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Williams Street Friday, July 10th, 2015 9:32 PM Friday nights were far from quiet in Freedom City, but this one was at least the kind of buzz that many were used to. The streets below were bustling, and while Liberty Park itself was fairly empty, there were still the occasional couples strolling across the lamplit paths, as well as those who'd decided to seek some shelter from the summer humidity by the cool of the lake. Cannonade was happy to take to the rooftops tonight. Things were going well at work, classes at night school were going okay, and he hadn't had anything horrible to deal with on the streets lately. There'd been the occasional bit of street crime, but things had mostly been on the level. In all honesty, he was starting to feel a little bit restless. He was waiting for something to happen - either to break the boredom, or to thrust him back into potential unpleasantness. When it came, it came fast. For Harrier, it was a burst over his in-suit radio - discordant, shrieking static that almost sounded like screams. For Oracle, it was a sharp sensation of the darker side of human thought, black as night and curdled as old milk. And for Cannonade, it came when he saw a young woman open a fifth-story window, step out onto the sill, and prepare to jump...

June 10, 2:45pm. Claremont Academy Eileen exited the classroom, holding her textbook and notebook in one hand while hitching her purse up on her shoulder, clearly a little distracted by the juggling act. Fortunately not so distracted that she trampled the tiny sophomore who she crossed paths with in the hall just outside the doorway. "Sorry!" the tall blonde girl exclaimed, from nearly a foot higher up due to her boots. "Didn't mean to nearly run you down." Perhaps amazingly, she hadn't lost her grip on any of her things -- would wonders never cease? She took a second look at the other student, and something clicked. "Hey -- you're, um, Zephyr, right?" she went on with a smile. "You've got some major mind mojo going on, from what I hear. Impressive, and probably a little annoying," she observed, her smile turning wry. "Oh, and I'm Eileen," she introduced herself, managing to free up a hand to hold out in introduction. "I've only been here a few weeks, still getting used to," she hefted her textbook, cradled in her elbow, "'Energy Theory and Secondary Propagation'. Or, another way to put it, 'stuff has consequences'." She snorted -- like a textbook or a class was needed to figure out that.

An OOC thread for Uffish Thoughts.

The OOC!

July 12, 2015 "Bequeath all of thy paltry trinkets unto my satchel or face the wrath my master!" the armored figure shouted at the terrified sales clerk from behind a gold and sapphire hued helmet styled to be reminiscent of a baboon. The plasma cannons built into his gauntlets, used moments before to blast sizable holes in the lavish skylights of the jewelry store, said that the armor was cutting edge while the style and decoration were obviously nods to a much older aesthetic. Behind him another five brigands in similarly ancient Egyptian themed power armor were busying themselves smashing into glass displays and cowing patrons and employees alike into silence. One stood at the doorway, wielding a massive spear that on a second glance was tipped with an intimidating barrel rather than a pointed blade and making it clear to mall security and good samaritans alike that they would do better to simply wait for the robbery to be over. Already the normally busy walkway of the shopping center's second floor had been deserted by civilians. Licking his lips, the shop's manager, a well dressed man with a shaved head and impeccable goatee, looked at the sack being held in front of him and nodded jerkily. "O-of course. Let me just--" Left hand inches from the silent alarm trigger below the display he abruptly found his field of view dominated by that same wrist mounted blaster, the heat from its first discharge still radiating from it like the hot breath of a predator. "Test not the patience of a servant to the gods, mortal!" the thief snarled, towering almost a full head over his victim. "The jewels! Now!"

