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Midtown Freedom City, New Jersey Tuesday October 8, 2024. 4:45 PM The members of Red Team had been on a field trip to Freedom City University to attend a lecture on campus. After the lecture, they had returned to the school van for the trip back to Claremont Academy. Apparently, something had caused a major traffic jam on State Route 6, so the driver had tried to take them through downtown over to State Route 4. While the plan had initially worked reasonably well (even with the normal early rush-hour traffic), they were in the heart of Midtown when traffic became totally gridlocked and they had come to a complete halt. It had not taken the students long to learn the cause. The police had blocked off the street a few blocks away in response to a bank robbery that was underway. Apparently there was something else taking place in the city that had the attention of most of the police and some of the city's heroes, so there were not enough resources to respond to the bank robbery right away. After a brief call back to campus, the Headmistress had given the students permission to intervene and assist the police. So they had exited the bus and made their way to where the police blockade was set up. While the officers had initially been a bit skeptical about a bunch of teenage superheroes intervening, they had quickly realized there were not a lot of other options at the moment. The officers provided the Claremont students with what little information they had. Apparently there were about 10 or so armed men in ski masks who were being lead by Wildcard from the Crime League. They had taken several hostages in the Freedom City Trust building, an old, two story stone structure that dated back to at least World War II. It was a strong, sturdy building, with a large lobby area on the main floor and an open atrium to a balcony on the second floor around which were various office and conference rooms.

GM Saturday Afternoon in November 2024 Outside Pizano's Pizzaria, Grenville Owen was the first to the pizza shop, and he sat nervously on the curb. Despite his roommate, his sister, and Gookgak not having a phone, he was able to arrange a time to get pizza with them. Joining them was Luke, also known as Nightscale, a Claremont graduate he met recently. Owen was dressed in a solid color maroon T-shirt and jeans, and his new Converse sneakers tapped a relentless rhythm against the pavement as he bounced his knee. He was a bit nervous, not just about being out in the city for the first time, but hanging with his new friends. His first few months at Claremont had been a whirlwind of classes, training, and meeting new people. This was really the first chance he had to get out into the city and not worry about what was coming up with his classes, and he couldn't help but keep his head on a swivel as he took in the new sights and sounds. Speaking of new sights, Owen had to constantly remind himself that Riel and his twin weren't from this dimension, and nor was Gookgak. Maybe Luke would be able to balance the group out... The restaurant they were meeting at was a small, family-owned pizza shop called Pizano's. Owen had never been there, of course, but their online ratings were stellar. The shop had seating for around 50, with a red-and-white checkered tile floor and photographs on the wall of celebrities that had eaten there. The prices were reasonable too, something that Owen was definitely aware of. I'll really need to get a job soon...

Sub-Basement of Claremont Academy Bayview, Freedom City, New Jersey Monday September 9, 2024. 10:00 AM The start of the school year had been Monday, which had brought with it all the chaos of the first day of school, figuring out where all the classes where, making last minute changes to schedules, and more. Given one of Claremont's unique (and secret) purposes was helping teenagers with meta-human powers learn to control and better use their powers, this included time being schedule for new students to have some time in the Doom Room so the staff could get some baseline readings on their abilities. Six of the new class of Sophomores had their sessions scheduled for mid-morning on the second day of classes: Kate Devon-Leeds, Lynn Conners, Gookgak, Owen Akerlund, Reil Estime, and Kadene Estime. As they had been told to be ready for combat simulation and other strenuous activity, the teens had been told to wear the Claremont school uniform, or their costumes (if they had them). So Lynn and gone back to her and Mattie’s dorm room and changed into her costume before making her way down to the Doom Room. Once in costume, the blonde teen had felt a bit more comfortable at moving at full speed, so had been one of the first to arrive. She was dressed in a skin-tight black body suit with red stripes, gloves and boots, along with black goggles with red lenses. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail to help keep it out of her way. Lynn looked about the large room that was located with one of the sub-basements beneath the school's grounds as she waited for some of her classmates to arrive. The room was rather Spartan, with smooth white and grey walls, a floor that had a hexagon pattern and a high, almost cavernous ceiling. Along one of the walls, a couple dozen feet above the floor, there was a dark set of plexiglass windows. While she had never been in the Doom Room before (either here or in her original timeline), Lynn had trained some in the Freedom League’s Wreck Room, so she had at least had some understanding of what to potentially expect from this session.

