Secret of Cats: When the Spirit Movies You

Game: Secret of Cats

Module: When the Spirit Moves You

Catamis Personae

Fio, a Vindictive Namer

Smokey, A venerable Seeker

Blackie, A Fearless Shaper

Lucky, a Tough Warden

[Scene 1]

The cats arrive at the Burnt Place, a museum burned down over fifty years ago, and haunted by Jebediah Morton, and Scarlet, the cat who has taken him as her burden. They are there to update the wards on Scarlet’s territory.  However, neither Scarlet nor Jebediah Morton -- known as The Burning Ghost -- are there. 

The Story Continues

Chapter Six is up.

Champions Online has an attention span problem, which means longer, more complex plots are generally not what people are looking for. But as a writing venue, its so open-ended, that it still works great. Maybe its just that a writer will write, and video players will play video games, or try to live out a 'real life' in a super hero game.

So that leave me, who has a perfectly normal if not normally perfect left with few like-minded individuals. 

But that left me trying to shoehorn a written story into roleplay with people who'd rather engage in more mundane struggles or random bits of cybersex. Breaking away from that will give my writing more momentum and I can focus more on crafting the story -- breaking out of the mold of rp write-ups that provide clarity to a scant few and engage a wider audience. Maybe not a major audience, as Champions Online has so few players, and fewer still who actually read.

But the chapter. It was great researching Chernobyl, and learning about the heroic liquidators. Transforming it into pure atomic horror seemed to cheapen that, so I added the fantastic element to create a larger divergence from the reality.

All Tomorrow's Parties

I was a fan of the Champions pen and paper RPG.  It was that fandom that drew me to Champions Online.  Over time, those two universes have diverged. The pen and paper universe is much larger than Champion Online, and partially for stylistic reasons.

Also, one sourcebook, Galactic Champions, is very specific about the end of the Champions Universe -- at least as we know it. In 2020, a dimensional conqueror called Tyrannon  threatens to absorb Earth's dimension, but is fended off by the archmage Witchcraft at the cost of the special 'mojo' that makes supers well, super. This paves the way for Cyber Hero and eventually Space Hero.  The mojo returns with Galactic Champions when Istava V'han invades in the year 3000 .

Mind Games

Mind Games is a short story about Katrina Mironova  in pursuit of an alien who crash landed on earth and wound up in Millennium City.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/20597558/chapters/48903341

Schrodinger's Kat

A new short, called Schrodinger's Kat, is posted up at Archive  of  Our  Own.

Time Off, Part Six

Drifter spun and picked direction as a chilling shroud of mist glowed from the streetlights. 

“The direct route is faster, and I have faith you can handle yourself. But you might experience things that are a mite uncomfortable, but they can’t hurt you ‘nless you let them.”

“Are they real?” Katrina asked. No armor. Not even a sidearm. Some vacation this is shaping out to be.

“In some senses, as real as you or I. Things that are, things that could have been. Most are harmless.”

“Alright, but before we go, what did you mean when you texted me  ‘It’s handled’?” Katrina asked, remembering Drifter’s cryptic message on her phone.

Time Off, Part Five

Two soldiers in cord-and-plaque armor, their queues immaculate, marched in unison to a deep, rhythmic drumbeat on either side of the long rosewood table. The litter between them cradled an ornate silver tureen, filigreed with the slender, graceful loops of dragons in flight. The other tables and chairs in the restaurant were stacked in balanced rows on the opposite walls.

With a tap of Hi Pan’s long, black finger nail, the drumming stopped . The tureen lowered to rest in front of Katrina. Gold, dressed in a green pien fu, floated to the table, bowed low, and with a flourish removed the lid. Katrina, engulfed in a steamy wave of anise, chrysanthemum, and ginger indicated her thanks to Gold with a shallow nod, her brows arched in mild surprise.

Now you’re serving me soup? Katrina taunted Gold with a smile. Gold’s eyes narrowed and her hand clenched around the handle of the lid.