NYpurdy's Characters -2ed- Halfway House, JoyBoy, Wishpoosh

[NYpurdy]

Description: Graciela Cortes Arrellano has a history as a party girl. She especially loved flirting, and more, with the American tourists who would come to her city and get wasted while on spring break. When her powers began to manifest she didn't even notice at first - she wrote off the violent nausea her short-term boyfriends experienced was because these college boys just couldn't handle their alcohol. It wasn't until she had a public argument with one of her flings that she realized her ability; as the argument escalated all of the patrons at the bar got dizzy and sick at once... except her.

Control came easy for her once she was aware of her power to induce intense dizziness, vertigo, and nausea in those around her. She used it to her benefit for a while, especially when she was feeling spiteful, but it seemed like a waste. Truth was, her whole life was starting to feel like a waste. Wanting more than just parties and hangovers she began considering ways to make a real difference.

Tequila donned her costume first at the age of 24, and mainly intervened in and broke up small time fights and brawls. Her consistent work as a cape attracted the attention of other heroes, which granted Tequila opportunities to train with them as both a combatant and a hero.

Besides her vertigo inducing powers, Tequila has become a competent hand to hand fighter and has equipped herself with a small flame thrower that she wears strapped to her left wrist. Her dull yellow costume is flame proof - just in case!

Tequila is a Mexican superhero that typically operates independently, though she has friendly relations with several other capes in Mexico and the USA. While she has settled down a lot, she still has a healthy social life and commonly takes a week or three from hero-work for her own vacations. Still a flirt, Tequila is also quick to act when problems arise - though she sometimes uses her powers indiscriminately when she cannot immediately determine which side of an altercation each of the participants are on.

The major Tequila brands have petitioned the Mexican government to do something about Tequila's name, believing it to harm their campaign to promote the more sophisticated side of he beverage, but as of now no action has been taken.

[NYpurdy]

Description:

Whelp looks like a scrawny brown-haired boy of around 9. It is unsure how old he truly is, but he's been 9(ish) for as long as he can remember. Whelp believes his name is Thomas, but when pressed he's not entirely sure of this either. He has traveled across the united states from one city to the next, relying on the goodness of strangers occasionally but generally stealing for his living.

Whelp is mild mannered and polite - even shy - but is driven to remain free and will go to any means possible to "escape." In addition to his agelessness, Whelp generates a translucent, sticky, gel-like material from his hands. Spreading this on his knees and feet and he can quickly climb up any surface; Whelp can also jettison this gel from his hands encasing and slowing all who get caught in it.

Whelp is the kind of character that can show up in the backgrounds of scenes in a "who is that moment" before the heroes have something stolen by Whelp, have to save him from some back-ally villain, or both!

[NYpurdy]

Description:

Marius Van Houte is a citizen of the Netherlands and a professional fisherman. Once, when the fish were scarce and his crew was bored the men caught and killed an albatross. Marius discovered the atrocity and tried to free the bird. but it was too late. As all experienced seamen know, to kill an albatross is to bring great misfortune, and death, upon the ship. Even though Marius turned his ship back to shore immediately they could not escape the albatross' curse. The skies darkened, the wind howled, and a single flash of lightning struck the ship and split it in two.

Marius washed ashore, but all seven of his crew were dead. More so, Marius had been endowed with an unknown mystical power that gave him wings, increased strength and toughness, and the ability to bestow bad luck on others. Donning the name The Albatross, Marius is now a maritime cape operating primarily out of the EU, and frequently rescues sailors and fishermen from unexpected storms and aquatic villains.

[NYpurdy]

Description:

Tovi Becker, if you ask his mother, was always a very good Jewish boy. And that's true. The 17 year old's grades a very good, he's polite and stays away from the girls (much to Tovi's own disappointment). However Mrs. Becker does not know about her son's mystical secret.

Tovi was interested in stage magic and has spent a lot of time practicing his many card tricks. It was searching for a new and exciting trick at a local magic and oddities store that Tovi found the Tablet. Roughly the size of a textbook, and despite being stone weighing about the same, the Tablet is a roughly hewn slab of brownish stone with bright gold letters carved into its surface. What caught Tovi's eye was the language on the stone: Hebrew. He bought the tablet and took it home to his garage to figure out how to work it into one of his sleight of hand tricks.

As he read the words on the Tablet the air began to hum with energy. The gold letters glowed with a brilliant light; they shot out a wide beam of light where, when it cleared, a huge 12 foot tall stone man stood. Roughly hewn and brownish light the tablet, the creatures eyes glowed gold, and fissures running through its skin had the same appearance as the Hebrew letters on the tablet. Once he was past his initial terror, Tovi learned that the creature was bound to the tablet, and the person who summoned him. By holding the tablet and reading the very last line of the tablet the guardian would be dismissed back to where he came from.

Tovi, calling himself Tablet, has intervened in a few local emergencies, but he largely summons the Guardian of the Tablet for his own teenage issues - like pulling his car from the ditch that one time he ran off the road... Heroes could run into Tablet if there was a mission at the high school, local magic show, or magic shop; if there was a problem at the local synagogue; or if the Guardian was seen in public (or controlled by another force/magician momentarily) the heroes may be called in initially to fight against him!

[JoshuaDunlow]

I'm noticing in many of your templates that you are using now, its showing your spending points to Improve Toughness? That a house rule of yours?

[NYpurdy]

Thanks for giving them a gander!

No - not a house rule. It's something that should probably be changed in the spreadsheet to make it more clear. That cell typically represents Powers like Protection or the feat Defensive Roll, so those modifiers don't get forgotten in figuring out the actual toughness save modifier. That "buy" label doesn't represent any actual points spent.

[NYpurdy]

Description:

Corbin Wills, third string football "star" at his college, gained his powers in a flash - blowing a hole through his dorm room wall in the process. Though the incident was written off as a freak construction-related accident, he still loved the attention of being a big shot on campus after that and is seriously considering making his powers public.

When Corbin activates his powers he surrounds himself with glowing energy, which glows a near-white yellow and masks most of his features - hence his codename. Towhead loves being a hero, but still being new to the game means he's likely to get in over his head. This, added to his limited control of his blast power, means he often has to get himself out of trouble he causes just as much as trouble caused by villains!

