Bork Lazer

Age of Marvels - A Marvel Comics Roleplay [CLOSED]

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T H E I R O N M A N

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^{_{ANTHONY HOWARD STARK ♦ FORMER BILLIONAIRE, GENIUS VAGRANT ♦ UNKNOWN ♦ STARK INDUSTRIES}}

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

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^{"Witty Quote"}

Anthony Howard Stark was just your usual yuppie billionaire with a host of unrequited daddy issues and a massive ego complex. Receiving a nobel prize at the bright age of 14 and being the CEO of a multi-billion dollar transnational corporation tends to do that to you. Nights of alcoholic binging and mornings of playboy models in his bed helped blind Tony from the mounting controversies and accusations of weapons trafficking that Stark Industries was partaking in for a time.

In 2020, during a routine charity visit to a VA hospital, he was shot by Matthias Mallen, a Afghanistan War veteran and a vocal activist who claimed that his squad mates were murdered by weapons manufactured by Stark Industries in the hands of terrorists. Fortunately, with the miracle of 21st century medicine, Stark could survive with the assistance of a miniature implanted magnet containing the deadly bullet still lodged within his chest. The experience changed Tony as he was forced to reconsider everything his father’s company stood for. After sifting through the internal databases of Stark Industries for two weeks, he brought damning evidence to his trusted friend and advisor, Obidiah Stane, and asked for his assistance in reforming the company for the better.

A day later, Tony Stark’s mansion was on fire.

To this day, the young billionaire is believed to be dead. However, there are now unconfirmed reports of a lone individual attacking Stark Industry warehouses and military complexes. Witnesses claim they saw a man clad in a large suit of high tech armor. Stark Industries, under the direction of CEO Obidiah Stane, have directly accused the man of being a terrorist and have issued a federal manhunt for this mysterious man. Meanwhile, the media have taken to calling him….

The Iron Man

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Iron Man was originally an exploration of America's military-industrial complex and the surrounding cold war politics in the era in which the character was originally developed in. Since then, Iron Man has been examined in the context of 9/11 and post-War on Terror politics. Now, in this politically fraught timeline, I only feel that it's right to do a re-exploration of Iron Man and not the bog-standard billionaire CEO that we've seen done a billion times throughout the comics.

I think one of the major themes of this version is paranoia and intrigue. Tony literally is on the run, can't trust anyone and has to untangle the deep web of conspiracies and lies that his father's company has crafted. Furthermore, it's just interesting to do a version of Tony that doesn't have the backing of Stark Industries to bulldoze through any issue. It's going to be a journey of humbling himself whilst learning to overcome his solipsistic worldview of his mission to bring down Stark Industries and look at the bigger picture.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

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obidiah stane - CEO of Stark Industries and the man behind Tony's assasination attempt

christine everhart - anchor of the Alternative

S A M P L E P O S T:

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THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN: ISSUE 0 - WRITING SAMPLE

Tony grimaced in disgust as the smell of soft solder filled the small interior of his cramped van. Beads of sweat ran down his hands as the micro-solder gun shook for a moment in his grip. He breathed to steady it and depressed the trigger, watching intently as the hiss , his muscles tense from the hours he had sat down concentrating on this one single task. Watching it drip on the circuit plate, he waited for the bead to cool, carefully observing for any signs of splitting. He blew on the barrel of the gun and rested it on a coiled stand.

“ Only 900 more transistors to go, Tony, “ he muttered to himself. He scratched the back of his head and looked up at the massive table in front of him. The Model 1 MK 2.1 armor was spread out on the table like a gutted fish. The gun metal grey boron-iron composite shell, dented and scarred from his latest raid on Stark Industries, was strewn across haphazardly. Copper wires beaded with capacitors cascaded out of the back of each armor piece. Inside each piece was a complex, chromatic maze of motor transistors making up a network that allowed the suit to respond to his movements and his to the suits. It was a brutalistic solution but simplistic enough for his current resources to manage. Any attempt to suture individual motor units would require a 3D CAD machine and those would be locked up in the deepest levels of Stark RnD. All he had was a couple of hundred dollars and the best DIY stores America had to offer.

