Let’s Go Shopping!

By Chained Angel

Why, hello again.

Imagine bumping into you here at the Armory. Are you looking to pick out some new pieces to complete your ensemble as well?

Currently, I’m a Level 11, so I have one slot open in each of my Gear areas.

As a firm believer in being an informed consumer, I shop around and look for the best value before I buy.

The first place I go, before I purchase anything is to this blog article on These City Streets:
http://heroesrisinggame.blogspot.com/2019/09/editorial-how-to-use-equipment-cores.html

Thank you, The Fallen, for a clear guide as to how your Core works to your advantage (and disadvantage).

Clearly, just like a fashionable wardrobe, there is no one perfect outfit. So far, I have been able to pick up a piece of usable gear here and there as I have done my missions across New Amsterdam and while dealing with Planet X.

None of what I have found really goes well with any other piece.

Now that I am getting ready to go shopping, spending some Crystals or Morphons on better equipment, I need to better understand what each piece has to offer to aid in my battles.

To understand how Powers, Skills, and Gear work with one another, you must do the math.

Yes, I know. Math isn’t always fun, but smart shoppers use it. You don’t want buyer’s remorse later, do you?

If you look on the bottom right corner on the EQUIP screen, you will find your STRIKE, BLOCK, and MOVE scores.

These values are generated by your Power Card totals for each category multiplied by your matched Skill Modifier.

Without any equipment, I have a BLOCK value of 1447. When I equip only the Seed of Potential, which adds a 5% bonus to BLOCK, the value changes to 1519.

If I add my Badge Combat boots, which increase the BLOCK value by +51, my new BLOCK value is 1570.

The BLOCK value from any Gear is added after the % multiplier from all gear has been applied.

The same process is used in calculating your LIFE.

The multiplier is applied to your base Life total, which is 100 plus your LIFE value from Skill points (This is not a multiplier to your LIFE, as the Skill Points in Attack, Defense, and Movement are), and then further LIFE + bonus quantities are added.

Just so you are all aware, I’m not going to spill all my ability values. A girl simply must keep some secrets!

Based on these calculations, you can see that at earlier levels, gear that gives you a + Bonus to a statistic will be beneficial, but as we progress further as a hero by gaining experience, gear that supplies a % Bonus will reap higher dividends.

As I researched this topic in the These City Streets blog, I found some articles were useful and others offered out-dated or incorrect advice.

If you take the time to read them for yourself, please go by the age-old adage “Trust but verify”.

As the game developed, some posts may have offered correct information when they were posted, but currently might not be your best options.

There is also a great deal of debate as to what is better to purchase; Power Cards or Gear.

This is an extremely common and difficult topic concerning the spending of Morphons.

Which will get you the most BANG while dipping into your purse or wallet?

The truth is you need both, but IMO(in my opinion), I’ve seen many gifts and rewards given away as Power Cards and nobody has tried to put a ring, free or otherwise, on me yet.

Maybe Gear is slightly more…Precious?

Speaking of dipping into your pockets to purchase goodies, I wanted to suggest you consider where you purchase Morphons from.

If you use Facebook to make your purchases, you won’t get as much as you would if you purchased from the Heroes Rising website.

On Facebook, you can get 660 Morphons for $25.00, where if you buy them off the website, you can get 740 Morphons for the same $25.00.

Shop how you feel the most comfortable, but there does seem to be a middleman surcharge in there for Facebook.

I know I haven’t even begun to talk about damage multipliers, gear that stuns, or equipment that decreases an opponent’s abilities, but there just isn’t time to talk about everything.

For right now, I hope I helped you understand how Power Cards, Skills, and Gear work together to make you stronger.

We can talk about the rest in the future, ok?

Until then, continue to dress for success.

Your friend,
Angel

Continue the Story

Hero Highlights- **Special 3-way Interview**

Today, due to the recent unpleasantness, we ran short on time for separate interviews and we have three members of the Colony 51 league here, so we’ll save time and interview all three together.

Hello gentlemen. Can you tell us your names, or would you prefer your Hero designation/code name?

(The 3 glance at each other and shrug, then the eldest speaks, followed by the twin Shinobi brothers)

DB~~You can use my code name Donald Blake MD…. the old me is no more. I am remade.

GR & G ~~ We are Shinobi; you may use my designation, Gamma Ray (Glacier finishes Gamma Ray’s answer)...and you may refer to me, as Glacier.

Are you working thru B.A.D.G.E. or are you independent?

DB~~I work both independently and with B.A.D.G.E. With all that is happening with this Legion attacking. They have need of my highly analytical scientific experience and healing skills and my fighting skills are not bad either.

GB & G (in unison) ~~ We are independent but have fulfilled many contracts for B.A.D.G.E. (still in unison, Glacier and Gamma Ray laugh quickly play Pinchipōku anata wa watashi ni kōra o karite iru. What we call here, Pinch- Poke -you owe me a Coke)

You three are currently in Colony 51, would you care to tell us about it?

(The brothers start to answer at the same time, but DB clears his throat loudly.)

DB~~ Yes, We reside with The Colony 51 , a special unit created at a top-secret base and that’s all we can say about that, other than that our league has a great deal of skill and are a tough bunch. (The brothers briskly bow their heads in confirmation.)

Can each of you tell us a little about your powers? Are all of your powers Morphon based?

DB~~I was born a mutant with the power to heal and had an inherent knowledge of the sciences. Those powers are ever-increasing as morphons continue to rain down. For instance, I grew wings and can fly at nearly light speed, good thing they are retractable. My shirt budget was out of hand until I learned how they worked. I am also nearly invulnerable and can’t really be easily hurt, but my best power is that I can absorb any and all power used by others and make them my own.

GR~~As Shinobi, I have trained since a child in the martial arts and have mastered all styles and weapons. I use stealthy infiltration tactics, sabotage, deception and forgery, and occasionally assassination. I take opponents by surprise, but my strongest power given me by the morphons is the ability to harness radiation and strike my opponent down with radioactive lightning bolts.

