RocketLord

Cheval is gonna try to draw the big ugly's attention by transforming, jumping over and punching it in the knee with a Break Strike. Attack roll: 1d20+12 = 23 A TOU roll with DC27+bonus from Autofire, if that hits. And it got Penetrating 3.

Nevermore II Charles Arthur Pratten is the second Nevermore, sidekick to the third Raven. A fan of all iterations of the Raven, the teenaged Charlie spent years investigating and compiling data and finally deduced the identity of the third Raven. Tracking him down to Summers Manor, Charlie presented himself to the Raven. Through trial and error, the Raven eventually accepted him as his sidekick, and Charles officially succeeded him as the second Nevermore. History The Raven legacy stretches back to the Silver Age, when Duncan Summers first put on the mask and cowl and became the Raven. A member of the Freedom League and an accomplished hero in his own right, the Raven fought against threats such as the Red Death, the Conqueror Worm, Alister Usher and many more. Crippled in his final battle against his archenemy Doctor Sin, the Raven finally had to retire. Since then, the Raven legacy has lived on. After the return of Doctor Sin and the death of her mother, Duncan's daughter Callie Summers took up the mantle as Raven II. Fighting against Omega in the 1992 invasion, Callie and Duncan relocated to Freedom City in the years that followed. While Duncan started the Claremotn Academy, Callie continued on as Raven II. For a time, she recruited Ashley Tran as her first sidekick, the Copycat. The duo eventually parted ways. As Callie started to feel her age and the wear and tear of the life of a super hero, she was approached by Aleksander Garen Nakani, a young man she had once rescued. He had figured out her identity, and came with a proposition: To train him to become the next Raven. Soon after, he debuted as Nevermore, the Raven's new sidekick. He would spend years training before finally taking on the mantle of Raven III, an identity he holds to this day. The history of the Raven family is a tale of a heroic tradition, one that continues to grow. But Aleksander was not the only one to figure out the identity of the Ravens. One sunny day in the summer 2019, a young man knocked on the door to the Summers Manor, presented himself as Charlie Arthur Pratten, and told him that he knew that Aleksander was the Raven. Born in 2004, Charles Arthur Pratten was a bright you boy. Raised by loving parents, taught the joys of computers and detective work by his grandfather, the young Charlie was a fan of the Ravens from the time he understood what they were. For years, he would compile data and information about sightings, battles, investigations and any snippet of information he could get his hands on. Nevermore debuted when Charlie was 10 years old, and he realized that if someone else could become the Raven's sidekick, then why couldn't he? When Raven III debuted two years later, Charlie was quick to realize that he was the former Nevermore. To the twelve year old Charlie, that just meant that the position as Nevermore had opened up, and he was galvanized in his efforts. He had spent years redoubling his efforts to discover the Raven's identity, to prove that he had what it took to become his sidekick. He worked out, particularly in acrobatics and gymnastics, he visited scenes where the Raven had fought or been seen, he collected and analyzed the data, and finally, he figured it all out. Aleksander saw history repeating itself, but unlike Aleksander, who had wanted to become the Raven, Charlie wanted to become Nevermore. Despite not agreeing with Charlie's plans, Aleksander hired Charlie to help out at the Summers Estate and the Rookery. A short while later, he graduated to becoming Alek's man in the chair, providing support from the Rookery. It didn't last long before Charlie grew dissatisfied, and would often getting into trouble trying to fight crime with whatever equipment he could borrow from the Rookery. He did surprisingly well, but it was as much luck as skill. Alek finally agreed to train Charlie as his sidekick. At the very least, it would mean he could try to channel Charlie's skills into something useful, and that he would be able to keep an eye on the kid. It took 9 months of intense training before Alek would let Charlie out on patrol as Nevermore II, debuting in March 2020. Plans were made that he would attend Claremont Academy in the semester starting in the fall, using the false identity of Charles Gordon Pym, to make sure that no one knew the true identity of a member of the Raven family. As his skills and enthusiasm only continuers to grow, Charlie has fully embraced the role as Nevermore II. He is a sidekick, a hero-in-training and, if he puts in the work, perhaps a future world's greatest detective. Costume and Appearance As Nevermore II, Charlie's costume is as finely engineered as his mentor's, with a multitude of hidden features that one would not suspect from first glance. While the costume has multiple layers underneath, the outer layer appears a seamless black full-body suit, with only a few colors breaking the black. He wears heavy silver gauntlets over his arms for protection, and a silver utility belt with a stylized N on his belt buckle. Two lines in a shiny teal runs from under his arm to under his chest, then down to his belt. The soles of his boots, which are seamlessly connected to the rest of the body suit, is in the same shiny teal. He wears a logo of a raven with spread out wings in the same shiny teal on his chest, as a logo. Charlie wears a full, smooth cowl that only leaves his mouth free. His eyes are covered by what is normally white lenses, which shift to faint green when he activates the built-in night vision. A black cape with dark blue inner side connects directly to the shoulders of the costume. As himself, Charlie tends dress in dress shirts and pants in darker colors, often wearing use ties in lighter colors or with different pattens in a contract. In his alternate identity as Charles Gordon Pym, he generally wears jeans and t-shirts in an effort to stand out, generally tending away from dark color. Skills, Tactics & Equipment Charlie posses no superhuman abilities, or even peak human abilities, ilke his mentor. On the other hand, Charlie is smart, particularly in the fields of computing, detective work and tactics. He has taken to all three fields with surprising ease, quickly learning from the experiences that the Raven family has offered. His analytical and deductive abilities were honed through years of work investigating, cataloging and analyzing data related to the Ravens, until he finally discovered their true identities. Naturally agile, Charlie has honed his acrobatic talents through intensive training. He has received extensive combat training from the Raven family, and while he is still learning, he is a far more accomplished fighter than one would at first suspect, though he prefers to keep his distance. Tactically, Charlie prefers distraction and misdirection to direct confrontations. He will use his agility, stealth and gadgets to stay out of the enemy's way while distracting them with his suite of gadgets, setting them up for further attacks from himself or his allies. He will provoke and taunt his enemies, try to figure out their weaknesses and where and how to strike. When he works with Raven III, he will often work as a decoy to let his mentor attack, letting him take the lead. Working by himself or with others of equal experience level, Charlie tends to fall into a leadership role, whether he wants to or not. Charlie's Nevermore II costume is an ultra modern piece of crime fighting technology. Nano-weaved from a number of high resistance materials, it effectively protects him from any type sharp objects, while the armor plating handles most general types of damage a foe could wish to inflict. The thermal underlayer helps support him in heat or cold, while the night vision lenses lets him see in the dark. A heads up display aids Charlie with information such as the time and GPS, while his built in headset allows him to communicate at a distance of 5 miles. For traversal, the suit boast a grappling gun built into the gauntlets and grapple claws, as well as an electro-reactive glider cape, which lets Charlie soar across the sky. Charlie's utility belt contain a large number of tools, useful for both combat and infiltration. While he tends to keep his distance from most foes, the belt contains a collapsible staff for use in melee combat. While Charlie is not nearly as skilled in the use of the staff as he is with his other equipment, it can hit harder than his ravenrangs, weapons that have been used by three generations of Ravens. In addition to the standard ravenrangs, Charlie also has access to a number of stun ravenrangs, which emit an electrical shock upon contact with their target. Due to a combination of higher costs and having used the stun ravenrangs for pranks, Charlie is only allowed to bring five at a time. Further offensive tools in Charlie's utility belt includes tripwires and snare lines, which can be used to entangle his foes, or be set up as traps. The high quality of the tools make them