The Vanguard! Issue #4 - Knifes Edge...

PUTTY

Putty dodges then attacks twice from distance with his own tentacles.

The Vanguard - Stormwarden and Lionheart

Terminatus VII levelled an arm, giving a monologue the Vanguardians were thankfully spared from (OOC because of the howling wind and it's in German). Stormwarden glanced about him. The air started to glow, and his hair suddenly started rising, standing on end! With a flash of light and smell of ozone he was blasted by an electrical shock! (OOC Field Manipulation 9 HTK damage reduced to 4 by reduced dividers). Though it hurt, Stormwarden was made of very tough stuff, and it would take rather a long time for the cyborg to take the big man down that way! With that in mind he levelled another arm and tried to frazzle Stormwarden with an Energy blast! (OOC 1d20+3+6=16 Miss, 6d6=28, 4d6=15 10 Energy points spent)

Stormwarden simply sidestepped the electrical bolt which grounded with a flash and a bang, and smoke that was quickly stifled by the rain!

Laserang grinned "I like it when they put up a fight!" he said in accented English. He threw first one, then another Laserang at Lionheart! (OOC Equivalent of an energy attack Quick Blast. 1d20+3+6=26 Hit, 4d6=19 Htk, 3d6=8 Htc, 1d20+3+6=19 Hit, 4d6=15 Htk, 3d6=7 Htc. 14 Energy Points spent) The Laserangs spun around, coming back to his hands. Then he struck them together, arms thrust in the direction of Lionheart (OOC and this is a Field Manipulation attack. Even Lionheart doesn't get a chance to dodge this one! 2d6=11 Htk). Thousands of tiny replicas of the Laserangs shot out, showering the area where Lionheart stood before they reached the end of their range and flew back to their masters' hands! Lionheart managed to dodge many of them on the way out, but there were so many on the way back, all swirling around, it was like being in the middle of a cloud of wasps! (OOC RESPONSE?*)

Wicca Woman cries out "Fools! Don't talk to them! Kill them!" She yanks her robes apart, the garments falling aside leaving her naked save for slip on moccasins! It's hard to admire her lithe form in the foul weather though, and the rain sheets down against her skin as she chants in a language thought long dead!

Lionheart glances down - vines sprout instantly from the ground to wrap around his legs and torso, coiling in a flash around his arms and upper body! (OOC We have a MAgical 'restraint' spell, as seen in the SQUK book against some hero called Steeplejack 10 point, I have it at 100+31 (LH str) -100 (Restraint strength)+10 for Agility and +10 for Reactions. That makes 51% chance of breaking free, thus sucking up his next 2 frames and taking an action thereafter to break free from. Wicca Woman has used 10 magic points.) With a gesture (OOC I was going to rule that it takes a frame to drop her clothing, but it's actually a weakness already - she's DC10 without any clothes) she simply... vanishes!

Stormwarden,even in the midst of the fight, grins. The rain comes down, outlining the womans' body even though she's invisible! It's harder to grin when he sees the vines pinning his team mate in place! This was getting nasty!

Pyro Skull growls, and moves (OOC 3 Frames) over to Lionheart. "You hurt me little man." he snarls, and swings at Lionheart! (OOC anything other than a 1 will do it. And... 1d20=1, 2d6+20=24 MWAHAHAHAHAHA. I do... not... believe... it. I wrote the words, headed to Invisible castle, typed the dice formula in and pressed click, no messing about or fudged rolls, I promise you!) Lionhearts' eyes widen as he sees the fiery fist come at him! He knows this is going to...

"urk!" squeals Pyro Skull as he slips backwards in the slick mud and grass next to Lionheart. He crashes to the floor with a wet splat, and looks about. The heat given off by his anger (or embarassment?) is intense, and actually causes some of the vines to dry and wither!

