csyphrett

Re: DEMON plot help (Warning: Spoilers) The obvious thing to me is the jewel either does one of two things which may or may not help you out. Option one) it allows a demon to possess anyone near the crown when worn freeing arch demons one at a time. That would cause major havoc around the npc, especially among demon underlings. Option two) it allows the wearer to drain off a small amount of life energy around him to open a big enough portal for all hell ala Yu Yu Hakusho. CES

Re: In the Company of Strangers (story) 8 Alice the Owl saw the giant monster marching toward town. She couldn't believe her eyes. The term gigantic hallucination sprang to the front of her brain as she considered what to do. Alice had reached the edge of her flying circle, close enough to see the lake. She had dropped on a roof to rest her feathered wings and look at things nearby for other places to forage from when she saw the wide body snap a tree aside. Yellow eyes glared around the leviathan maw. Alice knew she had to do something but the only thing on her mind was to warn Squirrel and get out. They hadn't counted on Zornwill, or Godzilla, marching through their town. They weren't heroes. They couldn't stop it. Alice spread her white wings and took to the air. She poured on the speed toward their nest. Squirrel had sharp senses, but Alice didn't think he would run in the face of danger. Their life on the road was making him braver with every day. A job as a bounty hunter would have been out of the question a week ago. Alice hit the roof running. Squirrel and his boys were waiting, looking at the distant silhouette blocking the horizon like a mountain. His furry tail twitched. His posture told the tale. He was already considering staying and fighting. He was considering committing suicide. "We have to get out of here." Alice touched his arm. "That thing will wreck the town. There's nothing we can do to stop it." "You go." Squirrel looked at his rodent friends. They stood at attention, saluting him. "We're going to stop that thing." "You can't stop it." Alice grabbed him. Large brown eyes stared at her gold ones. "You can't expect to beat that thing." "We can sure slow it down for others to get away." Squirrel smiled. "You'd be surprised what a Super Squirrel can do." Squirrel pulled out of her embrace as gently as he could manage. He went to the edge of the roof and climbed down. His friends looked at Alice, bowed, and started after him with a clicking of nails. They were across the yard and through the fence in seconds. "I can't believe this." Alice the Owl knew there was one thing she could do. She didn't like it but it was the only course of action she could see. If Squirrel wouldn't leave with her, she wouldn't leave him behind. They had something like love between them. They had forged that bond over years of traveling on the road. She wouldn't break it, not even for a giant monster. Alice looked at the juggernaut approaching at its own lumbering pace. She raised her fist and shook it. "I'm coming for you, you (&^(& monster." Alice spread her wings then took flight. Alice's sharp eyes spotted her love moving through the streets. He was at the head of an army of rodents. More and more joined his procession as he raced across town. They were coming from everywhere. This must be what the Pied Piper had looked like walking through Hamelin playing music for the dancing rats. Alice dipped down to let him know she was with him. She thought Squirrel smiled for a second. He waved at least. Then he doubled his speed with his hopping leaps along the sidewalk. The two settlers paused at the edge of town as more and more squirrels joined them. Rotating lights showed them where the police had set up their efforts. Squirrel bounded over to the closest car, pausing with his hands up. "Hey cop man!" He waved his hands to get the deputies' attention. "We're here to help. Don't shoot at us." One of the deputies almost did when he got a good look at their visitor. "We're going to try and distract it until the heavy artillery shows up." Squirrel made hand gestures to indicate his planned moves. "We don't want an accident. Could you spread the word, please?" Squirrel and his entourage bounded away. They were confident the police couldn't do anything but shoot at him, and they wouldn't do that. He hoped they wouldn't shoot. Alice floated overhead, nodding her head as the deputy talked into his radio. It looked like the easy part was over. Now came the death and dying. She followed the squirrel army toward their massive enemy, already thinking in her head she would go for the eyes. She hated them.

Re: In the Company of Strangers (story) Lake Marlowe flashed under the starry sky. It was a yellow dash of light under the water. It looked like reflected lightning. It did that three times. Then the water boiled in a storm of bubbles and wavy lines running from the center of the disturbance. A paw broke the surface first. It was leathery and webbed, perfect for swimming. It curled a little, capable of lifting things. The size said a car was a play toy to it. The other paw broke the surface. Then the head. Yellow eyes glared as it surveyed the shore it headed toward. Sensory input declared food was nearby and more tasty than the fish in the lake. It started forward, lumbering on thick elephantine legs. It couldn't jump with lower limbs like that, but then, it didn't plan to. Trees fell before it as the sea monster trekked away from its watery home. It opened its mouth. A roar of satisfaction thundered out over the land. It was good to be king. It headed to the main road to the lake brushing aside the yellow tape in its way. Lights drew it onward toward the buildings it dwarfed. Lights went out as it knocked over a power line with only a mild sting on its armored hide as it lumbered on like a living tank. One foot hit a house. A wall and part of the roof caved in under the impact. A stunned home owner came out, trying to figure out what had happened. Two paws snatched him up and sent him down the monstrous gullet almost before he had a chance to scream. That was good. More food. The reptile clawed through the remains of the house, looking for more snacks. The talons narrowly missed the man's wife and kids, cowering from the front of the house. She hurried her kids down in the basement and urged them to be quiet. The lake monster moved on, frustrated by the hill of debris. The monster continued carving a path toward downtown. It thought it would eat its fill and then return to the lake to rest and recover. Drivers spotting it coming toward them stopped and tried to flee. Some with cell phones and blue tooths called 911 to report a beast as tall as a radio antennae, as wide as a highway, and moving ten feet with each stride. The flood of reports had Major Weston, the officer in charge, dispatch a car to see what was going on. Five minutes later, a deputy reported the reptile picking up cars and cracking them open to get at the people inside. Major Weston called the radio and television to get a warning out to those in the path as he tried to think of his next move. Unfortunately Marlowe had never needed monster fighting gear, special weapons, or anything associated with bigger cities' special problems. Weston's people only had shotguns and some automatic rifles. He didn't think that would do a lot of good at the moment. Weston sent the call out to every able bodied deputy to assemble at the station. He called the sheriff who could call the governor for help from the National Guard. Then he put a bird in the air to keep the behemoth under watch while he tried to think of something he could do. Fighting a giant turtle crocodile had not been in the training he had taken. The best he could come up with was to keep everyone out of its way. So roads were blocked and people were cleared out as fast as possible with the limited manpower he had as the giant marched toward the heart of town. Weston got a cup of coffee before clapping on his vest and checking the loads for his rifle. Too bad Minnesota didn't have a hero around to help out. The town could use one. They really needed someone like the Leaguer right now. Weston checked on the small amount of arrangements he could do with his dispatcher before walking out to his cruiser and throwing his bag in the seat. He might as well see the beast for himself. Maybe a good look would suggest a place to shoot it to do the most damage. As the lake monster and sheriff's department started to move into squaring off positions, neither side realized that a third party would enter the picture. The party itself didn't know until Quin Martin, the Question Man, answered the question his host, Odd Dorfman said out loud without realizing it. "What the heck is that?" Odd froze in the act of passing salad dressing to his vegetarian friend as a roar filled the air in his living quarters at the back of his store. "It's the roar of a giant monster." Quin took the bottle and covered his salad lightly. "Have you got any croutons?" "You're kidding." Oz Mike Michaelson stood up. "What's going to happen?" "We're going to stop it." Quin ate a bite of his salad. "I just need to figure out how."

