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Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

Nikolai Ivushkin, the Cryophoenix

When he's just a dude

Character you have created: Nikolai Ivushkin
Alias: Cryophoenix
Speech Color: "I like pizza and this code is 6ecff6." - Nikolai Ivushkin, 2020
Character Alignment: Lawful Neutral/Walking the Line
Identity: Secret
Character Personality: Nikolai is a clever joker, perhaps best known for his love of memes on history and science. He has many strange interests, and is seen as strange as a result. However, he is also a flaunter of his superior intellect and looks down on those that don't understand in his level, giving him a mixed reputation. Still, he is ostensibly caring and defensive for those he sees as friend or as equals, but other people that are not as close don't receive the same treatment, and may even be seen with contempt if they had assaulted him in the past. While usually chill and likable, he could be prone to fits of drunkenness, which are quite embarassing. He has a mentality of 'anything it takes'; he will not hesitate to destroy someone entirely if they are a proven serial killer. He thus believes that some people are simply unredeemable.
Uniform/costume: None; his transformation suffices to hide his identity. However, when fighting while in human form, he wears a Guy Fawkes mask and a black trench coat.
Origin Info/Details: The child of immigrant parents from the now defunct Soviet Union, Nikolai was born a few minutes before his twin Nikita, making him the older of the two of them. He was the middle child, with his older sister Katarina being born a few good years before he was. His father, Piotr (now called Peter), was a soldier, and he would often be absent due to being assigned in the sand strewn battle fields of the Middle East as well as the broken cities of the now defunct Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. However, an injury forced Piotr to retire from the military; he would then pursue online business, while also allowed him far more time with his twin sons. Thus, Nikolai would be raised in a rather, say, unique way; he was raised to be goal oriented and to have a will of metal; determination and perseverance are some of the things that would define him as he grew up. Nikolai would thus be seen with favour by most of the local neighbourhood. Intelligent, courteous, straight A's: the perfect child in the eyes of many. He had great pride with himself, and rightly so, for he is bound to be of the honor roll of the local high school. It was in his elementary days that he developed his eccentric properties; he sometimes used a cane even though he was not an old man, and always wore black and grey. He was weird, but fascinatingly intelligent. In junior year, he held the position of Editor in Chief of the school paper, which ensured that he knew quite literally everyone in the school.

Days would pass, and then they turned to months and then years. One day, while contemplating about the future, he found himself lowering the temperature of his surroundings; frost and snow had formed on the ground all around him. It was a strange time, too; it wasn't even the winter months yet. There was only one possible outcome, then: he now has the power of the winter. A day after that, he was assaulted with visions of his past lives. The ones that came before told him who he was; the latest incarnation of an ancient wizard of the east that wielded powers of winter and cold. He was, for all its worth, the Cryophoenix; a spirit of unforgiving cold that endures continual cycles of death and rebirth to help defend the world from threats, wherever and whenever they come.

Decades would pass as Nikolai studied medicine in university, and got himself an honor roll in the process. He'd become a medical researcher; an expert in the functions of the human body in the good times and bad. However, every night, the Cryophoenix stalked the cold shadows, seeking out murderers and thieves in a bid to remove the pests of society from existence. Some would be impaled in spikes of ice; some would just be found stuck in ice cuffs right outside the police precinct, ready to be captured. But who could say that the Cryophoenix was a friend of mankind, other than those who know him personally?
Season 1/2 Summary: Nyet
Hero Type: Mystic
Power Level: City Level
Powers:

Cryokinesis/Cryogenesis: Nikolai wields the ability to rapidly reduce the thermal and kinetic energy of objects through a gust of freezing magic that he fires from his hands, or by physical contact. In addition, he forms an anomalous form of ice that he could also control with both thoughts and hand gestures. This anomalous ice, known as Phoenix Frost, is as hard as rock and takes twice as long as normal ice to melt. This ice can be formed in any shape he wishes such as bladed weapons and solid blocks. It seems that only up to a metric ton of the material could exist in any given time; he is able to 'take back' his magical ice back into himself in a mist-like form should he need it elsewhere.

