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The Legion [Mods] ([personal profile] letsgolegion) wrote in [community profile] legionclubhouse2017-03-26 04:38 am
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The Telepathic Disaster Test Drive Meme

THE TELEPATHIC DISASTER MEME


The Time Trapper, the being responsible for bringing people into the Legion's universe, is up to some strange tricks! It's now creating illusions of alternate universes and dumping the Legionnaires into them to try to test them as Legionnaires. Each time this happens, the captives -- er, participants have knowledge of the scenario, their role, and what they're supposed to accomplish planted into their heads, but still remember who they once were.

To complicate things, the Legionnaires from the 31st century aren't the only ones pulled into this adventure. Strange people from many worlds are being yanked in and finding themselves thrust right into the heart of these conflicts.

These universes are technically just illusions (probably!) and all the participants have an inherent knowledge of this placed in their heads, but it's up to them if they believe it -- and the danger is real. If you die in one of these scenarios you stay dead. This time everyone is being dumped into a scenario where they're dealing with...

AN ATTACK ON TITAN
THE SETTING
SIE SIND DAS ESSEN UND WIR SIND DIE JAGER--

Er, a different attack on Titan.

Titan, Saturn's moon, is a beautiful colonized world with elegant cities and black methane seas. It has long been inhabited by the Titanians, a race of human-looking telepaths that live in the shadow of Saturn's rings. Renowned for their mental abilities -- and sometimes feared for them -- the Titanians are instrumental to the ongoing function of the United Planets. Titan's capital city, Titanopolis, is home to the Titanet Tower, the central hub of the telepathy-fueled communication networks that allow for long-distance communication and data transmission for the entire whole UP.

That's why Titanopolis is under attack by terrorists in the employ of the cosmic horror known as Chronoblivion. This attack is slamming the city on multiple fronts, causing a variety of different disasters, and some of them are a special kind of nasty thanks to the telepathic nature of Titanopolis' citizens.

Your character has found themselves in the middle of the chaos. The streets are filled with the sounds of running feet, breaking glass, and methane explosions, but the voices of the Titanians are strangely silent, due to their tendency to speak via telepathy instead of with speech. Instead of hearing it with their ears, your character's mind is filled to the brim with the Titanians' mental screams.

While it's possible that the civilians in this scenario aren't real, there's no way to be 100% sure. What your character can be sure of is that if they are real, they need their help.

(Based on player preference, for the purposes of the meme, characters can either lose powers, retain their canon powers, or find themselves with new powers. It's up to you.)

SCENARIO A: CHILDHOOD FEARS
Psionic devices all around the city are telepathically injuring Titanians and causing their powers to go berserk, which is leading to a nasty slew of effects. One type of device is causing Titanians to bring the childhood fears of themselves and others to life and make them tangible. Whether those fears are puppets, the clown from IT, being sucked through the drain in a swimming pool, Bloody Mary, or spiders, those fears can come to life and become tangible enough to do damage to more than just your character's youthful psyche. They can be as simple as scary animals like snakes, or complex enough to be capable of speech, based on player preference.

Fortunately, the devices seem to be focusing only on old childhood fears, but that still won't be all that reassuring when your character is facing down the living embodiment of an illustration from "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" that they never could quite get out of their heads. Still, these constructs can be destroyed several ways: by the character facing the fear, destroying the device causing the effect in that particular area, or good ol' fashioned brute force.

SCENARIO B: METHANE IS APPARENTLY FLAMMABLE
The city is a bit like Venice on Earth, connected by various canals and channels. While standard hover-craft, threshold gates, and monorails are responsible for most transportation, gondolas still ferry around those who want a scenic route over the sluggish methane streams and lakes.

The concentration of gases in the atmosphere, and a vast network of outdoor fire suppression systems help keep any methane burnoffs from being dangerous -- usually. But explosive devices that have been planted around the city's canals and methane-ways are also pumping explosive accelerants into each blast.

This means there are quite a few people that need rescue. Some are trapped in debris from structures collapsing due to explosions. Others are trapped in buildings that are rapidly becoming consumed by fires that the firefighters are having difficulty fighting due to methane feeding into them. The firefighters and rescue workers are overwhelmed and definitely need a hand rescuing civilians and containing the blazes.

SCENARIO C: MASS PANIC
Sometimes people panic in the face of disaster. Sometimes crowds can get violent with each other, due to their fear, and that effect will be ten times worse due to the Titanians accidentally projecting their fear via telepathy and torquing each other up as they try to get to safe places or loot stores for supplies.

This projected panic won't affect only the Titanians, either. While working to calm crowds and usher the Titanians to safer places, rescuers will have to fight through a range of negative emotions being projected onto them by the scared telepaths -- everything from terror to frustration to hopelessness.

