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Found 18 results

  1. GM FCU June 10, 2019, 2am Maggie Rayburn was pulling a late night again. Internally, she chastised herself for leaving her paper to the last minute, but for some reason someone always seemed to be throwing a party on the nights she planned to work. Now, she had burned through her last extension and found herself staring at her laptop screen, trying to summon up the will to finish on time. She sighed, watching the cursor blink, and rubbed her temples. She could feel a headache brewing. Her eyes drifted down to the clock on her taskbar. 2am. Maybe a mocha would give her the energy she needed. She rolled her chair back from her desk and stood up. She looked down at her stained sweatpants, and wondered if she should change. Nah. She moved over to her desk and grabbed her wallet and keys, before cramming her feet in her high-tops and headed out the door. There had been talks of attacks at night around campus, but the parking lot wasn’t far and besides, Maggie had a can of mace so severe you could use it to blind a bear. Still, as she stepped out into the night air, she couldn’t help but feel a thrill of fear run up her spine. She steeled herself, reminding herself that if she was scared now, Professor Xiu was infinitely scarier. She needed this coffee. She resolved to simply walk briskly, just in case. By the time she made it to the warm halogen glow of the parking lot, Maggie was sighing relief. She made her way to her car, laughing at herself for worrying at all. Yet as she went to slide her key into the car door, she felt a sudden pulse like frozen electricity through her body. She froze, her body unable to move except for the most minimal twitches and jerks as something gripped her from within her mind. She tried to scream, but her lungs and throat refused to cooperate. She could not so much as move her eyes, leaving her view locked onto her car door windshield, and the reflection of the figure that approved behind her. The distorted image was humanoid, a black shape with great white spheres for eyes. She could see it extending its hand out to her, and once more she tried to struggle, to move, to do anything. But she could not. She felt tears come unbidden to her eyes as the figure extended its hand, and laid its icy cold fingertips on her forehead. Somewhere in the bowels of her mind, Maggie could swore she heard something speak. “What a waste of a mind, Ms. Rayburn…” Then, there was another jolt through her, and Maggie felt everything go blurry. -- Zeb Simms sipped his coffee, feet up on the front security desk. Overnights paid well, but they were almost unbearably boring. If he wasn’t saving up for that new boat, he'd probably take a new shift entirely. Still, at the very least, it was usually pretty peaceful aside from the occasional too-young-to-drink-but-drunk-anyway college kid. His peace was disturbed, however, by a banging on the door. Zeb looked up from his coffee to see a pretty little blonde girl just going at it on the glass door. Her face was red, and it looked like she was crying. Immediately, Zeb mind raced to the worst and he immediately got up off his butt and rushed to the door, unlocking it and swinging it open. He didn’t even have time to ask what was wrong before the girl threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around him, burying her face deep into his shirt and sobbing. Rather than try and stop her, Zeb simply let her hold him and cry it out. Finally, after an uncomfortable few minutes, the girl looked up at him, sniffling and snorting. “I-I can’ read what's on the door… I… I used bu' I can anymo'…” she moaned. Zeb blinked, then looked over at the door. In bright, friendly letters were the words “FCU Building C”. He looked down at the girl, confused for a moment. Then a horrible realization rolled over him like a wave. “Oh, no, honey,” he said softly. “Oh I am so sorry…” He pulled his radio free from his hip, and called in. “Yeah, uhm... I got a report… Uh… damn. We got another one.”
  2. Mid-July 2019 The summons had gone out to a variety of heroes - come to Freedom Hall at such and such a time on such and such a date for a meeting with Comrade Frost in the League satellite. Some had gotten the message personally in intimate conversation with the ex-Soviet, some had gotten it through professional correspondence. A uniformed League employee had shuttled them all inside the Hall and to its teleporter, where now (if Frost's calculations were correct) they were all about to arrive! When the flash and noise of teleportation were over, Frost spread his arms, producing a slight chill in the air in the metal-walled room that looked a bit like something out of Star Trek - if you ignored the big transparent window to one side that showed the Earth below. "Welcome to space! Feel free to ogle Central America if interested," he declared in his distinct Russian accent.
  3. @alderwitch @angrydurf @Exaccus @Tiffany Korta - feel free to make an IC reaction post, and give me a Notice check afterwards.
  4. GM Nizhny Novgorod Nizhegorod Oblast Russia Wednesday, February 1st, 2017 1:00 PM (5:00 AM Eastern) It would take special cause for Comrade Frost to find himself called back to Russia on a mission. Especially serving under official Freedom League capacity. Special cause like a series of disappearances with no trace left behind. Including those inside of the Kremlin. Rumors were starting to spread about Baba Yaga returning and stealing "naughty children". As the only member of the People's Heroes still serving since the last great battle against Baba Yaga, Comrade Frost was called in secretly. Sandman, the guest in question, was brought in a special consultant by Comrade Frost, as he was told not to tell the proper Freedom League about the mission, political pride preventing sharing with the world a potential threat arising from out of Russia. That was if there was any truth to the rumors to begin with. After all, many things went bump in the night...
  5. Ellis sat in a khaki shorts and a sage polo sipping his iced coffee on the warm summer afternoon. The call for this 'friendly coffee' hadn't been exactly a surprise but Ellis none the less was uncertain what exactly to expect of Carson. He supposed there was always the chance that it would be some sitcom overprotective male act but he somehow didn't see Stesha standing for that kind of posturing on her behalf as well intentioned as it might be. Most likely it was another in a long list of friends that had seen her hurt before and was worried their exceptionally nascent romance might do so again. He had resolved however to meet the man regardless of purpose it couldn't be worse than the dismissive sneers the dragon woman aimed his direction most times.
  6. Monday April 25 Trinity Hospital After the events in Ocean Heights, Rhode Island, and Mexico, the heroes of Freedom City (and indeed the world) are aware of the global threat of the Makot Mitzrayim - the Plagues of Egypt. The threat isn't just the Plagues, of course, but the people driven to hysteria (one way or another) by an apocalypse that seems ("but only seems" Seven stressed in her briefing sent to the major superteams) to correspond to that of the three largest religions on Earth. The Interceptors in particular, thanks to Harrier and Echo's report from down in Mexico, have gotten a strong picture of what's going on. But with only one attack in Freedom City proper, it's easy for most people to let life go on. In the West End in the last few days there's been a freakishly rare flu epidemic, one of those bizarre moments that can happen in a city full of people and exposed to all sorts of exotic chemicals, viruses, and other ailments over the years. Things are bad enough that the hospital is nearly full, getting them to send non-emergency cases home, and they've called out volunteer doctors from other hospitals to help deal with the crisis. The flu can be a scary disease for parents, the elderly, the unlucky - especially when it turns to pneumonia. So if the hospital chapel is particularly packed with people praying for their families and themselves, well, maybe it has nothing to do with the Plagues of Egypt. At least until you turn on the news - and catch the continued cleanup elsewhere in the city, the nation, the world. But the heroes of Freedom have dealt with worse than this...right?
  7. Date: April 1, 2016 Location: Hilo, Hawaii It being April 1st, the early reports of 'nightmare creatures disgorged from the seabed' were assumed to be prank calls especially since these particular calls came from a less populous corner. It was only when the wedding party showed up for their sunset pictures that the panic truly started. While most of the white sand remained lovely and pristine, close to the water's edge it began to blacken, smoldering in the heat. At first glance it seemed that an odd fissure had opened up in the beach, disgorging lava from some previously unknown magma tunnel - boiling the water that touched the edges of the disturbance and sending plumes of smoke into the air. It was only when the lava groaned and then rolled over that true hysteria set in. Across the country, the Freedom League's headquarters lit up with alarms and reports of monsters and nightmares and living lava from panicked officials that were not sure exactly what governmental service one called for that sort of thing. Thankfully, there was always the Freedom League standing ready. Of course as the panic was happening in the late evening in Hawaii, the League got the alerts a little before 4AM by Freedom City's clock. A hero's work was never done!
