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

Frostbite

ooc: I'm okay with the new crit system. Just remind me that I really really need to think about dodging if I get hit by one!!!

Sorry that's a yeah for me to. But you might need to add it into the houserules because when it applies we might all be scrambling around to find it otherwise.

IC:

"Sure! Just punch the evil overlord in the nose," Putty laughs, "now see what you did? You got him mad at us!"

"Its called improvisation, you should try it sometime. Besides I think he looked better for a bloody nose." Frostbite added as he sought to defy the Willsappers an easy victory.

Sj

The Vanguard - Frostbite and Putty

House Rules, updated

OOC there ya go. Not much change from before. At some point (I know, I know) I will combine all the blurb into one book and put some pictures in, albeit for our use only, if only to jazz it up. I really do need to update the Who's Who though, even I'm losing track of all the people you guys have encountered and what they can do, especially bad guys.

Frostbite throws up a hand to parry the incoming blow. Ice formed on the end, making a shield of sorts. Would it be enough?

OOC 1d20=10, good enough for the parry

The blow from the Will Sapper impacted against the ice shield, scattering it across the floor. Expecting the Ice Man to have been behind it, the Will Sapper looks confused as she glances to the left and sees Frostbite stood a metre or so away. Then he levels his hands again at her...

OOC Field Manipulation, 2d6 damage comes up with... 4 Htc. Ah well, can't have the dice going all your own way, though I'll grant you, it would be nice

Putty steps up, forming his 'Putty Smash' a bowling ball sized fist flung with superhuman force at the Will Sappers' head!

OOC 1d20+2+2+8=18 Hit, 2d6+18=25 Htc, 1d20+2+2+8=30 Hit, 2d6+18=22 Htc, 1d20+2+2+8=16 Miss, 2d6+18=24, 1d20+2+2+8=32 Hit Critical, 2d6+18=25 + 14 = 39 and Dividers reduced to 1. POW! 62 Htc all in.

With a chopping left, pounding right, Putty hammers against his foes. One of his punches goes wild in the flurry, but he follows up with a blow of such tremendous force the Will Sapper lifts from the floor and smashes - hard - into the ceiling , sending rubble cascading down.

When the dust clears, one Will Sapper remains, another stumbles about on wobbly legs, requiring a coup de grace to send it off to sleep.



OOC Initiative... 1d10=4 Heroes, 1d10=8 Bad guys. Gamely, the last one attacks Putty... 1d20+1+6=18 Hit, 2d6+10=16 Htk. Reduced to 5 Htk after dividers and 1d100=13, the blow will drain 1d6 each more ego and vigour. Response? And the rest of your frames to finish off this battle...

PUTTY

1d100=13, the blow will drain 1d6 each more ego and vigour. Response? And the rest of your frames to finish off this battle...

actions: Dodge like hell!!!!!!!! Then help Frostbite take down his.

Frostbite

OOC: Love to see the rules combined even if its not a jazzy edition, must take a copy to make sure I am up to speed, three months after making a ruling and typing at 7am you forget the finer points.

Ok assuming that the Will Sapper that can attack has attacked I guess we get to go, and this should be the round I get my energy back - right?


IC:

Frostbite levelled his fist at the Will Sapper (OOC: the one who the most amount of HTC left) and fired off again, seeking to use his height to aid his attack.

OOC: I'm going to do 10 dice to finish this off. Lets hope I don't miss. And I do 1d20+8+3+1=14. Great well use the last 5 to try and hit again. 1d20+8+3+1=30 Damage 3/2 3d6=10HTC, 2d6=5HTK

Sj

The Vanguard - Putty and Frostbite

Putty knew all too well what the glowing stone axe did when it touched his skin. He shivered, even as he dodged and tried to move out of the way of the thing!

OOC Dodge +2, -1 WC1 means... 1d6+1=3 Glancing Blow. Ouch. The special attack hits, or doesn't so it's 1d6 from Ego and Vigour again. This might hurt... 1d6=1 Ego, 1d6=6 Vigour. *gulp* Another Ego point down, and Vigour Drops to 4. That gives a maximum of 24Htc and 24Htk. Dodge took 2 frames to perform (same as attack). Putty has 2 frames left.

