Ari

"That makes a lot of sense" Subito agreed, scanning along the page and jotting down brief notes in a notebook "But Ogoun's supposed to be a really community-focused guy. As a loa, wouldn't that wider viewpoint get passed down to them? My spirit's a little more..well, she's apparently more focused on the small-picture than a lot of the others are, really wants me to go back to Puerto Rico and stay there to try to guard it(doubt I'll do a good job). But ones like Lady Liberty and Britannia go all over the place." he shrugged "The communication thing does answer a lot of that. It must have been hard to know what was going on in the next town unless someone from there came and mentioned it, after all." He read on for several pages "For the rest of the rebellion that was pretty much what he did, from 1801 to 1805 he would go this big circuit of Haiti keeping the peace. He always gave the weapons he got from stopping armed robbers and highwaymen to the townsfolk, and taught people he met along the way who wanted to how to work metal so they could help out others. In 1804 he was asked by one of General Louverture's aides to join the army to protect from attacks by European powers and refused, declaring that what he was already doing was just as valuable, and would "Give the soldiers a stronger place to fight from". Huh. I guess it's like when the Liberty League were kept from entering the war? Putting your own house in order before going to another's?" His pen hadn't stopped writing in the notebook all the time he was reading, and though in a few places it dipped below the lines it was tolerably legible.

GM The two halted at the base of the cage, through its bars peered the renegade Redcaps with hatred at anything outside, not a single sound coming from them. Parsinkle was busy emptying the last of whatever was in the pot down his throat, abruptly swallowing whatever it was and throwing the vessel at the feet of the human pair. Leaping to the cage's edge he called down merrily "Ah, well done! You have my deepest thanks and gratitude for your help in capturing these rebels. I will have them bound in chains and taken to my castle, paraded through the streets so that all my subjects shall know the penalty of disobedience to their master before I put them back to work in the mines. A few will be executed, of course. As more concrete evidence of my esteem, you shall accompany me to my palace, I shall fete you both with the finest meats and drinks I can find in my small empire, and you may each carry back to your terrestrial sphere as much wealth from my storehouse as you can carry when the festivities end." He smiled broadly, the curls of his dark beard glinting in ever-cheery light, and the red robes he wore seeming to radiate light of their own "What say you?"

They certainly could end up stumbling upon the main plot while chasing the same business. Maybe the Order sends her to investigate a disturbance involving the Fair Folk, and she's just found out what's immediately behind it when Crow shows up following a lead from some fairy and just throws off her plan of attack.

It took Subito a moment to translate that time into something more familiar, but after a brow-furrowing he nodded affirmatively "Oh, 5 o'clock? 'Kay then!" he put the main book, a hefty blue tome whose dust jacket depicted the islands of the Caribbean set on a flat Earth the sea water falling down into a vaster sea beneath it that held a single island under the blaring letters 'Nations under Guinee: Caribbean Vodou History '. Cracking it open to roughly halfway through, the Puerto Rican teen quickly thumbed through the thick pages, licking his fingers to make the stiff leaves a little more pliable, until he reached the chapter he wanted. He frowned at the question, tapping his fingers on the hard table before saying "Best to go by year, I think. Some of 'em were ridden more than once, after all. Alright, 1801, the year of Andre Rigaud's brother Joshua's selection..." Tossing his hat onto the table, he traced the beginning with his other finger, starting at the very first sentence "O.okay then. Says here Joshua was shot by his brother for trying to rescue some captives Andre wanted dead. As he was about to be shot again by the soldier his brother sent to get rid of his body Ogoun called out to him, offering him the strength to help stop the atrocities going on. He got Centurion-like powers out of it, like back in the 40's and stuff when he didn't fly, and could make iron do crazy things as well. Uh...he spent a lot of time wandering the island of Haiti, looking for evil stuff soldiers were doing to stop 'em. He ignored the wider political problems of the island and stuck to protecting towns and villages." He sat back, Looking quite surprised "I didn't think that was what people did with powers back then. I thought they were like Hercules."

