Mutants & Masterminds - The Hunt for the Progenitor

[Deaths Jester]

"Hmm."

Wild Card rubs his left hand over his chin, as he thinks. Wonder if initializing this again will open the log or delete it...

He sits there, pondering the idea...while tapping a few keys...

JF is most likely Forbes while PM could be Marko. Yet a lot of folks have the initials PM. Still contemplating the find, Wild Card steps away from the laptop and starts check the office for more clues. Maybe something in here will make more sense...

Spoiler

Am guessing this will probably be another investigation test...though, it could be a precep one...unsure...

Edit: Am forgoeing the search after learning what I have via the laptop. See following post.

[UnkoMan]

Struck by the similarities to her previous place of dwelling, the queen ant realizes she has been less cautious in entering this area than she should have been. Perhaps this thirst for knowledge that has been fostered in her is not always a good thing.
The room gives her a feeling of fleeing, but the lack of people makes her curious to explore more. To gain more understanding of the place she was held before. The place where she came from.

She hears noises from the larger of the two bright humans, and though she hadn't paid enough attention to get the specific sound formations, she garners their meaning from the larger one's thought waves. It wasn't predatory in nature. In fact it seemed quite the opposite. So far she had only experienced this sort of reaction when humans interact with one another. She has to assume, then, that her disguise is working enough that this one must not know what she is. As they make their way to leave she is inspired once more to try something she never has, communication with these creatures.

Unfortunately, since she does not possess the required anatomy to reproduce the sounds of these creatures, she's left to try other means of communication. The queen has never communicated with words before, having only the need to send commands, feelings... Raising her colony to a straight posture she has seen in humans who seem sure of themselves, she attempts to fill the two creatures' minds with cordial tidings, the kinds she remembered people from before using. She sends out a mixture of calming and pleased emotions and words such as, "Hey Fred, how was your weekend?", "Nice to see you.", "Ugh, Mondays, right?", "Hey did you catch the game?"
She isn't sure the details of these greetings yet, but hopes that her message will get through, and her disguise be maintained.

Spoiler

Ha ha, took so long to write I got sniped by both of you! Have to be quicker.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

The mental communication surprises Bill and Confidence.  It is comfortingly familiar.  Somewhat similar to Bill's own powers, but much less intimate and much more basic, although the other being does not seem to have needed to form a specific link or bond.  very interesting.  They had heard of mental powers before, but this was their first experience with them.  They will attempt to send comforting thoughts back, as well as the feeling of curiosity and hope she can pick up on that.

Bill will take over the grinding from the monkey allowing Confidence to climb down and move closer to Queen Ant to get a closer look.

Spoiler

He will attempt to climb up her to look at what they presume is her face, but will stop whenever he realizes that this a mass of ants.

[UnkoMan]

The queen feels her acceptance returned, with other feelings mixed together. What's more, the two alike creatures seem to share their mental patterns as well. Were they part of a larger colony. She had suspected that of the people before, all looking the same, but their minds were scattered. Vastly different. Disconnected.
These two creatures were more similar to what she was used to. She could sense they felt the same. She could tell they were curious about her. There was some other feeling the queen couldn't quite place. She had picked it up sometimes before, off the occasional human from the structure she had become aware in, but it's meaning was unfamiliar.

The smaller one began to approach her colony. She was unsure if physical contact would be necessary or not, and slid her form slowly away, hesitantly. She still couldn't tell which was queen and which was worker. Surely a queen wouldn't expose itself in this manner. Wouldn't probe. Perhaps they had many functions and the queen lay elsewhere. It was a very curious colony, however it was formed.

At the same time, she was also curious about the waves from below. Could she tunnel down at this point? Should she? She would be wary to end up back in that place or similar. It had taken so much careful planning to leave.

