Semi-Autogyro

April 29th, 2011 I am back in my room after being taken to have my portrait done. I have met two of Mr. Morgans other associates, Miss Etain and Mr. DeSaens. Miss Etain is very nice, but she has an edge of steel under her demeanor, that I would not have suspected unless the incident had not happened. As for Mr. DeSaens, it is surprising that a man advanced in years as he is remains as agile and spry. i was more than happy to help him carry his things, but Mr. Morgan seemed to think that he was goldbricking. Regardless of that, I find Mr. DeSaens and interesting person though a bit hard to follow. About the incident. It was regrettable, and also my fault. I must remain constantly vigilant or something like this is bound to happen again. This time I count myself fortunate that the damage was minimal. More concern is that I did not necessarily disagree about what my doppelganger had stated, more irritated about the fact that it could have let loose secrets that have stay hidden. I greatly like this place and the people here, so I will strive to keep situations like this from happening again.

April 9th, 2011 Well, I am here finally. I arrived at Claremont in the company of one Miss Callie. It was only later that I discovered that she was the daughter of Mr. Summers. I do not know what she does, but she is as dangerous or even more-so than her father. I got reminded yet again how big of risk this is, which I keep wondering why they repeat themselves. I do have photographic memory, which they should know. Regardless, I now am a student here. I was given a tour of the campus and assigned a room, which is satisfactory. This location ensures that I cannot walk into a sniper ambush when opening the door. it was shortly therefater that I met a pair of students one Mr. Morgan and Miss Victoria. They were extremely kinda and helpful. Mr. Morgan is a runic mage, which I find fascinating and at the same time worrying due to his aggressive personality. Note: Research Rune magic. On the other hand Miss Victoria is a teleporter and a 'paragon' as they put it. To my knowledge that put her roughly on par with a smart bomb damage-wise. I hope to remain on her good side. P.S. I wonder what my 'mother' was really like.

Space Reserved for Sample weapons Melee Ranged Other

Myrmidon watched the fight between Morgan and Bres ensue, a noticeable frown on his face if one was close enough to see. This cannot go on forever, he thought as his friend was pulling all the stops out. He had to do something, anything to assist Mr. Morgan. But what? He knew that any yells of encouragement would be drowned out in the noise of the crowd. Aha. That would do. A second before he faded out of sight into the fog, Myr made eye contact with trench-coated mage for a split second, and simply held up two fingers. It was quite simple really. The gestured intoned to Morgan that Johns' bout had only lasted two rounds and that Crow was taking to long. Hopefully it would inspire his competitive friend to push through all the distractions and focus solely on his foe.

If it would be possible, I'd like to use Myr's Remaining HP via Leadership to remove Crow's Fatigued Condition.

Powers Mook Lieutenant Me's A Crowd One Man Army Doppelganger Attack Hyperspace Arsenal Swiss Army Weapon Personality No Social Skills The Combat Pragmatist Completely Missing The Point Comically Serious The Unfettered Literal Minded Background Tyke Bomb Gattaca Babies The Spartan Way Cloning Blues

John proceed to make a fire extinguisher to put out the few burnt embers, just in case. As such he didn't really process what the others were talking about until it clicked in his head. I'm responsible for this, he numbly realized. He heard Miss Etains' kind words and while he found them heartening, he was still deeply ashamed that he put these people in danger. They who had welcomed into their house with open arms. His painting doppelganger was indeed a reflection of him, the one that represented the purpose he was made for. It was always there, a constant reminder of what he truly was. Nothing to do now but to own up to the situation. "I am deeply sorry for the trouble that I have caused you all. My powers are indeed psionic in nature, I however lost focus which allowed this to happen. While I am very appreciative that no one was seriously hurt, my presence here seems to be at odds with your intrinsic magic. If you show me to the exit, I will take my leave."

