Vanguard Roll Call!

Vanguard Roll Call!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Vanguard: Issue 121: In the Clutches of the Crimson Coven!


Vanguard broke free from a nightmare reality of madness and powerlessness into an otherworldly landscape of broken marble ruins beneath a red sky. Surrounded by shattered columns and crumbling statues of long dead gods and heroes; sightless eyes and passive faces gazing out from antiquity into infinity. Beyond the full moon were other worlds, other galaxies.

Surrounding Vanguard was a circle of figures that stood facing Vanguard with arms outstretched, as if in a ritual. Beyond them lay the howling landscape and then a pale, eerie mist that obscured visibility beyond a hundred feet.

“Impossible!” they heard a man’s voice whisper.
“They’ve pierced the nightmare illusion!” gasped another.
“Warlock, they’ll be able to see us!” hissed an old woman’s voice.
“Silence. Calm yourselves. They still don’t know where they are. We have the advantage,” said a female voice in a French accent.
“Superstition is right,” said the one called Warlock. “I want the so-called Avatar brought to me alive,” he commanded. “The rest we will sacrifice. Now attack, my Crimson Coven!”

Sentinel cried, "Vanguard, they want Avatar, let's make sure that doesn't happen!" Vanguard leapt into action without missing a beat!

Mirage spat, “We’re not your anything, Warlock.” He sounded English. Then he said, as if to himself: “Bloody Impossible! I had them trapped by their own minds, How did they escape?!”

Demonoid chuckled wetly and blackly. “Craven coward. This arrangement suits me better anyway. They broke your precious spell…” His sardonic laughter gave way to a guttural roar fuelled by pure malice.
“I GUESS WE’VE NO CHOICE BUT TO BREAK THEIR SPINES!”

Black Dragon was silent and fast. He jumped into the air and his body rotated and spun, building velocity that was released in an impossible spinning roundhouse kick into Sentinel - CHOK! - before the beacon of liberty could raise his shields! (15 points of damage! 6 from Power, 9 from Hits!)
His cape swirling, the mystic master of martial arts seemingly defied gravity until he landed without a sound in a defensive stance facing Sentinel!

Talon gathered his senses and used his powerful wings to widen the tight circle, driving the Crimson Coven back to buy Vanguard more time to prepare! At the end of his circular barnstorming, the avian antihero attacked Black Dragon with his claws and missed! The Dragon dodged the attack, expertly misdirecting with his cape. He allowed himself a small smile that passed quickly.

Le Fou laughed madly, cartwheeling backwards from Talon’s divebombing. The freakish dwarf smiled with his whole face and said, “Coven, the longer this battle lasts, the worse our chances become. Nip it now before it has time to flourish.”

Avatar’s subtle powers bolstered his teammates’ morale despite disorientation, the mysterious terrain and being outnumbered! The myrmidon of mythology manifested the power of Ares (Activates Heightened Strength) and got on his feet.

Warlock marveled, “It’s true then. He is the Avatar of the Pantheon.” His eyes were filled with naked avarice, as were those of Mirage, Demonoid, the Witch, Le Fou and Baron Samedi.

Demonoid turned his baleful reptile eyes from Avatar to Slingshot, whom he had been standing over. VRUF!! Flames suddenly leapt from the demon’s maw in a jet of acrid yellow! “Don’t like that do you huh?” he chuffed. “Well, we know all about you lively lads. Ha ha ha! Howzabout a little fire scarecrow?!” VWOOOSSHHH!! Flames engulfed the malleable man of might! (22 points of damage, as per Vulnerability! 8 from Invulnerability. 9 from Power. 5 off Hits.) Slingshot was not on fire.

Mirage clucked, “Ah Demonoid, ever the subtle one. There’s no need to show our entire hand, is there?”

Baron Samedi, the skeletal houngan of Death laughed with Cajun mirth. “You @!&%$* fools have no idea the trouble you have wandered into! We’re not threatening your pathetic pointless lives -NO! We are threatening your @!&%$* immortal souls! Now ask yourself, who could be worth so dear a price?”
Suddenly he cracked Clone in the head with his skull topped cane! KRAK! “Listen to me boy, when I am talking! Haha ha ha!” (Clone takes 10 points of damage! 6 from Power, 4 from Hits)

Soldier evaded and coolly surveyed his battle field, his hands unconsciously checking his gear and weapons. It was all there. All cybernetic systems were up and running.
Soldier saw the terrain ranged from hazardous to deadly; cracked masonry and unsound structures scattered the stony ground. He also noted the enemy forces moved without organization. That, and their diverse accents, made the taciturn tactician think that perhaps these combatants had never fought alongside each other before. It was even possible that they may have only known each other for a very brief time.

