For a more detailed look follow the links to the appropriate turns or click on the story arc title for a pdf document.

Zero Hour (turns 1 - 9):

Turn 1
12/31/99, just before and after midnight. At a mysterious laboratory, Dr. Leslie Walsh conducts an experiment of unknown purpose, with far-reaching and apparently unanticipated effects.... Homeless drifter and street preacher Joshua Book is found dead, apparently of natural causes, in downtown Lexington -- only to wake in the morgue with vivid memories of the future yet to come. He immediately goes in search of those he knows he must find. At Faulkner Bail Bonds, Josh and Jake Faulkner anticipate a busy night's work. They are attacked by Clement Dodge, who holds a grudge against Jake for having tracked him down a few months back after a skip, and whose arms have become sharp cutting blades. At the local Hilton, Mark Reinard is at a party given by his company, a local architectural consulting firm, when his beautiful coworker Lydia Morry asks him to dance. At the University of Kentucky's Singletary Center for the Arts, Amanda Halle and her father, Robert, are leaving a concert by the Boston Pops [Ed. note: yeah, right, like the Pops would be anyplace other than BOSTON on New Years Eve]. A young man attacks them with lightning, injuring Robert, and demands car keys. At Dame Vera Farm, Sir William Eric Payne prepares to retire for the night, only to be interrupted by a burglar.

Turn 2
1/1/2000, just after midnight The Faulkner brothers battle Clement Dodge, beginning to discover that they can do things they could not do before -- Dodge's blades slide off Jake's chest, and Josh's shouted warning has surprising effects. Mark snaps free of Lydia's compelling charm, much to her annoyance, and finds himself facing up against a local heavyweight boxer. Sir William displays his customary panache in confronting the burglar, despite the man's unexpected splitting into triplets. Amanda throws the attacker the keys with a fireball attached, knocking him unconscious. Mr. Book appears, somehow heals her father, and addresses her as Phoenix, telling her to meet him at the Wile Department Store the next afternoon.

Turn 3
1/1/2000, just after midnight through 1 p.m. The Bail Bonds Battle continues, as the brothers finally manage to subdue Dodge, and the rest of their night is quiet. With the aid of his manservant Tehsin, Sir William quickly takes care of the trouble, discovering in the process his own teleportation ability and sense of renewed vigor. Mark manages to talk his way out an extended fight, as Lydia's control over the boxer appears to fade once she has left the area. Carl de las Cruces, hiding from some gang menbers he's managed to annoy, has an odd experience when one of them finds him. For one thing, T-Gold doesn't shoot him, and he somehow knows that they have something that binds them [Ed. note: first appearance of the "sympatico/antipathy effect" or "vibe"]. He makes his way to Wiles to hide out for the rest of the night, where he encounters Book and begins his painful transformation into The Nightcrawler. [Ed. note: this is when Jeff joined the game.] A bewildered Amanda and her father head for home, where she spends an uncomfortable night and wakes shortly before one o'clock to find that she has wings now. She makes her exit through a window and heads toward Wiles, where she hopes to find Book, and answers. Downtown, Sir William watches the Year's Day parade forming up on Main Street, near Faulkner Bail Bonds, as Mark leaves his nearby hotel, and Carl watches from within the abandoned Wile building. Six terrorists wielding futuristic weapons take public safety magnate Alan Bloomfield and his wife hostage pending the release of their comrades in ideology. The crowd is momentarily distracted even from this by the sight of a winged woman surrounded by flames overhead.

Turn 4
1/1/2000, around 1 p.m. The neophyte heroes engage the armored terrorists, who call themselves the Luminaries, in a sprawling melee. Amanda and Carl sustain injuries.

Turn 5
1/1/2000, around 1 p.m. Chance McCain and Northside Joe, members of Lexington's criminal community, watch the surprising turn of events as the hostage-taking is disrupted. Chance declares that he will let someone known as Brother Mayhem deal with the problem the new heroes represent. The battle continues; the heroes have now had time to recognize that there are others fighting on the same side, and begin to work together, finally they take the terrorists out of commission. Mr. Book appears from the Wile Store and invites them inside for a discussion of what the past 13 hours have brought them all. [Ed. note: Not sure if I'm remembering this correctly, but this turn is pretty much GlassJack's last appearance as a PC, though he has had numerous as an NPC since.]

Turn 6
1/1/2000, around 1 p.m., and late evening Wary, but now able to sense each others' trustworthiness, and Book's, they enter the store. He is not able to tell them as much as they would like, but they learn that he was dead, has memories of the future, and knows that the group of them are somehow important. He tells them that they will feel an instinctive reaction to those who are on the same -- or the opposite -- side in this new fight. He also tells Amanda the code phrase she can use so that her wings will retract. Mr. Bloomfield approaches, wishes to speak to his rescuers. Chance and Joe have a computer-mediated conference with the distant Brother Mayhem. Mayhem doesn't want to help for less than $10 million, but he's happy to give Chance what he'll need to take control of Lexington's criminal activies in toto -- power, and a new identity. Lydia Morry takes charge of him as he enters his new life.

Turn 7
1/1/2000, around 1 p.m. Book gives them a few last words of advice, then makes his exit as Bloomfield and a number of heavily armored SORT agents approach. One of the SORTies, #7, triggers a strong antipathy response in Jake. Bloomfield expresses his appreciation and his desire to help the nascent group in any way he can. After his departure, the heroes are on the road to accepting Book's prediction that they will continue their association and activities, and begin to address some of the logistical prolems of doing so, concluding that they will have to maintain secret identities to protect their families, and that there may be issues with the police [Josh and Carl can already be seen in opposition on this issue here]. Then there's the matter of a name....