GM Morning of the 30th of November 2024 The sun rose over Freedom City, same as it always had. The night prior had seen a small event, magical energies were being channeled to two locations for an unknown purpose. Two teams of heroes investigated, and it seemed the situation was resolved. Yet none of the heroes seemed to remember much of what occurred, or how they got back to their home. The Atomic Tower, Midtown Rev awoke with a start, to the sound of an unfamiliar alarm. The offending object was quickly found and silenced, revealing that whoever set it must be some kind of sadist to set alarms at such an hour. Or one of those exercise freaks. One could never be too sure. But this morning exertion revealed a new issue. The arms that passed through her vision to turn off the alarm were not hers, evinced by both the different skin tone and the sensation of normal muscles moving beneath her ordinary skin. She looked around what seemed to be some high-tech small apartment, an Atom logo on the door. Where was she? Blackstaff Investigations Devon was no stranger to uncomfortable beds. He had spent a long time training to be an EMT and it had featured many uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, but since moving to Freedom City it had been some time since he had slept on such a lumpy mattress. He could feel a pressure behind his eyes, like the feeling of knowing there was a predator outside the tent but turned within. Perhaps it was a result of whatever transformation that had yet to lapse that he could feel. The springs in the mattress creaked as he rolled over, opening his eyes upon an unfamiliar room. The floor was old wood, a spattering of furniture around. Light filtered in from a window that was being cleaned by small creatures. Did that mean his teammate Adrianna was nearby? As he shifted he caught sight of his arm, feminine, unfamiliar, and missing the Encyclopedia Eternita. Bayview, Claremont Academy, Michael's Room Gookgak awoke slowly, peacefully. His body hummed with unknown power. In his dozing state he initially imagined this was how a bear or other great beast might slumber. Powerful, self-assured, safe. It was a nice feeling. But that blissful glow could not go on forever, his sleep rudely interrupted by the sound of an alarm. So motivated, the Gobbelyn opened his eyes upon a room that he had broken into on more than one occasion. He flailed indignantly at the fiendish noisemaker, crushing it with a migthy swing of his arm. Michael's arm? Sitting up in the bed he bore witness to a human room he had only seen while standing on tables and bookshelves. The stature of a man. The Fens, Armstrong Residence, Alice's Room Carmen had sensed something was off quickly. Her body felt inordinately heavy, but simultaneously seemed to be barely pressing into the bed she could feel beneath her. It was similar to the feeling of floating upon the surface of a pool, but the sensation was all around. The greatest downwards force upon her body felt like the blanket above her, pressing her down onto the bed gently. She felt like there was a knot of tension in her center of gravity, like a muscle she had never been aware of was engaged at a low degree. The air brushed over her skin but failed to rustle her hair, Some instinct deep inside her was telling her that she was in the wrong place, and upon opening her eyes Carmen found this was confirmed. She was in a small, cozy room. A bookshelf contained an eclectic mix of books and old toys, a couple of unfamiliar pictures staring at her. A girl with black hair smiling out from the center of the nearest, hugging what looked to be her family. Carmen rubbed her eyes to center herself, the sensation differing from what she was accustomed to in an initially unknowable way. After moments it hit her though. She had no claws, no fur, her tail and ears no longer twitching in agitation from her confusion. What had happened? Had something broken her curse? Did this strange room she found herself in have something to do with it? The four heroes quickly started to come to the conclusion that they had swapped bodies with other people. But how and why eluded them. The last thing they remembered was responding to a disturbance near Lake Mackenzie. Perhaps that might hold the answers, but first they need to find out where- and who- they are.

@EternalPhoenix @FlyingFresh @Nerdzul OOC for Pizza Party!

Edward Jon Carter Dormitories, First Floor Claremont Academy, Freedom City, New Jersey Saturday, September 7, 2024 The weather in Bayview Heights was rather warm and pleasant, despite the mostly crowded sky. With school set to start in just two days, the students (both old and new) had returned for move in day at Claremont Academy. As was typically the case, the campus was something of a controlled chaos, with parents and students making their way from the parking lot to the school's dormitories, or over to the administrative building for some last-minute correction to a schedule or other enrollment issue. The first floor of the Edward Jon Carter dorm was no different, with students and parents alike filling the halls. Ryan Jacobs and Daniel Miller found themselves as two of the upper classmen assigned to the first floor, having to help direct new students to rooms and answer questions from students and parents….

