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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...

GM Kirby Art Museum Parkside, Freedom City, New Jersey December 17th, 2024, 11 AM It was a balmy morning in Freedom City. The Kirby Art Museum was just about to open for the day, and there was a small line to get in. There was excitement in the air as museum attendees jammed their hands in their pockets and breathed into clasped hands to keep warm. Their newest exhibit, "Freedom City in Popular Culture" opened that day, and everyone was excited to see it. Paintings, advertisements, rare comic books, and movies, all made by Freedom City locals would be on display. Reporters from local newspapers waited impatiently, clutching their cameras and sound equipment, eager to be the first inside. The museum, two stories tall, is a work of art in and of itself with a beautiful crystal spire atop it visible from miles around. Having suffered from super-battles in the past, security guards wearing Kevlar vests with futuristic-looking pistols in their holsters patrol up and down the line, occasionally talking into their earpieces. They weren't about to have another incident on museum grounds: twice was quite enough. Everyone in line had to wait a bit longer, as the security team was taking every precaution to ensure the valuable exhibits remained where they belonged. Finally, the doors opened, and a slow trickle of attendees were allowed inside. Owen was waiting at the back of the line, looking around for his friends. "Are you guys on your way?" he sent via group text.

@Poncho @RocketLord @EternalPhoenix @Spacefurry @Jack OOC for Geeks on Parade!

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.

The Fens Freedom City, New Jersey Wednesday November 6, 2024. 9:40 PM A light rain fell on Freedom City, making the dark night even darker. The section of the city was a combination of cramped, dark alleyways and buildings to crowded narrow streets light with various bright neon signs for seedy bars, pornography stores and the like. On a dark rooftop of a four-story building toward the middle of the Fens, a temporal distortion formed in the air, expanding out to a doorway sized portal. Stepping out of it was Lawrence Harrow, dressed in the Claremont training uniform of blue and yellow. In one hand he had the black domino mask he wore when openly operating with his powers (at least most of the time). Things had been rather busy since the start of the year and the formation of the teams, and while Grey team had worked together some in the Wreck Room, they had not spent as much time together as Lawrence might have liked. So, he had gotten authorization from the Headmistress to take the team out on a patrol in the city. Turning back, he looked over the others on the team as they emerged from his portal that had brought them from the Claremont campus. "Welcome to the Fens." He said in his refined British accent. "One of the poorer and more troubled areas of Freedom City. There have been efforts to revitalize parts of it, but those have only been small areas. And crime is still a major problem. So, that is what I thought we might try to help with some tonight."

@EternalPhoenix @FlyingFresh @Nerdzul OOC for Pizza Party!

It was the weekend, meaning some time off school! Most people would be excited, free time. Some people use that free time to play video games, go out for walks or explore the city for example. But some people...some people use this time to commit crimes! Like what was happening right now! In Bayview there was a seemingly nondescript jewerly store, it was somewhat new, and yet really popular with the locals in the area, so it was a shock then when suddenly the doors were blasted open! Some people stormed in armed with baseball bats and guns. Specifically it was two gunmen and three with baseball bats. Most importantly however, is that they were wearing shirts with symbols of a white rabbit on it. The shop owner screamed as alarms started to blare! It was complete chaos in there. Police were being called but they were already caught up somewhere else with a different gang of thieves and couldn't make it. CRASH! Baseball bats came down on glass and jewels were taken. Let's zoom out for a bit, what are your characters doing before or during the chaos. Were they in the store? Just passing by? What are they up to? ( @Poncho @EternalPhoenix @Supercape )

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….

The Happenstance cut a strange figure in the waters around Freedom. In the open bay, around more current boats, around people enjoying their day, the old style ship cut a figure, a very specific sort of one as it navigated the waves! It was quite the sight, and upon that ship was the crew of the Happenstance, including the Captain and First Mate, and the Captain's roommate, Owen Akerlund, brought out on a fine sunny weekend to play around on the ship. There was absolutely nothing going wrong with the day, a blessing of the pirate captain Riel, perhaps. But it came like a sudden shock as the group neared the underside of the Centery Bridge. Black, billowing clouds almost erupted; seeming to form from absolutely nothing high above the bridge before immediately splitting open into a torrential downpour, sending the other boats scattering for safety away from the rain, and the lightning that split the sky as well. What had once been a perfect day had suddenly become a terrible one for being outside. While the Captain may have been protected by his notorious good luck, the rest of the ship was not near as lucky. And the clouds were still churning, almost bubbling with fury high above them. Almost like there was something IN the Clouds, about to break out.

