GranspearZX

Water... Arcturus growled irritably as he stumbled backward, feeling the slope where he'd fallen under his feet. He turned around and staggered his way back up. He turned around, eyes a deep and angry red--both from the pepper spray and the magical manifestation of his anger, barely kept in check. Still, he wasn't such a heartless monster that he was going to knock some random girl senseless. Even if she did have it coming. For now, though, the imperative wasn't revenge, it was relief; there was a stream nearby and even in spite of the pepper spray, he could smell the river nearby. The sooner he was in it, as far as he was concerned, the sooner he could put the crazy girl with the paintball gun behind him...

He took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. I'm... as ready as I'm ever gonna be." Marcus recognized the pull. It wasn't forceful or anything dangerous, but he recalled it from his first misadventure with Rene in the park. He couldn't even begin to speculate the origins of the armor, and he tried not to think too hard about it--at least for the moment. Instead, he allowed himself to relax, letting Rene's painting draw him closer and closer. There was really no telling what he'd find, but something was always better than nothing.

DC20 sounds good to me: Roll beyond the link: 2/12 20s, so the 30' blast just took out all but two. Only collateral damage would be the bikes. Poor guys.

Marcus looked genuinely confused when he saw the blood, and he checked himself over. He hadn't felt anything... or at least, not enough to suggest he'd been bleeding. It worried him because he knew it couldn't have been anyone else's blood; he wondered if whatever wounds he'd suffered had been healed because of that gator form... It would make sense. It didn't feel the same as his bear form; it felt natural, but still entirely foreign. "Potent, huh? Alright... if you say so." The honest truth was that Rene's magic freaked him out. Even Nick's necromancy didn't unnerve him this much, because he was never quite sure what to expect with Rene. Still, he trusted the old man--up until the point where he started his 'brittle old man' routine. He had everything he needed--a change of clothes, a costume underneath, and a few pieces of chalk in his pocket just in case he had to do some actual magic of his own. "As ready as I'll ever be," he muttered with distinct uncertainty in his voice, giving a slight nod in response.

Marcus paused for a moment; it took him a while to catch up to what Rene was trying to explain. "Ah, well... I only hit him once, but..." He remembered hitting Gauntlet hard enough to knock him into a wall. The fight hadn't been very long, but he could remember the sound of his claws striking and tearing metal. It was strangely satisfying, and even now, it made Marcus grin a little bit. He looked at his right hand in thought, then shook his head. "I've taken a shower since then though. I mean... I kinda had to. My clothes haven't been washed yet though. Was tempted to burn 'em to save us all the trouble of dealing with them. Might be some fragments or something in there, if the sewer water didn't wash them away when I swam out of there..." It occurred to him that Rene didn't know about his more aquatic form... He wasn't entirely sure it was relevant, but the fact that his power had expanded and simultaneously rid him of the Beast Rune's voice in his mind hadn't been lost on him.

Alright, here we go: The Motor City Maulers--8 of them, at least, since Supercape is surrounded--are using a combined attack. Vs. an effective DC18: 1d20+2=15, 1d20+2=17, 1d20+2=18, 1d20+2=3, 1d20+2=17, 1d20+2=3, 1d20+2=20, 1d20+2=7 Only 3 of them out of the 8 manage to hit him. Can't find good goons nowadays... *cough* If I've done this right, that means a DC16 TOU save is necessary. I don't even think that gets past SC's Force Field. ...hm.

