[b][i]Noble Arms Plot Summaries[/i][/b] [b]Mission One Summary: Defend Lingayen Gulf[/b] [img]https://imgur.com/nTSFKM1.png[/img] The picture is of Lingayen Beach, where the various volunteers, standing with the Philippine Army, had their first action—to oppose the PLA landing in the area. Their mission was to defend against two waves of Chinese attacks; the first made up of conventional forces and the second made up of Arms Masters. Many volunteers participated; few survived. They were not alone; those who stood with them were 2000 Philippine Marines and 20,000 Philippine Army Infantry who bravely stayed, supported by South Korean K136 Rocket Artillery, ATMO S2000 self-propelled howitzers, and Elbit Sabrah Tracked tanks. There are also Helicopters. More Data Here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_equipment_of_the_Philippine_Army [hr] [b]Intermission One: The First Arms Master (Set on September 30 2022).[/b] The OCs, including Lotus Squadron, Kaitlyn, and any Non-Arms Masters, are grouped into a Special Task Force, with Noel (my OC and the only eligible one for command) as its nominal head. As Lingayen City rebuilt, they were to spend the next two weeks helping rebuild the city, hunting down Chinese stragglers and infiltrators, and eventually, resting and relaxing. At the start of said two weeks, however, some of them would receive news from Great Britain: The origin of all Noble Arms has been revealed to the world, and it is from an unexpected source - A man thought dead for 68 years, Alan Turing, a man has who now revealed himself to be [i]The First Arms Master[/i], the reason for Noble Arms' existence, and who despite his 'posthumous' pardon back in 2013, is *not* coming back to Great Britain just yet until Humanity as a whole has cleaned up their acts... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingayen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Turing [hr] [b]Mission Two Summary: The Siege of Mischief Reef (Revised)[/b] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mischief_Reef Mischief Reef/Đá Vành Khăn/Panganiban Reef, an island closer to the Philippines than to China yet occupied and enlarged by the latter, has been seized by a third faction, a group of defectors from China calling themselves the 'Qing Restoration Society'. Led by their New Emperor, a young boy who nevertheless has an A-Rank Noble Arm that can control water, the QRS has driven out the Chinese and devastated the nearby People's Liberation Navy groups in the Spratlys, allowing ASEAN an opening. Your mission, Arms Masters, is to relieve and resupply Mischief Reef before the Chinese counterattack ends the prospect of a new Qing Dynasty; a flotilla of Filipino and Indonesian Ships will try and run the Chinese Blockade with the Arms Masters of Task Force Obsidian in tow. However, after landing, not all went well, as the Chinese sent a special strike force: Their own 'Foreign Volunteer Brigade', composed of former terrorists who hate the current world order more than they hate each other! Led by Mei Yuanuyan, an Anti-Arms Master terrorist who had grown her own Noble Arm, these Volunteers also have their own cunning, bloody-minded ferocity, and above all, a willingness to bring down the pain... The ASEAN flotilla is composed of 2 Jose Rizal-class frigates, 1 Pohang-class Corvette, and 2 Del Pilar-class patrol vessels from the Philippines, 2 Nagpasa-class submarines, 2 Martadinata-class frigates, 3 Bung Tomo-class corvettes, and 4 Clurit-class Missile Boats from Indonesia, as well as 2 Auxiliary ships filled with supplies. Lotus Squadron will also be flying from Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan Island to support all of you by clearing the skies for your transport plane. [hr] [b]Intermission Two: Ghosts of Angeles City[/b] After a victorious second mission, Task Force: Obsidian was redeployed from Lingayen to rest and recuperate in Angeles City, where a luxury hotel had been set aside for their use, and their stay is fully paid. Relatively untouched by the Chinese bombardment and air war, Angeles City is filling up with refugees, many of who are being victimized by various fraudsters and criminals, while at the same time, there is a rumor going around that the American-Asian mixed-race community in the city, descended from American military personnel back when the Americans owned the historical Clark Air Base, are to blame for the Chinese Invasion. However, the remaining malls, casinos, and luxury businesses do care not for that, and so the party faces a choice: Involve themselves, or enjoy a chance at the high life? [i]Update:[/i] A player I asked to play an antagonist decided to cause a mini zombie-apocalypse (well, rage virus, as the 'zombies' are still alive) in Angeles City, which the other PCs managed to cure. That player who played an antagonist then decided to leave due to IRL stuff. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angeles_City http://www.ritzhotelangeles.com/ [hr] [b]Mission Three: Assault on Jinghong Dam[/b] Before the ASEAN War, the Chinese built a dam to control the flow of the Mekong River and generate power for its people, as well as to exert a means of influence over the neighboring countries downstream, the ASEAN members, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and the furthest south of Vietnam. Now that the conflict has started, China has slowed down the flow of water to a trickle, raising fears of drought while increasing its supply of electricity for its war effort. Even worse, the Chinese have placed PoW camps in the floodplains below the dam to deter airstrikes. Your goals, Arms Masters and Ordinary Folk are to evacuate the PoWs and then destroy the dam. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinghong_Dam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong [img]https://imgur.com/80pLyyt.png[/img] [hr] [b]Mission Four: Knives in Phnom Penh[/b] Recent stories of war crimes and crimes against humanity (such as those found at Jinghong Dam) have soured relations between NATO and the PRC from adverse to outright economic sanctions. Cut off from food imports and certain raw resources, Chinese embassies have reached out to each member of ASEAN to establish rules of engagement between the combatants. Only half of ASEAN members have returned the PRC's calls: Laos, Cambodia, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, and Burma. Malaysia reports an impasse; the rest have (until now) kept discussions private. During these three weeks, King Norodom Socheata of Cambodia passed away under suspicious circumstances. The United States has shared intel that unknown members of the Downward Descent were in Phnom Penh during this time, though no linkage to the king's death can be found. In reaction, the Kingdom of Cambodia has officially closed its borders until the death can be confirmed as natural causes. The newly elected king, His Majesty Sisowath Samnang, has reopened borders and announced that the suspect, one Keo Chantrea, has been caught and executed. He further reports breakthroughs regarding Chinese negotiations, as confirmed by Laos. The Kingdom subsequently invites the PRC and its ASEAN allies to a parley in Phnom Penh. The Downward Descent has not departed Cambodia to our knowledge, so, in addition to amplifying personal protection, the Philippines has requested the presence of the Philippine Navy's Arms Masters to safeguard the talks. [i]Update:[/i] The Cambodian Government decided to betray ASEAN, defect to China, and have the Royal Cambodian Army attack the Peace Conference they called, but several of their people decided this was a bad idea and stayed loyal to ASEAN or turned neutral. Now, Phnom Penh is at war, with the Cambodian Government bringing in Russian and Venezuelan mercenaries and Iranian Shahed Drones to bomb their own people who stayed loyal to ASEAN or had second thoughts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Penh [hr] [b]Intermission Four: Darkest Hour[/b] Laos and portions of Cambodia defected to China's side after the Downward Descent caused talks between the Chinese and ASEAN to collapse, with many of the latter's secrets lost to the former with Laos (and parts of Cambodia's) defection. Now, Thailand and Vietnam are almost cut off from each other, even as the PLA Navy embarked on a new major offensive. Task Force Obsidian had escaped but at the cost of their First Lieutenant, who was now in the hands of their enemy. Now, after finding refuge in Trinidad Academy, Manila's prime institute for training Arms Masters to fight alongside normal cadets (no, it's not a Spartan Training Program), the Task Force has to make a decision: Rescue their commanding officer from enemy captivity, tackle one of the many fronts in the ongoing war... Or give up and disband, falling apart in grief. If they choose to stay, they will receive revelations about the nature of Noble Arms and Alan Turing's role in their creation and the functioning of the Occult Programming Language. [hr] [b]Mission Five: La Naval de Manila - Segundo Vez/Segundo Beses/Second Time[/b] The South Korean, Japanese, and ASEAN fleets merged into one flotilla joined by a US Carrier Group, while a rejuvenated PLA Navy is sailing towards the Philippines to meet their foes just off Scarborough Shoal, a coral reef and sandbanks that have become a battleground in the ASEAN War. Task Force Obsidian was tasked with destroying the Chinese Nuclear Naval Carrier known as the Guangdong, as well as killing Cao Bao, a Chinese Arms Master who was a recurring foe on their side. On the Guangdong's deck, they found out that Cao Bao was not there, and they were ambushed by Wu Shufen, 'The Monkey', one of the best Arms Masters the foe can send against them. If not for the quick thinking of one of the OCs, they would all have been defeated, but instead, the Guangdong and its companion Aircraft Carrier were destroyed. Even then, many of them were badly injured, and one was out of commission... [hr] [b]Intermission Five: Aftermath of Victory (Current)[/b] China's crushing defeat has resulted in spontaneous 'Blank Paper' protests at home, protests brutally repressed by the Communist Party. Jin Li of the Qing Restoration Movement is prepared to go to Shanghai and lead the uprising, even if it means renouncing Monarchism and the dream of a restored Qing Dynasty in favor of a [i]real[/i] Republic. However, there's just one distraction preventing him from joining the revolutionaries: No one likes the Qing, even Anti-Communist Chinese, even the dissidents, even the rebels. Even with Noble Arms and fellow Arms Masters, Jin Li realizes that to fight a war is not the same as winning the peace, much less ruling a nation that did not want him. Now he has to make a choice: Throw away his dreams of power and let someone else take it? Or have ASEAN and its allies back him till the very end, even if it means lying to them, calling in old debts, and being manipulative? Maybe our heroes will help him decide. Maybe they'll leave him alone. Maybe they'll find something else to do... As there are still knives in the shadows. Plot Secret: Also, Noel Alonso. Task Force Obsidian's leader will be returning after being rescued from PoW-hood off-screen. (This Intermission will be set in Lubao City, recently retaken from Flores Pagkanta Corriente, a former politician turned local warlord.) [b]Dates of the Missions[/b] Mission One - 9/25/2022. Intermission One - 9/30/2022 Mission Two - 10/11/2022 Intermission Two - 10/14/2022 Mission Three - 10/25/2022 Intermission Three - 11/01/2022 Mission Four - 11/11/2022 Intermission Four - 12/1/2022 Mission Five - 12/28/2022 Intermission Five - 1/1/2023