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The Western edge of the Taklamaka Desert, at the foothills of the Pamir Mountains Western China Saturday March 7, 2020. 7:54 AM China Standard Time (CST) (6:54 PM on Friday March 6, 2020 in Freedom City, New Jersey) A cold winter's wind swept over the sands of the Taklamaka Desert, shifting some of the sand as it went. A pair of figures walked up a sand dune in the early morning light, the dark shapes of tents and other temporary structures down in an open space below them. Not far to the west, the snow-capped peaks of the Pamir Mountains rouse up into the sky over the dark foothills which lay between the mountains and the desert. <"Why did they say to come out here?"> One of the two men making their way up the sand dune asked in Pashto. The other man in the lead gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. <"They said a member of the Danger family would be arriving with some assistance to take over the search for Doctor Schneider and Doctor Warren. You have heard some of the stories of the Dangers, likely wants to make some sort of dramatic entrance."> The two men crested the rise of the dune and moved out onto a relatively flat expanse of sand amongst the dunes. <"Hopefully we will not have to wait too long."> Those words proved prophetic, as the pair were just starting to look about for some sign of the arrival of the help from Danger International when there was a bright flash of light and a group of individuals appeared a short distance away. The central figure release the hands of the individuals on either side of her and took a step forward. The two men saw an attractive seventeen year old girl dressed in dark khaki cargo pants and a light brown winter parka. She wore a pair of well-worn hiking boots, and her long brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail. "Good morning, I am Veronica Danger." The teenager said to the two men with a small smile.

Kingston, Freedom City New Jersey Late Fall 2019, 10:30 PM Since the Terminus Invasion of 2018, much of Kingston had consisted of ruined buildings and empty streets. Only the most minimal efforts to start to rebuild had begun, and mainly along the boarder sections with other North Freedom neighborhoods, leaving the majority of the center of the formerly historic neighborhood still largely abandoned and in shambles. Now, those that frequented the Kingston area were those that wished to be unobserved or otherwise isolated from the more crowded and active sections of Freedom City, while still maintaining a close proximity to the rest of the city. A small figure in a trench coat made its way through one of the empty streets in the heart of Kingston, moving among the shadows with a seeming confidence that there was nothing to fear among the dark ruins. The figured walked for several blocks along the cracked and broken sidewalks, stopping a few times to peer around towards the dark recesses of the nearby buildings. Eventually the figure turned into a dark alleyway and was seemingly swallowed by the darkness within. If anyone had been following the figure, it would have seemed they had vanished into thin air in the alley. However, the figure continued on its journey dozens of feet beneath the cluttered streets, moving along a path through the partially flooded sewer tunnels that ran under Kingston. The figure still moved at a steady pace, perfectly at home in the dark, damp confines of the sewers. After passing through several city blocks of tunnels, the figure came to a bend in a tunnel where a section of wall had collapsed, beyond was a larger open area that appeared to be a half buried subway station. Several tables of various shapes and sizes had been set up along one of the platforms and were covered with a variety of scientific equipment. Another section of the platform had been turned into a makeshift living area, with a bed and some other furniture set up. The entire area was partially lit by several emergency lights that had been placed around the platforms. The result of the makeshift lighting was that there were sections of the platforms that where relatively well lit, while the rest of the station was cast in shadows of various depths. The figure moved onto the platform containing the collection of tables, stopping briefly to look at some of the equipment as it went by, before coming to a mostly empty table. The figure sat a large duffle bag onto this table and began carefully removing various objects from within it. As the figure was focused on its task the almost oppressive silence of the chamber was interrupted by a cold voice from somewhere among the shadows. "Good evening Dr. Seidel." The figure quickly turned away from the table, scanning the illuminated section of the platforms, even as he edged towards some of the nearby shadows. "Who are you?" The man asked, his tone a bit surprise but not necessarily concerned or frightened. "Someone who has spent some time trying to locate you." The voice from the shadows simply replied. The trench coat clad figure identified as Dr. Seidel moved into one of the deep shadows near the collection of tables. "You will soon wish you had not done so." Dr. Seidel responded, his voice deepening and straining slightly as he did so. This was followed by a few pained grunts and groans before the shadows went silent. Then, a large figure could faintly be seen climbing among some of the shadows above the platforms lit by the emergency lights. "So, you can now change your shape at will." Stated the cold voice that again seemed to come from multiple directions at once. "All the more reason you will regret coming down here." Replied a deep, partially hissing voice from the large shape crawling along one of the uppers walls of abandoned station. "Perhaps." Replied the cold voice. "But I believe there is a way we may help one another with mutual goals." The large figures stopped, peering out to scan the darkest areas of around station with yellow reptilian eyes. "I suspect there is little you can offer which I will be interested in." It replied in almost a growl. "I believe we may help one another in striking out against the Second Raven." The cold voice replied from the darkness. There was a long pause as the yellow eyes of the large figure peered out at the shadows around the station platforms. "Go on, you have my interest."

