https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=with+great+powerI'm planning on ending a long hiatus.A few years ago I was running an OC Cape Quest called 'With Great Power'. It did okay until I burned out, then got a job, and then burned out again. It's always been in the back of my mind though, so I decided to bring it back. It being literal years since I last ran it though, with the player base long since dead, a recap thread seemed like a good idea.So what is 'With Great Power'?For one, despite the name its not a Spider-Man quest.Set in Chicago, you play as Eric Miller/Hotspur, a teenage boy recently empowered in an event called the Chicago Explosion. A mysterious cosmic phenomenon, the Chicago Explosion has empowered hundreds of people seemingly at random across the Midwest, and as time goes by there are signs of it spreading across the world. Most of these newly empowered people just want to stick to being ordinary people, a small number though have taken up the mantles of heroes and villains. Called 'parafreaks' by some, they've already become the center of some serious political attention, with conspiracy theories and the media stoking fear and suspicion against this small group.(Yeah, its very X-Men. Mutants without other super powered people running around.)Meanwhile there are hints of a far more dire, cosmically significant conflict at hand. Something called the Druj is infecting the world, its tendrils corrupting every day people. Eric's sometime ally, James Green, the recently empowered Red Wizard, knows more than he does. What Eric has figured out so far is its connected somehow to ancient Iranian mythology and religion, specifically the Zoroastrian teachings.Eric is a decent kid trying to do good. He lives with his widower dad around Humboldt Park. He plays on the school basketball team, has a complicated relationship with a couple of girls, and is also the unofficial leader of a rag tag group of street heroes called Fire Watch. He's had run ins with the mafia, biker gangs, the cartel, and shadowy government agencies that seem intent on using the newly empowered people for their own ends. His super powered opponents have ranged from invisible perverts to mindlessly hungry gelatinous blobs, and every gang now seems to have some kind of super powered asshole on their payroll.
>>6079011YEEEEEEEEEEEEES IT'S HERE, IT'S FINALLY HERE, MY GOAT, ONE OF THE FIRST QUEST I'VE EVER READ DIED AND FINALLY CAME BACK, LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOO Now is time for Swamp Lord Quest to make a comeback and that would make this shitty year into a good one
Then there's Ixion Energy, run by Julian Dodd. The techbro of techbros, Dodd is doing something strange in his labs that involves parafreaks and the energy that empowered them.If that was all that'd be bad enough, but there's a growing political movement intent on 'containing' the parafreak threat called 'Humanity First'. Politically savvy and broadly popular, they've made gains in local elections and have been successful in spreading their message. And their message is far from irrational, parafreaks can be a very serious threat to the community. But do their ties to government agencies like the Department of Paranormal Affairs run deeper than they seem? And what is the extent of the DPA's connection to the merciless Dr Auken and her strange experiments in the government run Black Site?HOTSPUR:Powers: The limits of Hotspur's powers are currently unknown, but so far he's shown the ability to boost his natural physical abilities beyond the normal range of human ability. While Hotspur can't fly, he can defy gravity by jumping half way up the Sears tower in a single bound. He can increase his strength to where he can lift a small truck with little effort. Using his powers is physically taxing though, and he needs to eat a lot of food to get his strength back. Supernatural senses: Hotspur has the ability to observe strange apparitions and visions. Quick healing: Hotspur can't survive a gun shot to the head, but he bounces back from injury unnaturally fast. Oath binding: Arguably the strangest of Hotspur's powers, he can force people to swear an oath that, if broken, has potentially deadly consequences. Boxing and BJJ: Eric has been training a combination of boxing and bjj to compliment his powers, and has become a proficient enough boxer to compete in amateur competitions.Hotspur overall has a no kill policy. PR for your kind is bad enough, stacking bodies might not help.ALLIES:Hotspur's first and most prominent super powered ally is MISFIT/NATALIE RODRIGUEZ.Powers: Misfit has the power to create light based explosives. She's also a highly skilled motorcyclist and mechanic and is handy with a metal pipe. She's 'technically homeless' but has settled on Queen Rat's farm, a shelter for the parafreak community. A founding member of FIRE WATCH and one of Hotspur's best friends, she has a deep and unwavering faith in Eric as a hero and a person. Misfit is a lesbian and in a relationship with Eric's ex-girlfriend Kaylee.SHARKPowers: More warrior of prophecy than pure superhero, Shark is a giant anthropomorphic shark with the ability to smell evil. He then eats the evil, bones and all. Very much has a 'must kill' policy. Whoever he was before the Chicago Explosion, no one knows, and he insists he is 'only' a shark. Used to live in Lake Michigan, now lives at the Farm under Queen Rat.
