TerroirNoir Presents "Engineria's Holiday Specials!"

[Kyksie]

1 hour ago, Zhym said:

 As for Jezebel, "Johnny's Squeeze" is played less darkly, but the central theme is still about kidnapping a woman and forcing her to be someone's "girlfriend" against her will.  Ugh.  And it would have been so easy to have the same general plot but without the creepiness: instead of Johnny deciding he wants this woman and having her kidnapped, she initiates things (fan mail with a revealing photo, maybe?) and he sends the villain to rescue her.  Having her initiate things even makes more sense given the rest of the story.

 

I just went and looked up "Johnny's Squeeze", and...

 

Quote

 

Briefing

Character. I'm glad you're back. I've got an assignment for you, and this one comes all the way from the top. Johnny Sonata. The 'Pipes' himself. Johnny's picked himself a lucky lady, but the problem is, she wants nothing to do with him. That's where you and I come in. We need to convince that girl the error of her ways.

 

Debriefing

Theadora isn't what you'd call pleased with her new situation. But a few fancy dresses, a few furs ought to cure that. In any event, Johnny's happy. And that means we get paid.

 

 

 

...ewwww.

[TerroirNoir2]

1 minute ago, Kyksie said:

 

I just went and looked up "Johnny's Squeeze", and...

 

 

 

...ewwww.

Oh yeah, definite ewwww there.

[Zhym]

1 hour ago, Darmian said:

Chimera's coldness was tricky to do, while still making him driven.

I thought you hit Chimera right on the mark, personally.

[Darmian]

1 hour ago, Zhym said:

I thought you hit Chimera right on the mark, personally.

 

Well, I had a "guide" to that.  Ha. I imagined him being played by Paul Darrow/Avon from Blake's 7.

[Darmian]

3 hours ago, Kyksie said:

 

I just went and looked up "Johnny's Squeeze", and...

 

 

 

...ewwww.

The fact that the Accolade Exploration badge for St. Martial is "Johnny's Go to Gal" if you're female is troubling too.

[TerroirNoir2]

1 hour ago, Darmian said:

Paul Darrow/Avon from Blake's 7.

Looked him up on YouTube.  Ok, I can kinda get that.

[TerroirNoir2]

Next on the channel for Engineria's Holiday Specials is I Hate Christmas Music by @Police Woman (@PW on the AE console)

 

The Boogie Man is a Troll Raver, and Christmas music, or should that be MUZAK, is not his thing at all. He wants something simple. An end to the bland and back to the dance!  So, I gotta get mah dancing shoes on again.  Or do I?  (Seasonal costume is at Icon for repairs.  Lots of dog dribble from the last arc got on it)

 

Mission 1: The Mall. EDM over Jingle Lovely Snowbaby!  Yeah, there's only one of those two that you can let your hair down to.  Not that I have I hair I can let down but I get the neck swinging mood behind it. So, over to the Skyway City shopping mall and let's start this thing!

 

Straight into the mall and there's security guards everywhere.  More so than shoppers! It's like they knew people like the Boogie Man would be out for blood when they put that tinny, tweedly, chestnuts roasting on an open fire music on.  Where's the EDM?  Where's Firemullet?  Huh?  Oh, yeah.

 

 

Wandering further into this mall I find a shopper complaining to the security guards about the mall Santa.  Seems like he's not fit for the job.  Kids on his knee might get vomited on, or simply dropped by the sounds of things.  So, once I fend off these guards ma'am, I'll sort out your Santa issues.  Along with the MUZAK!

 

 

Then I come across an obvious Family boss type looking to buy Creyphones for his boys.  In bulk.  Wants a "Family" discount.  I'm not sure why he isn't just taking them from a truck they knocked over but hey, let's be charitable and maybe they want a really good data plan.  Now the Crey salesforce are VERY Crey.  I've not met open carry sales people before, but you know, rights and all.  However, I may be mostly bullet proof but that doesn't mean I like being shot!

 

Down you go, my friend.  Down you go.  And you can buy your phones from the warehouse depot in future, my man.

