RocketLord

GM Grendel's Mother screamed again! A primal scream, an exhausted scream. She was struggling now, just fighting to stay standing. And she was clearly terrified of whatever the Void was. She had thought Lament a mortal man, and yet, he was something more. Or he had something less. Something not human, something less, something nothing, and something she did not understand. But despite its efforts, the Void did not feed. She was too strong for that. "STAY AWAY!" It was all she could do, as she raised her hands above her hand, slamming her hands into the ground, a wave of dark miasma spreading out from it.

Will: 1d20+10 = 30! She tries the Area Attack again: Reflex 22 for half effect! Toughness Roll DC27 if you fail, DC21 if you don't.

Forever Boy Pan shook his head. "Kindness has nothing to do with it! You wish to be a hero, and that is admirable! Whatever the cause, you are doing something great!" The illusion of a normal conversation and them just standing around that Pan had cast around them was probably a good thing, given his little outburst. And the accompanying pose, where Pan stood with his legs slightly apart, pointing up to the sky with one finger. He couldn't help himself. It was just how it was. Still, the next question diverted his always mercurial attention. "Oh, I have only been here since the start of this semester. Not that long at all. But there are very many interesting people at the school! Just look around, you are bound to see someone that is something wholly unique! I am rooming with Micah! He can control the weather! The Blue Squad has Leroy, he's a prince from Earth 2, and he has his dragon Dio along! And there is Ashley and Judy. I do not think Ashley has any powers, at least she have yet to demonstrate it, but she is a great shot, and is pretty much leading the team! Judy has something to do with radio waves or electromagnetism or something like that. Honestly, I am not quite sure! Vanya is cool, he can become a bear! And Adam is really strong! They are all amazing, and great friends to have!" He paused a moment to breathe. Again, his mouth was moving a thousand miles a minute. He was grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, and Nicole! She has this awesome magic armor! And Corinne, or Zenith. I do not think a lot of the other students like her very much, but I do! We danced in the air at the fall dance! Oh, and Veronica Danger and Alex, they were part of the reason I could even attend here, and..." He paused, maybe realizing that he was just going on and on. His grin grew a bit apologetic. "Sorry, sorry! I am just so happy about all the friends I have found here!"

I put out a few suggestions above, so if there's any of them you like (or other ideas you might have), let me know.

Forever Boy How could something so big move so fast? And being hit by a tree! Pan had been hit by his share of things in his time, but he was pretty sure that this was the first time that he had actually been hit by a tree! He shook his head, managing a quick grin up at Leroy. Why, this was nothing! A bump, a scrape! He'd get back up and into the fight right away! Well, just as soon as the world around him stopped spinning. The lack of spinning would great. "I agreee completely with that plan, my friend!" Yes, the lack of being touched by another tree would be nice. Maybe just keep his distance, once he could manage to take to the sky again.

Well, no actions from me, since Pan is dazed! A quick post to get another slot open for posting!

"That was a stupid thing to do." Cassidy really didn't care about being too blunt here. "We got no idea what those leaves do, aside from it being some kind of magic." He shook his head and stood up straight and offered Venomax his hand. "Still, glad that you're back." He looked over the ruins. Yeah, they had a lot of work to do, and after that, he could only hope that he could figure out how to navigate through the Magic Mesa and get them home. It had worked so far, so maybe it still would. So, the plan was simple. Find whatever leaves survived the temple coming down, destroy them however they could, then get home. If they could find Setho's body at the same time, then he might even be able to sleep for once. "Let's get to it, then."

GM "I have always wanted to visit this place." The man with the brown beard in the trenchcoat and fedora said, standing in the line to the Super Museum. He was looking all around at the sights around them. "Hey, how many of them do you think have hit us over the years?" The other one grunted. His eyes were strictly focused on the device. They were close now. The big red dot had shrunken. Their goal was inside the museum somewhere. "I don't know, brother. At least a third of the ones that's been around in the last five or six years?" He gave the device a smack, startling a woman in the queue in front of him. "Sorry." The line moved slowly, but they would be inside soon.

Forever Boy Oh, Reina liked hearing about Monica. Pan lit up in a huge grin in reaction. He would have to introduce them some day! Her pulling back at his question was not the reaction he had hoped for. He liked to know what made his friends tick. What inspired them, what was the reason that they worked so hard to become heroes. What they hoped to achive, why they did what they did. Most tended to have deep reasons, some did not. Did that make their aspirations to be heroes any less? No, not according to Pan, at least. "Luck. Or maybe fate." Pan winked at Reina. "I have found that it is often difficult to tell one from the other. Maybe you were meant to be at the right place at the right time?" He had seen both luck and fate in his time, it all depended on the person, it seemed. "And besides, who says that you need a dramatic or sad person to be a hero? You want to be a hero, then that is brilliant! Why would your reason be any less valid than that of Lady Liberty or the Centurion? You saw what they could do, you saw how they helped others, and you were inspired! Just think about how many people this world holds, and how few seem to feel like that, or, if they do, act on that impulse, even if they have powers or abilities that set them apart? You wanted to do good! I find that exceptional!"

