Mutants & Masterminds: Legacy - Issue #4 Challenges

[z-Watchwoman]

Serene smiled at the young man who shared her father’s blood. She was happy to have met him, but also angry and sad. Angry because she should have known him a long time ago. Sad because the openness that she was able to give him now would be gone when they got home.

The same with Bannon. He’d met this smiling, free-spirited creature, but she wasn’t real. She was the Faerie Realm’s twisted version of Serene. Back home, she would be Watchwoman again, so much her father’s daughter that she might as well been his clone. Serene wasn’t sure she was entirely happy with that situation but she wasn’t sure what to do about it, either.

Aeonian’s plan jarred her out of her self-pitying reverie. She studied the hologram and said, “We need the bait to be in the Hurt Box, right? I think that bait is Aiden. Killing a male dragon, and Aina’s son, will be a tempting victory, and the MageLords will commit forces to doing so.” Serene looked up at her half-brother, then hugged him around the waist. “Don’t worry,” she added to him. “I won’t let anything happen to you – I’ll be right there with you.”

His ears were red as Serene pulled back and she remembered that she was naked. It was amazing how lacking in self-consciousness she was here. Of course, that was a detriment when she forgot that she was naked and then hugged her brother. Still, that had been utterly innocent! It wasn’t like with Karra and the succubi. “Would you like to do that, Aiden?”

[Joani]

Aidan had no idea that Serene was his half-sister and her open affection for him was slightly disturbing, especially when she hugged him. He tried to be polite and looked down at her through his reptilian like eyes but she could see so much of her father in him, it was heart breaking.

"I... I trust you and will do my part to ensure our victory.", he answered slowly. His eyes remained locked with hers and then he suddenly asked.

"Do I know you?"

[z-Watchwoman]

Serene looked like she'd been hit. Her red eyes flew open and she stared up at Aiden. "I-I-I thought you knew!" she said. Anger flared again - anger at their parents for keeping them in the dark for their entire lives.

"Knew?" Aiden asked, only to be cut off by Serene grabbing his hand.

"We have a battle plan," Serene said tensely. "I need to talk to Aiden and Karra for a bit before we fight. I know this is not the best time, but we have something to discuss. It'll only take a few minutes."

They deserved to know, so that if they didn't come back from the fight, they would know the truth. And it was falling to Serene to tell them. "C'mon, Karra, please." She smiled at her 'big' sister but Karra could tell she was uneasy.

Moving to a fiction for this conversation.

[Bannon]

Bannon watched them go from where he'd been observing the pow-wow, sat on some kind of rune-marked stone off to one side. Curiouser and curiouser. He sighed and stubbed out the used-up cigarette before moving over to the group gathered around the divination bowl, looking over Aeonian's drawn-up plans and listening as they discussed different groupings of heroes.

Right now, he didn't have anything to add. They were hammering together a workable plan, and all knew each others strengths and weaknesses better than he did. Sometimes the best thing to do was pay attention, shut the hell up, and help out in whatever capacity the planners decided was best for you.

[Djane]

"Hey, Aeonian's got a plan. I think we need to go take a look."

Djane fluttered away from Echo's side, and over to the rest of the group.

[Celestial Centurion]

Click to reveal.. (Perception)

Roll: 1 +7 Modifier -20 DC = -12 FAIL.

[Aeonian]

Click to reveal.. (Perception Check)

Roll: 12 +10 Modifier -20 DC = +2 PASS.

[Tesstarossa]

Click to reveal..

TK's rolls Perception
Long6 *rolls* 1d20: 9+11: 20 pass

Insight
Long6 *rolls* 1d20: 1+11: 12 fail

[z-Watchwoman]

It took some back and forth, but a battle plan was outlined. Aeonian opposed the plan; it was her idea and only she should take the risk, but Serene said, "We're Legacy. We fight together, and in this case, it means literally together."

The battle plan was simple. They were going to gather around Aiden in the "bait box" and hold against the MageLords' charge. Though Celestial Centrurion seemed unsure, Serene was sure that the League could hold until their allies came around behind and destroyed them.

"I need one more thing," Serene said to MountainShadow. "I'll need a way to protect my allies from my pheromones." She glanced around the circle, adding, "Unless you are all alright with being effected by it. Honestly, I'd rather have you protected, instead of exposed. Clear heads for the fight."

[Joani]

The Verdant Green – Combat Round 1

As the music grew into a crescendo Nixx could sense that something was wrong. A disharmonious voice tainted the melody and just as he realized what happened the leaves around him materialized into a humanoid, female shape with red glowing eyes. A hissing sound escaped her lips and the ground underneath him seemed to grasp for him.

Click to reveal.. (Entangling Roots vs. Nixx resisted by Dodge (DC28).)

Roll: 6 +10 Modifier = +16 – I suppose 16 won’t hit so no Resistance check necessary.

ooc: Next up in Combat – NIXX

[Joani]

Click to reveal..

Unfortunately no one passed the Insight check – but those who passed the Perception check notice a large round sphere-shaped ‘necklace’ that is part of Aina’s battle-armor. The round object looks like it is made of mother-of-pearl and is directly above Aina’s chest where her heart would be. It is roughly the size of an average human’s head.

The Ivory Tower

The battle plan was quickly spread and with the help of the Elves and Merfolk the troops were assembled and assigned their positions. It took a few hours to find a suitable place but fortunately the Dragon Witches were able to reshape parts of the forest and create a trench and hills just like Aeonian was looking for. The Frost-Giants observed and helped with their great strength and gathered large amounts of rocks which they could hurl once the sign was given.