PRATFALL/XIANG HUPowers: Kinetic absorption and redirection. Dressed as a jester, every time Pratfall takes a hit, she absorbs and stores the kinetic energy within herself, storing it to be unleashed in an awesome torrent of force. Super durability. Pratfall can take a hell of a hit. Pratfall is also an expert gymnast. A college student working on her master's degree, she is in a romantic relationship with a sasquatch (yes, bigfoot is real). Also a founding member of FIRE WATCH.THUNDERCHILDPowers: teleportation, but only where he can see. A former basketball rival of Eric's, Thunderchild now protects the Chicago south side. A founding member of FIRE WATCH, Thunderchild isn't an anti-hero, but neither is he as clean cut as Hotspur. He's willing to push the line to protect his people. A one time prisoner of Dr Auken and the Black Site, Thunderchild is sympathetic to the parafolk separatist movement and suspicious of humanity.GRITPowers: Earth manipulation. Very much an anti-hero unafraid of a body count, Grit has cut his teeth dealing with the Triads. A tough, working class father of one, Grit is ready to get his hands dirty. A founding member of FIRE WATCH.DOG BROTHERPowers: Canine communication and control. Strange and awkward, Dog Brother is a stuttering wreck living on the street. Protector of strays of all kinds and despite his smell and nervous ticks, he's a pure hearted hero through and through. Has a one eyed silky terrier named LAYLA. A founding member of FIRE WATCH.THE RED WIZARD/JAMES GREENPowers: Literally a wizard. The only character 'not' empowered by the Chicago explosion, and in his own words 'not a stupid fucking super hero', the Red Wizard is the latest in an ancient line of near extinct mystics sworn to keep the balance between the material and spiritual world, and there's something fucked up stirring in the gulfs of the spiritual world. He does not like being pulled into superhero bullshit, but can't deny there's some strange connection between himself and Eric.CIVILIANSMADDIE GRANTWorking for the DA, Madeline Grant is Hotspur's closest non-powered ally. They've worked together to bring down some of the biggest gangs in the city and unearth Chicago's deep political corruption. Hotspur's first big moment as a hero involved rescuing Ms Grant from the Chicago Outfit.AGENT PENDEROSEEnemy turned begrudging ally, Agent Penderose is the eyes on the street of the Department of Paranormal Affairs. While they don't trust each other, they've fallen into an alliance of convenience against each other's political enemies.DAD/JOE MILLEREric's dad, a hard working widower. Joe has started a serious relationship with Eric's English teacher, Carmen Flores. Originally from Carmel, Indiana, Joe is a proud Hoosier adapting to Chicago life.IVY CHAMBERSEric's girlfriend. Blonde, mean, and dedicated, despite coming from money Ivy's had a tough life.AYESHA CARVEREric's girlfriend. Sweet, smart, and kind hearted.
