Zeitgeist Blue

Nicole's going for her armor, and that would take her a Full Action. FYI, don't know when I could get to this so you could skip my IC post if you want. It'll just be about Nicole suiting up.

Can I roll Knowledge (Arcane Lore) to think up reasons why the demons were easy pickings? Knowledge (Arcane Lore): 1d20+15 = 31

Salvo Salvo stepped back from the wall, pieces of wall crumbling away where she had slammed Mr. Toad's head. The fight had lasted not more than ten seconds. Complete with one line quips from each of them. She heard the tapping on her shoulder plate and looked down at Gauss, then at Pan, standing there smugly, and back again. "What're you thinking? Ritual sacrifice?" She wondered aloud as she began their journey deeper into the Underbelly. Every few steps she switched her sensors, moving between normal radar and the magical one to try and keep from being ambushed again. "The three of those were the lowest rung on the metaphorical demon totem pole. Jokes. Maybe they were weakened further from the accidental summoning ritual."

Salvo "Dio!" Salvo watched in horror as her friend plummeted to the ground, crashing against it with a dull thud she could feel even high up in the air. Snow and dirt churned from the impact. Yet she felt her armour list to the side, pulling her attention to the fight before her. It wasn't, like she first thought, either Krampus or her continuous beam moving her against her will, but twin singularities slamming against Krampus from another side that pulled at her. Leroy and Alex. One, tearing against the monster and the other now a giant ice thing stomping on the dark elves. Others fought against the creatures and she could see the whole battlefield in her mind, her radar like the eye of a god. Ajasoro on one of Krampus' shoulder. Pan on the ground and Astrid fending off attacks with her bat. Micah was sheathing himself with flame and Nicole pursed her lips at that. She was among the frontlines and there was no one as well suited to taking a beating as her. She needed its attention solely on her to keep its attack from anyone else. Her own assault faltered, the beam flickering slightly. She shut her core to preserve power, thrusters folding back into her armor. Then without so much as a second's rest, batteries filled with dozens and dozens of missiles burst from her sides. They erupted in an explosion of fire and smoke, momentarily filling the air around her. It was already tumultuous flying so high with Micah's heat and Krampus' cold creating mini-tornado winds that buffeted violently against anything that moved. Many of her missiles detonated mid-air as they slammed against each other, but her batteries reloded missiles just as fast as she shot them and enough arced through the battle to rake the Krampus' back with explosions. At the same time a ball of molten rock and fire crashed against it. They had it on the ropes now, she could tell. By the time she was done, she was wrapped in hazy gun-powder smoke, half-masking her form. "Hey asshole!" She shouted, speakers carrying her voice above the din. Her armor threw sparks around her in seeming defiance and a hazy, thin smoke burned from her exhausts. She tried to act as if this was to get its attention instead of her pushing her armor too hard too fast. "Leave! Or we'd dig right done to your core and I've ideas for ground up Krampus bones!"

GM The Essential Guide to Heroing (1) Through the Mirrored Glass and Back Again (5) Salvo Fright Night at Claremont (6) Giant Krampus 2: Krampus Campus (1) My Name is Terrifica. Ask Me Anything. (2) The Essential Guide to Heroing (1) With Black Curtains (2)

HP to Remove Fatigue. Free Action: Shift All-out Attack + Power Attack. +5 Power / -5 Defence Move Action: Intimidate against Krampus. 1d20+12-5 = 24 Standard Action: Missile Batteries on the 8 of the Dark Elves on Krampus' back + Krampus itself. Take 10 on the Attack Roll for the Elves. Attack Roll = 20. Attack Roll on Krampus: 1d20+10 = 21. Reroll. 1d20+10 = 15 +10 = 25 Toughness Saving Throw DC 30 for all. Salvo used 2 HP, putting her at 2 HP. She has 10 Defence.

Salvo [color=*B40431]"Leroy!"[/color] Nicole visibly perked up as she bumped into the boy, his rich coffee scent filling her nostrils a moment later. It was a weird kind of feeling, head light with the heady flavor, she took the offered thermos and gave Leroy a smile. Tired as she was, she couldn't help but be infected beside someone with that kind of energy. She took a small sip at first then a larger, longer gulp. "Oh wow. This is good," she told Leroy, looking up at him, her eyes wide. "This is really, really good. I'm not sure how to describe it. But it's deep. Thick and tangy? And you said this was your first try? Looks to me you've got a bright future as a barista." She chuckled softly. She wrapped her hands around the thermos, hopeful that he'd just stay and talk but of course Judy had to butt her head into things with that annoyingly sweet voice of hers and ruin the moment. Nicole turned to the sophomore slowly, lips pursed. Her hands wringing the thermos as if it were the younger girl's neck. "Why don't you ask Micah beside you?" She said, her smile matching Judy's. One eye twitched. "I'm sure you could deal with that puzzle fine with just him, or do you really need him and Leroy for that too?" Then Corinne, as usual, leaped into the middle of everyone. Literally this time. Friendly and loud but Nicole knew how she really was once she kicked off all the social niceties. An utter *****. No thank you to the waffles.