Aina had retreated from the main force and stayed at the Tower stating that this was her place and she would defend it – it was her destiny but part of it seemed to be hurt pride. She looked at her son who had assumed his true shape by now – a majestatically large Dragon with the same scaled pattern her mother had when she was on earth (ooc:blue/red scales). He was almost as large as her and towered at least one Dragon’s head above his fellow Dragon Witches. Aidan seemed relatively calm and prepared to fight and he had absolutely no objection about playing the bait in Aeonian’s plan. After all, now that he knew he wasn’t alone made his mission even more important.

Almost two days with preparations passed before the Elven Scouts reported that the Horde was about to reach the forest. The weather had changed from a clear sunny sky to a dark overcast brewing herald of a storm – it looked like it was about to rain. Lightning and thunder approached from the north and followed the MageLord’s Horde in its wake.

Click to reveal..

OK – from this point – open RP/free posting. Who comes first gets served first. The attack will be imminent and without any further delay.

Nixx and Arcana’s combat will be sidetracked – once we’re through with that you can join the main force. Your success will have an effect on the outcome of the battle. Have fun. I take over as I see fit.

[Aeonian]

Click to reveal.. (Delayed Insight Roll)

Sakurako *rolls* 1d20: 6+10: 16

Aeonian reaches the site of the battle. She rode on the back of a Dragon Witch, asking her to fly as high as she can to the site where the team would make it's stand. She jumps off in the air and slowly falls,taking the time to survey the battlefield as she floats down, her robes catching the wind like a parachute.

"Okay... I see them coming. I'm very uncomfortable doing this, i'd rather be guarding Aina personally. But this has to be done." Aeonian says over her ring. "We must make sure no one gets to the tower. NO ONE. She falls, WE FALL."

She takes the time to modify her staff's configuration of it's runes.

Click to reveal..

Spending a Hero Point to allow the staff to have a cone effect when it fires.

Click to reveal.. (Perception check to note the disposition of the enemy forces...)

Roll: 7 +10 Modifier +2 Circumstance Bonus = +19

[Celestial Centurion]

Herak was nervous. Thankfully his Cosmic Armor hid that fact quite well. On the outside the Celestial Centurion remained impassive and motionless, a seeming statue before the Ivory Tower. He was not of the League, his path was laid out for him by a higher authority. His duty was to ensure that this place did not fall, or so he believed, and as such he would protect the tower and its contents and mistress.

None of that was what had Herak nervous however. He had been forged in fire, and tested in battle. He had saved the league from the crushing hell of despair and restored life to Dawnstar, even if only for a time. Herak had every confidence in the abilities of his station. What worried him, what would have frightened him would that he could still feel fear, was the true power behind his position. None of the others were aware of his station's greatest gift, or if they were they chose not to show it, or ask about it. Herak was even unsure if Aina knew, if she did then she too had chosen to remain quiet about it, if she did not she too would find out soon.

Quietly, lest somebody hear him, he told himself, "I am Herak Lenidas, and I am the Celestial Centurion, Herald of the Star-God Hælious, Light in the Darkness, Champion of the Cosmos. I will not fail."

[Bannon]

The wind and the driving edge of the first rains whipped Bannon's white hair into his face and made his white jacket snap and flutter like a pennant. White usually indicated surrender, or at least parlay, but there was little give in the stone-like expression on the young-old man's face as his pale icy green eyes regarded the dark line that stretched all around them, a horde of men and monsters drawing nearer by the minute. Above the northern edge of the horde the stormclouds gathered, and Bannon thought it perfectly fitting.

He tried not to dwell on what was coming. He'd fought in battles and wars over the course of his long life, from the early World War's of the 20th Century all the way through to the Sigma-Sirius conflict of 2375. He'd killed and seen friends die, and was heartily sick of it.

"Find someone and stick by them." he called above the whipping of the wind, his voice calm and unexcited. "Fight as a team, stay with your team. And above all stay alive, for God's sake. Heroically dead is still dead. No rushing into heroic odds, no accepting challenges to single combat, and no splitting off from us. You do any of that, and you may as well dig yourself a hole and climb in. Save the Magelords the bother. And that goes double for you, son." He levelled a finger at Aidan warningly, a gesture that would be almost comical if not for the gravitas of age that radiated from the youthful face and the weary authority of a voice used to command. "Got that?" Aiden nodded his great head.

"Good. Now has anyone got a light? I need a smoke." Bannon lifted a cigarette to his lips, watching once more as the dark horde drew nearer.

[Nixx]

Nixx beheld his attacker with surprise. His singing halted as he gaped at the sudden hostility. He did not, however, stop playing his instrument. Instead he struck a chord to match the stricken expression on his face, as if it had been produced by his own vocal cords (or whatever his vegetable equivalent might have been).

He paused for a moment to regain his composure and reach a new bar in the tune. Then he sang out at the offending fey. "Hold my dear, I have only just arrived! Surely I can not have taken any action to deserve your ire. Please be civil, voice your complaint."

Click to reveal..

Nixx is going to hold his action to give the leafy lady a chance to respond in kind. If she's still bent on hostility he'll attack properly.

[MegaGirl]

When the tiny white man said find someone and stick with them for the fight, Karra instantly strode to stand with her new-found siblings... Well not new-found since she'd known Serene for years and years and they hadn't found Aidan, his mother the Mean Dragon Lady had pulled him out wherever it was he was, so maybe new-known siblings was a better term.

Anyway, she stood with Serene and Aidan, powerful, immensely strong muscles tense, eager with anticipation for the battle to start, apparently not in the dispirited by the size of the MageLords' army. She was big and strong and standing with her friends and they were all heroes, everyone said so, so the thought that they would lose never even occurred to her.