[Reepicheep]

Wild Card

The office is dusty, a little grimy and empty. The desk on which the laptop sits is worn out. There is a filing cabinet, coated in a thick layer of dust. On the floor is a smashed desk fan and some scattered pieces of paper that look like they may once have been manifestos. It looks like it has been frequented by many rats, spiders and other things best not to dwell over.

Code Select Expand

DC10 vs Perception 7 + (d20 = 12)
Success to two degrees

The laptop itself is new to the space. So are the cables. So are the holes drilled into the room to feed the cables to the cameras.


Queen Ant

The ground is cement. It would need to be in order to fix the machines down onto it. Even if it were an aggregate, the faintness of the waves implies that its source is several meters underground. You can reason that it would take a few precious minutes, maybe more, to descend that far.

Spoiler

DJ has what I hope is the last bit of evidence you would need to progress (via PM). Or at least figure out what specifically to consider. There's still time to take a closer look at anything that may seem out of place.

Also, in the format for rolls, I'm going to start placing the DC at the start of the equation. Nothing has changed mechanically, I've just been having to write the rolls out of sequence with the roll in the middle, if that makes sense. Just bear with me while I make those sorts of changes.

[Deaths Jester]

Wild Card cursed under his breath at what he saw on the laptop. How could I be so stupid! I should've realized that something wasn't right...

Jumping up from his spot in front of the laptop, he hurries out onto the catwalk over the warehouse. We're not alone here, he thinks to himself as he scans the warehouse. Slowly he reaches into his vest pocket and pulls out a deck of playing cards. "I know you're still in here, Jasper," Wild Card yells out. "Best quit hiding and come out peacefully. No need for this to become physical!"

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Seeing the creatures reaction to Confidence's approach, Confidence stops, then returns to his platform.  No reason to spook her.  Besides, there still the matter of that coat to check out.  Bill and Confidence will picture said coat being worn by an uncertain figure and hope she understands that they want to know if she knows where the wears is.  They will then go to the coat and begin searching it for clues.

Spoiler

Do they hear Wild Card's shouting?

[Reepicheep]

Wild Card

Your announcement is met with no response, not even a nervous muffle. If there is any sound, it is either coming from the two other investigators, the ruckus outside or from crumbling walls. Contrary to what you've just found out, there simply isn't anyone else on the factory floor.

Bill Morgan

The coat is covered in dust from the explosion, but you notice that there are fingermarks around the pockets made very recently. It would seem the coat has already been looted for evidence.

Spoiler

Cat: Yes, definitely. The warehouse isn't enormous, about 200m², and Wild Card is still in the same half as you, just up some nearby stairs.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

"I know you're still in here" they hear the first stranger shout.

Bill and Confidence begin filling their mind with one simple thought, hoping the strange being will pick it up

"DANGER"

[Deaths Jester]

Wild Card frowns. He's got to be nearby seeing as there is no body nor bloody chunks. Nor was there any signs of a body outside.

"Guess it's a hide and seek game then," Wild Card yells as he vaults down the stairs and starts towards the conveyor belts. As he walks, he switchs most of the deck of cards from his right hand to his left, making sure to leave two cards prepped in his right hand. Got to make this fast, I've already wasted too much time. Probably more than enough time for the cops to show up. With my luck, I'm probably be forced going to fight my way out. I'd prefer to find a way tocreate a distraction so I can sneak out. I'll worry about that after I find Jasper. Right now he's the most important thing.

Quickly, Wild Card looks the area over. So engrossed in his search, he completely ignores the fact that there are now two odd interlopers. "You're only making this harder for yourself, Jasper."

Spoiler

Am so rping this to the hilt! And the search is a precep test. Wild Card doesn't think he has "enough" time to do an in-depth search (investigate). The reason for the haste revolves around his idea - he isn't sure but with the amount of time passed he believes - that the cops have arrived by now.

