Gizmo
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"Why don't I tell you I'm a seven foot Zultasian prince here to shower you in high grade gemstones and nonsequential credsticks while I'm at it!" Nae-Dae shot back over the intercom, frantically leaping from place to place in the engine room. Two of her arms attempted to cover as much area as possible with her fire extinguisher while she used the wrench in another to loosen key points to vent building pressure. "Oh nooooo...!" she moaned plaintively even as she turned into a cobalt blue blur of motion, just barely keeping one step ahead of a catastrophic failure. With a glum look out the forward facing displays, Rock returned to his seat. There was no crash webbing or safety belts to hold him in place in the event of a crash; they wouldn't have held his weight anyway. Instead he simply placed his engulfing hands one over the other atop his head and slouched a bit before waiting in silence for any instructions from the captain.
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As the Voidrunner set down, barely squeezing into its designated berth, it kicked up a cloud of dust into the dry air. Between Ke'Pinree's oppressive heat and the omnipresent grime it seemed like Bliss might have had the right idea after all by sealing herself in an envirosuit. The blazing sun reflected off of every surface, most built from substandard duralloy or hardened slabs of sand mixed with chemical paste, cheap and easy materials that should never have been used for permanent structures. More than anything the bountry hunters were struck by the noise. The street on the otherside of the spaceport's blast doors was packed with people speaking a hundred different dialects, all with the same undercurrent of desperation. This wasn't the crowded of a bustling, successful metropolis with people rushing past with places to be, this was the crowded of too many people and too few accommodations, milling about aimlessly as they looked for anything to get them through one more day. The 'port attendant coughed indelicately as the trio stepped nearby, a spindly sentient with scraggly hair jutting out of its chin, taller than even Roulette by a good half a foot but looking like he likely weight no more than Ruby. He nodded meaningfully to an old style credcard reader built into the exterior of his booth, one of the few pieces of equipment present that looked like it had actually been more or less properly maintained.
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Eject placed her hand over the microphone and cast a sidelong glance at the freighter's copilot. "What in the Pit is a 'Praetorian'?" The young man's hapless shrug lifted his weathered hide vest and the military mentat turned back to the communication equipment with a resigned roll of her eyes. "Devotion, we'll take any help we can get, thank you. Transmitting coordinates now." It wasn't the most tactically sound move by a long shot but they'd already been broadcasting for centicycles without any response. Part of Eject even thought that going down fighting pirates might be preferable to slow suffocation and freezing. She wondered if it was her imagination making the air feel a few degrees cooler when the throat clearing behind her pulled her attention. "Eh? Ah, miss, I appreciate the offer but right now the best thing you can do is--" The appearance of Seikahi’ino's head in the already cramped confines of the cockpit startled her enough to derail her measured delivery. "What in-- who are you two?!" The copilot offered another silent shrug.
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Set waited until the demon's fiery blasts had worn through the shadowy cocoon enough to expose his face before laughing right in it. "If you think long memories worry me you've clearly never had a Twitter following, sweetie. Oh, you may wish to duck." The warning gave the demon just enough time to turn his head before Sekhmet hurled the hellhound like a shot put directly at its master. The pair collided with a chorus of groans and audible cracks, the rest of the shadowstuff collapsing into liquid darkness around the demon's buckling knees. Still atop the table at the center of the warehouse, Set narrowed her eyes an raised both hands, letting crimson electricity arc between her fingers. "You sulfur riddled simpletons always think 'darkness' tis the sole shorthand for 'power'. Darkness tis a hobby. I'm of the storm, little thing; I don't dance in light, I dance in lightning." Thunder exploded overhead like cannon fire as ruby lances on energy streaked down, shattering the warehouse's skylight in glittering teardrops before skewering the demon over and over again. Sekhmet had no wordplay to waste upon the fiend but she was not yet finished contributing to the exchange. With acrid smoke rising from the demon she charged forward with a leoine roar that rivaled Set's thunder and delivered a roundhouse kick to his stomach, his beaten form folding almost in half where her sandal clad foot struck.
