GranspearZX

"Uh..." Marcus blinked as she touched the amulet around his neck. Wow. No concept of personal space... Just her being that close made him uneasy. Still, he didn't immediately pull away, letting her examine it; clearly she was seeing something he wasn't. He had a suspicion that it wasn't just some random charm, and Etain had only further confirmed it. In fact, she seemed to know more about just on arbitrary examination than he did. He would've been lying to himself if he said it didn't make him just a little bit jealous.

"So, ah... does this place have a name?" He smiled faintly, reaching for the leather strap on his book and hauling it off the ground, slipping it over his shoulder. "Not that you don't have to say if you don't want to, I mean. Just curious." Marcus understood more than anyone the need to keep things to oneself sometimes... Nevertheless, he saw no immediate reason not to ask.

"Not a clue." He shook his head, frowning a bit. "My dad gave it to me before I came here. I guess I was supposed to get it on my next birthday or something, but... stuff happened." 'Stuff' like his house being raided by AEGIS. Just remembering that night threatened to send the heavy set teen backsliding into an irritable mood--not exactly the sort of first impression he wanted anyone to have of him. He sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck with his right hand. "But yeah, my mom was pretty well-versed in the stuff. I'm pretty sure the got a lot of that from other books; kinda nice to have it all in one. In fact, I think she made this."

He reached into his jersey and pulled the pendant out from beneath it. If nothing else, Marcus had never even considered taking it off--and surprisingly, it didn't choke him when he transformed. Not even Marcus was quite sure how that was possible, but that was part of the reason why he was searching through his mother's grimoire--so he could figure it out.

He tilted his head a bit, not entirely sure how to broach the subject of her accent. He'd never heard anything quite like it; he didn't grow up around anyone who spoke--or dressed--so formally. "...where are you from, by the way?" God, I hope that didn't sound rude...

Marcus was well aware of his size in relation to other people; he often didn't know his own strength when he wasn't paying attention. He couldn't help but give her a somewhat appraising look as she shook his hand; outwardly she seemed like a regular, if unusually dressed person. Most people didn't think twice about the fact that Marcus's Blades jersey looked a little bit too big. He had a VERY good reason for that, however. Clothes were expensive enough without his other form ripping them apart.

"It's in English, mostly. I haven't even tried to read the gibberish towards the back..." The thought had crossed his mind to let her have a look at it. It couldn't REALLY hurt anything, and despite his own secrets, he had to trust someone. That and he had to give her points for approaching him at all. Holding out the book, he shrugged, not at all worried about temporarily parting with it. "I take it you know a little bit more about this kinda stuff than I do..." It was a little embarrassing, admitting weakness like that, but it was true. All he knew about magic was that he was capable; his father had told him that much. Both their powers were magical in nature, though Marcus's were considerably tamer than Richard's. It scared him a little to think about what his father's form actually looked like back when he couldn't control it. Marcus , at least, was born with his.

Marcus's book looked more like a journal than a textbook; it had no cover and the print was small. The only pictures in it were diagrams, lending even more incredulity to the idea that he might actually be reading it. Nonetheless, it had his full attention, so much so that he was muttering to himself even as Etain managed to sneak up on him. He was completely oblivious to what in particular she was staring at; he was largely ignorant of why he could do the things he could do, and her presence came across as general curiosity rather than focused specifically on the mark on his back.

When she spoke, it didn't startle him in the strictest sense of the word, but he visibly tensed, one hand curling around the book's edge in an almost defensive manner. He managed to stop himself from having a knee-jerk reaction, recalling what Mr. Summers had told him before--there was no need to feel threatened, not here. He took a deep breath and a steadying exhale, glancing over his shoulder as he set the book back in his lap. He blinked a few times at the way she was dressed--he hadn't seen anything quite like that outside sepia-toned photos in his history books.

"Oh... um... hi." He glanced at his book for a second, then back at her. Given what he'd seen over the past few days, magic seemed less and less strange; what would it hurt to tell her what it was? "It's a book that used to belong to my mom. Ritual magic, runes, alchemy... that sort of thing." Marcus could tell she was curious; he wasn't entirely sure how to interpret her interest. ...I'm probably thinking WAY too hard.

"I'm Marcus, by the way." He at least had enough manners to stand up, tucking the book under his left arm before offering her his right.

...in which Marcus Irons gets to know people. :)

Magic isn't supposed to have this much math in it.

