Raveled

GM The interior of the manse was gloomy and threatening, the windows occluded by dirt and plant-growth to the point where Dragonfly couldn't see two feet in front of her -- in the visible spectrum, at least. Her IR sensors were unimpeded and painted the long, open hallway in shades of cool blue and green, with none of the warmer yellows and red that would have indicated a living creature. "Vell vell, another strange visitor to my home." The voice came from directly behind her. The heroine turned to see a short, slim form between her and the obvious exit. "I have no use for strange golems such as yourself. Although." The shadowed figure cocked its head to the side. "I hear a heart beating within you. Is that merely a macabre affection of the one that crafted you, or is there a living being under that armor?"

Ironclad was soaring above the city in one of her normal patrolling patterns, watching the sensor feed inside her helmet and listening to the radio. The news of a sudden attempted suicide made her peel off the route and drop toward the city with dizzying speed. Her gold and green armor blurred towards the ground and she pulled up half a second from impact, floating off the edge of the building. Even the socially-awkward inventor could sense the tension in the group, so her nods all around were rather tentative. "Cannonade. Silhouette. Geckoman. Look like quite a party we've got going here." She paused a moment and mentally shifted her feet. "So, I take it that's our jumper? Or are you just really taken with the guy, Sil?"

Brian was learning some distinctly non-scholastic lessons in his time at Claremont. Like, the good cop-bad cop routine still worked; given the prisoner's dilemma, criminals would still rat each other out; and the best way to deal with the tension before a fight was with a joke. Not that he intended to fight Duncan Summers (in fact he intended to stand in the corner and ay yessir and no, sir at all the right points) but this wait had the same slow, thick tension as the wait before a fight. So he walked up behind his friend and threw his arm around Morgan's shoulders. "Look on the bright side," he said. "Worst thing Summers can do is strip us, skin us, and hang us by the gate as a warning to others. At least we won't be expelled or anything."

Ironclad's initiative. (1d20+3=8)

Hello! Welcome to the boards. This looks like an interesting concept -- undead female lawyer! However, there are some conceptual. The first is that, except for a couple of decades in the eighties and early nineties, the Freedom City verse has always loved it's superheroes, and that goes for the 'mystery men' who came before them. Second, a young, up and coming female lawyer from the 1920s? I find that very hard to believe. Now, if this character was from the seventies or eighties, it becomes much easier to swallow. On to the mechanics! First thing: No Complications whatsoever? That's literally unheard of, and not a good thing. You want Complications. They gave much tasty Hero Points. Secondly; if this character is undead, she doesn't have Con 0. She has no Constitution, represented by Con -- Base Att and Def cost 2 points per rank. Oddly enough you've figured it right (20 PP spent) you just don't have it listed properly. Thing 2 is, flat-footed Def is half of base Def rounded down. From an optimizing stand-point, you could lose a rank of base Def, replace it with a rank of Dodge Focus, save 1 PP and get the exact same mechanical benefit. List where the Toughness is coming from; Protection, Force Field, Defensive Roll, et cetera. Other than that, it's tight. You don't need the skills to line up like that. Also, I only see 35 Skill Ranks and you've paid for 36. You have one unused Skill Rank. Some formatting errors that need to be taken care of. I'd argue that 1 minute Resurrection is too much; faster than 1 day is probably too much. But, that's your choice. You also need descriptors on all these powers; are they magical in origin, is she empowered by a god, or was he corpse exposed to a chemical spill, or what? Third, Resurrection has the proper cost, but not the proper ranks; there's only 35 ranks there, not 37. Again, formatting. Where are these 2 Feats? They're not listed anywhere on the sheet. Your count is right, though, exactly 150 PP expended. Overall, I think this is an interesting character, but there are some mechanical problems. The biggest one in my mind is that she is way under combat caps ATM. In a fight, she'd be closer to PL 5 or 6 than PL 10. I'd cut that Regeneration and Super-Strength way back (maybe drop S-Str entirely) to buy up some more combat ability. You might be able to get some more PP by taking a Vulnerability to fire, too. Finally, you need to list the Feats. Other than that, I hope to see Undead Female Lawyer stick around!