John didn't respond. In fact he felt a pang of sympathy for what this poor girl was about to endure as he activated the plan that Crow and He came up with. Just a few grunts of exertion escaped his lips as he maintained his hold on her, mentally calling forth his duplicates. The five appeared around him clad in his normal combat uniform as he commanded them. -- Execute Attack Pattern Delta Psi Gamma. Incapacitate only. -- Their five voices echoed mentally in his head. -- YES SIR! -- The speedster only tried to escape in desperation more as she saw them close around her, metal vambraces and gauntlets forming over their forearms and hands. They stuck as one, the impacts of their fists dully resounding against his ears and body. She stopped struggling, and slumped bonelessly into his arms. John laid her flat on the arena floor, and checked to see if she was still breathing before standing up and dismissing his duplicates and armor. "I am sorry. I would have greatly preferred to have met under better circumstances." He said to her prone form as he walked away.

Okay, Activating Master Plan A. +2 on attack & skill checks for 3 rounds. Myr uses an HP and modifies his Duplicates to have the Horde Extra. That's a Standard Action, so 5 duplicates pop into existence around him. They act on his initiative, which is now. He uses his move action to command his duplicates to combine attack using gauntlets on the bound Windtracer. (Why do I feel like a villain when I write that?) Finally he uses his fee action to maintain the grapple he has on her. Grapple Check - 1d20+7=18 Duplicate Actions: They each create a metal gauntlet: Damage 4 (Power Feats: Mighty) [5PP] as free action. With their move they Gang up on Windtracer. Their standard action is a combined attack action. They act on the same initiative, so no delay needed. Combined Attack vs. DC 12 to hit 4 succeed, so +8 to Save DC That's a DC 28 Toughness Save she has to make.

Current Weapon Config Handheld Flamethrower: Ignite 2 (Flaws: Range -1 [ranged]; Power Feats: Incurable) [5PP] - DC 17 Tough Save, Continuing +2 Fire Damage

John turned at the words, eager to end this madness. "I can be of assistance." The gauntlet and greaves he had just used to send Painting!Crow reeling were replaced by an object that looked very similar to a toy water gun that only betrayed it's true nature by the pilot light burning by the nozzle. "Please move aside, Mr. De Saens." Myr intoned before playing the handheld flamers' napalm fueled flames over the painting.

The opening blow sets the rhythm of the fight, as a boxing adage was put. Her's was the equivalent of throwing a straight punch and trying to get him to drop his defenses. It didn't work. John stayed in place, the wind from her sonic boom rippling his clothes as the shock wave passed through him. She's fast, He noted idly. How to use that against her? He considered his options. Caltrops? No. They would restrict his movement as well. Tripping her? He would have to take advantage of the split second she would be down. She had circled back to her side of the arena, throwing another verbal jab at him. She's impulsive. A small smile came to his face, but was obscured due to his face mask. Now that he could turn against her. If her last attack failed, and didn't have any results he surmised that she'd try for the hay maker to try and end this as fast as possible. So, how to use that? Myrmidons mind raced through countless feints and counters before he settled on one that while it could be brutally effective, it meant he had let her attack him. The spectators watched as Myrmidons combat armor started reinforcing itself with heavy metal and ceramic plating while Myrmidon himself shifted into a defensive stance. The unsaid line was there: "Not enough. Try again." The spectators voices changed to background noise as he prepared to enact his strategy. "Well, no plan ever fully survives first contact with the enemy." was the thought that crossed his mind.

Myrmidon save vs. Stun DC 15. 1d20+5=22 Saved. For his free action Myr activates a weapon. He bolsters his body armor (+4 protection) with the following extras,flaws, & power: +1 Protection (Extras: Impervious 7, Flaw: Limited (melee damage only) & Immovable 1 (+4 push/rush/trip/throw/knockback) = 5 pp He also goes fully into defensive attack (-5 attack, +5 Defense) and accurate attack (+5 attack, -5 DC) - Total (+5 Defense, -5 DC) So Right now his Defense is at +11, Toughness +7(Impervious vs. Melee), Knockback Modifier is +3 For his standard, he readies an action to grapple her as she tries to hit him, and then will attempt a pin. Attack Roll to Hit Windtracer to Start Grapple-1d20+6=23 Hit! Grapple Check - 1d20+7=14 Ehhh..blow a HP for a Re-Roll. HP Reroll Grapple Check - 1d20+7=17 10 or under add +10 = 27 total Note: Edited due to stupid tactical decision. Thanks TT!

