Heritage

So everything just went weird all of a sudden, even by superhero standards, as pretty much everybody started popping in, including Adrian, the one they'd all been previously warned about. Which was cool, Lynn guessed. "Oh, uh, okay," she said as she scratched her head, a puzzled look on her face. "So we're circling the wagons over here, I guess? Did Belgium get too 'hot'? What should we be prepping for?" A familiar grey mist swirled around her, and she was in her working suit, claws out and ready to rumble.

What is the cabin situation like? Who's bunking with who?

Torque A-Plus Auto Wreckers was a death trap; of this, Taye was sure. The trailer she currently called home was a flimsy structure that sufficient rain or wind would erase from the Earth. So, everything went into plastic tubs, which were then delivered to her rented storage locker on the third floor of a converted factory. Safe, or at least as safe as she could afford. Her uncle Otis was a stubborn man, but her inhuman body was far stronger than his. It was easy work to pick him up, take him outside, turn into a Ford Explorer, and drive him to an evacuation center as CCR's "Who'll Stop The Rain" played on her radio, loud enough to drown out his curses and protestations. - "You will be safe," - she rumbled through her stereo system. "Damn it, girl! You're as stubborn as your mother, Taye!" - "Yes, I am." - Now that her uncle was safe, it occurred to Taye that there would be others in need of relocation. So she spent the rest of the day ferrying families, the elderly and hospital patients to safety, assuming whatever vehicular form was most appropriate. This was by far the most public use of her abilities she'd made since her transformation, and many of her passengers were initially put off by the arrival of a driverless SUV that firmly requested they get inside if they wanted to live; no, she couldn't resist. But eventually police and other emergency personnel began to recognize her and her custom Florida plates (TORQUE 1) and wave her through. Vibora Bay might not be Freedom City, but its first responders knew not to look a weird gift horse in the grille. Taye was starting to develop a pleasant feeling of satisfaction with her accomplishments when all the lights in the city went out, and she reflexively switched to darkvision. - "This cannot be good." -

Some links, possibly of interest. https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit

Tag!

Wait, where did Adrian come from? Did Richard bring him? It's not clear from the posts.

So we've got our first four VB PCs approved, and hopefully more to come soon. Any ideas what kinds of stories we want to tell? I for one am very intrigued by the swamp just North of town.

Posting here to keep this notion alive. And yes, HGM, that would be nice!

For her part, Grim decided to try a little subtlety; she was in her normal, teenaged body, complete with spikey auburn hair. But instead of her full costume, she wore black leather boots, tight black leather pants, and a black and midnight blue motorcycle jacket. Finally her eyes were hidden behind a large pair of sunglasses. To those in the know, she 'read' as Grimalkin while still allowing an element of plausible deniability. "Yeah, she had some concerns that you might be in trouble, so she asked us to check up on you. Y'know, make sure you're okay."

Searchable Profile [A selfie of a light-skinned African-American woman wearing coveralls; they are slightly unzipped, revealing a colorful T-shirt below. Her hair is in long braids, tied up in a bright scarf. Her expression is fairly bland, but with a hint of a smile.] [The engine of a 1969 Pontiac GTO, nearly disassembled and spread out on a piece of canvas. All the individual parts are immaculately clean.] Name: Taye Gender: Physically Female, but non-biological Preferred Era of Pop Culture: I was born in the mid-90s, and therefore prefer current pop culture. About you: I am no longer human, and as a result of this, my family and former peer group are not always comfortable in my presence. However, I still feel the need to socialize with others who share my interests, which include high-performance sports cars, current trends in technology and popular music. In the past, I greatly enjoyed dancing, though I am unsure if this is still the case. I no longer eat or sleep, so I have a great deal of free time to fill. Looking For: As I'm not interested in a romantic relationship, gender is irrelevant, though perhaps my interests are more likely to intrigue a male. Stimulating conversation is the key. Partner Goals: Ideally a conversation partner, especially one who keeps unusual hours like myself. Shared activities like NASCAR or going to the movies would also be of interest. My Favorite Thing About The Place I Live Is.... The wide variety of ecosystems Most People Who Know Me Would Say I'm… Not the same person I used to be. My Favorite Childhood Memory Is… My first time at the Daytona 500 with my father Five Things I Am Not... Tired, Hungry, Hot, Cold, Technically Alive Private Letter to ErosUnlimited:

Some stuff I missed last month. Grimalkin Kingmaker: Opening Move (2 posts) EU profile Miracle Girl EU profile Last month, Grim's posts went to Eel; this month, they're going to Torque. Not sure which applies for late posts.

