Dr Archeville

Horrorshow "Wait, wha- oh, yeah, okay!," the surprised shapeshifter blurted out. He dutifully held out his hand, and seconds later a clear gemstone appeared in his palm, courtesy of the League's teleporter system. It was small, about the size of a grape, with a few tiny bands of gold wrapped around it. The gem itself appeared perfectly smooth at first glance, but a closer look showed it was in fact covered in microscopic facets. After a moment, some of the gold bands slowly unwound and began waving about in the air, like serpents tasting the air. Mother Unit relayed to Daphne, and Daphne shared with Davyd, that the device -- a Lor "logic crystal" combined with adaptive computronium connectors -- was seeking out nearby computers to interface with. He brought his smartphone near it, and several of the crystal's wires braided together and slithered into the phone's USB connector. A jumble of Terran and Lor symbols flashed on the screen, slowly resolving into a menu of options. The crystal had an immense storage capacity, and the connectors allowed it to interface with a wide variety of electrical system -- including most organic nervous systems. Minutes later, thanks to a combination of the device's adaptive connectors and Davyd's own metamorphic nature, the device was nestled snugly inside his cerebrum, with nanowires threaded through the visual and auditory sensory areas. It would record everything he saw and heard, and could upload the recording to any Terran computer it connected to. "This is amazing," he exclaimed. "I can barely feel it, unless I'm actively concentrating on it. This is perfect!"

Horrorshow "Well, I did just fly in," Davyd replied, eagerly shaking Kay's forelimb and temporarily ignoring the comment on Russian mobilization, "and, wow, are my arms tired!" He allowed a beat to pass, "so, ah, yes, I'd love a ride." He kept a keen eye (and ear, and other sensory organs) on Kay -- and, to a lesser extent, on Eira -- gauging her reaction to his "dad joke." She's an Upload, so she might still retain whatever sense of humor she'd had in life. And that can be very telling, for both her and Rurland. "Will we be with you for the majority of our visit," he asked as he reached for the limo's door, "or will we be meeting with other members of Rurland's ruling body? As I'm sure you can imagine, our viewers have many questions, concerning all aspects of your country's government."

Horrorshow gets a 20 on his Toughness save, which fails by 5, making him Bruised and Dazed!

Artificer Heroditus was still trying to process the news that they had traveled about 40 years into the past (the energies required for such a feat stagger the imagination!) and had been sent 2,000 miles away, back to Freedom City (not as nigh-impossible, but still requiring a staggering amount of power!), when the police arrived. But unlike his compatriots, he still held a (privileged) Atlantean's view of law enforcement officers, and had little experience with the more unpleasant side of Surfacer police. Especially not the police of Freedom's "iron age." "Now, now, there's no need to antagonize these constables," he said, walking between Wilona and the cops. He bowed slightly towards Greystache, "I hope you can overlook my companion's rebellious outburst, sir, but I am sure you know how adolescents can be. We are... displaced, and could use some assistance in regaining our bearings. Could you help us?"

Horrorshow's initiative will be.... 11.

Artificer 2 posts = 1pp, +2 [Holiday Bonus] = +3pp The Kids are Alright (0) Party Crashing (1) Survival Class: Prussian Blue (1) Horrorshow 10 posts = 2pp Blue Monday (4) Calling on the Aunties (1) Dakar Rally (0) Eurotrip: The Rhythm of the Rails (0) Friend Like Me (0) Patriot Games (2) Tyger Tyger, Burning Bright (2) Protectron 0 posts = 0pp, +1 [Mod] = +1pp (which should max Protectron out!) ??? --Titanium Characters-- Dead Head 0 posts, to ??? Bedlam in Bedlam: Let Him In (0) Doktor Archeville 0 posts, to ??? ??? --Other-- Mod point, to Protectron +2pp (Holiday Bonus) -- all to Artificer

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Horrorshow Fiery Fury and The Gentleman?, Davyd mentally repeated the names to himself. Well, at least that's two less to worry about. And now I know he can fly. And then he reached the end of where his deception would take him. "Oh, well, y'see," he started, trying to think of some way to salvage and extend his ruse, but then he just shrugged and went to action. His arms stretched ever so slightly as he grabbed the gorilla goon before him, spun around and flung him at the monitor-watching gorilla, hoping to knock the two out in one go. "I got no problem with fight clubs," he grunted at the shadowy teen, "I'm just here to get out anyone who doesn't want to be here. You got a problem with that?" He was pressed for time, so didn't give his question the 'oomph' he might otherwise have tried.

