The NEW Vanguard! Stormbreaker Issue 1: "Where he walks, the Tailors shut up shop..."

Stormbreaker

Body	6
Mind	6
Spirit	13
Hero Points	0

EDITED with more details!

========

“So what are we talking?”

The shadowy figures stood sizing each other up. Around them were armed members of their gangs.
One spoke up. He stood alone, different from the others. His confidant stance, easy speech and glint in his eye told another story. He was speaking from a position of strength rather than from one of weakness.

“Let’s say… two thirds. Two-Thirds of everything that goes down in Glasgow. Everything. If you hold out on me…?” he chuckled.

“Ye’re nuts!” laughed one of the thugs. The others joined in with laughter.

“Yeah? Perhaps… a demonstration…”

==========



The constant rain was a feature of the country. Some saw it as a bane, others loved the greenery, the life of the countryside that the rainfall brought.

Alex Sutherland couldn't help but smile at the groans of the others. It was good to be back here, where it had all started for him. As a student on an exchange program he'd been interested in history, archaeology in general and the occult. He'd met a kindred spirit in Professor Martin Carmichael and the youngster had broken through the gruff outer crust of the busy professor with his enthusiasm and aptitude.

It was whilst on a dig to find a supposed tomb of a long dead Viking king that he'd found the legendary sword, Stormbreaker. The fact that he'd taken the sword itself to stop it falling into the hands of a corporate sponsored dig team had sat uneasy with him at first, but proved completely justified when the dig site was closed off to the University and all the finds turned up on auction sites and in the hands of private collectors, scattered across the world and for a large profit by the other dig team. The sword was different. It called to him, bonded with him, considered him a kindred spirit.

And it had changed him.

The changes were subtle at first, but over time he grew more powerful, superhuman even, and the sword moulded the man it needed to wield it. It had been taken from the dig site by the corporates, led by a Frenchman called Charles Renier, a man notorious for getting rich by stealing other peoples finds. Though it hadn't been proven, Carmichaels team had been ordered off the site thanks to a bribe handed to a local government official. Even as Alex had watched the muck encrusted sword be taken away, he knew it wouldn't be the last he saw of it. That night whilst the rest of the dig team were in their tents and resting for the next day when they'd pack up and leave, he stumbled across the muck encrusted sword near a stream where he'd stumbled for a call of nature. More than that, there was another, similar shaped object nearby. Somehow, the power of the sword had conspired to not only get itself back to Alex who'd found it and first lifted it from the thousand odd years of muck it had lain in, but to provide a substitute. Some lesser weapon of low or no worth, and indistinguishable from the original.

He'd sneaked into the dig site, dropped the substitute in the tomb and vanished into the night.

Now he was back in Scotland, five years later at the request of his old friend Carmichael. The two had greeted one another like father and son at the airport. As for the sword, Alex knew it'd find its way to him through customs and would be waiting for him at the hotel where he stayed, or anywhere else he remained for any length of time. Carmichael had found another dig site, the twin to the one of the Viking King they'd found five years earlier, and wanted Alexs' expertise on the site, given Carmichael himself was now an old man and due to retire soon.

"I don' wan' that bastard Renier gettin' his hands on th' site again laddie. Get yer people in, get it dug up as fast and as carefully as ye can, an ah'll see tae th' official channels bit with as much red tape as ah can muster." he'd growled over a whisky in his study.

=========

Alex had heard through the grapevine that Renier and his people had arrived in Scotland for 'talks with the local authorities on matters of extreme historical importance.' He knew what that meant. Time was against them.

"Careful with that!" he'd ordered as a student clumsily dragged an urn from a partially uncovered section of the tomb. Too rough and it would shatter, spilling the contents into the mud that had been churned up by incessant rain. The covers were whipped about because of the wind and it was hard, hard work. For the others. Alex was nigh on tireless and enjoyed the challenge, if not the reasons for its haste.

His lead digger, a young woman named Fiona McBride, broke off to answer the phone after cleaning it on her dirty sweater. She gasped, and he knew something had happened. Fiona paused, then turned to everyone else. “Stop what ye’re doin’ an’ fence the place off. We’re callin’ off th’ dig an’ headin’ back tae Edinburgh.”

At the shouts and protests she raised her hands. She looked visibly shocked. “Professor Carmichael, the curator of the museum… there’s been a fire. He’s dead.”

Alex looked up. He’d met Carmichael when he’d arrived in Edinburgh years ago and signed up for the dig. Hard to get on with for most, dedicated to his work, very intelligent, knowledgeable and passionate about the myths, legends and history of Scotland and Ireland.

Alex stopped what he was doing and stared into the mud. Martin Carmichael had asked him back here. He knew - had had some instinct, gut feeling, that something would happen. Something terrible. Momentous.

A sudden chill rand down his back. Somewhere, someone was laughing, and he heard a lilting voice call out “Come on boyo, am waitin’ fer ye…”. Had he imagined it…? He looked around, and saw only wild moors, rolling hills, stormy clouds and sweeping rain. Aside from himself and a half dozen or so diggers on an archaeological dig who'd tracked down and uncovered the cairn of a prominent Viking King who'd died here in the Dark Ages, there was no one else around...

Fiona turned to the American visitor. "Sorry tae cut ye're visit short an' all. We... I just need tae get back an' find out wha' happened..."

