Cthulhu was
coming. And with him, the end of the
world.
Vanguard had
undertaken a desperate quest to stop the end of the world.
Earth’s greatest heroes had less than seven days to secure
nine artifacts of power, or else all would be lost.
While he was there, Hal visited another prisoner, his father’s ex-partner, Detective Hank Archer.
Archer had given Symbiote ample opportunity to bring it up.
When he didn’t, Archer did. He looked at the superhero’s costume and said, “So,
‘Symbiote,’ are you ever going to tell your father about all this?”
"It's too big a risk, Hank," Hal replied. "He's older now than when you two were
out terrorizing the underworld, at least 15 years older than you if I remember
right. His health's pretty good for a
man in his early 70s but, still....He has had a couple of heart scares. This is my idiocy (and now, to some degree,
Shelly's). I don't want to worry him,
especially if it might harm his health".
Archer said, “Your old man is the toughest guy I know. Tell
you what. I trusted you, and am sitting in jail awaiting trial because I trust
you. Now I want you to trust me. Tell him.” Archer looked at Hal but couldn’t
help but think of his estranged nephew, Steven (a.k.a. Lightning Strike!)
It was midnight, six days before the end of the world.
The three magi
stood ready to blind-gate Vanguard to the second artifact of power! Once there, they would have up to an hour to
secure the artifact before the gate could be re-opened to return them.
The Mystic and
Archimedes wove a magic spell before Vanguard’s eyes. Hieroglyphic
equations of otherworldly geometry formed in midair in bright lines of gold and
blue. An all-seeing eye, not unlike that which emblazoned Sentinel’s chest,
grew within an expanding circle that then cut into physical space itself. The
circle glowed bright as the sun and the air shifted as static electricity built
up within the room.
“Now Vanguard! Go!” called the Mystic over the wind and
white light that blasted from the gate!
Vanguard advanced
into the light and suddenly all went dark!
The light, the wind and the noise were gone!
Wall sized windows on one side of the long room showed they
were in Manhattan, about 70 stories above Midtown. The world storm raged across
the midnight sky.
“Well. That was a rather impressive entrance,” came a calm, sardonic
voice from the shadows at the head of the table.
Most of Vanguard recognized the voice instantly. It was the
Black Bat. Those that knew the voice recalled the last time they faced this
creature. The rest of Vanguard had read about it in the Vault files.
Flashback! (From Vanguard: Issue 53: The Devil You Know)
Then the Black Bat appeared.
Suddenly he was just there, materialized from thin air. The shadows themselves
flickered upon his arrival. He was pale and luminous and beautiful.
Vanguard, for a moment, was
stunned, captivated. His very presence was electric, hypnotic. The air was
charged, filled with possibility and there was a second of hesitation and in
that second, the Bat spoke. His manner of speaking was calm, refined and
exceedingly polite. His pale eyes were irresistible.
“Thank you,” he said. “Morgue was
becoming more unstable and violent each day. I underestimated his bloodthirsty
nature. A product of his environment, no doubt. And thank you for clearing the
field for me,” he said with a casual nod to the former masters of Big City’s
criminal empire, now dead and scattered across the cold floor in an orgy of
death. His smile was genuine and without condescension.
“You’ve done my work for me and I
am grateful. I must confess, I’ve no appetite for these dramatic confrontations
of which you costumed adventurers are apparently so fond. I must have forgotten
what it’s like to be so young and so powerful.”
His voice was pleasant and it
continued. “I know what you’re thinking. After all, I once stood in your shoes.
You think you’re going to kill me. Or even capture me. You are expecting, even
craving, some epic, grand battle that will shake the roots of heaven itself.
You want so badly a new age of heroes and gods,” his eyes fell upon Kairos.
“You persist in seeing the world in quaint and outdated terms of black and
white.” His eyes regarded Sentinel. “How fascinating. But I assure you, that
won’t happen. I promise you.
“I’m twenty years ahead of you. In
that time, my powers have grown beyond your imagining. I am a foe that is
beyond all of you. In your current weakened condition, you could only succeed
in getting yourselves killed. And I for one would find that most regrettable.
