TerroirNoir's "Cable Channel of AE!" Reviews. Part 2.

[Darmian]

On 6/15/2023 at 6:32 PM, TerroirNoir2 said:

Slight delay in posting.  Work got hectic. Someone left so gaps to be filled until a new hire is "on boarded".

Ah, you're back!

[Ankylosaur]

Yay!

 

On 7/8/2023 at 12:18 PM, Darmian said:

Ah, you're back!

 

[TerroirNoir2]

I managed to claw back some me time and I'll try to get more done!

[cranebump]

5 hours ago, TerroirNoir2 said:

I managed to claw back some me time and I'll try to get more done!

Excellent! I'll get those 3 additional arcs ready.;-)

[TerroirNoir2]

Arc 17 from our third author on "TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE" Reviews is @Darmian's Spirals: Part One.

Spirals: Part One is subtitled "(Imperial Crusader, Ch. 6)" which means it is meant to follow on directly from "Blood of Tyrants (Imperial Crusader, Ch. 5"

 

Mission 1: Take it to the Limit. I wander in to the Resistance base in Underground Imperial to meet Odysseus.  He's a gruff sort of a guy, big and burly but not huge. He's part of the Crusader branch of the Resistance so I'm expecting him to have some tricky things for me to do.  And I'm right about that.  Straight out of the gate he tells me about what he calls an incident with a device.  It was a bomb, Odysseus.  We all heard about it.  Hell, it was on the news.  Or the official report was of the stuff that couldn't be hidden. He tells me that plan went south because of spies, so we have spies to catch. To start with though we have to get Vagabond out of the BAF.  Oh THAT'S gonna be a piece of cake I'm sure.  They can get me in, but I have to do the rest. Sheesh.

 

So in I go, with one of the Resistance's psychics doing just enough shenanigans to distract the guards. Time to find the Security Manifest and see where Vagabond is being held.

Gotcha!  He's nearby.

 

 

Pretty damn close near by actually! The Seers have him though so time to get that rescue in motion.  We'll be out of here toot sweet.

 

 

Oookay. This is NOT going according to plan.  What did he just give me?

 

 

It's a digipak.  So, clear as mud then.  Let's see what this thing reveals.

 

 

So I find a digipak reader and slot it in.  Ah, that's what Vagabond wanted!  He wasn't the only Resistance member captured at the bomb incident.  However, my unauthorized use of this damn thing has alerted BAF Auxiliaries, whoever they are, and they're led by a Sender Marcus.  Is Sender a name or a rank?  Sounds like a Seer thing to me.

There he is.  Doesn't look like a Seer and he has a Monitor Sphere (I love those things!) and a Venatore with him.  I dunno what a Venatore is either.

 

(Brief moment out of character here! This tells me who Venatores are, and that Senders are a rank)

 

 

(Back in character!)

Woopsie!  Spotted!

 

 

OW! that Venator is FAST, and Marcus is deploying robots!  This got interesting real quick.

 

 

Ok, I dropped the Venatore and he is GETTING UP AGAIN!  Oh no, not good.  I was hoping to deal with him fast and leave me free to concentrate on the Sender.

 

 

Here comes Marcus and his robot friends to kick my teeth out.  Oy, what's a gal to do on a day like this?

Rad Blast, Rad AOE, Steal Health/Speed/Power, circle and keep firing and healing.  I am empty of green inspirations!  And staggering on the redline of health.  Ok, they're down.  Robots all turned off.  And rest.

 

Ok, deep breath and on I go. I have three prisoners to free and then we can get the hell out of this place.

There's the first one, being held just like Vagabond was.

 

 

Ok, apart from a little bit of being immobilized, which isn't the worst against an enemy that doesn't use melee and so on, I drop the Seers and free this guy.

And he asks me to rescue Vagabond.  Look friend, I already did that so we're good, yeah?  On to the next prisoner.

Ok, don't stay and help.  See if I care!

 

 

Shortly after this I free the third guy only to find that there's a FOURTH prisoner.  Not one I was expecting.  Ok, there's plenty I might not have been expecting but for a very particular reason THIS is not one I was expecting.

 

 

Yeah, that pretty much sums up my reaction.

 

 

Oh, this version is staying with me to help.  Seems all my efforts at freeing people has definitely woken someone up.  There's another Sender to defeat on the way out.

 

 

And I'm not as lucky this time around and it gets nasty real quick!

 

 

So anyway, myself and Vagabond go down in a hail of, well everything.  Vagabond no doubt has TP'd out or something. I TP and get healed and head back in to finish off Kenrick.  (Is it me or does it look like that Battle Drone is about to kick me in the ribs?)

 

 

I get jumped before I even REACH Kenrick, so it's rough again but I manage to drop him and then....I hightail it back to the BAF exit!

 

 

Back with Odysseus.  He's puzzled by my amazing and wonderful success.  I have been 200% successful, having rescued TWO Vagabonds.  He's had them separated and put in different cells so that Vanessa DeVore and scan them and see what the hell is going on.

He'll talk to me in the morning.

 

[Mission 1 = That was not what I was expecting while at the exact same time being a typical @Darmian Praetorian arc.  Loads of detail and so on, a mystery immediately and all tied into the actual canon story.  Looking forward to seeing what is next!]

 

Mission 2: Watching the Detectives. So I'm back with Odysseus and he tells me that Vanessa DeVore has given the two Vagabonds a scan and the first one is the real McCoy. So Odysseus had the second one shot. Ok then, don't piss off Odysseus! Noted. And the digipak that Vagabond gave me?  That has provided a lead and I'm about to follow that. It belonged to a member of the Ministry of Information called Thomas Kane, who really should not have been at the BAF.  So more mystery there. Time to visit a sub office of the ministry and talk to someone called Malone.  

 

Off I go! So cheery!

 

There's Malone. He's our inside man. Let's see what's what then. No witnesses to your betrayal of your coworkers?  Right.  Time to be a Crusader.

 

 

Malone heads out, to wait for Kane apparently.  And I answer Odysseus's call. A drug, huh?  Ok, I suppose we only have a limited amount of psychics compared to the Seers and so on.

 

 

And there's the Resistance shooting the place up and scaring the bejeezus out of the civilian staff.  I throw a little Kinetics healing at the civilians because, well because I'm not a monster! But there's work to do so I continue on looking for Thomas Kane.

