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The Dive, University Hill, Emerald City South Saturday, March 2, 2019 11:03 PM As far as first dates were concerned, this one was going pretty well so far. The Dive had been the right choice of location. Relatively small and cozy, the bar was nested away in an alley only a short walk away form the more active nightclubs that up most of University Hill's nightlife. It was one of the insider tips when it came to places to go in the area. After all, how many bars offered regular live music? The band, some local up-and-coming indie country rock act just started their next song as Hakim returned to the table, drinks in hand. "And I'm back, sorry that took so long, they're a lot busier than usual tonight." He set down both the glasses, and then took the seat across the table from his date. Hakim hadn't been sure about the whole online dating thing. He'd heard mixed things in general, and he knew the tech aspect enough to know just how transparent it made him. But his colleagues-slash-friends had pushed him to finally do something beyond work and whatever he spent his free time doing, so he did sign up. So far, he wasn't regretting it. This Ishmael guy was pretty cute, and interesting too. A bit young, but it wasn't really something that stood out. "So, anyways, as I was saying, we ended up having to pull a nightshift inside the hospital in order to deal with…" There was a loud rumbling, seemingly coming out of the walls and wooden beams inside the bar, and Hakim stopped talking. It was replaced by the sound of glass shattering almost immediately, as the bottles by the bar literally flew off the shelves, and slammed into the wall across the room, which immediately provoked quite a bit of screaming. The band stopped playing, especially once they – and everybody else in the room – saw that the liquids inside the bottles had not splashed to the ground. They were floating in the air, like one could see in those space videos, gathering up into what Hakim decided to dub a "Floating Long Island Iced Tea.". Hakim looked pretty shocked, like everybody else in the room, especially once the table he and Ishmael were sitting on started to rumble, much like all the others in the room, and their respective drinks suddenly looked very stirred. And to make matters worse, judging by the screaming, this was happening outside too….

GM Wednesday 18th April, Midday, Outside WestRock Software The year was warming up with a clear sky and a hot sun. One could imagine swimming in sunlight, the way the midday brightness infused the air. And outside Lick Her and Shots, a disreputable bar just across the street from Hakim, there was screaming. And a gunshot of strange resonance (And yet, somehow, once knew it was a gunshot). A half dozen people started stumbling and screaming and running out of the bar, almost crushing each other in wild panic to get out. Of course, gunshots did that, but those in the know would be aware that Lick Her and Shots was a bar frequented by the army, or more precisely, Vets. Who, once could argue (PTSD aside) would be relatively resilient to the fear induced by gunfire...

Downtown Emerald City Though most of the development was done out at the MarsTech campus there was always a need to have a Downtown office, and Mars being Mars it was obviously the largest most dramatic building in the area. Three green crystals, each taller than the other, looking like they had grown from the ground to be bound in metal. Only from above was it apparent that the three together formed a giant M. It might be an architectural marvel, but it still needed the modern comforts that made working there bearable. Unlike most buildings it airconditioning was all on the roof but rather discretely scattered throughout the building, and concerned about a possible chemical attack it has some cutting-edge filtration equipment, that contained some rather nasty chemicals. Many service companies bid for the lucrative contract to maintain this system but only one company won, thanks to the planning and knowledge of one skilled young engineer...