Player Name: GranspearZX Character Name: Gauntlet Power Level: (11) (149/149PP) Trade-Offs: +4 Attack/-4 Damage, -4 Defense/+4 Toughness In Brief: A suit of armor animated by a primal Beast Rune spirit Alternate Identities: N/A Identity: Public Birthplace: Unknown Occupation: Automaton Affiliations: Cult of the Beast Family: None Age: 3 Gender: Male Height: 14' Weight: 2,500 lbs Eyes: None to speak of, though a red glow can often be seen from its eyeholes Hair: None Description: Gauntlet is a 14-foot tall suit of rust-colored armor, complete with a horned helm. While it appears to be made of iron, the magic that animates it gives it a significantly higher durability. It's difficult to tell that it's unmanned, so to speak, until one takes a good look at the helm--vacant, save for the eye holes that occasionally take on an infernal red glow as it moves. History: Various experiments with the Beast Rune have resulted in a wide array of disasters. The most recent setback was a man imbued with the Beast Rune in 1991 leveling an Arizona town after he escaped his handlers. A cultist sent to retrieve it subsequently disappeared, and with her, all hope for progress stagnated. 15 years later, a human born with the rune's power was discovered, and an effort was yet again made to acquire its immense power. However, human imbuement was still impossible, and so the idea was to attempt to create a golem with the Beast Rune's immeasurable power inside it instead. It took several years (and several more cultists' lives) before the being known as Gauntlet was born, with a single task in mind... Complications: One-Track Mind: Gauntlet is not terribly bright, and its singular focus is retrieval (or destruction) of any runic magic deemed necessary by the cult who created it. Abilities: 8 + -8 + -10 + 0 + 0 + 0 = -10PP Strength: 38 (+14) Dexterity: 2 (-4) Constitution: -- (--) Intelligence: 10 (+0) Wisdom: 10 (+0) Charisma: 10 (+0) Combat: 8 + 8 = 14PP Initiative: -4 Attack: +7 (+8 Base, -1 Growth) Grapple: +30 Defense: +7 (+8 Base, -1 Size) / +2 flat-footed Knockback: -16 Saving Throws: 0 + 4 + 0 = 4PP Toughness: +14 (+0 Con, +3 Density, +2 Growth, +9 Protection) [imp 6] Fortitude: Immune Reflex: +0 (+4 Base, -4 Dex) Will: Immune Skills: 1PP Intimidate 4 (+6 w/ Growth) Feats: 0PP Powers: 18 + 16 + 73 + 13 + 2 + 8 + 10 = 140 PP Density 6 (x5 mass; +12 STR, +3 Impervious Protection, Immovable 2, Super Strength 2; Flaws: Permanent; PF: Innate) [18PP] Growth 4 (Large, +8 STR, +2 Toughness; Flaws: Permanent; PF: Innate) [16PP] Immunity 65 (Fortitude Effects, Will Effects, All electrical effects, Critical Hits; PF: Innate) [73PP] Protection 9 (PFs: Impervious 3, Innate) [13PP] Super-Senses 2 (Tremorsense) [2PP] Super-Senses 7 (Accurate Radius Ranged Extended Detect Magic 3 [Mental]) [8PP] Super-Strength 2 (Stacks with Density; Total Lifting STR 68 [Heavy Load: 76.8 tons], PFs: Bracing, Countering Punch, Shockwave) [7PP] Drawbacks: 0PP DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC34 TOU (Staged) Damage (Physical) Shockwave 140 ft. Cone DC24 REF (Staged) Damage (Physical) Abilities (-10) + Combat (14) + Saving Throws (4) + Skills (1) + Feats (0) + Powers (137) + Drawbacks (0) = 146 Power Points

"A BEAR!" Arcturus grunted as he looked up. That was a rather embarrassing fall, and the fact that he was an eight-foot tall bear didn't diminish that fact in the slightest. People were scattering like he was some sort of monster. All except one person, at least... and she had a gun. He'd never seen a paintball gun before. It was oddly fascinating, and it made him pause when he should have been long gone. She stared right at him as she raised it, and Arcturus raised a large, skeptical eyebrow. ...she's gonna shoot me with a paintball gun. Really? REALLY? *paf* His sensitive nose immediately picked up on the pepper spray. To say it was unpleasant was an understatement and he staggered backward, nearly tripping over the debris of the broken picnic table. He roared in clear discomfort, rubbing at his eyes; whoever this girl was, she was a disturbingly good shot. It hit him squarely in the forehead, and if the sting of the paintball wasn't enough, the pepper spray itself was wreaking havoc on his vision and sense of smell. Who the hell carries pepper spray paintballs?! Without thinking, Arcturus kicked the table in frustration, hard enough to go flying at Jasmine. He wasn't aiming at her--at this point, she was mostly a blur, and he wasn't really looking.