 

 

And there he is.  Stab him with the syringe and he staggers off out of the building.

 

 

Time to get gone and back to the Imperial Underground.  Evading arriving PPD as I go.  I pick up Kane's files from a computer terminal on the way out and then I make my escape. 

 

Odysseus is pleased. Malone picked up Kane outside the building and we have him and I have his files.  Everything went off without a hitch, apart from the numerous casualties in the staff but that was also part of the plan, so no issues there.  (Crusaders are grim!)

Kane is going to be questioned. Odysseus will contact me after that.

 

[Mission 2 = really tight mission that moves the story along fast.  Looking forward to the next part!]

 

Mission 3: Things Come Together. Meeting with Odysseus I get told that Kane was interrogated by DeVore and it turns out he's a nobody. He knows nothing. Ok then, that's weird. He wasn't even supposed to be on duty the day Vagabond and the others were captured, the say of the bombing.  So what do we do now?  Redo the last mission and hope I find the right person this time?  Nope. Odysseus says Kane is a patsy, given the data and sent in to do whatever.  Plausible deniability or whatever I suppose.  Odysseus says whoever should have been there might have been recognized by our side.  Ok that's supposition but what else do we have to go on. So, Kane's orders to show up were issued by someone who most likely knew what was going on so we find out who gave those orders.  Looks like I'm off to the Ministry of Information then. I'll be joined by Syzygy (I hope that is a code name otherwise he had cruel parents) who is one of the guys I rescued along with Vagabond.

 

Ok, in I go and first thing is to access the MoI logs and then meet Syx..Syv..Syzyg...Syzygy.  That guy.

 

 

And there's...my new friend.

 

 

Ok, on we go.  Hell, that's a BIG door.

 

 

 

AH!  A patrol.  I should have expected this.  Obviously.  I'm getting complacent in my (not quite) old age.

 

 

We continue on after dealing with the patrol and look who is ahead of us. Stern!  As far as I remember he's usually down beside the clockwork factory in Nova Praetoria.  Not sure what he does there. Maybe looking at new limbs or something.  He looks angry though. And he's called for reinforcements.  

 

 

His extra troops arrive and there's a rolling and spreading fight across the room until Syz and me are pushed into the corner.  We fight back though!

 

 

And we damn well win!

 

After that I download the data we need and find a name. Simon McAllister. Time to get out and back to Odysseus.

Odysseus says we know him.  Or at least we know his sister Laura.  She was a part of the Syndicate and worked with the Resistance recently concerning the Neutron bomb. Until she was killed when the Syndicate tried to doublecross the Resistance and keep it for themselves. This particular thing seems personal.

 

[Mission 3 = Short little mission but filled with action and an info point that drives the story on.  Excellent.]

 

Mission 4: Family Ties. So, here's the current plan.  Calvin Scott has ordered that this Simon McAllister guy is to be captured or killed.  Close the book on him then. We'll be going in.  By we I mean Odysseus, Syzygy and me, so I'm the last in the door while the guys clear ahead of me and then we find this guy and see how the dice roll.  Let's go!

 

So there's Odysseus and he's got a body bag!   Weird.  I dispose of his Syndicate friends and he fills me in.

 

 

So yeah, I can guess that that is the body of the OTHER Vagabond.  Time to lay some false trails in this place while we go it seems.

 

 

So we go looking for Syzygy.  We meet various Syndicate shooters and psychics and so on along the way, and let me tell you they are NASTY.  Old Odysseus is damn nasty too though.  He just lets rip with energy and fists like he's just glad to be out in world doing the job again rather than stuck organizing stuff from the HQ.

 

 

We turn a corner and find Syzygy. And oh yeah, forgot to mention it but when we find McAllister then we are blowing this entire building.  Let's see both the Syndicate and Powers Division sift through the rubble to find whatever evidence is in here.  Hint: Vagabond's body.  Oh no!  The Resistance lost a major player in this attack.

 

 

Well we found him.  And he is NOT a happy man.  In fact that katana of his does a fair impression of trying to gut me!  Thank the stars for my armor is all I can say right now as I stagger around after this all stunned.  Odysseus lets him have it though.

 

 

And we take him down!  But here's his goons to even the score!  And ol' Syz is still with us.  Seems like he won his fight and is climbing back to his feet.

 

 

The three of us battle our way through the goon squad and then after a bit, surrounded by the unconscious and the dead, we draw breath.

 

 

Before we blow this place I ransack McAllister's wall safe and take whatever is inside.

Ok then.  Heavy.  Like heavier than we expected heavy.

 

 

We run for it and detonate the bombs once we're outside.

Odysseus hands the unconscious McAllister over to be psychically probed. We'll have some answers shortly.

 

[Mission 4 = A rip roaring fight fest all the way through (which is my fault for somehow having my team size set higher than I normally use on these!) but it really paid off. Odysseus is a badass as an ally, and Syzygy, while he can get overwhelmed, held his own and came through it with us.  Great action.  On to the finale!]

 

Mission 5: Dead Letters. Odysseus calls Engineria in for a briefing.  It looks like McAllister WAS out for revenge for the death of his sister Lauren. The issue is we still don't have our INTERNAL spy. Someone was feeding McAllister intel via dead letter drops. Once a week McAllister would go to South Aetna and check a series of trash cans for a specific sort of trash or discarded document or whatever.  So, now I have to go search through trash cans in Nova.  It's a great life in the Resistance! But there's that name from the wall safe files. Duncan AKA Praetor Duncan of Powers Division. Odysseus thinks it had something to do with her connection to Fixadine and now that McAllister is officially all blowed up maybe she will be looking into it.  And Odysseus thinks she might be because T.E.S.T. have been seen hanging around South Aetna instead of the PPD.

 

No pressure on little old Engineria at all. Nuh uh.

Ok, nothing in this one.  Sigh.  I'm gonna have to wash this armor. You'd think in a super clean freak place like Praetoria there would be, and I know this might sound weird, cleaner trash?  Yerah it does sound a bit weird.  Ok, next trash can please so I can get this over with and go shower.

 

 

Oh hey! Some of our guys are here dealing with T.E.S.T. for me!  High fives all round guys!

 

 

There's another trash can.  Anything in here?  Nada.  Keep on moving then.

 

 

Heading out across the street and to the next can, avoiding patrols as I go.  Well that's not at all ominous.

