Laboro
The twelve disciples:
- Bruce Freeman – android
- Annie – amphibious multipurpose hauling vehicle (named for Tugboat Annie)
- Ripley – strength-enhancing exoskeleton (named for Alien series)
- Joshua – Laboro central computer (named for Wargames)
- Sputnik – Laboro defensive satellite grid (named for first Russian satellite)
- Kit – a racecar (named for Knight Rider)
- Kusanagi – UNF warship (named for Ghost in the Shell)
- Sentinel – scary-looking law enforcement bot (named for the Matrix)
- Frogger – amorphous house-cleaning robot (named for Roomba Frogger)
- Chucky – a raccoon-style child’s toy (named for Child’s Play)
- John Henry – a mining and tunneling machine (named for the railroad worker)
- Defiant – a scout ship (named for Star Trek)
Bruce Freeman is preaching to the "children" (the mining machines, called such because of their limited intelligence). He has more important work to do than go back with them.
Adam reappears within a few minutes, because DEE’s information transfer (a dump of the events on Laboro, the names of the disciples, how to use the symbol to awaken things, etc.). The symbol (created by DEE with miller2) is not entirely explicable through modern physics (just as the location where DEE’s LORE chip once was is not currently explicable).
Since DEE wants the Deus rite to proceed unimpeded, Adam may be able to convince Freeman to return with them. However, if they don’t bring Bruce Freeman back, Cain arrives "fashionably late" to the rite.
Syndicate suicide
See Monday14.
Random interlude
Summer breeze makes you feel fine, blowing through the Jasmine in Brice’s mind…
Alchemical ideas
- Goop that turns everything it touches white – but could potentially use the absorbed color to unleash a prismatic spray
- Minor ring of invisibility – turns you invisible, but only against people of whom you are aware
- Bottle that always produces classic vintage wine, but always the wrong kind
- Invisible cloak – the cloak is invisible
- Belt of belting – when used as a whip, this belt leaves welts that continue to sting, inflicting a -1 distraction penalty to the victim’s attack rolls until the welts are healed (magically or mundanely)
- Socks of slipping – -8 to balance and tumble while they are worn, but +5 to movement
- Cufflinks of preservation – protect mundane outfit to which they are attached (mending, prestidigitation)
- Minty fresh toothpaste – +2 to Charisma-based checks due to your fresh breath, and can breathe ice once per application (tube has 50 applications that take 1 minute to apply)
- Cat’s cradle of entanglement – as the entangle spell (mind affecting) on a single target while concentrating only, but target receives no save; both you and the target are affected while the spell is in effect (i.e., neither of you can move, since you are entangled by the enchantment)
- Glove of magic missile – must make gun motion with hand to fire single missile per round (optional downside: costs vitality)
Deus rite
See Talk20060409 for a list of participants in the Deus rite.
Cassenti, suspicious of Selena’s motives since Scorpio’s inexplicable knowledge of Cain’s position, decides to test her loyalty. She tells Selena that she has told no one else that the Deus rite is going to happen… later than it really will (midnight that night). Selena tips off the New Lunar Order and they plot an attack, but when the shield goes up prematurely (as one of her spies reports), Selena realizes they have been duped and they attack immediately.
Meanwhile, the Monday group is asked by Cassenti to protect the perimeter from possible intruders, and to negotiate with them. Cassenti wishes them to remind potential enemies that she has realized the rite is a necessary evil. Unfortunately, other than that, she has little to suggest as far as what can be offered in exchange for their compliance. "Though what I ask may be impossible, no one else has as great a chance to accomplish this task than all of you. Your dedication to the rite despite your personal differences demonstrates its importance to all."
Sledge Greenhorn has been preparing a counterforce in the event of an attack, but also does not know the exact timeline. It is up to the Monday group to call on his aid.
As Mordred turns people to his side, they become gradually corrupted. Dwarves become duergars, elves become drow, humans become orcs, halflings become imps, gnomes become goblins. Sirens become harpies, pixies’ wings transform into wasp wings, centaurs lower halfs become scorpions or other insectile shapes, etc.
The New Lunar Order made a deal with Mordred (though they did not know it was him, or the extent of his evil). Selena was unaware of this deal, and is shocked to see her friends and colleagues having become corrupted (but still recognizable) by Mordred’s influence – especially the drow, who were once Adana’s children.
Mordred’s statistics: Str 13, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 20, Wis 20, Cha 42; Charisma 10 + Mage 10 + Blackguard 12; see Epic p. 19 and DMG3.5 p. 183. His fiend is a nightmare (see MM) – Will +3+7+6 (class) +5 (Wis) +16 (Cha) +2 (iron will) = +39.
Mordred’s reasons for doing this:
- Pure chaos
- Whim
- Destruction of everything
- Elimination of Cain, his main rival
- Possibly slay one or more powerful psionic entities such as the Caretaker and Luna
- Defeat Gerald, defeat Seeker
What does the 2000-year punch do to Mordred? (DC 19+Wis+22=~50) Note to self: make sure Mordred has planeshift.
Mordred has been busy corrupting Evan Cassenti, who is "half transformed" into a drow currently. He supplies StratCo weapons and cybernetic enhancements to Mordred’s army.
Also part of the attack are the three vampires who originally assisted in Cain’s retrieval: Hunter, Kimi and Petrov. Mordred can command them with rebuke undead if they get out of control. The vampires agreed to assist the New Lunar Order in exchange for Cain.
Meera was recovered by Sharptooth as part of her security duties, but she arranged for the corpse to be ported to the battlefield. As soon as the light of the sun hits her while she is on Luna’s surface, she resurrects and transforms into a lunar werewolf (silver pelt, immune to silver).