metamods: (Default)
meta moderators ([personal profile] metamods) wrote in [community profile] metamemes2022-11-05 07:34 pm
Entry tags:

TEST DRIVE MEME: NOVEMBER EDITION




TEST DRIVE MEME
A Confluence, capitalized, is the converging of one or more supernatural forces.

This Confluence is predicted. Guild officials are ready to capture the new Starfallen and explain the situation to them. All of this has become quite mundane for them, but you -

You find yourself suddenly falling from the sky. Careening towards the pavement, only to be caught at the last minute by thin ribbons made of stardust. They would have caught you far faster, as they've been getting quite skilled at snapping tumbling bodies from mid-air, but...



ONE MIND, ONE WILL. CENTRAL CITY, MICHIGAN.
Staticky octogon-shaped portals appear in the sky you just fell from. At that same moment, every screen in Central City flares to life. A PINK-SKINNED ALIEN with glittering, crystalline compound eyes stares calmly into the camera.

"My greetings to The Society of Samaritans. My dear old teammates. And their hero friends like Atom...? Atomight? Atomight. If they're even still alive... When you've lived as long as I have..."

He trails off, staring into the distance. It takes a moment for him to resume speaking. "I hope they don't still have you all convinced of the delusion of free will. What does free will matter in the face of immortality? Of freedom from strife? I would reshape you all into something so beautiful." He gives the camera a beatific smile. "I don't know why you would eschew that - so I'm just going to take the choice out of your hands. It's for your own good, really. The Forerunner is here to save you from yourselves."

At that, monsters start to pour through the portals. Instantly there's mass panic. Screams fill the streets.

The Forerunner is viewed as a "god" by the monsters coming through. ABOMINIDS twisted long-limbed biological monstrosities slavishly devoted to him, and his AUTOMATA, incredibly intricate machines lacking free will. Alliance members appear familiar with his tactics, and familiar with the foe. They can tell you that The Forerunner himself is unable to cross between dimensions due to the tragedy that made him. In an act of heroic self-sacrifice which warped his mind, he was trapped between dimensions and his body was warped beyond recognition. This isn't the first time he's attacked Earth with his monstrosities, hoping to weaken the planet's defenses.

The monsters are not the only threat. The Forerunner has developed the ability to hack free will. Automata and Abominids are putting mind control helmets on unpowered citizens en masse, the projected stream of sound they provide capable of binding the victims to his will.

Swarms of converted non-meta civilians are quickly captured and converted. These people are not themselves, but they must be fought, freed, or avoided. You, heroes and villains, are the only force that can avert disaster. The mind-controlled civillians are targeting infrastructure like power transformers and fire departments.

Even more worrying, the Converts are swarming the local hospitals, raiding metahuman wards to take control of metas too sick and weak to fight back. These metas are the intended building blocks for the invasion force, who will be mind controlled and forced to fight despite illness or injuries. At ground zero for the earliest attacks, medical staff need help transporting sick patients and newborn babies to hospital wings that can be more effectively barricaded. Some will wind up trapped, stuck holding doors shut together while fists pound outside.

Whether heroes or villains, those unfortunate enough to be captured will find themselves given a modified mind control device at the base of the neck. If you are so unlucky, you will act completely normal at first to put the people around you off guard. And when the opportunity arises, you will try to convert others by implanting those same devices. The constant stream of mental hacking will leave your personality mostly intact, save for the devotion to the Forerunner.

"Surrender and sublimate. Flesh into flesh. All are one in the Forerunner." They chant in the streets.

Removing the devices instantly liberates the captive. However, there are so many of them. It's up to the Starfallen to hold the line, and stop others from being taken.


DIADEM HOTEL

Whether you've survived the chaos, or arrived after the trouble's over, you're not going home anytime soon. Hopefully, the LUXURY HOTEL they've put you up in will ease that sting.

