Demi conjures an elaborate circular sigil of violet light, which she flicks toward and above the most pugnacious piece of perambulatory pavement. It immediately descends, once overhead, radius contracting to constrain the concrete construct. "Let's see how you well you fight while being pulled umpteen directions at once!"

---

08:26, Today: Demiurge rolled 9,3,3 using d10,d10,d8.  Banish ability (Otherworldly Mythos, Dimension Shift, Green Status). I hinder whichever construct seems most actively aggressive using my Max die of 9 (giving a -3 mod), and attack using my Mid die (dealing 3 damage)!

Noh began striding forward, gathering more oil at the ready. Having a self-settling stomach came in handy for dimensional tomfoolery. "So this is what's been cobbled together in anticipation of our arrival?" Present a target. Bad jokes, arrogance, anything that made somebody really want to hit you. Arrogant bad jokes were especially good at that, and he'd managed to work in a technical inaccuracy to boot.

Time to see whether or not they'd play ball. His haughty survey of the constructs was really more one of the civilians- were they already talking bodies, hostages being held at… well, not 'gunpoint' and 'powerpoint' was something else entirely. Some controlled demolition might be necessary, but attacking around civilians didn't look great, even if you were really good at it.

08:45, Today: Noh rolled 4,2,5 using d12,d8,d6.  Self-Puppeteering ability (Boost with Mid of Vitality, Fitness, Green Status). Result: persistent exclusive +2 bonus.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:21, Sun 02 May 2021.

Frost steps through the portal already sculpting an intricate Lynx from pure ice, finishing it off with a little pat on the head as it starts moving on its own, circling around her legs before she points at one of the large creature, "Get it, my pet."


Create a d8 strength minion that will act on my next turn.
23:56, Today: Frost Huntress rolled 8,3,5 using d12,d10,d6 with rolls of 8,3,5.  Ice Creature - Attacker (reroll because I'm dumb). (Cold,Creativity,Green)

One of the constructs grinds as it turns, snared in Demi's banishing circle. It still swings at Noh, but is terribly clumsy.

The other six constructs, slower, turn and face the heroes. They are strangely crude, now that you look more closely - each is little more than a vaguely humanoid shape of artificial stone, lacking precise features.

The MRS squad pulls back as the automatons begin moving forward, some of them panic-firing. The bullets have no effect on concrete walls, too light of rounds, but if they aren't calmed or otherwise dealt with, ricochets will be a problem...

Your turn. The scene tracker advances to second green. Noh takes no damage thanks to the hinder.

Noh turned around, cloak rippling dramatically as he rose up a little. It was a practiced effect, making himself look inhuman by support himself on many tendrils of oil to obscure his legs. "Ladies and gentlemen, we'll take it from here. Look after the civilians."

Admittedly, it was an effect practiced in areas where people were used to his style. The effect was perhaps a bit creepier to those not used to seeing him on the news.

17:18, Today: Noh rolled 1,2,4 using d8,d10,d6.  Overcome (Oil Manipulation, Banter, Green Status) to warn the MRS off. +2 from his self-puppeteering bonus.

Gesturing at the very same construct with her staff, Demi unleashes a novel redistribution of recursive energetics. "Let's see how this concrete cookie crumbles!"

---

17:47, Today: Demiurge rolled 1,3,8 using d8,d10,d8.  Powerful Blast (Creativity, Mathemagician, Green Status). — I use my Max die of 8 for this. Zzzzap!

Frost calls out to Demi as her Ice Lynx charges across the street toward a nearby creature, "Go for the hips.  The concrete is too thin for their structure.  Whoever made these has no sense for anatomy."

Her pet dashes through the creatures legs, raking with claws through legs, trying to bring it down.

14:29, Today: Frost Huntress rolled 2,4,6 using d8,d10,d6 with rolls of 2,4,6.  Awareness Roll for Heightened Senses.  (Awareness, Insight, Status)
Demi gets a persistent +2 bonus (for using Mid die).


14:34, Today: Frost Huntress rolled 7 using 1d8 with rolls of 7.  Ice Lynx Attack.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:07, Mon 24 May 2021.

The MRS squad looks at Noh and panics, clearly not sure whether this is a hero or another criminal. Several of them bolt, while others fall back, calling again for reinforcements. They're holding fire, for now, but publicity could have been better.

Meanwhile, Demi's blast of power washes over the concrete creature, leaving it falling to pieces in its wake - the connections between different pieces of concrete simply giving way. The icy lynx trips another of the creations, and it stumbles hard enough to send cracks through its body, but doesn't actually fall.

"Hey!" a masculine voice calls from behind the barrier, as the constructs reorient and one of them smashes a hand down at Noh. "I told you, no fucking closer! One more step and the first hostage gets it, you hear me?" This is followed by a feminine scream of intense pain from within the captured house.

That's six damage to Noh from a direct hit. Scene tracker advances to first yellow space.

