[HS6E] Hawaii Action- Session 10 & 11

Why does it feel
Like the sun is just burned out-Sevendust, Burned Out

The roof, the roof is on fire -Bloodhound Gang, The Roof Is on Fire 
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Last we checked on the Beach Brigade,  they were waiting for the "Old Man" to call them to let them know the trinket to open the door would be ready.


So the gentleman calls Lisa/Diamond the NEXT DAY (after saying it would be a week, despite Jumpshot trying to negotiate for faster time).

This surprised all the players as we were counting on a week so Jumpshot could regenerate body damage taken during the fight with the jetsuit dudes at the parking lot a couple runs back. It's not a week, so he has not regenerated and is down body at the moment.

So the phone call happens and Lisa/Diamond calls everyone and they all arrive at Legends of the East to find out what to do. Paiyun Fo instructs Lisa how to use the charm that will open the door to the dragon road. The charm is a shirt of 'Nani's, which is to be held something akin to a divining rod, and it supposedly will "pull" in the direction of where 'Nani is being held.

He warns us that the "key" is essentially one way- it only opens the way IN. We have to figure out our own way out, and the guy we believe is holding 'Nani is likely to be a tricky guy with backup escape routes figured out. 

The group all heads off to the mountain immediately near where the Porsche had been found. Lisa leads the way with the shirt in her hand, and as soon as she steps on the weird wavy line, a translucent road appears. The Ultras step onto the road, and they are in a completely different universe.

Think of those walk through aquariums- the big tubes under water that let you look into the tank as you travel around. That's kind of the impression I got from the GM's description; except the stuff surrounding the group wasn't water, it was lights and colors. Different colors streaked past like contrails of illumination, other roads were visible, and the entire thing was very, very surreal.  Various other paths wandered around but they all seemed to converge vaguely "UP" from the group, and the nexus was an intense, blinding light.

We follow the road we're on, and it too heads towards the really bright nexus, and as we're going along, a "hornet's nest" kind of pod becomes visible under the nexus. The token leads us to the nest/pod, which has three "roads" coming off of it- the large one we are following, and two smaller ones on other sides.

We get to what we believe is the door of the pod, and Lisa attempts to open it. It's the first thing to actively hurt her in a while, which surprises her.She tries again with the same result. Lisa's just stubborn, and tries yet again and gets zapped by the door again. She turns it over to Jumpshot or Steel Warrior (not sure which) and it finally opens after a couple more tries. (It was a magic door, and did damage to anyone without the special defense trying to open it.)

We get inside and it's the GM's take on a dungeon, which is different and fun. ( I forgot my camera- I really wanted to show off the awesome terrain and layout he had set up.) On the far side of the room is a middle aged Japanese guy dressed in a robe and weird capri like pants, doing something near a cauldron. There's a set of bookcases and an altar type thing, with 'Nani hanging by her arms in chains inside the vestibule area of the altar.

As the Ultras step through the door, the older "Mage" guy seems surprised at our arrival. He makes vaguely threatening noises about "we won't get out alive" and then starts chanting. 

Lisa/Diamond heads straight for the altar, where 'Nani is chained. The rest of the Ultras follow behind her, coming out of a narrow doorway into a much deeper, bigger room. The group generally splits into left side and right side of the cavern/dungeon area, with Lisa in the middle.

The group trades blows with the "Mage" guy as he is shooting bolts at them and so on,  while Jumpshot makes a directed effort to block off one of the exits. Due to this approach and the general layout of the room, Jumpshot ends up fairly close to the "Mage" and gets hit with at least a blast or two. Steel Warrior starts accosting the "Mage" verbally, and then a curious thing happens.

The Mage transforms into a Demon type entity. The Demon throws around a blast or two, and then he teleports away to the other side of the cavern, close to a different exit. Syphon decides to give him a BIG hug, and drains some of his abilities. Jerry Riggs takes a few shots at him with his weird bulletless gun (it uses CHI, not bullets), and Freestyle is trying to assist as well.

The battle between the "Mage/Demon" rages on, with Steel Warrior, Jumpshot, Jerry Riggs and Syphon getting their licks in as Lisa/Diamond completely ignores the combat in an effort to reach 'Nani. She finally gets to the vestibule, and discovers that her lady love is suspended above the ground, and so Lisa has to find a way to reach the chains. Lisa begins demolishing a ruined wall to get pieces of rubble to stand on.

The fight continues, and Jerry Riggs realizes that he isn't doing a lot of damage to the Demon Dude, so he heads over towards Lisa to see if he can help free 'Nani from the chains.

Lisa and Jerry cooperate to try to get 'Nani loose while the rest of the Ultras continue to battle the Demon, who has now changed back to a Mage. There are two chains, which go up to an opening at the "roof" of this cavern type place,  and Jerry cuts one with a chi-sword. As he cuts it, the chain retracts up into the hole/opening, and a "clink, clink, clink" and a rumbling noise is heard.

Lisa looks up to see what could be going on, and the roof above her begins to glow a dull, angry red and the room gets VERY warm. Lisa quickly remembers that all the "Dragon Roads" met at a nexus- the caldera of a volcano. She then deduces that this cavern/magical universe is directly below the caldera, and realizes that the Ultras are in SERIOUS danger.

Lisa catches 'Nani and yells across the room to Freestyle. As much as she doesn't like his mind link, she asks him to turn it on. She relays the information that the roof is about to cave in, with hot lava to follow, and the Ultras start doing their best to get out of the area.

As the chain breaks, the Mage teleports away from the major fracas on the right side of the room and jumps into the “rabbit hole” at the back end on the left side, taking the door with him. Jumpshot has been guarding this door, so he's on the left side.

The Ultras start pouring out of the cavern as fast as they can, and the roof continues to threaten to cave in, allowing a stream of lava to enter the cavern. Molten rocks start dropping from the ceiling, and the Ultras make way for an exit on the FAR side of the cavern.

The group gets split up as the lava falls and expands faster than they're able to wait for each other. There's a group very near the door they came in from, and two others (Syphon and Jumpshot) are in the middle of the room. Both Syphon and Jumpshot have been doing everything possible to assist the Ultras in getting out of danger, and they've gotten stuck behind.

Syphon decides to use herself as a human "umbrella" and holds open a "curtain" of lava that is falling from the ceiling so that Jumpshot can get through the divide between them and to a door. Jumpshot insists that he has another way out (a door on the other side of the room) and convinces Syphon to leave. She doesn't like it, but as she's getting out of the collapsing room, she sees Jumpshot heading through the other door.

The larger group heads back onto the Dragon Road, sans Jumpshot. End Session 10.

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Session 11 opens with us on the Dragon Road- 'Nani is unconscious, Syphon is severely burned, and Jumpshot is separated from us. Freestyle and Jerry Riggs see him on a different road fairly quickly, and we figure out how to get to him and head that way.

We follow the Dragon Road we are on up towards the Nexus, and around to the road he is on. As we are moving along the outer ring/platform surrounding the nexus, we clearly see a person sized pocket or shadow in the bright light. We get onto the road Jumpshot traveled to, and we get him picked up. He is surprisingly not burned anymore- he appears to have healed all of his physical injuries, but is still unconscious. Freestyle uses telekinesis to help carry Jumpshot along the road, and we follow it to what we believe will be the exit.

