LORE KNIGHTS #2 starring Prof Wynde and Wonder Man!

OOC If I get chance at some point I'll cook up a picture of the Lore Knights in Civvies in a line, and in supers costume too. Nice post

Wonder Man was as sad as Prof Wynde, probably more so given his un-reciprocated feelings for Faerie who was enamoured with the Earl who seemed unaware...

The pair took enough money from the Earl to sort out a final stay in a grand hotel in London and one of the seamstresses at Caer Alwyn Manor cooked up a flag with the logo as requested.

They made the front pages of the newspapers the day after. "Super men and women walk among us! Watch out Hun, we're coming for you!" and so on read the headlines.

=========

"This is it then." said Wonder Man settling his mask into place.

Both men stood on the cliffs of Dover 24 hours after leaving the safety of Caer Alwyn behind. A spare costume, civilian clothing and enough food and drink for a couple of days were packed away in backpacks for each to wear.

"You're up" said the red garbed hero and Prof Wynde gestured, calling up the wind to whisk them both into the air! "Good job the cold doesn't bother me!" said Wonder Man whilst the amulet Prof Wynde wore provided protection against extremes of cold and heat from the weather at least. The distant shore of France beckoned and Prof Wynde knew that the evacuation of Dunkirk would distract them but they needed to press on into France and down towards Italy to where the plane factory and airfield the ADVENT had used could be taken out of commission.

ADVENT would stop at nothing, no tactic was beneath them. Killing the Super Agents had proven that.

A short time later the sprawling mass of boats and people on the beaches came into view and Nazi planes were swooping in and bombing where they could. It was a mess, everything Prof Wynde had read about in books or watched in films or worse.

On top of that?

Nazi supers were in evidence!

"You see that?" said Wonder Man as he saw a Higgin Boat (landing craft) flipped end over end as a hulking Nazi soldier ignored bullets pinging from his skin and panicked soldiers ran from him!

"We need to get down there!" shouted his friend as Prof Wynde saw another danger heading straight for them... A fighter plane and following close behind, THREE flying supers!!!

"You take the ground supers and I will take the air ones," Prof. Wynde agreed, dropping his friend, knowing the fall from that height wouldn't bother him.

Gathering the winds in front of him, he flew towards them and when close enough to the front foe that he didn't have to worry about range penalties, blasted them out towards the plane and the three supers [like Superbreath] with the wind wide enough, high enough and deep enough to hit all 4.

OOC Initiative...



Prof Wynde unleashed a blast of air against the plane and the trio of flying nazis!!!

OOC Air Control 10 +
1) Roll(2d12)+0: 8,3,+0 Total:11 (21) vs Plane (Speed) 6 + Range 4 + Pilot 1D + Roll(3d12)+0: 4,4,9,+0 Total:8 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 5,9,+0 Total:22 (32) Missed. The Plane moves too quickly out of the attack angle of Prof Wyndes' blast! (lucky roll in other words)
2) Roll(2d12)+0: 9,7,+0 Total:16 (26) vs Nazi #1 OV9 + Range 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 10,12,+0 Total:22 (35) Attack Missed
3) Roll(2d12)+0: 6,2,+0 Total:8 (18) vs Nazi #2 OV5 + Range 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 7,2,+0 Total:9 (18) EV10 vs RV6=4 RAPs. Absorbed by Kinetic Absorption no effect
4) Roll(2d12)+0: 8,7,+0 Total:15 (25) vs Nazi #3 (AS 13 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,6,+0 Total:14 (27) vs OV6 + Multi 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,4,+0 Total:9 (19) +4 (17) vs RV6 + Multi 4 (10) = 7 RAPs. FF8, Dex 13, Str 9, Fl Proj 8) OV13 + Range 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 2,12,+0 Total:14 (31) Attack Missed

Hmmm. It's been a while but Dice Rolls have undone you there. Yours was ok, theirs were better! Even the plane was too tricky to hit!

Unleashing a hurricane force wind should have sent the flying Nazis packing... but they weaved, split up, moved beyond the range of the cone of air...  Prof Wynde scowled. Still, he had other weapons... if he got chance to use them!

