The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Red Ronin! Netsuko Nishimura! Rinako Saeki! Fujiko Yoshihara! Masaru Kido!)

[EternalPhoenix]

Shigeru “Dice” Miyamoto

Power Level: 8; Power Points Spent: 135/135

STR: +3 (16), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +3/+6, Fort: +5, Ref: +10, Will: +6

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5), Bluff 7 (+10), Craft (mechanical) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 2 (+5), Gather Information 2 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Language 6 (+6), Notice 8 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 9 (+10), Survival 8 (+10)

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 3, Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 4, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Fire (Blast 6)), Improved Initiative, Improved Trick, Move-by Action, Precise Shot, Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive), Skill Mastery (Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth, Survival), Teamwork 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Heavy Assault Rifle (Device 4) (Easy to lose)
. . Automatic Fire (Blast 6) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Fire (Blast 6)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5))

MAG Lieutenant’s Armor (Device 4) (Hard to lose)
. . Integral Grapple Gun (Linked)
. . . . Speed 1 (Linked; Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd)
. . . . Super-Movement 2 (Linked; wall-crawling 2 (full speed))
. . Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))
. . Kevlar Weave & Ceramic Plating (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive))
. . Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

Equipment: Backup Arsenal (Flash-Bang, Fragmentation Grenade, Shotgun, Suppressed Heavy Pistol, Suppressed Submachine Gun)

Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +7, Grapple: +10)

Attacks: Automatic Fire (Blast 6), +10 (DC 21), Flash-Bang, +10 (DC Fort/Ref 14), Fragmentation Grenade, +10 (DC Ref 15), Shotgun, +10 (DC 21 ), Suppressed Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Suppressed Submachine Gun, +10 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +7 (DC 18)

Defense: +10 (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -3

Initiative: +5

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, Japanese Native, Korean, Russian, Spanish

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 17 (68 ranks) + Feats 19 + Powers 28 + Combat 28 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

Age (as of Jan 2019): 38
Height: 5’ 9”
Weight: 170 lbs
Ethnicity: Japanese
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark Brown

Background: Everyone assumes Shigeru “Dice” Miyamoto is ex Japanese Self Defense Force, and he lets them think that. The truth is far stranger, because prior to joining the MAG, Dice didn’t exist. Literally didn’t. As in the recording of the security camera looking at the front door of where the interviews were being held that day shows him suddenly appear. Literally not there in one frame and there in the next, in between two people who had just been standing next to each other in the previous frame. All of his records were in order, and people remembered serving with him in the JSDF. The trouble was they also remembered when they hadn’t because he didn’t exist and they remembered when the records didn’t have him in them. Basically nobody knows what the fuck is going on. Methion says time is just being weird as hell again, and not to worry about it. Occasionally people get retconned into existence, it’s not a big deal. Yeah, sure. Okay. That’s comforting. Right. In the meantime Dice has become one of the two Lieutenants in Assault division. He actually predates Shotsy as a Lieutenant, but has declined promotion to Captain at every opportunity.

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Dice has no superhuman powers. He has a primary weapon in his Heavy Assault Rifle, his MAG Lieutenant 's Armor, and a Backup Arsenal. The Rifle is just a more powerful version of a mundane Assault Rifle. The Backup Arsenal consists of Flash Bangs, Fragmentation Grenades, a Suppressed Submachine Gun, a Suppressed Heavy Pistol, and a Shotgun.

. . His MAG Lieutenant’s Armor has several features. A radio for staying in touch with Commander Katrea, Captain Leroy, and his troops. A grapple gun for ascending heights rapidly. The expected body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, arrows, and explosions. And goggles that extend his vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.

. . Tactically, Dice is a teamwork fiend. He uses both the Covering Fire and Suppressing Fire options for Autofire liberally, along with Aid Actions to help allies hit. With Teamwork 2, that’s a nice bonus. He chucks Flash Bangs and Fragmentation Grenades at every enemy group to knock them down. He feints and, surprisingly for the MAG, tricks with fair regularity. He does not power stunt.

Personality: Dice is a weird freakin’ dude. Japanese level weird. Japanese soldiers are stereotyped as these stoic, honorable warriors and uh he is…not that. It’s not that he’s unprofessional. It’s that he’s a strange man with strange tastes in entertainment and fashion and, now that he’s outside of Japan, no shame in letting his freak flag fly. No matter what culture one was raised in, he is simply bizarre. That’s just. How it is.

[EternalPhoenix]

Mahmoud "Combo" Isra

Power Level: 8; Power Points Spent: 135/135

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +3/+6, Fort: +5, Ref: +10, Will: +6

Skills: Acrobatics 3 (+5), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Language 4 (+4), Medicine 8 (+10), Notice 8 (+10), Search 3 (+5), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 8 (+10)

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 3, Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 5, Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Fire (Blast 6)), Precise Shot, Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive), Skill Mastery (Medicine, Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Heavy Assault Rifle (Device 4) (Easy to lose)
. . Automatic Fire (Blast 6) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Fire (Blast 6)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5))

MAG Captain's Armor (Device 4) (Hard to lose)
. . Integral Grapple Gun (Linked)
. . . . Speed 1 (Linked; Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd)
. . . . Super-Movement 2 (Linked; wall-crawling 2 (full speed))
. . Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))
. . Kevlar Weave & Ceramic Plating (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive))
. . Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

Medic's Bag (Device 2) (Hard to lose)
. . Drug Injection (Healing 5) (Action (standard), Total; Limited to Others, Temporary)

Equipment: Backup Arsenal (Flash-Bang, Fragmentation Grenade, Heavy Pistol, Masterwork Knife, Smoke Grenade, Suppressed Heavy Pistol, Suppressed Submachine Gun), Medkit (Basic), Special Medical Equipment 2

Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +7, Grapple: +9)

Attacks: Automatic Fire (Blast 6), +10 (DC 21), Flash-Bang, +10 (DC Fort/Ref 14), Fragmentation Grenade, +10 (DC Ref 15), Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Masterwork Knife, +8 (DC 18), Smoke Grenade, +10 (DC 15), Suppressed Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Suppressed Submachine Gun, +10 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +7 (DC 17)

Defense: +10 (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -3

Initiative: +2

Languages: Arabic Native, English, French, Hebrew, Spanish

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 15 (60 ranks) + Feats 14 + Powers 36 + Combat 28 + Saves 14 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

Age (as of Jan 2019): 35
Height: 5’ 9”
Weight: 170 lbs
Ethnicity: Egyptian Arabic
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark Brown

Background: Mahmoud "Combo" Isra is a fprmer member of the El-Sa‘ka Forces, Egypt’s special forces unit of military commandoes. He was initially a conscript, serving the three year term of those without a college degree. However, he was able to reenlist and became a professional. He was recommended by a superior for the Thunderbolts (the meaning of El-Sa’ka in English) and joined the group. He worked hard, serving with distinction in several operations against the Sinai insurgency before his discharge just prior to Operation Martyr’s Right. Normally an army would hang on to a skilled commando like Isra, however he had privately voiced some concerns to superiors about the Army’s medical mistreatment of prisoners from said insurgency. It was a combination of those who found the situation embarrassing and those who simply didn’t see the problem. Both sorts preferred that Isra shut up to avoid a public scandal, so he was quietly discharged.

. . Methion and Katrea aren’t the types to let a skilled commando get away for any reason, and Isra needed employment. The Military Action Group (in the guise of several different PMCs) pays very well, so Isra signed on in 2016. The Captain at the time liked him, and after an imprisonment created a vacancy made him one of his Lieutenants. That Captain was killed in action in 2018, resulting in Isra being chosen over his co-Lieutenant, the proudly Quebecois Cecile “Prophet” Fournier. Isra sends plenty of money home to his wife and children, does his best to keep his soldiers well trained, alive, and free, and tries not to think too hard about the missions he’s asked to assist in completing. Fournier is now one of Isra’s Lieutenants, and he named the Mexican Raul “Bonus” Torres to fill the vacancy caused by his promotion.

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Isra has no superhuman powers. He has a primary weapon in his Heavy Assault Rifle, his MAG Captain's Armor, a special Medic’s Bag, and a Backup Arsenal. The Rifle is just a more powerful version of a mundane Assault Rifle. The Medic’s Bag has several syringes of a drug cocktail that can get injured soldiers back up for fighting for a while if proper medical care is not an option. The Backup Arsenal consists of Flash Bangs, Fragmentation Grenades, Smoke Grenades, a Suppressed Submachine Gun, a Suppressed Heavy Pistol, and a Masterwork Knife. He also carries a Medkit and whatever special medical equipment he thinks he may need in the field.

. . His MAG Captain’s Armor has several features. A radio for staying in touch with Commander Katrea and his troops. A grapple gun for ascending heights rapidly. The expected body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, arrows, and explosions. And goggles that extend his vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.

. . Tactically, Isra adheres to the code of the field medic. He and the field half of his division are there for support purposes (hence the division’s name). He’ll absolutely defend himself and provide supporting fire if needed, but his focus is on keeping his soldiers alive. So he gets as much use out of his Medkit and Smoke Grenades as he does his Heavy Assault Rifle. He gets injured allies evacuated if possible and gives them a Drug Injection if not. Don’t forget the Flash Bangs. Enemies that can’t see can’t hurt his allies. He can’t power stunt.

Personality: Isra may be an elite commando, but he’s also a veteran field medic. It’s this duality that earned him his nickname of “Combo”. Because really, he doesn’t want anyone to die if it can be avoided. Unfortunately, he’s a soldier, and in combat people get killed. He’s not a bad guy, really. He just…doesn’t know how to be anything other than a soldier. His country gave him the boot for no apparent reason. The MAG accepted him anyway. It’s not perfect, but it’s what he has.

[EternalPhoenix]

Cecile “Prophet” Fournier

Power Level: 8; Power Points Spent: 135/135

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +3/+6, Fort: +5, Ref: +10, Will: +6

Skills: Acrobatics 3 (+5), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Language 4 (+4), Medicine 8 (+10), Notice 8 (+10), Search 3 (+5), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 8 (+10)

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 3, Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 5, Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Fire (Blast 6)), Precise Shot, Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive), Skill Mastery (Medicine, Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Heavy Assault Rifle (Device 4) (Easy to lose)
. . Automatic Fire (Blast 6) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Fire (Blast 6)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5))

MAG Lieutenant's Armor (Device 4) (Hard to lose)
. . Integral Grapple Gun (Linked)
. . . . Speed 1 (Linked; Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd)
. . . . Super-Movement 2 (Linked; wall-crawling 2 (full speed))
. . Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))
. . Kevlar Weave & Ceramic Plating (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive))
. . Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

Smoke Grenade Belt (Device 2) (Hard to lose)
. . Smoke Grenade (Obscure 3) (affects: visual senses, Radius: 25-50 ft.; Duration (continuous), Total Fade; Fades; Progression, Increase Area (area x2))

Equipment: Backup Arsenal (Flash-Bang, Fragmentation Grenade, Heavy Pistol, Masterwork Knife, Masterwork Taser, Suppressed Heavy Pistol, Suppressed Submachine Gun), Medkit (Basic), Special Medical Equipment 2

Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +7, Grapple: +9)

Attacks: Automatic Fire (Blast 6), +10 (DC 21), Flash-Bang, +10 (DC Fort/Ref 14), Fragmentation Grenade, +10 (DC Ref 15), Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Masterwork Knife, +8 (DC 18), Masterwork Taser, +11 (DC Fort 15), Suppressed Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Suppressed Submachine Gun, +10 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +7 (DC 17)

Defense: +10 (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -3

Initiative: +2

Languages: Arabic, English, French Native, German, Spanish

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 15 (60 ranks) + Feats 14 + Powers 36 + Combat 28 + Saves 14 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

Age (as of Jan 2019): 38
Height: 5’ 4”
Weight: 120 lbs
Ethnicity: French
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue

Background: People think Cecile “Prophet” Fournier is French, with the way she speaks and behaves. Non. She is Quebecois, you uncultured swine. Former Royal Canadian Mounted Police. “C” Division in Quebec. Emergency Response Team. She left specifically because it did not pay enough for her liking. She was originally a Primary Care Paramedic before joining the Mounties, so she got a lot of VIP bodyguard work (excuse moi, there was also witness protection work). This was useful going into the private sector, which paid more. But sadly, not enough. So she went back to school and got her Medical Doctorate at McGill University Faculty of Medicine. She is, technically, Doctor Cecile Fournier, Ph.D. After graduating, she did not go into internship or residency, specifically because the MAG had come calling. A little negotiation, and she was paid quite well for her services. She can shoot people and she can save people after they have been shot. It suits her nicely. She does not desire to be Support’s Captain. Too much work.

