Raveled

Ironclad Wading Way Friday, May 4, 2525 The studio was filled with the bustle and work of a popular show just minutes before it went on. The hub of all the activity was an oval of tasteful carpeting and the two people seated there. The woman sat at her ease in a chair, her expression nonchalant, even bored. The tension in the room seemed to wash over her without leaving an impression. By contrast, he male companion on the rug was a wreck; well-dressed, but from the way he rubbed at his pant leg and picked at the arm rest on his chair, his nerves were stretched brittle. She reached over and patted his knee. “It’ll be fine,†she assured him. “We’re using a diffused nanite cloud for the cameras, you won’t even notice they are there. Just try to imagine that you’re talking to me privately.†The man gave her a thin, nervous smile. “Except that ten billion people on four planets will be eavesdropping in.†The woman shrugged lightly. “The price of fame,†she said, smiling easily. The various crew members quickly vacated the soundstage and red numbers appeared in the air, starting at ten and counting back. At the same time a voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. “On air in ten, nine, eight, seven…†The countdown finished and the numbers vanished. The woman focused on a point on the far wall and spoke in a carrying tone, “Welcome. I’m Res Stahl, and this is Happenings.†Rea resettled herself, transferring her focus to a different spot on the wall. “Tonight: the latest fashions from Titan; extra-solar music sensation the Nova Bombs; and tri-holo actress Kev Lemon will be on to talk about his new project, an examination of non-human superheroes in the League. But first we’re talking to Professor Pete Tor. Professor Tor is heading up the Summers-Albright Heroics Museum’s exhibit on Twenty-First Century heroes. Professor Tor, welcome to the show!†The well-dressed man coughed nervously and made a game attempt at smiling in every direction at once. “It’s good to be on the show, Rea.†Silence stretched between the few for a few seconds until Rea broke it. “So tell us about some of the presentations the Museum has put together for the exhibit.†The professor had a moment of panic, but then rallied magnificently. “Well, one of the central heroes we’re focusing on is Ironclad.†He manipulated a computer built into the cuff of his jacket and a hologram built itself between the chairs. It was an armored female form built of overlapping red and steel-gray plates; eye-slits in the helmet glowed white-blue, and four wings made of faceted energy hung from her back. “Ironclad started fighting crime in the middle of 2010. Unlike many heroes of that era, she was quite open about many details of her career. For instance, we know her name was Jessica Parker; we know she used her connections with the now-defunct Dawes Tech to develop a suit of powered armor. Most of her suit’s capabilities came from very early dimensional manipulation technology that allowed her, among other things, to teleport from place to place and imprison her enemies in a personal dimension.†“So she was a powered-armor hero,†the host interjected. “Did she have any special abilities outside the suit?†The professor’s eyes nearly twinkled. The discussion had brought him quite out of himself and he had nearly forgotten about the ten billion on four planets. “Besides being an absolute genius? Well, Ironclad seemed to have a special rapport with machines and computers. There are reports that she exhibited so-called ‘technopathic’ powers, but towards the end of her life she appeared to burn them out.†“that sounds fascinating.†Rea’s enthusiasm had the ring of sincerity, and after a moment she focused on a point on the wall. “I’m sure all of our watchers will enjoy the exhibition, whether in the flesh or via telepresence. When we came back we’ll have Kev, and the Nova Bombs!â€

Size: Medium [0EP] Str: 20 [2EP]Toughness: 5 [0EP]Defense: 10 [0EP]Features [23EP]Alarm [1EP]Remote Control [1EP]Communications [1EP]Power [20EP]Flight 3 (50 MPH) [20EP] 0 + 2 + 0 + 0 + 23 = 25 EP

Ironclad's blast w/ full Power Attack, vs Alien's def. DC 30 (1d20+5=25) Hits! Alien's Toughness, vs DC 30 (1d20+15=24) A legitimate Bruise + Stun this time!

Alien's ranged attack, vs Ironclad's Def. DC 25 (1d20+4=18) Yup. Ironclad's Toughness, vs DC 25 (1d20+15=18) Ow. Don't want a stun, so popping the last HP to avoid that. Again, can't get less than a 26, so it succeeds automatically.

I'm an idiot and miscalculated Clad's Blast DC. It's just 30, so the alien (barely) passes it.

GM For a moment it seemed as if the king hadn't heard Dragonfly, but then he bestirred himself and dropped his hands from his face. His countenance was drawn and haggard, with a day or so of subtle on his cheeks. He fixed the heroine with his gaze for a moment, before his eyes began to wander aimlessly over the room. "These lands," he said, almost too softly to be heard. "These lands are cursed, and we are accursed for our forebearers choice to settle here. Pick a direction and fly, little winged woman, and your lot shall be better than ours." He stood and stumbled out of the room, slouching against the walls and moving listlessly. Once the king was out of sight, the grizzled guard gave a cough and muttered to Dragonfly under his breath. "I apologize for his majesty, good lady. Last night -- no, two nights ago, for the dawn has come upon us already -- his daughter was snatched out her bedchambers by a foul revenant. If she is not retrieved by the setting of this sun, she shall join the monster in damnation. It weighs most heavily upon the king's head."

