters hanging from his pants belt. He asks if you're interested in purchasing either.

"We just got these paint sticks in last week."



Yup CarterTech. And it says "Scriff Inside" on the label with the CarterTech logo.

"Yes, I think so for both.  Plus I'm going to need some more ammo (for practise) and some large targets."

Make a mental note to check out CarterTech later.

GE14

Alex asks "You have a preference on color paint?"

But he hands you a paintball gun. The magazine hold 30 paintballs, a CO2 cylinder and a box of 500 paintballs. The batons might as well have been made by Nerf. They have paint canisters that go into them. The object is to paint the other person more than they paint you. There are rules of engagement to it. But it's a paint baton.

He doesn't sell targets.

Alex says "All dis come to one hunert dollars."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:05, Fri 08 Aug 2014.

"Blue." I said.  "Thanks." I hand over the money.

And then I head out for a good breakfast.

Define "Good Breakfast". McBurger, Burger Duke and Dairy King all serve the typical breakfasts you would expect from such fast food establishments. McBurger sells their famous Egg McBiscuit and Burger Duke has a variety of breakfast sandwiches. But no matter where you go, you should have a full belly for under $10.

As you're looking around, among the shoppes, you see a sign that says "Cobra Kai Baton Training Center." So there's somewhere to go to learn to use your baton. Any other places you'd like to go?

(Doing Therapy)
This message was last edited by the player at 16:31, Sat 09 Aug 2014.

Eggs, couple sausages, coffee with three creams (but that'snot available here), perhaps some jalopenos, some hash browns, or grits, a caffeinated soda, or a mint tea.

I look for a hotel that doesn't look seedy.

How does my clothing compare to the others?

GE12

McBurger has all of that. Except the coffee of course. When you ask about coffee, the clerk tells you that there's been a recent coffee shortage and they should have some in a day or two.



GE21

As I'm sure you know, there are many different kinds of seeds. There are small seeds and there are big seeds. You find a hotel with a small seed quotient. It's $35 a night.



GE18

You don't stand out too much.

(Doing Therapy)

If the hotel room has a TV, I need something to drink (iced tea, soda....?) and a pad of paper and a pen.  Then I start watching TV, flipping to different channels.....Analyzing.

I'm looking for quirks and basic data ('all people who wear orange hats are untrustworthy'), and ('lawnmowing is handled by robots'), and for more widespread models.

At one time in America, if a businessman appeared on a TV show,  you knew he was guilty of the crime being investigated.  That sort of analysis as well.

I'm not that good at the first, okay at the second,andpretty decent at the third.

I'll spend about four hours on this, then take a shower, and go get a meal.

You find a buddy cop show, Hutch and Starsky. It's what you expect, except cop and criminal alike carry paintball guns, and both cop and criminal surrender when shot. You find a sci fi movie. Darth Fader and Luke Starkiller fighting with Paint Sabers. These never ever go dry or run out of paint. They're viewed as the galaxy's most formidable paint weapon. Even the ship to ship fights are handled with a pseudo-scientific paint laser. First one to get half their ship painted returns to base. You find a war documentary about Hadolf Itler. He was a war criminal. Among his crimes, he would inject acid into the paintballs that his soldiers carried. A great many soldiers returned with pock marked scars as a result. The feeling you get is that this is viewed with the same horror and disdain that Hitler's crimes were viewed.

The TV and all of the electronics in the room are manufactured by CarterTech. You catch a commercial for CarterTech. A thin, balding man with spectacles comes on. His name is Edison Carter. He discovered the miraculous substance called "Scriff" that allows the electronics to operate much faster.

And then a news broadcast. CarterTech CEO Edison Carter denies rumors that his products are in any way linked to the spate of random disappearances which have been recorded. People allegedly disappearing without a trace after using CarterTech products. It's all completely unsubstantiated at this point. But some people are blaming the scriff substance.

Just a reminder, Magehammer and Samantha told you everything you know OOC about versing and scriff.

And the last thing you catch on TV before going out to eat. "Tonight at eleven. We will be broadcasting a live execution. A heinous criminal (name withheld) is going to be executed by 48 hours of stinging needles for the Punishable Offense of not complying to being shot. All Good Citizens are required to watch for at least one hour."

OOC) Starkiller was the original name they were going to give everyone's favorite Jedi trainee.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:05, Wed 27 Aug 2014.

Hutch's show was in a time of social despair and rising  crime.  I check it out for that feeling too.

After a bit, I'm starting to catch on, and starting to be aware that i got very lucky.  It seems a more civilized, if quirky place than home.

And then the mandatory viewing demand comes on, and I leap backward away from the TV, horrified.  Vomit is in my mouth, and I try to tell myself that its not my concern, its their society.  Besides...

And as to viewing it, uh uh, I'll just put it on, sound off, and read in the bathroom, that way I can say honestly it was on in my room.  Then rage grabs me, and I spin about the room, wanting to draw my blade and whack the bad to bits.

I don't.

Still, I make a fist and crack my knuckles in doing it.  A colder fury takes me, and I decide to either lie, or just tell the truth and dare them to do somethign about it.  I consider breaking the man out, but I don't know where he is, what the sitch is, and maybe he deserves it.

But then I finally decide that I will watch just a little bit.  Just to make sure its what I thought it was.  After all, this world has fooled me before.

And speaking of that, I'm going to have to research this Carter guy tommorrow.

OOC) Public, televised, torturous execution. That is how you enforce the "Go down to paintballs" law.



That show was before my time. But yeah, you got that.



So are you going out to eat or are you ordering food in or what? Either way, it's uneventful. (Unless you make it eventful.) You are told that the coffee should be in tomorrow. There was some problem with the main distribution.



So are you staying in the room and watching? You catch the beginning. The guy is strapped into a cage and raised up. Then his entire body is surrounded by sharp, thin, pointy needles. And then the needles go at him one at a time. In and retract. In and retract. Different spot every time. The commentator states that each needle injects something not unlike a bee's venom. So it's like being stung to death by killer bees. He's given stimulants to keep him awake and alert. Can't have the guy passing out and not enjoying every minute of it, now can we? (Those exact words are never said, but that's the feeling you get from it.) Every time a needle touches him, he screams. The screaming is broadcasted. It isn't very long before the guy is begging for mercy and trying to bargain with them. Shut up will ya? We've heard it all before. (Again, not expressly spoken, but that's the feeling of it.) And this is going to be broadcast live, nonstop on this channel and many others for the next 48 hours, or until the guy dies. Whichever comes first. But no one has ever died before the 48 hours were up. The last needle does that.

That's the punishment for not going down when shot with a paintball gun.



I would assume that at some point you go to sleep. You are awakened by a knock on your door. Answering it, Edison Carter is standing outside. He says "Hey there verser-ino. Mind if I come in?" And whether or not you mind, he just walks in like he owns the place. Do you know who Matt Frewer is? Edison Carter bears a striking resemblance to him. Carter fiddles with the watch that he's wearing, and suddenly you feel a scriff presence from him.

