Lazlo.org: Storylines for June 2010

[Lord Z]

I think that Hollister had a good idea about announcing his upcoming storylines in a dedicated thread on this side. So, I decided to try a start a fresh thread for everyone. What are you thinking of posting in June?

Professor Ali should continue to relate his War Story thread entitled Invasion of the Babysnatchers. It is based on a play by post game, so most of it is cut & pasted. Those posts will continue to pop up sparatically when I get my laptop to a wifi hotspot.

I am interested in bringing Raven Davenport back for a while. He is always fun to write. I don't have any specific plans, however, to start a new. He might jump into someone elses story though.

We could explore some more of those classic games from 1st edition & Boxed Nightmares. So far, only City Ruins has been used as best as I know. Suggestions anyone?

I also would like to write a nice, detailed article for the Lazlo Wiki. Requests?

As I was typing this message, I started to think about a storyline intended specifically for high level characters. Some of the more powerful or experienced BtS characters might not see as much action because they tend to overshadow the low level characters who are the majority on the site. My most powerful characters are Tarots, but Raven, a mid-level, might fit because of his authority and resources. Thoughts?

[Cybermancer]

Speaking as one of those high level characters that doesn't see a lot of action, I say, tell me more.

[Jefffar]

Not posting details, but here's a hint.

[Lord Z]

Tempting Jefffar, but no... Thanks anyway J-Bomb, but D.C. is the stomping ground of a lot of Lazlo Society characters. I am thinking about a story which wouldn't drag the lower level characters into it. A disater in that city would rope in characters of many XP levels and power levels all together. Furthermore, a good disater will most likely knock out communications, and I like to see postings that happen during the event. Maybe the high level story arc can happen after after your disaster story. If you still want more warm bodies for D.C., I can send Professor Ali.

Cybermancer, I don't really know which characters are more potent than others. Your namesake and Reckoner were the two that immediately came to mind when I started thinking high level.

The High Rollers Game: Raven is only a 5th level Latent Psychic in Boxed Nightmares. I think that I bumped him up to 6th or 7th level for BN2. Even Victor Lazlo was only 8th level in 1st edition. I suggest setting a minimum of 6th level for characters with powers and/or super-rich, 8th level for characters without powers. Mages & Super-Nats are welcome if they fit the norm of the party in terms of capability -- so no 1st level gremlins or 10th level nightlords.

As for details of the High Roller game, I don't any yet. One possibility is the Shadow Beast scenario set in Du Bai. You might remember that it was the job which Nemesis turned down. That story was something I originally intended for high level characters in Boxed Nightmares 2, but other materials were more important to finish so it never got written. A Window on the World from 1st edition is another likely scenario.

[Cybermancer]

Lord Z,

I'll just take a moment to explain how I see Cyber and his role in the LS.Org.

He's involved in the boards for a couple of reasons at the moment. One is that he's conducting multi-dimensional research so anything that relates to that is going to draw his attention. The other is ongoing (for him) involvement with the Minion War. So any Hades Demons and Deevils will also attract his attention. Those are the IC reasons for him being there.

OOCly, I see him as a tool for enabling RP, especially involving more exotic storylines and environments. Need to get to a nearby dimension? He can help. Need to get to the dreamstream? He can help.

I'm tossing this out there to help generate some ideas for, shall we say, larger scale RP. To draw the attention of the big guns, it's gotta be something the smaller scale heroes might have difficulty with. This doesn't necessarily refer to direct bodily danger as not all challenges are or have to be combat based. Sometimes it's a matter of available resources or past experience.

I do recall the Shadow Beast scenerio in Dubai. But what about it is going to attract the so called heavy hitters?

And are you looking for more direct input and suggestions?

[Lord Z]

Thanks for the explanations, Cy-dog. That does help.

As for the Dubai scenario, he was my basic concept.