Player Name: Shojikitsune Character Name: Oracle Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-offs: None Unspent Power Points: 0 Progress to Bronze Status: 0/30 In brief: A wild talent psychic with telepathic powers, teleportation and more... Residence: Southside, Freedom City, NJ – attending Claremont & residing on campus Base of Operations: Freedom City, NJ Catchphrase: “Also? I can kill you with my brain..." Alternate Identity: Zephyr Brooks Identity: Public Birthplace: Freedom City, NJ Occupation: Student (Claremont) Affiliations: Nicholson School, Claremont Academy Family: Trevor and Michiko Brooks (Parents), Melvin Brooks (Uncle) Description: Age: 16 (DOB: Friday, November 13, 1998) Gender: Female Ethnicity: Asian/Caucasian Height: 5’ 1” Weight: 115 lbs. Eyes: Lavender, glowing yellow when using her powers Hair: Black, straight, middle of back/long Oracle is a young woman of mixed Japanese and Caucasian heritage, with pale skin, long black hair, and dark eyes. She hasn't decided on a costume, so is often encountered in her blouse, tie, skirt, leggings and dress shoes. When she is wearing ordinary clothes, they still tend to be black. Black pants, black shirts, even experimenting with black lipstick and strong eyeliner sometimes. Possible costume she's working on: History: Zephyr was born into an average, boring, middle-class household, and was an unusually quiet child. She would, for example, cry until one of her parents came to see what the problem was… and as soon as they would decide to come check her, she’d stop crying, as if she *knew* her message had been received. Her parents had to deal with hearing her cry when one of them was at work, but at first chalked it up to memory rather than telepathy. It became more unnerving when she began to talk – because sometimes, a parent that wasn’t with her would hear her ask them something, and sometimes if they thought of the answer or even said it aloud, she’d thank them. When she was just a few years old, she asked about all the other ‘voices’, and wondered why so much loud talking was going on… but there weren’t people there to talk to, and when she reached out to these other voices, she triggered fear and shock. Her parents, fearing the worst, took her to a mental hospital to be evaluated. Fortunately, the doctor that examined Zephyr managed to diagnose her ‘mental issue’. She wasn’t hearing ‘voices’ - she was hearing *thoughts*. Simple experiments proved that Zephyr was a powerful telepath. She was taught ways to calm her mind using yoga, and ‘reduce the range’ of effect so she could get a break from the noise. Her parents finally understood the problem, and enrolled her at the Nicholson School, and from there she went on to the Claremont Academy. There was the usual teasing, including someone thinking that calling her Wednesday Addams would somehow offend her. Instead, she came to school dressed exactly like Wednesday for a whole week. Her unstable mental powers did cause some trouble but the story was a sidebar in the local paper and didn’t generate a lot of public interest. After all, there was no shortage of heroes that *did* chase the limelight. She transferred to Claremont just recently, but has avoided attention as her powers are just now stablizing. She also has an uncle, her father’s older brother, who lives close to the school and has declared that he will spoil her and send her back to her family. But he is just a loveable old man. Personality and Motivation: Oracle is a calm, poised, rational young lady, and that’s how she behaves. She never raises her voice, swears, or acts undignified, even in dreadful circumstances. She calmly walks through raging fights, targeting and shutting down the ones with violence on the brain. She has no compulsion about letting someone else do the actual fighting, preferring instead to support and coordinate efforts. That be said, her psychic sensitivity means she tends to be a deadpan snarker, calling people on their mistakes with little decorum because she *knows* what is inside their heads. Although young, the only thing that alleviates the pressure of all the thoughts around her is to do something, anything, to help them turn positive. Despite dressing and sometimes acting like a depressed emo teen, she isn’t a fan of negative emotions. That’s ironic, since she can generate those emotions and broadcast them, weakening a target’s will. She is getting better at screening thoughts, and so isn’t unduly influenced by the darker ones anymore, but that took time. She is still something of a deadpan snarker, trying to lighten the mood with bad puns, sarcastic quips and other statements. Her motivation is to gain mastery over her powers, and then see what she really can do. Being a hero tests her limits, develops positive emotions, and goes a long way towards overcoming her previous awkwardness. And it creeps out bad guys, so win-win, right? Powers and tactics: When you know what your opponent is thinking, it’s easy to be ahead of them the whole time. Oracle took the code name because she