Supercape

GM Anarchists were anarchists, and thus most inclined to freedom. SIr Prize was free to go where he wanted. And they were free to spit at him and call him a coward. And so it was! The groupthink metality was swaying towards a rebellious contempt for their leader - who had fled the field! Twas not good publicity, to say the least. And now - the chase was on! Further down the beach, with waves and starlight for company. Sir Prize and Lady Key had the lead, and it must be said Sir Prize was an excellent driver ontop of a powerful motorcycle. And yet, on his trail were a man-car, Chromium, and the mighty Fascimile!

GM Of course, the search result produced results. Unfortunately, a lot of results! The principle could be determined - metaphasic reaction, a theoretical (although by the looks of it, this laboratory had made the theoretical a little more practical) hyperdimensional radiation that could phase matter (or energy) out of reality. Or it could phase reality out of matter (or energy). It was all relative, really... Predictably, there looked like there had been ideas to weaponise this. Quite how, that was another matter. "You go ahead and shove that computer. I'm going to plant the explosives..." grumbled Jones, proceeding to start doing just that!

Not a great result, no!

Mr Murk Mr Murk gave a look around. Or at least appeared to. He was, after all, blind! "I was rather hoping to speak to the owner of the shop" he said, gently. "Ah...the real owner of the shop" he added, even more gently. He took off his glasses to reveal milky white, quite blind, eyes. And yet, he looked directly at Grimalkin. Of course, he could make his eyes look like anyones, as he was quite wrapped in the dusty dimension of the Murk, but he had found the effect of blind eyes watching someone rather helpful at times. Disconcertingly helpful. It was a signal that all was not humrdrum and routine. He had no clear idea of what Fae senses Grimalking had, although by his guess, she must have picked up some uncanny attributes. She might already know he was not what he appeared. His modus operandi for this situations was progressive revealing the truth. But whilst the progress might be slow, his initiation usually wasn't. To start with the mutual understanding that neither he nor the prospect were of regular flavours need not be delayed. "Is that you?" he asked.

Rather than a protracted social conversation, I think it might be better to meld this exposition with the niceties of preperation, travel, and the investigation itself. If you have any reasonable equipment or prep requests, please post them here and IC. You can assume that W.E.S.T is very well equiped for its job (including field work) so things like survival gear, scientific equipment, rations, etc are all pre-loaded. On the other hand, this is Rapa Nui, so any exotic requests wont be immediately available (on the other hand, you are not in a rush!). Draft WEST guide (I will complete it and post one day! )https://www.freedomplaybypost.com/topic/10948-west-draft/ For reference, the WEST Jumbo Jet: Agent Cortez will be a standard WEST field agent Sgt Henry is a SAS man with skills in Jungle Warfare and Pilot. As such, he is more than your regular soldier! Finally, everyone has access to Tranq Guns (Fatigue 5, Poison, Ranged, 1 Shot only before reload)

GM That went as well as could be reasonably hoped. Thought Dr North. There was no reason to expect fireworks, but he was glad there weren't any. "I'm sure we can have plenty of time to discuss the fine detail of Omegadrone construction in air" he said. He flicked a button on his desk and went on speaker phone. "Could you please prep the plane, Doreen" he said. "We have a trip to Brazil" He turned back to Archeville and Delta. "We do like to be prepared" he smiled. After the incident in Finland, and the futile search for the Red Net, they had had to rebuild the mobile laboratory that was the WEST plane. He had insisted on an aquarium this time. They had not been best pleased, but better that WEST was well equipped than not. "It is fully equipped with the latest in mobile laboratory equipment and we have stocked its cargo hold with survival equipment and tranq-guns. Plus, I have assigned Agent Cortez to the mission, alongside a hired gun, Sgt Henry. Don't worry about him, on loan from the British. Trained in Jungle warfare and our pilot for the mission!" "We have more equipment in stock here, but as I say we have prepared for this mission. If you are ready, we can go!" he said, keenly. "I've decided to come along on this one!"

Mr Murk April 15th, 2018, Silvermans Books 9.57pm The Sun was down, and it was nearly closing time. Mr. Murk needed the sun to be down. And he would prefer it to be nearly closing time. Less people around. Wrapped in the Murk, he entered as a stiff gentleman of advanced years, in a tween jacket and thick glasses. He was blind, but he didn't need eyes to see in a book store. He could feel the sumptous wit of the ink around him, he could feel the souls of those in their, and all he had to do was avoid chairs. He went up to the counter, smiling pleasantly. The immortal soul of Grimalkin was there, and he could feel its taste, and taste its feel. "Good evening. I hope I do not intrude at this lateness of hour?" he asked, softly, voice dusty with age, with a mild American accent that spoke of New York and Europhillia. He had come on a mission that required his gentle touch. Grimalkin was an immortal, and should be offered the duties and benefits of the Codus Immortus!