Turn 8
1/1/2000, around 1 p.m. Discussion continues for a few more minutes before the group exchanges phone numbers and separates to think about what has happened and about the obstacles they'll have to deal with. Mr. Book, observing from a distance, remembers a future in which one member of the new group lies dead. Dr. Leslie Walsh, also observing, tries to understand what it seems she has somehow done, unaided by the bourbon she's been relying on for many hours now. Alex Collins, youthful observer of the fight with the terrorists, spreads the news of new powered heroes in town via the Web.

Turn 9
1/1/2000, afternoon and evening,and 1/2/3000, sunrise, plus the time-jump to New York that caused so much trouble Carl, now The Nightcrawler, returns to his apartment and confronts the nightmare his physical body has become, slowly learning that he can control the transformation to and from his human state -- though he has to shave his head, what with all the gunk in his hair [Ed. note: I stll think this is one of the best-written scenes in the entire game to date]. With some degree of control over his powers now, Carl tracks down the gang member who had been hunting him down earlier and gives him a warning: The Nightcrawler is watching him. Soon afterward, he meets T-Gold again. The former thug has experienced a massive boost in his intellectual abilities and is leaving town to study medicine; he gives Carl his modified car and a suitcase full of evidence he can use against the gang, the Double Cs. Amanda returns to her parents' house and engages in some fast talking to explain her injured state. That evening she has her first experience with the "antipathy effect" -- when she enters the dining room later that night and sees her father and two older brothers. She tells her mother that she's planning on moving back to Lexington from New York, and calls Josh (who is also a musician) to see if there are any openings around town. Somewhat to her own surprise, she lands a spot as bassist in Red Sky Diary, one of the country's leading rock acts. The name "Millennium" is being considered for the group's powered activities. She returns to New York, quits her job, packs up her stuff, and heads back to Lexington. [Ed. note: the latter section of this is revisited in Annual 4, I just love continuity problems....] Mark meets his mother, coming in on a flight from Canada for what he believes to be visit, only to find that she's leaving his father and moving permanently to Lexington. He takes this pretty well, and is happy for her. Josh and Jake clean up the wreckage of their fight with Dodge, only to unknowingly take the man as a client at the behest of Emma McBell, an outstandingly lovely member of the public defender's office who immediately captures Jake's attention -- this after Jake has been teasing Josh about Amanda's call. A mysterious figure called the Snowman begins a career of violent vigilantism on the streets of Lexington.

Alarums and Excursions (the Four Winds "Annual"):

Annual 1
Limbo Josh cobbles together a costume from an old outfit he once wore as "Stereo Man" in a GWAR-inspired band, and continues thinking about Annie, the New York friend-who-could-have-been-more-maybe, and various other might-have-beens that were lost when his father's illness more or less forced his return to Lexington to help run the business. Carl spots Jake at the hockey game, unwelcome reminder of the recent changes in his life. Jake worries about Dodge, whom he expects to skip town, and does some painting. Mark is working very hard on a project for some Arabian sheiks, who present him with a jeweled dagger in thanks. Josh, Jake, Carl, and Mark gather at Dame Vera to start learning to work together more effectively; Sir William is away, and Amanda is still in New York. A man who introduces himself as neighbor Alan McGordo approaches and asks for their help in finding some feral dogs that have been causing trouble for his horses.

Annual 2
Limbo The group agrees to help and splits into pairs: Mark with Jake, and Josh with Carl. More edginess between the latter two infuses their conversation. Jake and Mark are the first to find what looks like a dog but from its movements is not; it immediately attacks them. Josh and Carl come upon a small shack, and three more dogs, one of which goes for the two.

Annual 3
Limbo Jakes shoots and kills the creature that attacked him and Mark; they note that the wound does not bleed and the flesh looks weird. Meanwhile, his brother and Carl are having a bit more difficulty; the dog is extremely fast, and can shoot energy beams from its eyes. They destroy it; the thing appears to be made of vegetable matter.

Annual 4
Limbo Amanda receives a mysterious phone call, and heads out to Dame Vera to investigate. She sees a black helicopter parked on the lawn, and an unknown man riding a horse as if pursued, though nothing seems to be chasing him. He heads for a small outbuilding away from the main house and goes inside. When she looks through the window, she sees peculiar equipment and several people: Sir William, a red-haired woman, three identical men, and herself. The equipment does something, and the western horizon is full of light. Then she wakes up on the airplane to New York, where she disentangles herself from her old life and heads for the new one awaiting in Lexington.

Annual 5
Limbo The four men reunite and approach the shack, and soon find themselves facing the mysterious LaPlante, who traps them in a dome of sharply thorned vines. Judicious application of "Oh, Canada" and Josh's sound powers, coupled with Jake's fists, allow them to escape. LaPlante him(?)self appears to be embodied as a tree stump inside the cabin; from there he/it controls plants in the area and uses them for protection and attack. Nightcrawler strangles the weird stump under a load of his sticky secretions, although it's not certain if LaPlante is dead. Back at Dame Vera, they recount the afternoon's tale to Tehsin, who informs them that Mr. McGordo has been dead for four years. Spooky.

Elementary (turns 10 - 19):

Turn 10
kind of jumbled, but I think this was mainly 1/1 and 1/2/2000, plus more of the jump, which I believe takes us to roughly 2/3 with Element The Faulkners decide that they can deal with Dodge as a client, and that working with McBell would not be a bad thing in the least. Jake has a hockey game to go to, and Josh muses about the talents he and his brother have displayed so far before memories stirred by talking to Amanda lead him to call an old friend in New York. Carl attends hockey practice and realizes that a knee injury he had suffered some time before New Years is completely healed. Later, meeting up with his quasi-girlfriend, he uses the opportunity to talk to her younger sister, who is involved with one of the gang members from the other night, and warn her that she's looking for trouble that way. Taking his mother to her hotel, Mark runs into none other than Lydia Morry, who is having lunch with an expensively dressed man whose face Mark can never seem to focus on. Upon her return to Lexington, Amanda finds an apartment, moves in, and attends rehearsal. One of the local Superamerica convenience stores is dramatically robbed by a man in a sweatsuit with an E embroidered (badly) on the front, calling himself Element.