Lynn shrugged and held her hand out, wagging it from side to side. "So-so. I have good days and bad days, y'know? Severing the psychic link between us was hard, but ultimately made it easier; it was like...like I stopped waiting by the phone for her to call or something. Which is funny, because now we do call each other from time to time, or text or email. Y'know, for work stuff." She sighed, and then stopped right before she took another swig. "So what about you, where you been?"

Lulu frowned at shook her head as she tapped out a response. -That a-hole! I can't believe he ? you!- -He was in space w me and some other students back in July, but that's last time I saw him- -he was Kind of a doofus (sorry J! ?). Kept wandering off and getting into trouble ??-

"It's very nice to meet you, Naisha," Miracle Girl said as she gently took the keys from the traumatized young woman. "All of this will be very useful in helping restore your brother to his old self. How can we reach you if we have any other questions?" Once they were on their way again, Casey shook her head. "I don't like this; what if we can't undo the affect? It's such a cruel thing to do, especially to gifted young students!"

Oops, my bad! Fixed them both.

RETURNING STUDENT Name: Louise 'Lulu' Beaumont Codename: Crystal-Gazer Year: Junior Pronouns: She/Her Current Intramural Team: Orange Current Roommate: Tabitha Hannigan Reflection: I want to see more of the world! I made lots of friends, but I want to learn more about them, so we can help each other more. School Club: Gaming Club!

Okay, made a few changes and fixes, but I will keep her in her current somewhat underpowered form. Right now, she's more or less a support hero, but she will learn to be so much more!

Okay, I think all the changes have been made!

Made a few changes to her crunch suggested by Grumble, which get her below 180 without the Weakness, and definitely improve the character.

Would a Vulnerability to Datalink count as Uncommon?

You have a valid point! Any suggestions for an alternative Weakness?

More about losing her partner in crime fighting, allowing her two work to angles of a case at the same time.

I always have trouble shrinking the pictures ?