Archon, freed from the entrapment (OOC he's non super, so it took an extra round), rises and sees Putty stricken again "NO! But... how is it you are able to survive, not just once, but twice? I have ne'er seen the like!" He pulls up his swords and moves to the Will Sapper (OOC 1 frame), weaves aside at Frostbites' missed shot, then scythes with twin fiery blades at the Will Sapper. The other Will Sapper lurches slowly, drunkenly, back the way it came down the corridor, holding onto the wall so as not to fall over.

OOC 1d20+1+8=19 Hit, 2d6+5=12 Htk, 1d20+1+8=20 Hit, 2d6+5=12 Htk. The Will Sapper cries out, having taken 36 Htk, it's looking pretty cut up. When Frostbite hits with his energy blast, it takes another 5 Htk, so it's taken 41Htk and 28Htc. I will assume Putty, with trembling limbs, slams at the the thing again. 1d20+2+2+8=19 Hit, 2d6+18=27 Htc, 1d20+2+2+8=22 Hit, 2d6+18=25 Htc. 26 Htc knocks the thing clean out.

Archon turns as the last fighting Will Sapper falls. "My friend! Are you alright?"

Putty is a very very dark shade of grey. His limbs feel like lead, and his breath wheezes. His Will - and his life - have been sapped from him!

Archon looks concerned, and turns to Frostbite. "I don't think Kerla had the skills and experience to restore life to a drained one." he explains. "Around here, only the church at Kathawrindel has... or had... the Priests skilled enough to cast the required spell. I'm afraid there is no hope for your friend. The Will Sappers attack is magical. We call it 'creeping doom' as it invades the body and slowly eats away at the will and form of the victim. When they die, their spirit splits. The good part departs and the evil searches for another host form so it can drain other unwitting travellers. I am sorry. Your friend will die." he says sadly. He turns to Putty. "You are strong, however. I never saw anyone survive two drains like that." The compliment rings hollow. Archon, though wild and filled with fury, is a noble soul, and to see one such as Putty stricken thus breaks his heart.

He's silent for a moment as the Vanguardians look at each other. They are about to speak when Archon interjects.

"Wait! There is a hope! The Grail! It is said to be able to cure all ills! The magic will need replenishing, in your own world, by holding it up to the gate! Drink from the cup and you will be restored! I'm sure! If... that is, you can survive that long..." he adds, his excitement quelled. A glance at Putty shows him weakened, but defiant. Archon turns to Frostbite "Do we go back to check on the others, or forge on to confront Maedhlyn in his lair, with the devil Mordred?"



OOC Combat is over. Frostbite could choose to rest to replenish his energy, or the group push on. You won... but at what cost?

Frostbite

OOC Combat is over. Frostbite could choose to rest to replenish his energy, or the group push on. You won... but at what cost?

Frostbite needed to take a moment to replenish his energy, but also to make sure his friend might be able to yet make the final journey the grail. After taking a moment to catch his breath, Frostbite helped Putty stand, as he turned to Archon,"Get the others on their feet, we've got to make this quick, even our strength isn't without limit." Then turning to Putty again he asked, "Can you make it...we don't know what we've yet to face. But if need comes there is within us both our allies who can help. I don't know at what cost, but nonetheless it has to be worth paying if we can complete our quest and restore the grail."

[OOC: assuming its affirmative] Frostbite allowed his friend to lean on him if he wanted, but knowing he might well choose to walk on alone until too enfeebled not to, as they set off for the Grail room again.

OOC: What's happening Paul, with Lionheart and Stormwarden?

Sj

Admin wrote:OOC hadn't forgotten Dave about LH and Stormy, but I was waiting for Kendal. Looks like his internet is flaky again. I will update later today if nothing from him to keep that one moving. After all, you are plummeting to the earth in a death spiral...

Oh no, of all the times for it to go down, sorry no pun intended. Well looking forward to some more. I feel a little bad about it because I know I'm able to post regularly and others not so, I don't want to add pressure on them or make them feel resentful for me setting the pace. At the same time, keeping things hanging for ages is the death of PBEM - but its your call mate. I can wait (just) if need be for Kendal to get himself sorted. I suppose when the action is this good no time is a good time to delay.

