Re: The NEW Vanguard TEAM UP! Haunt Issue #14 with special guest star Steeplejack!

Admin Sun Dec 18 2022, 19:51

The summoned creature kept rising...

Holmes suddenly dashed up to the pair, coat wrapped around the Holy Grail.

"Chaps! I can't even fathom what my eyes are seeing right now! How can you possibly - even with your abilities that creature is..." he gasped, the brilliant detective lost for words!

"What, how, why such a creature can exist, I don't know! Such a... an entity cannot be used as a mere 'pawn' by the likes of Moriarty and his chums but... they MUST have promised it something, some... prize!"

As he spoke the creature kept rising. Despite its colossal size - and it was still straightening up - it moved with an agility and speed that belied its size!

Holmes stared at the creature, then at the bundle in his hands, his fantastic mind running through possibilities, plans, potentials... "Moriarty has promised the creature the Grail... and we've stolen the Grail. That creature is... from somewhere else, Something, somehow, beyond. I see three choices..."

"You fight it, somehow. We use the confusion to escape with the grail and you attempt to escape after us..."

"We go back, give the Grail to Moriarty, and hope the creature turns on HIM!"

"Or..." he licked his lips "We give the grail to the creature, and hope, pray, that its holy power can somehow help us against the creature!"

Steeple_jackuk Mon Dec 19 2022, 15:28

Admin wrote:The summoned creature kept rising...

Holmes suddenly dashed up to the pair, coat wrapped around the Holy Grail.

"Chaps! I can't even fathom what my eyes are seeing right now! How can you possibly - even with your abilities that creature is..." he gasped, the brilliant detective lost for words!

"What, how, why such a creature can exist, I don't know! Such a... an entity cannot be used as a mere 'pawn' by the likes of Moriarty and his chums but... they MUST have promised it something, some... prize!"

As he spoke the creature kept rising. Despite its colossal size - and it was still straightening up - it moved with an agility and speed that belied its size!

Holmes stared at the creature, then at the bundle in his hands, his fantastic mind running through possibilities, plans, potentials... "Moriarty has promised the creature the Grail... and we've stolen the Grail. That creature is... from somewhere else, Something, somehow, beyond. I see three choices..."

"You fight it, somehow. We use the confusion to escape with the grail and you attempt to escape after us..."

"We go back, give the Grail to Moriarty, and hope the creature turns on HIM!"

"Or..." he licked his lips "We give the grail to the creature, and hope, pray, that its holy power can somehow help us against the creature!"

All choices seem like terrible choices, Steeplejack thought to himself as he gazed on. The grail was an unknown factor in all this, but it was also the only thing that had worked in their favour. Prior to its being stolen it was a means of protecting the United Kingdom, it had lost none of that potential, one assumed so giving it to the monster rising before them might be the very best idea. Even if it did seem counter intuitive. But maybe Haunt had other thoughts, he had experiences that Steeplejack might not.

Turning to his friend, he raised an eyebrow and simple said, "Well, what do you think?"

Sj

DavidMcMahon Mon Dec 19 2022, 17:36

"Honestly, I think maybe trying to fight it might be our best bet but I don't know if we are strong enough to take it on and defeat it," the Haunt admits while tilting back his Stetson and scratching his head. "If our powers were working at full capacity, I think we could do it but right now...? Giving it the Grail seems ... like a bad idea. I worry that it's touch might contaminate it so much that it will fail to function, defeating the whole purpose of us being here. BUuuuuuttt...if Holmes thinks it might work, then that might be the best of our bad options."

He looks over the giant creature.

"Maybe I can give it to him in a way," he says slowly, now rubbing his cowl covered chin, "that he has it but isn't holding it?"

He looks over the creature and its size putting his brain and skills and knowledge to work to see what he might be able to do.

ooc: I'm thinking instead of putting the Grail in its hand, putting it on its body, like in his ear canal or an some kind of protrusion on its back, where can't easily touch it or something like that. Though that might be the thing NOT to do since it might flee back to its home dimension with the Grail stuck to it. Ideas?

