Thunder King

OOC for >this thread

December 16th 9:00 PM The Fens The world was cold. Frost and ice decorated the rooftops and streets, and snow, mixed with light rain, came from above. All in all, the weather was miserable. Still, Shadowblade was not deterred. She teleported to another roof, this one a convenience store. Just as she landed, she heard the distinct sound of a struggle. As she looked down, she saw five men in jet black suits grab a homeless man who was bundled up in a corner, and throw him roughly into a nearby van. Tonight already brought trouble.

DC25 TOU save

Mali merely nodded as she headed off in a dead sprint. She spotted the woman's bathroom, with at least ten women standing in line. She rolled her eyes. No way, she wasn't going to bowl over a bunch of people, and she certainly wasn't going to wait in line. No, instead, she spotted a janitor's closet. She opened the door as stealthily as one can in a rush and was grateful not to find an actual janitor inside. That would have been very, very awkward. Luckily, she wore her costume under her clothes and always carried a handbag that could contain her clothing. She changed quickly and ran back out the door. She spotted the railing that protected people from falling the...fifteen feet or so to the floor below. She stepped onto it and vaulted herself into the air. "HEY!" She roared on her way down, hoping every eye in the place would find her. That would serve two purposes. First, it would draw attention to her away from the guard. Second, it would draw attention to her away from Thaelia and Giang, in case they also needed to put their costumes on. She landed effortlessly, grateful for her training that enabled her to stick that landing without breaking or spraining something. Wouldn't do to make a heroic entrance only to promptly sprain her ankle and fall over screaming in pain. "How about fighting me?" She said, raising her hands and knee into the traditional Muay Thai stance. Her face broke out into a wild grin, showing to this girl that Mali considered her a fun challenge. Not a threat.

Mali is going to move action to a janitor's closet (as discussed in chat), standard action to remove her normal clothes to switch to her costume underneath, and then surge to run back out and confront the villain. yes I'll be burning an HP to keep her from getting fatigued next round. EDIT: gonna jump down to the level below where the girl fighting the security guard is, and roll an acrobatics with skill masterly of 25 for the check to avoid taking damage.

Henry was glad to be helping with the situation at hand. While he had no problem fighting super villains and taking down bank robbers, it made him feel like he was truly doing a hero's work when it came to saving people. He would admit that he enjoyed a good fight, but helping people, making someone's life better or saving their life, was a better use of his time. At least, that's what he thought. "Sometimes, but then I'll see something I've never seen before, or really look at something for the first time, and I remember that while it's kind of routine to me, I shouldn't ever lose sight of how amazing it is just to be out here."

23 initiative 19 notice

One of the young men was short, somewhat muscular, and gazed with obvious arrogance at the three Claremont students. He was of Japanese descent, and there was something vicious in his eyes. He chuckled. "Ha, undisciplined and disrespectful." He said with a sharp coldness. "If I am given the honor of sparring against any of you, I can imagine that none of you could stand before me." He turned away, almost dismissive, before glancing behind me. "So you'll know who defeated you, they call me Shoki, I believe in your language, it means 'heat death'"

I probably won't be here most of the weekend, I may be able to find time to post, I may not

"The only stuff I know about the League is stuff I've heard on the news." Mali said as she finished paying for her dress, and the shoes she got to go with it...and the handbag that matched the shoes. "If you didn't find anything here, Giang, why don't we go to a different store once Thaelia gets her stuff situated here?" She suggested helpfully.

19 that works

"You look like how I feel." Henry said with a friendly smile. "I've seen most of these folks on the news, but never met any of 'em in person. Not that I fault the invitation, I need to get out and meet more people in the community." He nodded to Vector and Asad. "Solar Sentinel, but you can call me Henry. I'm probably one of half a million Henrys in Freedom City alone." "I recognize you, but I don't know where from." He nodded at Asad. "This city is just loaded with hero folks, and rich folks, so I'm not sure which of those you are." He smiled.

There were few weapons that seriously threatened Graft, but he couldn't be sure these weapons were conventional. Luckily, he was faster and stronger than most people, and he knew how to come in from angles other people couldn't possibly attack from. With that in mind, he bounded up the side of a nearby building to watch the men below. He wasn't really afraid of them, per se, as dangerous as their weapons were, he could probably drop most of them before the rest could fire on him. Still, he was a smart man, and he was not about to throw himself into combat against an unknown number of unknown foes.

Crimson Tiger For the first time in quite a while, Mali entered a room and barely knew anyone. She'd heard stories, of course. She recognized Asad as an associate of her father's, she knew Foreshadow from some previous dealings. Velocity she'd seen quite a few times on tv and pictures, being rather famous among certain circles. Mali made it a habit of knowing a lot about heroes, especially some of the female heroes who were personal inspirations to her, like the Raven. Though she'd never met Arcturus in person to her recollection, a guy like him didn't exactly go under the radar. "Hi Arcturus." She said with a pleasant smile. "Nice to see you, Merry Christmas." She waved at Crusader, who she didn't recognize, but probably had heard of at least once. Claremont was filled with not just students learning to be heroes, but hero fans, so most of the heroes in the room were known to someone.