Cryophoenix Transformation: After a lengthy incantation, the phoenix tattoo on Nikolai's wrist glows white and coats him in a flurry of mist and ice, out of which emerges a phoenix that is seemingly made from pure frost. The Cryophoenix possesses a flight speed equal to that of a Peregrine Falcon (186 mph), but in winter conditions, it increases to up to 450 mph. The Cryophoenix is able to maintain its form for up to 30 minutes before needing to return to human form, but it is also able to keep itself in a shrunken state the size of a starling indefinitely. When in Cryophoenix form, the Cryokinetic abilities become wildly imprecise, with the ability to shape ice into definite objects becoming ineffectual. Rather, the Cryophoenix possesses two main avenues of ice based attacks: its icy breath, which rapidly immobilizes and slows down targets upon impact, and the ice 'feathers' that it shoots out of its wings.
Attributes:

Height: 5'8"/ 10'
Weight: 70 kilograms/120 kilograms
Strength: Average; no super strength
Mobility: Not that good when in human form, but when transformed, he becomes extremely mobile with the power of flight.
Intelligence: Above average; he has messy handwriting and has been lauded for his thesis on cryogenic therapies. He says that it's all just hard work, though.
Fighting Skill: Apparently, the Cryophoenix knows how to fight hand in hand, taking techniques from Krav Maga, Northern Shaolin Kong Fu, Judo, and Esrima. He is not a master, but he could easily take down the average thug without using a single bolt of ice.
Resources: What does a 31 year old medical researcher with a bright mind get, anyway? He is quite well off, but he does not have great resources; not that he needs a lot anyway.

Weaknesses: It has been proven that heat based weaponry are the greatest threat to the Cryophoenix, as it literally causes its cryogenic avian form to start melting. In addition, extreme blunt force trauma could break its form. Nikolai Ivushkin himself does not possess superhuman durability, and could be killed with a bullet to the head.
Supporting Characters:
Nikita Ivushkin; his twin brother, who has no powers whatsoever. He works in a tech company and also has a big brain. He knows that his brother is the incarnation of an ancient ice spirit, and is quite proud of it.

Peter Ivushkin and Mary Ivushkin; his parents. They're old retirees, and feel conflicted about how their son freezes criminals every night.

Catherine; his older sister. She doesn't seem to care. But she does. In her own way.

Do you know how to post pictures on RPG boards?: Duh
Sample Post:

My Hider

Eleazar Nikolavich Diaz-Sapohznik

"Where's your sister?"

Eleazar stood in front of his mom, a little unsure about the answer that he had mustered for her question. He was tasked with accompanying his younger sister Alessia to school everyday, as it was, as his mother put it, 'his prime directive'. The pendulum swung thrice before Eleazar broke the rather awkward silence that he and his mother shared in the dining room.

"She…" Eleazar stammered, scratching the back of his head. His sister was a total enigma to deal with; she often got out of the house way earlier that he did, and she usually did not even wake him up. It's like she did not care if everyone else got worried about her. "Uh… she left before I finished preparing my stuff…"

"Oh, that girl…" Felicita shook her head in annoyance. "She's as impatient as ever, no? She wouldn't even wait for you to come along with her to school… aren't your classes at the same time?"

"Actually, there's something else." Eleazar put on his signature black jacket from the coat hanger near the door before picking up his cane. "We're merging with another school that closed down for some reason today. Liberty High, I think. They're rich kids, mostly."

"Now that's odd." Felicita nodded slowly. Rosefell and Liberty merging together was one of the unlikeliest things to ever happen. "Okay. Do you have your lunch with you? How about your phone?"

Eleazar pulled out his lunchbox from the bag, shaking it in front of her. "I have everything, mom."

"Alright. Go say goodbye to your dad."

Eleazar nodded and quickly sprinted towards the bakery, which was a family business that had sustained them for the last twenty years. His father was the one running it, and he worked along with one assistant. Not enough was usually earned every day to pay a bunch of employees, so he usually had one or two teens working part time jobs. Their jobs were quite basic; put the bread in the bags, take the payments, give the change. The lives of this family were not glamorous, but they were not dirt poor either. They were somewhere in between.

"Dad, I'm going now." Eleazar said as he walked near the ovens where the bread was being formed from dough and yeast and whatever toppings/fillings they wanted.