 

 

I..I'm just gonna go back downstairs and find that terrible music for the Boogie Man and put my boot through it.  I know Miss Francine is teaching the Freakshow to better themselves, but it's still weird to see when they go and get jobs.  Still, kudos to this place for hiring them.  Don't see any Noise Tanks on the roster though!  THEY might have something to say about the music too!

 

 

And there's one of the evil devices now!  The mall has two.  So I need to find the other one after this, as well as deal with drunk Santa.  That civilian also needs therapy maybe.  Let's let her alone for the time being.

 

 

Oh, there's always a critic!  

 

 

Well, that's that dealt with.  And the security guards that arrived to find out what happened to part of their sound system.  And the civilian is also lying moaning beside me because let's face it lady, do not get in the middle of a fight between a super and some guards when all you appear to have is a rock.  Just lie there and think of eggnog or something.

 

Ah, Mall Santa.  Oh, you're disgusting.  Well, that lady did ask the security to do something about him but he's still here.  My turn then.

 

 

Those security show up damn fast when they're not dealing with hapless shoppers!  Drunk Santa is gonna need a new job.  Or a night in the cells while he sobers up.  And these guards are going to need a lot of Advil when I'm finished with them.

 

 

I take out the second music generator and stroll out of the mall.  Let's go talk to the Boogie Man.

 

He's very pleased.  He turns up the EDM and dances himself into a frenzy.  I go and get a drink and come back.  Still dancing.  20 minutes later he huffs and sits down. We're not done yet, he says.  Well, ok then.

 

[Mission 1 =Very simple mission, deceptively so but a lot of fun to play.  Nice]

 

Mission 2: The Radio Station. The Boogie Man informs Engineria that it wasn't the mall that was the problem ultimately, but the songs they were playing were coming from the local radio station, Radio Free Opportunity.

So his devious plan (ahem) is for me to go and shut them down, smash a few things, tangle with some renta-a-cops possibly, and give the DJ with the Christmas cheer a black eye.

 

Now that I say it, it's not really a devious plan, is it?

 

Ok, let's go see Radio Free Opportunity.  At least it's not WSPDR, those guys are crazy, but Christmas is currently illegal in the Rogue Isles so no issues there.

 

ACK!  I haven't even opened the damn door yet and I can hear the sickly-sweet saccharine sounds! 

 

 

TWELVE HOURS!  Ok, I was thinking the Boogie Man was going a bit overboard with this but now I think he may have a point.  I mean TWELVE HOURS? I'm a comin' for you, DJ Polar Shift!

 

 

Oh, that guy has good peripheral vision.  Not that it'll do him much good because I'm still going to rad blast him.  Oh yeah. (I wonder does alternate Engineria have Christmas on Praetoria?  Never mind, going a bit meta again)

You'll be off the air soon, friend.  As soon as I break that transmitter and give your DJ other things to think about besides bells and holly and snow.

 

 

With the Stagehand dropped I move into the hallway to find the transmitter.  Well, that was handy!  They like their centralization here it seems.  All the better for me.

 

 

Now those rent-a-cops came up those stairs damn fast.  I have to give it to them for their response time at least.  Straight across the scrap of the transmitter and right into a scrap with me.  Oh dear me, boys, Engineeria is just rolling up her sleeves (not literally, I don't have those sort of sleeves on this uniform) and I'll be dealing with you in a moment. And for future reference, shooting me in the chest like that is not going to get you on my Christmas card list!  (Is that still a thing these days?)

 

 

Radio Free Opportunity really DOES like its centralization!  Either that or DJ Polar Shift has come down to see why her transmission is not transmitting any more.  Well, Polar, let's see what you have to say for yourself.  Polar Shift?  I mean that indicates maybe you like snow or cold perhaps, not necessarily Christmas.

 

 

What am I doing here?  Ah, your fans not bring you up to speed on the situation?  Or the rent-a-cops?  I'm sure their dispatch office knows what's going on.  But anyway, you're a super, like me.  So you don't need help here, do you?  Looks like your reformed Freakshow employees disagree with me on that point.  (Look, another place giving valuable employment to reformed gang members.  That's laudable.  I'd applaud if I wasn't about to break some of their machine bits.)