The DIADEM HOTEL is usually reserved for the obscenely wealthy. Its rooms are enormous, the beds quite literally enchanted to offer the perfect night's sleep, and the food would usually cost your life savings just to sample. But given the circumstances, the Guilds feel its the least they can do to aid your transition into this world. EVERYTHING is complimentary, and everyone gets an ALLIANCE CREDIT CARD to spend on entertainment, clothing, and whatever other necessities they might need. The cards have an obscenely high limit and there doesn't seem to be an expectation for you to pay it back... though if they catch you abusing it, their accountant will be coming for your head.

There's a shopping center immediately across the street. It has an impressive array of outlets that cater to your every need. Food, clothing... and swords? If you can think of it, it's for sale. Although anything clearly supernatural or metahuman seems to be at a minimum and offered under the table. You can grab clothing made to withstand any superpower and a surprisingly mediocre Taco Bell order while you're at it. There's a Super Cinema in the shopping complex across the street that's showing the 11th sequel of a popular action racing franchise, BLASTS FROM THE CURIOUS: LAST OF THE NEFARIOUS, in which Hubcaps Nefarious tries to undo the Carmageddon caused by evil tech entrepreneur Jebs Robs. He uses the Large Hadron Collider to launch a Bugati into the past to save the world and the most important thing of all: family.

CENTRAL CITY isn't exactly the nicest place in the world, even after the clean up from the Forerunners's attack. Wander too far from the shopping district and you'll find yourselves thick into territory controlled by the local non-meta crime syndicate... but maybe that's where you want to be. Maybe you're here to see just what this world is dealing with. If you're going to be stuck here you might as well make yourself useful, right?

Or perhaps you're NOT the heroic type. Maybe this is simply scoping out the competition.

Regardless, it won't take long for TROUBLE to find you. Test out your new powers, do a little thieving, stop a few muggings - this is your time to use as you see fit.


THE PUMPKIN KING. SUNSET FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS.

The recently open door to the underworld is now closed but that doesn't mean Sunset Falls is free from supernatural events. That said, what's currently happening is at least a normal kind of abnormal, a well-established, necessary yearly ritual.

Every year, a being known as Magna Cucurbita, also called the Pumpkin King or Old Man Autumn, must be appeased so that Autumn in the northern hemisphere can start progressing to Winter and the other seasons. In the past, this entailed flattering him with various depictions in TV specials and movies, but with some of these beloved holiday specials and movies moving to streaming services and being viewed by less people - and increasing Christmas creep - this seasonal elemental has taken affront at the lack of attention at the end of the harvest season.

Fortunately, the magical community in Sunset Falls knows how he can still be appeased. Every year they perform a ritual in some pumpkin fields, corn fields, and orchards just outside Sunset Falls. While the ritual is led by the Alliance's Silent Mystic, the magical community sees it as something that transcends the loyalties of the guilds and all are welcome to help out, regardless of affiliation. It takes a large number of people performing it to make it work, enough that those that might be hesitant will practically be begged because of the importance of making sure Autumn doesn't last all year long.

After being teleported in by the mages, the ritual is a mostly harmless one. Much like the recent masquerade ball, all participants must pick out a harvest mask but instead of magically hiding their identity the mask does the opposite: it enhances it, transforming and taking the form of something deeply personal or that best represents the individual. Sometimes the carvings and paint can show more than one thing, causing a wearer to have an entire collage of personal symbols, objects, characters, or even whole scenes depicted on the mask.

Two participants, often chosen at random, then have their hands bound together with twine woven from straw. They have to walk through the pumpkin patch and both eat an apple from the orchard, then walk into the cornfields. Once all the sound gives way to the white noise of rustling corn stalks, they have to kneel and tell each other their greatest desire. This can be any number of things, both possible and impossible, like the recovery of something long-lost (or gone forever), a short-term goal they're desperate to accomplish, or a lifelong dream they keep aspiring towards.

This admission must be the truth or at least close to the spirit of it, and the stronger the desire, the sooner the ritual will be finished. This is a harvest of emotion that appeases the spirit.