GM March 31st, Friday, 2017, 9.40PM 2150 Hanamaru St, Riverfront district, Emerald City, Oregon, USA Stumbling into the gentle, even glow of Emerald City's streetlights, the prey stopped to catch their breath. The unseasonally warm air, a sign of the impending catastrophe, burned in their frail lungs. The cotton suit was splashed with mud and the leather office shoes were soaked through from running through puddles. The hair that had been curled that afternoon, silky black, reminding the hunter of a smiling, care-worn face above a cradle, hung in tangles. They weren't moving, just slumped, huddled against a staff of the elegant spire of light. The hunter did not dare enter the cursed, white pool. In the southern Emerald their night-time lights caught the Sun's fury and made the streets a Hell of silent fire. But the hunter had other means, greater than any other beast's claws, venom or sinew. With easy grace a human-llike shape swept from the low roof to the alley below. "Come out of the light. Come to me." All it had to do was not turn around- It did. Its eyes met those of the vampire. They were dead before the fangs sank into their neck. April 1st, Saturday, that afternoon Hakim Naifeh could count on a few small blessings in life. Foremost was the nigh-inevitability of having Saturdays off at Westrock. The office was at a convenient location(though really, given the needs of young people in tech, most offices were someplace convenient) with easy access to food and places to relax, but it wasn't the same as taking your own pace where you wanted to be. Today that place was the Library. Since last winter super-activity had exploded, the Emerald City Originals were rapidly becoming a point of tremendous city pride and Sha'ir had been coming into more and more situations needing creative mystic solutions. Which meant time spent poring over the electic collection in his private extradimensional space. But today, from the moment he had stepped into the close, musty air and glanced around the bookshelves twisting and reaching in every direction, something had been off. The first sign was the arch. It had never been there before, a pile of loose leaves arranged haphazardly into a square archway, leading into other, unfamiliar ranks of shelves and cramped desks. These books were arranged, organized with a meticulous hand. They were also mostly in languages that Hakim had never even seen, let alone knew. Harsh runes, cuneiform-like symbols, flowing script that looked like ocean waves. The second were the voices. Coming from down the narrow hallway, arguing over something. A crisp English alto was holding firm, but a bass from the Deep South was tenacious. The books and carpet muffled all sound, but it seemed like just moving a little further would reveal these intruders...

@olopi OOC thread for this thread. Sha'ir meets some great new friends and gets into wacky vampire shenanigans!

Character Name: Sha'ir the Spellsmith Power Level: PL 10/13 [180/203PP] Trade-Offs: Varies Unspent Power Points: 23 In Brief: 1-2 sentences which sum up the whole character. Residence: Lakeside, Emerald City, Oregon Base of Operations: The Library / Lakeside, Emerald City, Oregon Catchphrase: I've got a Spell for that ... somewhere. Alternate Identity: Hakim Naifeh Identity: Secret Birthplace: Santa Barbara, California Occupation: Programmer at WestRock Software Affiliations: None Family: Faiz Naifeh (Father, 60), Isra Naifeh (Mother, 58), Qamar Naifeh (Brother, 31), Lulu Naifeh (26, Sister), various other relatives Description: Age: 28 Apparent Age: Mid-20s Gender: Male Ethnicity: Arab Height: 6’1” Weight: 162 lbs. Eyes: Brown Hair: Black Hakim is an average looking man in his mid-20s. His black hair is cut short, with hints of a beard running down his jawline. Clothes-wise, Hakim does not have much of a style, usually wearing casual urban outfits, which can encompass just about anything not too extraordinary. One thing he is known for with his friends is his scarf, white and black, which he wears with just about every outfit of his. Source: Deluxe Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition by Richard Thomas » Preview: The Ahl-i-Batin — Kickstarter As Sha'ir his outfit changes, towards a magical costume made up of his scarf, enchanted to turn into a hood and costume when pulled over his head. In this appearance, the wide hood covers his entire head, concealing everything behind a magical layer of darkness, with only green eyes, and occasionally the mouth penetrating it. The rest of his costume is best described as