Romanov

((signing up as kin/psi defender))

Professor Frost,

I was surprised to receive you email as I have only recently “come out” as having powers, and only to my closest colleagues here at the precinct. At first I thought it was one of the guys yanking my chain, but I’ve checked you out and am intrigued by your proposal.

I’m at a bit of a crossroads, I want to stay on the force, it’s been my dream to be a cop like my dad since I was a little girl. But I also feel I have a responsibility to use my powers for good and am considering applying for a transfer to the psi division or even applying for a hero licence myself.

Perhaps you can help me find out where these abilities came from and how best to use them. It happened one day about 18 months ago. A skull pulled a gun on me and I instantly thought of drawing my gun to take him down. But before my hand touched my weapon, he hit the dirt. It was as if just thinking about hurting him sent some sort of invisible force from my brain. There’s more stuff that I just don’t understand but I’ll wait until we meet to tell you about that.

Sergeant S. Knight
King’s Row Precinct
Paragon City.

I'll throw in another suggestion. Your character could be a Derren Brown-style illusionist. The illusions you create are a result of your ability to plant suggestions and make people believe what they see to such an extent they are convinced they are actually being physically hurt and their body responds accordingly.

The empathy power could also be covered by this, a faith healer-type ability to make people block out pain, tap in to unused strength or clear their mind of distractions.

What seems like magic is your well-trained ability at "psychological illusion, perceptual manipulation and persuasive technique".

*Watchmen receive an alert on their comm devices that they have received an email bulletin from Bastinado*

I think it is prudent to post a summary of last Wendesday’s events so that we all understand what our revised objectives are.

It seems that, at last, one of our enemies has shown his face and we must be prepared to put everything on the line both to honour all those who have fallen in the last 16 months and for our own survival.

I knew that one day I would have to enter this final battle with the man, or creature, I know as Magan. But I had now idea that he would somehow be involved in the deaths of Hyperion Star and Comette, and as a consequence the Rivera incident itself.

I don’t know how, but the fact that he has any knowledge of Hyperion Star and Comette proves that he has some involvement in this plot against us. We know that something termed an “anti-meme” was created to wipe all evidence of the heroes, including memories themselves. We are immune, we assume, because we each carry a trace of Hyperion Star within us. Others, like Tabitha Guest and Dr Symmian, have created rituals to remember them. My theory is that Magan’s knowledge survives because he is part of the conspiracy that first led to the Rivera incident and is now covering it up.

Let me give you some background. For those of you who do not already know, or have not put the pieces together, my name is Captain David Reuther. A little over ten year’s ago I led a covert team to take down a drug cartel based in North Korea that was the source of a major supply of heroin throughout Asia.

The details are unimportant, but we followed intelligence that led us to Magan, the man at the head of the operation. The intel was wrong, and his son was killed in the resulting fire fight. I killed his son. Our evacuation was compromised, and my team were killed in an ambush. I don’t know whether the luck was good or bad, but I survived. I was taken to a prison, I still don’t know where. I was held there for ten years, subjected to bastinado torture that left me almost a cripple.

Until Wednesday, I did not know who rescued me from that hell. Magan confronted Solar Flare and I in Pocket D. He claims that Hyperion Star and Comette led the rescue.

I don’t know what this means. I know that I owe those two heroes more than I can repay. And I know that Magan is linked to them and possibly, it’s certainly something he insinuated, the conflict between them and him continued until they were both killed on February 14 last year. I also know that Magan is a vicious creature fuelled by profit and hate with resources that perhaps even surpass Mr Carter’s.

This is a time for vigilance, but more vitally this is a time for action:

Action Plan

*Our primary objective is now to locate Magan and bring him in alive.

*Solar Flare has been given the role of Field Sergeant. He will lead operations in the field should Magan succeed in his threats against me. He is also tasked with preventing me from killing Magan should we encounter him.

*High Burn, accompanied by Solar Flare, will continue her investigations of the new Asian organisation operating in Brickstown and Independence Port.

*I will return to St Martial to meet with Mama Wong, a one time associate and now enemy of Magan. Big Daddy will monitor my movements.

*Doc Furnace and Johnny Ember will continue working on a treatment for our condition.

*James Carter will use his contacts and resources to trace Mr Souchet and Helmut Engels, who we believe are associates of Magan.

*Watchmen are urged to stay in pairs or groups when carrying out their duties and investigations. Carver is assigned to baby-sit Mr Carter when he is not in The Bunker.

Please ask any questions or report your findings via return email.