Re: In the Company of Strangers (story) 6 Chad Reilly, the coach of the Mighty Maroons, brushed his short gray hair with a blocky hand as he stepped into the office he shared with three other coaches. He still had papers to grade for the next day. Reilly sat down at his desk, looking at the door. He thought he had heard someone outside in the hall. The janitorial staff had gone home right after he had gotten there with the team bus. The sun had already decided to take to its bed. No one else should be in the building. Then knuckles rapped on the door. "Who is it?" Reilly stood up. It had been a long time since any burglar had scared him. The door opened. A woman with features so bland they could belong to anyone stepped in the office with a tug of the tie she wore. Her black suit absorbed the light, making it appear at first just a head and hands floated in the air across the room from the coach. "Aylwin." Reilly sat down. "Don't tell me it's that time again already." "I'm a little early." The woman pulled a chair from one of the other desks and sat down in front of him with crossed legs. "I was in the area on other business and decided to look in on you before I head back." "That's considerate of you." Reilly didn't try to hide the sarcasm. Being forced into retirement had soured his mood permanently. "I'm fine. You can head back to the project with a clear conscience." "I'm sorry, Enforcer." Aylwin shrugged. "You're on the reserve list. You know that I have to make sure that you are still capable." "No problem." Reilly presented his right thumb. His examiner placed the thumb on a palmtop and pressed the button. A spark shot into the coach's digit as the device did its job. "Anything else?" "This should be fine." Aylwin watched the readout until it said done. Then she read the results with a shake of her head. "You're still declining in output. Tests could show how much, but I expect your powers to start fading in and out pretty soon." "I'm retired from active duty." Reilly stood to indicate the interview was over as far as he was concerned. "It's not as big a deal now." Aylwin nodded at the lie as she stood. She concealed the tester under her jacket with a shrug. "I'll see you next year then." Aylwin paused at the door. "I saw the game today. You have an amazing pitcher for your team." "Bucket?" Reilly sat back down, wary of the implied question in the statement. "He might be a pro if he can get his grades up. The school has a policy so I have to keep my eye on what my kids are doing. His algebra needs to come up if he wants to stay on the field." Aylwin nodded, keeping any more interest out of her bland features. She stepped outside with a quiet closing of the door. Reilly knew exactly what had sparked Aylwin's interest in Tim Bucket. His pitching skill was on the edge of getting him posted to a watch list. Smashing that bat had been a dramatic display of throwing power. The project would mark him if they thought he was over the line. They still might do it just to see if he displayed potential for recruiting down the road. Reilly ignored the call of his papers, sitting in the deserted school. The project had been his home for half his adult life. Now that he was out, he should be looking forward to something more normal, something that didn't involve flying around after ninja monkey brains in a jar. Still the urge was there. And he didn't need Aylwin to know his powers were fading. Flying took as much effort as running now. It was a major task to lift his car. The tough armor that had been his skin barely deflected a paper cut. A year or two and he would not even be able to do that much seemed like a death sentence to him as he sat in his chair wondering what he was going to do. "I'm not going to mope about it." Reilly put the papers away. He could grade them tomorrow. He got up, left his maroon Maroon hat on the desk, and headed for the door. Tomorrow he would be teaching, tonight he would take some time to think about things and live it up a little. Not seeing Aylwin for another year was reason enough for a party right there. Reilly locked the school up before heading out to his truck parked by itself in the school lot. He got behind the wheel, and pulled out on the street. He decided to hit his favorite place for dinner, then maybe a drink at a bar, then a movie at home. Maybe he could even get in a bar fight before heading home. That would really make him feel young again. Reilly felt a tingle and looked toward the lake that most of the town spent their time on at one point or the other. He could have sworn he saw a flash of lightning out there. He put it out of mind, instead focusing on how to ask Tim Bucket to watch his pitching in the future. The kid wouldn't want Uncle Sam watching him like a bug under a microscope for the rest of his life.

Re: Challengers game: The Ferriman Institute It's cool, Log. Stomach virus has been going around the last month. CES

Re: In the Company of Strangers (story) 5 Alice the Owl drifted from her perch, looking out over the rooftops of Marlowe as the sun went down. She spotted Squirrel sitting on the roof, counting money, surrounded by a horde of furry namesakes. She wondered what he had done for the cash. "What's going on, Squirrel?" Alice folded her wings around her, large eyes glowing gold in the light of the setting sun. "Did you get a job?" "Super Squirrel." The man-sized rodent straightened for a second. "And yes, I got a job." "Doing what?" Alice found it hard to believe that anyone would hire someone that looked like an anthropomorphic character. "Bounty hunting." Super Squirrel chattered to his horde. They dispersed with salutes. They bounded to artificial trees he had set up inside the warehouse they were squatting in. "I got a couple bail jumpers while you were sleeping and earned some real money for a change." "I can't believe it." Alice smiled. "We can get real food for a change." "I was thinking of pizza." Super Squirrel straightened his hunched posture, tail wagging a little. "We can have it delivered." "How did you find this job?" Alice's round face frowned. "Who would hire you?" "I was zipping along with my boys, looking around for some money, some food. I stumbled across this guy getting his face kicked in. I had to step in." The Squirrel handed over all but a twenty to Alice. "The guys doing the kicking had money posted on them, so I got half what they were worth. They were beating up the guy who was supposed to take them back to jail." "Only half?" Alice flipped through the money, counting it with the edges of her fingertips. "Even a man as bad as I am isn't going to walk into a police station where the cops will shoot first and ask questions later." Squirrel scratched a round ear before walking over to the edge of the roof. "I'll be right back." Squirrel jumped from the roof, catching hold of a drain pipe. He scrambled down with his bare hands and feet grabbing handholds with surety. He bounded across the empty lot, then hopped the fence in three grab and pulls. He bounded to the corner, keeping to the shadows. Alice shook her head, and placed the money in a treasure box they had liberated from a Goodwill. They had spent a while in Marlowe. Sooner or later, they would have to move on like they always did. Until then, she wanted to enjoy whatever happiness she could. They hadn't always looked like monsters, and she didn't mind flying and being able to see in the dark, but it would be nice not to hide out and run if someone decided to try and lynch them. Squirrel had already bitten one man in self defense. Squirrel came back in a few minutes. He climbed up to join her in the small cabin they had built over the warehouse roof. He checked the toy watch he wore. "Thirty minutes or its free." He settled on his haunches, looking out over the small city fading to shadow. "Where do you want to go to next?" "I'd like to stay for a while." Alice studied his face, seeing the boy he had been before they took up their vagabond life. "I found a couple places that I can raid for clothing, furniture, and things." "Books?" Squirrel hunched down. "I think so." Alice smiled. "I'll look tonight on my rounds." "That would be great." Super Squirrel yawned. "I have to go out and look for this guy tomorrow. I'm hoping to get another couple thousand. We might be able to get a place to live instead of just living in a place." "Would you like that?" Alice reached out with thin fingers, almost touching his face. "I'd like anything you like." Squirrel smiled. "You're the brains and heart of this operation. I just carry you around on my back." "Don't spoil a tender moment." Alice laughed. "Let me go down and check on our pizza." Squirrel yawned again. "Then we'll have dinner, then I'm going to crash." "I'll do my rounds and bring back anything we can use." Alice always staked several places out when they hit a new town to see if there was anything she could scrounge for them. "I'll get you a book to read." "That will be good." Squirrel headed down to ground level. A few minutes later the smell of pizza proceeded him back to the roof. He handed one of the boxes to Alice, and took the other to his chair. "Meat lovers for you, vegetarian for me." They ate in silence, lost in thought. Squirrel put some feed out for his boys when they woke up in the morning before he wrapped himself in a circle and went to sleep. Alice smiled at his sleeping form and placed the boxes in the trash bag she would dump later. She walked to the edge of the roof, spreading her wings. She leaped into the sky, soaring over Marlowe. Alice's circle started the furthest away from their nest, and worked backward to the empty warehouse. Minnesota was mild at the moment, but they would need warmer clothes if they stayed. Right now she had two sets of clothing which was a short sleeved shirt, pants, underwear, and socks. Squirrel had one shirt with a big s on it, and cargo pants. They would need a better wardrobe than that. They would also need to think about heating and feed so the squirrels would be happy. Hibernation was their natural state in the winter, but they would throw that off for their leader as long as he could give them a warm place to live and food to go with it.

Re: Metagaming Question On Universe Building the second if I read your question right. CES