  8. March 15. Freedom City. The West End. Summers Elementary School. 12:15 PM Her name was Ruth. Ruth Yamashiro. Her father’s parents were from Japan. Immigrated in the last Seventies. Her mother’s were card carrying Jewish Freedonians since birth. She was six years old, and soon to graduate from kindergarten to first grade. She was excited about the change, but also scared. She was a good girl, who did what her parents told her to do. Perhaps more perceptive than most children her age, but not oddly so. She had plenty of friends, and seems to be well on her way to a normal childhood and life. As normal as one could get in Freedom City, at any rate. The truth was, Ruth had a secret. She’d only told her best friends Kanako and Esther, and they didn’t even believe her. She could hear people think and move stuff with her mind. Some people thought too quiet and it wasn’t like she could lift more than her plastic chair, but still. She was like a superhero, only she was six. Her mom said a superhero’s first duty is to grow up big and strong. So, Ruth had to wait until she was older. It was okay. She liked being a kid. Grownups had so much on their minds, and she didn’t understand most of it. But it was weird. Ever since she’d started listening, really listening, to the grownups around her…she’d been having nightmares. Her mom and dad were worried, but she couldn’t just tell them about her powers. Then they might not be special anymore. Besides, she never remembered what they were about anyway, and they didn’t wake her up. Everybody had bad dreams sometimes, and they always went away after a while. She just had to wait, and everything would be fine. The kindergarten teacher’s name was Emily Corazon. She was 24, and not a full year out of college. Full of vim and vigor, she wanted to teach little children and give them a lifelong love of learning. Yes, she was a optimist. A regular ball of sunshine. That said, she kept it down to a dull glow as it was naptime. It was a good class, she thought. Good kids, yes indeed. Even though some were a little rough around the edges, with patience, kindness, and good old fashioned elbow grease she’d won them over. Now, as the year marched on (heh, marched) she was beginning to realize how much she’d miss them when June finally rolled around. In September it seemed like she’d have them forever, now there was almost no time left. Wait. What was that? Was Ruth having a nightmare again? Maybe Miss Corazon should wake her? She really seemed to be having a bad time there. The screaming started at 12:15. Monsters out of a small child’s darkest nightmares roamed the halls. Terrified students and staff hid in classrooms and offices. The police had arrived quickly, but found themselves out of the league just as quickly. The few that had escaped told impossible tales about what happened inside. This was a situation that required superheroic intervention.
  9. This is the OOC. Feel free to ask me quite literally anything about the thread, especially if it doesn't make sense. I've likely missed something. Arrive upon scene however you like. Detective Watson is in charge, not that he or his men can do much.
  10. Despite the mound of paperwork waiting for him Ellis left the now empty exam room with a goofy smile drawing confused looks from a passing nurse and any staff who had seen two others enter but not leave the room. Of course he didn't care in the slightest at the moment and while it might make the rounds on the rumor mill it would soon enter the, 'yet another weird Freedom City Story' realm and fade from memory. Even more astounding than the disappearing act however was managing to complete a shift with no effusions marring his clothing. He finished up his shift on time and quickly exchanged his lab coat for a overcoat to ward off the crisp autumnal air. A quick check of his slacks and sweater vest for any stray detritus and he was on his way arriving at the appointed meeting spot a few minutes early and walking past once so as to not appear too eager before returning and waiting once he convinced himself that was absurd and he was a grown man not some smitten teen. He sent another text off to his sister confirming he was indeed meeting a 'colleague' for a 'social engagement' and would be home a bit late as they had discussed earlier. That done he tucked his phone away and tried to look casual, and likely failed to look anything of hte sort, as he awaited Steshas arrival.
  11. Date: September 19, 2015 Taylor hadn't exactly given Elis all that much choice really. Oh, she'd promised that it was a nice, normal meeting with nice, normal people who just happened to have super powers. Other than that it was just a barbecue with friends who happened to be super parents, at least that was what she'd conveyed on the phone. In Taylor's defense, she really did feel that it was important for the relatively new super hero to have something like a support network. She certainly would have appreciated having had more of a network when she'd first started. Also, her definition for 'normal' might have gotten steadily skewed over the years. After all, Stesha was the most normal person that Taylor still knew - she just happened to be a goddess running her own nature planet preserve these days. Taylor's lack of sympathy for any attempts to cry off might have also been in part in her expectation that it took some strong arming to get people to attend parties. Jack certainly wasn't ecstatic about Taylor's 'we're all going as a family to this barbecue on Stesha's planet before dark hits. No, really. It's important to me' explanation for why everyone was being rousted on a Saturday, side dish in tow. With a soft 'pop' of displaced air, Taylor showed up in Ellis' living room. Huang had his after school job to keep him busy and Taylor didn't think that he'd enjoy a barbecue with mostly adults and the under ten crowd in attendance. Jack and JJ had already been dropped off with Jack entrusted with delivering the side dishes of potato salad and a cooler full of steaks for the barbecue. That she showed up inside the house rather than on the porch was in difference to Ellis secret identity but he might not see it that way. Except for the sudden appearance, Taylor looked normal enough - at least she wasn't in costume. With her hair pulled up in a bun and in a light shirt and denim shorts she could have been any fresh-faced college student. Well, except for the fact that she was still translucent.
  12. From the album: Alder's Artistry

    Linework for Stesha and Elis' awkward hand holding.

    © K Keppeler

  13. Ellis stared into the mirror comparing ties, which he rarely wore outside of work functions to start with, and let out a heavy sigh, "What am I doing?" he mused under his breath as he quickly and methodically tied the hunter green silk in place. He looked up at the sound of a muffled laugh behind him turning to fix a long suffering look on his younger sister, "Getting ready for your daaate." she teased with a smile as she stepped forward and somewhat needlessly straightened the tie with his collar. "It is not a date." he countered perhaps too quickly, "She's a parent at the nicholson school and it may be a good match for the kids." he pointed out not for hte first time since he'd broached the subject of the coffee, meeting, with his sister. He looked down at her sternly, "That is all. I don't have time for dating, nor," he cleared his throat, "Inclination." he rushed a bit belying the little white lie. "Sure sure of course not." Grace replied with a smirk her tone thick with a younger siblings biting sarcasm, "Just two single adults taking time out of their day to meet one on one and consume beverages and possibly food." she posited with an arched brow, "That sounds nothing like a date at all to me." she added with a faux authoritative nod. "Exactly." Ellis confirmed with a smart no of his head, "Just two people meeting for coffee to discuss prospects for hte children." he said almost more to himself than her. Grace was unable to hold it together any longer and barked a sharp laugh as he ran the lint roller over his shirt clearly not for the first time this morning. "What exactly do you think dating in your forties is Ellis?" she countered tilting her head to fix an incredulous look his direction, "You look nice." she complemented tapping his shoulders and let out a small sigh, "You're allowed, no you deserve, to be happy." she said quietly, "Even if you are absurd." she added with a smirk, "Barbara would want you to be happy." grace whispered barely audible drawing a stern look from her brother. "I am not having this conversation." he said sternly, "No it is hackneyed narrative right out of a lifetime movie and I won't have it." he said firmly though with a hint of a smile, "Thank you for watching the kids." he said finally as he headed for hte door shutting the heavy oak front door to the sing song, "Have fun on your daaaate." *** Elis arrived a bit early, perhaps intentionally though he'd blame light traffic over the bridge certainly. He kept a brisk pace as he walked first past the agreed upon coffee shop, the cheekily named Neutral Grounds, glancing in the windows to see if Stesha had already arrived before turning and with a deep breath entering the shop and ordering an oversize black coffee and taking it to a table with an indirect view of the door trying his hardest not to look like he was watching the door avidly and the handsome doctor earning his fair share of whispers from the barristas over who he might be waiting for. A slow tuesday morning perhaps not the best choice if one strived for anonymity in a coffee shop one did not frequent, live and learn.