Bastinado

((Please reply on the Watchmen forum))

Hello yous:

*If things are still going to plan, I think GG has some rp planned in Pocket D tonight.
We could also use this opportunity to try to establish ties with Silent Tempest.

*Depending on time we could then head to either Faultine to finish the story arcs or to Striga to work towards the Hess tf (I'm on the third contact).

*I don't think Carver and Carter will be with us tonight as they have taken jobs as postmen or something.

*I made some additions to the base last night. The memorial to Sarah Halley has been moved to a garden of rembrance which now honours Saule Grian, Moonfrost and all those who died during or since the Rivera incident as well as Sarah. There is a book of condolence where people can write messages.
On a lighter note there is also a bar in the main SG room. Please drink responsibly.

Two missions makes it sound like we were only on for 30mins, those mishes took ages. At least we've started, but I agree that weekends may be best for TFs. Especially as it's delayed the Watchmen storline for the last few weeks.

So, that's six, quite a well balanced team too. There's one more Watchmen in level range, so I imagine we'll be seven.

We can add:

White Nightingale em/arch defender
James Carter sonic/fire blaster

We will be doing the Sister Psyche taskforce on Wednesday evening. We'll assemble in Independence Port between 7.30pm and 8pm (UK time).
Please post here or on our forum if you wish to attend as if we need more people we with open the invite to our coalition friends in the PCP or Militia.
You'll need to be lvl 20 and wearing your new SG uniform.

So far we have:

Bastinado ma/sr scrapper
Solar Flare fire/fire tank
High Burn rad/rad defender

((This review is posted on the Stigma Magazine website after 9pm tonight.))

Stigma Magazine Online
*The full review and interviews with the band will be published in next month’s Stigma mag, published by the Paragon University Student Press

[u]“Infamous Last Words!”[u]
The Last Word at Pocket D
Thursday, May 24
Review by Chance Mullet

The buzz surrounding Paragon-based outfit The Last Word has been building for some time. With a reputation based more on their ability to raise hell than their music, tonight in the upstairs bar of Pocket D was when the band answered the critics and earned the first recruits of what looks to become a legion of fans.

Refusing to be pinned down to one music genre, The Last Word ride the razorblade between hard rock and punk metal, sometimes straying into melodic pop territory before turning the volume up to eleven and releasing another infectious rock riff.

Veteran of Dead Birthday Clown, Hex Addiction and Burn Unit, bass player and lyricist Dee Dee Diablo is the one recognisable face on stage. The music press branded her burnt out at 21, and The Last Word is perhaps the last chance saloon for Diablo. When she took to the stage and placed a bottle of Jack Daniels next to her amp it raised the question of whether she was going to bring her A game. But Diablo didn’t disappoint, along with Alice Springs’ machinegun drumming, her heavy five-string bass is the engine which drives The Last Word on its high energy journey.

Fronting the band is Diablo’s partner in crime, the other half of the “Chemical Sisters”, Desirée Bell. Her hypnotic vocals add a beauty and eloquence to Diablo’s lyrics of the gutter. Bell’s vocal range is staggering, making you almost fall in love with her with a heartfelt melody before threatening to make your eardrum’s bleed when The Last Word take the safety off and show they can rock with the best of them.

On lead guitar is Lance Simmons, a new face in the music scene here in Paragon, and The Last Word‘s token male member (which may explain why the other members of the band usually refer to him by names associated with a male body part). Displaying a refreshingly flexible style, from the screeching rock licks to the reflective moments during the bands rare times of restraint, he draws raw emotion from the instrument, adding the final embellishments that make the band's sound complete.

Last but not least, we're left with Samantha Carter, the keyboard/pianist for the group. Throughout the evening she gives flesh to the music with raw chords and harmony parts to each of the pieces making the band a smashing success.

The gig looked to have ended prematurely when Diablo left the stage and took refuge at the bar after a disagreement with lead guitarist Simmons. But as the song came to an end, with encouragement from Bell and the punters, Diablo returned to the band for the high-octane finale.

[u]Set list[u]

Slip of the Tongue
An anthemic rollercoaster ride driven by a relentless baseline and chugga-chugga guitar. Bell mesmerises the audience with a sordid tale of a one night stand that wants to be something more. Although, the first live airing of the song, the crowd were soon shouting along to the repeated hook “What we did was fun/Won’t say it was wrong/But you and me, honey/Was a slip of the tongue”.

My Fire Truck
Haunting, seemingly steam of consciousness lyrics, pour from Bell like vocalised honey. But it’s really Spring’s turn to shine as her thunderous drumming gives this fire truck the engine of a freight train. As Bell sings the words “my fire truck”, Alice is beating out the message “this is my band, and we rock!”