Gookgak Power Level: 10 Effective Power Level: 8 Power Points: 150/154 Unspent Power Points: 4PP Trade-Offs: +2 Attack / -2 Damage, +2 Defense / -2 Toughness In Brief: Your typical vain, cowardly, greedy, sycophantic teenage gobbelyn thrust awkwardly into superheroism by the fickle hand of fate. Catchphrase: "You see? Gookgak is a good gobbelyn!" Theme: Hell Yeah - Dead Prez Alternate Identity: Nope. Just Gookgak. Birthplace: The Warren (subterranean ruins under Ring City), The Hidden Realm Residence: Claremont High School Base of Operations: Claremont High School Occupation: Student Affiliations: TBD Family: Uncle Hogwarm - operates a small magical security system installation and maintenance company in Freedom City and is Gookgak's sponsor. Shellpit (father), Brimlif (mother), Druce (younger sister), and Billy-Billy (younger brother) live in The Warren, in the far-away Hidden Realm. Description: Age: 16 (2008) Gender: Male Ethnicity: Gobbelyn Height: 3'0" Weight: 28 pounds Eyes: Blue Hair: Green Gookgak is a green-skinned, pointy-eared little gobbelyn. His Uncle Hogwarm has provided him with a wardrobe of contemporary clothing, which he typically favors over his traditional gobbelyn garb of stitched together bits of leather, fur, and cloth. He still carries his bow around and hides a shiv in a pocket. "Only a mushy brained idiot walks around without weapons." History: Isolated and difficult to access from the rest of the multiverse, there exists a Hidden Realm of magic and mystery - a realm that just so happens to uncannily resemble your stereotypical D&D campaign setting. Who knew? Doctor Alexander Atom knew, and he briefly included it in his itinerary of interdimensional tourism, back in the day. During his visit, the good doctor solicited the guiding and interpretation services of one young gobbelyn by the name of Hogwarm, resident of The Warrens below Ring City. Now gobbelyns are diminutive green natives of the Hidden Realm, not to be confused with their possibly-distantly-related near homonyms, the goblins (of whom Eòghann Soillearsgian is the prince and of whom Freedom City has been seeing an increasing number of, recently). This Hogwarm was quite helpful and friendly, not having yet picked up the suspicious nastiness so sadly common in gobbelyn culture. So when Doctor Atom found him as a stowaway upon his return to Earth-Prime, he really wasn't all that upset. Fast-forward half a century, and we find Hogwarm a middle-aged gobbelyn, a fully naturalized citizen of Freedom City, and the sole proprietor of a thriving small business installing and maintaining magical security systems. Hogwarm was eventually able to regain contact with his relatives back in The Warren, using a magical well of the worlds in his cave basement. It is through this that he learned of Gookgak. Gookgak is the eldest son of Brimlif, older sister to Hogwarm. Shellpit, Brimlif's husband, would complain to Hogwarm about his son Gookgak. He never seems to fit in. He can't figure out what to do with himself. First, Gookgak thought he would be a shaman. He did pretty well learning the tricksy spells of the gobbelyn folk. But he lacked commitment. He couldn't embrace the maniacal recklessness necessary to engage in constant prayer to the chaos gods and consistent invocation of magical mischief - with its well-known consequences of hideous facial disfigurement and ever increasing madness. After a while, the elder shamans suggested maybe he would do better as a scout. All gobbelyns are sneaky, and Gookgak was really sneaky, even for a gobbelyn. So, for a while, it seemed like scouting could be a good fit. But then the problems started. Gookgak was easily distractable. Instead of watching the pass for caravans or casing lonely homesteads, he'd wander off and chase frogs, or try to steal honey from bees. Even worse, he was developing a habit of just walking up and talking to travelers and settlements he was supposed to be spying on for raids. For a few weeks, he even became a mascot of sorts for a party of human adventurers. What could be more humiliating? With avuncular wisdom, Hogwarm suggested it might do Gookgak good to make a fresh start and come live with him in Freedom City. The transition wouldn't be that hard, he explained because (for reasons known only to the