Turn 11
?? and 2/4/2000 The man once known as Chance McCain, now the Purple Mask, toys with the Zippo lighter he has carried for years, the only remnant of the man he once was, and has another teleconference with Brother Mayhem to discuss his plans for Lexington, which include the elimination of the Double Cs. The Millennium will not be a problem; he knows who they are. Jake keeps an eye on Dodge, expecting that he'll skip town if he sees a chance, and thinks about how his school career has been interrupted by the demands of the business. Josh worries about his brother, experiments with his powers, and continues to think about the lost past. Carl returns from visiting his daughters at his ex-wife's place and thinks about what to do with all the evidence T-Gold gave him. Amanda buys a newspaper and reads of public reaction to the powered phenomenon; the CDC and FEMA are tatking charge of investigating its cause and effects. Locally, Dr. Leslie Walsh is in charge. One by one, word reaches them of Element's stunt at the Superamerica. Work for the Millennium! The team gathers at the scene of the crime.

Turn 12
2/4/2000, afternoon and early evening Phoenix spies the trail Element left in his departure, and Reflector talks to a bystander who saw a VW Thing parked near the spot. The group acquires a set of cel phones from Bloomfield, their first request of their patron, and agrees to split up and stake out the rest of the Superamericas in town to see if Element strikes again. The Nightcrawler's plans to canvass the streets for information on Element runs afoul of the Snowman when the slimy hero runs down a drug dealer that the Snowman has marked for death. Element is leaving a bar when a police officer approaches him; the cocky villain destroys the patrol car with a blast of flame from the earth, the explosion injuring the officer, just as Sound is passing by on his way to stake out the nearby Superamerica.

Turn 13
2/4/2000, evening Amanda returns to the band's studio and is talking with the business manager, Shelley, when the call comes from Sound; she heads for the scene as fast as she can. As their verbal sparring escalates toward conflict, the Snowman's powers prove effective against the Nightcrawler, and only the intervention of a passing police officer prevents the dealer's death. Buying some time, Sound goads Element into destroying his own car, then steps out to face him alone rather than risk him possibly killing the downed policeman.

Turn 14
2/4/2000, evening The battle rapidly turns against Sound, who finds himself badly hurt but hangs in there gamely. Despite his inclination to distrust the police, the Nightcrawler makes a graceful exit from the alley and heads for the scene of Element's attack, vowing a rematch with this Snowman. Fury gets the page from his brother at the same time as he finds out that Dodge has indeed skipped. Family loyalty wins out. Mark, as the least-costumed member of the group, is out shopping for a mask when he gets the call. Phoenix arrives at the battle scene, distracting Element for a moment from his intent to pound Josh into jelly.

Turn 15
2/4/2000, evening Phoenix's presence quickly turns the tide, but she's arrived just in time for Sound to faint, bleeding badly and with internal injuries. The others are on their way and arrive soon; Mr. Book appears, intercepts Reflector and catches a ride with him. Policemen and SORTies are converging on the scene. Despite his concern over his brother's injuries, Fury feels that strange hostility toward #7 again, puzzling the others with the strength of his reaction. Josh chats with Death while his life hangs in the balance. No, really, he does.

Turn 16
2/4/2000, evening As Sound is rushed to the hospital, Fury inseparable from him, Book appears on the ambulance to work his mysterious healing. The others, left behind, can only wait and worry. At the hospital, Jake sees his mother, who is visiting her dying husband, and finds out about the elder Faulkner's living will. He then talks to Mr. Book. Unfortunately, it seems that Book can only heal powered people; he can do nothing for their father. Josh continues his talk with the anthropomorphic principle, getting a few psychological insights out of it, but in the end Book's efforts succed, and it seems that thanks to him the Millennium is not, as feared, going to lose a member so quickly after all.

Turn 17
2/4/2000, evening, and 2/5/2000, afternoon Amanda returns to the conversation she so abruptly abandoned, goes shopping for equipment and gets to know her new tech, Mason, who drops her off at the hospital afterward. She has a good excuse, as former band member and current manager Alex Speakes is also there, recovering from surgery for RSI. Jake unwillingly accepts what Book has told him, returns to his mother, and gives her an edited version of what happened to her elder son. Mark and Carl are hanging around waiting for news on Josh when word comes that he's going to make it. Carl tells the others about his encounter with the Snowman. Josh regains consciousness and talks briefly with Jake, Amanda, and then his mother, who accurately recognizes his nascent attraction to Amanda. Now reassured about Josh, Amanda enjoys a jam session to entertain the band's recovering friend. Afterward, she thinks of Josh telling her (as Jake told him) that apparently Book can only heal powereds, puts this together with what happened to her father on New Years Eve and her reaction the next day, and reaches the horrifying conclusion. The next day, Chase Ulrich is peacefully skating on the Transylvania University campus when he is attacked by a powered calling himself Eightball -- a high school coach with a grudge against Chase for exposing his team's steroid use. [Ed. note: And thus we welcome Tone to the game.]