Until both have said their truth, Magna Cucurbita can be seen in glimpses, circling in the corn around them, wearing his grand suit embroidered with pumpkins, accompanied by two skeletal Halloween spirits. When he is finally appeased the spirit gracefully departs, leaving behind the scent of pumpkins, bonfires, and ripe apples. Participants can then return to the others.

When enough participants have appeased the Pumpkin King, a very light first snow will fall, heralding Winter, and the ritual will be declared over. The new season is always welcomed in with the mages treating everyone to magically delicious hot cocoa and hot cider, various apple treats (baked, candied, and caramel), and various pumpkin based foods like pie and pumpkin spice bread.

Provided they don't indulge in a snowball fight first, everyone is then taken home.


EXCELSIOR

A scientist in Excelsior has come forward, claiming that he can solve the current metahuman crisis with science. Robots, he says, without intelligence. One that is programmed to follow human law by the letter. They do not need metahuman intervention. Their problems are caused by scientific minds, and so the solution must come from them.

The robots in question are mass-producted from cheap material. Their programming is… slapdash, at best. And there is no government sign-off on these robots, the eager scientist simply flings open the door to his lab and unleashes them upon the city. 

Rejoice, he cries, I, Sprocket Biggs have saved this city!

He has not.

The robots are doing what they are instructed to. They are intervening when they catch sight of someone endangering others, or breaking the law. Unfortunately Sprocket did not think to check what laws they were upholding, nor did he think to prune the more ridiculous ones that have entered legislation over the centuries. And so these poor, ridiculous creatures descend upon the unsuspecting populace with only their binary understanding of what is and isn’t a law.


Some of the laws the robots are adhering to are…

• It is illegal to attach a vending machine to a utility pole without prior consent from the utility company.

• No person may walk about in public if he or she has the common cold.

• Destroying a beer cask or bottle of another is illegal.

• It is illegal to entice girls away from the Maple Lane School for girls.

• X-rays may not be used to fit shoes.


(more laws here)

• All lollipops are banned.

• A law to reduce crime states: "It is mandatory for a motorist with criminal intentions to stop at the city limits and telephone the chief of police as he is entering the town.

• It is illegal to paint polka dots on the American flag.

• People may not buy a mattress on Sunday.

• All motor vehicles must be preceded by a man carrying a red flag (daytime) or a red lantern (nighttime) fifty feet in front of said vehicle.

• It is illegal to pretend that one's parents are rich.

• One may not spit on a bus.

• When two trains come to a crossing, neither shall go until the other has passed.

• You cannot buy meat of any kind on Sunday.

• No person may walk about in public if he or she has the common cold.   RCW 70.54.050
Exposing contagious disease -- Penalty. 
Every person who shall wilfully expose himself to another, or any animal affected with any contagious or infectious disease, in any public place or thoroughfare, except upon his or its necessary removal in a manner not dangerous to the public health; and every person so affected who shall expose any other person thereto without his knowledge, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

• A law to reduce crime states: "It is mandatory for a motorist with criminal intentions to stop at the city limits and telephone the chief of police as he is entering the town. This law was set up to curb an ever increasing crime rate in the area. Due to its sheer stupidity, however, it is needless to say that the law has affected nothing.

• You may not shuck peanuts on the street.

• It is illegal to display a hypnotized or allegedly hypnotized person in a store window.

• Dancing and drinking may not occur at the same establishment.

• You may not carry a concealed weapon that is over six feet in length.

• One may not spit on a bus.

• Those who sit on men's laps on buses or trains without placing a pillow between them face an automatic six-month jail term.

• No one may set fire to another person's property without prior permission.

• It is illegal to carry a fishbowl or aquarium onto a bus because the sound of the water sloshing may disturb other passengers.

• No one may kneel on a pedestrian skywalk.

• Spitting on city buses is outlawed.

• Persons may not wear a life jacket near a public body of water.

• TV's may not be bought on Sundays.

• Strippers may not come closer than four feet to any customer.

• No structure shall contain more than two toilets that use potable water for flushing.

