The NEW Vanguard! Haunt Issue #5

Throw it HP into the toss

OOC Apologies for being slack. Blame the kids going back to school then one of them having ANOTHER week off after having only gone back last week. Seems to have lasted forever, this school holiday. Doh.

HAUNT
HP 230

Taking aim as best he could, haunt let fly with his deadly missile. Were he to miss... the results would be... Best not to think about it!

Hurling in a direction he figured might take in the least number of human casualties were it to go astray, the spooky superhero hoped that his efforts would see the slime mountain monster stopped in its tracks!

OOC Here we go. Assuming 7 HP on the throw. It's not (in any way) aerodynamic, which makes it somewhat harder, but a completely accurate throw means the payload doesn't leak en route. A 'mere' hit means the gas cylinder splits along the way and lessens the effect.

2d10 → [4,6] = (10)

Eeesh. Just shy of what was needed for full effectiveness.

The cylinder breaks up in the air, spraying white gas out, which sends the tumbling cylinder slightly astray! Haunts heart leaps into his mouth as he sees the cylinder start to veer... then head back to plunge home into the mass of the slime creature!

instantly the gas starts to take effect, the creature roaring in agony as its liquid hardens and turns into green ice! Its not completely effective though. Puddles of slime collect around the base of the green 'ice statue' and start to trickle towards each other, forming up into a slightly smaller than man size vaguely human shape.

"Nooooooo!" it screamed, apparently more human the smaller it was. The larger it became, the more of a beast it was. Turning to the palace, the slime man starting sloppily running towards the gates, oblivious to the bullets and tear gas hurled its way! Indeed, Haunt figured that if the army and guards threw enough material at it, the thing would start to grow again!

He'd succeeded in shrinking its mass, and destructive capability, dramatically, but Haunt still needed to stop this thing!

Look for the guy in charge of the defense and head down to him.

"I'm the Haunt. That's an acid monster or man," he says in his spooky voice when he lands, fog starting to slowly come out of the bottom of his cape for the "spooky" factor instead of as a defense. "I'm not a scientist. What's the best way to neutralize acid? Do we try throwing dirt on it? Got a ton of baking soda nearby?"

While waiting for the man's reply, the Haunt will once again try his Fear on it now that it is man-sized.

One of the soldiers, a Captain by his rank, glanced at Haunt, then at the shambling man/acid monster and spoke into a radio "We need something to neutralize acid... NOW!"

Meanwhile Haunt turned, wondering if this thing were human enough to effect with his fear power...

OOC 2d10 → [5,10] = (15) Oh, boom. That will do.

The creature shambled ever closer, every footstep eating several inches into the tarmac and concrete, and with it, helping to grow the creature bit by bit. It was coming up to a section of road where cars had been abandoned, and touching them would once more give it the means to grow - and in doing so become immune to Haunts power as it steadily lost its human mind and became purely instinctual!

Luckily Haunt had figured to use his power before that took place, and as a result...

"Uhhhh Ahhhhhh!" cried the creature, throwing up its arms and recoiling, freezing on the spot. "No! Get it away! Stop!"

Haunt breathed a sigh of relief. For a while at least the man would not attempt to come closer, and because he was scared enough to freeze in place, he would not try to run and cause more havoc. Perhaps a chance for the spectral avenger to question him.

Then Haunt noticed the acid man slowly, barely perceptibly, sinking. His feet were burning through the road!

"What's under his feet," the Haunt asks the Captain. "Looks like he might sink into the ground and either continue to attack or get away."

"Don't pour acid into water or is it don't pour water into acid," the Haunt mumbles out-loud, trying to remember his high school chemistry.

The Captain glanced at the floor. "Probably the same as everything else. Rock, then pipes, then sewers and below that the tubeway tunnels I should think."

He shouted orders into the radio "Containment required for an acid based super outside the gates of BP, condition red." then turned to Haunt "I don't know what you did to make him stop, or how long it will last, but we thank you. The royal family isn't in residence right now but we're evacuating the palace as a matter of caution, plus the chap we let in moments ago will be taken to a safe location."

Armed police, soldiers and what looked like the bomb squad were soon on the scene. All the while the Acid man sizzled his way into the asphalt, now up to his waist.

The Captain added "I... what the? Prince Conrad! You were ordered to go with the protection squad!"

The man Haunt had been helping was running back across the courtyard of the Palace towards the gates where Haunt and the Captain stood. Others in the Coldstream Guard armour looked to be confused as what to do - after all, a royal visitor couldn't just be manhandled or bundled about unless they were in imminent danger.

Breathless, the man spoke through the bars. "I need access to the vault."

The Captain spluttered and looked at Haunt. "Your highness, we don't..."

"This man saved my life! Twice! I need his help, as does the realm!" said the Prince. He held up the case, chained to his wrist still. "If this falls into the wrong hands, Britain is in dire peril!"