difficult to break, allowing Charlie to effectively immobilize a foe, in theory at least. To distract his foes, Charlie utilizes darkness bombs, small grenades that create localized areas of extreme darkness. The playback device, one of his favorite tools, let's him play any recorded sounded through remote control, be it movement or voices, letting him draw attention away from himself. Charlie has even figured out how to use the playback devices offensively, by throwing them at a target and playing extremely loud noises. These noisemakers are even powerful enough to deafen a target. The last piece of Charlie's standard equipment are small remote controlled drones, which transmits images of their recordings directly to Charlie's HUD, aiding him in infiltration and information gathering. The drones are shaped like small dark ravens, small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. Charlie's greatest weakness is his inexperience. While he has received extensive training from Alek, he has spent little time in the field, especially against super powered adversaries. Allies Martin Pratten: Charlie's father, an accountant born in 1980. They have a close and happy relationship. Lily Pratten: Charlie's mother, born 1979. A lawyer that specializes in helping people in need that can't afford a lawyer. While she is usually busy, she still has a close relationship with Charlie. Thomas Pratten: Charlie's paternal grandfather, born 1940. A retired software developer, he sparked Charlie's interest in computers and investigative work. Usually jovial, and much smarter than he pretends to be. Josh Andrews: Friend from gymnastics. Charlie and Josh used to clash, but grew closer since then. Their relationship has detoriated somewhat since Charlie became Nevermore II. Julie Jones: Friend from school, a fellow computer geek. Probably Charlie's closest friend, though most of their interactions have happened online since Charlie became Nevermore II. Aleksander "Alek" Garen Nakani / Raven III: Charlie's mentor, the former Nevermore I. While Charlie respects Alek, he is not above breaking some of the rules set out for him by his mentor, or doing things just to mess with him, such as hitting on the time displaced Madame Raven. While Charlie sometimes gets on Alek's nerves, Alek knows that he can trust him when needed. Calliope “Callie” Sen / Madame Raven: A time displaced teenage version of Callie Summers, the second Raven. Charlie likes her and is overjoyed to not be the only teenage member of the Raven family. Ashley Tran / Watchdog / Copycat: Alek's predecessor as Raven II's sidekick. Charlie has spent little time with her, knowing her more by reputation. He feels that she dismisses him a bit as the new kid. Calliope “Callie” Summers / Raven II: Alek's predecessor as the Raven. While their interaction has been few and far between, Charlie still idolizes Callie as one of his big heroes. Duncan Summers / Raven I: Charlie has yet to meet the first Raven, but would love to do so one day. Enemies While Charlie has not been active as Nevermore for long enough to gain any personal enemies, his affilation with the Raven Family makes him a target for any of their enemies, such as the House of Usher, Dr. Sin, the Conqueror Worm and many others. Given his personality and nature, he is sure to gain enemies of his own, if they can see him as more than just the Raven's sidekick. The Raven Family As a member of the Raven family, Charlie has access to Summers Manor, the Rookery and their tools and vehicles, at least to the degree that Alek allows. At the same time, he is able to draw on the knowledge and aid of other members of the Raven family if necessary, giving him far greater resources than most other heroes at his age. Still, he is very much the little brother of the Raven family, with much more limited access than most of the group. Timeline 2004 Charles Arthur Pratten is born in Freedom City. 2014 With the debut of Nevermore, Charlie decides that he can one day become the Raven's sidekick too. 2016 As Nevermore graduates and debuts as Raven III, Charlie notices the similarities between the two and renews his investigation into the Raven family. Since no one is Nevermore, he resolves that he can become the new Nevermore. Charlie spends the next three years aligning clues, visiting crime scenes and analyzing data until he is finally sure of the Raven's identity. 2019 Summer Charlie arrives at the Summers Manor, where he confronts Alek with his discovery that he is Raven III, and that he wants to join him. After some persuation, Alek relents, agreeing that Charlie can be his "man in the chair". Charlie spends 3 months as the man in the chair, often getting into trouble by trying to fight crime on his own. Finally, Alek relents and agrees to train him to be the second Nevermore, so he can at least keep him out of trouble and make sure he doesn't get hurt. 2020 Winter In March, Charlie makes his public debut as Nevermore II. Spring Meanwhile at the Stately Summers Manor: The time displaced Madame Raven arrives at Summers Manor, meeting the rest of the Raven family, including Charlie. Summer Charlie enrolls at Claremont Academy. Design Notes Raven's Batman needed a Robin. Raven III had been Nevermore before taking on his current identity, which gave me the perfect heroic identity. As a character, I combined traits of Dick Grayson and Tim Drake, with personality traits, abilities and skills from both. Despite appearances, Nevermore II is not supposed to be a cowl: He is not supposed to be grim or brutal, leaning more heavily on the Dick Grayson side of the character in that way. As Raven III's sidekick, Nevermore II's build is designed to compliment his mentor's. Where Raven III is more about direct combat, Nevermore II will distract and confuse his enemies, setting up his mentor to take down his enemies. Development wise, I'm planning on having him develop skills and feats that allows him to take on a leadership role as he starts working with other teenage super heroes at Claremont Academy, forcing him to step out of Raven III's shadow in fights. He will probably be a great hero and leader one day, but he's not there yet. Right now, he's too cocky and too inexperienced. I wanted to have a theme of history repeating, but with a twist: Like Alek before him, Charlie discovered the Raven's identity through hard work and investigation. Unlike Alek, he didn't seek to replace the Raven, but to help him. Like Alek, Charlie will attend Claremont, but while Alek stayed mostly to himself, Charlie will get heavily involved with other students. I have no plans of him ever assuming the Raven identity, though he might graduate from the Nevermore identity at one point, or just make it his own entirely. I also wanted to avoid the tragic backstory: Charlie is not driven to be a hero by trauma, he's driven to be a hero to help others, and, in part at least, to challenge himself. Even if he isn't really aware of it, he is a thrillseeker. Name wise, the middle name Arthur and middle and last names of Charlie's alternate identity combines to Arthur Gordon Pym, the name of the protagonist of Poe's The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. The last name Pratten means Trickster, a fitting choice for Charlie's personality. The name Charles was picked as a mirror to Calliope usually going by Callie, and to stick to the emerging trend of Raven family members having first names starting with either A (Ashley, Alek) or C (Callie, Charlie). --- Reputation: Inspiration here Nevermore II Gather Information DC 15: Nevermore II is Raven III's sidekick. DC 20: He is obviously not the first Nevermore, who has not been seen for years. He was first seen in March 2020. DC 25: Nevermore II rarely operates on his own, primarily being seen working with Raven III. Knowledge [History] DC 15: The first Nevermore was active between 2014 and 2016. DC 20: This is the second person to take on the Nevermore identity. DC 25: Nevermore is Raven III's first sidekick. Knowledge [Technology] DC 20: Nevermore II is using a highly advanced suit, seemingly a variation on the suit used by Raven III. DC 25: The equipment in his uility belt seems highly specialized and advanced. Charles Arthur Pratten Gather Information DC 05: Charles prefers to go by Charlie. DC 10: Charlie's family includes his father Martin, an accountant, his mother Lily, a lawyer, and his grandfather Thomas, a retired software developer. They all live in Greenville. DC 15: Charlie has lived and worked at the Summers Manor since the summer 2019. He seems to basically help out with whatever he's told to do. Knowledge [Popular Culture] DC 15: Charlie used to compete in gymnastics. He started to do so less starting from 2014, before stopping completely in 2015, citing a lack of interest despite his skills. Charles Gordon Pym Gather Information DC 05: Charles prefers to go by Charlie. DC 10: Charlie is an orphan that used to live on the streets in Southside. DC 15: Charlie's parents died during a robbery gone wrong. DC 20: He has been picked up by a trust fund and sent to attend Claremont Academy. DC 30: Charles Gordon Pym isn't real. He's a fictional identity that has been set up by the Raven family.