Turn 18
2/5/2000 The Snowman muses about his encounter with the Nightcrawler, and about the CDC and FEMA personnel investigating the powered phenomonon. Carl checks in at the social work office that serves as his other job; the coworker he speaks to has not heard anything about the Snowman. Mark continues to search for a decent costume and receives one mysteriously well suited to his needs at a costume shop where the proprietor seems to know what he really needs it for. Josh gets a visit from his friend Sergeant Tucker, and a reminder that he recently lost a bet that involves him getting a tattoo. At Transy, Chase manages to defend himself from the vengeful Eightball. Later he finds that his friend Jill has won tickets to Red Sky Diary's upcoming MTV Unplugged special; even though he doesn't care for the band, as her only real friend she asks him along. The Millennium meets at Dame Vera Farm to discuss Carl's evidence against the Double Cs. After a lot of discussion and some tense moments between Carl and Josh over the idea of getting the police involved, the consensus is that Sir William will look over the stuff and see what possible actions might be based on it. [Ed. note: the first real round robin!] Amanda tells the others what she has realized about her father; no immediate action is proposed, since they have no idea what if anything he might be doing. Later that night, the Nightcrawler pays a visit to the dealer the Snowman nearly killed, to try to find out more about the vicious vigilante, but learns little. That night, the news carries the story that Jason Faulkner, estranged cousin of Sound and Fury, is sought for shooting three fellow officers, and considered armed and dangerous.

Turn 19
2/5-6/2000 After the meeting at Dame Vera, Josh drives the carless Amanda to the studio for rehearsal; the course of conversation reveals that they have a good deal in common and a certain mutual attraction, culminating with a midair kiss. Later, at the studio, Amanda is startled to find out just how much money she can expect to make as part of one of the richest bands in the world. Later that day, she talks to her mother on the phone and finds out that her father has gone to Washington unexpectedly. After dropping Amanda off, Josh resignedly goes to get his tattoo and pay off the bet, and winds up with a Japanese character signifying "2000." Jake heads out of town to track down Dodge, worried about his family. He finds his quarry the next day, but the blademorph grabs a hostage immediately. Chase worries about the attack and the possible danger to his friend Jill, and makes a costume. Mr. Book turns up at his house and cooks him dinner. Carl ponders the Snowman, and his own approach to the problems of the streets. The Millennium members see the news about Jason and gather at Commonwealth Stadium to see what to do about it. The Purple Mask begins to interview Jason and gives orders for him to be killed as soon as he is finished.

Night of the Purple Mask (turns 20 - 26):

Turn 20
2/6/2000, late night The Millennium tries to find Jason; on his patio Phoenix spots a matchbook from a Clementine's, a club at the Doubletree Hotel. Reflector tells the group about seeing Lydia there, and her mysterious companion. The team heads for the hotel; along the way Sound and the Nightcrawler finally have it out a bit and reach something of an understanding. Chase and Book continue their conversation; Book says someone needs Chase's help, then sends him to sleep for a while. When he wakes up, he meets Dominique, a beautiful psychic who says that a man is going to be killed and she needs Chase's help to stop it. They drive out to the quarry where this is supposed to happen, and Magna-Flux attacks the two killers; their intended victim rolls down into the water of the quarry. Fury deals with Dodge handily and hears about Jason.

Turn 21
2/7/2000, early morning Despite the uneven numbers and experience, Chase fights off the two killers and tries to decide what to do next. At the Doubletree, Reflector poses as a member of the bomb squad and asks for Lydia Morry's room number, passes it to the others. As soon as they approach the room, however, Nightcrawler and then Phoenix find that their powers are suddenly gone, him clinging to the window ledge and her clinging to him. The Purple Mask stands at the window above them with a bucket of homemade napalm and his lighter. Jakes heads back to Lexington, thinking of his longstanding rivalry with his cousin.

Turn 22
2/7/2000, early morning Sound catches Phoenix when she lets go for the five-story fall, freeing Nightcrawler to swing up, avoid the napalm, and get far enough away from the Mask to leave his power-deadening effect. While Reflector fights off the Mask's henchmen inside, Phoenix and Sound find Lydia in the parking lot. She tells them that Jason is at the quarry, probably dead by now. Phoenix takes off for the quarry, while Sound, safe from Lydia's power, takes her prisoner. At the quarry, Magna-Flux talks with Dominique, who is amnesiac from a car accident on New Years, and says that Chase is supposed to teach her about what she can do, baffling him.

Turn 23
2/7/2000, early morning Phoenix teams up with Magna-Flux and Dominique, and the three comb the area around the quarry for the missing Jason Faulkner, but see no sign of him. Dominque tries to use her psychic abilities to see what's become of him, with no luck. At the Doubletree, Reflector takes a nasty blow to the skull [Ed. note: one way to write someone out of a game, as the player kind of vanished on us], and the Nightcrawler confronts the Mask but is forced to let him go or get both of himself and Mark shot. Sounds joins him, but the two have to hide from the police, allowing Reflector to be taken to the hospital with his head wound. The Nightcrawler makes the involuntary acquaintance of a lovely Swede named Isolde who does not appear to find his odd form repulsive. The group repairs to the stadium once more to take stock of the night's events so far. Jake calls in from the road; Josh urges him to get back as fast as he can.

Turn 24
2/7/2000, early morning Jake, on the road, continues to think about his family and his life, and determines that he is not satisfied with the latter's direction. At the stadium, more discussion. Phoenix and Sound return to the quarry in hopes that their enhanced senses will pick up some sign of Jason, even if he drowned. Lydia is still in the trunk, bound and silenced. Despite the grim circumstances, they make a date for later that week, since it's Josh's birthday. They find no sign of Jason. Unbeknownst to them, the killers (Julian and Vinnie, AKA the Golden Killers) have been given a new assignment, and some assistance in case of powered interference, in the form of a young man known as Shock. Amanda met him on New Years Eve. Dominique suddenly has a vision that the killers are returning to elminate Lydia. The Nightcrawler calls a warning to their comrades at the quarry, and he and their new friends burn rubber in that direction. Battle is quickly joined on the road away from the quarry; Sound's Volvo is the main victim in the ensuing firefight.