Mother’s Ruin
Diablo takes over lead vocals for this autobiographical meandering on abandonment and wasted lives. Her fears that her own talent could be squandered by inheriting her mother’s “alcoholic disease” are worn firmly on her torn sleeve. Carter's hauntingly dark keyboards give every heart-felt word resonance in this rare spell of vulnerability from Pargaon’s most in your face ensemble.

Chemical Burn
Diablo and Simmons set the frantic pace, in a duel of dirty bass and screeching guitar, over the relentless pounding of Springs’ relentless drumming and Carter’s keyboard. Bell holds her own to deliver headstrong vocals over the cacophony. This is the Last Word’s celebration of rock and roll excess, from the heights of Saturday night to the never again rumination’s of Sunday morning. This has debut single written all over it.

F*** Buddy
Pure filth. Bell and Diablo explicitly explain what they would like to do to each other, and random members of the crowd, after the gig. The lyrics spill into degenerate improvisation as each tries to put the other off. The smut is compounded as the girls muse over a bouncy sound thanks to Carter’s Elton John-esque, by way of the Scissor Sisters, keyboards that are here more akin to the commercial end of pop punk than hard rock

You’re in a Band?
Bell spits out Diablo’s diatribe against everything she hates in the music scene. Lead guitarists, “c*ck rockers”, record companies, and even Celine Dion all get it with both verbal barrels. Bell’s staccato delivery is matched by Simmon’s frenetic riffs. He delivers an almost faultless guitar solo, an impressive feat given Bell and Diablo’s obscene gesturing and other efforts to break his concentration.

The Place Where You Are
A change of speed for The Last Word as they almost threaten to enter rock ballad territory. Here, over Carter’s faultless piano, Bell shows just what an amazing vocalist she is, hitting what seem to be unattainable high notes. The almost sugary sweet lyrics take on a new meaning when you realise the place she is referring to isn’t on any map. The Last Word’s rock rollercoaster begins again, as each member seems to be competing to raise the roof with ferocious licks and infectious riffs, while almost inconceivably coming together as a whole that suggest those at Pocket D last night witnessed the birth of Paragon City’s next musical phenomenon.

((Hello, all. Just to clarify what we are doing: As much as we'd like to it's not really possible to rp The Last Word performing a gig so we're doing the next best thing - the after show party.
Band members will be in Pocket D from about 9pm UK time tonight. If your character liked the gig, they can compliment them and buy them drinks. If they didn't, they can criticise them and buy them drinks. If they missed it, they can just buy them drinks.
I'll post a review of the gig here by Stigma Magazine Online before 9pm so everyone will have an idea of the experience of the gig.))

I've come to the realisation today that I'd like to watch the Champion's League final.
We have three Watchmen who will be afk tonight for other reasons, so I was wondering if we should postpone a big group session (quiet at the back) until the weekend.
Of course those who are on tonight can try and get to level 20.
I've contacted the Militia to postpone our meeting with them. I'll post a new date n time asap.

The stage for The Last Word's gig has been set up by the large "floating truck" window in Pocket D.

A passing Hellion was heard to remark: "The rumors are true - The Last Word's amps really do go up to 11."

I'd actually like to hold off the "cape and costume" session for another week.
One of the threads in the A Bad Penny Always Turns Up forum rp is intended to show how and why the Watchmen have an SG uniform.
So, I know this is a big ask, but if people can resist wearing SG costumes for another week I'd really appreciate it.

*Tonight, we are scheduled to meet representatives of the Militia to see if a coalition would be beneficial to both groups. I forgot it was the Champion's League final tonight so, maybe we should just have the meeting tonight and have a mission-fest on one day over the weekend.

((Members of The Last Word will be in Pocket D for the aftershow party on Thursday night))

Monday, May 21, 10am.

An article is posted on the Stigma Magazine website. Stigma Magazine is published by the Paragon University student press, and is considered one of the best guides to the city’s underground music scene.

"Well the Paragon music scene’s worst kept secret is now officially out of the bag, with The Last Word’s announcement that their first ever city tour is to start this week.
Launching at Pocket D on Thursday night, the eagerly anticipated Slip of the Tongue tour.
With the exception of two download tracks, Slip of the Tongue and Mother’s Ruin, nobody has heard The Last Word and these gigs already look like being this year’s hottest tickets."

Here are those dates:

Thursday, May 24 – Pocket D

Friday, May 25 – The Comet Club, Galaxy City

Friday, June 1 – The Portal, King’s Row

Friday, June 8 – Super Lanes bowling alley, Skyway

Thursday, June 14 – Paragon University Steel Canyon Campus

Friday, June 15 – Hotel Geneva, Steel Canyon

Friday, June 22 – Perez Park, free open air gig (TBC)

Thursday, June 28 – The Comet Club, Galaxy City


Monday, May 21, 12noon.

