Amelia

"He travels all the time. He's what they call a 'supply priest.' He's retired, but he's still got some spring in his step. Fills in at churches all over the state. But if you have any 'security' at all, then your office is more 'secure' than Father Messina's house. I don't think he even has an alarm, and even a spry seventy year old isn't going to win any fist-fights. The only 'security' at his place is anonymity. I offered him up because no one knows about him and me, and there's nothing to connect him to the kids or to any of you. If we stash the kids at your office, then I won't bother waking him up. No point to him driving out there. Sam's too old to need a babysitter. Only question is whether or not anyone can connect you and Sam. It's only safe if no one has any reason to think they're there. If they do, then I'm guessing from the fact that you have an 'office' that you're in the phonebook."

Unless one of the other vigilantes has a better idea, Strix is going to stash the kids with his friend the retired priest, Father Cesare Messina.

The man in white slowly stepped forward toward Sam. He spoke as if pushing his words out through gritted teeth. "You said it yourself. She betrayed you. When this is over, then you can go back to your mother and your home, and she can start earning your forgiveness. She gets one more chance at that. But until this is over, it's not safe there, and she can't be trusted." He turned to Judex and Thorne. "I know somewhere they'd be safe, somewhere Frankie's goons wouldn't know to look, with someone who'd never give them up, not even at the point of a gun. A priest. A friend. Let's take these kids there, and then go pay Frankie a visit. He's the next link in the chain."

Mister Strix uses Hide In Plain Sight to make a Stealth check without any cover, turns into mist, and flies away from the bookstore. Stealth check: 28. Anyone who wants to bother whose Notice can meet or beat that sees him dissolve and fly away. Later, he sneaks into Temperance's hotel room window. Stealth check: 27. Anyone who wants to bother whose Notice can meet or beat that sees his mist form seep into the room and solidify.

Almost as soon as he'd said it out loud, Mister Strix realized how hypocritical his comment about the Freedom foursome needing a shower truly was. The parts of his body which had been torn out by the creature and had grown back within the last few minutes were also the only parts of him which weren't soaked through and matted with blood, gore, and assorted filth. His costume hung around him in tatters, more red, brown, and grey than white. "Where are you staying?" As soon as Temperance answered, he was gone. The more alert observers might have seen the man dissolve into a patch of fog, and that fog patch quietly retreating back around the house before flying up into the air. Later, shortly after Temperance had checked in, a similarly vigilant onlooker might have seen that same fog patch slip into Temperance's hotel room through the window and coalesce back into the man, still filthy, soaked, and half-naked. But even those who weren't quite so attentive each felt a chill run down their spine shortly after he'd entered, and caught a glimpse of their own breath. "I can't stay long. I have some things to look into before..." Don't say it...They don't need to know...Stop playing games, they already know... "Before sunrise. And after that...just tell me where to meet you tomorrow night. But I'd appreciate a turn at that shower. My...place...doesn't have running water. My body doesn't sweat anymore, so it's not usually much of a concern, but this..." He looked down and gestured at his own torso.

GM By the time the visitors from Freedom staggered out of the bookstore and back into the chilly Bedlam night, it was after one in the morning. Their eighteen-hour sojourn from Silberman's to Hawthorne's had already left them exhausted, and a couple hours of searching and fighting had sapped any second wind they might have mustered. Fortunately, Hawthorne's store was close enough to Downtown that they didn't have to walk more than a few blocks before they were able to flag down a taxi. By the time they were done walking, they were hardly tracking any dirty water onto the sidewalk, and with Mister Strix having vanished shortly after they left the store, they were four again, three just barely able to squeeze into the back seat and one forced to sit up front. This cab driver, a middle-aged South Asian gentleman, already had his pistol in his hand, resting on the steering wheel, before they climbed into their seats. Unlike their previous driver, with his 9mm semiautomatic, this one favored a revolver. But he also recognized the name of Temperance's hotel, and actually knew where he was going. To their credit, though she didn't recognize the name, Eliza's firm had put her up in an actual hotel which was located in the actual Downtown district of Bedlam City, rather than the cheap motel on the outskirts she'd learned to expect from her first day in the worst city. It wasn't anything that one could call "luxurious," but when she broke away from the rest of the Freedom visitors to shift back into her civilian identity and check in, she did have to walk across a real lobby with a clean carpet. Unprompted by anything more than Eliza's appearance, the front desk clerk mumbled something about having bathrobes and extra towels sent up to her room and an in-house laundry service. Her room only had one bed, and not a very large one, since the firm had expected her to be sleeping alone.

Welcome back!

I have no objection.

The fire-dog which had been following the fish-person trotted over to the fireplace to join its fellow elemental in making a meal of the logs. The pale blue translucent image of an old man appeared beside the fish-person, holding a silver serving tray in a white-gloved hand. The top half of his body appeared human, save for the transparency and odd coloring, but below his waist, his body became a wispy trail of mist floating a couple feet over the floor. He set the tray on an end table next to the fish-person. "A sushi roll with fresh Sockeye salmon, and a selection of beverages; water, black tea, and espresso. Enjoy." He spoke with a refined English accent. Without another word, he set a mug of black tea next to Len, then faded from sight. A few seconds later, the doors of the drawing room appeared to pull themselves closed. Len sipped his tea, reclined in his chair, and leaned an elbow on the arm wrest, and in turn, his chin upon his hand. When the fish-person mentioned the eggs, he frowned, and his gaze slowly fell to the floor in front of him. Golden flames enveloped his eyes for a few moments. Then he closed them and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, and looked back up at the fish-person, they were green again. "I am truly sorry for your loss. You were wise to forego revenge. It would not ease your pain, but simply create more. But I imagine such lofty abstractions are cold comfort in the face of such tragedy. There is clearly still much that goes on in our city that escape my notice. I confess I had no knowledge that such an...entity had made their home so close to our own, or that they had conducted themselves in such a manner. Of course I will speak with this 'Sugaar' about his behavior. It would help me to know your desired outcome, if it is not vengeance. Do you wish for Sugaar and their followers to leave this place and find a new home? Is it some form of restitution or contrition you seek? What is it that you hope I can convince them to provide that the River Clan cannot compel directly?"

How's that look?