Mali smiled. "Okay then." She kind of expected it to be turned down, but she always believed that wealth was useless if you never used it to help people. Money was a tool, nothing more, nothing less. She wanted Giang to know she'd help, and that had been communicated. Nothing more need be said of the matter. She turned to Thaelia. "Yeah, but, see, then we'd be in jail for the party, and that just wouldn't suit us. And could you imagine the Headmaster's reaction?" She gave an exaggerated shiver. "Noooo thank you."

If there was anything odd in any of the girls' behavior, Mali's parents didn't so much as blink. "Mali's told us a lot about you." Annan said with a pleasant smile. "Good to see she's made some good friends." "Feel free to relax, sit by the fire, put your feet up. If you'd like, Mali could show you her room. We know she's staying at Claremont, but we like her to come home from time to time, and I imagine Mali appreciates the opportunity to stop by from time to time too." Apsari said with a smile. "Sam, I appreciate the offer, but you girls are our guests. We'll handle dinner." Annan said with a polite nod. "Dinner should be done in about a half hour."

"Well, for the most part, people with powers are taught how to use them." She said. "Some people form teams, go on patrols. For the most part we go out and do the hero thing like everyone else does. We learn history, math, science, the usual stuff, but we also learn tactics, how to handle a wide variety of situations that a superhero might encounter." She shrugged. "There are also self defense and hand-to-hand classes, but there's not a lot I've been able to learn from them. I've tutored people though. As for how long? I'm on my second year. I'll be graduating in the spring."

Mali blinked, then blinked again. "Oh, um..." She blushed slightly. "Nice to meet you too." Nobody had ever talked to her like that. She just kinda...froze for a moment. She smiled politely. "Okay, folks, shall we go on our way?" She asked. William was certainly cute, but that level of forwardness made her just stop and have to shake her head free of cobwebs.

As he already has his tentacles extended, and has no interest in damaging his own shop, he's just going to lash at the guy who actually shot him with one. 16...not sure if that's a hit.

Crimson Tiger Mali pulled up in her car with her two friends and parked it about half a block away from Freedom Hall. She wore her usual jacket, a black leather designed to protect her on her civilian bike. She wore a domino mask to help at least somewhat protect her identity, and walked down the street to Freedom Hall. Once inside, she checked her coat and walked into the main room. She was wearing a crimson colored dress, conservative, but still pretty. She glanced around the room, wondering if she'd see anyone she recognized.

Mali came back out. "I think that looks great on you, Thaelia." She said as she looked at the other girl. "I know you're not necessarily considering getting your hair done, Giang, but I'm going to take you to my favorite stylist, and I don't want you to worry about anything but looking good and having fun." She said with a smile. It was hard to broach the subject of paying for things, but Mali never, ever invited anyone to anything if she didn't intend to cover the prices herself. That was just how she did things. She sighed. "Giang, I want you to pick out the dress you think looks best on you, okay?" She said with an earnest, friendly smile. "I wouldn't have invited you out here, or to the stylist, or anywhere, if I didn't plan on making sure everything got taken care of."

Crimson Tiger was, for the moment, put away. Mali stepped into the car as Silver Shikra. Her costume was silver, with a stylized bird of prey on her chest. She wore a pair of goggles as the only thing that interrupted what was otherwise a complete face mask. She wore all silver, from head to toe, assuming it would help keep her identity secret. She said nothing as she leaned back in the car and thought about how potentially dangerous it would get.