Jessica touched her titanium wristwatch briefly. "The armor never goes away," she said flatly, "but yes. If this is going to be a vacation, let it be a vacation from everything. Besides, I believe superheroes are a lot less common in Europe than they are in North America. It should be easy enough to just be Blake and Jessica for a little while." She paused and drew a breath to say something else, but at that moment their server arrived with their food. Jessica inhaled the aromatic steam coming off her chicken as she unfolded her napkin and set it in her lap. She almost reminded Blake that the proper thing to do would be to sit on the other side of the table, but decided against it. After all, it was quite nice to sit next to each other, knee to knee.

GM Myrmidon's summoned flashbang arced high in the air, dropping down towards the group of ill-dressed thugs. It went off in a harsh bang and flash of light that was almost painful even where the heroes were crouching; for those directly under the epicenter, it was a disabling cacophony. Unfortunately, only one of the hobos had the presence of mind to ignore his bleeding ears and streaming eyes and keep a hold on the barrel. The rest squeezed their eyes shut and clapped their hands over their ears, sagging against the railing. One man couldn't do the work of five, though, and the barrel rolled down the staircase to the ground, shattering upon the concrete. A viscous blue-black fluid began to leak out, and from the way the other hobos edged away from it, it wasn't something to take lightly.

20 hobos, acting in four groups of 5; two groups are at the bottom of the basin, one group is at the top, one group with the barrel. Stun grenade catches barrel-men. If more than 3 are Dazzled, bad stuff starts to happen. Reflex save, vs DC 15. (1d20+1=3, 1d20+1=8, 1d20+1=12, 1d20+1=15, 1d20+1=3) And that's bad stuff! Myr gets a HP due to Accident. Initiative for thugs, by group (1d20+1=17, 1d20+1=4, 1d20+1=5, 1d20+1=18) Initiative order is Animus -- Uninjured -- HP x1 Thug 1 -- Uninjured -- GM Thug 2 -- Uninjured -- GM Thug 3 -- Uninjured -- GM Thug 4 -- Uninjured -- GM Thug 5 -- Uninjured -- GM Lord Steam -- Uninjured -- HP x2 Thug 6 -- Uninjured -- GM Thug 7 -- Uninjured -- GM Thug 8 -- Uninjured -- GM Thug 9 -- Uninjured -- GM Thug 10 -- Uninjured -- GM Thug 11 -- Uninjured -- GM Thug 12 -- Uninjured -- GM Thug 13 -- Uninjured -- GM Thug 14 -- Uninjured -- GM Thug 15 -- Uninjured -- GM Myrmidon -- Uninjured -- HP x4 Thug 16 -- Dazzled -- GM Thug 17 -- Dazzled -- GM Thug 18 -- Dazzled -- GM Thug 19 -- Uninjured -- GM Thug 20 -- Dazzled -- GM Animus is up.