The Essential Guide to Heroing - January 31, Claremont Academy, Freedom City (Aurora, Salvo) The Tale of Two Trees - June 22, Claremont Academy, Freedom City (Salvo, Zenith)

In order to kick-start this closer into the main part of the story, I'm invalidating Ouroboros' really high stealth roll. He gets an HP for this.

Ouroboros Peering into the huge panel-mirrors, you see another dimension within them, each one connected to the other mirrors in the chamber. They form gateways into the dimension where you currently float. Then you see it again, a flash of something within those mirrors. A closer look reveals a great wrym-like creature but instead of blood, scales, and flesh it is a creature of steel, glass, and ice. Its scales flash in its domain as it floats, slowly twisting around the peneled mirrors of your dimension. It opens its maw and you see rows of teeth line the insides, different colors like shards of stained glass. And its eyes are always open, watchful for intruders that would defile its ward. A guardian of the chamber, you surmise, one tied to the center of this dimension. But taking a closer look you see pixels line the mirrors, much like it had with the doorways. Trapping things. Controlling them. Cutting dimensions from each other. The side of its serpentine head eye opens and it looks straight at you, from its domain and in your dimension. The pupil is as blue as ice and could easily fit your height inside it. It just stares at you for long seconds, not moving or rearing its head in defiance. Then the pupil contracts and you see its snout move fractionally before something gathers your mist from behind. Hot, like staying to close to a fire as it crackles. Then an instant later, you realize you are inside the chamber. "What--" The eye spins towards you, in surprise you think. It is hard to tell. And as you look the self-same thing that had taken you pools into a vaguely man-like shape beside you, but no distinguishable features come forth. The figure's whole being is a deep black, as if light or shadow merely slides off of it. As if it were made of nothing. Yet it turns to you and it smiles, showing a set of very white teeth, surrounded by mere nothing. "Eyyyy, Snap, look what I found!" The figure leans towards you as if it could reconstruct your mist into your physical body. "It's a regular robot," the woman's voice from the eye replies. "Uh huh, seems like your eyes are getting too old for the job. You should see an ophthalmologist or you, intruder bot you, could show us how your real form." "Nobody, just get back to--" "Think," Nobody cuts her off. "I found this one right beside the chamber and bots never come this close." Then the eye swivels to you and you could almost imagine the lightbulbs click. "So you were the one who tripped the defense system early." "There we go." Nobody drawls. Then his form shifts to surround you in a semi-circle. "Don't tell me your that Whitfield cripple, eh iha?"

Salvo Lips pursing a tad with something resemblind dissaproval, Nicole stared at Reina for a few seconds then shrugged. "Suit yourself." She'd made her apologies and if the other girl didn't think she needed the help then it was fine. It was fine and it wasn't a rejection, wasn't Reina ignoring her or her apology by crossing her arms and refusing to make eye contact. She could think it like that. "... But I'll be around if you, um, need anything." She drove away towards Aja and waved at the Dakanan princess with a strained and tired smile. "Hey, can you do something for me? As in, do something with her. Maybe?" And she threw a thumb back to where Reina was sitting with her puzzle. "I think I need to get more coffee." She looked around for a coffee machine, willing herself to gloss over the Valentine's decorations. It was another bust in that department for her and thinking about it would only lead to Leroy and to Judy, who was here right now.

Hey @angrydurf, can you roll me your Super-Senses 8? DC 26. Aso a Reflex Save. DC 22.

BTW, feel free to continue your IC posts while waiting for the rolls and their results. They'll be used to determine how your later jaunt through the maze goes. Also, @angrydurf, you can choose to do something while waiting for them to come to you (or just wait, which is fine too).

Salvo Nicole drove through the entrance, took one look inside the common room and almost headed back the way she came. Corinne, Ashley, and Judy in one room would have sent sirens off at any time of the day, especially this late at night. She had circles under her eyes from detention, counseling, and another berating from Summers she was dejected from doing any of her work and now she was late in her production timetable. A thermos rested in a pouch on the side of her wheelchair, ready to be used for the all-nighter she had planned. A better use of her time than staying here. She turned to leave but her eyes caught Reina sitting in the corner and she froze, memories coming unbidden to her of yesterday. Slowly, a mask of calm rested on her face as she breathed in deeply. Memories of memories, but she was still so stupid to go about that as she did. Micah's song playing in the background, she drove towards Reina. Aja was just a few feet away and would likely hear what was being said, but she didn't care. Aja was good people anyway. "Hey," Nicole said to, instinctively folding her arms. She fidgeted in her seat and her nose itched but she resisted the urge tk scratch it. "About yesterday, I didn't have a chance to say it but... I'm sorry." "So yeah." She sighed, turning her gaze and ears towards the rest of the room to avoid looking at the sophomore. Trying to change the topic she said, "Seems like all of you are all up in arms about History exams. I'm pretty good at history, barely think about it." She unfolded her arms, one hand nearer to Reina, palm exposed. She was offering to help, in her own awkward way.

