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

[TerroirNoir2]

5 minutes ago, sponazgul said:

You are too kind! Thank you. Not to press my luck, but I hope at some point you try out The Return of Despoticus,  my latest story arc (no pressure, you have a lot of things to do.)

 

Best regards!

Oh I hope to get to it. Along with some from @Jiro Ito and @LordRassilon.

[Jiro Ito]

appreciate the thought!  i'm trying to put together a long form something-or-other, but I'm slowwwww

[TerroirNoir2]

13 minutes ago, Jiro Ito said:

appreciate the thought!  i'm trying to put together a long form something-or-other, but I'm slowwwww

Oh, that's fine 🙂 I've been going through three probable (LOL) experts at Long Form.  Each has their own distinctive method of presenting an arc to us. 

[cranebump]

By "expert," we mean ( in my case) shooting 300 darts out of a cannon and hoping 5 of them stick.:-)

[TerroirNoir2]

@Ankylosaur, there's a few typos here and there in All That Glints 1.  Nothing major. Just a heads up.

[TerroirNoir2]

Arc 22 from our second author on "TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE" Reviews is @cranebump's Solace: Part 3.

 

Mission 1: Ardent for Some Desperate Glory. This one starts off with an excerpt from Wilfred Owen.  (A quick check on that.  WW1 poet. Interesting.)

Thunderhead Bartlett is holding in some anger.  Mostly at himself it feels though I'm getting the edge of it too.  Bengal, his nephew, has dashed off hero-style into the valley of shadow. We have to find him.  

I'm not going to point out that I'm pretty certain Bartlett's own seniors would have felt the same way when he was younger.  If they'd ever known what he was up to. That'd go down well as well as a shrimp cocktail in a Kosher buffet.

 

Bartlett states the facts.  The law firm is done for.  Leola Pack's briefcase had so much dirt in it, along with our own investigations, that Barrier Tech is over too. The Feds (all sorts) are looking into Darkwater and the Injunction is stopped for now.  Councilwoman Krimulo is also being investigated.

So the case as it is, is done.

There's a but.

Diversant is still on the loose, and all that Mandelbrot malarkey is too.  Not good.  Plus Bengal and Montoya are in the wind.  Looks like Montoya went after Bengal.  And turned his locator off.  Didn't stop Kestral finding him though.  (She's good!)

 

Now I'm linking up with her to see what's what.

 

 

Typical old warehouse style building.  A few thugs along the way.  Now with added head trauma.  Can't stand the heat, stay away from the Radiation-enhanced super lady.

Ken Dickey?  Who the hell are you?

 

 

Ah, quick net-check. Used to be a "hero", didn't like it when he wasn't appreciated and went full Merc for any price.  Right. And I thought Ice Drone was a pain.  At least he knows what's right if you corner him.

 

Well, fair or not you're in my way, Ken.  HA!  I'm Engineria but you're...just Ken.

 

 

Round the corner I link up with Kestral, who doesn't seem entirely pleased to see me but accepts it.  Well, I say accepts but she's not happy about me being a bull in a ....Ok, let's move out.  Carefully does it.

 

Spoiler

@cranebump, I'd boost Kestral's toughness a bit.  She's useful but when she loses a good chunk of health from a regular thug with a gun that's not great. I know she's a junior hero but I'm someone who likes to bring their allies along with them rather than leaving them behind.

 

 

Kestral does pull my fat outta the fire though when I'm stunned and throws a high kick in for good measure!

(Still not had that medical I promised myself after my visit to Striga!)

 

 

We do a controlled detonation on some explosives and then move further into the building.  Plenty of thugs, some Trolls, even a few Gardvord. Or Gardvords?  Which one of those is the plural?  Meh, doesn't matter.  We round a final corner and find some guy called Sizemyk.  You need better PR representation my friend.

 

 

He was HOPING we'd find him.  Interesting.  And imps?  He probably means the junior heroes.  Doesn't know he has Cool Auntie Engineria to deal with!  (At least I hope I'm Cool Auntie Engineria!)

And Sizemyk just POPS out of existence with some sort of TP.  

Typical.  I can almost hear Kestral's teeth grinding under her helmet.

 

Ok, what do we have on this console then?  AHA!

 

 

So, some sort of personal vendetta maybe?  Let's check the other device. It's a long range TP.  Can't read any of the codes but it's been used.  Three coords are identical though.  This needs to go back to Thunderhead.

 

Come on, Kestral.

 

Thunderhead is nonplussed.  To say the least.  Time for some strategizing methinks.

 

[Mission 1 = Oh, I'm liking this.  It's gone from principled mission to personal.  Let's see how we go!]

