[OOC] Screaming Metal Vagabonds [M&M 3E] (Recruiting Closed)

[pathfinderq1]

hope he is okay.

[RainOnTheSun]

Nothing for it but to wait, I guess. Hope he's alright.

[Davies]

Okay. It's been two weeks without him checking in. While all of you put up with a month of silence (and a really dumb joke post) from me, I was signing in regularly and making posts elsewhere. That's not the case with MacynSnow. I probably should have asked for your e-mails when I gave you mine.

So now what? I'll admit that I'm not crazy about playing Wissen for the remainder of the adventure, and then having him replaced for whatever reason in the next (though I do have a prepared mechanism for bringing in a new character.) Trying to do that when another player disappeared killed one of my earlier campaigns. But if you want to continue, I'll give it a try.

Your thoughts, please.

(If this seems terse, please forgive me, but the death of Kentaro Miura, one of my favorite manga authors, has just been announced, and I'm not in a cheerful mood.)

[Flynnarrel]

I'm... unsure. I definitely wouldn't want Wissen NPC'ed.

I like playing Trent/Praxis and was/am looking forward to their 'arc'.

Continuing long term with the current roster doesn't seem feasible (though we could certainly play the current situation out). I'd vote risk recruiting to go forward.

[pathfinderq1]

I am also unsure- I know that trying to replace a player can be very hit-or-miss.

Let me think on this a bit further- this week is turning out to be a bit more challenging than I would like...

[RainOnTheSun]

Looking for new applicants could be interesting. I'm game for it.

[Davies]

Okay. Here's what was going to happen.

As you reach the assembly, Sharana asks Pok' to be the one to present their case, assisted by Wissen's holographic projections of the evidence, because she believes that Pok' has the right combination of voice and personality to do this. In order to ensure that your words are not taken as being from those who are partisans of her cause, Sharana formally resigns the throne before you make your presentation. (Nereus, having somewhat recovered from his injuries, is also present for all of this, but takes no role.)

When Mellineas is accused, she takes it calmly, pointing out that anyone could write a name on a piece of paper and shove it into someone's mouth. She says this even if you didn't mention where you found the paper, giving the game away. When finally caught, she admits to it, claiming that she did it to end the influence of the Oracles on Hesperan society, since Sharana wasn't doing it fast enough and she didn't believe Nzarde would achieve it either. If pressed in the right way, she further admits that she was working with Talante's adviser.

Talante is utterly outraged by all of this, especially the fact that she was just brought in as a distraction. While she wants to blame Sharana for the corruption of Hesperan society that has led to this point, she is now sure that the rot goes too deep for her to do anything about. Depending on your choices, she might try and kill the adviser who brought her to this era, or might just storm away from the city telling anyone who still tries to follow her to go to hell.

Nzarde is disgraced by her association with Mellineas, and has no choice but to withdraw her candidacy to be Queen. That leaves Hespera without any prospective leader -- having resigned, Sharana cannot resume the throne. Ashaka produces a letter from the Oracles that she was given some time ago that is supposed to reveal the process by which new Oracles can be initiated, and becomes an Oracle through mysterious means. She then declares that Najobe is the new queen. Najobe is stunned, but agrees to take the Queenship if Sharana will be her adviser.

Her first act as Queen is to sentence Nzarde to indefinite exile from Hespera. Sharana asks you to give her apologies to the Powerhouse, but it seems her journey as Basilea has reached its end. She gives her shield to Nzarde, who accompanies you in heartbroken silence, and bids you all farewell as you leave through the teleporter.

Back at the Argo, when confronted about hiding the truth about Paragon, he claims to have no knowledge of any data purge ... and suspects that Darkwing may have done this unilaterally. Regardless, if you are still willing to work with the Powerhouse, he'll do his best to answer any questions you might have. At that point, Blakestone arrives through the teleporter in a foul mood, having just been kicked out of the Ultra Girls, and is told that Yenova is now under her mentorship. "You hate me, don't you?" she asks Paragon, and that's where the chapter ends.

[Flynnarrel]

Very cool story! I can only imagine you had equally as intricate plots at the other destinations the PCs could have chosen to go to. Brilliant work!

[Davies]

I'll probably reveal what happened in Bhutan and Portland on the setting timeline this weekend.

[RainOnTheSun]

How about that! Nearly a witch's apprentice. Oh, well, running a message board game is hard even under the best of circumstances. It was fun while it lasted.