r/whowouldwin • u/OddDirective • Oct 18 '22
Event Character Scramble 16 Round 2: Rockin' Rockin'
Round 2: Rockin’ Rockin’
Click here to join the email list.
Click here to join the Character Scramble discord.
DAY 4
The mission the Game Master gives this week is simple and also quite complex. “Topple the ruler of the A-East arena. You have three hours. Fail, and face erasure.” They aren’t being so forthcoming with information on what that means, so that’s a challenge your Players will have to overcome. Another hurdle is actually gaining access; there’s something in the way of getting in the actual arena, be it knowledge on the target or a situation set up by the Game Master preventing access to the arena. This leads into a scramble to get the multiple things needed to resolve this, but with some outside assistance (hint: your Reaper), your team could get past it quicker than others.
(Some examples of obstacles and situations preventing access: Separate clues to the identity of the ruler or what is meant by ‘the arena’, a techie that needs specific items to go on with the scheduled show tonight, a gourmand Support Reaper manning the barrier to the way in that needs ingredients, a Resident Evil-style lock puzzle, a heist-type setup for a specific back entrance, or having to cure certain people of Noise infestation so they can open the doors.)
Whatever way they get through it, the team reaches the inside of the arena to face off against the ruler of the arena- and their target meets them on stage. It’s a battle under the lights, and the amps are turned all the way to 11. It’s time to play!
The enemy team can factor into this in a couple ways- obviously, if a member of the enemy team is the ruler of A-East, that’s one way to do it, but they could be individuals keeping you from obtaining the things you need to get in, or they could be a rival team trying to take down the boss before your team can. Whatever the case, they’re going up against you at some point in this round, so prepare to face off!
Scramble Rules
Let ‘Em Know Who You Are: Every participant this season received four characters on their team, but many of them might not be a household name. To aid with readability, please give a brief introduction and summary of your characters, with enough information so the average reader can get excited for your team before starting.
This World Ends With You: Your writeup will depict a scenario where your team succeeds. Even if your team has a one in a million chance of overcoming the odds, show what they’d need to do to come out on top against the challenge in front of them!
Everybody Has Their Own World: Writers are allowed to make changes to their characters in their narrative to fit their story, such as allowing power stealers to gain more powers, teaching martial artists new techniques, or having characters gradually grow in strength between rounds. However, you are not beholden to following what your opponent is doing. When facing another team, you are only required to write their characters as they were submitted. This is to help with ease of research, and make things more fun for both sides.
Round Rules
Setting: This round’s original setting is A-East, in particular a music venue or other performance arena, which in the original games is in a more seedy area. The main thrust of the setting is a showy place for a ‘boss fight’, so any location with a stage would work excellently. With regards to getting there, however, there is a possibility your Players would have to search far and wide, in other locations around the city. If you can’t conceive of it another way, think of it like a fetch quest.
Key Points: The main idea of the round is the following. Your Players must enter into an arena of some description or renown, and defeat a single enemy there. That being said, there is a multi-part obstacle keeping them from getting in, which the Players and Reaper have to resolve on the way. After overcoming this, the team enters into the arena and faces off against the enemy or enemies there. The enemy team must oppose them at some point, but it can be during the multi-part obstacle and/or at the arena.
Post Limit: For this round, writers will be limited to 6 posts, or 60k characters. While it is fine to go a little bit over, anything that far surpasses this limit will be automatically disqualified. This limit does not include intro posts, or analysis of the matchup.
Due Date: Writeups will be due at 11:59 PM CST on Monday, October 31st. That’s about two weeks. At that point, the thread will be locked, and voting will go up for a few days afterwards.
Flavor Suggestions
peaceful day: Your Players participated in at least one other day before this, though they didn’t run into any trouble in terms of teams opposing them. Or maybe they did! Whatever happened that day is up to you, and you can describe it if you want; just be mindful of the space you’re working with and that you need to complete the round.
The One Star: Your team’s goal is to defeat one specific enemy- in the original game, it was a bat Noise boss fight, and another monster certainly would fit the description. That being said, there is also the option of making it a member of the enemy team, either a Player or their Reaper, which of course seems sensible. There’s also a third option of making it a different character entirely. Who or what the ruler is is totally up to you.