March 21, 2020 DuTemps Castle "Kimber!" called Eira from the guest bedroom the Claremont girls were using to change. "I need your advice!" Technically the members of Orange Squad (along with her room-mate and her friend Pan) were here for diplomatic and professional purposes. True North, Canada's super-team, had recently teamed up with the British super-team Vanguard to battle the forces of the Fenian Liberation Army - the fight had been long, been hard, and it was all very interesting if you cared about the history of cross-Atlantic imperialism and the lasting legacy of American and British imperialism. But what was relevant right now was that in the aftermath of the battle in upstate New York, the teams had come to a neutral spot to celebrate, reconnect, and enjoy the hospitality of one of their richest American partners. It was a great opportunity to meet adult heroes from all over Europe and Canada, use the DuTemps pool - the big one, that the Deep One who lived here typically avoided because of its chlorination, get acquainted with the Claremont alums who lived in the castle, get out from under Claremont discipline under the watchful eye of adult heroes, and maybe hit the sound system and eat snacks while they were at it.

OOC for this. @Grumblefloof, @Darksider42

GM Millennium Mall, Midtown, Freedom City 5:30 PM, November 15th, 2019 A rainy Friday afternoon, and Millennium Mall was packed as usual. There was a certain feeling in the air. Everyone was moving around in groups, even tighter than usual. Even through laughter and crying children, everyone hurried between the shops and stuck together, casting nervous glances about. During the last month, five people had gone missing, all disappearing within the vicinity of the mall during the evening. Everyone was hurrying to get home before it was too late. No one wanted to stick around, deals or not deals. That kidnappers had made no demands, and had not been seen. All that was found on the scene after a disappearance was a single silver ball, small enough to fit in a hand. And on this particular evening, several visitors to the mall would be finding similar balls all over the mall.

In Brief: Spider-Man as re-imagined by Guillermo del Toro, with bits of Robin and Daredevil mixed in. Character: Octoman Power Level: 14 (Built as PL8) Tradeoffs: None Power Points: 206/207PP Unspent Points: 1 Catchphrases & Nicknames: "Octo-Boy" (He does not like this one); "Señor Ocho"; "The Outrageous Octoman"; "The Crime-Fighting Kraken"; "The Sensational Cephalopod"; "The Loudmouth Leviathan"; "Who ordered the calamari?" Alternate Identity: Benicio "Ben" Wang Identity: Secret Legal Status: USA citizen (minor) with no criminal record Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York Base of Operations: Freedom City, New Jersey Residence: The Claremont Academy dorms during the week, and an apartment in the West End on the weekend Occupation: Student Affiliations: Claremont Academy (Student) Family: Amaya Molina Santiago (Mother), Diego Wang (Father), Sofia Santiago Vasquez (Maternal Grandmother), Benicio Molina Ramirez (Maternal Grandfather), Jasmine Guinto-Wang (Paternal Grandmother), Asher Wang (Paternal Grandfather), several unnamed aunts, uncles, and cousins DESCRIPTION Age: 16 (Date of Birth: 2003) Apparent Age: 16 Gender: Male Ethnicity: Mother is Puerto Rican Afro-Latina. Father is half Ashkenazi Jewish, half Filipino. Height: 5'7" Weight: 140 lbs. Hair: None (Formerly Black) Eyes: Yellow (Formerly Brown) Because of his mixed ancestry, Ben's actual ethnicity is difficult for people to guess at first glance. He has big eyes and a heart-shaped face with soft features which makes him look younger than he is. His build is that of a typical semi-athletic lanky teenager. During his day-to-day life out of costume, he uses his shapeshifting power to mimic his original appearance before his mutation. He recreates the brown eyes that turned yellow, and the medium-length Afro hairstyle he wore before all his body hair fell out. He also hides the new lines and folds all over his skin, which appear to be scars but are actually new orifices. The other changes to his body from the mutation are less visible. An x-ray would reveal his lack of a rigid skeleton, and several new organs and muscular structures. His blood is thick, like syrup, and purple, since it contains both the hemoglobin normally found in humans (which is red, since it contains iron), and the hemocyanin found in cephalopods (which is blue, since it contains copper). His blood pressure is significantly higher than that of a normal human. When he is cut, his blood generally sprays instead of dripping. His blood is also slightly radioactive; not enough to be dangerous, but enough for Geiger counters to register a noticeable uptick. Ben technically walks around naked most of the time. Both his normal street clothes and his superhero "costume" are just manifestations of his ability to change the shape, texture, and color of his own flesh. When he is "in costume", the impossibly perfect way that the "fabric" clings to his skin is a clue for close observers to its true nature. His "mask" somehow adheres to his face in a manner which conveys all of his facial expressions , and the "mouth hole" never falls out of place or exposes any of the skin around it, no matter how much he moves, talks, or gets punched in the face. HISTORY Benicio Wang was born in Brooklyn to Gen-X parents. His mother, Maya, is an overworked public defender of Puerto Rican Afro-Latina descent. His father, Diego, is a