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Prophet has no superhuman powers. She has a primary weapon in her Heavy Assault Rifle, her MAG Lieutenant 's Armor, a special Smoke Grenade Belt, and a Backup Arsenal. The Rifle is just a more powerful version of a mundane Assault Rifle. Her Smoke Grenade Belt has special smoke grenades that cover much more ground than the mundane variety. The normal 10 feet radius is enhanced up to 5 times for a 50 foot radius. The Backup Arsenal consists of Flash Bangs, Fragmentation Grenades, a Masterwork Knife, a Masterwork Taser, a Suppressed Submachine Gun, and a Suppressed Heavy Pistol. She also carries a Medkit and whatever special medical equipment she thinks she may need in the field.

. . Her MAG Lieutenant’s Armor has several features. A radio for staying in touch with Commander Katrea, Captain Isra, and her troops. A grapple gun for ascending heights rapidly. The expected body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, arrows, and explosions. And goggles that extend her vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.

. . Tactically, Prophet plays aggressive defense. It’s her whole job. She uses both the Covering Fire and Suppressing Fire options for Autofire liberally. One of her special Smoke Grenades can screen off a significant portion if not all of the battlefield. Flash Bangs are also useful for blinding enemies. Her job is to provide supporting fire where needed, protect and evacuate injured allies, and get untargeted noncombatants away from the operational area. That last bit can sound confusing, but it’s out of practicality and not concern for their safety. The MAG isn’t in the business, normally, of intentionally killing civilians (terrorist style attacks function under a different rulebook) and anyone who’s ever been in the military or law enforcement knows how unpredictable untrained civilians can be when the fecal matter hits the oscillating device. The latter can get soldiers killed, and that’s unacceptable.

Personality: Prophet is…very self possessed. She knows what she wants. It’s called money and action. She has a lot of pride in herself. Too much to be a thief, but not enough to actually be outright arrogant much less egomaniacal. But humble? Mon deux, no. She is good at her job and she knows it, and she has less than no tolerance for anyone who doesn’t agree. Show her proper professional respect, however, and she’ll treat you in kind. Quite simple, really.

[EternalPhoenix]

Raul "Bonus" Torres

Power Level: 7; Power Points Spent: 105/105

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +2 (14), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +2 (14)

Tough: +2/+5, Fort: +5, Ref: +9, Will: +7

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5), Bluff 3 (+5), Craft (chemical) 2 (+5), Diplomacy 8 (+10), Gather Information 8 (+10), Knowledge (behavioral science) 2 (+5), Knowledge (business) 2 (+5), Knowledge (civics) 2 (+5), Knowledge (life sciences) 12 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) 2 (+5), Knowledge (technology) 2 (+5), Language 7 (+7), Medicine 12 (+15), Notice 7 (+10), Sense Motive 7 (+10), Stealth 4 (+5)

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 2, Attack Specialization (Masterwork Baton), Challenge - Fast Task Revive, Challenge - Fast Task Stabilize, Dodge Focus 4, Equipment 7, Improvised Tools, Skill Mastery (Diplomacy, Medicine, Notice, Sense Motive), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Equipment: Arsenal (Masterwork Baton, Masterwork Heavy Pistol, Stun Gun, Taser), Current Headquarters 13, Medkit (Basic), Undercover Vest

Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +7, Grapple: +9)

Attacks: Masterwork Baton, +10 (DC 19), Masterwork Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Stun Gun, +7 (DC Fort 17), Taser, +9 (DC Fort 15), Unarmed Attack, +7 (DC 17)

Defense: +9 (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -2

Initiative: +1

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Spanish Native

Totals: Abilities 26 + Skills 21 (84 ranks) + Feats 19 + Powers 0 + Combat 24 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 105

Age (as of Jan 2019): 45
Height: 5’ 7”
Weight: 150 lbs
Ethnicity: Mexican
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown

Background: Raul "Bonus" Torres is not a soldier. He is not a police officer. He never worked for any criminal organizations. He was a surgeon in the Mexican Navy. A commissioned officer, to be sure, as all Naval medical personnel are, but he never thought of it that way. He attended Mexico’s Naval Medical School in Mexico City, graduated, and was commissioned. He served honorably and well, and moved up the ranks. His official rank when everything went wrong was Capitán de corbeta, approximately equivalent to Lieutenant Commander in the US. The problem was that he was freelancing during his leave time and any off hours. As a surgeon who only served Mexican Naval personnel, his calendar wasn’t exactly full. And he wasn’t really all that interested in actual Naval stuff. Mustering out would have likely solved all of his problems, but he liked being an officer. Being saluted and called “senor”. Lovely stuff. The problem with his freelancing was that he didn’t ask any questions. Or report any injuries. He was happy just to accept payment for services rendered, preferably in cash.

. . Mexico has a long history with drug cartels. They fight the law. They fight each other. They fight superheroes. And injured people need medical attention. Having a fully trained doctor to rely on is a rare and precious thing. More valuable than diamonds or gold. One that doesn’t ask any unnecessary questions is priceless. But you know how it is. All good things must come to an end. The Federal Police had both informants and intel, and brought his comfortable life to a sudden end. He was court martialed and dishonorably discharged. He hadn’t actually committed any serious crimes, but the ethical violations were significant. So. No medical license. No job. A reputation thoroughly ruined so he couldn’t get an honest job. And so the MAG picked him up. They let him be a surgeon again. His superior management skills served him well when the division’s Captain was killed in 2018. His Lieutenant, Mahmoud "Combo" Isra became the new Captain and surprisingly chose him to replace Isra as Lieutenant.

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Torres has no superhuman powers. He doesn’t even have any special devices. What he does have is an Undercover Vest and a small Arsenal. He has a Masterwork Baton, a Stun Gun, a Taser, and a Masterwork Heavy Pistol. He carries a Medkit and is responsible for whatever makeshift facility he and his people are operating out of this time.

. . Tactically he’s a doctor, not a soldier. He may be the last of his people out the door, but he’s running the fuck away. They’re largely noncombatants anyway, with a few professionals acting as security. Obviously, he’ll fight to defend his people and patients, but the goal to get the hell away. He has no real preference among his weapons, and for obvious reasons cannot power stunt.

Personality: Torres, again, is a doctor, not a soldier. The fact that he’s a skilled combatant now is just icing on the cake. A bonus, if you will. He swore two oaths when he graduated Naval Medical School. One was to Mexico and her Navy, but he could not keep it properly. It unfortunately conflicted with his first oath. The Oath of Maimondes. Money is not important. Reputation is not important. Who his patients are is not important. He is a doctor, and a damned fine one. It is his moral obligation to help as many people as he possibly can. This is, in many ways, the problem with him. A complete and utter refusal to discriminate against any potential patient and a strong willingness to seek out patients when he has none have brought him here. As a criminal and an outcast among the medical community. He regrets nothing, because he has done nothing wrong.

[greycrusader]

Hey, sorry for the late comment on a particular set of characters (my extracurriculars have been curtailed of late, due to some added responsibilities) but I truly enjoyed your write-up on the The Calamity Jane siblings; as Jabroniville said, the gimmick of twins posing as a single super-villain (or hero) has almost never been done in comics (the Crimson Fox is the only example I can think of either, though there have been a few variations such as the Golden Age Captain Triumph); the trope was more common in the Pulps and classic adventurer literature (the Corsican brothers, anyone?). The Janes schtick does remind me a bit of an odd bit of obscure superhero rpg lore-the Golden Heroes game featured an NPC superhero whom everyone thought had super-speed and illusion-casting but was actually identical twins with teleportation powers.

A few points of their backgrounds I especially enjoyed included German siblings adopting a Wild West motif (the genre is actually pretty popular in the Rhineland), their status as gadgeteers with a minor, singular power that they've learned to use subtly but to good effect, and the reluctance of authorities to believe the solution is as simple as twins. It actually makes sense that in a world full of paranormal phenomena and super-people, the most obvious explanation might not be the most readily believable. Good work!

All my best.

[EternalPhoenix]

Jedda "Fast Lane" Briggs

Power Level: 7/9; Power Points Spent: 135/135

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +2 (14), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +2/+4, Fort: +5, Ref: +10, Will: +6

Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+5), Bluff 2 (+5), Craft (electronic) 3 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 8 (+10), Diplomacy 2 (+5), Drive 7 (+10), Gather Information 2 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 3 (+5), Knowledge (technology) 3 (+5), Language 8 (+8), Notice 8 (+10), Pilot 12 (+15), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 2 (+5), Survival 3 (+5)

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 2, Attack Specialization (Heavy Pistol), Attack Specialization (Masterwork Knife), Benefit 2 (World Class Pilot (Evasive Maneuvers may be performed as free action)), Challenge - One Hand On The Wheel (Pilot), Dodge Focus 5, Equipment 14, Improved Critical 2 (Burst Fire (Blast 4)), Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Precise Shot, Second Chance 2 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic & Piercing,), Skill Mastery (Craft (mech), Pilot, Notice, Sense Motive), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Customized Submachine Gun (Device 3) (Easy to lose)
. . Burst Fire (Blast 4) (DC 19, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Burst Fire (Blast 4)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate (+2))

MAG Transport Captain's Armor (Device 3) (Hard to lose)
. . Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))
. . Kevlar Weave (Protection 2) (+2 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 2 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic & Piercing,))
. . Parachute (Super-Movement 1) (slow fall)
. . Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

Equipment: Backup Arsenal (Heavy Pistol, Masterwork Knife, Smoke Grenade), Toolkit (Basic), VTOL Personnel Transport

Attack Bonus: +6 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +6, Grapple: +8)

Attacks: Burst Fire (Blast 4), +10 (DC 19), Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Masterwork Knife, +9 (DC 18), Smoke Grenade, +8 (DC 15), Unarmed Attack, +6 (DC 17)

Defense: +10 (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -2

Initiative: +7

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 19 (76 ranks) + Feats 31 + Powers 21 + Combat 22 + Saves 14 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

****************************************************************************************

VTOL Personnel Transport

Power Level: 9; Equipment Points Spent: 59

STR: +15 (40)