  14. Sandman The hero known as Sandman is the guardian of dreams. He is empowered by the mystical sands of sleep and charged with defending the dreamlands and waking world from the depredations of creatures of nightmare. His more mundane alter ego is Dr. Elis Sanford, an anesthesiologist at Freedom Medical Center. A recent widower and father of two he plays a careful balance of work, family and the mandate of his powers. History Elis was born to Harold and Maude Sanford of Hanover New Jersey on June 14 1977. Harrold was an ad executive in Freedom city and Maude a homemaker, their suburban home would be joined six years later by his only sibling Grace. The Sanford family lived a delightfully mundane life their moderate wealth and privilege as well as the relative safety of Hanover even amidst the struggles, invasions, and near catastrophes that so often strike Freedom City kept them insulated from the often harsh realities of life in the ever exciting city. Elis worked hard and made good marks in school, though more through thorough effort and strong familial support than native talent. He saw the effort as the cost that must be paid for his eventual dream, becoming a doctor. The quick reactions of a doctor to his grandfathers minor stroke had stoked an admiration for the profession in the young mans heart and he strove to join that respected profession. When he graduated high school, high marks ensured his entry to Freedom City University on the Pre-Med program, his fathers prudent savings ensured that they could afford the program. College in the competitive Pre-Med program at FCU was initially a bit of a shock to Elis who questioned his dedication for a time but resolved to prove to himself he could stick it out. He was aided in this by a woman he met in one of his early Biology courses, Barbara Braska. She was studying clinical psychology and the relationship begun as study partners soon bloomed into more. Barbara was brilliant in Elis' opinion, she ought have been the doctor he oft would say though she did not have his devotion to her studies with part time jobs and frequent family obligations eating up much of her study time. He asked her to marry him nearly a year before they graduated, and to his great joy she said yes. Elis made his way through his pre-med program and into medical school at FCU, with the support of Barbara who went on to graduate studies in psychology, they agreed to hold off on the wedding until they were better established, Elis always felt there was more to her reluctance likely something to do with her family who often needed her for this or that but who he had met only her father a gruff man of militant demeanor. While pursuing their advanced degrees they got an apartment together and the oddities of Barbaras schedule became more obvious to Elis, he feared many things when he'd wake to find her gone or so deeply asleep he couldn't wake her for an hour or more. Eventually she had to reveal her secret. She was a hero, of sorts, a defender of dreams, as she would put it poetically. The Braska line had passed on the legacy and power of the sands of sleep for innumerable generations, defending the lands of dream and waking world from fearsome creatures of nightmare. It was a shock but Elis loved her, and was in no small part relieved it was not something simpler like an affair, addiction, or criminal tendencies. They however did not often discuss her other life. She wanted their time together to be for them after all. He did know she had potent abilities to affect dreams and that her father had trained her (in a major break with tradition) in the many secrets of the lands of dream and creatures of nightmare. She shared tidbits of this knowledge over the years but Elis always considered her sideline as dream hero something akin a hobby he indulged as she indulged his golfing. Elis and Barbara were wed shortly before he began his internship not long after she achieved her masters and became a licensed therapist. They were happy despite his long hours in internship and residency, perhaps because of them as his grueling schedule left plenty of time for his wife's extracurriculars without eating into time available for the both of them in most cases. It was of course more difficult once the children were born, her father came briefly out of retirement when she carried each of the children first hte girl Jenifer, then Gabe their youngest and a boy. Unfortunately a long life in service of the dreamlands finally caught up with the elder Braska when their youngest was just shy of a year of age. A heart attack, in his sleep, Elis hadn't at the time thought twice about that oddity of course, many men his age with hard living suffered worse. Barbara took it harder, he was her last surviving relative, but with Elis help and through no small measure of personal fortitude she pulled out of the dip. Elis felt her even stronger for it, more balanced to be sure. Two years later Elis completed his residency and his parents left Hanover for Boca Raton Florida for their retirement. The lack of grandparents took some adjusting but Elis sister Grace stepped up to help with childcare when both Elis and Barbara were busy becoming a common fixture in the children's lives. Elis began work at Freedom Medical Center as an attending physician and Barbara was able to cut back her time as a therapist converting and updating a small granny unit on the property to an office to see occasional clients. Life had settled into a comfortable routine despite Barbara's continued duties to the world of dream, their eldest was past the age when Barbara had begun her own training though she had yet to begin training her perhaps waiting for the traditional male heir to come of age or perhaps the difficulties of her father's death being too much to bear to begin the training. Elis was quite satisfied with this as the only real concern he had maintained over her heroic moonlighting had been the perceived injustice of foisting such responsibility upon children so young. It was just over a year after the end of his residency that it all came crashing down. Elis had been working a late shift and didn't get home until well after midnight. When he arrived the door to the house was torn from its hinges, rushing inside as he called 911 he found Barbara collapsed at the top of the stairs. He pulled her into his arms as her costume faded back to her nightclothes, her breathing was labored and he tried to calm her keep her from sliding into shock but she was already beyond that. With rattling breath she explained an ancient foe of her family had come for the children, she had protected them but only barely. Her own wounds were too great and she knew it. Pulling Elis to her she shared one final kiss and passed her power to him, telling him he had to care for the children. She was dead by the time the paramedics arrived. Elis was able to ensure the children didn't see her like that but was himself at a loss. For him it was as if the world had come to an end. Of course it hadn't. The kids needed him, and of course there was the media circus and inevitable investigation. The hospital was understanding, his parents came up and stayed with the kids and Grace and her husband were available as well and somehow he made it through. The investigation turned up frustratingly little, the wounds didn't seem to match any known weapons though in freedom city that meant little, three neighbors reported seeing a tall man in a suit very unsettling in the neighborhood that evening though none could recall any details of his appearance beyond that. The perpetrator was never found not that that was a surprise to Elis, she had told him the truth, it had been the boogyman, the monster in the closet or under the bed, humanity's fear of hte unknown and dark places made manifest. When he began to manifest the powers of the sands of sleep he breifly considered hunting the creature down. But his wife in the fullness of her training and powers hadn't been the things equal and he knew he'd only leave his children orphans if he sought it out. As life returned to a semblance of normal Elis tried to forget about the powers he'd gained, and about the promise that had gone with them. Barbara had been taken from them because of this legacy and he wanted none of it. When the kids had nightmares about her however he reached out to still their dreams, they'd lived through waking nightmare they didn't need them in their sleep. He started to forget to sleep himself, never noticed the need and would be caught up in a case study or good book, time just slipped by. Elis had Grace and Frank move into barbaras old office as the kitchenette still worked and the help with the kids was more than worth it to Elis, and their parents felt better knowing someone was on hand to keep an eye on him. Slowly he got back into the swing of work and spent more time home with the kids of course, it wasn't the life he'd have wanted but there was comfort in it and he and the children were moving forward. It was a year later before Elis started to really understand what his wife had charged him with. The full duties of the Braska line, She had said to protect the children and she hadn't meant just thiers. It was slow and creeping, didn't even turn heads outside of a few very esoteric corners of the occult world. The nights seemed a little darker, the dawn a little further. At the hospital he'd heard rumors of children