S01E01 - Awakening

General Summary

The group are at an event to witness the unveiling of a new, self-renewing, energy source called PRISM. This has been in development for years at Prescott Industries and is the crowning achievement of one Silas Prescott, the Draconian CEO of said corporation. Throughout the day, the cast, whether individually or as a group, have been interacting with the staff. Catherine Alexandra Carter, The Executive Assistant to Grayson Prescott (the philanthropic son of Silas Prescott), has been a little on edge, as Grayson Prescott (who is also her partner - got to love office gossip) has been avoiding her and seems very distant and on edge. Uskir Seraphim, the by-the-book Millennium City Police Detective, has been working with Prescott Industries' Head of Security, Kristoff Mathis, to try to ensure no foul play. They have a good rapport and work out kinks in lines of communication and jurisdictions. Karl Jagger-Stein, A City Engineer, tasked with preparing the connections between PRISM and the power grid for Millennium City has been noticing that the scientists around the area he's working in have been on edge, which seems to get steadily worse as the day goes on. He initially puts this down to nerves and the fact that there is a huge project being undertaken.
The day progresses and turns to night. There's a small soiree put on by Prescott Industries CEO, so he, along with people of note, can mix, mingle and network before the main event. At roughly 9.45pm, the soiree moves back outside to the plaza, where onlookers, the press and other guests not included in the original meet and greet await Silas Prescott to turn on the lights. Some people outside notice that he is animatedly speaking into a phone, until 9.55, when he turns, all smiles and charm for the cameras and the press, beginning his speech. It is a speech of hope, of his company's commitment to greener energy, to lowering power bills for many within the city, to his grand achievement.
At 10PM, he presses the Big Red Button. Nothing happens...
Thirty seconds later, there is a THUMP from underground. This is followed a few seconds later by several waves of energy (some likened them to looking like compression waves, but there was no compressive force felt outside the building). Despite this observation, the windows on Prescott Tower and the nearby HatsuCorp building were blown out, showering the crowd in tempered glass.
It's at this point that our Heroes come to the fore.
Inside, just prior to the events described above,Karl Jagger-Stein, having been tasked with checking for power fluctuations by the head scientist of the PRISM project, one Dr Kirby Wilson, had just remarked that the power spikes were a rise and dip in signal, a steady, constant signal that, at some time later, Detective Seraphim would remark sounded a lot like a heartbeat. On hearing gunshots, Karl bravely moved to investigate, finding one of the junior scientists, having been shot in the back, lying on the floor, his torso stopping the door to the reactor from closing. Our brave, soon-to-be hero, poked his head around the door to see something at once frightening and spectacular. A man stood in the centre of the room; a strange device held in his hands. At least, Karl Jagger-Stein thought it was a man as he was swathed in lightning that danced and played across the surfaces around him. When this being saw our erstwhile Hero, a bolt of electricity was sent his way. Luckily, and thanks to the protection of the door, Karl Jagger-Stein evaded the attack and started to retreat, looking for a way to call for help. It was at this point his wave hit him, pushing him into a wall. It took him a moment to realise that he was literally in the wall, not just flattened against it. He extracted himself to come face to face with the man of lightning again. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valour, he re-merged with the wall, seeking a way up to the surface.
Up in the plaza, another of our heroes-to-be watched in horror as this energy was unleashed upon the world. A multi-hued wave of energy swept across Catherine Alexandra Carter, whereupon her body welcomed a familiar power from one of the waves. Unknowingly empowered, she moved to enter the tower, following her Love, trying to see to his safety. One of Prescott's Security tried to stop her, but she barged past the man, casually pushing him, with some force, into a wall. Inside, she realised she couldn't find Grayson Prescott. She was about to get distracted, however, as tendrils of electricity started arcing out of the lift shaft. The lift opened and the Lightning Rod exited into the main lobby and attacked the young woman, stunning her temporarily.
Again outside, Detective Uskir Seraphim patiently kept watch over those he’d sworn to protect. He received a communication that the inner building had been breached, to which he reacted calmly and professionally, starting to sort out emergency response. As the energy waves washed over him, his wave awoke something within him and, over everything else, he heard two distinct sounds, a jarring discordant sound, followed by a harmonious, chorus that seemed to be chasing the first sound. With his heightened senses, he saw the flash within the lobby and moved to help, shooting at the lightning, but missing. At the same time, Karl Jagger-Stein, having now taken on the form of the swirling rock from below, appeared and also tried to attack the lightning, with no success. At this point, Catherine Alexandra Carter shook off the daze the attack had put her in, picked up an office chair and attacked the lightning man with a vast, overhead strike that put the man into the wall, where he dropped bonelessly to the floor. A moment later, a hand appeared above him, taking the PRISM and disappeared again; not before Alex had a chance to look at the device and feel a sense of familiarity with it. Detective Uskir Seraphim arrested the man, where it was discovered that the would-be thief had a particular tattoo of 5 points, arranged in the points of a pentagon. Uskir realised that this was the mark of a gang from the 19th century, who were thought to have been disbanded, known as the 5 point Gang who, at the time they originally operated, were based in New York.
The rest of the night passed with Detective Uskir Seraphim investigating the crime scene, noting that those he tried to help with his medical knowledge, recovered faster than they should have done. Assisted by Karl Jagger-Stein, they discovered that the PRISM wasn’t in fact a power source but opened a vortex to the Gods only know where, releasing power into the world.
The next day, the Heroes met and discussed their plans to uncover what had happened to them and what they could learn about the PRISM. They met with Grayson Prescott who was very concerned with finding a cure. Kristoff Mathis was also in situ and became aware of our heroes when Catherine Alexandra Carter flew from the building they were in, in plain sight of the head of security for Prescott Industries, after Uskir Seraphim changed to his Wolfman form and frightened her into thinking he would attack. Fortunately, Uskir Seraphim's reaction was one of protection, so Grayson Prescott wouldn't have been his target. Uskir Seraphim regained control and a discussion with Kristoff has now helped set some things in motion that could directly affect Prescott Industries and its CEO, Silas Prescott.
We left our cast having each received a text message.
Catherine Alexandra Carter received one from her mother saying “We need to talk”. Karl Jagger-Stein received a message regarding planning for repairs as there’s a creature destroying a road Uskir Seraphim received a message asking if he’s been changed, to which he replies ‘Yes’. He gets a message saying, “You will be purged.”
Our heroes head off to their respective fates.

Rewards Granted

1 HP
1 PP

Missions/Quests Completed

The Catalyst Event

Character(s) interacted with

Grayson Prescott
Kristoff Mathis  - Head of Prescott Industries Security
Dr Kirby Wilson  - Chief Scientist for the PRISM project

Report Date

26 Sep 2020

Primary Location

Embankment, The

Secondary Location

Albany Heights