a somewhat tightly fit robe, in a similar white and black pattern to his scarf. It allows some freedom of movement, while still not being too loose to potentially get stuck in things. Occasionally, he will forgo this part of the costume and only wear the hood, together with his civilian outfit, or a different outfit consisting of a white t-shirt and black pants. Power Descriptions: Mage Book: The Mage Book has a simple appaearance, looking like a simple, unlabelled hardcover book. When in use, it opens and floats in front of The Spellsmith’s body, magically attached to him, in a way he can always see it. A glow, the colours changing depending on the spell in use, clearly shows its magical origins. It can be taken away, doing so requires breaking through its natural attachment, which mostly takes brute strength, or magic. Enchanted Scarf: Hakim’s white and black scarf has, over time, become somewhat of a trademark of his. When he started to dabble in enchanting, he went and enchanted it, giving it a variety of powers, the main one being its ability to transform into a full costume, triggered by simply pulling it over one’s head. The scarf can project a magical force field around it’s user and boosts the user’s defences. The scarf also has the ability to create a magical invisibility field, and by wearing it one is able to, very slowly, move through solid objects, which comes with a variety of problems. Cantrips & Spells: Sha'ir‘s spells do not have one singular appearance. Since he picks his spells from a variety of different sources and traditions, the appearance of spells can change, and reach from “traditional” hand gestures in order to create lights, to typing something with his mobile phone to reach the same effect. The same applies to the look of the spell’s effects. History: Hakim Naifeh was born as the second son of a family of Arab immigrants. His father worked for the city’s administration, his mother generally stayed home and took care of the kids. Hakim’s childhood was an average one. A sister soon joined him and his brother. The life down in Santa Barbara was good. While occasionally there were some troubles due to his parent’s heritage, all in all he never had many problems. Hakim found his passion for computers early on, his father had purchased a second one and offered the older one to his sons. School proved that Hakim was smart, and together with his passion for software in general, it meant that soon, he studied Information and Computer Science at one of California’s top universities, a scholarship paying for his education. There, he met Jamie Green, the two of them quickly becoming friends. Jamie had plans for a startup, which he would pursue after he graduated, while Hakim stayed and finished his last few remaining courses. Upon his graduation, Hakim joined his friends who had pursued their start-up plan up in the Oregonian part of Emerald City. They had already accomplished a few things, the company, creating specialized IT tools for professionals, was quickly becoming a name on the market. He moved to Emerald City, joining a few of his university friends in a shared flat. From there, he worked and the company grew. Soon, they had a proper office, and a few dozen employees, with Hakim having risen to a management position. His life was nice and average, as one day, he had just left a bar after a long night, he stumbled into an alley. While he was not sober, the strange glow emitted by a door in the alley was something he could still notice. Having grown a bit bored with office life, he decided to check further, entering through the door. The next day, he woke up in a strange looking building, a library of some sorts, with bookshelves ranging from the floor to the ceiling. While the shelves itself had been organized, there also were stacks of books scattered around, atop a few tables in the middle of the room, one of which Hakim had been sleeping on. A quick tour of the room showed that there were no doors, and all the walls were covered by bookshelves. Doing his best not to freak out, he decided to figure out the contents of the various books were. Much to his initial surprise, they turned out to be various magical instructions, scripts and manuals. Hakim had heard of magic and had made a few experiences with superpowered humans before, but this time he was right in the middle of it. Sensing an opportunity to spice up his rather boring life, he began to read into the books. After a few days, with help of the books, he could create small lights. From there, it quickly became easier. Water