Spoiler:

I think that Shadow People might be the next trendy monster, but BtS hasn't done much with them yet. Using the two Shadow Realm articles from Rifter as material, a variety of shadow-themed critters are available, already developed for us. The original critter, the Shadowbeast, has been around since Pal Fantasy, has been in the common spell list of other PB games, but underused in or not at all in BtS. A new super-development was being harassed by Shadow Beasts. The developer wants them out but doesn't want anyone to know that his artificial island is seemingly cursed. So he is hiring mercenaries from out of country who fight the beasts every night. The more mercs he hires, the more Beasts appear. It's an escalating war. Now he needs experts in fighting the SN. What he doesn't realize is that his own ex-wife or some business rival is trying to financially ruin him by summoning these Beasts. The summoner bit off more than she could chew by summoning a Shade Lord to manage her army of Beasts. Now the Shade Lord can easily overpower the summoner and is plotting to open a permanent wide path between Earth and the Shadow Realm. If successful, it won't be the end of the world, but the development will become a Shadow King like the Shadow Forrest in the Magic Zone of Rifts Earth. It would be an endless source of trouble for the BtS world.

I am not married to the idea of Dubai nor even Shadows. Either that scenario or the Window might attract the Cybermancer character's attention. A Minion War related scenario could be fun, but I don't have any of the Minion War books. Someone else would have to structure the scenario. So, we have Shadows, Gargoyles, and Demons on the table so far.

[Cybermancer]

Thanks for the explanations, Cy-dog. That does help.

As for the Dubai scenario, he was my basic concept.

Spoiler:

I think that Shadow People might be the next trendy monster, but BtS hasn't done much with them yet. Using the two Shadow Realm articles from Rifter as material, a variety of shadow-themed critters are available, already developed for us. The original critter, the Shadowbeast, has been around since Pal Fantasy, has been in the common spell list of other PB games, but underused in or not at all in BtS. A new super-development was being harassed by Shadow Beasts. The developer wants them out but doesn't want anyone to know that his artificial island is seemingly cursed. So he is hiring mercenaries from out of country who fight the beasts every night. The more mercs he hires, the more Beasts appear. It's an escalating war. Now he needs experts in fighting the SN. What he doesn't realize is that his own ex-wife or some business rival is trying to financially ruin him by summoning these Beasts. The summoner bit off more than she could chew by summoning a Shade Lord to manage her army of Beasts. Now the Shade Lord can easily overpower the summoner and is plotting to open a permanent wide path between Earth and the Shadow Realm. If successful, it won't be the end of the world, but the development will become a Shadow King like the Shadow Forrest in the Magic Zone of Rifts Earth. It would be an endless source of trouble for the BtS world.

I am not married to the idea of Dubai nor even Shadows. Either that scenario or the Window might attract the Cybermancer character's attention. A Minion War related scenario could be fun, but I don't have any of the Minion War books. Someone else would have to structure the scenario. So, we have Shadows, Gargoyles, and Demons on the table so far.

I've been working on some Minion War related threads for a couple of years now and only now are they starting to pick up. I'm waiting for the next book to come out before I really set it to get going. But I do have all the books published for it thus far.

As for the scenerio you outlined, I can definitely see Cyber getting involved. The trick is to bring it to his attention as a potential issue.

Spoiler:

After the permanent portal is opened, he'd definitely notice but really, the fun is trying to prevent that from happening. Perhaps he could notice the numerous smaller summonings/portals in a localized area?

[Lord Z]

High Rollers Game: I have shot a PM at Reckoner over on the Lazlo side. I also put up a notice at Tank-9. I don't think anything will come of that notice since most folks on that site are uninterested in BtS. We'll see. Who else has a high level and/or powerful character?

The Window scenario would also attract Cybermancer's attention for the same reason.

