Kintobor

Looks like I was wrong, but I'm not at all disappointed in being so. Getting Shadow's motorcycle is the floodgates opening up: I have no idea what this theme is going to produce or what direction it's going. If we can reference Shadow the Hedgehog, that means other wacky nonsense is up for inspirational use, and that's really exciting.

The revealed figures, for those who haven't seen them: Honestly, they're brilliant. The designers nailed getting these characters right. They got the little hearts on Rouge's boots, which wasn't needed but greatly appreciated, and Shadow's expression is spot on. Perhaps I would've given the peach coloured fur on Rouge a bit of a darker tone, something a bit more in line with what Shadow seemingly has, but I'll take what's given considering. Here's hoping we get E-123 Omega to fill out Team Dark! Given who we have, anything after this is characters the general public might not be as knowledgeable on, but fans of the series definitely are. I think most people know who Shadow and Rouge and Knuckles are, but characters like Silver or Cream might be a bit more obscure. Needless to say, I think we can expect Cream, Silver, Blaze, Orbot (since we haven't got him yet to go with Cubot), Metal Sonic, and probably some Chao if the theme continues. I am going to go out on a limb and say the set with Rouge and Shadow will probably contain E-123 Omega, which should be a fun build. I'd love to see Big the Cat to fill out Team Rose, but I don't know if Lego would commit to another big fig for him. Actually, if we get Cream and Vanilla we might also get Gemerl, maybe. I doubt we'll get Gemerl, but a set including Cream and Vanilla's cottage with Gemerl, Chocola and Cheese could be cute. Anyone else beyond this is just icing on a cake. There are a lot of characters in the series, some of which are no longer considered canon. I wouldn't expect the Freedom Fighters or anything related to Archie, nor Fleetway or any of the cartoons. Perhaps we'll get something from the IDW comic, maybe, but if we get Tangle or Whisper I will eat a Sonic minifigure and post a video here of me eating it.

In all seriousness, I think these sets are really cute. The minifigures look great and it looks like parts of the Isabelle House Visit set and the house from Nook's Cranny can be interchanged. It looks like if this theme continues the houses will keep to a similar design philosophy to allow things like the windows, doors, roofs and awnings to the entrances of the homes can be rearranged. Also, not surprised by some of the choice in characters. Julian is quite popular among the fanbase, as is Marshall. I'm surprised that Lego's committed to using different leg pieces to distinguish height between most of the characters, a thing that is the case in the game. Squirrels tend to be kind of short where horses are quite tall. I'm kind of surprised the Town Hall isn't here, but I imagine we'll see it and other iconic buildings like the museum and the Able Sister's boutique later on down the line. There's a surprising amount of material to pull from, especially if they don't stick to just New Horizons for inspiration. There's the Roost (the town cafe), the town lighthouse, the police station, heck, even a train station with a train. I don't know, I kind of hope Lego branches beyond New Horizons and gives us some stuff from New Leaf or even the original from the Nintendo 64/Gamecube. I think Lego's got a winner on their hands with this theme.

I remember hearing the two sets with Knuckles, Rouge, and Shadow were coming January next year, so there's still room for a summer wave! Considering the piece count I imagine we'll likely get Knuckles with some kind of Angel Island scenery. Something small but still playable. Calling it now, the Rouge and Shadow set will include a brick built E-123 Omega as the main build. 276 pieces is just enough to create something out with him and also include Team Dark.

I have the Workshop, and despite the price hurting my wallet I do actually quite like it! The Tornado is a fun build and the workshop has some nice colour to it. Despite the price and piece count the set itself feels substantial. Sonic and Tails are also just wonderfully conceived figures, and Tails' twin tail piece is just so freaking cute. I'm smitten by the inclusion of the mint candies, which are Tails' favourite snack.

I'm here to say I also enjoyed it, probably placing it at my third favourite for the time being, nestled right below Raiders of the Lost Ark, but above Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Last Crusade is my favourite movie and Temple of Doom's also fun, if my least favourite. I do think Harrison put out one of his better performances in this movie, though. There's a couple scenes where he just knocks it out of the park.

