Torack

D&D 5E: Curse of Strahd

Ooh! A Curse of Strahd RP!

Can I jump in on this too? Always wanted to play a CoS campaign!

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

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Fate appeared on an expansive plain with rolling hills to his right and to his left, off in the distance was the burning city with a red sun slowly starting to rise from the horizon. To the front was the hut that he'd made for the survivors and out of it was walking an older man with a balding head, wearing a burned and somewhat dishevelled blue coat tied at the waist with what Kent assumed used to be a rich and well-made white belt with a chipped golden buckle. He waited patiently, at the base of a hill, until the man stopped in front of him, noticing the others slowly making their way out of the hut as well but keeping their distance.

"Tel-Ar," the man said, introducing himself. "What news do you bring from our home, stranger?"

"Kent, please," he said as he removed his helmet and tucked it under an arm. "Nothing good, I'm afraid. A god was summoned and released simply because politics went too far."

The elderly man was silent for a moment, his brows furrowing together as he looked off in the distance, mouthing 'a god'. Then, looking back at him, "What do you mean? Our city, our lives were collateral to some fucking politics?"

Kent looked down, and nodded, "I'm afraid so. Wotan, according to the city's lord, summoned a god to make it look like his experiments went too far."

"Why would she ever do something like that?"

"Lower his numbers in the polls I'm told, so she can get ahead."

Tel-Ar gave him a look. "She doesn't need to lower his poll numbers. She was already in the lead by a large margin." He then turned around, slowly shaking his head. "I lost my family. My daughter." Tel-Ar turned back, his eyes fierce, "I can't understand it. People used to speak so highly of him, the only reason he ran for the High Throne was because he was pushed into it by his advisors. And the entire fucking ordeal changed him. And we pay the price for it."

Kent looked on in sympathy. "I would bring them back if I could," Kent said, a hand reaching for the man's shoulder, hesitating, then going back down to his side, "but not even my powers can truly bring back the dead."

"I wish you could too. We have to look forward and move on, but what's left to us now? Our homes are gone and we're refugees, a scant few with no where to go. What I want now, what we all want is justice. Dealt by our own hands."

A part of him wanted to comply with Tel-Ar's request. To go flying back to the city, bring the politician to them and fly off, leaving them to do with him as they wished. And although he didn't doubt it was the justice that the politician deserved, the question that bothered him was what would come after? Would this not give precedent for others to take matters into their own hands? To depose leaders by force and thus bring on an age of anarchy, citing the moment Tel-Ar and the other survivors did the same. And although that outcome was troublesome, what if someone caught wind of what they'd done and reported it? The planet's police force would undoubtedly bring their own justice to them, perhaps even kill them and sweep the murder of Kendar under the rug to prevent an uprising.

Another planet, and yet these people not only looked but also acted like humans. Would this one moment of giving them what they wanted truly devolve into chaos? It might not. A part of him hoped it wouldn't; a part of him wanted to do it and swear them to secrecy, telling them to speak of it to no one.

But there was the other side to consider: what they would do if he denied his request. They had nothing to lose and everything to gain by killing politicians. That in itself would also bring anarchy and chaos. And he had no doubt that the planet's reporters would be all over one of the survivor's attack on a random politician, thus making their entire ordeal public which would undoubtedly inspire some other idiot to do the same.

He was a servant to Order, sworn to keep chaos in check and make sure things didn't go haywire. It was things like this that made his life difficult, the fucking greyness of it all. No matter which way he looked, the outcomes would always bring chaos, and he had to decide which of lesser evil he wanted to bring into the world. It felt like he was fighting a losing battle.

Kent let out a sigh and put the helmet back on and lifted himself from the ground, rising higher into the brightening, morning sky. "Justice will be yours, Tel-Ar." With that, he turned and flew towards the city.

8888

Although the fires had burned themselves out during the night, the smoke was as thick as ever in the growing light of dawn. Down below, in the streets, he could see ranks of soldiers making their way out of the palace, marching deeper into the city, heading towards a set of hovering vehicles just beyond the city's borders. Curiosity struck him as to where they were going, which quickly turned to suspicion when he realized Kendar's men were supposed to have been killed from the god's sudden attack. He watched them for a moment more, then turned and crashed through the palace's dome.

Once the dust settled he could see the guards inside were strewn about haphazardly, some crushed underneath large pieces of rubble screaming out in pain. Lord Kendar, he noticed, had a force field around him put in place by the two sorcerers that were on either side.

"What's the meaning of this?" Kendar shouted as he stood, looking up at him.

"You're coming with me, Kendar," he said as he descended, "to face justice against your crimes."

"My crimes? Wotan destroyed my city and here you are ruining my palace! What crimes are you going on about?"

