Corsecjedi

Shadowblade Elanor Churchill is an attractive, graceful woman of above average height and a fit, athletic build. Her jet-black hair is so dark it almost seems to have a blue tint in the right light and contrasts elegantly with her fair skin. Her eyes appear to be blue and a bit oddly shaped, thanks to the speciality contact lenses she wears to disguise her true eyes. She wears her silky black hair long, down to mid-back, and prefers to let it fall loosely about her shoulders. Elanor tends to wear practical, tasteful clothes: business suits, skirts, and blouses for work; and blouses and comfortable jeans outside of business hours. She rarely wears t-shirts, as she thinks they look tacky, particularly on her. She rarely wears makeup or more than a few basic pieces of jewelry. Shadowblade, though she obviously has the same general frame as Elanor, looks quite different. Her eyes are her most striking feature - amber orbs with a cat’s pupils. Her dark hair is bound back in a rather severe braid and tucked back under a dark hood. Her clothes are based on a fencer’s garb, though made of mottled black and grays rather than white. She wears a tactical vest underneath, one subtle enough she can wear it as Elanor if she is expecting trouble. She wears a customized tactical harness festooned with her tools and gear, as well as the scabbard for her rapier. Shadowblade also wears a dark mask inspired by certain traditions of the opera: it covers her eyes and part of her forehead but also sweeps down the right side of her face to the jawline. Fingerless gloves and dark boots complete Shadowblade’s outfit. But even more than costume or appearance, her carriage and entire personality shifts. Elanor’s intensity, which her friends know only too well, becomes even more pronounced; her eyes miss nothing, and she moves with the fluid precision of a predator stalking through the shadows. Powers and Abilities Shadowblade draws her powers from a latent mutation whose source is currently unknown. While none of her family have similar powers, her mutation could be simple genetics or caused by some outside source. Regardless of its source, her mutation grants Shadowblade several powers which she is continuing to develop. The most obvious physical manifestations of her mutation are her catlike eyes, but they also include greatly increased dexterity along with moderate increases in both her strength and health. Her eyesight and hearing are also far more sensitive; she sees as well in the dark as in daylight and pinpoint sounds with accuracy. These senses do come at a price, however, as Shadowblade is more vulnerable to sudden bursts of loud sound or flashes of light than the average human. Beyond the physical, her powers also allows her to vanish completely into the shadows, hiding with preternatural skill. Finally, she has the ability to teleport over relatively short distances, which she calls shadow-jumping because of the fleeting sensations of a vast, shadowy world she experiences as she travels. This world is, in fact, the Shadow-World, though Shadowblade is at present unaware of that fact or its potential significance. Her powers, though, are only a small part of what Shadowblade can do. She has trained as a fencer for almost two decades, and her hard-won skill coupled with her enhanced physical abilities make her a formidable combatant. When she took up her role as Shadowblade, her father also gifted her a family heirloom: an exquisitely well-crafted rapier. The blade was forged almost three hundred years ago by a master smith for one of her noble ancestors and has been lovingly cared for through the years. The hilt bears an engraving of the rampant dragon from the first Duke’s coat of arms, and the family motto, Fiel pero desdichado, is etched into the blade, though Shadowblade is very careful to keep these identifying marks obscured when wielding the sword. Beyond combat, Shadowblade excels at infiltration, and her keen mind and academic training have helped her achieve moderate success as an investigator as well. Biography Early History Elanor Churchill was born in Oxfordshire in 1984 into an offshoot of a noble British house. Her father, Hamilton Churchill, was distantly related to the Duke of Marlborough and famous men like Winston Churchill. Though not technically a member of the peerage himself, he inherited an old estate not far from the main family seat at Blenheim Palace. His wife, Adele, was an American from a moderately wealthy family; their combined family fortunes meant that they could have lived a life of ease. Instead, both Hamilton and Adele were committed to serving their fellow citizens. Hamilton refused to join a large London firm and instead used his law practice to defend the rights of the poor and oppressed. Adele was a social worker who specialized in helping children in desperate situations. Hamilton’s family looked a bit askance on their choices in life, but they were happy and quite well-off. Still, their wealth meant that Elanor lacked for nothing as a child. She was the youngest of three children - her brother Jonathan was almost a decade her senior, though Julius was only older by a few years. Despite their busy schedules, her father and mother always strove to make time for their children, and Hamilton, in particular, formed an especially close bond with his daughter. He told grand stories, encouraged her imagination, and always tried to pass on his belief that they, as ones who had been given much, had a responsibility to give back to the world. Elanor, spellbound by her father’s tales, grew up as something of a tomboy as she tried to live out adventures and escapes, though her mother and aunts did ensure she was taught proper modes of behavior and dress. During her childhood, Elanor was almost constantly in the company of her closest friend, Elizabeth Whitehall. Elizabeth was the daughter of Hamilton’s steward and thus was almost always about the estate. Together with her brother Julius, Elanor and Elizabeth tramped about the family grounds, which became fantastic jungles, enchanted forests, towering castles, and dark dungeons as they lived out adventures and stories born from their shared imagination. Julius even began teaching them the rudiments of fencing when the girls were older, a sport which delighted Elanor to no end. Elizabeth and Elanor stayed close, more sisters than friends, even as they were forced to spend more and more time apart. Thanks to her family’s connections, Elanor attended the best private schools, while Elizabeth could not. Still, most weekends and nearly every day of break, Elanor could be found in Elizabeth’s company, and she could not wish for a better