Pious

Phew, that's good to hear. I was begining to think the worst. The speed is 2.5 MBPS, yes, and the providers are Sky Broadband, comes at an affordable package with Sky+ HDTV. So you reckon the game only uses 10 KBPS, that's a relief man. I don't do background downloads anyway, so it seems I should be fine. I should imagine I won't constantly be loosing WiFi signal like I do with this crappy T-Mobile broadband dongle.

I got a quote from my new internet provider and they're saying my line only handles 2.5 MB of download speed because the new house is located in the middle of nowhere, too far away from the Telephone Exchange or Telecom Exchange, whatever they call it. So the burning question is, does anybody know what that will mean for City of Heroes game performance. Will I suffer long loading times or recurring lag or anything like that, due to download speed. I got like 1GB RAM so that's not a problem. But at my old house, I was able to play on 8MB speed. The reason I'm asking is just so I know roughly what to expect when I agree to the final installation. Any advice appreciated, thanks.

The scent of spandex followed a speeding blur of black as the young reverend returned to the crime scene in super speed. "Hey" said Pious, embracing his wife in a hug. "The media disaster's been averted like in my dream, but the main crisis is just around the corner. You alright?"

Thanks Ken, I look forward to reading your work. I'm working on #5 now, should be ready soon.

When I came to, I couldn't remember anything beyond the past few minutes but somehow, my uniform had been drenched in sewage. My radio just about managed to pick up the distress call. Something about the coroner's office being under terrorist attack. I shook off the urge to arrest all those god damn psychics, I'm not stupid, I knew one of 'em had done something to me, but there wasn't time to build a case. "You know what, you ugly suckers can go fight your own battles, I got a morgue under zombie attack to deal with. In this messed up town, I wouldn't be surprised if your dead brothers were the ones back up and clobbering. Alright, come on boys, lets get the hell outta here. We got another crisis to deal with."

Okay people, sadly, Beyond Reach is living up to his name lately so in order to push on with the story Death in Skyway City, a new villain will emerge. All the best to the Lost, who are out to avenge the deaths of their brothers, good luck to the police and the same to the heroes assisting them. See you in the roleplays!

Hey guys. I've been gone a couple of weeks now. My internet should be up on the 18th. Any new NWA plots?

Hey guys, thanks for all the kind response. I'm over a week late with this reply, sorry about that. My internet connection should be up again by mid-June and man I can't wait. I'm getting withdrawal symptoms here.

((Sorry guys, in the middle of moving houses. My internet should be reinstalled by early June))

Something came over me quite suddenly, a voice in my head soothing me to sleep, urging me to lower my weapon. I felt somewhat compelled to take a quick nap in the warmth of the sewerage and before I could stop myself, I had holstered my weapon and climbed down into the murky waters, curled up onto my side, eyes closed and fast asleep. Psychics. I hate psychics.

*****

A blur of black spandex zipped in and out of the canal, collecting bodies at super speed and dumping them across town, at the morgue. As the young preacher known as the Priest hauled the last of the corpses down for examination, he noticed that the bodies did indeed have no visible wounds. He looked up and questioned a member of the forensics team about the cause of death. The forensic scientist had a strained and overworked look on his face, but managed to give an answer. "They all died of extreme brain damage, sir, cerebral overload" he explained. "That kind of pressure can only be inflicted by a psychic, a very powerful and dangerous one."

*****

Meanwhile, back in the underground sewer network, an Aberrant Rector mutate lumbered into the tunnel, looking satisfied with himself, having disabled the armed police officer. He directed his gaze towards the collection of investigative heroes. "We won't be fighting today" came a deep voice, booming from beneath his moving slits that might have been a mouth once. "Your city has been disturbed but it is my friends and family who are being killed. If you are willing to help us find the killer, you have my word, you shan't be harmed. We have his scent, he is sitting above ground, at a diner. We need to move fast, are you with us, or not?"

