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Player Name: Arichamus Character Name: El Heraldo ("The Herald") Power Level: 10 (159/201PP) Trade-Offs: -2 Defense / +2 Toughness, -1 Attack/ +1 Damage Unspent Power Points: 42 Progress To Platinum Status: 96/120 (Gold Status earned with King of Suits) In Brief: Son of recently-immigrated Puerto Ricans granted powers by the burgeoning national spirit of Puerto Rico, who uses his new-found abilities in defence of those most vulnerable to crime. A student at the Claremont Academy. Alternate Identity: Subito Sondo Identity: Secret Birthplace: Puerto Rico, Adjuntas Municipality, Guayo Barrio Occupation: Student, grocery store worker Affiliations: Claremont Academy, Labor Union (Grocers) Family: Pavor Sondo (Father), Broma Sondo (Mother), Galanta Sondo (Sister), Rodrigo Fuego (Cousin) Description: Age: 17 (July 5th, 1995) Apparent Age: 19 Gender: Male Ethnicity: Latin American Height: 5'6" Weight: 184 lbs. Eyes: Hazel Hair: Dark Brown A stocky fellow, Subito nonetheless manages to look taller than he actually is by the practice of good posture and carriage, which he augments with thick-soled boots and a baseball cap. His hair is thick and curly, and long enough to nearly reach his ears, his eyes are spaced close together and are often shaded out of sight by the cap, and in the midst of strangers they have a narrow, suspicious look, though in the presence of friends they widen and sparkle with enthusiasm. His nose is short and broad, while his mouth is often turned slightly downward to help convey the message given by the eyes. His limbs are short, and he has rather large hands and feet for his age. he frequently wears white t-shirts and blue jeans. In his guise as the gaudy El Heraldo, he wears a brilliantly-colored and heavily-padded jacket. His pants are blue-and-red gold-checkered tights, and his feet are covered with heavy leather boots. A broad cloth bandanna around his head suffices to conceal his identity, with a sky blue feathered hat hat completing the bizarre costume. He carries in this guise a large flagpole, to which is bound the flag of Puerto Rico. Power Descriptions: El Heraldo's powers are signaled by a glow around Subito's body, which takes the rough form of an immense flag made of golden smoke. His powers are an extension of the national spirit he is the host of, which increased his physical power and hearing, as well as the power of flight and a slowly increasing range of powers related to communication. Personality & Motivation: As El Heraldo, Subito acts as he thinks he ought to, doing his best to be just, kind, fair and honest as he knows how. He enjoys the anonymity of the mask, as it lets him be what he likes without repercussion on how he is viewed as Subito. Out of costume, he is loud, impetuous and full of gusto for whatever he does, having been brought up to see silence as suited only for holy or sorrowful occaisions. His morals are fairly straightforward, and he gives litle thought or time to the why of his ethics. He equates thinking with doing, incomprehending how somebody could think up things they might do, and never act on any of them, and has a hard time understanding how one philosophy or belief system being true doesn't negate the others' validity. On the other hand, he is loath to bring issues like that up in conversation, seeing them as interesting challenges to be overcome on one's own, and would never dream of trying to make people more like himself. Powers & Tactics: El Heraldo has limited resources and severe limits to his gifts, meaning he must take great care with whom and how he fights. As a profoundly heated individual, however, he is unlikely to do so, instead dashing into the fray with unmitigated aplomb and vigor, no matter how outmatched he might be, using the power of his standard to evoke hope for victory in any compatriots. Complications: Power Loss: Subito is granted his powers only so long as he uses them for the benefit of others. If he uses them for the sole purpose of bettering himself, they shall be revoked. Responsibility: Family. He feels honor-bound to serve his family's needs above his own. Secret: Identity. While he always has his powers, he knows his family is largely defenseless. Underaged: Subito isn't a legal adult, with all the restrictions that come with that condition. The Who-What Now?: Subito has almost no idea who's who or what's what in the complex world of jet-powered apes and time travel he's gotten himself into. Feel free to blindside him. What are you wearing?!: El Heraldo's garb is..distinctive, to say the least, and it's flashiness is fertile ground for misconceptions, easy recognition by enemies, and being nearly impossible to sneak in. Abilities: 10 + 4 + 10 + 2 + 0 + 8 = 34PP Strength: 30/20 (+10/+5) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 20 (+5) Intelligence: 12 (+1) Wisdom: 10 (+0) Charisma: 18 (+4) Combat: 10 + 8 = 18PP Initiative: +2 Attack: +5 Base, +9 Unarmed Grapple: +19/+14, +22 w/Super-STR Defense: +8 (+4 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -7/-2 Saving Throws: 2 + 3 + 10 = 16PP Toughness: +12 (+5 Con, +1 Protection (Costume), +6 Protection (Dame's Ward); [impervious 10/0]) Fortitude: +9 (+5 Con, +4) Reflex: +5 (+2 Dex, +3) Will: +10 (+0 Wis, +10) Skills: 36R = 9PP Diplomacy 6 (+10, +14 with Attractive) Intimidate 4 (+8) Knowledge (Civics) 2 (+3) Knowledge (Current Events) 4 (+5) Knowledge (Popular Culture) 4 (+5) Knowledge (Tactics) 2 (+3) Languages 2 (English, Latin, Spanish [Native]) Notice 4 (+4) Sense Motive 8 (+8) Feats: 20PP Accurate Attack Attack Specialization (Unarmed) 2 Attractive Dodge Focus 4 Interpose Inspire 4 Leadership Luck 3 Move-by Action Power Attack Quick Change 1 Powers: 2 + 22 + 31 + 4 + 6 = 65PP Comprehend 1 (Languages [understand all spoken]) [2PP] Device 7 (Bandera de la Victoria [banner of Victory]; 35PP Container; Flaws: Easy-To-Lose; Power Feats: Restricted 1 [Magic Users]) [22PP] Array 10(20PP Array; Power Feats: Alternate Power 2)[22PP] Base Power: Emotion Control 10[20PP] AP: Healing 10[20PP] AP: Immovability 10(Extras: Affects Others)[20PP] Feature 1 (Repair Clothes) [1PP] Impervious Toughness 10 [10PP] Protection 1 [1PP] (Costume)] Herald's Charge 6 (32PP Container [Active, Sustained], Drawback: Noticeable [banner of Light]) [31PP] Enhanced Strength 10 (to 30 [+10]) [10PP] Flight 3 (50mph / 500ft per Move Action) [6PP] Protection 6 (Dame's Ward) [6PP] Super-Strength 3 (Effective Str 43; Light Load: 1 1/2 tons; Power Feat: Super-Breath) [7PP] Strike 1(Power Feats: Affects Insubstantial 1, Mighty) [3PP] Immunity 4 (Cold, Drowning, Pressure, Poison) [4PP] Super-Senses 4 (Auditory; Accurate, Counters Concealment, Extended 2 [1,000' Notice Increments]) [6PP] Drawbacks: -2PP Vulnerability (Sonic Powers, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate [x1.5]) [-2PP] DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECTUnarmed Touch DC 24/20 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical)Bandera Perception DC 20 Will Emotion ChangedHealing Touch DC20 Fortitude(Harmless) HealedSuper-Breath Area [Cone] STR/DEX vs Opposed at +9 TripStrike Touch DC26/22 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Totals: Abilities (34) + Combat (18) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (9) + Feats (19) + Powers (65) - Drawbacks (2) = 159/201 Power Points