The Shadows of Arabia scenario was originally designed as a stop it from happening game, but maybe we shouldn't be quick to throw out the after-the-gate possibility. A Shadow Kingdom doesn't have a single permanent gate like rift. Instead, it is an area of space which is shared by both Earth and the Shadow Realm simultaneously. Shadows can pass from one world to another simply by walking through any shadow. The downside -- it would be a permanent development which could be the source of all sorts of trouble for the BtS world. If it's set in a location infrequently used by the other gamers, like the Arabian Peninsula, people might not mind much. Since most gamers seem interested in and happy with their own metaplots, like the Society of Shadows or that werebeast clan, it could be taken as an unwelcome complication.

The upside -- A colony of Shadows sending out spies, diplomats, and troublemakers for a while could be fun. It would make sense to keep the low rollers away and definitely attract the high rollers. I could even bring in Lady Teapot! Also, the Shadow Kingdom doesn't have to be truely permanent. It is there only permanent until Cybermancer finds a way to unanchor it.

Of course, everything I just typed about Shadows and Du Bai could apply equally to Gargoyles and Sigma if we go with The Window to Another World scenario instead.

Okay Cy-Guy, you've read my pitch. Please give me a Minion War related scenario.

Lazlo Wiki: What article would people like to see added next?

[Cybermancer]

High Rollers Game: I have shot a PM at Reckoner over on the Lazlo side. I also put up a notice at Tank-9. I don't think anything will come of that notice since most folks on that site are uninterested in BtS. We'll see. Who else has a high level and/or powerful character?

The Window scenario would also attract Cybermancer's attention for the same reason.

The Shadows of Arabia scenario was originally designed as a stop it from happening game, but maybe we shouldn't be quick to throw out the after-the-gate possibility. A Shadow Kingdom doesn't have a single permanent gate like rift. Instead, it is an area of space which is shared by both Earth and the Shadow Realm simultaneously. Shadows can pass from one world to another simply by walking through any shadow. The downside -- it would be a permanent development which could be the source of all sorts of trouble for the BtS world. If it's set in a location infrequently used by the other gamers, like the Arabian Peninsula, people might not mind much. Since most gamers seem interested in and happy with their own metaplots, like the Society of Shadows or that werebeast clan, it could be taken as an unwelcome complication.

The upside -- A colony of Shadows sending out spies, diplomats, and troublemakers for a while could be fun. It would make sense to keep the low rollers away and definitely attract the high rollers. I could even bring in Lady Teapot! Also, the Shadow Kingdom doesn't have to be truely permanent. It is there only permanent until Cybermancer finds a way to unanchor it.

Of course, everything I just typed about Shadows and Du Bai could apply equally to Gargoyles and Sigma if we go with The Window to Another World scenario instead.

Okay Cy-Guy, you've read my pitch. Please give me a Minion War related scenario.

Lazlo Wiki: What article would people like to see added next?

Looks good.

Okay, I suppose the first thing to be done is to list all the threads that have been started that are already related to the Minion War.

In no particular order:

In which Cybermancer kicks things off.

In which Nemesis is hired to take out a Deevil.

In which a Deevil hires Nemesis to remove a possible obstacle to their plans.

In which Cybermancer and Dr. Boggs team up to foil the plans of a Hades demon.

In which a Demon makes itself known to the boards.

In which some interesting things happen.

I think that's all of them so far.

[Holister]

Hi Guys. I like your idea Lord Z. It initially reminded me of South American Skulduggery from Boxed Nightmares (page 42-57). Were you aiming for something like that? As I recall, that was a pretty awesome campaign that offered a little bit of everything to a wide range of characters. It would probably need to be updated for todays standards which a setting such as Dubai would work great, but if that what was you intended. I also liked the way it tied into Trouble in Old Town from the same book (pages 21-30).

As for high level characters I don't know how many authentic high level characters you will find on Lazlo. Most are entry level from my expereince, but there is no way to tell for sure. Out of all my characters I have used Holister the most and he is only 6th and ever so slowly making his way to 7th. I have Azrael but to say his level of experience is very high is only because of his background and Slayer NPC status from the games I run. Would he work well in a group camapign? Yes. Would he overshadow others? Maybe is the best I can say. So I would feel guilty running him in any role other than NPC or occasional plot poster on Lazlo.

