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Talon Power Level: 10 (150/162PP) Unspent Power Points: 12 Trade-Offs: Blast (+4 Attack/-4 Damage) In Brief: Slightly psionic cowl from Anti-Earth Alternate Identity: Tyler Lee (Secret), Samuel Amber (Alias), Magpie (Former Superheroic Name), Yamanu (Former Superheroic Name) Birthplace: Empire City Residence: West Freedom, Freedom City Base of Operations: The Nest (A hidden bunker beneath West Freedom) Occupation: Network Penetration Specialist Affiliations: None, yet Family: Tyler “the Magpie” Lee, alternate Earth Prime self Description: Age: 23 (DoB: 1995) Apparent Age: Early Twenties Gender: Male Ethnicity: Middle-Eastern Height: 5’9” (175 cm) Weight: 159 lb. (72 kg) Eyes: Brown Hair: Black In civilian garb, Tyler is a man that easily blends into a crowd. Without many distinguishing features, he often does just that. He wears simple, casual clothes that fit the environment, with a slight favoring of the color green. Neither tall nor short, broad nor slender, Ty’s most distinguishing features are the scars that are mostly covered by his clothing. As Talon, he wears a grey, brown, and green costume that breaks up his outline, along with a cowl-mask that strongly resembles a stylized owl. Across his chest in an X shape, he wears a set of pouches that form his utility belt, with a buckle bearing the symbol of an owl flying directly at the viewer. He also wears a grey cape that reaches to the back of his knees, allowing him to glide from high perches. History: On Anti-Earth, in Empire City, there was once an orphan who was named Tyler Lee. A member of the Red Fangs, one of Empire City’s many minor criminal gangs practically from birth, Ty, as he preferred to be called, was trained by his superiors as a pickpocket and roof-climber, for very few places were made secure enough that a small child could not slip through their protections. By twelve, Ty had become something of an expert thief, breaking into lower middle-class homes to loot their treasures. Nevertheless, something seemed to be missing in this life – he saw how the violence of his superiors often effected the families he was stealing from, and felt something odd when he did so – a thing that he would later learn to call guilt. Ty was thirteen when he found his life turned on its head. The boss of the Red Fangs got too big for his boots, and sent Ty after some more lucrative scores, in wealthier districts. It was easily the most risky endeavor that Ty had undertaken, and it proved that he was not so skilled as he (and his boss) had thought he was, as the owner of the house, a woman called Saturnalia Roman, caught him in the act of stealing some of her jewels. A mixture of terror, guilt, and shame consumed Ty, and he quickly began babbling apologies in both an attempt to avoid punishment and out of genuine regret. The fact that she was easily the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen may also have influenced his regret. Luckily for Ty, Saturnalia was more amused than offended, and was intrigued by both his skill at getting into her home and his sincere apologies, and offered him a chance to work for her rather than for the Red Fangs. Confused and conflicted, Ty fled the home, whose owner made no attempt to stop him. Harrowed by the experience, Ty made a resolution – he wasn’t going to steal from anyone ever again. Being thirteen, he didn’t really consider what implications this decision might have on his relationship with his gang, and so he returned to the base… just in time to discover that those unforeseen consequences had no real meaning anymore, as all the Red Fangs were either dead or vanished. The base that they had been using was the site of a massacre – Black Bowman had taken offense to an attack on one of his businesses by the Red Fangs, and had taken matters into his own hands. Left alone on the streets of Empire City, Ty had few options, and fewer chances to pursue them. With no other choice, he broke into the Roman home once more and found that Saturnalia was waiting for him – after swallowing what little pride he had remaining, he begged her to hire him, on the condition that he not need to steal. After much (mock) deliberation, Saturnalia accepted his offer, and declared that he needed training to be useful to her. She sent him to the Maximus Ring, where Ty was educated in all manner of subjects, from history to close and ranged combat, from calculus to acrobatics. Taking to these studies like a fish to water, Ty gradually discovered that the faculty of the Maximus Ring was staunchly opposed to the Tyranny Syndicate, and by the time he was sixteen, his suspicions were confirmed. The Courage Foundation, the great foe of the Tyranny Syndicate, sponsored the Maximus Ring as a training ground for their operatives. Two years later, Ty’s training was complete, and the class with which he was graduating was prepared to begin their activities against the Tyranny Syndicate. However, agents of the Syndicate – mostly law enforcement officers led by Master Metropolis, crashed the day of their graduation ceremony. In the ensuing chaos, most of Ty’s new friends and allies died, and he was forced to flee. He fled to Saturnalia’s home, where he discovered his patroness