friend or a better life. At Magdalen College After secondary school, Elanor began attending Magdalen College at Oxford University, her father’s alma mater. Her first term writing the papers at Magdalen proved to be one of the most significant times of her life. She fell in love with the discipline of history, joined the fencing team, and generally enjoyed the freedom of university life, but even more than this she began to change as her mutation emerged. Her hair became silkier and darker; her eyes, which had always had a slightly odd shape, turned amber; and she noticed she was faster, her reflexes and coordination improving immensely. She couldn’t wait until the winter break to see Elizabeth once more and share her strange experiences, but she never had the chance. The day before they were to meet once more, Elizabeth was murdered; the killer was never identified or apprehended. Elanor returned to school devastated. She had always been fairly shy and introverted, but that side of her personality grew more pronounced as she withdrew into her studies in her grief. Then, the following year, her wounds were opened once more. While at home during break, she overheard her parents talking; her father was furious because a distant member of the family had murdered Elizabeth, but the family name and wealth had protected him from justice. Elanor returned to university grief-stricken once more, but this time she had a target for her anger and outrage beyond the faceless cruelty of the universe. She became obsessed with the question of justice and the burning need to ensure that the guilty reaped the proper retribution for their deeds. Her years at university went by as she wrestled with these moral issues, she continued to develop her powers, discovering almost by chance her ability to conceal herself and to teleport, even as she grew more and more accomplished in fencing and academics. Finally, an idea occurred to her: she could right this wrong and bring her distant relation to justice. She worked out a plan and, after the celebration of her graduation, she struck. She killed her distant cousin after hearing the confession from his own mouth. Instead of satisfaction or vindication, though, she felt nothing but horror for what she had done, for what her powers had made so easy for her to do. Wracked by guilt, she eventually confessed what she had done to her father. He chose not to report her to the authorities, this time, but he challenged her: she had been given so many gifts - would she squander them, or would she use them to make the world a better place? The Journey to Freedom City Elanor took his words to heart. She still suffers from crises of conscious from time to time, but she swore then to use her gifts - all of her gifts - for justice, to help people, and never for harm. She stayed on at Magdalen for several more years, earning her graduate degree and eventually a doctorate. During her schooling, she opened up enough to form deep and lasting friendships with several of her fellow students. She even developed a romantic interest her friend Nicola, though she was always too shy to express her feelings to the other woman. Still, these friends and the constant support of her family helped her heal from the wounds of Elizabeth’s death and her almost self-destructive guilt. All the while, she honored her promise to her father and continued to develop her powers and, eventually, use them for good. She took on the name ‘Shadowblade’ and chose to keep her work and extraordinary abilities hidden from her friends and family to keep them safe - and because she still felt shame over her first real use of those powers. Still, she suspected her brother Julius knew more than he let on. Her father remained her confidant and source of hope and courage through it all. As she grew into her work as Shadowblade, Elanor began to feel the desire to work with other heroes. She felt that she was reaching the limits of what she could learn about her powers on her own and would need allies and mentors to continue to grow. Over the years, she had worked several times with the Ministry of Powers, but always cautiously thanks to her lingering guilt over her cousin’s death. Eventually, she decided that she needed to move to Freedom City, the teeming center of the powered. As Elanor, she won an appointment to Freedom City University as an assistant professor of history and moved across the Atlantic. She spent her first year establishing her home and watching the town, preferring to learn as much as she could about her new city before beginning to act. In the fall of 2013, though, she felt the time had come for her to take up the mantle of Shadowblade once more and do her part to make the world a better place. Personality and Motivation Elanor Churchill is a driven person. She can be charming and personable, thanks to her social training, but it is an effort for her as she is more introverted by nature, and she can come across as rather cold when not making that effort. She is intense and passionate - the light-hearted girl who dreamed of adventure has largely vanished, but some of her friends can still awaken that childlike wonder, for which she is deeply thankful. As you might expect from a history professor, she loves to read and write and hopes to become a published author one day. But most importantly, she believes devoutly that she has been given many gifts and, accordingly, much will be expected of her. Her faith and her father’s love serve as her moral compass when she feels tempted by expediency or crippled by doubt. She despises those who use their power or position to prey on the weak or innocent, and she believes her primary mission is to protect those innocent and help bring the guilty and corrupt to justice. Out of Character Author’s Note Shadowblade is a rewritten and updated version of my very first M&M character. As is probably blindingly obvious, she was heavily inspired by my favorite of the X-Men, Nightcrawler, in terms of her powers, but I think I’ve made her my own through her story and character. My first game of M&M came after my terms studying abroad at Oxford, and I fell in love with the place and wanted to make a superhero with ties to the area. I do feel bad that I’ve made the Duke’s family the heavies in her story - from all I learned, they’re perfectly wonderful people and have a lovely home at Blenheim - but the story just evolved in that direction. Mechanically speaking, I’ve left the source of Elanor’s mutation vague for the time being. I might decide that a certain cause - Terminus, experimentation, or something else - might make more sense later and have her discover that answer in a thread.

