Heritage

TUCKED AWAY by Thevshi Right after I did my last edit, I realized I missed an opportunity: dropping the Animal Empathy feat in exchange for adding another rank in Dimensional Pocket.

Happy birthday, DS! So has it already passed or is it yet to come? That damn Date Line confuses the hell out of me...

Initiatives for the Gunmen: 1d20+2=10 Initiative for The Man: 1d20+7=12 Notice for Gunmen: 1d20+2=15 Notice for The Man: 1d20+7=19 Stealth for The Man: 1d20+10=27 So no one sees her, the Gunmen don't see The Man, either. The Notice check for Noemi was to see if she was aware of The Man before he physically appeared. And off we go! Initiative order: Red Rat The Man Gunmen Noemi is up!

Grim was pacing the cellar, nimbly dodging the poorly-insulated wires as she gnawed on a thumbnail. There was no word from Velocity yet, but maybe that was a good thing, right? Unless everyone back at the bookstore was already dead... It finally sank in that Robert had asked her a question. "Oh, yeah, it's like a hole into my own little corner Beyond the Veil; figured out how to do it about twenty years ago." She snorted. "Wish I'd had it back when the twins were little; could've had a little peace and quiet from time to time!" When the phone rang, the changeling practically leaped across the room to grab the receiver and jam it to her ear. "What do you want now, you twisted pr###?" Boy, did she want to rip the annoying grin off all his faces!

Sorry, I'll have to post here tomorrow after work!