Artificer A Lot had happened fairly quickly. One of the students mangled a stop sign into a mask (I hope that does not cause any traffic accidents), another turned into a dragon (or has he been a dragon posing as a human teen all this time?), then three of them vanished as a giant flaming skeleton appeared. Okay, those last two I can at least wrap my mind around. He finished cobbling together his device -- a leather and brass gauntlet with tuning forks at the end of each fingertip, each fork made of a different metal -- and made an impressive leap up, aiming to land on Nightscale's back... provided that Nightsclae had not moved too much since being turned invisible. "It might be better," he said, trying to convince himself as much as the others, "for me to be the obvious target while everyone else goes in under Owain's concealment." He made a gesture with is ungauntleted hand, and a field of silvery energy appeared around him.

Artificer He doesn't know what he's doing? Then how is he expected to mentor us?, Heroditus thought as he scrutinized Geckoman's words. What good is- oh.... oh! Of course! He believes he knows nothing, he recognizes his own ignorance, realizes that there is always more he can learn. And he wishes to pass this on to us, so we do not become overwhelmed by hubris or pride. Very clever! He nodded, satisfied that he'd unraveled some great mystery. "What is the hard bit, sir?," he asked. "Is it," he cocked his head and squinted slightly, "is it... just doing it? That is, just continuing on, despite all any all hardships, despite all obstacles?" He straightened back up, "how might one develop such... fortitude?"

Okay, so, Horrorshow's got some edits pending, and I'd like to use those stats. He's going to try the grabbing the Gorilla!Goon in front of him and throw him at the Gorilla!Goon on monitor duty. Standard Action: Melee attack vs. Gorilla!Goon 1d20+10: 15 [1d20=5] Assuming that hits, Grapple check 1d20+15: 28 [1d20=13] Move Action: Throw Grappled Goon at Gawking Gorilla 1d20+4: 10 [1d20=6] Oof, not so good. But, I've got 1 unspent HP, so I'mma use that to re-roll. 1d20+4: 6 [1d20=2] but the HP Re-Roll rule turns that 2 into a 12, so the real final result is 16.

If we go with the stats he'd have after my most recent Edit Request, then Horrorshow would get a 24 on a Skill Master'd Notice check.

SHIFTED by Fox Alright, time for some edits to Horrorshow! Age: bump up to 19 4pp unspent. SKILLS [+20r = +5pp] Acrobatics +7r, to 7r Bluff -1r, to 11r Diplomacy -1r, to 11r Disguise +4r, to 11r Gather Information -1r, to 11r Intimidate +4r, to 11r Knowledge (Current Events) +1r, to 1r Language +1r (picking up GalStandard) Notice +4r, to 11r Sense Motive -1r, to 11r Survival +3r, to 7r 1pp overspent! FEATS [+2pp] Add Hide in Plain Sight Add Skill Mastery 2 (Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth) Remove Instant Up 3pp overspent! POWERS [-3pp] Add Feature 1 (audiovisual recording implant) [+1pp] Grue-some Presence: Remove the Enhanced Feats AP, just keep the Enhanced Charisma. [-1pp] Regeneration: Reduce by 3 ranks, removing ranks used on Bruised, Injured, and Staggered conditions. [-3pp] 0pp unspent And to make it easier on whoever's doing this, here's what it'll look like altogether (plus a few formatting tweaks): Thanks!

Artificer Heroditus was also struggling to follow along with Leon's story, though for different reasons. There are purple sea-turtles in the depths -- at least, they appear purple, to eyes that can see in the wine-dark depths -- but I did not know the Surfacers were aware of them. He was about to ask Leon a question, when the shattering glass and crashing body drew everyone's attention. He saw Neko & Owain were attending to the body, so he looked up, trying to find where it had come from. "There!," he pointed, then quickly began rummaging through his bandolier of pouches. "Ah, I do not think I have an aescender on me. Can one of you get us up there?"

Horrorshow Davyd nodded at jackal-masked Tak as he left, okay, one set of eyes off me. I probably should've thought this through better. He gave another nod to the goon at the monitor, and the other two individuals. Okay, Big Sword Lady's deal seems straightforward, but Thin White Duke's a bit trickier. With the way they're conversing, I'm guessing he's a partner, so probably equally dangerous in a fight. His focus shifted to the containers, whoever - whatever - is slamming against that container doesn't want to be in it. So they should definitely be let out. But if these are built to hold super-brawlers, even I might not be strong enough to just tear it open. Davyd cocked his head slightly as he followed the guard's approach to what was presumably the shadow-man's container. "Sounds like he's quieted down," he grunted, "Or his heart's exploded." Yeah, that level of callousness seems about right. He kept a close eye on how the guard opened the container, hoping that doing so would help him in opening the others.