(Doing Therapy)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:46, Thu 28 Aug 2014.

I'll eat in.

I don't swear that often, but when I see the execution method, I indulge a little while quickly moving to turn the TV off. Then stomach upset, I'll sit on the side of my bed, slump over, and pray for a while.

"Max Headroom?!?" is the first incredulous words out of my mouth, and when he walks in, I glower at him to let him know he's broken the rules.  But then I relax because I'm not going to make more of it than that.

"Wow." I say. Its all I can think to say at the moment.

There's about a dozen restaurant menus to order from. Everything from pizza and tacos to Chinese takeout.



It said you were required to watch for an hour. Just a reminder is all.



He says "Ah yes, Max Headroom. You must be from one of the worlds where I made a living as an actor. I remeber that role fondly. So Verser-ino, do you have a name?"

And then he looks you dead in the eyes and says abruptly "How would you like to become wealthy beyond the dreams of Avarice?"

(Doing Therapy)

Stuffed potato with ham, sour cream, chives, butter, salt, pepper, and cheese with a side of green beans and squash along with a huge drink of watered down juice.

I know. I've decided to rebel.

"Um..." I think of my SCA name. "Call me Tadeusz."

When he asks me what I want I find myself saying, a bit to my shock, 'more like hunting down those responsible for torturing that man to death'.  I'm not sure I'd kill them, but...I'd definitely consider some form of vengeance.

My eyes are darker, my face stiller, and my voice low and slow and deadly.  A long time ago people used to see me coming, and get out of my way, even when I was happy.  I'm not happy now.  I'm not terribly angry eitther, its just something needs to be done, and i haven't yet decided what this is, or how drastic it should be.  So its time to investigate.  My lips curl into a small smile.

You get that. And this restaurant even has coffee.




"Okay Tadders.... So, how long have you been in The Verse?"

He's mispronouncing it deliberately and without concern.



"Ah that? Don't worry about that. That's a publicity stunt. Gotta keep the sheep in line. You should know that. That guy's fine. Probably a paid actor."

Up to you to believe him or not.

And he continues. "But speaking of keeping sheep in line...... That's what I'm all about. I need me a verser-ino compatriot for a little scheme I'm working on. These helpless morons..... They're so ripe for the picking. What do you say? You in?"



Carter either doesn't notice this or doesn't care.

(Doing Therapy)

I stare at him for a long ten second. Either he's immensely powerful or he's clueless.  He wouldn't need me if he's like MH, so.....

I smile more kindly or so it might seem.

"Tell me more." I purr.

 

Or both. Head of the largest electronics company in the world, remember? He just gets his power from money instead of the gods of Order and Chaos. But as far as being clueless, Carter has 2@4 Intelligence and 1@2 Intuition.



He repeats "So Tadders, how long have you been in The Verse?"

The feeling you get there is that if you're going to hang out with him, you better get used to being called Tadders.

But with effervescence, he continues. "Tadders, I was the top go to guy when it came to scriff tech back home. I made a whole heap of discoveries. The most remarkable discovery I made though was that scriff creates versers. Who knew? I was just working with it one day, and the containment field collapsed, and the next thing I knew I was on a different world. I'm sure by now you've heard the slanderous rumors that my products cause people to disappear. Well, Of Course They Do!!!! Those poor helpless saps are bouncing around The Verse now too. I don't know about you, but I hate being a verser. And as they say, misery loves company. But this world..... This world is unique. These people, these sheep. These..... Sheeple? They're so gullible. Look out the window. You see that big biker dude out there?" (And you look and you see him.) "If you shot him with a paintball gun, he would surrender without a fight. If you then walked up and punched him in the head, he'd be scared witless and give up anything to you. Probably give you his wife and kids too. Tell me, on what other world would a tough guy like that be so easy to take down? Couple suave verser boys like us, we could rule this world without breaking a sweat. I've got the money and the means. What I need are a few understanding folks like us versers. Folks that know what's really going on in the world. You ever wanted to rule the world? That's what I'm offering you here, verser-ino. The chance to rule the world with me. What do you say?"

"Well, it seems like a lifetime." I say, being evasive.  "Let's keep this on the downlow."  And I slide the lock bar home on the door.

"Want a drink?" I ask as I head across the room.  I pause, shocked at what I'm about to do, but then a sudden surge of sureness lifts me. I pause to pray.

"You're not just jerking my chain are you, Mr. Carter?" My voice is soft and quiet, and I'm very aware of where my sword is even though I'm not looking at it.

"Good. Precautions. Keep those Nosy Nellies outside where they belong. I can teleport us out of here if we need to." (taps his wristwatch)



"Yeah, ya got any Scotch? Or anything with alcohol in it? This calls for a celebration."



When he sees your sword, he says "Wow, is that black iron? Did Magehammer make that for you? That guy's a real douchebag, ain't he? Always insisting that I learn how to live off the land...... Let me tell you something. I have been to over two dozen worlds and I've never had to live off the land once. Magehammer don't know what he's talking about." And then he sighs and goes on. "I remember this one time he had me trapped inside a Bubble City for years. It was an experiment I was running that went wrong. Blasted everyone else off the planet. That douche Magehammer kept sticking his nose in muh bidness. Took me years to fix it with him around."

You may recall Magehammer kept saying that he felt another verser sense inside Bubble City that he couldn't identify and could never track down.

But then Carter goes on. "No, I ain't jerking your chain Tadders. These people need a ruler. And I need a good lieutenant. Are you in or out? The suspense is killing me."

(Doing Therapy)

Lunge. Run him through. Repeat attacking.

OOC) You're really killing him? Why? Really, explain that.

He just stands there whilst you draw your sword. You might as well be attacking a sandbag for all the resistance he's giving you. You think you hear him say "What's the meaning of....." But he disappears. There's a loud "POOF" as he goes. Air being displaced. But there's not a trace of him left. No blood splatter, no nothing. The most sophisticated forensics team in The Verse will find this room clean.

After that, you see that the sword is glowing with a strange white aura.

(Doing Therapy)

Phew. That worked.  I was so not sure that it would, or that I could muster the nerve to do it.  But it had to be done.  He was an elitist, probably a leftist considering he used the term 'sheeple', and a wannabee dictator unconstrained by morality.  He would have killed ....lots.  Tens of thousands, millions?

He would have broken the system of this world.  Granted, I sorta want to do that, but not in a let's throw it at a wall and smash the whole thing way.

And I had him, at his weakest.  If I tried to confront him in a more normal way, he would have all the advantages, and I'd probably be driven to do this anyway, but after much suffering.

Sigh.

It is good from a scientific point of view to see MH's and Samantha's stories validated.

I turn my mind to another thing after splashing water on my face.  My arms are shaking, so I put the sword down (before the water), and then I try to poke at the white aura to see what happens.

