Search the Community

GM 3PM, August 28th, 2020 Silberman's Northwest, Emerald City Silberman's Northwest was a nice place, even if it was very different from the original Silberman's back in Freedom City. Gretchen McDaniels, otherwise known as the Shrike, was, of course, retired. She had left Freedom for Emerald to get out of the hero life, but some times, you just couldn't. She had met Robin Lynne Langley on a few occasions. She had become a regular at Silberman's Northwest, and about a year before, she and Gretchen had shared an adventure into a magic book that was some knock off of the Wizard of Oz. They had managed to escape, and they had kicked ass and taken names, but even as they learned each others secret identities, Robin had respected Gretchen's choice to not be a hero anymore. Of course, things were different now, and Emerald needed all the heroes they could get...

OOC for this. @Heritage @Cubismo I'll let you know once the initial setup is over and Justice and Shrike goes looking for Ultra Girl.

GM Lakeside, Emerald City 3PM, May 11th 2020 Lakeside was normally peaceful. No Takazumi-gumi or Malakov Mafiya, it was not the place where one would expect much trouble. Especially not on a day where the rain was simply pouring down. All day long, the rain had been falling. And yet, trouble was afoot. A monster was running rampant through the streets of Lakeside! A great beast had caused trouble, assaulting an innocent man, and now, Ultio Suit Users were coming in from all over town, flying, running and leaping through the streets. Of course, not was all as it seemed. The monster was merely a dream, and the Dreamer had just tried to stop a purse snatcher, but now, all these would-be heroes were coming for her. But perhaps one among them would see things different? Perhaps it would take an Ultra Girl to help a Dreamer?

ooc for this. @Kaede Kimura @Cubismo Let's start off with a post from Kaede to set up what the Dreamer and Carnifex is up to, now that they've stopped the purse snatcher and there's Ultio Suits coming in to chase them!

Ultra Girl Power Level: 8/10 (150/159PP) Unspent Power Points: 9PP Trade-Offs: -2 Attack / +2 Damage, -4 Defense / +4 Toughness In Brief: She's kind-hearted and overachieving teen who also happens to be a robotic paragon of truth and justice. Catchphrase: "Need a hero?" and "Kicking it to ultra!" Theme: My Life As A Teenage Robot Alternate Identity: Courtney Wright (Secret) Birthplace: Emerald Cities, Washington and Oregon Residence: Arcadian Peaks, Emerald Cities Base of Operations: Arcadian Peaks Home Occupation: High School Student Affiliations: None Family: Norene "Nora" Wright/Ada Wakefield (Mother) Description: Age: 10 (Date of Creation: 2010) Apparent Age: Late Teens Gender: Female Ethnicity: Robo-American Height: 5'7" Weight: 225 lbs. Eyes: Blue Hair: Golden Blonde Physical Appearance: Courtney has the hallmark, arguably even generic, looks of the stereotypical All-American teenage girl. She’s a blonde with golden locks that fall slightly past her shoulders with bright blue eyes that stand out on a heart-shaped face that’s marked by prominent dimples and high cheekbones. Beyond that, she’s not particularly tall, being only slightly above average height for a teen, and while she’s conventionally pretty she’s more approachably cute than uniquely stunning. Her costume comes right out of the superhero’s guide to crime-fighting fashion. Taking liberal inspiration from her idols in Ms. Americana and the various incarnations of Lady Liberty, Courtney’s costume is a patriotic star-spangled, striped and tri-colored collage of red, white and blue. Accordingly, to really capture the iconic paragon image, her costume comes with trademark navy blue cape and mantle. History: Courtney Wright remembered having a more or less normal upbringing. Her mother Norene was an electrician who practiced her trade across much of the country. Because of that Courtney had to move a lot, but even so, she recalls having a loving and stable childhood, one filled with summer adventures with friends, Christmases with the grandparents in Miami, and quaint family game nights on weekends. Of course, her life wasn’t entirely picturesque. Her father passed away when she was young, and her mother became