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

[DragonCobolt]

The Brood of Blades
​

Cerebrate Prime: Samantha Clarke

Spoiler: STRANDS

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]

Spoiler: Sparks

Pirates Raiding 6 (Supply Lines in Disarray 1)

COMMAND: Jim Raynor | ARMY: Raynor's Raiders
RESULTS: Pending

Braxis [Zerg Invasion]

Spoiler: Sparks

Borealis Siege 6 (Zerg Rampage1)

COMMAND: General Samantha Clarke | ARMY: Brood Clarke
RESULTS: Pending

Typhan II [Active Xel'Naga ACU]

Spoiler: Sparks

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]

Spoiler: Sparks

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​

 

[Reese]

[X] Turtle up and prepare the disruptor (30 XP battle)

We pull the other one off, and we free Artanis and any other Protoss we can do emergency field surgery to along the way, but only free them, somewhat weaken then, and don't develop a new anti-Xel'naga ability.

We pull this one off, though? Much better.

...Though from other people's posts, possibly I'm misunderstanding how this works. Hm.

The whole fleet, for reasons related to how Amon is controlling the Protoss

Click to shrink...

Oh. Huh. ...Not sure how that works. Still, that'd be good, then.

But I don't think I'm changing my vote. That still weakens Artanis somewhat and doesn't develop the new psychic anti-Xel'naga power.

 

[Avangelion]

But I don't think I'm changing my vote. That still weakens Artanis somewhat and doesn't develop the new psychic anti-Xel'naga power.

Click to shrink...

By 'new psychic anti-Xel'naga power' do you mean The Way and/or the Aeon units?

I'll just leave this here pre-emptively
[X] Turtle up and prepare the disruptor (30 XP battle)

 

[Walker]

[X] Turtle up and prepare the disruptor (30 XP battle)

 

[Reese]

By 'new psychic anti-Xel'naga power' do you mean The Way and/or the Aeon units?

Click to shrink...

This:

The Way...the Aeon used a system similar to the Nerazim's psychic powers to push out Amon's influences. Could you somehow...replicate that on a large scale with the Zerg? You'd have to defend the biomass with one hell of a base...but there was a Dominion headquarters right here, perfect to situate yourself in. If you could manage to create a hive-mind that could counteract Amon's control, the Golden Armada would be freed. Or, at least, this part of it would.

Click to shrink...

 

[Mithrill]

[X] Turtle up and prepare the disruptor (30 XP battle)

 

[Evillevi]

By 'new psychic anti-Xel'naga power' do you mean The Way and/or the Aeon units?

Click to shrink...

This isn't technically new.

Being very specific there is only 2 things you can do to get rid of Xel-Naga influence at this tage.

Namely Psi-Disrupter followed by isolated Hivemind

or

Taking out the hivemind by death/subversion.

My original plan was to do the Artanis thing with the local zerg overmind. The latest plan is to gank artanis. Reese otoh wants to try out the Aeon's version of Psi-Disrupter .

All of this choices are primarily limited in which group they are targeting

 

[NyxNull]

[X] Turtle up and prepare the disruptor (30 XP battle)

 

[DragonCobolt]

Hey guys, just a quick update: I've been feeling kind of burned out on this quest - a combination of how long it is and lots of real life stuff happening, so I'm going to have a break and come back to it when I've got more vim and vinegar!

If you want to keep reading my stuff, I have a weekly story going right now called And The Third Brought Fire which is animist atomic powered steampunk and I have a second quest that I'm feeling less burned out on called The Ketheric-HIve Affair which is Balder's Gate 3...in space!

Sorry about this al!

 

[DragonCobolt]

So, this is still on Hiatus...

BUT!


View: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heat-ttrpg/heat-high-excitement-action-tabletop?ref=discovery

 

[pheonix89]

It occurs to me that when we save Kerrigan her reaction to finding out Samantha rejected deinfestation will probably be adorable.

I betcha we can get volunteers for infestation ala Samantha once we have Kerrigan and Abathur back and Kerrigan will bluescreen when that happens. She has no idea how to process acceptance.

 

[Sengachi]

View: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heat-ttrpg/heat-high-excitement-action-tabletop

IT'S HERE!

If you've liked this quest at all, PLEASE consider donating money to make this a possibility!

Click to shrink...

I haven't quite caught up on the story yet but
a) It's an excellent story. I love how you've merged the settings, the characters are a lot of fun, and Kerrigan is just layers of fun and background anxiety.
b) Definitely a good enough demonstration of the HEAT system for me to hop on on the Kickstarter at the last minute. I can definitely see ways to use this system with my friends.

 

[pheonix89]

So you got me hyperfixated hard DragonCobalt so have more musings.

First: We need a consensual infestation scene oh my god holy shit please. Put it in an epilogue when we get there I don't care it just needs to happen when you come back to this. Sarah having Abathur make a Deinfest Sam crystal is a lovely setup here...