Re: In the Company of Strangers (story) 4 Tim ‘Trebuchet' Bucket stood on the pitcher's mound, tossing the ball in his hand up and down as he checked the runner on first base. It had been a no hitter until the relief pitcher had botched a couple of throws. That put Tim back in the game. Trebuchet readied his stance. His arm tingled as he drew back his hand. More and more it did that, and Tim took it to mean he was going to throw a strike when he released. His arm swept forward, hurling the baseball. The batter swung and connected. The wooden bat broke into two pieces, popping the ball straight up from the impact. Donnie Dubois, the catcher, threw his face mask down as he got under the ball. He held up his glove. The ball fell gently into the webbing. Donnie slung the ball to second base. Rich Handler snagged it out of the air, slapping the runner out with a call from the umpire. Tim shook his arm out. It felt like something was in his pitching arm, moving on its own. He flexed his throwing hand, the sensation riding up to his shoulder. Could something be wrong with his arm? He caught the throw from second, dropping the ball in his right hand. He bounced the leather globe in the air. The spring in his arm wound tight as he prepared to throw. He could definitely feel it now. The next batter came up, taking a couple of practice swings before settling in his stance. The pitcher drew back and released. The ball crossed the diamond before the batter could swing. "Strike!" The umpire made the signal for those who couldn't hear him. Tim caught the throw from Dub, getting ready to pitch again before the catcher could give him a signal. He blasted another one out. The batter saw it coming. He just couldn't swing his bat fast enough to stop it. "Strike two!" The umpire settled behind Dub and the batter. Tim threw again, letting his arm unwind. The ball rolled dust off the ground as it cut across the infield. The batter chopped at it, trying for a grounder. The ball hopped over the wood, dropping into Dub's glove with a gentle slap. "Strike three! You're out." The umpire stood up, taking his mask off as players ran out on the field. Tim Bucket's Mighty Maroons had won the day. The Screaming Eagles would have to go home crying. "Good job, Tim." Coach Reilly smiled. "Good job, everyone. Shake hands and let's start packing our gear." The teams exchanged handshakes under the watchful eyes of their coaches before returning to their dug outs to collect their equipment. Tim hated this part. No one wanted to shake the hand of the boys who won. "Hey, Tim!" Herb Bucket waved his hand. "Good job. Your mom is waiting for us." Tim nodded. Coach Reilly waved him on. No need to ride the bus back home if someone was there to pick you up. He wouldn't if he had driven his car instead of riding with the team. The pitcher tucked his glove under his arm and headed up to the parking lot where his dad looked down on the Eagle field. "Your pitching is excellent." Herb headed for the family Focus. "I still think you need to work on your batting." "I am, Dad." Tim got in the passenger side. "I'm getting good." "You'll be in college, then playing for the Majors with an arm like that." Herb cranked the engine. "Tim Bucket pitches no hitter for the Yankees." "I have to graduate first, Dad." Tim tossed his glove into the back seat. "I might not be good enough to make any team. High school is nothing like the pros." "You have an excellent arm, Timmy." Herb dodged around a van in the way. "Much better than mine ever was. Scouts will knock down the doors to take you." "I doubt that, Dad." Tim smiled. "There are better pitchers than me out there." "I don't think so, Timmy." Herb took a left and headed for the North Road, a four lane highway across Marlowe. "You're better than anyone I have seen. You could pitch for the Cubs right now." "Anyone could pitch for the Cubs, Dad." Tim settled in his chair, working his arm. He definitely wasn't going to tell his dad about his arm, and the curious feeling it had started to give him. He didn't want to spend half the night in the emergency room. Any kind of injury to his arm would have his father doing everything to make sure it was still usable. Tim would rather live with it until it got worse than be poked and prodded. He sometimes wondered if it would be better just to quit the team. He didn't know how his father felt about him anymore. Did he love him for being his son, or for the golden arm he carried around with him? Tim was afraid to ask. The Buckets rode north along the highway, looking at other people trying to get to where they had to be. Tim thought about talking his problems over with someone. He knew he couldn't with his parents. He needed to talk to the coach about this. Coach Reilly seemed to think about more than baseball and sports. Maybe he could give some advice that Tim would find useful. At the moment the boy felt torn by two opposite forces. He wanted to play, but not to let his Dad relive his own dreams that he couldn't pursue. Tim didn't know his father's dream would end in fire and death.

Re: In the Company of Strangers (story) Probably. CES

Re: In the Company of Strangers (story) That's the very first thing I thought of. CES

Re: In the Company of Strangers (story) I did. I hope you like it. CES

Re: Notes from NSU Day Eight Ashlee Summer met up with her sweetie, Jake, while Simon went home alone. A box arrived at Jake's door. A ransom note was inside requesting a meeting. Ash decided to go alone. Steve James called Simon and told him about the meeting after he was told. Simon made it to the park in time to hook up with Ash as she talked to Gate and three of Parsons's minions which included Psi Ice and Scorpion. They were shown that Bonnie the victim had been sucked dry. After a battle, they were placed in a life drain chamber. They busted out and fought their way clear. They returned to Earth from the astral plane. They joined the watch at the beach to wait on the TROLL to surface. Nathan Fellowes woke in his alley with a paper describing what had happened at the hospital. He went by and found out the doctor had been killed while cutting his head open. He went back to the alley and asked around, but found nothing out. He decided to look at the various genetic companies in town. Nathan stumbled over one of Dr. Moto's hideouts while looking at the companies listed in the phone book. He was captured, and sampled. He escaped with the help of a swarm of miniature Colonies who had also been in the doctor's clutches. Nathan had been injected with a formula from the Dr.'s lab, but thought nothing of it while he was escaping. Nathan researched Dr. Moto at the library before returning to Kendo's house. He discovered Kendo's kidnaping. He investigated everything Kendo had done before finally deciding to break in to the house. A squad of cops took him in. He escaped from custody after his body started sprouting arms and fur, and growing his legs together. Nathan returned to Moto's lair. He found it destroyed with a note from Control thanking him. Nathan salvaged some of the doctor's equipment and secured a cure to reverse his monsterization. Jui-Shen and George were trapped like rats when the arsonist came to burn down the shelter. The ninja weasel broke out, saving the homeless with him. He chased the arsonist to the man's car, boarding it. He finally caught a grenade and blew the man up. The police came and shot Jui-Shen while he was trying to make his escape. After everything was sorted out, Jui-Shen was offered a place in the service.

Re: xialin showdown Page 20- Jade rushed over and helped Jonny up. She asked, "Are you okay?" "I'm fine." Jonny reloaded. "So we're going into the basement? Why?" Dr. Gadd let the fan push him along, holding the sensory instrument in front of him. It beeped a few times before turning green. "It's clean down here also." He swept the flashlight around to look the place over. "That is good. So what do we do now?," asked Jade. "My job is done." Jonny Woo held out his hand. "Time to pay up." "I'm going to put this ghost where it belongs." Dr. Gadd dropped the machine to the floor. "My work seems to be done also without the proper equipment." "Oh, sure thing and thank you very much Mr. Woo, and Dr. Gadd. So how much do I owe you both for your help?," said Jade. "Ten K." Jonny Woo brushed off his suit. "No checks, no credit." "Ten K?" Dr. Gadd looked astounded. "Sure thing Mr. Woo. But you know I don't carry that kind of money around with me. So I will have to give it to you when I get to my place. Okay? And as for you, Dr. Gadd, how much do I owe you?," asked Jade. "Nothing." Dr. Gadd smiled. "Your restaurant should be ready to reopen anytime." Jade smiled and bowed and said, "Thank you kindly, Dr. Gadd, but please at least come in when we reopen and be our honored guest." "I will be glad to do that." Dr. Gadd waddled off with his vacuum cleaner. "Are you sure you can pay?" Jonny Woo made a finger and thumb rubbing gesture. "I thought your dad had you on a short lease." "Yes, I'm sure but it may take a little time because I don't have that kind of money just laying around, so you may need to wait for me to get all of the money. Don't worry I can give you what I have now and the rest later. Oh, and if I were you I would kindly watch what I say Mr. Woo," said Jade in a cold voice and with a hard look on her face. "I say what I mean and mean what I say." Mr. Woo gestured for her to go ahead. "The job's done, and a deal is a deal."