I do have an opinion about bringing " The Minion War " to the Lazlo site. Bad idea. Something like that should be kept to the Rifts and Heroes Unlimited boards. I do not think that the Lazlo site, its players, (or BtS campaign setting in general) is prepared for such hard core camapiagn that " The Minion War " would bring. I just don't think it would be appropriate and would get more of a GI Joe vs Demons response than the authentic Horror setting that BtS is supposed to be.

[Cybermancer]

I do have an opinion about bringing " The Minion War " to the Lazlo site. Bad idea. Something like that should be kept to the Rifts and Heroes Unlimited boards. I do not think that the Lazlo site, its players, (or BtS campaign setting in general) is prepared for such hard core camapiagn that " The Minion War " would bring. I just don't think it would be appropriate and would get more of a GI Joe vs Demons response than the authentic Horror setting that BtS is supposed to be.

Nonsense.

As my above post shows, the Minion War has been running at the Lazlo site for awhile already. It has only recently started involving other players but the "GI Joe vs Demons" thing has not materilized nor will it. There has been a lot of interest from a number of players on the site. Its not 'hardcore' and can be run on a number of levels, again, as I have already shown.

Lazlo personalities already involved (some behind the scenes):

Cybermancer and Nemesis (both me)
Brutal
Slayer
Doc Boggs
Shadowstalker
Wie (helping Clara recover from her involvement)

Those who have shown an interest but not yet gotten involved:
Reckoner
Lord Z

There may be others but they haven't identified themselves to me yet. So that's six players involved already to different degrees and two more at least thinking about it. For Lazlo, that's a hefty percentage of the player base. The characters involved range from low to high level with a range of abilities, expertise and specific interest and involvement with the plot. And that's how something like the minion war should be handled. And if you look closely at Cybermancers opening post (linked in my previous post), it should be very easy to see the levels and types of play possible for all ranges of players, characters, GM's and campaigns. Everything from subtle manuevering from the shadows where the players never even know they were involved all the way to direct confrontations.

Done right, the Minion war is perfect for the BtS setting. As long as those invovled keep in mind scale.

And as always, no one is forcing anyone else to get involved in anything they're not interested in.

[Cybermancer]

Wie's my highest level active account. I took Celeste out of the game because I thought she contributed more to the "Nightbane" feel than BtS. I think I'm with Holister in that it could easily cross into the "Rifts and Heroes Unlimited" territory. However, if pulled off right, anything is possible.

I'm reminded of the story of the General and the woman news reporter. Both assumed the worst in the other.

Long story short, just because something is possible doesn't mean it's going to happen or is even likely to happen.

[Cybermancer]

I also happen to agree with Holister and Petite Elfgirl that bringing The Minion War to the Lazlo Society site just doesn't belong. It would be seriously out of place and contradict the whole purpose of the web site and should be left on a more appropriate forum such as Rifts or Heroes Unlimted as the story is supposed to be. Though I can see this thread also working out for the Nightbane forum also.

Again, nonsense.

I've listed a series of threads involving the Minion War as a backdrop and had I not pointed them out as being involved with the Minion War, no one would have realized it. And that's how you do something like this.

Because it's about scale. You don't have demons marching down the streets, killing the homeless and kicking in doors. You don't have them taking over stretches of territory and duking it out with the heroes.

You have them manipulating. You have them plotting. You have the players being dupes without realizing it. You have the players encountering their cults and minions. And sometimes you let the players see what's going on behind the scenes, a glimpse of one of the true players. And then slowly, you weave the story together until the players can see and appreciate the whole.

