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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...

Of course, everyone in the thread is in the area when this happens. You can place yourself anywhere within sight of it.

Earth K-Eldritch-5, Geloyra. The people of this Earth live by a loose set of morals, but there are heroes. And some of them are actually OK people. Oh, they'll save you, but you'll pay them for it somehow. Almost all believe in the reward for a job well done. Almost all believe in leaving a swath of bodies in their wake and taking the 'stuff' from said bodies. They'll return to small villages and towns to spend their rewards on alcohol and companionship. Gorth, a marauder. He wields a giant ax with the rage and fury of a demon. He speaks very little words that don't involve the name of his ax and his clan. Hysti, a chaos witch. A comely maiden who's lot in life is to get everything through her physical wiles or, if that fails, her magic. Barron, a thief. Like his trade implies, he will steal anything that isn't bolted down. And you most likely won't see him do it. Windleaf, a shaman. Turns into owls and trees and humanoid hybrids of those to heal and protect the others. The least bloodthirsty. Oh, she'll kill, no problem, but she goes down the path of least resistance. Who are these people? They call themselves the Squires of Avalon. They've made a name for themselves. Minstrels sing of their deeds far and wide. They're not quite legends, but everyone has at least heard of them on their earth. Right now they are planning the end of an epic adventure that will take them to another dimension to find the evil wizard Evadsrednas! Once they have his head on a pike, they will return to the kingdom of Autumnal and receive their rewards. Earth-Prime. Freedom City. 632PM. Friday. Near Federal Plaza. It's just another cold January day. A week or two ago, the world came to 2018 peacefully. Business has slowed to a crawl in the busiest part of town. But people still believe in commerce, the businesses thrive! But there are other reasons to be here. Mr. Murk has received a premonition that there will be a massive dying around this place at this time. He searches for answers to how and why. As if to answer the immortal's query, a giant red portal opened up. If the ancient neanderthal could see what came out of it, he's see a tall mountain of a man with sun darkened skin carrying a large ax on his shoulder, wearing nary but a loincloth made of a lion. A woman so beautiful that both man and women stop and stare. She's dressed in a revealing robe made of red and purple silks. A short man - a child maybe? - dressed in black leather armor, his hands resting on two of the multiple daggers on his person. And a woman with long sharp ears and a wearily expression, wearing a dress made of withered fallen leaves. "This, this place," the leaf-wearing woman speaks with a troubled ton and a valley accent, "its the right place. The connection to the world is greatly diminished!" "Don't worry, Leafy," the short guy said merrily with a British ganger accent, "we ain't gunna be here that long, luv. An' maybe we'll get some weird shyte that we can take back? Countin on it!" The silken robed woman looked to the gathering crowd, she smiled and giggled before making a snowman out of nowhere and having her and it dance for them. The muscle beast growled harshly, "less talk. Less play. Find Evas- Every-... Gods damned wizard." He looked to the robed woman, "talk, not dance!" The silken robed woman rolled her eyes at the wall of meat. Making the snowman disappear. "excuse me, excuse me," she addressed the crowd, her voice sounded French accented, "where would we find your tower of wizards? We are looking for Evadsrednas Do you know of him?"

Water between Townsville and Magnetic Island. Queensland, Australia 2017 Thursday, February 2nd, 2017 9:00 AM It was a brisk and cool morning, and four Claremont Alumni found themselves leaving Magnetic Island back towards Townsville, Australia. Specifically to the Australian institute of marine science. Having spent the weekend near the vicinity of the Cockle Bay Reef, for Giang Trang's studies. Aside from surfers, fishers, and those preparing for tours the morning was relatively calm. All in all, it was a good start to the day. In the distance, Kimo Keli'i was steadying himself on his surfboard. Freedom College wasn't swimming in money, it took an entire semester of fund raising just for the surf club to save up for this three day trip to Australia. As such no one was looking to waste the opportunity as a swell began to form. Unfortunately, one of the less experienced members of the club fell off his board in between waves and began frantically splashing around worriedly.

Content Reputation Chart 20Q HellQ Origin Story

"Hey." "Heeeey." "Li! Liii! Wake up!" A tug. Warmth fell away and cool air rushed to fill the empty space. Reluctantly, Kat shuddered, slowly remembering she was a person. Groggily, she pushed herself to her knees on her bed, yawned and fixed the chipper young women standing over her with a blanket in her hands a heavy-lidded glare. Who was this person and why she holding her blanket? For a minute, she was a stranger. A tall young woman with a bright smile and bright green hair style in an undercut. It felt like Kat was staring at the sun from her sheer cheerfulness. Or maybe because the woman had thrown open the blinds and let the sun shine into the room from behind her. Kat decided she didn't care either way. "What you staring for?" "Maybe if I stare hard enough, you'll catch fire . . ." Ah, that's right! ". . . Tally." Her roommate in Emerald City. "Why am I not sleeping?" Tally shook her head sadly. Gosh, she was even dressed! "You slept in! It's noon!" "NOON?! I . . ." Kat's eyes startled opened wide, but then quickly irised back into their tired sag. "It's Saturday." "I figured we could hang out together a little today." She said, her face falling a little. "It's been a little bit. Wanted to check up on you." "Why would you think that?" Tally gave a small, knowing grin. "Pizza, downtown. My treat." Kat blinked, sat up a little straighter. Rubbed her eyes. "I hate you." "You love me." "I love pizza." She sighed. "Gimme an hour."

Saturday, February 5th Riverside Savings & Loan, Freedom City It was a sleepy day in Freedom City, the shining face of the Riverside Savings & Loan reflecting the sun off the surface of the river. Officer Morel pulled into the bank parking lot, noting that there wasn't much activity in the bank this Saturday morning. Usually plenty of folks were lined up early in the day to take care of their banking on the weekend. While Morel saw a few cars in the lot -- including a pair of cherry roadsters that looked to be from the 20s or 30s -- he didn't see anyone moving around inside the lobby. That prickled his senses and probably saved his life. The officer turned to reach for his car's radio, saw a glint of metal, and dove behind the engine block. Gunfire roared across the parking lot, rounds glancing off the pavement and exploding against metal. A figure stepped up to the broken bank window and Morel paused the gape at it. The man was dressed in an impeccable pin-stripe suit, wide-brimmed hat, and was balancing an honest-to-God Tommy gun on his hip. What shocked the police officer the most, though, was the face of steel and iron that looked out from under the hat. Another burst of automatic gunfire made Morel hug the ground. "That's right, copper," the metal-faced robber shouted. "Keep yer head down and keep the other flatfoots out of, and no one in here has to get whacked!"

