THE INFINITE BROOD (Starcraft/Supreme Commander Crossover Quest!)

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THE SWARM SHEET
  • Informational
    • The Brood of Blades
    ​
    Cerebrate Prime: Samantha Clarke
    LEVEL: 5
    XP: 205/210
    TRAITS
    Strategic Genius: Once per structured encounter, Sam can create a piece of the environment that is in her favor as a sticky spark. Roll a d3 for its value.
    Empathetic: upon meeting an NPC, learn their motivation!
    Legendary Commander: Gain 4 Command sparks at the beginning of each mission/combat. Command sparks may be spent to give NPCs orders, which they may either obey or refuse to obey (doing nothing instead.) Command sparks may not be regained via skills or powers.
    Hunted: Something wants her - but for what? +1 Danger to all scenes​
    SKILLS
    CLOSE COMBAT (2): Brawling, Edged Weapons
    PERSONAL (2): Awareness, Resilience
    SOCIAL (4): Charm, Empathy, Leadership, Taunt​
    MASTERY
    ACU Pilot (2): Nanofabrication [Mass], ObSat Operations [Range]
    The Hilt (4): Biomorphic Spawning (People), Regeneration (Durability), Physical Perfection (Speed), Telepathic Dominion (Range)​

    POWERS
    The Living Swarm
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Gain 1 Living Swarm spark, +1 per vent reduction.​
    The Living Swarm: While this swarm exists, move in three dimensions and through anything smaller than a keyhole, reforming at will. You may expend these sparks to cause 3 Hit Sparks in a Area 2 radius.​
    Area Upgrade: +1 to Area Characteristic​

    Biomorphic Reinforcement
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Create 1 Biomorphic Reinforcement spark, +1 per vent reduction, which can be given out to anyone within Range 2, or to yourself
    Biomorphic Reinforcement: +1 to Damage or Mass characteristic for the purpose of raw physical strength/feats.

    Back to Back
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Choose 1 ally (+1 per vent reduction), within Range 1. Each can take one action using one of your skills, any of them that you wish. Once they have done so, you may make a free attack with your melee weapon, getting +1 to your skill per ally that acted.​

    Adaptation
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Create a number of sparks equal to the enemy's difficulty, narratively based on turning their abilities against them. Works on enemies of Diff 2>, +2 per vent reduction.​

    Just as Planned…
    Vent: 6-0
    Effect: Vent 6 heat and create 1 Planning Spark for her or an ally, +1 Spark per vent reduction.​
    Planning: The person holding this Spark can expend this to get +1 to a skill check as a free action. Using this Stack counts as you are helping for the purpose of relationships.​

    GEAR
    Zeratul's Psi-Blades
    Adds: +0 (Edged Weapons) | Characteristics: Damage [Speed] (4)[1]​
    Shadowstep (3): Can expend as a free action to move without crossing intervening space.
    Guarded Space (3): Can expend to use Damage as a secondary characteristic for Durability, reducing incoming Damage characteristics.​

    GALACTIC WAR
    Victory Points: 5    ​
    RESOURCES​
    TERRAN DOMINION [Background] (1)​
    The men and material of the Dominion - limited, but they're mustering as we speak. ​
    ALLIANCE EXPEDITIONARY FORCES [Mastery] (1)​
    While you have access to several ACUs of every faction, they lack economic and technological support to be fully effective. ​
    ZERG HIVE [Mastery] (1)​
    The scant few Zerg you control that are free of Amon's influence. Mostly Zerglings. ​
    AEON FLEET [Background] (1)​
    While half a dozen CZARs seem impressive, they're not actually well made for ship to ship combat. ​
    ALLIED COHESION [Motivation] (1)​
    The alliance is fragile and weak.​

    FRONTS​
    Trade Sector-34-51 [Pirate Activity]
    Pirates Raiding 6 (Supply Lines in Disarray 1)
    COMMAND: Jim Raynor | ARMY: Raynor's Raiders
    RESULTS: Pending

    Braxis [Zerg Invasion]
    Borealis Siege 6 (Zerg Rampage1)
    COMMAND: General Samantha Clarke | ARMY: Brood Clarke
    RESULTS: Pending