In fact, it’s why you’re still alive.
After all, are we really that
different? I was a member of the Freedom Force. I did not ask for this to
happen to me, but now that it has, what would you have me do? Commit suicide?
You must eat living things to
survive, through no choice of your own. Does that make you evil?
“As to our current situation,
consider this: Do you wish to create another power vacuum in Big City, like the
Freedom Force did when they wiped out Intercrime? Do you believe organized
crime will end forever today? A new bloodthirsty degenerate, perhaps worse than
Morgue, will rise from the murderous chaos to rule.
“Or… you could decide who will fill
that vacuum.”
That killingly disarming smile
again. “At the very least, I am the devil you know.
“Together, we can be the power in
this city. A power for Order. I’ve already helped you by sending men to prevent
the assault on your safehouse. As you’ve already helped me by killing and
scattering all my rivals for power…
“I told you there will be no epic
confrontation. I have nothing to gain from it. I’m immortal. I don’t have to
defeat you. I’ll just do to you what I did to the Freedom Force: I will simply
outlive you.”
End Flashback!
Vanguard’s eyes adjusted and there he was now… even more
hypnotic, more charismatic than they had remembered.
Menagerie and Sentinel could both detect the
dark, powerful undead energy of the Bat.
They could also sense the energy of the second artifact of power coming from behind a framed oil painting
on the wall directly behind the Bat.
Sentinel used Vanguard’s
non-verbal hand signal code to inform Vanguard of this.
Around the Bat’s
table were eight of his lieutenants. They were less calm than he.
Lightning Strike recognized the heads of the Chicago Outfit, the New York Mafia, the
L.A. Syndicate, the Frisco Triad, the American Yakuza, the Russian Mob, and the
Mexican Cartel. There was only one that Strike didn’t recognize, but all of
them appeared human enough. The Lord of the Underworld must’ve still hated the
noise and attention that came with extranormal hirelings.
The Black Bat
smiled with naked pleasure, “Well gentlemen, what can we do for you, so near to
the ending of the world?”
Sentinel knew
they could take him. He ached to do so
at his core. But he calculated the cost
to them and with so many more artifacts ahead the price was too high. And he
remembered how the Bat took control of half the team in an instant in their
last encounter. Kirk subtly made sure his communicator was working so that
CHESS knew they were still here in New York City. Might not be a bad idea for their mystical
backup, who wouldn’t need to expend the power to ‘gate them’ back now, knew
whom they were facing.
“About that, we’re here to save the world. And in that pursuit your arduous presence
here is a luxury none of us can afford, yourself included. Consider everything here forfeit; your bounty
is your life and your freedom … for now.
Don’t think about it and leave this instant Bat, because you’ve made it
personal and I’m sure in the next few seconds my teammates will void this far
too generous offer.”
As he spoke, Sentinel used his energy sense on the Bat’s
captains of crime and discovered that all of them were vampires! But he could
not detect the shape of the second artifact of power.
Slingshot looked
at his PDA while Black Bat spoke and calculated they were 20 city blocks from
the Vanguard Vault. He turned to his son and said softly, "Stay close, we
may have to run fast."
Scott received the information from Sentinel regarding the
location of the item of power. Looking at the painting, he assumed this was a
safe of some sort. Using his engineering background, he calculated that if it
was a normal safe, he could simply rip the safe from the wall and leave. He
looked on, calculating his odds.
He also had the potential to occupy several of the bosses
with his tentacle attack. It would likely allow the others to do the deed. Several
options were available to him, but as usual, he took the conciliatory path.
Slingshot added, "If you know about the end of the
world, then you know what we came for. Hand it over and we'll leave peacefully.
Otherwise, what he said." This last sentence was punctuated by a thumb
towards Sentinel.
Slate tried to
find a vantage point where he could see everything while staying in the
background. He quickly ran through the
inventory of equipment he brought along to see if anything might be useful in
this situation. He found no garlic,
crucifixes or holy water.
Symbiote stood by
Sentinel and Slingshot and let them say their piece. In theory, this one should be easy: The Bat (presumably) has no interest in
seeing the world destroyed. If he'll
turn the artifact over to us and let us be on our way there should be a
problem. But this is the Black Bat, a villain who always seems to have a
multitude of plans. And this is also the
life of a super hero, where nothing is ever that simple.