Both Freestyle and Jumpshot start to notice small imperfections in the road and catch glimpses or scents of the outside world through these "vents". The road is also narrowing, and appears to drop off dramatically very soon. Jerry Riggs and Steel Warrior deduce that this might be the best place to exit into "reality", and set about to find a way to open a door.

Jerry has this wuji sword that is made of chi rather than metal, and he uses it to "cut" a hole in the space in front of us, hoping to make a doorway. It takes some work, but the sword slices through and he starts to drag downwards, trying to make a seam. While he is doing this, Steel Warrior is trying to manipulate the chi around the opening to help loosen it or make the opening wider. This goes on for a little, and Syphon decides to drain the area around the opening. This weakens the slit and Jerry makes a large rip. Steel Warrior pulls it open kind of like parting a curtain, and we all exit the Dragon Road.

We come out onto the driftwood beach where we fought the fishmen many runs back. As we look behind us, we notice that the opening is still obvious, and Steel Warrior has little "shreds" of reality in his hands from where he "tore" the fabric between the worlds. We decide that someone should guard the opening so that no one wanders into it, and Steel Warrior stays there to help with this effort.

A quick call is made to Paiyun Fo to find out what to do about the hole. It's discovered that it will heal on its own, but it is undetermined how long it will take. Agent Williams is also called, asking if he can help cordon off the area since we may need a rest from guarding the ragged door.

Diamond takes Syphon, Jumpshot, 'Nani and Freestyle down to a boardwalk after having called for an ambulance. Jerry Riggs flies off to his lab to get a device that he's been working on that can help with healing.

Freestyle heads off to the army base to check on Williams and the ambulances arrive. Lisa loads Jumpshot and Syphon onto ambulances to go to the hospital, declines sending 'Nani, and the EMT dispatches out descriptions of who he's taking along as he's doing triage.

Diamond calls Jumpshot's family, and lets them know Jumpshot is on the way to the hospital. She lets them know she will meet them there.

Diamond walks to the hospital, carrying 'Nani. She's decided to go ahead and admit 'Nani after all, and as she arrives Syphon flies in, carrying JumpShot. Though a mind link, we discover that Syphon was attacked by ACME agents, and she managed to escape.

Freestyle arrives on the scene after getting Agent Williams over to the beach, and discovers that the ambulance is missing. He backtracks and finds it along the road, tipped on its side. The driver is buckled in the front seat, but in bad shape. The passenger isn't immediately visible, but as Freestyle goes around the back of the vehicle to assess the damage, he finds a trickle of some kind of fluid. Further examination leads him to believe it's blood, and that the EMT is under the "bus".

Freestyle calls for another ambulance, and they and police arrive on the scene. They question Freestyle pretty extensively about his mask and identity, but eventually agree to let him go. The EMTs are dispatched to the hospital (and morgue) and  Freestyle takes off.

Diamond arranged for Syphon to stay with Jerry in his lab (The Pineapple) as it appears to be the safest location available. ACME has found her several times in multiple locations, so the thought process is to get her settled somewhere unknown. She & Jerry head off to the underwater location.

She also got 'Nani and Jumpshot admitted and lodged together in the hospital, and awaited the arrival of  Jumpshot's family.

If there's more than this, I don't remember it- I think we called it a night at this point. End Session 11.

[HS6E] Hawaii Action - (Session 9)

It's a matter of time
one of us walks out that door- Carlos Santana (featuring Eagle Eye Cherry), Wishing It Was 
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Sometime in last session, Jumpshot "assigned" Freestyle the job of checking out local wuji shops in an effort to find anything in the way of information on leylines, or the funky symbol that was at the bottom of one of the notes Lisa found. (Why did he assign this job to Freestyle? Freestyle is the only born & bred local, and the thinking was that he'd have a better shot at finding something than some outsiders.)

So Freestyle & Jumpshot go their various ways to try to find something helpful. Jumpshot uses the ever-popular "yellow pages" search method, while Freestyle looks around the old fashioned way. Using both the phone book and Freestyle's knowledge of the area, they eliminate the "obvious" touristy places and narrow their search down to three shops.

They are as follows (with silly in game nicknames following):

Kamaimai's Chest (Mayonnaise Chest)
Olone' Books (Alone Books)
Legends of the East (Legends of Yeast)


They visit Kamaimai's Chest first. Jakel takes a look around and finds "no hippie shit", so he hopes it is a good option. It smells OLD, with towers of bookshelves with various old books in assorted languages all over the place. A middle aged Hawaiian woman works the counter. She's pleasant enough, but the store doesn't seem to have anything Jakel is looking for, so he heads on to the next location, which is around the corner.

The next store is Olone' Books, whch is everything KC was not. It's clean and well lit, with dedicated sections for various types of books- and an exceptionally helpful staff. Jakel finds 3 or 4 books on the "Dragon Roads" at this location, and finds out he wasn't the only one to buy one specific book. This nugget of information is not immediately helpful, but definitely interesting to Jakel. Meanwhile, the young lady working the counter flirts with Freestyle to no avail.

[If you know the dragon roads, you can use them like other roads and step onto it. It will take you to other locations touched bny the roads.- Example of info from books. All theory, no proactical examples.]

The two part ways at this point and Jakel finds his way to the next shop, Legends of The East. It is settled in the Chinese section of town, and looks like this:

 

The traditional looking Chinese curio shop is tended by a short, elderly Chinese man with a long, white beard.  (Think Pei Mei.) He greets Jakel and the two talk for a while. At some point, Jakel starts inquiring about the "Dragon Roads"/ley lines, and the Chinese man talks a bit about how the ley lines work and so forth. We have a winner, folks.

Further discussion reveals that the old man is quite adept at using perceptions to his advantage. He continues discussing the dragon roads and tells Jakel that he can open doors into the paths. Jakel calls Lisa to tell her the news, and she makes her way over to visit the guy in person. 

We discover that his name is Paiyun Fo, and that he is the former owner and current Master of the Hiping Su school of martial arts. This same school will be hosting a tournament shortly, and Steel Warrior is very interested in attending the tournament, as the Master is very well known and regarded in the marital arts community. 

Lisa arrives and chats with Paiyun Fo, who displays tendencies of some form of mental abilities. Lisa wants to know what the gentleman will want in exchange for opening a door, as she's entered into some dubious deals lately and is not in a hurry to start again in the deal making. 

Paiyun Fo talks about  the concept of guānxì, which at the very simplest translation equates to "a favor for a favor". He explains he wants no payment now- just the assurance that the Ultras will offer him a favor in return at some future date. 

He says that making the token to open the door will take about a week, and that if 'Nani is still on the island, she is in the volcano, where only ley lines can reach. He asks Lisa for some personal item of 'Nani's to gain a sense of her essence to help make the token, and he tells Lisa that she should be more forthcoming with the remaining Ultras about her relationship with 'Nani and what's really going on. He also indicates the weird symbol on the note was a signature- a needlessly complicated signature. Paiyun Fo believes the person that left probably thinks he is smarter than he truly is.

The group thanks him for the hospitality and tea, and leaves for the remainder of the evening. 

Other things that took place:

SteelWarrior walked out a "map" of the ley lines (which we will get as soon as the GM draws it)

Lisa got a copy of the last agreement made by 'Nani with the Japanese firm (but hasn't read it yet)

[HS6e] Hawaii Action- (Session 8)

Over 2 hours of unabashed and much needed silliness transpired before our game ever got under way. There was a dropping of  an "H" and then turning it into a ladder and then steering wheel; admonishments to 'shoosh' and then fierce instructions to go outside, as well as ridiculous riffing on things unremembered. I completely lost ability to breathe and damn near passed out from the jovial hilarity we shared. I especially enjoyed my GM's unbridled rant (and I cannot remember what it regarded, dammit) as he has the most absurd sense of humor and outrage I've ever seen; and they're doubly hilarious when combined.