Demi frowns at the threat against the hostages. "You're a naughty boy who doesn't play nice," she says to no one in particular, "But you can't threaten what you don't possess." Sketching a glowing equation in the air before her, Demi subtracts the hostages from within the house one-by-one, then adds them safely to the lobby of the police station two blocks over. She pauses then, looking vexed. "Drat. Accidentally divided that one by zero. I hope they didn't have dinner plans tonight. My bad."

---

23:05, Today: Demiurge rolled 1,4,5 using d10,d10,d8.  Principle Of Whispers (Max die; Otherworldly Mythos, Dimension Shift, Yellow Status). — Effect die is 5, action succeeds with a minor twist. How did the voice in my head just distract me? One of the hostages got left behind, never reappeared, went totally insane, or partially merged with a solid object.

The lynx leaps on what would be the concrete construct's throat when it falls, though it has trouble dealing any real damage.
Frost quickly puts together an intricate ice-crystalline doberman that begins stalking in her immediate area, looking around for potential threats.

02:08, Today: Frost Huntress rolled 1 using 1d8.  Ice Lynx Attack.

02:05, Today: Frost Huntress rolled 2,7,1 using d12,d10,d8.  Cold, Creativity, Status, Making another ice creature.  Create a d6 defender minion, Ice Dobie.

Noh grimaced under his mask at what amounted to a surgeon's "whoops", but the hostages were out. Mostly out? Some of them were out, at least. He lashed out at construct that had hit him using a tendril of oil, but in a perfunctory fashion. "So, given that we can remove your hostages," he said, since that much was true and he'd rather make it sound easy, "Would you care to dial things back a little? Things just get worse the more you push it." Keep the man busy, and make sure to loudly and obviously announce his current position- not moving closer.

21:55, Today: Noh rolled 7,2,6 using 1d12,1d10,1d6.  Bleeding is Optional; Vitality, Banter, Yellow Status.
+2 Persistent Bonus from Self-Puppeteering.

Noh deals 8 damage to the minion and heals 4.

"Screw that! Screw you!" The man's voice is pissed. One construct goes down under an assault of oil, but the other four all swing - two at Noh, one charging Demiurge, and the last going for Frost but being tripped by her Doberman.

Noh takes 5 and 5, Demi takes 7. Frost's ice dobie successfully defends her. Scene advances to second yellow.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:46, Wed 26 May 2021.

Demi climbs slowly back to her feet with the aid of her staff, having been knocked several yards by the construct's assault. She wipes blood from the corner of her mouth and gestures vaguely with her staff. A ripple in the air like heat distortion expands outward from her, but seems to impede the concrete colossi very little.

---

15:23, Today: Demiurge rolled 2,2,7 using d10,d10,d8.  Modification Wave (Otherworldly Mythos, Mathemagician, Yellow Status). — Effect die is a 2, placing a -1 Hinder on all the constructs.

"Mmm. Poor choice for somebody who thinks a wall is going to help him," Noh said, his voice dropping into an ominous register, some tricks with his oil blood allowing for unnatural reverberations in his speech. He could shrug off some more of those blows for a while still, and their new friend probably thought he was buying himself time.

Pretty good tip-off that whatever had gone wrong, it wasn't somebody being left behind, and he could advance. He stretched his arms wide, letting long tendrils of oil lash out around the barrier. People tended to simplify their understanding of them to 'tentacles', but they were an animated fluid. That meant that they were very, very good at getting around defenses. He couldn't see through his oil, but the proprioception he had through it was quite good.

15:26, Today: Noh rolled 4,4,2 using d8,d8,d6.  Find the Cracks (Oil Blood, Finesse, Yellow Status).
+2 for Internal Manipulation

6 damage, ignoring all penalties to the attack, all defend actions, and all reactions.

Frost's Lynx continues to claw and rake at the construct, ice and stone clashing in screams of grinding materials.

Frost herself growls in frustration, sniffing the air, finding a scent of fear and the pheromones of adrenal rage, picking out a location and a path to the source, the hostage taker as she calls out, "I smell your fear and desperation.  When I get my hands on you, I'm going to end you."  She begins weaving through the constructs, closing distance with the barricade, clearly preparing to jump it and go for the man directly.

15:47, Today: Frost Huntress rolled 5,1,5 using d8,d10,d8.  Heightened Senses (Awareness, Insight, Status).  Persistent +2 bonus to self.

15:48, Today: Frost Huntress rolled 4 using 1d8.  Ice Lynx Attack.

"Fat chance, bitch!" Despite the confident words, the man us clearly worried. This impression is reinforced by a shout of pain as the oil hits the earth-msnipulator with a solid blow. The ice lynx shatters another's arms.

A moment later, a man in a dark green bodysuit jogs up, followed by a woman with dark hair and a blue mask. It appears the MRS's backup has appeared. You recognize the man as Sensate, a local metahuman hero who works closely with the MRS and government. His primary power is some form of spatial awareness. The woman is less well-known, and not immediately recognizable.

