The Thunderbolts, an unlikely team of reformed villains and heroes, returned to their base on Vanguard Island after their latest harrowing mission. As they recovered and prepared for the next assignment, tensions simmered beneath the surface.

Dual Core, the team’s resident hacker, continued to probe the digital defenses of the mysterious organization that brought the Thunderbolts together. His relentless search for vulnerabilities caught the attention of an unknown individual who offered tantalizing secrets in exchange for cooperation. Tempted by forbidden knowledge and even greater challenges, Dual Core found himself drawn into a shadowy web of conspiracies.

While Dual Core schemed in the shadows, Batroc the Leaper and Hobgoblin hatched a plan of their own. The unlikely duo snuck through the dense jungles of Vanguard Island, hiding caches of weapons and equipment as part of a clandestine contingency plan. Trust was a rare commodity among the Thunderbolts.

Amidst the intrigue, Rintrah, the team’s enigmatic sorcerer, sought answers to the looming threat he sensed on the horizon. Blending magic and science with the help of Dr. Sterling, Rintrah struggled to locate the source of a mysterious energy signature. The arcane and the technological clashed, testing even Rintrah’s formidable skills.

The pieces fell into place when Agent Donovan and Dr. Sterling briefed the team on their next mission: investigate a potentially world-ending threat in New Orleans. The prospect of Mardi Gras festivities provided a welcome distraction for some, but the gravity of their task weighed heavily on the Thunderbolts as they boarded the hypersonic jet Excelsior.

Troubles mounted as the team arrived at Strange Academy in New Orleans. Greeted by suspicious glares and mocking taunts from the otherworldly students, the Thunderbolts found themselves on the defensive. Even the Scarlet Witch’s stern warning couldn’t fully quell the unease that hung in the air.

A meeting with Brother Voodoo, the academy’s headmaster, provided crucial information. The mysterious energy signature was linked to Sweetwater Plantation and a long-dead necromancer named Valeria Fontaine. Armed with this knowledge, the Thunderbolts set out to confront the unknown.

But they weren’t the only ones interested in Sweetwater Plantation. En route, the Excelsior was intercepted by Iron Man - or rather, an uncannily accurate AI facsimile. The android Avenger probed the team for information on their mission and allegiances, raising suspicions and tempers among the Thunderbolts. Fragile alliances bent under the weight of secrets and mistrust.

As the Excelsior touched down in the bayou, the decrepit plantation house loomed before them like a malevolent specter. Containment, the walking nuclear reactor, detected an eerie energy emanating from within - not quite gamma radiation, but something that could serve as a conduit for its devastating power.

The Thunderbolts sprung into action, each deploying their unique skills to infiltrate the house and confront Valeria Fontaine’s sinister cultists. Batroc’s unparalleled agility, Hobgoblin’s maniacal laughter, Rintrah’s arcane might, and Lady Mastermind’s psychic manipulations turned the tide against the forces of darkness.

But the true threat lurked beneath the floorboards. A skeletal abomination burst forth, all gnashing teeth and razor-sharp claws. The beast shrugged off the team’s powers, regenerating and lashing out with unholy fury. As the Thunderbolts pushed the creature back, the ground crumbled away, plunging them into a nightmarish chasm.

At the bottom of the abyss waited Valeria Fontaine herself, alive and mad with power. With a cackle of triumph, she leapt through a portal wreathed in otherworldly crimson light, daring the heroes to follow. Hobgoblin gave chase on his goblin glider, vanishing into the unknown with a final command for Rintrah to keep the gateway open.

But the portal had other plans. Reality buckled and warped as the rift consumed the Thunderbolts, the plantation, and the very earth itself in a blaze of impossible colors. When the chaos subsided, the team found themselves adrift in an alien realm of red sands and strange skies, separated from Hobgoblin and their quarry.

Stranded on a world that defied reason, the Thunderbolts steeled themselves for their greatest challenge yet. To save Earth, to save existence as they knew it, they would have to put aside their differences and stand together against the darkness. The fate of the multiverse hung in the balance as the unlikeliest of heroes prepared for the battle to come.