SHAENTHEBRAIN Ironclad :arrow: Overhauling Ironclad's sheet to fit the current version. :arrow: Added the Complication, Limited Function :arrow: Put 3 PP into Exotic Saves, boosting each by 1. :arrow: Bought a third rank of Luck. She should be at her maximum ranks in Luck. Add 2 more ranks of Equipment from my Bronze reward, going to buy her an HQ. :arrow: Add the Subtle PFeat to her armor. This is explicitly only functional when the armor is collapsed. :arrow: Getting rid of Flight inside the armor and refiguring it as Power Reserve 5 (Flight, Super-Strength). Grapple line changed to reflect this. :arrow: Armor should now have an extra point inside it. Add that to the Weapon Array, making it Rank 12; add a second rank of Improved Range to Blast and a second rank of Improved Crit to Enhanced Strength. Powers: 3 + 2 + 65 + 4 + 1 = 75PP Datalink 2 (Radio; 100 ft; Feat: Subtle) [3PP] Enhanced Feat 2 (Technopath; Online Research, Well-Connected) [2PP] Device 15 (75PP, Flaws: Hard-To-Lose, Feats: Accurate 3, Restricted [Mental Quickness 6], Subtle) (Battlesuit [Technology]) [64PP] All effects have the Technology descriptor Enhanced Feats 7 (Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Attack, Improvised Tools, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Quick Change) [7PP] Features 3 (Computer, Hologram Projector, Library) [3PP] Power Reserve 5 (Flight, Super Strength) [10PP] Immunity 11 (Critical Hits, Life Support) - Armor [11PP] Protection 15 - Armor [10PP] Super-Senses 3 (Direction Sense, Distance Sense, Time Sense) [3PP] Sensory Array 2.5 (5PP; Feat: Alternate Power) [6PP] BE: Super-Senses 2 (All Visual Senses; Extra: Radius) [2PP] Super-Senses 3 (Darkvision 2, Infravision) [3PP] AP: Super-Senses 4 (All Auditory; Extra: Accurate) [4PP] Super-Senses 1 (Ultra-Hearing) [1PP] Weapons Array 11 (22PP Array, Feat: Alternate Power) [23PP] BE: Blast 10 (Feat: Improved Range 2 [x50]) [22PP] - Wrist Blasters AP: Enhanced Strength 20 (Feat: Improved Critical [18-20]) [22PP] - Servos Vulnerability (Electricity; Frequency: Common; Intensity: Moderate) [-3PP] Quickness 6 (x100, Flaws: Limited [Mental Tasks]) PF: Innate [4PP] Mental Quickness 6 means that Ironclad can make the following checks. Computers to [*:35rbu35m]search for a file on a massive network as a full round. [*:35rbu35m]crash a computer as a free action. [*:35rbu35m]destroy or damage programming in 6 rounds. [*:35rbu35m]write a program in 6 rounds. Knowledge to [*:35rbu35m]Take 10 as a free action. [*:35rbu35m]Take 20 in 6 rounds. Notice to [*:35rbu35m]make a Notice check as a free action. Super-Senses 1 (Radio) [1PP] Drawbacks: 0PP DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 15 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Blast Ranged DC 25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Enhanced Strength Touch DC 25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Abilities (22) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (18) + Skills (17) + Feats (9) + Powers (75) - Drawbacks (0) = 157/157 Power Points DONE BY SHAENTHEBRAIN

DONE BY SHAENTHEBRAIN Glowstar :arrow: Making some changes to the sheet to reflect better formatting. :arrow: Glow's gaining an inch in height and ten pounds on his frame. Bulking up! :arrow: Added a Complication, Golden Age Honor. :arrow: Switching around skills a bit to get Sense Motive instead of Investigate. :arrow: Making the Linked effect on Entropic Strike into the +1 version. He has the points, just never spent them before. :arrow: Buying Enhanced Feat (Quick Change). :arrow: Dropping Immunity 2 (Critical Hits). Rolling those points and 4 more into the existing Immunity power, making it Immunity 9 (Life Support) DONE BY SHAENTHEBRAIN

Ironclad Jade Arena: Shock the Monkey Conversations: Intimate Public Anomie Game On! Me Push, You Pull News Continental Vacation Gorgon: Science for the World 2 + 7 + 4 + 7 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 5 = 32 + Vignette Glowstar Don't Interrogate a Fairy Getting the Story Bride of the Reptile Robots! News An Irregular Meeting 5 + 6 + 15 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 30 GM Something in the Water Game On! Chop Shop Socky Bride of the Reptile Continental Vacation 4 + 22 + 1 + 3 + 7 = 37

Jessica absorbed the information, eating through two more pancakes while she did so. "That's all useful information," she said diplomatically, but not what I had in mind. I was hoping you could uncover the demon's hierarchy -- or command structure, to put it in other terms." The young woman had another rolled-up flapjack in hand and gestures with it as she explained. "Do the crab and bat demons report to the dog and cat demons, who report to the tiger and bear demons? Or are Crab and Bat the direct lieutenants of some mythical personification of vice? If we can figure out where the next attack will come from, we can defend against it that much more easily."

Taking away the entropy? Rewinding the time to a point where it wasn't damaged?