Menagerie stood
in the conference room confused and frustrated. His team had walked into the
inner sanctum of Black Bat. "What the hell?" he thought. "This
is beginning to feel less random each time we do this. Could there be a higher
power guiding our path that is above even the mages’ ability to comprehend?”
Menagerie stared at Black Bat, he did not even bother to
look at any of his lieutenants. Menagerie so wanted to claw that smirk off of
the undead's face. He knew it was his instincts as Protector of Life that was
wanting to destroy this Prevailer of Living Death.
Menagerie growled and bared his teeth instead. He was
frustrated by his inability to end Black Bat's existence but he was equally
frustrated with himself. “Maybe we should have chosen the other option and
planned our jumps instead”.
"You know why we are here. Please don't pretend you are
so weak that you cannot sense the End Days are here. Will you allow us to
protect the Earth by giving us the artifact?"
"I can't imagine that you wish to lose your soul as
well or rule over a world without them. So what value does it hold that you
would protect it so?"
Avatar stood
quietly, sure of his ability to remain uncontrolled by the Black Bat and
wondering idly, after Sentinel's urging, if, indeed, his powers springing from
Apollo might be "real" sunlight that could hurt a vampire more than
being "only" light. He did not
yet activate any powers but readied himself to do so with the aforementioned
Light Control as the one that would first be used.
Clone, not even
paying attention to the conversation taking place before him, stood quietly
behind the other members of Vanguard and began to assess the group’s
surroundings. His eyes scanned the room wildly for possible exits and anything
out of the ordinary, finding nothing beyond what all could see. His thoughts
then quickly changed focus as he thought to himself, "If the Soviets show
up, where will they pop up from?" Not seeing much space left in the room
that Vanguard was currently in, he surmised that they would either enter in
from the corridor to the groups left or through the double doors to their rear.
His head began to swim with the possibilities as he spoke in a tone barely loud
enough for the surrounding members of Vanguard to hear, "This is going to
get ugly". Slowly turning himself from side to side, the 'Duplicating
Dynamo' prepared himself for an attack on multiple fronts.
Lightning Strike assessed
the situation as soon as Vanguard appeared in the chamber. Bat clearly knew why there were there and
considering the location of the artifact, knew what we were after. Strike
wanted to rip Black Bat apart for all he had done and could barely control
himself. He steadied himself and spoke
to Black Bat. “How typical of you to be
sitting here discussing how to split up the remainder of the world when you
could be doing something about it. I
suppose surrounding yourself with this crew of flunkies contributes to your
sense of self importance. I fail to see
how you could have picked eight more incompetent lieutenants to surround
yourself with. It will be my pleasure to
cull this herd of scum.”
He continued. “You
know what we want and you know we will take it from you one way or
another. The end of the world does not
serve you. What would be left for you to
rule over much less feast upon. The
forces that will be let loose upon this world dwarf your own. Hand the artifact over and our uneasy truce
can remain until this episode is over.
Knowing your loyalty, Vanguard cannot trust you to keep it as you will
hand it over to save your skin.”
Strike was hoping to appeal to Bat’s sense of
self-preservation. Historically he would
do anything to remain undead and Strike assumed that remained to be the
case. Strike would hold all actions
until someone made a move. He would rely
on the energy sensing folk to pinpoint the artifact and take it.
Black Bat smiled slowly
and his charisma and power were palpable. Avatar’s invisible nobility of spirit
helped bolster Vanguard’s morale in the face of such an adversary.
The Lord of the Underworld said, “How it warms the cockles
of my heart that you now see the wisdom of a truce between us, where we could
be the power for order in this world. Imagine my delight that you are now
willing to accept the hand I graciously extended in friendship so long ago
(Issue 53 to be exact).
“Sadly, your enlightenment comes too late. I’ve already moved
to protect my interests in the face of the coming crisis, by allying with a
force more effective than your own. One that will give me a better chance at survival
than would you. Kill them.”
