The New Vanguard! Miss Victory issue #3 Enter... NEXUS! guest Starring Lionheart!

ISSUE #3

Miss Victory HP 98
Lionheart HP 27

ENTERING the stairwell with Obsidian, Lupus and Possessor in tow the heroes look down and see the stairs go down and round... and someone standing on the next level down (six) basically blocking the way.

The man - who looked very old with a white beard and wore orange prison overalls - stood calmly waiting for the group to come down the stairs.

"Whoever you are. YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" he bellowed.

Lionhearts Danger Sense...

OOC D Sense 10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 2,10,+0 Total:12 (22) vs
OV 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,10,+0 Total:22 (26) FAILED

Didn't warn him of any danger. Sometimes it was a little hit and miss, or did it mean the man was no threat?

"Has this guy been watching too much Lord of the rings?" asked Obsidian. "Want me to go punch his lights out?" he asked, rolling his neck and popping his fists...

OOC you guys are stood outside level fives doorway looking down/through the metal stays that go down, around and down again to level six where the guy is stood in the stairwell blocking the path and next to the door in level six. The stairs then continue down to level seven. It looks a simple enough matter to fly past him...

"Shall we just run around him and continue down," Miss Victory whispered to Lionheart.

DavidMcMahon wrote:"Shall we just run around him and continue down," Miss Victory whispered to Lionheart.

OOC: Sorry been a bit busy, so just getting to these now

Lionheart thought about it for a moment, this guy wouldn't be here indeed wouldn't be this far down if there wasn't something going on. He hated magic and this guy certainly fitted all the reasons why. Nonetheless, Lionheart respected it, after all, he didn't fully understand nuclear fission, but that didn't mean he was cautious about it.

"Ok so we shall not pass, then what? Do we have to fight you, give a password, listen to a riddle, come on we're new at this? It's not everyday one gets to go walkabout in a maximum security level prison. Why do you care if we go down to level 7 and the worst possible threat is from them right? So tell me, what or who can pass and what have we got to do to get with the programme?"

Lionheart was making nice, seeking to ascertain what and whom they faced, but he wasn't above barging past. But whoever had left this old fella here, might have had a better clue about what and who he was. Then again, for all, he knew the old guy found a stick and wandered down here when no one was looking?

OOC: OK so trying to square this guy up, but thinking that we might all move closer - non-threatening like and then have Possessor try and grab his mind when we get close if we can't make nice and seek to gain a friend or at least someone who doesn't want to join the growing queue of people lining up to make our heads their next trophies.

Sj

The man looked unmoved by Lionhearts words.

"My task has been set to prevent movement from this level to the next and vice versa. We on six will prove triumphant over all once the ceremony is complete. There shall be no interference from others regardless of their powers." he said in a clipped English accent.

"Enough o this, let me scrag this skinny guy!" snarled Obsidian as he activated his powers and became a jet black hugely muscled bruiser!

Possessor called out "Watch out! he may have... some abilities we know nothing about!"

Lupus offered "I have a bad feeling about this."

Meanwhile the 'English Gentleman' (OOC A guy in his early fifties) looks calm, with arms behind his back and as if he was about to give a lecture to some students.



OOC As you can see with 25 Superspeed (only 3 short of the Flash in his heyday) Lionheart not only goes first but he can probably afford to go on a two week holiday before he takes an action. If you saw the X men/Quicksilver depiction in the most recent series of X Men films (First class?) where Quicksilver basically starts running about and everyone else is a statue that's how things appear to him.

Miss Victory you'll need to use an Automatic action to pop a pill if you want to.

Combat order is:

Lionheart
Goldthorn (the bad guy in the prison orange looking remarkably calm for someone who is outnumbered)
Miss Victory (without a power pill in effect)
Possessor
Lupus
Obsidian

Sorry for pointing out the obvious but if I change even one cell of the Excel spreadsheet I use to work out some of this stuff all the rolls will automatically be made again. I suspect only the lower order of order would be changed though in this case.

