THE NEW VANGUARD! HAUNT Issue #11 with Special Guest Star Steeplejack!

DavidMcMahon wrote:ooc:  Not sure how many APs of speed I can get with SelfManipulation [and I still hate the name of that power!]

"Fly the Thames will take us too long, and we don't know what flotsam and jetsom might be in there at a time like this."

Sj

"Fly it is then," Nick Carter says as they exit. "Just got to get out of sight and change. You want a rocket? A Plane? Or a giant white bird? Or you going to do the trick with a flying rock for yourself?"

DavidMcMahon wrote:"Fly it is then," Nick Carter says as they exit.  "Just got to get out of sight and change.  You want a rocket?  A Plane?  Or a giant white bird?  Or you going to do the trick with a flying rock for yourself?"

Gibb looked sideways at Carter, "Do you think a white rocket is really appropriate in this era? How about a cloud?" Gibb said smiling good-naturedly. "Frankly I don't care so long as we get to Folkstone on time and I don't look like I've been in a wind tunnel the whole way. Capiche?"

Sj

"A cloud moving Mach 1.5 is still a bit obvious," the Haunt replies with a grin.  "I'll make sure to have a windscreen up for you.  I'll be something like a V-2 rocket with you inside."

DavidMcMahon wrote:"A cloud moving Mach 1.5 is still a bit obvious," the Haunt replies with a grin.  "I'll make sure to have a windscreen up for you.  I'll be something like a V-2 rocket with you inside."

Gibb looked up and muttered, "And he's worried about changing somewhere!"

With a wave of his hand, Gibb motioned for Carter to lead on however he wished to get them there.

Sj

ooc:  Once flying, going high for obvious reasons.  Folks haven't heard of a sonic boom in this day and age so they will probably consider it just thunder, if we stay high until we need to go low to find our location.

ok, changed my mind.  No rocket lets go with this that I found on the Internet, but add a windscreen to it.   


The Whirly-Bat!

DavidMcMahon wrote:ok, changed my mind.  No rocket lets go with this that I found on the Internet, but add a windscreen to it.   


The Whirly-Bat!

OOC: I am beginning to think you are enjoying this far too much, Dave?

Sj

ooc:  My mind tends to wander while at work since I can't see clients while COVID-19 is ongoing.  So lots of time scanning the Internet and thinking thing in wrong ways.   

 

Such as ... when typing this, I thought of if it would be better to become Dumbo with huge ears and all and flying you that way?  I think it is now a race between our GM having time to reply to this thread and me finding other fun ways to get us there.  

OOC Self Manipulation (Body morphing? Body Manipulation?) grants Haunt 10 points to assign to physical stats and powers (and some mental ones) by forming wings, pincers, a car, whatever. 8APs flight without a sonic boom takes 16 minutes for Haunt (63 miles from London to the address shown on the card). 10 Aps would slash that to four minutes and have everyone in the flight path waking up/looking up in the night sky!

Giving instructions to catch up with and speak to Carter (of Mars), Carter (of the future) and Gibbs left the party and headed for a quieter part of the field. Guards were spread out in the darkness and looked discrete but determined that no one should come closer but didn't mind party guests going for a stroll.

Without any guards immediately looking at them Haunt formed into a cloud/rocket/elephant hybrid without being able to make up his mind and the rocket propelled cloud with the reclining elephant that steered with its wings took to the sky with Gibbs on its back!

The bizarre amalgam got higher and higher and was hidden by cloud then accelerated, creating a BOOM behind and travelling for four minutes due south before slowing and dipping below the cloud level to the fields of night time southern England.

It took longer to scour about and find the address than it did to fly there and just under half an hour later had them knocking on the door of a farmhouse.

A startled Indian man gasped as he opened the door and looked at the card Pinjab had handed to them. "I... you are most welcome sirs!" said the man who wore smart traditional Indian dress and a turban. "The telegraph arrived only minutes ago with instructions and was not expecting you so soon..."

"This way sirs!"