Charisma +2 to 16 [2PP] (remember to increase skills) Reflex +1 to +10 [1PP] Will +3 to +8 [3PP] Fortitude +1 to +6 [1PP] Skills 36 ranks [9PP] (calculate total) - Sense Motive +8 to +10 - Bluff +5 to +10 - Stealth +5 to +15 - Gather Information +2 to +5 - Diplomacy +7 to +10 - Drive +5 to +10 - Notice +4 to +14 Feats [1PP] - Challenge [Fast Acrobatic Feint] 4PP for Equipment from Vet reward The Raven Racer (Vehicle; Motorcycle) [20EP] Size: Medium [0EP] Strength: 25 (Medium Load: 533 lbs.) [3EP] Defense: 10 [0EP] Toughness: +10 [5EP] Features: [7EP] Alarm 2 (DC 25) Caltrops Computer Navigation System Remote Control Smokescreen Powers: [5EP] Speed 4 (100mph / 1,000ft per Move Action, Feats: Subtle) [5EP] Increase Saves Increase skills Get feats - Distract 1 [Bluff] - Quickdraw - Leadership - Inspire - Teamwork Nevermore II Power Level: 10 Effective Power Level: 8 Power Points: 150/167PP Unspent Power Points: 17PP Trade-Offs: -2 TOU/ +2 DEF In Brief: The Robin to Raven's Batman. Theme: A Different Kind of Dynamite - Thousand Foot Krutch Alternate Identity: Charles 'Charlie' Arthur Pratten (Secret), Charles 'Charlie' Gordon Pym (Alternate Identity used at Claremont) Birthplace: Freedom City, United States of America Residence: Claremont Academy Base of Operations: Claremont Academy, Bayview, Freedom City; The Rookery Occupation: Student, Sidekick Affiliations: Claremont Academy, Raven III, Raven Family Family: Martin Pratten (Father, Born 1980, Accountant), Lily Pratten (Mother, Born 1979, Lawyer), Thomas Pratten (Paternal Grandfather, Born 1940, Retired Software Developer) DESCRIPTION Age: DoB: 2004 [January 19th] Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 5’10’’ Weight: 150 lbs. Eyes: Blue Hair: Dark red Charlie is an athletic young man, standing at 5'10'''. He has short red hair and blue eyes. He prefers to dress in darker colors, most often wearing black dress pants and dress shirts. He often wears loose ties in lighter colors, contrasting the dark colors he usually wear. In his Charles Gordon Pym persona, Charlie tends to dress more casually, with jeans, t-shirts and sneakers of varying colors and designs. As Nevermore II, Charlie's costume is as finely engineered as his mentor's, with a multitude of hidden features that one would not suspect from first glance. While the costume has multiple layers underneath, the outer layer appears a seamless black full-body suit, with only a few colors breaking the black. He wears heavy silver gauntlets over his arms for protection, and a silver utility belt with a stylized N on his belt buckle. Two lines in a shiny teal runs from under his arm to under his chest, then down to his belt. The soles of his boots, which are seamlessly connected to the rest of the body suit, is in the same shiny teal. He wears a logo of a raven with spread out wings in the same shiny teal on his chest, as a logo. Charlie wears a full, smooth cowl that only leaves his mouth free. His eyes are covered by what is normally white lenses, which shift to faint green when he activates the built-in night vision. A black cape with dark blue inner side connects directly to the shoulders of the costume. HISTORY Charles Arthur Pratten had a normal childhood. Loving parents, friends, school life. Sure, Charlie was a bright kid. Maybe a bit too interested in the super hero known as the Raven, but aside from that, his childhood really was what one would consider normal. He went on vacations. He spent time playing games with his friends. He went to the movies. Something of a prodigy, Charlie was a popular kid at school. He was athletic and a gymnast, he got good grades, his grandfather instilled a keen interest in computers. His room tended to be filled by posters of the Raven and her predecessor. He had databases full of observations and notes on the Ravens. When Nevermore debuted, Charlie was overjoyed. If the Raven had a sidekick, then maybe he could become the Raven's sidekick too? It was a possibility, at least! He would have to find out how to contact her, how to reach the Raven and present himself, but until then, he continued his training, honing his acrobatics and athletism, continuing to compile all the information that he could. Any notes, anything he could find. Charlie kept the project a secret. After all, how could anyone understand the drive that he felt? He could become the Raven's partner, too. He just knew it. Still, life happened. Charlie's interest slowly waned as other things, like friends, sports and girls became more important to him. Shortly after the third Raven's debut, Charlie saw him in action. The way he moved, the way he acted. It all came rushing back, all that he had dreamed of just a few years before. Everything he saw, all the articles, everything, Charlie just knew that the new Raven was Nevermore. There was no question. And if he had become the Raven, then that meant no one was Nevermore. It took a long time. Compiling all of Charlie's old data, discovering new information, comparing it all. Socially, he began to distance himself from his friends again. He was obsessed. It took hard work, it took time, it took luck, but bit by bit, Charlie began to see a pattern, he began to see the truth. Finally, he was sure. The Raven was Aleksander Garen Nakani, a college student from Georgia, who lived with his adoptive parents at the Summers Estate. The 15 years old Charlie went to the estate by himself. He managed to get inside and confronted Aleksander with the truth. To Aleksander, history repeated itself. Much like how he had figured out the previous Raven's identity, Charlie now stood before him. Unlike Aleksander's plans when he had confronted Duncan Summers, Charlie was not looking to replace Aleksander as the Raven. Charlie had plans of succession, sure, but he wanted to succeed Aleksander as the Raven's partner, not as the Raven. Aleksander did not quite agree with the plan, but he agreed that making it this far meant Charlie had at least some skill. For a time, Charlie helped out at the Summers Estate and the Rookery, eventually graduating into becoming the Raven's main in the chair. Not that it helped for long. With or without Aleksander's blessing, Charlie got into trouble. With a makeshift costume and whatever equipment he could "borrow" from the Rookery, Charlie went out to fight crime on his own, to mixed result. Aleksander finally relented and agreed to take him in as his sidekick, but it would be his his terms. If nothing else, it meant that he could make sure Charlie didn't do anything stupid. Charlie spent 9 months training with Aleksander before he was first allowed out on patrol, during the Spring of 2020. Now 16, the new Nevermore followed much of the same pattern as Aleksander had. A few patrols per month to get used to actual crime fighting, primarily watching the Raven's back, slowly being allowed