At the last two words, the eight crime lords, in refined suits and ties, suddenly leapt up
ferociously from the table and snarled their lips to show mouthfuls of slavering
white fangs. They bared their claws and their eyes were red with malice and
murderous intent!
(OOC: Combat begins!)
The Black Bat
smiled approvingly at his minions and calmly stepped backward toward the
painting behind him. The shadows of the darkened conference room themselves
seemed to draw around him like the folded wings of a bat. (OOC: The Bat evades.
Evasion lasts one turn, or two ‘issues.’)
Avatar manifested
the powers of Apollo, the god of the sun! His eyes lost their pupils and he was
otherworldly and softly glowed with an inner light. (fyi, to activate Light
Defense takes an action, as per the rules)
The revenant
racketeers recoiled momentarily, hissing and growling in the face of this
supernatural transformation, but their master was unfazed.
Lightning Strike and Symbiote were both surprised that a fight broke out! (OOC: Neither
of their players gave orders for a combat possibility. Both characters save
their actions. Both have two actions next turn!)
The eight cadaverous crimelords charged Vanguard in a bloodthirsty howl
of fangs and fury!
The bestial vampire that ran the Chicago Outfit slammed into Avatar with the
strength of ten men! SLAM! (12 points of damage! The myrmidon of mythology
rolls with 7 and takes 5 from hits!)
The feral fiend that ruled the American Yazuka lunged at Lightning Strike
to rend him apart with his bare hands! “Rraaugh!” (14 points of damage! The electric avenger
rolls with 8 and takes 6 from hits!)
The parasitic demon that Strike couldn’t recognize hurled over Vanguard’s line
and grappled with Clone! CRASH! (11
points of damage! The crusading collective rolls with 6 and takes 5 from hits!)
The unnatural monster who commanded the Russian Mob leapt upon the table and
pitched himself at Menagerie! SLAM! (11 points of damage! The druidic defender
rolls with 6 and takes 5 from hits!)
The depraved devil that controlled the Frisco Triad plunged across the table
at Sentinel with inhuman strength! SMASH! (13 points of damage! The golden age
guardian takes it all off his energy shields!)
The sadistic abomination that reigned over the New York Mafia flew over Slingshot at
his son, Slate! WHAM! (12 points of damage! The sentinel of cyberspace rolls
with 7 and takes 5 from hits!)
The bloodsucking demon that owned the Mexican Cartel pounced at Slingshot!
“AAAAAH!” (14 points of damage! The malleable man of might takes 8 from
Invulnerability and rolls with 6!)
The hateful horror that directed the L.A. Syndicate charged Symbiote! BASH!
(14 points of damage! The scientific superhero rolls with 8 and takes 6 off
hits!)
(OOC: Yow! 8 for 8!)
Sentinel yelled to Avatar
over the carnal cacophony with conviction and confidence in him, “Raze him to a
heap of burning ash!” (OOC: Sentinel holds his action. He has two actions next
issue!)
Menagerie, trying
to ignore the wild hellion upon him, cast the magic spell, Essence of Life, at
the Black Bat in an attempt to drain him of life energy! VOM! The shamanic
spellcaster missed the evading vampire!
(No power cost)
Slingshot,
looking around the savage brute that assailed him, stretched a long arm at the
picture frame! BAM! He knocked it off its nail, revealing a wall safe. The
pliable powerhouse formed his flexible fingers around the safe and ripped it
out of the wall! REND! Before he got it free, Slingshot felt a jolt of electricity
run up his arm! The safe was booby trapped! ZOT! (10 points of damage! Normally,
this can’t be rolled with. But the earl of elasticity’s rubber physiology
allows him to roll with half of it. 5 from Power. 5 from Hits.) Slingshot
remains conscious and has the 2’ x 2’ iron safe in his hand!
(OOC: But can’t move now because he used movement to stretch
to reach the safe.)
The Black Bat
smiled approvingly at Slingshot, as a teacher might toward an especially bright
pupil.
The Clone formed four more duplicates of himself and prepared for an attack from either direction!
(OOC: This is his action. Attempting to push Vanguard and the vampires into the conference table, toward Black Bat, will require an action. It can occur next issue, if you like).