In-Brief: Worf meets Cosmic Boy Character: Dirge Power Level: 11 (built as PL 10) Tradeoffs: -5 Attack / +5 Damage, -5 Defense / +5 Toughness Power Points: 160/160 PP Unspent Points: 0 Identity: Public Alternate Identity: Kanemu of Herd Krallos, Son of Drugo, Son of Amani Birthplace: Ku'unum, AKA Harsaf-4, the 4th planet of the Harsaf star system, which was annexed by Admiral Iyatu for the Stellar Khanate in 2004. Legal Status: In the Lor Republic, a non-citizen permanent resident, granted refugee status and legal asylum. In the Stellar Khanate, a non-citizen fugitive, wanted dead or alive, with a state-sponsored bounty. Base of Operations: None. Operates throughout the Milky Way galaxy. Residence: None. Nomad. Occupation: Mercenary, Unskilled Laborer Affiliations: The Fryxus (extinct species) Family: Ghojma (Former nursemaid, adopted mother), Ghojma's husband and their biological children (Step-family), Biological parents, siblings, and extended family (all deceased) DESCRIPTION Age: 23 (Date of Birth: 1996) Gender: Male Species: Fryxus Height: 7ft (2.14m) Weight: 325 lbs. (147kg). Horns add another +30 lbs. (14kg), for 355 lbs. (161kg) total. Skin: Blue Hair: Blue Eyes: Orange, with horizontal rectangular pupils Kanemu is a humanoid ram with bright blue skin and fur who stands head and shoulders above most humans. His species evolved from even-toed ungulate herbivorous herd mammals similar to Earth's sheep, particularly the North American Bighorn. His facial features are a sort of halfway point between a human and a sheep. His nose and mouth area is snout-like. His nose is wide and angled downward. His eyes face forward like a human, instead of to the sides like a sheep. He wears his hair long and wild. His entire body is covered with a layer of soft, fine wool. His hands and feet are similar enough to those of humans that he has comparable manual dexterity and can wear shoes. Similar to Earth's sheep, with their two large toes on each foot, his hands have two large fingers and a thumb, while his feet have two large big toes. Like a sheep, he has long, pointed ears, which lay horizontally, unlike the vertical orientation of human ears. He has a small, vestigial tail, less than a foot long, covered in the same fur as the rest of him. It hangs down toward the ground. His loincloth usually obscures it. His head is adorned by a massive rack of curved horns. Like those of a ram, his horns have two layers, a living bone core surrounded by a keratin shell. The outer layer is basically compressed hair, and re-grows over time. The horns are so heavy they account for nearly ten percent of his body weight. As a strict herbivore, his teeth are all incisors and molars. He does not have any canine teeth. The front half of his mouth only has incisors on the bottom, with just a flat bony ridge above/opposite them. His blood, like his skin and fur, is also blue in color. As a side-effect of the electromagnetic energies his body generates, stores, and channels, it is warm to the touch, and when exposed to air, it glows softly. He wears a bright red belted loincloth, and nothing else. When his personal protective magnetic field is active, his body is surrounded by waves of multi-colored light similar to the Aurora Borealis of Earth. When he uses his magnetic power to control metal, globes of heat shimmer and refracted light in every color of the spectrum appear around his hands, and bolts of electricity arc up and down his arms. A similar aura may appear around the metal object he is manipulating. When he hurls bolts of lightning, they are twin bolts which spiral forth in a double-helix pattern. HISTORY The Fryxus were a race of fascist humanoid sheep who lived on Ku'unum, the fourth planet in the Harsaf star system, in the independent border territory between the Lor Republic and the Stellar Khanate. Several of the planets orbiting Harsaf were home to other sentient races, most of whom had progressed technologically to the level of routine interplanetary travel, but not yet interstellar travel. The Fryxus had evolved the ability to generate and control powerful electromagnetic fields, which gave them a significant military edge over their neighbors. They used this edge to repeatedly attack, plunder, and enslave those neighbors. After the Star-Khan's disastrous 1987 defeat at the hands of Daedalus and the Lor Republic, he spent years rebuilding his armies and his empire. By the early 2000s, he started to pick lopsided fights against inferior enemies, to regain the momentum of interstellar conquest. In 2003, he set his sights on the Harsaf system. He sent emissaries to Kuunum, offering to help them conquer the other planets in their system once and for all in exchange for submitting to the rule of the Khan. The Fryxus sent back a short reply, "Come and make us," punctuated with the heads of the emissaries. Furious, the Khan ordered Iyato, one of his greatest generals, to "Make an example of them." Within the year, she did. With their electromagnetic powers, a frontal assault on the Fryxus would have been extremely difficult, even for a technologically superior navy. The Fryxians could literally pull the Khan's battleships out of orbit and crash them into the ground, or into each other. Iyato found another way to break them. Through precise calculation and manipulation of celestial phenomena, she triggered a gamma ray burst from a black hole which scoured Kuunum of all atmosphere, oceans, and life, killing most of the Fryxus in one rotation of their planet, which was now a giant lump of charcoal. Iyato's fleet followed up with sustained orbital bombardment, and finally, she landed troops and siege equipment onto the planet surface. They obliterated every structure that was still standing, reversed every instance of civil engineering down to filling in the smallest irrigation ditches, and wiped away every sign that civilization had ever existed on Ku'unum. A minority of Fryxians were scattered about the other worlds of the Harsaf system, maintaining colonies they had established at gunpoint. But the people those guns were pointed at resented the Fryxus more than they did the Khanate. The other races of the Harsaf system accepted the Khan's rule and rose up against the Fryxian survivors. Fryxian culture was its own worst enemy when faced with a ruthlessly pragmatic enemy like Iyato. She exploited their tendency to value honor and glory over victory or survival, luring them into disadvantageous battles which quickly became massacres. Obsessed with their own supposed racial superiority, the Fryxus had kept detailed genealogical records, which Iyato's spies had obtained in the year leading up to her assault, and in his hands, those records became a most wanted list. Lucrative bounties were placed on all the Fryxus. Iyato's plan took a year to set up, but once executed, she reduced the Fryxian population from billions to fewer than a hundred in a matter of weeks. The few dozen who remained were far too few for a stable or sustainable breeding pool. The Fryxus were genetically incompatible with any other known species, a fact which they had taken pride in but which now assured their extinction. Most of the refugees, Fryxian and otherwise, who tried to flee the Harsaf system were intercepted by Iyato's blockade. Kanemu was only 8 years old when the Khan wiped out his people. His nursemaid, Ghojma, was not a Fryxian. She was a slave, like 90% of the population of Kuunum. Kanemu only survived because Ghojma looked at him and saw a child instead of her oppressors. She was one of many refugees who fled the Harsaf system, and one of the few who succeeded, smuggling Kanemu with her. Khanate ships eventually detected them and gave pursuit, and would have caught and destroyed their ship, had a certain Lor admiral with a renegade streak not violated her orders and flown her command carrier into neutral space to intercept and rescue them. The admiral in question was later demoted to captain, but also given commendations. The few surviving Harsaf refugees were given asylum and settled in Lor space. Ghojma continued to raise Kanemu as her own child. She married a Lor man and had children with him as well. Her new husband owned and operated a ranch, which created instant and lasting friction between him and Kanemu, since slaughtering livestock and eating meat were both taboo among the Fryxus, practices they had started wars to suppress among other races. When Ghojma and her new husband had children of their own, Kanemu felt even more out of place and in the way, despite Ghojma's best efforts. The quiet, peaceful life she created with her new family just didn't feel like home to Kanemu. For all he knew, he was the last of the Fryxus. He felt a duty to preserve their memory, and he couldn't do that on a farm. He started calling himself "Dirge," a mission statement as much as a name, and he left Ghojma behind to wander the galaxy in search of glory for his people. PERSONALITY & MOTIVATION Kanemu has accepted that his race is doomed to extinction, that he may already be the last of his kind. He has decided that, since they will not live on biologically, he must make them live on in song. Dying in battle was the highest honor any Fryxian could aspire to. Kanemu's goal is to die in the most glorious and heroic manner possible, so that tales of his death will endure in the myths and legends of other races after his has finally passed on. Having lived in exile since he was a child, he has as child's understanding of his people, seeing them only as brave heroes who fell against a more powerful foe. He lives by a personal code of honor which is adapted from a half-remembered, idealized version they never actually lived up to. He values courage, honesty, and strength. He keeps his word, pays his debts, and takes a straightforward approach to life. He revels in battle, and in battle, he seeks out the most powerful, "worthy" foes. Like the rest of his people, he does nothing half-way. He doesn't speak when he could shout. He doesn't open a door when he could kick it off its hinges. He relies on brute force, and if it doesn't work, then he assumes that he just wasn't using enough of it. The Fryxus were descended from herd animals, and their society was organized into "herds," analogous to "clans" in human cultures. While they fought for dominance among themselves as much as they fought with outsiders, their social bonds meant a great deal to them. Fryxians exchanged a great deal of physical affection to reinforce their social bonds. When they weren't head-butting each other, they were petting, licking, and cuddling. Kanemu feels starved for touch, and a great inner sorrow at his lack of a herd. But as much as he craves a new herd, he will be slow and cautious to accept one. POWERS & TACTICS Like all of his people, Dirge can perceive, generate, and control electricity and magnetic fields. He has a specially adapted lobe in his brain, and specialized glands and organs in his body, similar to those of Earth's electric eel, platypus, or cockroach, only many orders of magnitude more sensitive and powerful. This allows him to hurl bolts of lightning, and manipulate metal at a distance. He can lift, throw, rend or crush metal from a great distance as if he held it in his hands, and as if he had the strength of a god. He is not limited to ferrous metals; as a living electromagnet, he can use an electrical charge to magnetize even non-ferrous metals. He can use these powers to attack foes from unexpected directions, by sending metal projectiles flying at them from odd angles, conducting electricity through floors, walls, or ceilings before making it erupt into the air, or causing either metal projectiles or bolts of lightning to ricochet before hitting his foe. He can generate a magnetic field around his body powerful enough to repel even non-metal projectiles and energy blasts. He often gains enhanced mobility by standing upon a piece of metal and then using his power to hurl it through the air, carrying himself along for the ride. He can stick to metal structures, or buildings with metal frames, as if he were a spider, and he can change the matter state of a metal barrier