The Century Club
Spirit of the Century
Episode 0
"Preludes"
For three office mates at Indigo Entertainment, we're about to have a mini-chronicle of sessions using Evil Hat Productions' Spirit of the Century system. This was going to be a new system for all of us (although having played Houses of the Blooded and Fate Accelerated, I wasn't exactly jumping into this without any familiarity.
The cast includes:
Sir Victor Knightfellow, Reluctant Modern Wizard and Adherent of the Old Ways.
Played by Paolo.
The man of mystery was a Scion of Merlin, who Jumped At The Call for adventure. A self-professed Crowley Fanboy, he is blessed with the Devil's Luck and seems unfazed about Playing With the Big Boys. He practices a form of magic (My Deepest Sympathies) and tends to have trouble with heights (I Am Not A Bird). A traumatizing incident which had him on a life-or-death suspended Cliffhanger lead to him eventually becoming known as the Hero of France in an adventure which had bring bringing back the stolen suspended Eiffel Tower.
His spirit companion is a demon trapped in an urn, who manifests as his reflection at times. He also owns the Talisman of the Wylde which allows him some influence over the lower beasts of the earth.
Walter Le Frogge, Bounty Hunter trained by the world-feared Brotherhood.
Played by Tio.
The dark hero is the First Human Frog, who is known to be a Doubting Thomas at times. But as a Friend Of The Shadows, there's no question that nothing escapes his amphibian gaze (I Notice Everything). With deadly Ninja (S)kills and a tendency to Double Tap his targets (a habit that grew out from a misadventure with draugr encounters in London), he now does what he can to make sure Dead People Should Stay Dead. His existence, however, born from experimentation by the 7 Warlords of Japan, is a blight upon the world as far as others are concerned. This has made him the Normalist Enemy Number One. It has, however, taught him there is Strength In Diversity.
Le Frogge has a pair of Bracers that actually conceal sharp blades. He can even release the blades as flying projectiles for limited uses.
Kenji Katana, the first and only Steam-Driven Robot and the Last Samurai of Japan.
Played by Flip.
The outsider Kenji sought only to bring honor to his clan (Make My Parents Proud) but during the war found himself dying against the superior firepower of the enemy. To his surprise, he awoke inside a whole New Metallic Body under the strange experimentations of the 7 Warlords of Japan. Now acting as A Spirit Of Vengeance, Kenji struggles against foes in all fronts (The World Is An Evil Place) and hopes to bring peace By Any Means Necessary. Having an unliving body has made him a Man For All Seasons, but while almost indestructible, Kenji still stuffers from Daddy Blues and Years For Humanity. In some ways, however, his being raised by a traditionalist family allows him the truth that Ignorance Is Bliss.
The outsider Kenji sought only to bring honor to his clan (Make My Parents Proud) but during the war found himself dying against the superior firepower of the enemy. To his surprise, he awoke inside a whole New Metallic Body under the strange experimentations of the 7 Warlords of Japan. Now acting as A Spirit Of Vengeance, Kenji struggles against foes in all fronts (The World Is An Evil Place) and hopes to bring peace By Any Means Necessary. Having an unliving body has made him a Man For All Seasons, but while almost indestructible, Kenji still stuffers from Daddy Blues and Years For Humanity. In some ways, however, his being raised by a traditionalist family allows him the truth that Ignorance Is Bliss.
Katana is armed with the family blade, and its magical properties have yet to be revealed.
During character creation, the following antagonists were formed with the players' help.
The Brotherhood.
An Assassin guild that targets political figures. The group follows a twisted sense of morality and targets people it deems to be corrupt. The brotherhood had trained Walter Le Frogge to serve as their assassin but lost him during the war.
The Normalists
Lead by the charismatic Warren Harding, the group seeks to bring back normality to the world. The group despises the existence of groups such as The Century Club and uses their considerable knowledge and networks to threaten supporters of such deviance.
The White Circle
The circle of demons that had escaped from the Urn of Solomon call themselves by this moniker. Now free to tempt men to their ways, the White Circle has a terrible plan they hope to someday unleash upon the City of London.
The Amnesia Academy
During their earlier adventures, the heroes found themselves travelling to Moscow to liberate children from a school that had been experimented on by the Normalists.
7 Warlords of Japan
A Japanese superscience group that sought to gain an advantage during the war. Their original headquarters, the Impenetrable Fortress, was destroyed when Kenji Katana sought to break away.
Among the cast of NPCs in the game include:
Ada Lovelace
The heroes were investigating a series of strange deaths which eventually were tied to a chain letter which Ada Lovelace had first released to her friends. The chain letter, it turned out, contained a deadly "symbiotic meme." The alien life existed in a visual symbolic form and passed on from host to host when the carrier happened to be reading and writing the symbol that moment.
The circle of demons that had escaped from the Urn of Solomon call themselves by this moniker. Now free to tempt men to their ways, the White Circle has a terrible plan they hope to someday unleash upon the City of London.
The Amnesia Academy
During their earlier adventures, the heroes found themselves travelling to Moscow to liberate children from a school that had been experimented on by the Normalists.
7 Warlords of Japan
A Japanese superscience group that sought to gain an advantage during the war. Their original headquarters, the Impenetrable Fortress, was destroyed when Kenji Katana sought to break away.