>>6079012Hey, glad to see the quest hasn't been entirely forgottenSorry, should have pre-written more of this.I'm going to move on from characters and get to plotlines, but first, the villains!SUPER VILLAINS:SALAMANDER/GABRIELLA MARINOPowers: Pyromancy. Salamander is an enforcer for the Chicago Outfit and Hotspur's first super powered opponent. Bordering seven feet tall, she's a tall, lanky lady proficient in muay thai. Likes to dress in sharp suits and has no qualms turning folks into barbeque.THE CREEP/EUGENE NGUYENPowers: Invisibility. A former classmates of Eric's, the Creep is now imprisoned after stalking and harassing Ayesha. Hotspur's second super powered opponent.HOUNDMASTERPowers: None. Houndmaster is a psychotic mercenary now more machine than man. He has a coterie of advanced drones under his command and a swiss army knife of weaponry in his artificial limbs. Despite having no powers, he has proven to be one of Hotspur's most dangerous enemies.OOZEPowers: A gelatinous digestive system. Possibly the worst victim of the Chicago Explosion and the best case against the Parafolk community, Ooze is an endlessly hungry creature who eats anything in its path. Think the 80s Blob if it could talk, but the extent of its thoughts are how agonizingly hungry it is.FOX TROTPowers: Turns into living stone. The sexy French thief Fox Trot is more rogue than villain, but she and Hotspur have had their share of encounters. Her motives so far unknown, she is a potential ally as much as a potential menace.STALLIONPowers: Super strength, mild super speed. Horse like in appearance but not in a centaur like way, Stallion is a super thug working for the Haitian. A one time prisoner of the Black Site, the last Hotspur saw of him he was being carried off by Fox Trot.CRUSADERPowers: Vibration control. A hapless thug for the DPA, Crusader is a sell out and a scab, and not particularly brave. He's bungled his share of jobs.SEMPER FIPowers: Flight, super strength, super durability. The vain 'Semper Fi' is a former Marine turned government agent, more concerned with a paycheck and power than doing good. She has been the cover girl for government super agents, but has a viciousness her handlers struggle to hide.DR AUKENPowers: None. Looking like a kindly grandmother but with the ruthless curiosity of Dr Mengele, Dr Auken is the head researcher of the government funded Black Site. Originally from Germany, she oversees experimentation into parafreak prisoners.XENIAPowers: Various worms. Xenia is Dr Auken's assistant and bodyguard. She's a deadly woman with no ethical considerations other than doing her job.(there are more but we'll leave off for now)
PLOT LINES:WITH GREAT POWER: Eric comes into his powers and decides to be a super hero.THE HUNT FOR THE STONE: The source of the Chicago Explosion, various criminal, corporate, and governmental organizations fight to claim it. The winner was Ixion Energy.THE NEW YEAR'S DAY WAR: The culmination of the Hunt for the Stone. A wild battle on the Chicago docks.THE SECRETS OF THE FIRE: Eric investigates the strange visions and mystical callings he's been having, leading him to a Zoroastrian fire temple on the outskirts of Chicago. So far unresolved.RISE OF THE RED WIZARD: Eric helps James Green discover the legacy of his grandfather, coming into the mantle of the Red Wizard. Eric is made the Wizard's 'boon', dedicated to helping him confront the spiritual evil afflicting the world. Connected to the Secrets of the Fire subplot.FIRE WATCH AND THE COUNCIL OF CRIME: Eric assembles a team of heroes to battle the Council of Crime, a coalition of organized criminals banded together against the new super powered threat. Resolved with the arrest of all the main council figures except the Haitian.808S & HEARTBREAKS: After breaking up with Kaylee, Eric's love triangle with Ayesha and Ivy comes to a head with a surprising result, everyone is willing to share. Seems like a dream come true, but has alienated some of Eric's civilian friends and caused deep problems with Ivy and Ayesha's families.HUMANITY FIRST MILITIA: The rise of anti-para factions has lead to violence and political dissent across the country, all centered on Chicago. Eric is navigating the perils of these political fractures while other parafolk, lead by the charismatic NEMESIS, are hitting back with escalating violence. Only QUEEN RAT is offering any kind of safety for the parafolk who just wants to get by. Eric has drafted the enigmatic Shark to protect the small para community. So far unresolved.IXION EXPERIMENTS: Whatever is going on in Ixion Labs, its something strange. With super advanced tech from combat mechs to blue prints of operational starships, the ambitions of Julian Dodd seem out of this world. With Eric's Uncle Karl working security there and Pratfall's civilian identity employed as an intern, the secrets of Ixion Labs run deep. So far unresolved.RESCUING THUNDERCHILD: Arrested for a crime he didn't commit, Thunderchild was taken to the Black Site. Teaming up with outlaws SULLIVAN and BABY GIRL, Hotspur breaks into the site to free his rival turned friend. Resolved.SECRETS OF THE BLACK SITE: Whatever Dr Auken has been doing on behalf of the United States government, Hotspur has only gotten a hint of how deep it goes. But they're gathering parafolk for experimentation, for what purpose, who can say? So far unresolved.