The space was too tight and a Clone overflowed through the French doors (crash!) into the adjoining room which was dark and empty! A Clone could see a room beyond that, and doors to a balcony beyond that.
Slate was pinned in tight between Vanguard, the new Clones and the ravenous vampire that was trying to kill him! He blasted the undead creature with his digitalization ray! ZARK! The white, static-like beam struck the vampire and visibly damaged him, but the fiend kept fighting!
Quarters were tight, noisy, and dimly lit.
Black Bat said
quietly, nearly inaudibly over the thrashing and howling of his murderous,
vampiric servants, “How little you’ve grown since we last met. How I’ve
overestimated you. Thank the devil my safety is not in your keeping.”
OOC:
Actions! One round of combat orders, please, except for you
guys who saved your actions this issue. You get two actions. Thanks!
Viva Vanguard,
Jeff
Avatar: Hit Points: 38, Power Points: 63, Manifestation:
Apollo
Clone: Bodies: 5, Hit Points: 4, Power Points: 55, Hit Point
Pool: 18
Lightning Strike: Hit Points: 42, Power Points: 77, Saved
Action!
Menagerie: Hit Points: 16, Power Points: 59, Form: Man
Sentinel: Hit Points: 29, Power Points: 60, Creation Points: 120, Shields: 87, Saved Action!
Slate: Hit Points: 30, Power Points: 66
Slingshot: Hit Points: 45, Power Points: 81,
Invulnerability: 0 until Issue 178
Symbiote: Hit Points: 32, Power Points: 75, Charges: 14,
Copied: None, Saved Action!
--------------------------------------------------
Slingshot:
[ooc]Awesome issue!
I don't know if this artifact is breakable, not that we care
of it breaks. So I have a feeling that the boss in front of me might just get a
mouthful of safe pretty soon. Let me debate if I'm going to go there yet.
Confirming I'm not inferring incorrectly: You mentioned i
used up my move. I assume I used up my action as well, right?
[/ooc]
Scott speaks urgently, "Sentinel", then he
signaled non-verbally to "confirm acquisition".
--------------------------------------------------
GM:
OOC: Thanks.
Sorry, yes, Slingy used his attack on the safe. So: move, attack.
He can move and attack again next ish.
Best
Jeff
--------------------------------------------------
Avatar:
Avatar blasts the Chicago vampire with a ray of light in an attempt to damage him.
--------------------------------------------------
Slate:
Slate sees the hand signals, as well as Avatar beginning to glow, Slate's eyes begin to sparkle with digital energy as he says, "I think we should ignore the rest and take out the Bat... If everyone hits him with all we've got, we could end him... Now!"
OOC: sounds like the impulsive thing a teen would think up. He won't resist if Slingshot pulls him out, he'll save his attack to guard the retreat, but if Avatar attacks the Bat, Slate will join in, ignoring the slavering beast before him.
--------------------------------------------------
Avatar:
I'll flash and hope that our people aren't affected because of their orientation and also hope that my light acts as sunlight.
Clone:
The only thing I think was mentioned about his Battle Staff construction was that the same 'Unstable Molecules' used in his costumes were also used in it as well. So I guess it was made out of synthetic materials - I guess. Stakes to heart - is 'wooden' an actual prerequisite ( according to myth ) or is that just something they say in the movies? I'm not really sure -
Sentinel:
OOC:
Jeff:
(1) Doors are breaking.
Big table. What sort of wood do
we have around us in the rooms?
(2) Bat seems too pleased with the safe and supposedly the
artifact in Slingshot's possession. It
seems too easy. Does Kirk still feel
sure that within the safe emanates the energy?
Any better read on it? Any chance
he feels his senses are being manipulated here?
(want to reply to Slingshot in code)
*** (3) Assuming that Avatar is channeling Apollo and thus
sunlight and not just light, any reason why Kirk couldn't use his energy
projection to form the shape of mirrors throughout the walls of the room for
Avatar to bounce his energy off of and create a group fry for all the vampires
in the room? I'm thinking of a sunlight
sauna baking the room up with roasting vampires in it. ***
(4) If #3 isn't possible any reason here that Kirk wouldn't
be able to lock in and begin reading Bat's thoughts. It would be nice to find out who he made a
deal with and what misdirection he has going on here (if any)
Thanks.
