Red7VII

The Red Hoods: Initiates

All is good. Proceed as written.

The Red Hoods: Initiates

The Yellow Hood Trial

The Yellow Hood Trial is coming...

All of this will be explained in further detail in IC, but I wanted to get you all prepped ahead of time while we wait for people to finish up their posts.

Players will be broken up into groups of equal size who will take on the trial separate from the other groups. Each group will be facing an opponent with a unique weakness. The opponent fighting Group 1 might die by fire while the opponent fighting Group 2 must have its heart destroyed. Its up to you to figure out how to succeed.

Oh, and these opponents fight back and you will not be able to control the outcome of their attacks.

Think of this like an old school RPG like Final Fantasy. Each player will rotate turns, but after each player's turn, the opponent gets a turn. Your goal is to use your turn as wisely as possible to find and exploit the opponent's weakness. If you guess wrong, the opponent is going to make you pay for it.

If you don't work together to figure out how to succeed, you might die.

This type of thing takes collaboration and we're obviously not all on the same schedules. Because of that, I think the best way to do this would be Group PMs on the forum that I will then get posted once the confrontation is complete. If I have inadvertently made the weakness too difficult to figure out, I'll drop a hint.

During the rotation, if you would like to use your turn to exclusively talk to your teammates (and not commit an action) that's fine. The opponent will not attack until you attack. That said, you can only do a "Talk" rotation once before having to commit to an action.

Example

P2's turn to act

P2: Should I light it on fire? [Talking Turn]
P3: I don't think it's a good idea.
P4: Do it
P1: Maybe just stab it...
P2: *attempt to light opponent on fire* [Forced Action Turn]
Opponent reacts

Then it becomes Player 3's turn to act, where s/he can decide if they want to talk again or if they just want to go straight to the action. I will be there guiding the fights for each group, so if this seems a little confusing on paper, I assure you it will be much simply in action.

Each time a particular player gets attacked by the opponent, the consequences will get exponentially worse. If Player 1 gets attacked the first time, not too bad. Second time's gonna smart. Third time is really going to hurt and the Fourth time and beyond might get grim.

This roundabout routine is specific to this trial and is not something we will be doing for future fights, but getting into the Red Hoods isn't easy and all your characters are about to find that out the hard way.

Good luck!

The Red Hoods: Initiates

Finlay found himself carrying an arms load of shackles as he watched, dumbfounded, at the conversations taking place in front of him. "Huh" He huffed as he shook his head violently, exuding as much effort as he could to try and comprehend what he was seeing. Confusion grew to incredulousness, which grew further to frustration.

"Listen fookin 'ere!" he shouted, his teapot finally coming to a steam. He threw the shackles at Colin , his upper lip baring his teeth as he watched the metal fly. His jaw dropped in a snarl, his lower teeth in full display as he stormed into the center of the muck. "I don't know where the fook you think you are, but if there is any confusion, allow me to clarify.

Finlay stormed up to Gottfried and grabbed his blade, forcibly removing it from Brighid's neck, his own blood trailing down the wrinkles of his palm as he audibly growled at the knight, pushing the sword away.

"You're in the heart of the nightmare dreamt by the devil himself. You're surrounded by those filtered out from the weak, hand chosen to oppose the spawn of evil. If you think, any one of you, that those shackles were to protect us from you, then you still don't understand the world you've just stepped into. Those were for your protection. Those were to make sure you didn't piss us off. Those were to make sure you survived." Finlay looked back at the chains, grimacing, before facing the lot again.

He cleared his throat and regained his composure. "That said, impressive work. Adaptability, execution. Your wits are invaluable, your allies even moreso. If you're going to dine with me tonight, you've got to realize that the people around you are your only hope of survival, whether you like them or not. If you see tomorrow, it will be because someone in these rooms made that happen. Look around and realize that you've just been introduced to yer best fookin friends." Finlay began to pace as he barked. "You jobby faced idiots are under my watch now which means your success is my success. Your failure is my failure. Let me tell ya, kiddos." Finlnay leaned in and whispered very loud. "I don't fail."

Straightening up, Finlay scanned each face with a look of disgust, pausing to take in each pair of eyes. "The next bit is a doozy. Blood is guaranteed to spill. If any of ya think you can do this alone, I've got some like-minded friends I wanna introduce ya to. Gonna need a shovel, though." He gave each one a leering glance before turning his back on the lot. "And if any of you dobbers ever hand something to me without me asking for it, I'll mount yer fookin head on my mantle." He started striding off and took a turn down a different corridor. "15 minutes" came his voice echoing down the stone hallway as he took his leave.