"The Dama Azul? Yeah, I can speak with her at any time, but I get the feeling she wants me to be more self-reliant in stuff like this." "Believe me, I know that" Subito said unusually quietly with a slight wince "the splitting of America's spirit during the Civil War was one of the first lessons in the Legacy series. But even if they turned into brutes, they'll inspire by example of what to keep an eye out for." Nodding at John's asking him to wait, he leaned against the wall, waving cheerfully to the passing grey figure of grim Hodge as he headed for the gym, getting an almost imperceptibly fast wave in reply.

I'm quite sorry I wasn't clear, let me be clearer: you bought 3 ranks in your Base Defense bonus at 2PP per rank, so you only need pay 6PP for that, not 10. Half of your Base Defense bonus rounded down is your Flat-Footed bonus, not the Dodge Focus. Dodge Focus is improved with the Feat of the same name, and is separate from the rest of the Defense bonus you buy.

Only spent 145PP, yeah. Sorry for the weird way of words. 1PP totally unspent and 4 extra from the low Base Defense bonus. Yes. Rank of the Base Power.

Nodding at John's words the stockier teen replied, walking in step "Well, the reason I asked you is mostly because you've got a lot of focus. I like Serge a whole bunch, he's a smart guy and I always end up learnin' something when we study together, but we always get sidetracked too. You don't get distracted, and something like this is really important for me to know. And there's not much in the way of actual magic here," he added with a grin "it's about who they were and what they did and why, rather than how they did it. It's supposed to tie into the wider picture of all the stuff that was going on, the years-long war in Haiti by the slaves for their liberation from bondage, for example, when the first of that legacy showed up." Silently agreeing to the choice of venue, Subito followed along beside the taller boy, briefly thinking over John's question before answering "I want to spend time on this. The whole mystic legacy thing is something I have a personal experience with, and learning about what they did with their power is bound to be inspiring." he rubbed the back of his neck and glanced sheepishly at the other student "That and I'm not really good at doing things like this quickly, so starting early can only help."

Hi horngeek! First off, you really do need to spend all PP allotted at character creation. You only bought 3 ranks in Base Defense, so you have 4 extra PP. You need to note what rank the Array is, and how many Power Points each power gets. How does Mental Quickness become 2 ranks for 1PP?