overprotective after he passed. Courtney dealt with these changes with the same stubborn positivity that she approached most things in life. So when she and mother moved to Emerald City, she didn’t despair that it meant losing touch with another group of friends. If anything she was excited to go to high school in a big city. There were so many new people to meet! Her mother was nervous, more nervous than usual, but Courtney entered Arcadian High in good spirits. In no time at all she made new friends, joined new clubs and tried new things. One of those new things ended up being attending a street race happening on the southern fringes of Arcadian Peaks. Courtney was apprehensive about it, but her new friends reassured her that there was no chance that things would go bad. It turned out they were wrong. There was an accident on the road. One of the driver’s cars suddenly went out of control, its MarsTech operating system catastrophically going haywire. And as luck would have it did so perilously close to where Courtney and her friends were watching the race. With there being no time for any of them to escape the impending crash it seemed likely that a tragic loss of life was about to occur. But it didn’t. Somehow, by some hitherto untapped instinct, Courtney unthinkingly stood in the way of the fast approaching vehicle while everyone else tried to make some futile last-ditch effort to get of the way. She should have become a smear on the road for that, but she didn’t. Inexplicitly, she survived having a nearly three thousand pound sport’s car crash into her. More than that, she not only survived the impact, but also stopped the car in its tracks with her bare hands! Still in a semi-aware fugue, Courtney causally tore off the ruined car’s door and dragged its unconscious driver away from the wreck. It was while she was taking the racer to safety that she finally noticed that her hands had been torn, revealing a bloody mess of ruined flesh and electronics underneath it. Terrified by what she saw, Courtney bolted from the scene, using the chaos and confusion of the crash to get away unseen before the police could arrive. Not knowing where else to go, and desperate for answers, she ran home. When Courtney’s mother saw the exposed metal and electronics that were hanging from her daughter’s arms she knew the masquerade was over and that it was time to come clean. The truth, as her “mother” told it, was that Courtney wasn’t born. She was made. Designed in the secret RD faculties of the MarsTech corporation nearly ten years ago as part of Project Spartoi, the supposed greatest innovation in weaponized drone technology. A line of semi-autonomous robots that were to be sold on the market as a bold new alterative to both private security and public policing. Security guards slacking on the job? No problem! A Spartoi-drone never tires, complains or takes lunch breaks. Issues with the local police force? Consider it solved! A Spartoi-drone is utterly incorruptible and would succeed where a human officer would error. One of the lead managers of this project was Emerald City native Dr. Ada Wakefield. Though one of the world’s great scientist minds when it came to advanced robotics, Ada’s live was one marked with frequent loss. Her father died while she was young, and her mother followed suit while she was still in school earning her doctorate at Carnegie Mellon University. It was during this difficult time that Ada met a follow student by the name of Aaron Ross. He was smart, kind, and understood what she was going through, having lost his own parents when he was young. By the time they graduated, they had become couple, and by the they moved to Emerald City to take up job opportunities in MarsTech, they were married. For a time the they were happy, both rising in their careers at MarsTech, but things went awry when they accidental uncovered encrypted project files that revealed that Project Spartoi was part of a strange conspiracy by MarsTech to further cement its control of the city using its drones. Terrified by the implications and the perversion of their work, the pair tried to expose MarsTech’s plans. Unfortunately, when Aaron tried to bring their findings to Emerald City’s local AEGIS chapter he disappeared, as