Comprehension wasn't exactly Marcus's strongest trait. Reading even the most basic of his mother's books on the subject of magic and rituals required him to actually buckle down and pay attention, and doing so during his free time was taking its toll on his social life. It didn't help that he was 'the new kid', and that only made him want to draw into his shell that much more. Still, as difficult as it was, it was still fascinating to know that this sort of thing even existed... despite the tragedy that accompanied the discovery of his magical heritage.

Still, he felt a little bit out of place. Sure, he was a big bigger and stronger than the average 16-year old, but it wasn't completely unheard of. Just the day before, he could have sworn he'd seen someone pass through a wall. It was amazing and incredibly weird, and it made him miss his non-existent home. On the other hand, it was an opportunity to move forward and become something more. Despite what his parents were, the prospect of becoming a hero in his own right was always at the forefront of his thoughts--if for no other reason than to find his mother and make her explain everything.

He hadn't realized that just the thought of anything besides the book in front of him had made him stare off into space; he could tell that it was getting him a few stares from other students passing through the quad. Marcus sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. This is gonna be a long, long day... I can already tell.

The Hunter Museum of Natural History wasn't exactly the sort of place one would expect to find a bruiser like Marcus. He was something of a contradiction like that; despite his size, he was surprisingly adept at things other than physical pursuits. He'd been to the museum several times before, and had even toyed with the idea of becoming an archaeologist. That, of course, was before he'd discovered that he could transform into an eight-foot tall bear. That, among other things, had wildly shuffled his priorities; to keep from being completely overwhelmed, he tried to get back into something like a normal routine. As difficult as that seemed on paper, just being around something familiar made him feel a little less lost.

Even for someone who had visited the museum on several occasions, navigating it took a little bit of effort. Still, Marcus was no idiot; he knew, at least, where to begin, and he didn't mind looking around, even at things he'd already seen. He wasn't sure why he felt so much more at home among old tomes and artifacts; he suspected that it had a lot to do with his mother's profession. All he really knew about her was that she was a researcher, and she had a master's degree in archaeology. As soon as he started to think about her, he tried to push the thought out of his mind; that wasn't why he was here.

Before long, he spotted the exhibit at the far end of the room. He'd expected some sort of grand display, but there it was--a gemstone in a glass case, roped off to keep people away from it. He doubted that would do much to deter actual, determined thieves, but he wondered what kind of thief would steal a rock with nothing but cultural significance. According to the information posted, it was found somewhere in Sri Lanka several months ago. It took him a few moments to remember where that even was; reading further, it was a country particularly abundant in moonstones.

"So this is the Eye of Luna, huh? ...doesn't look like much." Then again, I guess looks can be deceiving... His right hand moved up to tap at the amulet around his neck.

7:44 pm :: December 19

Marcus Irons had taken a liking to wandering the park. His father might have warned him about being mugged or some such, but he wasn't worried about that--or at least, he was less worried than he would have been a year or two ago. For the most part, it was quiet every time he came, and wandering the park was the only real way he knew of to burn off some of the nervous energy he seemed to be burdened with. He was particularly exhausted that day; drawn into a random pick-up football game on the west side of Liberty Park, he'd lost track of time until his watch reminded him that he had a curfew.

With one earbud from his iPhone stuffed in left ear, Marcus made his way across the park. He rarely carried anything but his phone with him on these excursions, though today he'd brought along a book. It looked relatively new; leather-bound with no discernible title, the gray-covered tome hung at his right side, suspended by a brown leather strap over his right shoulder. It was a little bit unusual, but then, so was Marcus. Still, he looked relatively unassuming; wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans with grass stains at the knees, he really was, at heart, a typical, active teenager.

By the time he made it to the northern end of the park, it was nearly 8 pm. He was fairly certain he wouldn't make it back to Claremont by anything resembling a reasonable time, but he wasn't terribly worried. It wasn't as if he was out doing something crazy, like getting into fights or drugs or something equally ridiculous. He looked up at the moon as a new song started in his ear, smiling faintly as he muttered the lyrics under his breath. He only had one more stop he wanted to make, and he headed north towards the Hunter Museum of Natural History. There was a new exhibit he wanted to get a look at, and he figured a detour wouldn't hurt too much.

Changed Grapple, added his flat-footed defenses, and I replaced Protection 3 with Strike 2 (Mighty). Also, edited that device; it was supposed to have been hard to lose.

Took out Geomancer array, and I used the points to raise his CON, base defense and attack, and his saves. Hopefully everything balances out and I didn't get too mired in the adjustments...

This one took a little bit of doing; I don't want to completely gimp the character but I'm starting to see that he's spread rather thin--and his defense seems to be, overall, taking the largest hit.

