KnightDisciple

Okay, so rough draft of what Thoughtspeed's turn will be. -Move Action to get up to Rain Spider and Errant (who should be right next to each other). -Stunt Healing off of Kinetic Blades. Extra Effort. -Use Healing on Rain Spider. Standard Action. -Free Action (yay Quickness) pick up Rain Spider and Errant. -Move Action, take Rain Spider and Errant as far away as possible, looking for a medic or ambulance or something. Extraordinary Effort. So burning an HP, net result by next round will be a Fatigued Thoughtspeed, and hopefully a still-living Rain Spider, and all 3 (Rain Spider, Thoughtspeed, Errant) being farther from the fighting.

Might I ask how she knows that? Just curious.

Aleksander noted the shift in posture from The Guest Instructor. But when the shrug came, it might as well have been spoken words, and the extremely slight tension that Alek had unconsciously experienced evaporated. They were still taking each other's measure, that was all. None of the four people in the room were a clone of the other (in the personality sense, he was sure, and The Guest didn't look like a clone of Boss Lady or The Boss, so he doubted that was the case). He waited until the actual "official" follow gesture was made before moving from his position, taking just a moment to give a quick but formal bow toward the Headmaster and his daughter, before taking up a pace that matched The Guest's, walking next to him as The Guest seemed to prefer. When The Guest seemed to "open the floor for questions", as it were, Alek narrowed his eyes a bit in thought. "Preferred style?" A question of assessment, both of the potential lessons ahead, and of The Guest's personality.

Nevermore nodded at Polarity's semi-rhetorical question. "Buts, guts, and faces. All kicked. We ran a weeknight special discount for them." One last prod to the self-important gang leader, and he stepped off the man's torso and moved a bit closer to the other two young heroes. Only when the sight line from any thug, or the wrecked dragon-construct, was broken did he allow his mouth to turn up into a small smile for a moment. Then he fell back into that "content and confident neutral expression" he'd been strutting for a bit. "Sorry. Professional hazard with my line of work." From the context she can infer he means "being a night-time vigilante without superpowers who uses shadows and fear as weapons", not "being a superhero. "Boss tries to keep me from being too...mopey. She stresses that serious is good, isolated is not. But I'm still working on how that looks...in the field."

"So long as everything you tell me is true to the best of your knowledge, I will not breathe your name to Ivan, or the police." Boss Lady would of course hear about it, but this punk didn't need to know that. "Just give me any other information you have, and our business will be concluded, and you can get on with your day, whatever those plans might be." The vigilante remained where he was, observing the slightly calmer, and definitely more cooperative, bartender. He also considered what to expect from this "Ivan" gentleman. It sounded like he ran a fairly tight operation, such as things go, but relied on fear more than anything.

Will was doing his level best to keep still in the "line up" outside of the aircraft. He wasn't in costume, he wasn't on the move, and as a "precautionary polite measure" he was trying to avoid using any of his abilities, even his mental communications net, without more express permission. Part of him was a bit worried about the Headmaster. Certainly the man was in great shape overall and incredible shape for a man his age. Still, this was hostile territory, probably one of the prime examples of it. Mostly he was just anxious to do something already. The eternal curse of speedsters everywhere, really; a permanent sense of energy and urgency.