Miss V will now take her pill and put 17 into Body for a max of 23 and 6 into dex for 16 for this round.  She wants to see what this guy can do and we have lots of bricks about to punch him.

Admin wrote:Combat order is:

Lionheart
Goldthorn (the bad guy in the prison orange looking remarkably calm for someone who is outnumbered)
Miss Victory (without a power pill in effect)
Possessor
Lupus
Obsidian

Sorry for pointing out the obvious but if I change even one cell of the Excel spreadsheet I use to work out some of this stuff all the rolls will automatically be made again. I suspect only the lower order of order would be changed though in this case.[/i][/color]

OOC: No worries about order and all that all makes sense, and yes I know what you mean about QS...very funny.

Lionheart had given the guy the chance, the only chance he was going to get. If he was all he said he was, he'd have to be either pretty good or presently indispensable whatever this ritual was that was going on. He didn't like the sound of that, but right now he had bigger fish to fry. So with haste in mind, he went for a martial arts attack and hoped the guy didn't have any passive force fields or wards or whatever these "magey" types call their defences.

OOC: OK going for devastating attack 4 to 1 on attack/defence or 3/2 if that is too big a variance

Sj

OOC Lionheart speeds up and THWACK!

DEVASTATING ATTACK Dex 25 + 4D M Arts plus (1D Acro) + Roll(6d12)+0: 2,2,3,8,4,12,+0 Total:4 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 5,11,+0 Total:20 (45) vs
OV11 + Dev Att 8 + 5D Acro + Roll(7d12)+0: 2,8,1,8,10,4,12,+0 Total:16 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 9,12,+0 Total:37 (56) Attack Missed

Lionheart swung... and missed.

The man casually stood back, then stepped aside as Lionheart swung again... and again... and again...

At one point he started checking his nails and brushed down his prison orange overalls even as Lionheart swished again with another missed attack!

"Impressive. But crude and clumsy, you really must work on your form young man." said the fellow. "Especially as you appear to be a fellow Englishman. One must maintain a certain level of... presence... in places such as this." he looked about at the others. "Anyone else?"

Suddenly his features seemed to change into something else... something TERRIFYING!

OOC Aura of Fear attack on everyone.

AoF 15 + Roll(2d12)+0: 11,9,+0 Total:20 (35)

vs
Lionheart OV10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,10,+0 Total:15 (25) +4 (to 19) vs RV20=No effect
Miss Victory OV8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,9,+0 Total:14 (22) + +5 (to 20) vs RV8=12 RAPs. You can absorb up to 8 of those which will leave you running in fear or simply cower in fear then try to break the fear effect (and use HP for that)
Obsidian OV7 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,5,+0 Total:10 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 2,6,+0 Total:18 (25) +4 (to 19) vs RV7=12RAPs. Obsidian cowers in fear.
Possessor OV9 + Roll(2d12)+0: 11,6,+0 Total:17 (26) +4 (to 19) vs RV18=1 RAP. possessor turns and starts sprinting up the stairs as fast as she can go!
Lupus Ov5 + Roll(2d12)+0: 10,11,+0 Total:21 (26) +4 (to 19) vs RV9=10RAPs. Lupus collapses in a heap on the floor with his hands over his head, cowering.

Miss Victory's HP or take the hit (cowering)? then Lionheart to win initiative again then I'll figure out everyone else.

