Lord_Rednevac

He'd find Gudo not far from where he left him. The stocky little grub had sprinted a short distance and climbed up a short cliff that was as tall as his waist. He had stopped for the moment in a mix of catching his breath and starting to hyperventilate. Once he heard Ghongh's voice he looked up from his doubled-over position and straightened himself up and cleared his throat to try and regain composure. "Ahem, y-yeah, good work. I'm done testing the limits of this planet's gravity. Not sure if you heard me once you took off but be careful showing off any extraordinary abilities you got. Our records show most Earthlings don't do stuff like that so you'll make it too obvious that you're not from around here." He paused, looking up at Ghongh and taking in the full scale of the Namekian. "...Come to think of it, we're probably going to need disguises too. Something to help us blend in and not draw attention. 'Course, we don't have any Earth money to get clothes or anything," he starts thinking aloud and tapping a foot contemplatively. Then, he gets an idea. "Say, you don't think that whole Make-Stuff Beam you used could make clothes, could it?"

From bellow, Gudo waves his arms widely at Ghongh in a vain attempt to get the Namekian to land. He watches him turn into a green dot against the blue sky and just stares. "Oh no...Oh this is bad." Stuck on Earth with his only means of transportation seemingly ditching him, he started to regret his decision. Ghongh, meanwhile, was getting a beautiful birds-eye view of the land below. An arid mesa stretched out before him, giving way to wide, grassy plain. The air was cool but dry; breathable, thankfully, but different from Namek. Before him was a wide swatch of green lowland and behind him the low rolling mountains. It seemed pleasant and inviting...so far, at least. One thing caught his eye. It was hard to entirely understand from his position, but he saw a long stretch of dark-colored structure snaking across the ground below. It didn't look naturally occurring, at least he didn't think so. Maybe that could lead somewhere?

After concluding their treasure hunt, and spending a little longer unwinding in the mountain resort, the warriors went their separate ways to train. Some undoubtedly stayed within their own cliques but, as competitors, kept their training and secrets largely guarded against each other; come this Autumn, they'd all be facing off again to see who among them was the strongest on Earth. As the end of Spring drew near, they would draw together again. The next qualifier would be taking place in East City and, while there was only one of their number still needing to win entry, scoping out the competition was always a must. Just what had they all been up to in that time, and how much had they grown in skill and strength? There's only one way for them to find out. We take you to East City, the capital of the East Sector and one of the most bustling metropolises on Earth; rivaled by West City. A hub of culture and commerce and boasting the largest population size on the planet, it was dubbed the City that Never Sleeps. Normally abuzz with activity, the coming Spring Qualifier only made it busier than normal. Exciting times lay ahead for our heroes, but will they prove to be invigorating or exhausting? We join our protagonists as they converge on the city; assuming they haven't been here before now. What have they been up to since then? Easiest locale in the city to meet up with is at the Budokai Temple, as usual, but want to leave options open in case anyone has other ideas of where they want to meet. Sub Group Set Up Speaking for my own characters and the NPCs I control, here's how I've got them split up. Ken and Fei: representing the Ghost School, they've opted to train separately from the others; Fei's suggestion, at least. They'd kept to the Eastern mountains for the time being as it provided a good naturally secluded local to focus on their training; Ken being familiar with the area helped. Ren: He stuck with Juno, like before. Not having anywhere else to go and still betting that the Demon-Hunter in training would either be his greatest rival or his ticket home. Frostbyte: Being his peer, she stuck with Onryo. She was open for exploring more of Earth, but also offered the village she had won over as a hub to stay at. Her "new little fiefdom" as she called it catily. Yura: Being the only student of the Wind Master was a tad lonely but, taking some of his mentors lessons to heart, and a recommendation from Ken, he took to traveling for those three months; being as unbridled as the Wind.

Gudo scanned the horizon as Ghongh spoke. "Yeah, I guess we got a lot of ground to cover...hang on, do you even know where this guy is?" It finally dawned on him that Ghongh a stranger to this world and the cosmos at large, didn't know where he was going. As he turned to address him he noticed the young Namekian take off towards the sky. God-smacked, he stared in shock before coming to his senses. "Hey, get back here! Earthlings don't fly! ...At least take me with you," he called frantically, starting to run behind him as fast as his stumpy legs could carry him.

