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Justice 8PM, March 14th, 2020 Betlehem Heights, the noodle place on the corner of 14th and Ramos Robin was nervous. Not quite to the oh-god-I'm-a-wreck level of nervous just yet, but she was nervous. She wasn't the only hero in Emerald City, which was great, but everything was just so random. One day, she'd run into Emerald Spider, then it would be months before she saw someone else. Emerald City was big, sure, but it was almost like everyone was staying away from everyone else on purpose, and well, she'd been nervous about trying to rock the boat there. Emerald City didn't have many heroes, she didn't want to get on the bad side of anyone by pretending she could be the one to call everyone together and boss them around or anything like that. She really didn't want to do anything like that, but, well... things were changing, right? They'd probably seen the news of the Mars Ultio Suits, if they hadn't already run into them on the streets. And well, she knew some things about them that the others might not. At least she had a little bit of local fame with the whole thing with fighting the Wall getting on TV and when she helped put Devlin back in place, so she wasn't a total unknown. Still, she was still nervous about this thing. She was wearing her costume. Red with light grey boots and gloves, a pink lion on her chest and wearing her red domino mask. She wasn't quite ready to let everyone know who she was here, but wearing the full armor would be weird, if she wasn't about to fight someone at least. God, she hoped nobody would start fighting. So, Robin put out the call on HeroHouse and CapesList. A simple message: Hey, everyone in Emerald City, this is Justice! I know we're not really a close-knit community or anything, but things seem to be changing, and I'd like everyone to meet up. I'll be at the noodle place at the corner of 14th and Ramos in Betlehem. I hope I'll see you all there. Right, so, she had met Emerald Spider, Meta-Naut and Kanunu. Hopefully at least one of them would show up, maybe some of the other heroes that had started running around. At least the owners of this place were good people, they didn't mind people in masks and costumes. Maybe she'd even get the chance to thank Emerald Spider for introducing her to the place. So, she waited. Eyes on the door. Hoping that at least someone would show up.

OOC thread for this thread. Supersuits as a Service. @RocketLord

GM April 20th, 2020, 4.45PM Blackstaff Investigations, Emerald City(Oregon), USA Vang flew unceremoniously across the office, propelled by a contemptuous backhand from the towering spirit. Baring its claws, slaver dripping from the mouths in its palms and white eyes rolling up and down along its arms, the horror turned on Blackstaff! "You see!" Vang yelled, pain and triumph mingled in the old man's voice, "I told you they were after me! They don't want you finding Soap!" This was sufficiently obvious that only the stress of the situation kept it from being comical. The wall behind Christopher's desk was shattered inward now, the warm afternoon air rushing pleasantly into the office with that Pacific Ocean salt tang. What had seemed like a simple enough case, finding a young shopkeeper in the Eastern District who had recently vanished into the twisted warrens of the District interior, had certainly taken a turn for the vicious. A saving grace was that the wards had peeled off most of the shells of shining gold armor that had bolstered the thing. Underneath, it looked thin and malnourished, the featureless head lolling and twitching as it got a bead on the occult investigator.

OOC thread for this thread. Blackstaff dodges ghosts and ghouls tracking a missing person. @Spacefurry Initiative, please. The Yaoguai's using the Bruise Demon block from Book of Magic pg.85. Its initiative roll is: 13.

Blackstaff Power Level: 10 (192/196PP) Unspent Power Points: 4PP Trade-Offs: None In Brief: Private/Paranatural Investigator Catchphrase: *** Theme: People are Strange - cover by Echo and the Bunnymen (originally by The Doors) Alternate Identity: Christopher Daye (Public); Christopher Blake Verus Daye (Secret) Birthplace: Just outside Richmond, Virginia Residence: Emerald City, Renovated townhouse/office Base of Operations: Blackstaff Investigation Occupation: P.I. Affiliations: none Family: Father (missing), Mother, 2 Sisters Description: Age: 36 (DoB: May 30, 1984) Apparent Age: 26 Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 5’ 11” Weight: 178 Eyes: Hazel Hair: Brown Description: A night owl, more by necessity then nature, Christopher isn’t nearly as pale as one would expect. Preferring darker than neutral colors he’s usually dressed in slacks and button up shirt; and usually looking like he may have just rolled out of bed in them, he often completes his attire with a trench coat. His hair is cut short causing it to stand up a little spiky. Christopher can be found sporting a trimmed mustache and goatee that never quite connects. But long hours on the job can leave him with stubble and needing a shave and trim. History: Born 2 weeks early, to James and Agatha Daye in their home during a total solar eclipse his parents believe he was born under a sign. His mother was a sorceress and knew right away Christopher possessed magic potential. His father, a scholar of arcane lore but no wizard himself, at first wanted her to wait to teach him but eventually conceded to his wife’s wishes. Christopher showed great promise and his mother was proud. Then, one winter’s morning when he was 13, he had to be pulled from his burning bedroom by his father. Once his mother had magically suppressed what her realized to be hell flames, she discovered half charged runes that she hadn’t taught her son chalked onto his bedroom floor. When confronted young Christopher told his parents a shadowy figure was teaching them to him in his dreams. Fearing the implications his parents quickly set about to flee their current home and hide. During the rush to escape James Daye disappeared. Now panicked even more, Agatha Daye gathered Christopher and his two younger sisters (Bethany and Cassandra) and took them to Freedom in an attempt to hide them. As he continued to grow, his mother became more serious about her teachings and drilled him in the importance of the Light over the Shadow and not to listen to the shadowy figure that came to him in his dreams. Through practice and discipline the figure showed itself less and less. After high school he moved to Emerald City with a friend decided to go for his private investigator license. After a few years apprenticing with an established investigator he left on good terms to open his own office. Now, many years later, Christopher Blake Verus Daye operates under the business name of Blackstaff Investigations. He doesn’t advertise, but somehow people who need him find his card or number, or sometimes even find their way into his office. Often with problems that normal avenues can’t handle. Personality & Motivation: Though he may seem rough and snarky when you first meet him, Christopher is very kind and loyal. But if you make him mad he isn’t one to be underestimated. And one of the easiest ways to get on his bad side, is to blatantly break the rules of magic he tries to live by. He relies on his quick wit and magic to get himself out of the trouble his sharp tongue and protective nature can get him in to. There’s been a time or two he’s fallen for a sob story and cursed himself for it. Behind the face of Blackstaff Investigations, Christopher strives to bring light to the darkness that he sees is covering the city. Even if it’s only one case at a time. Power Descriptions: Christopher’s mother taught him a form of ever evolving hermetic magic that she learned and added to from her own parents. He learned how to channel elemental forces, and how to use magic to affect the world around him, locate lost thing, and even call on other worldly beings. He was taught to use words to shape the desired effects, and to protect his mind from the raw forces he channeled. Creating a personalized language so as to keep the dangerous forces from burning through him and causing harm. He learned how to use hand motions to further focus his power. His mother taught him how to create rituals to perform a wider repertoire of spells and how to create personal foci to aid him in streamlining his magic use. Knowing he still has more to learn, Christopher relies on several foci he made himself to create some specific effects. Hopefully, with time and practice he’ll learn to create the same effects without the needed aids. Complications: Cat’s Eye View: During a missing child case Backstaff lost his left eye to a Cait Sidhe (cat-sith), faerie cat. He successfully returned the child and as ‘reward’ a swamp hag replaced his lost eye with that of the Cait Sidhe that took his original one. While the full repercussions of this have yet to be seen, it has granted him access to the ‘Olde Roads’ to travel on. It also means he does now carry the scent of the fae or can be identified as ‘fae-touched’. Hot and Cold Water: Blackstaff has a curse he has been unable to remove from himself, and a recent magical accident seems to have reactivated it. As of now, a powerful magical surge has a chance to change Blackstaff’s physical form, turning him into a younger female form. This form can easily be mistaken for a younger sister to his original physical form. Changing back on his own requires a long ritual. The Rules of Magic: Drilled into his head from the very start by his mother, Christopher follows 7 rules of magic. Unfortunately, he has found himself unable to avoid breaking them himself. These times often leave his confidence shaken and on severe occasions have led to him unable to call on his magic for a time. (Yes, it is possible to trick him into thinking he has broken one of the rules) 1 – Thou Shalt Not Kill (This forbids the killing of non-primal planar, sentient beings with magic) 2 – Thou Shalt Not Transform Others (This forbids the shapeshifting of unwilling non-primal planar, sentient beings with magic) 3 – Thou Shalt Not Invade the Mind of Another (This forbids the metal invasion of unwilling non-primal planar, sentient beings with magic) 4 – Thou Shalt Not Enthrall Another (This forbids the binding or domination of non-primal planar, sentient beings with magic) 5 – Thou Shalt Not Reach Beyond the Borders of Life (This forbids the summoning, binding, and exploitation of the unwilling dead) 6 – Thou Shalt Not Swim Against the Currents of Time (This forbids the use of time travel to alter the timeline) 7 – Thou Shalt Not Open the Outer Gates (This forbids the summoning or contacting of creatures or entities from beyond the Cosmic Coil) Shadowed Soul: A yet unidentified shadowy person or entity has taken an interest in Christopher since he was a child and on occasion has attempted to ‘nudge’ him into actions. Because of its early interest in him, this entity already has some influence it is able to call upon. Sometimes, when it could be detrimental or prove to be a long-term problem for Christopher, the entity can mentally influence his senses. Its plans are unknown to Christopher, but he doesn’t believe it’s trying to kill him. But he does believe it is trying to turn him towards a path of darkness. (This usually manifests as mental illusions that only Christopher is subject to.) Sweating Magic: Magic is raw, untamed power that more and more intricate technology just can’t stand up to. Sometimes, under stressful conditions Christopher radiates enough magic to disrupt or out right shut down nearby technology. ABILITIES [0 + 4 + 2 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 30PP] Strength: 10 (+0) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 18 (+4) Wisdom: 18 (+4) Charisma: 18 (+4) COMBAT [8 + 8 = 16PP] Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex) Attack: +10 (+4 Base, +6 Device) Defense: +10 (+4 Base, +6 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Grapple: +4 (+4 Melee Attack, +0 Strength) Knockback Resistance: 0/-7 SAVING THROWS [7 + 6 + 6 = 19PP] Toughness: +10 (+1 Con, +9 Force Field [5 Impervious]) Fortitude: +8 (+1 Con, +7PP) Reflex: +8 (+2 Dex, +6PP) Will: +10 (+4 Wis, +6PP) SKILLS [104R = 26PP] Bluff 6 (+10) Concentration 6 (+10) Craft, Artistic 6 (+10) Disable Device 6 (+10) Gather Information 8 (+12) Investigate 8 (+12) Knowledge (arcane lore) 8 (+12) Knowledge (streetwise) 6 (+10) Knowledge (theology and philosophy) 6 (+10) Language 8 (English [native], Latin, Spanish, Sumerian, Mandarin, Hebrew, Atlantean, Enochain, Infernal) Notice 10 (+14) Search 8 (+12) Sense Motive 10 (+14) Stealth 8 (+10) FEATS [46PP] Artificer Connected Dodge Focus 6 Equipment 2 (Apartment/Office 10EP) Improved Initiative Luck 3 Ritualist Sidekick 30 (Lark 150PP) Well Informed Equipment 2 (10EP) Blackstaff Investigations (Headquarters) [10EP] Size: Small [0EP] Toughness: +10 [1EP] Features: [9EP] Fire Prevention System Laboratory Library Living Space Personnel (fey cleaning, phantom librarian, part-time werewolf secretary) Security System 3 (DC 30) Workshop POWERS [12 + 37 + 6 = 55PP] Device 3 (Shield Bracelet; Hard to Lose) [12PP] (Descriptors: Jewelry, Foci, Magic) Force Field 9 (Feat: Subtle; Extra: Impervious 5) [15DP] Magic 10 (33PP Magic Array; Feats: Alternate Power 6; Drawback: Power Loss 2 [When unable to speak and gesture; Frequency: Common]) [37PP] (Descriptors: Magic) BP: Blast 10 (Extra: Penetrating 5; Feats: Accurate 3, Affects Insubstantial 2, Improved Critical 1, Variable Descriptor 2 [Any "Magic" descriptor]) [33/33PP] AP: Create Object 10 (Extra: Duration 1 [Continuous], Impervious 7; Flaw: Action [Full-round]; Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Precise, Selective, Stationary, Subtle) [33/33PP] AP: Move Object 12 (Feats: Accurate 3, Improved Critical 1, Indirect 3, Precise, Subtle) [33/33PP] AP: Nullify Magic 10 (“Dispel Magic”; Nullify [All Magic Effects]; Extra: Area [General Burst], Duration 1 [Concentration], Selective; Flaws: Flaw: Action [Full-round]; Range [Touch]) [40/33PP] AP: Nullify Technology 10 (“Jinx Technology”; Nullify [All Technology Effects]; Extra: Area [General Burst], Duration 1 [Concentration], Selective; Flaws: Flaw: Action [Full-round]; Range [Touch]) [40/33PP] AP: Snare 10 (Extras: Area [General Burst]; Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2 [Full effect], Reversible) [33/33PP] AP: Teleport 10 (“Shadow Roads”; Extras: Accurate, Affect Others; Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Dimensional; Flaw: Medium [Shadows]) [34/33PP] Super-Sense 3 (Magic Awareness [All Magic Effects]; Mental, Acute, Radius, Ranged) [6PP] (Descriptors: Mental, Sense Dependent, Magic) DC BLOCK Name Range Save Effect Attack bonus Unarmed Touch DC15 Tou (staged) Damage +4 Blast 100 ft. DC25 Tou (staged) Damage +10, Penetrating 5, Affects Insubstantial 2, Crit 19-20, Variable Descriptor 2 Dispel Magic 50 ft. radius area DC20 Ref Halve Nullify rank for power check if passed Opposed power check Powers nullified Jinx Technology 50 ft. radius area DC20 Ref Halve Nullify rank for power check if passed Opposed power check Powers nullified Move Object - Thrown Objects 100 ft. DC25 Tou (staged) Damage +10, Crit 19-20, Indirect 3, Precise, Subtle Snare 100 ft. 50 ft. radius area DC20 Ref Halve Snare effect DC if passed Affects Insubstantial 2, Reversible DC20 Ref (staged) Fail: Entangled >5: Bound and Helpless TOTALS Abilities (30) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (19) + Skills (26) + Feats (46) + Powers (55) - Drawbacks (0) = 192/196 Power Points

Steel Shogun Power Level: 12 (216/216PP) Unspent Power Points: 0 Trade-Offs: (Katana) +1 Attack / -1 Damage, -2 Defense / +2 Toughness In Brief: Yakuza heir turned ironclad Oyabun. Alternate Identity: Takazumi Kaneda (Secret) Birthplace: Emerald City Residence: Jadetown, Emerald City Base of Operations: Jadetown, Emerald City Occupation: Oyabun of the Takazumi-gumi Affiliations: The Chamber, Takazumi-gumi, Katanarchists Family: Takazumi Kagami (Wife, Born 1980), Takazumi Ryu (Son, Born 1998, So-Honbucho of Kaneda's household, member of Takazumi-gumi), Takezumi Tomiko (Daughter, Born 1998, has visions of the future) Description: Age: 46 (DoB: 1973) Gender: Male Ethnicity: Asian Height: 5'7'' / 6'7'' as Steel Shogun Weight: 166 lbs. / 500 lbs. as Steel Shogun Eyes: Black Hair: Black Takazumi Kenada is an attractive 46-year-old Japanese man. He is 5’7” with a strong build, black hair and brown eyes. He wears well-crafted Japanese business suits, Italian shoes, and expensive silk ties. As the Steel Shogun, Kaneda is 6’7” tall and appears to be made from a silvery-grey metal. He wears a suit of light metal armor designed to resemble that of a traditional samurai, and he wields a katana and a wakazashi. His voice in this form is deeper, with a hollow quality, almost as if it were coming from a deep well. History: Takazumi Kaneda, the boy who would one day become the Steel Shogun, was the son of Takazumi Tetsuo, the Oyuban of the Takazumi-gumi—a Katanarchist Yakuza clan based out of Little Osaka in Emerald City. To have his son raised traditionally, Tetsuo sent him to Japan to be fostered by his uncle, the Oyabun of his own Yakuza clan, where Kaneda would be indoctrinated to become a loyal Katanarchist. He was to be given the best education Japan could provide, including the ancient art of wielding the sacred katana. He became an active member of his uncles’ clan when he turned 16, but with the strict understanding that he would return to Emerald City at his father’s command to take control of the ‘family business’ in America. Kaneda rose through the Yakuza ranks buoyed, not by his birthright, but by his intelligence and skill. He proved to be an insightful member of the organization who commanded not only the loyalty but the love of the men below him due to his willingness to lead them directly and not from behind the safety of a desk. It was this very trait that very nearly led to Kaneda’s undoing. What seemed like a simple trade of smuggled weapons for drugs in an abandoned warehouse on an isolated dock proved to be a police set-up. Kaneda and his footsoldiers became embroiled in a gun fight. He knew the only way out was to ensure every one of the police officers was killed with no witnesses left standing. What neither the police nor Kaneda realized was that the warehouse had not been completely emptied of the barrels stored there. The hail of bullets ruptured the barrels and caused the chemicals to spill and ignite, resulting in a huge explosion, destroying the warehouse completely and setting fire to the surrounding area in a blaze that burned for a week. While most of the police and footsoldiers were killed instantly, Kaneda was flung free of the warehouse and landed on a rusting ocean freighter moored on the dock. Covered in burning chemicals, Kaneda’s skin melted and bubbled until he succumbed to the pain and passed out. When he regained consciousness, Kaneda at first thought that the chemical fire had fused his body to the freighter. Panicked, he tried to pull himself free but realized his body had not fused with the metal plates of the deck, but had instead become some sort of organic steel. He found his new body did not detrimentally affect the way he moved, and in fact he was far stronger and more resistant to injury than before. A small amount of experimentation revealed he could revert back to his normal flesh and blood form with just a thought, enabling him to hide his new-found ability until he wished to reveal it. Returning to his uncle, Kaneda continued to serve the clan and rose through the ranks. He used his new powers to act as an enforcer and special operative of the clan. The day finally came when was called back to America by his family; his father was gravely ill, and it was time to return to Emerald City to begin the process of assuming leadership of Takazumi-gumi. Kaneda stepped into the position of Oyuban with no opposition from his father’s men, and quickly earned their respect and admiration as a powerful and resourceful leader. As the leader of the Takazumi-gumi, Kaneda would become the unofficial, hidden leader of Jadetown. During his rise to power, Kaneda would marry Myashita Kagami, fathering the twins Ryu and Tomiko. While Kaneda would lavish attention on Ryu as his heir, his attention has turned to Tomiko in recent years, as she discovered that she could receive visions of the future, expressed through art. Eventually joining forces with other super criminals to create the conspiracy known as the Chamber, Kaneda became one of the secret rulers of Emerald City, a position that the Steel Shogun keeps to this day, ruthlessly dispatching any interference that could threaten the peace of his family. Personality & Motivation: Kaneda is ruthless and focused. His upbringing was steeped in the customs and rituals of his homeland and he grew up understanding the demands of honor, face, and respect. He is confident with a clear and commanding voice and gives the impression he isn’t used to being ignored or disobeyed. As a member of the Chamber, Kaneda stands in contrast to the likes of Koschei the Deathless and the Brain. While the pair could care little for the façade of a normal life in Emerald City, Kaneda champions keeping life in Emerald City in general, and Jadetown in particular, as normal seeming as possible. To this end, he will often dispatch the Takazumi-gumi as unofficial enforcers to kill or deport unwanted superpowered criminals. A loving father, Kaneda strives to keep his children Ryu and Tomiko out of the reach of the rest of the Chamber. While he is content with the life he leads, he strives to keep the Chamber from exploiting either Tomiko's visionary gifts, and Ryu's lust for power. Powers & Tactics: Kaneda is able to transform himself into “organic” steel, which vastly increases his strength and toughness, but also makes him denser and slower. He is a skilled martial artist, but prefers to fight up close with a katana. He is not above trying to grab his opponents to crush the life out of them. Power Descriptions: Following his exposure to the burning chemicals, Kaneda has become able to trnasform his body into "organic" steel. The process increases his density, making him heavier and slower, though it also makes him much stronger and harder to hurt, while making him virtually immune to most environmental effects. Complications: Honor: Steel Shogun is, ultimately, a man of honor. He does what he is honor-bound to do and expects the same from the people under him. He doesn’t understand those who feel differently and is often surprised by betrayals, major and minor. Motivation—Responsibility: Steel Shogun is the head of a family and he takes his responsibility to his family members seriously. Abilities: 8 + 8 + 8 + 6 + 4 + 8 = 42PP Strength: 18 (+4) / 26 (+8) w. Metal Body Dexterity: 18 (+4) Constitution: 18 (+4) / 30 (+10) w. Metal Body Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 18 (+4) Combat: 20 + 20 = 40PP Initiative: +12 (+4 Dex, +8 Improved Initiative) Attack: +10 Base, +13 Melee (+10 Base, +3 Attack Focus), +10 Ranged Defense: +10 (+10 Base, +0 Dodge Focus), +5 Flat-Footed Grapple: +22 (+10 Base Attack, +3 Attack Focus, + 8 Strength, +1 Super-Strength) Knockback: -3 / -14 w. Metal Body Saving Throws: 4 + 8 + 10 = 22PP Toughness: +6 (+4 Con, +2 Defensive Roll) / +14 (+10 Con, +2 Density, +2 Defensive Roll), Impervious Toughness 12 w. Metal Body Fortitude: +8 (+4 Con, +4) / +14 (+10 Con, +4) w. Metal Body Reflex: 12 (+4 Dex, +8) Will: +12 (+2 Wis, +10) Skills: 124R = 31PP Acrobatics 9 (+13) Climb 10 (+14/+18) Concentration 8 (+10) Diplomacy 6 (+10) Intimidation 15 (+19) Knowledge [Behavioral Sciences] 8 (+11) Knowledge [History] 8 (+11) Knowledge [Streetwise] 10 (+13) Language 1 (English, Native Japanese) Notice 9 (+11) Profession [Criminal] 15 (+17) Sense Motive 9 (+11) Stealth 6 (+10) Swim 10 (+14/+18) Feats: 32PP Accurate Attack All-out Attack Assessment Attack Focus 3 [Melee] Benefit 2 (Crime Lord) Benefit 3 (Multi-millionaire) Connected Contacts Defensive Attack Defensive Roll 1 Improved Defense Improved Disarm Improved Grapple Improved Initiative 2 Improved Pin Improved Sunder Improved Trip Instant Up Power Attack Quick Draw Startle Takedown Attack Trance Uncanny Dodge [Auditory] Weapon Break Well-informed Powers: 43 + 6 = 49PP Alternate Form 8.6 ("Metal Body"; 43PP Alternate Form) [43PP] (Mutation, Metal) Density 4 (Strength +8, Toughness +2, Impervious Toughness +2, Immovable 1, Super-Strength 1, Mass x3) [12PP] Enhanced Constitution 12 [12PP] Immunity 9 (Life Support) [9PP] Impervious Toughness 10 [10PP] Device 2 ("Katana"; 10DP Container; Flaws: Easy-to-lose) [6PP] (Mutation, Metal) Damage 3 (Extras: Penetrating 4; Feats: Improved Critical 2, Mighty) [10DP] Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP DC Block Name Range Save Effect Attack bonus/Other Unarmed Touch DC19 Tou (staged) Damage +13 Metal Body: Unarmed Touch DC23 Tou (staged) Damage +13 Katana Touch DC22 Tou (staged) Damage +13, Penetrating 4 Metal Body: Katana Touch DC26 Tou (staged) Damage +13, Penetrating 4 Totals: Abilities (42) + Combat (40) + Saving Throws (22) + Skills (31) + Feats (32) + Powers (49) - Drawbacks (0) = 216/216 Power Points

OOC for this.

GM January 25th, Saturday, 2020, 11.55PM Outside Emerald Tower, downtown Emerald City, OR The last lingering, heartrending notes pierced the chill night air, and UK's violin went silent. For a moment, all around Robin was an almost sacred hush as the renowned string virtuoso stood to take a bow. In the glare of red lamps that had filled the night sky, held in place by repulsor bands that turned clouds of countless paper shells into magnetically-unified pieces of airborne art, Robin saw K looking almost uneasy at the awestruck hush. Above and about flitted the newsdrones, covering the MarsTech New Years bash while other electric eyes took in events unfolding across the Emeralds. Of all the crowds, though, this was going to be the biggest. There were familiar faces in the crowd, not like looming Chung was ever going to miss a chance to carry his "THE END IS NOW" signs where a camera was going to be, but on nights like this the comforting seas of familiarity was upset with crosswinds of newcomers, people who'd look at you funny and hurry on if you asked them how they werre doing. In that moment, though, all were united, Munchkin and outsider alike, by that same thrill through every heart. To make a sound would have been blasphemous. Max Mars broke the spell, jumping out of the audience and onto the stage beside K with a single bound, applauding furiously with giant grin on his face. "Yue Kei, everybody! All you shapes and flavours out there, give her a big 'welcome home' hand!" With admirable obedience the Emerald citizens cheered, the cold winter air blasted with steam from thousands of throats. In the heated shelter UK started, laughed despite herself, and bowed in rapid succession to different areas of the crowd. Max grinned like an indulgent father. Switching off his mic, he and UK exchanged a word, the young woman nodding and beginning to clear up her music and put back her instruments. As she did so, Mars went on blithely. "Nicely done! now, Kei has to leave us for the night, but stick around! Because on the stroke of midnight, as we enter a new year, I've got a little surprise for you...well, two surprises, but you'll see! Now, may I have a volunteer from the audience?" His brilliant green eyes scanning the crowd suddenly locked on Robin's. "Well hey-hey, Rob! Glad to see you could make it to another of my little shindigs! Like to come up?" he looked deeply chagrined as he added "I promise, no giant robots this time!"

GM Jadetown, Emerald City, Oregon Friday, March 20, 2020 7:04:56 PM Xie Fan was a tall, well-built middle-aged man with a kindly face. He was normally one to wear a suit outside his family compound located smack down in the middle of Jadetown, but now the sleeves of his dress shirt was rolled back and the polka dot tie slightly loosened as he made his way on stage, a big grin on his face. Applause rang out from members of his family, his extended clan, and business colleagues and friends. You hear a whistle and shouted Chinese, probably from one of the more inebriated guests. Your audience was scattered around a large garden, mingling under the lanterns hung on trees that cast the party in a bright red glow, hanging around the small bonfire to warm themselves, or eating their dinner and noodles on the banquet tables. Toddlers chased each other on tiny legs as wizened old grandmothers and grandfathers sipped wine. A couple of bodyguards watched the proceedings at the edge of the gathering. The early spring air was chilly, not yet having cast of winter's cloak completely. Behind you, a banner hung between two poles, above the stage you stand on. Happy 50th Birthday Xie Fan! "Yeah! Haha!" Xie Fan waved at the crowd before he came to you, clapping you on the shoulder. "Okay. Let's do this." Time for your coup de grace.

OOC for this. Roll Perform (Stage Magic) for your final trick of the show!

OOC for this. @Grumblefloof

GM 11PM, April 1st, 2020 Bridgepoint, Emerald City A man had walked into Mictlan this morning. He had looked disheveled, scared. His hoodie was torn in a few places, he had some bruises. He was rubbing his right arm, looking around with a frantic look in his eyes. He'd heard rumours that some kind of witch was hanging around, someone that dealt with bad stuff. He had just met some bad stuff, the night before, at the port in Bridgepoint. Some kinda demon, he said. A shadow man. It seemed to be just shadows and glowing white eyes under clothes. It had attacked him, it had beaten him, then left him alone. He wasn't the only one. A lot of the night shift had visited by the same thing the last few weeks. He hoped that the people in the shop would pass word on to the witch, before he hurried out of there. The public port in Bridgepoint was not as silent as one would expect at night. A few men were walking around, sure. Guards, probably. The man that had rushed into Mictlan and asked about the witch was one of them, patrolling at the docks, making sure no one entered any of the ships in the port. Some people would pay good money to keep their ships safe, after all. There was a party at a larger yacht, with music playing and laughter filling the air. They could be heard from far away, attracting plenty of attention. Someone on the city council throwing a party. Maybe the shadow man would show, maybe he wouldn't. Perhaps Santa Muerte would find out.

OOC for this. @Tiff

In Brief: Orphaned Latina Necromancer Character: Santa Muerte Power Level: 12 (Built as PL10) Tradeoffs: None (At PL10: -2 Attack / +2 Damage, -2 Defense / +2 Toughness) Power Points: 182/183 Unspent Points: 1 Alternate Identity: Ximena Romero Identity: Public Legal Status: USA citizen with no criminal record Birthplace: Emerald City, Oregon, USA Base of Operations: Emerald City, Oregon, USA Residence: The penthouse loft of the 23 B Apartments on University Hill Occupation: Witch Affiliations: Mictlan Books & Curiosities (Owner), 23 B Apartments (Owner), Atzi Ramirez (Employee, Confidant), Detective Briana Rowell, E.C.P.D., Homicide (Contact), Vivienne (Mentor, Deceased) Family: Mother (Deceased), Father (Deceased), Younger Sister (Deceased), Younger Brother (Deceased), several estranged living grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins DESCRIPTION Age: 25 (Date of Birth: 1995) Apparent Age: 25 Gender: Female Ethnicity: Mesoamerican Latina Height: 5'5" Weight: 115 lbs. Hair: White (Formerly Black) Eyes: Brown (Green while using magic) Ximena stands at slightly above-average height, with a slight frame. Her skin is on the darker end of the Latina spectrum, owing to her indigenous Mesoamerican heritage, contrasted starkly by her completely white hair. As a lifelong self-described "Goth", her clothing consists almost entirely of elaborate and vaguely Medieval or Victorian inspired dresses, mostly in black but sometimes accented with purple, blue, or red, incorporating plenty of velvet, satin, lace, and fishnet, frequently accompanied by corsets or waist-cinchers, with lots of silver jewelry. To change into Santa Muerte, she simply retrieves the enchanted cloak and mask from her dimensional pocket, and with a word and a wave of her hand, they float onto her body as if she were being dressed by an unseen servant, while her makeup expands from her usual dark eyeshadow and lipstick into a full Dia de Los Muertos style skull-face. Her cloak is bright red, while her mask is bone-white, carved into the shape of a human skull, with a black Viridian Stone set into the forehead, directly above her pineal gland. When Ximena casts spells, her eyes turn bright green, and often both her eyes and hands will be completely enveloped in green hellfire. Her spells require elaborate hand gestures and spoken words to function. The gestures range from simply pointing at the target, to drawing elaborate shapes in the air, such as an hourglass, which then take on a three-dimensional spectral green form that she can interact with, such as turning the hourglass over, or breaking it in half to rapidly spill the sands out. Often a spectral sickle appears in her hand, which she uses to cut glowing puppet strings attached to a group of another necromancer's undead minions, breaking his control over them, or to cut a bloody hole in the fabric of space itself for when she teleports or accesses her dimensional pocket. The spoken invocations of her spells consist mostly of sentences or phrases in Atlantean or Lemurian. The spells she's tweaked or created herself often include Latin, Maya, or Nahuatl as well. HISTORY On Ximena Romero's twelfth birthday, her father came home from work, murdered his entire family, and then rampaged through his neighborhood until he was shot down by the police. At least, that's what most people believe. A few know better. Ximena's father was a junior accountant at a firm which, unbeknownst to him, included among its clientele a number of front companies for some of the organized crime syndicates who belonged to the confederacy known only to themselves as "The Chamber". One front company in particular was involved in the purchase and development of some valuable Riverfront property. Late in the day on Ximena's twelfth birthday, one of the senior accountants accidentally forwarded an email to Ximena's father. That email included a spreadsheet with a list of names and figures. The names were Emerald City government officials, mostly members of the zoning board but also a City Council member. The figures were bribes. The contents of that email could have scuttled the entire real estate deal, and landed every person on the list and everyone copied on the email in prison. Before Ximena's father got home, The Chamber had already given the order that he was to be silenced, in such a way as to destroy any credibility he might have beyond the grave. They sent The Terror. It found and possessed Ximena's father before she had the chance to blow out the candles on her cake, but not before he was able to give her his last present, a silver medallion with a strange black stone set into it that perfectly matched the gothic turn her fashion tastes had recently taken. Using her father as a puppet, The Terror butchered Ximena's entire family. When she tried to defend her siblings, it stabbed her repeatedly. She would have succumbed to her wounds if the black Viridian Stone she was unknowingly wearing around her neck hadn't prevented her soul from leaving her body long enough for her to get medical attention. None of The Terror's other victims that night were so lucky. The experience turned Ximena's hair completely white. In the aftermath, the senior accountant managed to gain access to Ximena's father's email account. The damning message was unread. In his haste to get home in time for his eldest daughter's birthday dinner, he had ignored the buzzing of his Blackberry. Once word was received that one of the children had survived, it was decided that it was unnecessary to finish her off, and, more importantly, that it would attract too much attention if a second attempt was made on her life. The land deal proceeded without further complication. Ximena had a large extended family, who took her in, at first. But her good Catholic aunts, uncles, and grandparents quickly started passing her around like a hot potato, each one growing weary of her trauma-induced emotional unavailability, the goth music and fashion "phase" she refused to grow out of, the bisexuality she refused to conceal or repress, and, most of all, her newfound obsession with the occult. She knew that her father wasn't on drugs and hadn't just snapped like everyone claimed. She knew what she saw, and she had to learn how to keep it from ever happening again. Her guardians kept throwing away her books on witchcraft, and she kept shoplifting new ones. Her guardians grounded her, and she snuck out anyway. Eventually they dumped her into the foster care system, from which she quickly slipped away. She wandered, working under the table at odd jobs while chasing any scrap of information she could on magic and the supernatural. She fell in and out with multiple cults and charlatans before she finally found her mentor, the sorceress Vivienne. Vivienne claimed to be twice Ximena's age, though she didn't look it. Impressed with Ximena's potential and persistence, she took her on as an apprentice. The two quickly became more than teacher and student, first friends, then lovers. Vivienne taught her how to harness hellfire, to bind and banish demons, to raise the dead and to put them down again. In addition to the necromantic arts, Ximena learned history, philosophy, languages. Ximena was a voracious student, taking full advantage of her first access to formal education in years. She learned the true nature of the Viridian Stone in her possession, and she built an enchanted mask to house it. She also became friends with Atzi Ramirez, the middle-aged mortal servant who handled Vivienne's legal and financial affairs in the mundane world. Several years passed. Then, one day, Vivienne turned on Ximena. She learned that Vivienne was even older than she claimed, and that her life and her youthful appearance was sustained by draining the life energy of younger women like Ximena, women Vivienne would take her pleasure and amusement from for a few years, until she grew bored of them and they started to age, losing the only true value she saw in them. Ximena was just the latest in a long line, and the power and strength of will she had developed under Vivienne's tutalage only meant that her soul would sustain and empower Vivienne for longer once she consumed it. Vivienne's doom was in underestimating her latest student. Ximena managed to turn the tables on Vivienne, long enough to break Vivienne's hold over her undead creatures who staffed and protected her estate. Instead of seizing control of them, Ximena set them free, and once free, they set upon Vivienne with a vengeance, consuming her body and soul. Once they were finished with Vivienne, Ximena sent the creatures to their final rewards, some willingly, some not. Then she looted Vivienne's estate of its more benign resources and burned the rest down. She has yet to face any reprisal for Vivienne's death, since most of Vivienne's few friendly acquaintances in the magical community "Knew her well enough not to mourn her passing." After disposing of Vivienne's legacy, Ximena decided it was time to return to her home. If she could overcome a seasoned necromancer like Vivienne, then she could deal with the entity that had murdered her family, and any others like it. Atzi, finding herself homeless, unemployed, and free of the mind-controlling spells that she hadn't even known that Vivienne had cast upon her, followed Ximena to Emerald City. With Atzi's help, and the financial resources Ximena had "inherited" from her treacherous mentor, she was able to purchase two properties, a small apartment building, X, where she and Atzi both took up residence, and a storefront where she established Mictlan Books & Curiosities (and installed a magical workspace in the basement). She put Atzi in charge of running both businesses. The store acts as a base from which Atzi is able to act as a broker, putting clients (some paying, some not) who require magical assistance in touch with Ximena, who performs services ranging from brewing potions or crafting charms to investigations and exorcisms. In her own time, Ximena searches the city for lost souls to put to rest, and demons and malevolent spirits to banish from the material realm, hoping to find one in particular. She's foiled several secular crimes along the way, and one police detective, Briana Rowell, has started consulting with her after she helped Rowell close a cold murder case. PERSONALITY & MOTIVATION Ximena's demeanor is usually calm, aloof, and laconic. When she indulges in humor, it tends to be dry sarcasm. When she looks at someone, she seems to be looking through them. She carries heavy emotional burdens she is loathe to unleash upon others, and she is just as reluctant to take on the emotional burdens of others. She's had to be self-reliant for most of her life, and she's been betrayed and abandoned multiple times, so she is slow to trust anyone. But she genuinely wants to help people. The supernatural invaded her life and destroyed it. She has dedicated her life to making sure that doesn't happen to anyone else. Despite her youth, she has existed at the fringes of mainstream modern society for long enough that she doesn't feel comfortable in it. She pays for everything in cash, she keeps hard copies of everything, and she doesn't own a computer or a cell phone. POWERS & TACTICS As a necromancer, Ximena's magic focuses on the power of life and death itself, especially the latter. She can inflict weakening curses upon her foes, launch bolts of hellfire at them, and show them enough of what horror awaits them in the afterlife to break their spirits under the weight of it. Alternately, she can use that same knowledge of the worlds beyond death to provide peace to her allies, invigorating them. She knows how to raise the dead, turning them into the Undead, how to summon, bind, and interrogate ghosts and demons, and how to sever such a creature's connection to the powers that sustain it, obliterating them. Through sheer force of will, she can seize control of the demons or undead creatures created or commanded by another sorcerer. She can perform exorcisms, which break the hold supernatural creatures have over a mortal's fragile mind, and banish those creatures from the material world back to whatever dimension spawned them. She can transport herself and others to the various dimensions of the dead, and she knows their geography well enough to exploit the different physics in those dimensions to emerge back in the material world a vast distance away from her starting point in mere moments. Because of her mask (see below), she can walk those paths freely, the dead mistaking her for one of their own. When she brings along a living passenger, the journey becomes far more dangerous. Her affinity for death has allowed her to sense it as second nature. She can tell when someone has died in a given place, whether it was one person or many, and whether they died slowly or quickly, peacefully or violently. She sometimes receives precognitive visions warning of an impending death, being able to sense the psychopomps looming close by the doomed. She also knows a handful of minor non-necromantic utility spells. She can create and access a pocket dimension, where she stores her most valuable possessions. She can use part of a person, such as a drop of their blood or a strand of their hair, to prepare a compass which will point in their direction. She can create a ghostly hand which can lift, manipulate, and even destroy objects at a distance. She can transmute small objects, rearranging their atoms like a child's building blocks to transform one thing into another. Her enchanted cloak harnesses raw ectoplasm, the substance of ghosts, which is often left behind when they move on to their final reward, or are forced to by an exorcism. The cloak repurposes this energy as a shield, protecting her from harm. When an attack would strike her, swirling green mist appears a few inches in front of her and blocks it. Sometimes the vague outlines of a face appear in the mist, either an echo of the departed spirits whose ectoplasm the cloak harnessed, or a grateful spirit returning to intercede on her behalf directly. The cloak uses this same energy to form currents or wings which lift her off the ground, allowing her to float in the air, and sometimes, as with her defenses, it is grateful spirits who bear her into the heavens. Her mask harnesses the energy of the black Viridian Stone to open her "third eye", allowing her to see in total darkness, to see supernatural creatures for what they truly are, to see magical auras, and to speak with the spirits of the dead as if she were one of them. The mask hides her life signs, making her appear to both living and dead alike as one of the latter. Aside from her magic, Ximena has the sort of genius-level intellect that comes along a few times in a generation, and a tremendous strength of will and and force of personality. If she hadn't decided to become one of the world's greatest witches, she could have become the next Ada Lovelace, Marie Curie, or Susan B. Anthony. Her intensive tutelage under Vivienne left her with the equivalent of a doctorate in several fields of mundane academic study. She speaks over half a dozen languages. Her enchantments adhere best to objects of the finest quality, and she has risen to the challenge, becoming a world-class craftswoman of a dozen different disciplines, from seamstress to metalworker. However, she has focused on her studies to the point of neglecting her body. While she is exceptionally healthy, her physical prowess is below average for a woman of her age. She is almost useless in a fistfight. COMPLICATIONS Enemies: Ximena has banished many demons and malevolent spirits from the world of the living. Some of them hold grudges. And someone might have cared about Vivienne enough to avenge her death after all. The GM can give her a Hero Point when one of them shows up to make an already bad situation even worse. Fame (Local): Ximena's identity as "Santa Muerte" exists in a grey area. She doesn't hide it, but she doesn't advertise it either. Not everyone she's helped recognizes her, but some do, and word is spreading. The GM can give her a Hero Point when being recognized makes her life less convenient in some way. Hyperspace Is A Scary Place: When Ximena uses her Teleport power, she crosses over into one of the Underworld dimensions. The GM can give her a Hero Point if something follows her back into the material world. Alternately, if she brings along a passenger, especially if that passenger's nature as a living creature is not concealed as hers is behind her mask, or if the passenger disregards her instructions ("Don't open your eyes, don't listen to the voices, don't let go of me"), then that passenger may come back possessed, if they come back at all. If her passenger is possessed or trapped on the other side, the GM may give a Hero Point to her, her passenger, or both. Nightmares: Ximena has seen many disturbing things, and she regularly relives them in her dreams. Precognitive visions of death also frequently come to her while she is asleep. The GM can give her a Hero Point and declare that she is Fatigued due to lack of restful sleep. Prejudice: Ximena is female, Latina, bisexual, and a goth. The GM can give her a Hero Point when another character's ignorance of and/or prejudice against one or more aspects of her identity creates a setback for her. Reputation ("Burn the witch!"): Many members of mainstream religions consider Ximena to be a blasphemer and her namesake to be heresy. Most other wizards consider her form of magic to be taboo, and, to be fair, most of those who practice it do so in a far more malevolent fashion than she does. Anyone who can perceive magical auras in detail and knows what to look for can see the mark her use of necromancy (however benign it has been) has left on her soul. The GM can give her a Hero Point if another character's attitude toward her powers creates a setback for her. Responsibility (Business): Even though Atzi handles the day-to-day operations, ultimately, as a landlord and a store owner, Ximena has an obligation to her tenants, her employees, and her customers. And Atzi herself may sometimes require aid. The GM can give Ximena a Hero Point when she faces a setback on account of those obligations. Responsibility (Family): Ximena has a large extended family. Even though she is estranged from them, if any of them found her and asked for her aid, she would feel obligated to provide it. The GM can give her a Hero Point and declare that a family member needs her help at the worst possible time. ABILITIES 48PP ([-2] + 4 + 8 + 14 + 12 + 12) Strength: 08 (-1) (Heavy Load: 80 lbs.) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 18 (+4) Intelligence: 24 (+7) Wisdom: 22 (+6) Charisma: 22 (+6) COMBAT 14PP (8 + 6) Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex) Attack: +4, +8 Hellfire Blast Grapple: +3 (+4 Melee Attack, -1 Str) Defense: +8/+4 (+7/+3 Base, +1 Dodge Focus), +4/+2 Flat-Footed Knockback Resistance: 6/2 SAVING THROWS 12PP (1 + 2 + 9) Toughness: +12/+4 (+4 Con, +8 Protection) Fortitude: +5 (+4 Con, +1PP) Reflex: +8/+4 (+2 Dex, +4 Enhanced, +2PP) Will: +15 (+6 Wis, +9PP) SKILLS 22PP (88R) Concentration 6 (+12) Craft (Artistic) 13 (+20) Diplomacy 9 (+15) Intimidation 9 (+15) Knowledge (Arcane) 13 (+20) Knowledge (Cosmology) 3 (+10) Knowledge (History) 3 (+10) Knowledge (Life Sciences) 3 (+10) Knowledge (Streetwise) 3 (+10) Knowledge (Theology & Philosophy) 3 (+10) Languages 6 (Atlantean, English [Native], Latin, Lemurian, Mayan, Nahuatl, Spanish) Medicine 1 (+7) Notice 4 (+10) Search 3 (+10) Sense Motive 9 (+15) FEATS 8PP Artificer Benefit (Wealth 1) Dodge Focus Equipment 1 (5EP) Luck 3 Ritualist Enhanced: Quick Change EQUIPMENT 5EP (1PP) Mictlan Books & Curiosities (PL10 Headquarters) [5EP] Size: Small [0EP] Toughness: 5 [0EP] Features: [5EP] Cover FacilityAoF Library Security System (DC20) PersonnelBoM Workshop (Magic) AoF = Agents of Freedom BoM = Book of Magic POWERS 78PP Devices 8 (40PP Container [Passive, Permanent]; Flaws: Hard-To-Lose) [32PP] (Descriptors: Enchanted Cloak, Enchanted Mask, Magic, Necromancy) Cloak: Enhanced Defense 4 [8PP] (Additional Descriptors: Defense of Grateful Spirits, Ectoplasmic Shield) Enhanced Reflex 4 [4PP] (Additional Descriptors: Defense of Grateful Spirits, Ectoplasmic Shield) Flight 1 (10MPH, 100ft per Move Action) [2PP] (Additional Descriptors: Buoyed by Grateful Spirits, Ectoplasmic Wings) Protection 8 [8PP] (Additional Descriptors: Defense of Grateful Spirits, Ectoplasmic Shield) Mask: Comprehend 1 (Spirits) [2PP] Features 2 (Deathly Mien*, Undead Presence*) [2PP] *Power Profiles, "Death Powers" Super-Senses 6 (Counters Concealment [Visual senses]; Counters Illusion [Visual senses]; Counters Obscure [Visual senses; “Darkness” descriptors]) [6PP] (Additional Descriptors: Divination Magic, True Sight) Super-Senses 8 (Magic and Supernatural Awareness; Descriptor requency: Very Common; Sense Type: Visual, Default: Accurate, Acute, Ranged; Extras: Penetrates Concealment, Tracking) [8PP] (Additional Descriptors: Divination Magic, True Sight) Enhanced Feats 1 (Quick Change) [1PP] (Descriptors: Dressing Spell, Magic, Telekinesis) Magic 16 (32PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 7; Drawbacks: Power Loss 2 [When unable to speak and gesture; Frequency: Common]) [37PP] Base Power: [5 + 5 + 11 + 11 = 32PP] (Additional Descriptors: Utility Spells) Dimensional Pocket 1 (Extras: Duration 3 [Continuous, Lasting]; Flaws: Requires Grapple; Feats: Progression [Cargo] 1 [250 lbs.]) [5PP] (Additional Descriptors: Dimensional Magic) Move Object 1 (Lifting Strength: 5, Heavy Load: 50 lbs.; Extras: Damaging, Range [Perception]; Feats: Precise) [5PP] (Additional Descriptors: Spectral Hand, Telekinesis) Telelocation 10 (Range: 200,000 miles; Extras: Duration [Sustained, Lasting]; Flaws: Limited [Only learns the target's direction relative to her, not their exact location], Medium [Requires a piece of the target, or an object heavily infused with the target's resonance]; Feats: Dimensional 2 [Afterlives, Death Dimensions, Underworlds], Rapid 9 [x1,000,000,000; Take 20 to Search maximum area in less than a second as a Free Action]; Drawbacks: Action 3 [20 minutes], Noticeable, Power Loss [When deprived of specially prepared compass; Frequency: Uncommon]) [11PP] (Additional Descriptors: Divination Magic, Finding Spell, Ritual Magic) Transform 1 (Any inanimate object into any other inanimate object; Extras: Duration [Continuous, Lasting], Range [Perception]; Feats: Progression [Mass] 3 [10 lbs.], Subtle) [11PP] (Additional Descriptors: Transmutation Magic) Alternate Power: [32PP] (Additional Descriptors: Hellfire Blast, Necromancy) Blast 12 (Range: 10 120ft Increments, 1,200ft Max; Feats: Accurate 2 [+4 Attack], Affects Insubstantial 2 [Full effect], Improved Critical 2 [18-20], Incurable, Precise) [32PP] Alternate Power: [32PP] (Additional Descriptors: Curse of Withering, Necromancy) Drain 10 (All Abilities at once; Extras: Range 2 [Perception]; Flaws: Action [Full], Limited [Physical Abilities: Str, Dex, Con]; Feats: Incurable, Reversible, Slow Fade [1 minute]; Drawbacks: Full Power) [32PP] Alternate Power: [22 + 10 = 32PP] (Additional Descriptors: Exorcism, Necromancy, Rebuke Infernal, Rebuke Undead) Drain Toughness 10 (Extras: Affects Objects, Linked [Damage], Range 2 [Perception]; Flaws: Action [Full], Limited [Demons/Devils and the Undead]; Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2 [Full effect], Incurable; Drawbacks: Full Power) [22PP] Damage 10 (Extras: Linked [Drain], Range 2 [Perception]; Flaws: Action [Full], Limited [Demons/Devils and the Undead]) [10PP] Alternate Power: [32PP] (Additional Descriptors: Glimpse of The Abyss, Necromancy, Peace of The Grave) Emotion Control 10 (Extras: Area [Type: General; Shape: Burst], Selective; Flaws: Action [Full]; Feats: Progression [Area Size] 1 [100ft radius], Reversible) [32PP] Alternate Power: [32PP] (Additional Descriptors: Command Infernal, Command Undead, Necromancy) Mind Control 10 (Extras: Area [Type: General; Shape: Burst], Conscious; Flaws: Limited [Demons/Devils and the Undead]; Feats: Mental Link, Progression [Area Size] 1 [100ft radius]) [32PP] Alternate Power: [32PP] (Additional Descriptors: Banishment, Exorcism, Necromancy) Nullify 10 (All Supernatural Emotion Control, Mind Control, and Summon effects at once; Extras: Area [Type: General; Shape: Burst], Range [Perception]; Flaws: Action [Full]; Feats: Progression [Area Size] 2 [250ft radius]) [32PP] Alternate Power: [5 + 27 = 32PP] (Additional Descriptors: Necromancy, Paths of The Underworld) Super-Movement 2 (Dimensional Movement 2 [Afterlives, Death Dimensions, Underworlds]; Extras: Linked [Teleport]; Feats: Progression [Cargo] 1 [250 lbs.]) [5PP] Teleport 9 (900ft per Move Action, 20,000 miles per Full Action; Extras: Accurate, Linked [Super-Movement]) [27PP] Super-Senses 6 (Death Awareness; Descriptor Frequency: Very Common; Sense Type: Mental, Default: None; Extras: Acute, Radius, Ranged) [6PP] (Descriptors: Magic, Necromancy) Super-Senses 4 (Postcognition; Extras: Simultaneous, Special [Substitute interaction skills for Notice and Search, +0]; Drawbacks: Action 6 [20 minutes], Noticeable) [1PP] (Descriptors: Demon Summoning, Magic, Necromancy, Ritual Magic, Spirit Conjuring) Super-Senses 4 (Precognition; Flaws: Limited [Death], Uncontrolled) [1PP] (Descriptors: Magic, Necromancy) Abilities (48) + Combat (14) + Saving Throws (12) + Skills (22) + Feats (8) + Powers (78) = 182/183 Power Points ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC14 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Curse of Withering Perception DC20 Fortitude (Staged) Drain Str/Dex/Con Dimensional Pocket* Touch/Grapple DC11 Reflex Trapped Emotion Control Perception/Area DC20 Will (Staged) Calm: Counters all Emotion Control conditions Despair: Shaken/Helpless Fear: Shaken/Frightened/Panicked Hate: Attitude = Hostile Hope: Counters Despair and Fear conditions Love: Attitude = Friendly/Helpful/Fanatical Exorcism Perception/Area Will or Power vs +10 Nullify* Finding Spell Extended DC20 Will Telelocation Hellfire Blast Ranged DC27 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Mind Control** Perception/Area Will vs +10 Controlled Rebuke** Perception DC20 Fortitude (Staged) Drain Toughness DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Spectral Hand* Perception Grapple vs +2 Pinned/Bound DC16 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Transmutation* Perception DC11 Reflex Transformed *Utility power, not generally used as an attack, but technically capable of being used as such. **Limited to Demons/Devils and the Undead.