He led the way into the field where a large barn stood. Despite it being of tight and sturdy construction there was light peaking from the planks of the walls.

The large doors were opened and Carter and Gibb were taken aback slightly. An airship of some description with what looked like a Submarine underneath floated a couple of feet off the floor. "A most wondrous gas called Helium makes the craft lighter than air and the miraculous designs of the Prince with regards the engines provide propulsion that would take your breath away!" said the aide, then he considered how the pair had gotten there so fast from the part and added "Normally."



The pair were led to the gondola where a small crew efficiently made preparations and settled in sumptuous leather seats. Everything smelled new and the aide explained. "The Prince often goes away for time and peace to think and when he comes back the wonders he designs are too incredible to behold. Many of them we simply cannot comprehend so he has concentrated on what he calls CAD designs. We do not know what this means but when he says he has a CAD design we are better able to measure things out." The aide said though still seemed bewildered about the wood, brass and iron contraption.

"Are you ready to depart gentlemen? You are somewhat... overdressed." he commented on their tuxedos.

"My work clothes are under what I'm wearing," Nick Haunt says.  "If you give me a small cabin I will slip out of these and into my work clothes."

DavidMcMahon wrote:"My work clothes are under what I'm wearing," Nick Haunt says.  "If you give me a small cabin I will slip out of these and into my work clothes."

Gibb meanwhile didn't have 'work clothes anymore, since changing at the Light house? He would manage, and in effect look less conspicuous as a result no doubt. He was glad for a slightly more conventional firm of travel, one that promised to have some welcome luxury.

Sj

The aide waved to a side room and added "Discretion assured sure. Your remarkable travel from London has spurred my people into extra effort and the 'Aetos' (translation from Greek: Eagle) will be ready to leave in minutes."

Carter moved into the room, waited a few moments then used his Chameleon power to change his appearance. Stepping out moments later the aide blinked and shook his head. "The many and varied wonders that occupy my masters world are dazzling but none so more as the facts of what has transpired this night!"

There was a light hum and shaking as the device set off and up.

Carter and Gibb glanced out of windows to see they were flying. In the late 19th century!

"The device is powered by something called 'electricity' and moves through the air with a combination of fans. The water we use for ballast is heated when it is used to cool the engines. That steam is released when required from tanks as steam to mask the Aetos' progress. There have been few daylight journeys and we are careful to mask the passage of the vessel. It would set world governments a scrambling to know that there were means of creating fighting craft of the air. Faster than any land or sea vessel and capable of dropping explosives with pinpoint accuracy on any location in the world. A true marvel, albeit a deadly one. Ah my apologies. I am Rashid. My amazement at all that has happened have caused my manners to escape me." said the aide.

Rashid offered refreshments and explained that the vessel would gain height to travel at its fastest speed. It would take four hours to get to Paris and they would arrive in the early morning. Time for rest!

=========

Hours later the pair wake refreshed and in a different environment. Underwater.

"Ah yes, we released the gas into the air steadily and lose altitude" said Rashid. "Our agents stand ready to refill the tanks and allow flight when suitable. We shall stay submerged in the Seine river until nightfall and transport you back to England, hopefully with the young Prince alive and well." said Rashid, head bowed.

Surfacing and providing a gangplank to step ashore onto a bank the pair looked about to the sprawling city of Paris lit by faint gaslamp.

Rashid hissed out "Good fortune gentlemen! Rest assured we will be here, albeit underwater and watching." he waved.

The pair stepped onto grassland and considered walking towards the city when a well dressed woman stepped from the shadows of trees. She was beautiful but something about her eyes suggested something else. She was deadly.

"Follow me." she ordered and turned to walk back into the trees.

"That answers my question of what do we do next," The Haunt murmured to Steeplejack. He follows.

DavidMcMahon wrote:"That answers my question of what do we do next," The Haunt murmured to Steeplejack.  He follows.

"Indeed." an intrigued Gibb echoed back to his friend. He moved as lightly as did the others eager in the way a man of his experience would be to get to the chase. Sitting around was all fine and dandy, especially in such a marvellous flying machine. But with so much at stake, this wasn't a time for sightseeing, no matter the sights.