Kill the Itch: While the mission doesn’t specify lethality, this might be the first time your team has fought directly against the enemy team members, and erasure can be introduced by having to erase the other Players on the enemy side. How would your team react to them being the cause of others’ nonexistence- or would they try to take them down nonlethally? Would they not even fight the enemy team, for fear of erasing them? Or, alternatively, would they be a bit too enthusiastic about eliminating the competition?
1
u/Kyraryc Oct 31 '22
"Which brings us to our third problem," Owl continued. "The Reaper team led by Zapp Brannigan. He was chosen simply to get him to shut up and stop begging to be a Reaper. This is his sixteenth attempt at the games."
The ashes spun around and formed their statue of Zapp. A chubby man wearing a skirt far too short for anyone's comfort, with an underserved smirk on his face. Zapp's figurine grew, joining Shiroe and Stockman.
"His tactics, while abysmal, are usually sufficient to pass the first round. And if nothing else, they've always given us a good laugh. But this time, something unexpected happened. Observe."
A new Zapp figure rose from the ashes. Winds blew until an enormous army stood before him, locked in a vicious battle against a legion of aliens with rough ridges on their foreheads and long hair. Klingon warriors, proud and strong.
The Klingons held a fortified location, a power plant on top of a long, winding hill. With their superior positioning, Zapp's army couldn't get close. Neither could they risk blowing it up, otherwise they'd blow themselves up too.
A difficult battle that would only be won with cunning tactics. That was obvious to anyone watching, except for Zapp himself.
"There's only one way to win this," Zapp said. "I will send wave after wave of my own men until they're overwhelmed!"
A few other men were standing beside Zapp. Out of all of them, two made striking contrasts. The first was an absolute giant of a man. He was pure muscle, sculpted by a lifetime of intense combat, with spikey, untamed hair. Few encountered Thorkell the Tall and lived to tell it. He was a true warrior, unlike the mockery known as Zapp.
"That sounds like a plan to me! A warrior can only shine upon the battlefield!" Thorkell laughed.
"You're not going," Zapp said. "I need you by my side at all times. Who else will carry my stuff?"
Thorkell smacked a table in frustration. It shattered into a thousand pieces.
"Now Blue, hurry up and order the attack! My feet are getting sore."
The one Zapp was referring to was sleek with sharp features. He wore a well-fitted military uniform and stood with a calm demeanor. If Thorkell was the warrior Zapp pretended to be, then Grand Admiral Thrawn was the military mastermind Zapp impersonated.
"Such a tactic is a sign that you've given up," Thrawn said.
"It has served me well in the past," Zapp said. "And don't forget I outrank you. Defy my orders again and I'll have you court-martialed!"
"My apologies Twenty-Five Star General," Thrawn said. His tone was neutral but still dismissive. "I'm simply advising you to reconsider. Even if that tactic succeeds, it will destroy the morale of our troops and utterly ruin our prospects in future rounds."
"My troops have undying loyalty to me," Zapp said, "or dying. I'm not picky. They'll gladly face death for me as many times as it takes!"
Thrawn studied the Klingons carefully. "Perhaps there is another way. Notice the design of their swords. They are curved inwards, with handles along the outside curve. Traditional swords are straight-edged. Those that are curved can strike on their inner and outer edges."
"So what?" Zapp dismissed. "It probably means their pathetic penises are unable to feel the sweet embrace of a woman. I've been with all kinds of women! I'll crush them with waves and waves of my own men!"
Thrawn sighed. It was clear that Zapp Brannigan was testing his patience. "You need to take a closer look. This design limits their cutting and striking power. It is as if they feel the need to give their opponents a handicap. Pure, destructive power is not their goal."
Thrawn put down his electrobinoculars. "They are a race of honorable warriors, and we can use that against them. If we offer a contest of single combat, they will accept. We will avoid wasting countless soldiers."
"Enough!" Zapp yelled. "Your job is to follow my orders."
"To defeat an enemy, you must first understand them. Not only their strengths and weaknesses, but their inspirations and customs. To view their designs, their artwork is to view into their very souls."
"Art, shmart," Zapp dismissed. "The only art I'm interested in is the art of love. Any other kind is for pathetic women and sissy men. Now for the last time, are you going to follow my orders or not?"
"I choose not," Thrawn said. In one swift move, he pulled out his blaster and shot Zapp in his chest.