What I've done up until recently is create story threads as means of demonstration of how it can and does work. Then I started working with other players to broaden the story. There are plots in the works where I provided the seeds to other players and they've run with them. And they'll be keeping in mind the scale and theme and purpose of Lazlo because they're all players of Lazlo and fans of BtS. And that's why it will work.

Also again, the great thing about a site like Lazlo is that no one is compelled to participate in a story or RP they're not interested in. I'm quite happy with the response I've already gotten. And the feedback I've gotten from those participating has likewise been quite positive.

[Lord Z]

Groovy,
Jefffar and Petite Elf Girl have their plans made.

I didn't know what Doctor Boggs was, so thanks for that.

Some fleshing out of England could be cool. Fleshing out of anywhere other than the continental US would be cool. An update of Mister Donaldson could be downright fun. Exactly how did he extend his lifespan so far? It hasn't been determined.

I'm glad you liked the Shadows concept, John. It is similar to the South American game, but that wasn't my intention. I suspect that both games were trying to fill a lot of gaps. SA Skullduggery seems (at least to me) to be filling in several gaps: an international adventure as opposed to the generic (probably American) settings of the other adventures, use of several previously unused monsters, a ley line nexus, and evil arcanists. Shadows of Du Bai was also my attempt to fill several gaps: shadow people, a single house plan that can be used over and over, and a challenge for high level groups. That is probably why they came out similar rather than my intention.

Looking back on it, the Shadows game was intended to be exactly what Cybermancer is saying that his Minion War scenarios are not. It woujld have involved large monsters walking down streets and kicking in doors. I was intending to use the army combat rules to invoke entire squads of Shadow Beasts fighting platoons of mercs. It wouldn't be for everyone.

I get the feeling that Boggsie, Cybermancer, and myself (as Raven) are the only players interested in a High Rollers storyline. I might be reading too much into this, but Hollister and Petite don't seem interested. Let me know if I'm wrong.

Concerning the Wiki: Really, no requests?

[Cybermancer]

Give me half a chance and I'm sure I could come up with a minion war scenerio that would both be suitable for Wie and that you'd enjoy, Petite Elf Girl.

[Lord Z]

Wait a minute, Gargoyles are a part of Minion Wars. They are natives of Hades. So, the Window to another World scenario has great tie-in potential. It's more in-ones-face than the approach Gamerzombie and Cybermancer are discussing, but it is one of those classic games that we have been talking about revisiting. I suggested it as a High Rollers story, but it would work well for characters of various abilities. Who wants to take the helm?

I will shelf the Shadows concept for a time when there are fewer meta-plots active on Lazlo.

[Cybermancer]

Yeah, Window has always been one of my favorite adventures. It's a great way to get a new group together.

"You're all driving to your individual destinations when there's this flash of light..."

Nemesis is involved in some plots right now and she's 'booked' until the end of June. July is a good month for camping, isn't it? There's Canada Day on July 1st and of course the American 4th of July. It could bring quite a few LS members together, quite accidently. Actually, this could be the chance I've been looking for to have Cyber and Nemmy working together.

So yeah, depending on the timing, you can count on one or both of them to be in.

Oh, and Window on the World works because of it's isolation. Only government types and the PC's really see what's going on. The Government types won't be saying anything and the PC's won't be believed.

If Cyber gets involved, he'll be annoyed at the loss of some of his high tech toys.

[Cybermancer]

If Cyber gets involved, he'll be annoyed at the loss of some of his high tech toys.

Then for the sake of diversity, I hope he's involved.

I had another idea brewing, one that involves the actual Lazlo Agency and another "alphabet soup" agency.

Since I don't have any material beyond Beyond the Supernatural-2 however, it may be kinda inaccurate? (By that I mean, I won't be using Robert Mach, Willie Long [I heard he was in the Agency, but I don't know . . . besides, he's an actual, though rare, poster], or that other guy. Just a few homecooked characters.)

The loss will be termporary but it will definitely bring him down a peg for the duration of the adventure. Some people have nightmares about the boogie man. He has nightmares about EMP's.