Player Name: Raveled Character Name: Corona Power Level: 10 (150/150PP) Trade-Offs: +2 Tou/-2 Def Unspent Power Points: 0 Progress To Platinum Status: 0/120 In Brief: A Lor security officer empowered by weird cosmic experiments. She is assigned to a blue backwater to punish her cowboy ways. Alternate Identity: Anya Corazon, Aya K'zan Identity: Secret Birthplace: Firstdown, Hala Occupation: Professional superhero, officer of the Outback Overwatch Patrol & Survey, high school biology/botany teacher Affiliations: Lor Republic, Outback Overwatch Patrol & Survey, Joesph Clark High School Family: Genus K'zan (father), Mar'as K'zan (mother). Description Age: 32 Gender: Female Ethnicity: Lor, appears Hispanic Height: 5' 4" Weight: 135 lbs. Eyes: Brown/Gold Hair: Black Anya Corazon appears to be a young Hispanic woman, with a round, expressive face, dark hair styled in a fauxhawk, and dark, liquid eyes. Her frame is athletic, packed with hard, visible muscle, and she moves with a confident, almost angry gait. She tends to favor anonymous, sturdy clothes, usually jeans, a blouse, and boots. She’s almost always wearing or carrying a messenger bag holding her collapsed hardsuit. When she uses her powers she begins to glow gold, with the light becoming brighter and harsher as she gets angrier. When she plans to go crimefighting, she dons a Lor hardsuit, a reinforced and battleready spacesuit. The suit is painted shining gold with a scarlet starbust, a neutral cream color showing through where the paint is chipped. She wears a red mask to conceal her identity through the clear faceplate. Power Descriptions: Corona can manifest a golden-tinged cosmic energy, which she can put to any number of applications. She naturally projects a forcefield micrometers above her skin, which offers better protection than any mortal suit of armor. She can use the energy to supercharge her muscles or focus it into a damaging ray of energy. She can even blast that energy behind herself to fly. She still possess a hardsuit, a Lor-designed spacesuit designed to withstand the rigors of combat. It can preserve her life in any number of hostile environments, and it contains a direct ansible connection to her spaceship. As a Lor born on a fully-industrialized world, Aya has the benefit of an optimized genetic code. Normal diseases and toxins barely affect her. History: Aya K’zan was born on Hala, an old world of the Lor Empire, near the center of their galactic expanse. Her father is one of the Empire’s top scientists and so she was raised as part of the upper class of the Empire, learning duty and loyalty and pride from a young age. When she came of age, instead of going into the Lor-Van Academy she joined the Republic Naval Academy. Her academics drew attention from higher-ups and upon graduation she was invited to join the Republic Investigative Patrol. The RIP is an investigation and enforcement group with expansive powers within the boundaries of the Republic. As an agent, Aya traveled to the outskirts of the republic and the spires of powers, searching out corruption and treason. She took her job seriously, perhaps too much so; no matter was too small for her attention, and she pushed her authority to the limit pursuing her ideals of justice without regard to rank or connection. It was only a matter of time before she came up against someone powerful. It was a missing persons case -- a case of missing children, disappearing off the streets of a planetary capital. Aya took charge of the investigation and tracked the disappearances down to a particular corporate lab; she lead the local law enforcement in raiding the structure. Inside were the children and other people, missing vagrants and adolescents written off as runaways. And there were mercenaries. Aya lead from the front, freeing the civilians and driving the hired guns back. Her zeal caused her to push too far ahead, and her group was ambushed; the local law enforcement with her were killed, but the agent survived. She found her way to the heart of the complex, where she discovered a Senator, hastily destroying the evidence of his involvement! Aya tried to arrest him, but the Senator hit her with a blast of weird cosmic energy from a laboratory projector. She came to in a hospital. There was no evidence of the Senator’s involvement, but she reported it anyway and insisted on pressing the case. There was a brief trial, one word against another, and the Senator walked off a free man. Aya, having burned the last of her favors, was bounced from RIP to OOPS The Outback Overwatch Patrol & Survey was intended to keep observation on planets considered too underdeveloped to join the Republic. It is the booby prize of Lor service. The most troublesome assignment was the sector containing the little blue marble known as Earth or Terra. Of course Aya was assigned to Earth. After a month of enduring harassment aboard the blockade ships, she took an identity on the planet. Personality & Motivation: Aya K’zan is a direct, even forceful woman. She dislikes lies or even elaborate plans, preferring to live her life as a straight line between two point. Some people would claim that she's as graceless as a mad bull, but she prefers to think of herself as cutting through superfluous nonsense. She tends to come off as rather rough and she's not inclined to take less than 100%, but she can be surprisingly gentle to people who are genuinely out of her depth. Aya's greatest concern is justice, the simple notion that the rules apply to everyone and that everyone will get what they deserve. Trying to shirk your responsibilities or a just punishment is about the worst thing she can imagine. Powers & Tactics: Aya can talk about escalation backwards and forwards, and follows it to a tee. She'll