Elder Gods) the language "English" primarily spoken in Freedom City was the same as the Common language spoken amongst men of Ring City. Sullen Gookgak jumped at the chance to remake himself in a foreign new city. With the help of a resident mage, Gookgak was pulled through the well of worlds in Hogwarm's cave basement, last Friday, at approximately 6 pm. Gookgak's uncle took advantage of the weekend to give the young gobbelyn a whirlwind tour of the city, and to visit the local department store, to procure a culturally appropriate wardrobe for him. (Childerns' section, of course.) Personality & Motivation: Gookgak was a misfit in gobbelyn society. He really wants to be accepted in Freedom City by his Claremont peers. That said, there is a major culture clash at play. Gobbelyn values include deception, servility, backstabbing, theft, running from danger, cruelly abusing whatever tiny power you can grasp, stealing stuff, lying for fun, stabbing in the back, being a total sycophant, and eating things that should probably be avoided. Powers & Tactics: Gookgak is ludicrously sneaky and slippery. One minute, you'll be staring right at him, and the next you'll be spinning around the room looking for him while he silently clings to your backpack. It's a good thing for him too, because if he gets caught out by a damage-shifted adversary, he's an excellent candidate for a 1-hit KO. Gookgak fights dirty. In addition to hiding in plain sight, he will make use of acrobatic bluffs, tricks, and redirects. Although he is very nimble, he also is quite weak, and relies on his enchanted gobbelyn weapons (greasy shiv and tricksy bow) to be effective in combat. Not that he seeks combat, mind you. He'll only engage in anything even vaguely resembling a fair fight if his side seems stronger or he absolutely can't avoid it. Gookgak's gobbelyn physiology allows him to see in the dark and climb walls and ceilings, as well as renders him resistant to nauseate and entrapment effects. Gookgak can conjure some powerful gobbelyn trick magic spells, although his ability to do so is limited. Each spell can be encounter-altering, but also has a significant potential to backfire. Drowsy Dust can potentially put several foes to sleep that fail their will saves, but limited range and 2-round persistence increase the chance for affecting allies as well. Firebreath can potentially dish out a lot of damage, with its cone area and secondary effect, but the perception area dazzle linked to the damage can blind anyone that looks at it: friend, foe, or Gookgak himself. Mischief Shadow can set up some nasty sneak attacks, combined with darkvision, but the obscure area could just as easily blind allies. Summon Warg might be Gookgak's most important and iconic spell. Tough as all get out, Smaurg of the Endless Wastes shores up a lot of Gookgak's weaknesses. Although generally helpful, Smaurg is a bit disdainful of Gookgak. Smaurg is a sustained power, and will dissappear if Gookgak can not take a free action to maintain him, and summoning him costs the scarce resource of a use of Gobbelyn Tricks. Power Descriptions: Gookgak's Gobbelyn Physiology powers are innate, and include small size, darkvision, wall crawling, and partial immunity to nauseate and entrapment effects. His Gobbelyn Gear is magical in nature. Despite their effectiveness, both his Greasy Shiv and Tricksy bow appear exceedingly crudely made and covered in crazed symbols scratched on and written in charcoal and blood. His Gobbelyn Tricks are magic spells he learned in his time training to be a shaman. They involve words, gestures, and the careful utilization of gobbelyn gris-gris. That doesn't mean they can't be done stealthily, however. Summoning the Warg, in particular, is quite an ordeal, requiring at least 5 minutes of ritualistic chanting and self flagellation. Complications: Cowardly: Unless his side has the clear advantage or he can snipe and sneak away, Gookgak will always hide or flee rather than fight. On top of this, Gookgak seriously overestimates the prowess of potential opponents. So he would probably hide from a dog, but not from a bunny. Klepto: Gookgak comes from a culture where stealing is as natural as breathing . . . or farting (which he also does a lot of). He really wants to fit in with his Claremont