Updated returns to domains 1-9

05B - Meeting The First Face.txt

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ You see King Akarui and Anais already in the middle of a heated discussion. Nash
 
 "You. Wait right there. I'll be with you in a moment." He will visibly gulp and move a little more inward into the room, standing almost militantly at attention, partially hiding behind his clipboard.
  
-King Akarui will sigh and return to his prior conversation. "Anais, you can't expect people to follow these nitpicky rules. Fence color restrictions, hedge height requirements, heavy volume level regulations... I don't care how many complaints you've received, this is nonsense and I won't enforce it." 
+King Akarui sighs and returns to his prior conversation. "Anais, you can't expect people to follow these nitpicky rules. Fence color restrictions, hedge height requirements, heavy volume level regulations... I don't care how many complaints you've received, this is nonsense and I won't enforce it." 
  
 Anais will reply with a whiny tone. "But think of how much it'll beautify the Gated community! It'll be so much more pleasant for the seniors to see, plus you'll get to see a much cleaner and quieter neighborhood!" 
  
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ Harken meets your group at the door and guides you directly into his office, loc
 "You are expected to arrive in one hour, work an eight hour shift of hourly building inspections one at a time, and otherwise are to stay inside with the containers until the end of your shift. They will be picked up and transported after. Afterwards, report back to me here. That is your mission for the day.
 
 *IF THEY ASK ABOUT PAY*
-He will reach into his desk and lull out several small bags full of coins. "I had a small budget approved by King Akarui before we set this up, you will be paid the same as any Thunder Force agent starting out. 25z an hour, 8 hours of work, that entitles each of you to 200z, all paid upgront. AND, since you are with us, you are owed access to our special uniform selection. Be sure to pick some up on the way out."
+He will reach into his desk and lull out several small bags full of coins. "I had a small budget approved by King Akarui before we set this up, you will be paid the same as any Thunder Force agent starting out. 25z an hour, 8 hours of work, that entitles each of you to 200z, all paid upgront. AND, since you are with us, you are owed access to our special uniform selection. Feel free to pick some up on the way out."
 
 "Dismissed!" 
 
@@ -113,16 +113,16 @@ When he sees you, he LITERALLY jumps three feet in the air screaming "OH FUCK" a
 "AWESOME! This is so perfect! I don't care what anyone says, Akarui is AWESOME!!!" He realizes he is acting a fool and straightens himself out. "Sorry,  I uh... may or may not have overheard about that "mole" situation, and since you didn't show up until AFTER that started, I gotta assume it's not you guys."
 
 *HOW DOES HE KNOW*
-He is a little taken aback by the third degree. "Those intercoms we use are kinda junky, so I hear alot of those private meetings without meaning to. Among other things..." He will lean in and whisper to your group, "...Apparently the King is trying to supplement his height with platform shoes..."
+He is a little taken aback by the third degree. "Those intercoms we use are kinda junky, so I hear alot of those private meetings without meaning to. Among other things..." He will lean in and whisper to your group, "...Apparently the King is trying to supplement his height with platform shoes on the sly..."
 
 *ASK WHAT HE IS DOING THERE* 
 "Oh, uh, right... so this is kind of a secret, but you know how we got those hydroelectric generators giving Diadem power, right? Well, my dad was an engineer here. He helped create the hole through the Diadem floor like 20 years ago, and he had a dream we MIGHT be able to use that to escape from this place." 
  
-"But since we are on an island in the middle of the ocean, going out through the hole is a bit of a suicide mission. So, we need a safety vessel. So some scientists and I proposed this idea about two years ago to King Akarui that we could build like... a test submarine and see if it could descend far enough to get out, make it to some nearby boat, and then get some actual help!" 
+"But since we're on an island in the middle of the ocean, going out through the hole is a bit of a suicide mission. So, we need a safety vessel. Some scientists and I proposed this idea about two years ago to King Akarui that we could build like... a test submarine and see if it could descend far enough to get out, make it to some nearby land, and then get some actual help!" 
  