As far as builds go, Towhead is a straight-forward flyer/blaster. He could be a fun friend/romantic interest of a college age hero, then when some sort of mission goes bad he could reveal himself and join the fray. How would the heroes follow suit and reveal their identity in return?

[NYpurdy]

Description:

Swan doesn't share what her "origin" story is, but what is known is that Swan is a mystic hero who, like many of the magical persuasion, claim to be neutral to earth's mortal affairs. Of course if this was true we'd know nothing about her. Like many magical "passive observers" she cannot help but intervene when she sees her side loosing - particularly against a magical threat.

She normally dresses in dresses of light blue, white, and silver that flow behind her like water. Though a talents wielder of mystical force, her spells are relatively limited. If Swan had her way she would be a healer only, though she can use the same glowing power to dispel other's spells or launch a mystical blast. With a thought she can create wings of magical force that spread out from her back, and bestow these upon others as well; however is Swan is unable to maintain the magic then all of those bestowed with mystic wings looses the spell's effect as well.

Swan may appear to rescue the heroes from mystical threat, may arrive to inform them of one, or may be sought out to aid them against a magical foe - especially if healing or transportation is needed.

[NYpurdy]

Name: Hinckley Richardson
Alias: Oblivion

Age: 17
Gender: Male



Height 6 ft
Weight 158 LBS
Hair Blonde
Eyes Grey Blue
Notes Hinckley wears his hair slightly longer, and either slicked back or parted to the side. He usually opts for slightly dressier clothes, and nearly always wears dark colors: black, gray, and brown.

Relatives: Deborah and Ron Richardson - parents
Allies: Vigilant
Enemies: Reformed Community of the Pinnacle Path

Personality: Sarcastic and insulting, Hinckley comes across as uncaring. Being let down by so many people has given him a "me first" attitude. The worst thing someone could do is appeal to his sense of duty, and he'll often go against authority. Secretly Hinckley's a very hurt boy who desperately needs some he can trust.

Powers:
Psychic Drain: Hinckley's own psyche needs to feed off of the psychic energy of others. The bare minimum daily drain he needs might leave an individual dizzy, groggy, or headachy for a moment. By concentrating on one person's aura, Hinckley can drain much more energy resulting in exhaustion, double vision, painful migraines, coma, and eventual death. Hinckley has developed his powers so he can drain only miniscule amounts of energy over an extended period of time or among many individuals to fulfill his needs each day while avoiding any negative impact on his targets.

When Hinckley uses his gifts his eyes glow violet, and a glow from his target emits from its eyes before traveling through the air and entering his. Hinckley can affect any target he can accurately perceive with his drain ability, although he can't affect someone through a recording device or over a television broadcast; he must be able to physically see the target or the glow that the target's signature gives off.

After absorbing energy Hinckley is energized and psychically healed. If he absorbs too much psychic power, however, he experiences a painful burning sensation behind his eyes. If he does not discharge this energy he'll blackout, and the energy automatically flows into surrounding psyches. To prevent this he can willfully discharge the excess energy, which takes the form of violet lightning that unerringly strikes the mental target of his choices. This causes significant damage to the other person. Hinckley currently lacks the skill to discharge his excess energy harmlessly into the environment or to split up the discharge among several targets. Like his ability to psionically drain someone, he can affect any target that he perceives.

Psychic Sense: Hinckley can sense the presence of other psychic signatures. When he focuses this power a glow surrounds all lifeforms in his vision. The brightness of this glow corresponds with the power of their psyche. With this psychic sense he can notice even the faint glow of small animals, and distinguish the power differences between different people. The glow of some powerful psychics, however, can be so bright it would effect his visions as if a bright light was shone into his eyes.

Without focusing his psychic sense most of the glow fades away from his vision. The signature of a normal human appears as just a faint glow, while powerful psychics glow more. Hinckley can never completely suppress this 6th sense of his, but he has lived with it long enough that it no longer impedes his daily life.

Even in a dark room Hinckley can still see the glow of psychic signatures without any difficulty. When Hinckley is not focusing his powers walls and other obstacles effectively block all but the brightest glows. When he focuses his psychic sense, Hinckley can see through such barriers much more effectively.

Strip Memory: By placing his hands on the head of another individual Hinckley can strip a memory from him or her. This is a painful and exhausting experience for the target that transfers the memory to Hinckley. He must have at least a vague idea of what memory he wants for it to work, and there is always a chance a different memory would be stripped. The target looses recollection of the memory, though vague details may remain.

Psychic feedback: Mind control and mind reading powers targeting Hinckley may cause a backlash of psychic energy to the other psychic. Highly experienced or powerful psychics can handle said backlash easier, but even they are at risk from this ability.

Motor sports: Having few extra activities he participated in at school or in the community, Hinckley's one outlet was four-wheeling and snow snowmobiling along the Wasatch Front. While he only has rudimentary mechanic skills, he knows how to repair these vehicles, and can deftly handle and maneuver them.

History: Deborah and Ron Richardson had been attending members of a half a dozen congregations before two Mormon missionaries came knocking on their Tennessee door. Two months later they got themselves married, got baptized, and moved to Utah to immerse themselves in their new religion.

The two of them always had a challenge aligning their Holy Roller roots with the more low-key Mormon culture, but it wasn't until their child was born that they truly felt discontented with their new religion.

Hinckley was in most ways a typical boy in most regards, though he started to experience intense headaches that often kept him home from school and church. As his twelfth birthday rolled around, and while his classmates were all looking forward to being ordained Deacons, the Bishop of his ward thought it would be best to wait until Hinckley had a chance to attend church more before giving the young man the priesthood. This well meaning decision was the last straw for Deborah and Ron, who stopped going to church all together. Within a year they had offended most of their neighbors with their rants about their false religion.

Life at school was becoming more difficult at school as Hinckley's powers started to manifest. Rumors started to swirl that he was radioactive; causing his eyes to glow, and being around him would make you sick. Later he was found with a dead dog, a victim of an accidental drain of psychic energy, and labeled a psychopath by the neighborhood. After an incident where Hinckley's powers flared and he left one of the teachers at the school unconscious he was expelled for "assaulting a teacher." His parents then sought out an alternate education for their son.