and food were no problems, thanks to a magical device conjuring them at intervals, so he could focus all his time on training. Thanks to the books, Hakim had purposely stayed with the more beginner level ones, casting simple spells became easier and easier. After about a week, he could cast a spell to transport himself out of the place he had been stuck in. As he’d learned from one of the books, it was a magical library, placed inside a magical pocket, consisting of just one room. Back home, Hakim’s sudden disappearance had caused some panic, with his roomates and colleagues having started a search action both online and in Emerald City itself. His sudden reappearance, knocking on the flat’s door at 4 AM on a Wednesday, caused a few questions. Not wanting to explain everything, a simple “Don’t wanna talk about it” was enough to shut down most questions. After quickly checking up with the company the next day, to prove that he was back and still alive, Hakim took a vacation. The library, as he’d started to call the magical room, still offered many secrets, and Hakim had not yet learned enough to go back to the boredom of everyday life. Over the next year, Hakim both worked and also continue to teach himself magic, managing to find a balance between the two. He started to delve into more advanced manuals, mainly enchanting, which led to him enchanting his trademark scarf. While going through the library’s stock, he came across an enchanted book, which held a variety of small and useful powers, but also allowed him to draw upon part the library’s knowledge even when in Emerald City. During this time, Hakim also started to dabble in crime-fighting, after unintentionally stumbling across a magical beast released onto the streets of Ontario, where he’d been staying for a short business trip. He started to go by the name of Sha'ir the Spellsmith when in his magical disguise. With Emerald City’s low rate of crime, especially supernatural one, there was not a whole lot to be done, but every once in a while, his involvement was required. Personality & Motivation: Hakim is a seeker of knowledge. He is constantly trying to learn new things, and has always been doing it. And now, with his somewhat recent discovery of “The Library”, there is a lot of stuff for him to learn. He greatly enjoys reading about all the different magical procedures, and then trying to get them to work, oftentimes replacing ingredients for more “modern” one. Because come on, who has frog livers nowadays? Hakim also enjoys taking a break from his “mundane” life. Sure, he has a great position at a good company, a stable income, and some prospects for his future. But, at the same time, sitting in an office all day isn’t really Hakim’s thing. Sure, he likes doing his job, but he also likes to get some change into his routine. And this change, at the moment, mainly comes from his activities as Sha’ir. Personally, Hakim isn’t that interesting of a person. He does his own thing. He likes modern art, indie music and films, and generally more obscure works of art. He is a convinced vegetarian, believing that animals deserve to be treated better. (He does like milk too much to be a vegan, though). What time he doesn’t spend at work or as Sha’ir, he can usually be found at parties, exhibitions or classical hangouts. He is not very religious, celebrating major holidays of various religions, but otherwise not participating in religious actions much, save for special occasions. He is convinced that the world can be made a better place through both actions and words, and this is his main conviction for creating the heroic persona of Sha’ir the Spellsmith, as whom he tries to do just that, and make the world better for those living in Emerald City, and wherever else fate might draw him. Powers & Tactics: Sha’ir doesn’t have any combat experience to speak of. He has only been in combat once or twice, so any combat situation will most likely cause a fair amount of stress and uncertainty. Should he ever get into combat, his main strength is his versatility. With the powers of his Mage Book backing him up, he can draw upon a large variety of spells, allowing him to find and abuse weaknesses in his opponent’s defences. As these spells do not always work as planned, some creativity is required, as he has to suddenly change his plans, something that causes problems for him. Without his book, he is much more limited, relying on only a few spells, most of which are more useful for confusing enemies rather than outright fighting them. Here, he is more likely