His dad, who had taken to being called Nicholas after all of his years in America, turned from his work and handed him a paper bag filled with conchas. "Alright sonny, take care. Your sister had gotten ahead of you half an hour ago…"

"Okay dad." Eleazar then sat on the driver's seat of his electric tricycle, which was a quaint little thing that was clearly suitable for getting around in short distances, like the metres that he had to cover from home to school. Alessia was probably already there anyway…

---

After chaining up his electric tricycle on the parking lot, Eleazar quickly got in. There were noticeably more people in here, as the merging had begun. He imagined that quite a number of Rosefell students didn't like that these bourgesie Liberty High-ers were coming in here… but, if anything, if he was able to befriend a few, he'd get buddies that were rich… which was a win-win in any scenario. They'd get a homie as sweet as a cake, and his pizza cravings would be readily satisfied.

Either way, he found himself walking towards a table, filled with stickers with 'Hi, my name is' followed by a blank. It was another of these events, it seems. He would just put one on with his name written on it. Eleazar walked with a noticeable limp, as his left leg had been injured a year or so back in a football match.

It wouldn't be long before he found a familiar face, as he saw Cael Crawford along with Spike and a boy he did not recognize. Probably one of the newcomers.

Speeding up a little, he would walk up to them with a more or less sober expression. He did, however, lighten up when he got close to Cael, as he just hugged him from behind and used his shoulder as a chin rest. Typical demeanour from him to a friend. Eleazar did remember the time when Cael had fallen for him… but that was a long time ago. Right now, he was a friend. "Well, well, well, look at who the egregious tides of time and circumstance had brought into this... humble institution." He extended a hand to Christian, though not before taking his glove off. "Eleazar Nikolavich, at your service. I assume you're one of the newcomers from the… uh… what was it again… Liberty, right. Liberty High." His memory was a little spotty; he had little sleep last night due to playing Dungeons and Dragons with his… international friends. "You lot are welcome in this place, I guarantee that you will have a lot of fun here. And make new… um… friends. And stuff. You know what I mean… hehe. Heh." At that moment, he just pulled out a Concha and began munching on it. "Just ask... us if you have questions. And stuff."

Awkward…

@The Man Emperor

Approved

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

This has piqued my interest. How does a cryokinetic that transforms into a flying cryophoenix sound?

@The Man Emperor

Actually, that sounds quite interesting

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

Icon swooped down on one of the troop carriers, clutching it with one hand at what he assumed was the landing bay door and then took off skyward with it in tow. When he reached several thousand feet, well below the typical cruising altitude of a commercial airliner, he spun himself around several times, building up momentum and then let go of his grip, sending the troop carrier flying away from the city, where it landed harmlessly in the harbor.

Immediately, Icon turned his attention to a group of citizens that were attempting to fight off several alien aggressors. While their attempts to keep the aliens at bay had been valiant, they had also been much for naught. The aliens had little difficulty in cutting down the over-matched humans with their advanced weaponry.

“I don't think so.” Icon said aloud as he rocketed toward the alien attackers. He touched down on the ground in front of the group of people, putting himself between them and the aliens. The one of the aliens fired some sort of laser weapon at him. The bolt struck him firmly in the chest, and he had no doubt that if it had hit one of the civilians, it would have incinerated them instantly. He looked down at his chest, and saw the smoke coming from the spot where the energy blast had struck him, then to the alien who had fired the shot. Icon noted that the weapon was not a gun, which one may have imagined after watching countless science fiction films dating back to the pulp movies of the Forties and Fifties. Instead, the energy blast had come from a staff that the alien was wielding. A staff that while different, held a striking resemblance to something that he had seen before.

“That stings.” Icon said with a grin as his gaze fell upon the alien that had attacked him, his eyes glowing a pale blue. Then the hero fired an optic blast that struck the staff wielding alien in the chest, knocking him off balance. Icon then charged the alien, snatching the staff from its hands and snapping it in half all in a single motion. “A cheap knock-off.” Icon said as he examined the broken staff that he held in his hands, discarding it like garbage, and then shoving the alien lightly in the chest, which still sent the murderous creature slamming hard into the side of a building on the other side of the street.

Then, Icon went to work on the remaining three aliens. In a silver and cobalt blur, he flew between them, first disarming them and then rounding them up, binding them together with a single piece of re- bar from a nearby construction site, then depositing them with the unconscious alien that he had sent into the side of the building.

“Now might be a good time to run.-” Icon said to the band of citizens he had just kept from being slaughtered. [b] “-Find someplace safe and stay there.” He finished before taking to the skies again.

It wasn't long before he saw his next move. Several of the invaders had attacked more civilians, or so he thought at first. However, there was something different about these “victims.' They or more specifically “he” was having much more success fighting back. The man, who appeared to be tall and lanky and dressed in what looked to be a custom designer outfit had had been handling the aliens with apparent ease.