 

 

You're doing it for charity?  How about you use your powers to help the Climate Crisis and say, I dunno, refreeze the ice floes of the Arctic so that polar BEARS don't die out?  How about that?  Also, you don't have to be a villain to hate this music.  Get me?

 

 

Polar Shift is going to need an ice pack.  I'm sure she'll be able to find one somewhere, or a suitable alternative.  Now to scoot upstairs and shut down the audio mixer and get outta Dodge before the real cops show up.  Or Longbow.

Nope, sorry.  It goes too.  Just stay away from bits of flying glass, lady.  There we go.  

 

 

I disappear out of the station and vanish into the night.  Back to have a talk with the Boogie Man.

Boogie Man is pleased.  He flips on his boombox and gears up to dance.  And then doesn't because this is coming from the unit.

 

 

We know what happens next.

 

[Mission 2 = Short and fun, and tougher than I was expecting.  Polar Shift is tough! Good stuff all round.]

 

Mission 3: Finale. The Benefit Concert. So there's going to be a Holiday Cheer benefit concert in Atlas Park. The Boogie Man is obviously not impressed by this. Mariah Christmas AND Michael George will be performing and there's going to be a television broadcast of the entire thing. Security will be heavy but Engineria will have Trolls arriving to back her up.  You know, I really need a different line of work!  Not that this is work really, I mean that noise!  It's not real music.

 

Ah, arriving in Atlas Park I see the runways and bleachers set up for the concert.  Bright lights, crowds, but the two haven't taken the stage yet so I have a chance to head this off at the pass.

Let's get to it then. And straight off, after soaring over some of the crowd and avoiding the noise from speakers, I see Michael George getting himself ready for his act.  

 

 

Nope, I don't want an autograph, Mr. George.  I just need you to, I dunno, have "a sore throat" and cancel your performance.  I reckon a rad blast should give you a bit of hoarseness or at the least a bad cough.

And banging your head off that wall won't help either.  Well, it'll help the Boogie Man and his Trolls I suppose.

 

 

Ok, that's half the show stopped.  Now to find Mariah Christmas and make sure she doesn't just sing TWICE as many Christmas songs to make up the difference.  Because she would.  I mean she totally would.

 

Hiya, Ms. Christmas!  Yoohoo!  Over here.  Boom! You'll be fine, people like you have more than enough insurance for this sort of thing. You probably even have access to the mediporters.

 

 

Damn, PPD are on the way.  Buddy, be a pal and have a chat with them, yeah?  Thanks.  I owe you. Well, I owe you quite a few by now but stick it on my tab.

 

 

Me and Buddy wade through them and leave them and Mariah Christmas swimming around in riot foam, slowly trying to crawl out of it. Now I have to find the source of the TV broadcast.  Aha!  Amanda Vines.  I should have known it would be her.  She's from WSPDR.  I suppose with Christmas illegal in the Rogue Isles she has to cover it here.

 

 

Much as it pains me to knock out the reformed and helpful Freakshow, I do it.  And Amanda Vines flees the scene.  The Boogie Man should be happy with THIS result.  Well, I hope so.  Or maybe he'll have me rounding up people singing carols in their own homes next time!

 

 

Nope, he's happy.  He cranks the boombox up all the way to 10 (should be to 11!) and sticks on the EDM and he and the Trolls start to rave across the wreckage of the concert.

 

Merry Christmas one and all!

 

[Mission 3 = Another simple one but fun. Sometimes that's all you need.]

 

Verdict. Nothing complicated about this entire arc.  Just go in and have a blast and you'll enjoy it.  Nice.

 

Next up on TerroirNoir Presents "Engineria's Holiday Specials" is Pandora's Gift Box by @Aranatta (@Optimus Time on the AE console)

Edited December 4, 2022 by TerroirNoir2

[Zhym]

15 hours ago, TerroirNoir2 said:

Then I come across an obvious Family boss type looking to by Creyphones for his boys.  In bulk.  Wants a "Family" discount. 

