Thevshi

Velocity had just been about reply to Omen's comment when there were the large crashing sounds from the deck below. "Well, looks like this little capper is not quite resolved just yet." She replied with a small smile before vanishing in a blur of yellow. The speedster streaked down to the lower deck and towards the room containing the auction items. She was not sure why the last member of Larceny Inc. had not just tried to make a break for it, but as not about to just let her try to ruin the auction by destroying everything that was up for sale. As she entered the room, Velocity quickly scanned the area for the last supercriminal, while preparing to dodge any attack that might come her way.

Well, the setting actually has one (though I am not sure if it has ever appeared before), the Cape and Cowl Club.

Okay, probably a good idea to have some initiative rolls now.

Velocity smiled slightly as Omen arrived and delivered a solid hit on Trap Door. "Nice timing." She stated, hoping that the villain would realize it would be best to just surrender. But that hope quickly proved futile, as Trap Door continued his stump speech for the oppressed of the world and tried once again to blast her. This time the speedster was easily able to avoid the attack as she zipped back towards the man. "Boy have you got it wrong. You and your team are in the process of committing robbery, kidnapping and aggravated assault," she cocked her head slightly toward the unconscious form of the auction overseer, "accordingly we are justified in using force to stop you and take you into custody." For a third time, the young woman's fist shot out in a yellow blur, breaking the sound barrier with a distinct *CRACK* WHAM This time it connected solidly with the supervillain, knocking him backward and sending him flying into a wall. Trap Door the crumpled to the floor, completely unconscious.

Well Ari, having a list of possible GMs to help run threads for new players can hopefully deal with part of the problem you mention. While a couple GMs might be too busy to add a new thread, hopefully there might be a couple who could. As I mentioned in chat with Cape, I certainly would be willing to be part of that list. Another idea that I mentioned in chat is having people reach out to new players to suggest possible connections their character could have with existing PCs. Naturally this is not as easy to implement as most of the other ideas here, and is very dependent upon the new payer’s character background. A character coming from another planet or dimension (or the like), obviously will have far less potential connections. Since my return in December, I have done this with Velocity a few times (while not quite the same as a new player and character, still illustrative). With both TheAbsurdist and Azuth65 (Asad and Silver Spider respectively), I worked out that Velocity has known both their characters, in civilian IDs, for years. Clearly, this will only work on a case-by-case basis, as the connections should exist logically, but having them certainly helps to create more opportunities for threads, which will get new players involved, and that will help increase the chance they will stick around.

Third time's a charm! While I wait for your IC posts, I will get Velocity's next attack roll in. This time she gets a 24. If that hits, it is a DC 28 toughness save.

It's a trap! (well, of course it is) El Heraldo is dealing with a perception area stun attack (sonic). He has a DC 20 reflex save to make, if he succeeds, he will suffer no further effect, if he misses, he has a DC 20 fort save to make. Net Fly needs to make a DC 18 reflex save to avoid sliding down the slide and though the hole that just opened in the wall below.

GM On one of the upper floors of the building, El Heraldo found himself in what appeared to be a large room that served as both living room and dining room, connected to a small kitchen. Calling out his presence, he quickly heard a faint voice calling for help from down a hallway leading off from the room he was in. In a moment, the brightly dressed hero had flown into the hallway and through an open doorway to a bedroom beyond. The bedroom was thick with smoke, but lying on the ground near the bed the hero spotted a figure of what appeared to be a young man lying on the ground, weakly trying to get upright. El Heraldo was over by the man in an instant, reaching down to help him up and get him to safety. But just as reached the figure, there was a loud clang of something metallic dropping down behind him. However, the patriotic paragon did not have time to consider what that might have been when the "man" in front of him lifted his head, revealing the metallic face of a robot. The robot's mouth opened wide, emitting a piercing sonic wail that washed over the teenage hero and filled the room… Down on ground level, Net Fly quickly entered the front of the building, zooming through the small lobby area near a wall of mail boxes and finding the central stair case. Oddly, there were no people making their way down the stairs as the teenage hero started rapidly ascending the flights of stairs. He was just passing the third floor when suddenly the section of stairs beneath him flattened into a steep slide, and a section of the wall slid aside to revel a dark opening…

There was the brief moment of disorientation that followed one of Warp's teleports, but then Tsunami quickly reoriented herself, as she looked down at the burning apartment building and both El Heraldo and Net Fly entered the building by different means. "Be safe." She stated to Warp as the other teen prepared to teleport into the building to help in getting people out. Tsunami meanwhile had locked on to various nearby sources of water, reaching out with her power to seize control of the water as it coursed under the streets in various pipes. Doubling back the water and increasing the pressure, the Asian teen managed to burst open a nearby fire hydrant, allowing the water to pour free, as she started drawing it towards the building and up into the air in order to douse the flames on the sides of the apartment building.

