Dr Archeville

"Word tends to spread, even in Freedom, about new metahumans. But do not be too quick to seek out an archnemesis!," he said, half serious, half laughing, "they will find you in time!"" "Mercury?!" A puff of air escaped the Doktor's mouth after Jin explained the costume, sounding somewhat like a dog's woof. "For your sake I hope you do have some sort of immunity to metallic poisons -- that stuff is highly toxic! I- hrm..." The Doktor paused mid-sentence, and stroked his chin in thought. "There is a hypothesis on metahuman abilities, that their ultimate source is a 'metagene' located in a small percentage of humans, activated by assorted stresses, mostly environmental. The stress -- exposure to experimental rocket fuel fumes, or lightning bolts, or ionizing radiation, and so on -- dictate the manifestation of the abilities, but the cause itself is the metagene. It could be that you are one of these individuals, and your exposure to the metallic contaminants that are now in your blood activated your metagene, giving you the ability to alter and manipulate metal, and resist any toxic effects metals may have." He lowered his hand from his face, and used it to draw circles in the air before him, around Ferros' head, "but if not through electromagnetism, as Supercape said, then how?" He glanced back up through the branches, down to Ferros' disc, down to his own Belt, then back up to the young man. "Would you mind telling me under what conditions you were exposed? Was it in a laboratory of some sort? Are the metals in you some experimental alloy?"

"Not a clue!," Archeville exclaimed, appearing oddly happy at that, "I just know what Supercape told me over chess and tea, and that was not much! But I do look forward to getting to know a man of your unique abilities!" "Just what sort of metal is that," he pointed to the mask with one outstretched finger, then pointed down to the disc, "and that? And, speaking of metal," he leaned back a bit, "Supercape said something about some some odd metallic impurities or contaminants in your blood. Are they tied to those two?" The Doktor glanced up, then back at Ferros, a grin on his face. "Say... just how fast can you move that thing?"

At a touch of his cummerbund the blue-gray glow of his force field spread out from his Gravimetric Belt and enveloped him, but that nearly a reflex for Archeville. What he was focusing on was Gillman's device, and his own little gadget, and how to get the two to talk to one another. A moment later, a blindingly bright beam of light, cycling through a the rainbow of colors, lanced out from the tip of his Screwdriver and struck Gillman's device. Hello, Computer. Would you like to tell me everything about yourself, including blueprints and schematics of your hardware and copies of your software? Of course you would. Of course you can trust me -- I am, after all, a Doktor. The intruder's device glowed, and parts of it became transparent as the scanning beams tore every secret from it. Screeches and whines filled the air, which Archeville nodded along to, his face showing a panoply of reactions to the sounds. "Gillman here has been quite busy," he said at last, though really it had been all of five or six seconds, "lots of tech from lots of sources there, like he said. I must say, I am impressed at how someone miniaturized a Vacuum Energy Extractor into something the size of a cell phone battery. And with- oh, there we go, coordinates for all the places you have visited. My, my, quite the traveler. Interesting place, this- oh." "Colt... Billy... his device, it can take you back home -- to shortly after you originally left! You could see your mother! She would not even realize you had been gone!," he blurted out, his mouth getting ahead of his brain. But it did catch up, "Colt, you could- oh... oh." The contents of the small box in his pocket pulsed faster.

"Not rare enough," Archeville muttered in response to Fulcrum's words. But the dark mood soon passed, and he was all smiles again. He shook Brute's hand, then followed his counterpart through the forest. "Wondrous indeed is our technology," he called to her, "though we do have our share of warlords who work to limit and restrain them. For example, we have been to our Moon, six times, but the last trip was almost 40 years ago. Why? They say it is not worth the effort! Bah! And travel - ha! We are only now making a real push for electric automobiles, to replace the gas- er, oil-burning vehicles. But the technology to do so has been around for decades, held back by the companies that mine and refine the oil used in the older models!" He glanced back at Mona a few times as they went. She saw that, despite his words, his face carried a look of elation. He was complaining, true, but he was thoroughly enjoying it.