Quick shots of what happened:

-Syphon was out patrolling and 11 dudes with BIG GUNS tried to get the drop on her, however, they failed to hit her. She went to go get Agent Williams, as he's the only one who has a fixed location she knows.

Red Block Guys are a good stand-in for the bad guys Syphon saw.

-Agent Williams works at the Army base and some very amusing moments occurred when the MPs had to try to talk to her  Sample quote: " You don't SPEAK sign language, silly, you use your hands...(muttered) don't you?"

-Remainder of Ultras called and arrive at Army base. All gathered in Williams' (very crowded) office. Discussion of the various problems the Ultras face ensues.[Fairly hilarious one at that.]

-Lisa asks Jerry if he can reverse engineer the shoes in some way as she thinks they are part of how she's light & less strong. Jerry  attempts looking at them but is confounded by Lisa's Michael Kohrs dress (the boots go up much further than the hem of the dress) as well as the fact that the boots or mechanism reversing Lisa's abilities does not seem in any way technological. Jerry asks to see the rest of the boots/outfit. Lisa drops the dress and the crew finally sees the outfit 'Nani gave her (except Jumpshot who is off looking for something - he'll return soon.)  Jerry continues to examine the boots and has absolutely no luck cutting them or getting them unzipped. He tests the various straps on Lisa's outfit to determine everything but the bikini bottoms are made of the tougher, resistant material.

[That the bikinis are made of regular material is news to both Lisa and ME- I didn't ask enough questions and made an assumption. And the GM is definitely one of those "what do you get when you assume" kinds of guys.]

-Somehow Lisa's predicament becomes the focus of the group (maybe it's because she's half naked in the middle of the room, I dunno) and various attempts are made to remove the boots. Jumpshot pipes up with "has anyone tried to open the lock?" and there's dead silence. Then an uncomfortable pause as everyone generally looks at him just a little presumptuously (assuming a black man will know how to pick a lock). 

Jumpshot calls for some bolt cutters. He asks Lisa if she wants to go through with trying to open them. he makes it plain that once it's done, there's no going back. Lisa is more than a little conflicted, but comes away with some firm resolve after realizing that 'Nani is out there somewhere, and Lisa has no way to protect her without abilities. Lisa tells Jumpshot to go ahead and try.

Jumpshot attempts to cut the lock open. No dice. Another couple attempts are made and the lock is simply too sturdy for the cutters. Syphon decides to drain the energy/(something) from the lock, and THEN cutters are attempted again. It takes several tries - with several different members of the Ultras attempting- before headway is made.

-As all this is going on, Agent Williams has been on the phone the entire time. He's apparently been negotiating with head honcos in Washington (or somewhere other than Hawaii) to get more resources, support, a GUN. Lisa overhears some very telling comments that make her more than a little nervous that what she's about to do (return her Ultra powers) is actually something she wants to do.

-The lock opens. Lisa heads to the bathroom to change because she knows it won't be long before there are many broken things if she doesn't get out of the boots. She changes and makes minor adjustments, and returns to the group.

-Agent Williams gets off the phone. He tells the assembled Ultras that he's been authorized to offer the group "jobs" as federal agents, working in the HURT division. The deal is pretty much all or nothing- he either gets the whole group or none at all. He hands out a massive manual, which is the stuff an agent is supposed to know and/or do. The group discusses the possibility along with the many things the group is attempting to resolve. Pretty much everyone except Lisa and Freestyle are on board. Freestyle's main concern is age, as he's 16 he's not sure he'd be eligible for a position. Lisa flat out refuses to do anything until 'Nani is found.

--I can't remember exactly what happens next. I think it was discussion of getting radios and fining a place for Syphon to sleep as she was attacked very close to her alley. I know Lisa offered a temporary place to crash at her beach home. I'm pretty sure this is where we wrap up for the night.

[HS6E] Hawaii Action (Session 7) -REDUX

I SWEAR IT WILL MAKE SENSE THIS TIME!!!!

It's only half past the point of no return
The tip of the iceberg, the sun before the burn
The thunder before lightning, the breath before the phrase- Pink, Glitter In The Air -----------------------------------------------------------------

In the midst of a dark beach, a wide panning shot focuses on a long angular beachhouse. Formed of concrete and steel, at least two walls are cascading sheets of glass. The building is a fusion of stark modern design and sleek Japanese furnishings. Along a far wall, is a gleaming white surfboard, with the initials "LK" written in elaborate script across the surface. A smaller, deep red board, with ornate cherry blossoms stenciled onto it sits beside it. Sparsely appointed, with wide open spaces, very little of the living space is secluded.A simple folding screen guards the sleeping area, and a slight alcove seems to contain the facilities and utility room.

The sound of waves crashing and breaking lull in the background, drumming a dim pulse to the peaceful venue. Soft light, drifting ambiently from the moon filters in the space as the view moves into the area behind the screen. A traditional futon on a wooden frame, well stuffed and finely stitched is on the far left, nearest the wall. Nestled beside it, on the floor, is a simple futon mattress with Lisa, legs akimbo, sleeping soundly in her new getup.

[This is where I should have cut & run last time.So here we go- onto the action.]

[HS6E] Hawaii Action (Session 7)

It's only half past the point of no return
The tip of the iceberg, the sun before the burn
The thunder before lightning, the breath before the phrase- Pink, Glitter In The Air -----------------------------------------------------------------

[I'm trying something a little different today. I'm not married to it- it's an experiment. Also, I think I have the order of some sequences mixed up; but have the general jist down.]

In the midst of a dark beach, a wide panning shot focuses on a long angular beachhouse. Formed of concrete and steel, at least two walls are cascading sheets of glass. The building is a fusion of stark modern design and sleek Japanese furnishings. Along a far wall, is a gleaming white surfboard, with the initials "LK" written in elaborate script across the surface. A smaller, deep red board, with ornate cherry blossoms stencilled onto it sits beside it. Sparsely appointed, with wide open spaces, very little of the living space is secluded.A simple folding screen guards the sleeping area, and a slight alcove seems to contain the facilities and utility room.

The sound of waves crashing and breaking lull in the background, drumming a dim pulse to the peaceful venue. Soft light, drifting ambiently from the moon filters in the space as the view moves into the area behind the screen. A traditional futon on a wooden frame, well stuffed and finely stitched is on the far left, nearest the wall. Nestled beside it, on the floor, is a simple futon mattress with Lisa, legs akimbo, sleeping soundly in her new getup.

The sun begins to rise, spreading amber into the room, and Lisa stirs with the beginning of the day. She retreats to the alcove for several moments, and emerges, a slightly befuddled look upon her face. She shakes it off, and moves into the main portion of the house.

Her tall form stretches as she dusts, washes the windows, sweeps and then cleans the open galley style kitchen. Lisa continues working around the house, doing chores and keeping busy. At some point during the day, she investigates the flashing light on an answering machine on a small table in a corner.

The heartbeat of water continues as the screen follows Lisa in her daily routine. We're immersed in her world, lulled by the deepening course of waves, beating like breaths.