 

Mission 2: Such high Zest. Right, we're on the trails.  Trouble is there's more than one.  So Kestral takes one and I'm on another. Enemy supers and mercs ahead of us though.  (Stay safe Kestral!) As for the third set of coords?  Justin Greene is handling that.  He'll be a bit more cautious I reckon.

 

In I go!  TP Away!

 

When I arrive in some office block I get a message from Thunderhead.  Seems Kestral appeared in some TSC base full of Trolls and who all.  Thunderhead rerouted Greene to her location and has sent Cyrus to deal with the third set of coords now.  In the meantime, let's see what's here.

 

Move out, Crew Chief?  I only just got here!  Time to ask you a few searching questions I feel.

 

 

He doesn't stay up long when faced with Kinetics and Rads.  Seems this place is another TSC "business venture", although they're closing up for some reason.  Maybe me and the Ravens are that reason. But it WAS the hub of the entire Skyway operation so there might be sensitive intel here.  Let's go for a looksee. Plenty of Sturmwolke folks about.

 

Ah.

See, when the Crew Chief said they were closing up, he meant it in a very permanent way.  There's more of these throughout the building too. I need to find the detonation device or I can't defuse them.

 

 

Ok, sneaking along.

Oh, I'm not the only sneaky person here!  What are you?

 

 

Well, whoever they are they don't last long against a surprise attack.  Being stealthy (as I have personally learned) only helps if it works and no one sees you!

However, what I DIDN'T see was who was just to the left of that door!  And Movo Shing comes through all guns or whatever blazing!

(Yeah, her HP is low there, but don't look at mine!)

 

 

And she TPs away when I hit her hard enough.  I wish they didn't do that.  I really do.  What happened to slapping cuffs on people and waiting for the cops to show up?  Grrr.

Movo.  One of the names Ken Dickey mentioned.  So is the other one here too?  Hmm.  Nothing for it but to keep moving and searching.

 

I find more explosives.  PLENTY more of them.  Looks like they really want this building gone.  Up the back stairs and...oh hello, Maladept I presume.

 

 

Hold the line?  Do you think you're at Helm's Deep or something? (Ok, gotta watch that again.  Viggo is very heroic and inspiring.)

Maladept is a mite annoyed.  He's wondering where the hell Movo is.  So, about that...

 

 

I do not understand people with Gravity powers.  WHERE DOES ALL THIS CRAP COME FROM?  More to the point, is there some sort of recycling program that tidies it all away afterwards?

 

 

I manage to shut down the detonation device and find another hub for TP. And there's a set of coords that looks familiar.  Let's go talk to Jim Bartlett and give him the skinny.

 

So that last code is the same one we found in the warehouse.  The final one.  Time to dive in head first he says. Helmet time I think!

 

[Mission 2 = Lovely feeling of chasing down the fleeing villains as their scheme seemingly unravels.  Still have some rescuing to do but on we go!]

 

Mission 3: Through the Thick Green Light. Bartlett will send Headlong the code to meet me. And as soon as Justin and Kylee clean up their spot of trouble, he'll send them along too.

 

Off I go!

Oh not good.  Starting blocks still have the warmth of my boots on them and I hear badness.

 

 

Jake's in trouble!  And he's swaying!  I don't like the look of that Goop Thing at all.  Mandelbrot is really scraping the barrel here and finding sludge at the bottom. Ick.

 

 

Jake just collapses!  Sweet potatoes!  What the heck? A serum?  Diversant is a monster of some sort now, too strong for Carlos. Ok, and Carlos is here somewhere. I'll find him.  I'll find him.

 

 

I find Diversant's discarded clothes and he seems to have donned some sort of power armor.  Right.  Well, good to know what I'm up against I suppose.  On I go. And I find a medical station.  Empty syringes of Superadine and something I don't recognize.  Ah.  We're in super soldier territory now, are we?  I place Buddy on Speed Dial and key him to TP to me when I call.

 

Oh.  I think I know what THAT is.  And if I destroy it then no more interference from summoned Mandelbrot creatures I reckon.  Suits me fine.  BOOM! BOOM!  And up it goes in a burst of plastic and metal.

 

 

Ah. Diversant.  

Taps Speed Dial.

Buddy?  I need ya. 

 

 

Let's take this guy down!  GO GO GO!

He's tough!

Buddy keeps the goon squad off my back while I lay into Diversant.  I'm blasting him and ripping health from him but he keeps on coming!

 

 

And we take them down.  And take a knee!  Whew.

He's muttering to himself.  What is it with these people that everything has to be epically apocalyptic?  I mean is there a Community College thing for aspiring villains?  I can't even see Recluse wasting money on that.

 

 

We go looking for Carlos and we find him....oh no!  No no no!  (Not again @cranebump, not another Willie Sullivan!)

Ok, whew. He's bad. Buried in rubble but he's still with us!  We dig him out.

