Post-31 S.O.S Sanctuary Challenge

Just for fun.

Hehehe, time to build something based on the superhero version of the  Grave Diggers' Dungeon . 

Oh dear.

G+ is really pulling through here.  The two entries posted this morning (in not counting mine because I just wanted to make something silly) are really cool and I would be happy with exploring both of them. 

One of the characters I had in mind, Retrorocket (Innocent playbook), was part of a team that had its base aboard a big zeppelin, the Olympus. Axis saboteurs caused it to crash during the wars, but the team managed to send it just beyond city limits before that happened. Now it sits wedged into a ravine, looking (and sounding) for all the world like it might collapse into scrap and fall at any moment. There's a bunch of unique retro-tech aboard, basically 50's Dieselpunk and weird-energy stuff, but you'd probably want to do a lot of work to stabilize and support it before you felt comfortable living there. Maury Jones aka @HeroesAreMagic has "urban spelunker" as  one of her hobbies , and that post mentions "UFO crashes". The location that Mike created sounds like the sort of thing that she might have checked out, and she might have some opinions or information on the other bases we're evaluating too. With Doyce seemingly  putting her in a chair , I imagine she used drones rather than personally navigating the more difficult areas, but that just means she has even more potential footage to go along with that.

Mike said: G+ is really pulling through here.  The two entries posted this morning (in not counting mine because I just wanted to make something silly) are really cool and I would be happy with exploring both of them. I agree with everything you said Mike, except I really enjoyed your post as well. :-)

I'm re-reading some of these more carefully and I can see some comedy potential. "Hey Leo, what did you think of the creepy underground mutant prison/lab thing, the one with the mysterious groaning noises coming from the grates, and those weird skittering noises coming from the ventilation ducts?" "Otto can't really fit in there, so I'm gonna give it a pass."

Us getting a base:&nbsp;<a href="https://imgur.com/gallery/KGvrKqC" rel="nofollow">https://imgur.com/gallery/KGvrKqC</a>

Welcome to Earth is a scrap yard of decommissioned alien craft disabled by various superheroes throughout the decades of humanity's interaction with various "visitors." Created by the S.O.S's engineering genius the Mechanic in the 50's after a failed invasion by the Praetorian Empire (with implications that it was a warning sign for any other extraterrestrial species that Earth wasn't the helpless little backwater planet it appeared), Welcome to Earth has slowly gained popularity with North Carolina locals and tourists, unaware that all the dangerous parts not confiscated by A.E.G.I.S. being stored in the secret underground bunkers running throughout the park. Today, the park is managed by the Mechanic's granddaughter Bobbi - a brilliant engineer in her own right, but with no interests in heroics. Features: Aide (Bobbi), Useful Tools (the Mechanic's tools and the decommissioned alien tech), a Powerful Computer (more alien tech) Downsides: Dangerous Attention (decommissioned alien tech, duh), Location Known to Many (though they may be unaware that it is an active base) Based on the Grave Digger's Dungeon in North Carolina, a monster truck graveyard - atlasobscura.com - Grave Digger's Dungeon – Poplar Branch, North Carolina - Atlas Obscura

The Twilight Glade Originally, it was a parcel of scenic land in the English countryside, that during a battle between the Mystic wielder of the Seven Seals of Solomon & his nemesis Daemon wielder of The HellFire was shunted out of this reality into a small bubble reality, between worlds. At the time there was a festival taking place there, so many people were pulled into the sub dimension. Most were twisted warped & altered by the planeshift. In a rare instance, Both Mystic and Daemon were surprised, shocked, chagrined by what they in their hubris they had wrought. They called for a truce between there battles, to try to reverse what had happened. Unfortunately, they found that the best they could do was turn them all to stone to stop their continuing transformation. This has left weird statues everywhere on the lightly wooded plain. When you approach these statues they whisper secrets, because in thier new forms they have become untethered from their previous mortal coil allowing them access to much knowledge both secret and unknown that they will share with you for good or ill. Features -Library of valuable tomes (the statues of the festival goers) also qualifies as weird art. -Food music and art previous mentioned the statues for art, music a weird wind from nowhere springs up blowing through the trees creating music based on the mood and need of the occupants, voices from nowhere singing to the tune and food appears responding to what the member desire most -Healing equipment a scenic calm glade that heals one of all wounds as she/he rests in its warm embrace Difficult to access: There is a stone statue dedicated to the memory of Mystic in a not often visited small park you need to touch the base and whisper, "For those not to be forgotten" Location Known to Many: Most mystical world know of what happened that day because both Mystic & Daemon from then on looked for a cure for the lost inhabitants. Even while still attending to their needs for the rest of their lives.

