# Strikeforce: Morituri     Part One "the Mortals"  Is Completed



## megamania (Aug 24, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 001
“Morituri: We Who Are About To Die”

I am a Man.

I am a Man of Spirit.

I am a Guardian.

I am a Guardian of the greatest evil.

I am Morituri.

I effortlessly and silently had entered the temple of The Tattooed Man.  This temple worshipped a being of great danger and menace to the entire multiverse.  Unknown to most of the world, I am sworn to ensure this evil never rises again.  It is the entire reason for my current existence.  I am Morituri in fact and name.

The cult that gathers to worship their Darque Master has become very cunning in their affairs.  They set up bases of operations that are not easily attainable by me.  They have always chosen dark and strife filled worlds and areas before.  But now they use alternate realities also.  This is dangerous as much of the Darque Master’s power was secretly placed here within the outer alternate multiverses.  Could they know?  Are they searching for him and his artifacts?

There are few guards within the temple.  I grow anxious, as this appears to be a ruse rather than a major temple of Darque.   If they have abandoned or left it…then why….

I am near its center now.  I have reached its offering room and have found the answer.  An energy nexus is here.  It is unstable and will destroy the temple.  I turn and see the fullness of the trap.  A legion of cultist has come in behind me.  I am trapped and will surely die.  Again.

I quickly call on the magic of my mentor.  Her power pulls me out of this reality even as the nexus becomes corrupt and explodes.  100’s of cultists have perished.  The temple will be destroyed.  Why?  Why sacrifice so much to try to remove myself?  They know I can jump realities easily.

I reappear on my home plane.  The Collective.  It is outside of Time and Reality.  It is a melting pot of the realities in truth.  A good place to hide something in great need of being hidden.  It takes me two days to journey to my own temple.  Then I come to understand.

The doors are broken.  The wards spent.  The sacrifice of the cultists and their temple was a tradeoff to enter my own.  It has cost them many followers but they seem endless.  I race swiftly through the halls finding remains where wards and mechanical traps functioned.  But they kept on.  They know!

I race to the inner most chambers.  The chamber has three possessions within it.  A tattooed thigh bone, a heavily tattooed skin of an albino gaunt man and a gem.  All are missing!  How can this be?  These items are warded against any evil.  Even the gods would have difficulty entering these three rooms if evil tainted their blood.

Then I sense him before I hear him.

I turn.  There is a black uniformed man holding a mere child before him.  I realize my folly immediately.  They used an innocent child to enter the rooms.  The child would be misled or misguided to do their bidding.  An innocent child!

A black leather gloved hand reaches up to the Monk.  Within it is a glass capsule filled with red dust.  “Welcome guardian.  Welcome to your second death.”  He drops the object, which shatters, on the stone floor.  The child immediately coughs and withers.  His skin becomes taunt and red.  Morituri can only look in fear.  He has breathed in the dust.  His will tries to stop the change but it is too powerful.

“I am truly sorry.  I have failed the multiverse”


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## drnuncheon (Aug 26, 2003)

So...not based on the old comic series, then?  Ah well.  Seems interesting, I'm awaiting the next update!


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## megamania (Aug 28, 2003)

drnuncheon said:
			
		

> So...not based on the old comic series, then?  Ah well.  Seems interesting, I'm awaiting the next update!




Not exactly.  If you are a fan of comicbooks however watch this series.


A quick sidenote about this storyhour.  Recently I tried to a Planar travel storyline with friends.  It failed mostly due to outside responcibilties (family / work).  So I am doing this much like my Under a Darksun storyhour.  I run all the characters but there are character sheets and I do roll out results.

Now, as far as this storyhour-  what makes it different?

I will be forming a PC party made up of comicbook heroes, Dnd type characters and place them in adventures that allow them to explore other planes.  Some of these planes are "alternate" realities.  Meaning?  What if Elminister were CE?  Forgotten Realms would be a VERY different world.

Once all of EN World's "bugs" are out of their system I will be p[osting the story in Segments.  Segments are 1-2 page pieces / chapters I use and number for referrenceing purposes.

I hope everyone enjoys it.  I'm having fun just creating 18-25th level characters (which takes time also).


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## megamania (Aug 30, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 002
“The Captain”

The man let out a long sigh and rubbed his neck and then his temples.  He took another sip of the green tea before returning to his reading by the fireplace.  His blonde hair was perfect with a slight wave to it.  His blue eyes sparkled of brilliance and energy.  Before him were several files.  On the top of each were names.  The top folder was labeled Vander.  Inside was a serious of photos, drawings and pages of descriptions.  He closed the file and neatly shuffled the five files into a perfect stack and pushed them away.  He picked up a sugar wafer cookie and only tapped it to his mouth.  And he thought dying was the hardest thing he was to do.

He got and stretched.  Under his robe were many strong athletic muscles and yet he showed great grace.  He was once his country’s greatest warrior.  Some felt he was their greatest hope to end the war of wars.  If so, he had failed and this weighed heavily on him.  He walked to the mantle and looked at a small glass orb.  It was told to him to be magical.  

Magical.

He once considered the word to mean special or extra special.  He has since learned it meant other things.  He saw what magic could do for the first time very recently.  At least to him it was very recently.  What he saw has terrorized him to his core and it also cost him his best friend’s life.  It cost him HIS life.

He picked up his tea and stared into the crystal ball.  He saw the air battle again.  He saw his friend die in a fiery blast caused by…magic.  He downed the tea and poured another.  He had to be ready.  He was to be their leader.  He had to learn.  He had to learn about Magic.

He looked at the files once more and spread them out neatly.  He was to lead a team of Special Forces unlike any he knew or could even dream of.  These were no trained soldiers in his mind.  One was a damned brute.  Another a psychotic woman proclaiming she could heal any wound.  Another woman who said she used magic to master the weather.  The fourth was possibly the worst.  He was a mere thief that was dishonorably discharged from his country for acts of terrorism and aggression.  

The tall man sat back down and looked over the files once more.  His heart was not in it.  He belonged to another time…another reality it seemed.  He closed his eyes and fell fast asleep.  A troubled sleep it was however.

The soldier went down in a hurry.  Private Buckley had struck him perfectly with the canister of gas.  Together Buckley and his Captain dragged the body out of sight.  They moved slowly and silently through the warehouse trying to get closer.  Something was happening here.  Something that was so important and unexpected that the Captain and his small force of trained soldiers was called away from entering the secret base of the leader of the aggressive country.  They were now within the Arctic Circle near the home of the large and powerful country of the Red Bear.  

It did not take long to find the warehouse.  Bribes and threats of violence not coming were all that was needed for men of weak minds and weaker wills.  The warehouse was built oddly enough away from the waters and onto a small mountainside.  Large caverns were linked to it and well guarded.  But well enough for Buckley and his Captain.

Inside they found air ships unlike any other ever seen.  They were larger and could carry weapons of mass destruction.  Due to their location, these ships could fly over the Arctic and attack his country.  This offence was not to happen.  The Captain decided this long ago.  Even before he became The Captain.

A battle broke out.  Several of the ships began to leave.  One was being operated by non-other than the Crimson Man.  He was rumored to be a secret top level agent for the Country of the Boar.  A rogue agent however.  A mad man with an intelligence that went beyond any known man on the world.

Buckley was a gifted boy himself.  After they defeated the ground troops, he figured out how to fly the ship.  Together, he and The Captain went after the Crimson Man.  They caught up with him over the ice.  An air battle broke out.  The Crimson Man’s wingmen were shot down but Buckley had taken several hits.  The Captain’s round throwing shield had saved him from most of it.

Desperate and without any means of stopping him, Buckley and the Captain tried to ram the craft together.  Instead, bolts of energy, possibly lightning shot out and damaged the ship further.  The Captain tried one desperate measure.  Despite the fierce and frigid cold winds he opened his overhead window and had Buckley fly close.  Instead of ramming the craft, the Captain leapt from one to another.  Even as he did this, a blast of hellish fire burst from one plane to another.  The image of Buckley the Captain has is of his open-mouthed scream of pain and anger.  Then the ball of fire with his craft fell to the ice below.

The Captain attacked the craft’s engines using his hardened round throwing shield.  He felt a crushing blow from behind and fell.  To this day he swears he saw a large glowing hand there.  He fell and fell and fell.  He passed out before hitting the water.  He awoke as he hit the frigid liquid.  Bones burst and his shield broke.  His armored jacket dragged him under the surface.  Under the surface into oblivion. 

He then awoke speaking to a light.  The light said it had work for him.  If he agreed, he could live and ask for any ONE wish when it was over.  Otherwise, he could die in the cold icy water.  

Angered by the Injustice, The Captain readily agreed without thinking about the situation.  He never thought about the light.  He only thought about….Truth, Justice and his country’s way.  And the villain whom looked to blow it all up.

The Crimson Man’s laughter erupts and awakens the Captain.  Pale and obviously unnerved, he clears his throat and returns to his work.


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## megamania (Aug 30, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 003
“Vander Stormbringer”

He was a big man.  Always was.  Even in on the island Wavely on Athas he was considered a big man.  However, as a big man on an island known for philosophers, he was not respected.  He cared little for the tricky words.  They often confused him and bound him to do things he didn’t want to.  He hated it.

He was nothing to look at.  He was not handsome or bright.  He was just big.  Sometimes, in secret, he wished he were a dainty respected man that everyone looked up to.  Whenever he thought this way he would laugh.

Vander hasn’t laughed in a long time.

The big man was within a simple room with a fire burning.  He had requested oil and polish.  He was spending his last quiet day fixing his armor and weapons.  He didn’t want to reflect on his past.  He had hoped NOT to by keeping himself busy.  But his memories, his painful awful memories were too strong for him.  

He paused looking at his hands and forearms.  They were big and heavily callused from hard work.  From what felt like hundreds of years of hard work.  He took pride that he could still identify most scars by battle and who gave it to him.  He became pail seeing one scar.  It ran the length of his arm.  He received it in a place best forgotten.  He was given it by something best avoided.  

He put down his chest plate and carefully placed the oil and its smeared rag on a table.  A bottle of strong drink was there.  Beside it a glass and another bottle.  This one water.  He stared hard at the liquor.  There was a time he enjoyed such drink around a campfire.  But no more.  It reminded him too much of the better times.

Why?  

Why was he so damned?  Was this last contract the reason?  He had fought all his life.  He should have died at the great battle of Utopia in southern Tyr Valley.  He should’ve died when he pulled that cursed card from the deck of Wondrous Things.  He should have died (slowly and VERY painfully) at the hands of Barticuss Filthy.  He did die at the hands of Queen Ten Bites.  He did die…right?

His entire life was of conflict and war mixed with other’s hatred.  Vander Stormbringer was a contractual mercenary with limited psychic powers.  He fought in several battles before joining the army of General Irikos.  General Irikos was a strong and heavy-handed leader.  Vander liked that in some ways.  He was leading an army of 10,000 men to Utopia.  Utopia had been corrupted by magic used by the various non-human races.  Vander hoped not to fight them even then.  He feared magic.

He had seen magic but twice before then.  Once a novice was practicing something referred to as a Magic Missile.  His family only had ashes to bury.  Another time, a novice blew up an entire city block.  Many died.  Magic is evil.  There was no doubt of that in his mind.  Psionics however were pure.  They came from within you.  They were a part of the user.

He and the other soldiers gathered.  He was amongst the newest to arrive.  He was still many hundred miles away from the city when it happened.  Powerful magics were unleashed.  Powerful psionics were also released to block the onslaught.  Too much raw energy was released at once.  He remembers seeing a mushroom like cloud with a bright light.  The light burned or blinded most viewers’ eyes.  Then came the black winds.

He should have died there and then.  But he didn’t.

He was wisked away and found himself in another reality and plane.  Allon.  It was so very different from his known Athas.  Orcs were greatly distrusted.  Many humanoid races were at war and huddled in barbaric tribes in the wilds.  Magic.  Magic was freely used and used with the greatest of respect.  Psionics were nearly unheard of.  They only place he found to train further his skills was within a monastery in Skydock.   It was so strange.

Here he meant his only true friend.  Snak.  He was a dwarf whom believed he got his powers to heal from a deity named Kord.  Vander and him spoke of Kord often when playing games of chance or building their strength through exercise.  Snak clearly didn’t understand Vander and his truth.  Vander had never known of a god.  He was positive his dwarven friend was mistaken.  He figured the dwarf to be a psion or psychic warrior like himself whom had lost his way from the dwarven city lead by his king.  King Rkard.  

He battled his first ever dragon ( a wyvern but you tell him that) and drove it away by himself.  Snak, his best friend was being hunted by it during a night of having too much drink.  He was also involved in something he very much understood.  A war.

Gnolls and Bugbears were forming an alliance to over run the outer towns.  The halfling villages never knew what hit them.  It was during this conflict that the team’s mage, Kessem, had found a box with magical cards.  She was hesitating to use them.  She sensed their might.  Snak only knew it was cards and he had lost his in a battle.  

No.  Vander stops.  He has been pacing about the room.  He now leans against the stone wall with his head against his arms.  No.  Snak knew better.  He knew the dangers and welcomed them.

He goes to the table and looks at the drinks.  He pours a small amount of strong drink into the glass.  He sniffs it.  If is sweet and strong.  But no.  He will not drink!  He throws the cup into a fire where the flames rush high and mighty before returning to their normal steady pace.

Snak was a follower of Kord.  He respected this god for his great strength and his willingness to take chances.  He had talked Vander into taking one card.  One card only.  Kessem had taken one card and seemed smarter for it.  Maybe this wasn’t magic afterall.  Maybe it was psionic in nature.  He reluctantly reached forward with a trembling hand.  At that moment Snak also reached in great haste and bumped Vander’s hand.  To his horror he pulled free THREE cards!

He was gone.

He never saw Snak again (and believed it).

He awoke in the abyss.  He was a prisoner and plaything of the Pit Fiend Bartacuss Filthy.  Filthy experimented on his new tool.  He would break it then repair it.  He would break it then repair it.  Vander could do nothing but scream.  And he did.  Loud and often.

This went on for years (decades? Centuries?) until Filthy was summoned to visit a powerful ally in Acheron.  Vander was traded for a new toy.  A paladin!  Vander was caste into the Great War with nothing but his scars and memories.  He fought and won.  He continued to until he gained new armor and recognition.  Too much apparently.  A rival merc and overall bi*** decided to take out Vander.  Queen Ten Bites was a large ugly 1/½rc.  When she defeated Vander and his group of mercenaries, she took him as her plaything also.  

Filthy was about pain and torment.  Ten Bites was about lust and things best not said or thought about.  Vander was further disgraced.  His indestructible spirit was weakening.  She was winning and knew it.  He willed death and unlike Filthy, she could not heal him or repair him.  In time, she broke him beyond repair.  He died.

Or did he?

His spirit never left the body.  He was beginning to think he was still a captive of Filthy whom had only thought of a great ruse to give him new pain.  To give him hope.  He was left for dead…unburied.

That night a light spoke to him.  If he agreed to one last contract…he live a life that never involved Filthy.  Never involved Ten Bites.  A life with respect.

Vander staggered to the corner of his room.  The bottle of water was split on the table.  The liquor…empty and now on the floor.  He curled up into a ball and began to cry.  He wanted his love back.  He wanted his…Snak.


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## megamania (Sep 1, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 004
“Christina of the Mace” 

Christina Van Culterdoss sat within her room very quietly.  Wearing nothing but two rings and a necklace she meditated.  A small blackcat stared at her from the mantle.  It was curled up and flicked it’s thin tail irregularly.  Her armor gleamed near the fireplace and her heavy mace outright shined.  The light given off seemed to pulse irregularly.  Behind her, the shadows shifted and were lighter.  It was as if something or someone was there but could not be seen with normal vision.  Christina just sat there and meditated.

“Meow!” called the cat as she sat up then began to stretch.  The very hairs stood up then relaxed as the cat relaxed.  “Meeeow!” it called again.

“Yes Momma.  I know” smiled Christina with her concentration still strong.  Christina had auburn hair that had slight waves in it.  She reached up and stretched herself.  She stopped in mid stretch.  “Yes Mom…I will.” She said before opening her green sparkling eyes.  She stood up stretching further.  It was slow and sensual.  “Mother!  It’s not like I’m with a man.  I was merely stretching.”  She turned and walked towards the cat.  She ran her fingers over the heavy mace while looking to the shadows.  “I know my purpose.  I will not fail.  Please…let me be.”

The cat licked at its whiskers then at it’s raised paw.  “Meow” it seemed to say something to her.

“No Momma.  I am uncertain what the Goddess has in mind.  She spoke of forming a team…a Strikeforce I heard it referred to.  It will be led by a soldier from a reality that has forgotten magic.”  She pauses for a moment and nods her head softly.  “Yes, a strange choice.  I agree but I must trust her completely.  Yes Mother, I know you do.  You always trust her with all your heart.”

The cat turns it’s back to her and lies down again.  One would think it is trying to ignore this talking human.

“Don’t be like that Momma.  You know I hate it when you do that.”  Christina goes to the cat and pats it once.  Then goes to her table.  On the table is a bag with many things hidden within.  She opens it and imagines a piece of fruit found only in the Spice Islands of Caldonia.  She sits and peels off the soft skin.
“How does it feel Mom?  I mean…I died…yet here I am.  Shouldn’t I be…different or something?  I thought it would be so.  Is it for you?  Uh-huh.   Oh.  Yeah, I understand that.  I should consider myself lucky.  You’re right.”

Lost in her thoughts, Christina of the Mace sits back holds the fruit to her mouth but only smells it’s sweetness.  Her thoughts and senses are reverting to her last mortal day…. Just yesterday.

She was battling a demon from a reality where they took over Faerun after killing Elminister and the Seven Sisters.    The demon was immensely powerful and highly skilled with swords.  It wielded the very swords once held by a well-known drow whom captured Mithril Hall for his Queen before dying at the hands of a woman raised by a dwarf.  She held her own against him but then discovered he was merely playing with her.  It summoned a warrior to it to attack her.  This warrior attacked her from behind.  Then 100’s, perhaps thousands of lesser demons swooped in and attacked her.  Ravaged and overpowered, she died.

She and her equipment were teleported away from the creatures before they could defile the warm corpse.  The Avatar addressed her once more.  Fight again or rest eternally.  She decided to fight.  She knew she could the demon lord if she ever faced him again.

She shook with a start when she realized she was day dreaming.  “Yes Mother.  This time we will win.”


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## megamania (Sep 1, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 005
“Megamania”

from Poison
Something To Believe In 
1990 Capital Records

“He cries forgive me for what I’ve done there
Forgive me for the things I did
And give me something to believe in
If there’s a Lord above
Give me something to believe in”

The young looking man sings to himself.  His messy hair swept back but jutting out everywhere from being subject to constant abuse by a worn hat and miscare.  It is a boyish look he secretly loves to have.  He flips out the cards looking at every third one.  Solitary.  How he hates the game.

He doesn’t so much hate the game itself.  Just he hates being bored and to play solitary means he is fighting boredom.  He grumbles them tosses the cards onto his five rows of alternating red and black numbered cards.  

“AAAARRRRGH!”

He runs his black gloved hands through his hair again furthering its messed up look.  He looks first straight up into the darkness with a look of why me.  He then takes in his environment once more.  A table, a chair, a fireplace and a cot.  Basic food and drink on the table.  No Mountain Dew.

He puts his ball cap on the center of the table and begins to toss the cards one by one into it.  52 cards in he hurumphs in a mixture of accomplishment and boredom.  He gets up and checks for a door.  He takes time doing it but finds one.  With a big smile he opens it.  Jet…Black…Nothingness….

“I was better off dead.”

He lies down on his cot.  He looks into the ceiling again.  “So, a conman, a priest and a lady of the night walk into a bar….”

He sits upright quickly.  His nerves are tense and he can not sit still.  He is Jim Addards.  His Codename is Megamania.

He is quite proud of this name.  His superiors that issued this codename to him did not mean it to be a compliment. Mania= sudden bursts of physical and mental energy often released violently.  Mega= x1000.  He thought it fit him well.

He hums a rock song to himself as he reaches for his weapons.  He checks his Kevlar cased Nylon batons, which are especially hardened, and light but gives a solid strike.  He then looks into his Energy Sidearm.  This experimental weapon has saved him several times in the past.  He escaped terrorists, assassins and even the almighty bad guy himself- Vandal Boc.

Vandal Boc.

Jim’s life was simple before this dictator came into his life.  Before the dreams, before the cultists Before…Jennifer.

Jim picks up his kevlar-armored mask and stares into its green eyes.  With a smirk known to make some girls swoon, he thinks about a few adventures he had as an US spy in the Pathfinders Program.  He puts the mask down so that it faces him as he sits down on the lone chair once more.

“So Mister Mania….How did you ever become a great multi-planar defender of the realities that you don’t gave a ***king damn about?”

“Well Barbara, it began when I was a High School student in AMHS.  I didn’t know it then but I was destined to combat the nastiest evil guy Earth has in its myth.  You know…..”I hope you guess my name” guy.  Stephan King referred to him as the Walking Man.”

His agents tried to kill me then but failed.  After that, the Government got me in a college program and trained me to be a spy.  Not like James Bond…I do more Recon that silliness he does.  As time went, I had dreams of the big day.  Good vs Evil.  Fate of Earth.  That kinda thing.

“That must have been hard on you.  How do you cope with the knowledge that you are earth’s savior?”

Careful of your wording.  I’m no saint nor savior.  I kill their opposites.

“Kill.  Doesn’t that sound harsh?”

err…nope. 

“How did that get you to here today?”

Welp…I confronted that sick SOB ***k-faced sorry bastard bad excuse of a human like being and…first was kicked out of the spy game and later killed.

A shocked look of realization strikes him.  Strikes him profoundly.  Pale and awestruck he shudders.  “oh…my…god…!”

It fits.  It fits so perfectly.  How did I not see it then.  The ***king Government set me up!  Vandal knew I was coming!  

Jim leaps up and knocks over his chair.  He backhands the emotionless mask.  It thumps against the wall and lands upright…facing him once more.

At least now he finally knew what he wanted for his services rendered.  Vandal Boc and the traitor are presented on a silver platter.


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## megamania (Sep 1, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 006
“Storm Wielder” 

She tried to sleep but could not.  Being trapped in this small windowless room was too much.  She craved the wide-open expanse of the sky.  She wanted to feel the winds on her body, the caress of the rain, the warmth of Lightning flashing closely.  She wanted to scream and shout in rapturous joy.  She wanted to be free.

She had allows valued her personal freedom and the freedom of others above everything else.  Even on her floating fishing village south of  Alnarma in the Strait of  Svimohzia she was free.  She swam and played all day as a child.  Later she helped pick the aquatic fruits from their seaweed island.  She helped clean the fish caught by her father.  It was a good life.

Too bad much of it was a lie.

He took out her hair tie allowing her pure white hair to fall down to the lower regions of her back.  Her sun- darkened skin was just as smooth and soft at 28 as it was at 13.  Her blue eyes saddened for a moment.  13.  I was 13 when I learned my father was not my natural father.  It was from then on she slowly grew up to be known as The Storm Wielder.

In the years since, she was taken as a slave by pirates, escaped them and tried to survive on the streets of Bel Kalamar.  She was caught stealing by a mage whom saw something in her.  Possibly her father’s nature.  She was taught magic.  She took to it well enough; especially magic involving storms and weather.  She had found her new place in the world of Kalamar.