Indeed! And since I forgot: (20:49:33) System: GranspearZX rolls 1d20 and gets 10. +11, giving Caliber 21! Initiative order, then, is Caliber :: 21 Supercape :: 17 M.C. Maulers :: 12 And Caliber's not even attacking, leaving it Supercape's action next. :)

The magic of the wilderness was dangerous. Arcturus knew that all too well. That was probably why he took the peaceful moments for granted. He wasn't entirely out in the woods for leisure, either; he was, technically, training. 'Finding his center', as it was put to him. It seemed like something rather far-fetched, but he had to admit that it felt as if there was a certain amount of truth to the concept. Physical activity often helped, and a run seemed like an excellent idea. Arcturus wasn't exactly FAST, but he was still capable, and he actually enjoyed running. He had enjoyed a brief period on the track team at FDR High while he was there; he wasn't a long distance or even a relay runner, though. All he did was throw the shot put and javelin, but he still liked running with the rest of the team. It allowed him to forget everything, and let the world around him melt away... The jazz music playing in his earbuds at ridiculous volumes certainly helped. He wasn't paying attention. He should have been paying attention. And the moment he let his guard down, his huge foot caught a root, and Arcturus went tumbling down a hillside... ...right into a huge picnic. He grunted gruffly, confused and disoriented at first. The fall made his one of the earbuds slip out, and he didn't even notice that his bulk had landed him on a solid wooden picnic table--now pieces of one, at least. What was going on hadn't REALLY registered... until he heard the first scream. ...aw crap.

Aaaand here we are at combat! Still feel like I don't know what I'm doing, but oh well! *crosses fingers* So there's a dozen bikers vs. Supercape. Epic battle ensues. Initiative rolls! [Not sure if I'm supposed to roll collectively for the bikers, but it DOES seem a lot simpler that way. Using the thug template from the MnM handbook, BTW.] 1d20+1=12

You're out of control. I don't know what your problem is, Marcus, but I suggest you solve it. WITHOUT using your powers; it's clear that you're not the same person that you where when you came here. But you knew that already, didn't you? Arcturus growled, swiping a claw at a tree as he passed by it. It was true... he had changed. Not in a way he could entirely be proud of, either. After his brief--VERY brief--stay in the hospital, he found himself being chewed out by Duncan Summers again. He'd nearly gotten caught using his powers in public, and on top of that, he'd nearly gotten himself seriously hurt. He wasn't even sure why he'd done it. There was probably good rationale for it at the time, but it escaped him now. He needed to let off steam... he needed to find himself again. Why don't you take a few days to relax? his supervisor at the zoo suggested. He hadn't known the man more than the summer months he'd worked at the Hanover Zoo, but his advice was surprisingly sound. I know they say that weird stuff happens in the woods, but it always seems to put me at ease when I really need it, y'know? Clarity and peace of mind... Of course, there was no way that Marcus was going traipsing through the woods unprepared. He was technically camping, but he'd been in his bear form for nearly two days. At one point, he thought he'd heard hikers, and did what he could to avoid them. Even if he hadn't, what were they going to say? A big bear walking through the woods was hardly the weirdest thing Wharton had to offer...

A thread for myself (Arcturus) and Aoiroo (Catalyst)!

GM "...you are persistent." His voice conveyed a notable amount of amusement. He raised his right hand, pointing his finger like a gun. There a was a distinct, red glow at his thick fingertip--and then, a loud *crack* like a gunshot, leaving a crater at Supercape's feet, barring him from moving further forward. "Persistence is an annoying trait." He started to turn back towards the ambulance, waving his right hand; the bikers' eyes were all on him as he gestured. "Do what I pay you for." Weapons drawn, the group started to surround the caped hero...