G~~I also am Shinobi. I too have trained from an early age, alongside of my brother, in the martial arts and have mastered all styles and weapons as well. The morphons granted me power over water and lightning. I can absorb water molecules and electrical charges from the air and use them to freeze any object or to fry it or both. I can throw frozen lightning bolts that can flash freeze any opponent and make them explode with the electrical component of the bolt.

Do any of you have a sidekick?

DB~~I have a pet cockatoo, does that count?

GR & G~~(Gamma answered) Yes, but my flying roundhouse kick is better! Glacier retorted; Yes, but my flash kick is way cooler. (The twin brothers glare at each other for a moment, then grin and laugh rather loudly)

GR & G~~ (in unison) HA HA HA, Ninja humor!

Could you each tell us a little about your origin?

DB~~The old me is no more. I was an old mutant before the morphons fell, I worked as a civil servant, in the medical service, as a doctor but as I absorbed the morphon particles, my old body regressed to a youthful state and I have not aged since.

GR & G (in unison, as if practiced this way) ~~Yes, very little for your safety, but we can say, it is very close to the Iga region of Japan.

What is your favorite piece of gear? Why?

DB~~I don’t have one favorite piece of gear, but find those pieces that increase damage, or resist a foe's power, very helpful.

GR~~ The spiked rings have always served me well and allow me to inflict much damage.

G ~~I’m kind of fond of the Heart of Ice core for the 2X damage and well, it’s wicked cold.

Do any of you have any advice for new Heroes?

DB~~ Yes, Nova, the B.A.D.G.E. director, has offered many ways to get powerful. Use them all and grind, try to add a power each day. Do your daily quests and missions. That's the best place to start.

GR~~Train hard and you will be rewarded. Gain your first powers by completing missions.

G~~Do not level really fast. You can out level your power cards.

Is there anything else any of you would care to add?

DB~~Two things actually... you will not become all-powerful on the first day and powers cards are great but gear is king.

GR & G (in unison) ~~The Shinobi are always watching.

Well, thank you all for coming.

Until next time my friends.

Continue the Story

NEW CARD BOOST EVENT: TITANIC FURY

https://www.heroesrisinggame.com/game/stat_boost_event.game

Boost this card to its full potential! 

Here is an exciting new attack card... But don't be fooled by its present stats; the best is yet to be!

For every 200 cards bought, up to 3000, the card's stats will boost:

+4 Attack +3 Defense +3  Movement

Event ends when 3000 are sold. Cards will NOT be available to buy after that. 

Here are its stats if the card reaches its full potential:

As the power gets boosted, the price will also increase by 1 MP per boost, so be sure to buy low! This will also affect the cost to upgrade and sellback, which are based on the card's current price.

All Players are limited to 1 card per player level.

Get your card now! 
https://www.heroesrisinggame.com/game/stat_boost_event.game

Continue the Story

Hero Highlights- Azure Archangel

Our subject this time is not born of this world, in fact, he wasn’t born at al. He was created by Divine will.

Can you tell us your name, or would you prefer your Hero designation/code name?

~~Azure Archangel is my title, my true name in Angelic Tongue is impossible for a mortal to utter. Besides, to give something it’s true name is to bind its power, and that I can not allow.

Are you working thru B.A.D.G.E. or are you independent?

~~After I fell to Earth, having been ambushed by Legion soldiers, I was found by a B.A.D.G.E representative, wandering without my memory. They recruited me. They are helping me to regain my memory.

Are you currently in a League, and if so, would you care to tell us about it?

~~I am with Redguard and I am a founding member. We are always pushing our limits through battle.

Can you tell us a little about your powers? Are all of your powers Morphon based?

~~Some of my powers are natural for my kind that I retained after becoming human. Most of my new powers do seem to be Morphon based, or at least Morphon enhanced.

Do you have a sidekick?

~~I have found no need for a sidekick. I have my League brothers and sisters that I work with closely. But I am mostly independent, and work alone as a B.A.D.G.E. operative.

Could you tell us a little about your origin?

~~My existence began as an Angel from the Heavenly realm. I was tasked to assess the Threat of Legion to Earth by my commander, Michael. I got caught and was gravely injured and fell to Earth, losing most of my angelic powers and became mortal, and I had amnesia from the ordeal.

What is your favorite piece of gear? Why?

~~My favorite piece of gear is The Infernal Bracers that were found in the crater along with me. I apparently had dispatched a Legion soldier and had taken them as a trophy.

Do you Have any advice for new Heroes?

~~My advice is to train hard and push your power limits to new levels. Training never ends.

Is there anything else you'd care to add?

~~In parting, I leave this warning. Evil beware, for I am watching!

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today, and those of evil bent, take heed. You have been warned.

Til the next time, my friends.

Continue the Story

Art Event with special prizes

Hello everyone. I thought, after all the stress and calamity over Jinn, the heroes needed something fun to do. So, get out those crayons, dust off the smock, and make sure you give non-toxic finger paint to Fleagle (I'm not having his stomach pumped a second time), we are going to color some pictures.

As always, I provide the base sketch from one of my own Heroes Rising paintings and let you color it in however you feel like it. You can add a background, give them equipment, add powers to them, whatever suits your fancy. You'll note that my base sketches are almost nude (stop snickering, I heard you) I like to work from a base form. Just make sure these come out PG-13 or cleaner. 

All four sketches I have provided are already finished paintings. In fact, all four are currently on power cards that have yet to be released, and won't be until this event is over. This is important, there is an added contest to this coloring event. Players have impressed me with their unique takes on some of my drawings in past contest. So, this time around, we are going to select the top three player colored images and make them power cards as "special edition" power cards which will be in the game for a limited time. No one player will have more than one of their selected, which means three different players will garner this special honor. Also, each player who has their art selected will be given a copy of the card when it is available in the game.

This doesn't mean other players won't get anything. This will still follow the same pattern as before. Each person who submits colored images will receive a Good Job card for the first three they submit. (If you submit more than three, you will still only get three copies, but if you submit less than three, you will receive 1 or 2 copies, depending on number of entries.) 

Special Note: If you want a large image file of any of these, let me know and I will send one to you. 

Continue the Story

Player Profile Bios: Getting to know you...

By Chained Angel

Hello again. It is I, Angel, your fellow hero on the streets and reporter with an ear to the city beats. (Get your minds out of the gutters, boys.)