Turn 25
2/7/2000, morning, and 2/9/2000 The desperate battle continues with the heroes victorious. However, having absorbed one of Shock's lightning bolts, Phoenix suffers a peculiar reaction leading to a nova-like blast of energy in an odd double-helix formation, which finishes destroying the Volvo (although the minivan Dominique is sitting in nearby is mysteriously untouched) and knocks the whole group unconscious for a time. Afterwards, they return to the stadium to interview Lydia, but she does not know anything useful about the Purple Mask or about Jason. The Millennium turns her over to the CDC/FEMA operation. Chase and Dominique return to Chase's house, where Dominique poses as a substitute housekeeper for the benefit of Chase's father, Colonel Ulrich. Sir William meets with Alan Bloomfield to discuss the fact that the Double Cs evidence he had turned over to the Attorney General's office has mysteriously disappeared; Sir William is not pleased. Of course, he has a copy, safely in England. Jake returns to Lexington and visits his mother, who is still with his father at the hospital. He tells her that he's going to start taking classes full time again, and leave more of the business to Josh, though he'll still track down jumpers. He does not tell her, of course, that he also plans to leave the Millennium. A couple days later, Amanda signs the hunded pages of documentation that make her status with the band (and the bank) official, and joins them for an evening of good cheer. At practice, Carl notes that he seems to be in better shape than he's ever been, which is good. He also finds out that he's being given a choice of coaching or being traded, which is bad if it means not being able to see his girls.

Turn 26
2/7/2000, morning, and elsewhen Still at the stadium, there is some discussion of the weird... problem Phoenix had. Dominique, to Chase's horror, is asked on a date by his father. Two of the officers Jason shot have died, and the hunt for him continues. CDC/FEMA presence seems to be increasing. The Snowman interrogates and later kills a gang member; the Nightcrawler finds the body, renewing his determination for a rematch. He contacts one of the Double Cs and suggests that they had best let him know if they find anything out about the grim killer. Josh writes up a list of the team's adversaries to date and their presumed current dispositions. Jake visits the quarry and finds Jason's equipment where the killers left it, and later tries to ask McBell out, but she has other plans... Amanda and Josh have a very pleasant evening out, and find that their lives have just missed overlapping for years. Jake tells Josh about going back to school; he's fine with that, but less than happy with Jake's intent to quit the Millennium, and his evident wish that Josh would do the same. The scene ends with Josh storming out. Amanda has breakfast with her mom and catches her up on all the mundane details of her life at the moment. In Washington, the man who used to be her father contemplates his recent decision to campaign for the governorship.

Apocalypse Nigh (turns 27 - 30):

Turn 27
2/7-13/2000 Sir William arrives in London to retrieve his data, only to be met by an old friend and comrade from his Secret Service days; he is being recalled to duty to aid the Crown by investigating the powered phenomenon. His grandson, Colin Blake, will return to America to finish his task with the Double Cs. At a library at the University of Kentucky, Jake is enjoying student life again, when a couple of passing people trigger the antipathy sense and remind him that he cannot leave this part of his life behind, much though he might want to. Carl is on the road for a game, thinking about his future. Jill picks up Chase for the Diary show, which is mobbed by the rich, famous, and powerful of the music industry, and a sprinkling of actual fans. Just as they're about to start playing, a quartet of powered calling themselves the Sigil announces that they are robbing the event, everyone should form a double line and file out the door, and the last two people in line will be killed. Sound, Phoenix, and MagnaFlux try to form a plan without giving themselves away. Phoenix is hampered by the fact that the security staff is determined to protect her. They receive unexpected assistance from a man in the crowd, who turns out to be Colin Blake, and two of the Sigil are quickly rendered unconscious; the other two retreat from the changed odds.

Turn 28
2/12/2000 Colin explains that this was not a robbery but an attempt to assassinate the band members (although no one but Alex got hurt), instigated by Sony after the band turned down a distribution deal the company offered them. The show goes on, quite spectacularly, with the audience assuming it was all a stunt of some kind. Afterward, over the phone from the hospital, Alex hints that he might be onto Josh's status as a powered person, at least. Still at the school, Jake receives a phone call from his mother: his father is dead. In Philadelphia, Carl witnesses an accident involving a gasoline truck that puts two small children in danger; the Nightcrawler is bound to assist.

Turn 29
2/12-13/2000 The remaining members of the Sigil speak with their erstwhile employer, apparently planning to remove themselves from any further association, given the unexpected level of opposition. Chase tries to tell Jill about Eightball, and his powers, worried that she might become a target of the crazed ex-coach, but she thinks he's kidding. At least Dominique told his father she just wants to be friends, though. At the post-show party, Josh and Amanda's attempt to arrange Valentines Day plans are rudely interrupted by news of Jonathan's death. She drives the distraught Josh to the hospital for an emotion-laden farewell scene. Later, Josh and Jake end up in a very physical battle behind their parents house; old family strains erupt to the surface, aggravated by their deep split over the Millennium and by Josh's recent absence from his family members. They are reconciled at the end, but the causes of tension remain to some extent. Carl joins forces with local hero Doc Liberty to rescue the kids and deal with the threat of the spilling fuel, and gets a close look at how well police and powereds *can* work together, giving him some food for thought there. Amanda hears from Josh about the fight with Jake and tells her mother about the Sigil attack, worried that she might become a target. The Purple Mask meets with Brother Mayhem and insists that despite the problems of a week before, things are going fine. Although he seems to have his doubts, as a gesture of good faith, Mayhem says that he will see to it that Lydia is released. At the hospital, Alex gets an odd visit from Dr. Leslie Walsh of the CDC, who heroically withstands his suggestion that they should get together some other time, and photographs the wound he received from one of the Sigil.