In her head, empty as it was, suddenly flashed the sight and sound of a demon taunting her for her naivete, but she quickly quashed it. Karra had a mother back home, all small and sick and just out she had a sister and a brother - even if Serene said they were only half sister and brother, they didn't look like they were missing pieces to her, so she considered them full sister and brother - and was going to make sure the MageLord dummies didn't hurt them ever!

"I got it, but we're not saving the MageLords, we're stopping them," Karra informed Bannon gravely, balling her hands in huge fists and stretching her massive shoulders. She inhaled deeply, taxing the limits of her limited - and completely unnecessary except for the rudiments of modesty provided - armour and let out a frigid breath, which condensated in the warmer, moist air. "And see! I can make smoke, if you need that."

[Bannon]

Bannon gawked silently for a moment up at MegaGirl. Some might have assumed he was ogling her assets, but his expression was familiar to most of the League members present. Pretty much all of them had felt the emotion written on Bannon's handsome face at one point or another when MegaGirl spoke. It was jaw-dropping amazement.

"That's not smoke, it's conden-" he looked at her beautiful though vacant eyes and gave up, throwing up his hands. "You know what, never mind." Muttering something under his breath, he turned and moved to the small contingent of elven archers drawn up just below them on the hill, noting that some of them had torches set in the ground before them to ignite arrows. He nudged past the line and bent down, keeping his hair clear of the flame and dragging on the cigarette until it was glowing nicely. Then he straightened up and smiled wryly at the elves, the cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Don't suppose any of you lads has any booze?" he asked. Several of the nearest ones shook their heads, their features taut with concern at the approaching enemy. Bannon eyed them, puffing the occasional smoke ring. "You all heard what I told the big kids, right?" They nodded. "That goes for you too. Stay alive, keep the man next to you alive. And we'll all get rat-arsed afterwards." That got some small smiles from the troops nearest him as Bannon clapped the closest one on the shoulder and headed back to his position by Watchwoman and the other Legacy members.

"The rain's good. I can do some tricks with wet ground and clothing." he told her conversationally. "I'd watch out for lightning, though. This storm's going to make flying a bother - which is probably the point of it."

[z-Watchwoman]

Serene tried to keep herself busy as they waited. There were plenty of things to do, if your list included keeping up spirits. The young pseudo-nymph walked among their allies, talking softly to small groups, trying to take their mind off the upcoming fight. Some of them would die: they knew it and she knew it but neither group allowed themselves to really think about it. Instead, Serene promised enough dances at the victory party for a hundred nights of celebration, or made someone laugh when they didn’t feel it or just smiled and made a man feel taller.

This was a gift she’d always had; telling people what they wanted to hear. Watchman had taught it to her, but it seemed to her that she’d never used it quite so honestly before. This time, she wasn’t telling people what they wanted to hear; she was telling what they needed to hear: that they’d be alright. They’d all be alright. It was a lie. Her father had taught her how to lie and she’d done so flawlessly, but it seemed that she’d never told such beautiful lies. It will be alright. We’ll send the MageLords packing. I’ll see you after the fight. So many lies but Serene had never felt better about it. It was almost enjoyable; lying to make others happy.

The young woman was troubled by a thought as she picked her way through the allies; she’d never done this at home. Watchman had taught her how to lie, scare people into telling the truth and generally be an aloof, looming figure. She wouldn’t even be comfortable trying to comfort an army at home.

The rising wind was a signal to rejoin the others. She returned to the group in time to see the look on Bannon’s face at Karra’s statement. Serene smiled fondly at her half-sister as Bannon wandered off for a light. Serene had no idea what he was doing, but it smelled pretty bad. She didn’t understand why he did that.

With a shrug, she found a rock to perch on, putting her head slightly higher off the ground than normal. Her red eyes were fixating on the horizon, but she didn’t see the storm. She was thinking – about who she was here, who she was at home. Which was the real Serene? Probably the at-home one, which was a shame, because Serene rather liked being this girl. She was happy most of the time, smiling easily. She didn’t feel like she had to hide.

Bannon returned to find her sitting on the rock her, legs crossed loosely in front of her while she leaned back on her arms. It was provocative, but the girl seemed innocently unaware of the way she was sitting. She listened to the white-haired man comment on the weather before nodding. “I’d do that myself,” Serene said, her voice thoughtful. “When you fight dragons, best to keep them on the ground.”

Bannon. He was older than anyone else here and a League member. He knew the real world better than the fantasy people, and he was familiar with Earthlings. Though the world had changed, people were, at heart, much the same. Best of all, he had experience without being one of her father’s friends or collogues. “Bannon?”

“Mmmhmm,” he hummed around his cigarette, his green eyes shifting to her.

“If you looked like a villain, would you hide your appearance?” Her expression was carefully guarded, but it was clear that there was more than simple curiosity behind the question.

[Bannon]

He studied her for a long pause, the wind ruffling his snow-white hair as he pondered her question, or so she thought.

What a question for the kid to ask. Poor girl - of course she would be troubled by it. His gaze took in the red markings, the eyes, and he smiled slightly, the expression softening his features as it reached his eyes for the first time since they'd unfrozen him.

"Budge over." he said companionably, moving to sit easily beside her, situating himself so the wind carried the fragrant smoke away from Serene. He puffed once, then threw the butt away, turning to look at Serene's profile beside him.

"When I was a lad..." he began with a wry smile, looking off into the distance. "Okay, seriously now. If I looked like a villain... a well-known villain, I presume?" he asked her casually. When Serene nodded, he did too and continued. "Right. Well, if I looked similar, even closely similar to a well-known villain but wasn't them, in fact being a hero proven and tested..." He looked at her again. "I would make sure that everyone knew I resembled that villain." He said firmly, then let that hang in the air for a second or two. Serene blinked.

