'A Brave New World'-The Silver Age RPG: Volume 1

[Andy C.]

The Silver Age RPG

Game Master: Andy C.
Assistant Game Master: Catman_prb

It's midway through the 20th Century, and the citizens of the gleaming Millennium City bear witness to a dazzling meteor shower. However, what they don't know is that the few meteorites that impacted on Earth have more to them than meets the eye. When some are recovered by the government, it's made public that some of the meteorite specimens have caused incredible mutations to those who come into contact with them! Many of these super-humans are put to work by the United States for public service, but the true extent of the "Meteor Men's" abilities is yet to be seen...as are their loyalties in the ever-escalating Cold War...

Meanwhile, authorities all across the world are astonished at the increasing number of Unidentified Flying Objects sighted over Earth's major cities. While these sightings are usually dismissed as paranoia about Soviet satellites or more strange meteors or the like, certain circles are taking the talk much more seriously.

Elsewhere, the Space Race has led to fantastic technological advances in virtually every field of applied sciences. Inspired by Einstein and his contemporaries, more and more scientists and inventors are pushing the limits of human ingenuity. While there are some who question the possible side effects of these experiments, there are few who stand in the way of scientific ambition.

All around the world, strange and remarkable events have begun occurring. Unbeknownst to all, the most truly unbelievable events have only been set in motion. As a new day begins on the planet Earth, the sun has just begun to rise on Millennium City...

RULES:

For the complete rule book with instructions on character-creation and Role-Playing guidelines, please visit the Sign-Up/OOC Thread:

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=290409

A few quick rules of thumb, however:

-No killing other characters. That's the cardinal sin of all RPGs, and this one is no exception.
-While most of the principal action will occur in Millennium City, things like other dimensions, space adventures, and whatnot are not only allowed but encouraged. Time travel, however, must be approved by the GM.
-Using another player's character in a post must be first approved by that player.
-Keep the language and subject matter within the lines of the Silver Age theme. That means stuff like blood-and-guts, sexuality, and drug abuse are strictly off-limits (possibly allowable in very rare cases) That's not to say 'dumb it down,' but not everything here has to be Watchmen, y'know?

-Have fun, curse you!

ROSTER:

HEROES:

The Citizen (Champion, Lv. 2)
Eddie Brock Jr.

Doctor Rock (Gadgeteer, Lv. 2)
Byrd Man

Captain Astro (Champion, Lv. 2)
Andy C.

VILLAINS:

Avenger (Marauder, Lv. 2)
Catman_prb

Velocity (Speed Demon, Lv. 2)
Oh Snap!

[Andy C.]

MILLENNIUM CITY:

Located in the heart of New England, Millennium City is home to over six million people, both ordinary and extraordinary. It is the single most technologically advanced city on Earth, as well as the cleanest. Its people are typically friendly, and its industries are perpetually booming. However, the growing number of strange events taking place in and around the city may prove to make Millennium City a bit more dangerous than believed.

Centered on the island of New Athens, the city now covers four islands as well as several miles of the mainland, and is divided up into eight distinct boroughs:

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

Haneyville: Connected to the main island via the Olsen Memorial and B&B Cross-Town Bridges, Haneyville is a stretch of suburbia meant for those who wish for a quieter life outside of the hustle and bustle of the city. It's a nice peaceful middle-class haven, punctuated by the beautiful Adams Park and the Hamilton Museum of History.

Friedrichstown: Along the northern end of New Athens is Friedrichstown, a massive sprawling residential section of the city. This borough provides housing to most of the working class of Millennium City, many of whom work on the numerous Northern Docks or the countless other construction sites around the city. There are plenty of places for the blue collar workers to unwind, most noticeably Goodwin Stadium, home of Millennium City's currently-undefeated baseball team, the Comets. Also located in Friedrichstown is the old Fradon House Mission, where Miss Fradon still hires volunteers to do charity work throughout the city.

Alphabet City: Down along the western side of the island is a grid of residential blocks known simply as Alphabet City, due to virtually all of the streets being designated simply by letters rather than names. A massive achievement of urban renewal, Alphabet City was once the roughest slum on the East Coast, until billionaire industrialist Stan Shamrock put his fortunes into renovating the borough into a clean and efficient residential area. While there are no real remarkable landmarks inside the rows upon rows of uniform apartment complexes, Alphabet City is conveniently adjacent to the most beautiful place on the whole island, Weisenger Park.