She traveled the area around the capital seeking out adventure and fun.  Secretly, she was hiding from her father-  her real father. She moved further inland away from her beloved seaways and ocean.  Here she discovered a plot by cultists called Darque Ones.  She tried to stop them along with other adventurers turned heroes.  They couldn't do more than hold at the bay their activities but this was enough.  They tried to kill her in direct battle; using loved ones (dead and alive) and even hiring assassins but nothing defeated her or her band of outlaw adventurers.

The cultists called on the planar mercenaries known only as The Legion.  Their sole purpose- find and destroy Storm Wielder and her friends.

The coming battles took over a year to complete but they won.  Storm Wielder and her friends were dead.

The cultists are now free to renew their plans of global expansion of death and destruction.

Her spirit screamed in outrage.  It was not fair.  She was cheated of her victory.  She wanted a second shot.  She pleaded for a second shot.  Enter the Goddess of Realities.

She sat down and yawned on her cot.  Soon.  Soon she would have her revenge.  Soon the cultists of Darqueness will die again.  And the Legion…oh how she couldn’t wait.  A storm was gathering power.  Soon it would break.  It will have no mercy for any in league or within the Legion.  

Storm Wielder was going to kill every single one of them…throughout the realities and planes.


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## megamania (Sep 8, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 007
“The First Mission”

“It is time”

These words are mentally spoken to each of the five members of Strikeforce: Morituri.  Magically sealed doors open at each room allowing the member to gain access to outside of the room.  The Captain picks up his stuff and begins to leave the through the door.  He stops and looks at the empty mantle.  He goes back and places the crystal ball back on it.  “I will be back for you Buckley…I promise you this.”  He turns and exits the room.  Vander spends a few moments gathering his equipment and armor.  He stops and stands still holding his metal winged helmet in one hand.  He takes a moment as if in prayer then cautiously exits the room.  Christina gathers her armor and equipment.  The stubborn cat slowly stretches then pounces off the warm mantle and catches up with her quickly.  Storm Wielder quietly dresses and goes out.  Mania…well he is not there in his room.

The hallways were strangely built to him.  It reminded him of Styxville’s capital where Vandal Boc set up a base of operations.  There were large stone blocks set with much artistic and skill but wires and pipes were held high.  It was ancient yet modern at the same time.  Mania had left the room about 2 minutes before someone called to him.  He had heard of psychics before.  Gellar, Cayce and Theta were the premiere leaders in the field but to think one would use the power of the mind on him surprised him.  He suspected that there was no way to block it out so he did the opposite.  He thought long and hard.  He thought about something to disturb the person invading his mind.  He imagined cartoon characters at the Playboy mansion.  At the very least, he found it humorous. Garfield, Calvin & Hobbies, Veronica, Blonde and her husband…even the Peanuts.  He couldn’t help but to think about Einstein ‘s famous quote- 
“Imagination is more important than Knowledge.”

He followed the hallway that passed a few doors.  He considered opening them but remembered the jolt he took forcing his open.  It was rigged with voodoo or the such.  No wires or transmitters.  Just a softly glowing rune.  If this was a precursor to his immediate future, he was going to have to learn more about magic or voodoo or whatever it was he found himself involved in.

He found the corridor led to a large well-lit room.  This room was at least 50ft tall!  Book shelves and catwalks separated the rows of books by levels with ladders and spiral stairways allowing one to go up and down.  He looked to the ceiling.  There was a celestial appearing star chart that seemed to move.  Weird.  His eyes came back down to the floor level.  Here were a series of comfortable chairs and a long wooden table.  Papers and small pouches were set in piles on the table.  A meeting was to occur here he thought to himself.

He went to the table being careful to look about for guards and security devices.  An owl fluffed its feathers within a large wicker cell.  It blinked and followed Megamania with its gaze.  Ignoring the bird, he went to a folder.  It had some writing on it that was difficult to read.  He guessed it to a name of a place or person.  He opened it and saw a picture of a very large and muscular man like beast.  It looked like it could tear a man apart limb by limb easily.

He then heard a soft footstep behind him.  He whirled about pulling out one of his billy clubs in one hand and had his hand resting on his energy gun.  Before him stood a large athletic man wearing leather armor reinforced with metal and studs.  He had the look of a leader.  As he reached out with his hand to greet him he saw the armor better.  It had suggestive symbols of America.  This made him curious.  The round metal shield was also strange.  It seemed impractical.  It was a disk…not a normal shield.  It was heavily scratched and dented.

“I am Captain Stevens.  You may call me The Captain.  Welcome Megamania” His voice was steady and strong.  There was no doubt in Megamania’s mind that he was military.  That didn’t settle well in his gut.
But then again…what has since he discovered he was to kill an agent of someone…something he didn’t believe in.

Two heavily armored persons walked up beside the Captain.  “I am known as Christina of the Mace.  I welcome you.”  Vander looked at her and the others.  It was obvious he was sizing them up as soldiers and by character.  “I am known only as Vander.  My full name is Vander Stormbringer”  

“Did I hear someone mention a storm? “ came a woman’s voice from the corridor that they all used to enter the room.  “I am known as the Storm Wielder but you may call me Jean if you wish.”  Megamania stared at her but to size up her powers…perhaps if she had a character trait he hoped for.

“Welcome all.  Welcome Strikeforce: Morituri.  I am Teresa.  I work here in the library of the realities.  Please take a seat.”  She spoke from high up on the fourth level.  She leaned over the railing surveying her library and the people standing within it.  She had a golden gold about her.  A visible aura of power was present.  It was more obvious as she slowly floated up and over the railing and settled to the head of the table.

Everyone was dumbfounded except for Jean and Christina.  Jean herself could do this herself (though with more force than grace) while Christina bowed while on her knees.    After another few seconds, she got up and the six of them sat down.  Momma, the cat, settled down on a soft chair nearby to possibly oversee and eavesdrop on the talk.

“Each of you have something in common with the other.  Each of you died battling agents of Darque.  Each of you wishes to right the wrongs this death has possibly created.  Each of you were pulled from the moment of death by the Grace of the Goddess of Realities and given a chose.  Each of you has agreed.  The pact is simple.  Help stop Darque before he becomes too powerful and a new reality will be created as you wish it to be.  Loved ones can walk and talk again.  A war that has lasted for an eternity may finally end.  It will be as you imagine it.  I am asked to reaffirm your decision.”

Each agrees with a yes or a yes followed by comments of red and blue pills, which draw looks of dislike from all.  

The agents of Darque have misjudged one thing.  By using human agents, we travel through time and space rapidly.  If we hurry, we can collect his artifacts of power before his agents even know you are seeking them.

If we can gather his artifacts first, we may very well stop him from illegally altering any further universes or worse yet…destroying any.

Now if you care to open the books before you……

The meeting goes on for several hours.  There are files about key Darque agents, key items of power and most importantly, how to handle these items.  There are suggestions about the realities that will face and the key rulers within them.  The first one takes place in the Reality line of Marvel 5.7.8.  This simply means the core universe is known as Marvel and the version they will travel to has had 7 major changes and 8 minor since splitting off from the core line.  Only Christina seems not overwhelmed by the possibilities.

As expected, it is Megamania whom speaks up the more often.  “So what you are saying is there are more realities than the ones we came from.  These alter creating new ones.  Thus…there could be dozens, hundreds even thousands of …me?  I mean..com’on.  That’s silly.  Will the real Megamania please stand up?”

A smile appears on Teresa’s face.  The smile of a mother looking for patience while finding humor in a child’s constant questioning of it’s surrounding.  “Yes Jim Addards.  There are realities where you die at the stake on that fateful night of October 31st , one where you have died but returned to life through the use of technology that grants you superhuman powers* , Where you have no abilities except for your incredible reflexes** and even another where you battle great forces of evil, outside and within you in a world a bit more barbaric than any you know.***

If Darque finds the Core reality and destroys it, he destroys all the realities tied to it.  This is why it is so important and needs to be defended.

“Why us?” asks Vander in a monotone voice with no feelings or hint of emotion.

“Because Darque tried to find the core reality by destroying your own.  Because you can and I can not.”

“Can not or will not” comments Megamania turning his head to look at the strangely attentive cat that is glaring at him.

“The goddess and her Avatars may not directly enter this conflict.  It is part of the godly code.  Those that must live within reality can only protect realities.  Gods do not…always.”

The Captain stands up pushing off the tabled with his fisted knuckles.  “This is not a time of why.  We are honor bound to complete this contract.  We all are.  To save my world, it is not just I that need to act, but all of us.  Let us put aside our differences and questions and commence quickly before the agents of Darque learn of our formation and reasons.

Silence.

Okay then- I will be the field leader.  I ask you to open up your files and look at the first picture within.  We will have to go through this beast to get the first item.  He is known as The Brute Master.  Others call him Maestro.

And so it begins…..


*     Lt Mania from Champions Game I play in
**   A comicbook script I had to present to Valiant Comics back in ’91
*** Under a Darksun version as told in another Story Hour


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## megamania (Sep 16, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 008
“Lost”

The Captain was the first to step out of the portal.  He looked about and saw no possible threats.  He went through and guarded the portal as Vander heavily stepped through.  He was tired of portals.  The others followed and then the portal closed.

“Desert.  I hate the desert.” Replies Christina.  “I get the worse chaffing from my armor in this hot arid air.”

Megamania opens his mouth to say something about stripping but stops as her cat glares directly into his tinted eyes.  That cat gives him the hee bee jee bees.  He has seen well trained animal guards and knows they are capable of emotions but this black cat takes it too far.

“Everyone have his or her sensor on?” asks The Captain as he shields his wristband from the glaring sunlight.  “How far away?” He says aloud.

“I am guessing over two hundred miles” answers Storm Wielder gazing at her magical instrument.  “Yes…200 to 220 miles due North.”

Megamania looks at his gem closer.  He understands how to use it but not how it works.  A clear gem.  They are the center of the gem.  It is 500 miles radius to the edges.  An air bubble in the glass marks the location of their target.  The closer the bubble to the center the closer they are to the target it is designed to locate.   He becomes frustrated and squeezes it before placing it back under his protective vest.  He and the others don’t notice the faint glow that comes from his hand and the locator.

The cat walks quietly over a bank of sand and twitches it’s tail several times.  It then turns around and sits down.  It’s tail thumping impatiently.  “That damn cat…” says Megamania louder than meant.

The Captain climbs up the bank without any effort.  “It’s a road.  Hard packed blacktop.”   Megamania catches on to his term.  Is the Captain from his timeline or reality…?

“Should we be walking along the road?  It may be guarded.” Asks Storm Wielder.  “I would believe it better to walk along with it.”

“She is correct Captain.  Though our travel would be hindered and slower, we would do better by traveling along side the road.” Offers Vander looking up the road.  “What is that structure?” 

The unlikely team walk up to a large rusted sheet of metal.  It has dozens of round holes in it from vandalism.  One side is painted green with white lettering.  Both The Captain and Megamania read it out loud in stereo.  “Las Vegas 210 miles”.  Megamania smiles.  “We’re at Sin City.”

“What is Sin City?  It sounds…awful,” says Christina with a look of curiosity.

“A small town in the middle of no where” answers the Captain.

“A gambler’s haven.  Sex, Drugs, Entertainment and of course the Mafia.” Answers Megamania.

They move away from the road and follow it as best as they can.  Vander’s and Christina’s armor flashes as the sun strikes it just right.  Megamania wondering if it would have made a true difference to travel on the road or on the loose sand.

Each of them at one point or another while walking thinks about the artifact they seek.  It is a headband with jewels.  It is suggested to give him much greater focus and use of magics.  They also think about the warnings given to them.  

No one person should carry two items.   
Megamania is too hold them only if it is the final piece or extreme circumstances
DO NOT place item on person.  Keep within the null-field located in the bags.

Before Megamania could pursue what he was certain was a slight against his person; they were shuttled to the portal.

“How will we know our contact Captain?”  Asked Christina.

“I was assured we would know when we meet the person.”

Vander had seen many wars and looked about.  This entire area reeked of war.  Occasionally he would see unmarked graves and destroyed metal carriages that were burned.  

“What is that ahead of us?” asked Christina

Only she and the cat referred to as Momma seemed to see it.  Then Megamania adjusted his thin glasses.  “Something coming”

A small cloud of dust began to appear.  Shortly the others could see it.  Two figures within the dust.  Running towards them at a high rate of speed.

“Hide.” Is all the Captain could say.

The two creatures ran side by side.  They were large black panthers with blood stains of bright red on their face.  Their eyes were a bright red and the creatures were obviously dangerous.  They slowed down and looked about.  A few moments go by then one of the two cats growl.  Both look to the rocks where the five champions try to hide.  The gleaming armor has given them away.  It is then Storm Wielder spots a flying creature with similar appearance to the cats.

Christina thinks she knows what these beasts are.  They are not natural creatures but can not place them.  The bird suddenly morphs into a third cat.  They move in.


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## megamania (Sep 21, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 009
“Evil”

The three men were all in a thick cold sweat.  Their eyes were dark and the pupils dilated to near impossible limits.  Their hands shook visibly and they nearly dirtied themselves when the tall gaunt Templar called to them.

They had to report to the Maestro…the Brute Master.

The room was dark.  It was lit by small pin-lights similar to candles.  The men knew he was here with them.  They could feel his eyes on them.

In a dark and deep growl they each heard-  “Report.”

Lee stepped forward on unsteady legs.   “The..The beasts of Malar are dead.”  His Adam apple nearly breaks trying to swallow within his tight body armor.

“Really…?”

A large wall of darkness moves within a corner.  “I had ordered the three of you to hunt down and kill them.  And so they are dead.  Why does this surprise me?”

Suddenly the large 10ft by 8 ft frame of the Brute Master rushes up to them.  The three men collapse to the door.  The Master leans heavily over them.  His green is a sickly green with warts and thick veins stretched over impossibly large muscles.  “I commanded you to kill them for only one reason and one only-  To feed my pets!  YOU LACK THE SKILLS, THE ABILITY, AND THE LUCK TO KILL THEM!  DO YOU TRY TO LIE TO ME!!!!!”   He roars into them.  He reaches down to Lee and with only the movement of his wrist, he backhands the scout leader.  It is done hard enough that several pieces of him strike the far wall.  “WELL?”

Kirby, damp and soiled, stutters a reply.  “We…wwwe found them …found them that way.”

The Brute Master stops..turns his head as if to hear him better.  “You found my favorite pets dead?”   NARRRAGH!   He screams then grabs Kirby by his head.   With his free hand he grabs the legs and gives a tug.  The head separates from the body easily and will a splash of crimson.  The Brute Master spits down into the torn neck causing a violent splatter and bulge to reach the deadman’s stomach.  He then forces the head (upside down) back onto and into the body.  Anger abated, he merely lets it go.

David remains.  He is covered in blood and spittle. “FIND OUT WHO KILLED MY FAVORITE PETS OR I WILL NOT GO AS EASY ON YOU AS I DID THE FIRST TWO!!!!!!!!”

The Templar walks in, leaving the door open.  David is shoved through by the sheer vocal force of a great “OUT!” given by the Maestro.  A great evil grin can be seen on his face as the door recloses.

“That makes the thirteenth guard of this week sire” Says calmly the Templar.

“Hee hee…slow week” sneers Maestro.  “If what they say is true, the new wave of heroes are here.  See to it that I am informed immediately of any further incidents.  I so hate heroic surprises.”

“Anything else Sire?”

“Hmmm.  I need some stress release.  Give me some entertainment.”

“Will it be one girl or two this afternoon?”

“All.   I can start again tomorrow.”  With that said, he turns and lumbers to his inner sanction.

The templar waits a moment.  A hint of a cruel smile appears on his face.  He loves his job.


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## megamania (Sep 21, 2003)

Its early yet but any thoughts on the story thus far?  I'm always up for input.


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Oct 21, 2003)

megamania said:
			
		

> Its early yet but any thoughts on the story thus far?  I'm always up for input.




I think it's lacking something... more updates!
I'm enjoying what you've written so far though.


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## megamania (Oct 26, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 010
“Sin City”

Everyone needs a breath mint.

Jim Addards and Jean move through the crowd trying to take in the city.  They arrived here late in the afternoon after dealing with the Creatures.  Vander, Christina and The Captain did well stopping them and Storm Wielder ended it quickly.  Megamania’s pride was hurt.  He had seen many things in his lifetime, but magical shapeshifting monsters was never one.

However, this is not what has dampened his usual sarcastic mood.  For the past fifteen minutes, they have held up by the thick crowd.  The crowd was here to see and bid on slaves.  The slaves were of men, women and even children.  CHILDREN!   The ****ing bastards!  Jim is close to blowing their cover by breaking it up but Jean calms him.  The anger is visible in her eyes also but she is here to end it by stopping the Maestro and retrieving the artifact they are here to get.  

The rags they wear smell of BO and Dung.  Jim has seen smaller cats when looking at the bugs on the rags.  They retrieved these from a cart owned by people entering the city.  

Sin City is made up of a large shantytown surrounded by armed guards.  The landowners have decent homes.  From there, there is the palace.  Maestro’s home.  The Brute Master himself.  It is gold lined and massive.  Jean looks at the statue created to look like him.  She memorizes the entire image looking for weaknesses and other advantages.  He appears to be an Ogre or mutated human of 10ft in size and possibly girth!  Solid muscle.  He wears light armor.  Being careful to not be seen, she reads the caption below.  

Maestro
Ruler of the World
And the Ultimate Being

Arrogance.  The most common weakness of evil.

They move further away from the crowd towards the area their contact is supposed to be.  They were told little of whom the contact is.  The Contact is a freedom fighter from outside of Sin City.  The contact had direct ties to the heroes of the world.  The contact was overlooked by Maestro and his forces as too weak to amount to any threat.  Over Confidence.  Another tool to unlock his power Jean thinks to herself.

They reach the building they searched for.  The Quiet Star.   It is a bar with rooms to rent.  They go inside.  Jim notices the most common element of the seedy bar.  Everyone takes note of new comers within making eye contact.  He can feel their eyes on him the whole time.  

Storm Wielder nods to an empty table near the back and they go to sit down.  They now sit and without making direct eye contact, watch and evaluate everyone in the bar.   The one bar keep is a mutant of some sort.  His skin is albino and has black pupiless eyes.  Jim thinks radiation or natural mutant, Jean thinks Orcish blood or influence of wild Magic.  Either way, he may have a different appearance but he seems harmless.

Jim notes a blonde in her forties or possible earlier fifties.  She looks graceful and fit despite the crowlines on her eyes and creases on her mouth.  A few men stand up and leave blocking his view for a moment.  She is gone.  Her drink only remains.  Realizing he is girl watching, Jim begins to scan the room again.  

From behind him he hears “I seem to have misplaced my drink.  Can you buy me another?”  A black gloved hand rests on Jim’s shoulder.  Both turn and see the blonde.  She is dressed in torn and disgusting looking leather jacket.  She sits down.

“I am Yelena Belova.  Some know me as a member of the Russian Resistance; others know me as the Black Spider.  May I sit?


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## megamania (Dec 1, 2003)

does anyone want to see how this ends?


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Dec 1, 2003)

megamania said:
			
		

> does anyone want to see how this ends?




I do!


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## megamania (Dec 7, 2003)

good enough...it's time for combat.....


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## megamania (Dec 7, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE:  MORITURI
SEGMENT 011
“The World of Bar Fights & Gunfire”

“The Russian Resistance?  There is still a Russia?” asks the curious Megamania.

“”The Motherland has seen better days.  She suffered greatly during the “Week of Fire” when the missiles were launched.  10 million people died in Russia on that week alone.  The mutations killed another 2 million until Psion-X arrived.  They helped Russia deal with mutations and their dangers.  By doing do they escaped The Brute’s first rages.  Champions that did not die from the war died at his hand.  The Adventurers, The Defenders of the Arcane and the Psychic Four all died soon after.  But enough about my world.  What of yours?  My contacts say you and your comrades are not even from my plane of reality.  Why help me?  Why help Russia?  Why do any of this?  The blonde says.

Her eyes burrow into Jim’s.  He recognizes the training common to the Russian KGB and later “Home Security Agency” or HAS for short.  He tries his best to ignore the hostilities…. after all-  it is a different reality for him.

“I was promised a night with Pamela Anderson, Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez.”  He says not helping himself.

Jean gives him a cold stare before answering.  “I was promised a second chance by a Goddess that can give me that chance.  Also, I feel offended by this Brute.  He seems to be nothing more than his name implies.”

“He is that and so much more.”

“We have company.” Megamania quietly says without turning his head.  He motions with his thumb to look to his right and back.  The Black Spider sees him first.  “Gee-Joe of the security staff.”

“Gee-Joe?”

“He comes here often looking for trouble makers and people whom don’t belong.  Like yourselves.  I saw your display at the slave stand.  He may have also.  We need to go.”

As the three of them get up so do five other bar patrons.  Everyone else quickly makes out the scene and moves away from them.  The Albino bar keep ducks down but grabs his powered “peacemaker” if need be.  It thrumms in his hand impatiently.

“Hold or Die” yells the first man. As he reaches for an object at his hip.

Megamania pushes back his chair.  It crashes down with him still in but he continues to roll away from the table and chair.  The Black Spider leaps up (nat 20!) and clings to a beam and moves to its side placing it between her and the four new security officers.  Storm Wielder stands defiantly and begins to talk quickly and in a strange language.  Then before the Spider and Jim’s eyes an icy wind blows in through the door and blasts into the head guard.  He has become the center of a snowstorm in the bar in the middle of a desert wasteland.  In a slow and quiet disbelieving voice all Jim can say is “ho-ly…S***.”

The snow covered and cold security officer draws a weapon similar to Jim’s and fires it at the cause of his discomfort.  The effort places him squarely on his bottom as the floor has been covered with ice…very slippery ice.  The shot goes wild (nat 1).  The other four fire their weapons on her.  Three shots clearly miss.  The fourth strikes but is repelled by a green field of unseen energy (Bracers of Def+8) and ricochets off and strikes the glass bottles by the bar.  The white barkeep begins to thump his club on the floor.  Each strike seems to charge the weapon as it begins to glow.

A wide smile crosses Jim’s face.  This world he understands.  The world of bar fights and gunfire.  He fires off three shots.  Two strike one man.  The third misses.  The Spider fires energy from her ring into the leader.  She is nearly invisible in the deep shadows of the beams overhead.  The Storm Wielder intensifies her small snow squall.  The leader is now finding his metal bracers and belt sticking to the floor as ice builds up.  He can not even move his sidearm anymore as it is frozen into the floor also.

The guards know they are overmatched and assume they face the Psion-X team of freedom fighters.  If they fail to kill them, their brutish leader certainly will.  They open fire onto the weather witch again.  The shots are wild and not well aimed as the men are looking for cover while firing.

Megamania corrals them into a corner firing away.  Two more hits rip into their bodies.  The Black Spider finishes off the leader then crawls around the beam to get a fix on the other four.  Jean breaks her concentration and the howling winds calm down.  “Why did you kill him?  I had him frozen and thus pinned.  He could do you no more harm.”  Her fierce eyes look into the darkness above trying to locate the Black Spider.

The four men fire onto Megamania hoping to hit him.  One shot goes over his shoulder barely missing his head.  He turns to see the hole in the wall to better judge the power level.  “Oh Great- Kinetic Photo Blasters.”  He turns back and concentrates better on his attacks.

“Hmmmm…right eye socket.  Bang.  You’re dead.  Left eye socket.  Bang.  You’re dead.”  He turns to fire on another security officer but finds a thick fog rolls in suddenly.  “Aww Common!  Do you have any idea what these guys can do?!?”