"Mmmhmm! Candy is the cure! Yo! Icon! Pretty neat of you to save the city and all that! But this whole alien thing above us really is spoiling my sweet dreams so be a good boy and get that technological horror away! I make sure to prepare a gift bag with your name on it!" The strange red and white clad man said to him gleefully almost in a sing-song like voice as he went about taking down any near by aliens. Icon didn't know who this man was, or if he was friend or foe, but something told him that it really didn't matter right now. Now, all that mattered was the survival of the human race, so he was willing to take help anywhere he could get it.

“If you can fight, which it looks like you can-" Icon said as he regarded the peculiar man. “-Now is the time.” Icon said as he again took to the skies, leaving the strange man standing in the street.

***

High above Earth, The Autocrat watched the events unfolding below him from the view port of his private chambers aboard the mothership of the Arlaaekan fleet. Though he had seen similar scenes play out time after time across countless worlds, he never grew tired of it. The death, the destruction, and ultimately, the thrill of victory. However, this time, something was different. These humans were unlike the others that had been conquered by the Arlaaekan machine. They had a certain something, a fighting spirit quite unlike anything that he had ever seen before. While it was true that many of the worlds that he had conquered had fought back, or at least attempted to, they hadn't had the same ferocity that these humans had. Though their bodies were frail and weak, and their weapons of war were primitive at best, they held a resolve within them that he almost admired.

Almost.

The truth was, it mattered little how hard the Earthlings fought. Their fate had been sealed the moment that they had accepted the Great Concord. The day that the staff-wielder had accepted the beacon, the Earth had also unknowingly accepted its fate. There was little use in fighting back, though many had tried, they all eventually fell under the heel of the forces of Arlaaek.

It was inevitable: another world would die so that Arlaaek and her children would live.

The Autocrat watched the destruction below intently even as the doors to his private chambers slid open behind him. Towering despot did not have to turn to face the intruder, as he know that only one would enter his private chambers unannounced.

“What is it, Admiral?” The Autocrat said to his visitor.

“The siege goes well, my lord. The initial strike took them by surprise and left much of their planetary defenses in shambles.-” Keelan said as he pulled a small device from the breast pocket of his jet black admiral's uniform. The device was metallic gray and about the size of an 8x10 note card. When he activated the device, 3-D map of the Earth appeared in just above the palm of his hand. “-though there are pockets of resistance, as we expected, the heaviest fighting is here.” He said, pointing to Lost Haven.

“As expected, Admiral.” The Autocrat said as he looked away from the map and back out of the viewport. “Is this not the location of the Beacon?” The Autocrat asked, already knowing the answer.

“It is.” Keelan confirmed.

“Is it also not the area most populated with the so-called 'meta humans?” The Autocrat asked, again not really expecting an answer. The Autocrat had, along with the Admiral as well as his other advisors, learned everything they could have about their current target. The Earthlings had a strange habit of announcing themselves to the rest of the universe, almost as if they had an innate need to know that they were not alone in the universe. They sent messages into the stars, telling whoever may happen across them, everything that they needed to know about the pathetic backwater world. It told of their dreams and ambitions. However, it also told of their weaknesses, and their strengths. It told of their heroes, the ones who wield great power in the protection of the planet.

The meta humans.

The Autocrat knew that to take this planet and her resources, they would first have to eliminate the heroes that protected it. He had been surprised to learn that one of his asteroids had failed to reach its target, yet was undisturbed by that particular turn of events. He had ordered an assault on the city, and expected it and those protecting it to fall at any time.

“It appears that we may have...underestimated the resolve of the meta humans that occupy that city. They have thus far beaten back our forces.” Keelan said reluctantly.

“Hrmph” The Autocrat grunted in annoyance.

“It seems that thus far, they have been more than a match for our forces.” Keelan told him.

“Very well.” The Autocrat said as he clenched his fists at his side. “Bring me the Outsider. Perhaps it is time to finally unleash him upon his home.”

Greetings! Candy Cane Service!

Thank you for the Candy Cane to whoever it was that sent me one.