with night terrors so bad they went days sometimes a week or more with little to no sleep afraid to close their eyes. The real wake up call came when they started to go missing. The police suspected a human trafficking ring, or worse a serial. But no bodies turned up giving people hope at least. elis knew he hadn't a choice any longer, the work his wife had done was too important. He cracked open the boxes he'd carefully packed her personal Items in, things too personal to donate but too painful to keep around in the open and began to dig through her journals and diaries. Most of it was personal, about him or hte kids or her family. Some however touched on her work and he slowly managed to piece together a shell of her knowledge. He had over the year practiced here and there with what the sands could do they reacted to his will almost instinctively and after a few close calls of revealing himself he at least managed to control them well enough to not out himself. A little more and he learned a few basic uses that might aid him if the creature returned for hte kids as she'd warned. He came for the nest of Boggarts the next night, letting the sand carry him through the dream to the tenement the fear hungry beasties called home. It was not perhaps as shining a moment has he would have hoped. He routed the nightmare creatures only barely and their claws were all too real. He was able to stitch himself back up and more importantly able to free the children. Most too dazed from the experience to recall him beyond knowing something had driven off the monsters and taken them to the candy shop where the patrolmen found them. It was chalked up to childish fancy and trauma in large part but they all seemed to recover over time. Elis' recovery was longer, he couldn't go to another doctor or hospital for treatment so he managed his own care, hiding it from the children and Grace as he did so. He also resolved to better master his powers channeling them into protections for himself as well as others and spending further study on the limited resources left behind by his wife. He now knows how to look for patterns and trail potential breaches. But his inexperience is taking its toll, he knows he can step to the dream realms but not why and they remain for now under-defended whilst he concentrates on the waking world. Costume and Appearance In his civvies Elis dresses the part of the well to do suburbanite dad, Khakis and polos, deck shoes or the cardinal sin of sandals with socks. He wears an expensive Rolex on one wrist, a gift from his late wife upon the completion of his residency and retains a tan line where until recently his wedding band resided, it has now joined his wife's rings on a chain around his neck. He keeps his blonde curls close cropped less he achieve perpetual bed head and is blessed with just enough southern European ancestry to manage a passable tan without resorting to the oompa-loompa factories so common in the region. His face is gentle and kindly with an easy dimpled smile belied only by a quiet sadness in his piercing blue eyes. He cuts a handsome figure in that infuriating unaging way older men manage to look only better as they mature. At work it's business casual, a tie for department meetings quickly jettisoned when dealing with patients, On late nights he'll usually stumble home still in his scrubs to try and beat bedtimes. When adopting his sandman persona he projects a much more ethereal look. The base of hte costume is a white body suit topped with a loose deeply cowled vest in blue. Cuffed mid forearm length gloves and folded calvary boots in a matching blue accent the outfit which is finished with a thick belt in gold and loose gold scarf as well as a classic domino mask in white. On the chest of the suit is an ancient emblem of his position as defender of the dreamlands though he is not certain of its meaning. He tends to plant himself firmly very grounded when engaging enemies though this has more to do with his lack of training in basic hand to hand combat than any particular stylistic choice, he'd just like not to be knocked over mostly. Powers All of Sandmans powers are drawn from the ancient gift to mankind by the dreamlands, the Sands of Sleep. The bring the world of dreams to our reality and allow the user to cross those barriers as well in body and spirit. The most noteable power of the sands is the ability to render nearly any dreamer calm, lethargic, or unconscious. Additionally it can bring dreams to reality in the form of complex and vivid illusions or as the fears of a foe made manifest a vicious attack on the psyche. Manipulation of dreams and entry to the dreamers mind also are possible with care and Sandman may use the dreamscape to travel vast distances nearly instantly should the need arrive. Finally and as a departure form previous wielders of the Sands Sandman will actually channel them into whatever form he may need be it shield or weapon or grasping arm. Allies So far the only other hero Sandman knows is Phantom who has offered her aid though she also terrifies him so for the time being he's on his own. Though inevitably as he does more and more he will make more contacts. Playlist Dream a Little Dream of Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRpLb4PXVyQ Last Kiss - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0B-hJ_gotc Dream On - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHRNSeuvzlM Timeline Fall 2015 Nighttime Wanderings: Phantom captures a small nightmare and discovers not only the fate of the last Guardian but the plight of her woefully unprepared replacement.
  15. Typically, when one had a five year old that complained of a few nights of nightmares, most parents would perhaps leave an extra light on or, maybe, adjust the night time routine. However, normal was a little different in the Farretti household. That was why instead of an extra light, or a beloved stuffed animal to ward off bad dreams, Phantom was currently floating ephemeral and half hidden in the shadows above her sleeping son's bed. Her cloak shifted soundlessly, but Phantom neither moved nor drew breath as she waited with an unnatural patience. The first nightmare hadn't drawn her concern. When JJ had come thundering down the hall, his eyes gone glassy red and his hair stuck every direction with sweat, she'd scooped him up as any mother would have and soothed him back to sleep through his ramblings about the bad dreams. The second night, she'd checked the wards just in case and gone through what he might have watched or read that would have shaken their usually calm offspring. The third night, however... JJ kicked his covers off, whimpering once in his sleep and Phantom's expression softened. She gestured, magic tendrils gently tucking the sleeping dhampir back in but the restoration of his blankets didn't stop the tossing and turning as JJ slipped from peaceful REM sleep to the throes of nightmare once more. Show yourself, you little... With another gesture, this one much sharper, the glow of Phantom's gaze sharpened as the magic in the area was revealed to her. Unfortunately, casting that particular spell in their house was always full of a fair amount of static - from the supernatural protections and spells woven throughout the manor to its supernatural denizens. At the moment, however, Phantom was only concerned with whatever was working their fell magic on a helpless child. Well, mostly helpless. The little creature was as ephemeral as Phantom but far more hidden. Still, her spell revealed it with its ghostly fingertips half through JJ's sleeping mind and in the next breath, she struck, wrapping it in coils of eldritch light and swallowing it to the void of her cloak. A minor nightmare was no match for Phantom, after all, although she was surprised it had worked its way through the words. Concerning... With a soft thump, she landed on bare feet - her costume banished once more. This time with solid hands, she tucked her young son back in, smoothing back his unruly hair and tucking the soft blanket around him tenderly. JJ's expression smoothed out as she settled him, turning peaceful once more as he rolled back to his side to settle in for the night. Looks like I have work to do tonight after all. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A few minutes later - having explained in brief the situation to her spouse, and tightened up the wards - Phantom appeared floating above a cemetery. Over one grave in particular. Ghosting down slowly, Phantom turned solid once more, her boots leaving faint impressions in the wet grass. The grass was well grown in now and the stone had seen some weather. This was no fresh grave. Had so much changed while she was gone? Should it concern me that I've learned to tell the differences between 'grave aging'? The inscription read, 'Barbara Breska-Sanford. 1981 - 2014 Beloved wife and mother. Dreams Can Never Die.' Phantom bent down, touching the flowers at the base. The grave wasn't fresh but the flowers were. Forget-me-nots, Queen's Anne lace, and tulips. Perhaps someone knew their flower meanings. A promise...? Standing up, Phantom brushed the moisture from her gloved hands and turned her head up towards the sky. Mourning for a fellow practitioner could wait. If no one had taken up the legacy, that might explain the nightmare in her pocket. Now... to find the inheritor of that particular strain of magic. It might be a very long night.