GM Riverfront August 9th 2019, 4 PM The Riverfront district was as busy as ever on the Friday afternoon. City officials trying to get the last bit of work done before the weekend, locals and visitors starting their weekend in the nearby culture centers and the Yellow Brick Row shopping complex. Traffic had slowed down considerably. Everyone wanted to go somewhere. All in all, a typical Friday afternoon in Emerald City. Peace and quiet, as you would normally find in a city without super villains. Until, suddenly, several men and women stopped what they were doing, and exited their cars. A young man, maybe in his early twenties, stood nearby, appearing seemingly from out of nowhere. He was dressed in a costume with dark and light blue stripes at a 45 degree angle all over his body. He wore light blue boots and small gloves in the same color as the light blue stripes, and had a hood pulled up with the same striped pattern. His eyes were hidden behind a light blue domino mask. One could just spot his short blonde hair at the edges of the hood. His eyes seemed to be glowing white as people left their cards, starting to walk after him and towards the government buildings. Then came the sound, a loud crash as someone big came barelling through the traffic, flipping the cars out of the way while laughing loudly. The ones that caught a good look at him could see a large man, standing at least 10 feet tall, clad in what appeared to be grey armor, stylized like a triceratops, including a large helmet that mimicked that of a triceratops' head: A large flat shield, a pair of horns at his forehead, and a small horn on a part of his helmet over his nose. His eyes were hidden behind black lenses that connected directly to the helmet, while his mouth was left visible. The rest of his armor was the same dull grey as the helmet, consisting of several armored plates interconnecting along his body. He seemed to be running with little rhyme or reason, instead seeming to cause just as much chaos as he could. He didn't seem to care if he hit already empty cars, or cars that still held passengers. Moments after the man had begun his rampage, a bright light illuminated the sky. A woman in a red costume flew from the sky, leaving a trail of fire behind her as she moved. A white sun symbol at the center of her chest seemed to glow as she sent streams of fire flying randomly across the area around her. The yellow goggles that protected her eyes seemed to reflect the light from her flames as she set whatever random targets caught her sight on fire. The goggles were held in place by a heavy leather strap that went over her short black hair. Fire burning in her hands, she came to a stop, hovering above a rather large group of people. "Listen up! I'm Sunburn, and we're the Upstarts! I don't know how a city like this have been this quiet this long, but that's gonna change! This is our city now! So all of you better start handing over everything you got!" Smart phones were capturing everything already. What better place to attack than a city with no other villains? Nowhere to step on your toes or take your score? But the Upstarts had made one mistake: While Emerald City was a city without villains, it was not a city without heroes.