The arc gets five stars from me if just for this.

[Zhym]

17 hours ago, TerroirNoir2 said:

Mission 1: The Mall.

I'm playing this mission now, and @TerroirNoir2 left out some some great NPC dialogue.  Two sales involving Reformed Salesfreaks are hilarious.

 

Spoiler

I'm still laughing at the one involving "Tickle Me Mako."

 

Edited December 4, 2022 by Zhym

[TerroirNoir2]

1 hour ago, Zhym said:

I'm playing this mission now, and @TerroirNoir2 left out some some great NPC dialogue.  Two sales involving Reformed Salesfreaks are hilarious.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

I'm still laughing at the one involving "Tickle Me Mako."

 

I can't spoil EVERYTHING for people 🙂

[TerroirNoir2]

Next on the channel for Engineria's Holiday Specials is Pandora's Gift Box by  @Aranatta (@Optimus Time on the AE console).

 

Mission 1: Black Friday Fire Sale. Well, here I am talking to Santa (I think, he's marked as Contact Hologram). Or if it's not Santa then it's a member of the PPD dressed as Santa for some festive reason, possibly.  Anyway I'm informed that 15 hours ago riots broke out in New Overbrook.  Multiple teams have been sent in, of various types, supers, PPD, Vanguard and so on and all have gone dark and contact has been lost.  I can see the words already rising out of the depths, "We want you to go in".  What part of repeatedly doing the same thing and failing is termed madness again?  Never mind.  9th time's the charm, ya?  Oh, there's a magical barrier blocking further entrance.  So I can go home?  Oh there's a workaround.  Not going home then.  Well, there goes that chicken pot pie.  I'll get dropped in a millisecond before now and...wait, which now?  Now now, or now in a bit when you finish talking?  Or now just then? That now?  No?  This now?  Oh THIS now!

 

And here I am.

 

Well, there's a lot going on here.  A lot.  Straight out of the gate I can see Lady Grey trussed up in some sort of energy field.  Takes a LOT to do that to her.  I'd better get her out of it.

 

 

That gets me some thanks.  She's off to organize Vanguard Sword and will return to help with the riots.  I hope she can get back in.  Now, I need to find the commander of the PPD and see what he's at.  Currently no sign of him.  I'll take to the skies and scout around a bit.

Ah, looks like the remaining Vanguard here have gone a bit weird.  Too many statues?  I suppose that's a thing.  Does that count as Automatonophopia? Maybe.  Or maybe not.  They might just not like them. People will fight over the dumbest things.

 

 

Turns out they don't care for me either!  Is there one too many of me?  Did I stand still for too long?  No idea, and a regular uniformed PPD officer, and a civilian, also can't stand the sight of me.  Time for some Kinetics and Radiation then.  Booya!

 

 

Ok, having dealt with those I examine the statue.  Seems normal enough.  Hang on, there's Numina over there!  I wonder if she's seen the PPD commander.  She's also bound by weird energy though, so I'll do my patented "kick the captors in vital areas" trick until she's free.

Nope.  No sign of the PPD leader.  Though the ones holding Numina captive were PPD Awakened.  And that's not good.  Those guys can really give you a headache.  And other pains.

 

 

After a chat with a nearby Back Alley Brawler, his gauntlets are damaged so he's taking a detour to get them repaired and then he'll be back, I'm still no wiser.  If I was BAB, I'd have a spare pair of those gauntlets ready to go.  

 

Hey, I absolutely and totally saw snow in Atlas Park!  Though that might have been a reformed Frostfire just helping out with seasonal decorations and suchlike.  Not that he's admit that though. I don't need to have an argument with those two about snow though, moving on!

 

 

And there's Penny Yin!  Hiya Penny.  Right, Penny is going to try to protect the PPD from whatever is controlling their minds.  So, there's a thing or a person here doing that.  And I still have the PPD commander to find plus whatever other heroes came in and vanished.  It's all a bit strange for a Black Friday. But at least it's not rabid old ladies gouging me in the back with the last crouton dispenser because they just "gotta have it".