First look at what Lego Knuckles might potentially look like. Image found on Sonic Stadium's Twitter X feed.

I am more than willing to host another Cosplay Mafia. We've got more nerd culture nonsense to lampoon.

Yeah, that's about right. Good to see you, Asphalt, nevertheless.

This is the third reason: The images I posted are from today's Sonic Central. Doctor Eggman's "hacking" comes in around the 13:30 mark.

WE GOT GOOFED ON BY THE MAN HIMSELF

Is there any interest in Mafia around here still? I might have a game to cook up if there is.

Also, since it'll never get used elsewhere, I had a bit of the Game Master's dialogue written up to get into his head space. This is in regards to anyone asking him why he let ghosts into the hotel. --- “Sheer, suffocating boredom! I’ll admit, things were interesting in this neck of the woods a number of years ago, what with that war going on, but now? It’s all back room deals, business mergers, and realpolitik. Bor-ing! Occasionally someone gets murdered, assassinated, exterminated, but not nearly as frequently as I would personally enjoy. There’s no one to root for, no base emotion, no passion. Just corporate suits plastered with logos and regurgitating platitudes. And then Laserie came onto the scene, may her little heart rest in peace. Her organization, Heroica, provides the absolute heights of entertainment! Daring adventures, dramatic characters, suspense and violence- oooh, the violence! Watching you lot eviscerate your way through problems is intoxicating. Every twist of the blade, every pull of the trigger, every evocation of a spell, every moment in combat dripping with palpable suspense! I haven’t been this enthralled in ages, centuries even!” After his bout of excitement, the Game Master calms himself, neatly preening his hair back into a presentable form. He clutches the tip of his gem-topped staff with both hands, tapping the floor before grinning at the party. “I am very, very impressed with you heroes. One might even say... I’m quite the fan.” More stuff that I found to help get into his character. --- The theatre lights brighten as a lone figure slouches further into their seat, seemingly bored and apathetic to the film they were watching as the credits roll and the booming score swells to signify the ending of the movie. A concession worker strolls into the theatre with a broom in hand, ready to clean the potential popcorn littered on the floor when they notice the figure. “Excuse me, are you alright?” The slouched figure straightens up in their seat, brushing popcorn off their tweed jacket. They stand up, adjusting their suit, a sour expression on their face. “No, absolutely not. I feel dreadful. Absolutely despondent. I came to the picture show in the hopes it would cheer me up and all I got was another action blockbuster: caped heroes beating up yet another world ending, computer generated nightmare monster from beyond the stars. Ugh, been there, done that. I imagine next they’ll show the news reel, and I have no interest in modern day realpolitik. I’ve grown an appetite for fillets-minion and brandy, so if you may, excuse me.” The patron adjusted his cape as he began to make his way out of the theatre, the films credits wrapping up. “I’m terribly sorry you did not enjoy the show, sir.” The concession worker responds, bowing out of courtesy. The patron scoffs, scowling. “Oh, please, enough grovelling. It’s my own damn fault for being foolish enough to expect anything out of this second rate, derivative drivel they keep putting on these screens.” The patron moves past the concession worker, wanting to be nowhere near the presence of the movie, it’s music, or even the light coming out of the projector any longer. The patron’s mind filtered to the Great War: now there was action, drama, and heroism! Nothing like nowadays. No one ever killed anyone in the heat of battle. No great confessions of love were made in moments of desperation. All these backroom assassinations, double dealings, and profit motives: nothing greater to kill the mood than corporate conglomerates doing anything, everything to increase their profits and see the little arrow line climb up. He stuck his hands in his coat pockets, despondent on the current situation as he fished for a pack of cigarettes and lighter. Grumbling to himself, the patron made his way down the aisle slowly, stewing on his thoughts. Preparing to turn his back to the screen and exit out through the theatre doors and into the lobby, the patron turned their head in interest when the expected news reel didn’t follow up the credits, but an advertisement. “This is a galaxy in need of bravery, empathy, and action. A galaxy in need of heroes.” A white haired woman spoke to the camera, images of recent disasters and crises around the galaxy being presented behind her. Her expression was one of concern, but the patron could see into and beyond her compassionate eyes and see yearning, melancholy, ambition. “My name is Laserie Ablis, and I’m here to ask if you are ready to answer the call. Heroica’s doors are ready to invite you to help the galaxy, to be a hero.” The patron was stunned. The advertisement continued to play as his gaze was transfixed, reentering the theatre, his eyes glued to the screen. Making his way to the centre of the room, he stood on top of a pair of chairs, wanting the best view of the advertisement he was unable to take his vision away from. It did not take long for the concession worker to realize what was happening, mildly annoyed at this recent display of disregard. He wasn’t paid enough to deal with this. “Excuse me, sir? I’m going to ask you step down and off of the chairs. Sir?” The concession worker moved closer to the patron in order to get his attention. Turning to face them, they looked up and saw him with tears rolling down his checks, awestruck in the moment. “Sir? Are you alright?” The concession worker asked. The patron, pulled out of his trance, looked down at the employee, his emotion swelling from one of awestruck emotional overload to a joyfully wide, brimming grin “Why, my boy, I have never felt better.”

