The NEW Vanguard Issue 4 - Falling into the Abyss...

"What or who exactly are we looking for," the Haunt asks quietly. "One being? Large group? Something in-between?"

Ghost Knight looked about...

"SomeTHING was definitely here. There is also a... hole.. a rift of sorts, open in the rooms below the keep. In the dungeons probably." he muttered, voice ringing hollow inside the helmet. "Lionheart, you're fast. If you want to check round the place, find anything amiss? Frostbite, whilst you are the leader of your band of heroes may I suggest that in the matters of magic both I and Stormbreaker are the authority? With that in mind we need to find out what has happened, how to contain it, and how to stop something else bad happening." He held up his mace.

"The dungeons." he said as it glowed. "First place to look. Be careful."

Bombshell looked about. "Not normally spooked by this sort of thing, but with my powers greatly diminished, I don't know what help I can be. I could stay out here with the ship, make sure no one goes in, or out of the ruins?"

SOLARL chimes in. "I will set the sensors on the plane to detect incoming radar signatures. Based on what has been said they may be of limited use. The metaphysical is not Wandafars' area of expertise."

OOC Will see if Ryan/Dunecat (Stormbreaker) wants to chime in with who you are looking for. If not I can NPC him for now.

Is Lionheart zipping about? Using any particular senses to find anything? His danger sense should alert him to imminent danger, but if he's looking to find something might be an idea to use specific senses (vision powers, hearing etc). Ghost Knight says the 'bad thing' is in the dungeon. Any preferred route of getting down there?

Admin wrote:Ghost Knight looked about...

"SomeTHING was definitely here. There is also a... hole.. a rift of sorts, open in the rooms below the keep. In the dungeons probably." he muttered, voice ringing hollow inside the helmet. "Lionheart, you're fast. If you want to check round the place, find anything amiss? Frostbite, whilst you are the leader of your band of heroes may I suggest that in the matters of magic both I and Stormbreaker are the authority? With that in mind we need to find out what has happened, how to contain it, and how to stop something else bad happening." He held up his mace.

"The dungeons." he said as it glowed. "First place to look. Be careful."

Frostbite indicated that the two magical masters should lead the way, whilst Lionheart zipped off the most direct way he could.

OOC: Looking at the powers that Lionheart possesses including smell, sight and sound, I guess I'd deploy them all in order to ascertain what I could about this place, good or bad, bad and badder still. I'm listening for discernable signs of life, keeping my hearing ready for particular scraps of sound that might alert us to the dangers and or enemies and any forewarning of their movements or plans. I will speed down, but take all reasonable precautions as speed, sense and senses allow.

Sj

The Haunt will bring up the rear, encased in his fog, I think about 2 hexes thick.

OOC: Damn it I posted a message last week.....or at least I thought I did.
It was mostly about trying to sort out that mess of wiring to give us some kind of support. Oh well, its too late for that
as some sensory system like a magic sonar might help but I see its already been done by SOLARL.
So I'll do what centurion does best attempt to form a heavy underslung two hand plasma canon out of what he determines is 'excess' from the ship and form a square steel riot shield for bombshell from my beaten armour as she is still in a weakened state.

Roll Call: Frostbite, Haunt, Lionheart, Stormbreaker, Ghost Knight, Centurion, SOLARL, Bombshell (Depowered for now)

Centurion glances about for some metal to use...

Bombshell looks tired, but smiles as Centurion declares he'll rustle up something to protect her.

Lionheart, with his myriad abilities, speeds off as a mistlike cloud (Haunt) covers the rear of the group. If the Vanguard were attacked from behind, they'd need some way to see through that impenetrable mist! Crouching at what looked to be flattened areas of grass amongst the fallen stones of the ruins, Lionheart sniffs...

OOC 2d10 → [3,4] = (7) Not a great roll. Still...

Lionheart frowns as he sniffs multiple scents. Human, but he can determine no more detail - numbers, time, any distinctive details. He's abotu to stand when he smells something else. The scent isn't familiar at first, but it dawns on him that it's acrid, like something has burned.