Serendipity Power Level: 8 (180/183) Unspent Power Points: 3 Trade-Offs: +3 Attack / -3 Damage, +4 Defense / -4 Toughness In Brief: Astonishingly lucky swashbuckler/pirate from a parallel world. Theme: Liberation, by DizzyEight and Errol Allen Alternate Identity: Riel Estime (Public) Birthplace: Paralogue, Earth-Aquivan (Earth Prime has no analogous town, but it’s in the Caribbean equivalent) Residence: Claremont Dorms (Weekdays), Happenstance (ship, Weekends) Base of Operations: Freedom City Occupation: Aquivan Pirate, Claremont Student Affiliations: Crew of the Happenstance Family: Stormchild (Kadene Estime, fraternal twin sister) Description: Age: 16 Apparent Age: late teens/early 20s Gender: Male Ethnicity: Ambiguously Brown (mishmash of what on Earth Prime is African, European, and Native American) Height: 6’ 2” Weight: 170 lbs Eyes: Dark Brown Hair: Black Riel dresses like he just stepped out of an Errol Flynn movie. Poofy shirt, pants straight out of the Age of Sail. Boots, sometimes gloves, etc, you get the idea. It's well weathered clothing, however, and shows where its been mended many times. History: Earth-Aquivan is a very different place than Prime. Some type of apocalypse, war, or combination thereof knocked the place back centuries of progress. It's been deliberately made unclear exactly when that happened, aside from it being out of living memory. Including the stories the very old may have been told when they were young by the very old then, it was at least 2 centuries ago and probably more. Currently, it is the Age of Sail. Moreover, it's the Golden Age of Piracy. That sounds worse than it is. Though there are in theory independent nations, they all are subordinate to the Throneless Ministry. It manages the primary law enforcement and military body aka the Throneless Navy and its Marines. The Ministry itself is a brutal and tyrannical government that uses the Navy and Marines to enforce its authority with maximum force. The Navy and Marines, however, are more of a mixed bag. The corrupt and the wantonly cruel are a part of them, but there are also those serving who believe in helping people and delivering justice. It's not a perfect situation by any means. The Navy, despite the best efforts of many within it, has done some hideous things. But pirates? Pirates are worse. The freedom of the seas appeals to many for many different reasons, but the end result is a class of seaborne marauders stealing, destroying, and killing their way across the seven seas. Except, of course, when they aren't. Because pirates aren't uniformly worse. There are those who take to the seas not for the freedom to rob and pillage with impunity, but to live their lives as they will under no one's thumb. To seek adventure, fun, and camaraderie. This class of pirate may be a minority, but they often rain down hell on the rest for their misdeeds. So, much like the Navy, pirates aren't easily categorized as all good or all bad. This is why Riel Estime and his sister Kadene set out to sea. Freedom and adventure. Well, that, and a certain legendary pirate's treasure allegedly on the other side of the world from where they were born. They were orphans born into poverty. Just dirt poor street kids running around one of the busiest and most important ports in the Western Seas. But of course, kids don't stay kids forever. Mischief that might be laughed off or escaped with nothing more than a stern lecture when done by a five year old is a crime worth hard time when done by a fifteen year old. So it was get some employment/go to jail (giving up on their dreams forever), or taking to the seas. The former option never even entered their minds. They had just started making a name for themselves a year into their journey. A stout ship. A loyal crew. First major bounty issue. The Luckstorm Pirates were riding high, well supplied, and off to finally make the long journey to what on Prime is the Cape of Good Hope. They did not make it. A fog Kadene couldn't disperse rose, and then the seas got exceptionally rough. When the mists cleared, well...the ship and crew were unaware anything was different. Until they got their bearings and realized they were somehow over a thousand miles off course. Which was, naturally, totally impossible. Unless, of course, that was no normal fog. Since Kadene couldn't disperse it, it must have been. To make a long story much shorter, they headed for land, investigated the first bit of land they came to, did some light