 

 

 

You want to know what that pulse did?  Do you?  It summoned an Olympian Guard Commander!  This is not a good day for me.  Getting covered in garbage up to the elbows was already pissing me off.

 

Did I mention he has friends?  LOOK!  He has friends!  AGH!

 

 

I stay airborne and blast him with Rad...JEEZ LOUISE!  HE can FLY!  They can ALL fly!  I spin and dodge and keep blasting at him until at least he drops to the ground and then I gun the engine and fly for my exit, all the while taking hits from quite a few of these super powered monsters! 

I am redlining it when I make the door and get away from them. I'm sure staggering down the Underground stairs and probably lying there hoping not to get savaged by passing ghouls.

 

 

Then I make my weary way back to Odysseus.

I'll let him say it in his own words.

 

 

That piece of paper has the edge of a signature on it. He'll give it to the psychics to pore over.  But we still haven't got our internal spy and Praetor Duncan is involved.  This got a lot weirder and more dangerous.  He'll call me again when I'm patched up. 

 

[Mission 5 = It looks like it is going to be a short mission and it is, but it's a tense one!  And ends on "To Be Continued", so looking forward to Spirals: Part Two.]

 

Verdict: Ok, like I said above this feels 100% Praetorian and 100% @Darmian while at the same time not being anything like the previous Praetorian AEs in this series.  There's a feel of Gold-Noir!  Have you been talking to @cranebump?  Or maybe just playing his arcs?  Either way it's working!  Great stuff.

 

Next up from @Darmian is Spirals: Part Two.

And next up on the schedule in TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE Reviews is @Ankylosaur's All That Glimmers 2.3: Incursion in Oranbega.

Edited August 10, 2023 by TerroirNoir2

[Darmian]

3 hours ago, TerroirNoir2 said:

(Is it me or does it look like that Battle Drone is about to kick me in the ribs?)

 

 

From a certain angle it does seem like you are about to get kicked!

[Clave Dark 5]

She knows what she did!

[cranebump]

My initial reaction to my earlier run of Spirals was, Gdit! They're everywhere! (crossing patrols and such):-)

[TerroirNoir2]

7 hours ago, cranebump said:

My initial reaction to my earlier run of Spirals was, Gdit! They're everywhere! (crossing patrols and such):-)

Oh yeah! That's what I ran into on the last part of Mission 1 there.  I think. 

[Darmian]

On 8/1/2023 at 5:57 PM, TerroirNoir2 said:

I stay airborne and blast him with Rad...JEEZ LOUISE!  HE can FLY!  They can ALL fly!  I spin and dodge and keep blasting at him until at least he drops to the ground and then I gun the engine and fly for my exit, all the while taking hits from quite a few of these super powered monsters! 

I am redlining it when I make the door and get away from them. I'm sure staggering down the Underground stairs and probably lying there hoping not to get savaged by passing ghouls.

 

 

You were lucky! When I was testing this the Olympian Guard spawned up across the street on the other side of the map and I did NOT make it to the exit before I was shot out of the sky!

 

 

[Darmian]

And of course I've been influenced by @cranebump's AEs!  How could I not be.  And @Ankylosaur too. (Not to mention plenty of others) Plenty of times when you play another writer's AEs you see things and think "how the hell did they manage that?" or "I didn't even know that was IN the AE", never mind the story telling style.  We all learn from each other.

[cranebump]

Yeah, I just bugged out when the OGs showed up. Alpha strike was an ass kicker.

[Ankylosaur]

On 8/8/2023 at 8:36 PM, Darmian said:

And of course I've been influenced by @cranebump's AEs!  How could I not be.  And @Ankylosaur too. (Not to mention plenty of others) Plenty of times when you play another writer's AEs you see things and think "how the hell did they manage that?" or "I didn't even know that was IN the AE", never mind the story telling style.  We all learn from each other.

 

Unquestionably. We all learn from one another. I do you use your [Front] [Mid] [Back] sometimes for mission objectives.

 

Who even recalls what other things I might have seen somewhere else first and thought do something similar with too. 

Edited August 11, 2023 by Ankylosaur

[cranebump]

3 hours ago, Ankylosaur said:

 

Unquestionably. We all learn from one another. I do you use your [Front] [Mid] [Back] sometimes for mission objectives.

Same here, to a lesser extent. I'm not as good at pinpointing things as you guys (getting better, though!).:-)

 

I DID steal the optional escort "point to objective" trick based on Anky's rec, and have attempted some use of outdoor maps that he's known for (and has mastered). Can't get too much out of my lane, though. Stealing where I can? Hell, yeah.:-)

Edited August 11, 2023 by cranebump

[TerroirNoir2]

Arc 18 from the first author on "TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE" Reviews is @Ankylosaur's All That Glimmers 2.3: Incursion in Oranbega. (I've done some renumbering of this series, as has @Zhym in his listings page below, but bear in mind that there may now be slight variations in Engineria's previous recorded adventures compared to what's currently available for others to play through)

 

Mission 1: Contested Trophies.  So Engineria's day starts with being shouted at over the phone by Pendragon.  He seems confused by (a) modern tech (I thought he was from super sci fi Praetoria, no?  NVM) and (b) he seems to think I called him.  I mean I could argue the point but where would that get me?  Well, it might get me another hour of sleep as I dream of finding the AV that invented the snooze button and nailing them to a wall.  Oh, it seems sooo useful but it's just a time loop of "AH! I have to get up" with each iteration getting more and more fraught as...so anyway I'm on the phone to Pendragon, who seems to think that distance means shouting at me despite the use of electronic devices.

 

He's been expecting my call. It seems Noble Savage had told him to.  Maybe I DID call him.  I've been run ragged on things for a while, not to mention weird echoes of Praet Engineria bleeding through.  Oh yeah.  Nerva.  I have to go to Nerva to investigate magical shenanigans.  And old Pendy is the man to help on that, seeing as he's practically Galahad or whatever. Except he can't because he's off looking at ruins. Like you do. He's arranged for a Longbow escort though, one Lt. Sefu Tendoji, and can I meet him.  Sure, the old Red & Whites are mostly fine with me.  Mostly.  Depends if Libs is involved or not. So I'm meeting him in the Officers' Club in Crimson Cove.  Well for some.  

 

Now on first entering I sense something is off.  Not to mention the floaty lamp things spinning around some guy over there.