Made a new thread for this for more focused discussions. This is a character who is imbued with a portion of the power of Sun Wukong The Monkey King, but not possessed or inhabited by said being. In time this character will grow more powerful, but for now he's sort of like a "paragon lite" or some such. Player Name: KnightDisciple Character Name: Sun Walker, Exceedingly Prime Savant-Warrior Power Level: 10 (150/150PP) Trade-Offs: +5 Attack / -5 Damage (Unarmed); +2 Defense / -2 Toughness Unspent Power Points: 0 Progress To Platinum Status: 0/120 In Brief: A young Chinese-American man imbued with a fragment of power from Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, Sun Walker now walks the Earth and travels the cosmos, championing the defenseless and often causing trouble for those uptight villainous sorts! Theme: Thunderball, Johnny Cash Catchphrase: "Pardon me." Alternate Identity: Daniel Jeremiah Lee Identity: Secret (On Earth); Semi-Secret (In Space) Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, USA Occupation: Electrical Power and Energy Engineer at Diablo Canyon Power Plant (Earth/Terra); Wandering Adventurer and Hero, Occasional Electrician (Galaxy Beyond Terra) Residence: San Luis Obispo, California, USA (Earth/Terra); *To Be Determined* Base of Operations: *To Be Determined* Affiliations: California Polytechnic State University (alma mater); Diablo Canyon Power Plant (employer); Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Power and Energy Society (member); IEEE Power Electronics Society (member); Association of Energy Engineers (member); *To Be Determined* Family: Brian Lee (Father; Deceased); Alison Lee (Mother, Deceased); Heng Lee (Paternal Grandfather; Deceased); Bao Lee (Paternal Grandmother; Deceased); Chun Zhang (Maternal Grandfather; Deceased); Mei Zhang (Maternal Grandmother; Deceased); Sun Wukong (Distant Ancestor) Description: Age: 34 (DoB: August 21, 1980) Apparent Age: Late 20s to Early 30's Gender: Male Ethnicity: Chinese Height: 5'8" (normal); 6'3" (transformed) Weight: 160lbs (normal); 200lbs (transformed) Eyes: Brown (normal); Gold (transformed) Hair: Dark Brown (normal); Black (transformed) Daniel Jeremiah Lee is a man of fairly average, if athletic, height and build. His brown hair is kept in a simple and fairly short haircut of no real distinction. When working at Diablo Canyon, he is typically found in one of the rugged blue work jumpsuits all the technicians, electricians, and engineers seem to sport. On occasion he dons a suit (primarily for important meetings), but more commonly he wears well-kept jeans and a nicer shirt. This same style tends to blend over into his (self-admittedly limited) social life. When at martial arts practice he wears a fairly traditional black-with-white-accents outfit. When off in space, Daniel tends to wear more casual clothing, with jeans and a t-shirt being his most "formal" in most cases, and often wearing worn, rugged work pants, or some iteration of sport-style clothing, when living and working on the ship. Sometimes he is seen wearing his martial arts practice outfit. When in the form of Sun Walker, he is a radically different person, at least as far as looks go. His overall body grows several inches and gains several pounds of pure muscle. His build is still lean and favors speed and flexibility over raw power, but it's undeniably the physique of a warrior. His hair turns black, becomes rather spiky and wild, and grows to the point it gains some volume and reaches almost to the bottom of his shoulder blades. It also includes sideburns that blend into modest mutton chops. Much of his body becomes covered in a fine dark red fur, though his fingers, neck, and face are left bare. From the base of his spine sprouts a tail (just like a monkey) that he normally keeps wrapped snugly around his waist, though it can quickly and easily extend to surprising lengths. His outfit in this form is just as unique and flashy as his general appearance.His feet bear open-toe leather sandals that look to be quite sturdy. He wears pants that are a dark golden color, with a sash at the waist of a matching fabric and shade, the two ends sitting on the left side of his waist, hanging down about a foot or so. Over his torso is only a vest, bearing patterns depicting monkeys and apes frolicking about. His arms bear dark blue wristbands that look to be soft-boiled leather. Power Descriptions: Daniel has been imbued with a fragment of the power of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. However, at this time his mortal body cannot handle that power around the clock, and so it will lie "dormant" unless he calls upon it. When he does call up his power, it takes him a few moments of meditative concentration. Once transformed, Daniel, or Sun Walker as he prefers to be called in that guise, is a specimen of physical power. While certainly not as strong and tough as some of the true powerhouses of Earth (and beyond), he is more than capable of holding his own, with his bare hands, against any number of foes. The supernatural level of skill in martial arts he seems to possess certainly contributes to this. Of course, this strength is coupled with a body that is also much hardier and agile, as well. And with that agility comes a superhuman speed, one that lets him match a high-performance car. Coupled with his natural ability to crawl and move about on most surfaces, and the three-dimensional movement options his incredibly strong tail brings, and while Sun Walker cannot fly, he can come quite close to it in most circumstances. His skin is tough enough he can often shrug off small arms fire, and his system actually needs very little in the way of oxygen input. In effect, he can "hold his breath" for huge amounts of time, surviving in hostile enough conditions that he might as well not need to breath at all. Further, the same power and vigor that lets him move and fight long and survive more lets him laugh off extreme pressures, either high or low. In effect, he could walk on the floor of an ocean or the surface of an airless rock and not really care that much. It might chap his lips a bit. History: All of Daniel's grandparents immigrated to the United States with their families at a young age. Circumstances and coincidence (Heng often called it "fate") meant that even as they all worked hard to make it in the "Land of Opportunity", they ended up finding each other. The two couples were, at first, separated quite a bit, but time and children meant they all ended up in the same town. Then Brian and Alison met, and the rest, as they often say, is history. While Daniel's grandparents all worked blue-collar jobs of one stripe or another (with Chun doing a bit of teaching in a local martial arts dojo for a long time on the side), Brian was an accountant, and Alison an up-and-comer in the rapidly-growing Silicon Valley industry. While neither of them became truly rich, they were both quite comfortable, and more than able to provide for their only child, Daniel, who ended up pursuing an engineering degree, which certainly has never been cheap. Daniel found himself excelling in the engineering program at California Polytechnic State University. In particular, he found that he had a strong knack for working with electrical systems; he noted more than once that it just came naturally to him. His excellence in academics meant it wasn't overly trying for him to find work once he graduated. His first job was a fairly minor one at a power plant not far from CPSU, but between his outstanding performance and his membership in multiple professional societies, it wasn't too long before he began working at a nearby nuclear power plant. However, things inevitably weren't perfect. While he certainly wasn't