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GranspearZX

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  1. "And why would I want to do somethin' like that?" He reached forward to grab the cultist, teeth bared. In his cosmetically altered state, it wasn't exactly an inviting glare that Marcus was giving. He had questions. This guy had answers. But before any of that could take place in earnest, he still had to do something about Gauntlet, who was still intent on smashing him into little pieces despite the distance and substance between the two of them. Leaning in close and tightening his hold on the cultist's robe, he growled a single request--if one could call it a request. "Call off that metal menace OR ELSE."
  2. I was gonna try something complex, but it's taking too long. So... we'll do this instead: Spending a HP to acquire Speed 1, tapping into the primal force of the Beast Rune to surpass his human limitations. Since he's moving all-out with a movement power, it adds +2 to the rank, giving him an effective Speed 3 (50 mph). Does that work?
  3. Marcus scrambled down the tight, cramped corridor, shoulders scraping against the stone as he crawled. It wasn't entirely unlike football drills, but having taken a metal fist in the face made things a little more taxing on him. Behind him, he could hear Gauntlet tearing at the wall trying to get at him, and he tried not to think about the fact that the stone chipping away with every blow could have been him. The chanting got louder until he spotted the short, cowled figure who seemed genuinely surprised to see him. "Sorry. Slight change in the dance card," Marcus muttered, reaching to grab the figure by the cowl... Unfortunately, the figure was quick enough to slip away, leaving Marcus scrambling after him. We're never gonna catch him like this! I know, I know! I'm not as fast as y-... Despite the panic and cramped conditions, something he'd read struck him rather suddenly. The cultists had even mentioned it--that he was, in fact, the Beast Rune. It seemed to manifest itself in different ways in others--werewolves, gator monsters... why couldn't he do the same? ...you sure you wanna do this, cub? Could be dangerous. Could be permanent. ...don't have a choice. Marcus stopped, only for a moment, coiling like a snake as the Beast Rune burned against his uniform. For a brief moment, he felt lighter, and he felt every muscle in his body gain new vigor... and then, he moved, more quickly than he could remember himself being able to run, let alone crawl. He couldn't see it, but tapping into the Beast Rune had somewhat altered his physical appearance; his eyes were still an angry red, and his incisors and canines were noticeably larger than they should have been. That mattered significantly less than catching this cultist.
  4. You read my mind. Marcus is going to attempt all-out movement into one of the corridors.
  5. Crap, this is worse than I thought... We're fine! Arc squinted as he ran into the wall rather than Gauntlet; it didn't hurt anything except his pride. The mist was screwing with his depth perception, making it difficult for him to see much of anything. Then again, he didn't really have to; his nose was a better guide than his eyes ever could be, especially in his current form. There was a brief break in the mist as Gauntlet came at him; this time, he wasn't quite fast enough, and the huge metal fist nailed him in the jaw, sending him staggering backward. Gauntlet had more or less grazed him--and it hurt. A lot. Arc almost lunged at Gauntlet again--and then Marcus wrested control from the Beast Rune. An idea had been forming in Marcus's mind, though the Beast Rune had dismissed it entirely. He certainly wasn't going to run away... but he quickly realized that brute force wasn't going to work. At least, not while Gauntlet was getting help. The Beast Rune appeared on Arcturus's back temporarily as his form regressed, shifting the ursine shapeshifter back to his natural form. Fool, huh? We'll see about that. In the midst of the heavy mist, he could still see one of the openings. He made a break for that opening, mentally bracing himself for whatever was lurking down the corridor--if he could make it that far.
  6. TOU save: (1d20+11=26) Aw, nuts. D:
  7. Arc couldn't make out the words, but it didn't take much to put them and the sudden mist together. It occurred to him that he was, in fact, outnumbered... but when had that ever stopped him before? He growled in annoyance, but didn't take his eyes off of the Gauntlet for a second. The chanting peanut gallery would have to wait. Instead, Arcturus charged forward with a feral roar, driving his full weight into the metal monstrosity, effectively trying to drive the huge thing into the wall.
  8. Arc attacks! Attack roll: (1d20+12=13) ...and that's bad. Really bad. HP reroll time! Attack roll [HP REROLL]: (1d20+12=16) +10 makes 26. Followed by a grapple attempt! Grapple roll]: (1d20+23=35) Provided, of course, concealment doesn't make him miss. :3
  9. Toughness save: (1d20+11=28) And Arc makes his TOU save! Barely. And Arc responds by swiping at Gauntlet with his claws! Attack roll: (1d20+12=27) TOU vs DC25.
