New Gladiators #13: The Knights of Cincinnati

[jkcarrier]

New Gladiators
Episode 13:
"The Knights of Cincinnati"
Played on 1/27/2024
Inspired by:
"The Knights of Beverly Hills" (Enforcers module by Gary Bernard)
"Enemies at Large" (Villains & Vigilantes villain book by Stewart & Steve Wieck)
"Mercenaries" ((Villains & Vigilantes villain book by Darren Tenor)
"Most Wanted, Vol. 1" (Villains & Vigilantes villain book by Jack Herman)
"Project Lawbreaker" (Villains & Vigilantes villain book by Dan Jones, Foster Coker, & Steve Effler)

Roll Call:
Claw Master
The Dude (with Donny Kerabatsos)
Hulk
Sonic Boom
Walter Sobchak
Weather Wizard


The Gladiators responded to a late-night alarm at a bank in Kenwood. Inside, they found a group of villains calling themselves "The Hive", preparing to break into the vault:

ARMY ANT
[Armor, Size Change (15' tall), Natural Weaponry (with Poison/Venom carrier), Summoning (Ant Swarm), Reduced Cool, Reduced Endurance]

BLACK LOCUST (whom the players kept calling "Black Lotus" for some reason)
[Heightened Agility, Heightened Intelligence, Suit: Armor, Flight, Natural Weaponry, Sonic Blast]

FLEA
[Heightened Intelligence, Heightened Strength, Paralysis Ray (Itch Bomb), Size Change: 3' Tall, Suit: Armor, Invulnerability (Falling Damage), Physical Ability (Super Leap, Wall-Crawling)]

LIGHTNING BUG
[Heightened Intelligence, Gloves: Lightning Control, Goggles: Light Control (Flash), Suit: Armor, Flight, Heightened Endurance, Heightened Strength]

SPYDER
[Grapnel, Heightened Agility, Heightened Endurance, Heightened Strength, Physical Ability (Wall-Crawling), Special Weapon (Samurai Sword), Weakness Detection]

WASP
[Disintegration, Flight, Heightened Agility, Heightened Strength, Paralysis Ray]

As the battle began, Spyder (the team's de facto leader) noted the mysterious absence of someone he called "Lady". Regardless, the heroes made short work of the earnest-but-amateurish Hive. As they were wrapping things up, a shimmering doorway appeared in the vault room, and out stepped a mysterious fellow calling himself MAJITAR, dragging behind him an unconscious and handcuffed prisoner, the missing Hive member PAINTED LADY.

Majitar introduced himself as a representative of KNIGHT SECURITY, an up-and-coming private security firm. He thanked the Gladiators for their "assistance", and stepped outside to greet the incoming police and press, making it sound like he'd done most of the work capturing the Hive.

[Loot Drops: Flea's Itch Bomb (Paralysis Ray), Lightning Bug's Gloves (Lightning Control: Electrical Field), Spyder's Eyes (Weakness Detection)]

Over the next several months, the Gladiators began to hear more and more about "Knight Security", as the company grew in size and influence. Soon, they were providing security for many of the biggest companies and most prominent citizens in Cincinnati. There were persistent rumors that Knight Security was not completely on the up-and-up, that they had ties to organized crime, and were frequently skirting the law (if not outright violating it) in the course of their activities.

In the midst of all this, the team got a call from the Chief of Police, asking them to attend a top secret meeting, to be held outside the city in the northeastern town of Bath, Ohio. The Chief would not elaborate on the purpose of the meeting, only emphasizing its importance, and the need for secrecy. The heroes agreed to attend.

Arriving for the meeting -- taking place at a palatial private mansion -- the Gladiators found themselves among some of Cincinnati's most prominent citizens:

AFTAB PUREVAL (Mayor)
TERESA THEETGE (Chief of Police)
MELISSA POWERS (Hamilton County Prosecutor)
RODNEY MCMULLEN (Kroger CEO)
JOHN BARRETT (Western & Southern CEO)
NEVILLE PINTO (University of Cincinnati President)
MIKE BROWN (Cincinnati Bengals Owner)
DUANE POHLMAN (WKRC Reporter)

The subject of the meeting was none other than Knight Security, and the growing concern that they were becoming far too powerful and influential in the City's business. Prosecutor Powers had been investigating the company's history and the charges of corruption, only to find herself targeted for an attempted assassination. The Mayor decided to call this secret meeting, with the Gladiators here for protection, while they determined how to proceed.

