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Equinox gave a look of profound lack of amusement, then rapped her wand off of Jack's head. "Spiti, James," she said dryly. Then they both burst into white light, the glare fading to reveal only a small whirling of dust where they once were. They exploded back into being in the middle of a filthy living room, a battered looking sofa surrounded by ashtrays, stacks of books and papers. One wall was just bookcases, crammed from titles ranging from The Dresden Files to The Complete Works of Shakespeare to Dragons And Their Habitats. The rug had been casually tossed off to the side, blocking off the small doorway to a kitchen alcove, and a crystal ball sat on a battered, chipped wooden stool in the centre of a six pointed Star of Solomon. Their arrival stirred up a choking cloud of chalk dust, and sent a small stack of cheap airport paperbacks toppling to the floor, upending an ashtray onto what looked like a stuffed and mounted squirrel. Only the squirrel had four arms and was covered in green scales. "Sorry about the mess," shrugged Equinox apologetically, reaching down with one arm to remove Jack's from her waist.

"Yeah," nodded Equinox. "Definitely Simon. He ran from you, he ran from Arrowhawk and I, he ran from Adrian Eldrich and the demon he couldn't hope to control. He talks a big talk, but he's a coward." She grimaced suddenly. "Pity that he's a very powerful, ruthless one. But I'm not sure why he'd want you for power, he's usually only interested in strong mages. No offence." She clapped her hands together. "Right, I'm going to need to teleport you," she said, flicking her wand up and over in her hand. "It'll take me a little while to hunt him down, so we better hurry." She paused for a second, pondering the metaphysics. "Hand around my waist, please."

We just archive them so that, if you change your mind, you can just request we unarchive it. And archived at player request.

Equinox 18 + 8 + 7 = 33 IC posts = 3pp, +1pp 20Q = 4pp total Caffeine & Consultation (18) Robots! (8) Brimstone & Whetstone (7) 20 Questions Geckoman 2 GM posts = 1 IC post = 1pp, +1 Ref pp = 2pp No posts, but is claiming Ref pp and 2 GM posts Scholar 2 GM posts = 1pp No posts, please archive Arrowhawk Inactive, please unarchive :twisted: GM posts 4 GM posts = 2 IC posts Brimstone & Whetstone (4) (If it's questionable to split a meager 4 GM posts between two 0 post PCs just so they get a pp each, I'm fine with just Gecks getting them.)