Lightning Strike lit the scarlet sky with crackling electricity SHAKABOOM!! "Let's see how your mind games work against primal forces beyond your control!" The electrical avenger fired a blast at Superstition, only to watch the arc warp away from her and hit the unsuspecting Symbiote who had been moving toward Strike! SHAKOW! (13 points of damage! All off hits!) Symbiote was still conscious!

Superstition smiled impishly. “Careful, monsuier. I believe it iz you who are playing vis primal forcez beyond your control.”

Symbiote shook off the effects of his unexpected electrocution. "Sit rep, Zephyr! What the hell is going on here?" he shouted at her as he continued toward Lightning Strike to absorb his powers. Strike exposed his arm to Hals’ glove and the Harper Harness activated! It replicated the following powers!
1) Transformation: May transform into Sentient Electricity: Costs 8 power points and one action. Changing back costs nothing. Bestows: a) Near-instantaneous travel, almost like Teleportation. Can only travel via wires or transmitted waves (cell phones, radio, TV, etc.). Will burn out devices not meant to receive electricity.b) Non-Corporealness defense.
2) Lightning Control: May control electricity. As an attack: Range: 36” (180 feet), 2d8 damage, PR=4. Electrical defense costs one action and no PP to activate. May attempt to control or short out electrical machinery, circuitry, etc. Costs 4 PP and one action per attempt.
3) Heightened Intelligence: +15 to Intelligence


The Fallen’s armor, battle damaged, blackened and scarred, emanated pure evil, as did the cruel and accursed longsword she held. Her black wings flapped like the rustling of dead leaves as she took to the air, and from within the infinite blackness of the iron helm, the cold whisper of a damned woman’s voice hissed, “Leave Talon to me.” She charged her aerial adversary, the sword set to impale! ZANG! The icy sword pierced Talon’s side! (14 points of damage and an additional 10 points off Power! Rolling with damage, Talon takes a total of 18 to Power, and 6 to Hits!)
“This sword drinks souls,” she hissed. “There is no escape for you, mortal.”

The Warlock spoke again, betraying a subtle Russian accent. “This conflict can have but one resolution. How can you defy destiny herself?” Suddenly a translucent blue energy surrounded him! VOMMMmmmm!

The Wraith disappeared into thin air. Sentinel’s energy sense allowed him to still see the invisible specter as she raised her hand at Sentinel! The guardian of justice felt his life force drawn from him! (Lose 17 Power Points!) The Wraith’s undead energy reminded Sentinel of the Black Bat’s!

Okmenhotep held an ankh in one hand and spoke words that had not been heard by Men since the days of Ancient Egypt. (In the Vanguard comic book, these words are depicted as Egyptian hieroglyphs). The words summoned a beam of white light that projected from the ankh and pierced Lightning Strike! ZZSSIL! (14 points of damage. 7 from Power. 7 from Hits)

Sentinel summoned his energy shields and scanned the area with his energy sense. This place was like nowhere he’d been before. Furthermore, his foes deployed energy signatures too powerful and varied to count. Energies marked each foe. Energy bound the Coven together and had permeated Vanguard! Coven members were summoning new energies into being! It was overwhelming.
Kirk looked down and detected the energy of a pentagram circle that surrounded Vanguard, invisible to the naked eye!
Sentinel took to the air as his energy tendrils scratched out the pentagram circle. There was a brief flash as the connection was broken, and Kirk saw the circle’s energy, and the energy that permeated Vanguard, fade! At this, the Witch shrieked in rage!

The Witch peered with anguish from her one good eye. She snarled like a cornered animal and blessed herself with the twisted, gnarled claw that was her left hand.

Menagerie viewed the scene with his Nature Sense and found he was not on Earth. Perhaps it was another dimension entirely? All of the members of the Crimson Coven, being magical, were against the Natural Order. Menagerie could not see the pentagram circle but detected magic in his vicinity until Sentinel broke the circle.
None of the Coven seemed vulnerable to Nature, and the Wraith, Demonoid, the Fallen and Baron Samedi were abominations to Nature, being Undead or From Hell.
Menagerie assumed an animal shape! (Please choose which. Transformation takes your action. Thanks)

The Warlock said, “There is your shaman, Okmenhotep!”