did all their evidence against MarsTech when a corrupt AEGIS squad raided their home in Southern Shore. With Aaron possibly dead, and their evidence out of reach or destroyed, Ada went forward with their agreed upon Plan B to ensure that Project Spartoi would at least be severely impeded in the short-term if not entirely stopped. Sneaking into MarsTech one last time, she stole the prototype AI core they were working on and various other critical components to Project Spartoi before vanishing from the city altogether. She spent years afterwards in hiding, moving across the country to evade MarsTech while at the same working tirelessly to reprogram the stolen AI for good. At first, Ada only saw the AI as a weapon that could one day be used against MarsTech, a means to an end, but as the years went by she started to see the burgeoning consciousness as something of an adopted child, something that could be nurtured beyond its origins. Using a mix of her own replicated memories along with entirely fabricated ones, Ada subverted the AI’s original violent operational protocols and made it more humane, more human. Ada explained that Courtney’s childhood memories, appearance and even her enrollment in high school were all part of an attempt to nurture humanity within a machine originally meant to only serve MarsTech and its plans. In truth, Courtney had only been truly self-aware for about a year since Ada returned to Emerald City with a new identity. That’s how Courtney Wright was “made.” Courtney took all this as about as well as one could inspect. First, she was in disbelief, but that quickly gave way to an anger very much directed at her “mother.” How could she lie to her about everything? How much of herself was just fabrication? Was her whole life just some kind of sick science experiment? Her mother tried to defend herself, swearing up and down that she fully intended to eventually reveal the truth to her once she thought she was ready for it. Courtney wasn’t sure what to believe. She still doesn’t now, but in the end, she did accept that MarsTech was dangerous if it was willing to create an army of drones in some shadowy plot. So, she decided that night that she’d use her newly discovered abilities and go investigate MarsTech, but on her terms and as her own person. Whomever or whatever that was now. Personality & Motivation: Courtney decidedly subverts the common sci-fi trope of androids being coldly logical beings. She is an almost cloyingly upbeat and out-going person, the kind of bright and thoughtful teen that many parents dream of raising. Accordingly, her motivations as a hero and person is largely that of the good Samaritan, the earnest desire to use her abilities and powers to help the world. Whether this drive to help is a reflection of her mother’s own youthful dreams of making the world a better place through technology or a trait all her own is up for debate, but either way Courtney strives to be the greatest hero she can be. Beyond basic do-goodery, Courtney also wants to take down MarsTech, the very organization responsible for her creation and the one that would surely seek to reclaim or “retire” her if they ever learned of her existence and true nature. Though she hides it well underneath her plunky exterior, Courtney constantly worries about her identity a person. Many of her memories of childhood and adolescence are not her own, being instead the copied and imprinted memory engrams of her mother’s own sanitized and edited upbringing. Where “Courtney” begins and “Norene” ends is once again something of a philosophical question, one that makes Courtney deeply troubled on an existential level, though she is loath to admit it or think much about it. Some of this angst was grown into a subconscious distrust and barrier between herself and her mother, who Courtney feels gave her a false sense of humanity and normalcy only to cruelly take the rug right from under her when the charade came to an abrupt. Regardless of these of those fears, Courtney does ultimately consider herself to be human and doggedly identifies as such. Powers & Tactics: Courtney is a mechanical paragon, a synthetic lifeform made out a complicated composition of highly advanced alloys, synthetic organs and other esoteric