    Typhan II [Active Xel'Naga ACU]
    Typhan II Occupied 6 (Xel'Naga ACU Spotted 1)
    COMMAND: Lt. Colonel Mathew Horner | ARMY: UEF Armored Command Unit
    RESULTS: Pending

    Deep Space Sector 981 [Hive Fleet Identified]
    Zerg Hive Fleet Spotted 6 (Kerrigan? 1)
    COMMAND: Citizen-Commander Dostya | ARMY: CN Armored Command Unit
    RESULTS: Pending
    ​
    ENEMY ASSETS (Currently Known)
    ​
    THE GOLDEN ARMADA
    ACTIVITY: Unknown | Threat Level: 6​
     
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  • Informational
    • DragonCobolt said:
    The observation room had one other man within.
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    There were two men waiting in the room.
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    This seems a contradiction?
    Ohhhh.

    Aaand caught up!
    Now, the vote...

    [X] Plan: Ninja Tank
    -[X] Guarded Stance (expend to use the Damage as a secondary characteristic for Durability - blocking incoming shots.)
    -[X] Shadowstep (expend as a free action to create movement sparks via teleporting from shadow to shadow)

    Avangelion said:
    Ohohoho fuhuuuuuuuck
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    I'm inclined to see this as an overall improvement, actually. Yes, Narud being there is bad -- but we're already enemies with the UEF. He's a foe we need to defeat, but Duran was that too, just already embedded in Sarah's Zerg, with her ear, with direct influence, and with his true hostility hidden. We also aren't even dealing with a canon-level Narud, where he was external but still able to outright just hire Raynor to unknowningly further his true plans. Here, Narud working on the UEF's doomsday weapon is a major mark against him, and his personal dislike for us probably means he won't even try to pull some "Oh, no, I was genuinely trying to work for freedom, what a pity I got fooled by nefarious government propaganda again" scheme to get closer to us.

    sheep-dodger said:
    Well, it's not like we were planning on just leaving the UEF untouched, so Narud beelining straight there just solidifies that particular future development. At least he's no longer whispering in Sarah's ears.
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    Exactly. He was always our enemy, but now we, and Sarah, know that too -- if not the full extent of it.

    Draz said:
    I mean, he's already president of a slave state that fights an endless war.
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    And was already trying to knowingly and deliberately build a weapon that would, IIRC, let him casually wipe out the population of any planet that didn't do what he wanted.
     
    Adhoc vote count started by DragonCobolt on Feb 22, 2024 at 9:09 PM, finished with 27 posts and 9 votes.
    • [X] Plan: Ninja Tank
      -[X] Guarded Stance (expend to use the Damage as a secondary characteristic for Durability - blocking incoming shots.)
      -[X] Shadowstep (expend as a free action to create movement sparks via teleporting from shadow to shadow)
      [X] Shadowstep (expend as a free action to create movement sparks via teleporting from shadow to shadow)
      [X] Plan: Versatility is Key
      -[X] 2 Sparks of Shadowstep (expend as a free action to create movement sparks via teleporting from shadow to shadow)
      -[X] 3 Sparks of Guarded Stance (expend to use the Damage as a secondary characteristic for Durability - blocking incoming shots.)
      -[X] 1 Spark of Swift Blade (expend to use the Damage as a secondary characteristic against Speed - hitting fast targets, reaching up to slash pilots out of cockpits
      [X] Plan Zandatsu
      -[X] Shadowstep (expend as a free action to create movement sparks via teleporting from shadow to shadow)
      -[X] Winnowing Blade (expend to use the Damage as a secondary characteristic against Mass - cutting through doors, slicing paths through boulders)
      [X] Plan Internet
      -[X] 3 Sparks Shadowstep (expend as a free action to create movement sparks via teleporting from shadow to shadow)
      -[X] 1 Spark Winnowing Blade (expend to use the Damage as a secondary characteristic against Mass - cutting through doors, slicing paths through boulders)
      -[X] 1 Spark Swift Blade (expend to use the Damage as a secondary characteristic against Speed - hitting fast targets, reaching up to slash pilots out of cockpits
      -[X] 1 Spark Guarded Stance (expend to use the Damage as a secondary characteristic for Durability - blocking incoming shots.)
    Click to expand...