"Got three concrete constructs. Two more inside, and a person running for the basement. Watch left, more constructs in that office building. One is big." Sensate's voice is calm. Professional.

OOC:Noh takes one, Frost four. Everypne gets a +1 boost this round from Ssnsate's location information, this is non-exclusive.

Scene advances to first Red space.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:56, Wed 26 May 2021.

"I summon the Power Cosmic," shouts Demi, twirling her staff above her head, "to smite my foes!" A brilliant arc of coruscating energy sweeps outward from her and slams into the three nearby constructs.

---

19:09, Today: Demiurge rolled 1,8,2 using d10,d8,d8.  Field Of Energy (Otherworldly Mythos, Cosmic Energy, Red Status). — Attacks multiple targets near each other. Effect die is 2, +2 for Frost's Boost, for a final result of 4.

Frost snarls as she steps aside from a construct's attack, her doberman taking a piece of it as she twirls away.  The lynx, having been given no other command, continues on its existing construct until it stops moving the moves to the next.  Frost, meanwhile, growls under her breath, "That's enough of this.  Get him, pets."  Suddenly a wave of sub-arctic chill rolls through the area and an entire flock massive birds of prey coalesce from the cold, each intricately sculpted and detailed and each the size of a military strike drone.  They take off after the running man, massive and dangerous enough for a squad of goons.


Reaction from previous attack to reduce damage by 2, but reduce size of one minion by 1 die type, sizing dobie from d6 to d4.

Action: 19:12, Today: Frost Huntress rolled 7,9,7 using d12,d10,d10.  Cold, Creativity, Status, Ice Pack Power.  With +1 from Sensate, mid die is 8.  Create 8 d10 minions that can act starting on my next round.  Trade in +2 persistent self bonus to give them flight and autonomy upgrades.

19:15, Today: Frost Huntress rolled 4 using 1d4.  Doberman Defense.

19:15, Today: Frost Huntress rolled 5 using 1d8.  Ice Lynx Attack.

Noh flung himself towards the concrete manipulator. "Language, language. Just because there's a scary t̶̩͇̱̯́͠h̷̗̍͋i̴͍̼̯̐͛̈́ͅṇ̸͉̍̀͋̂g̸̗̯̀ in a mask after you doesn't mean you can't be civil." He wouldn't ever admit how long that had taken to practice.

With a clear line of sight, there wasn't the need for the subtle infiltration of oil. It was just a question of bulk. He'd worked up plenty of oil by now, and went for it.

20:02, Today: Noh rolled 9,3,10 using d12,d10,d10.  Bleeding is Optional (Vitality, Banter, Red Status).
+2 persistent, +1 from Sensate.
12 damage, heal for 6.

A massive tendril of oil snaps out from Noh, cracking hard over the fleeing geokinetic's head. A flock of icy birds descends upon the man a moment later, concealing him from sight.

The concrete constructs collapse in the same moment, slumping to the ground in heaps. Sensate and his associate walk up to Demi and Frost outside the wall. "Hey comrades. Smooth. Hostages get out?"

OOC: Okay, combat scene over. Feel free to post at will for the social section. I'm pretty sure Frost's birds can shred the villain if you want them to kill him.

Demi clasps her fist over her heart in greeting. "Demiurge. I blipped the hostages to the police station two blocks over. May have lost one en route, however," she replies to Sensate. "Perils of space-time warping done in haste. I plan to search for them, now that hostilities have ended."

Frost, being distracted by the conversation striking up so quickly after the constructs collapse, forgets to call off her birds who proceed to make a most disturbing mess of the would-be villain.  Her lynx and doberman stalk up beside her, and she reaches down casually petting them affectionately, "Hostages?  Oh right.  I forgot there were hostages.  Wait... what do you mean you lost one?  Well, don't come to me.  I'm an excellent tracker, but teleportation doesn't leave a trail generally."

She's interrupted by the sounds of a couple of the MRP officers screaming, ducking for cover, and firing at her birds as they move off after to attack the next closest living thing once they finish with the villain.  She scoffs and turns, waving a hand dismissively and causing the birds, as well as the rest of her pets to suddenly stop, the birds crashing to the ground and breaking apart, sending shards of ice across the police cars while the lynx and doberman just become inanimate, though she keeps petting them.

Noh stands up straight, oil coalescing back under his cloak. His voice had gone back to normal. "Sensate and Maya, correct? Nice to get to meet some of the others here. I'm Noh. N-O-H," he added quietly, habitual clarification when new to an area. It had been a name picked with newspapers and blogs more in mind than actual speech.

Demi sadly reminds Frost of her earlier remark. "It's not blipping people that's the challenge, really," she drawls. "It's making sure they don't end up irredeemably insane or all Philadephia Experiment."

"That's us," Sensate says in a lazy drawl. "Guess we aren't taking him alive. Eh, don't worry about it. You'll be fine, courts aren't big on people who take hostages. So who are you two? New in town?"