Player Name: Arichamus Character Name: Martin Brandtford Power Level: 4, 60/60PP Trade-Offs: None. Unspent PP: 0 Progress To Bronze Status: 0/30 In Brief: Young optimistic scientist specializing in the field of the physics of time and space, eager to do good in other worlds. Alternate Identity: None. Identity: Public. Birthplace: Little Rock, Arkansas Occupation: Part-time teacher's assistant, Freedom City University student. Affiliations: Superheroes, A.S.T.R.O. Labs, Freedom University, physicists. Family: Brian Brandtford(father), Beryl Brandtford(mother), Sarah Brandtford(elder sister), Mark Brandtford(elder brother), Benjamin Brandtford(younger brother) Age: 21 Apparent Age: N/A Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 6'2" Weight: 158 Lbs. Eyes: Brownish-red Hair: Brown Description: Immensely thin(accented by his height), Martin wears long, loose clothing with a vaguely formal theme, foregoing the casual wear most of his friends prefer. He wears large and thick blue glasses marked on the arms with a Pi symbol. His hair is generally unkempt and slightly longer than is considered optimal. His nose is long and sharp, and straight as a spade-head, while his kips are narrow, and often hidden by a broad grin born of earnest cheer that pushes forward his otherwise-unnoticeable chin. On occasions when he feels a need to cut a more dramatic figure he wears a voluminous lab coat he painstakingly stitched together from several smaller ones. Power Descriptions: Martin has no powers in the strict sense, though he has an 'opened' consciousness that is as much a change of perspective as it is the result of being touched by another dimension. History:Martin Brandtford is the third of four children, with all the attendant profits and demerits of being a middle child. He had the example of his two elders to keep a watch on, while he also dealt with the slow change of his parent's affections for his younger brother, something that is rarely handled well in youth. He had a great deal to occupy him, thankfully, and his feelings towards his younger sibling never developed past a slight dislike that is rapidly being obliterated by the flickering years. On the farm he spent most of his life on in Arkansas, his parents never allowed any leisure time for more than an hour or so at most. In their view, if you weren't doing something to improve yourself or the world around you, you might as well be dead. Thus, Martin was encouraged to develop his growing scientifically-inclined mind from a much younger age than the norm, permitting him to familiarize himself with concepts like the space-time continuum and Brownian Motion. The farm, having been long occupied by people of similar hearts and minds as Martin's relations, meaning manifold strange gadgets, machines and pieces of art and architecture littered the homestead and its property. One of these devices was a half-finished portal machine. Completing what needed doing took until Martin was 10, but he was quite familiar with the inner workings of machinery by that age, and he knew how to make the odd gyroscope-like wheel spin properly. What he did not expect was for the rip in the dimensional barrier, and the sight of a gigantic needle holding on its tip a seemingly-endless wheel of worlds. The machine broke down almost immediately and the rip quickly closed, so it was only a glimpse, but it changed Martin forever. He became happier, a spring came into his step, he appreciated people more, to him the sky was bluer and the sun shone brighter and the dark of the night was less terrible, and all fear left him. Aside from his new-found joy, Martin's intellect was expanded by the experience, and the things that had seemed intractably difficult became, while not easy, at least explicable to him. He quickly finished his basic education, and set off at the age of 17 for Freedom College, where his breezy and open personality made him something of a novelty. Finishing his work there without much issue or incident, it was at Freedom University that Martin happened upon a singularly interesting prospect. He was doing swimmingly in physics, and was brought to A.S.T.R.O. Labs for testing to see if he had a super-human intellect. Their tests revealed him to be completely normal, but while being given a short tour of the place he was brought to the lab where a device for traversing dimensions was being planned. To the bafflement of the scientists working on the plans, Martin made several corrections and improvements to their design, despite it being absolutely impossible for him to have had any instruction in the theory of extra-dimensional travel. A hurried re-test showed him again, to be a normal human in construction and brain capabilities. Deeply confused by this, A.S.T.R.O. Labs gave Martin a scholarship to complete his training in conventional theoretical physics, while setting up a plan for his instruction at HIT, and giving him a job working in their extra-dimensional studies division int he interim. With his help the Dimensional Channeler was completed several years ahead of schedule, with the caveat that only he could properly operate it without risk to life and limb. His studies in school and in his own time revealed to him an apparent connection to the changes in the space-time continuum, which a subsequent observation of the time-warping time-suit Downtime was always stealing confirming an at least tenuous connection. A more thorough sweep of potential time-bending throughout the city in early 2011 revealed the speedster Jubatus to Martin, who thought that the fastest cat alive would be invaluable for dependable testing of his hypothesis. An attempt to contact the genetically-altered speedster led to a brief and eventful trip through the Schattenwelt and the dimension housing the ancient Hittite deities, and the consent from Jubatus to test how his powers worked. With Jubatus's help, Martin hopes to discover the possible interplay between the space and time of different dimensions, and bring the blessings of science to worlds that need it. Personality & Motivation: Martin is the sort of person who, if given powers on par with the Scarab or the Centurion, would be in such little danger of using them ill as to be no threat whatsoever to world peace(such as it is). He is as just, fair and kind as can manage to be to whomever he is dealing with, believing deeply in the ultimate goodness within everyone. Ever-ready with a kind word and an encouraging gesture for anyone he meets, Martin is filled with a boundless optimism in the positive effects of proper application of the scientific method. Powers & Tactics: Martin is completely unsuited for battle, and will usually attempt to get between opposing parties in order to keep a fight from breaking out with persuasion. If up against someone who can demolish him(i.e., most supervillains, random thugs and large dogs), he'll either try and escape the fight, or if he can't escape, he'll put up the best fight he can before his defeat. Complications: Pacifist: Simple as that, Martin can't bear to hurt anyone in any way if he can avoid it. Abilities: 2 + 4 + 2 + 14 + 8 + 10 = 36PP Strength: 12 (+1) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 24 (+7) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 16 (+3) Combat: 0 + 0 = 0PP Initiative: +2 Attack: +0 Grapple: +0 Defense: +0 (+0 Base, +0 Dodge Focus), +0 Flat-Footed Knockback: -0 Saving Throws: 0 + 0 + 0 = 0PP Toughness: +1 (+1 Con, +0 [Other]) Fortitude: +1 (+1 Con, +0) Reflex: +6 (+2 Dex, +0) Will: +4 (+4 Wis, +0) Skills: 80R = 20PP Concentration 10 (+14) Skill Mastery Craft(Electronic) 10 (+17) Skill Mastery Craft(Mechanical) 10 (+17) Disable Device 10 (+17) Diplomacy +10 (+15) Handle Animal 8 (+13) Knowledge(Physical Sciences) 11 (+18) Skill Mastery Knowledge(Technology) 11 (+18) Skill Mastery Feats: 4PP Eidetic Memory Fearless Inventor Skill Mastery: (Concentration, Craft(Electronic), Knowledge(Physical Sciences), Knowledge(Technology) Powers: 0 + 0 + 0 = 0PP None. Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP None. DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC15 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Abilities (36) + Combat (0) + Saving Throws (0) + Skills (20) + Feats (4) + Powers (0) - Drawbacks (0) = 60/60 Power Points