 

Clearly not everyone here is mind controlled.  These guys seem quite sane. I mean we've all thought it, haven't we? 

 

 

Oh hell.  Looks like I found one of the vills responsible for all this nonsense.  The Chaos Sower!  (Note my lovely badge title!  We can do a walk-off later)

 

 

Oh missed! Not good!  OW OW OW.

 

 

I manage to Kinetics Repel bounce them on the ground and then rad blast the feathers off them, or scales!  But apparently their defeat here means nothing.  Always with the threats, even in defeat.  Gotta love these sort of vills.

 

Swan, Faultline, Mirror Spirit and Manticore all follow.  They head off to clean up the riots and up ahead I see Sunstorm.  Now I reckon he's the PPD commander, since the main body of mind twisted PPD I've been meeting are the Awakened.  That's my reasoning anyway.  Let's go find out.

 

Got in over your head, hey?  Well that's magic for you.  Ok, turns out Sunstorm IS the PPD commander.  Time to get back to Santa Man.  Question is how?  And when?  Nevermind, I head back to the floating ouro crystal that brought me here.  

 

 

Santa Man ponders all the chats overheard.  Who would believe that such tiny arguments could cause such riots?  Well, there WAS a Chaos Sower there, so...that?

The Chaos Sower is being interrogated along with some of the rioters and I'll know what's happening shortly.

 

[Mission 1 = Simple mission but plenty to do.  Solid work I think but just needs a bit of tightening on the instructions.  Enjoyed it though.]

 

Mission 2: Silver and Gold. Santa Man is pondering the results of the current investigation. Riots breaking out over tiny things. Both Penny Yen and Swan poked into the minds of apprehended rioters and parts of their minds were missing.  Yin calling it the "Nice kitten, petting type parts" while Swan referred to the milk of human  kindness.  So, empathy is gone, ya? 

Meanwhile Numina and Mirror Spirit have found a warehouse in Steel Canyon that has been dimensionally shifted, and the Talons of Vengeance, my Chaos Sower, are involved.  Human psychic energy is being drained and they will need tokens or totems to do that. So, let's check that out.

 

Well, lookee here.  Talons.  And crates of stuff.  A connection?  We'll see.

Have at ye, Lamia!

 

 

Down she goes so let's check out the items around her. One, two, three and four!  That's all the tokens taken care of.

 

 

Of course it's never that easy.  These tokens were feeding conduits, so I have to to find those.  No doubt they'll already have a fair amount of psychic energy already built up.  On we go!

And there's the first one.  A sort of stone plinth thing.  The Conduit of Joy.  I crack it to pieces and it explodes across the floor.

 

 

Followed by the Conduit of Charity, the Conduit of Hope and finally, up on the mezzanine level, the Conduit of Goodwill.

With the destruction of the final conduit the job is complete.  Time to report back to Santa Man.

 

 

Santa Man is pleased.  The riots have reduced but haven't actually stopped.  He's awaiting further intel before we proceed.

 

[Mission 2 = short and fast. No messing about.  I'd vary the spawn points of the tokens though, rather than they all appearing in a room together like that.  Fun!]

 

Mission 3: Finale. Goodwill Towards All. Santa Man has that new intel we needed. The conduits Engineria destroyed were being used to siphon off human psychic energy but already a lot of that energy was sent to one of the Talons' own dens. So, the professionals (seems I'm NOT one of those, just the muscle!) have determined that this energy will be held in special vessels and guarded.  If I defeat the guardian and open the vessel then the stored stolen energy wll flow back into Paragon.  Bingo bongo, all is right with the world and goodwill towards all.  I just have to step through a portal Numina has created to be transported to the den.

 

No biggie!  Maybe!

Off I go!

 

And right from the off it's creepy.

 

 

Oh, hell, I run smack into the Thief of Joy almost immediately and get an attack in the face. Not good!

 

 

She's a tough cookie and her allies do the regulation Talons thing of being really annoying!  But I get the drop on them finally, catch my breath and then look around for whatever she was guarding.  And there it is!  A vessel.  Let's open that sucker up and the "professionals" can guide the spirit energy back to where it rightfully belongs.