As the day moves on, Lisa dresses in casual beach wear over her boots and other accouterments, and sits on the beach, watching the clear blue water and those that seek to tame or ride it. As evening turns, Lisa returns to the house, and investigates a well designed garage- empty. The inside of the house is bare as well. Lisa makes a brief telephone call, her voice muted by the waves drumming.

Lisa leaves the house, walking up the streets of Honolulu in the early evening. She travels to an office building and then to several malls. Lisa continues walking after each location, and heads towards the house on the beach.

Lisa's hand reaches into her pocket, and she seems to view a text message on a cell phone. A short exchange of messages occurs and Lisa changes direction. She heads towards a mountain in the distance. Lisa moves with more purpose, slightly picking up speed. Something bothers her, and she slows down. She stops at a park bench, and tentatively puts one of her boot clad feet against the seat. The bench supports her foot as she attempts to remove the boot, which won't unzip or come undone. Lisa sees another message on her phone, which causes her to continue towards the mountain.

The water driven pulse continues as Lisa jogs up the mountainside, headed into the darkening evening.

Lisa arrives, winded, upon a scene where several other "Ultras" and Agent Williams are standing, all admiring a grey & black 2010 Porsche 911 GT3. The driver's side door is open, but no one is in the car. A couple of the Ultras are gathered on the side of the road, looking at the gravel.

Lisa steps to the car, and her hand moves under the driver's seat to push it all the way back. Lisa gets in the car, closes the door, and turns on the radio. Devo's Mind Games blares, just slightly audible through the door and the water which continues drumming.

The shot opens up to see Freestyle looking under the car, and Jumpshot knocking on the window of the high-end sports car. Lisa gets out of the car, holding a small clutch. Her slightly anguished expression gives hint to heartbreak.

Lisa and Agent Williams appear to talk for a moment, with Agent Williams investigating something on his iPad. Lisa seems more perplexed and unsettled by whatever Agent Williams has said, as she pulls her blode hair away from her face in frustration.

Jumpshot and Freestyle approach Lisa to point to the roadside, and then up the mountain. Their conversation, aimed at Lisa, is drowned out by a crescendo of waves, the heartbeat deafening. Jumpshot wraps Lisa in his arm, and heads up the mountain, leaping to the beat of the water.

The group arrives to a culdera at the top of the now-dormant Diamondhead. Jerry and Steel Warrior are investigating a steam vent, and Syphon appears to be doing the same. Lisa stands to the side as the remainder of the group is seemingly grasping at straws in the steam vent flue. SteelWarrior backs up to take a running leap at the vent, and as he passes through, a piece of paper flitters out of the vent. Syphon hands the paper to Lisa, which she puts in the clutch.

In the long shot, Jumpshot, Steel Warrior, Jerry and Syphon all engage Lisa in a converstion after Freestyle heads down the mountain. After a while, Jumpshot takes Lisa back down the mountain, where she gets in the Porsche, and drives to the beach house, Jumpshot trailing behind. Once the car is inside the garage, Jumpshot leaves, headed another direction.

In the midst of a dark beach, a wide panning shot focuses on a long angular beachhouse. Formed of concrete and steel, at least two walls are cascading sheets of glass. The building is a fusion of stark modern design and sleek Japanese furnishings.

[HS6E] Hawaii Action (Session 6)

Bricks Are Heavy- L7

Let’s make our way to the parking lot
Coz I know one of us have got to drop- Skindred, Bruises

I need some kind of promise
Some kind of submission tonight

Heavy
Ain't it heavy
Ain't the night heavy -Melissa Etheridge, Ain't It Heavy
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The session begins on the Monday morning after LAST session, when the majority of the Ultras fought some super suits on the mountain outside Honolulu. Lisa/Diamond wasn't present for that fight-she was trying to make amends for mouthing off to 'Nani.

Monday morning, Lisa is out doing errands. Lisa hopes to perform massage and physical therapy on the beach to surfers and locals alike. Lisa is now on her way to the City Hall, to file some paperwork and get permits for a small business.As she heads down the road, Lisa sees something flying overhead- which strikes her as a bit unusual, as she has not seen any air traffic in a couple days. Lisa is curious, and decides to check out the contrails as they move over head.

Lisa follows the contrails around for a while, but can't get any sort of grip on what's going on. She decides to try to get a better view, and heads over to Nokia Tower. [I actually meant The Aloha Tower, but it's irrelevant as the GM went with my goof and all turned out well.] She tries to go up the stairs, but the first one cracks and Lisa is stuck on the ground. She turns to follow the contrails again [it's actually more than one] and sees a parking garage next door.

She heads on up, watching the zooming trails. As she watches, she sees one of them stop on the top of a building nearby. She sees a tall figure in a magenta battlesuit style thing, scanning the horizon. This gets her attention even more fully, and she continues to follow the figures around Honolulu.

What the heck are these guys doing? Weird. 

As she continues to trail the jet-like figures, she sees the second one land on top of a roof. The second suit is massive, at least half again as large as the first one, and red.

That thing is huge! What IS it?

Lisa makes her way over to a pizza place [has a landline phone] and asks to use the phone. She gives the guy a good tip, and she calls Ja'Kel/Jumpshot. She explains the general gist of what's going on, and Jumpshot gathers the rest of the Ultras [except for Freestyle and Syphon] to meet Lisa at the pizza joint. As Lisa is on the phone with Jumpshot, she hears a "whoooooosh, whoomp"  sort of noise. She infers that one of the jet suit guys has landed on the roof of the building. She says as such to Jumpshot and then hangs up the phone.

Lisa goes outside to investigate- casually looking on the roof, and waits for the rest of the gang to appear.

A little later, the other Ultras appear- Jumpshot, SteelWarriror and Jerry Riggs all arrive at the scene. They clue L:isa/Diamond in on the fact that maybe they have faced these battle suits before, but no one sees anything unusual, and there's a bit of recriminations as the group generally disbelieves that Lisa/Diamond actually saw anything.

Lisa gets more than a little frustrated and is about to leave when SteelWarrior decides to check out the roof.

These guys are seriously cramping my style. Maybe I DON'T want to do this after all. 

Shortly after Steel Warrior heads up to the roof, a shot is heard. Steel Warrior is hit, and blasted into the wall across the street.

 See? I wasn't wrong, Something IS here. 

Jumpshot looks up towards the top of the building but sees nothing, [the bad guys can go invisible!] and gets shot by a laser in return. This would normally not be a big deal, but Jumpshot hadn't yet activated his defenses. The burns are gonna leave a mark. Diamond doesn't like this turn of events, but can't get on the roof directly, so she heads over to the parking garage she was on just a few minutes ago.


What the hell? What was that all about? We hadn't even touched them yet.

Once on the roof of the parking garage, Lisa can see one of the two guys she saw previously- the magenta suit. She picks up a light pole, but can't quite make it reach as a bat. So Diamond uses the light pole as a spear, and chucks it across the street- and misses the suit. [These dudes were VERY hard to hit!]  The pole ends up right above the unconscious Steel Warrior, on the building across the street.

Shit.

Things quiet down- it seems as if the suits have taken off, and Diamond goes down to help Jumpshot. The group calls Agent Williams, who arrives on the scene. There's a jumbled, weird discussion of the events with the point finally being made that the Ultras were attacked without provocation. Lisa takes off to go file her paperwork and after doing so,  heads home.