from solid to liquid, allowing him to pass through it. There are countless other applications of his electromagnetic control, but Dirge, like his people, lacks the imagination to use them to their full potential. His belt buckle contains a generator which creates an environmental force field around him, specialized for operating in the vacuum of space (though it may also allow him to operate on certain hostile planets). When possible, he prefers to fly out into space and fight directly instead of from inside a ship. If Dirge is deprived of his electromagnetic powers, or the materials with which to use them, then he is still a 7ft tall beast-man with a reinforced skull and a rack of horns that accounts for 10% of his total body weight. Like Earth's sheep, his people have evolved reinforced muscles and bones in their head, neck, and shoulders, which protects them from concussive trauma. His skill in both marksmanship and hand-to-hand combat, while far from world-class, would assure him a place among the elite special forces of any mundane army or police force he deigned to join. COMPLICATIONS Accident: Dirge has more raw power than he does control over it. He's prone to overkill. The GM can give him a Hero Point and declare that the use of his power has created a new hazard which he must drop everything to deal with. Alternately, he may cause some sort of accident which acts as a Complication for another hero. Alien Catnip: Dirge doesn't know it yet, since they don't grow on his home planet, but beets (specifically, the beet root) have an effect on Fryxian physiology similar to that of psilocybin mushrooms or lysergic acid diethylamede on humans. If he consumes beet root, he will experience hours of intense visual hallucination, distorted perception of time (impairing reaction time and hand-eye coordination), and euphoria. The GM can give him a Hero Point if he consumes beets unexpectedly and this has an adverse effect on his performance in combat or other stressful situations. The specific penalties or conditions he suffers while under the influence are up to the GM. Always Chaotic Evil: None of the other races who had the misfortune of sharing the Harsaf system with the Fryxus liked being conquered by the Star-Khan, but they still considered it an improvement over their previous circumstances. As far as they're concerned, the Fryxus were monsters, and they'll tell anyone who'll listen. 90% of the population on Kuunum when it was destroyed were non-Fryxian slaves, innocent bystanders whose deaths are blamed as much on the Fryxus as on the Khan. The GM can give Dirge a Hero Point if he meets someone familiar with his race's true history, and that knowledge (be it firsthand or otherwise) causes them to react to him in an inconvenient or hostile manner. Asskicking Equals Authority: Disputes among the Fryxus were usually settled with head butts. The GM can give Dirge a Hero Point to force him to interpret another character's conduct as an insult or a challenge, which can lead to penalized or failed interaction skill checks, nonviolent situations turning violent, or other inconvenient outcomes. The GM may force him to make a Will save to resist the urge to retaliate against the perceived slight, or may simply dictate that he does retaliate. Alternately, the GM can give another character a Hero Point and force them to make a contested interaction skill check to convince Dirge that he misinterpreted the situation, or that he needs to suck it up and move on. Honor Before Reason: Dirge's honor, and the reputation of his people, means more to him than his life. A glorious death is his ultimate goal. The GM can give him a Hero Point to force him to take a course of action which would be courageous, honest, straightforward, and glorious, but also foolish, rash, or suicidal. The GM may force him to make a Will save to resist the urge, or simply dictate that he gives in to it. Alternately, the GM can give another character a Hero Point and force them to make a contested interaction skill check to convince him otherwise. Jabba Table Manners: Like Earth's sheep, Fryxus are a ruminant species, which is a fancy way of saying that their digestion process involves eating their food, then vomiting it back up and eating it again. The GM can give Dirge a Hero Point when his biological needs run counter to the etiquette practiced by those around him or otherwise make them uncomfortable, which can, for example, give him a penalty to an interaction skill check, or cause him to fail it automatically. Alternately, this can be a Complication for another character, who will suffer a penalty or automatic failure to their check. Momma's Boy: Ghojma was his nursemaid throughout his childhood, and his surrogate mother after his people were wiped out. He only survived because she smuggled him out of Khanate space, at great personal risk. He would do just about anything for her. The GM can give Dirge a Hero Point and declare that Ghojma requires his aid at the worst possible time, or that her presence somehow makes a situation far less convenient than it would otherwise be. Motivated By Fear: A GM can give Dirge a Hero Point and suppress his Fearless feat if the fear effect in question plays on the one thing he does truly fear, failing to die a heroic enough death and leaving his people to fade into obscurity. Price On His Head: Dirge's very existence is illegal in the Stellar Khanate, and the Khan has a standing bounty on all remaining Fryxians. The GM can give him a Hero Point in exchange for bounty hunters showing up at the worst possible moment, or when his status as a fugitive makes travel through Khanate space difficult in some way. Straw Vegetarian: Eating meat is taboo in Dirge's culture. The GM can give him a Hero Point and force him to make an issue out of it when it would be more convenient not to, or at least force him to make a Will save to resist the urge. This can result in penalties to interaction skill checks, if not automatic failure, for himself and for others. It can also make situations turn violent when they would not have otherwise turned violent. Alternately, the GM can give another character a Hero Point and force them to make a contested interaction skill check to convince him to leave it alone. ABILITIES 8 + 0 + 14 + 0 + 0 + 2 = 24PP Strength: 22 (+6) (Heavy Load: 520 lbs.) Dexterity: 10 (+0) Constitution: 26 (+8) Intelligence: 10 (+0) Wisdom: 10 (+0) Charisma: 12 (+1) COMBAT 10 + 10 = 20PP Initiative: +0 (+0 Dex) Attack: +5 Grapple: +11 (+5 Melee Attack, +6 Str) Defense: +5, +3 Flat-Footed Knockback Resistance: 7/4 SAVING THROWS 0 + 5 + 8 = 13PP Toughness: +15/+8 (+8 Con, +7 Force Field) Fortitude: +8 (+8 Con, +0PP) Reflex: +5 (+0 Dex, +5PP) Will: +8 (+0 Wis, +8PP) SKILLS 28R = 7PP Climb 0 (+4) Concentration 5 (+5) Intimidation 4 (+5) Knowledge (Galactic Lore) 4 (+4) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 4 (+4) Knowledge (Technology) 4 (+4) Languages 3 (Galstandard, Fryxian [Native], Lor, Zultasian) Perform (Oratory) 4 (+5) Swim 0 (+4) FEATS 5PP Fearless Interpose Luck 3 POWERS 91PP Device 3 (15PP Container [Passive, Permanent]; Flaws: Hard-To-Lose) [12PP] (Descriptors: Environmental Force Field Projector, Technology) Environment Control 1 (Light [Level 1]; Area: 5ft radius; Extras: Action [Move], Duration [Continuous], Linked [Features, Immunity]; Flaws: Range [Touch]) [2PP] (Descriptors: Environmental Force Field, Technology) Features 4 (Environmental Adaptation 4 [High-Gravity, Low-Gravity, Underwater, Zero-Gravity]; Extras: Linked [Environment Control, Immunity]) [4PP] Immunity 9 (Life Support; Extras: Duration [Continuous], Linked [Environment Control, Features]; Flaws: Action [Move]) [9PP] Electromagnetic Control 20 (40PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 4) [45PP] (Descriptors: Alien, Electromagnetism) Base Power: [40PP] (Additional Descriptors: Magnetokinesis) Move Object 15 (Lifting Strength: 75, Heavy Load: 400 tons; Extras: Damaging [10 ranks], Range [Perception]; Flaws: Limited [Metal]) [40PP] Alternate Power: [39PP] (Additional Descriptors: Lightning Bolts, or Metal Projectiles and "Human Railgun") Blast 15 (Feats: Improved Range 4 [1 3,750ft Range Increment], Indirect 3, Progression [Max Range] 1 [3,750ft], Variable Descriptor [Energy and Electrical, or Physical and either Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing]) [39PP] Alternate Power: [24 + 16 = 40PP] (Additional Descriptors: Electromagnetic Strike, Improvised Metal Weapons) Damage 9 (Extras: Linked [Trip]; Feats: Extended Reach [+5ft], Improved Critical 2 [18-20], Knockback 10 [Effective Damage 25], Mighty, Variable Descriptor [Energy and Electrical, or Magnetic Force-Propelled Metal Weapons and Bludgeoning, Piercing, and/or Slashing damage]) [24PP] Trip 15 (Extras: Knockback, Linked [Damage]; Flaws: Range [Touch]; Feats: Improved Throw) [16PP] Alternate Power: [40PP] (Additional Descriptors: Magnetokinesis, "Maximum Effort") Move Object 70 (Lifting Strength: 350, Heavy Load: 1.024 billion tons; Extras: Damaging [10 ranks], Range [Perception]; Flaws: Action [Full], Distracting, Limited [Metal]) [40PP] Alternate Power: [39PP] (Additional Descriptors: Magnetically-Reinforced Metal Bonds) Snare 15 (Feats: Improved Range 4 [1 3,750ft Range Increment], Indirect 3, Progression [Max Range] 1 [3,750ft], Reversible) [39PP] Alternate Power: [40PP] (Additional Descriptors: Shape Metal) Transform 10 (Metal; Mass: 1,000 lbs.; Extras: Duration [Continuous, Lasting], Range [Perception]; Flaws: Action [Full], Distracting) [40PP] Electromagnetic Movement 2.5 (5PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power) [6PP] (Descriptors: Alien, Electromagnetic Control) Base Power: [5PP] Flight 5 (250MPH, 2,500ft [1/2 mile] per Move Action; Flaws: Platform) [5PP] Alternate Power: [5PP] Super-Movement 5 (Permeate 3 [Full Speed]; Wall-Crawling 2 [Full Speed; Not flat-footed]; Flaws: Limited [Metal]) [5PP] Force Field 7 (Extras: Linked [Immunity]) [7PP] (Descriptors: Alien, Electromagnetic Control, Personal Magnetic Energy Field) Immunity 10 (Metal effects; Extras: Force Field [Free Action, Sustained Duration], Linked [Force Field]; Flaws: Limited [1/2 Effect]) [5PP] Fryxian Biology 2 (10PP Container [Passive, Permanent]; Feats: Innate) [11PP] (Descriptors: Alien Biology) Damage 2 (Feats: Mighty) [3PP] (Additional Descriptors: Head Butt, Horns) Features 1 (Insulating Fur) [1PP] Growth 2 (+4 Strength, +2 Constitution; Extras: Duration [Continuous]; Flaws: Permanent) [6PP] Super-Senses 5 (Electromagnetic Awareness [Electricity, Magnetism, and Metal]; Descriptor Frequency: Very Common; Sense Type: Radio, Default: Acute, Radius, Ranged; Extras: Accurate) [5PP] (Descriptors: Alien, Electromagnetic Sense) ATTACK RANGE SAVING THROW EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC21 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Horns Touch DC23 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Blast (Lightning Bolt) Ranged (3,750ft Max) DC30 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy*) Blast (Metal Projectiles) Ranged (3,750ft Max) DC30 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical*) Magnetokinesis Perception Grapple vs +30 (Staged) Pinned/Bound** Perception DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy)** Thrown Object Throwing (Str 75) DC30 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Maximum Effort Perception Grapple vs +140 (Staged) Pinned/Bound** Perception DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy)** Thrown Object, Max Effort Throwing (Str 350) DC30 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Shape Metal Perception DC20 Fortitude Transformed Snare Ranged (3,750ft Max) DC25 Reflex (Staged) Entangled/Bound Strike (Lightning) Touch DC30 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy)* Str/Dex*** vs +15 Prone Strike (Metal) Touch DC30 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical)* Str/Dex*** vs +15 Prone *Variable Descriptor. **Only affects Metal targets. ***Lower of the two. Abilities (24) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (13) + Skills (7) + Feats (5) + Powers (91) - Drawbacks (0) = 160/160 Power Points