"Wotan was leading the polls. She had no incentive to destroy your city, unlike you. Perhaps you were looking to manipulate an outsider to remove your competition. I don't look kindly to being used, Kendar."

"Maybe you'll look more kindly to being killed." Kendar said as he pointed.

The two sorcerers on either side of the lord flew towards him shooting off energy blasts from their raised arms.

Kent lifted a hand, causing two force-shields to form in front of him, while the other telekinetically raised a large piece of rubble and threw it at the right sorcerer. She swerved out of its way as the other formed a spear-like object out of magical energy, preparing to throw it.

In a fluid movement, Kent formed a rope with his free hand that tied around the unbalanced sorcerer's waist and flung her at her partner, causing the spear to fly wide and crash into a part of the dome, sending rubble and dust exploding outward. Below, the sorcerers crashed hard into a pillar breaking it in the middle and sending it toppling into the throne room's aisle.

"I suggest you stay down," Fate said as he pointed an outstretched hand towards the two sorcerers.

"As long as we live," one of the sorcerers said as she untangled herself from the other, "you will not harm Lord Kendar."

"So be it," Dr. Fate said. With a twist of his wrist, the floor underneath them turned into wet cement, hardening as their feet and hands were sucked in. Then, he swung his hand and the floor shifted moving one of the sorcerers across the central isle to the opposite end. Fate then slid both of them up their respective walls as he raised two large pieces of rubble, hollowing out their middle and slamming them over the sorcerers, encapsulating them both.

"Well aren't you just the capable sorcerer," Kendar said in a woman's voice as Fate descended, his boots touching the ground.

Fate hesitated, suddenly confused. "Kendar?"

"Wotan," Kendar's body suddenly shifted into a woman with long black hair, brown skin, and green eyes wearing a black low-cut, split dress with crow feathers sewn onto the shoulders and back. "A pleasure, Doctor Fate."

He stood in shocked silence for moment. He didn't even feel the magic that came from her or her illusion. "What happened to Kendar?" He asked, his voice strained.

"I killed him ages ago and put this construct in his place. I'm a little disappointed you dind't even notice it."

He reached out with his mind, feeling for the magic, and although he couldn't directly feel it, he could taste a hint of sorcery around her. It was unsettling. "I suppose you're the cause of this destruction?"

"Very astute of you, doctor," she said as she sat on one of the throne's arms. "I am, indeed. And for good reason."

Fate's eyes narrowed. "And what reason would that be?"

"To bring an end to Nabu's fatal idealism. You must see that order without chaos will cause chaos. Instability, the loss of life over and over. Do you really want to be party to that?"

"What I'm party of is none of your concern, Wotan. What is my concern however is how you know Nabu."

"We go way back. I've known the fool since he was a mortal deluding himself and his people that he was a god. His arrogance has only grown since then and become far more dangerous. The fool doesn't even realize he's the cause of the universe's imbalance."

Kent was at a loss for words, his mind spinning. One moment Wotan was a political opponent to Kendar and the next she tells him she's an immortal. From earth. A part of him wanted to deny the claim, but he could feel Nabu's presence in his helm and the hatred that was wafting from the him. That alone was enough proof that the two knew each other, but why she was even on this planet was still a mystery. More, why did she impersonate a local lord and summon a god? It seemed random in his mind, but someone like her, who claims to have lived for so long, randomness didn't seem likely. There had to be some sort of design to it all, and whatever it was, the involvement of a god and the sacrifice of lives could only point to something disastrous.

"You speak about imbalance, Wotan," he said trying to keep his voice level, "yet you would cause it by shifting the spectrum in favour of chaos. I cannot allow that. Your hubris is on a level with Nabu's, and just like him -- according to you -- you're unable to see it. Your deluded self-righteousness is a danger to the cosmos and I will stop you."

"I commend you for your boldness, doctor. Too bad it's not going to do you any good." she said as she raised a hand. "Do say hello to Nabu for me."

A portal opened behind him. Turning he watched the emergence of the hulking mass of Negal. Thirteen feet tall, wearing nothing more than a black crown with two twisted horns and a long leather loincloth strapped in place by a giant belt. The power wafting off of him alone caused Fate to stagger back, his heart lurching with fear.

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

Doomsday Clock is highkey one of my favourite current runs in DC. Holy shit tho!

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

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“A god?” Fate asked suspiciously. “Seems rather convenient that it only destroyed this city and left the palace and lands beyond unmarred.”

“You must understand,” the man on the throne said, “this god was weakened, as my sorcerers tell me, from centuries of imprisonment. And yet, although my cadre of mages and enhanced guards managed to drive it off, they paid for it with their lives.”

“Enhanced guards?”