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"Oh, sure, first from support systems to weapons then dump it all into sublight just like that," Nae-Dae's voice chittered over the intercom, accompanied by the snapping of one of her four hands. "No problem. It's not like this is a karking delicate process or anything!" Despite the Irreran's aggravated protests the readouts in front of Eclipse surged as the ships power conduits gracefully shifted energy where it had been requested. A moment later there was a sharp, explosive crack from deep in the bowels of the ship followed by a resounding clang of metal hitting metal. "It's fine! S'fine! ...that bit's mostly just for looks anyhow." Next to Eclipse on the bridge Rock acknowledged the order with a terse,"Rock," before getting to his feet with a motion that looked something like an avalanche. The U-shaped handles that emerged from the console he approached were mounted on a reinforced shock absorber repurposed from a land-based all terrain vehicle, sturdy enough to survive the grip of an angry mountain. Flexing stoney fingers once, then twice, he took hold of the controls and positioned his thumbs atop the big round firing studs. Eyes of molten magma narrowed at the tactical readout in front of him before he brought down the hammer, red hot darts of energy erupting from the Horizon in two staggered streams.
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The pile of animated boulders leaned forward in his seat to get a better look at the grey-tinged planet on the monitor before pulling back slowly and placing a hand over the place where a more conventional humanoid's stomach would have been in a gesture of nausea. "Rooock..." News of the enemy's nigh unimaginable firepower had been enough to give pause to even a being with the life experience and philosophical outlook of the mineral mercenary but something about the lifeless pallor in front of them filled him with considerably more unease. "What? Oi, what's everybody talking about?" Nae-Dae asked impatiently over the intercom, followed by the familiar sound of her wrench tapping against something metallic. "Forget it, I'm coming up there!"
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Later, as tinges of colour on the horizon threatened to turn a late night into an early morning, Travis Hunter sat in the Midnight Manor, reviewing the estates security footage of the past day with a fresh cup of tea sitting next to two of its emptied brethren, ostensibly alone. Tapping away at the custom ordered keyboard, the aging hero pulled up the keyframe of Knightfall and Daybreak's entrance before pausing to take a silent sip. Without turning around he called into the unlit darkness behind him, "Can come out, you know." After several beats, a figure in a simple red and black uniform adorned with golden gadgetry and sturdy leather straps stepped into view, boots clipping along the stone floor with military precision. The blond hair on the man's shaking head had more grey in it than the last time Travis had seen him but he still didn't look much older than perhaps fifty. Crossing his arms over an hourglass insignia, Tomas Morgen gave his friend a rueful smile. "Some people have the good grace to allow their senses to dull with age, you know. What gave me away?" "Some have grace to age at all," Travis snorted as he swiveled his chair around and placed both hands atop the head of his cane. "Not the only one who helped install alarms down here, Tom."
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Toughness Save vs. DC 25.: 1d20+7 11 Oof, that's 'disabled'. Sekhmet Free Action: Opposed Grapple Check.: 1d20+16 29 Move Action: Thow Hellhound at Demon.: 1d20+3 13 She's putting her +7 Strength bonus behind that.Delay: Initiative 23, right after Set. Set Move Action: Taunt vs. Demon.: 1d20+16 23 Standard Action: Lightning Bolt vs. Demon.: 1d20+7 21 That should theoretically benefit from Autofire, putting it at DC 15+7+3 = 25.Sekhmet Standard Action: Charge Demon.: 1d20+9 13 DC 22, as before.
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"Rock." Eclipse's first mate made a flat sound from his position in the bridge, like tectonic plates scraping against one another. Rock's chair was less a piece of furniture and more a slab of hull grade metal welded and shaped into an approximation of a bench with a tall back and even then it creaked warningly as the stoney titan folded his arms over his prodigious chest and gave his captain a disapproving look. Historically Rock hadn't been on the best terms with the Star Knights he'd met here and there but given the reports coming from the survivors of Lor-Van it seemed a little soon to be giving one of the armored law enforcers a hard time. A wet raspberry sound came over the shipwide intercom as Nae-Dae weighed in from the engine room. "Aw, come off it, Rock. We ain't seen a karked thing yet, what does he expect her to say?" the furry mechanic opined, hanging upside down from the synthetic mesh that covered the ceiling of her workspace. "He's the one probably got all sorts of fancy Star Knight sensors in his helmet that they won't let anybody else take a butcher's at even if they promise to give it back after!"