As they discussed their next steps, they heard a familiar voice, and saw a familiar teleportational gateway appear in the middle of the room: "The next step is -- YOU DIE!" MAJITAR had gotten wind of the "secret" meeting, and had brought a squad of Knight agents to make sure no one would live to interfere with their schemes.

CYBERKNIGHT
[Heightened Strength, Mental Blast, Super Speed]

MAJITAR
[Arsenal (Flame Blast, Force Field, Heightened Senses, Speed, Teleportation), Heightened Agility, Heightened Intelligence, Mental Ability (Photographic Memory)]

MINDLOCK
[Heightened Defense, Mind Control, Telepathy]

PHANTASMA
[Flight, Invisibility, Non-Corporealness, Siphon (Power Points)]

THUNDER WARRIOR
[Flight, Lightning Control, Natural Weaponry]

TRAPPER
[Energy, Force Field, Grapnel]

The faster heroes quickly moved the civilians and city officials to a place of safety, while Weather Wizard conjured up a tornado to cover their escape. That done, the battle began in earnest. The villains held their own for a while, but when the heroes began targeting Majitar, he quickly teleported away, promising to come back with reinforcements. But as the battle raged on, it became clear he was not going to return. That realization took some of the wind out of the Knight agents' sails, and the Gladiators soon had them wrapped up. The Knight agents, mostly mercenaries who'd been hired just for this mission, felt no great loyalty to the commander who'd abandoned them, and were more than willing to give up his likely location: The main Knight Security offices on Columbia Parkway. They even gave the heroes the security codes to get in.

[Loot Drops: Cyberknight's Boots (Super-Speed), Mindlock's Badge (Heightened Defense), Phantasma's Gloves (Siphon: Power Points)]

The Gladiators swiftly closed in on Knight HQ, and easily bypassed the elaborate security measures. There they found MAJITAR, barricaded in his office and furiously shredding incriminating documents, surrounded by his most loyal agents:

ARCHER
[Flight (Belt), Invulnerability (bodysuit), Special Weapon (bow and arrows)]

BRIGHTSHADE
[Darkness Control, Heightened Senses (Protected Vision), Heightened Strength, Light Control (Laser), Natural Weaponry, Weakness Detection]

BRONZE LION
[Heightened Agility, Heightened Defense, Heightened Endurance, Heightened Strength, Natural Weaponry]

MAJITAR
[Arsenal (Flame Blast, Force Field, Heightened Senses, Speed, Teleportation), Heightened Agility, Heightened Intelligence, Mental Ability (Photographic Memory)]

SCORPION
[Bodysuit (Armor, Flight, Power Blast)]

WEAVER
[Animal/Plant Powers: One-Celled Organism (Heightened Endurance, Poison/Venom, Stretching Abilities, Diminished Senses), Heightened Intelligence, Willpower (Pain Resistance), Multi-Ability Suit (Armor, Invulnerability, Life Support)]

Knowing this would be his last stand, Majitar rallied his troops to battle. He cast his "Scrying" spell [Heightened Senses] to ferret out the invisible Dude, while Bronze Lion seemed eager to test his claws against the Hulk's green hide. Despite his body armor, Scorpion turned out to be a bit of a glass cannon, while Weaver proved to be made of sterner stuff (or protoplasm, in her case), despite her Poison attack not scoring many hits. Archer and Brightshade pelted the battlefield with arrows and laser beams, respectively, but in the end the Gladiators managed to triumph. The Knight Security "empire" was toppled, and Cincinnati was safe (from this threat, at least) once more.

[Loot Drops: Archer's Belt (Flight), Majitar's Fire Sigil (Flame Abilities: Flame Blast), Weaver's Crown (Willpower: Pain Resistance)]

[The characters received 3 Character Points, giving them each a total of 154]