  16. The Questionaire! Introduction Who are you? Sum yourself up in one sentence. A light in the dark driving the bad things away. Do you have any nicknames, street names, titles, or nom de plume? In the circles of the mystically inclined the holder of hte Sands of Sleep is known as the 'Guardian of the Vale of Sleep' which is kinda pretentous sounding but givent he mystics I've met par for hte course. On the street I'm sometimes called Sandman or The Sandman, cus like, sand man. What is your full birth name? Elis Warren Sanford Where do you live? Hanover How old are you? What year were you born (if applicable)? 38, Born June 14 1977 Physical Traits What is your gender? If not applicable, please explain. Masculine (Cis male) How would you describe your heritage? Privilaged. How tall are you? 5' 11" on my drivers liceanse but I was having a short day What is your body type? Average build but toned and fit. Do you have any particular weaknesses, such as allergies or physical disabilities? Bullets! My only weakness how did you know! No none outside the norm How do you carry yourself? Are you graceful, or heavy on your feet? Can you be stealthy, do you walk with confidence? Lightfooted though not particularly stealthy. I move with a calm surity and deliberation. Describe your skin, eye, and hair color. Lightly tanned caucasian, sandy blond, blue eyes. How do you wear your hair, if applicable? Do you have facial hair? Facial hair is a hassle in the OR, Keep my hair trimmed in a neat, short, and nondescript buisiness cut. Do you consider yourself attractive? Do others? Well I'm not quite to my college weight but I keep fit. I get told I have 'Kind Eyes' often by others but to be fair scrubs and a full facemask don't leave much else to complement. Do you have any scars, tattoos, piercings, or birthmarks? I managed to escape my youthful rebelions without such permanent proof. Do you resemble anyone famous? How closely? I've always said Simon Baker should play me in the movie of my life, granted when I said that the posibiliyt of such a film seemed much more distant... Do you have a dominant hand? Righthanded What kind of clothing do you wear? Business casual or scrubs when out of costume. Do you wear makeup? No I earned these wrinkles dammit. What is your vocal range? Is your voice distinctive in some way? Is poor an option? I'm not a singer though my range would be a tenor with breaks every three notes? Do you have any distinctive habits, nervous tics, or mannerisms? Where did they come from, and what causes them? Do other people notice and remark on these habits? Do they annoy you or other people? I click my pen when reading or studying patient records, case studies, or journals. Picked it up in med school as a way to keep awake and alert during all nighters. History Where do you come from? Born and raised in Hanover a suburb of Freedom City. Have you made any major moves, or do you live in your hometown? My Parents used to live about six blocks from where I live now, of course they went south to florida after Grace got married. Do you feel loyal to your country of citizenship? Do you consider yourself patriotic? How do you feel about the government of your country? I am loyal to the idea of my country as for its current government? Well theres work that could be done but it's better than most. How do you feel about the place you come from? Hanover is a lovely town and I'm lucky to have grown up there Freedom has it's ups and downs but at least you can't say it's boring? Where is your home town? What was/is it like? It's pretty much ecactly the neighborhood from every cheesy eighties sitcom so yea not a bad place to grow up. Sure teen me thought the burbs were lame but I have kids and like my cul-de-sac end lot. Growing up, were most of the people you knew similar to you, or were you somehow a minority? How did that affect you? Yea I grew up a WASP in a nest of WASPs. Didn't really know anything different until I went to college at FCU. It was a bit of a culture shock to see and hear about the very different lives of those from the Fens or the West coast or more exotic locales. It was a learning experiance and while I'm happy with where I grew up I try to make sure my kids are less insulated from the world. Luckily that's easier now that the HOA's can't just blatently keep the minorities out. Is there something you've always been really good at or really bad at? How has that affected your life? I've aways been a good student, Perhaps not the brightest kid in the room but I managed to keep up with good study habits and hard work, mostly. There were alot of long nights and stressful tests in med school I don't think I'd have made it without Barbaras support. Were there any traumatic experiences in your early years (death of a family member, abandonment, orphaned at an early age)? My childhood was eerily pristine. Briefly describe a defining moment in your childhood and how it influenced your life. When I was nine my grandfather had a stroke when we were at this big family brunch. None of us saw what was happening he just was sluring his speech a bit and blinking alot like he couldn't focus his eyes. I remember grandma was sniffing at his coffee like he'd irished it up. This older man at the next table saw the signs though right away and had the restaruant call 911. It was aminor stroke but that doctor noticing made all the diference in his recovery. Thats when I decided I wanted to be a doctor. What stupid things did you do when you were younger? First year of college I was struggling to keep afloat, too haevy a class load and being in charge of my own social life was a bit rough. Buddy of mine got some diet pills from his sister for a cram session we were blazing through the material feeling great. Got on the bus to head to the midterm and both of us passed dead out didn't wake up till the buss went out of service at nine that night. Where did you go to school? How much school did you have, and did you enjoy it? Pre-med at FCU then Med-school, residency at Freedom General, all told it was a long eighteen years but good and I enjoyed it as much as one can enjoy spending half your life cramming for tests against the best and the brightest and having teenage super genious earn multiple doctorates while you're hopeing not to flame out. Do you have any mementos of your childhood? What are they, and why did you keep them? If you have none, why not? Half my garage is filled with boxes of every assighnment, science project, and Summer Camp craft my mother collected and refused to move to florida with her and dad. So Yea? But I'm not exactly putting my most improved band trophy or t-ball paticipation plaques up on display. When did you decide to become a hero? Why? Did anyone influence you one way or another in the decision? A little more than a year ago. Yea I had a bit of a nudge in the direction. Barbara my wife was the last bearer of the Sands. When she was killed she passed them to me and made me promise to fight the nightmares. It's not the path I'd have walked on my own but I always keep a promise. Is the reason you give people for becoming a hero different than your real reason? If so, why? Pretty much leave it at, "I'm the defender of dreams" and don't go into painful details of my wife's murder with strangers but yea thanks for bringing that up. Do you have any deep, dark secrets in the past that may come back to haunt you? Sorry not that exciting. Do you represent yourself as being different from who you really are? Why? Well I don't exactly introduce myself at conferences with my co-author credits and 'by the way I moonlight fighting nightmare things from beyond hte vale of sleep' so arguably yea? I think it's pretty self explanatory though. If you do have these secrets, what do you fear would happen if the truth became known? How far would you go to protect those secrets? Well even with the superpowered running about I don't see such revelation being a big plus on a resume and I'd rather not have more monsters gunning for my family than we already do. Do you have any sort of criminal record? If so, is it public knowledge? Yea no. Boring remember. Family What are your biological parents' names? Harrold and Maude Were you raised by them? If not, please explain and describe who raised you. I was raised by them. What was their standing in the community? What did/do they do for a living? Dad worked in advertising, Mom was a homemaker and sometimes artist. They were pretty well respected int eh community. Where are your parents now? Boca Raton Florida, They love talking about thier son the doctor to all the old folks at the club house. Did your family stay in one area or move around a lot? My parents had the same home I was born in when they finally grew tired of Freedom winters and went down south. How did you get along with their parents? How do you get along with them now (if applicable). I don't dislike them or anything they were good parents by most any petric just don't really feel like we ever connected. Maybe thats all kids though. How do your parents view you now, or how would they? They are super proud of the whole doctor thing as one would expect, which must be hard on my sister grace. They don't know about the other half at all and I get the feeling they think I need ot put a woman in my life for the kids. Do you have any siblings? If so how many and what are their names? Describe your relationship with them. A younger sister, Grace, baby of the family. We get on well. She's been a life saver since Barbara passed helping out with the kids. I let her and her huspand Frank live rent free in the guest house while he works on his novel. What was your birth order in the family? First born. Where are your siblings now (if applicable)? Do they have families of their own? What do they do? Grace Lives with her husband Frank in my guest house. He's a writer trying to get his novel published, she works in HR for one of these tech startups I can never keep straight which one a new super genius shows up every few weeks and takes the sector by storm it seems. Do you stay in touch with them or have you become estranged? We're in touch she watches the kids for me prety often and Frank helps out with school pick up on busy days. Do you love or hate one member of the family in particular? People tell me I should make Frank get a real job that he's taking advantage of me and Grace but the guys book is actually decent and he's good to Grace which counts for alot. I don't think I need more empty house to clean right now. Is any member of the family special to you in any way (perhaps, as a confidant, mentor, or arch-rival)? Grace is a godsend with the kids and I lean on her alot. But I can't risk getting her more invovled. Its a dangerous world. Are there any black (or white) sheep in the family (including you)? If so, please explain. My brother in law Frank is a bit of free spirit and my Parents think he's bad for Grace but they always have been a bit to focused on the money. Do you have a notorious or celebrated ancestor? If so, please explain, including how it has affected your life. Dad says there was a viscount that lost his lands to the protestants and if the suit ever moves we'll be lords of some sort but I think he just spends too much time on ancestry.com Do you have a partner and children currently? If so, please describe them. Two kids. Jenny and Gabe, Eight and Five respectively. They're what keeps me going. Barbara passed a year ago, I miss her, and that's about as much of that as we need to go into. If you do not have a partner or children, do you want them someday? How firm are you in your opinion on this, and what might change your mind? My parents and sometimes Grace think I need a womans touch in the house. I just don't feel ready and lets be frank I've been out of the game along time and wasn't exactly a star player then. What type of person would be your ideal mate? try partner mate