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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Davies" data-source="post: 8564738" data-attributes="member: 30538">The Sea Dragons/海の竜<img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-Ttg8kSR/0/dd97903e/M/Megas_S-Force-M.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />The current Sea Dragon teamIn 1996, the managers of the Hinotori thinktank, based in Tokyo, reported to their government that their hyperbrains had achieved a number of breakthroughs -- notably the creation of an alloy with a tensile strength similar to steel mesh and a weight similar to nylon, a variety of miniaturized electromagnetic projectors, and sophisticated cybernetic controls -- that possessed remarkable synergistic potential. Specifically, these discoveries could be, and had been, combined to create a suit of clothes that could empower their wearer, turning an ordinary human being into a superpower. It seemed that an effective super-soldier process had at last been discovered, and the Japanese government immediately ordered the creation of a small number of these suits for use by the Self Defense Forces.That was when the difficulty emerged. The first suit manufactured, fashioned in red and white after <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Japan" target="_blank">the Hinomaru</a>, was assigned to Captain Saotome Hikaru of the Air Self Defense Forces. He wore it proudly for roughly one minute before he dropped dead on the spot. The autopsy revealed that his internal organs had suffered incredibly rapid aging, as though he had lived roughly one year for every second he had worn the suit. Subsequent tests, even using the other suits, had similar results. (It has since been theorized that one of the inventors deliberately sabotaged the suits, though their reasons for having done so remain unclear; the most likely suspect committed suicide shortly after the prototypes were delivered.)For a time, it seemed that a great deal of lives and money had been expended to no point and purpose, as is distressingly common for this sort of research, and the suits were returned to Hinotori for storage. A few months later, however, during the first daikaiju attack, janitor Naoya Shotaro impulsively donned the prototype suit and launched himself into battle against the monster, hoping that he could accomplish something before he died, whether because of the suit or in combat. While his contribution to the defense of Tokyo was ultimately judged to be minimal, by the time that his unconscious form was recovered, it was noted that Naoya had worn the suit for more than an hour without suffering as previous users had.It soon became apparent that those who had claimed that the suits 'turn[ed] an ordinary human being into a superpower' had spoken more literally than they knew. Counterintuitively, the technology used by the costume placed a greater stress on the biology of a skilled or accomplished person who wore it than it did on the biology of someone without much training or experience. Naoya Shotaro, a high school drop-out, was therefore able to use it safely where Saotome Hikaru, a highly-trained veteran pilot with several doctorates, was unable to do so. He was asked to continue to use the suit as a superhero, and to assist in selecting additional individuals to wear the others. He selected a number of young people of his acquaintance, who often had attitude problems.In the quarter-century since then, the Sea Dragons (as they have come to be called) have been the mainstays of the Japanese superpower community, with a team consisting of five individuals -- often youths -- who typically serve no more than three years before they can no longer safely use the suits. Ironically, many of them become victims of their own success, as developing the talent to use the suit effectively increases the stress that it places on their health. After "graduating" from active duty, many of them continue to serve as members of the support team for the organization, following in the footsteps of Naoya, who has become the director of the Hinotori Institute that maintains the suits and their users. (Having used the first suit for four years, he resembles a man in his seventies and is an excellent advertisement for the dangers of staying active for too long.)An additional difficulty that Sea Dragon operatives face is that they are required to keep their identities a secret from the general public. While this is not uncommon among superheroes, it is not a choice for the Sea Dragons; should any of them deliberately reveal to another person -- through any means -- that they use the suit, it immediately and irrevocably ceases to function. Bewilderingly, persons who discover the truth independently of such deliberate reveals, as with the support staff, do not cause this power loss. The reasons for this are every bit as mysterious as the requirements for a person to use the suits safely.Sea Dragon -- PL 9Abilities:STR 6/0 | STA 6/0 | AGL 6/0 | DEX 0 | FGT 6/0 | INT 1 | AWE 1 | PRE 1Powers:Instant Change: Feature 1 (instant change to or from Sea Dragon Costume) - 1 pointSea Dragon Costume: Removable (-25 points) - 100 points<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Amazing Confidence: Enhanced Advantages 11 (Fearless 2, Jack-of-all-trades, Ranged Attack 8); Enhanced Defenses 20 (Dodge 4, Parry 4, Fortitude 4, Will 8); Impervious Will 8, Limited to Mental Effects - 35 points</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dragon Wings: Flight 8 (500 MPH), Aquatic, Concentration, Wings - 5 points</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Physical Enhancement: Enhanced Advantages 5 (Agile Feint, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Power Attack, Takedown); Enhanced Agility 6; Enhanced Fighting 6; Enhanced Stamina 6; Enhanced Strength 6; Immunity 10 (life support) - 63 points</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Weapons: Array (19 points)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Energy Blast: Ranged Damage 10, Activation (Move Action, -1 point) - 19 points</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Energy Burst: Ranged Burst Area Damage 7, Activation (Standard Action, -2 points) - 1 point</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Flare: Ranged Burst Area Affliction 9 (Resisted by Fortitude; Visually Impaired, Visually Disabled, Visually Unaware), Limited to One Sense - 1 point</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Shocker: Ranged Affliction 9 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated) - 1 point</li> </ul></li> </ul>Advantages:Agile Feint, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Fearless 2, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8, Takedown, TeamworkSkills:Deception 4 (+5), Expertise: Pop Culture 4 (+5), Expertise: Science 4 (+5), Insight 3 (+4), Perception 3 (+4).Offense:Initiative +6Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 6)Energy Blast +8 (Ranged Damage 10)Shocker +8 (Ranged Fortitude 9)Energy Burst -- (Ranged Burst Area Damage 7)Flare -- (Ranged Burst Area Fortitude 9)Defense:Dodge 10, Parry 10, Fortitude 10, Toughness 8/6, Will 8Totals:Abilities 6 + Powers 101 + Advantages 1 + Skills 9 + Defenses 0 = 117 pointsOffensive PL: 9Defensive PL: 9Resistance PL: 9Skill PL: 0Complications:Varies, But Always Heroic--Motivation. Secret Identity.Note: Experienced Sea Dragon operatives might have Leadership, Acrobatics, Close Combat: Unarmed or Stealth skills, additional Expertises, and possibly slightly higher mental abilities. They cannot have Skill PL 4 or higher, however.誰だ誰だ誰だ空のかなたに踊る影"Who is it, who is it, who is it/That shadow dancing in the sky"</blockquote>

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