start by playing nice, then trying to scare opponents into surrendering, and only if that fails will she start fighting. Against baseline enemies she'll stick with grapples and Nauseate to get them to stand down, but against superpowered enemies she'll use every power she has. Once combat starts, though, she focuses on protecting civilians over and above everything else. OOPS Aya technically has wide-ranging responsibilities as a member of the Outback Overwatch Patrol & Survey. However, Lor tend to disregard OOPS agents and it may take some work for her to get the benefits of her authority. From Marshal to Park Ranger Aya will talk for length about the important duties of the Outback Overwatch Patrol & Survey, but it is an undeniable step down. Taunting her about it can make her angry and irrational. For Great Justice! Whether it’s the rule of the law, karma, or comeuppance, Aya has always been focused on balancing the scales. Responsibilities Aya is first and foremost an agent of the Lor Republic, but she is also a high school biology teacher and she doesn’t enjoy shirking any of her responsibilities. Superior Lor Et Cetera Aya is loyal to the Republic through and through, and tends to trust Lor technology and Lor opinions above anything else. Like Pulling Teeth As a RIP agent Aya clashed several times with the Maw, a nasty group of smugglers and mercenaries without a moral between them. If they knew she was essentially operating alone, they would doubtless use the opportunity to get their revenge. Like a Shining Star Corona's powers all involve her glowing like a flashlight. Whenever she's actively using her powers, stealth is all but impossible for her. Prejudice Aya has worked for the Lor Republic all her life, and is extremely loyal to it. She will have a very negative reaction to any of the traditional enemies of the Lor, such as the Grue or members of the Khanate. Abilities: 8 + 6 + 8 + 2 + 0 + 6 = 30PP Strength: 30/18 (+10/+4) Dexterity: 16 (+3) Constitution: 18 (+4) Intelligence: 12 (+1) Wisdom: 10 (+0) Charisma: 16 (+3) Combat: 12 + 16 = 28PP Initiative: +7 Attack: +6 Melee, +6 Ranged, +10 Unarmed, +10 Blast Grapple: +10/+21 Defense: +8 (+8 Base), +4 Flat-Footed Knockback: -6/-23 Saving Throws: 4 + 5 + 8 = 17PP Toughness: +12 (+4 Con, +8 Protection, 0/10 Impervious) Fortitude: +8 (+4 Con, +4) Reflex: +8 (+3 Dex, +5) Will: +8 (+0 Wis, +8) Skills: 88R = 22PP Diplomacy 7 (+10) Gather Information 7 (+10) Intimidate 11 (+14) Investigate 9 (+10) Knowledge (Civics) 9 (+10) Knowledge (Galactic Lore) 4 (+5) Knowledge (Life Sciences) 4 (+5) Knowledge (Streetwise) 4 (+5) Language 4 (English, Galstandard, Grue, Lor [N], Mandarin) Notice 11 (+11) Pilot 7 (+10) Sense Motive 11 (+11) Feats: 6PP Accurate Attack Attack Specialization (Unarmed) Benefit (Native [Lor Space]) Equipment 3Gold Reward Equipment 15Bronze Reward Improved Initiative Power Attack Startle Modified Cato-class pinnace Nomad Size: Colossal [4EP] Str: 60 [6EP]Toughness: +13 [0EP]Defense: 2 [0EP]Features [80EP]Alarm 2 (DC 25 Disable Device) [2EP]Navigation System 3 (+15 to navigation-related checks) [3EP]Remote Control [1EP]Fire Prevention System [1EP]InfirmaryMasterwork [2EP]Laboratory [1EP]Library [1EP]Living Space [1EP]Power [68EP]Comms System 8.5 (17PP, Feat: Alternate Power, Subtle) [19PP] BE: Communication 8 (Radio, 2 000 miles, Extra: Area, Feat: Selective)AP: Communications 16 (Radio, Nearby Solar Systems, Feat: Subtle [for Subtle 2]) Concealment 6 (All Radio, ESP, Mental, Feat: Close Range) (Cloaking Device) (Alien, Technology) [13EP] Flight 10 (10,00 MPH) (Quantum Thrusters) (Alien, Technology) [20EP] Super-Movement 2 (Space [interstellar]) (Quantum Slipstream Drive) (Alien, Technology) [4PP] Super-Senses 1 (Communication Link [Lor Hardsuit]) (Ship-to-suit Ansible) [1PP] Super-Senses 6 (Radar, Accurate, Analytical, Extended 3 [x10,000 increment]) (Sensor Suite) (Alien, Technology) [6EP] Super-Senses 5 (Visual, Analytical, Extended [x100 increment], Thermovision, Ultravision) (Sensor Suite) (Alien, Technology) [5EP] 4 + 6 + 0 + 0 + 80 = 90 EP Powers: 2 + 26 + 1 + 10 + 8 = 47PP Flight 1 (10 MPH) (Self-Propelled Flight) (Cosmic, Radiation) [2PP] Cosmic Empowerment Array 11 (22PP, Feats: Accurate, Alternate Power 3) (Cosmic) [26PP] BE: Immovable 12 (Extra: Linked [+0] [impervious Protection]) + Impervious Protection 10 (Extra: Linked [+0] [immovable]) (Shall Not Be Moved) (Cosmic, Mutation) [22/22PP]AP: Blast 10 (Feats: Accurate, Affects Insubstantial [DAM 5]) (Cosmic Blast) (Cosmic, Radiation) [22/22PP] AP: Nauseate 10 (Extra: Area/Cone [General], Feat: Progression 1 [x25 ft per rank], Progression 1 [x5 ft per rank], Flaw: Limited [sicken Only]) (Flat-Hand Clap) (Cosmic, Mutation) [22/22PP] AP: Enhanced Strength 12 (Extra: Linked [+0] [super-Strength]) + Super-Strength 5 (Str 55, Extra: Linked [+0] [Enhanced Strength]) (Strength of the Cosmos) (Cosmic, Mutation, Radiation) [22/22PP] Immunity 2 (Disease, Poison Flaw: Limited [Half Effect]) (Lor Genetics) (Alien) [1PP] Lor Combat Hardsuit 2 (10PP, Hard to Lose, Feat: Restricted 2 [DNA Check]) (Alien, Technology) [10PP] Immunity 9 (Life Support) [9PP] Super-Senses 1 (Communication Link [the Nomad]) (Suit-to-ship Ansible) [1PP] Protection 8 (Flesh-tight Forcefield) (Cosmic, Mutation, Radiation) [8PP] Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed/Strength of the Cosmos Touch DC19/DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical)/(Cosmic, Mutation, Physical) Cosmic Blast Ranged DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Cosmic, Radiation) Flat-Hand Clap Touch/Cone DC 20 Reflex/DC 20 Fort Sicken (Cosmic, Mutation)Totals: Abilities (30) + Combat (28) + Saving Throws (17) + Skills (22) + Feats (6) + Powers (47) - Drawbacks (0) = 150/150 Power Points