Player Name: Raveled Character Name: Prism Power Level: 10 (150/150PP) Trade-Offs: None Unspent Power Points: 0 Progress To Bronze Status: 0/30 In Brief: An alien prince journeying for adventure. Alternate Identity: Karl Herschel, Prince Hisel Identity: Secret Birthplace: Majesdan (Lor world) Occupation: Photographer Affiliations: Various magazines, Hysel royal family Family: Mother, father. Description Age: 22 Gender: Male Ethnicity: Majesdanian, appears Caucasian Height: Weight: Eyes: Grey Hair: Red-blonde Hisel is a slim humanoid with iridescent skin and pale white hair down to his shoulders. Power Descriptions: (Describe what their powers look like, if applicable) History: (Please remember we are a relatively family friendly site. Your story should be PG-13 at most. If your character wouldn't fit in an episode of Justice League Unlimited, The Dresden Files, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, please rethink it.) Personality & Motivation: (Describe why they do what they do here) Powers & Tactics: (In-character descriptions of how they do what they do) Complications: Name: [Description] Example: Secret: Identity. Abilities: -2 + 6 + 4 + 2 + 6 + 10 = 26PP Strength: 8 (-1) Dexterity: 16 (+3) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 12 (+1) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 20 (+5) Combat: 8 + 20 = 28PP Initiative: +3 Attack: +4 Melee, +10 Ranged Grapple: +4 Defense: +10 (+10 Base, +0 Dodge Focus), +5 Flat-Footed Knockback: -5 Saving Throws: 4 + 5 + 7 = 16PP Toughness: +10 (+2 Con, +8 Protection) Fortitude: +6 (+2 Con, +4) Reflex: +8 (+3 Dex, +5) Will: +10 (+3 Wis, +7) Skills: 72R = 18PP Bluff 10 (+15) Diplomacy 10 (+15) Gather Information 10 (+15) Knowledge (Art) 9 (+10) Knowledge (Civics) 4 (+5) Knowledge (Current Events) 4 (+5) Knowledge (Galactic Lore) 9 (+10) Notice 8 (+11) Sense Motive 8 (+11) Feats: 14PP Accurate Attack All-Out Attack Attack Focus (Ranged) 6 Benefit (Native [Lor Space]) Challenge (Fast Taunt) Move-By Action Power Attack Taunt Well-Informed Powers: 0 + 0 + 0 = 0PP All powers have the Alien & Mutant descriptors Flight 2 (25 MPH) (Light Sailing) [2PP] Prismatic Control 15 (30PP, Feats: Alternate Power 4) [34PP] BE: Illusion 10 (Visual, Feat: Precise, Progression 5 [250ft])Concealment 4 (All Visual) (I'm Over There!) [30/30PP] AP: Dazzle 10 (Visual, Extra: Area/Cone [Targeted]) (Can't See Me) [30/30PP] AP: Confusion 10 (Extra: Area/Burst [General], Range/Perception, Selective, Flaw: Sense-Dependent [Visual]) (Psychedelic Lightshow) [30/30PP] AP: Blast 10 (Extra: Autofire) (Focused Light) [30/30PP] AP: Blast 10 (Extra: Area/Cone [Targeted]) (So Many Lasers!) [30/30PP] Protection 8 (Thickened Skin) [8PP] Super-Senses 10 (+Radius [All Visual], Counter Illusion, Counter Obscure [All], Ultravision) [10PP] Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC15 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) (NOTE: The easiest way to get your DC Block to line up is to write it out in a word processor in a Courier font, then just copy/paste it into your post.) Totals: Abilities (26) + Combat (28) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (18) + Feats (14) + Powers (0) - Drawbacks (0) = 102/150 Power Points

The alien continued to force its way into the space station and Ironclad continued to retreat. Even as she flew backwards though, the heroine brought up her gauntlets and hunted for an appropriate target on the monster. It actually wasn't hard to find; the creature's head blocked out most of the hallway. She wasn't surprised that her shot, even over-charged as it was, struck the beast square on its ridged skull. She felt some dismay, though, when it glanced off the alien's thick skull and burst on the ceiling, leaving just a black stain for her troubles.