If it needs changing again, let me know

Stormbreaker

Body	6
Mind	6
Spirit	13
Hero Points	0

Alex felt a chill of premonition. He had arranged for the sword to be shipped to himself in a crate, marked as a personal antique but it wasn't due to arrive for a few days yet. It only moved on its own when it felt the need to, and not for his benefit. Combined with the news of the professors death.. something simply felt off. Shaking off the chill he nods to Fiona. "I.. I understand. The Professor was a close friend of mine.. I think I need a minute. You should hurry back, the boys can get things fenced off." With that he turns and wanders off, apparently to get some time alone. In reality he looks for the first opportunity to slip away without being seen. He casts out with his mind, hoping he the voice he had heard was in fact the sword. [i]You've brought your self here then.. Where are you?" While waiting for an answer he finds himself a secluded spot and takes to the air, stopping about a quarter mile up.


Dice: Theif at 9 aps for stealth to slip away
Auto1: Attempt to communicate telepathically, Stormbreaker should be open to Alex talking to it, though admittedly it has a much better range then it gives Alex to use.. and that voice might have been something else.
Auto2: 8 Aps of flight to zip up 1/4 mile

OOC: I hope its ok that I'm just going ahead with this before the character sheet is fully finished. I've got a pretty solid handle on what stuff I'm set on and it should all be affordable so I'll stick to using those things.

Stormbreaker

Body	6
Mind	6
Spirit	13
Hero Points	0

'I am here' rasped a cold voice in Alexs' mind. The air crackled around Alexs' hand as he floated in the air, looking down at rolling green valleys and snow capped mountains in the distance. Deep pine forests and winding streams suggested tranquillity.

A gut feeling told him otherwise.

The sword, a massive weapon of shining steel and deadly edge, appeared in Alexs' grasp and he felt complete once again.

'Great Evil is abroad' stated the sword. As usual it was enigmatic. No clue as to where or what form the danger would take.

Edinburgh was some distance - around 200 miles or a 4 hour drive to the south. As the crow - or rather as he flew, it would take less time. Of course, that depended on how protective he was of his secret identity and life thereafter were it to be revealed.

Britain was not like America in its treatment of superhumans. A few years ago all unregistered superhumans - those who kept their masks on and did not reveal their identities to the authorities - were considered outlaws. After an extremely troubling period which saw Hero pitted against Hero and villains unhindered in their pursuit of their goals, public opinion became so fierce it forced a rethink. Now the Superhero community policed itself - headed by the extremely powerful Adjutant. He couldn't be everywhere at once but he was fast enough to be anywhere on planet Earth in seconds, powerful enough to shatter mountains. A man, therefore, to avoid making an enemy of.

Reunited with the sword, Alex had a choice to make. Maintain his cover as a former student and guest of Professor Carmichael or make all haste to Edinburgh to investigate the death of the man he considered a friend and mentor, in most respects.

Alex smiles as he closes his fingers around the grooved hilt, it was good to have the sword on hand. In many ways he felt naked without it, for all his own personal power he was only a fraction of what he could do with the sword, and he knew that was only a drop in the bucket in comparison to what the sword could do. More would come he knew, with time. The releived look passes as the blade speaks to him though. It had never before come directly to him like this, on the few occasions where it bothered to move of its own will. He had always understood that his challanges were his to solve and face and that Stormbreaker would aid him no further then he had earned. He knew intimately what he was capable of when wielding the blade and simply having it come to him like this was not one of those things. Exceptions were as far as he knew, unheard of. So was refering to anything as 'great'. The picture looked exceptionally dire given those points..

Still, he needed to cover his bases. He pulled out a cell and flipped it open, he still favored flip phones for their sturdyness. All the fancy features in the world didn't matter if the phone broke after a rough landing or getting bounced off the ground once or twice after all. He dials Fiona's number and does his best to sound mourning, easy considering that he was. "Fiona? It's Alex, I'm going to stay out here for a bit, head back on my own once.. well once my head is a little clearer. Can you let the boys know? I'd really appreciate it." Then he sighs for effect and hangs up. Pocketing the phone he makes full speed for Edinburgh, a trip that should take him less then a minute or so. His goal was the hotel he was staying at, specifically the balcony of his room. He had a 'change of clothing' waiting for him there, just incase he needed to do something outside of what 'Alex Sunderland' could handle.

Auto1/Dice?: Calling Fiona, or one of the work crew if he has that number instead. I'm not sure if that's going to take a roll or not, but if so I'm confidant in it
Auto2: 14 Aps of flight to get to Edinburgh, staying high enough up to avoid damage to the terrain, and stay out of easy view.

Stormbreaker

Body	6
Mind	6
Spirit	13
Hero Points	0

Having left a message (the phone reception was lousy up here) Alex hoped Fiona would get it before she wasted time looking for him.

Then he turned and pointed towards Edinburgh, soaring low and fast, the air in his wake making a small crack (OOC I wonder if something as small as a human being would actually make a sonic boom, or if it would be greatly reduced over say, a supersonic jet which weighs dozens of tons as opposed to around 100kg and much smaller size.) as he blasted across the wild green landscape at a speed of around 4 miles per second! It blurred past, and he had to gain altitude to avoid the mountains that rose into view rather alarmingly!

Racing through the clouds and taking in great gulps of air, he felt the temperature on his skin rise as air friction created a bubble of heat around him. Even so, he knew his superhuman body could stand it easily enough though an ordinary human would have blacked out or be scorched by now!

Soon outlying towns and villages came into view, and from there it was easy to pick up roads towards Scotlands capital. Making use of the deepening shadows of the afternoon Alex slowed and swooped between the canyons of buildings. Even though the world was much used to seeing and hearing of the fantastic (and infamous, sometimes!) exploits of superhumans, it was still a surprise to see one for those who chanced to look up and see a blur for a brief instant!