Information on the Lazlo Agency only exists in the source material you possess. As such, it's somewhat sparse. I wouldn't be surprised if they had considered making a sourcebook for the Agency until they stopped producing anything for Beyond the Supernatural.

In any case, sounds like you have an interesting plot bunny here. Don't let it get away. Plot bunnies can become mean if they're allowed to escape.

[Lord Z]

Regarding Window: Early July would work just fine for me. What exactly would be the Minion War tie-in angle (if any)? Are the Gargoyles refugees who are fleeing the war? Are they a part of an garison army that has been detoured by the window? Was the accident the work of a Dyval spy who was misdirecting an invasion force away from Dyval-held territories? Just some thoughts off the top of my head...

Regarding Raven: I looked him up. The Boxed Nightmares 2 version is 7th Level. I have been using Raven as a plot hook provider (a plot hooker?) And enabler, much like Cybermancer, but I would like to see him get his hands dirty for a change.

Regarding The Lazlo Agency: According to BtS-2, the Agency has tens of thousands of members worldwide. That gives plenty of room for using the Agency without using Robert himself, imho. Since Robert is one of those reserved Lazlo.org characters only available to the admins but never appears on the site, distant is pretty much the only way to use him. I made an NPC version of the guy with stats for Boxed Nightmares 2. Since it is looking less and less likely that the BN2 material will appear in any form, I could go ahead and post my interpretation of him here. I would be interested in seeing how my vision contrasted with other gamers' visions of the same character. Interested?

Petite, your teaser has me interested in the Lazlo Agency scenario. Are you ready to give any details yet?

[Cybermancer]

I was thinking that guy from the adventure, his name eludes me, the one with a the Diabolic Cat, he could/would definitely be in league with the Hades demons. Maybe they're trying to use technology to overcome the natural dimensional resistance that the BtS/LS world has? That's almost a ready made minion war connection from the adventure itself.

As for a Dyval connection, the more characters from Lazlo that get involved, the more that just happen to be in the right place at the right time to foil the plans... that's a huge coincidence. Or is it enemy activity? It's the kind of machination I'd expect from a Deeval.

The Demons are trying brute force which is typical of them. The Deevals are using finesse which is equally typical of them.

Raven's presence as a reporter would certainly be an advantage. As a whistle blower, even for a rag mag, the government is likely to back off from this area of research and perhaps cut funding and contacts with the dude with a major pact. Not that he'll be powerless afterwards so he'll still have to be dealt with in some fashion. And ongoing minion wars hook. (Although, to be honest I can see Nemesis giving him the old 'smile and wink').

[Lord Z]

Heh, heh, ...the notebook with their toe and roster in it. You've been watching some mobster movies, haven't you Shang? The next time, it will be their finger and their rooster. I kid! I kid!

I am looking forward to seeing more about that government agency (or agencies) when it is ready. Remember that Nightbane: Between the Shadows has men-in-black-type classes and gear.

Regarding Window: There are a few ways Raven could be drawn in. He could be receiving story leads from a mysterious informant, a real deep throat type. It would be a classic follow the money scenario that leads Raven to facility. That informant might be a Dyvaalian, or a witch, or a government type, or an agent of some other faction (Court of Tarot, Society of Shadows, Bradford Group), or even Cybermancer. The same character could lead any other journalist types there.

Cyber will probably already know that something is up due to the 5th dimensional disruptions. He could bring a trusted friend or two with him. Other Society members could be called in because they were nearby when the trouble started, depending on where the game is set. New characters could be campers or travelers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Thus, we avoid unlikely coincidenses of 'Oh, hi Bob, it's good to see you again. Your car broke down here too?'

Regarding Lazlo Agents: None of my characters are agency members. Professor Ali is only marginally a Society member. He is sort of green. I assume that since the highest ranking characters are inactive, most LS.org characters haven't made that transition. I always thought it was a concept more at home tables. I for one would like to see some LAgnecy representation on the boards.

