Shadowboxer

Hey, no problem. Real life tends to interfere with gaming; I one for one can attest to that. Thanks for being a great GM. The game has been really enjoyable, and perhaps we can find someone to help us finish it. Of course, if that's all right with Veiled Malice. Heridfel, would that be an option for you? Anyway, take care V_M. We hope to see you on the boards again soon.

Ignoring the cacophony all around him, Nightrival's only concern is to make sure the customers get out safely, including the poor clerk. The stretchy woman is more troublesome than he assumed. Her slithering, serpentine body appears to be everywhere at once, and grabbing her is like holding onto a gushing firehose that is thrashing around the room. He throws her rubbery arm over his shoulder and leaps back onto the counter in one quick lunge. "Let him go!"

Nightrival shakes his head. Anything worth looking at was probably snatched by the teleporter before she escaped. All that's left are the human detritus, all thanks to these lethal narcotics that have hit the streets. He wonders if life was simpler when only heroin and cocaine were being sold in neighbourhoods. The designer drugs like Max or Zoom are cooked in labs and made to kill or transform people into instant addicts. There's gotta be an better way ta fight this. He steps past the man twitching on the stairs and shouts up to Man-Bat. "Hey, uh, I think I'm gonna head out. My friend's gonna need an aspirin and some Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVDs. Ya gonna be alright? The cops should be here soon."

Nightrival also halts when he sees the bows and swords get drawn. He drops his hands and cocks his head to one side, as if he is anticipating a sudden attack. Sen has already spoken to them and he would only confuse the situation if he says too much. Nightrival decides to let the situation play out and react accordingly, which usually ends up being a violent reaction. "I'm with 'em," he adds.

I rolled a 33 for Nightrival's Sense Motive check.

Thank you! Nightrival has been fun character to play, and one I've wanted to bring to life for a long time.

I apologize again for the huge delay. Apparently, October is the month from hell. I'll be posting on Friday.

Nightrival kneels next to the man lying on the floor. He grabs his shoulder and roughly rocks him back and forth. Let's see if he's any use ta me. "Yo, man. You awake?"

Nightrival now feels a newfound strength coursing through him, as though he has rested for hours and drank one of those energy drinks he buys at the health food stores back in Freedom City. He not only can run for hours, he wants to run. "Take a breather," he says to Kevin, "and I'll go check things out in that direction." He sets off down the street where Kevin suggested, keeping his eyes open for any sign of these elves. Not only do his legs feel like iron, his perception seems more precise. He notices small details on people that loudly broadcast a myriad of meanings. He would love to think about each of them, but he has a job to do.

I'll take 20 on Nightrival's Search check.

Yep, it's still open. However, When the City Sleeps is finished and can be archived.

For the record, Nightrival never uses lethal attacks. He always aims to knock out his opponents. With Hub giving him the occassional boost, that's getting easier. :)

"Huh. Well, alright then." Nightrival watches Man-Bat leave to investigate the scene. He strolls over to Grim and checks her vitals; she's breathing and her pulse is steady, though she is completely unconscious. He picks her up and places her down on one of the couches in the living room. "Ya did good, kid," he whispers He turns and begins examining the contents of the room, with the intent of searching the other rooms for clues. He knows there are more addicts shambling around but he ignores them at the moment. He'll round them up later and try to get them to the hospital. Maybe the docs can stream 'em inta a rehab program. Right I gotta look around 'fore the cops run all over it. The bad guys musta left somethin' behind.

Nightrival was about to lunge at the woman in the doorway when she vanished with the other woman in a burst of light that burns his eyes. Though relieved he wasn't knocked out of the fight, the crooks' escape leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. The cops can haul Slick Willie, Heavy, and the rest of the occupants away, and the neighbourhood will have one less drug house, but the question remains: Who were those women? What was in that duffel bag? And what was really going on in that house? He looks into the doorway and sees Grim lying unconscious on the floor. We'll meet again, lady. Just you wait. He turns to face Man-Bat when he feels the earth slightly tremble from the hero's landing. "I'm Nightrival, one of the good guys," he replies. "Thanks fer the help. We were bustin' up a drug house when everything got outta hand. We musta stumbled upon somethin' big." He jabs his thumb in the direction of the house. "I gotta go and check on my partner. There was another dude with us, but he disappeared. Any chance ya seen him?"

I roll a 7 for Grim's Will save. Oh no! :(

Thanks for letting me know. I didn't see the Slow Fade addition to Hub's Boost power; I will edit accordingly. How long will the Boost last? Also, Nightrival adds +3 to his current grapple check if the Boost continues to affect him.

Nightrival ducks as a noodly appendage swings over his head; he doesn't allow the tap on his shoulder to distract him from the task at hand. Besides, who would bother him in a time like this? As he struggles with the crook's enlongated fingers, he feels the added strength flowing through him like molten lava. Nightrival tugs at the stretchy hand again, leaning as far back as he can. "Now's the time to make a hasty escape, pal," he grunts at the clerk.

Just as Nightrival makes his move against the crooks, the entire store explodes with superhumans. He can't help but look aghast at the number of costumes charging onto the scene. That glowing kid from those commercials soars into the store, followed by an archer aiming an arrow at the lumbering bad guy. Someone that resembles a living shadow enters the fray, then a man in trenchcoat, who Nightrival clearly sees is a seasoned fighter, decides to step up as well. And where is Hub? He can feel himself growing stronger and confident, so he must be nearby. He's confused by the sudden activity until someone asks who is bad and who is good. Nightrival shakes his head and immediately slips into a wushu stance. I don't remember callin' the calvary, but me an' Hub could always use the help. "Whoever's stealin' money or trashin' the place are yer bonafide bad guys," he replies. He nods towards to the customers. "Get these people outta here!" Nightrival flips off the counter and thrusts his heel at the stretchy' woman's jaw at the same time. The strike is meant to distract her so he can land on the floor and grab her long, rubbery fingers. He pulls them back in an attempt to peel them off the entangled clerk. Ugh! It's like one of those giant cartoon rubber bands!