Shadowblade looked over at Hronos as the mechanodynamis asked about the car thief. "I fear that that we know but a little. The one accosted hath claimed his assailant to be one of the Amish or mayhap a rabbi, who then took to the roads with all haste. The Silver Magus yonder appears to be essaying a tracking of some sort." She gave the purple automaton a frank look, "Betwixt us, I have some doubt 'bout the verity of the witness. He has all the appearance of one whose judgment hath been compromised." She tossed a nod toward the agent. "Thinkest thou that the constable will be able to share more of what transpired here?"

I would be ok with this idea.

Shadowblade blinked. The idea of car-jacking Amish seemed ludicrous, and the thought of a rabbi doing the same was only slightly less ridiculous to her. And, given the man's apparent state, he was less than a spectacularly reliable eyewitness. Still, she had to admit stranger things had happened, especially in this city. She watched as the silver-armored hero reached up and fiddled with his helmet, and her eyebrows rose. If he could track a stolen car with his suit's devices, clearly he truly had prepared for anything, and that sort of foresight impressed her. She turned back to Hronos as Agent Vardalos began his coded conversation with his superiors. She was certain they would need what the agent knew to get to the bottom of whatever was going on here - a working time machine seemed almost too fantastic to be believed. Yet there seemed nothing to do at the moment but wait for Vardalos to get authorization. So, she waited, feeling slightly embarrassed to be of no use and hoped that whatever the silver-armored man was up to, it would work.

Shadowblade carefully stepped out of the harness, her amber eyes sparkling with excitement. The short flight had almost been one enormous roller coaster ride, and she'd thoroughly enjoyed it. "Sooth, twas most exhilarating," she said with a chuckle. "My thanks for the experience!" She stretched as they waited, and she idly considered making small talk. Things seemed to be too serious and moving too quickly for that, though, and instead she decided to keep on the task at hand. She asked, "How many art thou expecting, friend?"