half-Filipino, half-Ashkenazi overworked baker and deli cook. Ben frequently jokes that his lineage makes him the most Brooklyn guy who ever lived. If one of his parents are in earshot, they will retort that they moved to Freedom City when he was a small child, and visiting his grandparents during the holidays doesn't make him a New Yorker. Ben met Geckoman in 2010, though Gecks probably doesn't remember. The 18-year-old superhero was occupied with defending Freedom City from the third Grue invasion, and working things out with his supervillain girlfriend. But Ben will never, ever forget it. He was only seven years old when his family found themselves trapped in the Millennium Mall, huddling behind an increasingly fatigued and desperate Spellbound. Ben was impressed with her and the lightning-wand she used to zap away the invading aliens, but with her black costume and icy demeanor, she scared the boy almost as much as the Grue. When the brightly-colored, wise-cracking Geckoman dropped down through the skylight and started jumping around, tossing boomerangs, and kicking giant monsters in the face, little Ben's fear evaporated. From that day forward, Ben was a lifelong #Geckofan. Eight years later, Doctor Cooper Seidel was hard at work trying to stabilize and enhance his universal antivenom serum, and his resulting transformation into the reptile monster Goanna. He had retained a gang of hired thugs who had helped him steal the lab equipment, rare animal specimens, and radioactive materials he needed for his latest experiments. He closely monitored local law enforcement communications, so he had advance warning when the multi-agency task force finally found his hideout and moved to raid it. Seidel and his henchmen hastily loaded the irradiated animal specimens into a truck and escaped just as the tactical units broke down the door. The truck had enough of a lead that they might have escaped, if a bystander hadn't lost their grip on their dog's leash. Or if the dog hadn't then run out into the middle of the road. Or if fifteen year-old computer science prodigy Ben Wang hadn't run out into the road after the dog to scoop it up. Or if Seidel's henchman hadn't swerved at high speed to avoid Ben and lost control of the truck, flipping and crashing it. The truck and the tanks inside it broke open, spilling water and a menagerie of mutated animals into the street. Ben saved the dog, but the truck clipped him, sending him flying several feet away. He was dazed for a few moments, before the rush of cold water on the asphalt under him cleared his head. He saw a tiny yellow octopus crawling on his hand, and had just enough time to think it was cute before it bit him. Seidel ordered his henchmen to gather up the escaped test subjects, but no amount of money could convince them to pick up a bunch of radioactive venomous creatures with their bare hands. While Ben was wracked with painful muscle spasms which escalated into projectile vomiting, diarrhea, and a full-blown seizure, an enraged Seidel transformed into Goanna and slaughtered his own "cowardly and incompetent" henchmen, along with the occupants of the first couple of police cars who responded to the crash. Goanna intended to do the same to the bumbling idiot boy who had ruined everything, but when he saw that one of his test subjects had already done the work for him, he merely laughed while the boy suffocated on the pavement. Knowing that some combination of the FCPD's STAR squad, AEGIS, or one or more superheroes would show up soon, Goanna fled into the sewers. Seidel showed up at the hospital where Ben had been taken later that same night, intent on harvesting samples from the boy's corpse, since it was all the remained of his months of research. He was surprised to learn that the boy had survived. He took careful note of the boy's name, and resolved to keep him under close surveillance. Ben received prompt medical attention, and he seemed to make a full recovery, with one exception: The song he'd been listening to on his headphones when he dove out in front of that truck was the last thing he would ever hear. Hearing loss isn't a normal symptom of either vehicular collisions or tetrodotoxin poisoning, but the doctors had no other idea what else could have caused it. It wasn't until several days after he was discharged from the hospital that Ben's body began to change significantly. The changes happened gradually, over the course of several months. Ben hid them from everyone, even his parents. As his new powers slowly manifested, he learned how to use them through a combination of new instinct and trial and error. He knew immediately what he wanted to do with them. Right after his sixteenth birthday, during the summer before his sophomore year of high school, Ben put on his costume and started swinging through the streets of Freedom City as Octoman. PERSONALITY & MOTIVATION Ben is bright, inquisitive, and altruistic, but he can't keep his big mouth shut. Growing up as the latchkey-kid only child of two workaholic parents has turned him into a bit of an unconscious attention-seeker. He likes to make an entrance. He has an opinion to share about everything. If he's not rambling, he's arguing. If a joke or an insult comes to his mind, then it also comes out of his mouth. He never stops trash-talking during a competition or a fight. He's actually a pretty lonely and sensitive kid, but he never met an emotion he couldn't hide under sarcasm or just drown out with his motor-mouth. He doesn't know how to pick his battles, and his refusal to let