often predicts an opponent’s move *while they are doing it* and explains why it won’t work due to the counter she already put into place. Oracle can serve as a communications center, ranged support or mix it up in close combat with equal aplomb. Concept: Oracle is a hodgepodge of my favorite DC characters – Raven, Ace and Tamara Coulder. I wanted to envision what might have happened if these characters had grown up in a warmer, more supportive environment, where their powers could develop naturally. So, she doesn’t have the tragedy the others had… but she’s not as strong as any of them either. However, after numerous attempts at making a true precog/telepath/telekinetic, I was spreading myself too thin, so i used trollthumper's combat psychic (http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/topic/5825-trollthumpers-cave/?do=findComment&comment=168857) and changed the Container from a combat suit to a ring, the Protection to a Force Field, and the Instant Change to a short range Teleport. I also reduced her Str to 10 so I could have Teleport at Rank 2. This version has no telekinetic powers, although her improved physical defenses all have a Mental descriptor since her mind is her power source. Power Descriptions: Zephyr is a powerful telepath, far out of her age groups normal range. She is constantly bombarded by outside thoughts, and won’t hesitate to comment aloud on something someone else only thinks, which tends to be delivered in a creepy deadpan that Wednesday Addams would approve of. Zephyr was born with her powers, but they didn’t stabilize until recently, instead coming and going mysteriously. She believes it’s linked to her physical development and is kind of concerned. She’d be considered a wild talent or random mutation, a one-off chance development of more than merely mortal mental might! (Amazing alliteration!) Recently, using a form of meditation and a jeweled ring as a focus, she's been able to develop very limited telekinetic abilities, such as a force field and the ability to 'move at thought' or teleport short distances. Offensively, Oracle seems to always know what’s going on. She tracks people by their mental energy as well as their physical position in the world, has an uncanny awareness of people since she can sense their minds as they come close. It makes it very hard to sneak up on her – but not impossible. Complications WITH GREAT Power: Zephyr’s family had a profound influence on the young girl, including the somewhat clichéd lecture regarding power and responsibility. It was something stable to grab at when her mind was being overwhelmed with other people’s thoughts and fears. (Motivation – Responsibility of Power) Hey! I recognize you!: Although not as public a figure as many heroes, Oracle/Zephyr is known locally and this has let her put off designing a costume. (Public Identity) Abilities: -2 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 4 = 22 PP Strength 8 (-1) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 16 (+3) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 10 + 12 = 22 PP Attack: +5 Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +11 Grapple: +4 Knockback: -5/-1 Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 PP Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Force Field) Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5) Reflex: +7 (+2 CON, +5) Will: +8 (+3 WIS, +5) Skills: 56r = 14 PP Bluff 7 (+9) Concentration 8 (+11) Diplomacy 8 (+10) Gather Information 8 (+10) Knowledge (current events) 4 (+7) Knowledge (tactics) 7 (+10) Notice 7 (+10) Sense Motive 7 (+10) Feats: 13 PP Benefit (use Knowledge [tactics] for Initiative) Challenge (Fast Feint, Fast Taunt) 2 Dodge Focus 4 Evasion Master Plan 2 Taunt Uncanny Dodge (mental) Well-Informed Powers: 14 + 44 + 6 = 65 PP Protection Ring, Rank 3 Device (15 PP, Hard-to-Lose) (Descriptor:Mental, Power Feats: Restrictive 2) [14 PP] Force Field 8 [8 PP] Teleport 3 (Power Feat: Change Velocity) [7 PP] Mental Mastery, 40 PP Array (Descriptor: Mental; Power Feats: Alternate Power 5; Drawback: Noticeable ) [44 PP] Base: Mental Blast 10 Damage 10 ( Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Mental [+0], Range 2 [Perception]) [40 PP] Alternate Power: Emotion Control 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Selective Attack ) [40 PP] Alternate Power: Mind Control 10 (Extras: Conscious, Effortless) [40 PP] Alternate Power: Paralyze 10 (Extras: Range [Perception]) [40 PP] Alternate Power: Telekinesis 10 (Extras: Perception Ranged, Damaging [40 PP] (Effective Str up to 50, 4/8/12/24/60 tons, May Attack or Grapple at TK Rank (+10) instead of using Attack rank, does damage as if Str) Alternate Power: Telepathy 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Sensory Link) [40 PP] Super-Senses 6 (Accurate Acute Ranged Radius Mental) [6 PP] Abilities (22) + Combat (22) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (14) + Feats (13) + Powers (64) = 150 PP DC BLOCK ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical)Emotion Control Perception DC20 Will Emotion Control (Psionic) Mental Blast Perception DC25 Will (Staged) Damage (Psionic) Telekinesis Ranged (Str 50 DC25 Fort Str 50 (Psionic) Mind Control Perception DC20 Will Emotion Control (Psionic) Paralyze Perception DC20 Will Paralyze (Psionic)