Sj

Admin wrote:OOC No worries mate - I'll move things on - Kendal will understand am sure, might just need to give him a recap. Never heard anything out of Harry again, so Darkshadow will remain in the land of dark shadows forever it seems...

Yeah that was weird about Harry, I have to admit. I never quite got some of the things he did, he could seem inconsistent - really excited and then drop out suddenly for a while. I guess real life took over. Sorry not to have him though.

Sj

PUTTY

Then turning to Putty again he asked, "Can you make it...we don't know what we've yet to face. But if need comes there is within us both our allies who can help. I don't know at what cost, but nonetheless it has to be worth paying if we can complete our quest and restore the grail."

Putty smiles grimly. "You have no memory of me in your "real" world, so I knew I was going to die when we set things right. Whether I die now or later, it doesn't matter as long as we win! So on we go!"

OOC I got in late from work, but still have enough left in the tank for a quick update... then bed. Day off tomorrow, so we should be able to start on the final scenes of this chapter and start to bring the threads together (he says... best laid plans etc)

The Vanguard - Lionheart and Stormwarden

Stormwarden grimaced in pain. Something was moving under his skin around his ribcage. It felt wet and squishy around there. Of course, in a few more seconds everything would go squishy - when it slammed into the floor! He groaned, rolling onto his side as the Nazi came at him. The big Nazi slammed into a wall, then swayed across the cockpit and stood over Stormwarden. Grinning, he thrust a huge hand out clutching Guy Saint Ives' head!

Guy screamed!

"SUCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHH PPPPPPPOOOOOOOWWWWWWEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!" screamed the Nazi. black lightning flashed out in all directions from his form, and illuminated Guy Saint Ives. Those in the cabin able to see it, including the depowered Nazis and Lionheart, saw Stormwarden and the Nazi flash as if electrocuted, their bones visible through translucent skin and clothes....

Then the Nazi exploded.

BANG!

Fragments of charred flesh spattered the inside of the craft, dropping in chunks all over the deck/floor. Lionheart blinked, sweeping a chunk of flesh aside where it had slapped on his head. It was charred, lumpy, blackened. He glanced up...

A huge muscled figure lay on the floor, unmoving for a moment, then stirring. Guy Saint Ives, Stormwarden , looked up, nodded at Lionheart, then rammed his fists through the aluminium floor of the spiralling jet, grasping solid superstructure beams underneath. Heaving with all his strength, he floated off the floor, and the jet groaned, twisting and bending in the middle where Stormwarden grasped it. With a scream of pain Stormwarden wrenched for all his worth. Lionheart looked past him. The earth wasn't spinning so wildly, but was still looming larger. Then it stopped spinning completely. Then it...

FWASH!!!!

Everyone was slammed to the ceiling, then dashed back down again to the floor, and suddenly water was flooding in through the open cockpit window and the side door to the jet! Only Lionheart and Stormwarden weren't stunned. The Nazis were all knocked out by the impact, and would drown in moments! With water already up to knee height and rising inches every second, it wouldn't be long before the ship filled completely, then sank like a rock!

OOC the jet slapped down at speed on a lake. It'll sink in the next 5-10 seconds, at most...

Lionheart

Lionheart shook his head, as much to clear the vision of an exploding Nazi as much as to shake of the shock of their crash landing. "Come on big guy" Lionheart said hesitantly, before adding "...you'll have to explain what happened later." Lionheart knew that the others depowered and damaged were in no shape to avoid drowning.

Quickly he scanned the cockpit in the hope that there might be some emergency raft or life jackets or anything he could use to make the crew float.

OOC:
Shot of being able to find something for them to float on I will pull them out and try and get them to the shore. I will back stroke with both arms holding a person each and kick like blazes with my feet to try and get them out before returning if there are any more.

Sj

Stormwarden

"Come on big guy" Lionheart said hesitantly, before adding "...you'll have to explain what happened later." Lionheart knew that the others depowered and damaged were in no shape to avoid drowning.

