trollthumper

Well, I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news, but... Yeah. On the other hand, he did fail, so he's down 5 on all Toughness rolls. So, Cannonade will go the same route, using a -3/+3 Power Attack, coupled with a -3/+3 All-Out Attack, to hopefully put this guy down. And that's a 9. Screw it. HP. 22. Okay, and with the Power Attack, he's at a DC25 for Toughness save. ...and that's a 26. Hoo boy. Here comes the hurt. He's going to try and punch Cannonade, and... ...he misses! Thank God for small favors. So, current order: Dragonfly: 19, Unharmed, 0HP Cannonade: 13, Unharmed, 0HP Freak: 12, Bruised x5, Staggered, 1HP Slick: 10, Unharmed, 1HP Slick, anything in particular you want to do when you get up to the apartment?

Nick entered the house behind Dragonfly and Drifter, and right as he did, a damp chill ran down his spine. He felt like he was covered in wet gauze -- he could still perceive the world around him, but it was hazy and slightly uncomfortable. "Yeah, that's a ward," he said. "Pretty strong, too. Whoever did this knew his stuff. I could try taking it apart, but... might take longer than we have."

"Yeah, she's really something," Cannonade said as he looked out over the neighborhood. "She may need a hand every now and then, but she's always been there for me." "I wish. Then I might know what the hell I'm doing." Cannonade gave his helmet a light tap with his fist. "Nah, my powers came in naturally -- well, as naturally as they can, if you know what I mean. The helmet... it's more like tribute. To the guy I wish I could be." He smiled. "Plus, it protects my handsome mug."

Cannonade saw the bottle, and shook his head politely. "Thanks for the offer," he said, "but I'm fine. Got a drink from the 24-Mart a few blocks down. Teller didn't seem that freaked out by the costume, either. Guess living in Freedom does that to ya." He reached into one of the pockets of his jacket and pulled out a few foil wrapped bars. "You want some granola?" he said. "Kinda helps me keep my energy up and my stomach quiet. Tried trail mix, but... eh, it turns out it's a bad idea when you're jumping between rooftops."

Things were starting to pick up for Cannonade. He felt like he was starting to get the hero thing down. Earlier that evening, he'd found a smuggling operation down in Port Royal that was bringing in heroin hidden in shipments of china. The operation had security, but most of it was guys with guns. He'd been able to handle them pretty well and oversaw the arrest, though he still had a few holes in his costume from the bullets. Sewing kit and patches aren't gonna last forever, he thought to himself as he raced across the rooftops back to Southside. Just where the hell do you go for a costume in this town? Don't suppose the Atoms have a fashion line or something... Lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice that the next rooftop he landed on was occupied. He looked to see who his new neighbor was -- tall, lanky, dressed in cargo pants and a ballistic vest, with a bandanna hanging around his mouth to mask his identity. Looks like someone else who makes do... Cannonade wondered if he should just pass on back to the apartment, or maybe say hello to the other guy. The guy seemed to be focused on his work, so he just decided to wait and see what he did.

Nick pounded fists with Kid Cthulhu, knuckles touching on pseudopods. "I'll see you around, KC," he said. "Who knows -- maybe here. I mean, I think I'm actually starting to like the Boardwalk again."

Sadly, Cape, you really seem to have the worst luck here, as the guy makes his save again. Dragonfly is up next.

Okay... just gotta get him on his back... Cannonade sidestepped the swaying giant and leapt into the air. As he fell to the giant, he brought his fists together and slammed then down on his head. The rapport could be heard throughout the alley, but still the man stood. Quickly, Cannonade opened his hands and wrapped his arms around the giant's nick. "Come on, buddy... what you need is plenty of rest... and..." The giant bucked back, breaking Cannonade's somewhat loose hold. Fortunately, he managed to land on his feet. "Doesn't seem to want to nap," he yelled to the two heroines. "Any other ideas?"

