The Adventurers Save Christmas (Adventurers)

The Adventurers Save Christmas is a story arc of the RP SG The Adventurers which began on December 16, 2015. It is a light-hearted story arc of dubious canonicity.

Setting

The action begins on December 23rd, 2015. Red Spider, leader of the Adventurers, has gone on a vacation for the holidays, more than assured that her team mates can manage any threats that emerge.

Chapter 1

Heroes Present: Knightshadow, Lady Justice, Stormherald, Wildcat

The Adventurers attend the scene of a crime upon hearing a police alert about a robbery at the Harmon Industries campus downtown. On arrival, they are met by familiar detective David Sheffield, who has been a contact in the MCPD for the team in the past. Wildcat makes a comment about crime scene contamination that Sheffield does not take well to; Wildcat doesn't see the problem with what she said, but Lady Justice steps up and tries to model a little more tact toward the Detective.

The Adventurers help question a scientist who was eye-witness to a tech theft. He reveals that two 'manimals' - one looking like a deer, one looking like a goat-like thing - made off with a Photonic Body Replacement (PBR). Lady Justice, familiar with the papers on the technology, suspects that the thieves mean to give someone a new body; as photonic applications go, the PBR is prototypical but not the most advanced application of photonic technology. The scientist reveals that there was a persistent sound of bells from the robbers, and the goat-like manimal was constantly cackling.

At the crime scene, Wildcat smells traces of animals, of sugar plums, and lacquered wood.

Knightshadow perceives lingering magical energies consistent with Santa Claus's imaginary realm. She deduces that the goat manimal is actually the Krampus.

The team has Detective Sheffield reveal details from surveillance camera footage. It seems that all but the highest cameras on the building were frosted over just before the robbery. One high up camera captures an image of a flying sleigh leaving in a westerly direction.

Chapter 2

Heroes Present: Funktastic Frog Boy, Knightshadow, Lady Justice, Stormherald, Wildcat

Lady Justice takes to the air to try to track down the thieves. Her hyper senses detect the sound of jingling bells, so LJ calls the team to a riverside warehouse. She can overhear a strange conversation from within. LJ tells the team to spring into action when she gets a sense that someone is about to be executed inside.

An anthropomorphic reindeer named 'Arrow' is inside, about to let an arrow fly from his bow into Santa Claus! But the surprise appearance of the Adventurers causes 'Arrow' to fire his nocked arrow toward Stormherald. Wildcat fires an arrow of her own to intercede and destroy Arrow's arrow. Arrow flees through a portal to a wintery realm with his other assailants.

The team recovers 'Santa Claus'. Most of them seem awestruck to meet him, especially young Frog Boy and Knightshadow, but Lady Justice voices her skepticism openly. Santa reveals that a Nega Santa has recently emerged from mysterious origins, stolen Santa's sleigh, and used the bells from it to enslave Arrow the Reindeer, the Krampus, and Frosty the Snowman to be his servants. The bells normally help Santa's reindeer team work in unison, but Nega Santa has warped them for mind control!

Santa warns of Nega Santa's plot: to capture the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future and eliminate Santa Claus so that when Christmas fails to happen this year, Nega Santa can rewrite the history of Christmas to his own liking!

Chapter 3

Heroes Present: Funktastic Frog Boy, Knightshadow

Knightshadow & Frog Boy ask about the different servants of Nega-Santa. At first they hear details of the Krampus but decide they may not be well-equipped to handle him; instead, they focus on Arrow the Reindeer. Santa unfolds the sad tale of Arrow; where his cousin Rudolph was added by necessity to the reindeer team, Santa had no need for another, so Arrow's desire to join the team had gone unfulfilled. Nega-Santa put Arrow under mind-control, gave him humanoid shape, imbued him with warrior skill, and intensified his resentment toward Santa. Santa can't easily suggest a best way to handle Arrow, but he notes that removing the mind-controlling jingle bells keeping him under Nega-Santa's thrall is one way. Santa has sense enough of his imaginary realm to know where Arrow and the other servants are; Santa draws a crude map in the icy cave hideout; Knightshadow and Frog Boy use it to locate Arrow. During the confrontation, Knightshadow attempts to distract Arrow while Frog Boy flanks him. This proves to be a useful strategy, though Arrow is still fairly tough. Knightshadow injures herself trying to knee Arrow's abdomen, and Frog Boy is tossed around and nearly gored by Arrow's antlers while he clings to the reindeer. An attempt by Frog Boy to grab the jingle bell chain from Arrow's neck and break it fails, but it causes Arrow to stumble; Knightshadow moves in, grabs the chain, and teleports out with it. Arrow reverts to his normal personality, laments what he has done, and frees the Ghost of Christmas Past from a snow globe. Arrow entreats the Adventures to put in a good word for him with Santa, but says he isn't ready to face Santa himself just yet. Frog Boy assures Arrow that with his humanoid shape, he is distinct among reindeer - and he could become the North Pole's first genuine superhero. Later, Santa hears the tale of the battle, and readily forgives Arrow, saying he's like family.