So Fox, Nick, and Thevshi roll: Concentrate Survival Will And everyone, including Andgrydurf, roll: Stealth (it's a 30 for Ouroboros anyway).

As a Free Action I am going to Surge to use Flamethrowers. As per House Rules, I don't need to roll an Attack Roll on this. Mr. Toad just needs to make a Toughness Saving Throw. Choosing to not use the Area Extra. DC 25 (Lethal). Affect Insubstantial 2. Energy Descriptor. Salvo is Fatigued so -2 Strength and Dexterity. -1 Attack and Defence.

Salvo Figures. Of all the teens in Claremont she could have gotten, it was someone with crippling social anxiety. Nicole watched with morbid interest as Reina struggled to even form proper sentences, settling down in this half-hearted, half-though out phrases. Stared, really, with unwavering eyes like someone would stare at a trainwreck in motion. The older teen hadn't even done anything yet but Reina was already halfway to a cold sweat. Her eyes flicked over to Reina's fiddling thumbs then to Reina's downcast eyes, and Nicole sighed, raising a hand so she could rub her cheek against her palm. The seconds ticked by in a tense silence. Reina fiddling her thumbs and Nicole rubbing her cheek. A football rolled to a stop at the side of their table but Nicole didn't move to acknowledge it or the coming freshmen owners. It wasn't morbid curiosity coursing behind her eyes this time but something resembling stress. "Are you serious?" She drawled out the last word. And then another sigh as she closed her eyes, hand going up to adjust her glasses. "Right. Whatever." She looked at Reina again and rapped a finger on the table between them to get the sophomore's attention. "So Reina, my expectations. This is my third year in Claremont and you kind of expect the weird when you've gone that long in it and I do sincerely hope this isn't something like that. Let's see, I've tried the superhero thing for a year until Summers shut us down on that. I intern at Archetech in the Exotic Energies Division and volunteer with their charity work every month. I'll also be the best you'll ever see in the know-how department of functional magic and tech and can work with my hands like no one's business. You know what this means?" Nicole didn't give Reina much time to answer, talking over her if she said anything. "It means I hope this isn't a waste of my time. But don't worry, I came in expecting something like this, kind of. I improve things so I asked myself, how hard can it be to improve a person? Inexperience, gets scared, freezes up. We can fix that." She gave Reina a smile, supposedly reassuring but perhaps Reina wouldn't find comfort in the flashing teeth.

Salvo She would have caught them, with radar and her sensors pinging out from around her like a bat in a dark cave. She would have caught the three demons lurking in the shadows if they actually had physical bodies to register instead of bodies made of smoke and shadows that blended with the darkness almost completely. With a wet crack, a large tongue latched on to her gauntlet, wrapping around it and splashing globs of thick saliva into the rest of her. Unperturbed, Salvo grabbed the length of tongue between her gauntlet and its owner with her other hand and pulled on it hard, enough to jolt Mr. Toad from its mid-air leap to tumble towards her outstretched hand instead. She smashed her hand's palm, still covered in saliva and tongue, into Mr. Toad's face. Then she slammed the toad-demon's head against the wall, sending cracks webbing from the impact. Around her, she could hear the others fighting but she paid little heed to them. Underneath her hand, Mr. Toad's head shifted and swirled as if trying to escape her grip but she clamped down harder, squeezing its head. She wrenched its tongue backwards, threatening to rip it from its head in a show of force, and she squeezed that too in an iron grip. "Imitating your master's temporal forms, huh?" Her visor reflected what little of its face could be seen between her fingers. "Man, frog, and toad. But can you stand a little bit of brim and fire?" It didn't have time to react as her palms exploded with a searing, almost liquid energy. She gripped Mr. Toad's face and tongue tightly, determined to hold onto the demon as she seared it with magic. "Stop stuggling and we'll find out."

Salvo is going in guns blazing on her turn.

Cool. I won't be able to post in a while so feel free to roll the next rounds or post IC.

Free Action: Shift +2 Attack/ -2 Defence Free Action: Switch Sevo-Dynamos Array to Super-Strength Move Action: Demoralize (Uses Intimidation skill -5). SM to get 17. Standard Action: Grapple Attack Attack Roll: 1d20+5 = 12. HP to Reroll. 1d20+5 = 21 Oppossed Grapple Roll: 1d20+15 = 21 Basically, Salvo will grab the tongue and haul the demon to her, intimidating it on the way.

Sounds like fun. IIRC, I think we went in our thread with this as the end sight.

And edit up. You guys can post when you can.

Nah, I just wanted to fit an effect on what was happening. How the drones acted was more important to the scene than the Damage. I'll just write a short edit on my last post to reflect that nothing happened to you guys. Totally inconsequential damage, maybe some discomfort.

This is the OOC for this. Aurora - 1HP