It wasn’t long however before Hinckley was recruited into The Pinnacle Academy of Excellence, and Deborah and Ron were welcomed into the Reformed Community of the Pinnacle Path which ran the school. The church was a small fringe group who broke off from the Pinnacle Path. The reformed church saw metahuman powers as literal manifestations of the Holy Spirit and actively looked for newly manifesting metas who they could convert.

After a time Hinckley gained more control of his powers and his parents were trusted with leadership positions in the Path. With their new authority they were involved with the secret rites of the organization, as well as the secret criminal activities of the church. The more involved they became, the more convinced they were that they were somehow involved in God’s true work. The Richardson’s coaxed Hinckley to use his ability to strip away memories. He was exploited into removing incriminating testimony from the minds of lower ranking members after criminal activities or as a punishment for those members who betrayed Church trust.

During this time Hinckley finally felt accepted for who he was, but constantly felt guilt for the pain he put others through and the memories of crimes he felt in his mind. His conflict came to a head when a whole family witnessed one of the leaders shoot a man in their church house. Hinckley was ordered to strip the memory from the whole family, including their young children. Being unwilling to cause so much pain to innocent kids Hinckley refused.

Hinckley was brought to another room and His father was called in to persuade him, but still he refused. A powerful leader ultimately gave him a choice during the confrontation: strip their memories or be labeled an enemy of the church himself and be subject to church discipline.

This pushed Hinckley over the edge, who finally realized the Path had only cared for him because they saw his powers as a tool they could use. He pulled on the psychic signatures around him and drained energy from each of the Church members in the room before firing the energy back on the leader who threatened him - killing him on the spot. Surveying the unconscious bodies around him he decided to run, even abandoning his parents who had been betraying his trust for a long time.

He would have been completely lost if his psychic power hadn't attracted the attention of Vigilant, one of the few metas who operate in Salt lake valley. Hinckley stayed with the hero and took on the alias Oblivion for several months. Unsure how to really help a young man with need training with his powers Vigilant contacted Hot Rod, with whom he had worked with briefly when Vigilant himself was first getting started. It was Alan Archer who ultimately got Hinckley connected at Claremont Academy.

CostumeOnce he was finished he placed the ring to his chest. Black slacks and black shoes covered his lower half. He wore a dark violet, skin tight muscle shirt, with black gloves, black belt, and a black tie worn loose around his neck. He had a lower face mask, also black, that covered everything from his nose down. His eyes and blonde hair was left free.


Oblivion is a character I play in an online game, and as such he is more fleshed out than he might otherwise be. In many ways he's a "mental blaster." He doesn't hit his Caps, but he's much more interested about staying out of harms way and only using his mental transform once the opponents are unconscious.

Much of the color behind his powers (eg. needing to drain energy from people, and having to discharge) is treated more as 2ed equivalents of complications than drawbacks, as they aren't really drawbacks. After all, as long as there are any people around he can drain a bit of energy - and when wouldn't you want to let loose with your powers?

[NYpurdy]

Description: Arthur Emmrett is a young boy with Faerie heritage. He is equipped with a protective amulet and the ability to shape-shift into woodland animals. His black hair has swan feathers at the temples, and his famous parents provide him with a good deal of friends and allies. His faerie guardian, GoldWind, looks like a large gold-furred otter. In addition to other unique abilities related to his fae nature, GoldWind can also generate a beam of pure light from his mouth.

History: Ezra Elias Emmrett's early life is largely an undiscussed and uninteresting topic among the mystical community. What is known, at least among those who know of him, is that he was born sometime close to the turn of the last century to parents with considerable wealth. His history does not become important until his university studies at the start of The Great War. During this time he began to delve deeply into the magical arts. Finding he was naturally gifted in the craft he abandoned studies at King's College to pursue his occult training further.

During the following decades his proficiency grew exponentially, though he had accomplished little of note besides accumulating a vast array of magical lore. By the 50's he was growing old, and though he had a vast collection of tomes and artifacts it appeared like he was destined to keep those books as his sole companions until he died from old age. Only a fateful meeting changed that.

It was during Ezra's morning walk around the woods around his cabin that he heard the sound struggling in the underbrush. Investigating further the older man discovered an injured swan trying to take flight despite its broken wing. Ezra lacked the magical talents to heal the bird, and would normally have left it to its fate, if it wasn't for the haunting, piercing gaze the swan gave him. In an uncharacteristic act of compassion he gathered the now quiet bird home where he treated its wing. Weeks later he determined the bird was once again well enough to fly, though Ezra could still not get over the otherworldly effect its eyes seemed to hold.

On the day the magician released the swan the type of miracle not found among the natural world occurred. The swan circled around, and as it landed the feathers blew away, exposing a beautiful woman with pure white hair and those same haunting eyes. The swan had in truth been a faerie from the land under the hill. The kindness Ezra had shown her touched her deeply. Before the two had even spoken a word, she planted a magical kiss on his lips. As they kissed the effect of the last few decades faded away from Ezra, and be became the young and handsome man from nearly 30 years ago.

Fair-Swan, as she was called, and Ezra were married that same day, sharing what could best be called a fairytale romance. The magic that restored his youth also prevented the magician from aging. The very presence of his new wife softened his heart and encouraged him to use his talents to help others. After outwitting the child-stealing Rumpelstiltskin and sending him once again back to the realm of faerie, the couple spent the next four decades traveling the globe using their magical gifts for good.

Unlike the rather showy nature of most master mages, Ezra used his wits and cunning to resolve many incidents without resorting to shows of power. The two's exploits led them into encounters with brutish giants and bridge trolls, crafty elves and gremlins, and even the infamous witches Baba Yaga and Circe. They became friends of the Inuit after visiting the bloated Sedna's cave and combing her hair, and they made enemies with more than one evil sorcerer after they undermined their machinations. Wits alone could not resolve every mystical foe they encountered, but Ezra's masterful talent with binding and banishing spells and Fair-Swan's natural faerie magic served them well. And though they rarely resorted to it, the couple proved themselves in violent combat more than once, including successfully slaying a hydra that had been tormenting an eastern European village.

The couple’s enchanted their cottage so it could transport with them from town to town, appearing between buildings without anyone noticing. Their exploits added more trophies to the magician's collection, and earned them their share of enemies and allies. Medea, the nigh immortal sorcerous who was betrayed by Jason, saw the couple as a suitable challenge. Instead of attacking the couple directly she transformed her appearance, and asked the two for help exorcising a possessed tome she had acquired. Fair-Swan, pregnant with their first child, stayed behind while Ezra performed the appropriate magic rituals. Over the next month’s Medea, still in disguise, found more tasks for the magician to perform for her, and during this time seduced him. While unaware of the growing infidelity, Fair-Swan instantly knew when the adultery had occurred. Her delicate heart felt like it was literally breaking. So much so that she knew if she were to stay in this world she would die of grief. She went into labor that night and delivered the child alone at the enchanted cabin. After resting for only an hour, she got up and cleaned the baby, wrapped him in a blanket of faerie woven silk, and left, presumably for the land of faerie.

For Ezra the night of passion was followed only by regret. Medea, after revealing herself, used her own magic to vanish. He started the trip home, but at the moment Fair-Swan left the mortal world her enchantment on him broke and he aged in a moment to the very age he was when they had first kissed. Rushing home, fearing the worse, he discovered his newborn son.

After this Ezra again retreated into his books and tomes. He still provided aid to those who seeked it, but no longer went out looking for those he could help. His son, who he named Arthur, after the sleeping king of Camelot as he mother had wished, was raised in this enchanted home by his still grieving father. They still traveled from place to place and country to country, but Arthur rarely met any outside magical circles. His father took on several creatures to help raise the boy and keep him company including: a small elf, two animated wooden mannequins carved by Gepetto himself, a talking trout kept in the well in the back that had some clairvoyant powers, and a cat-sized dragon who served as tutor. The cabin, enchanted though it was, was still the normal size of a cabin, and as long as Arthur could remember it was packed full of books and relics. Dangerous items, such as a unremovable pair of red shoes that would make the wearer dance till he died, were kept locked up, but it wasn't uncommon for the more benign treasures to accidently be triggered as the inhabitants navigated through the now cluttered home.

By the time Arthur was thirteen Ezra was feeling his age catch up to him. It was then that an old enemy decided to look up the magician.

That morning Arthur had gone out to the well to find the Trout in wild desperation. He had been splashing for hours, he said, in order to get someone's attention. He had seen in the sun's reflection at the top of the pool the arrival of Death at their doorsteps.

Arthur took off for the house, calling for his father at the very moment s knock came at the front door. Since non-mystical people were unable to approach the house one of the mannequin servants was fetched to answer it. While Arthur began to relay the fish's message the sound of splintering wood was all the warning the household received before flashes of light were streaming through the cabin blasting curio cabinets and bookshelves.

Arthur, who was terrified by the sudden and violent chaos, still was amazed by how much younger his father seemed as he leaped to his feet and began chanting spells of his own. The two mages seemed evenly matched for a moment before the back door of the cabin was blown off its hinges by another Mage. Outnumbered and taken by surprise Ezra ordered Arthur out the window "And told him to run until he couldn't run anymore."

Climbing out the window the boy ran into the night, not even knowing which city they were in, pursued by two jet black winged beasts resembling bulls. He scrambled into an abandoned building, and hid himself among the crates while the two monsters started to break their way through the boarded up door. The two beasts stalked through the warehouse, occasionally tossing crates with their huge horns. As the crate Arthur was hidden behind was tossed he yelled for help.

Instantly a fresh wind blew through the building, and in a flash of golden light a small animal appeared between him and the winged bulls. Appearing similar to an otter with gold fur, the little creature pressed forward chittering and hissing. In response the two massive creatures nervously snorted and slowly back up. When one of the bulls started to move forward again a blast of light came out of the smaller mammal’s mouth, impacting the bull's forward with force. That was enough for the two creatures who turned and retreated into the city.

Though shaken, Arthur sensed this new creature was there to help him. As he approached the otter-like thing started to speak to him in a series of squeaks and whines, and to Arthur's amazement he could understand what those squeaks meant. The otter was in fact a magical creature from the land of faerie, sent by his mother to protect him. The two talked briefly before heading back out into the city towards the enchanted cabin. Coming to the street where the house had been there was not an ounce of evidence that the home had ever been there except for one large burnmark across the asphalt of the road.

Arthur stood there, too sick and scared even to cry, when another flash of light signaled the arrival of yet another practitioner of the arcane arts, the Master Mage of Earth, Adrian Eldritch. He interrogated the boy, despite his shocked condition, about the happenings of that night. Only after hearing the story and performing a series of spells at the site did the mage apologized for not arriving in time to intercept the attackers and spirited away the boy and his new "pet" to his own mansion.

Over the next weeks visitors who knew Ezra Emmrett arrived to converse with Eldritch about the foul occurrences of that night. While many of these visitors Arthur new, many had been the beneficiaries and colleagues of Ezra and Fair-Swan's more productive years. Several offered to take the boy into their own homes, but in the end Eldritch arranged for him to attended Claremont, a place where he could finally be with children his own age and be protected by a whole school of super powered individuals.

While Arthur is the "main character" here, he is paid for with the side kick power of GoldWind, since the guardian is the main combatant.

Like Oblivion above, Arthur and GoldWind was originally designed for an online game, though they were ultimately not played. In a campaign the Heroes could be charged with watching or protecting Arthur by Eldritch or another mage, or may be entreated by him to help him track down his missing father.

[NYpurdy]

Description:

Snap Dragon was grown in a lab, an attempt to create human-compatible plant-based organs for transplants. Despite some initial success, only the bipedal physiology was successfully transferred over to plant form; no usable or functioning organs were available. Despite some success, the project was ultimately scrapped, though when the scientists removed the specimen from its containment device the creature showed it's first show of agency: killing the researchers and escaping.

Snap dragon looks like a fit human-man with green plantlike skin and a vaguely dragon-like face. Snap Dragon can control plants around him, causing them to animate and attack or snare his enemies. In addition to recovering from injury surprisingly fast, Snap Dragon also secretes a powerful toxin with paralytic powers from its mouth, which can also extend and swallow items which it stores in its "stomach."