Toughness: +11

Features: Navigation System 2

Powers:
High Powered Jet Engines (Flight 8) (Speed: 2500 mph, 22000 ft./rnd)
Light Scattering Systems (Concealment 4) (all visual senses)
Radarproof Airframe and Paintjob (Concealment 1) (other sense: Radio; Permanent)
Reactive Armor Plating (Impervious Toughness 7)
Weaponry (Array 10) (default power: blast)
. . Light Machine Guns (Blast 6) (Default; DC 21; Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate 2 (+4))
. . Rockets (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Burst Area (45-225 ft. radius - General); Unreliable (5 Uses); Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5))

Attacks: Light Machine Guns (Blast 6), +12 (DC 21), Rockets (Blast 9) (DC 24)

Defense: -4, Size: Gargantuan

Totals: Abilities 0 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 2 + Powers 54 + Combat 3 + Saves 0 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 59

Age (as of Jan 2019): 35
Height: 5’ 2”
Weight: 115 lbs
Ethnicity: Aboriginal Australian
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark Brown

Background: Jedda "Fast Lane" Briggs is a graduate of the University of New South Wales. Specifically, the School of Aviation in Sydney where she earned a Bachelor’s of Aviation. She got a job as a commercial pilot right out of school, and held onto it just long enough to earn enough money for her own plane. When she had that, she quit and went solo. Fast Lane Transport, for all your minor cargo delivery and travel needs. She was reliable, she didn’t ask questions, she didn’t open packages, and she accepted cash. This meant she had several regular clients, both on the legal and illegal side of things. So she was well paid, and living the good life. She did have her fair share of run ins with the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force, but proving actual wrongdoing was virtually impossible due to her methods. Such as using a GPS recorder on every flight, that not asking questions thing, fully cooperating with law enforcement, and resolutely insisting on smugglers of all varieties keeping her exposure to a fuckin’ minimum. The Strength Revolution was one of her clients. So when the AFP had had just about enough of her shit and acted to get her either firmly under their thumb as an informant or in fuckin’ prison already because nobody is this ignorant, the MAG (in the form of Katrea) swooped in with a job offer. She’s been there every since, becoming Transport’s Captain after the last managed to get exploded in their plane.

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Fast Lane has no superhuman powers. She has a primary weapon in her Customized Submachine Gun, her MAG Transport Captain's Armor, a Backup Arsenal, and her VTOL Personnel Transport plane. The Submachine Gun is just a slightly upgraded version of a mundane Submachine Gun. The Backup Arsenal consists of Smoke Grenades, a Masterwork Knife, and a Heavy Pistol. She also carries a Toolkit to make quick repairs to her plane when necessary.

. . Her MAG Transport Captain's Armor has several features. A radio for staying in touch with Commander Katrea and her troops. A parachute for surviving jumping out of her plane should she need to. The expected body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, and arrows. And goggles that extend her vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.

. . Her VTOL Personnel Transport is equipped with several things. High Powered Jet Engines that give it a top speed exceeding Mach 3. Weaponry in a set of Light Machine Guns and 5 Rockets. Reactive Armor Plating that can shrug off most man portable weaponry. A Radarproof Airframe and Paintjob. And Light Scattering Systems that, when activated, make the plane completely invisible.

. . Tactically, Fast Lane will most likely be encountered in her VTOL Personnel Transport. If the heroes can’t keep up with rank 8 flight speed, she is gone. If they can’t detect her in spite of her Light Scattering Systems, she is gone. If they can’t outfly her (Pilot vs Acrobatics checks, most likely) she is gone. Engaging her in a aerial dogfight means dealing with her weapons. And given the slightest inch to escape, she is once again, gone. Keep her Benefit and Challenge Feat in mind. She can use a Pilot check to set her plane’s Defense Score (25 w/ Skill Mastery- 4 Size = 21, equal to a +11 Defense Bonus) for the round and in the same round attack with one of its weapons for no penalty, while still having a move action to, well, move with. And all of that does not include her having 5-10 MAG soldiers inside the plane, who may open the bay doors and start using their own weapons against the heroes. Because that’s her job and all of Transport’s job. Getting the other divisions where they need to go, and getting them the hell out when needed. Their job is not to kick ass. On foot, she’s running away. And her preferred method of escape is her plane. Liberal uses of Smoke Grenades, Burst Fire, and Move By Action. She’s two PL down on foot, and she’s aware of the disparity in combat ability. So yes, she’s in full retreat to her plane. Unless, of course, it’s been already disabled or destroyed. In which case she gets really fucking angry and does her level best to kill the person responsible. Naturally, she can’t power stunt.

Personality: Fast Lane is a jovial woman. Stereotypically Aussie is most respects. However, piloting (commercial, private, and criminal) is a male dominated field. And she’s in a minority group that has been heavily discriminated against. And and she’s relatively small as a person. So while she may be jovial, happy go lucky, devil may care, or whatever adjective you prefer to use, if one decides press her buttons they get a uh…vigorous…demonstration what she will and will not tolerate. She shuts down any bullshit before it has a ghost of a chance to escalate. Mostly this only needs words, but sometimes it’s required bullets. She’s tough as fuckin’ nails, is what I’m saying. Even if she doesn’t look or initially act like it.

[EternalPhoenix]

Hey, sorry for the late comment on a particular set of characters (my extracurriculars have been curtailed of late, due to some added responsibilities) but I truly enjoyed your write-up on the The Calamity Jane siblings; as Jabroniville said, the gimmick of twins posing as a single super-villain (or hero) has almost never been done in comics (the Crimson Fox is the only example I can think of either, though there have been a few variations such as the Golden Age Captain Triumph); the trope was more common in the Pulps and classic adventurer literature (the Corsican brothers, anyone?). The Janes schtick does remind me a bit of an odd bit of obscure superhero rpg lore-the Golden Heroes game featured an NPC superhero whom everyone thought had super-speed and illusion-casting but was actually identical twins with teleportation powers.

A few points of their backgrounds I especially enjoyed included German siblings adopting a Wild West motif (the genre is actually pretty popular in the Rhineland), their status as gadgeteers with a minor, singular power that they've learned to use subtly but to good effect, and the reluctance of authorities to believe the solution is as simple as twins. It actually makes sense that in a world full of paranormal phenomena and super-people, the most obvious explanation might not be the most readily believable. Good work!

All my best.

Basically, thanks. I have nothing else to say, because I'm sick and brain no worky.

[EternalPhoenix]

Nothing new this time, folks. Appreciate the Military Action Group, for it's finished. Next time we go into the last sub group in the Strength Revolution, Psi-Division.

[Commander Titan]

Nothing new this time, folks. Appreciate the Military Action Group, for it's finished. Next time we go into the last sub group in the Strength Revolution, Psi-Division.

I haven't had a ton to say on the commandos, but they seem like a "fun" group of soldiers. But I am very much looking forward to the Psi-Division!

[EternalPhoenix]

Nothing new this time, folks. Appreciate the Military Action Group, for it's finished. Next time we go into the last sub group in the Strength Revolution, Psi-Division.

I haven't had a ton to say on the commandos, but they seem like a "fun" group of soldiers. But I am very much looking forward to the Psi-Division!

Ehhhhh. I mean, they're intentionally less interesting. I didn't run out of ideas or anything. The Military Action Group is the mooks every big villain org has that the heroes knock down in droves, and it's Officers are the Elite Mooks who are a bit tougher to deal with. They're not meant to be the focus of a hypothetical campaign or story. It's just not their role. So I really didn't expect them to be as well liked.

[EternalPhoenix]

Psi-Division

Theme Songs: Worth Dying For, by Rise Against, Justice, by Rev Theory, and Reality, by Divide Music ft AmaLee

Overview

. . It all started with Jacob Cross. He’d been part of the Strength Revolution for a little while, but cooperating with the STG or MAG didn’t suit him. This was prior to the STG’s expansion, as well, so they were uh, busy as bees. So, in 2012, he put together his own version of the FBI’s Psi-Division. Or tried to. His standards are…high, ethically speaking. It’s understandably difficult to find people whose motivations are in line with his own on the wrong side of the law. So he ran through prospective members rather rapidly. It was quite a pain in the ass, honestly. And, of course, investigation without the backing of a government agency was inherently risky. Basically anyone he took a liking to got killed or injured enough to quit, and anyone he didn’t like he got arrested and jailed because they were scum. This excludes the few hitmen from who were still trying to goddamn kill him because their employers were incapable of letting a grudge go.

. . Then came the Nihonto Incident. Ten thousand players trapped in a virtual reality game (Cyberdimension Tsurugi-Chan!: 4 Swords Network) by a malevolent AI until unexpectedly freed by an unknown force. Dr. Kenta Saito may not have been the villain of the piece, but he was not innocent. He had his own private theories about being able to awaken psionic powers in people. Everybody had them inherently, he thought. It was just the simple matter of activating them. That is what the VR helmets he designed were meant to do. And that AI, Makaze Violet, did absolutely nothing to stop them from working in that manner. Dr. Saito, unfortunately, did not live to see that he was wrong and right at the same time. His method of finding potentials needed some work, but his awakening method? Completely correct. It only took a few weeks for a significant percentage of the several thousand survivors of the Incident to realize they now had superhuman powers.

. . Among them was Hayate Ishikawa. Jacob Cross came across him while investigating the Incident. And that was where it started. The rescue of Arielle Cadieux. The recruitment of Hayate and Arielle’s old in game friends Valentina Alvarez and Miriam Mizrahi. Hayate’s cousin Ichika discovering her aiding in Arielle’s rescue triggered her own powers. And the affair with the last of the Sweetheart Slasher Guild, player killers from the game turned killers in the real world, which brought Kaede Kobayashi to the team. It has been a wild ride. Little do they know that is it not over yet. Deep in a secret laboratory somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. In the beating heart of one of the most high powered computer systems ever built, a young man named Juno, a young woman named Celia, and the broken remains of three Sword Goddesses await the arrival of the latter three's sister and a certain swordsman in black.

Tactics

. . Psi-Division functions as a more or less purely investigative unit, contrary to what the Drone Horde, Special Tactics Group, and Military Action Group do. Each member of the team has their own specialty in addition to their abilities in combat. Cross is the one with the contacts who tracks down the cases and calls everyone together. Hayate is the computer programmer and crime scene investigator. Arielle brings knowledge of high society, the business world, and the law. Valentina is the both tech specialist and forensic scientist. Miriam is the psychologist and profiler. Ichika is the supernatural specialist and historian. And Kaede is the reconnaissance specialist. Dealing with them is challenging, as their investigations adhere to the letter of the law as much as possible. To the degree that only Jacob Cross is the one who is the one known to be a lawbreaker.

. . When they do commit crimes, they’re most likely to be classified as obstruction of justice. However, if you’ve seen lots of police procedurals, you have a general idea how they operate. Kidnapping. False imprisonment. Impersonating law enforcement. Assault. Breaking and entering. Evidence tampering. You know, the stuff cops in police procedurals mostly get away with because of their badges and it being television. Throw in a side of espionage, theft, computer hacking, and (when the law becomes inadequate) assassination, and you have how Psi-Division operates.

. . For transportation and general equipment purposes, they take advantage of the unlimited resources of the Revolution as a whole. So they usually have at least three land vehicles and a private plane, in addition to temporary headquarters with whatever general gear is appropriate.