Since the attempted Grue invasion in the 1950's, and indeed for longer than proposed human history, extraterrestrial life has come to Earth to hide, to escape, to begin anew. Some become quiet, anonymous members of human or pre-human civilization, some rise to become brave heroes or dire villains, and yet others choose to exploit their unique set of circumstances for profit. Of this last is the Black Hole Gang, a band of exiles, fugitives and wanderers who combined their talents, resources and knowledge to become the Sol system's most powerful interstellar crime syndicate. Earth is home to many rare materials, unique wonders and kinds of life unknown in the wider galaxy. It is also poor, unadvanced by stellar civilization standards and largely ignorant of the world outside the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, let alone of the galaxy beyond Sol's orbit. The 'Terrans' know that alien life exists, some of it is hostile, and it comes from somewhere science has yet to determine. Sometimes the Atom Family or Freedom League return with some snippet of information about extrasolar life, but for the most part you can tell the average Terran anything and they'll probably believe it. That's the gravy train the Black Hole Gang runs on, and they are in no mood to lose their spot to the bigger dogs outside the Developmental Quarantine Zone, in which Terrans remain so helpfully unaware and outsiders are given the boot before they divulge too much. Starting in 1979, when the three leaders of the Gang arrived on the Pacific coast fleeing their various problems, they were amazed to stumble upon an entire hidden population of non-humans and even non-Terrans living in and around Emerald City. Learning from them of the mysterious Chamber that had gathered so much wealth and power into the city, using it as a base and laboratory for secret, total domination, the trio sought out the human crime collective and offered their unique skills and contacts in return for a share of the profits and certain escape from Earth if things ever got too bad. Nobody has ever justly accused the Big Brain of being closed-minded or prejudiced, and he accepted their offer. Even agreeing not to ever read their minds without their express permission. Since then, the Black Hole Gang has made a killing smuggling living things, technology and raw materials to and from Earth. After the opening of the extra-Plutonian wormhole, their business has boomed and their importance has steadily increased on both sides of the stellar divide. There are times, even, when they think of the Earth as home. Though for them, home has always and only meant a safe place to hide. Leadership: The original three who started the Gang remain its leaders, titled 'Star's. In order of age: Khorr'Tang, Star of Execution & Acquisition Oversight. When someone needs to be eliminated, or something valuable must be taken, this orange-hued Lor career-diplomat has both the savvy and ruthlessness to get the job done quickly and quietly. A secret devotee of the Katanarchist cult, she's shown tremendous aptitude for personal combat, stealth and mysticism alongside her hard-won people skills and knack for the perfect heist. She sees the Quarantine Zone and neighbouring stars as her future personal fiefdom, has spent considerable resources on building bases through the sector and will stop at nothing to protect her 'investment'. Of the Stars she thinks about, and thus hates, Terrans the least. Gowlim-D, Star of Personnel & Resource Management. The handling of currency, recruitment and care of employees and ensuring everything keeps moving is placed in the hands of this ice-blue Zultasian. Managing the Star Khan's treasures and ensuring every conquered world payed its tribute in full and on time makes coordinating an interstellar gang almost child's play. Heavily-augmented with cybernetics, she can transmit and receive information across the Orion Arm and stores most of the data involving the Black Hole Gang in caches scattered throughout the local sector. From observation posts and the sensors of craft across the void of space, she pulls the strings and leads the dance. As a former Khanate noble she loathes all non-Zultasians as her inferiors. Toyota Corolla, Star of Negotiations & Asset Development. The Gang is in constant need of new contacts, technology and field information. In the hulking and solid rogue Grue, they have a master of the underworld arts who fulfils these roles with ease. Formerly the nameless chief scientist for the Meta-Mind, Corolla now adopts any identity they wish from across a dizzying repository of stolen memories. They make the deals, form the alliances, design the latest bio-tech gadgets and keep Terran and galactic law-enforcement off the scent. It's a never-ending workload, but Corolla remains up to the task. After centuries devoted to one thing at a time, the explosion of possibilities is intoxicating. As the Star who deals with people the most, they individually hate all Terrans. Membership: The galaxy is full of desperate people, and even before the Incursion War there was widespread corruption and crime across the fringes of the Lor Republic and unrest across the Stellar Khanate. The Grue Unity, similarly, relying on unbroken psychic links to maintain order, has regularly lost control of Grue at the edge of its influence, ironically the cause of several invasions blamed on the Meta-Mind. As a result of this, displacement by the Communion and the arrival of the many refugee species from the neighbouring arm, the Black Hole Gang has a reliable stable of tens of billions of beings across known space. Their lowest number is by far human and Cryptid agents on Earth. However, most of these star warriors are common criminals. Little different from the average Terran driven to crime by circumstance or inclination, they provide in quantity and ubiquity what they lack in firepower and technical skill. The research assistant siphoning funds and data to pay for an expensive habit, the indebeted merchant captain reluctantly adding a little extra cargo, the soldier looking to make an accuser disappear. The Black Hole Gang's reach is only into the lowest levels of galactic society, but their grasp is unerring and unyielding. Most membera use the Criminal stat block, with non-human members adding their species characteristics. Equipment rare on Earth, such as blasters and spacecraft, are in common use by them. Methodology: Like their name(chosen purely because it was a common idea), the Black Hole Gang works to bend everything toward itself, unseen yet irresistible. Usually the Gang works in disguise as another organization, from governments to other criminals to even masquerading as Praetorians or Star Knights or superheroes. As well, despite their vast reach and resources, they take care to never work in bulk, or amounts that are difficult to move and hide. One cloning tank, one psychic mutant, one piece of magical art, the Black Hole Gang never gets greedy and takes pains to never over-extend its narrowly-limited power. That aside they will do anything, absolutely anything, for money and control. Resources: The Black Hole Gang has ready access to 9 private space craft on Earth, 507 in the Orion Arm, and approximately 1000 in extreme emergencies. None of these are warships, nor are any heavily-armed or armored. They are mostly small shuttlecraft and freighters. Their personnel is, as stated previously, in the tens of billions. A miniscule number on the galactic scale, but making up a varied and effective workforce that can go almost anywhere the Gang needs them to. Thanks to the Gang, many have biotech or cybernetic modifications that grant them any number of additional advantages, from minor shapeshifting, to invisibility, to direct interfacing with technology to bluffing psychic scans. As well, as Chamber members, they have access to the ferocious and powerful Brande Management supers culled from supervillain families. Some of whom are among the most-traveled humans in the galaxy. Space being largely occupied by airless rocks of little mineral value, the Gang has a great deal of free real estate set up with safehouses, docks with repair and refueling bays, caches on asteroids and so on. On Earth their base is a fortified bunker built beneath the Nolan Aerospace airfield and rocket launchsite. Sphere of Influence: The Lor Republic and Grue Individuality are the most economically stable, technologically-liberal and socially-mobile areas in local space. Thus, most Gang business is done in or with these systems. They exert subtle but considerable influence on the Developmental Quarantine Zone centered on Sol as well.

OOC for this. @angrydurf, @Tiffany Korta, @Heritage

OOC for this. @Ari, @Shofet

GM October 4th, 2019 10:30 PM Betlehem Heights A lot had changed on the streets of Emerald City. Things had changed since the events of late August, and something had slipped into the city during the confusion. During the month of September, something new had started spreading through the city. A new drug, something simply called Power. Small white pills with a capital P. Swallow, and two minutes later, you gained random super powers for fifteen minutes. It was a rush, it was exciting, and it was of course completely destabilizing. Street fights evolved into super powered brawls. People fell from the sky, the rush running through their heads. And sometimes, the sheer power simply burned them out, like a candle that burned too bright. At the docks, Magh'kee witnessed a fellow worker swallow a pill, then, with his brief surge of super strength, he did the work of ten men, before the heavy blocks he was carrying fell on him, crushing him. At Compass Rose International, Raya Wells saw a security guard shoot lightning from his eyes at a man that triggered the metal detector. Turned out he had a metal plate in his skull. At Elysium Academy, Elliot Elijah Elder saw other members of the Omega Squad suddenly showing all kinds of different powers that they never had before. To call it strange would be weird, and then one of them offered him some of the Power. The school shut it down as soon as it was discovered, but Elliot grew curious. However they got on the track, all three would eventually end up in Betlehem Heights. The only place to get Power.

GM May 11th, 2019 1 PM ArcheTech West, Bridgepoint Nicole had been given a special opportunity, as part of her internship at ArcheTech. Come to ArcheTech West in Emerald City, shadow Doctor Rita Lang for the weekend. It was not so much a work weekend as a research weekend. The notes about the actual research had been kind of sparse. It had something to do with nanomachines, and a revolutionary use for them, but aside from that, the notes were rather short. They did note that Doctor Lang had specificially asked to have Nicole shadow her, so that was a plus, at least. Something about wanting an outsider's view of the project, which meant Nicole would have to write a report on it once it was done. Doctor Lang was standing outside the building as Nicole arrived. She was a Caucassian woman in the late 40'es. Slightly overweight, which she would attest was because of staying in laboratory all day. Her dark red hair seemed to have been dyed to hide beginning grey hair. She wore a white labcoat, which was open, revealing her jeans and a black t-shirt with the Nine Inch Nails logo. A pair of glasses was hidden in the pocket of the white labcoat. She patiently waited, looking up from her phone as Nicole arrived. "Hey, you must be Nicole. I'm Rita, nice to finally meet you. Been hearing great things about you, kid."

OOC for this. @Zeitgeist Blue