Clone multiplied violently until there were 18 of him! Then he charged the Golem with bludgeons of broken marble! The Golem was nine feet tall and made of stone and earth! Clone’s charge seemed to have little effect against such a creature. But then suddenly the army of Davids toppled the granite Goliath, who had lost its balance. CRASH!

The Golem fell to the ground and roared out with a voice like an avalanche of stones on a slab of bedrock! He grabbed one Clone and crushed his ribcage with a bare hand! KRACK! (1 Clone body unconscious) Golem was Gulliver overwhelmed by Lilliputians, but just as invulnerable to their attacks!

Slingshot looked around for Nanite. He didn't find her anywhere in sight. A somewhat threatening amorphous growl, "How dare you take it away from me?" He flung his arms at the Coven. His arms grew to trunk-sized cords of writhing flesh. His fingers grew too, into tentacles that extended themselves impossibly long, grappling at Mirage, le Fou, Baron Samedi and Superstition!
The net of black flesh passed harmlessly through Mirage, as if he were a hologram! He chuckled with satisfaction, “I dare say, that will never do.”
Le Fou tumbled clear of Slingshot’s grasp!
The net meant for Superstition entangled Menagerie instead, like a netted animal! “Oops,” she smiled.
Baron Samedi was caught with Menagerie! “Let me go, you @#$%&! Or you’ll learn about pain!”

Plague, the giant, man-shaped insect swarm, buzzed and hissed and the drone of insect wings formed words that disturbed the mind to hear. “Van-guaaarrrd… Givvvvvve uzzz Av-a-tarrrr! And thizzz will be overrrrrr” The sentient cloud of winged pestilence descended upon Avatar and Soldier and engulfed them in writhing veil of stinging, biting insects! (Each takes 12 points of damage that cannot be rolled with! Avatar takes 12 off hits! Soldier takes 8 off Invulnerability and 4 off Hits!)

Zephyr yelled, “Get off of him!” and fired a gale force blast of wind at Plague! The insect cloud blew back and dissipated into individual insects that were scattered! The winsome windstormer said, “Geez!” Then, “Sit rep? Sit rep? Oh, situation report! No clue where we are, Ha- uh, Symbiote. I dreamed I was in an asylum and everything was different. Doc was there. But it wasn’t really him.”

Demonoid laughed blackly. “You’ll wish you were safely back in your little delusion when we get through with you, sweetheart!”

To be continued!

OOC:
Replies/Actions for one round of combat please.

Have fun!
Attached is the 'End of Issue' Map, with many thanks to Tom!!!
The map marks your placement, not which way you are facing. Also, Wraith is invisible, even tho placed on this map.

Viva Vanguard!
Jeff

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Current Conditions:
Avatar: Hit Points: 77, Power Points: 71, Manifesting: Strength +15
Clone: Bodies: 17, Hit Points: 1 each, Power Points: 41, Hit Pool: 17
Lightning Strike: Hit Points: 36, Power Points: 70
Menagerie: Hit Points: 26, Power Points: 65
Sentinel: Hit Points: 19, Power Points: 35, Shields: 70
Slingshot: Hit Points: 74, Power Points: 83, Invulnerability: 0 til issue 123
Soldier: Hit Points: 53, Power Points: 78, Invulnerability: 0 til issue 123, Evading
Symbiote: Hit Points: 36, Power Points: 94, Charges: 13, Copied: Strike
Talon: Hit Points: 45, Power Points: 63
Zephyr: Hit Points: 13, Power Points: 62, Armor: 25



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Menagerie:
Jeff, do you want the animal I changed into now, so you can put it into issue 121 or is it part of my turn submission for issue 122?

Great issue! I can't wait to get after the Crimson Coven!!.

Tom

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GM:
It can be Issue 122 but sooner than later please so the other PCs know. Thanks,Jeff

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Menagerie:
Menagerie transformed into a Wolf.

I don't know if we sent emails to talk strategy or not, but I wanted to do that. I think that Menagerie should use his heightened senses of smell and hearing to attack one of the wizards that showed signs of illusion or invisibility.