[EternalPhoenix]

Hayate Ishikawa

Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 210/210

STR: +3 (16), DEX: +5 (20), CON: +3 (16), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +3/+15 (16/40)

Tough: +3/+9, Fort: +6, Ref: +9/+15, Will: +12

Skills: Acrobatics 15 (+20), Bluff 7 (+10/+30), Computers 12 (+15), Craft (electronic) 2 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 2 (+5), Diplomacy 7 (+10/+30), Gather Information 5 (+8/+20), Intimidate 5 (+8/+20), Investigate 2 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 2 (+5), Knowledge (technology) 2 (+5), Language 5 (+5), Notice 10 (+15), Search 12 (+15), Sense Motive 10 (+15), Stealth 10 (+15)

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 6, Attractive 2 (+8), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Feint, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 3, Dodge Focus 6, Evasion 2, Improved Critical 2 (Dual Sword Strikes (Strike 6)), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 3, Interpose, Lionheart, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Computers, Sense Motive, Stealth), Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Dual Swords (Device 6) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)
. . Dual Sword Strikes (Strike 6) (DC 24, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Dual Sword Strikes (Strike 6)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [3 extra ranks], Penetrating; Extended Reach 2 (10 ft.), Knockback 3, Mighty, Precise)

Psionic Amplification (Container, Passive 12)
. . Psionic Charisma (Enhanced Charisma 24) (+24 CHA, Feats: Attractive 2 (+8); Limited (Same rules as Attractive Feat))
. . Psionic Quickness (Quickness 12) (Perform routine tasks at 10000x speed)
. . Psionic Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 31) (Traits: Attack Bonus +3 (+9), Defense Bonus +3 (+15), Attack Focus (melee) 6 +3 (+6), Dodge Focus 6 +3 (+6), Reflex +6 (+15), Evasion 2 +1 (+2), Feats: Defensive Roll 3, Improved Initiative 3)
. . Psionic Speed (Speed 3) (Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd)

Attack Bonus: +6/+9 (Ranged: +6/+9, Melee: +9/+15, Grapple: +12/+18)

Attacks: Dual Sword Strikes (Strike 6), +15 (DC 24), Unarmed Attack, +15 (DC 18)

Defense: +12/+15 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -3

Initiative: +17

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Japanese Native, Spanish

Totals: Abilities 44 + Skills 27 (108 ranks) + Feats 21 + Powers 80 + Combat 24 + Saves 14 + Drawbacks 0 = 210

Age (as of Jan 2019): 22
Height: 5’ 8”
Weight: 165 lbs
Ethnicity: Japanese
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark Brown

Background: Imagine being a mostly ordinary 15 year old kid. You go to school. You hang out at home with your cousin on days off, though she’s more like your sister really. You have ordinary worries and ordinary cares. Ordinary hopes and ordinary dreams. But you know…you’re really excited about the new MMORPG starting soon, especially since you helped beta test it. Luck of the draw and you got to see some of the finished product, along with a lot of unfinished ideas. So you put on the incredible new tech of the VR helmet, turn it on, and log in. You have a good time in the game, show some of the rookies how the game systems work, and maybe make some new friends to play with later. Who knows? It’s a start. But there’s a problem. You can’t log out. You can’t even take the helmet off. Your avatar is moving fine, but you aren’t. Something is wrong. And then you learn why. You’re trapped. It’s a world of superheroes, right? Surely someone will save all of you? Except, no. The only way out is to beat the game. And if your character is defeated…if you ever run out of health…you die for real. Now, you can’t be sure if that’s true, but the ones who do run out of health don’t respawn. They’re just…gone. And still nobody saves you. It’s apparently up to the several thousand of you in the game to save yourselves. And this goes on and on. For two whole years.

. . Humans can get used to anything. Yeah, there was a lot of disbelief initially. Yeah, there were suicides in the early days as people lost friends they’d known for years or otherwise couldn’t handle it. But humans can get used to anything. That’s our strength as a species. Adaptability. For better and for worse. There was no other choice. A person either went insane, died, or continued on. Merciless, ain’t it? Such is life. Hayate, naturally, was one of the ones who continued on. He was a protector from the shadows, more or less, never forming a party after the first one kind of…all died except for him. He used his advanced knowledge of the game from being a beta tester to advance his level to the highest of anyone in the game. He did not do either of these things out of any kind of nobility or heroic spirit. He was a good kid, but mostly he was scared and traumatized kid. Afraid of dying. Afraid of getting close to anyone lest they die and hurt him again. And afraid of being the kind of person who would just let people die because he was afraid. Paradoxical, but emotions often are. And a scared and traumatized kid he would have stayed, if not for Arielle Cadieux.

. . The (at the time) imperious Captain of the Rose Knights guild simply wanted one of the strongest players in the game on her team. She’d risen very high from the clueless rookie he’d saved and then briefly teamed up with in the first week. Hayate could have been doing a lot more to help everyone get out faster, and she didn’t have time for his gloomy bullshit. Different people cope in different ways. You know how it is. It’s a tale as old as time. Boy meets girl. They fall in love. Each of them seeing past the coping behaviors to the wounded heart underneath. Support. Respect. A start to healing. And a genuinely badass team. Seriously. They were considered by virtually all players to be the duo with the highest levels and greatest skill in combat. Like many players at the time, they started to see the game as a home. They took time off of the front lines of conquering the game’s dungeons and bosses to just hang out in their own space. Hell, in a stunning display of how little teenagers think about the long term, they got married and bought a house together. In the game. That they were fighting to get out of. Ah, well. Love makes people do crazy things, and their commitment to each other was and is no less valid because of how it started. And I suppose when one is facing death almost every day, the long term becomes irrelevant.

. . Of course, all good things must come to an end. There were one hundred dungeons in the game, and probably half again that many boss and guardian monsters. They had finally cleared the 75th, with great struggle and sacrifice. When they went for the 76th, they found it empty. There were trash mobs and mooks, to be sure. They regenerated. But the bosses and guardians did not. And they were gone on the 77th, 78th, 79th, hey hold on a minute how far does this…80th, 90th, 95th, 99th, and holy shit. The 100th was also cleared. The game was beaten. Celebrations broke out spontaneously throughout the game as the announcement echoed through it. At long last, they logged out and returned to the physical world. Hayate was a middle class kid. His parents didn’t have the money to keep him in a hospital and well taken care of for two years. So he woke up in a public hospital ward, his body wasted and weak. The one thought in his head was to go find Arielle. He’d forgotten she was French, and thus halfway around the world from him. It took months of grinding physical therapy to get his body back again, only to find out that Arielle and 99 other hadn’t woken up. Wait, what?

. . Hayate’s attempts to investigate the reasons behind this led him to encounter Jacob Cross, who was doing the same thing. Nothing like a good old fashioned team up. The third spoke on that wheel was Hayate’s cousin Ichika, because there’s places guys can’t go that girls can and she wanted to help her cousin/brother resolve his lingering issues. Ain’t familial love grand? To make a long story much shorter, Arielle had a fiancé. Rich guy. Overly possessive asshole. Wanted to develop mind control/warping tech from the VR helmets, despite that not being how they worked at all. Financed the development of an entire new VR game just to see if it was possible. And also kind of kidnapped 100 (including Arielle) of the Nihonto Incident playerbase to experiment on. A lovely fellow all around, he wanted to change Arielle from the independent young woman she was into his personal submissive slave. And yes, it’s as creepy, sexual, and creepily sexual as you’re thinking. Fortunately, the trio’s investigation (Jacob in the real, Hayate and Ichika in the new game) exposed him as the extremely criminal person he was. Arielle discovered her powers and escaped her digital confinement in the process. And everyone involved got incredibly arrested and jailed. Except for Mr. Fiancee, who literally flew all the way to Japan to attempt to murder Hayate for stealing his girl. Fortunately for Hayate, his powers were there to save his ass and leave Mr. Fiancee as the dead one. Granted, that was the first time Hayate had ever used them. And that was yet more blood on his hands. So, not ideal. But the evil was defeated. The girl was saved. Could’ve gone worse.

. . Following this, Jacob Cross invited both of them into Psi-Division. Having been privy to his entire investigation, Hayate accepted. Arielle did too, after she was fully briefed. This led, rather quickly, to a partial Rose Knight reunion, as Valentina Alvarez and Miriam Mizrahi (valuable support players in those two virtual years) joined after Arielle got in touch with them. And as it turned out, sharing both DNA and living space with an uncontrolled psionic can trigger powers. Ichika contacted her cousin/brother for help and ended up a part of the team.

. . But the legacy of the Nihonto Incident was not yet finished. The Sweetheart Slasher Guild had yet to be full reckoned with. Remember when I said there was three choices for the trapped players? Go insane, die, or continue on? Some of those who went insane went murderously insane. And some of these were unable to recover after being freed. Most of these were relatively easily handled by law enforcement and normal superheroes. In the real world it is much more difficult to kill people and continually get away with it. Some, however, retained some intelligence and cunning. More like they were addicted to the act of murder than were suffering from an inability to recognize reality. These were the Sweetheart Slashers. Yeet even they could not entirely escape the dogged pursuit of law enforcement and superheroes, and by the time Jacob Cross, Hayate, and company re enter their story they were down to their last, most dangerous members. All of whom held a grudge against one Hayate Ishikawa for helping break their power in the virtual.

. . There was another VR game to come out in the wake of the Nihonto Incident. Kaede Kobayashi was one of its best players. But there was a problem. Every time they held a PvP tournament, one of the players who lost was violently murdered with a knife. The game company said it was coincidental, but after the third tournament nobody was buying it. Psi-Division investigated, brought the last of the Sweetheart Slashers to justice during the fourth tournament, and ended up with Kaede as a new recruit in the process. Done and done.

Powers & Tactics: Hayate is a mutant psionic. His powers are best understood as Psionic Amplification. This means that his normal human abilities are being augmented by his willpower. His particular power set can be found in metahuman psionics, as well, but as his powers were activated by an outside source and not his own genetics he is classified as a mutant. His specific powers mainly make him faster, accelerating his physical movement. However, this does not really manifest as pure land speed. He can keep up with automobiles moving at city speeds, but he’s approximately a thousand times quicker than he is fast. This quickness, or Psionic Reflexes, augments his attack accuracy, dodging abilities, and even damage avoidance.

. . The remaining element of his Psionic Amplification is his Psionic Charisma. It is a very…unusual power. Several factors, most of them poorly understood at a scientific level, govern social interaction. Charisma and “it factor”, for lack of more precise terms. It’s not merely physical attractiveness. Confidence when speaking and body language (posture, movement, etc) are also important. Beyond that it gets more and more ephemeral. His Psionic Charisma augments all of these factors. It is apparently a telepathic effect, somehow, as it only seems to work on people who would be romantically or sexually attracted to him. For these people, his personal charisma and “it factor” are off the charts. Even the most outlandish lies sound plausible when he speaks them, and even bitter foes have gone from actively homicidal to being one of his newest friends in the course of a single brief conversation. Even more strangely, it doesn’t seem to work on Arielle (despite her known romantic and sexual attraction to him) and it does work on Ichika (who has neither of those things). More research is needed. It should go without saying that Hayate is unaware that this power even exists.

. . He carries a matched set of two blacksteel swords. With his Psionic Reflexes, they can carve stone like butter and even potentially damage steel. He attacks with a blizzard of strikes that someone without his powers could not hope to match. In anyone else’s hands, they’d be a normal (if quite durable) set of swords (Strike 3, Mighty, Improved Crit).

. . Tactically, Hayate is a swordsman. He slashes with his swords. He has both Improved Acrobatic Bluff and Improved Feint to hit easier. Obviously, the latter of those is more effective when his target is Attracted to him. He’s got Power Attack to do more damage and Takedown Attack 2 to mow through mooks. He has Move By Action to stay out of range of foes strong enough to crush him or skilled enough to consistently hit him. He does prefer to use Stealth to get a good first hit in. He’s even got Interpose to protect all of his female teammates. What a gentleman. He’s capable of power stunting, but to date has not.