GM She stumbled now. She had trouble even staying outright. And the panic was clear. As both of Lament's hands clamped down on the sides of her head, she screamed. Not in pain, but in pure fear. She had thought him a mortal. She had thought him easily squashed, like so many before him. But there was something more to him, was there not? Something else. An absence, a great big nothing that lived inside him. And now it fed. Fed on pure myth. Not a mortal, not just a feeling. But something beyond all of that. And as Grendel's Mother screamed and pulled herself free, stumbling away, the Void woke up, gorged and full. Lament was no longer in control.

That is indeed a hit! Fortitude save: 1d20+12 = 30 And she is still standing! She is backing away now, so no attacks, but the last drain of life force triggers yours Possessed complication! The Void is in Control. Also, +1 HP. 19 - Lament - 2HP - Bruise (x1), Injury (x1) 10 - Grendel's Mother - Exhausted

How legal? Proof would go over much better in court. Accusations was just that, after all. Blowfish's words against Justice's. Robin suppressed her smile at the thought of the pun she had just made in her head. "We don't have much time, do we? Maybe the accusation will be enough to rattle him." The friendship with Jackson was an interesting part of it, however. The big question there was how deep that friendship ran. Would Jackson sell his friend out for ratings, or would he stand up for him, and become a problem? "Any of you know how much integrity Jackson has? Do you think we could turn him against Johns? I mean, it'd be quite a sensation, so it might work, and maybe we could lead him on by having a super hero involved." Robin thought that she really should have started watching more of Jackson's shows...

As I said on discord, I'd be fine with any of my characters you want to use.

GM The Raven screeched in response. For a moment, Grendel's Mother turned towards it. Her eyes were visible for the first time. Big and dark, wholly inhuman. Like looking into an abyss. And yet, Lament saw fear in those eyes. Not of him, but of the Raven, and perhaps, of what it represented. "What?" That was all she got out, then Lament's hand was on her face. She screamed and flailed, as she felt life itself leaving her body, wildly swinging her arms around, clawed fingers seeking his arms, his skin, his face, his stomach. Anything that could help her escape.

Sense motive vs. Feint: 1d20+12 = 27 Feinted! And the Raven does its thing, though you would have hit anyway! Fortitude: 1d20+12 = 16! Grendel's Mother is now exhausted, but still standing. She is stumbling now, about to pass out and tries to hit Lament with her claws: 1d20+9 = 21 And rolling to see if partial concealment gest you off the hook: 1d20 = 7 That's a hit, so DC24 Toughness Save, Penetrating 5. And you're up. 19 - Lament - 1HP - Bruise (x1), Injury (x1) 10 - Grendel's Mother - Exhausted

Part of Robin felt like this was starting to turn into an extended fetch quest, but she silenced that part of her. If that was what they needed to do, then fine. They would have to get some proof for what James John or John James had done. Or rather, Robin would probably have to do the legwork on that. "So. Is JJ the kind of guy that would normally have that kind of money? I mean, doesn't sound like it, at the rate he's burning through it." Amber and Kidd's flirting was a bit annoying, but no, she wasn't gonna let it get to her. "Any kind of money trail, or proof of the bribe? How did you even learn about it?" She paused for a second, looking at Kidd and the Wall. "And do you guys know who this official is?"

"Victoria did this?" Pan's shock was genuine. She had been so sweet, so curious, and she held powers great enough to bind their dreams together? He would never have guessed! He winced at the thought of her powers being kept medically in check, but if this was what happened when they were not, then it made sense. Still, the poor girl. She must be somewhere here, absolutely terrified. "I tried listening," he added to the conversation of what to do, "There were some strange whispery voices, but nothing that sounded like any of the children. Only noise. I'm not sure if it could help or not, but it was there." He knew little of psychics, mind readers, soul divers or whatever you might have, but dreams was another thing entirely. Leroy had a good point. Where would Victoria feel safe or unsafe? He was itching to just fly off, find Victoria and the other children, but he needed a plan first. Somewhere to go, somewhere to search for. If it was a dream, shared or not, then logic meant little, but symbolism would probably mean a lot. "I agree with Leroy. Victoria is bright, either she has gone where she feel safest, if she has that much control." Intelligence first, then. "What else do you know of Victoria's powers, Miss Lupine? Do she have any conscious control? Is it of the "get hurt in the dream, get hurt in real life" variety? How many can she have drawn in with us? Could the other children be here as well?" He was going a million miles a minute now, but he kept going with the questions. He liked Victoria. He did not want to leave her in here a second longer than necessary.