Player Name: Shojikitsune Character Name: Oracle Power Level: 10 (150 PP) Trade-offs: None Unspent Power Points: 0 Progress to Bronze Status: 0/30 In brief: A wild talent psychic with telepathic powers, and a ring that is a focus for telekinetic powers Residence: Southside, Freedom City, NJ – attending Claremont & residing on campus Base of Operations: Freedom City, NJ Catchphrase: “Also? I can kill you with my brain..." Alternate Identity: Zephyr Brooks Identity: Public Birthplace: Freedom City, NJ Occupation: Student (Claremont) Affiliations: Nicholson School, Claremont Academy Family: Trevor and Michiko Brooks (Parents), Melvin Brooks (Uncle) Description: Age: 16 (DOB: Friday, August 13, 1999) Gender: Female Ethnicity: Asian/Caucasian Height: 5’ 1” Weight: 115 lbs. Eyes: Dark Brown, glowing yellow when using her powers Hair: Black, straight, middle of back/long Oracle is a young woman of mixed Japanese and Caucasian heritage, with pale skin, long black hair, and dark eyes. She hasn't decided on a costume, so is often encountered in her blouse, tie, skirt, leggings and dress shoes. When she is wearing ordinary clothes, they still tend to be black. Black pants, black shirts, even experimenting with black lipstick and strong eyeliner sometimes. History: Zephyr was born into an average, boring, middle-class household, and was an unusually quiet child. She would, for example, cry until one of her parents came to see what the problem was… and as soon as they would decide to come check her, she’d stop crying, as if she *knew* her message had been recieved. Her parents had to deal with hearing her cry when one of them was at work, but at first chalked it up to memory rather than telepathy. It became more unnerving when she began to talk – because sometimes, a parent that wasn’t with her would hear her ask them something, and sometimes if they thought of the answer or even said it aloud, she’d thank them. When she was just a few years old, she asked about all the other ‘voices’, and wondered why so much loud talking was going on… but there weren’t people there to talk to, and when she reached out to these other voices, she triggered fear and shock. Her parents, fearing the worst, took her to a mental hospital to be evaluated. Fortunately, the doctor that examined Zephyr managed to diagnose her ‘mental issue’. She wasn’t hearing ‘voices,’ she was hearing *thoughts*. Simple experiments proved that Zephyr was a powerful telepath. She was taught ways to calm her mind using yoga, and ‘reduce the range’ of effect so she could get a break from the noise. Her parents finally understood the problem, and enrolled her at the Nicholson School, and from there she went on to the Claremont Academy. There was the usual teasing, including someone thinking that calling her Wednesday Addams would somehow offend her. Instead, she came to school dressed exactly like Wednesday for a whole week. Her unstable mental powers did cause some trouble but the story was a sidebar in the local paper and didn’t generate a lot of public interest. After all, there was no shortage of heroes that *did* chase the limelight. She transferred to Claremont just recently, but has avoided attention as her powers are just now stablizing. She also has an uncle, her father’s older brother, who lives close to the school and has declared that he will spoil her and send her back to her family. But he is just a loveable old man. Personality and Motivation: Oracle is a calm, poised, rational young lady, and that’s how she behaves. She never raises her voice, swears, or acts undignified, even in dreadful circumstances. She calmly walks through raging fights, targeting and shutting down the ones with violence on the brain. She has no compulsion about letting someone else do the actual fighting, preferring instead to support and coordinate efforts. That be said, her psychic sensitivity means she tends to be a deadpan snarker, calling people on their mistakes with little decorum because she *knows* what is inside their heads. Although young, the only thing that alleviates the pressure of all the thoughts around her is to do something, anything, to help them turn positive. Despite dressing and sometimes acting like a depressed emo teen, she isn’t a fan of negative emotions. That’s ironic, since she can generate those emotions and broadcast them, weakening a target’s will. She is getting better at screening thoughts, and so isn’t unduly influenced by the darker ones anymore, but that took time. She is still something of a deadpan snarker, trying to lighten the mood with bad puns, sarcastic quips and other statements. Her motivation is to gain mastery over her powers, and then see what she really can do. Being a hero tests her limits, develops positive emotions, and goes a long way towards overcoming