Turn 30
2/13-16/2000 Amanda and the rest of the Diary discuss the attack; whoever the Sigil members were, they weren't on the guest list, and no one knows how they got past security. Shelley has vanished. Tehsin shows up asknig for Amanda; when she goes out to the car she finds Mr. Bloomfield waiting; he tells her about the vanished evidence and that Colin is looking into the information on the Double Cs. Amanda and Carl visit Reflector, still recovering from his head injury; he's leaving the group. Carl is visibly irritated about this, but Amanda tries to be understanding. Later, she updates Carl about the attack at the concert and the Faulkners' loss. They have a conversation in which he seems to be warning her about the dangers her new lifestyle might pose any potential relationship with Josh. The next day, Josh visits a family friend, thinks about his childhood, and reads his father's deathbed letter, which both eases and complicates the emotional situation. That night, Amanda receives a mariachi band serenade at her apartment building and a package of photos and other keepsakes of all the moments she and Josh have just missed each other in the past, as his Valentines gift. The following day is the funeral. [Ed. note: I consider this one the best scene we've written as a *group* to date, as opposed to ones by individual people.] The day after that, Jake gets picked up for questioning by the police, who seem to suspect him of abetting his cousin's disappearance. Later the group, with MagnaFlux but without Jake, meets to discuss the evidence Colin brought back from England and plan what to do about the Double Cs' drug dealing. They also dicuss Dominique, who has her memory back except for the day of the accident, and whom Mr. Book says has some connection with Helios Hope, a powered who has taken control of Cuba. During this meeting Carl gives Josh Purple Mask's lighter that the villian lost in their earlier skirmish. A potenital clue to the Mask's identity is inscripted on the inner piece. 'D.H. McCain, 36th Squadron, A.A.C. 1942'. Later, they meet up with Blake, who tells them of Ellis, the main linchpin for the money involved in the drug deals, and about a deal going down that very night at the Red Mile harness track.

The Red Mile (turns 31 - 34):

Turn 31
2/16/2000 Josh calls Jake in on the planned bust, and he's angry enough about the affair with the cops to go along -- one last time. They set up their ambush carefully, although puzzled by the fact that someone has gotten there before them and knocked the gang's sentries unconscious. There are three powereds there to guard the deal going down, and it isn't long before the Millennium is fighting the Silvers. One of the gang members shoots Ellis and attempts to flee. He is unsuccessful in his escape attempt, but Ellis is dead.

Turn 32
2/16/2000 The battle continues. The Silvers, though outnumbered, work effectively as a team. The Millennium is aided by GlassJack's unexpected reappearance.

Turn 33
2/16/2000 The battle concludes, the Millennium victorious. Colin is needed elsewhere immediately; GlassJack continues to help in the fight.

Turn 34
2/16-29/2000 The aftermath; GlassJack explains his recent and soon-to-be absence (he was the one who knocked out the sentries), and the group interrogates a couple of prisoners before dropping them off for the police to deal with. Alan Bloomfield talks with a friend about the recent return to the city of a man who had been near death due to Alzheimers but now appears in perfect health, one Harry Marvin. Carl is on the road again, pondering his future, his children, and his vendetta against the Snowman. Jake gets an offer from a man who wants to buy the bail bonds shop for a considerable amount of money, and another to join the UK lacrosse team. Chase's father is called away on military business, and Jill receives a threat from Eightball and is ready to believe what Chase told her before. Amanda is still worried about the missing Shelley; it finally occurs to her to see if Dominique's psychic talents can locate her. Dominique has a vision indicating that Shelley is about to commit suicide; Amanda rushes off to try to stop her. Alex wants to know what Dominique is doing there; she punches him out regretfully and goes to find Josh to help Amanda.

Attack of The Sixty Foot Plant Man (turns 35 - 41):

Turn 35
(Some time in the interim) Jake acquires a decent costume and indicates a change of heart regarding the Millennium's activities. (Feb 29, various times) In Indianapolis, three powered heroes contemplate a visit to Lexington. Phoenix arrives at Shelley's motel to find her still alive (barely), and must beat a hasty retreat with her when two members of the Sigil appear. A mysterious figure observes their arrival at the hospital. Josh and Dominique arrive at the motel in time to see the Sigil members leaving, contact Amanda and join her and Alex in awaiting news on Shelley (Dom stays in the car). Carl visits Barbara and learns that the Double Cs have pulled up stakes and left town completely, leaving the city's other gang, The Sons of Chicago without rivals. At Blue Grass Army Depot, Colonel Ulrich is ordered to oversee security for the FEMA operation, Project Panoptican which will hold powered prisoners at the base. Chase tells his friend Jill about his powers; she will stay with a friend while he and the Nightcrawler try to eliminate the threat posed by Eightball. Jake checks in with contacts to see if any news about Jason has turned up, but finds nothing. Carl storms out from an interview his agent arranged without his consent. Robert Halle meets with a person called the Craftsman and picks up a specially made suit. Chase and Carl stake out a meeting between Eightball and his loyal troops.

Turn 36
(Feb 29 early morning) Amanda speaks with Alex, learns what he has found out about the Sigil's connection with Sony, and how Shelley had been deceived into aiding the plot. Josh researches the lighter the Purple Mask dropped and traces it to a small-time hood called Chance McCain. (Feb 29 evening) Magna-Flux and the Nightcrawler continue to watch Eightball's home, but the vengeful powered would rather drink beer in front of the TV than cause trouble tonight. (Mar 1 morning) Chase finds that Eightball has a more subtle plan than imagined: he's forced a hearing to try to get his coaching job back, and Chase will have to testify against him. Jake reads up on lacrosse and checks out Mr. Watterson, the man behind the surprising offer to buy the business. Seeing two SORT trucks heading at speed toward some crime scene, he wonders if it might be his missing cousin, and follows them. (Mar 1 mid-day) The visitors from Indianopolis wait in costume at Triangle Park, hoping their Lexington counterparts will find them. SORT finds them first, however, and appears intent on arresting them without cause.