Yes, I broke down and gave her Attractive

Miracle Girl In costume Power Level: 10/14 (225/250PP) Tradeoffs: +2 Toughness/-2 Defense Unspent PP: 27 In Brief: Super-strong teen with the gift of flight. Alternate Identity: Casey Blankenship Identity: Secret Birthplace: Colorado Springs, CO Occupation: College student Affiliations: Claremont Academy (alumni), FCU, Pi Epsilon Delta, Terrifi Family: Margaret Blankenship (mother), Col. Steve Blankenship (father), Josh Blankenship (older brother) Description: DoB: December 27, 1997 Gender: Female Height: 5'8" Weight: 145 lbs. Eyes: Green Hair: Honey-blonde Casey is a good-looking, athletic young woman with green eyes and long blonde hair. In her civilian identity, she typically wears her hair up and out of the way, and favors cotton or flannel shirts, loose-cut jeans and light hiking boots year round. An oversize shoulder bag made from natural hemp holds her whole life, including her MG costume. Casey still wears her old glasses, even though she no longer needs them; she feels they help to maintain her 'ordinary girl' cover, plus she just really likes the way they look on her! Casey's bio-energetic field is always active, but it is usually barely visible to the naked eye, manifesting as more of a healthy glow to her skin and golden luster to her hair. However if she uses her powers for more challenging tasks, the glow becomes far more visible and radiant. When she's active as Miracle Girl, Casey loses the glasses and lets her hair down, which tends to billow around her face when she flies, and she literally glows; yes, she knows it's a bit much, but it actually helps her maintain her secret identity! She also wears a form-fitting costume of red, white and blue with a gold belt with several pouches for gear. History: Casey's family lives in Colorado Springs not far from Peterson Air Force Base, and until recently she attended Air Academy High School. She's been an active Girl Scout since she was little, and she recently earned her Gold Award for building a wooden footbridge at a National Park near her home. Up until recently, Casey only knew her dad as US Air Force Colonel Steve Blankenship; she had no idea that her father actually worked for AEGIS as Vigilant ('America's First Line of Defense!') and would probably have never found out, due to concerns over national security. Casey has been around aircraft her entire life; her father began taking her up in his Cessna before she could ride a bike. It was during a weekend training flight that a bizarre accident occurred; a summer storm suddenly came upon the tiny aircraft, which was was struck by lightening as Casey hurried to get back to the airfield. The bolt passed right through both her and her father, somehow transferring some of his powers to her. After the incident, Casey was taken to a secure location where it was explained who her father was and how important it was that his identity be kept a secret, and she swore an oath that she would. When it was discovered she now shared some of her father's gifts, AEGIS contacted Headmistress Summers and asked if she could accept a new student. After graduating with honors from Claremont Academy, Casey enrolled in the journalism program at Freedom City University. She is also a member of the Pi Epsilon Delta sorority. She has also worked closely with the super-detective Terrifica, and considers her a friend and mentor. Personality & Motivation: Casey is thoughtful and outgoing, and makes friends easily, though sometimes she comes off as a bit of a goody two-shoes. She is passionate about volunteer work, and sees heroism as merely an extension of what she's done most of her life. She also loves the romantic notion of being a newspaper reporter like her grandfather who worked for the Miami Herald for thirty years, even though she knows in modern times it means less and less. Casey tries to tell the truth at all times, but understands that a secret identity does require the occasional 'white lie', as much as it pains her. Outside of journalism, her interests include almost any sort of outdoor activity (hiking, camping, skiing and white-water rafting are among her favorites), as well as reading, playing board games and shopping with friends. Casey has also loved aviation since she was a little girl, something her pilot father instilled in her; even though she can now fly under her own power, achieving her student pilot certificate is still one of her proudest achievements. Powers & Tactics: Casey is getting more comfortable with her powers, but is still working on her tactics; so far, Miracle Girl is a fairly straightforward fighter, primarily relying on her impressive strength and speed to get the job done. She can take a lot of punishment, so she's happy to draw fire away from less physical heroes or to protect innocents. Her super-breath