THE NEW VANGUARD! HAUNT Issue #9 with Special Guest Star STEEPLEJACK!

The group of injuns rides at breakneck pace towards the town but slows when they see a small group of men, Sheriff and the Heroes included... waiting for them in front of a barrier of wagons pulled across the main street.

From windows, shadows, behind corners poked gun barrels... This could all go south very, very quickly!

Scalphunter moved forward and spoke in his native tongue, only to be rebuffed by an angry reply!

He turned to Haunt "They say there is a group of indian hunters who have been... massacred... in the hills. A single hole in their chests like the white mans weapon leaves, but burnt, as if their bullets were on fire!"

"What in tarnation is the savage talking about! Tell him if he doesn't ride off right now with his posse we'll open fire and all in self defence!" shouted the Sheriff!

Scalphunter spoke again, got a reply, and translated "He says that the Sheriff proves that the white man killed his people and that if he leaves here without justice on this day it will be to return in the days to come with a great army to burn the white mans land to the ground!"

The Sheriff laughed "We'll send a message to th' fort, there's no way a bunch o savages can threaten us!"

The injuns looked incensed and nocked arrows to bows.. the Sheriff and his men took aim!

"Hold up, Sheriff, I am going to try a bit of stage magic to send them on their way. Git yore people to git their fingers off those triggers. Not to fire regardless of what they are about to see," Rex King says.

He moves forward, towards the Indians, arms out showing he has no weapons on hand.

"Scalphunter, translate for me!"

"You are wrong on who has hurt you," he says as he continues to slowly step forward. "It is bad medicine for you to attack the white man here. And I will prove it to you! Watch!"

He summons up a bit of Fog, just enough to hide his presence, quickly turning off the ring so he is in his all white spooky cowboy outfit when he steps out of the Fog, letting the Fog fade away. Basically he did a smoke cloud that a quick-change artist could use to change outfits.

"I am the Haunt! Rider for Justice! Those who would do an unjust act cannot harm me! To prove that the White Man did not hurt your people, I tell you to fire your weapons at me! If my medicine is bad, my words are bad, then I will bleed. If my words are true, if my medicine is powerful, then your weapons cannot harm me."


ooc: Really really really really hoping my Body is high enough to basically be arrow- and bullet-proof. And just throw in Absorption from Stretching as a back up if not.

The injuns are shocked, as is the Sheriff and his deputies... but they lower their guns to watch what is about to happen...

Taking aim with bow and arrows they fired time and again at Haunt!

Making himself as pliant and absorbent as possible he was peppered with arrows which jutted from his form... then shot at time and again!

The Sheriff and his men took cover and aim at the injuns but watched in fascination as shot after shot struck home! Steeplejack felt helpless as his comrade allowed himself to be shot repeatedly!

OOC With a roll of AT LEAST 56 required to hurt Haunt even though he is stood there being a target and effectively not dodging (-4 to Ov and RV) I'm not going to bother rolling the dice. An EV of 4 shouldn't be able to hurt someone who can shrug off a Battleships main gun even if they are weakened in this timeline!

Finally the shooting stopped and smoke cleared...

Popping his thumb theatrically into his masked mouth Haunt gave a blow... and the arrows - dozens of them - along with bullets, popped out and fell in a huge pile around the Hero!

The injuns gaped and looked on in terrified awe! The Sheriff stumbled forwards "Ah seen it, but ah ain't believin' mah eyes. No way no one can get shot that many times an not bleed or die! Who... WHAT are you?"

"Stage magic," the Haunt whispers to the Sheriff. "Rubber suit and a bit more. A magician never gives away his secrets."

Nodding to Scalphunter to keep translating.

"You've seen my medicine. It is strong. It proves your medicine is bad and your anger is at the wrong people. Return to your camp. My friends and I will go after those who have wronged you and will bring them to Justice. You have my word on this."

The leader of the Injuns licked his lips nervously and spoke loudly to his people. "I have decided to give this man of smoke magic a chance to prove his words!"

Scalphunter translated.

"If he is false we shall return with many warriors and make war on the white man! If he is true, then we will expect THIS man..." he said, pointing to Scalphunter "to be our hand in delivering the justice for our people! the honour of this task is on you, as is the humiliation of failure! Be true to your heritage and your ancestors!"

With that they spun on their horses and started galloping across the plains!

Sighs of relief rang out and the Sheriff and his people put weapons away.

Scalphunter turned to Steeplejack. "If the man of smoke can make magic that bounces arrows from skin, what can YOU do?"