OOC) Before Oak told me the restrictions of this site, he used to be a violent sex criminal.




You might as well be poking at a piece of glow in the dark plastic. You get the impression though that the aura isn't really there, but that you're just seeing it. That no one else would see it.

Did MH ever teach you to blacksmith?

Hmm. I stare at the white light.  I ponder trying to mess with it, but then decide not too.  Some very bad possibilities exist.

I consider leaving, decide not too, consider watching Tv, but ewwww, and so I do some exercises, some prayer, take a shower, and try to go to bed.

To be clear, that's not on Every Single Channel, but it's on a lot of them. Do you think Carter might have been telling the truth when he said it was a publicity stunt?



GE24

So you go to bed. You are awakened by a knock on the door. Answering it, you find a uniformed police officer standing outside. Standard toolbelt, with paintball gun. He says "Excuse me Good Citizen. Hotel records indicate that you have not yet watched the full required hour of The Execution. The deadline is tonight at 11 pm. Noncompliance is a Punishable Offense."

At this point, he's just giving you a friendly reminder. And I'd like to remind you that not going down to a paintball gun is also a Punishable Offense. Look where committing a Punishable Offense got that poor sap.

I dither for a moment, but then I remember what I decided.  I'm not going along with these freaks.  Now, its just a question of the best way to handle my disagreement.

"That's interesting." I say. "Can you wait a second?"  I turn back, acting calm, and grab my sword, and try to get back to him so that I can menace him with my blade.

When he shoots me, I say 'owww, that stung, man." I don't fall over.

GE8

When you come back with the Katana and start threatening him, he does pull his paintball gun and shoots you. When you don't go down, he says "Good Citizen, noncompliance is a Punishable Offense. You're going to end up executed. I'll give you another chance." and shoots you again.

And I assume you still don't go down. He says "Good Citizen, one more chance." and shoots you a third time. And you still don't go down. He looks confused. But he closes the door. Through the door, you hear him call in on his radio. "I need backup assistance at the Starlight Hotel on Maple street." and you don't catch the rest.

If you do decide to go down to any of those three shots, we're retconned.

Before he shoots me a third time, I put the blade next to his neck.

"Do be quiet. You're annoying me."

GE17

He snaps to attention, holsters his gun and doesn't move or speak. He keeps eying your sword.

"Do you have a car, nearby?"

If he says, 'yes', then I'm going to see if we can get to it with a reasonable chance of not being spotted.  I will probably have to take the sword away from his neck, and hold it against my body, but remind him verbally that I still have it.

And if that works, we get into his car, with me as the passenger in front.  If he has a partner this is going to be more difficult.

Ask him if he has a partner.

GE20
No partner, but the car is parked two blocks away. He was doing a sweep of the hotel district and decided to flatfoot it.

Still taking him hostage?

Yes, indeed.  He's my way to the prison where they are torturing a man to death.

I chuckle to myself.

"Ever said to yourself, you might as well ride the wave of insanity, see where it takes you?" I asked the cop in a whimsical voice. "Fear not, if you're a good little cop, you get to survive the night."

GE12

The cop says desperately "Good Citizen, you don't understand. That's being broadcast all over the world. The prison where it's taking place is about 4 or 5 hours drive from here."

But he leads you to his car with your sword at his back. If you're still going, that is. You taking any other gear? You get a few strange looks, but no one tries to stop you.

And that's on a 12. Only a 3 would have put it anywhere near you.

Whatever I can grab with an off hand, and not risk losing control.

"I'm mot a Good Citizen.  I come from somewhere farther away than the stars.  Now get in the car, it looks like we have a long drive ahead of us."

As we drive off, I examine and re-examine a conclusion.  And I decide that its the right decision...I'm not getting taken alive by these freaks.

GE7
So you can grab 2 items of your choice.



GE15
So you get in and he starts driving. Whilst he's driving, he says "I should probably tell you my car is low-jacked. As soon as we leave my jurisdiction, they're going to want to know what's going on."

And it isn't long before he starts getting a call on his police radio wanting to know what he's doing.



OOC) I gotta tell you, this is NOT going in any way how I thought it would go.

Is the car gasoline powered?  If so, I have him pull over, open the gas tank, and stuff a towel into the tank.  Then I light it, and walk away with it toward the gas station we parked near too....there I have him steal a  car////

As we drive off I realize that I'm getting in deeper and deeper water, and I'm boxing myself into a corner at the same time.  The way things are going right now, I'm not likely to make it too the prison.

I look for an off ramp to lead to some sort of housing community.

OOC" Heh.

GE7

Well, you're not on the freeway. You park the police car by the side of the road. And low and behold, there's another car parked 20 feet away with the keys in the ignition. The driver got careless, you suppose. So you've got another vehicle immediately.

And my oh my isn't that a lovely fireball you see in the rear view mirror as you drive away.

Hopefully the fireball will help to make it harder to figure out what's going on.  They might think for a bit we were in it.

Clearly I'm not a criminal mastermind.  I find myself wishing J was here.  He'd be an excellent criminal mastermind.  Spent a whole summer being chased by vampires in that game that wanted to kill him, and he kept escaping.

And then I grin as I look back at the fireball.  One does have to enjoy the moment, and that is a rather nice ball of flame...

Look for another place to hide this car so they won't know where we shifted over, and steal a car that is not being used because its owner is sleeping, and won't miss it for a number of hours.

In reply to Tadeusz (msg # 67):

GE12

The cop of course knows how to break into and hot wire cars. The Law requires that it be a very dire emergency or have a warrant to do it without permission from the owner. He makes that clear to you. He's scared and babbling. This kind of thing Just Doesn't Happen here.

GE5
You find find yourself a car. Did you ever see The Transporter? It's a stick shift BMW 7 series with a 12 cylinder engine. Very fast and maneuverable. Goes around corners like it's glued to them.

Officer Bob says now it should only take 3 or 4 hours. He wants to get this over with quickly. He's scared.

(Doing Therapy)

Two Posts

Eric, let me set the stage. Officer Bob has so far been a compliant victim. He's scared. Within the world parameters, you taking three paintball hits would be like a rookie cop watching a T-800 take three 45 slugs. That's the feeling that you get. That's how he feels about it. Within the parameters of the world, that is.

He's got a police toolbelt. Handcuffs, paint baton, paintball gun, radio, and something not unlike pepper spray. This would be like getting Tabasco sauce in your eyes though. It's for the occasional guy that won't comply. Almost always works. But it's considered last resort. You know, how cops are supposed to view their guns?

Make sense?

(Doing Therapy)

Yes.

I note his fear.  Its not true as some simpletons say that violence always breeds violence, its more complicated than that.  But it is true that its generally a good idea not to back a guy into a corner and tell him he's going to die.

"Bob, chill. You'll drive us fast, which you're trained for. We'll get there, I'll tie you up and leave you somewhere where you'll be found in an hour or two.  You'll have a story to tell your grandkids, and who knows maybe even get a book publishing sale out of this...as long as you stay calm, and don't do anything wild."

