NationStates Jolt Archive

Did Rob/Fortier/Imitora's just get killed/seriously injured?

Yep...after four long and fun years of RPing as Robert Fortier, he is dead.

Tis almost saddening to kill off a character after so long...

I'm assuming CW's approval is enough. If not, Tanara, I'll delete my post and leave.

Hi Eagles,

Sorry, I should have posted yesterday. Tanara and I both had bad days IRL. But she is fully aware that you are coming in, has approved your bio as is and I'll be sending you a TG with a possible modification that she suggests if you so choose to use it, but certainly don't have to, and I made her aware that you would be posting today. Your all good, no worries.

And WELCOME! As you can see, I knocked off a character to fit you in.

JUST KIDDING PEOPLE. Fortier died at Imitora's request. I wasn't happy about it but I understood the reasoning. A man like Fortier should die in the battle helping someone else. Best way for a man like him to go.

Anyway. Glad you could join us. I'm sure Tanara will post here or TG you soon.

Central Worlds

Whoo, wah.

Seems like Imi has just personified the Bush Doctrine all by himself; Shock & Awe.

Dead, huh? Too bad......so what next, Imi? You still in this game or what?

FE, interesting character. Especially her age...... ;)

Sorry Free Eagles, as CW said yesterday was horrendously bad. Had a MB implosion, and RL did just about the same.

Welcome to the game.

And NO GU! This is so not the Teen Titans.

All Characters die eventually, and it's how they die that makes the finishing touch to the legend that they build about them in the game. Fortier couldn't have chosen a better way to die, one so in keeping with his soul.

However we still have trouble, and it is definitely Trouble. You all have wounded, and your numbers are less than they were ( you definitely do NOT want Charli takin part in the next firefight )

and a huge LOL apparently the ST's are all of British extraction/stock? Or Red has a pathological hatred of the British...

Aw, shucks, Shal. My Halliwell kids are practically the only ones around under the age of 20; can you really blame them if they start feeling lonely? Even more so, can you blame them if they feel like building a more solid relationship with the only person their age?

I mean, c'mon. They're only kids; they'll want to have a peer their own age to confide in sooner or later. :p

(And before you think this is an argument, I'll just state that I'm just messin' around, as usual ;) )

Grin

Nooooo. If you recall, Red was born in the London area. No one knows where since she was left in a dumpster as an infant, but she's British. Being american I just have a hard time thinking along those lines usually. Maybe I'll recruit Free Eagles to help me with her jargon, being as he's from the U.K.

No prob, Tanara, I think I misunderstood the post you made after I posted my bio, which is why I was confused. I thought it was aimed at me, but on further consideration, I think it was referring to Imitora's char's death.

I made a minor addition to Pandora's bio, stating something which I had already decided on, but forgot to mention, and then Tanara/CW suggested it to me, so in it went.

GU, Pandora may be 17ish physically, but mentally? who knows...

Edit: Hmm, you want me to think British for you? I even live near London. First thing that springs to mind is that 'Limey' is an American term for Brits. I even remember the origin... I think you want 'Yank/Yankee'.

LOL I have no problem with the three teens getting tight- it'd be natural.

and gee folks now you all have an unknown about outside time pressure. The nice lady will be ther sooner rather than later.

Having to reboot the router will be back as soon as I can.

Whoo, wah.

Seems like Imi has just personified the Bush Doctrine all by himself; Shock & Awe.

Dead, huh? Too bad......so what next, Imi? You still in this game or what?

FE, interesting character. Especially her age...... ;)

Yep, I'm still in. I have a character who has been watching the fight all along, and it was approved by Shal and CW. You'll see him shortly.

And I asked CW to kill him off, I had the idea planned out for a while, I was just waiting for the right RP to get him in. I kept it quiet becuase I wanted it to be a real suprise. It was funny, though, I was talking to Shal about it, and she got upset because I lied to her, saying that my new character wouldn't kill Fortier. I was like, I said my new guy wouldn't kill Fortier, never said anything about one of the shock troopers not killing him.

My new character will reveal itself to the group shortly. I think it will scare the living (and dead) shit outa Kristy, maybe a few of the others as well.

Lets just hope he doesn't get shot at - people are a little on edge ( and thats my entry for this weeks Understatement of the Week contest...)

Yank or Yankee. Yeah, we have to talk FE. I definittely want to get her more in character. I never knew that Limey was a reference TO Brits I thought it was a reference FROM Brits. Just goes to show you how much I have to learn.

There is a hold on all posting. No posting please

CW, we need to fix a problem. The plate glass wall has been blown out by the missiles, no problem. How ever the angle of fire is all wrong - even if the iconoclasts were at the area where the box office is I don't think they can put rounds into the club area. the width of the outer ground floor area is indeed 50 ft, but the height of the ceiling that is over the club area is nearly 100 ft. and while one can see that there is a half wall - one can't really see past it from ground level at that angle. and the catwalk/ balcony level above is just to high period.

Also the two tubes - the structures that housed the elevator cabs - are gone, Sian imploded them ( yes and no one noticed ) the structural is gone NOT just the elevator cars themselves.

The glass stairs are mostly intact - Loki just ruined the upper most section.

http://www.atddm.com/cains5.jpg

http://www.atddm.com/fof1.gif
Remember that the club area is about 350 ft wide - so the group, being near the north end is about 250 feet away from the half wall/ stair entrance area ( which cant be used as Loki busted the what last* twenty feet or so? ) * by last I mean the 20 feet nearest the top, where the stairs let out on to the Main Level

Edited

Carry on with the story.

erm, folks we're hosed. The back way in is 'minimally' concealed - meaning that is is just discretely blocked from prying eyes that aren't too snoopy. Some one doing a good three sixy of the building wiill find the back/ delivery entrance - the driveway from the nearest street just curves and a high wall & shrubbery provides a visual barrier. And while that back door may be a steel core fire door, it's not really armored...it is locked from the out side ie needeing to be opened from the inside.

and our snoopy friend may well run into some of our remaining Were population as they are sneaking out of the building.

and I just love making it worse...

oh yes worse indeed...kkkttktkkkkk...anticipation...

Shal, if and when I catch you on MSN, I've got something to discuss with you and CW about my next idea for Kristy's Virgo Aura......

And on another note, Shal, can you not burn the bodies of any of the next wave of Iconoclasts? Scott is going to want to pilfer some of their ration bars. Kids need lots of sustenance to grow, you know. :p

CW, I don't want to be nagging, but at some point Casca would like a rundown of what to expect with Iconoclasts from either Red or Godolkin. I'm trying to keep him in-character here, namely, he wants any available information that might be able to prevent another death and rebirth for him, a process which is excruciatingly painful.

Wasn't he in earshot when she went through it with Ryan? Things were a bit busy and getting so again, just the way it's working and a subject that she doesn't like to discuss. But if you didn't overhear, and you may not have, guess that's a judgement call for Shall, then on the plane she can go over it with everyone so she doesn't have to tell it to each character individually. Not exactly RP savvy but it saves my fingers.

Wasn't aware of Ryan being told the tactics that the Iconoclasts use. Specifically, casca wants to know the best ways to out-think, outflank, and outdo these guys. I'll go back and check, and TG you if the tactics that the ST's use aren't there. Oh, and Godolkin could show him how to use the Voice of God (big, extendable sword).

Yep, checked. No mention of how the ST's fight. Specifically, Casca is looking for what their modifications are, what can hurt them, what can't, how they normally set up while in battle (who uses what weapons, and how they position themselves) and how to beat them. He does not want a history lesson. He's been through enough of History as it is. He wants to know what Red and Godolkin know about killing Iconoclasts.

Also if any of you have the oppurtunity, I need you to go to http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=491916 and help get my Bird Flu thread off the ground and running. Thx :D

Just a few thoughts......

KA, you said Casca pilfered a Standard set of ST equipment off one of the dead gorillas. The thing about that is:

1) Didn't Charli already barbecue the whole lot of their dead bodies?

2) In the info page about the Iconoclasts, it's said the Minigun is "carried strapped to one fore arm, or shoulder mount -at least by someone with the strength of an Iconoclast Shock Trooper."

Is Casca that strong as to be able to lug around an ST's Minigun? Not to mention he's still got the Purifier (with fuel pack), a Staker, as well as a Voice of God.

I know Casca is immortal, but I didn't figure on him being THAT strong........


The next one's for CW, and it regards Godolkin. Far as I know, apart from being subverted by Red (the details of which I still do not know yet), the guy's just another regular Shock Trooper. And in their list of equipment, they pack:

"4) Ration bars that provide the troopers with sustenance that they’re alterations tend to drain quickly. This wasn’t a fault in the design but added in order to keep the troopers from revolting against those who provided what they needed to survive."

Uh huh. So what exactly is Godolkin living on, again? Perhaps Red knows the recipe of those ration bars as well, since from what I figure the ingredients used in these ration bars are kept a corporate secret?

I'll just state first that I do not yet know the full details of Godolkin's defection, and if this is a stupid question, you and Shal both are welcome to stake me to death. :p

P.S. Just as an afterthought, can normal people consume the Iconoclast ration bars? If so, I might have an idea for a running gag in the future of the series. ;)

You are very correct GU - Sorry KA but the ST's and their equipment just isn't there. You all are very lucky that Charli managed to hold on to her abilities. She her greatest weakness right there is that while she has immense potential she really only has expericence in sneaky/ subtle/small stuff ( ie easily hidable or explainawayable ) or over the top nova effects. She's never had the oppertunity or space to practise the mid range. Thats why the burns onthe Were's earlier were so severe, and she was so tenative in handling the situation. On the ST's she hit them with enough heat that their pruifiers fuel didn't even have a chance to burn. They and thir equipment were instant incineratoed ( in a creamatorium to reduce a human body to 'ash' you have to not only expose it to temps in the 1400 farenheit range but pressure as well and for several hours. ) She did it in seconds, with heat alone. ( and that might tell you how truely dangerous she will be some day.)

GU, those ration bars contain addictive substances, it too a visit from an Angel to cure Godolkin of the addiction ( in the NL 2 storyline currently on going ) and no they wouldn't do any good for Scott, they'd probably poison him.

And no neither Red or Godolkin know what exactly is in the bars. Sian has never had the time to get one properly analysed.

And like anything else on the bodies for the ST's, they're gone now courtesy of a very pissed of Charli.

and guys I think we have a far more serious problem that how those we just killed off fought.

Has any one noticed anything different about the new guys? Come one people thing about what you are reading here.

Also Imitora need a write up on yur new character, and I have some pics already, did some googling just a bit ago ( up on an all nighter as can't sleep ) - you're right did find some 'handbooks' out there. And that new mix is out on the soundtrack as a bonus. I'm going to pick it up later.

Quick question, what is the condition of the route back to the rest of the 'mini-mall'/hotel?

Lemme guess:

1) They talk,
2) They plan strategies,
3) At least one of them is a little conked in the head,
4) They actually have names,
5) And those are Russian names, at that.

Conclusion...........

Braknikov Troopers, no? And they're coming from both sides now, too. Seems like this is the time when the psionics will truly shine......

P.S. What the hell was that post with the Super Blackbird SR-80 all about? Is Cain's going to get blown all to hell by a nuke or something?

Okay, sorry for not much in the way of posting yesterday. It was a bad day.

KA, your right, I read it over, she didn't go over 'tactics', only history. I misread what you put earlier. She could if you really want to take the time and really force the issue, in other words push her to a point where she becomes frustrated about it. Ryan only got a history lesson because she was curious about him. His armor, his build, etc.

GU, Red had wiped out an entire squad in open ground. If she can get in among she's pretty lethal because of her speed and strength and because their weapons aren't designed for close quarters. (Hint there KA?) Anyway, Godolkin had all thier rations, and he was pushing himself to half rations most of the time even though it left him weaker. (Please keep in mind this is all information that your CHARACTER does not know, but your question is fair and reasonable). And they haven't been on the run for long, about half a year or so. (Though to them it seems like forever)

As Tanara stated he was visited by an angel after Sian, herself, through great personal strain, repaired a great deal of the intentional damage to Godolkin's psyche. (Thus Red's earlier rant, combined with something else that you'll see periodically)

Can you eat them? Sure. If you want an addiction worse than crack cocaine, and because of the overload of certain elements, cramps, diarrhea and heart racing worse than marathon runner after a sprint. If you like that, bon appetite. It would be funny as hell from an RP standpoint though for someone try one, but as Tanara pointed out, everything is gone. Unfortunetly. Godolkin doesn't have much left in the way of ammo as the mini-guns, typically left on full auto, eat up ammo. But Charli's actions were certainly understandable.

If I've missed any questions or didn't answer something as you expected then please restate the question. I won't be on much longer today, I go to a friends house on Saturdays but I'll be here for a few hours and always check when I get back before I go to bed.

Braknikov Troopers, no? And they're coming from both sides now, too. Seems like this is the time when the psionics will truly shine......

P.S. What the hell was that post with the Super Blackbird SR-80 all about? Is Cain's going to get blown all to hell by a nuke or something?

(P.S.) Yes you have 5 minutes to get out of the blast radius of the nuke. In that time you have to beat the troopers, get to something really, really fast and get away. No pressure.

grin

Just Kidding, You'll see what it's all about.

And they aren't all Russian names. Actually only Maxim is Russian. Each name has a specific meaning reflective of what they're like. One example:

Azrael is thier sharp shooter. Azrael is judeo-christian in origin and was the angel of death.

Yes, I actually took the time to pick each name and worked out the base skills and personality for the trooper off of that. Another example:

Gregorio, which is actually Italian, spanish in origin and mean's watchful or alert. Thus one of the two who caught the distant alarm and Sian's shout.

Why so much for people who are (hopefully) going to die? Because it gives me a good personality reference for better RP. I do try to make the RP interesting for all of you, I really do.

Just and FYI. You may see Red's vocabulary change as I work on her British persona. Just please bear with it as I get advice on it.

If you want Red to seem more British, just give her bad teeth and have her drink warm beer.

Now, about my new character...

Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt and kill.
William Golding, Lord of the Flies

Have you ever had the feeling, deep inside, that you were being hunted? Not just watched, nor followed, but hunted. What would you say if I told you that it was more than just a feeling.

There exists a race of beings from beyond our stars that defines life by the hunt. They live, and die, for the glory and honor of a good, clean kill. It is not hate that they kill for, nor the pure love of violence. It is the code of the hunter, a code of honor. They do not kill for the love of violence, but for the trophy. To hunt is their birth right. To be hunted is the greatest honor one could ever recieve from such a being.