And there's more or less a complete sheet, crunch and fluff (no pun intended).

More design notes/trivia: His height and weight are almost exactly that of Shaquille O'Neal during his NBA career.

Some design notes/trivia: The names almost all come from mythology. His given name, "Kanemu," is derived from "Khnemu," another name for the ram-headed Egyptian god Khnum. His father's name, "Drugo," is another name for Saint Drogo, one of over a dozen patron saints of shepherds in Catholicism. His grandfather's name, Amani, was the ram-headed deity of the Nubian Kushites, who was merged with Amun after the Egyptians conquered them. His herd's name, "Krallos," is derived from Chrysomallos, the name of the divine ram who was the source of the Golden Fleece in Greek myth. His planet's name, "Kuunum," is derived from the aforementioned Egyptian god Khnum. His star's name, Harsaf, is derived from Harsaphes, the Greek name for the Egyptian god Heryshaf/Hershef, who is also associated with sheep. His race's name for themselves, "Fryxus," is derived from Phrixus, one of the characters in the aforementioned Golden Fleece myth. Admiral Iyatu's name is loosely derived from Subutai, the real-life Mongol general he's based on. Subutai backwards is "Iatubus," which sounds like "autobus," what they call buses in parts of Europe. But if you cut it in half, you're left with "Iatu," which could be pronounced "Iyatu." The one exception is Ghojma, his nursemaid who smuggled him to safety. "GhojmoK" is the Klingon word for "nursemaid." I'm still debating whether I want to go full sci-fi cliche and sprinkle some apostrophes in there. Including the metric conversions for his height and weight just seemed like the kind of detail that would make his character sheet feel more "SPACE!"