 

 

Of course me doing that, well I attracted some attention, yeah?  Of course I did.  Nothing I do seems to be simple or straightforward these days.

 

 

That takes a bit out of me but I scramble my way through it all the same.  Next up is the Thief of Hope. And she's lit up like a Christmas tree, or some sort of human sized firefly. But with a few well placed sniper shots she goes down.  And I unlock the casket near her to free the stolen energy.  No sign of an ambush this time.  Either that or I missed them in these dark and meandering tunnels!

 

 

And there is the next thief, the Thief of Charity.  I manage to catch her off guard and knock her over, but she gets back up and fights on, fire flung all every which way!

 

 

She's tougher than I expected, or the fire was doing me more damage.  Imagine, me forgetting what it's like to be on fire!  Used to be a regular thing back in the day. Engineria gets in a fight, Engineria is flung across the room while on fire.  Hah!

 

So I finally get her down.  And then I look for the last vessel.  It's a sort of a chest or lockbox kind of thing.

 

 

I fling open the chest and unleash the spirit energy.  Now, now I have to find their leader and finish this thing before we can all go home.  A bit of searching through the tunnels, and running into various packs of Talons of Vengeance who just aren't into the Christmas spirit, you know?

 

And there she is, the Thief of Goodwill.  Goodwill Towards All, huh?  Nice one.

 

 

I hammer her with Kinetics and Rad, sucking health from her to keep me up and her down.  And finally she stays down.  

And it's time to go home.

 

Santa Man is so happy to see me. All is returned to normal.

 

[Mission 3 = a hunt and kill/click mission with just enough creepiness to make it good.  Nice]

 

Verdict.  I enjoyed this arc.  I think it could do with a little polish here and there but it's fun, solid and importantly keeps right to its theme.  Good stuff.  I'll just finally finish this with a a lovely Author's Message.

Isn't that great?

 

 

Next up on TerroirNoir Presents "Engineria's Holiday Specials" is Christmas Comes to Oranbega by @Takel (@TakelGryph on the AE console)

Edited December 10, 2022 by TerroirNoir2

[TerroirNoir2]

Next on the channel for Engineria's Holiday Specials is Christmas Comes to Oranbega by @Takel (@TakelGryph on the AE console)

 

Mission 1: Now I Have a Machine Gun. Ok then. Engineria meets with Detective Rogers.  It appears that the Circle of Thorns has kidnapped Santa.  To be fair to Rogers, he can't believe it either, so that's two of us. Well, not exactly.  A hero called Magic Bullet was dressed as Santa and the CoT kidnapped him. Last seen being dragged by robed folks into an office building here in Steel Canyon.

 

Sheesh.  The things I do for Christmas.  Mind you I have collected a few Snowmen allies from checking out all the gifts lying around the city, so that should give Buddy and me some back up.

 

I mean look at these guys, standing around like they own the place.  Maybe they do!  Does anyone ever check?  I mean suppose some day a "vill" pulls a castle defence on one of us?  You know, because it's actually their property and so on.  Never mind.  I'm still bullet proof.  Resistant.  Thick skinned?  Whatever.

 

 

Ah damnit, sometimes you just gotta PUNCH them.  Brawl for the win!  Take that on the chin, my robed foe!

And while you're at it, stop firing crossbows at me!

 

 

And up ahead is NOT SANTA.  Hiya, Magic Bullet.  What are you up to, trussed up in a festive green light like a floaty decoration?  Not much, huh?

Ok, let's get you down out of that.  You ain't not tree top star.

 

 

So, what's that?

Naughty list?  Oh hell.  Well, look at us! We make a great pair, don't we?  Santa and his helper off to stop the bad guy.

Come on, Magic, let's find the vill and kick his robe in.

 

 

There's an Arch Mage Aleus to find, so we need to make tracks through this place.  See some CoT, blast some CoT.  Easy!  I wish.

Although...watching them get bowled over like that is VERY satisfying.  Gotta tell ya.