Using an HP to stunt off his Array. Healing 14 (Extras: Affects Objects +0, Total) [42PP] That should heal the pipe up nicely.

Glowstar gave the pipes a hard look while his heart started to pound in his chest. He wasn't too concerned about Lake MacKenzie draining away, but he didn't think introducing lakewater into the city's drinking water was going to win him any accolades. Fortunately there only seemed to be hairline fractures in the pipes, sending up a steady stream of bright, silvery bubbles up to the surface. Glowstar floated close to the damaged pipe and put his hands on either side of it. Intellectually he knew that he wasn't strong enough to seal the pipe this way, but he felt that he had to make the effort. So the young man pressed and strained, the muscles on his arms standing out starkly as he tried to bend the metal with his bare hands. Not surprisingly, he wasn't successful -- but then a strange thing happened. His hands started to glow a pale red color, almost pink. The weird energy aura moved to the pipes and wrapped around them, tighter and tighter, forcing the cracks closed and fusing the main together. Glowstar sped to the surface, breaking into the air in spectacular fashion. He arced back to where the aliens were and floated there, glowering. "We're all going to sit right here," he said grimly, "until Supercape calls back that someone's come to collect you. Because I've had just about enough of your devil-may-care antics. If any of you tries another stunt like that again, I'm going to rip open your suit and introduce you to some of the city's famous ship-wrecks!"