For rolls and suchlike pertaining to this adventure.

March 15, 2017. Freedom City. Hanover. Former Apartment of Marion Clarke. 5:30 PM. Katharine Shade had been having strange dreams lately. Not about fire and death, but about a friend she’d never had. A best friend that, as far as her waking memory knew, had never existed. Naturally, she could have just looked said person’s name up on the internet…if she had her name. It was rather frustrating, because the dreams felt so real. Almost as if they were memories she’d lost, which was impossible. Right? Right? Well, a week in and it was starting to get to her. Fortunately, she finally dreamed a name. Marion. It was a start. She started rifling through her entire life. Slowly at first, but speeding up as the tone of the dreams had started to shift. They were still memories of good times with Marion, but they were beginning to carry an uneasy undertone. At the end of week two, with no answers, Kat had become convinced Marion was in trouble and the dreams were a cry for help. This was where she finally found Marion’s last name. Clarke. Marion Clarke. She had been a student at Claremont during Kat’s tenure. However, she’d dropped off the map afterwards. Simply gone, and nobody appeared to have noticed. Aside from a bare bones missing persons file, Marion had disappeared off the face of the earth. Which was how Warp found herself in Hanover during this ridiculous rainstorm. The last time anyone had seen Marion Clarke, it had been right here, outside the apartment she’d rented after graduation and having to depart the Claremont dorms. HIT was nearby, and Marion had been enrolled, however briefly. It had been on the first day of classes that Marion had walked out of this apartment building and never been seen again. She might have waited until tomorrow (well, two days later the rain was supposed to finally frickin’ stop) but the last dream had been as outright a plea for help as supposedly happy memories could be.

GM March 15, Wednesday, 11.33AM, 2017 ASTRO Labs West, Emerald City University, Emerald City, Oregon "...Which brings us to one of Professor Zediker's running experiments, transmission and reception of ZPE radiation between dimensional points!" With a final, flourished tap of a button on the numberpad, the door beside Dr. Razko segmented and retreated into the wall, letting the small crowd of humans and the super-advanced super-powered android into an antechamber overlooking the experiment proper. The rented convention floor was crammed with setups like this, small mini-buildings holding this or that portion of revolutionary super-science too dangerous for the open air. Anyone walking into the converted Worlds Fair complex could feel the electricity humming in the floor. The "Sponsored by REDSHIFT ENERGIES" logos were perhaps not in the best of taste, but they stood out for their graceful simplicity next to the clumsy programmer art in evidence elsewhere. Behind walls thicker than most humans are broad, strategically-placed windows gleaming with frost allowed for a fairly clear view of a massive ring ten feet in diameter. Energy crackled in brief, brutal discharges from the central white void, while the black outer rim bent the bolts back inside. Ice clung to the walls and ceiling, radiating from the ring. A few technicians inside monitored control stations surrounding the apparatus while several more observed from the antechamber. One of them, a robust and energetic white man with iron-grey hair and a silver goatee, white dress shirt, black tie and slacks watched the ring intently behind slim square glasses. Starting at the entrance of Razko and the visitors, the man recovered rapidly and glided majestically towards them, all smiles and crinkly-eyed grandfatherly charm. "Welcome, glad to have you! As you can see, me and my team have managed in a few weeks what took Doctor Atom and his descendants years. A stable interdimensional portal, looping a burst of radiation in and out of an endless array of realities! And, unlike last time, no risk of robot dinosaur attacks!" That got a resounding chorus of laughter from the Emeraldites, a strained smile from Dr. Ann Razko and a polite stare from the ASTRO Labs representative at the back of the party. Stepping forward, the bespectacled blonde hurried to get things back on track "Professor, we both work at the ECU's Parker Building, and your portal there is at least twice as powerful as this one, but both emit the same amount of energy. Would you explain why that's relevant?" "Certainly! You see, Ann, the Parker Portal is less concentrated, there's more space for energy to escape but that space decompresses it as it leaves the portal. This one has a much tighter beam but is also less stable. It'll collapse in twelve hours. The one I made at Eeseeyou will last longer than I do! Plenty of time to refine it and start the next age of humanity." "Which you define-" "By expansion!" Zediker's steely eyes caught those of Archetech West's rep and the most powerful hero on the Pacific seaboard "Citizen, what do you think? Colonizing other Earths by 2020 or 2025?"

OOC thread for this, where definitely science crimes happen. Rolls post upcoming,

GM December 15th, 2016. 1.42PM A.S.T.R.O. Labs showroom, behind the labs proper, where they used to show off new jets and guns. "...Which brings us to the pride of our tour, the Guardian of Infinity!" Dr. Spencer gestured grandly to the towering apparatus, a of aluminium tubing on either side of a sideways, elongated oval as wide across as a city street and tall as a house. Hydrogen fuel cells hummed away, connected to the titanium oval by thick bundles of cables that vanished into the complex of struts and and bars around it. Running a good yard from it was a large black/yellow striped square. With "please do not approach the distortion of space-time" signs at each front-facing corner. The floodlights they reflected shone down on both the meticulously-curated and presented showcase floor and relics of the Lab's glorious past. Up above their heads hung replicas of various weapons and vehicles that had been the end of countless Germans. Around the guests was the future. Spacial-temporal distortions and all. Said distortion was a remarkably mundane affair. A city very like the Freedom City outside, with people looking very like those gathered before it. The first sign of difference was the omnipresence of Arabic letters. The second was the giant mechanical eagle that crashed into the ground, causing havoc as citizens rushed to shelter. As it rose up, it was struck down again by the now-visible superhumans pursuing it. Their host grinned and produced a spiral-shaped remote from her suit-jacket. "Yes, citizens! A world like our own, but not! With this device, constructed by my colleague Dr. Brandtford and myself, we can see any-" A world where domes were the major architectural style. "-neighboring-" Crosses filled the skyline, with images of saints on every window. "-divergence-" At the intersection, drivers floored it on the red light. "-we choose!" Spencer beamed at the crowd, tucking an errant lock of thick brown hair behind her ear "And best of all, we have made contact with a few alternate Labs, who had made devices nigh-identical to this one! Who knows what the future holds?" She scanned the gaggle of visitors, the vast majority of whom were students at Freedom City University "Any questions?" Dozens of twentysomethings glanced at each other. Spencer's grin was a bit too far that side of manic.