THE KINTO FILES: #1 I guess I'll share the first secret: I came to the realization that Laserie Ablis, Heroica's Founder, reminded me of another hotel owning, wealthy aristocrat. The comparisons to Laserie and Charlie were not intentional, but pretty damn spot on, so we kind of ran with it. There's some bits of fluff and lore that seem to have gotten lost after a computer went up in smoke, but the big distinction between Laserie and Charlie is that one is dead and the other is... I guess alive? As alive as a demon can theoretically be. BUT, that was not the case. Laserie's illness had taken a toll on her BUT she was not actually dead. She faked her death and was actually interred in the basement of the Hall. There was no computer accepting or denying Heroica's mission: Laserie was the individual making sure the hall ran smoothly and that missions being accepted were of the clientele she wanted to attract: the people who couldn't afford to hire the larger scale mercenary companies whom she was competing against. She was rooting for the little guys even from her stasis chamber at the heart of the building. A character I was hoping to introduce who went by the Game Master was intended to be the Alastor to Laserie's Charlie, constantly pushing how far the heroes and the organization would go and keep Laserie's vision. The Game Master was, in a lot of ways, inspired by Q (Star Trek) and Discord (My Little Pony), but his main desire was to be entertained. He DESPISED the current state of the world and yearned for theatrics and heroics. Laserie inadvertently caught his eye with an advertisement for the Hall at the end of a movie he was watching, and the heroes would become his newest obsession. He would be your number one fan, but he'd throw you through the ringer and actively put people in danger just to watch the heroes show up and clean house. His introductory quest would've seen him open a portal to the land of the spirits and the hall would've been flooded with ghosts, including a fight with the Spirit of the Hotel: a spectral amalgamation of jazz musicians, dancers, and concierges. You'd LITERALLY fight what the hotel was remembered for and kill it before the Game Master would leave, christening the place with new signage. The fact we never got to fight the spirit of the hotel will always be a disappointment to me, because I thought it was so clever.

Hell, give me some time and I'll share ALL the secrets. I want to apologize for my disappearance. Real life got in the way and I wasn't in a good place mentally. I still feel guilty about leaving you guys high and dry, so I hope there's no hard feelings. Needless to say, it wasn't because I wasn't enjoying anyone's company, stuff just managed to get in the way of me enjoying the game.

HOW DOES HE KNOW? HOW DOES HE DO IT?! It looks like Orbot and Cubot are coming in the Death Egg Mech set, which is pretty cool. Hopefully these sets sell well enough that we get more characters.

I think saying "we're absolutely going to get Knuckles in the Death Egg Mech" set is setting ourselves up for disappointment.