Just then, a rumble of thunder cracked overhead, and what looked to be dark clouds starting boiling up out of the white that floated overhead!

"What the ...?" spluttered the Captain. He seemed to look at his Coldstream guards and they shot up, doubtless to an order made over the internal radio. The clouds continued to gather at a seemingly impossible pace, and lightning blasted down!

Haunt recognized the danger and shoved the Prince backwards with a stretched arm through the gates with not a moment to spare! The great gates of Buckingham Palace were now a fused pile of molten metal!

"Dark Powers are afoot!" shouted Prince Conrad over the howl of the wind "They want the last piece of the sword!!!"

"Great," The Haunt thinks to himself, "real magic. Not faking like me."

"Who are they and where is this vault," the Haunt asks Prince Conrad. "And will putting this thing [indicating the briefcase] help stop this attack before people get killed?"

"The Sons of Mordred!" hissed Prince Conrad, glance from the shelter of an arch in the Palace grounds.

People ran everywhere, uniformed and otherwise, whilst the armoured Coldstream Guards roared up into the sky with jet boots lit against the steel grey backdrop of an ominous thunderstorm. Whilst the Palace was getting into lockdown in case of imminent attack, Conrad continued.

"Arthur, the Grail Legend, it's all... mostly... true, save a few details. The sword Mordred used to kill the king was taken by the remnants of his knights and unmade, shattered and the pieces buried, hidden, guarded... like this one."

He opened the case using a retinal and finger print scanner on the case itself, then glancing at Haunt before muttering the word "Hengroen."

It clicked open, and Haunt glanced inside. The shard of metal was old, forming what had been the point end of a blade. Inlaid with runes that shone like fire when the lightning crackled overhead, it spoke of an ancient time, a deadly evil and the promise that, should it fall into the wrong hands, a new dark power that would once more stalk the land.

He clicked the case shut, and Conrad spoke on. "Mordreds sword has been gathered by a cult, a network of agents and organisations with their own agenda eager to see if they can restore an evil power to life. Fools! They are like mewling children, knowing not the danger of fumbling with matches! If this last piece of the sword were to fall into their hands, and the sword remade, then Mordred himself, dark scion of an unholy union between a King of Light and Queen of Darkness will rise to claim his place on the Earth, and let me tell you that such as he would have only one goal in mind."

"The subjugation of all, or else death at his hand!"

Haunt glanced up.

Conrad gasped. "No! The conventional agents they hired to track and stop me have failed."

Conventional seemed an odd way to describe armoured mercenaries or a man made of acid, but the Prince continued "Now the Sons of Mordred take a direct hand in matters! We must flee!"

The cloud above started to boil and swirl, parting to reveal a circular gap, but instead of blue sky above a boiling red mass started to expand, becoming larger by the second and even at this height, Haunt could tell something with wings, several somethings, were flying out of the cloud!

The Haunt grabs the Prince and lifts into the sky, forming angel wings as he does so and flies away.

actions: he is looking for a cleared area where he can fight without worrying about civilians. Don't remember how fast I can fly {7?} or if I am faster than the flying creatures but any large open area will do. Got a soccer field nearby and no game on? Or get out of town to its outskirts.

OOC Hyde Park is to the the left and slightly up on the Palace, and to the north is Regents Park. It's been decades since I was in London (and the last time I was there I was drunk for most of it. Good times. I hope.) but either of those two places looks like a good place for a scrap. Unfortunately both will have civilians about - tourists, dog walkers, people finishing work, joggers and so on. There's tree cover but you'll have to pick your spot carefully - if these guys give you chance!

Like a white Angel soaring up into the iron grey gloom of the sky above London, Haunt carries the Prince who tries his best not to look terrified "I... I don't like heights!" he shouts.

Haunt considers the parks... pretty busy.

Wembley stadium is a little further, a few miles, but doable at his top speed. Hampstead Heath, less likely to be as busy...

A glance behind showed three of the... things... swooping down towards the Palace, swirling about like a murder of crows. At this range it was hard to... No. Arms, legs, like a winged goblin, or gargoyle. Something out of a nightmare, but Haunt had seen so much, he wasn't surprised any more.

More were boiling forth.

Conrad spoke "The gate... it won't stay open for long. It requires a sacrifice ... so someone has died to open it, but the time is short, varies, depending on the... 'quality' of the blood, the soul. It's sickening, but the dark powers arrayed against us are legion, and will consider no depth too low to stoop to."

Haunt counted another six... dozen... more.

The initial three started to head into the direction Haunt was taking! And they were fast!