The Red Hoods: Initiates

Someone will always find a way to be upset, but more important to me is that things keep flowing. Like I said in the beginning, I want to avoid stagnation. I'd advise against 1 person posting every other post several times in a row, but if you have something of value to add to the scene, feel free to add it.

The Red Hoods: Initiates

Feel free to keep posting. There is no limit.

X-Men: The New Era

The SUV took a hard right on the slick asphalt. Lex, sitting in the left passenger's seat, hit his shoulder on the side of the door with a thud. His right hand braced Uná's limp body in her seat as the vehicle continued to move erratically. "What the hell are you doing up there," he shouted, chastising the driver.

"Sorry, boss," was the meek response. This wasn't his usual wheelman. Just one of the men who happened to escape Avalon alive.

...So I urge you to leave where you are hiding, find others like yourselves out there. Tomorrow I will guide you to where we can all meet. Under a new light...

Lex blinked his eyes a few times before rubbing one of his ears with his free hand, attempting to get the voice out of his head. He looked at Uná to see if there was any reaction, but there was none that seemed significant. Even the driver seemed undisturbed. Great, he thought to himself. More of them being herded. He started thinking back about the monster at the club, Ashford's... The creature seemed to have been focused on them and Lex still couldn't forget the flash of blackness in Uná's eyes before it had appeared. It wanted her.

"Red, Red, Red," he mused to himself as he looked at her once more. "I knew you'd be interesting." Her unconscious body began to squirm a little, her mouth looking as though it were trying to speak. "Are they in your head, too?" he asked rhetorically, recalling his own psychic invasion moments ago. He leaned slowly to her ear, bared his teeth and whispered, "Tell them to fucking bring it."

He looked up then, as if something clicked. "Change of plans," Lex announced sternly. That creature was large and didn't seem too bothered by bullets. It would be foolish to lead the bull to the china shop.

"What's that," the driver asked. "Not going to the manor?"

"We're going to Nocturn," Lex said as he pulled out his phone and began furiously tapping it. "I'm telling them to shut down early and clear the people out. Pull into the back by the loading docks and get ready. I've got a feeling that thing's coming after her. If not that, then maybe it will lure out some of her peers. Either way, we're spilling blood." Lex looked at his watch and then back out the window at the moon. Time was fleeting. He'd have to do this quickly before he became... his other self.

The SUV pulled into the loading docks just as the bay door opened up. They slowly rolled inside, the door coming down behind them. Several men rushed the SUV as Lex stepped out. "Take the girl upstairs to my office. Open up the armory and get suited up. Someone get my guns. A fight's coming."

The Red Hoods: Genesis

bump

X-Men: The New Era

Drake “D” Edwards

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Interaction/Mentions: @Damo021@webboysurf | Location: Avalon

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"Why don't we check if this thing is flammable?" Nik's proposition was an enticing one. Drake's head was swimming, his vision blurred and swaying. The sleep deprivation coupled with his gross intoxication was making a cocktail of crazy in his own head.

"We can’t let it get outside… I can try and flank this thing, like I do in the danger room." Drake jumped with a start, not realizing that Cleo had made her way over.

"Jeebus, lady!" he exclaimed before looking slightly confused and pointing at her arm. "'Ay, you got red on you." It slowly started to click in his mind that it was blood. "Oh shit, was it the monster or the vampire?" Panic painted his face before he turned back to the enemy that was still here. Drake clenched his hands into fists and brought them to his chest before springing them out to his sides. Flames ignited around them... and then quickly extinguished. "The fuck..."

Drake rubbed his face real quick, trying to summon the mental focus necessary and then tried it again, but the result was the same. Drake slapped himself just hard enough to get adrenaline pumping. Come on, come on. Focus. Get amped. Think of something. Work, bitch! Just as he thought the words, the song started playing in his head. "You want a hot body..." He could feel his hands start to warm up again. "You want a Bugatti... you want a Maserati..." Flames started to dance between his knuckles as Drake snarled with determination. "You better work, bitch!" His fists erupted once more and Drake stared them in anger, daring them to go out, but they didn't. Finally. He ran stepped over to a vacant table that still had half drunk bottle of acohol and flung it at the beast, watching it shatter on its hide and coat it with the flammable liquid.

"Kame..." Drake brought his flaming hands together as if he were holding an invisible football as he leaned down and tucked his fists to his right side. "Hame..." The fire got larger and started singeing different areas of Drake's shirt. "HA!" Drake pushed both hands forward, palms out sending a stream of flame toward the beast. He immediately regretted it, the flame being bright enough and close to his face that he temporarily blinded himself. Dammit! The flames on his fists extinguished as he rubbed his eyes furiously. "Did I get it?" He asked out aimlessly, still rubbing. "Is it dead?!"

