Ecalsneerg

"Well, we all live in the same world as each other," said Siobhan, shaking her head. "But I get your point. But, really, the answer depends on a number of factors. Do you know how to get into his lair, and if so, can you do it undetected? Apart from powerful defensive spells, is he competent in any form of offense? And, most importantly..." She paused and looked into Marceau's eyes. "What exactly can you do? I can smell stars, and planets, and space, and that's not a form of magic I'm at all familiar with."

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Equinox, twirling her wand in her hand. "We could contain it with a few defensive wards for now, remove it from the premises and I'll teleport us out to somewhere in the middle of the forest." She narrowed her eyes and glared at the book. "That said, I'm not sure how easy it'd be to just destroy the book. I mean, if it's a powerful magical artifact, it's not like we can just burn it."

"Not especially, most of my communication is through email nowadays," explained Equinox, accepting the man's hand. "But the park works fine for me if it works for you. My identity is public knowledge anyway." She took a seat opposite Marceau. "Now, what seems to be your problem? I'm assuming it's magical because you called me, and because I can sense that you're some form of practitioner." Indeed, this was how she had found him so quickly, rather than his description. She folded her hands in a steeple, elbows resting on the wooden table.

John flipped through the documents, eyes flickering over them in a practiced manner, reading swiftly but ensuring he got the important details. The man frowned deeply when he looked at the artist's rendition. "My first instinct is to say Eric Michaels. But something doesn't add up." He glanced up at Elena as he kept reading. "The red armour fits, the assaults on metahumans too. The preparation and power level seem roughly analogous. But..." He flicked over a few pages, and grimaced. "A blood eagle?! This has gone way too far. Michaels was a gun fanatic. If it was him, that wouldn't have happened. He thought he was in the right for championing humanity, he didn't kidnap or mutilate." John's expression grew even grimmer. "Why do I always end up fighting the anti-metahuman nutjobs in armour?"

In a brief flare of white light, a woman appeared several feet away from where Marceau sat. Her eyes glowed brilliant white, the glow partially obscuring her features. The heroine wore her characteristic white shirt and trousers, but seemed to have abandoned her long coat in the heat in favour of a smaller black jacket, and a wide-brimmed hat. She turned around several times, eyes narrowed as if in concentration, before fixing her gaze on Marceau, and walking over with a confidently casual stroll. "Are you the guy who called?" she asked politely.

A Dictionary of Magical Practitioners [scribbled in the margins of the neatly typed page]: We really need a guide on this subject out there, to clear up somewhat the mire of different words for spellcasters. Bokor: Voudoun sorcerers who use Right and Left Hand magics. Not necessarily evil, especially in the context of voudoun. Characteristic traits often include the creation of zombie servants, and the binding of spirits into ouangas (talismans). Druid: Mages/priests whose powers are based around harmonizing with and respecting the natural world. Due to a lack of records of what ancient druidism actually consisted of, modern druid revivals tend to focus on similar fields to shamanism and witchcraft. Animism is a common belief in some circles. Spells used tend to vary, although natural and elemental magics are common. Shapeshifting is not unheard of. Houngan/Mambo: Male and female voudoun priests respectively, focusing more on the religious aspects of voudoun, tasked to preserve relationships with the spirits and the community. Infernalist: Practitioner who conjures up and deals with demonic forces to gain power and knowledge. Obviously, not often highly thought of by other practitioners, but there are records of those battling evil with hellfire taken from the same demons it is used to combat. Magician: Another somewhat vague term, often used in a very similar manner to 'wizard'. Magicians often tend towards ritualist, circle based rites, sometimes dabbling in infernalism (the prime example being the demons mentioned in the writings of Solomon). It is also commonly used to refer to stage magicians, who don't actually use magic. This isn't to insult them, as they are exceptionally skilled in deception, escape artistry misdirection and sleight of hand. Some members of the occult community often find it necessary to laugh at them, in spite on the act they are skilled, talented individuals. Necromancy: Literally, "dead body divination", necromancy traditionally focuses on speaking to the spirits of the dead for information, or to ask for aid and arcane power. Nowadays, the meaning has expanded to bodily reanimation to have undead servants. Like infernalism, has an unsavoury reputation. Unlike infernalism, traditional necromancy can in fact be a perfectly acceptable practice, seeing as it involves talking to, not enslaving the dead. Practitioner: General term for those who practice magic, at varying levels of skill, dedication and power. Shaman: A term for a spellcaster whose focus is more on ancient, primal spiritual beliefs. Many shaman operate by invoking spirits for aid, and acting as intermediaries between the mortal and spirit realms. Many focus on acting as medicine men and women, in many ways being similar to traditional witchcraft in terms of what shamans do, rather than how. Sorcerer/Sorceress: A somewhat vague term, which has been used to refer to warlocks, wizards, witches, bokor, and many other practices. It carries the definite implication of Left Hand Path tendencies, namely the use of evil destructive magic for selfish purposes. Warlock: Literally "oath breaker", but colloquially used more often to refer to a specific style of spellcasting which involves making pacts with outside entities for power, such as demons or Cthulhoid monsters. Doesn't necessarily mean the practitioner is evil, and in some circles it's considered ironic to smite demons using demonic magics. Note: not a term for a male witch. Witch: A specific school of thought on spellcasting, often involving the worship of a Goddess figure in its modern uses (the primary example being Wicca). Its practitioners tend to use more rustic forms of magic, including herbal healing and scrying through pools or crystals. A male witch is still a witch, it's not a gender specific term. Some folklore holds them to be able to do complex curses and shapeshifting (which I am not yet capable of doing). Wizard: Normally, a wizard is a spellcaster who learned how to use magic through intense magical study, often focusing on the invoking and manipulation of primal elemental forces. Often a wizard is a sort of arcane dilettante, using a variety of different styles of spells. While the term implies a male spellcaster, I suppose a woman could just as easily be a wizard, or the more clunky sounding 'wizardess'.