The other Ultras all end up at Jumpshot's mansion, and then they get in touch with Freestyle for a little conversation and practice using abilities against each other. The later call Diamond, who is home with 'Nani, and invite her to attend the little discussion.

Diamond heads on over to Jumpshot's place. She relents to Freestyle's desire to get a mental picture of the two battlesuits, and lets him take a peek in her head for a moment. The promised 'teamwork building session' breaks down into a long and very infuriating dump on Diamond's inability to fly. Diamond is more than a little mad at this turn of events, and all the ideas for inertia dampering fields just remind her how much she misses her life before weighing 10 tons.

I'd give it all up to be able to surf again. 

Diamond decides to go home- the Ultras are not doing anything to help her, and she's ready to throw in the towel on the whole Ultra thing at the moment.


Before Lisa left for Ja'Kel's place, 'Nani mentioned that she had a surprise for Lisa, and would leave it on the bed. Lisa gets home, and finds :

[Quoting verbatim fromt he GM's note] A lingerie set, black, lacy, thigh high platform boots, not very revealing, with a choker with a padlock on it. The material seems unusually sturdy.

Lisa follows the obvious intentions, and puts the items on. As she puts the boots on, there's no cracking or breaking underneath her, and she doesn't feel as heavy. She puts the choker on, and while the material is somewhat stretchy, as she goes to lock the padlock, the material strengthens, and Lisa can't move as easily as before. She sits on the edge of the bed, and she doesn't make nearly the indentation she normally does.

[This is the end of the session. The GM has told me out of character some of  what is going to happen to Diamond, and I can't wait to see how it goes. He's a truly evil & twisted GM, and I love his imaginative way of doing things.]

Bonus material: My friend Tom painted this HeroClix figure up as Diamond! Check it out!

[HS6E] Hawaii Action (Session 5) With Pics!

Whatever you're looking for
Hey, Don't come around here no more" - Tom Petty, Don't Come Around Here No More
-------------------------------------------------------------------


[I arrived at game just a little late. Here's what I saw when I showed up.]

 
But wait, there's more!

Our GM uses 40K terrain and other sundry items laying around the FLGS to create in depth, vivid worlds for us to explore. He's also got a great story going. We're just very happily ignoring it at the moment.

This session picks up pretty much at the end of session 4.

Jumpshot, Steel Warrior, Jerry Riggs and Freestyle are all on the side of the mountain just outside the city of Honolulu. [Whether there's one there in reality is irrelevant. There is one there in game.]

Diamond is still in Honolulu, trying to smooth over an unfortunate comment made to 'Nani. Diamond's....busy for the rest of the evening.

The general gist of the set up is that the "Heroes" saw the three "Very Fast Guys" messing with a tree at the very back edge of this board at the end of session 4. According to the GM's description, the Very Fast Guys are wearing power armor, and were messing with a tree that had some sort of access panel , revealing wires and circuitry. As the Ultras arrive on the scene, the Fast Guys in Armor close up the tree, and come out to stop the Ultras from investigating or moving in closer.

[Here's the tree in question. The little clear base represents that it's important.]

There were three guys at the end of session 4. When the Ultra group arrives at the mountain, it's dark. They are in the woods. Only one guy has night vision. So, only 1 Very Fast Guy  is visible. He's HUGE, and wearing very obvious power armor. He tells the "good guys" that they are not welcome, are trespassing, and to go away.

There's some dialogue back and forth. The big guy is short on patience and makes a pretty threatening gesture towards Jumpshot, who does not like it at all. Syphon has arrived on the scene independently, and can hear what's going on, but not respond. Discussion continues. Things get very tense. More dialogue goes on, with SteelWarrior making a fairly convincing delaying argument. It appears the situation will get resolved without violence, when a small hiccup makes for some interesting times.

The situation before the combat starts.

Jerry Riggs has been trying to check out the tree that the Very Fast Guys were playing with earlier. As he gets close enough to make a perception check on what's inside the tree, he gets tied up by an entangle. Jerry sends out an SOS on the mind link the Ultras are using in place of radios (because cell phones are not working right now, and no one HAS a radio).

SteelWarrior attempts to negotiate that the Ultras will go away once they pick up their buddy. Jumpshot makes a move to get Jerry, and the big power suit guy (Man O'War) moves to stop him. SteelWarrior doesn't appreciate this, and attacks.

Combat begins, with most of the Ultras focusing on Man O' War. There's some interesting action, with a double team one of the  more memorable moments.

The guy in blue=Steel Warrior. Man O'War in the middle. Syphon in rear.

The Ultras get Man O'War knocked down, and Steel Warrior decides that he needs to stay down, so SW hits Man O'War (repeatedly) while he is prone and defenseless.

Man O'War eventually gets up. He's not happy that he was attacked while he was down. Additionally, his team mate was nearby but none of the Ultras saw him- but the teammate (Orbital) saw the Ultras and attacked them in an attempt to defend his buddy.

While all this is going on, Jumpshot is attempting to get to Jerry at the back of the board. He's tossing around orange spheres of energy as he goes, assisting in the fight as much as he can while trying to get to his buddy. Freestyle is also present, hanging out in the background, waiting for an opportunity to be able to do anything (which is difficult because it is dark, he does not have night vision, and his powers are all based on LOS).

Orbital was in a tree, and was taking potshots (with lasers) at the Ultras from above. Steel Warrior wants Orbital out of the tree. But he can't fly, doesn't have enough leaping, and doesn't have anything to throw at Orbital. So he decides to bring Orbital down to earth another way.

The Flash=Freestyle. On the other side, you can see Steel Warrior's arms.

Steel Warrior didn't take a lot of lessons in physics or geometry. He failed at understanding the consequences of knocking down the tree from the angle he was using.

Steel Warrior DID succeed in getting Orbital out of the tree. As well as knocking himself silly with said tree.

A few moments after this, another Jimmy John's Delivery Dude (look it up if you don't get it) arrives and begins blasting away at the Ultras.This guy (Ricochet) is pretty effective and knocks the Ultras around a little. Jumpshot has retrieved Jerry Riggs from the entangle and Jerry brings Jumpshot back to the action. All four Ultras engage in combat, with Freestyle doing a LOT of the heavy lifting in this fight- because once he discovers how well his powers work against the Armored Super Fast Crew, they all go down pretty quickly.

The Ultras have a group of heavily armored guys laying at their feet. Jerry decides to go BACK to the crazy tree with circuits and wiring growing in the middle of it to check it out. Freestyle takes a moment to "go fish" in the unconscious dudes' brains to determine if they are really out or just playing possum. After Jerry discovers that the tree is a satellite antenna, but is not sending or receiving, he comes back to the group and starts fishing around to see if he can get the armor off the guys. Freestyle also does this, but with mental powers. As everyone is pretty much focused on Man O'War and Orbital, they fail to notice that Ricochet got up and left - QUICKLY. Jerry sees him far off in the distance a moment later, but it doesn't seem like a big deal.

The Ultras decide they need to involve Agent Williams of H.U.R.T. in the situation. No one has a phone or a way to get ahold of him quickly, so Syphon takes off to go get him. However, she doesn't TELL anyone this and isn't involved in the mind link. The guys quickly figure it out and wait.

While they wait for Syphon to come back with Agent Williams, things get a little dark up on the mountain. It's not a big thing- it's just-- weird. Steel Warrior wonders if it is localized, so he climbs a different tree to see if he can view the lights of Honolulu in the distance.