Star Wars: Legacies (Always Open)

Luke Skywalker. The man's name resonated through Joren's entire being. He had heard tales of the great Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker, the hero of the Rebellion. He had been the young pilot who had destroyed the first Death Star, the hero who had slain both Darth Vader and the Emperor himself. Truth be told, Joren hadn't really believed the stories. He suspected that this Luke Skywalker had been a fraud, a creation of the Rebellion intended to conjure images of the Jedi of old as a way of bringing legitimacy to its fight against the Empire.

However, now, standing in this man's presence...he knew that it was not true. This man, this...Luke Skywalker was radiating with the Force. Joren had never been in the presence of someone who had ever been as strong in the Force as this man, not even his father's presence could compare to the man who stood before him. No, something told them that all the stories about this man were indeed true.

“The Force is with you.” Luke finally said, breaking the silence at the table. The Jedi master had been surprised to find someone who appeared to be so strong in the Force.

“It is.” Joren admitted after a slight hesitation. He had spent his entire life hiding his true nature from everyone around him, including his best friends, yet for some reason he knew that he could be honest with Skywalker, which was oddly freeing. “I guess you can say it runs in my family.”

“I know what you mean.” Luke says as he averted his eyes to the floor for a split second, before a smile crossed his face. Luke stayed silent for a moment before he returned his gaze to the younger man and his Mandalorian companion.

“So tell me about yourself.” Luke said at last.

“What do you want to know?” Joren asked.

“Well, your name's a good start. Where you came from.”

“There's really not much to tell. My name is Joren Kel, I was born on Nar Shaddaa. After I lost my parents, I had to grow up fast.” Joren began.

It was a story Luke had heard before. But he could tell that the younger man was holding back. And Luke understood. He had only just met him, and the Jedi master hadn't yet earned the younger man's trust. And that was alright, Luke had hoped that there would be plenty of time for that.

“What is it that you do?” Luke asked, trying to redirect the conversation.

“A little of this, a little of that.-” Joren said. “Nothing much n particular.”

“He's a space bum.-” Dono cut into the conversation.”He's a decent hustler. And he's damn good in a fight. He's actually saved my neck more times than I'd like to admit.”

Joren was somewhat surprised by Dono's sudden praise. The Mandalorian had barely said two words to him since that night on Tatooine. He found himself wondering exactly what his friend was up to.

“Yeah, I guess when I'm not out there 'hustling and being an all around scoundrel,' I'm mostly just trying to avoid trouble.-” Joren said to the Jedi. “-So, what's your story?”

Luke looked around the crowded cantina, and though he wanted to be honest with the younger man, he wasn't sure exactly how much he could say without being eavesdropped on by someone in the bar.

“I want to talk to you about that, but not here. Why don't you come with me, I think I might have a job offer for you.” Luke said much to Joren's surprise. “Come with me.” Luke said as he motioned for them to follow him to the exit.

“Why us?” Joren said as they stepped through the doors of the cantina leading into the street. Luke just turned his head to face the younger man and smiled.

“If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that scoundrels usually aren't that bad.”

“So, what is this job offer?” Dono asked as they started walking down the street. Luke looked around, surveying the area to make sure that there wasn't anyone listening in. When he was satisfied that no one was, in fact, paying any attention to them, he began to speak.

“Listen, what I'm about to tell you is a...sensitive issue. However, something tells me I can trust you to keep this to yourselves for now.” Luke told them. When the men nodded in agreement, he continued. “Shortly after our victory at Endor, I had set out to rebuild the Jedi Order. I have a small number of students, however, I am looking to identify more potential students. However, with the continuing war against the remnants of the Empire, the New Republic is limited in what they can provide for support of this mission.”

“They've told you that you're on your own.” Dono said with a hint of understanding in his voice. Luke just nodded.

“I need a ship. Transportation to different worlds as I look for students. Preferably a ship that can hold its own when things get rough, yet provide enough room for training. This would be a long term mission. If you're willing to do this, the New Republic will pay you handsomely. Ten Thousand credits up front, plus expenses to get you started. The final price is negotiable, of course.” Luke paused for a moment, almost as if internally debating his next words. “And I'd be willing to train you as well.”

Joren just stands in silence for a moment after listening to Luke's proposal unsure of what to say. This was the very thing that his father had been preparing him for since he was a very young child. Since before he could walk, Joren's father had instilled in him the values of a Jedi. All the “games” that Van Kel had played with his son, which unknown to the small boy had been Jedi training exercises, to more formal training as he got older. Joren knew that this is exactly what his father would have wanted for him. Yet, Joren had seen what his father's devotion to the Jedi Order had done to him. It had left him a broken man, desperate to reignite a flame that had been extinguished in the universe or years.