Snap Dragon typically works alone, focusing on survival more than anything else; He has, however, teamed up with other super villains who convince its plant-brain that the master plan they are working towards would help Snap Dragon in the end.

[NYpurdy]

Mystic Treasure Hunters Vs. The Treasure Guardians


The four treasure hunters were gathered outside of the stone cliff. Two stood a ways back; the magically armored Mystic Knight and Axacas, the Lady of the Infernal Flame. The others were close to the stone face; Sabina, Mistress of the Elements and the artificier known as Mojo.

Mojo and Sabina were whispering to each other as they investigated the cliff, a small laugh escaping Sabina’s lips. “Have you solved it yet?” Came the chillingly cold response from Axacas behind them. “Just a moment. “ Sabina replied, wiping the grin from her face. Holding her hands up in front of her mystic syllables roll off her tongue as she commands the stone wall to move out of their way. Though the stone did not give way a flash of orange light erupted from the stone, and when it cleared the outline of a door with mystical runes encircling it glowed from the rock.

Laughing Mojo reached into one of the many pouches attached to his waist. “Let me give it a try, Beany.” He pulled out a fist full of shimmery silver powder; throwing it forward the dust swirled in the air and collided with the door – which faded leaving only the stone. “Now for step two!” Mojo repeated the actions again, with a pink powder instead. As the dust hit the stone a cave entrance appeared where the solid rock had been a moment before. Turning with a grin he gestured forward. “Mystic Knight, would you care to lead the way.”

Wordlessly the armored man led the four into the cave. Silently he held up his arm, which was brandishing his sword, and then signaled to the walls of the cavern in front of them. Glowing runes fainly illuminated the walls. “Some sort of trap. Think you can handle this, Mojo?” Sabina asked while Axacas took a step backwards. “Easily.” He replied. After fishing out a thick black paste he ran forward. The glowing runes began to glow brighter, about to unleash their magic, but at the last possible moment the artificier spread the solution over one rune that looked like a stylized eye. The lights began to dim as he explained “The trap can’t see us now. It’s a silly design really, they should have – “The steely look from the infernalist caused him to stop short, however, as Mystic Knight silently lead them forward.

It was only a short ways further before the tunnel they had been walking through opened into a wide cavern. The ceiling disappeared into the darkness above, though huge stalagmites extended into the air below. Before them was a wide ornate seal engraved on the floor, then a small set of steps leading up to an altar-like pedestal on which was a simple wooden box and a tarnished gong. Next to this was a man in ceremonial armor and robes, brandishing a heavy mace and shield.

“Good day to you, champion. I believe you have what we are searching for.” Acaxas led the group forward towards the lone guardian. “You are not the first that have tried to claim the treasure as their reward, witch.” The guardian replied angrily. “You won’t be the last, either.” Suddenly the seal onto which the hunters had walked on lit up with magic, and a blast of light shot through each of them. Acaxas growled as she withstood the blast, but Mojo and Mystic Knight’s muscles seized and Sabina collapsed onto the hard ground.

That same moment the guardian pivoted and struck the gong on the altar with his mace. The vibrating tone reverberated around the cavern as the man leveled his mace towards Acaxas and warned, “Retreat now or be destroyed.” Acaxas had no words to swap, however, and she unsheathed the magical trident from her back and pointed it towards her opponent. Black flames shot forward and crashed against his shield in her first attack.

As movement returned to Mystic Knight’s limbs he brought his shield to bare and stayed next to the infernalist. She was impatient, however, and strode forward. “You shall not approach me, you thieves and serpents.” A wave of the champion’s mace caused a faint orange sphere to surround the area around the altar and steps as a mystical ward was created. Acaxas was stopped by it from progressing any closer, and with a shout she sent another blast of black hellfire burning through the air. Most was deflected from the guardian’s shield, but the heat of the damnable magic caused his arm to burn beneath the shield. Behind the combat Mojo crouched down by Sabina and spread a sticky red salve across her forehead. It glowed red as it sunk into her skin, and with a gasp the elementalist sat upright. “Welcome back, Beany. Now get to work.”

Acaxas sighed, “Mystic Knight.” On cue the armored mystic charged forward, breaking through the magical ward and throwing the champion off-guard. The enchanted sword came down against the plated helmet on the man’s head. The guardian stumbled backwards as the ward dissolved completely into the air. Immediately Acaxis made her move; sprinting up the stone steps her trident pierced into the stunned protector’s shoulder between the armor. “It looks like they have things under wraps.” Sabina noticed, as her protective field of thickened air coalesced on her body like a fog. She rose in the air and waited, as Mojo sprinkled some salt-looking crystals on his head. In an instant he faded from view completely as the two waited to see what their companions accomplished.

Suddenly a roar echoed through the cave. “My master has heard my summons, witch-fiend,” the treasure’s guardian gasped, “Do not tell your devilish lords that you were not sufficiently warned of the error of this endeavor.” Silently the Mystic Knight brought his sword down on the devoted protector again, sending him reeling back against the stone altar where he slumped to the ground unmoving. Acaxas turned and pointed her lance towards the cavern roof. Out of the darkness a large, serpentine like form descended on huge, bat-like wings and rethinking an attack the infernalist instead turned back towards the altar and grasped the lid to the wooden box. Instantly, ancient magic surged through her, causing light to erupt from her mouth and eyes for a painful moment. As the trap’s effect ended she found herself groggy and weakened, but just as determined as ever.

Hidden from even the Dragon’s superior senses by his concealment spell, the artificier studied the beast to determine how best to attack while Sabina sailed into the sky to attack. A Gesture towards the ceiling with accompanying mystical syllables produced a deep rumbling. In response, one of the huge stalagmites broke from the ceiling and fell, turning slightly before it hit the dragon across the head with its broadside. Despite the awesome magnitude of the attack the dragon appeared no more than minimally perturbed by the attack as large chunks of rock continued to fall to the ground below. Flying towards Sabina the Dragon’s four claws landed and clutched the stone face of the cavern wall, but luckily the Mistress of the Elements darted between them to temporary safety.

While the Mystic Knight guarded Acaxas against attack, she reached into the wooden box and pulled out a velvet bag. Without even checking its contents she slid her prize around her neck. Satisfied with herself she turned and fired a blast of black flame towards the beast, with impacted between its shoulders and caused a deep burn across the creature’s scales. The artificier reached into his pouch, placed a small stack of blue powder in his palm and then blew, sending the magically infused component through the air before a single beat of the dragon’s massive wings sent the spell dissipating the wind. Mojo ran for cover as a blast of lighting from Sabina crackled harmlessly across the dragon as it turned its attention towards those on the altar. Its jaws opened and a plume of green toxic fumes swirled around Mystic Knight and Acaxas. While the knight was unphased, the already weakened infernalist felt the burn of poison in her lungs and stumbled against the altar.

Turning the Mystic Knight yelled a mighty roar towards the Dragon, though if it took notice of the outburst it made no outward sign. It was Mojo who made a real impact as a psychedelic blast best described as “pixie dust” struck the Dragon in the face. The powerful charm caused it to coo for a moment, like some sort of giant baby, while Sabina flew away and waited to see the result of the spell. The dragon’s newly acquired good feelings did not make it harmless, however, as it launched itself from the wall and landed behind the Altar. Throwing the now-empty box across the room with a toss of its head, the dragon let out a ground-shaking roar just feet from where Acaxis stood.

The Mystic Knight Braced himself against an attack against himself or his partner while she stumbled a single step backwards and clutched at the pouch around her neck. Grabbing a handful of the concealment powder Mojo yelled across the room, “Just put it back on the altar. We don’t have to die here.” Then quietly he added to himself, “No one told me there’d be a dragon. False advertisement.”

There was no movement from either party for a long moment, when the dragon decided it was taking too long for Acaxis to return what was stolen. Its huge head lunged forward when Mystic Knight put himself directly in front of the assault and batters away the surprised dragon’s head with a bash of his shield. Mojo disappeared from view as lightning bolt from Sabina crashed harmlessly against the dragon a second time.

Raising his sword high above his head Mystic Knight brought his enchanted sword down towards the creatures snout, but the dragon reared backwards causing the sword to chip into the stone altar instead. Acaxis backed down the stairs while saying, “Mystic Knight, you are a loyal protector. Too bad that didn’t work out for you in the end.” Black flames swirled around her, and when they dissappated Acaxis stood in an ornate chariot without steeds, formed from hellfire wrought iron and shimmering with a dark red glow. “Goodbye.” She added with a sly grin before she disappeared into the space between dimensions.

While still invisible Mojo took off running out of the cavern now that one of their own had abandoned them. Sabina held her place in the sky and sent two electrical blasts at the dragon one after the other, and though the crackling light was impressive the dragon ignored the assault completely. Mystic Knight leveled its sword for an attack when the dragon lunged forward and caught the warrior in its jaws, the crushing pressure prevented him from fighting back. As the beast continued to drive its piercing fangs through the magical armor of Mystic Knight, Sabina shot one last bolt of electricity towards the dragon before flying down the hallway.

Mojo had made it past the trap the party had initially avoided by being concealed from most senses, but the magic eye on the wall had burnt through the paste that had been placed over it before. While Mystic Knight was put to a final end back in the main cavern, Sabina crossed in front of the magical trap. The many magical runes flared to life as the tunnel filled with pure magical force. The fog-like force field dissipated as hair, clothes, and skin all burned slightly under the intense blast and Sabina fell to the floor of the tunnel.

The dragon finished off the snack that was Mystic Knight, and then retreated back into the dark mysterious tunnels above the cavern. Sabina pushed herself to her feet, recreated her protective magic and stumbled towards the entrance. Leaning against the cliff wall outside she fought against the tears caused by the burns across her body. She expected Mojo to be there to lighten up her spirits with a joke and apply some of his healing magic, but he had fled under the concealment spell. Then on the ground in front of her a shadow appeared. Looking up the large form of the cavern dragon filled the sky. Taking off flying across the sky Sabina attempted to outrun the beast.

She was losing ground, however, and it would only be a moment before she was over taken. Sabina turned and then blasted the largest lightning bolt she could summon. The lightning crackled around her arms before launching at the beast, which dove under the blast. Coming back up the dragon caught Sabina buy the left leg, cutting deep into the skin. With a scream Sabina sent another blast directly at the creatures face, but even at such close proximity the attack had no effect.

Tossing its head back and forth Sabina was battered to a point she could no longer function. With one last flip on its head she sailed up into the sky and then disappeared into its mouth.

Circling, and letting out a mournful cry, the dragon retreated back to its cave but with its valuable treasure stolen. What was it and where did the infernal sorceress Acaxas take it?

All 4 have 1 HP

Magic Door – Impervious Protection 8 / Disable Device DC 30 / Strength check to Open DC 30
Artificier – Nullify Powder disables Protection and then Uses Transform to Create door in Stone

Notice Trap – DC 22 – Both Elementalist and Mystic Knight notice strange holes in wall glow –
Artificier – Attempt to Disable Device (DC 30) – Rolled 1 – Use HP to reroll – Final Result – 33

Notice Trap – DC 35 – More than they can reach – Stun 10 (DC 20 Fort) – Infernalist Saves; Artificier and Mystic Knight – Stunned; Elementalist – Unconscious

Initiative – Mystic Knight 23; Divine Champion 20; Infernalist 20; Artificier 19
Round 1: Mystic Knight – Stunned; Divine Champion Hits Gong as Move – Dragon arrives at the end of Round 3 – Demoralize Infernalist Both roll 9s – infernalist Resists; Infernalist – Hellfire Blast 11 –Miss with a 1! – Draw Trident; Artificier – Saved!

Round 2: Mystic Knight – Stay Next to Team and uses Shield/Deflect; Champion Creates Ward against Magical Items (Only Elementalist can approach); Infernalist – Attempt to Move Forward – Prevented by Ward - Hellfire Blast 11 - Hit / Even rolling a 16 for a 22 total fails against DC 26 – Bruised. Artificier – Use Healing Salve on Elementalist: Recovery Check: Success!;

Elementalist gets an Initiative of 8 and goes last.
Round 3: Mystic Knight Charges – Tie against Ward/ Goes to Mystic Knight - +2 Attack/-2 Defense – Hits and Champion fails by 8; Stunned and Bruisedx2 – maintains Ward; Champion stunned – ward disolved; Infernalist – Move and Strike with Trident – Hits – Bruisedx3; Artificier – Concealment and moves off to the left since things look like they are under control; Elementalist activates Force Field and Flies up into the air.

Dragon Arrives! Initiative 6 and goes Last.
Round 4: Mystic Knight Power attacks for 2 – Hits – Stunned and Bruisedx4 and Injured – Knockback into Altar – Altar Saves, Champion rolls a 1 and is Unconscious!; Infernalist – Opens chest – Curse (Drain All Traits 10; Slow Fade) – Fails by 5; Artificier Aims; Elementalist – Flight and Extra Effort to Earth Control (Collapse) for power rank of 14 – Roll to hit – Miss/HP to Reroll – Hits – Fails Toughness by 1 and Dragon is Bruisedx1; Dragon Grapple Rolls 3 and Misses.

Round 5: Mystic Knight – Deflect; Infernalist opens box and takes out a velvet pouch; places it around her neck. Turns and fires at Dragon – Hits, takes a Bruised(x2); Artificier uses Sleep Powder – With aim still misses – Moves behind cover; Elementalist Accurate attack 2 - blasts – Ties defense so it hits – Dragon Saves; Dragon ignores Elementalist and blast Mystic Knight and Infernalist – Infernalist Fails reflex Save thanks to Drain and Mystic Knight Fails – Infernalist is Bruised and Stunned and is Poisoned - Mystic Knight makes Fort save;

Round 6: Mystic Knight uses Demoralize on Dragon – Fails by 1; Artifcier uses Charm – hits – fails by 3 – Dragon is friendly towards group; Elementalist waits and maneuvers away from Dragon; Dragon Flies down and lands behind alter; knocks over box with head, and roars threatenly at the Infernalist.

Round 7; Total Defense and stays next to Infernalist; Infernalist is stunned, but clutches the pouch; Artificier Readies concealment and tells infernalist to put it back; Elementalist Readies a blast; Dragon pauses, then attacks Infernalist – Mystic Knight Interposes – Deflects gapping maw!; Artificier goes invisible and Elementalist launches blast – misses. Artificier gets a HP for his team messing up his love spell.

Round 8; Mystic Knight Power Attacks for 5 – HP to reroll – still misses; Infernalist Summons Chariot – then uses dimensional movement to escape! Rest of team gets a HP; Artificier runs!; Elementalist blasts with accurate attack 2 – misses – surges – accurate attack 4 – hits – Dragon saves; Dragon grapples Mystic Knight – hits – wins grapples – deals damage – Mystic Knight rerolls his 1 with a HP – Still Bruised and Stunned;

Round 9;Mystic Knight uses HP to recover from being stunned – but fails grapple check, by a TON; Artificier Runs down hallway; Elementalist uses HP to avoid fatigue and Blasts – misses – Turns and flies down hallway; Dragon wins grapple check and deals damage – Mystic Knight is unconscious!

Round 10; Artificer gets past trap because he’s concealed, but then elementalist gets hit with PL 12 area blast DM fiat to grant it penetrating (and Elementalist gets a HP) – fails reflex – Bruised and Injured and Stunned – Knockback/Knocked Prone – Drops Force Field up; Mystic Knight is eaten – dragon then flies up into the top of the cavern.

Round 11; Artificer escapes into the outside and disappears; Elementalist is stunned;

Round 12; Elementalist gets up and heads towards exit;

Round 13; Elementalist is outside; Turns on Force Field again

Dragon reappears and dives at Elementalist!
Initiative: Elementalist 6, Dragon 1
Round 14: Elementalist takes off flying – Dragon follows;
Round 15; Elementalist turns and blasts – extra effort to range PL by 2 – Misses again!; Dragon flies and grapples – hits and wins – deals damage – Failed by 1 – Bruisedx2 and Injuredx2;

Round 16; Elementalist uses hero point to save from being fatigued - Blasts – Hits! – Dragon Saves; Dragon grapples and deals damage – fails by 12 – Staggered Disabled Stunned Bruisedx2 Injuredx2
Round 17; Dragon eats the Elementalist!

Winner! Dragon, but where did the infernalist go and what did she steal?

[NYpurdy]

Eldritch sat quietly in a large wing-backed chair across from a crackling fire. Like most things in his home the fireplace was enchanted, and the flames danced in the forms of animals: a stalking tiger, then three galloping horses, followed by an eagle with wings of flame and smoke. Across from him in a matching chair was one of his colleagues; the elderly woman smoothed the luxurious shawl of silver that cascaded over her shoulders as the two sat in quiet. The door to the sitting room creaked open, and the faithful Sallah entered with a silver tray with two goblets. “Sir. Madame.” He set a goblet for each on the small tables standing next to each of their luxurious chairs. “Will there be anything else?”

“No.” Eldritch replied, lost in his own thoughts. “No, thank you Sallah. This is perfect.” The woman added with a worried glance towards the Master Mage. “If we need anything we’ll call.” With a silent bow Sallah disappeared back into the hallway, shutting the door with a creak.

“You are lucky to have a man such as he, Adrian. I cannot imagine it would be easy for you to find someone else willing to put up with your moods.”

“Hmm?” The mage asked, looking up from the flames. “Oh, yes. I’m very lucky.” He added offhandedly. “And I’ve decided what must be done next.” Decisively he stood and snapped, sending the posh velvet chair he was sitting in spinning off into the dark recesses of the room. Draining the cup left by his servant in one long gulp he then sent the goblet and the side table away in like fashion.

“Oh? You’ve decided, have you? And what good was my sitting here all this time?”

“Eudora,” The Master Mage was moving with a spryness that was in stark contrast to the somber mood he had just been in. He pulled her to her feet, handed her her drink, and sent her furniture flying into the shadowy corners with snap, “You were my muse.” Turning, Eldritch began chanting and scrawling magical runes began to creep from his feet across the floor creating a mystical circle.