Ghost Knight, back with the others, looks about. "There was something here, a sphere or dome of some kind, protecting the ruins just like in the reactor room at the Prison. Unfortunately we arrived too late to break through and interrupt whatever was going on here."

"A hero, a man named Captain Claymore, was here to watch over and prevent anything happening. He was magically empowered. I can't sense him." said Stormbreaker. Inwardly, he cursed, and looked over the ruins.

"Claymore? I know ... knew him. It's been a while. He knows what he's doing, can look after himself." said Ghost Knight. "Unfortunately he's not the type to back down from a fight." he frowned behind the full face helm. "Right then." he looked about. "Frostbite? I suggest you assign a couple of people to stay out here and guard, me and Stormbreaker... and Haunt will go into the ruins looking for the dungeon area. You and Lionheart find out what you can from the ruins out here act as backup for either team? Feel free to change the teams about - this is your shout, I'm here in an advisory role for the most part. "

Centurion glanced about, then caused a rumbling as he 'pulled' a metal railing and fence towards him through the air, causing the metal to 'blur' as it shifted and changed. From the ship he yanked up sheets of steel. Floors were considered a luxury in prototypes anyway!

OOC Going with Metal Manipulation (no roll required, doesn't dissolve, is less powerful than Fabricate but more reliable) Centurion (Ross) cooks up:

Hand Cannons Body: 12 Energy Blast: 11 for Centurion
Protective Suit Body: 12 Skin Armour: 11

Protective Riot Shield Body: 12 Skin Armour: 11 (this for Bombshell)

Suitably attired Centurion feels confident about facing anything that may still be lurking around here.

=========

Lionheart stands, looking around the large extensive ruins of the old castle for more clues...

OOC 2d10 → [3,10] = (13) Danger Sense check...

Something... that shiver down the spine, hairs standing on end, the sense and feeling that something was wrong, made Lionheart turn on the spot...

OOC 2d10 → [2,2] = (4) ATTACK ROLL double plus 2d10 → [9,6] = (15) I've assumed that Lionheart currently has:

16 Dex (incl Superspeed) 8 Str 9 Body (16RV with Forcefield) and (because Danger Sense warned him) uses Acrobatics to boost OV to 24

The speedster fell backwards - impossibly staying on his feet, just flexing backwards in a way most people would wince at! Even as he did so he felt the 'Fwoosh' of something passing within an inch of so of his face! He feels fetid breath that smells of rotten eggs and the heat/movement of something alive - but unseen - very close to him!

He looked... but saw nothing! Dare he use his powers to try and 'see' that which his ordinary vision couldn't, or did he want to lash out, blind so to speak? Maybe he should warn the others?

OOC The dice action required to 'see' an invisible foe with one of your vision powers will take up the dice action (attack) for next round. Your call Dave.

=========

Haunt listens to the others, looking at the crumbled collection of stones about the place.

Much of the castle is in good shape given the extreme age of the place. He got the feeling that whilst something had been here and was gone, maybe... just maybe... they weren't alone.

Hmmm? He glanced about, behind him. Strange. Had the wind just picked up or had something passed near to or through the edge of his fog cloud?

Lionheart new better than to try and take on an invisible foe, blindingly hitting left, only to be struck from the right.  It was costly but without levelling the playing field, he'd be in far more danger.  Besides he didn't want to run back to the group, telling them an invisible foe hit him, with a bad smell, amusing thought that might be.  

"Ah I see you fail to follow the rules of chivalry and use blackhearted means to sneak up on a foe.  Tell me are you making up for some sense of inferiority, not wanting to be seen for fear of failing to be taken seriously?"  

Lionheart quipped, using his words to ascertain if his assailant understood, had some form of intelligence or vanity as he used his senses to locate the thing.  
OOC: OK I think that directional hearing (tell me if you think otherwise) might be best going by the name, to try and locate my foe.  

Meanwhile.  