 

 

Oh oh!  I'm walloped with a quick case of the snoozes.  (See?!  Snoozes!  All types, not just the alarm clock versions)

 

 

Man, I LITERALLY just walked in the door.  I'm still cramped from being on a small plane down to this place, but sure, yeah, it WAS me.  I'm the beacon-placer!  Wait, FAKE beacon?  What's the difference if they both do the same thing?

 

 

What is it with folks shouting at me today?  I heard you the first time!  Not that he can hear ME say that since I'm frozen in place by something.

 

 

Wait?  What?  Are you like the Vahzilok for souls or something?  Is that a thing now?  That can't be a thing, can it?

 

 

So I manage to drop this guy but not before he summons company from the...from somewhere spooky no doubt.  And OW.

 

 

A few well timed Rad Blasts and stealing whatever passes for health from these guys using my Kinetics and I stumble clear of them, over to this "fake beacon" thing.

 

 

There's also a box.  I peek inside and then, still no sign of that Longbow dude, I leave and call Pendy.

 

So he's surprised that the lieutenant wasn't there but he'll give him a call and see what's up.  As for the spooky dudes?  Those are the Drudge apparently.  Crossed over the Veil to this side of things to collect souls. Summoned by that beacon, which Pendy says sounds like an Oranbegan beacon. 

He has to call me back.  Using a phone with gauntlets is tricky apparently.  Who knew?

 

[Mission 1 = Wrong footed out the gate and the contact is nowhere to be seen. Instant mystery.  Let's see where this goes!]

 

Mission 2: The Uninvited. More shouting from Pendy. His Longbow friend apologizes for not meeting me but they were in the middle of also investigating these Drudge people. It seems the obelisk in the Officers Club was simply there as confiscated loot from an Arachnos submarine. So that explains that I suppose. The rest of what was found is being examined in Agincourt base, and can I go over there and help out.  Well, sure.  If only to stop the ringing in my ears from you deafening me.

 

Ah, my phone makes an email delivered sort of noise.

 

An email from Desdemona telling Pendy of my previous involvement with Light Astoria and so on.  Credentials verified!  Now, time to see what is what.

 

So I get to Agincourt and  whooo!  There's a full scale battle going on here!

 

 

And after that is cleared up I finally meet Lt. Sefu Tendoji.

 

 

We wander up the slope and OMG!  It's my old pal Hornet from Wyvern!  

 

 

Ok, with three of us this should be better!  The Drudge dudes and their minions are the ones causing all the ruckus here, and somewhere there's a Taskmaster Holman we need to stop.  Let's go!

 

Holman seems a mite angry.  And disinclined to listen to reason.  Or speech. Or anything I think.  He's a symptom of "Snooze-buttonism" if ever I saw one.

 

 

Him and his minions are tough enough but like I said, there's three of us now and we take them all down, though that LAST thing sounds very like a threat to me!  Very much like a threat.  Who is this big man he's talking about?  Are the Drudge guys even men anyway?  Humanoid shaped sure but men?

 

 

Now we have Holman's boss to deal with.  He's probably the big man.  Field Marshal Taylor.  This Agincourt base is pretty big so we have a scout around, even inside one of the buildings where we find one of those confiscated items taken from the Arachnos sub.  Then coming around a corner I spy Taylor! And again with the accusations! Get him!

 

 

More threats!  Also, allies?  Where are you?! 

 

 

Ah, there we go!  The three of us whittle him down and then he is OUT FOR THE COUNT! (Not a Sesame Street reference)

 

 

So I pull out my phone and this time when I call Pendy I keep it away from my ear.  (I wonder what he's like if I put it on speaker?  Nope, that is a BAD idea) He's got patchy reception since he's in some ruins.  He mentions an explosion or something and then says the Circle of Thorns are responsible. No, don't explain...no, don't...I know who they are, I'm from here.  You can stop now...no, stop.  Come back to our mission.  And breathe. Ok. Wait. Back up. WHAT did you just say?

The Drudge are soul reapers, uh huh, and they're there to collect the souls of all the Circle of Thorns.  Oh that's not good.  Well maybe it IS good, but what I mean is it is going to cause a LOT of trouble.  A hell of a lot of trouble.

And the reception fades.

 

[Mission 2 = The Drudges are here in force to do their soul swiping thing and the stakes just got magically higher!  Oh yeah!]

 

Mission 3: Demonic Traitors. Pendragon manages to reconnect.  Quietly this time! It seems the Drudges and the CoT haven't noticed him.  Well, that's good.  I hope he's oiled his joints!  Sneaking about in armor must be difficult. And now he's telling me about his personal quest.  It seems the CoT are intent on summoning a demon called Lilitu. Ages ago the CoT contracted with demons to exterminate the Mu. That didn't go as planned. Now however that ancient contract is going to be fulfilled. The catch is, and it's a BIG catch, about 20% of the population have Mu blood or genes or whatever.  I suppose it's blood magic.  I can't imagine the CoT talking about Gene Magic.  Or maybe they do?  Do they have a Techno Wizard faction?  Hope not. So I'm off to meet him at a ruin.  Oh great. And he's been spotted.  Looks like I might be rescuing him too.

 

 

Time to find old Pendy then, and we're straight into combat as soon as I set foot in the first corridor. It's like these guys were expecting me!

 

 

I manage to clear my way through them and catch my breath further on at an intersection.  Let's have a little looksee around the place before I dive in further.  that seems reasonable, doesn't it?  Might need to check for some of these beacon things too.  I know Desdemona said they appeared to be powered by Mu magic but the CoT surely would be examining them, yeah?  And these beacons appear to be weakening the Veil between here and the spirit world, so that's summoning the Drudges and their lampy friends.

 

 

Ok, looks like I have an ally.  I say ally not friend because, well what do you think? I'm going to trust this guy completely?

 

 

Trust him when he says this?  I mean he's pretty much telling me that his goals are conditional.  I'll be on my guard and watch my back.

 

 

So Qunqalda must die, yah?  Ok, I'm not good with just killing folks because that's never a right solution, but if I recall a thing Madame Maven said to me a long time ago, some times there are only bad choices.  On we go.

 

Found Pendy!  Looks like they bound him in some sort of mystic circle thing.  Ok, now I have HIM to guard against possible betrayal by Sparcetriel too.  Let's find Qunqalda and hand him a whupping.