Arrowhawk 3 IC posts = 1pp Back In Black (3) Equinox 11+6+6+8+11 = 42 IC posts = 3pp Running Ink (11) Robots! (6) Smile For The Camera (6) Dark of the Woods (8) Brimstone & Whetstone (11) Geckoman 4 GM posts = 2 IC posts = 1pp, +1pp vignette [should hit Gold this month] Vignette GM 4 GM posts = 2 IC post, assigned to Geckoman (above) Smile For The Camera (2) Brimstone & Whetstone (2)

Freedom City, 2525 The dark haired, bright haired young boy struggled against the covers as his mother tucked him in. "Story!" The mother smiled. "What story do you want to hear?" she smiled, already knowing the answer. "Geckoman!" the boy cried, and the mother smiled and sat down on the bed beside her son. "OK," she said. "This was a long, long, long time ago, back in the days of Queen Victoria, and the regime of the Communazis. They didn't have all the luxuries we had. They didn't even have space shuttles. They couldn't even fly to different countries!" "That's a long time ago," nodded the boy sagely. "Yes, it is. But they had these things called "airplanes", which could fly, but nowhere near so well as our shuttles. And the Geckoman started out as a little boy, when they first tested these airplanes. But, because they were new, it crashed deep into the darkest jungles, leaving the poor boy as the only survivor." "Oh no!" gasped the boy, putting his hands to his mouth. "What happened to him?" "No one knows for sure. But ten years later, out of the jungle came a strapping young man, tough, fast and strong, able to climb the tallest trees and buildings like they were nothing. The expedition which found him took him back to Freedom City, and sold him at an auction as a slave." "The meanies!" "Yes, they were very bad men. But, during the auction, something terrible happened. A wicked witch decided to attack, and steal all the slaves. She threw lightning and fireballs down, and injured a lot of innocent people. Which is when the Geckoman struck. He hadn't really been captured. He'd just wanted to go home at long last." "So what did he do?" asked the boy with wide eyes. The mother just smirked. "He tore open his ropes like they were made of paper, and fought the wicked witch, dodging every lightning bolt and bringing her to justice. And when he was done, the mayor took a personal interest in him, and made him a protector of the city. Which was good, as the worst was yet to come. The Communazis!" she proclaimed dramatically. "OH NO!" "Led by the armoured fiend, Adolf Stalin, they stormed the city in their giant hot air balloons, and repelled the city's soldiers and police easily. Things looked hopeless, and Geckoman never showed up." The boy looked disappointed at this last part. "Why didn't he help them?" he said sadly. "Wait, you'll find out," winked the mother. "So Adolf Stalin stood on the steps of the City Hall, and proclaimed that all the people should kneel down, he was in charge. Until everyone looked up and saw a broomstick soaring in from above at high speed. Geckoman and the witch flew down, and in front of the whole city, fought an army of Communazis, blowing up their attack balloons, punching out their armoured gun knights, and finally, Adolf Stalin and Geckoman duelled atop the tallest building in the city. Geckoman was shot with laser rays, and Stalin thrown around by a strong jungle boy, neither managing to gain the upper hand for long." The boy had held his breath through all this last part, only managing to force out a quiet "Who won?" "Geckoman threw Stalin from the top of the tower, breaking his jetpack and stealing his raygun so he couldn't escape. So, Stalin was dead, and the city was saved!" "Woooooow... and what happened to the Geckoman?" asked the boy, leaning back on his pillow as his mother tucked him in again. "He married the witch," she said, kissing her son on the head. "And they lived happily ever after." Cas Gan stepped out onto the balcony, having done her nightly pre-patrol ritual of telling her son a story, and kissing her husband. Her brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, and the nanomachine suit was folding out over her, forming a full body protective covering, which not only armoured her with metal but extended an electromagnetic force field mere millimetres from her skin. She smiled, thinking back to the stories of her great-great-great-great, and many more greats, great-grandfather. For centuries now, they'd all had at least one member of each generation become either the Geckoman, Geckowoman or Green Gecko. And she was this generation's one. No longer quite sure of the original story, but proud to be part of it anyway. She pulled on her orange goggles. And the Green Gecko of 2525 slid down the side of the building, feet effortlessly clinging to sheer metal surfaces as she bounded off into the night.

Well, plenty of military equipment doesn't work underwater.

Yes, but he has a Complication specifically stating he can't swim.

Another thing which got pointed out to me in Chat... not only does he have bystander, not military, physical stats, your Marine can't swim. That never clicked in my head until I was told, but... you'd think it'd be a basic requirement to be a Marine?

You don't need to list the enhanced values for ability scores... which aren't enhanced. As has been said before, seriously, Marines are not that weak and clumsy. Yes, it's average, but for Marines, it's not enough to even get considered. Initiative should be +4/+0. Attack is wrong, with Attack +4 and Attack Focus (ranged) 6, how do you get +12. Grapple is wrong, it's +5/+4. Defence is wrong, if you've got Defence +4 and Shield 9, that's +13 and breaks caps. Toughness is +8/+2 (+2 Con, +6 Protection) [impervious 6, Reflective 2 [6]] Do similar formatting with the other saves. You've got Will right, but oddly not Fort or Ref. Not even bothering to count this. You've got the skill rank listed, so why bother writing Skill (+bonus/+rank)? Notice 8 (+10) Search 4 (+4) Etc etc. Please list Skill Mastery with skills, example: Acrobatics x (+y, Skill Mastery) Per our house rules, Improved Disarm is not a ranked feat, and does this: Improved Disarm: When attempting to Disarm a foe, you gain a +4 bonus on the opposed Strength check, and they do not get the opportunity to disarm you. Right, your Device 8 with a Power Loss 2 costs you 30pp, and gives you 40pp of traits. Again, the Device costs you 16pp, and gives you 30pp of traits to play with.

Equinox shuddered as she saw what was in the demon's head. But she laughed nonetheless. "They're failures," she smirked. "The cast down and trodden on, the failures of the Pit. They're here because someone desperately summoned them, and they just came to wreak havoc because they didn't know if they'd get another chance to do anything." She turned to look darkly at the group. "They're just dumb thugs. Lesser, lesser demons who are good for muscle against your average man on the street, but worthless trash for anything else. They didn't have anything to do with the books."