[UnkoMan]

The queen ant realizes she has taken too much time in contemplation. How could she have allowed herself to do this? The man upstairs sends distressing waves, and she gets a sense from the other multicreature. Is he trying to warn her?
The queen commands her colony to disperse their shape. The quickly drop and find whatever cover their can. Under exposed machine, in the small spaces nobody can get to.
She scans around with her mind, trying to pick up on stray brainwaves. Is anyone else here? She had thought it only the two others but the dangerous man seems to be seeking out another...

Spoiler

Just realized... I don't know if this is hive mind or just perception or what, but basically she's trying to sense if there are other lifeform's brainwaves present.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Satisfied that his warning had been receive--wait were those ant?  No time for that--Bill turned toward the other figure.

"Just what is going on here?  You aren't actually here to rescue survivors are you?  Judging by that" he said pointing toward the dented machine, I was going to assume an accident, but who is this person you keep yelling at and what does he have to do with any of this?"

[Reepicheep]

Bill Morgan & Wild Card

The machine that Bill Morgan points to is indeed dented, but it's stranger than that. It was hit by an impact on its southern side, but it appears as though it was impacted from underneath. The dent is made in an upwards direction. very close by, a line of the conveyer belt has been snapped in two, and both halves have been arced upwards, away from the ground.

Queen Ant

Using your hive mind, you try to expand your perception beyond the colony. You can feel the thoughts of the two people you are already aware of. Beyond that are the people outside. Beyond that...

Code Select Expand

DC15 vs Awareness 6 + (d20 = 13)
Success to one degree

There are many minds underground, near the source of the air waves. Dozens. They're panicked and chaotic, many of them running around, hard to keep track of. A lot of them are lost and confused, everything is new to them. Two particular sources are especially strong, but one is losing their focus. The other seems like it has woken up for the first time.

[Deaths Jester]

Wild Card turns on the interloper who addressed him, his emotions running between anger and surprise.  "You think I'm not here to save people? Oh very good...then you didn't notice that the guy that belongs to that parka is not here?  Oh wait that's right, you don't know that he never left or that his name is Jasper Forbes!  He was in here when the place exploded and most likely still here somewhere. IF you'd taken the chance to look the place over, you'd have discovered that," he says, motioning ever so often with his hands to emphasis his point. "And who the hell are you anyways and why are you here?"

Shaking his head in consternation, he turns back to his search before the organ grinder has time to react.  Intently he studies the messed up machinery (machine and snapped conveyor belt); hoping to discover it's use, why it seems to have been impacted from underneath, or for even signs of what might've caused such an explosion and denting. "This doesn't look like it exploded, more like something from underneath exploded," he offhandedly says aloud.  "Something is not right..."

[UnkoMan]

Minds! So many minds! She can feel their panic from below. Perhaps they are like she was. Trapped. Experimented on. But should she risk her colony to save others? What benefit would it gain?
Still, was she not just warned by this newer creature? In either case there were other creatures approaching her location now. She would dig down. Create a hole. A way out for the ones below, and perhaps from there, move elsewhere, under the ground. These humans seemed incapable of that on their own.
A sense of slight panic emanates from her, but she tries to hold most of it back. The two beings near her may feel a small ripple of emotion, whether or not they knew from whence it came.

Spoiler

Size of hole should be at least big enough for the organ grinder to fit in, though she wouldn't consider that he'd have to jump down the hole. She's operating on fear right now, in general.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Bill and Confidence sense the fear.  It must be coming from the ant creature.  Maybe they were a little strong with their warning.  Didn't mean to panic the creature.

He then replied to the rude stranger.  "Bill Morgan, the Organ King, at your service.  And this," he said, indicating the monkey, "is my associate Confidence.  We serrenade the fair citizens of this city in hopes of due recompense and sometimes Bill Morgan uses his more--exotic--talents to help.  We saw the explosion and came to help the injured.  Bill Morgan does not care about people who left their coats so long as they are safe.  It looks like there must be a basement somewhere.  Have you seen stairs anywhere?  The survivors must be down there, too injured to get out."

