Old Calvin Scott Task Force/Flashback

A Mind in Danger
Contact	Flashback
Zone	Ouroboros
Suggested Team Size	6 players
Level Range	30-34
Merits	10
Enemy Groups	Circle of Thorns Council Crey Freakshow Nemesis Rikti

Merit Rewards: This activity awards 10 Reward Merits.

Notes

This is the Old Calvin Scott Task Force, now available through the Flashback system. While the old Calvin Scott Task Force required at least six people to start, A Mind In Danger functions as any other Flashback story arc, meaning it can be started and completed solo. Note like all other Flashback story arcs and Task Forces, characters cannot be added to the team once the Flashback has begun.

Additionally, because A Mind In Danger is no longer available from Calvin Scott himself, the "teleport to contact" option at the Ouroboros Crystals does not function. It gives an error, "The portal does not know where to send you." However, it is possible to "call" Calvin Scott immediately from the beginning of the Flashback.

Missions

Help Calvin save his wife

Briefing

I'm glad you're here, heroes. You see, I've got a problem. A big problem. It's my wife. You may know her as Sister Psyche, but her real name is Aurora Scott. Ever since Sister Psyche was injured in the war, her consciousness has been residing within Aurora, working through my wife to continue her watch over Paragon City.

Aurora considers it an honor, and she'd never do anything to let Sister Psyche down. But lately, there's something wrong with her. I think someone is trying to disrupt their mental connection, and it's tearing her apart. Please, help me save my wife!

She acts like there's nothing wrong, but I know her. Believe me, there's something bad going on. I've got a lead on a Council base that's been doing some investigation into psychic powers. Perhaps they're the ones interfering with the connection between Sister Psyche and my wife

Mission Objective(s)

You hear a sudden scream.

• Defeat all agents in base

You learned about the Council's experiments in psychic probing.

The operative's story

The Arachnos operative you rescued from the Council told you:

'The Council developed this psychic probe that could read their agents' minds! That's how they figured out I'm from Arachnos. You have my gratitude for saving my life, but don't expect any thanks beyond that. Arachnos isn't much for personal loyalties.'

Enemies

Council

Debriefing

It sounds as though the Council's psychic probing has to do with rooting out spies within their ranks. Pretty creepy, but it doesn't explain the change in Aurora's connection to Sister Psyche. I'll have to dig deeper.

Investigate the Rikti base

Briefing

That lead on the Council didn't pan out, but I'm certain that someone is interfering with my wife's psychic connection to Sister Psyche. I'd like you to look into a Rikti base I've learned of. People tell me the area has a strong psychic resonance.

Find out what the Rikti are up to. If you come across anything that looks interesting, you could take it to Rebecca Brinell over at SERAPH. She's an expert on all things Rikti.

Mission Objective(s)

According to Calvin's leads, this whole area is seething with psionic energy.

• Defeat all Rikti in base
  • Seek clues

You defeated the Rikti and found a strange file.

Rikti file

This computer file is filled with strange, alien symbols. Perhaps Rebecca Brinell can help you sort them out.

Notable NPCs

• Seldak (Rikti Chief Soldier)

Enemies

Rikti

Mission Objective(s)

• Take file to Rebecca Brinell

Rebecca Brinell

Briefing

I believe I can make out some of the Rikti symbology. Let's see. It seems the Rikti were attempting to contact some other plane of existence psychically. If they could establish psychic contact with their own home world, that could mean vastly improved military efficiency. Luckily for us, their experiment seems to be going nowhere.

I'm sorry, but this doesn't seem to be connected to the disruption of Sister Psyche's connection to Aurora Borealis. Maybe Calvin's just getting worked up for no reason. After all, it can't be easy to have a wife with two minds.

Debriefing

Another dead end. Look, I know a lot of people think I'm just creating a fuss over nothing. But I know my wife! She's not the same. And if someone doesn't get to the bottom of this, she may never be!

Interrogate more villains

Briefing

Okay, here's the deal. You've been kicking villain tail all across Paragon City, but we're still no closer to figuring out what's wrong with the connection between my wife and Sister Psyche. So, I think it's time to kick a little more tail. Or a lot more, to be exact.

I want you to hit the streets, and don't stop until you find a lead.

Mission Objective(s)

• Interrogate Crey agents
  • Defeat 10 Crey

You defeated 10 Crey agents, but learned nothing about Aurora Borealis' condition.