Le luna di cacciatore

They come once every so often to our small, backwater planet. There have been many guesses why, some say its to teach us humans a place in the universe, to show us exactly where we stand on a food chain that we don't even know exists. Others say it is part of the ritual. First the soft skins, then the hard skins. However, there are some that believe these beasts from beyond our own reaches respect us. No, humans aren't as viscous as the hard skins. We aren't as violent as the geh'qo. But we are smart, resourcfull, and able. We are the perfect hunt.

Una luna cosí luminoso, esso i rivali il sole

They say it comes on the night of the hunter's moon, a moon so bright that it lights up the night sky. A full moon that sends even the most rational, sane being to the point of insanity. It descends from the heavens, bringing with it a wave of death that humans would never understand.

Viene versare il sangue di preda degna

Houston itself expierenced one of these moons weeks back, and the being came, came to hunt. Kindred, were, mutant, human, all alike were his prey, all falling before his blades. What were oft written off as a simple mess, a lycan on the loose, or a vampire gone crazy were really the effects of the hunt. His trophy bag filling by the day, bringing home with him the skulls of all that he believes worthy.

Lei non può vedere gli occhi del demone, finché viene la chiamata

Some say he is a demon. Others the boogey man. Few claim he is the product of all our nightmares. He has been called dragon, kracken, ghost, Jack the Ripper, Racksasha, or Dudu ya proini. He is the myth of legends, leap frogging through time and space to take on all who veiw themselves capable of such. He is Pya-gaun, God of Night (http://www.gothic.no/lostsouls/starscream/predator.jpg).

E viene cacciare

Stats: Taken from the Yautja Encyclopedia and Wikipedia
-Thermographic vision to 2000'. See the invisible through thermographic vision.
-They breathe 1% more oxygen, and 4% more nitrogen than humans. They can adapt to earth's natural gasses, but it could only last for 1 week at the most. If Dr Bergstrom is correct on her theory (Predator: Homeworld), this could be because this is what the atmosphere was like on Earth millions of years ago.
-They can hold their breath for several minutes.
-Can jump up to three times their height, and can fall ten times their height and land on their feet.
-Predators can imitate the speech/sounds of other species, but do not necessarily understand the meaning of what they say. They often imitate voices of the species they are hunting in order to fool or terrify their prey.
-They do pick up languages quickly, however without formally studying the language as a secondary skill.
-They can hear a whisper up to 50 feet away.
-Impervious to heat (boiling water gets uncomfortable after 5 minutes), invulnerable to electricity and to radiation.
-They are fast enough to dodge bullets, if they see them coming and can, because of their tough hides, shrug off most small-calliber bullets. (The key here is that it actually has to see the bullet fired, and be at a proper distance to react [Time, Velocity, Distance]
-They have no use for magic, and find it disdainful. Only cowards would resort to parlor tricks.
-Chances of a psionic Yautja are rare, but those that exist are unbelievably powerful, so much that they'll not hunt with normal Yautja.

The Yautja are larger and taller than adult humans, standing at least seven feet (Pya-gaun is 7 feet, two inches) tall but often much taller. Females are even larger (and stronger). The female Yautja are known to occasionally throw their mates during moments of passion.

An average Yautja weighs between 250-350lbs., most of this is pure muscle. The Yautja have very little body fat due to their predatory lifestyle and diet.
Children are smaller versions of the adult, and a male will typically father seventy or more "suckers" in his lifetime.

Like humans, they have two arms, two legs, and two eyes. Eye color is usually green or yellow.
They have long black claws, 4 clawed toes, thick skulls, broad shoulders, and large biceps. Their back is mostly bone.
Their mouths have four mandibles around them, much like a set of lips. Vertical slits of its mouth open wide to reveal inner teeth. These mandibles are used for communicating much like a cat uses it's tail to communicate it's mood.

They give off a musk other Yautja, and canines, can detect - but humans cannot. When canines sense them, they usually constantly whine, heads down, or else store out and make unhappy noises in their throats. Yautja's scent for aggression is an oily, bitter smell.

As far as environment, it appears that the Yautja prefer hot, humid conditions with an atmosphere rich in nitrogen.
"Not only could they press up against metal heated to 120 degrees Celsius without being burned ... they seemed to relish the heat." (From Predator: Cold War TPB)

Yautja have reptilian skin of mottled red, green and yellow patterns.
Their blood is a dark phosphor green, possibly due to different oxygen carriers in their hemoglobins. While humans use iorn to perform the actual task of binding the oxygen molecule, the Yautja may be using copper or something similar to it. Yautja have long hair that is braided into dreadlocks in an extremely painful ritual taking months to perform

Their blood neutralizes Hard Meat's (Xenomorph...the Aliens) blood's caustic effects (to a degree). It is also carbon-based (Batman vs Predator), which supports Dr Bergstrom's theory that they originated from Earth.

Pya-gaun is, like most Yautja in the Honored castes, a long time blodded hunter. He was the only survivor of a twelve strong hunting pack, and at an early age already claimed five Hard Meat trophy's. He has had his hair braided, and completed many other rituals. He has been on over a hundred hunts, all of them successful. His exact age is now, and will be, unknown to any human he encounters (if he chooses to leave them alive), but it is assumed by artifacts he carries (a flint lock pistol and naval saber) that he is at least 300 years old, if not older (note, that is by human years).

He prefers the hunt of the soft meat to the hard meat or other prey. While no where near as strong, viscous, or relentless as other prey, the soft meat (humans) is resourcefull, cunning, and quick to think, forcing many Yautja to rise to a new challange. While he does carry the standard arms of all Yautja, he clamis the majority of his trophys with his wrist blades, combi-stick, and side blade, leaving his plasma caster to the most dire of situations. However, he does fully make use of his cloak durring the hunt.

For more info, go Here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yautja) and here (http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Highrise/7256/).

Excuse me CW, but Sian is just going to have to interfear with Red suicide by ST. So sorry Charli, you are going to get a thump to start you thinking again as well.

And guys this is gonna hurt, Sian is only partially recovered...
and Theao you all can't get out that way as Charli's card key if off with Scott. and dragging this fire fight into an area loaded with Mundanes is NOT going to happen.

and great Imitora has taken to useing italian in his posts...whimper...

Excuse me CW, but Sian is just going to have to interfear with Red suicide by ST. So sorry Charli, you are going to get a thump to start you thinking again as well.

And guys this is gonna hurt, Sian is only partially recovered...
and Theao you all can't get out that way as Charli's card key if off with Scott. and dragging this fire fight into an area loaded with Mundanes is NOT going to happen.

and great Imitora has taken to useing italian in his posts...whimper...
Then do you have any suggestions on how I could get to the hotel/would Sian be willing to preform an aport?

If she ws conscious she would but she'd just reached the red limit...

ah but is CW really kidding?

and has any one noticed that more electricity is now available? Other wise why is the DJ's sound system working now...

Any other questions?

Though speaking in total honesty - getting the heck out of there might be the better part of valor.

However it's not as ...fun. We're having fun aren't we?

Red isn't commiting suicide. I want that clear.

Ummm, well not per se.

Like I said, Red can be lethal, especially in close combat. She's fast and she's strong. I balance that by having her be impulsive. Not thinking things through and generally getting herself into deep shit.

Her IDEA was to distract the attackers and let everyone get away. What she failed to consider in advance is how SHE was going to get away afterwards. You know, those little details. *grin*

Uhh, just to be clear, Casca only grabbed a sword. He left the other stuff. And based on laws of physics, for every ST to be a pile of ash, then Rob, probably Casca, Godolkin, and Red would be ash as well. Unless Charli could control that level of heat to a very exact shape and size. And again, Casca only wants the sword, as he would rather not use his old spearhead.

As for tactics, a quick rundown of how they fight, and how to fight them, will suffice, e.g: "They have very resistant body aromor, so unless you're packing a high caliber gun with aromor-piercing rounds, go for a head shot. They normally carry modified flamethrowers, miniguns, stakers, and retractable swords. Their formation is normally (staggerred, line, or block, but I think the posts said staggerred) with the first two using the miniguns, the first single using a purifier, the second two using stakers, etc. They are strong, have increased reflexes, and have a high pain threshold." Short, to the point, everything you need to know, and still lets Godolkin show Casca how to use one of their swords.

Godolkin can tell you that, just give me a game minute to get things together. Also it's Tanara's call whether or not you have the sword, Charli may very well be able to control her powers so that she can incinerate specific targets. After all she specifically said the ST's and not any of the other dead bodies in general. Based on her post I think Charli is incinerating exactly what she want's to incinerate. Let me get clarification on that and then I'll have Godolkin explain the ST tactics, so that I know if he needs to show you the sword as well, in which case he'll do both.

Gratis, CW.

I sure hope that Pya-gaun has learned one or more of the human languages in his time(s) here, oher wise we may be in more hot water. With Sian out your main potential translator is off line.

Hmmm, I wonder if I should add thought-reading as part of Kristy's Virgo hynosis effects, then. As in, she can't read the thoughts of anyone unless they want her too, and it's not like she understands alien languages either, but otherwise she can understand what someone, or something, is thinking. As long as she can maintain a hypnotic link.......your call, Shal, CW? Do I have permission to add that as part of the Virgo Spirit?

And some translations. These are courtesy of www.behindthename.com:

Odovacar: m Ancient Germanic
Means "wealthy and vigilant", derived from the Germanic elements od "wealth" and wacar "vigilant"...

Probably one of the scouts. Try not to mess this guy up too much when you kill him, he probably has stacks of cash in his possession, and one can never have too much money.


Gregorio: m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of GREGORY

GREGORY m English
From the Latin Gregorius, which was from the late Greek name Γρηγοριος (Gregorios), which was derived from γρηγορος (gregoros) meaning "watchful, alert"...

The other scout of the team.


Azrael: m Judeo-Christian Legend
Variant of AZRIEL... [more]

AZRIEL m Biblical
Means "help of God", derived from Hebrew עָזַר ('azar) "help" and אֵל ('el) "God"... [more]

For some reason, makes me think "Son of a Preacherman".


Androcles: m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek Ανδροκλης (Androkles) which meant "glory of a man", derived from ανδρος (andros) "of a man" and κλεος (kleos) "glory"...

Probably the rash, impulsive one. Dangerous, but he's probably going to be the one to spearhead the attack, and by association, the first to go down.


Maxim: m Russian
Variant transcription of MAKSIM

MAKSIM
Russian form of MAXIMUS

MAXIMUS
Roman family name which was derived from Latin maximus "greatest". Saint Maximus was a monk and theologian from Constantinople in the 7th century.

Which means he's probably the best warrior, and/or the leader of the squad. We have to watch out for this guy......


Vlastimil: m Czech
Derived from the Slavic elements vlast "power" and mil "favour".

Favours power? That's the guy who's going to be real trigger-happy.


Kallikrates: m Ancient Greek
Means "beautiful power", derived from the Greek elements καλλος (kallos) "beauty" and κρατος (kratos) "power".

Another one of the trigger-happy bastards......


Renatus m Late Roman
Late Latin name meaning "born again".

Oh, bloody hell. We've got a cat with nine lives as one of our enemies.


Are there any other of these guys I've missed?

And now we can't even go for the heads of these guys anymore. Just great, now what?

Well lets see....

Odovacar and Gregorio you nailed.
Azrael, as I said, was the name of the angel of death. He's the marksman.
Androcles, yeah, arrogant and prideful.
Maxim, yes, the most dangerous of them.
Vlastimil, good call.
Kallikrates, close but not quite.
Renatus, wrong, but I'll give you that one as it doesn't much matter, he was an Iconoclast shock trooper, thus, born again.

That's 8 of the 12, I've not mentioned the other names in the thread.

Question: Since the power has been knocked out for pretty much the whole city, 'cept Cain's, wouldn't the hotel rooms be inoperable? I was living up north when New England and the Great Lakes went dead a couple years back, and my buddies complained about being unable to get into their hotel rooms (they were on some tennis trip) when they got home.

"Then the generators have reset and we've got more power. The private elevator can take some of us down to the armory to restock. And shouldn't we get the civilians out of here?"

The hotel is part of Cain's.

Oh. That was overlooked. I thought that the partion of the street meant they were seperate. This simplifies matters.

No, they're connectd via overhead walkways, at least that was my impression. Might want to wait and double check with Tanara though, I've messed up this monstrous place already.

here ya go:

http://www.atddm.com/vert1.gif

Cains has it's own generators - so doe the east half ( Bayou Place / Armand Hotel and the Overlook Casino ) but as said in an earlier post their generators refused to start and that maintence was working on them -All have battery powered emergency lighting in all public areas but this is a very dim light.

Also please remember evey one - that from the start of the 'night' (game) to now has been less than an two hours, maybe two and a half at most -

and active combat agains the Iconoclast's took what - five nimutes at best.

and card key rooms have an power down over ride, they have to by code - dan't have the power down and people trapped in their rooms.

I'm gouing to discuss some things out of character that all of your characters would / should generally know.

those in /of/and around the Night Life know that the main rule, the sole thing that could be called a LAW - is don't bring in the Mundanes, don't involve them- yes every one knows that it's not absolutlely possible - look at all the Mundanes that do know about them ( you have to figure for every NLer out there there is one Mundane that knows about them - is it a comment on how few can be trusted? we'll save that for later )

But bringing a running firefight into an area heavily Mundane is not what is allowed/ looked favorably upon.

But the Iconoclasts also have to know that if they make it too open themselves too many questions to cover up may get asked - though they have the infrastructur to cover up a hell of a lot more than we do.

LOl you guys post fast - I take the time to make one kinda long post and you all have posted up a storm ( no harm in that LOL ).

Since I'm guessing the part about bringing the fire fight into the Mundane areas are partially directed at me, I'd like to point out one thing.

While Ryan is a part of the Night Life, he doesn't put himself among them, nor does he know much more about them except what Tanya told him/how to kill them, and he doesn't have any problems fighting amongst civilians/being responsible for civilian casulties.

Well Ryan is probably not going to have much of a choice. As Tanara pointed out it's an NL 'Law', but it's also what the Iconoclasts try to avoid, thus the reason the first ones entered the known NL location and why these, smarter, shock troopers are trying to cover all exits and entrances before trying to force an entry, so as to conain the fighting as much as possible. As she pointed out, they have the contacts and resources to cover alot, but word of mouth can be damaging.

Sorry if it seemed totally directed at you Theao, it really was meant to be a general reminder, and I apologise if it sounded overly directed.
Ryan is Ryan, thinks and acts like Ryan and I find that a very good thing!

GU, no I don't think that telepathy is close enough to her newly emerging telempathy to connect, at least not so soon. Projecting emotions if a pretty far step from transmitting or picking up on thoughts.

Now Sian was able to draw some 'juice' off of Kristy's tapping in on Virgo, it just wasn't enough in her current condition.