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"What, you're worried about these chumps? Aw, come off it Captain Swishypants, they're strictly amateur night," Nae-Dae scoffed dismissively from her perch atop Rock's right shoulder, waving with one of her free hands. The stoney goliath matched the Alarian's pace as they ran down the corridor with a longer stride that made up for his less streamlined physique. "Took care of the deadlocks, didn't I? We get back to the boat, knock some heads together if we gotta and waltz on outta here, yeah?" They did indeed find the door to Hanger C spread invitingly open for them, the Horizon within view as they stepped through. The pint-sized mechanic had just opened her mouth to confirm her prediction when androids identical to the ones they'd dealt with previously began pouring in through each of the remaining four entrances to the hanger, led by a livid man wearing the uniform of the Ocean's command staff and shouting some very unkind words. "...yeah, alright, I deserved that," Nae-Dae admitted, ducking her head between her upper set of shoulder blades. "Rock can still take this bunch, though!" The pile of stacked stones looked from one side of the hanger to the other, doing a quick headcount as the number of robots increased. A beat later he answered his companion's vote of confidence by scooping Eclipse up by the waist under his left arm and making a mad dash for their ship just as laser bolts began to fly. "Rooooock!"
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Outer Reaches of Contested Space 38 Hours After Destruction of Lor-Van It was a truism that any seasoned spacer could have sworn upon: the heart of galactic civilization could be on fire, the proverbial wolf could be at the door and everything anyone knew could be turned upside down but there would still be someone willing to pay hard coin to make sure somebody else got what was coming to them. Since energy cells and starship parts hadn't suddenly become free, the crew of the Voidrunner had made their way out to the raggedy edge of known space, far enough out that nobody bothered to argue if it was technically Republic or Khanate territory, looking for a scumbag with a price on his head. Only this time the heart of galactic civilization really was on fire and the rush of reentry outside the airlock was starting to sound an awful lot like that proverbial wolf growling. Orbital traffic was ten times over denser than it should have been, packed with the ships of refugees who'd either thought they could avoid what was coming by running far enough away or who just didn't have anywhere more attractive to go than the dustball known as Ke'Pinree. Many of the vessels looked barely space-worthy; it was doubtful their passengers would be able to make it to the next closest habitable world if they were turned away. Once properly assured that they were there on business, a harried sounding woman with a thick provincial accent had cleared the bounty hunters for landing, directing them to was passed for a spaceport on her world.
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Outer Edge of the Lor-Van System 17 Hours After Destruction of Lor-Van The previous solar cycle's worth of hours had been among the worst in the lives of either Seikahi’ino or Ana Plonsky. On shore leave from the Xeno, the human woman had chosen to spend it on the shining crown jewel of the Lor Republic with the more worldly Kahi'iru agreeing to tag along as a favour to their mutual acquaintance to make sure she didn't get herself into any trouble. There was no way either of them could have been prepared for the Communion's sudden, merciless attack on Lor-Van. There was no way anyone could have been prepared. They'd been among the lucky ones, making it to a spaceport and squeezing their way onto a mid-sized cruiser just as the bay doors closed and it made for orbit. They'd sat on makeshift benches formed from empty cargo containers while a panicked young man had asked over and over if anyone had seen his sister among the crowd and a frail grandmother had been unable to stop an infants plaintive wailing for even a moment. They'd been in the windowless hold when word had filtered down that the Star Knights had arrived in force, a moment of sudden hope and relief before learning that the armor clad champions had sacrificed themselves to give them and the other fleeing vessels time to break orbit. They'd been there when the air had begun to taste just slightly stale and those familiar with starships had begun muttering that the engines didn't sound quite right. There when a crewman had let slip that they'd fallen behind the rest of the extant fleet and wouldn't be able to jump to FTL until repairs had been effected. There when the panicked young man from before had to be restrained before he could hurt himself or anyone else. There when someone asked aloud what was stopping those terrible silver sliver ships from coming to finish them off. On the ship's bridge, Samran-86 ran a hand through her tightly shorn red hair and reminded herself to keep her breathing calm and steady. The Lor officer had assumed command of the vessel from it grateful owner, a cargo hauler with no experience with emergency situations. The clone mentat known to her fellows as Eject was beginning to think he'd had the right idea. "Any friendly vessels, this is the freighter Either Ore. We are venting plasma and require immediate assistance. Repeat: we require immediate assistance. Is anyone out there listening?"