Myr stood at relaxed attention in his arena, scanning the crowd when the female speedster made her grand entrance. Thank you for that admission Miss Windtracer, as I hope to exceed your expectations. He said while bowing politely in the Tian style directed towards Guan Yu and the crowd then bowing again towards her.

Initiative Roll for Myrmidon - 1d20+1=13 Windtracer goes first. Master Plan Roll -1d20+10=14 3 rounds of +1 for everybody

Johns' eyes narrowed at that statement fom Sun Wukong, recalling when he met the others this morning. Mister Macayle, Miss Ironclad, and Miss Victoria had said that they slept well. Reconaissance takes time and opportunity. They had neither. John himself thought of doing so, but was concerned that the tournament would take a narrow view of his intelligence gathering. That meant that...Johns' eyes flicked over to Mister Morgan and back to Sun Wukong who gave him a ghost of a smile. "Thank you for you time and insight." John said while directing another bow towards the Monkey King as the gong sounded. John made his way over to be beside Crow, and leaned over to him making sure their conversation was indeed private and not overheard. "Mister Morgan, it would be most helpful if you share the data of your morning reconnaissance with me on the participants that were mentioned so that we can potentially develop a strategy for all of our upcoming bouts."

He returned Cannonades' handshake with a firm grip. "John Smith, but my alias is Myrmidon. Learning various complementary styles goes a long way for survivability. While boxing is excellent at footwork and powerful blows, it tends to not do so well against weapon using opponents." He was about give some other examples when Sun Wukong made his entrance. John greeted the Monkey King as he had seen the crimson-robed guards do. He held left hand opened in with the palm vertically against the right hand in a fist, with a short bow. It would be best to not offend one of the tournament hosts...it was at that point that Crow decided he could spar a mythological figure. Myr brought his right hand up to face in exasperation. Did Mr. Morgan have any clue how powerful this being was? Maybe it was some sort of quirk of possessing a spark of divinity...having a leave of common sense at times did seem to be a recurring theme across the various pantheons. Still, he had offered his help and expertise. "Mr. Sun Wukong, I do indeed possess a question that you might be able to answer. Do you know anything about our opponents and fights? Your viewpoint on the matter would be most enlightening." Myrmidon asked completely honest.

Sleep was always a fickle mistress for John. He didn't know if his genetic donor was a light sleeper or if it was something the SHADOW geneticists had purposefully integrated, but it caused him no small amount of consternation, snapping awake to full alertness due to random noises. Sleeping in an unusual place only compounds the issue as well, John noted glumly to himself as he scanned the small room yet again. The darkness of the room only magnified the other sounds, his breathing and heartbeat almost thundering in his ears amongst the quietness. John glanced at his watch, the digital readout glowing a faint 4:15 AM. Might as well stay awake. He went to the bathroom, looking at the mirror and realizing that he had slept in his mask. Frowning at he reflection through the mask, he took it off after making sure the door to his room was secured. John then started his daily routine, creating a straight razor and shaving the last day's worth of stubble off after a fast shower. He dressed silently and quickly in his combat uniform, sliding his balaclava on again as he was about to go outside and start training. Can't do that. That could give away a potential advantage to anyone fighting him today if they saw him. He opened the door and started walking, still thinking about what to do if he couldn't do his normal training when he almost bowled over one of the tournament attendants. "My apologies." he said quickly stabilizing her. "I was not watching where I was going." "It is quite alright, Mister Myrmidon. What are you doing up this early? Breakfast is not for another two and a half hours." she said, straightening her robes. "To be honest, I cannot sleep and due to the tournament I cannot engage in my normal routine." "I see. If I may suggest something, one of the attendants here would more than happy to enjoy your company his morning Taijiquan training. "Thank you kindly. I would be honored to participate." It had been most enjoyable practicing as the sun rose majestically over the structured splendor of Tian as he was shown various forms, the two hours passing quickly before he met the others in the common room for breakfast. John arrived mid conversation, more relaxed now than when he woke up. "If I may Miss Wisp, that is one of the forms that I am well versed in. I would be more than happy to assist you." John stated as he sat down next to her, a plate decently full of fresh fruit and a rather large glass of water in hand. "That invitation goes to the both of you as well, if you would like." He shifted his gaze to Cannonade and then Ironclad, nodding at the both of them in greeting.