"I didn't find out about everything until after the whole... incident. I don't know if I ever told you the whole story, but AEGIS agents showed up for my dad one day almost two years ago and I... overreacted a little bit." In reality, Marcus had more than overreacted; tossed aside by one of the agents, it triggered his magic for the first time and he fractured said agent's collarbone trying to come to his father's aid. At that point, he had no idea what his father had done... "My dad told me everything after I saw Mr. Summers in the hospital--about how he was given the Beast Rune in some experiment, and then something went really, REALLY wrong... It was my mom who took it from him. He never said how; I'm not sure he even knows how she did it. Unless you really want to pay him a visit in Blackstone..." It occurred to him that he hadn't visited his father that month, either. At least once a month, he'd go, just so that his father knew he was still alive and not goofing off. Even his last visit was short because of his job at the Hanover Zoo. This hardly seemed like the time for a social visit, however. "Anyway... I haven't seen her in two years. No clue where she could be. Mr. Summers said she's done some not-so-moral things, too, so I really don't know if we want her help anyway."

"Believe it or not, I've actually read a few things about golems..." Marcus flipped through a few pages, closer to the back of the book. "It takes a lot to make one. Ultimately, they've all got one weakness--the placement of the rune itself. For a golem that big, the rune must be enormous..." The subject of his mother was approached again, and his annoyance at even thinking about her made him tense in a fairly visible way. His eyes flashed red--much in the same way his bear form's did--as he glared at Rene, slamming the book closed. "I don't know where she is. When I needed her, she wasn't around, so why should I go hunting for her now?!" He caught himself, several moments too late. "...sorry." Marcus really wasn't sure what else he could say, thoroughly embarrassed by his angry outburst. It literally came out of nowhere, and even now, the voice that he'd always associated with the Beast Rune remained silent on the entire matter. The entire thing was starting to make his head hurt...

GM "Aw, crap, it's a cape!" "It's the Cape!" Both the motorcycle entourage and the ambulance slammed on their brakes. The insignia on the bikers' jackets identified them as Motor City Maulers--not even from Freedom City, but an outlaw biker club from Detroit. Several had weapons--chains, pipes, and a few even had large sledgehammers as their namesakes suggested. Nobody had drawn a weapon... yet. In the distance, however, the howl of sirens could be heard. Not that it was an out-of-place sound in the Fens, but it made many of the bikers nervous. The back door of the ambulance flying open, though, made them more nervous. The thumping sound of a news helicopter swooping in on the area joined the distant sirens as a man stepped around the ambulance, red and black eyes fixed on Supercape. The bikers looked between him and the caped hero, uncertain as to what was about to happen. When he spoke, it was with a distinctly South American accent. "You are in my way," he said flatly, as if Supercape were simply a speed bump on the road of life. "Move. Or be moved."

"I don't... really know a lot about her. She was away on a 'business trip'," he said, with a fully gestured set of air quotes and all, "when this whole... Beast Rune thing started for me. Haven't seen her since. But my dad told me it was her that stripped the Beast Rune's power from him and made him human again. Now that I think about it, though, an iron body would be safer. The Beast Rune shouldn't be able to grow beyond the armor it was bound to. Of course, it'll figure that out eventually..." Marcus quickly shifted the conversation away from his family as he flipped through his mother's research book. The uncomfortable look on his face suggested that it wasn't a subject discussed often, and he didn't seem particularly ready to do so now. "I think it's safe to assume they're after me because of the Beast Rune. Half the time I can't tell who's controlling who." And I'm scared to death I'll turn into a monster like my dad was... Marcus's frown deepened. He really, really didn't want to deal with this today. "Don't we have some sort of... I dunno. Magical bazooka or something?"