Master Plan Roll: 34. Notice Rol: 11. With your permission, I'll spend a HP to re-roll: 18, +10 from HP-expenditure=28.

Marceau shrugged a touch awkwardly, "No, Rene, they are by-and-large vagrants, the sundry dispossessed, and a harmless crazy. They attached themselves to me when I first arrived in New England a couple of years ago, I helped them with problems of theirs, and they were so amazed that I had actually done something to help despite my being actually poorer than they at the time that they decided to follow me around until they could find some way to repay me. I keep trying to find them employment, but it's hard going. Some of them do speak French, I taught them to pass the time while traveling here, but by no means all" At the second question Marceau nodded eagerly "I am quite prepared, mon ami. With the talisman you made, my training, and the small traps laid around here, I think we shall have a very good chance of wishing the Silencer a pleasant trial" he glanced swiftly at the sidewalk outside as if he expected to see the barrel of a sonic rifle pointing through the window.

Marceau nodded thankfully, taking his coffee to a chair on the left side of the door. Adjusting his coveralls slightly to allow him that much more ease in getting into costume, he kept a watchful eye on the street through the window next to him, wondering about the manifold things he could do to make things that much more optimal for him and Rene's chances of victory. Casting those thoughts aside, he leaned back and turned his attention to his coffee. If the Silencer came, he and Rene would now have little trouble beating him, he thought. Besides, the old painter might well have some gargantuan trick up his sleeve that would leave relatively normal people like himself and the Silencer in the dust, Marceau had little experience with magicians, and thus had not the more-realistic level of expectations those familiar with them have. While sipping his coffee, he suddenly said "You know Rene, I have some friends who would be glad to work here. It just struck me that that would be an admiral way to be repaid in, don't you think?" after another sip he added "And now I also see what it was that was wrong with the coffee last time. This is rather better"

"It would be best then I'd say to have images of us be seen to walk out of here and into a side-street to vanish, preferably next to an open doorway. Then we have some deniability, and you can focus on your art when the Silencer arrives" after a moment he added "Ah, I apolgize for my...commandeering tone? I am rather unused to being any sort of leader, please forgive my presumptuous words. Is there anything you need to do to prepare yourself for battle? Or can you simply attack whenever you need to?" Testing the edge of a boomerang he had seemingly taken out of his pocket, he adjusted a piece of shoulder armor concealed under his coveralls.

I'd be glad to do a thread with you. King isn't a scientist, but he would be an adequate melee fighter, and he(nominally) works quite heavily with gang violence as well.