anti-social, Daniel had trouble creating deeper connections with most people, coworkers or otherwise. Some part of himself always felt a bit restless, but he could never pin down over what. So he settled for just being the friendly, helpful guy at work who was really, really good at his job. But just a few years ago, Brian Lee was involved in a car accident that left him partially crippled and in ill health. Daniel helped pay for his parents to move in with him, and he did what he could to help both his father and his mother (who was partially retired, but was herself having some health problems). Unfortunately, the damage from the accident took its toll, and within a year, Brian passed away. Daniel coped, barely, but his mother wasn't quite the same afterwards. She tried, and for a while things were going better, but she contracted a bad case of the flu that morphed into a case of pneumonia. Just under two years after Brian passed away, so did Alison, leaving Daniel with no living family in the country. His second cousins and more distant uncles and other family all lived in China, with many of them in Hong Kong. Daniel took an extended trip (he had quite a bit of vacation saved up) to see them and try to connect, but ultimately felt more comfortable back home in the States. He and his family continued to exchange the occasional letter, but it was definitely a case of "living in different worlds". Of course, sometimes it’s the more distant relations that bring the most interesting times to your life. Daniel learned that all too well the night he laid down for sleep like normal, and awoke to meet his distant ancestor. It was about a month after his mother passed away that he “woke up†one evening sitting in the lotus position on a rock in a clearing in the midst of a beautiful forest. It took him a few moments to realize there was another person sitting across from him. A person who seemed an odd blend of monkey and human. Before Daniel could connect the dots himself, the “visitor†introduced himself: Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, the Great Sage Equal To Heaven. And Daniel’s many-times-removed grandfather. Sun had apparently taken an interest not only in Daniel himself, but just as importantly in the things Daniel would be doing with his life soon enough. So Sun had decided to grant Daniel a small fragment of his own mighty power, an infusion that would latch onto Daniel’s blood relation to the King to make him powerful in his own right. Daniel had to take a bit of time to consider, but he ultimately accepted. Sun Wukong leveled no charge or demands on how Daniel would use his power, but the ancient being’s eyes glittered with amusement (and perhaps a touch of pride?) when Daniel stated his intent to use this offered power to help others. Though the belly laugh Sun gave when Daniel said he would protect the people in “his area†was a bit unnerving. Daniel awoke from that dream feeling mostly the same. For about a week. And then, somehow, he knew just how to change his form to the more powerful one granted to him. And more than that, he knew, at least in general, the limits of this new form. Still, he took the soonest opportunity to go out to the forest and test his abilities. He found a new thrill in them, and took a couple of months to not only grow familiar with his powers, but also to try and sharpen his personal fighting skills. His ancestor’s gifts certainly gave him a boost to his skills, but he wanted to ensure that as much as possible was his own. Finally, not that long ago, Sun Walker debuted on the scene in California as an up-and-coming superhero. Though he has denied actually joining the Champions, he did make sure to maintain friendly contact with them. Sun Walker has been showing up all over, his flashy style and unique appearance a bit at odds with his calm and quiet demeanor. Still, he’s the sort of sight to inspire hope in anyone not committing a major crime. Now if only Daniel could shake that sense of needing to still be on the move without a solid sense of where to move to... Personality & Motivation: Daniel is a fairly quiet, humble sort of guy. He likes his job as an electrical engineer, takes joy in it. He’s friendly enough with coworkers and friends, but isn’t really close to anyone since his parents passed away. If left to his own devices, Daniel might read a book, tinker with an electronics board or some other electrical knick-knack, or perhaps watch a movie. He tends to be a man of few words, but when he does speak, it carries a bit of gravity, as if each word is carefully weighed and measured before being offered up. That’s not to say he never engages in small talk or friendly chats; rather, in work-related meetings or other more serious contexts, Daniel isn’t always talking, but if he is, he’s doing so for a reason beyond hearing his own voice. When out and about as Sun Walker, Daniel is...actually still pretty quiet. He’s learned that this can unintentionally unnerve some criminals. After all, a lot of heroes tend to be pretty talkative, even in a fight. When Sun Walker wades in with fist, foot, and tail, a slight smile on his face but barely more than a short call for surrender or a few words with the authorities, it makes them wonder what’s going on in that head of his. That’s not to say he purposefully sets out to scare criminals in the same way some heroes do; instead, it’s a byproduct of his naturally quiet and friendly personality that has an unexpected result. With that said, Daniel can be as serious as any other hero if innocents are placed under mortal threat. On a less serious vector, he can prove to be something of a “neat freakâ€, and tends to “zone out†others if he’s working on an engaging electrical problem or project. He isn’t quite a perfectionist, but he’s close enough that all those tendencies combined make him a bit testy if there’s a lot of overtime going into a huge deadline project at the Plant. Or if something else is going wrong that gets dumped in his lap. He’s the sort who simply has to finish a project, so he can get a bit touchy if he thinks others are shirking duty altogether. On the flip side, he has a tendency to apologize even when he doesn't need to, or politely excuse himself as he wades through the midst of a metahuman brawl. Powers & Tactics: When stripped down to basics, Daniel’s powers ultimately make him really, really good at two things at this time: fighting with his bare hands, and moving around. With the former, his general physical fitness, finesse, and strength are boosted to the high end of peak human, and he is able to comfortably survive any pressure conditions, breath any atmospheric condition, and even walk unaided in the vacuum of space. His skin is superhumanly tough, though compared to many heroes some might consider him rather vulnerable. Of course, just landing a hit on him can be a trying thing; the infusion of power from Sun Wukong also brought with it an infusion of skills, leaving him not only much better at a related forms of fighting. In particular, he possesses notable skills in Xingzhemen, Nanhouquan, Da Sheng Pi Gua Men, and Ng Ga Kuen styles. He is not at the level of a true Master yet, but he has more skill than even his years of practice with his grandfather could have given him. Combined with this potent increase in skill in attacking an opponent is an increase in the ability to avoid even being struck in combat; Sun Walker proves himself a canny opponent and slippery target to all but the most skilled of foes. More obviously supernatural is his incredible speed, sufficient to match the fastest cars in the world, but on foot! Further, he can call up enough of the supernatural cloud-walking that his progenitor possessed to keep himself from