Mission Objective(s)

• Interrogate Nemesis soldiers
  • Defeat 10 Nemesis

You defeated 10 Nemesis soldiers, but learned nothing about Aurora Borealis' condition.

Mission Objective(s)

• Interrogate Circle of Thorns
  • Defeat 10 Circle of Thorns

On one of the defeated Circle mystics, you found a strange tome.

Strange tome

This tome, titled On the Dissolution of Psyches, may have something to do with the changes in Sister Psyche's host, Aurora Borealis. You found it on a Circle of Thorns mystic.

Debriefing

You may have done it! This tome may hold the key to what's happening to Aurora. Thank you. You're beginning to give me hope.

Take the tome to Azuria

Briefing

I'd like you to take this tome you found over to Azuria. Maybe she can analyze it and let us know if the Circle really is interfering with Aurora's mental connection to Sister Psyche.

Please do anything Azuria asks of you.

Mission Objective(s)

• Take tome to Azuria

Azuria

Briefing

So, this is the tome Calvin spoke of. Let me see. It seems that the Circle of Thorns has found a way to target Sister Psyche through her mental connection to Aurora Borealis. This is horrible! If Sister Psyche remains in Aurora's body for too much longer, the Circle could dissolve both of their personalities. We wouldn't just be losing one of the city's greatest heroines; we'd also be losing one of our brightest potential stars: Aurora!

I think I can stop this, but first I need to know how much progress the Circle has already made. I want you to investigate one of their lairs.

Mission Objective(s)

The scent of cloves fills the air.

• Defeat Tyrkis & his coven
  • Seek clues

You defeated the Circle and learned about their plans.

Tyrkis' story

When you defeated the Agony Mage Tyrkis, he snarled:

'Fine! I'll tell you what you want to know! We went after Sister Psyche first because her psychic link to the girl made her easier to target. Eventually we would have torn apart all of Paragon City's great heroes, from the inside out!

'There was a dark presence, though, when we touched Sister Psyche's mind. It was enough to frighten even me, and I have seen horrors you cannot imagine!'

Circle texts

You recovered these dusty tomes from a Circle of Thorns base. They may help Azuria figure out how to help Sister Psyche.

Notable NPCs

• Tyrkis (Circle of Thorns Agony Mage)

Enemies

Circle of Thorns

Debriefing

Great work! I have to thank you for trusting me on this. I'm not a hero; I'm not a well-known contact in town. I'm just a guy trying to save his wife. I appreciate everything you're doing for her.

Take the books to Azuria

Briefing

I hope those books you found will tell Azuria how to break the spell that's targeting my wife's mental connection to Sister Psyche. You better get them over to her.

Thanks. I'm sure Azuria will know just what to do.

Mission Objective(s)

• Take books to Azuria

Azuria

Briefing

Thank you, brave heroes. I will examine these books at once. If Sister Psyche's presence within Aurora's mind is what allowed the Circle to target her, perhaps it is time to dissolve that union. I have long been researching the spells necessary to restore Sister Psyche's original body to health. I suppose it is time to make the attempt.

I will begin work immediately. It will take me some time to perform the ritual; after all, the minds of Aurora and Psyche have become largely intertwined. But I must begin to draw them apart.

Debriefing

I can hardly believe it's true. Sister Psyche has been living within my wife's body for so long, I'd almost gotten used to it. Still, it was hard sometimes, knowing that there was someone else looking out at me from her eyes. Now, Azuria's finally going to return Sister Psyche to her own body and return my precious Aurora to me. It's almost too good to be true!

Take on a new threat with Calvin

Briefing

While Azuria works on the spell that will return Sister Psyche to her body, we've got more work to do. It seems the Freedom Phalanx was so impressed with our work uncovering the Circle plot, they want to see more of what we can do together. I could hardly turn them down. So, what do you say? Will you take on a new threat with me?

Apparently there's a new villain in town. Some of the Freakshow seem to be flocking to his banner. I need you to go to a warehouse where they're massed and see if you can find out who this new player is.

Mission Objective(s)

A steady bass beat echoes through these corridors.

• Defeat Punkadelic & his cronies

You defeated the Freaks and learned about their new leader.

Punkadelic's story

When you defeated Punkadelic, he told you:

'I don't know where the new man's from; he just appeared on the scene. He says he's got the inside scoop on the heroes. We thought we'd go along for the ride!'