Frostbite nodded, at the Ghost Knight's suggestion,

OOC: I don't want to rosta people to stay and guard above ground unless you want to stay.  Bombshell and SOLARL are likely a given, Ghost Knight could remain, but as for the rest of you, its up to you if you want to stay or not rather than me have you made to guard topsoil.  Meanwhile I'll follow Lionheart, albeit slower, to give him back up.  All being well I can glide through physical obstacles and get to and from him quicker than anyone else.  Which is what I will do.  

Having sorted out who was staying and who was going, Frostbite followed Lionheart's trail to try and catch up with the elusive speedster.  

Sj

"Something just passed me," the Haunt warns the others. "I couldn't see it. Either it is moving too fast for me to see or it is invisible."

actions: Extend out the fog behind and to the side of him, away from the team, a good distance - maybe a 100 yards or so, to try to use it to "sense/see" someone moving in it by the ripples it makes in the fog.

Stretch and punch at anything he can "see" in the ripples.

((Yay! Metal Manipulation.. also.. 22 RV on Sentinel.. That's scary.))

"I don't know that we could have broken through Ghost. I gave it my best shot earlier and hardly dented it. Keep alert, there were some intermediate level demons here earlier. They're dangerously versatile and can strike the mind and spirit as easily as the body." Moving ahead Alex kept a firm grasp on Stormbreaker while reaching out for more details about what may be in the keep. "From what I gathered, most of the regions mystics and sorcerers went missing. One of Claymores friends.. The Grey Druid I think? He came to investigate and went missing.. Hopefully we aren't to late to find them, or their trail."

Haunts warning brought him to a halt. With no way to precisely see whatever it was he instead tried to pinpoint it with his magic sense.

---

Dice: Magic Sense to pinpoint the nearest magical power he doesn't recognize.
Auto: If successful I'll call the location for the others.. or probably mostly Haunt and Centurion since I'm sure Ghost Knight can do the same.

OOC Lionheart uses Directional Hearing... Normally a DICE action (i.e. uses up your attack) but the target isn't being particularly stealthy (and not using the Thief skill to sneak about or some power that dampens sound), just invisible. So it's an Auto action, and Lionheart can attack if he wants.

Lionheart seemed to turn his head slightly to the side...

Rasping breath, hissing, some kind of heartbeat, but not of a human kind. It was erratic. Fast, slow, heavy then light for several seconds...

And it was... There. He watched ... nothing ... encircle him, seemingly flying about like a will-o-the-wisp. Inhuman. Fast. Invisible. Possibly partially intangible...

=========

Frostbite, Intangible (to a degree - he didn't want to fatigue himself) soared through and around the ruins to where Lionheart was expected to be...

Sure enough he found his friend albeit not quite doing what he expected. He was stood, seemingly turning and looking at... nothing?

=========

Haunt expanded his mist...

Swirls appeared almost immediately... Tricky to track and count, but fast moving and more than one of them!

=========

Ghost Knight started "Grey Druid? Not someone I've heard a lot about, but it seems that there's something here that needs nipping in the bud, quickly!"

Stormbreaker nodded, then concentrated. There.

Fast moving shapes, swooping down and around, up and past the gathered heroes, within inches even!

Though he couldn't 'see' the creatures with his eyes, he could feel their magic presence - the creatures reeked of it!

Ghost Knight pulled up his Mace. "I 'see' them... or at least sense them. Why aren't they attacking?"

Centurion looked about. He couldn't see anything flying about! How to fight something that couldn't be seen?

Just then the two Magic Sensors (Ghost Knight and Stormbreaker) sensed the 'will-o-the-wisps' swooping and flying in the same direction to arrive at the same point, around 50 yards away in the ruins, forming into a balled mass of writhing magical energy... that started to change shape, growing, forming arms, legs, what might be a head... and it stood some twenty feet high and as wide now!

OOC The wisps joined to become a big bad nasty thing. Only GK and Stormbreaker can detect it, but Lionheart has a good idea of it's location too thanks to his hearing power.