Unbeknownst to farmers, a dark secret resides deep below their land. Above ground, cattle graze unaware, and crops grow with hardly any traces of toxic waste from experiments seeping out into the soil. Situated underground a couple of miles outside of Halcyon City, this base was once the research facility of a villainous group of anti-mutants who planned to combat the mutant threat to humanity by experimenting on humans to create their own super-powered soldiers under their control. This combination prison/training facility was abandoned when one of the experiments escaped, compromising the location. Features - locks and traps: dozens of individual cells with reinforced doors and walls sit empty. Scratched writing and pictures on the walls of these cells give clues as to the horrors that once happened here. Vents ready to pump toxic knockout gas into any room accessed without authorization. - useful tools: an arsenal of experimental weapons designed to take down powered individuals was left behind when the previous owners abandoned the facility years ago. - a power enhancement system: too big to move quickly, experimental equipment designed to tweak the human genome to bring out powers fills the central laboratory - Difficult to access: Entrances and exits are miles outside of town, via long tunnels concealed around the countryside. Tunnels are sealed with multiple security gates - blast doors. - location known to many: the villains who abandoned this place were never caught. They still know it is here and even if the security is updated by the heroes, will probably have back doors allowing them easy access if they ever want to come back.

The Grange: A historic estate outside Capstone City owned by Dr. Rick Ransom, The Grange was also secretly the sanctum of a Ransom's alter-ego, Golden Age crimefighter the Yellow Wasp—and his Protégé, Stingy. The house was abandoned after the Yellow Wasp's death and Stingy's defection to villainy. The manor and grounds are maintained by the Friends of the Grange, a historical preservation society that is working on getting the house protected status as a historic landmark. They host frequent Renaissance Fairs and Heritage Days on the Grange's grounds. The rest of the Friends don't know what Grandma Swift knows: behind the bookshelf with the trick bust of Immanuel Kant is a vintage but functional superhero lair. Features: Many of the Yellow Wasp's resources, including A Library of Valuable Tomes and A Scattering of Ancient Relics. And, thanks to the festivals thrown by the Friends of the Grange, there is often Art, Food, and Music. Downsides: Location Known to Many: The Friends of the Grange invite the public to the mansion's grounds frequently. A curious visitor might even stumble on the hidden entrance to the lair by messing with the bust of Kant. Draws Dangerous Attention: Stingy, now going by the name Black Sting, has recently escaped from prison, and could show up at the Grange seeking to reclaim his/her mentor's sanctum.

SKY GUARD ONE Former space station home of the the [globe-spanning uber-powerful adult supers team everyone wants to be a part of when they grow up, except for the ones who very pointedly don't], it was heavily damaged and abandoned after a battle with [insert very powerful single super-villain, or aggregate powerful team of super-villains] when the team broke up over the death of [beloved hero]. It's offered to the Masks team by a former member who wants to see it shine again as a beacon. As a base, it's kind of a dump -- large sections open to space or trashed from the battle, food processors inoperative, strange noises and obscure threats from abandoned tech or space aliens who have found a place to doss down overnight. But, on the other hand, it's a freaking space station how incredibly cool is that?!?!?! Features: 1. A Teleportal from Earth. If nobody is on monitor duty, it can be set to trigger with the appropriate encoded radio signal from a selected point in Halcyon. (This verges on "Difficult to Access") 2. Healing Equipment. The sick bay was somewhat damaged by the battle, but there's at least one Arcturian healing bed still working. Most of the time. 3. A Scattering of Souvenir Trophies. The trophy room had old villain weapons, armor, exoskeletons, power bracelets, wands, killbots, flying saucers, etc. While much of the room was damaged during the battle, interesting things can still be found that might be operable with a little work, luck, utterance of codewords, or blood sacrifice. With proper application of abilities and powers, it might be possible to repair aspects of the station, including its computer core (and, perhaps, records), sensor "eye in the sky" systems, shuttlecraft, defenses, weapons arrays, etc. Downsides: 1. Easily Damaged. The defensive systems are inoperative, and the place is structurally sketchy. 2. Location Known to Many. Both world governments, amateur astronomers, and every super-villain on the planet knows about Sky Guard One and its orbital path. There are apps for that. Some of them might not be happy about the Masks team setting up shop there. Heck, the original owners might not, either.