El Heraldo Who's the man in the gaudiest outfit? EL HERALDO! - Sneerg 4PP to work with, changing some things up. :arrow: Adding 2PP to the Herald's Charge Container, bringing it to 32. Using those 2PP to increase the Enhanced Strength to rank 10. :arrow: Removing a rank of Strike and using it to buy the Affects Insubstantial Power Feat. :arrow: Removing the Trip power. Buying Impervious up to rank 10. :arrow: Buying two ranks of Will. [b]Player Name:[/b] Arichamus [b]Character Name:[/b] El Heraldo ("The Herald") [b]Power Level:[/b] 10 (151/151PP) [b]Trade-Offs:[/b] -2 Defense / +2 Toughness -1 Attack/ +1 Damage [b]Unspent Power Points:[/b] 0 [b]Progress To Gold Status:[/b] 44/90 (Silver Status earned with [url=http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=6294]King of Suits[/url]) [b]In Brief:[/b] Son of recently-immigrated Peurto Ricans granted powers by the burgeoning national spirit of Puerto Rico, who uses his new-found abilities in defence of those most vulnerable to crime. A student at the Claremont Academy. [b]Alternate Identity:[/b] Subito Sondo [b]Identity:[/b] Secret [b]Birthplace:[/b] Puerto Rico, Adjuntas Municipality, Guayo Barrio [b]Occupation:[/b] Student, grocery store worker [b]Affiliations:[/b] Claremont Academy, Labor Union (Grocers) [b]Family:[/b] Pavor Sondo (Father), Broma Sondo (Mother), Galanta Sondo (Sister), Rodrigo Fuego (Cousin) [b]Description:[/b] [b]Age:[/b] 17 (July 5th, 1995) [b]Apparent Age:[/b] 19 [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b]Ethnicity:[/b] Latin American [b]Height:[/b] 5'6" [b]Weight:[/b] 184 lbs. [b]Eyes:[/b] Hazel [b]Hair:[/b] Dark Brown A stocky fellow, Subito nonetheless manages to look taller than he actually is by the practice of good posture and carriage, which he augments with thick-soled boots and a baseball cap. His hair is thick and curly, and long enough to nearly reach his ears, his eyes are spaced close together and are often shaded out of sight by the cap, and in the midst of strangers they have a narrow, suspicious look, though in the presence of friends they widen and sparkle with enthusiasm. His nose is short and broad, while his mouth is often turned slightly downward to help convey the message given by the eyes. His limbs are short, and he has rather large hands and feet for his age. he frequently wears white t-shirts and blue jeans. In his guise as the gaudy El Heraldo, he wears a brilliantly-colored and heavily-padded jacket. His pants are blue-and-red gold-checkered tights, and his feet are covered with heavy leather boots. A broad cloth bandanna around his head suffices to conceal his identity, with a sky blue feathered hat hat completing the bizarre costume. He carries in this guise a large flagpole, to which is bound the flag of Puerto Rico. [b][u]Power Descriptions:[/u][/b] El Heraldo's powers are signaled by a glow around Subito's body, which takes the rough form of an immense flag made of golden smoke. His powers are an extension of the national spirit he is the host of, which increased his physical power and hearing, as well as the power of flight and a slowly increasing range of powers related to communication. [spoiler][b][u]History:[/u][/b] [spoiler]Subito Sondo was born in the year 1995 on the island protectorate of Peurto Rico, in the municipality of Adjuntas. His parents, Pavor and Broma, were lower-middle class artisans, specifically metalworkers. His sister was a bold and and terrifying champion of the oppressed for miles around in their town, and the rest of his family were the thunderous, solid people who usually went totally unnoticed in a crowd. Throughout his young life, Subito was surrounded by noise: cars, passing celebrants, loud arguments or even deafening conversations on engrossing topics all combined to make what he can recall of his life in Puerto Rico an endless din. As a result, he grew up expecting noise to be around him at all times, and was rarely dissapointed. Noise became for him a sort of sanctuary, a comforting indicator that all was well. Silence became a warning, a mark that something horrible or disagreeable had happened. His family had a good employ for 8 of Subito's years of life, but a sudden tragedy,the attack of the supervillain Mas Severas against a visit by the Allies of Justice to the municipality, which while it resulted in no loss of life did destroy the family's business. Leaving for Freedom City in 2003, the family got themselves well-ensconced in the Lincoln district, where some relatives helped them find open positions in the Fun-Time Toys factory still active near the docks. Glad for the gainful employment, Pavor and Broma managed to slowly but steadily raise their standard of living over the years, their children proceeding smoothly through school and all things considered life was good. When Subito turned 15 life continued to be good, even after Subito lied about his age to get a job at the same factory his parents worked at (a lie aided by his unusually strong and tall build), and on his first day he tried to catch a wroker who had leaned a bit too hard against an insufficiently-secured handrail, dozens of feet