OOC *Lionheart can dodge the two Quick blasts first - they came before the restraint attack. He has 2 frames he can use this round. 1d6+8-3=6 Glancing Blow half damage OR use a future frame to avoid all damage, 1d6+8-3=9 Dodge. Just a call on the future frame use from you Dave, then last frame from Stormwarden before initiative... Will post up stat blocks for next round.

Lionheart

OOC *Lionheart can dodge the two Quick blasts first - they came before the restraint attack. He has 2 frames he can use this round. 1d6+8-3=6 Glancing Blow half damage OR use a future frame to avoid all damage, 1d6+8-3=9 Dodge. Just a call on the future frame use from you Dave, then last frame from Stormwarden before initiative... Will post up stat blocks for next round.

I'll dodge so take future rounds, for the moment I'm assessing their strengths and will continue to dodge using frames as necessary for the time being.

IC: Seeing the flaming skull full over, Lionheart couldn't help quip as he struggled against his restraints. "Man did you get blinded by your flames or what. Just call me the flaming fall guy, Pyro the pathetic. Didn't that even teach you to aim straight in the Nazi boy scouts."

OOC: Restraint I roll a 1d100=47 Yes!

Sj

The Vanguard - Putty and Frostbite

OOC next round will post up stat blocks - pushed today and tomorrow for time, but should be ok to knock 'em out. Frostbite takes 11 HTK damage from the first blow - his dividers are reduced by 1 - possibly from some magical nature of this thing? The second blow is blocked by an instant wall of ice that shatters, cascading off and around Frostbites' form without damage. He has used 6 points of Energy. Putty Dodges, roll of 5 total, making it a glancing blow. With reduced dividers, the glancing blow, Putty takes 5 HTK. Ignoring the blow more or less, he strikes back with his own! 1d20+4+10=32 Hit, 2d6+18=26 Htc, 1d20+4+10=31 Hit, 2d6+18=29 Htc both to be reduced by the creatures (considerable) dividers. The creature has taken 75Htc before dividers from Putty now.

Frostbite hovers, throwing up his hands to create ice walls in the air. The first drops to the sludge before it has chance to block the blow, and Frostbite reels from the powerful tentacle, seeing scored marks on his chest as a result, but his second does the job with his timing spot on, creating a block of ice that deflects the incoming blow harmlessly!

Elesieth looked up, heart in her mouth as she scrambled over rocks. "Come on!" urged the Clerical 'twins' in unison, as the Elf Maiden gaped at the Vanguardians facing off against the huge creature. She continued, even as the Archon flew back and held an arm out for her so he could transport her safely across the cavern.

Putty, despite being lashed with a car sized pseudopod, armed with razor sharp spines, battles on, lashing at the creature twice. In the corner of his eye he can see the Brotherhood have almost made it across the cavern!

OOC Intiative 1d10=7 Heroes, 1d10=9 Creature The Creature lashes at Putty again, angered by his refusal to die! 1d20+2+6=9 Miss, critical, 3d6+25=37

Suddenly the creature overextends, losing its balance and flailing with tentacles! It crashes into the sludge, sending up another vile spray high into the air and showering the Vanguardians. They see their chance though! They can either continue to fight or make for the other side of the cavern unmolested!

OOC 4 frames to y'all...

Frostbite

Seeing the creatures mistake as a godsend, Frostbite struck out a hand so Putty could grab him and before launching himself at top speed to the other side of the cavern. As much as he'd like to unload a bucket load of ice on the creature, he didn't have time to indulge in petty revenge.

OOC: If the exit is large enough for the creature to get through I will ice it up, if not I will suggest we get a move on so it still doesn't try to probe for us with one of its ominous tentacles.

Once Putty and I are over the cavern and through, I will return to a intangible state and lead the way, with directions from the others if they have any.