Well, he's still Stunned, so yeah, it hits. Now, let's see what happens... He rolls a 21, which means he's Bruised again. But the Stunning should fade on his turn, if Cannonade doesn't pull off a good attack... Speaking of, Cannonade's going to make good use of his Improved Grab feat -- he'll attack the guy, then initiate a grapple in case he still needs cause to go down. And he hits on a 21. The behemoth must succeed on a DC22 Toughness save... and he does not, and is Stunned again, so yay for that. Next comes the Grapple... That's Cannonade's 26 versus... the behemoth's 41. Yeah, not so much. So, here's where we stand: Dragonfly: 19, Unharmed, 2HP Cannonade: 13, Unharmed, 1HP Freak: 12, 4x Bruised, Staggered, Stunned, 1HP Slick: 10, Unharmed, 1HP Slick's up again.

And he just makes it on a 24. Dragonfly's up again.

The behemoth charged forward, but Dragonfly's blast managed to take him right in the face. He clutched at the sides of his head and tried to regain his balance. "Whaddya mean?" Cannonade yelled back as he looked over the behemoth. "His heart's giving out or something?" He knew he had to end this now... but how? What if he went for a sucker punch and the guy choked to death from lack of air? What if he hit him in the chest and caused the heart to give out? Come on, Joe -- the longer you think on this, the worse it's gonna get... Steeling himself, he charged forward. As the giant seemed to regain his balance, Joe leapt up off the ground and caught him right on the chin with a perfect uppercut. It connected with a crack like collapsing timber as the giant stumbled backwards. The brain's probably not the issue here. At least, I hope to Christ it isn't...

The guy's technically Large. And he fails, on a 13. Not only that, but the sheer force of the blast leaves him Stunned. Now it's Cannonade's turn. Given the state of the guy and Dragonfly's mention of what's going on, he's going to try to get him off his feet -- the old-fashioned way. And it connects on a 16, which is kind of what happens when the opponent is Stunned. He needs to make a DC22 Toughness save... And look at that 12! Here's where we stand: Dragonfly: 19, Unharmed, 2 HP Cannonade: 13, Unharmed, 1 HP Freak: 12, Bruised x2, Stunned, Staggered, 1 HP Slick: 10, Unharmed, 1 HP Slick, you're up.

Sure. I'd be up for it. Sorry I didn't respond earlier -- I was still kinda kicking around ideas in my own head.

Okay, then, initiative order is such: Dragonfly: 19, Unharmed, 2HP Cannonade: 13, Unharmed, 1HP Freak: 12, Unharmed, 1HP Slick: 10, Unharmed, 1HP Dragonfly, you're up.

Nick's jaw dropped. The cigarette accordingly fell out and hit the ground, but he didn't seem to notice. "Baron Kriminel... stormed Heaven? Jesus Ch -- I mean, wow. I mean, was there a reason, or anything? Or was it just for the laughs?" Nick thought for a second. "What if things are out of balance?" he said. "Kriminel's a savage jackal -- I mean, his homage involves burning chickens alive -- but he does usually have a purpose. Vengeance. So, to hear that the guy's storming the gates of Heaven... and Samedi's stepping into his old market... well, that's not exactly encouraging, is it."

As was noted, now is a good time for initiative. Cannonade goes on a 13. And the freak goes on a 12. Jeez, I need to work on that Initiative thing.

Nick Cimitiere

"Graveyard shift's going pretty well," Nick said. "Some troubles here and there -- draugr, stuff like that -- but I'm getting a good success rate. Had to do a few exorcisms, but I've mostly gotten those who want it to pass on peacefully, and got a few more out of the echo state. How 'bout you? How's patrolling been lately?"

Nick Cimitiere (98 Posts = 4 PP) Espresso That Can Wake the Dead (20 IC posts) Thistle and Thyme (10 IC posts) But Maybe Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back (28 IC posts) Crack is Whack (15 IC posts) Fresh Plots (9 IC posts; cut-off point from last month is 7:50 PM, July 31st) Interview with the Necromancer (8 IC posts) Working on the Railroad (8 IC posts) Cannonade (62 posts = 4 PP) One Pill Makes You Larger... (28 IC posts) Water Break (7 IC posts) The Devil's Fingers (3 IC posts) Night Floors (24 IC posts) As GM Espresso That Can Wake the Dead (1 purely GM post) But Maybe Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back (3 purely GM posts) One Pill Makes You Larger... (4 purely GM posts) NPCs Reaver (+1 PP for Nick) Antonio Benvenuto (+1 PP for Cannonade) Extras Nick's Reputation (+1 PP for Nick) Cannonade's Reputation (+1 PP for Cannonade) Totals Nick = 98 IC posts + [8 GM posts/2] = 102 posts = 5 PP + 1 + 1 = 7 PP Cannonade = 62 IC posts = 4 PP + 1 + 1 = 6 PP