I’ve been doing my rounds about New Amsterdam and discovered an interesting trend. There are quite a few people out there who are nothing but a blank space. Are they waiting for someone else to write their story?

I refer of course to the Player Profile Bio and Character Sheet sections.

I can’t help but feel these people are missing out on an opportunity. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t need to fill them out to battle or do missions. Other than part of the daily quest chain where you are asked to edit your bio, they don’t give you much. Why not leave them blank or put unusual, colorful comments there? Yes, I’ve seen things. Some of you have been very, very naughty.

My thought is that if you don’t take the time to thoughtful fill these out, you are missing out on part of the fun of playing a superhero. Look at the history of the genre of great four-color comics and think, “Would I care what a big letter S on someone’s chest meant if I didn’t know anything about who that superhero was?” The sound of “SNIKT” and metal blades popping out between knuckles wouldn’t be as riveting without the context from the backstory and tragedy behind them. Gar, Chase, and Director Nova wouldn’t enhance the game or mean much if you didn’t understand how their actions played into the latest raid.

You never know when the Powers that Be might look down and decide to use your character in a part of the ongoing Lore for Heroes Rising. Active participants and people who take the time to fill these out are far more likely to be immortalized in game. Don’t you want them to get your character right, for historical purposes? They might have you firing pink ribbons as part of a color guard when your powers are supposed to be emerald green bolts of photonic-energy that crackle like insects hitting an electrified bug-zapper.

And, to be honest, I find reading those backstories interesting to look at while I am waiting in the lobby of the Fight Club, regaining my energy for the next round. And after someone robs me of $1247. You know I looked you up Mighty Matt ID: 20248. You might be level 20 now, but I have friends too. Watch your back! Look. I’m not trying to tell anyone what to do. Free will is my jam. I’ll do me and you do you.

All I can say is I would like to get to know you better if you want to take the time to fill your Bio and Character sheet out. I promise I won’t swipe left.

Until next time, thanks for taking the time to sit with me for a moment.

Your Friend,
Angel

Continue the Story

"What Happened?": An After-the-Raid Interview

By Chaz Hamiltion
ID: 14716
Greetings, Sentinel readers. This is Chaz Hamilton and I have a treat for you today.

Back while the world was knee-high in battle with the Demon Jinn, I put a call out to heroes who could spend a moment to tell me their experience during the battle. I had a response from one of the participating heroes: Crossroads.

Chaz-“Welcome, Crossroads. Thank you for sparing a moment for our readers.”
Crossroads-“You’re welcome. I’m always available to my friends at the Sentinel.”

Chaz-“We count you as a friend, as well. A friend to the world, actually, considering your actions during the battle.”
Crossroads-“You give me too much credit. I was just one of many.”

Chaz-“How are you feeling after the fight?”
Crossroads-“Let’s just say I’ve booked time with a masseuse every day for the next month. My knots have knots.”

Chaz-“Undoubtedly. How about we start so we can get you back early for your next shiatsu appointment?”
Crossroads-“Sounds good to me.”

Chaz-“What can you tell me about your experience fighting the Demon Jinn?”
Crossroads-“OK, as a hero with a travel power, I was tasked with helping to expedite the evacuation of city Bursa and the surrounding areas. My powers are a little different than the normal teleport or portal power"

Chaz-“How is that?”
Crossroads-"They are based on dimensional energies, but they do a similar job. As long as I have a clear picture in my head, I can go there by what we call 'dimensional skipping' and I can take about 5 people with me. Well me and some of my alternates in other dimensions have been trying to do something a little different with it. We started to make dimensional folds. And we have been able to open a portal to let someone simply walk from, say NYC to LA in only a few moments."

Chaz-“Wow. Can I get your number for next time the Sentinel sends me out on a story and only will pay for coach?”
Crossroads-“Sorry. I’m a superhero, not a travel agent.”

Chaz-“Can’t blame a grunt in the trenches like me for trying. Please, continue your fascinating story.”
Crossroads-“Well, we had finished "folding" a number of Bursa residents from the airport to the port at Ankara on the coast.”

Chaz-“Do you have a count on how many? Five? Ten?”
Crossroads-“I’d say around…Just a second…I want to confer with some of my alternates.” Crossroads eyes stare off into the middle-distance for a few seconds before returning to her interviewer. “About 1,500.”

Chaz-“That’s impressive. You wouldn’t be a travel agent, you’d be United, Northwestern, and Delta combined. Please go on.”
Crossroads-“Then Jinn appeared, and we got down to some serious fighting...or at least some serious light shows, because he seemed to be ignoring us for the most part, no matter what we did. I was able to use the folding technique to divert some of his energy attacks into empty areas over the Mediterranean Sea, and even one or two back towards Jinn himself, but they simply dissipated before they hit him.”

Chaz-“He was formidable. I’m so glad I’m still alive to say ‘was’. There were points in Bursa where I didn’t know if I would see the next day.”
Crossroads-Crossroad's head slowly lowers as she repeatedly nods, finally ending with her staring heavy-hearted at the floor. “Then he hit that airliner.....”

Chaz-“Of course. I’m still can’t believe that happened.”
Crossroads-“I did what I could to save as many people who were falling...I folded space under everybody I could and transferred them to the field hospitals we had set up outside town. I couldn't get everyone. I don't even know how many that I folded survived the explosion, but I had to do something....”

Chaz-“I’m sure there are grateful families out there in Turkey today, thankful for what you did.”
Crossroads-“Then, as pissed as I was, I started folding the debris that was falling from the plane and transported it above Jinn's head. Yeah, petty, and it hardly even annoyed him. So, I decided to direct all the dimensional energies I could right into his left eye. I didn't realize at the time that he had already defended himself against Quark's dimensional attacks as if they meant nothing. I guess he decided to play with me and fired a return shot of energy right along the same path I used. I don't remember anything after that....”

Chaz-“Wow. You are lucky you survived.”
Crossroads-“I was like all the other heroes who he knocked out, Just an unconscious power supply for him.”

Chaz-“What an amazing story. Thank you for sharing. By now, everyone should know how the entire situation unfolded in the end. But your story, All I can say is thank you.”
Crossroads-“Don’t mention it. I only did what I could.”