Turn 37
(Feb 29) At the hospital, Amanda muses on current topics of concern, including the suspended state of her relationship with Josh. Later, the two talk and take a step toward resuming where they left off. Down the hall in Shelley's room, Alex reminisces about their early acquaintance. Still later, Amanda worries privately about what her father is up to. The Nightcrawler intimidates a couple members of the Sons of Chicago, the gang that moved in to take over the Double C's turf. The Snowman goes about his usual business, and tests the city's justice system by allowing it to handle the case of a rich hit-and-run killer. (March 1) Carl checks in at the office and puts out feelers that might turn up information on Jason and Shauna. Amanda goes to the library to find more information on powereds in general; she discovers that Robert is running for governor on a platform that includes banning powered people. Jake follows the SORT vehicles to Triangle Park, where LaPlante makes a startling reappearance. The plant master's powers manifest as large ape-like creatures, and thorn balls that trap bystanders. Fury and the visitors get to work, the former calling in the rest of the group. Harry Marvin, a bystander on the scene, helps out as well. One of the "apes" heads up the stairs in a nearby office building, Fury in its grasp, followed by Marvin and Indigo, one of the visiting heroes.

Turn 38
(March 1) Yes, LaPlante has returned with a vengeance, and the members of the Millennium quickly converge on the scene, with the exception of Chase (it's the middle of a school day, after all). The office building that is the center of the action is now covered with a thorny barrier. LaPlante's minion carries Fury up several stories before flinging him out a window, but Sound keeps him from harm via his sonic fields. The plant creature continues to its apparent destination, the office of one Ken Perloff. Indigo and Marvin confront it, but the former's lightsaber-like weapon proves unable to affect the thing, and Harry wades in bare-handed. Meanwhile, Phoenix assures herself that the SORT troops aren't planning on shooting anyone just at the moment. The other Indianapolis visitors, Brickyard and the Imp, introduce themselves; Brickyard displays an unsettling degree of charisma. LaPlante continues to work his powers on the downtown landscape, growing more of the dogs the group faced down last time from the grassy plots around the office building. The Nightcrawler gums one to the ground, but there are more appearing.

Turn 39
(March 1) The battle against LaPlante continues. Phoenix investigates a nearby florist shop and rescues a woman bound in vines, but LaPlante's main body does not seem to be there as she and Sound check out the area. Imp and Fury use the former's teleporting ability to enter the building despite the mass of thorns blocking the entrance, and come to the aid of Harry and Indigo. Fury's use of a fire hose proves more effective than fists against the plant monsters, even as more of the dogs appear. Outside, Brickyard is attacked by two dogs; Phoenix momentarily abandons Sound to help out. The Nightcrawler removes another from action and points out another spot where the "real" LaPlante may be hiding. In school, Chase is confronted by the former Coach Meyers (AKA Eightball) and receives a warning that he had better not hinder the villain's attempt to get his job back.

Turn 40
(March 1) Inside the building, Fury, Indigo, the Imp, and Harry have defeated LaPlante's minions. The first three return to the battle below while Harry approaches Mr. Perloff, the apparent target of the plant master's wrath. After several attempts, Phoenix destroys the two dogs remaining on the ground, and spots LaPlante as having taken over an entire grove of nearby trees, which quickly reforms into a monstrous shape over 60 feet tall. The heroes' attacks succeed in knocking off chunks of the thing, but it seizes Brickyard and throws him high enough to be out of sight; Phoenix darts off to his rescue (again). A combined effort from Sound and the Nightcrawler flings the viscous hero directly into the creature, but it appears to take little notice.

Turn 41
(March 1) At the hospital, Alex and Shelley appear ready to resume a long-abandoned relationship, as the members of the Millennium continue to battle LaPlante's monstrous form and news crews get the action on tape. Phoenix manages to save Brickyard from a harsh landing. The massive construct finally disintegrates, but there is no sign of LaPlante's "true" self, and he is presumed to be at large. The heroes spend the rest of the afternoon cleaning up the mess, with the help of the visitors from Indianapolis. Dominique mysteriously prevents the news crew from filming the aftermath. Ken Perloff, LaPlante's target, insists to Harry and Fury that he has no idea what the attack was about. Indigo, Brickyard, and the Imp depart for home after exchanging contact information with the Lexington group. The Nightcrawler, suffering under the bright afternoon sunlight, heads off to talk with MagnaFlux (who arrived too late for the fight -- darn calculus class!), but is deeply troubled by a message from the Snowman, who seems to want to talk.... The Faulkner brothers sell the business, and Jake renews his resolution to track down Jason.

Current Adventure (Turn 43)
(March 2 [I think]) Amanda calls Mr. Bloomfield to get his opinion on her father's campaign, which he does not consider much of a threat, and to ask about the FEMA operation. He suggests they check out the VA campus -- carefully -- if they're looking for information. She has dinner with Dominique, signs her first autograph, and watches her companion arm-wrestle a man three times her size without apparent effort. Jason explains to Jake that he was set up and claims that Chief Walsh is a powered who made him see his two SORT comrades as enemies. MagnaFlux and the Nightcrawler make their way downtown, where the latter intends to meet with the Snowman. Once Nightcrawler and Snowman are there, however, it turns out to be a trap set by the Purple Mask. Outside, MagnaFlux sees a number of armed men entering the building and prepares to take action. Josh tries to contact Sgt. Tucker to get information on Chance McCain, with no luck. He then receives a surprise visit from Death, who takes him on a journey into what appears to be the near future, where he sees a man leave a movie theater, drop a small tape recorder, and then get shot. Mr. Book arrives moments after the two depart, leaving Josh's momentarily uninhabited body behind; when Amanda drops by he tells her that he doesn't know what's going on. Harry Marvin reflects on what he has learned about Ken Perloff, lawyer for the University of Kentucky, and one Trent Stewart, who had done research at a laboratory leased from them. The lease had lately been rescinded and Stewart had made claims of information theft. In Havana, Helios Hope welcomes one of his minions back from a trip to the US -- one of the men Phoenix saw with Robert, who expresses confidence that Mr. Halle's campaign will work in their benefit -- then spends some time with news footage of Phoenix, looking forward to the day when she will be his. (And again, ACK.)