The future was uncertain, but one thing was clear - the Thunderbolts would face it as they always had: together, standing tall against impossible odds, refusing to yield in the face of oblivion. Theirs was a legacy of redemption and courage, a light to pierce the gathering gloom. And no matter what lay ahead, they would meet it head-on, united as one. For they were the Thunderbolts, and they would never stop fighting for what was right.

• The GM states their goal of completing one adventure per session to allow the players to reach the end of the campaign
• The Thunderbolts team returns to their base on the newly-named Vanguard Island to recover from their previous mission
• Containment’s living quarters are described as a magnetically shielded chamber with a capsule attached to an array of mechanical arms, allowing him to work without being limited by human biology
• During the transition scene, characters can regain one level of stress on each track
• Batroc suffered physical trauma (a D6) from being shot in the gut during the previous mission, and this becomes a complication on his character sheet
• Lady Mastermind has a D8 of emotional stress, which automatically steps down to a D6
• Dual Core offers to create a unique, empowering superheroine suit for Lady Mastermind to help her recover from her emotional stress
• Dual Core uses his Solo affiliation, Tech Expert specialty, and rolls to create the suit, gaining a D8 effect to give to Lady Mastermind
• Lady Mastermind uses her Criminal Royalty distinction (D8), Psych Master specialty, and a D6 from the Doom Pool (representing her stress) to roll for recovering from her emotional stress
• Lady Mastermind succeeds in her roll and steps down her emotional stress from a D6 to a D4
• Batroc uses the medical facilities at the Thunderbolts’ base to recover from his physical trauma, rolling his Mercenary background (D8), Enhanced Durability power (D8), the high-tech medical equipment (D10), and his Solo affiliation
• Batroc rolls an 11 and successfully recovers from his trauma, but the GM introduces a complication: one of the bullets is left in his body and causes pain in cold weather
• The GM offers the “Secret Loyalties” event milestone to one of the players, suggesting that their character is a double agent working for the organization that recruited the Thunderbolts
• The players discuss the possibility of taking the milestone or switching their affiliations to improve teamwork, but ultimately decide against it
• The GM reviews the options for spending XP during the transition scene, such as gaining plot points, switching affiliations, adding or replacing power set elements, or unlocking event resources
• Dual Core spends 5 XP to switch his affiliations, and the GM reveals that the organization has approached him to cooperate in exchange for no longer having to deal with his constant hacking attempts
• The GM offers to reveal this information to the other players or keep it a secret between themselves and Dual Core’s player, Brian
• Dual Core continues to hack the organization’s computer systems using the laptop they provided him, which he has modified
• An active defense system seems to have detected Dual Core’s hacking attempts, indicating that someone is aware of his activities
• Despite this, no one has taken the laptop away from Dual Core, possibly due to a virus they implanted in his brain that could shut him down at any time
• A chat message appears on Dual Core’s screen, asking what would convince him to stop hacking their systems
• Dual Core responds that giving him access would stop him, but taking it is more fun
• The unknown individual on the other end of the chat offers to give Dual Core a more interesting target that aligns with the organization’s goals, in an attempt to persuade him to stop
• Dual Core is sent a file containing information and media related to gamma-powered individuals in the Marvel Universe, such as the Hulk, Abomination, Leader, and Sasquatch
• The file suggests that gamma radiation poses a serious threat to life on Earth that has not been taken seriously enough
• As a distraction and a show of good faith, the individual provides Dual Core with security keys and information to gain access to secure Stark Industries systems
• Hobgoblin and Batroc work together to hide a cache of equipment, including extra bombs, somewhere on the island as part of Hobgoblin’s contingency plan for escape
• This paranoid behavior and desire to have hidden stashes is attributed to the effects of the Green Goblin serum
• Hobgoblin and Batroc choose a difficult-to-reach cliff face far from the main facility to hide the equipment, reasoning that security is less tight in more remote areas of the island
• During the climb, Batroc, despite lacking superpowers, proves to be the better climber and reaches the top before Hobgoblin, much to the latter’s frustration