Look at my son Pride is not the word I'm looking for There is so much more inside me now So, uh, yeah. I'm pretty goddamn excited for this theme. In terms of Knuckles being included in the Death Egg Mech set, I'm actually not entirely convinced. I can just as easily see it including Metal Sonic or Super Sonic along with Eggman as I do see it including Knuckles.

----- The heroes descend down into Ebria Station’s docks. The grimy atmosphere and the whirring, humming, and churning of various machines within the system’s underbelly distill a claustrophobic atmosphere, the opposite of the shining, clean white jewel that is the Satyr’s Song. The light frigate is a polished, sleek looking light frigate, clearly armed for combat. A few of it’s twenty eight cannons poke out into the dock for inspection as crew members dart about in varying degrees of uniform, hauling in crates, inspecting the hull, and checking logistics. You are brought aboard by one such crew member and into the ship’s interior. Passing by elves and dwarves cleaning the floors and checking electrical panels, you each notice the ship’s interior is worn, but built with an eye for form as well as function. A whistle blows, echoing through the halls: last call before take off. Your guide makes it to the ship’s stern, opening a set of double doors and steps aside to allow to enter the cabin beyond. Astronomical charts line the port and starboard side of the cabin, as potted ferns droop down from planters mounted on the walls. Various nickknacks and battle trophies sit in glass cases, polished and dusted to make the glass look non-existent. Laid out in the centre of the cabin is a banquet feast of seafood, from crab, fish, lobster, and fresh steaming bread. Vegetables and fruit sit in fine china platters, while alcohol bottles sit next to a mismatched assortment of goblets and wine glasses. The spread of food, it’s spices and ingredients, smells heavenly. A small group of the crew wait to the side, sitting on stools with instruments in hand. At the head of the table, a tall, well built man with pointed ears and scruffy, gelled hair stands up, a gilded, thin blade at his hip. His uniform is looser and unbuttoned at the chest, exposing it and the undershirt he wears beneath his blue jumpsuit. To his left, a beautiful red bird coos and preens itself as it glows a faint orange hue. The elf raises his goblet in toast, smiling softly. “Heroes of Heroica. My name is Ezra Nezzar, captain of the Satyr’s Song, and sworn privateer for Ark Victoire. It would be an honour if you would sit and dine with me as we discussed the matters regarding your employment. This meal is for you.” The band begins to swell as the doors behind the heroes close. -The Heroes- Polaris Ursaring [with M.I.L.E.S.] (samurai-turtle) -PARTY LEADER- 15 cycle old female "Chimeran" Character Points: 0 / 22 Vitality: 8 / 8 Velocity: 2 Strength: 2 Skill: 3 Smarts: 2 Spirit: 2 / 2 Proficiencies: Coding 1*, Engineering 1 (+1, tool), Medicine 1 (+1, tool), Melee Weapons 2, Nature 2, Short Range Weapons 1, Long Range Weapons 1, Spells: Healing Light, Spirit Ally, Credits: 32 Equipment: Mecha Strike (Standard, Kinetic, Melee Range Weapon), Utility Belt (tool) Grants +1 Engineering or Medicine Check Success, Inventory: Whirlwind Boomerang (Standard, Elemental, Short Range Weapon), Plasma Potion (x5), Pulse Cannon (Calibrated, Energy, Long Range Weapon), Designation: B3R5 - 3rk (Dutch Thriceman) Age: Unknown, Gender: Mechanical, Race: Adamite Character Points: 0 / 14 Vitality: 6 / 6 Velocity: 2 Strength: 3 Skill: 2 Smarts: 1 Spirit: 1 Proficiencies: Melee Weapons 2, Intimidation 2, Athletics 2 Known Spells: None Credits: 85 Equipment: Chain-Greatsword (Standard Kinetic Weapon) Mecha-Plate (Standard Kinetic Armour) Inventory: Shield Booster, Energy Cell, Nanite Elixer, 2 Plasma Potions, Sawn-Off Shotgun (Standard Short Range Kinetic Weapon) Yelana Fennix (Classic_Spaceman) Unknown age Female Human Character Points: 1/15 Vitality: 6 Velocity: 3 Strength: 2 Skill: 3 Smarts: 4 Spirit: 0 Proficiencies: Artillery Weapons 1, Perception 1, Insight 1, Stealth 1, Sleight of Hand 1 Known Spells: N/A Equipment: Modular Sniper Rifle (Calibrated Energy Artillery Weapon), Radiation Gauntlet (Standard Energy Armour), Farsight Goggles Inventory: Cloaking Generator, Hacking Chip, Translator Cube, Plasma Potion 2x Credits: 80 MM Note: Welcome to Mission 8: The Enigmatic Mr. Fix-It. If there's any issues with your stats, let me know and I'll fix them. You each have 24 hours to confirm your involvement. I hope you're excited!