SCENARIO D: PROP HUNT
Some nasty creatures have been released in the chaos -- dangerous Sitrekian trillifs. These small, vicious, semi-sentient creatures have amorphous bodies that can sharpen into harder forms -- usually ones with dangerous teeth and claws, capable of maiming or killing sentients.

These mimics take on the form of random objects to hide from threats and to lay in wait so they can ambush their prey and feed on their blood. The only thing that can give their location away is the low-level psychic feedback they give off while transformed into an object. The closer someone is to a trillif, the more they hear their psychic whispers and the more they get "the creeps," sensations of hair standing on the back of the neck, skin crawling, etc.

Trillifs are much easier to kill while in solid form, meaning that it's ideal for your characters to work together and figure out what objects they're hiding as before they transform back -- the moment they transform into their real forms, they're much harder to destroy.

Unfortunately, the trillifs that have been released into this conflict to cause even more suffering are fairly intelligent, and thus are hiding in places that are to their advantage. To hunt them down, characters will have to face them in areas with lots of potential objects they could be hiding as, such as in abandoned futuristic malls.

SCENARIO E: AFTERMATH
Want to have an option that's a little more conversational? Characters can chit-chat in the aftermath of the attack and meet each other only after everything is over. There are still injured Titanians to help move to safer places and work to be done, but the characters can have a moment to bond while finally getting a breather.

SCENARIO F: WILD CARD
Have an idea for something that you don't see an option for? There's lots that can be done with telepathic threats. Perhaps a device causes the Titanians to make your character suddenly ruled by their id, or to have their entire personality invert to be its opposite. Players are free to make up their own threats and scenarios. (Don't worry about getting anything "right," this is a test drive, and the bubble universe is a little slippery and mutable! Get messy!)

OOC INFO

Current players in game can jump into this and do starters if they like so they can play with new players and each other. This meme will count as part of the game canon for those that opt in, though they'll find their memories somewhat fuzzy afterward. These threads can count toward your AC, however the "new CR" credit cannot be applied since not every character joining in is guaranteed to join the game. This takes place just before "The Spies Who Sprocked Us" and "Through the Looking Glass."

Potential players can use this as a standard test drive and may use these threads as their log samples. However, at least one post in their thread must fit the requirements for apps, both in length (200 words) and in quality. If you do plan on using a thread as a sample, please make sure the writing throughout your threads is a good example of your writing skills and has some solid examples of the character's voice.

Potential players can also opt to keep these threads as game canon when they app in, so that their character remembers the scenario and then suddenly finds themselves in the game universe. However, this is opt in and players can choose to introduce their characters fresh if they'd prefer that and no other characters will remember they were there. Please just note which you'd like in the additional info field on your app.

If you are considering apping to the game, currently 2 of 40 player slots are available, but new player reserves open and close at the game fairly frequently, and slots open regularly due to natural drops. The character limit is 4 characters per player. You can also scope out some of the game's upcoming plots here to get an idea of what kind of plots are in the game and what's to come.

Non-players who like the meme but aren't really considering apping to the game are free to jump in. The more the merrier! The Time Trapper wants a confusing situation and will enjoy the chaos of lots of strange people trying to figure out what's going on.
thebioticwoman: (08)

[personal profile] thebioticwoman 2017-04-26 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Weirdly enough, the Alliance work uniform doesn't actually display any Alliance insignia. Or a name badge. Or a rank. It's very practical.

Shepard glances over at the new guy, and her arm moves in front of her in a reflexive gesture as her omni-tool...fails to materialize. No eye in the sky from the Normandy, either. Dammit.

"No idea. And I sure hope they have something more effective than water."
goddamnwingman: (Default)

[personal profile] goddamnwingman 2017-04-26 07:52 pm (UTC)(link)
It is incredibly practical. But it doesn't look like what the people running away from the fire are wearing, so she still sticks out. At least, to the practiced eye.

On the other hand, what he's wearing looks far...less practical. Black and tight fitting with a bright blue swoosh across the chest and down the arms in a vague bird-shape.

"Most of that would be in the buildings, I'd have thought. Which means fire suppression systems are probably out, and what I have on hand isn't meant for fires of this size." And none of the filters in his mask are useful for seeing through the smoke. "That much, we're probably going to have to leave to the professionals. We can at least help make sure everybody gets out of the area. Maybe get people out of the buildings, at least at street level and a few stories up."
thebioticwoman: (03)

[personal profile] thebioticwoman 2017-04-26 08:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Given what asari wear, the Nightwing costume isn't that out there, though Shepard doesn't generally expect to see the catsuit look on humans. At least this human is pulling it off. Way to make the home team look good, Dick.

"Not a bad idea, but I'm not going room by room with the building on fire around me." While Shepard is absolutely capable of fighting hard, she prefers to fight smart, and angles her course slightly away from the buildings, towards a small knot of Titanians who aren't panicking, but don't seem to know quite what to do.