offers her a good option to take out a lot of mooks at one time, her heatvision is very precise, and her keen eyesight and ability to monitor emergency frequencies give a heads up when danger is near. Miracle Girl's body isn't actually any stronger, faster or tougher than any normal human's; a strange golden bio-energy field, channeled through Casey's own brain, allows her to accomplish these feats. Psionic energy is capable of disrupting that field, meaning Casey is more vulnerable to mental attacks. She has come to appreciate the value of stealth and occasional trickery when fighting crime; though she tries hard to be a 'good girl', these minor deceptions give her a little secret thrill. Complications: "Yeah, he's my dad..." - Casey's father is Col. Steve Blankenship, aka Vigilant, 'America's First Line of Defense'. It's not quite as cool as it sounds. "I know he just wants me to be safe." If any of Vigilant's enemy's figure out who Casey is, they might try to get to him through her. "No, I really am a Girl Scout." Scouting has been a major part of Casey's life since she was five years old; she takes her pledge to the Scouts and their values very seriously. "There might be a story here." Casey is both naturally curious and has a reporter's instincts; if she thinks there's a wrong that needs to come to light, she will do everything in her power to expose it. "Are you going to finish that?" Casey needs to eat about twice as much as a normal girl her size to keep herself going. Abilities: 4 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 2 + 10 = 30 PP Strength: 30/14 (+10/+2) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 30/14 (+10/+2) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 20 (+5) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24PP Initiative: +9 Attack: 6, Melee +6, Ranged +6, Unarmed +10, Heatvision +14 Grapple: +20 (+10 Str, Attack 6, Super-Str 4) Defense: 8 (+6 Defense, +2 Dodge Focus), 3 Flat-footed Knockback: -9 Saving Throws: 0 + 0 + 8 + 9 = 17PP Toughness: +12 (+2 Con, +8 Enhanced Con, +2 Protection) Fortitude +10 (+2 Con, +8 Enhanced Con) Reflex +10 (+2 Dex, +8) Will +10 (+1 Wis, +9) Skills: 128 Ranks = 32PP Bluff 5 (+10/+14 Attractive/+16 Mimicry/+20 Attractive + Mimicry) Craft: Structural 2 (+5) Diplomacy 15 (+17/+21 Attractive) Skill Mastery Disable Device 7 (+10) Disguise 5 (+10) Drive 2 (+5) Gather Information 5 (+10) Investigate 2 (+5) Intimidate 10 (+15) Skill Mastery Knowledge (Behavioral Science) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Current Events) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Earth Science) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Pop Culture) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Streetwise) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Technology) 2 (+5) Languages 4 (Arabic, ASL, Japanese, Spanish) Medicine 4 (+5) Notice 14 (+15) Skill Mastery Perform (Dance) 2 (+7) Pilot 3 (+5) Ride 3 (+5) Search 7 (+10) Skill Mastery Sense Motive 9 (+10) Stealth 8 (+10) Survival 4 (+5) Swim 5 (+7/+15) Feats: 20PP Attack Specialization 1 (Heatvision) Attack Specialization 2 (Unarmed) Attractive Dodge Focus 2 Equipment 1 Improved Initiative 2 Improved Sunder Inspire 3 Interpose Leadership Luck 1 Precise Shot Skill Mastery (Diplomacy, Intimidate, Notice, Search) Takedown Attack Ultimate Toughness Equipment: 1PP = 5EP 'Bug-Out Belt' contains: First Aid Kit 1EP Flashlight (headlamp) 1EP GPS Receiver 1EP Multi-tool 1EP Rebreather 1EP Powers: 4 + 16 + 18 + 1 + 9 + 8 + 2 + 18 + 13 + 15 = 104PP Communication 4 (Radio, 1 mile range) [4PP] Enhanced Constitution 16 [16PP] Enhanced Strength 16 (Power Feats: Alternate Power 2) [18PP] AP: Damage 8 (Freezing Breath, 80' length; Extras: Area [General, Cone], Selective, Flaw: Action [Full-Round Action]) {16/16} AP: Damage 6 (Heatvision; Extras: Ranged, Feats: Accurate 3, Precise) {16/16} Feature: Mimicry [1PP] Immunity 9 (Life Support) [9PP] Impervious Toughness 8 [8PP] Protection 2 [2PP] Super-Senses 18 (Extended Hearing 3 [10,000 ft], Ultra-Hearing, Extended Vision 3 [10,000 ft], Infravision, Microscopic Vision 1 [Dust-Size], Radar, Radio, X-Ray Vision [Resisted by Lead, +4]) [18PP] Super-Strength 6 (Strength 60, Heavy Load: 50 Tons, Feat: Super-Breath) [13PP] Swift as the Wind 7 (14PP Array, Feats: Alternate Powers 1) [15PP] Base: Flight 7 (1000 mph) {14/14} AP: Quickness 14 (x50,000) {14/14} Drawbacks: (-3) = -3PP Vulnerability (Psionic Attacks, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate [+50% DC]) [-3PP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 25 Toughness Damage Freezing Breath 80' Cone DC 23 Toughness Damage Heatvision Ranged DC 21 Toughness Damage Super-Breath Ranged DC 20 Reflex Trip TOTALS: Abilities 24 + Combat 20 + Saving Throws 17 + Skills 32 + Feats 20 + Powers 104 - Drawbacks 3 = 225/250 Power Points