Sj

The woman didn't look around. She moved through the trees in high heels and dress quite expertly and whispered "I know who you are and why you are here."

Getting to the edge of the copse of trees she peered around and saw only a horse drawn cart. "Come with me."

Nodding to the driver who tipped his hat and continued scanning about the trio got into the carriage. She then faced the pair and spoke. "I am Agent 17. Names are unimportant. I have more or less forgotten my real name. Moriarty and his cohorts have the boy holed up in one of three places in the city. All three are guarded well and we have not attempted to search them out yet for fear that the boy will be harmed. Moriarty uses carrier pigeons to relay messages within minutes and so they would know of any attempt on one of the places. The first is a warehouse by the dock areas. Fenced off, patrolled by dogs and guards and it has been watched for some time. Only goods have come in and out but the boy may have been hidden in them."

"The second is a townhouse in the centre of the city." she said in accented English. "Many of the children and street ladies have been paid to watch for Moriarty. We believe high stakes gambling goes on in there so it may not be the place where the young prince is being held."

"The third is the sewer network under the city. Moriarty and his band know it like the back of their hands and many crimes go unsolved simply because the thieves vanish below the streets and wait until the coast is clear."

She glanced out of the window. "Moriartys spies are everywhere. The man has a less extensive network than Prince Dakkars but what there is will be more, cunning, ruthless and resourceful. Trust no one. It's how I have stayed alive so long."

The carriage clattered along until it came into the heart of the city. She handed across a hand drawn rough map. Three X's marked the spots of the three places of interest:

1) Warehouse
2) Townhouse
3) Sewer

"The prince's agents actively search out other areas of interest but Moriarty is a snake and his minions mimic the master. When one is shut down, two more rise up, like slashing the head from a hydra and seeing with dismay more appear." she said, always looking out of the window. She fished down her top and came out with a small pistol, checked it was loaded and slipped it back down there. "Comfort is secondary to the fact that one must always be on their guard. Questions?"

Admin wrote:Questions?"

"Is it possible the boy is in constant transit, moving from one to the other so that no one place is only ever used?  Are there any weak points in their defences, change of guard, guards on the roof, ways in under the streets, across from the buildings etc?"

Turning to Carter, Gibb waited to see if he wanted to ask any more before asking him, "What do you fancy first?"

OOC: I am wondering if they are either constantly moving him around or in the sewer as it is the most easily defended, and most difficult to traverse limited access, lots of places to hide, and hard to pinpoint what you after whilst echoes and light would give away any but the stealthiest.

Sj

The woman paused for thought before answering. "If he is being moved it is surreptitiously. That would be a logical thought as we have shut down so many of Moriartys' places."

"Paris serves as a hub for goods, legal and otherwise, and they are shipped from here to all points of Europe. Our time is limited. We believe there are ... double agents in the Princes' organisation who are letting on to Moriarty and his accomplices about the Princes' tightening net. We found a scrap of paper at once such place. It said 'End It. Midnight' and gave today's date, hence the need for urgency."

"No place is without its weak points. However since you two have been brought in specifically for your talents I shall leave the details to you. Why the Prince should trust outsiders over his own agents is beyond me."

"I think we should split up for this," Nick/Haunt says after thinking it over. "Constantly moving him is both good and bad. Good because it makes it harder to form a rescue mission. Bad because they are moving and even freak accidents can happen that would give him a chance to get free or noticed."

"I think I will take the sewers. I can blend in there better than you can," says the cowboy in white with black mask over his eyes. [ooc: Can anyone say albino alligator?]

"The townhouse might be easier to guard and explain the comings and goings of so many people but like constantly moving, it also opens up freak chances for him to escape or be noticed. So the warehouse might be our second best bet. Think you want to handle that one on your own, Steep?"

"It's too early for the Phantom," he muses out-loud referring to the Phantom of the Opera, "unless the serial written in the 1900s was based off events that might be occurring now.