Steeple_jackuk Tue Dec 20 2022, 10:26

DavidMcMahon wrote:"Honestly, I think maybe trying to fight it might be our best bet but I don't know if we are strong enough to take it on and defeat it," the Haunt admits while tilting back his Stetson and scratching his head. "If our powers were working at full capacity, I think we could do it but right now...? Giving it the Grail seems ... like a bad idea. I worry that it's touch might contaminate it so much that it will fail to function, defeating the whole purpose of us being here. BUuuuuuttt...if Holmes thinks it might work, then that might be the best of our bad options."

He looks over the giant creature.

"Maybe I can give it to him in a way," he says slowly, now rubbing his cowl covered chin, "that he has it but isn't holding it?"

He looks over the creature and its size putting his brain and skills and knowledge to work to see what he might be able to do.

ooc: I'm thinking instead of putting the Grail in its hand, putting it on its body, like in his ear canal or an some kind of protrusion on its back, where can't easily touch it or something like that. Though that might be the thing NOT to do since it might flee back to its home dimension with the Grail stuck to it. Ideas?

OOC: That might work, I see what you are thinking that it might irritate or even diminish if it can't be welded in some way. I'm not worried about fighting this guy, as such, though the time dilation thing makes it so much harder and I'm not even on your level of power as it is. I am loath to give up the grail, and as you say even if we could weaken it by placing it within somehow, the concern that comes to my mind is that it might still be able to adapt its body, as does the Haunt, to retrieve it anyway. I think we go with giving it a kicking first if we can. And if that fails then we see if we can wield the grail to know if we can gain its help with us. Holmes might be on the money, but it's not his skill set yet he may have deduced something we've not had the chance to find out. But we've no way to know, and nothing by which to verify the info he's given. So it's a huge risk if it's wrong. I'm with a) attack b) wield the grail and c) give it only as a last resort. But should any new info come to light then I am good to change that about as need be. I think we go in punching as it were, team attack I would say to start with. I'll try and blind it with earth and hit it with my martial arts looking for pressure points and such, and you can maybe grapple it or something. what do you think, David?

Sj

DavidMcMahon Tue Dec 20 2022, 11:49

ooc: Team Attack, devastating attack for each of us? Then the Grail if we did not real appreciable damage?

Steeple_jackuk Tue Dec 20 2022, 12:12

DavidMcMahon wrote:ooc: Team Attack, devastating attack for each of us? Then the Grail if we did not real appreciable damage?

OOC: Agreed, lets get this done, and go home ;-)

Sj

Admin Mon Jan 09 2023, 14:23

OOC Gahhh! Look at the date of the last post. Shameful. Still, that's Christmas, real life, families and the like. Suck up time that could be spent doing important stuff!

HAUNT and STEEPLEJACK

The powerful superheroes were experienced, effective and successful. Usually. The 'time dilation' that played havoc with their powers meant that a battle against something this big would be like gnats punching a house. Eventually, in time they might make a dent but time was the problem - this thing was bigger than a football field in height and width and probably weighed more than 100 tons. Small change to superheroes who could throw such a weight into orbit if there was a way to interact with that squishy, pliable body that oozed what seemed to be some kind of corrosive acid.

With Holmes, the stricken Watson, Captain Savage and the others reeling at the sight of the monstrous creature, something on the scale of which they had no idea could exist, Steeplejack and Haunt leapt at it, calling out when they would strike, where and how!

OOC Team Attack
Devastating Attack

Haunt AV11 + 6 Dice Weaponry + 8d12+0 11,11,1,4,3,1,9,3+0 = 22 DOUBLE plus 2d12+0 1,10+0 = 11 (all the 11s. 33 rolled +11 Dex means 44) vs
OV4 (taken into account Growth) + 4 Time dilation - 4 team attack + 8 Devastating Attack + Fluid Form 8 (OV20) + 2d12+0 11,9+0 = 20 (total 40)
Success + 3
EV15 +3 (EV18) vs RV30 - Dev Attack 12 (RV18)=No damage.

Steeplejack Av14 + 5 Dice Martial Arts + 7d12+0 5,12,10,8,1,12,3+0 = 24 DOUBLE plus 2d12+0 9,5+0 = 14 (52 total) vs
OV4 (taken into account Growth) + 6 Time dilation - 4 team attack + 8 Devastating Attack + Fluid Form 8 (OV20) + 2d12+0 4,9+0 = 13 (35)
Success + 6
EV13 + 6 (EV19) vs RV32 - Dev Attack 12 (RV20)=No damage

There was a ... 'grunt' from the mass of the creature which was wider and bigger than a skyscraper. Eyes situated all over its body turned their malevolent stare to the pair that dared to strike at its cosmic mass!

