Solo Gaming Appreciation Month
Metal Angel #5
With Cole’s escape, the scene is over, and I move onto the
next prompt. The Hangman
The reversal of a situation brings powerlessness, doubt, reunification, brings stillness and reflection. The head the rational mind - no longer controls so that a new and greater sense of life can emerge. Old pattern of behavior will die and with willingness and a full acceptance of the suffering that might be required implies an acceptance of waiting in darkness. This situation opens ourselves to life and life can hurt us, we feel terrible vulnerable. But this price of giving up our defenses and making the journey into loneliness seems to be necessary for any real sense of what supports us - the true faith can only be gained through risking ourselves in life.
Cole came close to the purplish construct, a mass of undulating alien
technology. It seemed almost alive, pulsating and writing, looking like a
squid trapped in an old bronze train engine.
He ducked behind some old crates and watched the robbers at work.
They were securing it into a mess of concrete and steel, like a bank vault, or a bomb shelter. Most were hard at work, being focused and careful despite their obvious rush. “You sure this will work?” One asked. An older one, the one who Cole recognized as the leader. “Sure? Heck no! We really don’t know HOW this thing works. What we DO know is that we’re part of it. That if anything happens to it, well, it happens to us. And we also know that it doesn’t follow anything like physics that we can understand. So, yeah, sealing it up should keep it safe, and keep us safe.” “But don’t we need the energy?” Dominic asked. “Hell, your girlfriend was never near it after the heist, and look at how she turned out.” A glare from Dominic brought him quiet, as he realized what he had just said. “You know what I mean, don’t be like that. The point is, we don’t need to be near it. It just has to still work.” |
Cole needs to find some tools to figure out his options. First, he needs to roll his
Prowl skill and gets a 1. Palladium
doesn’t have a “critical” system for skills, but that’s a solid roll, and I
decide it will allow him to Prowl successfully the rest of the scene. Next,
let’s see what he finds. I turn to the CRGE, and I’m still using the To Conflict
table.
Is there anything he can grab that will damage the device? 97 Yes, but…as soon as he grabs it, they robbers will know.
Is it a gun? 05 No, but…it is a weapon of some sort.
Is it grenades? 97 Yes, and…they’re particularly powerful.
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The next prompt is The Chariot
A new beginning with ambition, will, aggression and competitive instinct, with enthusiasm and vitality moves beyond boredom and daily routine. This victory is a combination of physical, intellectual and spiritual powers and reflects the potential for both good and evil. On an inner level, the chariot is an image of the aggressive instincts guided and directed by the will of consciousness. It means to face the anger and conflict which he has invoked with his desire to possess a beautiful object, the choice of his love. It is a change to good, an introspection and this conflict cannot be avoided, but needs to be faced with strength and containment.
Cole picked up the grenades, all linked together through a bandolier. He had seen
them in movies and TV shows, and was pretty sure he knew what he had to
do. He pulled the pin, and stood up,
knocking over some tools as well. The sharp noise drew the attention of the
robbers, and they all spun toward him.
He cocked his arm back when the leader called out. “Now, hold up there son! I know we have problems, but we can work them out. You don’t want to do that, believe me.” “Yeah? Why?” “You do that, and we all lose our powers. Even you. Ain’t that right Kirk?”
“Yeah, yeah that’s right. Plus, you might just kill us all!”
“And what will the people of Eagle Harbor do without Metal Angel? Think of all the people who need your help, all the lives you can save. Tell you what, you let us finish securing this thing, and we’ll leave. Head out of town, and we’ll never come back.” “And you’ll just keep robbing and stealing, right?” “Well, now, that won’t be your problem, will it?” “And it won’t matter to you who you need to hurt, who gets in your way?” The man opened his mouth to speak, but Cole had heard enough. He tossed the grenades at the device. |
A grenade is pretty much an “area” weapon, but there’s still a chance
it doesn’t quite work as planned. Per Heroes
Unlimited, the difficulty of hitting an area is only a 5 or better on a
d20. However, Cole/Metal Angel lacks the Weapon Proficiency of Targeting, or anything else that would
give him a skill with a grenade, so I figure he will be a -4 to this roll. He
rolls and gets an 18 -4, for a 14.
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The grenade arced through the air, and Cole dived for cover. Half the
villains followed his lead, while others reached and grasped for the
grenades, hoping to catch them before it was too late.
But it wasn’t enough.
The landed with a click, and then an explosion tore through
warehouse, cracking the device's holdings, releasing even more energy in an
escalating cycle of destruction. As the last concussive wave hit him, Cole
felt a pulling sensation, as something deep inside of him was sucked out. He
fell to his knees, and saw thin purple tendrils being pulled from him and
the others, and into the void where the alien device was stood. And then he
again fell into darkness.
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Final scene prompt is Death
Image of the permanent and final end of a cycle of life., where sadness is as necessary to life as joy and celebration. Every end is a transformation, a release, a renewal and purification, an opportunity for a new life, if one can let go of the old one. Whether or not this experience is painful depends upon the person's capacity to accept and recognize the necessity of endings. It is an inner change, the ability to regenerate and the key to hidden wisdom. Death and rebirth for an unknown future.
Cole first heard the sound of beeping, then of delicate machines.
When he opened his eyes, he saw that he was in a white hospital room. His
tried to raise his arms, but found that his right hand was handcuffed to the
bed. And fitted for Cole’s hand. He tried to change, but was unsurprised when
nothing happened.
A few minutes later, a nurse entered to fuss over him, to check on how he was doing. Before she had even finished, a frumpy looking man in a bad suit came in, and introduced himself as a police detective. He wanted to ask Cole some questions about what had happened. Cole looked at him and said “my name is Cole Smith, and I used to be known as Metal Angel. I’m prepared to make a full statement and cooperate in any way.” |
The story of Metal Angel is over. But there will be one more post in the series.
Solo Gaming Appreciation Month 2017
http://sologamingmonth.com/
Base Game: Heroes
Unlimited, Second Edition.
Story Structure: Zero Tarot
Oracle: +Zach Best’s Conjectural
Roleplaying GM Emulator
#SGAM #SGAM2017
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