The ship set down so softly one would barely notice it wasn't flying anymore. From beyond the windows, Ghongh could see the cliffs of the protective valley rising around him. Gudo perked up at Ghongh's question. "Oh, yeah, sure, let me just lead you to this underdeveloped planet and leave you completely unattended," Gudo said sarcastically before getting back to business. "Here's the deal, pal. You're here to look for somebody, I'm gonna help you find them, then you leave and take me back to my station. Starting right now, I'm your chaperone and foremost expert on this planet. You want to blend in and not draw undue attention to yourself here, then we've got to work together. Got it?" As they were leaving the ship, he had a devious thought to himself. And once you find the other Namekian on this rock, I can bust the both of you for breaking galactic law by hiding on a protected world. Once outside, he'd look high and scan the horizon, observing the valley and cliffs surrounding them. "As for getting out, looks like we're in for a hike. Guess that's the price you pay for security."

Ghongh's comment only left Gudo with more questions, but he put those in the back of his mind for now. Descending into the planet's atmosphere, at much slower and more controlled speeds this time, laid the breadth of the surface out before Ghongh's eyes. It was picturesque from so far away, with much more variety than Namek. Patches of green, brown, white, and a vast pool of blue surrounding it all. As Ghongh guided the ship as Gudo directed, a mountain range would come into view. "Yeah, that's it. Down there," Gudo says, pointing out the window. "That's perfect. Nobody for miles and plenty of spots to hide in," he says with a confident nod. The ship glided effortlessly into the rocky range, weaving around peaks and between cliffs like the breeze. There was certainly plenty of parking up here, only question was to find a spot he liked. "Hey, how 'bout there," Gudo pointed out to a narrow valley shielded by stepped cliffs. "Bet nobody would find us in there...'course, then we'd have to figure out how to get out..." He rubbed his chin in thought.

Techniques and Powers Techniques BanyueTi/Half Moon Kick: +5 Damage, -5 Attack Total. A sweeping kick in the shape of a half-circle swung either horizontally or vertically. Hushi Quan/Overlooked Fist: +10 Damage, -10 Attack Total. A spiral uppercut developed to deal with opponents who underestimated her height. Diyu Zhi Shou/Hands of Hell: +15 Damage, -15 Attack Total. A flurry of punches, jabs, palm strikes, and other assorted hand techniques designed to wear down an opponent. Tiantang Chufa/Punishment of Heaven: +20 Damage, -20 Attack Total. A high-flying downward strike. She leaps into the air and dives into her opponent to deliver either a chop or kick. Detection Powers Sense Energy Hide Energy Read Energy Boost Powers Damage Bonus: 40 Energy/1 Damage Value First Strike: 20 Energy/1 Initiative Total Speed Bonus: 60 Energy/1 Movement Total Instinctual Focus: 50 Energy/1 Combat Total Power Attacks Ki Force Push: Fire an invisible ball of Ki at your target. - Power Style: Blast - Quirk: No Damage - Max Energy Cost: 200 - Power Effect - Knockback: This Attack has a Physical value equal to its Energy Cost divided by 10; Physical 20. Targets who take an unsaved hit from this attack are pushed a distance of Move equal to the Knockback value subtracted by their Physical Attribute. Ki Cutting Sword - Ki is focused into the shape of a sword. Short-range but powerful. - Power Style - Energy Weapon: Add Weapon Skill to the Energy cost to determine Damage total. - Max Energy Cost: 100 - Power Effect - Deadly Ki Blast - A simple attack made to practice more advanced techniques. - Power Style - Blast - Max Energy Cost: 100 Pearls of Destruction - She conjures a number of minuscule Ki balls in the palms of her hands; dividing the total Energy cost between each ball. She picks a number of targets to fire one ball at. They quickly expand into full-sized blasts while airborne. - Power Style - Multi-Blast - Max Energy Cost: 400 Defensive Powers Ki Deflection Armor - A defensive technique where the user concentrates their Ki around their body, shaping it into a suit of armor. The appearance is different between each user and how they imagine the armor in their mind. - Power Style - Energy Armor: Functions as a Deflection, but persist through melee attacks. - Quirk - Special Appearance: Fei's armor takes the form of Chinese Lamellar armor. Helm, chest piece, legs, and arms are covered. - Max Energy Cost: 400 Super Powers Faster than Reaction - You heighten your speed, moving and acting faster than normal. You gain an additional Melee or Weapon Attack Action at a multiplying Energy cost, starting at 100. To use Multi-Attack, you must first make an Attack Action. Multi-Attack may not be started or combined with other Power Attacks, including Power Weapon attacks. You can gain no more than 10 extra attacks. Flight: Fly through the air at a Cost of 10 Energy per Round. You have a Flight speed equal to your Move Attribute. Super Strength: +1 Physical for 50 Energy.