I slowly reach over with my off hand for the pepper spray.  If he lets me take it, I either toss it in the back seat if that's possible, or put it in my pocket if not.

I'm going to try to be professional now.  I don't need to scare him further with whimsy or intimidation.  At the same time, I don't want to get too friendly with him as it might make him think he's safe and then he might do something.

OOC) When I was in Kindergarten, Officer Bob was a police officer who took us through Safety Town. Traffic safety laws and all of that. Then he arrested me for vandalism when I was in junior high. But you're with Officer Bob from Safety Town.

Just a reminder. To you Officer Bob has a paintball gun. To everyone else in the world, getting shot with it will put them down for at least 5 minutes. So it's not at all useless to you.

I told you that you grabbed two items. You never said what they were. Unless you object, I'd like to say you grabbed the 30-06 and 20 rounds of ammo, and one other item of your choosing. (What fun would this be if you didn't have a real gun?) The 30-06 sling holds 20 rounds. It's a bolt-action rifle. And, to these people, that's a superweapon.

So you get in the BMW. Officer Bob is driving. He's got the hammer down. You're passing people like they're standing still. Still babbling, he says "So what's this all about anyway? Why do you want to get there and save that guy? He's a criminal. He broke the law. Now he's getting his just and fair punishment."

Still babbling though, he says that, aside from seeing it on TV every now and then, he has never ever heard of someone not going down to a paintball gun. It Just Doesn't Happen. When he said that his pepper spray "Almost always works" he's never heard of a cop who actually had to use it, aside from TV. He says it "almost always works" because nothing always works. But, aside from TV, he's never heard of it being used At All. He's just fear babbling in the car whilst he's driving.

(Doing Therapy)

Edited to fix typo.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:58, Thu 04 Sept 2014.

I'll take that, and a knife as well.

I'll let Bob talk.  Only if he sounds like he's getting too hyper will I intervene.

"Y'know, Bob, I was pretty well going to let you folks alone with your barbaric death by torture routine.  Didn't like it, but I could see why you folks did it.  But then you had to drag me in on to your little party.  It wasn't enough that I let it slide, I had to actively consent to this."

My voice is raising toward the end, and bouncing off the interior walls of the car.  Each word is snapped out like a hammer blow.

"That I will not do."

Bob GE18

Officer Bob gets kind of indignant. He might be going through some kind of five stages of being taken hostage or something. But he says "Why don't you want to be a Good Citizen and obey The Law? The Law is all we have. It's what separates us from the animals. Without The Law, there's nothing. I must say, you have been a very Bad Citizen. And I have never said that of anyone. I cannot imagine a greater insult to give!!!"

Trip GE20

No obstacles. Bob still has the hammer down, no problems. But Bob does inform you that you're running low on gas and you're going to need to stop long before you get where you're going. He suggests pulling over at the next exit.

"Officer Bob, let me repeat myself. I...am....not...from...around....here.  I have not, nor ever was one of your 'Good Citizens'.  And I stand in judgement over your barbarous society."

I nod.

"Take us off at the next likely stop."  When he does, I'll keep my eyes open for any sign of trouble, like a cop getting coffee at the local Gas It.

Still indignant, he says "Well, you're still going to end up just like the guy you're trying to save."




So you get off the freeway. You find a little Mom and Pop gas station in the middle of nowhere. And you get out and you're pumping gas. And who should stroll up to you but Carter. Yeah, the guy you versed out. He walks up to you with his hands raised in surrender and keeping a respectful distance. He says "Hey there verser-ino."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:40, Sat 06 Sept 2014.

"How on Earth are you here?"

I'm examining the situation to see how successful my options for attacking are.

Carter keeps his hands up in surrender and keeps a respectful distance. He says "There's six of us. We're twins, or clones, or something. I'm not sure what. We all take turns being Edison. You versed out DaVinci Carter. I'm Einstein Carter. Then there's Tesla, Copernicus, Galileo and Edison. I'm not sure how many of us are left. It's rare for all six of us to be in the same world together. But Edison is the leader. If you get him, we all go. That's why he sends the underlings to do his dirty work. I'm what you might call The Good Twin. I try to stay out of trouble. I just wanted to tell you that Edison is tracking your scriff vector via satellite. How do you think we keep finding you? Edison is out to get you verser-ino. He doesn't like it when people verse out his brothers."

He seems sincere in giving you a warning here. Edison wants your head on a pike. That's all he's here to tell you. No threat, just a warning.

But then he says "Where are you going in such a rush? I can't believe you haven't been pulled over yet, the way you're going. I can teleport you wherever you're going right now." And he taps this insanely complex wristwatch he's wearing.

OOC) For some reason, players just love versing out Carter, so I had to find a way to resurrect him.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:09, Mon 08 Sept 2014.

OOC: Clever,

"How far are you willing to go to oppose your brotherr plans?

GE21

"Not far at all. Edison thinks I'm here to kill you. That's what he'll do to me if he finds out what I'm really up to. I'm willing to teleport you wherever you're going, and then I'm washing my hands of you. And you better never let on that I helped you, or, or....." And he lets it hang there.

I consider teleporting to orbit to take out a satellite, but thats a really stupid idea, I decide, and abandon it.

"Jump me to the roof of the prison." I say softly so Bob won't hear me.  When we get there, I wind up and smash Einstein on the cheekbone. "That'll make it look real.  Look, man, I owe you a favor, now skedaddle. And best of luck."

I give him an encouraging smile.

Einstein says "The prison? You mean the prison where they're holding the execution? Edison is there maan. He's overseeing the execution. Who do you think designed that torture device? The guy's getting off lucky. The machine Edison originally designed took two weeks, not two days. The powers that be said that was excessive."

OOC)I could see how that might influence your decision here, so I'll hold off on the teleport for a minute.

I stare into the distance, my face turning cold.  I really wanted to put that scuzz in his own machine.

Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord.

"But Lord God,  is this not a case where justice for the Outsiders must come from the Outsiders?"  I whisper in prayer, my hands working on the sword that was suddenly in my hand. "Lord, to rescue his poor kin, I need to do something, to save this world, I need to do something, I'm not sure what, and yes, Lord, this man's existence offends me, and I want to see his scream for mercy...."

Even as I say these things, I know God already knows them.  There's no point in hiding the bloody minded hatred in my heart as its already known.

Einstein says "Get in the car. I'll hop the car a block away from the prison. Then you give me a shiner so it looks real and then you're on your own. Sound like a plan Stan?"

"Call me Stan." I say, and get in the car, after booting Officer Bob out.

"Best of luck, Officer. Sorry for kidnapping you. Bye. Now stand back."

So officer Bob gets out. He says "You do realize I'm going to have to report this and you're probably going to end up in that machine right?"