"That way, I'm not hiding who I am. That way, I'm not ashamed of it. There's no dirty secret to worry about keeping, no canker eating away at my soul. I would call all the press together and say 'Here. You know me now. I'm not that person, I'm me. And I'm going to demand that you judge me based on who I am, and what I do, not what I look like.'" he said softly, then shrugged, glancing at her. "It won't be easy. People love to judge by appearance. But if you announce it, if you share that secret and your worries about it in a public venue... well, people don't really have anywhere to go, do they? What are they going to say? You'll catch some flack from the wingnuts, and then people will get over it and life will move on."

[Arcana]

Morgania was poised to attack herself, but as Nixx chose not to attack, she followed his lead, even as she slowed her dancing to his music, and coming to a stop. Her sorcery shifting to a different aspect, she now floated in the air, and prepared to counter any attacks the unusual woman might make. She also wanted to know who this woman was, and why she was attacking them, sense they were seeking to help the forest.

[z-Watchwoman]

Serene nodded, but she wasn’t sure she could do that. He made it sound easy, but there would be questions. It wouldn’t bother Serene that much, though it would hurt to have people look at her as Amore’s daughter instead of their hero. Worse was the thought that they’d find out that Watchman really was her father. Then they’d know what Amore had done to him. What Aina had done to him. Perhaps Karra’s gentleness was a reflection of the positive relationship her parents had; DawnStar hadn’t had to coerce or effectively rape him.

He must have known another Irzarkian; her mother wasn’t that old. The things he’d said when he woke up seemed to support that; perhaps he’d known her intimately. “Not her. Like her though.” “Familiar, yet different enough that I couldn't presume to know you. A fresh start, no baggage. She never smiled like that...” It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him, but something about the way he’d talked about her smile made her stop. That was none of her business.

Bannon was waiting for her reply, but with a patience a man his age should have never managed. Serene didn’t know quite what to say. He’d given her good advice, but the knowledge that he’d put the pieces together well enough to understand why she’d asked had made her suddenly shy. Oh, I’m going to be mortified by this when we get home. After a moment her chin thrust forward. In for a penny…

“I haven’t been seen in public, unmasked, since I was twelve,” Serene said softly, giving up the pretense with no warning. “All of us… children of League members don’t seem to care. But I can do what she does, to a more limited extent. People would always wonder if they liked me because of what I did, or because I made them like me.”

“She?” Bannon asked gently.

“My mother.” Serene leaned forward and drew a leaf over her shoulder, fidgeting with the frond. “People love her… but that’s because she made them love her. Everyone else is afraid of her. The people she cheated want to see her again, especially men. Anyone not under her… influence avoids her like the plague. I can do that, too. I did it to a man and he betrayed all his friends when I wanted him to. He still asks about me, from jail.” Years of silence threatened to pour out and Serene stopped with effort. “This really isn’t the time, and I’m going to hate this later, so I’m going to stop there. Thanks, Bannon for… the advice.”

[Bannon]

"You're welcome." he said laconically, musing as he stared off at the approaching army. "You're so much and yet not much like her, you know. She never agonised about why people loved her except near the end." he wanted to say. "It took her a long time to learn kindness, a long time to learn true empathy. A lot of hardship and loneliness to be able to understand the need for those things."

He wanted to say these things, but he didn't. It'd distract the girl, cause her focus to waver. He decided to tell her something else instead.

"We're all supposed to surpass our parents." he said quietly, one corner of his lips twitching upwards in a wry smile. "The good parents want us to, and the bad ones don't, or don't care if we do." He turned again to look at Serene, his expression grave.

"I can't speak for your mother. No one can but her. Your father, though, seems to want you to be better than her, to protect you from the prejudgement of others until you could prove that you were." He paused for a significant moment, meeting her eyes. "From all I've seen here, I think that time has come, Serene. Your friends will stand with you no matter your decision." He planted his hands and pushed off the rock, standing and offering her a hand up.

"I will too, of course. The League fights together." he said with a sharp grin.

[Tesstarossa]

Teletha smiled. "that we most certainly do. It's time to see just how far this magic can go."

She nodded, and held her staff tightly, before striking the ground with a resounding crash. In an instant a Magic circle formed beneath her feet, the emeral glow suffusing all around, the writing in a long-dead terran language, but one that held true power.

Her blue eyes shone green, as magic and mana poured from her. Though they fought Magelords, at least one Magi fought with the Dragons.

"Occupo totus res per infinitus dedecor vires , manuum of turpis." The ground all across the battlefield began to shake, and the young magi grit her teeth. Her long tapered ears pointed back, as a great rift seemed to form around a section of the approaching horde, the ground was cracking.

"That won't hold them long, someone said.

She grunted, and raised her hands.

EGO liceor valde Terra ut permoveo effrego super meus hostilis in a calx pluvia.

two hundred thousand tons of earth, stone and enemy horde rose high into the air with a speed that threw many from it, moving over a section of the horde that had only watched in awe, and no small amount of fear. From the ground safely behind the line, Teletha brought her hands together, and the great mass of earth shattered, raining stone, metal, and bodies down upon the horde beneath.

Some were able to protect themselves, and their squads. Most though only saw hurtling stones, then blackness. A precious few, they saw the black-clad magi with emerald glowing eyes, before the first real demonstration of her power closed their eyes forever. For the few seconds of the rest of their lives, they would never forget the cruel smile the tugged at the corners of her mouth, so like the smile of their masters.

Some things never changed, regarding magi.

[z-Watchwoman]

“The League fights together,” Serene echoed with a bright smile, taking his hand and jumping off the rock grace and more than a hint of feminine bounce. That smile took a shy cast and she held his hand a moment longer. “Though I’d like to call you friend, too.”