Chaz-“Well, it is more than many would do in your situation.” Chaz Hamilton turns and looks over his shoulder, waving to someone outside the room. “Do you remember how you said you couldn’t get to everyone falling after the explosion of the 747? We at the Sentinel have a few people who would like to meet you under…better circumstances.”
A video cart with an enormous 100-inch television is rolled into the room. The screen lights up and dozens of people are shown standing together holding a banner before them. It reads “Teşekkür ederim  Crossroads!”

Chaz-“These are the people we found from the field hospitals around Bursa who identified you as the one who saved their life. They asked if we could help them say thank you.”

“Thank You Crossroads!” The gathering of survivors bellow from half-way around the world.
Crossroads stands and faces the televised crowd, nodding and speaking in response to the multitude of voices, not her own, speaking to her. Next thing you know, Crossroads has disappeared and stands with the survivors on the screen and shares hugs with them.

Chaz-“That’s all the time we have for today.” Chaz Hamiltion turns back to the camera. “Thanks for joining us. This is Chaz Hamilton. We’ll see you next time, as the stories continue…”

Continue the Story

The Jinn Saga, looking back

It has been one heck of an adventure since I began the Jinn story. I am excited to see how it was well received and played out with the game and the story itself. I am sad to see it over, at the same time I am relieved. It was a lot of work, often last minute for me. I wanted to take a moment and talk about the experience of writing the Jinn saga.

The idea for Jinn started back in February. Well, to be honest, a bit of the idea started back at Christmas, but I wasn’t clear yet how I wanted to work the Lore. So, lets go back to January: We had just gone through the Holiday season, which included four raids and a few tidbits of story. The new year was on us and we were all taking a breath from the craziness of the season. I realized we had nothing planned yet, so I had the idea of writing up a storyline involving Cupid, creating an event for Valentines day. The only request from Nick on the outset was to introduce a new NPC as an assistant to Nova, which gave us Chase.

As I wrote the story, I began to world build. As a novelist for most of my life, it’s hard not to

delve deeper and deeper into the creation of the story. I brought Santa Claus back into the story as well as Cupid. I didn’t want to introduce god-like figures without making them fit the Sci-Fi nature of Heroes Rising. Thus, the Vexillians were born. I had already begun their origins in my own Gargoyle story and decided they were a good people to use for the Mythics. However, do I make Cupid evil? Why do the heroes need to battle him in a raid? Do I make it humorous or serious? As I wrote the story, it became more serious. I realized I didn’t want Cupid to be a villain, so I would have to give him a reason to be acting like one. I needed a real villain. The Hooded Man was created. Who was he? Why was he doing this? What was his goal? To be honest, I didn’t know at first. I wasn’t sure how far I wanted to take this story. However, I knew I wanted this dark figure to play a long-term role in story.

After Cupid was defeated and restored, I realized I had created a monster. Not the Hooded Man, but a story that had so much potential it would take a lot of my focus. Two things happened next, St. Patrick's day was coming, and Covid showed up. The pandemic gave me time to create. I sat down and put together an idea. I first gave The Hooded Man an identity, only known to me at first. I then gave him a goal. Using these two bits of private info, I wrote the Leprechaun's story. This gave the players and Characters the first indication of what was truly happening. This was bigger than just a minor villain. But, still, his goals were hidden to everyone…except me.

When Easter rolled around, I decided to move the story in a

slightly different direction. I wanted a touch of humor while continuing both the plot and world building. Instead of another seasonal Mythic either being bad or corrupted, I created a comical Easter Bunny, (EB for short). Not only that, but I felt it only wise to make this overly excitable, slightly annoying, deeply kind creature extra fond of Nova. It may have seemed like a simple comedy choice, the odd couple; the stoic, hard nosed Nova and the flippant, high spirited bunny. This gave me a chance to focus the reader on Nova and begin to spin his unique story. He is more than you know. Easter came and went with a giant egg.

Next came the prequel. I wanted the reader to come to know Jinn, to understand who he was. I don’t like bad guys that are bland. I don’t want someone who is evil for evil's sake, who has no developed character. I already knew that Jinn was going to be a mythic who had been in trouble with his people before, and chose the identity of a magical Jinn from Arabian culture. This way I didn’t have to corrupt a beloved mythical figure, Jinn aren’t exactly the kindest figures of myth. I wrote the longest story at that point by writing Jinn’s backstory. Not only did it give me a chance to show you his fall into darkness, it also let me introduce Lord Dragon, Lady Phoenix, and Nova. Jinn’s backstory was the hardest to write, as I spent extra time paying attention to detail, studying at length the Ottoman Empire’s history and culture throughout the centuries Jinn was involved with them.

After that, I returned the story to the present. With Lord Dragon already introduced, I was able to move the story to Japan. Now the reader knows Jinn’s capacity for evil and scheming, the characters are aware there is something deeply troubling happening and must stop it. However, I STILL had not

revealed his ultimate plan, and that was on purpose. The Missing Mythic was a difficult story to write. I had left hints and clues throughout the stories that there was a Mythic who did not know it. The clues led to three people, Chase, Gar, and Nova. Of course we had a competition to see if you could guess and I was pleased to see my work was done well since I saw arguments for all three people. This story gave me a chance to show Jinn’s depth of evil, in that he kills not only his own mother, but Gar. This was with great care that I did this. Lady Phoenix is not to be trifled with, but she is a gentle and kind person. Gar is a strong, loyal hero, but he is also gentle, kind, and youthful. Killing both of them in the story hurt me, but it gave the reader deep reason to HATE Jinn, to want him to suffer for his callousness.