20Q, Questions 11-20 Interview with Joan Collier on the 1st of June, 2011, continued "Do you find your training brings you into conflict with other magical traditions?" Joan added, "Besides the evil ones, that is." Siobhan shook her head. "No," she said for the benefit of the tape. "Not a lot of practitioners are very big on the whole 'follow my beliefs or else' practice." She smiled faintly. "In a way, because we're against that. A few of them play faster and looser with mental spells than I'd prefer, but that's just my personal opinion. Once you get past those doing outright vile things, and assholes on the Internet, I find different magical traditions are at least cordial to one another." Fusion understood assholes on the Internet better than Equinox could have known, but that wasn't something she felt inclined to share. "Mm-hmm. Of magic superheroes familiar to my readers, which ones do you find particularly inspirational?" "Well..." frowned Siobhan, obviously deep in thought. "I'd have to say the obvious answer to that one is Lady Celtic. I mean, she wasn't just a blatant pagan figure in a time when that was frowned on, and she wasn't just a skilled mage. She wasn't just a superhero with a pretty public identity. If you want to focus on gender, she wasn't just a superheroine, either. She was all that, at once, and she did it in a warzone." The witch shook her head and smiled wryly. "I don't think it's possible for me to not look up to and admire that. I wish I could have met her." "Mm. Of course, she was active back in the Second World War. Do you think attitudes about magic use have begun to modernize in recent years? " Siobhan grinned widely. "As I seem to end up saying a lot, yes and no." She shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, your average person now has read or seen Harry Potter, or Lord of the Rings. There've been a fair few magical superheroes. Magic isn't thought of as unusual in the media so much as it was. But... can any one of those people tell me how to cast a spell? To make this even simpler, how many of those could tell me that while the film doesn't state it the Lord of the Rings wizards wer closer to angels than actual spellcasters." She leaned back in her chair, having become more comfortable with the interview. "So, yeah, magic isn't as unusual. But it's still not understood in the slightest." "Is that something you hope to change?" "Definitely," said Siobhan with conviction. "I firmly believe that prejudice can be combated through knowledge. Even if the layman can't cast a spell, even a rough understanding of how and, perhaps more importantly, why magic is performed will go a long way to making it less scary. It also shows that magic users aren't fueled by the devil, and that besides one extra skill we've got... we're all just humans. We can laugh, love, enjoy a beer with our friends, and work a normal day job, just like everyone else." "But some magic is fueled by the devil," Joan pressed, "or by entities who use that name, at any rate. What does the magic community plan to do about infernalism?" "In a word... nothing," said Siobhan bluntly. "Before my words get twisted, I'll tell you why. I'm a superhero, therefore that's my job, and I will fight demons and sorcerers to protect others. But for some people, that's their religion, or their hobby. Not every church goer is going to go exorcise ghosts. Not every kid with a chemistry set is going to try and cure a disease. It doesn't work like that." The witch flicked a lock of hair out of her eyes. "It's the job of the authorities, and the responsibility of those calling themselves superheroes to hunt down and fight infernalism. The wider community isn't going to fight demons, not because they want people to get hurt by them. But because they lack the power or the training, and to ask them to do so is to ask them to die. And I will not allow that." Joan actually smiled. Heh, here I thought she was just another obnoxious hippie witch. This lady seems all right. "Interesting. Do you think it's possible for abilities gained through so-called infernalism or other 'evil' magics to be used for good?" The witch shook her head. "No. I mean, there are records of those descended from demons and other... less savoury things who have fought their heritage and done great things. But they were born that way, and so could choose their path. Those who traffic with demons and the undead are choosing to do bad things even if they think the reasons are right." A thought occurred to her and she went to clarify further. "Although it's worth noting that some forms of magic aren't necessarily evil. Necromancy, for example, can refer simply to speaking to the dead to gain information. In fact, it's what the word actually means. There are a minority of necromancers who aren't raising the dead, or eating souls." "I see. Do you support the recent campaign for undead rights undertaken by certain superheroes?" "Well, like I said about half-demons, they can't help it. Very, very few undead chose to be that way, to my knowledge. They can think, they can act for themselves. Why not treat them like people? I don't see why they can't be productive members of society." The witch gave a sad smile. "If any member of the undead is obeying the law, I can't see any problem with his living and working in this city." "Let's go back a bit. What do you believe powers magic?" Siobhan laughed. "Well, that's... well, that's a good question. Honestly, I'm not sure what powers it. I believe it's a part of nature, we can just access it through talent and willpower. But as to what is ultimately fueling that is beyond me. Maybe it's like gravity, or magnetism. It's just a fundamental part of the universe." ]"If that's the case, why do you think science hasn't yet mastered its intricacies? Or at least, mastered it as well as it has gravity or magnetism?" "Because the scientific method won't work. How I cast a spell isn't necessarily the same as how another magic user will cast that spell. Magic is usually pretty consistent within the same person, and often within the same tradition. But as a concept... it's just not especially consistent, perhaps because of the human element to it." "Your own case aside, do you support the existence of secret legal identities for superheroes?" Siobhan nodded. "Out of all those people who think superheroes should go public, I very much doubt even one percent of them have ever risked their lives, and as such, they're not entitled to an opinion on the matter. We lead very dangerous lifestyles, and you should not be legally obligated to have that risk 24/7. As for those who have got experience in the matter... I'm not sure why their choice should necessitate the removal of choice for the rest of us. Legal secret identities are there so the people out there trying to do their best for the world don't have to bring friends and family into their struggle."