 

And there's the Chief Wizard himself.  Time to gird our loins, or whatever that means.  Ready up!  

 

 

Pendy and Engineria make for him while Sparcetriel lumbers around the side.  Qunqalda is tough though and deals out some hammering damage to us.

 

 

And Qunqalda goes down!  And yes, Sparcetriel makes his Heel turn and flings Pendragon into a wall or something. I focus on him and let loose, and let me tell you neither me nor Pendy are in good shape after the Qunqalda fight!

 

 

Oh.  That HURT.  I'm not sure where Pendragon got to but he hadn't made it back to me when Sparcetriel dropped me.  Time to mediport out, collect some help and rescue Pendy.  I'm going to bring Marcus in on this one, no offence to Buddy but this is a big damn demon capable of frying us!

 

 

Engineria and Marcus arrive back at the ruin. Still no sign of Pendragon but hopefully we'll find him in a bit.  Sparcetriel is instantly enraged by Engineria's return and lets loose with fire and magic.  And Marcus responds with fists and lightning while Engineria Rad Blasts the bejezus out of Sparcetriel's demon ass.

 

 

And he goes down! Luckily for me.  I'm skimming near red on the health. Marcus is still mostly fine though.

 

 

We scout around, find Pendragon down a side corridor and then proceed to examine some shelves and so on for clues.  Lilitu is definitely something on the "SummonSomeone" list!  Not good.

 

Time to get the hell out of here.  I bid Marcus farewell and accompany Pendragon back out.

 

Pendragon is troubled by this 20% of the population sacrifice thing, and rightly so.  Who wouldn't be?  Well, Sparcetriel I suppose, and those doing the sacrifices.  anyway. It's time to seek advice before we move on.

 

[Mission 3 = Great rescue/fight/betrayal/fight mission.  Despite effectively knowing that Sparcetriel will betray, given the nature of his demonic contract and so on, it still works as a whole.  On to the next part of the mystery!]

 

Mission 4: Spirit of the Land. There's an attack happening! Thorn Isle is the focus and it looks bad. The CoT are being hunted by the Drudges!  I'm to get over there as fast as possible while Pendy contacts others, including Marchand of the New Praetorians. I have to find us a key to get inside.

 

Off I go! Engineria to the rescue.  Or something.

Impressive, isn't it?

 

 

The Key is apparently held by one of the Arch Mages.  And there's one of those guys right now.  Let's go and ask him some questions.  And if he doesn't want to answer?  Ah, we'll think of something. We always do.

 

 

Nope. He doesn't have a key.  Or at least he doesn't have the one we need.  He might have the key to a 1996 Ford Taurus for all I know but that ain't gonna help us in our quest. 

 

Next up is the Arch Mage of Death.  Ominous.  And keyless too.  Arch Mage of Madness?  Do YOU have the key to our heart's desire?  Or...Yah, need to rein in the old poesy there.  Let's just slap him around the head, turn him upside down and shake out his pockets.  

 

And he doesn't have it either.  Tsk.  Oh, there's one of those mystical beacons!  I'll poke it.

Well THAT got someone's attention!

 

 

And he seems confused.  Now if you'd just waited a minute before trying to suck my soul out I could probably have told you about this being a fake powered by Mu magic, but no.  You just waded in and...got your ass Rad Blasted and your health wrenched out of you by Kinetics.  So, that's on you.

 

 

He desouled now.  I mean I defeated him, and like the rest of the CoT I don't think they're technically killed. Just corporally inconvenienced. I'm sure it is more than an inconvenience to the person who had their body stolen in the first place though, so I'm not feeling bad about this.

AHA! Lookee there!  Another Arch Mage. Ruin this time.  Oh, those guys can be a total pain. Let's get this done though.

 

 

Success!  He has the key! Time to phone Pendy and gather the troops! (Disclaimer: Engineria spent a lot longer looking for stuff on this island than is shown but I'm not posting images of her just looking for stuff.  Not a complaint on the mission, it's a great map, just filled with niches and so on for things to hide in.)

 

Pendragon is pleased we have the key. He's informed Marchand of what's going on, and seems to get an email ding as a reply while we're chatting.  Time to finish this.

 

[Mission 4 = Basically a set up mission for the finale that narratively plays well with the entire CoT/Drudge war that appears to be going on.  On to the finale!]

 

Mission 5: The Spirits Below. Old Pendy (I don't know why I'm calling him "old Pendy", it might be the knight in armor thing, but he's probably younger than me from the looks of him. Though you can never tell with supers), anyway Pendy apologizes for getting me to get the key all by my lonesome, so he's taking point on this next thing.  Fine by me. Your armor looks a lot more durable than mine.  Might be more susceptible to electricity though! So off he goes into the depths of Oranbega/Nerva/are they the same place here?  And again loses his connection.  Sigh.  I follow him.

 

The Hunt is here! And those guys are nasty. Taken the Thorn tree?  It's all blowing up here today!

 

 

And of course I get the blame.  I mean I clearly look like a member of the Hunt, don't I?

 

 

Engineria fights her way down the dusty corridors of this place and rescues Pendragon.  Sheesh, that is a damn big sword, Pendy.  Surely you need hydraulics in your armor to lift it! Agreed.  They should all leave Primal Earth.  Let's see about making that happen, yeah?

 

 

Damnit all to heck and back, Pendy!  Are you seriously telling me we have to ally ourselves with that backstabbing Sparcetriel again?  I mean come on!  Also, he need to really look at the fine print in the contracts the wizards are waving at him!  That's him captured for the umpteenth time I betcha.  And it's mugs like us who keep letting him out. Maybe the CoT are sitting somewhere arguing about this: 

 

Wizard #1: I dunno, Arch Mage Groony, the heroes keep freeing the demon!  What's with that?  Don't they know we are trying to save them from its evil?

Wizard #2: Tsk, you know heroes.  They never ask questions, just port into Oranbega and start blasting.  Honestly, it takes a lot of magic to keep the place half decent after every attack.

Wizard #1: So what do we do about it?

Wizard #2: More wine?

Wizard #1: Of course.

 

 

What's that I'm overhearing?  Are the Hunt and the Drudges actually in cahoots with each other or are they simply taking advantage of the other's presence?  

 

 

Engineria and Pendragon free the demon Sparcetriel, and he informs them that a nature avatar has seized the Thorn tree.  I bet I know who THAT is.  I've been wrong before though so let's wait and see.  Watch your back for Sparcetriel, Pendy. I'd bet that he betrays us again when we do what he wants.