Shadowblade nodded and mentally reminded herself that she didn't know the information Templar would soon be sharing. Still, hearing it all again could possibly bring something else to light and, after all, it was an interesting case. She gave him a swift smile as she said, "Sooth, methinks thou can trust in my ability to remain unseen, if I wish it. And, if thou art willing, happy I would be to accept thy offer of conveyance." Shadowblade was a bit taller than average for woman, but if his handshakes were anything by which to judge, the big man would have no trouble carrying her. She checked her gear once more, out of habit more than anything, then craned her neck to look up at Templar again. "I am ready whenever thou art, friend."

So, starting to sketch out some ideas for a potential PL 7 to add for my second character slot. I'm still working on the details of how she came into her powers and their source - that'll be posted as it goes along. However, I've got some rough ideas about the mechanics of her abilities. Basically, I'm thinking she'll be an enabler/healer rather than a direct combatant. I'm also leaning toward making her a pacifist who disables and hinders rather than harms. So, barebones character sheet ahoy! Player Name: Corsecjedi Character Name: Power Level: 7 (105/105 PP) Trade-Offs: -2 Defense/+2 Toughness Unspent Power Points: 0 Progress To Bronze Status: 0/30 In Brief: A gentle soul gifted with powers to heal and help others. Alternate Identity: Identity: Secret Birthplace: Occupation: Affiliations: Family: Description: Age: Gender: Female Ethnicity: Height: Weight: Eyes: Hair: Power Descriptions: Her powers are going to look fairly standard. She has to lay her hand on a target, which is followed by a bright flash of warm, gold and green light. When she uses her abilities to enhance her allies, they practically glow for a few moments until her boon wears off. Foes that she debilitates tend to look almost green and physically unwell. Basically, everything she does is a result of her magical (or possibly divine, depending on what arc of story I end up pursuing) control over the human body, or gifts from her patron. History: Personality & Motivation: She is a very empathetic and caring person who can't bring herself to actually physically harm others with violence. Intellectually, she understands that some people need to be stopped, and she's committed to doing her part to help others, but she can't bring herself to physically harm living creatures. Personality wise, she's going to be a pretty spirited and upbeat person with a generally positive outlook on life. She tends to make friends easily and cares deeply about those friends. Powers & Tactics: She is going to be very much a team player, putting a priority on healing the hurt or injured. If none, then she'll move on to either granting boons to her allies or trying to debilitate her foes, whatever seems best in the situation. Complications: Abilities: 0 + 0 + 6 + 2 + 6 + 6 = 20 PP Strength: 10 Dexterity: 10 Constitution: 16 Intelligence: 12 Wisdom: 16 Charisma: 16 Combat: 8 + 8 = 16 PP Initiative: + 0 Attack: +4 (+5 Melee) Grapple: +5 Defense: +5 (+4 Base, +1 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -4 Saving Throws: 3 + 3 + 3 = 9 PP Toughness: +9 (+3 Con, +6 Protection) Fortitude: +7/+6 (+3 Con, +3, +1 Enhanced) Reflex: +3 (+0 Dex, +3) Will: +7/+6 (+3 Wis, +3, +1 Enhanced) Skills: 36 Ranks = 9 PP Concentration 3 (+6) Diplomacy 5 (+8) Handle Animal 2 (+5) Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 4 (+5) Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) 4 (+5) Language 1 (TBD!) Medicine 4 (+7) Notice 4 (+7) Sense Motive 5 (+8) Survival 4 (+7) Feats: 9 PP Attack Focus (Melee) 1 Dodge Focus 1 Fascinate (Diplomacy) Inspire 2 Luck 2 Teamwork 1 Track Equipment: ( EP) Powers: 21 + 8 + 2 = 31 PP Magic of Life and Health 8.5 (17 PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 4) [21 PP] (Magic, Life Energy) Base power: Healing 7 (Feats: Persistent, Regrowth, Stabilize) [17 PP] (“Healing handsâ€) Alternate Power 1: Fatigue 7 (Feats: Accurate, Reversible, Slow Fade) [17 PP] (“Spell of Exhaustionâ€) Alternate Power 2: Nauseate 7 (Feats: Accurate, Reversible, Slow Fade) [17 PP] (“Diseased Touchâ€) Alternate Power 3: Paralyze 7 (Feats: Accurate, Reversible, Slow Fade) [17 PP] (“Neural Shockâ€) Alternate Power 4: Overdrive [12 PP] Boost 2 [speed 2] (Extras: Total Fade, Linked, Feats: Slow Fade, Flaws: Others Only) [3 PP] Boost 4 [super-Strength 2] (Extras: Total Fade, Linked, Feats: Slow Fade, Flaws: Others Only) [5 PP] Boost 3 [impervious Toughness (Bonus to existing) 3] (Extras: Total Fade, Linked, Feats: Slow Fade, Flaws: Others Only) [4 PP] Device 2 (10 PP Container) [8 PP] (“Armorâ€) Enhanced Fortitude 1 [1 PP] Enhanced Will 1 [1 PP] Immunity 2 (Critical Hits) [2 PP] Protection 6 [6 PP] Immunity 2 (Disease, Poison) [2 PP] (“Divine Healthâ€) Drawbacks: Abilities () + Combat () + Saving Throws () + Skills () + Feats () + Powers () - Drawbacks () = /105 Power Points Still have 11 PP left at this point, I believe, to spread around. Some will definitely go to equipment, but not sure beyond that. Debating a nullify array, showing her mastery over her body to cancel out energy that actually hits her.