Velocity managed to sidestep the first blast of emerald energy, but it came far too close for comfort. "Oh please, drop the self-righteous Robin Hood act." She replied. "Still does not change the fact that you and your crew are committing robbery, let alone kidnapping in the course of." *CRACK* Her hand shot out once more at supersonic speeds, but once again, the villain managed to dodge aside, though she had come much closer this time. Darn it. This guy is slippery. The speedster thought as she sidestepped, putting a small amount of distance between them once more.

Velocity was glad that Steed took the hint and sat down, though she did not stay quiet for long, though at least this time she was not trying to act as if she were running the show. As Hronous confirmed that there had been more than just a feeling of Déjà vu just a few moments earlier, the speedster began to consider how much she should tell the robotic hero. When Steed finished providing a brief description of how she had found one of the pieces of the crystal, Hronous explained how he came across his own, Velocity figured it was time to provide a bit more information. "As Ms. Steed suggested, the pieces of the crystal, or at least the one she found, only became active once again a few months ago. That activation appears to coincide with Lord Harrow activating the device I mentioned earlier, a stopwatch. That stopwatch gave him the ability to control time, but it also was exerting a considerable amount of influence over him." "But, there is more. There is an organization in the future which was after the stopwatch, both to prevent certain events from possibly happening, and to use against a threat in the future. That treat is a man called Collapse, who also has the ability to control time, but at such a level that he can tear apart the time/space continuum and collapse entire time streams together. There is no indication of it so far, but it could well be possible that this organization might have an interest in these crystal fragments."

Velocity will try to hit him again, a bit better this time with a 21

The elderly man stiffened slightly as Carmen introduced herself before he replied. "I am afraid I am aware of no interview. Young master Vincent is here for a private family gathering and.." He was interrupted by another voice from the main door. "It's okay Walter, I had my manager arrange for a little interview while I was here." Vince D'Ascenzo moved towards the pair, easily recognizable from the various pictures that Carmen had come across during her internet search. Vince was indeed rather good looking, dressed in a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt, it was evident he kept himself in good shape and had a deep tan and light brown hair. He wore a large, self-assured grin on his face as he looked Carmen up and down, his eye unabashedly lingering in places. "I had no idea the magazine would be sending such a babe though." "I do not believe that Master…" the elderly butler began before Vince cut him off with a raised hand. "Uncle Sergio made me cancel a show tonight in Berlin to come all the way back here for this colossal waste of time. But he can darn well allow me to at least give an interview while I humor him." The young man replied, keeping his eyes on Carmen. "Please, come inside." Vince stated, stepping between Carmen and the butler, to whom he had his back, gesturing towards the main entrance with his left hand.

Sure, no problem. As for what she was able to learn..., well, she can learn a lot, but the key stuff is: Vince is in his mid-twenties, and is a rather good looking guy. He is a rather good singer, not necessarily spectacular, but good enough. While he and his band have a decent amount of popularity, with a couple of solid alterative songs, one main criticism that he tends to face is that his music is somewhat lacking in much in the way of a deeper meaning or message. Some say he is just a rich kid playing at being a rock star, and that may not be too far off.

Velocity was still at the controls to the yacht when she spotted Trap-Door moving up quietly behind her, thanks to the three hundred and sixty degree vision her goggles provided her. The speedster waited until he was close and then spun around suddenly. "Ah, there you are!" She stated, as her right hand shot out at blinding speed. *CRACK* But as fast as she was, Trap-Door was able to step aside at the last moment, causing Velocity's attack to miss him by a fair bit. The speedster then quickly righted herself as she prepared to try to dodge the villain's inevitable counterattack. "Your muscle is snoozing a couple decks below and Getaway was not doing to hot either." She then quipped. "You should probably just give this whole scheme up while you can."

Velocity will spin around and try to punch Trap-Door, likely missing with a 16.