"I'm Commander Shepard," she introduces herself with the voice of someone accustomed to cutting through chaos, as self-possessed as if she were standing in the Normandy CIC. "I'm sure that doesn't mean anything to you," she adds with a hint of a self-deprecating smile but no less confidence, "but we're going to get your people out of there. Can you locate where there's anyone still trapped?"

Given that 'we,' it seems Dick's been drafted. The Titanians look at Shepard in confusion for a moment--who the heck is this woman?--before exchanging glances and apparently telepathic conversation.

<Yes, we can--> "Ah, we can do that," one of them answers, belatedly remembering his manners around non-telepaths.
goddamnwingman: (Watching/Interested)

[personal profile] goddamnwingman 2017-04-26 08:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well, to be fair, I wasn't going to suggest that, either." It takes a moment of fiddling with one gauntlet, but Dick comes up with two rebreathers. They won't last as long as a proper set up would, but they should get them through the worst of the smoke.

Though there's a look of amusement on his face at the "we". It's hard to be drafted when you're volunteering.

He may not be a telepath, but he's been around enough of them to learn a few tricks. He mentally projects confidence and calm as he steps to Shepard's side. "That would be great. We just want to get as many people safe as possible. Once you've directed us, it would be a good idea for you guys to clear the area as well. The structures might not be safe much longer."
thebioticwoman: (06)

[personal profile] thebioticwoman 2017-04-26 08:38 pm (UTC)(link)
She'd been more thinking aloud than assuming Dick's a fool, but Shepard acknowledges his clarification with a nod.

While she lacks his experience with true telepaths, she's always radiating confidence, and the pair of them are just sort of standing there dripping surplus presence all over the sidewalk as the Titanians do their thing with eyes glassy and distant.

"Sure beats a low crawl," Shepard says approvingly, examining the unfamiliar bit of gear Dick's handed her, but her half-smile turns into a squint when she can't figure out how to get the rebreather to generate the hard light mask she's expecting.
goddamnwingman: (Default)

[personal profile] goddamnwingman 2017-04-26 09:06 pm (UTC)(link)
"It's a lot faster, too." Yeah, she's not going to get that mask. It's as minimal as possible, so that it actually could fit into his gauntlet.

After all, you can't knock THIS out with an electromagnetic pulse, either.

The amusement's back, though only at the corners of his mouth. Anything in his eyes is hidden behind his domino mask. "You'll have to breathe through your mouth. I know it's probably not preferable, but it'll keep you upright and the lack of smoke inhalation is generally a plus."
thebioticwoman: (05)

[personal profile] thebioticwoman 2017-04-26 09:43 pm (UTC)(link)
EMP? What other kind of non-hardened junk are you carrying, buddy?

Shepards's too diplomatic to insult a stranger--well, a stranger who hasn't started anything--and just shrugs. Sure. They'll go low-tech. Why would anything ever be easy?

"Next time I'm suddenly on firefighting detail, I want five minutes to hit the Quartermaster's first," she says with an experienced soldier's gallows amusement at difficult circumstances.

"Ah, excuse me?" It's the Titanian. "There are three groups. Most people made it to the lobby, but they're trapped between a collapsed ceiling and the windows overlooking the canal. Another four people are cut off from the back stairwell on the second floor, and there's an injured woman pinned by some debris on the atrium balcony."
goddamnwingman: (Ready and waiting)

[personal profile] goddamnwingman 2017-04-26 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
There's no way he CAN'T laugh at that, though it's not a mean laugh. Just a quick moment of joy at Shepard's own amusement at their situation. "Life would always go much simpler if we had that five minutes to actually prepare once we actually knew what we'd be facing." But, then, that's why everything that Dick has in his gauntlets and boots is so pared down. He has to carry it with him.

His head swings around to the Titanian as he speaks and he starts making a mental map of the area. "Okay. Thank you. You've been a great help to us and you have our gratitude. Now please, get out of the immediate area. The fewer people here, the better."

Then he looks to Shepard and raises an eyebrow. "Lobby first or should we start at the top and work our way down?" The lobby was likely about as protected as people could get, after all. But they would probably need to clear the lobby first before getting the others out, anyway.
thebioticwoman: (01)

[personal profile] thebioticwoman 2017-04-27 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
Shepard doesn't add to Dick's instructions, but she claps one of the Titanians on the shoulder as they start to leave. The teenager looks startled but then smiles a little when he picks up her genuine approval.

"Top down," Shepard says, putting the safe civilians out of her mind as she looks up up the side of the building and wonders if her biotics are strong enough to carry them both. "Getting to the roof in clear air will be a whole lot easier than trying to find a route upstairs...and that woman might not have much time."