"I know a few others who are in my league," the floating head replied as Jin put on his mask, tilting from side to side as he thought, "and, yes, quite a bit more I can do than merely flying and cloaking. But to that last bit: no, I actually have no idea who you are!" The bodiless head laughed, "I knew the young man who was interviewed by Supercape at The Lab came from here, so I have been floating around most of the day to see if I could catch sight of anyone with the same rough height and build as Ferros, and see if they used any metal-manipulation powers or reacted to the invisible presence of the metals I have on me." The head practically giggled as it was pulled towards the young man, "of course, of course! A moment, please." The air below the head shimmered and parted, revealing the rest of Doktor Archeville, in a blue business shirt, black khakis, black rubber-soled boots, and his ever-present white full-length labcoat. Many of the pockets along the coat bulged due to their contents being pulled by Ferros' power. "Speaking of giving, I have some advice to give you: if you are serious about this secret identity thing, take more care with what you 'think aloud.'"

In case Giz & you missed my edit to my prior post: Free Action: Maintain Enhanced Mind/Enhanced Charisma Free Action: Activate Enhanced Fort/Force Field/Shield Move Action: Reconfigure Electromagnetic Screwdriver (Gadgets 3) to Comprehend 2 (electronics 2 [speak to and understand]) {4} Datalink 2 (100 feet; PFs: Rapid 2 [x100]; Drawback: Noticeable) {3} Enhanced Feat 1 (Eidetic Memory) {1} Enhanced Skills 12 (Computer 6, Disable Device 6) {3} Super-Senses 2 (detect technology [radio]; Enhancements: analytical, rapid 2 [x100]; Drawback: Noticeable) {3} Super-Senses 1 (communication link [radio] to Hanover HQ) {1} 4+3+1+3+3+1 = 15/15 Dok's Computer and Disable Device are both now +27. Eidetic Memory is there so the Screwdriver itself can record everything it finds; these would be lost if he reconfigures it and gets rid of the Eidetic Memory before he's able to transfer it to a separate computer. Noticeable = blindingly obvious scanning beam ? Action: Use the above on Gillman's widget. "Hello, Computer. Would you like to tell me everything about yourself, including blueprints and schematics of your hardware and copies of your software? Of course you would. Of course you can trust me -- I am, after all, a Doktor." Computer/"Diplomacy" check (1d20+27=47) Yes. Yes, it would.

Giz, were you going to do an IC post with all JoaB's tauntings and demoralizings? EDIT: And you may want to pass that Set-Up on to someone else, since Dok's not attacking (not in a way that JoaB's help would help).

I just realized Dok's Concealment doesn't have Selective, so he shouldn't be able to do that! ... Inventions!

"," the floating head mused, "" The head turned to see the spot Jin indicated, "" The floating head of Doktor Archeville was swallowed up by the sky, leaving Jin alone. When Jin reached the spot, he saw the floating head reappear again, up in the branches of one of the trees, like a Cheshire Cat.

Groovy. First, I said no. Second, the M&M book doesn't talk about how assorted descriptors (particularly magic v. science) would interact, as that sort of thing would be different for each setting, and the core M&M book is not a setting book. Book of Magic (the book about magic, particularly magic in the Freedom City setting) does have a sidebar on Magic vs. Science. It does say they're not opposed per se, don't counter each other of affect each other unduly, but it does state that they are "distinct ways of understanding and influencing the universe in the World of Freedom," and that science is more common & easier to use while magic is dangerous and sanity-warping, and usable only by a few. Which, to me, says that they are inherently incompatible as far as combining them goes, akin to how this guy and this guy have distinct -- and inherently incompatible -- ways of understanding and influencing the world. (And, yes, the same book does make mention of Technomancy, under the Mystical Styles section, but that's a generic M&M section of use for any magic0heavy M&M game, not a Freedom City-specific section; if technomancy was around in FC, surely they would have explicitly said so.) Third, I said no. This not GURPS Technomancer. Hunh, to me that looks very much like a 1960's Cyberman. Which... wouldn't be that out of place, I'd say. (It's less silly than I was expecting!) Understood. Cap with an IM suit, or Cap with Doc Strange's toys.