Second: I wonder, was there any feasible path to Sam being consensually infested the first time? I think a little more time with Sarah and cards played just right could have had Sam in a state where Sarah could drop the Cybran enslavement and Queen of Blades bombs at the right time and have Sam take infestation as an option to keep fighting against all the threats out there. Maybe. Possibly.

Third: Are Bea and the Ghosts we freed OK?

Fourth: It's so great how the Sarah we were dating in Act One is just ... Sarah Kerrigan pretending to have less baggage and as it gets more real Sarah starts showing the trauma and gets increasingly confused when she doesn't get rejected. Duran must have been sweating bullets because he is in so much shit if Sarah does the Queen of Blades reveal to someone with good judgement who is on Sarah's side and they don't reject her ... as Act Two demonstrated.

 

[DragonCobolt]

So you got me hyperfixated hard DragonCobalt so have more musings.

First: We need a consensual infestation scene oh my god holy shit please. Put it in an epilogue when we get there I don't care it just needs to happen when you come back to this. Sarah having Abathur make a Deinfest Sam crystal is a lovely setup here...

Click to shrink...

Noted! Though, I will point out, the dubious consent is why it's hot, lol.

Second: I wonder, was there any feasible path to Sam being consensually infested the first time? I think a little more time with Sarah and cards played just right could have had Sam in a state where Sarah could drop the Cybran enslavement and Queen of Blades bombs at the right time and have Sam take infestation as an option to keep fighting against all the threats out there. Maybe. Possibly.

Click to shrink...

Not really! It was always my plan for it to be a weird, fucked up thing that would end with lots of DRAMA and PASSION! You know, to make the sex hotter.

Third: Are Bea and the Ghosts we freed OK?

Click to shrink...

They're in the refugee fleets!

Fourth: It's so great how the Sarah we were dating in Act One is just ... Sarah Kerrigan pretending to have less baggage and as it gets more real Sarah starts showing the trauma and gets increasingly confused when she doesn't get rejected. Duran must have been sweating bullets because he is in so much shit if Sarah does the Queen of Blades reveal to someone with good judgement who is on Sarah's side and they don't reject her ... as Act Two demonstrated.

Click to shrink...

Yup! As I've said elsewhere, this quest is two things - firstly, it is to test HEAT (also, if I ever resume, I will need to rejigger the big war plot since we're reworking Intrigue rules), and secondly, to try and cohere Sarah Kerrigan into...a character? Because she basically is five distinct characters that are each good or fine on their own but, also, never quite...cohere into a single character. For example, Brood War has an extremely cool depiction of Sarah Kerrigan as evil mastermind, but...like...it never explains why she's like that. There's no indication of her being this evil and fucked up before she's Zergified, and as a reaction to trauma, it's underexplored and poorly established and there's this bit where she does something unthinkably cruel to Zeratul as "revenge", despite the fact Zertaul FREED HER FROM THE OVERMIND, something that even a selfish, evil Kerrigan would still appreciate!

Then SC2 has her being pure evil again, then good, then a space god, and like...it can all work, it just needs one, or two rewrites and like, 9 or 12 scenes of lesbian sex.

 

[pheonix89]

Noted! Though, I will point out, the dubious consent is why it's hot, lol.

Click to shrink...

I disagree, though I have a weird kink spread for my extreme preference for wholesomeness.

I can't see what's hotter than Sarah guiding Sam through a metamorphosis with worlds of sexual tension.

Not really! It was always my plan for it to be a weird, fucked up thing that would end with lots of DRAMA and PASSION! You know, to make the sex hotter.

Click to shrink...

I mean, it's a weird fucked up (appreciative) thing anyway ...

Ah well, if we're conscious going in there's probably Duran or Sarah fuckery to make it dubcon anyway.

They're in the refugee fleets!

Click to shrink...

Good.

Yup! As I've said elsewhere, this quest is two things - firstly, it is to test HEAT (also, if I ever resume, I will need to rejigger the big war plot since we're reworking Intrigue rules), and secondly, to try and cohere Sarah Kerrigan into...a character? Because she basically is five distinct characters that are each good or fine on their own but, also, never quite...cohere into a single character. For example, Brood War has an extremely cool depiction of Sarah Kerrigan as evil mastermind, but...like...it never explains why she's like that. There's no indication of her being this evil and fucked up before she's Zergified, and as a reaction to trauma, it's underexplored and poorly established and there's this bit where she does something unthinkably cruel to Zeratul as "revenge", despite the fact Zertaul FREED HER FROM THE OVERMIND, something that even a selfish, evil Kerrigan would still appreciate!

Then SC2 has her being pure evil again, then good, then a space god, and like...it can all work, it just needs one, or two rewrites and like, 9 or 12 scenes of lesbian sex.

Click to shrink...

Yeah.

Yours is much better.

---

Also, the infested ACU was cool and super fucked up (these are the same thing). I want it back.

And Zerg Samantha and Sarah both clearly wanting an infested lesbian polycule was hilarious.