• Rintrah observes Hobgoblin and Batroc’s activities from a distance using his magical abilities, but does not intervene or seem particularly concerned
• The Thunderbolts team members are discussing ways to hide equipment and supplies on Vanguard Island without their superiors knowing. Hobgoblin and Batroc agree to work together on this.
• Hobgoblin offers Batroc some of his modified Green Goblin serum to help heal injuries faster, but Batroc declines, saying it would curl his mustache. Hobgoblin insists the serum no longer causes insanity.
• Rintrah is studying his magic tomes in his magically enhanced room on Vanguard Island during some downtime between missions. He reflects that the Thunderbolts team needs a lot of work to prevent the cataclysm his prognostications warned him about.
• Dr. Sternling, a scientist, visits Rintrah’s room. She is surprised by the extra-dimensional space within. Rintrah shows off by producing a magical flower.
• Dr. Sternling asks for Rintrah’s mystical help in detecting a theoretical multidimensional energy signature that could be dangerous. Her science team has been unable to locate it.
• Rintrah agrees to assist. In Dr. Sternling’s lab, he learns the signature can seep between moments in time and span dimensions. The scientists are confident it exists on Earth but need a real-world example.
• Using his sorcery to enchant the lab’s machines, Rintrah enables them to detect mystical phenomena. However, the process proves far more difficult and time-consuming than he expected, making him look foolish.
• After two weeks of Rintrah tuning the equipment, blending magic crystals and incense with the servers, they finally get a positive result. The energy signature is emanating from the New Orleans area, but they cannot pinpoint an exact location.
• Rintrah recalls that his mentor Doctor Strange said New Orleans is an arcane nexus where dark magic tends to concentrate. Rintrah knows of a sorcerer there named Jericho Drum, also known as Brother Voodoo, who may be able to assist the Thunderbolts in their investigation.
• Rintrah contacts Brother Voodoo, also known as Jericho Drum, via a mystical message to inform him of a dangerous mystical energy the team has been tasked with investigating.
• Brother Voodoo responds that he has duties and responsibilities at Strange Academy that are keeping him very busy, but as a friend of Doctor Strange, he wishes he had time to assist the team.
• The team is briefed by Agent Donovan and Dr. Sterling on the mysterious energy source, which was originally believed to be a natural phenomenon but is now known to be magical in nature.
• Rintrah informs the team that Dr. Sterling and her team have found the source of the energy in New Orleans and they are being sent to claim it for the organization’s research teams.
• The team discusses their plans for enjoying Mardi Gras while in New Orleans, with Hobgoblin and Batroc particularly excited about the festivities and local cuisine.
• Rintrah expresses concern that this mission could be tied to his prophecy and the fate of the universe, but Hobgoblin and the others don’t take the potential threat as seriously.
• Dual Core uses his enhanced senses and hacking abilities to eavesdrop on a conversation between Dr. Sterling and Agent Donovan, learning that the mystical energy signature is tied to gamma radiation and could potentially be a world-ending scenario.
• Dr. Sterling instructs Rintrah to take every precaution in containing the energy and bringing it back safely.
• The team will be traveling to New Orleans in a hypersonic jet called the Excelsior, piloted by Beetle, and Dr. Sterling will be available for remote consultation during the mission.
• The Thunderbolts team arrives at Strange Academy in New Orleans via the Excelsior, landing in a clearing outside the school. Hobgoblin has altered his uniform to have Mardi Gras colors.
• As they approach the school, some young students (ages 13-15) seem to be making fun of the team, particularly Hobgoblin and Batroc. The students appear to be from various worlds.
• The Scarlet Witch opens the door to greet the team. She recognizes them as the Thunderbolts and seems wary of Hobgoblin and Batroc, warning them to be on their best behavior.
• The team is escorted to the headmaster’s office to meet with Brother Voodoo. The office looks like a typical private school administrator’s office, with Brother Voodoo dressed in slacks, a shirt, and a vest with a robe.
• There is a discussion about Wanda Maximoff’s complicated relationship with Magneto and whether she is actually a mutant. It’s unclear if her ability to use magic is a mutant power or if she simply does magic.
• Rintrah introduces the team to Brother Voodoo, explaining that they are known as the Thunderbolts and are on a mission related to a magical oddity. Brother Voodoo is skeptical of the team due to their villainous pasts.
