NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Davies" data-source="post: 8177807" data-attributes="member: 30538">Captain Mystic (I)<img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-xvQBwCf/0/8fc9b302/S/Doctor_Fate%2527s_half-helmet-S.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-2QtZRbt/0/c8158d5f/S/lfa-S.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />UnmaskedFrancis Tyler's mother told everyone that her husband had been killed when the Nazis invaded Belgium, and that she'd fled back home to the United States with their child so that he could be raised in the Land of Liberty. This was, Francis would eventually learn, untrue. She had not been married to his father, a French journalist noted for having undertaken numerous motorcycle expeditions, and they had been parted by a quarrel, not death. When Francis found out that his father had been a collaborator, he decided not to inquire any further about the man.As a child, though, Francis knew none of this. He grew up in the company of his aunt and uncle while his mother worked as a secretary for a great metropolitan newspaper. Later, he would join her as an office boy for the Herald Tribune, and eventually became a young reporter -- a 'cub' in the newspaper jargon of the day. He had a fascination for the strange stories that were becoming more and more common, but his wilder imaginings were gently (and not so gently) curbed by the editorial staff, notably Owen LeBrett.Still, his talent for finding the story could not be denied, and so he found himself sent on expeditions across the country, and then across the world. It was while on one such journey, taking him to Cairo to cover the account of a giant scorpion monster who'd been repelled from destroying the Old Aswan Dam at high cost, that he discovered the Amulet of Jedidiah in the ruins of a tenement that had been leveled by the creature's rampage. It fascinated him, though he wasn't sure why, and when he attempted to consult with scholars about it, he was told that it was nothing more than tourist trash. The hieroglyphs read 'almin', which was just an Arabic name of no particular significance. Probably it was the signature of whoever had carved the thing.Nevertheless, he remained intrigued, and finally succumbed to the strange impulse to put it on. "I wonder what you were thinking when you made this thing, Almin?" he said aloud -- and then everything changed. He abruptly became a figure in blue and gold, far more robust than he'd ever been before, filled with more power than he knew what to do with. But that confusion lasted only a moment, as the sounds of screams from outside the hotel room told him that something was amiss, and he soon learned that the scorpion monster had not been as dead as they'd believed. He didn't even think twice before launching into battle with the beast, pounding it into oblivion.When he returned home, Francis was beset with questions about the mysterious superhero who'd emerged from nowhere to physically battle an atomic monster with his gloved hands. He considered telling them the truth, then decided that it was best to act as though he was still outside the story, an observer ... albeit one who had spoken to the helmed figure, who asked to be called Captain Mystic. He became known as the source for stories on the Captain, and the fees for the stories helped to support both himself and his mother.If there was any real problem with the situation, it was that he almost never had any real time to rest. Between his reporting, his solo heroism and his work with the Institute, he had to be ready for action at all hours. And being Captain Mystic, the perfect exemplar of truth, justice, and the American Way, the man who did not lie, smoke, drink or swear, was a hard burden to bear for a man who had a normal level of enjoyment of the simpler pleasures in life. People who knew Francis could tell that he was under stress, but they thought it was just the difficulties of life in the sixties that were getting to him.And then the nightmare began. He took the field in the Battle of Vietnam relatively late, believing that the might of his Amulet would allow him to face Stardust as a peer. He was disabused of this notion very quickly. Even when he broke past his own limits, wielding the light as a weapon for the first time, it didn't even faze the Super-Wizard. The best that could be said was that he was still alive, though broken in many ways, when Stardust finally moved on. The Captain forced himself to rise once more, but the Battle was over by that point. The villain had fled. And the hero ... was someone else.The Captain was airlifted to a hospital in Japan to have his injuries treated. When the nurse asked him if he could take off the helmet so she could see if he had injuries beneath it, he wearily agreed. Off it came, and he asked her how bad it was. She smiled, a gentle smile, and told him that he was a very handsome fellow, with just a few bruises. She showed him his face in the mirror, and he was startled to see that it was the face he always had, not that of the super-being he'd always imagined. He was just a man, who'd done what he'd been able to do, and whether or not it was enough was for later generations to decide.He didn't start dating that nurse, one Sasaki Yui, until he'd been out of her care for a while, and he was sure that his feelings were genuine, and that she shared them. They were married in 1974, and their only daughter was born in 1975. The injuries that he'd suffered troubled him throughout the remainder of his life, and so he abandoned his heroic identity when Yuriko was born, focusing on studying and learning about the Amulet, changing what it could do so that the next user would be better equipped to fight the never-ending battle.When Francis died, in 1988, he was somewhat stunned to discover that there was, at least in his case, an afterlife. Some part of his consciousness was preserved within the Amulet. He cannot easily communicate with his daughter, and she does not know that this fragment of his mind still exists, but he has continued to study the Amulet of Jedidiah from within, and in the process learn about its connections -- tenuous though they may be -- with other Artifacts. These things were made to stand against great evils, like Stardust or Abraxas or Galactor or whatever he's calling himself these days. And though Francis may have set down the burden of that fight, he's not about to stop backing up his daughter or her friends with everything he has and then some.Captain Mystic (I) -- PL 11Abilities:STR 12/8/0 | STA 10/0 | AGL 8/0 | DEX 6/0 | FGT 10/1 | INT 1 | AWE 2 | PRE 6/3Powers:Amulet of Jedediah: Activation (Standard Action; -2 points)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Amulet Attacks: Array (15 points)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Bringer of Light: Environment 7 (bright light) - 1 point</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Magical Strength: Enhanced Strength 4; Leaping 7 (900 feet) - 15 point</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Amulet Augmentation: Enhanced Agility 8; Enhanced Dexterity 6; Enhanced Fighting 9; Enhanced Presence 3; Enhanced Stamina 10; Enhanced Strength 8; Immunity 10 (life support); Impervious Toughness 10 - 108 points</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Amulet Database: Comprehend 4 (languages) - 13 points</li> </ul>Advantages:Defensive Attack, Evasion, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Inspire, Language 3 (several), Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Investigation), Takedown.Skills:Athletics 6 (+18/+14/+6), Expertise: Current Events 8 (+9), Expertise: Streetwise 8 (+9), Insight 10 (+12), Intimidation 6 (+12/+9), Investigation 8 (+9), Perception 9 (+11), Persuasion 7 (+13/+10), Stealth 6 (+14/+6).Offense:Initiative +12Unarmed +10/+1 (Close Damage 8/0)Magical Strength +10 (Close Damage 12)Defense:Dodge 10/2, Parry 12/3, Fortitude 12/2, Toughness 10/0, Will 9Totals:Abilities 14 + Powers 127 + Advantages 10 + Skills 34 + Defenses 13 = 198 pointsComplications:Doing Good--Motivation. Fame. Family (mother.) Power Loss (Amulet, cannot activate if unable to speak.) Secret Identity.</blockquote>

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