Port Regal, Freedom City Friday June 7, 2013 2:40 PM Carmen Canto guided her motorcycle down the winding roads that lead up towards the shores of Lake MacKenzie in Port Regal. The tree lined roads were the site of several large old homes, a number of which now served commercial purposes instead of residential. But still, the area was far less densely developed than many parts of Freedom City. The sky above was dark grey with rain clouds that were the edge of a tropical storm that was traveling up the eastern seaboard. Not exactly that sort of weather one wanted to be out in when possible, but Carmen had been contacted rather suddenly earlier in the day by one of the editors at Rock Report Magazine and given an assignment to interview the lead singer of an LA based alternative band. Carmen had done a quick bit of research on Vince D'Ascenzo, who apparently hailed from a wealthy family, which included a movie studio among its holdings. Vince certainly had something of a reputation as a womanizer, not exactly anything unusual for a musician, but there had not been anything that had indicated he had a connection to Freedom City, but apparently he at least had distant relatives here. From what Carmen had seen online, he was supposed to be on tour in Europe right now, and then, suddenly, he was in Freedom City and her editor had been able to arrange the interview. Carmen was pulled from her thoughts as she came to the address given to her by her editor. Before her was a large mansion of a neo-gothic style that was set back several dozen yards from the low brick wall that surrounded its extensive grounds. The old stone building was three stories tall, with a couple of small towers that went up another floor and tall peaked roofs. The iron gates at the entrance in the brick walls were open, allowing Carmen to pull onto the long driveway that lead up to the front of the house and a nearby smaller building that looked like an old carriage house which now served as a multi-car garage. A number of large, seemingly ancient trees were spaced about the grounds, and along one side of the house was what appeared to have once been a large garden, though it was now withered away or otherwise unkept. As Carmen pulled up to the front of the house, a man who appeared in his early seventies and was dressed in a butlers uniform emerged from the main door, making his way down the couple of steps along the front patio. "Is there something I can help you with miss?" He asked, raising his voice to be heard over the motorcycle's engine.

Velocity was unimpressed by Steed's response, crossing her arms as she leveled a look at the other woman. "No Steed, this is not treasure we are looking for, it is a piece of an dangerous artifact that represents a considerable threat to the space/time continuum. As you have readily admitted, you are no hero. And I have far more experience than you in that area anyway." "So kindly sit down and shut up. Or…I will act on that outstanding warrant for your arrest in the States and hand you over to federal authorities and you can spend an little time in jail and in legal mess until such time as I can get back and see what I can do about possibly getting those charges against you dropped."

Velocity listened to Robert's reply with deep concern. "Okay, if you are sure." She replied quietly. "But please don't hesitate to tell me if these things are really starting to get to you. I…I don't want to have to fight you again." The speedster then looked up as Steed arrived and the scene seemed to replay, causing her to blink slightly. As Steed then pointed at Hronos and began demanding information, even if in a somewhat charming way, the young woman frowned slightly. "Settle down there Steed." She stated, a bit of an edge in her voice. "While I appreciate your finding one of the pieces and bringing it to my attention, and your help with piloting the Pegasus, but this is no longer one of your treasure hunts." "Hronos has already offered to compare notes, so to speak, so there is no need to be demanding things from him."

The OOC for http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/topic/6973-the-13th-hour-ic/?p=190010'>this thread. I will be getting to work on the PC introductions, starting with Pitch's.