Fortress of Darkness The submerged super-base in the estuary swamps outside of Halcyon was the secret lair of the [nasty villain group that always went up against the elite hero group], abandoned after the [nasty villain group] {was defeated and imprisoned | broke up | was killed in the Crisis on of Infinite Masks cross-over | realized that a lair in a swamp is a really awful place to hang out}. The base is normally submerged, but it's black, mushroom-like form can be brought to the surface for meeting or to shoot at the approaching heroes or to just seem menacing to duck hunters. FEATURES: 1. Art, Music, and Food: Of course, the art is stolen, the music pirated, and the food -- well, depending on whose quarters / supplies you are raiding (Radiomenace, Deadly Jaws, Lady Flora, Hi-Jinx, etc.) the food may be excellent, repulsive, inedible, or actively dangerous. 2. An Aide or Assistant: Balthazar is the robotic majordomo of the Fortress, programmed by Professor Omega to serve, obey, and kill. Asking the wrong question might trigger any of these responses. The base itself will build a new Balthazar if the current one has to be disposed of. 3. A Powerful Computer: The lair computer is fast, powerful, festooned with blinkenlights and tape drives, and speaks in a very odd, mechanic voice. It contains extensive files on the heroes of Halcyon (and beyond), and keeps track of gold shipments, military missile tests, and sentence count-downs for various super-criminals. DOWNSIDES: 1. Location Known to Many: In particular, the former members of the [nasty villain group], their friends, their lenders, AEGIS, the [elite hero group], and anyone else the author wants to have know about it. 2. Diffiuclt to Access: Until further work is done, the base remains submerged, and heroes must swim down to it through the gator-infested swamp.

I has a sad that the Legion of Doom HQ has been cut from the competition. People get so touchy about alligators ...

I added Twilight Glade to the wiki:&nbsp; <a href="http://wiki.menagerie.team/Twilight_Glade" rel="nofollow">http://wiki.menagerie.team/Twilight_Glade</a> The references to the seals of Solomon, and creatures that whisper secrets, are reminiscent of the goetic demons mentioned here and here . If such beings are bound up in the Glade, the Excalibur legacy (including heroes like Armiger, or villains like Velasco) might take an interest. The Glade itself might be something Charlotte is interested in - a stable, healthy inter-dimensional breach, rather than something qualifying as a "wound". Can she learn to more easily seal those breaches by studying the Glade? The Glade feels like a reservoir of strange emotions, not ones that Adam has typically wielded. What's going to happen if he spends time there? Summer's got an interest in the mystic elements of the place. She has no mystic powers of her own (as far as anyone knows), but is still personally curious. The place is probably too weird for Alycia or Harry generally, but Harry at least benefits from the food, and Alycia might prefer to come to the Glade for healing rather than convalesce under AEGIS supervision at a regular hospital.

As Alycia expressed to Jason, she believes in the Glade, but the more she does so, the less comfortable she is with it. :-) Yes, convalescing there sounds better than going to an AEGIS med-table, and it sounds like a great place for sparring practice or a party, but the more she ponders it, the more she gets the wiggins of something sinister and addictive about the Glade, without further explanation. There Ain't No Such Thing as a Free Lunch.