After his father's death, Joren had decided to live his own life. He had no desire to follow in his father's footsteps. He didn't want his father's obsession to become his own. However, that was before he found out that there were more out there like him. That he wouldn't be doing this alone. The prospect of being with others who understood the things that he felt, the things that he experienced was very tempting.

As was the pay for the job. Ten thousand credits up front was a lot of money, and would go a long way in helping he and his friends establish their new lives.

“He's in.” Dono said suddenly, before Joren could answer for himself. Joren turned to his friend, his eyes wide in astonishment. “Vod'ika, we've known each other for a long time. You were born for this.”

Joren split his gave between his friend and the Jedi, and then nodded in agreement.

“I'm in.” Joren said finally.

“We're in.” Dono corrected as Joren turned to look at his friend and smiled in relief.

“I think we have a ship that's perfect for this job. And I already have a crew that I trust.” Joren said to Luke.

The older Jedi smiled at the pair and clapped Joren on the shoulder.

“That's good, Joren. You're about to take your first steps into a larger world.” Luke said, recalling the very words that Ben had once said to him when he had began his own journey, in what had seemed like a lifetime ago.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

The wind whipped against his suit as he raced through the streets of Lost Haven on his motorcycle. The bike was fast, having topped out at over two hundred miles per hour between Crown Ridge and Lost Haven, however, he just couldn't move fast enough as the images of the destruction that had been wrought across the globe raced through his mind. These invaders knew what they were doing, they had wiped out or crippled numerous cities which were strategic military strongholds, and now they targeted Lost Haven, which was home to a very large metahuman population.

If Lost Haven were to fall, the rest of the world would soon follow.

As Lyger entered Lost Haven, he realized that things were worse than he had feared. The burnt out vehicles that lined the roads, flaming ruins of what had once been thriving businesses and bustling apartment buildings. The panicked residents running through the streets trying to find shelter from the marauding invaders. From the reports that Whisper had been feeding to his comm in his mask, Icon and the others seemed to be making a stand in Sherman Square, which meant that he needed to get there, and fast.

Some things never change. Lyger thought to himself as memories of the various assaults on the city over the years always seemed to culminate with an all out attack on Sherman Square. D-Day, the Hounds of Humanity, and now, invaders from another world.

He rounded a corner which would bring him to the final straightaway to Sherman Square, Lyger saw one of the many alien drop ships, which had touched down throughout the city. A mixture of fear and relief filled his being as he saw a small group of civilians cornered by a single alien soldier, who was pointing some sort of weapon at them.

However, the thing that he found most startling was the vaguely familiar appearance of the alien. The dark blue/black hair, the teal skin. He had seen a being that appeared to be from the same species, and he had learned to trust her during the war with the Hounds of Humanity. However, now he had to wonder...had Flux been playing them all along?

He pushed the thought out of his mind as he leapt from the bike and met the alien soldier with a boot in the chest, knocking the armed alien back. Surprised by the sudden attack, the alien hesitated, which allowed Lyger to follow up with a hard right hand to the jaw, followed by a stiff jab, and a bone crunching kick to the knee, which caused the alien soldier to cry out in pain as he fell to the ground.

“Get out of here, find cover and don't come out until this is over!” Lyger snarled at the huddled people who had been the target of the murderous alien. However, they just stood there, either too horrified to move, or in such a state of shock that his words hadn't registered. “Go!” he exclaimed, his modulated voice amplified over the sudden silence. It was enough to snap the civilians out of their stupor and send them scurrying away, just as several other alien warriors arrived on the scene, seemingly responding to their fallen comrade's pained cries.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He's done it again. Richard Midas thought as he watched Icon redirect a large space rock away from the city from the large bay window in his office which overlooked Lost Haven. The scene reminded him of the first time he, or anyone for that matter, had seen Icon. The day that he had prevented the Gold Dawn from crashing down in the middle of the city, doing untold damage and killing countless people. That singular event had ushered in the modern age of heroes, and that one act had captured the imaginations of people all around the world.

This was different.

An advanced alien race had declared war on the people of Earth, and in multiple, coordinated attacks the death toll had been unimaginable. Even now, despite Lost Haven's “savior,” his city burned.