Sorry if it seemed totally directed at you Theao, it really was meant to be a general reminder, and I apologise if it sounded overly directed.
Ryan is Ryan, thinks and acts like Ryan and I find that a very good thing!

Don't worry about it, I understand.

Did the SR-80 launch a thermonuclear warhead at the place or not? That determines whether the people stay or fight, and I don't want to post a mistake, becuase I've been reading (Casca has been listening) but at this point I'm confused.

No a thermo nuclear device has NOT been launched towards ya'll's location. Never said one was - now non- thermo nuke has been launched at a satallite but it as I said is a non nuke kenetic kill satallite buster.

J'age was holding the worse one in reserve.

And please remember no sig's in ICC posts, please - Free Eagles I don't think you missed saw that request, it was made some time ago.

Thanks

Oops, sorry. Yeah, I did miss that. *Fixes*

Edit: There we go, sigs gone from all posts. Apologies in advance because I probably will forget again.

Fair enough, Shal.

Just so you know, I always intended the powers of the Halliwell kids such that when they are subjected to intense emotions, the potency of whatever Spirit they are using would spike quite a bit for a short amount of time. And with the combined shock of discovering people just like them, the brawling weres, the Iconoclast attack, and the death of Fortier, Kristy's kind of gone over the edge already, at least temporarily. If that's not intense, I don't know what is.

Basically that's why I had her disappear. If I assume correctly, those are Brakhinovs out there, and if I remember right, they don't have the Special Agents' mental shielding. What I'm thinking is that Kristy, having gone over the edge, would serve as a pretty good decoy for whatever these guys are; in her state, she may be able to cause an entire group of them to hallucinate, not just one focused strike like Sian was doing with her energy.

That's my current idea for the moment. Up to you, Shal; if you veto it, I'll just have Kristy pop up with the group again. If you're okay with it, she'll pop up near the main entrance next, at the very moment the first group out there comes busting in.

And that's a hell lot of noise Pandora is making out there with the two Brakhinovs......I'm going to assume Scott would have at least heard something, even from inside Cain's; a grenade and a dozen car alarms make quite a din, you know. If not, Shal, just take it that Scott just felt rather than heard something.

*Meeps* Ern, GU, I have utterly no idea if it would work or not. CW is the only one who really would - but I will mention ( and this is not meant to disaude you but more of a long look at it from a seperate persepective )

Halllucinations might well work against a group that were close enough together yes indeed - However-

1- how did she get down there? - the top section of the glass stairs were destroyed by Loki.

2- What's she gonna do to get away from there ( the front doors)

3- they aren't all in a group right not, and don't know if they have any intention of attacking all from one direction.- They have sent some one around back, though she and the rest of us do not know that.

and yes you are very correct, this is very intense/ traumatic.

And that's a hell lot of noise Pandora is making out there with the two Brakhinovs......I'm going to assume Scott would have at least heard something, even from inside Cain's; a grenade and a dozen car alarms make quite a din, you know. If not, Shal, just take it that Scott just felt rather than heard something.

I am pretty sure he wouldn't have heard it - the distances and interveining solid concrete with reinforcing, and the face that the fight is underground and any concussion wave I don't hink is enough to be felt at thse distances.

How far away in the open can a grenade be heard ? I've heard other types of ordinanace set off at reasonable ( ie what we thought was safe ) distances -and how far it carried in the open was a big difference than it carried in an enclosed area.

Yeah, buildings tend to soak up a lot of noise. It'll be loud in the immediate vicinity because of echo reflection, but it will get quiet very quickly as you move away.

Plus the grenade was set off inside another building, albeit an open one (the car park). And then there's the fact that there's a hurricane going on outside, which aren't particularly well known for being quiet. So I doubt you would have heard anything.

Theo, you need an edit. Your last post. Red isn't a vampire she's a mutant. She has the physical capabilitys but not the supernatural. But as I mention at least once if not more before, her eyeteeth (the fangs) cannot retract. Therefore they are very evident and she does look like a vampire.

Theo, you need an edit. Your last post. Red isn't a vampire she's a mutant. She has the physical capabilitys but not the supernatural. But as I mention at least once if not more before, her eyeteeth (the fangs) cannot retract. Therefore they are very evident and she does look like a vampire.
I know she's not a vampire.
Ryan doesn't think she's a vampire, but she's sounding a bit like one to him.
I was going on/figuring there were more 'symptoms' than just teeth, and that what he was going on(All the symptoms rather than just one).

Does this make sense. I know I might not be making much sense as I'm not feeling entirely well at the moment.

visual would be pale skin. Not really much else. Red's color ranges a bit from bronzed tan to somewhat light tan depending on how longs it been and how much activity she's been doing since her feeding, so she's light tan now. I'll leave that up to you. If your looking for everything then your right, she doesn't.

visual would be pale skin. Not really much else. Red's color ranges a bit from bronzed tan to somewhat light tan depending on how longs it been and how much activity she's been doing since her feeding, so she's light tan now. I'll leave that up to you. If your looking for everything then your right, she doesn't.
I'll leave it as he simply thinks she's starting to sound like a vampire rather than he thinks she actually is a vampire, K?

Oh sorry to hear that Theao!

well she doesn't have the 'pasty' complection that most have. She doesn't have the feeling that a vamp gives off either ( or at least as far as I can tell ) nor do her eyes glow, and she's made no attempts to 'roll' or control any one with any sort of vampiric powers.

Now I'm going to admit to being a little confused here.

So I am going to lay this out and please tell me if I am wrong.

Ryan- has tried to find out secret/ generally unknown ways to get back to his room. Does not want to be a part of any rear guard action.

Tanya ( waitress ) and Max ( DJ ) have suggested getting the survivors out via the tunnels.

Casca wants volunteers for what? I'm not sure exactly.

Charli has said something to the effect that she can get a limited number away - it sounds like a airborn transport landing on the roof, but will need time for it to get to Houston

Jackie is willing to follow the lead of some one more skilled in combat tactics than he is. But it has to be openly acklnowledged that he's gonna put Sian's safety first.

No one in the group has any idea of what the bad guys abilities are, what their tactics may be, what weapondry they carry ?

(Sorry Free Eagles you aren't with us yet to tell us )

as I see it we have three goals ( not necessarily in any order )

1) get the innocents out/ safe/ in hiding / dispersed

2) get ourselves out of here

3) find enough out about these new guys to have some idea what may be faced in the future

So we need to come up with a plan using what assets we have to get those goals accomplished.

Yes / No ? suggestions, comments, critiques ?

That's about right, but Ryan also doesn't intend to leave until he gets his stuff out of his room.

It's my own fault for being ill. Hot day + Biking long distance + Drinking multiple liters of water + Eating almost a kg of food that makes me ill(nine times out of ten) + No AC = Ill = Me being stupid

Casca is saying that he wants the three goals. Get the healthy, non-combatants to help the injured out of Cain's, using the tunnels that Tanya suggested. Enlist the healthy fighters to back him up to slow down anything that is coming their way. Disperse the fighters when necessary. And find out what those new things are, and what their intentions are. (What are they, so I know what to look for in the IC thread?)

Way I figure it, Use the elevators to get those that won't be fighting to safety. Possibly use Jackie's teleporting to assist. Take Sian downstairs, where she'll be safe, and pick her up when they run. Same with Fortier's body. Alternatively, when they need to get out, use the air transport that's coming, but get everybody else (the NPCs) out through the tunnels. Jackie, if able, could transport supplies to those on the main level (I have no idea what his powers are, could somebody fill me in?) and assist with the combat. Casca's plan is this, albeit in a less detailed format. He realizes that Sian is unconcious, and others need help, so he wants them out of danger first, before he tries to save his own hide from getting another couple of scars. He's asking for anybody that is fully able to keep up with him, he doesn't want the injured staying, as they'll slow down the rear guard he's trying to form and lead. Sound about right? Jackie's question for combat experience basically made me think you were trying to form a rear guard that Casca would lead.

Well I think there's one other thing which should hold top priority.

Just how in the hell are we supposed to get the pizza delivered?

Anyone?
Anyone?
Beuller?

ROFLMFAO!! Nice. Question? How do we ship online? Wonka may have been able to fax objects, but he never showed us how to do it.:D

Tan, Tg.

*Meeps* Ern, GU, I have utterly no idea if it would work or not. CW is the only one who really would - but I will mention ( and this is not meant to disaude you but more of a long look at it from a seperate persepective )

Halllucinations might well work against a group that were close enough together yes indeed - However-

1- how did she get down there? - the top section of the glass stairs were destroyed by Loki.

2- What's she gonna do to get away from there ( the front doors)

3- they aren't all in a group right not, and don't know if they have any intention of attacking all from one direction.- They have sent some one around back, though she and the rest of us do not know that.

and yes you are very correct, this is very intense/ traumatic.


Egads. I totally forgot about the broken stairs. >_<

Okay. As you guys may have seen, Kristy has gone missing; most of you would also know I'm doing it so as to put her in a position where I can have her pop up in a critical point if so needed. However, I don't want to end up screwing the intended direction of the plot. Thus, first off, I'm going to lay out what are my ideas for her;

Right now, Kristy can potentially be in an Over the Edge, or what I will call OTE, mode, due to the numerous traumatic experiences she has undergone in too short a period of time. In OTE mode, she is no longer aware of her actions nor the potential consequences, but in return, she gains a huge spike in the powers of whatever Spirit she happens to be manifesting. At this point, she's on Virgo; the power spike she could be experiencing now would allow her to cause a vivid hallucination in the minds of a small group of people. The best way to describe this effect is......you guys remember how Mastermind toyed with Charles Xavier in the X-Men 2 movie? Yeah, that's how.

Okay, now that I've outlined Kristy in OTE Virgo mode, here's three options I'm considering;

1) Kristy pops up near the front entrance, and enthralls the group that comes through there. While enthralled, she's going to mess with the mission parameters in the minds of the troops; potentially causing them to behave not in the way they were intended. Problems with that are as what Shal outlined; how she's going to get down there in the first place, and how she's going to get the hell out of there when she isn't even conscious of herself, much less know a way back up. I don't have a solution to that yet, unfortunately......

2) Kristy pops up near the back entrance that the second group is going to be using, and enthralls them there. Effects are the same as in Option 1, except that it's for the second group. Problem with that is how she's going to know they're coming through there in the first place when she isn't even familiar with the layout of the building; I could easily solve that by adding a dash of clairvoyance to her OTE-boosted powers, but that's potentially pushing it in the eyes of the GMs......

3) Kristy is found by Scott with the Cains' staffers, not yet in OTE mode, and using her normal Virgo powers to exude a wave of calm over what would otherwise have been a panicky bunch of NLers. Afterwards, she would be brought out of the area by her brother, still exuding the Virgo calm while evacuating the area with the rest of them. It's the easiest option of the three for me, but then she won't be in a position where she could be useful for something else afterwards.


I'm going to leave it up to an agreement between CW and Shal as to which option they want me to take. Of course, that doesn't mean you guys can't weigh in with your opinions too.

I have a question: What's up with the weather?

You started the thread with a storm that's knocked out power to most of the city. But now you plan to use an aircraft to evacuate the group from Cains. There may be something I don't know here, but pilots don't generally like flying in storms, particularly not bad ones and particularly not in built up areas that have no power.

So, has the storm died down, or do you have a rather crazy pilot?

Okay here's my version of the best explaination I can come up with Free Eagles. Some is based on know fact, some on good theory, some on "it happens in the comic boooks" and the rest well, consider who it's coming from ( namely me )

#1 pilot sanity- bites lip and looks sheepish - not necessarily so

#2- like anything to do with the weather, layers of atmosphere etc - hurricanes extend up into the atmosphere only a certain distance - they can be flown over - if you have a plane designed to go that high - and the storm watchers fly into hurricanes with ageing P-3's every Atlantic hurricane and every Pacific typhoon. Since 1944, when they first started they have lost 3 in the Pacific ( typhoons/cyclones are actually much more powerful/ worse than Atlantic hurricanes ) and 1 in the Atlantic.

The airplanes (except for NOAA's Gulfstream jet) fly directly into hurricanes, not over or around them. They bore into a storm from the outer edge all of the way to the eye at the storm's center and out the other side. On a typical flight, an airplane might do this a half dozen times.

and thats one rough ride -they do admit that

#3 This plane is not an agein P-3, but a beyond the state of the art - Sorry Godolkin but there is no such thing as an SR-80 in real life and even the SR -75 is only utter rumor ( the iconic black spy plane -which is still in use today- is the SR-71 ) and none of these has ever been configured for combat,or passenger carry. What I am calling the SR-80 is effectively the plane from the X-men movies - I'd give eyeteeth to find a picture of it, but with all my googling have not been able to find one at all -

The one in the game has votl capabilities, some of which is not purely the doing of the plane , but it's pilot has certain abiliies - as does the pilot of the one named Medusa ( the 'hard point' as the term got said to Charli and she used in turn ) Neither plane is an exact dulplicate of the other. They only have the two and used them juduciously. Of course they don't have a huge staff so they have to be careful with what they have, and go to vast pains not to let their handful of bases scattered around the world get compromised.

Not even Charli knows which base she is talking to, or really even if it is a formal base and not just some ones spare bedroom turned into an office.

However as this is the opening salvo of full fledged war by the Iconoclasts, so it is by them.

In reply to Gu and to mention this to every one-

The New group who has had members find the back door- that is the ground level back door. They still have to climb those back stairs to get up to the third level/ Main Level - also if they stop and investigate what is behind the door on the second level ...

*1) Do you remember what I said about the remaining Were's on that level- they may fight back and we could/ would hear that and know they were coming - plus it would by us some extra time.

*2) This is why I said that any of the club goers who took stairs down did not use the stairs with the external exit ( the door in that the investigating new group found )

*3) This will take them time to do - even just climbing the stairs takes X amount of time. Then when they get up they will find themselves in the back room - the storage room 'behind' / north of the bar - they will have to investigate that room - again taking time to find the doorway into the main room of the club.

It should take them at least five minuted from the time they enter - even if they go straight up the stairs to get to us...

AND we should have moved up on to the balcony/ catwalk level by that time if we are going out on to the roof to get picked up -

and if we are above them we can shoot down on to the Main Level below - notice / remember the half walls I mentioned? We can shoot down on them from three sides - North, west and south - the area over the back stage area is not a half wall but a full wall.

Scott can dump heavy tables down on them, Kristy could try her hallucinations out Loki could rain fire, ice and more down on them.

Could we hold the stairs - not likely for long - as I said earlier those stairs going up to the balcony/ cat walk level are 20 ft wide - not easily held but still something the new guys have to come up to get to us...though yes they can shoot up at us, but we do have the barricade of the half wall, and angle of fire...