Admin wrote:The injuns gaped and looked on in terrified awe! The Sheriff stumbled forwards "Ah seen it, but ah ain't believin' mah eyes. No way no one can get shot that many times an not bleed or die! Who... WHAT are you?"

Doc looked on aghast as well. He was still new to what his friend Rex could do, his pliable form was clearly incredibly durable. Just as well, standing there and letting his friend be shot took all his will to let continue to happen and not jump in the fray. But he'd been around long enough to know that most supers, had powers that paled even his abilities. Why not Rex?

Only now he wondered how they were going to bring everyone else on board so as not to set tongues a-wagging and or turn on them instead of the Indians. Then again, if the news did get out, might it bring the Aliens to them? Surely they'd know they'd been followed, well if they didn't Doc reasoned, they soon would after that display.

"Yes sir ee. Ladies and Gentleman presenting the greatest magician to have walked out of the parlour of Fuu man choo, the disciple of David of Copperfield, the brazen cleverness of the Danials, I thank. We didn't like to present out show to you before you'd kindly had a chance to pay for the privilege but consider that a taster. Now I think we've made our point, don't we?"

Sj

"As you can now tell," the Haunt says trying to play along, "Doc is sort of my manager and strangely enough, a pretty good bare-fisted boxer. So we should be able to handle this situation or any situation that most folks can't."

The sheriff gaped. "Ah never seen th' like... how did you do that?"

He turned to shout to his deputies "You men get to high windows an keep watch out fer them injuns in case they decide to come back! All you citizens go about yer business, magic show's over..."

He turns back to the trio, still scowling at Scalphunter. "Ah don't know rightly what's goin on but we DO NOT need a war with th' injuns. Ah'm gonna send word fer th' fort ta send men over. Hopefully they'll not be needed but there's some mighty strange stuff goin on ah don't understand."

"What about them other strangers? One o th' boys mentioned ah funny smell bout em but that ain't no surprise if someones' been in th saddle fer days. ma cousin stank ta high heaven after a while in... never mind. Anyway, they were after some kid called Bonny. Seems ta me th' kid needs warnin' or at least given th' heads up that's he's wanted. Ah don't know what he's done but Tunstall is fresh in th' ground and stuff that happens in these parts takes a few days ta get here if yer lucky. All ah do know is that ah don't know what's goin on but ah don't want no trouble."

He looked at Scalphunters knife in his hand and reluctantly handed it over. "Don't make me regret this boy. Ma gut says you ain't ma enemy but ah've been wrong before. Go about yer business, but keep me updated through a visit ta the jail office or one o ma deputies. Now git."

The Sheriff strode across the street barking to his deputies who were arguing over who got to take watch where and it transpired there was a rooftop or the top floor of the brothel to choose from, and it was no surprise which duty most of the deputies wanted!

Scalphunter turned. "We need supplies. Horse need grain. Weapons. Guns." he looked doubtful. "Magic man stand out like grey horse on plain. People looking." he glanced around and saw men, women and children pointing and staring at Haunt where he stood in the street. He turned to Steeplejack. "Fist fighter? Good but not good when bad men have guns that burn hole through mans chest."

Admin wrote:Scalphunter turned. "We need supplies. Horse need grain. Weapons. Guns." he looked doubtful. "Magic man stand out like grey horse on plain. People looking." he glanced around and saw men, women and children pointing and staring at Haunt where he stood in the street. He turned to Steeplejack. "Fist fighter? Good but not good when bad men have guns that burn hole through mans chest."

With a knowing nod to the Sheriff, Doc turns to the others and offers, "Scalphunter is right, this place isn't what we need, but it might be able to get us the supplies, we need and we can get on over to Turnstall, we've maybe got the jump on them. But since they clearly don't feel the need to worry about collateral damage, I suggest we speed up the programme. What do you think Rex?"

OOC: Ok I guess we try and get some supplies, make sure we've got either fresh horses or ours are fresh enough and best ask for the swiftest route to Turnstall - Dave you call the shots here mate I'll go with whatever you think best.

Sj

"And directions," The Haunt adds.  "Need some really good directions to Tunstall's place.  No such things as street or road signs out here. And I'll change back into Rex in a bit. Duck down an alleyway on the way to the General Store where we will get most of our supplies. Have to then hit the Livery Stables to see if we can buy or rent horse."

Dressed more conventionally now Haunt steps out from a side street with Steeplejack and Scalphunter...