the slightest disagreement, injustice, or insult go unchallenged gets him into trouble. But even when he's railing against injustice, he generally tries to keep things light. He'll keep making bad jokes and puns past the point where anyone is laughing (if they ever were to begin with). After his brush with death, Ben just felt lucky. But once his powers manifested, weird though they are, he felt blessed. Ben has two passions in life: Hacking, and superheroes. He maintains active accounts on both HeroHouse and TroubAlert (Username: Geckofan). He's been obsessed with Geckoman in particular (and, to a lesser extent, the rest of his Young Freedom and Interceptors teammates) since he was seven years old. He had resigned himself to, maybe, at best, using his hacking skills to play a support role for a superhero someday. But he desperately wanted to be an actual superhero, just like Gecks. His resulting disability and (slight) disfigurement have put a damper on his enthusiasm, but only a slight one. He's still having trouble adjusting, but he loves being a superhero more than he misses his hearing. POWERS & TACTICS Ben has a surprising amount of hand-to-hand combat training for a teenager. He's been wrestling since junior high, and he's been taking self-defense classes since he was seven (they weren't a hard sell for his parents after he almost died in the Grue invasion). His superhuman agility and flexibility, his bundle of sticky tentacles stretching and lashing out for dozens or hundreds of feet in every direction, his lack of response to any auditory stimuli, and his youthful recklessness and loud mouth all combine to make him a confusing and irritating opponent. He can potentially attack or evade in any direction. He can lash out with his tentacles like whips, use them to grab a foe and pull them in for a punch or a kick, or use them to pull himself in close for the same. He will wrap his tentacles around a foe, and then slam that foe into objects, terrain, or even other foes. He'll grab a faraway foe and pull them in for a punch, or pull himself to them, boot-first. His ink sprays and venomous bite make him even more unpredictable. Ben was a normal human, but an injection of radioactive octopus venom mutated him into a human-cephalopod hybrid. His body has grown several new glands, organs, and orifices. He has no bones left in his body. They have transformed into cartilage and muscle. So while his body looks "solid" from the outside, he can bend, stretch, and compress his flesh, contorting into any position and squeezing through any crevices. His skin can secrete a clear mucous which acts as a lubricant to aid this process. The outer layers of his flesh are so flexible and malleable that he can change the texture of his skin at will. His skin cells contain pigments which can be released with muscle contractions in a virtually infinite variety of combinations, allowing him to change his coloration to anything he can imagine. These traits allow him to effectively becoming invisible in the normal visual light spectrum, or to mimic the appearance of any object or creature. This also makes it virtually impossible for foes in hand-to-hand combat to keep a grip on him. He has superhuman levels of strength, agility, stamina, and resilience. With his thick skin, powerful and flexible muscles, and lack of a rigid skeleton, he is able to absorb traumatic impact, cuts and blunt force alike, with less likelihood of real injury. He has grown several "back-up organs", which makes it less likely that any wounds he suffers will be debilitating. He has three hearts, and enough brain and nervous tissue running throughout his body to act as a second brain and spinal cord. His body will recover inside a couple of hours from wounds that would kill or cripple a normal person, or at least leave them bedridden for days. Like a cephalopod, his body can even regrow lost limbs. He isn't technically immune to fatigue, disease, infection, radiation, or extremes of temperature or pressure, but his body is so effective at fighting them off that sometimes it seems like he is; he has, for lack of a better term, "super-health". New orifices on his forearms and on the sides and back of his torso can deploy tentacles*, which can stretch until they are hundreds of feet long. The same neural tissue running through the rest of his body also runs through the tentacles, allowing his brain to control all of them perfectly. (*Technically, these new limbs are "arms", rather than "tentacles", since they have suckers along their entire length, instead of just at the ends, but this distinction only matters to marine biologists.) His body contains a network of hollow tubes and bladders similar to a cephalopod siphon. He can use muscular contractions to force fluids through those tubes and out of his body through a series of new orifices. The primary use of his internal siphon is locomotion. By forcing air or water through it, he creates jet propulsion, launching himself through the water or up into the air. That internal siphon can also expel the pungent, opaque black ink produced by another one of his new organs. He can release it gradually, creating a cloud which provides cover (the gas quickly dissolves in open air, so it is equally effective under water or on dry land), or he can fire a concentrated burst of ink directly into the face of an enemy, temporarily blinding them and overwhelming their olfactory senses in a manner similar to that of tear gas or pepper spray. A substantial portion of his extra brain tissue is devoted