ERIC MILLER'S PUNCH OUT!!: Training for amateur boxing competitions isn't easy, even for a super hero. Eric's trainer thinks he has what it takes to get far, but how far is he willing to go? Optional subplot, potentially resolved.TAKE IT TO THE PAINT: Now their star player, Eric is the corner stone of his high school basketball team. But being a champion is a commitment Eric might not have time for. Optional subplot, so far unresolved.THE STRANGE WHITE CAT: Something is going on with Eric's cat, Mangy. A rescued street cat, she seems to be more than just a fierce feline. So far unresolved.THE NECROMANCER: Whoever disturbed the long dead souls from the Great Chicago Fire has zero good intentions. With the dead at least laid back to rest by the Red Wizard, the perpetrator is still at large.SHARK HUNT: With a warrant for the Shark's arrest, Agent Penderose heads out onto Lake Michigan to bring him to justice. But Eric has other plans. Running interference for his selachian ally, Eric helps him escape. Meanwhile. Penderose receives a PR boost after 'rescuing' children found on Shark's mysterious island. Children Shark himself had rescued from a gang of child slavers.BATTLE ON THE CINDY CRAWFORD: Working with Madeline Grant, Hotspur infiltrates the party yacht,' the Cindy Crawford' to expose extravagant French Canadian stereotype Nicolas Bellavanche as a dug smuggler for the Midwest Cartel. Resolved.ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS: Kaylee's father, Officer Whitman, is on the take. But how deep does the corruption of the Chicago Police go? So far, pretty far. Unresolved.DEALING WITH THE DPA/YOU'VE GOT BLACKMAIL: Finding the hard drive of Agent Penderose sure did come in handy. After ducking an arrest warrant, Eric uses its contents to get it and the ones put out against his friends thrown out, and in the process has formed an uneasy alliance with the obsessive Agent Penderose against his boss, Director Miscampbell. Resolved.
WHAT ERIC KNOWS ABOUT THE SECRETS OF THE FIRE:He has had visions of strange, malevolent vines entangling the city. The word 'Druj' continually reoccurs in strange places. He has seen visions of another world and another time. An alien land on the brink of destruction.And in his dreams he has confronted something ancient and evil, the darkness between the stars, and it said a single word:Whatever is going on, it coincided with the Chicago explosion and the arrival of the stone. What little is known about the stone comes from NASA liaising with the Fermi Institute. It is not from this earth, it is not from this solar system. Where ever it is from is unknown and perhaps unknowable, and studying it has defied all current understanding of scientific principles.
MAGICMagic exists in the world of With Great Power, but don't expect any fire balls or lightning bolts being flung around. It's much more esoteric than that, based more around irl Thelema and Jungian principles and mysticism than DnD. Magic is based around the mind and the soul, how they interact with the body, and how the body interacts with the material and immaterial worlds. When I was struggling with burn out I ran a one thread spin off featuring the Red Wizard that went into it more, but that's been lost in the 4chan archives and I can't find it. Suffice to say in terms of flavor the Red Wizard is less Harry Potter and a lot more Harry D'Amour. A lot less DnD and a lot more Clive Barker.Accessing magic is a mix of ritual and innate blood talent. Anyone can potentially use magic, but there's a big difference between a conjurer of spirits and an actual wizard, and stepping into the waters of magic is always perilous even for the most experienced and careful of arcane practitioners. The wisest magicians use magic as sparingly and rarely as they can. Only an idiot drinks sea water, but there are plenty of power hungry idiots out there. Secret societies and their occult undertakings lurk out there, hatching their own plans. The oldest and most powerful of these societies was responsible for the near eradication of the wizard blood lines, but they missed a thread in Chicago's south side.For the most part Hotspur leaves magic problems to magic professionals like the Red Wizard and keeps his focus on the problems he can punch in the face. For the most part, most people don't believe magic is real. That might change in the future now that there's a 21st century wizard around.