makes it sound like we're somones experement or pet. Relationships Do you have any close friends? If so, please describe them, and how you came to be close to them. I have collegues not so much firends though I get along well with them. Do you have a best friend? If so, how did they become your best friend? How close are you to your best friend? She's gone. If you were to go missing, who would worry about you? Grace, Frank, the Kids obviously. If I missed a shift or surgery the chief of surgery would crap a brick. Have you lost any loves? If so, how did it happen, and what did you do? Yes. Barbara was brave and strong and they took her away. Now I have a promise to keep to try and do what she can't any more. Do you have any bitter enemies? If so, please describe them and their history with you. There is a darkness a thing of nightmare and fear that is out there. I'm going to find it and I'm going to make sure it never hurts anyone again. If you have enemies, how do you think they might attempt to work against you in the future? I'm the Guardian of the Dreamlands all the things of nightmare want me out of the way. They'll come at me however they can but I'll be ready. What is the worst thing someone has done to you? They took her from me. Where do your loyalties lie? In what order? My kids, My family, the dreamers. Who or what do you trust the most? Why? Myself, don;t have anyone else any more. I trust Grace with the kids or if somethng happens to me but, the rest it's just me. Who or what do you despise? Why? The boogeyman, he's real and not some kids story. He's the worst thing the nightmare realms has spit out. What qualities do you admire most in other people? Are these qualities you possess? Knowledge, Integrity. I manage the later and strive for the former. What qualities do you hate most in other people? Do you have any of those qualities? Those who use fear to get thier way. Not my way never has been. Do you have a secret identity? If so, who knows it? Do you hide it from people who are close to you? Why? Yea I do, there are enough bad things after my family without paintig a superhero shaped target on the house. Do you work well on teams and in groups? Are you a leader or a follower? I'm more a follower than leader but I work well with others you have to in my line of work. Are you on a super team? If so, how do you get along with your comrades? Do you trust them, or do you have secrets from them? No I don;t eve know any other supers. Are you a member of any church, fraternal organization, club, committee, political party, or other group? How much time do you spend on that? The AMA? I spend the bare minimum those guys are way to full of thier own importance for me to hang. Personality & Beliefs Who are your heroes? Jonas Salk and my late wife Barbara Did you ever become disillusioned with former heroes or idols? If so, why and what were the circumstances? I used to think everything of mmy dad like most kids but I grew to know he's a man a good man better than many but still just a man. Do you like being a hero? If so, what is the most rewarding part? If not, what makes you keep doing it? This is not what I was meant for, but I madea promise and I'll keep it. Is there anything that would make you give up hero work, or even switch sides? I don't even know I'm not so foolish as to say n oI know how far grief can push a person but I don't even know if I can switch sides. What are your short term goals (what would you like to be doing within a year)? I'd like to actually learn what my role is that'd be cool. What are your long term goals (what would you like to be doing twenty years from now)? Figure out how or if I can train my kids or hand this off to someone else. What is your greatest fear? Why? What do you do when something triggers this fear? That I'll lose the kids or they'll lose me. It's the worst thing I can think of and when it wells up I just hold them. Is there anything you would give you life for? My kids. How do you feel about money and material wealth? Do you desire it or disdain it? Are you miserly with what you have, or do you like to share? Is it a mark of success, or a means to an end? Money is what you do with it and you can do alot of good. but you can't take it with you. How do you generally treat others? I try to be kind. Are you a trusting person? Has your trust ever been abused? I am and some would say my wife's secret was an abuse of that trust with how far things got before she told me but I get it now. It's no easy thing to reveal. Are you introverted (shy and withdrawn) or extroverted (outgoing)? Do you have a lot of self-confidence? I'm confident but mostly introverted. How do you act around attractive, available members of your preferred sex? I try very hard not to objectify them and usually succeed. My wife used to tease me that I should just take a peek and get it out of my system but it just feels rude. What are your most annoying habits? I can be ponderous in my decision making. Spontaneity is not my strong suit. Do you feel contempt for any general category of people? Who are they, and why? Not really I think everyone becomes what they are for their own reasons and it;s sad that some are led to darkness by their demons. What is your favorite food? Do you prefer any particular type of food? Do you take the time to enjoy your food, or do you eat as fast as you can? Food is usually a chore but I love a good steak medium rare and well seasoned. What is your favorite drink (alcoholic or otherwise)? I'm a doctor I live on coffee. What is your favorite treat (dessert)? Saltwater taffys Are there any specific foodstuffs that you find disgusting or refuse to eat? processed cheese What is your favorite color? Are there any colors you dislike? Hunter Green, not a fan of any of the neon spectrum. What sort of music do you like? Is there any that you hate? My tastes run pretty eclectic. If you have a favorite scent, what is it? Jasmine, it grew outside the window of my wife and I's first apartment. Do you have a favorite animal? Wallaby mostly becuase it is fun to say. What is your most treasured possession? Why? Posessions are things. Real import is people and memories. Do you enjoy "roughing it", or do you prefer your creature comforts? No I'm a creature comfort guy. Is there a job or a task you would absolutely refuse to do? Uhm state executioner? that's pretty messed up right there. Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? If so, how do your beliefs affect your life?How important is it to you? Yes but not openly religious. I know there is more than we know to the realms and I believe that there is more to the world than this. HWat it is is a mystery but and exciting one. Was your faith influenced or molded by anyone special? Just me If you belong to a religious organization, how often do you attend? Do you have a specific place of worship, or friends within the organization? How much do you agree with the beliefs of your organization? I do not Could you kill? Have you killed? I have not and kinda swore an oath to do the opposite. What circumstances led to you forming that conviction, or taking that action? I'm not a frickin psycho? Are there circumstances under which you believe it is permissible to kill? What are they? Everyone who kills has a moment in which to decide if it is worth it. Untill you have that moment it's all just talk I hope I never have it. How would you react to watching someone kill another person? Would your reaction be different if the killer was a friend or an enemy of yours? i would stop them and try to render aid. How would you react if something important was stolen from you? Things are things. I don't beleie theft is an answer but desperate people are driven to desperate measure. How would you react to public humiliation? Withdraw and try to ride it out. The good friends will still be there. How would you react if a good friend or relative were purposely or accidentally killed? Has it happened to you? It has and it almost broke me. What do you consider to be the worst crime someone could commit and why? Genocide? Xenocide? We've had evils try to wipe out existance and destroy stars. I think that ranks. If your life were to end in 24 hours, what five things would you do in those remaining hours? Whatever my kids wanted. Also perhaps find a way to stop the dieing in 24 hours but I assume that is off hte table? Career & Training Do you have any special training in your hero skills? If so, where and how did you get it? Unfortunately no. this was not my destiny I just got it anyway. Who taught you the most about your heroing abilities? What was your relationship with that person? My wife and even that was limited. Do you have any particularly unusual skills? How did you acquire them? Other than super powers? No not really. Do you do something besides hero work for a living? Have you ever done anything else, or do you plan to? I'm a doctor so yea that is kinda my main deal? What is your preferred combat style? Uhm to not to? But given that is rarely an option I preffer to use the Sands to protect myself and others and entrap the baddies. Have you ever received any awards or honours? I got a most improved trophy in band once? What skill areas would you like most to improve in? Is there anything you can't do that you wish desperately you could? I really wish I knew more of what I was supposed to do as the guardian. How do you act around people who are more skilled than you in areas you'd like to improve? Are you jealous, or do you try and learn? I try to watch and learn and hopefully find a contact. Lifestyle & Hobbies What is a normal day for you? How do you feel when something interrupts this routine? Get kids up and to school then off to work head home and make dinner read some bedtiem stories make sure homework is done and put them to bed, sometimes followed by stalking the city for rogue dream creatures. Do you have any hobbies, or interests outside hero work? What are they, and where did you pick them up? No time. What do you do for fun? I spend time with my family. Do you have a costume? What does it look like? I do it comes with the territory I guess. all blue and white and cowled with a mask very mystic knight. How do you normally dress when not in costume? Scrubs or business casual I hate ties but wear them for conferences or when auditors are on our asses at the hospital. What do you wear to bed most nights? Pajama bottoms sometimes t-shirt depending on weather. ued to sleep nude but kids put a damper on that... Do you wear any special jewelry? What is it, and what does it look like? I have a nice watch and still wear my wedding badn which my sister says is heading from sweet to morbid pretty quickly. Do you have a special place where you keep your valuables? A bank? What's your preferred means of local travel? How about long distance? A car locally, a plabe for distance. My son loves trians though sooooo yea that happens. Miscellaneous Have you ever made a will, or tried to make arrangements for your death? What provisions did you make? Yea yea I have. Kids are taken care of Grace as thier guardian and executor. If your features were to be destroyed beyond recognition, is there any other way of identifying your body? DNA? What would you like to be remembered for after your death? Being a good father and a good person. Do you believe you pose a threat to the public? Why or why not? Uhm perhaps due to lack of training? I mean I dunno if I'm leavign a hole ot hte dream realms just out of no knowing. What do you perceive as your greatest strength? The will to keep going. What do you perceive as your greatest weakness? I am so very lost about what I am supposed to be doing as a hero. As a player, if you could, what advice would you give your character? Speak as if he/she were sitting right here in front of you. Use proper tone so they might heed your advice... Don't live in the past. Let life happen at lifes own pace.