In-Brief: Worf meets Cosmic Boy Character: Dirge Power Level: 10 Tradeoffs: -4 Attack / +4 Damage, -4 Defense / +4 Toughness Power Points: 150/150 Unspent Points: 0 Identity: Public Alternate Identity: Kanemu of Herd Krallos, Son of Drugo, Son of Amani Birthplace: Kuunum, 4th planet of the Harsaf star system, which was annexed by Admiral Iyatu for the Stellar Khanate in 2004 Legal Status: In the Lor Republic, a non-citizen permanent resident, granted refugee status and legal asylum. In the Stellar Khanate, a non-citizen fugitive, wanted dead or alive, with a state-sponsored bounty. Base of Operations: None. Operates throughout the Milky Way galaxy. Residence: None. Nomad. Occupation: Mercenary, Unskilled Laborer Affiliations: The Fryxus (extinct species) Family: Ghojma (Former nursemaid, adopted mother), Ghojma's husband and their biological children (Step-family), Biological parents, siblings, and extended family (all deceased) DESCRIPTION Age: 23 (Date of Birth: 1996) Gender: Male Species: Fryxus Height: 7ft (2.14m) Weight: 325 lbs. (147kg). Horns add another +30 lbs. (14kg), for 355 lbs. (161kg) total. Skin: Blue Hair: Blue Eyes: Orange, with horizontal rectangular pupils Kanemu is a humanoid ram with bright blue skin and fur who stands head and shoulders above most humans. His species evolved from even-toed ungulate herbivorous herd mammals similar to Earth's sheep, particularly the North American Bighorn. His facial features are a sort of halfway point between a human and a sheep. His nose and mouth area is snout-like. His nose is wide and angled downward. His eyes face forward like a human, instead of to the sides like a sheep. He wears his hair long and wild. His entire body is covered with a layer of soft, fine wool. His hands and feet are similar enough to those of humans that he has comparable manual dexterity and can wear shoes. Similar to Earth's sheep, with their two large toes on each foot, his hands have two large fingers and a thumb, while his feet have two large big toes. Like a sheep, he has long, pointed ears, which lay horizontally, unlike the vertical orientation of human ears. He has a small, vestigial tail, less than a foot long, covered in the same fur as the rest of him. It hangs down toward the ground. His loincloth usually obscures it. His head is adorned by a massive rack of curved horns. Like those of a ram, his horns have two layers, a living bone core surrounded by a keratin shell. The outer layer is basically compressed hair, and re-grows over time. The horns are so heavy they account for nearly ten percent of his body weight. As a strict herbivore, his teeth are all incisors and molars. He does not have any canine teeth. The front half of his mouth only has incisors on the bottom, with just a flat bony ridge above/opposite them. His blood, like his skin and fur, is also blue in color. As a side-effect of the electromagnetic energies his body generates, stores, and channels, it is warm to the touch, and when exposed to air, it glows softly. He wears a bright red belted loincloth, and nothing else. When his personal protective magnetic field is active, his body is surrounded by waves of multi-colored light similar to the Aurora Borealis of Earth. When he uses his magnetic power to control metal, globes of heat shimmer and refracted light in every color of the spectrum appear around his hands, and bolts of electricity arc up and down his arms. A similar aura may appear around the metal object he is manipulating. When he hurls bolts of lightning, they are twin bolts which spiral forth in a double-helix pattern. HISTORY The Fryxus were a race of fascist humanoid sheep who lived on Kuunum, the fourth planet in the Harsaf star system, which was, until recently, located in independent border territory between the Lor Republic and the Stellar Khanate. Several of the planets orbiting Harsaf were home to other sentient races, most of whom had progressed technologically to the level of routine interplanetary travel, but not yet interstellar travel. The Fryxus had evolved the ability to generate and control powerful electromagnetic fields, which gave them a significant military edge over their neighbors. They used this edge to repeatedly attack, plunder, and enslave those neighbors. After the Star-Khan's disastrous 1987 defeat at the hands of Daedalus and the Lor Republic, he spent years rebuilding his armies and his empire. By the early 2000s, he started to pick lopsided fights against inferior enemies, to regain the momentum of interstellar conquest. In 2003, he set his sights on the Harsaf system. He sent emissaries to Kuunum, offering to help them conquer the other planets in their system once and for all in exchange for submitting to the rule of the Khan. The Fryxus sent back a short reply, "Come and make us," punctuated with the heads of the emissaries. Furious, the Khan ordered Iyato, one of his greatest generals, to "Make an example of them." Within the year, she did. With their electromagnetic powers, a frontal assault on the Fryxus would have been extremely difficult, even for a technologically superior navy. The Fryxians could literally pull the Khan's battleships out of orbit and crash them into the ground, or into each other. Iyato found another way to break them. Through precise calculation and manipulation of celestial phenomena, she triggered a gamma ray burst from a black hole which scoured Kuunum of all atmosphere, oceans, and life, killing most of the Fryxus in one rotation of their planet, which was now a giant lump of charcoal. A minority of Fryxians were scattered about the other worlds of the Harsaf system, maintaining colonies they had established at gunpoint. But the people those guns were pointed at resented the Fryxus more than they did the Khanate. The other races of the Harsaf system accepted the Khan's rule and rose up against the Fryxian survivors. Fryxian culture was its own worst enemy when faced with a ruthlessly pragmatic enemy like Iyato. She exploited their tendency to value honor and glory over victory or survival, luring them into disadvantageous battles which quickly became massacres. Obsessed with their own supposed racial superiority, the Fryxus had kept detailed genealogical records, which Iyato's spies had obtained in the year leading up to her assault, and in his hands, those records became a most wanted list. Lucrative bounties were placed on all the Fryxus. Iyato's plan took a year to set up, but once executed, she reduced the Fryxian population from billions to fewer than a hundred in a matter of weeks. The few dozen who remained were far too few for a stable or sustainable breeding pool. The Fryxus were genetically incompatible with any other known species, a fact which they had taken pride in but which now assured their extinction. Most of the refugees, Fryxian and otherwise, who tried to flee the Harsaf system were intercepted by Iyato's blockade. Kanemu was only 8 years old when the Khan wiped out his people. His nursemaid, Ghojma, was not a Fryxian. She was a slave, like 90% of the population of Kuunum. Kanemu only survived because Ghojma looked at him and saw a child instead of her oppressors. She was one of many refugees who fled the Harsaf system, and one of the few who succeeded, smuggling Kanemu with her. Khanate ships eventually detected them and gave pursuit, and would have caught and destroyed their ship, had a certain Lor admiral with a renegade streak not violated her orders and flown her command carrier into neutral space to intercept and rescue them. The admiral in question was later demoted to captain, but also given commendations. The few surviving Harsaf refugees were given asylum and settled in Lor space. Ghojma continued to raise Kanemu as her own child. She married a Lor man and had children with him as well. Her new husband owned and operated a ranch, which created instant and lasting friction between him and Kanemu, since slaughtering livestock and eating meat were both taboo among the Fryxus, practices they had started wars to suppress among other races. When Ghojma and her new husband had children of their own, Kanemu felt even more out of place and in the way, despite Ghojma's best efforts. The quiet, peaceful life she created with her new family just didn't feel like home to Kanemu. For all he knew, he was the last of the Fryxus. He felt a duty to preserve their memory, and he couldn't do that on a farm. He started calling himself "Dirge," a mission statement as much as a name, and he left Ghojma behind to wander the galaxy in search of glory for his people. PERSONALITY & MOTIVATION Kanemu has accepted that his race is doomed to extinction, that he may already be the last of his kind. He has decided that, since they will not live on biologically, he must make them live on in song. Dying in battle was the highest honor any Fryxian could aspire to. Kanemu's goal is to die in the most glorious and heroic manner possible, so that tales of his death will endure in the myths and legends of other races after his has finally passed on. Having lived in exile since he was a child, he has as child's understanding of his people, seeing them only as brave heroes who fell against a more powerful foe. He lives by a personal code of honor which is adapted from a half-remembered, idealized version they never actually lived up to. He values courage, honesty, and strength. He keeps his word, pays his debts, and takes a straightforward approach to life. He revels in battle, and in battle, he seeks out the most powerful, "worthy" foes. Like the rest of his people, he does nothing half-way. He doesn't speak when he could shout. He doesn't open a door when he could kick it off its hinges. He relies on brute force, and if it doesn't work, then he assumes that he just wasn't using enough of it. The Fryxus were descended from herd animals, and their society was organized into "herds," analogous to "clans" in human cultures. While they fought for dominance among themselves as much as they fought with outsiders, their social bonds meant a great deal to them. Fryxians exchanged a great deal of physical affection to reinforce their social bonds. When they weren't head-butting each other, they were petting, licking, and cuddling. Kanemu feels starved for touch, and a great inner sorrow at his lack of a herd. But as much as he craves a new herd, he will be slow and cautious to accept one. POWERS & TACTICS Like all of his people, Dirge can perceive, generate, and control electricity and magnetic fields. He has a specially adapted lobe in his brain, and specialized glands and organs in his body, similar to those of Earth's electric eel, platypus, or cockroach, only many orders of magnitude more sensitive and powerful. This allows him to hurl bolts of lightning, and manipulate metal at a distance. He can lift, throw, rend or crush metal from a great distance as if he held it in his hands, and as if he had the strength of a god. He is not limited to ferrous metals; as a living electromagnet, he can use an electrical charge to magnetize even non-ferrous metals. He can use these powers to attack foes from unexpected directions, by sending metal projectiles flying at them from odd angles, conducting electricity through floors, walls, or ceilings before making it erupt into the air, or causing either metal projectiles or bolts of lightning to ricochet before hitting his foe. He can generate a magnetic field around his body powerful enough to repel even non-metal projectiles and energy blasts. He often gains enhanced mobility by standing upon a piece of metal and then