Prologue Port Regal, Freedom City Friday May 31, 2013 10:21 PM Darkness had fallen over Freedom City. The bright lights of the city’s downtown shone brightly in the darkness, reflecting out over the waters of the Wading and South Rivers and the Centery Narrows. But up in the depths of Port Regal centered round Lake MacKenzie, the bright lights of the city were little more than a glow over dark trees and hills. Once, Port Regal was one of Freedom City's most affluent districts, but it had faded in that regarded in the last several decades. While many of the old mansions and Victorian-era homes had been sold to business or turned into bed-and-breakfasts, there were still some of the old established families that retained their traditional family homes in the area. One such home was situated on sprawling grounds along the banks of Lake MacKenzie. Set back dozens of yards from iron gates that provided entrance through the brick walls that surrounded the grounds, the large stone mansion was dark and foreboding. Most of the building stood at three stories high, though there were a few small towers that continued on for another floor or two. The old structure showed signs of decay and wear. The grounds surrounding it were covered with what had clearly once been a large, well maintained garden that had long since withered away. Tucked back in one corner of the garden, behind low iron fences, a fair number of headstones were visible in the shadowy sections of the family cemetery. The large windows of the house were primarily dark voids, with only a few showing faint traces of light. One such window was tall, curved topped window on the third floor, along the section that looked out towards the main garden and cemetery. The room inside was lit only by a number of candles scattered throughout. The ceiling of the room rose up fifteen feet above the floor, the upper recesses of the room lost in shadow that hid the detailed crown molding that decorated the ceiling. The walls of the room were covered with tall oak bookcases, filled with old dusty tombs. Close to the wall on the side of the room opposite a fireplace was a large table covered with old maps and stacks of other papers. Most of the floor of the room was covered by a large antique oriental rug, other antique decorations faintly visible in the shadowy recesses of the room. Across from the fireplace was an old brown leather sofa and just to the right, also slightly facing the large windows, sat a matching large brown leather chair. It was in this chair that the room’s only current occupant was seated. Dressed in warm clothing, with an old quilt over his legs, the elderly man sat with a large leather bound book on his lap, its pages showing signs of age. Though there were a number of candles on a nightstand nearby, the elderly man was not reading the book. Sergio D'Ascenzo did not need to read the words before him, as he already knew all of what it had to say all too well. The same was true for many of the other tombs contained within his study. The ninety two year old head of the D'Ascenzo family had a gaunt face with sunken eyes that glowed faintly in the candlelight. He was thin and frail, his hands almost skeletal as they rested on the book on his lap. Just beside the chair was the wheelchair that he had been confined to for the last ten years. His breathing was slow and somewhat ragged. Sergio knew that time was growing short, not only for himself, but for the D'Ascenzos as a whole. For forty years, he had spent the majority of his time, and huge amounts of money, researching the family history all the way back to the late Renaissance in Italy. But it seemed that the more he learned, the more an answer alluded him. A sound at the door to the study pulled his attention from the dark shadows of the trees on the window as he slowly turned in the direction of the door to see his butler enter the room. In his early seventies, Walter moved rather slowly as he came across the room towards the chair Sergio was sitting in. Tall and thin, Walter was still in the suit and tie he wore for his duties, despite the late hour. For over forty years, Walter had worked for Sergio, and was unfailingly loyal to his employer. Coming to a halt beside the chair, the elderly butler held out a cordless phone. "The phone sir." Reaching up slowly with one skeletal hand, Sergio took the phone from the butler "Thank you Walter." He replied, his voice weak, and slightly raspy as he paused for a moment, looking at the man before him before he went on. "The time is drawing near once more Walter. Soon I am afraid your time here will be over." The old man standing beside him seemed to stiffen slightly at the comment. "I sincerely hope that does not come to pass sir. There is still time." With that, the elderly butler turned and started back towards the door. "Not enough Walter. Not enough." Sergio stated quietly as he began to slowly enter in a phone number on the phone. As he finished the number, the elderly D'Ascenzo raised the receiver to one ear as the line connected and the phone on the other end began to ring. It was no long before the call was answered. "Hello?" Came a male voice very familiar to Sergio, a confident voice, and more energetic than his own. "Jonathan, it is time to gather the remaining thirteen of us." Sergio said without further introduction. There was a brief pause on the other end before Sergio heard a reply. "Yes uncle. I will begin making the arrangements." Jonathan paused for a moment before he quickly spoke again. "I have been able to track down the necromancer and ghost expert that operates in the Lantern Hill district and will be making contact with him soon. Hopefully he will be willing to provide his expertise to trying to assist us." "Hopefully indeed. This will be our last chance for salvation." Sergio replied. There was a long pause before Jonathan spoke again. "I know uncle. I will see you before the end of the weekend." The line went dead as Sergio lowered his hand back down onto his lap, turning back to look at the dark window.

Ari, no need to apologize again about the mix up with Susan, you already did so in chat. The idea that the butler and Dee's mom knew each other in school (that is what you mean instead of clubs right?) sounds workable enough.

GM As El Heraldo streaked through the air, and Netfly zipped down the street, Warp ripped a hole through reality to take both her and Tsunami in the direction of the smoke. The two teenage girls appeared on a rooftop of a building just down the block from the one on fire, as El Heraldo drew close in the air and Netfly arrived as well. Before the group of teens was a rundown six story apartment building that had at least the outer walls of the top two floors engulfed in flames. Smoke was also coming out of some open windows on the fourth floor. A couple of people were gathered on the sidewalk out in front of the building, looking up and shouting out to see if there was anyone who need help. From the upper floors, El Heraldo could hear the faint sounds of people calling for help, many sounding weak.

Velocity paused a brief moment as Hronos suggested they compare notes so to speak regarding how they had each recovered their parts to the new device. The speedster was somewhat unsure about how much she should tell the relatively unknown robot about the Stopwatch, or its purpose. But she was relieved of any need to answer immediately when Robert approached to introduce himself before becoming affected by the presence of the crystal that Hronos was holding in his hand. As Robert reached to her to help steady himself, Velocity stepped in under his arm to wrap one of hers around his back and help lead him over to a nearby chair for him to rest in. She looked down at him with a worried look on her face as he mentioned not feeling like himself. “Do you feel like they are trying to influence you?†She asked in a low voice, concern very evident in her voice. "Maybe we should drop you off in Freedom City, it appears Hronos can sense these things as well." When Hronos questioned her about Robert's wellbeing, and Steed called back asking what was going on, Velocity looked back towards Hronos. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce everyone that was helping me. Our current pilot is Elizabeth Steed, a…adventurer, who was the one who recovered the piece we currently have." "As for Lord Harrow, yes, the pieces of the device are affecting him. The device I mentioned encountering before was designed to operate only for Lord Harrow, and these pieces appear connected to that one, as he can sense them, after he came into contact with the first piece." She then shouted back up towards Steed. "There appears to be one more piece to recover. So we are not quite done yet."

Well, for one thing Susan is Dawn's twin sister, not her mom. I need to come up with names for her parents (well, first names that is). Also not particularly keen on the "old love" angle really. I sort of see Dawn's mother as rather vain and shallow, from some other aristocratic family.