Try for the NW corner area of Hyde Park, looks furthest from the main traffic roads and land there.


ooc: Let's see, if I remember, the new guys I saved gave me ways to contact them. Emails or phone numbers or something. Give that information to the prince and have him get out of there and try to contact them for me while I face off against the three demons. Like the angel form I am in so will stay with that while fightin' demons. Sounds classy to me. Form a big sword with one hand and a shield with the other using Omni-arm. Too bad I can make it a fiery sword but a big white one will have to do.

Conrad looked about to argue, then hissed "Holy Ground."

Haunt glanced at him then the Prince continued "Get to Holy Ground, an old church, cathedral, monastery, anywhere with a long history of being worshipped at! Even the sites of old churches... the demons cannot enter there, and their power is finite. Whilst the darkness boils overhead they are strong, but when that cloud is broken, they shall fear the sun and seek the shadows!"

He watched as Haunt formed a sword and shield from his own arms "You are a brave warrior sir, and I thank you for your saving of my life... but I would hate to see you throw it aside here and now when I need your power to help stand against this dark tide! I beseech thee! Whisk me with all haste to holy ground!"

ooc: So what is close by that we can use? I know we can't go far since they are almost on us. Head for there if we can make it.

OOC Intelligence check for Haunt...

2d10 → [7,9] = (16) Boom. That will do nicely.

Haunt frowned. "Wasn't there an ancient church mentioned in history classes at Colle..."

He glanced at Conrad before recalling. "Yes. Edward Allen, a famous Elizabethan actor, was married at St Giles Church. The tower is all that remains of the original build, circa 1090, but it houses several ancient tombs of noted people including the poet John Milton."

Conrad raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, the Author of Paradise Lost." Haunt replied and turned. "Thataway."

He scooped up the Prince and soared through the air towards where he figured the church to be (OOC on the map to the right of the Palace above where it says City of London and just below the Barbican centre)



Making for the tower Haunt glanced behind again. Too Slow. They would catch him within spitting distance of the place, seemingly. He could try to push his flight faster than he'd ever done, or turn and fight these things. They seemed near totally stygian black in colour, not helped by the black clouds overhead blocking out the previously blue in places sky and white clouds. They were fast, and clearly wouldn't give up easily! The Holy ground might be the best bet, but how to get there in one piece?

Hit them with Fear and then keep flying to the church.

Haunt turned his fear aura on his attackers...

OOC 2d10 → [2,8] = (10) The attack works but...

The creatures gave pause in their pursuit... momentarily... then something happened.

One turned to another and seemed to take in a deep breath... and appeared to 'grow' in physical stature and musculature.

These things fed on fear, and the other 'darker' emotions!

It had, however, bought Haunt precious seconds as he soared towards the Church and swooped in and down through the bell tower. Conrad clung on in fear... he really struggled with heights and the speed with which Haunt could fly and manoeuvre! Setting the Prince down he looked about. A locked door separated the rest of the church but his keen sight...

OOC 2d10 → [2,10] = (12) Just about...

...revealed the floor tiles seemed to be set in such a way that suggested a concealed trapdoor in the belltower floor! Should he let the clergyman know he'd 'invaded' the church or simply find some means to get to the tombs that he required to keep the Prince safe?

ooc: Locked door as in locked on the outside or can he use his skills and powers to pick the lock?

actions: get down from there, send everyone running out of the church to safety, except for a priest he will grab [stretching if needed] and get directions to the tombs below. Has to be a door to the tombs somewhere and the priest will know. Staying in "angel" form for now.

OOC The floor seems solid, with stone slabs on it, but there is a section where the stones seem mismatched in a rough six foot square area. Possibly to conceal an entrance to some lower section of the church.

Haunt sprinted from the bell tower into the church main area. He surprised several practitioners as well as the Priest himself. "What...?" He spluttered. "This is a house of God! You cannot ... you cannot be here!"

The few worshippers didn't need telling to leave more than once, but the Priest, though petrified, stood his ground.

Watching them go, the Priest spluttered "You are no angel sir! Such blasphemy! I will call the Police at once unless you leave immediately! What... what are... what were you doing back..."

Then his eyes alighted on Prince Conrad, who stood in the shadow of the belltower doorway. The Priests demeanour changed immediately! "Quia manifestaturus es ad me , ut formam recto iudicio domini!"*

The Prince glanced about, then muttered "The sons of Mordred come to reclaim their masters blade. This man..." he glanced at Haunt "...is a hero, a valued ally, and the only reason that I have not been slaughtered, and the blade lost to darkness. They gather..."

The Priest glanced about at the stained glass windows, and Haunt noticed for the first time that amongst the coloured glass pictures of saints and goodly deeds were pictures of creatures with batlike wings. The glass had been clear at first glance, but had darkened as the evil gathered overhead!