In an effort to fix it, I dropped:

2 points of Wisdom

1 rank (4 skill points) in Search and Survival

2 ranks of Improved Block

All-Out Attack

Power Attack

Stunning Attack

Takedown Attack

Defensive Attack

I added Dodge Focus 2 and put the remaining points in his Defense.

Any further suggestion on how to fix the problem would be greatly appreciated.

After listing the combat values the way they were supposed to be listed, I was over 8pp. Fixed that by:

1) Reducing INT by 4 (adjusted skills accordingly)

2) Reducing Attack and Defense by 1.

Also, as per your suggestion, I shifted his Trip attack to the Area suggestion with the melee flaw.

Thanks for your patience. :)

1) I don't know WHY I thought that Attack/Defense was 1pp/rank... I must've been reading something else. o.o Fixed, and then I dropped Instant Up and Fearsome Presence 1 from his feats, replacing them with Attack Focus (Melee) 2

2) Fixes the math on his Toughness.

3) Fixed Super-Senses to read properly for Track 2.

4) Lowered the rank of Electrical Control from 10 to 8, in order to put Indirect 2 in as a power feat. Adjusted the DCs accordingly.

*I wasn't sure whether I needed to put just the modifier or the actual leaping distance for running/standing/vertical jumps... so I put both.

*I shifted his that one point in Resurrection into his Recovery Bonus instead.

*Had to think about the Air Control edit, but in the end, Trip was definitely the better option for what Arcturus would likely use it for. It's not quite the area-effect I would've liked, but I figure the character can grow into that.

Thanks again for the corrections. :)

...yeah, that could be a problem. o.o

Edited; changed Adrenal Surge 2 with Enhanced Feat 2 (Fearsome Presence 2)

*facepalm* Yeah, that was an oversight on my part.

I was in the midst of editing and, after everything was said and done, I forgot to take OUT Boost and replace it with Adrenal Surge 2. The original concept was that Arcturus's bear form sort of 'bleeds' magical energy for a short time, allowing spells cast to temporarily be more effective. While it's a concept to which I'm still partial, it's really not necessary, and I'll likely revisit the Boost Geomancy power later in one form or another. In the mean time, though, all I edited was the correction replacing Boost Geomancy 1 with Adrenal Surge 2.

Fixed! I hope.

-Fixed the DC and stat blocks, and hopefully I caught everything for the transition between Arcturus's human and beast form.

-Completely reworked his powers. It was sort of necessary; I realized that I went WAY overboard trying to make the character not-useless. Scaled the bear form way back, added descriptors to everything.

-Dropped Low-Light Vision (not sure why I had it AND darkvision) and added a feature that probably should've been there to begin with (insulated hide).

-Replaced the magic array with something a little more thematic and conducive to RP. Everybody loves a magician who actually has to incant.

-Cleaned up typos and math mistakes (although I'm not even sure I got them all. Lots of numbers. @.@)

Feedback, as always, much appreciated. ^^

[floatr][/floatr]Player Name: GranspearZX

Character Name: Arcturus

Power Level: 12/14 (190/212 PP)

Trade-Offs: +1 Attack / -1 Damage

Unspent PP: 22

Progress To Gold Status: 62/90

In Brief: A typical teenager with an atypical beast living inside him.

Alternate Identities: Marcus Irons

Identity: Public

Birthplace: Chicago, IL, USA

Occupation: High School Student

Affiliations: Claremont Academy, Parkhurst Mystics

Family: Richard Irons (Father, 43, A.K.A. the supervillain "Khimera"), Lyrica Irons (Mother, 40, A.K.A. the supervillain "Runic"), parents married 20 years

Age: 17 (DoB: March 1994)

Apparent Age: N/A

Gender: Male

Ethnicity: African-American

Height: 6' (8'4" in Bear Form)

Weight: 225 lbs. (475 lbs. in Bear Form)

Eyes: Brown (Red in Bear Form)

Hair: Black (Black Fur in Bear Form)

[floatr][/floatr]Description: In his normal form, Marcus seems like a normal kid. Tall and broad-shouldered, he's a bit on the heavy side, and looks like he was built for sports. His head is usually shaved bald, and his facial hair is trimmed into a nice, even goatee. Despite his size, Marcus is deceptively agile--he's no gymnast, but he's actually capable of more mobility than a tank. His brown eyes are often half-closed, and he always looks a little worn out--not that there's anything wrong with him. He simply looks disengaged from everything around him unless he's specifically focused on a person or a conversation... or even his studies. He has a notably brighter look about him when he's busy. Someone might actually catch him smiling on occasion.