=========

Stepping in from his balcony Alex quickly made for his costume, stashed in a locked suitcase and even then hidden in a separate compartment

Once properly attired he turned to the window. There were a number of options to explore if he wanted to find out more about Professor Carmichaels death. The most obvious was the Museum, where the fire had taken place. The area would be crawling with Police, Fire services and the press, which was something to bear in mind.

Another place to check on was Carmichaels office at the University, and perhaps ask around to see if the professor had made any enemies recently. That assumed there was foul play at work of course, and not some simple fire. A fire at a museum was almost always caused by intent with the strict safety measures in place to protect the precious artifacts.

Finally there would be Carmichaels home. He was a widower by several years and his only son worked around the world on archaeological sites. Alex felt for him - David was a gentle soul, always laughing and the only time he'd met the Professors son it had been a genuine pleasure, getting drunk in a pub whilst talking 'shop' about the shared passion for history they had. Of course, the female company had been distracting too, and the pair, both young and in their prime, had pledged to repeat the experience, only for real life to get in the way.

Now, years later Alex was back and the outlook was grim with regards the visit being in any way enjoyable...

Alex sighs a little as he considers himself before heading back out, He was wearing his initial uniform, something he had shelved a couple of years ago in favor of lower key, higher powered enchanted equipment. Equipment that had all been scrapped during his last 'big' adventure, still it would serve for now. Pulling the goggles down over his eyes he smiles a little, remembering how much trouble flying at high speed had caused him at first. Stepping out onto the balcony he considers his options. He needed to get a feel for the fire he decided, and made for the Museum at his best reasonable speed. He could conduct his own investigation without touching a single thing, and it wasn't like the police could functionally stop him.


Auto1: flight 8 to get to the museum
Dice: Any kind of navigation action to get there, if needed he can use..
Auto2: Superspeed at 5 to check a map if needed.

After that Alex will want to get to the museum and use magic sense to determine if the arson was magical or mundane in nature. And he's sufficiently reckless to just go and float over the wreckage to do said sensing without asking the police. He's a little bit of a loose cannon when he's set off

Stormbreaker

Body	6
Mind	6
Spirit	13
Hero Points	0

OOC Have I got his latest character sheet? I may have missed it/not updated my records but I can't see Magic Sense.

Alex soared over the rooftops of the city, flying as an arrow or crow directly for the museum, a place he knew well.

He paused, recalling the many hours he and the Professor had debated, planned and excavated long lost tombs. It took dedication, investigation, long hours and back breaking effort, but the reward, the thrill of the find... it was worth it. Carmichaels passion for the search of knowledge was infectious and had passed onto the young student.

The Academic world had not been the only one to suffer the loss of a fine mind and a great talent. Alex had lost a father figure, a colleague, a dear friend.

He snarled, reining in his temper and remembering the lessons. Stay calm. Rational thought was the only way to overcome despair, disappointment, to bounce back from failure. He saw the streets around the museum cordoned off. Police blues bounced reflections from neighbouring buildings that glistened, slick wet with rain. There were dozens of them here, and the fire service personnel were cleaning up their apparatus. The Museum looked at least partially destroyed.

Alex could have wept in that moment.

Then he saw someone else conversing with a grizzled looking officer.



He recognised Captain Claymore, a Scottish superhero who, like Stormbreaker, possessed a powerful magic sword that was the source of his powers! Claymore was a fiercely proud nationalist and vocal backer of Scottish devolution but had sided with the anti-registration heroes in the 'civil war' between the heroic community that had almost torn Britain asunder. When peace, and a truce, had come, Claymore had angrily declared that he and the anti-registration group had been right before going back to his native Scotland and warning the UKChampions to stay out of his homeland or suffer the consequences!

He was a tall man, some six and a half feet tall. Powerfully built, as big as the largest body builders, he seemed not to care about the cold, rain or wind even as the Police around him huddled up in their coats. His face was grim from what Alex could see from a rooftop vantage point. Just then the man narrowed his eyes and looked about, raising a hand to quiet the Detective who was talking to him (who looked annoyed at being interrupted). He glanced about at the rooftops, in the sky and around, and partially pulled the great sword from his scabbard.

Even from here Stormbreaker could see the sword shining like the sun! It's magic was clearly great! The Captain looked upwards then, towards where Stormbreaker had looked from the rooftop, but saw only shadow as Alex had taken a step or two back.

The police, fire, press and a Superhero were on the scene, yet Stormbreaker had a very personal interest in this case! Could he, dare he, light on the crime scene and what would be the reaction?

(Hmm, looks like you're right. Kind of odd as I decided I really should have that if I'm going to add in the magical abilities. I'll work on a new version then. Let's assume 8 APs of magic sense for the moment if that's ok? I'll be shooting to use 8 to 10 APs for that.)

Alex frowns in the shadows and adjusts the belt and scabbard that held Stormbreaker. Claymore being here was a potential problem, though he was here for the same purpose. For a moment he wished for his 'old' gear, it was a good bit more imposing then what he had as a backup - what he was using now. Dismissing the thought he steps from the roof and floats down, ending up some ten feet above the center of the wreckage. Providing he isn't interfered with he casts about with his senses, looking for any signs of mystical influences in the area other then himself, Stormbreaker, and Claymore.

Auto1: Fly down as described without landing on anything so as not to physically disturb the crime scene

From there it depends on what happens, if interrupted he'll use Mystic Freeze on who ever it is if the interruption is an attack of some sort, Provided he wins Initiative (Which he most likely will). If it's non aggressive I'll have to amend his action next post. If he isn't stopped then he'll use Magic Sense as his dice action.