to do more and more, eventually culminating in being allowed to patrol on his own. And, as Aleksander insisted, Charlie would follow his path in another way, starting at Claremont in the fall of 2020 as Charles Gordon Pym, an orphan from the streets of Freedom City, recently taken in by the Summers Estate. Alek and Charlie worked extensively on creating a false electronic trail, creating a cover to keep Nevermore II's actual identity secret. PERSONALITY & MOTIVATION Charlie is intelligent and a natural detective, and he knows it. He is good at what he does, he's received plenty of training before coming to Claremont, and while he doesn't think that makes him better than his peers, he can still be cocky. He's a joker, which can at times belittle his intelligence and skills, not that he minds. If someone underestimates him, then all the better. While Charlie has the makings of becoming a great hero and a leader one day, he still has much to learn, a fact that he is painfully aware of. Much of his ego and bravado serves to hide this insecurity. If he finds a mystery or problem that he cannot solve, Charlie tends to fixate on it, growing almost obsessive. POWERS & TACTICS The majority of Charlie's tactics relies on distractions and misdirection. Observe an enemy, figure out how to best stop them, and then execute his plan. His fighting style emphasizes the use of his various gadgets, both for scouting and disabling his enemies. Aside from that, Charlie's tactics tend to differ whether he's working together with Raven III, or not. Generally speaking, he prefers to stay outside close combat, but will pull out his collapsible staff if forced into a close quarters situation. When he works with Raven III, Nevermore acts as decoy, drawing the attention away from his mentor and, in turn, letting Raven III attack. If he can stay safe like that, then his mentor can work at his most effective. He lets Raven III take the lead, while he follows. In other cases, Nevermore tends to take up more of a leadership role. He tries to make plans and becomes more likely to go for targets on his own, even when working with groups of other heroes. When he isn't working with Nevermore, he tends to be more cocky, putting up a brave front. POWER DESCRIPTIONS Charlie posses no powers of any kind, instead relying on the training he has received from the Raven III and at Claremont Academy, as well as suit and gadgets he has developed together with Raven III. Charlie's Nevermore II costume is an ultra modern piece of crime fighting technology. Nano-weaved from a number of high resistance materials, it effectively protects him from any type sharp objects, while the armor plating handles most general types of damage a foe could wish to inflict. The thermal underlayer helps support him in heat or cold, while the night vision lenses lets him see in the dark. A heads up display aids Charlie with information such as the time and GPS, while his built in headset allows him to communicate at a distance of 5 miles. For traversal, the suit boast a grappling gun built into the gauntlets and grapple claws, as well as an electro-reactive glider cape, which lets Charlie soar across the sky. Charlie's utility belt contain a large number of tools, useful for both combat and infiltration. While he tends to keep his distance from most foes, the belt contains a collapsible staff for use in melee combat. While Charlie is not nearly as skilled in the use of the staff as he is with his other equipment, it can hit harder than his ravenrangs, weapons that have been used by three generations of Ravens. In addition to the standard ravenrangs, Charlie also has access to a number of stun ravenrangs, which emit an electrical shock upon contact with their target. Due to a combination of higher costs and having used the stun ravenrangs for pranks, Charlie is only allowed to bring five at a time. Further offensive tools in Charlie's utility belt includes tripwires and snare lines, which can be used to entangle his foes, or be set up as traps. The high quality of the tools make them difficult to break, allowing Charlie to effectively immobilize a foe, in theory at least. To distract his foes, Charlie utilizes darkness bombs, small grenades that create localized areas of extreme darkness. The playback device, one of his favorite tools, let's him play any recorded sounded through remote control, be it movement or voices, letting him draw attention away from himself. Charlie has even figured out how to use the playback devices offensively, by throwing them at a target and playing extremely loud noises. These noisemakers are even powerful enough to deafen a target. The last piece of Charlie's standard equipment are small remote controlled drones, which transmits images of their recordings directly to Charlie's HUD, aiding him in infiltration and information gathering. The drones are shaped like small dark ravens, small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. COMPLICATIONS A Legacy of Ravens: Sure, Charlie can be a bit arrogant. He is smart, he is hardworking, he's the Raven's sidekick and protege, so he feels he has worked had to get where he is. Still, the arrogance is mostly a facade, hiding his insecurity. He's trying to fill the shoes of his hero, being a sidekick to the Raven, the former Nevermore. Here he is at Claremont, hanging out with people that can fly and shoot fire from their eyes, and all he got is a suit, a belt full of gadgets and training. So, he overcompensates, tries to take the lead, acting more arrogant and immature than he otherwise would. If Charlie's overcompensation or insecurities makes a situation worse, the GM can award him a Hero Point. Gadgets: While an enemy would need to somehow get rid of Charlie's utility belt to get rid of all his gadgets, he could be deprieved of individual gadgets, either by having them taken away or by simply running out of them. If the GM determines that Charlie somehow loses access to a gadget, they can award him a Hero Point, in turn making one of the powers in his Utility Belt array unusable. Quoth the Raven: Charlie has been given some ground rules for when he can put on his full costume and go into action, which can lead to some conflict. Unlike the other teenage heroes at Claremont, he can't just go into full costume out of nowhere, since he is supposed to be operating in secret. So far, Charlie is allowed to act as Nevermore during training sessions at Claremont and while out on patrol with the Raven, or when otherwise given permission. Of course, it is always a question of whether Charlie will respect those rules or not, which is further complicated by the presence of Claremont Headmistress Callie Summers. If following the rules set out by the Raven complicates things for Charlie or he gets caught breaking the rules by any member of the extended