“Or have done” replies the Russian from above as she fires into the fog where the security men were.  She fires but hears only the splintering of the wooden table near her target.  “It’s time to leave!” 

The one guard tries to call for help but the cold and sudden humidity has damaged his communicator.  The other goes to fire on the voices but hears a voice from the bar.  “Enough!  You’re only going to destroy my bar by firing that thing in here.”  All the man can see in the thick fog is a glowing object resembling a rod or bat.

Outside, the Black Spider crawls through the open doorway and onto the side of the building.  Megamania and the Storm Wielder are already gone.  Each are lifted by high winds and taken high away from the conflict.  

The Black Spider catches up with them a few buildings away.  She is cursing in several languages, and glares at Jean before addressing Megamania.  He now is wearing his facemask.

“I hope your comrades are better behaved and understand what we face.  Now…about how we get into the palace.”


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Dec 8, 2003)

Hey, you made at least one Story Hour addict go WOOHOO!


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Dec 11, 2003)

*bump*


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## megamania (Dec 20, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 012
“Big, Green and Ugly”

The Captain sat very quietly and stared while he cleaned his shield.  The woman before him seemed sane except for one fact.  She talked to her cat and to the thin air.  Sometimes even to her weapon (he hated to admit it but he had once done this himself with his shield in a foxhole in France).  What bothered him mostly was how she seemed to answer an unseen person.  Her mother.  Her mother was everywhere.  Momma this .  Mom that.  Mother here and there.  But she was a good warrior.  He had to give her that.

The two of them and Vander waited in a ruined metal carriage (bus).  Megamania and Jean were within the city meeting the contact.  They were expected back soon.  What they were not expecting was the next twenty minutes of activity.

============================================================
“ Yes I know sir.  Yes.  We will engage”

David cuts communication from the palace and more specifically the Templar.  He turns to the handful of men he has with him.  All of them are in their riot gear complete with ion clubs and phasers.  This gear is normally saved for Psion-X and the Russian Resistance rather than the poor.  Some days David hated his job.  Today he couldn’t even come up with a word to best describe it.

Still, he had orders.  Greenwood, Weis, Denning and Salvatore understood this.  They also understood this was not Psion-X they faced.  It was an unknown.  Psion-X knew better than to leave the bodies where they could be found.

Through careful tracking, searching and finally the use of a device that tracked psychic energy, they found three unknown figures hiding in a burned out shell in the Forbidden Zone.  They loaded a gas canister into a launcher and prepared for the worst.

============================================================

The sun felt good to her.  It always did, even before her reincarnation as a cat.  “Momma” stirred and stretched tall and high from her nap near the wreckage of the metal frame.  She understood far more than the others knew.  Even more than her “owner” Christina.  Now stretching her arms forwards, she scratched her magical claws into the old padded seat then the fur raised on her back.  She thought she heard something.  The sound of something hitting something……a soft foomph.  She caste her feline eyes into the rocks near the hiding spot.  What she saw she immediately telepathically communicated to Christina.  They are under attack!

The gas grenade arched  down at a steep rate and struck the roof with a loud thrakt and rolled and bounced inside.  First out was the Captain in a daring leap through the front viewing area where he somersaulted and landed on his feet with his shield before him.  Vander crashed through the rear doors with his falchion telepathically communicating to everyone within the wreckage that he was ready to fight.  Christina of the Mace calmly walked through the side near the front.  She was reciting a strange series of words and phrases as she prepared a spell.  The five agents of Maestro thus began to fire onto the heroes and their shelter.  The shots on the front miss or are deflected.  Vander is struck in the back by a blast.  He grunts and takes a step forward from the blast then turns with glowing eyes towards the rocks where the soldiers hide.

The Captain calls for the others to fan out while he goes directly up the front.   Christina swings her magical sentient mace before her.  A rift opens which both she and Momma step through.  They reappear directly behind the unsuspecting soldiers.  Vander charges the soldiers at full speed.  His armor glitters in the strong sunlight.  The Captain takes a grazing hit.  One soldier spots Christina and blasts her.  Another gets a shot off that upends Vander in mid charge.

The Captain throws his shield strikes one soldier then it strikes the rock and hits him again.  With it’s momentum done it falters and falls onto his side of the rocks.  Christina smashes down onto the closest soldier several times.  Each strike cracks and damages the armor with illuminations of colored light.  Vander spits out blood and snarls while picking himself up.  “I hate magic.”  Three soldiers concentrate on the now “defenseless” Captain.  Several shots hit him hard as he tries to avoid them.  Christina has the full attention of the others whom miss trying to get her.  “That damn cat!” can be heard from one as a black fearless cat springs up and swats one as he tries to shoot her.

The Captain ignores his shield and rushes one soldier who is punched and knee’d over and over.  Christina slams the soldier again while yelling for Momma to move it.  This was no place for her.  Vander holds his psionic falchion and pulls out two glowing gems.  With a satisfied smile he throws the two gems at the soldier the furthermost away from Christina and the Captain.  A great green and purple colored explosion rocks the soldier as two gems bounce off of him.  He is blown clear of the others.  The soldiers remaining try to go on full defensive or switch to their ion clubs.

The Captain breaks the jaw of one soldier whom goes down for the count.  Following through with his attack, he continues to pommel the person next to him.  Vander finishes his charge and leaps into the air looking to get one of soldiers aware.  The soldiers are unable to mount much of a recovery.  One does hit Christina with his charged up club.  She barely notes it as having happened.  The black cat however hisses at him (or was it Vander with his explosive gems?).

The Captain smashes at the soldier with several body strikes then an open hand technique designed to open cuts over the eyes.  The soldier’s head snaps back and Captain crushes his air pipe with the next hit (natural crit).  Christina strikes her opponent two more times before he falls.  Vander strikes his already stunned foe with his full armored weight.  He hits him hard and drives him back again.  They tumble apart in the sand.
Agent David lowers his weapon looking at the intensity on the Red, Blue, White and Grey warrior before him.  He knows when he is beaten.  The only other remaining soldier merely tries to cover his body, as he has no idea where he is anymore.  Vander holds his falchion at his throat.  

Christina quietly walks up to the Captain and says a quiet prayer and merely touches him.  His burns begin to go away immediately.  Even when he is distracted, Agent David decides to stay his ground.  The look on this man’s face is stronger and more fierce than that of his brutish leader- The Maestro.

“Who are you soldier?” demands the Captain as Christina inspects a deep cut caused by either another soldier or the explosion.

“I…I am Col. Peter David of Division S-SFX.”  He stammers as the Captain’s blue eyes borrow into his soul.  He reminds him of another soldier that was a hero.  One who is not allowed to be spoken of.  A leader of the Adventurers.  Hope beats in his heart that maybe other heroes survived the bomb and Maestro’s purge.  “Are…Are you Captain Am-“

A thunderous explosion erupts near the circle of five people.  The dust and smoke settle and from a crater climbs out a figure ten feet tall and possibly ten feet wide.  Vander fears a pit fiend has been unleashed within their midst.

“You are not Psion-X nor the Resistance.  Not that it matters.  It would matter little to me.” Thunders out a low graveled voice full of hate and power.  “Little matters…to the Maestro.”


----------



## megamania (Dec 20, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 013
“You Can Not Defeat the Maestro”

A large green skinned Ogre stands over them.  He has wild light green hair that grows in patches.  Dark green warts and scales cover his skin.  In all appearances, he wears nothing but a scaled purple and black pants and wrap.  Heavy leather boots and gloves are also worn.  

The Captain slowly stands up picking up his fabled shield.  He studies this large foe trying to figure out how something this big could live.  He is the size of an elephant!  The beast is obviously ill tempered and very dangerous.

Christina of the Mace also picks herself up and studies the foe.  She begins to review the spells she may need to defeat this muscle-bounded freak.  If only half the stories she has heard are true he will be very hard to defeat.  They were not ment to face him at all.  They were here only to steal an artifact he unwittingly holds within his fortress.

Vander glares at him.  This creature is a fiend.  It needs to die but fiends don’t die easily…especially the big ones.

The Captain walks directly up to him.  Once about 10 feet away he stops.  The entire time there is a battle of wills as the two lock eyes.  “Maestro.  I presume this is who you are.  We are not here to battle with you.  We are merely travelers.”

A wide toothy grin opens up on the Maestro.  “You are mere travelers?  I doubt that.  Especially since I’ve killed you once already Captain.  Guess I’ll just have to do it again.”  He tenses up and raises his arms to strike.

Vander strikes first- Mind to Mind.

Maestro finds himself standing on top of Washington’s head at Mt. Rushmore.  Confused for a moment he glances about.  Trees Tourists…the hum of birds and planes.  He is in the past.  A whistling sound is heard far overhead.  Even as he looks upward an eerie soft green tinted light appears.  It baths him and the world in its toxic warmth.  He smiles.  This when he became the Maestro.  What kind of attack is this?  Then instead of becoming stronger…he weakens.  

The explosive blast then strikes him and the granite monument blows up.  Long tense minutes go by.  Maestro can not believe it!  He is getting weaker.  He can not pull himself free from the boulders and rubble.  Then a white and gold armored figure floats within his sight.  Vander.  “You are defeated.  You are demoralized.  You can go no further …Banner”

GET

OUT

OF

MY

HEAD!

Screams Maestro.  The suddenness of the outbursts pushes Vander to a knee.  Tired he catches his breath.  He knew it was a long shot but hoped for a weak mind wrapped in a strong body.   No such luck.

Christina calls up a powerful spell to strike him down.  A circular cloud grouping appears above him.  The Captain moves away sensing something with come down from the cloud grouping…something harmful.  The Maestro looks up and sees a flash of heat again.  Only this time it is real.  He screams in pain as the very gates of hell itself seem to pour it’s flames onto him (Flame Strike).  Screaming in as much rage as pain, he leaps out of the inferno and crashes again nearby.  Steam and flame crackle from his skin.

The Captain begins the attacks by throwing his returning shield.  It strikes the green goliath over and over.  No real damage is done and the Captain begins to realize how futile this may be.  Vander powers up calling on his natural psionic talents.  His skin thickens and becomes rough to the touch.  His strength increases and he prepares for his next attack.  The Maestro strikes down on the Captain.  The Shield is struck so hard the toughened near magical steel alloy bends and splits (199 pts).  The Captain screams in pain as his arm is shattered while holding the shield.  “Not so tough are you?” sneers the hulking beast over the defeated and defenseless Captain.  Christina quickly tries to hold the beast still through the use of a spell.  The beast slows down then stops completely.  “Quickly-  I’m uncertain how long I can hold him.” Says Christina as her will begins to battle his own.

Vander pulls the limp but conscience Captain away from the green statue of rage and death.  White fractured bones are visible through the Captain’s scale armor.  He is in shock from the severity of the wound.  She moves away from the brute closer to Vander.  Vander carefully releases the broken Captain and hefts up his charged sword.  Screaming he charges the frozen brute and begins to hack into him.  The psionically charged Falchion draws blood and soon fleshy chucks.  He hacks at him until the weapon feels heavy in his arms.  The Maestro’s glare is of poor evil and menace.  As she feared…his mind’s rage finally overcomes hers.  He lashes out at Vander.  He strikes him hard enough that psionic energy crackles and weakens with each strike (197 pts). Vander feels ribs break and twist under the impacts.  His armor deforms and his weapon falters.  All the while- The Maestro’s many deep wounds begin to heal up rapidly (hidden Tattoos of Claws of the Vampire).  He turns rapidly and the red tinted drool and spittle flies free from his lip.  His eyes flash in pure anger and hatred.  “ENOUGH!” hisses Momma the cat.

“Huh?!?!?”  Not even Strange had a talking cat snarls the beast looking towards the source of the telepathic message.  Christina, with tears in her eyes reaches over and grasps Vander while still holding the Captain.  Momma leaps onto her lap as the air shimmers around them and they disappear.

“hurmmmmmm   I hate porters” grumbles the hulking engine of destruction that turns towards two lone survivors…Col. David and Salvatore.  A new evil smile crosses his face as he sees the new possibilities before him.


----------



## megamania (Dec 20, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 014
“Regroup”

The site they find at the metal shell used as a hiding place sickens Jean.  The scene nauseates even Megamania.  Something has torn two armored men apart piece by piece.  The pieces were then discarded within a 500ft radius of the site.  Worst of all, a finger was used to mark the rocks to indicate how many pieces of each man worn torn free.  Megamania is beginning to think he is only now battling the being of purest evil he was thought to have battled before.

Looking about, Megamania finds many metallic and ceramic flakes from the Captain’s scale armor.  Chipped chunks of plastics that covered his shield are found.  Pieces of Vander’s armor, the more decorative pieces any way, are found in the red sticky sand.  Something came in here hard and fast and torn apart the two.  No sign of Christina or her cat can be found.

“What do you make of it?” asks Jean with a sour look still on her face.

“In a word…. Hell.  In all seriousness, I think this Maestro guy was here.  See here- (points to large divots in the sand), those are footprints.  B-I-G footprints.  The…evidence suggests a strong, evil twisted mind also.  It’s hard to say with the activity that happened with the soldiers... but I think these tracks are Christina’s.  The metal skin guards dug into the harder packed sand and dirt.  She spun or dragged a prone figure around with her.  I’m guessing our fearless leader based on the pieces of armor and shield found.  She leaned heavily this way...perhaps to touch Vander.  This depression is his.  Something struck him so hard; he was driven into the hard earth.  The cat could have been here or ran away.  I'’ not sure.  The tracks it would leave would disappear quickly in this kind of conflict and environment."”

Sighing and now standing upright to look at Jean, the Storm Wielder, eye to eye he shakes his head in confusion.  “What I don’t understand is where they went.  It’s as if they simply didn’t exist anymore.  Even the way the sand filled in Vander’s impact area.  He just didn’t exist anymore.  I’m lost.”

“Teleportation”

“Huh?  I don’t believe in that.  That’s science fiction.”

“Science…fiction?   Is that how you call magic?”

“Jean…you’ve bootylious and all that but don’t go into magic.  That’s insane.  I don’t believe in it and it doesn’t exist.”

Getting over her first impression of what war must be like, she pulls out a feather.  “Magic is simple.  One only needs to believe, practice and understand.”

Crossing his arms, he turns his back to her and looks for an evidence of mortar shells or explosives he may have overlooked before.  He feels Jean’s hand gently touch his shoulder.  “You need to learn…Jim.  You need to…. huh?”  Jean withdraws her hand and stares at it.  She turns it about as if looking for a flaw.  

“Let’s hope for the best and go to the secondary meeting place.  Maybe they yet live and are waiting for us there.”

“I…I agree.”  She says with her mind elsewhere.

Several hours go by as they walk back towards the meeting place.  They climb the rocks and head for a downed jet airliner that still has a fuselage intact.  They had seen it before on the mountainside and figured it to be a good place to regroup if the need was there.    They get close then Megamania stops and inspects the ground.  A blue ceramic chip is in the crab grass.  “The Captain ...or at least his body, was here.” He says holding up the piece for Jean to see.

They reach the downed aircraft and indeed find the three there.  The Captain has his armed in a splint.  Vander is out of his armor, heavily bandaged, and trying to repair his armor without much for a forge.  Christina watches over the Captain, still in armor.  As always, the cat glares at Megamania and waves it’s tail in disgust and displeasure.  

Christina gets up and hugs both travelers and thanks her gods (and more) that they are alive.  “Hmmm?  Oh you’re correct Mom…it looks like you guys were in a fight.”

Shaking his head in amazement at her mental delusions, he can only reply- “At least it wasn’t a war.  What happened?”

“The single strongest creature I have ever seen.” Grunts Vander whom squints as his entire back and ribcage spasms in pain.  “He struck us down barehanded.”

“One lone creature did this to you guys…bare-handed…. no guns, no bazookas…no laser guided missiles…just his hands…?”

“….and his rage…” whispers the Captain.

“You’re awake!”  yells Christina.  “Don’t move or dare attempt to get up.  That arm took 6 hours of divine reconstruction.  Any cleric with less skill would not have been able to save it.”

Megamania follows the Captain’s defeated and horrified gaze.  Lying nearby is his once glorious shield.  It is now nothing but scrap metal.  Megamania walks over to it.  He thinks to himself about how this was done barehanded.  Indeed, there is one impact mark that clearly has the marks of four large knuckles.  The hand that did this was massive…the cubic span could be measured in feet!  This was no man…it was a monster.

“Don’t…you have…no right to hold it” pleads the Captain while trying to get up.

“Megamania- PLEASE…can’t you see how traumatic this is for him.  Put the shield down.  Nice and gently.” Asks Jean.

Frowning but not unmoved by the rawness of his emotions, he looks once more at the shield.  It had about five layers of incredibly tough, strong alloys with ceramic components to absorb impact and heat.  A tough plastic he could not identify then surrounded this.  This shield was a piece of engineering art and craftsmanship.    It was more than that.  It was a symbol.  He could clearly remember the round circular rings of Red, White and Blue with a gray star.  The gray didn’t fit but it still reminded him of home.  And that reminded him of what his home met.  What it represented.  He walked over to the Captain and gently laid it next to him.  Flakes of red plastic flaked off onto the ground.  The Captain carefully picked them up and tried to place them back onto the shield.  Eyes flowed down both cheeks and dripped onto his neck and shoulder.

Megamania stood up and saw not the defeated man before him that the others saw.  No.  He saw a father in mourning.  This father whom would kick some serious butt once he got off his butt.  With the thought done and over, Jim, the sarcastic spy with an attitude, turns to the others shrugs his shoulders and walks off to work off his own emotions.  Ones that he can no longer bury and fears can not hide.

Vander has repaired the structural damage that he can.  It will need new detailing and smoothing but at least he can once more wear it.  Before, there was a dent large enough to push hard against his already crushed chest.  The removal of the chest plate caused nearly as much damage to him as the original strike.
He then put his work aside and thought long and hard about his mental combat with the creature.  Was the green energy magical?  It clearly was not psionic in nature.  Perhaps something new.  This technology that he heard Megamania speak of.  If so, it was a dangerous power to leave unchecked.

Christina and Jean went into another section of the plane to discuss what to do.  They compared notes and knew they could not combat this creature of hellish power and strength.  The Black Spider had told them of a place to enter the palace.  This place may even contain what they seek.  It was his trophy room.  Here he displayed the remains and broken artifacts of the heroes and would be competition.  It was a good place to return to.  He rarely went there anymore.  No one provided him with something to add to it anymore after all.

The Black Spider would meet them at a prescribed place in three days.  She felt it would take that long for the guards to relax after their battle within the bar within the outer edge of the city.


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## megamania (Dec 21, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 016
“I Need to Know What to Do”

The Captain walked about stretching his taunt muscles.  He had in bed for too long.  He needed to get up and do something…anything…but think about…his shield.  He had saved a piece of the chipped off plastic.  He was unsure why and to what good it would do.  But it felt good in his pocket.  His walk grew into a jog and his jog into a run.

All the time he thought about what was needed to be done.  The creature was the size of a tank but quicker than a motorbike.  It had to have a weakness.  But what was it?

Vander was also restless.  He was outfitted in his repaired armor.  He was going through a series of moves and routines to check its flexibility and sturdiness.  It still held its psionic enchantments, which was a good sign.  If he believed in a god, he would have thanked him or her for that.  Instead he thanks Sersi whom built the armor for him all those years ago.

He couldn’t help but wonder how the creature healed like it did.  While on the battle world Acheron, he had heard of a creature of similar size and healing.  A Troll.  But it lacked the strength and pure brutality.  So what was it?

Jean studied her book of spells looking for something to bring down the beast.  She doubted she could on her own.  She knew they needed to work as a team.  From the description of the battle, teamwork, or the lack of, nearly defeated them against the soldiers.  Vander nearly killed them with a psionic explosion and The Captain ordered Christina into combat before allowing her to support either of them with her divine spells.  The Captain had no idea still what his team could do.  Megamania was so anti-magic that he was working against them.

Megamania.

What happened in the battlesite anyway?  Her spell completely fizzled that would have allowed him and her to fly away saving time and energy.  Was it her…or him that swallowed the spell’s might?  It was successfully caste.  She could feel the power flow.  It was active until…until she directed it onto him.  Strange.

Christina meditated to her goddess.  Surely the Goddess of the realities could help her.  Mother and Mom were both strangely quiet.  Perhaps they too were reflecting on the events of the prior few days.  Momma slept all-day and sneaked snacks from Megamania’s food pack at night.  She was quiet also.

The Captain returned about an hour later.  During the next four hours he sat down with each individual.  He discussed their feelings, thoughts and powers.  He knew he needed to get a better grip on what magic and psionics could do.  Why Divine and Arcane magic was different.  He even put aside his dislike and distrust of Megamania to discuss his special talents.

He knew they had to sneak back into the city, as an entire group.  He knew finding the artifact would not be easy even with the Black Spider’s help.  He knew that even with a plan, the Maestro could kill any of them at a moment’s notice.  However, he was guaranteed that without a plan, they would possibly fail and die at the beast’s hands.

So they formulated a plan.


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## megamania (Dec 21, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 017
“The Trophy Room”

The night has a life of its own.  Megamania has always considered the night his natural element.  His training in stealth and retrieval of information seemed to always center on the night.    For this mission, he wore his helmet.  It contained his night vision (Darkvision Goggles) lens and openly carried his energy gun in one hand and his charged baton in the other.  He carefully led the team through the quiet streets using the route prescribed by the Black Widow.

It now neared midnight and she and the Resistance would soon begin their own attack.  They had planned an attack on the food storage area already.  Everyone was in place even before the Strikeforce had contacted her.  Fate as she called it.  The will of the Goddess of realities commented Jean.  He merely shrugged at the convenience of it.

It was not easy sneaking in.  Vander flatly refused taking his armor off.  Christina had pulled a piece of paper from her bag she held flat under her armor.  Curious how the paper wasn’t flattened itself.  Anyway- she read the strange language and it seemed she and Vander were nearly as quiet as he was.  Now that was impressive.  The Captain was quiet but looked naked without his shield.  Out of habit he kept holding his left arm up as if holding it before him.  

Megamania located the secret door.  It took a few moments to open it.  The technology involved was more than he was used to.  It had a heat sensitive cover to the lock.  Jean helped me with that.  Next was a pressure plate, which Vander helped with.  Something he called float.  In my mind I heard twinkling charms.  It was strange.  Then the lock itself.  He picked it slowly and with great care.  Once opening it, he found another lock.  

Once inside we found ourselves in a service tunnel.  Counting three rights then four lefts they climbed a ladder onto a new level.  The fifth door on the right was our target.  This lock stumped Megamania.  His lock picks didn’t work.  Strangely enough, it seemed to require electronic components as much as the moving of tumblers.  Jean put the deep freeze on it and Vander grabbed it and shattered it.  The boy is strong.

The lights were already on within the large room.  The site before them shocked their senses.  There were colorful and dramatic looking helmets hanging from the wall.  Many were greatly damaged.  Barrels that contained mechanical parts.  Some parts had a humanoid appearance.  Posters and pictures of events none understood or cared to.  Strangely enough, a metallic skeleton with daggers at the arms stood in one corner.  Knightly armor lay in broken pieces here and there.  Weapons broken and bent lay on display.  But no head bands.

“Do any of you see the Headband?” asks Megamania.

“There is no guarantee that it is even here.” Adds Jean.

“Jean- did you study any detection spells of magic?” asks Christina.

“No.  Yourself?”

“No…I wish I had now.”