had already been captured by the League’s cronies. Burdened by guilt and a deep well of anger, Ty adopted the name “Magpie” as a nod to his past, and began a solo war against the operations of the Syndicate. It didn’t last too long – four months after beginning his operations, the Syndicate discovered his hideout and captured him, imprisoning him in the Fortress, their base in Empire City. There, their scientists analyzed him intensively, looking to discover how he’d managed to survive. For three years he was tormented and experimented upon, but they did not execute him. By the time he was twenty, though, he discovered that their experiments were unlocking some sort of potential in him – he no longer fell into exhausted sleep after their experiments, or… very often at all, for that matter. Ghosting through the halls reminded Ty of his earliest memories, but the stakes were much higher. He managed to evade or take down patrols until he finally found himself in a room where the scientists had created a device… a portal of some sort. Any thoughts of testing where it might go or how safe it was to use were banished as the alarm went off, and he threw himself into the portal. Ty awoke to find himself, burned and badly damaged, awakening in a hospital in someplace called “Freedom City,” though no one seemed to know who he was, or what the Tyranny Syndicate was. Escaping from the hospital, Ty hid in an abandoned building and began to research where he was. After getting over small facts like the sun rising in the wrong directionand the fact that the Syndicate here was called the Freedom League, Ty concluded that he was in an alternate reality, where things seemed to be the total opposite of his home. Investigating his other self, Ty discovered that he was a wealthy (and deeply immoral) head of a crime syndicate based mostly in Freedom City. Disgusted with his other self, he decided to “re-appropriate” some of his own funds, and took on the name Yamanu – the original Egyptian form of Amon, which translates to “the Hidden One,” and began working in secret to support the superheroes of this new world, whilst researching where he had come from. For two years, Yamanu stayed off the field, functioning as an information broker for the superheroic community, but usually staying under the radar, and began working as a Network Penetration Specialist at a local company under the assumed name of “Samuel Amber.” Now, in 2019, at 23, Ty is finally (more) used to Earth Prime and Freedom City, and has begun to consider making his next move to reintegrate himself in the field. Donning a costume, cape, and mask that he’d been working on building during his nights for the past two years, he took the name Talon - focusing on the clawed and powerful feet of owls. Silent and powerful, these winged predators were the ones from which he took his costume’s inspiration. Personality & Motivation: Tyler is driven by many things – he wishes to make up for his past as part of the Red Fangs, where he enriched petty criminals at the cost of tormenting the poor innocents of Empire City. He is driven by his perceived failures to save his classmates from the Maximus Ring, who were killed and arrested by the Syndicate when he survived, and by the fact that his one-man heroics in Empire City were such a dismal failure. To Ty, Earth Prime represents a second chance, where he’ll be able to redeem his past failures. It also is something of a training ground, for he hopes to one day return to Empire City and break the back of the Syndicate. So far, no one on Earth Prime truly knowsTy, and he somewhat prefers it that way – trust does not come easily to someone born on Anti-Earth, especially in its capital. Nevertheless, some part of Ty wishes to share the burden with other heroes, comrades of the sort that he had during the years of his training. Ty holds himself to a high standard, both in terms of morals and in terms of excellence, though he acknowledges somewhat bitterly that he often fails in both accounts. He deals in very strict absolutes, at least when it comes to himself, regarding failure and success, though even he is forced to acknowledge that sometimes you have to acknowledge that a victory is a victory, even when it feels like a defeat. Nevertheless, he tries hard not to take himself too seriously – you have to laugh at the world, or you’ll end up crying. Besides, Earth Prime is so much betterthan Anti-Earth that it seems to practically be a paradise. Powers & Tactics: Unbeknownst to Talon, he has latent psionic powers invested in him (or catalyzed by) the scientists’ experiments back in the Fortress in Empire City. While thus far he has only found these manifested in his ability to go totally without sleep, it is possible that he will develop further powers as he grows into them. Left without any offensive superhuman abilities, Talon investigates his targets with utmost care, sometimes shadowing them, and other times thoroughly researching them online, but always learning about their weaknesses and fears. After doing so, he will strike from the shadows, relying on surprise and stealth to win the day. He also is quite skilled in martial arts, wielding his battle staff expertly and his body only just below that. Power