Still dazed by the whole thing, Stormwarden could barely acknowledge Lionheart but he tried, blinking his eyes as the pain receeded. What the flipping heck had just happened? He'd have to make sense of it all later. for now. Yes. Lionheart had the right idea. Stormwarden reached over, grabbed another nazi and started pulling her out of the wreakage. "I'll fly them..." he started. He was stil trembling. "Well, I'll try, anyway." He wrenched off strips of the crash belts, wrapped it around the nearest and then set off/


--------------------------------------------------------------
ooc. still waiting - bug%%%% still haven't fixed it yet!

ooc. still waiting - bug%%%% still haven't fixed it yet!

Man Kendal how awful, same thing happened to me some time back, turns out it was a wiring problem my house. Occasionally still drops out but glad I got it sorted. Hope yours gets sorted out soon mate.

Sj

OOC Good to have you back Kendal - internet access is a pain. Can't live without it myself, I'd be climbing the walls, so I know how you feel! Meanwhile...

The Vanguard - Putty and Frostbite

Archon leaned down, shaking Elesieth gently. She started to stir, and struggled to her feet with help. Seeing the Will Sappers lying about she turned to Archon. "We should finish them off. If they wake, we could be in trouble again!" Archon nodded, but paused for a second, and turned to the Vanguard. "You operate by some kind of code I have not encountered. In this world, it is kill, or be killed. I saw you were attacking not to kill, but to disable. Why? These things are evil! They live to drain life from unwitting victims! They will kill Putty thanks to the life they have stolen, and will continue to steal. Think of his life force as a vessel, albeit a very full one in his case, and impervious to most forms of harm. The Will Sappers puncture that vessel, so that over time his life force will leak away! Why show them mercy?"

OOC You guys can answer.explain, or act, then...

The Group made its way down the corridor. After a minute or so, they arrived at the base of a large set of stairs. Half way up the stairs, still stunned, the last Will Sapper dragged itself. A quick coup de grace sent the thing into a deep sleep. At the top of the stairs, a thick oak and metal bound door proved no barrier to Putty, and the corridor on the other side, with doors going off, and tapestries lining the walls, lead up to a very large pair of double doors, over twenty feet high, oak and studded with shining steel.

The armoured knights gathered in front of the door numbered twenty or more, a veritable army prepared to hold off the invaders, and stop them from reaching their lord!

Archon turned to the Vanguardians. The knights were some 20m away or so, and stood their ground, shields and swords held ready. Each wore the crest of gold on black depicting what appeared to be the stencil of a devils head. Mordreds crest.

Archon spoke "These men will doubtless have been ensorcelled or convinced to follow Mordred, or their black hearts are attracted to evil. We should show them no mercy."

Elesieth added "I think Mordred and Maedhlyn are behind that door. Hopefully, the Queen and the Chalice will be too! If... whatever happens... I want you both to know... thank you. You have given us hope, and lead us this far, when our best efforts have failed. I am sorry about Putty. If..." her voice trailed off.

One of the knights, clad in black and holding a wicked looking Morning Star, spoke up "Cease your prattling woman, and come here... to die!"

OOC No initiative. These are normal men in armour, albeit skilled warriors. After dividers, anything they can do to you is a scratch. Frostbites' on full energy, Putty, though injured, will knock one out with every punch more or less. Simply describe how you're going to wade through them and I'll fill in relevant parts. In tabletop gaming I might have rolled the dice and gone through the motions, but this is - mostly - a foregone conclusion. Well, maybe with the odd twist

Frostbite

Why show them mercy?"

Frostbite gave this some thought before saying, "I was a soldier in my world, when I killed it was always a last resort when everything else broke down. In our world killing was a last resort because there were many other options one could explore before being forced down that road. Killing not only removes a life, it diminishes all life."

Looking around him Frostbite gestured, "I realise everything here is different, these Will Sappers weren't any more alive than a piece of furniture. But if I stoop to their level, what hope and can we offer for a better way? Even showing a degree of consideration, shows that we are not so weak as have only the one choice - death, but to show in life there are always possibilities. Death is final and therefore to be used only when you've no other choice. Otherwise we stoop to the level of Modred and his forces."