Megamania begins to shift through the riveted remains of gray armor wrapped in a thick green cape.  He finds this all wrong.  There is no such thing as magic.  It exists only in fairy tales and role playing games.  Well…maybe than woman in New Orleans had caste a spell on him that one night….    He smiles under his facemask at the memory of it.

Vander is drawn to the weapons.  He finds a blade blade unlike any he has ever seen before.  It is a long sword and empowered somehow.  Then he sees the Maul.  A heavy hammer with a two feet handle.  It looks solid and well made.  Though he doesn’t trust magic, he somehow knows this is magical and of the good kind.  Snak would have liked it no doubt as a dwarf likes such things.   
“Find anything you like?” snarls out a heavy voice.

A large hulking figure stands over Vander.  “That belonged to a Norseman.  It didn’t do him any good and I know it won’t you.”

“oh sh**” is all Megamania can whisper.  The Maestro is here.


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## megamania (Dec 21, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 018
“Battle of Trophies and Artifacts”

Megamania slowly edges back into the shadows.  Vander accesses his power to become more resilient to damage.  Jean wonders what weather she can conjure up within the deep reaches of this building.  Christina takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.  She hoped not to have to do this.  Especially indoor where ranged attacks would be limited.  The Captain calls for assembly.  Maestro chuckles at that one.

“I once met someone very much like you.  A born leader and he had a voice that commanded gods- as that hammer shows.  You have those same traits.  You’re younger than he is.  Are you his son?  I knew of a daughter.  She tasted pretty good.” The Maestro slowly walks to a neutral corner.  His every move is designed to both be cautious and taunting at the same time.  He felt he could defeat these “heroes” easily enough.  So, it was time to gloat about his trophy room.

“He had a shield also.  Much more resilient to damage than yours.  Maybe because the Molecular Man phased it and the Nega Bands together.  Who knows.  Its here somewhere…along with my other memories.
Hmmm.  I’m certain I saw five of you.  Where did the rebellious teenager go?  I have not seen anyone running around in torn and faded blue jeans like that since the late 80’s. And…hello.  Who have we here?”  The base but savage brute stares at Jean, the Storm Wielder.  His leering grin and other bodily gestures tell everyone what is on his evil mind.

“You are truly a beauty of beauties.  I may let you live…in the beginning.”

“ENOUGH!” yells the Captain.  “Have you no dignity?”

“Better her than you boy.” Says the Maestro in a low and menacing growl.

The Captain begins to scan the entire room looking for a weapon…any weapon…to use.

PO’d now…and out of patience, the Maestro howls out loud and throws wide his arms.  The gesture shatters jars and knocks over equipment.  The glass case the hammer stood within breaks.  Vander grabs it and goes to stand up.  It is held fast.

“Hah-ha-ha-hah!  Same thing happened to me.  Because of that damned thing I had to build the trophy room here.  Good to see you are not worthy to wield it either.”  The Maestro takes a step towards Vander who quickly retreats.

Knowing they can not retreat- the Captain can do only what he can.  “Now!”

The Captain upturns a large barrel filled with powders that blow towards Maestro.  Megamania, having climbed onto the rafters with something he found, begins to attack using a complex compound bow with arrows that contain electronic parts and glass tips.  These tips break on impact releasing a strong acid that makes the Maestro snarl.  Vander once more attacks psionically hoping to slow the beast down.  This time he can not hold onto the enraged mind.   Enraged now, the beast thus begins to scatter parts everywhere making the Captain and Vander take cover.  The red and gold chest plate strikes a cabinet behind the Captain causing it to topple.  A draw becomes lose and reveals something to the Captain’s eye.  Something…unique.

Jean concentrates on sucking all the heat away from the brute.  A cone shaped path of no heat erupts between her and him.  He howls in the cold and pain as the very moisture in his lungs begin to freeze.  Christina strikes him with a blast of fire as before.  The two extremes make his skin crack and bleed a thick dark green ooze.

The Captain moves behind the debris looking for cover and commands for more strikes from the two women.  His eyes constantly divert to something he saw.  Something that seems to call to him.  Vander understands the plan well enough to strike from the distance.  He grabs a gem that has fallen to the floor from a stand marked as "remains of Sandman and Charcoal".  He begins to will energy into it to excite the sleeping energy within it.  Maestro…now angered, gets up and charges the two women.  Jean mentally calls onto her boots of flying and takes to the air.  Her cape spreads out as if they were wings or the sails of a great ship.  Christina opens a dimensional door and steps through it while extending her middle finger at the oncoming hulk.  A quiet “That is uncalled for” is heard even as her black cat leaps in with her.

The Captain forgets the battle for the moment.  Something has gotten his attention.  Something more important than the battle.  He begins to tear into the wooden cabinets.  Megamania fires his energy gun not at the creature but at the ceiling above him.  The supports holding a large metallic hand burst free and it falls free.  Vander releases his exploding gem.   The rushing hulk crashes into the wall causing much of it to break free.  He whirls around looking for his women when a large hand suddenly swats him back into the wall.  He pushes it aside suddenly something explodes before his face.  Angry and now with a bleeding nose and swollen eye he declares obscenities to everyone within the room.  Jean casts an Ice Storm onto him and Christina Flame Strikes him again.  The huge hand shields him some from the fiery blast.

The Captain continues to dig.  Megamania, with nothing else to shot onto the beast begins direct shots onto him.  His shots can not penetrate the brute’s thick hide.  Vander switches to his psionic Compound Bow while moving out of the beast’s range.  The creature pushes the hand away easily then charges Jean again while telling her in every detail what he plans for her body.  He doesn’t care if she is alive or not at the time.  Jean decides to unleash her big guns.  Outside of the building, clouds gather and darken.  They light up and suddenly lightning strikes arc and flash riddling the palace with strikes.  Christina taughts the beast again then says the final words of her Blade Barrier spell.  Green icor splatters the wall as the brute withdraws his torn up hand.  Confusion is replaced quickly with new fury at this affront.  

The Captain kicks free the last board and reaches down to grab what he had seen.  Megamania sees a bloody stump and aims for it.  He scores two hits that remove the last of his torn thumb.   RAAARRRGH!
Vander lets lose with several shafts that are psionically charged.  One misses the charging monster but he adjusts and leads the next shot and strikes his thick shoulder getting another snarl out of him.  The Maestro continues his charge at the column nearest where Megamania once was.  He tears it down as he hits it.  Jean however is caught up in the lines of hanging trophies that now swing wildly.  Christina tries to direct the beast into the barrier again.  The blades cut deeply into his back and already ravaged arm.  

At this point, he realizes he has never fought a group as powerful as this.  Their hit and run tactics are working against him.  He looks for the one item that nearly has defeated him before.  An item not of his world.  Strange feared it but used it on him as a last measure.  The Headband of Chatlutta-Khan.  He sees where he kept it.  He smiles as he sees a lone figure standing there with his back now to him.  He half stumbles and half runs to the Captain.  The Captain turns and heaves what he found at the beast.  It hits him over and over before ricocheting off the wall back to his out reached hand.  “Glad you could join me Maestro.  Let me further introduce you to the SHIELD OF TRUTH AND JUSTICE.  Before him is a round shield much like his last one.  The surface on this one however has an image of swirling cosmos and stars.  It is like a thing alive.  It is the shield of this world ...this reality…  now of this Captain.

Grunting and wobbly, the Maestro works towards an exit.  His minor wounds are already knitting together and healing.  Megamania’s sharp eyes see something else in the mess at the Captain’s feet.  The headband they were looking for.

“We should finish off that monster.” Declares Jean.  

“I would normally agree but this is more important.  With this artifact, we can save ALL the universes, not just this one.” Says the Captain as he picks up the diamond encrusted thin headband.  He can feel its hatred of being held by him.  But the warmth and comfort of the shield shields his mind as well as body.  The artifact can not grasp his mind.

Christina calls down her barrier and has everyone gather together.  She begins to call up her planar spell to return to the starting point outside of time and reality.



When these five heroes…champions…. first gathered, they did not trust each other.  They not only did not understand each others abilities but also in many cases didn’t believe the powers existed.  It is too soon to call them a team but now…now they know what they can accomplish if they at least try to work as a team.


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## megamania (Dec 22, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 019
“Epilogue One”

The Maestro raged in black and white.  He smashed his trophy room remains.  He smashed the three guards that came to investigate.  He smashed the templar (whom lived!).  He smashed his harem of Betties.  His rage could not end.  He raged in black and white.

A gaunt bony hand waved over the scrying pool of black inky water ending the sight.  The hand withdrew to the table edge and drummed the top loudly.   Then louder and louder until a fist was formed and it struck the table and split the magical water.

The hand drew up and clasped within its twin and tapped the skeletal crimson jaw of its owner.  Beads of red light flared in the deep and dark eye sockets.  This continued for a mere hour before he suddenly stopped.

“A new game to play- eh Captain?” is all the creature said in a hollow dead voice.  “Very well.  Let it be done.”

The Crimson Lich reaches for a small bell laid nearby and rings it briefly.


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## megamania (Dec 27, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE:  MORITURI
SEGMENT 020
“Cat’s Eye”

The heroes were resting after their victory over the Brute Master and the acquirement of the Headband artifact.  As Teresa continued to seek out lore of the legendary artifacts the heroes were allowed to go outside of the Library of The Realities.  They were in a place known only as The Collective.  It is a place outside of time and reality.

Each rested in his or her own way.  The Captain shared his time trying to become better acquainted with his new shield-  The Shield of Justice and going over the information of the next artifact to find.  Vander meditated and practiced his fighting skills.  Jean and Christina went down to the river nearby.  The water was cool and refreshing.  Megamania brooded.  So much has happened to him-  none he really believed in.  
And this leads us to the center of this Segment- Christina’s cat.

The black cat curled up on the edge of a water fountain in the direct sun light.  She purred to the radiate warmth the sun gave her and peacefulness of her current surroundings.  She thumped her tail in annoyance as the little birds chirped and flow nearby.  They taunted her and for no reason.  Today she had no want of hunting birds.  It was too nice of a day to ignore the sun.  She rolled to and fro scratching at an itch on her back.  Then stopped with her four paws curled as if praying to the sun.  She was happy.  She was in heaven.
Nothing could ruin this day for her.  Nothing at all.

Well…almost nothing.

“Hello cat.  Enjoying the sun?” spoke the young man known as Jim Addards…aka Megamania.  She knew he was a “pathfinder”.  If this was good or bad was uncertain to her.  It didn’t really matter either way.  He was immature, rash and impulsive.  Even handsome in a roguish way.  Everything young impressionable girls were attracted too.  Girls like Christina.

“It is beautiful day isn’t it?  A good day to relax, suntan and play some volleyball.  Of course…you couldn’t play could you.”  The Black cat half-closed her green eyes and hoped he would go away if she ignored him.

“You know…so far you seem to be the only normal thing here.  I mean.. you ARE just a cat right?  You’re not some witch or the such.”  Jim comments as much as asks.  A look of amusement on his face.  A few seconds go by as he watches the black cat breathe slow and easy.  “I wish I was a cat sometimes.  No cares, no worries…few problems.”  One green eye opens and looks at him to gage if he is serious or not.

Jim takes the action as a friendly invite.  Slowly and with some hesitation, he reaches to her and then gently pats her soft fur.  Her eyes open.  She can’t believe this!  He is treating her like some…some…house cat!  She is about to say something to him to shatter his illusions of her but she notes something.  He truly is a sad person.  For whatever reason, it looks like he is about cry.  His smile is charming and contagious.  She can not fight what is her cat nature.  She purrs loudly and rolls onto her back again.  

He smiles thoroughly then stops petting her.  He looks at her eye to eye.  “You know- cats are real thinkers.  You especially.  I’d swear you know more than you let on.  I had a cat like that once.  His name was Popcorn.

Ten minutes go by before Jim finishes his story and leaves.  The Black cat stretches and thinks about all he has just done and said.  She cleans her paws just like a cat would.  After flickering her ears a few times she hopes off the stone platform by the fountain and walks towards the woods where Christina is.  On the way she sees Vander.  She stops and watches him meditate.

Of all the people here, she feels his pain the most.  He has never had a close friend besides a dwarf named Snak in all of his 30+ years of life.  He was borne on one plane, thrust into another then thrust into a war of wars.  His time on that plane of Chaos and War has darkened his heart in ways he may not yet even see.  Now he fights another war, traveling from one reality to another.  Does he meditate to unlock his inner psionic powers or to hide from his own life?  Wanting not to become depressed on this wonderful day, she moves away and into the woods.

Her heightened senses take in the woodland smells and sounds.  The flowers are in bloom with bees collecting the sweet smelling nectar.  Birds chirp and Chipmunks send out the alarm of a feline intruder. No matter.  She is not a hunter.  She has been careful to avoid that.  Today she seeks only Christina.

Christina and Jean are in the deeper water by the waterfall.  They are bathing and enjoying the swim.  Christina seems so happy.  How will she take the news?  The next reality they go to is an offshoot of Ravenloft.   Christina’s home plane.  Hers also.  Will they meet Christina’s mother?  Again?  Will the curse once more strike?

The black cat found a soft bit of green grass in the direct sunlight and curled up.  One eye closed…the other, as always, on Christina… her daughter.


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## megamania (Dec 28, 2003)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 021
“Planar Travel is NOT an Exact Science”

The sea was calm and foreboding.  The sun was setting…dying out as it sank into the deep waters.  A large two sail vessel crossed the waters quickly.  Several moments something of equal size cut through the waters with haste.  Something both natural and unnatural at the same time.  15 minutes later a rift opens up about ten feet above the gentle waves.  Six travelers, five humans and a black cat, spill out of the rift and into the water.

Jean surfaces immediately.  Her time living on the waters of Kalamar serves her well now.  Jim surfaces next with his usual sarcasm. The Captain surfaces and Christina has trouble treading the water.  The Black cat climbing on her head covering her face helps little.  Vander, in his full heavy-duty platemail, can not be seen.  “Where is Vander?” exclaims Jim trying to adjust his facial mask.  “The Big lug can’t tread water can he?”  Jean takes in a deep breath and dives under the surface.  She kicks hard with all of her skill driving herself deep into the dark waters.  

Deeper she goes.  10feet…20 feet…25 feet.  She cries out in her mind for him.  She pushes herself further still.  30ft now.  She is near her limit.  She has only dove this deep once or twice before.  She doubts she will have the strength to surface carrying him.  Then she hears something.   A rushing sound.  The sound of overflowing water.  Then a dim form emerges from the deep.  It is rising quickly now.  A burst of bubbles blocks her view of it but it was vaguely humanoid in appearance.  Armored maybe.  Sea Elf?  Sahuagin?
She slowly turns and reaches for the surface.  Sadness already filling her heart.

On the surface floats Vander.  The sound of air bubbling heard in everyone’s mind.  He has shared his psionic talents with Christina and the Captain to ensure their ability to swim.  It is long moments before Jean can say anything.  Vander and the others all know what she wishes to say in the meantime.  

Jim with his night vision goggles is first to see it.  A large wave coming out of no where.  The six of them rise and fall as several waves cross under them.  A flare is seen arching in the darkness.  

“What the hell has happened to us?” snarls Megamania.  “If I knew this was gonna be a pool party I would have worn my swimsuit.  Do you have any idea how much wet denim chaffs a guy?”

“Planar travel is not an exact process…we are within 500 miles of our target.  The locating item suggests we are quite a ways away this time.  Maybe a 100 miles away.” Christina says trying to defend her spell and get the subject back on locating the Ring.

30 minutes go by as they try to figure out their best course of action.  Vander guarantees he can empower his Float power many times to get the heavier armored persons a float.  Megamania stares into the darkness looking for something…. Anything.  It is what he doesn’t see that excites him.  “Stars are out.  The sky is full of them.” He comments.

The Captain arcs an eyebrow waiting to see what his point is.  The others wait and stare.  The wet nearly drowned cat stares into the general direction he looks to.  Christina then speaks up.  “I get it.  Look there-“, pointing behind her where Megamania and the cat stare.  “There are no stars near the surface there.”

Jean speaks up.  “What of it?”

“Something large is blocking our view of the stars.  An island I suspect.”

Having agreed on the action, they start to make way to the area.  On the way they come across pieces of wood.  Planks.  Worked wood.  Then a body.  Then another body.  And another and another.

“I didn’t see this in the tour guide.” Says Megamania whom now searches for the cause.  Everyone is looking about now.  Then the Captain sees something.  “A ship!”

The five humans all begin to yell to said ship.  Megamania makes out a man on board pointing to them and calling to others on board.  They are rescued.

Behind the ship, in its wake, a large barnacled fin breaks the surface.  It follows the ship for a few hundred feet them submerges.  It submerges out of view and under the dark, dark, dark waters of Ravenloft’s Sea of Sorrow.


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## megamania (Jan 1, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 022 
“Lady of the Night”

“This is so weird.  I mean I’m looking for Johnny Depp.”

“Captain Depp I know not of.  I am the first mate however.  My name is John.  John Blayson.  We saw the flare and came immediately.  Few survived the Jaws of Sorrow.  It was only you five and three others from the ship “Siren of the Sea”.

The man is tall and gaunt that speaks to them.  His hair is swept back but in need of trimming as it sticks out around his ears.  His dress suggests a man of power and decent wealth.  He has followed the five heroes and their cat to the largely empty storage area in the holding bay.  Here, they were offered hot water and dry clothes.

“What happened exactly?” asks very politely Jean as she tries to straighten out her white hair.  “We saw the flare also.” 

“You were not with the ship?” asks the confused 1st mate.

“We were... stranded without a ship earlier” covers the Captain.

“Well…yes.  A warship I would guess by your choice of clothes.  Armor is truly a poor choice of protection on the seas.  It is a good way to drown.”

“We are not…  without other means.  But please good sir- what has happened?” urges the Captain as he removes his reinforced leather and metal head covering.  “Was it another ship?”

“Truly you are strangers here.  The Jaws of Sorrow is a sea monster that haunts these waters.  It is as large as the biggest ship to set sail here and can withstand direct strikes of the mightiest cannons.  It is a monster in every description.”

Jaws of Sorrow- thinks Jim Addards aka Megamania to himself.  I hope it isn’t a shark.  I’ll pee myself laughing before I breakdown and cry.  He tries to look sincere and attentive as he tries to dry himself with towels that are to him very course.

“The creature strikes ships from below to weaken them and to terrorize them.  Then it will circle the ship before striking it again near the surface.  Soon, the ship is no more.  It consumes crew and often its cargo.
 Then it disappears until it needs to feed again.”

“What manor of creature do we speak of?” asks Jean.  “I am no novice to the sea and the beauties and dangers it contains.  We may be able to help.”

“I know of the creature he speaks of.  Where I came from it was assumed to be an undead creature with magical abilities.  It was immune to standard weapons carried on most sea craft.  It is extremely dangerous.” Adds Christina with her eyes down, thinking of her world, her Ravenloft.  She is uncertain what the difference will be between the Ravenlofts she has visited in the past to this one.  She does know that each Ravenloft is a dark and dangerous place full of misery and the power of curses.  One she hopes will not be encountered on this trip.

A powerful necromancer in Ravenloft cursed Christina.  The curse was meant to kill her mother and for her to witness it and be forever haunted by it.  It has.  However, her unique lifestyle of reality jumping has further twisted her own curse.  Every times she visits a Ravenloft reality, she must contend with the death of her mother.  The mother of THAT Ravenloft.  She has seen her mother die about 6 times now.  Furthermore, sometimes her mother’s essence somehow follows her outside of Ravenloft.  

The Captain becomes irritated when he sees Jim smirking.  He can not understand why this young man can be so important to the goddess of realities.  

The five of them are encouraged to relax.  Daylight will come soon enough.  The next chamber over holds the survivors of the other ship.  The crew will be sleeping in their own rooms or working.  The Captain of the ship may stop by in the morning.

Two hours go by.  The ship rocks gently in the waves.  The heavily covered lanterns sway in the darkness.  The five heroes try to rest but to them it is only about noon.  Another unexpected side effect of traveling through time, space and realities.

Jim’s sensitive ears pick up and someone at the door and slowly moves towards it.  The other four are either napping or in such deep meditation that they do not see him.  The Black cat’s green eyes follow him as he moves and stops by the door.   It’s tail switches in annoyance.

Not hearing anything else, Jim shrugs his shoulders and quietly opens the door.  Seeing nothing there, he crosses the room.  He sees the feet of two sleeping persons behind a curtain.  With his attention drawn to an open door he exits the room.  Following whereever his curiosity, he goes up the stairs to outside on the main deck.  He slips on his formed facemask to use its night vision abilities.  Green images of several dozing men come into sight.  There is another form near the bow.  He quietly moves to this figure guessing it was the person from the room.  He hopes to find out more about the incident that has brought everyone together. 

He walks directly to the rail next to her.  “Hello”

She doesn’t turn to him but continues to search the sea.  “And who are you young man?  You are not a crewman.”

Not fazed by the fact that she wasn’t startled by his stealthy arrival, he answers her.  “I am James Addards.  You may call me Jim if you prefer.  You are correct in guessing I am not with the crew.  I also was found adrift in the sea and rescued by the good captain of this ship.”  He tries to draw her attention to him but fails.  

“Adrift?  I was not aware of any other sea going vessels in the area.  How did you come to be adrift in the Sea of Sorrow?”

“Where I am from, some consider it rude to not look at another when asking them a question.”  He tries his best to be charming.

She pulls back the hood to the cloak she was given by the crew and faces him.  His heart nearly jumps out of his chest.  She is incredibly beautiful.  Black curly hair, blue eyes and dark pouty lips.  She reminds him of a girl he once knew in high school.  For only the second time in his life, he finds himself unable to speak to a woman.

“I am sorry to be rude to you James.  I meant nothing by it.  I merely am watching the sea and trying to see what it holds.”

“Would you have seen me in the sea?” asks Jim flirting with the mystery woman.  “It is quite dark and strangely still.”

She turns back to him and smiles.  She appreciates his attention to her but will not admit to it.  “It was I that first saw the Jaws of Sorrow before.  I fear it follows me still.  It is a…  monster unlike any I have seen before in my travels.”

The two of them continue to talk in the cover of the night.  Neither sees below the water’s surface.  Under the ship swims a creature 80 feet long with large serrated teeth.  Battle scars and other strange markings mar its body.  The lifeless cold black eyes seem to focus on nothing and everything at once.  With no explanation, it stops swimming and falls behind the great ship above.  

Then it follows the ship……..


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## megamania (Jan 1, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 023
“Jaws of Sorrow”

“I am Captain Bennaton.  I am the captain of this fine ship.  Who may each of you be?”  He motions to the three survivors of the ill fated sea craft- Siren of the Sea.

A stunningly beautiful woman of her mid-twenties with shoulder length cured black hair speaks up first.  I am Jilliannna Truthspeak.  These two are my aids- Miss. Karen and Miss. Blaque.  We had paid for safe passage from the island of Niles to the island of Bastilles onboard the ship Siren of the Seas.  The Jaws of Sorrow sank it last night quite unexpectedly.  Fortune was with us as your ship came to save us.  I only wish the crew were as lucky.

Captain Bennaton mulls over this information while looking over the three women.  It surprises him that these three should survive over the crew but the fates must not be done with them.  “Very well.”  He turns to the five strangely dressed survivors and asks for their story.

“I am Captain Roger Stevens.  These are my friends, allies and if you will my crew.  I am unsure how we came to be here in harms way but we thankyou and wish to aid you in any way we can.”  His stance and eyes are commanding and impress the Captain of the ship.  Bennaton is very certain he means everything just said.