Descriptions: The most notable of Talon's abilities are not powers, but can seem that way to an uninformed observer – indeed, most are functions of devices that he built into his costume. He can hack into computer systems using his onboard datalink, and has a wide variety of onboard sensor systems that allow him to perceive threats and obstacles even in the dark. Complications: Am I Enough?: Talon is plagued with self-doubt and low self-esteem, as a result of perceived failures in his past. Anyone challenging him in this particular way is likely to cast him off balance. Bird of the Night: Due to the legacy of die Eule, an infamous Nazi supervillain, virtually no heroes have adopted owls as their iconic animal. All unknowing, Talon has done just that, and may be faced with stigmatization from those aware of the associations. Identity Struggles: The Tyler Lee of Earth Prime is a fairly low-level crimelord of Freedom City, and anyone tying him to his Anti-Earth counterpart would have a decent chance at causing trouble for said counterpart. While Talon has hacked into databanks to create the identity of Samuel Amber, any DNA test or even a fingerprint might connect him to his criminal counterpart. I will not be Contained!: Thanks to his long-term confinement in the Fortress wherein he was experimented upon, Talon has a deep, visceral reaction to being imprisoned or confined in any physical way. Stranger in a Strange(r) Land: Being in a world where the sun rises in the eastrather than the west, and where the Freedom League takes the place of the Tyranny Syndicate is still rather startling to Talon. Though he is mostly used to being on Earth Prime, occasionally acts of simple virtue and the differences in history or other such details take him aback, and reveal him to be not quite what he initially seems. You say Trust, I ask Where's the Knife?: Trust does not come easily to those who have lived in the deepest pits of Empire City, and it took Ty much of his time at the Maximus Ring to get used to trusting his comrades. This can lead him to investigating the claims others make independently, or otherwise hamper his effectiveness in social situations. Abilities: 8 + 8 + 2 + 10 + 6 + 2 = 36PP Strength: 18 (+4) Dexterity: 18 (+4) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 20 (+5) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 12 (+1) Combat: 16 + 10 = 26PP Initiative: +4 Attack: +8 Melee (+8 Melee), +8 Ranged (+8 Base), +10 Battle Staff (+8 Base, +2 Attack Specialization) Defense: +10 (+5 Base, +5 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Grapple: +12 Knockback: -5 Saving Throws: 6 + 6 + 5 = 17PP Toughness: +10 (+1 Con, +4 Defensive Roll, +5 Protection) Fortitude: +7 (+1 Con, +6) Reflex: +10 (+4 Dex, +6) Will: +8 (+3 Wis, +5) Skills: 84R = 21PP Acrobatics 4 (+8) Bluff 4 (+5) Climb 4 (+8) Computers 10 (+15) Skill Mastery Craft (Electronic) 6 (+11) Disable Device 7 (+11) Investigate 10 (+15)Skill Mastery Knowledge (Technology) 8 (+13) Languages 2 (English [Native], German, Mandarin) Notice 10 (+13)Skill Mastery Search 4 (+7) Sense Motive 4 (+7) Sleight of Hand 2 (+6) Stealth 11 (+15)Skill Mastery Feats: 27PP Attack Specialization (Battle Staff) Benefit 1 (Wealthy) Benefit 1 (Alternate Identity) Defensive Roll 2 Dodge Focus 5 Eidetic Memory Equipment 7 Evasion 2 Fearless Hide in Plain Sight Inventor Online Research Skill Mastery 1 (Computers, Stealth, Investigate, Notice) Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Well Informed Equipment: 7PP = 35EP The Nest (Toughness: 10 Size: Medium; Features: Communications, Computer, Concealed, Gym, Laboratory, Living Space, Power System, Security System, Workshop) [11EP] Utility Belt [24EP] Binoculars [1EP] Snare 6 (Bolas) [1EP] Immunity 2 (Suffocation) (Breath Mask) [1EP] Drain Toughness 5 (Cutting Torch, Flaws: Limited to Metal Objects) [1EP] Dazzle Burst 6 [Visual, Auditory] (Flash-Bang Grenade) [18EP] Super-Movement [Swinging] (Grapple-Gun) [1EP] Blast 5 (Owl Talons) [1EP] Powers: 1 + 16 + 6 = 23PP Immunity 1 (Sleep) (Efficient Activity) [1PP] (Psionic, Mutant) Device 4 (Talon Costume; 20 PP Container; Flaws: Hard-To-Lose) [16PP] (Technology) Communication 3 (Radio; Feats: Subtle) [5PP] - Alternate Power: Datalink 3 (Radio) Flight 3 (Flaws:Gliding) (4PP) - Alternate Power: Super-Movement 1 (Slow Fall) Immunity 2 (Cold, Heat) (2PP) Protection 5 (5PP) Super-Senses 4 (Direction Sense, Distance Sense, Infravision, Low-Light Vision) [4PP] Device 2 (Enhanced Battle Staff; 10 PP Container; Flaws: Easy-to-Lose) [6PP] (Trained) Battle Staff Array 4.5 [9PP Array; Alternate Power 1] [10PP] BP: Strike 6 (Feats: Mighty) + Enhanced Feat 2 (Stunning Attack, Improved Critical) [9/9PP] (Bludgeoning Damage) SP: Blast 3 (Feats: Accurate 2, Mighty 3, Drawbacks: Reduced Range 2 [Max Range 75 ft.]) [9/9PP] (Bludgeoning Damage) DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 19 Toughness Damage Battle Staff Touch DC 25 Toughness Damage Battle Staff Ranged DC 21 Toughness Damage Bolas Ranged DC 16 Reflex Snare Owl Talons Ranged DC 20 Toughness Damage Flash-Bang Ranged Burst DC 16 Reflex/Fortitude Dazzle Totals: Abilities (36) + Combat (26) + Saving Throws (17) + Skills (21) + Feats (27) + Powers (23) - Drawbacks (0) = 150/162 Power Points