Looking Haunt up and down, he offered "My apologies, sir. I am Father Michael Daniels, priest and... defender of the fragment which Prince Conrad refers to." He bowed his head to the Prince, and Haunt noticed the Priests bearing was changed entirely. No longer the frightened clergyman, he stood taller, broader, and moved with purpose. Going over to the large wooden cross on the wall, he twisted the base and with a click, a blade slid free, shining silver and glowing slightly. He glanced upon it. "I have trained all my life for a time such as this, as did my father and his father. Only I have had the need to draw this blade." he turned. "I'm ready to use it."

Conrad spoke up "The tombs?"

"You will need a large hammer, sledgehammer or the like. Or... " he glanced at Haunt. "Perhaps you have another way into the tomb."

*reveal yourself to me that our lords judgement might guide me as to the right course - according to an online translator.

"Would it be better for me to face them here while you two go below and do what needs to be done," the angelic Haunt asks.

ooc: Will fight here or go down to help the prince, whichever they prefer.

Conrad considered. "This place has holy ground... real holy ground that will prevent their entrance to this place, but they will find some other means. That gives us time."

He turned to the priest who nodded "We'll get to the tombs, find what we need. If you can keep them busy... but first..." he offered a hand towards the trap door and Haunt obliged by smashing it with a hammer formed of an arm.

"Amazing" muttered Conrad as the dust boiled around. "Solid stone, smashed to powder."

The Priest nodded "Indeed, we have powerful forces ranged against us, but a higher power has seen fit to guide one of our own to aid us!" They started to climb down into the tomb.

Haunt moved to the door of the church. It was pitch black outside thanks to the boiling clouds above the city. In the far distance the cloud colour changed, making it seem like only London was afflicted by the freak weather.

Haunt looked about

OOC Roll(2d10)+0:5,6,+0 Total:11 Pretty good, but...

The nigh black creatures against the ash black sky were nigh on invisible! Haunt wondered if they'd gone, but noticed something else. A small crowd of people stumbling down the street, towards the church. And in another direction, more. And another.... more again. Ordinary people, but they were stumbling as if slightly drunk. Too far to see details on their face, but all with a singular purpose it seemed - to get to the church.

Where were the creatures, and what did these people want at the church?

Time to put up the Fog around the area. Fair's fair. If they are hiding in the black, I will hide in the white.

Then look around for things to use in combat. A nice pile of gravel or something similar would be nice. Then I can omni-arm my arm into a shotgun and blast it up at the demons. Don't want to be ripping up tombstones though

OOC Have enough to go on there for a quick, short update. If you can get a reply in tomorrow I will update then too.

Haunt poured fog from the doorway of the church to envelop it in near impenetrable fog.

He morphed one arm into a white hoover tube, and the other into a giant shotgun. Looking about, he cast his eyes on the gravel driveway of the church. He figured the priest wouldn't mind the mess he was about to make given the circumstances. Whirrrrr! The stones were sucked up one arm... Haunt shivered... and he levelled the other at the sky.

The inky blackness beckoned, red lightning flashing occasionally... and the first darker than black shape soared into view!

OOC Shoot on sight, wait till you see the whites of his eyes or some other tactic? Bear in mind you are effectively hurling these things, so the further away you shoot, the more it spreads. However waiting till this guy gets close may mean you just get the one shot before he's on you... Hopefully that fog will help you avoid what's coming...

Auto Fire Combat Shotgun - open fire once I am sure what my target is. For all I know, for now, it could be a flying hero coming in to help. So want to make sure of my target. Guess some HP in observing will help.

Haunt narrowed his eyes. The demonic pitch black form spiralled and whirled, and Haunt tried to assess its abilities.

OOC Perception check Roll(2d10)+0: 10,2,+0 Total:12

It was growing. The darkness around it seemed to grey as the 'Shadow Demon' gathered darkness as mass to its form, gaining in size and weight. It was, right now, larger than a double decker bus...

It approached his fog... and paused. Haunt chose that moment to take his shot!

OOC The shotgun type weapon is effective at close range... but spreads the further it goes. Roll(2d10)+0: 6,9,+0 Total:15 Still, it's a good roll...

The blast sent a stream of gravel outwards and upwards, like a hose which would have slaughtered ordinary men.

The creature was struck... and glanced down at its stone pelted form. It was pushed back in the air, trying to hover and maintain its flight, but gave up and wheeled away, swooping and whirling out of sight.

Haunt was given hope. His weapon was crude but effective. Except his supply of gravel would not last overlong...

Suddenly the fog lit up... fire! Not ordinary fire though - blue, searing not in heat, but with something else! Hellfire!

OOC Initiative Haunt 5, Bad Guys 1. Haunt, Haunt acts first... but his enemy is flying beyond the range of his fog in the darkness. He needs to buy more time for the priest and Conrad, but these... things are probing, testing, seeking a way into the church. Do you wish to delay your action until the bad guys have acted, or try something else? From where Haunt stands in the door of the church he can see no flying enemies in his fog, but they may be on the other side of the building... Will he step out of the church boundaries to take a look...?