He then becomes aware that something is happening behind him, and turns in the direction the ants had scurried to.

[Deaths Jester]

Wild Card tucks the deck of cards in his pocket and waves his left hand at the organ grinder without looking away from what he's studying. "Nice to meet ya, Bill and...Confidence. You should though care about coats that are missing people. Sometimes those people are still about and they aren't always cheery, happy candy folk.  If my hunch is right, this Jasper sure isn't one of those nor are his employers. As for stairs down, I haven't seen any..."

Wild Card's voice trails off as he stares intently at the machinery, lost in his task. This doesn't look right for such an explosion as I saw, he thinks to himself.

[Deaths Jester]

Spoiler

I do believe the floor is concrete, Unko, which could mean digging might not be an option.

[Reepicheep]

The machine looks like it might have once rolled plastic. There are several machines like it around the factory.

Wild Card

Examining the machine closely, you can see the reason it has been dented is due to a metal tile underneath it being dislodged. It seems the tile would have been recessed into the ground. Around the edges of the tile, when you look very carefully, there is a slight gap, no more than a few millimetres, with a green glow that flickers like candelight. The machine is still partially atop the metal tile, making it impossible to move. The machine is heavy. It would take a lot of force to move.

Code Select Expand

DC10 vs Perception 7 + (d20 = 4)

This machine is the same model as other machines, but now that you are looking underneath you can see that this one has a pair of hydraulic pistons underneath and a heavy, steel hinge on the north side.

Code Select Expand

DC15 vs Perception 7 + (d20 = 1)

It would seem those are all the clues you can get.

Queen Ant

The colony gathers in a thick circle like an oily black puddle and scratches and bites at the ground. A bit of dust and looser grains of stone get dislodges, but the ground is simply too dense to nest into.

Spoiler

Sorry, Unko. Don't forget, your burrow power is limited to aggregate. The ground would need to be less dense than cement in order to be able to pass through it. A maximum density might be in the region of bricks, old tarmac or some crumbly, looser sedimentary rocks. Sorry, Cat and Unko, I've got very little update for you guys at the moment, given that limitation. Were that limitation not there, I would have awarded that idea.

On the plus side, Unko, don't forget that your telepathy might be emotions, imagery and feelings to you, but they translate into dialogue for others. You can also translate from their dialogue into a way you can understand it. This is the 'understand, be understood' part of your Hive Mind power.

DJ: Because Queen Ant's empathy/telepathy are her only way of communication, you'd be able to pick up on the same vibes as per Unko's narrative. Not that I think you were ignoring it, just a heads up. Might be useful.

[Deaths Jester]

"Two pistons and a hinged section on a plastic rolling machine," Wild Card ponders aloud. "Plus a piece of slightly dislodged tile with green light seeping out of? Got to be a secret entrance or something..."

A wave of fear from else where washes over him, giving him goosebumps. Shaking his head side to side, he pushes the strange sensation out of his mind and returns to the machinery. He runs his left hand over the dented piece, searching for some form of hidden trigger or switch that could make the machinary move out of the way.

Spoiler

I didn't exactly ignore Queen Ant's mental projections as felt Wild Card was more engrossed in his search to notice it right off. Also, unsure if touching the machine for switches would be a precept or tech skill cause they both seem usable in this regard.

[Reepicheep]

As far as you can tell, there is no switch on the machine. From you current perspective, there are no electronics at all. Nor can you see the engines that move the pistons.

Spoiler

Tutorial note: two of you have two very different solutions to this problem. Think about your powers - they aren't just for combat

[Deaths Jester]

A frown plasters itself across Wild Card's face. "No switches or levers," he mumbles.

Once more he's hit with the sense, or are they words, of danger or something below. "Damn it all," he yells as he throws a card at the machine, lashing out in anger and confusion - both of which are intensified by the weirdness of the odd...message.

Spoiler

Use Deal A Hand power, one attack, target the machine...even though I doubt my "powers" will do squat. Probably Unko or Cat's characters' powers are the answers...