to avoid fights when possible, using his toolset to not get caught in something he cannot handle. Against Magical Opponents, his style changes towards a more observant one, trying to learn from their own spellcasting. He is also likely to use his counterspelling, one of the things he has trained most, against these opponents, to avoid them getting any upper hand. Complications: Magical Manual Misfortune: Sha’ir’s Mage Book is the source of most of his powers. While he is able to cast a few weak spells, anything more advanced requires him to find it in his book, which is magically linked to parts of the library’s knowledge. This by itself is not much of a problem, however, the various spell instructions being transmitted through the Mage Book, can lead to spells outright not working, backfiring, or even causing unintended side-effects. Also, as he only has access to part of the library at a time, it could mean that the book is unable to bring the spell he is looking for, and he has to rely on substitutes, or does not have a fitting spell at all. Notes: When appropriate, a GM may choose to have a spell cast by Sha’ir simply not work. Spells affected by this are the ones in his book, and the ones he has access to through his Variable Power. Perhaps, it backfires in some way. Maybe it just fizzles, maybe the Damage Effect applies to somebody other than the target! Be creative! Secret Sorcerer: In a rare act of keeping with tradition, Hakim has decided to not reveal any connection between Hakim Neifeh, Software Developer and Sha’ir, Spellsmith. This ties into both his obligations as Hakim, but also any other way somebody could connect the two. For his personal sake, but also that of those who know him in either of the two forms, he keeps the two very distanced, taking great efforts to keep it that way. Meddling Middle Management: Hakim has a nice and secure position at WestRock Software, a company run by a former classmate and friend of his. He enjoys this job too, working both in his métier of programing, while also having some power as a member of middle management. This is nice and all, until suddenly there’s an important meeting he has to attend, or he is needed at a client’s headquarters to deal with potential issues. When that happens, he can’t just disappear all the sudden, there has to be a good reason for him to avoid his obligations. Some things may be able to be solved by a quick call onto his phone, but others will require his presence and full attention. And then there’s the business trips… Hermetic Hipster: Sha’ir doesn’t care about things like magical “traditions”. Just because somebody did something a while ago, does that mean he has to conform to it? He has access to a wide variety of magic, from many different sources and many different traditions, and he mixes and matches these as he sees fit, with no regards to the rules of their original source. This has multiple effects. It means that his spells may not work as intended, and simply fizzle or have an unwanted effect. On the other hand, it could also potentially make his interaction with other mages more difficult, with them looking down on him due to his lack of a tradition, and the way he handles the materials at hand with little regard and respect to their origin. Spellcasting Stipulations: Like most Mages, Sha’ir’s spell require him to do something. Due to the wide amount of sources he draws from, it isn’t simply “be able to speak” or “move your hand”. It is those, but many other things too. Some spells require him to be able to do both. For some, he only has to move, or only speak. Some have completely different pre-requisites too. This usually isn’t a problem, as he can move, speak and act freely. But, if somebody were to actually try to stop him, they could. Notes: The classical “Requires Speaking” Complication, but with added flavour! A GM can go and say that due to Sha’ir being restrained/silenced/unable to think clearly, and so on, he cannot possibly cast any/all spells. Condominium Company: Hakim shares a flat with a few of his friends, conveniently also his co-workers. This has a variety of benefits, lower rent, more social interaction, the ability to help each other with work even at home, and many more. But, for an up-and-coming superhero, it also has a variety of drawbacks. As these people are around Hakim pretty much the entire day, him suddenly disappearing will probably get their attention. If he enters his room, doesn’t leave, but isn’t in there, it's bound to raise suspicion. And if every time their friend and flatmate