Bannon’s answer was lost in the roar of sundered ground being flung into the sky – and on the advancing army. “I think we’ve started,” Serene said, pulling her batons loose. Instead of the black metaliplastic rods, the batons were now made of wood, their thorny lengths twisted together. “Huh,” she said, blinking. “That’s… special. They look so… wicked.”

Straightening, she looked out over the battlefield. The slim girl swallowed once; then she let go of the grip she’d maintained on her powers since arriving. Her Al-shecs glands open, their glow becoming brighter. Anyone who had ever seen Amore in action knew what was coming. Serene’s pheromones washed over them, merely smelling wonderful. Those within Serene’s sphere of influence looked at her with new eyes, their expressions adoring. Each person smelled something different within her cloud – whatever smell meant ‘love’ to them. For the man behind her to the left, it was the smell of his wife’s hair; the woman next to him could scent the flowers her beloved picked for her every spring. The League members could smell these scents too, but they were unaffected by it, protected by Aina’s magic.

Quietly, the girl waited, ready for when the enemies came within range of her powers.

Click to reveal..

Emotional Control, DC 22, emotion: Love, Area: 15 foot radius cloud

[Aeonian]

It's not where she wanted to land, the oncoming storm saw to that. But she made it right at the head of the oncoming army like she intended. Although behind the foreward force, her intensity climbed in her motion, her staff glowing from it's reconfiguration.

"Foul deeds awaken..."

Her staff's crystal opens, revealing a turning set of gears and springs.

"Murderous intent takes flight..."

Her mask closes completely around her face like a helmet, forming a three pointed, platinum crown.

"Light dims on the horizon..."

Her robes change configuration, forming a tight set of padded armor over her body.

"Except for mine..."

silvery and golden threads forming circuit-like patterns of artificer magic begin to glow.

"In the darkest night, starless and grim..."

The staff forms a tuning fork from it's transformation.

"I AM AEONIAN - VICERINE OF THE ARTIFICER LORDS OF HOUSE GAL'ADIN!

AND I SHALL PUNISH YOU!"

She slams her staff into the ground as tremors transmit through to the enemy, signalling her location. Her voice amplified like thunder...

"JUSTICE LAYS IT'S CURSE UPON YOUR DARK CONSPIRACY! YOUR SINS SHALL BE YOUR WEAKNESS! YOUR LEGS SHALL FALTER... YOUR STOMACH QUAKE... AND YOUR EYES DIM!!!"

[Bannon]

"Dramatic." Bannon said mildly to no-one in particular as Aeonian's voice rang across the battlefield. "So much for fighting together and not making glorious stands." He tilted his head up and squinted at the mass of storm clouds that were almost overhead, roiling in from the north, then sighed as Serene's perfume caressed his senses, bringing with it centuries of memories of those loved and lost, making him a feel more than a little melancholy. As he expelled the breath it condensed in the air, small ice particles crystallising in the vapour.

"Time to do something about that. We're going to need our mobility if the Artificer wants to showboat." he muttered somewhat sourly as the falling air from the front edge blew the first squall of rain across their position. The drops stung his face, driven as they were by heavy winds, but he kept his gaze firmly on the clouds, tucking his hands into the pockets of his white slacks. Standing beside him Serene realised it was suddenly getting distinctly chilly. Very cold indeed, she reassessed a moment later, a small aura draining the ambient heat from immediately around him.

Miles above them, the roiling clouds were pulling up warm moist air from beneath, drawing it up high into the thunderheads that towered above the lower clouds before it cooled and fell once more, the cyclic action that creates a thunderstorm causing the heavy winds, rain, and lightning from the energetic activity within the billowing grey mass.

Then Bannon's power took hold. And though his psychokinetic abilities were strongest at the atomic level rather than with huge weights, they were no less massive in scope.

A hundred feet below the cloud layer, for 16 miles radius in every direction but down, the air cooled to about 60 below zero degrees celsius. The warm air that fuelled the engine ceased to rise. The reaction moved up through the cloud, stifling the nascent lightning as it introduced heat-death to the dance of atoms, freezing the water particles before they could reach sufficient height in the thunderhead to fall heavily, which in turn would kill the wind and turn the driving rain into a dense but drifting snowfall.

The first drops of rain on those below, both Magelord and League armies, began to give way first to sleet, then drifting snow, the harsh gusts of wind eddying and dying away to gentle flurries.

"It's still not comfortable, I know." Bannon told Serene and the others nearby as he continued to stare up at the clouds, his formidable psionic abilities doing their work as snowfall began to dust his shoulders and cheeks. "But we can fly in it. I'll keep an eye on the weather - if the Magelords want to induce the storm again, they'll have to fight me to do so." He threw the 'kids' a sly wink. "And I'm probably older, and definitely nastier than they are." He looked at where the encircling horde was beginning to charge now, then smiled humorlessly. "Let's hope I'm nasty enough."

[SalmonMax]

A little off to one side, Echo stood and waited. Tess and others declaimed and demanded, but Echo was silent. Glimmers of light refracted around the insides of the crystals that poked from her skin. They ground together when she moved, and it set her teeth on edge.

She hadn't asked for this; to be remade by some foreign dimension's rules and lists of equivalencies. She'd come on a mission of mercy, and had been violated. Every cell in her body invaded and transformed. Nor was she the only one. It had happened to Jane too, twice. And Echo was no stranger to it. Matrix 'upgraded' her at his whim. Took her memories. Her feelings. No one could be more thoroughly naked than she was to him. It. Whatever. Deep down, where not even the AI could scan, a small but growing thorn of resentment which would one day flower.