Mystic Freeze would be on 12/7 and Magic Sense would be on 8/8. I'll try to get the updated sheet there together today and send it over ASAP.

Edit: Just thought I should toss this up. I threw it together a couple days ago, it's a quick sketch of Alex's uniform. Slight modifications from the picture being that both gloves are actually gloves, (I just got lazy) and he has a scabbard for Stormbreaker.

Stormbreaker

Body	6
Mind	6
Spirit	12
Hero Points	0

OOC Always good to get a character sketch up - gives a better idea of who we're talking about :)

MISTRUST
[BONUS: 50 ]
A Character with this Drawback is often mistaken for a villain by law enforcement agencies and other heroes. The Character is not trusted among peers and is usually a fugitive from justice. Law enforcement officers and Non-Player Character Heroes will automatically be Hostile toward a Character with this Drawback (see Character Interaction, page 164).Additionally, police will usually attempt to arrest a Mistrusted Character wherever and whenever they encounter him. Note: Villains never receive bonus Hero Points for adopting this Drawback.

"Who th' hell is tha?" spluttered a cop as there was a rush to form a line of Police officers.

They were armed, and pulled guns, several of them shouting for Stormbreaker to "POWER DOWN! GET ON THE FLOOR, FACE DOWN AND DROP THE SWORD!"

Captain Claymore brought his own sword up, and Stormbreaker recalled what he knew of the man from a couple of years ago when the Superhero 'Civil War' in Britain had made the news even across the pond. As a hero who was fiercely patriotic and nationalist Captain Claymore had stood for the freedom to act as he saw fit in the defence of his homeland, and refused to give up his real identity or comply with the rushed through law that stated all Superhumans who were not registered with the British government would be treated as Outlaws. He'd even gone so far as to threaten the London based Supergroup the UKChampions to stay away from Scotland, which was under his protection.

The public had stood fast behind their hero, and the Scottish press had seen 'which way the wind blew' and changed their stance to support him. When the 'civil war' blew over after a hastily rewritten law that stated all superhumans would be viewed and treated according to their actions, Claymore peeled off his mask anyway and renounced any private life he may have had. Feargus McPhearson had no living relatives to speak of and ceased to be, leaving only Claymore in his place.

Now Claymore shouted, his authoritative voice ringing out "Stand ye're ground intruder! Name ye're self an' ye're intentions, an' know tha' this land is under MY protection, an' ye've got 5 seconds ta explain ye're intent fore ah kick ye're teeth thru th' back o ye're head!"

The reception was hostile, as Stormbreaker had expected. Perhaps they'd had enough of unknown supers turning up unannounced, but the hero and the Police were in no chatting mood. Even so he managed to cast his 'spirit sensing' power about to see if there was magical residue from sorcerous activity.

OOC 2d10 → [7,1] = (8) Success. Claymore shines like a beacon of 'Strong' magical power. Both he and the sword. Indeed, it's almost as if they were one.

Stormbreaker looked at Claymore. The man positively reeked of magic. If this was going to come to a fight chances were that sword of his would prove a match for Stormbreaker. Perhaps even more than a match! Elsewhere in the grounds of the museum a number of magical sources were visible to his sense, with walls no barrier to his ability to detect magic. None were of anything more potent than the man who stood on the ground before him however.

"Detective Taggart! Get ye're men on crowd control. Ah'll deal wi' this un." snarled Claymore.

Still seeing with his magic sense Stormbreaker saw raw magical essence flow from the ground, the people around him, even the trees and animals in the grounds of the museum. The man seemed to claim he was the 'living embodiment of Scotland' and it was a claim that had the ring of truth about it!

OOC Besides that, comics are always full of superhero fights :) Initiative, if it comes to it: Stormbreaker 5 + Initiative 30 (I make it with Superspeed. Your listing of 25 is two up from 23 it should be as he doesn't have lightning reflexes as far as I can tell).. Captain Claymore 4 + Initiative 28. Claymore activates his defensive powers. With the cops and Claymore being 'Hostile' chances are you'll need a really decent roll to persuade them to stand down, seeing as Claymore has Influence 11. You have initiative.

OOC: unless I'm mistaken 9+9+7=25, 30 with the 5 APs of superspeed adding to his Dex, 35 if those APs add to initiative on their own still. I would be surprised if they did, that would be a little powerful after all..

Alex smiles grimly at his reception, of course the police reacted badly to his sudden arrival out of no where. He'd been hopeful that Claymore would have been a little more receptive but he seemed just as agressive as he was..

Hopefully it will keep my last roll, I got a 10 and a 6 Which I think surpasses my serious attraction to engaging the most challenging target available.. (Edit) turns out it doesn't keep die rolls, unfortunate.. You should ask over on the MURPG site about their die roller maybe? It's pretty awesome

.. He wasn't here to fight though, the professor deserved better then a childs squabble over his ashes. Still he had been asked to identify himself, and a slight display never hurt. With a motion few in the world could follow he drew Stormbreaker from it's sheath and held it at arms length, hilt at eye level with the leaf bladed tip pointed at the sky. "We are Stormbreaker! And we do not take well to threats." As he made his declaration, lightening coursed along the length of the swords blade. "Still-" He sighs. "- I do not wish to fight you, a dear friend of mine was in this fire. I am here to find answers." Hopefully his appeal would not fall on deaf ears. If they did he was ready to defend himself.

Actions for the round..