Good news people. I've finished issue 4 of the PRIEST stories, where Pious is asked to join the Art of War as a specialist, against Arachnos's new agent Pistol and engage in deadly warfare! Comments please. Enjoy! LINK!

A black sub urban vehicle skidded to a halt outside a Steel Canyon shop front. Bullets shot out through the car's open windows, tearing at the shop walls. Pedestrians screamed for help, scuttling out of harms way as quickly as their little feet could take them. Some were falling over each other only to scramble back up and run faster. Five pairs of glossy leather shoes emerged from the car doors and landed elegantly on the concrete pavements. Five men in long leather trenchcoats haad stepped out of the SUV, brandishing modified machine guns. "The Gang is here!" one bellowed. "Everybody cower in fear" came the response, followed by a lobby of explosive clips which destroyed the entire shop facade, bringing down the structural pillars in a cloud of chaos and destruction.

I am eager to finish and release this next issue for your viewing pleasures but life has been positively yet frantically busy this past couple weeks, with work and moving houses. I hope to have #4 published by the end of the month. Thanks all readers.

<--- Long time fan of your work. I am repeatedly impressed by your style, it is simply awesome art. I look forward to the growing narrative. Which by the way is also excellently told.

I radioed in the discovery of the Lab Bunny and left the documentation work to the guys back at the station. "We need you to stop whatever you're doing and give us a helping hand. We're down here in pursuit of a suspect, what are your skills Lab Bunny?" I asked, without stopping. I kept moving deeper into the tunnel, sidearm and torch poised. That's when I heard the voices, coming from the adjacent tunnels. I heard hurried footsteps coming our way, getting louder and louder. I spun round with my torch and noticed a man-sized hole in the walls, crawling with mutated Lost.

Which villain group havve you contacted? Maybe I can help you get in touch with them. As for Pocket D, getting ignored happens alot, not just when you're new but also as a veteran. It doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong at all so don't be disheartened. Look at it as it happen in real life. In a big crowd, at a bar, or in a pub, nobody really notices you. Unless you find another person who is alone, go to him or her and say "hello, come here often" as a chat up line, I mean, start-up line, then "so what do you do for a living" as a conversation follow-up. Better luck socialising tonight, have fun.

The bad news is that there is liittle to none, sorry. The good news is, there are plenty on the Union server. Somebody should have told you that Union is the unofficial roleplaying server man. Come join us, we'll welcome you to our action-packed drama-rich Union Universe!

Welcome to the Union Universe. There are a handful of very good villain groups out there. Here is a list of those I know, with brief descriptions of what I think the teams stand for and roughly what their numbers are. Read their Handbook supergroup profile pages for how to contact them.

The Corporation are quite simply top of the market mercenaries who will get the job done for the right price. They're not just guns and muscles though, they have good characters all round and interesting action dramas. I would have to hazard a guess at 44 members with 16 core players. Technology characters are popular.

Court of the Blood Countess is a massive nest of monsters of all kinds. Literally. They have ghosts, witches, vampires, demons, zombies, great big mutated freaks and everything else that goes bump in the night. All of them in allegiance to a powerful vampire witch, the Blood Countess. I can guess their roster at 82 members with maybe 18 core players. Magic characters are popular.

The Cadre is a small secret organization operating from a stripclub in Port Oakes. They work as agents of a hidden master known only as Mr Mason but on his off days, the gang operate as freelance criminals. Probably a roster of 24 with 12 core players. Mutant characters seem to be most popular.

The Hyenas are a rag tag assortment of monster hunters making money from the capture, or extermination of the various strange creatures that plague the Rogue Isles and Paragon City. It's a small gig with probably 4 core members from a roster of 12. Natural characters seem most popular.

The Dusk Spiders was originally created by loyalists Doctor Bolt and Omega Chief as a semi-rogue Arachnos unit but has evolved over time to become a mostly autonomous Arachnos division. I would hazard a guess at 12 core members from a roster of 32. Wouldn't be surprised if Science characters were most popular.