    Nice and easily divisable!
     
    ACT TWO, MISSION FIVE: True Colors (0.1)
  • Threadmarks
    • Major Horner frowned as he stood on the green field, looking up at the curved arcs of the half-finished quantum gateway. The two points of it would make a tuning fork shape - and create a stabilized field that would allow an ACU sized vehicle to walk through the gate without the resulting destabilized quasi-atomic explosion that most ACU arrivals signaled. His arms crossed over his chest and he frowned...and considered.

    There was a galaxy of questions. And a whole quantum network's worth of terrible answers, gnawing at the base of his brain. His loyalty was first and foremost to the character of the UEF and the rights it promised the galaxy - the ideals that it advanced with gleaming synthsteel and armies...led by people like General Clarke.

    But what if Clarke wasn't Clarke anymore.

    He frowned. "Sarah Kerrigan," he murmured, the name quiet and bitter under his voice.

    Still. It wasn't in Matt Horner's character to be afraid of-

    "Aha, I find my husband at last!"

    "Oh shit," Matt jerked his head away from the sight of the quantum gateway, looking for somewhere to hide. An engineering bot trundled by - but ducking past it was Mara.

    "There you are!" she said, arms spread. "There are so many fine places on this planet to be enjoying oneself, and you choose the only place with exhaust fumes."

    "There's no-" another engineering bot rumbled by. Its treads kicked up dirt and gravel and he coughed. "They run on electrically distributed-!"

    Mara threw her arm around his shoulder, her cybernetic eye gleaming.

    "STill have not figured out how to tell your mysteriously alive commanding officer how it is you earned such a perfect partnership?" she asked, grinning warmly.

    "You can't be married under duress!" Matt said, flushing.

    "You were not duressed at the time..."

    "I had a blood alcohol content of ought six! I was barely sentient. I'm shocked I lived!"

    "And yet you seem to have been quite alive in the honeymoon suite..." Mara was nibbling on his ear.

    The distant, resonant THUMP of displaced air made both look up. The Hyperion hung in low orbit, kissing the atmosphere and suspended in the air like a brick in gelatin. A moment later, a Protoss carrier joined it, crackling into existence with the same suddenness. The elegant vehicle looked as unlike the Terran vehicle as it was possible for a starship to seem. Then, a third thing joined them. It looked like something between a squid and whale, with vast, vast flukes that spread off in both directions. Its tentacles trailed behind it, and Matt swore he could see eyes on the damn thing.

    "Oh shit," Mara whispered. "I hope the premiums on the colony are paid off."

    "We don't use money anymore," Matt said, distractedly. "I think we'll be all right, though."

    Mara looked at him, then back up at the sky.

    "I hope you're right, Matt," she said, and squeezed his hand.

    Matt was absurdly comforted by the pressure.

    ***
    ​
    "Uh, give it a second. Just..."

    Stettman seemed to be more nervous about you standing there than Jim. Jim was lighting a cigarette and puffing on it, slowly.

    "I thought you were trying to kick bad habits," you said as he blew two streams of smoke out of his nose.

    "A cigarette has never gotten a good man killed," Jim said, firmly.

    "Actually, sir, there are reported cases of lung can-" Stettman started, turning away from the console attached to the airlock.

    "Egon, I'm talking about command decisions, not my long term health," Jim said, chuckling. "Hows the universal airlock?"

    "Well, uh, it's not quite as universal as I'd hoped. Fortunately, the, um, bioform outside the ship appears to be rapidly extruding a...uh..." He paused. "I suppose the best way to describe it would be a kind of mucus-like protein sheath, reinforced with a lattice of microscale tentacles that-"

    "Can you stop!" Swann cut in. "I don't want to know, man!" He put his biological fingers to his temples. "A Zerg creepy crawly is getting all on my pretty ship."

    "...ahem..." you said, arms crossing over your chest. Jim chuckled.

    "Uh, present company excepting, of course," Swann said, hurriedly.

