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To our Newest Arrivals,
I bet you’re wondering why you’re here in the Debtor’s Arena of Iola… Well, it’s simple really. You owed money to somebody, and didn’t pay up. Whether they were your tutor, your bartender, your landlord, or the owner of your favorite casino, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re here to earn enough money to pay them back, and provide my bloodthirsty crowds with some entertainment.
“How do you do that,” you ask? Another quaint inquiry… The answer to which is merely that you fight. Depending on how well you do, you earn cash. The majority of your pay goes to my Arena’s upkeep and your *ahem* ‘sponsor.’ Whatever remains, you get in the form of Arena Scrip that can be used for whatever your hearts’ content in the shops.
Are you worried about dying by some axe-crazy meathead or some random monster? I wouldn’t be. The people who sent you here don’t get their money if you’re a corpse, so it’s in the Arena’s best interest to keep you alive. That being said, if you start throwing matches or doing poorly, your fees for Arena upkeep may start to increase...
What do you do after your debt has been paid? The answer to that question depends… if you enjoy battle and the crowds are crazy about you, you may get hired on as one of our gladiators. But, chances are, you’re more into adventuring and exploration… If that’s the case, there’s a whole world for you to explore. From the isles of U’ Bello, to the Military State of Raj, to the chaotic ‘nation’- if I may use that term loosely- of Remaled.
That is, IF you can pay your debts…
Signed,
Nicholae, Kaiser of Debtors
Nicholae, Kaiser of Debtors
PS. I wouldn't bother trying to escape. That tends to result in some rather... unsavory consequences.
****
Aaaaaand, here's the Mutants and Masterminds Teaser:
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From: Dr. Mongoose (Mongoose@Brood.com)
To: Viper (Viper@Brood.com)
Subject: Recent Recon File (Urgent Priority)
One of our corporate spies found something of critical interest with one of their scouting drones. Here’s the audio from our espionage over at Voltt Industries…
----------------------------------------------------------------
“Mr. Voltt, sir?”
“Yes, Miss Helmsby. What is it?”
“There’s someone here to see you, sir. He claims to be an old friend of yours.”
“That so? I have many old friends. What’s this one like?”
“Well, this one in particular seems to disregard our company’s non-smoking policy, but he’s giving off a certain vibe that makes none of our security guards seem willing to confiscate his pipe from him.”
“Oh. THAT old friend.” *amused chuckle* “Send him in.”
*A couple minutes of silence, followed by a door crash*
“Geez, you’d think those cretins you’ve got down there would appreciate the nice aroma of a good jalapeno chocolate pipe tobacco… Nothing but grumblers, I tell you.”
“Their grumbling was probably more due to my strict non-smoking policy than their taste in aromatics, Nexus.”
“Eh, whatever.” *tapping noise* “Now that I’ve got your attention, have you given any thought to my offer?”
“*Sigh* I figured that’s what this was about. As much as I’d love to get back down there and help you clean up the streets, I’ve got my hands full as the CEO of this company.”
“Well, if not you, then surely at least you could spare your cyborg, that Bionic Ice character.”
“No can do. It’s public knowledge that he’s employed by Voltt Industries. You know the law as well as I do… If he starts getting involved in vigilante shenanigans, I’ll be up to my ears in Metahuman investigations. That’s also partially why I can’t don my Gigavolt armor and go down there.”
“Great… Well, that almost leaves me up the creek without a paddle when it comes to veteran hero backup.”
“Almost? Don’t tell me you’re planning to consult the Reciprocator for--”
“Not a chance. Unless I absolutely have to, that guy is staying as far away from this project of mine as possible. Things are already bad enough as it is… I don’t need some crazy monk completely undoing my work six months from now just to fulfill some stupid Oath.”
“Geez. How bad is it down there...?”
“You really wanna know? You’ve got your typical creepy cultists, these ones with a hair obsession, randomly kidnapping people for I-don’t-even-want-to-know-what infernal purpose.”
“Cultists? That doesn’t sound pretty. That can’t be all, though.”
“You’re right… that’s only the tip of the iceberg. There’s a pack of mercenaries and assassins slithering about, selling their skills and their tech- which is insanely advanced- to the highest bidder.”
“Ugh. Do I want to know what lies at the bottom of this iceberg?”
“Maybe… There’s rumors that the mob is making a grab for power here by uniting the local crime-lords. Apparently, they’ve got an ace up their sleeve that’s gotten them really cocky.”
“So, Cultists, the Mob, and High-Tech Mercenaries? That sounds like an unhealthy combination for anyone to deal with. If things are that bad down there, I’m surprised that the government hasn’t sent in the Battle Brigade.”
“Not a chance. They wouldn’t risk their prized Superhero team breaking a nail over something they’ve probably got their greasy hands in.”
*chuckle*“Somehow, your opinion on that matter doesn’t surprise me. Either way, my hands are tied. I wish you well in finding some other vigilantes to help you.”
“Thanks… I’m sick of this political baloney restricting supers to being government flunkies, prison numbers, or corporate shills- no offense.”
“None taken; I’m not a fan either. Even with my corporate sponsorship, Bionic Ice is still highly restricted as to what he can do.”
“Hey, look on the bright side. If I pull this off, maybe Washington will take the hint that their silly little Superhero Sponsorship Act isn’t worth the Paper it’s- Hold on, I think I just bumped into something.”
“Really? What?”
“I don’t know… let’s find out.”
*Decloaking sound, followed by the sound of crunching and twisting of metal, ending with static*
“Rea--y, V—tt… Y—ne-d to d- s-me bett—ba--gr—nd che-ks on you—em—oy—s…”
--------------------------------------------------------------
On a related note, our spy was discovered and terminated moments after they sent this to me.
If this plan of Nexus's comes to fruition, this could potentially spell trouble for us. I await your input on as to what we should do about this matter…
===========================
From: Viper (Viper@Brood.com)
To: Dr. Mongoose (Mongoose@Brood.com)
Subject: RE: Recent Recon File (Urgent Priority)
I wouldn’t worry too much about this Nexus character... From what I know, his powers are of a highly unstable nature. As for this so-called band of ‘heroes’ he plans to assemble, find out where they’re supposed to meet and send a small squad there. See if you can find a way to ‘anonymously’ tip off the other groups as well. Might as well nip this in the bud.
============
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Well, so much for that tie... That being said, I'll still post the teasers to see if anyone changes their minds. I've got the FF game's ready, so I'll have the MnM one done when I can.
Sure, the basic idea is the same, but they use different dice (Cinematic Unisystem uses only d10, Mutants and Masterminds used only a d20, and Final Fantasy uses 2d6).
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