Raven family that might tell the current Raven about it, the GM can award him a Hero Point. Rules to be added and refined Secret Identity: One of the Raven's conditions for training Charlie was that he keep his identity secret, even from his family. He even has to keep his actual identity a secret from his fellow students at Claremont, being known to them as Charles Gordon Pym. Whenever Charlie ends up in a situation where his secret identity causes issues, such as not being able to act outside of costume without revealing himself, the GM can award him a Hero Point. Sidekick: Nevermore is a sidekick to the Raven, and while he is growing into more of an individual hero at Claremont, others might not take a sidekick as seriously as a full fledged hero, be it heroes, villains, law enforcement or someone else. Is a situation is made worse by people's lack of respect due to Nevermore's status as a sidekick, the GM can award Charlie a Hero Point. Tell-Tale Heart: Charlie tends to grow obsessed. Mysteries, enemies, anything that give him trouble, anything that is a challenge that can't be solved. This can lead to him becoming narrowminded, focusing on the subject of his obsession over other important things at hand. Whether it be by Charlie focusing on a particular enemy to the detriment of any tactics in combat to taking unnecessary risks by trying to solve a particular mystery, the GM can award Charlie a Hero Point when his obsession makes a situation worse. Ushers, Masques and Conqueror Worms: Even if Charlie has yet to find any individual enemies, the legacy of 3 generations of Ravens have led to a great number of enemies that might target one of the newest members of the extended Raven family, just for the sake of taking revenge. If they interfere in a situation to attack Nevermore and make the situation worse, the GM can award Charlie a Hero Point. ABILITIES 8 + 10 + 8 + 10 + 4 + 4 = 44PP Strength: 18 (+4) Dexterity: 20 (+5) Constitution: 18 (+4) Intelligence: 20 (+5) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 14 (+2) COMBAT 12 + 8 = 20PP Initiative: +5 (+5 Dex) Attack: +6 Base, +6 Melee, +8 Ranged, see Power attack bonuses in DC Block Defense: +10 (+4 Base, +6 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Grapple: +10 (+6 Base Attack, +4 Strength) Knockback: -2 / -3 (w. Costume) SAVING THROWS 1 + 4 + 3 = 8PP Toughness: +6 (+4 Con, +2 Protection) Fortitude: +5 (+4 Con, +1) Reflex: +9 (+5 Dex, +4) Will: +5 (+2 Wis, +3) SKILLS 60R = 15PP Acrobatics 10 (+15) Bluff 2 (+4) Computers 10 (+15) Escape Artist 5 (+10) Investigate 5 (+10) Knowledge [Tactics] 5 (+10) Notice 8 (+10) Search 5 (+10) Sleight of Hand 5 (+10) Stealth 5 (+10) FEATS 23PP Acrobatic Bluff Attack Focus [Ranged] 2 Benefit 1 [Alternate Identity - Charles Gordon Pym] Dodge Focus 6 Eidetic Memory Evasion 2 Hide In Plain Sight Luck 2 Master Plan 2 [Use Knowledge [Tactics] for rolls] Online Research Set Up Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Computers, Sleight Of Hand, Stealth) Well-Informed Uncanny Dodge [Auditory] POWERS 24 + 16 = 40 Device 6 (30DP Container, Flaws: Hard-To-Lose) [24PP] (Descriptors: Nevermore II Costume, Costume, Technology) City Movement Array 4 (8DP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 1) [9DP] BP: {2 + 4 + 2 = 8/8DP} (Descriptors: Gauntlet Mounted Grappling Gun) Super-Movement 1 (Swinging; Extras: Linked to Speed (+0)) [2DP] Super-Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2) [4DP] (Descriptors: Grapple Claws) Speed 2 (Extras: Linked to Super-Movement (+0)) (25 mph, 250 ft. per round) [2DP] AP: Flight 3 (Flaws: Gliding; Feats: Subtle) (50 mph, 500 ft. per round) {4/8DP} (Descriptors: Electro-reactive Glider Cape) Communication 5 (Radio, 5 miles; Feats: Subtle) [6DP] (Descriptors: Built-In Headset) Enhanced Feats 2 (Second Chance 3 [Toughness Save vs. Ballistics and Conventional Blades) [2DP] (Descriptors: Nano-weaved Material) Immunity 1 (Environmental Cold and Heat; Flaws: Limited [Half Effect]) [1DP] (Descriptors: Protective Thermal Under-Layer) Protection 2 [2DP] (Descriptors: Armor Plating) Super-Senses 3 (Infravision; Vision Counters Obscure (Darkness) [Darkvision]) [3DP] (Descriptors: Night Vision Lenses) Super Senses 3 (Direction Sense; Distance Sense; Time Sense) [3DP] (Descriptors: Head-Up Display) Device 4 (20DP Container, Flaws: Hard-To-Lose) [16PP] (Descriptors: Utility Belt, Belt, Technology) Gadgets Array 6.5 (13DP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 7) [20DP] (Descriptors: Gadgets) BP: Damage 4 (Extras: Ranged; Feats: Improved Range, Mighty 4) {13/13DP} (Descriptors: Ravenrang, Piercing Damage Type Thrown Weapon) AP: Damage 4 (Feats: Accurate, Extended Reach 1 [5 ft.], Improved Critical 2, Mighty, Stunning Attack, Subtle, Takedown Attack 2) {13/13DP} (Descriptors: Collapsible Staff, Bludgeoning Damage Type) AP: ESP 4 (Auditory and Visual ESP; Extras: Duration [Sustained]; Flaws: Medium [Small Flying Drone]; Feats: Subtle) (Range: 1 mile) {13/13DP} (Descriptors: Remote Viewing Drone, Remote Control, Spy Device) AP: Illusion 8 (Auditory; Extras: Independent (+0); Feats: Progression [Area] 3, Triggered 2) (50 ft. area) {13/13DP} (Descriptors: Noisemaker, Playback Device, Sound, Remote Activated) AP: Obscure 5 (Visual Obscure; Extras: Independent (+0); Feats: Progression [Area] 1, Triggered 2) (Range: 50 ft., Area: 100-200 ft. radius) {13/13DP} (Descriptors: Darkness Bomb, Darkness, Grenade) AP: Snare 8 (Flaws: Action [Full]; Feats: Improved Range 1, Reversible, Tether, Triggered 2) {13/13DP} (Descriptors: Snare Line, Special Flexible Alloy Line) AP: Stun 8 (Extras: Ranged; Flaws: Action [Full], Unreliable [5 charges]; Feats: Improved Critical 2, Improved Range 1, Triggered 2) {13/13DP} (Descriptors: Stun Ravenrang, Electric Shock, Piercing Damage Type, Thrown Weapon) AP: Trip 8 (Feats: Improved Range 1, Improved Trip, Subtle 1, Triggered 2) {13/13DP} (Descriptors: Tripwire, Setup, Thrown) DRAWBACKS -0PP DC BLOCK Name Range Save Effect Attack bonus Unarmed Touch DC19 Tou (staged) Damage +6 Ravenrang 100 feet DC23 Tou (staged) Damage +8 Collapsible Staff Touch: 5 ft. Thrown: 60 ft. DC23 Tou (staged) Damage +8, Crit 18-20, Takedown Attack 2 Collapsible Staff - Stunning Attack Touch: 5 ft. Thrown: 60 ft. DC20 Fort (staged) Fail: Dazed 1 rnd. >5: Stunned 1 rnd. >10: Unconscious +6, Crit 18-20 Noisemaker 80 ft., 50 ft. area DC18 Will Fail: Belive audio illusion Independent Snare Line 200 ft. DC18 Ref (staged) Fail: Entangled >5: Bound and Helpless +8, Subtle Stun Ravenrang 200 ft. DC18 Fort (staged) Fail: Dazed 1 rnd. >5: Stunned 1 rnd. >10: Unconscious +8, Crit 18-20, Subtle Tripwire 200 ft. DC18 Trip Resist (Worse bonus) Tripped +8, Subtle Totals: Abilities (44) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (8) + Skills (15) + Feats (23) + Powers (40) - Drawbacks (0) = 150/167 Power Points