Horrorshow Impressively lifelike, he thought, though even a cursory psychic scan reveals the truth underneath. Good to know. The Osprey circled the two once before diving down and resuming a familiar human form, now wearing a yellow jumpsuit with blue trim. He extended a hand to Kay and flashed his most personable smile, "Davyd Palahniuk, with the Danger News Network. Thank you for agreeing to meet with us, Ms. Kay." He looked around, seemingly impressed at the inhumanly coordinated actions of the workers around them, but was also sure to scope out the looks Kay and Eira were giving each other. "The escort," he glanced up at the departing 'birds', "was unexpected, but... appreciated."

So Davyd's gonna be working with Danger international, specifically Danger Media (DM) and the Danger News Network (DNN), and having some audiovisual (AV) equipment that can shift along with him would be useful. (Since I'm keeping his shapeshifting focused on organic forms, I can't just have him morph a part of his head into a camera.) Something he could use regardless of size, or manipulatory appendages. Maybe a device he could wear, which would stay on (or even partially in) him, with a very simple and intuitive control interface. Or, an implant, something probably involving morphic molecules and nanites that could reconfigure itself along with his body. (Something that taps into his optic and auditory nerves, to record what he sees & hears?) So, how to represent this in game terms? This is beyond what Equipment can handle, so this'd be some actual Powers. Recording images & sounds could be represented by Enhanced Feats 1 (Eidetic Memory), or maybe a 1 pt. Feature. He'd have to physically interface with another system to upload the footage, though -- it'd be like having an SD card in his head (or whatever). Wouldn't have to worry about anyone intercepting his broadcasts, but it'd also mean he couldn't do live reports. Being able to transmit what he sees/hears as a television broadcast would require the Communication (Radio) power. Rank 1 would give him a range of 10 feet, rank 2 is 100 feet, rank 3 gets 1,000 ft. range. Rank 4 gives him 1 mile, rank 5 gets 5 miles, rank 6 gets 20 miles. Adding the Area Extra would let him broadcast to all receivers in range, but that could get pricey. Could Limit it to only being able to Communicate with other DM & DNN receivers. Could also further Limit it, per our House Rules, that it's one-way only. And I might as well encrypt it, making it Subtle. So something like Communication (Radio) 6 (audiovisual, 20 miles; Flaws: Limited [Broadcast Only], Limited [Only Other Danger International Receivers]; PF: Subtle) [3PP] This would let him broadcast whatever he sees & hears to any one Danger Media/Danger News Network receiver within 20 miles, and anyone in the area would need to make a DC 20 Notice check to notice it. Which could be useful if he's doing a nature documentary on an alien herd that communicates by radio waves, and doesn't want them to think he's screaming at them. Might also want to add Super-Senses 1 (radio), so he can receive instructions from his producers while in the field. (... if he ever did encounter an alien species that can naturally communicate via radio waves, and was able to study them, he might be able to replicate that with his Shapeshifting... but I'm going to leave that to the other GMs.) 1pp for Enhanced Feat/Feature, 3pp for Communication, and 1pp for Super-Sense = 5pp. Perfect for a rank 1 Container. Unless... I just get the Enhanced Feat/Feature, to represent the recording part (and maybe the Super-Sense), and use Equipment for a standard smartphone & camera, use those for broadcasting?

Nope, they don't seem like something that'd be on Heroditus' radar (sonar?).

Horrorshow The interviewer's eyes widened ever-so-slightly at Patriot's mention of her sexuality, but made no other reaction. "Well, I'd say that's a perfect spot for a quick break," she pivoted to face the camera, "please stay tuned, we'll be right back for more of my interview with the Patriot." The light atop the camera flickered off, and people immediately flocked to the two women, touching up hair and makeup. "You're doing great," Olivia said between sips of water, "and, again, thank you for agreeing to do this." So far, so good. Kinda surprised Morgana hasn't said anything, though, 'Olivia' thought, checking her earpiece and looking around for the producer.