Name: Torque Power Level: 10 [13] Tradeoffs: -2 Attack / +2 Damage, -2 Defense / +2 Toughness Power Points: 184/192PP Unspent Power Points: 8 In Brief: Former engineering student remade into a transforming robot Identity: Shantaya Sullivan ('Taye)' Birthplace: Vibora Bay, FL Occupation: Wreck yard employee Affiliations: none Family: Clayton Sullivan (father), Rose Sullivan (mother), Curtis Sullivan (older brother), Otis Sullivan (uncle) Description: DOB: April 11rd, 1994 Date of Rebirth: August 3rd, 2019 Apparent Age: Mid-twenties Gender: Female Ethnicity: African-American Height: 5’ 9” Weight: 148 lbs. Eyes: Brown Hair: Black (in long braids) Taye appears to be an attractive young African-American woman in her mid-twenties. She's fairly tall with an athletic build, and tends to favor coveralls and work boots most of the time for their practicality, though she may wear some of her more colorful clothes from her former life underneath. She wears no makeup, some nice jewelry (she's especially fond of large hoop earrings) and usually keeps her long braids up and out of the way in a colorful scarf. Torque doesn't have a proper costume yet, but as she spends a lot of time in vehicular form, it's not really been an issue. As a vehicle, she can assume aquatic, aerial or land-based forms, physically matching any boat, helicopter or auto she can think of, provided it's within her 'weight class', though she tends to favor sleek, sporty models. History: Shantaya 'Taye' Sullivan was a very outgoing graduate of the UFVB engineering program, who hoped to work in the automotive industry someday. Her father, Clayton Sullivan, is a well-connected businessman with several investments throughout Weston, and a four bedroom home in Hollings Hill; however, he is not so secretly a senior lieutenant within Clark Robinson's organization, and a man to be feared. However, Clayton has always done his best to protect his family from that side of his life, and he was determined that both his children would go to college, and have better lives than he or his wife Rose ever did. They firmly but lovingly pushed their children through high school, and both children were able to attend UFVB on full scholarships, Curtis for football and Taye for science. The future was looking bright. But then during her junior year, Taye began to complain that she was feeling tired all the time; naturally, she thought it was due to her heavy academic workload, and she vowed to get more rest. By her senior year, she was also experiencing fevers and night sweats, significan weight loss and a persistent cough. This led to batteries of tests and hospital visits as Taye's doctors struggled to discover what was making her sick. After several months, she was diagnosed with a very rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and treatment began, involving both chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Despite all this, she still managed to graduate with her degree only a year late, and the sight of the frail young woman in a wheelchair accepting her diploma onstage was extremely moving. Despite Taye's heroic courage and her father sparing no expense in her treatment, by the time she turned twenty five, it was clear she was losing the fight, and her family was at their wit's end. Friends and associates began to whisper in Clayton's ear; this was Vibora Bay, where there were...other options. But a lifetime of distrust towards magic meant that option was not a viable one. No, his little girl would be saved by science... ....... When Taye woke up in a bed set up in one of her father's warehouses, surrounded by strange equipment, she didn't feel sick, weak or tired; she felt strong and fully aware. Something was different, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Her family was there, and she greeted them in a pleasant manner, which seemed to make them uncomfortable for some reason. No matter, she'd been in bed long enough, and she had things to do! But her family asked her take it easy, and stay at home for a few days until she felt 'more like herself'. Over the next several days, Taye discovered what had happened: through various criminal channels, Clayton has received a canister filled with billions of experimental nanobots which the dealer claimed would save her life, which they did, in a fashion. They'd rebuilt her, on a microscopic level, creating a robotic body indistinguishable from her biological one, including all of her memories, now encoded into her robotic brain. Taye no longer needed to eat or sleep, which she found to be very convenient, but her family, especially her parents, were not comfortable with the change. Then she began to eat pieces of rusted metal, which somehow made her mother cry. And then came the day Taye offered to drive her father to work...by turning into a Maserati. This seemed to make him very upset, which was confusing; she'd always loved Italian sports cars, and now she could become one. This was a good thing, wasn't it? But apparently it wasn't. Clayton and Rose sat Taye down (Curtis wasn't there, for some reason) and said that while they still loved Taye, they didn't feel comfortable with her staying in the house. Her uncle Otis had volunteered to put her up for a while they 'figured things out, which seemed strange, but Taye certainly didn't want her parents to be uncomfortable. Then they cried a lot, which she knew was bad; she