The Star-Devourer turned from the direction of the bridge. It started to move toward Adamas. A liquidly strand shot out of the beast. Adamas did a barrel round to evade from being hit. In the back recesses of his mind, he knew the stand would solidify around him sticking him to whatever the strand came into contact with. He knew of foul insects and arachnids that shot webbing or globs of fiber to trap their prey. He didn’t know if the ones he knew were from this world or a different one.
Adamas keep his flight path erratic to prevent the beast from targeting him. Hopefully, his companions would prevent the cultists from gaining control.
*Whoump*
DarkStar and Windblown appear in the middle of the Lion’s Den. In front of them are the four orbs and 18 cultists. The cultists are in robes and appear to be normal humans. They are in a circle around the orbs in six trios holding hands and chanting
On the other side of DarkStar and Windblown they see a man sitting with his back to them. His bonds are loose. A woman stands in front of him, facing them. She said, “Ah, the warrior and wizard make their appearance. So thief has your plan worked?”
The details of his dream were already fading when the daredevil of democracy replied, “So far so good, sweetheart. Let’s find out how many more of your “spells” have no effect on me.”
Looking over at Windblown with a wry smile, DarkStar said, "She called you the Warrior! Word must be getting around how you smacked that Occultist chick around at the Temple".
Windblown looks back at the Commander, "Thought I was the wizard? That makes me Gandalf or some such?"
DarkStar's hyper-intelligence kicks in as he surveys the tactical situation before him. His military and black-op experience brings three potential battle plans together as the mysterious woman rambles on about warriors and wizards. ***Focusing his thoughts through the amulet*** "Hey Doc! To stop the second ritual ... do we have to knock all these guys out ... or will breaking their concentration do the trick? Even holding back, if I start breaking heads, some of these old geezers might get dead by accident."
Dr Avery replied "The chant has to be broken to prevent them from gaining control. Anything that shuts them up will break the incantation."
***focusing his thoughts through the amulet to his teammates*** Guys, there are way too many of these old geezers to take out one at a time. AA, if we snap the support beams, and WB kicks up some wind, the heavy canvas of the pavilion should knock these guys on their asses, breaking their concentration. We can focus on rounding these guys up after the Star Demon has been returned to its own dimension"
Looking back at Windblown, much more relaxed in the middle of the action, than the young rookie on Juompur "Warrior! I said warrior you . . . oh never mind. Okay Gandalf think you can kick up enough wind to move the air out of this tent and collapse this thing, if we can knock out the support structures?
At the same moment Agent America lunged at Mystic, smiling recklessly. America wanted to crash his recently freed hand right into her but good. He grabbed her and with an acrobatic move worthy of a circus routine he launches her over into the mass of moaning cultists. He then tumbled straight backward and outside before meta-manpower struck the tent.
Windblown focuses
WHOOSH!!!
A burst of wind originates from around Windblown spreading with hurricane force, knocking down all the cultists, pulling the stakes from the ground, and creating screams from the Festival area.
At the same time utilizing his mechanical engineering skills and hyper-intellect Commander Rose made his way to the key support structure pulling it down like a dry limb off a dead old apple tree. He is careful to avoid any attacks by the cultists.
No attack comes as the collapse of the large pavilion creates a panic.
As this is happening in the pavilion, Adamas continued to stay focused on the Devourer. He halted his bombardment now that he has its attention and tried to lead it toward the island where the summoners are located. He stayed just out of range, evading and dodging. His plan would have worked if it was for CHESS.
Two squads of CHESS Knights with Skycycles flew in. Most went to the bridge to evacuate it and protect the structure. Four Knights flew to the Star-Devourer. The Star-Devourer shoots a CHESS Skycycle. It hits will a liquid stream. The substance is strong enough to mess up the Skycycle’s flight systems. The CHESS Knight attempted in vain to bring the Skycycle back into control. The Knight is able to create enough lift to miss the Festival parking lot but crashes into a stand next to it.