"" A small portion of the air before Jin seemed to unfold, revealing a head he had at least glimpsed on the news: the bright blue-eyed, thin-nosed, marble-cheeked, golden-haired face of Doktor Viktor Archeville! "" the Doktor's floating head said, "" he glanced side to side, looking to see if anyone had noticed him yet, ""

We don't give out bonus Wealth if you have ranks in a Profession skill, and you can't take Concentration for Skill Mastery. A Device itself should not have an alternate Power power feat. It technically can, yes -- it'd be a way to represent Tony Stark's multitudes of armor -- but it's dodgy. Also, you will need to give examples for the Variable power you have. See Blueshift, Midnight, and my namesake character's sheet for examples. I will warn you, though, that if you're new to M&M (I have no idea if you are or not), VP can be deceptively difficult to use. As for the fluff, three things jump out. One, while AEGIS could have an anti-evil!magic task force (Agents of Freedom mentions a Samantha Stephens expy as being a consultant for mystical threats), they would not have 'magitek'/magic-powered tech: magic & tech are two very different descriptors, and it should be exceedingly rare for it to be combined. (I'd honestly prefer if they weren't, and you just had him use just tech or just magic. It could be magic dressed up to look like tech -- a 'blast wand' with a pistol grip, for example, and protective amulets on the same chain as his dog tags -- but things like "programming language for magic devices" makes my teeth hurt.) Second, why go with "impractically silly-looking" armor? I.e., why make your character look silly? "Impractically bulky" would be better -- that'd show it's still in the production/beta testing stage, and could still use some perfecting/streamlining. Three -- and this is the biggest point -- is that is not an AEGIS game, this is a superhero game. Your char, as-is, does not sound like he'd really fit in well here: this seems like a professional soldier/agent, while everyone else is (essentially) freelance vigilantes. Related to this is your mention of him being a commander of a squad, and idea I believe you've been told in Chat would not fly. I'm not saying the idea is completely flawed: FC does certainly have mystical threats, and Marvel's had many characters who were agents of SHIELD or some similar group who worked (and worked well) as solo heroes, or as heroes on a team. (Black Widow, Captain America, Hawkeye, Mockingbird and Ms. Marvel all spring to mind.) Focus on making a char like them, not like Nick Fury or Clay Quartermain. And please give him a codename and costume! Also, please alphabetize things ASAP; it will help folks who look over it. :)

Oh, they definitely can. It's just like, as I said, two people from opposite ends of America trying to talk to one another.

Of course! All part of his plan! Likewise, I'm assuming Ferros was raised under the particular dialect of his home city, while Dok just speaks the standard/most common form of Mandarin.

"," a vaguely familiar voice came from nowhere. "Standard version, and with a slight Germanic accent on top of that; to Ferros, trained in the Southwestern dialect of his home, it was like a native of Texas hearing someone speaking Pennsylvania Dutch English -- intelligible, but weird.

Wherein Doktor Archeville meets up with Ferros, and sees if he has what it takes to join the Interceptors.

Date: June 7th, 2011 (Tuesday; after Magnetic Particle Inspection, before Mangled Metal). Afternoon. Temps in the high 50s/low 60s, clear skies, ~10mph winds Doktor Archeville was curious. It was one of his main drives, really: to see how things work, and how they could work better. Which was partly why he was so interested in metahumanity: to see if they really were some 'next step' in human evolution, or, if not, to at least see if their powers could be reliably predicted and replicated for a host of civic-minded, world-improving projects; those who could affect the environment, especially one or more of the fundamental forces, and those who could be 'Terminus Babies,' were of particular interest. Closely tied to that was his interest in metahuman psychology, in seeing how such powers affected the mind, and to take what steps he could to make sure as few metahumans fell to the side of villainy as possible. This was the primary (stated) reason he created the Interceptors: to create a force for good and heroism out of those who might, due to assorted social pressures, slide to villainy. All this combined explained why he was waiting, cloaked, just outside one of the chemistry labs at Hanover. The Doktor had been slowly flying around the area since morning, looking for students who fit the basic sketch for what he saw of Ferros on the traffic cams. (One perk of being founder of his own company: he could set his own hours, and set aside time for personal projects like this, though he knew work still waited for him back at the office.) He could have hacked the university's database to find the student's schedules, selected the ones who had classes in these buildings at the time he saw Ferros leave the area, then investigate each of those students to look for empowering background events, but he felt that would be -- for this case -- an unconscionable invasion of privacy. It was not a villain he was investigating, not someone who'd shown any problematic leanings, so there was no need to do all that digging, not yet. (Even with his Other gone, and with it his impulses to Archeville still had his grandfather's reputation to combat, so he kept an eye on his actions and did what he could to not go down slippery slopes.) Best to do some simple observations, see if he could catch anyone using some metal-bending power, then approach and strike up a conversation. "Ah, perhaps this one?," he asked himself as he saw a young Chinese man leave one of the labs. He fit the basic outline of Ferros, but so had many others before him.

