Avenger Assembled

-Avenger and Belphegor are too far away to be hit by area effects from the melee inside the church, though that may change depending on whether or not Avenger goes to help his buddies (as a hero should!) or whether or not Bel does opt to go inside the melee. -The Nullifying Field is Perception Range; also Distracting. Hitting her isn't the problem... -Dark Star, Nullify does indeed affect you as well. Make a power check for all your non-innate powers currently active to find out whether or not they stay on, trying to beat her DC of 27. They all turn back on during the next round on your initiative anyway. -I'll post next, since Avenger's up. Then Dark Star, then Dabbler, then Bel.

You are correct, Moira!

In that case, don't worry 'bout a thing. ;)

Ouch; I didn't mean to do that well on the Fiat reroll! That's a DC 33 Toughness save and a hero point for Hellbound.

I need a Notice check from Belphegor. DC is 27

Took the liberty of rolling for you, Dark Star. For those keeping track, that's Nullify 12 (all powers, Nullifying Field.) [The Nullity of the Void]

"Greetings, Dark One," replied a cadaverous individual wearing impressive gold mystic seals about his neck and chest. He was absurdly polite, under the circumstances, and eyed Belphegor carefully despite the harried activities of his followers as they ran for the nearby van. "We are under siege by unbelievers," he agreed, hand on his goateed chin as he hmmed thoughtfully. Handing off his bag to a speedy follower, he asked "Bael, I see two options. While I could benefit greatly from your assistance in summoning our dark lord, you could, I wager, be greatly helpful in dealing with our attackers. What would you prefer?" His tone was bizarrely mild, though dark, like one of Hell's middle managers offering a choice of tasks to an evil underling. And Belphegor had ample reason to know about that! - Sister Sixtus screamed in indignant rage as she slammed into the ceiling, her staff glowing with unspeakably wicked supernatural power. What looked like just another piece of gaudy mystical trash suddenly proved itself to be far, far more in that terrible moment. Even as she slammed against the ceiling, she screamed a terrible word of death and pain that tore through the air, ripping great mystical holes even in Dark Star's awesome command of the forces of gravity! The gravity broke as she spoke, and she fell again to the earth, fragments of ceiling falling around her as she landed. Dark Star had slammed her into the roof hard, but she'd shrugged it off as if it were nothing. "Not today, bunky!"

The beast fell victim to Hellbound's grabbing arms, wriggling horribly in the wrestler's powerful, experience grip. Hellbound felt the creature's bones break as he struck and grappled with it, muscle and flesh weaving and unweaving horribly beneath his grip. The beast's eyes were now a crimson red; they'd certainly made it angry! Even as the others watched, the beast's wounds healed up before their eyes, broken bones sealing themselves shut right through torn skin! Now an even more horrible assemblage of teeth and flesh, the monster screamed and pivoted, driving its claws directly into Hellbound's thigh! The blade sunk deep, bursting right through the other side! Avenger replied with a kick to the thing's face, unfazed by its fearsome mien. To his fury, though, the beast shrugged off his kick as it turned against an iron-hard jaw, blood and bone spraying without doing any actual damage. The beast's resilience was horribly impressive; even Hellbound's burning blood pooled and rolled right off its blasphemous skin!

Avenger was just a few steps behind Nightrival, slowed by the difficulties imposed by his powers. Supernatural grace is one thing; flying and mystical powers yet another. Either way, convincing Nightrival that he was just an ordinary man meant that Avenger had to make the slow climb up the flank of the building himself. Once there, though, he impatiently helped Nightrival open the door, his added strength making the job considerably easier! The hinges were surprisingly quiet as they opened, oil having been carefully applied to the hinges despite the rust on the door itself, admitting the two night-time vigilantes to the top of a flight of fire stairs. From down below, they could both hear the mystic chanting from below and the ominous sound of reply. The voice below was deep and melodious, for all that the words it chanted were harsh and anti-thought. The blasphemous words were a bizarre counterpoint to the thrumming dance hall music below; the singer very concerned about the "batty man." "Propose we find power box inside; kill the lights," suggested Avenger. "Give them their darkness."

At the Fens, yes?

That's an Arcane Lore check to recognize the Staff of the Necro-Kings as an unspeakably powerful Lemurian magical artifact that should _not_ be in the hands of some loser cultist. Not that it's impossible; it's just really bad!