He took a cloth soaked in motor oil to wipe the sweat off his head, only to pause at the sight of that helmet. The terrible helmet that had plagued his dreams. It was hanging off a coat nook and already, that glared visor and frowning grilled breaths were urging him for his rage. To unleash his fury on the worth. To make a bee line to Stark Tower and pound that crook, Obidiah Stane, into mulch until he was nothing more than -

Tony closed his eyes and curled up in his seat. The blisters on his skin had long healed but he could remember the sticky, agonizing heat that coated his arms and legs. He didn’t scream but he could still hear her screams. The screams that said his name, both in pleasure and pain.

Stane would pay, but there was no use dwelling on the past further. He needed a distraction. Taking the remote in hand, he flicked on the tube TV he managed to scrounge from the back alley of an electronic thrift shop and continued to work on repairing the Model 1.5. The familiar three note jingle of WHIH news greeted his ears as the voice of Christine Everhart spoke through the speaker scratchedly.

“ Another report has emerged of the criminal dubbed as the Iron Man who has been identified as the individual responsible for the attack on an armored transport convoy belonging to Stark Industries at 1:45 AM, September 14th in Corona, Los Angeles. All personnel remain unharmed but corporate representatives of Stark Industries have publicly stated that more than 500 million in company assets were lost in yet one of another series of attacks that have been plaguing the company. Authorities are asking any and all individuals in the Orange County area to report sightings of the Iron Man…..”

A smirk grew on Tony Stark’s as Everhart continued to describe his attack on the convoy. It was one of his first raids that managed to go off without any major hitches. It was also his first raid that he discovered Stark Industries was now dabbling into rail gun armaments. His eyes momentarily flickered at the huge metal scar that was rent in the upper portion of his chestpiece. The next sentence from Everhart nearly made him drop his solder gun.

“ We now have an exclusive interview with the CEO of Stark Industries, Obidiah Stane. Mr Stane, you’ve made multiple condemnatory statements in the past on Iron Man and his activities towards Stark Industries. In light of this recent attack, I must note that Stark Industries has fallen nearly 40% in shares and there is increasing concern amongst stakeholders about the stability of the company. Will the fallout of this lead to any change in Stark Industries' approach towards Iron Man?”

The camera panned to the left towards Obidiah. His cheeks were puffy and his white goatee had been cut angularly to the root. The skin on his bald head stretched pallidly and as always, there were his crinkled slate eyes that gave the air of a geriatric grandpa but there was a frigid coldness within them if you looked deep enough.

“ Well, Christine. Stark Industries' position on the Iron Man has been very clear since the beginning of his attack last May. We will continue to cooperate with authorities on identifying the individual responsible for this attack whilst increasing our security measures where appropriate.”

“ Mr Stane, many of your security measures towards the Iron Man have been deemed by government officials to be a gross breach of civilian privacy and public safety. There have been multiple concerns about the proliferation of Stark Industries drones within state police and their safety. Are you taking the opportunity to use Iron Man to advance an arms race?”

“ I find arms race to be a loaded phrase, Chrstine,” Obidiah laid back, shaking his head despondently. “ I find an arms revolution to be the more correct term. Stark Industries drones are precise, have escalation protocols adhering to US Municipal Law directly encoded in them and as always, retain superior decision-making power relative to their human counterparts. We need appropriate countermeasures to deal with a novel threat in the making towards the citizens of this country.”

Tony closed his eyes, clenching his grip around the solder gun, before continuing on. The interview passed by in a blur for the next 20 minutes in blissful ignorance. Just as he was about to continue soldering the other shoulder pauldron, Chrstine’s next question made him pause mid-work again.

“ Tomorrow marks the 2nd year anniversary of Tony Stark’s mysterious death. Despite a two-month search, investigators say that no body was found in the incident. I know you and Mr Stark had quite a close relationship, Mr Stane. What are your thoughts, if you have any?”