“My personal retinue. Picked out because they were far more unique than the average Daxami.”

That gave him pause. What the man – lord? – was describing sounded like metahumans, except on their own planet. And someone decided to unleash a god upon this man? To what ends? “Why summon a god here? What motivation would these 'heretics' have to risk their own planet against you?”

“To smear my name, I suspect,” the lord said as he sat back against the throne. “Ever since I starting running to become the High King of this dreadful planet, my opponents have been bending backwards to smear my name and keep me from the Throne.”

“This is political?”

“Isn’t everything?”

“Summoning a god, however? Isn’t that a bit extreme? Exposing a stupid mistake in your past would’ve sufficed.”

The lord gave him a dumb look, which then turned to realization and understanding as he rolled his eyes. “I forget you’re not from this planet. Smear campaigns against those running for High King – or High Queen – of the planet without irrefutable proof is highly illegal in our world. Even alluding to something without some form of evidence can be charged with conspiracy to incite anarchy.”

“And you suspect someone is going to run a smear campaign against you?”

“Most definitely. Even now I can practically see those dreadful reporters rushing to their ships to be the first to get this story.”

“But you just said... what proof do they have against you?”

“I am,” the lord sighed as he waved a hand, “eccentric when it comes to magical experiments. There is no proof to it, but clearly someone’s willing to go to jail to see me far away from the Throne.”

Fate blinked as he took all of it in. Someone was willing to go to great lengths just to see themselves on this High Throne, or to keep this lord off of it. He still didn’t know enough to make any judgments, but he had to give answer to the summoning of a god. He had to stop it, seal it away before it regained its powers and put the entire planet at risk. Whatever happened after that, he would let the proponents of the world figure out; last thing he wanted was to get mixed in with politics, especially on a different planet.

“The god that was summoned, which one was it?”

“You would know more of that than I, Dr. Fate of Earth,” the lord said as he leaned forward, “my sorcerers tell me it’s a relatively ancient earth god with the aspect of War.”

That narrowed it down. There were as many gods of war as there were past civilizations on Earth. It could be anyone of them. He decided to go for another line of questioning. “Do you have any clue as to who plotted this summoning?”

“Who else than that demon Witch Queen, Wotan? She’s also running for the High Throne and although she believes her policies are better than mine, I’m winning the polls. She’s been struggling to connect with the various influential countries and no one’s been giving her ‘the time of day’ so to speak. With this, she’s effectively alienated me from all my supporters and they’ll now flock to her.”

“And this god of war, where will I find it?”

“It could be huddling in a fucking pit for all I care. But to answer your question, it’s probably in or around Terrussan. The country’s entire economy almost practically survives on war and selling weapons to intergalactic terrorists, selling secrets that would incite war, and well. It makes the most sense.”

“I think that’s enough for now, I’ve taken too much of your time already. I’ll seal this god before anymore damage can be done to the planet.”

“You do that. And while you’re at it, do me a favour and expose that bitch Wotan.”

“I’ll make no promises, but I’ll do what I can.” With that a massive ankh appeared underneath him and he descended into it.

Once Dr. Fate left there was a lingering, stretched silence in the throne room. Then, Lord Kendar leaned over to one of his sorcerers, “you need to teach me how to make an exit like that.”

“Of course, my lord.”

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

I'm trying this fun, new thing where I know exactly how I want to end my arcs without any idea how to get there! It's totally fun and definitely not a frustrating puzzle I make for myself...

@Eddie Brock

Pretty much how I've got my current arc's working too!

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

<Snipped quote by Witryso>

I think that a couple of us expressed a desire for more collaborative arcs between characters this season, so sharing of ideas would be encouraged (I would think) so to enable greater cooperation.

@Bounce

Collabs would be hella fun, tho!

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

<Snipped quote by Eddie Brock>

Wait, you wanna kill @Master Bruce too? We should do a collab, yo!

@AndyC

#overthrowbruce

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

<Snipped quote by Torack>

Surely some of it's magic prevents such tampering.

Then again villains HAVE used Mjolnir before... by picking up Thor.

@Sep

>Be Superman
>Knockout Thor
>Tie and bind Mjolnir to Thor's wrist
>Lift thor and use him as the ultimate weapon

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

If a Green Lantern uses their ring to lift Mjolnir, is the ring worthy or its bearer?

@Lord Wraith

Wraith with the philosophical questions.

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

<Snipped quote by Torack>

That's detailed. I mean with them both being 'Sorceror' Supreme and all. I suppose Fate always has that "Lord of Order" Shtick.

@Sep

Ain't it tho?

In all seriousness, I was thinking of going through that whole "Lord of Order" schtick while also trying to keep the balance in the cosmos instead of simply trying to "protect" the cosmos.