robbery for perishable supplies, dealt with the handful of "Marines" sent in response, and set sail again. Because something was very, very wrong here. They had zero context for automobiles and modern firearms, let alone computers and smartphones. So they decided to investigate a larger settlement they had seen signs for. This turned out to be Freedom City. It started quietly, with just the twins in the enormous alien city. It ended loudly, with a furious battle on the waterfront and actual water between the Luckstorm Pirates and the assembly of the heroes Aquaria, Sgt. Shark, and a whole mess of cops. Fortunately, the heroes realized they were dealing with foes extradimensional and clueless, not hardened criminals, and the actual ending was rather...amicable, really? Aquaria's word counted for more than perhaps she may have expected, and nobody was crammed into the legal system unnecessarily. Their matter of fact descriptions of their world sounded almost nightmarish, so slack was cut. As long as the twins agreed to attend Claremont Academy, anyway. Meanwhile, the two would actually like to get back home, please. Their dreams of adventure and legendary pirate treasures have not dimmed in the slightest. Personality & Motivation: Riel is very much a free spirit. Freedom and liberty are very important to him. Justice...not so much. He's not a believer in hierarchies or authority on their own merit. He's not going to listen to or automatically respect someone just because of their position. His respect and deference are earned. This isn't to say he's some confrontational jerk. Not at all. He's a pretty nice guy, actually, and charming besides. Very much in the dashing swashbuckler mold. A man of honor socially but in combat? Screw that. Cheat with wild abandon. But to be clear, he decides his actions. The law, social rules, and authority figures do not. He's not opposed to hearing alternative options, but yeah. He'll be perfectly polite and reasonable about it, as long as the issue isn't pressed too hard, but there is no authority that can force his compliance. He's a freedom loving pirate, after all. Motivation wise, he wants to go home. It's not complicated. Various groups in Freedom are allegedly working on it. So it's only fair that he does the hero thing in the meantime to help them and those who support them out. Plus y'know his heart isn't made of ice or stone. Powers & Tactics: On Earth-Aquivan, those who die without achieving their dreams (and didn't ever give up on them) create a magical fruit. These are called Dreamer's Fruits. These fruits, when eaten, grant superhuman powers. They're relatively rare but nonunique, and thus don't have special names. Riel ate one that made him staggeringly lucky. It makes him significantly less likely to harmed by any danger, apparently by sheer coincidence. This gets a little odd when he somehow can avoid being seen by multiple people on open ground actively looking for someone. He even seems to be able to actively manipulate probability to some degree. Tactically, he's a swordsman who can strike unseen basically every turn if he feels like it. With that said, he can use both Defensive and Power Attack at need. Acrobatic Bluff, Improved Feint, and Improved Taunt are on deck to make opponents miserable. Set Up transfers the benefits of these to someone else (like his sister). Improved Trick and Redirect can be good for a laugh. And Takedown Attack makes cutting through minions easier. Power Descriptions: Riel Estime is just some guy with a sword. The vast majority of his powers simply don't have any active manifestation. Luck Control MAY produce a flash of yellow light when used, especially if he's using Spend Hero Point For Another, but that's it. Complications: Weakness (Sinks Like A Rock): Unfortunately, the downside of having eaten a Dreamer's Fruit is suffering paralysis and total power loss when immersed in salt water. Y'know, like the ocean. Fresh water doesn't remove Fruit powers, but they're still paralyzed. A GM may award a Hero Point for this happening. Quirk (Aquivan Pirate): This is kind of a catchall. From another world, so technology, pop culture, and idioms? Mystifying. And doing stuff that doesn't make sense to folks from Prime. Like misunderstanding wound severity because folks take more to die on their world. Or casual petty theft of minor items (primarily but not exclusively food) from stores because while they're good, heroic sorts, where they're from that's