Raveled

Diplomacy checks are not opposed by anything.

Starlight stared down at the papers for a long minute, and then shook her head. "I have no desire for Earthly goods or wealth," she said, sliding the papers away from her, "beyond what I require for day-to-day life. Your assets are of no interest to me." She narrowed her eyes at the CEO. "That being said, if I do not find your story acceptable, no level of material wealth will stop me from bringing you to justice."

Glowstar watched the fight unfold from his elevated position. Wisp was making good use of her mobility and managed to get in the villain's blind spot, giving him a good, solid hit. The other heroine took a nasty hit from a stat... scorpion... tail thing, and it apparently put her off her game enough that she missed the bad guy badly. "Somehow this doesn't seem very sporting," Glowstar said, channeling more energy. "You're spreading out your attacks like this and all we have to do is keep pounding on you, like this." He let loose with another barrage of ruby light, bombarding the stage and the villain. "At this rate, it's going to get pretty boring, pretty fast. Why don't you just lay down and accept the inevitable?"

From the aura, Crow deduces that it was a spirit of rage and hate, or possibly a predator spirit, commanded to take control of the skeleton and do whatever ill deeds it could. From what he knows of such workings, it would require a specially prepared anchor to tie it to the skeleton.

As the drone collapsed in Synth's grip, Starlight relaxed and floated to the floor, her aura of power shimmering and wafting away. "Let me take a guess," she said, glancing at Ms. Hawthorne's 'war-form.' "Somewhere out there in the stars, there is a cephalapoid conqueror, who goes by Nes. Much like the Grue Unity, it sends out near-mindless drones who infiltrate a target civilization and prepare it for conquest from within." She crossed her arms. "Much like the Grue. "You were just such a drone, sent to learn about Earth. But as you learned more about this planet, you came to prefer it to your creator, and rebelled in the quietest fashion -- you went native. Now Nes is here and it wants to stop you, possibly reabsorb you and replace you with a willing drone." The heroine grew eyebrows just so she could one questioningly. "Is that more or less correct?"

GM The energy of Crow's spell flew up from him and wrapped around the megalodon skeleton, outlining it in a shimmering, opalescent aura. The energy turned angry red almost immediately and concentrated around the jaw, then split and clung to several teeth. The monster shark let out a low, keening moan that downshifted past the audible range, shaking the heroes' bones. There was a moment of terrible stillness; a sound that defied description; the young heroes saw a form float away from the skeleton, a form that twisted impossibly and was gone even as their brains tried to make sense of it; and it was done. The shark skeleton was again just a skeleton, hanging in the air. At least for a moment, then it was a shark skeleton plummeting through the air and crashing on the ground. The room was filled with plaster dust as the replica bones broke and the display shattered. Moments later, a balding figure in a cardigan and trousers rose from the floor boards and surveyed the damage. Jesse Perry, formerly the crimefighter Ghostman and evidently still in full possession of his superpowers, made a face and nodded slowly. "Well, at least you kids move fast. Would have been nice if you hadn't destroyed a museum piece, of course. Don't worry, we'll cover for your absence earlier." His gaze fell on Kirsten and he frowned. "And you, miss, should be in costume! Have to protect your identity, remember?" He shook his head curtly and fell through the floor. "Mr. Hawke and I will keep the authorities out for a little while longer, but get ready for them!"

So here's the thing. The skeleton is technically not possessed -- I mean, that's what's happening in-universe right now, a spirit is moving around the shark display. Mechanically though, it's just a big nasty monster. So technically there is no spirit to contend the check. However, I really like the idea of just forcing the spirit out, so I'm going to allow it, and have the shark resist with a Will save. Shark's Will Save, vs DC 20. (1d20+7=12) And it's out. Q, post an IC without the result, please.

Shark Monster's Toughness, vs DC 25. (1d20+13=32) nope.

GM The skeletal shark strained at its bonds, growling deep in its nonexistent chest. As the teens reacted and bombarded it with blows, it stood fast against them -- until Saiph let loose a dazzling blast of cosmic energy! The skeleton did indeed shiver down its length and grow still for a moment, almost like whatever the hero had done had disturbed the connection between the skeleton and the malign intelligence controlling it.