“ Me and Tony were more than just friends,” Tony watched in rank disbelief as Stane wiped an invisible tear underneath his cheek. “ He was a son. I watched his father die in that horrific car accident 50 years ago. Now, I have to watch it all over again. I only hope to do right by Howard and Tony as CEO of Stark Industries and continue to live by the values they inspired within the company.”

“ How do you respond to rumors that Tony Stark may yet be still alive?”

“ Oh, please, I thought this wasn’t a sensationalist news network,” Obidiah scoffed before leaning towards Christine with a faint air of menace. “ I was there for his funeral. As far as I’m concerned, Chrstine, he’s dead and hoping for him to appear like a unicorn is a pipe dream. As a company, he have to move on from his death, just like he would have wanted - “

The TV blew apart in a spark of burnt diodes and charred silicon. Tony hadn’t even noticed he’d raised one of his gauntlets up. He breathed slowly, the red fading from his vision, as the repulsor lens on his palm flickered shut with a low whine. He set his arm down, lips pursed in consideration, before standing up and grabbing his helmet.

There was time to repair later.

It was time to get back to work.

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

“ Oi, Takka,” Aroxy flicked his gunner’s head. The man was currently asleep, lying on top of a crate of SRMs they had liberated during their raid on the Espian Guard’s storage facility. Held in his hand was a bottle of something Aroxy smelled like gasoline. If they were still back in the Free Worlds League, he would have sent Takka to the brig to walk off his booze-induced headaches. Fortunately for the tank driver, there was no such thing as a military tribunal in the Green Knights. If there was, Aroxy would have been able to knock some sense into the little dumbass’s head.

Takka shook his head as he groggily woke up from his alcoholic stupor. “ What’s up, boss?”

Just before Takka could take another swig, Aroxy took it away from him, unscrewed the lid and poured it out on the floor.

“ I need a status report on the Merry Go Report’s status. How long before it’s fully operational again, Takka?”

From Aroxy’s point of view, the Merry Go Round looked like a gutted animal. The turret had been fully detached from its chassis and the upper portion of its heavy chassis was lifted off by a winch crane. Hydraulic pumps were strewn out of its belly like guts and its treads had been fully winded off the wheels and drive train. It was odd seeing the venerable tank like this and made Aroxy somewhat embarrassed the more he stared at it. He couldn’t remember the last time he had requisitioned the Merry Go Round for refurbishment.

“ Well, Cap, we should be mission ready in about three days, give or take,” Takka fiddled around for his personal datapad, tapping a few buttons to reveal a screen that showed a wiremap frame of the Merry Go Round. Several regions were blanketed in a thick coat of red and orange. “ The main priority is the treads. We don’t get this right and we’ll be mission killed faster than you can say ‘Fuck The Crimson Guard’”.

“ Hey, Cap!,” A brash voice shouted out as the lean figure of Ansel walked around the bulk of the Von Luckner. In his hand was a ragged piece of the Espian Herald. “ Well, lookey here, Xiu’s dead. Ain’t this planet more of a shitshow than it already is, Captain?,” Ansel murmured. The brunette gunner sliced the tip of his cigar with the edge of his knife before lighting it with a strip match.

“ Eh, who cares?” Helma’s head popped out of the tank and she clambered down, her face splotched with motor oil and grease. “ There all the fucking same. It’s like caring about each weed when you mow a lawn. More trouble than it’s worth. We keep killing until they stop trying to kill us. Simple as that, Ansel.”

Aroxy grabbed the paper and looked at it. As always, the Espian Herald was frustratingly lacking in details that failed to thoroughly communicate the gravity of the situation. The planetwide coup had taken a step in its natural direction and already, they were witnessing the beginnings of a civil war on multiple fronts. He scratched his chin and scrunched up the paper, throwing it over his back.