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Incursion: Phase One >Incursion: Blood in the Water A Lor refugee cruiser has become separated from the evacuated fleet! Can our heroes defend it from Communion fighters long enough to make it to safety? Featuring: Paradigm, Kharag, Deep Freeze and Seika >Incursion: Meaning in Destruction The world-killer has set course for another world. The clock is ticking as our heroes try to discover why and escape with their lives! Featuring: Dragonid, Moon-Moth, The Traveller and Solar Sentinel >Incursion: The Conquered Flesh The Stellar Khanate has been silent since the Communion first arrived in known space. Cavalier recruits blockade runners to find out the terrifying reason! Featuring: Cavalier, Eclipse and Rock >Incursion: Opportunists and Opposition The remaining Star Knights are spread thin and pirate attacks have surged! But are interstellar brigands the worst our heroes have to fear? Featuring: Corona, Mechanized, Memorial and Galvanic >Incursion: Backwater They came for a bounty but our heroes much deal with a corrupt sheriff, overcrowded refugees and rising tensions if they plan to make it back to civilized space! Featuring: Bliss, Roulette and Ruby Voxx
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Character: Rock What is he doing: Rock
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Jack of all Blades / Jill O'Cure (7) >Growth Rings (2) >Starting Over (2) >Mystery at Bedside Manor (2) >Charity Begins at Home (1) Midnight II (17) >Midnight Dynasty (8) >Until You've Crossed (5) >Actions Speak (4) Ghost Girl (2) >Necklace of Ropes (2) Set / Sekhmet (5) >Werewolves Are So Hot Right Now (3) >Spirit of Revolution (1) >Thunderball (1) GM (32) >Adventures in Babysitting in Space (1) >Incursion: Prologue (31) I'd like to rollover enough posts to get Midnight to a total of 25 and give the rest to Set. The Ref PP can also go to Set.
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"They're a real bundle of nerves alright," Nae-Dae chittered facetiously as she sought refuge behind Rock's considerable bulk. They'd made it to the steerage section of the Ocean before running into a trio of the security bots. As it turned out the custom hardware that had so impressed Echo prioritized neutralizing a pair of potential threats over minimizing the risk of passenger injuries, at least when it came to the sort of passengers resigned to the makeshift accommodations in the belly of the starliner. The blaster bolts emerged from the bots' cannons with the resounding sound of heavy high tension cables vibrating only to collide with Rock's chest with a much less inspiring cough like marbles being dropped into sand. The huge humanoid brushed a bit of scorched dust from one stoney pectoral with his hand and gave his attackers a flat, unimpressed look. The situation might have been comical if not for the panicked screaming of the dozens of beings running in all directions trying to get away from the firefight in the cramped quarters of the hold. A small child of perhaps ten had gotten separated from her parent, taking rapid, distressed breaths as she scuttled about on her six tentacles and tried to spot a familiar face among the throngs of unfamiliar knees. Tripping over herself, she tucked into a defensive balls of pale green skin and hand-me-down dress and rolled a few feet before falling with a plaintive cough between Rock and the security bots. "Oi, kid!" Nae-Dae shouted, leaping up and over Rock's shoulder like a cobalt blue pinball, six limbs quickly carrying her across the deck to the child. She arrived just in time for one of the three security bots to turn its attention and its blaster cannon toward them, components whirring momentarily as its visual sensors refocused. "Aw, kark," the mechanic muttered, squeezing her eyes shut and wrapping three arms around the girl while using the forth to hold her toolbox up like a shield. Instead of red hot oblivion she opened her eyes to see a stoney palm set down in front of her as Rock crouched to shield his much squishier partner. The giant's flat look had turned to one of anger, his molten eyes glowing more brightly as he surged forward with surprising speed for his size. The same huge hand quickly enveloped the offending bot's head. "Rock." One squeeze later the droid toppled over, a ruined stump where its neck had been. Rock turned his attention to the remaining two bots to find them similarly dispatched with great round burn holes through their chest. Turning back around he found Nae-Dae holding a weapon from her toolbox that must have weighed nearly as much as she did, sniffing derisively. "Losers. G'wan, kid, go find your ma, yeah?" The little soon ran into the waiting tentacles of her relieved parent, waving at the departing pair.