Personality: Hayate is a good man. Mostly. There’s a part of him that’s harder and more unyielding than the steel of his swords. He left something of himself behind in the virtual. Everyone trapped there for those two years did, really. Killing Arielle’s fiancée was an accident. He moved like he was still in the virtual and it worked. He should have been horrified. He knows he should have been horrified. But he wasn’t. Mr. Fiancee was a bastard of the highest order, and it had been self defense. Not premeditated murder. There was an argument to be made that it was justice. An argument that Jacob Cross made at the time. And over time and many cases later, Hayate has come to agree. Most firmly agree.

. . The real world isn’t that much different than the virtual. You take too much damage, you die. No second chances. There are plenty of people vulnerable to those who would harm them. Treat them like their lives meant nothing. Like their thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams meant nothing. No. Unacceptable. He has the power to do something about it. He can put his body and his swords between evil and the vulnerable. He loves Arielle with every fiber of his being. Ichika is his little sister in all the ways that matter. The rest are his good friends. He will protect them. He will protect everyone in the world. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do to make sure the vulnerable and helpless are safeguarded. Nothing.

[EternalPhoenix]

Arielle Cadieux

Power Level: 10; Power Points Spent: 195/195

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +6/+8, Fort: +6, Ref: +9/+12, Will: +12

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 12 (+15), Computers 3 (+5), Craft (electronic) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 12 (+15), Gather Information 7 (+10), Knowledge (art) 8 (+10), Knowledge (business) 8 (+10), Knowledge (civics) 8 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (technology) 3 (+5), Language 5 (+5), Notice 7 (+10), Perform (keyboards) 2 (+5), Perform (singing) 2 (+5), Perform (stringed instruments) 2 (+5), Search 8 (+10), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 7 (+10)

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Specialization (Kinetic Rapier (Device 4)), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Elusive Target, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Amplified Rapier Strike (Strike 4)), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 3, Improved Trick, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Redirect, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive), Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Kinetic Rapier (Device 4) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)
. . Amplified Rapier Strike (Strike 4) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Amplified Rapier Strike (Strike 4)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [2 extra ranks], Penetrating [2 extra ranks]; Mighty, Precise)

Psionic Amplification (Container, Passive 9)
. . Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 2) (DC 19; Mighty)
. . Psionic Quickness (Quickness 6) (Perform routine tasks at 100x speed)
. . Psionic Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 18) (Traits: Attack Bonus +3 (+12), Defense Bonus +3 (+12), Reflex +3 (+12), Feats: Improved Initiative 3)
. . Psionic Resilience (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness; Impervious [3 extra ranks])
. . Psionic Speed (Speed 6) (Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd)
. . Wall and Water Running (Super-Movement 3) (wall-crawling 2 (full speed), water walking; Limited (to while moving))

Attack Bonus: +9/+12 (Ranged: +9/+12, Melee: +9/+12, Grapple: +11/+14)

Attacks: Amplified Rapier Strike (Strike 4), +14 (DC 21), Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 2), +12 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 17)

Defense: +9/+12 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -6

Initiative: +15

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French Native, Japanese, Spanish

Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 31 (124 ranks) + Feats 19 + Powers 59 + Combat 36 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 195

Age (as of Jan 2019): 22
Height: 5’ 7”
Weight: 125 lbs
Ethnicity: French
Hair: Sandy Blonde
Eyes: Hazel

Background: 15 year old Arielle Cadieux was many things, but ordinary wasn’t one of them. Wealthy heiress. Amateur fencing champion. Student at one of the most prestigious private Catholic schools in France. A rising star, sure to be a fantastic addition to her family’s history and legacy. But she was still a person. She had friends. One was going to try out this new game, would Arielle like to join? Please say yes, her friend’s original partner got sick and couldn’t make it. Arielle had never played a proper video game before. Little time wasting phone games, yes. But nothing more serious. Well…like any teenager, she was curious about the new experience and it seemed harmless enough to kill a free afternoon. Right? She even had a good time, goofing around with her friend and simply exploring the initial town and open areas nearby. But time has moved on, and she ought to head home for dinner. Except there was a problem. Neither of them could log out. This wouldn’t normally have been a huge problem, as they could simply take the VR helmets off. Weird software glitch, but whatever, right? New games were always kind of buggy, or so her friend said. Except they couldn’t do that, either. Their avatars made the motions, certainly, but it wasn’t working. Their bodies weren’t moving. And then came the announcement of why. Can you imagine the panic? The disbelief and terror? Surely someone would save them from this nightmare? Or maybe it was all just a joke? Admittedly one in very poor taste, but still. Right? Except, no. The only way out was to beat the game. That neither girl really knew how to play. Arielle especially. Oh, and if you died in the game you would die for real. They were trapped. No one was coming to save them. It was, apparently, up to everyone in the game to save themselves. And so the struggle to do so went on for two whole years.

. . Humans can get used to anything. Can being the operative word in that sentence. Can doesn’t necessarily mean they do. Arielle’s friend panicked, and then just…shut down. Catatonic. There was a monster. Then several of them. Arielle did not know what she was doing, and any margin for error had evaporated. Was this how she died? No. This was her first encounter with the elusive swordsman in black. She didn’t know his name, then. Wielding dual tachi, he cut through the monsters like he’d been doing this his entire life, and disappeared before she could thank him. Or say anything to him, actually. Arielle was left to haul her friend back to town on her own. Superb. Thanks for the help, random rude guy.

. . A few days later the players had gotten slightly more organized and were about to take on the first dungeon. The trash mobs and random monsters weren’t really a problem. Everyone on this raid had gotten in some practice (including Arielle, who was learning how to put her fencing expertise to use with a tsurugi instead of an epee or foil) and they had plenty of healing items to work with. So the mundane enemies were no problem at all. It was the dungeon boss that screwed up everything. It was, charitably put, a learning experience. The first few to try fighting it were rather unceremoniously killed. Panic started setting in as the fragile authority of early leaders fractured and more players fell. It would have likely been a very ugly massacre if not for the return of the swordsman in black. Hayate showed everyone how it was done. But Arielle wasn’t going to just stand around and let him doing everything. She wanted to go home as fast as possible. So it was the swordsman in black and the beautiful French fencer teamed up for the very first time. And for the very first time, the true nature of the gameplay (being reliant on teamwork and rapid swapping between two or more players) became apparent. As stated, it was indeed a learning experience. They conquered the boss, making it look easier than it actually was (with Arielle learning on the fly). Hayate disappeared again afterward, curse him. She didn’t even know his name.

. . Arielle used the fame from this to found the Rose Knights guild. And as the weeks turned into months and the months turned into a full year, she found herself more and more in a higher position of respect and authority among the players. The Rose Knights were never the biggest guild, but they were just about the most effective on raids. As much as Arielle would like to claim this was all her leadership, she knows she can’t. It was actually the guildmates she selected, such as the master crafter Valentina Alvarez and morale officer Miriam Mizrahi. It was probably way too much pressure to be putting on a teenage girl, even if she’d been training half her life for this kind of leadership position. But someone had to do it and so she stepped up to the task. And as a selector of the finest guildmates, she wanted the finest players possible in her guild. She wanted the swordman in black.

. . Hayate was not an easy person to find, especially because she still didn’t know his damn name. But she had influence now. All she had to do was ask around. It took some doing, but she both found him and bullied him into joining the Rose Knights. She’s not exactly…proud…of how she behaved then. The psychological strain on her, Miriam says, was immense. Her friend had quietly committed suicide not a full month in. Just…jumped off a cliff and took enough falling damage that her avatar ran out of health and died. Now dozens of people were depending on her. Every day there was a new story about someone cracking up and losing it. Or about the player killer guilds. God, the player killer guilds. The Sweetheart Slashers. The Joker’s Wild. The Darkness Ghosts. So she was kind of a bitch. But actually spending time around each other afterward, well…you know how it goes. Sad pretty boy with wounded heart. Lonely and scared girl. Love, love, love. What could be better? Both of them managed to see past their coping behaviors, and well…it’s like trying to explain magic. Support. Respect. A start to healing. And a genuinely badass team.

. . Seriously. Arielle and Hayate were considered by virtually all players to be the duo with the highest levels and greatest skill in combat. Like many players at the time, they started to see the game as a home. They took time off of the front lines of conquering the game’s dungeons and bosses to just hang out in their own space. Hell, in a stunning display of how little teenagers think about the long term, they got married and bought a house together. In the game. That they were fighting to get out of. Ah, well. Love makes people do crazy things, and their commitment to each other was and is no less valid because of how it started. And I suppose when one is facing death almost every day, the long term becomes irrelevant.

. . Of course, all good things must come to an end. There were one hundred dungeons in the game, and probably half again that many boss and guardian monsters. They had finally cleared the 75th, with great struggle and sacrifice. When they went for the 76th, they found it empty. There were trash mobs and mooks, to be sure. They regenerated. But the bosses and guardians did not. And they were gone on the 77th, 78th, 79th, hey hold on a minute how far does this…80th, 90th, 95th, 99th, and holy shit. The 100th was also cleared. The game was beaten. Celebrations broke out spontaneously throughout the game as the announcement echoed through it. At long last, they logged out and returned to the physical world. Except Arielle didn’t. She merely exchanged one nightmarish virtual world for another. Background. She had a fiancée. Technically. She only met him when her father had office parties. They exchanged emails sometimes, but he had work and she had school and fencing. She was pretty sure she wanted to and could get out of it before being trapped in virtual reality for two years and meeting the love of her life. It’s not like he was a bad guy, but eh she wasn’t interested. On the flip side, it turned out that he was very, very interested in her. To a creepy, obsessive, literally create an entirely different virtual reality video game to imprison her inside until he successfully brainwashed her into being his love slave degree. Well. There went any chance of her ever having any interest in him, to say the least.

. . Fortunately, he was also a severe misogynist. Never believed she’d outwit him, figure out the code to that stupid birdcage (if anything she was a flower, not a bird), and escape. On the other side o the door was…a research facility? In virtual reality? Why? Bah. Who cared? She was leaving. She ducked researchers and scientists, some of them with the weirdest avatars (Tentacles? Seriously dude?) and figured out she was one of 100 Mr. Fiancee had kept. The bastard. And of course the actual exit to whatever was outside was locked. And of course her attempt to open it set off every alarm in the place. Frustrated, she punched the door as hard as she could…and knocked it off the hinges. A thing about the VR helmets (and the core programming required for any game or simulation made for them) that no one had yet noticed was that they permitted the use of one’s psionic powers while active. And so an Amplified Unarmed Strike had done what with any other computer system was impossible. Arielle went out the door…and reunited with Hayate, who was literally storming Heaven (well, Asgard, but whatever) with a host of allies including Ichika. Uh. What?

. . Explanations were required. Hayate had teamed up with his cousin/sister Ichika and Jacob Cross to investigate exactly why Arielle and the other 99 hadn’t woken up. Their investigation had led them to Mr. Fiancee and his team. And while Cross worked with someone named Digital Shadow to expose all of his sins, Hayate used his status as one of the heroes of the Nihonto Incident to rally a decent portion of the playerbase of the vaguely Norse theme game Mr. Fiancee and his team had come up with as a cover and financing for their activities. He rallied them specificially to storm Asgard, home of the gods, and rescue the maiden fair from the clutches of wicked Loki (who had, naturally usurped the throne). A cover story, but a good one. The maiden fair? Arielle, of course. Low quality photos of her in that stupid birdcage had been circulating on the servers for some time. So…you know…all of that happened. And Arielle finally got to get back to the real world. Where physical therapy and intensive schooling to make up for two missed years awaited. Such joy. You have no idea.