New World Alliance however is a global coalition of villains currently being set up by the chaos-monger Dr Edward Mechano. With help from me, this alliance is set to function by communicating on an in-game global channel. It is basically a gathering of ideas, visions and opinions of all the characters across the Union Universe who wish to benefit from chaos and destruction.

What is not known or at least rumoured, is that behind the scenes, there is a lot of political influence and exterterrestrial interferances involved, much of it linked in with the secret sect, the Midnight Illuminati who are said to bent on moulding a new world order upon Earth.

So far we have four villain groups in agreement and several other bad guys interested in sharing their doomsday plans and resources. We think it will be a major plot device for community-wide roleplaying and zone events and you're welcome to join us, regardless of which supergroup you're working with.

If you later decide to join the fletchling heroes of Paragon City, here are some very good teams I know. hope this helps you get a better picture of the Union Universe. Have fun, see you on the islands!

Guardians of the Earth are a small team of brave and mighty sentinels, based in space orbit, guarding the planet from local and intergalactic threats. From a growing roster of 12 heroes, there are currently 4 core members.

The Militia is a team of citizens who volunteer to defend the city from crime, gangs, outlaws and terrorists threats. From a roster of 26 heroes, there are currently 18 core members. Mutant characters are popular.

New Heroes Union is a collection of heroes who strive to protect our dimension from domestic and alien threats. From a growing roster of 82 heroes, there are currently 28 core members. Magic characters are popular.

Art of War is a group of highly trained warriors from England who now use their skills for global operations. This group mainly plays out-of-character and only a few members are roleplayers. From a growing roster of 84 heroes, there are currently 18 core members. Science characters are popular.

Unity Vigil is an organization formed to help heroes and provide a networking group to liaise with government and non-government organizations. I'm not a member of this team so I can only approximate a number of 12 core members, and hazard a guess at a roster of 48. I think Technology characters are most popular.

Shield Police is my own project supergroup with a growing roster of 12 heroes and 4 core members. We are designed to work with Paragon City's Police Department. Our mission is always making Paragon City safe for all the people we serve. We cut crime and the fear of crime while upholding the Law. Our vision is to make Paragon City the safest major city in the world. A lot of Natural characters but all have an interest to work with Police.

I heard a noise in the dimly lit tunnels, like distorted voices. Instinctively, I withdrew my torchlight and assumed the firearm across torch technique, flashing the high beams across the darkness. "Police! Identify yourself!"

Furball seemed offended. I didn't care. There was a job to do. I pulled out my sidearm and beckoned my officers forward into the sewer gates down below. "Alright, we're moving in" I bellowed, just as a familiar figure with a white crucifix insignia flew across the morning skies. My team trogded through the muddy waters and into the tunnels. "Keep your eyes open for territorial Lost!"

I hate psychics. Then again, I hate all these supernatural freaks. The dame with the elegant entrance turned out to be soe kinda psychic and even she was suggesting some disturbance nearby. I still wasn't convinced, but a good detective never turns down a lead. I made my way over to the captain and asked permission to borrow a few officers. He gave me three blues and together, we approached the red haired girl. "Alright furball, i'm willing to give you a chance to proove yourself. We got a bunch of dead psychics under a bridge and now you say you got psychic disturbances across town. Point me a direction and I'll follow your lead. But I swear to God, if this turns out to be some kinda wild goose chase, I'll be having a closer look at your heroes license. Now come on."

I don't know if Mechano, the character, plans to issue a standard communications device with everyone linked and accessible, but if not, I would imagine your characters would need to literally ask other characters for thier cellphone numbers, email address, Facebook or whatever. Hehe. I guess thhe former would be a good idea, a nice way to automatically list and update all new members. Preferably onto a standard issue NWA cellphone with stored contacts.

I don't think we have a logo yet. Pistol, the character intends to propose NWA members, leaders, non-member supporters or empathisers all wear red gloves as a symbol of world power through hardwork and determination, through sweat, bones and bloodshed, at the next meeting.