Crystals raised up in ripples, engulfing her right forearm and forming a strange configuration of glowing gems in place of where her hand had been. Whatever problems she had were not currently important. The oncoming battle was for life and death, not just of individuals but of a world. She was ready.

[Aeonian]

Aeonian's staff hums as she walks up to the team gathering at their position. "Ladies... Gentlemen... We're about to get stuck in now."

She brushes off some dirt from her reconfigured battle-robes.

"Although I think Teletha is already bringing the heavy artillery. I swear she's a military genius. Serene, I'll be assisting Echo and keeping her protected while the skirmishers hit. I will need everyone to make sure if it looks like I'm gonna use the staff to keep to my left or right. The setting I just made fires off at a 90 degree cone from the tuning fork and crystal. At least, that's what went through my mind hitting runes on this thing."

She turns to Echo. "We need to make sure the Mage Lords and their allies can't scry our battle movements. I want as much fog of war as you can provide. Can you provide a countermeasure?"

She then takes her stand next to Echo, and sees Bannon close by.

"Bannon, if you can do that, can you control the winds with precision? I am absolutely certain they have aerial units. If we got them so do they! We need to make our skies friendly and theirs miserable! Can you do that?"

[SalmonMax]

Echo nodded.

"I had a full ECM suite in our own universe," she replied. "If it changed, then I should be able to block enemy sensors and communications in an area."

She lifted her 'weaponized' arm and added, "And this should let me neutralize enemy spells and mages, again, if it works the way I think it does."

[z-Watchwoman]

Serene opens her mouth to reply to Aeonian, but Echo was speaking. Serene waited until her teammate and friend was done talking. The red-eyed girl gave her a nod, adding, “Good to know that we have a neutralizer.” Echo’s self-doubt didn’t seem to be bothering Serene a bit; her gaze was full of faith in the other woman’s abilities.

“Aeon,” she continued, looking at the mage, “don’t tell the others what to do. I know you’re new to the team, but we’ve all trained for this and we know what we’re doing. Bannon in particular has more experience than the rest of us combined, probably. Focus on your abilities, step in if someone needs help but don’t try to orchestrate our actions. Once the fight starts, we won’t have time for that anyway.” Serene had remained calm while speaking; she was offering advice to another member of her team. The only sign that Aeon’s words had angered her was that her spots began to glow redder, until they seemed to be smoldering. Then the smell rolling from her changed, becoming something hot and acerbic, angry and abrasive. The looks of love from those affected by her changed to glowers and stares of rage.

“And you are responsible for making sure that teammates are not in your line of fire,” Serene added, “not your teammates and allies. If you don’t have a clear shot, don’t take it.”

Serene glanced at said allies, watching them fume and grumble. “Uh,” she muttered, “I… I think I did that.” With effort, she shifted the pheromones back to the softer ones from before. I need more control over this. I have to start practicing with them. The thought made her a little ill. But her mother had warned her that her abilities might grow in time and it appeared that she was right.

I can’t hide from it anymore. I can’t be afraid of it anymore. She drew in a breath of air, tinted with her own pheromones, and focused on her powers. She needed the enemy to love her; she needed them to die for her. I’m sorry… she whispered to the unknown enemies and allies who would lay their life at her feet and die happily. She lifted her chin and prepared for the oncoming horde. I’m sorry, but I don’t see another way.

[MegaGirl]

"You did what, Serene? At least you're going something," Karra grumbled plaintively, her irritation fading away into her habitual, vacuous cheer as Serene regained control of her pheromones. Still, Karra flexed her hands, her powerful breath gusting the snow into a mini-blizzard, a trace of her pique lingering.

Everyone else was doing something. Tessa was dropping the ground on the bad guy horde and Noonian was saying something impressive and important - probably - and waving her glowing staff around. The funny white-hair boy with the funny stick in his mouth turned the rain into snow, which she rather liked for some reason - the cold certainly didn't bother her. Crystally Echo made her arm do weird things and was probably going to do something cool and naked Serene was flourishing their sticks and doing leadery type things like a leader should.

But Karra didn't have anything to do herself until the bad guy horde got into arms reach. They were still too far for her blizzard breath and she was supposed to stay with the team instead of jumping ahead and starting to smash heads. How she wished she could Whoosh, then she could at least be doing something.

Seeing the pile of dirt and rocks Tessa had made on top of the enemy, Karra suddenly had a bright idea. "Hey! Oh, right! I can do that! And I can even doing from here and stay with the team like you all said."

Karra strode over to the pile of rocks that had been gathered for her just like the other giants, the ground trembling under each step, and picked one up in each hand. Despite each one being larger across than the other Legacy members were tall, she hefted the boulders as easily as if they were pebbles.

Just like she saw on the holovids of spaceball, Karra blew on her boulders for luck - and incidentally coating them in a sheath of ice - then threw them at the approaching horde. With more power than an orbital mass-driver, the boulders plowed through the ranks of the MageLords' army, then crashed into the mountains behind them, forming large craters.

"Streeeee-rike!" Karra boomed.

[Aeonian]

Aeonian glares at Watchwoman. "I know my role, but it's a Leader's position to take advice if given..." She says, not taking a confrontational tone, but she sees a potential problem that could cost the team.

"There I go... wait... don't show weakness... show understanding.", Aeonian thinks to herself. Then she speaks further. "My intent wasn't to circumvent your authority and this isn't the place..." She says taking a proper position and making sure to show she definately is watching her line of fire. "...I'm sorry. This isn't the time for such conflict. Our enemy is out there."

[z-Watchwoman]

Serene gave Aeonian a smile before turning back to the enemy – and finding them far closer than she remembered them being before. She had time to draw a single deep breath before they closed – screaming hordes of minotaurs, goblins, orcs and essentially every cheesy fantasy novel ever was displayed before her.