to processing visual and olfactory input, and the suckers on his tentacles act as extra noses and tongues. His senses of sight, smell, and taste are enhanced far beyond those of a normal human. His eyes can perceive a wider array of color at finer detail, and he has excellent night vision. He can distinguish fine details in scent and taste, and track them to their source like a bloodhound. His body is truly amphibious, adapted equally well to life in open air or under water. His aforementioned increased visual acuity allows him to see perfectly in the dim light of deep water. He has gills on the sides of his neck, which remain closed in open air but which allow him to breathe while he is under water. His skin acts as near-perfect insulation, keeping him from losing his body heat. His blood contains both hemoglobin and hemocyanin, so it is equally effective at keeping his tissues oxygenated in both open air and freezing water. His siphon allows him to regulate his internal fluid pressure, which, along with his flexible muscles, lets him adapt to the crushing weight of the deep sea. His head contains venom sacs, which produce a paralytic poison similar to that of the octopus who bit him. His body injects this poison with a combination of a pharyngeal jaw and a proboscis: A pair of pincers, similar to a cephalopod beak, on the end of a second tongue, hidden under his original tongue, which can telescope over a foot from his mouth, fully extending in a fraction of a second. His own body is immune to this venom, and other, similar toxins. COMPLICATIONS Accidents: Ben is inexperienced and reckless. The GM can give him a Hero Point in exchange for declaring that Ben's actions have created some sort of hazard, which he must drop his current task to deal with. Alien Blood: Ben's blood is a wildly different color and consistency from normal human blood, and it is slightly radioactive. Once it leaves his body, it is no longer subject to his Morph power, and its true nature is revealed. Since his blood pressure is so much higher than that of a normal human, when his blood does leave his body, it is usually quite obvious. It is not dangerous, but Geiger counters will register a noticeable uptick in its presence. The GM can give Ben a Hero Point if his blood causes some sort of setback. Examples include revealing his presence when it would otherwise go unnoticed, or social interaction turning hostile when he is revealed as something not quite human. Disability (Deaf): Ben permanently has the Deafened condition (Mutants & Masterminds 2nd Edition, page 171). He suffers a -4 penalty to Initiative, and he automatically fails auditory Notice checks (Mutants & Masterminds 2nd Edition, page 52). Ben has another Acute Radius sense, his normal olfactory sense, but that doesn't necessarily provide him with the same information that an auditory sense would. The GM can give him a Hero Point every time he suffers a setback due to his inability to hear, such as missing important dialogue. The most common example would be a failure on his part to correctly read another person's lips while they speak. According to the Masterminds Manual, page 14, in order to read lips, he must make a visual Notice check at +5DC. According to Mutants & Masterminds 2nd Edition, pages 51-52, this is a base DC10 check, since it is DC0 to notice something standing out in the open but DC10 to perceive fine details about it. With the +5 penalty, the Notice check for lip reading would have a base DC15, with an additional +5 DC if the GM decides that Ben is "distracted", and another +1DC for every 10ft Notice increment between Ben and the person whose lips he's trying to read. If he fails by 1-4, then he can't make out what they're saying, and if he fails by 5+, then he misinterprets their words. Enemy (Goanna): The GM can give Ben a Hero Point when Goanna shows up to make an already bad situation worse. Since Goanna knows Ben's secret identity, he could show up anywhere, at any time. Loudmouth: Ben doesn't know when to keep his big mouth shut. The GM can give Ben a Hero Point when he creates a setback for himself by mouthing off. Alternately, the GM can give another character a Hero Point when Ben creates a setback for them. If the GM doesn't feel that Ben is being sufficiently mouthy, then they can give him a Hero Point in exchange for forcing him to mouth off in a situation where doing so will create a setback for him. Alternately, the GM can give another character a Hero Point and force Ben to mouth off in a way which will create a setback for that other character. Obsession (Geckoman): The GM can give Ben a Hero Point if Ben creates a setback for himself due to his obsessive hero-worship of Geckoman, such as neglecting his responsibilities or ruining a social interaction. The GM can also give him a Hero Point in exchange for forcing him to do this. Power Loss (Ink, Venom): Ben's body produces ink and venom which he can use as weapons, but it does not produce an infinite supply, and once depleted, it takes time to replenish. The GM can give Ben a Hero Point when he tries to use one of these powers in exchange for declaring that he has run out of "ammunition". Prejudice: Ben is black, Latino, Asian, Jewish, disabled, and a mutate. The GM can give him a Hero Point when another character's ignorance of and/or prejudice against one or more of these groups creates a setback for him. Responsibilities (Family, School): The GM can give Ben a Hero Point when he faces a setback on account of obligations to his parents or his schoolwork. For