 

 

Carlos had managed to steal a datapad from Diversant though.  Boy has it.  He just needs to learn some caution.  And get better armor.  I learned that the hard way!

 

Back to Bartlett to debrief.

Kid's in intensive care.  Probably won't walk unassisted.  Damn.  But we don't have time for that.  As someone once said, personal isn't the same as important and right now we need to finish this.

 

[Miission 3= Oh you evil writer, @cranebump! You're worse than @Darmian for getting people involved with NPCs!  ARGH.  Right.  Vengeance!]

 

Mission 4: Finale. What Candles May be Held. The datapad is full of what we need.  Keenan Diversant, Anwar's father.  A.K.A. Doctor Anguish.  Same bozo who tried to blow up the city back in the 90s for some gawdforsaken reason.  Who knows why these people do that.  I mean, you LIVE here!  I dunno.  He was caught, presumed dead in a big Zig breakout.  As you can guess, he wasn't.  Now he's back and madder than ever.  More bombs!  More madness! This time with added Mandelbrot! 

We have a city to save that doesn't even know it's in danger.  Hey, that's the job of a mid level super.  It's not all muggings and clutch purses and carjacking.

But we know where he is.  Time to visit the sewers.  

Aha!  I had my leg armor reinforced with waterproofing.  Assuming that IS water.  

 

Time to end this.

 

Wait what?  Echo?  Is this guy a time traveler?  Or are we having an Aeon moment here?

No matter.  Anyone I meet that isn't Headlong is getting a blast of Rad.

 

 

And down he goes!

Not that it mad a lot of difference because there's another bunch of them around the corner surrounding Headlong!

 

 

I deal with those and the pair of us head further into the depths.  Oh this place is ...what's that word I liked?  Manky.  Yeah.  Very onomatopoeic.  (Look at me being erudite!  Ha!)

 

Oh hell, that giant Sizemyk is back.  With goons!

And Headlong is taking a beating!  I can't keep him going fast enough with Kinetic heals either. Port out!

 

 

Headlong ports out!  Good.  Just me and the giant now.  Boom!

Yeah, you got that right.  I am!  Now stay down!

 

 

 

Moving on I see Ken Dickey in a corner throwing up.  Ok, he's a douche but..can't fault him on that.  It's nasty down here.

Well well well.

Doctor Anguish.  And your machines of doom.

Have to take them down as well as you.  You probably have a Dead Man's Switch.  (Would an immortal NEED a Dead Man's Switch?  Would they even think of one?)

 

 

I'll just slide around the corner to the left and take out the first of the machines and then I'll....get ambushed by Movo Shing.  Because that's the sort of day we've been having.  GRR!

I beat you before, I'll beat you again.  Stay down this time!

 

 

So, I call Buddy.  We stand there for a bit and scan.  And then it seems as though there's an imperceptible nod between us.  And I call Marcus.  Not called him for a while.  He's probably somewhere with his feet up having a daiquiri.  Oh man, I'd love to be doing that about now.  That new Praetorian place I was talking about has some great ones.

Sorry!  Anyway, where was I?

 

 

Ok team.  Let's do this.  Take out the machine, watch for Maladept (yeah, I saw you hiding there!) and his goons.

Okay then.  Marcus went straight for Maladept, leaving me and Buddy to tackle the goons and machinery.  Well, he's emanating BIG HERO energy, so...yeah.

 

 

With Maladept down and Buddy in the red but holding, Engineria and Marcus go for Anguish himself!

He's a tough cookie too.

 

 

But down he goes.  I leave Marcus to stand on him or something while I scoot around and wipe several databases.  Thereby stopping the possible explosive end of the city!  No biggie.

 

And we stagger back up the sewers and out into beautiful daylight.  Time to talk to Bartlett then.

He give me the routine.  And even though we both know the words, they're still the RIGHT words.  We'll get back on that horse, the city will rebuild and we will go on.

I'll be happy to work with the Ravens again sometime.

Until then.

Now?  Now I get that long overdue medical!

 

[Mission 4 = Great finale!  Tension all the way through and I really didn't know if I could handle the end so Buddy AND Marcus were called in.  I'm glad I don't play normally on 4/8 or anything like that.  Recommended!]

 

Verdict.  @cranebump has crafted another beautiful vignette of life in the city when you're not the top super.  And that suits Engineria.  Even though she's now a 50 and has Incarnate powers, she's still at heart a squishy!  Loved this arc.

 

Next up from @cranebump is Gravity.

And next on the schedule in TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE reviews is @ZamuelNow's Dhahabu Kingdom and the Indelible Curse of Hate.