"Ah, laughter," stared Yoltsin. "The mark of a true professional. And frankly, if you've not encountered any mages empowered by infernalism or necromancy without leaving aside those with more ambiguous sources, perhaps you're not especially experienced with magic. Ms Drake, I assume you can confirm that magic can be empowered by demons?" Siobhan, in a stiff voice, managed to force out a "Yes." rather than a pyrokagius. "So there is plenty of precedent for magic as a force powered by unsavoury sources. Now, as you admitted, you're unclear where the source of your powers are coming from. Now, I have never said you're a bad person for using them, but with that lack of concrete knowledge..." The man shrugged. "I don't think you can disprove my hypothesis."

Arrowhawk took a grateful sip, and nodded. He didn't much care for the petty details of a coffee bar, but coffee was coffee. "I did," he said grimly. He paused for a moment, then spoke. "Months in Europe. Vivian Kriger, a.k.a. Valkyrie, died in mysterious circumstances." His normally stoic voice broke slightly, but coughed abruptly to conceal that fact. "So Doktor Archeville sent me to Europe, where SHADOW's main bases are hidden. We'd had a run-in with Ragnarok, and thought one of their cells was to blame for her death." He looked up suddenly and met Elena's gaze with fierce, burning eyes. For a brief moment, even unmasked, his face appeared as if wreathed in shadow, eyes glaring red. But then the lined, tired face of John Fraser twisted into a growl. "I tore apart the continent searching. Nothing. Then I get your email, and find our old team mate dead. So I get to looking, and it turns out that strange things are going on in this city. Disappearances. Deaths." He stood up abruptly. "Something has gone sour, 'Lena. What is going on?"

Right, I'm a little hazy on the specifics of how Nick's postcognition works, so i'll just give the pertinent information and let you write it up IC in a format which is appropriate, if that's OK with you, TT. Right, what does Jack find out in the village...

Another demon to interrogate... well, the question I'm asking is fairly self-explanatory, so I just need to get into his head first... Busting into its head (1d20+11=29) Boom. I'm guessing that's her in there.

"Oh, good," said Equinox humorlessly. "We've got a malicious magic book, a group of demons who don't know enough to help us, and it's in the kid's section of a library." The witch again pointed her wand, this time at the demon who was encased in ice. She thrust her will at the demon's mind again, teeth clenched as she spat out a few words. "Alright. Tell me. What were you planning to do in this realm? You must know something." Her voice reverberated around the room, at once sounding exactly like it normally did and coming out as a baritone boom.