2d10 → [7, Heroes 4, Bad guys]

You guys go first. Lionheart, GK and Stormbreaker can detect the writhing horror in front of the group. Everyone else will have to take their best guess! Update tomorrow and with a bit of luck every day rest of the week.

Admin wrote:2d10 → [7, Heroes 4, Bad guys]

You guys go first. Lionheart, GK and Stormbreaker can detect the writhing horror in front of the group. Everyone else will have to take their best guess! Update tomorrow and with a bit of luck every day rest of the week.[/i]

Lionheart realised that he wasn't facing something that was physical in nature, that might well be a problem for most of the group who didn't wield some sort of arcane energy.  However he had to wonder what his Psi abilities might yield.  With that he called on his Psi powers, boasted and changed and still changing in ways he could not fully determine but could be tested by opponents like this.  

OOC: Psi blast, at the creature, see what comes of this.  

Meanwhile seeing the swirling mist and the mystical aberration that was coalescing in front of them, Frostbite had no doubt the reason for Lionheart's abrupt pause.  Equally gathering his powers together, he made ready to back his friends attack with the arctic sub zero blast of his own.  

OOC: Energy blast at the creature to see if we can't shatter its form and weaken its attack.

Sj

The Haunt goes for his usual opening attack, Aura of Fear, keeping his friends from feeling the attack and making it so it affects the areas he can see.


[ooc: bet it doesn't work but I could be wrong.]

OOC Will update the combat round once everyone gets actions in - Lionheart acts first, Stormbreaker second, then the others are close to each other (will check who is where but for the most part it's not vital).
Haunt only saw a swirl of movement in his fog before the creatures formed up into one being (according to Ghost Knight shouting 'There!' and pointing) so whilst you can't actually see the target, two of your team can and can point you in the general direction. There will be modifiers to your attack roll but it's better than firing in random directions.


Lionheart gathered his mental energy to blast at the creature!

Unfortunately he could neither see the creature with his eyes or sense it with his mind without sending out a mental probe to hear its thoughts.

OOC Dave, I'll assume you don't use your Power Reserve unless you specify. Basically it's your pool of 8 points that can be added to most of your abilities to boost them, BUT there is a chance you will suffer some mental damage (the nose bleed/headache thing) with a roll of 13+ from the Evil GM's dice of chaos (ok, Invisible Castle). Use it on your Mind Blast and best bet is to drop just 6 points on it (dropping all 8 in there doesn't make a huge difference unless you get a high roll). Your call. Will resolve that in the morning once I know. Basically, when using Lionheart, if you add whether you are using Power Reserve and how many points (up to when using a power it can make a big difference on how Lionheart does... Reminder of the character:

Lionheart
Dex 8 (70) Str^ 8 (60) Body 9 (72)
Int 8 (70) Will 5 (24) Mind 9 (72)
Inf 8 (70) Aura 5 (24) Spirit 9 (72)

(534)

Powers:
APs – Name –BC/FC – Final cost
- Notes and FC adjustments

Sensing Powers:

8 - Analytical Smell - 10/4 - (50)

8 Directional Hearing 5/3 (35)

7 Super Hearing 5/1 (13)

8 Telescopic Vision 5/1 (15)

8 Danger Sense 25/3 (55)

(168)


Mental Powers:

8 Empathy^ 20/4 (50)
- Max of 12 APs -1

7 Mind Blast^ 20/3 (44)

10 Mind Field 20/6 (84)
- Self only -2

5 Mind Probe^ 20/3 (32)

7 Telekinesis^ 15/6 (55)
- Flight Speed capped at 14 APs-1

8 Telepathy^ 20/4 (50)
- Max of 15 APs -1

4 Postcognition^ 15/2 (21)

(326)

Physical Powers:

7 Regeneration 25/8 (89)

8 Superspeed^ 25/8 (115)
- Max of 14APs -1, Adds to Dex +2

6 Sealed Systems 5/5 (35)

7 Force Field 30/6 (100)
- Attack through +1FC x2BC, Self Only -2

(329)