"Mm. Be right back." Marcus stood up, sandwich in hand as he left the library. Minutes later, he returned, carrying the large, leather-bound tome his mother left him. He set it on the table between them, frowning a little bit at what Rene said after. "...brothers. I wouldn't go that far. But the Beast Rune is a part of me, as far as I know... I've never really tried to sense others before. I didn't know there were others before Gauntlet. That's what it calls itself. All I felt down there was cold and wet and gross." Marcus opened the book to the pages concerning the Beast Rune. It was in a rather large section, beginning with a long white bookmark Marcus had been scribbling on. The handwriting on the book's pages was distinct and definitely not Marcus's, and the section began detailing the function and danger of the runic magic behind it: Like all magic, the Beast Rune possesses a will and spirit of its own. At its basest form, it is the primal nature in all things: the spirit of survival and adaptation. However, the human element often warps this purity and the Beast Rune tends to draw on aggression and rage, and its will becomes exponentially difficult to control. To use this rune is to attempt to tap into primal magic at its most savage, and attempting to imbue its power onto anything is, at best, an inherent risk. Prolonged use of the Beast Rune is recommended only for those with tremendous willpower and focus, and the ability to find an inner balance that is rare among any mortal being. "I guess I could try to make something to sense it, but that could take days..."

Currently a work in progress. Feedback greatly appreciated! Player Name: GranspearZX Character Name: Gauntlet Power Level: (11) (133/133PP) Trade-Offs: +4 Attack/-4 Damage, -4 Defense/+4 Toughness In Brief: A suit of armor animated by a primal Beast Rune spirit Alternate Identities: N/A Identity: Public Birthplace: Unknown Occupation: Automaton Affiliations: Cult of the Beast Family: None Age: 3 Gender: Male Height: 14'' Weight: 2,500 lbs Eyes: None to speak of, though a red glow can often be seen from its eyeholes Hair: None Description: Gauntlet is a 14-foot tall suit of rust-colored armor, complete with a horned helm. While it appears to be made of iron, the magic that animates it gives it a significantly higher durability. It's difficult to tell that it's unmanned, so to speak, until one takes a good look at the helm--vacant, save for the eye holes that occasionally take on an infernal red glow as it moves. History: Various experiments with the Beast Rune have resulted in a wide array of disasters. The most recent setback was a man imbued with the Beast Rune in 1991 leveling an Arizona town after he escaped his handlers. A cultist sent to retrieve it subsequently disappeared, and with her, all hope for progress stagnated. 15 years later, a human born with the rune's power was discovered, and an effort was yet again made to acquire its immense power. However, human imbuement was still impossible, and so the idea was to attempt to create a golem with the Beast Rune's immeasurable power inside it instead. It took several years (and several more cultists' lives) before the being known as Gauntlet was born, with a single task in mind... Complications: One-Track Mind: Gauntlet is not terribly bright, and its singular focus is retrieval (or destruction) of any runic magic deemed necessary by the cult who created it. Abilities: 8 + 0 + -10 + 0 + 0 + 0 = -2PP Strength: 38 (+14) Dexterity: 10 (+0) Constitution: -- (--) Intelligence: 10 (+0) Wisdom: 10 (+0) Charisma: 10 (+0) Combat: 8 + 8 = 14PP Initiative: -4 Attack: +7 (+8 Base, -1 Growth) Grapple: +27 Defense: +7 (+8 Base, -1 Size) / +2 flat-footed Knockback: -16 Saving Throws: 0 + 0 + 0 = 0PP Toughness: +14 (+0 Con, +3 Density, +9 Protection) [imp 6] Fortitude: Immune Reflex: +0 (+0 Dex) Will: Immune Skills: 1PP Intimidate 4 (+6 w/ Growth) Feats: 0PP Powers: 18 + 16 + 74 + 13 + 2 + 7 = 120 PP Density 6 (x5 mass; +12 STR, +3 Impervious Protection, Immovable 2, Super Strength 2; Flaws: Permanent; PF: Innate) [18PP] Growth 4 (Large, +8 STR, +2 Toughness; Flaws: Permanent; PF: Innate) [16PP] Immunity 65 (Fortitude Effects, Will Effects, All electrical effects, Critical Hits, Suffocation, Starvation & Thirst; PF: Innate) [76PP] Protection 9 (PF: Impervious 3, Innate) [13PP] Super-Senses 2 (Tremorsense) [2PP] Super-Senses 7 (Accurate Radius Ranged Extended Detect Runic Magic 3 [Mental]) [7PP] Drawbacks: -1PP Slow to react (-4 to Initiative Rolls) [-1PP] DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC34 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Abilities (-2) + Combat (14) + Saving Throws (0) + Skills (1) + Feats (0) + Powers (120) = 133 Power Points