• It is illegal to give noxious substances to a bird in any city park.

• You may not ride an ugly horse 

• And many more.


These misshapen, malfunctioning hunks of metal are not much of a threat to any metahuman. They’ll sound their klaxons and chase you with grabbing hands, intent on hefting you above their heads and taking you directly to the nearest authority. This could be a police offer, but it’s much more likely to anyone with authority nearby. Don’t be surprised if your captor rockets through the windows of a board meeting, dropping you in front of the CEO expectantly. 
They’re surprisingly durable, at least physically. It’s probably possible to overload them mentally without much effort, a simple logic puzzle or two might do. Or just bring up a few conflicting laws! Maybe even break as many as possible. Best to team up and grab a buddy so they don’t know who to chase.



CLIFF NOTES.


➢  New arrivals will be appearing in Central City. They fall from the skies and are caught moments before impact by magic users from the guilds.

➢  Taking advantage of thinned spots between dimensions caused by the Confluences and the recent opening to the Underworld, the otherdimensional tyrant known as the Forerunner is attacking the city.

➢  The Forerunner uses mind control devices and monsters to try to bring the city under his thumb. The mind control devices instill a sense of loyalty and devotion to the Forerunner.

➢ Those who are under his mind control will attack key infrastructure in the city, including hospitals. Players must defend themselves from a hoard of mind-controlled civilians, metas, and maybe even friends!

➢ This will last roughly one day before being brought under control. A heck of an entrance, though! In the aftermath, newbies will be brought to the DIADEM HOTEL.

➢ In Sunset Falls, the annual rituals to appease the Pumpkin King must be undertaken. The ritual involves showing him your truth. You must take a mask and put it on your face, and the mask's appearance will reflect your deepest truth.

➢ Two characters will be randomly paired together, and must share a truth about themselves. This can be any number of things, both possible and impossible, like the recovery of something long-lost (or gone forever), a short-term goal they're desperate to accomplish, or a lifelong dream they keep aspiring towards. Once done, the spirit is pleased and departs, allowing winter to come.

➢ In Excelsior, a scientist has made robots that are programmed to uphold the law! Unfortunately, he didn't specify which laws, and these robots are now trying to enforce some really weird ones.

➢ These robots are largely harmless. They're physically strong but mentally dim. They're mostly loud, bumbling, and doing their best. If caught, you'll be brought to the nearest authority - who can be anyone in a position of power, or who simply radiates authority.

➢ The easiest way to beat them is to break as many weird laws as possible. Team up and get creative. Or if you think you can take them head on, suit up and beat them up.

➢  Current Players are welcome to treat this as a bonus event. These events are canonically happening within the game but can be largely ignored if you'd prefer to use the month for personal plots. You can tag into the TDM, reference these prompts in network posts, or use them in your own logs.


WILDCARD.

Metaheroes takes inspiration from all walks of comics. Take a look at the CITIES to get an idea as to what day to day life is like in the other cities. Perhaps you've encountered a supervillain (or hero) who needs to be thwarted, or a metahuman with unusual powers creating bizarre effects. You can also take a look at the MISSION BOARD to get your start as a professional hero, villain, or vigilante.


robintohood: ([RH] Send a message)

[personal profile] robintohood 2022-11-06 11:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Jason's taking note of how she's more aggressive in a fight than Superman or the other Kryptonians. That's both a problem and could be useful.

"No kidding," Jason laughs as he tasers another robot and kicks it into a monster. "I think I like your style, Ms...?"
fearfully_symmetrical: (Default)

[personal profile] fearfully_symmetrical 2022-11-07 12:18 am (UTC)(link)
She gets one of the automata in a headlock with a grin, slowly squeezing.

"Galatea," she replies. "I gotta say, liking the shoot-first-don't-ask-questions part."

And then she popped the thing's head off, standing and casually looking at it while one of the others launched an ineffectual attack on her back.
robintohood: ([RH] Dual wielding)

[personal profile] robintohood 2022-11-07 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
So not Supergirl in a completely new costume? The powerset still seems awfully familiar though.

