Ghost Widow's Journal
Ghost Widow's Journal, originally posted during the lead-up to the release of City of Villains (each section copied from the City of Heroes Official Site):
May 4, 2005
The moon is rising and I feel comforted by it. Since my return from the grave, I have pondered why it is that I feel better at night, but no immediate answers have come to me. It is not the darkness I embrace, but the cool bath of lunar radiance. I suppose I should simply accept that it is yet another difference owed to my new state of being and be done with it. I have too little time for idle musings.
Of late, Lord Recluse has been focused on a new obsession. He seems to believe that he can drive events toward a certain fate, a certain destiny. It is strange because my Lord's latest project began after a conversation with Kalinda the Fortunata. She has shown a level of vision far beyond the others of her ilk. From what I have been able to ascertain, the seer told him that an opportunity was about to arise for him to change his fate. He has never spoken of specifics, but I have always had the impression that he feared some specific end to his life. Now it seems that could change if he can bring together a certain series of events. Just yesterday I heard him speak of some sort of missing elements. I am uncertain what they might be, but apparently it will take him months to put together an operation to gather these crucial pieces. I have not questioned my Lord about the matter; I am certain he will give me more details soon.
May 11, 2005
In light of recent developments I arranged a meeting with this seer, Kalinda. I wanted to hear her thoughts on the others who have assembled at Lord Recluse's feet. She is disturbing, this Fortunata, and I left her presence with turbulent thoughts. She spoke to me not only of my Lord's other servants, but of my own destiny as well.
She began with Mako...the Shark. He has attached Captain to his name more often recently. It is a veneer of civility, nothing more. Like his namesake, he is a perfect killing machine. Kalinda seems to believe that Captain Mako is seeking some hidden power. Something he is trying to tap into or control, she said. I wonder if it is nothing more than his feral nature.
Next was Scirocco...the Desert Wind. He is destruction incarnate, but there is something strange about this one. He treats me with what I am tempted to call kindness. His attitude makes no sense amidst the conflict and contention we experience every day within Arachnos, but Kalinda says it has to do with something that happened in his past. According to her, Scirocco is on some sort of personal quest, something that may or may not involve me. Seers can be so frustratingly vague.
Then Kalinda spoke to me of Black Scorpion. His unwavering focus drives my Lord's technicians to previously unknown heights of invention on a daily basis. Fortunately I do not deal with that part of Arachnos' affairs very often, for the Scorpion can barely tolerate my presence. I do not know why he feels that way, but the cursed Fortunata tells me that I am somehow linked to his eventual demise.
Speaking about Black Scorpion led Kalinda to begin telling me of my own fate. I quickly left her presence, but not before she spoke one chilling phrase about me: "The release you seek will come from the place you least suspect." I refuse to ponder its meaning too deeply; I do not like the implications.
May 16, 2005
My Lord has begun construction of some kind upon Mercy Island. He told me that it has something to do with Kalinda's prophecy. He says it will be an arrival point, not so much a welcome as a warning. I am beginning to suspect that this whole matter has something to do with Statesman. Nothing drives Lord Recluse harder than his hatred for Paragon City's champion. I cannot yet see how all the strands spin together, but I intend to continue my visits to the Fortunata. I hope she truly sees the future, for if the tasks she has prompted my master to begin amount to nothing, she will return to nothing.
Mercy Island seems an odd choice for an arrival point of any kind. The Snakes are rampant there, vicious creatures who look as if they stepped from an ancient nightmare. Even if one avoids their deadly embrace, the rest of the island provides everything but mercy. It is a place where survival of the fittest is not just a concept, but a way of life. Even I feel pity for anyone who must find a way to thrive in that environment.
June 8, 2005
Mako and Scirocco have come into conflict once again. It seems their men got into a melee while waiting for their masters on Grandville. None of them would admit to starting the battle so the matter is being brought before Arbiter Diaz. The Shark and the Wind, death and destruction...even they must abate their fury at the word of an Arbiter of Arachnos.
The Arbiters...I wonder, upon occasion, what life here in the Rogue Isles would be without them. I remember a time before they had been given full authority to rule on disputes. My Lord Recluse had to settle all points of contention. Often that meant a great deal of blood and death. In the end it was somewhat...counterproductive. It took some time to make it clear that the Arbiters are inviolate, but after several unruly individuals had their entire families eradicated, things settled into a routine.