Marceau sighed in relief "Oh good, I was afraid he had been injured or even killed to keep up the charade" quickly regaining his composure he made a thorough scan of the dining room and kitchen doors, wondering if it would be a good idea instead to post himself by one door and Rene by the other..but it would let them be equally effective if they were roughly in the middle of the floor.. "Rene" he said suddenly. "If you can, could you put an illusion of us at a table outside? it might help a little with our deception if we had a sort of plausible deniability for our crime-fighting. At the very least, I'd need an excuse for where I was when the masked man came out of nowhere and started fighting the Silencer" While he said this he was testing the elasticity of what looked like a cowl.

"Thank you for telling your staff what was about to happen, monsieur Verdoux", replied Marceau, shaking the proprieter's hand "It would have been truly heartless to keep them in the dark about what is likely to happen here today. Coffee and waiting for our man to strike would both be good idea, monsiuer. Black coffee, if you have any. I'm not really particular otherwise. I'd suggest keeping your staff in pairs if they have to leave the building, in case our friend tries that same trick as last time by stealing the clothes of one of your employees. Who was he trying to replace, anyway? And are they alright" It seemed like a subject that Marceau was deeply interested in, a worried tone coming into his voice and his eyes filling with anxiety.

Putting it on and tucking it under the collar of his coveralls proved an easy task. "Thank you Rene, this will be of great help today I warrant. Shall we go inside, or do you wish to make some arrangements out here for us? " He was certain that there was some secondary effect. Perhaps it protected his hearing, too? But what was important was that he and Rene were now much more prepared for battle, and that this time, there would be no reckless action on his part that would needlessly put himself or anyone else in danger. Besides, the Silencer may not even show up. He might have decided that the Don wouldn't dare show his face back here so soon again. Maybe this would just be an unusually tense lunch with a new-found friend, perhaps there was no danger... But the knot in his stomach showed no sign of slackening.