example, the GM can give him a Hero Point at the start of a day or thread and declare that he is Fatigued because he didn't have time to get enough sleep. Secrets (Identity, Mutation): The GM can give Ben a Hero Point when he has a task to accomplish, but is hindered by the need to protect his identity, and/or his nature as a mutate. Sensory Overload (Olfactory, Visual): Ben has enhanced smell, taste, and vision. The GM can give him a Hero Point in exchange for increasing the effective power rank of sensory powers like Dazzle which target those sense types. Status (Minor): It's possible that Ben might face a setback on account of his legal age which even his Morph power and high Bluff score couldn't get him out of. If the GM can come up with one, then they can give him a Hero Point in exchange for inflicting it upon him. ABILITIES 2 + 4 + 4 + 8 + 4 + 8 = 30PP Strength: 26/12 (+8/+1), 56/12 Lifting (Heavy Load: 58,880 lbs. [29.44 tons] / 130 lbs.) Dexterity: 26/14 (+8/+2) Constitution: 26/14 (+8/+2) Intelligence: 18 (+4) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 18 (+4) COMBAT 6 + 6 = 12PP Initiative: +12/-2 (+8/+2 Dex, +8 Enhanced Improved Initiative, -4 Deafened) Attack: +8 Melee (+3 Base, +5 Melee Attack Focus), +3 Ranged (+3 Base) Grapple: +32/+10 vs one target, +28/+10 vs multiple targets (+8 Melee Attack, +8/+2 Strength/Dexterity, +4 Additional Limbs, +6 Elongation, +6 Super-Strength) Defense: +8 (+3 Base, +5 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback Resistance: 4/1 SAVING THROWS 0 + 0 + 6 = 6PP Toughness: +8/+2 (+8/+2 Con) Fortitude: +8/+2 (+8/+2 Con, +0PP) Reflex: +8/+2 (+8/+2 Dex, +0PP)Evasion 2 Will: +8 (+2 Wis, +6PP) SKILLS 72R = 18PP Acrobatics 3 (+15/+5)Skill Mastery Bluff 13 (+17)Distract, Fascinate, Fast Task (Feint, Taunt), Skill Mastery, Taunt Computers 13 (+17)Online Research + Well-Informed, Second Chance, Skill Mastery, Ultimate Skill Craft (Electronic) 1 (+5) Disguise 0 (+5/+4, +10 or +50 with Morph) Escape 0 (+14/+2, Automatic with Insubstantial) Knowledge (Current Events) 6 (+10) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 1 (+5) Knowledge (Pop Culture) 11 (+15) Knowledge (Technology) 6 (+10) Knowledge (Theology & Philosophy) 1 (+5) Languages 3 (American Sign Language [ASL], English [Native], Hebrew, Spanish) Notice 3 (+15/+5)Deafened Search 1 (+15/+5) Sleight of Hand 3 (+15/+5)Skill Mastery Stealth 3 (+15/+5) Swim 4 (+15/+5)Swimming FEATS 24PP Attack Focus (Melee) 5 Chokehold Distract (Bluff) Dodge Focus 5 Fascinate (Bluff) Fast Task 2 (Feint, Taunt) Grapple Finesse Luck 2 Online Research Second Chance (Computers) Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Bluff, Computers, Sleight of Hand) Taunt Well-Informed Ultimate Skill (Computers) Enhanced: Environmental Adaptation (Underwater) Evasion 2 Improved Initiative 2 Uncanny Dodge (Sense Types: Olfactory) POWERS 116PP Additional Limbs 4 (10 Limbs; Extras: Duration [Sustained]; Feats: Ambidexterity) [5PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Retractable Tentacles) Concealment 2 (Normal Vision; Flaws: Blending, Passive) [1PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Shapeshifting) Elongation 6 (Elongate 300ft per Move Action, 250ft Max, Free action to retract; 60ft Range Increments for elongated melee attacks; Flaws: Limited [Additional Limbs]) [3PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Stretchy Tentacles) Enhanced Constitution 12 [12PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Redundant Organs, Regeneration, Super-Toughness) Enhanced Dexterity 12 [12PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Super-Agility, Super-Reflexes) Enhanced Feats 4 (Evasion 2, Improved Initiative 2) [4PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Super-Reflexes, Super-Senses) Enhanced Skills 36 (Acrobatics 4, Disguise 1, Notice 10, Search 10, Sleight of Hand 4, Stealth 4, Swim 3) [9PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Super-Agility, Super-Reflexes, Super-Senses) Features 2 (Environmental Adaptation [Underwater]; Internal Compartment) [2PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Shapeshifting) Immunity 6 (Cold; Critical Hits; Poison; Pressure; Suffocation [Underwater]) [6PP] (Descriptors: Brain Tissue Distributed Throughout Body, Gills, Insulated Skin, Internal Network of Fluid Bladders & Siphons, Mutation, No Skeleton, Venom Glands) Insubstantial 1 (Feats: Subtle) [6PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, No Skeleton, Shapeshifting) Morph 1 (Any Form; +5 Disguise) [3PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Shapeshifting) Octopus Movement 2 (4PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power) [5PP] Base Power: [4PP] Leaping 4 (x25, Running Long Jump: 450ft) [4PP] (Descriptors: Biological Jet Propulsion, Mutation) Alternate Power: [4PP] Swimming 4 (25MPH, 250ft per Move Action; Can Take 10 on Swim checks) [4PP] (Descriptors: Biological Jet Propulsion, Mutation) Octopus Power 13 (26PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 4) [30PP] Base Power: [14 + 12 = 26PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Super-Strength) Enhanced Strength 14 [14PP] Super-Strength 6 (Lifting Strength: 56, Heavy Load: 58,880 lbs. [29.44 tons]) [12PP] Alternate Power: [22 + 4 = 26PP] Dazzle 8 (Sense Types: Olfactory + Visual; Flaws: Range [Touch]; Feats: Extended Reach 4 [25ft], Improved Critical 2 [18-20]) [22PP] (Descriptors: Ink Spray, Mutation) Obscure 2 (Sense Types: Olfactory + Visual; Area: 10ft radius; Extras: Independent, Total Fade [4 rounds]; Flaws: Limited [One