Techniques and Powers Fighting Techniques Hungry Tiger Pounces: -15 to Attack Total/-2 to Attack Mod, +15 Damage. Tricky Wild Monkey: -5 Attack Total, +5 Damage Silent Mantis Strikes: -20 Attack Total/-2 Attack Mod, +20 Damage Powers: Divided by type and function. Detection Powers Sense Energy: You can detect and observe the energy of other living beings. This allows you to not only locate the direction of someone by their energy signature, but feel the general size of it, and discern their intent or emotion; “Do you feel that? A huge power just showed up. It feels...angry.” Sensing Power from relatively close locations is easy, but sensing one from far away requires a Mental+Power check to pick up on it clearly. Someone hiding their Power cannot be detected with Sense Power. Hide Ki - This technique allows you to conceal your Power from others. To actively hide your power, you must make a Mental+Power check, using your Power-Up score, divided by 100, as the Difficulty Number; always round down the extra decimals. Read Ki - Read out the exact numbers of a target's available Energy. By default, this is their Power Up value. If they have any Energy banked using the Power Up action, then read that total. Targets without Ki or cannot use Ki show the total of their Physical and Mental Attributes Boost Powers First Strike: Spend 20 Energy to increase Initiative total by 1. Speed Boost: Spend 60 Energy to increase Movement total by 1. Instinctual focus: This power allows you to hone your instincts for battle by channeling your energy into your mind's ability of awareness. It allows you to be much more effective in battle by increasing your raw combat attribute. You can spend 50 energy to increase your combat attribute by 1. This Boost lasts for one phase. Damage Boost - Increase your Damage value by 1 point per 40 Energy spent. Super Strength - Increase your Physical Attribute by 1 point per 50 Energy spent. This increase to Physical only applies to lifting objects, resisting Grab attacks, making Knockback Attacks, and any other actions and reactions that don't involve Damage. Power Attacks Multi-Attack - Gain an extra Attack action on your turn by spending 100 Energy. You can spend more energy to gain more Attack actions at a multiplying cost; double the amount of Energy spent on the last bonus Attack. These Energy costs are added together. Use this power on your turn as a Reaction. - 100/200/400/800: A total of 1500 energy for 4 bonus Attacks. Ki Blast Thrust - You fire an invisible blast of Ki at your opponent that pushes them away. - Power Style: Blast - Max Energy Cost: 250 Power - Power Style - Knockback: This Power Attack has a Physical value of 25. Targets that take an unsaved hit from this attack are pushed a distance equal to the Knockback value subtracted by their Physical attribute. - Quirk: No Damage. Dragon's Breath - Concentrate your energy in your lungs and take a deep breath. Make a sharp exhale to fire a blast of ignited Ki, launching a fireball at your opponent. - Power Style: Blast - Max Energy Cost: 500 - Quirk - Element: Deals Fire Damage. - Alternate Effect - Damage over Time: When used as a Damage over Time attack, this Power costs 500 total. When this attack confirms a hit, you may have it deal damage over time instead of its total damage; the target is engulfed in flames and lit ablaze. When used as a Damage of Time effect, this attack deals 50 damage on hit and 50 damage at the top of each phase for 9 more Phases; 500/10=50, dividing the total energy cost into smaller totals. This damage is reduced by Defense as normal. At the end of the 9th phase, the energy is used up and the effect ends. Mantis' Stare; You stare into your opponent's eyes causing their eyes to become clouded with solid white rendering them unable to see through natural means. This power allows you to blind your opponent. You can not deal damage with this power. This power uses 250 Energy when activated. Your opponent must make a Mental+Mind test at a difficulty of 25 or be blind. For every point they miss the difficulty by is one extra phase beyond the initial that they suffer the effects. - Max Energy Cost: 250 - DC: 25. Mental+Mind roll to resist. - Daze: Targets within line of sight who fail the check are Blinded for a number of Phases equal to the difference between the DC and their roll. The Blind effect of this Power imposes a -3 to the target's Attack, Block, Dodge, and Counter modifiers (Energy Cost 250/10=2.5^3) for the duration of the effect. Blinded Characters cannot see but can still hear. Blinded characters cannot draw Line of Sight by themselves. If a Blinded character is assisted in drawing Line of Sight, they still suffer the -3 penalty to their Attack rolls. This power does not affect Targets who are already blind. Lion's Roar- With a shout, you release a concentrated burst of your energy around you. It's short-ranged but good for clearing room. Let your opponents know who's the king of your domain. - Power Style - Area Burst: Max Energy Cost: 300 - Area Burst: Half-Circle Shape. Split the Energy cost put into this attack between Damage and Range. Every 10 Energy spent increases its Range by 1 Move. Howling Cannon - Another boisterous Ki attack. Take a deep breath and give a mighty roar as you fire energy from your mouth; at a much longer range this time. - Max Energy Cost: 300 - Power Style - Beam: Max Build Up Energy Cost/Damage: 1500 - Power Effect - Knockback: Possesses Physical score equal to its damage value divided by ten; 30-150. Defensive Powers Turtle's Shell - Concentrate your energy into protection, like the humble but implacable turtle. A green shell appears before you, staving off the Energy Attacks of others. - Power Style - Deflection: Covers the user and giving them a Deflection value, reducing incoming damage from Power Attacks. - Max Energy Cost: 500 - Power Effect - Charge Up: Before activating the power, you may spend additional Actions to Charge it, increasing its Deflection value at the cost of additional energy; you may spend up to the Powers max energy cost when charging. You may only Charge a Power for a maximum of 5 Phases. - Max Charge Up Value: 2500 Super Powers Flight- You levitate in the air, held aloft by your energy. Your default Flight speed is equal to your Move Attribute. Activating Flight costs 10 power and maintaining it costs 10 power per Round. You do not need to roll to Maintain this power.