DONE BY SHAENTHEBRAIN OK, Arrowhawk's sheet is a mess, and predates such things as a Personality & Motivation. so I'm cleaning it up, altering some of the writing a little to not be so obviously green, and adding the missing sections. I also made a few minor changes to his sheet. His Skill Mastery in Tactics has been switched to Sense Motive, as I had a brainfart about Master Tactics, and the other two uses of Knowledge: Tactics we allow aren't that useful to Mr Uber-Notice/Stealth. His armour is only Protection 3, but his Constitution is 20 , in accordance with how tough he's been portrayed as in-game. I didn't want his Fort to go above +10, so I took 1pp out of that save . I also bought him a second rank in Luck, making the total points expenditure up to 2PP, leaving him with 8pp unspent. At present, he is now a PL12/200pp Batman. Player's Name: Ecalsneerg Power Level: 14 (200/208PP) Trade-Offs: -5 Damage for +5 Attack, -2 Toughness for +2 Defense Unspent PP: 8 Progress to Gold: 57/90 (Silver status already earned by Geckoman) In Brief: Modern Age Batman wielding Bronze Age Green Arrow's bow. Alternate Identities: John Aaron Fraser Identity: Secret Birthplace: Aberdeen, Scotland Occupation: Vigilante, lab assistant Affiliations: Ex-Knight of Freedom, the Sherwoods of Nottingham Family: No known surviving relatives Age: 40 (DoB: 25th August 1970) Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian Scot Height: 6'0'' Weight: 190lbs Eyes: Grey Hair: Black http://freedomplaybypost.com/wiki/images/e/e7/Arrowhawk.jpg Description: Arrowhawk is an imposing figure, tall and broad-shouldered. His armour is made of several interlocking, flexible black plates, a huge black cape sweeping down from his black hood to near his feet. The cape is shaped oddly, lending Arrowhawk a bird wing silhouette when he is gliding of leaping from rooftops. Clipped to the back of his armour and concealed behind the cape is his longbow and quiver, slightly off center so as to easily allow the cape to be swept to one side. Glowering eyes glare red from the domino mask he wears in the shadows beneath his hood, and his chest is emblazoned with a stylized white bird in flight... a hawk. Moving like a jungle cat, Arrowhawk is swift and graceful in spite of his size, barely making a sound as he prowls and stalks. However, when he does so, he noticeably limps after the muscles in his upper right leg were irreparably damaged. His voice is harsh and gruff, heightened by a Scottish growl which he purposefully exaggerates when in costume. In his civilian identity, however, he is a mere shadow of that man. John Fraser, while still a big man, is soft spoken, covered in scars from "sporting injuries in his youth", and walks with a metal cane. His messy black hair and near-perpetual stubble are speckled with silver, and his face is weathered and lined. Arrowhawk is forty years old and has been fighting crime for half of his life. Without his armour, bow, and predatory demeanour, every second of that is clearly visible. Power Descriptions: Each of Arrowhawk's arrows is a sleek, expertly modeled metal weapon, with a variety of heads (each model discernible from others by the unique fletching). Apart from his standard pointed and blunt ones, he has slashing ones with sharp fins extending out from the sides, explosives with a bulky black arrowhead, and the strange steel grey devices he fits to them for his more exotic arsenal. When firing enough arrows in quick succession, he can temporarily turn the air black from sheer ammunition expenditure, his arms and legs moving in a near blur as he adjusts his stance and aim while firing. History: John Fraser was long ago a promising Biochemistry student at the University of Aberdeen. A quirt, thoughtful young man, he was praised by his teachers as being an enthusiastic student, quick to learn. But this was a bad time for the city, a small mafia operation deciding to capitalise on the financial difficulties faced by many on campus, operating as loan sharks. John's flatmates, Brendan Jarvis and Steve Cooper were deep in debt. On the 19th of May 1991, when John stumbled in drunk, he was woken from his semi-conscious slumber by gunshots. Rushing through to find his friends lying dead and two loan sharks standing over them, John Fraser died with them. As the men tried to leave without causing a scene, their message made, he rushed them and shattered a chair over on of their heads. Thrown against a wall, he was unconscious during the resultant brawl as several other students tried to stop the killers. Julia Dawson and Blake Davies died as heroes, but died none the less. And John kept studying... in martial arts, infiltration and archery. He swore he would never be like those mob hitmen, and thus modelled himself on the great heroes like Midnight, and Sherwood. Three years later, on the 19th of May, a mafia safehouse was fought and arrested by a man "dressed as a huge black bird, firing arrows left, right and centre." John struggled on, barely holding together a normal life. Far from the scientific genius he'd been hailed at, he got a poor degree, and now worked menial laboratory jobs simply to fund his crimefighting. Eventually, his parents passed away, both of them disappointed in how their son had gone from prodigy to obsessed man in a cape. And, with nothing left to keep in a small city like Aberdeen, he left the fighting of the last remnants of organised crime to a few trusted copycats. Glasgow. Edinburgh. Newcastle. Manchester. For a few short months, London. Cardiff. Training in Nottingham with the new Sherwood. The legend of the Arrowhawk spread across the United Kingdom, and for so short a time, it was easy. While he still no longer had a life worth telling as John Fraser, as Arrowhawk... criminals cowered in terror, villains cursed at the sound of his name and people looked to the rooftops for his aid. And yet, it was all too easy. So, at the age of thirty-eight, Arrowhawk left the UK to the new generation of superheroes, and disappeared. Some said he'd retired. Some said someone had finally got lucky, and killed him. But the truth wasn't anything like that. Freedom City, despite being the global hub of superhuman activity, still had a thriving Mob, supplemented by strange technology and a few choice metahuman helpers. And if it killed him, Arrowhawk was going to tear it down and burn the ashes. But things never go according to plan, and soon he found himself on a superteam calling themselves the Knights of Freedom. He tore them apart, finally crossing the line he swore never to cross and killing two people while annihilating the headquarters of Malice, a prominent supervillain he'd established a rivalry with. Letting Malice take the fall for the explosion and the deaths, and leaving Arrowhawk's leg crippled, and now with his only "friends" torn apart by personality conflicts and the knowledge of what he'd done, Arrowhawk faded away again. And met a woman, Vivian Kriger, who he eventually became close to. But she turned out to be the superheroine Valkyrie, and was slain by a mysterious adversary. Fooled by Doktor Archeville into believing it was SHADOW's doing, he hit Europe like a raging meteor, tearing apart the continent to search for a culprit which wasn't there. Receiving an email from the Scarab concerning the death of Hellbound, his fellow ex-Knight, Arrowhawk returned to Freedom City. And this time, he's going to find out who killed the only woman he'd been close to in decades, stop the villain, and redeem himself in his own eyes, if not anyone else's. Personality & Motivation: Arrowhawk has the arrogance, confidence and sheer knowledge of how good he is at what he does to confront super powered opponents with nothing more than a bow and some body armour. Unfortunately, he is unable to turn this off in normal conversation, and thus comes across as a huge jerk. He also has a slight superiority complex, believing himself "better" in many ways compared to metahumans, simply because everything he does is "simple" skill that anyone can learn, often forgetting that it took him two decades to learn his current skill set, and he has never had to learn how to control and manipulate superpowers effectively. In