In his 'beast' form, he's a lot more intimidating. Standing well over eight feet tall, Marcus--or Arcturus, as he prefers--is a particularly grim-looking beast of a man. Largely resembling a brown bear, Arcturus's fingertips ending in vicious claws. Covered in black fur, his most notable marking is the white, crescent-shaped patch across his upper chest.

History: Marcus Irons lead somewhat of a sheltered life. Being an only child, he couldn't remember a time when he wasn't in the company of at least one of his parents, and he never wanted for anything. That certainly wasn't to say that he was spoiled; Richard Irons was a gruff disciplinarian, almost military in his imposition of order on his only son. While both parents often had to go away on business from time to time, he more often than not spent that time with his father. Richard taught him all sorts of things--fishing, hunting, and even how to fight when he started getting bullied at school. His mother was a lot less heavy handed; she wouldn't let Marcus get away with just anything, of course, but she gave him considerably more freedom. It gave him plenty of chance to wonder why his parents had so many books on occult subjects, but he rarely acted on the impulse to read any of them. He had enough problems with just algebra.

Marcus and his father had just come from celebrating his 15th birthday a few weeks early, watching a Blades game. He thought it would be an unforgettable night; the two of them stuck around the stadium and he managed to get Andre Leroux to sign his jersey. It was, in fact, a night he'd always remember, but not for the reasons that Marcus thought. They went home, and hours later he was awakened by the breaking of glass and a lot of yelling. Marcus arrived in the living room just in time to see a group of men tackle his father. Without thinking he rushed to try and help, leaping uselessly on one of their backs, only to get thrown off. The landing hurt, but something else in him snapped... Everyone was especially surprised when the 15 year-old boy came back at the SWAT-geared man, grabbing him by the collar with a clawed hand and slinging him across the room.

The next few moments were a blur. The room flooded with more people and he remembered something giving him a nasty shock. He remembered his father's voice, sounding uncharacteristically desperate, and then... nothing. He woke up several days later in the hospital, with a strange man in his room, introducing himself as Duncan Summers. That was when he learned the truth--his parents were wanted supervillains. At first, he didn't believe it. His parents, as far as he knew, hadn't even had so much as a speeding ticket. Sure, his dad was over six and a half feet tall and intimidating as all hell, but imagining his father as a monster? No way.

Seeing the evidence, however, was sobering. His father could transform, just as he had that night, only his form was... far less friendly on the eyes. He had a body count well into the triple digits, most before he was born. He wasn't sure he'd be able to cope with the reality that his father was even capable of the destruction of which he'd been accused.

His mother's involvement was considerably more obscure. As the sorceress Runic, she had managed to suppress his father's transformation through the use of her knowledge and research on magical artifacts and symbols, allowing them to lead normal lives. She was wanted for hiding him, among other things... and Marcus was almost certain that it contributed to her not showing up when his father was carted off to jail. He wasn't stupid--he realized that his father never fought back, and that he'd plead guilty, skipping a trial entirely. Marcus wasn't sure what to do next... Summers provided him with an option.

Personality & Motivation: Marcus is surprisingly mature for his age, often coming off as stand-offish, humorless, and far more serious than necessary. He's actually notoriously big-hearted and loyal to the people who actually earn his trust, and something of a pacifist at heart--contrary to the look and overall aggressive nature of the Beast Rune on his back. It's certainly not that he isn't capable; on the contrary, it's knowing that he could potentially lose control and seriously hurt someone that keeps him from doing anyone serious, crippling harm. Seeking largely to guard against the stigma of his parents' pasts, Marcus makes it a point to know as much as he can about both the magical and physical world and how they interact with one another.

Powers & Tactics: Marcus is a brawler, plain and simple. Being especially good at it, his fists are often the first course of action for him. When he can actually plan ahead, he does so--more with a working knowledge of the situation than any real magical backup, other than his animal form. When especially pressed for a solution, he's been known to use the Beast Rune in its rawest form, able to transform into something other than his 'default' bear form.

Complications:

AAAAH! Bear!: Arcturus, in bear form, tends to give off an aura that screams 'predator'. As such, civilians have a tendency to panic when they see him.

Aspect of The Beast: Marcus is exceptionally aggressive and blunt in his bear form, and finds it difficult to back out of a fight.

Collateral Damage: When under the influence of the Beast Rune, Arcturus has an exceedingly difficult time gauging his own strength, potentially causing a notable amount of damage to his surroundings.

Colorblind: In his bear form, Arcturus can't really distinguish colors; everything looks grayscale.

