Ankylosaur

He's a bit of an anchor character in reclaiming Astoria for the First Warder's new home. 🙂

I think I understand why you're confused - I'll tidy up the description Receipt - In Freddy's Pawn Shop you found a receipt from when Freddy had bought the hammer from a Rularularian originally. Missing Hammer - You also found a weapon rack where it should have been but was missing, taken when the Rulu-shin attacked. But here the description had you thinking it was the eye of the hammer that was missing - not the hammer itself - that's what needs cleaning up. As you look at the rack, Freddy says, "Good eye, $name. I had a cool hammer with a Rularuu eye beast in it that is missing. One of the only things that's missing. It didn't work though. Those things are bound to their owners." Hammer found - And now you found the Hammer - and presumably the one who took it.

Yeah - Rularularian and the Hammiggedon arc (with the Gaians in Glitters) are both origin stories for mobs I reused in here. 🙂 After Glimmers though, the next parallel forks are "only" 3 arcs each. They will breeze by. 🙂 And @cranebump per @Zhym's TV Guide - I'm looking forward to the Mobius grand finale up next!

Oh, the antici... pation. In case you want their story.

No - Crazy Freddy and his pals were not supposed to be violent. Fixed! Sorry about that, and thanks for asking!

So then I thought, maybe a noir style set in Kings Row since I thought @cranebump might be interested in seeing that... Write a City of Heroes mission introduction, mission send-off and mission return, in a noir style. The mission contact is beat cop O'Malley, and the mission objective is to investigate the homicide of his partner that has taken place in King's Row. In the mission return, O'Malley is horrified to learn from the player that he had unknowingly killed his partner under the influence of the Superadine drug that some Skull gang members slipped into his Drenched Donut. Mission Introduction: "O'Malley here. I'm a beat cop in King's Row. My partner's been murdered and I need a hero like you to help me investigate. I don't trust the department on this one, they're all crooked. I need someone who can keep a cool head and get to the bottom of this. Can I count on you to help me find out who killed my partner?" Mission Send-off: "I appreciate you taking this case, hero. My partner was a good man and he deserved better than this. I'll be waiting for your report. Be careful out there, King's Row is a dangerous place. I got a feeling this case is going to lead to some rough characters, so watch your back." Mission Return: "You're back. What did you find out?...Oh my God... You're telling me that I killed him?... They slipped Superadine into my Drenched Donut... I had no idea... I can't believe it... I'm a cop, for Christ's sake... I trusted those Skulls... They're the ones who should pay for this... Thank you for bringing me the truth, hero. I'll make sure justice is served."

So then, and obviously, my prompt could be tweaked for better results, I thought I would try contact dialog. Write a mission introduction for City of Heroes, where Veluta Lunata introduces herself, asks the player to retrieve a magic gem called "The Blood Ruby" from a seaside cave that. The gem is guarded by Spectral Pirates and a boss named "Captain Sligh." Also write a mission send off, where Veluta Lunata is happy the player is willing to help her retrieve "THe Blood Ruby" gem from the Captain and wishes the player good luck. Also write a mission return, where Veluta is pleased the player returned with "The Blood Ruby." Mission Introduction: "Greetings, hero. My name is Veluta Lunata, and I have a task that requires your assistance. A powerful magic gem called 'The Blood Ruby' has been stolen and hidden in a seaside cave. It is guarded by Spectral Pirates and their leader, Captain Sligh. I need you to retrieve this gem for me, as it is crucial to my work as a powerful sorceress. Will you help me retrieve 'The Blood Ruby' from the treacherous hands of Captain Sligh and his crew?" Mission Send-off: "Thank you for agreeing to help me, hero. I know that this task will not be easy, but with your bravery and skill, I have no doubt that you will be able to retrieve 'The Blood Ruby' from the Spectral Pirates. Be careful, as Captain Sligh is a formidable opponent. I wish you good luck on your journey, and I look forward to your return with the gem." Mission Return: "Welcome back, hero! I see that you have returned with 'The Blood Ruby.' I am pleased to see that you were able to retrieve it from the Spectral Pirates and Captain Sligh. Thank you for your help, and I am honored to have you as an ally. This gem will be put to good use in my work, and I am grateful for your assistance in retrieving it. Thank you again, and may we work together again in the future."