using his power to hurl it through the air, carrying himself along for the ride. He can stick to metal structures, or buildings with metal frames, as if he were a spider, and he can change the matter state of a metal barrier from solid to liquid, allowing him to pass through it. There are countless other applications of his electromagnetic control, but Dirge, like his people, lacks the imagination to use them to their full potential. His belt buckle contains a generator which creates an environmental force field around him, specialized for operating in the vacuum of space (though it may also allow him to operate on certain hostile planets). When possible, he prefers to fly out into space and fight directly instead of from inside a ship. If Dirge is deprived of his electromagnetic powers, or the materials with which to use them, then he is still a 7ft tall beast-man with a reinforced skull and a rack of horns that accounts for 10% of his total body weight. Like Earth's sheep, his people have evolved reinforced muscles and bones in their head, neck, and shoulders, which protects them from concussive trauma. His skill in both marksmanship and hand-to-hand combat, while far from world-class, would assure him a place among the elite special forces of any mundane army or police force he deigned to join. COMPLICATIONS Accident: Dirge has more raw power than he does control over it. He's prone to overkill. The GM can give him a Hero Point and declare that the use of his power has created a new hazard which he must drop everything to deal with. Alternately, he may cause some sort of accident which acts as a Complication for another hero. Alien Catnip: Dirge doesn't know it yet, since they don't grow on his home planet, but beets (specifically, the beet root) have an effect on Fryxian physiology similar to that of psilocybin mushrooms or lysergic acid diethylamede on humans. If he consumes beet root, he will experience hours of intense visual hallucination, distorted perception of time (impairing reaction time and hand-eye coordination), and euphoria. The GM can give him a Hero Point if he consumes beets unexpectedly and this has an adverse effect on his performance in combat or other stressful situations. The specific penalties or conditions he suffers while under the influence are up to the GM. Always Chaotic Evil: None of the other races who had the misfortune of sharing the Harsaf system with the Fryxus liked being conquered by the Star-Khan, but they still considered it an improvement over their previous circumstances. As far as they're concerned, the Fryxus were monsters, and they'll tell anyone who'll listen. 90% of the population on Kuunum when it was destroyed were non-Fryxian slaves, innocent bystanders whose deaths are blamed as much on the Fryxus as on the Khan. The GM can give Dirge a Hero Point if he meets someone familiar with his race's true history, and that knowledge (be it firsthand or otherwise) causes them to react to him in an inconvenient or hostile manner. Asskicking Equals Authority: Disputes among the Fryxus were usually settled with head butts. The GM can give Dirge a Hero Point to force him to interpret another character's conduct as an insult or a challenge, which can lead to penalized or failed interaction skill checks, nonviolent situations turning violent, or other inconvenient outcomes. The GM may force him to make a Will save to resist the urge to retaliate against the perceived slight, or may simply dictate that he does retaliate. Alternately, the GM can give another character a Hero Point and force them to make a contested interaction skill check to convince Dirge that he misinterpreted the situation, or that he needs to suck it up and move on. Honor Before Reason: Dirge's honor, and the reputation of his people, means more to him than his life. A glorious death is his ultimate goal. The GM can give him a Hero Point to force him to take a course of action which would be courageous, honest, straightforward, and glorious, but also foolish, rash, or suicidal. The GM may force him to make a Will save to resist the urge, or simply dictate that he gives in to it. Alternately, the GM can give another character a Hero Point and force them to make a contested interaction skill check to convince him otherwise. Jabba Table Manners: Like Earth's sheep, Fryxus are a ruminant species, which is a fancy way of saying that their digestion process involves eating their food, then vomiting it back up and eating it again. The GM can give Dirge a Hero Point when his biological needs run counter to the etiquette practiced by those around him or otherwise make them uncomfortable, which can, for example, give him a penalty to an interaction skill check, or cause him to fail it automatically. Alternately, this can be a Complication for another character, who will suffer a penalty or automatic failure to their check. Momma's Boy: Ghojma was his nursemaid throughout his childhood, and his surrogate mother after his people were wiped out. He only survived because she smuggled him out of Khanate space, at great personal risk. He would do just about anything for her. The GM can give Dirge a Hero Point and declare that Ghojma requires his aid at the worst possible time, or that her presence somehow makes a situation far less convenient than it would otherwise be. Motivated By Fear: A GM can give Dirge a Hero Point and suppress his Fearless feat if the fear effect in question plays on the one thing he does truly fear, failing to die a heroic enough death and leaving his people to fade into obscurity. Price On His Head: Dirge's very existence is illegal in the Stellar Khanate, and the Khan has a standing bounty on all remaining Fryxians. The GM can give him a Hero Point in exchange for bounty hunters showing up at the worst possible moment, or when his status as a fugitive makes travel through Khanate space difficult in some way. Straw Vegetarian: Eating meat is taboo in Dirge's culture. The GM can give him a Hero Point and force him to make an issue out of it when it would be more convenient not to, or at least force him to make a Will save to resist the urge. This can result in penalties to interaction skill checks, if not automatic failure, for himself and for others. It can also make situations turn violent when they would not have otherwise turned violent. Alternately, the GM can give another character a Hero Point and force them to make a contested interaction skill check to convince him to leave it alone. ABILITIES 22PP Strength: 18 (+4) (Heavy Load: 300 lbs.) Dexterity: 10 (+0) Constitution: 26 (+8) Intelligence: 10 (+0) Wisdom: 10 (+0) Charisma: 14 (+2) COMBAT 24PP Initiative: +0 Attack: +6, +10 Magnetokinesis Grapple: +10 (+6 Melee Attack, +4 Str) Defense: +6, +3 Flat-Footed Knockback Resistance: 7/3 ATTACK RANGE SAVING THROW EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC19 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Horns Touch DC21 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Blast (Lightning Bolt) Ranged (1,400ft Max) DC29 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Blast (Metal Projectiles) Ranged (1,400ft Max) DC29 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Magnetokinesis Perception Grapple vs +20 (Staged) Pinned/Bound DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Magnetokinesis (Thrown Object) Throwing (Str 50) DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Magnetokinesis (Maximum Effort) Perception Grapple vs +100 (Staged) Pinned/Bound DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Magnetokinesis (Thrown Object, Maximum Effort) Throwing (Str 250) DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Metal Bonds Ranged (1,400ft Max) DC24 Reflex (Staged) Entangled/Bound Shape Metal Perception DC18 Fortitude Transformed SAVING THROWS 14PP Toughness: +14/+6 (+6 Con, +8 Force Field) Fortitude: +8 (+8 Con, +0PP) Reflex: +6 (+0 Dex, +6PP) Will: +8 (+0 Wis, +8PP) SKILLS 28R = 7PP Climb 0 (+2) Concentration 5 (+5) Knowledge (Galactic Lore) 4 (+4) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 4 (+4) Knowledge (Technology) 4 (+4) Languages 3 (Galstandard, Fryxian [Native], Lor, Zultasian) Notice 5 (+5) Perform (Oratory) 3 (+5) Swim 0 (+2) FEATS 3PP Environmental Adaptation (Zero Gravity) Fearless Interpose POWERS 80PP Device 1 (5PP Container [Passive, Permanent], Flaws: Hard-To-Lose) [4PP] (Descriptors: Environmental Force Field Projector) Immunity 5 (Environmental Cold, Environmental Radiation, Suffocation, Vacuum) [5PP] (Descriptors: Environmental Force Field) Electromagnetic Control 17 (34PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 4) [38PP] (Descriptors: Alien, Electromagnetism) Base Power: [34PP] (Additional Descriptors: Magnetokinesis) Move Object 10 (Lifting Strength: 50 [Heavy Load: 12 tons], Extras: Damaging, Range [Perception], Flaws: Limited [Metal], Feats: Accurate 2, Indirect, Precise) [34PP] Alternate Power: [34PP] (Additional Descriptors: Magnetokinesis, "Maximum Effort") Move Object 50 (Lifting Strength: 250 [Heavy Load: 13.4 trillion tons], Extras: Damaging [10 ranks], Range [Perception], Flaws: Action [Full], Distracting, Limited [Metal], Feats: Accurate 2, Indirect, Precise) [34PP] Alternate Power: [34PP] (Additional Descriptors: Lightning Bolts, or Metal Projectiles and "Human Railgun") Blast 14 (Range: 1,400ft Max, Feats: Improved Range 2 [2 700ft Range Increments], Indirect 3, Variable Descriptor [Energy and Electrical, or Physical and either Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing]) [34PP] Alternate Power: [34PP] (Additional Descriptors: Magnetically-Reinforced Metal Bonds) Snare 14 (Range: 1,400ft Max, Feats: Improved Range 2 [2 700ft Range Increments], Indirect 3, Reversible) [34PP] Alternate Power: [33PP] (Additional Descriptors: Shape Metal) Transform 8 (Mass: 500 lbs., Extras: Duration [Continuous, Lasting], Range [Perception], Flaws: Action [Full], Distracting, Feats: Precise) [33PP] Electromagnetic Movement 2 (4PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power) [5PP] (Descriptors: Alien, Electromagnetic Control) Base Power: [4PP] Flight 5 (250MPH / 2,500ft [1/2 mile] per Move Action, Flaws: Platform, Drawbacks: Power Loss [Metal]) [4PP] Alternate Power: [4PP] Super-Movement 4 (Permeate 2 [1/2 speed], Wall-Crawling 2 [Full speed, Not flat-footed], Flaws: Limited [Metal]) [4PP] Force Field 6 (Extras: Linked [Immunity, Impervious Toughness]) [6PP] (Descriptors: Alien, Electromagnetic Control, Personal Magnetic Energy Field) Immunity 10 (Metal effects, Extras: Force Field [Free Action, Sustained Duration], Linked [Force Field, Impervious Toughness], Flaws: Limited [1/2 Effect]) [5PP] Impervious Toughness 10 (Extras: Force Field [Free Action, Sustained Duration], Linked [Force Field, Immunity], Flaws: Limited [Metal]) [5PP] Fryxian Biology 2 (10PP Container [Passive, Permanent], Feats: Innate) [11PP] (Descriptors: Alien Biology) Damage 2 (Feats: Mighty) [3PP] (Additional Descriptors: Head Butt, Horns) Features 1 (Insulating Fur) [1PP] Growth 2 (+4 Strength, +2 Constitution, Extras: Duration [Continuous], Flaws: Permanent) [6PP] Super-Senses 1 (Direction Sense) [1PP] (Descriptors: Alien, Electromagnetic Sense) Super-Senses 5 (Electromagnetic Awareness [Electricity, Magnetism, and Metal], Descriptor Frequency: Very Common, Sense Type: Radio [Default: Acute, Radius, Ranged], Extras: Accurate) [5PP] (Descriptors: Alien, Electromagnetic Sense) Abilities (22) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (14) + Skills (7) + Feats (3) + Powers (80) - Drawbacks (0) = 150/150 Power Points