falling easily to his death. That same inheritance makes it easy for him to clamber on all but the slickest of surfaces. Of course, the extendable prehensile tail he sprouts at the base of his spine makes it even easier to get around. It is deft enough to aid him in combat, either as an additional striking limb, or a way to disturb an opponent’s footing. Yet it is strong enough to carry his body weight, such that he can easily move about many environments as if swinging on the grapnel of a darker, more brooding hero. Combined with the tail itself is his ability to morph the appearance and structure of his body to show a different, more “royal†look. Not only does it mark him as the get of the Monkey King, and as an appointed champion of that mischievous demigod, it also changes his appearance enough that anyone who knows Daniel Lee would have a great deal of trouble figuring out that he was also Sun Walker. A less combat-oriented gift is his ability to speak to any being whose biology/nature/essence is that of stone and rock, owing to the Monkey King’s origins as a statue of rock. As well, that same heritage allows him to naturally speak to monkeys, apes, and other beings of similar nature (but not extending quite so far as to speak any humanoid or hominid languages). His most subtle power is that of fortune. In particular, misfortune visited upon his foes, causing them to suffer mishaps at critical moments. It’s not as potent or as powerful as some who wield the winds of fate and chance, but in a critical moment of a fight it might be just the thing someone needs to survive. As for tactics in a fight, thus far Sun Walker has found that “move around a lot and punch guys really hard in the face or other appropriately vulnerable point†is a pretty solid tactic. Other than his mastery over the whims of luck, Sun Walker doesn’t have any “fancy tricksâ€. He’s just really good at moving around and fighting unarmed, and thus he tends to do a multitude of variations on that particular theme. Complications: That's A Bit Slick: While many surfaces are able to be scaled by Sun Walker's power, surfaces that are sufficiently smooth and seamless may prove difficult or impossible for him to properly scale. This may vary depending on the situation, and should be up to the discretion of the GM whether it's impossible, or imposes a penalty to his climbing speed and ability, and thus merit the award of a Hero Point. Not Much Of A Swimmer: Sun Walker can breathe under water just fine, and could conceivably move and run about on the floor of a river, lake, or ocean. And technically he's got positive buoyancy. But he's just not very good at moving and fighting under the waves, a legacy of his ancestor's stony nature and even more severe weakness to water-based combat. A GM might award a Hero Point for applying penalties to Sun and his combat while moving about under water, even if he wears a diving suit or the like (as the issue is something less tangible than just "I can't float" or "I can't breath"). Shady Heritage: Sun Wukong was a bit of a scamp while he walked the Earth, and his ascension meant he could, on occasion, spread that wanton delight in jokes and pranks to other places in the cosmos. Sun Walker might be recognized, in one way or another, as related to the Monkey King, and thus the GM might award a Hero Point if social situations or the like are complicated by the rather mixed reputation of Sun's fore-bearer. He's a Damn Dirty Ape: Some folks might find Sun Walker's nature as a (seeming) human-ape hybrid objectionable, and thus be disinclined to acquiesce to his requests or otherwise prove even minutely helpful. Whether on Earth or abroad among the stars. A GM might provide a Hero Point if Sun's simian nature provides trouble in one way or another for himself and/or his companions. Lots of Nits to Pick: Sun Wukong was generally a good-ish guy while he walked the Earth, but he certainly stirred up trouble. More than that, he laid low quite a few rather nefarious sorts who didn't quite go all the way to "dead", or have nasty habits of reversing that condition. Even the intervening champions between the King and Sun Walker who fought some of those folks couldn't get them all put down. So it's quite possible various demons, sorcerers, and other ill-doers of all manner of stripes might crop up in Sun Walker's life. A GM might award a Hero Point if one or more of these old foes of the Great Sage try to take down Sun Walker in lieu of striking down his ancestor, and thus bring trouble (and probably a fight) to the door of Sun and his friends and allies. Abilities: 4 + 4 + 4 + 2 + 6 + 0 = 20PP Strength: 20/14 (+5/+2) Dexterity: 22/14 (+6/+2) Constitution: 20/14 (+5/+2) Intelligence: 12 (+1) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 10 (+0) Combat: 6 + 6 = 12PP Initiative: +2/+6 Attack: +15/+6 Unarmed, +9/+4 Melee, +7/+3 Ranged Grapple: +21/+18/+6 Defense: +12/+6 (+6/+3 Base, +6/+3 Dodge Focus), +3/+1 Flat-Footed Knockback: -1/-4 Saving Throws: 3 + 4 + 5 = 12PP Toughness: +8/+2 (+5/+2 Con, +3 [Protection]) Fortitude: +8/+5 (+5/+2 Con, +3) Reflex: +10/+6 (+6/+2 Dex, +4) Will: +8 (+3 Wis, +5) Skills: 52R = 13PP Acrobatics 4 (+10/+6) Computers 6 (+7) Craft (Electronics) 9 (+10) Disable Device 6 (+7) Escape Artist 4 (+10/+6) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 6 (+7) Knowledge (Technology) 6 (+7) Language 3 (English [Native], Cantonese Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Galstandard) Notice 8 (+11) Feats: 7PP Attack Focus (Melee) Attack Specialization (Unarmed) Defensive Attack Dodge Focus 3 Power Attack Powers: 22 (8+6+8) + 5(2+3) + 8 + 10 (6(1+1+2+2)+4) + 10(4+6) + 35(6+8+6+4+3+8) = 90PP Fighting Buddha 4.4 (22PP Container [Passive, Permanent]) [22PP] (Celestial) Enhanced Attack 4 [8PP] Enhanced Defense 3 [6PP] Enhanced Feats 8 (Attack Focus (Melee) 1; Attack Specialization (Unarmed) 2; Dodge Focus 3; Improved Block; Improved Critical (Unarmed, 19-20)) [8PP] Gifted Tongue 1 (5PP Container [Passive, Permanent]) [5PP] (Celestial) Comprehend 2 (Speak to and Understand Animals; Flaws: Limited [Monkeys and Apes]) [2PP] Comprehend 3 (Speak and Understand All Languages at Once; Flaws: Limited [Languages of Stone/Rock-Based Life-Forms]) [3pp] Luck Control 1 (Force Re-Roll [Take Worse Result; Hero Point or GM Fiat to cancel]; Feats: Luck 5) [8PP] ("Monkey's Paw") Royal Countenance 2 (10PP Container [Passive, Permanent]) [10PP] (Celestial) Additional Limbs 1 (Prehensile Tail; Extras: Linked [Elongation], [Enhanced Feats], [super-Movement]) [1PP] + Elongation 2 (10 feet; Extras: Linked [Additional Limbs], [Enhanced Feats], [super-Movement]; Flaws: Limited [Prehensile Tail]) [1PP] +Enhanced Feats 2 (Improved Trip 2 (+8 bonus to trip); Extras: Linked [Additional Limbs], [Elongation], [super-Movement]) [2PP] +Super-Movement 1 (Swinging; Extras: Linked [Additional Limbs], [Elongation], [Enhanced Feats]) [2PP] Morph 4 (Single Form; Disguise Bonus +20) [4PP] (Celestial) Swift As A Horse 2 (10PP Container [Passive, Permanent]) [10PP] (Celestial) Speed 4 (100mph/1,000 feet per Move Action) [4PP] Super-Movement 3 (Slow Fall, Wall Crawling 2) [6PP] Vigor of the Sage 7 (35PP Container [Passive, Permanent]) [35PP] (Celestial) Enhanced Constitution 6 [6PP] Enhanced Dexterity 8 [8PP] Enhanced Strength 6 [6PP] Immunity 4 (All Suffoation, High Pressure, Vaccuum) [4PP] Protection 3 [3PP] Super-Strength 4 (Lifting Strength 40 [Heavy Load 3 tons]) [8PP] Drawbacks: Normal Identity [Full Round Action] (-4) = -4PP DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC17/20 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Totals: Abilities (20) + Combat (12) + Saving Throws (12) + Skills (13) + Feats (7) + Powers (90) - Drawbacks (-4) = 150/150 Power Points