disappears some hero appears on the news, they will soon figure things out. Puzzling Place: Hakim has no idea what exactly the room he refers to as “The Library” is. Clearly, it is a magical archive. But, who created it? And for what purpose? Is it an ancient source of knowledge? A safe to lock away things no mage should ever know? Hakim doesn’t even remember its actual location. While it appears to be some kind of pocket dimension, it seems to be anchored to somewhere in Emerald City. Unfortunately, when Hakim stumbled across that very place, he was so drunk he doesn’t remember. And he doesn’t need to go there regardless, as his magic allows to enter and leave the room from anywhere. Hakim doesn’t really care about this much, but it is most likely only a matter of time until the origins of “The Library” will become important in his life. Abilities: 0 + 2 + 2 + 10 + 8 + 6 = 28PP Strength: 10 (+0) Dexterity: 12 (+1) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 20 (+5) Wisdom: 18 (+4) Charisma: 16 (+3) Combat: 10 + 10 = 20PP Initiative: +1 Attack: +5 Melee, +6/5 Ranged Grapple: +5 Defense: +10/7 (+5 Base, +5/2 Dodge Focus), +0 Flat-Footed Knockback: -5/3/2/0 Saving Throws: 2 + 2 + 0 = 4PP Toughness: +10/7/4/1 (+1 Con, +9/6/3 [Forcefield Effects]) Fortitude: +8/7/5 (+1 Con, +2 +2/2/1) Reflex: +7/5 (+1 Dex, +2 +2/2) Will: +10/7/4 (+4 Wis, +0 +3/3/0) Skills: 104R = 26PP Bluff 8 (+11) Computers 12 (+17) Concentration 8 (+14) Diplomacy 6 (+9) Disable Device 6 (+11) Disguise 4 (+7) Gather Information 5 (+8) Intimidate 1 (+4) Investigate 5 (+10) Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 5 (+10) Knowledge (Business) 2 (+7) Knowledge (Current Events) 4 (+9) Knowledge (Popular Culture) 2 (+7) Knowledge (Technology) 10 (+15) Language 4 (English [Native], Arabic, Atlantean, French, German, Sanskrit) Notice 8 (+12) Search 6 (+11) Sense Motive 6 (+10) Feats: 17PP Accurate Attack Artificer Distract (Bluff) Dodge Focus 2 Contacts Connected Eidetic Memory Luck 3 Move-By Action Quick Change Power Attack Ritualist Equipment 2: The Library: Headquarters (Toughness 10, Size (Huge), Features: Sealed (Pocket Dimension), Concealed Library, Living Space, Workshop (Magical), Power: Super Movement 1 (Dimensional (Library and Earth Prime), Feats: Affect Only Others; Flaws: Action (Standard Action)) [10/10EP] Powers: 30 + 12 + 17 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 18 = 85PP (Descriptor: all Magic) Mage Book (50/50PP Device, Easy-to-lose) [30PP] Enhanced Skill (Arcane Knowledge (10) [Raised to 15 (+20)], Notice 2[Raised to 10(+14)]) [3PP] Comprehend 1 (Languages: Written) [1PP] Enhanced Feat 4(Dodge Focus 3 [Raised to Dodge Focus 5], Attack Focus 1 (Ranged)) [4PP] Enhanced Fortitude 2 [2PP] Enhanced Reflex 2 [2PP] Enhanced Will 3 [3PP] Force Field 3 [3PP] Sorcery Array (26PP Array, Alternate Powers: 6) [32PP] BP: Damage 3 (Extras: Ranged, Autofire (10); Feats: Variable Descriptor 2, Accurate 1, Homing, Precise) [Applied to Damage Power] [22/26PP] AP: Damage 3 (Extras: Range (Perception), Alternate Save (Will)) [Applied to Damage Power] [26/26PP] (mental) AP: Snare 10 (Feats: Reversible, Tether, Obscures Senses (Visual, Auditory, Mental)) [26/26PP] AP: Illusion 8 ((All Senses) Feats: Progression 2; Flaws: Phantasms) [26/26PP] AP: Teleport 7 (Extras: Accurate, Portal; Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity; Progression 3 (Size); Flaws: Action (Standard to Open(-2))) [26/26PP] AP: Move Object 8 ((STR 40 (Heavy Load: 3 tons) Extras: Range (Perception), Feats: Precise) [25/26PP] AP: Concealment 10 ((All Senses apart from Tactile); Feats: Close Range, Selective) [22/26PP] Enchanted Scarf (15/15PP Device, Flaws: Hard-to-lose) [12PP] (all Magic) Enhanced Fortitude 2 [2PP] Enhanced Reflex 2 [2PP] Enhanced Will 3 [3PP] Force Field 3 [3PP] Immunity (Suffocation) [2PP] Super Senses (Magical Awareness (Sight)) [3PP] Damage 7 (Extras: Ranged, Feats: Accurate 1, Affects Insubstantial 2) [17PP] Force Field 3 [3PP] Flight 2 [4PP] Enhanced Fortitude 1 [1PP] Variable 3 ((15PP Variable Power, Power: Descriptor (Magic), Any One Power At Once) Extras: Action (Free Action)) [18PP] Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 15 Toughness Damage Damage Spell Ranged DC 22 Toughness Damage Damage Spell (Book) Ranged DC 25 Toughness Damage Damage Spell (Will) Perception DC 25 Will Damage Snare Ranged DC 20 Reflex Snare Totals: Abilities (28) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (4) + Skills (26) + Feats (17) + Powers (85) - Drawbacks (0) = 180/203 Power Points Variable Configurations: