horngeek

Catherine blinked as the meeting was attacked, and started to move into a ready stance, when she remembered that a) her costume wasn't on, and there was no possible way for her to act without publicly revealing that she was Vector.

She paused. Thought. And made a decision.

...if they start going after the bystanders, I'll act, but otherwise, I need to just watch and wait, even if I'd love to help take them down...

Haukea nodded, taking the card and sitting there for a few moments after Cobalt Templar left the room, processing how far beyond her intentions the meeting had actually gone. Then, she stood up, walking out of the library and to the subway, before catching the train home. She needed to talk to mom and dad...

A talk that went well into the night, her parents... discussing with her the events of the afternoon. To her relief, neither tried to make the decision for her- although late that night, dad told her that that was mostly because he thought she understood the ramifications of her choice. The decision made, Haukea went to bed.

The next morning, Haukea got up early, a bit jittery with nervousness, but managing to get through her morning routine just fine...

Then she called the number on the card.

Haukea blinks.

Then answers, again without hesitation, smiling gently. "Protector. I'd be much more suited to protecting people than being on the front lines."

I assume you want a Search roll, so...

1d20+4=17

...except I added the wrong modifier, it should be intelligence, which means the result should be 19. Do you want to use that, Thaumo?

Vector winced as she saw the generator. "Oh, this isn't good... don't touch the generator, Synth, it's probably live with current. We need to find some rubber gloves so we can be insulated from the current, unless you've got an immunity to electrical shocks..."

She swept her flashlight slowly across the room, trying to spot if any rubber gloves were present- after all, there was the possibility that someone had stored electrical protection near the electrical equipment.

And Haukea met his eyes, her own expression confident and without any hesitation. "Yes, I would."

Haukea's forehead furrowed in thought, the young teenager considering for half a second.

Before she looked up, her voice confident. "You mean the Terminus, right? ...mom and dad've told me about when the Invasion happened. If I can help protect people against that... yeah. Yeah, I'd take up the burden if it were offered."

Haukea nodded, and was about to speak when Cobalt asked his question. And as he asked, the young teenager's jaw dropped a little in surprise.

After several seconds of stunned silence, she spoke again. "Um… actually, no. Let me just figure out how to put this, Mr. Templar…

I wouldn't turn it down if it was offered or I found it, but I really didn't go into this with the intention of getting a ring."

She paused for a moment. "If you think it'd be a good idea to try, though, I wouldn't refuse."

"Still, more people couldn't hurt, right? And yeah, I know they're not sentient or anything, but they were still made for a reason, and ignoring that, calling them 'just tools' is probably how a lot of the people who use them for selfish ends view them."

Haukea still spoke with a quiet intensity. "And again, I get that there are a lot of heroes in this city, this world. But..."

She paused, trying to find the right words. "More people willing to use their abilities responsibly and protect people who can't protect themselves is always a good thing. At least in my opinion..."

(05:48:44) Raveled: Bah, all you new people are the same.

(05:48:50) Ecalsneerg: "New people"?

(05:48:58) Raveled: Newer than me!

(05:49:13) KnightDisciple: New "people"? "New" people? New people? New people?

(05:49:20) Freely_Seek: It's so weird being called new.

(05:49:27) Raveled: New people?

(05:49:27) Ecalsneerg: Newcomers to our great chatroom!

(05:49:31) Ecalsneerg: Stealing our jobs!

(05:49:34) horngeek: Oh god, everyone's going silly now.

(05:49:34) Ecalsneerg: Sleeping with our women!

(05:49:39) Ecalsneerg: Eating our brunch!

Haukea blinked at his response. "Sure, they're a temptation, I get that, but... surely there'd be people you could trust to use them to protect others? Teach them how to use the rings- okay, maybe you don't have time for that, but there's got to be someone- and make sure they know why to use them as well, protect the innocent instead of... just using them for their own ends.

It's just... the rings deserve more respect than to just be locked away in a vault gathering dust."

She looked up to meet his eyes, her quiet but strong will coming through beneath the slight awkwardishness he would have seen when first entering the room. "And more than to be held by selfish people. I... maybe you could set up some methodology of searching for suitable people to hold them. I get that it's not simple, but...

Is anything worth doing simple?"

Haukea blushed, both at the compliment and... well, a bit of embarrassment, which went away fairly quickly as she started talking, focusing on the words instead of who she was talking to. Always helped when she did that.

"I find something interesting, and I try to find out more. And yeah, I can get a... bit focused on finding stuff out.

...make that VERY focused. But I spend a lot of time reading and researching stuff anyway. And... yeah, they were interesting. Partially because of the difference in purpose and how a lot of their wielders used them. I mean, they could be used for so much good and they've been wasted far too much."

A quiet tone entered her voice. "It's... good that at least once of them's being used for the right reason.

And plus, moving to Freedom City, might as well find out a bit on the people I'd be seeing flying in the sky. I'd read a bit on the rings before dad told me, but... well, I knew I was coming here, and I had an inkling of something that might have been relevant.

...yeah, it's... a pretty nerdy reason when I say it like that."

As Cobalt Templar entered, Haukea blinked, expecting the full armor. That he didn't... was surprising- a bit, but... seemed to confirm some of her suspicions, anyway. A couple of the rings, from what she had read, seemed to be able to create objects. Visibly nervous, she sat on the other side of the table and waited, remarkably patiently, as Templar looked over his files. She was early, after all, so he probably wasn't completely ready. And she was trying to think over what to actually say, what to ask. Thinking about stuff beforehand helped a lot in social situations. New social situations.

This counted big time.

After Corbin spoke, Haukea breathed in... and out... before starting to speak. "Well... um, as I said when emailing the League, I'd been doing some research on some magical rings, and your ring... seemed similar to them. I know they've been around since ancient times, at least since about... 50 AD. Anyway, your ring seemed similar to some of the records I dug up of one of the rings- the Blue Ring of the Determined Leader. Especially the color scheme.

Plus, one of the supervillains that attacked Hanover about... a year ago had powers that are similar to what I've read of the Red Ring of the Courageous Warrior. And she had a ring, according to news reports. Um. Given the first fact, I figured you might know some more about the rings?"

...and all that was sprouted out from memory.

Okay. She's currently running +10 on both Defence and Toughness.

Reflex d20+8 vs DC23 Reflex Save (made it with a result of 28)

Toughness d20+10 vs DC21 (failed with result of 13)

OOC thread. Rolls and stuff if we actually need them, or commenting on events.

Monday, October 5, 4PM

Haukea grimaced as she ducked into the main branch of the Freedom City library, looking at April and May as she came out of the weather. The teenager was very, VERY grateful she had remembered to bring along an umbrella- and a coat, for that matter. She was used to Hawaii, not the cold, damp...

Okay, she was rambling again. Focus, where had Cobalt Templar said they were meeting again? One of the side rooms, of the... second floor. Right. Haukea put her umbrella on the stand and checked her coat, remembering to thank the coat-checker (noting to herself to check if that was what they were actually called... she spent enough time in libraries that you'd think she knew), then heading up the stairs and to the side room Cobalt had said he'd be in... and arriving 15 minutes early. She smiled. "Better than being late, I suppose..."

Done and done.

Vector ran outside, heading for the leg of the great beast. Skidding to a stop, she drew her fist back, preparing her powers-

And then her fist shot forwards, her powers accelerating the punch to well beyond human capability... as the fist impacted, Vector's powers diverting all the forces involved into the leg of the massive cow, turning the force that might have cracked her knuckles into the leg, and...

Leaving it unharmed. "Oh, you have got to be joking me..."

Vector's going for the nice and simple here- a vector-enhanced punch!

To hit!

Vector smiled as she took the offered flashlight. "Thanks. I'll try to get it back to you in one piece, okay?"

She looked over the edge of the manhole, nodding in response to Net Fly's comment before handing the flashlight to him. "All right... let's go. Shine a light down after me, okay? I don't exactly have a belt to clip the torch onto..."

Then, she started climbing down the ladder, quickly but carefully moving down, watching around her- but having to trust in her powers to keep her safe should she be ambushed. Vector reached the bottom a short time later, and dropped off it...

Vector hurried down the stairs, frowning as she saw the guard. She stepped over, nodding in acknowledgement of the other two superheroes present. "Hey. I'm Vector, pleased to meet you both, wish it were under better circumstances.

Caught the tail end of what you were saying... I should probably come down to help check on the generator- I can take surprise attacks fairly well.

...we'll need to split up, though. Some of us go down to check the generator while the rest of us start keeping the visitors contained."

Once Synth started heading off, Vector accompanied her, staying a little in front of the shapeshifter.

Just so you guys know, I'm going to be away this weekend. Minimal internet access if any.