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"Rrrooock." The gravelly sound produced by a larynx made of slate was muffled by the howl of air rushing past into the void of space through the fist sized and growing hole in the Ocean’s hull. The bulkhead descending to seal the room off from the rest of the ship groaned in protest as the animate statue formed from piled stones standing below it pushed upward, his fingers leaving gouges in the metal. He looked over his shoulder, a blocky brow lowered over two embers of molten lava. "Oi, you’re just a master of understatement, you know that, pebble brain?" the cobalt blue furred simian hanging upside down from Rock’s shoulder by both feet and one arm accused irritably while carrying a hefty toolbox in another hand and typing furiously away at the control panel next to the door with her remaining pair. Getting nowhere, Nae-Dae made an angry, inarticulate sound and gave up typing in favour of pulling a hefty wrench longer than her forearm from the toolbox. Several emphatic swings quickly reduced the wall mounted interface to sparking scrap. "There," the Irreran mechanic sniffed in satisfaction, "that’s the shuttle bay codes sorted." Shifting his stance with a grunt so that he was holding up the bulkhead with one hand, Rock picked Nae-Dae up by the back of her heavy apron and held her in front of him, away from the distending breach. His shoulders heaved up and down twice as he prepared himself before rolling forward with a sudden burst of momentum, taking the goliath into the hallway as the emergency door slammed shut behind them. Placing his much smaller friend atop his shoulder, Rock began taking long strides toward the rendezvous point. "Rock?" "Nah, sure they weren’t keeping nothing important in there. Built like a paper bag, innit?"
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"Empirically true," Midnight agreed is a monotone deadpan, privately hoping that his counterpart in alternate dimension colloquially known as Earth-XX was having a better day. Given that the female version of Edge hadn't demonstrated an inclination to even ask before adorning someone in pink sparkles, that seemed unlikely. "Suggest black," he added with a subtle nod to his own attire and the primary colouration of Wander's costume in turn. "Headwear is good, though." Costume design was something he had quite a bit to say about, relatively speaking. He looked over to Erin with a faint shrug on one shoulder. It seemed as though her question had been answered.
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Taking Erin's hand gingerly in his own, Trevor let out a long, slow breath. "I know. Don't have to like it." The faint sound of the material of his mask shifting wouldn't have been noticeable to anyone with the recuperating young woman's enhanced hearing but she recognized it as the telltale sign that one corner of his mouth was twitching upward in the barest hint of a smile. Following her gaze over to the other side of the room, he asked softly, "Think she'll be alright? Rude awakening." Trevor didn't have the best grasp of traditional family dynamics but he had to imagine attempted assassinations and physical confrontations were enough to upend most anyone's worldview.
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Trevor made a grumbling sound that emerged from his mask's filters like gravel grinding against concrete. "Worried," he admitted after shifting about in his chair for a few moments, folding his arms across his chest as if daring Erin to point out that with her recuperative abilities she'd been in very little danger from the moment Nina had pulled her out of the water. "Can still drown." There was no need to clarify that the real reason he was ill at ease was that she'd been injured in the process of taking a hit aimed at him. Just because she was far more capable of taking that hit that he was didn't make him feel any better about seeing her hurt.