20Q, Questions 1-10 Interview with Joan Collier on the 1st of June, 2011 Siobhan shook her head as she approached the door. No, hold it together. This is the best course of action, plenty of superheroes have managed to do it... You made your bed now lie in it. She felt awkward and half-dressed, having donned her coat and garments she wore as Equinox, but without dying her hair or letting her magic glow forth from her eyes. Another quick shake, and she had managed to assume her professional, "teacher" demeanor, rapping her knuckles on the door and poking her head around the door. "Mrs Collier? We set up an interview, I'm Siobhan Drake." She came into the office. "Pleased to meet you." She held out her hand to shake. Joan's grip was solid as she shook Siobhan's hand, and she gave her a short smile back. "It's Ms. Collier, actually, and thank you. It's a pleasure to have you in my office, Ms. Drake. Or do you prefer Siobhan?" she asked, taking a seat so she didn't loom over her guest. Up close, it was clear how much Joan's file photo undersold her height and weight. "Do you mind if I record this?" she asked, taking out her little pocket recorder. With assent, she said, "What brings you to my office today?" Taking a seat, Siobhan forced a small smile. "No, Ms Drake is fine. I'm not overly fond of Siobhan, to be honest. And yes, feel free to record this." Then, taking a deep breath, she continued. "I came here today, to go public with the fact I'm the superhero Equinox. I..." She paused to think briefly. "I had a bad run-in in a small town, where some kids had to hide their pagan faiths, and the fact they were practitioners, and I think a positive example needs to be set that I can't in all good faith uphold if I myself am hiding away my identity." "I see," said Joan. While Joan herself was something of a skeptic about the theological implications of magic, she certainly didn't deny its existence. She'd seen too much of arcane power in play for that. "Are you a practioner of so-called 'pagan' beliefs yourself?" she asked. "I don't say that to sound dismissive," she added a moment later, "but I'm sure you know that pagan is a very broadly used term in our popular media. I was wondering if you were comfortable defining it in terms our readers would understand." "Well," shrugged Siobhan. "Yes, of course, I identify as a practicing Wiccan. The problem here, of course, is that pagan is used as a broad term, because it is, but also used inaccurately. Paganism is less a faith, more a collection of them. A druid or Wiccan will self-identify as pagan in conversation a lot more than a Christian, Muslim or Jew will identify as a follower of an Abrahamic faith. There's also the issue of impressionable teenagers identifying as pagan when, really? They don't believe in it." She had by this point lapsed into the more neutral accented, clipped tones she used when teaching classes. "There's also the issue that Wicca and the other neo-pagan faiths, while based on old ideas, are very new religions, and haven't been defined concretely yet by different believers. Which makes it very difficult to comprehend for those who aren't already familiar with the concepts." "Ah, I see." Joan hmmed at that. "So you draw your super-abilities from your religious beliefs?" "Yes and no," said Siobhan, frowning slightly. "The important thing to remember is that not all Wiccans are witches, and not all witches are Wiccan. I can do magic because I'm a trained witch, not because of my faith. The problem here is that, to an extent, yes, my faith will affect my magic. Self-confidence, belief and willpower are all elements important to maintaining faith, and they're also elements important to magic. So a loss of faith may well result in a loss of magic, and a stronger sense of faith may make my spells more potent." "Okay," said Joan, who was far too experienced a reporter to react to that one way or another beyond the same concerned interest of any journalist. "How is one trained as a witch? Is it available to anyone with the right worldview?" "Well," said Siobhan, blushing slightly. "Not to sound arrogant, but I'm actually very, very powerful compared to your average witch." In demonstration, she clicked her fingers and a small flame burst from her fingers and immediately extinguished. "For most, it's more a ceremonial practice which, levels of belief and skepticism aside, isn't aimed at producing the sort of magical effects I can do. It's a combination of skill and talent, which while you can be taught to an extent, is inherently limited by how naturally skilled you are, otherwise half the neo-pagans on the planet would be running around slinging magic like I do, which is clearly not the case." "As or how to learn it, there's a few options. I've tutored a couple of fledgling mages, for example, and there is the more common option of intense studying and reading on the correct mindset and incantation required to cast spells. Discipline and learning by rote is the usual option for all but the most