 

 

We make our way further into the complex and finally before us is the Thorn tree itself.

 

 

Ok, there should be...AHA! I was right!  Finn!  And if I remember rightly he's a nasty piece of work.  Tough as old boots and hits like a Mack truck.

Conspire?  Conspire?  We'll ignore that for now. In the meantime, get him boys!

 

 

Ok!  I was a bit TOO eager there. Finn has back up (though Sparcetriel has flung one of them WAY across the room!) and I'm getting hammered here!

 

 

Oh so VERY hammered.  OW OW OW.  Pendy, and you too Sparcetriel, keep him busy.  I'll be up in a minute. Honestly.  I'll just lie her for a moment to, you know, catch my breath. Or something.

 

 

And as Engineria staggers upright, Pendragon puts his sword through Finn's chest and down that avatar of nature goes!  Back to wherever he came from.

 

 

As predicted Pendragon and Engineria then have to deal with Sparcetriel.  It's in his nature to do this I suppose.  Doesn't make it any easier.

 

 

We leave and head back to base.  What have we discovered?  The Drudges are stealing the souls of the CoT!  The Thorn tree is draining the ancient forest of the Mu! And Finn and the Hunt are seriously pissed off by all of this.  Not to mention me.  OW OW OW.

 

[Mission 5 = Well, that was a rollicking rollercoaster of fights and twists and betrayals and some epic combat!  Loved it.]

 

Verdict: Here @Ankylosaur is weaving in a bigger plot around the magic denizens and how the collision of Praetoria and Primal Earth goes far beyond the end of the war, even beyond just dealing with political stuff like refugees and so on.  Big stuff!  Looking forward to the rest.  If you want to know more, play!  I don't want to spoiler everything!

 

 

Next up from @Ankylosaur is All That Glimmers 3.1: Summonings in Nerva Archipelago.

And next up on the schedule in TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE Reviews is  @cranebump's Noble Mettle Part One: The Colossus of Rose

Edited August 23, 2023 by TerroirNoir2

[cranebump]

Did we say “beacon?” No, no. We smelled BACON. Nice, crispy ghost bacon.

[TerroirNoir2]

5 hours ago, cranebump said:

Did we say “beacon?” No, no. We smelled BACON. Nice, crispy ghost bacon.

Spooky Bacon! 

[Ankylosaur]

Pendragon always seemed a little ridiculous to me with his bulky armor and ginormous sword and earnestness, so I sort of wrote him that way. Author's bias slipped in there... Made him much more fun to write though and hopefully tag along with! 🙂

 

Thought it was funny thinking of him trying to use a phone in his gauntlets too, as well as getting used to our tech. Maybe I was channelling my father's challenges with his phone. But the phone plays a key role, and he surprises you in the end with it, as you know...

Edited August 22, 2023 by Ankylosaur

[cranebump]

Guardian Arch Mage of Agony. Damn that’s a mouthful. Reminds me of this title I gave a PC in a DND campaign - 2nd assistant librarian of Omerton. Yes. He was the assistant TO the assistant (as he always reminded me).:-) 

Edited August 23, 2023 by cranebump

[Ankylosaur]

Another amazing Engineria episode! So great to see all of this unfold through her eyes. And faced with her perseverance and resilience, the COT turning to more wine does seem like maybe the best way to deal with that; Maybe with a little spooky bacon snack on the side. 🙂

 

This arc definitely starts to tie together how and what has been happening.

 

Spoiler

Arachnos, specifically the Mu with Ksenia's help, are luring the Drudge here to wipe out their COT rivals; rivals who are souls that have stayed long beyond their time.

 

But more exciting reveals about the why and who ahead in the final trilogy!

 

p.s. My comment about Pendy's phone may be in the next one. Think I got my wires crossed. 🙂

Edited August 24, 2023 by Ankylosaur

[TerroirNoir2]

Arc 18 from our second author on "TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE" Reviews is @cranebump's Noble Mettle Part One: The Colossus of Rose.

 

Engineria is contacted by Agent Six.  I don't think we've met before though I know she normally frequents Founders' Falls. Ok, I SAY contacted but I was randomly scrolling through the police radio for stuff when she contacted me.  There's been a raid at the Paragon Commodities Commission.  Might as well have told me that someone is raiding the IRS for all I know about them. And in fact it IS raiders. Skyraiders.  Well, time to get the armor off the hat stand (What?  I can't have a hat stand?) and get over there.

 

Mission 1: Yellow. I'm to follow the cop cars if I get turned around, avoid collateral damage if possible and...yeah. Ok, got it.  We'll see what the situation on the ground is like when I get there. And in we go.

 

Sums up my thoughts nicely.

 

 

Ok, Skyraiders are weird.  Here's two of them arguing over whether the movie of "Double Indemnity" is better than the book. After listening for a bit I decide to wake them out of their chat with a few Rad Blasts.  Hmm, singed a book.  Does that count as collateral damage or was Agent Six being euphemistic about people?

 

 

Right.  They know nothing though they are quite well read and I appreciated their film criticism.  On we go!

 

 

AHA! Found a civilian prisoner.  Let's see what they have to say for themselves. Hmm, not seen any Skyraider Porters yet and that's odd.

 

 

Ah.  Right. He's one of those Wall Street types is he?  "Not the shirt"?  Ok then.  Still, even fools need saving.  Even?  Fools especially need saving I reckon.

 

 

You're welcome. I suppose.  Sigh.  On we go.

 

 

Oh this seems more like it.  I might find out WHY they're here. Someone needed COFFEE!  Coffee IS a commodity after all. (If someone shows up shouting "It was the Dukes!" I won't be surprised.)

 

 

AW. I actually thought I was getting somewhere with this.  But no, she ain't talking beyond mentioning this Colicos person.  Time to look for them. And a Porter showed up!

 

 

So I continue on through the Paragon Commodities Commission building and lookee here!  Another Skyraider.

He seems pleased with himself.

Let's put an end to that little bit of gloating.

 

 

Around the corner to find Delfino, a security guard. She looks injured.

 

 

After dealing with her assailants she gives me the warmest welcome I've had so far. Apart from hot lead and flames that is.

 

 

And there's the Raid Leader!  A flying Raider Bot Guy.  I never could figure out if those guys are AIs or brains in a can or some sort of Robocop mash up.