Strix didn't turn to look at Temperance, but he nodded. "It's normal. Just doesn't usually take this long. That...thing probably suppressed it when it did...whatever it did to get in here. And you're kind, but you don't have to be polite. It's not a 'state.' It's a curse." "I have...a place. But not one fit for human habitation. If you need somewhere to stay, then you'll have to get a motel room. If you want, I can make sure they don't charge you or check your ID." Strix allowed himself a slight smirk. "If nothing else, and I say this as someone who literally dug himself out of his own grave...I have never seen anyone in more dire need of a shower." "Regardless, we should probably leave now. We made a lot of noise down here, even before your friend out there decided to light up the whole block. And if somehow, the neighbors ignore all that, they'll eventually smell this...thing."

You especially want to remember that he can't read any text or make out any pictures at a distance. No street signs, no billboards, no storefronts, no paintings hanging on the wall, no license plate numbers on vehicles. And that he can't perceive color. "Cut the red wire."

Mister Strix glared into the woman's eyes for another few moments, seemingly indifferent to their words. Then his grip around her throat relaxed, although it didn't break. His gaze dropped to his feet for a second, then rose to meet the woman's face once again. She could see the blackness retreat from the edges of his eyes and compress to the center, leaving his sclera white again. Before her eyes, his fangs retracted back into his gums, and his tongue shrank and slid back into his mouth, which receded from the corners of his face and closed into a frown. When he spoke again, there was still a slight reverberation under his voice, but not the unholy echo she'd heard before. "We're going to find the men who paid this scum to kill your children. We're going to find them, and we're going to break them. Then, when it's safe, we'll bring your children home. And you're going to make sure they have a home to come back to. Not some filthy hole. A home." His grip around her throat tightened again and he lifted her up off her feet, a foot off the ground, still pressed against the wall. "You'll be a mother to those kids, or you will DIE TRYING." He relaxed his grip, dropped her, and turned toward the door. "Let's go."