Elanor nodded as Cobalt Templar ran through the possibilities. "It is possible Saknussemm knew more than he had published, or possibly possessed some sort of artifact. Regardless, it was my pleasure to be of service. I would be happy to offer any additional assistance, should you require it." She rose and politely escorted the big man out of her office. She watched him head off down the hall for a moment as she considered. Showing up as Shadowblade now to assist in Templar's investigation might strain her anonymity, but she was reasonably confident should could create a compelling explanation. Besides, the case was intriguing, and she did want to establish more working relationships with Freedom City's heroes... She turned back into her office and hung a little sign over her posted office hours, informing any visitors that she had had to leave and to follow up via email. Then she closed and locked the door. She donned her dark uniform and harness, pulled her contacts out, and bound her hair back in a tight braid. Shadowblade vanished from Elanor's office with a puff of smoke. Despite her haste and ability to shadow-jump, she barely managed to catch Cobalt Templar before he took off once more outside the history building. "Ho, Templar!" she called and shadow-jumped next to him. "Hold but a moment, prithee! My name, friend, is Shadowblade. I have heard rumblings of strange creatures seen this past night, and when I inquired of the local constabulary, they did direct me to seek thee out. Twas a happy chance that I discovered thee so speedily. If thou hath need, I entertained hopes of rendering aid to thee and thy companions in this matter." She held her breath, wondering how the big man would respond.

Shadowblade listened to the rescued subjects' tale with mounting disgust for the "boss" and his exploitation of regular people. "Gentles," she said after their story drew to a close, "you have my sympathies for your ordeal. A moment, prithee, whilst I contact the proper authorities; I feel confidant that they will provide further succor, and a doctor's craft, if you wish it." She pulled out her cell phone, one carefully not linked to one Elanor Churchill in any way, and placed a call to the Freedom City police. Once she was certain help was on the way, both to aid the hostages and to take the criminals into custody, she made the rescued people as comfortable as possible while they waited and then went back out into the hall. She doubled-checked that the "boss" was still unconscious and secure before taking a firm hold of his arm and shadow-jumping them both into the office area across from the cafeteria - she wanted him under her eye just in case he began to stir. Once inside the office, she began looking for any additional evidence about the operation: who had funded it, where the scientists had been recruited, or any other context. In her admittedly biased opinion, the "boss" had seemed too thuggish to have put everything together, and she wanted to ensure he didn't have any ties to larger or more dangerous allies.