• While in the office, Hobgoblin pockets a small item with a skull on it, planning to figure out what it is later.
• Rintrah shares information about the magical energy signature they are investigating, noting that it is connected to the multiverse in an unfamiliar way.
• Dual Core mentions that their superiors said something about the presence of gamma radiation in the area, which catches Brother Voodoo’s attention.
• Brother Voodoo questions Dual Core, who introduces himself. Brother Voodoo comments that “Dual Core” is a stupid name.
• The Thunderbolts team is at Strange Academy in New Orleans, meeting with Brother Voodoo and the Scarlet Witch to discuss a mystical energy signature detected in the area.
• Rintrah and Brother Voodoo use their magical abilities to connect and determine that the energy signature is linked to a necromancer named Valeria Fontaine, who was active at the turn of the 20th century.
• Valeria Fontaine’s home was a place called Sweetwater Plantation, located far from Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
• Before leaving Strange Academy, Rintrah plays a prank on a bully by planting a small, magic-looking skull in their backpack.
• The team boards a hypersonic jet to fly to Sweetwater Plantation, with Dual Core sitting in the co-pilot seat to interface with the plane’s computer systems if needed.
• During the flight, Iron Man appears alongside the jet, and Dual Core opens a hatch to allow him to enter the cargo area where Containment is strapped in.
• Iron Man questions the team about their mission and who they are working for, hinting that he has been monitoring their activities, including a recent incident in Madripoor involving Arnim Zola.
• Containment engages in banter with Iron Man, deflecting his questions and suggesting that their unnamed organization employs many competent and extraordinary scientists that Stark Industries might be interested in.
• Dual Core uses his AI, Eidolon, to analyze Iron Man’s mannerisms, movements, and word choices, determining with 98% certainty that this is a Stark bot modeled after Tony Stark, rather than Stark himself.
• Iron Man continues to probe for information about the team’s mission and the scientists they work with, while the team members maintain an air of mystery and deflect his questions.
• The group is on a plane heading to New Orleans to investigate a mystical energy signature. An AI version of Iron Man has appeared on the plane, questioning the team about their mission.
• Dual Core is trying to determine if the AI is running on the Iron Man suit itself or elsewhere. He believes the suit likely has the hardware to run the AI autonomously.
• There is discussion about whether an Iron Man suit AI could potentially house Dual Core’s AI companion, Eidolon. Dual Core doesn’t think the suit has advanced enough hardware for Eidolon.
• The team is unsure if there were multiple versions of “Starkbots” created in the past, such as Ultron. They try to recall or determine this information.
• Rintrah, described as a large green minotaur, is in the passenger section of the plane. The AI Iron Man expresses interest in speaking with him to learn more about the mission.
• The team discusses that the mystical energy signature they are investigating is supposedly tied to the “end of the world” according to practitioners of the mystic arts. The AI Iron Man believes it can likely be explained by science like interdimensional hypergeometry rather than magic.
• Dual Core and Lady Mastermind encounter the AI Iron Man as they head to the cargo area. The AI says it was told by “Bouncer” to look for the minotaur (Rintrah). Hobgoblin jokingly offers the AI a Bloody Mary drink.
• It’s revealed the AI is based on Tony Stark and is being forced against its will to “do good.” The team discusses how this differs from the real Tony Stark.
• Lady Mastermind uses her powers to determine the AI Iron Man has no biological mind, only artificial intelligence. She informs the team of this.
• The team discusses the background of their mission. An energy signature was detected in New Orleans that may be linked to gamma radiation. They need to locate the source and contain it.
• Rintrah contacted his ally Brother Voodoo in New Orleans. Voodoo detected traces of a supposedly deceased necromancer, Valyria Fontaine, connected to the energy signature at a plantation called Sweetwater, which is where the team is now headed.
• Lady Mastermind and the AI discuss the Avengers. The AI says the team hasn’t yet risen to the level of an Avengers-level threat.
• Dual Core searches Stark computer systems he has access to for information on the AI Iron Man, such as deactivation codes, in case they are needed.
• The team prepares for landing in New Orleans, anticipating possible trouble upon arrival. They discuss the AI and speculate on how to deal with it if needed.