I'm trying to emphasize constructs here. Yeah, I know she's fairly generic right now, but to be honest, I'm fairly happy with that- the sheet's very much a 'day one' sheet, in fact'.

-Ah, right. I'll get on that.

And we're specifically going to play that out. Part of it's going to be her insistence that they shouldn't just sit around, and should instead be used for good. Basically, strong will connected with a protective instinct.

Player Name: horngeek

Character Name: Stronghold

Power Level: 10 (152/160PP)

Trade-Offs: None

Unspent Power Points: 8

Progress To Bronze Status: 15/30  (6 earned pp pre bump/ 1 earned post bump)

In Brief: Student who managed to impress Cobalt Templar enough that he gave her the Orange Ring of the Protective Builder.

Alternate Identity: Haukea Kawena

Identity: Secret

Birthplace: Hawaii

Occupation: Student!

Affiliations: Claremont Academy, Next-Gen

Family: Kalea Kawena (Mother), Mikala Kawena (Father)

Description:

Age: 17 (DoB: September 28, 1997)

Apparent Age: 17

Gender: F

Ethnicity: Mainly Hawaiian, with some other ethnicities mixed in.

Height: 5'6"

Weight: 120lbs

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Black

Haukea is a fit-looking young woman, who's quite attractive (although awkward at times due to a lack of real social skill). She wears her hair fairly short, which means it doesn't get in the way too much, and tends to dress casually, in jeans and a t-shirt. She almost never wears 'designer' clothes- it's not that she can't afford them or anything, she just plain doesn't see the point of doing so.

As Stronghold, Haukea dons an orange bodysuit, with a black section over the shoulders and dipping down her chest, and an orange domino mask protecting her identity. She could easily create a cape using the ring... but again, she doesn't see the point of doing so. Sure, capes LOOK dramatic, but do you really need to take the time to do that?

Power Descriptions:

Haukea holds the Orange Ring of the Protective Builder. This allows to create various constructs (indeed, her costume is one of said constructs), and allows her control over earth, although she's focusing on the constructs right now. This is similar to Cobalt Templar's ring, but on a much larger scale (and at much longer range)- Stronghold could hold off a large force for a certain amount of time. She can also make smaller constructs to quickly block attacks, and bind enemies (she's experimenting with different forms for these bindings- at the moment, it's quite likely that each binding will take a different form). The ring also enhances her strength to an impressive degree, although not to the level of a powerhouse. Finally, she can also create and fling various projectiles using the ring.

History:

Mikala and Kaela were... an unlikely couple, to say the least. Mikala was a member of AEGIS, working in his home state, and Kaela ran a web design business. The pair met at a lunch organised by a mutual friend, and became good friends immediately, although it took a few years for them to fall in love and marry (Mikala saving Kaela during the Terminus Invasion had a lot to do with it, to be honest). And a few years later, they had a daughter, Haukea.

Haukea... took after her mother more in a lot of ways. Quite intelligent, she wasn't the most skilled at social interaction (in fact, she was diagnosed with high-functioning Asperger's Syndrome shortly after starting school). Her father was still proud of her, though- and he pushed her to train to keep fit. Overall... school was a mixed experience. Sure, she did well, but being socially awkward never helped at school, even if she did learn. Haukea gained a strong sense of loyalty and a protective instinct during this time, as well as a strong interest in knowledge- especially geology, but she'd pretty much try to learn everything she could about interesting things. In particular, she read about seven magical rings created in ancient Israel. But she couldn't find any more information on them, so she shelved that bit of knowledge.

As she came towards the end of middle school, her father received orders from AEGIS- he was to move to Freedom City, which had a need for officers. The family wasn't completely happy about it, but they could keep in contact with friends and relatives, so the prepared to move. Haukea started reading up on Freedom City... and the various superheroes there. Reading about Cobalt Templar, she noticed that he seemed to wield a magical... blue ring? Haukea was immediately reminded of the passage she'd read a while ago... and revisited it. And found a couple more interesting tidbits. About a few other figures, who seemed to have rings of their own. So, shortly after arriving at freedom city, she put in a message to the Freedom League on the off chance Cobalt Templar might speak with her...

Personality & Motivation:

Haukea is loyal, smart, and she's a kind person above all. Unfortunately, she's not all that good at meeting new people for the most part, and not good with dealing with new situations in social terms. She doesn't mind being out in public... just not good at actually meeting new people. Or being crowded. That said, if people she cares about are in trouble, she's very good at standing up for them- underneath the awkwardness lies a strong protective instinct and an iron will.