  10. It moved a lot faster than Arc had expected, and he shifted his weight, moving to his left just enough to avoid being struck. If Marcus had been in complete control, he might've paused; there was a frighteningly obvious amount of power behind that narrow miss. Arcturus snarled as he retaliated, claws swiping at Gauntlet's chest. "Bigger and badder have tried, tin man!" In reality, however, that wasn't entirely true. Marcus had never encountered anything this much bigger than him--not on this plane of existence, anyway. The bravado was spawned from battle anxiety and rising adrenaline, and for the moment, he was wholly unconcerned with who had created Gauntlet and why. For now, just surviving would be enough.
  11. Initiative: (1d20+5=10) Ow. :I
  12. Arc wasn't going to get the drop on this thing; that much was certain. He narrowed his eyes a bit as the voices grew more distinct, and his ears twitched as he realized they weren't as ghostly as he'd first thought. They belonged to someone--several someones--lurking in the shadows. He growled deeply, teeth bared as he answered back? "Join you? BAH! Not a chance. And the only thing you and this little sewin' circle are gonna get fed is a knuckle sandwich!" He was expecting a fight. It was highly unlikely that he was going to just walk away, and even if they did, Marcus could feel the rune's aggressive nature pushing; it was like holding a large dog on a fragile leash. Arcturus could practically feel both his and Gauntlet's predatory natures clashing, the tension in the air almost tangible...
  13. For the record, I'm using the Wolf template in the PHB (p. 232), for the most part. Wisp's attack does indeed connect, and your attack beats their defense by 9 (DC 14): TOU save: (1d20+2=22)
  14. GM Lucy's attack was altogether surprising; the assaulted wolf didn't seem to expect it at all. It snarled and snapped at her as she grabbed it, throwing it forcefully into a different, open dumpster nearby. There was a loud *paf* sound and a flash of light as it landed, followed by a short wisp of what looked like smoke rising from the opening.
  15. Arcturus One Bear Army The West End "Resistance is fatal, huh? ...right." When Marcus saw the broadcast, he was certain it was some sort of elaborate hoax. He wasn't some big-name hero, after all, and even if it was real, it seemed like exactly the sort of thing that Summers would have reamed him for getting involved in. After the incident in Pennsylvania, he'd learned his lesson about simply wading into a situation fists first and spells flying. At that point, he just wanted to enjoy his lunch. Then, his phone rang. As he left the sub shop, Marcus sighed, reaching into his pocket with his free hand. He stared at the phone blankly: "Eric Cooper". His roommate. The number was a Texas area code, which meant that he was still at home and hadn't moved back onto campus yet. "Hey, Eric, what's up?" "What's up? Dude, have you been watching TV?!" "Yeah, I saw that... whatever it was. Freaky stuff, right?" "Man, you have NO idea. There's portals opening up all over the place here!" "Portals. Really." Marcus sighed. "Look, I'm not in the mood for pranks. I've had a long couple of weeks, and there's apparently a cult literally after my hide." "No no, I'm serious!" Almost mid-sentence, a rush of wind burst down the street. Marcus shielded his eyes with his sandwich-carrying hand against the blue and purple flash of light, his stoic frown deepening at the sound of people screaming and panicking at the figures pouring out of it. Marcus looked at his sandwich, then at the red-skinned shapeshifting soldiers. "Holy f-... ...ah. I'll call you back." "Hey, be careful, Marcus. Don't do anything stu-" * * * Marcus had never seen a Grue before, or at least that was his initial thought. Watching them march down the street from an adjacent alley, he realized he'd seen at least one before--Atlas. Atlas seemed like a nice enough guy, though; these invaders were a lot different. And smaller. That was equally as important. He stuffed his hand into his pocket, feeling around for any runestones he might've had. The thought of quickly rigging something crossed his mind, but he didn't have time for that sort of guerilla warfare. He exhaled deeply and an arcane circle expanded from his crouched position behind a truck. In seconds, a flash of green and black surrounded him, reshaping the Claremont junior into his bear form. He broke his cover by doing the first thing that came to mind--picking up the truck and hurling it at one of the many trios of drones. Arcturus didn't wait to see if it struck; instead, he charged in after it, effectively cutting off the oncoming invaders