Initiative roll, please!

GM For a few moments, the Rat floated in the water, the gentle slosh of water in her ears; then she heard whispered voices coming from back out in the hallway, though she couldn't make them out. Then she saw the ghostly outlines of two figures enter the room, directly under the spotlight; though their movements suggested some military training, the darkness seemed to be throwing them. The figures appeared to be males, big and beefy they the first two men she'd dispatched, but these two looked to be holding small, silenced automatics, cold metal dull and black. Both also wore suits like Ponytail and Stubbles. Then a new glowing figure appeared, coming out of the men's locker room to the left; it was bigger than either of the two the Rat had dropped off in the bathroom stall, and there were several cold pieces of metal on his body. It was The Man, and he was moving as quiet as a cat!

Give me Notice and (if applicable) Stealth rolls for RR.

GM Slave dutifully complied, and the second phone was blocked and scanned. No one appeared to be in the men's locker room, so the Rat was easily able to stow the two bodyguards in one of the stalls, one on top of the other, before making her way back out into the pool area. And that's when all the lights went out Emergency spotlights went up over the exit, but the rest of the pool was shrouded in darkness.

Have an HP for your troubles, RR!

GM It's not too hard to block the signal or access to the contents of the phone; the owner, one 'Karel Drabik', had set up a fairly easy password which the AI unlocked in a few thousand attempts, which only took a matter of seconds. The incoming call appeared as 'Private Number', but there was a listing for 'AD' that appeared regularly on the outgoing call log, which probably stood for 'Arkady Dragomirov'. Slave soon had a wealth of information about Drabik, including call logs, contact list (looked like Ponytail was probably 'Mazzuli'), photos and browser history; many of the web addresses ended in '.cz', which along with his name probably placed him as a Czech national. There were two more Private Number call attempts, which Slave easily blocked. Then it was time for Mr. Mazulli's phone to go off, though in his case it played 'The Emperor's Theme' very loudly from inside his jacket. It was now 12:01.

Would one of the Red Names be able to move Grim's old NPC sheet into the Archive? No hurry, obviously.

GM The kick was so fast it dropped Ponytail before he could say another word or raise his gun; he fell to the floor right where he stood, and ended up in a heap. The whole skirmish was over in a matter of seconds. There wasn't a sound other then the gentle lap of the water in the pool. Suddenly there was a loud buzzing from inside Stubble's suit jacket; someone was trying to reach him on his cellphone!

Toughness save: 1d20+1=8 Hah! Ponytail is goin' down!

Grim hung the phone up with a firm click, really not wanting to hear any more of that jovial voice she was starting to despise. She sat there for a few more seconds, saying nothing as she continued to stare off into space. At length, she roused herself from her unhappy funk. "If all the Dukes are connected, what if we somehow break that connection? Might that disrupt his...I dunno, his weird quantum state or whatever it is?" She traced a large circle on the floor with her foot, once again opening the portal into her own little pocket beyond the Veil; she reached inside and pulled out the two crossbows she'd confiscated from two other Dukes, uncocked them and then set them aside. Finally she stepped over to where the Duke slumbered, still wrapped up in the rope she'd conjured earlier. "Robert, can you help me lower him into that dimensional anomaly? I want to try a little experiment." Once the two of them had gently lowered the sleeping noble into the hole and carefully laid him out on the bed of soft pine needles inside, they both climbed out and she shut the portal closed with a snap of her fingers, leaving this Duke outside his own dimension. The fae heroine crossed her arms and grinned wryly. "Let see if he feels that." Then she turned back to Robert. "Thanks for your help with that." She indicated all the wires strewn around the room. "So, do we think he generates his own power or is he off the grid? If there's a circuit breaker or something, maybe we can cut off the power at the source."

Happy birthday, Quinn!

Out of curiosity, about how much does the Duke weigh?

There's info on >the staff in Grim's News thread if you need it, Cape.

Okay, edit has been made!

Damn it, I read that and it completely failed to register! Grrrrrrrrr! I'll have a revised and corrected post up when I'm feeling less pissed off

Do your IC and I'll follow up immediately based on your earlier OOC.

GM "Oof!" Her punch to his solar plexus knocked the wind right out of Stubbles, and he dropped like a sack of potatoes. For his part, Ponytail looked confused, almost hurt; he reached under his jacket to pull out a piece, but looked very reluctant to shoot the redheaded beauty. "Hey now, wait, wait. What's goin' on?" It seemed his brain could not process the fact that the hot girl he was just talking to had now dropped his coworker; he looked from Stubbles passed out on the tile floor to the Rat and then back again. "You can't do that!"

Grim looked around the room, hands on her hips. "Well, I guess we could clear the Duke and his right hand man of hench outta hear, and you could make with the boom-boom-" When the phone rang, she froze as her blood ran cold; something about that archaic sound made it much more sinister, like a scene from an old slasher film. She was coming to associate all these antiques with their diabolical master, who was no doubt on the other end of the line. When Velocity picked it up, Grim cocked her head slightly so she could hear the conversation more clearly. ... There was an audible gasp. Is it possible to have your blood go colder than cold? Maybe her veins were full of dry ice now. In a way, her employees had become like a little family to her, and by simply hiring them, she'd put all their lives in horrible danger. The petite heroine could hardly speak her throat was so tight with fear, and her eyes stared out at nothing. "Go. Save them. I'll stay here. With Robert."