Cannonade was trying to climb up a disused warehouse when a sound like a small explosion split the air, followed by a muffled roar. Quickly, he leapt across the roofs, bouncing off of fire escapes to get closer to the ground as he approached the site of the cataclysm. With the angle that he was at, the first thing that caught his attention was the side of the building. There was a hole the size of an SUV punched right through it, with girders and rebar trailing out of the twisted wall like branches of a bush. The second thing was the man -- or rather, the behemoth -- standing in the middle of the alley. He towered over Cannonade, even stooped over. His skin was flushed red all over, he was stumbling to gain balance, and the only thing that protected his modesty were the desperately overtaxed remnants of a pair of jeans. Okay... big, swollen, and almost naked... probably gonna be trouble, but gotta make sure... "Hey," he called out to the giant, "you okay?" The giant locked eyes with Cannonade, and let loose a choked-off roar before stumbling forward, his giant fists swinging like pendulums. "Oh, well. Worth a shot."

The bullets whizzed past Nick as he called upon the forces of death. O'Hagan may have had the place covered in enough wards to provide a tripwire for the Reaper himself. But there was still a heavy tide resting at his door step. Nick called upon the loss, the sorrow, and the fury of the gathered dead, and shaped it into a coherent whole. "Why don't you take a seat?" Nick said as he let loose the backlash of anger, attempting to knock the thug to the ground and hold it them. "We've got some business to discuss with your boss."

Okay, so, Nick's up next. He's going to try to use Poltergeist's Rage (his TK attack) to try and grapple the remaining thug to the ground. And that's a 26 on the attack roll. Next comes the grapple roll. Now, I'm not sure whether to round down or up with the "necromantic warding" complication, or if the complication even applies since I'm using the power while not setting foot in the house. So, I'm applying the full rank to the actual Grappling roll; feel free to lower it by 2 or 3 (again, rounding) based on how it is applied. ...though it's a 34, so I don't think shaving 2 or 3 off matters much by this point. Either way, I'm pinning the guy to the ground so someone else can smack him down.

"Well," Nick said, "not exactly a vodouisant, but I do know my way around the loa. And one of the big things about vodou is that it's not exactly about good and evil, as we know 'em. It's about will and intent. Sure, you've got some fairly benevolent loa, but depending on the houngan who calls on 'em, they could possibly slide down the slope as well. Erzulie Dantor is usually a protector of children and gays, but in the hands of a somewhat twisted invoker, she could easily become the world's most hardcore lesbian separatist with a chainsaw. Y'know Chevalier, down in New Orleans? He makes good use of Ogoun, but I'd hate to see what one of, say, the Tonton Macoute would do with the god of fire and war." He drew another cigarette. "Now, Samedi's already somewhat off kilter. Of all the Guede, he's the one that best represents the intersection of sex and death. La Croix's debonair and dashing, Cimitiere's the benevolent guardian of the dead, but Samedi can easily be the joke you laugh at until it goes on too long and you realize what just happened. In the hands of a really weird bokor, that can easily go bad places." Nick lit the cigarette, took a draft, and exhaled. "Still... could always be worse. Guy could've invoked Baron Kriminel."

"He's a bit over the top, yeah," Nick whispered back, "and his shoggoth does some... weird... tricks. But his heart's in the right place. Helped me deal with this troublesome ghost that was trying to bring a little bit of the Underworld up into the Boardwalk. He subdued it, I banished it."

So, I have just realized that I have no power descriptors for Nick Cimitiere. This is a bad thing. So, I'd just like this to be inserted after "Personality and Motivations" but before "Complications": Power Descriptors: Mystical (Necromantic) DONE BY SHAENTHEBRAIN