I was thinking of attacking Superstition or Mirage. What of does the rest of the team think?Clone now that you have toppled the Golem maybe some weaker targets are in order like Le Fou or Demonoid

Via Vanguard!!
Tom

Regards
Tom

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Clone:
CLONE’S OOC RESPONSE Jeff - Does it seem like Clone’s attacks are even scratching Golem? I mean I realize that Golem probably has a high ADR, or Invulnerability, or SR, or something - so I wasn’t under the illusion that I would just step up and ‘one punch K-O’ him or anything, but if it seems like my attacks are completely useless against him I might just ‘jump ship’ and head for a different target.


TOM WROTE: Clone now that you have toppled the Golem maybe some weaker targets are in order like Le Fou or Demonoid RESPONSE: I would love to, but I have a feeling that all I’ve done is knock Golem off his feet. I don’t think I’ve done any actual damage to him yet. =O Talk to you all soon, -Kev

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Menagerie:
MY RESPONSE to CLONE’S RESPONSE:
I didn't mean he was defeated. I was thinking of a turtle on his back. Hopefully it would take an action or two for the Golem to stand back up.

Tom

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Soldier:
Well, this is Soldier's IC response."Form a circle, back toward each other, we need to form a defense now!" As far as who's attacking who, I'm open to suggestions.”

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GM:
Clone seems to have caused little damage to Golem. He's hitting a rock with marble. This same tactic would massacre any normal person.
Btw, Be aware that a standing target might only allow 4-5 Clone attackers, giving the space involved. Those attacking from the side or rear gain standard bonuses.
Attacking a target on the floor, like the Golem, allows 5-6 attackers and awards bonuses to hit, and the target can't always roll with the damage.
Attacking a giant target, like the Golem, multiplies the number of possible attackers by his size factor (1.5 in the Golem's case)
Fyi, Last ish, 8 Clones tangled and tripped the Golem up and toppled him, then 10 attacked him/jumped on top of him while he was on his back. (Dogpiling allows more attackers to jump on top of him, but the guys on top of the pile are adding weight not HTH damage to the target, if that makes sense)
Best,
Jeff

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Slingshot:
OOC:
I "wasted" an attack on purpose. I wanted to check who was real and who wasn't.

Guys, we are going to need help tracking down the Coven's real locations. Sentinel's mental skills should help as well as anyone that has some form or heightened sense. I'll smack Baron Samedi, next round, but I'll likely try to grab a bunch more the following round.

I need someone to occupy Demonoid. I don't last long with fire attacks.

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Soldier:
Well between Soldier's enhanced senses, he should be able to direct others onto actual targets, especially with his thermal vision.

Jeff, quick question. Did I get my upgrade? Namely the Wi-Fi link. If so, I'm going to see if I can dig up any info on these guys. I'm also going to use my Thermal vision to determine who's real, and who isn't. I'll hold off until I can figure out who's who, and I who's the greatest threat to the group.

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Clone:
I have another question for you Jeff, is the edge of the map the edge of the mist that we can’t see through ( sortt of like a heavy fog covering the ground ), or is it a ledge type of thing? Just wanted to make sure before I made up my IC Response for this issue.


JEFF WROTE: Clone seems to have caused little damage to Golem. He's hitting a rock with marble. This same tactic would massacre any normal person.

RESPONSE: Damn – I figured as much – thanks for the heads-up Jeff. I’m actually beginning to wonder if it’s Golem I’m actually attacking or just another illusion ( maybe an illusion of Golem placed over one of those stone statues ) – OR – are my melee attacks with a rock, against a rock based entity, simply an act of futility.

JEFF WROTE: Btw, Be aware that a standing target might only allow 4-5 Clone attackers, giving the space involved. Those attacking from the side or rear gain standard bonuses….

RESPONSE: OK – cool – thanks again for that Jeff, that actually really helps to know all of that. Talk to you all soon, -Kev

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Symbiote:
Per Soldier's suggestion, Symbiote falls back into a circle. His target is still Demonoid, trying to get him off Slingshot. "Hey, Ugloid!," he yells at the Firebreathing Foe. "With that tongue I bet you'd be a hit with the ladies, if they could get past that trainwreck of a face!" With that, he unleashes a lightning bolt.

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GM:
Soldier, your Wi-Fi link was installed last downtime and is working, but it can't detect any wireless networks here!Use of your Heightened Senses will occur on your action, next ish.
If it will help decide who you target, please give me some basic if-then statements;example: Soldier is attacking Demonoid, assuming he has a thermal signature that indicates he's real.
If you shout out your findings from the Heightened Senses use, please let me know that too.
Thanks.