March 9th, Evening Warp had been wondering for a while how she would get back in contact with Velocity. The last time she had spoken with the speedster was before her meltdown after the Day of Wrath. She had called Velocity for a pep-talk, to try to get herself back into a healthy mindset, to help the gnawing at her mind. It hadn't worked, but Warp had appreciated the attempt. She wasn't sure what Velocity thought of her. A corner of her mind spat that surely Velocity hated her. Another insisted that was likely paranoia. The rest of her remained unsure. And so she had spent close to four months after being active staring at the new phone she'd gotten her hands on for Warp, wondering if Velocity even still used the same number. Apparently she still did. Joy. Ever living for drama, Warp suggested a meeting in the same place they had the first time, on the roof of the building in the Theatre district that Warp had asked Velocity for help on years ago as a gangly, awkward and desperate teenager. The landscape had changed since then A few of the community theaters had been torn down, or remodeled, or stayed stubbornly the same and, in their pride, highlighted how much the district had changed in half a decade. Warp had changed, too. She was a little taller, more comfortable. She looked about college aged. And also her eyes and hands glowed with a deep red, with crack-like patterns extending up her arms and across her body. She was sitting on the top of a metal vent on the Barbary's roof, drumming her fingers loudly against the metal, breathing deep and trying to think in circles.

OOC thread for this thread. Trans-dimensional dinosaursations. DC for a full Sense Motive on Raul here is 25. Accepting his story, or at least cautiously letting him in, will grant you both a Hero Point.

Kat wished Algebra 2000 was as simple as rupturing reality. But—apparently—disintegrating homework was frowned upon. The FCU library remained sparsely decorated, even with Christmas looming near. It had the sleek, modern tint. Smooth and silver, with long bannisters and uncomfortable-looking benches lined the outside. Inside, on the lower two floors, was a coffee shop and rows of free-to-use computers and desks, partitioned from each other by glass walls. Above that, the shelves the extensive FCU main library divided the building into discrete parts, with conference rooms ready for booking online (and schedules booked full of students clamoring for one last study session), stacks of books and recycled furniture from other parts of campus that decided they'd deserved something better. Kat had staked her claim on one of the couches, plugged her laptop into the outlet beside it and curled up, too fed up with 'X's and 'Y's to care about her shoes on the cushions, laptop glinting blue light as the sun in the window across the room dipped a little closer to the city skyline, oranges and reds of the near-horizon fighting against the electric-white of the library's overhead lights. She made a soft, distressed sound and pressed her hand into her cheek, looking up from her computer and, longingly, outside.

January 26, 2017 Kat noticed it that morning. She pushed herself awkwardly up, stretched, yawned, casually waved off her roommate as she tried to fuss and meandered in drowsy laziness to the washroom in a nightshirt, brushed her teeth, rinsed out her mouth, looked in the mirror and . . . Her brush fell out of her hand and into the sink. Her left eye was red. But that didn't quite capture the reality of it. Kat's eyes had been red for years, since her power had almost overwhelmed her in the street. Sometimes, people had joked to her about it glowing, and maybe, if she was totally honest, they had glowed a little. But her eye was red, one solid color, and . . . As her heart beat faster, the light got brighter. She slammed hte door and locked it firmly behind her, ignoring the muffled protest of her roommate. She can't see this. Calm down. She grabbed hold of the edge of the sink, breathed hard and closed her eyes. Calm down. You're excited. That's it. She counted her breaths, kept her thoughts in an easy circle. She opened her eyes again . . . and her eye was still red. And . . . What was that under her shirt? She pulled it up and saw red-dark lines slowly advancing slowly but determinedly down her body. "####."