FOOM! The Skycycle explodes in a ball of fire. The Festival workers attempted to start a bucket brigade to put out the fire when a burst of wind hits everyone.
Adamas sees a cultist run across the top of the collapsed pavilion that DarkStar and Windblown are under.
The remaining three Skycycles turn away from the monster. They fly to the safety of their fellow CHESS Knights. Unfortunately the Star-Devourer turns to chase this easier prey. Adamas scans the bridge. Besides the two squad of Skycycles, there are two squads of Valkryes on Seacycles underneath the Bridge.
<Due Date is June 10th, Actions or Replies>
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Hey John
Welcome back. At this point we've tracked down the Cultist. They've captured Agent America - temporary I'm sure - and Adamas is distracting the Star Demon. Windblown and DarkStar have teleported into the midst of the cultist. We need to capture the Orbs to return the Star Demon to its home dimension.
So you want the cultist or the Orbs? I brought a backpack for the Orbs in case you want to borrow it. :)
More details as we go
John R
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Well, so long as I'm in the midst of the cultists, I'll go with what I know. :)
-John
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Crap John
Could you be anymore enigmatic? I swear your taking those lessons from Doc Arcane way too literal.
If I picture Tom's description right, DS and WB have teleported smack dab center with AA and Mystic on one side and 18 Cultist and the 4 Orbs on the other. I'm also pretty sure the decription depicts our master escape artist free from his his
bonds and probably in the mood for some payback with the chick in the ugly swimsuit, leaving us to prioritize between thr Orbs and the Cultist - til Tom throws his next curveball at least. So I reiterate Orbs or Cultist? Your choice :)
<Commander Rose: IC> Looking over at Windblown with a wry smile "She called you the Warrior! Word must be getting around how you smacked that Occultist chick around at the Temple"
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<Commander Rose: IC> DarkStar's hyper-intelligience kicks in as he surveys the tactical situation before him. His military and black-op experience brings three potential battleplans together as the mysterious woman rambles on about warriors and wizards.***Focusing his thoughts through the amulet*** "Hey Doc! To stop the second ritual, ... do we have to knock all these guys out ... or will breaking their concenration do the trick? Even holding back, if I start breaking heads, some of these old geezers might get dead by accident,."
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GM Reply
Dr Avery replied "The chant has to be broken to prevent them from gaining control. Anything that shuts them up will break the incantation."
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OOC:
Hi,
I think the breakdown according to Gygax is this:
Adamas: Paladin/cleric/holy warrior
Darkstar: Warrior
Windblown: Wizard
Agent America: Thief
Also, in the last ish, Tom said Agent America was free from his bonds.
:)
Best,
Jeff
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{OOC:} Nah you got that all mixed up
WB's done more to take out the bad guys than big blue has. All DS did on the island was uselessly pound on the force field for a while - which WB finished off, Sure DS finished off Samhain but only after you guys had already done the heavy lifting. Matter of fact, neither or WB can claim a score card as good as Adamas or Windblown
Nope I maintain the witch must be referring to DarkStar as the (tech)wizard and Windblown as the warrior. That's my story and I'm sticking to it
<Commander Rose: IC> ***focusing his thoughts through the amulet to his teammates*** Guys, there are way too many of these old geezers to take ot one at a time. AA, if we snap the support beams, and WB kicks up some wind, the heavy canvas of the pavilion should knock these guys on their asses, breaking their concentration. We can focus on rounding these guys up after the Star Demon has been returned to it's own dimension"
[OOC:] Checkout the RL news report. With all respect to the folks who endured this, our characters should be able to make something like this happen in seconds
http://www.news9.com/story/13107536/4-injured-in-tent-collapse-at-arts-festival-oklahoma?redirected=true
Ideals and Adjustments welcome
John R
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Adamas will continue to stay focused on the Devourer. He will halt his bombardment now that he has it's attention and try to start leading it toward the island where the summoners are located. He'll try to stay just out of range, saving his actions for evasion and dodging (I believe he's quite a bit faster than the behemoth). If it is able to get close to him with some of those strands, he'll blast them with his vision, or if he is unlucky and the beast is able to hit him, he'll try to freeze the webbing with his breath, and then blast it.