“ The Heavenly Sword are a rogue variable. With some lack, they could hamper the Crimson Fists operations. I’ll have to - ,” Aroxy paused as he heard the commotion in the cave. It was coming over from the entrance. He whistled for the crew to stand at attention and motioned for them to follow him. He and the crew of the Merry Go Round parted through the crowd of onlookers to get a peek at what was happening. There was a standoff between Colonel Wayne and a lady who looked more appropriate on the front cover of a magazine than a war zone. His eyes narrowed as his minds remembered the briefings they had before they made planetfall. This was Cassandra Jeong, the heiress of the Aqua Vitae Corporation. In the absence of groundwater aquifers, Espia had placed a huge number of financial investments into a network of desalination plants that kept the planet running so to speak. The corporate conglomerate was in control of a good chunk of Espia’s natural resources. An alliance with them was too good to be true. They were lacking in manpower and resources right now, but desperation often blinded people to the truth.

“ I can’t imagine recent events have been profitable for the Aqua Vitae Corporation, Miss Jeong,’ Aroxy said in a slow, contemplative voice. “ If we were to assist you, what remunerations would you offer us?”

“ Help? Pah, we don’t need help from some corporate gold-plated smarmy CEO!,” Takka spat out. “ We can take - YOWCH!”

Takka yelped mid-sentence as Helma pinched the lobe of his ear painfully, dragging him into the crowd and out of sight.

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

When the heaping mass of the Merry Go Round finally arrived at the cave entrance, Aroxy didn’t even think about how badly damaged the tank was. His mindset was always “ men first, material second” when it came to losing war material assets. It was a mindset that would have been alien to more merciless commanders but he thought it was a good one, regardless of the headache he caused Takka. When the crew finally parked the venerable Von Luckner in their camp and crawled off the tank, their reactions were less than stellar.

The frontal armor of the Von Luckner had been blown off, charred and chipped flaps of ceramic plates poking out like teeth. The tank was slanted awkwardly to the right, in part due to the fact that they had no more suspension on their right treads. Or any tread for that matter. One of their SRM launchers had been jostled loose by the airstrike, the launcher pointed downwards whilst the paintjob was scorched off and replaced with a sooty aftercare of burnt fuel and tarnished alloy. In short, the tank had been fucked more thoroughly in this one single bout than any other campaign Aroxy had been on.

Takka took his position in loudly communicating the crew’s feelings on the matter by making loud gasps and sobs as he assessed the tank’s condition. “For fuck’s sake, we go off dickin’ round in a civil war and this is the most damage my baby ever suffered,” Takka tenderly touched the outer hull of the Von Luckner, scratched, burnt and generally damaged beyond general recognition. The young mechanic seemed to flinch in horror as though he was watching his pet dog being disemboweled before him.

Meanwhile, the rest of his crew were behind him, in disbelief at his hysterics. Aroxy eventually whistled to catch Takka’s attention, tired already of his gunner’s antics.

“ So, how bad’s the damage?”

“ BAD?” Takka gave a mock laugh before throwing a wrench down at Aroxy’s feet in frustration. “ Well, most of our frontal plating will have to be removed. We’ll have to get new treads for our right wheel alongside a new suspension. Do we even have a loader or a jack to lift up 50 tonnes because I know we don’t! God knows how long it’s going to repaint everything because hey, it was time she needed new skin, right, Cap?!”

Eyebrows were raised along the other members of the crew as Takka panted raggedly in front of his commander. He then swallowed the dribble that he spat during his incoherent rant and then, calmly spoke again.

“ But yeah, it’s fixable.”

“ Good to know.” Aroxy nodded before turning to the other two members of the crew behind him. “ Now, Helma and Ansel. Coordinate to get what we need to fill Merry Go Round up again before 1800, am I clear?”

“ Sir, yes, sir!”

“ Oh-,” Takka shouted out to the pair. “ Can you seen if you can scavenge something to replace all our ablative? Maybe, we could take apart one of our light mechs like the Raven - “

“ Belay that order, privates! I said, BELAY THAT ORDER!”

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

“ Got a hit on all our targets, sir!,” Takka whooped out loud. The internal targeting screen that was connected to the front facing cameras on the Merry Go Round’s front viewport became awash with a bloom of bright infrared from the miniature explosions that impacted the Jenner. As soon as he saw the Fists began to make a hasty retreat to the forest line, Aroxy rolled his shoulders in relief and signed. Now, they could get a move onto the convoy before they attracted any further Fists to their position.