-"And it took some pressuring, but he finally approved it a month ago! Full ride budget and everything! This here is the last of the shipments of raw material we need to make a test sub. We're thinking a fifty man vessel would be enough to get ourselves into the outside world. Can you believe it???" 
+"And he finally approved it a month ago! Full ride budget and everything! This here is the last of the shipments of raw material we need to make a test sub. We're thinking a fifty man vessel would be enough to get ourselves into the outside world. Can you believe it???" 
  
-"All I gotta do is get this to the secure location, and we can finally finish building it. We might just be making history."
+"All I gotta do is get this to the secure location this evening, and we can finally finish building it. We might just be making history."
 
 He looks up to a clock on the wall. "Anyways, we can talk about it later. King Akarui only gave me an hour to come check on stuff. I'll see you guys later!" He pauses and turns around with a cheeky grin. "...or if this works, maybe not?" ;D 
 
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ He looks up to a clock on the wall. "Anyways, we can talk about it later. King A
 The shift goes pretty much without issue, and around 5:30pm, you see an all new flatbed truck pull in to the same entrance. This time you see a dozen much more normal sized men approach, each one wearing different degrees of clothing. "We're uh.. we're here for the shipment?" 
  
 (EMPATHY ROLL VS DECEIVE ROLL)
-*IF THEY PASS* These guys are not dressed right, are fidgeting like hell, and the one in front can't even look you in the eye properly.
+*IF PLAYERS PASS* These guys are not dressed right, are fidgeting like hell, and the one in front can't even look you in the eye properly.
 
 One of them will suddenly pull out a gun, aiming it right at (Player who beat roll)'s forehead. All eleven of the others will run in, going for the boxes. 
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ They will hear a familiar voice shout DONT EVEN TRY IT! They will turn to see LU
 *IF THEY RESIST*
 A familiar scent of burning ozone will appear behind (player), a gun pressed against (PLAYER's) back. "Braver than I expected. Unfortunate."
 
-The rest of the party sees someone new behind you, a man of authority and stature inside of what looks like a modified motorcycle outfit. The shoulders, arms from elbow down, and legs from knee down are layered in thick blue padding ridges, and the rest is standard black, including the elongated motorcycle helmet with the white A emblazoned on the front above the shaded eye visor.
+The rest of the party sees someone new behind you, a man of authority and stature inside of what looks like a modified motorcycle outfit. The shoulders, arms from elbow down, and legs from knee down are layered in thick blue padding ridges. The rest is standard black, including the elongated motorcycle helmet with a white letter A on the front above the shaded eye visor.
 
 *IF THAT PLAYER PLAYER RESISTS*
 The person will counter, pinning that player to the ground with lightning speed. He will quickly turn to the others and shout "HURRY UP!"
@@ -151,7 +151,15 @@ He will manage to dodge his way out, but not completely. The attack will catch t
 
 (NOTICE ROLL) The inside is dark, but you see dark fur, possibly brown or black, and you see a deep brown eye with a small rounded scar under it.
  
-He will cover his face quickly, then speed to the truck, the Marauders finished getting the crates inside before taking off in a hurry. (LV2 enemy) carries the chameleon to the truck and takes off, letting him on the ground by the truck at the corner, all ten crates being stolen.
+He will cover his face quickly, then speed to the truck, the Marauders finished getting the crates inside before taking off in a hurry. However, they have left LUCKY behind, still holding the chameleon hostage.
+
+"... they just left me..." He suddenly lowers himself onto his knees, staring at the place the truck used to be. "I did everything they asked... I escaped prison three times... and they STILL left me behind..." He finally releases the chameleon and the knife, just staring at the floor.
+
+*IF THEY SAY ANYTHING*
+"He promised he... he was gonna get me out... and he just left me behind... again..."
+
+*WHO IS HE*
+He will look up to your group, a tear in his eye. "The Crooked King."
 