Admin wrote:OOC Lionheart speeds up and THWACK!

vs
Lionheart OV10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,10,+0 Total:15 (25) +4 (to 19) vs RV20=No effect
Miss Victory OV8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,9,+0 Total:14 (22) + +5 (to 20) vs RV8=12 RAPs. You can absorb up to 8 of those which will leave you running in fear or simply cower in fear then try to break the fear effect (and use HP for that)
Obsidian OV7 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,5,+0 Total:10 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 2,6,+0 Total:18 (25) +4 (to 19) vs RV7=12RAPs. Obsidian cowers in fear.
Possessor OV9 + Roll(2d12)+0: 11,6,+0 Total:17 (26) +4 (to 19) vs RV18=1 RAP. possessor turns and starts sprinting up the stairs as fast as she can go!
Lupus Ov5 + Roll(2d12)+0: 10,11,+0 Total:21 (26) +4 (to 19) vs RV9=10RAPs. Lupus collapses in a heap on the floor with his hands over his head, cowering.

Miss Victory's HP or take the hit (cowering)? then Lionheart to win initiative again then I'll figure out everyone else.

OOC: OK going for Mindblast Devastating attack and buy dice this time, 3 dice please, see if I can do better than the last time when my turn comes around again

Sj

vs
Lionheart OV10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,10,+0 Total:15 (25) +4 (to 19) vs RV20=No effect
Miss Victory OV8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,9,+0 Total:14 (22) + +5 (to 20) vs RV8=12 RAPs. You can absorb up to 8 of those which will leave you running in fear or simply cower in fear then try to break the fear effect (and use HP for that)


Dashing this off at work before heading home so I don't have time to check the rules but does any of her recovered mental powers help against the Aura of Fear or did they need to be activated?


Anyway, going to quiver on the ground as I don't want to spend my HP so early in the next round.

Admin wrote:OOC The mental powers Miss Victory can call upon would need to be activated first, The ghost of Mind Maiden (who supplies them) effectively needs to be called upon and you need that decent roll against your own mental stats to give you some points to play with from the list. So basically Miss V is on her own till she concentrates and maybe spends the odd die or 2 (HP) to boost her chances of using the mental abilities.

That means Lionheart is up, Possessor is running up the stairs and Obsidian/Miss Victory/Lupus are curled up on the floor in panic and unable to act/move so are extremely vulnerable...

OOC: OK going for Mindblast Devastating attack and buy dice this time, 3 dice please, see if I can do better than the last time when my turn comes around again

Sj

OOC First of all before Lionheart attacks...

Danger Sense 9 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,7,+0 Total:15 (24) vs
OV4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,4,+0 Total:9 (13) +5 (to 14) vs RV4=10RAPs. Tells you exactly where the danger is originating from.

Lionhearts danger sense warned him of danger from the foe he faced. He'd seen the man exert some sort of mental attack that petrified the others and felt its power against his own mental shields. That attack hadn't got through - but what else did he have in store?

And then... Lionheart turned away from the mage, looking an at area of the stairs that was apparently empty. What? No danger from the mage? Danger from... from something he could not see. That didn't mean it wasn't there, just that he couldn't see the mage. He was looking at the mage he'd attacked... and there was no danger from him. The empty space though...

OOC Lionhearts eyes are deceiving him. He can continue to attack the guy in front of him... or try to find the REAL threat. Problem is an attempt to use a super sense to find a hidden foe will cost him his attack this round so you may have a rough ride until you figure out where the guy is...

Admin wrote:[color=#0033cc]OOC First of all before Lionheart attacks...

[i]OOC Lionhearts eyes are deceiving him. He can continue to attack the guy in front of him... or try to find the REAL threat. Problem is an attempt to use a super sense to find a hidden foe will cost him his attack this round so you may have a rough ride until you figure out where the guy is...

Lionheart felt he had no choice, he'd made him look a fool but more importantly he had turned his friends on themselves and made the whole team badly shaken. He had to get that back together and if his foe was subtly manipulating everything from one side, then that was where he needed to focus.

OOC: Ok looks like I'm giving up a chance to attack in order to better hit. I need to nip this in the bud before rounding up the team. Hopefully, if I can take this fella down, it will help diminish the effect of the fear...hopefully

Sj

OOC Using Direction Hearing 10 to hear the guys breathing/heartbeat...

