Updated 07/27/2006
Since they mentioned it. I thought I would bring it back.
Moon Hazard Zone. Level 45 - 50 Zone
Discovery
Mare Vaporum or Sea of Vapors as it is known in English is an area that is shrouded in mystery. For unknown reasons it maintains a temperate environment and a breathable atmosphere. The Atmosphere in the Mare Vaporum was first discovered in the late 1940s after the Second World War but was classified Eyes Only because of political tensions at the start of the cold war.
Exploration
The Mare Vaporum was finally explored, albeit in secret, by NASA during the 1960s, and a secret permanent base was established in the Mid 1970s. All contact to the base was lost during the late 1970s. Satellite surveillance showed the base in total disarray and Igneous like creatures roaming the grounds. The base and all personnel were written off as a loss. However, the United States Government and its Allies decided not to abandon the Sea of Vapors for Scientific, Political and Military reasons. A new landing site was selected at a more secure location and in the late 1980s Moon Base Beta was completed. Moon Base Beta was built with defense as a priority, and while it is primarily a scientific research station, Beta more closely resembles a fortress. To this day Beta is manned by a secret cadre of allied scientists, and astronauts and is protected by Task Force Beta a Top Secret military unit. With the advent of Teleportation, Personnel and Supplies are now routinely Teleported to Moon Base Beta.
Ecosystem
Scientific studies of the local ecosystem have convinced our experts that the atmospheric bubble that surrounds the Mare Vaporum has been in place for many centuries. The plant life, within the Sea of Vapors, appears to be terrestrial, and extraterrestrial in origin. In some areas the two differing flora genomes appear to coexist in harmony, while in others the terrestrial and extraterrestrial vegetation are in a constant state of war. These areas are extremely dangerous as the plants are constantly mutating into new and dangerous forms and attack anything that moves. Extreme caution is advised in these areas. The most dangerous of which is in a large crater in the center of the Sea of Vapors. This area has been dubbed the Valeron Valley. Moon Base Beta is slowly being encroached by the more hostile plant life. Task Force Beta patrols the area outside the base and is attempting to curtail the incursion of the hostile foliage. Task Force Beta is slowly being overwhelmed by the local vegetation and any help you can give them is welcomed.
Terrain
The Mare Vaporum is a huge area that varies from lush vegetation, to desert like conditions. The most dangerous part of the zone is Valeron Valley where Igneous, like creatures and many varieties of plants fight for dominance. The zone is overshadowed by the giant twin peaks of Sugar and Spice. Ancient buildings can be found throughout the entire zone.
Recent news
It has been recently discovered that the original moon base was taken over by the 5th Column in the late 1970s and has been in their hands ever since. The fighting and the explosions caused during the 5th Columns takeover caused cave-ins, which disturbed the Moon Igneous and forced them to the surface. The 5th Column units on the moon were cut off from the rest of the 5th column that were on earth when the war with the council took place, leaving the moon as the last bastion of the 5th column. Military Intelligence believes that the 5th Column is building their strength in secret to over throw the Council back on earth. 5th Column patrols can be found fighting with Moon Igneous in the area surrounding the base. It is a hazardous area where an unwary hero could easily stumble upon on going battles between the 5th Column and Moon Igneous, or into traps set by either group.
Arch-Villain
A new 5th Column Arch-Villain living in the original base. (A kill all mission) Retake Base Alpha!
An Igneous Arch-Villain living in the Caves near the original base. (A find the missing object mission) Find the Missing Satellite!
New Story Arc
With thanks to Weisse_Sturm for giving me the idea Really, I don't see anyone better to build a giant planet-threatening laser than the 5th. Freaking Nazis, always doing stuff like that. - Weisse_Sturm Story-Arc: Starts out small something like defeat 50 Nazis to gather information. You discover they have been working on a top secret project for years, but are unable to find out where they are working on it. But you do discover the location of a cave of Moon Igneous. After defeating all Igneous in the cave (By the way these Igneous are upgraded. They can climb cave walls and ceilings, and drop onto unwary visitors) you discover the remnants of a Nazi research station. Your contact is able to tell you that it appears that the Nazis were doing Laser research. Take down another 50 Nazis, and you are directed toward another research outpost. This time you must travel deep within Valeron Valley the most dangerous jungle in the Sea of Vapors. Fight your way through the jungle to the old Research Station. Find all the clues left behind by the staff when it was abandoned. You discover the location of the laser. Its being built in a side cavern along the wall of the Sea of Vapors. Find it and destroy it. Its defended by guards and pill boxes, take them out and then take out the Laser.