*4) Now going back to GU - Kristy could currently be crouched ( but say hidden behind a table ) near the landing that mates the stairs to the Main Level ) and be waiting to try something when they have to cross the gap that Loki made.

Is this what you were looking for Tan, and if so, do I get a pick of which eyetooth?
http://www.silentthundermodels.com/images/desktop/x-men_jet_2.jpg

STOYAN: m Bulgarian
Dervied from Bulgarian стоя (stoya) "to stand, to stay".

The guy who stays behind and lays down covering fire, me presumes.


JAGDISH m Indian
Means "ruler of the world" from Sanskrit jagat "world" and isa "ruler".

Whoa, ha, ha. Looks like somebody has a hell of a superiority complex. This guy may be worse than Androcles.


DISMAS m Judeo-Christian Legend

Derived from Greek δυσμη (dysme) meaning "sunset". This was the name traditionally given to the repentant thief who was crucified beside Jesus.

Okay, the Bible isn't my specialty, so I'm going to hold off on analysing this one......


BOUTROS m Arabic
Variant transcription of BUTRUS

BUTRUS m Arabic
Other Scripts: بطرس (Arabic)
Arabic form of PETER

PETER m English, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, Slovene, Slovak, Biblical
Derived from the Greek Πετρος (Petros) meaning "stone". This is a translation used in most versions of the Bible of the name Cephas (meaning "stone" in Aramaic) which was given to the apostle Simon by Jesus (compare Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42). Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles during Jesus's ministry and is considered by some to be the first pope. This name was also borne by Peter the Great, the czar of Russia who defeated Sweden in the Great Northern War in the 18th century. A famous fictional bearer is Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up in J. M. Barrie's play.

Hmmm. So either it's a testament to his rock-hard skin, or his utter devotion to orders.

Okay then. I was just wondering. In other words, it's still not exactly safe for people to go walking about outside, but the plane, with Night Life abilities, can just about manage it.

And I thought the SR-71 had been retired, possibly as long as 10 years ago (from today). The US relies on satellites, U-2s, UAVs and (if it exists) Aurora for intel these days.

Okay, I'm taking Shal's advice when it comes to Kristy. Take note, though; she's in OTE mode and won't respond to anyone, and even if Sian tries to mental-read her; what she's going to get would be the psionic equivalent of static; she's not even thinking on the conscious level, and it's wholly the subconscious that's the drive behind her strange actions now.

LOL THeao, I'll give you an eyetooth for putting me on the right track- xmen jet -

and while the viewing angle is odd...

http://www.atddm.com/sr80.jpg

Free Eagles - "they" say it's been retired, others say Ha!

and the Aurora is designated as a launch from an SR-75 (supposedly - but I think it IS an SR 75 ) and it's what is has been sighted as leaving the odd donut shaped contrails for a few years now.

So who am I to say?

Now the eye is over the down town area for right now, and it won't stay that way for long, and it is night, but might well be safer to head up and out.

Pandora night not have taken in the sprawling, twisting tunnel system that links most of the downtown area together- but then again she may have. Easy to get lost down there, easy to lose some one down there, air conditioned, carpeted, water fountains to drink from, many, many small shops and boutiques to shop lift from, access to just about every building down town, and more than a few open to the air underground parks scattered about that you can get to from on the street as well as glass doors opening off of the tunnels.

We Houstonians love and need our air conditioning!

Hey CW, am I correct in understanding that only 1 grenade made it into the club, that the other 3 went over the side?

Only two were readied, not three, but otherwise your correct. One made it over the other was dropped as Red shot him.

Theo,

Please tell me what your doing in your last post. Are you walking over to the edge to shoot down? Because none of them are on the stairs now. And if you are heading over to the edge then I need to know, because Azreal has not moved from his snipe position on the ground floor, so if your moving over and firing down then he's got a clean shot.

Theo,

Please tell me what your doing in your last post. Are you walking over to the edge to shoot down? Because none of them are on the stairs now. And if you are heading over to the edge then I need to know, because Azreal has not moved from his snipe position on the ground floor, so if your moving over and firing down then he's got a clean shot.
Misread your post slightly, but no. He's waiting for any to come come in view of him on the floor they're on.

This is a GM Official Communication.

Please read what the GM's write, especially if they put something in bold or in color. Because it is not only important, but affects every one, either as a group or specified individuals. If the GM says something take it as FACT.

We understand actions taken where a character can not see what exactly is going on - such as Loki's water spouting the stairs - from his limited vantage point he could well guess that they were still on the stairs, so his actions are acceptable.

But King Arthur, you have a TGB, and I will repeat it here - you need to edit.

You werew at the "front / south side, stairs landing' of the club - setting up claymores - Charli and Ryan were at the "back/ north side/near the east end of the bar" - some 200 odd feet away from you.

also Theao, like CW, I am not too sure exactly where you are shooting from, or what you are shooting at - none of the enemy have shown themselves.

Okay Theo, then wait for KA's edit and then edit your own. You'll want to remove that your shooting because there's no targets and then change your according to Casca's change once it's done, but otherwise your fine.

Will do, my post will change once Casca's actions change.

Gawd. One day and I'm already late for the action......

Okay then. CW, I've noticed one big difference between this new group and the previous one; this time, they actually have personalities. And if they have personalities, then it must follow that they must have character weaknesses.

What I'm thinking is, Virgo-Kristy wields telempathic powers, and her OTE has just boosted them way up high; could I, like, have her use her powers to plant hypnotic suggestions into each of their minds? And different suggestions, each one tailored to a specific weakness in each of the new troopers' personalities.

For example, I could have Kristy touch on Androcles' pride and suggest to him that Maxim is taking all the credit, I could have her touch on Maxim's dislike for Androcles and suggest to him that Androcles is a liability to the mission, stuff like that. If so, I'm going to need to know what are the specific 'triggers' of each individual are, so that my girl can sow confusion and discord amongst the whole lot of them.

And oh, if at any time you see Scott doing something that might expose him to fire, feel free to have any of your troopers take a potshot at him; Taurus will ensure that he can take a shot even to the head, although there's a limit to his endurance.

Gothic,

I've already put more forethought into each of the throw away troopers (hopefully) than most (note: most) GM's would. Now your asking for a detailed psychological evaluation? Let me state this and then I'll field any other questions you might have:

1) These guys are still programmed, just not as intentionally mentally handicapped as the Shock Troopers.

2) They are completely loyal to Braknikov (Note: Completely as in utterly and entirely)

3) They are Fanatical. I hate to bring up bad memories for anyone, and it's certainly bad memories for me, but remember the twin towers? These are the type of guys wouldn't hesitate to fly a plane into a building if they felt fairly certain it would attain they're goal. Right now, they are working as a cohesive unit because they know how dangerous they're quarry (sp?) is. And I didn't help to lower that perception in recent events.

Now, please take all that into consideration and if you think you can come up with something within that realm which will work against them then I'll consider it. But just having the feeling that one is disloyal or 'taking the credit' won't do it. There are particularly viscious ways of dealing with troopers like that within the guidelines. Note Gregorio's post about how a trooper and be completely flayed alive because of the under skin mesh. In case there's a question as to what that means I'll say here:

Flaying someone mean's removing thier skin. For torture, it's typically done in strips until the person dies a slow agonizing death.

Unfortunetly, these troopers can survive it.

So, as I said, if you can come with something that can overcome that sort of torture for betrayal and still work within their fanatical guidelines, Loyalty conditioning and (yes, less stunting but still existant) programming then I'll consider it. I would prefer to not have to do a psych breakdown of each individual trooper but I will if it's absolutely necessary.

PLEASE NOTE: I know this response may sound a bit biting, but please understand that my mother is declining faster than expected and we have to meet with the lawyer today about any final preparations. So let me apologize now if this response seems unnecessarily harsh.

TG CW.

I'll take my post out for now, just put a bump in there, but I need to know what type of grenades these guys are packing. And as for the claymores, they act as regular claymores, right?

Gothic

The tables and chairs that Scott punched away came flying back towards the source of the explosion, coming in on the position of the newcomers like so many wooden, chair- and table-shaped meteorites on their position.

Maybe I wasn't clear on my post, and I'm beginning to think I wasn't. And this is a note to everyone. The troopers are NOT on our level. One trooper managed to lob a grenade over. Red hit the other one and he dropped it. When he did the troopers leapt off the stairs to the floor below, meaning the ground floor or the lobby, not our floor. I'm sorry if there was some confusion about that post, I hope this clears it up.

Fair enough, CW. I was just throwing out some ideas here before committing fully to them; that's what OOC threads are for, anyway. So with your input, I can now scratch that idea. Hmmm, what's next......

And sorry about your mom, CW. My condolences.

TG KA, concerning the grenades. As for the claymores I honestly don't know, they were Jackies conjuring so you'll have to check with Tanara.

As a guess, if you had them set already, I would say they set off between the force of the explosion and the resulting flying debris, but I'll leave to her.

Thank you GU. And yes, the OOC is for exactly that, which is why I wanted to apologize in advance if seemed a particularly harsh reply. But I meant what I said, if you can find something within those guidelines I will take it under consideration.

And KA, if you could do me a favor, copy and paste what I told you about the grenades to this OOC thread, just so everyone is aware, Mainly because I'm too lazy to type it all out again, I would appreciate it.

Editted, and you likewise have my condolences.

They're a high yield energy explosive. Range is a 100' diameter from the central point, but the concussive shockwave can reach up to 300', dissipating quickly from there so figure 400' max range. No one was in the 100' diameter, since this would have killed anyone less hardy than a shocktrooper, but everyone was in the 100 to 300 foot concussive wave area. It did kill Dismas (the ST that was knocked down and dropped the his grenade when Red shot at him) though our characters don't know this. They were designed to specifically clear an area to drop in forces. Hope this helps.

'Kay, there's the stats on the grenades.

Thank you theo. It's much appreciated.

Okay then, CW......so it's back to the old idea of having the troopers hallucinate, and see things that aren't there; make them see their objective, which I presume is Red and Godolkin. Except that the real Red and Godolkin are somewhere else, and they end up firing at illusions planted into their minds.

I don't know if the Brakhinov Troopers have mental shielding (Shal's info page doesn't make that clear), so I'm still wondering whether Kristy would be of any help in this mess at all.

Thank you KA.

Gothic,

Yes, for these troopers that is an option. Actually for these and the previous types of troops it would be. For the previous troops, in whom deductive reasoning was removed, they would shoot at anything that looked like thier target even if there was more than one. These guys can use deductive reasoning so a well placed single illusion would work but to many would be rejected and once they realize that illusions are being thrown around they'll be more slow to respond to them, though this could work to our benefit as well. Say, throw two or three illusions at them, one at time of course, until they begin to doubt their senses then put the real Red and Godolkin out there when they're slower to respond.

Alright, I'm out for a few hours to meet with the lawyer. Trust me, I'll be back. I use this as an escape from things IRL.

Fair enough. I'll have Kristy do just that on the next update.

Just one more question. How would you like it to work? For Kristy to bring the full force of Virgo to bear on the Troopers, she has to be in plain sight of them; however, once she is, the illusions she can create would pretty much render herself, along with all her allies, all but invisible to their eyes, while at the same time conjuring up the Red and Godolkin doppelgangers for them to shoot at.

Take note though, that Kristy's current OTE mode is very taxing on her; she can't keep it up forever. She can only keep up the illusion for so long, and then she'll fall into a state not unlike Sian is now. However, it should be just enough time to get everyone else a head start on these guys, at the least.

My question is.......do you want me to say what illusions the Troops are seeing and where they are seeing them, or would you do that for yourself? Because frankly, I've made Kristy's power flexible enough for you to take some control of it; if it suits your purpose, you can post what they see instead of I.

KA, the Claymores would function just like regualr claymores - Jackie can't 'twist' or alter from the template he has studied ( for example -he obtained and took apart a Barrett Light 50, studied how the pieces went together, how they worked in conjunction with one another ect - he can make duplicates of an object that he has 'studied and understands' - he had to make the bullets seperately - so the weapons are not clips of unlimited bullets )

And they only last till the light of the sun hits them.

GU, I don't remember CW and I discussing that they had mental shields - I think that hallucinations could well work on them ( but in the end it is CW's call )

And just let me say something. Just because one is not actively fighting the bad guys - say you are picking the door lock to allow the civilians to get out of the middle of the fire fight - you are still being a hero in my book. Too many seem to focus on just hack and slash/ blow the baddies away and yes it's not glamorous, it's not gonna make you a movie star - but it is a real and necessary.

Not every one has combat abilities, not every one has the temperment for combat - nothing wrong with that. Charli has done a lot of hunting, she knows how to handle a pistol as well ( both rifle and pistol skills are necessary when living in the remote areas of Alaska ) but she doesn't know combat. I'm very sure that with training that she could have been much more effective earlier, and after training would be more effective in the future. (scary notion )

GU, you chose characters with tons of potential - and I can envision them fulfilling it - but it is going to take time and effort on both you the writer and they the characters - Scott and Kristy are truly characters for the long run - and it will be fun watching them grow. I enjoy reading your posts, you are putting a huge amount of effort in them and it shows in the quality therein.

Perhaps Kristy could do those hallucinations, perhaps she could help calm the civilians and keep them from stampeeding back out where they become targets.

Okay so every one beat me to it.

and GU, I am going to suggest something to you - there is a form of invisibility that isn't but is - any one who has cats knows of it and we call it ( locally at least ) "Cat's Aren't Here" - yes they are, a camera will photograph them, a infrared sensor would pick them up - but for some one NOT specifically, deliberately, looking for them ( the intent had better be strong too ! ) right in the specific, limited in over all space area that they are in - you ain't gonna see them. You can walk past therm in a room for or five times, calling for them, doing a non specific look for and not see them.

Can people do this? Yes I know one woman who inadvertantly does it all the time - it's damned annoying. Me I do it when I'm reading a book.

This could be something that Kristy develops as part of her varied powers.

Ah yes, Shal, that's the idea behind my current plan for Kristy's next move. And yes, she's going to develop it in the future; when she gets older and learns to control Virgo better.

Then you may ask, why is she able to use it now? Simple answer; OTE. Like I said, this state of mind boosts her powers to a level beyond her current own, at great cost to herself; she's gonna run a real high fever later, when all is said and done in Cains'. In the future though (probably in a future NL series when she's about 18 years of age), she'd have mastered Virgo enough to call up the "now you see me, now you don't" aspect of the Virgin.

Sounds good, no?

Sounds good to me!

GU,

Here's the problem I see with your idea, 'she has to be in plain sight of them'.