New Bohemia: Shortly following the onset of the Cold War, a counter-culture revolution began that resulted in the birth of the 'beat' generation. In Millennium City, these artists and artisans carved out a community for themselves in a village they christened 'New Bohemia.' Since then, it has become a fixture of the city, home to countless theaters, jazz clubs, art galleries, and street performers of virtually all kinds (particularly in and around Schwartz park). While it can be a fairly rough place after dark, nowhere else on the Eastern Seaboard has the unique character and style of New Bohemia, and the people who live there thrive on it.

Hypopolis: By far the most techno-centric part of the city, the borough of Hypopolis is awe-inspiring to those who have never seen it before. Gleaming skyscrapers jut into the clouds, the spires of the massive Lee and Ditko Towers impossible to see from the ground on a cloudy day. This borough is the pulse of Millennium City, with row after row of technological firms such as Wolfman Incorporated or corporations like O'Neil and Adams Limited, and the city's official newspaper, the Daily Pioneer. This is also the political center of the town, with the state Capital and Courthouse located at the impressive Lieber Plaza. And while the average tourist may not be wowed by the proceedings inside these impressive buildings, there is still plenty of entertainment to be found at the massive sports arena known as the Siegel Civic Center.

The Bricks: Unfortunately, not all of Millennium City has been renovated, as seen by the sprawling slums along the south and east sides of New Athens, an area simply known as 'The Bricks.' Life is tough for the lower-class men and women who live here, as they scrape by to make a living outside of the nicer boroughs. Gang violence and organized crime are still rampant in the Bricks, and matters are not helped by the unsettling number of policemen who seem to be in on the take. While the good people within this borough are either paid off or knocked off, it is unlikely that the Bricks will ever catch up with the rest of Millennium City.

Kirby Island: On the other side of the Journey Bridge across from the Bricks is Kirby Island, a rather strange section of city that has become home to a scientific community that somewhat mirrors the artists of New Bohemia. While the rival scientific firms CometCorp and Romita Industries hire most of the inventors, chemists, physicists, and thousands of other scientists who populate the island, most of the ideas coming out of the community have very little to do with company projects. Described by the Daily Pioneer as "Mad Science gone good," any day on Kirby Island sees countless wild contraptions being tested out on the rooftops of apartment blocks, mind-boggling equations written out as street graffiti, or revolutionary theories being discussed over a few rounds of drinks down at The Thinker.

Steranko Island: A massive facility shared by the Army, Navy, Air Force, and NASA, Steranko Island is home to Fort Gill, where countless projects are tested by the U.S. Government in order to protect American citizens from the growing threats of the Cold War. The actual details of these tests are, of course, strictly classified.

Binder Island: Accessible only by boat, Binder Island is known for only one thing: Steelgate Prison, where Millennium City's worst offenders spend their time after being brought to justice.

LANDMARKS:

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

1. Bradbury International Airport

2. Millennium City Light and Power

3. Millennium City Water Refinery

4. Hamilton Museum of History

5. Fort Gill

6. Goodwin Stadium

7. Fradon House Mission

8. The Daily Pioneer

9. Lee and Ditko Towers

10. Wolfman Incorporated

11. O'Neil and Adams Limited

12. Lieber Plaza

13. Siegel Civic Center

14. Millennium Tower

15. The Hotel Royale

16. Shamrock Enterprises

17. CometCorp

18. Romita Industries

19. The Thinker

20. Steelgate Prison

[Andy C.]

PROLOGUE:

Human beings, even with their need for identity and individuality, are very social beings. It's been said that one cannot meaningfully exist without contact from others. Whether it is in families, groups of friends, or entire communities, the one binding factor of all humans is the need to share experiences with each other.

On this night in Millennium City, all eyes were turned to the sky.

The rooftops of Friedrichstown and Alphabet City were crowded with would-be stargazers. The artists of New Bohemia stood with blank sheets and canvases at the ready, waiting for inspiration to come. Telescopes stuck out of windows from Haneyville to Kirby Island.

Enthusiasts and casual onlookers alike waited with baited breath. Imaginations ran wild with ideas of how the spectacle would play out. This would be a once-in-a-lifetime event, and there was hardly a soul that was willing to miss it.

According to NASA, tonight would see the largest meteor shower ever recorded.

The stars glittered above, as they did every night. Few took notice of them on most other nights, however-- the lights of Millennium City shined so brightly that one could almost forget it was night at all. Tonight, the stars were a backdrop, a stage for the meteors to play upon. As the hours went by, the anticipation only grew.