Shadowblade dropped to the ground in a shower of broken light fixtures as the villain's shockwave shattered the lights and lockers down the hallway. She managed to keep her feet as she landed, but the tactic had certainly been unexpected. Still, his action had had at least one unintended consequence - the hall plunged into darkness, and she vanished into the sudden shadows. Her voice echoed down the hall as she moved stealthily forward, "A beast thou may be, but thou art a witless one to gift me advantage so." He looked up and down the dark hallway, trying to figure out where she was, but she stalked closer in the concealing shadows - it was time to end this. She leapt to the attack again, flickering in and out of the shadows about him; her blade danced in a relentless assault, slashing and jabbing from all about him, and the villain staggered back under her furious attack. She pushed past her weariness and the pain of his blows and launched a final, devastating blow. She appeared in the air above him and brought her blade down with all the momentum and power she could bring to bear. Her trusty weapon slammed into him with stunning force, and, finally, he dropped to the ground unconscious. Shadowblade landed next to his prone body, breathing heavily as she leaned wearily against the broken lockers for a moment. The strain of that last tremendous effort, coupled with the long night, made her long for a nice long rest, but there was still work to be done. She pushed off the locker and pulled her handcuffs from her harness. She bound the "boss" with them, though she didn't expect the simple cuffs to restrain him for long if he woke up. Still, it was better than nothing. With the boss restrained, she pushed open the doors to the cafeteria to find the two other test subjects. Once they were safe, she could contact the authorities, hopefully find out what this operation had been up to, and then, eventually, rest.

Shadowblade took careful note of what Hronos had said - temporal energy and a mechanodynamis sounded very intriguing - but that would keep for now. She looked at Officer Daly and asked, "Can thou stand on thy own, friend?" When the officer gave her a nod, she gently released him and, once she was sure Daly truly could stand on his own, she moved over to FBI agents to give over the contact information she'd set up for her public identity as Shadowblade, but she looked up when the civilian bystander broke through the cordon. She frowned as he started describing how his car was stolen and felt a slight twinge of guilt when he asked how such a thing could happen with so many heroes around. The silver-armored hero flew over to the man and asked him for more detail - clearly, the man was thinking along similar lines to her own. Coincidence exists, certainly, but the timing of this particular incident seemed to stretch the bounds of plausibility. She listened for how the man would respond to the silvered flyer's questions.

Ok, so, now that it's dark in the hall, I'm going to take a free action to use my concealment. Then I'm going to move forward and use autofire attack on the boss: Autofire attack after concealment: 23 TOU Save 23, with the sneak attack, +1 for every 2 I go over the defense Then I'm going to use extra effort to take another standard action and go for the power attack for -4/+4 Power Attack: 12 Yeah... I think I'm going to use my last hero point to get a reroll, since that was so lousy. Rerolled attack: 26 (8+8+10 reroll bonus) TOU save DC 25 (27 if I get Sneak attack)

"We must needs move with alacrity, lest we be trapped within." Shadowblade said tersely. She turned toward the purple-skinned automaton and the wounded Officer Daly. "My thanks to you, friends, for your actions. If thou wilt permit, Constable, I shall transport thee outside forthwith and save thy injured frame." Officer Daly looked a bit confused at her archaic speech pattern but gamely gave her an uncertain nod. She stepped forward quickly and took a firm but gentle hold on the wounded man. With a soft popping sound and a puff of smoke, Shadowblade and the officer vanished. They reappeared an instant later outside, and Shadowblade used all her skill and strength to make the landing as smooth as possible to avoid straining the injured officer. Daly grunted and swayed for a moment, leaning against her, but with her help he steadied himself once more. As soon as she was certain Daly was safe and secure, she turned to the responding FBI agents. "The silver armored one hast the right of it, officers. I, at least, merely heard the klaxons and but respond. I fear I have no knowledge of this laboratory."

Elanor frowned in concentration as she listened to Cobalt Templar's story. "Unferth," she murmured as his explanation wound to a close. "Perhaps it is mere coincidence, but I have heard that name recently. A Danish historian and archaeologist named Arne Saknussemm was murdered a few months ago. Before his rather grisly demise - someone hacked him to pieces in his office with an ax - he was most famous for his discovery of an old Anglo-Saxon burial ground in Sweden that he claimed was the resting place of Unferth and a volvur - an Anglo-Saxon witch - Saknussemm claimed to be Unferth's wife." She outlined Saknussem's find and his controversial theories about the historicity of Beowulf in a few sentences. "In fact..." Elanor spun toward her computer and began tapping keys as her voice trailed off. There had been an article she'd read; Saknussemm's death had inspired several pieces on his find from the 70's, and she'd also read through the original piece. "Aha!" she called a few moments later as she found the articles for which she'd been looking. She started to beckon the large man over to look at her computer screen, then thought better of it. "One moment while I print these out. The images are black-and-white, I fear, but they will at least give an idea of the site. The article is a fairly concise summary of the find, as well." The printer hummed for a few moments, and then Elanor handed the sheaf of documents to the big man. "Oh, one more thing. I am not sure if it is important, but from the description you gave, your friend encountered a figure out of Norse mythology. I mention this because the report on Saknussemm's death speculated that the police blamed the murder on Aesir cultists - another connection or lead, perhaps?"