The time dilation, the mass of the creature and it moving faster than such a thing would normally be able to (OOC ok 4 isn't fast but hey, for something of this size, its positively lightning fast!) all combined to confound the heroes. Their mightiest punches, normally able to fell mountains, fell short as fists and a hammer the size of a small car slammed and squished into the bendy, twisting, glutinous mass of the vast monsters body!

Worse than that...

Steeplejack glanced at his hand then reached to the floor, wiping it on the grass, on the ground, anything to get it off!

"ACID!" he called out to Haunt.

OOC This is deadly acid, capable of eating through steel!

AV9 + time dilation 6 + 2d12+0 12,7+0 = 19 (34) vs
Body 9 + 2d12+0 12,5+0 = 17 (26)
Success +4
EV13 vs Rv9 - time dilation 6 (RV30)=10 RAPS! KILLING COMBAT!

Steeplejack has 48 Hero Points remaining and will need to absorb at least two points to stay on his feet. HOWEVER, the acid will continue to attack Steeplejack until it does no damage or he can find some way of getting it off his body! It could - literally - eat him alive! Throw in that time dialtion effect and this is very, very dangerous!

As a side note without the Time Dilation you'd be at least half way to dropping this thing and would take little or no damage from the acid... HOWEVER, I'll also rule that the characters REGENERATION: 5 will add to opposing/resistance against subsequent acid attacks as the body tries to heal against the damage it is taking. I'm nice like that. Nasty for the acid though!

AV9 + time dilation 4 + 2d12+0 7,5+0 = 12 (25) vs
Body 14 + 2d12+0 8,12+0 = 20 (34)

Haunt, somewhat tougher than Steeplejack, takes no damage from the acid but the mere fact that it is oozing potent acid and capable of leaving horrific scars should trigger his traumatic flashback! How that plays out is up to you to roleplay David...

The creature roars in triumph, somehow sensing the damage it had done to one of the gnats that dare sting at it. It reached out with a tentacle, one of dozens, to grasp the heroes...

OOC
On steeplejack:
Av8 + Time Dilation 6 + 2d12+0 3,1+0 = 4 (18) vs
OV14 + 2d12+0 1,7+0 = 8 (22) Missed

AV8 + Time Dilation 4 2d12+0 9,12+0 = 21 (33) vs
OV11 + 2d12+0 10,10+0 = 20 DOUBLE plus 2d12+0 2,7+0 = 9 (40) Missed

Those huge grasping tentacles acted independently and were amongst dozens that grasped at each hero. Blind, unfeeling, probing, they were small enough to be capable of delicate handling and thick enough further down the trunk to encircle a truck!

There were shouts, cries of encouragement from the others. Captain Savage took aim and unloaded with his pistol but may as well have been throwing leaves.

OOC Steeplejack has to deal with that acid! Haunt... in his own way, has to deal with that acid!

DavidMcMahon Tue Jan 10 2023, 02:28

"ARRGH! My face! It's BURNING!" screams the Haunt as he flies away clutching at his face.

ooc: I figure 2-3 rounds before he recovers from the shock and comes back. Just got to find time to do the longer posts now. Maybe tomorrow.

Steeple_jackuk Tue Jan 10 2023, 21:48

Admin wrote:OOC Gahhh! Look at the date of the last post. Shameful. Still, that's Christmas, real life, families and the like. Suck up time that could be spent doing important stuff!

OOC Steeplejack has to deal with that acid! Haunt... in his own way, has to deal with that acid!

Steeplejack had not known pain like what he was facing and clearly this was something that Haunt also was not immune from. His reaction was so extreme there must be more to it. But Steeplejack had other concerns, seeing that the acid wasn't natural but super natural by origin then the only way to fight this fire, was with the only 'fire' they had. The Grail, whether it possessed the means to do anything or not was a long shot, but what option did he have. When it came to the Supernatural he was well out of his depth. Moving to the others where they had the grail, he looked about for water, filling the grail and seeking to pour the water out on his hand, he hoped might do the trick. But even if it did, there was the safety of the others to consider let alone this supernatural monstrosity that still needed to be put back in its place, wherever that might be.