It began slowly, a single white line flitting across the void. It was almost a tease. A trick of the eye. The promise of magic. Another white line chased after it a minute later. Then another, and another.

Then the cosmos let loose.

The sky, from one horizon to the other, came alive with streaks of light and color. The whites of the stars were drowned out by flashes of gold, green, blue, and purple. People barely even noticed the smoking trails of meteor rock that made it through the atmosphere, plunging into the bay or burying deep in nearby farmland. They were transfixed, awestruck by the majesty and splendor of the heavens as it rained down on Earth.

After only a few too-short minutes, it was over. The sky faded to black, the glittering stars signaling the end of the show like movie credits. Throughout the city, the people went back to their homes, punctuated by a few scattered cheers and the occasional hooligan firing off bottle-rockets. The meteor shower had come and gone, and as far as they knew, the excitement was over.

It wouldn't be until the next day that Millennium City would know that this was only the beginning...

[Eddie Brock]

IC: THE CITIZEN

I feel like a kid in a candy store right now. I'm sitting at my new desk in City Hall, and I'm just looking out at the beautiful Millennium City skyline. Sure, the time for serious politics and work is coming. I have a lot of reforming on the horizon. But for now, as the newly-elected Mayor, I'm still in the 'celebration' stage. It seems like every time I turn around, someone else is congratulating me on the new job. If I was less of a man, I'd let it go to my head.

I honestly don't know how I ended up in politics. I mean, I've always been a patriotic man. In high school, I played baseball - America's pastime. And I served in the Army for several years, even fighting in World War II. But politics is a whole different realm. I've had Nazis literally try to cut my throat, but they're not nearly as cutthroat as rival politicians. It's all about the image, and I hope I have that. Apparently, the people of Millennium City like me a little bit, at least. Here's hoping I can earn their trust and respect over time.

"Mr. McDonald, you have a visitor," my new secretary, Martha, announces from the doorway. Martha's a sweet woman. I should leave a note for myself to give her a raise. She really does a stellar job, and she does it with a smile on her face.

I rise from my seat and brush the lint off my suit. With a smile, I jokingly ask, "Who's here to congratulate me now?"

Martha merely slips behind the doorway as a new figure takes her place. I recognize the new woman right away. I've known her for over half of my life. I thank God for every day I spend with her. It's my lovely wife, Katherine McDonald.

"Well, honey, you already have my congratulations," she explains, "But I hope a visit from your spouse is just as rewarding."

I make my way across the office to her. "Are you kidding? You know I enjoy your company infinitely more than stuffy politicians who just want to get on my good side," I assure her as I embrace her tightly, kissing her once on the cheek. I head back to my chair and beckon for her to come over. She obliges as she takes a seat on my lap, resting her head on my shoulder. "So, do I have long with you or do you have other matters to attend to?"

She bites her lip softly as she sheepishly replies, "I'm afraid I can't stay long. But I was in the neighborhood, and I wanted to see your new office." She looks around, examining everything on my desk. "It's nice."

"Better when you're in the room," I add coyly. She merely gives me another look at that beautiful smile. God, Katherine, you know just how to make a man's heart race.

"Listen, now that the elections are over, I have a little announcement of my own," she explains. I instantly perk up as she sits up straight on my lap. "How would you, Mr. Mayor, like being a father?"

I squint slightly at her inquiry. It takes only a matter of seconds for the statement to sink in. When it does, my eyes widen more than when the election results were announced.

"You're not saying..."

"I'm pregnant!" Katherine shouts excitedly while wrapping her arms around me tightly. I'm still in a state of utter shock. I mean, I'm so happy! Being a father is so much better than being a Mayor!

"I don't believe it!" I reply joyously before kissing her passionately. "I'm going to be a Dad?" I think back to my father. He was such a great man. I owe so much to Dad for everything he's ever done for me. He'll be positively ecstatic at this news! And I can't even imagine how Mom will take it. She'll love being a grandmother!

"I really do have to go, but I wanted to deliver the good news," Katherine explains as she hops down and adjusts her dress. "I'll see you at home?"

"Can't wait," I respond, my cheeks beginning to hurt from all the smiling.

After my wife leaves, I make my way to the window. The smile is still emblazoned on my face. As I look out at the beautiful city, I see hope dawning. This job can really bring something great. And with my private life going so amazing, I couldn't be a happier guy.

I believe in Millennium City.