The Red Hoods: Initiates

As murmurs and utterances danced across the crowded mass, the commander's stoic composure began to turn, impatience causing her eyebrows to furrow. She glanced to the robed figure on her right and gave a quick, subtle nod. The figure lifted a leg and brought it back down with a force that gave birth to thunder. It was time for silence. As all eyes turned in their direction, the commander gave the figure a curt smile before looking at the initiates and her fellow hoods.

“I,” she began, projecting her voice loudly, “am Commander Blanchette Rouge. You may call me Commander, Commander Rouge, or Sir.” As she spoke, she pointed both of her hands toward her adjacent associates. “To my left is Captain Anthony Jericho who heads up the Red Guard. He may be addressed as Captain or Captain Jericho. To my right is Zeke. You may not address him at all.” Commander Rouge took a step off the stage and started slowly walking among the crowd as they parted to give her way.

“You are Initiates. You are not Hoods. Not yet. Your path to Red will be treacherous and challenging. You won't even be Yellow until you prove to me that you're worth the room and board. You are guppies. My job is to turn you into sharks. For those who choose to live life in blissful ignorance, let me explain who we are.

“We are the Red Hoods. We are a sovereign nation of protectors against the supernatural. We are not bound by the laws of Man, but are sworn to protect them. That's the trade. We are licensed to judge, sentence and execute. There are a few factions within our ranks. There's the Initiates: The Living Nobodies. As Initiates, you are visitors in our home and enjoy none of the benefits of being a Hood until you prove your worth. Once you do, you will be a Yellow Hood, a prospect. Yellow Hoods will operate under the supervision of at least one Red at all times. Yellows must have approval before killing and any unauthorized independent operations of a Yellow will be met with severe and swift consequences. Eventually, you might earn your Red Hood. More likely, though, you'll simply die trying. There are Red Hoods and there is the Red Guard. Think of the Red Hoods as specialized agents of the Order and the Red Guard as it's military. You don't convince the Lords and Ladies of the land that you're immune to their laws without having armored muscle behind your back. If you make it to Red status, you can opt to contact Captain Jericho about joining the Guard, but none of you are anywhere close to having to worry about that consideration.”

Her eyes met each candidate's as she walked between them all, making a slow circle before she stepped back up onto the raised platform. “There are monsters in this batch,” she stated, catching some of the tells from some of the candidates. “Good. You will encounter creatures of various natures in the field. Our mission is to put them down or tame them. Sometimes it takes a monster to catch a monster. All initiates will live on campus or be welcome to room at our various satellite sites. No matter what province you are in, chances are there's a Red Hood base or safehouse. Your instructors will teach you more about the organization and your personal missions as time goes on. For now, it's time for you to be seen to your rooms. You will have bunkmates that your instructor will choose. Get to know them because later today, your life will be in their hands and vice versa. Those who survive the first trial will earn their first meal. Good luck.”

Commander Blanchette and her two associates casually left the stage and headed down a hallway, leaving the rest of the brood behind them.

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"Right! Ya heard tha Commander! Move out!" Finlay was quick to shout as he tried to herd the new recruits down a different hallway. The remaining Red Hoods just stood where they were, watching as the new recruits shuffled away. Finlay pushed himself to the head of the pack so that he could take lead and show them where the bunks were. After a right turn down a new hallway, they came across a series of open doors. Finlay turned around to address the initiates.

"I am Finlay Dougal. While you're in tha Keep, I am yer point o' contact. Do as I say and there won't be a problem. We're gonna split inta groups o' four with one short ta three." Finlay stopped for a moment to retrieve a parchment from his back pocket. "Dragomir, Cohen, Chase and Fendrel... Move your arses, you're in this one," he said, pointing to the room to the immediate right. "Album, Devout, O'Shay and Whitlock... This one," he said, pointing to the room to the left, across the hall from the first. He began to backpedal to the next set of doorways as he called out the last group. "Celestina, Von Lilen, and Rivington... Here ya are." All said and done, he put away the parchment and looked to the initiates once more.

"It's like the Commander says, get settled in, but not too settled. Hell awaits. Be ready!" With that, he turned away, striding back down the hall from whence came.

Alpha Prep: Werewolves of London (CLOSED)

Game is on indefinite hiatus, for those who didn't see as much on Discord. The Discord, itself, has been deactivated.