But Einstein Carter gets in the car with you. He taps a few buttons on his wristwatch. The world tastes purple, you cease to exist for a moment. When you open your eyes, the car is sitting on a side street. There's a sign right in front of you that say "Folsom Prison, one block ahead."

Carter will just stand there whilst you deck him. He will scream like a little girl and then bid you farewell.

"You have my blessing to report.  Afterwards, I want you to think about what a barbarous society you live in."

At Folsom, 'POW'....

"See ya' around the Verse...."

And I head off, keeping my eyes open, but focused more on speed...

"Lord God, make me as David, as Samson, as Ehud the Assassin."

As you're getting in the car and he's getting out, Bob gives you a hand gesture that you don't recognize, but that could only be this world's equivalent of a middle finger.



And Carter gives you the same gesture as you're driving away from him.



I don't know who Ehud is, but you're asking wisdom, strength and I assume, the ability to kill. You feel an exhilaration. Maybe it's God answering, or maybe it's just adrenaline.

So, one block forward, and you come to the prison. It's a huge, imposing, two story building surrounded by a chain link fence. There are guard stations every so often, each manned by two guards with paintball guns. There are huge flat screen monitors all proudly bearing the label "Manufactured by CarterTech" all around the place, broadcasting the execution, complete with screams and commentary. There's a huge crowd of lookyloos surrounding the prison. Some people just can't get enough of gore and agony. The prisoner is covered in welts, not unlike bee stings. Surprisingly though, very little blood. It must have a clotting agent or something. He's still very much awake, alert, and having the time of his life. The guard stations are cleared of people. They won't let people right in front of those. So you've got a clear path if you wanted to crash the car through the gate or something.

You've got a knife, loaded 30-06 with 20 extra rounds and that black iron Katana sword. If you happen to check the car's glove box, you will find a small C02 paintball gun with 10 paintballs in it. And these people will go down to that.

So what are you doing?

I stare, and then shrug to myself at Officer Bob's reaction.

When Einstein repeats it, I laugh.

Circle back around, and make sure I'm tightly buckled in.

"Fun and games, fun and games." And I hit the accelerator.  And," then despite my trepidation, I push down the gas further.  And knowing my tendency to be too cautious, I then shove it down further so that I think I'm going too fsst as I hurtle toward the gate, horn blaring.

Me screaming out the open window, as I white knuckle the steering wheel....
"ARE YOU READY TO PARTY?!?"

GE6

So you crash the gate doing ninety-eight, and say let them truckers roll 10-4.

So you crash the guard tower. The guards reel and spin. And unless you do something really stupid, like hit the brakes, you will also crash through the front door of the prison. It turns out to be not very sturdy. It's like crashing through sheet rock and plywood. The car is still drivable. And you've got barely enough room to drive the car straight down the main hallway. But if you did that, you wouldn't be able to get the doors open.

So you're in a hallway which is lined with cells on each side. There's an eruption of hoots and screams from the prisoners. They're celebrating. Anything which breaks the monotony. There's guards in the hallway, with paint guns and the paint batons. Apparently even escaping prisoners go down to them. But you are pointing a car at the guards in front of you. Prison guards, 20 points.

But the car did stop. You are in a T junction. You can go left, right, or straight. But you have to get out of the car to go left or right. But you can drive that car straight down the hallway.

Put the car in low gear, start driving down the main hallway....if I pass a reasonable looking prisoner, and guards arenot up on us, I roll down the window and ask directions to the exectution.

OOC: Kewl.  I did not expect that

Calling all trucks, this here's The Duck. We about to go a-hunting bear.

GE20

There's maybe a dozen guards in front of you. They all start unloading on your windshield with paintballs. You hear one of them scream "You're supposed to stop!!!!!" It isn't very long before you can't see anything at all through the windshield. It's a glass tie-dyed tee shirt. Kind of pretty. It's okay though, because you don't really need to see anything. The car is bouncing off the sides of the concrete walls. It's not like you need to, or even can steer. The side mirrors break off. One or two of the braver guards hop up on the hood of your car and start kicking at the windshield. You can't really see how many, just that foots are hitting it. The windshield is holding though. One nice thing about you not being able to open the doors is they can't open them either.

Define "Reasonable looking prisoner". You pass by an old man who is just sitting there reading. You roll down the window and ask for directions. He double takes, his jaw drops open so far it pulls all of the wrinkles out of his face. (I've actually seen that happen.) But he says "That's uh, that's in uh, cell block B. Go straight and then uh, there's gonna be a hallway on the left. Get out and uh, go down that way." He looks like this is the most confusing, surprising experience of his life.

The car has a sunroof if you want to stick your head out the top.

Two Posts

I just watched that movie My Fair Lady with Audrey Hepburn. I liked her better as a cockney than a classy lass, but that's just me. Audrey Hepburn. They don't make them like her anymore. She was your father's crush.

"Thank you, sir." I give him an d and a friendly nod, before moving on.

I consider sticking my gun out, paintball one, out the sunroof, but chances are, the polce would fall in their tracks, and I would run them over; that would be bad.

So I do as the old man said.  Once out, I start shooting the cops, letting them hit me,  but taking careful study, I shoot each one.

OOC) I realized the other day that this is only the second scenario I've run that did not have a supercharacter in it. It's becoming a bit less misty why referees don't use them. I think I'm going to restrict Mister Hammer to Supercharacter Candy Store (since that is the point of the world) and use Super Samantha when I think I need a supercharacter for other worlds. Players seem to respond better to her. Insane martial arts and the physical stats of Captain America. But you put her in the body of a beautiful woman, and the players want to protect her.

I believe nothing is a total loss if you learned from it.

So you come to another junction. There's a sign on the wall that you can see that says "Cell Block B." That's where you need to be. You hop out of the car. The guards are in front of it. They're going to have to climb up over the car to get to you, as it is blocking the hallway. You shoot one in the face. He goes down. Another does climb up over the car and shoots you. Ow, that stung!!! But you pop one off at him, and he sits down. You miss the next guard, but then get him with your following shot. The prisoners in the cells are all cheering and hooting at you. You've become an instant celebrity. You hear one of the guards call in something on his radio. Sounded like some kind of code, you couldn't understand it.

But looking in the direction you're going to be headed, you see a sign that says "Execution Chamber." The guards that you did not shoot that did not climb over the car are not pursuing.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:03, Mon 15 Sept 2014.

OOC: Kewl. You're definitely learning.

Draw my sword in one hand, and hold my paintball pistol in the other.

Looking at a sign saying 'Exec....' makes sweat beads pop up all over my body.

"Dear Father, whatever happens, help me not get captured alive."

Boot to the door....

And you hear a still-small voice that says "You won't be."



And the door opens. You're facing a room the size of a gymnasium. The guy in the torture cage is in the middle. Carter is off to the side working some manner of control panel. As far as you can see, there's no one else in the room. It's full of all kinds of scientific-looking machines. Straight out of a 1930s sci fi flick.

Carter turns around and he's not happy.