Forever Boy Pan listened, and looked. True, he did not know much about this world yet, but he was learning, and as Reina correctly guessed, he was much more interested in her stories of the heroes. The displays were good, sure. They showed him images, gave him faces and costumes to group with the stories, which was nice, but it was always better to be told a story. It might be a biased view, but he did like that. It added so much more color to the stories. He looked up at the display with Raven. Lady Liberty, she said? He grinned. "Have you met Monica yet? I think she is in the Green Squad. She calls herself Lady Liberty." He winked at Reina. To tell the truth, Pan wasn't exactly close to Monica, so he didn't know her story, but Reina might be interested, if she was the new Lady Liberty, since the powers seemed to change wielder every now and again. Still, as interesting as this was, Pan had other questions. "You know a lot about heroes, but what brought you to Claremont? It is not exactly a normal school, from what I have gathered. Why did you want to be a hero?" He spoke normally, but aside from Reina, no one would hear it. Some Pixie Dust was all that was needed, and everyone around them would just hear two teenagers talking about the exhibits.

The bus ride to Sunny Sunshine had thankfully been rather painless, so Robin had been able to catch her breath. And getting there, sneaking in, she was happy to see that the Wall and detective Kidd were actually getting along. Robin had half expected to come in to one of them having attacked the other, so that was some great progress. "Blowfish didn't like Amber's show, so he sent a pair of his goons after her. I took them down, but had to suit up for it, so depending on what they tell him, he'll know Amber's gone." She pointedly ignored Amber and Kidd's flirting. They were adults, they could do what they wanted, preferably in their own time. At least Kidd focused on that. "So... we probably gotta move fast. What do you have for us, Amber? We need something good to have a chance for a shot at Blowfish."

I'd say Computers work for this, and that would be a pass, then. Giving Tiff a chance to post, then GM post coming.

GM "LIES!" Grendel's Mother sniffed at the air. She could smell Lament's blood, even as it was tainted by the dark ooze of the void. "YOU WILL BOW! YOU WILL SCRAPE! YOU WILL DIE FOR YOUR INSOLENCE, THIEF OF THIEVES!" she raised a hand, pulling it back and unfolding, then moved it at lightning speed, attempting to slap him, and yet somehow, despite Lament's wound, and despite his stumble, she missed, her long, clawed, crooked fingers passing inches from his face. She howled in frustration, pulling back, several steps, yet remaining close enough to reach her prey.

There's a chance of another notice check! DC22, still. Same spoiler as last time. She attempts to punch you: 1d20+11 = 12 And a miss, you're up. She stays close. 19 - Lament - 1HP - Bruise (x1), Injury (x1), Dazed (ends on your turn) 10 - Grendel's Mother - Fatigued

Pan had seen some more movies in his time here, sure. Micah had convinced him to see some, but the moment that Zenith mentioned eluded him still. He simply shrugged. "It is not something I know much about. At any rate, why do what is expected of you? That just gets boring, and predictable." Did they need a moment? He was not sure, but did it matter? No, not at all. Zenith seemed to be calming down now, so he just kept painting the images on the sky. If she liked them, then that was great. The great ships moved to and from, drifting by an imaginary wind. The city was more than visible below, the shining lights of his new home. I mean, do we even need a moment, whatever that entails? I think this is perfectly nice. I never saw anything quite like Freedom City back home. All those lights, all those buildings. So many people, all gathered in one place." He was still sitting in the air beside her, his elbow on his knee, his head resting in the palm of his hand as he looked out on the sights.

Activity will be a bit spotty next week, got a course Monday and Tuesday, and a funeral to attend Friday. Should be back to normal activity in between and after.

Forever Boy Pan was honestly startled. He felt almost physically pinned by Reina's gaze, unable to look away. There was just something so frightening about that look, something that he had never expected that Reina would be capable of! He was just about to slowly back away, to ask what kind of social faux pas that he had committed this time, when she started smiling, and then started talking. And talking. And talking. Now, some might have gotten bored. Some might have wandered away, or tried to change the subject. But not Pan! No, this was interesting! This was tales of adventure, of action! Of heroes and villains! Of dastardly deeds and great victories! Oh, he would have liked to meet the Centurion! A mighty hero, if he had ever heard of one! "He sounded like a great hero." Pan replied, with a smile. He had his hands in his pockets, staring up at the collage as it changed, showing a picture of the Centurion standing triumphant above Nero, some flames still burning around them. "It sounds like he gave his all to save others. What more can a hero ask for?" Oh, he would very much have liked to meet this Centurion. He had been active for a long time before his sacrifice. Was he immortal, then? Or perhaps just long lived? Curious, curious. He turned to a nearby display. A set of action figures of the original Freedom League. Centurion, Deadalus, Lady Libery, Bowman and Pseudo. Reina seemed to know so much about all of these. "I do not think I have told you, but I am not really from around here. I mean, not at all." He looked around. There were a lot of people around, so he probably shouldn't share more. "So please! Tell me more! It is much more interesting to be told tales of heroes than to just read about them! I know about the Freedom League, but this were the originals, were it not?"