(Wanted to switch up a few aspects of Warp's layout ever since I came back, but didn't have the PP to spend on it. Now I do! This sheet is meant to represent changes to Warp that happen in-universe after her powers further awaken. Original sheet here. Let me know if I've fouled anything up.) Player Name: Curious Key Character Name: Warp Power Level: 10/12 (190/193) Trade-Offs: +4 Defense / -4 Toughness, +3 Attack / -3 DC Unspent Power Points: 8 In Brief: A teleporting T-baby trying to prove she has what it takes to be a hero. Alternate Identity: Katharine Lilly Shade Identity: Secret Birthplace: Normal, Illinois Occupation: Student Affiliations: Claremont (Alumni), FCU Family: Rose Shade (Mother), Alexander Shade (Father), Lyle Shade (Brother) Age: 20 (DoB: 1997, 3rd of August) Gender: Female Height: 5'4" Weight: 135lb Eyes: Glowing Red Hair: Red Kat's face is rounded and heart-shaped, with a pointed nose and eyes a little too wide for her face. Her rust-red hair falls to her neck at its greatest length. Kat has thin shoulders and a slight, whipcord build, maintained with deliberate effort and supernatural potency. Her eyes, lacking pupils or irises, are instead entirely red with flecks of black that dart across it,. Kat's complexion is fair and lightly freckled, interrupted by a spiderweb of lines pulsing with darkness and red light. They cross her skin like cracks in glass. While the lines are spread unevenly across much of her body the markings center around Kat's hands and over her heart, which glow like coals. Kat's HoloBand is a sleek silver wristband that can pop open to reveal several knobs and dials. By manipulating these dials Kat can trigger its routines, concealing the evidence of Terminus mutations beneath a hologram for as long as it is active. Her pure-red eyes become tinted gray. The markings on her skin erased. Just a normal, human, girl. During day-to-day activities, Kat wears a wide variety of clothes, but tends to lean more in toward comfortable sameness, sticking with leggings, boots, shirts and a vest, perhaps shorts instead during warmer months. She favors browns and reds. As Warp, Kat's color scheme is primarily red and black, and while she wears it well and keeps a consistent uniform, the clothes she wears are made of plain, ordinary fabric you could cobble together by going to everyday stores. She wears an open red hooded vest with a white, wavy spiral on the back. Beneath that a snug black, short-sleeved shirt. She finishes the look with black tights and a pair of red boots. Power Descriptions: While the increasing t-count of Warp's body has sparked a number of physical mutations which has instilled a certain sturdiness of character in Warp, the true focus of her power remains her ability to erode space. She corrodes reality, capable of tearing holes in the universe that she can use to travel quickly from place to place. She can also turn her powers against more immediate aspects of reality, erasing aspects the world around her, sometimes even drawing its strength into herself in the process. History: Katharine Lilly Shade was born in a hospital, in small-ish Normal Illinois. There was a spike of Terminus radiation that no one noticed, before her birth Subtly but definitively changed, she lived her life in Normal without understanding what she was, until the day before she was set to take a staring role in a play she woke up in a dumpster in Chicago. Things started happening fast, then. As soon as she got home her family met face-to-face with scouts from a Claremont Academy in Freedom City, offering her a place free of charge to learn to control her talents. And maybe even use them for good. No other such institution existed, and even if they did they certainly weren't offering to teach her for free. So off she went. Under the tutelage of experienced Claremont heroes Kat learned to put her powers through their paces and use them as she saw fit rather than the other way around. Inspired by the other would-be heroes of Claremont, Kat took up her own 'cape' and adopted the mantle of Warp and engaged in combat against freedom's most vile alongside Freedom's youngest. While she faced many things, the Day of Wrath was one of the most terrible. It set her off kilter, and no one else knew anything was going wrong until her powers started rebelling against her in the middle of the street. It was politely suggested that Warp retire from heroism for a while, at least long enough to go to therapy and get her powers back under control again. And she did get it under control, mostly, but never to the same degree she had before the Day of Wrath. Nevertheless, she stayed retired. On graduating from Claremont, Warp returned home for a year, where she tried to recover surrounded by family that didn't understand and didn't know how to start. She took an offer to start in FCU with Claremont's blessing, on some path to a normal life. But even then, she wasn't sure what she wanted to be. Desperate to feel less lost, Kat couldn't help but look up at the heroes in the sky above her. They were important. Everyone knew that. Luckily, she'd kept the costume. Warp returned. But as Kat first got her footing again she discovered her mutation was progressing quickly and, as she could see from the lines of entropic power crisscrossing over her skin, very distinctly. Desperate, she turned to AEON in hopes of finding support . . . Personality & Motivation: Dubious, weary cynicism. The flare and enthusiasm that Kat wore so openly on her sleeve when she came to Freedom City and joined Claremont has been . . . Not stamped out, but tempered. The events of the day of wrath . . . affected her. The fire and death were a great blow to her psyche and her powers failing toppled what confidence she had aside. Recovering has been a slow process of picking up the pieces again, and it's possible it will never really be done. But . . . In the end, she has not changed so much. The younger Kat hid her insecurities behind a deliberate veil of optimism and energy. Today, Kat's countenance hides her optimism. In an way, Kat feels that she let herself down. Let Freedom down. Let the world down. Part of her insists that she was always a kid playing at heroism in a suit that didn't fit. That it was Not For Her. Nonetheless . . . Kat wants to believe she can. Wants to try. Powers & Tactics: Warp is primarily a melee fighter. She uses her teleport to move swiftly about any battlefield she finds herself, engaging immediately with whoever is least prepared for her. Through a combination of amateur training, teleporting and entropic strikes Warp can bob and weave with the best of them. When possible, Warp augments her strikes by enveloping her body in an entropic shroud, causing anything her fists touch or that tries to hit her back to grow brittle and easily broken. All the same, Warp is not defenseless at range. She can focus her energy into a violent bolt of reality-eroding red-black power. Quick and tricky, Warp uses misdirection and bluster to set her opponent's off balance, baiting her opponents into poor choices. She revels in setting people off their game and engaging in ways they aren't