Sense: Normal Vision], Range [Touch]) [4PP] (Descriptors: Ink Cloud, Mutation) Alternate Power: [24PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Shapeshifting) Morph 8 (9; Any Form; +45 Disguise) [24PP] Alternate Power: [26PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Pharyngeal Jaw, Proboscis, Venom) Paralyze 8 (Extras: Alternate Save [Fortitude], Secondary Effect; Feats: Improved Critical 2 [18-20]) [26PP] Alternate Power: [26PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, "Tentacle Storm") Snare 8 (Extras: Area [Type: Targeted, Shape: Cone], Engulf, Selective; Flaws: Duration [Concentration]; Feats: Chokehold, Progression [Area Size] 1 [25ft/rank = 200ft]) [26PP] Regeneration 7 (Recovery 1 [+9]; Recovery Rate: Injured 3 [1 minute], Staggered 1 [20 minutes], Disabled 2 [1 hour]; Feats: Regrowth) [8PP] (Descriptors: Mutation) Super-Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2 [Full Speed; Not Flat-Footed]) [4PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Suckers) Super-Senses 6 (Acute Tracking Smell/Taste; Danger Sense [Sense Types: Olfactory]; Low-Light Vision; Microscopic Vision 1 [Dust]; Uncanny Dodge [Sense Types: Olfactory]) [6PP] (Descriptors: Mutation, Suckers) Abilities (30) + Combat (12) + Saving Throws (6) + Skills (18) + Feats (24) + Powers (116) - Drawbacks (0) = 204/207 Power Points ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC23/16 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Additional Limbs 250ft Max, + Elongation 60ft Increments Ink 25ft DC18 Reflex Dazzle (Visual + Olfactory) DC18 Fortitude Recover Tentacle Storm Touch/Area DC18 Reflex (Staged) Entangled/Bound (200ft Cone) Venom Touch DC18 Fortitude (Staged) Slowed/Paralyzed

December 2019 Dutemps Tower I AM GOING UNDER THE SEA. I WILL BRING YOU A FISH. Aquaria considered what else to say, then added HAVE FUN AT THE ART GALLERY! It was only a day trip out to the art museum with the glass with her other friend, but Jessie had been looking forward to it and that was good. She didn't want to spoil her good time, so she added a note on the refrigerator that said CALL HELP IF I AM NOT BACK SOON. With her job done, Aquaria headed to the closet where she kept her armor. She climbed inside and throbbed with satisfaction as the space-metal closed around her, the warm liquid that emerged from every crevice inside immensely more satisfying than the cold, dry air of their apartment. She and Jessie had special windows that actually opened, something Eve had said was the "superhero" model and because sometimes the claustrophobia in this little dry space was terrifying. With her armor on, she hung her trident over her back and began climbing the sides of the building, up towards the castle. Was anyone home today? She certainly hoped so. December 2019 "Would Heroditus Stylianos please report to the headmaster's office? He is being picked up." The rather odd PA announcement seemed to make Heroditus' art teacher very worried, and right in the middle of watercolors no less. Heroditus had never actually heard that particular phrase said over the intercom before, at least not when it came to him. "Oh dear, oh dear, well, ah, Mr.Stylianos, we'll take care of everything," said Ms. Zinzendorf. She walked him to the door, a sympathetic expression on her face. "Don't worry about a thing."

GM October 10th, 6PM, 2019 Riverside, the docks, the cargo freighter Viper Star At the captain's shout, the previously stunned and frightened crew dove under railings, slid back hatches or simply discarded bulky survival suits to reveal the sleek, glowing and deceptively-primitivist designs of Dakanan technology. The rustic sound of their propellor cut abruptly, replaced with the distinct thrumm of a daka-controlled propulsion system. The formerly-leisurely pace of the Viper Star noticeably jumped, the freighter turning to head for the North Bay. "I'm sorry," Captain Imamba said, thoroughly looking it, "but we can't wait until everyone who needs our help can afford it. And I can't let loyalty to Dakana stand in the way of my duty as a thinking, feeling human being. Crew, attack!" The crystal arcs crackled, red light flashed, and the air filled with the muted roar of sonic pulses hailing down on the small group of students!

OOC thread for this thread. Cruisin' for a high-tech bruisin'. @Tiffany Korta @angrydurf @Dr Archeville @Cubismo @Grumblefloof Everyone gets 1HP to start for beginning in the midst of combat without immediate cover. Captain Imamba and the crew of the Viper Star will use the Soldier stat block from the Core Rules, with the addition of the Teamwork, Improved Aim and Prone Fighting Feats. Their weapons are blasters set to the Stun Alternate Effect. Initiative rolls for the crew: 16. Block of 10 NPCs. After Initiative rolls, the crew will take a surprise round.

The evening of Tech Compliance Ben, Thank you very kindly for your letter today. I appreciate that you are thinking about my sister and I. I'm sorry about what happened at Tech Club today, and I hope you feel better soon. But you should know that it's not a secret that Ashley and I are from another dimension. We are comfortable with who we are. Speaking of which, I was wondering if you'd be interested in joining me at See You At The Pole this Saturday. It won't be as big as the one in September, but we have some big plans. I know it's getting a little chilly for outside times, but there's hot cocoa and good times, and there's some really good fellowship. Yours, Judy Smith Judy looked at the message, nodded, then pressed send.