One of the Flying Nazis (#1) takes aim at Prof Wynde!

OOC Energy Blast 13 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,9,+0 Total:14 (27) vs
OV8 + Range 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,9,+0 Total:17 (29) attack missed

An energy blast zipped past Prof Wyndes' ear! That was powerful! He suspected his magical amulet might not protect him from an accurate blast!

Wonder Man tumbled to the ground before crashing to the beach with sand blasting up in every direction! He rolled his neck and the brutish looking nazi grinned as he ignored bullets flattening against his massive back!

Wonder Man jumps up to the Brutish Nazi and delivers a jarring shot to the man's chin!

OOC Wonder Man CRIT BLOW AV12 + M Arts 3D (0D Acro) + Roll(5d12)+0: 12,9,1,7,9,+0 Total:18 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0:
6,5,+0 Total:29 (41) vs
OV6 + 1D Acro (2D M Arts) + Crit Blow 4 + Roll(3d12)+0: 2,6,6,+0 Total:12 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 9,7,+0 Total:28 (38)
+2 (to EV15) vs RV15 - 6 CB (RV9)=6 RAPs. The Brutish nazi absorbs 3 damage (6HP) is on 1HP and Body 5/8

"How'd you like that, Fritz... what the heck?" spluttered Wonder Man, rubbing his fist as the Nazi rubs his jaw. "I mean... I go to sleep and wake up and suddenly I'm a 90lb weakling?"

The Nazi roared, swinging at Wonder Man!

OOC AV6 + 2D M Arts + Roll(4d12)+0: 10,11,2,7,+0 Total:21 (27) vs
OV12 + Roll(2d12)+0: 11,5,+0 Total:16 (28) Attack Missed

Luckily Wonder Man seemed to move like lightning as he ducked underneath the skilled but slower blow and breathed a sigh of relief! he was strong, tough, sure, but he was also fast and thankful for that!

One of the Flying Nazis peeled off to fly towards Wonder Man...

OOC Nazi #2 MIND BLAST 10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 10,12,+0 Total:22 (32) vs
OV7 + Range 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 6,7,+0 Total:13 (24)
+4 (14) vs RV6= 8 RAPs. Wonder Man absorbs 3 damage for 6 HP (on 8HP remaining) and takes 5 Mind Damage leaving him on Mind 1/6 and is STUNNED

The final flying Nazi closes range then takes aim at Prof Wynde with a blast of flames from his mouth!

OOC Flame Project 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 1,6,+0 Total:7 (15) vs
OV8 + range 2 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,12,+0 Total:24 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 10,6,+0 Total:40 (50) attack missed!

Prof Wynde is agile enough to move aside from the torrent of fire and glances down at the beach. His friend was in trouble!

OOC initiative...



Just as a side note... all the villains you face here are 450hp each... :twisted: I considered using from the World at War book, flicked through and realised some were useless, others overpowered and the middling ones would be too powerful in a group so cooked up new ones. ADVENT clearly has a new sideline in triggering mutations in human subjects....

Go for multi attack the 3 flying Nazis with Magic Blast. Martial Arts into attack, not even sure if a 2 in Martial Arts would actually give me a bonus or not.

Prof Wynde took aim with his powerful Magic Blast at the flying Nazi super agents and hoped to help his friend who'd been blasted by one of them and was in serious trouble!

OOC Martial Artist won't help with Magic Blast, only when you punch someone in the teeth. Multi Attack on four Magic Blast 11 + Roll(2d12)+0:
10,11,+0 Total:21 (32) vs
Highest OV 6 + Range 4 + Multi 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 3,4,+0 Total:7 (21)
+5 (to 16) EV16 vs Highest RV7 + Multi 4 (RV11) = 5 Damage apiece. Flying Nazi #1 is on Spirit 1/6, #2 on Spirit 2/7 and #3 STUNNED after absorbing 1 damage (1HP now on HP4) and is on Spirit 1/5

Showering the Nazis in his powerful Magic beam that ignored their armour and defences he certainly got their attention!

Wonder Man wondered what had struck him. His brain was scrambled, he moved his hand left, it instead moved right, the world span and he faced THREE hulking nazis! He looked up... and up... at the trio of hulking nazis on the beach!