Clone, the map edge doesn't reflect the mist placement. In fact, the mist is all around, right outside the circle the Coven had formed. The mist causes visibility to be one hundred feet.

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Menagerie:
Menagerie focus his thoughts toward Sentinel, hoping Sentinel will pick them up, "I will, grr, to find Mirage by smell and sound. With him disabled, attacks from distance should be easier for the rest of Vanguard. growl, permission to proceed."

Regards
Tom

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Sentinel:
Hi everyone. I put the stuff from the issue in [] to separate it from Kirk's stuff, but wanted it there so Kirk's thoughts and actions follow and make sense.


[Le Fou laughed madly’’ … and said, “Coven, the longer this battle lasts, the worse our chances become. Nip it now before it has time to flourish.”]

Kirk caught Le Fou’s concern and wondered how prolonging the battle increased Vanguard’s chances of victory.

[Black Dragon was silent and fast. He jumped into the air and his body rotated and spun, building velocity that was released in an impossible spinning roundhouse kick into Sentinel - CHOK! - before the beacon of liberty could raise his shields! (15 points of damage! 6 from Power, 9 from Hits!)
His cape swirling, the mystic master of martial arts seemingly defied gravity until he landed without a sound in a defensive stance facing Sentinel!]

[The Wraith disappeared into thin air. Sentinel’s energy sense allowed him to still see the invisible specter as she raised her hand at Sentinel! The guardian of justice felt his life force drawn from him! (Lose 17 Power Points!) The Wraith’s undead energy reminded Sentinel of the Black Bat’s!]

Kirk could hardly believe it. He felt as if he had been cut down before he could even move.
He accessed his situation and the power he could summon after the devastating attacks, particularly that of The Wraith. In his estimate he felt himself at about half where he should be … before … he … could … even … move.

Had he been himself, he would have gladly kept the Black Dragon occupied as his blows harmlessly glanced off Kirk’s shields; he no longer had that luxury. Normally he would have crossed his legs casually sitting mid-air meeting the glance of the Black Dragon in defiance. Instead he quickly moved past him and out of his range.

(OOC: Jeff: I think I do have some movement on my Issue 121 action, Kirk will ignore the Black Dragon as if he isn’t there and move past him. If he wants to attack Kirk again he will have to pursue him.)

[Sentinel summoned his energy shields and scanned the area with his energy sense. This place was like nowhere he’d been before. Furthermore, his foes deployed energy signatures too powerful and varied to count. Energies marked each foe. Energy bound the Coven together and had permeated Vanguard! Coven members were summoning new energies into being! It was overwhelming.
Kirk looked down and detected the energy of a pentagram circle that surrounded Vanguard, invisible to the naked eye!
Sentinel took to the air as his energy tendrils scratched out the pentagram circle. There was a brief flash as the connection was broken, and Kirk saw the circle’s energy, and the energy that permeated Vanguard, fade! At this, the Witch shrieked in rage!]

Kirk did his best to sort through the kaleidoscope that was currently his energy sense continuing to look for an edge for Vanguard. He tried to sort and observe things as best he could. But with so much happening so quickly, he began to try to focus on their environment; this world around them which he knew was not earth. Just how did they all get there together at that place without any of them knowing how? And what was beyond that mist?

OOC: Regarding this energy sense – Kirk will try to see if the environment itself shows any reading that might be a ‘gateway’ of sorts as to how they got here. Vanguard may need this as a retreat if there is one and based on the first round of battle.

Unless Kirk picks up something to convince him it’s not going to work, he wants to push one of the Coven though the Mist per my prior plan and see what happens. Unless you tell me it will really mess up my chances of getting anyone, he would go with trying to expand his energy and push a group of them. With the current layout there appears to be a group of them ‘above’ him including Wraith, Mirage, Demonoid, and Superstition… again, I know the positioning may change greatly by the time Kirk goes, but he would be happy going after any of them nearby and tagging just one, anything more would be a bonus.

Using the same strategy of misdirection he would fly towards and address Mirage who admitted that he was the one who had messed with their minds… he’s also at the center of the group… then per the prior directions, he would try to expand the first into a hand into a construct to push and pull them along using his own speed and movement and that of his construct.