Character Name: Vulcanus Power Level:12 Trade-Offs: +5 Damage -5 Attack for melee, none for ranged, +5 toughness, -5 defense In Brief: Mafia lieutenant turned boss, now paragon wielding corrupt fire magic Alternate Identity: Salvatore 'Sal' Arrigheti Identity: Secret Birthplace: Freedom City Occupation: Professional criminal Affiliations: His crew, the Brotherhood of Fire Family: Description: Age: 32 (DOB: 1981) Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 6'6" (5'8" if he loses his powers) Weight: 320 lbs (150 if he loses his powers) Eyes: Continually shift yellow/orange/red (brown if he loses his powers) Hair: Black When he's not empowered, Salvatore is a trim, attractive man of Italian descent, with neat black hair and a fondness for tailored suits. When he uses his powers, however, he stands at a truly impressive six and a half feet tall, with a body that looks to be made of solid muscle. His eyes are an ever-shifting flame pattern in his powered form. In either form, he carries himself with purpose and has a gaze that's unsettling in it's intensity. Power Descriptions: Salvatore is a paragon with flame powers, so unless he's using his flames, just hits things. His fire looks like normal fire. Sometimes, however, the skin on his arms might end up looking like charred wood, blackened and snaked with glowing embers. This usually happens if he's forced to fight at long range with his flames for long periods (about two or three rounds of combat), this is ultimately harmless and will fade in time, but it hurts. History: Salvatore was going to be a mafioso. His family has been involved in the business since they emigrated to Freedom City some seventy five years ago. Until last year, that's all he was. Just one more thug in a greater machine. He wanted more, wanted to be more, but it just didn't work. Nobody ever wanted to trust him with more power. Then he found the book. He didn't know what it was, he didn't understand why the massive tome found him, but when he started reading it, he realized he couldn't stop. It taught him dark mysteries, powerful invocations and spells that could give him the kind of power he'd always craved. He'd be invincible, and able to step up. One night, he set up the ritual and spent twelve hours in solitude. He picked an abandoned apartment building in the Fens, and performed the right invocations. After twelve hours, his body was wreathed in flames. The greatest pain he had ever known filled his body and his screams could be heard on the streets below. At midnight, he rose from within the flames a far more powerful man. The fire department barely put the fire out and the next morning found the building a hollow shell of it's former self. Elsewhere, Vulcanus started gathering his power base... Personality & Motivation: Vulcanus is a hard man, hardened further by the corrupt power that drives him. He operates on a code of honor and avoids harming those who cannot defend themselves, but otherwise has a callous disregard for others. He treats this 'code of honor' as a thing that puts him above common thugs, though he's no better a person than they. He enjoys displays of wealth and power, and has a tendency to seek after expensive suits, jewelry, and alcohol. He's also got a weakness for attractive women. He is driven by a desire to bring the entire Freedom City underworld under his dominion, but has the foresight and wisdom to make that a long game. For the moment, he has the Brotherhood of Fire, and that is enough. Powers & Tactics: Vulcanus hits like a freight train and knows it. He's virtually indestructible, can fly and shoot fire. His tactics are incredibly simple, hit fast, hit hard, withstand the enemy. He is, however, a very cunning and careful individual, so forcing him into a personal confrontation is actually fairly difficult. His Brotherhood of Fire are fanatically loyal to him, and will stand and fight while he flees if that's what it takes. Complications: (NOTE: even though he doesn't get the benefit of HP, Vulcanus has certain personal weaknesses that heroes can exploit) You Didn't See A Thing: Vulcanus' rise to power has not come without ramifications. There are probably those within the underworld that might even risk helping out heroes if it would be to their advantage. Our Thing: Cooperation with the police is simply not an option for Vulcanus, so he won't reveal any details to police even if it would mean damaging rivals. Man of Wealth and Taste: He has a weakness for the finer things in life. He's very cautious about where and how he spends his money, but he still loves expensive suits, jewelry, booze and foods. The Fairer Sex: Vulcanus is a bit sexist, and when he first fights a woman, he might underestimate her. Damn that hurts: His flames hurt to use, though he can endure it without outward displays. For this reason, he is far more inclined to use his fists unless his flames are his only real option. Abilities: 0 + 2 + 2 + 6 + 2 + 6 = 18PP Strength: 40/10 (+15/+0) Dexterity: 12 (+1) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 16 (+3) Combat: 16 + 10 = 26PP Initiative: +1 Attack: +9 Melee, +8 Ranged (+12 Fire Array) Grapple: +24/+28 Defense: +9 (+4 Base, +5 Dodge Focus), +4 Flat-Footed Knockback: -13 Saving Throws: 9 + 7 + 9 = 25 PP Toughness: +15 (+1 Con, +14 Protection) Fortitude: +10 (+1 Con, +9) Reflex: +8 (+1 Dex, +7) Will: +10 (+1 Wis, +9) Skills: 36R = 9PP Bluff 5 (+3) Intimidate 7 (+10) Knowledge (business) 6 (+8) Knowledge (civics) 6 (+8) Knowledge (streetwise) 6 (+8) Knowledge (tactics) 6 (+8) Feats: 7PP Accurate Attack Attack Focus (melee) Dodge Focus 4 Power Attack Powers: 29 + 30 + 10 + 19 + 12 + 14 + 8 = 122PP Blast 12 (Corrupt Fire Control, Power Feats: Accurate 2) {26/26} (29 PP) Damage 12 (Cone of Flame; Power Feats: Accurate 2 Extras: Area [120 foot Cone]; ) {26/26} Damage 12 (Line of Fire; Power Feats: Accurate 2 Extras: Area [5x300 area line]) {26/26} Damage 12 (Fire Detonation; Power Feats: Accurate 2 Extras: Area [50 foot burst] ) {24/26} Enhanced Strength 30 (30 PP) Flight 5 (250 mph) (10PP) Immunity 19 (Fire, Life Support) (19 PP) Impervious Toughness 12 (12 PP) Protection 14 (14 PP) Super Strength 4 (+20 Lifting strength) (8 PP) DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC29 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Blast 120 ft. DC27 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Line 5x300 ft DC27 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Burst 60 ft radius DC27 Toughness (staged) Damage (Energy) Cone 120 ft cone DC27 Toughness (staged) Damage (energy) Totals: Abilities (18) + Combat (26) + Saving Throws (25) + Skills (9) + Feats (7) + Powers (122) - Drawbacks (0) = 207) Power Points

25 that works

8 his luck did not last