GM Dragonfly flew fast through the ait, the land below her blurring together. Even then, she noticed that she was leaving the hills and valleys for a broad, flat plain. The grasslands gave way to tall, old growth forests, the thick, interlocking canoopy hiding any glimpse of the shadowed floor. The heroine was wondering if she was going to have to zip between the trees in order to find the manse when she noticed a square stone tower poking up above the treeline. It was encrusted with vines and even had flowering plants sprouting off the side. As it was, except for the squared-off top, it could've been and eceptionally tall tree. Dragonfly dripped underneath the canopy and there, sure as anything, was the manse she had been looking for. It was a long, tall building, the peak fo the roof brushing the underside of the canopy. There was a donjon every bit as large as the keep of the castle she had just come from. Wings came off either side of the central building in a gentle curve; from the air, the layout would look like a gigantic letter C. Each wing ended in a tall, square tower. Draognfly had noticed the south tower, but the north tower had been pulled down at some point in the past, likely by the ivy that covered the entire edifcae. The hole that the tower left was an inviting entry point.

Here's a question for folks. How would you build a Datalink-like power (communicating directly with machines and electronics) at melee range? I'm kind of thinking of some kind of electronically-induced short-range wi-fi; the character in question has to lay their hand on the machine in question to interrogate it. Obviously, Datalink is a form of Communicate, so Datalink 0 simply wouldn't work. I was thinking taking the Computer HQ feature as a Feature of the character in question, but I wanted to throw this out to everyone else and get their reaction to it.

The alien monster opened its jaws again and sent another stream of viscous, acidic liquid streaming after the heroine. Ironclad dropped to the decking and avoided taking a splash in the face or chest, but still saw a thin line etched across the armor on her hips and waist. Underneath her helmet, the heroine' brow creased in frustration and anger -- frustration at herself for not finishing this fight, and anger at Quark for endangering her friend and herself so casually. When her armored form hit the decking, she didn't bother springing upright. Instead she lined up and fired off another shot at the alien. This one caught it full on its crowned head and forced its skull back against its body. This stopped the monster dead in its tracks and it sat there for a moment, legs waving aimlessly.

Jessica hadn't gone to sleep in her bed. She'd stayed up all night, slaving away over a workbench. At first it was checking over her armor to make sure it wasn't damaged and all the systems were working properly. Then, because she didn't entirely trust this dimension, she did a few basic physics and chemistry experiments. While she was working with the fire, she noticed that the gold crucible didn't transfer or hold head like hold, so she started doing some alloy testing. That drew her attention to some of the other tools, like the 'wooden' spoons that didn't seem to have any friction, even with the most viscous of liquids. Investigating that lead to another interesting discovery, and another, the hours melting under a flood of scientific discovery. Eventually she fell asleep over the workbench. When she awoke, she was in the huge bed, back in her assigned room. Once again she arose, showered, and dressed in the clothes she found in the wardrobe; khakis and a loose cotton shirt, all in shades of green. She padded down to the breakfast area, piled a plate high with pancakes, filled a large mug with coffee, and went to sit with the other Freedom City heroes. She rolled up a flapjack with her fingers, dunked it in the coffee, and took a big bite. After a moment she turned to Myrmidon. "Did your research turn anything up?" she asked before dunking her pancake again.