That means she has to get in sight of them and then use her power, which leaves a time delay between being in sight and the initiation of the power, however minimal. It might work if they don't see her, but if they do then these are the type of guys who shoot first and DON'T ask questions later. To this point, as she uses her power, she has been immobile each time, therefore I"m forced to assume she has to be. And these guys WILL NOT MISS a target that is immobile. If, suddenly, she can move and use her power, then I'll be forced to ask for a plausable explanation.

The choice is yours, but if she's seen, she's hit, just fair warning.

Don't forget, however, what Tanara said. You don't have to be on the front lines, you can be assisting others in getting out.

I willl say something GU- why does she have to be out in plain sight ? could she not crouch down in the shadows at a off angle, out of their direct line of sight? Looking around a corner, sitting small and squnched up and NOT MOVING - movement catches the eye - stillness generally doesn't

PS there are plenty of DB's laying about - one more DB isn't going to get noticed muchly.

Could she hide small and still until they passed her then send them the hallucinations - they don't have eyes in the back of their heads - how are they to know that something behind them is giving them the hallucinations?

Think small, sneaky, deceptive, not big and bold!

Hmmm. Fair enough.

What if she comes out only after the Brakhinovs have been distracted by the others first? Are they likely to miss a young girl amongst other seemingly more pertinent threats?

If so, I can always have her lurk around under the tables again, and when these troops reach the level they are on now, she can pop up again from behind their backs, and go Virgo on them. Or I can use her brother to act as a decoy and draw fire in the meantime (and I'll have no qualms doing that; the kid's taken a shotgun to the face before), buying her enough time to pop up in their blind spots.

Just toying around with more ideas.

Uh huh, Shal, that's my idea exactly. To have her pop up out of nowhere at the moment when these Brakhinovs least expect it; that 'feline invisibility' isn't confined just to her powers alone, you know. ;)

Of course, one problem with that is their thermal vision; if they whip that out, she's screwed.

To answer your question, yes. They're combat helms are capable of standard, magnified, thermal, light intensifying and electromagnetic pickup. Right now they're on standard, or in the case of Azreal, for the hope of a one shot kill should someone step to the stairway opening or peek over the wall, magnified. They aren't likely to use the others in this situation unless a threat arises that they can't see.

yes thermo vision would pick you up while useing Cat's Aren't Here - if they think to use it - but most standard magical types of invisibility spells have the same weakness .

Only the advanced stuff is truly invisible.

I could go into a long discourse on the vagarities of human observation - take a look at any ple of witness reports from the same crime scene - you will be truly astounded at how two people standing next to one another can very in what they recall/ remember etc - then when you have a dozen - it' exponential ( and how does a white car become a red one, or a massive oak tree become a light pole?)

and GU there's a tg heading your way.

TG received, Shal, and replied to.

So basically, if I can keep Kristy out of sight and out of mind of these troopers until she's in position, she's gonna be a great help, no?

The problem with that, of course, is Azrael. My thinking is to have Kristy sneak around the back and take him by surprise, enthrall him so that he starts seeing his comrades as the targets; bwahahaha. Of course, for one thing she doesn't know he's there yet; either he shows himself with a shot, or I do the limited-clairvoyance thing again. The other thing is actually sneaking past everyone's sights; it's one thing to know a professional sniper is there, it's yet another to sneak past him altogether. And even though Kristy is small, and therefore has a better chance of flying under the radar, it's still a professional sniper out there.

Tough call, no? And yet, if I neglect Azrael altogether and have her set her hallucination-trap for the rest, she's open to a headshot from the Angel of Death. Bah.

Like Shal said, Scott and Kristy have nearly unlimited potential. The trick is keeping them alive long enough to tap into that. :p

Well it looks like I'll be out of this fight for the next, let's see, drawing conclusions from Casca #1 and #14, fifteen to thirty minutes. Question, didn't the team move into safety? Casca was using an old soldiers' trick to scan their shadows (i.e. I thought that they were under the bar or something, unable to be fired upon, but the lighting from the diagrams would allow Casca to see their shadows, and count those.)

If you reread the posts, Azreal had never left his position. There were 7 of them. Azreal took a sniper position and six went up the stairs. One got a grenade over the half wall but Red hit the other one and he dropped it. The one she hit died because he couldn't get away, but the others vacated the general area with great expediency. In other words they jumped off the stairs. So five survived out of the six who were on the stairs and they moved to the safety of the front opening, but Azreal had never moved.

Thanks for clearing that up. well, time to let the rest of yous take care of the baddies. I'll drop in and if it's moving slowly, we''l RP away 45 minutes, shall we?

I hate to sound nit picky KA, but I have to ask, as it has been awhile since I read the books, and my copies are not easily available.

Your character got hit in the head with a large calbur bullet, and what is an explosive bullet from the description ( please feel free to correct me if I am wrong on that CW / KA ).

This blew away ( ie: vaporized, removed from the body, destroyed, turned into so much decomposing extraneous tissue ) what sounds like at least 50% of his head & brains - I do not remember in the books him ever getting a wound like that - and divine curse or no I don't see how any explaination of survivability comes up. Even Highlander style Immortals die when the head ( specefically the brain ) is removed. If you can c&p relevant passages from the books fine but just taking a face / head wound, or a concussion, or loss of an eye, or even a jaw torn off etc does not equal out to half ( or really more ) of the entire skull / cranial area.

Now if surviving such trauma as never appeared in the books - so as to be "canon" then I am going to have to ask you to edit and ask kindly that CW do so as well.

The only reason I am doing this instead of declareing you dead is because it is not unresolveable character stupidity - the character could not have known that there was a sniper positioned -though CW stated it multiple timesand it is my strong feeling that Casca would have suspected that one might have been readied.

But the honest counter arguement is that the characters don't have much information on these new attackers and have no idea of what they had possible in the way of independant tactics. There really hasn't been enough interaction for them to really know

Now I do have a 'way out' suggestion for both KA and CW- if they are willing to accept it.

Could Casca have seen what he described if he had found a large mirror tile? I am very willing to say that there was a line of decorative mirror tiles just below the top of half wall and that one some how survived to fall fee mostly whole ( the standard mirror tile you can buy in packs at Home Depot are 12 inches by 12 inches ) and Casca picked it up and was useing it to look down with - ie his head remainded safely back and he was looking at the admittedly terrible reflections in the mirror.

That would explain the 'shadows' comment and his not being able to see much - and the sniper could have seen something moving - the hand holding the mirror and the mirror itself and shot at it? Very bad damage to Casca's hand - up to an including the temporary or permanant loss of the hand ( again given that I don't remember him having to deal with amputation - which is effectively what it would be )

Please understand that I am not trying to impose anything arbitrary on any of us, nor am I trying to ruin any ones enjoyment, but I do try to give some sort of consistant frame work and reality basis.

And while in RL reality trying to use a chunk of mirror to see stuff 60 feet plus away is probably not likely to provide any useful visually recogniseable information, in an mutant and supernally inhabited world I am willing to say that it was possible.

Is this alternative acceptable to you both?

There is always a need/ requirement for the players to read all posts very carefully - but there is also the flip side of what the character would know - and I do know how hard it is to balance both -and to play the character within the parameters of what they would know.

Just to make a note to all involved. I did not arbitrarily kill his character. I do not do these things. When I read his post I had to choose between two actions, 1) Take the shot or, 2) Post an OOC note to edit his post. I chose option 1 because:

A) These guys did show intelligence in thier attack by trying to clear the area before making the leap into the area we were at. Therefore caution should have been taken.

B) Ryan did shout that they are using thier brains. Again, indicating that caution should have been taken.

C) Kristy did give a warning about not going near the wall immedietly before Casca went to it.

All of this occurred ICly within the area of the character in question. Based on this I was forced to assume that Casca chose to look over regardless and therefore I assumed he was relying on his immortality to keep him safe.

(*Free eagles, proceed with posts as normal as your unaffected. Everyone else if you post, simply don't make mention or take notice of the current casca situation. I'll remove this and post a full go ahead once this is resolved. Gothic, don't change your post until KA does, hopefully he'll take the mirror option which would leave Kristy with her premonition and then very little will have to change.*)

CW, I'm sort of assuming my post is alright. If it's not, tell me, because Pandora's only going to have time for one action, particularly because she still needs to get to a distance where she won't be badly hurt, so I'll have to edit it.

On a lighter note, maybe Casca is like that guy in MIB, who regrows his head when Tommy Lee Jones blows it off?

:p

I can say that Casca did not necessarily hear all of those comments

I will say one last damn time - this place is huge - those up towards where the stairs/landing is are nearly 200 odd feet awaqy from the group in the back.

Sound carries yes I know but as I POSTED - we were all nearly deafened - PLEASE read my posts -

Charlie definitely, and most likely Jackie and Sian heard Ryan - Loki might well of too.

But Red, Godolkin, Casca and at the time Scott and Kristy were very far away.

And those up from said things that those in back wouldn't hear.

He could have heards Kritsy, and there is a very small possiblitiy that he heard Ryan but giben the circumstances, not likely.

O.K. let me take things one step at a time. First, the Sniper was posted in what I believe is the parking garage, so he's not with the group.

Next, Casca's use of the shadows was done so that he could see where they were, and how many that they had to deal with. The question "Do they ever split up?" was really asking if they were all in one location, thus limiting it to a single group of five, at least in Casca's mind, seconds befroe the round took him. He did not hear the back door get hit, he just wanted an idea of what the enemy's strength was.

As for getting his head blown open: Casca #14 and #1. A mortar shell scores a direct hit in the head for the Eternal Mercenary. Blows a sizeable piece of his braincase, and some brain matter, clean off. Book #14 is the story of how he got introduced in book #1. His wound still had the piece of shrapnel in it. After a thirty minute procedure, the shrapnel having been dislodged by his healing processes, the skull had already grown back. Considering the current damage, an hour would be more appropriate, but he would heal none-the-less. Remember, Casca can not die, at least not in the permanent sense. He will always come back. I brought him in to play a character for whom the fear of capture is infinitely worse than the fear of death or capture for any other character. Should the agents recognize him, then he's in for Hell and then some.

Highlander style Immortals are tied to the land and its magic, the power of the Celts. But Casca is kept alive by an omnipotent being. The Highlanders would have died. Casca will revive. BTW, I read through the posts, but didn't quite catch the warning. My bad. Still, even if I had, the noise alone, plus the ringing in the ears, would have made the warning futile. Casca didn't know that these guys had a sniper, and I didn't yet see a warning in the posts about long range death. If I'm missing anything else, then CW, TG with the details that I need to consider, and then we'll see if we need to edit. Otherwise, I could stand (but would not prefer) to sit this one out.

You are in error KS - lets take it step by step

12 new guys

2 sent off across street to Underground Garage to check on car alarm

3 sent around back to check for other entrances


That leaves 7 out front.

1 takes up a snipers position

6 start climbing stairs - *1 lkilled by Red, the other 5 jump off stairs to avoid more attack

1 threw grenade over half wall
1 tossed grenade over side of stairs when hit and killed*

Now the sniper has ONLY a limited view of the upper level due to angle of vision.

Since you have some canon that he has survived bad head trauma before I will allow that he survives --

BUT - as it has been stated "so you ar so you shall remain" - call me evil but I am very tempted to leave Casca only with the memories/ knoweldge that he had at the time of the cruicfixion..

BUT once again I will let science speak - memories/ knowledge is stored holistically and I'll give him his memories/ knowledge back - but given how much he has to regenerate it is going to take longer than an hour. He has to regrow most of his skull, face, eyes,nose ears, flesh, lips, larnyx, and BRAIN etc.


and sorry KA, but just an fyi- the Highlander style Imortals are not tied to the majik of the land - They aren't even from planet earth if you ever saw the hidious Highlander 2 the movie that not even the Directors Cut Renegade version could fix properly.

There can be only one!

Saw Highlander 2, but have also seen enough other reports that some people, namely, my geeky friends, believe that the Highlanders were orginally from another planet, but when banished here teid themselves to the magic of the land. Later, their kindred also made the pilgrimage. Basically, the aliens are the Celts, that upon arrival worked a complex ritual to tie themselves to the power of Scotland. But I digress, that's not the issue.

CW has TG'ed me, and I'm trying to think up the solution. As I told him, most of this is my fault. The past week (and right now) I have had baby-sitting duty with my bratty little cousins, and because of that I haven't paid full attention to the posts. I am willing to edit, or to sit this battle out, whichever works best for Tanara, CW, and lastly, myself.

Solution for bratty little cousins:

1) Take cousin in hand.

2) Pick target far away.

3) Fastball special them towards the target.

4) Get a beer and relax.

:p

Solution for bratty little cousins:

1) Take cousin in hand.

2) Pick target far away.

3) Fastball special them towards the target.

4) Get a beer and relax.

:p

lol Gu, but allow us to view what happens next:

5) Get grounded by parents and lose access to my ability to come on at all.

Question to Shal:

Just how protective is the Dark Armor anyway? What with you saying vaguely that it's 'very protective' in your TG and all, and add Scott's inherent Taurus toughness to it, I am very tempted to go Juggernaut on these guys, withstand everything they could throw at him like a tank, and dish it back to them ten-fold. And, of course, that's more likely to piss you and CW off more than anything, but I'm really not sure where Scott's limits are at this point. In fact, I had a better idea of Scott's limitations while he's still un-Armored; he wouldn't have survived the kind of explosive round to the head that took Casca, and too many to the torso would kill him too. But now with Jackie's Armor......I don't know.

Until I get an answer, I'm going to hold Scott back, and have him dish out more smart-aleckin' than clobberin' for the time being.

piss us off ? no, but I'd hate to test it against multiple explosive bullets - and honestly it would be best if we avoided/ evaded the nenmy right this moment rather than engaged. We're going to have to fight most likely before our transport out gets here, but we want to do ranged combat if at all possible, or so I think - you all might decide differently.

Lets take a look at how it stands"

US:

Sian- pretty drained, can shoot and stuff but not combat training
Jackie - pretty drained, definitely can shoot, but again no real combat training
Red- injured by healing, can shoot but not real combat training
Godolkin- minor injuries, can shoot and knows group tactics
Loki - can shoot but no combat training
Ryan can shoot, combat training
Charli- can shoot, but definitely no combat training
Scot- not a shooter, no combat training
Kristy- non combatant
Fortier dead
Casca will be for a while
2 side kicks - no shoot, not combat

Multiple explosive bullets, huh? Hmmm.

*thinks*

Hey, you did say the Iconoclast STs aren't that great at melee combat, right? Well, I don't know if the Brakhinovs are any different (from what I see of the Pandora-Gregorio bust-up, probably not), but what I'm thinking is, if it really comes down to a dire necessity, Scott can probably take them on hand-to-hand in his current Taurus, Armor-ed state. I know, it's not like he has professional combat ability, true, but think about it. He has strength equal to, if not surpassing, the Brakhinovs, and now with Jackie's Armor, he's near impervious to anything.