 -----
  
@@ -161,7 +169,15 @@ THUNDER FORCE HEADQUARTERS
 Back at Harken's office, Harken is pacing in front of your group. "This task was supposed to be simple, a guard position of no real strategic import. Instead, tomorrow's headline will read that a hostage situation resulted in the theft of the entire shipment of research and building materials under our watch." He slams one hand into the desk in frustration, rubbing his eyes with the other. 
  
 IF THEY OBJECT 
-"I know what happened. Fact is, you followed your orders perfectly to a tee, you defended an innocent from harm in a hostage situation, and you proved you value lives over cold hard metal. If it were anyone else, you would have a fucking parade in your honor. But due to these... unfortunate circumstances, the public will choose to ignore those positives. And they will expect some form of punishment for your 'failure.'"
+"I know what happened. Fact is, you followed your orders perfectly to a tee, you defended an innocent from harm in a hostage situation, and you proved you value lives over cold hard metal. You even re-captured LUCKY, AND got him to cooperate for the first time ever. We finally have solid intel on their organization."
+
+He will pull out a folder, slap it on the table, and pull out a document with information scrawled all over. "We now know there is a genuine hierarchical structure in the Marauders. What we thought were random acts of thuggery were coordinated and strategic from the start."
+
+"Add to that we now have confirmation of an active general, the man with the A on the helmet. We don't know his name, but we have dealt with him in the past. He uses lightning magic to move same as we do, so it is safe to assume he is also the mole. Which would explain how he knew about the shipment. But the issue comes in with this... Crooked King."
+
+"Noone within their organization knows who he is, but he is the mastermind behind the Marauders. He picks whom to recruit & when, supplies the coin for their weapons, coordinates every attack, and supplies them with THESE." He places the gold dagger LUCKY had on the table inside a glass box.
+
+"This is career defining evidence. If it were anyone else, you would have a fucking parade in your honor. But due to these... unfortunate circumstances, the public will choose to ignore those positives, as will the media. They will expect some form of punishment for your 'failure' to protect the shipment."
 
 IF THEY ARE NOT TF
 "Worst of all, given you were wearing our uniforms, they will assume you are with us, which doubly complicates the matter."
@@ -172,9 +188,9 @@ He grabs a handful of papers, quickly scribbles some information down, turns the
  
 IF THEY INTERRUPT, STATE THE FOLLOWING LOUDLY 
  
-"During this time, all activities you do, including but not limited to potential kidnapping investigations, criminal syndicate altercations, and disruptions due to challenges, cannot and will not be associated directly with the Thunder Force. They will instead be seen as the activities of a group of rogue REGALIA HUNTERS working to save the people of Diadem from their imprisoned fate, no different than those that attempted before." 
+"During this time, all activities you do, including but not limited to any & all criminal syndicate altercations, cannot and will not be associated directly with the Thunder Force. They will instead be seen as the activities of a group of rogue REGALIA HUNTERS working to save the people of Diadem from their imprisoned fate, no different than those that attempted before." 
  
-"And if, within those fourteen days, you manage to gather them all and free the people, well... I doubt anyone would remember the incidents up until now, and you may even become... heroes again. But THAT is information I, and the Thunder Force, cannot and will not be responsible for OR associated with during your two week paid leave. Is that understood?" He gives you something of a sly smile.
+"And if, within those fourteen days, you manage to gather them all and free the people, well... I doubt anyone would care about this debacle anymore, and you may even become... heroes again. But THAT is information I, and the Thunder Force, cannot and will not be responsible for OR associated with during your two week paid leave." He gives you something of a sly smile.
 
 IF THEY ARE TF
 "Now this does mean I will require your badges for the next two weeks."
@@ -192,7 +208,9 @@ It is a female voice you don't recognize, asking you to come to the Capitol and
 
 Upon arrival, you are greeted by a Parakeet woman sitting at Nash's desk, and she does not look happy. "I assume you to be the Kings of Kings, yes? Please follow me." She marches you quickly through the office area and right to King Akarui's door. No kindness, no nonsense, just professionalism.
 