(Doing Therapy)

I'm startled, and my first instinct is doubt, but then I choose to accept, and a thrill runs through me.  The Creator of Heaven and Earth paused to talk to little ol me. Kewl.

Run forward.  Violence in action. Speed.

"Which Carter are  you?" I snarl, my sword aimed at him as I advance.  I'm ready to kill at the slightest provocation.

GE9

He puts his hands up in surrender. Speaking calmly and quietly, he says "Cut to commercial." (Remember, this is being broadcast live.)

Then, turning to you he says "What do you want?"

(Doing Therapy)

"Don't cut to commercial." I have no idea whether they will obey me rather than a colleague or their boss, but I do have a sword out, and it is good TV, so maybe.

"I want your name, sir, your full name."  I focus my eyes on his chest and face, flick about to the right and left for ambushers, and very levelly repeat myself even a I draw slowly closer with my sword aimed at him.

I know I'm scary. (at least in my own mind)  I used to have people get out of my way in the street.  Its been a long time since I felt that wrath, but it burns in me now.

OOC) So you didn't grab the gun? I'll allow that you have it if you decide you need it.


GE11

Carter says coolly "Yeees, he's right. Don't cut to commercial. The world needs to witness the consequences of interfering with a legal proceeding."

You can almost hear the gears turning in his head, as he thinking how he can turn this to his advantage.



The first Carter you met was effervescent and bubbly. The second Carter was cautious. This guy though. This guy is cool. He's not getting rattled. At all. He's like a block of ice.

He gives you a stare and you can almost feel your face freezing as he does it. "You want my full name? It's Edison Einstein Galileo Tesla Copernicus DaVinci Carter. What's it to you?"

Yeah, he listed off all six names, but he did say Edison first.

And as far as you can tell, it's just you and him.



Your sword is giving off a white Chaos aura. You're not sure if anyone else can see it, but you can.

I do that cold, controlled rage thing as well, but its a shock to run into someone so cool.  Its like hitting a wall with a car, but I push on.

Slash. Not to kill, or even to seriously wound, but for speed of attack, and pain.

"Consequences indeed, Edison."

GE24

You come in swinging your sword. Edison doesn't stand still like the other brother did. He's amazingly quick and agile. He's ducking, dodging and weaving. You're dancing around like a gorilla trying to swat a fly with a baseball bat. And then, completely devoid of emotion, Edison says "A little help here please?" And about a dozen tough looking dudes in prison guard uniforms step out of the shadows. They all have paintball guns. Except these paintballs are glowing green. They look like balls of radioactive waste. You're surrounded on three sides by them.



And Edison smirks and says "Yes, consequences indeed."

I'm a twisted bundle of reactions. I tighten my hands on the hilt in preparation to go crazy, but then I remember my goal.

"TV watchers, your supposed friend is from Elsewhere.  See how deftly he dodges, how cool he is.  He's not one of you.  But he comes to you, and gets his jollies on by torturing a man to death.  And you think he's a just man, but inside he's a monster."

If they attack, I cut my way thru them toward Edison.

GE14

There's maybe 10 or 12 of these guards standing around you. Three or four of them start to move towards you, but then one of them speaks. He seems to be almost on the verge of tears. He sobs "What are we doing? Before that Carter guy showed up, we just put people in prison. Now we torture them to death. Because of him!!!" and points a furious finger at Edison.

The others waver a little. None are moving.

Edison pipes up. Just as cold and emotionless as ever, "Gentlemen, gentlemen. You're all being paid a tidy sum. A very tidy sum. Now do your jobs."

The guard that spoke says "Not anymore." and turns his weapon on the other guards. He kind of backs up to stop standing shoulder to shoulder with you. Then he turns to you. Still with tears in his eyes he says "I sold my soul to Cthulhu. We never used to be this way."

The others look like they don't know what to do.

Edison is starting to look a little bit peeved.

(Doing Therapy)
This message was last edited by the player at 06:41, Thu 25 Sept 2014.

At first, I want to cheer, then I want to speak to the crowd, but then I realize this guy might be speaking literally.

I turn to him, lowering my sword.  But ready nonetheless...

"My friend. Christ bought back your soul from Darkness and Madness.  He doesn't care what you've done.  You can be forgiven, and made one of his children."

I turn to the others.

"You can be made clean."

My sword is up now.  I don't say it, but there is another obvious option.  You can be made dead.

And then I smirk as best as I can at Carter, not something I have that much experience at.

"Eddy, old boy, God can even save a messed up freak like  you."

Yeah, I'm trying to tick him off.  I want him to lose his cool and look like an idiot.

GE24

One of the guards takes a step towards you. He's an extremely large gentleman, about 6 foot 4, 300 pounds, not an ounce of fat on him. His name tag says "Hodder". It's pretty clear he's the leader of the guards, or at least someone high up on the food chain. He growls like an animal and then says gruffly "Don't you give me none of that preachy talk. I don't wanna hear it." Then he points a massive finger at the guard that went to you. "You're in The Machine next."

OOC) And if you want to see what Hodder, the guard leader looks like: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm29..._=nmmi_mi_all_pbl_17

The guard that went to you says "If you can save my soul, I want to hear about it. Just as soon as this is over."

And he gives you a look that can only mean one thing. "ATTACK!!!!"

But he seems to be waiting for you to make the first move.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:42, Fri 26 Sept 2014.

OK, Hodder is bigger than me, but not by all that much.  I'm six foot one, and although still carrying some fat, about 270.  He's got more muscle sure, more endurance by a good bit, but I'm no little punk to be slapped around, I tell myself.

"He's not going in the Machine. You're going to Hell."  And I look him dead in the eyes so he can see what I see, a man who's just made the last and most foolish mistake of his etternity.  I pity him, a little bit, but mostly I'm enraged.

Without letting it enter my eyes or even much my mind, I lunge forward trying to stab him thruthe chest.

OOC) You want to challenge a muscle-bound oaf to a physical contest that you cannot possibly lose? See who can tread water longer. Fat floats. Muscle doesn't.

Hodder just growls at you. He's trying to intimidate you.


The guard standing next to you mutters "Whatever you do, don't get shot." and pops off a glowing paintball at one of the guards you're facing. (Not Hodder) The guy goes down, and it's clear he's not just surrendering, he's down for the count. Out like a light. Sawing logs. Whatever metaphor you want to use here.

And he fires a second shot just as you start lunging at Hodder with your sword. But you're too focused to know what's happening around you. You are aware that your sword is glowing white. Bright white.



So you lunge at Hodder. You stick him a good one. Maybe 3 or 4 inches deep. He's not down, but he's in pain, and enraged. He swings at you. CRACK!!!!! Ah!!! My head hurts!!!!! What beautiful stars there are in this room. And then you feel something hit your back. It felt a lot like a paintball. But it burns!!!!!