comfortable, even if it means varying her approach a bit. Complications: Wayward Student — Kat is a student that doesn't know what to do with her life and is feeling increasing anxiety over her inability to find a function in the real world as something other than a costumed crime fighter. She's lost and desperate. A savvy person might be able to take advantage of that desperation to catch her in something she'd normally be savvy enough to anticipate. I Need This Gig — Lilly works as an intern in ASTRO in Emerald City, at the forefront for the development of many new avenues of super-science here and abroad, meaning that Warp is very likely to be not only nearby but on-site when something goes wrong. What's more, they are aware of her heroic identity and not at all afraid to send her off on errands. It's All Too Much — As her powers have advanced and entropy bled into her body and soul Warp's ability to deal with chaos and surprises have suffered greatly. Exposure to chaotic lights, sounds and crowds are deeply overstimulating experiences for her now, reducing her to awkward fidgets and stammering which can deeply inhibit her ability to communicate clearly or can cause her to lose her grasp on what she hears or sees as she loses the ability to pick important details out of the static. Reality Unweaving — When Warp teleports, she annihilates the difference between one place and another, violently forcing the two spaces to become one by corroding our world's universal laws. Reality usually mends quickly, but every time Warp uses her powers she wounds the fabric of reality itself, and it can sometimes behave erratically in spaces where reality is either damaged or abnormally strong. In addition, it's possible that some in this universe could take offense or that forces from outside this universe might exploit these rips in space as a foothold into this world. Psychosomatic Powers — The way Kat's powers work revolve around strict control of her own negative feelings. When that is compromised, so is her control, causing her powers to malfunction—hitting the wrong target, or sometimes taking on a completely new and unpleasant effect—or fizzle out completely. The GM can decree that her powers may malfunction or cease to function while Warp is distressed. Tempermental Tunnels — For interdimensional travel, Warp relies on a transient phenomena known as Terminus tunnels, brief connects between dimensions through the Terminus. While she can guide them, Warp cannot truly control them. While they usually take her where she wants to go, they can often redirect her to entire other dimensions entirely or simply refuse to answer Warp's call. Caught Red-Handed — While Warp's mutant physiology is useful it poses one tiny problem. It's obvious, sinister looking and very permanent. In her heroic persona it draws prejudice in spades and makes her an easy target for the media. In her civilian persona, it makes keeping her secret identity more important than ever and makes maintaining it that much harder. In Sheep's Clothing — . . . Which leads into her reliance on a prototype HoloBand to present a 'normal' version of herself to the world at large. It's high-quality, cutting-edge, easy to use tech. It also not infallible. Random system failures can cause her HoloBand to give a soft warning alarm, overload and shutdown. It takes some time to recalibrate before becoming usable again. Abilities: 4 + 4 + 6 + 0 + 8 + 8 = 30PP Strength: 14(+2) Dexterity: 14/22 (+2/6 Enhanced Dexterity) Constitution: 16 (+3) Intelligence: 10 (+0) Wisdom: 18 (+4) Charisma: 18 (+4) Combat: 10 + 10 = 20PP Initiative: +10/14 Attack: +5 Base, +13 Entropic Strike/Reality Erosion Grapple: +7 Defense: +14 (+5 Base, +9 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Knockback: -3/-1 Saving Throws: 6 + 6 + 6 = 18PP Toughness: +6 (+3 Con, +3 Protection) Fortitude: +9 (+3 Con, +6) Reflex: +12 (+2/6 Dex, +6) Will: +10 (+4 Wis, +6) Skills: 68R = 17PP Acrobatics 8 (+10/14) Skill Mastery Bluff 12 (+16) Skill Mastery Concentration 6 (+10) Diplomacy 6 (+10) Disguise 6 (+10/30 Morph) Notice 8 (+12/17 Cosmos Touched) Skill Mastery Sense Motive 6 (+10) Skill Mastery Stealth 6 (+8/12) Intimidate 10 (+14) Knowledge (Cosmology) 0 (+0/15 Cosmos-Touched) Feats: 27PP Challenge (Fast Feint) Defensive Attack Distract [Bluff] Dodge Focus 9 Elusive Target Equipment 2 Evasion 2 Improved Initiative 2 Luck 2 Power Attack Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Bluff, Notice, Sense Motive) Stunning Attack Takedown Attack Taunt Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Equipment: 2PP = 10EP Prototype HoloBand Morph 4 ("Normal" Kat; Extras: Continuous; Feats: Subtle; Drawbacks: Action -3 [Full Action]) 6EP Tablet 1EP Commlink 1EP Powers: 8 + 5 + 3 + 2 + 13 + 49 = 80PP Enhanced Dexterity 8 8PP (Mutant Agility, Descriptor: Mutant) Enhanced Trait 5 5PP (Knowledge (Cosmology) 15, Notice 5) 5PP (Cosmos-Touched, Descriptor: Cosmic) Protection 3 3PP (Mutant Physique, Descriptor: Mutant) Super Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Entropy Awareness [Visual]) 2PP (Terminal Sight, Descriptor: Mutant) Strike 5 (Feats: Mighty, Improved Critical 2, Accuracy 4, Incurable) 13PP (Entropic Strike, Descriptor: Entropic) Reality Erosion 10 (50PP Passive Container; Drawbacks: Power Loss -1 [Daka Crystal]) 49PP (Descriptors: Entropic unless contradicted) Teleport 1 (100') 2PP (Warp) Prime Terminus Array 21.5 (43PP Array; Power Feats: Alternate Power 5) [48PP] BP: Enhanced Teleport 12 [+1] (1300' / 200 Million Miles; Extras: Accurate 13; Power Feats: Turnabout, Change Direction, Change Velocity, Progression 2 [500lbs], Easy) [43/43PP] (Greater Warp) AP: Disintegration 7 (Power Feats: Accurate 4, Incurable, Slow Fade [5 rounds], Homing) [42/43PP] (Entropic Bolt) AP: Teleport 9 (20,000 Miles; Extra: Portal, Accurate; Flaws: Long-Ranged; Feats: Easy, Progression 3 [50 feet by 50 max], Dimensional 3 [All Dimensions]), [43/43PP] (Tear) AP: Drain Toughness 7 (Extras: Affects Objects, Duration+2 [Sustained], Aura; Power Feats: Slow Fade [5 rounds], Incurable) [37/43PP] (Entropic Shroud) AP: Dimensional Pocket 10 (500000lbs [250 Tons]; Flaws: Limited [No Attack]; Power Feats: Quick Change 2, Progression 2 [Storage]) [14/43PP] (Pocket) AP: Apply To Strike (Extras: Vampiric, Secondary Effect, Penetrating, Linked) [21+22=43/43PP] (Reckoning) +Drain Toughness 7 (Extras: Affects Objects, Secondary Effect, Linked; Power Feats: Slow Fade [5 rounds]) 22 Drawbacks: -2 Vulnerability (Daka Crystals, Frequency: Uncommon, Intensity: Moderate [x1.5 DMG]) [-2PP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch 17DC Toughness Damage (Physical) Entropic Strike Touch 22DC Toughness Damage (Energy) Stunning Attack Touch 17DC Fortitude Stun/Daze/Unconcious Entropic Bolt Ranged 17DC Fortitude Drain Toughness 22DC Toughness Damage (Energy) Entropic Shroud Aura 17DC Fortitude Drain Toughness Reckoning Touch 17DC Fortitude Drain Toughness 22DC Toughness Penetrating, Vampiric Damage (Energy) Totals: Abilities (30) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (18) + Skills (17) + Feats (27) + Powers (80) - Drawbacks (2) = 190/193 Power Points