Player Name: Arichamus Character Name: Hetep("Peace") Power Level: 14 Trade-Offs:, -3 Defense / +3 Toughness Unspent PP: 0 In Brief: Alternate-earth former Master Mage come to Earth-Prime to try and make a new life for himself, hampered by his poor understanding of how this world works. Quote: "Humanity is mired in a thousand hatreds, and so breeds ten thousand evils! I, the bringer of Hetep, will free them!" Alternate Identities: Massawa/The Contrarian Identity: Secret Birthplace: Egypt, Earth J-21 Occupation: Sorcerer Affiliations: Magical entities, superheroes. Family: Bes-Anti(father), Sacmis(mother) No siblings. Age: 127 Apparent Age: 38 Gender: Male Ethnicity: Ancient Nubian/Ethiopian Height: 6' 8" Weight: 245 Lbs. Eyes: Brown. Hair: Black with green tinting. Description: Massawa is surprisingly well-proportioned and handsome, with long curly hair usually pulled back in a ponytail that goes down to his waist, archaic spectacles held onto his head with a thick metal band, and an open, pleasant face tinged with a note of impatience. His normal wear is a long green robe with complex gold patterns of cranes decorating it. He wears it loosely and with considerable discomfort, looking less like he wears than suffers their presence. His right arm is a crude-looking replacement made of ornamented bronze, covered with Egyptian hieroglyphics. Power Descriptions: Massawa magical powers by now are mostly those of a Hermetic, one who has achieved a measure of power by long study and the unveiling of the inner divinity, allowing him plentiful ways to attack others or defend himself. They are flashy and powerful, but but hardly subtle or flexible. The power granted to him by his service and worship of the gods of Heliopolis, however, give him far more ability, from creating an immense stone head in the mouth of which he has fought many duels, tearing asunder the works of other wizards with a slash from an ethereal pen, or moving at tremendous speed Long years of studying how the human mind and a little of the brain works has led him to the manufacture of a spell that obliterates every thought of aggression from the target, which has the ("Regrettable, yet necessary")effect of turning them into what could charitably called subdued drones, the spell actually slowing down response times and even the most basic of thoughts to keep any violence from the victim's mind. History: Born on a world ruled over by two archaic and tradition-steeped empires, one ruled by the Incas, the other by the Pharaohs, and both wielding powerful magic, Massawa's gifts were hidden for nine years after his birth until the threat of violence against a friend unleashed them. He was taken from his family as the apprentice of that Earth's Master Mage, Bogdan Mihnea. The man tried to direct his talents and mind to productive ends, teaching Massawa how to understand and use his gifts by cruel training and bitter isolation. The loneliness drove him to his prayers, until at the age of fifteen when they were answered and the gods of Heliopolis appeared before him and taught him their secrets, revealing as well that his teacher wished to conquer the world and become its Dark Lord. Training in secret for the next few years, and armed with the knowledge that Bogdan feared fire, Massawa ambushed the wizard right after he started the last phase of his plan to send the world spiraling into chaos, striking when the man left his castle and was vulnerable, using his right arm as a teleporting fire bomb to send his mentor hurtling in mortal pain and terror into space. Setting out to take his master's place as Master Mage, Massawa industriously set out to unravel Bogdan's plots and gathered many others to his side, from divine champions to brilliant inventors, to keep peace on that Earth. The Majestic Twelve as they came to be called were profoundly successful at destroying the Romanian mage's monstrous plan, but attempts to reach their second and higher goal met with utter failure. While the massive empires were grateful to have such a band going around the world and helping solve people's problems, the Incas of the Americas and Pharaohs of Eurasia looked with a lot less favor on Massawa taking the place of Bogdan Mihnea and attempting to truly change the world, the abrasive, halting and awkward young Nubian, with his utter lack of contacts and few friends outside the Twelve or his family,was far less trusted than his distant but respected predecessor who had made sure he knew the names of every junior clerk. No matter what efforts he or his comrades made to bring real peace to the world dissolved under the hundreds of years of mutual distrust and suspicion for any interlopers to the world order. After almost two decades, at the age of 36, Massawa decided he'd had enough. Ships were disappearing throughout the ocean, and naturally both of the empires furiously blamed the other for it no matter how much the comparatively young Master Mage tried to convince them that it was the work of forgotten Atlantis. He even brought ambassadors from the Sea-King himself who demanded that the surface nations enter into trade and diplomatic relations with the mighty undersea power, only to be roundly dismissed as an invention of either side. After that, the Thothian wizard lost all temper and patience with the world, condemning both sides, taking his family aboard the extradimensional castle the Master Mage's of his world used, and setting sail across the Cosmic Coil. He left a curt message for the rest of the Twelve, urging them to seek shelter for their family and friends in Atlantis, and bidding them the best of luck. He then left, searching for a world where he really could make a difference, a world where its troubles weren't buried millenniums deep, and he could bring peace, something he vowed to bring to people, no matter what he had to do, and declaring it his name henceforth. His fervent adherence to that mission gradually drove his very family from him, and no matter how earnest his protests of sanity and virtue were, they trickled away to the countless other Earths along the Coil. In the all too crushingly familiar loneliness that followed, Hetep's dream of peace hardened into obsession, and tempered his resolve into iron. Personality & Motivation: Massawa is a deeply bitter man. He has had the misfortune to see the evil side of nearly everything humans have made for the continuation of civilization, and thus places little hope in any institution devised by mortals. His mystical gifts, meanwhile, have brought him little but evil, pain and disappointment, and he is eager, should he meet someone who thinks magic wonderful and a powerful tool, to disabuse them of the first notion and remind them of the peril of the second. that said, he is still very much the would-be Master Mage he once was, and while his morals are deeply wounded he will still protect the innocent against threats besides himself. In less dire situations, he has very refined behavior and conveys himself with impeccable manners and bearing, albeit short-tempered and precise with his words, making absolutely clear his likes and dislikes. By far the thing that makes him most likely to attack someone is the chance to avert war or other large-scale bloodshed, politicians rallying against a foreign enemy being by far in the most danger with their public supporters(or those tolerant of them) a close second. Powers & Tactics: Hetep rarely fights, preferring the debate method of swaying people to his views. If pressed into combat however he fights with considerable restraint, attempting to separate foes from each other and deal with them individually, diligently experimenting with various attacks and strategies to discover weaknesses. By and large he attempts first to overwhelm the mind of his adversary, only falling back to physical violence if that fails or if they aren't capable of being affected that way, and keeps as far from his foe as he can. Complications: Hatred: Warmongers Suffice to say that if he learns you actively support or have caused a war anywhere for any reason at all he'll do his level best to kill you, see how well YOU like it. Obsession: Ending conflict. After seeing his world spiral out of control before his eyes, Massawa will do just about anything to end conflicts of any kind, including ones he himself begins. Phobia: Aging The castle he dwells in slows down the decay of his body, and its power lingers for a long time outside, but he is terrified all the same of the effect the remorseless march of time has on him. Something that would speed up his aging or keep him from his castle's power would be a powerful bargaining chip in dealing with him. Abilities: 12 + 8 + 8 + 14 + 8 + 6 = 52PP Strength: 22 (+6) Dexterity: 18 (+4) Constitution: 18 (+4) Intelligence: 24 (+7) Wisdom: 18 (+4) Charisma: 16 (+3) Combat: 20 + 8 = 28PP Initiative: +12 Attack: +10 Base, +12 Ranged, +14 Arrows of Neith Grapple: +15 Defense: +10 (+4 Base, +6 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -8/-1 Saving Throws: 10 + 10 + 14 = 34PP Toughness: +17 (+3 Con, +14 [Force Field], +0/+14 Impervious) Fortitude: +13 (+3 Con, +10) Reflex: +14 (+4 Dex, +10) Will: +18 (+4 Wis, +14, +0/+14 Impervious) Skills: 76R = 19PP Concentration 12 (+16) Skill Mastery Diplomacy 12 (+15) Intimidate 12 (+15) Knowledge(Arcane Lore) 17 (+16) Skill Mastery Knowledge(Civics) 8 (+15) Skill Mastery Knowledge(Cosmology) 13 (+20) Skill Mastery Knowledge(History) 11 (+18) Feats: 25PP Accurate Attack All-Out Attack Attack Focus(Melee) 2 Attack Focus(Ranged) 3 Attractive 2 Dodge Focus 6 Equipment 5 [25EP] Fearsome Presence Improved Initiative 2 Ritualist Skill Mastery [Concentration, Knowledge(Arcane Lore), Knowledge(Civics, Knowledge(Cosmology)] Powers: 4 + 28 + 48 + 11 + 34 + 13 =138PP All descriptors as 'magic' and 'divine'. Comprehend 3(Spoken Languages, Spirits. Understand all, speak all(one at a time))[4PP] Force Field 14[28PP](Shield of Crowned Heads) Gift of the Nile 21(42PP array, Feats: Alternate power 6)[48PP] Base Power: Nullify Magic 20(All Powers at Once; Feats: Selective)[41P] Forbiddance of Thoth AP: Blast 13 (Arrows, Piercing, Magic; 10 130ft. increments, 1300ft. range; Extras: Autofire 1, Penetrating 11; Flaws: Distracting; Feats: Accurate, Affects Insubstantial 2, Incurable)[42PP] Shafts of Neith AP: Create Object 15(Extras: Duration(Continuous), Impervious; Flaws: Action(Full-Round), Distracting, One Shape; Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Precise, Progression 6(Size, 7500ft. Square Cubes), Stationary)[40PP]Mouth of Geb AP: Emotion Control 14(Extras: Area(Selective, Burst, 475ft.), Linked(Mind Control); Flaws: Range(Ranged), Limited(Calm) Feats: Progression 2(Range))[16PP]+Mind Control 13( Extras: Effortless, Linked(Emotion Control; Flaws: Distracting)[26PP] [16+26=42PP] Mandate of Ma'at AP: Healing 13(Extras: Affects Objects, Total; Flaws: Distracting; Feats: Peristent, Regrowth)[41PP] Remaking of Khnum AP: Immunity 20(Mental Effects, Interaction Skills, Grappling; Extras: Linked(Damage))[20PP] + Damage 10(Extras: Alternate Save(Will); Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2)[22PP] [20+22=42PP Guise of Bata AP: Speed 9(5,000MPH, 50,000ft. per round.; Extras: Linked(Impervious, Super-Movement, Trip; Feats: Wall Run))[10PP] + Impervious Toughness 14(Extras: Linked(Speed, Super-Movement, Trip))[14PP] + Super-Movement 3(Dimensional Movement 2(Mystic Dimensions), Water-Walking; Extras: Linked(Speed, Impervious, Trip))[6PP] + Trip 12(Extras: Linked(Impervious, Speed, Super-Movement))[12PP] = [10+14+6+12= 42PP] Crown of Unat Immunity 11(Aging, Emotion Effects, Swords)[11PP] Impervious Will 14[14PP] Magic 15(30PP Array, Power Feats: Alternate Power 7)[37PP] Base Power: Blast 14(Feats: Variable Descriptor 2(Magical Descriptors))[30PP] AP: Animate Object 10[30PP] AP: Dazzle 10(Visual, Tactile and Auditory)[30PP] AP: Flight 10(Extras: Affects Others)[30PP] AP: Nullify Technology 10(All Traits at Once; Extras: Effortless)[30PP] AP: Obscure 15(150-ft.; Visual, Olfactory Senses)[30PP] AP: Snare 10(Extras: Area(Targeted, Shapeable(50-ft. blocks)[30PP] AP: Telekinesis 10(Extras: Damaging)[30PP] DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECTUnarmed Touch DC22 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Abilities (46) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (34) + Skills (13) + Feats (15) + Powers (75) - Drawbacks (0) = / Power Points