GM The Heart's Zephyr, in the Centery Narrows July 6th, 2019, 9:27 PM The Heart's Zephyr, sailing out of Lisbon, and ports beyond, drifted slowly beneath the Centery Bridge. Normally, this would be no cause for concern, as a great many ships passed beneath the bridge, even at so late an hour as this. However, unlike the usual ships to pass through the Narrows, the Heart's Zephyr's lights were out. Even worse, as the vast transport slowly trundled along, over a dozen shadowy figures dropped down from the Centry Bridge onto its deck, each one armed in some way. One of the sailors onboard the Zephyr made the unfortunate error of approaching one of the figures. "Stop! Who are y-" BLAM! The crack of a gunshot cut through even the sounds of traffic on the bridge. Even as one of the figures began berating the shooter, the rest began fanning out swiftly through the ship, as though seeking something.

Talon ErosUnlimited Offices 24 August 2019, 12:57 PM Several weeks had passed since the website ErosUnlimited had first come to Talon's attention. In between his work at his job as Sam Amber and his nocturnal activities as Talon, he hadn't had the chance to do more than a few meagre attempts to penetrate its defenses, but what he had seen had given him some confidence that, even if the owners of the site were somehow malicious, any revelation of identities would happen purely on voluntary basis. Thus, he could only gather so much information on the site and its administrators via his technological skills. Now, dressed in simple clothing that could have been bought anywhere, or even found secondhand, Samuel Amber entered into the offices of Eros Unlimited, donning a cheerful smile and approaching the first person who looked like they belonged here. "Hello there! I believe I'm expected. My boss," he lowered his voice, "Yamanu," before continuing in a regular tone, "said I should come up here to talk with, er, one 'Pamela Unterbotten-Schneider?'" The last two names were pronounced with an effortless German accent.