"Thanks," he says. He then fires several rounds at the enemies behind her. "Seems pretty obvious what the problem is, don't you think?"

Jason's got plenty of questions swimming in his head but is keeping cool for now. He'll have to think about the multiverse again after getting rid of the invaders.
fearfully_symmetrical: (Default)

[personal profile] fearfully_symmetrical 2022-11-07 01:09 am (UTC)(link)
She grabs the one behind her in a headlock, flipping it over her shoulder and stomping on the chest repeatedly.

"Yep," she says, looking for something else to fight. "Nobody's pointing me at what's causing this and letting me kick it's ass so hard it tastes boot."
robintohood: ([RH] Aw crap)

[personal profile] robintohood 2022-11-07 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
Jason stabs a robot in the shoulder joint with his combat knife before blowing its head off. Then he turns back to Galatea.

"Something tells me you gotta go up," he says. He then points up at the portals in the sky. "The Alliance are supposed to be helping but can't imagine them complaining about having a few more heavy hitters."
fearfully_symmetrical: (Default)

[personal profile] fearfully_symmetrical 2022-11-07 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
She looks up, nodding.

"So, wanna lift and we can go ruin some powerful asshole's day?"
robintohood: ([RH] First mistake)

[personal profile] robintohood 2022-11-07 03:44 am (UTC)(link)
Jason reloads his guns and can't help but smirk a little under his helmet. So far he likes how assertive she is.

"Thought you would never ask," he replies, amused.
fearfully_symmetrical: (neutral)

[personal profile] fearfully_symmetrical 2022-11-07 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"Alright, hang on then, cowboy."

And she'll launch into the air again, lashing out at one last automaton before reaching to scoop him up under the shoulders and then shoot straight up for altitude - at high speed.

"Gotta say, you seem way better at this than most capes," she comments. As if this is all just a day at the park, really.
robintohood: ([RH] Haven't lost the touch)

[personal profile] robintohood 2022-11-07 10:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Jason laughs as he holds on tight to Galatea.

"Thanks. Sometimes, other capes don't like the blunt solutions," he says, genuinely amused. "What capes have you met?"

The question's thrown out there casually but Jason hoping to get a better idea of who she is and if it's just a coincidence that she seems to be a more aggressive Supergirl.
fearfully_symmetrical: (remembering)

[personal profile] fearfully_symmetrical 2022-11-13 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
"Buddy, I am a solution," she says with a grin, spinning them in a tight circle to avoid one of the automatons lancing downwards towards them, her eye beams catching another and slicing clean through it.

"And enough to know most of 'em don't know what needs to be done," she remarks, a bit more darkly.
robintohood: ([RH] Got it?)

[personal profile] robintohood 2022-11-13 02:24 am (UTC)(link)
Jason continues to hold on tight she navigates through the attackers. He finds her remark all too familiar because it's the same exact sentiment he feels.

"Heh. You too, huh? Yeah, I get it," Jason's still cautious and not entirely sure what to make of her but her attitude is one he can easily understand.
fearfully_symmetrical: (Default)

[personal profile] fearfully_symmetrical 2022-11-15 02:27 am (UTC)(link)
She sideslips a grouping of the enemy, and the closer she gets to her goal, the more she looks like there's actual glee on her face. She's enjoying this.

"Bet you do, sparky," she said, looking ahead. "And hey hey, looks like we've got a destination comin' up!"

And now anticipation joins on her face.
robintohood: ([RH] Dual wielding)

[personal profile] robintohood 2022-11-15 02:34 am (UTC)(link)
Jason doesn't miss how excited Galatea is to face down the swarm. He understands. He's been in that position plenty of times. As far as he's concerned, the glee is aimes at the right direction.

Jason fires several rounds at the incoming enemies to help clear a path.

"Got to love parties," he says with a smirk hidden under his helmet.
fearfully_symmetrical: (Default)

[personal profile] fearfully_symmetrical 2022-11-15 02:44 am (UTC)(link)
"Damn right," she says, pretending for the moment she'd ever been to any.