And between that and the fist impact, you're down. You pass out. But it can't be for very long, because you're awake before Hodder has taken 3 steps towards you. You see a white aura flowing from your body and into the sword. And you feel rejuvenated. Not back to full health, mind you. More going from dead asleep to just waking up, but you're awake. You're laying on the ground. Hodder is 10 feet away.

And your buddy the guard has taken down 2 more guards without getting hit. He's ducking back behind some of the sci fi equipment.

Edison is standing there in frustration, barking "What's wrong with you guys? TAKE THEM!!!!!!"

He's really lost his cool for the first time.

(Doing Therapy)

White light?  Odd.

I scramble to my feet and while I'm still low, I slice out at Hodder's leg.  I hope he expected me to wait until I was fully upright.

Not white light. It's the white Chaos aura. The one you're pretty sure only you can see. It wouldn't light up a dark room, and you doubt it would even be visible in the dark. You're in a room full of Chaos.



Apparently he did, because he just stands there like an imbecile whilst you slash his leg to the bone. His scream of agony as he's going down sounds about the way you would expect a Yeti to scream. He's bleeding and screaming curses at you.

Buddy, the guard is pinned down. He's taken down one more guard. There's 5 left, not counting Hodder. Buddy doesn't look like he can do much more on his own. They've got him cornered in a bad spot.

Edison's face is the color of a Stop sign. He's Losing It.

(Doing Therapy)

Understood.  (Already, I think.)

One down, five to go.  My rage cools, but I must muddle on.  I wish I had some clever plan but I'm all out of clever.  I know I could go after Ediston, but he'll have to wait.  I go charging into Buddy's foes, perhaps I can get a good angle on them and hit them from behind or on their side.

In any case, swing,slash, cut, and bash.

Clever just left the building.  Its now time to do the stupid.  I'd smile if I had enough energy to do so...

Just to let you know. Hodder has one of the paintball guns with the glowing paintballs. He never took it out of the holster. He was swinging his fists at you. Point is, you've got access to one of those paintball guns. And there's a few more laying on the ground from the guys Buddy shot. So the sword might not be your best choice here. Just stating what's obvious to you.



You're in luck here. The guards that have Buddy pinned down have all of their attention focused on him. They're screaming things like "Traitor!!!" and "Turncoat!!!" and trying with everything they've got to get him. So the first guard doesn't even realize you're there as your blade connects with the side of his neck. You don't quite decapitate him, but he's shooting blood from his jugular vein. His wounded howl alerts the others, who turn on you. There's four guards left between you and Buddy. Two of them focus on you, the other two focus on him. But that break in their attention lets Buddy get a clear shot at one of them. And then there were three.



And Edison screams "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE???????????"

Drop the sword, grab two paintball guns, and do like an Old West gunslinger....

In the space of a second before I fire, as I'm grabbing up the weapons, dedicate my shots to Good (I'm a little weirded out by 'glowing' and 'Cthulhu').  I don't want to be inadvertently sacrificing to an Old One.

"Eddy, Eddy, old boy....can I get 'the total and complete destruction of my vicious, sadistic madman's plans for two hundred dollars?"  I'm not sure how to make him more crazed, but I'm trying.  So I go for my smirking, consdesceding 'you loser' vibe as best as I can cause that always annoys me when someone pulls it on me.

So you grab Hodder's gun, it's full. The other gun you grab from a guard is half full. You take those and you open fire like a lunatic from Vietnam. You watch a guard fall. Then the others turn around. You and Buddy have them caught in a crossfire. Then another guard goes down, and another. The half full gun clicks empty just as guard number five falls down. Hodder's gun has maybe 10 paintballs left. You're not sure who scored the hits, you or Buddy, but they're all down. Buddy walks up to you grinning like an idiot. "We got em!!! We got em!!!!" he cheers.

But then you turn to Edison. He mutters "If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself." And he reaches back and pulls out a 45 pistol and points it at you. Not a paintball gun. This is an actual pistol.

"Looks like we got ourselves a Chinese standoff here!!!" he screams at you.

Buddy is looking confused. He's never seen a pistol before and doesn't seem to understand what it does.

"Get behind me." I say urgently to Buddy.

Once he does, I smirk.

"No, Eddy old chum, we don't. See, you shoot me, I shoot you. I verse out, you go to sleep and wake up in the Machine."

Just when he realizes just how badly he's messed over, in that moment of inattention, I fire and fire again.

Buddy gets behind you and raises his weapon. Carter says smugly "You don't get it. I'm not arguing with you. I'm explaining to you why I'm right. You're going down verser-ino!!!!"

And he fires at you. But he's a terrible shot and way overconfident. The bullet just barely grazes your left shoulder. You've probably stepped on shards of broken glass that cut you worse than this.

But then you and Buddy open fire. Edison's smug look dies. The paintballs splatter on his chest and he goes down. He's out and he doesn't look like he's getting back up any time soon.

Buddy looks at you and asks "What do we do now? Oh by the way, those guys we put down? We've got about 10 minutes before they're back up."

(Doing Therapy)

"Belts, or shoelaces, or if needed, shirts. We tie them up."  I avoid looking at the man I killed because I don't have time to throw up."

If anyone starts twitching, I shoot them again.  Also, after we start, I realize I need Buddy to keep an eye on the door.  I'll do the tying.

Meanwhile I start explaining the Love of God to Buddy, and how his innate Justice demands punishment for Evil, just as in society (and yeah, I tell the TV to stay on in a rather intimidating manner), but how Jesus stepped in the path of the divine lightning bolt.

Buddy says "They've all got a set of handcuffs. I suggest daisy chaining them. Or I can do that. We gotta get that guy out of The Machine though."

He'll go along with whatever you want.

And for the first time in a while, you become aware of the guy. He's screaming and still being needled. In the confusion, you kind of lost track of him.

Your inventory is 10 paintball guns and if you took all of the paintballs and consolidated them, you would have six full 30 round cylinders, and each guard has one extra. So sixteen 30 round sleeping paint cylinders.

Buddy listens when you explain the love of Jesus. He seems interested. But he does tell you "That whole thing with selling my soul to Cthulhu? That's just an expression. I didn't really do that. Feels like it sometimes though. We never used to be like this before Edison showed up."

(Doing Therapy)

Two Posts

if Tadeusz was the name of a video game, what kind of video game would it be? First person shooter? Fighting game? Puzzle game? Maybe one of those old classics like Dig Dug or Pac-Man? Spaceship game? I've got a really weird idea for your next world. So, if Tadeusz was the name of a video game, what kind of video game would it be?

(Doing Therapy)

Daisy chain.

Drat. Too many jobs, too little time. I rush over to turn off the Machine as well as I can, leaving him to daisy chain.  I try to keep one ear open for anyone to come behind me and zap me.

For now, I have to wait on preaching.  Although I understand how a charismatic and decisive individual can sway others into doing things they would not normally do.

OOC) You never answered me. What kind of a video game would Tadeusz be? I'm thinking he'd be a bit of a supersoldier. What do you think?