This brings us to the final story, The Reckoning. This story is the longest of the saga, (Not counting Gar's origin story). This one was easiest to write, but difficult to execute properly. I had to bring the story to its climax. I had dozens of characters, from NPC’s to player characters. I had a villain that required being beaten, but couldn’t be easy to defeat. Even with the Raid being a little on the quick

side, the reality was I had to make Jinn’s downfall epic and planned. He was too powerful to just defeat in battle, there had to be a method that would be clearly logical to his demise. I threaded a scheme throughout this last story of Leprechaun’s ploy. No one would know what he had in mind. Even those who were part of his plan weren’t clear on the fullness it would take. He would die, not only to get revenge for what Jinn did to him, but for his family. Jinn had murdered the last vestige of Leprechaun's family. There was no Deus Ex Machina to his fall, there was no bigger hero, what defeated Jinn was selflessness, a trait Jinn could never understand. The final chapter gave me a chance to wrap up the saga. The reader gets to see the aftermath of the battle while the characters get a chance to find fulfillment. Cupid and Santa regain the power stolen from them, Gar is returned from his death. It’s a happy ending everyone deserved.

Why bring back Gar? Yes, Gar is my own character. I created him long before I was part of this game. In fact, I wrote his story before I was hired in. But, this isn’t the reason behind his return. I

couldn’t leave the story with his loss. His sacrifice was senseless. In a way, Jinn’s ultimate defeat came the moment Gar woke from his death. Jinn’s terrible actions of murder for power were reversed. Why not Lady Phoenix? To be honest, her death was less senseless, Jinn had clear reason to hate his mother, she sealed his magic and reduced him to nothing. His was a deserved punishment, but not in his mind. Will she stay dead? I don’t know, this is a Comic Book universe, anything is possible. However, I do want to make this clear, she is not a real Phoenix, she is a Vexillian, a powerful alien that took on the image of the Phoenix. So, the attributes commonly accepted of the Phoenix are entirely true of her.

I really hope that a lot of people enjoyed this story. I would often be writing and editing into the night getting it ready. I am a novelist, so this kind of episodic short fiction is a little new to me. I attempted to keep parts short enough to hold your attention. This was difficult as the story progressed simply because I wanted to build the world better, put in more character interaction, and give you a full book. Of course, that would mean you wouldn’t be reading it until some time in 2021, so this worked out for the best. I did a LOT of research for each part. I studied culture, history, language, origins, myths, legends, geography, and more for every story. For every hour of writing, I studied three to five hours. I hope the effort shows.

I also did a lot of artwork to make sure we had story-appropriate pieces done in time. Not all of the art is mine, but there were a good number of pieces created to ensure it was ready. I give credit to the artist our art director hired for some pictures, especially Chase, and Lord Dragon (Loved the Lord Dragon Raid pic) I also reached out to a friend who is a newly graduated art major who helped me by designing the Leprechaun, gold coins, the Easter Bunny, and the Jinn Raid Picture.

How did players characters get into the story? Oh, I hope you’re asking that. First, let me say that there are a lot of players in this game and I simply cannot put ten thousand characters in every story. But, I will keep putting in real gamers' characters into the Lore. Some I picked out due to their involvement in the game. People who are active players who also are active community members who put a lot of effort in. Some players got into the story because they took an active interest in the story. One, Crimson Guardian, commented on the blog posts for each Lore installment. He put his character into the scene, in the background. He did so in such a simple and unintrusive way that I liked it and decided he would get more screen time. That doesn’t mean you have to do that, but it was how he got in. I want to include you...whoever is reading this. I will create another post at another time to go into detail on how I look for player characters to put into the game.

What comes next? To be completely honest, I am not sure. I do have ideas, I do have a plan, I am not completely in the dark, but I haven’t begun writing it yet. Often the story gains a life all its own and I am taken down the path I never intended, but love so much more.

I hope you enjoy my work and keep reading it. Tell new players to go and read the stories, they will remain in the Lore forever more. As for me, I will keep pounding away at the keyboard and hope the words make sense and entertain people along the way.

Chase and Gar say hi, and Nova says, “get back to work!”

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Friendly Advice to New Players from an Angel

By Chained Angel

Hi. When a villain mouths off to me on the streets of New Amsterdam and asks the tired question, “who the hell are you?”, I tell them Call me Chained Angel: Heaven’s answer to trash like you. For readers of the Sentinel, I just want to be your friend and good neighbor Angel. I might not have been here for long, having just met Director Nova a bit ago when I arrived here in town, but I’ve been around more than one block a time or two. If you have some time for some friendly advice, pull up a chair, sit down, and have a cup of tea. Let’s talk.

What are your plans now that you’ve started your journey? Are you going to do missions for BADGE and fight the good fight? Are you here to make a name for yourself and show off in the Fight Clubs that show up just about everywhere? Could it be that you want to climb the mountain and stake your claim as King? Maybe you want to join a league and become known across the globe, gaining notoriety, fame, celebrity, perhaps TV show of your exploits featuring an attractive, yet non-threatening, racially diverse cast? Are you only here for a bit of fun and easy distraction?

Oh, so many questions. Let me simplify it for you. What are you looking for? There are many ways to succeed here, but what is the best way for you? I cannot tell you how many prospective heroes I have seen come and go because they have tried to rise too high and weren’t able to fly with the big shots right away. Is it even possible to do that? Of course it is. Anything is possible, but at a price. You can buy your spot into pretty much anything, but without the journey, is it really worth it?

Now, don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with buying shiny new laser guns and other elite toys from time to time. After all, spreading the wealth helps keep the world running. What I would like you to consider is to take your time and enjoy the journey. Even if you aren’t a playboy millionaire, there is still plenty of action for you here.

Putting my playful semantics aside, let’s get to brass tacks about the game we find ourselves playing. When you first start out here at Heroes Rising, it is easy to see the opportunity to go up, up, and away. That isn’t an easy climb. It takes Morphons, time spent leveling, and lots of friends to get to the top tiers. It won’t happen overnight. My friendly advice is to slow down, enjoy the experience, and don’t rush it. The people at the top worked hard to get there. Why don’t you and I work smart to accomplish the same thing?

First off, I want to talk about building your powers. You can only have so many power cards active, based on your level and your number of team-mates. (You can find more on this in the Game Guide section of These City Streets, where you will find a great deal of useful information.) There are ways to get good cards without breaking your bank.

Here is a little secret I will share with you, and only you (wink).

Under the battle tab is a section at the end labeled EVENTS. You will find the LEADERBOARD for the KOTM (King of the Mountain) fights and various other events that last a day or two. These other events are based on different Divisions, varying based on character levels. If you participate in these events while in the lowest tier of players, you have the opportunity to earn cards just like higher level players. MOST of them are even THE VERY SAME CARDS!