from the fleeing crowd. One gunbarrel-armed Grue raised his arm and fired a volley in Arc's direction as the truck flattened him, piercing the vehicle with a disturbing amount of ease that nearly gave the ursine shapeshifter pause. All he needed was a few moments, and in those moments, Arcturus moved with a speed and agility that was deceptive for his size. He’d had plenty of practice dealing with overwhelming odds; his accidental visit to War-Earth had given Arcturus a level of combat experience that he might never have known otherwise. Even as he charged into a Grue shapeshifter nearly two feet taller than he was, Arcturus used their numbers against them; he lowered his shoulder into the invader’s knees, hauling him into the air and swinging him like a baseball bat by the leg into another column of opponents. â€It’s only fair to warn you… as a Rune Bearer, it’s your destiny to fight this battle alone. And plenty of others, I’m sure. I’m not saying don’t trust anyone… I’m saying don’t rely on anyone. Both you and the Beast Rune will be much safer that way.†As Arcturus pulled back, realizing quickly that the street was clear; he upturned another car to use as cover as he dashed into another alleyway, pursued by a fair number of invaders still marching out of the portal. Malek Ironbear’s words were still, even months later, hanging in the back of his mind… and what was most disappointing is that no one had yet proven his War-Earth counterpart wrong. â€Deception is human nature, and one should always err on the side of caution.†Arc narrowed his eyes a little bit as he vaulted himself up onto a dumpster and over a fence, narrowly missing catching a lightning bolt in the arm. Recalling his conversation with Malek made him remember how much he hated his life, and how he nearly stayed on War-Earth instead of returning home. He wasn’t entirely sure he’d made the right decision. Even now, it made him wonder what exactly he was fighting for… He could never adequately explain to anyone why he was so angry all the time. Even thinking now about Claremont, broken trust and his even more broken family… The buzzing in Arc’s head grew more intense as his anger built. He rounded a corner down the maze of back alleys… and stopped. The moment one of his pursuers actually rounded the corner, there was a loud, feral roar before Arcturus leapt on him, slamming his fist into its sternum with all the strength he could muster. He heard a loud, satisfying crack as it connected, sending him careening into the group behind him. The next few minutes were a combination of sounds that was rather unmistakable; things had gone from Arcturus providing a distraction for civilians to an all-out fight simply for the sake of fighting. His rage had to go somewhere, and outside civilian eyes, he was anything but merciful. As their numbers dwindled, several tried to run; their only salvation was that Arcturus’s reckless brawling hadn’t rendered him immune to injury. As the adrenaline waned, he could tell that he’d broken a rib or two, and his right leg refused to support his weight. Somehow, that didn’t matter. He’d already resigned himself to fighting his battles the only way he knew how—by himself. He could still hear bootfalls approaching in the distance; how far away, he couldn’t exactly tell, between the ringing in his ears and the pain he was in. He sank into a seated position against a wall, cradling his right arm against his chest as the heightened marching pace drew closer. “Gelus Vol Grando!†Arcturus’s ears perked a bit as he heard the words ring out like a bell, echoing and resonating with the magic they brought with them. It was a spell he recognized from his book, from reading about the Water Rune. Scrambling over to a corner, he peered around it just in time to see a torrential rain of ice shards cascading down on the Grue drones. Arcturus looked up as the latest group retreated under the arcane assault, spotting a woman in a dark blue robe, carrying a staff. The strangest feeling of familiarity came over him when she looked back, their eyes meeting for a brief second before she vanished in a flash of purple sparks. …no way. That couldn’t have been… Well, at least SOME good news came out of today, cub. Guess your mom's alive after all. ...yeah. Great news. The hulking bear grunted and carried himself to a nearby building, spotting several ambulances and managing to avoid any more drones. He hadn't realized how close he'd been to Trinity Hospital, when all his fatigue suddenly piled on him at once. He didn't remember ever actually making it to the sliding doors, spotting one or two nurses and the emergency room sign before he dropped on the spot.