The Group made its way down the corridor...a veritable army prepared to hold off the invaders, and stop them from reaching their lord!

Frostbite, already floating beside his friend, took the air when he knew Putty was ready up above the reach of their blades his powers were dreadfully effective against men in full metallic armour. Again and again his arm span out as the men sought to come close to the others. The armour became a deadly weapon, holding and even magnifying the chill that swept through them as Frostbite sent wave after wave of cold to chill them into submission.

OOC:
Hope that reads ok, field manipulation which not only ignores DD but should even be more effective with so much metal to hamper these men.

Sj

PUTTY

"As for me," Putty says after Frostbite speaks about not killing, "My powers do not lend themselves to killing but to smashing. I do not care if evil men or creatures live or die as long as they are defeated. Perhaps in a world where Justice prevails, I might consider things differently but here ....?" He shrugs.

The fight.

With Frostbite in the air, Putty decides charging isn't needed. He stands at the end of the corridor with his 20m reach and reaches out and pummels all the knights he can.

The Vanguard - Lionheart and Stormwarden

Despite the fact their enemies had tried to kill them, Lionheart and Stormwarden dived several times, using their powers to aid them in the rescue of the helpless Nazis. Without their powers they were more or less useless - from an early age they'd grown up with and grown used to having their powers like a crutch, so that without them they were less able than normal people.

Finally, the Vanguardians watched the bubbles in the centre of the lake finally disperse, marking the resting place of the jet and the Nazi who'd dared try and steal Stormwardens' powers.

Wrapped in a blanket, the shivering young woman who'd been Vine before the Lunarium X weapons had depowered her, looked up. "You saved us. You didn't have to. You could have let us die. Everything they've said about you is wrong... I want to ..."

"SILENCE!" screamed the tall woman. She was reasonably hefty when unpowered, but of little threat to Lionheart and Stormwarden. "You traitor! They are our enemies! They need to be destroyed!" she hissed. She pulled from her belt a small device, like a mobile phone. Lionheart was about to pluck it from her grasp when the man otherwise known as Shadow Vulture grasped her wrist, making her cry out and drop the signal device, after which he smashed it with a booted heel. "It's over." he rasped. "They won, we lost, and they were gracious enough to save our lives when that maniac Power Parasite lost control of his mind. We always knew he would be a loose cannon. Well, the cannon exploded on itself." he turned to the pair of you.

"I am Herman Mueller. I'm known as Shadow Vulture for a codename." he said. "We've been ordered - as the other death squads have - to hunt you down and capture or kill you. I don't know what weapons you are carrying, or however you turned our powers off, but if you restore them I'll help you..."

Mistress Might screeched, and launched herself at Shadow Vulture, who slipped aside and tripped her, sending her face first in the mud. Vine, clad in a blanket, started to go over to Mistress Might, but she was warned off by the fallen Nazi. "Not all of us are blindly loyal to the Nazi way of life. We were chosen from a young age to serve, and taken from everything we knew. Recently I found out that our parents and families... ALL of them..." he said, staring at Mistress Might "...had been murdered by the Gestapo to ensure there could be no leverage over us. I don't have too many memories of my family, but I do not they didn't deserve that."

Vine immediately broke down in tears, collapsing in a heap, whilst Mistress Might opened her eyes wide, gaping. "You... you lie! They wouldn't! They... little Hans? Mama... Papa...? Liesel? All..."

Shadow Vulture bowed his head. "It's true. All gone. Remember my powers. I get into places and out, better than just about anyone. I had my suspicions. I've been holding the truth inside till I could find the means to get my revenge. These men..." he said, gesturing to Lionheart and Stormwarden "... are it. Gentlemen. My family are dead. The state and superiors I served are corrupt, evil and have lied to us all our lives. We are tools for them. When they consider us past our useful time, we will be killed. I for one will not let them destroy my life and my families without exacting retribution on them." He looked at the two women on the floor, then at the Vanguardians. "If you say no, then pass in peace. I will fight the Nazis in my own way. I am done being their pawn."

The Vanguard - Frostbite and Putty

The Vanguardians were taking no prisoners. They marched forward a few steps, then ...