    A green light flashed on Stettman's console and he sprang backwards, lifting up his hands. It was like he didn't want to risk touching it and causing the green to turn back to red, or yellow. As if reading his mind, the console turned yellow, then red, and started to spit out a ferocious array of biohazard warnings. "Uh, oh dear," he said. "The next room over is full of Zerg contaminants and I'm detecting two Zerg lifeforms, and...oh no! A class ten psionic signature too!"

    "Stettman, that was who we were expecting," Jim said.

    "...oh right." Stettman pushed a few buttons and all the alerts vanished. "Right, uh, uh, okay, uh, we can open the door whenever we want."

    Jim breathed in, then stubbed out his cigarette on the wall, right next to the big NO SMOKING sign. "So," he said. "You ready for this, Sam?"

    You slid your hands into your pockets. The weight of Zeratul's psi-blade on your arm feels heavy and unsettling for the first time since he started teaching you how to use the damn thing. Then you frowned and looked at JIm. "Shouldn't it be you who needs to be ready for this?" you asked. "She's your ex."

    Jim snorted.

    The door opened with a hiss and the scent of the familiar - wet and moist, humid and heavy. Standing in the center of the doorway was Zagara, her bulky form scrunched down as tight as she could to fit into the biggest airlock that the Hyperion had for non-cargo purposes. She looked right at you, her glowing yellow eyes narrowing.

    "Clarke," she hissed at you, her mandibles clicking.

    "Zagara," you said.

    "Welcome aboard the Hyperion ma'am," Jim said, offering his hand. "We in the Raiders pride ourselves on our open minds and relaxed attitudes towards recruitment when it comes to spitting in the eyes of fascist blowhards like Mengsk."

    Zagara looked at his hand. She unfolded on her of her manipulators and took it in a pretty passable attempt for a human shake - save that Jim had offered his left hand and she took it with her left as well. gripping back of his knuckle. Jim used his right hand to clasp her hand, then shook it and stepped aside, gesturing the Zerg queen aboard. Zagara thumped past.

    Standing in the airlock, watching with the same shimmering eyes, was Sarah Kerrigan.

    It hurt how beautiful she was.

    Your urge to kneel had nothing to do with her being the Queen of Blades, and everything to do with being that getting your face between her-

    You shook your head, trying to focus as Jim and her regarded one another.

    "Jim," she said.

    "Sarah," he said.

    "You're...looking good," she said. "Different, but good."

    Jim snorted. "I got a bit scruffier," he said, scratching at his jaw. "Lost some weight too."

    Sarah nodded, her head spines drawing in tight as her slashing wings shifted behind her back. The two of them kept a good five feet of clear space between one another. The moment was so...so...shockingly similar to at least one academy experience in your life that if the fate of the galaxy wasn't on the line, you'd have laughed. Then Sarah's gaze turned onto you. She smiled, warmly.

    "And you've taken care of my Hilt," she said, quietly. You blushed and looked away, rubbing the back of your neck.

    "You mean Sam?"

    "It's okay," you said, quickly, before Jim could get too heated. "I'm...I'm her...it's..."

    "She's my Cerebrate," Sarah said, casually, her head-spines flicking in a subtle, rippling shrug. The emphasis on my sent a shiver along your spine. "The Hilt of the Swarm."

    "Funny, I thought she was a person," Jim said, cocking his head.

    You had to say something.

    ---
    Heat: 0/6

    [ ] "It's okay Jim. I'm...part of the Swarm. I've made my peace with it." (DIff 5 Charm check, 1 HEAT)
    [ ] "Guys, are you going to act like exes, or like mature adults? We have a tyrant to kill, right?" (Diff 5 leadership check, 1 HEAT)
    [ ] "Sarah, stop deliberately needling Jim. It's stupid to quantum teleport sixty five light years and waste time with this bullshit." (Diff 5 Taunt check, 1 HEAT)
    [ ] Write In
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] "Sarah, stop deliberately needling Jim. It's stupid to quantum teleport sixty five light years and waste time with this bullshit." (Diff 5 Taunt check, 1 HEAT)

    No particular reason why it's just fun to poke at her from time to time.
     