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Midnight didn't stray far from the sickbay from the moment the two young women were brought there for treatment, his quietly dripping uniform somehow adding to the aura of menace that radiated from the silent, black clad figure even under the harsh artificial lights. Any of the Charles de Gaulle's staff who seemed hesitant to treat the unexpected arrivals or suggested detaining al-Darsah for questioning received a steely glare that penetrated the vigilante's ruby lenses and imparted all the chill of being submerged in the seawater outside. Once the staff had done what they could, he took a seat nearby Erin and waited while she recovered. Redbird attempted to start up a conversation a few times, bemoaning how short her flight time had been, but it was clear that the laconic Hunter heir was occupied with his own thoughts.
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Welcome to Freedom City Play by Post's newest crossover event: >Incursion! Incursion is an epic space opera in three phases which will radically alter the status quo of civilized space in the FCPbP setting. It's the perfect jumping on point for new, space-based characters and a crucible to carry existing characters into the next phase of their adventures! Phase One consists of multiple threads set immediately after a merciless attack by an unknown force against the capital planet of the Lor Republic as well as the Grue Unity and the Stellar Khanate. Survival is the first order of the day as panic and confusion run rampant and our heroes begin to fight back! Event Ground Rules: With multiple threads running at once, timing is important. Players will be expected to post within a 24 hour period, particularly during combat initiative. If they are unable to do so, the GM will narrate the character's actions or circumstance in order to move the thread along, skipping the players turn. Phase One is specifically for space-based character and characters with strong ties to galactic culture. Rest assured, the Incursion will be coming to Earth allowing the heroes of Freedom City to become involved. Only characters with circumstances that can justify already being in space will be directly included in Phase One threads. Take the opportunity to review the >House Rules for space relevant rulings for the Space Travel power, spacesuits as Equipment and more! Sign Up: Sign up for Phase One begins now and continues until midnight of Saturday, November 8th. That gives players still dragging their feet on getting new, space-based character up for approval one last window to get them up there! Post in the thread below with the name of the character you'd like to see included and a quick description of what they would have been up to just prior to the events of Incursion: Prologue. Phase One threads will begin Monday, November 10th!
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The sound of metal scraping on metal came from the side of carrier moments before a black glove appeared over the edge of the ship, retractable climbing claws protruding from the palm. Midnight hauled himself up onto the deck with a grunt, taking a moment to catch his breath before pushing himself to his feet with obvious effort. Stepping quickly over to the others with a sureness that came more from force of will than strength of limb, he knelt next to Wander and took her hand in his own, squeezing gently. No one else was close enough to hear the faint sigh of relief that escaped through his featureless mask. Glancing over to Nina, the taciturn vigilante gave Edge a wordless look, inquiring after her condition.
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"Aw, you noticed I lost weight, how sweet! Gluten-free works wonders," Set called back to the demon, feigning a mixture of self-conscious modesty and pleased preening. Sekhmet responded with actions rather than words, ducking under the hellhound's swipe and bobbing back up to deliver a fiery uppercut that caught the beast under its jaw and lifted it just slightly off of the ground. Capitalizing on its unbalance the warrior goddess grabbed one of its forelegs and twisted, slamming her opponent into the warehouse floor and pinning it with a knee pushed into the small of its back. With a snarl, she threw her weight into the painful hold. When the hellhound's master turned his sadistic attentions to Skaere, Set's expression soured into a snarl of her own. "I do not recall giving you permission to switch dance partners." From her tabletop perch, the godling made a series of grasping arcane gestures and the shadow globules dripping down the warehouse wall behind the demon sprang into movement again, lashing out like tentacles of tar. "All the darkness of night and the soul, hm?" Cracking like whips the tentacles ensnared the demon and continued to spread, enveloping him in shadowstuff.
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Sekhmet Move Action: Demoralize Hellhound.: 1d20+18 38 Standard Action: Unarmed Attack vs. Hellhound.: 1d20+7 16 Hero Point: Unarmed Attack vs. Hellhound, HP Reroll.: 1d20+7 24 Same as before, DC 22 Toughness Save with Affects Insubstantial 2, Incurable and Vampiric 4.Free Action: Improved Grab; Initiate Grapple vs. Hellhound.: 1d20+16 32 Set Move Action: Taunt vs. Demon.: 1d20+16 30 Standard Action: Shadow Snare vs. Demon. That's a DC 17 Reflex Save.