You notice that TKO has disappeared.

GM Heavyweight looked up with a heavy sigh, and slowly moved to the side of the ring, climbing out of it and landing heavily on the ground. He held his right shoulder as he moved over to Bear-Knuckle and shook his head with another heavy sigh. "Sorry." Bear-Knuckle shook his head and crossed his arms, smirking at the sight in the arena. Oh, he'd get his turn soon, it seemed. Facsimile's fish clashed straight into Fly-Boy's face, electricity crackling around him as he received the sledgehammer blow before landing heavily in the arena. He made confused buzzing noises, not quite words, struggling to move, to do something, but the electricity kept crackling around him.

Fly-Boy's TOU: 27 A bruise! Fort: 19 Stunned! Opposed trip: 29 Not tripped! In order of action... Can I get a notice roll Heavyweight moves out of the arena. Fly-Boy trying to get rid of stun effect vs DC25: 19, still stunned 26 - Fly-Boy - Bruise (x1), Stunned (1 round) 20 - Facsimile - 3HP - Bruise (x1) 20 - TKO - Unharmed 14 - Bear-Knuckle - Unharmed 6 - Heavyweight - Bruise (x1), Staggered

That'd be Sense Motive instead of insight, but yeah. Opposed roll, which will be hard to match: 10 Haha, wow, rolled a 1. Yes. Go. He's feinted.