I think he'll stay busy with this for awhile, he probably won't have a lot of time to focus on his amulet and communicate, but he'll certainly be listening in on what's going on with his team mates.
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Windblown looks back at the Commander. "Thought I was the wizard? That make me Gandalf or some such?"
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<DarkStar: IC> Looking back at Windblown, much more relaxed in the middle of the action, than the young rookie on Juompur "Warrior! I said warrior you . . . oh never mind. Okay Gandalf think you can kick up enough wind to move the air out of this tent and collapse this thing, if we can knock out the support structures?
<OOC> Did everyone get the embedded Oklahoma news report on that tent collapse during an art festival. I think this battle plan's a perfect example of Art imitating ... well Art in this case - until Tom throws his next curve ball of course. Crap I fell like Ken Griffey Jr praying for a fastball, knowing the entire time I'm just going to get off speed pitches the whole at bat.
### Does this sound like a good game plan or just go to old fashion head cracking d relic smashing? ###
Your dedicated "Warrior"
John R
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Agent America :
The details of his dream were already fading when the daredevil of democracy replied, “So far so good, sweetheart. Let’s find out how many more of your “spells” have no effect on me.”
Then he lunged at her, smiling recklessly. America wanted to crash his recently freed hand right into her but good. The plan was to smash her back into the moaning geriatrics, and then tumble straight backward and outside before meta-manpower struck the tent.
If all this worked, his next move (next action) was to leap on top of the tent and start beating anything that moved, through the canvas. Mercilessly.
The merry ferocity of his attacks reminded Agent America of something he once dreamed about but no longer remembered. It was probably nothing.
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<DarkStar: Actions> Utilizing his mechanical engineering skills and hyper-intellect Commander Rose will spend his first action evading any incoming attacks and make his way to the key support structure and spend his second action to pull it down like a dry limb off a dead old apple tree,using his bio-lightning power if it looks necessary.
Goals: The Evasion is in case some deviousness pops its ugly demonic head in, Joshua will already be in a defensive posture while bobbing and weaving his way to the support structure. I could go for the Orbs but Doc said breaking these guys concentration is priority numero uno. Having a huge tent collapsing on top of you would distract all but the must
hardened of individuals, not a trait this crowd seems to have cornered the market on. Next turn we can worry about collecting the orbs and detaining tweed wearing dweebs (yeah right its gonna be that easy - pfff)
OOC: Looks like AA is having some mighty bad flashbacks. One of us might need to have to drag his murderous ass of these academic @$$-holes :)
Yehaw here we go
von - John/Dracos/Ranger/Archer/DarkStar
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Agent America:
Through the necklace-thing, Agent America "spoke" to DarkStar: "Rose! Stick with your plan! Forget the defensive maneuvering and execute the plan now!"
OOC:
Hi John.
If you evade: from your action forward, you get negatives to be hit for one turn.
If you and Windy collapse the tent: from your action forward, most if not all your opponents are helpless for at least a turn.
The first incarnation of your plan was perfect!
:)))
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OOC
Zoinks.
That means I never heard the tent collapse plan in the first place.
So please use my first orders minus the part where I exit the tent: hth on woman, hoping to knock her back into cultists.
Thanks.
Jeff
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PS
But my OOC communication to John still holds, if Tom says it's legal.
:)
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Hey Jeff, and guys
Thanks for the ideal, but unless Tom tells(?) me DarkStar's mechanical engineering knowledge calculates the need to take out more than the key support structure to bring the thing down on the cultist I'll stick with the plan as is. According to Doc, breaking those boys concentration is the Primary Mission Objective.
Two reasons I'm sticking with Plan A - as of right now
A) DarkStar knows this is too easy. After the Dragon Temple (his "hero" version of the Khyber Pass) he now considers the need for preparing for the appearance of something like Samhain as SOP. Thus the "evasion" tactic. I don't know what the woman or mystics are capable of and non-physical (magic) combat is one of DS's biggest weaknesses. Evading (eye contact, touching, etc) is about his only defense against magical stuff like Transformation, Mind Control, etc, etc, etc.