not particularly wrong. Especially for pirates. A GM may provide a Hero Point when this cultural disconnect becomes an issue. Responsibility (Luckstorm Captain): Riel is the Captain of the Luckstorm Pirates. They may live on the Happenstance, but these PL4-5s are his job to take care of. Not day to day, as they're adults and can handle that much. But being pirates, even good natured ones, they may get in legal trouble. Or be attacked by supervillains. Or hear the Captain is in trouble and loyally come running to help. Etc. A GM may award a Hero Point when this becomes a problem. Power Loss (Moonlight Jinx): The moon, being linked to the tides and thus the ocean, has an effect on Riel's powers. Specifically, direct moonlight can (but not necessarily WILL) cause his Concealment, Luck Control, or Features to fail. The more full the moon, the more likely it is to happen. Unless, of course, the moon is hidden by clouds, smoke, etc. A GM may award a Hero Point for this happening. Quirk (Way Too Quick Draw): When faced with drawn weapons or other obvious signs of imminent violence Riel has a tendency to automatically draw his sword without consciously deciding to do so. Blame how dangerous the seas and ports of his world can be. This can make de-escalating situations or convincing others of their lack of hostile intent...challenging. A GM may award a Hero Point for this becoming a problem. Abilities: 4 + 6 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 10 = 32PP Strength: 14 (+2) Dexterity: 16 (+3) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 20 (+5) Combat: 10 + 10= 20PP Initiative: +7 Attack: +5 Base, +9 Melee, +11 Sword Defense: +12 (+5 Base, +4 Enhanced Defense, +3 Dodge Focus), +5 Flat-Footed (with powers), +3 Flat-Footed (without) Grapple: +11 Knockback: -2 (w/ D. Roll), -1 (Flat-Footed) Saving Throws: 3 + 5 + 5 = 13PP Toughness: +4 (+2 Con, +2 Defensive Roll) Fortitude: +5 (+2 Con, +3) Reflex: +12 (+3 Dex, +5, +4 Enhanced Reflex) Will: +7 (+2 Wis, +5) Skills: 68R = 17PP (1PP = 4 Skill ranks) Acrobatics 12 (+15) Bluff 10 (+15) Diplomacy 5 (+10) Gather Information 5 (+10) Knowledge (civics) 3 (+5) Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5) Knowledge (streetwise) 8 (+10) Language 4 (Dutch, English, French Native, Portuguese, Spanish) Notice 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Stealth 2 (+5) Feats: 55PP Acrobatic Bluff Attack Focus (melee) 4 Attack Specialization (Sword (Device 1)) Challenge - Improved Feint Challenge - Improved Taunt Defensive Attack Dodge Focus 3 Elusive Target Equipment 2 Improved Initiative Improved Trick Power Attack Quick Draw Redirect Set-Up Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Notice, Sense Motive) Sidekick 30 (Stormchild) Takedown Attack Taunt Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Enhanced Feats Defensive Roll Evasion 2 Improved Critical (Sword Strike (Strike 3)) Luck 4 Equipment: 2PP = 10EP (1 rank of the Equipment Feat = 5 'Equipment Points') Happenstance [Vehicle, 10EP] Size [2EP]: Colossal Strength: 50 Defense: -8 Toughness [1EP]: 14 Features[2EP]: Living Quarters Personnel Powers [3EP]: Speed 1 (10 mph, 88 ft/rnd) [1EP] Super-Movement 2 (Water Walking; Flaw: Permanent) [2EP] Powers: 10 + 30 + 3 = 43PP All powers except the Sword use magic as a source descriptor Concealment 10 (Escape Notice; Flaws: Passive) [10PP] (luck) Container 6 (Fortune’s Favorite Son; 30PP Passive Container) [30PP] (luck) Enhanced Defense 4 & Enhanced Reflex 4 (Fortunate Evasion; Feats: Defensive Roll, Evasion 2 ) [15PP] (luck) Feature 1 (Charmed Life; Riel is largely immune to routine “bad luck”. He will never get a flat tire, have to wait in line, or run into delays due to traffic accidents or weather.) [1PP] (luck) Feature 1 (Gambler; Riel can automatically win at games of chance, unless pitted against an opponent with this Feature (in which case, the game is resolved normally).) [1PP] (luck) Luck Control 3 (Luck of the Devil Himself; Force a Re-roll, Negate GM Fiat, & Spend Hero Point for Another; Feats: Luck 4 ) [13PP] (luck) Device 1 (Sword; 5PP Container; Flaws: Easy-To-Lose) [3PP] (sword) Strike 3 (Sword Strike; Feats: Improved Crit, Mighty) [5PP] (slashing) DC Block Name Attack Bonus Range Save & DC Effect Unarmed +9 Melee 17 Toughness Damage Sword Strike +11 Melee 20 Toughness Damage Totals: Abilities (32) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (13) + Skills (17) + Feats (55) + Powers (43) - Drawbacks (0) = 180/183 Power Points