Gudo scans the ship's interior again. "Well, really, I can sleep on my back pretty decently so long as I don't roll over too much. I'd at least need a blanket to keep warm." After seeing Ghongh's Matter Creation on display, he's initially shocked but seems to roll with it. "...So, like, did you pull that out of thin air or what? Because, I mean, if you're up for it, there's something else I had in mind." He reaches into his bag and pulls out a magazine, opening to a bookmarked page. He shows it to Ghongh, revealing the sales profile of an oblong-shaped cushion with an indentation in the middle. "Because I've been saving up for this and, like, it would save me a lot of time and money if you could just whip this up." While they're discussing this, the travel time ticks by. Eventually, both Ghongh's ship and Gudo's computer indicate that they've arrived. This catches Gudo by surprise. "Huh? Why'd we stop? Did you enter the coordinates in wrong? There's no way we've already arrived." Checking his computer, he finds that it states them to be positioned near Earth's orbit. "Oh great, this thing must be on the fritz too. Now we'll have to stop until I get this thing fixed and that's just gonna make this whole trip take longer." He gives an exasperated sigh before walking to the port window. "Well, let's see where we are. Hopefully, it's a habitable planet in case we need to go down for parts or anything." Stepping up to the window, and likely needing a boost, he'd take a look at the little blue planet before them. "Well, it's got water, so that's a good sign...wait a minute," he starts working through his computer again, accessing the info on Earth and getting a picture to confirm it. He does a double-take, realizing that they match. "W-wait, what?! But that's impossible!? We were over 20 Krawls away! We couldn't have gotten there in...five minutes," he says in shock after checking the elapsed travel time on the map system. (Lore Point: A Krawl is a unit of measurement used by at least the Galactic Patrol if not other forces in space. 1 Krawl is equal to 1 Million Kilometers.) He's stunned at this development, starting to worry if he's gotten in over his head by accompanying Ghongh; between the matter creation and the ship moving at 1/8th the speed of light. He slowly turns to Ghongh, unsure of how to proceed at first. "...Heheh, well, looks like we've arrived," he says with an awkward laugh. "So...guess the next step is figuring out where to land?" He sets to working on his mobile computer some more, getting closer range maps of Earth's topography. "Okay, there's the major population centers. Just gotta avoid those...hmm, a lot of open space. Should be easy to touch down without being noticed. 'Course, then we gotta figure out how to hide this thing." After a few seconds, he approaches Ghongh while holding up the computer. "Alright, get us here. These mountains should be remote enough to land and have spots to hide your ship in."