above vats of a solution that worked wonders keeping paint on surfaces, but was deathly hazardous to humans. Subito's footing failed him when he grabbed the other man around the waist, and both tumbled towards a certain death, the workers who could see the scene trying futilely to do something to help. Subito and the other man were abruptly stopped in mid-air, a few yards above the poisonous vat of blue mixture. Surprised, Subito looked up to behold a golden fog about him, and looking after a minute's hesitant experimentization, found he could move himself through the air. Carrying the other man back up to the catwalk, he realized that his strenth had been enhanced (and as he later learned, his endurance), his hearing incredibly sharpened, and that because of the latter he could hear clearly the furious argument being carried out between his parents, the union leaders, and the manager of the factory. Thankfully, the only negative thing that resulted from that episode was that he was merely fired for lying about his age. His family were too surprised, the union too grateful (both for the extra bargaining room and because nobody was hurt in that instance), and the management too furious to discover that one of Toy-Boy's subtler booby-traps had escaped their notice, for any graver punishement to befall him. Also adding to his sense of giddiness as he went to sleep that night was the quiet, insistent voice that grew louder in his sleep, trying to tell him something in Spanish about a meeting. He gave it no thought until later that night, when he was awoken by a gentle tap on his head, jumping out of bed to his feet, he was greeted by a vision of a Hispanic woman wearing blue armor, bearing a vast collection of weapons on her back, and riding a ram sheep, in the vision almost totally transparent. This apparition informed Subito that his family was in possession of an old battle-standard, bearing the coat-of-arms of Puerto Rico (the original flag having been destroyed in 1511), which had been used in nearly every successful battle involved in making Puerto Rico a Spanish holding since it had been made in 1500. As a result, a spirit of victory had attached itself to the banner, lending strength of will and protection from harm to those who held it. The spirt then told Subito that it had slowly grown over the ages, until it had become the national spirit of Puerto Rico, having melded with the ruling entities of the island's Taino tribes after their destruction by the Spanish colonists in the Taino rebellion. The infusion of the memories and power of the tribal spirits was a gigantic step on the Blue Dame's path to sapience. Over the years she (used for ease of reference, 'it' wasn't considered acceptable to her) had grown in knowledge and strength, but the various forces that fought for the island divided and weakened her over and over again. It was only now, when the island nation's sense of self was at another height, that she could empower an individual with her gifts as her herald. She told Subito that she had chosen him over his sister because of his more focused personality. Galanta, to the spirit's mind, while excellent material for a herald of hers was rather too concerned with fighting as an end to itself to give much thought to what the fighting was for. But, she warned the nearly gleeful Subito, she would not stand for any slacking in what she was entrusting to him. As he followed her directions to the hidden chest containing the banner, she told him that he would, to keep his powers, have to keep from acting selfishly or with his sole betterment in mind, and any reneging would be instantly punished. The chest was easy enough to find with the Blue Dame's instruction, and with little trouble he put it back together and took it to a nearby abandoned lot, where the Blue Dame taught him how to use the banner to don the traditional costume of a Herald of Puerto Rico. After a crash course on how to use his powers, the Blue Dame retired into the banner, telling Subito to hurry home, due to the extreme lateness of the hour, and that in the morning he would find the next step on his journey waiting for him. Subito slept soundly, and it took Galanta hauling him out of bed, seating him in a chair, and giving him a light cuff on the shoulder to wake him. He found himself staring into the piercing gaze of a narrow, darkly-clothed man with graying hair at the temples, the rest brown and cut short. The Raven II, Subito learned later, had an informant in the factory the accident had occurred in, and had told Summers about the bizarre incident the same day it had happened. The interview with Duncan Summers was short and painless, except for Broma and Pavor outdoing each other in tearfully telling Subito how he must remember to do what they would wish him to do at the bizarre school Summers was offerring to train him at. Galanta kept her peace, saying as much as their parents with a cold, narrow-eyed stare. After agreeing with Summers that it would be a great idea to learn how to use his powers correctly in a more controlled environment, little was left to do but pack and prepare for the autumn quarter.