Posters begin appearing across the city for The Last Word’s Slip of the Tongue tour. In black, white and red, the posters depict a close up of a stuck out tongue with The Last Word logo on a stud through it.
Students who are obviously into their music can be seen chatting by the posters, but they also seem to be attracting the interest of Skull and Hellion gang members. There were no reported clashed between the students and gang members.
The posters list the tour dates and add that an aftershow party will be held at Pocket D on Thursday from 10pm.

The Last Word is now formed and there will be news of their debut gig at Pocket D and subsequent tour of Paragon City very soon.

We have a core of five members, but I'd love The Last Word to have a community of fellow students/artists around them, sort of like the Velvet Underground or Sex Pistols.

Members are students or staff at Paragon U, so if your character is an art student who would like to produce Last Word artwork, a aspiring film student who would like to make promo videos of the band, a journalism student who wants to break into music journalism by documenting the band's rise, a business studies student who thinks he can manage the band (good luck!), or you just like their music and hanging out, then come and play with us.

A few things:

There is one, soon to be two, forum roleplay plots running on the Watchmen site. Everyone is welcome to take part. The Watchmen have made friends and allies throughout Paragon, and anyone with a character not in the Watchmen SG who wants to register and get involved is more than welcome. PM Romanov or GoodGuy for details.

The "A Bad Penny Always Turns Up" storyline will lead the Watchmen to wearing an SG uniform, so Aero you might want to join in as you designed it.

Last night was fun. I thought it would just be the two of us for a few minutes, so when seven people were suddenly showing on the SG window it was great. Good to see we are still going strong after three months.

After we had to miss out last week, just a reminder that it is Watchmen night tonight. Hope you can be there.

Gratz Aero!

Yes, it would be nice to meet any SG members I haven't yet and start proper.
I don't think I'll be able to make it tonight, but I'll be on Friday for some SG/character development, missions and Pocket D fun.

Yep, it wasn't the best timing.
I'm all for your costume as the SG outfit, perhaps with a nice trenchcoat added?
Also, Aero, check out the Watchmen's own forum via the link in Gorabz's sig, there's a lot of plot stuff going on there that doesn't make it onto our threads here.

[ QUOTE ]
he peeved off a total of six people in one go (Goodguy as Dee Dee Diablo + two others lasses from Last Word, Ben, Echo and myself) he made himself the centre of attention by being annoying IMO.

[/ QUOTE ]

GoodGuy isn't Dee Dee Diablo - he just wishes he was

Maybe this hit contact will work in a different way than scaring him off or making him feel unwelcome, as I'm not really with that no matter how annoying the person.
There's now a ready made rp plot he can be involved in and maybe we'll see his character develop beyond annoying villain in bar.

I'll probably be on Thursday with Dee too so I can make the last level to 10.
And I'll be on Friday for the first official Last Word meeting

((A message sent to all Watchmen’s email accounts))

Watchmen,

I am Tabitha Guest, a former student of Dr Milo Symmian currently working for Crey Industries.
I have bad news. Last night the former laboratory of Dr Saule Grian was raided. I believe that Dr Milo must have confronted the perpetrators as he has vanished. All the electrical equipment in the astronomy lab has been rendered useless by what is believed to be an EMP weapon. I can only imagine the offenders were aware of Dr Milo’s condition and used the weapon to attempt to kill him. My only hope is that he was able to assimilate with the university’s computer network and is resting there until he is strong enough to return.
I have seen the CCTV footage from last night, and Dr Milo’s friend and colleague Dr Trevor Seaborn has confirmed that one of the party was Penelope Suarez, better know to you I think as Penny Black.
I have accessed the campus security’s report of the incident. It says that only a piece of meteor rock (labelled Hyperion 7-10) is confirmed to be missing from the lab.
I will report to you again when I have information.

May the goddess protect you,

Tabitha Guest.

Not yet, we can talk about it OOC tomorrow.
As level 20 is going to see the resolution of the Rivera plot it would be good to have the costumes ready. We could all walk out of the Bunker in our matching uniforms, in slow motion of course, to our showdown with the Big Bad.

We have a supergroup called Oriental Excess made up of samurai, ninjas, dragons and wizards originating from China and Japan.
Although it's not a rp group, several of us are roleplayers or roleplay friendly. If you went down the villain route perhaps we could be your nemesisesises (having difficulty with the plural of nemesis).