  16. Arc's short ears twitched noticeably as he started to further pin down the sounds around him. There was definitely something in the shadows, watching him... mocking him. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this 'cult' of yours isn't gonna last. Whether you disappear quietly... or I have to hunt you all the old fashioned way." I guess we're gonna test just how 'eternal' this cult is. Despite Arcturus's posturing, his mind was working the angles, trying to determine just what was going on. The Beast Rune was, apparently, a small part of a whole; he recalled reading similar things about the 'elemental' runes, and that they drew their real power from a larger source. Trying to tame these primal forces was just ridiculous... and dangerous. There was certainly no way Marcus was going to allow that, and if this was his cross to bear...
  17. Apologies for the wait; first time running combat and I don't have quite the handle on it that I thought I did. So we'll just go with the fact that Lucy just tossed one of the six wolves into a dumpster (since they're minions anyway, it's fine). ^^
  18. Notice check: (1d20+5=21)
  19. Marcus was slowly piecing things together... none of it was good. As far as he knew, he was the only human who had even been capable of containing the Beast Rune without being taken over by its personality. Twice he had encountered humans taken over by its power, and this encounter only confirmed that they were just parts of a larger whole... This metal thing, whatever it was, called Arcturus 'brother'. The idea of the Beast Rune inhabiting a suit of armor was both fascinating and disturbing. From a research stance, Marcus wanted to know exactly what was making this thing tick. His common sense, however, warned him against getting too close. Whatever had created this thing was clearly more interested in him than he realized--someone who was actively creating these things for him to confront. The thought of being manipulated made Arcturus narrow his eyes threateningly. "So... who's runnin' this cult? And where can I find him?"
  20. So we're looking at: Revenant :: 9 Wisp :: 8 Cheshire :: 8 1d20+2=8 And the wolves are going last, which means Revenant is up first!
  21. "You... what?" Arcturus stood his ground as the figure moved. Was it a golem? Just because he hadn't spotted a control rune didn't mean there wasn't one somewhere. It called him 'brother', and given what the last victim of the Beast Rune's magic had said... Marcus's mind leaped ahead, wondering who put this thing here and why. The Beast Rune was largely in control, but it spoke to how well the two knew one another that Arcturus didn't immediately try to destroy the thing. "I don't know you from Adam, buddy. Who... or what are you? You the one turnin' people into monsters?"
  22. What the heck is that thing? Dunno. Let's smash it! Despite the Beast Rune's fervor, Arcturus regarded the iron giant nearly twice his size. It wasn't often that he saw things that were actually bigger than he was. The eerie whispers made his fur stand on and, and as he surveyed his surroundings, he noted that the other passageways were too small for him to pass through in his current form--even in his human form, he'd be iffy about going in that direction. Shaking his fur dry, Arcturus started to approach the statue, eyeing the furniture's markings and the statue itself warily.
  23. And now, the fun part! Initiative rolls, por favor. :)
  24. GM The two taggers looked at each other, then at Wisp and Cheshire as they suddenly appears out of nowhere... It doesn't take the pair long to decide to abandon their project, heading quickly out of the alley and out towards the main street. The alley into which Cheshire found herself emptied into a back lot, long forgotten by most. A thin white mist covered the ground, spilling out of an adjacent alley. There was a number of menacing looking black wolves--at least six--barking and scratching at a rusted dumpster.
  25. Arcturus still hadn't reverted to his 'natural' form. There didn't seem to be much use in doing so, and for once both the Beast Rune and Marcus were on the same page. It was mostly the magic driving him at that point; he was exhausted and wanted to sleep after exerting himself so much... but the Wolves seemed to have a significantly larger pool of energy. All he could really do was move the wounded; he knew first-aid, but for a battle like this one, Marcus doubted it would really help. Instead, he tried to help as many as he could before returning to the fortress, the Wolves not too far behind. The more he spoke with them, the less he actually missed his home dimension. Not that he was staying here, of course, but Arcturus couldn't help but like the place. When he headed back at the messenger's request, he ended up near Push, his broad and furry arms across his chest as he looked down at the kineticist appraisingly. He was too tired to ask the questions he wanted to ask, so instead he looked towards the others. Fulcrum, he remembered from the incident in the city with the dragon, and he'd met Gabriel at the same time he'd met Push. The others, though, were a bit of a mystery, and he couldn't help but notice others' less favorable reactions to Atlas and Scarab... they even seemed to take issue with Push's hammer. "...there's gonna be food, right?" Arcturus said flatly, keeping his voice relatively low that only those immediately around him could hear him clearly.
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