As Midas watched the attack unfold before him, he found himself wondering if this was what it was like for the ancient denizens of Rome, who could only watch as the barbarians stormed the gates, and the Visigoths finally sacked what had once been the hub of civilization.

Fortunately Lost Haven had something that the Romans didn't...Heroes.

Heroes with an annoying habit of coming out on top even when the odds seemed insurmountable. Whether it be fanatics who had somehow taken control of orbital weapons, lunatics trying to turn every man, woman, and child in the world into mutated freaks, or beating back the hordes of Hell itself. Somehow, the heroes manage to always come together and save the day.

And for what may be the first time, Midas prayed that they are able to keep their improbable win streak alive, as the very fate of the world depended on it. However, Midas was not a man who left things to chance. He turned away from the window and looked to the “extra security” that his business partners in the Eye of Osiris had sent over.

“Go down to the sub levels and move the twins to the underground labs. Stay with them there, if anyone other than myself or Ms Sparks tries to get it, kill them.” Midas instructed them before turning to Alison Sparks, who had been watching the events unfolding outside of Midas Tower with horror.

“Ms Sparks, I'm not going to rely on people I can't control to keep us safe. I want you to go to Ms Desdemona and bring her here. She's sat on the sidelines long enough, it's time that she earns her keep.”

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

Posts coming. I've started on one and I have some thoughts for another

Star Wars: Legacies (Always Open)

Posts coming. I've had some unexpected challenges this week, but I'm still planning to work on some stuff throughout the week and get something up soon

Star Wars: Legacies (Always Open)

The crew of the Twilight Dreams had only been on the New Republic capital of Chandrila for several hours, but those hours had been productive. In that time, they had taken in in some of the sights in Hanna City. They had traveled through the city circle and visited the art display that had been installed shortly after the battle of Endor, which was made up of Imperial stormtrooper helmets which had been painted in vibrant colors, star bursts and Rebel Alliance sigils.

They walked along the bustling streets which led into the Senate Plaza taking in the sights as the plotted their next move. It was while they were in the Plaza that they found their first lead on an apartment, which was located on the city's famed Embassy Row. Though Joren and the others had been skeptical that they could afford an apartment at that address, Kelsa assured them that they could, at least for a couple of months, however, they would have to find work somewhere, and fast.

The quartet soon decided to split up in order to get more accomplished. Nyna and Kelsa went to Embassy Row to follow up on the apartment, while Joren and Dono went off to look to see if they could find work of some kind, which eventually led them to the Hannatown Cantina, which was located just a few streets over from the Old Hannatown Market.

When they entered the cantina they were genuinely impressed by the establishment, which was much more like a nightclub than a cantina, with patrons enjoying their drinks and dancing under the bright lights that flashed throughout the building like a laser show. Indeed, the cantina was a far cry from the dingy dives that the pair had grown accustomed to on the Smuggler's Moon, and Dono was even more impressed when he found that they served Ne'tra gal, or black ale, which was a favorite drink among the Mandalorians.

They had taken a seat at the back of the cantina and almost out of habit, Joren began scanning the establishment for potential threats. Fortunately, for what seemed like the first time in a lifetime, there was no sign of trouble. Nobody was hunting them, there were no Kath Hounds after them. There were no Imperials hunting them, and nobody was trying to kill them, at least not yet.

***

Bekk Ranik made his way through the busy streets of Hanna City with his ID9 Seeker droid hovering just over his left shoulder. At one time, as a member of the Inquisitorius, Ranik had hunted down fugitive Jedi and other Force Sensitives, and either recruited them into the ranks of the Inquisitors, or eliminated them. However, times had changed. Having left the service of the Empire as soon as the Empire had decided that the service of the Inquisitors was no longer required, Ranik had lived in relative anonymity as a smuggler and a pirate.

However, that is all in the past. Bekk Ranik had found a new purpose. After a slight “misunderstanding” with the man who was trying to rebuild the Jedi Order in the wake of the Emperor and Vader's deaths, Ranik had found himself working side by side with the young Jedi, first as a student, then as a friend and fellow Jedi Master.

Now, Ranik had is own mission for Skywalker's Jedi Order, and it was one that he was all too familiar with. Although the purpose of the mission had changed, the mission itself was very much the same-

After all these years, Bekk Ranik was still hunting Jedi.

Suddenly, Ranik's droid began rattling off a series of excited chirps and whistles as its glowing red photoreceptor rotated around, looking in every direction.