GM "Ow. Ow. OW!" The lightning arced over and around Heavyweight as he struggled to try and reach the hero, failing to even more as he was zapped over and over. When Facsimile let up for a moment, smoke rose from him, and there was a rather distinct, and unpleasant, smell of cooked flesh coming from him. Above, Fly-Boy accepted his invitation, sending a blast of stomach acid straigh at Facsimile. Though it missed, the shot started burning a hole through the ring where it had hid, while Fly-Boy began circling overhead. He had no reason to get up close, after all. Not like Heavyweight.

That's a hit, and Total DC28: 17 Heavyweight is *not* doing so well here. Staggered and Dazed! And now Fly-Boy makes his move! Attack: 18 That's a miss! Fly-Boy's still going on overhead, though! 26 - Fly-Boy - Unharmed 20 - Facsimile - 3HP - Bruise (x1) 20 - TKO - Unharmed 14 - Bear-Knuckle - Unharmed 6 - Heavyweight - Dazed, Bruise (x1), Staggered

Cheval can offer to carry Sagrado if necessary.

GM "OW!" The lightning struck through the large man's body, leaving burnt marks on him. He struggled for a moment, obviously gasping for air. Maybe a weak heart at his age, shocked by the hero's lightning strike? Maybe just not prepared to being hit while trying to crush the life out of his opponent? At any rate, his body loosened for a moment, his grip on Facsimile, even the crushing grip of the increased gravity, letting up, even if only for a moment. There was a buzzing sound overhead. If Facsimile looked up, he would see that Fly-Boy had left his position by the man with the computer, to the man's obvious relief. Now the strange being was flying overhead, carefully watching Facsimile's every move.

That's a hit, and +2DC, so DC27 TOU: 18, dazed and bruised! Fly-Boy flies in overhead, but so far, he's not taking any actions. Facs is up again. 26 - Fly-Boy - Unharmed 20 - Facsimile - 3HP - Bruise (x1) 20 - TKO - Unharmed 14 - Bear-Knuckle - Unharmed 6 - Heavyweight - Dazed, Bruise (x1)

GM "Got you." Heavyweight took his time to stand up again, towering above Facsimile's prone form. It seemed that he was a man of few words, slowly, but surely, adjusting his neck with a loud *KRACK* sound, before stretching his arms out to the side and letting him fall down on top of his opponent's pinned body, this time attempting to pin Facsimile with his body and weight. It would be a crushing feeling, to say the least. "Ha, that'll show ya, punk!" TKO was clearly excited by the turn of events, while Bear-Knuckle was standing back, arms crossed and grumbling. The kid at the computer looked nervously over at Fly-Boy, who was doing... well, whatever a weird mansect was doing. "If ya touch him, Heavyweight's gonna crush ya!"

Heavyweight uses a move action to get up, then makes a melee attack. Since you're pinned to that ground with the Move Object grapple, that's flat-footed -4 defense: 20 That's a hit, so DC27 TOU for Facs. Then Heavyweight uses Improved Grab to start a physical grapple, moving to pin you with his heavy weight! Grapple: 32 26 - Flyboy - Unharmed 20 - Facsimile - 3HP - Unharmed 20 - TKO - Unharmed 14 - Bear-Knuckle - Unharmed 6 - Heavyweight - Unharmed

CHEVAL Getting close now, it became clear. The woman was green. Looking at his own metallic skin, Marcus decided that being green wasn't so weird, after all. "Anchante," he replied with a smile as he shook her hand. French, and something about the way she said spoke. To tell the truth, Cheval had probably been too focused on the woman, not paying much attention to the young man, and he was caught off guard when there was a flash of golden light. Moving his right hand up to shield his eyes, he couldn't suppress a smile as the young man stood before them in a costume, introducing himself as a hero, as well. "Impressive! All help is welcome, my friend!" He reached out, quickly placing a hand on Sagrado Corazon's shoulder in a friendly gesture, before letting go while Persephone described what she had seen. His friendly demeanour changed, ever so slightly. A giant shape, coming out of the swamp and heading for the city? He looked around. The streets should be deserted, aside from any stragglers. He could probably get to that thing fast, but not without knowing exactly what it was. Persephone's plants seemed strong, but were they strong enough? His entire body started shrinking, the metallic skin fading into Marcus' natural color. "Mesi ampil." He reached out for Persephone's tree and held on, as it started lifting them through the city. "I doubt the thing heading outta the swamp is here to make things easier. We better watch out for any stragglers, make sure that thing doesn't get to them, no?" As the relay race began, he followed his own advice, while trying to look ahead for the shape. Find out where it was. Then get there as fast as they could. Sounded like a plan, at least.

CHEVAL What was that thing? A giant tree, stretching up above? How was that thing even standing in these winds? This wasn't Michael level bad, but still plenty bad, and the winds should've snapped a tree like that apart. And then the tree started glowing, before it started moving, bending down somewhere, near that nearby church. The name escaped Marcus at the moment, but he was sure of it. Seemed as good a place as any to go. Setting into a run, he headed down the street and towards the light. At any rate, that lightshow was bound to attract more people, someone that could need his help. It didn't take long before he reached the tree, finding a woman that stood atop it as it had bent down, talking to a young man. There was a strange vibration in the ground, causing Marcus to stop and look down at his feet. What was that? "Gwo flè..." he muttered to himself as he approached. The woman was litterally glowing. He couldn't say he seen either before, but it was always welcome to see someone else with powers, and she seemed peaceful enough, at least Raising his hand, he smiled despite the rain and called out with a friendly tone. "Bonjou! I am Cheval! Are any of you hurt? Do you need any assistance?"

No worries with Cheval's location. I doubt Cheval being able to see spirits apply, but just in case, a notice check for that: 1d20+6 = 16

GM Everything came too fast for the strange man with the sharp bone-like exterior. Blinded, struggling, hit again and again, strange webs catching him, and hten, finally, the one in red armor taking aim and firing. No matter how tough he was, it was simply too much. All webbed up, and with a blast aimed straight at his face, he fell to the ground with a heavy *THUMP!*, laying motionless. Justice turned to the Emerald Spider, resting her gun on her shoulder, and grinned. "So, uh, that went alright, right? Ever seen somebody like this before?" If anything, the man appeared even more grotesque when still. Random bone potrusions all around his body, sharp blades and spikes. Not anything that could have felt even remotely pleasant.