The sound of them hitting their battlelines was like the loudest bowling strike ever. Serene was startled by the sheer noise of it. She’d been warned about this by her father – he’d never really expected her to be in fight like this, but had trained her for it anyway. Serene braced herself as a minotaur focused in on her, club going high – and stopped.

Serene smiled as the massive bull-man scented the air. He wore no loincloth and Serene strained to keep her eyes up instead of down, a task made harder as his attraction to her became immediate. “Help me,” she said, pointing behind him. “Protect me. They all want me, too.”

With a roar, the creature spun, planting his club in one of his former allies. The gnoll barely had time to look surprised before his skull caved in from the blow. So that worked, Serene thought to herself, trying not to feel sick. Another strange creature rose before her, only to turn on his companion when the orc reached for Serene. The pseudo-nymph held her ground, keeping the effect in place.

For thirty feet around her, allies and sworn enemies alike turned their attention to the destruction of the MageLords, each secretly hoping to be the one who would capture the slim green prize goading them on.

Then a manticore slipped through and he didn’t look as impressed by Serene. A wide mouth full of wicked teeth lunged for her and Serene snapped out her batons at it. The thorns drew deep gashes in the creature, making it fall back, hissing. The scorpion tail whipped at her, which Serene dodged. But the poison dripping from it still sizzled where it hit her skin. Wincing, she ignored the pain and danced around the monster, taking it down slowly.

Before she could finish it, Aiden’s massive head snaked down and caught it. Serene saw the thing wiggling in her half-brother’s teeth; then a toss of his head sent it flying away. Its wing were crushed by her sibling’s teeth, fluttering uselessly as it disappeared from battle. “Thanks!” she shouted, realizing that it was useless to try to talk. She turned back to directing the enemies in her thrall, keeping an eye out for anything that managed to avoid being controlled by her.

[Aeonian]

Aeonian nods to Watchwoman. She's not a soldier, she's just a librarian... an inventor... and today she's having to reinvent herself. Her friends lives are on the line, and she's going to do her best no matter the cost. Back home there's a woman who's life is measured in months, not years. Back home there's a trans-dimensional warp possibly ticking down to an invasion from hell.

It all comes down to this. If she were anyone else she would be urinating in her armor.

"Echo, I got your back until your defenses are secure, then I'm assisting the rest of the team..."

As she says this, a goblin rogue jumps out of seemingly nowhere wearing a invisible cloak. Aeonian sees him and lets him have it by jumping over the short creature and hitting him full-on and point blank with a blast from her staff. He goes down unconscious from the violent upheaval in his guts and starts choking on his own vomit. She grabs his dagger and coup-de-gras' him through the throat. Black blood splatters on her padded armor and visored helmet. She spins her staff to a defensive position and tosses the dagger into the dirt.

"There will be no skulduggery while I still draw breath!"

Her actions inspire many high elves preparing to attack with longbows, they knock their arrows and draw their marks on the oncoming horde. Today, the enemy fights in the shade.

[Tesstarossa]

TK let the others do their thing, moving far enough away to fight with a clear head.

The first thing she did was grab a mass of the armor-clad enemy infantry, and begin to squeeze. Their screams meant nothing to her, nor did the explosion of gore as she compressed them into a tight round metallic sphere. Now that she had the first round of amunition, she smiled.

Stand back from the frontlines, she reached up into the air, sending her newly crafted projectile high into the air, almost into orbit.

Well behind the enemy lines the massive siege engines and battle towers moved ever closer slowly, knowing the allies had little to deal with them.

They saw the young mage bring her hand down and never saw what happened, as the sphere of metal began it's descent well in excess of the speed of sound. It struck the ground with the force of a dozen bombs, The shockwave flattening everything in a hundred yards, and shrapnel from the explosion cut down virtually everything that lived as effectively as an old claymore antipersonnel mine.

She laughed "Looks like I found my Arcadian railgun." She repeated the process several more times, destroying a great swath of the support forces the enemy had brought with them, and in one instance an entire formation of enemy infantry.

Her allies had never seen her fight this way, with a level of what could only be called malice-filled cruelty. She was enjoying the slaughter, virtually lost in the thrall of her power.

[Joani]

The Frontline

The MageLord forces were caught in Aeonians “Killzone” and with disciplined dedication the Legacy Heroes managed to maintain control over the battlefield. Wave after wave got vanquished by the joined forces of sword, arrows and supernatural powers.

The battle was raging and the losses on the heroes side were few but still the MageLords outnumbered them vastly. Everyone felt that if they couldn’t make a decisive strike the Hordes would sooner or later wear them out. As the heroes regrouped to reassess their situation an elven scout reported of a small group of Ogres led by a twin-headed Ogre in robes were trying to flank their position. They were breaking through the slighty weaker defended posts and couldn’t be stopped by the regular troops. It was clear that their presence was needed there to make sure their battleplan wouldn’t be thwarted.

Aidan nodded at his half sisters signaling them that he would be commanding the troops at the Killzone to keep up their strategy while they would deal with the Ogre-Shock troop. With grim determination the young heroes set out, guided by the elven scout to face the approaching enemies. They had the advantage of terrain but if these Ogres broke through their side they would lose that advantage and jeopardize their entire battle plan. Succeeding here was elemental.

Karra was the first to spot them, half a dozen of brutish and large looking Ogres wearing heavy armor and giant axes and spears made of a supernatural shining metal – weapons crafted in the Dragonforge and able to pierce Dragonscale like butter. Their leader was a twin headed Ogre who stood half a foot taller than anyone else wearing a mixture of robes and light armor. Energy cackled around it’s large frame and hinted at the power this Ogre-Mage was wielding. As soon as they were spotted the Ogres charged while the Ogre-Mage unleashed a powerful chainlightning blast at them killing rows of soldiers that were instantly incinerated. Ergs of energy pathed their way over the mudded ground leaving scorched earth behind.

