M.A/C.C - Beta Test - Session 9

We had the 9th session for the M.A/C.C beta test last night, and it was a bit of a doozy as far s plot development went. The game is getting to position where it will be wrapping up in another few sessions I feel, maybe 3? Depends on what the players do I suppose. Anyhow, lets get going.



The Cast
Tully Mayhew/Argus - Tully is a gunsmith of moderate reknown, working in a shop that was bought out by someone with a much better head for business. As a child Tully came to the realization that his family wasn't his own, the investigation into his real family brought him into contact with the Gideons who opened his eyes to some of what is really going on. Tully now works to prove that the Supers are running everything for their own ends, using people as sheep to keep them in power.

Max Putherford/Dioxin - A chemist working for the Powered Police Department, Max came into contact with the Gideons after a super hero accidentally killed his kid sister. A member of the Gideons was near by and protected Max from the brain scrambling that happens to clean up the messes caused by the supers on occasion. He now plays a dangerous game, working within the PPD by day while working from the outside at night to try and reveal what is behind the curtain.

Mark Dashel/Paladin - Mark was an orphan trying to get by on the streets when he met her, Miriam Dashel, a kindly older lady who needed help. When Miriam found out the young man who had been helping her with bringing groceries home, and had protected her from muggers, was living on the streets she took him in and gave him a family. The quiet life didn't suit him for long, and Mark talked some friends into trying to help people as costumed heroes. Their first experiment went horribly wrong and the two friends were killed, when the police claimed the two dead teens were in jail for being powered super villains, Mark lost it and went out to get some revenge. Instead he ran into a member of the Gideons and has been preparing since for the day he can expose the secret.

Percival McMann/Gadget - Another person with parents who disappeared under strange circumstances, Percy is a bit of a gadget freak and computer whiz. Also recruited into the Gideons, Percy isn't as sure about what is going on aside from that there is 'something' going on. He is also the most cautious of the group currently.

Max Winesten/Heimdel - A firefighter for the city, when Max was young his class took a fieldtrip that they never came back from. Luck put the Gideons in contact with him before the PPD got him to change his memories of what exactly has happened. Max is devoted to the sword, and intent to use it for the good of those around him. (Player still deciding on a last name)

The Session


The session started with the group preparing for Heimdel's meet with the pod's president. They figured they would need to go in hard, act hard, and have some threats set up in order to force answers out of the woman's mouth. So they set up three things. Some explosives, which they hide in the forest area on the outside of the dome that could start a fire and cause some massive damage; some chemicals to poison the water supply with and knock out ll the people who drink it; and hacking into the local TV station to be able to broadcast what happens at the meeting after the meeting happens. With their plans set up, Heimdel goes to meet Alpha to go to the meeting and everyone else goes to their marks for the plan.

The meeting doesn't go s Heimdel was expecting however. The President is responding favorably to him and gives him a lot of what he wants to know. There has been a 'regime change' in the last 5 months or so. What once was run by a group, is now run by one person. An Enlightened Despotism, something that has never failed to help a country flourish and prosper since the beginning of man. Heimdel doesn't point out that those always fall into normal Despotism within a lifetime and usually ruin the country afterwards. The President also says that the citizenry needs only to ask to have their questions answered and that since no one has asked they've seen no reason to go out and tell everyone everything. No need to panic people who just want to be safe, right? She is laying it on fairly thick, but Heimdel doesn't press it. Instead just asking if someone would be able to leave the dome if they wanted to. She says they could, but would not get any support from the dome at all. Heimdel sees the trap, no food or support would be a death sentence for most people who would leave. It isn't something he presses, afterall, people CAN leave still. Heimdel thanks her for the time, gets a way to call her later, and leaves the meeting.

After the meeting Gadget broadcasts the meeting on all the TVs in the dome. The broadcast draws crowds and sparks debate about what it means. There is no anger however, no looting and rioting, just discussion. The group splits up and everyone leaves the dome on their own through an official way. There is no resistance, just some questioning as to why they WANT to leave the dome. Three of them don't even get that as they mention not being from inside the dome in the first place.

Once outside, Dioxin blows up the bombs planted in the forest anyhow. He claims it is to test if those explosives could break the dome, he even means it. No one likes it though, someone could have been hurt. Paladin storms off to the camp Heimdel set up with Gadget and Dioxin following soon after. In the camp, Gadget finds that all the food he brought from inside the dome has rotted since leaving it. Not a good sign for anyone who was trying to leave. The group discusses what Dioxin did again, this time ending with Paladin and Heimdel leaving to go back to where Jack is about 12 hours early.

Back with Jack, when shown the video, Jack point out how thick the president is laying it on and a few outright contradictions. Dioxin also points a few out when he arrives. They decide they either need to get up to Olympus to stop it, but before tht they need to make sure the other domes aren't like the one they were just in. If they are, do they even have the right to shut it all down? People are happy, and safe, who are they to ruin that?

They decide to go back to their old dome, they know the history and would be able to judge the change. THey gear up and head back, sneaking in through the underground ways that they discovered breaking into the other dome. Inside the dome is a warzone. Buildings are bombed out, like rockets hd hit them. The air smells slightly of smoke, people are nowhere to be found. Looking for someone, finds two of the zombies from erlier. Dioxin stickies them to the ground and the group leaves. They find someone holed up in a 'safe house' who tells them, between fearful yelling asking to be left alone, and tht they were after his eyes, brain, and/or soul, that it all started 4-5 months ago. That the creatures have been gaining in number and feasting on anyone they could find. Aside from the zombies there are also bat-winged people that fly around, circle, and swoop down on people.

Dioxin checks out his Grandfather and Parents' home to find that both have been abandoned. The same with Paladin's brother's place. The base doesn't have power, but is still there and more secure than most places. They decide to round up survivors, and see if they can get the people help at their base. There is word that the government is making forays out into the dome to pick up survivors after all.

Dioxin goes to talk to where the government is holed up. Presenting himself as his father he asks if a pickup of a group of survivors could be arranged. The idea is a no go until he gives his last name. Someone up there, a Director with the same last name as his girlfriend, wants to speak to him. Dioxin says that he'll speak to them after the pickup happens. The PPD are suddenly more agreeable, and ask for a time and place.

The session ended there.

Thoughts
Despite the summary a lot happened in the game today. Plot moved forward, new rifts formed in the team, and people started working together again due to the desperate situation. I had a lot of fun with the session, and people seemed to as well.

There was an unofficial fight with something scary down in the sewers. Paladin wanted to go down to look for survivors, everyone thought it was crazy (that is where the zombies returned to at night) but they went down anyhow. I gave Paladin and Gadget an extra rank of drive and they got into a fight with this weird creepy demon girl thing. The fight went faster than expected, partially due to Gadget sticky grenading Paladin to the ground. The monster made the resist roll and was fine and got them both. Both players cashed in the new rank of drive and lived, waking up a few hours lter.

The fight did prompt a discussion on some of the combat mechanics, such as wound penalties and the like which worked out well. SOme things that should be pointed out in the rules were brought up. So purpose of session achieved, fun and stuff the game needs.

SOrry about some of the typing. this keyboard is acting weird...