 

 

No he's not alone!  His helper is here too!  Got some reindeer on the way, and a jet powered sleigh out the front waiting for us.  Or something.  You guys do know that this isn't the real Santa, or Santa-man, yeah?  No?  Your loss.

 

 

Oh I do NOT like the sound of that!  Magic!  Shoot this bum!  I mean a lot.  Shoot him a lot.

 

 

 

 

And me and Magic Bullet tumble him to the bottom of the stairs where he lies moaning about it being impossible that he was defeated.

They all say that you know.  Ok, let's go Magic.  I gotta get back to Detective Rogers.

 

Rogers is pleased Magic Bullet is alive and well, but he needs my help on something else arising out of all this.  Well, what could that be I wonder?

 

[Mission 1 = Fun bash the Circle in the face mission.  What more need be said?  This hits all the right spots and keeps going.  Good stuff]

 

Mission 2: Christmas is a Big Commercial Racket. Well, as we expected the CoT haven't just stopped their nonsense because I rescued a lone Santa impersonator. No, they're attacking a warehouse.  Weird thing is that there's nothing intrinsically magical or valuable there that anyone knows about.  It's stocked with fake snow, plastic decorations, nativity sets, and various other festive bling that...well, who knows what they're up to.  I mean if the CoT wanted to jazz up their look they could hire Gene Doucette maybe, for a little of that "Aloha in Hawaii" feel. While Engineria is checking out the warehouse, Detective Rogers is going to speak to MAGI and see if they have any clues as to what's going on.

 

Well, I'm at least in the right warehouse.  Unless they're attacking all the Christmas bling warehouses?

 

 

Damn Ice Thorn Casters!  I know it's the winter, and seasonal and all, but this getting frozen thing is annoying!  I really should have invested in a flamethrower or something I suppose. Cut it out you robed muppet!

 

 

Ok, somewhere in this warehouse is Arch Mage Onutarum.  I need to get him over my knee and give him a sound spanking.  I hear that the Circle of Thorns are old school traditionalists, so that should meet his approval.  Unless he wants to do something uber old and nominate a whipping boy, but I'm not going for that crap!

 

Hold on, what do we have here? Some sort of shopping list of items to be stolen from the warehouse.  All festively themed. Tree ornaments, plushie Posi (with Santa armor!), reindeer magnets.  Odd.  So they ARE robbing the place of Christmas bling.  What the hell?

 

 

Is he doing a Mall Santa shtick for Oranbega?  Sleigh pulled by Behemoths?  Lots of elves AKA Hordeling Lashers, rushing about putting up lights?  That would be a hell of a thing to see, wouldn't it?  Never mind.  Let's question him.

 

 

ZZzzzzz.  This can go badly wrong, so badly wrong.  Come on! Shake it off!  (Yes, I could use a Break Free if I had one. I don't.)

 

 

He's not the strongest guy I've faced but I am having an unlucky fight here.  I'm missing, or he just keeps managing to stun, sleep, mind hold me every single time.  My only chance is to outlast him. Fortunately the three behemoths with him didn't come over!  No idea why but I'm thankful for small mercies. Also, closer to victory?  WHAT victory?  Stealing Plushie Posi dolls is a victory is it?  I mean you could have just ordered them online...now that I think of it I have never seen a computer in Oranbega.  Forget that.  Go to an actual store and just buy in bulk.  You can't be arrested for that. Yet.

 

 

I outlast him and he falls, saying they already have what they need.  Like I say weird.  Tidying up the remaining minions I return to see Detective Rogers.

He checks out the list I found and it matches intel received from MAGI.  And?  And it's a bad thing.  Ok, I'll wait.  This should be interesting!

 

[Mission 2 = Fun romp through the CoT again. Well done and adhering to the theme and story.  Like it!]

 

Mission 3: Snow Goons are Bad News. So, anyway.  We're really not much further on, really. MAGI thinks the Santa kidnapping, the bling toys like Plushie Posi etc, is all part of an attempt to use some sort of sympathetic magic to summon...someone.  Who that someone is?  That's the $64,000 question, isn't it? A frost demon?  The Krampus?  Someone else worse?