    [X] "Sarah, stop deliberately needling Jim. It's stupid to quantum teleport sixty five light years and waste time with this bullshit." (Diff 5 Taunt check, 1 HEAT)
    -[X] Then Cr tackles Kerrigan and starts licking her face like an overexcited dog.

    I want Sarah to be in a good enough place to decompress and stop being controlling in non-hot ways. So I need her and Jim to work things out to at least being friends again. So her support network isn't just her control of Sam and the Swarm.


    Edit: ...and yoink this could also work to cut the tension to get these two to talk like the incredibly competent adults they both are.
    [x] "We can all see that you're a weird sexy alien. You don't need to play it up. Come, let's meet old friends and plot revolution."
     
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    [x] "Guys, are you going to act like high school exes, or like mature adults? We have a tyrant to kill, right?" (Diff 5 leadership check, 1 HEAT)

    You can have adult exes, slapping high school on there should clarify the jab.
     
    [x] "We can all see that you're a weird sexy alien. You don't need to play it up. Come, let's meet old friends and plot revolution."
     
    [X] "Sarah, stop deliberately needling Jim. It's stupid to quantum teleport sixty five light years and waste time with this bullshit." (Diff 5 Taunt check, 1 HEAT)
     
    [X] "It's okay Jim. I'm...part of the Swarm. I've made my peace with it." (DIff 5 Charm check, 1 HEAT)
     
    [X] "Sarah, stop deliberately needling Jim. It's stupid to quantum teleport sixty five light years and waste time with this bullshit." (Diff 5 Taunt check, 1 HEAT)
    -[X] Then Cr tackles Kerrigan and starts licking her face like an overexcited dog.

    We certainly wouldn't tell Cr to do that... 🙃
     
    [X] "Sarah, stop deliberately needling Jim. It's stupid to quantum teleport sixty five light years and waste time with this bullshit." (Diff 5 Taunt check, 1 HEAT)
    -[X] Then Cr tackles Kerrigan and starts licking her face like an overexcited dog.

    [X] Have Cr tackle Kerrigan and start licking her face like an overexcited dog.

    Updating my vote.
    Edit:
    [x] "We can all see that you're a weird sexy alien. You don't need to play it up. Come, let's meet old friends and plot revolution."
     
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    [x] "We can all see that you're a weird sexy alien. You don't need to play it up. Come, let's meet old friends and plot revolution."
     
    [X] Have Cr tackle Kerrigan and start licking her face like an overexcited dog.

    I mean, come on, you have to admit this move gonna get Kerrigan position to an approachable position. And not alienate your allies. And show Zeratul at least Kerrigan don't control everything, an assurance when Daelam Protoss start joining up.
     
    [X] "Sarah, stop deliberately needling Jim. It's stupid to quantum teleport sixty five light years and waste time with this bullshit." (Diff 5 Taunt check, 1 HEAT)
    -[X] Then Cr tackles Kerrigan and starts licking her face like an overexcited dog.
     
    [X] "Sarah, stop deliberately needling Jim. It's stupid to quantum teleport sixty five light years and waste time with this bullshit." (Diff 5 Taunt check, 1 HEAT)
    -[X] Then Cr tackles Kerrigan and starts licking her face like an overexcited dog.
     
    [X] "Sarah, stop deliberately needling Jim. It's stupid to quantum teleport sixty five light years and waste time with this bullshit." (Diff 5 Taunt check, 1 HEAT)
     
    [x] "Guys, are you going to act like high school exes, or like mature adults? We have a tyrant to kill, right?" (Diff 5 leadership check, 1 HEAT)
    Draz said:
    I think Clarke is kinda over that. Zerg hormones won't let her sulk.
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    We took a decent amount of the 'I'm not happy with this situation" options, pretty recently too. Be kinda annoying if that all got handwaved away with 'hormones'
     
    [X] Oh right, she means sexually, not metaphorically. You wouldn't believe the things Zerg biology lets her stick in me and still get away with. Alright, now that I've expertly cut through the weird sexual tension of two exes meeting post transition, how about we go and plan how to kill two fascist motherfuckers? (Taunt skill check)
    -[X] Then Cr tackles Kerrigan and starts licking her face like an overexcited dog.
     
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