spite of all this, to those who likes and respects, he is intensely loyal and protective, trying to disguise his concern and care for them behind his usual mask of sarcasm and aggression. If someone threatened one whom he loved, he would face down even Omega or Heru-Ra to defend them, being willing to ignore even negative traits he'd be the first to condemn. He also possesses an iron-clad sense of justice and code of ethics, being willing to fight as dirty as it takes... so long as it wouldn't kill, mortally wound or involve him using a firearm. In essence, he is best described as a scowling, angry force of nature, whether that's for the purposes of fighting his enemies, protecting his friends or defending the innocent from harm. Profoundly affected by the death of his friends long ago in that dorm room, even after all this time Arrowhawk keeps going, every crime he sees, every failure in his past and every possibly success he could achieve just adding to the burden he feels he carries to keep going and help save people. At this stage, the idea of not fighting for what he thinks is right is just alien to him, even the smallest criminal is a threat he feels he has to stop, every gun a potential murder tool and any every day a new battle. He keeps going because it is who he is. Powers & Tactics: Arrowhawk has no superpowers, nor any particular talent for archery, and thus it has taken him two decades of hard work and sheer bloody-mindedness to claw his way up to being one of history's most deadly archers. Through sheer skill and knowledge, he has advanced both the art and technology of archery to a level where he can shoot moving targets while leaping off rooftops, while dodging gunfire. For specialised uses, he keeps a variety of trick arrows at hand, the most prominent of which being single-direction explosives to tackle heavily armoured targets, electromagnetic pulse emitters to destroy technology with ease, and smoke arrows to create distractions through which to move unnoticed. Physically, he is in such peak condition as to be faster, stronger and considerably tougher than most younger men, even taking into account his wounded leg. He also possesses a steel trap mind, possessing just enough talent in science to construct his arrows and work as a somewhat skilled lab technician, but excelling in such fields as tactics, infiltration and rapidly accumulating a near-encyclopedic knowledge of the street level crime in any city he goes to. His most notable skill besides his ability to threaten and cajole opponents is a near-paranoid hyper awareness, making it incredibly difficult to sneak up on him without some form of metahuman or super-science assistance. Complications: Enemy (Captain Knieval, Malice): Multiple run-ins with these two villains have led to a deep-set grudge against them. Arrowhawk will drop anything to pursue them if he possibly can. Hatred/Obsession (organised crime): The mob killing several students when he was at university led to John Fraser becoming the Arrowhawk. They've also consistently tried to kill him over his crime-fighting career. Thus, his hatred of them makes it difficult for him to trust someone who has been too heavily involved with the mob in the past, regardless of whether they still retain that connection. The obsession has also distracted him from other things like a love life, friends, family, work and in general anything beyond being Arrowhawk. Honour (won't use guns): Firearms sicken Arrowhawk. He refuses to sink to the level of criminals by using one, and condemns openly those who use them, even if they are his allies. This has become a larger problem since his move to America, where the police carry guns, a fact he is not used to and believes to be wrong. Arrowhawk is psychologically incapable of using a gun despite knowing how to, and would be unable to use one to defend himself even if he had no other choice. Rivalry (Bowman): In past trips to Freedom City, Arrowhawk established a friendly rivalry with the Bowman, and each frequently seek to out-do the other in archery and close combat skills. However, despite this deeply competitive attitude, both deeply respect and trust the other. Secret (identity): John Fraser is characterised differently from Arrowhawk by being a lot more quiet and submissive than the aggressive, forceful vigilante. To allow himself privacy and a measure of a social life (should he ever use that option...), he keeps the two identities apart and doesn't wear any of his costume on his person besides a bullet-proof vest. Arrowhawk is also at risk at running out of arrows, but this should rarely happen except in protracted battles where he can expend large numbers of them, or in remote areas where he is unable to replenish his supplies. If his bowstring gets wet, such as when he gets submerged without it being covered with a cape or quiver, it will also become unusable. Abilities 8+10+10+6+6+4 = 44pp Str: 18 (+4) Dex: 20 (+5) Con: 20 (+5) Int: 16 (+3) Wis: 16 (+3) Cha: 14 (+2) Combat 22+20 = 42pp Initiative +9 Attack +11 base, +15 ranged, +17 bows Grapple +15 Defence +14 (+10 Base Defence, +4 Dodge Focus), +5 Flat-footed Knockback: -5 (-4 flat-footed, -3 w/o Arrowhawk Armour, -2 flat-footed w/o vest) Saves 5+7+6=18pp Toughness +10/+8 (+5 Con, +3 Armour, +2 Defensive Roll) Fort +10 (+5 Con, +5) Reflex +12 (+5 Dex, +7) Will +9 (+3 Wis, +6) Skills 168r = 42pp Acrobatics 5 (+10) Bluff 8 (+10) Climb 11 (+15, Skill Mastery) Craft 12 (+15, Skill Mastery) Drive 10 (+15, Skill Mastery) Gather Information 13 (+15) Intimidate 18 (+20, Skill Mastery) Investigate 2 (+5) Knowledge 7 (+10) Knowledge 7 (+10) Knowledge 12 (+15, Skill Mastery) Knowledge 12 (+15) Notice 17 (+20, Skill Mastery) Search 7 (+10) Sense Motive 12 (+15, Skill Mastery) Stealth 15 (+20, Skill Mastery) Feats 38pp Accurate Attack Attack Focus (Ranged) 4 Attack Specialization (Bows) 1 Defensive Roll 1 (+2 Toughness) Dodge Focus 4 Equipment 7 Evasion Fearsome Presence 4 Improved Aim Improved Critical (Bows) 1 Improved Initiative 1 Jack of All Trades Luck 2 Master Plan 2 Power Attack Precise Shot Quick Draw Skill Mastery 2 (Climb, Craft , Drive, Knowledge , Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth) Startle Ultimate Aim Staff: Strike 2 (PFs: Extended Reach, Mighty, Subtle ) (5 ep) Arrowhawk Armour: Protection 3 (3 ep) Gliding Cape: Flight 2 (Flaws: Gliding) (2ep) Arrowhawk Mask: Commlink, flash goggles, night vision goggles (2 ep) Motorcycle: Features: Alarm, Hidden Compartment, Fixed Throttle (13 ep) Grappling Gun (Super-Movement 1 Linked to Speed 1 ) (3ep) Binoculars, cell phone, handcuffs x2, lock release gun, mini-tracer, rebreather (5 ep) Powers: 2+15 = 17pp Archery Supremacy 1 (Probability Control, Flaws: Limited 2 ) Device 5 (Bow and trick arrows, 25 points, Easy to Lose) Devices: Bow & Trick Arrows Array 10 (20pp powers; PFs: 5 alternate Powers) BE: Blast 3 (PFs: Improved Critical, Improved Range , Mighty 4, Progression , Variable Descriptor ) (standard arrows) AP: Blast 3 (Extras: Autofire ; Flaws: Action - Full; PFs: Improved Critical, Improved Range , Mighty 4, Progression , Variable Descriptor ) (rapid arrows) AP: Blast 3 (Extras: Penetrating 7; PFs: Improved Critical, Improved Range , Mighty 4, Progression ) (explosive arrows) AP: Blast 3 (Extras: Targetted Area - Shapeable , Selective Attack , Flaws: Action - Full, Distracting; PFs: Improved Range , Mighty 4, Progression ) (rain of arrows) AP: Nullify 7 (technology descriptor, all at once, Extras: Duration - Sustained, Independent, Flaws: Action- Full, Drawbacks: Reduced Range ) (EMP arrows) AP: Obscure 7 (visual, 500' radius; Extras: Independent) (smoke arrows) Drawbacks: Disability (Bad leg, uncommon, minor, -1pp) Arrowhawk was hurt badly destroying the headquarters of the supervillain Malice. While it doesn't hurt under most circumstances, if he moves all-out on foot, he must make a Fortitude Save (DC 15) each round. Failure means he loses his move action that round. DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 19 Toughness (staged) Damage Staff Touch DC 21 Toughness (staged) Damage Standard Arrow Range DC 22 Toughness (staged) Damage, critical range 18-20 Rapid Arrow Range DC 22 Toughness (staged) Damage, Autofire, critical