OOC:OK lets see if we can sort out the acid on my hand and then I need to find a way to stop this thing, whilst Haunt is struggling to pull himself together...oh boy this was a bad day to face this behemoth alone.

Sj

Admin Mon Jan 16 2023, 19:06

DavidMcMahon wrote:"ARRGH! My face! It's BURNING!" screams the Haunt as he flies away clutching at his face.

ooc: I figure 2-3 rounds before he recovers from the shock and comes back. Just got to find time to do the longer posts now. Maybe tomorrow.

OOC Don't worry about rushing about to post on my behalf. I'm being clobbered (time wise) these days with long shifts and stuff that needs doing when I get home. The other day I had to make emergency repairs to a fence before it flew away and smashed into the neighbours car Just what you need after getting up for work at 3am and stumbling home about 12 hours later... It seems every day there's *something* that stops me from sitting down and doing what I want to do! Arggh! Where's the tearing hair our emoji?

Admin Mon Jan 16 2023, 19:28

OOC I'll assume Steeplejack spends 6HP (STEEPLEJACK 42HP) so takes 6 damage and is on Body 3/9.

Wringing his hands in pain from the acid burns Steeplejack leapt over to where Holmes was with the others.

"We need Watson!" he declared, but his friend, having been drained of blood, was unconscious.

Captain Savage stood, reloading his pistol that he'd emptied time and again into the giant creature. "We need to get away from here Holmes! A blood transfusion will save Watson, but we can't do that here!"

Mina Harker, Vampire, was aghast at the scene in front of her. "I... I must do something!" she declared. "I cannot stand here whilst others fight on my behalf!"

"You'll die!" declared Edward Starky. "There's nothing I can use against that... that thing! Still... in for a penny..." he muttered, kneeling to change and jury rig his equipment to create a high powered bazooka gun.

"I'm already dead Mr Starky." Mina hissed.

"But you'll be throwing your ... unlife away! You have so much more you can do! We must escape!" said Anjali, the shape shifting alien from the Nemo

When Steeplejack leapt over he was covering in scalding mist and Holmes immediately stood. "Take the cup!" he declared. "If the legends about it are true it might help!"

Steeplejack took the innocuous looking cup and glanced about. They were outside the Castle - what remained of it after the vast creature had sprung up from its bowels and the marshland/forest outside was wreathed in mist. He could still see a running stream though... that would do...

The acid kept eating at him though!

OOC AV9 + time dilation 6 + 2d12+0 10,4+0 = 14 (29) vs
Body 9 + Regeneration 5+ 2d12+0 6,12+0 = 18 (32)
No damage, the acid stings like heck but is no longer burning through his skin!

Kneeling by the running stream the hero glances at the water then glugs it down. It didn't feel any different but... He scooped another goblet full and poured it on his arms and chest, wherever the acid had burned. This time it did have an immediate, blessed, cooling effect!

OOC Body 9 + 2d12+0 7,7+0 = 14 DOUBLE plus 2d12+0 9,2+0 = 25 (34) vs
Body 9 +6 time dilation + 2d12+0 1,8+0 = 9 (24)
Success +4
EV13 vs RV0+6 Time Dilation=7 Body healed.

Steeplejack is on FULL BODY!

Steeplejack breathed a sigh of relief. Even as he did he saw the awful creature, writhing and roaring, tossing walls worth of heavy stone from its body.

It was still growing.

He could try to tackle the creature with a Goblet full of water or... he could see Haunt, stumbling, screaming, crying out and clutching at his face. Was he wounded? He was running headlong through the knee deep marshy peat bog towards the trees...

Steeple_jackuk Wed Jan 18 2023, 08:51

Admin wrote:It was still growing.

He could try to tackle the creature with a Goblet full of water or... he could see Haunt, stumbling, screaming, crying out and clutching at his face. Was he wounded? He was running headlong through the knee deep marshy peat bog towards the trees...