And you are up, @Tarrakhash!

GM "We can vouch for him" nodded North. "At least, he has been vetted by local intelligence agencies and he has a track record of working with us. Stopped something very...ah...strange, happening. Quite a trip, I hear" Honesty was one thing. But Dr Archeville hadn't deposited enough in the bank of trust quite yet for him to spill official secrets. W.E.S.T was, by and large, not riddled with the same security issues as intelligence agencies, but it had had to sign up to significant discretion in releasing information. Ah! The headache of coordinating amongst so many agencies...so many agendas....so much politics. But that's what they paid North for. And he was good at it. "Uncofirmed reports" agreed North. "The Lost World is a difficult area for us. We are tasked with protecting the world from scientific threats and that often includes dimensional...ah....issues...." he said, pushing his glasses back on his nose. "But how far do we go in? We have generally kept ourselves to monitoring the known portals. The Lost World is something we have a little knowledge of. But not a lot...." "With any luck you wont have to go in" he said, more optimistically. "But honestly, who knows what is going on? We have to find out..." He lead Doctor Archeville out of the forensic laboratory back into the main building, inviting him to his office... "Please step in. There is someone I would like you to meet..." The office was wood panelled, clean, and spartan with a hint of antiquity. A leather bound desk, a wall of books, and a high spec computer. Not cluttered, but pleasant. A coffee machine to one side gave off a splendid aroma. And waiting for the both of them was Delta!

Going 1 dimensional! Total auditory and visual concealment! And insubstantial 4 so even if they do spray bullets it wont work. Muahahaha!

Captain Cosmos The bullets sprayed over Captain Cosmos's costume, creating small pockmarks in the fabric. They stung. But they didn't paint the walls with his spleen, which he was most grateful for. A bit of pain, he could live with. Not enjoy, but live with. He took a massive swing at the Gunman leader - a weighty right hook that clipped the man and sent him across the room. He was surprised the man was still standing. He was made of iron! But more importantly the situation was getting out of hand. He knew he had fluffed this one; he had dropped the ball. He wasn't a negotiator, he wasn't a tactitian. All the strength in the world wasn't enough to solve this kind of problem. There was no point letting his ego force him to carry on flogging a dead horse. So he vanished. Now existing as a mathematical line, he was truly invisible. And he could watch and wait for a bit...

And a knockback I guess! Post ic incoming

GM "You see the problem. And why W.E.S.T was set up" answered North, gravely. He was still half distracted by the data on the screens. And the corpse on the slab. "The WHO monitors global disease threats. We monitor global threats like this. In the case of Darwin-X there is some overlap, but they aren't set up to consider all the ramifications. Although on this matter, we are joint working. They don't have the same security systems as us, however. And this needs to be kept under wraps, for now..." He scratched his head. He stroked his moustache. "We need a team on site. Ready to go into the Lost World. Not an easy prospect, even if we have have access to some fine military men and women, and skilled hunters. Our field agents are skilled too, but this is hazardous and serious. We have already brought in one of our superhero consultants, Delta..." He paused. "A rougue Omegadrone. I..ah...hope thats not an issue?"

GM He got that fast. It had taken WEST a few days - with high calibre scientists and high calibre equipment, to come to the come to the same conclusion. In truth, Dr Norris North hadn't asked for Archeville's opinion to solve a puzzle (although a fresh pair of eyes was always welcome). He had come to test Dr Archeville. Was he still as fast as he used to be? Was he honest? He had expected Dr Archeville to be fast. And to be honest. But expectation and reality were two seperate things. "Yes, that was our thinking" he nodded. "There certainly is evidence of a mutated Bacterium that has incorperated the Darwin-X virus*" he said. "But I'm not sure what we are looking at here. The Darwin-X virus is highly unstable. We have barely any samples, and only last year we foiled an attack stealing what few samples we have...**" "How someone has managed to use it for controlled mutation is beyond me. Even with the best medical care, the mortality rate is 70%. And the five year mortality rate increases to above 90%" he said, sadly. And that was with the best medical care. Darwin-X could be a horrific biological weapon. "We found this...well, lets call it a monkey. Its the best word available, I think. We found this monkey in Brazil. Near an entrance to the Lost World. Which complicates the matter even further...." *One or Two victims of the mysterious mechaphage have already been noted, folks! **Replica stopped this terror when helping out W.E.S.T, readers!