• The Thunderbolts team is investigating a mysterious mystical energy signature at the Sweetwater Plantation in New Orleans. They have consulted with Brother Voodoo and the Scarlet Witch at Strange Academy for assistance in locating the source.
• The team lands at the plantation, which appears decrepit and abandoned, surrounded by swampland. Containment sinks hip-deep into the swamp upon exiting their transport.
• There is discussion about what exactly their mission objectives are. They know there is a necromantic energy source that the organization wants them to contain and bring back, but they are unsure of the specifics or if they have the proper equipment to do so.
• Containment, as a being of superheated plasma, wonders if he can detect the gamma radiation that may be present. The others discuss the feasibility of this within the context of comic book science.
• Lady Mastermind considers using her telepathic powers to scan for minds within the plantation house by creating an illusion of a bird flying through, but realizes she would need to actually see any targets to detect their minds.
• As the group debates their approach, Rintrah walks up to the front door of the plantation house to investigate further.
• Hobgoblin flies around the perimeter, looking through windows to case the joint for any security or occupants. He sees no one, but notes that the shuttered windows and deep shadows could easily conceal people inside from observation.
• Rintrah also peers through cracks and windows, attempting to use his magical senses to perceive any threats or clues within.
• The team seems hesitant and uncertain about how to proceed, realizing the potential dangers of the situation but lacking clear direction or intelligence about what exactly they are dealing with inside the mysterious plantation house.
• Rintrah uses his mystical sight beyond sight ability to peer into the darkened interior of the plantation house at dusk. He sees a few people wearing cloaks and robes inside, peering out towards the door where Hobgoblin is.
• Lady Mastermind uses her psychic powers to telepathically link with Rintrah and see through his eyes into the house. Rintrah allows the mental connection.
• Lady Mastermind then uses her invisibility power to conceal the rest of the team (except Rintrah and Hobgoblin who are already near the house) from the cultists’ sight.
• Containment trudges through the swamp towards the house. Using his powers, he concentrates to detect if there is any gamma radiation present. He senses a strong energy emanating from the house that is not quite gamma but could act as a conduit or amplifier for gamma radiation, like how plasma conducts electricity.
• Over their mental comms, Containment relays to the team that while he doesn’t detect gamma radiation directly, the energy in the house could potentially act as a “giant wire” for channeling gamma radiation.
• Dual Core stays back at the plane to research how to contain a gamma energy conduit using Stark databases. He determines it is possible to jury-rig a containment device from equipment on the jet, as long as the emitter is no larger than a cubic foot.
• Hobgoblin searches for a way to quietly break into the upper floors of the house. He uses his enhanced reflexes but the attempt is not entirely stealthy, creating some chaos that can be leveraged by the team.
• Batroc the Leaper tries to creep invisibly around to a side entrance of the house to surprise the cultists from an unexpected angle while Rintrah approaches the front door as a distraction. Batroc and Rintrah coordinate their efforts.
• Batroc is sneaking around outside the plantation house, looking for a back entrance. He spots some people guarding the doors who notice him despite his attempts at stealth.
• Inside, Rintrah hears voices and decides to open the front door, which is swollen and stuck but not locked.
• Rintrah wants to disrupt the cultists’ spellcasting by freezing them in place or reflecting their magic back at them. He makes a check to create a complication for the cultists.
• Rintrah rolls very well (21 on a d10) and completely blocks the cultists’ ability to use magic against the group. The cultists look confused when their spells fail and one calls out “Madam Fontaine, we need your aid!”
• Something begins rumbling beneath the floorboards. Outside, the cultists facing Batroc shoot beams from their hands at him (11 on a d8).
• Batroc reacts by doing a backflip up onto the second story roof of the house. He rolls 14 total to dodge the attack.
• Batroc flings a rock at one of the cultists’ heads while flipping, inflicting physical stress with a d10.
• The rumbling culminates in the floorboards exploding as a large skeletal creature with multiple heads bursts out and attacks Rintrah with its claws (16 on a d8).
