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July 11, 2018 4:17 PM The ambulance didn't bother with its sirens as it rode deeper into the West End. It wasn't as though the laws of the road were being enforced just then and drawing attention would have only made it a better target. The missing passenger side door and twisted remnants of a front bumper testified that the blocky vehicle - and its operators - were lucky to still be in reasonably working order. The way it screeched around two abandoned cars wrapped around each other in the middle of an intersection, lifting up onto two wheels briefly, said that those close calls hadn't made them any more timid. It wasn't a hospital where it came to a stop but the Summerhill Street Farmer's Market of all places. Stands normally stocked with ears of corn and handmade candles had been repurposed into temporary shelters and soup lines, tarps and truck beds and trash bins call called into whatever use was most immediately needed in the chaos of the previous day. People forced to flee their homes or unable to return to them, people too injured or old or simply unwilling to attempt to flee with city entirely had gathered in the convenient open space, stocked with food and running water. The rear doors of the ambulance opened and a muscular man with sleeve tattoos and a blood caked concert tee that barely fit vaulted out. "I got a broken leg and a couple kids that got separated from their folks!" Hernandez called to the able bodies already jogging over to meet him. "Somebody grab me something to use for a splint, I'm using shitty ass rebar over here!"

First National Bank, Downtown Emerald City 1st June 2018, 6:00 pm Downtown Rush hour traffic was normally pretty bad but today in this part of town it was particularly bad as the First National had just been robbed, the major cause of the problem was the bank's security car sparking big arcs of electricity from whoever had just robbed the place. Whoever had done the job was however gone by the time Pinnacle had arrived leaving a mystery to discover who had robbed the place. Even though villains were still rather new in Emerald City there were still quite a few people to choose from...

Out of Character: Hell Questionnaire In Character Articles, Interviews & Vignettes:

Player Name: Jander Prime Character Name: Pinnacle Power Level: 10 (150/158PP) Trade-Offs: -5 Attack / +5 Damage, -5 Defense / +5 Toughness Unspent Power Points: 8 In Brief: Teenaged foster child discovers his powers and aspires to become a hero, while trying to determine the nature and origin of his superhuman abilities. Residence: South Shores, Emerald City, OR Base of Operations: Emerald City, OR Catchphrase: “It’s over, just surrender, there’s no need for this. <sigh> Why does nobody listen?” Alternate Identity: Christian Alexander Kline Identity: Secret Birthplace: Southside General Hospital, Freedom City, NJ Occupation: Elysium Hills High School Student; Debate Club Captain. Affiliations: None. Family: Tyler Caswell [Father, age: 46, b. December 21, 1971] Claire Johnson [Mother, b. May 11, 1979; d. September 9, 2011] Issac Kline [Foster father, age: 40. b.July 17, 1977] Therese Kline [Foster mother, age: 36, b. November 17, 1979] Janaina Kline [Foster sister, age 15, b. February 3, 2003] Madison Kline [Foster sister, age 12, b. September 30, 2006] Description: Age: 16 (b. August 14, 2001) Apparent Age: 16 [24 in Idealized Form] Gender: Male Ethnicity: Afro American Height: 1.8m [5’11”]; 1.91m [6’3”] Weight: 71kg [157 lbs.]; 99kg [216 lbs.] Eyes: Hazel [Brown-Green] Hair: Black, Tapered Fade Power Descriptions: Were someone to witness the process of Christian’s actualization, they would see a shimmer surround the young man, only for him to be replaced by his heroic identity, as the psychic energy required for the transformation washes over the observer. This emotional bleed causes the observer’s perceptions of Christian to meld into that of his heroic nature, Pinnacle. When Christian self actualizes his heroic nature, he transform into an idealized version of himself. Mature, charismatic and almost superhumanly self confident, his nature, his pinnacle, is preternaturally powerful, resilient, and enduring. History: Christian was born to Claire Johnson & Tyler Caswell, in mid August, Southside General, Freedom City, NJ. Claire was a strong woman, who raised her son with a stern, but loving pragmatism, but Tyler was largely absent from their lives, returning to their lives intermittently, for a number of weeks or months, before departing again. These brief reconciliations were often accompanied by extravagant gestures, and when Tyler was once again gone, it left both Christian and his mother with doubts and uncertainties. Claire turned towards her faith during these periods of anger, doubt and confusion, a deeply religious woman, she would accept no disobedience from her son or involvement in activities which could lead him down the nebulous path of his often absent father. When Christian was 7 years old, he clearly