range 18-20 Explosive Arrow Range DC 22 Toughness (staged) Damage, Penetrating 7, critical range 18-20 Rain of Arrows Range DC 22 Toughness (staged) Damage, Shapeable Area 7 EMP Arrows Range DC 17 Will Nullify Technological, Independent, critical range 19-20 Costs: Abilities (44) + Combat (42) + Saves (18) + Skills (42) + Feats (38) + Powers (17) - Drawbacks (01) = Total Cost (200/208) Power Points Player's Name: Ecalsneerg Power Level: 14 (200/208PP) Trade-Offs: -5 Damage for +5 Attack, -2 Toughness for +2 Defense Unspent PP: 8 Progress to Gold: 57/90 (Silver status already earned by Geckoman) In Brief: Modern Age Batman wielding Bronze Age Green Arrow's bow. Alternate Identities: John Aaron Fraser Identity: Secret Birthplace: Aberdeen, Scotland Occupation: Vigilante, lab assistant Affiliations: Ex-Knight of Freedom, the Sherwoods of Nottingham Family: No known surviving relatives Age: 40 (DoB: 25th August 1970) Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian Scot Height: 6'0'' Weight: 190lbs Eyes: Grey Hair: Black http://freedomplaybypost.com/wiki/images/e/e7/Arrowhawk.jpg Description: Arrowhawk is an imposing figure, tall and broad-shouldered. His armour is made of several interlocking, flexible black plates, a huge black cape sweeping down from his black hood to near his feet. The cape is shaped oddly, lending Arrowhawk a bird wing silhouette when he is gliding of leaping from rooftops. Clipped to the back of his armour and concealed behind the cape is his longbow and quiver, slightly off center so as to easily allow the cape to be swept to one side. Glowering eyes glare red from the domino mask he wears in the shadows beneath his hood, and his chest is emblazoned with a stylized white bird in flight... a hawk. Moving like a jungle cat, Arrowhawk is swift and graceful in spite of his size, barely making a sound as he prowls and stalks. However, when he does so, he noticeably limps after the muscles in his upper right leg were irreparably damaged. His voice is harsh and gruff, heightened by a Scottish growl which he purposefully exaggerates when in costume. In his civilian identity, however, he is a mere shadow of that man. John Fraser, while still a big man, is soft spoken, covered in scars from "sporting injuries in his youth", and walks with a metal cane. His messy black hair and near-perpetual stubble are speckled with silver, and his face is weathered and lined. Arrowhawk is forty years old and has been fighting crime for half of his life. Without his armour, bow, and predatory demeanour, every second of that is clearly visible. Power Descriptions: Each of Arrowhawk's arrows is a sleek, expertly modeled metal weapon, with a variety of heads (each model discernible from others by the unique fletching). Apart from his standard pointed and blunt ones, he has slashing ones with sharp fins extending out from the sides, explosives with a bulky black arrowhead, and the strange steel grey devices he fits to them for his more exotic arsenal. When firing enough arrows in quick succession, he can temporarily turn the air black from sheer ammunition expenditure, his arms and legs moving in a near blur as he adjusts his stance and aim while firing. History: John Fraser was long ago a promising Biochemistry student at the University of Aberdeen. A quirt, thoughtful young man, he was praised by his teachers as being an enthusiastic student, quick to learn. But this was a bad time for the city, a small mafia operation deciding to capitalise on the financial difficulties faced by many on campus, operating as loan sharks. John's flatmates, Brendan Jarvis and Steve Cooper were deep in debt. On the 19th of May 1991, when John stumbled in drunk, he was woken from his semi-conscious slumber by gunshots. Rushing through to find his friends lying dead and two loan sharks standing over them, John Fraser died with them. As the men tried to leave without causing a scene, their message made, he rushed them and shattered a chair over on of their heads. Thrown against a wall, he was unconscious during the resultant brawl as several other students tried to stop the killers. Julia Dawson and Blake Davies died as heroes, but died none the less. And John kept studying... in martial arts, infiltration and archery. He swore he would never be like those mob hitmen, and thus modelled himself on the great heroes like Midnight, and Sherwood. Three years later, on the 19th of May, a mafia safehouse was fought and arrested by a man "dressed as a huge black bird, firing arrows left, right and centre." John struggled on, barely holding together a normal life. Far from the scientific genius he'd been hailed at, he got a poor degree, and now worked menial laboratory jobs simply to fund his crimefighting. Eventually, his parents passed away, both of them disappointed in how their son had gone from prodigy to obsessed man in a cape. And, with nothing left to keep in a small city like Aberdeen, he left the fighting of the last remnants of organised crime to a few trusted copycats. Glasgow. Edinburgh. Newcastle. Manchester. For a few short months, London. Cardiff. Training in Nottingham with the new Sherwood. The legend of the Arrowhawk spread across the United Kingdom, and for so short a time, it was easy. While he still no longer had a life worth telling as John Fraser, as Arrowhawk... criminals cowered in terror, villains cursed at the sound of his name and people looked to the rooftops for his aid. And yet, it was all too easy. So, at the age of thirty-eight, Arrowhawk left the UK to the new generation of superheroes, and disappeared. Some said he'd retired. Some said someone had finally got lucky, and killed him. But the truth wasn't anything like that. Freedom City, despite being the global hub of superhuman activity, still had a thriving Mob, supplemented by strange technology and a few choice metahuman helpers. And if it killed him, Arrowhawk was going to tear it down and burn the ashes. But things never go according to plan, and soon he found himself on a superteam calling themselves the Knights of Freedom. He tore them apart, finally crossing the line he swore never to cross and killing two people while annihilating the headquarters of Malice, a prominent supervillain he'd established a rivalry with. Letting Malice take the fall for the explosion and the deaths, and leaving Arrowhawk's leg crippled, and now with his only "friends" torn apart by personality conflicts and the knowledge of what he'd done, Arrowhawk faded away again. And met a woman, Vivian Kriger, who he eventually became close to. But she turned out to be the superheroine Valkyrie, and was slain by a mysterious adversary. Fooled by Doktor Archeville into believing it was SHADOW's doing, he hit Europe like a raging meteor, tearing apart the continent to search for a culprit which wasn't there. Receiving an email from the Scarab concerning the death of Hellbound, his fellow ex-Knight, Arrowhawk returned to Freedom City. And this time, he's going to find out who killed the only woman he'd been close to in decades, stop the villain, and redeem himself in his own eyes, if not anyone else's. Personality & Motivation: Arrowhawk has the arrogance, confidence and sheer knowledge of how good he is at what he does to confront super powered opponents with nothing more than a bow and some body armour. Unfortunately, he is unable to turn this off in normal conversation, and thus comes across as a huge jerk. He also has a slight superiority complex, believing himself "better" in many ways compared to metahumans, simply because everything he does is "simple" skill that anyone can learn, often forgetting that it took him two decades to learn his current skill set, and he has never had to learn how to control and manipulate superpowers effectively. In spite of all this, to those who likes and respects, he is intensely loyal and protective, trying to disguise his concern and care for them behind his usual mask of sarcasm and aggression. If someone threatened one whom he loved, he would face down even Omega or Heru-Ra to defend them, being willing to ignore even negative traits he'd be the first to condemn. He also possesses an iron-clad sense of justice and code of ethics, being