He was in trouble!

One of the Nazis shouted out and pointed at Prof Wynde! he was clearly of a mind that the biggest threat was Prof Wynde, and he was probably right!

OOC Energy Blast 13 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,1,+0 Total:9 (22) vs
OV8 + Range 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,9,+0 Total:14 (26) Attack Missed

Prof Wynde evaded the blast and knew an accurate attack would send him flying!

The Brutish Nazi hammered at his stunned opponent!

OOC CRIT BLOW OV6 + 3D M Arts (0D Acro) + Roll(5d12)+0: 9,9,11,9,2,+0 Total:18 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 8,11,+0 Total:37 (43) vs
OV12 + Crit Blow 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 11,5,+0 Total:16 (32)
+5 (to 18) vs RV15 - 6 CB (RV9)=9 RAPs. Wonder Man is dropped to body 3/12

A terrific blow sends Wonder Man crashing into the surf of the sea some eighty feet away! Lost from sight Prof Wynde is suddenly on his own!

The Nazi agent who'd blasted Wonder Man turns and fires a shot at the distant (140' away) Prof Wynde!

OOC Mind Blast 10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 3,5,+0 Total:8 (18) vs
OV5 + Range 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,3,+0 Total:11 (20) attack Missed

The Nazi was frustrated as his blast went wide of the mark and Prof Wynde continued on borrowed time!

OOC Initiative...



Wonder Man recovers his senses, rising from the water and pushing from the water with an explosion of spray as he leapt and landed on the beach in front of the Brutish Nazi!

"My turn, HUN!" he roared and took a swing!

OOC Dev Attack Av12 + 3D (0D Acro) M Arts + Roll(5d12)+0: 2,4,7,9,9,+0 Total:18 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 7,10,+0 Total:35 (47) vs OV6 + 1D acro (2D M arts) + Dev Att 8 + Roll(3d12)+0: 10,6,3,+0 Total:16 (30)
+6 (to 19) vs RV 15 - 12 Dev Att (RV3)=16 RAPs. The brute can absorb only 1 point so doesn't bother. He is DOWN and OUT!

Sending the Brute bouncing and tumbling across the sand with a devastating blow to the chin Wonder Man rubs his fist and scans about for his next opponent!

OOC Prof Wynde is up...

Magic blast the 3 flying Nazis multi attack.

Taking aim Prof Wynde hoped to finish off the three flying nazis before they could finish the heroes off!

OOC Multi on three Magic Blast 11 + Roll(2d12)+0: 11,7,+0 Total:18 (29) vs
Highest OV6 + multi 4 + range 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 2,5,+0 Total:7 (21)
+4 (to 15EV) vs RV7 + multi 4 (RV11)=4 RAPs. Nazis #1 and #3 are DOWN and OUT! Nazi #2 is on 1HP, 1 Spirit and is STUNNED

Initiative...



With a powerful blast Prof Wynde sees the three nazis drop to the beach! One of them rises, reeling drunkenly and swaying about!

Wonder Man leaps over and backhands the Nazi!

OOC Crit Blow AV12 + 3D M Arts + Roll(5d12)+0: 6,5,8,4,3,+0 Total:14 (26) vs
OV5 + Crit Blow 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,1,+0 Total:13 (22)
+3 (to 16EV) vs RV6 - 6 Crit Blow (RV0)=16 RAPs. Kinetic Absorption is overloaded and the Nazi is DOWN and OUT!

Sending the Nazi reeling Wonder Man glances about then charges over to group of Nazi soldiers, scattering them with well placed blows! He really is invulnerable to normal weapons and this part of the beach, at least, will be cleared of enemies in a few minutes of his attention.

Prof Wynde looked about and saw the beach for miles from his position. All along, planes divebombed, tanks pummelled and the allies desperately made their way to boats floating in the shallows. It was a rout, everything he'd known about and more. The movies generally didn't reflect the gore of battle and screams of injured soldiers.

Then he noticed a group of soldiers, some of which were waving and gesturing to Prof Wynde in the air whilst they fired at distant Nazi tanks ineffectually. Somewhere Nazi guns were blasting from distance and pummelling the beach. Thousands upon thousands of panicking soldiers, a rear guard action ineffectual and throw into the mix probably more nazi supers. This wasn't their mission though - could they afford to get involved?

Prof Wynde swoops down to his buddy, Wonderman, and quickly points out the tanks.


"We can't stay," he says, anguish on his face.  "This is how it is supposed to be except I don't remember any Nazi supers fighting here mentioned in the history books.  So flip over those tanks and let's keep moving.  If we spot any Super-Nazis we will take them out on our way south."


He uses his magic sense to see if any magic sources are nearby.  He knows his wind wouldn't be enough to damage the tanks or flip them into the air, so it would be up to Wonderman to handle them.  He would keep an eye out from the air for any dangers that they might have to handle but they couldn't stay, they had to leave the area or affect history in a way that might destroy his future.  But Nazi-Super were legitimate targets as far as he was concerned.


ooc:  looking over his character sheet and the amulet.  What's the Aura of 10 listed on it?  He has an Aura of 11 now.

Reading a bit about gadgets, if it is broken, he can't fix it since he doesn't have the Gadgeteer nor the Genius Advantages nor does he have a lab to work in.  So it looks like he needs to get the Self-Repairing advantage [pg170 BoH2] added to the gadget when he buys it with his HP at the end of the adventure.  Or its broke and he can't use it anymore.

Looking over page 193, if he had the Occultist: Create Artifact subskill he would have a shot at repairing it, though he still doesn't have a workshop to fix it in.  So he would need to get the full Occultist skill and not just a partial list of skills he currently has.

What would be the cost for the amulet if he buys it with the self-repair advantage and the proper stat level of 11 for the powers in it?  What would be the cost to add Create Artifact and Ritual Magic to his occultist of 4?

Would it be cheaper to lose the amulet and maybe get Neutralize as a new power?  And raise his own Body to 10 with the disad of the body over 6 to be only in hero id? [so a -1 fc]  Hmm ... that would cost 250 pts to raise his Body to 10.

All stuff I never considered when I started the character and thought "Hey Magic!  Let's do that!  How hard can it be?"  

OOC The Amulet was supposed to grow with the wearer as per a Green Lantern ring so that it would have the same Aura (and therefore Neutralise) which is linked as PW's but his is now 11 as you say. Probably needs re-costing but seeing as it needs paying for if you want to use it permanently it will last only for this adventure and then break. Something to have a think about. It HAS saved your butt but to be honest only with the RV10 it grants. The Neutralise 10 isn't that useful and needs to be around the 15-20 range against the bad guys you face (because you are up against the OV/RV of the power you try to turn off, plus range to the OV).

Self Repairing gadgets cost a fortune.



Gadgetry rules have always been a bit rubbish in games. There's no way to make inexpensive mass produced stuff, only 'prototypes' so a fork costs millions of dollars and loads of HP when you can just go to the shops and spend $5 for a set of cheap cutlery.

As far as I can tell the gadget would cost 220HP instead of the 110HP it costs because it is a take away from character in combat device (1/4 cost)for 110HP that gets bumped up to half cost 220HP. 268HP including 11 Aura/Neutralise/Body (italicized) to match Prof Wynde's Aura. The intention was to link it to his Aura as per Green Lanterns ring linked to his Will.

Wonder Man ran up to a Nazi tank dodging the shells then grabbed the gun, twisting it to point back on itself. The Soldiers screamed, spilling out and running as Wonder Man shouted "Yeah! You better run! Ratzi scumbags!"

He heard Prof Wynde and turned. "Great job on those guys Prof. I was in trouble there! Even now I need to catch a breather for a few minutes. There are so many here! Thousands... how can we save them all?"

Prof Wynde explained.

"What? you mean we need to just... let this happen? That seems crazy! I mean... " he looked about, exasperated. "I get that history doesn't have super guys like us jumping about but... maybe it should! I mean... why do the bad guys get all the advantages?" He sagged, knowing that changing the future with their interference might do more harm than good. He was a smart guy. Still, it hurt to stand buy whilst brave soldiers died.

"We need to go now then, before we get roped into something we can't get out of. There are soldier types over there calling us over..." he said referring to the soldiers who'd tried to summon Prof Wynde to attend them.