The Patrolman is slightly startled by the sudden deployment of the ramp. He gingerly boards the ship, inspecting it as he does. Stopping just past the threshold, he observes the surroundings with slight confusion at the sparse accommodations. "Sheesh and I thought Patrol Ships were bare bones," he openly remarks to himself. He turns back to face Ghongh, getting startled by the sudden appearance of his pet frog. "Uh...yeah, hi," is all he says before getting back to business. "Alright, you get this thing running and start plotting a trajectory," he says while approaching the control console and pulling out a portable computer. "...Uh, the name's Gudo, by the way. Patrolman Gudo. I'm still on duty for this." Once set up, he punches some keys and opens the bay door for the ship to exit; once outside, the doors would close automatically. "Alright! I've got a path cleared. You, uh...figure out how to plot it on your system. You can do that with this, right? Otherwise, I'm going to have to guide you by landmarks, and that's going to be tedious. Not to mention this trip is going to take a while. Earth isn't exactly a major destination for the galactic community." He looks around the ship again while waiting for Ghongh to take the helm. "...So what do you do for sleeping on this thing?" Reading the map and looking it up on his guidance system he'd find that, while it was out in a smaller system in the galaxy, his ship's rate of speed would get them there in approximately five minutes.

Central City News Volcanic Activity What was initially thought to be unprecedented volcanic activity in the High Hells mountain range was revealed to be the result of natural phenomenon. Geologists discovered that the pillar of smoke was in fact steam, stemming from water depositing into the volcano. As it turns out, the volcano in question was part of a cavern network that contributed to the freshwater basin known as the Devil's Hotpot, an old natural wonder thought to have been lost years ago. For those unfamiliar, the system of volcanic caverns that feeds water into the basin collects rain and snow throughout the winter, which then melts and floods out of the base of the mountain. Experts concluded that a mix of seismic and volcanic activity must have stopped up the caverns and prevented this process, and the same natural changes must have put it back in working order. Residents of the mountain communities and resorts were initially alarmed but are now ecstatic at the return of a long-lost attraction and the boon to tourist revenue it will attract. Growing Concerns in East City There are reports of rising criminal activity in East City. Law enforcement and legal experts within the city and the Easter Sector believe it to be the result of rising traffic throughout the region brought by the coming qualifier for the World Martial Arts Tournament. Efforts to combat this rise in crime are being made, but local government officials assure that this won't jeopardize the coming qualifier.

There was a brief double take at the mention of the ship being alive, but the question about his own ship caught more of his attention. "Oh! Uhm, w-we'll be taking yours. I mean, I'd normally lead the way in my own but it was, uh, damaged, yeah. During a high speed pursuit. I'll tell you about it later." He held a confident pose as he stated that. Lousy piloting suspension. How was it excessive speed in a stretch of space with no speed limit!? "Well, if you say this this thing can fly then it's the only option we've got. I'll just have to trust that you're a capable pilot, as much you trust me as a navigator." He stops and stares at the ship again, unsure of where the hatch to enter is. "...Uh, after you. I wouldn't want to just march on in like I own the place," he says with an awkward grin and gracious bow.