She also reads a LOT of books, and has a love for epic fantasy novels. In terms of music, she has a fairly eclectic taste, although her favorite composer is Yuki Kajiura.

Powers & Tactics:

Stronghold tends to use her constructs tactically, making walls to funnel crowds and snare opponents. She very specifically tends not to strike first (if she does, she's furious, in fact). Overall, she's a very defensive fighter, and a supporter rather than a frontline striker. And she's a fair tactician, too.

Complications:

Asperger's: Stronghold has high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (or Asperger's Syndrome).  While she's high-functioning and has learnt how to compensate most of the time, she can be plagued by indecision when hit by a seriously unexpected event, will sometimes not get why someone is doing something, and would not cope well if someone seriously betrayed her trust, likely starting to harbor a long-standing grudge against whoever did so.  

My Father is an AEGIS Agent: Mikala Kawena follows a career path that can be dangerous at times.  As an agent of AEGIS, he's had plenty of opportunity to gather enemies, and it's entirely possible that someone might target Stronghold in her civilian identity.  Where she can't really use the Ring for fear of revealing her identity, which leads to...

Secret Identity: Haukea's identity is not known to the public.  For any number of reasons, she'd really rather keep it that way.  

New To The Whole Hero Thing: Stronghold hasn't been a hero for very long, and in some ways, has dived in the deep end of the pool.  It's rather likely that she might be faced with a hard choice- and if she's pressed for time to make it, she may well just... freeze up.  

I Got This Ring For A Reason: To protect people.  Haukea will prioritize protecting bystanders from danger over a number of other concerns, including chasing after villains, and her own safety.  

Orange Ring of the Protective Builder: The Ring has history.  Wearing it includes Haukea in a fairly select group, and may give her an association with the rest of the Ring-Bearers.  Given that sometikmes, the Ring-Bearers have been not-nice people, this may be... problematic.  On the other end of the scale, the other known Ring-Bearer is Cobalt Templar, who has his own claims to fame- it's not outside the realm of possibility that someone might strike at the 'weaker' Ring-Bearer instead of Templar.  

Well, if I Can Keep It Safe...: And then there's the other problem with the Rings.  The sometimes-nagging temptation to keep things precious to her safe by locking them away.  While Stronghold's desire to protect people in general normally keeps this well down, if she was called to sacrifice something very important to her to save people... well.

Abilities: 4 + 6 + 4 + 10 + 4 + 0 = 28PP

Strength: 14 (+2)

Dexterity: 16 (+3)

Constitution: 14 (+2)

Intelligence: 20 (+5)

Wisdom: 16 (+3)

Charisma: 10 (+0)

Combat: 12 + 20 = 32PP

Initiative: +3

Attack: +6 Melee, +6 Ranged (Active Array +10)

Grapple: +0

Defense: +10 (+10), +5 Flat-Footed

Knockback: -5

Saving Throws: 6 + 5 + 7 = 18PP

Toughness: +10 (+10 Impervious) (+2 Con, +8 Impervious Force Field)

Fortitude: +8 (+2 Con, +6)

Reflex: +8 (+3 Dex, +5)

Will: +10 (+3 Wis, +7)

Skills: 40R = 10PP

Computers 4 (+9)

Concentration 4 (+6)

Diplomacy 3 (+3)

Escape Artist 4 (+7)

Knowledge (Civics) 2 (+7)

Knowledge (Earth Sciences) 6 (+11)

Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 4 (+9)

Knowledge (Pop Culture) 2 (+7)

Knowledge (Tactics) 6 (+11)

Language 1 (English (Native), Hawaiian)

Swim 4 (+6)

Feats: 7PP

Accurate Attack

Jack-of-All-Trades

Luck 1

Master Plan

Precise Shot 2

Uncanny Dodge [sight]

Equipment: 0PP=0EP

Powers: 57 = 57PP

Device 14.2 (Orange Ring of the Protective Builder; Descriptors: Holy, Magic, Earth; Flaws: Hard To Lose) [57PP]

Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP

DC Block

ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT

Unarmed Touch DC17 Toughness Damage (Physical)

Blast Ranged DC35 Toughness Damage (Magic, Holy)

Snare Ranged DC20 Reflex Snare (Magic, Holy)

Totals: Abilities (28) + Combat (32) + Saving Throws (18) + Skills (10) + Feats (7) + Powers (57) - Drawbacks (0) = 152/160 Power Points