Sj

PUTTY

Putty holds out a tentacle and grabs the arm Frostbite offers, allowing himself to be flown to safety. However, he absolutely refuses to leave without at least one more shot at the the creature. Stretching his other arm tentacle and a foot tentacle out he again attacks the creature as he is flown to safety.

actions: Grab Frostbite's arm to be flown away. Attack the creature with stretching and strength, willing to take up to 10 HTC to stretch beyond his normal 20 meters to attack it. That would allow him to stretch a maximum of 45 meters, attacking twice if he can do so before Frostbite gets out of the cavern.

"ARRRHHGGGGGHHHH!!!! Take this you bloody monster," Putty yells almost in beserker mode as he stretches beyond what he has ever done before to continue attacking the creature while Frostbite flies them to safety. Putty continues screaming vile threats to the monster and the people who put it there.

OOC: I believe Popeye's line is "I've had all I can stands, I can't stands no more!!!" That's Putty at the moment.

[quote="Admin"]The Vanguard - Stormwarden and Lionheart

OOC *Lionheart can dodge the two Quick blasts first - they came before the restraint attack. He has 2 frames he can use this round. 1d6+8-3=6 Glancing Blow half damage OR use a future frame to avoid all damage, 1d6+8-3=9 Dodge. Just a call on the future frame use from you Dave, then last frame from Stormwarden before initiative... Will post up stat blocks for next round.

Use that frame to begin an aerial attack against Terminatus VII (to continue in next round)

The Vanguard - Frostbite and Putty

Unable to resist one more punch, Putty pounds on the thing as he flies over. Though his punches are effective, and powerful, he's still unsure whether he did any more than annoy the creature.

One thing is clear, however. In their depleted state the brotherhood would never have made it past the creature alive.

At the other side of the cavern, inside a dark tunnel, the others wait. Elesieth is almost overcome with relief when she sees the Vanguardians heading towards the tunnel, and barely waits for Frostbite to land before she wraps him in a hug. When she pulls back, her lips have turned blue around her smile, and her teeth chattering slightly She turns to Putty, and not quite sure where or how to hug him, pauses instead and beams "Thank you! You are... a revelation!" to the pair of the heroes.

The Archon nods. "Ne'er have I seen your like before. You reek of magic of a type I know nothing of. I see you, and yet I see stood in the same place giant demonic prescences, as if they were waiting. And yet... I sense no evil from either. I saw no need to mention it before, because I wasn't sure if you could be completely trusted, but after risking your lives, their can be no doubt!" He clasps hands in a warriors grip with each of you in turn.

The Clerics bow their heads "Indeed, we are blessed by your aid." they say in unison, before turning, robot like, to head down the dark corridor. Elesieth watches them go, then bursts out into a short laugh, covering her mouth to stifle the noise. Her eyes brim with tears, and she nods. "You are the only hope we can cling to in a world that is lost." she said simply.

Already burdened by the wait of responsibility, Frostbite watches her go and glances at Putty. The Vanguardians know they have added yet another millstone around their necks, and the consequences of failure would see not only their own, but this world fall too.

=========

Putty leads the way through the darkness. The Clerics had bound a few discarded twigs from torch brackets together and produced a torch which casts dancing shadows in the corridor. The Vanguardian, agile and fast, knows immediately when something is wrong. The others realise a moment later, when the floor gives way under Putty! In the blink of an eye (OOC I could have made some checks, but you guys are superhuman. In D&D terms you have to be regarded as 'Epic' level...) he stretches outwards to the sides with tendrils, and hovers suspended in the corridor, head rotating whilst the rest of him stayed immobile. With a grin he used his power to make himself into a bridge. Untroubled by the likes of a pit trap, Frostbite nonetheless winced when he saw the spines jutting from the bottom of the pit, some twenty feet down, and bones entangled amongst them.

Following general directions from the computer, based on its best guess of where they were, where they'd come from and where they needed to be, the group joined an intersection of corridors and chose the most likely to take them into the heart of the castle. Sure enough, the corridor sloped upwards, and presently ended in a solid looking stone door, surrounded by glyphs and runs around the rim.