[Cybermancer]

Did you happen to have a location in mind for "Window", Lord Z?

Cyber can definitely provide the ways and means for a few players to arrive. Especially those staying at the mansion such as Dr. Boggs and Slayer. Perhaps Clarity Grace as well.

[Cybermancer]

1. Regarding The Lazlo Agency: According to BtS-2, the Agency has tens of thousands of members worldwide. That gives plenty of room for using the Agency without using Robert himself, imho. Since Robert is one of those reserved Lazlo.org characters only available to the admins but never appears on the site, distant is pretty much the only way to use him. I made an NPC version of the guy with stats for Boxed Nightmares 2. Since it is looking less and less likely that the BN2 material will appear in any form, I could go ahead and post my interpretation of him here. I would be interested in seeing how my vision contrasted with other gamers' visions of the same character. Interested?

2. Petite, your teaser has me interested in the Lazlo Agency scenario. Are you ready to give any details yet?

Sure, though I haven't done any making of my own for Mr. Mach.

2. And sure, too. One line in the book caught my attention: while millions of people know of Victor Lazlo, many people don't even know he's disappeared . . . and it also says that some people ask the website where they might get a hold of him. So, to start things off, here's the literal message I'll post as soon as the character is activated:

How Do I Get In Touch With Dr. Lazlo? <----Title)
Actual Post------->Friends and Associates of Doctor Victor Lazlo:

It is imperative that my church get in touch with your superior, the one called Victor Lazlo. There have recently been sightings of what we are certain is called "ghost," plus other disturbing phenomena. It is only with the greatest of difficulty that we have been able to save many tomes and books from the fire it continually sets. Upon closer examination of the procured texts, we believe that they are manuscripts penned by him, and further might be the only copies in existence. Whether he comes to us, or whether we come to you, it mattereth not. We would be grateful if you could advance this message to him, as if these are indeed writings made by him, we think it in our best interest to return the papers to the original writer.

Yours in humanity's salvation,
Brother Simon.

Then, a week later, whether someone tries to contact him or not (as in, from the Lazlo Society), he'll post something about his confusion, as a small group of MiB's (or something similar) come to his posted address, claim to be a part of the Lazlo Agency, and he hands over the manuscript. Then the real Lazlo Agency comes, and so starts potential adventures from there:

What was written on the manuscripts? Was it written by Victor Lazlo? If not, who? If so, when? Where? How did the manuscripts get to the church in the first place? Is the fire related? If so, was the fire meant to destroy the manuscripts, or something else? Who were the men who took the manuscripts claiming to be the Lazlo Agency? Did they start the fire? Why? Can the men be tracked? Should they be? What was their motivation?

And more. Just something I've been thinking about.

I think I have an idea as to whom may have written them.

Do you remember that character idea I told you about, Petite Elfgirl?

[Lord Z]

Joe, that solo adventure you mentioned would be a great tie-in for the Windows story discussed above. I suspect that you are thinking along these lines also. If Joe's target is doing sub-contract work for the same research group that is sponsoring the Window Experiment, this could be the intial clue that leads the journalists and/or hackers to Sigma Station. Alternatively, Joe's target could be Sigma Station. He damage could be the trigger which causes the Window Experiment to fail shortly afterward. We'll leave that decision up to you.

Petite, that hook reads fantastic. I could see other GMs using that thread as a prop to jumpstart their own table games. Is Brother Simon an Anabaptist?

[Lord Z]

Brother Simon, oh, I get it now.

[Cybermancer]

Yes indeed.

Interesting.

[Cybermancer]

I also would like to write a nice, detailed article for the Lazlo Wiki. Requests?

Considering that the Wiki is about the Lazlo Society, and a society is about the people in it as much if not more than anything, why not do a wiki article on some of the prominent personalities at the Lazlo Society?