Seth
--------------------------------------------------
Slingshot:
OOC: Jeff: The safe information will modify my actions.
Let me know if I can get the info before declaring my move
or have to come up with what/if scenarios.
S
--------------------------------------------------
GM:
OOC:
Quick replies to Seth/Sentinel:
1) Surprisingly, there's no wood in here. Or maybe it's not
that surprising, since this is Bat's turf. The door is some kind of faux wood
high-density plastic, with glass. The table is black granite. The chairs are
black leather and steel.
2) According to Sentinel's energy sense, the second artifact
of power is still in the safe.
3) Sentinel may create constructs that are reflective like a
mirror with a successful invention roll and one Luck Point.
Also, as usual, any action a character takes to attempt to
harm someone counts as his "attack."
4) Sentinel may attempt to read Black Bat's surface
thoughts, as per your character sheet.
Best,
Jeff
--------------------------------------------------
Sentinel:
OOC: Kirk will signal back that his senses indicate it but Bat
seems overly smug about it.
Seth
--------------------------------------------------
Slingshot:
Scott received Sentinel's acknowledgement. He wasn't worried
himself about these vampires, but he was worried about leaving his fellow
vanguardians to these fiends.
There was no easy decision. He turned to sentinel and
signaled whether he should go.
[OOC: depending on the response:]
If the response is to go, then he'll take Slate and use the
safe as a bludgeoning tool to crash out of the board room and out the window
(I'm assuming we have an external wall) otherwise, use building engineering to
quickly find a way out to an external window and slingshot myself and Slate out
of the building towards HQ.
If the response is to stay, he'll ignore his foe and give
the one attacking Slate a mouthful of safe (use the safe as a bludgeoning
weapon)
[/OOC:]
Stephane
--------------------------------------------------
Sentinel:
Kirk singled, 'I think we should all go. We have what we
came for. We were all prepared to leave without conflict. Why let the Bat
control this situation? Perhaps there is an ambush awaiting you if you leave
alone.'
This conflict that the bat initiated doesn't benefit us. If
they want to pursue we will have access to better weapons. And if the SSS or some other Bat ally tries
to intercept slingshot they get all of vanguard.
I say we all go.
OOC:
Jeff - not sure how to coordinate the actions here but I say
if we have the artifact and can go that is what sentinel will do and use his
actions to coordinate. As he moves forward he could push enemies out the window
to get them out of the fray or help others to leave. If we are successful and
he could possibly attempt to get a read on the bat without endangering the loss
of the artifact he'd like the intel. But
it's kind of hard to give directions not knowing how anyone else will respond
and if we are going to be able to leave or it will be prevented.
The mission is the artifact Kirk will do whatever he can to
remain on target.
Seth
--------------------------------------------------
Slingshot:
OOC:
So we run! Slingshot is slow, so he'll be last.
I would say that we have a serious chance of getting out
with the greatest chance on one condition, if Avatar flashes the room with
sunlight, hopefully blinding all the vamps and giving us the chance to run.
(blinding attack with sunlight)
Slingshot will signal this option to Sentinel and he can
telepathically tell Avatar and everyone else.
I don't think Scott can slingshot with everyone (Jeff?), but
he'll morph into something that can carry as many as possible, once it's time
to do a swan dive to HQ.
Stephane
--------------------------------------------------
Sentinel:
When you do move you cover more ground than many of the team
including sentinel. Kirk can't
telepathically project normally only receive
Menagerie can do so when in animal form. I figure they may follow us or
something but least outside we can grab a tree or something else wooden to
smash them with.
They may choose the battle but not the location that
benefits them.
Seth
--------------------------------------------------
Slingshot:
OOC: Sorry. I thought you could project.
So I'll start with "Vanguard, time to move out! Avatar,
flash bang please"
Stephane.
--------------------------------------------------
Menagerie:
Menagerie said "Agree". He turned into a
Pterodactyl. Any member of Vanguard that lingered Menagerie mind thought to
them, "Leave, We have come for. Fighting furthers no purpose!"