willing to fight as dirty as it takes... so long as it wouldn't kill, mortally wound or involve him using a firearm. In essence, he is best described as a scowling, angry force of nature, whether that's for the purposes of fighting his enemies, protecting his friends or defending the innocent from harm. Profoundly affected by the death of his friends long ago in that dorm room, even after all this time Arrowhawk keeps going, every crime he sees, every failure in his past and every possibly success he could achieve just adding to the burden he feels he carries to keep going and help save people. At this stage, the idea of not fighting for what he thinks is right is just alien to him, even the smallest criminal is a threat he feels he has to stop, every gun a potential murder tool and any every day a new battle. He keeps going because it is who he is. Powers & Tactics: Arrowhawk has no superpowers, nor any particular talent for archery, and thus it has taken him two decades of hard work and sheer bloody-mindedness to claw his way up to being one of history's most deadly archers. Through sheer skill and knowledge, he has advanced both the art and technology of archery to a level where he can shoot moving targets while leaping off rooftops, while dodging gunfire. For specialised uses, he keeps a variety of trick arrows at hand, the most prominent of which being single-direction explosives to tackle heavily armoured targets, electromagnetic pulse emitters to destroy technology with ease, and smoke arrows to create distractions through which to move unnoticed. Physically, he is in such peak condition as to be faster, stronger and considerably tougher than most younger men, even taking into account his wounded leg. He also possesses a steel trap mind, possessing just enough talent in science to construct his arrows and work as a somewhat skilled lab technician, but excelling in such fields as tactics, infiltration and rapidly accumulating a near-encyclopedic knowledge of the street level crime in any city he goes to. His most notable skill besides his ability to threaten and cajole opponents is a near-paranoid hyper awareness, making it incredibly difficult to sneak up on him without some form of metahuman or super-science assistance. Complications: Enemy (Captain Knieval, Malice): Multiple run-ins with these two villains have led to a deep-set grudge against them. Arrowhawk will drop anything to pursue them if he possibly can. Hatred/Obsession (organised crime): The mob killing several students when he was at university led to John Fraser becoming the Arrowhawk. They've also consistently tried to kill him over his crime-fighting career. Thus, his hatred of them makes it difficult for him to trust someone who has been too heavily involved with the mob in the past, regardless of whether they still retain that connection. The obsession has also distracted him from other things like a love life, friends, family, work and in general anything beyond being Arrowhawk. Honour (won't use guns): Firearms sicken Arrowhawk. He refuses to sink to the level of criminals by using one, and condemns openly those who use them, even if they are his allies. This has become a larger problem since his move to America, where the police carry guns, a fact he is not used to and believes to be wrong. Arrowhawk is psychologically incapable of using a gun despite knowing how to, and would be unable to use one to defend himself even if he had no other choice. Rivalry (Bowman): In past trips to Freedom City, Arrowhawk established a friendly rivalry with the Bowman, and each frequently seek to out-do the other in archery and close combat skills. However, despite this deeply competitive attitude, both deeply respect and trust the other. Secret (identity): John Fraser is characterised differently from Arrowhawk by being a lot more quiet and submissive than the aggressive, forceful vigilante. To allow himself privacy and a measure of a social life (should he ever use that option...), he keeps the two identities apart and doesn't wear any of his costume on his person besides a bullet-proof vest. Arrowhawk is also at risk at running out of arrows, but this should rarely happen except in protracted battles where he can expend large numbers of them, or in remote areas where he is unable to replenish his supplies. If his bowstring gets wet, such as when he gets submerged without it being covered with a cape or quiver, it will also become unusable. Abilities 8+10+10+6+6+4 = 44pp Str: 18 (+4) Dex: 20 (+5) Con: 20 (+5) Int: 16 (+3) Wis: 16 (+3) Cha: 14 (+2) Combat 22+20 = 42pp Initiative +9 Attack +11 base, +15 ranged, +17 bows Grapple +15 Defence +14 (+10 Base Defence, +4 Dodge Focus), +5 Flat-footed Knockback: -5 (-4 flat-footed, -3 w/o Arrowhawk Armour, -2 flat-footed w/o vest) Saves 5+7+6=18pp Toughness +10/+8 (+5 Con, +3 Armour, +2 Defensive Roll) Fort +10 (+5 Con, +5) Reflex +12 (+5 Dex, +7) Will +9 (+3 Wis, +6) Skills 168r = 42pp Acrobatics 5 (+10) Bluff 8 (+10) Climb 11 (+15, Skill Mastery) Craft 12 (+15, Skill Mastery) Drive 10 (+15, Skill Mastery) Gather Information 13 (+15) Intimidate 18 (+20, Skill Mastery) Investigate 2 (+5) Knowledge 7 (+10) Knowledge 7 (+10) Knowledge 12 (+15, Skill Mastery) Knowledge 12 (+15) Notice 17 (+20, Skill Mastery) Search 7 (+10) Sense Motive 12 (+15, Skill Mastery) Stealth 15 (+20, Skill Mastery) Feats 38pp Accurate Attack Attack Focus (Ranged) 4 Attack Specialization (Bows) 1 Defensive Roll 1 (+2 Toughness) Dodge Focus 4 Equipment 7 Evasion Fearsome Presence 4 Improved Aim Improved Critical (Bows) 1 Improved Initiative 1 Jack of All Trades Luck 2 Master Plan 2 Power Attack Precise Shot Quick Draw Skill Mastery 2 (Climb, Craft , Drive, Knowledge , Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth) Startle Ultimate Aim Staff: Strike 2 (PFs: Extended Reach, Mighty, Subtle ) (5 ep) Arrowhawk Armour: Protection 3 (3 ep) Gliding Cape: Flight 2 (Flaws: Gliding) (2ep) Arrowhawk Mask: Commlink, flash goggles, night vision goggles (2 ep) Motorcycle: Features: Alarm, Hidden Compartment, Fixed Throttle (13 ep) Grappling Gun (Super-Movement 1 Linked to Speed 1 ) (3ep) Binoculars, cell phone, handcuffs x2, lock release gun, mini-tracer, rebreather (5 ep) Powers: 2+15 = 17pp Archery Supremacy 1 (Probability Control, Flaws: Limited 2 ) Device 5 (Bow and trick arrows, 25 points, Easy to Lose) Devices: Bow & Trick Arrows Array 10 (20pp powers; PFs: 5 alternate Powers) BE: Blast 3 (PFs: Improved Critical, Improved Range , Mighty 4, Progression , Variable Descriptor ) (standard arrows) AP: Blast 3 (Extras: Autofire ; Flaws: Action - Full; PFs: Improved Critical, Improved Range , Mighty 4, Progression , Variable Descriptor ) (rapid arrows) AP: Blast 3 (Extras: Penetrating 7; PFs: Improved Critical, Improved Range , Mighty 4, Progression ) (explosive arrows) AP: Blast 3 (Extras: Targetted Area - Shapeable , Selective Attack , Flaws: Action - Full, Distracting; PFs: Improved Range , Mighty 4, Progression ) (rain of arrows) AP: Nullify 7 (technology descriptor, all at once, Extras: Duration - Sustained, Independent, Flaws: Action- Full, Drawbacks: Reduced Range ) (EMP arrows) AP: Obscure 7 (visual, 500' radius; Extras: Independent) (smoke arrows) Drawbacks: Disability (Bad leg, uncommon, minor, -1pp) Arrowhawk was hurt badly destroying the headquarters of the supervillain Malice. While it doesn't hurt under most circumstances, if he moves all-out on foot, he must make a Fortitude Save (DC 15) each round. Failure means he loses his move action that round. DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 19 Toughness (staged) Damage Staff Touch DC 21 Toughness (staged) Damage Standard Arrow Range DC 22 Toughness (staged) Damage, critical range 18-20 Rapid Arrow Range DC 22 Toughness (staged) Damage, Autofire, critical range 18-20 Explosive Arrow Range DC 22 Toughness (staged) Damage, Penetrating 7, critical range 18-20 Rain of Arrows Range DC 22 Toughness (staged) Damage, Shapeable Area 7 EMP Arrows Range DC 17 Will Nullify Technological, Independent, critical range 19-20 Costs: Abilities (44) + Combat (42) + Saves (18) + Skills (42) + Feats (38) + Powers (17) - Drawbacks (01) = Total Cost (200/208) Power Points DONE BY SHAENTHEBRAIN