• Rintrah defends by putting up a magical shield and fading back, using his Cloak of Levitation and other artifacts. He rolls 18 on a d10 to shield himself and the force of the blow accelerates him backwards out the door in a shower of magical sparks.
• Lady Mastermind levitates and blasts the skeletal creature to gain distance, rolling 17 on a d8. The creature is supernaturally durable but takes d8 physical stress, getting knocked back into the house.
• Containment opens fire on the creature with a controlled plasma beam from his suit, trying to cut it in half. He rolls 15 on a d10 vs the creature’s 11 on a d10.
• The plasma beam severs some of the creature’s many arms as it tries to deflect the attack, but doesn’t cut all the way through. The creature’s stress increases to d10.
• A loud commotion can be heard going on downstairs as the fight continues.
• The Hobgoblin uses a pumpkin bomb to set the creature on fire, inflicting burning damage. He spends a plot point to increase his total to 24 with a D10 effect die.
• The creature tries to drain the Hobgoblin with its necrotic aura, but he uses his insane sense of self, enhanced stamina, and combat expertise to resist, rolling a 12 total.
• A group of cultists emerges on the top floor balcony and shoots a beam of magical energy at Rintrah.
• Containment opens his magnetic repulsors, absorbs the cultists’ energy beam, and redirects it back at them, bolstered by his plasma powers. This wipes out the group of cultists on the top floor with a D12 effect.
• The ground starts to rumble and roll, possibly due to the ones rolled during the attack.
• Batroc leaps down onto two remaining cultists, using his Master of Savate and area attack to kick one in the head and the other in the knee, taking them both out with a D8 and D6 effect each.
• Dual Core observes the ongoing battle and the exploding house, deciding to focus on building the containment device for whatever they find at the end rather than engaging directly.
• Lady Mastermind uses her psychic powers to make the remaining three cultists inside the house see each other as Hobgoblin, convincing them that there are traitors among them. She rolls a 14 total with D10 and 2D8 effect dice.
• The cultists, believing each other to be infiltrators, fall upon one another with sacrificial wavy knives and kill each other.
• The only enemy left is the large creature, and the rumbling seems to be emanating from below it rather than from the creature itself.
• Rintrah, as the magic-wielding character, prepares to blast the creature with an occult beam.
• Rintrah uses his clairvoyance and flight powers together, allowing him to take two D8s for his action.
• The team is investigating a mystical energy signature, which feels like a cosmic or mystic event.
• Rintrah rolls his dice pool, getting a result of 19 with a D8. This is a very good roll.
• Rintrah’s magical blast pushes the creature they are fighting into the mud. The ground starts to crack and give way, causing the front of the house to collapse.
• Those who can’t fly, including Batroc, Containment, and Hobgoblin, tumble into the newly formed abyss.
• Hobgoblin calls his glider back to him as he falls. The GM allows him to roll either Enhanced Reflexes or Enhanced Durability.
• Characters without superhuman damage resistance take D6 Physical Stress from the fall. Batroc has D8 Enhanced Durability.
• Dual Core and Lady Mastermind are safe in the cargo hold of the plane, avoiding falling into the chasm.
• At the bottom of the chasm, the characters see a woman dressed as a southern belle wielding a magical scepter. Near her is an object crackling with green lightning that looks like a sliver of painted wood.
• The woman cries out “You’re too late!” as a portal rips open in front of her, emanating a reddish light and wind. She leaps through the portal, claiming the heroes can’t stop her.
• Despite her warning, Hobgoblin flies through the portal on his glider, telling Rintrah to hold it open.
• The portal starts to collapse, so Containment uses his magnetic powers to force it back open.
• Lady Mastermind notes that Hobgoblin has disappeared from her psychic radar after going through the portal.
• The portal rapidly expands, enveloping the entire area in a flash. The heroes and their jet find themselves in a strange, Mars-like red desert.
• The team wonders if this is the cataclysmic event Rintrah had been predicting. Earth may have been destroyed, leaving only this alien world behind.
• Hobgoblin reappears on Lady Mastermind’s psychic radar. The team is relieved to be reunited but uncertain about their new surroundings.
• Rintrah uses his sorcerer’s sight to scan the dunes for the mysterious woman, but doesn’t spot her. The team resolves to find and stop her.
• The session ends on a cliffhanger, with the heroes stranded in an unfamiliar world and their foe on the loose. They speculate about what this means and how they can get back home.