So imagine him ambushing the Brakhinovs by dropping right into their midst while they're in close pursuit; they can't use their guns for fear of hitting each other, so what do they do? They draw their knives. But what are they going to do to Scott? Gut him? Armor's in the way. Slice his neck? Armor's in the way. Pin him down? The boy's a real-life Piotr Rasputin right now. Kick him in the leg to make him fall? Armor + inherent Taurus sturdiness = not a good idea. Kick him in the balls? Maybe......

Plus, while Scott may have inferior combat ability, think of that strength he can put behind each punch. Ow.

I dunno, that's just what I've thought up. Verdict?

What your forgetting is that Pandora is highly trained in hand to hand and she went for the weak points. Braknikov's soldiers are trained in hand to hand and with thier strength and knives they will penetrate the armor.

And Red can shoot, yes, but that's stretching it a bit. She's far better in hand to hand, but like you said, she's wounded.

Yup, Pandora spent seventeen years being taught how to fight, so she's pretty good at it.

And if she goes down into the tunnels under the city, she'll run into all the people escaping from Cain's, right? She won't go towards the club, she's not stupid and she needs medical attention, food and sleep (in that order). So you'll have to find some other way of getting her to join you.

Alright FE let me talk to Tanara and see what we can come up with.

Question.

The stairs that most of the NLers are using to get to safety, are they in any way specially constructed? As in, do they have some kind of special construction in them that makes them especially sturdy and resistant to damage?

If not, I have an idea of having Scott wait at the top of the stairs until Jackie and Ryan joins the rest, then disintegrating the stairs into so much rubble with one good stomp when the Brakhinovs come chasing. You know, kinda like how the Evolution version of Avalanche of the Brotherhood of Mutants does it.

That is an excellent idea - while they are well constructed - they have to be given fire codes, and the volume of traffic the club sees - I can't think of any reason they would be undestroyable.

Though it might take more than just one stomp

and it would keep the troopers from getting in among us. With so many non combatants in the mix, I think ranged attacks/ combat is the best for the group

Well, if it's going to take more than one good stomp, Scott's going to need some time to do it. But he probably won't have a lot of time in which to do it either; too long, and he's likely to eat Brakhinov slugs. So if I really go with this idea, I'll need some of you guys to lay down covering fire for my boy.

And on another note, if Scott can summon up enough force from Taurus to rubble-rize the stairs, wouldn't it stand to reason that his stomping would cause the area around him to become unstable as well? I mean, there's the possibility that he might end up stomping a hole into the ceiling and falling back to the ground floor of Cain's through it; he'll survive that, but if the Brakhinovs can too, he's dead meat.

Decisions, decisions ....

grin

Question CW, I couldn't tell from your post - the new group that has come around to the back entrance - where are they - are they at the second level? or are they already up to the third floor?

On both of those floors there is a store room to go through before getting to the club area and Sorry, muzzy head couldn't tell wether you meant 2nd or 3rd floor.

And GU- just to let you know that the troopers might well NOT sprint after Jackie and Ryan- they may take their time crossing the trashed out club - plus that Godolkin, Charli, and Loki will be attacking them, so their advance might be even slower.

They do have nearly a thousand feet to cross, so Scott might have time to bring the stairs down.

Sorry Tan. They are on the third floor, so Jackie and Ryan will see Androcles coming in. Forgot about the hidden floor again.

True, Shal; but while the Troopers may not run that fast, that doesn't apply to their magical exploding slugs. And if you think about it, Scott may well have to be a sitting duck while he's creating shockwaves through the stairs; it'll slow the Troopers down some more and throw their aim off to boot, if they're on the stairs, but that's not the same as having adequate cover. Plus, there's still the Angel of Death to consider; I wouldn't put it past CW to RP that Azrael could still put one of those damned exploders through Scott's head, Armored or no.

And another thing is that Scott may very well rubble-rize the spot he's standing on too; the Troopers may fall, but it's likely that he would, too. Now, I'm pretty sure the boy can survive that, especially with the Dark exoskeleton protecting him; the question is, can the Troopers? Otherwise, I'd have no problem with him dropping back to ground level; he can always meet up with Red and Pandora on the street later.

Sorry Tan. They are on the third floor, so Jackie and Ryan will see Androcles coming in. Forgot about the hidden floor again.
So "Fire at Will?"
"Who's Will?

Well you already know they can go from the third floor to the ground level and live. They've done it once. As for the shot, if Azreal can get it off your damn right he'll take it. I won't intentionally play these guys badly just because it's inconvenient to the players. Not unless -I- made some kind of mistake and have to rectify it by doing so. These guys are supposed to be dangerous. If I misplay them then there isn't much point to the whole thread.

I apologize for the above post, it sounded alot more harsh than I had intended. But you get my point, yes?

Yes, I get the drift, CW. It's cool.

So, Shal, Theao......somehow you'll have to get Azrael first before he gets my boy. Somehow. :p

#1- please take a look at the floor plans again- the stairs are NOT visible from the restt of the club- the wall between the booths and the stairs hids the stairs from view - one has to be standing at the foot of the stairs looking up in order to see some one at th top of the stairs.

Also Scott - you would NOT fall down to the ground level but merely to the Main Level.- albeit into a jumple of cleanind supplies- remember that closet you got the cleaning supplies out of ? Thats what's below ( ie tucked 'under' ) the stairs.

So untill the troops get to the foot of the stiars Scott is unseeable by them.

Now CW as to them being on the third floor- did they join up with the survivor from the second floor? I don't remember that ( mind is mushy ) and from the stairs they don't just go directly into the club - they have to go through the storeroom first.

also the door from the storeroom into the club is held- not un openably, but it would be Hard to open - requireing an effort on the openers part.

Seperate Kristy from the overwhelming effect of a rampant Virgo? Alright.......but she's going to faint and be out for the count for the rest of the battle, then. No more premonitions, you're all on your own now. And she'll be running a real high fever too; in short, she's not gonna wake up til next morning. That okay?

EDIT: On the other hand.......I'm not sure I want Sian to be doing that. Because if she does, looking for Kristy in the midst of the Spirit Sea of Virgo is like looking for a needle in the haystack; or as the more appropriate Chinese proverb puts it, "searching for a needle at the bottom of the sea". In other words, near impossible. In fact, Sian's "rescue mission" could well end up killing Kristy, so I think I might prefer things to run their course.

Let Kristy suffer. It's par for the course to unlock most of the full extent of her Virgo abilities. Don't worry about her; she's not going to be taking any permanent damage from her ordeal (in fact, she won't even remember most of what she's done this day).

Mostly trying to stop her screaming, and give her some control, but if you don't want it at this time, I'll have sian quit - but don't blame me for what happens to her. Sian'll tranq her to shut her up.

Tranq her? Fair enough, I have nothing against that.

From post 357

Maxim and the others from out front joined Androcles on the landing outside the door on the next level up.

From post 369

Maxim and the others reached the next door and opened it. Androcles entered first, followed by the rest. He didn't need to be ordered, he knew he would be holding point as punishment.

(The third floor ^ )

"Gregorio, report", Maxim stated. After a moment, "Gregorio REPORT!" Still no answer. Maxim was already furious and this failure to reply only fueled the fire.

"If this is like the other level then they should be beyond the door from this room", Androcles reported.

(The store room door ^)

"THEN MOVE!", Maxim shouted.

Androcles opened the door and stepped around it, the rifle leveled.

(Will edit ^ , but that would be the door from the store room to the main third floor room)

Apologies if I've missed the answer to this, but have the soldiers barged in yet?

Sorry CW but your last post about Godolkins actions have left me confused. TG coming your way.

Also just to let every one know - I'll be gone from noon my time to nearlky midnight, so don't expect any posts from me.

With the troopers coming in to the MainLevel Jackie is going to try and take out the point man, and will tell Ryan to head on to the stairs ( he's going to use his powers to get himself there )

The rest of the group needs to attack the troopers as the cross the length of the club

Rememer that the lighting is dimish, but not too bad, the troopers have to cover nearly 1000 feet of rubble and body covered terrain, and that we are shooting down on them from above please refer back to the maps I posted earlier in theis thread. The goup has the half walls and occarional floor to ceiling columns for protection, pluss them having to shoot up wards into a darker area gives us some advantage.

However also remember that they have thermal vision so that gives them an advantage - until some one ( Charli ) over loads it - She's hurting, injured and tired, but still has a bit of ooph in her.

CW if the fight gets going well today while I am away you can have Charli fry a trooper or two, or Loki you can have her blow those molotovcs up spectacularly ater you toss them over the side.

Tanya, Orel, Sian and Kristy will be by the door to the stairs to the roof. With the hurrican still going outside is not a good idea to go out into it unless absolutely necessary - those by the door can not be seen or shot at by the troopers - distance and the fact that the DJ's booth and it's heavy equipment hides them. Though Scott that heavy equipment could be pulled loose and thrown through the glass overlook on to troopers below before they get too far west / out of the way of possible trajectory. They could turn and see you after their attenion was walled to the attck, but it wouldn't be that easy for them to spot you at first - would have to figure out where the equipment came from, but they certainly could after looking for a time..

Edited to add - CW - Jackie's wrapping the Dark about him will make him look like a nearly dead or just freshly dead body to the troopers thermal vision - he doesn't know about it so he didn't use it to completly make himself invisible - just the Dark as he is useing it in a 'low power mode' warps his heat signature enough to not stand out glareingly. He doesn't have enough energy right now to do more, but if he uses the Dark to eat a Trooper ( or maybe two ) he will have enough energy restored for more stuff in later actions.

Yes Theo the first one has. Jackie has shot at him, and I believe Ryan was going to as well. Then they were both supposed to take off. Ryan won't be able to see Jackie the way he is hidden now, and may well believe that Jackie has already left without staying to see the effects of his shots.

Remember that his and Jackies action are simultaneous, unless you state that Ryan is holding back/ watching/ waiting etc.

Here is a terrible visual that you all most likely don't need, but since I am sitting her e in the heat - a/c had to be turned off for maintence to fix (pant, pant, whinnnnnneeeee!) I did it any way and here also is a repeat of the baclony level

Example (http://www.atddm.com/kinda.gif)

Please remember that the distance drom the over look/ balcony is like 40 feet not the wussy ten feet or so in the picture. The stairs start from the main level and rise to the south along the west all - they are 20 feet wide and can't bee seen from the Main Level because of the high backed booths that are 'in front' of them.

and here is a floor plan - please remember that every so often there are support pillars that are wide enough to hid behind - not super wide, but enough.

The hot pink box is where Kristy, Casca, Tanya & Orel are, by the door that opens into the stairs that lead up. The red box close to the northwest corner is where Charli is currently. The light green box is where Godolkin is at the top of the stairs that lead up from the Main Level to the Balcony level. I do not know where Loki is.

Ryan is at the base of the stairs about to head up them and Jacki is on the mail level near the door from the store room into the club room.

Red is in the store room of the main level and is attacking from behind.

http://www.atddm.com/cains3.jpg

Weee. In other words, Scott is going to have to do a LOT of back-and-forth-ing if he wants to throw turntables from the DJ's box AND go to where Godolkin is so that he can break the stairs. And sure I know the boy's the young gun amongst the old folks, and is probably still relatively fresh compared to the rest, but I don't think even he can move that fast if he's going to be taking cover behind the half wall and the pillars all the way.

BTW, if I remember correctly, Scott is where Charli is now. And so, it's just like CW said; decisions, decisions.

*grin*

Well he doesn't have to try and stomp the stairs down. It may be enough that he tosses the heavy equipment down on them from above.

Androcles was dead before he hit the ground and Maxim roared in fury. He pointed to Renatus and Jagdish and indicated grenades. They pulled a grenade each and tossed them in. They were not the energy grenades, they were standard grenades filled with the purifier fluid. When they exploded the fluid coated a large area roaring into flame and setting fires anywhere it touched.

They took advantage of the black smoke and rushed in while it would still give them some cover. They weren’t sure what happened to the purifying grenades but they were going to use them for cover and this would do just as well. As the came in they opened fire in all directions, as they didn’t know from which direction the enemy would come.


Jag and Renatus were second and third- they threw grenades through the door and rushed in after them.

Red could not have killed Renatus.

Androclese was first - killed by Jadie and Ryan -post 378 & post 382
Renatus and jagedsh - told to throw in grenades -post 386
Renatus and Jadgesh run in - post 388
Maximus and Jafdesh are entertangled - post 388 mid third
Red arrived in storeroom- post 388 last third
Azrael killed by Pandora - post 389
Azrael shoots Red- post 392

2:30 in the morning is no time to try and compile an action report.

I demand simpler names. enemy names should never be complicated. name them one ,two , three, or bob, john, dave, mike...the easy to remember names.:D :p

Minor point, Tan: Pandora's using plain armour-piercing rounds, not explosive-tipped shells like the Iconoclast rifles. Which means that his head will be virtually intact, because they don't expand at all (or at least, not noticably).

Just another thought.

Scott may be able to throw heavy equipment from the DJ box all the way to approximately where the remaining Brakhinovs are. Question is, can he see that far in the first place? It's not like he has superhuman vision in Taurus mode, and while he may beat the best of the champion shotputters, he's not exactly cut out to compete with the dart throwers.

Point is, Scott may throw stuff, but where will the stuff land? If it has as much chance of hitting Hot Stuff (Charli), the Wizard of Oz (Loki), or Carrot Top (Red) as it does the Brakhinovs, then I'll rather have the boy join Godolkin and do the stair-stomping trick. At least that doesn't require too much accuracy.

EDIT: Actually I've given the map another look, and I think Scott's more likely to hit Brutus (Godolkin) and Carrot Top rather than Hot Stuff or the Wizard of Oz, but it's still potential friendly fire.

EDIT 2: And if you're wondering where I'm coming from, right now my impression is that the area is in a 'black-out' mode, which means there's precious little light to be had. Scott could throw the cart quite accurately at the Iconoclasts because he could see the flashes from their miniguns.

But as for this case, I'm not too sure. The Brakhinovs aren't exactly being as trigger-happy as their Neanderthal counterparts, and while the flame grenades did provide some light, Charli's all but snuffed it out. So, no flashes of light to mark their position by, and smoke's pretty much unseen in dimness. There's really no focal point for Scott to throw at, should the need arise......

Free Eagles:
The blame should be put on me actually. I told her (and I thought wrongly) they were hollow points. My bad. Either way he'll be dead. He's not looking at Pandora, he's focusing on Red and Pandora is close range. But I made the mistake, not Tanara, sorry.