Im not so sure about VP with that descriptor adding to skills, but on the other hand I would say those super senses give a situational bonus to the rolls. All in all its not that important and averages out! However most of those rolls arent terribly useful. The mood is interested in rather than scared. There is nothing much to notice! I think the Investigate and Medicine rolls are subsumed under Life Sciences here (as it covers forensics). The Super Senses can act as confirmation of the pre existing data. I.e. NOrth/WEST aren't lying to you! (or at least, are showing you their data honestly). The SPandex jumpsuit is an advanced flexible, lightweight armour. DA can estimate that in mechanical terms its +3 toughness to its wearer whilst being almost weightless and highly flexible. Its an advanced metamolecular array or something else jargonny. Bleeding Edge tech by modern standards. The Energy Gun is a powerful blaster carbine unlike anything he has seen on Earth. It has blast and stun settings - fairly easy and uncomplicated to use, but again very effective (Blast 6 Penetrating / Stun 6 Ranged Settings). The energy source is exotic - some advanced hyperdimensional meta crystal (or something else jargony). The monkey physically is a chimpanzee with altered bones structure to make it able to comfortably walk upright. Its vocal cords are on a par with human ones. It has a significantly enlarged brain and boosted brain biochemistry, and you estimate its intelligence is similar to average humans. There is evidence of major genetic alteration. And the tell tale sign of a history of Darwin-X infection. Cause of death appears to be trauma - a blunt force impact to the chest that seemed to shatter its rib cage and internal organs. There is trace amount of bone and skin on the chest of the armour, but the genetic code of this material is a complete mess, although again, having the tell tale sign of Darwin-X infection.

Feel free to make any knowledge rolls you wish (taking 10 or 20, mindful of Quickness feat). There is plenty of reference materials and examinations in this laboratory (bloodwork, scans, and so on, all of cutting edge spec), so its interpretation rather than "doing" stuff. Knowledge [Life Sciences] for the corpse and Knowledge [tech for the equipment], but of course you may find reason for other knowledge rolls!

GM Number one, actually. Although North didn't say so. It wasn't his opinion, or indeed the opinion of W.E.S.T, that Doctor Archeville should be that high. Just in the top five. However W.E.S.T, for better or worse, was not truly independent, but caught in the cobweb of world politics. And the world had put Archeville as number one. But like much science, North felt it was more complicated that that. Archeville could reduce as many risks as he created. "It's high" he said, non-commitally. "You will appreciate that a scientist who could create black hole bombs, or reverse gravity infections, operating with little or no oversight, and your...ah....psychological profile, creates anxiety". "But enough of that. You aren't going to explode today, or, I hope, tomorrow..." He brought Archeville through a bio-hazard airlock (complete with Chlorine and microwave washes) and into one of the sealed laboratories. The room was chilly, for good reason. Two researchers were poring over a dead monkey on a slab. The monkey was wearing a yellow spandex costume, and had an energy rifle by his side. "This one is a bit concerning" he said, both worried and excited. "We don't really do research per se. We don't have projects per se. Our remit is to detect global threats caused by exotic science. Risk assessment, you could say. We, ah, subcontract the actual interventions, for the most part. A number of superheroes with scientific backgrounds have clearance with WEST, and are usually happy to help when there is a serious problem..." He went over to the corpse and sniffed. "As things go, this is not the worst, by any means. But it is baffling. Monkeys wearing armour and carrying energy weapons?"

GM W.E.S.T. had a complicated relationship with the various agencies and organisations aorund the world, and that included the Freedom League. However, given they were there to detect scientific anomalies that could threaten the world (and arguably, beyond), there was a general feeling that sharing information with them was a good thing. The nerves came from W.E.S.T sharing that information with others. "Confidentiality is a principle" agreed North. "But safety is another. I'm sorry...we don't broadcast our information in general, but if it comes down to the safety of the world or releasing information..." He shrugged his shoulders. It was a no-brainer. Just like in medicine, Confidentiality was not absolute. Dr North studied the MRI scanner. It was as he expected, and as Archeville had explained. He was no expert on the matter, but it was clear that whilst Archeville was not agressive, the systems there could be used offensively. It was a risk taking him in. But it was a risk not. Who knew when they might need him. "I hope you take the same principle with this headquarters. It is not exactly a secret, but on the other hand we prefer not to advertise it to the world" he explained. "Forgive my nerves" he added, leading Archeville into the building proper. "W.E.S.T was set up as an early detection system for scientific threats. You can imagine that you feature on that list. Very high up...." "The world is nervous. And whilst I have an open mind and a generous disposition, and am inclined to view you as a positive force, if the world is nervous, I tend to get so too...."