“Where were you going to on your travels?”

“Strangely enough, we travel to the island of Bastilles ourselves.  Fate seems to have drawn us all together.”

“Be careful of how you view fate.  She has a way unlike any other.”

Before the captain can continue he hears someone rushing and tripping on the stairs.  He turns to find a crewmember there very pale and shaken.  “Cap... captain…we have seen it!  We have seen the Jaws of Sorrow!”

Everyone rushes to the deck.  The crew is above his cabin looking behind the ship.  It is understood that they should not follow but the Captain’s gaze and the horrified thoughts on the guard’s mind allow him to slip up the ladder.  Ever curious and nimble, The man dressed in tight black clothes with light red armor climbs a rope quickly and proceeds to the crow’s nest far above.  Vander and the five women stay below but remain attentive.

The lookout in the nest fails to see the stranger climb into his lookout.  His gaze is fixed on the waters within the receding wake of the ship.  He can see a large grayish- white fin slice through the water.  Thick barnacles or armored plates can be seen on it.  It is maintaining the same pace as the wind blown ship.  Megamania, with his trained eyes sees something else.  Something that horrifies him.  The dark shadowy figure behind the boat that the fin is connected to.  The tail sticks out of the water a full 5-6 feet.  The dark shadow of a figure precedes the tail by about 75 feet.  The dorsal fin is close to the surface.

In a voice nearly too quiet to be heard, he says only this-  “…. we need a bigger boat…..”

The ship itself is only about 100 feet long.

“…. a bigger boat like a fully equipped USS Wisconsin…”

“She is taunting us.  She means to destroy us in due time.  Captain Stevens- I hope you meant what you said below deck.  I will need your help if I can.  It is obvious to me that your allies are no normal military group.”

He turns to the Captain, his shield shines with energy.  “Consider it done.”  He goes to call on the others even as the captain of the vessel gives out orders.

“Jean- I need wind.  We need to outrun this beast if possible.  Christina- give us any extra advantage we can get.  Vander-  with your great strength, try to help these men.  Those lines are going to require a lot of pull with Jean’s intervention.  Megamania- damn it boy where are you?!?”

“It’s out of range for me” shouts down the rogue.

The three women move to the side to be out of the way.  They do not attempt to go below deck. 

White caps suddenly form behind the ship as a powerful gust builds up strength and intensity.  The Captain of the ship looks in awe.  “Steady men!  A great wind looks to be coming!”  And just as he finishes that the ship’s sails catch the first of the wind created by Jean.

“s***…Captain-  the beast is keeping with us” yells Megamania holding onto the edge of the crow’s nest.  The sailor that was the lookout looks green as the ship lifts quickly riding a large wave.

Vander grunts as the ropes pull at his arms.  He was told to pull hard and he shall.  He strains and holds the sail in place.  The men are in awe as three others holding a line are being slowly dragged along.  Hidden under his armor, a tattoo of a large horned beast quivers then seemly melts into his body.  To the amazement of all, he pulls back on the rope taking up the strain the three men could not withstand.

Christina, having blessed the crew and her allies, goes to bolster the line handler’s strength.  She gives out spells of Bull Strength and Golem Strength as she sees fit to.

Jean continues to bolster the strength of the winds then begins to lift into the air.  Her cape drawn out capturing the strength of the wind lifts her quickly suddenly.  Her eyes glow as the very power of the elements course through her.

The Captain looks in awe.  He is suddenly very much aware of how powerful his allies are.  And of the shark behind them.  It continues to keep pace.  Its course plated back now breaks the surface.  It is clearly a monster of over 75 ft in length!  It opens its jaws showing off thousands of sharp teeth and a roar can be heard that shakes the craft.  Several bits of board and plank shake free from the fierce winds and the power of the creature’s roar.

“We can not outrun the beast Captain Stevens.  To have your mage’s wind blow harder would tear the craft apart.”

“We can not give up.  There is always a way Captain Bennaton.”

“Who said I was giving up?”  The Captain of the ship snarls in both rage and pain that it was suggested he would give up.  “Have your mage direct us toward that island.  There are reefs there.  We should clear them but I doubt the beast will.”

The winds slow for a moment then suddenly they twist and yank the ship to the West.  Vander snarls.  Sweating in obvious pain he tries to hold his ground.  Christina goes over.  She sees his muscles bunching up- trying to tear free from his very bones.  However, so long as he exerts this pressure she can not help him.  

“Oh dear god- the captain means to run the beast into the reefs!” squeaks the man in the crow’s nest.  Megamania turns and sees the layers of light and dark before the craft.  Thinking of his experiences on jet skis and other boats, he tries to guess the depth of the water.  For a man whom does not believe in gods he calls out often using holy words.

Then he holds on with BOTH hands.

The winds wipe up the waters over the reef making it difficult to see the underwater reef.  All aboard fear for the desperate move but know they need to trust their captain.  A scrap here and a thud there reveal the depth is not enough but may work.  The Jaws of Sorrow Goes airborne as it leaps over the first row of coral growth.  Its full 80ft by 35ft form is visible in the early morning light.  As it twists, seemly in slow motion, the scars of past battles won are visible.  It has a white stomach with a gray and black top.  Thick scales or plates grow on it.  

This is no ordinary shark.  It is abnormal…mutated even.  To quote Megamania-  “ …that is the biggest and ugliest M*********** he has ever seen in or out of water.  

A great burst of water and coral explodes out of the water as the beast lands and propels itself into the next line of reef.  Chucks of meat are torn free as the collection of millions of years of growth by the shelled creatures is broken and blasted by the impact.  An audible roar can be heard as the creature thrashes about before quieting down.  To most it seems the creature has finally been defeated.  To Jean and Megamania however, they can see its dark form slowly swim in and out of the canals between the coral.  It is looking for a means out.  

Then a sudden and violent crunch is heard.  Megamania holds on for his life.  The man in the nest with him is thrown nearly over the edge.  Megamania grabs him by his belt.  The man loses his pants but was able to grab ropes thus saving his own life.   

Vander and most everyone else has been thrown to the deck.  The Captain caught the 1st mate from going over.  Several crewmembers and the three women look behind the ship and see several planks reach the surface along with stirred up pieces of broken coral.

Captain Bennaton, one knee, looks sternly at the Captain.  “We are taking on water and will not go much further.”

The ship, now taking sinking while moving, strikes another coral bed.  This time it becomes caught and grounded.   Seeing the situation and reacting instantly, Jean casts her winds away from the ship so as not to topple it.  She wills herself to fly as little stitched on wings near her ankles sprout and flap.  She looks about for the monster and can not see it.  It has either found deep water or moved out of the reefs.

An island can be seen about 2 miles away.  It is large with high jagged mountains hidden partially in the mists and clouds.  Jean flies down to report her findings and to see what she can do next.   

“We must abandon her and try for the island sir” states the 1st mate.  Looking at the distance and wondering if they can make it. 

“Aye…but I fear we have few boarding ships.  I can only bring about half the crew at a time and that still leaves our new passengers.”

“I will see to my team captain Bennaton.  Take the women if you can.  We can try to cover you.”

“Jean!” The Captain calls out.  I need to confirm something with you.

Megamania stays in the nest.  He notes the presence of two “regular” sharks.  Though about ten feet long he thinks little of them.  He is looking for the grand poppa of them.  He doesn’t see the men looking to use the boarding craft.

Christina heals Vander’s ravished arm and shoulder muscles.  She is amazed by his resilience.  He had at least four major muscle groupings tear holding the line yet he never called out or let go.  There was something amazing about this man.  Truly amazing.

The men quickly draw lots for the first boat.  Many wish to stay with their captain whom refuses to go first.
The three women climb in.  Jilliannna looks up at the crow’s nest.  Concern is written on her face.  The first two boarding boats set off.  The others split off to complete their assigned duties.  Most try to pail out and block the water though it is a lost cause.  Others ready weapons and small portions of supplies.  Captain Bennaton goes into his office asking for his 1st mate and Captain Stevens to join him.

Several hours go by.  Then another several hours.  Megamania can not help himself.  He continues to watch for trouble and thinks about what could have been done differently.  Why didn’t Jean go with the smaller crafts?  She could have propelled them and protected them.  Why didn’t he have Jean blast the damned beast from the water with her lightning?  Maybe Vander could have mind****** it into thinking it was guppy.  However, he knew better than to say anything.  The two Captains saved their lives up to this point.  The race on the reefs seem to be working.  It cost them the ship but the godzilla of sharks couldn’t get past. Still, it bothered his pessimistic soul that he lost track of the beast.

Finally, come evening, they feared the worst.  It was up to them to get off the ship and to the island in relative safety.  The others may be lost.

Jean worked on spells and began to create thick sheets of ice to stand on.  Vander worked his psionic powers to create a sail on the iceberg by forcing a hole into the center and planting a pole with a sail on it.  Christina kept components for spells on hand.  She feared the beast was also alive and still hunting.

Finally, as the sun began to set they prepared to leave.  Megamania began to climb down the rope ladder from the crow’s nest when he saw it.  “ho-ly ****”  he whispered  “INCOMING!!!!!”

With that, the water, boat and coral seemly explode as the 35ft wide mouth of the Jaws of Sorrow burst through the water striking coral and ship alike.  It is airborne and its plated tail becomes caught in the riggings that Megamania was just in.  When he cried his warning he dove over the edge in the direction of the list of the ship.

The ship was torn free from the coral taking several crewmembers with it.  Tangled in the lines, the beast thrashed and crushed and cut men in two.  Its hard hide broke the ship and coral alike apart.

The Captain, on the ice barge, tried to save as many floating men as possible.  Vander too, hauled men, including Captain Bennaton and the 1st mate up quickly.  Something tugged on the line that once held the ice to the ship.  Preparing for a new menace, Vander braced himself.  Instead, Christina crawled up the line.  She had prepared the spell of Waterbreathing and survived the initial attack.  Getting her heavy armored body onto the slick ice was another thing.  Megamania swam to them and by using hidden small throwing knives, clawed his way onto the iceberg.

Feeling the beast would be free shortly of the crushed ship; Jean began to rain lightning bolts onto the creature.  Hundreds of small fish and a few men bobbed to the surface.  The creature burst weakly onto the coral.  Steam rising from its body with no less than eight scorch marks on it.  The black dead eyes gave no hint to its grasp of life.  Within its maw were thousands of teeth in jagged rows.  Bits of rigging, ship and even limbs could be seen within.  Its movements ended and the people hurried to escape the scene.



In the two miles they had to travel-  no one felt relaxed enough to sit or not stare at the reef or the island that seemed so small and tiny compared to the beast.


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## megamania (Jan 1, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 024
“Vander’s Last Swim”

The ice started out as being over 15 feet around.  Now there is only room for the injured on the small 5x5 section.  The five heroes, Captain Bennaton, his first mate and three crewmembers are all that remain.  As feared, the crew found remains of the boarding vessel.  It was broken up and a large 6in long shark tooth was found embedded in a floating board.  Everyone was quiet for over an hour after finding this.

The sky was beginning to brighten on the far away horizon when they first saw it.  A shark’s fin cutting through the water.  It was a “normal” shark in comparison to the Jaws of Sorrow.  Jean cut it down quickly using her deadly control over weather.  The shark was killed instantly as daggers of ice sliced into it.  The bad thing was as it died, other fins exploded to the surface to feed on the newest source of bloody flesh.

Then the truly horrifying thing happened.  An explosion of red, white and gray came from below the surface.  A thunderous crash resounded as the Jaw of Sorrow returned to the waters with a mouthful of sharks. 

Christina of the Mace calls everyone together to the ice.  She casts Blade Barrier and hopes for the best.  The creature swims slowly at the swirling mass that cuts through the water before it.  The blades strike hard and deep causing the beast to back off causing a large wave that pushes the ice away…. towards the blades.  Christina, frustrated, calls off her spell.

They are close to the island now.  They can hear the water rushing onto the shore.  The silence is deafening as nothing but a call of a seagull can be heard for 2 minutes.  These two minutes feel like an eternity to the people in the water.  Then it reappears.

The Jaw of Sorrow surfaces about 1500 ft away.  It turns to face them then slowly begins to swim to them.  Much of it’s back is exposed and above the surface.  Everyone begins a mad dash for shallow water.  A creature of that size will need 15 feet of water to move.  They hope to make it.

Jean swims ahead then slows down.  It is up to her.  She has but one Lightning spell left.  If she supercharges it (Max Damage Metafeat) and fires it into it’s open mouth…ashen at the thought, she turns to face her enemy.  She will feel some of this charge, as she is in water herself.  Vander, using his Float power again, notices her and turns back to her.

“Don’t do this Jean.  Go back.  Allow me to face it.”

“You can’t stop that thing with your falchion Vander.  Are you crazy?!?”  She regrets saying that as it becomes apparent to her that he may indeed is crazy.  

He turns to face the open-mouthed beast as it swims at him.  He clutches his powerful falchion once more.  His plan is simple.  It is armor plated on the outside.  What about the inside? 

The sound of the water rushing is clear now.  A slight echo of the water rushing within the large mouth can be heard.  100 ft….75ft…50ft….25ft…..10ft

“IN THE NAME OF GENERAL IRIKOS-  I DEFY YOUR POWER AND WILL!!!!  GIVE ONTO ME YOUR BEST SHOT!!!!!!!”

Vander rises out of the water, levitated by the raw power and determination of his mind.  He strikes his falchion into the side of the mouth trying for it’s undead black emotionless eye.  He uses the leverage of the stuck in falchion and the beasts powerful momentum to pull himself up and cuts off his power landing on it’s colossal head.

“DIE VILE CREATURE.  DIE AGAIN AT THE HANDS OF VANDER.  VANDER STORMBRINGER!”

And with that, he begins to attack with all his might.  He cuts out chunks of flesh and finds himself stepping into the grayish red hole to begin again.  He reaches the creature’s cartilage frame and smiles as he cracks it with a psionically charged blast.  

Then he knows nothing.

He can feel the cool morning air on his face as it rushes by.  Then a sense of weightlessness.  Then the weight of the world pulls at him as he falls.

The blast of impact knocks the very air from his lungs.  It is just as well as he sinks quickly.  At ten feet he rests on the bottom of the cove.

Stunned and half-wanting to die, he just lays there, drowning, accepting his fate.  It takes the combined strength of Megamania and Jean to gather him from the sandy floor and push for the surface.  On shore, Christina awaits for him knowing he needs her medical attention.

As she begins a primitive version of CPR Megamania huffs and puffs.  Trying to catch his breath, he finally slips out a “lucky guy” as her lips go to his again.  Vander coughs and coughs again before opening his eyes.  “….is…it dead?”

=========================================================================
Two days later, Captain Amber-eye is sailing his pirate vessel through the Sea of Sorrows.  His ship is running slow with a heavy load of stolen gold and treasures.  Unknown to his crew, he plans on poisoning their drink once at their hidden island cave.  This king’s ransom will be his and his alone.

Unknown to him however,  something is following his ship.  It is enormous and deadly.  A new fresh soft white scab has formed over its left eye near the brow of the creature.  Vander’s mark of heroic effort.  Before the creature hunted ships for a special reason beyond it’s understanding.  Now it hunts looking for a certain metal man that carries a powerful cutting tooth.


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## megamania (Jan 10, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 025 
“Marooned”

“Any idea where we are?” asked Megamania.  The rogue was picking up his clothes from the branches.  He set them out to dry after his forced swim from the shipwreck to the shore of this large but simple island.  They washed up on a shore of fine white grained sand.  The sun sparkled on the blue water.  He couldn’t help but to compare it to a Caribbean paradise.  Without the rum that is.

“There are many islands located here in the Sea of Sorrows.  Many don’t even have a name.  I suspect we are close to Markovia.  The mists are not as full as legend would have it if this is where we are.” Answers Captain Bennaton.  The captain looked haunted.  He loved his ship and when the monstrous Jaws of Sorrow destoried it, a part of him was destoried also.  

The Captain, a near superheroic figure, listens to Bennaton carefully.  He has learned to believe in and even rely on magic and pure faith in the past few months.  It is a new way for him.  He is used to the technology of  radio tubes and the weapons and means of World War Two.  Sometimes, he thinks he is the primitive compared to the incredible feats Jean and Christina have done.  Even Vander’s power of the mind is amazing to him.  He weighs everything carefully now.  Nothing is to be taken for granted anymore.  Normally, he would figure the three women sent to the island first to be dead.  However, one of the sailors that went on their craft washed up on their shore.  Before dying of his ravaged wounded he stuttered her name several times with wide unseeing eyes.  Perhaps they yet live but are either on a different island or at least a different shore.  He wanted to search for them quickly but knew he needed to establish a base of operations and do a headcount of survivors.  It was small number.

Survivors at this point included; Captain Bennaton, his first mate, two sailors and The Captain’s team, his Strikeforce to borrow a term.  Megamania, a rogue from the future.  Vander Stormbringer, a heavily armored warrior of mind and body.  Jean the Stormwielder, a sorcerer that controls weather. And Christina of the Mace whom is a traveler and priest of the very goddess that sent them here.  They are here to gather lost artifacts of power that would be required to empower a mad god looking to undo the fabric of reality.

Bored and in need of doing something, Jim  (a.k.a. Megamania) moves away from the men solemnly discussing their situation.  It seemed like such a cliché to him.  He was shipwrecked on a tropical island.  He wondered where Gilligan was.  While walking and thinking about “what kind of name is Gilligan” he fails to notice that he is being watched from the brush.  Its long blue fingers seem to blend and morph with the terrain making it nearly invisible.

“Jean!”  He calls out.  Then “Christina!”  

He slows down to listen for a moment.  Nothing.  “Where are my girls at” he says aloud.

“WE are here Jim.  YOUR girls I know nothing of” answers back Jean from a quickly made shelter of driftwood and pieces of the ship.  “No closer either- Christina is praying.”

“Praying?  Its kinda too late for that isn’t it?”

“She used many divine spells last night and this morning trying to defeat and survive the monstrous shark.  It would be best to leave her be and let her finish.” Jean was a tall slender redhead with a deeply tanned skin tone.  She grew up on the seas then later within a city port.  She was a unique in outlook as in appearance.  She allows tried to avoid fatal attacks unless directly threatened in like fashion.  However, with her incredibly deadly use of lightning, she could strike down most any opponent within a few minutes.  It both scared and humbled him while he found her exciting.

This is when he noticed Christina’s armor, clothes AND undergarments neatly stacked to dry near the shelter.  He couldn’t help himself.  She was naked and he needed to see her.   Christina was shorted and a bit more solid in figure than Jean.  She was something of a tomboy.  He continued to walk by hoping to catch a glimpse.  Then he nearly jumped out of his bodysuit.  Momma, Christina’s black cat, hissed at him.  It was as if she knew he was up to no good.  God-  how he hated that cat sometimes.   Bending down to pretend to pat the cat he looked to see if he could catch a quick look. Instead he felt cold.  VERY cold.  “Move along Jim.” Jean says as she makes it snow on him.  Like a bad cartoon, the dark snowy cloud follows him as he turns back to the others.

During this time, Vander has finally accepted the deep scratches on his armor will not go away by wiping them with a rag lovingly. The scaly hide of the beast had actually caused some damage to his psionic-enhanced armor.  This was twice now his armor was damaged in combat.  It took hours of work both physically and mentally to work out the deep dents caused by the Brute Master.  This Ogre of incredible strength and hulking mass nearly crushed him within his armor.  He will never forget the raw strength of the creature.

“Jean and Christina are praying further down the beach.  I suspect it would be better to wait for them here.  I don’t think they want to be disturbed.” Comments Jim to the two Captains.  “Do we have a plan of action?”

“ We will follow the shoreline first.  We may find a village or landmark.  We can learn which island we are on and maybe how to get off and reach our final destination in the Sea of Sorrows.”

The two sailors are smirking and having a good joke among themselves.  Jim asks and The Captain tells him to drop it.  He won’t.  “What are you laughing at?” Megamania demands.

The men quiet down and scowl at him.  “What???”

The Captain speaks up first.  “It is your…manner of clothing.  It is…unique.  Even for us.”

Jim looks down and at his body.  He is wearing his body suit.  A skintight body suit.  He gets it and grumbles and gathers his blue jeans and pulls them on.  “Happy?”

The two men laugh together and The Captain tells him to get his stuff.  They are leaving soon.

The six men and two women begin a long walk along the shore.  They stop occasionally to bury remains of crewmembers and inspect cargo for use.  All along, they are watched and studied from the jungle.


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Jan 11, 2004)

Great updates Megamania!
I've never actually seen any (non-pirate) aquatic threats used before, so loved the mental imagery of the colossal shark just battering away massive reef ridges to get to it's hapless prey, oh btw GO VANDER!

The humour in the Marooned post doesn't go astray either- a change of pace breaks things up nicely!


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## megamania (Jan 13, 2004)

Thankyou.  Your comments have inspired me further.  More updates once I get a chance to type it up.


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## megamania (Jan 16, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 026    
“Native Hostilities or Life is a Beach”

The beach was long and pebbled with black bits of volcanic rock.  The whiteness of the sand and the pure blue of the water with green vegetation created a strong visual impression of paradise to Jim.  He had seemed to become accustomed to the idea of being stranded on an island on some freaky world of doom and gloom.  It seemed normal to him now.  

Lost in his thoughts, he misses the figure peering at him from the jungle.  It is trying to hide in the thick ferns and bushes while watching him and his teammates.  Its blue skin allows it to blend in with the shadows very well.  As he nods his head at a personal thought or decision, so does it.  Is it mimicking his actions or mirroring his thoughts he will possibly never know.

Adaptability.  Jim remembers Sgt. Reynolds on that day.  It was the closest he ever came to a compliment.  Jim was in his third year of the Pathfinder Division of something so secret, the NSA only had rumors of its existence.  The results of Jim’s physical and mental tests were in.  The Sarge was a hard man and even harder on the people under him.  He looked over the results and then handed the file to Jim.  “You Adapt well.” Was all he said before leaving Jim alone with his file in the enclosed and locked room.  After Jim finished reading the file, it would be “disposed” of.   Adaptability.

That strength didn’t do much for him when the dreams of a world conqueror of grim rational began.  The dreams haunted him for several weeks.  Then he saw patterns.  Patterns that suggested something to him he did not agree with.  There was a god and he was a chosen one.  Chosen for what?  To destroy the person created to test and challenge the world.  Vandal Boc.   He failed that mission.  Failed it well.  In his pursuit of getting answers to his dreams he was dishonorably discharged, the government tried to kill him, his girl friend turned out to be…something else and learned something of Area 51.  Then he died.  Life can be a b-

“Jim?  Christina to Jim.  You alright?”

“Hmm?   Oh yeah.” He says immediately putting his frown and brooding thoughts away.  “I was just thinking how life is a beach.”

“Excuse me?” she said.

Jim is surprised.  She is dressed in leather armor now.  No heavy platemail and yet she looks hot as if still in it.  “Look around you.  Life is a beach.  You can create a world of sandcastles and yet, the water, blue and clear will come in and erode it away.  Then you build it again.  Eventually, tired of rebuilding, you move into the great unknown- the jungle.  There you build again.  But the water- its dangers and its beauty, are missing and thus it is not the same.”

“You think entirely too much and are truly a strange man to know.” She says smiling.

Jim feels the presence of Momma now.  He looks over and stares at Christina’s black cat.  It stares at him just as intently.

“You know- I think your cat is either highly overprotective of you or just plain jealous.”