“Easy Scrapper, easy. I feel it too.” Bekk told his droid, who rattled off another series of chirps and beeps.

“Oh, I don't know.-” Ranik said with a grin as he pulled his hood up over his long gray hair and looked his droid directly in the photoreceptor. “-But I think it's time we went for a drink.”

As Bekk approached the Hannatown Cantina, he saw many of the same patrons going in and out that he had seen each day in the weeks that he had been in Hanna City. However, as the doors slid open and he and Scrapper made their way inside, he noticed some new faces as well. A pair of men specifically drew his attention, a young man who looked to be in his early to mid twenties, and his Mandalorian companion. As he studied the pair from across the cantina, there was something about the young man, something that seemed familiar, although he had never laid eyes on the man before this moment. He made eye contact with the bartender, who having served Bekk a number of times in the preceeding weeks, already knew his drink of choice.

It was a feeling. The same feeling that Bekk Ranik had felt the first time he had crossed paths with Luke Skywalker.

This young man radiated the Force. Though it was not as overwhelmingly powerful as the Jedi Master's presence, it was still surprisingly strong.

The bartender had finished filling his mug with Corellian Ale and handed it to Bekk, who accepted the mug and took a drink from the beverage as he decided on what would be the best course of action to take. However, Scrapper let off a long series of beeps and whistles before taking off in a direct line toward the young man and his Mandalorian friend.

“Blast it Scrapper!” Bekk cursed aloud as he left the stool at the bar and went after the droid. Bekk watched as the droid hovered over the floor as it made its way to the pair's table, then lowered itself to the height of the table, before slamming into it, jarring the table and knocking over their drinks.

Ranik picked up his pace and made his way to the table. He first noticed the Mandalorian, who looked more than displeased as he wiped the liquor from his armor.

“I'm sorry about that. Hes been a little...off today. Please, let me get you another round.” Bekk said to the men as he smacked Scrapper on the back of the head, who responded with another long string of beeps, which almost sounded as if the droid was cursing.
“Thanks. And don't worry about it, droids can be a bit...quirky at times.” Joren said as Dono continued cleaning the Black Ale from his armor.

“Yeah, they say the best way to deal with that is a memory wipe.” Dono said evenly without looking up. Knowing that Dono was at least half kidding, Joren chuckled at the comment. However, the droid beeped at him, which gave Joren the distinct impression that it wasn't thrilled with the suggestion.

“I'm Bekk Ranik, and this-” He said, motioning to the droid, “-is Scrapper.”

“Joren Kel, and my friend here is Dono Kil'ar.” Joren said as he motioned for the man to join them at the table.

Bekk was surprised by the cordial nature of the pair. Typically, such an incident could lead to hard feelings and more times than not, a bar fight which would more than likely clear the cantina and draw the attention of the local authorities.

Moments later, the serving droid made its way to the table and began to finish cleaning up the mess, before standing back upright to await another order.

“Corellian Ale and a Black Ale.” Bekk said to the droid as it hurried off to get their order.

Several minutes after the serving droid returned to the table with Joren and Dono's new drinks, Bekk finished his Ale and not wanting to wait for the serving droid to return, went back to the bar to order another drink. As Bekk made his way back to the bar, he was still surprised to find this kid who was so strong in the Force, and he knew those he answered to would be very interesting with meeting the young man. As he reached the bar, he reached into one of the compartments on his belt and pulled out a comlink.

“It's Ranik. I think I found one you'll want to meet.” He said, then cut the communication before there could be a reply. He then took his drink and returned to the table where he engaged the two men in conversation. He had asked them about where they came from ad where they were going, and he could tell that while they weren't lying to him, there were things that they were not being completely honest, which he respected in a way.

Eventually, the cantina doors slid open and another figure entered the establishment. Joren immediately took notice of this person, though at first he didn't see the man, but much to his surprise, he felt him. In fact, it took a few moments for him to hone in on the person in the crowded cantina. The person was a relatively unassuming individual in a dark hooded cloak, who, much to Joren's surprise was making his way toward them. The man came to a stop at their table and nodded to the older man.

“Bekk.” He said as he lowered the hood on his cloak, revealing himself to be a young blond man who looked to be just a few years older than Joren himself.

“Hello, my name is Luke Skywalker. I think we have much to discuss.” The man said as he pulled up a chair and joined them at the table.
​

Star Wars: Legacies (Always Open)

trying to finish this post tonight