-Once inside, you see a concerned Akarui stamping some official looking documents. He pauses for a moment and drops the stamp, looking up to your group. "Kings of Kings, I know this is a bit pedestrian of me to ask of you, but I'd like you to do a wellness check on Nash. When he came in this morning, I let him know the metal for his project was stolen, and... well, he looked like the sound of glass hitting the floor. I gave him the rest of the week off to recuperate, but based on what I saw... I'd love some peace of mind."
+Once inside, you see a concerned Akarui stamping documents. He pauses for a moment and drops the stamp, looking up to your group. "Kings of Kings, I know this is a bit pedestrian of me to ask of you, but I'd like you to do a wellness check on Nash."
+
+"When he came in this morning, I let him know the metal for his project was stolen, and... well, he looked like the sound of glass hitting the floor. I gave him the rest of the week off, but based on what I saw... I'd love some peace of mind."
 
 "And as long as you're out there, for the sake of my sanity, could you also ask around and check on the supposed 'noise complaints' coming from that area? Killing two birds with one stone and all that. Plus it might keep Anais out of my office for longer than five minutes."
 
@@ -201,7 +219,7 @@ He hands you a folded document made of a strangely textured light brown paper, w
 
 -----
 
-Upon arriving at the Gated community, you are confronted by a pair of Doberman guards, one brown and one black, but both wearing identical silver Thunder Force like outfits, modified to resemble security outfits. They both see your group coming and the brown one asks in a German accent, "How may ve help you today?"
+Upon arriving at the Gated community, you are confronted by a pair of Doberman guards, one brown and one black, but both wearing identical silver Thunder Force outfits. They both see your group coming and the brown one asks in a German accent, "How may ve help you today?"
 
 *ASKS ABOUT ENTRY*
 The black one will chime in. "Sorry, ve vere not informed about any visitors, ve cannot permit entry."
@@ -222,15 +240,16 @@ They chuckle again before clearing their throats. "Uh but.. given your credentia
 
 -----
 
-The neighborhoods are considerably fewer in numbers per house, but every property has a full acre MINIMUM of land and the houses are minimum TWICE the size of the ones in the Residential district. The lawns are trimmed, the fences are painted, you even see some ornamental bushes in the shapes of animals being maintained by professional landscapers right this very second. But when you reach the property you are looking for, all those homes are put to shame. 
+The neighborhoods are considerably fewer in numbers per house, but every property has a full acre MINIMUM of land and the houses are minimum TWICE the size of the ones in the Residential district. The lawns are trimmed, the fences are painted, there are several with animal-shaped ornamental bushes being maintained by landscapers right this very second. But when you reach the property you are looking for, all those homes are put to shame. 
 
 The house is easily three floors, has a colossal front yard, a massive bird bath, perfectly trimmed bushes along the immaculately painted fences, a multiple car garage with Nash's car parked in front of it, and even a chandelier style light hanging from the porch.
 
 *IF THEY KNOCK*
 It takes a few seconds, but you eventually see Nash greet you at the door, and he looks exactly like how King Akarui described.
 
-His ears that were always perked are slumped against his head, his chipper smile looks like it was manually pulled downward, and you could even swear his fur looks less colorful. But at least his hair looks brushed, sorta. When he sees your group, he actually looks a little perkier. "Oh.. hey guys.. you wanna come in?"
+His ears that were always perked are slumped against his head, his chipper smile looks like it was manually pulled downward, and you could even swear his fur looks less colorful. But at least his hair looks brushed, sorta. When he sees your group, he looks a little perkier. "Oh.. hey guys.. you wanna come in?"
 
+*INSIDE*
 His home looks almost too immaculate, the cushions on the furniture all look borderline unused, and there is zero dust on anything that you can see. But the lights are on, even if it is just the living room.
 
 (Notice roll) There are no pictures on the walls either, even though there is clear evidence there used to be. The only real furniture is the roaring fireplace and a couple pillows & large couches in front of it.