“You have no idea” she comments looking over at her cat.  “She and I have had many adventures together and apart.  She is much more to me than a cat.” She finishes strongly and with conviction.  The cat turns its back to them and sits there twitching its tail.  

“Do you like the look?” she asks.

“The look?”

“The armor.  It is Glamored.  Go ahead and feel it.” She offers her arm, which Jim takes with a smile that rapidly disappears on contact.

“That’s still your knights armor!”

“Platemail.  I am no knight.  Yes. The appearance changes only.  Roger... the Captain…thought I should try to blend in more.  He thinks we are being watched.”

“Well them- lets give them a show”  He gets up and together they join the team whom are resting in a shaded area near a spot where fresh water meets the salt water of the Sea of Sorrows.

Together, Megamania (aka Jim) leads the group up the fresh water stream.  They hope to find a village or signs of occupation, which they have yet to find.  Now Jim feels it too.  They are not alone.  Someone or something is watching them.

Then he sees it!  A footprint in the soft sand.  Looks to be human!  The others gather around and agree.  They will continue up the stream looking for the person who made the track.

It is now early evening and the jungle is beginning to suck up the light.  A high canopy is beginning to cover up the water and bits of trail.  Using his tracking skills and alternating between normal vision and darkvision he follows the trail.  Five others now accompany the lone human.  The six of them seem to be aware of their tracks and try to hide them.  He also figures that they are avoiding being seen…from the trees.  When the trees are close to the water the men move into the stream.

It is about now that he realizes he is not alone.

“uh…Hi.” Is all he says to a large muscular man wearing nearly no clothes.  He has a spear in one arm and a club with a coral head on it in the other.  Despite his savage and primitive appearance, Jim can see his intelligence in the eyes.  Looking into his eyes, he also realizes there are now others behind him.  “Uh…take me to your leader?”


Her glamored armor is loud but not as loud as Vander’s.  Her soft leather soled boots were crafted by elves from Evermet.  She is very quiet when she wants to.  Vander was never one for stealth.  The large psychic warrior from the world of Athas is very up front when it comes to combat.  His armor bangs and clunks on the rocks sticking out of the water.  Jean, the sorcerer of weather from Kalamar, suggested he remove his skin and leg guards but Vander would nothing of it.  He felt it may disrupt his psionic enhancements on it.  Psionics was a balance of mind and body.  This same balance went to items embued with mental energy.  He pats his large falchion as he says this and unnoticed by all, nods to Christina and her Heavy Mace.  

“Captain… something is wrong.” Cautions Christina looking over her shoulder.  She- I don’t see Jim ahead and it is very quiet suddenly.”

And with that heavy roped nets drop from the trees around them entangling them.  All but one.  Momma, Christina’s black cat silently disappears into the thick foliage.  Then multiple shapes appear from the trees.  Monstrous creatures!

They have long plated shells covering dozens of legs.  Each leg ends in small but strong claws.  Looking to the front of the body, one sees a semi- human façade.  Multiple black emotionless eyes stare back.  Mandibles clack from the cheeks to the mouth.  A syrupy white foamy substance drips from the mouths.  Several have large clubs and move quickly to quell any resistance from the heroes.   

Captain Bennaton and his surviving crew merely waits knowing the strangers can deal with this.  The captain grabs the nets and pulls hard.  Cords snap and knots undo. Vander merely draws his heavy weapon.  Its keen edge slices the rope with a mere touch.  Christina wills her armor to change to its proper appearance and prepares for the closest creatures to approach.  Jean calls on a wind that begins to grow.  The creatures stop as if frozen.   

They look at the humans they captured and easily they escaped their nets.  They see the branches of their trees and cover wave and lose leaves as a strong wind redirects itself through the tree’s upper branches.  This exposes another three hidden creatures.

The creatures turn tail and run away by leaping from tree to tree.


Jim wonders why he is being so patient.  It is not his way.  The dirty smelly and frankly disgusting men are talking about something.  Listening very hard, Jim picks up a crude version of common.  Grunts, whistles and body movements with a few words of common seem to be their native tongue.

Jim then wonders what is keeping the others.  He was only a few minutes ahead of the others.  A strong breeze that carries large leaves answers him.  They are under attack also.  Okay.  No more playing nice.

Jim smiles a fun loving smile under his padded facemask before leaping into action.


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## megamania (Jan 16, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 027
“Conflict”

“Is that skylab?”

The brutish man looks to the sky.  The others also.  Megamania slips out his clubs and hides them between his forearms and thighs.  “Guess not.  Oh say-  is that Britney Spears?”

The man looks quickly but then right back at him.  Primitive yes.  Dumb no.  “No games black skin.  We go now.”

Megamania leaps up in a dramatic and cinematic pose of his heels touching and his legs tight under him.  His arms trail below him with the ionic charged billy clubs falling into place.  He swings narrowly missing the big man.  Megamania is already twisting as he lands on a rock and springs into an attack at another man whom has his spear held low- not ready.  Not looking to kill the man, he strikes his hand instead.  With a great yelp- the man drops his spear and clutches his broken hand.  The others leap in to cut off Megamania from escape.  Each try to hit him but either outright miss or the thin but incredibly absorbent armor takes it.

Seeing these men are no longer concerned about not harming him (never crosses his mind that he started it) he lets lose on a new target.  The first strike is stunning.  The second shatters teeth.  The third merely clears the body out of his way.  The other swings and misses.  Some narrowly missing striking their own teammates.

Always one to do something unexpected, Megamania now pushes off a rock and rolls backward under the swinging weapons of the men.  The men turn- each aware this black skinned devil is too quick for them.  They begin to whistle and howl loudly.  Megamania is a complete fool.  Reinforcements are coming.  He gives a final one-finger salute before running into the thick forest.

He sprints back to where the group should be.  He finds a torn net.  Looking further, he finds what can be only Vander’s heavy armored weight induced tracks.  He was moving quickly…. into the jungle.

He moves as quickly as he can while remaining hidden and tracking Vander.  The chase reaches a rocky slope.  He tracks Vander by looking for scratches and scuff marks.  He finds these and more.  Something else moved through here that scratched the rock.  The marks are old and new.  Peering down, he sees movement below at the bottom and a large hole.

“Wait Jim.”

“Okay…….huh?”  He looks around but sees no one.  Christina’s cat is nearby looking down also.  Her tail twitches rapidly in annoyance.  He stares at the cat long and hard.  “Nah.” And goes back to watching below.

A thick mist billows and crawls out of the hole.  The figures below move away in alarm.  They look like centipedes but with a human torso.  The mist bursts to the sky as Jean flies to the sky.  Christina follows next carrying a man.  A black highly discus blasts out next striking two creatures before returning to the mist where the Captain and Captain Bennaton emerge.  Then very slowly Vander rises above the mist and begins to throw small gems randomly.  They explode on impact.  ALL of the creatures flee now.  All but one.  This one stares at Christina.  Her mandibles slow as if in shock.  A broken “Christy?” comes out.
The black cat bounds down to Christina in a hurry.

Christina of the Mace falters.  She heard her name.  The name she answered to as a child.  Tears well up in her eyes as she lands.  

“no…dear goddess of the realities…no…take this away…………”


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## megamania (Jan 16, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 028
“Christina’s Curse”

The sun drops very low as the Defenders of the Multiverse sit around a fire.  They are nervous and uneasy.  In the past two hours they were attacked by barbarians (as suggested by Jim) and attempted to be captured by insectiod creatures.  Both failed.   However, one of the creatures recognized Christina Van Culterdoss.  She acted as if she had known her most of her life.  Christina broke down in sobbing tears and kneeled before the creature begging for mercy and the curse to end.  Long painful moments went by.  One of the creatures returned to the trap area and spoke quietly and softly to the other.  Everyone, with very few words spoken, left together and came to a cave.  Going through the cave, they found it emptied into a small basin with water and trees.  A few dozen of these creatures were there and all stopped at the sight of the humans.
Christina, trailed by her cat, went to an area away from prying eyes and ears as the others sat and were offered food, water and a place around a small fire.

As expected, Jim is the first to speak.  “What gives?”

The Captain gives a sharp and stern look at him.  “It is not your business Lt. Addards.  Let it go.”

Jim is about to give him a what for when Jean speaks up.  “Her pain and emotions were real enough.  She will tell us when she is ready.  Please Jim, if you care for her, let her be until she is ready.”

Jim sucks in air quickly for a long and loud response when a heavy armored hand rests on his shoulder.  He looks up at Vander and his face.  Vander slowly shakes his head no.  “Let it be Jim.”

In a huff, Jim sits back and crosses his arms.  “Pheowy”

A scuffing sound has everyone turn.  A large insectiod walks to them.  In a broken clik-clak influenced voice it speaks to them.

“Welcome.  I am Chat-tik.  I am the spokesperson of my people when Sara is not available.  Sara is with your…Christy.  I have questions for you and I guess you of me.  I give you first question.” He bows low with his arms out and to the sides.

Megamania sits up quickly but Vander’s strong arm pushes him back and holds him firmly.  He nods to the Captain, their leader and current spokesperson.

“Thankyou for your kindness and hospitality,” looking at the deep chink and crack in Chat-tik’s armor, “I apologize for any injury we caused you and your people.  I am Roger Stevens.  I travel also with Captain Bennaton, Mattdew and Kallo.  They are the survivors of his crew.  The others are my teammates and friends.  Vander Stormbringer, Jean and Lt Jim Addards.  Christina Van Culterdoss is also with us.  For my first question I ask you this- where are we?”

“The real question you want to ask but wish to be polite is ‘how’.  To answer you, we are on the small island of Bellfore between the regions of Markovia and Dominia.  The how….we are the Condemned.  My birth name was William Van Dorn.  I was once a fisherman in Markovia.  I am uncertain of all the details, but there is a madman in our nation that has created a large monstrous creature.  It killed and destroyed most of the village of Timberra.  The few of us that survived took to our fishing boats and fled.  On the waters we all became ill.  In the course of the next two days we grew weaker and weaker.  We took to the area saved for our daily catch and…. Rested.  We awoke covered in thick white fibers in our current appearance.  Our ship ran around here and with our hands now resembling pincers, we could not repair the ship or leave the island.  We are condemned to this island of cannibals.”

“Cannibals?” asks Jim.

“Yes, the men native to this island eat anything they can, including their dead.  We battle daily for the food and resources found on this island.”

It is a lot to take in but the group tries to accept it.  After everything they have seen, heard and experienced in the past few months, anything is truly possible.

“Captain Bennaton…you had a ship?  Did it have a sailor with a tattoo of a kraken on his back?”

The three survivors all answer the same- “Frooze!”

“In the morning, we saw them catch several men and three women of finer dress, a lady and her servants perhaps.”

“We must rescue them!  The thought of cannibals….” Captain Bennaton lets it drop not needing to finish his sentence.

Christina and Sara join the group.

“Captains, Chat-tik, friends and crew.  I need to introduce someone to you and tell you something about myself.  Something dark.”  Her face is sad and ashen.  Jean and the Captain make a space for both of them to sit.  Her black cat makes a point of hopping onto her lap and rub against her hand and face for support.

“As you know, I originated on the core plane of Ravenloft.  As such, there can be many of me and many of you on your respected core planes of existence.  What you may not know is what makes this plane different from others…horribly different.  There are dark powers here that influence the world.  These powers give strength to beings of a twisted and tortured soul.  They also give limited power to those in pain and anger.  This power is usually worked as a curse.  Words of anger and pain take on a life of their own on the Ravenloft worlds.”  She stops in stifle a tear and rubs the ears of her cat.  She looks onto her shoulder and pats it as if something was there.

Jean moves closer and places her hand on Christina’s knee for support.  The others, even Jim, are patient.  It is obvious that whatever Christina has to say is painful and hard to speak of.

“During one of my battles, a Ghoul Lord cursed me.  He cursed my then dying mother and me.  He seemed to know more about me than he realized when he drew on the corrupt power of the world.  I…I am cursed to always….always meet my mother and…” She can not say it.  She wants to say that she will always meet her mother and she will die under strange conditions but can not.  Afterall, her mother is alive and with her currently…even if she has be transformed into a large centipede.  Before any can press the question, a shimmering form appears behind her.  Sara Van Culterdoss.  She breaks down into heaving sobs and Jean holds her.

The black cat hopes down and takes a few steps before sitting straight and proper.  “I am Sara Van Culterdoss.”  Jim literally falls off his log seat.  

Vander quietly speaks up.  “…and the Mace…Sara Culterdoss?”

“Yes”

“And I am Sara Culterdoss …of this..er..world also.” Clicks out the insectiod trying to comfort her daughter whom she thought she lost on that fateful night in Timberra.


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## megamania (Jan 16, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 029  
“The Captain’s Moment of Rage or how to humble a megalomaniac”

Christina has gone to bed.  It has been a hard evening for her.

The others are quiet but know they need to do something.  There are crew and passagers being threatened by cannibals whom are already at conflict with Christina’s….mother.

“My crew and the three lady passengers are my responsibility.  I must try to help them.”

“As a Captain of a different crew I understand and appreciate your concern.  We will help you.  I promise you that.”

“Yo-  Cap….I like the idea of rescuing damsels in distress also but really-  what then?  How do we get off the island?”

“Perhaps Chat-tik may know something.  He was a fisherman of the area and may know many secrets.”

“Ayeee….me hartees….I bet he does.”

“That is enough Jim.  We do not need your sarcasm.” Answers the Captain sharply.

“Yeah…whatEVER.”

“Still your tongue” answers Vander.  His eyes tear into Jim.

“No be still yourself!” He stands up quickly making both Vander and the Captain tense up for a moment.  “I am going crazy!  I was even before all this crap but now I find out that our team of five is really a team of 8!  And three of these are the one and same person but from different worlds..sorry…realities.  Its f****** insane!”

“Your cursing has got to stop.  There are women here.  I will not have it.” Answers the Captain.

“Or WHAT?  You gonna wash my mouth out with soap?”

“And gives with the curse cr…sh**? Anyway” he rewords it directly at the Captain.

“There are no such thing as curses.  Its all this magic sh**!  It’s messing with us.  Its unnatural.”

“Jim…you have no idea what you just said.  I think it would be best for you to sit down…. Now.”

Ignoring the Captain completely Jim lets his entire anger, frustration and fear spill out.  “Curses only work if you believe in them.  I don’t f****** believe in them!”

Vander tenses.  He can feel the emotions telepathically.  Jim has reached his breaking point and the Captain….

“You want a f****** curse?  I’ll give you a m************ curse!  The string of creative curses, slangs and other words that grandma would faint dead away from pours out in a rage.  “There-   now you are cursed to ******************************************************************************* and like it!”

Whack.

Thud.

The Captain tells everyone it is time to rest and relax.  Tomorrow we have people to save.  Leave him be.

Jim Addards sleeps deep and long…knocked low and unconscience in one punch.   

The rest of the night went uneventful.


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## megamania (Jan 16, 2004)

Pirate Cat and other monitors-   If I went too far on that let me know so to avoid it in the future.

I'm sure the Captain can keep Jim in line.  

If you were wondering-  I suspect that if any one of "our" reality were placed into a DnD type world for real we would have a major breakdown also.  I felt this last segment was overdue, especially since Jim was/is sweet on Christina and how the Captain-  Lawful Good military man of the 1940s would react.

Now...back to the action.


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## megamania (Jan 29, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 030
“Black blood Witch Queen”

The dark blackness began to withdraw from her sitting body.  A wispy heavy green mist that promised of evil replaced the darkness.  She slowly opened her black eyes and looked about.  It was not the first time she entered the Dream State she was currently in.  Here in the realm of dreamtime she could see things far away, even the future.  

She saw nothing of alarm so she stood up and walked.  The ground was warm and moist to her feet.  It was as if it were alive.  She walked about until she saw something before her.  A figure hiding.  She sucked in her breath sharply through her rotted yellow and black teeth.  She was certain it was the Shadowman.  He had been visiting her in her dreams for several months now.  She hated him for that.  She also saw that he was to be her death.  This could not be allowed.

His eyes were green with red slashes below and above them.  He was dressed in the darkness he stood in.  He was came to her in her dream this way.  Hiding.  Watching. Searching. Seething in anger and the need for vengeance.  His idea of justice.  He would need to die.  She would prepare for him.  He will die.  

Her sight carried her further down a passage.  The mists parted only as she reached a watery area.  Within was Batuu.  Who or what Batuu was mattered little to her.  The natives feared it and she did not.  Now they fear her as well.  The natives give her food.  Often young pretty girls to sacrifice to Batuu.  Unknown to them, He did not eat them.  She did.  She would hunt them in her caves and eat them.  It was a good life.  It would remain so.  She had developed a new power over the elements.  A very powerful ability to harness the strike of the storm.  The shadowman would not kill her.  She would kill him then eat him as she did all others.

The creature closed her eyes again.  Her last image was of the Shadowman watching her.  Mocking her.  Mocking her ability and her rite to be.  Soon…..  very soon….

She opened her black eyes once more.  This time the ground was rocky and damp.  It was dark since it was devoid of light except for a torch a few dozen feet away.  She licked her rotted teeth with her gray tongue.  Her hunger was growing but the dream always precluded a good hunt.  Above were several shipwrecked persons.  A few sailors and a lady with her two handmaids.  The lady made her curious.  She was stronger than she hinted.  Strong in spirit .…strong in will…she would be the final piece of her hunt.

The Witch Queen of the Black Blood tribe stood up and gathered her possessions; a necklace of finger bones and teeth, and her tattered robe.  Finally, she picked up her staff.  It looked like weak driftwood but in truth it was touched by the power of an outsider.  She would use it to break open the Shadowman’s skull so that she can feast on his brain and thus his final thoughts.  She wanted to savor his fear and horror of dying at her hands.

She walked towards the surface to find Batuu.  She needed his appearance to get the tribe to give her fresh food on a regular basis.  The powerful creature ate the rich minerals in the volcanic ash and ground.  It had no interest in her, the natives or the people the native offered to it.  Batuu needed to make a new appearance.  She wanted to hunt all of the crew and the women.   And she would.


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## megamania (Jan 29, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 031
“Megamania’s Random Thoughts”

It was not hard for Megamania to find the trail leading to the barbarian’s settlement.  There were footprints everywhere, broken branches, occasional hairs or lost item, then there was the smoke in the sky.  Easy.  The bad thing was it took them longer to get there than hoped.  It was late in the next day.  Megamania slept in late.  Unknown to him, his nose had been broken and both eyes swollen shut when the Captain disciplined him.  Christina aided him with a quick spell of healing before he awoke knowing how this injury would inflict more harm on his spirit than anything else would.  It was his spirit that made him strong.  He never knew that she thought of him or did this for him.  

The Captain had remained joker-faced whenever he was around.  Megamania, the roguish super-spy and general get it done guy was felled by one blow by this military man from World War II.  It was then he realized something.  Perhaps he always knew but just denied it.  Nothing was real anymore.  Nothing.  Everything he believed in was false.  At least false compared to the other “worlds” he had visited since.  Where he came from there was no magic…but does that mean it only exists in fairy tales?  

Why had this “Goddess” of the realities picked him to join on this quest?  He was certain it involved magic.  Quite certain.  From their briefing and talks since, most everyone died because of magic.  The Captain was Bar B-Q’d by a mage,  Christina by something sounding like a vampire of magic, Jean by a magical dragon and Vander…..all right, so not everyone died by magic.  But he faced magic on the battlefield daily and developed means to deal with it.   Magic is alien to me.  Or is it….?

“Snap out of it Jim” whispered Vander whom came up beside him in his heavily scratched up psionic armor.  “You have found them I see.  Good.”

Megamania, aka Jim Addards Lt of the United States Army nodded and reached into his pack.  He found his small binoculars and did what he was trained to do-  spy.  Getting into trouble was a god-born gift.  god.  Jim fought dwelling on the subject.  Before dying it was suggested to him that he was an agent of a god.  He assumed “his” god.  Maybe it was the one of realities.  He was getting a headache.

Jean came over to them followed by the others.  The barbarian camp was sheltered by a deep crack in the earth.  A well-guarded bridge was the only way across.  The plan was simple.  They would fly over.  Jean, Christina and Vander would keep the natives busy while the Captain and Megamania would rescue the people inside.  The surviving crewmembers would guard the bridge from this side.  They were not certain if any more barbarians were in the forest or not.  Everyone knew it was a ploy to keep them out of the way but it gave them something to do, which the Captain knew was important.  Christina’s mother and her people would keep the known barbarians located behind the main camp busy.  A snatch and run job.

There was one snag.  One Jim knew was coming.  Jean gave a few soft words of chanting then held up a white bird feather.  The spell was caste but Megamania was locked to the ground still.  Just like before.  Everyone was stumped except for Vander.  “His mind is powerful.  He doesn’t believe in magic enough to block it.”  For Vander- this was a powerful statement.  He was the closest thing the team had to a mental expert.  Perhaps this was the truth then.

“I’ll carry him” was the Captain’s steady comment. 

And so it began.


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## megamania (Feb 8, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 032
“Enter….Batuu” 

“Ugg”  is all the barbarian primitive could manage to say.  The night sky was suddenly darkening and a breeze was picking up.  Then the clouds seem to come down from the sky as the fog blocked their vision.

“Blood Queen said this happen.  Get others.” Is all the more articulate barbarian could say. “I do not fear the weather witch.  I am braver.”

“Uh-Hugh” is all the first barbarian replies as he rushes off.

A distant thud can be heard in the thick fog.  “Bonehead…that you?”

Then he hears a sound he has never heard before.  A sound resounds in his head- not his ears.  The sound of building and moving energy.  He slowly turns…almost sensing what is behind him.  The Metal Man!
Vander is floating there, with his just drawn psionic falchion.  His grim face softens into a smirk.  “You can not win barbarian.  I am Vander Stormbringer.  I have fought dragons and demons…and I yet live.”

“Bonehead!  Wait for me!” wails the frightened and out-cyked barbarian.   Christina strikes him down with Mother, her intelligent mace.  He goes down without further action or noise.  

“Let’s go Vander…stop playing around.”

Jean has flown ahead of them above the fog.  She reaches the other side and goes next to the rocky crags and finds many more barbarians.  Including one dressed in what appears to be crude dried dung and mud with a large featureless mask.  He dances about then stops.  The drummers stop at this point also.  He drops to him knees and grabs at the earth and throws it to the air allowing it to fall onto him like an earthen rain.  

Silence.

“What is he waiting for?” wonders Jean whom prepares to wash him with a rainstorm.  She pulls out her vial of storm water to caste her spell when she hears a deep rumble.  All of the barbarians bow now.  Following their glances, she sees the two handmaidens and the crewmembers.  They are tied to a stone pillar near the cavern entrance.

Vander and Christina float up next to her in the foggy cover.  “What could it be?” she asks them.  

In the same emotionless even tone he uses all of the time-  “a sacrifice…the crew no doubt.”

“But the Captain and Megamania went into the cave entrance close to the bridge…”

“An exit brought them here…let’s go.”  Instead of the water, she switches to a vial filled with nothing.  In truth, it has the exhaled breath of a giant.  Jean murmurs the words then uncaps the vial and breathes it in through her nose.  Her throat and jaw trembles slightly.  She motions for the two heavily armored party members to go ahead.

She whispers under her breath as she lands.  All turn and look at her... the olive skinned outsider and intruder.  The Mud and dung caked leader shouts something in their native tongue and many of the men get up grabbing weapons.  She waits until they are close then slowly says to lie down.  The force of her “Great Shout” bowls them over and many of the on lookers yet to get up.  Blood spills from the ears of the warriors looking to kill her and the innocent women and the crewmembers.