There will always be conflict on the Rogue Isles. My Lord firmly believes that only the strongest deserve to thrive, or even to survive. There are times, however when it is in everyone's best interest to have someone within Arachnos who can hand down at least a somewhat neutral judgment. The Arbiters answer only to Lord Recluse himself. They know that allowing themselves to be discovered as corrupt will end any protection he affords them. They help the islands run smoothly with their velvet glove in a way no amount of steel fists could.
Whatever ruling Arbiter Diaz pronounces will be accepted, perhaps grudgingly, but accepted it will be. Its long term effect will be difficult to discern but although the machinations go on, our uneasy peace will continue.
June 22, 2005
Another unfortunate incident with the Legacy Chain occurred today. One of the Radiants from their so called Legacy of Light foolishly led an assault against me. He brought mere children with him to do battle. Among them were his acolytes, who I believe call themselves Lambents. Truly, I will never understand how the Legacy Chain convinces people of such meager mystical ability to fling themselves into danger. Even more puzzling are the young fools from the Legacy of Steel, who guard all members of the Chain. These Pledged and Adamants, as they name themselves, have no power at all from what I can tell. Despite that, they unflinchingly place their fragile forms between the mages and danger. I gave them cause to regret that choice today.
None will regret it more than Radiant Wilcox, however. He was captured, tortured, and executed for his transgression. He died bravely, I must give him that. It was not without a touch of sorrow that I watched him be granted final release. While I watched them prepare to end his suffering I thought about my first encounter with the Legacy Chain, when I learned of their troubling agenda.
I had only recently been given free reign again by my Lord. I was exploring the Islands without poor Wretch by my side for the first time. Looking back I suppose that is why they chose that moment to attack. I recall that first there was a flame. I know now it came from one of the Legacy of Fire. It passed through me of course, but I still recall its intensity. The blast came from a man who, despite his elaborate regalia, was plain of visage and slight of form. He screamed at me with a ferocity that attempted to match his attack. "I am the Inferno, and from this day forward the Legacy Chain will not suffer your foul corruption of magic to exist." He ordered his men to attack and I was about to flee when Wretch, who must have been following me after all, arrived upon the scene.
Wretch cares for me greatly, but he really is a fearsome sight. He tore into those who would have harmed me with a howl bordering on madness. I did little that day, but I was unharmed thanks to my protector. When it was over, I asked Wretch to hold up their belongings for me. I learned that they were, for the most part, ordinary people chosen for an extraordinary task. They felt that someone needed to monitor the use of the mystic arts. They believe themselves to be heroes, but I fear they have plunged into water deeper than they can imagine.
Misguided they may be, but they have become a true threat. Their numbers have grown, and the addition of their steel wielding bodyguards has made them even more deadly. Practitioners of the dark arts should be wary of these fanatics.
July 7, 2005
My Lord Recluse had occasion to send me to Port Oakes to look into the matter of these so-called Red Hands. I admit that I found the task somewhat disconcerting. Although I suppose there is a certain resonance in sending a spirit to parley with spirits.
I began my travail by speaking to Veluta Lunata's ethereal paramour, Marco. I am certain she still blames me for his demise. I do hope dear Veluta recalls that she had a choice in the matter...she could have joined him. Though I asked her to kill Marco to prove her loyalty, I did not force her hand. Indeed, by rewarding her with the power to bind his soul to her forever, I may have fulfilled her every fantasy. I'm afraid her bond with Marco has given her a bit more strength than I intended, but in this instance I found his presence rather convenient. I was able to convince the boy that assisting me would be in his and his lady's best interest.
Marco steered me to one of the Night Haunts that frequent the area around Fort Hades. These ghostly servants were apparently once pirates who ran afoul of the Red Hands. The Night Haunt took me to his superior, Charles Vane the Night Terror. Vane related his tale to me, one that is apparently echoed by all the Night Haunts and Night Terrors. They were all pirates, plying their bloody trade along the coast of America when they encountered a foe they could not defeat...ghosts. The spectral Red Hands killed every last one of them. I asked Vane to introduce me to one of these Red Hands but he refused at first, quite rudely. I described to him the manner in which I draw the power to perform my Soul Storm and the effects it has on those taken for fuel. He found his manners.
The apparition he took me to introduced himself as Jean Leroux. He wore the garb of a pirate captain. Unlike his subordinate, he was quite loquacious. The Red Hands were once the most feared band of pirates to sail the Atlantic. They were so successful that all their pirate brethren turned against them. They were caught in an ambush and killed to a man. That was not the end of it, however. The Red Hands rose in anger and began a bloody killing spree. Any ship flying the Jolly Roger that came near the Rogue Isles was turned into a slaughterhouse on the sea. All those butchered became their servants and they all haunt the island to this day.