"Magically sealed." said Elesieth. "This may take some doing, getting that open." The Clerics nod, getting their holy symbols out and quietly conferring. As the group stands in the end of the corridor leading gently up to the stone door, Archon glances back from the way they'd come. "I would say... there is something coming from one of the corridors." he says, voice distant. "Something dangerous..."

Frostbite

Grateful for the fact they'd got so far relatively unscathed, Frostbite wasn't surprised by their pursuit. Although part of his curiosity was piqued by what followed, still he couldn't afford to waste time with curiosity.

Moving toward the end of the corridor, he first looked at the floor which looked damp anyway and quickly set about icing the floor from where they came, to make it as slippery as possible. Then looking at the walls he iced it up. "No sense in making it easy." He said to himself as he worked. looked for what might be the best fit in the walls before icing up the walls, trying to make it as thick as he could, without draining precious resources they'd need later on.

OOC:

Ok so I am making the area outside my ice wall slippery, 1 point gives me a 2mx2m area which is what I want to do before dropping in an ice wall across the area. I'll have to let you decide Paul if its 3 or 6 points needed. But I am starting this little plan by both looking for a narrow section and also trying to anchor it against any buttresses and supports to lend it greater strength.

Sj

PUTTY

"Let's try sneaky as well," Putty mutters to Frostbite as his partner works to build up the ice. Putty steps down the corridor a bit, leaving room for everyone between himself and the magically sealed door. He then stretches out across the corridor and forms himself into an exact duplicate of the door and the surrounding wall.

"Poking his head back out to the others, he mutters "This may confuse them. Ice on the floor and such but not notice the corridor is now shorter. And if not, I will absorb the first attack to give you more time."

actions: stretch across the whole corridor, shapeshift into the door and the wall its on.

The Vanguard - Stormwarden and Lionheart

OOC Lionheart has 2 frames this round, uses an extra one to avoid damage and needs two frames next round to escape. Next round, he'll have 1 Frame to act in.

Stormwarden takes to the sky, soaring fifty feet up in a heartbeat, and looking down at his intended target, the cyborg. He could see Lionheart was trussed up - the naked woman was definitely a threat! Nice on the eye mind...

OOC Initiative... 1d10=8 Heroes, 1d10=5 Bad guys. Lionheart burnt up a frame from last round, and starts struggling against his vines in his second frame. Leaves two frames for Stormwarden, then the bad guys four, then Lionheart breaks free on three and can act on 4. I'll get started on the stat block. Running behind as usual. Doh.

The Vanguard - Frostbite and Putty

As the small group gathered outside the glyph protected door, Frostbite made an area of corridor slippy, not to mention colder, with ice forming on the walls and ceiling. One thing was for sure - whatever came running up to them needed to have very sure feet or already be on a sled...

Putty mentioned his plan to the others, then formed a duplicate of the end of the corridor across the passageway itself, providing a perfect duplicate of the scene and hopefully fooling anyone that came down the corridor that it was empty, and top head back the way they'd come.

Hidden in the shadows of the one of the false doors' nooks, a pair of eyes watched for what was coming. Putty hadn't been surprised by too much in this realm - he came from a time and place where the impossible was everyday occurrence. Even so, when he saw the creature round the corridor and slowly drift towards him, he wondered what it was he was facing...



Behind Putty, hidden by his body, Elesieth and the Clerics examined the glyphs. "Booby trapped, for sure." said the Elf. "I think I can dismantle one level of protection, but there are six, and the top five tiers were cast by a master. Even gently probing at them threatens to set off the protection."

The Clerics nodded, as one. "We concur. We would also expand on the theory that the level of magic used to protect the castle from the denizens of the lower levels has not been seen for a while. Whilst we are no magical experts, we are proficient in dispelling evil magics. This is of evil origin and is beyond anything we can remove. There will be an invisible barrier around the castle, and this is the easiest way in. Perhaps some magical word or phrase will simply unlock the enchantments. Without knowing whom the caster was, that will prove to be impossible."