Once he comes determines that everything is fine, he comes down from the tree, and everything goes dark. Some jet engine noises are heard, and when the lights go back on, there are NO guys in power suits anywhere to be found.

They talk to Agent Williams about the situation, and he informs them that there's almost nothing he can do. He has no way to know if the property is private until he goes to the records building (of course this event is on a weekend), and there's no probable cause to justify a warrant even if it isn't. There's no proof that anything happened because of "dudes in metal suits" and it's best if they all leave. Jerry and Freestyle have the ability to describe the guys in suits in tremendous detail, so they agree to go down to the station and get an artist to draw it - later.

That pretty much wraps it up for the night. Here's what the board looked like after the fight was cleared.

[HS6E] Hawaii Action (Session 4)

/Like a fool, I fell in love with you,
Turned my whole world upside down./ - Eric Clapton, Layla
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[I'm trying to get all the write ups from past sessions out - we play tonight and I don't want to be behind when I do the next write up.]

In this session, Jumpshot earns his motormouth reputation in spades. He starts things off by talking to Agent Williams of H.U.R.T. and discovers that the man is just a little lost. Hawaii was supposed to be a cushy gig, and now there are Ultras, but he doesn't have any resources to do anything about it. Jumpshot, being the generous fellow that he is, decides to see "what he can do" about the problem.

Jumpshot's former NBA status allows him fairly good recognition outside of the Ultra getup,and most people know him as Ja'Kel Foster. As previously mentioned, he's also wealthy, if not rich, so he has many resources available to him.

He talks to Steel Warrior first- SW is living in Jumpshot's guest house, so it's not difficult. He proposes that maybe the Utras need to be a team and Steel Warrior agrees. This transaction took much longer, as Jumpshot elaborated on a number of points and had much else to say.

"Will you stop talking?" - Steel Warriror [Quote of the night.]

Jumpshot then calls Diamond. Diamond doesn't have a secret ID, nor a public one. She's not hiding who she is, but it would not be hard to figure out- there's only one 6'1" blonde surfer babe that weigh 10 tons around.  Diamond is currently relaxing as Lisa (her real name) with the lovely 'Nani when Jumpshot calls. Lisa excuses her self, the two talk, and Jumpshot makes pretty much the same case as before. Lisa tentatively agrees to being on a team, based on Jumpshot asking for help on behalf of someone who is unable to help themselves. Jumpshot leaves and goes on to the next Ultra.

Jumpshot talks to Freestyle, who agrees as well, and then Jumpshot tries to find a shortwave radio to contact Jerry Riggs. Freestyle does some quick adaptations of a chap burner cell phone and presto, Jerry is in contact. Jumpshot now decides getting everyone all together seems like a splendid idea, and arranges for Steel Warrior to be picked up from the guest house by cab, and the group heads over to the local supremely upscale eating establishment.

Lisa and 'Nani are dining at this same restaurant when the Jumpshot entourage arrives. All of the group except Freestyle completely misses seeing Lisa, but Lisa sees them. She continues eating and enjoying her evening while the boys talk about being a team etc.


She looks incredible tonight- that new sarong is stunning on her.
 
At some point, a comment is made about wanting to get in touch with Diamond, and it's discovered that cell phones aren't working. Freestyle knows he has a way to get in contact with her(mental abilities), but he also knows from a previous encounter that Diamond won't respond well to it. Freestyle very cautiously contacts Lisa, and they have a brief conversation where it's decided that Lisa is not immediately needed.


Whatever it is that Ja'Kel wants can wait- she's far more interesting to me.
 
[The cell phone outage is just the tip of the iceberg. It's a small symptom of a much larger event that is global in scale, but the Honolulu Ultras aren't bothered by the issue, nor are they aware of this happening that transcends the shared universe.]


The boys finish their conversation and disperse from the restaurant. They are gathered outside making idle chit chat when they see two shapes hurtling across the skyline at incredible speeds. Just a moment later, another shape rockets down the road at a breakneck pace, headed in the same direction as the other two. It is quickly decided that the group should investigate, if for no other reason than to find out what these things might be. Jumpshot wants to alert Diamond, and Freestyle very reluctantly reveals that she's inside the restaurant.



Jumpshot makes his way to the ladies' table, and introductions are made. Jumpshot apologizes for interrupting their dinner by paying, and gently lets Diamond know that there is a situation that might need her attention- but he's not sure yet. They agree that if help is needed, Freestyle can and will contact her. Jumpshot leaves to go check out the fast moving things.


Lisa and 'Nani are left to their dinner. 'Nani is a headstrong, modern woman, and has learned to use her feminine wiles to her advantage over Lisa; especially after Lisa's physical changes became more evident. Lisa is well aware that 'Nani is completely in control, and has adapted to the power shift fairly well. She does occasionally act or speak in ways that 'Nani uses to reinforce her position of power, and one such event occurs during their dinner. Lisa is left at the table in the restaurant, with the new sarong on the floor, while 'Nani walks away; nude. Lisa picks up the fabric, and follows 'Nani outside, all apologies.

Oh, damn.
 
The remainders of the Ultras are in hot pursuit of the rocketing shapes, and wind up past the city, up the mountain. They find themselves facing three beings in power suits. These 'battle suits' make it plain that the Ultras are not welcome, and it appears a battle is about to break out.

We end the session at this point, as it's pretty late (The Dude talked until 9!) and combat in Hero is NOT fast by any means.

[HS6E] Hawaii Action (Session 3)

So, you can try to tear me down,
Beat me to the ground,
I will see you screaming.- Mushroomhead, Thoughtless
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day starts out with Jumpshot at home, channel surfing while he checks his investments. Aside from being a former basketball player turned Ultra, he has a business degree in finance in order to control and grow his earnings and endorsement income. As he is flipping through stations, he sees a news report about a very strange happening in downtown Honolulu.

The news station has resorted to using a helicopter to get shots of the events, because the downtown area is demolished. Several buildings over a good area have very serious structural damage, and no obvious explanation. It looks like someone very large took a massive hand and tore away the corners of various buildings like a kid would tear into a cake. In addition to the destroyed buildings, there is an exceptionally large mound of trash dumped in the street, with little trash tornadoes whirling around the base of the buildings in the downtown plaza area.

Jumpshot knows this is something he should check out, so he gets in contact with Steel Warrior, Diamond and Freestyle. Steel Warrior contacts Jerry Riggs, but no one has a tried and true method to contact Syphon. [She's mute, and for all realistic purposes, she's a street person.] The Ultras make their way towards the downtown area in their various modes of transport ; all arriving at different intervals and angles.Syphon apparently saw the report on a TV in a display and heads over to the scene as well.

Jumpshot arrives on the scene first, with Steel Warrior in tow. Steel Warrior has a chi power that allows him to sense life, and he apparently picks up on a life form in the trash pile. He heads over to investigate, while Jumpshot avoids a tornado. As Steel Warrior closes in on the trash heap, the various trash pieces scoot in and up to form a large trash golem in the center of the street.

[The GM's descriptions and sound effects for the golem were very convincing- I had visions of Iron Giant and collapsing sand castles (but of trash, and in reverse) running through my head.]

The golem takes a swipe at Steel Warrior, who manages to dodge. Steel Warrior avoids the golem a couple more times, but finally gets smooshed flat by a LOT of damage. Jumpshot has been dancing with trash devils for most of this time, but notices Steel Warrior go down. He heads over to the trash pile and the golem turns his attention on Jumpshot.