The motive was not stated in my prompt, nor were the methods the Cabal and Midnight Squad would use (summoning a demon) to gain advantage.

Vicious Circle was a pretty clever gang name. 🙂

So then I tried to synopsize one of my ancient plots from my own arc Condemning Croatia (a golden oldie from live back before reside could go to Croatoa). Write an outline of a City of Heroes 5 mission story arc, with Veluta Lunata as your contact, and the main plot being that Arachnos wants to help the Red Caps defeat the Cabal and the Midnight Squad with the player's help, and force Croatoa to be subsumed by the Spirit Realm. Each mission should include a named boss to defeat and a clue the player discovers about the larger plot. Mission 1: "The Red Caps' plight" Contact: Veluta Lunata Objective: Help the Red Caps against the Cabal and the Midnight Squad. Clue: The player discovers that Arachnos is behind the Red Caps' plight and they are trying to use the player to defeat their rivals. Mission 2: "The Cabal's stronghold" Contact: Veluta Lunata Objective: Infiltrate the Cabal's stronghold and gather intel about their plans. Boss: The Cabal's leader, a powerful mage known as "The Magus" Clue: The player discovers that the Cabal is planning to summon a powerful demon to defeat the Red Caps. Mission 3: "Midnight Squad's ambush" Contact: Veluta Lunata Objective: Stop the Midnight Squad from ambushing a Red Caps' convoy. Boss: The Midnight Squad's leader, a skilled assassin known as "The Shadow" Clue: The player discovers that the Midnight Squad is working with the Cabal to summon the demon. Mission 4: "Demonic ritual" Contact: Veluta Lunata Objective: Stop the Cabal and the Midnight Squad from completing their demonic ritual. Boss: The demon they are trying to summon, "Baal" Clue: The player discovers that Arachnos is trying to use the chaos to force Croatoa to be subsumed by the Spirit Realm. Mission 5: "Croatoa's fate" Contact: Veluta Lunata Objective: Stop Arachnos from succeeding in their plan to subsume Croatoa Boss: Arachnos' leader, Lord Recluse Clue: The player discovers that Lord Recluse wants Croatoa subsumed by the Spirit Realm to access powerful magic for his own gain. The player's final mission is to stop Lord Recluse and his Arachnos from succeeding in their plan to subsume Croatoa and gain access to powerful magic. With the help of Veluta Lunata, the player needs to put an end to this plan by defeating Lord Recluse and his Arachnos. With the final victory, the player has saved Croatoa from being subsumed by the Spirit Realm and restore peace to the city.

So then, based on a convo in another thread, I asked it to Write a short story about City of Heroes where Darrin Wade kills Statesman. Include enemy gang names and place names. Darrin Wade, also known as Back Alley Brawler, had always been a thorn in the side of Paragon City's heroes. Despite his small-time criminal background, he had always dreamed of making a name for himself and taking down the city's greatest hero, Statesman. One day, Wade received a tip that Statesman would be visiting Atlas Park to address a gang problem that had been plaguing the neighborhood. The gang, known as the "Vicious Circle", had been causing chaos and destruction throughout the city and had recently set up shop in Atlas Park. Wade saw this as his chance to take down Statesman and prove himself as a true villain. He rallied his own gang, the "Freakshow", and set out to intercept Statesman at Atlas Park. When Statesman arrived at Atlas Park, he was met by Wade and his gang. A fierce battle ensued, with Wade using all of his strength and cunning to try and defeat Statesman. Despite Statesman's best efforts, Wade was able to land a critical blow, mortally wounding the hero. With Statesman down, Wade and his gang were able to take control of Atlas Park, and they quickly began to expand their territory, moving into other neighborhoods and terrorizing the citizens of Paragon City. The heroes of Paragon City were in shock, they had lost their leader and the city was thrown into chaos. They knew they had to act fast to stop Wade and his gang before they could cause any more damage. A group of heroes formed together and started to track Wade and his gang. The final showdown occurred in the warzone neighborhood of Boomtown, where the heroes were able to defeat Wade and his gang, bringing an end to their reign of terror and restoring peace to the city. But the victory was bittersweet, as the heroes knew that Statesman would never be able to lead them again. Paragon City would never be the same without him.