King of Suits Four Kings 29 IC Habitat for Metahumanity 1 IC Haute Cuisine 14 IC How Do You Fight a Warded Man? 0 IC Sleeping Worms 13 IC Sting Operation 13 IC Wayward Transit 0 IC GM Wayward Transit 1 GM Sleeping Worms 1 GM El Heraldo Out of Blue Water 10 IC 29+1+14+13+13+1= 71 10=10

Marceau gave a low whistle at the gift, absent-mindedly pocketing the box, long years of thrift having taught him the virtues of that practice of saving every scrap that comes your way. "Many thanks, Rene, what does it do? Allow us to talk to each other over great distances? Block out sounds? I have, I must admit, little experience with things like this. As you have seen, I stick to generally secular sources of strength" He had a much more alert air, his eyes glancing rapidly around them as if he thought the Silencer would strike at them from out of thin air.

Marceau made sure to sharpen his throwing cards twice over. He made sure to re-fill the explosive cards, and check their volatility. The smoke cards were refilled as well, to keep them from turning the restaurant into a gas chamber. The flash-bang cards still gave him a headache. No issues there. His armor was jointed smoothly and had no rips in the ballistic cloth. His coveralls were clean and in good repair. At around two P.M., Marceau walked up to the front door of the Aliments Avenir, having slipped a small square of stiff cloth and plastic into the corner of the doorway, which wouldn't be opened enough to trigger it unless flung open with great force. He glanced around casually for Rene, the tense feeling in his stomach he had felt many times before battle beginning to grow...

Marceau bowed slightly to Rene, hurriedly wiping away small tears that had sprung up during his speech. "You are right, we have done all we need for now. Thank you. I say we meet about an hour and a half earlier than we did last time, as we will then likely be there earlier than the Don and Lady Tarot were, giving us a chance to prepare ourselves for battle. I shall, if you agree to it, set a flash-bang at each door leading outisde to at least slow down the would-be murderer if he manages to run. Finally, I would suggest that you bring anyone else you think would be up for capturing this fellow, and putting an illusion of us two at a different place than we are, which will be near the left-hand side coming in of the door" Marceau gathered his supplies, doffed his costume, shook Rene's hand, walked through the long passage out the door, marvelling at the splendor within the faded glory of the exterior, and departed for the bus that would bring him to the modern squalor and confused camaraderie of Monkey Towers, where he set to work on the morrow's battle.

Marceau had smiled appreciatively at Rene's compliment of his planning abilities and armory, but it turned to a deep frown when the ancient mage commented on his seeming infatuation with defeating the Silencer. "I'd say you are quite near the mark, Rene. I dare say you are a skilled magician, and I don't feel sure of beating this fellow without your help, bu I do want to best him on my own, despite the fact that that is not at all reasonable. It has nothing to do with my failing to catch him earlier, thpugh that did smart a bit. The reason is because he poisoned an entire restaurant to get at one man. I have never cared for the saying "the ends justifies the means", though I have heard ot used like a national slogan in France, and such a careless treatment of others for the sake of acheiving an objective is more than I can bear. I dare say that the Silencer has reasons for wanting to kill the Don that seem to him irreproachable, but that does not ever excuse putting others in harm's way for the sake of a personal crusade. If I thought you a harmless old man, Rene, I would never dream of asking you to help me fight him. If you were the seven-year ultimate smackdown champion, I would not ask. But you have power that allows you to fight without putting yourself directly in the path of danger, it seems, and thus I asked for your aid. Don't worry, this time I won't run off alone"

"First, and foremost, we need to make sure of two things: that the Silencer can enter and leave only with our knowledge and consent. To do this, we should set ourselves either near the doorways to the kitchen and the front door, or else just have ourselves on the roof watching for him to approach. He should be easy to spot, now that we know how he looks and I know how he moves. Setting up the illusion of the Don would be good, yes. First, thing I'd like to go over is how well they react to the outside world, and then we can get to work and placing it so we don't run the risk of the Silencer just shooting it from outside through a window" He took out one of his flash-bang cards(an 8 of Clubs) and checked for places near the doors where it could be hidden.