Re: In the Company of Strangers (story) Thanks, Mike. CES

Re: In the Company of Strangers (story) I admit this is lame of me, but I've wanted to build a GLA- one trick pony type team for my story page but I had no ideas for names or characters until I hit on the idea of using handles from the hero boards which suggested powers which suggested a plot better than the one I had at the time which suggested links to earlier stories I had written, or later ones that I plan to write down the road. I'm hoping the result will be cool at the end. CES

Re: In the Company of Strangers (story) 3 At the same time that Thia Halmedes was busting up her ex-boyfriend's car in front of Billy Keys, Oz Mike Michaelson was lugging his bag through the Marlowe Air Terminal. The slapping of concrete under his tennis shoes felt better than the vibration from the twin engine coming up from the twin cities Minneapolis and St. Paul. Oz Mike, sometimes called OMM, watched his fellow travelers as he walked toward the terminal doors. Everyone seemed to be intent on their own businesses. Good. That meant no one recognized him. Oz Mike adjusted his shades as he stepped out in the late afternoon sun. He hailed a taxi at the curb and gave an address a mile or so south of Marlowe's small Downtown. The bag went into the trunk, and Mike settled in the back. Oz Mike had come home to retire. He had spent fifteen years wandering the world looking for the perfect wave. He had a mass of medals and prize money to prove it. He was still young, still had time to look for something else to do, or not. A lethargy had settled on Michaelson. He just didn't care about winning, about surfing, about anything. If the plane he had been on had crashed, it would have just been an inconvenience. A man in a normal job feeling that way couldn't expect to keep it. And the same was true for Oz Mike. So there he was cruising a small city as far away from the ocean as any in the Midwest, trying to think of where he should spend the rest of his life. "Here you go, Buddy." The driver pulled up to the curb. He got out after popping the trunk. One smooth move dropped the bag on the sidewalk. "$25.85, please." Mike paid the fare with a twenty and a ten, picked up his bag, and wondered why the address he had been given was a book store. Maybe he had been given the wrong number. One hand scratched his wavy blond hair, then he decided he had nothing to lose by going in. A bell over the door rang as the champ walked into the store. Rows and rows of books lined shelves under hung signs that said what section held what subject matter. He spotted a door at the back of the place from where he stood. A table for reading was on his right, the counter was on his left. The man behind the counter nodded, his bowler nearly blinding the visitor with its neon green and purple striped display. "Can I help you?" The counter man smiled, displaying a gold front tooth in front. "I don't know." Mike looked down at the slip of paper with the address on it. "A friend of mine said to meet him here when I got into town. I thought he lived here." "I do practically," said a third man appearing from the shelves with a stack of books in his arms. "I'll take these, Odd. It should round out my collection." "Hey, Quin." Oz Mike grinned. "I see you're still reading everything in sight." "Strictly research." Quin Martin smiled back. "Your phone call was a surprise." Odd took the books and ran them under a scanner with small movements of his hands. They went into plastic bags as soon as he priced them. "I figured since I was coming out this way, I should warn you ahead of time." Oz Mike laughed. "I just didn't expect to meet you at a book store." "I just seem to have a lot of answers for work now." Quin squinted his blue eyes behind the thin glasses frames. "It's hard to explain. I'm off for the rest of the day. I guess I can give you the tour of the town." "Kitty still wants you to come over for dinner, Quin." Odd placed the bags on the counter. "One more shouldn't be a problem." "I don't know." Quin checked his plain watch. "Let's go, Quin." Oz Mike added a couple of the plastic bags to his burden. "I'm here to relax. Dinner out with your friends should be great." "I'll tell Kitty." Odd displayed his gold tooth again. "She'll be in orbit." "We'll be back in a couple of hours." Quin grabbed the rest of the books and headed for the door. "Remind Kitty that I'm a vegetarian." "No problem, Question Man." Odd waved at them like a salute that made his odd hat hurt Oz Mike's eyes even more than when he first stepped into the store.

Re: Challengers game: The Ferriman Institute Sorry, Log. I don't have a Hero Designer. CES