He bends over at the waist and places his hands on his knees, cutting off his chance to see what his card throw may have done. He stands there like that, shaking his head side to side. "You just hear the words danger and down below eminating from some...other...source in your mind too, Organ grinder," he asks in a peturbed voice, "or am I imagining things?"

[UnkoMan]

Spoiler

Oops, my bad. I actually messed up there, and missed the "even if it were an aggregate," part of Reep's message.
But, I will play off of this, no worries!

As for my dialogue, I was going to bring that in a little bit over the course of this intro scene, actually. This is when she learns to communicate correctly. She IS a fast learner, it's just something she has never done before. On that note...

The ants struggle with the hard concrete floor. Though they don't make progress, their queen commands and so they continue to try.

The queen realizes she has been acting in panic, and acting alone. She has always been the backbone of her colony, the controller of the others. The possibility of communicating to creatures on an even level was so strange, and yet one had already talked to her. Sent her compassion. Help. Now that multicreature spoke to the other, though about which she hadn't paid attention. Were they the same colony? She would chance it.
She opened her mind to them. Using a mixture of emotions, thought-forms, memories and a few of the words she had learned the meaning to, she conveyed a message.

Danger. Below. Trapped. Containment. Under. Danger. Danger.

She hoped her message was coming through.

Spoiler

Question I forgot to ask, Reep... What does my acid melt through? Does it go through metal? I assume not concrete. I don't remember if I had mentioned that I was thinking about using secretions to burn through the occasional door.
If not, that's cool.
Also, with her memory, just how much DOES this place remind her of the lab she escaped from? Any logos or anything like that? She wouldn't know their meaning but she'd pick up on it, and give her more urgency.

[Deaths Jester]

Spoiler

Out foxed by Unko right as I got done typing mine...gotta edit it...

Edit:

Spoiler

Would say that Unko's and mine happen at the same time for in game timing.

[UnkoMan]

Spoiler

Going on assumption my actions were happening alongside DJ...

They had felt her, had understood. What's more, they seemed to want to help. She felt the frustration of the single being, felt a sense that he knew more about the current situation. The queen watched as that creature threw an object in anger. In the direction of the object, was that... An opening!?

Spoiler

Does this have any visual effects or anything I should know about? I'll edit accordingly.

The colony rose and formed its vague human shape once more, adorned with hat and coat, and moved past the other beings towards this space. It felt the metallic sheet, different from the other part of the floor. She had felt this substance before. Remembered burning through it. Spreading her colony slightly she begins secreting acid over the area, in hopes of dissolving it as she had done in the past. In addition, she commands some of her scouts to check through the space if they are able, to see what would come on the floor below.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

"Oh, you felt that too?  Some kind of intelligent insect creature. Seems to be made of ants.  Seems to be friendly."

They sense the ant creature's warning.

"I might be able to get down there, but I'm not used to using my abilities this way yet.  I can try though."

The will try to send the ant creature the message "Get away from the machine.  I'm going to try to destroy it."

Assuming that they get clear of it, Confidence will focus some of the sound energy to use Shatter on the machine focused on the area by the dent.

[Reepicheep]

Wild Card

Code Select Expand

Deal a Hand: d20 = 17

Your frustrated card throw bounces harmlessly off the machine's frame. It leaves a engraved scratched in the metal, but doesn't budge the machine itself.

Spoiler

I might have given you something on a critical hit, hence the roll. I see your cards as being more piercing than kinetic force.

Queen Ant

The ants that crawl underneath the hatch are met with an immensely long vertical shaft. Long to them, at least. Perspective is a little hard to grasp when you are a few millimetres in size. There are metal rungs descending down the shaft. The bottom of the shaft is somewhat shadowy, but there are definitely signs of electrical lighting. It flickers, casting occasional dusty rays up the shaft.