Myrmidon is ready to fight.

The aide-de-camp happily answered all of his questions, and took her leave to move onto another participant. With that done John moved over to meet his fellow Claremonters, inclining his head in greeting towards them. "You could always ask Changling. I would think our hosts might allow him, since otherwise they might have issue with my matches turning into a six versus one fight." He picked up a banana from the table, and lifted up the lower portion of his balaclava to eat. He didn't think it would be wise or safe to fully unmask himself with the potential for people who might have dealings with SHADOW around. "I am however concerned that some of the competitors might try and ignore or twist rules to their advantage, so I would strongly suggest keeping your guard up." John said after finishing the banana. He had seen a few shadier types chuckle and flash bemused glances at one another during the mention of 'crenelation incidents' in Guan Yu's speech. Figuring that he would need the energy and carbohydrates for the fights he loaded a plate with steamed rice and various fruits and ate slowly, leaning against a pillar instead of sitting. John wanted to keep en eye on the crowd and his friends as he talked with them throughout the banquet.

John had not gotten used to being in large crowds and probably never would. They had pros and cons, but tactically they were usually considered a nightmare. So he had found an unoccupied corner and proceeded to 'people-watch' as Mr. Morgan had put it to him. This tournament had attracted a large number of unique individuals with a whole slew of wildly different proficiencies and styles. Myrmidon watched a savate user get into a verbal sparring match with an iaido practitioner, only for it to be broken up by a woman in full plate who seemed to treat it as normal. He supposed she knew the pair. Huh. I wonder there would be anybody here that I would know...thought John as he started to see if he could find any familiar faces. He spotted the powerful paragon known to him as Fulcrum, though he only knew about her through Miss Victoria. John thought he had seen a glimpse of Miss Etain, but could not be sure. That was when he saw Mr. Morgan and Miss Victoria, talking to one of the aides. Myr would have thought that they would invite Crow's father the Red Hand, judging by the caliber of some of other heroes here...But, wait. John knew that posture, and that easy stride. Crow was practically crowing, John sighed inwardly. His thoughts on the matter were interrupted by the sound of a gong. As the rules and regulations were laid out, John was glad that he had had the foresight to do some research on Eastern mythology and religion after his invitation. He would have been far more confused at the proceedings, but was still perplexed as to why Sun Wukong was present at this tournament. He did however, have a number of pressing questions that he posed to the aide-de-camp that approached him.