Fall 2019 -- shortly after Aquaria's speech at Claremont Claremont Dorms -- Room 213 7-ish pm Despite how much his roommate had been amped about it, Davyd Palahniuk had elected not to attend Aquaria's speech. It's not that he wasn't interested in seeing her -- a Deep One, here, on campus! Not attacking or eating anyone! -- but he already had a lot of homework to catch up on, and was happy to be able to study alone in his room for a bit. He'd never done well in history, and while Claremont's version of U.S. History courses focused more on the impact of superheroes (and supervillains) on the country, and was thus much more interesting to the native Freedomian, he still had difficulty keeping all the names and dates and whatnot right in his mind. He was lying on his bed, with his textbook on his chest, eyes closed in concentration. "Okay, let's try this again. First there was The Ghost, then Johnny Danger, then Bluesman, then Centurion, then Eldrich... wait, no," he picked up the book, "no, Eldrich then Centurion. Then-" And that's when his roommate reappeared.

Claremont Academy 10:30 am, August 28th, 2019 Weather: Sunny, 77 F, Wind E 15-20 mph The visitor's parking lot was packed. A sea of people bustled amidst vehicles and toward open, shining gates. Belongings, often with grunts of effort, were loaded onto carts. Laughter echoed from caravans trickling through the main entrance and the Quad. Hand-drawn signs pointed the way, each adorned with student messages. In time, the shadows of the twin dormitories provided respite to travelers. Staff and peer counselors dotted the trail, assisting overwhelmed students on their journey. Vice-Principal Dugan was the first new face to arrivals. Her table near the gates kicked off the journey. Mr. Marquez wheeled the circuit and kept visitors on course. Mr Kuzkin and Ms. Harcourt paced about the Kord and Carter dorms, respectively. Their task, to organize the move-in, appeared to have some success. At the very least, weary travelers could partake of cold refreshments and treats outside the main doors. While outside was organized chaos, the dorm halls were like herding cats. A din permeated the air. Dozens of students, parents, and guardians wandered in search of rooms. Boxes and bags transformed the hallways into obstacle courses. The excitement of new memories and old friends contrasted with worried hugs and goodbyes. If nothing else, the dorms were places of beginnings and endings. What are you doing this beautiful day? Moving into the dorm? Helping new students?

Claremont Fall 2019 Noon Mia sighed as she exited the counselor’s office, rubbing her temples. She had just received what she was pretty sure was a tongue-lashing, except not much like the ones she had back at public school. There was less anger, more ‘we’re disappointed in you’, which strangely enough, felt worse. She grimaced, and pulled her phone out from the pocket of her faded black jeans. She looked down at the screen as she unlocked it, weighing her options. She decided to settle on her dad. He was always the softer one with her. Letting her mom know she’d already gotten in trouble was going to give her a conniption and Mia didn’t need that. Her mom didn’t either, probably. Too much stress going on, lately. But her dad. He could take it, right? She opened up a new text window. Mia grimaced. That was fast. He must have been taking his lunch. Mia glared at her screen, and hastily tapped a reply, then deleted it, then wrote another reply. Mia’s eyes went wide. Tell her mom? No! She was telling him specifically to avoid letting her mom know! Mia pumped her fist. She assumed the acceptance of a peace offering meant that she was safe from him telling her mom. For now. He was definitely not getting that cola if he told her mom. No one would get any cola then. Her attention turned back to the counselor’s office, and she narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t believe she actually got in trouble for this. It was such a non-issue. But of course, people had to blow everything out of proportion all the time. Couldn’t just be cool about things. Ugh. And man, now she had to write an apology letter to Aquaria, too. What was even the point of an apology if someone made you write it? She rolled her eyes, then turned around, only to find she was staring at the reason she had teleported out of the presentation in the first place. “Oh, hey,” she said flatly. “Didn’t… See you there.”

Octoman Ben Wang intended to take full advantage of the summer months to get the hang of this superhero thing before school started back up. The weekday morning found him on the roof of his West End apartment complex, shifting the colors and textures of his skin, and recreated the costume he'd only drawn on paper. OK, that doesn't look right in 3-D...darken that part, brighten up this one...now we're in business. He took a few deep breaths to fill up his internal bladders. Then he crouched down and flexed muscles no other person had, forcing the air through his internal siphon and expelling it through the now-open valves in his hands and feet. He shot off into the air like a rocket. "AWWW YEAAAHHH!" Tentacles sprouted from his body while he soared over the buildings. Once he started to lose momentum, the tentacles stretched out for dozens, sometimes hundreds of feet, slapping against whatever building was in reach. The suckers lining the tenacles stuck to any surface, and the tentacles could retract as quickly and forcefully as they expanded, pulling the rest of his body through the air to meet them. He held his smartphone with one of the tentacles, using the tip to press the virtual button. As he bounced around between buildings, he took a series of candid action shots, and a few plain old selfies. What has two thumbs and doesn't need a transit card anymore? While being pulled toward the side of a building at 25MPH by what was basically a motorized winch in tentacle form, he actually took the time to raise two fists and point his thumbs at his own chest as he completed the thought. THIS GUY.