"I'm... not really hungry," he lied, his stomach rumbling rather audibly at just the sight of the sandwich. Forced to take it, he frowned and shook his head, deciding to just go on and take a bite rather than cause any more unnecessary conflict. Rene was only trying to help, after all... more than he could realistically say for most people who had come into his life in the past year. "My dad has more experience with this. My mom has way more experience. She wrote a book on it, in fact." He used to carry the book with him everywhere, but lately, he'd been focused on different aspects of magic, trying to figure out the Beast Rune through other legends and source material. "I mean, I don't even know how it kept finding me in the sewers. I lost it in the tunnels at one point and it STILL managed to spot me before I left."

Marcus was glad to be out of his costume, wearing his Freedom Sabers jersey and a pair of loose-fitting cargo pants instead. The library was a very familiar place to him; he spent quite a bit of time in it, and used its larger tables as a makeshift art studio for his runecrafting. Certainly nothing dangerous... and definitely nothing as large as the Gauntlet. "We're looking for information on golems," he said matter-of-factly, momentarily avoiding the question of what happened earlier that day. He realized, though, that he would have to explain it eventually, then took a deep breath as he tried to summarize. "There's a cult that's apparently looking to use the Beast Rune for... some nefarious purpose. I'm not even sure what other than they think it's some kind of ultimate power. Problem is, humans don't typically take to it. I was born with it, so I've had plenty of time to adjust. So their leader decided 'hey, I'll bind the rune to a suit of armor. What's the worst that can happen?' And 'worst' turns out to be a 14-foot tall iron menace that serves the cult." Before he knew it, Marcus was pacing back and forth. When he caught himself, he sat down, rubbing at the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. "I'm not equipped to deal with this."

GM He seemed a little put off by having to be helped out of the dumpster. He brushed himself off, shuddering a bit at the situation he had found himself in. "I was just mindin' my own business and this woman shows up on my way to meet a couple friends of mine. I remember feeling really sleepy for a second, but then I snapped out of it and she was trying to bite me! I told her I wasn't into that sort of thing, then she got mad, and... well, you saw 'em." The young man rubbed his arm. "Had this hungry look in her eye, too... freaky." The strangeness didn't quite end there, as the mist actually seemed to be rising in the back lot...

GM There were seven bodies inside the ambulance--two in the front, five in the back. The ambulance didn't seem to take notice just yet, and as it approached the underpass, there was a loud series of engine roars... With no police pursuit yet in sight, the ambulance was joined by a fair number of motorcycles. There were at least 12, flanking the ambulance as it sped into a notoriously shady part of the Fens down by the riverfront warehouses.

"I think I can find it, thanks..." He offered a slight smile and nod, the entire ordeal still weighing heavily on his mind. "There's... definitely a lot we need to talk about." He felt better, though he attributed most of that to the fact that he could trust Rene. Marcus found it strange that he'd gotten so much more help here than at school, but he'd learned months ago that when it came to magic, those that were capable of it looked after their own. His father was lucky enough that his mother had stripped him of the Beast Rune's influence... He couldn't help but wonder if he'd need saving himself one day. Marcus spent a little longer in the shower than necessary, letting the warm water clear his mind a little bit. He was still angry--angry at the cultists, angry at himself... angry for reasons he probably didn't even consider or realize yet. The Beast Rune was still silent... Marcus was certain by now that it was letting him come to terms with what was happening to him internally all on his own. I'm more than just this rune. Maybe... I've been relying on it too much. But what can I do without it? Or am I just thinking too hard? ...argh. Stupid cultist... Stupid Gauntlet... Marcus thumped his bare fist against the wall--certainly not the stone-shattering, rage-filled blow from the sewers, but hard enough. He wasn't sure who would even understand if he tried to talk to them about what was going on...