remembered that. Now living in a trailer at her uncle's Inner Weston auto wreck yard, surrounded by her old things, Taye struggled to figure out what went wrong. As far as she could figure out, she was dying, and her father made a deal with some criminals. The criminals lied, because they saved her life, but it made her parents unhappy. Ergo, if she fought crime, maybe she could find a way to make her parents happy again. Though she didn't understand the feelings behind it, she knew happy parents were better than unhappy parents, and then she could see her brother again. And she knew she wanted that very much. Personality & Motivation: 'Old' Taye was an outgoing, lively young woman; 'new' Taye appears to aloof and unfeeling, though the ghosts of old emotions still influence her behavior. She wants to help people as a way of finding new purpose in life, and hopes to reconnect with her 'fellow humans'. She prefers to be useful, and appreciates the chance help her uncle out. Crime ruins lives. True, it allowed Taye to 'survive' her illness, but it also tore her family apart with an unfair devil's bargain that only benefited the crooks involved. No one should be forced into such a situation, and Torque wants to do everything in her power to keep that from happening to anyone else. Powers & Tactics: Torque is still learning to use her powers. She has some skill in hand-to-hand combat, but is much more effective in vehicular form. She can also use her nannites to breakdown the structure of any inanimate object she touches, normally to make it easier to consume, but the process has many tactical applications as well. Her vehicular forms are also well suited for rapid response transport and rescue operations, and can be devastating in combat. Complications: Was That An Attempt At Humor?: One of the casualties of Taye's transformation was her sense of humor. It's not that she takes everything literally or doesn't understand sarcasm; it's more she doesn't see the point of such things. The Uncanny Valley: Taye's flat affect and general lack of empathy make her less than pleasant to be around, though some may assume she's on the autism spectrum. Family Ties, Or The Lack Thereof: Taye's horrified parents completely rejected her after her transformation, and forced her out of the house. Her brother Curtis and Uncle Otis are a bit more sympathetic to her plight, and sometimes get in over their heads. This Isn't Coffee, It's Rust Tea: Taye's non-human body can no longer process food, which can lead to awkward social situations. Abilities: 9 + 4 + [-10] + 8 + 4 + 0 = 15PP Strength: 35 [19] (+12/+4) [Heavy Load: 1.5 tons/350 lbs] Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: n/a Intelligence: 18 (+4) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 10 (+0) Combat: 32PP Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex) Attack: +8/+10 Melee (+6 Base, -2 Size, +4 Attack Focus [Melee]), +4 Ranged (+6 Base, -2 Size) Damage: +12/+4 Unarmed Grapple: +28/+8 (+8 Melee Attack, +12 Strength, +8 Size) Defense: +8/+10 (+10 Base, -2 Size), +4 Flat-Footed Knockback Resistance: -14/-4 Saving Throws: 12PP Toughness: +12/+8 (+ 8 Protection, +4 from Growth) Fortitude: -- Reflex: +8 (+2 Dex, +6PP) Will: +8 (+2 Wis, +6PP) Skills: 76 r = 19PP Acrobatics 3 (+5) Computers 6 (+10) Concentration 3 (+5) Craft (Electronic): 6 (+10) Craft (Mechanical): 6 (+10) Disable Device 6 (+10) Disguise: 0 (+0/+20 as Vehicle) Drive 8 (+10) Knowledge [Current Events] 1 (+5) Knowledge [Earth Sciences] 1 (+5) Knowledge [Physical Sciences] 1 (+5) Knowledge [Streetwise] 1 (+5) Knowledge [Technology] 6 (+10) Notice 3 (+5) Pilot: 8 (+10) Search 1 (+5) Stealth: 8 (+10) Swimming 8 (+12/+20 as Boat) Feats: 6PP Attack Focus: Melee 2 Improvised Tools Interpose Luck 1 Move-By-Action Powers: 10 + 40 + 8 + 4 + 45 = 107PP Drain Toughness 10 (Extras: Affects Objects, Flaws: Affect Only Objects) [10PP} Immunity 40 (Fortitude and Mental effects) [40PP] Protection 8 [8PP] Super-Senses 4 (Darkvision, Infravision, Radio) [4PP] Vehicle Form 9 (45PP Container [Active]) [45PP] Enhanced Skills 8 (Stealth 8 ) [2PP] (Stealth Mode) Features 3 (Headlights, Internal Compartment, Theme Music [on the radio) [3PP] Growth 8 (Size: Huge, Size Modifiers: +16 Strength [+26 Lifting (Heavy Load: 6 tons)], +8 Constitution, -2 Attack, -2 Defense, +8 Grapple, +8 Knockback Resistance, +4 Intimidation, -8 Stealth) [24PP] Morph 4 (+20 Disguise, Flaws: Limited to Any Vehicle) [8PP] Vehicular Movement 5 (10PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 2) [12PP] - Base Power: Flight 5 (250MPH / 2,500ft per Move Action) [10PP] - AP: Speed 5 (250MPH / 2,500ft per Move Action, Feats: Subtle) [6PP] (Descriptors: Subtle power feat = Electric back-up motor for Stealth Mode) - AP: Swimming 5 (50MPH / 500ft per Move Action) [5PP] + Enhanced Skills 8 (Swimming 8, Extras: Linked [Swimming] ) [2PP] Disability (No Hands, Frequency: Very Common, Intensity: Moderate) [-4PP] Drawbacks: -7PP Vulnerability (Electricity, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Major [x2 Effect Rank]) [-4PP] Vulnerability (Magnetism, Frequency: Uncommon, Intensity: Major [x2 Effect Rank]) [-3PP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 12 Tough Damage Vehicle Touch DC 27 Tough Damage Drain Touch No Save Drain Toughness (Inanimate Only) Totals Abilities 15 + Combat 32 + Saves 12 + Skills 19 + Feats 6 + Powers 107 - Drawbacks 7 = 184/192 PPs