Player Name: Curious Key Character Name: Warp Power Level: 10/12 (156/184) Trade-Offs: +4 Defense / -4 Toughness, +3 Attack / -3 DC Unspent Power Points: 28 In Brief: A college student and emergent mutant of Terminus energies trying to prove she has what it takes to be a hero. Alternate Identity: Katharine Lilly Shade Identity: Secret Birthplace: Normal, Illinois Occupation: Student Affiliations: Claremont (Alumni), FCU Family: Rose Shade (Mother), Alexander Shade (Father), Lyle Shade (Brother) Age: 20 (DoB: 1997, 3rd of August) Gender: Female Height: 5'4" Weight: 135lb Eyes: Red Hair: Red Kat's face is rounded and heart-shaped, with a pointed nose and eyes a little too wide for her face. Her rust-red hair, when left free, falls to her shoulders, but usually she ties it with hairband into a tail behind her; her skin is fair and lightly freckled and her eyes are a fiery, almost luminous red. Kat has thin shoulders and a slight, whipcord build, maintained with deliberate effort and supernatural potency. Tiny . . . But fierce! During day-to-day activities, Kat has a wide variety, but tends to lean more in toward comfortable sameness, sticking with leggings, boots, shirts and a vest, perhaps shorts instead during warmer months. She favors browns and reds. While in her capacity as a costumed heroine Kat lets her hair fall free; she sports a close-fitting black full body suit, extending from neck to wrists to ankle, with red boots and dark gloves to top it off. Warp wears a red vest over the rest, with a wavy spiral insignia emblazoned in white across its back. Power Descriptions: Warp's namesake directly relates to her connection to the Terminus, the heart of entropy which lies between all dimensions. She breaks through the barrier between them and moves along the edge where they meet, where distance means something much different, before breaking through the other end. It's painful to watch. It looks like she is ripping open flesh of reality and leaping through. With a red glow and threads of light-eating darkness Warp can cross great distances, tear open portals and draw reality-dissolving energies out of the void to hurry the end of things. When Warp uses her powers, she is rending the fabric of space time. Inherently destructive, she teleports by ripping holes of the universe and stepping through it, she creates her pocket space by ripping objects out of the universal fabric and putting them in a pocket. Rather than manipulating space, Warp breaks it in her hands. Her abilities seem to react more potently when turned to wholly destructive purpose. Overall, Kat's powerset would seem to better fit a villain than a hero. History: " . . . Look at these records. See the way they flare up? That's terminus energy." "Why didn't we pick this up beforehand? Does no one remember the invasion?" "Whoever did this, they did it right. Subtle. Somewhere no one would look too close. It was pegged as ordinary cosmic radiation until they found the Shade girl. More important, look at where it's centered on." ". . . The maternity ward, it's centered on the maternity ward." "It's no invasion, but the Shade girl is proof at that strength and proximity, mutations can still occur, if rarely. Fascinating." "T-babies. Someone's been making more." "That much is obvious, doctor. What we really need to know is . . . Why?" ~o~o~o~o~ There was no clear, dramatic moment when Katharine realized she was special. No epiphany, no realization in the face of adversity. It came in fits and starts, surfacing and falling back below by turns as her nature fought to exert itself more fully. Kat sleep-walked. Sometimes, she woke up in absurd places that she could not explain. Her hands were quick and clever and no sickness kept her down for long. She grew up in Illinois, in Normal Illinois, far from Freedom city. Metahumans and superheroes existed, of course, but they were something that happened to Other People, like hurricanes, like miracles. They didn't come to Normal. Perhaps this explains why no one came to the obvious conclusion. She played in martial arts tournaments in her father's dojo and won a great deal. It was something she did because it made her father smile and she enjoyed the challenge, while it was a challenge, and she learned the strength that comes to people who practice fighting their whole lives. She tried out in plays with the AbNormal Children's Acting troupe, and loved it. Loved the nervous feeling in her gut before walking out onto a stage, loved looking at the smiling crowd, loved that it was hard. One day, the AbNormal troupe was going to perform a depression era piece, and Kat was going to play a major role as street urchin in Chicago, working her way up. She dreamed of it the night before, and when she woke up she was in a dumpster. In downtown Chicago. In her pajamas. Kat was terrified. Back at home, her parents were terrified. A missing children's report was filed and some generous soul lent Kat their phone to call 911. The problem was solved before it could make too many waves . . . but Claremont has special sources that kept an eye on these impossibilities. ~o~o~o~o~ "I'm afraid so, Mr. Shade. As she is now, your daughter is a potential threat. Not just to herself, but everyone around her. She doesn't know what she is, she doesn't know how to control it, and one day she'll hurt someone badly enough that 'I'm Sorry' won't be enough." "Don't make that face; I know you're a good girl. And you can fix this. You just need to learn how." "I represent Claremont Academy. We teach many gifted children like Kat every year; to control their blessings, to be safe, and then go back to living normal lives, if that's what they want." "Thank you. You'll find that your daughter will receive the very best of care. Please sign here." ~o~o~o~o~ Day after day, Kat struggled to bring her power under control, working day in and day out with specialists to help master herself. Kat's parents made noise about moving to Freedom city and finding new jobs to be there for their daughter. But they never did. Heroes were something that just didn't happen in Normal, but in Freedom . . . they were everywhere. One by one the Kat's irregularities were singled out and brought under her control, and she wondered, surrounded all the while by young superheroes making a name for themselves . . . what would she do with it? Fail, it turns out. Her heroing career was promising enough, to begin. As a student at Claremont, she made ties. She worked with other heroes and built bonds. Listless and lost, Kat felt she had found some purpose in being Warp. When the Day of Wrath came, she served through it. As students died, she served through it. As her school was burned, she served through it. At the end, she seemed to be one of the students that had fared better. Kat was a very good actor. It was her powers that betrayed her, in the end. They did not care how good a face she put on it. Her emotional control helped keep it in check and she was falling apart. She pushed too far one day while patrolling as Warp and overloaded. The core of terminal power fed on her negative emotions and cascaded, rolling out of her body in waves and into the pavement. She did a great deal of property damage, nearly did harm to other heroes and barely kept from disintegrating herself alive. Her advisers at Claremont gently insisted she hang up her cape for now. And perhaps consider that, if her power could be so unstable, that she should consider living life as a normal person. It took years of treatment in the Claremont facilities for her to totally restore the facilities faith in her ability to use her powers without spilling over, but by the time her teachers were willing to allow her to try on the cape again she was too disheartened to try. ~o~o~o~o~ Claremont had ties to a lot of powerful schools. With their help and with decent grades, Kat had little trouble getting into FCU, following their program to help give metahuman kids integrate into normal life. She gave up on being a hero and cut ties with her powered friends and tried to fall into the rhythm of a normal life. She lived her life. She took exams, like a normal student would. Tried to ignore the capes flying overhead. Changed the channel when something superheroic came up on television. It wasn't anything specific or dramatic that brought her back. Just another cape, just another work of magic, just another metahuman being themselves and Kat couldn't take pretending any longer. Unceremoniously, without fanfare, Warp returned. Personality & Motivation: Dubious, weary cynicism. The flare and enthusiasm that Kat wore so openly on her sleeve when she came to Freedom City and joined Claremont has been . . . Not stamped out, but tempered. The events of the day of wrath . . . affected her. The fire and death were a great blow, and her powers failing the last pillar left, knocked aside. But . . . In the end, she has not changed so much. The younger Kat hid her insecurities behind a deliberate veil of optimism and energy. Today, Kat's countenance hides her optimism. In an way, Kat feels that she let herself down. Let Freedom down. Let the world down. Part of her insists that she was always a kid playing at heroism in a suit that didn't fit. That it was Not For Her. Nonetheless . . . Kat wants to believe she can. Wants to try. Powers & Tactics: The way Kat makes use of her powers depends mostly on how she conceptualizes it; as part of her body. She unleashes bursts from punches and kicks. In any engagement Warp prefers getting up-close and personal and striking down her targets with her bare hands, which her powerset makes quite simple, and when that isn't ideal she can always fall back to hitting hard with entropic blasts from a distance. Complications: All The World's A Stage: Kat has a flare for the dramatic even when restraint should hold her in check. As Warp she's even worse. Secret Identity : Warp's identity as Katharine Shade is not widely known, and she would prefer it stay that way. But I Have Exams! : Professors at FCU do not write exceptions on assignments for heroism. Terminal Terror : Kat has had curiously accurate nightmares about the Terminus for as long as she can remember. She remains quietly, horridly worried that her dreams are more than nightmares. That her powers connect her to the Terminus in a way above and beyond other T-babies. It Was One Time! : During her Claremont days, Kat's powers threatened to overwhelm her in a cascade of energy that threatened those around her. She has since recovered much of her control, but there remains an earmark next to Warp's name which is only exacerbated by her powers' known connection to the Terminus. Power Overwhelming : The way Kat's powers work revolve around strictly controlling and directing her own negative feelings. When that is compromised, so is her control, causing her powers to work in unpredictable ways. When an intense negative emotional state causes Warp's powers to go haywire a GM may offer a hero point. Abilities: 6 + 8 + 6 + 0 + 8 + 8 = 36PP Strength: 16 (+3) Dexterity: 18 (+4) Constitution: 16 (+3) Intelligence: 10 (+0) Wisdom: 18 (+4) Charisma: 18 (+4) Combat: 10 + 10 = 20PP Initiative: +12 Attack: +5 Base, +13 Unarmed, +13 Entropic Bolt Grapple: +8 Defense: +14 (+5 Base, +9 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Knockback: -3/-1 Saving Throws: 4 + 6 + 4 = 14PP Toughness: +6 (+3 Con, +2 Defensive Roll +1 Armor), +4 Flat-Footed Fortitude: +7 (+3 Con, +4) Reflex: + 10 (+4 Dex, +6) Will: +8 (+4 Wis, +4) Skills: 64R = 16PP Acrobatics 8 (+11) Skill Mastery Bluff 12 (+16) Skill Mastery Concentration 8 (+12) Diplomacy 8 (+12) Disguise 6 (+10) Gather Information 4 (+8) Notice 8 (+12) Skill Mastery Perform [Acting] 4 (+12) Sense Motive 6 (+10) Skill Mastery Feats: 32PP Attack Specialization (Unarmed) 4 Challenge (Fast Feint) Defensive Attack Defensive Roll Dodge Focus 9 Elusive Target Evasion 2 Equipment 1 Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2 Improved Initiative 2 Luck 2 Power Attack Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Bluff, Notice, Sense Motive) Stunning Attack Takedown Attack Taunt Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Equipment: 1PP = 5EP Commlink [1EP] Flashlight [1EP] Handcuffs [1EP] Reinforced Costume: Protection 1 [1EP] Powers: 5 + 35 = 40PP Strike 4 (Power Feats: Mighty) [5PP] (Martial Arts Training) Prime Terminus Array 17.5 (33PP Array; Power Feats: Alternate Power 3, Drawbacks: Power Loss [Daka Crystals, -1) [35P] BP: Disintegration 7 (Flaws: Action [Full]; Power Feats: Accurate 4, Incurable, Slow Fade [5 rounds]) [33/33PP] (Entropic Bolt) AP: Teleport 8 (2000 Miles; Extra: Portal, Accurate; Flaws: Long-Ranged), [32/33PP] (Tear) AP: Teleport 14 (1400' / 2 Billion Miles; Power Feats: Turnabout, Change Direction, Change Velocity, Progression 2 [500lbs]) [33/33PP] (Slip) AP: Dimensional Pocket 10 (100000lbs [50 Tons]; Flaws: Limited [No Attack]; Power Feats: Quick Change 2) [12/33PP] (Pocket) Drawbacks: -2 Vulnerability (Daka Crystals, Frequency: Uncommon, Intensity: Moderate [x1.5 DMG]) [-2PP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC18 Toughness Damage (Physical) Martial Arts Strike Touch DC22 Toughness Damage (Physical) Stunning Attack Touch DC17 Fortitude Stun/Daze/Unconscious Entropic Bolt Ranged DC17 Fortitude Drain Toughness DC22 Toughness Damage (Energy) Entropic Shroud Aura DC17 Fortitude Drain Toughness Totals: Abilities (36) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (14) + Skills (16) + Feats (32) + Powers (40) - Drawbacks (2) = 156/184 Power Points