The floor underneath the Knights turned to sheet ice, causing many of the crowded group to stumble and fall where they stood! Twin hammer like blows dented metal, flesh, and blood all the same, and the freezing of metal joints in the armour adhered flesh where it touched on the inside.

Countless ice bullets, like a hail of golf balls, pelted the knights, finding their way through raised visors. A swirl of snow filled the corridor as Frostbite lowered the temperature, whipped up the wind, and called a mini snow storm into being. All the while Puttys' arms crept like snakes through the mass of clanking, struggling metal and delivered short sharp blows to the faces of the Knights, even mischievously twisting the helmets around so the Knights couldn't see, then having Frostbite freeze them in place!

In moments, an army of steel, all bluster, battle lust and not inconsequential skill, had been rendered helpless - an immovable frozen mass covering the floor of the corridor. Some were still conscious, clanging helplessly on the inside of their armour, whilst most had been pummelled into a deep sleep.

Putty provided a foot bridge for the others to traverse whilst Frostbite hovered over the mass, satisfied that the glistening mass would not be a threat for hours.

As they approached the huge double doors, they opened of their own volition.

Beyond, a long dark hall, the darkness total without means of light beyond a dozen feet or so. Frostbites' blue chestplate shone out into the darkness, and caught the red gleam of eyes in the shadows.

Putty was new to this, but Frostbite felt a chill down his spine. Even here, the shadow demons had been busy. The Shadows were darkening.

A cold, calculating voice rang out "I see you passed on the starter. A trifle too... crunchy?" it laughed. The Vanguardians and their allies judged the hall to be around 100' long and 50' wide. It echoed, making it hard to judge where the voices came from, but the red gleaming eyes were at the far end.

"I am Mordred. I rule this realm. You met my Lord Enchanter I gather. He served my ... esteemed father. I laugh when I see of the written exploits of the man. He was a brute, a braggart, and a slayer. He united the tribes against the invaders then saw everything he had built crumble around him, because he drove his wife to his best friend. He was weak, ultimately. That said, he was strong enough to slay me, once. As you can see though..."

The red eyes at the far end of the hall narrowed.

"I'm back."

OOC Frostbite, from previous experience you know the shadow demons find host forms in humans and endow them with special powers. Why... you lot are living proof This is the case here. You can see a dozen pair of eyes staring from down the hall, but the rest of the details are lost in unnatural shadow. You walk into the realm of the beast, Gentlemen. Here, he is king. Tread warily...

Frostbite

"I am Mordred. I rule this realm...The red eyes at the far end of the hall narrowed..."I'm back."

"Yeah about that returning business. I think you'll find you've overstayed your welcome and perhaps you'd better scurry along back to whatever rock you crawled out from under. You and your new found buddies. The shadows know us, we go back and that is why we are called the Vanguard. We're stand at the border, we're the line you can't cross and we're here to say you're trespassing."

Taking to the air, Frostbite conferred with his computer as he watched the area around him. "Computer give me a read out of how many creatures we're facing here?"

"Mordred you might not have a high regard for your father, but all I've seen so far tells me that your the apple that couldn't even fall from the tree. You're weak, without your friends to back you up. You lost once because you were never good enough to beat your father and it looks as if without friends nothings changed. Without the shadows you've barely the strength to stop repeating the same mistake all over again. Is that what you fear, that one day once you've done their bidding, your time, your usefulness will be over. Perhaps Merlin has been eyeing your throne with a view to a refit. Perhaps the shadows prefer someone more malleable. It doesn't matter, you're clearly too weak to do much for yourself, without your friends."

Frostbite new Mordred wasn't stupid, but he wasn't going to waste the opportunity to throw his foes off whilst he and the rest of the group took the opportunity to find out all they could before the battle was joined.

---

OOC:
Ok man we have stepped into the vipers nest. Whilst I am up higher, I am trying to get the best view I can of the room and find out if the grail and Morganna is here and anything else we can ascertain tactically before we end up getting to it.

Sj

Lionheart

OOC: Oh so annoying, I posted a response but somehow it didn't take.

Its late so I am just going to post the gist of it and I can't confirm the die roll I took but I can tell you what the numbers were.