Horrorshow Over the years, and with a great deal of help from his "auntie" Ms. Grue, Davyd had been developing his Grue abilities. This mostly involved the physical aspects, shifting his form and substance in all manner of ways, which were easiest for him -- success or failure were easy to see. The mental aspects, the psychic abilities of a typical Grue, had proven more difficult, perhaps due to the nature of the Grue neoplasm that had been infused into him, or maybe because telepathic abilities were more difficult to gauge. (Was he really reading someone's mind, or just imagining he was?) Fortunately, one thing he had managed to crack was a "psychic translator" effect, which allowed his speech to be heard in the native language of whoever was listening, applicable to both complex languages and the simpler, subtler communications of animals. (In fact, birds were one of the first he'd managed.) But was this an animal he saw before him? it certainly looked like one, at a casual glance, but the eyes... was this a cyborg? A lifelike robotic drone? That Rurland's leaders would keep an eye on any approaching figures was not surprising, but Davyd did want to know a bit more about what they were dealing with. "<How do you do, fellow bird?>"

Horrorshow 'Olivia' nodded silently as Patriot spoke, and thanked her for the care she was showing with the 'firearm'. (Davyd had handled a few prop guns before, and had a healthy respect for all weaponry.) "Well, you clearly know your way around your gear," the interviewer said at last, "but I'm sure there are some who might -- who have -- questioned your... qualifications for this role." Her smile remained, but her voice began taking on just a hint of an edge. She held up one finger, "you're a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field." A second finger went up, "an Asian-American working for a government that has had... rough relations with its Asian-American citizens in the past." A third finger went up, "and you are a non-powered individual working among superpowered beings." She dropped her hand, laying it across her lap, "have you faced much discrimination?"

Horrorshow Davyd blushed, though Eira quickly realized his entire skin was turning beet red (which was not too far from Grue crimson). "That is more than fair," he nodded. Best not to ponder over what sorts of experiments she might run on me! And so, the night passed uneventfully, with Davyd reverting to his semi-protoplasmic state as he slept (in the bathtub), and Eira... doing whatever it is she did at night in a Ukrainian hotel. After a light pre-dawn breakfast, they began the 100+ km flight to Rurland. Davyd had once more assumed the form of a Western Osprey, elegantly soaring through the air, though far slower than Eira's top flight speed.

Horrorshow Daaang... okay, okay, get it together. That little revelation seemed to have stunned Olivia, who was silent for a good five, six seconds. "Well, your outfit is certainly snazzier than the black wool suits that most Secret Service agents seem to wear!," she finally replied with a nervous chuckle. "Are those suits government-issued? Is your gear government-issued? Or did you have to provide that yourself? I'm sure our viewers would be especially interested in that shiny thing there," she gestured towards the bright gold laser pistol at the Patriot's hip. I'm sure she wouldn't want me asking too much more about her family. Maybe just focus on the job and her gear, for now. I'm sure I can get some interesting responses from her on those.

Horrorshow "Before I answer that," he began, in a more serious tone than Eira could recall hearing from him before, "I need to apologize to you." He took a deep breath, "the words I'd said as I left were meant for you to hear, because they were meant to be a subtle attack on your ego. Which I assume you do have, since that's something humans have, and your mind is based on a human's mind." He held up a hand defensively, as if to word off any interruption from her, "I thought doing so might drive you to redouble your efforts in finding information on Rurland... or, at the very least, point out to you that you do have an ego, and that it can be attacked. Better to find out here, now, I thought, with a... a friend... than in the midst of combat, or from someone who truly meant your harm. But I am neither qualified to perform such tests, nor did you agree to any such challenges. I am sorry." "I have a human mind, too," he said after a moment, voice softening, and he sat on the bed, "I was born a human, was raised by humans. I can do and have seen more than most humans, yes," he shrugged, "and while I have come to cherish the part of me that is Grue, and am still learning what it means to be Grue, I am also still human, with all a human's drives, and instincts... and fears." His brow furrowed a moment, "I do not fear non-organic intelligences, despite all the sci-fi I've seen and read telling us that such entities will always seek the extermination of all organic life. I believe we can all benefit each other. But I am concerned about Talos, and any other proven malevolent synthetic."

Horrorshow Davyd allowed himself a little smirk. "So there's more about Rurland which you don't know than I'd originally thought," he muttered as he left, just loud enough, he was sure, for her to overhear him. Okay, maybe that was a cheap shot, he thought as he went for food, questioning her intel-gathering skills like that. And I'm not even sure such a psy-op would work on her. Eira's got a human mind -- or something based on a human mind -- so she should still have a human ego. Thoughts rolled through his head, and doubts, too... and hunger. About 40 minutes later, belly full of a variety of Eastern European street foods, he'd returned to the hotel room, bearing a few small steaming styrofoam containers. "Hey, sorry I took so long. I wanted to get you a little something -- I know you don't need to eat food, but that you appreciate certain aspects of it. Thought you might like to try some local eats. All vegetarian, of course."