remembers the night when AEGIS raided the Southside Projects where the family lived. It was the first time Christian observed his father’s abilities, the ability to control and manipulate a subject’s emotions, to dominate them. This allowed Tyler to dominate the first few officer’s as they made their way into the projects. The wave of fear, despair, and despondency washed over Christian and his mother during the encounter, however, the second team was equipped with devices that allowed them to withstand the emotional backlash, finally apprehending and arresting Christian’s father. Claire vowed to never expose herself, or her son, to Tyler’s manipulations again, and so uprooted the family before the trial moving herself and her son to the opposite side of the country, relocating to Emerald City, OR. Claire found an apartment for herself and her son in Bethlehem Heights, working a large number of part time, and seasonal jobs, she eventually secured a position with Majestic Industries, as a warehouse manager. She put in long hours at the warehouse, and so Christian became largely self sufficient, cooking meals and cleaning their tiny two bedroom in the Heights. However, he looked forwards to Sundays with his mother, St James Cathedral in Royal Hill, lunch at Overlook Park, and a walk through the Yellow Brick Row. A few years later, as Christian was graduating Grade 8, his mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Less than a year later she had passed away from her illness, during that time Christian relied on Father Gordon’s goodwill and the charity of the Parish. With no legal guardians, Christian was entered into the custody of the Child Protective Services, eventually being placed with a new foster family during his first year of High School. The Kline family, also parishioners of St James Cathedral, opened their home to the young man, he was at first reluctant, but due to the devoted nature of Issac, the father of the family, as well as the welcoming nature of the younger Kline sisters, he has opened up to the well meaning family. Issac works as an Investment Banker, for one of the many MarsTech subsidiaries, while Therese is a Marketing consultant who works from home, while raising her two daughters, Janaina and Madison. In early March, during a Grade 9 & 10 field trip to Joint Base Clark-Gordon a logging truck drifted over the meridian of the Bay Bridge, side swiping the Elysium Hills school bus. The driver swerved, the bus rolled through the barricades and hung precariously over the cold waters of Mallory Bay. Christian watched in horror as his sister, Janaina slide towards the rear of the bus, impacting solidly with the emergency exit. The glass spider webbed, and she plunged through, while he himself was overwhelmed with a sense of calm, he released his hold falling through the self same window. As the wind whistled past his ears, he felt a sense of purpose, of clarity that he had never experienced before, and suddenly he was accelerating past his sister’s stunned form. Christian reached out, pulling her to his chest, and mere feet from the surface of the water he stopped, hovering. His physical form had altered, changed. He was no longer Christian Johnson-Kline, he was Pinnacle. Personality & Motivation: Given his difficult childhood, Christian is a young man with singular focus and determination, much of which can be credited to his upbringing among the Kline family. Initially sullen and rebellious, with the care and concern of his foster parents, and not a little coaxing by their two daughters, he developed into a responsible young man. Upon discovering his abilities, he managed to prevent a bus full of his Elysium High peers from plunging into the frigid waters of Mallory Bay, and following the example set by his parents decided to use his powers selflessly. He decided to continue using his abilities for the betterment of his fellow man, to safeguard them, to inspire them. His work ethic extends to his heroic identity as well, as he attempts to learn the skills and procedures that would aid him in providing support to emergency services such as fire, ambulance and police. Powers & Tactics: While Christian is unaware of the nature of his abilities, he is aware that during times of crisis he can achieve a state where thought, will and action become one. In this, his pinnacle as he calls it, he has been observed to be highly resilient to physical damage, possesses superhuman strength and durability. He is, however, not a violent man, and typically will attempt to defuse a situation prior to engaging agitated, or hostile opposition, and to date he limited his activities to assisting Emerald City emergency services, fire and ambulance. He is aware that there may come a time where he is forced into a combat situation, and so has made the decision to try out for the Elysium Hills Wrestling Team, hoping that those skills will translate to his alter ego. In truth, his abilities are inherited from his biological father, the ability to amplify emotional response, however, his