Head slumped Wonder Man sighed then rose. "We need to go then. Now."

=========

Prof Wynde lowered the pair of them towards a farm house.

They'd been travelling across war torn France and seen the British Expeditionary Force routed and running, chased by the 3rd Reich Army. Now, tired, the pair carefully moved through the farm house finding it deserted but a search through the barn revealed a few fresh laid eggs. Some wrapped bacon, slightly past it bread and milk that had slightly expired. Better than nothing and it meant they could save their supplies for the most part.

Peeling off his mask and rolling his neck before dipping his face in water to wash it Fred Carson called out. "That was a hard day. So many people we could have helped, lives we could have saved. Still, I suppose you were right my friend."

Prof Wynde wrestled with his conscience. Staying the course to head to Italy would take only another day of travel, their pace slowed by necessity to avoid the eyes of the Nazis.

The enemy would know the heroes were active and battling their forces but not know exactly where they were. They would divert forces, resources, their own super agents to find them. That would drag them away from harrying the BEF, perhaps save some lives. Of course, that also meant their way was slower, more careful, but the trade off was worth it.

"Beds upstairs. They left in a hurry but the people who lived here weren't slobs. You pick one, take the first sleep, I'll keep watch." said Wonder Man.

=========

(translated from German)

"Find them!" barked the Officer. "These... LORE KNIGHTS must not only be defeated, their capture will be paraded for the press, shown to the masses... they will be shown to weaker than you!"

The massed ranks of freshly empowered Nazi Super Agents stood in rows. Men and Women, all Aryan examples picked from the ranks of people in Germany and Austria. Empowered by science, some of them enhanced by magic. They would form the new elite of the army. First though... they needed to prove their worth.

"Have you found them?" asked the man in charge. He surveyed the ranks with an imperious gaze.

"Yes mein Fuhrer. I believe we have..."

"Make sure. These... 'Ubermensch' are excellent... but the British have these... Lore Knights. They are ... mystical. We must therefore call on our own mystical resources. Use the SPEAR OF WOTAN to enhance them."

"Yes Mein Fuhrer." replied the Scientist.

=========

Prof Wynde settled back on the pillow. He detected magic one more time. He'd been doing it all day but it seemed ADVENT relied on science rather than Sorcery.

As he lay back he felt it. THERE!

Magic. At the very edge of his range. He sat up on the bed in the farmhouse and looked out of the window. It was too dark to see. Distant lights where bombs were being dropped were miles away, but somewhere out there was magic. And it was coming closer.

ooc: Yeah, it looks like I will be buying Body useable only in Hero ID when next we get xp. Also got to get Obscure, which can help hide my magical aura. Of course, Wonderman will need to buy it too or not much good hiding one of us when the other blares out "MAGIC HERE!"

"Fred? Wonderman! We have something magical coming this way," he tells his buddy. "They can probably sense our magical auras as well as I can sense theirs. Let's get outside and under some sort of cover and see who is coming."

OOC Remember 'only in Hero ID' must be a weakness of some kind. Changing clothes isn't a weakness! Lightning Bullet can have it because a 3 foot tall guy is a radical change of appearance and body shape - no one can mistake him for anything other than a superhuman. If you get to Tibet the Yogi can provide the 'lab' and make the gadget for you without a check, just pay for it. That's the cheapest way of doing it otherwise you'd have to go cap in hand to OOPS who will extract a price...

WonderMan sprung up, looking through a window then bounded up the stairs, mask now in place.

"Where?" he asked, moving quickly from window to window. Prof Wynde pointed in the direction. "Can't see anything. Fields, trees... too dark. Do we wait here or go out to find whoever it is?"

"Let's hit the trees and watch from there," Prof. Wynde replies, "not sure if it is friend or foe though I lean towards foe right now.  Put about 50' between us."

Wonder Man and Prof Wynde sped off in their own ways to the cover of trees to sit and wait, keeping eyes peeled.

Neither could see in the darkness but by constantly scanning for magical sources Prof Wynde noted there were three now separate and distinct sources of magic coming in a pincer movement around the farmhouse.