peers, but he just can't wrap his head around the idea that stealing is regarded as universally bad. If it is explained to him, he will assume stealing that particular object, from that particular place or person (on that particular day of the week) was the problem. Suck-up: Sucking-up is an important part of Gobbelyn culture. Gookgak flatters and aids whoever seems the most powerful. This may not be the worst thing when he's around powerful heroes. But one on one time with an intimidating super villain, maybe, just maybe, has the potential to go slightly astray. Insecure: Gookgak is preoccupied with what other people think of him, nurses ridiculous grudges for perceived slights, and is paranoid that he is deeply deficient and must constantly struggle to manage to stay in the good graces of authorities. Gookgak will take any opportunity to show off or lord any temporary advantage over another, only to quickly deflate and become servile when tables turn. Abilities: 0 + 16 + 4 + 2 + 8 + 0 = 30PP STR 6 (-2) (Small) DEX 26 (+8) CON 14 (+2) INT 12 (+1) WIS 18 (+4) CHA 10 (+0) Combat: 6 + 6 = 12PP Attack: +4 BAB (+3, +1 Small)/+10 Greasy Shiv/+10 Tricksy Bow/+10 Firebreath Defense: +10 (+3, +1 Small, Dodge Focus +6) (+2 without Dodge) Init: +12 (+8 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative) Grapple: +8, +13 Reflex, +20 Escape Knockback: -2 Saves: 4 + 5 + 4 = 13PP TOU +6/+2 (+2 Con, +4 Defensive Roll) FORT +6 (+2 Con, +4) REF + 13 (+8 Dex, +5) WILL +8 (+4 Wis, +4) Skills: 108R=27PP Acrobatics 12 (+20) Concentration 13 (+17) Disable Device 9 (+10) Escape Artist 12 (+20) Knowledge: Streetwise 4 (+5) Languages 1 (English, Base: Gobbelyn) Notice 10 (+14) Ride 2 (+10) Search 9 (+10) Sense Motive 6 (+10) Sleight of Hand 7 (+15) Stealth 13 (+25) (Small) Survival 4 (+8) Swim 6 (+5) Feats: 26PP Acrobatic Bluff Challenge: Fast Acrobatic Bluff Defensive Roll 2 (+4) Dodge Focus 6 Evasion 2 Grappling Finesse Hide in Plain Sight Improved Defense Improved Initiative Improvised Tools Luck 2 Power Attack Precise Shot Redirect Setup Skill Mastery 2 (Acrobatics, Escape Artist, Notice, Ride, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Swim) Uncanny Dodge (Hearing) Powers: 11 + 17 + 14 = 42PP Gobbelyn Gear, Device 3.2 (Gobbelyn, Magical, PFs: Multiple Weapons 1, Flaws: Easy to Lose) [11PP] [16CP] Array 7.5 (PFs: AP 1)[16CP][15AP] BP: Greasy Shiv, Damage 6 (Piercing/Slashing, PFs: Accurate 3, Extras: Linked[0]), Nauseate 6 (Flaws: Sicken Only, Extras: Linked[0]) [15/15AP] AP: Tricksy Bow, Blast 6 (Piercing, PFs: Accurate 3, Homing, Drawbacks: Range -1, Close Range 60', Max Range 300') [15/15AP] Gobbelyn Physiology, Container 3.2 (Gobbelyn, Passive, PF: Innate) [17PP] [16CP] Shrinking 4 (Small, PFs: Normal Toughness, Extras: Duration - Continuous, Flaws: Permanent) [5CP] Super Senses 2 (Visual, Darkness) Counters Obscure [2CP] Super Movement 2 Wallcrawling 2 [4CP] Immunity 5 Entrapment Effects (Flaws: Partial), Nauseate Effects (Flaws: Partial) [5CP] Gobbelyn Tricks, Array 11 (Gobbelyn, Magical, PFs: 3 AP, Flaws: Unreliable - 5 uses, recover 1 use per day) [14PP][22AP] BP: Drowsy Dust, Sleep 8 (Extras: Alternate Save - Will, Area - General, Cloud, 40' Diameter, Flaws: Action - Full Action, Drawbacks: Reduced Range -2, 200') [22AP] AP: Firebreath, Damage 6 (Fire, PFs: Accurate 3, Extras: Area - Targeted, Cone 60' × 60', Secondary Effect, Linked[0], Flaws: Action - Full Action), Dazzle 3 (Visual, Extras: Area - General, Perception, Linked[0], Flaws: Range -1) Anyone that can see the Firebreath faces a Rank 3 Dazzle. [21AP] AP: Mischief Shadow, (PFs: Tethered) Obscure 5 (Visual, Darkness, 100' Radius, Extras: Linked), Emotion Control 8 (Extras: Area - General, Burst, 80' Radius, Selective Attack, Linked, Flaws: Limited: Despair Only, Range -2, Touch) [19AP] AP: Summon Warg 8 (Extras: Heroic, Drawbacks: Action -2, 5 minutes) [22AP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 13 Toughness Damage Greasy Shiv Touch DC 21 Toughness Damage DC 16 Fortitude Nauseate (Sickness Only) Tricksy Bow Ranged DC 21 Toughness Damage (Homing) Drowsy Dust Ranged, Area-General/Cloud DC 18 Will Sleep Firebreath Area-Targeted/Cone DC 21 Toughness (Secondary Effect) Damage Totals: Abilities 30 + Skills 27 + Feats 26 + Powers 42 + Combat 12 + Saves 13 = 150/154PP