For example, you can buy power cards such as Animal Senses (ATT 1, DEF13, MOV6) for 142 bux. If you enter an event and place to win a Bronze level (for which there are ten slots available), you can get two blue defense cards as a prize: Nth Dimensional Senses (ATT6, DEF27, MOV24) and Ice Shield (ATT18, DEF33, MOV18). By all means, buy the Power Cards you can afford based on your career, but don’t miss out on these cards too. Since there is a level cap to these tiers for the Divisions, and the fact it is way easier to gain experience at lower levels, people can advance out of this golden opportunity to get good cards with little opposition.

Just a bit of food for thought, sweetie. Nibble on it for a bit.

Here are a few other tidbits for you to consider while at lower levels.

· Doing Missions in New Amsterdam will get you 6 free cards for defeating mini-bosses, such as Firebrand and Impulse.

· Each time you get a new level, you gain 10 Morphons. Every time you join a fight club, you get 2 Morphons and 10 Crystals. FREE. If you remain at lower levels for longer and bank your earnings, you will be able to purchase better cards and gear. Don’t spend your hard-earned currencies if you don’t have to.

· Watch the battles you pick. Each opponent you face has a Win count entry. If they have a high win count, let’s say double your win count, they are likely a smart player who is camping at low levels. You may want to avoid that fight and loss of valuable effort. Move on to the next sucker, I mean challenger.

· Bank your Bux. Hit the blue bar on the game interface and Deposit your Buxs on hand frequently. If you have Bux in your pockets and are challenged, when you lose a fight, that other player will steal your lunch money and run. You won’t be getting that back without another fight.
Dang it, while I was talking to you, I forgot to bank my Buxs and Might Matt took $1247 from me. I’m not calling the police, but you can be sure who I will be seeking vengeance on later, bucko. (Rolls her sleeves up as she talks)

I guess that’s my signal time is up, friends. Maybe we can get together again and talk accessorizing, I mean Gear, in the near future. I want to spend some time deciding if I want to go Supernatural, Physical, or Magic. I’m not sure which one is me yet.

It’s been a pleasure.

Angel

(P.S.- If you see Mighty Matt ID: 20248, let him know I am looking for him…)

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Heroes Rising Fiction: The Reckoning Part 14

Nova woke with a jerk, gasping in a harsh breath. He sat up and then held his swimming head.

“Sir, be careful.” Krystal Fae helped him.

Nova looked around. He was among many fallen heroes who were coming around. They all appeared much like him, light-headed and confused. “What happened?”

“BUDDY!” A white blur hit him in the chest and was hugging him about the neck.

“GAH!” Nova grunted under a potent sensation of pain in him.

Krystal peeled EB off of Nova, “Be careful. He had four broken ribs. I cast a mending charm on him, but they will still hurt pretty badly.”

Nova spent a moment catching his breath. “What happened?”

EB hopped up and down as he excitedly said, “We beat him! Well, Chase did. Dunno how. No one has found her since the battle. I hope she’s okay. Someone said they thought she was hurt. But where she fell, they can’t find her. I bet she got away. How did she fly like that? I saw her flying, it was so cool. And the way she was throwing those blades, zoom, zoom...” he was pretending to throw blades.

Nova looked up at Krystal, a genuine look of worry on his face. “Chase?”

“We...haven’t found her. No one has seen her since the battle. But, it’s only been three hours, we’re still sorting through the rubble for survivors.”

“What about Lord Dragon?”

EB solemnly said, “He’s still alive, but he took a heavy beating from Jinn. He said he wanted to see you when you woke up. But he is in no shape to come in here.”

“Then I’ll go to him.” Nova struggled to stand, but the pain was too great.

Krystal protested, “Sir, my healing charms are good, but you need rest.”

“I will see Lord Dragon now. Either help me or get out of my way.” He was not making much progress getting up on his own, so Krystal helped him to his feet.

Once they stepped outside, Nova stopped and looked around. “Where are the demons?”

“Gone. They vanished the moment Jinn vanished. I could feel the magic in them, they were made from his power.” Krystal answered. “Come, it’s just around this corner.”

Soon, he came to a place where a large dragon lay on the ground. Near him, sitting up against a broken slab of concrete, was a battered Santa Claus. Cupid walked between them, bringing them water. He was the only one whose injuries appeared to be minor.

Santa was the first to notice. “Nova. Oh, I’m glad to see you walking. I feared the worst.”

Nova lightly smiled, “I’ve been better. That may have been one of the worst battles I’ve ever experienced.”

Lord Dragon opened his eyes, his head on the ground. “It is over, my old friend. My son...is dead.”

“I’m sorry.”

Lord Dragon, in that deep voice of his, said, “What had to be done was done.”

Santa suddenly said, “Ah, my sleigh!”

Nova turned to see the glorious sight of Santa’s sleigh approaching. It landed and Maneki-Neko jumped out and rushed over to Lord Dragon. “Oh, dear.”

“I will be fine.”

EB asked, “Maneki...did you fly that sleigh?”

“Of course not, I’m too short.”

Just then a voice no one expected to hear said, “I did.” Chase jumped out of the sleigh and walked up to Nova.

Nova gasped and suddenly grabbed Chase in a gingerly hug, minding his injuries. Everyone, save Lord Dragon, had wide eyes and mouths agape at this. Nova said, “I thought you were dead.”

She stepped away from his hug. “No. I’m perfectly fine. Probably a lot better than the rest of you.”

EB hopped up and landed in her arms, “What happened?”

Just then Lord Dragon asked, “Where is Leprechaun?”

Chase spent a moment before she answered. There was a pained look in her eyes. “Leprechaun came up with a plan. He apparently had begun this plan some time back. He found Jinn’s original magic stored in his talisman in the palace's basement. He used it to return his powers.”

Lord Dragon said, “How? He would need magic to do such a thing.”

Santa said, “I helped him. I didn’t know the extent of his plan, but I knew he was being honest about helping defeat Jinn and we needed all the help we could get.”

Nova asked, “What was his plan after getting magic back?”