[/spoiler] [b][u]Personality & Motivation:[/u][/b] As El Heraldo, Subito acts as he thinks he ought to, doing his best to be just, kind, fair and honest as he knows how. He enjoys the anonymity of the mask, as it lets him be what he likes without repercussion on how he is viewed as Subito. Out of costume, he is loud, impetuous and full of gusto for whatever he does, having been brought up to see silence as suited only for holy or sorrowful occaisions. His morals are fairly straightforward, and he gives litle thought or time to the why of his ethics. He equates thinking with doing, incomprehending how somebody could think up things they might do, and never act on any of them, and has a hard time understanding how one philosophy or belief system being true doesn't negate the others' validity. On the other hand, he is loath to bring issues like that up in conversation, seeing them as interesting challenges to be overcome on one's own, and would never dream of trying to make people more like himself. [b][u]Powers & Tactics:[/u][/b] El Heraldo has limited resources and severe limits to his gifts, meaning he must take great care with whom and how he fights. As a profoundly heated individual, however, he is unlikely to do so, instead dashing into the fray with unmitigated aplomb and vigor, no matter how outmatched he might be, using the power of his standard to evoke hope for victory in any compatriots. [b][u]Complications:[/u][/b] [b]Power Loss:[/b] Subito is granted his powers only so long as he uses them for the benefit of others. If he uses them for the sole purpose of bettering himself, they shall be revoked. [b]Responsibility:[/b] Family. He feels honor-bound to serve his family's needs above his own. [b]Secret:[/b] Identity. While he always has his powers, he knows his family is largely defenseless. [b]Underaged:[/b] Subito isn't a legal adult, with all the restrictions that come with that condition. [b]The Who-What Now?:[/b] Subito has almost no idea who's who or what's what in the complex world of jet-powered apes and time travel he's gotten himself into. Feel free to blindside him. [b]What are you wearing?!:[/b] El Heraldo's garb is..distinctive, to say the least, and it's flashiness is fertile ground for misconceptions, easy recognition by enemies, and being nearly impossible to sneak in. [b][u]Abilities:[/u][/b] 10 + 4 + 10 + 2 + 0 + 8 = 34PP Strength: 30/20 (+10/+5) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 20 (+5) Intelligence: 12 (+1) Wisdom: 10 (+0) Charisma: 18 (+4) [b][u]Combat:[/u][/b] 10 + 8 = 18PP Initiative: +2 Attack: +5 Base, +9 Unarmed Grapple: +19/+14, +22 w/Super-STR Defense: +8 (+4 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -7/-2 [b][u]Saving Throws:[/u][/b] 2 + 3 + 10 = 15PP Toughness: +12 (+5 Con, +1 Protection (Costume), +6 Protection (Dame's Ward); [Impervious 10/0]) Fortitude: +7 (+5 Con, +2) Reflex: +5 (+2 Dex, +3) Will: +10 (+0 Wis, +10) [b][u]Skills:[/u][/b] 36R = 9PP Diplomacy 6 (+10) Intimidate 4 (+8) Knowledge (Civics) 2 (+3) Knowledge (Current Events) 4 (+5) Knowledge (Popular Culture) 4 (+5) Knowledge (Tactics) 2 (+3) Languages 2 (English, Latin, Spanish [Native]) Notice 4 (+4) Sense Motive 8 (+8) [b][u]Feats:[/u][/b] 19PP Accurate Attack Attack Specialization (Unarmed) 2 Dodge Focus 4 Interpose Inspire 4 Leadership Luck 3 Move-by Action Power Attack Quick Change 1 [b][u]Powers:[/u][/b] 2 + 16 + 31 + 4 + 6 = 59PP [b]Comprehend 1 ([/b]Languages [understand all spoken][b])[/b] [2PP] [b]Device 5[/b] (Bandera de la Victoria [Banner of Victory]; 25PP Container; [i]Flaws[/i]: Easy-To-Lose; [i]Power Feats[/i]: Restricted 1 [Magic Users]) [16PP] [device][b]Emotion Control 10[/b]([i]Flaws:[/i] Limited[Hope])[10PP [b]Feature 1 ([/b]Repair Clothes[b])[/b] [1PP] [b]Impervious Toughness 10[/b] [10PP] [b]Protection 1[/b] [1PP] (Costume)][/device] [b]Herald's Charge 6[/b] (32PP Container [Active, Sustained], Drawback: Noticeable [Banner of Light]) [31PP] [equip][b]Enhanced Strength 10 ([/b]to 30 [+10][b])[/b] [10PP] [b]Flight 3 ([/b]50mph / 500ft per Move Action[b])[/b] [6PP] [b]Protection 6[/b] (Dame's Ward) [6PP] [b]Super-Strength 3 [/b](Effective Str 43; Light Load: 1 1/2 tons; [i]Power Feat[/i]: Super-Breath[b])[/b] [7PP] [b]Strike 1([/b][i]Power Feats[/i]: Affects Insubstantial, Mighty[b])[/b] [3PP][/equip] [b]Immunity 4 ([/b]Cold, Drowning, Pressure, Poison[b])[/b] [4PP] [b]Super-Senses 4 ([/b]Auditory; Accurate, Counters Concealment, Extended 2 [1,000' Notice Increments][b])[/b] [6PP] [b][u]Drawbacks:[/u][/b] -2PP [b]Vulnerability [/b](Sonic Powers, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate [x1.5]) [-2PP] [b][u]DC Block:[/u][/b] [code]ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 24/20 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Bandera Perception DC 15 Will Emotion Changed Super-Breath Area [Cone] STR/DEX vs Opposed at +9 Trip Strike Touch DC26/22 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Totals: Abilities (34) + Combat (18) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (9) + Feats (18) + Powers (59) - Drawbacks (2) = 151/151 Power Points