inherently talented." "Interesting," said Joan, whose eyes had widened right on cue at the fire. "You mentioned that you were prompted to 'come out' by witnessing prejudice against those practicing a faith like your own. Would you say prejudice is a problem for magic-based heroes, and if so, is it something you've encountered in your line of work?" A haunted look entered Siobhan's eyes, and she nodded. "I was in Stratford, Pennsylvania. There were these kids, unsure of their faith, and unsure of their magic, and the locals weren't especially trusting of us magic using types even as we tried to help out. I mean, luckily, I'm Freedom City born and bred, we don't have such problems on such a scale. Even as superheroes in other towns, we've got a bit of leeway. But some people aren't in Freedom City, and even more people aren't superheroes, and they shouldn't have to be. It's a hard life to lead, and we can't force it on anyone. But these kids especially, they need help, support, and someone who is willing to speak out for them." Joan lit up, suddenly becoming much more attentive to her subject's words. "Do you think you'll be able to bring about social change for your people, then, using your work as a springboard?" "My people?" asked Siobhan, raising one eyebrow. "No, I want to help bring enough change so that they can be their own people, without fear of recrimination or prejudice. There's a lot of ignorance out there, and I'm not so low profile that trying to rectify this would just get ignored. For example... the pentagram. The 'Satanic symbol'... only Satanism uses inverted pentagrams, and inverted crucifixes, yet kids get looked at funny for wearing a pentacle. It's things like that, people need to know about. There's no way I can force my views on others, but at the very least, I can educate them." Is this what I sound like to other people? thought Joan, cocking her head as she looked at Siobhan. "That's very interesting. Why don't you tell me more about yourself. Where are you from?" Siobhan let out a bitter laugh at this one. "Well... half of America. I'm a military brat. As a kid, my father had to move between military bases a lot, so my mother and I went with him. A lot. Until they realised I utterly despised it, so we moved back to Freedom City, because I was born here and my mom's brother could help out when my father was away." "Basically a long-winded way of saying... I'm a native Freedomite." "That's very interesting, given the career you've ultimately adopted. Do you think your military childhood prepared you for discovering magic?" "Frankly? No," said Siobhan in a brusque voice. "I wasn't happy, with all the continual moving around. I wasn't in a good place during it, and I only really started learning magic properly after I got out of that situation." Albeit for less than shining reasons... The witch took in a sharp intake of breath. "I suppose it is possible to use and manipulate magic in a negative environment, but unhappiness and magic mix together in ways that, well... the products of it are often people I have to fight." She ran a hand backwards through her hair. "I suppose it's possible I picked up a bit of self-discipline from it, but in the long run, I'm not entirely sure if I would have developed it naturally or not." "Ah, I see. That's interesting, particularly given the government's feelings about magic. What led you to magic?" The government's feelings on magic? I wasn't aware they even had policy on this. "Well, when you were a little girl..." smiled Siobhan. "Did you ever pretend you could do magic? Well, when I did it, I kept going, I never properly grew out of that phase. It's always felt right to me. But I didn't actually get into actual magic until I was a teenager. A lot of people dabble with ouija boards and other weird paraphenalia when they're young, then abandon them when they, well... don't work." "But for me, that sort of thing will actually function, because even then I had enough magical talent to operate them without training. So, from there, as I tried to figure out why all this worked for me, I ended up studying to become a witch." "Why a witch? Why not one of the other magical traditions?" It was a wiser question than most mundane reporters would think to ask, but not one out of their reach. For Joan, who had actually known sorcerors and seen Nicherin sages perform their mystic deeds, it was not too strange. "Really? Because it hasn't really got an inherent belief system to it. A lot of magical traditions come with a lot of religious and spiritual baggage," explained Siobhan. "Witchcraft... I mean, there's a thousand traditions, some of them tied to a religion, some not, most of the different practices not even mutually exclusive. But they're all witches, and they all perform similar practices. It emphasizes the responsibilities and ethos of you, not necessarily of a religion. I am religious, and it is a religion heavily associated with witchcraft, but I could tomorrow easily decide to be one and not the other."