Chase set EB down, “He changed himself to look like me. And then we attacked Jinn. He knew that Jinn would have a devilish interest in hurting me, so he used that to bait Jinn. He attacked in such a way that Jinn would focus on him. And, in his rage, Jinn would strike him down.”

Lord Dragon quietly said, “He committed the ultimate sacrifice. And, since Jinn’s power was in Leprechaun, Jinn killed himself.”

“I guess. I don’t know much about these things. All I know is that Leprechaun told me, just before we got here, that he wanted to repay you, the other mythics, and the humans, for what he tried to do. He helped Jinn gain the power he needed to do all this. He felt it was his responsibility to end it.”

There was a thick silence between them. Maneki-Neko cried and EB hugged her. Lord Dragon said, “What terrible things my son wrought.”

Chase said, “There was one other thing about Leprechaun’s plan. It involved Quark. He fell into the sleigh after the battle. Then, ten minutes ago, he flew away without saying a word. I tried contacting him, but he isn’t responding.”

Nova pulled out his comm unit and realized it was shattered. Chase handed him hers. He checked it, “I can see his signal. He’s heading directly for New York.” Snapping the comm closed, he said, “He has always been a hard one to figure out. Right now, we have a crisis to clean up.”

***

Several days passed while Nova healed and commanded. Heroes worked with international aid to clean up and repair the city. BADGE officials from all over the planet spoke with the media at a safe distance, keeping them from interfering.

After enough time, Nova felt it was wise to move the mythics back to a safe, hidden location. He and Chase, along with the mythics, returned to Lord Dragon’s palace.

“Sir, I just got a disturbing message from HQ,” Chase said while she and Nova rode with Santa toward the palace.

“What is it?”

“They said that Quark had been there, spent some time where Gar is resting, and then left. He wouldn’t speak to anyone while he was there and now no one can find him.”

“So? Quark is strange, he could have phased to another dimension for a while.”

“It’s not that. He took Gar’s statue with him.”

“What?”

The sleigh landed near the palace entrance.

Just then, one of the palace servants came rushing out to Lord Dragon. She bowed low, “My Lord, we have an unexpected guest.”

Lord Dragon led the group into the palace to find Strange Quark standing with Gar’s statue in the garden.

“What is the meaning of this?” Lord Dragon ordered.

Quark remained silent.

Nova walked over, “Quark?”

Still silent.
Chase came closer to him, “What’s wrong?”

He finally moved, looking directly at her. “Chase...” his voice trailed off.

“Yes?”

He gave her a soft smile, one she knew well from another man. “Chase...you’re so beautiful.”

“Quark? What has gotten into you?”

EB hopped over and bounced around Chase, “THAT’S NOT QUARK!”

Maneki-Neko said, “I sense it too.”

Cupid came close and pulled Chase back, “This...is not possible.”

Lord Dragon approached and held Quark by the shoulder. “It is true. All of it is in him.”

“What?” Nova asked.

Lord Dragon held up a hand, and a light began to glow. All the other mythics did the same. Suddenly a fountain of lights burst out of Quark. Energy fell on Santa and he shouted with joy. Cupid was next, he flew up a few feet with exuberance. Finally, a great, blinding light burst out and Quark fell to the ground like a discarded doll. The Mythics as one moved their hands toward Gar and the energy filled the empty statue.

A moment of timid quiet filled the garden. Then Gar’s right wing moved, then his left, his arms lowered, and he closed his mouth and blinked his eyes. He finally stumbled back and then held his arms against his chest.

“What...happened? Where is Jinn?”

No one answered. Chase slowly approached him, tears flowing down her face. In a struggling voice, she said, “Gar...is it really you?”

“Yes.”

She threw herself at him and gave him a deep hug. She pressed herself into him and he put his arms around her. She wept, “Never leave me again!”

Suddenly Quark sat up, “That’s no lady, that’s my wife!...oh, my head.” He looked around. “Did it work...GAR, YOU’RE ALIVE!”

Nova helped Quark to his feet. “What did you do?”

“Just what Leprechaun told me to do. When Jinn fell, it would expose his energy at the quantum level. At the right moment, I could take out all the energy he stole and hopefully return it to those he stole it from.” He held his head. “It was strange, even for me. I could feel the others in me like three distinct voices, especially Gar. I was not in control of myself, hardly aware of what I was doing.”

Chase said, “You brought him back. I don’t know how I can repay you.”

“No need. He’s my friend too. No one else will laugh at my jokes.”

Nova asked, “What about Leprechaun? Did you get his power back as well?”

“I couldn’t. The moment Jinn killed Leprechaun, he killed both the power in him and the power that came from him. The two energies were destroyed and both died. He knew this would be his fate, I tried to get him to come up with another plan, but he was set on this.”

Lord Dragon said, “Leprechaun will be remembered for his selfless sacrifice and that he out-maneuvered Jinn, a feat worthy of very few. Now, I believe it is time to rest and recover.”

Nova said, “Thanks, but I have to get back to BADGE, there are a lot of details left to clear up.”

Gar said, “What do you want me to do, Director?”

Lord Dragon looked at them with a genuine smile on his stoic face, “You two have important matters to discuss. I believe the Director can spare you for a few days as my guest.”

“Huh?” Gar looked around.

Cupid smiled and plucked his bowstring.

Chase took Gar’s hand, “Let’s go for another walk in the garden. I think we need to talk.”

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: The Reckoning Part 13

The battle with Jinn raged for two solid days. Demons rose and fell as heroes continued to join the fray. Hundreds of heroes already there were joined by thousands. Heroes fell and did not rise, their life drained from them as they lay motionless.

Fleagle ran by, Furious Squirrel in his arms. “HE’S DOWN!”

Agent Justin used two blasters to shoot at the remaining demons. “Put him with the others!”

Fleagle dashed over fallen demons and broken walls. He slid to a stop right next to a half-destroyed building. Inside lay dozens of fallen heroes.

Just then Nova ran into the room, EB still holding onto his shoulder. “Report!”

Fleagle lay Furious Squirrel down. “It’s getting worse. I don’t know if they’re alive or dead. Some are breathing really shallow.”