Then, that damn Longbow had to ruin their day.

“BRACE FOR IM-,” The words just left Aroxy’s mouth as the salvo of missiles stitched a line across the Merry-Go-Round’s frontal ceramic plating. The entire crew was thrown off their seats, tumbling inside the tank as it shook with a thunderous rattle. Aroxy slapped his ears several times to get rid of that infernal ringing noise. The other members of his crew groaned as they pulled themselves up.

The integrated stress sensors within Merry Go Round had activated for the first time in months, alarms and damage readouts flickering on the ceiling control panel just above the targeting screen. Diodes danced in a haze of green, yellow and red.

Aroxy inched his neck up towards the viewport of his periscope. He could see the fading raptor-like figure of the Longbow disappearing in the horizon. Its subsonic engines burnt a smoldering orange, trailing behind a grey line of smoke and spent fuel. He continued to keep an eye on it to make sure it wasn’t coming back for any more runs before turning back to assess the condition of the rest of his crew.

“ Status report!,” Groans of pain only answered him. Aroxy blinked as flashing sparks dribbled out from an exposed wire that had come loose during the attack. “ I said, status report! How badly were we hit, Takka?”

“ Well, sir ….Takka wiped a drop of blood from a red cut across his forehead. “ Nothing bad happened to our engine or our essentials. In all circumstances, the improvised ablative and composite layers took most of the hit and came out unscathed, save for the food hall we welded on. Real worry is the right tread, though. One of our wheels popped out along with our right return roller. Not a mission kill but….”

Takka didn’t need to say the obvious to drive the implications in. Merry Go Round would be literally driving at a snail’s pace. If they pushed more power into the engine, they would run the risk of permanently disabling themselves or disentangling their treads from the main wheel assembly.

“ Enough time for a field repair?”

The radio then burst to life and Colonel’s Wayne’s order dispelled any notions of what Aroxy had suggested. Aroxy slammed a fist in frustration and took off his tanker helm, hair matted with sweat and cordite. A crippled tank driving in this weather was equivalent to having Takka paint a bullseye on their asses. It would take a miracle for them not to get tagged as they would surely limp behind the main column at their reduced speed.

After some deliberation, the Merry Go Round thrummed to life once more, the small fires on its hull doused by the drizzle as its heavy treaded wheels struggled to gain purchase on the slowly soddening ground.

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

“ Looks like we got ourselves a talker, gentlemen,” Aroxy grumbled sarcastically. The other crewmembers cackled at the chatter of radio static. They’d long learnt to deal with intimidation and threats during the long course of their campaign. All of it was mere play, mere theater meant to mess with your head. A moment of hesitation or fear was an opportunity to exploit and the Crimson Fist knew exactly what we was playing at.

The entire crew braced for any impact, Takka ready to readjust the bearings of the tank at a moment’s notice. The thick clearing of the forest line was not good tank country but any cover was better than getting skewered by a laser or being blown to smithereens by an LRM. Aroxy couldn’t believe their crew’s luck. In their arrogance, the three Fists had focused on the mechs they had continued attacking rather than the tank. The Wolfhound hadn’t even glanced in their direction. It was the best target rich environment a tank crew could ask for.

Helma didn’t wait for Aroxy’s permission as she loaded another AP round, the chamber coughing out a empty brass shell before her black oil-coated fingers inserted in a fresh round. Ansel meanwhile adjusted the spray of their LMG towards the Wolfhound, sending a hail of round towards the mech as it lumbered towards the Raven Hawk. It might as well have done as much damage as a spitball but it was better than nothing.

“ Finish off that son of a bitch Wolfhound and get a lock on that chickenshit Jenner that’s harrassing us!,” Aroxy shouted. As if on cue, the SRM batteries on the Merry Go Round’s cupola popped out, aimed at an upward angle towards the swerving Longbow. The barrel was already in the process of aiming towards the crippled Wolfhound.Takka had already seem to read Aroxy’s mind before the words had even left his mouth. The familiar sound of Merry-Go-Round’s cannon made his ears bleed. The acrid smell of rocket fuel then hit his nose as a barrage of SRMs were let loose towards the damaged Jenner.