[Mirage spat, “We’re not your anything, Warlock.” He sounded English. Then he said, as if to himself: “Bloody Impossible! I had them trapped by their own minds, How did they escape?!”]

“You’ll find ‘mate’, that with Vanguard nothing is bloody impossible.” And Kirk continued to speak now doing an awful British accent, “And you be sure to ‘hop to it’ for Warlock now, wouldn’t want to let your master down, would you? Wouldn’t want him to make you hop the twig, eh wot?”

(OOC: Kirk picked up on the fact that Mirage resents Warlock whom at least some of the others did ‘answer to’ and hopes to play off that and figures some insulting banter couldn’t hurt in making him angry and careless)

On the pushing attack, again Kirk will take anyone nearby if he can get them – if somehow he ensnares a teammate, he can control his energy enough to let them loose.

Two things on this:
(1) His primary target will be The Wraith. He is closest to Mirage and thinks he is unseen at this point but you established Kirk can sense him with his energy, so Kirk should benefit because he isn’t expecting it due to Kirk’s concealing his type of attack until the last moment and also because he thinks he is unseen by everyone including Kirk. Also, at this point, Kirk knows he is BAD news and that likely the rest of his teammates would be defenseless against him, so he is the primary target. Plus from a character standpoint, he HATES that undead energy (we established that with Black Bat) and his attack really hurt Kirk bad.
(2) If Superstition is within range of the attack, Kirk will specifically try to AVOID his energy attacking her and catching her in the ‘push’. At this point he’s seen direct attacks of two teammates go awry because of her. He’s hoping that if somehow she gets involved in his actions his attempt to successfully avoid her would actually reverse his intent and catch her.

Again, the positioning may change much by Kirk’s movement – he will do his best to entrap any foes he can and avoid his teammates and use the misdirection. The primary target will be the Wraith and if there are a few foes near him not currently engaged by other teammates he would go for those… and hopefully when Kirk misses a number of the Coven in his attempt, it may help his teammates success with the Coven members in their attacks because they’ll be focused on avoiding Kirk's ensnaring construct.

Hope this is clear Jeff, if not, or if I’m trying too much in ‘game terms’, let me know.

(Totally OOC – Wow 23 characters! When I first ‘saw’ the Coven I thought we’re outnumbered two to one, but I forgot how many of Vanguard there are now

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Soldier:
Just in case I forgot to send this out earlier. Soldier is "switched on" concentrating on the battle, and making sure that none of his teammates get injured. He wants this over as quickly as possible. He'll use his heightened senses to scan the area looking for targets, as he sees them he'll yell out to his fellow team members, using clock positions (target at 12 O'clock high, three O'clock low, etc), to describe the targets location. He'll evade while doing so, saving his actions to defend himself, or to fire on "targets of opportunity (someone turning their back toward him, coming into point blank range, not paying attention to where Soldier's at, etc.).

If possible he'll try to coordinate an attack with someone, say some sort of one, two punch where their combined efforts will inflict more damage on one their attackers. As for his thoughts, he's really not "thinking", it's more reflex action, and muscle memory at this point. His body will do what it thinks is necessary to keep him alive, it's almost machine like (which once he has a chance to sit down and think about his actions, will bother him).

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Avatar:
Avatar will now activate Heightened Speed. He will still target The Warlock with any future attacks unless he is attacked by someone else.

"εδώ είμαι!", Avatar cries as he draws upon the divine speed and flashes toward The Warlock.

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Menagerie:
[OOC] Menagerie will move out of Slingshots grasp. He use his wolf senses to attempt to find the hidden locations of Mirage and Wraith. If he is successful, he will attack who he has found.

If he finds more than one, he will attack the Mirage first. If he can’t tell who he has found he will attack the closest first.

If he finds no one then he will attack Demonoid.

[IC] GROWL!!!!

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Sentinel:
OOC

It seems that Menagerie and I will be 'working' the same general area. If some coordination can work in their attack, Kirk would do what he could. Some examples might be Kirk's attack distracting the foe for Menagerie (mentioned in my post) to get a better chance of an attack or if Kirk is successful in his 'pushing' and Menagerie wants to hitch a ride on Kirk's shields to attack and possibly assist pushing the foes past the mist if needed.

Of course, at this point, we're still unsure if the mists are anything significant as Kirk is hoping... unless Menagerie's 'mystical' read kicks in as Kirk gets closer enough to gave his energy sense give a better read too.