Flying through the door revealed to Scarab a nave in chaos; figures in red robes running around like refugees from the Inquisition, gathering up various blasphemous-looking artifacts and fleeing through the rear door of what was once the sanctuary. "It's all on you, Sister Sixtus!" called a familiar voice, the cadaverous cult leader moving with remarkable alacrity as he scooped up a leather satchel by his pulpit and ran for the rear door. Sister Sixtus, for her part, stepped forward with a confident sneer on her broad, pale face, raising high a golden metal staff marked with serpentine colors. "You'd better get back, hero! Your powers are nothing before the powers of the Staff of the Necro-Kings!" Sure enough, the staff did crackle with bizarre supernatural power, seeming to make the very air itself blur around her as she raised the mighty weapon high. Sixtus herself was standing near where the battered SUV had landed, still on the ground as she glared up at Scarab. Meanwhile, Belphegor hid overhead a loud commotion followed quickly by a tremendous crash inside the church, all the signs of a building rapidly falling into chaos as someone came bursting in the front door. No sooner did he knock on the door than it was thrown upon almost in his face, a red-robed, red-faced man greeting him with a startled look on his face. "Oh my...um, Satan! What do you want?!" There were quite a few other people behind the man, a crowd cut short in its escape by the demon in the door.

Me too!

It's a simple building, looking a bit like this in an urban, grittier setting. http://www.citysanitarycommercial.com/y ... 00_std.JPG The windows in the doors are corroded over with grime and decay and can't be seen through. There are several windows obscured by newspaper sheeting along the side walls, but around the back there's an unguarded back door with a single nearby (apparently abandoned) panel truck. There is a door in the roof, one of those "top of the stairs" little enclosures leading down inside.

Standing on the roadway where Dark Star had deposited him, Avenger made a single, involuntary noise as Scarab knocked an SUV-sized hole in the door as easily as waving her fingers. "Good work. Meet you inside." As was his wont in combat, Avenger disappeared at that juncture; heading around the side of the abandoned church as fast as he could run through the dark shadows of the evening. This church certainly didn't feel holy, if anything, rather the reverse! But Jack had no idea what divine magic would do to his undead flesh, and if he was going to react to any displays of power, better to do it where his friends couldn't see him.

OK, our initiative order is Avenger-19 Dark Star-19 (holding his action) Scarab-18 Jumped-Up Dabbler-15 Belphegor-10

Might be more prudent (and fun!) to sneak in. ;)

I'll put myself on the maybe list; I'm trying to avoid getting into any further threads until I finish at least one of my current ones. If I finish Break-In soon enough, I'd be happy to jump in with you.

Yes, Hellbound's Fearless does as described. OK, our initiative order is Hellbound Monster Avenger Moira Go Hellbound!

Leaning close to the door, Nightrival couldn't hear anyone close to the door. That could mean no one was there; it could mean they were just very sneaky. It was hard to tell either way, especially once the sound of music he'd heard before resolved into what sounded like cthonic mystic chanting. Not speaking French and without much command of arcane lore, Nightrival was hard-pressed to figure out exactly what the man inside was saying. Whatever it was; it sounded bad! Beside him, Avenger was pressed against the door as well, his blue eyes narrowing. "Making more. Making more powder."

The Jumped-Up Dabbler rolled 15 Avenger has a total of 19 Dark Star?

There was a problem? :confused: Avenger is in the Fens running down the lead he found on the demon dogs; he asked for Scarab's help in finding them. The only issue was making sure everything was taking place at the same time.

Roll for initiative, please. Avenger's Initiative is 8 The Monster's Initiative is 23

With a sudden roar, a hideous beast burst from the muck just behind Avenger, slashing at him with huge, terrible claws. Avenger shouted a warning in surprise, leaping forward away from the beast's massively extended claws even as they tore through his cape and slashed open the rear of his costume. In the gloom of the sewers, the three heroes could see the hideous beast before them; a terrible monstrosity in the shape of a man with black obsidian claws burst unnaturally from the backs of its bloody hands, a stocky, misshapen body covered in hair and matted blood, black, staring eyes and bloody, pointed teeth bared in a feral roar! As the beast roared, its black eyes turned a horrible red, its shout enough to strike fear into all but the hardiest of souls.

I still need those Notice checks from you guys. And then, monstaa!