"The sewers are huge! Smuggling and murders and kidnappings, all have stories told of them occurring there. Let's meet at the cafe we were told about in 2 or 3 hours? Then we can compare notes if one of us hasn't freed him yet."

"Tell me Agent 17, are the certain portions of the sewers that you are sure he is not at? That would reduce the area needed to examine. A map however rough of the system would be good too. I guess we could break into the city engineers office for one of their copies if you don't have one already."

DavidMcMahon wrote:"I think we should split up for this," Nick/Haunt says after thinking it over.  "Constantly moving him is both good and bad.  Good because it makes it harder to form a rescue mission.  Bad because they are moving and even freak accidents can happen that would give him a chance to get free or noticed."  

"I think I will take the sewers.  I can blend in there better than you can," says the cowboy in white with black mask over his eyes.  [ooc:  Can anyone say albino alligator?]

"The townhouse might be easier to guard and explain the comings and goings of so many people but like constantly moving, it also opens up freak chances for him to escape or be noticed.  So the warehouse might be our second-best bet.  Think you want to handle that one on your own, Steep?"

Steeplejack seemed to offer resistance but then shrugged. Haunt was right, time was of the essence and they hadn't the luxury of going one on one with the different venues. And having recently trawled through a sewer, he couldn't imagine Paris sewers were any better than English ones and he was relieved to have a job overground.

He nodded to the idea of the Cafe, and said, "Don't be too long, or else I'll imagine you'll be having all the fun?"

And with that, he took a look at the map to make sure he knew the layout of the city, its prominent features from a quick scan of the skyline and then nodding to both set off in his own inimitable style.

OOC: Best speed to the warehouse it is my friends.

Sj

ooc:  Turns out albino alligators are real and not that uncommon, though still uncommon.

ooc:  And there are soft shelled turtles who are albinos too but they are small sized.

DavidMcMahon wrote:ooc:  And there are soft shelled turtles who are albinos too but they are small sized.

OOC: These guys look like unpainted miniatures.

Sj

The first two are newly hatched baby turtles. Not sure about the third one.

Agent 17 frowned. "The sewers have been a difficult area to cover. We have sent agents in there to root out the Moriarty hoard and none returned. We tried multiple entrances. Finally we let the authorities know there was something amiss."

"The report was duly noted and filed under 'they're onto us'." grumbled the woman.

"We thought we could cross off certain areas but they move about."

Gibbs stepped from the carriage and moved into the trees. With a wave of his hand a clod of earth tore up from the ground and he shaped it neatly into a perfect hemisphere.

Carter watched the carriage makes its way off towards the city and slid into the water as an albino Alligator. A big one (OOC he can change shape, not shrink. That begs the question... Why white? Haunt has Chamelon 9 after all...)

=========

HAUNT DIFFICULTY 3 HP 92

Slinking into the sewers Haunt was aware of several things. The smell, the narrow nature of the place and darkness suggested it wasn't somewhere for most people to wander into. The roar of water made hearing impossible beyond a foot or so and Haunt had some thinking to do about how to negotiate it.

=========

STEEPLEJACK DIFFICULTY 4 HP 84

It was still dark and dawn an hour away or so as Steeplejack settled on a rooftop and formed the earth hemisphere into part of the garden below. Turning he looked across a street and saw a large brick warehouse, all the windows painted black. The place was surrounded by a wall and Gibbs noted the patrol of guards with dogs. They looked the usual thuggish types. No problem. Steeplejack was superhuman.

He counted four, one for each wall at any time with a rotating patrol. They certainly seemed vigilant.

So why then...

OOC Danger Sense 10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 11,7,+0 Total:18 (28) vs
OV2 + Roll(2d12)+0: 1,8,+0 Total:9 (11)
+6 (to 16) vs RV2=14 RAPs.

Taken separately these guards were a moderate threat. Together? Steeplejack got the nasty feeling they were more powerful than he was, and there was far more than met the eyes of this lot...