After a few years, why not reboot it?Mostly, I'm lazy and a bit intimidated starting back at square one. I feel bad I never kept going with it, but I was burning out and had to focus on professional things. But the industry I've been working in (video games) took a pretty bad hit and I've found myself with some real free time and not much to do with it. I loved running quests. Rather than start back at square one, I felt a real burning desire to bring this back and continue (hopefully finish) Eric's story.I realize my old player base probably isn't around much anymore and some might be suspicious I'll burn out again. I don't blame them, and don't hold it against them if they don't tap back in. If you're new to the quest though and interested, please feel free to read the archive and ask any questions you might have.I plan to pick the story up right where the last threaded ended, with Eric tailing his friend Zeke through the Chicago streets. I'm planning for that thread to be up in a couple of days.
>>6079076Never thought this was coming back. I've got some rereading to do. Welcome back bullpen!
>>6079076Fact we didn't tell MADDIE about our big plan where we gathered all of the players still lives rent free in my mind.
its gratifying to know I haven't been completely forgotten
Read it back in the day, so I am still here.
>>6079011Very nice to see you back. I loved the quest, but kinda fell of at some point due to the level of misery it inspired in me. Which is a great achievement don't get me wrong, it's incredibly rare to see a qm with the chops to make me feel as strongly and the conviction to stick to his guns, even if a more indulgent power fantasy makes for easier reading, broader appeal, and less sperging out from players.
>>6079011Oh man this brings me back. I Remember the checking weekly for updates, the spinoff. Great quest, and can't wait for it to start back up.
>>6079011AAAAH HOLY FUCK BULLPEN IS BACKHOTSPUR IS BACKQST IS COOKING
>>6079233the two gf thing is pretty overly indulgent. I think that's been my only real complaint throughout the quest.
>>6079013Didn't hotspur also create a light to illuminate a cave one time?
>>6079518correct! when he recruited Shark in Shark's cave.
THE PARAFOLK COMMUNITY, BOTH VILLAINS, HEROES AND THOSE IN BETWEENQUEEN RATPowers: Able to communicate with and control 'vermin'. Not just rodents, but pigeons and other urban animals.Queen Rat is an older black woman who has organized a shelter for the parafolk community who can't fit in or have been ostracized by mainstream society, as well as their families. Based out of a farm on the outskirts of Chicago. Queen Rat was almost killed by a paramilitary militia. She is seen as a central figure of the young para community.NEMESISPowers: Momentum control. Able to dictate the speed of everything in his immediate surroundings.A former special forces soldier turned parafreak radical, Nemesis leads the separatist terrorist organization VANGUARD. Originally of Native American heritage, he rejects all human labels, including his old name.WAR-WOLFPowers: LycanthropyAble to transform into a wolf like warrior form and with an advanced healing factor, War-Wolf is Nemsis' second in command.PYROKINEPowers: PyromancyA member of VANGUARD, Pyrokine was killed by Semper Fi.NERVEPowers: Chemical manipulation. Able to produce whatever sort of gas he wants.A member of VANGUARD, Nerve is a borderline psychopath, Nerve doesn't mind going dark to get the job done.REMIXPowers: TechnopathRemix is a homeless girl of thirteen recently taken in by Queen Rat. With a genius level IQ, Remix is able to invent practically anything she can think of, the only problem is she needs the correct spare parts. Has already created a true Artificial Intelligence in her robot protector, LINCOLN.JENNY and OWENA pair of parafolk children who live on the farm. Jenny has four