Looking in the direction of one he saw the silhouette of distant vehicles roaring across fields and down country lanes. So, whoever it is wasn't alone. Supported by troops and possibly non magical supers.

They'd been tracked by their magical abilities and someone had - finally - figured out that two strong sources such as he and Wonder Man may emit were their enemy. There MUST be a way to shield his magical signature, somehow!

Until then, they were being surrounded steadily and would not be able to hide from the enemy until those who sensed the magic were taken out!

A tall order.

Wonder Man hissed "Look!" as he pointed out over a half mile away or so in the near total darkness where dark figures could be seen jogging over fields. Jogging... and something else, clomping over fields with large feet and clanking as it moved. A robot or armoured suit of some kind standing some thirty or forty feet high.

"We're in trouble. We need to go Prof." admitted Wonder Man. He was healed up but no longer anywhere near his old confidence levels with regards being invulnerable.

OOC A costume wouldn't be 'only in hero id' - that would be alter ego like you say or in some way so physically different there can be no mistaking the two forms. Extra arms, two heads, wings etc, as well as being 3 foot high.

If you were desperate to come up with an alter ego/changed form as per Billy Batson/Big Red Cheese we can point the adventure in that direction with the ultimate goal of separating Oliver Smith from Prof Wynde. Maybe he becomes a genie of sorts in his human form.

As for survival in extreme environments...



Wonder Man can pretty much ignore natural environments on earth with an effective 24RV vs extremes of heat and cold. Super powers don't come under that category, only natural occurring environments which would typically range up to about 10APs in most situations. He would have no problem in Death Valley or Siberia.

"Right," Prof Wynde agreed, "the troops won't be able to keep up with us, so lets move and move fast away from here.  The Super Nazis will probably follow but without those troops, we will have a better chance of taking them on, if we can't just move fast enough to get out of their range."


actions:  Scoop up Wonder Man and head south-southeast, towards Italy but probably have to circumvent Switzerland since it is neutral in the war.  With a movement of 10, we will outfly even many modern day jets though not all.



ooc:  And yeah, am going to have to get Obscure when I get the XP and so will Wonder Man.  I did also find the Cold Immunity works for cold weather environments.  No Heat Immunity in game though there is Flame Immunity but doesn't specifically say it works against high temperatures.

"Running?" asked Wonder Man. He blew out, shrugged, then nodded. "Let's go then."

They took to the sky, raced off on fair winds and Wonder Man called out "I can jump so far, always wondered if I could somehow turn it into flight! When you carry us along like this I get a feeling of freedom... until I realise I'm just a passenger, but being able to fly, float, hover, whatever..."

The pair soared through the clouds leaving the war zone of Dunkirk far behind.

Hours later they rested on a mountainside, getting bearings and looking about.

"The Nazis are spread all over. Everywhere. They've won. At least here in France." sighed Fred Carson. Rubbing his eyes he looked about. There was an encampment of soldiers in a valley and more were arriving all the time.

Prof Wynde looked about. Dawn was approaching and the chances of them being spotted were much, much greater now. They could wait to travel by darkness or risk detection as they headed to the marked area on the map. He straightened the paper out and looked about. An hour or two maybe less if they weren't careful. Wonder Man crouched, looking down into the valley. "We could go down there, smash the tanks and vehicles up, scatter them..."

Prof Wynde continued to scan for magic. Nothing for hours now, but they remained but a step ahead of the chasing pack. Just one needed to get a sniff, a whiff of the magic the pair of them emitted.

Rest, wait till nightfall, or push on through daylight, the pair of them drawing enemies like flies to a cowpat!

"Northern Italy, Prof. Wynde murmurs loud enough for his friend to hear him, "Lots of mountains, narrow poorly kept roads. The Allies never even conquered Italy when they invaded it, they were only about 2/3s of the way up it when the war ended. The same would be true for us in the opposite, we get there, the Nazis will have a very hard time getting any significant forces after us. And they do not have Radar yet or shouldn't unless the Aliens have given them that technology. So they will have a hard time tracking us in the air using only sight and hearing. We get about a mile up, duck into the clouds, even if spotted could be mistaken for birds. I think we should chance continuing during the day. What do you think?"