. . However, following this, Jacob Cross invited both of them into Psi-Division. Having been privy to his entire investigation, Hayate accepted. Arielle did too, after she was fully briefed. This led, rather quickly, to a partial Rose Knight reunion, as Valentina Alvarez and Miriam Mizrahi joined after Arielle got in touch with them. And as it turned out, sharing both DNA and living space with an uncontrolled psionic can trigger powers. Ichika contacted her cousin/brother for help and ended up a part of the team.

. . But the legacy of the Nihonto Incident was not yet finished. The Sweetheart Slasher Guild had yet to be full reckoned with. There was three choices for the trapped players. Go insane, die, or continue on. Arielle’s friend chose death, and obviously she continued on. However, as for those who went insane, some of them went murderously insane. And some of these were unable to recover after being freed. Most of these were relatively easily handled by law enforcement and normal superheroes. In the real world it is much more difficult to kill people and continually get away with it. Some, however, retained some intelligence and cunning. More like they were addicted to the act of murder than were suffering from an inability to recognize reality. These were the Sweetheart Slashers. Yet even they could not entirely escape the dogged pursuit of law enforcement and superheroes, and by the time Jacob Cross, Arielle, and company re-enter their story they were down to their last, most dangerous members. All of whom held a grudge against not only one Hayate Ishikawa, but also one Arielle Cadieux for helping break their power in the virtual.

. . There was another VR game to come out in the wake of the Nihonto Incident. Kaede Kobayashi was one of its best players. But there was a problem. Every time they held a PvP tournament, one of the players who lost was violently murdered with a knife. The game company said it was coincidental, but after the third tournament nobody was buying it. Psi-Division investigated, brought the last of the Sweetheart Slashers to justice during the fourth tournament, and ended up with Kaede as a new recruit in the process. Done and done.

Powers & Tactics: Arielle is a mutant psionic. Her powers are best understood as Psionic Amplification. This means that her normal human abilities are being augmented by her willpower. Her particular power set can be found in metahuman psionics, as well, but as her powers were activated by an outside source and not her own genetics she is classified as a mutant. Her specific powers mainly make her faster, accelerating her physical movement. She can casually outrun virtually any automobile, run up walls and across water without falling or sinking, and her accuracy and dodging ability are significantly improved.

. . However, that is not all that she can do. She also has a small measure of subconscious telekinetic ability, enhancing both the damage of any unarmed strikes and any melee weapon she might wield. Such as her Kinetic Rapier, which was specifically designed to withstand such use by Valentina Alvarez. With it, she is free to strike as rapidly as she chooses, without fear of breaking the weapon or scarring the delicate skin of her hand. The latter is unlikely, however, due to her final power of Psionic Resilience. It boosts her durability and renders her more or less invulnerable to mundane firearms. Still, the Rapier both hits harder and penetrates armor better anyway.

. . Tactically, she’s just a swordswoman, really. Albeit one who can dash in and out of range with Move By Action. She can also Acrobatic Bluff, Feint, Trick, and Taunt all at the Improved level, with Redirect and Takedown Attack 2 making things interesting against multiple opponents. And both Defensive and Power Attack are on the table should they be needed. She doesn’t normally power stunt. If she did, it would most likely be swapping Autofire on Amplified Rapier Strike for Targeted Area Burst. This would be a 30 ft burst.

Personality: Arielle supposes she isn’t much different than the player killer guilds that brought their grisly work to the real. She can’t quite stop being the Captain of the Rose Knights. No, she’s not desperately scrapping with powerful monsters to escape virtual reality. But the skills and habits developed in the virtual have carried over to the real. Heroism in medieval/fantasy tradition. People are in danger? Or have already been harmed? Find the source of the problem. Negotiate it away if you can, as violence is a last resort. But if you must resort to violence, kill ‘em stone fuckin’ dead. Those were the rules of the game, and real life isn’t so different when you get down to it.

. . She knows she left part of herself behind in the virtual. Everyone trapped there for those two years did, really. She was…softer, then. She misses it, sometimes. The innocence. That version of herself who’d never seen what happens when people simply break. Who’d never put mad dogs down for the safety of everyone else. Who’d never heard the last desperate pleas of someone about to die. The Rose Knights lost people over those two years. Some died nobly. Some died stupidly. Some were her friends. Some were practically strangers. Some died believing in their Captain. Some died cursing her name. What they went through…it has to mean something. It has to. So she’s still their Captain. Anything less would be a betrayal of their memory. She loves Hayate with every fiber of her being. The others are the sisters she never had. She will protect them. She will protect everyone. Take the responsibility onto herself, and hold on no matter how heavy the weight of it proves to be. That’s the Captain’s job. That’s who she is. Even if she doesn’t bear the literal title anymore.

[EternalPhoenix]

Valentina Alvarez

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 180/180

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +3 (16), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +2 (14)

Tough: +6/+12, Fort: +9, Ref: +6, Will: +9

Skills: Acrobatics 3 (+5), Bluff 3 (+5), Concentration 8 (+10), Craft (electronic) 2 (+5), Diplomacy 3 (+5), Gather Information 8 (+10), Investigate 12 (+15), Knowledge (earth sciences) 7 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 7 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 7 (+10), Language 5 (+5), Notice 8 (+10), Search 12 (+15), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 3 (+5)

Feats: Attack Focus (melee) 2, Dodge Focus, Improved Critical 2 (Amplified Hammer Strike (Strike 4)), Improved Critical 2 (Telekinetic Blast (Blast 6)), Improvised Tools, Inventor, Quick Change

Powers:
Kinetic Armor (Device 3) (Hard to lose, Only you can use)
. . Amplified Psionic Resilience (Protection 6) (+6 Toughness, Feats: Quick Change; Impervious; Subtle (subtle))

Kinetic Blaster (Device 3) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)
. . Telekinetic Blast (Blast 6) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Telekinetic Blast (Blast 6)); Accurate (+2))

Kinetic Hammer (Device 2) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)
. . Amplified Hammer Strike (Strike 4) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Amplified Hammer Strike (Strike 4)); Penetrating [3 ranks only]; Mighty)

Psionic Amplification (Container, Passive 9)
. . Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 2) (DC 19; Mighty)
. . Psionic Gadgeteering (Enhanced Trait 8) (Traits: Craft (mechanical) +12 (+15), Knowledge (technology) +12 (+15), Feats: Improvised Tools, Inventor)
. . Psionic Resilience (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness; Impervious)
. . Telekinesis (Move Object 9) (Strength: 45, Carry: 4.3k / 4.3 tons / 6.4 tons / 12.8 tons; Range (perception); Precise)

Attack Bonus: +10 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +12, Grapple: +14)

Attacks: Amplified Hammer Strike (Strike 4), +12 (DC 21), Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 2), +12 (DC 19), Telekinetic Blast (Blast 6), +12 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 17)

Defense: +6 (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -10

Initiative: +2

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Japanese, Spanish Native

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 24 (96 ranks) + Feats 3 + Powers 78 + Combat 30 + Saves 17 + Drawbacks 0 = 180

Age (as of Jan 2019): 23
Height: 5’ 6”
Weight: 130 lbs
Ethnicity: Argentinean
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown

Background: Valentina Alvarez was always interested in engineering and technology. From a young age she enjoyed taking things apart, seeing how they worked, and at least trying to put them back together again. So, naturally, she was interested in video games. And, equally naturally, when one was coming out that had the latest cutting edge technology integrated into it, she was incredibly interested. She’d followed the dev cycle of 4 Swords Network from the beginning. Surfing social media and websites in Japanese, English, and her native Spanish just to get the tiniest tidbits of information about it. So when the limited official release date came, she was all over that like cheese on a burger. Which, of course, led to her being one of the 10,000 trapped in it. Talk about not good.

. . Shock. Horror. Disbelief. Terror. Despair. We’ve been over this in Hayate and Arielle’s entries. The choices were insanity, suicide, or endurance. Obviously, Valentina chose endurance. She was among the first to dig into the game’s crafting system. She was a poor fighter, as she had chosen a class (Nagamaki, one of four available) that was ill-suited to her abilities. But what she could do was craft better weapons and equipment for those who had chosen both endurance and a class they were well suited for. And while nobody from the outside could free them, this did not mean that they could not help. A few particularly clever superheroes started expanding on the somewhat…limited early release designs available for crafting. These custom designs allowed even Valentina to stand on the battlefield from time to time, which was good as several designs had level requirements to craft.

. . When Arielle Cadieux formed the Rose Knights in the wake of the first dungeon being conquered, Valentina was among the first to join. Mainly because the beautiful French fencer was exactly that. Beautiful. Not her face and body specifically, though those were nice enough. It was her fighting style that garnered the crafter’s attention. Valentina had never seen fencing before, and had certainly never seen it being adapted to use with a tsurugi. She became the Rose Knights’ crafter, and then master crafter (in charge of her own small team of crafters). She made sure the Rose Knights had the best weapons and gear possible. Because it broke her heart, too, when they came back from a dungeon raid short anyone. Still, she had to venture out into the field for materials sometimes, too, which is how she met Hayate.

. . Only Valentina had the crafting skill and overall level to harvest the rarest of materials. So when a rumor blew in of truly rare and special materials, she just had to go have a look. She went alone because 1) It was just a rumor, 2) that mountainous zone’s guardian had been defeated weeks before, and 3) it was far from known player killer guilds operations. It was supposed to be a quick scouting mission. If there was any truth to the rumor, she’d head back and ask Arielle to organize a raiding party. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d done things this way, but it was for damn sure the last. Because the zone’s guardian had done something no guardian had yet done. The winged silver dragon had respawned. She was totally dead. It had taken several dozen players of her approximate level to kill this thing the first time, and they were all better at actually fighting than she was. The damn thing could fly faster than she could run, so escape was all but impossible. She had just enough time to apologize to both the Rose Knights and her parents for her mistake before Hayate showed up.

. . Saying that Hayate whipped the dragon’s ass and saved the day would be grossly inaccurate. Highly overleveled as he was, not even he could defeat such a guardian on his own. Mainly because it had ranged attacks and could fly, and he had neither of those things. Fortunately, he wasn’t on his own. Valentina was there. Using the mountains themselves as both cover, they struck at the great dragon until it lost the ability to fly and crashed to earth. Then Hayate cut it apart and saved the day. He escorted Valentina to an area close to town, then pulled his patented disappearing act. She didn’t get his name, either. Arielle was a little annoyed with her, but more grateful that her friend had returned safely from uch danger. And the incident only intensified the interest that the Rose Knights’ Captain had in the swordsman in black. Valentina was only too happy to upgrade his weapons and gear when Arielle finally recruited him.

. . Of course, all good things must come to an end. There were one hundred dungeons in the game, and probably half again that many boss and guardian monsters. They had finally cleared the 75th, with great struggle and sacrifice. When they went for the 76th, they found it empty. There were trash mobs and mooks, to be sure. They regenerated. But the bosses and guardians did not. And they were gone on the 77th, 78th, 79th, hey hold on a minute how far does this…80th, 90th, 95th, 99th, and holy shit. The 100th was also cleared. The game was beaten. Celebrations broke out spontaneously throughout the game as the announcement echoed through it. At long last, they logged out and returned to the physical world. She was not present for the rescue of Arielle from her malevolent fiancée. She was undergoing physical therapy and remedial education like Hayate was during that investigation, but due to her being on an entirely different continent and Hayate not having her contact information she was completely unaware of the events until the freed Arielle briefed her personally. During this phone call, Arielle mentioned joining Psi-Division and her new powers. By sheer coincidence, Valentina also had some new powers and leapt at the chance to reunite with her Captain and friend in the real world. She was arguably more beautiful than her avatar ever was. Miriam Mizrahi, their old morale officer, joined at this time as well, and Valentina was happy to see her in the real as well. So cute! And Hayate’s buxom cousin Ichika wasn’t far behind. Valentina wasn’t mad about this at all.