⥑ Ember to Ashes ⥏ Dark Fantasy/Mythology (Interest Check)

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

The forest line broke apart in a spray of splinters and Aroxy hitched a breath at the sight of the three mechs. Two lights, one heavy. Only one faction on this planet could bring this much force to bear. The Crimson Fists. There was no warning as they began savagely ripping into their contingent of mechs without mercy. Aroxy watched from the safety of the Merry Go Round as molten plating dribbled off their Ostroc and their entire column of supply trucks was shrouded in a fog of smoke and fire. Now, they were being ambushed. The universe had a sense of irony.

Still, they’d all forgotten the Von Luckner half a kilo behind them.

“ Right, let’s give them our reply.” Aroxy began barking out orders at a rapid pace. “ Alright, Helma. Give me a round of AP. Takka, let’s make sure that Wolfhound goes back crying back home to his commander. Elma, man those LMGs and become a gnat on the ass of those light mechs.”

“ Sir, yes ,sir!,” The entire team went to work, man and machine fused in a singular harmony as chambers were filled with artillery, the engine throttled and belts of bullets were dragged to be loaded. The twin sponson-mounted gatling guns whined before unleashing a rain of bullets upon the two light mechs. They weren’t going to do much damage but it was better than pissing in the wind and hoping for a miracle.

The Merry Go Round’s turret then craned to the right, directly towards the Wolfhound.

“ Loaded!,” Helma shouted.

“ Fire!,” Aroxy ordered, slamming his hand on the steel interior walls, sweat beading down his forehead.

“ Ontheway!,” Takka replied back.

The recoil shook the Merry Go Round back at a few feet, the round hurtling towards its target. The Wolfhound only had a second of warning before the AP shell smashed into its right shoulder. The frame of the mech swiveled as the inertia of the impact made it sway on its feet. The Wolfhoudn tried to move its right arm but it suddenly snapped off, revealing a tangle of power cables and hydraulic tubing. It hung onto the Wolfhound limply, the maimed limb and integrated gun now dead weight to the heavy mech.

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

“ Alright, double-time, Takka, let’s move it or lose it!”

The radio transmission stuck out like a canopian chihuahua barking its ass off. Such a powerful transmission was comparable to lathering yourself in barbeque sauce and diving into a pit full of lions. Everyone knew where their HQ was and it didn’t take an idiot to put two and two together to find out that one of their supply warehouses was being attacked.

Aroxy waved over to Helma and Ansel who ran back to the safety of the Merry Go Round like their lives depended on it. The Von Luckner was already crawling at a slug’s pace, its engine slowly starting up, as the two crewmembers clambered onto their hull. Latching on like mice, they scrambled into the porthole and sealed it off.

“ Did we manage to get any LRMs?,” Aroxy questioned out loud whilst Helma began opening ammunition chambers, sliding shells inside.

“ Only a few, captain! It’s not going to be enough for extended combat.”

“ Let’s hope we won’t need it. Keep that turret inclined up, Helma. If we can’t get a lock, we might as well try and swat them out of the sky.”

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

To the victor goes the spoils.

Aroxy saw the aftermath of war too much when the smoke had cleared and the air stung of cordite and burnt propellant. He knew many soldiers and mercenaries who saw looting as a means of coping with the brutality. After all, what better hobby was there for murderers than to keep mementos of their past glories? Aroxy wasn’t the type to engage in it. The Merry Go Round was the only memory he needed. The nicks, scratches and age of the war engine contained immeasurable wealth within it.

Here, though, the looting was purely for the sake of survival. The Merry Go Round grounded to a halt a good 100 feet away from the convoy of supply trucks. Aroxy clambered out of the port-hole and turned around to raise his hand against the face of a confused Takka who had climbed up after him.

“ Stay in there,” Aroxy commanded. “ We need an eye out for reinforcements and you’re both qualified to both gun and drive. If you’re nervous about gunning, you can let the auto-loader do the work for you.”

“ You sure that’s the only reason, Major?,” Takka grumbled.