GM The guards exchanged a glanced and slowly up their polearms up, nodding to Dragonfly. "If thee be of woman born, we are honor-bound to aid thee. Come, and we shall present thee before the kind, where thee can make thine own argument." The guards worked the lock on the gate and swung it open, leading the hovering heroine into the castle's bailey. She noticed a dozen or so bowmen with loaded crossbows crouched on the curtain wall, their weapons trained inwards and tracking the heroine as she moved from the gatehouse and into the keep. Inside the large stone building, it was immediately apparent that this castle was built for defense, not comfort. Narrow corridors with arrowslits high in the wall, walls that curved counter-clockwise, and bars on the doors all spoke to a very nearly paranoid mind-set. True to their word however, the guards led her past all these defenses unmolested. In time, they came to a large hall deep within the keep. Long fireplaces crackled along either wall and the far end was dominated by a high-backed chair of iron or black wood. A large man slouched in the chair, wrapped in many layers of furs. A simple gold circlet sat upon his brow, and his face was buried in his hands. The guards stopped Dragonfly a good distance away from the throne and the veteran pounded the butt of his halberd against the ground. "The sorceress Dragon's Flight," he announced, "come to ask a boon of the king." He stepped back and caught the heroine's eye (as well as he could behind her helmet) and motioned for her to speak.

Blast w/ full Power Attack & full All-Out Attack, vs Alien's Def. DC 35 (1d20+15=28) That hits because the alien is freaking huge. Alien's Tou, vs DC 35 (1d20+15=30) So Bruised + Stunned.

Jessica smirked, reaching out mentally and quirking the specifics of the experiment just a touch. "Nope, just stand right there for a minute." The semi-transparent plastic of the tube darkened as something filled it up from within. "And here, we, go!" The scientist slapped a button and the tube's butterfly door opened, and in a moment half a ton of white, fine-grained sand poured out into the experimental area. It only took Jessica another moment to realize that the kineticist was standing directly underneath the stream! Her mind reacted faster than her body, activating the emergency shut-off valve and halting the flow of sand. "Oh god. Push!? Are you okay?"

GM The guards relaxed somewhat, but neither lowered their weapons. "Ye find yourself in the domain of King Harold the Bold," the older guard informed Dragonfly. "A score upon a score of years ago, the great hero Dumminas lead our fore-bearers out into this inhospitable wild, arift with monsters and bogeys. We have prospered here thanks to the strong leadership of our kings, and to our strong sword arms, putting all to flight before us. Yet even so, I cannot say that I expected to see a golem flying through the air and claiming to be a wizard."

The close call raised Glowstar's adrenaline, but it didn't break his focus. "Sorry to burst in, Professor Clank," he said, drawing in his power. "We have a few questions regarding your civic contributions, though. If you'd kindly put the vehicle in park, we can do this peacefully." There was a sudden flashing, strobing flare of red and black energy as a hundred discrete, thin bursts of energy flew from the teen hero's hands and connected with the rear end of Wyrd's mole machine. "Or we can put the clamp on your mid-life crisis mobile. Your call."

Glowstar's Multi-blast w/ All-Out Attack, vs Wyrd's mole machine. (1d20+15=34) Big boom, big boom!

I never wanted to see Weird Al's face on a body like that. >.

GM Either the sight of a metal woman buzzing across the landscape wasn't so peculiar for this area or the guards were more stoic than Dragonfly had anticipated. Either way they held their ground before her, though they did level their halberds at her. The guard on the left looked the younger of the pair, and though he went white under his pot helmet he managed to stammer out, "Stay there! Be thee friend or foe? Stand, and unfold yourself!" The right-hand guard was rather more grizzled than his companion and stood firmer. "What art thou that usurpst this early hour," he demanded. "What sort of spectre be ye that do not flee at the rooster's crow? Speak! I implore thee to speak, on the gods' names!"

Ironclad retreated back into the elevator as the segmented alien reared up and spat a long stream of something green and viscous at the heroine's face. She managed to intercept it with her armored arm, but even as she floated down the shaft she could see it bubbling and eating into her armor with distressing speed. She banged onto the lower level, boots ringing against the floor -- No, on a space station. Naval parlance. Decking. -- as she came under the pull of artificial gravity again. She glanced at her armor again and sighed in relief; either it wasn't evolved for use in vacuum or maybe it was just a short-lived compound, because it was already evaporating. Her armor was pitted, but there didn't seem to be any lasting damage. Ironclad's calm evaporated when the head of the alien beast burst out of the elevator and took an opportunistic snap at her. The heroine retreated further down the corridor, thinking furiously. Would've bet anything that it wouldn't be able to make it down that shaft. Stinking flinking video game logic.

Ironclad is retreating back down the elevator shaft. She's back in artificial gravity, so no more nausea. Using full Defensive Attack, so Def is 20 for this turn. Alien's ranged attack, vs Ironclad's Def (1d20+5=24) Ouch. Thankfully, no Improved Crit so it's just a DC 25 Toughness check. +Tou, goooo!! Ironclad's Toughness check, vs DC 25 (1d20+15=19) >.< Ouch. Gonna reroll that one ... which would make it impossible to miss, so Ironclad takes no damage! She's down to 1 HP, BTW.