 

 

I deal with them and head back to see Agent Six.  No sign of this Colicos person.

Agent Six is...charming. Oh very much so.

 

[Mission 1 = Great little start, some tight fights with Skyraiders through the building and some typical @cranebump dialog that got me chuckling at things.  Good stuff]

 

Mission 2: Orange. So Agent Six is a little less than forthcoming with the intel when it comes to telling Engineria why this Colicos didn't have protection if she was sooo important. Turns out Engineria is ALL Agent Six has right now. Apart from Six herself of course. Sigh.  Ok, what's going on? No one other than Agent Six in Omega Watch thinks this is important, that's what's going on.  Ok, I actually LIKE that.  Some gut instinct gives Sixy a little humanity.  Let's go, gal!

 

In the door of a warehouse.

 

 

And after overhearing some salty language on I go.

 

Sky Raiders again. Start as you mean to go on, says I. And I do!  Grenade!

 

 

Now I'd like to say that I work my way through this John Wick style, but I'm not that stylish. It's more John McCLane minus the bare feet and glass.  What? I am not taking off my armored boots for anyone! Warehouses are notoriously filthy.

 

Have at ye!

 

 

Ah. Someone down below is having an interesting chat. Is Engineria too late again?  Better go and see. Auto emissions?

 

 

Ah! Staff fighters can be such a pain to deal with. Poking and smacking and knocking the legs from beneath a gal. Who are you supposed to be then? You're no Sky Raider that's for sure.

 

 

What in the blue blazes is going on?  I literally just dropped this guy, and obviously the Sky Raiders weren't too pleased about that, but now there's fight elsewhere and ..."capitalist dogs"?

 

 

Who ARE these people?  It looks like Agent Six was right to trust her gut.  Now Engineria has to trust HERS. Still gotta find some data on the Raider plot though. 

 

 

Soldat? And...owie. That is not good.  Just a moment. Counting. that's a LOT of those Decoy things. No wonder I had half my armor shredded.

 

 

I mediport out and patch myself up before returning to the warehouse.  Fortunately for me these Soldats are still fighting the Sky Raiders, so I just have a quick looksee at their console to filch out some data on the raids, and I waltz...limp...back out. Agent Six is going to be SOOO pleased to see me. I just know it.

 

 

Agent Six is not pleased that Colicos was gone but it confirms her suspicions that if she had been listened to then maybe things would have been different. And she identifies the Soldats as Crimson Crew. And they're a long way from home. This is big, says Six.  Well I should hope so. I don't like having to use the mediporter for just no reason!

 

[Mission 2 = Ramping up the weirdness! Another fun little mission that pushes the plot forward and leaves you wanting to figure out more. On we go!]

 

Mission 3: White. (More So we're back to square 1 according to Agent Six.  (Which reminds me, Engineria has been meaning to ask, like, you know, is there or was there an Agent 1 to 5? Huh?) And this entire Zuluesque Strike Team?  Yeah, those guys. Those damn guys.  Someone has to know something about them.

 

In we go then. Let's see what we can see.

 

We don't know where Colicos is but we do know where her lab is. I mean it's not like that could be moved, could it? COULD IT? I dunno.  I'm off to where it is supposed to be at least. 

 

 

Ok, so the building knows I'm here. I'm guessing there's people in here obeying the diktat of this EVIL BUILDING. Engineria overhears something about...auto emissions?  AUTO EMISSIONS?  Ok, is this a job for the likes of Engineria?  Maybe. Maybe.  Let's carry on and see what's really going on.

 

I investigate a desk and then check out some crates.  This place is, so far, innocuous.  I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop though.

 

 

These crates have nickel and platinum and there's notes on delivery to a new lab somewhere. Hmm.  

 

Further investigation turns up this:

 

 

Okaay.  I'm seeing a leverage point here over Colicos.  It's always this sort of thing that gets people.  

But if there's a code for a safe then somewhere around here there's a safe, yeah?  Yeah.  Here safey safey safey.  Here boy!  Ah! There you are! Who's a good safe?  It's you, isn't it?  Or are you alarmed?  Sigh.  

 

 

 

Alarmed it is.  And no, I never take advice. Apart from my armor maker that is.  She's good at that. 

 

 

So, Ivory Leopard, huh?  Well, I feel I'm going to get some use out of my armor so let's see what they're at.

 

And huh. He did not try to kill me.  I am definitely confused right now.  Let's see how far this  goes.  I mean what starts off as a Sky Raider gig, and then weird Soviet types show up and then Ivory Leopard and co, and...put a pin in it for later.

 

 

Ok, spoke too soon. There's the Soviet types again!  They want the files but Ivory Leopard is straight into them like a buzzsaw!  I'll just hang back here and Rad Blast from a safe distance.  I don't need Leopard claws through my face in case this goes south.

 

 

And she's down and Engineria and Ivory (live together in perfect harmony) are out of the Colicos lab and catching their breath. Well I am. HE seems perfectly fine.  Typical.

 

 

Let's go see Agent Six.

 

She goes through the files (and we really need to stop meeting under a bridge like this) and then declares I've done well and I am welcome to the INNER SANCTUM. Whut? A part of the wall slides away revealing a tunnel. Okay then.

 

[Mission 3 = Lovely little intelligence gathering mission. Story is revealed in portions and maybe some motivations are seen too. On to the next bit in Agent Six's Inner Sanctum!]

 

Mission 4: Blue. (More ASAP)So Engineria gets a self guided tour kinda, and I admit it's impressive what you can find in the underground of Founders' Falls.  First of all, who KNEW there WAS an underground in Founders' Falls?  All the water would preclude that.  Then again there are the DE caves so...I hope they haven't excavated in the wrong direction!

 

Agent Six finally fills me in. Colicos had a kid who contracted a rare respiratory illness and passed away. So that changed her viewpoint on many things. For one she started investigating airborne particulates and so forth. And that leads us back to auto emissions and obviously the industry didn't take kindly to that. Hell, I've seen "Tucker" and HE was ultimately one of them! So what chance has someone who is actively engaged in investigating their shortcomings, never mind "just" being a competitor?  I'm glad I can fly! So Colicos starts developing research on synthetic rhodium. Rhodium being used in catalytic converters and so on. Guess what Kawanda's and N'Kunzi's major export is? Yeah. 