  17. Sandman Power Level: 12 (175/198 PP) Trade-Offs: None Unspent Power Points: 8PP In Brief: Widower trying to fulfill his wifes legacy as ancestral defender of the dreamlands. Residence: Suburban Hanover Base of Operations: Throughout Freedom City Alternate Identity: Dr. Elis Sanford Identity: Secret Birthplace: Freedom City Occupation: Doctor Affiliations: People and/or groups you work with. Family: Mrs. Barbara Breska-Sanford (Wife, Deceased), Shelby Sanford (Daughter, 8), William Sanford (Son, 5), Grace Fellows (Sister) Description: Age: 34 (DoB: June 14th 1981) Apparent Age: 34 Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 5'11" Weight: 185 Eyes: Blue Hair: Sandy Blonde Elis is a fit man in his mid thirties. He's toned without being bulky and of average height with a calm confidence in his movement. His hair is neatly cut and styled with the simplicity of a busy schedule. He is usually in scrubs or business casual, khakis, button down and tie though on weekends revels in his god given right to sandals with socks and cargo shorts. As sandman he's costumed in a blue and white, a long hooded vest belted at the waist over a bodysuit matched with Cuffed gloved and cavalier boots. His chest is emblazoned with the symbol of a crescent moon. Power Descriptions: His powers manifest as swirling almost luminescent yellow brown sand. At its most basic he forms it into grasping limbs or weapons or fashions walls and cages to entrap his foes or form into illusory living dreamscapes. He may call upon them to swirl about in vortices putting his targets into a deep sleep, sapping their energy or calming a crowd with their somnolent touch. At its more esoteric it serves as a conduit for Sandman to touch on the dreams and nightmares of his friends or foes for aid or to make them deadly real in the mind of the beholder. His form is almost as if built from flowing sand and bullets or fists pass through with little to no effect only for the holes to fill in from the surrounding mystic sands. History: Elis is not a remarkable man. He's a hard worker and clever enough that that work has paid off though none of it came with great ease. He was raised in a firmly middle class household with a single younger sister and grew up with the luck to be spared the greater pains and losses many residents of Freedom suffered throughout the corruption of the Moore years, or the invasions and assorted chaos that followed. He graduated high school near the top of his class and was accepted to FCU in a pre-med program. Though no longer a bigger fish in a small pond led to some growing pains he managed to get through in no small part due to the support of his future wife Barbara. They met in an intro to biology course and her presence pushed him to attend more regularly. Late nights studying together often seemed on the verge of their friendship developing to something more though she seemed to hold back. Elis accepted her reluctance and enjoyed her friendship and what company her busy schedule allowed. In time the friendship blossomed into more and by the time they graduated they were engaged. It is in that relationship that Elis' future would be forged. The Braska family were inheritors of an ancient mandate. Defenders of the waking world from the creeping darkness of nightmare realms, guardians of the vale of sleep, knights of dream. Barbara was their last scion. Elis knew nothing of her grander purpose though he often worried about her odd habits and exceedingly busy schedule throughout their relationship as friends and romantically he allowed her enough space and she managed her dueling responsibilities well enough it never came to a head. As they entered graduate studies (he in med school her in psychology) they got an apartment together, He'd awake at night to find her mysteriously absent, or so deeply asleep he could not wake her as she did battle in the realms of dream or hunted nightmare things crossed into our realm. When he finally asked her about it she could no longer hide her double life from him. Elis worried for her after that, no loving partner would not, but he had come to understand her devotion in time. They were wed shortly after he began his residency and not long thereafter their first child was born. Barbara's vigils as their daughter slept seemed odd but Elis accepted she needed the comfort of watching and she never seemed to tire at the least. In due course another child joined the first, a younger brother his sister adored. All seemed well in their lives. Balancing family and superheroics was never easy but Barbara managed and despite the long hours of his residency Elis was there to support her. Not long after Elis completed his residency and joined the hospital staff as an attending physician it all came crashing down. He returned from a late night call for emergency surgery to find the front door of the house torn off its hinges. Calling 911 he rushed inside, he found her at the top of the stairs the power of her legacy slowly fading, the costume he rarely saw reverting to her nightclothes as he ran to her side. As he tried to staunch the bleeding he cradled her in his arms. She whispered to him of the boogeyman who had come for the children, the scions of her line. She had driven him off but at a great price. She made him promise to protect the children, it wasn't until her last kiss passed the power of the Sands of Sleep to him he understood she meant all of them. She was gone by the time the paramedics arrived. Barbara's loss was hard on Elis, and of course the children though he sheltered them from the worst of the details schoolmates and teachers all knew at least some of it and it has been difficult for them. He keeps upbeat and makes sure they celebrate they life they had with her rather than focusing on her absence. So far it seems to be working. For a time he tried to forget his promise, the legacy of the guardian of dreams had taken his wife from him he was not charitable in thought toward it now. It was nearly a year later before he embraced his role, children gone missing from locked homes, dark figures spotted in the shadows, he could hear his wifes voice telling him to protect the children, so that is what he does. Personality & Motivation: Elis is an affable gentle man with a quick smile and easy demeanor. He doesn't stand out much in a crowd but those that know him usually remember him fondly. A devoted father and skilled doctor he is a very busy man but none the less seems to find time for tidbits of conversation with the coffee cart barista or the nurses on his way in to the hospital. His wife's death has left a certain melancholy to his manner but it is a quiet kind melancholy that he rarely inflicts upon others, and is quick to apologize with a self deprecating jest at his maudlin behavior. Elis' relationship with superheroics is complex. This job cost his wife her life. Something he'll like as not never forgive it, she knew the risks and he knows would have