Buddy sets to work on handcuffing the others into a daisy chain. When he gets to Hodder though, Hodder growls loudly and swings at Buddy. Buddy jumps back and pops him a few times with his paintball gun. Hodder is down now. Buddy looks at you and says "That guy was tougher than I thought. Whoosh!!!!"

The guy in The Machine is still screaming and howling. His body is covered completely in welts that look like bee stings. You could not put two fingers anywhere on him and not touch them. He's also completely naked, save for a G string type of thing. The cage surrounding him has a rather straightforward locking mechanism. You just have to be yourself careful so you don't get stung. But you get it open and get him out. He collapses on the floor, obviously delirious.

Where's your black iron Katana sword? Is it in your hand?

Nobody is coming for the moment. It's just you, Buddy, a bunch of unconscious guards and one delirious "criminal".

Answer: FPS or RPG or Trivial Pursuit.

I had a brand new and unique idea for how to run supercharacters. So, in your next world, you're going to meet Tadeusz, Supersoldier Extraordinaire.

Now, on with the game!!!!!!!

OOC: M.J. tried this, sorta (not supersoldier), and he got it wrong.

I pick up my sword, and use it to strip Edison's shirt from him.  I then search his pockets.  Then, without Buddy's help (he's assigned to guard the door), I put Edison in the Machine.  My face is grim, but this needs to be done.

I turn to the TV viewers and the camera which I make sure is on.

"I speak of the Love of God, but God is a person, and He needs Justice as well, for He is Justice. Without Him, we would not know what Justice is.  Edison Carter has tortured many people to death.  Plus, he is not one of you.  He is....of.....hmmm...call it, my clan."

OOC) Yeah well, I'm not gonna make the same mistakes as MJ. I'm gonna make entirely different ones.



Couple things happen here. You go to get your Katana sword. You're holding it left-handed. When you pass it over the guy who was in The Machine, you see a white Chaos aura start to flow from his body and into the sword. Assuming you hold it there for a few seconds, you will see a very large amount of the white aura flow from him. His bee sting welts start to disappear and he starts to focus. Soon he seems to be back to full health. Healed completely. He says completely coherently "What did you just do to me? I feel great!!!!"

Buddy goes and guards the door. He does mention that only Edison's personal bodyguards had the paintballs that would actually knock someone out. And they're all in this room. Every other guard has regular paintballs.

When you start to put Edison in The Machine though Buddy objects sternly. "What are you doing???" He yells at you. "That would make you no better than him!!!!"

Yes, Buddy is prepared to protect Edison from you putting him in The Machine.



OOC) And I'm going to hold off on what happens here for a minute because I want to see what you do about Buddy first.

Two Posts

Almost missed the part where you said you were going through Edison's pockets. He's got four spare 7 round clips for his 45 and a wallet with various forms of ID and a whole boatload of cash.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 19:11, Tue 14 Oct 2014.

I think its more complicated than that, and I say so to Buddy after a few tens of seconds in thought.  But, I'm weary, and it'd be hard to explain, and maybe I'm wrong, and anyways its something I would have to force myself to do.

"I disagree, Buddy, but I see your point, and it is  your world, not mine.  I would like to point out to whoever is watching this, that Carter has a lot of money, and it probably would be a good idea for the gov't to nationalize it to keep him out of causing trouble."

And along those lines, and to reinforce my point, I take my sword, and see if I can use it to chop the Machine up, and then to hilt-bash the pistol, and I try to see if there is some way to set Carter's money on fire.  I'm careful not to stress the katana enough to break it, I hope.

I point to the guy just healed.

"In my opinion, you have suffered enough for  yoru crime, and your debt is paid to society.  Go and sin no more."

Buddy says "Don't get me wrong. He would deserve it. But, it's just, well..... You keep talking about God. I haven't been to Sunday school since I was a kid, but doesn't God say that He will take care of the bad people? It's not on us. We're supposed to be better than the bad people. Because we're good people."

He's pretty adamant about it.



In your agitated, Chaotic state, the sword has a strong white aura around it. It's like an electric steak knife cutting up a Thanksgiving turkey. You're slicing through the metal like it was paper. Doesn't take long to reduce it to a huge pile of scraps.

Hilt bashing the gun doesn't work so well. But you can slice it up just as easily.



When you try to do that, Buddy says "You do realize that's a drop in the bucket to Carter right? You're not going to hurt Carter by destroying that. You should give it to him." And points at the guy that was in The Machine.



I don't know if I ever said this, but Magehammer told you that the black iron weapons were virtually unbreakable. He said "Virtually" because there's no such thing as Unbreakable, but he doesn't know of anything short of Order/Chaos magic that could do it. So feel free to try to slice open the door to Fort Knox.



And you hear an earsplitting POOF!!!! Air being displaced. And a voice from behind you says "Oh no no no verser-ino. You're the one who owes a debt here. And we're gonna make you pay it in full."

And turning around, you're facing two more Carters.

"Its more complicated than that, Buddy." I say gently. "But I'm going to do what you want so take the win, eh?"

When he interrupts my attempt to light the moneyroll, I smile.

"Yes, I know.  Its a gesture for the TV viewers.  Its a symbol."  And I turn to the other man.  "However, Buddy does make another good point.  Do you want this scumsucker's money as payback?"

I start, and then I start to smile fiercely.  I look over at Buddy.

"I'm not a good person.  What I am is forgiven.  Actually, I can be a very bad person, or perhaps the nature is awful, not evil, but terrifying, scary."

I giggle and turn to face the two other Carters.

"Dear God, let me open the gates." I pray in my head, and down deep in my soul, I try to open the cage which has a very dark shadow, a part of myself thats not seen the light of day in decades, and even then it was heavily suppressed and controlled.  Not now.

"You're going to beg for death." I whisper to the two Carter's not looking them in the eyes, instead seeing the visions of the terrible things I'm going to do to them....I smile.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:29, Wed 15 Oct 2014.

He gives you a thumbs up.



Dude says "Yeah, I'll take that." He's wearing nothing but a G-string and standing next to you.


Buddy says "Anybody that puts a stop to Carter is a good person in my book." and gives you another thumbs up.



The white aura on your Katana becomes more fierce. You feel elevated.



One of the Carters looks at you hard and you hear his voice in your head in a flat monotone. "KILL EDISON KILL EDISON KILL EDISON KILL EDISON!!!!!!" over and over. Then he winks at you.

Then they both pull out 45 pistols and the other one says "Oh you're in it now, verser-ino!!!!"

Spin and stab the Edison Carter that was knocked out.  Try to stab him in the chest.  Hope I'm not making a fatal mistake...

So you spin and stab Edison. And at the same moment as your sword pierces his heart, you hear a single gunshot. And in the time it takes the bullet to leave his gun and hit you, you see the three Carters disappear into thin air.

And then the bullet strikes you in the chest. It was fatal, but whether it was a mistake is up to you.

Thou art dead.