Searching through pockets of Xander's body with the time she has, Polaris pulls out a holopad and a belt lined with daggers. A few of the daggers are missing. Bers begins to chase after the shady duo, moving through the crowd. As he gets to the edge of the crowd a familiar face steps between them. "Something catch your eye, Bers?" Cassandra stood between him and the fleeing duo. Her fingers danced on the pommel of her sword, a frustrated frown grimacing at the adamite. "Today has gone from boring to hostile since you and your friends arrived. Is there something you know that I should be made aware of?"

Alright, updating the mission tomorrow and streamlining us to the ending. Sorry for the delays. I was not expecting the current situation I'm in to rear its ugly head, but I'm hopefully out of it.

"... I do not see what good trying to resuscitate a man with no heart beat will do, but if you wish to try, then so be it." Istifer allows Polaris to see the corpse. "I do not know where the other medical professionals are currently, but the mayor has much to answer for if my brother has gone missing and only when I go looking for him does he show up dead." There is a wince of pain, of remorse in the priest's words as he lets go of his brother to allow Polaris to see the corpse. A brief handling of the corpse reveals that Istifer is correct: the body has no pulse and is dead. Polaris Medical Check (DC: 2/3): (2,3,5,6 +1 Success) Three Successes Looking over the body Polaris can determine Xander has been dead for a few days, perhaps a week at the latest. His skin is pale and his body stiff. The cause of death is obvious: a slash across the chest, cutting through to his heart and lungs. Polaris' medical examination proceeds well enough that she finds an opportunity to parse through Xander's bloodstained cloak and pockets should she wish. Bers Perception Check (DC: 2): (1,4,6) Two Successes Peering through the crowd Bers notices two individuals slink off into the night, slipping behind the bleachers set up to accommodate the crowd during the competition. They match the two individuals the party saw earlier in the market acting fidgety and defensive.

Polaris Perception Check (DC: 2): (2,3,6) One Success Polaris has MILES scan the crowd to see if anyone present is trying to leave. However, the crowd is too dense to notice whether or not anyone is slipping away from the crowd, and without a good vantage point it would be hard to tell. Polaris pushes her way to the front with the assistance of MILES. They reach Istifer in the center of the crowd cradling a body. The corpse's hair is brown and dirty, their clothes stained with blood and mud. "Polaris? I'm... surprised to see you. I... wish we could see each other under better circumstances. I do not think a medical triage will do much for Xander at this point... the life has left his eyes..." A triage on Xander would do little help at this point, but perhaps an autopsy might reveal evidence on the corpse.

Understandable. I’ve been shuffling plot beats in an effort to hurry things along so we can wrap up sooner, but I understand that my hope to involve everyone has dragged some of you along behind. My sincerest apologies. I’ll have an update later tonight. I’m currently at work and when I get home I’ll be cooking dinner.

"I think murdering the innocent is not the best look for your organization, Bers." Avgustus replies sharply. "We should maybe push through the crowd and get a better look, no? That was the chap on the bus with us when we came into Knothole, correct?"