Elesieth frowned, turning to Archon. "Your people are ancient, and from a place removed from here. Magic is as natural to you as breathing is to us. Is there anything you can do, without setting it off?"

The Archon frowned, then placed hands gently on the door. Energy crackled about where his fingers touched, and he was very careful about not making threatening movements. "I have a name." He frowned again. "When cast, magic leaves an imprint, a signature if you will, upon every spell. That was a magician can recognise their own enchantments. Many remove the signature, so their work is unknown. Some leave it, through carelessness or even arrogance. The latter due to their ego knowing there are none who can remove powerful magicks as theirs are. I believe that is the case here. The name... Merlin. I know it not. There was an enchanter, many years ago, called Maedhlyn, but he has not been seen for centuries. He was a good man, and would not have cast these magicks to protect an evil such as Mordred."

Elesieth throws up her hands in despair. "Then we go back. We cannot breach these magicks. They are of a potency I cannot breach or repulse. And six levels of them! The first level is a simple ward. It acts upon the unconscious mind, compelling those who approach the door or the castle to return the way they came. I think none here would be affected, but rank and file soldiers and less intelligent creatures would have turned around some distance away."

"Unless we discover the passwords to dismantle the spells, we must go back. Even you, with your power, would find these hard to surpass, and the top tiers, I am not sure they can be surpassed!" said Elesieth. "Six words of meaning to the caster. They could be anything, depending on who he or she is and what they have done in their life..."

Meanwhile, Puttys skin tingled. The large central eye of the floating ball was gazing directly at him. There was something about it, something... draining. The other stalks slowly rotated to face to the front...

Frostbite

As the others pondered the mystery of the door Frostbite remained ready behind Putty's false wall. He didn't like the fact Putty had put himself in harms way, but then he couldn't fault the plan either.

It was at this point that he noticed Elesieth, turn from the door, frustration and pain etched on her face. Clearly breaching the door was not going well, if these formidable enchanters could not find a way through. Frostbite pondered whether he'd have to access the power within him. He dismissed the idea quick as it came, knowing that his alter ego, would seek to exploit that need.

Turning back to Putty, Frostbite waited - there was simple no telling whether the creature behind was fooled or not, but in any case he'd be ready to retaliate if necessary.

Sj

PUTTY

"There is a floating creature here," Putty murmured quietly on the hidden side of his body. "It has many eyes on stalks. It seems to be draining me of power or life from its central eye. I may have to fight it."

"Frostbite? Can you not move through the door or around it in your other form and then open it from the other side while I fight this creature? I think it is aware of me."

Frostbite

"Frostbite? Can you not move through the door or around it in your other form and then open it from the other side while I fight this creature? I think it is aware of me."

Frostbite found this last thought nearly as disturbing as the first one. Things clearly had taken a turn for the worst, they needed to get out and he had little choice. Turning to the door, (ooc: assuming he knows that the others have failed to open it) he turned intangible and floated off the floor effortlessly. Moving forward he sunk into the floor, several meters below the ground, before attempting to breach the barrier.

OOC:

Ok I will try and get under the barrier, if it doesn't enclose from above and below? If it does then I will have to try and breach it and if all else fails, open the flood gates to the dark power. In the that case I will return to the room and breach the barrier at the door, as the other need to come through anyway.

In the event that Putty is attacked I'll return first and blast this creature's eye stalk with a burst of field manipulated ice.

Sj

The Vanguard - Stormwarden

OOC Lionheart has 2 frames this round, uses an extra one to avoid damage and needs two frames next round to escape. Next round, he'll have 1 Frame to act in.

Stormwarden takes to the sky, soaring fifty feet up in a heartbeat, and looking down at his intended target, the cyborg. He could see Lionheart was trussed up - the naked woman was definitely a threat! Nice on the eye mind...