Re: Challengers game: The Ferriman Institute My math may be a little off but it's finally done. CES Character Name: Flying Fox Real Name: William T. Fox Nationality: American Hair/Eye Color: Brown/brown Place of Birth: Springfield, Ill. Date of Birth: 2/23/73 Height/Mass: 5'8, 185 pounds Cost Characteristic Value 10 STR 20 51 DEX 27 20 CON 20 20 BODY 20 8 INT 18 30 EGO 25 5 PRE 15 COM 10 PD 4 ED 4 23 SPD 6 REC 8 END 40 STUN 40 OCV: 7 DCV: 7 OECV: 8 DECV: 8 Phases: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Cost Powers and Talents (END) Armor (10 pd/10 ed) 30 pts must concentrate to activate (-½) OIHID (-1/4) Harms the environment when activated (-½) Needs Material to use (-½) 11 pts Flight 20' 40 pts usable by 8 others (+1) linked to armor (-½) variable advantage (+1/2), variable disadvantage (-1/2) Gestures (-½) 27 pts Teleport 1" 2 pts Usable by 8 others (+1) megascale (+1), linked to armor (-½) Extra time (-1/2) Must cross intervening space (-1/4) gestures (-½), Must be in the air (-½) 2 pts Energy Blast 8d6 40 pts linked to armor (-½), gestures (-½) physical manifestations (-½) 16 pts Ranged Killing Attack 3d6 45 pts linked to armor (-½) gestures (-½) Physical manifestations (-½) 18 pts Radar 15 pts linked to armor (-½) 10 pts Life Support Self contained breathing, all safe environments 19 pts Linked to armor (-½) 13 pts Flying Fox's extras 30 pts + 15 pts VPP linked to armor (-½) 30 pts Cost Skills 3 Combat piloting 14- 3 Combat driving 14- 6 TF: Wheeled vehicles, jets , planes, helicopters 2 Navigation: Air 12- 3 Mechanics 12- 3 Electronics 12- 3 System operations 12- 3 Tracking 12- 3 KS: Physics 12- 3 KS: Engineering 12- 3 PS: Engineering 12- 3 PS: Vehicle Design 12- 2 Survival 12- 3 Stealth 14- 40 + 5 levels with all combat 20 point Ferriman Institute Package 3 Bump of direction 150 Points Disadvantages 25 Watched by the Ferriman Institute 14- 15 Reputation: Speed Demon 14- 20 Psych Lim: Likes to go fast always 20 Subject to orders 10 DF: Speed Aura detectable with Vril detector 30 Hunted by Ferriman Institute's Rogues Gallery 14- 15 Watched by FAA 8- 15 Overconfident CHA Cost = 167 Total Powers Cost = 127 Total Skills Cost = 106 Total Cost = _____400_____________ Background Information: William T. Fox has always had the ability to create vehicles out of thin air. His father was a trucker, and his mom worked a factory job making gears. They both said it felt like they were one with their machines, which made it easier to use them. Unknown to the family, Roscoe and Billy Jean Fox had been exposed to a type of radiation and subliminal programming that allowed them to merge with machinery like it was part of their own bodies. The Ferriman Institute discovered the Fox family after a routine sweep picked up Vril radiation in a minute quantity. After several interviews, and a demonstration of what Will could do, they hired them on to work for the Institute. Will joined the Challenger program to help keep the world safe and to go really fast. Quote: "Time to blow up this popsicle stand." Personality: Will Fox likes to go wherever the action is as fast as possible. He has antagonized the FAA with his daredevil attitude. They don't like something blasting in a flight path without authorization. Free time is spent at a track, either watching the races, or borrowing a car to get in them. Appearance: Will Fox is an ordinary looking guy who is either in jeans and shirt, or racing leathers in the Challenger colors. Powers: Will has the ability to mentally build a vehicle around himself. He does this by stripping material around himself while he is concentrating on what the vehicle should be able to do. AIM: csyphrett Yahoo Messenger: csyphrett_us

Re: So how does one build Captain Atom at 250 pts? The charlton Captain Atom could be built on 250. He had FTL flight, EB, Life Support, Desolid, maybe Universal Translator, Air Force engineering. I don't remember any extra strength, could be wrong about that. Radioactive aura as a DF. CES

Re: The New Circle Thanks Qm. I got to where it was like I can finish this tonight so I did. CES

