First post of the new year is about endings. Specifically, the first “campaign” arc of Even Heroes Bleed has concluded with a tacit acknowledgment of the fact opposed to some earth-shattering conclusion or epic battle. In a sense, perfect for the moment.
Perfect in some significant changes have come to the campaign
city because of the PCs actions and there are numerous plot hooks and adventure
seeds trembling in the breeze waiting for the PCs to pursue. In no small order they
are,
1. What is going on with Starhold? Two weeks ago saw
the tragic loss of the Starhold shuttle during a regularly scheduled flight to
the orbiting prison. Without a space shuttle for transport any EEs charged with
criminal activity will have to be imprisoned on earth and earthly facilities
have not been thoroughly tested against EE powers and capabilities. The
recently defeated Troll is an example of such a conundrum. He is currently
being shipped to the Starhold downport facility. Hopefully the building and
personnel will be sufficient to keep the criminal EE incarcerated. Also, the passenger
on board the shuttle when it exploded was not a nobody. It was the son of Dr.
McKeever, the missing scientist on the federally funded COVID-24 task force and
now believed to be an EE himself called Metereon (Me-ter-on). Knockout was also
a member of the research team, and she is still missing, fate unknown.
Codename Wolf, McKeever’s son was carrying an alien meteor
shard. The shard, found during an EE operation, was gaining mass hourly and
Wolf was the only person capable of lifting it and moving it around. It was decided
by the Feds the safest place for it was in the weightlessness of space on
Starhold. With the shuttle explosion it can only be assumed the alien meteor
shard will return to earth’s surface.
2. What is going to be the fate of BAM! addicts? With
no more access to the drug these drug sufferers are experiencing terrible
withdrawal and lashing out murderously. This would not be more then a mental
health crisis but for the fact some addicts violently explode while others have
gained enhanced abilities. Murderous drug fiends with superpowers loose on the
streets may end up Capitol City’s worst problem yet.
3. What will the mayor do? Mayor Umpstead has
declared all EE’s illegal within city limits, and he is aware the PCs know he
is behind the arsons and real estate scam. Can he really maintain a truce with the
PCS and conduct business as normal? One must think not.
4. What will replace the Baltimore? Bug had secured
the North Elmview slum as a haven for the homeless, off limits to criminals and
cops. Now that it is in ashes where will Bug and Mettle take their homeless
wards?
5. Where did the black helicopter come from in this last
episode? Yes, the classic black helicopter paid a visit over Endgame’s
hideout launching Hellfire missiles and reducing the building to smoldering
rubble. Military grade for sure, but who is pulling the strings on this weapon
of death? And did Endgame survive the attack?
And finally, 5. What is up with those weird creatures
from the first episode? You know, Creepazoid, Backtrack, and Leatherneck?
Bug is convinced these strange beings are more victims than evil aggressors and
our hero is wanting to find them and find out more about them. It will take a journey
into the sewers of Capitol City to find answers to these questions.
I still need to catch up on the last two episodes but this has been my favorite podcast by far and I look forward to hearing how the arc closes. I've been following since Spring of last year right when Bug and Mettle came on and you switched to MEGS. It's been inspiration listening to a bunch of similarly aged folks play a comic book super hero RPG in earnest. In fact, your podcast rekindled my motivation and I'm currently running a three-shot of Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game (the one with the cards) for the first time in 22 years. So thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteVery happy to hear you can feel the pulse underlying the game, that all three of us at the table are stretching to get the most from our game and try to roleplay in character as much as is not nauseating and maintain "fidelity" with the genre. I like how you say 'earnest'. Captures the spirit of the group, we may not be masters of the craft but we sure can give it a good go. I know I have been challenged as a referee to unfreeze my mind when new relationships need to be created.
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