done nothing differently yet still a part of him blames the responsibility laid upon her for her death. On the other hand he respects her sacrifice and her convictions of the importance of this work. He knows as few others do how close the monsters really are in the world and how spread thin its defenders are. When it comes down to it however he made a promise and he intends to keep it. There is a darkness in the world and he will be the light to ward it off. Powers & Tactics: Sandman is first and foremost a guardian of the innocent. Thus he usually opens with seeing to it that bystanders are safe by calming them or erecting barriers to cover their retreat. Once that is achieved he'll move in to engage more directly and will focus on entrapping or disabling his foes. It is a last resort to turn to the crude brutality of attacking more directly, only the most heinous of offenders are treated tot he special horror of being rent asunder by their own worst nightmares, Sandman knows such power must be used sparingly. Complications: Identity: Secret; The mild mannered anesthesiologist is not what most imagine when they think of super heroics, he'd like to keep it that way. Responsibility: Job; He is holding down a day job if not for his lack of need for sleep it would like as not all come crashing down. Responsibility: Parent; Single parent at that. He has two children who he WILL ensure are safe and secure. Code: Sandman hunts the things that go bump in the night, the monsters under the bed and in your closet. He makes sure the nightmare things that creep across the veil go back where they belong, pursuit of such creatures take priority over lesser foes. Code: Defender of innocents. Bystanders and especially children must be protected at all costs. Enemy: The Boogeyman is still out there. Barbara hurt it, drove it off but it will recover and be back. Sandman plans to be ready. Abilities: 0 + 6 + 8 + 6 + 10 + 4 = 34PP Strength: 10 (+0) Dexterity: 16 (+3) Constitution: 18 (+4) Intelligence: 16 (+6) Wisdom: 20 (+5) Charisma: 14 (+4) Combat: 8 + 8 = 16PP Initiative: +3 Attack: +4 Base; +4 Melee, +4 Ranged Grapple: +4 (+20 Move Object) Defense: +10 (+4 Base, +6 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -7 Saving Throws: 4 + 3 + 5 = 12PP Toughness: +14 (+4 Con, +10 [Protection]) Fortitude: +8 (+4 Con, +4) Reflex: +6 (+3 Dex, +3) Will: +10 (+5 Wis, +5) Skills: 64R = 16PP Diplomacy 3 (+5) Intimidation 3 (+5) Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 12 (+15) Knowledge (Behavioral Sciences) 7 (+10) Knowledge (Cosmology) 12 (+15) Knowledge (Life Sciences) 7 (+10) Medicine 10 (+15) Notice 5 (+10) Sense Motive 5 (+10) Feats: 8PP Attractive Benefit (Wealth) 1 Dodge Focus 6 Powers: 64 + 6 + 1 + 1 + 9 + 10 + 4 + 9 = 104PP Array Rank 28 (Sands of Dream; 56AP; Extras: none, Flaws: None, Feats: Alternate Power 8, Drawbacks: None) [64PP] (Dream, Mental, Magic) Base Power: Create Object 15 (Walls of Sand; Extras: Duration(Continuous +1); Flaws: none; Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Selective, Stationary, Tether, Precise, Progression 5 [250' cubes]; Drawbacks: none) {56/56} (Dream, Magic) Alternate Power: Damage 12 (Nightmares to Life; Extras: Penetrating 2 +1, Range (Perception, +2), Alt Save (Will, +1), Mental (+0); Flaws: none; Feats: Dimensional(Dream), Indirect 3, Reversible, Subtle; Drawbacks: None) {56/56} (Dream, Mental, Magic) Alternate Power: Emotion Control 12 (Sands of Calm; Extras: Area (General, Shapeable, +1), Selective (+1); Flaws: Limited (Calm Only, -1); Feats: Reversible, Progression 19 (Rank x1000 5' Cubes);) {56/56} (Dream, Mental, Magic) Alternate Power: Fatigue 12 (Sands of Exhaustion; Extras: Range (Perception, +2); Flaws: none; Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Sedation, Reversible, Incurable, Slow Fade 2, Subtle; Drawbacks: none) {56/56} (Dream, Magic) Alternate Power: Illusion 12 (Sands of Illusion; All Senses, 2,500' Area; Extras: Selective Attack (+1); Flaws: Phantasms (-1); Feats: Progression 8; Drawbacks: none) {56/56} (Dream, Mental, Magic) Alternate Power: Illusion 12 (Sweet Dreams (Dream Control); Extras: Duration (Sustained, +1); Flaws: Limited (Sleeping Targets, -1), Range (Touch, -2); Feats: Triggered, Progression 15 (50 mile radius); Drawbacks: none) (Dream, Mental, Magic) Mind Reading 12 (Dream Travel; Extras: Affects Others (+1), Duration (Continuous, +2); Flaws: Limited (Sleeping Targets, -1), Range (Touch, -2); Feats: Insidious, Sedation, Subtle 2; Drawbacks: None) {40 + 16 = 56/56} (Dream, Mental, Magic) Alternate Power: Move Object 14 (Shifting Sands; Extras: Damaging (12 ranks, +1), Range(Perception) (+1); Flaws: none; Feats: Affects insubstantial 2; Drawbacks: none) {56/56} (Dream, Magic) Alternate Power: Stun 12 (Sands of Sleep; Extras: Range (Perception, +2), Alt Save (Will, +0), Sleep (+0); Flaws: none; Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Reversible, Sedation, Slow Fade 3, Subtle; Drawbacks: none) {56/56} (Dream, Mental, Magic) Alternate Power: Teleport 10 (Dream Step; Extras: Accurate (+1), Portal (+2); Flaws: none; Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Progression 2 (50' by 50'); Drawbacks: none) {56/56} (Dream, Magic) Comprehend 3 (Speak and Understand all Languages; Language of Dreams; Extras: None, Flaws: None, Feats: None, Drawbacks: None) [6PP] (Dream, Mental, Magic) Enhanced Feats 1 (Quick Change 1) [1PP] (Dream, Magic) Feature 1 (Special Effect: Otherworldly Presence; Dramatic wind that affects only him, able to float slightly off the ground, echoed speech) [1 PP] Immunity 9 (Need to Sleep (1), Fear Effects (1), Dream/Nightmare (2), Sleep Effects (5); Extras: None, Flaws: None, Feats: None, Drawbacks: None) [9PP] (Dream, Mental, Magic) Protection 10 (Body of Sand; Extras: None, Flaws: none, Feats: None, Drawbacks: None) [10PP] (Dream, Magic) Super-Movement 1 (Into the Vale of Sleep; Dimensional Movement 1 (Dreamlands); Extras: Affects Others (+1), Attack (+1), Flaws: none, Feats: none, Drawbacks: none) [4PP] (Dream, Magic) Super-Senses 9 (Dream Sense; Dream Awareness (Mental) 1, Ranged 1, Radius 1, Accurate 2, Acute 1, Analytical 1, Tracking 2 Extras: none, Flaws: none, Feats: none, Drawbacks: none) [9PP] (Dream, Mental, Magic) Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP None DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 15 Toughness Damage (Physical) Nightmares to Life Perception DC 25 Will Damage (Mental) Sands of Calm Perception DC 20 Will Emotion Control(Calm) Sands of Exhaustion Ranged DC 20 Fortitude Fatigue Sands of Sleep Ranged DC 20 Will Stun Shifting Sands Ranged DC 25 Toughness Damage (Physical) Totals: Abilities (34) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (12) + Skills (16) + Feats (8) + Powers (104) - Drawbacks (0) = 190/198 Power Points
  18. alderwitch

    Sandman

    From the album: Alder's Artistry

    Angrydurf's new Sandman character, complete.

    © K Keppeler

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