Jessica grinned at Blake's suggestion. "I think a magic portal might void the warranty. Although some kind of pocket-dimensional luggage would be interesting. Have a whole wardrobe in your carry-on! Never worry about airline weight limits again." She paused a moment, then added in a more subdued, thoughtful voice, "But I don't think the TSA would like it if every passenger was using untested dimensional technology on every flight." She gave herself a shake and came back to the situation at hand. "No. We'll rent. Something sporty, maybe a convertible. C'mon, you wanna miss the chance to go down the Autobahn in a muscle car." She reached out for her glass and took a swallow of water. "Besides, I've been thinking out turning the Explorer in. The lease is coming due, and truthfully it's a bit bigger than I need."

GM The soldiers did a double-take did a double-take at Dragonfly's blunt, no-nonsense tone. It took them a moment to process what she was talking about, and then they couldn't move her through the castle fast enough. They all ended up in the highest level of the keep, a single huge room overflowing with tightly-wrapped scrolls and dominated by a single huge table. While the younger guard stood watch at the trap-door leading down, the veteran pulled several scrolls from the shelves and unrolled them on the table. The first was a slightly fanciful take on the surrounding landscape (at least, Dragonfly hadn't seen any miles-long serpents looping through the clouds when she was flying earlier). The second scroll showed a blonde-haired woman wearing an elaborate tiara. The last scroll was dominated by a pale, bat-faced creature dressed with what looked like a formal tux, of all things. The veteran leaned over the scrolls and called the heroine's attention to them one by one. "This is where we are," he said, pointing to a part of the map marked Castle Dummestain. "The monster keeps its lair here." The guard's finger stabbed at one edge of the map, at a point labeled Manse deClarim. The young genius' mind quickly took in the whole of the area depicted, and she couldn't help but estimate where she had fought the dragon; if she was close, that point, the castle she was in now, the manse she was preparing to travel to all hung at the points of an equilateral triangle. Interrupting her thoughts, the veteran pulled the other two scrolls over. "This is the Princess Rosaline," he said, gesturing to the blonde-hair woman, "and this is the Count deClarim." The latter was directed at the pallid, disfigured creature. "The monster hasn't bestirred itself in living memory, but there are still stories of when it walked abroad. They say," he added, leaning closer and whispering, "that when it last assaulted this castle, it bent the will of the soldiers and the king with a word. Only the prince, wielding a hold sword, was able to drive it off once again."

Glowstar took two quick steps and launched himself in a high arc that splashed down the near the center of the lake. His force field provided him with a bubble of air, but it was more useful in keeping the water away from him. The hero moved through the water easily, quickly locating the alien at the bottom of the lagoon. The extraterrestrial reporter didn't notice him at first, but Glowstar grabbed the alien's arm and got his attention. The teen didn't want to use some of his precious reserve of air to shout at the alien, so he simply shook his head sharply and pointed at he surface of the lake.

Jessica tried to relax into the hug, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the scientist they had dragged in. She felt the long muscles in her legs twitching; at the moment all she wanted to do was rap open the police van and lay into him. She tried to hold that impulse back and felt herself tensing up. After a moment she stepped away from Blake, hugging herself again. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just... I can't. Not right now." She turned and walked away. Between one step and the next she armored up and leapt into the air, heading... somewhere she could think things through.

My life is going to be hec-tic for the next couple of weeks. I'm working an extra couple of shifts this coming week, and Saturday and Sunday are going in involve birthday/graduation parties for pretty much the entire day. The next week, I'm going to be out of town until Friday and don't intend to check posts until I get back home, so I'll be pretty much gone. Apologies to all, but them's the breaks.