I asked ChatGPT to outline a short plot using City of Heroes characters and place names... The story follows a team of heroes known as the Freedom Phalanx, who are based in the iconic city of Paragon. Led by the powerful Statesman, the team is tasked with protecting the city from various threats, including the nefarious criminal organization known as the Council. One day, the Freedom Phalanx receives word that the Council is planning a major attack on Atlas Park, one of the most heavily populated areas of the city. The team quickly springs into action, determined to stop the Council and save the innocent civilians of Atlas Park. As the team battles the Council's forces, they encounter a variety of dangerous villains, including the powerful psychic Sister Psyche and the ruthless assassin Black Scorpion. Despite the obstacles, the Freedom Phalanx remains determined to protect the city and its people. With the help of other heroes from around the city, the Freedom Phalanx is able to successfully repel the Council's attack and save Atlas Park from destruction. However, they soon discover that the Council's true target was not Atlas Park at all, but the nearby city of Founders' Falls. The Freedom Phalanx must now race against time to stop the Council before they can launch their attack on Founders' Falls. The story concludes with a final epic battle between the Freedom Phalanx and the Council in Founders' Falls, where the heroes ultimately emerge victorious. With the Council defeated, the Freedom Phalanx can finally rest easy knowing that they have protected the city and its citizens once again.

@Darmian, I recall when you stumbled upon Mother Mayhem and Malaise in the Shadow Shard and it got your gears turning. I too think the way your solution brings the invasion and WWD together is genius. (And @cranebump I too feel like killing off Statesman was lame - when the Who Will Die stuff was happening - the answer was super obvious when it was even announced.) Most of my early one-shots explore unexplained threads/hooks like that and I know I find it super satisfying whenever I manage to stitch things together in a way that integrates nicely. Kudos!

Nope - All That Glimmers 2.3: Destruction in the Shadow Shard, arc ID 42073 is out there... Now, I did misspeak above and call it the last of the Apocalypse Plots instead of Doomsday Plots (Death, Drowning, and now Destruction) - but it is live, and the Harbingers of Destruction await you...

Would love to see it one day - but the one shots are much more likely. Glints and Glows are "just" three arcs each, so maybe that's easier to commit to. 🙂

Oh and hello! Looking forward to your run on the the next episode of Glimmers! Been hovering on the edge of my seat for the resolution of the Apocalypse plots and the new intel you unlock, getting a bit closer to what's REALLY going on.

I did not - he submitted a response while rating the arc and we started chatting through asynchronous tells. My stories were designed with soloists in mind, so it's great to see them with larger groups to understand the difference. I appreciate that he and the group tend to want to clear everything and find everything too.

It's long-standing, I think from live, and has been said to be difficult to fix.

So did I, + @Take One so maybe more will show up there too. 🙂 I got the sense that he will pick up AE stories sometimes Sundays, and, from watching a bit, I think he is live in the wee hours (maybe 1-6 AM) Ontario time. I would think new content is welcome, but hard to find, so this might help.

The final apocalypse plot will just have to wait...

So fun to see another arc show up on Twitch (at the 30 minute mark). https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1708939837

Twitch playthrough! https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1706907301 A big thanks to the group that ran through it - was so fun to watch someone experience something I put together. Unfortunately, I noticed a few little bugs with it, and a typo or two, but you can't modify Dev's choice easily, so I will just have to live with with them.

So good to be able to tune back in! Welcome back!

Happy New Year! (Oh, the anticipation! 🙂 )

It started with Helix, a Resistance member who has Kheldian powers. I thought I could put her into 1.x to introduce the All That Glows story fork during the Glitters intro. And then that turned into the effort above, in which I realized I could insert a few more of the Resistance into the 1.x series to make it have a few more Praetorians in its post-Praetorian intro. And then that became its own through-line thread - shoring up a few loose ends from a previous incarnation of this series. In short - there are more ex-Praeotirans demonstrably embedded in the Gold Brickers. This was always stated to be the case, but now is more visible as they include known named Resistance leaders. I was able to place them throughout without change to the story - instead - putting in these known, named folk, where before there were simply generic Boomers or Brickernauts without a background.