There wasn't an initial response to Ghongh's statement about sustenance, for it only made the Patrolman think. Only needs water, yeah, I'll believe that when I see it. He better not use this as an excuse to mooch off my snacks. The wait was short and uneventful, the dull hum of the stations air system being the only constant sound, occasionally being interrupted by the patrolman's rumaging around for tools and supplies along with quiet grumbles to himself. After that brief delay, he appeared ready. "One last thing. I need to inform my partner of my imminent departure. Wait a moment while I record a log on our computer." As he's about to head to the communications room, he stops and turns back to say "Oh, and ask before you touch anything. This place is full of delicate systems that require proper know-how to use." Message left for Patrolman Jimizu Encountered Traveler, required directions to No-Contact Planet, designation Earth. Suspect infiltration and interference from foreign persons on said planet. Beginning investigation, will return with results. - Patrolman Gudo After about a minute, he returns. "Alright, we're ready to depart. Follow me back to the hangar." Upon returning, the Patrolman would look over Ghongh's ship curiously. "Namekian engineering, huh? Doesn't look like any metal I've seen before. And no exhaust? You actually flew in this, right? You didn't jusy drift all the way out here," he looked up at Ghongh and asked.

He listens to Ghongh, quietly thinking over his statement. "...Hang on, a check-in? That's all?" Soon after he says this, the gears start turning in his head. "If this guy really is a Namekian, they're supposed to be isolationists on their home planet. If he's saying there's some off-world...some on a no-contact planet...then I might have a case here. Oh, sure, I can take him there, but then I'll bust him and whoever he's lookin' for on the grounds of trespassing on a protected world, then I might finally get the promotion that gets me off this can!" A grin spreads across his face. He quickly snaps out of his thoughts to address Ghongh again. "Oh, of course. I mean, normally escorts and welfare checks are for officers stationed on the planet but, in this case, we can make an exception," he says with a clever grin. He pauses again, clearing his throat and composing himself, half turning away from Ghongh as he continues. "Now, I'll have to make some preparations before departing. A Patrolman cannot simply leave his station unannounced, you see. The work we do is vital to galactic peace, so we have to act professionally." He starts sounding more serious and official, fully turning to the bay door and walking off. "Plus, I'm sure you need to use the bathroom or resupply. Follow me, I'll give you the tour and give you what supplies we can spare," he says, marching back into the station.

The Patrolman's brow started to twitch as Ghongh presented his story again. "...Look, I gave you a chance, so don't blame me for what comes next," he says, pocketing the pad. He's about to reach for the sidearm on his hip but hesitates. "...Looking at the size of this guy, I better call for backup," he says to himself. Instead, he reaches for another pocket and pulls out a communicator. He opens and it begins to attempt to make a call when he notices his alerts are backed up. "Eesh, I should take care of these. Not like this boonie knows I'm just buying time." He starts to clear his alerts and begins to notice something, an official bulletin from Galactic Patrol Headquarters reporting a Namekin moving through the galaxy, followed by some photos taken of Ghongh when he checked in at other Patrol Stations; some official photos to confirm his presence, and a few candid ones by more excitable patrolmen wanting to prove they saw an actual Namekian. Looking through the pics and reports, the Patrolman starts to notice he matches the description of the guy standing before him. "Huh? W-wait a minute," he says in realization and does a double-take with Ghongh. He holds the communicator up in front of his face, comparing the photo to the actual Namekian before him. His jaw goes slack in shock, his mouth skewing into an exasperated frown. Realizing Ghongh is still watching him, he quickly puts on a forced smile. "Actually, nevermind, I just remembered, big report down the line about you. Just had to do a background check, you're good. The other stations filed reports for you." He pauses to clear his throat and tries to act cool. "I mean, you've met others, you have to understand that being a Patrolman requires a higher level of scrutiny than any planetary pedestrian. Now, where was it you wanted to go? Earth," he asked, sounding a bit more polite this time as he started working on his communicator again. "Earth, Earth, Ea-ah! Here we go." He's quiet again, as he seems to be reading through the profile. "Underdeveloped, low to no contact, hang on a minute," he says looking up to Ghongh again, taking an authoritative tone. "Earth isn't part of the galactic community, it's on the protected list. What do you want with a planet like that...uhm, exactly," he pivoted into his polite tone again right at the end.