DH 10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,11,+0 Total:20 (30) vs
Invisibility 11 + Roll(2d12)+0: 4,8,+0 Total:12 (23) +4 (to 14) vs RV11=3 RAPs. Success.

Lionheart closed his eyes and turned his head slowly... Bdum Bdum Bdum... the Mage was pretty calm considering he faced a small army of superhumans...

Lionheart opened his eyes knowing he'd seen nothing but he could hear the Mage quite clearly and would have no problem locating him so long as he didn't move but there really wasn't too many places to hide on this stairwell...

The image of the mage levelled an arm and blasted at Lionheart!

OOC Magic Blast 20 + Roll(2d12)+0: 6,7,+0 Total:13 (33) vs
OV9 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,3,+0 Total:15 (24) +4 (to 24) vs RV10=14 RAPs. Lionheart is STUNNED and MUST absorb 5 points of Spirit damage or he is knocked out! That costs 15HP and leaves Lionheart on HP 12 and is STUNNED on Spirit 1/10

Lionheart pretty much sagged to his knees in the face of a withering spiritual attack that ignored his super speed and seemed to drain the life force from him!

OOC Haunt and the others can try to resist the RAPs of Aura of Fear, Possessor is still running this round, back up to level five!

Admin wrote:[color=#0033cc]OOC Using Direction Hearing 10 to hear the guys breathing/heartbeat...

Lionheart pretty much sagged to his knees in the face of a withering spiritual attack that ignored his super speed and seemed to drain the life force from him!
[i]
OOC Haunt and the others can try to resist the RAPs of Aura of Fear, Possessor is still running this round, back up to level five!

Lionheart knew he was in trouble, big trouble. Somehow in the past, he had managed by blind luck, skill and the help of his team to get through. But his 'team' did not much help themselves reduced to quivering wrecks, and now he himself almost out of the count. He tried to pull himself together barely fighting to stay conscious. His body, however, superpowered or not, still had limits. He'd not really found them, until now. And now for once, the cold tinge of fear crept into his heart.

OOC: O Oh, looks bad, with so few HP left not sure how I'm going to get out of this. We are effectively sitting ducks.

Sj

OOC Obsidian tries to break free of the fear effect.

AV7 + 2D (13HP OBSIDIAN ON 37HP) + Roll(4d12)+0: 12,4,7,8,+0 Total:20 (27) vs
Ov12 + Roll(2d12)+0: 11,4,+0 Total:15 (27) +0 (to 7) vs RV12=0 RAPs. Still petrified.

Lupus AV5 + Roll(2d12)+0: 1,10,+0 Total:11 (16) vs
OV10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,11,+0 Total:19 (29) Failed still cowering

Possessor AV9 + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,8,+0 Total:17 (26) vs
AV1 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,1,+0 Total:6 (7) +6 (to 13) vs RV1=12 RAPs success.

Possessor breaks free of the effect and turns round, heading back down the stairs to where Lionheart is wobbling about like a drunk and the other two are on the floor.

She uses her Detect ability ...

OOC Detect 9 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,9,+0 Total:17 (26) vs
OV9 + Roll(2d12)+0: 4,2,+0 Total:6 (15) +5 (to 14) vs RV9=5 RAPs.

"I knew it!" she hisses. "No one is fast enough to avoid the Englishman! You are not real... But YOU are!" she says to ... well, an area of the stairs.

OOC Assume Miss Victory tries to break free of the effect...

Int 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 4,1,+0 Total:5 (13) vs
OV12 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,10,+0 Total:18 (30) Failed still cowering.



OOC Lionheart is stunned so cannot attack or perform a dice action but he could perform an automatic action and move as well. Miss Victory can try to break free (buy any dice using HP?) and Possessor is going to attack using her Mind Blast on the guy (Personality Transfer would be nigh on impossible on him, his RV is too high).