8 Power Reserve 150/10 (260)
- Fatiguing -2, Connected to Str, Empathy, Mental Blast, Mind Blast, Mind Probe, Telekinesis, Telepathy, Postcognition, Superspeed +30 BC

Skills

8 Accrobatics 15/7 (95)
- Reflexive Dodge +1*

8 Thief 10/9 (100)

8 Detective 10/8 (90)

8 Medicine 5/7 (75)

8 Martial Artist 25/7 (85)
- Special Linked -1

8 Vehicles 5/5 (55)


^ Powers marked with this may receive points from Power Reserve

*Reflexive dodge allows for a partial dodge maneuver to be performed if the character has already performed an action for the round. They gain half the normal advantage for a dodge with Acrobatics (1/2 acrobatics added to OV) and give up their next dice action. Additionally it takes two auto actions to move in the round where a dice action is lost to this maneuver.


----


The main difference is that I capped some of the powers via drawbacks on the power itself, trimmed down Power Reserve, Linked Martial Arts to Dex (it now scales to match your dex), and gave Superspeed an advantage to ADD to your dex rather then REPLACE it.

This means that while your maximum speed is 14 APs (something like mach 16), you can fight on 22 APs.

A quick break doen of what Martial Arts does for you is probably important at this point. You may use it for one of either AV(hitting), EV(damage), OV(dodging), RV(resisting damage that hits). It only does one of these things, and only in hand to hand combat. Additionally using it for damage counts as killing combat, which causes you to give up your hero point award for the entier adventure or half of it if you use killing combat in response to being attacked by someone using killing combat.

Your Power Reserve has a drawback on it called Fatiguing. What that does is causes you to take an attack from your Power Reserve power each round you use it, equal to the APs of Power Reserve used. Given your higher body it's fairly likely you'll not take damage each round, but to much will prove dangerous so it's best used in short spurts. You will however be able to make a recovery check every 8 rounds in combat.

I think that covers all the important changes. You mentioned making a tornado, that's either a power trick which takes up HP to use each time, or you would need to get the air control power with a drawback of only using it with superspeed.

OOC Haunt is lucky - he can affect everyone in an area and just choose who to exclude. Whether it actually can effect the creature... well we'll see (once Stormbreaker has posted will resolve Haunts attack too, as he has a magic based attack that could in theory affect things quite a lot).

Admin wrote:Lionheart gathered his mental energy to blast at the creature!

Unfortunately he could neither see the creature with his eyes or sense it with his mind without sending out a mental probe to hear its thoughts.

OOC Dave, I'll assume you don't use your Power Reserve unless you specify. Basically it's your pool of 8 points that can be added to most of your abilities to boost them, BUT there is a chance you will suffer some mental damage (the nose bleed/headache thing) with a roll of 13+ from the Evil GM's dice of chaos (ok, Invisible Castle). Use it on your Mind Blast and best bet is to drop just 6 points on it (dropping all 8 in there doesn't make a huge difference unless you get a high roll). Your call. Will resolve that in the morning once I know. Basically, when using Lionheart, if you add whether you are using Power Reserve and how many points (up to when using a power it can make a big difference on how Lionheart does... Reminder of the character:

OOC: Ugh, should say this anyway, I tend to forget the little things like this. Anyway as you suggest lets go for 6 points. Frostbite will aim where Lionheart aims, using him as a aid to targeting.

Sj

OOC Haunt is lucky - he can affect everyone in an area and just choose who to exclude. Whether it actually can effect the creature... well we'll see (once Stormbreaker has posted will resolve Haunts attack too, as he has a magic based attack that could in theory affect things quite a lot).

Yep, which is what I chose to do. I figure if this is something more than minions designed to slow us down or separate us, then my Aura won't work. But if it is, probably have a good shot at working. Unless I roll badly.   

Reminds me of an old DC comics character, Captain Comet, who appeared in the 1950s in one of the sci-fi books. He couldn't use his telepathy or TK against invisible foes. He was at a military base and figured out invisible aliens were around, so he grabbed a spraygun set and blasted the aliens with paint so he could see them to fight them.  