Basically I had Lionheart do a telepathic probe on Muller whilst he was talking, I wanted to make it as subtle as possible by covering it by talking and then winking to Stormwarden. I basically suggested that Stormwarden made the choice. I rolled 21 (18+3) for my ego check to see if I could find something out as subtly as possible.

Sj

PUTTY

While Frostbite distracts Mordred, Putty attempts to move over to the side, nearer to the shadows, looking also for the Grail and a frozen Morgana.

The Vanguard - Lionheart and Stormwarden

Whilst his eyes glow slightly, there is no other outward sign of using his powers, and Lionheart scans the surface thoughts of the man calling himself Shadow Vulture.

'...never did anything wrong. This may be my chance to strike back at them. Pay them back for all the misery and death they have caused. They will call me traitor, let them. If it costs me my life so that the Nazi regime will fall, so be it.'

His thoughts are dark, bordering on suicidal. The empathic side of Lionheart shudders. The man boils with rage and hatred against those he would have called master only minutes ago. He could be a great help... or a serious liability.

OOC Edited again. Basically, he's like a normal human right now, so I used your roll result as a measure of how deep you were able to probe, rather than whether it worked. Obviously you were strong enough to read his mind, but only to get the surface thoughts at that moment, rather than any deeper details, such as plans, passwords and security issues.

The Vanguard - Frostbite and Putty



OOC The black circles are large stone pillars, several feet thick and going from floor to ceiling. Towards the back (top of the map) of the room you can see the vagure outline of a raised dais and a throne, and a dark figure sat on it. Around, several stealthy shapes move. your guys can see red pinpoints of light - their eyes.

<<I have only your senses by which to ascertain information, but I count several distinct shapes, around a dozen in all, each around normal human height. Beyond those basic details there is little I can tell you without a visual scan, and that requires more light. The ultraviolet spectrum of your human vision is functioning correctly however, so I can find no real reason why you cannot make out the details of whom - or what - you face.>> said the computer inside Frostbites' head. Some kind of artificial darkness then. Magic maybe. That would leave him and his companions at a disadvantage.

Mordred rose to Frostbites' fate whilst Putty looked about (OOC either the blue or the green dots represent you. Two are the Vanguard, the others are Archon and Elesieth.)

"What do you know of my father? I am the bastard hell spawned son of my father and his half sister, my... delightful mother, who lost leave of her senses, thinking she could rule as a fair and just queen! There is no 'fair' or 'just' as one mans' fair is another's injustice! Another's injustice may be viewed in a fair light by someone else! Now? There is only my law, my justice, and my rule. When I have crushed this land, and bent it to my will, all will come around to my way of thinking. There will be no war. Well, at least until I lead an army through the gates to the mortal realms!" he cackles. "Oh, and I have some help as well. You met Maedhlyn, and will doubtless have your own opinions of him, but have you heard of Sh'Karr rass Vor Bydunum?" he spits. "Did I say that right?" he cackles.

Something deep inside Frostbite and Putty stirs. A feeling of alarm, of rage, loathing! Neither Vanguardian is quite sure why, but a flame appears, floating, some 30m or so away, and grows taller, resembling a rip in the air! From the tear comes a hand, then an arm, shoulder, torso and the rest of it!



Alarm bells sound in Frostbites' head, the computer throwing up a visual readout, scanning the smoke and flame to reveal a creature some 30' high, almost as wide, the searing heat it gives off is melting Frostbites' protective layer.

Elesieth gasps, taking a step back. She glances at her sword, and suddenly it seems frighteningly small. Her eyes are wide in terror and she gasps for breath!

Archon floats up, flaming swords held aloft. Suddenly the flames leap from the blades and into Archons' face! He screams, and crashes to the floor, clutches his eyes. The blades clatter, normal, metal, cold, a second or so later.

Putty thinks he saw something near the very back of the hall. It looked like the outline of a box, similar in size to a coffin. Morgana?

His searching gaze was distracted when the demon spoke. A vile, rasping sound like a blade over a whetstone!



With a crashing stride is stepped forwards...

AND THE ENTIRE CASTLE SHOOK!!!