B) Even with Windblown helping move the air out of the tent (unless/until) he has Weather Control, I don't see how a tent big enough to hold the bodies and ego of 20 daemonic worshiping cultist, will collapse on the head of the bad guys in anything less than the 15 seconds of a single Turn - depending on the size of the pavilion, Tom might even decide it could take longer, or any number of factors are possible given the nature of our opponents (and GM's humor)
In combat situations I have and will continue to play DS as there being absolutely nothing more important than accomplishing the Primary Mission Objective. While he'll do everything possible to avoid casualties - especially of non-metas, nothing is more important than accomplishing the mission. If that means a villain, teammate or Rose, himself dies, then that is the choice we made when we signed up for this.
He may seem like a bit of a scatterbrain inventor type turned entrepreneur, but he takes his oath to serve a cause greater than himself very seriously. He still proudly serves "on call" as a navy reservist. His anger at MEDUSA over his expulsion it tied into no longer being able to fulfill an oath, and then there's the oath to serve the Quest. Every mission "the Fellowship" goes on is a "world saving event".
Have your guys characters really thought through the Epic nature of what our characters are doing? All the background stuff aside, our characters on our maiden adventure were responsible for stopping a daemonic invasion. In our second we're responsible for stopping the ritual that will anchor a monstrous star daemon capable of stripping the eco-sphere of the planet, turning it into Mars-like planet. Big stuff
hmm- a rambled on a bit I guess - my bad
Anyway I figured America's favorite Agent would either figure out what we were doing once he saw we were attacking the support structures, or too busy with his new girlfriend (another female mage - a pattern or coincidence?) to worry one way or the other.
<Hopefully OOC: from a very angry and concerned Commander Rose after the mission is over>
"Next time no Lone Ranger crap. Obviously our opponents are up to detecting magical support. Next time you go undercover your getting top of the line audio and visual electronic surveillance support. No damn arguments either. Our mission is too important for your spy crap. Your either dedicated to Arcane's mission or your not. Which is it? We can't afford to lose your stubborn ass due to your ego.
Have a good weekend guys
John R
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I don't think it changes our game plans either way but I must have had different picture in my head from Tom's description. Mine looked like this. (picture the length of the pavilion north and south)
Mystic
Agent America
Windblown/DarkStar
3 Cultist
3 Cultist 3 Cultist
4 Orbs
3 Cultist 3 Cultist
3 Cultist
If WB and DS are on opposite side of the Cultist that works too. I'm more concerned in case this thing gets more complicated in Turn 2
Later John von R
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OOC:
Re: Lone ranger: Did America resist a suggestion of surveillance when he infiltrated the festival? I don't think it was ever brought up.
Last two times he went undercover (juompur and the museum) he acquiesed to having Windblown join him, without complaint.
IC:
"I see you're emotional about this. Why don't we cool off and discuss this rationally tomorrow?"
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LOL
<OOC:> Now that sounds like the perfect response for out boy AA.
Holy crap - you did see that whole DS thing was a OOC for after the current mission, right? Oh please say yes, or I'm gonna feel even stupider than I do already (soon to be ex-wife really gave me the shaft this weekend, I guess I need to harden up or quit being so naive)
. . . and yeah, like his dedication to his oaths, Rose's dedication to the safety of his team and causes like meta-manpower is passionate. As a combat-teleporter I've developed his psyche like every moment might be his last, and he plans on getting the most out of each of them. Including time with those he cares about.
Probably a lesson I need to emulate over the next few months
Hey sorry for the fubar OOC response - I should have saved it for the next issue or so. Again my bad
John R
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OOC:
No harm no foul. :)
I saw the OOC but it seemed to be written IC.
Could make for a great scene if we survive the dhole.
Hope your RL situation improves. :)
Best,
Jeff
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