Kobold King

Then Backtrack jokes about seeing the twins in bikinis AND ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. I got the impression that the attack happened too quickly for a citywide reaction to be coordinated. But I was thinking: if Backtrack used his power to watch Quicksilver carry out the assault, peaking into his mind to see what thoughts were going through his head, could he help Vondra track down Quicksilver's base?

While a comforting thought, he already doesn't rely on his resurrection and is actually fairly paranoid about staying out of harm's way. ...I actually want to do this now. Somehow, someway. And the conversation ends with her telling him to "duck." Awesome. Now I just need to figure out how to write "and then the truck took them into town" in a way that sounds vaguely interesting.

0.o I estimate thirty seconds before Lightwards drowns her in a tar pit before trying to turn the entire city into poison gas. And I estimate one minute before double-impulsive, PTSD Funtimes amasses the zombie horde to end all zombie hordes. ...It would not go over very well for anyone involved.

Granted, but you will eat nothing but toothpaste for every other meal. I wish for a copy of every book in the world.

Just an idea I was toying with--I'm not sure how powerful it would be in practice. I was just imagining how different characters would react to suddenly having their powers switched in mid-combat--for instance, Voidgaze suddenly finding herself teleporting around at random, while Sightline starts destroying every white object in the area. Neither Epic has the practice it takes to use the other's powers, so their efficiency as a fighting force would be significantly compromised. The Minor Epic Empire does have an awful lot of heavy-hitters, doesn't it? We really need to start killing them off. I think there are reinforcements being called in from across the city, especially heavy infantry units and police Epics. They'd surround the area, clear out civilians, then focus their efforts on terminating the attackers.

I've suspected before that Funtimes had bad experiences that fed into her desire to be well-loved. I hope her backstory wasn't too traumatic. (Off-topic, but what would everyone think of a meta-Epic working for the MEE? I was imagining someone capable of scrambling powers between several different Epics, sowing confusion amongst coordinated groups and throwing enemy strike teams into disarray.)

Maybe she could be at the Church when Backtrack and the twins show up? She is a minister, after all. Every church needs a minister, even if it's been turned into a soulless office building with Reader in it. "Have I ever told you how cute you are when you tinker with the structural integrity of matter?"

Well, once news of Quicksilver's attack on the command post reaches his ears, Baxter might be one of the medics sent to give emergency first-aid. (I really didn't anticipate a full-blown attack this early in the RP. With an assault on this caliber, Vondra might send Arsenal and a battalion of tanks to the location.) TwiLyght, did you have any ideas for how to introduce Autumn Glass?

I like it! I've been trying to come up with some piece of constructive criticism to justify this post's existence, but I have a hard time finding any flaws. So, score to you. The interactions between Susan and Whitelaw are very interesting to see, and there have been enough tantalizing hints about the world to make me hunger for more detailed information. As a wise man once said, "moar plz."

You mean Sam and Revolution? They definitely have ponies. Somewhere. Right-o, I'll get Lightwards and Sam viewpoints up later. EDIT: What the soldier is actually thinking: "Oh sparks she just showed skin! What if she's some kind of skin-showing Epic who kills you by showing skin!? OH CALAMITY I'M GOING TO DIE."

Muahahaha... uh, I mean, how sweet of you to say that. Sam and Revolution, maybe? Otherwise they'll go try to strike up a conversation with Remington Springfield. Shall we pick up the Lightwards/Lucentia conversation at the tailor's shop?

Alright, fair point. I'm heading to bed now--just letting you know why you won't be hearing from me for eight hours or so.

I was thinking that Backtrack and the twins might be told to wait on a bench inside the Church, and that Backtrack would get bored waiting for Reader to come out. While bored, he would then peak into the building's past and see Koschei again. Would that work? (Something terrifying to consider from Backtrack's point of view: Backtrack doesn't know Koschei is dead. For all he knows, this lunatic is still running around the city somewhere. )

That sounds fine to me. I like both Lizard and Ironmonger, by the way. They're both pretty awesome. Quota is a heartless, soulless cremling for preventing me from upvoting this. I laughed out loud in a sleeping household.

We've got more resurrection Epics than I could reliably count. Lightwards, Voidgaze, Penumbra, Koschei, Timeport... I'm certain I'm forgetting some. As a side note, Lightwards will be really ticked off when he realizes that out of all these resurrection Epics, he's the only one who suffers negative effects from dying.

Oh good. Timeport's an awful person, but having him die right now would seem a bit anti-climatic. I find that I quite enjoyed Reader's first POV. He's clearly one of the most useful Epics in town... but also one of the most obnoxious to be around. He'll be a very interesting character to watch, I think.

...Does Timeport have a resurrection power I've forgotten about, or did this actually just happen? I have a feeling that the CM war will be thinning the game's ranks by quite a number.