Auto1: Activate Superspeed and add it to Dex, bringing that up to 14 (And his flight up to the same)
Dice: Persuasion attempt at 9/7
Auto2: I'd like to hold this to potentially respond to Captain Claymore's action as I take initiative

Stormbreaker

Body	6
Mind	6
Spirit	12
Hero Points	0

OOC Yeah you'd be adding Superspeed to Dex twice if it boosted initiative, so we'll stick to the +5. I've cooked up *most* of the character in the character builder but there's some custom stuff that doesn't figure too well into it so I need to *bodge it* as it were. The Energy Immunity power, for one. As for dice roller, yeah this site has one built in and its rubbish. Haven't played about with custom code (the last time I wrote any kind of computer code was 30 or so years ago when I taught myself to program in Basic... Don;t think that'd be much use these days) but there may be something on the forums I can copy/use. This isn't a proboards site though not sure if the code on MURPG site will work on this.

Roll for persuasion attempt... 4,6 (10) Failure.

Captain Claymore stood tall, his sword a match for Stormbreaker in size and power, Alex suspected.

More than that, it seemed to have an intangible blade, one like smoke, where before it'd looked like steel. Stormbreaker had an uneasy feeling about the man looking up at the hero.

"Ye'll be puttin' tha pig sticker doon right tha noo laddie." snarled Claymore. "Ah ain't in nae mood tae argue wi ya. An' ah ain't some pussy footin' Champion here tae negotiate. Tha law doon there ain't tha law here, an ye sound like a yank. We dinnae take kindly tae rogues turnin' up an' pushin' us roond on OUR patch!"

"Aye!" shouted some of the policemen as they trained pistols on Stormbreaker.

"Last chance!" shouted the Detective in charge.

"He's way past that." snarled Claymore, and he leapt at Stormbreaker, an incredible leap from the highland warrior and a sweep of that ghostly sword!

OOC It's a mystical attack with a range of touch, so uses Dex but damage uses Spirit. Roll 3,3 (6, double) plus 7,2 (9) total 15. He hits Stormbreaker for 8RAPs of Mystical damage... Stormbreaker is dropped to 4/12 Spirit...HOWEVER seeing as you have initiative and can see the man coming your auto action may affect whether the attack actually occurs.

Captain Claymore landed on the roof behind Stormbreaker and whirled. He was more surprised than anything to see the newcomer not only still hovering in the air, but alive and kicking! "Ah'll give this ye laddie. Ya got balls, an' ya got guts. More'n that, ye can take ma best hit, which is somethin' nae many can do, an' that includes some ah them lot in London think they can push us roond. Still, ah'm takin' ye in. Give in the noo or wake up in a cell, your choice... HOLD OFF ON TH' SHOOTIN YOU LOT! THIS AIN'T TH WILD BLOODY WEST!" he shouted over his shoulder to the police.

OOC It was a powerful mystical attack and Stormbreaker did indeed take it, but he can't take many more like that! Your auto action then Initiative your roll 2, Claymores, 2, so you go first next phase.

OOC I like the idea of using flight to get out of the way. At 14 Aps speed I can zip a mile or so out of range straight up and then come back down. If that changes things I'll go with that . If not then I can get into my one omni artifact, say his gauntlets project a defensive shield against mystical attacks. I think that's a 5 ap mystic shield. I'd prefer not to use it that way if I can avoid it.

Stormbreaker

Body	6
Mind	6
Spirit	12
Hero Points	0

"COWARD!" bellows Captain Claymore as he sees he's target soar straight up at speed, becoming a dot in the sky!

With his intent to attack the fellow thwarted Claymore turns to the police. They continue to work on the crime scene as Claymore looks up to the receding newcomer. For his part Stormbreaker felt sure that the Scotsmans attack would have been potent indeed... and he wasn't out of the woods yet!

He looked above and saw clouds boil and swirl, with lightning dancing about and crackling overhead!

Below he saw the tiny figure on the rooftop and noted that the sword was shining bright white now, a blinding light too painful to look at! Something was happening... He suspected the Scot was setting up some kind of trap or barrier to keep him away from the scene or trap him. Whilst he could argue till he was blue in the face that he meant well and their goals were the same, Stormbreaker knew that it would take more than mere words and noble deeds to make these people trust him. It seemed everyone who was not known to them would be treated thus, and the more powerful they were, the greater the mistrust...

OOC Unless of course they have the Mistrust disadvantage... Either Claymore can't reach a mile or so up or he has something else in mind. Your move...

Admin wrote:Stormbreaker

Body	6
Mind	6
Spirit	12
Hero Points	0

Alex Sunderland was many things, coward he was not. Nor would the sword stand for anything even close to that. Reaching the top of his accent, Stormbreaker arches back and hurtles down towards his opponent at speeds that even the most advanced aircraft would fall short of. Lightening crackles along the blade of his sword as he hurtles towards the ground, bringing it crashing down towards Captain Claymore with a resounding shout!

Auto1: Flight to dive back down
Dice: Critical Blow Maneuver! Lets hope for some good results on this, Claymore has one hell of a punch.
Auto2: I'll hold this to employ my omni artifact for a magic shield against any incoming mystic attacks. I'd rather not use it unless i need to, good thing I got init!

Stormbreaker

Body	6
Mind	6
Spirit	12
Hero Points	0

Like a speeding bullet Stormbreaker sped downwards towards the target with the sword!

OOC Claymore is a canny opponent. He dodges aside and 'at speeds that even the most advanced aircraft would fall short of; it's no easy thing to turn aside... Roll 2d10 → [1,7] = ( Miss (even if he'd not dodged, the critical blow made it too hard to hit with that). It is the sort of thing I'd guess Stormbreaker would do though, so nicely played

At the *very* last moment the man stepped aside, eyes narrowed and Stormbreaker heard him shout "Gauge your enemy boy! You're fast, an' full o fire, but ye battle wi yer heart, no your head, an that..."