Also, FYI Tom, unless Jeff allows something out of the ordinary normally Sentinel doesn't pickup on random thoughts. Usually his power requires an action to activate and targets a specific individual ... although Jeff has used it as a plot device for very strong thoughts at least once.

Best,
Seth

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Menagerie:
OOC: I know that Sentinel's power isn't full telepathy. While it is still a year away, I know Menagerie's next level power will be the ability to send thoughts from his animal forms. I just wanted to get in various issues, Menagerie attempting this until he figures out how to do it. Also, it made sense to me, Sentinel would be the person to help bring the ability out of Menagerie.

Jeff can use or ignore Menagerie attempts at sending, whichever makes the best issue.

Thanks
Tom

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Sentinel:
OOC:
Sounds good to me.

Hopefully round two of the battle will see the Coven take some damage - as round one crushed Kirk pretty bad and it seemed most of what Vanguard did was ineffectual (most of us 'gearing' up our powers and those that did attack having things go awry) and with them outnumbering us, unless some stuff goes our way quickly, we are in big trouble here.

Wish Clone's goat 'brother' was here to help :) ... we could use it. Where's the Legion of Vanguard Super-Pets when you need them?!

Seth

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Menagerie:
I agree on coordination. I expect Sentinel has first action (since I am detecting hidden) and moves faster (flying vs running). So Menagerie will trail after Sentinel. If any of the Coven escape Sentinel's attack but are knocked down, Menagerie will jump on them with his attack. Again attack priority is Mirage, Wraith, Demoniod, and any other coven member.
Thanks
Tom

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Soldier:
If possible, Soldier's going to try to join in this coordinated attack, as it's apparent to him that individual attacks just aren't cutting it.

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Clone:
I hate to give such an unimaginative response, but unfortunately that what I’m going to do.

1. The unconscious Clone will be reabsorbed.

2. After checking the map carefully – it seems like we would could have a small area of it to ourselves if we could just take out Baron Samedi and Golem . . . so that’s just what I’m going to do. ;)

3. Ten of the remaining Clone’s will drop their rocks and focus on holding down Golem. Any Clones that can’t find a spot to hold onto will simply ‘dogpile’ on top. While the duplicates struggle with holding down Golem, one of them will blurt out loudly, “I am in needing of help here comrades!” Hopefully someone will be able to swing over and pulverize his rocky @$$!

4. The other six Clones are going to charge over to Baron Samedi and give him a little taste of what Golem got. Any of the duplicates that can’t attack him will simply ‘dogpile’ on top after the others have gotten in their attacks ( still armed with marble stones ). If there is a chance to get his skull topped cane away from him, the duplicates will take it.

OOC: Count me in for a unified attack . . . right after Baron Samedi and Golem get their heads handed to ‘em. I figure by taking them out of the picture we’ll essentially limit the number of fronts that we’re fighting on and have a small area ( like I already mentioned ) all to ourselves from which we could push outward from.

Talk to you all soon,

-Kev

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Slingshot:
Scott was a little miffed at how unsuccessful his attack was, but he might as well make the most of it. He releases Menagerie and answers Baron Samedi's diatribe with a mirthless smile. "Cajun man, you might want to hear this instead. You have made a grave mistake by taking on Vanguard."

With that, Slingshot winds up and slingshots Baron Samedi as far as he can. In this landscape, that might mean nasty repercussions, but then Scott doesn't take well to have his soul threatened.

[OOC: Fling as far away as possible. I want him out of bounds and hopefully far enough away that if we won't have to deal with him for a few turns as he gets back, assuming that he can]

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Talon:
"Aarrgghhh!", Talon growls as he recoils from The Fallen's black blade. Turning to square his body with hers he uses his powerful wings to drive forward, closing the distance between the two and attempting to trap her arms.

Without stopping his flight, he will turn and build momentum as they hurtle back toward the ground with her(hopefully) held tight in his grasp.

As they near the fight he will make an abrupt stop and throw her headlong into Warlock, hopefully ruining his combat preparation and taking them out of the fight until they can regain their composure.

He will then set upon her with his claws and work in tandem with Avatar against the two opponents.

Viva Vanguard,
Denny

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Lightning Strike:
Just got back from work and I have not had a chance to read all of the posts. In the interests of keeping the game moving Strike will attack the biggest opponent that seems real. I think that would be the one that Clone knocked down.

Better replies soon,
Tony