Hi horngeek! Welcome to the site, and glad to hear you have previous experience with forum RP. I certainly didn't when I started out here... >_> If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask them! Be sure to check out the Newbie Guide and House Rules if you haven't already, and check this page out to get loads of inspiration for the kind of character(s) you want to play here.

"That's awesome to hear! Yeah, it's for the Legacy curriculum. Focus next week is going to be on the chevals of Ogoun from 1801 to 1850, who they were and what they did. The guy rode a lot of dudes during that time." he commented admiringly, a sudden realization of what that sounded like causing him to look blank for a second and hastily add "Uh, I mean..you know what I mean!" he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment for a second('Damnitdamnitdamnit, what is wrong with me?') before brightening up and continuing "Thanks a lot, Mr. Smith. You want to head over to the dorm to study or someplace else? Those tables would do fine for me" he gestured to one of the round concrete tables that dotted the lawn next to the paths.

Claremont Academy, September 28th, Friday 1.07 P.M. Stepping out of the library with bag of books slung over his back, a deep look of concentration on his face, and putting a hat on his curly head, Subito Sondo glanced briefly around the campus for any familiar faces. It was time for a serious delving into the hidden mysteries of Caribbean politics, and he wanted someone along for the experience in case he got completely lost. He was a little more competent with the Byzantine world of politics and history than he used to be, but there were still vast gaps in his knowledge that needed filling. He glanced at the reddening leaves on the trees scattered over the Academy, tugging the denim jacket he was wearing over his regulation white t'shirt and blue jeans closer against himself as a sudden gust of cold wind blew in from the sea. 'Whoa, winter's gonna be here soon. The years go by so fast nowadays...' he looked over the Academy grounds at the passing lines of students, suddenly catching sight of a very familiar face indeed. Dashing over to the tall blond teen he had noticed moving through one of the tangles of students, he clapped John Smith on the shoulder, saying with gusto "Hey there, Mr. Smith! How have you been? You wanna study together for a bit? I need to buckle down on my Caribbean supers history, the 1800s are just crazy busy" he declared with a solemn shake of his head.

Marceau had been seated cross-legged on the grass facing the camp, mulling over the problem facing the pair. So far the whole thing seemed incomplete, the evidence was contradictory and the motives of all the parties involved was a mystery to him. He had made up his mind to try and get answers out of Parsinkle long before the Redcap wandered over to he and Rene. "We'll see him as soon as we are able" he answered a little distantly, staring up at the hill that loomed over the small clearing. He had watched Rene's dimension-warping magic with no little awe, the world of Avalon streaming away like rippling water around the captives before they sank beneath the Coil's waves, the strained rays of Earthly light a powerful counter to the blank sunlight of the fairy world. To Rene he said in a softer voice <"We need to at least see what Parsinkle's full side of the story is. Then we have something to work with, even if it is a sack of lies.">