. . But the legacy of the Nihonto Incident was not yet finished. The Sweetheart Slasher Guild had yet to be full reckoned with. There was three choices for the trapped players. Go insane, die, or continue on. Obviously, Valentina continued on. However, some of those who went insane went murderously insane. And some of these were unable to recover after being freed. Most of these were relatively easily handled by law enforcement and normal superheroes. In the real world it is much more difficult to kill people and continually get away with it. Some, however, retained some intelligence and cunning. More like they were addicted to the act of murder than were suffering from an inability to recognize reality. These were the Sweetheart Slashers. Yet even they could not entirely escape the dogged pursuit of law enforcement and superheroes, and by the time Jacob Cross, Valentina, and company re-enter their story they were down to their last, most dangerous members. All of whom held a grudge against not only one Hayate Ishikawa, but also one Arielle Cadieux for helping break their power in the virtual.

. . There was another VR game to come out in the wake of the Nihonto Incident. Kaede Kobayashi was one of its best players. But there was a problem. Every time they held a PvP tournament, one of the players who lost was violently murdered with a knife. The game company said it was coincidental, but after the third tournament nobody was buying it. Psi-Division investigated, brought the last of the Sweetheart Slashers to justice during the fourth tournament, and ended up with Kaede as a new recruit in the process. Done and done.

Powers & Tactics: Valentina is a mutant psionic. Her powers are best understood as Psionic Amplification. This means that her normal human abilities are being augmented by her willpower. Most of her particular power set can be found in metahuman psionics, as well, but as her powers were activated by an outside source and not her own genetics she is classified as a mutant. Her specific powers primarily manifest in both subconscious and conscious telekinetic abilities. The subconscious manifests in enhanced damage to her unarmed strikes and any weapon she might wield, as well as enhanced physical resilience. Enough that minor damage like a regular unpowered punch has no effect. The conscious manifests in regular telekinesis, naturally, with a maximum lifting capacity in the double digit tons. She cannot directly inflict damage with it, though she can use it for tasks requiring fine dexterity and precision. Her final power, however, is the one that metahuman psionics are incapable of manifesting. She has an intuitive and instinctual understanding of how to build, maintain, repair, and use all sorts of purely mechanical devices with or without tools other than her telekinesis.

. . As such, she has built three devices that amplify her telekinetic abilities for combat. Her Kinetic Hammer is, well, a big hammer built to withstand the stress of repeatedly hitting things as hard as it channeling her melee damage boost allows. Her Kinetic Armor does something similar for her boosted resilience, making her seem more like a tank than a human being and preventing even artillery fire from harming her. It doesn’t look like it does this, however, and she can put it on remarkably quickly. Her final device is her Kinetic Blaster, which channels her telekinesis into a damaging blast of force, solving the problem of not being able to do damage with it. Naturally, she is the only one who can make these devices function. Anyone without her specific powers can’t do it at all.

. . Tactically, Valentina is still kind of crap at combat, relying on her Devices far more than actual skill. This is fine, as frontline combat is not and never has been her job. Her Kinetic Blaster is her favorite. The Kinetic Hammer can see use in melee. Seriously, she doesn’t have any special feats or movement powers. She’s got a blaster, a hammer, and whatever she’s made with Inventor this time. It would likely never occur to her to use Telekinesis as a combat ability. That’s not what it’s for, in her mind. So naturally, she will never power stunt.

Personality: Valentina is…fun. She’s a flirtatious, energetic, cheerful personality. And that’s all most people who interact with her will ever see. She didn’t serve on the front lines like Hayate and Arielle. She doesn’t have those memories and occasional nightmares of terrifying fights to the death. What she has instead are ghosts. People she painstakingly built gear for, who didn’t return. Friends who received her best work, and died anyway. What does one do with that? That pain? That guilt? Therapy is lovely, and it’s helped a lot. But someone who wasn’t there could never understand. The pieces of herself she left behind in the virtual.

. . Because everyone who was there did leave something of themselves behind. And so, Valentina keeps her energy level up. She keeps flirting with everyone she finds attractive, whatever their gender, so she has a warm body to hang onto at night. Because she did come back with mind and body intact. So many didn’t. And when she’s tired and alone, they come to visit. Not literally, of course. They’re only memories, after all. They’re memories of people she failed. And that is why she joined Psi-Division. Why she leapt at the chance to work with Arielle again. Because her intellect, skills, and powers can still be of use to the frontliners. Even if the fight is different now. It’ll be different this time. It is different, this time. It does not, however, make the ghosts go away.

[EternalPhoenix]

Miriam Mizrahi

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 180/180

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +6/+9, Fort: +6, Ref: +6/+9, Will: +9

Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+5), Bluff 12 (+15), Diplomacy 12 (+15), Gather Information 12 (+15), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (art) 3 (+5), Knowledge (behavioral science) 8 (+10), Knowledge (civics) 3 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 3 (+5), Notice 7 (+10), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 7 (+10)

Feats: Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 4, Improved Critical (Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 1)), Improved Critical 2 (Amplified Short Sword Strike (Strike 3)), Power Attack, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Sense Motive), Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Kinetic Shield (Device 3) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)
. . Amplified Psionic Resilience (Force Field 3) (+3 Toughness; Impervious [3 extra ranks])
. . Psionic Deflection (Enhanced Trait 6) (Traits: Dodge Focus 4 +3 (+4), Reflex +3 (+9))

Kinetic Short Sword (Device 2) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)
. . Amplified Short Sword Strike (Strike 3) (DC 20, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Amplified Short Sword Strike (Strike 3)); Penetrating [2 ranks only]; Accurate 2 (+4), Mighty)

Psionic Amplification (Container, Passive 3)
. . Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 1) (DC 18, Feats: Improved Critical (Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 1)); Mighty)
. . Psionic Resilience (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness; Impervious)
. . Telepathic Translation (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all)

Psionic Manifestations (Array 20) (default power: summon)
. . Nightmare Constructs (Create Object 9) (Array; Max Size: 9x 5' cubes, DC 19; Impervious, Movable (Radius: 45 ft., Strength: 45, Force: 6.4 tons); Precise, Subtle (subtle))
. . Nightmarish Imagery (Illusion 9) (Array; affects: all sense types, DC 19; Duration (sustained); Phantasms; Progression, Area 4 (100 ft. radius))
. . Summon Nightmare Dragon (Summon 9) (Default; Fanatical, Heroic; Mental Link, Sacrifice)
. . Summon Lesser Nightmares (Summon 6) (Array; Fanatical, Horde, Type (Broad); Mental Link, Progression, # Minions 2 (5 minions), Sacrifice)

Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +9, Grapple: +11)

Attacks: Amplified Short Sword Strike (Strike 3), +13 (DC 20), Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 1), +9 (DC 18), Unarmed Attack, +9 (DC 17)

Defense: +9 (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -9

Initiative: +3

Languages: Hebrew Native

Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 24 (96 ranks) + Feats 7 + Powers 77 + Combat 28 + Saves 12 + Drawbacks 0 = 180

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Nightmare Dragon

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 135/135

STR: +12 (35), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +9 (28), INT: +0 (-), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +0 (-)

Tough: +12, Fort: +9, Ref: +6, Will: +3

Skills: Acrobatics 7 (+10), Concentration 7 (+10), Notice 9 (+12), Sense Motive 9 (+12), Stealth 14 (+9), Survival 2 (+5)

Feats: All-Out Attack, Improved Grapple, Improved Pin, Power Attack

Powers:
Dragon Scales (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness; Impervious [6 extra ranks])

Dragon's Wings (Flight 5) (Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd)

Dragons Are Big (Growth 9) (+18 STR, +9 CON, +2 size categories; Permanent; Innate)

Fear Aura (Emotion Control 9) (DC 19; Action 3 (reaction), Perception Area (General), Selective Attack; Duration 2 (instant), Limited to Emotion (Fear), Range 2 (touch), Sense-Dependent (Visual))

Nightmarish Might (Super-Strength 3) (+15 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 51.2 tons; +3 STR to some checks)

Nightmarish Senses (Super-Senses 2) (darkvision)

Attack Bonus: +6 (Ranged: +6, Melee: +6, Grapple: +28/+31)

Attacks: Fear Aura (Emotion Control 9) (DC Staged/Will 19), Unarmed Attack, +6 (DC 27)

Defense: +6 (Flat-footed: +3), Size: Huge, Knockback: -18

Initiative: +3

Languages: Native Language

Totals: Abilities 8 + Skills 12 (48 ranks) + Feats 4 + Powers 76 + Combat 32 + Saves 3 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

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Nightmare Creature Template

Power Level: 6; Power Points Spent: 45/90

STR: +5 (20), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +5 (20), INT: +0 (-), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +0 (-)

Tough: +5, Fort: +5, Ref: +3, Will: +3

Skills: Notice 2 (+5), Sense Motive 2 (+5)

Powers:
Fear Aura (Emotion Control 6) (DC 16; Action 3 (reaction), Perception Area (General), Selective Attack; Duration 2 (instant), Limited to Emotion (Fear), Range 2 (touch), Sense-Dependent (Visual))

Attack Bonus: +5 (Ranged: +5, Melee: +5, Grapple: +10)

Attacks: Fear Aura (Emotion Control 6) (DC Staged/Will 16), Unarmed Attack, +5 (DC 20)

Defense: +5 (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -2

Initiative: +3

Languages: Native Language

Totals: Abilities 12 + Skills 1 (4 ranks) + Feats 0 + Powers 12 + Combat 20 + Saves 0 + Drawbacks 0 = 45

Age (as of Jan 2019): 19
Height: 5’ 2”
Weight: 100 lbs
Ethnicity: Israeli
Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Dark Brown

Background: The rabbi always said you shouldn’t lie for selfish reasons. Miriam Mizrahi, being 12 years old, didn’t think lying to a Japanese corporation about her age really counted. She wanted to play Cyberdimension Tsurugi-chan!: 4 Swords Network, and wasn’t about to let being short some months in her age get in the way. She’d been saving money since her last birthday to buy the VR helmet. And the game had the audacity to suggest she should wait for her next one? Nope, not happening. The Miri of today acknowledges this as one hell of a mistake, but she really couldn’t have known better at the time. Just shy of ten thousand other people, older and more educated, made it too. Her story was a lot like theirs, too. She made her avatar, picked a class (Yajiri), and started playing. But she was getting hungry for lunch after a while, so she tried to log out. And couldn’t. She couldn’t take the helmet off, either. And then she and just shy of ten thousand other people found out why.

. . Of course she cried. This did not solve the problem, but it did get the emotion out. Which, as it turned out, was kind of important. Because just about everyone in the game was older than her, and a whole lot of them flipped out. Shock. Horror. Disbelief. Terror. Despair. Etcetera. We’ve been over this. So a few days later, when the first organized group decided to challenge the first dungeon, she tagged along to see what she could do to help. The answer to that was “not much”. She was distinctly mediocre at being a Yajiri, and almost nobody had learned any of the combat tactics they’d later master on pain of literal death. So things went badly, and then Hayate and Arielle stepped in, and things went better. The Miri of today recognizes that she was still a bit in the disbelief stage then. The people who died didn’t register to her as having really done so at that time.