Code Select Expand

Dodge 0+10 vs Acid Secretion 4 + (d20 = 7)
+5 to effect
DC18 + 5 vs Toughness 9 (d20 + 4)
Success to three degrees

Swarming over the surface area of the hatch, the soldiers of the colony secrete their bile in vast quantities. The venom seeps into the minute cracks and facets of the metal, bubbling it up on a tiny scale and sending fumes into the air. Within a few seconds, the hatch has been reduced in size so far that it drops downwards into the shaft. Any hinges, locks or latches that may have been in place are now consumed by venom.

There is time to heed Bill Morgan's warning.

Spoiler

In the case of inanimate objects, if you beat the dodge/parry (you probably will), you'll get a +5 to effect. If you don't beat it, all you lose is that bonus. You can't really miss one. This isn't true in combat, unless the enemy is made as defenceless as an inanimate object.

The second part rolls the object's toughness against your attack. This is where you might have failed to destroy the object. Your attack is a set amount, in this case DC18.

Bill Morgan

It's hard to describe the sensation you may incur on to others. It seems like any noise or sound is being vacuumed into the space around the machine, until there's is a dense volume of organ music hanging in that spot. It builds pressure, with all present feeling a sensation of gravity.

Code Select Expand

Dodge 0+10 vs Sonic Manipulation 8 (d20 = 15)
+5 to effect
DC15 + 5 vs Toughness 9 (d20 = 3)
Toughness reduced by 8

The machine hums and vibrates from the effect. Its surface cracks like glass. Bolts break loose of their threads and fall to the ground. An industrial spring explodes from the shell and hurls itself across the room, leaving a bullet hole shape in the chassis. When the music stops, the machine is still standing for a moment.

Then, it simply shatters like glass.

Spoiler

I've got mixed feelings about this shatter power, now that we've put it into action. It seems quite underpowered. It seems like it is a lot easier to destroy an object through an attack than it is to destroy it through the weaken effect, since weaken only gets DC+10 to its effect while an attack would get +15. I'm going to spent some time figuring out this sort of thing. It might be that I'm incorrect in the way that objects roll for toughness. It would make more sense to me if they don't roll at all.

[Deaths Jester]

Wild Card ducks just as a broken spring passes by him, just a shade to close for his comfort. "Whoa," he yells, "Watch what you're..."

Before he has a chance to finish his sentence he sees the once dented and massive machine disinigrate into tiny pieces. I must remember to not make this guy angry at me, he thinks. Course with an organ grinder like that, I could...

He stops in mid-thought as Bill's words and the quick vision of the trenchcoated...woman(?)...flash across his mind. "Did you say insect creature?!? Where the [explative] did that come from?!? And you think it's friendly?!?"

Wild Card stares at Bill, exasperation written across his face.

Spoiler

I put the explative piece there so we don't have any probs but I get my character's point across. Best to be safe.

[UnkoMan]

The queen feels a satisfaction as the piece of metal gives way. It bounces off the edges of the tunnel, sending reverberations upward.

Suddenly, she gets a message from the friendlier of the creatures she has met today. A message to move. Since the shaft is already open, she simply commands the colony to move downwards through it, quickly. She hesitates near the exit, hugging the wall of the space she is in, trying to avoid as shattered remnants of the machine fall around her. After this she extends part of the colony down into the area below, to see what is around.
Her mind reaches out, as well, for another quick scan.

Once done, she will convey what she has learned to the creatures above.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

"It communicates with some sort of combined telepathy and empathy.  It told us there were people below in some kind of distress, which allowed Bill Morgan to find this" he said, motioning toward the now revealed ladder "which was more than you could figure out on your own.  Whoever you are look looking for is almost certainly down there too, so if you can stop being suspicious of the nice bug person and start worrying about just what exactly is going on in here, we can get going.  Um, if you wouldn't mind going first so I could hand this thing to you.  Trying to climb down that ladder with a huge street organ would be a tight squeeze."