The trio ignore looks and pointing from the towns people at Scalphunter and make their way to one of several general stores in the town.

Weighing in gold dust as payment, the trio leave with two weeks worth of food, something to drink and directions to Tunstalls place, a days hard riding away. As they step out and turn towards the stables further on down the street they see a half covered wagon and a man extolling the virtues of a miraculous elixir he happens to have for sale.

"...that's right, for only $1 this marvellous elixir will add years to your life, restore vision to those with failing sight, cure many common and some uncommon ailments, act as a laxative, a means to restore bowel order and many, many other ..." he trailed off slightly as he glanced up and saw the heroic trio. "... as I say, this miraculous serum is available for only $1! Don't push or crowd, i have only a few left but I'll make sure all are happily satisfied!"

The five people 'crowding' about seemed uninterested and cast glances at Scalphunter, hurrying away.

With a sigh the man turned to the mule stood at the wagon. "Codswallop, it seems today will be a hard sell indeed. Hopefully the locals will drink hard and we can prove the elixir..." he glances at the small vial of dark brown liquid "... will cure their ailing heads."

He turned to the trio. "What about you fine gentlemen? You seem... you seem..."

He frowned. "You seem like strangers, from a far away place."

Admin wrote:He frowned. "You seem like strangers, from a far away place."

Doc leaned into toward Rex and said, "This couldn't be Thoth could it?" Although he was sure if it was he'd recognise him, nonetheless who could say what 'changes' Thoth might have made to his appearance or if he wasn't in sort of disguise intended for the part he was playing here. Doc too a step, forward to encourage the others to take a closer look, adding "5 Minutes won't make much difference..."

Sj

Rex King looks to see if the snake oil salesman has his name on the side of his wagon or a sign propped up with his name.

"Possibly," he replies to Doc. "Or very observant. Let's check him out. After you, you look more gullible than me."

The man put a smile back on as he reached into his wagon to bring out a couple of vials.

"Roll up, roll up! Even you, my native american friend, could benefit from this elixir! Here, take a small sip of this sample, feel the invigorating energy as it courses through you, and feel brighter, lighter, faster and smarter than ever before! And with cleaner teeth!" said the salesman.

Scalphunter frowned, sniffed at the tiny sample vial and slugged it down. Then he pulled a face and winced before hawking and spitting a gobbet of dark fluid into the dirt of the street!

"Ack! This is poison! You will die for this!" said the injun as he pulled his knife out and made to move towards the saleman!

Haunt and Steeplejack moved to restrain their companion but didn't need to act as the mule looked over its shoulder then let fly with a kick that caught the blade of the knife to send it spinning across the street to thud into a door frame just as a cowboy was stumbling from a saloon! The man gaped at the knife then turned to head right back into the saloon!

"Ah ha! Come my friends, no need to cause a fuss! Why, look! Our native friend has indeed brightened his smile!" said the salesman.

Scalphunter, still frowning, looked at the others. Then he slowly smiled, though was hesitant. Sure enough his teeth were bright white and shining!

Steeplejack and Haunt both noticed the slightest of gestures from the Salesmans hand before he slipped it into a pocket.

"Now my friends, would you fine gentlemen like to try my elixir? I can guarantee a full vial of the stuff will be worth the paltry dollar. Each. That the vial costs." grinned the salesman.

Haunt couldn't quite believe it. Had his eyes deceived him? The mule appeared to ... roll its eyes and get back to eating from a bag hanging from the wagon!

"Didn't catch yore name, stranger. Rather like to know who I might be doing business with," Rex King drawls.

DavidMcMahon wrote:"Didn't catch yore name, stranger.  Rather like to know who I might be doing business with," Rex King drawls.

After the eye-opening demonstration, Doc eye both the man and Scalphunter with a bit more suspicion. He had to wonder what was in this wonder tonic, a wonder that it could be called a tonic perhaps.

Sj

"Josiah Broome! Procurer of artifacts, seller of fabulous serums and tamer of stupid mules!" he said with a bow and a flourish. "Whom might you gentlemen be..." said Broome, his voice trailing away.

The heroes looked to where Broome was looking.

A man in black was riding into town. He looked mean, well dressed, and his hand never strayed far from the holster of his gun. His eyes seemed to take in everything and when the settled on Haunt, Steeplejack and Scalphunter he sneered.

Then he saw Broome, and he stopped on his horse some fifty feet away.

Climbing down from his horse he called out "Broome! I see you! Ah'm callin you out, charlatan!"