Gothic:
Actually the only ones, at the moment, close to them, is Jackie. Everyone is up but Jackie, Red and Pandora. Red and Pandora are presently in the storage room with Azreal's fallen body blocking the door from thier side. So the only one Scott has to worry about hitting is 'Spawn'. No worries huh? ;)

Good point, CW, but like I just edited (which apparently I was too late to do before you posted), there's no flashes of light from the Brakhinovs; hence, no focal point for Scott to roughly aim at. Even if he rips out that turntable, where's he going to throw it, especially if he can see jack all in the darkness?

You'll have to wait for the shooting to start. The problem is they aren't as single minded as the previous shocktroopers and not as foolish. Thus the cover of the grenades. Once they shoot, though, you should have a decent fix. Not to mention that 'hot stuff' will be lighting up the place soon. So just have scott prepare and then wait for the opportunity.

Gothic:
Actually I stand corrected. I just read Assington's post. The smoke is cleared now.

Got it, CW.

Between you and me, would you rather have your troops face flying meteors, or having the ground shatter underneath them?

:p

Meteors would be better as Godolkin is descending now to see where Jackie is (as you'll see in the post I just put up). So he'll come under fire. Anything to help him from taking the full brunt of the attackes would be helpful. He's more intellectual than he used to be but he still has the shocktrooper mentality of using enough firepower wins the day. Even though Red just proved that isn't true and had showed him once before.

Gotcha, CW. Then I'll be sending Scotty Too Hotty to the DJ Box, then. ;)

Gothic:
I think hot stuff is on the walkway behind a pillar but don't quote me on that. Casca is there, and Kristy. Godolkin set them in a safe area of the room out of the line of any fire.

Tanara:
I demand simpler names. enemy names should never be complicated. name them one ,two , three, or bob, john, dave, mike...the easy to remember names.

How about something along the lines of the Johnny Cash song?

A trooper name SUE.

grin

This is not meant at any one person, any one in specific...

READ MY POSTS

*1- electricity came back on - the elevators and sound sytem came back on

*2- Said repeatedly both IC and OOC - dim lighting - NOT NO lighting.

*3- the troopers are on the lower level - Scott, Kristy, Sian, Ryan, Charli, Loki are all on the upper level. Sian and Kristy in one group/ Charli, Loki and Ryan in another. Godolkin is on the protected stair well and can't be seen by any of us OR the troopers.

*4- Scott may be strong but hit Loki or Charli or Ryan with something thrown- that's almost 1000 ft ( One thousand feet ) that it would have to cover - better to toss it over the side and drop it on the head of an unsuspecting trooper.

*5 - These troopers have multiple modes of vision built into the head gear, please remember that.

Got it, CW.

And Godolkin really has no sense of moral decency whatsoever. Placing a sick, feverish, delicate little girl besides a corpse.

:p

Read the post above yours GU

O_O

You're scaring me, Shal.

Yeah, right!:p

Hey every one - Pandora's and Pya-gaun's page is up - finally had the time!

Pandora & Pya-Gaun (http://www.atddm.com/pandora.htm)

also other updates to the team roster have been made as well.

I would assume that because the two soldiers are in heat vision mode, they wouldn't even be able to see the bottle?

*Note* You'll need to read my latest post first before that question means anything...

Question.

Shal, you got Scott unconscious. I'm not going to dispute that, except......Scott is not only exceptionally tough (and made ever more so by the Dark Armor), but he also has great recuperative ability. Can I have him regain consciousness, albeit with some concussion and a splitting headache, after a minute or two IC time? I'll throw in some blood-spitting as well, if you want it.

It's just that the boy isn't done with his wisecracks, not yet. :p

Well lets take a look at things...

Ryan - multiple minor wounds of a most annoying nature, doesn't really impair.
Loki - Multiple minor wounds, and a moderate one that will impair mobility somewhat.
Scott - cracked ribs, concussion and unconscious.
Charli - major injury -broken ribs, pierced lung, many minor wounds, and unconscious.
Pandora - Injury to foot, mobility impaired.
Jackie - eye injury, vision impared.
Red- major leg injury, mobility impaired
Kristy - unconscious due to sedative
Casca - temporarily dead
Godolkin - major shoulder injury

GU, knowing how a concussion works ( having had a few myself LOL) you can have Scott become conscious, but it's gonna hurt to breath, and picking anythig heavy up? oh Scott is so Not gonna want to. And your vision will be blurry, perhaps seeing double, and / or with reduced field of vision ( perhiperal vision impared ). Ringinging in ears, lack of coordination are also possible.

Assington - no the soldiers aren't going to notice it. Now just to let you know Charli, not having much experience in moderation, pumped the fire for all that it was worth - that's how a mere bottle of spiritous liquor could burn throught the armor and kill the trooper so quickly.

If that had been just a 'normal' molotov, the armor would have just ignored it pretty much, and the trooper inside wouldn't even of gotten toasty warm. However what Charli did was nothing like normal.

Sure thing, Shal. Got a few concussions of my own myself (a basketball to the face from a few inches away is NO joke), so I approximately know what they entail. ;)

So......

In fighting condition

Psycho (still very much at 100% ability)
The Wizard of Oz (can still do his elemental tricks)
Spawn (may miss a few things)
Sergeant Brutus (that shoulder ain't gonna hurt him much, if I'm not wrong)

Not in their best shape

Bull Boy (major headache, much?)
Jean Grey (she's gone and overdone it, the silly girl)
Pandora (That foot's gonna hurt bad)
Carrot Top (Nice legs. Pity about the bullet holes in them)

Out for the count

Bull Boy's little sister (in Neverland)
Hot Stuff (ain't so hot now, eh?)
Jack Jeebs (still regrowing that darned head of his)


Weeeeeeeeeeeee. We've sure been taking some serious knocks. What's the situation on the other side, anyway?

Well, since scott is seeing double at least he'll have twice as much pleasure looking at Hot Stuff.

grin

Oh and don't worry about Red's legs, they heal without scars like any vampire.

Righto, well since Loki doesn't really know that the moltov isn't likely to do much besides distract 'em.

Free Eagles you have a TG.

*grumbles incoherently about misunderstandings and goes off to fix*

On a more positive note, I like what you did with the Pandora part on your site, Tan.

EDIT: 'Tis done. *continues grumbling and goes off to get some sleep*

Tan, how would someone who was a complete atheist(does not believe in religion/gods/spirits/re-incarnation ect), experiance the angel?

Glasd you like it Free Eagles.

Okay one and all - the current combat is over, every one contributed to the action and we've won, at least for the time being.

However all we have is the voice of an angel to warn us that staying is a bad idea - we have no idea that something much worse is truding up the road -

For you see IAH - Houston InterContinental ( sadly renamed Bush Intercontinental - this naming things for ex presidents has seriously gotten out of hand! ) - is a good thirty miles for our little agent to go afoot - but knowing her resourcefull little self, she's probably hot wired something once she got past the flood prone parts just south of the IAH.

The inbound planes aren't here yet either. I think that there is about a fifteen to twenty minute window for people to do things that occur in and around the club/ hotel complex.

Of course any one who wants out can opt to vanish during that time as well, and most likely would never be associated with what happened in the club.

So start making your choices now.

Every one still injured <save for Jackie >can be treated with 'normal' medical techinques- though Charli is going to need more than what Sian has available to her now, but she can be stabalized enough for transport.. I'm glad that Charli is not conscious, putting in a chest tube Hurts ( I know from personal experience that I never want to repeat ).

Theao - perhaps some sort of very powerful, very rare ( and even more infuritating thatn Charli? :p ) mutant?

Theao - perhaps some sort of very powerful, very rare ( and even more infuritating thatn Charli? :p ) mutant?
Alright, had you left it open, would have put it down to Sian doing a light/medical trick

And once again, Red, behind the door in the storeroom misses the angel. She's going to be wondering what drugs she missing out on.

grin

LOL while Sian may glow while she uses her powers it's definitely not her.

Uh, Casey (Casca) had plans to get his stuff from his room in the adjoining hotel. If he won't be healed until after the plane comes, would somebody mind having their char remember that the Eternal Merc would probably want his personal effects brought along? It would greatly help me out.

You should be up soon KA. If not I'll have Godolkin get them.

Sorry, I have forgotten to check with Tanara about the time frame for his revival.

Correction, or rather update, KA.

You won't be up till after we lift off, but don't worry your stuff will be gathered.

Just to let every one know - it may take a couple of weeks game time, but every one will get the things that are important to them. Never have intended to do that to the characters.

Besides you all need a couple of weeks to recuiperate, and practise a little as a team.( teams survive much better than solo atrists )

and we evil GM's have to settle on the continueing plotlines...

Evil?

Damn, did my halo slip down around my horns again? I need to do something about that.

Heh. Woowssh. :p

So, approximately how long before Scott can revive enough to allow him to help out, if only a little? And do a little flirtin' with the one female in the area his age, while he's at it. ;)

Gothic, you sure you want to hit on Pandora?

In her current state she'll either run a mile or put a bullet between his eyes, depending on how she's approached. Oh well, I guess it could be interesting, particularly if she realises Scott isn't normal either, from both their points of view.

Yes, I'm sure, FE. ;)

Although a bullet between the eyes seem a little harsh. Maybe a kick to the nuts will suffice? :p

I thought I'd mentioned this before, but either way, this might tell you something.

When she gets surprised or frightened, or indeed most negative responses from her, she reacts violently. And with Pandora, violently usually means lethally. It's all she knows...

If Scott did get anywhere though, t'would be an interesting relationship. "I love her more than anything, but I hate the way she tries to kill me whenever I do something wrong." :p

LOl Panda ( and yes I know it's Pandora, but some how I keep seeing it as Panda ) just shoots people. Charli can french fry them, and she's pricklier than a spiney sea urchin in a snit...

and are any of us normal? I would guess the closest is Sian, but even then...

Awww, but what about Red? That cuddly, buddley and effervescent spirt?

Well, let's see, with the exception of being grown in a test tube, and having been genetically enhanced with increased agility, speed, strength, and healing, and being chosen as a divine warrior, I would say Godolkin gets the title of "most normal". I would say Casey, but for some reason, there is a slight disparity between getting chosen as a warrior of heaven and picking up a curse of Immortality from some crazy Jewish prophet that you offered a last act of mercy to. But hey, I could be wrong.

Ah. Then Scott's really going to need the thick hide that Taurus can offer in such a relationship. And when I say thick hide, I mean figuratively AND literally. :p

Just a thought though. As far as I've envisioned, Scott's skin becomes very resistant to injury while he's summoning the Spirit of Taurus. As far as I've been playing him, he would take mere scratches from what would be deep cuts from knives, and be pretty much impervious to small arms fire, his head included. Although larger calibers like rifle rounds would still hurt him.

Just wondering though, Pandora's special pistol rounds. They're penetration rounds, right? Just how good are they, and are they likely to burst past Taurus' thick hide?

Yeah, they're armour-piercing rounds, on a naturally powerful basic round (more than .357 Magnum). Designed to go through bulletproof vests and infantry armour, as well as light vehicle armour (like that on a humvee). It's used in SMGs as well as pistols- in the MP5/10 (well, AP isn't, because it doesn't exist IRL as far as I know).

Lol, hmm, I wouldn't let her hear you call her Panda, Tan.

KA: Pandora is pretty normal. She's like Godolkin. but she's a mundane, naturally born, no growth acceleration, with only enhanced speed and stamina. She just has some mental issues because of the program. Although I guess it depends on your definition of normal...

Oh, and if anyone can guess why she's called Pandora, they can have a cookie. (But if anyone gives the stupid answer, they get fired... out of a cannon... into the sun.)

KA: Pandora is pretty normal. She's like Godolkin. but she's a mundane, naturally born, no growth acceleration, with only enhanced speed and stamina. She just has some mental issues because of the program. Although I guess it depends on your definition of normal...

Oh, and if anyone can guess why she's called Pandora, they can have a cookie. (But if anyone gives the stupid answer, they get fired... out of a cannon... into the sun.)
So she's quite close in background to Ryan as he was born naturally and enchanced afterward while he was being put through a hellishly hellish training regime. And he's also a sociopath/psychopath.

Pandora. Literal meaning: "all-gifted".

Which means......I have no idea, exactly. But I MIGHT have a hunch about that; perhaps it means she knows every aspect of every fighting style in the world? Or perhaps she knows every aspect of being a super-soldier? Or something like that......

Let's see, story of Pandora and her box.

O.K, skipping all the stuff about the gods and humans and Prometheus and fire, we hav the gods creating the first woman. Every god gives her a gift, hence her name, Pandora. Unfortunately, Zeus decides to give her curiousity, and a box that must never be opened. This box was created at the end of the wars with the Titans, in it are all the evils of the world. Pandora is given as a wife to Epimetheus, Prometheus's brother, and after a couple of years, you guessed it, she opens the box. This unleashes evil upon the world, all the weaknesses, fallacies, and shortcomings of humanity. And so Evil comes upon the earth.

Now, as to her having that name: She's got everything you want, but alas, a single, slight flaw, and eventually shell rain destruction upon us all. Whatever happened to the nice ladies. (Begin singing Tom Jones's "She's a Lady" right about...now).

Well she's all you'd ever want,
She's the kind I'd like to flaunt,
And to to dinner.

But she always knows her place,
She's got style, she's got grace,
She's a winner.

She's a Lady.
Whoa whoa whoa she's a lady.
Talking up my arm, that little lady.
And the Lady is mine...

Tan, TG.

You're on the right lines, people, but not quite there yet. KA is closer, btw.

Probably means that there's a "berserk" stage of some sort built into her, that she has yet to know about, much less tapped into yet. And for the grace of God, hopefully she never shall, otherwise goodness knows what's in store for the world......

By the way, talking about "I love her more than anything, but I hate the way she tries to kill me whenever I do something wrong."........

Pandora: *doing something by herself*
Scott: *sneaks behind her and covers her eyes* Boo!
Pandora: Eek! *stabs Scott in the side*
Scott: Ow! That fuckin' hurt! *keels over*
Pandora: .......
Scott: *pulls out knife from craw, and promptly starts healing from what would have been a fatal wound. For anyone else, anyway.*
Scott: You really should stop waving your knife around like that, y'know! One day you might actually kill someone......
Pandora: Well you shouldn't sneak up on me like that, you know I hate that!
Scott: Still doesn't mean you should wave ya knife 'round like that......
Pandora: Well, it's your fault! *kicks Scott in the nuts*
Scott: O_O *keels over*
Pandora: Hmmph! You deserve that too! *stomps away*
Scott: ......and Jackie said he had it bad with Miss Lainy. *grumbles, looks himself over*
Scott: Crap, that's the third jacket of mine she's ruined this week. Talk about high-maintenance.