So there's a nearby cave that will get me into Oranbega and to this ritual.  I have to stop it because it'll destroy the season of goodwill entirely if I don't.  Maybe not 100 per cent stop it?  I could do without the muzak!

 

And into the cave I go!

 

And I think I have a HINT as to what they're doing!  Oh hell.  I was wondering about the snow on the portal when I stepped in here.

 

 

And they do NOT want to come quietly!  I really really wish the P2W woman sold flame throwers.  Or even one of those external patio heater things.

Yeah, yeah, my uniform is going to be soggy at the end of all this, I can just see it now. Drip dry.

 

 

Ok, wading through the slush I turn the corner to find the Binding Crystal of Nature, along with its guardians.  So, they're pulling the power of nature itself into this to, what, bind the Winter Lord to their will?  I mean he does his seasonal thing and causes trouble but ultimately he's not goal oriented I'd say.  Not that he has a Twotter account or does press releases to let us know.

 

 

And of course there's alarms going off and echoing throughout Oranbega when I drop the guardians and destroy the crystal.  I mean I should expect this sort of thing by now, shouldn't I?  I should.  Time for Engineria to roll up her soggy sleeves and rad blast this robe wearing maniacs.

 

 

I stagger clear of their massed attack and rest.  And hello!  That's very handy indeed.  You guys really need to decentralize things if you don't want people like me sticking a wrench in your engine.

 

 

Oof! taking these two out summons MORE First Responders. (Or is is second and third responders, since I already destroyed the first crystal?)  More magic shenanigans and acolytes with crossbows ensue and I have to deal with them  Right now I'm kinda lost in these tunnels and just wandering from room to room.  But I think this is the main man himself!  Arch-Mage Xiqium.  Power of the Winter Lord, huh?  Well his minions aren't so happy with you doing that, nor are the rest of us, me in particular since I'm right here.  

 

 

He's tough though, more holds and stuns and mezzes and so on.  But even he can't fight off getting rad blasted in the face and having his health pulled from him via Kinetics. So close?  Nah, I had your number, friend.  Once you stole the Plushie Posi you were going down.  (Engineria tucks one of those into her jacket for her niece) 

 

 

I report back to Detective Rogers.  He's obviously heard of the Winter Lord and is damn happy that the crisis is averted.  Christmas in Oranbega?  Get a proper mall Santa and do it right, you robed weirdoes.

I'll leave the last comment to Rogers himself.

 

 

[Mission 3 = Well, the theme continues and never lets up.  Another fun romp against the CoT.  What more do you need? Good stuff]

 

Verdict. This is a fun little arc from start to finish. Play it and enjoy.

 

Next up is...next year!  Or until a new set of seasonal AE arcs is added, whether Valentine's Day or whatever. 

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by TerroirNoir2

[TerroirNoir2]

Happy Holidays Everyone, love Engineria!

 

 

[Takel]

On 12/8/2022 at 5:51 PM, TerroirNoir2 said:

Next on the channel for Engineria's Holiday Specials is Christmas Comes to Oranbega by @Takel (@TakelGryph on the AE console)

 

 

Glad you liked it! I had originally written Christmas Comes to Oranbega for an AE contest back in 2020, and won a runner-up prize for it. It's nice to see it getting some more attention now.

 

(Anyone else who plays through that arc, be sure to check out Magic Bullet's description. I still like the bio I came up with for him.)

[TerroirNoir2]

Just now, Takel said:

 

Glad you liked it! I had originally written Christmas Comes to Oranbega for an AE contest back in 2020, and won a runner-up prize for it. It's nice to see it getting some more attention now.

 

(Anyone else who plays through that arc, be sure to check out Magic Bullet's description. I still like the bio I came up with for him.)

I did!  But I try not to spoil everything for people LOL.

[cranebump]

On 12/2/2022 at 10:07 AM, Zhym said:

Drat.  I might just have to write one, then.

 

Or, heyyyy... @Darmian, @cranebump, @Ankylosaur—do any of you take commissions? 😉

I feel like the honor of kicking Phipps around would be something I would do for free.:-)