 

And now I'm visiting an embassy. And not for an ambassadorial ball.  I reckon this is going to be nasty.  There's no protection here of any kind. Sheesh, Agent Six lives in a nasty nasty world.

 

 

Already I don't like the way this is going! Oh, this is gonna hurt. I mean me that is.

 

 

What did I tell ya? OW. OW OW OW. OW OW OW OW.

Walk it off, Engineria. Walk it off.

 

 

I call Buddy and ask for some assistance and he's willing to do it, but I reckon it's off book for him considering where we are and all.

 

 

And the Security Leader meets us in the same corridor and goes full on attack! She's a real whirlwind of pain!

 

 

You know I am going to have to buy that man a new house or something at some point. If I ever get paid. You ok there, my friend? 

 

 

We mediport out and Buddy gets to repairing his armor.  I on the other hand stagger back to the embassy and catch the Security Leader off guard. And down she goes finally.

 

 

AHA!  Ok, I'm not really any the wiser, other than the Crimson Crew, those Soviet era relics, are also around. Hopefully both sides will thrash the other and leave me to heal up normally, and hopefully die of very old age.

 

 

 

Wandering through the mansion Engineria finds her way to a subterranean set of tunnels, some with armor plated walls. Up ahead there's someone who may she light on what is going on here.

 

 

It's Giogre. I met him a LONG time ago if I recall correctly. He seems pleased to see me. I wonder what his angle is here, and if Whipsmart is about too.  And there's voices from up ahead talking about a portal of some kind.

 

 

Giorge got the tip off from Agent Six herself. Good to know I'm in the special circle of knowledge, yeah? Yeah. He's not happy with his mother country however much he loves it and these Soviet stooges are not on his Christmas list. Well, let's get getting then.

 

Giorge and Engineria fight their way down the tunnels, which lead to a final secure area. The going is tough and we've yet to see any Crimson Crew, "merely" the warriors of the Embassy.

 

 

Making our way into the last secure zone we clear as we go, until ahead of us I can see a sort of altar or summoning stone. I'm not sure how either of us "thieves" could steal that, but let's see how we go. Siyanda the Summoner, huh?

 

 

Well, that took off fast!  We both blast her as quick as we can and Giorge moves in for close quarters work while I call Buddy in. His armor is rebuilt and rebooted and frankly after the debacle in the upper hallway I could do with the backup.

 

 

The three of us take down the guards and then we examine the stone itself.

 

 

The stone is inert and none of us have a clue what the carvings mean. But Agent Six probably does, so we call it in on a nearby terminal and then get the hell out of Dodge while we still can.

 

Agent Six lets slip that Giorge is former Crimson Crew! Well, that all seems a lot more personal now.  In the meantime Six tells me that she herself can decipher the runes on the stone and to make space around the thing because she's going to port to us. Well, this is all coming together.

 

[Mission 4 = Feeling very international espionage crossed with personal histories and mysteries. @cranebump really knows how to build a mystery in a supers world around "real" issues. Loving it.]

 

Mission 5: Black. And Agent Six ports in beside Engineria! BOO!  Shock!  And all that jazz. She sets to work on examining the summoning stone doohickey and gives Engineria some "light reading" (HOMEWORK??) to get through while the work goes on.

 

Hmm. African Prince. Full military uniform. Lotsa background (no spoilers!) And a short time later Six looks up. It's a short range transporter with a single location/destination. The Ibutho and Colicos are more than likely there. So, I think that's gonna be MY cue to step on through to the other side. We all step through and...are separated in the beam (beam? maybe.)

 

 

Somewhere Giogre has run into the Ibutho. It sounds like a homecoming of sorts!

 

 

Well...I'm off to a great start. Got jumped. Sigh sigh sigh.

 

 

Once I recover I I find Giogre and then take a knee. Those Ibutho are DANGEROUS, @cranebump! 

 

 

We move through the ship, tackling the enemy as we go. With Giogre at my side I'm not getting flanked and stabbed, which from this gal's POV is only a good thing. Shortly after we find Agent Six, who seems "happy" to see us.

 

 

"About time"?  Sigh, on we go!  Colicos is spotted and we extract her from her captors, leaving them strewn around the deck. Colicos warns us that SHE is here. Whoever SHE is. In the meantime Colicos runs and hides.

 

 

Ah. SHE is one of the Wives of Lionsmane.  And a serious badass to boot.  It takes all three of us to take her and her henchfolk down. And Engineria here is on blue fumes by the end of the fight. Have to check my Endurance burn later!

 

 

But take them down we do. Now comes the simple option of commandeering the ship.

 

 

One bit of commandeering later and this baby is sloowly turning and heading back the way WE want it to go.

 

 

Agent Six calls in an extraction team and Omega Watch arrive in force. (Again, is there an Agent One to Five? I didn't get a good look). Accompanied by a squad of Longbow. Because the Red+White get everywhere, don't they? Unfortunately with Diplomatic Immunity this lot won't stay in custody long. And as if on cue Engineria's phone gets a message from the Ivory Leopard:

 

 

[Mission 5 = Great tight wrap up. Loved it]

 

Verdict: Here @cranebump moves away (kinda) from the noir feel I know him for, into a more espionage oriented world. It's still the same world but expanded. I've skimmed over sections of the plot because...SPOILERS! Play this and enjoy it, it's well worth it.

 

Next up from @cranebump is Noble Mettle Part Two: The Hollow Crown.

And next up on the schedule in TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE Reviews is  @Darmian's Spirals: Part Two.

Edited October 14, 2023 by TerroirNoir2

[cranebump]

That "film criticism" encounter made me lol.:-)

 

And I had no idea Double Indemnity was a book (and that the author also did Mildred Pierce and The Postman Always Rings Twice). I feel edumacated!

[Darmian]

2 hours ago, cranebump said:

That "film criticism" encounter made me lol.:-)

Well, I'm sure not all the villains we meet along the way are eating popcorn and watching reality TV.  Though who knows WHAT Reality TV in COH would be like!

[cranebump]

2 hours ago, Darmian said:

Well, I'm sure not all the villains we meet along the way are eating popcorn and watching reality TV.  Though who knows WHAT Reality TV in COH would be like!

Ah! Another story idea!:-)

[Darmian]

35 minutes ago, cranebump said:

Ah! Another story idea!:-)

Feel free!  Not my wheelhouse, LOL.