He headed for the nearest window or followed through a
Vanguard made window out into the sky. He provided a ride to anyone need in it.
Menagerie called out "C'mon! climb aboard me and feel what it is like to
ride the wind!"
Via Vanguard
Tom
--------------------------------------------------
Slate:
Slate sees the hand signals, as well as Avatar beginning to glow, Slate's eyes begin to sparkle with digital energy as he says, "I think we should ignore the rest and take out the Bat... If everyone hits him with all we've got, we could end him... Now!"
OOC: sounds like the impulsive thing a teen would think up. He won't resist if Slingshot pulls him out, he'll save his attack to guard the retreat, but if Avatar attacks the Bat, Slate will join in, ignoring the slavering beast before him.
--------------------------------------------------
Clone:
Clone squared off with the vampire standing before him and
plunged the end of his staff at the creature's chest. The 'Replicating Russian'
knew his staff didn't have a point on the end of it, but felt he had to try to
attack the creature's heart none the less. ( OOC: Hopefully these vamps are as
'squishy' as the ones in 'From Dusk Till Dawn' - love that movie ).
----
As the doors behind him crashed open; and the doors to the
balcony came into view, the first thought that ran through Clone's mind was to
break open the doors and let in the sunlight . . . but then he realized that it
was just after midnight and the sun wouldn't be up for hours. With his initial
plan of pinning The Bat against the wall with the conference table still fresh
in his mind, Clone started to run into the adjoining room. Making his way
through the room and then down the connecting corridor, Clone hoped he would be
able to flank an unsuspecting and pinned Bat.
----
With his initial plan of pinning The Bat against the wall
with the conference table still fresh in their minds, the three remaining
Clones did their best to wedge themselves between Menagerie and Sentinel. With
the strength of three determined men behind them, the three Clones charged
forward with all their might.
OOC:
Making 'group attacks' without Clone's telepathic connection
is going to get really messy - lol - I can't wait to start working in the
confusion and mayhem to his responses.
Jeff, would Clone's 'Folklore' and 'Occult Studies' skills
help him at all when it came to fighting the vampires / The Bat? Could they
prepare him somehow for what the creatures might try next ( i.e. possible
defensive bonus or something )?
Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a
hundred battles without disaster.
- Sun Tzu
Talk to you all soon,
-Kev
--------------------------------------------------
Avatar:
I'll flash and hope that our people aren't affected because of their orientation and also hope that my light acts as sunlight.
--------------------------------------------------
GM:
OOC:
Quick replies to Clone, Sentinel and Slingy:
Slingy doesn't know if he can slingshot with everyone. Never
tried it before. Would need to round them up in some kind of formation. Right
now everyone is grappling bloodsucking vampires.
Seth, in terms of coordinating a departure, everyone is
wrassling and grappling superstrong, screaming, undead killers right now. It's
going to be messy.
Player-wise, so far only three of you have orders involving
a departure, no doubt reflecting the in-game chaos. :-)
Clone, if the opportunity arises on your Folklore skill use,
I'll include it next issue.
Are the battle staffs made of wood? I don't recall. Seems
folksy enough for our agrarian adventurer. Yet his affiliation with Vanguard
and CHESS makes higher tech stuff available to him. Did we ever say?
Best
Jeff
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Lightning Strike:
OK, all this will be brief and to the point. Strike will blast away at the vampire
attacking him with two attacks and move to regroup with the rest of Vanguard
for either continued counter attacks or to make a hasty retreat with the
artifact. Obviously retrieving the
artifact is far more important than battling Black Bat but I think there is
more here than meets the eye. Bat would
not make it that easy to get the item especially if he has any inkling of what
is going on and I suspect he has no intention of letting any of us leave
easily.
Take care,
Tony
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Clone:
The only thing I think was mentioned about his Battle Staff construction was that the same 'Unstable Molecules' used in his costumes were also used in it as well. So I guess it was made out of synthetic materials - I guess. Stakes to heart - is 'wooden' an actual prerequisite ( according to myth ) or is that just something they say in the movies? I'm not really sure -
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