Glowstar swallowed the coffee and frowned into the cup. Before he could reply though, the police pulled up in squad cars and even a riot van, and soon the scene was swarming with uniformed and plains-clothes officers. The teen hero had been doing this long enough to know exactly what to tell the police, but even so he ended up repeating his story to three different officers. The civilians took even longer, some of them becoming hysterical all over again. It gave him time to reflect on the older man's words (and savor the coffee some more). Once the police started moving away, the bald man started sending the civilians -- the store's workers, the teen finally realized -- home. He waited until the store was all but empty, and then walked up to the older man. Glowstar let his force field drop and stuck out his hand again. "Thanks. For the, uh, pep talk. Folks call me Glowstar, by the way."

GM While Glowstar contemplated his tactical failing the bald man bustled around the shop and came up with a pot of coffee as if by magic. He made sure everyone else had one and brought the very last mug out the hero. The young man took it with a noncommittal grunt and for a moment the pair sipped in silence together. Eventually the older man spoke up. "I know this won't sound very good," he began, "but stick with me here. That Angle lady isn't the brightest bulb in the box." Glowstar raised an eyebrow at that, but his mouth was full of coffee and he couldn't swallow fast enough to reply so the other man forged ahead. "She'll be caught by you or another hero, today or in a week. Does it really matter who does it?" He glanced rather pointedly over his shoulder and into the store itself, where the other civilians were all trying to relax.

GM Dragonfly's gauntlets trembled with the mass of the dragon, trying to contain such a huge beast in the inventor's personal dimension. They held though, and for the first time she was able to take to the air and survey the land itself. The village was situated in a river valley, and as Dragonfly rose higher she could see that the land all around was a series of hills and valleys, all more or less indistinct from the others. As the heroine buzzed over the landscape, a smudge on the horizon resolved itself into a rising column of smoke; she half-expected another burning village, but it turned out to be a sizable country estate, with a stout defensive wall and several thatched cottages within the grounds. The sun was just peeking over the eastern horizon, but several guards in chain-mail and carrying halberds patrolled the grounds. It wasn't an inviting sight, but it was the only sign of civilization she had seen since the villagers fled the dragon.

For the record Clad is fighting AA's Beeling with the Blast switched to acid/chemical instead of fire. Ironclad's Fort save, vs DC 15 SAS (1d20+5=11) Ironclad is queasy. Alien can't fail the save, so it's fine. Ironclad's Initiative (1d20+3=4) The stars hate me. Rerolling that. Ironclad's Initiative (1d20+3=22) Muuuuch better IC. So good that the Alien technically can't beat it, so Clad goes first!

Once she got over the initial shock of being in outer space, Ironclad was able to take in more of the details. She was very obviously on a space station, orbiting a planet that burned like an angry coal, filling most of the sky. The 'walls' of the station continued above Ironclad -- for whatever value 'above' had in zero-gee -- for another hundred meters or so, in a perfect cylinder. Near perfect, anyway, because the top of the station and part of the wall had been ripped away and their entire section had apparently been gutted. The heroine was standing at the bottom of an empty can. Well. Not entirely empty. Crouched near one wall was a red, chitinous, segmented thing with a huge, triangular head. As soon as Ironclad started pinging it with her senors, trying to get some sort of reading on the thing, the creature stirred and turned to stare directly at her.

Ironclad wandered down more metal corridors, adding them to her slowly growing internal map. The complex was massive; she'd walked nearly five kilometers so far, and all she'd discovered were broken-down robots and the chitinous, leaking husks of things with far too many legs for comfort. When she finally did find what looked like an elevator, it was stone-dead and sealed. Anger and frustration rose up in Ironclad, and in a fit of pique she directed power to her suit's musculature and dug her fingers into the metal doors, forcing them apart. To her surprise, as soon as she broke the seal on the doors all the air in the corridor whistled out, leaving the hallway in vacuum. There wasn't a car inside the elevator, but the emergency lighting showed two sets of handrails on opposite sides of the shaft. Disdaining those, the heroine rose up on her own power. One of the elevator doors was missing at the top, and the young woman was only half-surprised to see stars through the opening.

GM The air under the monster's wings warped oddly, pockets of vacuum and compressed space making it lurch in the air. At the same time, Dragonfly's distortion ripped through its body, twisting its organs and internal space and causing the dragon obvious distress. The combined assault was too much for the beast and it fell from the air, falling fast until it struck the ground. Unlike the first time, though, its eyes closed and it didn't seem likely to get up anytime soon.