“ No,” Aroxy said. “ But now’s not the time to chew you out. We have priorities to focus on.” The tone of finality ended the discussion between them both as Takka climbed back in without a complaint.

“ Someone’s grounded…..,” Greta mused as she climbed out of the hatch followed by Hansel. The blonde driver took off her helmet and ran her hand through her straw hair, loosening the tangles and frayed knots. Hansel meanwhile rolled his arms and gagged at the scent of burnt human flesh in the air.

“ Greta, Hansel.” His two other crew members stood at attention. “ Coordinate with the supply trucks and see what we can fit on the Merry-Go-Round. We need 120 mm shells, SRMs and LRMs stat. We don’t want to be caught out here by the Guard with our pants halfway down.”

“ Roger, major,” Both chorused as they ran to the warehouse. Aroxy took out his comm radio and spoke into it.

“ This is Steel Rain. Merry Go Round is keeping an eye on the horizon. Any who can assist my crew members in finding ammunition would be appreciated.”

The Mithril Chef [QUEST]

NIM NOM: As the last syllable leaves your lips, the tiny hooded chef begins to break into a flurry of excitement. The furious speed at which he’s moving transforms him into a multi-armed demonic god of epic culinary proportions.

TIMING: Yet, in the chaos, there is a symphony of execution. Every chop, every move that he makes is a ballad, an ode to his skill. A method in the madness is still present, in spite of his unorthodox methods.

NIM NOM: The vertically challenged chef slams a hunk of kraken tentacle onto the counter. It’s still squirming. He takes out a knife and begins making a series of rapid scores through the meat, barely visible to the eye.

TECHNICAL RUDIMENTS: Every cut he makes, it isn’t just for show. Every cut is exactly placed in order to prevent the meat from curling up, a common tendency amongst cephlapods. You wouldn’t expect to see something so ingenious in a street stall.
NIM NOM: Once he’s done, he places the prepared tentacle into a wok. He takes a pouch and dusts a mixture of spices and herbs over the still-cooking meat. Under the broiling heat, the skin begins to crackle into a nice brown crust.

PALLETE: The smell of cardamom, cane sugar, dried firepeppers blending together…..

NIM NOM: He then produces an amber bottle of foul-smelling liquid and drizzles it into the wok. Immediately, a gout of orange-blue flame swallows the bowl before dying down into a coat of trickling fire. The inferno slides off the crisp meat. He throws a sprinkle of pine nuts that cloy onto the sticky meat. He shimmies it onto a palm leaf and then hands it towards you.

You inspect the dish curiously with a pensive eye.

VISUALIZATION: The presentation is a little lacking…..

PALETTE: But taste is often the better indicator of talent

Eventually, you take a bite. It’s a war of contrasting flavors as you piece together the culinary puzzle that has been assembled before you. The meat is cooked well, having a tough satisfying bite that demands your attention as you chew it. It straddles the line between being too rubbery to eat and being too soft to enjoy. The notorious gaminess of kraken meat has been balanced by the earthiness of the pine nuts and the mysterious glaze that the chef used.

If a street chef can incorporate such refined methods, perhaps, you could too?

NEW INGREDIENT UNLOCKED: A DASH OF PEASANTRY

Ingredients are special boons that offer you unique stat bonuses when interacting or options within certain encounters.

NIM NOM: “ Oi, knife ear.” the chef pipes up. “ You block line. Move.”

VISUALIZATION (FAILURE): A knife-ear? Has he spotted a ear infection?

CONNOSEUIR: A knife-ear is the common informal term for half-elves. It’s typically used by orcs, trolls and…

Kobold. You should have figured it out. There’s only one race in all of the Occident that gravitates towards street food.

RACE UNLOCKED: Half-Elf

RAISON D’ETRE: However, as you look at this Kobold, you realize that he has something that you don’t have at the moment. A purpose and livelihood to strive towards.

What sparked your journey towards culinary ascendency?

[X] - A rivalry between you and a chef of another house.

[X] - To fufill an oath you swore to your former Chef de Cuisine

[X] - To pay off a debt to a plane entity.

[X] - Write in