EB hopped down and put a small paw on the forehead of a woman in a red uniform. “Their bodies are being drained of power, of lifeforce. That’s what Jinn’s new form does. It drains power to strengthen him. The more heroes fall, the stronger he’ll grow. The only way to save them is to bring him down.”

Nova stepped outside and looked up at the hill. The giant form of Jinn fought a swarm of heroes. Blasts of power showered his body, but he remained. Lord Dragon drove straight at his son, bellowing a torrent of flames. Jinn grabbed the dragon by the neck, then used his whole body to slam his father into the ground.

“LORD DRAGON!” EB screamed.

“Is he dead?” Nova asked.

“I can still sense his life, but he is hurt bad. I don’t know how we can win this.”

Nova held up his sword, “I will spend my last breath defending this world. If this is to be my last day, then I will go down fighting.”

EB hopped up onto his shoulder and held his neck, “and I will be right there with you. Buddy.”

Nova actually smiled, “To the end.” With that he dashed forward, racing over broken ground and fallen demons, his one good eye set on the monster.

Racing up the hill, Nova spun once and chopped five heads off of demons. The heroes battling them turned and joined his ascent. Finally, they were at the base of the behemoth before them. EB called out, “KEEP GOING, I GOT THIS!” With a wave of his paw, translucent energy platforms could be seen in the air. Nova jumped up and bounced from one to another, climbing higher. The last jump threw him clear over Jinn’s swinging arm.

“YAH!” Nova came crashing down right into the forearm, stabbing his considerable blade deep into Jinn’s red flesh. EB propelled himself off of Nova and threw a football-sized egg directly at Jinn’s face.

Jinn roared and flung his arm around. The heroes took the opportunity and bore down on him. Nova ripped the sword out and swung it to the side, cutting another long gash into the arm. With a thrust of his wings and echoing bellow, Jinn blasted out a wave of energy that sent heroes tumbling away. Nova barely kept his footing by holding his sword buried, again, in Jinn.

“FOOL!” Jinn reached over and grasped Nova with his other hand. He pulled him as one might pull a bee from its stinger.

Nova struggled, the breath crushed from his body.

Jinn drew him closer, “This ends today.”

Nova gagged, bones snapping in his chest. Then, massive explosions appeared behind Jinn and the monster lurched forward. He lost his grip on Nova and he fell. Quetzalcoatl caught him from falling to the ground. Nova looked up in time to see a dozen fighter jets scream by, releasing another volley of weapons fire.

“No,” Nova whispered, knowing what would come next.

Jinn turned and swiped a hand through the air, slapping two jets to the ground. More rounds of missiles hit him, along with firepower from heroes, but he continued to focus on the jets.

Then, a strange spray of golden light hit Jinn in the face. A barrage of arrows that struck him in the wings followed this. Finally, large presents slammed against his head, exploding in large flashes. Nova’s last sight before passing out was that of a red sleigh racing toward Jinn.

Santa maneuvered the sleigh into a large arc around Jinn. Maneki-Neko held her paws up and a spray of golden coins blasted Jinn in the eye socket. Cupid flew around them, launching black arrows.

“PROTECT THOSE HUMAN JETS!” Santa called out.

Cupid gave a nod and flew away. He fired arrows at Jinn’s hand, deflecting from hitting more of the jets.

“You ready for this!”

Chase stood in the back and held two blades in her hands. A new power radiated from her eyes. “As I’ll ever be.”

“Good luck.”

She laughed, “Luck is my specialty, you know that.”

Chase climbed up to the front of the sleigh and then jumped off, diving straight down. Without any support, she swung upward in the sky, flying under her own power. She flipped her body around twice and threw a dozen blades at Jinn. A line of blades stuck into his neck.

Jinn yelled in pain and then swiped a hand across his neck, brushing off the blades. Chase swung around in the air, dodging swipes from the enraged monster. She threw blades at every opportunity, hitting him in the face repeatedly.

Jinn roared, “MAGIC! I SENSE OUR MAGIC! HOW DARE MY KIND GIVE MAGIC TO A HUMAN!” He reached for her, but she continued to dodge him.

“I guess they thought me worthy!” She taunted him.

He reached for her with the arm that still had Nova’s sword stabbed into it. Santa swung by again, this time jumping from the sleigh and landing on that arm. The sleigh flew on while he ripped out the sword and ran up Jinn’s arm. Chase continued to stab him in the face with blades while Santa got to his head and used the sword to chop one horn in half. Then he reached back and went in to push the blade directly into Jinn’s neck. However, he was caught by a swipe of a giant hand and flew backward off of Jinn, crashed into a wing. Krystal Fae caught him and flew him to safety.

Chase flew hard toward Jinn, her blades growing in size as she threw them. Thousands scattered over his body. She aimed for his neck, which forced him to grasp it with one giant clawed hand.

“I see our power has certainly given you boldness. But it is not enough.” He lifted his other hand and his fingers grew to long points, becoming like swords. With a clever smile, he flung that hand at her, releasing these new weapons. Four of the five blades pierced her body. She crashed backward through flying heroes, trees, and ultimately hit the ground.

Jinn leaned over to gloat, ignoring the other heroes, when suddenly his body shook. He gasped and held his head. “WHAT IS THIS! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?” He lurched back, now holding his chest. The remaining heroes used this and poured their power out at him. His wings crumbled and turned to ash. The color of his skin became gray. His face leaned over the fallen form of Chase, looking at her. “How...is this...possible?”

Chase, gasping her last breaths, blood trickling from the side of her mouth, “Where do you think my power came from?” She pulled out the obsidian bottle. “You killed yourself.”

“NO...NOOOOO!” He leaned back, his body now exploding and evaporating at the same time.
Chase whispered to the air, “It’s now or never, Quark.”

Strange Quark was already blazing across the skies at Jinn. He stopped before the disintegrating monster and held his hands up. A power flew up and out of the body. The moment it did, Jinn stopped writhing, stopped speaking. He became still and his form floated away on the air like smoke from a fire.

Quark suddenly held his chest and groaned. His hovering turned to a free fall. Halfway to the ground, Santa’s sleigh caught him.

Laying in the back, Quark whispered, “Santa...but I saw you fall.”

Maneki-Neko climbed up to the seat near him. “Lay still. You don’t look well.”

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