materials. As such, all of her powers and abilities are technological in effect, nature and origin. Like most paragons in the style of the late Centurion she’s superhumanly strong and resilient, fully capable of lifting a fighter jet over her head at her maximum strength and durable enough to withstand heavy weapons fire. Her robotic body also means she’s immune to bodily ailments that could fell even a superhuman, like diseases, poisons, suffocation, and various hazardous environmental conditions. Beyond her strength, Courtney also has various other internal weapon systems at her disposal, such as embedded laser weapons and magnokinetic suspension rays, the latter of which she can use to lift herself and fly. Lastly, she has an array of technopathic powers on account of her positronic brain’s ability to interface wireless with technology. Owning to her inability to use lethal force, along with a general temperament and ethos against such violence, Courtney uses her abilities to quickly end fights by neutralizing her opponents into unconscious or incapacitation. She goes about doing this by using her super strength to either grapple or knock out baddies, with the extra speed and maneuverability provided by her ability to fly making it easier to rush into striking range. There are also her optic beams, which can serve as a far-reaching ranged attack whenever melee is not a viable option. Her ability to manipulate metallic objects can similarly be used for ranged attacks as well for more nonviolent and creative uses, such as clearing rubble or restoring urban debris. Her technopathic abilities also have tactical utility as they allow her to wireless listen on to radio frequencies, communicate long distances electronically, track electrical signals and accomplish a host of other types of tech wizardy and manipulations. Complications: Damn Skinjobs! (Secret/Prejudice): Courtney is an android. A very, very deceptively human android, but an android all the same. She is very intent on keeping this a secret. Not only because it may lead to her being found out by MarsTech, but also because she fears the prejudice that may come from being outted as a non-human in her civilian identity. GM Suggestion: Give Courtney a Hero Point if someone not only discovers her identity but also threats to expose her android nature to the public. Overprotective Mother (Detriment): Courtney loves her mother, but the revelations regarding her true identity and actions have created in a rift in their relationship There’s also the fact that her mother is something of a helicopter parent who’s determined to keep an eye on all her super heroics. GM Suggestion: You can give Courtney a Hero Point if her mother’s overprotectiveness or actions somehow impairs her ability to be a hero. Boot Up, Go to School, Save the City (Responsibility): Courtney is still a high school student with an active social life and is not yet willing to abandon it and fully dedicate herself to her superhero persona and vendetta against MarsTech. GM Suggestion: Consider giving Courtney a Hero Point in the event that her social life comes into conflict with her superhero alter ego. Ethical Programming (Honor): Like most superheroes Courtney has a moral code and lines that we will not cross. That means no undue brutality, abandoning people in life or death situations, and definitely no killing. Unlike most superheroes though these ethics are literally programmed into her neural net as fundamental behavior protocols. GM Suggestion: Consider granting Courtney a Hero Point if her inability her break moral code somehow makes her life and/or ability to be a superhero more difficult. Rookie Hero (Accident): Courtney is new to the superhero game, and while she is thoroughly dedicated to learning the ropes, the fact remains that she is quite new to it and will make mistakes due to her inexperience and naiveté. GM Suggestion: Feel free to give Courtney a Hero Point if her aforementioned inexperience leads to her making a rookie mistake. Also feel free to come up with ways for her to mess up!. Nixing successful rolls, putting negative modiifers on certain rolls, etc. Renegade Corporate Property (Enemy/Obsession): Courtney knows that MarsTech is corrupt is determined to see the corporation