Hmmm ... our speedster could do that some time in the future. Run to the hardware store, buy a spray gun kit and couple of gallons of paint and then run back and spray the area to make the invisible, visible!!!!!   

OOC Sounds like the old school (Golden?) age of comics where some twist, quirk or funny/strange solution would pop up to save the day when super powers failed to resolve things. Superman had plenty of stories like that if I recall, usually with Mr Mxymltplk (or whatever he's called).

Lionheart unleashed his golden Lion of pure mental energy at the expected location of the target...

His superhuman senses were of little use when so close to the others, and these things, whatever they were, were invisible to normal sight! That said Ghost Knight and Stormbreaker seemed pretty sure, so the hero from the future AND the past fired away...

OOC 2d10 → [2,3] = (5) Attack failed! Fatigue check... 2d10 → [9,9] = (18) DOUBLE! plus 2d10 → [7,2] = (9). 27! Ouch... Lionheart takes 3 Mind Damage. He's on 6/9 Mind... Not really a problem given how fast he heals, but a couple more rolls like that...

Lionheart grunted in frustration as the Lion seemed to swipe about, hitting air and not much else... and a creasing pain rang out in his head! He winced, touching a hand to his nose as a drop of blood came with it.

OOC Would've NPC'd Stormbreakers' attack save for the fact my inbox is 28% full. meaning a whole chunk of stuff has gone including Stormbreakers character sheet. Arggh. No idea what's happened there. Anyway, have PM'd Ryan/Dune and will move it on regardless tomorrow, taking my best guess (Lightning or attack with the sword if I can recall the stats). Long hours next week but done at a reasonable time so updates in the evening.

Steve stumbled in behind the others as subtle as always, as if someone was slammed a huge steel door over and over, with something that resembled a mini TV strapped to his bracered forearm. (OOC: God willing on a good roll)
"Lets 'see' if those beggars cant hind now" he smirked as his right hand canon formed into a wide bladed board sword with the previous canon set into the hilt.
"Got a feeling its gonna be close quarters from here on in"

Admin wrote:OOC 2d10 → [2,3] = (5) Attack failed! Fatigue check... 2d10 → [9,9] = (18) DOUBLE! plus 2d10 → [7,2] = (9). 27! Ouch... Lionheart takes 3 Mind Damage. He's on 6/9 Mind... Not really a problem given how fast he heals, but a couple more rolls like that...

Lionheart grunted in frustration as the Lion seemed to swipe about, hitting air and not much else... and a creasing pain rang out in his head! He winced, touching a hand to his nose as a drop of blood came with it.

OOC: Ouch! Paul in D&D 4e they had a mechanic whereby you could delay initiative and if you came ahead of others jump in later in the initiative. I am wondering if, since we can't see these things it would be better to delay until they've gone so as to be able to better aim an attack. Not liking what happened to Lionheart, don't want to see Frostbite get even more badly hurt.

Sj

OOC Think there's a rule to delay initiative, will take a look. Stormbreaker in NPC mode...

"It's... it's not a single creature, despite what..." said Ghost Knight

"That's right!" exclaimed Stormbreaker. "You're not aiming at one mind Lionheart, but a dozen or more!"

"Aiming?" spluttered Bombshell "I can't see anything! Aim at what?"

Stormbreaker held up his sword, then levelled it. "I think I may have an idea..." He held up the sword and appeared to blast lightning in tiny streams in the rough general direction of where Ghost Knight was pointing...

OOC Trick shot of sorts... 2d10 → [5,9] = (14) No damage, instead electricity arcs about the previously invisible targets like 'St Elmo's fire' (the phenomenon, not the Song or Film of the same name...)

All of a sudden the Vanguards' skin prickled, hair stood on end... and in front of them a twenty five foot tall and wide mass of swirling swooping flying 'wraiths' formed a huge singular creature of sorts. A collective, a hive mind, controlling dozens of individual creatures. It roared it's displeasure at being lit up like a christmas tree - clearly it had no love for being seen by mortal eyes!