Don't ask, I'm feeling a little kooky today. :p

You know I really have exception with that song..."Knowing her place"...oh those can be considered fighting words.

and Charli lazily bounces a ball of plasma up and down on her open palm. "And just where is my place? It's damn well not hanging off some jerk's arm like some bimbo who can't stand on her own two feet."

Sian just shakes her head and goes back to being elbow deep in some surgical proceedure - and Jackie likes her fine just the way she is.

I refuse to even try to answer for Pandora - or especially Red, though yes I would have to classify our osteperous Red as no lady

Just letting every one know that I'll be gone for most of the afternoon - but I'll be back

Theao - not ignoring your last post, just trying to have enough time pass to have covered Ryan's actions.

FE- Don't worry Sian will notice Pandora

Shal, I think you missed my question......

Is Scott probably be ready to start walking around anytime soon? He does have the constitution of a bull, and the stubbornness to boot.

Just letting every one know that I'll be gone for most of the afternoon - but I'll be back

Theao - not ignoring your last post, just trying to have enough time pass to have covered Ryan's actions.

FE- Don't worry Sian will notice Pandora
Figured as much, but nice to have confirmation. I'd estimate the time to be somewhere between 20-50 minutes(depending on the distance)

Hey, at least I didn't type up the lines for "Sex Bomb" on here. Would you prefer that one Shal? It can be arranged. I am a TJ fan and have the lyrics with me. Notice that I never said where "her place" was. And I refuse to comment on this any further. Unless I am asked politely to post "Sex Bomb" on here.

HEY! What's with this picking on Red? Just because she isn't barefoot in the kitchen where she should be doesn't mean she isn't a Lady. Jeez. Next thing you know women will want to vote or something.

*Whistles innocently and goes to check on his bomb shelter*

Sorry to get back on so late and for so short a time but I'll simply reply with this...

Shes totally committed
To major independence
But shes a lady through and through
She gives them quite a battle
All that they can handle
She'll bruise some
She'll hurt some too
But oh they love to watch her strut
Oh they do respect her but
They love to watch her strut...

and I really, really won't mention the time a bunch of female smoke jumpers got together at a local watering hole and wiped the floor with the guys with their rendition of Tuff Enough...

Probably means that there's a "berserk" stage of some sort built into her, that she has yet to know about, much less tapped into yet. And for the grace of God, hopefully she never shall, otherwise goodness knows what's in store for the world......

No more than there is in anyone else, although with what she knows, her's is definitely more dangerous. Don't forget that she was trained as a weapon, and a weapon is no use if it isn't controlled. When I said KA was closer, I didn't say he was right. Keep guessing.

And that Pandora-Scott exchange is probably pretty accurate. Made me laugh anyway.

Bah, you liked that, FE? I could come up with way better on a better day.......blargh. >_<

And probably my worst post so far in the thread. Sorry guys, all inspiration's left me for the moment. :S

So, third guess. There's a 'switch' inside her of some sort, that would allow someone to dictate her actions? Kinda like, she can be programmed like the Brakhinovs if only someone finds the 'control panel' or something? Well, that IS quite dangerous, if true.

Oh, oh, I know, I know. She's like Alice from the Resident Evil movies. She can do some major butt-kicking, very attractive, fill out nicely, but the code-words that GU talks about makes her eyes go all Umbrella Logo-like, and she's entirley under the company's control. :D

So, since Casey is still out of commission, I'll waste time by pursuing this matter until I hit the nail on the head. Then I'll overkill it to ensure that this type of issue stays where it belongs: Six feet under, with no way out.

I didn't say it was good, Gothic, I just said it made me laugh (which isn't difficult).

And no, those are both wrong (and getting further away). Although I will admit that the character was partly inspired by Firefly/Serenity's River Tam.

Minor observation: You seem to be guessing at what makes her unique/dangerous now, not the reason behind the name.

Pandora has something about her that is dangerous if unleashed, just like Pandora's box.

My guess.

Pandora has something about her that is dangerous if unleashed, just like Pandora's box.

My guess.

If that's the answer, then I already said it. Does anybody ever understand me in here? Hello? Hellloo? Telephone call to those that can't figure out what I say, even when it's black and white. Anybody?

Minor observation: You seem to be guessing at what makes her unique/dangerous now, not the reason behind the name.

When I said KA was closer, I didn't say he was right.

Allow me to rescind my former guess. KA was closer you say and he referenced Pandora in mythology. Therefore I how two possibilities in mind. In order of probability (because I don't know ALL her skills):

1) Hephaestus was ordered by Zeus to create the first woman and that woman was Pandora. So your Pandora is the first woman in the project that created her?

2) Pandora means 'All gifted'. But that would mean beauty, persuasion, musical and artistic talent, etc. Therefore, as I don't think she is versed in everything, I would say this is less likely, but still possible since, as I said, I don't know ALL her skills.

KA, that kind of sarcasm was uncalled for.......

Wah oh. Pandora's freaked.

How likely is it that Scott might be able to hold her down if she goes berserk? He CAN call up Taurus in a real hurry if there's a need, and I'm pretty sure he can outstrip the poor girl in brute strength. Besides, he'd be pretty much resistant to knife wounds (and perhaps that pistol as well), and if Pandora knows ways to kill with her bare hands, it won't work on Scott either since he's got both a tough hide and a healing factor.

Dunno. Just thought it would be a good way for the teens to get, ahem, 'acquainted'. Hey, I'm weird, and I know it. So don't ask. :p

You are now definitely on the right lines in looking at the mythology, though still not right.

The physical reason (and this is the stupid answer) is that the super-soldier program was the Pandora project, and when she escaped she had a hospital-style bracelet on her wrist with the word 'Pandora' on it, the only distinguishable thing on her, which is why she took it as her name. Hence, CW's first theory is incorrect- the name was the project's, not hers. The theory is sound, yes, but it isn't the real reason.

So, let's see where you go from there...

EDIT: In physical terms, easily- because her physical strength is about normal. And yes, the toughness of Taurus would probably render her martial abilities near-useless. But consider this: The Zodiac abilities cause a glowing sign on the forehead, and glowing eyes.

Do you really think she would calm down with that in front of her? It's more likely to send her (remember, she's only about 5 years old emotionally) into a hysterical frenzy, which would probably be followed by a full breakdown, her conscious mind withdrawing into itself to protect her from what's going on around her (which isn't a good thing, nor would it be short-term).

Haha, oh wow. Poor girl just needs some pure 'n simple Tender Loving Care.......

So, if I'm going to be building on CW's idea, I'm going to say that Pandora is actually the result of an experimental project; in other words, a prototype. A beginning template acting as the foundation for later, more advanced projects in the future.

This would make the project that created Pandora one in a less advanced stage than the one that created the Iconoclast Shock Troopers, but which perhaps might have even greater potential. I'm pretty certain of this answer, because of what our dear Lady Red observed; she apparently doesn't have fear control, or it's faulty. Which must mean Pandora isn't as well-developed a weapon as Godolkin used to be, much less the Brakhinovs or the Special Agents.

But then again, sense hasn't yet been taken into consideration; if Pandora's a mere prototype, how the hell did she take the mickey out of two Brakhinovs? Which leads to another suggestion; that while she may look like an underdeveloped version of the Iconoclasts now, she may actually have the key to unlocking even greater abilities than before. Just like the mythological Pandora's Box, our dear girl here holds the key to something greater (or worse, considering the case). In a sense, while she's weaker than your typical Iconoclast now, she has great potential as yet waiting to be untapped.

Kinda like how I built my young ones, actually.

Hehe, the majority of that post is wrong, but you are getting very close now.

The program isn't flawed, she isn't flawed. The reason her emotions are running rife is because they have been released. Remember, the program that created her never reached completion, there was still about two years left to run, so there are things which were unfinished.

Throughout the program, her emotions have been suppressed, and had she ever reached deployment stage, her emotions would have been suppressed then too. The final stages of the project were focused on emotional control (you could argue that this was a flaw in itself, as it should have been done earlier, but this is beside the point).

Indeed, when it came to fighting the two Troopers, she had no fear. The 'weapon' took over control, and the 'person' wasn't allowed to interfere. Again, the fear comes from her emotional age. Imagine what your reaction would have been had you been confronted with vampires, mutants, etc., at 5 years of age. So, though the other characters don't know it, she has no fear in battle, but outside of that, she's just like anybody else, or indeed worse than everybody else (emotional age/lack of life experience) because she was never supposed to be there.

Underneath the training and the alterations and everything else, Pandora is just a normal human, unlike Godolkin and the varying types of troopers.

And now I just sit here and twiddle my thumbs, because in the state I put her into, while it may make things a little more interesting later, she can't even dream right now. Oh well...

You won't have to twiddle them much longer FE - I jumped up a bit in time and our rides here.

All aboard who's going aboard!

Must get my stuff!

What would happen to Casca if he was completely destroyed, would he still revive?

Ahh, the ancient question. What would happen to him if he were obliterated at the cellular level? I have actually taken the time to ponder this, and figured out one of two solutions:

1) His DNA pirates some type of food. It is consumed, maybe going through the food chain for millenia, before finally reaching a human, and working its way to the gonads. It pirates a sex cell (sperm or egg, doens't matter) and fills in any non-key genetic sequences (the stuff that doesn't differentiate him from any other human, right down to height and eye-color) from available DNA and then proceeds to survive in this manner, until such time as fertilization shall occur. After this, its a semi-normal childhood, then he reaches his prime, and the curse, already at 98% effective, stops the aging process, bringing Casca back, possibly with or without his memories.

2) By the time such a weapon could be created that would slay Casca at the molecular level, Armagaeddon is already upon us, so he will have met Jesus and the curse will have been lifted. I bet on this one.

Does that answer it for you?

So if he were to plunge into say in a vat of high mol acid, boiling tungstan/rhenium, liquid nitrogen or caught at point-blank to a nuke, what would happen?

Don't worry, I'm not planning on slagging Casca, he's just reminding me of the T-1000. But yes you've answered my question, short of extreme measures he'll revive eventurally.

Gracias, Theao. You've just given Scott another nickname to call Casca by. :p

I'd dare say that Casca would only be too happy to be gone like that. But my guess is that he gets reincarnated in another human body somehow. Either that, or Casca's stashed a severed arm of his in his fridge, and should he be obliterated beyond all salvation, then that frozen arm will regrow Casca bit by bit.

Heh. I wonder, can Casca clone himself? If so......EAT THAT, GEORGE W. BUSH!!!!!!!

:p

Probably not clone himslef. Casca would love to die. See the IC post. Hearing his sentence of LIFE is always anger to him. He wants death more than any other. Unlike a vampire, his soul is still pure (relatively speaking, like that of a soldier) and he has grown weary. How can I state it. He is physically, mentally, socially, and environtmentally healthy, but his spirit is as close to dead as can be, and only enlivens itself when he becomes engaged in a good war. It is all that he truly lives for these days.

Okay every one I need us all to remember one major fact - there is a catagory 5 hurricane rampaging over Houston.

I don't know how many of you have ever been in a hurricane - but a cat 5 is the biggest there is. That means sustained winds 135 knots and up. Literally enough to lift a light weight person off their feet and carry then a distance...

Think about it folks - you are on a roof with the winds coming from the northeast - and due to where the building is located there are no buidings close enough to provide any baffeling of the wind.

Godolkin may be able to move about in it but it's hard even on him!! And I am not making this up.

and the rain coming is is coming in horizontal.

Honestly Loki is our most valuable person right now - and Assington, if you attempt to control the winds and water for the others safety / protection - it's going to leeave you exhausted - but with every ones gratitude.

Ach, Category Fivers, nasty litt-le buggahs. Naw tell mah, is the gusty pickin' up debree an' flingin it at our braw hides, or does the buildin's size keep us safe for the moment. T'would be good tae knae.

Cat 4's regularly pick up and toss about untied down trailor homes. Do you want a good description of what a 5 does?

and READ MY POSTS -

Think about it folks - you are on a roof with the winds coming from the northeast - and due to where the building is located there are no buidings close enough to provide any baffeling of the wind.

Godolkin may be able to move about in it but it's hard even on him!! And I am not making this up.

and the rain coming is is coming in horizontal.

We're thinking along the same lines Tan. He won't be able to float himself around whilst concentrating on this so someone will have to support him :p

LOL got it covered Ass, and some one else gets to be the beast of burden.

Gagh, this group has got to get healed and trained in working as a team.

Okay, Scott's rested up for 30 minutes, so I'm pretty sure he can find it within himself to summon up Taurus for one last push, if needed. However, if you guys have any rations on board that Blackbird.......the boy's basically going to be eating nearly all of it. :p

So.......dunno how I should post right now. Shal, should I just let you control the Halliwell kids until they get on board the plane, or would you want me to use Scott for some heavy lifting?

If Godolkin can go out in this storm, Scott can, too. Although of course, he wouldn't have nearly the stamina to last as long as Sergeant Brutus can.

Blinks at GU...Scott may be able to be strong - but how much does he mass?

It's not just strength to fight the winds it's sheer mass

and speaking of strength - so Scott how hasn't had the ability under control before can suddenly summon it at will?

and you just posted how sore and achey he was.

Not trying to be mean, or disrespectful of your character, but he's got to be one hurting teenager.

Tanara, I was asking about the the building itself, specifically, is the roof designed/high enough to shield the occupants from debris blowing around. I know that Cain's is big, but is it big enough to the point that the winds will have trouble getting debris up to the roof, or are the people sitting ducks whilst various objects pelt them at high rates of speed, such as a stop sign turned into a guillotine by flying at somebody at a rate of well over 100mph?

*shrugs*

Fair enough. It's just that sitting around, twiddling my thumbs, and making meaningless posts was getting to be a bit much for me. Ah well. Still, save those rations for the poor boy though. :p

The height is 100 ft above the ground, the lip of the roof is some 5 ft high.

Sorry GU, didn't mean to make you feel left out, or that your posts were meaningless.

Heheh, at least you can make posts, GU. With Pandora unconscious and sedated (through my own doing, I admit), I've got to wait for suitable time to pass until she can wake up.

Incidentally, how long is that sedative likely to last for?

Sedative- well Kristy ought to be slipping from sedated sleep to normal sleep any moment - the stuff Sian used is quick acting but not too long lived

so Pandora should be coming round in mid flight - not that the flight is going to be very long.

and yes, for the quip machine - yes he looks just like the silver surfer writ large! more [url=http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/5773/untitled5ml.png]Dolph Lundgren than Arnuld though - and a HE Man movie Dolph rather than the more slabby Dolph of the Rocky movies...