Marceau hadn't been expecting the barrage of shots to come hailing down from the skyscraper, or the brief call from Catalyst, slinging a salute in her direction and answering "Many thanks, Catalyst! I caught sight of the license plate on the van, let me just help get these doppelgangers tied up and I'll rendezvous with you back on the roof" releasing the call button on the headset he turned to the security guard "Your concern is understandable, miss. Prevention is the best remedy, as I have heard said, but it is quite impossible for any of us to tell what will be tried next or where. I doubt the Freedom League can tell with any certainty when Talos will make another attempt on our lives, for instance." Beginning the rapid business of pulling the arms of the doubles behind their backs and handcuffing their wrists together he went on "As for what we are going to do, my associate and I are going to track down these thieves and put an end to this madness" he tossed the latest captive over to the small pile of the others "I got that van's number, we can at least find out who is supposed to own it, and start from there." he got to his feet and nodded tot he security guard "Thank you for your assistance" he said without sarcasm, firing his grapple gun at the roof of the building opposite the chemical lab, sailing up onto it nearby Catalyst with a flap of his black and red cape with the ragged edge. Clambering onto the surface with a grunt Marceau nodded gratefully to Jasmine "Good shooting Catalyst! I'm glad you're not my enemy. I got the license number for the van that was carrying those..people. Anything you think we ought to do before going and tracking that down, besides examining those fellows you left on the roof?" he sat down on his haunches, observing said roof with interest. "I didn't hear anything, but that looks very like a jackhammer" he commented in a puzzled tone.

GM The ritual to cross the boundaries of the Omniverse was time-consuming as always, but the power wielded by the ancient artist sent the captured humans sailing across the Cosmic Coil without difficulty when the spell was laid. They vanished into the rippling form of a vaguely-beheld Freedom City, sliding into the other world and into the arms of shouting police officers, EMTs and sundry Freedonians almost unable to believe their eyes as someone they knew reappeared in front of them. The battle was soon over, Parsinkle's smaller force having managed to corral the renegades and close them in the cage that had been used by them to hold the humans, tied to each other and the bars with the ropes that had once held up their now gently-smoking tents. A Redcap with a bandage over half of its head stumped up to the two Frenchmen, gesturing to the top of the cage where the Prince was lounging, drinking long draughts from a brass pot "His Lordship will see you. He wishes to give you a reward." Message delivered, he stumped back to the small group of soldiers playing with knucklebones beside a pile of dead warboars. The air still glittered like gems.

The imprisoned humans are safely dispatched back to Earth, where they meet with their grateful friends and loved ones and receive adequate medical attention.

Rene definitely has enough time for a normal Ritual.

GM A few good-natured laughs at Subito's blunder escaped from the solemn pack of Protectors, a trace of a dry smile flitting over Medraut's face as he replied to Blodeuwedd <"In that case I would advise you to have little do do with our lusty gallant here Agent. He might get ideas contrary to yours."> "We will start in four minutes, Subito" he said cheerily to the Puerto Rican teen "the disturbance will start two minutes from now, and then we will try our hand at warping this Otherworlder magic. Stand ready.." he looked to his watch for a while, suddenly taking his ringing phone from its pocket and listening to a short burst of syllables that filtered electronically through it. Nodding to Subito he declared "The game's afoot, commence Operation Den Wrangler! Good luck El Heraldo, return in one piece. It would be improper to disappoint on your first mission." he said, snapping the phone shut, pointing imperiously towards the centre of the lake as he began to quietly perform a spell in Welsh that rippled the water and hastened the wind as far as either of the students could see, Branwen's voice adding to the rushing wind and water, causing a faint roar like an angry stone to ring in Subito's powerful ears, followed by the sound of scales dragging on the lake bed. A sharp note like discordant music, and the agents of the Order were seemingly the only people as far as the eye could see. Medraut smiled <"We've done it! It's awake, and will begin searching for what disturbed it. With the separation spell laid we'll avoid all detection. Be careful not to go too far,"> he added warningly <"we stand at the shore of the Otherworld of the Twylyth Teg. Closer to them than to ours, in fact. Follow the roars, Heraldo. They will lead you straight to the Afanc!">