Wow that felt good, Steeplejack thought to himself. And if it could help him, it could help his partner Haunt. Scoping up more water in the cup he leapt to where his friend was. "Haunt, its me your friend I've got something here from the grail that can heal you stand still man, and take a drink from the grail."

His words were emphasised for effect but not unkindly so. As he knew without Haunt's co-operation he might swat him aside as if a leaf in a gale. But without his friend onboard, he was unsure if he could make any difference to the creature. But he had to act fast, a running battle trying to calm a traumatised friend, whilst their advisory grew beyond their abilities to deal with was a whole other issue.

Sj

DavidMcMahon Wed Jan 18 2023, 15:54

Steeplejack can see that the Haunt has taken no damage from the acid. He's smart enough to figure out it is probably some kind of mental or psychological problem affecting him.

ooc: Yay, Drawback of Traumatic Memory! Flashbacks with acid and/or autopsy tables! Stupid Advent, strapping him down and torturing him for over a year before he was helped to escape. Wink

Now do we roleplay this or need a roll before he can snap out of it?

Steeple_jackuk Wed Jan 18 2023, 15:57

DavidMcMahon wrote:Steeplejack can see that the Haunt has taken no damage from the acid. He's smart enough to figure out it is probably some kind of mental or psychological problem affecting him.

ooc: Yay, Drawback of Traumatic Memory! Flashbacks with acid and/or autopsy tables! Stupid Advent, strapping him down and torturing him for over a year before he was helped to escape.

Now do we roleplay this or need a roll before he can snap out of it?

OOC: I'm happy for Paul to adjudicate on this, I am not going to drag this out by rping it to death it'd take weeks ;-)

Sj

Admin Tue Jan 31 2023, 21:53

OOC We'll roleplay it out. With my current shift pattern it would take years to resolve otherwise...

Burning... Pain... horror... He could feel his face melting and when he screamed, a strangled rasping cry came out.

Haunt stumbled about, sloshing in the shallow water whilst the dread nightmarish leviathan kept growing in the background.

He held his face, trying to stop the burn, the melting, the oozing sensation as his mind relieved that horrible moment that had changed his life. Since then he'd been the consummate actor, holding it all together whilst putting on a mask thanks to his powers and fooling the world about the handsome talented actor when he was really a sham, a charlatan. Confident, suave, handsome... he was all that on the outside...

Inside Rush Kings head, he screamed.

That day would never leave him - all he could do was fight against the memory and the agony. Waking up in the middle of the night with a hole in the wall from his thrashing hands, numerous broken beds, drenched in sweat and petrified of every letting his guard down, moving to the mirror and feeling genuine terror as he turned the light on and inspected the ruin of his features before 'resetting' them to their former glory.

Steeplejack saw Haunt stumbling about, clutching his face. There appeared to be no damage but his words weren't getting through and his powerful friend thrashed about in agony, seemingly unable to see and from his rants he feared his face had melted off, and he was reduced to an agonised, blinded and deafened ruin, a shell.

The agile hero weaved and ducked those wild swings and it was clear they weren't aimed. Haunt was so accurate Steeplejack couldn't remember the powerful hero missing with those hammer like hands he formed up to deliver twin blows of justice against villains.

"Drink!" he shouted. "DRINK! WATER!"

Somewhere a voice in Haunts head triggered water with soothing, respite, salvation. He peeled his mask up half way and blindly felt about, taking hold of the preferred cup and throwing it on his face rather than drink it down.

It had the same effect.

A cool, calming effect came over Haunt and he blinked, able to see Steeplejack form into focus. He looked down at the Grail in his hands. An innocuous cup made by a Carpenter and yet a symbol of goodness and healing like no other in history, mostly due to the Arthurian Legends which were probably true in one form or another.

He slowly raised the cup again to drink the remaining water and the flush that went through his body also soothed his mind. Though the feeling that he was burning had gone he knew that another encounter with acid would trigger the terror again, uncontrollable and unstoppable. It was a part of him and always would be, he assumed. No amount of time on a shrinks couch would fix the terror that a man so usually immune to fear felt in such a way it would reduce him to a shambling wreck.

Pulling his mask down he looked at the Grail then at his friend. Steeplejack might not understand what had just happened - maybe Haunt would explain one day - but the monster needed to be stopped. It was so large now it rivalled the huge castle that Dracula had called home at some point. What could they do against that?