CRASH!!!!

"...usually leads to defeat. Bull in a china shop, an' all that..." he added, looking at the hole in the roof of the building he stood on.

OOC RV11 (From Body 6 and Density Increase 5) vs EV9 (speed of dive), no damage sustained. He goes straight through the roof, the next floor, the floor after that and crashed in a pile of rubble into a warehouse amidst boxes...

A voice called out from somewhere. "Gauge your opponent. Know them. Think wi' your head, instead of using it to batter down walls!"

Stormbreaker rose, shaking off plaster and wood, and looking up at the hole in the ceiling.

"Last chance boyo. Ye're powerful. An' that makes ye dangerous, so this is the only chance ah'm givin ya to put th' sword down an' talk before we go at it again."

Stormbreaker couldn't see where his foe was, and clearly he was an experienced, wily foe with a vast repertoire of different powers to call from, including superhuman agility!

Alex looks up at the hole he had just smashed through the building and shakes his head.

I should know better then that.. He shakes his head to clear it, shakes off the debris from the building and floats back up out of the building. "You're the one who started this Claymore! I was happy to talk - tell you what, how about we trade? I'll drop my sword if you'll cut your right arm off! If you want to talk I'm all for it, or you can just sit to the side for a moment and let me figure out if this fire was natural or not.."

He turns around slowly, keeping an eye out for an attack, intent on defending himself from any sudden attacks..

(( I'm not sure about the action breakdown for this, but I want to try talking him down again, I do also want to ready a dodge action incase I need it. Also, I was totally expecting to get flattened this round.. ))

Stormbreaker

Body	6
Mind	6
Spirit	12
Hero Points	0

Stormbreakers words rang out but there was no immediate reply.

He thought he heard a chuckle from above, and wondered if he'd gotten through to the fiercely patriotic Scotsman.

Instead it started to get cold in the area around him, and he turned to see a mist coalescing into spectral warriors from the long distant past! Stifling a curse Stormbreaker saw they were dressed in kilt and traditional Scottish battle dress with face paint and huge swords like Calymore wielded. In addition their hair was in braids or coated with coloured mud and their fierce ghostly aspect was heightened by the various wounds each sported, which Alex figured was the reason their lives had ended!

Claymore shouted down "My clansmen have been summoned! Drop your weapon and surrender! Last chance!"

The warriors, numbering two dozen or so, raised swords and took up fighting stances around Stormbreaker! He wasn't sure if they were real or apparitions, or if they could hurt him, but they seemed to be up for a fight!

Alex rolls his shoulders and settles 'down' into an agressive stance. He was still adrift, feet resting on nothing as he didn't want to cause any more damage to the building.

Fine.. There can be only one and all that..

Narrowing his eyes behind the protective lenses of the aviator goggles he had on he mentally splits the group of spectral warriors up into thirds, picks a group, and launches himself at it with a shout! He wasn't being reckless, he knew his limits and if these were simply the animated dead of regular highland warriors then he would have little to no trouble with even half the group at once by his guess..

Auto1: Flight to be able to reach all of my targets
Dice: Pressing the Attack and multi attack against 8 of the spectral warriors the combination leaving them at +2 OV and +3 RV. I would have used a flailing attack to make a multi attack against the entire group.. but th RV would have been at least in the 16-18 range, or higher.. >,<
Auto2: nothing - wish i had something cool to do with this action

Stormbreaker

Body	6
Mind	6
Spirit	12
Hero Points	0

Flying at the warriors, Stormbreaker swept the sword around and down, intent on taking down up to eight of the spectral warriors!

Even before he got close Stormbreaker saw they moved with experience, skill and were unhindered by such mortal obstacles as gravity, weight and the need to breathe!

OOC 2d10 → [4,7] = (11) Failure (miss)

Swish! Fwoosh! CLANG!

Stormbreaker turned... and saw the ghostly warriors coolly stepping aside! His blows weren't particularly clumsy or inept, but the opponents either were not where the blade landed, or seemed to ignore the blade altogether! It was hard to be sure - they seemed to coalesce into smoke if the blade came too close! How could he hit opponents who were too elusive to lay a blade on?

The warriors seemed to move in concert, stabbing and thrusting their blades from every conceivable angle before withdrawing and waiting for an opportunity to strike again!

OOC 2d10 → [8,10] = (18) Ooooh. Ouch. 6RAPs of MENTAL damage (attack 11APs vs 13OV, 11RV, damage taken as mental). Besides that being a lucky roll Stormbreaker doesn't take much in the way of Mental damage before he goes down...

I can't see anything in the way of a regeneration power so it'll be an hour before he gets to make a recovery... 2d10 → [10,5] = (15) Some good rolls on invisible castle today. Recovers Full (6) Mind, he's awake...

"...awake?"

Alex groaned some - the blades had felt so real, like ice slicing into his body. So many of them, all around... Despite his astonishing reflexes, there had been too many...

As if reading his thoughts a voice called out "How's the head? Probably sore, though you're a tough un laddie. And fast. I seen faster, but not many, an' I been round a few years. Sorry 'bout the chains, but I respected yer privacy."

The chains wrapped around his chest, arms and restraining his legs felt solid and tight - whenever Alex moved they seemed to tighten.

"Magic chains. I use 'em fer holdin bad guys in place. You? Ah'm not so sure ye're a bad guy, but I dinnae wanna fight ye're again. Someone might get hurt."