"Kagh! Thanks Vick" Subito muttered, wiping a few tears from his eyes as he thumped her on the back in thanks, turning back to his food for a few moments. Glancing at her energy fork he commented "Whoa, that's pretty fine control! I can only use my powers to augment myself, not make things like that. How do you do that? Is it hard?" he asked eagerly. "Speakin' of which, you..nah, I'll..let's talk about that later" he said hurriedly, blushing slightly and looking quickly away from the curious look of Galanta, who was getting a small spice shaker from a cupboard. She began suspiciously "Hey, you getting trou-?" "No no Galanta, it's not that, nobody's giving me a hard time at Claremont. They're a lot more friendly than at our school" he assured her with an earnest look. After a second she nodded and sat back down, giving a the wrap on her plate a once-over with the spices that smelled strongly of cilantro and garlic.

Subito nodded a slow affirmation at Agnes' whispered words, the stocky teen tensing himself for a spring and pretending to examine the supposed infection with a murmur of concerned worry just before she used the healing power of the Light, smiling at Young Britannia and saying as if chiding "Dear, really, you shouldn't worry me like that." Looking away as the hammer of light struck home he said smartly "On it!" hurling himself at the ragged figure and wrapping his powerful young arms and legs around their luckless stalker, saying loudly in his ear "Alright my friend, I've got you! Do you speak English? ¿Habla usted español? Tu loqueris Latine?" he asked clearly, wishing fervently he had taken the language courses Claremont offered sooner 'Sure I can understand all of 'em, but in times like this I wish I could speak them too..'

Marceau lit up at Rene's signal and turned to Eve "Your presence would be welcomed I'm sure, lady Martel" walked over with his long, heron-like strides, nodding politely to Sophie before saying warmly "An unexpected pleasure! Consider me in your debt for this generosity, Ms. Beatrice. By the way," he added with a glance around the room he was entering "What security measures have been set up to keep this work of national mystery safe?" 'It all could be purely harmless, of course' Correcting himself with an apologetic smile he added "That is, if I may be permitted to know?"

GM In moments Catalyst's barrage had overcome the entire crowd of doubles, the strange doppelgangers collapsing to the ground coughing wheezily in the small clouds. With a frustrated shout of "Well done, heroes!" the spokesman of the thieves jumped into the drivers' seat of the van, and with a screech of burning rubber roared down the alley and out of sight in a cloud of chemical vapors. Its departure left the quiet block around Suzerain Chemical feeling emptier than it had even been before. One of the security guards who had managed to not be captured before the thieves escaped dug her way out of the pile of her doppelgangers, kicking one of them viciously before turning to the King of Suits. With a skeptical look at him she asked "Well? What are you going to do about them now? Thanks for the assist, but it would be great if you could keep this stuff from happening in the first place."

DC15 Notice check to catch sight of the license plate: 15. Amazing.

GM The cigarette smoke-filled room that Tenebrous entered and made her grand declaration in had most of its floorspace taken up by round tables holding a rather plentiful supply of alcohol, a few take-out containers and the elbows of the Crusaders, who had almost as one swung around to see who had barged in on their meeting, their hands reaching for the various weapons that littered the room. Frank had been right about one thing: there weren't many guns to go around, mostly knives and a surprisingly large number of odd-looking short swords. With a creaking groan a massive figure walked out of the smoke that obscured the far wall of the basement, the harsh lights dangling from the ceiling illuminating the bare head, grotesquely-swollen muscles and top-heavy frame that apparently represented one of the 'MAX-users or something' that were the group's main deterrent besides their firemaking leader. Glaring down at the mass of darkness, he swung a heavy finger at her face, saying in a voice far deeper than any a human could normally reach "Get lost, super. You can't stop us just by showin' up, and I bet ya ain't know much about the Fens if ya think that'll do the trick. Get outta here and go back to the rest of your ********* kind, scum-suckin' harpy" he sneered, folding his massive arms over his knotted chest. A chorus of laughs followed that, many of them sounding like the voice of her challenger.