Elanor's knowledge checks as CT explains situation: History: 25 Theology/Philosophy: 13

Shadowblade looked on with interest as the robotic hero opened his chest plate and emanated the arcs of purple energy. She looked back at the wounded guard who'd bravely stood his ground and hoped that, whatever the purple-skinned hero was attempting, it would work quickly. She had no particular skill at healing, but even to her untrained eye, his wounds looked serious. She murmured a quick prayer for the guard - and that the automaton was right in that it wouldn't be harmful to others. Suddenly, the guard's breathing eased, and Shadowblade breathed a sigh of relief. The guard's sense of duty wouldn't cost him his life, thankfully. She listened with half an ear to the other hero - a man wearing powered armor in bright silvers and whites with a red cape - enthusiastically peppered the other hero with questions and a desire to examine him; instead, she swept her gaze about the hallway, looking for any hints as to the man' assailants. She glanced down at her own dark clothing and tactical harness and half-smiled as she reflected on the constrast with the bright and colorful armor the other two responders wore. When the silver-armored man paused, she added, "Tis glad tidings indeed that the constable shalt not perish, but mayhap this fancy canst be postponed betime. Some foul mischief is afoot."

Shadowblade: (27) >Abductions in the Cold - 17 >Bright Lights and Good Cheer - 5 >Godwin's Law - 3 >Never Did Run Smooth - 2 >Origin Story >Reputation Chart >Interview (20Q) >Questionnaire (HellQ)

Shadowblade privately agreed with assessment of the dangerously swaying light. Battered by her blade and the man's improvised attack with the locker door, it looked ready to give way at any moment. But she kept her voice cool, light, and taunting as she replied, "Has it entered thy mind, ne'er-do-well, that this sport of 'cat and mouse' rarely ends happily for aught but the cat?" And with that, she launched herself to the attack yet again. His eyes widened in surprise as she suddenly appeared in front of him this time. Her blade licked out in a swift stroke, and he groaned yet again as she struck him. She vanished once more almost before he had a chance to react and reappeared perched on the next hanging light down the hall, poised to shatter the bulbs when she found her balance. Her breathing was harsh with the strain and exhilaration of combat - hopefully, he, too, would be feeling the strain and pain of her attacks.

Ok, roundabout teleport attack - going to hit the boss for with a surprise attack, then go above the next light down the line. Won't have enough action to bust it yet, but I need to keep him guessing. Attack roll on the boss: 20 DC 23 TOU if it hits him.

Shadowblade wished she could disagree with the assessment, but she hated straightforward slugging matches. She cast her eyes about the room, looking for anything she could use to her advantage in the fight. Her eyes settled on the old, flickering light hanging from the ceiling on a chain; that would do nicely, if she could make the idea work. "Mine eyes see well in the dark - can thou say the same of thine?" she replied and shadow-jumped to the hanging light. She landed atop it gracefully, steadied herself on the chain, and plunged her blade into the light fixture. It died with a shower of sparks, and Shadowblade vanished into the darkness the light's destruction left behind.

Ok, going to teleport up to the light and try to break it, then finish the jump behind him and try to make a stealth check. Attack roll on the light (going to go ahead and use +3/-3 power attack): 11 TOU DC is up to 24 with the Power attack And then stealth check to hide: 32

Yeowch. Not good. TOU save: 16 I think I'm going to burn a hero point for a reroll to avoid failing that badly. Second roll was a four, but with using a hero point, I get to add 10 since the result was under 10, so that's Re-rolled TOU save: 23