I asked Captain Leroux why his men fought with my Lord's servants. His answer was so simple; I am not sure why I did not guess it. Fort Hades is built upon the place where the Red Hands were killed and buried by their brothers. It took me some time to decide what to report to Lord Recluse. For now I believe I will simply inform him that Arachnos and the Red Hands have irreconcilable differences.
July 20, 2005
Apparently for some time now there has been a network of individuals calling themselves Brokers operating throughout the Rogue Isles. My Lord Recluse has let them be, but he asked all of us to check up on their activities. He believes their business will increase after Operation Destiny, and he wants Arachnos to be prepared to benefit from that.
I was given the task of speaking to the two Brokers who have established themselves in Port Oakes, who call themselves by the lovely sobriquets Drea the Hook and Mikey the Ear. I had heard tale of Drea and so I began by seeking him out at the Hook and Anchor, the club he owns. It seems he was one of the only survivors of a fishing boat accident near Alaska. The fellow seemed nervous around me from the moment I arrived. At first I supposed that was simply due to my ghostly mien; I often unnerve those who are weak willed. Over the course of my conversation with him however, I discovered that the disaster he survived has left mental scars as well as physical ones.
It seems that the Hook has become quite skittish since his accident. The most unfortunate aspect of this new state of mind is a pronounced fear of water. That is how he came to be a Broker on the Isles. I asked him what that meant exactly. He told me that he and the other Brokers give out tasks freely to anyone they think capable of dealing with them. After a handful of such tasks these Brokers reward their customers with, as he put it, "a juicy Heist." If a client successfully "pulls off that job" then the Broker will give him the opportunity to meet someone more deeply connected to the goings on of the area.
At that point in the conversation I put forth the suggestion that Arachnos should benefit from Drea's business operations. He seemed resistant at first, but when I offered to take him on a flying tour over Dockside Bay he changed his mind rather quickly. He was also kind enough to volunteer the location of Mikey the Ear, near the ferry.
To my surprise Mikey actually expected me. After brief introductions he assured me that he was happy to cooperate in any way he could with Arachnos and the "distinguished representative of Lord Recluse." I left with the feeling that although he will give my Lord his due, Mikey the Ear bears close scrutiny.
Although this was not a pleasant task for me, I am certain the destined ones that are due to arrive on the islands before the year is out will make good use of these Brokers. As they make their way through the trials that the Rogue Isles are certain to offer, the Brokers will always be able to provide them tasks with which they may test and train themselves.
August 5, 2005
Ms. Liberty's militia is becoming increasingly problematic. They call themselves Longbow, which is a reference to the range of their influence. I suppose I must admit they live up to the name.
The youngest "defender of liberty" seems to think that this new, more militaristic branch of the Freedom Corps is somehow special. I have seen broadcasts of her speaking to the press about their heroics, all while standing comfortably on her pedestal in Atlas Park. It seems that she believes Freedom Corps proper are still best utilized in their current duties in Paragon City, but that upon occasion there calls for more direct response to...how did she put it...villainy. I find the thinly veiled conflict she must be having with her dear mother over this matter quite amusing. I think it safe to say that the elder lady Liberty never imagined her precious Freedom Corps being directly involved in conflict, let alone one as difficult and protracted as the current war for control of the Rogue Isles. I wonder, is the famous Statesman able to negotiate in those discussions?
When these Longbow agents and their pet heroes first arrived on the Rogue Isles, my Lord Recluse was not particularly troubled. I am loathe to say it, but I believe he underestimated them. He did not take fully into account their training, their determination, and their misguided dedication to the ideals of a child. Now they have proliferated to the point where they have a number of strongholds both overt and concealed. There are even reports of encounters on the streets with these sheep-like servants of higher virtue.
Intelligence gathered by my Night Widows indicates that they are broken down into specialized units. Rifleman, Minigun, and Flamethrower units are as clumsy and brutish as their names would imply. Their Eagle units fancy themselves Marksmen, and I am told their Spec-Ops agents provide entertaining games of hide and seek for my Widows. Longbow also has several more well equipped units. The cleverly named Chasers are small hover vehicles they use as tactical support, Nullifiers use gadgets to harry and knock down their foes, and the elite Ballista agents have potent energy powers. Finally, as I mentioned earlier, the Longbow teams are often led by low grade super-powered heroes who I can only assume were unable to make it on their own.
