Blanchard’s Winter

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Blanchard the Hyperborean is holding New York ransom for 1 Billion dollars. He is utilising a weather machine to cause an unending blizzard in NY. If he doesn’t get his money at midnight of the Winter solstice he will freeze the city and its inhabitants.

Blanchard’s fortress is on an Ice berg off Newfoundland, Canada. The iceberg is secretly above the sunken Titanic (found on 1st of September 1985 in the real world). Blanchard and his weather machine are actually in the Titanic, rebuilt as an underwater sea base.

His iceberg is protected by extreme cold weather. Thick ice crystals in the frozen sky disable missiles and planes. Mind controlled cyborg orcas and thick ice protect from sea invasions.

Military plans

The USA and ERA plan to assault the Ice fortress. Whilst the main force is distracting the defences this will allow an elite force, including the player’s team, to invade.

The team will be debriefed on a USA Aircraft carrier. They will be informed of the information in the Sea invasion section. This includes the formation used and what enemies will be present. They will then be tasked with destroying one of the weather spires on the iceberg. This will allow some reinforcement to arrive and also allow the use of Rods from God. They know the main ice fortress is in the centre but do not know what is in it.

Each FIST merc will be provided with the following gear to use during the mission:

  • Heated aqua combat suits (1 ARMOR), goes on top of their ground clothing
  • Waterproof backpack allowing storage of 4 items
  • Harpoon gun (1D6+1 DAMAGE)

Additionally, the FIST team will be provided with 1:

  • Rod from God laser targetter (3D6+3, ANTI-MATERIAL), calls down a rod from god. Only works in the air.

Whilst on board FIST can also:

  • Enquire about more more intel
  • Give their CYBORG COLOSSAL SQUIDS their 10 word directive.
  • Talk to the leaders of Whale-1 & Whale-2

Sea invasion

The sea is an uninviting abyss. Even with the suits the mercs are frozen to the bone, but they are dry. Enemies appear out of nowhere for humans. Thankfully the team’s steeds do not have this issue.

The sea invasion consists of an escort mission to the iceberg. They will be attacked by mind controlled Cyborg Orcas and their wranglers. Reaching the Iceberg is the path to victory.

Frontal forces

During the sea invasion FIST’s team will trail behind 2 military groups in the water, Whale-1 & Whale-2. These military groups each consist of 6 marines riding CYBORG DOLPHINS, 2 CYBORG COLOSSAL SQUIDS, and a HUMPBACK WHALE SUBMERSIBLE. Do not control directly control these units. Rather, during the sea invasion, narrate their actions every so often making them succeed and fail in line with the rolls of the FIST characters. For example, if a FIST character rolls a success you can also narrate how the front teams are holding off and killing their enemies. If a FIST character rolls a failure you can narrate and mark the death of members in the front teams. On partial successes the front team may take some losses but also kill some enemies.

FIST’s team

FISTS crew will consists of:

Blanchard’s sea forces

Whilst underwater and approaching the Iceberg the Whale teams will be attacked. FIST’s team will have to fend off a pod of 6 CYBORG ORCAS and their ORCA WRANGLER. The frontal forces will be attacked by the same enemies but in larger numbers.

Victory

The main goal of FIST is to protect the HUMPBACK WHALE SUBMERSIBLE to the iceberg. It will take 3-6 turns, or however else you measure combat, to reach the iceberg. If FIST are doing well in combat it will take less time than if they are performing poorly.

Once the Iceberg has been reached the CYBORG DOLPHINS and HUMPBACK WHALE SUBMERSIBLE can climb onto it.

Ground invasion

Even the dolphins and whales are happy to be out of the sea due to the relative warmth of 0°C air. However, the dark blue has been replaced by the bright white. A flat iceberg surface and still white air disguise the horizon.

This vision of infinity is slightly broken by the barely visible Ice structures in the distance. As the team sets up, the silence is broken by the sound of fast approaching heavy footsteps.

Landfall

Once on land the surviving HUMPBACK WHALE SUBMERSIBLES will deploy into HUMPBACK WHALE WEAPONS PLATFORM. This will take a minute or 2 requiring FIST to protect the whale. The mercs will need to remove their Heated aqua combat suits and unpack their gear from their bags. If the other whale teams successfully made it to land this will give more time for FIST’s team to set-up before combatants engage them.

The vanguard of Blanchard’s forces will consist of 1D6 CYBORG POLAR BEAR with one POLAR BEAR RIDER each.

Weather Spire attack

After set-up and taking care of the vanguard FIST will need to destroy a weather spire. This will clear a patch of the frozen sky to allow reinforcements to drop in. Additionally, FIST will then be able to use their Rod from God laser targetter.

Close to the weather spire, FIST’s team will encounter 8 - X (X is equal to 2 times the number of other whale teams that survived) CYBORG POLAR BEARS with one POLAR BEAR RIDER each.

The weather spire is closely surrounded by 4 defence spires, 1 at each compass point. Each defence spire has 3 BLANCHARD RIFLEMEN stationed on top of them.

Weather Spire (25HP): A tall tower of ice. At the top of the spire ice is spouting out forming the above frozen sky.

Weather Spire destruction

Once the weather spire is deactivated mechas will drop in from the mooners. They will obliterate enemies allowing FIST a clear path to Blanchard’s Ice Dome.

Ice Dome

A near empty dome with a central ice column. The Dome’s ice reflects like a fractal mirror, emphasising the emptiness of the area. The column contain a door to an elevator.

This is a great place for the team to take a break (rendezvous).

The elevator

The elevator is made of clear ice allowing a view into the body of Proteus. No light from Nyxmera, no heat from Tartarus, and no life from Gaia can be seen.

After the flow of time loses meaning a light below can be seen. A massive broken ocean liner, repaired by ice. As you approach you see the name “Titanic”.

Titanic base

The door opens to a lavish ballroom with chandeliers, tables, and chairs made of ice. In the centre stands Blanchard welcoming and congratulating the team for making it into his lair. He stands on a cylindrical stage with all manner of terminals that descend into the floor. The welcome will be short lived as he must always take care of uninvited guests.

The floor is slick smooth ice.

Weather machine

The Titanic has been changed into the weather machine. The team will need to destroy the Titanic, release the OCEAN WATER BODY that has been encased to power it, or both.

Boss fight

BLANCHARD THE HYPERBOREAN stands behind a clear ice barrier that can take one hit, allowing him to react if the team decide to attack. He will start out the fight by activating his ICE FORTS special move and summoning 2D6 SNOWBALL SWARMS.

He will hit and run the team whilst using his ice skates, initially allowing his SNOWBALL SWARMS to take care of the team.

Once he has lost more than 5 HP or lost all his SNOWBALL SWARMS he will activate his SNOW DAY BOSS MOVE and release the OCEAN WATER BODY from below the cylindrical stage. He will then try to escape via the elevator as the OCEAN WATER BODY goes on a rampage.

End

Once the team have stopped the weather machine and escaped they have completed the mission. Whether they killed BLANCHARD THE HYPERBOREAN is irrelevant.