arms, Owen is a lion-human hybrid. Owen has started calling himself PRIMAL.VIBEA parafolk medic with painkilling abilities.IRONCLADPowers: ferromancy, the ability to control metalA self-interested 'hero' who rescues people for pay, Ironclad's archenemy is the horrifying FLESH-SMITH and his BIO-GHOULS.THE FLESH-SMITHPowers: biological manipulationAble to warp and reshape meat and bone, the Flesh-Smith is one of Chicago's darkest and most perverse villains. Completely without empathy, he is protected by a small army of bio-ghouls.THE BLACK CLAW!Powers: InvulnerabilityAn out of work actor down on his luck, the Black Claw! turned to petty theft to pay the bills. Currently incarcerated in Stateville Correctional Center.MR GPS/ANDREW GIVENSPowers: A human GPS, Givens can locate anyone, anywhere. But he can't literally see them, and can't tell what condition they're in.One of Hotspur's earliest arrests, he surrendered to Hotspur after murdering his wife and her lover. Father of James Green's best friend, Ash.(I feel like I'm forgetting a few characters here.)
>>6079724>(I feel like I'm forgetting a few characters here.)There was that one classmate of eric's who had a weird self bio-stasis ability that prevented him from sleeping or getting tired.
>>6079726Dane. I was going to add him to the classmates list but he really did belong here.
Hey Bullpen, just wanted to come in and let you know that I never forgot about you, Eric Miller, and Hotspur. Looking forward to the thread!
ERIC'S SCHOOLTEACHERS AND STAFFPrincipal Bernice WrightsonA small woman with a lot of grit. Has threatened to expell Eric in the past.Vice-Principal Jonathan GettyHeavily involved in the school theater productions.Mr Edmund NfumeScience teach and basketball coach.Mr Robert SackGym teacher and disciplinarian.Ms Carmen FloresEnglish teacher and dating Eric's dad.CLASSMATESDaneA fellow parafreak. His ability seems to involve his body being in some kind of stasis. He doesn't get tired or need to eat or sleep. Currently a refugee at Queen Rat's farmZekeA classmate of Eric's. He's become radicalized to the anti-para cause.HunterA member of the basketball team and former star player. Sort of a jerk but getting better.RufusA member of the basketball team. Generally chill but his facade is cracking under the stress of 'Chicago weirdness'.DaphneA classmate of Eric's very into drama. The first person Eric inadvertently killed by his oath binding powers, after she snitched out Dane to the DPA.KayleeEric's ex-girlfriend, currently dating Misfit. Her dad is a corrupt cop. Very questioning of her identity and sexuality. Used to be a cheerleader.ChadOne of the 'Nerds', probably the most well adjusted of the three.BenOne of the 'Nerds', pretty much cringe incarnate.AliceOne of the 'Nerds', caustic and hostile.HowieA mentally diabled kid who acts as a mascot of sorts for the basketball team. Everyone is very protective of him.TimA member of the basketball team. Came out as gay at the winter ball.PeytonHead cheerleader. Organized the hunt for the Creep.JessicaCheerleader. Helped draw out the Creep.ShoniqueRufus' girlfriend.KemalA senior who looked out for Eric his first year.Jeremy KusichA bully who has since been expelled from the school. Part of the 'Guardians' youth militia.CIVILIANS AND SHITLuisRuns the corner store near Eric's. Knows his secret and keeps him well stocked in food.D-Mark and SmokeyA pair of fuck ups who hang outside Luis' store.
part of doing these recaps is also about getting my own head fully back into this world.thankfully I should be good to swing back into the quest either tomorrow or the day after.
no fcking way, used to be there way back, glad too see you again QM
and we're back!>>6080901
>>6080904I dunno if it was really worth doing a recap in a separate thread but why not.To any anons who aren't sure about reading this, you really should, it's great!