Re: The New Circle Character Name: Charlie X Real Name: Charles Ecks Nationality: American Hair/Eye Color: Red/blue Place of Birth: Millennium City Date of Birth: 2/20/76 Height/Mass: 5'8", 175 pounds Cost Characteristic Value 8 STR 18 24 DEX 18 20 CON 20 20 BODY 20 15 INT 25 40 EGO 30 10 PRE 20 1 COM 12 PD 3 ED 4 2 SPD 3 REC 7 END 20 STUN 39 OCV: 6 DCV: 6 OECV: 10 DECV: 10 Phases: 4,8,12 Cost Powers and Talents (END) Telepathy 6d6 30 pts visible (-1/4) 24 pts Mind Scan 6d6 30 pts Linked to telepathy (-½) cannot use the link to attack (-1) visible (-1/4) 11 pts Mind Control 6d6 30 pts Linked to telepathy (-½) eye contact (-½) Concentrate (-½), visible (-1/4) 11 pts Ego Attack 3d6 30 pts linked to telepathy (-½) Must be able to see target (-½) gesture (-½) visible (-1/4) 11 pts Mind Link with eight minds 25 pts linked to telepathy (-½) visible (-1/4) 14 pts Telekinetic Force Field: Armor (15 pd/15 ed) 45 pts Concentrate to activate (-1/4) visible (-1/4) 30 pts Telekinesis: 30 str 45 pts linked to armor (-½) affects whole object (-1/4) visible (-1/4) 22 pts Telekinetic Blast: 9d6 Energy Blast 45 pts linked to armor (-½) 30 pts Telekinetic Flight: Flight 20" 40 pts linked to armor (-½) visible (-1/4) 23 pts Telekinetic Force Wall: Force Wall (8 pd/8 ed) 40 pts linked to armor (-½) 27 pts Telekinetic Grip: 9d6 Entangle 45 pts linked to armor (-½) cannot form barriers (-1/4) 26 pts Telekinetic Booster: 4d6 Aid to strength, dexterity, constitution, and speed 40 pts. Linked to armor (-½) Self only (-½) visible (-1/4) 18 pts Gadget 20 + 10 VPP Pool 30 pts OAF (-1) 15 pts Cost Skills 3 Mechanics 14- 3 Electronics 14- 3 System operations 14- 3 Computer programming 14- 3 KS: PSI 14- 3 KS: IHA 14- 3 AK: Amalgam City 14- 3 AK: Millennium City 14- 3 Stealth 12- 3 PS: physical sciences 14- 3 KS: physical sciences 14- 3 KS: Psionics 14- 3 KS: Mutants 14- 2 Survival 14- 2 TF: wheeled vehicles 3 Combat driving 12- 5 Cramming 14- 5 Eidetic memory 150 Points Disadvantages 20 Hunted by IHA 11- 20 Hunted by Psi 11- 10 Rivalry with other psionics 10 DF: Mutant 15 Psych Lim: Hates IHA 15 Psych Lim: Hates Psi 20 Psych Lim: Secretive 15 Physical Lim: Migraines 15 Public Identity 10 Reputation: Mind controlling mutant 11- 108 experience points CHA Cost = 140 Total Powers Cost = 262 Total Skills Cost = 56 Total Cost = _________458_________ Plot Hook 1) Charlie X has been chosen as a spokesman for mutant rights. Unable to attend a conference, he contacts the local heroes and asks any mutants on the team to attend in his place. That hero is kidnaped. Does the kidnaping have anything to do with Charlie, or one of the hero's enemies taking revenge? The players have to sort it out before the conference suffers. Plot Hook 2) Members of the IHA are turning up dead. Mortal wounds seemed to be inflicted with heavy solid hits like a super fast punch, or a telekinetic push. Charlie X has to be tracked down and questioned about the deaths. Only no one knows where he is, or is unwilling to tell. Plot Hook 3) Psionics all over the world are dropping into comas where they stand. Is it an attack using biological warfare, or something more insidious preying on their minds. Someone is going to have to go in mentally and look around inside a victim's mind. Background Information: The hero known as Four came about as an experiment to duplicate Patrolman D's accident in such a way as to deliberately create superhumans at will. If it could be proven, governments would line up for the process. The experiment worked, but the pilot and the researchers attached learned the price was too high for the results. Brad Tempest found that his body was composed of energetic molecules that rendered him invisible, stretchable, stronger than he had been, but also giving off a burning effect when he touched something. The only good thing about it was his new state wasn't radioactive. Brad decided to get in touch with Patrolman D and try to hash out some kind of solution to their problem. If he could solve the mutations while keeping the powers, the process would become viable. Brad arrived just in time to take part in the battle of Amalgam City. His invisibility and related powers proved an asset. When he was offered an invitation to be on the team, he accepted. Partly he wanted to find a cure, but also he had put his powers to good use for once. Why not keep doing that? Quote: "I feel like a peeping tom." Personality: Brad prefers research and looking for ways to return his appearance back to normal. On the other hand, mixing it up with Viper or Demon is a welcome break from the lab when he is just spinning his wheels. Appearance: Brad used to be a fairly normal looking guy with brown hair and brown eyes. Now he's invisible and capable of altering his height and width at the drop of a hat. Powers: Brad's main power is invisibility which is always on. The molecules of his body vibrate much more frequently making him more energy than matter. He uses this to alter his shape, fly, and set things on fire. Additionally he has found that he can perform incredible feats of strength thanks to the energy pumping him up. A recent development is the ability to take some of his energy and create force walls with them. He practices with it, wondering what other powers will derive from his energy abilities. Character Name: Four Real Name: Brad Tempest Nationality: American Hair/Eye Color: None/none Place of Birth: Amalgam City Date of Birth: 2/21/1970 Height/Mass: variable, 50 pounds. Cost Characteristic Value 40 STR 50 33 DEX 21 20 CON 20 20 BODY 20 10 INT 20 10 EGO 15 PRE 10 COM 10 PD 10 ED 4 SPD 3 REC 14 END 40 STUN 55 OCV: 7 DCV: 7 OECV: 5 DECV: 5 Phases: 4,8,12 Cost Powers and Talents (END) Invisibility 20 pts Reduced End +1/2 (0) Always on (-½) Energy body 80 pt Multipower 4u Stretching 8" 40 pts 4u Energy Blast 8d6 40 pts 4u Flight 20" 40 pts 4u Force Wall 8 pd/ 8 ed 40 pts Cost Skills 3 KS: Physics 12- 3 KS: Quantum Mechanics 12- 3 Mechanics 12- 3 Electronics 12- 3 KS: Superhero History 12- 3 KS: The Underworld 12- 3 AK: Amalgam City 12- 3 TF: Planes 2 TF: Wheeled vehicles 3 Combat Piloting 13- 3 Combat Driving 13- 2 Navigation: Air 12- 3 Stealth 13- 3 Shadowing 13- 3 Systems Operations 12- 3 Computer Programming 12- 9 Dr. Emil Vril: Contact in the government 11- 150 Points Disadvantages 15 Physical Lim: Invisible 20 Psych Lim: Seeking a cure for condition 25 Hunted by Argent 11- 30 Hunted by Viper 11- 15 Watched by Government Agency 11- 15 Secret Identity 10 Reputation: Victim of the government conspiracy 11- 20 Subject to orders CHA Cost = 133 Total Powers Cost = 112 Total Skills Cost = 55 Total Cost = _______300___________ Plot Hook 1) Someone has stolen the plans that Brad Tempest and his agency had adopted for their super soldier program. Additionally he is using those plans. The evidence is the trail of giant radioactive monsters plaguing the city. Plot Hook 2) Four has been seen around town. At least Brad Tempest has. The government has reported him KIA due to the failure of his project tests. They are very interested in who this Brad Tempest is, and call in a favor from the heroes. Plot Hook 3) Four has agreed to test a new power system that drains off some of his energy so that he becomes visible again. People begin falling into comas around Amalgam City. Is it an effect of the power drainer, or something far worse. The hero team has been called in to find out which and arrest Four if he is responsible. Notes about the Amalgam City Academy for the Gifted: The ACAG will hopefully be set up outside the city limits where it can be defended without the costs to civilians. Only gifted superhumans or exceptional normals will be accepted for training at first. Classes will be kept small. All Star has asked the Defender to head this new facility. The alien mage agreed almost instantly. He enlisted a forgotten heroine named Champion, and started building grounds and buildings with his powerful energies. Research was done and students were invited to enroll in the new institution. If Defender fails, he knows his new school will be shut down. More importantly, it will be a black mark on his record. So he does whatever he can to keep the kids safe and moving forward. Among the first crop of students is G-la, Titan, Outsider, Loser, Patrolman X, Power Ranger, The Ultra, Winter Guard, Ranger, and several others. They are receiving training and a small amount of a controlled environment so they can be more like themselves. The rumors of a teen team operating out of the ACAG is dismissed by Defender in public, but he is sure that some of his students have modeled themselves into Young Legionnaires. He is not quite sure if this is the development he was hoping for. Notes: Obviously for those still reading this thread the Legionnaires aren't built on one hero but on hero teams like the amalgams Wanderer was asking about in another thread. All Star is the very early JSA, Invader is from Roy Thomas's first attempt to write about heroes of the forties, Legion is the Legion of Superheroes, Creature Commando comes from Robert Kanigher's Weird War Tales where the government created Project M, and used monsters as a psychological weapon, Soldier the Seven Soldiers of Victory, another team from the forties first reused by Len Wein, Patrolman D, the earliest incarnation of the Doom Patrol, Avenger, the five founding members of the Avengers from Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, Charlie X also from Lee and Kirby, this time the X-Men, and Four, the last team from Lee and Kirby. I hope to do sheets for the Young Legionnaires, hopefully before the 6th edition comes out. Thanks for the comments and advice that has been given. I still have a list of independents to do and another team or two, but I think I am going to finish the other things I am working on first before returning to this thread so it might be a while before I post something else here.