OOC Initiative... 1d10=8 Heroes, 1d10=5 Bad guys. Lionheart burnt up a frame from last round, and starts struggling against his vines in his second frame. Leaves two frames for Stormwarden, then the bad guys four, then Lionheart breaks free on three and can act on 4. I'll get started on the stat block. Running behind as usual. Doh.[/quote]

ooc - Stormwarden continues his attack on the cyborg
1d20+3=19

The Vanguard - Frostbite and Putty

Frostbite turned intangible, knowing Putty was at risk from some creature on the other side of his 'wall' (OOC Frostbite won't know what kind of creature unless he has x ray vision...)

Sinking into the floor, solid rock, so he'd have to hold his breath if he submerged fully, then he moved towards the direction of the door...

Putty opened an eye on the other side of his wall, peering up at the thing floating towards him. Several feet in diameter, the thing was nasty, ugly and smelt. The rows of sharp teeth lining its drooling mouth were threat enough, but there was something about the eyes...

Through a pair of slits - what best passed for a nose for the creature - it sniffed around what looked to it to be the end of the corridor and the doorway.

Putty waited. He still felt strange. The central eye looked his wall up and down.

Then it turned, and started going back the way it'd come!

Frostbite, meanwhile, moved closer to the doorway and hopefully, the room beyond.

He hit the first magical barrier, a voice in his head insisting "GO BACK!" It was loud, insistent and made him jump, but he held his nerve. The second magical barrier was another matter entirely (OOC by barrier, this is an invisible, intangible field much like a force field with multiple layers a hears breadth think. I can't remember what spell it would resemble.... ah there we go. Quick look at the Rules Cyclopedia for D&D... Prismatic Wall.)

OOC1d20+20=35 Spell Caster, 1d20+15=23 Frostbite

Where the first spell was a suggestion, set to ward off weaker willed types, the second was a compulsion!

Frostbite jerked as if struck, and couldn't get out of the ground fast enough and turn tangible, gasping on the floor like a man who'd been drowning! Elesieth moved to his side, alarmed at the look of terror on the normally unflappable Vanguardian! A couple of seconds later, Frostbite relaxed, his demeanour returning to normal. He blinked, and looked around "What? Where am I... oh." <<The attempt to breach the barrier did not work. I can detect no physical presence of the barrier itself, but your life signs registered distress so suddenly I thought you were going into cardiac arrest!>> said the computer.

Archon glanced at Frostbite lying on the floor on his elbows, rising slowly, then at the runes around the door. "Whoever this ... Merlin was, or is, the words to disable the barrier were written in a language only he could understand. I cannot read these glyphs." said the glowing winged man. The runes were aged, worn, and barely legible. There were six separate listings in all. Glancing at them for the first time since he'd gotten to the doorway Frostbite saw what looked to be... English? Or some variant? Unless he knew different, he could have sworn they read...

A==l=n
==me==t
=e=dr===n
=rt=u=
=xc===b=r
Vi====e

Written in a variant of English? Old English? He had no idea whether Putty might know something of the language for he'd grown up in Nazi occupied Britain, but he couldn't break through the magical barrier with his power, before he called on the dark power, maybe there was another way.

OOC and there is. You can call on the dark power in this realm at any time, but as usual there is a price to pay, sooner or later. Or, you can take a look at the 'runes' and fill in the blanks. The Beholder has gone back down the corridor, out of sight...

PUTTY

"The creature is gone," Putty whispers to the others.

He stretches an eye over the runes in the ground.

"Not sure what all the words are," he says, still maintaining his false wall form. "But one of them is Arthur and another is Excalibur."

He ponder some more.

"Asslan? maybe?"

Frostbite

Regaining his composure and feeling somewhat self conscious with Elesieth about, Frostbite took a closer look at the runes. After take a glance at Putty to make sure he was still ok.

A==l=n
==me==t
=e=dr===n
=rt=u=
=xc===b=r
Vi====e

"Ok I think the first one is Avalon." Frostbite looks up at the door to see if there is any discernible change after speaking the word.