ability seems to be somewhat limited in that he can only affect himself. This surge in confidence and conviction results in an actual metaphysical change in Christian, resulting in his heroic identity, and transformation into an idealized version of himself. Complications: Disability: Sensorineural Hearing Loss Christian suffered an ear infection as a child which affected his cochlea, or inner ear. This has resulted in permanent hearing loss. If Christian is in a scene without access to his ITC [In the Canal] hearing aid, any Hearing checks should be considered to be Deafened imposing a -4 Initiative penalty & unable to make a Spot (Hearing) check. Interestingly enough this disability does not affect Christian when he has entered his heroic, idealized state. Honor: Raised Right Christian’s foster parents instilled and developed a strong sense of right and wrong into the young man. Their unconditional support for him, their foster child, has renewed his faith in the love of family and the human spirit. Since the discovery of his superhuman abilities, he has fought harder than ever to apply that code to his life, both in his civilian life and his heroic actions. His powers stem from his own self confidence, faith, and conviction, he is aware that changing the world is not always done on a grand scale, but more often through human connection; by being strong for someone in need, there for them, and courageous in the face of fear when they are most vulnerable. In combat Pinnacle will always prioritize civilians and innocents, clearing them from the area to ensure that they are unharmed in any coming confrontation, he will then attempt diplomacy, giving his opponents the opportunity to surrender peaceably. If forced to engage, he will attempt to minimize potential property damage, and remove the conflict from any major center of population. Responsibility: Family values & work ethic Christian loves and respects his foster parents, as well as his two younger sisters, and while he at first rebelled against them, he enjoys the structure that is provided by the family dinners that his parents insist upon. He is also heavily engaged at Elysium Hills High School where he has a role on student council, and as the captain of the debate club. His academic and extracurricular responsibilities, coupled with his family obligations and helping his father restore old furniture on the weekends has made it difficult for Christian to balance his heroic activities with his private life. Secret: All this and a Hero too! Given the physical transformation that occurs when Christian assumes his idealized form, maintaining his civilian identity has been effortless. However, he has discovered that there is a certain weight to maintaining that separation, and hiding his actions as Pinnacle from those he loves. He has confided in Janaina, the eldest of his two sisters, as she was on the school bus when it collided with the transport truck, and saw her older brother fall to his death. She maintains his secret now, but has repeatedly counselled Christian to tell her parents the truth, feeling that they would support his decisions. Abilities: 4 + 2 + 4 + 2 + 6 + 2 = 20PP Strength: 14/40 (+2/+15) Dexterity: 12 (+1) Constitution: 14/30 (+2/+10) Intelligence: 12 (+1) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 12/22 (+1/+6) Combat: 10 + 10 = 20PP Initiative: +1 Attack: +5 Melee, +5 Ranged Grapple: +7/+20 [+21-25 per Rank of Super Strength] Defense: +5, +3 Flat-Footed Knockback: -1/-7 [-12 vs Physical] Saving Throws: 3 + 3 + 4 = 10PP Toughness: +2/+15 (+2/+10 Con, +0/+5 Protection) Fortitude: +5/+13 (+2/+10 Con, +3) Reflex: +4 (+1 Dex, +3) Will: +7 (+3 Wis, +4) Skills: 48R = 12PP Bluff 4 (+5/+10) Computers 4 (+5) Concentration 12 (+15) Diplomacy 9 (+10/+15) Gather Information 4 (+5/+10) Knowledge: Civics 4 (+5) Knowledge: Current Events 4 (+5) Language 1 (American Sign Language, English [Native]) Medicine 2 (+5) Notice 2 (+5) Sense Motive 2 (+5) Feats: 3PP Luck 2 Ultimate Will Check Heroic Actualization Inspire 2 Leadership Powers: 7 + 80 = 87PP Morph 4 (Heroic Actualization; Morph: Single Appearance: Pinnacle, +20 Disguise, Feats: Inspire 2, Leadership) [7PP] Container Active 16 (Heroic Conviction; Extra: Linked [Morph 4]) [80PP] (Emotion, Psychic) Enhanced Charisma 10 [10PP] Enhanced Constitution 16 [16PP] Enhanced Strength 26 [26 PP] Flight 1-5 (10-250mph;10-2500ft/move, PFs: Dynamic, Dynamic Alternate Power 1) [13PP] DAE: Super-Strength 1-5 (Effective STR 45/65, Heavy Load 6.4-102.4 tons) {10/10} Immunity 5 (Fatigue, Environmental Effects [All], Flaws: Limited: Half Effect) [5PP] Impervious Toughness 10 (Flaws: Limited: Physical Damage [10R]) [5PP] Protection 5 [5PP] Drawbacks: (-2) = -2PP Weakness (Emotion Effects [Fear, Despair]; Frequency: [Uncommon]; Intensity: [Moderate: -1 Attack, Defense & Saves]) [-2PP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 30 TOU Damage (Phys) Totals: Abilities (20) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (10) + Skills (12) + Feats (3) + Powers (87) – Drawbacks (2) = 150/158 Power Points