GM Wednesday, April 17, 2013 10:20 PM A thick curtain of cloud hung over Freedom City, concealing the moon behind them. The lack of moonlight made the streets of Southside even darker than normal, a stark contrast to the bright lights of downtown Freedom City across the black waters of the South River. For a group of high school students from nearby Claremont Academy, the moonless night made for a perfect opportunity to get out and patrol for crime. Tonight it was a group of four such students who were flying through the dark skies, or teleporting along the shadowy rooftops, of a rundown neighborhood of Southside near the Boardwalk. Tonight's patrol had been arranged by two of the teenagers, Subito Sondo , also known as El Heraldo, and Katharine (Kat) Shade (Warp). They were accompanied by two of their other classmates, Serge Explinker (Net Fly) and Giang Trang (Tsunami). It had taken Subito and Kat a fair amount of work to convince Giang to agree to join the patrol tonight. Ever since early February, the Asian teen had been extremely reluctant to leave school grounds. The rumors had circulated around the school that she and John Smith (Myrmidon) had been attacked by a Chinese sorcerer and a group of martial artists at the Chinese New Year celebration in Freedom City's Chinatown, though Giang did not discuss much about the incident. But in the end she had relented to their pressure, and was now accompanying Kat, who was teleporting the pair from rooftop to rooftop, following along after Subito and Serge, both of whom were flying. So far, the evening had been relatively uneventful, with the four having only thus far stopped a couple of gang members who had been trying to steal a car.