Vander and Christina, their ears ringing even though the sonic blast was not directed at them, quickly free the others.  The dung covered leader runs over to them.  He begins to strike Vander with his staff.  With a deep sigh, Vander’s patience runs out and he grabs the staff, snaps it in two over his knee and then head butts the man with his helmeted head.  "Let’s go before the creature inside comes out."

“…Too late…” Christina says looking to the sky.

Before her is a gem crusted huge earthen creature resembling an earth Elemental.  It walks like a gorilla would; it supports its upper body on its huge knuckles of his hands.  His short legs convey the strength and stability of the creature.

It looks at the two armored people before it.  Then at the people from the pillar.  Then back at the metal covered people…the tasty metal covered people.  

“We don’t have the need for this right now” is all Christina can say as she directs the people to a safer location.  “To quote Jim-  its Vander Time”


The Captain near the entrance drops Megamania before he lands himself.  Megamania searches for sentries and/or traps and finds nothing.  His starlight goggles glow a soft green on his mask.  Still nothing.  He motions for the Captain to enter the cavern entrance.

The Captain looks about inside.  “I can’t see much Megamania.”  

“I can see a hint of light ahead.  It’s defused but it exists.  Bare with me.  Follow my lead.”  Jim, aka Megamania, adds night vision goggles to his list of things to pick up if they ever go a world similar to his.  Unrealized by him, this is the first time he thinks of alternate realities without denying it afterwards.  

They go down a few corridors before reaching an area lit by torches.  Also in this room are bones.  The Captain’s eye twitches as he spots a skull of a human.  “How can you not be bothered by this Jim?”  

“Cap-  in your time things were a bit more innocent.  In my time, things like this were common place.” Sensing a nerve to uproot, he picks up a bone.  “See these marks…tooth marks.  See these marks…human tooth marks.  These folks are indeed cannibals.  It is dark and sick but it is what it is.”  He drops the bone to the sandy ground.  In truth it bothers him.  Looking at the bone up close he noticed the marks suggested a strange pallet design.  Whatever did this was not 100% human.  THAT was unnerving to him.

Moving further into the dark tunnels The Captain, now armed with a lit torch, looks about.  Megamania, careful not to look at the Captain and lose all vision, scans ahead.  The floor is becoming damp. Soft.  Almost organic.  

“This is f****** freaky man” he murmurs under his mask.  In a slightly louder voice-  “Do you feel that Cap?”

“Feel what?”

“In a word…evil.”

The air becomes misty as they trod down a rocky ramp.  “This reminds me too much of Vandel Boc’s dungeon in Styxville.  This can’t be good Cap.    ….Cap?”

Then very quietly a small finger bone with runes bounces between them…then darkness.  “We are under attack!” Says the Captain as blackness spreads out rapidly from the bone.  Even his torch and Megamania’s technological wonder fails to pierce the darkness.

The Captain moves slowly but to the side.  Suddenly something strikes him and pushes him in a hole.  His vision returns just in time to strike the bottom.  He is stunned by the blow.

Megamania, crouched down low, quietly works about.  His fast working mind is beginning to grasp the realities of magic.  It was that damned bone.  On this rock floor, he should be able to find it easily enough.  Ah-hah he thinks as he finds it.  He grabs it and holds it in his fist.  Encased the blackness goes away.  His night vision goggles see a form of an ugly old deformed woman climbing some rocks.  Smiling he throws the bone at her expecting it to caste its spell onto her.  Nothing.  The bone fragment merely bounces off of the rocks next to her.

He goes into a low spin and takes cover by the rocks piled near the exit.

“I am ready for your magic Shadowman.  Tonight-  I will feast on your flesh.”

“Eat me”  he says then cringes at his remark.  Bad mania…bad.  Cat and Mouse…his favorite game.


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## megamania (Feb 8, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 033
“Batuu”

The lightning blast blows chunks from the back of the earthen beast.  The sound of crashing rock emits from its head-like knob.  Vander powers up augmenting his strength and speed first.  Then he increases his ability to shrug off physical blows.  All the while watching for actions from the barbarian natives.  They have fled screaming something that sounded like Batuu.  Christina has faced elementals before.  Never one of this size and magnitude however.  She briefly wonders if it is an elder before moving away from its hulking mass.  

Jean hits it again with a bolt that flashes and glows afterwards as it runs along the copper and gold within its form.  “Any thoughts?” whispers Jean as her voice continues to roar like a giant’s.  

“Go air borne.  It loses its main advantage that way.”

Vander doesn’t like it.  He loses much of his leverage while in the air.  He does so anyway however.

Christina tries a flame strike at it.  The creature rumbles at the insult.  It melds into the ground, all 40 foot of its height and mass.  Then it erupts from the ground and strikes Christina whom has hovered too close to the ground.  The blow causes her to careen up and away from the fight.  Vander lands on its “head” and gives it a solid blow.  His falchion strikes and releases its psionic enhancements and electrical charge inside the body.  It doesn’t register the attack.  However, the refined metals with psionic enhancements dose register with the creature.  A very hungry creature.  It reaches up for Vander whom suddenly finds his awesome weapon is becoming covered with earth and stone.  

“This weapon is …NOT…TO…BE…YOURS!”  A contest of strength begins over the weapon.  Jean, fearing she will strike Vander wants to change her tactics.  But how?  It is ignoring her cold and seems to be immune or resistant to her lightning.  Rain will do little to it due to its size.

Christina tries to strike at it with her heavy mace again.  Mother releases her anger on the creature.  Waves of Fire, Cold and Electric strike it along with the mighty physical blow.  The creature continues to try to capture Vander’s weapon.

“I…WILL…NOT…BE…DENIED!”  

Christina continues to strike at it.  Chunks of earth and rock break off with each strike.  Jean tries to use her last sonic attack which shatters many gems on its surface.  One gem is worked to the surface near Vander.  Finding his strength is too evenly matched, he reaches down to the gem.  He focuses on it exciting the trapped energy within it.

BOOOOM!

Vander, falchion in hand is sent flying away.  The creature is nearly split in two and staggers, then falls onto the ground breaking up.  The individual parts seep into the ground.  Batuu has had enough.

“Where is the Captain and Jim?” asks Christina.


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## megamania (Feb 8, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 034
“Fate of Fates”

“I know you are here Shadowman.  I sense your soul.”

“My soul?  What kind of weed has this new age hag been smoking?” thinks Megamania.  He draws his energy gun thinking it is past time to do this.

“I know you faced the demon and failed.  Now you face me and will fail again!”

Megamania stops and ponders that one for a moment.  “Boc was evil but no demon” replies Jim still in hiding..

“I have been watching you Shadowman.  I know you.  I will kill you and feast on your soul.”

“If I die from you its from how bad you smell” answers Megamania.  Then suddenly he realizes she is not where he thought she was.  She is missing.

He continues to hide in the deep shadows.  He finally closes his eyes and listens.  He hears a drip of water to the right and above him.  He hears his heart beating…slowing down as he concentrates…then he hears a slight shuffle.  She is barefooted and walking on solid rock.  She is nearly soundproof.  Then he smells it.  That damned smell that makes the hair standup on his neck.  He always got it when he was near Boc.  Evil. The pure smell of evil.  He opens his eyes and six Blood Queens attack him with their staffs.

It is no challenge for him to avoid the six attacks.  He then turns to shot her at point blank range.  A staff head strikes his wrist..hard.  His fingers go numb and he can’t fire the weapon.  A third swing “hits” his head.  An illusion!  It passed completely through him.

He swings at the closest image.  He gives a 1-2 and 3 punch and her image fades away.  A sharp strike to the head confirms his immediate thought- wrong one.

“Look ya ugly puss bag excuse for life- I don’t know who you are.  I am Megamania- not Shadowman.  I don’t like magic and it doesn’t like me.  You stink of evil and I don’t think twenty bathes will get it off of me.  So bugger off!”  He swings into empty air again. “F***!”

“Do you ...have to use …that word ...everyday?”  Asks the Captain as he tries to crawl out of the deep hole he was pushed into.

“Hey Cap…I’m much better than her.  I have more purity in my finger (you guess which one he holds up) than she does in her whole body!”  His inattention to her allows a solid groin shot.  “Argh…you dirty old b****!”  Swings and misses.  “Not many left!”

A look of fear and alarm begins to form on her blackened dirty and diseased face.  The Shadowman is strong.  Very strong.

“I will kill you Shadowman  ….with my most powerful magic!”

The Captain cries out an alarm as the room is lit up by a blast of lightning striking Megamania at point blank range.  He had no opportunity to move or dodge.

The Captain struggles to get over the edge of the hole.  He figures Jim to be dead.  He runs over and sees the old hags backing up in fear.  Before her is Megamania.  He is resting on one knee.  Steam is rising from his body.  A scorch mark on his armor that covers his entire chest.  He is looking at the burn and touching it tentatively.  Then he looks up at her.  Under his mask he has the smile of a child in a toy store before Christmas.  “Did I ever tell you I’m on a mission for god?”

“Noooooooo!   I am undone!   Beajeer has left me!  My magics fail!”  The old woman turns to run.  Megamania easily trips her with an outstretched foot.  She hits the ground hard.  

The Captain stands up, his large shield shining even in this darkness.  He is studying Jim’s moves and temperment.  

She gets up and tries to attack him…both of them try to attack him.  He is careful to line up both images and indeed the punch goes through one but strikes the final image whom goes down again.  He begins to feel guilty about beating on the old woman but then she rises with yellow eyes and long teeth.  She is not human.

Several quick and solid hits later she staggers back.  “I curse you!” she screams before falling onto a start rock that snaps her head and kills her.

“Uh…. That was weird”

“Jim…what Christina said…” he is cut off as the head rolls around to see Megamania.  The yellow eyes are still rolled and unfocused but the mouth speaks-

Cries of Doom will defenses be crushed 
Friends and Allies raise shield and sword
You will run from the battle feeling rushed
And as a result, a friend will die by your good word

To avoid this horrible fate
You have but to face your death 
Battle it with desire and purity; not hate
Or the battle will take your last breath

Then a cackle begins and continues even after Megamania shrugs his shoulders and leaves the cavern room leaving a fearful Captain behind.  He stares at the undead creature…mulling over its words carefully.  Fear of Christina’s warning grows with each cackle.

Then he too leaves….  as the cackles continue.


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Feb 8, 2004)

I was about to say that this story hour keeps getting better and better, but then I remembered just how cool the undead spellstitched etc mega-shark of DOOM was.
So instead I'll say that I'm glad your keeping up the enjoyably high standard!


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## Grondmar (Feb 13, 2004)

This story is totally sweeeeeet!


Bump!

G


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## megamania (Feb 15, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 035
“Reader Update”

It has been five days now since arriving on Ravenloft.  The Dread Realms were successfully playing with the minds and insecurities of the survivors of the shipwreck.  The horror and destruction of the Jaws of Sorrow was only a prelude.  The monstrously large mutated undead creature hunted and destroyed ships for months now.  Sailors feared it nearly as much as the Pirates (even the undead ones) that plagued the waters of the Sea of Sorrows.  Despite not seeing it again, Vander and Jean both knew it yet survived and hunted.  Survivors washed up on shore of a small and uncharted island.

The island had a human tribe of barbarians that survived on it until an undead witch discovered them and the resident elemental- Batuu.  She twisted them in cannibalism and hunted out nearly all life on the island.  At this time, several new survivalists arrived.  People experimented on by a mad butcher turned scientist. They could survive on the fruit and roots of the island that the cannibals didn’t eat.  Then the cannibals turned on them.  This was months ago.

One of the experimented on individuals was this Ravenloft’s mother to Christina.  Christina, a high cleric of Infiniti, the Goddess of the Realities (and the balance there of) had a curse placed on her long ago.  This curse made her face her mother in each alternate reality of Ravenloft she ever visited.  Something terrible always happened to her mother.  In this case, she was turned into an insectiod creature.  Not bad considering some fates had by her “mothers” in the past.  This confrontation tore at the psyche of Christina and brought about the revelation that three of her “mothers” traveled with her.  One as a cat familiar to a powerful mage, one as a spirit and the other was an intelligent weapon.  This revelation was hard on the party members- especially Jim Addards.

Jim Addards heralds from a medium tech world very similar to earths.  He strongly denies the existence of magic and the supernatural.  This revelation snapped his mind and the resulting breakdown forced the team leader, The Captain, to lay him low.   To further these problems, it appears he is somehow immune to magic.  Several “Fly” spells have failed when caste onto him and most recently- a point-blank magical lightning bolt seemed to do nothing to him. 

The unnaturally evil essence of Ravenloft has affected the others also.  Vander is becoming more obsessed with his abnormally gruesome adulthood.  He hails from Athas (Darksun) from before the days of the Cleansing Wars.  He distrusts magic but has grown used to it as a requirement for survival.  He was snatched from a moment where 100,000+ people died when psionics and magics mixed and conflicted on an epic scale that unknown to him turned millions of acres of land into undead glass.  Dispatched for an unknown reason to the Prime Plane of Alion, he ventured for a short time there before being on the losing end of a draw from a Deck of Wondrous Things.  He became imprisoned by an infernal creature where he was tortured and played with until traded to a female warlord on the plane of Chaos- Acheron.  Here he was a warrior and a boy-toy to the warlord.  The experience has left many mental scars on him that has yet to heal.

Jean, a weather specialist, has become less happy and joyful.  Once she was revolted by needless deaths of anything living.  Now, she herself has shot lightning bolts into foes with the very persons she is trying to protect dangerously close to being hit themselves.  It is uncertain if this is a mere phase, a direct effect of the Dread Plane or a change in her personality.  Only time will tell.

The Captain, the team’s leader, has become harsher and yet jaded himself.  He always kept his emotions neutral but now they can erupt in short bursts of explosive outbursts.  The most recent of which was when Megamania (Jim Addards) prompted an outburst that ended by the Captain punching him out at the campfire.  This distraction has recently lead to his guard being down while in the tunnels.  He was nearly killed by a witch when she pushed him into a deep pit.  He now is beginning to second guess himself which he knows can weaken his leadership.  

Now, the crew and passengers that survived are stranded on the island with the planar travelers.  They are staying with Christina’s “mother” and her people.  Many options are being plotted out and explored.  They need to get off the island to reach their destination to collect the Ring of Darqueness.  This Ring is an artifact created and once worn by the Devourer of Worlds.  He is the opposite of Infiniti.  He wants to destroy all of the “none-core” alternate realities.  

In the meantime, Darqueness’ agents are beginning to mass and have recently has learned of the existence of Strikeforce: Morituri.  It is unclear what is happening at this point, but it appears a plan is being brought about to contend with the heroes.  The five heroes are thus far unaware of their possible counterparts.


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## megamania (Feb 15, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 036
“Midnight Confidential”

The stars were many and twinkled.  Their seduction called to him.  At one point all Jim Addards ever wanted was to be an astronaut to travel to the moon and beyond.  Now he travels to other realities.      Wow.

As a government spy he had seen and done much.  More than most.  Further, he was always caught up in something that was…surreal.  He blocked most of it out.  Maybe Vander was right.  His disbelief in magic was so strong that he was blocking it out.  A very powerful version of self-denial.  Subconsciencely he touched his chest.  He was blasted by lightning that seemed to pass through him.  Instead of pain, he felt warmth.  He got a high from it.  He wanted more.

Jim smiled as he heard the footsteps coming up the walk.  They were quiet by the rhythm and signature was etched in his mind.  Christina was coming up to see him.

“‘Allo”

She nearly jumps in surprise.  Though out of her heavy armor, she still wore her boots that deaden her footsteps.  He spoke to her when she was still about twenty feet away and with his back to her.  “‘Allo back Jim.  Do you mind if I sit here with you?”

“Nope.  I like company.”

“The view here is incredible.  We can almost see the sea beyond the thick mists from here.”  

Jim and Christina were indeed near the highest point of the island.  It was possibly the best place to use as a look out for passing ships.

“I…I’m sorry I didn’t explain my situation earlier.  I thought you think me to be insane.”

“I would think that either way Christina.  We are all people whom died and were brought back to life to travel the multiverse.  We have to be crazy.   I know I am.”

Christina smiles and looks away from him.  She pulls up a few pieces of grass from the ground.  She plays with the grass between her fingers.  She wants to say something but can’t.  She is uncertain where to begin and how to say it so it wouldn’t sound cheap.  “I think I know your secret.”

Undaunted, Jim only waits for more.

“You have been twice given a spell to allow you to fly that failed.  You were struck by magical Lightning and it did nothing.  It only scorched your clothes- not you.  I think you wield Spellfire.

Curious Jim asks what that is.

“It is extremely rare.  It allows you to absorb magical energy and store it.  An experienced or gifted user can then use this energy and reshape it to heal or destroy.  It can be very powerful.”

“Never heard of it.”  Jim lies back looking at the stars.  He is at peace and doesn’t understand why.  It is unnatural to him.  He is…content.

“There is one thing I want to do.  If you don’t mind.”

“Sure.  Anything for you.”

“Take off the suit- your shirt.  Let me inspect for burns or injuries.  I am a cleric and understand magical and natural healing.”

Jim smiles.  There is a hint of flirtation in her voice.  He likes it.  He sits up and disconnects his black jumper suit top, which he pulls off.  

She looks at the suit first.  “Here is the first clue beyond your mere survival…the burn is on the chest only.  Lightning courses through a body.  There should be other burns where the lightning exits your body.”

There is a quiet pause as she looks at the suit with its modern fibers and plastic mesh.  Incredibly light but strong.  Not as strong as Mithril but much lighter than any non-metal armor she has seen.  

“What does it feel like”

“I don’t understand your question Jim”  She continues to look at the uniform, including the tag about size and washing.

“To believe.  To believe in a god.”

She puts it down for a moment.  She looks into his eyes to see if he is mocking her or means it.  He is very serious.

“Everyday I wake up knowing something is looking out for me.  Everyday I wake up feeling her strength and warmth.  She gives me strength, hope and security.”

“Have you ever seen her?”

“No.   Only her agents and once her Avatar from a great distance.”

“Then how do you know she exists?”

“Faith”

Jim is quiet as he thinks about her answer.  He nearly jumps as she touches his chest.  “Sorry.  I’m looking for burns.”

Jim becomes nervous.  Her touch is more of a lover’s caress.  It is driving him crazy.  

“All I see are a few minor bruises.  These minor bruises were so deep and dark a few days ago.  Do you naturally heal quicker than most?”

“Yes but not like this.  I seem to heal from things better ever since being in the desert.”

“Before or after Jean’s fly spell?”  She is very close to him now.  Her face and lips mere inches from his.

“….after…”

Jim can smell her hair now.  Smell her skin.  He wonders what it reminds him of.  He can’t place it but it excites him.

“You are a Spellfire wielder Jim.  I can not doubt it…anymore.”   Their eyes lock and then they close and gently their lips touch and kiss.

Hours later, Christina comes back to the camp.  She is in an uplifted spirit and smiles.  She waves to Vander whom is up still.  He rarely sleeps more than a few hours at a time.  Truly a veteran adventurer and warrior.  If he knows what has just happened he dose not mention it.  She arrives at her tent and goes inside.  Instantly “Mother” telepathically calls to her.  Her heavy mace contains the spirit and intellect of a person that in theory was her mother…in another reality.

= how can I protect you if I am not with you?=

“I needed no protection tonight”

=I disagree= telepathically communicates her cat- Momma    

The spirit that is her “real” mother touches her shoulder.  She is happy for her.  The others are happy by fearful of the young man.

The four of them talk telepathically for another hour until Christina finally falls asleep…in a deep dreamy sleep.  A dreamy sleep full of stars, distant water, grass and sincere warmth and faith.

Jim stays on the hillside looking at the stars.  As he often does, he begins to talk to himself.

“Well Jim.  There’s no going back now.  You went and made love to her.  It was mutual and sincere but you still did her.  Now what?”

“Do I try to pretend it didn’t happen?”

“Can’t”

“Do I go and marry her?”

“uh- NO”

“I feel so good but….why am I here and she is down there?”

“I have had many one night stands before but this….is different.”

“heh-  Midnight Confidential.”

“Can’t show it since it may change how the group functions and how we work as a team.”

“Yeah…that’s it.  Blame it on that………”

He never sleeps but he smiles.   He is happy.  For the first time ever since meeting her, he has not thought of Jessica…Theta.  Someone he gave his heart to but it turned out she was more than human.  Perhaps he has been around magic for a long time after all.  He just didn’t realize it.

His random thoughts drift to Christina…and the moment of unselfish love they just shared.  And that carries his mind until the morning.


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## megamania (Feb 15, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 037
“Plans, Plots and Passage”  

“Except for Megamania, I could fly us to a ship if we saw it” offers Jean.

“Of all the thoughts, that seems the best.” Concurs Christina.

“You have been very quiet Jim…have you any thoughts?” asks The Captain.

“It still bothers me that we can’t just jump “home” then retry but with either a plane or motorboat.”

“Admittance of higher tech resources is to be extremely limited for one.  Each time we use a planar jump it may alert the agents of Darqueness of our actions.  Also, this specific plane blocks most planar jumps.  It is only through a deal that Infiniti has with the Dark Lords that we are able to leave…once.  If we try this again, we may be trapped here forever allowing the Darqueness to form a new body and regain the strength he needs to start his destructive ways again.” Clarifies Christina.

“oh” is all he can say.

“Captain Bennaton-  how often can a ship be seen near here?” The Captain asks the leader of a ship that was wrecked offshore here about 6 days ago.

“If we could see beyond the mists around this island. I would think once every few days.”

“Thankyou.  Jean, Christina and Vander- what can we do to see beyond the mists?”

“I have a few means to communicate with them at a distance but nothing else” answers Jean.

 “Nothing much here” adds Christina.

Vander merely nods a grim no.

“Jim- your spot up on the mountain side- we saw over the mists there-“ remembers Christina.

Jean smirks with a new suspicion.  “If we can see over the mists there, then a fire there could be equally seen also by them.  A fire I can help with.”

“No one ever asked but I have a means to see further away.  I have my US Government issued made in China binoculars.” Replies Jim suddenly feeling useful and the center of the conversation.

The heroes set to work to create a signal fire.  Watches are planned and Jim shows each how easy it is to use the binoculars. 


The red gaunt hand once more waves over his scrying water.  The mists part ever so slowly.  Once parted, an island with mists can be seen.  With a slow curling of the fingers, the image of the island comes closer then pierces the mists then reaches the beach.  Then a path following the heroes is followed rapidly through time until the image rests on a village with insectiod creatures.  These creatures and the five agents of Infiniti are hard at work cutting wood and moving it to the top of a hillside.

“Still ever so resourceful Captain Stevens.  Very well.”

The gaunt and clawed hand circles rapidly then forms a mist.  The figure gives a mock clap over the scrying water and now the image is of the Sea of Sorrows.  The scrying moves quickly over the waters and reveals several ships.  All are close enough to be seen soon.

The gaunt red skinned figure reaches for a small chest.  It opens it and inside is a wooden image of an armor-plated shark.  He holds it up over the water and thinks about the hunger…the drive.  Soon, he is thinking about the hunt and…the metal man?

“Go my deadly ally…go and find the metal man.  Go and find Vander Stormbringer of Athas”


Captain Bennaton is on watch along with his surviving crew.  He marvels at the instrument the wild child has given him to see with.  It is similar to a tool of his but much lighter and clearer.  He is tempted to take them and bring them to an artificer he knows in Mordent.  He shakes the thought off.  