Perhaps the answer lie in his hands.

Steeple_jackuk Thu Feb 02 2023, 08:22

Admin wrote:Perhaps the answer lie in his hands.

Steeplejack was relieved to see his friend, not unlike himself, calm and even seem at peace from the frantic manic person he appeared to be moments before. "I don't know what we can do against that thing, I more so than you. But I believe the cup has the answer, I think we ought to fill it and use it. Let all that is holy confront what is unholy. After all holy water works with vampires, why not this cup similarly filled and poured down its throat, or whatever we can find that will serve as well. Either way, we've got one shot and I think this is it. What do you think?"

Sj

Admin Wed Feb 08 2023, 21:02

Holmes called out "The Grail! It wants it, I suspect, or the Cultists do at any rate. What it might not want is water from the Grail which would be... an anathema I would suspect to something so evil!"

Carter nodded but frowned. He shouted "It would not have much effect on something that rivals the houses of Parliament for size! Whatever you do must be applied inside the beast, I feel."

Inside? That would require either the most accurate of shots without spilling a drop from the thrown cup or someone mad - or brave - enough to enter the belly of the beast to ensure the holy cup gets deep into the bowels of the beast!

"Look!" shouted Anjali, pointing.

From the ruins of the castle, smoke and dust still spewing out, tiny figures could be seen digging out of the rocks and rubble. Some of the stones were large indeed which suggested those tossing them aside were Vampires...

"We don't have long!" called Mina. "I shall take the..."

Holmes laid a hand on her arm. "Your very nature precludes you from such an action my dear."

She frowned and turned her head away, gazing at the stricken Dr Watson who was deathly pale. "Will the Grail help Watson?" she cried out.

The vast creature, all tentacles and sheer mass and writhing about with dripping acid wherever it flailed its pseudopods, seemed to be grunting with pain and effort. It was so big the mass of its form had sunk deep into the soft earth and every movement cause the ground to shake!

With a roar it raised a house sized fist to the sky and turned its massive head to behold those who dared opposed it...

'And now...' said an ancient, Evil voice in the head of all those gathered in two spots - Holmes and the Victorian adventurers in one place and Haunt and Steeplejack separated from them by about forty or fifty feet.

'I will claim my rightful place as ruler not just of this world, but of this Universe!'

Starky spluttered "I'll be damned before I let that thing damn everyone else to an eternity of darkness under its heel!" as he started to prepare am ambitious looking gun by unscrewing tubes and pipes and fishing into a napsack for what appeared to be random objects but in the inventors hands would create a powerful weapon!

DavidMcMahon Tue Feb 14 2023, 17:46

"Let's pour some water from the Grail onto our wounded friends and hope it helps them as it just helped me," the Haunt says with a grateful nod to Steeplejack for the help he gave. "Then ... I guess I go into the belly of the beast and give him the biggest stomach ache in history. Just have to figure out how to get up there and into his mouth without it stopping me."

Steeple_jackuk Wed Feb 15 2023, 08:47

DavidMcMahon wrote:"Let's pour some water from the Grail onto our wounded friends and hope it helps them as it just helped me," the Haunt says with a grateful nod to Steeplejack for the help he gave. "Then ... I guess I go into the belly of the beast and give him the biggest stomach ache in history. Just have to figure out how to get up there and into his mouth without it stopping me."

Steeplejack agreed with his friend, as to helping the others, especially the stout-hearted Watson.

[OOC: Once we've done that]

"Haunt, I've been thinking about what you said, about how we get the water from the grail into the belly of the beast. I think it ought to be me not you who goes. Hear me out... Steeplejack said, seeing the look in his partner's face and anticipating his resistance. "Firstly I can form a hard ball of earth around me like a shell, to get me inside without being melted to bits. Second I can peel back the layers within so as to deliver the water and not the grail itself. Finally I won't over react to the acid, as might you. Given your previous trauma, hardly surprising. But more importantly you can deliver me into its oversized maw in a way I cannot. I can't get you in, within a ball of earth and rock as you can me. Its simple really I need to be the one to go."

Steeplejack stood back to let his friend consider, but having through it through it was the only way that made sense.