The second is Camelot I believe. Oh and Pendragon, that's the third word and the fourth must be Arthur making the fifth is Excalibur, now just to work out the last one! Hmm, if only we had Stormwarden here, this was his area of expertise." Frostbite glanced carefully at the other words.

OOC: OK I got five its late and I'm tired so I'm going to have to try and get the last one tomorrow, unless Dave you have any ideas?

Sj

The Vanguard - Stormwarden and Lionheart

The cyborg looks up. Against the backdrop of the darkness and driving rain, a giant of war comes soaring down. "Now, fool, you will..."

CRASHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Given the superhuman ability to graft metal to his body seamlessly, Terminatus constantly sought ways to upgrade and improve his power. Up to upgrade VII, the first few attempts were little more than suits of armour, albeit ones that reacted to his very thoughts, and made him a formidable opponent. It wasn't until he amputated his own arm, and grafted on a robot appendage, that he discovered his true potential.

By version VII of his body, only the spinal column and brain remained, the rest dumped as so much useless meat. Terminatus, though a cyborg by classification, was more machine than man. However, the man part, a metahuman part at that, controlled the cyborg body completely. He was immortal now, and possessed of power far beyond his original remit. Indeed, for his next upgrade he'd managed to secure funding and authorisation for a body crafted from Vanarmantium, a near indestructible metal only able to be forged and formed with intense heat. Adjutant himself would fly near the sun, make the alloy liquid, and pour it into moulds. A painstaking and lengthy task, and one which had taken a long time to set up, much to Adjutants' own protests. What did he know? Some suspected he was not truly committed to the Nazi cause, but no one would accuse him of it, such was his power.

Once he had the alloy body, Terminatus would accuse him!

All those thoughts, and more, flashed through Terminatus' body as he died. He knew the heartbeat before the strike came that his metahuman power had been nulled, thus causing his human brain to collapse and die instantly.

Stormwarden clattered the cyborg with the hammer, sending the metal body tumbling end over end in the mud and sliding to a halt metres away. Though there was a slight dent, Stormwarden expected the tough looking robotic form to rise.

Instead it lay prone, never to move again!

Wicca Woman looked over at Laserand and Pyro Skull. Even the massive fiery Nazi hesitated now. The naked witch shouted "Wait! Stop!"

Pyro Skull ignored that, walking over to where Stormwarden stood and...

His fire went out.

"What?" he cried. He stood there, unclothed, an overweight man in his early forties, balding and now shivering. He looked at his hands, his skin, his body. "I'm... human again!" he cried, tears filling his eyes. Pyro Skull, as was, dropped to his knees only feet away from Stormwarden, weeping with unbridled joy at having been 'cured' of the affliction that had seen him shunned, his life in ruins save for one purpose - to kill, and destroy!

Laserang had seen enough! He started sprinting back to the Nazis jet!

Wicca Woman looked at the trussed up Lionheart. She had him! It had been easy - another spell and...

No. Whatever it was these people were doing, it was enough to completely knock out the Nazis' powers, and without them, they were normal people! Wicca Woman didn't know whether it would affect her, but she started backing off, then turned, to run in the darkness back to the jet, and presumably, some clothes!

Lionheart struggles, gasps, and with a cry crashes out of the vines! He lands in the mud, gasping, but watches as the vines dissolve into nothing! Looking up, he sees the weeping man, Stormwarden stood over him, and the two other downed Nazis. The fight was over seemingly.

=========

Watching from the darkness, Saladin scowled. Whoever Lionhearts friend was, he was too much for the arch villain to take on. Right now. There would be another time. What interested him more was what the pair were doing at the site, risking life and limb to reassemble the place?

PUTTY

A==l=n
==me==t
=e=dr===n
=rt=u=
=xc===b=r
Vi====e

"Ok I think the first one is Avalon." Frostbite looks up at the door to see if there is any discernible change after speaking the word.