Justice "Got him!" Robin held the Justice Buster in her hands, taking careful aim. The suit was bulky, sure. Slower, but more heavily armoed, but the main thing she could use right now? The boost to the Justice Buster. The guy had already proved pretty resilient to anything they threw at him, just tanking through it all, but not the Emerald Spider had him all webbed up, all locked down, and it was up to Justice to take the shot. Breathe, take her time to aim properly. Line up the shot, and, pull the trigger.

A hit! Reflex save vs. Snare DC19: 17, caught and entangled! Justice keeps her distance and fires and Enhanced Justice Shot: 1d20+9 = 17, which is a hit. Enemy TOU save vs. DC26: 21, fail by 5, so he's out, and combat ends for now.

GM The path continued about 50 feet ahead, before abruptly turning to the right. From her current position, Moira could not see how exactly it turned, what was around the corner, but turn, it did. As far as she could guess, it would continue on North. The flowers on the wall had started to fade, the further Moira continued down the path. At the 20 feet point, it was just grass and leaves. And yet, something else had changed. The branches seemed to be decreasing in density, the number of leaves were lessening, and the natural wall seemed to start being replaced by a featureless grey wall of rock. There was a loud noise, like a door being slammed, and Val called out. "Uh, Moira? That door you broke? It just came back!"

Archer Connor barely had time to react when Cline appeared through the portal, then pulled him back in the middle of the explosion. Honestly, he wasn't sure just how badly he had messed up Kombat's place, but he had at least blocked the path. The whole starry highway that Cline carried him through to booming music was just so... He didn't have words. He had never seen anything like this. Kombat, Corona and Cline might have the experience, might have seen things like this all the time, but to him? He didn't have words. He just barely remembered to hold on to the weapons he'd taken before leaving. And then, they were out. Back in Freedom, with everyone else already there, including who had to be Rachel. He didn't make any effort to hide his shock at what had just happened, didn't even think to try. Just clutched the things, before regaining his composure. "Right. Yeah." Focus already. These people had done this tons of times. "And worst case, they first gotta clear out rubble to find out we're gone." He allowed himself a cocky smile. "Best case scenario? They first gotta dig themselves free first." He felt no reason to elaborate on that, unless someone asked. Instead, he felt the two cases he had grabbed up to Corona. The somewhat cocky smile didn't leave his lips as he adressed Corona directly. Blowing the house up? Might have been questionable. Grabbing these weapons before the villains got it? Now that had to earn him some points here. "Hey, boss. Any idea who were those people coming for us were? And what do you want me to do with Kombat's back up plans?" Reverse engineering them could be interesting. Figure out how to make them non-lethal. Or, just smash them. Get rid of the problem.

CHEVAL Marcus had been on the street for a while now. Full costume, with a poncho in the same pattern as his costume. Had to keep the brand going and everything, stay recognized. Even without calling on the power of Ogoun, Marcus Dumont was strong, and powerfully built, he stood out, and someone had to be seen out here, helping people. He'd run across plenty of people needing help so far, a few looters that he'd chased off, a car needing a push to get started. And the rain was just pouring down now, and he had found a young woman and her kid, helping them through the storm, shielding them as best he could. The shelters were overflowing, but where else could he taken them? "Right down there, ma'am, then you'll be there." He pointed down the street, just a few blocks away. "They'll take care of you. I gotta get back out there, but I'll stay right here until you're in there, alright?" The woman thanked him and left, getting inside. Marcus stood and smiled for a moment. It might be small stuff to the world at large, but it still felt good to help. And then everything went dark. The power everywhere went out. "Man, that can't be good." If anything, this would just make everything in the city even worse. Time to get back out in it, then.

Archer Wait, what? Fast-Forward grabbing the phone and talking, alright? But that figure he drew on the wall, and then he pulled first Kombat, then Corona into it? He could teleport? Knew magic? Whatever it was he just did, Connor had moments to react, and had to think of something before Roadkill and Rayburst came running. Could he even go through the portal on his own? It hadn't seemed like it. And there was something else. Arrow still pulled back, he turned to Kombat's shelf with weapons to take out his old team. They'd taken the one to stop Heather, and Lester's was gone already, but then, there were Serena and Rachel. If those guys got in here and took it. Fine. Buy a moment, wait for Cline to get back and take him out of there. He let go of the thermite arrow, letting it fly at the way into the the stairway leading into the underground bunker. A second, then the explosion rocked the place, caving in the entrance. Probably just a matter of time before the entire thing fell, but he would probably have some time, and Roadkill and Rayburst would have to dig their way through, at least. Then, the important bit. The weapons. Scrambling to get them down and bring them, he could only wait for Cline to get back and get him out of there. "Any time now, FF..."

GM As the man, the vampire and the goddess left, each to tend to their own, they would find a city restored. Perhaps, restored was too strong a word, for this was Bedlam, after all. At the very least, the chaos created by the Ink God were fading. Labels, prints, books and screens once more showed the letters and numbers that one would expect. The paychecks made out to the CEO of Snacktastic once again showed the proper names. The lotto numbers on all tickets had changed. No one won the prize, after all. Labels of medicine, the value of bills, all had been restored. A small victory, but a victory nonetheless. Gone, but not defeated, the Ink God would wait, with its promise of revenge. With the books at the Snacktastic site once again showing only mundane subjects, it seemed that Doctor Thorne had nonetheless taken them under her care, to be kept secure, if the ink was still tainted. By Christmas Eve, all signs of the Ink God had disappeared from the city. From everywhere but the map in Doctor Thorne's office, at least. The roads remained scrambled, the map remained redrawn. Every day or so, the exact position of the map would change. On New Years Eve, the changes stopped, a simple message scrawled across the map in thick, dark, ink, being all that remained: I REMEMBER, ROSA THORNE