Edit: What did Sarah want with Bea? The canon Queen of Blades would do something horrible, your Sarah might have just wanted to protect the smol psychic for all I know. Possibly/probably including infesting her.

Edit edit: And what would have deciding Sam liked it and failing the Resilience check to remain human have done besides making Sam not be conflicted about her new body feeling great?

 

[Sengachi]

I finally caught up, and I gotta say, I really love what you did with the switch fro UEF focused to Zerg focused. It felt like switching from high view tactical picture of Supreme Commander to the messy personal chaos of the StarCraft 2 Zerg campaign and it worked so well.

Also, let's be honest, the stuff with Kerrigan was hot as hell. Like, I'm with @pheonix89 that a consensual infestation scene would in fact be hot as hell, but also I really love what you did with the horribly messy dubious consent of Sam being infested. So like ... okay first things first, yes it made the hate sex and the relationship messy and insane and feral and visceral and violent in a way that was perfect for the Zerg. But also, and hear me out, I feel like it tied into the way Sam had to previously grapple with killing people during her battles.

I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, and heck this being a quest limits narrative intentionality in a lot of ways, but I think it's a really cool emergent narrative even if not, so I'm going to ramble about it anyway.

So Sam killed people in the first campaign, right? And each time it was a kind of muted horror. She's not used to real live people on her battlefields, and the realities of conquering the Koprulu Sector made her into a murderer ... without her full consent. Because consent requires you to be informed, right? But she didn't know what she was fighting for actually was. Hell her entire military career is one long chain of violence in support of horrible crimes, slavery and the extermination of a free people, all of which she is made party to without her true consent. (And all of which is very interesting and exciting to read about, because it's excellent drama.)

But Sam doesn't know. So her emotional reactions to killing people are muted, sometimes only even happening after the fact. She does it mostly with the press of a button, at a physical remove as well as an emotional one. And in this way she was emotionally subordinated to a commander, President Riley, her cooperation extracted without her consent. And hell, her options were curtailed with or without her knowledge (what could she have even done if she'd known about the Adjutants?) so throughly that maybe she'd have felt compelled to act the same way even if she'd known. (Hell even Sarah's identity was hidden from Sam, there's layers to the consent by deception in the first campaign.)

But then ... then we have Sarah, Kerrigan, and the infestation. Sam is very much bound, her options are very much limited, her commander and new people are questionably ethical at best, with even fewer options for defection or leaving the war, and she is told she must commit violence in the service of another, with even more potential for collateral damage going forward.

But this time? Sam knows it. She sees every chain on her, feels them in her bones and her skin and her mind, can never possibly stop knowing for a single second how she was compromised. But she knows. She can feel something about it, because for all her autonomy is compromised, that Sarah refuses to take from her. Sam has to know the truth, has to feel something about it. All the emotional remove is gone, until there's only visceral boiling personal intensity left.

But Sam's never really had true informed autonomy at any point in this story. It's just that now she knows it. So sure, is it possible for Sam to actually have a genuinely equal relationship with Kerrigan, with Sarah, with the full consent of equals? Hah, no, absolutely not. But the story has revolved around Sam being in situations where her autonomy is curtailed and her consent extracted without her knowledge the whole first campaign. She may not have true autonomy, or the ability to express genuinely uncoerced consent ... but now, for the first time, she has choice.

It's not unconstrained, it's not free, hell her mind is barely her own. But she can for the first time, with full knowledge of all the pressures and chains on her, make an informed choice.

And Sam (via the quest choices) chooses to fuck Sarah raw. To break her armor in the most viscerally violent way possible, to bite and consume her. Fuck maintaining an emotional remove, Sam just wants to smash her and Sarah's bodies together until the pleasure and the pain make it impossible to continue and everything else can happen after she makes this one damn choice for herself, however compromised it might be.

And it fucking rules. It is so damn narratively perfect. And yes it's hot too, and at least to me the way it served to upend everything about Sam's relationship with control from the first campaign was part of why it was so hot.

Hoooo. Anyway. Ramble over. It's a really good story, I look forward to reading your other stuff, and if and when this comes off of hiatus I'm really looking forward to seeing if continue.

P.S. Quick question though, elaborating on the consent theme. I know there's been some talk about Sam infesting other women (which would be hot), building off Sarah's permission for Sam to go after another woman if she told Sarah about it afterwards. (And isn't that a bittersweet thought now?)

But what about the UEF Adjutants?

Are the UEF citizens being told about their slavery? Will the UEF remnants keep using them as slaves? Until the war is done? Until the post-war rebuilding is done? What if the war never ends? Or will they be freed now, and damn the war consequences if some of them (or many of them) refuse to continue their current roles and volunteers to replace those can (understandably) not be found, even if they're told there won't be mind control?

(And on a more mechanical war level, are the networked Adjutants a potential vulnerability Xel'Naga could exploit?)

Anyway, like I said, love the story, thank you so much for sharing it, and I'm gonna go check out your other stuff now!