Re: A New Dawn. 'Post-Apocalyptic' Fantasy All of the above. I'm still thinking about powers and skills. Most of them will have to be on a focus, maybe one shot. Some of it depends on what everyone else gets if we get enough players. I tend to go for a niche I think I can fill that no one else is doing. CES

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it...

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it...

Re: In the Company of Strangers (story) 2 Billy Keys put Mrs. Costa's groceries down on the small kitchen counter. Long, tall, skinny, his green building super uniform hanging loosely, he had made Happy Hills a good place to live somehow. Billy's brown eyes flicked around the apartment, checking for any need to work on it as Mrs. Costa limped over on her cane. "Thanks, Billy." Mrs. Costa started pulling things out of the bags. "Eight flights of stairs is a little too much for me. I appreciate your bringing my things up for me." "See you." Billy turned with a jangle of keys. He had been a super for three years. He knew things about his building that the architects never thought about when they built it. Billy let himself out, brushing brown hair out of his eyes. He liked to walk the halls, checking things with his eyes. He put it down to insomnia and nothing better to do. His renters thought he was dedicated. The only complaint anybody had was he never spoke three words if two would do. Some saw that as unfriendly. Some saw it as the perfect trait in a super. He's there to fix things, not to talk you to death. Billy wandered over to the window at the end of the hall. First year he was on the job, he had to replace every one of them. That had helped cut down on the heating bill. The building's owner had wondered about the cost, but Keys had receipts for every frame and the fact that he had put most of them when he should have been off the job anyway. Billy looked around, checking the landscape with a practiced eye. Eight floors was not the perfect view he could have hoped for. Still he could see a car slow rolling through the lot downstairs. Nothing exceptional about the car from his point of view. The speed was consistent with the posted speed signs. Still it made him twitch. And he didn't like things that made him twitch. Billy went to the stairwell door to his left. He pulled his key ring up, finding the right key. The door was unlocked, but that wasn't why he needed the key. He stuck the tin finger in the lock and turned. He opened the door, and the lot was in sight beyond the threshold. He stepped through the portal. Billy didn't like what he saw. The car rolled slow because the driver was hassling some girl walking from the bus stop down the block. She looked less than pleased by his advances. His buddies were laughing, which put the pressure on to save face. Billy didn't recognize any of them which meant he could let it go if he wanted to. They would move out of his parking lot, and it would be somebody else's problem. "Do you need help?" Billy didn't approach the car. He stood by the door. That made it easier for him to get around with the right key in hand. "I got this, cracker." The driver glared at Billy, who seemed a lack wit. "Why don't you fix somebody's toilet before something bad happens." "Why don't you shove your head up your $^$, *&$&%?" The girl pulled away, straightened black hair moving like a helmet around her angry face. "Oh wait. It's already there." The car screeched to a halt. The driver started to get out of the car, his passengers egging him on. Billy tensed, key ready in his hand. "Eat this!" The girl dropped her book bag, twisted like she was winding up to hit a home run, then brought a baseball bat around as hard as she could. The club connected with the driver's head as he was stuck between sitting down and getting out. He went down. Billy squinted. He was sure that everyone who had seen what happened was wondering the same thing. Where the heck did the bat come from? Maybe she had it concealed in her jeans and he had missed it in the excitement. Maybe he had finally snapped and lost his little mind. The girl swung on the car, smashing out the door window in one swing. That made the driver's buddies duck down to avoid the flying splinters. She moved down to the rear driver side. The guys in the back started out the other side. She smashed the glass out the passenger door and all over the back seat. "What are you doing, crazy @#$$%?" The shotgun man stood on the other side of the car. "I told you to leave me alone." She looked ready to chase them around the vehicle. "In three months, I'm going in the Marines. I don't want to see you again. Got it? Next time I'll do more than the car." Billy tried not to laugh out loud. He thought he was coming down to help out a damsel in distress. He didn't think the lady in question would be a Marine in training. Maybe he should call the police to bail the guys in the car out. "All right, ho." The shotgun rider held up his hands. "What about G-lo?" "What about him?" The girl picked up her bag. "Let the %&^&%& bleed to death. That's fine with me." She started off across the lot, bag over a shoulder, bat in hand. Billy heard her muttering as she went. Sounded pissed off to him. Billy waited by the door as the three surviving members of the crew picked G-lo off the asphalt and loaded him up in the car. They placed him in the back, and drove off. He hoped the girl hadn't started a lot of trouble for herself. Well, as long they kept it away from the apartment building, it wasn't his problem. That's how he liked it. Billy opened the door with his key and stepped into his own place. He needed to get some juice to get the taste out of his mouth. He had thought that he would be fighting. He was glad that he hadn't. It wasn't something that he did well.