Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Tales from the League Universe III: The Eschaton Plot (Cypher System)

 Here's the outline of the base plot that kicked off the campaign:

Scenario: The Eschaton Plot

Doctor futurity has returned from a long absence to find the world is missing heroes. Since the League disbanded after the 1988 Event in New York, heroes have been on the decline. He has paired with Agent Alan Morn with the Metahuman Intelligence Agency (MIA) to track down why metahumans have been disappearing in recent years, particularly after the disappearance of the entire team known as the Agents of Steel, led by the infamous power house Talbot Steel, along with Tachyon (daughter of the original), Blackfire, Silver Fox and Legend.

The Agents of Steel:

Talbot Steel – Level 7 – strongest man alive, and oldest; an adventurer of the pulp era turned warrior of the future

Tachyon – Level 5 – alias Alana Kincaid, fastest woman alive, and inheritor of her mother’s speed genes.

Blackfire – level 6 – alias Albert Morgan, wields the power of the darkforce and was once a villain before breaking the mental grip of the Necromancer.

Silver Fox – Level 6 – cybernetic soldier and successor to the Silver Fox line, Alicia Fox uses the best Mystech industries has to offer to battle crime.

Legend – Level 7 – Claiming to be the disposed Immortal Soldier of Roman times, Legend fights to redeem an ages old curse. Goes by the name Chris Long. Uses a magic spear.

Last Seen:

Talbot Steel: he was last seen during a visit to the UN to make a speech for humanitarian aid to Burundi. He stopped to prepare off stage, and suddenly was gone; suspicion: captured by teleportation of some sort.

Tachyon: teaches in her alias at a local college in upstate New York. Disappeared while in her office, no evidence of a struggle. Area is saturated with evidence of tachyon particles.

Blackfire: was in the middle of a fight with The Demon (allegedly) when he disappeared. Finding the Demon can reveal that Blackfire was attacked by four insectoid things which teleported in and out with him just as quickly.

Silver Fox: on a mission in deep space with Project Xenon and Captain Leyland Dare to establish relations with the Centauri Flotilla at the edge of the solar system. She is somehow captured while on the Centauri diplomatic ship, leading to an incident when Dare assumes the Centauroids are responsible. The Centauroids claim it was the Wraiths, but only footage reveals four alien bugs teleporting her out.

Legend: so far not located, and whether he’s gone missing or is simply choosing not to be found is an uncertainty. His ex-wife, Abigail Long, claims he has traveled to the legendary Devil’s Graveyard. Futurity can send them there….

Prologue:

Dr. Futurity finds his new agents, his new “League,” in advance of the Operatives of Project Titan who are looking to capture new recruits. Of the ones gathered, one will be in the middle of an attempted capture….

An elite team of 5 soldiers and 1 elite soldier (Corporal Vance Hunter), the intent is to capture, not kill. One agent, Alicia Dawson, will try to approach the PC first and talk them in to surrender, explaining that Project Titan is an independent Peacekeeping Force intent on establishing World Order through parahuman means. If that fails…or when the allies arrive….the soldiers close in!

The rest of the recruits are, after the issue is resolved, teleported by Futurity to New York where they are suddenly inside the Halls of the Old League, now a historical site, and Futurity explains that they must discern the fate of the Agents of Steel. Futurity suspects one of the following, noting that wherever they are, they disappeared from the future timeline as well:

--Wraith Plot (the Wraiths are alien shapeshifters, known enemies of the League in the past and the Agents now)

--Project Titan has somehow spirited them away (unlikely; he has ways of seeing what they are up to)

--The forces of Chrome, an old enemy of Talbot Steel could have a hand in this

--An unknown (though the presence of the Centauri Flotilla raises alarm at the coincidence)

He suggests investigating each location. However, he also explains that he is limited in his ability to interfere; ever since the incident with the Cthonian Rising of New York in 1988 his ability to directly intercede in the world’s threats has been limited by pact with the Cthonians. He will, however, provide them with a small metal disc they can use to communicate with him and through which they can teleport to new locations.

Artifact:

Dr. Futurity’s Aportation Disc – Level 7

Can carry up to 7 individuals to any location they know, or at the direction of Dr. Futurity. Allows for radio-like communication via telepathy with Futurity at any distance on the planet, or in the neighboring Interstitial Dimensions.

Investigating Each Scene:

The UN Location: reveals the least information. Bathed in irradiating particles suggesting an emission of radiation, could be anything. May attract the attention of armed guards.

Buffalo, NY College: lots of residual tachyon particles, but there appears to be a strange interference pattern with the right sensors. Evidence of objects and locations on campus moving backward or forward in time at strange rates can be found. Another investigator, the monster named Adam, is also investigating (he was friends with Tachyon).


NEXT: Adam!

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