Among the cast of NPCs in the game include:
Ada Lovelace
The heroes were investigating a series of strange deaths which eventually were tied to a chain letter which Ada Lovelace had first released to her friends. The chain letter, it turned out, contained a deadly "symbiotic meme." The alien life existed in a visual symbolic form and passed on from host to host when the carrier happened to be reading and writing the symbol that moment.
Count Baron von Duke.
Self-professed savior of humanity. Unleashed the Draugr Conspiracy in a bid to kill the Crowley Foundation. Financied Unit Akira-4 during the war. Created the Twisted Castle (illusions, puzzles) but was bested by Le Frogge.
And the Centurions.
The three heroes have been invited to join The Century Club, composed of various heroes and super science men who have gathered under one goal: To make the world a better, safer place. The group has exclusive membership and is spearheaded by Elijah Frost, the Bringer of Cold and Alister Crowley of the Crowley Foundation. The two, like all the other members, were born at the turn of the century, and possess strange and wonderful abilities beyond mortal men.
Elijah Frost has the ability to draw out heat and manipulate the bitter cold that is created. He has super frosted opponents fast enough to stop them mid run and can affect large areas with enough concentration.
Alister Crowley, codenamed Mister E, is the Man of Mystery in the group. His knowledge of both arcane and occult lore provides The Century Club a perspective that others do not typically see. His understanding on matters of chaos and infernal lore are unparalleled.
Dynamite Dana, nicknamed the Bombshell Bonde, has somehow gained the capacity to unleash intense explosive kinetic force by slamming her fists against a solid surface. Barely seventeen years old, Dana dresses provocatively and tends to approach things with a devil-may-care attitude. Her costume resembles those of roller blade wearing waitresses, only in the colors of the flag.
Professor Noble is the super science wiz kid who supplies the group with the gadgets they may need in missions. Skilled in multiple fields, his superior intellect is often overlooked given the fact he is only twelve years old.
Mayday Morris is the Stuntman Without Fear. Easily the oldest in the Club, Mayday Morris admits he experienced a "second life" after nearly dying in a stunt involving a train. Mayday has since then discovered a penchant for instantly understanding how vehicles work and mastering using them within seconds of steering/piloting or flying one. Mayday Morris was the one who rescued both Dana and Noble from suspended animation inside one of the many secret bases of Unit Akira-4.
Svetlana Sol is the Soviet Supersoldier Super model who is said to be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a Panzer tank, able to leap tall buildings with a single bound, and still struggles to master the English language. Her playful attitude stands in contrast with her immense strength. Svetlana believes that higher ideals are far more important than national allegiances. (Svetlana was taken from Tom Strong, Svetlana X for this game.)
Cosmo is a Russian talking dog from the future. Lost in time and space, Cosmo claims to have come from a future where he was sent up to space to test a satellite. The satellite, he claims, had fallen through a wormhole rift and emerged to find himself in an alternate past. Cosmo has the heightened sense of a dog, the superior intellect matching a human's, and telepathic powers of a scale yet to be revealed. (Cosmo was taken from Guardians of the Galaxy for this game).
*
For the prelude, Le Frogge was having a talk with Dynamite Dana, who seems very excited about the upcoming anniversary celebrations of the Century Club. The two were watching over a harbor area for smugglers who were supposed to try and bring weapons over from some foreign place. Dana admits that she finds Kenji cute, which puzzles Le Frogge given the young girl seems to be claiming to find attraction towards a mechanical being. The two easily dispatch the smugglers, and Le Frogge at least feels happy to know Dana is someone he can talk to if he starts feeling out of place in the public event.
Elsewhere, at the Century Club manor, Victor is talking with Crowley about needing a new codename, and the two have been tossing back and forth ideas on what to call him. By the time the name "Fantomas" is suggested, a name inspired by the fact that the french are currently adoring Victor for having saved the Eiffel tower, the new man of mystery meets the sweet and intimidating Svetlana Sol who insists that Victor come to the party as her date. She engagingly tells him about the adventures one goes through as a member of the Century Club and admits that many still worry about her membership given her affiliations with the U.S.S.R.
And finally by the lake behind the Century Club manor, Kenji finds himself bonding with an unlikely member: Cosmo. The telepathic dog talks to him about how they both are.. similar. "We two are lost in the world. Cosmo lost in time. You lost in living." Kenji realizes Cosmo also finds a silence in being with him, given his mechanical body shields his thoughts from pounding upon the dog. He rubs the cosmonaut's belly and the two talk about the joys of the quieter moments.
"Don't stop scratching..." Cosmo telepathically reminds Kenji, who finds himself longing for the life he once had... and the dog he once cared for.
And finally by the lake behind the Century Club manor, Kenji finds himself bonding with an unlikely member: Cosmo. The telepathic dog talks to him about how they both are.. similar. "We two are lost in the world. Cosmo lost in time. You lost in living." Kenji realizes Cosmo also finds a silence in being with him, given his mechanical body shields his thoughts from pounding upon the dog. He rubs the cosmonaut's belly and the two talk about the joys of the quieter moments.
"Don't stop scratching..." Cosmo telepathically reminds Kenji, who finds himself longing for the life he once had... and the dog he once cared for.
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