“I never did like muses. A smug sense of self-satisfaction. Everyone of them.” Eudora murmured as the Master Mage worked. Then she added to herself, “And who are you summoning here now, Adrian? Who?”

[NYpurdy]

Eudora stood, sipping her drink, as Eldritch continued his spell. The Master Mage had stopped responding to her nearly 20 minutes ago. Currently the mystic runes created by his spell spun in concentric circles on the floor in front of him and the air hummed with energy.

The door creaked open again, revealing Sallah escorting in two individuals. The first was a young lady, maybe 22 years old, dressed in a smart, white trench coat that was very much in style. She looked around the room in marvel as individuals new to the Sanctum tended to do, after all the room had no discernable walls or ceilings, just vague shadowy boundaries that made the room seem infinite. Her blond hair was cut in a short, but trendy bob; her overall styling was normal enough to make her stand out in such a mystical space.

Following her was a man in a leather jacket and pants, holding a biker helmet. What was striking about him, however, was his face: lizard-like with skin scaly and bright blue. A second look revealed the long, blue reptilian tail behind him.

“Lapis Lizard and Ms. Lauren Taylor.” Sallah said by way of introduction, then indicated the elderly-woman standing in the room. “Ms. Eudora. Master Eldritch is indisposed for the moment, but I’m sure he’ll be with you shortly.” The manservant then closed the door with a creak leaving the three strangers standing there awkwardly.

Lauren spoke first. “I hope I’m in the right place. Eldritch appeared to me on the street and asked - well to be honest rather forcefully told me - to arrive here right away.” The lizard-man added. “Me, too. How long has been at this?”

“By the looks of it, nearly a half hour. The Master Mage summoned you astraly as he did me.” The voice came from the darkness as another young lady, actually younger than Ms. Taylor but appearing much more mature, materialized in front of them all. She was dressed in the flowing gold-lined cape and hood, black dress, and mask that identified her instantly as Seven, the mystical member of Next Gen. A flash of green flame then appeared on the opposite side of the room, out of which stepped a woman dressed in a black and green dress with a low-slung back. Her black hair had streaks of green, and her make-up employed heavy green eyeshadow as well. A noticeable glare was shared between her and Seven, but all within the room recognized her as Lady Hex.

The glow from Adrian’s summoning circle suddenly intensified, and an astral version of the mage’s face appeared over the group of five. “Thank you for arriving so promptly. The ritual is almost complete. I’m expecting the spell to keep her secured, but it is far more complicated than any of you can realize to force the appearance of a goddess. Especially with the Pact limiting such beings from willfully arriving on Earth. Eudora, be sure to ask the questions we discussed earlier. Everyone else, consider yourselves the world’s finest backup in case I falter. She’ll be here in - ” The disembodied head disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

Eudora clutched the shawl around herself and sighed. “I do wish he would discuss these things with me first. Everyone ready?”


Look forward to character builds for Eudora, Lady Hex, a bit of background on Lapis Lizard and Lauren Taylor, and a suit of exiting opponents - followed by another big mystical battle!

[NYpurdy]

Description: Willie Reed wasn’t so much a criminal, as a misdirected guy who engaged in criminal behavior. Likewise, he wasn’t in a gang - but the crowd he hung out goaded each other to make some pretty bad decisions. Mostly the did misdemeanor-level stuff. Petty Theft. Vandalism. Once in a while they broke into abandoned and foreclosed building to see what was left behind, and sometimes they would fight, but mainly among themselves.

One of his crew had a brother who did people’s lawns through the summer, and one of those elderly men died. It was the perfect “safe” burglary for the miscreants. Five of them ended up going that night, including Willie, and each put on a tough show. The house was packed full of stuff. Newspapers to the ceilings in many rooms and piles of nicknacks and mementos. The gang split up and took different rooms, and Willie found himself going through a little jewlery case. Most of it was clearly junk, a few pieces looked like it could be worth something and he pocketed it, and then one piece straddled that line between cool and lame enough that Willie took notice. It’s tarnished chain held a pendant of a lizard in brillant blue. To Willie it looked like the logo of a SoBe bottle.

He slipped it over his neck.

Willie was shocked as the little lizard seemed to come to life,crawled right over his heart, and began to glow and grow hot. So surprised was he by the bizarre event that he just watched. Suddenly the temperature spiked, and the animated pendant burnt through Willie’s clothes and into his chest. Pain gave way to blackness as he fell unconscious.

Willie was waken by the police, who had him handcuffed and on his chest in between the stacks of newspapers. His friends had split and left him all night, and no one had found him until morning. Willie was outraged at first, he needed a medic or an ambulance or at least a handful of advil. Then he was confused as the police seemed extraordinarily curt, rough, and wary with him. Then he was terrified as he caught glimpses of his skin.

Willie served some time, made a few headlines since it was clear he was treated much harsher than called for because of his meta-human status, and then he was dumped back on his own with no real place to go. He was the sort that would naturally drift to villainy, probably becoming some thinker’s muscle and scapegoat, but the super-human community responded. Having followed Willie’s case the former Raven sent Sonic and Mega-Star to touch base with the man just a few years their senior. With support from the Next Gen and others Willie has settled upon the moniker the Lapis Lizard and has taken to cape work himself.

Lapis Lizard is now an anthropomorphic lizard with brilliant blue scales, a darting tongue, and a long thin tail. His mouth secrets a paralytic toxin and (as he was very grateful to learn) he can regrow severed limbs. He dresses in the “tough street clothes” he was accusomed to before his transformation instead of any sort of themed costume. Over his heart is a bright red mark in the shape of a lizard that looks like both a tattoo and a scar - caused by the “costume” jewelry that caused the fateful transformation.

It has become clear that the talisman that transformed him was mystical in nature, though why it was found where it was is anyone’s guess. Lapris Lizard is conflicted, wanting to go back to “normal” but not wanting to give up the one thing in his life that has ever made him feel of worth. His tough bravdo hides a man who is truly trying to be helpful and make something of himself, but he is also brash, proud, and easily provoked. More than once he and another hero have gotten into fisticuffs between - and during - crime fighting.

Lapis Lizard uses the Lizard Totem stats from Instant Superheroes.