"Another satisfied customer." Broome muttered. He put his grin back in place and called out "Surely there's some misunderstanding and no need for hasty actions, friend! Whatever your grievance I feel we can come to some..."

Haunt and Steeplejack blinked. The stranger in black had drawn his pistol so quickly that it almost appeared in his hand as if by magic!

"Ah crap." muttered Broome. His mule heee hawed...

The Sheriff called out "Now just hold on a moment! Ah'm th' law round here an..." he said, running from down the street.

The Stranger glanced at the Sheriff and the lawman shrieked, clutching his head! The Sheriff fell to the dust, writhing and twitching!

He was so fast and had done 'something' to the Sheriff with but a glance!

He hissed "Broome, I see YOU. Surrender and I won't kill all of these people..." then grinned "But I'd prefer it if you went with a struggle..."

Admin wrote:He hissed "Broome, I see YOU. Surrender and I won't kill all of these people..." then grinned "But I'd prefer it if you went with a struggle..."

The man in black's comment made Doc think that perhaps his ability, for surely that is what they just witnessed, some sort of psychic ability - latent but somehow awakened - might rely on line of sight. He hissed to Rex under his breath, "Your smoke might be what we need right now, to escape with Broom and get out of here before the stranger draws us into a fight we don't want or need to have. don't you think?"

Sj

"I'm not sure yet but I think either Broome or his jackass is Prof. Thoth," Rex whispers back. "So he may not need our help."

"Hey Mister," he says out loud, "you do note that none of us except the Indian are armed don't you? You shoot him, it would be considered murder and you will get a price on your head."

"Can you take him, Thoth," Rex says just loud enough the both the jackass and snake-oil salesman can hear him.

The Man in Black turned to look at Haunt. "You... should not be here." he frowned. Then 'sniffed' at the air.

"Nor you." he added to Steeplejack. "Leave and I shall..."

BANG!

A deputy fired his weapon directly at the back of the man in black who looked down at his chest and picked a finger through his crisp white shirt, feeling inside and plucking... a flattened bullet that he held up in his fingers.

Then he grinned. He had sharp teeth, as if they'd all been filed down to points! "Surrender 'Broome' to me and all of these people don't have to die." he said, waving a hand about to the frightened bystanders and bewildered deputies who looked aghast at the man who'd been shot from a few feet away and not batted an eyelid! Nor had the horse, which stood stock still. Unlike other horses, there were no flies gathered around it and it didn't flicks its tail or otherwise show signs of life!

Behind Haunt 'Broome' muttered "Putting aside the question of how you know who I am you should know this... creature... is a L'ek Sh'i, a demon cast out from hell to hunt down goodly sorcerers wherever they be! Damn nuisance. I can protect some of these people, but in this time? I'm not at my best."

The mule snorted!

"Quiet Codswallop!" hissed Thoth/Broome. "Time affects everyone differently and these swines seem immune. At least they are the lower echelons of power in the hierarchy of... oh that can wait. Umvala Kra... SHENAK!" he hissed and gestured at the man in black...

OOC Mystic Freeze 12 + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,3,+0 Total:12 (24) vs
infl 9 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,9,+0 Total:21 (30) FAILED

"Hahahah!" laughed the man in black. "How weak you are in this time little mage! I thought to catch you when you posed as Maedhlyn in the 'dark ages'. The REAL Merlin would brush me aside but you are a mere apprentice to his power, curse his name! Little mage, you are weak here, and vulnerable! Time to die, and for me to claim my place in the hierarchy!"

"Crap." muttered Thoth as he glanced at his fingers. "Little help?"

"I'll do what I can to protect the citizens," Rex King replies as he rubs his ring of disguise to reveal his Haunt outfit, "you three take him down."

The Haunt then uses, unless the powers don't work and he feels like a total fool, his Stretching and Self Manipulation to stretch around this area of the street and then forming basically a two floor high wall around the combatants with his body, keeping everyone else on the other side of the "wall", pushing them gently away like the deputy who is too close, to keep them from seeing what is going on.  He will use the absorbing of his stretching power absorb what physical attacks he can so as to not damage the town or get any of its citizens hit and hope his body is tough enough for what attacks he can't absorb.

[and since we are dealing with magic, probably not going to be able to absorb anything or have his Body provide him protection.  Uh-Oh! But then again, his Spirit is pretty tough]  

Too bad Fog can't be controlled and is just a sphere but what I would like to do is create a wisp of Fog "smoke" outside his body away from the combat as a special effect I guess we would call it. Not to obscure vision since that would affect those "inside" his body ring but for the future after the fight where he explains it all away with a "magic lantern shining on the smoke I use for my stage magic" that made it look like he became a wall.