OOC The Vanguard can now see their foe, a huge creature glowing and crackling with electricity and marching on the heroes! Update tomorrow night, have to hit sack as up for work at 04.30 Feel free to change your actions if you haven't acted yet. I will assume Haunt still wants to try his aura of fear? Frosty? Centurion? Blast or try something else?

Admin wrote:OOC The Vanguard can now see their foe, a huge creature glowing and crackling with electricity and marching on the heroes! Update tomorrow night, have to hit sack as up for work at 04.30 Feel free to change your actions if you haven't acted yet. I will assume Haunt still wants to try his aura of fear? Frosty? Centurion? Blast or try something else?

"Alright, that is more like it." Frostbite said by way of encouragement before raising his fists to fire his icy blast at the now visible wraith beast. "Let's see if we can cool you down a bit." Had added before blasting with full power at the creature.

Sj

yep, Haunt Aura of Fear, his go-to attack in most situations   

OOC Haunt's attack on the massed swirling creatures (all 15 of 'em):
F = Failed, R=Running away, S=Success, frozen in place
2d10 → [1,2] = (3) F, 2d10 → [1,7] = (8) F, 2d10 → [8,8] = (16) DOUBLE plus 2d10 → [6,9] = (15) S
2d10 → [1,7] = (8) F, 2d10 → [10,5] = (15) R, 2d10 → [4,3] = (7) F, 2d10 → [2,7] = (9) F,
2d10 → [9,10] = (19) R, 2d10 → [10,3] = (13) R, 2d10 → [8,9] = (17) R, 2d10 → [1,1] = (2) FAILED,
2d10 → [7,4] = (11) R, 2d10 → [3,7] = (10) F, 2d10 → [1,1] = (2) FAILED, 2d10 → [8,1] = (9) F

1 Frozen in place, 6 Running, the rest ignore Haunt except two who are enraged by his efforts!

Haunt puts on his best 'Spooky face' and let's rip at the mystical creatures...

They seem stubbornly resistant to his normally potent power but half a dozen speed off into the ruins, the electrical arcing effect fading and as it does, sight of these creatures is lost. One of them appears terrified, shocked, frozen in place! Two of them break from the main body of the creature and rush at Haunt!

OOC Frostbite fires at these I assume... Roll 2d10 → [8,6] = (14) on a multi attack against the pair of them with Ice Mastery 13. That's a solid hit and...

Both oncoming spectres suddenly solidify and crash to the ground with a THUNK! as solid chunks of ice!

Ghost Knight shouts "Keep them busy!" before he starts chanting in an ancient, long forgotten tongue, that monstrous mace of his glowing with magic light!

OOC Want to attack them Ross? Or perhaps come up with something that might encapsulate what remains of the shrunken beast? It gets smaller as it's constituent spectres are separated from it. When they separate, there is a pause of several seconds before they become ghost like and ethereal, much like Frostbite does. In other words, if you want to strike, the best chance you'll get is when Haunt (or somebody else) separates them from the main body. Or you can attack the main body of the creature, which may prove tougher...

OOC in the interests of keeping things moving... Resolving the combat which involves some autopiloting and stuff. Every now and again a combat bogs down as real life drags me/one of you guys away and hey presto, game slows to walking thru treacle pace. No one's fault, just the nature of play by post, so the solution is to give it a nudge/kick up the bum

Stormbreaker shouted "The Light! Look! it's confusing them!"

He had a point. The 'ghosts' were solid only when they wanted to be... the light seemed to have the effect of solidifying their spectral forms! The creatures thrashed about where light shone on them, as if trying to scrape it from their ghostly limbs!

"No problem!" shouted Centurion as he glanced about, didn't see any metal to hand, and looked down at his own suit. "Avert your eyes ladies!" he shouted as he waved a hand, transforming his suit into a portable floodlight! His modesty was spared by the riveted jockstrap he wore about his midriff...

BAMFF!!!!