Jumpshot makes a great dodge, and recovers to a movement turn before the trash dude can swing again. Jumpshot pulls off an incredible shot with his crazy energy spheres and knocks the golem flat. The dust devils are now chasing him like mad, and Diamond arrives on the scene. Jumpshot directs Diamond to an area around a corner from where he is, and she heads in that direction. 

Ugh. Trash. At least I wore something washable.

Shortly after, Syphon arrives on the scene. Diamond quickly explains that the larger threat is still around a corner, and the two women head off in that general direction. 

Syphon and Diamond make their way into the edge of a large "pool" of trash, unsure what the trouble is. Very quickly they find out, as the golem does his reverse sand castle thing again. The form lashes out at Diamond, and both Diamond and Syphon attack at the next opportunity. Diamond uses some wrestling knowledge and uses leverage, pulling a "leg" out from under the golem. Several more attacks atre traded back and forth, with Syphon taking some brutal hits but using the damage as fuel for her abilities. Finally, the golem goes down, but Syphon goes diving into the pile of rubbish like a woman on a mission. 

I don't know what she lost- but it sure must be important to dig through garbage for it.

Diamond joins in the search- with the blonde surfer babe looking for shoes or something similar. Syphon emerges from the trash and flies off before Diamond can get a look at whatever it is that she was hunting for. 

While all of this was going on, Jumpshot was playing Follow-the-Leader with several trash devils and has finally put them out of commission. He takes a moment to catch his breath and then heads over to Steel Warriror, who is still unconcsious. Diamond heads over to help, as she actually has quite a bit of first aid knowledge. Steel Warrior wakes up from his early nap a few moments later, in a complete huff. 

Maybe his head got knocked too hard. I don't know, but this guy sure has a problem.

A very heated arguement ensues, with Steel Warrior inistent on fighting a now dispatched and non-existent opponent. It takes Diamond's strength to keep him from attacking randomly, and a great deal of discussion about appropriate responses to being attacked and in fights. This exchange is pretty intense, with Diamond losing her cool more than once (but coming short of decking Steel Warrior into the next century). Even the ever cool Jumpshot's nerves are on edge at the end of the discussion, but things are calmed down enough that the Ultras part their separate ways.


I'm going to go watch the surf roll in. Even that's less frustrating than this Steel Warrior guy.

[HS6E] Hawaii Action (Session 2)

Michael Kors Gear On And Valentino
Yves St. Laurent Platforms- Malandrino
Full length sable Way down to the carpet
Look good on the mannequin But wait until I rock it -Mary J Blige, Grown Woman

[All write-ups are from memory, which is now fuzzy. Details may be missed due to this fact.]

When all of the “Ultras” were making introductions the other day, there were some questions about our abilities. Most of those other people fly, or glow, or have weird freaky visible energy powers. I'm just strong, and tough. I don't do anything special. I made a comment to myself about feeling like a fish out of water.

I wish I hadn't.

Diamond is again at the beach. A little further down, something strange is going on. Families are leaving the beachfront quickly. Diamond decides to investigate.

As she closes in on the area, she sees several strange creatures moving up the sand. Any bystanders are now frantically trying to leave the area, so she moves in closer to get a better look. As she closes in, she sees that the creatures are vaguely fish-like, but are seriously mutated. The “fish” have forelimbs and legs that they use to propel themselves forward. They also have beak like mouths,and when they encounter something (or someone), they “stand up” and attack with their upper limbs and beaky mouth.

They look roughly like this:

Diamond steps up to the challenge of protecting the few bystanders, and is quickly engaged in combat with a group of five or so.

This doesn't look good. I hope I don't get too messy.

Very close by, Steel Warrior is in much the same predicament. He engages some of the “fish” in hand to hand combat, and is quickly surrounded by a good number of them.

Just a few seconds into the fights with the “fish” , a new danger is apparent- what seems to be bi-pedal sharks arrive on the scene. These sharks have short forearms and somewhat flexible heads, which allows them to chomp on opponents with ease. Both Diamond and Steel Warrior engage these larger beasties in direct confrontation while the remainder of the Ultras begin to arrive on the scene.

While fighting, Diamond “fives” several fish, all over her brand new outfit. [“Fiving” is a newish phrase meant to indicate “knocked the crap out of” but I don't remember why we use it.]

Damn! That was a new Andy South, too.

Steel Warrior is holding his own, but definitely looks worse for wear as he's much “squishier” than Diamond. More Ultras arrive on the scene and all of the “fish”and “sharks” are dealt with. Yet again, there's a good amount of discussion on what to do and why. Many discoveries or deductions are made, mostly by Jerry Riggs. The consensus and concern seems to be that these creatures are in some way related to the biological weapon we dispatched last time around.

About this time, Agent Williams of H.U.R.T shows up. We continue the conversation, and decide to take a specimen over to the University's oceanography department for further study and investigation. There's also discussion of how to dispose of the dead critters, and the university's incinerator winds up as the best solution. Diamond loads the HURT van with the dead, mutated beings,as well as a live, but very weakened “fish”. Everyone heads over to the university, and we take a few moments to talk to the professor who was silly enough to answer our call. (Also a Williams- but call him Mike.) Some of us pass on our contact info to the professor, and then we go onto other endeavors.

I'm not sure I can pay the dry cleaner enough for this mess.

[HS6E] Hawaii Action (Session 1)

/Ribonucleic acid freak out, the power of prayer
Long halls of science and all the lunatics committed there
Robot Lords of Tokyo, SMILE TASTE KITTENS!/ Clutch, 10001110101

/What's The Hell's Going On Around Here?/ Suicidal Tendencies, You Can't Bring Me Down

--------------------------------------------------------------------

It's taken a lot of work to get used to this new life. Being heavy,being tough, being strong- I've adapted to those pretty well. Aside from not being able to surf anymore, not looking at hot girls is probably the strangest adjustment. This is Hawaii; I see them everywhere-bikinis all around. I'm just not interested in scoping them out. I mean, what's the point, given what I have at home?


Hawaii is my normal now. I'm shopping when things get weird.


[Diamond is at a local surf shop looking for some new outfits. While she is there, a large commotion strikes up outside the building. She decides to investigate.


Across the boardwalk, there's a guy trying to beat a hole into the side of a building. He's just a normal guy from all appearances, but he's whacking away at the building like there's no tomorrow. Diamond heads over to stop this course of events.]


I guess I'm what's called an “Ultra”now. It's hard not to be when I weigh 10 tons and it takes a blow torch to do any real damage to me. I know there are others out there. I just didn't know any were in Hawaii.


I was wrong.

[A large amount of Ultras are all at the same place at the same time. They all converge on the scene to stop the demolition crew. They're quickly contained, but these guys aren't quite right in the head. They're more like zombies than people. After a quick mop-up, more zombies are discovered further down the beach, assembling what appears to be a bomb.


After a few minutes of discussion, lead by Jerry Riggs, the group believes the device is a biological weapon of some sort. We decide to take it out to sea so it has less chances of hurting people. Steel Warrior escorts it out to sea, and manages to disable it (for the most part- a few drops of the liquid escape).


At this point, the local H.U.R.T. (Hyper/Ultra Response Team) guy (Agent Williams) shows up. He wants to take us down to his office, where he can talk to us away from the general public.