. . At any rate, Yajiri (even mediocre ones) were quickly recognized to be an absolute necessity for traversing dungeon and battling bosses. Miri found herself in high demand. So why Arielle and the nascent Rose Knights? Well, even back then she had a bit of a nose for people and their personalities. It’s not perfect now and it certainly wasn’t then, but she could tell that Arielle didn’t have the negative qualities a leader didn’t need. She had the right feel, for lack of a better word. Kids aren’t stupid, you know? They just don’t know stuff. The Miri of today has plenty of fancy words for Arielle’s personality, but they’re not necessary here. And to put it bluntly, most of those early guilds fell apart and the rest experienced significant reorganization at some point. She doesn’t know the details and she doesn’t want to.

. . Arielle, to her credit, recognized early that Miri wasn’t primary frontline material. In fact, she was much better as a welcoming face to return to. A kind of mascot that helped keep spirits up with her own personality. Officially dubbed the Rose Knights’ morale officer, she served very well in that role and likely prevented more than a few Rose Knights from going off the deep end and kept several more sharp when they would have dulled and died. This, however, was not enough to make a little girl feel useful. All she was doing was talking, while everyone else seemed to be doing something useful. She knows better, now, but back then she felt useless. Especially when a team of Knights came back smaller than it left. So she resolved to get better at fighting. She just needed more practice, that’s all. Gain a few quick levels in a cleared area. If she proved she could fight just as well as the others, she could go with them again. Dungeon raids were terrifying, but they beat the waiting around in the guild hall.

. . This was not actually a mistake. It being a mistake would have required her knowing that the Darkness Ghosts player killer guild had drifted back into the forested zone she had chosen, and nobody knew that until after she’d already left. For the Ghosts, it was the perfect situation. One player, alone. A Yajiri, even, who were all but helpless against melee fighters they couldn’t get away from. They could take their time with this one. Miri should have died. She would have died. Except for Hayate, the swordsman in black, at what was probably the pinnacle of his brooding badass loner status. His level was so much higher than any of theirs that they couldn’t significantly harm him. The opposite was not true. He gave them a choice. Repeatedly. Run. Or die. Player killer guilds were not known for caring whether or not they survived, as long as they got to kill. The Darkness Ghosts were no exception. Against most opponents, this would have been terrifying. Of course, they could measurably damage most opponents. So Hayate killed them all. And from the blank disinterested look in his eyes, this was far from the first time he’d had to do so. Miri was actually more frightened of him than the Ghosts, right up until he offered her an escort back to town. There was kindness in his eyes then, and a great sadness too. He pulled his patented disappearing act close to town, without giving his name. Leaving Miri to return to the guild hall alone and (she thought) get yelled at for being careless. Instead, she was welcomed back with great relief, which only grew when she told her story. In fact, the solution to her feeling useless was a lot simpler than she thought it was. All she had to do was ask to join some of the lesser raids, and Arielle would have been perfectly happy to let her go. Sometimes, the Miri of today says, people can overcomplicate and overthink things that are easily resolved by basic communication. And she was no exception. So, from that point on, Miri did her part. Arielle kept her morale officer out of the most dangerous dungeon raids, but her arrows kept more than a few Rose Knights alive after tough battles. And she was mostly satisfied with that. The rst of her satisfaction came from seeing just how worried her guildmates were about her. Even the mightiest of warriors needs a welcoming face to come home to, and being one was also an important job.

. . Of course, all good things must come to an end. There were one hundred dungeons in the game, and probably half again that many boss and guardian monsters. They had finally cleared the 75th, with great struggle and sacrifice. When they went for the 76th, they found it empty. There were trash mobs and mooks, to be sure. They regenerated. But the bosses and guardians did not. And they were gone on the 77th, 78th, 79th, hey hold on a minute how far does this…80th, 90th, 95th, 99th, and holy shit. The 100th was also cleared. The game was beaten. Celebrations broke out spontaneously throughout the game as the announcement echoed through it. At long last, they logged out and returned to the physical world. Miri was not present for the rescue of Arielle from her malevolent fiancée. She was undergoing physical therapy and remedial education like Hayate was during that investigation, but due to her being on an entirely different continent and Hayate not having her contact information she was completely unaware of the events until the freed Arielle briefed her personally. During this phone call, Arielle mentioned joining Psi-Division and her new powers. Mossad was extremely interested in learning how Miri’s new powers worked, so she took the opportunity to get the heck out of Israel and rejoin her old comrades in the real world. She was happy to see all three of them. Hayate, Arielle, and Valentina. A good foursome, commanded by Jacob Cross, quickly became a fivesome with Hayate’s cousin Ichika joining up.

. . But the legacy of the Nihonto Incident was not yet finished. The Sweetheart Slasher Guild had yet to be fully reckoned with. There was three choices for the trapped players. Go insane, die, or continue on. Miri had always been pretty stable emotionally and mentally, so she continued on. However, some of those who went insane went murderously insane. Like the Darkness Ghosts who almost killed her. And some of these were unable to recover after being freed. Most of these were relatively easily handled by law enforcement and normal superheroes. In the real world it is much more difficult to kill people and continually get away with it. Some, however, retained some intelligence and cunning. More like they were addicted to the act of murder than were suffering from an inability to recognize reality. These were the Sweetheart Slashers. Yet even they could not entirely escape the dogged pursuit of law enforcement and superheroes, and by the time Jacob Cross, Miriam, and company re-enter their story they were down to their last, most dangerous members. All of whom held a grudge against not only one Hayate Ishikawa, but also one Arielle Cadieux for helping break their power in the virtual.

. . There was another VR game to come out in the wake of the Nihonto Incident. Kaede Kobayashi was one of its best players. But there was a problem. Every time they held a PvP tournament, one of the players who lost was violently murdered with a knife. The game company said it was coincidental, but after the third tournament nobody was buying it. Psi-Division investigated, brought the last of the Sweetheart Slashers to justice during the fourth tournament, and ended up with Kaede as a new recruit in the process. Done and done.

Powers & Tactics: Miriam is a mutant psionic. Her powers are best understood as Psionic Amplification and Psionic Manifestation. The former means that her normal human abilities are being augmented by her willpower. This can be found in metahuman psionics, as well, but as her powers were activated by an outside source and not her own genetics she is classified as a mutant. These powers primarily manifest in subconscious telekinetic abilities. The subconscious manifests in enhanced damage to her unarmed strikes and any weapon she might wield, as well as enhanced physical resilience. Enough that minor damage like a regular unpowered punch has no effect. The other third of her Psionic Amplification is the telepathic ability to read, speak, and understand any language. It is a little strange that this still works both when she’s quite alone and with extremely dead or outright extraterrestrial languages, however. That limited bit of telepathy seems to be tapping in the collective unconscious.

. . This would make her Psionic Manifestations make much more sense, if true. Because every single one of those powers is straight out of the realm of nightmares. This may perhaps be light hyperbole, but it is certainly not metaphor. No metahuman psionic has ever displayed the unnerving abilities she possesses in this regard. She can make telekinetic constructs of both impossible geometry and form that both shifts while observed and can move double digit tons of weight. Said constructs are capable of withstanding artillery fire with no visible damage. And then there’s the telepathic illusions of things best discussed in the bright light of day and not dwelt on at night lest they intrude on one’s sleep. Most alarmingly, she can actually summon such beings into the world and out of her own mind. Or the collective unconscious, as the theory goes. Such beings are easily dispatched in combat by professional superhumans due to their inability to absorb any degree of damage. Resisting said damage is another (somewhat variable) matter, but in the end they are only a real combat threat against mundane opposition. However they do project a field of absolute terror that one must steel one’s mind against or be found cowering in terror. The counter point to their relative weakness is that Miri can and usually does summon them in groups of five. And then there’s the Nightmare Dragon. It is more powerful in every respect, fully capable of standing against professional superhumans in combat and with a terror field significantly increased in potency. It out masses all mundane animals by a considerable margin, and is even larger than many smaller buildings. It is capable rending steel with its disturbing hands. In Psi-Division, its resilience is only matched by Valentina in her armor. It can fly at 747 speeds and carry weight up to the triple digit tons. It is, in all respects, truly a creature of nightmares.

. . Speaking of Valentina, she has graciously crafted a shield and short sword for Miri that work in concert with her subconscious telekinesis. The sword strikes fairly hard and enhances her accuracy with it. The shield bolsters her durability, physical resilience, and damage avoidance by quite a bit.

. . Tactically, when solo Miriam herself prefers to talk things out instead of fighting. Nightmarish Imagery isn’t, strictly speaking, limited to obviously scary illusions. As such, her illusions can bolster her formidable people skills. Failinig that, the 5 Lesser Nightmares can get get most opposition headed for the hills or beaten down. Failing even that, Nightmare Constructs can block passage, trap foes, and control the battlefield. And if even this isn’t good enough, she’ll summon the Dragon. She prefers to remains out of direct combat, and will Sacrifice her summons to take damage for her. This seems more evil than it is, as her summons are not real and do not have minds of their own. Or minds at all. What changes in team combat is that the talking phase has passed. She does not use Nightmarish Imagery, as it would distract her teammated. Instead she layers in Feinting and Demoralizing with Set Up and Aid Actions where possible. This continues this even if Nightmarish Constructs prove inadequate and the Lesser Nightmares are defeated. The Nightmare Dragon is her escape plan, so if it is defeated and she’s the last standing member of Psi-Division she’ll surrender rather than get her ass kicked. Unless, naturally, the enemy looks ragged enough from all that combat that she could conceivable defeat them by herself. She’s never killed anyone in the real world, and she’s not about to start now. She can technically power stunt, summoning Lesser Dream Creatures or a bigger dream animal, but they’re not very useful for anything other than calming people down. Maybe putting them in a dreamy daze? Meh, kind of lame.

Personality: Miri is a psychologist. That’s like a morale officer, but professionally trained. Rather than having an instinctive and sometimes faulty understanding of how people work, she has a well educated and rarely faulty one. Psychology is only as perfect as the person using it, and unfortunately (or not) Miri is not perfect. What she is, however, is that rare supers level psychologist who is both actually good at her job and also not in urgent need of psychiatric treatment. In the field, her own distinctive personality largely doesn’t exist, as she shifts from moment to moment based on need. People respond differently to different stimuli. Some need a nurturing mother. Others need a cute and caring little sister. Some prefer to be seduced by a sultry sexpot. And still others respond best to an apparently psychopathic woman with a sword. Her approach depends upon the person and the mission’s goals.

. . But honestly…people don’t change from when they were young. They just get better at dealing with life’s various trials and tribulations. She knows she left a piece of herself behind in the virtual. Everyone who was there did, after all. They all have nightmares. They’re all coping with it in perhaps an unhealthy way with Psi-Division. It is…difficult, to simply go home and be normal. If you weren’t there, you wouldn’t understand. Though, she does admit, there are war veterans who can get close enough. She wanted to get away from Mossad, originally, but she could mostly handle them now. She stays because these re her friends, and the work has value. A trained psychologist knows all about the very human motivations that can render the law inadequate. Someone still has to stand up for the victims and those left in the wreckage in that case. Though, if she was being honest…she still can’t stand to see people hurting, and those who hurt them going unpunished for it. If the law won’t do it, then Psi-Division will.