GM "Hello and welcome" replied North. He didn't shake hands, but he did give a friendly smile. He was a man of average build, in his fifties, with an excellent moustache and rather unfashionable glasses. He had the look of the seventies somehow - a cord jacket and shirt, but no tie. A little too heavy for this time of the year in this time of the world. He was sweating. He guided the Doctor into EAST politely. The WEST headquarters was much like WEST - small but expensive. It was largely built underground, and reinforced with titanium and more exotic and stronger alloys. Given what lay in its vault, given what went on its laboratories, this was wise. After all, why had it been placed in the most remote corner of the earth? It was air conditioned, clean, and full of glass. Some security guards and scientists could be seen - many were trying to get a peek at the (in)famous Doktor. And the Security guards kept their distance, nervous above their predisposition to nerves. The security was tight but the headquarters was not designed to fend off an army. Or even a stronger supervillain. In case of defined assault, it would simply burn all its research and samples. And given its position, nobody really wanted to do that. Its major threat was spies and thefts, not assault. And in this regard, security was tight. Scans, scans, and more scans. "If you would be so good? You understand the ah...nerves...." said North, asking Doctor Archeville to step into a full body MRI scan that was analysed by a machine intelligence. "Perhaps you could fill me in on your ah...history. Recent history, that is....whilst we just check you aren't going to explode or something...." His tone was actually fairly soft, fairly genial, and not above a bit of humour.

Reminder that @Exaccusand @RocketLordare up here!

ooc for this As with the normal issues of set up, a mix of railroading and narrative licence thrown at PCs!

GM April 4th Rapa Nui, W.E.S.T Headquarters A light rain had greeted Dr North as the WEST plane landed. He was not in a good mood, and the tepid precipitation suited. Now he was in the reinforced WEST headquarters on Rapa Nui, affectionately known as EAST. There was the usual reports of threats across the globe on his desk. Most of these didn't pan out to anything serious, or needed only further management by the other local or world authorities. An Ebola outbreak in Africa. A mutated Crocodile in New Orleans. Metaphasic radiation in Freedom City. The normal. The major problem was the reappearance of Doctor Archeville. And the threat he may or may not pose. To Doctor Norris North's educated mind, Doctor Archeville was a net neutral. He could solve as many problems as he created. He could save as many lives as he created. He harboured no particular distrust of the man or the personality, or any particular warmth either. It was a situation that should be managed, and by his estimation that meant diplomacy and investigation. That meant W.E.S.T. The world was most keen for W.E.S.T. to keep a heavy eye on Doctor Archeville and his experiments. They wanted, as normal, the impossible. All he could do was meet them halfway. He felt, like normal, that he was playing an impossible game of chess with mysterious new pieces. In any case, he had requested Doctor Archeville meet him at EAST. He would have to size up the risks and benefits of the man. He hoped very very much it would be less of the former, more of the latter... But if there was a hazard, he was prepared. And he had asked Delta to be on site. In case they needed some heavy blasters...

Toughness ROlls: 2#1d20+15 28 29 a tough cookie! Standard Action: Punch (All Out Attack) All Out Attack: 1d20+7 10 Bleh, I think I will use that HP to reroll. Attack Reroll: 1d20+7 11 with the +10 from HP reroll thats 21. I hope that hits! If so, its a DC 30 Tough Save. Ill wait for result of that before Move action / Post.

GM Jones was not smart, clearly, but he was not exactly a fool. Yet, however slim the prospect of helping Anna was (other than in the way of Revenge!) he could not pass up the chance. He gave a noncholant shrug, but behind the pose was a gleaming sliver of hope that shone over his face. The computer had security on it, of course, but Robin cut through the system like a knife through butter. She knew the flow of data and the stream of code. The problem was not the systems design, but the systems design. Or to put it another way, it was easy for her to get in, but once she was in, the system was a mess. The amount of data was immense, and poorly ordered. Finding anything of value here would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. With the smallest needle in the world, and the largest haystack. "Come on..." grumbled an impatient Jones. And not without reason - for the time was short, and reinforcements or some other reprisal was surely minutes away at best. "Boom boom, shake the room!" he grunted in a deep voice, taking out his brick of plastic explosives complete with home made (and rather well made) timer.

Flux Quill immediately tensed. Robed figures were remarkably ominious, in his opinion. They spoke of horrible cults and machevillian spies. And this only applied doubly for robed figures who faces (if indeed they had any faces) were in darkness. "I am not a Praetorian" he said, speaking for himself. Although he wondered if he was an honorary one or something. Was he being honest and truthful, or deceptively truthful? "We can't leave without knowing what is happening here" he said, earnestly. "No matter the danger of staying, there is double the danger of leaving without understanding" he summised. "If you want us to leave, help us understand..."