Yes, you can decide this was enough for one night. You're all from out of town, so that probably means finding a motel, unless someone wants to ask Strix about his crib.

Surprise thread! Sweet. Thanks. There's Hex's first in-character post.

This early in the day, Len Kepler had not yet had a chance to throw his runestones and gauge where and when his talents would be needed the most. It seemed the fates, not for the first time, had saved him the trouble. Even with all the fantastic places he'd visited and the wondrous things he'd seen, things like a fish-person showing up on his doorstep still managed to daze him, although he recovered quickly. He glanced around and behind the fish-person. Even with this fog, I'd better get them out of sight as soon as possible, before someone else sees them and starts asking inconvenient questions. Besides, this sounds serious. Len pulled the front door to the barge house fully open and stepped to the side, clearing the fish-person's path and beckoning them with his other hand. "Please, come inside, and enjoy the protection of sacred hospitality for the duration of your visit." In addition to invoking ancient customs, his words activated the magic wards etched into the walls of his interdimensional mansion, marking the fish-person as a guest rather than an intruder. "You can follow me to the drawing room. If it would make you more comfortable, feel free to speak in your native tongue, if yours is not that of the Angles and Saxons like mine. The house will make sure your meaning is made plain. Mister Hewitt?" He looked up, but not at anything in particular. "Please rustle up some refreshments for our guest." As they walked, a vaguely canine fire-spirit, about the size of a loaf of bread, trotted a couple steps behind, licking at the river water that had been left on the floor in the fish-person's passing. The puddles and droplets boiled away at the fire-dog's touch. Len guided the fish-person to a large chamber which wouldn't have looked out of place in a traditional gentleman's club of 19th-century Europe. The walls were lined with ornate carved wood paneling, while the floor was filled with plush leather chairs and couches, and coffee tables and end-tables of various sizes, with a fireplace at the far end. Upon closer inspection, the crackling fire was actually another fire-dog, and the logs were burning because it was eating them. Len sat down in one of the chairs and invited the fish-person to do the same. "I would very much like to hear your tale, including the part which led you to my door specifically, but I need to clarify one thing before you begin. I apologize if you were misinformed, but I'm no mercenary. If you have excess funds in need of re-allocation, then I can recommend several charities far more worthy than my own coffers. As a purely separate matter, if there's a dragon who needs meeting with, of course I'd be happy to meet with them."

You've got a bad tag inside that spoiler block, and you put the condition summary in the spoiler block. I'm guessing that wasn't intentional.

Mister Strix took half a step back and raised his fists, glancing back and forth between the ink-monsters, bracing himself for their assault. But then he felt a tug behind his eyes. He allowed himself a slight smirk when he realized it was similar to the sensation mortals felt when they resisted his mesmerism. It's a trick. Shifting his attention to focus exclusively on the robed hulk hurling fists at him, Mister Strix moved almost too fast for human eyes to see, appearing as little more than a white streak. Almost feels like he's moving underwater...almost feels like cheating... The man in white applied that same superhuman speed that had served him so well on defense to offense. But while he was faster than the cultist, his inept flailing proved that he wasn't any more skilled. Strix launched a dozen blows in the time it would've taken a human to attempt one, and his fists smashed chunks of the wall lining the doorway into powder, but not a single strike connected with his target. ...Almost.

Will save (DC15): 8. Even if he wasn't Shaken, he wouldn't have made that. Screw it, I've got 3 Hero Points. I'll re-roll. Will save (DC15, HP re-roll): 18. Really, Orokos? Two "2"s in a row? Mister Strix takes a free action to swap his array over to the Autofire slot. Then he tries to lay the Autofire beat-down on Cultist #2. He'll All-Out Attack for +2 Attack / -2 Defense. That puts him at Attack +8, Defense +6 (DC16) until his next action. Attack roll: 13. Argh. Can't re-roll, since I already did that this round.

Read everything before you do anything. I'm going to run another supernatural-themed horror-ish thread set in Bedlam City, co-starring my own PC, Mister Strix. There are currently 2 slots open for other PCs. Since the thread will take place in Bedlam City, I cannot take any PCs with an effective combat Power Level higher than 10. Investigative skills are good. Aptitudes for either magic or technology are good, each in their own way. The ability to power-stunt to adapt to the unexpected is good. I'll leave recruitment open for at least a week, maybe two, so that everyone gets a chance to see it and make their bid if they want in (even the recent newbies, if they get their asses in gear). I'll post in this thread again to announce when recruitment is closed. When deciding on PCs, I will give preferential treatment to 1) People I'm friends with in Real Life, 2) People who are already busting their asses running threads and/or doing administrative work for the site, and 3) New players. If you want to play, don't post in this thread. Send me a private message instead (here on the site, not on Discord). If you post in this thread, then I'll know that you didn't read this entire post, and I'll assume you would've just skimmed the posts in the actual thread, too. I'd prefer not to have to repeat myself more than is necessary. I'm not having people post replies here because I like my privacy and I care about yours, so I'd rather not advertise to the world who got picked to play and who got left on the bench. Your message should include the following: A link to your character's sheet. A link to your character's Guidebook entry, if they have one. Any part of your character (background, Complications, etc.) that you'd like to see get some spotlight or development, or any traits you'd like an opportunity to use. (No guarantees, but I'll try.) If your character is not based in Bedlam City, then one or more possible reasons they could have for going there. One or more "trap doors," in-character excuses for why your PC would have to suddenly drop everything and exit the story. The classic example is how Batman will drop everything if The Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum, and give top priority to his recapture. Everyone who applies but who doesn't get picked will go on a private waiting list. Here's some disclaimers, so that everyone knows what they're getting into: If you apply to this thread, then you commit to a posting rate of once every 48 hours. As soon as I announce that a player is up, they have 48 hours to make an in-character post. If that player doesn't post inside their 48-hour deadline, then I will skip them and move on to the next player. If I skip a player 3 times, then I will activate one of their trap doors and cut them from the thread. Then I will call up a player from the waitlist to take their spot. Manage your expectations. I'll do the best I can to provide a decent quality thread, but if you sign up, do it knowing that I'm a middling GM (or player) at best. I'm not particularly creative (as you can see from my own PCs) or witty. If you sign up for one of my threads, you're not doing it because you expect your mind to be blown, but because so few people volunteer to GM anything that you'll take what you can get. In case you don't know already, my tastes and my instincts lean grim, dark, and gross. I don't mess with sexual assault, and I wouldn't even if the site rules allowed it. Otherwise, I don't offer "content warnings," except to say that, if "content warnings" are an issue for you, then you probably shouldn't sign up for one of my Bedlam City threads. I'm going to be using a villain loosely based on a template from one of the many, many published M&M books, with some tweaks of my own. The villain's stats will not be published on the forum in advance. You will be going in blind. That's not usually how it's done around here. That having been said, as a personal rule, I try to avoid blind rolls, and I don't force people to use Extra Effort or spend Hero Points blindly. If it won't help, I'll let you know before you waste it. If you'd make a roll with Skill Mastery, then I'll tell you so you don't have to bother rolling. It's common in RPGs for some players to get so attached to and emotionally invested in their PCs that they take any bad thing that happens to that PC or any failure on that PC's part as a personal insult or attack. If you're one of those people, then you shouldn't sign up for one of my threads. There. Now you can't say I didn't warn you. (Yes, I'm recycling a thread title from over a decade ago. I like the movie.)