Phobia: Marcus can't swim. It's less of a problem in his human form, but his fear of drowning causes him to avoid large bodies of water whenever possible.

Secret: Marcus's mother, Runic, is an international thief and forger, and has crossed and double-crossed numerous heroes and villains in her career. His father, the previous holder of the Beast Rune, destroyed an entire town before the power was stripped from him. If anyone did a little digging, it would cause Marcus a colossal headache and earn him a lot of enemies and unwanted attention.

Temper: Marcus has full control over his transformation... usually. Typically, however, pain causes his usually strict control to slip--whether it's physical, or seeing a friend get hurt.

Abilities: 0 + 2 + 12 + 2 + 4 + 0 = 20PP

Strength: 28/20/10 (+9/+5/+0)

Dexterity: 12 (+1)

Constitution: 26/22 (+8/+6)

Intelligence: 12 (+1)

Wisdom: 14 (+2)

Charisma: 10 (+0)

Combat: 18 + 16 = 34PP

Initiative: +5

Attack: +9 Ranged (+8 in Bear Form), +11 Melee (+10 in Bear Form), +12 Unarmed in Bear Form, +12 Claws

Grapple: +16; +23 in Bear Form

Defense: +10/+11 (+8 Base, +3 Dodge Focus, -1 Size [bear Form]), +4 Flat-Footed

Knockback: -3, -9 in Bear Form, -18 Bracing

Saving Throws: 5 + 8 + 10 = 23PP

Toughness: +11/+6 (+8/+6 Con, +3 Protection)

Fortitude: +13/+11 (+8/+6 Con, +5)

Reflex: +9 (+1 Dex, +8)

Will: +12 (+2 Wis, +10)

Skills: 92R = 23PP

Acrobatics 9 (+10)^{Skill Mastery}

Climb 3 (+3, +8 in Bear Form)

Concentration 8 (+10)

Craft (Artistic) 13 (+14)^{Skill Mastery}

Intimidate 7 (+7, +17 in Bear Form)^{Skill Mastery}

Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 13 (+14)^{Skill Mastery}

Knowledge (Earth Sciences) 3 (+4)

Knowledge (Life Sciences) 3 (+4)

Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 4 (+5)

Languages 2 (English [Native], Greek, Latin)

Notice 4 (+5)

Search 4 (+5)

Sense Motive 5 (+6, +14 in Bear Form)

Stealth 9 (+10, +6 in Bear Form)

Survival 5 (+6)

Feats: 18PP

Artificer

Attack Focus (Melee) 2

Dodge Focus 3

Fearless

Improved Grab

Improved Grapple

Improved Initiative

Improved Pin

Luck

Quick Change

Ritualist

Second Chance (TOU checks vs. Unarmed)

Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Craft [Artistic], Intimidate, Knowledge [Arcane Lore])

Takedown Attack 2

Powers: 40 + 11 + 4 + 3 + 1 + 3 + 10 = 72PP

Alternate Form 8 (40PP Container [Free Action, Sustained Duration]) [40PP] (Bear Form, Beast Rune, Magic)

Enhanced Strength 10 (to 20/+5; PFs: Alternate Power, Variable Descriptor 1 [earth, fire, ice, thunder]) [11PP]

Leaping 4 (x25 [Running Long Jump: 475ft]) [4PP]

Regeneration 3 (Bruised 3 [No Action]) [3PP]

Speed 1 (10 mph / 100 feet per Move action) [1PP]

Super Senses 1 (Detect Magic [Olfactory]) [3PP]

Super-Strength 4 (Lifting STR 40, 53 in Bear form, Heavy Load: 6 tons, 19.2 tons in Bear form; PF: Bracing, Groundstrike) [10PP]

Drawbacks: -0PP

None

DC Block:

ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT

Unarmed Touch DC15/20 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical); variable descriptor

Bear Form Touch DC24 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical); variable descriptor

Bear Claws Touch DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical); variable descriptor

Fearsome Presence 40ft Burst DC18 Will (Staged) Shaken/Frightened/Panicked

Groundstrike 90ft Burst Contested STR/DEX Prone

Abilities (20) + Combat (34) + Saving Throws (23) + Skills (23) + Feats (18) + Powers (72) - Drawbacks (0) = 190/212 Power Points

Hello!

First time poster, long time lurker, finally worked up the nerve to try and join. Relatively new to M&M, but I liked the system enough to buy the book, so I suppose that's a start. I'm 29, I live in Louisiana, and writer, gamer, and roleplayer. ...yeah, I think that about sums it all up. :)