Edited 16 hours ago by TerroirNoir2

[cranebump]

I replayed the story myself this weekend.  Didn't see ol' Maladept hiding in the boss room. The results of attempt #1 were, um...less than optimal. Actually had to do some old school pulling to clear some space before I went back in. Good times.:-)*

 

*I'd-a called in the whole cavalry, as well, if I'd had them.:-)

Edited 13 hours ago by cranebump

[TerroirNoir2]

The next arc on "TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE" Reviews will be part of the Interludes, Side Trips, and One-offs, and is @ZamuelNow's Dhahabu Kingdom and the Indelible Curse of Hate.

 

Portal Corps is almost magical in what it can do by opening up a myriad of other worlds to us.  But it's not the only world out there doing that. In fact I was surprised to get a message from one such place.  It seems that their Seers had asked for Engineria by name!  Ah, interdimensional fame...or I hope it's fame!  Interdimensional infamy doesn't sound nearly as attractive.  So anyway, I meet with Queen Auri and she is charming. But I didn't get called here for charm.

 

Mission 1: Chapter 1. A curse has spread like some sort of disease across Queen Auri's lands. Her people afflicted by a sigil of some sort that suffuses them with anger and hate.  Civil strife is omnipresent. And it continues to spread.  And Engineria has been sent for to give aid.  How can I say no?

 

Well, first of all King Aurus has personally set out to stop a rampage on some farms.  So he may need back up at the least.

And so I am catapulted across the void to Dhahabu. 

And almost immediately I am confronted by this hate virus in action.  

 

 

I have to deal with these hapless people so I do.  Can't say as I like it but I like getting beaten to death less, so it is what it is.

Now, there's the king to find and a few villagers.  Time to go scouting.  Ah, a high spot.  That will suit me fine for this.

And I can see the king way off to my left.  Rescue time!

 

 

So I take to the air and fly over. 

The king is held captive by a Possessed Songstress, a Possessed Blacksmith and a thing called a Gilded Gome.   Those last are sort of mechanical thingies created by Master Blacksmiths, inspired by crabs.  But now?  Now they're a menace in their own right. How does a cursed sigil work on a machine though?  Or do the Blacksmiths control them?  And as for the Songstresses? Oh, they're equally deadly.

 

 

Anyway, I wade in and set about freeing the king.  Takes me a short while because those little Gilded Gomes are tough nuts to crack.

 

 

But I break it open and run off the Songstress and the Blacksmith.  The king is not feeling too good though.  

Hey!  I didn't bring any sorcery!  I have Kinetics and Radiation...oh wait, you're not talking about me.  

He tells me to stay back.  Looks like he's got the hate curse now too! He says he has to exile himself.  That's perhaps extreme.  Surely there's....

 

 

And then...he just VANISHES FROM BESIDE ME!  I literally turned my head for an entire SECOND, and he was gone!  

Now what am I gonna tell the queen?  In the meantime I have to find those villagers.

 

 

Ah, I spy a Seamstress!  Down there along the ridge!  Okie dokie lady, Imma coming!  

 

 

Or I should say I'll be there in a bit because this Songstress that I hadn't spotted has put me to sleep and I am ALL out of Break Frees.  Note to self: Stock up on Break Frees.

Come on! Shake it off before she murders me!

 

 

And I do thankfully!  I hop down to rescue the Seamstress and lay around me with an Irradiation Blast.  Then proceed to take out the two Gilded Gomes and the Blacksmith, leaving the bunch of them lying there moaning.  Or just one moaning.  The Gomes are...I dunno what that noise is.

 

 

And finally I climb the hill and find a Farmer in a similar predicament. He gets rescued in short order too.  And also thanks me for being a great warrior.  Well, I dunno about that but you're welcome all the same.

Both the farmer and the seamstress are worried about something they call the Spider King Anansi."  I reckon that's a question for Queen Auri when I get back.  

 

Getting back to the Queen and relating all this to her, she's visibly in shock that King Aurus is afflicted too. She says she simply doesn't know what to do.

Well, most of the time I have NO idea what I'm doing but you keep going until the job is done.  So, let's have a chat and see what we can see.

 

[Mission 1 = A beautiful little intro to an entirely different  world.  I like it a lot.  Looking forward to seeing where this takes Engineria.]

 

Mission 2: Chapter 2.  [More ASAP]

Edited 10 hours ago by TerroirNoir2

[TerroirNoir2]

3 hours ago, cranebump said:

I replayed the story myself this weekend.  Didn't see ol' Maladept hiding in the boss room. The results of attempt #1 were, um...less than optimal. Actually had to do some old school pulling to clear some space before I went back in. Good times.:-)*

 

*I'd-a called in the whole cavalry, as well, if I'd had them.:-)

Well, I dunno who you ran it with but you've seen Engineria at work.  Still a little mid level super in a city of really big ones.  She knows what she can an can't do, and sometimes the cavalry is called!  I'm sure Buddy would be happy with that.  Not sure about Marcus though!