Sj

DavidMcMahon Thu Feb 16 2023, 14:29

The full face cowl hides most of his reaction but the Haunt grunts at the suggestions.

"I guess you are right," he finally admits. "I'm just worried that the time stream might affect your powers at the wrong time. I'm affected too but less so. Guess it's because of my flexible, changing nature. So, how are we going to get you there? Throw you at him?"

Steeple_jackuk Thu Feb 16 2023, 14:51

DavidMcMahon wrote:The full face cowl hides most of his reaction but the Haunt grunts at the suggestions.

"I guess you are right," he finally admits. "I'm just worried that the time stream might affect your powers at the wrong time. I'm affected too but less so. Guess it's because of my flexible, changing nature. So, how are we going to get you there? Throw you at him?"

Steeplejack squinted at the beast, his shoulders drooped somewhat. This was going to be far from easy.

"Something like that..." and he began to outline his plan.

OOC: So here it is

Once we've got the grail ready I take a huge lump of earth, and create a sphere for me to step into. If I can I'd rather use rock but both should be unaffected by acid, however who knows in this case.

Then when the ball is as hard as it can be, and I am inside with the grail and it filled to to the brim with water, I suggest Haunt becomes a great bird or flying creature of choice, even a plane, and he flies over and drops me in its horrid maw the moment it seems right.

Being inside I'll only know when its safe to deposit the water when the ball stops falling and jumbling about. I am hopeful, that at this point being inside - wherever I find myself I am in a sufficiently adequate position to deposit the holy water. I will coat my arm in the soil to add extra protection only from the acid and then create an opening to one side, and pour out the water or slash it around and then withdraw my hand and the grail. And then I await its end or mine.

Sj

Admin Tue Feb 21 2023, 09:54

OOC Good plan!

Sherlock Holmes nodded. "I don't approve of either of yourselves risking anything against that but we appear to have run out of options!"

Steeplejack leaped over to a stream, filled the grail, then leapt back to the side of Dr Watson where the others had gathered around him. Mina hugged herself, guilty, and stood aside.

Captain Carter frowned. "We'll only get one shot at this. If, somehow, it doesn't work, none of us have the range of abilities or powers that you two have to help!" He turned to Starky "Can you cook up something that shall throw explosives?"

"I can try" frowned the inventor. "So far anything I present is as useless as a childs catapult against THAT!" he muttered.

Holmes took the grail from Steeplejack, looked at it for a moment then gently placed it to his friends lips.

There was an immediate reaction from Dr Watson who gasped, eyes open! They had been blood red, then blood shot, now resumed their natural grey! He blinked and looked about. "Holmes! Where... what..." He laid eyes on the huge (and still growing) creature which shook the ground with every movement.

"What on Earth is that?" he spluttered!

"All in good time my friend, something we are fast running out of!" remarked Holmes as he handed the Grail back to Steepleack.

The huge creature had turned on the cultists - undead and living - and with a multitude of tentacles from its body reached out to grasp them and pluck them them up, thrashing, but tossing them into its tentacled maw!

Living or not seemed to make no difference and the Cultists soon realised that their sticks of dynamite and rifles did nothing against something larger than Buckingham palace and taller than Big Ben!

OOC Steeplejack forms up the earth he will need into a suitable ball. He can use his Earth Control to hold it all together into a ball and it makes no difference whether it is rock or mud as he can compact it through sheer force of will to be almost impenetrable. To ordinary attacks anyway...

Earth Control 10 + 2d12+0 3,11+0 = 14 (24) vs
OV3 + Time Dilation 6 + 2d12+0 5,4+0 = 9 (18)

Success + 3

EV10 +3 (EV13) vs RV9 (3 plus time dilation 6) =4 RAPs.

We'll use that as time and body of the sphere, so the sphere will hold together for 4APs of time (1 minute) and be 4APs strong (about brick wall strength)

With a gesture and concentrated hand twist, as if shaping clay, the hero instantly formed a bathysphere type shape, spherical save for a hole int he top which he could plug. The others grabbed water bottles, pans, anything from their packs to grab water and fill it from the stream. Here Starky was useful with an instant bucket formed from a backpack somehow, and filling the sphere to half full didn't take long.

That left the delivery method. That might be the most perilous of all as the creature would certainly attack Haunt and just one touch of that acidic skin might trigger his trauma again!