Huge monster thanks to Rebecca for churning the content for this page out in record time!! I couldn't have done it as quickly or as well. --DH

Plot Lines/Character Stories:

I posed the following questions to the group:

What plotlines do you see yer character engaged in at the moment? what plotlines do you think you have finished?

After about a year of gaming do you guys finally see an overarching story emerging for yer character? By this I mean something above and beyond the adventuring. It might be very similar to the goals section of the 20Q page. What part of the character's history, personality or relationships make them interesting...and almost as importantly would FRUSTRATE you if they're not resolved?

...and below are some responses I've gotten thus far:

Nightcrawler:

Double C's drug info -- basically wrapped up, leading into... Son's of Chicago. The whole neverending gang warfare thing.

'Storming and Norming' the new group. Basically over, but fun while it lasted ;]

Snowman. Very much alive and kicking, and frankly pissing me off ;] Incidentally, the Doc Liberty contrast is quite interesting. There's definite mileage there, though of course I don't know if Dave has more planned there or not.

Hockey career/powered/family tension. Seems to be heading to a resolution.

Minor player in Flux' 8-Ball drama, and paternal feelings to the kid in general.

As far as the overarching story, I think I see Carl being pulled more and more to his activist side, and consequently away from his athletic background. And though it has been a year, only two months of gametime is a little soon to see much more than the beginnings of this.

While I'm in no particular hurry, I expect Carl's 'female trouble' to eventually come to a head, probably involving his daughters in some way.

I'm torn on if any kind of resolution is called for w/ his ex and kids. In some ways, the most satisfying thing will be the continual open-ended angst the situation provides in real life.

I have definite long-term ideas about Carl's Social Work, however Dave is not hesitant to throw curves, so any long term plans are extremely fragile ;]

Phoenix:

First, I don't think anything is really "finished" for her at this stage. Lots up in the air, though.

Safety-Toed Boots Still Hovering:

The Diary. Are they going to find out about her life, or can she manage to keep her secrets hidden? This is part of a general three-way identity crisis I figure is going to take shape between her as Phoenix, her life as part of the band, and the "real her" (which is still strongly identified with her life in NYC and her friends there).

The Family. Oodles of dramatic potential in the situation with her father, of course, and only slightly less in how that will affect the rest of the Halle clan.

Josh. Is this relationship ever going to get started? If it does, is she going to screw it up? Are their lives too weird for things to work? What if Carl was right?

The Sigil. I'll be very surprised if we've seen the last of these guys.

As far as overarching stories, I agree with Jeff that it's too soon; a lot depends on how events in the world at large start shaping up. And it's hard to predict at this point how things are going to go in Amanda's life that will affect how she deals with the future. I expect to see an eventual integrative effort that will at least partially resolve the multiple-directions problem, but it's hard to say when or how... and there's the inevitable "then what?" to follow, of course. One general thing I would like to do in the future is more one-on-ones between various members of the team; I think a lot of cool stuff could come out of that. Specific stuff for her... I don't know.

Sound:

I think Josh sort of has a tendency to "piggyback" on other characters' plots. It does make sense as he has deep relationships to both Jake and Amanda. Currently he his involved in the Sigil Affair with Amanda. Jake is the driving force in two plot threads that will have great impact on Josh: The multi-million dollar offer from Wade Watterson to buy out Faulkner Bail Bonds and the hunt (as it is) for Jason.

Josh has started doing a little detective work to uncover information on the Purple Mask (via the note left in the zippo casing) which has already turned up the villain's secret identity. During that process Josh got the cold shoulder from his former friends at the precinct. I'd like to see how this has extended to his friendship with Tuck. There is certainly more to do with this thread. Personally, I'd like to see Josh turn up Northside in the process soon...

One plot that sort of became Josh's and that has been resolved was his father's illness. When Dave dropped the axe I was so shocked. Figured I'd treat Josh to a little bit of an emotional outpouring.

Regarding the overarching story I'd like to see a few things happen along the way: Josh become more than a de-facto leader of the group. Hopefully we'll finally get to try some of the tactics I've devised soon. I'd like to see his family relations get MORE tangled and complicated in a Southern Gothic sort of way. Dave already knows some of the bits I have in store (BWAH HA HA). I'd also like to see Josh make a return to his music. Initially I was thinking of playing it out such that his experiences would act as a foil to Amanda's insta-success with RSD but I've decided to use it as an opportunity to invert the powered/career tension Carl (and Jake if he does take up lacrosse to a smaller degree) is feeling. Can you imagine how useful Josh's abilities could be mixing an album? on stage? The potential is staggering. The whole "death" thing has me thinking Josh is a bit of a weirdness magnet...I even told Dave we should consider it a weakness (I will regret this I'm sure). There's plenty that could come of that...which I suspect we'll start to see soon enough.

...and of course Amanda and Josh need to get past the first stages of their romance. I know it's been squat in game-time and I'm having a ball playing it out with Bec but I confess the pace is killing me!

...and am I the only one who recalls Book's Secret Prophecy about a dead member? Since Reflector isn't pushing up daisies I guess it wasn't just cover for losing a player...hmmm.

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