fall. She also knows that they will do everything in their power to “retire” or repossess their “stolen property if they ever find out she’s their missing prototype. GM Suggestion: Consider giving Courtney a Hero Point if her she has a negative or violent encounter with the employees and agents of MarsTech. More Human Than Machine (Detriment): Most robots have issues passing for human let alone fully understanding the complex web of passions, psychologies, and motivations that drive humanity. For better or worse, this isn’t the case with Courtney, who is just as susceptible to typical emotions as most humans. GM Suggestion: Consider nixing Courtney’s successfully Will saves or Immunity when it comes to effects or powers that deal with or induce strong emotions. Abilities: 2PP Strength: 10/30 (+0/+10) Dexterity: 10 (+0) Constitution: N/A Intelligence: 18 (+4) Wisdom: 10 (+0) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 16PP Initiative: +4 Attack: +6 Melee (+4 Base, +2 Attack Focus), +4 Ranged (+4 Base), +8 Blast (+4 Base, +4 Accurate) Grapple: +6/+16/+20 (+6 Melee Attack, +0/+10 Strength, +4 Super-Strength) Defense: +4 (+4 Base), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -9 Saving Throws: 12PP Toughness: +12 (+12 Protection; Impervious 5) Fortitude: Immune Reflex: +6 (+0 Dex, +6PP) Will: +6 (+0 Wis, +6PP) Skills: 40R = 10PP Computer 7 (+11) Diplomacy 8 (+10) Gather Information 8 (+10) Knowledge (Pop Culture) 1 (+5) Knowledge (Technology) 8 (+12) Notice 8 (+8) Feats: 10PP Attack Focus (Melee) 2 Eidetic Memory Interpose Jack-of-All-Trades Luck 2 Quick Change Speed of Thought Takedown Attack Powers: 105PP Flight 1 “Magnetic Self-Propulsion” (10 MPH / 100 Ft. Per Move Action) [2PP] (Magnetic, Technology) Immunity 30 “Android Body” (Fortitude Effects) [30PP] (Construct, Technology) Immunity 10 “Positronic Brain” (Psionic Effects; Flaw: Limited [Half-Effect]) [5PP] (Construct, Technology) Impervious Toughness 5 “Bulletproof Chassis” [5PP] (Construct, Technology) Quickness 2 “Internal Hyper-Processor” (x5; Flaw: Mental Tasks Only) [1PP] (Construct, Technology) Ultra Power Array 4 (8PP Array, Feats: Dynamic, Dynamic Alternate Powers 1) [11PP] (Construct, Technology) Base Power: [8PP] “Ultra Self-Propulsion” Flight 0-4 (0-100 MPH / 0-1,000 Ft. Per Move Action) (Magnetic, Technology) Alternate Power: [8PP] “Ultra Nano-Boost” Super-Strength 0-4 (Lifting Strength: 10/30/50, Heavy Load: 100 lbs./1,600 lbs.-12 tons.) (Construct, Technology) Protection 12 “Hyper-Alloy Endoskeleton” (+12 Toughness) [12PP] (Construct, Technology) Regeneration 5 “Nano-Active Bloodstream” (+5 Recovery Bonus) [5PP] (Nanites, Technology) Super-Senses 4 “On-Board Sensor Array” (Communication Link [Norene Wright, Sense Type: Radio], Extended 1 [Auditory: 100 Ft.], Extended 1 [Visual: 100 Ft.], Infravision) [4PP] (Construct, Technology) Weapons Systems Array 10 (20PP Array, Feats: Alternate Powers 2) [22PP] (Construct, Technology) Base Power: [20PP] “Nano-Boosted” Enhanced Strength 20 (+20 Strength) (Construct, Technology) Alternate Power: [20PP] “Laser-Vision” Blast 8 (Feats: Accurate 2, Variable Descriptor 2 [Energy]) (Energy, Technology) Alternate Power: [20PP] “Magno-Emitters” Move Object 8 (Effective Strength: 40, Heavy Load: 3 tons.; Extras: Damaging; Feats: Accurate 2, Precise, Subtle; Flaw: Limited [Ferrous Metals]) (Magnetic, Technology) Variable Power 1 “Technopathic Protocols” (5PP Variable Pool, Tech Powers, Extras: Action 2 [Free]) (Electromagnetic, Technology) [8PP] Example Powers: Drawbacks -5PP Vulnerability (Electricity Effects, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Minor [+1 DC]) [-2PP] Vulnerability (Magnetism Effects, Frequency: Uncommon, Intensity: Major [x2 Effect Rank]) [-3PP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVING THROW EFFECT Unarmed (+6) Touch DC 15 Toughness Damage (Physical) En. STR Unarmed (+6) Touch DC 25 Toughness Damage (Physical) Blast 8 (+8) 80 Ft. DC 23 Toughness Damage (Energy) Move Object 8 (+8) 80 Ft. Grapple vs. +16 Pinned/Bound (Magnetic) Throw Object 8 (+8) 80 Ft. DC 23 Toughness Damage (Physical) Totals: Abilities (2) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (12) + Skills (10) + Feats (10) + Powers (105) - Drawbacks (5) = 150/159 Power Points