Marceau gave a low whistle. He still wasn't jaded about the incredible things magic could accomplish, and this hotel's power to re-create environments astounded him. He instantly made a thorough circuit of the room, examining for hidden corners, potential stumbling points, crevices where things could be hidden. While doing so he asked Rene about what had been found out from the sonic rifle "Have your friends in the Lab found who our Silencer is, or who he may be? Did he leave any fingerprints or other identifing marks?

"Grand news!" came the ringing, bell-like voice of the shade of Pirwa, the great horse moving over slightly to make room for Wisp Just make sure to keep thinking about where you want to go: we're going to a vast gate like two blades of an axe, decorated with a mural showing a robed man extending his arms in a gesture of rejection and denial, with a group of fantastical creatures retreating from him. You can even shut your eyes " it continued, pulling the bus onto the nearest of the three roads "And you'll still get where you want to go. Just make sure you don't start thinking about going somewhere else, and you'll be fine. If you get tired, we can just think of a place to rest, and we'll get there as soon as you think you will. The gate, alas, is immutable in its position, and will take us at least a day or two to get. But we might meet Uruzimu on his way from the Ice Fields, he could speed us on our way beyond even my power"

Marceau in the meanwhile had been seeing to the new arrival, gently coaxing him from out from under the seat he had ensconced himself. He turned out to be Steven Voht, a former spy of Austrian descent for the Allies who had been captured when he had uncovered the existence of the more mystical elements of the Thule Society, and had been sent through the portal into the Schattenwelt in 1942, when the Fatherdark had asked for a human to experiment on to make sure it could fuse a "Light-Dweller"'with its dark power. After the experiment had proven a success, the vast creature had adopted the spy as its son, and had spent the last decades telling him endless stories of its history. The vast world outside had piqued Marceau's interest, and he said, largely to himself "I wonder if there's anything like that in our world" He deeply regretted he hadn't a camera.

"If it is possible, Mr. de Saens" said Marceau, slipping on his cloak-and-cowl over his armor, and setting up his cards in their sleeves "I would be deeply grateful for that accomodation. It would give us a good edge in making sure of small matters like otherwise ignored corners, small inclines, spacing of the tables and chairs, and how to keep our man from getting away from us" finishing his costume-donning, Marceau the stood on his head, where he seemed to be testing some joint of his armor.

Marceau rubbed his hands eagerly. He had rarely had the chance to do real detective work before today, and this setup looked like an excellent place to practice for a sting against a sonic assassin. For this purpose he had brought a large duffle bag containing his costume and weapons. He looked in no little awe at the place's grandeur. Faded though it was, he did not fail to detect the air of quality craftsmanship, and a beautiful dining room is rarely a sight taken casually to those unused to them. "<This place is magnificent, Rene! Tell me, this looks like a lot of space for one man to dwell in. Are you watching it for a friend, or do othwrs live here with you?>"

Marceau inclined his head at the Don's words. "It will be as you wish. I'll start as soon as I can, which will be about two days from now at the latest. Rene, if you can, I'd like to set up a time and place for us to practice for the trap" Getting to his feet briskly, he put the chair back at the table where he had taken it from, and politely extended his hand to the Don, Lady Tarot and Rene for a shake. "I'll do all I can to capture this 'Silencer', Mr. Driogano, Mz. Tarot. If you have anythingmon what he's like, his tactics, personality, anything, everything I know about what he is will bring me closer to capturing him" Bowing slightly to the two at the table, he set off for his and Rene's table, where he recalled that their bill remained unpaid.

By this point, the glare from the blazing sun had lessened in the slowly acclimatizing eyes of the bus passengers, revealing something previously hidden: a gigantic mountain, several hundred miles high and at least a thousand across, loomed out of the haze of the shimmering desert. A city of some kind had been built on its slopes, low stone dwellings made up the structures visible on the nearer foothills, gradually increasing in size and grandeur as they climbed the vast green bulk of the mountain, until at the summit there was a floating temple about the size of Manhattan, on which was sitting a colossal bird. It gave no movement or sign of life save its slowly moving head, which it turned all around its neck with great solemnity. From the summit and down the flanks of the mountain ran a vast river lined with tall trees, and three great towers were set around the high stone that were almost of equal height, each signed with a different insignia, and the bus was near three flagstoned paths roped off from each other, with the paths leading to one of each of the towers. Above them, out turned out that sun, while still the source of the blazing light, could be looked at directly with no harm to the viewer, revealing itself to be a vaguely feminine figure dressed in immense golden robes. In the distance far away from the mountain, there could be seen a confusion and jumble of mighty bones, which gave themselves away immediately as having once belonged to a dragon. A great gathering of cyclones could be seen about it. The desert terminated about five hundred miles away, at the first of the foothills, where it seemed that there were many streams about which a riot of plants grew. Everywhere else, however, was barren desert, dark earth and small weed-like provisions of thorns and spines leaves.