Equinox sighed as the turret lasers began firing. "Well, no one can say we didn't intend to talk..." she said to no one in particular. Then she whirled, wand pointed at the cavern as her force field flared into white light. "Terra," she stated, pointing at a point as far as possible from the group, the ground there trembling slightly, dust and stones rolling away and flying gently upwards into the air. She drew up every ounce of her will, and poured it down, through her wand, and into that one sole point. By now, a small crack had began to appear, and the witch looked away to shield her eyes. "KINESI!" The stone exploded, shards of stone and rock flying everywhere, propelled by raw magical will and force. The air itself rumbled as shrapnel rained down on everything in over a 60' radius.

Well, he can just shut up. Free Action: Activate Force Field + Shield Free Action: Maintain Flight Free Action: Switch array to Area Blast 11 Free Action: Extra Effort: +2 ranks, for Area Blast 13 Standard Action: Make things go kablooie. So, Reflex DC23 for half damage, then DC28 damage itself. And remember, radius means the damage is going to go downwards as well, and possibly wreck a lot of the floor.

Essentially, the entire town is under the effects of a Mental Obscure Limited to Magical Senses. While within the city itself, all your magic awarenesses will pick up is pretty much what you're picking up now.

Equinox didn't bother looking alarmed at the countryside, or checking for cow excrement. Having grown up in the city, and on various army bases, she actually enjoyed hiking. Instead, she pulled out a packet of cigarettes and popped one in her mouth. "We're going to have to, Nick," she said in a slightly muffled voice as she clicked her fingers to light the cigarette. "Seriously, that miasma... it's everywhere. I'm not sure I'd be able to identify something magical in all this without directly touching what I'm sensing for." With a weary sigh, she began walking down towards the town. "I have to admit, I don't know much about locating problems besides just knowing they're there, do any of you have any ideas how to go about this?"

Yeah, I forgot to put the opposed power check roll in the last post... *facepalm* edited it in, and reposted here for clarity. In my head, I see you all over me in my head! (1d20+11=20)

"How about a new tact," said Equinox suddenly, whipping her coat back to clear the remnants of fire and smoke from her force field, her fringe slightly singed and burnt. "Demons, I have a problem. I am very, very against the harming of people by prying into their minds. It's not my place to know their secrets. It's not right. Doing it will utterly blow out every shred of magic I have, and it takes me over a day to recover from that. Usually a week before the headache fades." She smiled grimly. "That doesn't apply to you." She raised a hand in front of her, and fixed her gaze on one of the demons. "Now... YOU'RE GOING TO TELL ME, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT," she snarled, teeth curling over her lip as she thrust her mind into one of the hellspawn. A few seconds later, she'd gone slightly pale, and lowered her hand slightly. "Right. Gazed into the mind of a demon, and they don't know who summoned them. Anyone got any more questions before we resume turning them into ash?"