Please do be sure to read our House Rules, too. Which, among other things, expressly forbids having 0 'base' Attack and 0 'base' Defense and having all your attack & defense come from feats.

You've been working on this for a while, with much input from others, and I think this is a solid character. :approved:

Tinkered and tweaked, and now :approved:

"Not magnetokinetic?," Archeville repeated, actually looking up from the board to focus on Supercape. "How intriguing." He leaned back slightly, "yes, telekientic sounds most likely. You said there were some 'oddities' in his body? Could be some mutagenic contaminant, unlocked some psionic potential. But why metal?" He stroked his chin in thought, "psychological reasons, probably. Perhaps something in his past. I think I should like to meet this young man." He sat up and took a sip from the tea Supercape had provided, "I really must introduce you to some East Frisian teas, 'Cape. There are other teas besides Earl Grey!" ~fin~ (continued here)

"No alien species or new life forms here," he replied to Colt, shaking his head, "and ever since that 'Conquering Mind' unpleasantness last month, I have been working on psionic shielding for some of my workspaces, to prevent outside influence." "I have, however, been noting some anomalies in my system reports lately, though," he offered, tapping his chin in thought. "Minor things so far -- misplaced or mislabeled equipment, atypical power drains. I had thought it might have been evidence of some cyberattacker, but I have yet to track down anything concrete on these anomalies." His face lit up just a tiny fraction when Mona spoke, both from hearing her voice and hearing her technical questions. "That crystal, yes, and some of the fragments you were exposed to later. Would use-" His eyes shifted for a moment but he squeezed them shut and looked back with steady eyes at the group, "would use Terminus energies funneled through one of my micro-wormholes to breach spacetime and permit temporal travel. But I believe," he turned slightly, checking the news feeds he'd been half-listening to the whole time, "that the portals are disappearing on their own. Probably because the device that created them is no longer operational."

Archeville was quiet for a moment, stroking his chin in thought. At last he nodded, "yes, there is something you should do before starting here," he said in a very serious tone, "something which will help you immensely, both here and in other endeavors." He placed both hands on his desktop and leaned forward slightly, and fixed her with his Rhine-blue eyes. Eyes which soon crinkled around the edges as a grin came to his face, "have a wonderful time at graduation, Miss White, and at any graduation parties you attend! You have earned it!" ~fin~

"Hunh." Archeville had not expected the kid (who he did not know) would attempt a move like that. Archeville gave chase, his Belt's contragravitic flight easily able to keep up with the cheetah-man and his 'rider'. "Hey, kid!" he called out to the young man clinging to Jubatus' back, reconfiguring assorted components of his Belt's defensive systems as he flew, "everything is going to be alright! Just hang tight a few seconds more!"

The red glow of the hard light exit signs, corridor, and megaphone which bathed the levitating rubble all faded as Archeville readjusted his Screwdriver. It was now reconfigured to a magnetokinetic grabber, which could lift hundreds of tons of metal... or one rogue robot. Invisible waves of magnetic force reached out and pinned the robot's arms tightly to its torso and bound its legs together. "Finish it," he said flatly to Mona, just loud enough for her to hear. She knew that tone -- it was that of his 'combat mind,' the place he went when he needed to focus less on being perceived as a Smooth and Suave "It" Guy and more on the unpleasant necessities of battle.