Click to reveal..

Everyone please roll Initiative and add it in your next post. Combat starts once I have everyone’s Init.

The Verdant Green

Originally Posted By: Nixx

He paused for a moment to regain his composure and reach a new bar in the tune. Then he sang out at the offending fey. "Hold my dear, I have only just arrived! Surely I can not have taken any action to deserve your ire. Please be civil, voice your complaint."

The Leaves-Fearie stopped a moment, irritated by his voice and words. Her red glowing eyes turning back to a pleasent greenish tone. She blinked at him and opened her mouth but no sound escaped her lips. He could see that she was trying to speak, though.

Leaning closer to listen, just in case her voice was just too low for him to understand Morgania had to restrain herself to call out to him. Nixx was an easy target now if the Fearie proved to be hostile but she had to trust he knew what he was doing.

His ear was almost touching her lips but he still couldn’t make out any sound. The green-leaved woman looked at him with endless sadness and put her arms around his shoulders, then she slowly pulled him closer as if to kiss him...

Click to reveal..

Nixx can easily break out of her embrace – will you let her kiss you or not?

The Ivory Tower

From the Tower the Celestial Centurion could see the battle at the frontline. Even though the heavy rain reduced the viewing distance the sheer number of forces deployed was discernible. The attacking horde mostly in black and brownish colors, while the heroic troops were dressed in their flags colors showing proudly were they’re from ranging from vibrant greens to deep sea blues and sunlight like yellows.

The battle had lasted for several hours now and it looked as if their battle plan was put into effective use. So far none of the attackers have managed to make a breakthrough and even come close to the Ivory Tower. Still the Celestial Centurion remained focused and tensed. He could almost feel that something was about to come.

“They’re trying to breakthrough.”, Echo reported zooming in on the battle map where the Ogres had managed to start their flanking maneouvre. Herak acknowledged the update and nodded briefly. His allies would have to deal with that threat and if they failed his presence would be needed here, at the tower.

Just as the Ogres attacked the Celestial Centurion felt an itch in his neck which quickly spread over his entire body. He turned around to look at the tower where the Dragon Queen was restlessly staring into the distance. She was poised to join the combat but forced herself to hold back. His eyes looked past her and he made out a strange distortion in the sky, almost like the rift like scare they left just outside of Earths Orbit. Blackness oozed through the gap and then as if the fabric of reality itself was torn apart it splashed over the tower like black vile. Aina was instantly covered under the liquid and her angered scream was quickly muffled by the all encompasing blackness.

There was a dreadful moment of silence which was only interrupted by a dark and sinister laughter just before the rift closed. What remained was the oozing blackness which had now covered the area around the tower. There was no sign of the Queen or anything else, just all consuming blackness... and it was slowly expanding...

Click to reveal..

CC and Smax/Echo please roll initiatives and add it in your next post. Also state what you’re going to do, thank you

[MegaGirl]

Karra was wading into the vanguard of the MageLords' army, and with her formidable strength and stamina, her huge fists sent groups of enemies flying with each blow, her hurricane breath driving them back, pelting flesh with rock and wood torn from the ground. And still, the unending hordes kept coming. It wasn't fair.

Then the little elfy man came and told them about the Ogres coming after the other little elfy men and now, the League was going to stop them. Big people shouldn't pick on little people, it's not nice. Let's see how they like it! Karra thought fiercely, drawing herself up to her towering height as the league went to confront the Ogre company.

And though the Ogres stood twice the height of the elves, and heavy with fat and muscle and steel, the blue-skinned giantess stood taller still, her well defined muscles possessing a strength far exceeding their already prodigious mass. She loomed threateningly over all of them... except one!

The one with two heads, who threw lightning from his hands!Which wasn't fair! She had tried to do that before, but she couldn't even pick-up lightning, it kept slipping between her fingers.

The lightning writhed through the soldiers with them, blasting them to ashes, the Ogres charging in behind those twisting tendrils of energy.

"Noooo!" Karra bellowed, inhaling deeply, the air shrieking through her parted lips as she prepared to answer the lightning with a blizzard of frost and ice, and charged straight at the Ogres charging them.

Click to reveal.. (Initiative)

Roll: 7 +8 Modifier = +15

[Aeonian]

Click to reveal.. (Initiative check)

Roll: 17 +6 Modifier = +23

"Looks like here comes their brute force solution!" Aeonian shouts, pointing towards the Ogres. "Heads up!"

[Celestial Centurion]

The Centurion exploded into a blossom of light and power his physical form igniting like a beacon as he shot into the air. Tailing burning plasma the stellar being rapidly ascended to the peak of the tower pushing back against the darkness with the burning light of his own form as he searched for signs of Aina and studied the inky fluid blackness that was oozing down from the parapet. "Aina! Do you yet live?!" he called out hoping that should could hear him and still act.

Click to reveal..

CC activates Stellar Energy Form (alternate form, move action)

• Insubstantial 3 (plasma energy)

• Immunity 2 (Solar/Stellar effects & damage)

• Movement 3 [space Travel (universe)] [Limited (must travel through a star)]

• Damage 13 (close) [Accurate 1]

Hoping to gauge what kind of action will have the most effect on the darkness. Insight check: Roll: 14 +7 Modifier = +21

Initiative Roll: 8 +5 Modifier = +13

[Tesstarossa]

TK smiled. She had just the thing for this Ogre Mage.

Click to reveal..

init

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3106500/

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