"Ok, last stop! Everybody off!" Time to drop and rock and roll.
robintohood: ([RH] First mistake)

[personal profile] robintohood 2022-11-15 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
Jason leaps off of Galatea, lands with a roll and then immediately stands back up with his guns firing more at the robots.

"Hope those lasers of yours can keep up!" He shouts.
fearfully_symmetrical: (heat vision)

[personal profile] fearfully_symmetrical 2022-11-16 03:33 am (UTC)(link)
She just grins, eyes glowing, fists clenched.

"Aww, sweetie, you just try me."

And then she just let hell rain forth, slicing into absolutely everything she could. That was the thing about Superman, or Supergirl - or any of the Krypton set. They had limits, knew what they shouldn't do.

She was a barely-socialized weapons system with no sense of restraint whatsoever.
robintohood: ([RH] Aw crap)

[personal profile] robintohood 2022-11-16 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
Jason's unleashing his own hell onto the swarm. To save bullets, he soon summons out of thin air dual double-edged swords and goes for more close-range attacks.

He's also still keep an eye on Galatea and how she's fighting. He's still mostly impressed but he can't shake off the feeling that she's related to the Kryptonians. Her powerset is too similar while the biggest difference between her and the other Supers is that she's not holding back. The other Supers always had their moral codes to stop them short of being humanity's greatest threats.

"Don't suppose you know anyone like you or you're just that special?" He asks as he slices in half another robot.
fearfully_symmetrical: (Default)

[personal profile] fearfully_symmetrical 2022-11-17 04:00 am (UTC)(link)
"Just a useless-ass Supergirl," she remarked, punching down an automaton, and right through the floor plating beneath it.

And the very mention seemed to make her angrier, and her attacks reflected it, literally grabbing the next automaton by the forehead and ripping it off.
robintohood: ([RH] Haven't lost the touch)

[personal profile] robintohood 2022-11-17 04:16 am (UTC)(link)
Oh. That confirms it. There's a short pause as Jason watches her fight. Again, he's grateful that she's at least aiming that aggression at the right targets.

"Some name. What? You guys are related or something?" Jason continues to put on a casual attitude, less like an investigating vigilante and more mildly curious instead.

"Seems you're pretty super yourself," he adds as he stabs through two more robots. The comment's meant to ease any suspicions she might have about him being too nosy. Everyone likes compliments, right? And it's true that he's having mostly fun with her so far.
fearfully_symmetrical: (Default)

[personal profile] fearfully_symmetrical 2022-11-19 04:38 am (UTC)(link)
"Something like that," she replies, spearing an abomination right through the head, then just slicing through another two automatons - and then starting in on actual equipment, fists pounding at whatever she can get in range.

"Damn! Right! I'm the best there is!"
robintohood: ([RH] An easy cut)

[personal profile] robintohood 2022-11-19 09:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Jason lops off the heads of three more robots and kicks down a fourth.

"I'll keep covering the ground while you go up to say hi to the big guy. Sound good? We'll celebrate afterwards."
fearfully_symmetrical: (neutral)

[personal profile] fearfully_symmetrical 2022-11-23 02:21 am (UTC)(link)
She grins, reaching out casually to grab one of the things by the arm, swinging it into others.

"Sounds like fun. Catch ya later, red-head."

And then she's off, at astonishing speed. Having, for once, formed a positive opinion of another human being.
robintohood: ([RH] Dual wielding)

[personal profile] robintohood 2022-11-23 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
Jason watches her speed off, hoping the best for her.

It's strange. When he was a Robin, he largely admired the Supers. Then after being murdered, resurrected and choosing to be a much more violent vigilante, he figured any further meetings he might have with a Kryptonian would not be during the best circumstances. Superman certainly wouldn't agree with what he does now.

But now here he was fighting alongside someone apparently connected to Supergirl and could somewhat potentially get along with. Funny how the multiverse works.