Most community roleplay events will be wide open, I cant imagine any plots being exclusive. Lastly, the Midnight Illuminati only exists by rumours, unless you're a member, then you'll know it is more than just myth. Like Mechano, I would imagine Illuminati members would be leaders or important voices in NWA meetings, mainly because they have just that specialty in common with Mechano, but there are other undisclosed reasons also. Hope this answers yoour questions okay.

As you inspect the bodies, one thing became clear. There were no visible wounds or injury anywhere around the bodies, just streams of blood oozing from their eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Most had been dead for weeks, even months. An internal analysis, if possible would give you the extra information of complete brain damage to each victim.

*****

Police officers everywhere nearby where knocking on doors and closing down businesses for general questioning and forensic investigations. As new heroes arrived on the scene, officers were directing them straight to the sewer canals to help pull out corpses. Even paramedics were suited up with wellington boots and waterproof overalls, trojing through the murky waters and dragging out bodies. The ambulances moved quickly and effeciently enough through traffic as several paths to and from three specialist morgues had been cordoned off. Probably causing all kinds of disruptions for motorists, couriers and commuters.

*****

Another young lady shows up on the scene, bright red hair, head to tow in some punk getup. Not my type. She called for my attention and tells me some sh*t about how she just so happens to know of some kinda sh*t happening not too far from where I'm standing. So I looks at her and I says "You what?"

We were trying to keep the escavation swift and low key but with the morning traffice picking up, our police cars had to be positioned strategically around the area. Uniforms littered the bridge andits nearby streets like ants in a colony. A line of ambulances sped down the stretch of road, weaving through obstacles like a snake chasing prey. The trucks were those designed to house four maybe five patients at a stretch but with a hundred corpses to move, it was gonna be along morning. "Dump 'em in the ambulances Luminescence" I asked the pretty lady, with a touch of guilt stabbing at my conscience. Poor lady, bet she didn't wake up this morning with an appetitie for carrying rotten flesh. I looked over at the red haired lady just as the Captain was leaving, hoping to get her attention. A man walked up to me talking about his warehouse and wanting to know what was going on. I snapped. How the hell did he get past the police line. "Listen pal 'cos I'm only telling you once, get the hell back behind that police line. Aint nothing here o' no business o' your, you here?"

At the corner of my eye I caught the sight of a woman flitting through the air like an insect caught in traffic. She was dancing around cars and lorries like a feathered ballerina just narrowly escaping death by collision. She disappeared and reappeared in my face, so suddenly I almost fell off my perch. She brought no wind with her yet I was blown away by her magnificence. She radiated a kind of beauty, one which a man like me shall never know. My plain white tie seemed to glow with excitement and a sadness washed over me, this woman was superb way beyond my league.

"Luminescence of the Fletched Alliance" she said, her angelic voice carrying a weight of authority. "Who's in charge here?" Now technically, the Captain was the highest ranking officer on the scene but my heart, which was now beating so fast I feared it might burst, kept telling me to step up and be the knight in shining armour. Ah screw it.

"The... the er, the captain" I stammered, my stone-cold, death defying nerves betraying me now of all times. I pointed in the Captiain's direction only to see him with a red haired lady. For a fraction of a second my tie shone with excitement and I fell in love all over again, but I promise you, it was only for a second. A hundred dead and suddenly its my lucky day. I guess it takes that many corpses for me to pull a pretty lady. "He looks busy, I'm Lieutenant Hicks of the Shield Police Branch, we could use your help moving these bodies, it's disgusting, I know, and believe me, I hate to ask." I'd rather be asking you to dinner to be perfectly honest. Then maybe a night at my place, play cops and robbers, maybe some strip poker, show me some of that superpowered body, one piece at a time. Ah! That would be a dream come true. Okay Hicks, stop looking at her chest and concentrate on the job.