Stormbreaker looked around. He was still masked, in costume, but appeared to be in a grey stone room that looked very much like a medieval castle. A tapestry on the wall was of an ancient scottish laird, and the place looked like it was plucked from a film about ancient times. "Home, such as it is. Ye won't find nae modern comforts, an' it's bloody cold come th' winter. Still... let's get down tae business. Who are ye? What do ya want? Any reason why I shouldn't chuck you to th' cops, or th' special branch lot who deal with powers like us?"

Captain Claymore stood, arms crossed, about fifteen feet away across the room. His muscled frame looked relaxed, but his face was hard, as if he'd brook no funny business. The sword that gave him his name was sheathed across his back diagonally. Ales' own sword was propped against the wall. Claymore saw Alexs' glance and he nodded. "That's a bloody potent weapon. Ah'll not blow sunshine up yer ass an' say yer a hard man, but anyone that moves like you do an' swings a sword like that is too dangerous tae let wander aboot unless they know their place. So where do ye stand? Good, or bad, an' no lies. Ye were bested, fairly, an' this could go bad, or less bad fer you, your choice."

(( There's 10 APs of invulnerability on his sheet that applies to all forms of damage. He might not be hard to beat down mentally, but keeping him down is an all together different matter. Also, Claymore is just unpleasant.. o.O

On Second thought though, I'll take the result anyway. I'd rather not have the whole place smashed to bits fighting him, and this could be an interesting conversation. I'll edit this post with a proper response in a few!))

Alex shook his head slightly to clear the cobwebs from it, not that there were many. Usually he recovered to consciousness within a few seconds, fast enough that he often didn’t even hit the ground. It took a truly massive quantity of damage to leave him unconscious, and that worried him. Still, Claymore seemed to be willing to talk and he had no real desire to try and fight his way out.

The comments about the castle being short on comforts, and his sword brought a chuckle to Alex’s lips.

“You’re place is fine, beats the pants off of hell – speaking from personal experience there.. As for the sword, I’m fairly sure some ancient Norseman started the whole Legend of Thor with it. I’ve hardly scratched the surface, though he say’s I’m one of the faster of his partners.” Turning his head he glances about the room, experience telling him it was best to know the layout.

“I gave you a name to call us by at the Museum, as for what I want, a dear friend of mine died in that fire. I’m sure you can figure out the rest from there. I mean to find out the nature of that fire, if supernatural then I mean to trace it, if not then the police can deal with it unless circumstance guides me to whoever started it first.” Alex looks down at the chain wrapped around him, eyes narrowing as he attempts to figure out its workings..

((In addition to talking, I want to analyze the chain. Is it an enchanted object, or an actual magical creation? Most importantly, would overcoming it require physical or mystical effort? I’m fine with it taking a round or two to do this effectively. If it takes a dice action for the interaction with claymore, and a dice action to work out the nature of the chains then that’s alright. For working out the nature of the chain I have detect magic, with the magic strength addition, and more importantly the identify artifact and occult knowledge subskills of Occultist, all at 9 APs (Detect Magic has no AV and as such uses my Inf of 11 instead.))

Stormbreaker

Body	6
Mind	6
Spirit	12
Hero Points	0

Captain Claymore looked at Stormbreaker for the moment and turned to look out the window

"I defend this land. I AM the land. When the land and her people thrive, my power grows. When they suffer, my power wanes. Something evil is abroad this day. A friend of mine, a fellow hero called the Grey Druid, went missing earlier. I cannae reach him nor find him, and that bothers me. Then this man, this Professor on whom I have called on to help in matters of historical and mythological matters, is dead. A connection between the two? Perhaps."

He turns to face Stormbreaker who has determined - as far as he can tell - that the chains are conventional metal and not some enchantment. They are tight and bind in such a way that to pull in one direction tightens from another!

"Then ye turn up, with that..." he says with a flick of a head towards the sword. "I dinnae know what it is, or who ye are in terms o friend or foe, but ah know it's all beginnin' tae stink some."

He sighed, and slumped onto a bench. "Druid told me he had been sent a message, a summons, from an old enemy. Ah told him tae tell th' fella tae bugger off an' rot in whatever hell he found himself, but Druid was never as cynical as I. Always dashin' in tae help them that cannae help themselves, even a scheming scumbag like this fella he describes. Ah was meanin' tae check it out. He says there is a castle to the south o Edinburgh in th' hills but ah know nought of it, even though ah know all that happens in this fair land o mine. There is something there though. I can feel it."

"So what ah'm I tae do wi' ya? Me gut says let ye go. Me head says turn ye over tae th' authorities, but I reckon that sword will have somethin' to say bout that. Ah ye a man o honour? If I remove th' chains, will ye swear on that honour tae abide by th' law an go yer way, leavin' me tae sort oot th' mess at the museum? Ah'll find th' killer, no fear on that. But ah cannae do that an worry about someone like you runnin' round wi a sword like that. Ye're too powerful. Too dangerous. An' th' people have had enough o that over th' last few years to tell me to make peace as best ah can before divin' into more senseless battle, though me spirit cries out fer it. What say you?"

OOC Strength to break from the chains... Though this guy has more or less offered to release you...

Alex listens attentively, conversations he had had with Martin running though the back of his mind. In retrospect the professor had hinted at his occasional involvement with other supers. Perhaps he had been trying to get Alex to confess his double life? That question would never be answered now unfortunately.. Still reflecting on it put him in an unusual mood, remorse was not something he often felt these days.

When he was asked what he would do if released he shook his head. "Feargus, I cannot make such an oath. I can't stand by and let someone else follow clues that likely lead to Martin's killers. My suggestion to you is to let me go, and we can work together to solve this. If your friend is even close to your power and you haven't heard anything from him then it will have taken someone of considerable strength to silence him, you'll likely need the help." His appeal was sincere, volatile as he could be at times he had no desire to fight with the worlds heroes and this seemed to be an excellent lead.. both excellent reasons to work together in Alex's mind.