King of Suits: The Defense of the Fens Fens, downtown Freedom Marceau had been patrolling down by the waterfront of the Fens district checking up on a lead about drug-smugglers when the attack first began. He had managed to briefly drive back many of the attacking terrors, and had gotten word to the everyone he knew in the district to get to safety, and tell everyone they knew to do the same. He then lured a large group of Super-Grue to a square of connected alleys he knew well... The i-beam in the King of Suit's hands was abominably heavy. It hadn't been like that before, in fact, it had been as a feather in his arms until that very moment. Marceau frowned behind his mask, looking thoughtfully at the ring of Super-Grue slowly edging towards him. He had already smashed around a dozen of their number with a sneak attack in an alleyway by the simple expedient of dropping a number of heavy blocks on their heads. Out here in the open, however, Marceau could tell quickly that the battle wasn't in his favor. And it's getting heavier..I couldn't make that little box with my powers this morning like I usually do..what's going on? His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a lunge at his mid-section, which he responded to by leaping back far enough to avoid the attack, and close enough to see with more clarity than he would have wished what happens when someone is hit in the head with a steel club as long as a truck and much more heavy. Side-stepping a blow from another Super-Grue, he jabbed his improvised weapon into its stomach and sent it flying into a wall of boxes stacked in the alleyway intersection and forgotten years ago, the contents long pilfered, leaving none of the cushions, blankets and mattresses that would have softened the altered Grue as it crashed into the concrete wall. With a sudden feeling of weightlessness, the familiar strength supporting Marceau's arms vanished. With a stifled cry, the young man managed to narrowly avoid being pinned to the ground by the steel beam he had been carrying, and found himself alone in a near-certain lethal situation. Thinking fast, Marceau jumped onto an abandoned car, grabbed his left wrist with his right hand, and aimed his left palm at the nearest Super-Grue. The fact that there was no coursing ray of power firing from it after the first couple of seconds told him everything. Turning on his heels he bolted, clambered up a fire escape in record time and set off for the familiar blocky shape of Monkey Towers. The squat greenish building had been his home for the last 3 years, and housed not only his companions and the manifold vagrants who had attached themselves to him, but his specially-made card weapons. If he could get his hands on them, the tide of battle could be turned against the Grue. Only when he was within leaping distance did he recall: They're still in there. His friends were still inside along with the other homeless and those who didn't have any kind of shelter agains the attack. But he still needed the weapons or he couldn't fight. But if he went inside to get them the Grue(it's should be noted he didn't know they were the Grue. He did know they were unpleasant and violent, however) might just decide to go and try to kill someone else, and he might be too late... He hadn't stopped running while thinking about the situation, and thus got to the side of the building where his apartment's porch was in under a half a minute. Calling hastily up the three stories, he managed to make himself heard and understood that he wanted a large box thrown down to him, that could be found under a bundle of clothes in the communal closet. It was the work of moment to find it and toss it down, four seconds to recover from being slightly stunned by striking his head against the brick wall a few yards behind him, and ten seconds to get a suitable distance from the Grue who charged into the alley, having tracked him by his scent. He had flung his arm back, aimed with care, and flung the box containing liquid explosives, smoke bombs and razor blades at the approaching red monsters, ducking behind the corner of a tiny side-alley to avoid the almighty explosion that shook the street. With a weary sigh, Marceau glanced down the alley he had thrown the box, shuddering at the sight of the mangled corpses of the monsters. Oddly enough, no damage had been done to either wall, but there was a large dent in the ground. Shrugging off this puzzle, Marceau took stock of what he would have to do now. His powers were gone, he had no idea when they would return, and his weapons were now in minuscule pieces embedded in the walls, pavement and bodies in the alley. He wouldn't be able to do much on his own, but he could... He looked back up at the third-story window. He thought of Doe Tighton, the gun-dealer sheltered in Monkey Towers. He thought of barricades and armed militias striking against the monsters from the sea. He ran inside the apartment complex, his voice like a bull's, calling for everyone inside to come down... ~Seven Hours Later~ The King of Suits examined the 11-foot tall mass of wood, reclaimed cars and strategically-placed metal crates across the narrow road. There were already twelve similar structures built in the Fens, and the Deep Ones and Grue who had attempted to attack them had ended up shot to pieces by entrenched snipers. Admittedly, sniping was hard to do with a hunting rifle, but, Marceau reflected, listening with deep jolts of horror at each hated retort of every loathed shot, at least the vile monsters died more quickly than when the militias had used the smaller-caliber arms. He had set up a delivery system of water and bullets to the snipers via the patrolling civilians given arms. The number of people living in the Fens who could be trusted with firearms was much smaller than he had hoped, and thus the area of the district that could be reliably defended was worryingly small. He hadn't dared expose anyone to the full fury of the marauding beasts, and had hit immediately on the idea of a wholly-defensive countermeasure, and had taken all the armed people he could through the dirty streets and dismal lots, gathering all the people he could find to help mount a defense of their homes, or else to find a good hiding-place. Still, he thought, even though it had been such a short time the invasion already seemed to be trickling out. The numbers of attackers reported by the snipers grew smaller by the half-hour, and Marceau could make out, from the distant din of the fighting in the streets to the north, west and east that the other districts were likewise seeing a slow drop in the number of aggressors. He looked earnestly forward to the time when he could rest at ease, for he could already see a small band of Deep Ones sneaking through a crack in their defenses. With a sigh, he jumped off the rampart and hit the ground running, kicking up a garbage can lid that he sent sailing into the jaw of the lead aquatic terror, giving him that vital few seconds of surprise for him to strike. He made quick work of the rest, sending brutal blows into their necks and stomachs, only realizing when he had bashed the last distorted Atlantean into insensibility that the gunshots had stopped, that the din without was rapidly lessening almost to silence, and that he could hear cheers from the victorious Freedonians all around. With a deep sense of relief, Marceau laboriously began the weary task of gathering the unconscious Deep Ones for returning to the depths they came from. At least there would be no more, fighting human monsters was bad enough, fighting inhuman terrors from the depths of the ocean was simply terrifying. He wondered vaguely if he would ever learn why this had happened, how the strange being naming itself Dr. Archeville had shared existence with the doctor he had heard so much about, and where the bizarre red monsters had arisen from. For now, he set himself sternly to forgetting such things, and concentrating on his knots.