OOC: And just as an aside, will we be ending this second issue of the Lore Knights and beginning the next or first issue of "World War Team-Ups starring Prof. Wynde and Wonder Man" or continue the issue until after we are done in Italy?

OOC We'll continue the adventure in this issue until somewhere around page 10 then it'll be something along the lines of 'Vanguard Team up! Starring Prof Wynde and Wonder Man (or whoever)' or something like that....

Taking to the air after Wonder Man shrugs in agreement at his friends' suggestion, the pair swoop over the beautiful landscape of Northern Italy and high over even the mountains that bordered France and Switzerland.

Turin, Milan and Genoa were major cities that were within reach by nightfall and the pair were unmolested with Prof Wynde drawing a blank with his magic scans. That said his range was probably far too limited and he had to admit that if the Nazis had a wider range they would have an advantage.

Eating supplies with a flickering fire in the shadow of a ruined farmhouse the pair planned for the day tomorrow. They would be within range of this hidden AXIS/ADVENT base that produced the long range bombers and the bombs they dropped. Mussolini and Hitler must have thought all their Christmases had come at once when the time travelling aliens had turned up with the means to win the war. What they hadn't realised was that ADVENT gifts were a double edged sword. The super agents that had been defeated at the base would be dead in hours without the serum, and to give it them would give them abilities that could smash them free of any jail the allies had. They were doomed. Advent had dangled a glittering prize in front of the Axis and the flip side to it was that Advent called the shots, handed out the prizes, according to their goals and aims.

=========

(OOC TRANSLATED FROM GERMAN)

Elsewhere...

"They are out there. Their path indicated heading south, through France and towards Italy." said the Officer as he studied a map. "We have strategic locations here, here, there and... there. That I know of. All are high value targets for the Allies. We have no idea if or how they know of them but these 'Lore Knights' are supernatural in origin and may have a way of extracting the details from a persons' mind. With that in mind I have appealed directly to the Fuhrers inner circle and I have been assured of a new... breed... of super soldier. These Advent Allies of the Fuhrer are powerful, resourceful and useful, but I feel, as others do, that we are dancing to their tune. I hope the Fuhrer realises this too but I will follow his orders regardless. However the inner circle of the Fuhrers advisers have made some progress with the use of the Spear of Wotan."

"Surely that is ... legend, children's stories?" spluttered one high ranking officer.

"No my dear Colonel, you are mistaken but we want the British spies to think so. The spear can be used to empower mystical artefacts that will in turn empower specially prepared agents to strike out in the Fuhrers name as Blitzgeschwader, Lightning Squad. Power, fast, their powers dependent on the magical power of the Spear of Wotan, to be granted or taken away at a whim. Failure shall be punished, success, rewarded by the granting or taking away of power as required."

"Pahh! Nonsense!" spluttered a General. "Mumbo Jumbo!"

"You require a demonstration? Stand against that wall over there..."

The General paled. "I... perhaps there is something to what you say."

"STAND AGAINST THE WALL!"

"I must protest at your manner! I am a General and... "

BANG!

The Luger barked out, the General falling in a heap and the officer turning to the others. "The Blitzgeschwader is real. Even now they are out searching for these 'Lore Knights'. Once they find them they will capture them and we will find out what they know."

=========

Prof Wynde settled down, Wonder Man relieving him for his watch.

He'd been scanning with his magic sense all day and found nothing. Still, there was the feeling of something ... someone... watching them. Out of his range...

OOC Prof Wynde has a feeling... it might be nothing and he may miss out on a much needed nights sleep or... it might be something. You are camped in the ruins of a farmhouse on a sparse hillside in Northern Italy. There are no nearby towns or villages within the surrounding miles. It is dark, cloud cover and a warm early summer night. Wonder Man is alert, you've both eaten and having travelled all day, Prof Wynde is tired. Wonder Man less so, in fact he's probably able to go days without sleep or rest!

"I feel like we are being watched but can't really tell, Wonder Man, so be especially vigilant.  Wake me if you feel or see or hear anything out of the ordinary.  Guess you can handle the whole night yourself while I recover?  If not, wake me when you need to sleep," Prof. Wynde tells his friend.