Notable NPCs

• Punkadelic (Freakshow Tank Swiper)

Enemies

Freakshow

Debriefing

I guess it shouldn't surprise me that the Freaks are willing to follow anyone who claims to be able to bring them some power. I still don't know who this new villain is, or why he claims to know all about the heroes of Paragon City. But I know we better track him down before he causes any more trouble.

Track down the new villain

Briefing

All right. We know this new villain in town claims to know all about Paragon City's greatest heroes. And we know he's working with the Freaks. It seem to me there's only one thing to do. You've got to go to the streets and track him down.

Some of the Freaks may know where he's holed up. Start with them.

Mission Objective(s)

• Interrogate Freakshow
  • Defeat 30 Freakshow

Lair location

One of the Freaks you defeated told you that his leader's lair is located in Brickstown.

Debriefing

So, this new villain is holed up in Brickstown, eh? You'll have to go after him. If he really does have the secrets of Paragon City's heroes, we can't allow them to fall into the hands of the Freakshow!

Take out the new villain

Briefing

You've got to take out this new villain. I don't know who he is, but I know the Freaks are following him because he claims to know all about the secrets of Paragon City's heroes. That's a huge threat, but I believe you are strong enough to stop it.

Thanks for taking this on, heroes. It takes real courage to march into the unknown.

Mission Objective(s)

You hear the sound of unhinged laughter.

• Defeat Malaise & his men

You defeated Malaise.

Notable NPCs

• Malaise (Archvillain)

Enemies

Freakshow

Debriefing

It seems that when Azuria began her spell to return Sister Psyche to her own body, Psyche's mental hold on Malaise was broken. He lost his head and went evil again. He says it was just a brief fit of lunacy, but to tell you the truth, I've got my doubts. I hope you'll help me keep an eye on him until Azuria finishes her spell and Sister Psyche is back at work in her own body.

Azuria's still hard at work on the spell that will put Sister Psyche back in her own body. During the process, a small part of each woman's soul was cast free. Luckily, Azuria managed to capture the soul fragments in this crystal orb. Aurora and Sister Psyche will be fine, as long as someone protects those soul fragments. I can't think of a better person than you.

Souvenir

Soul Orb

This orb contains fragments of the souls of Sister Psyche and Aurora Borealis. Retaining it is a grave responsibility, as well as a reminder of the adventure you've come to think of as:

A Mind in Danger

It began with Calvin Scott, an ordinary man with an extraordinary problem. He believed something or someone was interfering with his wife's mental connection to Sister Psyche, thus putting her in terrible danger. At his request, you investigated a Council base where Calvin had learned psychic experiments were taking place. However, you learned that the experiments had to do with uncovering spies within the Council, rather than with the change in Aurora Borealis.

You next went to investigate a Rikti base saturated with psionic energy. You learned that the Rikti were trying to mentally contact their home dimension, possibly to increase military efficientcy. Still, you had no lead on what was happening to Aurora Borealis, and Calvin believed you were running out of time.

Desperate for answers, you took to the streets. You took on Crey and Nemesis soldiers without results. After defeating a number of Circle of Thorns mystics, you found a tome called On the Dissolution of Psyches.

Calvin sent you to Azuria to decipher the tome. She told you that the Circle had targetted Sister Psyche and Aurora Borealis by using their mental connection against them. She could combat this evil, but first she needed to know how much progress the Circle had made. You ventured into a Circle base and uncovered a number of texts detailing their spells.

You took these texts to Azuria, who began work on a spell to return Sister Psyche to her own body.

While Azuria laboured over her magic, you returned to Calvin to bring him the good news. Calvin told you he'd received a request from the Freedom Phalanx to keep working with you. Your task was to bring a new villain to light. You knew this mysterious person was working with the Freakshow, so you went to investigate a Freak gathering. The Freak leader you defeated, Punkadelic, told you that this new villain claimed to know all the weaknesses of Paragon City's heroes.

It became obvious that tracking down this person was critical to the safety of the city. You went to the streets, defeating Freak after Freak, until you learned the location of the villain's lair.

You had resolved to defeat this strange villain and put a stop to the grave threat he posed to Paragon City's heroes. After fighting through his minions, you were shocked to learn that the villain was none other than Malaise! Apparently Azuria's spell had managed to disrupt Sister Psyche's mental hold on him. Without this psychic link, he had reverted to his old evil ways.

You returned to Calvin with the news. Although he believed you, few were willing to turn their backs on a known hero. Malaise apologised profusely, and claims that he does not believe this madness will afflict him again. Only time will tell whether he is telling the truth.