Equinox nodded curtly to the older woman, before answering Jack's question. "Yes, although we're going to have to go back to my apartment. On the fly divination is complicated, and I'll need to look into my crystal ball." She shrugged. "Sometimes the stereotyping is true." "What actually happened here, though? I only caught the end of proceedings, and Simon clearly isn't here any more." A thought crossed her mind, remembering back to that day in the mall. "Skies above, has anyone died?"

"I can make an educated guess," nodded Siobhan, grimacing as her feet trampled on the goo left by some acid-corroded soil. She reached up and pulled her pentacle down around her neck, her usual costume flaring up around her quickly as she did so. "Earlier today I got visited by an old enemy, telling me he was planning on using someone's powers for his ends. Simon Kerr, calls himself Keter. It's Hebrew for crown, which shows what he thinks of himself." Equinox's face looked grim. "I used to be able to utterly destroy him. Now he seems to be able to bind demons en masse and hurl hellfire around. Which indicates he's pitched his lot in with the Ones Below. Which is how I found you, but apparently not quickly enough."

Jack.

Swashbuckler Examples: The Black Knight, Zorro PC examples: Jack of all Blades Power Level: 10 (150/150PP) Trade-Offs: +5 Attack / -5 Damage, +4 Defense / -4 Toughness Description: En guarde! You're the greatest swordsman in the world, and when you get tired of always winning, who do you fight? Supervillains, that's who! No one can match you in hand to hand combat, and with every crime you foil, you mockingly carve a single letter into a nearby wall. En guarde! Complications: "What? No chandeliers!?": This build lacks a grappling gun, or so such, in favour of just buying Swinging, assuming that this man or woman can swing using anything vaguely appropriate in the environment, or at least carries a lasso. Being unable to use this power is a simple Complication. Abilities: 4 + 12 + 4 + 0 + 4 + 10 = 34PP Strength 14 (+2) Dexterity 22 (+6) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 10 (+0) Wisdom 14 (+2) Charisma 20 (+5) Combat: 16 + 16 = 32PP Initiative: +14 Attack: +8, +11 melee, +15 swords Grapple: +13 Defense: +14 (+8 Base, +6 Dodge Focus), +4 Flat-Footed Knockback: -3/-1 FF Saving Throws: 6 + 7 + 5 = 18PP Toughness: +6/+2 (+2 Con, +4 Defensive Roll) Fortitude: +8 (+2 Con, +6) Reflex: +12 (+5 Dex, +7) Will: +7 (+2 Wis, +5) Skills: 104R = 26PP Acrobatics 14 (+20, Skill Mastery) Bluff 11 (+16, +20 w/ Attractive, Skill Mastery) Climb 8 (+10) Craft (Structural) 10 (+10) Diplomacy 6 (+11, +15 w/ Attractive, Skill Mastery) Disguise 5 (+10) Drive 9 (+15) Gather Information 10 (+15, Skill Mastery) Knowledge (Streetwise) 10 (+10) Language 1 (English, native: Spanish) Notice 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Sleight of Hand 5 (+10) Stealth 9 (+15) Feats: 35PP Acrobatic Bluff Attack Focus (melee) 3 Attack Specialisation (swords) 2 Attractive 1 Challenge 2 (Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Fast Taunt) Critical Strike Defensive Attack Defensive Roll 2 Distract (Bluff) Dodge Focus 6 Elusive Target Evasion Fearless Improved Critical (swords) 1 [total 2] Improved Disarm Improved Initiative 2 Luck 3 Power Attack Quick Draw Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information) Takedown Attack 2 Taunt Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Well Informed Powers:3 + 2 = 5PP Device 1 (Easy to Lose, 5pp of traits) [3PP] (sword) Strike 3 (Power Feats: Improved Critical 1 [total 2], Mighty) [5PP] Super-Movement 1 (swinging) [2PP] (training) DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 16 Toughness (Staged) Damage Sword Range DC 27 Toughness (Staged) Damage Abilities (34) + Combat (32) + Saving Throws (18) + Skills (26) + Feats (35) + Powers (5) - Drawbacks (0) = 150 Power Points WILL HAVE NOTES UP ASAP Notes: :arrow: Customisation: :arrow:

The hellhounds remaining snarled, and went to pursue their foe... only to see him slice up yet another of their pack mates. Hesitantly, they stopped en masse, pawing at the ground, their growls noticeably subdued. A couple at the back had even began to back away, when their leader half-heartedly snarled at them to fall in line. Then, in a flash of blinding white light, a woman appeared in the centre of Jack's lawn, clad in a Rayguns jersey and shorts, nothing on her feet but argyle socks. In one hand she held a wand, and in the other a silver pentacle amulet. Her eyes blazed with white fire, and her expression showed nothing but rage and contempt. "Simon..." she hissed menacingly. At Jack's feet tumbled a playing card. The Knave of Swords.