"Wake up... we have company..." whispered Wonder Man.

It was still dark and Prof Wynde opened tired eyes. Still in the old farmhouse, Wonder Man crouched next to him.

"I didn't see much. Decided to go on a patrol, had a feeling." whispered Wonder Man. "I saw... something on the plain below, about a mile away. There was a break in the clouds and something moving at speed across the plain, stopping, seeming to look about then moving again, another few hundred yards and checking again. He looked up to the farmhouse, where we are, they ran off in the opposite direction. I'm fast but this guy? He made me look like my feet are in molasses."

Prof Wynde rose, straightened his clothes and settled his turban in place. Wonder Man moved to the window. "Somehow we've been tracked. It's someone new, rather than the Nazis we've seen so far who charge in making speeches and throwing punches."

At the window they looked out. It was dark outside, an hour or so before dawn. A cloudy night, the moon broke through gaps occasionally to cast shadows on trees, rocks, bushes and other natural areas where a Nazi hit squad might be hiding! He detected magic... and ... THERE! A massed 'blob' which could be one powerful or several less powerful sources in the darkness. He couldn't see that far in the dark and it was at the edge of his range but he could sense it.

The Nazis had found them!

"They found us," he says simply.  "We are both radiating magic so anyone who has the ability to detect magic, as even the weakest of mages should be able to, can find us if we are in their range.  I'm working on a spell that will help obscure our magical signature but it isn't ready yet.  When it is, I will try to teach it to you."

He points in the direction of the magic he senses.

"Their magic is there.  One or more of them are there about a mile away which is as far as I can detect magic myself.  We have a choice.  We can attack them but we will not get surprise as they will detect our magic approaching them.  However, they won't have time to do more than let the rest of however many that there are there know that we are coming, since I can cover that distance in seconds.  Or we can fly away and continue our journey and hope we can outfly them and get out of their range.  That might buy us time to get where we need to go."

"Which do you want to do?"

"I suppose they'll continue to follow us and catch us up at some point." muttered Wonder Man.

"We're dealing with more than just these ADVENT guys I guess. If they are using magic..." he frowns, pulling a face. "When they zap you it feels like... like your soul is being burned."

"There MUST be some way for us to block them. Somehow. Until we can find it..." he looks at the ring he wears on his hand. Though it didn't give him powers it activated the latent abilities within him. They could detect the ring or the magic within him.

He hardens his expression. "We carry on, until we've had enough and then we fight. Less press on through the country to the target, the secret bomber base."

Summoning his wind he lifted the pair of them up into the sky and Prof Wynde continued to scan. Soon he ran out of range so to speak and had no idea if they could detect him or follow. They pushed on, over mountains, fields, towns, villages and cities. Without sleep Prof Wynde started to falter and finally, with day having broken and sunlight bathing the land He detected the magic again. Nothing. Still, that nagging doubt... were they still following?

OOC Prof Wynde is flagging now with a lack of sleep and rest. You are (according to the map) only a days travel from the secret base location in the hills where the Pilot indicated they'd taken off from. Press on (and suffer from a penalty from fatigue) or take a risk and get much needed rest? Wonder Man isn't really human so can go for days, probably a week or more without any kind of real rest.

"I need to get some sleep," Prof. Wynde mutters to Wonder Man. "Evan a power nap of a couple of hours will help, before we attack the base. Let's find some place for me to crash before I actually do crash from exhaustion."


ooc: Hide and nap for 2-4 hours. Should keep him alert enough for an attack.

Prof Wynde woke. He was more refreshed but it had been an uneasy rest. He couldn't remember ever using his powers for such a sustained period of time.

Rising, he looked at the sun peeking through the window. Sensing magic he detected... nothing. Not even Wonder Man? Suddenly awake he stood, dusted himself down and moved to the window. He heard something and pulled the faded drapes aside.

Italian soldiers! Dozens of them! They had guns out, searching through the farmhouse and outbuildings and he could hear footsteps on the floor below! Where was Fred?

OOC Prof Wynde counts... twenty or more - that he can see - Italian soldiers with weapons out and ready to fire! They are searching the place and if Prof Wynde stays put they'll find him!