[Lord Z]

Whoa, huh, Joe goes missing? If Joe is missing, then who is going to post his story on Lazlo.org? Other than this point of confusion, the story seems great.

By the by, a friend from the Nexus Nine boards is thinking of introducing a new character for the Windows game. I don't know the details. I do not that the character's name is Kevin, but I have been assured he is not the Kevin.

[vika]

I and some other from ls.org was involved in a June 2010 story.

Scotty (Sasha) was found by cab312 (my guy) and Magdalena (was fun to work with her). It is rare that the grotesque does not follow Scotty.

So along with Scotty we found a PTSD victim trying to make cyborgolems from metal he welded together, people he murdered, and bones he stole from a cemetery that happens to be a transitional place of power. It was mostly Sasha's idea but we all made input.

[Cybermancer]

Vika,

I was quite glad to see the storyline you mentioned get posted. I didn't know anything about it so it was nice to see.

Lord Z,

Cybermancer has recently been doing some scans for dimensional energies as part of Logan's gig. Could be he picked up something that leads him to Sigma? Perhaps he can begin poking around now and maybe start sending out feelers out to see who might be interested in investigating? That could begin the set up for Window on the World.

Joe Smith,

It may be that I can help you get things rolling on your RP connection to Window as well, if you like. Maybe his assistant contacts Nemesis because they're concerned? And if the spook light has turned up in government hands in connection to the Sigma project, there may be a way to make a connection there as well.

[Lord Z]

Regarding the Window game: Yeah, I can see the events in Logan's gig definitely leading Cyber to notice those Project Sigma anomalies. It might be a curiosity but not a signal strong enough to track, at least until Joe's event makes something hit the proverbial fan. Raven can be tipped off by a mysterious source who has been feeding him information for some time. Raven will be on his way to meet this informant when the Sigma Station accident happens.

For the moment, let's say that informant is Dr. Jason Tomblin (the dude with the cat, Raul). We should go ahead and decide what Doc Tomblin's angle is and where his loyalties lie. I am thinking he is a Dyvalian witch heading a rival government black op project.

Anyone have a suggestion of where the Sigma Station should be, geographically?

Anyone want to bring in a character by catching a ride with Raven?

Regarding Logan's Gig: I just wanted to say that I am enjoying reading the planning stage here on this side.

Regarding those darn Reptoids: Does anyone know where the Sowki legends originated? Sowki seems to be the plural form of the Russian word Sowka, but I can't get a definition.

[gaby]

I like to known your characters.

[sasha]

Regarding those darn Reptoids: Does anyone know where the Sowki legends originated? Sowki seems to be the plural form of the Russian word Sowka, but I can't get a definition.

It's not a Russian word. It looks like a Polish word.

And according to Google Translate "sówka" is Polish for "owl".

The Russian word for owl is "sova" ("sahv-AH").

[Lord Z]

Thanks Sasha. I did notice the work popping up on a few Polish websites, seemingly as a family name or perhaps the name of a place. 'Owl' almost makes sense.

[Lord Z]

Things are very slow at the dot-org. It is the 8th of the month as I post, but there have been no updates yet for July. I just made a post as RAVEN so that there would be some type of activity. Do I have an odor that is driving people away?

[Cybermancer]

Things are very slow at the dot-org. It is the 8th of the month as I post, but there have been no updates yet for July. I just made a post as RAVEN so that there would be some type of activity. Do I have an odor that is driving people away?

It's just summer time. People are taking vacations, getting outside and that sort of thing.

I see you're running with the whole alien and cultists uniting thing.

[Holister]

I may have something planned if anyone is interested?

[Lord Z]

I wasn't running with it so much as posting a vague follow-up which hinted at the existence and activity of some other faction -- Court of Tarot, Cult of Yellow, or other. It would be nice to think that gamers are getting some fresh air.

So Hollister, what do you have cooking? Wait! On second thought, if you intend to share publically, start a thread for July storylines.