Taskforce
With special thanks to Soltares for some new Ideas. (I have in mind something like an Ancient Alien artifact that Causes the Mare Vaporum to have a livable environment) Discover the secrets of the Mare Vaporum - Several tasks, The first of which is to find out what the 5th Column has been working on in a hidden lab. A kill all mish, which ends when each team member has collected one of the items the 5th Column was working on. (each team member would have to collect an experimental alien tech Atmospheric Belt, much like in the Terra Volta Reactor core for the mission to end) You discover that the 5th Column has uncovered some of the alien atmosphere sustaining technology, and have taken samples of it, and have discovered the location of several ancient alien bases located outside of the atmospheric bubble. Your contact has directed you use the Atmospheric Belts to explore each of the alien bases outside the Mare Vaporum on the lifeless surface of the moon.
The bases contain a new race of aliens that appear to have been here for a very long time. The aliens seem to go into a state of hibernation or suspended animation when caught in a vacuum. Some sort of accident a long time ago caused the Atmospheric bubble to shrink to its present size. All the aliens caught outside the Atmospheric bubble went into hibernation awaiting to be awakened by the fist trace of an atmosphere. This race of aliens appears to have been kidnapping people from the earth using Teleportation for hundreds if not thousands of years. Each base contains several ancient humans being held in suspended animation chambers. Your job, defeat all the aliens, rescue the humans and bring them back to the atmospheric bubble of the Mare Vaporum. You must keep them close to you so they remain within the atmospheric bubbles created by your belts when you take them to the bubble. (History Badge - Ancient Knowledge: If you rescue all the ancient humans you discover facts about the past never known before.)
Final Mission your contact has been able to decipher the alien language and has discovered the whereabouts of an extremely powerful Teleportation device capable of transmitting people across interstellar distances. Your task is to defeat all aliens in the base and to disable the device before it can be used to call reinforcements from their home planet. Unfortunately, the return of breathable atmosphere to the base has caused the hibernating aliens within it to awaken as well, ravenous for food after their long slumber...
Im thinking about a nice battle like in the Terra Volta Reactor Core only youre the one trying to destroy the core / Teleporter with awakened aliens coming in waves trying to stop you from destroying the Teleportation device, and a few waves coming from the aliens home planet via the Teleportation Device.
Upon completion of the Taskforce You find a nice souvenir, a book written in alien script entitled To Serve Man.
Travel Power Suppression.
The mysterious energy that causes the temperate environment and a breathable atmosphere in the Sea of Vapors also cancels out all travel powers (make the high level Heroes trudge through the Hazard Zone just like the low levels have to do in the Hollows). Upon the completion of the Taskforce you get a special artifact that counters this effect (Allows you to use your travel powers again).
Special Powers
Lower Gravity - Everyone has a temporary power that allows you to jump much higher than on the earth. (I believe the programming and physics could be worked out quite nicely, perhaps adding some extra knockback to attacks also).
Badges
Astronaut Badge - You arrived on the moon. (Located right inside of the Teleporter)
Cosmonaut Badge - You found the missing satellite. . (You found a crashed Russian Satellite)
Monolith - You discovered an alien artifact. (Located on a Large Black Monolith)
Spaceman Badge - You discovered the secrets of the Moon. (History badge, you read about the First landing site, The First hero on the moon, Hostile plant life, etc)
Sugar and Spice Badge you have climbed both the mountains Sugar and Spice (awarded upon reading the plaque on the top of both mountains)
Moon Man you have spent 20 hours on the moon (awarded upon staying 20 hours on the moon. )
Flora Badge - you have stopped the encroachment of the hostile Vegetation. . (Kill 500 hostile plants)
Moon Igneous - You discovered the Secret of the Moon Igneous. . (Kill 500 Moon Igneous)
Alpha Badge - You have found out how the 5th Column took over the original base. (kill 100 5th Column)
Laser Badge you have destroyed a giant planet-threatening laser (awarded upon completion of the Laser Story Arc)
Accolades
Moon Accolade - You have completed the Moon Task Force (gives you the power to use your travel powers again)
I would love to hear any suggestions and ideas from you for new badge ideas.
Footnotes
Why I picked Igneous.
The Igneous are only in the hollows as it stands now. I was thinking it would be fairly simple to upgrade them and put them on the moon, and make the zone level 45 - 53 or higher. Other monster groups are in several zones so having some of them on the moon seemed like a good idea. I was thinking that since they are Moon Igneous their powers could be a bit different too. Perhaps cold or, radiation based for the bosses and or the Lieutenants.
The reason for wanting to suppressing travel powers.
Suppressing travel powers would make traveling from one place on the zone to another a bit more of a challenge for what heroes of this range level are used to, and I believe it would enhance the overall enjoyment of the zone. Allowing them to get up close and personal with all the hazards that are available. (Now who would want to miss that?) As stated this is only temporary until the Task Force is completed.
I would like to thank everyone who helped come up with some of these ideas.
Let me know what you think.