And DANG! You need to change the name of the Power from Self Manipulation [am I the only one who thinks that sounds dirty?] to something like Body Alteration.

DavidMcMahon wrote:"I'll do what I can to protect the citizens," Rex King replies as he rubs his ring of disguise to reveal his Haunt outfit, "you three take him down."

The Haunt then uses, unless the powers don't work and he feels like a total fool, his Stretching and Self Manipulation to stretch around this area of the street and then forming basically a two floor high wall around the combatants with his body, keeping everyone else on the other side of the "wall", pushing them gently away like the deputy who is too close, to keep them from seeing what is going on.  He will use the absorbing of his stretching power absorb what physical attacks he can so as to not damage the town or get any of its citizens hit and hope his body is tough enough for what attacks he can't absorb. .

"Thoth if only you'd come when we came, instead of trying to show off."

Steeplejack moved forward knowing that there was going to be little point in trying to reason with the creature and seeing that bullet did nothing meaningful he wondered if his earthbound powers could make a difference. Well, there was only one way to find out. With fists raised, he moved in, and the Earth moved out...

OOC: Ok go for my earth-moving power again and see if I can use to do harm, right now thinking I'll hang back but if need be take the fight to him with fisty cuffs if need be.

Sj

ooc:  I don't know if it helps or adds to any attack dice or to hit you use but you now have the Haunt's body to bounce off of in trying to do physical attacks.  Maybe it will help if you do a flying tackle or flying sidekick or something?   HYYYAAAHHH!!!!
Or maybe bounce an earth attack off his body to hit the enemy from behind? If the GM isn't feeling generous, he probably would have to have us do some actual training together to do that kind of thing though.

Haunt forms a 'wall' around the combatants and Thoth mutters "Well that's just great, any chance of a bloomin door?"

Steeplejack attacks with Earth Control and creating a dust storm of rocks, dust and dirt to whip up and around the man on the horse!

OOC Earth Control 7 + Roll(2d12)+0: 1,3,+0 Total:4 DOH
Earth Control has burned out. So that's Frostbite and Steeplejack suffering. Earth Control is on the fritz for an hour.

Barely anything happened and Steeplejack looked at his hands.

"Are you... a magicker?" asked the man from Horseback as he leaned forward with an arched brow looking at Steeplejack. "Not a good one, I'll wager, but your death may bring benefits when I return home!"

He looked about. "Oh no. A wall." he said, completely deadpan. Sliding smoothly from the horse he muttered something near silently and it simply vanished in a puff of sulphurous smoke!

Then he gave a toothy/fanged grin and clapped his hands together, rubbing them. "Right! Who wants to die first?"

He sprints across to Steeplejack and brings a whipping fist around to deliver a blow on the heroes chin!

OOC Or at least tries.

Man in black Dex 9 + martial arts 2 extra dice Roll(4d12)+0: 6,5,9,4,+0 Total:15 (24) vs
Steeplejack Dex 8 + acrobatics 4 extra dice Roll(6d12)+0: 9,5,3,8,7,4,+0 Total:17 (25) Attack MISSED

Steeplejack ducks the blow at the last moment and the man in black frowns. "Hmm. More to you than I thought little mage. Yet I sense nothing... magic about you. Aside from..." he stopped and gaped. "A GRAND prize. TWO of them!" he laughed and rubbed his hands together.

Thoth rolled his eyes. "Oh DO be quiet demon." he muttered. Then he said something in a long dead tongue and thrust a hand at the demon!

OOC Magic Blast 15 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,9,+0 Total:14 (29) vs
MiB Infl 9 + Crit Blow 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,11,+0 Total:23 (36) ATTACK FAILED

The Man in Black turned to Thoth and tut tutted. "In this era you are a stripling, a mere neophyte! I'll wager you cannot achieve the 7th level of sorcery without a nosebleed!"

"7th! Pah!" replied Thoth. He didn't add to it though and turned to the mule. "Sorry about this old girl." The mules eyes widened and it heeee hawed!

OOC initiative ...
9,10,3,10,+0
Haunt 9 (33)
Steeplejack 10 (36)
Man in Black 3 (32)
Prof Thoth 10 (40)

Thoth, Steep, Haunt, MiB. Go.

Thoth called out" Could you keep him from killing me while I try something?" He started to cast a spell aimed at his mule!