The second is Camelot I believe. Oh and Pendragon, that's the third word and the fourth must be Arthur making the fifth is Excalibur, now just to work out the last one! Hmm, if only we had Stormwarden here, this was his area of expertise." Frostbite glanced carefully at the other words.

Putty thinks and thinks and then starts muttering ...

"Niviane, Nymue, Nimue, Niniane, Nyneue, or Viviane ... a daughter of a king ... a huntress ... Merlin's one true love ... his true killer ... something," Putty continues to mutter.

ooc: thank you Wikipedia! I am more familiar with Nimue. The other versions of her name I never heard of.

Frostbite

"Niviane, Nymue, Nimue, Niniane, Nyneue, or Viviane ... a daughter of a king ... a huntress ... Merlin's one true love ... his true killer ... something," Putty continues to mutter.

Frostbite turned to Putty slightly amazed and thankful that the Arthurian legend still existed in either time line. Before turning back to look and see if the shield around the door had dropped.

In his own mind, Frostbite knew that they were in over their heads. But what nagged at the back of his mind, besides the need to restore his own time line and now free this enchanted kingdom, was the fact that the dark power remained active here. Trouble may be ahead, but they had an ace to play, but yet at what cost?

Sj

The Vanguard - Putty and Frostbite

The door glowed around the edges, the runes lighting up around it, making the letters clear and easy to read now - for the Vanguard. The others, natives of this realm and used to reading and writing in a different - in many different - tongues, simply stared in amazement!

And without further ado, the glow faded, the door swung an inch or two ajar.

=========

Not far away, in the castle

"The barrier has been breached." said Merlin, matter of fact.

Mordred spun, snarling "You swore blind no one would overcome your magicks! That you were the most powerful sorcerer! More powerful than before! Who has the power to overcome such a one?" he sneered.

Merlin slowly turned. Though Mordred was physically imposing, and a brute, the smaller man glowered, his eyebrows near concealing the dark glints of his eyes. "Ware you Princeling who would be king. Reborn I may be, into shadow, but I am still Merlin! Forget that at your peril!"

Mordred blanched, then glanced at his guards, around the throne room. Regaining his composure, he sneered again "Well, it seems like someone broke your magick seal. You'd better find a way to stop them! What about the Eye tyrant you sent? Dreadful beast."

Merlin frowned "It went to the place I sent it. I can track intruders in the castle, but the four I know about should not have been able to best the thing. It has fearsome power. But is not overly bright. What bothers me is not whom I can see, but those I can't. Reports from the Shadow Elves state they were scattered by two Warlocks of power, men I have not heard of. One changed shape as easily as a stream finding its way, the other commanded fierce, killing frost. And both were instrumental in routing an overwhelming force of shadow elves who were aided by an insider."

He glanced at the Dwarf, bloodied and beaten by Mordreds men.

He hawked and spat a mouthful of blood "I betrayed those misguided fools to save my people!" he hissed. "I kept my end of the bargain, now..."

Mordred turned. "Beat him some more. Take out an eye. I shall make fun with him later. Dwarves are so durable - they make exquisite playthings!"

The Dwarf and his screams of protest are dragged away, with Merlin pondering as he stood near the throne. "I shall have to look upon these newcomers myself, and see what I can see..."

He vanished!

Frostbite

OOC: It felt good to know how our enemies reported the deeds of our characters. Gave me a warm glow.

The door glowed around the edges, the runes lighting up around it, making the letters clear and easy to read now - for the Vanguard. The others, natives of this realm and used to reading and writing in a different - in many different - tongues, simply stared in amazement!

Frostbite turned to the others, "We must go quickly, we have no way of telling if that barrier now breached hasn't also alerted out enemies to our presence." Turning to Putty, Frostbite quickly suggested he take point, being able to move quickly and blend in if necessary. Then turning to the others he quickly asked for directions before allow Putty to lead the way into the castle.

Sj