Steeplejack could - if he wanted - try to increase the size of the sphere as it was a squeeze but enough for two people so still 'doable'. He'd have to hold his breath some if submerged and would get thrown about by the tumbling into the creatures stomach.

There the acid would attack everything and it would be a matter of time - seconds probably - before he would succumb unless there was some fast way out.

Starky held his chin. "That creature... with all the acid. Perhaps down the throat isn't the fastest way to its stomach. Haunt, with your amazing abilities, could you form into a cannon and shoot Steeplejack at the things stomach? If the maestro of mud can do so, he could shape the sphere he made to make a sharp point, creating the worlds largest Bullet!"

"And in doing so, provide a means of escape - until the thing healed up the hole in its belly! Marvellous thinking Starky!" remarked Holmes as he helped Watson to a seating position.

Carter piped up "I have a few sticks of dynamite - never known when it might come in handy..."

Holmes raised an eyebrow but Carter continued "Perhaps some of us can distract the creature for long enough that you can get a good shot at its midriff."

"I will do that." said Mina. "If I am injured I may stand a better chance of recovery than you others..."

Steeplejack was mindful that his sphere might need reforming so...

OOC Earth Control 10 + 2d12+0 2,7+0 = 9 (19) vs
OV3 + Time Dilation 6 + 2d12+0 5,1+0 = 6 (15)

Success +3

EV10 +3 (EV13) vs RV9=4 RAPs

Another minute, 4 body. That time dilation is really limiting your options!

With another minute or so before the now large (human sized) bullet (just missing the tip) would crumble, the hero climbed in, ignoring the cold of the water which had been up to his waist but with the tip on would leave only his head uncovered...

Then he turned to Haunt...

Steeple_jackuk Wed Feb 22 2023, 20:10

Admin wrote:
OOC Good plan!

With another minute or so before the now large (human sized) bullet (just missing the tip) would crumble, the hero climbed in, ignoring the cold of the water which had been up to his waist but with the tip on would leave only his head uncovered...

Then he turned to Haunt...

"If I don't make it back and you should see Penny, Penelope, then do give her my best. I would have loved to have had more time with her. Ironically for two time travellers like us, time is fast running out. Even if I succeed, this might be good bye. I've seldom worked well with others, well until, now. So thanks for being such a good partner... Well unless I want to waste time chatting, this 'bullet' ain't going to hold together for much longer. Best fire before I change my mind" The earth mover, Steeplejack said with wry smile as he slid into the 'earth bullet' aware that this was the proverbial long shot for real.

OOC:Ok If I have hero points available then I would suggest using them at some point here, so that my attack a bit like trying to blow up the death star, doesn't fail or fall at the crucial point. I'll let you decide what to use, when and how much, I always tend to slop those things around as if they've got an expiration date and its already over yesterday.

Sj

DavidMcMahon Tue Mar 07 2023, 01:45

"We need to make sure to bring the Grail back to John Carter," the Haunt watching everyone get ready. "He might actually come back from the dead as a human if we use it on him."

He thinks a bit more.

"What do you think? I become a giant slingshot and shoot you at it? Or maybe just transform my arm into an Atlatl and throw you at him? Or maybe a flying drilling machine and use myself to punch a hole in it's stomach and push you in?"

ooc: With my powers, I'm not sure which gives me a better chance and more damage.

The NEW Vanguard TEAM UP! Haunt Issue #14 with special guest star Steeplejack! - Page 4 Throwi10

The NEW Vanguard TEAM UP! Haunt Issue #14 with special guest star Steeplejack! - Page 4 The_mo10

[get rid of the tank treads and make it a rocket type to fly]

or

The NEW Vanguard TEAM UP! Haunt Issue #14 with special guest star Steeplejack! - Page 4 Mole_d10

Admin Tue Mar 14 2023, 07:39

OOC Sorry I was waiting for Dave to reply as the questions seemed in character but from a mechanics point of view Haunt uses Dex to attack with and doesn't get his usual mountain of dice to roll because his Weaponry Skill applies only to melee weapons. If he wants to use that he needs to get up close and personal (and close to that acid).

I'll see if I can move this on later on. Work are busting my butt a little this week with long shifts

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