Stormbreaker

Body	6
Mind	6
Spirit	12
Hero Points	0

Claymore ponders for a moment...

He raises an eyebrow at the mention of his name. "May as well call me Mickey Mouse as much as Feargus McPhearson. The name is nothin' to me now. A noise. Ah see ye wear a mask, an' ah've respected yer privacy. Don't give me reason tae regret it laddie."

With a wave of his hand the chains vanished! Alex was able to stand once more, although the weight of the chains was never an issue thanks to his superhuman strength.

"Ah'm in charge, y'hear? This is MY country an' ah knew th' Professor too. Seems we both got a stake in findin' out who did this. Someone WILL pay, mark my words...Only problem is th' Police are twitchy an' will never accept ye. We've had too many incidences o 'friendly fire' an' the public trust is a jigsaw, an' a fragile one at that. One ripple, one nudge an' th' whole lot falls apart. Ah cannae let tha' happen, even if ye're intentions are noble. So, wi' that said, ah'm offerin' yer a chocie, an' ah want yer to think on it, an' follow ma wishes. Do that, an' ah'll ferget tha' ah'm s'posed tae be turfin' every super - good or bad - outta Scotland. Tha' was ma mandate from th' people, save fer them that they know an' trust of old, like the Druid. Everyone else can bugger off back tae where they came, or so's th' plan. Makes me feel like a nightclub bouncer, mind." he sighed.

"So: go incognito an' ah'll blag yer a pass o some description tae look round the wreckage fer clues. That means no sword, no costume, no nothin'. Pass as a normal bloke an' don't do nothin' that tips th' Police off so no fancy powers tha they can see. Ah figure ye've more to yer than th' pig sticker over there, fine though it is, an ah'll no mind sayin' would love it in ma collection, but ah ain't greedy."

"Th' other choice is somethin' ah should be doin. Go South... South east some 20 miles from the city an' see what's goin' on. Ah've not had chance tae look, but *somethin'* is there an' it ain't a good somethin'. Ah'll be there at any rate but ah've too much to get on wi here first, an ma mate can look after himself."

"Ah hope. If not, well ah'm trustin tae ma gut instinct about you again, an ah hope ye'll no let me down. Find out what's goin' on, find ma friend, an' get back here. Ye've nae need to come lookin' fer me - ah'll know where you are - but it's an important thing, an' maybe more important than siftin' through rubble. Ah cannae just take off though. Th' honour an' th' reponsibility of bein' a state sanctioned an' supported super hero is tha ye've got tae be there an' answer all th' bloody stupid obvious questions tha' get asked o ya. It's as much PR an' arse kissin' as it is arse kickin' these days. So, what's it tae be?"

Alex considers the options. Claymore was right of course, he was more then just some goon with a sword.. but his talents out of costume weren't exactly the best for investigating a crime scene. Making up his mind he walks over to Stormbreaker and takes the sword up again.

Sorry about that. I'll have to come up with some way to counter that kind of attack. He projected his thought to the sword with a slight apologetic tone. He knew Stormbreaker wouldn't be to happy that he had lost in such a spectacular fashion. He would have to work on that.

Turning to Claymore he nods. "I'll check out that disturbance. My other talents aren't exactly well suited to investigating a burnt out building. Hopefully you and the police will be better equipped for that." He glances for a window that he could fit through, no point wasting time walking out after all. "South east 20 miles right?"

((Alex intends to follow up on the area of suspicion, so unless Claymore stops him I'll head there at full speed! Also, sorry about tossing so many different versions of Alex by you lately. I'm trying to come up with a better version of him.. also, I thought Invulnerability triggered at 0 as well as negative values..)

Stormbreaker

Body	6
Mind	6
Spirit	12
Hero Points	0

Claymore took up his own sword and nodded. "Don't let me down though... I suspect you are an honourable man. Do not take your defeat too harshly either. Here in Scotland I and the land are one - she empowers me and I protect her. If it is any consolation my power raises exponentially to match my opponent and it rose very high to match you!"

"Investigate the disturbance and return..." he waved a hand, and the surroundings vanished in a flash to reveal the rooftop opposite the burnt out museum "...here. I will find out what ah can in there and we'll compare notes. Don't take any risks but... I think you can take care o yourself. If you find my friend tell him the words 'Heather thanks you for the pressed thistles.' He will know who sent you and that you are trusted, and, I hope, a friend."

He offered an arm to clasp, wrist to wrist in the old warrior way. Alex could tell the mans vast superhuman strength was held back by a will of iron and knew he had fought Scotlands premier superhero!

=========

The landscape flashed past below, the air screaming its siren as he shot through it!

It was a beautiful land, all rolling hills, pine trees and heather strewn moorland, sliced by grey road ribbons here and there and occasional villages and towns, which spoiled things somewhat. The land fair sang to him, and he knew the kindred spirit of the sword loved this place as much as he did. Even so, he had no time to sight see - he wanted to investigate the disturbance and get back to...

Stormbreaker narrowed his eyes. The ruins of a castle up ahead were encapsulated in a sphere of pure magic! What in the...?

"Something ancient, aye, and evil, resides there..." rasped the spirit of the blade. "Ware ye, wielder, lest ye fall prey to a wicked foe!"

OOC You're half a mile away (limit of magic sense) from the castle and can clearly 'see' the magic sphere around it. It's ruined, but large enough and intact enough to house someone... or something!