Muttering something unkind under her breath, Brady lowered her crossbow and planted her foot in the stirrup to prepare a second shot. Arbalesty wasn't exactly her strong suit, but she wasn't ready to close rank just yet - better to let Crag charge in and wear them down a bit while she picked them off from a distance.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Any time now,</span>she thought, glancing uncertainly up at Cragsplitter. Despite his earlier enthusiasm, the big bear showed no signs of closing ranks with the enemy. Just what was holding him up, anyway?<br/><br/>As if to answer her question, Cragsplitter's outline began to waver as an unknown power took hold of his body. The giant ursine's body flickered, then flashed, then simply disappeared into thin air, leaving no trace of the big bear... and worse, leaving Brady facing saven mercenaries without a hint of cover.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">~Uh, Brady?~</span>Crew's apprehensive tone edged its way into the lizardgirl's consciousness.<span style="font-style: italic">~This is part one of a plan, right? We're not just charging in blind and hoping for the best... again?~</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">~Er.... not exactly,~</span>Brady replied, backpedaling as she fished for another bolt from her quiver. Truth be told, it pretty much<span style="font-style: italic">was</span>her plan for the time being, aside from the "charging" part - she wasn't going into that fracas if she could help it. Of course, hanging back was problematic as well - her powers wouldn't be much use at this range, and trading shots was a losing prospect. What she really needed was some way of evening the odds...<br/><br/>Almost on cue, the corridor behind Brady echoed with the sound of padded footfalls, accompanied by a rasping noise like something soft and heavy being dragged along the flagstones. Curious, and wary of being flanked, Brady hazarded a glance over her shoulder, her face lighting up in recognition as she spotted two familiar faces from the Bright Blades camp - Asulf and Teran, if she remembered correctly. She didn't know much about them, but it didn't really matter at the moment - as long as they could handle themselves in a fight, they were a welcome addition to the team.<br/><br/>They still had their work cut out for them, though - a fact that the twang of a loosing bowstring brought all to sharply to Brady's attention. Whirling back to face her attackers, she spotted the incoming projectile just in time to throw herself to the side, off balance but mercifully intact... for the moment, at least. Unfortunately, the maneuver left her in a poor position to avoid a follow-up, a fact Holka was all to quick to capitalize upon.<br/><br/>Luckily, Brady had a few tricks up her sleeve.<br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Brady attempts to manifest <span style="font-style: italic">grip of iron</span> without a display. (DC 16)<br/><br/>Concentration: 1d20 (15) + 8 = 23, success! No AoO provoked for manifestation. 23/27 power points remaining.<br/><br/>Grapple: 1d20 (7) + 10 = 17</div></div></div><br/>Holka's hands came to rest on Brady's waist, but that was as far as he was going to get. Before the feline's grip could find purchase, Brady's hands were on his own, prying him loose with a grip that was almost vicelike.<br/><br/>"You need to learn how to treat a lady," Brady said as she shoved the tiger man's grasping paws aside. "Because I'll have you know, I'm more lady than you can handle..."<br/><br/>Taking a step back, Brady reached into the depths of her mind and drew forth a measure of psychic energy, shaping and guiding it into a mental mold held firmly in her foremost conscious. She took a moment to finalize her desired shape, then released the completed power in mid-stride, infusing her cells with the energy and impetus for growth. And grow they did: in less than a second, the normally petite lizardgirl had already sprung up to an impressive six and a half feet tall. Another second, and she towered at nearly eight feet, and still growing. Crew had barely enough time to scamper to Brady's shoulder as the rest of her clothes and gear were subsumed by the expanding body mass, giving anyone who cared to look an eyeful of the giant chameleon girl's naked form.<br/><br/>Finishing her growth spurt at ten feet, the power still flowing through Brady's body settled into making more subtle changes: hardening scales, tightening tendons, padding the more sensitive portions of her anatomy against injury... and then, adding a bit of extra padding to her breasts and buttocks, just for good measure. By the time her power finished its work, Brady was almost as tall and curvacious as Sunete - minus the bulging belly, of course. But she'd be addressing that minor difference shortly...<br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Brady takes a 5 foot step back and manifests minor metamorphosis for 5 power points (ML 5th due to Body Control). 18/27 power points remaining.<br/><br/>Brady chooses the following options:<br/>· Increase size by one size category (+2 Strength, -2 Dexterity)<br/>· +2 enhancement bonus to Strength<br/>· +2 enhancement bonus to Dexterity<br/>· +1 natural armor<br/>· 5 temporary hit points</div></div></div><br/><br/>Brady - AC 17, Touch AC 11, HP - 20/20<br/>Active Powers:<span style="font-style: italic">grip of iron</span>(4 more rounds),<span style="font-style: italic">minor metamorphosis</span>(encounter)