Admin wrote:OOC Lionheart is stunned so cannot attack or perform a dice action but he could perform an automatic action and move as well. Miss Victory can try to break free (buy any dice using HP?) and Possessor is going to attack using her Mind Blast on the guy (Personality Transfer would be nigh on impossible on him, his RV is too high).

OOC: OK so I'm not sure what I can offer other than some good cheer ;-) seriously what does a no dice action look like here, since I have nothing that can buff anyone or really make much of a difference until this stunned effect is gone. Can I help some of the others get out of their fear state? In which case, if offering some encouragement or some such would make a difference to Lupus or Obsidion then I'll go for it. Sorry, when it comes to the rules I'm totally useless- I tried to just look it up but can't find what I can do that is a non-dice action?

Sj

Miss V will hold off on using HP to break free and will continue to try to break free normally each round.

OOC When you are stunned in this game you can't attack and I just read the rules again... You can perform an action that is considered automatic (with no chance of failure) at the GM's discretion. I take that to read you are wobbling about and trying to clear your head so for the most part doing anything other than wobble a few steps is off the table.

Miss Victory tries to break free...
Int 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,10,+0 Total:22 (30) vs
OV12 + Roll(2d12)+0: 2,8,+0 Total:10 (22) +4 (to 12) vs RV12.... ARGGH! Failed still cowering. So close a 3 point swing would have scored the goal...

Possessor moves to within 10 feet of Goldthorn and blasts at him, even though he is invisible! The Illusion stands with hands behind his back, unconcerned...

OOC CRIT BLOW Mind Blast 15 + Roll(2d12)+0: 4,9,+0 Total:13 (28) vs
OV9 + CBlow 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 2,8,+0 Total:10 (23) +3 (to 18) vs RV20 -6 (CB so RV14)=4 damage.

"Impressive. Some kind of mental bolt. Very well young lady you have attracted my attention." said the illusion prisoner.

OOC Magic Blast 20 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,6,+0 Total:14 (34) vs
OV7 + Roll(2d12)+0: 2,5,+0 Total:7 (14) +6 (to 26) vs RV9=15 Damage. Possessor is DOWN and OUT! Spirit 0/9

Possessor slumps to the stairs quite unconscious and the illusion mage guarding the steps turns and raises an eyebrow. "It appears as though you appear to want to fight on despite my power utterly outmatching yours. Be thankful that I am not some deranged killer and needless deaths are not my desire... but I shall kill you if I have to."

OOC Obsidian tries to break free...

AV7 + Roll(2d12)+0: 10,1,+0 Total:11 (18) vs
OV12 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,5,+0 Total:10 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 2,2,+0 Total:4 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 4,1,+0
Total:19 (31) Attempt Failed

And Lupus...

AV5 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,2,+0 Total:10 (15) vs
OV10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 3,12,+0 Total:15 (25) Attempt failed.

Both prisoners stay down, cowering in fear and unable to move.



Lionheart stumbles to his feet and knows he's next in the firing line. This guy is making a mockery of the group with his power!

OOC Lionheart next to act. His danger sense...

Danger Sense 9 + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,4,+0 Total:13 (22) vs
Ov4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 3,7,+0 Total:10 (14) +4 (to 13) vs Rv4=9 RAPs. Danger sense tells Lionheart exactly where his invisible foe is, as if he could see him (as Spiderman's would be able to).

Admin wrote:Both prisoners stay down, cowering in fear and unable to move.

Danger sense tells Lionheart exactly where his invisible foe is, as if he could see him (as Spiderman's would be able to).[/i][/color]

"Ok glad you aren't getting your kicks from this even if you might feel justifiable a bit smug. Anyway, I don't care what ritual you think you are going to perform, Advent, that alien group that pretty much took over Europe, you know that large mass that Hitler tried to conquer. They are behind this mess, and like it or not if we don't get our act together they are going to use this confusion to lunch their 'ritual' if you know what I mean. They are using our own weaknesses mistrust and egos against us. And if we do not stop them they will release everyone here and then what? I can tell you are an intelligent man, they aren't doing this to play nice...they've one goal and they are hell-bent on getting it done. So either get out of my way or get in line and give us a hand. But you're going to have to kill me to stop me, sorry its a kind of hero do or die thing - it's in my contract!"