GM April 10th, 10.45 AM, 2013 Claremont Academy, Athletic Field "Yes I can do it!" the blue-skinned boy crossed his arms indignantly, glaring up at the semi-circle of curious students. It was the tail end of late morning jogging practice, the day was crisp and damp, and new student Morsa Ven was being pestered again. "C'mon, man, show us, it's okay." urged one of the girls, putting an arm around his shoulder that he quickly shrugged off as he stepped back. Morsa was quite short for his age, which didn't help with putting him at his ease. "I...it is not something I ought to do just for show. Only for serious emergencies." That got a chorus of disappointment from the other heroes-in-training, but also sparked wicked grins on a few of them. "Emergencies, you say?" asked one of the boys thoughtfully, who looked like a giant in miniature. Casually walking closer to the blue-skinned alien he offered cheerily "I bet we could make one for ya!" Morsa paled as he stared up "P-please-" "Aw man, I'm just jokin'!" the boy laughed, patting him on the back and wandering back onto the track "I know you can't really teleport that fast." "I can!" snapped the Lor, fear replaced with anger. The twenty-eyed girl who had tried to hug him raised several eyebrows "Then prove it. 'Less you're scared." The huddle's mood shifted. They now had an angle!

Monday, April 15th, 2013 7:32 PM The O'Neil Housing Projects were not exactly the finest place to stay in Freedom City. It wasn't like anyone expected anything better out of the Fens, but the place had one hell of a reputation - gang violence, break-ins, and a thriving drug trade. But it was also home to several people who really didn't have anywhere else to go, and who were trying their hardest to reach for something better. Cannonade knew of at least one of them. Darnell Franklin was a guy he knew down at the foundry. They weren't exactly the best of friends, but they'd shared a few lunches and talked about how the Comets were doing. When he didn't show up for work on Monday, he didn't really chalk it up to anything weird - probably just illness. But then Alex - who was friends with Darnell - had mentioned that his phone was going directly to voice mail. After he'd gotten off his shift, he'd decided it wouldn't hurt to stop by the O'Neil projects as part of his nightly patrol. When he got there, he found the place on complete lockdown. Cop cars were around the block, with a SWAT truck or two for variety. And it looked like some of the cops were making adjustments to the types of robots the bomb squad tended to use. Yeah. There's no way this can be good.

Freedom City, Theater District Monday, March 13, 2013 8:20 PM In a flash of yellow, Velocity arrived at the rooftop of the Barbary Theatre in Freedom City’s Theater District. The speedster was slightly early for her meeting with the teenager heroine Warp. Ever since their first meeting at the theater just a few days after the Day of Wrath, it had served as a convenient place for the pair to meet for when they would patrol together. They had met up a couple of times in late January and early February, but since mid-February, both their schedules had prevented them from being able to arrange a time to meet until tonight. For Velocity, the three or so weeks since she had last seen Warp had been incredibly taxing. First there had been her business trip to Sweden, and the encounter with a former boyfriend, and his possible future selves. In addition to dealing with the things that had been reveled during that trip, she had come back to trying to sort out what her feelings were regarding her current boyfriend, Kyle Conner and the hero Siphon, whom she had gone patrolling with a few times as well. On top of that her work load at Summit had been particularly heavy, and while she could have handled it easily with her superspeed, she had to be careful about being too fast with completing tasks. Right now, the young speedster was looking forward to a chance to catch some criminals and just forget about everything for a little bit. The last few times she had seen Warp, the teenager had been doing just fine, having gotten past the feelings she had had after the Day of Wrath. Hopefully there had been no major upheavals for the teen since, as Velocity was not certain how motivational she could be at the moment.

February 14th, 2013 Hunter Museum of Natural History, Freedom City Noon Tona Baudin wandered through the halls of the Hunter Museum, looking up at the bones of long-dead animals or posed scenes out of prehistory. Fossilized ferns were lined up next to stone arrowheads and a slim piece of wood with the plaque "One-Note Flute" in front of it. Tona was more used to nature than most, heck she was a lot more comfortable in the natural world than in the artificial one most people inhabited, but this wasn't her natural world. She was used to living animals and green, growing things; not dust and rocks and approximations. But here she was, trying to find something to write about, because the Curator had abducted her before exams and Claremont wasn't about to let a test taken by a robotic duplicate go on someone's permanent record. Apparently. The young woman sighed and hitched at the straps of her bag, where her bow and costume rested. Even here she was ever ready, though goodness knows what kind of villain would attack a museum in the middle of the day. She walked out of the prehistory exhibit and began wandering towards agriculture. Ever since her visit to Sanctuary she'd been growing more interested in how many people a piece of land could support, so maybe she could write about the history of farming, or something. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she wasn't looking where she was going and bumped into another girl! Tona fell on her ass, blushing at her own clumsiness. "Merde. I'm sorry, I just wasn't watching where I was -- Katherine Shade? Is that you?"

Cannonade, Wail, Pitch, and Warp respond to a series of disappearances and find that a housing project has been colonized by the Dimension of Doors. Cannonade, Wail, and Warp all arrive on the scene either because they know someone at the Projects who didn't show up for work/school/etc., or because the news has started to break out over police channels about how there's "a wide-scale event" going down at the Projects. Pitch, meanwhile, likely heard from her pet demon that something is "growing" at the Projects.

Warp and Blue Jay First challenger is For reference,