I am uncertain at this time what my Lord's overall plan is to exterminate this infestation--but perhaps the beneficiaries of Operation Destiny will be able to rid us of this plague of fools.
September 1, 2005
The dangers in Cap au Diable stemming from Dr. Aeon's Power Transfer System have been increasing at a troubling rate for some time now. Blackouts, power surges, and energy related deaths have all been reported, and in greater and greater numbers. My Lord Recluse asked me to speak to the good doctor today since he cannot rely on the information Black Scorpion provides. That one is only concerned with driving the scientists to invent new upgrades for his shell. My journey to the "Cape of the Devil" proved quite interesting.
Traveling over Cap au Diable, the PTS lines are immediately apparent. They stretch over the sides of the island, two orange tendrils descending from Mount Diable, covering Haven and the Devil's Coat Tails on one side and New Haven and Vagabond Hills on the other. In the center of the island lies Aeon City, and it was there that Dr. Aeon and I were to meet.
The architect of this strange energy system made a strong impression on me, but not the kind he would likely prefer. I will have to keep a close watch over this one. It seems possible that his evident rivalry with Marshal Brass could impair his judgment--and perhaps threaten my lord's interests. When I questioned him about the dangers his system posed, Aeon immediately brought forth documentation blaming much of the recent trouble on Brass. The reports indicated that the marshal's insistence on overseeing the day to day activities of Aeon Corporation have disrupted their efficiency to the point of causing safety issues. Even a cursory examination of the documents raised my suspicion. As I continued to question Aeon, his personal vendetta against the marshal became more and more apparent. In the midst of his tirade, the doctor let slip an intriguing piece of information. The deaths reported in relation to the PTS are not caused by energy surges or downed lines. Apparently, some kind of energy creatures are being spawned from the system, and contact with them is deadly in the extreme. Aeon quickly backpedaled, insisting that the monsters were mere rumors and that no factual evidence of their existence has ever been brought forward.
As I returned to my tower that evening, having been given a cursory tour of Aeon's facility and taken a deeper tour on my own, several things rang clearly in my mind. First and foremost is that the conflict between Aeon and Brass is causing a disturbing amount of chaos and unrest on Cap au Diable. The second is that despite his protestations, Aeon's PTS is spawning dangerous creatures. These are two very different problems but they both bear further investigation. There is no denying that Aeon is quite brilliant, but it appears he is becoming erratic. I believe the best plan of action is to send independent agents to aid Marshal Brass. These individuals can not only help Brass to keep Aeon in line, but also evaluate the marshal's methods. And perhaps they can learn more about these strange energy creatures--about the dangers they pose, and the opportunities they present.
September 22, 2005
As my Lord expected, heroes have begun to enter Siren's Call again. The Paragon City authorities have finally made a public statement regarding the decreased radiation levels in the area. They have been over cautious as usual, but that timidity has served Arachnos well. The trap set by Silver Mantis worked to perfection.
It was over a year ago that Lord Recluse set into motion the events that would allow us to establish a base of operations on the coastline of Paragon City. It was clear even then that in order to strike at Statesman's precious home, Arachnos would need to extend the tendrils of its web closer to the heart of the City of Heroes. The idea to irradiate the area came from Black Scorpion; at times, his crude heavy-handedness can be quite effective. Setting off a bomb was not exactly what my Lord had in mind. It was the Scorpion's "companion" who suggested a less obvious alternative.
When examining the options, Sunburst was an easy choice. Some of my more brutish associates wanted to use Positron, but Sunburst's reputation for reckless behavior made him the ideal selection. Since it was her idea initially, it was left to Silver Mantis to execute the operation. I did not pay close attention to the details, but apparently the Mantis used an android created by Arachnos scientists to lure Sunburst onto the docks. The construct then fulfilled its true purpose by causing an overload of the hero's power, resulting in an explosion large enough to make the area uninhabitable by mortals. My Lord had a few non-human minions who were not affected by the radiation. On their own, they were not numerous enough to solidify Arachnos' position, but fortunately Arachnos' policies on radiation exposure are quite a bit more lax than those of the Paragon Emergency Management Office.
We must prepare ourselves for the inevitable stream of do-gooders looking to make a name for themselves. It is important that we hold the area around the base long enough for the next phase of my Lord's plan to come to fruition. I am uncertain when that will unfold - he tells me that a key part is missing. Until that time the foolish defenders of Paragon City will have an unpleasant surprise in store when they try to restore order to their precious Siren's Call.