I roll a 19 for Nightrival's CON check.

Nightrival paces himself by jogging behind the others, and then he gradually gains more speed until he's racing along the cobbled streets. The merchants and beggers and other assorted, colourful characters fly past him as he focuses on his breathing and pulse. He notices that he doesn't smell the city anymore. He shrugs and grins at Kevin's question. "I seen 'em run up th' side of building once," replies Nightrival. "I guess movin' like Velocity lets ya do those sorts of things."

I have 1 PP to spend on Nightrival. I would like to increase his Will from +7 to +8. Thanks!

Nightrival hunches forward and grips his knees with his hands. He sways from side to side; his eyes search for a single object to focus on so he can pull himself out of the murky fog filling his head. Grim took a few steps back after she drove her claws into the woman's back. She grins when she sees the woman struggling with pain, and then she creeps down the hall again, though in her haste she quickens her pace to reach her beleaguered opponent. She coils the claws on one hand into a fist, which resembles a sinister-looking mace, and with great concentration she swings it at the woman's jaw. "And I hate it when bad guys don't play fair!"

I roll a 32 for Nightrival's Notice check. I'll post NR's action when I get a result for that impressive roll. :D

As Nightrival listens to Kevin and Sen, he ponders on Slathliss's rather verbose reply. I wonder what his relationship to th' elves are? He seems ta know their ins and outs. I know he can lead us there, but what are we gonna find? He returns to the conversation when Sen finishes his thought. "Alright, I'll roll with that plan. Slathliss, can ya lead th' way?"

June - September 2008 Nightrival, Sen, Kevin, and Slathliss discovered from the wizards in Freeport that Eldrich headed to the north to meet with elven traders. As night approached the city, the heroes decided to find an inn for the evening. Slathliss disappeared to pickpocket money so they can afford accomodation for everyone. Slathliss returned with money and they followed him to a seedy inn, where Kevin passed out at the doorway. Nightrival caught him and convinced the patrons that Kevin was drunk, and the group headed into their room. Sen kept watch as they slept. The next morning, Nightrival tried to get information from a sleeping gnome but nearly got into a fight with the creature. The group met outside the inn and planned their next move. Slathliss revealed that the elves required proof the group is worthy to meet with them. Kevin suggested using Sen's sword as barter, and Nightrival added they don't necessarily have to be honest about it . . . Back at Monty's Garage, Nightrival, Grim, Hub, Sen, and Velocity discussed their upcoming team over a late night snack. They all expressed interest in joining with the exception of Velocity, who had accepted an invitation to the Freedom League. She did agree to be a contact for the group. Later, they insisted Nightrival should lead the group and decided to open the membership to others, especially to someone with technical skills. The group gradually got smaller as the evening wore on until Nightrival left, pleased that the group was able to come together. High above the Southside, Nightrival rescued a man leaning out his window as the Heliopolis Heights burned in a raging fire. He swung down from the ledge at the top of the building with the man in tow, snagged a fire engine's ladder and got the man safely to the ground. June Abados told Nightrival a group of people were trapped in the floor below the fire. However, he had to check one more apartment before attending to the others. He swung back onto the ledge, smashed the window, and found the last person to rescue: a widowed water sprite. She wasn't pleased that Nightrival broke her window and refused to leave the apartment. When he approached her, she summoned water into his lungs to suffocate him . . . In Warden's deathtrap in Greenbank, the darkened room was lit up to reveal that the hatches had sequential numbers etched onto them. One hatch was the exit, the others were trapped. Nightrival and Grim had to work together to uncover the answer to the riddle. After bouncing ideas off one another, Nightrival believed Warden was using the Fibonacci numbers sequence to conceal the true exit. They opened the correct hatch and entered a large room filled with various obstacles. Warden informed them over an intercom that this was their last challenge. Energy weapons mounted on turrets emerged from out of the wall and opened fire, hitting Nightrival but only slightly injuring him. He used his acrobatic skills to avoid being hit and tricked one of the turrets to hit another one, which produced a large hole in the wall. He met Grim inside a bunker and the two heroes made a run for the hole, which lead to a utility tunnel. As they crawled through the confined space, they were greeted by a horde of mechanical ants threatening to tear them apart! He found a panel that would lead them out and ordered Grim to slash her way through it while Nightrival kept the robots at bay. He was able to shake some off but they continued to fill the tunnel . . . Nightrival and Hub investigated a music store in Hanover to follow a lead on a drug supply. As the heroes browsed through the merchandise in their civilian identities, two troublemakers decided to throw a crate through the window then went for the cash register. Nightrival snuck away to change and returned to face the crooks, one of whom was able to stretch herself like a rubber band. Meanwhile, other superheroes were in the neighbourhood and responded to the broken window . . . In the Southside, Nightrival and Grim were about to raid a drug house when they ran into another superhero named Reflexion. The new hero was also planning to raid the same house. They decided to work together and attacked the house from different points. Nightrival took the window on the second story. Upon entering the house he was met by Slick Willie, Heavy, and two rather angry women. Willy was knocked unconscious by an invisible force that nearly hit Nightrival. The two women escaped, leaving him with Heavy. After a brief scuffle, Nightrival threw Heavy out the window and followed him down. There, he saw a human-sized bat attacking the addicts swarming the house and later the Man-Bat took on Heavy himself. Nightrival switched targets and attacked one of the women from the bedroom, now standing at the doorway. However, she reflected the damage back onto him and she was able to stun him. Though Grim was able to injure her, he was still a sitting duck . . .