John was only paying half attention to the current situation, his mind still back to the incident that happened two days ago. He himself was not sure if it was a random occurrence or something more, but he had agreed to go along with Mr. Morgan and Miss Victoria in the hopes that he could stake his mind off of it. Also, they had promised to eat 'hoagies' which sounded suspect to him many levels, did upon further description seem plausibly edible. He was just about to cross the threshold into Morgans' childhood home when invited inside and felt something jab him in the lower back. Biting back a hiss of pain, he fished the offending object out of his backpacks pocket and blinked at the mahjong tile in his hand, as the engraving glowed slightly and was becoming brighter. What? Two Days Ago, Claremont Academy Training Room - 5:15 AM 53, 54, 55. John was mentally counting his pushups as the door to the room opened. He continued hip reps as he looked toward the door seeing a petite female teenager of oriental heritage enter the room. “Oh! Pardon me, I didn't think anybody else would be here this early.†“It's ok." 64! "I can move elsewhere if you need me to." 68! "Just ask." 70! She nodded, and proceeded to start practicing various katas in the largest available floorspace. He kept an eye on her throughout, surprised at her repertoire of knowledge. There were things in there he had never seen before, but mixed were identifiable styles. About a half hour later he had just fished his normal routine when she stopped and smiled at him as he wiped the sweat off his face with a towel from his bag. “I saw you watching, would you care to spar?†“I am sorry, but I do not believe my style would be suitable for sparring one of your caliber Miss...†“Oh, I have forgotten my manners! I am called Ni Chang. She held out her hand in greeting. He gave her a firm handshake as he continued his last sentence. "Miss Chang it is a pleasure to meet you, but I have a more utilitarian style that is usually frowned upon in sparring." “It'll be okay. I'm tougher than I look!" She smiled at him. “Please?†John felt his resistance eroding. “Okay, but some ground rules first. No powers, no disabling strikes, and we'll go best out of 5 downs. Are those acceptable terms, Miss Chang?†She nodded. “Yep! But if you need to use powers don't feel bad!†John taped up his fists as she started putting on her sparring gear. “I would prefer not to rely on my powers to have a friendly spar. It would also not be fair to you or our agreement, Miss Chang.†Her smile disappeared and was replaced by a smirk. We'll just have to see about that now, won't we?†“Indeed." John fished with the taping, and looked over to her. "I am also wondering what the official names for some of your styles are called. There were some in your katas have never seen before." Her smile was back at that, not to mention disturbingly catlike. “Well then. How about I show them to you?" she said as John had finished putting on his gloves and head protector. “Sure,†was his unwitting response. Fifteen minutes later he was on his back, staring at the ceiling with his chest heaving in exertion. She looked a little winded at best. She sat on a bench near him, "You qualify." "...what?," was all John managed to get out. "Here. Read." She held an scroll written in elegant calligraphic brushstrokes to his face. He sat upright as she rolled up the scroll. "So you want me to participate in this, why exactly?" She laughed. "John, believe it or not you have interested parties in the Celestial Bureaucracy for a host of reasons, be it for good or ill." She handed him a small object. It was a jade mahjong tile with an intricate white lotus design engraved on it. "That is your ticket. There is still some time left before the tournament begins as we finish up the invitations and preparations. I look forward to seeing you there." With that she was gone. John stood up and looked around the empty room before returning his gaze to the tile. Sounds interesting, he thought to himself as he pocketed it. As John finished his recollection about the tile, it flashed brilliantly as he he stepped through the doorway of the house. Instead of winding up inside Morgan's fathers' house he was in an ornate courtyard, with Ni Chang standing there in formal robes and he was wearing his full combat uniform. "Greetings Myrmidon. Welcome to the tournament."

John knew how dangerous Morgan could be if left alone, and well, he was already reeling from the being that Miss Etain had conjured. The only fair fight is the one you lose, he mused as he prepared to take advantage of the opening in the duplicates' defenses. He shifted his feet slightly, interposing himself in the direction of Painting!Crow's reeling backpedal. John continued the motion, crouching downward and then rocketing upwards using his momentum to aim a massive uppercut directed at the doppelgangers' jawline. His aim was true, and the gauntleted fist connected soundly...

Current Weapon Config Gauntlets & Greaves: Damage 4 (Power Feats: Mighty) [5PP] - DC 20 Toughness Attack Rolls Myrmidons' Attack Roll vs. Painting!Crow DC: 11 Total = 13 (Hit!) Notes: Unarmed All Out/Power Attack on Painting!Crow. Defense Reduced by 5, Currently +1. DC increased by +5, Currently DC 25. Versus DC 11. Alas, Myr does not have sneak attack yet to make it even worse of a sucker punch.

Apologies, my ISP has been having fits. Myrmidon - Initiative Check = 10