This is the OOC topic for Import/Export. And stuff.

Five bored rich kids seek thrills. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. The area has 12 shops. Eats, clothing, books, alcohol, divorce lawyer. Cops have the parking lot locked down, but are unable to get the cranked out criminals under control. They're about to call in the big guns, but then you arrive. Or maybe you were there the whole time.

GM There are few things one needs in life. To live, of course. Eat, sleep, repeat. That would get boring. So we find other things to occupy our time. Action, adventure. Though some use this as an excuse to be dreadful. Luckily there are people who will stand up and protect the less fortunate. The days are long and hot in the summer, but nothing is left to chance. Or is it? Immortals hiding from society, treating humanity like a chess game. Or just the causality of the universe. You could ask this group of youth in ski masks and nondescript clothing, but they really don't care. They're using what minimal power they have to ransack a row of businesses in a mini mall. Cops are on the scene. Pedestrians are freaked out. The kids are high on a cocktail ZOOM and MAX. Guaranteed not to kill you or you money back. Suckers.

GM Union Rail Yards March 6th, 10:30 PM The shock had slowly settled, but the old security guard that had been patrolling the rail yards was still rattled by what he had seen. Even now, as his flashlight illuminated the victim, he was trembling. He had seen his fair share of bad in the twenty-something years that he had worked security here, but seeing a body still sent a shiver up his spine. And this particular body was not just some poor man lying with a lead in his gut. No, this one was a man, dressed in a nice suit, strung up on the side of one of the old, unused train cars. The thing was supposed to have been scrapped years ago, but it had just been pushed back. No rush, didn't cost them anything. The victim was hanging on the side of the train. His arms were stretched up, bound in heavy chains that went around the train, going under it where they were attached to his feet. His suit still looked nice, still looked fine, but blood had seeped into it from his wrists and ankles, where the bands on the chains had cut into his skin and flesh. The man's face was a massive bruise. He had been beaten to death, it seemed. But perhaps most stunning was the the five letters that had been painted across the train and the man, in bright pink. T A L O N. The security guard was quick to call it in to the police. The rumors of what had happened would spread quickly.

OOC for this @secondling

GM March 9th, late evening The sky was black, and it was raining. There might even be thunder and lightning later. It was that kind of smell in the air. Particularly on the rooftops. It might be raining more than rain, this night. A small gang of men held another man by his legs over the side of the building. It was a good thirty feet drop. He might survive, if he landed right. But being dropped head first was not the best way to land right. It was the best way to spray brains all over the pavement. "Please! Please!" he yelled, in a Japanese accent. The five men who were tormenting him looked thick and heavy set. Hard men, but not the brightest. "Give it up" demanded one of the thugs. "Where is he? You really want to die for him, you Yakuza scum? This city belongs to us, y'hear? Big Al and the Mob!" Perhaps he should not have been speaking so loudly. For Talon was prowling not far away!

Jack was never late for sound check. Yet here they were in Freedom City of all places, missing their drummer. They'd been looking for him all day. Last they saw him he was half down a bottle last night. Still, he never was this late. Tanya and Brandon strummed a few notes as Serena harmonized, but no drummer. It was weird. He hadn't answered his phone once. Two hours until the gig was supposed to start. Brandon and Serena looked to Tanya. "C'mon, you ain't got some of that evil magic juju that can find a lost person," Brandon said half silly half desperate. Serena laughed at the dark tone, "don't worry, man. If he doesn't come soon, she'll drink his half of the bottle. And we'll all split his share," she said as if the threat of losing either would send him through the door of the bus. It didn't Tanya sighed She had already drank his half. "Yeah, I'm worried too guys. Not like him. At all." She pressed her eyelids closed, focusing on her friend. Nope. Nothing. She canted a few gibberish words that sounded magical. But really she could have been shouting for a magical doctor to appear and it would have done the same thing. "Bombay's not in, man."

Talon and Hell Girl run into each other for the first time.

February 10, 2019. 2 AM. The Waterfront. A Warehouse. Everyone knew weapons were smuggled into and out of Freedom via The Waterfront and it’s many warehouses. One would get raided by cops, AEGIS, or even superheroes now and then, but the flow in and out never entirely ceased. These were going to be shipped out. The crew involved were newcomers to Freedom City. Normally they worked further south, out of Miami, but this was too good of a deal to pass up. Yes, even to risk the wrath of Freedom’s vast multitude of superheroes and AEGIS’s unofficial headquarters. So here they were. They called themselves the Bad Boys, after the two movies. At any rate, the buyer would be here shortly to both pay and take possession of the shipment. After which, the Bad Boys would hop on the motorcycles and get the hell out of this crazy town. This was the plan. But the plans of low level criminals in Freedom City seldom went right.

OOC for this. Uh, ask me things if you need to, I guess? Also, this is where the rolls go.

GM February 20th, 10:30 PM A little town with no name, about 25 miles Northeast of Clarksville, Arkansas. Hell Girl had heard the rumors. Something big was about to go down in the middle of nowhere, Arkansas. A small town that wasn't even on any map. It was maybe twenty houses, arranged in a nice cross with houses oppsite of each other, a single store in the middle of all that, and maybe three farms a bit further away. The town was surrounded by hills, with nothing but dust trails leading to it from other, more populated areas. There were a few trucks around, some with confederate flag decals. This time of the night, the town was silent. All dark. They had power from somewhere, sure, but everyone would normally be sleeping. But this night, all three barns were lit from the inside. Each of them had two people standing watch outside the doors. According to the rumors that Hell Girl had picked up, this little town in the middle of nowhere was not as innocent as it seemed. They were a cult of some sort. Or at least tried to be. Had grown out of some trailer park, then decided to go start their own place. And this night they were trying to bring forth their demonic master. So, Hell Girl had called in some help.

Twenty Questions HellQ

OOC for this @Heartbreaker, @secondling, @EternalPhoenix Probably primarily a combat thread, but let's see where it takes us.