Player Name: horngeek Character Name: Pinnacle Power Level: 10 Trade-Offs: +2 ATT/-2 DMG, +2 DEF/-2 TOU In Brief: Pinnacle of human ability... who uses his talents for crime. Alternate Identity: Nathan O'Cahan Identity: Secret Birthplace: Adelaide, Australia Occupation: Supervillain Affiliations: Pinnacle is head of his own small gang, consisting of non-powered induviduals. However, he has no problems with working with others. Family: None Known Description: Age: 50 (DOB: 21st January 1963) Apparent Age: Early 30s Gender: Male Ethnicity: Irish-Australian Height: 2m Weight: 80kg Eyes: Blue Hair: Red Pinnacle is a tall, heavily-built man, who generally wears a mask covering his face, with only eyeholes through which his piercing blue eyes gaze, a black bodysuit, and a metal gauntlet on his right arm with a holographic keyboard built-in. Beneath the costume, he has red hair, freckles and fair skin, Power Descriptions: For the most part, Pinnacle's powers don't have a distinctive 'look' to them. The man's simply near the very peak of human achievement- he's as smart as a man can be without outright superpowers, certainly, and he's close to that level in all other aspects. A fair amount of skill at martial arts (not supernatural martial arts, although he's been idly toying with the idea), and most notably, he's skilled at coming up with new inventions or appropriating those of others. That said, he suspects he is superhuman- he's barely aged for the past twenty years, after all. That said, the true nature of his abilities is a mystery even to him. History: (Please remember we are a relatively family friendly site. Your story should be PG-13 at most. If your character wouldn't fit in an episode of Justice League Unlimited, The Dresden Files, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, please rethink it.) Personality & Motivation: Pinnacle's an egocentric who, for the most part, can back up his boasting. He's arrogant, but in a quiet way instead of boasting- he's of the opinion that as one of the smartest men in the world, he should have more power than he does, but he conceals that under an air of civilty and calm. He's not a nice man by any means, but he works under his own code of honor- he treats any prisoners he might take with as much respect as security allows, he honors his promises. He's been in a bit of a slump in the past two decades, though- he honestly enjoyed matching wits with the superhero Arsenal and with Michael Fields, and now the former's retired (at least, he assumes so, since she doesn't have a memorial), he doesn't have much of a challenge anymore. Powers & Tactics: (In-character descriptions of how they do what they do) Abilities: 8 + 8 + 8 + 14 + 6 + 4 = 48 PP Strength 18 (+4) Dexterity 18 (+4) Constitution 18 (+4) Intelligence 24 (+7) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 12 + 16 = 28 PP Attack: +6 (+12 Strike, +12 Eyes and Ears) Defense: +12 (+8 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +4 Flat-Footed Initiative: +4 Grapple: +10 Knockback: -4 Saving Throws: 4 + 4 + 5 = 13 PP Toughness: +8 (+4 CON, +4 Protection) Fortitude: +8 (+4 CON, +4) Reflex: +8 (+4 DEX, +4) Will: +8 (+3 WIS, +5) Skills: 80r = 20 PP Acrobatics 11 (+15) Computers 8 (+15) Craft (electronic) 8 (+15) Diplomacy 7 (+9) Gather Information 6 (+8) Investigate 6 (+13) Knowledge (physical sciences) 8 (+15) Knowledge (technology) 8 (+15) Language (English [base], French, Latin, Irish, Mandarin) Notice 7 (+10) Sense Motive 7 (+10) Feats: 24 PP All-Out Attack Beginner’s Luck Dodge Focus 4 Equipment 3 Luck 2 Improvised Tools Inventor Jack-of-All-Trades Minion 5 Power Attack Uncanny Dodge (visual) Wealth 2 Well-Informed Powers: 12 + 15 = 27 PP Morphic Costume, 15 PP Device (Hard to Lose) [12 PP] Strike 4 (Power Feat: Accurate 3, Mighty, Improved Critical 1, Penetrating 3) [11 PP] Protection 4 [4 PP] Power Gauntlet, 20 PP Device (Easy to Lose, Feats: Accurate 3) [15 PP] Damage 8 (Extras: Area Shapeable, Feats: Alternate Power 5) [21 PP] Alternate Power: ESP (visual and audio) 5 (5 miles) [15 PP] Alternate Power: Trip 8 (Extras: Area Shapeable) [16 PP] Alternate Power: Illusion (visual) 8 [16 PP] Alternate Power: Datalink 5 (5 miles; Feats: Machine Control) [6 PP] + Concealment (all senses) 10 (Flaws: Limited to Technology) [10 PP] Alternate Power: Nullify All Tech Powers 8 [16PP] Immunity 1 (Aging) [1PP] Abilities (48) + Combat (28) + Saving Throws (13) + Skills (20) + Feats (24) + Powers (29) - Disadvantages (0) = 162 PP Notes for GM: Pinnacle may well change any of the powers built-into his Power Gauntlet between adventures- the above is a fairly good guideline for his 'general' setup, with the most common change being that he can and will change the Nullify to suit foes he knows he will be going up against. In addition, he will make frequent use of his Inventor feat if he has time to prepare for a fight. Backstory is to come, I just don't want to rist losing what (little) I have right now. Core Human Pinnacle build is by trollthumper.