OOC: Last-ditch, ditch attempt at either humouring the guy or trying to talk sense. But I've got nothing.

Sj

The illusory man raised an eyebrow and with a brief gesture released all those petrified from his control.

Obsidian and Lupus looked up, relieved and too shocked to be angry, and aware that at any moment the man could instil terror in him again. Possessor still lie unconscious on the floor.

"I am not an unreasonable man, and on this level merely... middling in power. You came unannounced, unwanted and unwelcome to this level of the prison. To let you pass I require certain... assurances. In order to get one of those assurances - that you will not act detrimental to this level's aims - you will need to leave ONE of your number here as our guest. They will not be harmed and will be treated with courtesy and respect if they respect our activities and stay compliant. Do this and you can collect them, unharmed, on your way back up."

Obsidian scowls. "And what if we never come back up - heading down we're meeting bad guys that make you fellas look like parlour trick magicians?"

"Indeed. Hence the preparations we are making. We have no quarrel save with those that bring it with them. My reaction to you is surely understandable. To protect ourselves we cannot allow free access from level five or level seven without a reckoning. I have stated the cost of passage. We do not wish to be involved in your petty schemes. ADVENT is not our concern. There are other places, other realms of existence where we can operate above the miniscule dreams of man... or alien. Most of us are so evolved from humanity that we can happily outlast whatever crisis befalls the Earth in this century... or the next."

"Choose, or face my unfettered wrath."

Admin wrote:"Choose, or face my unfettered wrath."

"Play nice Obsidion..." Lionheart breathed a sigh of relief, he hated to do this but with Possessor out for the count she out of all of them was the one whom might well have been hit hardest, leaving her here was a tough call. One he didn't want to make as she was his first 'recruit' but she had already been through a lot and wasn't quite as experienced.

Nodding to the Possessor, Lionheart said, "Since Possessor is out for the count, we'll leave her for you to 'look after' and if we are able to return we'll pick her up on the way through. If we don't return she'd probably be better off with you anyway."

Lionheart nodded his thanks for the Illusionary Man's unusual cooperation in this matter. But there was still the fact that they'd yet to get to let alone survive the very worst level. That, that was a whole other level of bad that they had yet to face.

OOC: OK You made me choose, so I've choosen, and now we get to see what we came for and some...

Sj

Miss Victory is going to attempt to activate Mind Field. A bit late but maybe it will help the next time.

Miss Victory nods at Lionheart's decision, backing him up

OOC Miss Victory tries to push herself to use Mind Field...

Int 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 2,11,+0 Total:13 (21) vs
OV8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 10,10,+0 Total:20 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 7,6,+0 Total:33 (41) Attempt Failed.

It seems Mind Maiden is beyond Miss Vcitorys' ability to call on so she must remain vulnerable for Mind Attacks for the moment!

Lionheart leads the way past the mage who gestures and raises Possessor up telekinetically and she hovers in the air perfectly still and without effort next to the illusory mage.

"I can't believe we're leaving her." hisses Obsidian. "We can take him man! I ain't see no one faster'n you!" he adds.

Lupus whispers "Hush! He might hear you! He's looking this way!"

Despite that he watched them go down the stairs and the group moved out of view to level seven... which was not guarded on the stairwell side but presumably was on the other side...

OOC Level Seven. If you thought Level Six and an 1800HP bad guy was tough, wait till Level Seven, with almost the worst of the worst to grind through and get across the level to the stairwell to level 8... Level seven awaits. And possibly an absolute battering!

Miss Victory keeps her Vita Pill close at hand so she can swallow it at the next sign of meeting anyone.