The floodlight went off with the power of millions of candles! "Oh, errr, avert your eyes everyone!" shouted Centurion as he blinked back spots of light in his own vision!

Haunt squinted, shaking his head. "They look more solid now.. and annoyed! Watch out!"

The creatures were indeed angered... so much so they splintered into separate beings and flew at the group!

As the team prepared to receive their onslaught, Ghost Knight shouted out in an arcane language long since lost to the ages!

Stormbreaker turned when he heard it, muttering "Fascinating. I must ask him how..."

Suddenly the ghostly creatures shrieked, and started slowing as they flew through the air! Then they started to slowly be dragged backwards through the air!

Ghost Knight walked to stand next to Frostbite and Lionheart. "Don't understand the specifics, but I cast what I hoped was an exorcism. Sort of." He watched as the 'Ghosts' appeared to stretch, fighting against whatever was pulling them towards a point underground in the ruins.

With an unearthly shriek, and with the glow fading, they became insubstantial once more, flowing through holes and gaps in the rocks of the castle ruins to whatever gateway rested in the dungeons below, dragged by Ghost Knights' magic towards their point of origin - the gate between worlds.

Stormbreaker knelt by one of the rocks, holding his glowing sword near what appeared to be glowing ooze. Lionheart heard him murmuring under his breath. "...yes... I thought so. It's a good job they didn't properly touch anyone. Perhaps only I and the Ghost Knight could withstand their power. I'd hate to think what would happen were a person's spirit to be completely drai..."

He seemed to realise he was being overhead (by Lionhearts superhuman hearing) and stood. "Nasty things." he said to the others. "The light disrupted their concentration, and the natural compulsion is to be drawn back to their point of origin until they can get their claws into a living beings soul. An anchor. The light distracted them, Ghost Knights' spell - not a particularly powerful one, admittedly, gave them the nudge they needed. Were they further from the gate, the spell would be little more than an annoyance, a nagging idea to return home."

Ghost Knight shrugged. "I've been retired a few years, still getting back into this. Plus, I never did work out how to use the mace properly. Let's face it, whoever reads the instructions for a new telly? Same thing." He looked at the ancient morningstar with a shrug. "Sort of."

Bombshell walked up. "So it's over?"

Stormbreaker concentrated, detecting magic. "No. The gate is still open, those evil spirits are fighting the compulsion to return. It needs to be closed, otherwise more of those things will come through."

Ghost Knight added "I suspect some... thing... has already come through the gate. And if, as you say, it needs an anchor, it might mean ..."

Stormbreaker looked troubled. "Druid... or Captain Claymore..." he muttered.

The group looked to the ground, and below the rocks and ruins, there would be a dungeon. Therein, a gate between dimensions. It needed closing. The creatures had been driven off... for now... but they would come back through the gate before long, possibly in greater numbers!

Admin wrote:OOC in the interests of keeping things moving... Resolving the combat which involves some autopiloting and stuff. Every now and again a combat bogs down as real life drags me/one of you guys away and hey presto, game slows to walking thru treacle pace. No one's fault, just the nature of play by post, so the solution is to give it a nudge/kick up the bum

The group looked to the ground, and below the rocks and ruins, there would be a dungeon. Therein, a gate between dimensions. It needed closing. The creatures had been driven off... for now... but they would come back through the gate before long, possibly in greater numbers!

OOC: Great to have another post up Paul, given the week you've had.  

Frostbite looked grimly at the ground, it was clear that without the support of the magical heroes, their more conventional powers might prove useless.  Splitting up, at least for the time being, seemed like a bad idea.  "We'd better move, I think for the time being we ought to stay together.  Had we not had our friends here..." Frostbite let his words hang in the air, his meaning frighteningly clear.  

Then with a simple gesture he indicated to to Ghost Knight and Stormbreaker that they best lead on.  It was they who could detect magic and they who had the best chance of pinpointing the gate between worlds.

Sj

The Haunt again took up the rear position hidden in his fog. He kept watch behind them.