Character Name: Ultimate Power Level: 12 Trade-Offs: N/A In Brief: Youngest child of Ultima Thule, Quo-Dis has made it her mission to help better understand the larger world, and to help protect the innocent people of the world as Ultimate! Alternate Identity: Quo-Dis Identity: Secret Birthplace: Ultima Thule Occupation: Member of the Champions superhero team. Affiliations: Champions, Claremont Academy, Ultima Thule Residence: California (primary); Hughes household (secondary) Base of Operations: Champions HQ, XX, California Family: Sa-Ur (Mother); Kal-Zed (Father; Secret); Corbin Alphonse Hughes (Husband); Albert Hughes (Father-In-Law); Sarah Hughes (Mother-In-Law) Description: Age: 131 (DoB: 1883) Apparent Age: Mid-20's Gender: Female Ethnicity: Ultimen/Caucasian Height: 6'4" Weight: 210 lbs. Eyes: Gray Hair: Blonde Description: Quo-Dis is a statuesque individual; her height puts her at least a few inches above the average man in height, and often a head and shoulders above many women. Her build is simultaneously powerful, and undeniably feminine, imbued with intrinsic grace, beauty, and strength. Her golden-blonde hair, which reaches past her shoulder blades, is typically kept in a neat ponytail. Most days not in costume, she wears comfortable casual clothes, preferring pants or mid-length skirts/dresses to shorts or the like. As Ultimate, Quo-Dis cuts a more imposing and professional figure than she once did as Ultiteen. The suit has a base "layer" that is a sleeveless bodysuit that goes from neck to ankle, of dark red. She sports a white belt with a gold buckle, as well as white cuff boots that reach mid-thigh, and short white gloves that reach the wrist. She has a separate mask of the same shade of red that covers all but her eyes, mouth&chin, and a hole in the back for her ponytail. Completely the look is a white half-cape that rests to the left side, often covering her left shoulder, though it tends to end up tossed back during a fight. Power Descriptions: Quo-Dis's very biology carries the same powerful alterations as all Ultimen posses. She is strong and hardy, resistant to many things that might hurt her. And what injuries she does take often heal in minutes, instead of days! Further, her body can withstand environments that would prove extremely hostile to normal humans; both the depths of the ocean and the depths of space can be explored by this (comparatively) young powerhouse! Further, this same vitality vastly extends her lifespan, and makes it where she barely needs sleep or rest. But as with all Ultimen, that is not the full measure of her power. Quo-Dis also commands the powers of the mind and of the fundamental electromagnetic energies of the universe. She can fly, both in the atmosphere and in the dark of space. The energies crackling through her body lend even more power to her muscles, letting her easily lift incredible loads. Less obvious (or at least less flashy) is her ability to speak with anyone and have both parties be understood. For her it's as simple as breathing, but to others it's an incredible gift. The main measure of her surging power can be put to various uses. She can, with the power of her mind and the energies at her command, lift incredible loads and move them without ever touching them. She can serve as a sort of "communications hub" for herself and many teammates, covering many miles with barely any effort. She can reach into the mind of another and take what information she needs, often with them left none the wiser. She can concentrate the same energies that broaden her mind into more direct bolts of searing power, or produce blinding bursts of light directly in an enemy's eyes. Those same mental talents can be turned to producing a variety of artificial emotional states in a target, rendering them full of despair, or enthralled in mindless rage. Finally, she can simply overload the nervous system of a target with a couple of well-placed, well-charged blows. History: Quo-Dis spent her childhood and most of her "adolescence" in Ultima Thule, learning alongside the small group of other young ones there. Her father, Kal-Zed, was a respected figure...until about 70 years ago, when he went to the "outside world" and ended up joining forces with a deranged mortal with twisted ideas of genetics and "master races". While it certainly didn't force Quo-Dis and Sa-Ur into exile or anything of the like, the pall hanging over the family did affect things and strain relationships. So when the chance came several years ago to leave Ultima Thule and join a class at Claremont Academy, Quo-Dis took it. She could learn more about the Outside, while also giving herself some space to make her own reputation. Of course, Claremont brought its own difficulties; between Quo-Dis's unfamiliarity with anything outside Ultima Thule, her generally trusting nature, and the mean-spirited works of the likes of Daisy Gibbons, her first couple of years (which focused on educating her more on the history and culture of the world at large) were rather unpleasant. Then, she met and began a romantic relationship with one Corbin Hughes, aka Cobalt Templar. While rocky at first, their relationship slowly grew deeper and more intimate. By the time they both graduated, there was a thought they may well end up married before too long, though Corbin was a bit young (comparatively). Still, the relationship had passed the muster of Ultima Thule, and so things were good. And then, not too long after Quo-Dis moved to the West Coast to join the lineup of the Champions, her beloved came to her, a different man than he had been just a few weeks prior. She had not heard from him at all for a time, and had become concerned, but was told by his friends and family that he was traveling the world seeking more of the Seven Rings. It turns out his journey had taken him a bit further, in both time and space. Corbin had, in fact, ended up being almost 50 years old, in his semi-subjective experience. Traveling through both time and dimensions will do that to a young man. Still, he was the same person Quo-Dis had fallen in love with, and the added years only brought maturity and perspective. And a sense of purpose, since he proposed marriage to her the same day he met her after his return. They kept the engagement quiet for a time, but eventually word spread among friends and family. It was only a short time ago that the nuptials were sealed in a fairly small, private ceremony with just close friends and family attending. Personality & Motivation: Quo-Dis is a joyful personality who often finds herself being a bit more literal than those around her. The differences in how Ultima Thule and the rest of Earth communicate means that she sometimes comes across as blunt or socially awkward. In truth, it is simply a difference in how she was raised. Quo-Dis strives to be honest and forthright, which is sometimes the source of her "bluntness"; she sees little point in spending several minutes dancing around a topic that should be discussed directly. With that said, she sometimes can be a bit...not impulsive precisely, but she makes decisions with a level of finality more rapidly than many of her peers. The issue might arise if she does so on a matter that others might perceive as being something they should know of; again, much of this stems from the mentality she spent a century growing up with, rather than anything like true malice or thoughtlessness. When faced with a foe, Quo-Dis is fearless in a fight, but does not easily give in to emotional decision-making. She tends to prioritize disabling targets, but certainly will risk herself to keep bystanders safe if the danger is noted. She tends to speak or banter little in the field, other than to coordinate with her team, guide civilians to safety, or give an offer of surrender to villains and criminals. Powers & Tactics: Ultimate fights with "maximum efficiency" in mind; she leverages her great strength and durability to wade directly into a fight and disable opponents as rapidly as possible. Her flight assures that she can be wherever she is needed on the battlefield. Her mental abilities mean that sometimes, she serves as a sort of "communications hub" for the Champions while using her raw strength to batter foes down. If that mental communications net is unneeded in a fight, it's likely that Quo-Dis will focus her cosmic powers on blasting foes with rays of energy to disable them, setting off blinding flashes of light directly in their faces, or giving them blows that deliver enough energy to overload their nervous systems. If not in the middle of a fight, she can use her mental abilities to delve into a criminal's mind for more information, though it is something she does sparingly and only under specific conditions. She does have the ability to induce altered emotional states in people, but it is also something she does only sparingly. Her ability to use her mind and control over energy to move objects is called upon to often move debris away from trapped people or to clear roads and the like, though its power is sufficient to hold up sections of buildings to briefly prevent collapse. Story Hooks: -Secret (Origins): Quo-Dis works to hide the fact she is from Ultima Thule from all but a very small, select group of people. Especially as the secrets of Ultima Thule might prove an enticing prize for the more ruthless people in the world... -Secret (Identity): Quo-Dis works to prevent her hero identity and civilian self from being too closely associated, especially now that she is married into a family that includes non-powered individuals. -Overbearing Father: Quo-Dis is the only child of Kal-Zed, the infamous Superior of the fallen Nazi regime. At his best he is an arrogant, misguided, powerful individual. At his worst, he is a tyrant whose power is equal to the Centurion, willing to use that power to exert his will over the masses. He also may or may not approve of her new husband. Abilities: 10 + 10 + 10 + 6 + 2 + 6 = 44PP Strength: 30/20 (+10/5) Dexterity: 20 (+5) Constitution: 30/20 (+10/5) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 16 (+3) Combat: 24 + 24 = 48PP Initiative: +5 Attack: +12 Melee, +12 Ranged Grapple: +24/17 Defense: +12 (+12 Base), +6 Flat-Footed Knockback: -6 Saving Throws: 1 + 4 + 11= 16PP Toughness: +12 (+10 Con, +2 [Protection]) Fortitude: +11 (+10 Con, +1) Reflex: +9 (+5 Dex, +4) Will: +12 (+1 Wis, +11) Skills: 40R = 10PP Acrobatics 8 (+13) Concentration 4 (+5) Knowledge (Art) 3 (+6) Knowledge (History) 8 (+11) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 4 (+7) Languages 1 (English, Ultima Thule [Native]) Notice 8 (+9) Sense Motive 4 (+5) Feats: 7PP All-Out Attack Accurate Attack Blind Fight Eidetic Memory Move-By Action Power Attack Quick Change Powers: 45(10+10+10+1+2+12) + 55(6+16+4+31) = 100PP Ultiman Physiology 9 (45 PP Container [Passive, Permanent]) [45PP] (Life Energy) Enhanced Constitution 10 [10PP] Enhanced Strength 10 [10PP] Immunity 10 (Aging, Life Support) [10PP] Immunity 1 (Need for Sleep, Starvation & Thirst; Flaws: Limited [Half Effect]) [1PP] Protection 2 [2PP] Regeneration 10 (Bruised 3 [No Action]; Injured 6 [No Action]; Resurrection 1 [1 week (not when beheaded)]; Power Feats: Persistent, Regrowth) [12PP] Cosmic Energy Infusion 11 (55PP Container [Passive, Permanent]) [55PP] (Electromagnetic Energy) Comprehend 3 (Speak and Understand All Languages At Once) [6PP] Flight 8 (2,500 MPH/25,000 feet per Move Action) [16PP] Super-Strength 2 (Effective Strength 40; Heavy Load 3 tons) [4PP] Cosmic Energy Control 12.5 (25PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 6) [31PP] Base Power: Mind-Reading 12 (Extras: Action [Move/Standard]; Feats: Subtle [DC 20 Notice Check]) [25PP] (Psionic) Alternate Power: Communication 6 ([Mental], 20 miles; Extras: Area, Affects Others; Feats: Selective, Subtle 2) [21PP] (Psionic) Alternate Power: Damage 12 (Extras: Range [Ranged], 10 120 foot increments, 1,200 feet max range) [24PP] Alternate Power: Emotion Control 12 [24PP] (Psionic) Alternate Power: Move Object 12 (Effective Strength 60, Heavy Load 50 tons; 10 120 foot range increments, 1,200 foot max range) [24 PP] Alternate Power: Dazzle 12 (Visual Sense Type; 10 120 foot increments, 1,200 feet max range) [24PP] Alternate Power: Stun 12 [24PP] Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Damage Ranged DC27 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Mind-Reading Perception DC22 Will Mind Reading Emotion Control Perception DC22 Will (Staged) Special Stun Touch DC22 Fortitude (Staged) Dazed/Stunned/Unconscious Dazzle Ranged DC22 Reflex 1/2 Effect DC22 Reflex Blinded DC22 Fortitude Recover Totals: Abilities (44) + Combat (48) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (10) + Feats (7) + Powers (100) - Drawbacks (0) = 225 Power Points