As per House Rules, the Shark gets a Reflex save. Shark Monster's Reflex save, vs DC 18. (1d20+8=22) Nope. Shark Monster's Toughness, vs DC 23. (1d20+14=17) That... is a Daze + Injury. Initiative 22 Glow -- Uninjured -- HP x1 16 Crow -- Bruisedx1 -- HP x3 14 El Heralado -- Uninjured -- HP x0 11 Saiph -- Uninjured -- HP x2 10 Monster Shark -- Bound + Helpless + Daze (Saiph), Injuryx1-- GM Glow is up.

Okay, apparently Airon was trying to remind me that the Shark was Bound, and therefore has crap Def. So yes, 17 hit. Shark Monster's Toughness save, vs DC 24. (1d20+14=27) Still nothing.

... No, Saiph goes after El Heraldo. That's just initiative order.

That attack roll misses. Saiph is up.

Shark Monster's Str check. (1d20+11=19) And I have no idea how it worked, but it did.

"Well then, if we're all set, I think we can just about set off, pardner." Starlight stopped, and then rubbed at his chin. "Actually, unless we're going to wear out out boot heels, mind if we get a lift?" A few hours later the clanking, noisy, steam-powered jalopy of Mr. Snake rolled into Houston. Starlight was at the wheel and drove the vehicle up to the hotel nearest to Finnegan's casino and gained a room with a few of the coins that Her Majesty's Government had lent the team. The team holed up in it, Starlight staring across the street at Finnegan's casino. "I feel that I must make one last attempt to end this peacefully," he said, the Western drawl dropped in favor of the hero's more normal style of speech. "I'm going to go over there. Don't come unless you see explosions." With the order given, the hero-turned cowboy left the hotel and crossed the street, walking over to the casino. He swaggered in and took a seat at the bar, motioning over the man who stood behind it polishing glasses. "Get me some whiskey," he said, drawl back in place, "if there's any in this pit worth the name. And tell your boss I'm the only man in town who can tell him how to save his business."

Old & crusty'd by Dok Glowstar :arrow: Updated age. :arrow: Both points into powers, buying some Impervious Protection. Old & crusty'd by Dok

Lucky star'd by Dok Starlight :arrow: Since Starlight always seems to need it, grab her a rank of Luck. :arrow: Put the other point into Skills, buy three ranks of Know/Arcane and the last rank into Diplomacy. Lucky star'd by Dok

Glowstar's ranged attack roll, vs Zodiacus' Def. DC 27 Tou + Autofire (1d20+12=15) Oh for the love of.... He has the HP, I'm rerolling that! Glowstar's ranged attack roll, vs Zodiacus' Def. DC 27 Tou + Autofire. Reroll (1d20+12=25) Of course, IC.

Ironclad's pokin' at the bots! SM for 25 on Know/Tech. If you want another skill, just let me know.

Ironclad's scanners worked over the scene even after the villains disappeared. So often they disappeared just to strike from a position of concealment... but it seemed that they had genuinely retreated, leaving the heroes in control of the street. "Smart ladies," she said, rising into the air and landing in the rent hole in the side of the building. "Hel-lo, what do we have here?" She knelt down next to the shattered drones, pupils dilating behind her mask. She rotated one wrist in its socket and a set of thin metal rods extended from her gauntlet; she grabbed them and started poking around inside the robots, humming as she did so.

Shark Monster's Toughness save, vs DC 25. (1d20+14=31) Nothin' doin'.

Glow stunted to give Crow S-Str, remember? Unless you want the Fatigue, which will make your rolls ever LOWER...

Starlight shook her head condescendingly at the drone as it continued to struggle. "You cannot prevail against the pair of us," she said, gathering power in her fists again. "You cannot see, and now you cannot move. Soon you shall be dealt with -- and then we shall deal with your master. Tell it that the Light shall be coming soon to drive him from this planet!" With the cry, she unleashed the powerful blow again at the trapped minion.

Well looking at Starlight's combat options.... Blast again! Ironclad's ranged attack w/ +2 Power Attack, vs Drone's Def. DC 27 Tou (1d20+8=20)

GM Saiph's cosmic blast rocked the skeletal shark and rattled its vertebrae, but didn't seem to faze it in the least. It continued to fly around the room, trailing Morgan on his wires. It tried to stop and start suddenly, wiggling through the air in a serpentine pattern, and even jerking him up and down but the hero's magic wires held up to the abuse. It returned to its starting place and, with no other options, let loose another bowel-shaking roar.