A short discussion and vague introductions happen. Phone numbers (or radio frequencies) are handed out. Nothing formal-just a general agreement that if more strangeness should occur, then we will try to help each other out.]


I guess my normal just got interesting.Why does interesting have to mean confusing?

[HS6E] Honolulu Intro

There are three HS6E games going on at the FLGS right now. They are all superheroic in scope (400 pts). Two of them are being run by the Dude. Those two are set in Chicaco (home of two or more previous campaigns) and Phoenix.

The Dude wrote up a campaign standards document, to give players an idea of the history, feel, social and political scene for the game in question. It's a little more than an abridged timeline, but it's pretty effective at giving just enough information while leaving a lot of room for growth and development. He also wrote up a list of known villains and scored them on a scale of 1-5 stars, with 5 being the most powerful. There are only three 5 star individual villains in the game. (There are a couple 5 star teams but I can't remember how many. ) Of course, there was a list of known "hero" teams (with their respective cities) included to help flesh out the information known about the world.

After a bit of play time (and learning the system), one of the Dude's players in the Phoenix game decided he wanted to run a game. (He's a longtime friend as well.) He spent some time debating whether he wanted to use the "universe" as the Dude had written it, or go about making his own. He decided to use the Dude's world, but with the understanding that his own flair and color would be going in the mix.  Then the new GM had to find a location for this team to go, as most urban cities had teams assigned to them by the Dude's campaign/universe document.

He decided on Honolulu, Hawaii.

This is where I'm playing Diamond, a brick (strong/tough type).She's a very attractive surfer babe,and quite often gets referred to as "Hot Chick".

A lot of the back story I discussed earlier has either been adjusted and modified as my vision of her became more focused, or tossed out entirely. Look for updates at a later time. The scrapbook is pretty accurate, though.

The Dude is playing Jumpshot, a former NBA player who got wuji energy projecting abilities. His projections usually take the form of orange spheres, and almost all of Jumpshot's abilities have some basketball oriented themes and skills. Jumpshot is also a motormouth pretty boy.

There's Freestyle, played by another (but different) long time friend.  Freestyle is a parkour/street runner with mental abilities. He wears a kitbash of hockey pads, skate pads, motorcycle helmet and so forth as his makeshift armour. He's the only member of the group with a secret ID, and it was learned at last session that he's a teenager.

Next up is Steel Warrior , a mostly normal human. When I say mostly, he's pulled a Bruce Wayne sort of thing and topped his body out in every possible way. He's learned to tap into chi forces to increase his combat effectiveness and ability to damage stuff. Martial Artist, he is.

Jerry Riggs is his friend, a mad scientist inventor type, who's learned how to use the same chi stuff Steel Warrior uses to power gadgets and weapons. He has his own little lab, which is a mile out under the ocean. It is often referred to as "The Pineapple" and he often gets called "Spongebob" (mostly by Jumpshot).

Last is Syphon (I think I spelled it right), a mute drainer/absorber with her absorbed abilities going to strength. She's a little unusual looking on top of being mute, but she's highly effective.

Now that we have the introductions and basic details out of the way, look for write ups to come.

[HS6E] A Different Kind of Look Book- Diamond's Backstory in Pictures

I'm having a really hard time coming up with a written backstory for Diamond. In my spare time in my real life, I scrapbook. I thought a "scrapbook" style backstory might be an unusual change of pace. I wrote all the pages and captions from her POV.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PG 1- 

Santa Barbara, CA

 
PG 2- Home. Easy, clear, perfect. My parents taught me to surf here as soon as I could walk.



PG 3-

Malibu, CA

PG4- College at Pepperdine- Malibu was bright, fresh, fast, full of promise. Member Malibu Surf Club. I discovered girls (thanks, Migz), tore up the beaches and the babes.


PG5-

Long Beach, CA

PG 6- Long Beach. Long hours, long lines for waves. Mastered the waves, a degree, and a lot of ladies' bedrooms.

PG 7-

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

PG 8- Gold Coast- I found a lot of treasure Down Under, that's for sure. 6 month internship and endless hookups only made the waves that much better.

PG 9-

Chiba, Japan

PG 10-Chiba, Japan. I quit girls for a couple years pursuing my career, got sick and got heavy. The surf, much like Japan,  was brutally bad- Choppy, rocky, rough, shitty, blown out and cold. And worth every minute of torturous hell I had to endure for the best ride I ever had (halfway across the world, to boot)- I met Nani.

PG 11-

Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii

PG 12- Hawaii. Paradise on earth. Bright, fast, fresh, pumping and minutes from my home. Can't catch a single wave-I'm simply too heavy. My heart is light and my mind is clear, though. Nani's here with me, doing her lawyer thing. I've found something I'm good at, and life is like a glass top before a break.

PG 13-

My birthday gift to Nani

PG 14-

I couldn't find a ring I thought she'd appreciate, so I got her a 2010 Porsche 911 GT3, in grey & black. I hope she likes it.

more pages to come ----

[HS6E] I'm In Love With The Girl

Last night was HS6E. I'm playing Diamond, a brick.  I was having a very hard time getting any sort of handle on her personality for roleplay. Last night was a bit better overall but still not great.

In a passing moment between myself and the GM, a comment was made regarding the significant other (DNPC) for Diamond. While the comment was low key and really meant to be silly, it started little gears in my head.

Diamond is gay, and involved very heavily with a lovely Japanese woman named Nani. The GM for this HS6E  game is single and in his mid 30's, and straight but very devious. He jokingly asked if Nani was hot (yes) and wore the Schoolgirl uniforms during certain moments. I replied that information was private, and he came back with "If I'm playing her, I need to KNOW this stuff!".

I didn't reply right away, but that single comment got me thinking about what Nani is like. The more I thought about her, the more she filled out in my imagination, and correspondingly, so did Diamond.

I'm now more than halfway done with Diamond's "Origin/Background Story". As it's progressed, I've discovered that Diamond is a lot deeper than I thought, and I really like it.

[HS6E] Introducing Diamond

Diamond is my HS6E character for a campaign set in Hawaii.

She's mid-to-late 20's and was a professional athelete until about a year ago. She's 6'1", blonde, blue eyes, tan, atheletically built but still has curves- a fairly typical beach babe from California.

There are a whole lot of skills she should have but doesn't (yet) due to the cost of building a brick without limitations in the new system. I intended her to have a surfing, beach/volleyball, basketball and wrestling background. She started off with basketball and wrestling, and I think I'm adding volleyball next. Surfing will probably be last, just due to her power set.

As mentioned, she's a brick, with the special effect of being really dense ALL THE TIME. (NO DI, as that implies the ability to actually change density.) She got this way through taking experimental muscle growth drugs- itnended to increase density and mass for better development and improvement.

The drugs were offered by the team sponsor, and she didn't think she had anything to lose. She was overseas at the time with no real hope of getting back to the US in the WNBA (at least without drugs, was her thought process).

The drugs worked- she got denser muscles- to the tune of weighing about 25 tons. Diamond's better half, a lawyer; got a cushy settlement and she's using the money to create a "normal life". She took a battle cruiser back to the states, where she settled on Hawaii as a place of residence and built a custom home.

I'm honestly still hammering out some of the personality and behaviors I want her to have. I had some ideas in mind while working on her but they haven't really played out. I'll probably give her another couple sessions before I take the surgeon's scapel to her and reform her.