Up to you--if you think a post detailing his basic situation and personality would fit before he actually has something to do, then I'd say go for it. Lightwards would admire Koschei's commitment to a cause and his determination in the face of adversity. If they ever met in person they'd probably try to murder each other, but Lightwards would view Koschei's display in the farmhouse with respect rather than disgust. Backtrack's interactions with the twins are a good example of how his characterization is progressing. He doesn't have a lot of respect for them as human beings--not yet, at any rate. But he does harbor a degree of affection for them that goes beyond mere lewdness, towards MV in particular. If the twins keep their current temperament, they could very well be lights to guide him back to the man he once was. If they let Calamity corrupt them absolutely, however... well, it would make redemption a much rockier road for poor Backtrack. One thing's for certain: this is going to be very interesting.

Maybe I'm just as crazy as you are, but I've also been growing a steady fondness for him. I guess it's coming out in the writing. That's not to say he doesn't have some serious flaws. Remember, this is the same man who sold out Sam's family to save his own skin. He doesn't commit random brutal atrocities everywhere he goes, but he is still an Epic and is thus subject to Calamity's corruption. I do think he has a shot at redemption, though. Steve Lawrence was a good man. A socially awkward and reclusive man, but at heart a good man. His knowledge of Nighthound and Koschei is re-awakening that part of him--even at his worst, he isn't nearly as bad as they are/was. There's also the fact that his redemption would counter-balance Lightwards' moral event horizon rather nicely.

Oh, he's awesome. Mean and badchull already.

This had been one rollercoaster of a day. Backtrack slowly followed behind the twins, keeping his hands well over his head so as not to annoy the men with guns. There were quite a few men with quite a few guns. Backtrack swallowed as he looked them over. These weren't the confused yokels with shotguns he'd been picturing; they had the air and weaponry of professional warriors. His power made it clear that most of the dozen soldiers had been in Afghanistan or Iraq in the past few decades. What seemed to be the leader had all three Epics locked with a stern glare. "Names and species," he ordered harshly. "Um, right," Backtrack replied nervously. "I'm Backtrack. I'm an Epic. This is Impact and MV. Also Epics." The leader nodded as if he'd already suspected such. "You are all under the custody of The Dalles City Guard," he declared. "You will enter the back of the convoy and submit to your transportation. If you attempt to escape or harm any citizen of The Dalles, you will be terminated. If you--" "Listen," Backtrack interjected pleadingly. "We haven't done anything. We're just passing through, right? We've never even been here before--" "You will be silent while your instructions are being passed," the leader interrupted, his fingers seeming to twitch by his gun's trigger. "You were caught breaking and entering within The Dalles territory. We're not light on criminals around here. Not even Epics." "Understandable," Backtrack interjected again. "But look, nobody even lives here. Koschei cleared it out years ago." From the looks on the soldiers' faces, he'd said entirely the wrong thing. "If you've never been here before," the leader said softly, his eyes dangerous, "then how do you know Koschei the Deathless hit this farmhouse?" The smart thing to say, a part of him realized, would have been to explain he had an Epic power which let him see the past. Instead, he found himself saying completely the wrong thing again. "We know a lot of things," Backtrack said pompously. "We're Epics, buddy boy. We really don't even have to listen to you--" "Place yourself in the convoy." "We haven't even done anything, this is completely absurd--" "Get in the truck or you will be terminated." "...Yes sir." Lieutenant Mitchins watched as the prisoners loaded themselves into the back of the convoy. The Epics were remarkably well-behaved, considering. They'd never before captured Epics without at losing at least a man or so on the job. Capturing a trio without even having to fire a shot... Shaking his head and shrugging off his paranoia, he pulled a radio out of his pocket and broadcast into town. "Lieutenant Mitchins to the Church," he spoke into the device. "Patrol has apprehended three Epics in Sector B. Returning to Church--have Reader at the ready." The soldier at the other end spoke in the affirmative, and Mitchins pocketed the radio. It really was remarkable how cooperative the Epics were. The one had mouthed off to them, but they hadn't even attacked. He really wasn't sure what to make of it. This was either a lucky break, or their worst mistake yet.

"You want to know what happened in Oregon? I'll tell you what happened in Oregon! NATHAN SPERRY HAPPENED TO OREGON!" ^ Nathan + nervous breakdown + Intervention. ^

I like that idea. Let's call it a canon. (Thanks. Poor Nathan. He gets all the wackos and ominous bits of foreshadowing. )

Maybe it could be an office... with a memorial plaque outside of it? That's all I can think of. Or perhaps Reader just likes visiting the memorial for some reason. Backtrack might be motivated by a pure trainwreck mentality. Powerless to keep himself from repeatedly exposing himself to the horror. (Finally got around to posting Aldo's story in the Oregon thread. As I warned you, it's got a hefty dash of meta in it.)