Alek stood, still as a statue, for a few moments after receiving his answer. In those moments, the Guest Instructor could sense there was more than just the "normal" training of a shadowy vigilante at play. Perhaps the Guest Instructor had read what parts of his file were open to him, perhaps not. Either way, it was irrelevant. Finally, the teenager inclined his head to the Summers, and then once more to the Guest. "Understood." Now there was something else in those eyes. Excitement.

Thoughtspeed tilted his head to one side at the question, clearly a bit confused. "Well, I mean, yeah, I don't have unlimited range. I'm lucky to get much more than a mile or two. But, um, I've never really thought in terms of "frequencies"? I just kind of..." He shrugged, and now his voice echoed in Brain-Clay's mind. --I just pick who I want to talk to and think at them. It's like...flipping a switch, I guess? My, uh, teachers focused on making most of my power use pretty instinctive. When you operate at the speeds that I do, that's practically a life-or-death lesson, you know?-- Despite the almost morbid topic, the young man seemed cheerful enough.

Gabriel just kept offering the same soft, friendly smile to all the guards in front of him. <I will pass the message to them.> He spoke normally now, in just plain English, to the other heroes and the diplomatic crew. "She says we're supposed to follow her and her friends. All of us. Make sure no one thinks you're still armed." Somewhat redundant with superheroes present, but still. "We are apparently going to meet the Queen, who will discuss matters further and more in-depth with us." Gabriel simply went along with the guides/guards, giving them all polite smiles and nods. He took note of the interaction between the mousy-looking one and the others. That information could be useful for later.

Here's the second attempt, with scale kept in mind more. Legend: Red: Grue Unity Blue: Lor Republic Green: Stellar Khanate Brown: Contested space, unclaimed space, no-man's-land, etc. White Dot: Sol System Purple Dot: Star Knight Citadel Light Blue Arrow: Pointing toward Galactic Core I downsized the Khanate after some discussion in Chat, and re-placed Earth. This is also explicitly not the entire galaxy. This would probably be....Oh, a quarter to third of it? Again, this is all guesstimation and there's obviously loads of room in space for them all to grow. This is as much about relative positions as it is absolute territory. The Contested Space is left intentionally large to represent lots of brush conflicts or systems no one wants. Between that and the rest of the galaxy, loads of places for pirate havens and run-down space stations, plus other mysterious empires.

Well, the size of the colored blobby parts could be shrunk down. I can try whipping up another rough map, though!

The unspoken question is basically "is this because I am not measuring up in some way or just because you want me to broaden my skillset".

One eyebrow raised up at the mention of this guest being a graduate of Claremont. That was interesting information. He considered the individual in front of him. Certainly not one of the flashier "capes" in town, which narrowed the list, but didn't give an absolute answer. He locked eyes with Callie for a moment, tilting his head to one side. Almost as if asking a question. Then he did ask a question. "Lesson on just one thing, or composite of multiple subjects?" This was not a meeting of the verbose, that was for sure. The Guest saw that Alek's frame was one that still had growing to do. And when it finished, he'd probably be of a size with The Guest. Similar career paths overall. He was dressed more casually than the Claremont alumnus, but carried himself with a similar sort of mentality and purpose. But in some ways, he seemed more...not rigid, but perhaps wound tighter. But not consciously so. He was likely familiar with at least the basics of Aleksander's background, so it made sense.

So, having been told I should make a thing if I think a thing would be useful, here is a super-sloppy, very rough, very general "galactic map" (as it were). Use your imagination and superimpose this over a picture of the Milky Way Galaxy. Legend: Red: Grue Unity Blue: Lor Republic Green: Stellar Khanate Brown: Contested space, unclaimed space, no-man's-land, etc. Orange: Unclaimed space, pirate havens, etc. White Dot: Sol System Purple Star: Star Knight Citadel This is of course all extremely rough. I'm working from a combination of memory and assumptions. The Grue, Lor, and Khanate control multi-system political entities, this is a known fact. Each has stood to this point against the others, without a clear and obvious "victor", which suggests at least very rough parity in scope, resources, personnel, etc. The Sol System is a Lor Protectorate, and isn't so close to the Grue or Khanate it suffers daily attacks (the Grue are just very very good at infiltration). There are likely loads of unaffiliated and independent systems out there, plus dead worlds, plus pirate havens. (Keep in mind this isn't "to scale", and so the brown and orange regions cover parsecs and parsecs of space). The Star Knights don't seem to actually govern stuff, and the Citadel being central-ish makes it far from Earth but able to reach a lot of the galaxy. MS Paint is both easy and hard to use.

Claremont Academy Headmaster's Office Thursday, September 4th, 6:00pm Aleksander Nakani was not a troublemaker, the sort to get called in to the Headmaster's office for a fight or prank or the like. But neither was it an unfamiliar place. When you're training to take up the mantle of the man who sits in that room, it is perhaps inevitable that you meet with that man. Or his daughter. Who is also your boss in the field. Not exactly the easiest position to hold, even for a disciplined teen like Alek. Still, Headmaster Summers had called for a meeting with him, and he was far from refusing. Of course, he had paused for a moment when he walked in, seeing not only Headmaster Duncan Summers, but also his daughter Callie Summers, and a young man he didn't recognize. The former was seated in the big chair behind the big desk; his daughter stood to one side of him, the stranger to the other. Alek closed the door to the office and walked to a spot a few feet in front of the desk, where he had a clear view of all 3 adults in the room. He gave them all assessing looks for a few moments before speaking up. "Per your request, Headmaster, I'm here."

OOC for >this thread. Probably won't need it, but just in case.

Hm. Thoughtspeed or Cobalt Templar could work, with extra irony on the latter, but I can be a "standby" player if there's tones of interest here. Oh, I wanna get Nevermore in on this. I'm going to offer Cobalt Templar, with Gabriel as a backup if this skews toward maxed-out characters. Dimensional shenanigans, conquerors, would-be emperors, things like that, and all in the land of his fiancee/wife's old roommate? Definite connection there. Possibly Nevermore, but I'm not feeling it super-strongly, so if you fill up otherwise don't worry about including him. Psychic Apes and Nazis? Sounds like a job for Cobalt Templar. Nevermore.

*Can't delete, ignore for now*

Further work and discussion to be had >here.

Gabriel had, thankfully, not "switched" his powers over yet, and was indeed able to understand the woman. He made sure to whisper his voice to the others without moving his lips. "She wants us to put our weapons down. If we have any, I guess. I'm going in hands-up." At a normal volume, he spoke again, and the woman understood. "Hello. Yes, we are not armed. We come peacefully. I am known as Gabriel. May I ask your name?" As he spoke his next words he tilted his head back toward the rest of the group. "Do you speak any other languages? My friends here do not speak as much as I do, and I must invest some of my power in being able to speak and understand so many languages."

As soon as the sneakthieves started moving out, Nevermore chased after them, his cloak streaming through the air behind him. He moved with an easy grace, like a trained runner, every stride bringing the perfect mix of speed and efficiency. It was almost mechanical in precision. He reached the stairs quicker than even the masked thieves had, though they were still ahead of him. He took just a moment to somehow hop up on the railing, perched there like some strange bird, before he pushed off and spread his cloak wide...where it almost instantly snapped into a pair of flexible cloth wings, which he used (combined with judicious kicks to the walls to correct course) to glide down to a spot a few feet in front of the intruders on the stairwell, where he landed in a crouch, his eyes never leaving them. "Stop and surrender." He straightened up, his body shrouded in the folds of the no-longer-rigid cape. "Now."

Nevermore backed off the pressure on Evan's torso, but still maintained a posture that kept the bartender in place. "Ivan the Bulgarian, huh? He sounds like the mom-shooting type, yeah. Do you know where our buddy Ivan is? Or is that what the code will tell me?" He suddenly released Evan and stood up, giving the man a couple feet of space. An illusion; Nevermore could have the man locked up in seconds, or simply insensate, but now was the time to show just a hint of "nice cop". "You tell me how to break the code, give me any other information relevant to Ivan's operation, and I'll leave you be and never breathe a word of your involvement to anyone. It's your business if you immediately go running or not. I certainly won't chase you after I've gotten Ivan hog-tied." The young crime-fighter seems confident in his ability to take on such a notorious crime boss.

Thoughtspeed's eyes widened behind his helmet when the robot casually swatted the projectile out of the air. When it started to reach down for him, he was actually turning to try and run away...but was, shockingly, too slow. The robot's limb had been a blur, and he just hadn't been expecting it to do something so...drastic. Which was somewhat academic to the fact that a giant robot had him in its metallic grasp, and could probably start crushing him any time now. He struggled mightily, his form blurring in super-speed as he moved back and forth and...got exactly nowhere. So instead his voice echoed in the minds of all of his allies present. --Ohgeezerobotsgotmehelpmehelpme HELP PLEASE AND THANK YOU!--