Noxy! Initiative (1d20+1=6) Then it looks like the hounds are up... But unfortunately, they're a little intimidated by the rest of their pack having been chopped up... Equinox also stunts up a Teleport to come in. Jack - 18 - 7HP - Unharmed, Extra Effort Hellhounds - 7 - 5 left, Shaken Equinox - 6 - 4HP Unharmed, Extra Effort

Equinox shrugged, pretending to ignore how Glowstar's sentence had started. <Why do one or the other? You both know where my body is,> stated Equinox. <Nothing stops you from at least keeping half an eye on it.> She took a couple of steps towards Blueshift. <I'm going to be a couple of steps behind you,> assured the witch. <But I'm going to be doing it silently and invisibly. Don't worry, I won't fall back into my body without telling you, unless something forces me to. Shall we proceed?> Equinox nodded briefly, before her astral form shimmered until it was nothing but a heat blur, then faded completely into invisibility.

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I think you mean prototypes, but along with that, maybe lengthen this. Does the robot make any weird flashy lights or shout <TARGET ACQUIRED> when it finds something? Please check spelling. Please format Strength to include the 26 somewhere. It's a mindless robot, and thus feels no fear anyway. Firstly, Growth is really only worthwhile at ranks 4/8/12/16/etc. Also, please list the full effects of it. Secondly, why are the rockets Autofire? I'd have seen them more as an Area thing. Please list Flight speed. Also, actual history please? What military organisation developed it (I'd guess AEGIS)? How many were made? How well known are they?

With a gracious nod and the clink of a few coins in the tip jar, Siobhan left the shop and paused for a second just outside the door, fumbling in one of her back pockets. Putting a cigarette to her lips, she cupped it with both hands, and for a brief second, Eric would have felt the hot burning sensation of fire magic. Then, she turned and waved one final time, forcing a smile in spite of everything. Her face soon returned to its worried frown, and Siobhan Drake strode off, hair streaming and smoke pluming behind her.

I post this not as a favour to you, but to spare any Ref or player from having to go over this with you again after your attitude. Same with the formatting. Remember... had zero obligation to do this.

3 of the main pack go down, and the two doggies going for the door go down too. Initiative Jack - 18 - 7HP - Unharmed, Extra Effort Hellhounds [on Jack] - 7 - 5 left

Equinox shook her head. "Even if I did have one, I can't use one if I'm not in my body," she explained, before slipping into a nearby alleyway. There came a muffled cry of "Astrikos!" and then a thump as the woman's body fell to the ground, completely limp. And yet a shimmering, half-formed image of her walked out of the alleyway. <You can tell I rarely do this spell by the fact that I completely forgot to sit down,> explained Equinox sheepishly. The astral form was visibly the same as her physical appearance, only with brown hair and her eyes weren't glowing. Also, while her mouth moved, and the three other superheroes heard her voice, there wasn't actually sound coming out.

It's magic time! Stunt off her area... Astral Form 5 (5 mile radius) [25PP]

"I say we split into two," offered Equinox. "You physically infiltrate, I'll astrally project. It also means I can very quickly get back to my body if the situation changes. The guys can stay outside as guards." Although with 'Stone' not especially happy with me...do I want to leave my body in his care? The witch shrugged. "Although keeping in radio contact would be a good idea. Projecting back and forward is fairly exhausting."

Jack - 18 - 8HP - Unharmed Hellhounds [on Jack] - 7 - 8 left [2 with -2 Defence from charging] Hellhounds [going to door] - 7 - 2 left Right, the middle two are charging. However, only one is attacking, the other is aiding: Aid roll for charging hellhound (1d20+10=17) The other 6 hounds also Aid: DC 10 Aid checks (1d20+8=24, 1d20+8=23, 1d20+8=19, 1d20+8=18, 1d20+8=15, 1d20+8=27) Sudden burst of attack roll competence their master lacks... So, total of 7 successful Aids, plus a +2 charging bonus, and a base +8 Attack... That's +24 to hit. DC 18 Drain Toughness, followed by DC 23 Strike. (1d20+24=38) Jack is up. To clarify, he's surrounded by 8 Hellhounds, and another 2 are on his lawn within Charging distance.