her previous awkwardness. And it creeps out bad guys, so win-win, right? Powers and tactics: When you know what your opponent is thinking, it’s easy to be ahead of them the whole time. Oracle took the code name because she often predicts an opponent’s move *while they are doing it* and explains why it won’t work due to the counter she already put into place. Oracle can serve as a communications center, ranged support or mix it up in close combat with equal aplomb. Concept: Oracle is a hodgepodge of my favorite DC characters – Raven, Ace and Tamara Coulder. I wanted to envision what might have happened if these characters had grown up in a warmer, more supportive environment, where their powers could develop naturally. So, she doesn’t have the tragedy the others had… but she’s not as strong as any of them either. However, after numerous attempts at making a true precog/telepath/telekinetic, I was spreading myself too thin, so i used trollthumper's combat psychic (http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/topic/5825-trollthumpers-cave/?do=findComment&comment=168857) and changed the Container from a combat suit to a ring, the Protection to a Force Field, and the Instant Change to a short range Teleport. I also reduced her Str to 10 so I could have Teleport at Rank 2. This version has no telekinetic powers, although her improved physical defenses all have a Mental descriptor since her mind is her power source. Complications WITH GREAT Power… Zephyr’s family had a profound influence on the young girl, including the somewhat clichéd lecture regarding power and responsibility. It was something stable to grab at when her mind was being overwhelmed with other people’s thoughts and fears. (Motivation – Responsibility of Power) Hey! I recognize you! Although not as public a figure as many heroes, Oracle/Zephyr is known locally and this has let her put off designing a costume. (Public Identity) Power Descriptions: Zephyr is a powerful telepath, far out of her age groups normal range. She is constantly bombarded by outside thoughts, and won’t hesitate to comment aloud on something someone else only thinks, which tends to be delivered in a creepy deadpan that Wednesday Addams would approve of. Zephyr was born with her powers, but they didn’t stabilize until recently, instead coming and going mysteriously. She believes it’s linked to her physical development and is kind of concerned. She’d be considered a wild talent or random mutation, a one-off chance development of more than merely mortal mental might! (Amazing alliteration!) Recently, using a form of meditation and a jeweled ring as a focus, she's been able to develop very limited telekinetic abilities, such as a force field and the ability to 'move at thought' or teleport short distances. Offensively, Oracle seems to always know what’s going on. She tracks people by their mental energy as well as their physical position in the world, has an uncanny awareness of people since she can sense their minds as they come close. It makes it very hard to sneak up on her – but not impossible. Abilities: -2 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 4 = 22 PP Strength 8 (-1) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 16 (+3) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 10 + 12 = 22 PP Attack: +5 Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +11 Grapple: +6 Knockback: -5/-1 Saving Throws: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 PP Toughness: +10/+2 (+2 CON, +8 Force Field) Fortitude: +7 (+2 CON, +5) Reflex: +7 (+2 CON, +5) Will: +8 (+3 WIS, +5) Skills: 56r = 14 PP Bluff 7 (+9) Concentration 8 (+11) Diplomacy 8 (+10) Gather Information 8 (+10) Knowledge (current events) 4 (+7) Knowledge (tactics) 7 (+10) Notice 7 (+10) Sense Motive 7 (+10) Feats: 13 PP Benefit (use Knowledge [tactics] for Initiative) Challenge (Fast Feint, Fast Taunt) 2 Dodge Focus 4 Evasion Master Plan 2 Taunt Uncanny Dodge (mental) Well-Informed Powers: 14 + 45 + 6 = 65 PP Protection Ring, Rank 3 Device (15 PP, Hard-to-Lose) (Descriptor:Mental, Power Feats: Restrictive 2) [14 PP] Force Field 8 [8 PP] Teleport 3 (Power Feat: Change Velocity) [7 PP] Mental Mastery, 40 PP Array (Descriptor: Mental; Power Feats: Alternate Power 5) [45 PP] Base: Mental Blast 10 [40 PP] Alternate Power: Emotion Control 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Selective Attack) [40 PP] Alternate Power: Mind Control 10 (Extras: Conscious, Effortless) [40 PP] Alternate Power: Paralyze 10 (Extras: Range [Perception]) [40 PP] Alternate Power: Mental Transform (memories) 10 (Extras: Area Shapeable, Duration [Continuous]) [40 PP] Alternate Power: Telepathy 10 (Extras: Area Burst, Sensory Link) [40 PP]Super-Senses 6 (Accurate Acute Ranged Radius Mental) [6 PP] Disadvantage: Mental mastery array is Noticeable, affected subjects have glowing yellow eyes and mimic Oracle's formal way of speaking. 1 PP Disadvantage Abilities (22) + Combat (22) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (14) + Feats (13) + Powers (65) - Disadvantages (1) = 150 PP