He looks up again and tries to see to the east.  A ship!  He calls for one of his men to call to the Champions and another to light the wood.  The woodpile that is still small and may not be seen in daylight.  It is lit and goes by…unseen.

The crew looks for the champions but only find Megamania and the Captain.  Neither can fly nor reach the ship.

This happens two more days in a row.

DAY 9

Jim is sitting on the hillside…looking at the stars again.  It is the Captain’s watch.  Everyone else is sleeping…or so he thought.  “Hello Christina…and Jean?”

“Jim….do you trust me?” asks Christina.

“Suuuuure….why?”

“The ships fear this area and seem to travel by only by day.  Perhaps due to the Jaws of Sorrow.  We are uncertain.  We need to create a means to be seen.  We need to create a light source that can be seen even at the sun’s greatest strength.”

“Yup…I follow you so far.”

“I …..I want to test if you wield it.   If you wield Spellfire.”

Jim’s face loses all emotion.  Doubt rises in its place.  “And how do we test this?  Jean gonna zap me a dozen times?”

“If possible” Jean says looking away.  She fears what may happen if Christina is wrong.

“F*** that!   What if you’re wrong?!?!”  Jim tenses up and prepares to roll down the hill into a run.

“We’ll start with easy stuff.  Things that are not harmful.   We’ll try to lower the temperture first maybe try to caste mage armor on you a few times.”

“What does the Captain think of it?”

“He…he dosen’t know.”

“Oh this is getting better and better…….”  He stands up.  Looks at the ground in deep thought shrugs and sighs.  He looks at Christina and her pleading but nearly crying eyes.  Jim melts and gives in.


“Remember- immediately let us know if anything hurts or we need to stop.”  She leans up close to him.  Gives him a soft kiss on the cheek and rapidly moves away.  He is standing in an opening with Jean about 25 feet away.

“What I am about to caste is called “Lesser Cold Orb”.  It is intended to cause frost bite and chill one to their bones.”

“Wonderful.  Love it.”

“I will hit you will one.  I will pause before continuing.  Tell me when to stop.”

“Heh-   sure” then under his breathe- “but what if I’m dead?”

Jean’s eyes well in tears.  She hates casting her magic to harm another.  This is insane but she trusts Christina.  She also has seen Jim absorb or ignore two of her flight spells already.  “Here we go…”

Jim pulls his mask on over his face.  He doesn’t want anyone to see his face.  

He sees a circular ball of white followed with crystals shot from Jean’s hands.  As it hits him, he feels not cold but warmth.  A few moments later another wave of warmth then another then it’s all utopia.  His body is warm and tingly. 

He doesn’t see Jean and Christina look at each other and give a solemn nod.  A small series of iron rods are pulled from Jean's deep component pockets.  The first Lightning bolt rips into Jim and shakes him.  Then another…and another…and another….

The Captain hears the first crack of lightning and looks down to only see Jim being hit by Lightning.  Over and over again.  Then an electrical globe engulfs him and it melts away.  He is screaming now and drops to his knees.  Smoke rising from his tattered clothes.  He calls to Vander whom also heard the repeated lightning strikes and came to the higher point to investigate.

“STOP OH FOR THE GODS SAKE STOP!” screams Christina as she rushes between Jean and Jim.  To avoid striking her Jean redirects her last Electric Orb into the woods causing several trees to splinter or shatter and fall.

“……what have we…done…?”

Jim lies there like a puppet with its strings cut.  Elderich energy leaks from his eyes and mouth…just like a deep internal wound would leak blood…..The ground is hot and burnt around him.  The sandy soil now broken glass from Jim’s body falling onto it and Christina’s rushing to him.

Fearful she reaches to check for a heart beat…..heat and light rises from his body……”…what have I done….?”


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## megamania (Feb 15, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 038
“Spellfire”

It is a lifetime ago.  1988.  Young Jim Addards is a senior in Arlington Memorial High School in a small state known as Vermont.  Division III soccer champions for the past few years.  He was never very popular with the girls.  He was smart and had an athletic build but he was very self-conscience of what he said and did.  Especially around girls.

His two best friends were Mike and Chad.  Mike never seemed to have a problem getting a date.  They just never lasted long.  Chad always had a way of things working out for him.  Tests he never studied for were postponed, when he needed a dollar for a soda he always found one on the ground near the machine.  It was uncanny.

However, the three of them were best of friends.  They hung out together, talked about girls and what to do after school daily.  However, everything changed on the first day of school on their senior year.  Everything changed.

A new girl came to school.  Jessica was her name.  Everyone wanted to be friend…or more.  She was smart, beautiful and had incredible grace.  Jim was attracted to her instantly.  He was stunned when she asked him out on a date that next Friday.

He was on the top of the world then.  Nothing could bring him down.  Nothing.

Then his father died.  More correctly put-  he was slaughtered.

Beginning in August, there were cattle found gutted and killed.  His father, the chief of police, investigated it.  He must have found out something.  In late September, he was found dead in a field.  Gutted just like the cattle he was investigating.

Jim was shattered.  He ignored his two best friends and found solitude only in the arms of Jessica.  By mid October, Mike and Chad were suspicious…or was it jealous?  Anyway- they looked around Jessica’s house.  Mike had a side hobby of studying things of the occult.  Fairies seemed to be a favorite.  He looked around after hearing about the mystery of Jessica’s mother.  She disappeared and was never seen again on October 31st the prior year.  What they found in the basement scared them.  

They went to warn Jim.  He wouldn’t listen.  They were wrong.

They went back later to get proof.  Instead a biker wearing chainmail that smelt of burnt animal parts found them.

They also saw Jessica…in a trance…being spoken to by her father.  Her father was no mere lawyer.  He followed the occult.  The bad kind.

On the 31st of October, Jim went to Jessica’s house.  She seduced him and they made love.  Then he remembers smelling something evil…a sharp pain to the base of his skull was all he remembered after that.

Now nighttime, he awoke to find himself tied to a stake near a fire in the woods.  Beside him was Mike and Chad also staked.  A few persons in robes watched in respect to the three of them.  Soon chanting began and Jessica’s father came forth.  Jessica also.

She was in a trance…her eyes never blinked, her lips never wavered.  No emotion at all.

The lawyer began his ritual.  He spoke words arcane and evil while holding up a knife with runes on it.  First he pricked the arm of Chad.  He allowed the blood to collect on it before moving to Mike.  The same was done to him.  Finally he came to Jim.  He was pricked and the blood of the three were mixed and smeared onto Jim’s face.  He then turned to Jessica in a threatening way.  

This is when things went from crazy to absolutely insane.  A surge of energy began to rise in Jim.  He broke free and beat off the worshippers.  He then chased the lawyer into the woods.  The lawyer fell onto a downed pine tree.  A sharp branch pierced his chest.  It killed him instantly.

When Jim returned, only Mike and Chad, still bound, remained.  Mike didn’t understand everything said but suggested we were agents of something larger than mankind.  We were Chance, Charm and the Chosen.
The ritual was designed to boost Jim somehow.  To make him be all three then to kill him.

That warmth... that surge was similar to the feeling he had when struck down by Jean.  It forced memories long buried and ignored to surface.   He was the Chosen one back in 1988.  He had been given the powers of Chance and Charm.  He had the power of…Spellfire.

Ravenloft: Now

“hurm…?   What happened?”

“Oh by the gods!  You’re alright!” Christina hugs him.  Her mere touch causes elderich energy to leak from the pores of his skin.  

“For being dead…I feel pretty good.”

“As much as I hate you folks doing this without consulting with me first- there’s a ship out there now…” adds in the Captain knowing this was not the best time but necessary.

Jim, his shirt tattered, climbs up to the top.  The ship is close enough he can see the sails without the binoculars.  He looks at the others, Christina especially, and shrugs.

He tenses up and sinks to the ground.  His melodramatic personality kicking in, 

“Narrrrrrrraaaaaargh!” he shouts as he raises his fists above his head in sign of emotional release.  Blinding light shots out from him.  It is brighter than the sun.


“Aye there Captain… what is that?” asks a crewmember on a passing ship.


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## megamania (Feb 15, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 039
“The Ring of Darqueness”         

The crew of the Bare Sea maiden was very surprised to see four flying figures, each carrying several others to them from the mist.   Fortunately, the Captain of this ship knew of Captain Bennaton and allowed passage to their destination.

It was not long after reaching the port that the guards came.  The strangely garbed champions, now complimented with a glowing man in tattered black clothes, stood out.  They were taken to a holding cell until the government decided what to do.  To mess with their minds, Jim unlocked his door and sat waiting for them.  The look on the guards’ face was priceless when he the door swung open on its own.

The Champions of Infiniti, now gathered once more met before the governor.  He was a proud large man.  His hands showed that he was a fisherman long before becoming a political figure.  He listened to the Captain carefully and thought about every word spoken.  All the while, members of the council, including his son and daughter, watched with visible nervousness.

Their nervousness went into pure shock when the governor agreed to GIVE them the ring.  The son was most noticeably disbelieving this.  The ring was said to be dangerous and even evil.  Was his father merely trying to be rid of it?

As they walked through a series of underground tunnels and chambers, the Governor and the Captain finalized the accord.  The ring was to be theirs if they do but one thing…. destroy the Jaws of Sorrow.

The creature had sunk many ships in the past months.  Many of which were his or carried his money.  He was near losing everything due to this creature.  It was as if it purposely attacked anything of value to him.
Finally reaching a large vault deep underground.  He set a series of levers and switches to deactivate the locks and wards.  The door opened and…. Inside was no ring.

Someone has stolen the Ring of Darqueness.  A master thief to avoid all of the traps and wards.  


Captain Bennaton was sitting down with his beer and relaxing.  For his part, he was going to get a new craft.  He decided it was time for a good and long drink.  Especially since the servant at the Governors house showed interest in him.   

She was very proper and ignored them all while tending to one of the councilors.  Then the Captain saw her ring.  It was distinctive.  It was a ¾ circle with a straight edged star shining within it.  He had only seen such a symbol and ring once before.  It belonged to a noble woman on his ship when it was attacked by the Jaws of Sorrow.  

After mentioning it, she seemed to warm up to him and invited him to a drink when she was off that night.  He readily agreed.

In she came, everyone stopped and looked at her.  She was more than beautiful.  She was a predator.  She sat down before the now nervous Captain.   “Errr  aww…Maybe I was too forward and misled you lass”

“No Captain Francis Edward Bennaton.  I was the one.  Too bad you recognized the ring.  I do so treasure it.  I can’t bring myself to remove it from one disguise to another.  But you and you only remembered it.  That is too bad for you.”

Her eyes sparkle and glow.  He jaw goes slack and his eyes roll back.  Psychic energy invisibly seeps from his ears and mouth.  “Have a good and long dream.”


“Again?”

“Excuse me Jim?” answers an aggravated Captain.

“The ring is missing but we are still going to deal with the Jaws meets Godzilla beastie?”

“Yes.  Do you have a problem with this?”

“Well- YES.  We will die and for what?”

“Because it is right.  It is the correct thing to do.” Adds Jean.

The Captain sucks in a deep breath through his nose and lets it out slowly.  Christina wonders if she will get to see him punch out Jim this time since she missed it the first time.

“Do you consider yourself a patriot?”

“What does that have to do with it?”

“Answer the question.  Do you consider yourself a patriot?” repeats the Captain.

“Yes….after a fashion.”

“You are an agent for the US government and now for Infiniti.  The creator of the alternate universes.  Someone wants to destroy it all.  Someone that would possible find an ally in this creature.  This creature that harms innocent people.”

“Save the speeches…I’ll do it.”

Jim gets up and walks to the window.  Chance, Charm and the Chosen…. mixed into one.   What has be become?  He no longer glowed but he could see and sense things he never could before.  He could feel the magical qualities on his friends’ equipment.  Even Vander’s psionic goods had a different signature.  It was different from magic but also different from non-magical.  

If he started to have dreams of god again he was quitting.

Smiling and becoming more relaxed went back to the group.


It didn’t feel the water’s cold.  It didn’t feel the salt of it.  It didn’t feel at all.  Its mind was too simple for that.  It had a need to strike certain surface craft.  It would destroy it and wait for it’s next order.  Then came the Metal Man.  It hurt him.  His weapon bypassed its defenses.  Its tooth bite deep and long into its flesh.  The bright loud light bothered it but the Metal man brought it pain.  

Then came a new voice in its confused mind.  A voice wanting it to strike down any craft.  The beast didn’t want to until it was said the Metal Man was on one of the ships.  Revenge.

It ignored the softer voice for several days.  It listened to the hollowed one.  It spoke of revenge so sweet.  Then the soft voice came back…stronger than ever.  Stronger than the hollowed voice.  It was to crush and destroy specific people now.  One was the Metal Man.

It swam now happy to accept all the voices in its head.  All agreed the Metal Man needed to die.


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Feb 18, 2004)

W00T! Keep the good stuff coming Megamania 
Personally, I wouldn't mind at all if a few updates were devoted to each character's past to help flesh them (and the source of their abilities?) a bit more... but I'm sure I'll be happy with whatever you produce.


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## megamania (Feb 18, 2004)

Look_a_Unicorn said:
			
		

> W00T! Keep the good stuff coming Megamania
> Personally, I wouldn't mind at all if a few updates were devoted to each character's past to help flesh them (and the source of their abilities?) a bit more... but I'm sure I'll be happy with whatever you produce.




As the story progresses I plan on this.  Megamania has been the main person thus far with some spotlighting on Christina.  Look for more on her and a bunch on Vander in the next few story arcs.

Hint: megamania's ......awww   that would be telling.


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## Grondmar (Feb 20, 2004)

I love this story!!


G

ps    BUMPSKI!


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## Gaiden (Feb 20, 2004)

megamania said:
			
		

> Its early yet but any thoughts on the story thus far?  I'm always up for input.




I really enjoy your integration of all of the different fantasy worlds and genres.  I have caught everything from Forgotten Realms to Shadowrun and I am sure I am missing some.  I am actually attempting to make a game that does something similar:  it all begins with a multidimensional/planar strike force - sort of like the navy seals but with magic and future technology.  Just the first 8 installments have already given me a lot of ideas.  Keep up the awesome work.


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## megamania (Feb 22, 2004)

having problems getting thru with the new system.  


The original Strikeforce was more of a bounty hunter or retriever group but it fell apart.  That theme may return depending on the coming events.  This group is not really a "Strikeforce" as is.

Glad you are liking it.


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## megamania (Feb 22, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 040
“Broken Tranquility”

She missed the soothing sound of water lapping against the boat side.  She missed the quiet stillness of the stars in the sky and the moon at night giving a rippled reflection. She missed home.

It was very late at night and Jean the Storm Wielder could not sleep.  The governor gave the Champions of Infiniti the use of a houseboat until they set sail in a larger ship being readied to commit war against the Jaws of Sorrow.  Only Christina and Vander seemed to mind.  Jean outright looked forward to it and secretly hoped the readying of the Sword of the Sea would be delayed a few days.

She grew up on the seas.  She lived on a bamboo and reed home that was anchored in a shallow bay.  She swam in the clear blue waters before she could walk.  Many thought her people were as much sea elf as human.  She remembered nights like this, listening to the water roll in as the tides came and went, watching larger fish try to catch shiners that would leap from the water to escape.  It was a magical time.

Jean thought she could smell her mother’s scented skin cream for a moment.  How she missed those days!  It feels like a lifetime ago since she left the sea and settled in the city before becoming a Morituri.  Vander’s heavy steps break the tranquility of it.  

Though not in his prized armor, he obviously a large and heavy man.  Jean begins to understand his obsession with his armor.  Dressed only in breeches and his sword belt Vander’s horrid past shows itself in the form of hundreds of bodily scars. She knows enough of his past to not wish it on anyone.  Not even an agent of Darqueness the Destroyer.  This is when she realizes how little she knows of Vander.  She knows little of everyone actually.

“Hello Vander.  Peaceful night isn’t it.” She says as much in fact as a question.

Vander just looks to the sea.  Then just as Jean suspects he didn’t hear her he answers her.  “Too peaceful.  Something is happening.”

Jean, never one to dwell on negativity tries to shift the conversation.  “Have you ever been on the open seas before coming here?  I grew up on the sea.  I feel very much at home here.”

Vander unintentionally feels a large jagged scar on his side.  “Yes…a long time ago.  The Sun Sea of Athas.  I was…a traveler then.”  The whole time he is on alert…looking for something but not knowing what.  His unease is clear.

“Sit.  Lets talk.  We have yet to really talk.”

“I am a man of action…of war.  I do not …talk.”  His unease is shifting to the conversation instead of the seas.  The dark and still seas.

“Let me be the judge of that.  Please Vander…sit.  Relax a bit.  We are safe on the Governor’s houseboat.”

Not convinced Vander only steps up to the rail and leans on it.  His gaze returns to the dark and forbidden waters.

“I used to dive for shells on the coral reefs and pretend to be a porpoise on the sand bars.  I miss those days.  Life has become…so complicated. What was your childhood like? What do you remember of it?”

Vander sees his father’s fist.  He hears the rage.  He feels the sting.  “I had a good life.  I hunted in the forests and fished on the deep lakes.  I grew up strong and proud.”  He never looks to her as he says this.  His mind is caught up in too many memories.  All consist of violence.

Jean, knowing he is lying to her but sensing he means no harm in doing so goes on about herself to keep the mood light.  “I remember my first pearl I ever found by myself.  I never knew what it was.  I opened the shellfish, saw the pearl and threw it overboard!  Hahahah  I was only 5 at the time.  My mother could have used that money for goods we needed but only gave me a hug.  She was so good to me.

Vander sees a cowering woman with discoloring on her face and arms.  His face becomes hard as steel.

“The Stripped Bass are out.”

A few moments go by.  Then Vander snaps out of it as if a drill sergeant just addressed him in line up. “Bass?”

“Yes.  Don’t look at the horizon Vander- looks closer.  See those glints of light in the water?  Those are small fish that school for security.  The bass will charge through the school trying to catch as many as possible.  The school tries to flee so quickly that many leap right out of the water.  It is trying amazing at times.

Vander’s face softens as he finally sees and realizes the action for what it is.  They watch for a few silent minutes as a school will leap here then another somewhere else.  Vander almost smiles watching the show put on by the fish.  Then he tenses again and looks out to the sea.

“What is it Vander?”

“Growing up in a time of war then living on a world of war I have developed a sixth sense for trouble.  Something is here with us.  Something troublesome.”

“Relax Vander.  You are being paranoid.  The bay is too shallow for the Jaws of Sorrow to swim within.  No one else knows we are here that would commit acts of harm to us.”

Vander ignores her even as she returns to talk about the fish and coral reef splendors.  His senses have rarely failed him.   He watches the minnows and shiners leap again.  And leap…and leap…and leap.  Not in small condense areas of a school of fish.  No.  This time a fish is coming straight at them.  The entire bay before them is exploding in activity.

“We are under attack!” Vander declares loudly even as he reaches for his falchion.  Jean stops in midsentence to ask what he means when she finally sees what he has seen.  She rolls back from the rail and retreats to get her spell pouch and alert the others.  Vander is happy to get the novice out of the way.

Suddenly the water explodes as large amphibian creatures leap out of the water directly at him.  These greenish tall and gaunt creatures are unlike any he has ever seen.  The claws, teeth and method are not unfamiliar to him.  “I am no minnow fishman.” Is all he says as he begins to swing his weapon.

His weapon telepathically reaches out to the black-eyed creatures.  The sound of building, rising and moving energy is the last thing the first creature will hear as Vander hits it taking off an arm. The reverse swing beheads it.  The glowing psionic weapon beheads the next creature.  He stabs straight up tearing the flesh from the third creature.  It hisses at him.  Even as the body sinks down the length of his weapon the creature claws at him.  His toughened scarred skin takes the brunt of the sharp claws well.

Vander wills his ectoplasmic skin to expand.  If the dying creature could comprehend what was before him it did not show it.  Even as Vander works the weapon out of the body thus killing it, a whitish-blue film expands from under his breeches to cover his upper body.  Then he calls on his primal nature and becomes stronger and much faster.

More creatures rise from the water but he ignores them.  He can feel the boat shift as more are climbing on board on the other side.  The creature prepares to throw it’s trident at Vander when suddenly its shoulder, arm and thigh explode in red mist.  It hisses at the strange injuries.  “Go home to the Black Lagoon ya f***ing rejects! Yells Jim Addards as he becomes visible from on the roof.

As the creatures try to climb aboard before him, Vander swings at them holding them at bay.

A beam of light comes from the water and washes over Jim.  Several dots of glowing light now hover before his face taking away his vision and now allowing him to fire his energy gun.  Jim is confused by the actions…if it were magic- wouldn’t he have absorbed it?

“Errrrrrrr….turn surface meat.  Turn and face your consumer…”

Vander turns to the back of the boat.  A taller creature is here with four arms.  The creature walks like it owns him.  Vander smiles and switches the weapon from hand to hand as proof of strength and skill.  

Jim tries to move away from the lights that are blinding him but finds it much more difficult that envisioned.  The roof of the boat was not designed for one to sleep or fight on either.

The four armed mutant claws and bites at Vander.  It adds many long and shallow wounds to Vander’s shoulders and back.  It is trying to stay very close to him so as to remove room to swing his obviously deadly weapon.  Vander tries to counter move but can not.  So he just drops to his knees and swings under the creatures four arms.  It hisses as it loses both of its legs from the knees down and thumps to the deck in complete rage at how easily Vander defeated it.  Vander finishes it off easily.

A fast movement goes over his shoulder with a loud and solid thud sound issuing from the stern of the boat.  The Captain’s defensive artifact has once more been used as a highly offensive one as two of the would be murders fall from the rail with missing teeth and blooding mouths and eyes.  

“Report!” is all the other war veteran says even as he catches his magical throwing shield.

“We are being attacked from the sea.  At least one has magic use” Vander declares.

Trying something new…Jim tries to catch the light with his hands to destroy them.  Can not.
The result is a wild fall and last minute grab at the roofing to land on his feet on the deck.  

“Kill them!” is clearly heard.  Jean, coming out of the doorway sees a human in the water giving out directions.  Looking further- she sees the source of the attacks- “Sahuagin!” she hisses.
She concentrates on the water surface and fog thickens and becomes dense.  The underwater terrors find it very hard to move through the fog.  It seems almost solid to them.  She is uncertain but thinks a dorsal fin had grown out the human as if changing shape into…a shark.

Christina comes out with only a blanket covering her.  “Mother”, her intelligent Heavy Mace in hand and her holy symbol in the other.  The attacks have ended until they hear and feel the next attack.  The creatures are attacking through the hull!

“Onto shore!” yells the Captain.  Vander goes into the first room to get his armor.  Christina helps Jim off as the lights continue to haunt him.  As he reaches shore the lights fade away.  Spots of red and black still dance and dissolve in his vision.  “Dirty Bastards” he grumbles.

The boat lists to the side pushing on the thick fog.  Vander is beside himself.  Some of his armor is still on the boat!  Jim adds that his stuff is also.  One look from the Captain shuts both of them up.

“Undead colossal sharks and now Sahuagin…this is bad” ends Christina.  Momma, her cat, merely shakes its head in disgust.  “water…why water?” it laments.


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Feb 23, 2004)

"As the story progresses I plan on this. Megamania has been the main person thus far with some spotlighting on Christina. Look for more on her and a bunch on Vander in the next few story arcs."

You know Megamania, this PROVES you'd make a bad politician - you keep your promises .

Though I am still a bit curious if there was a big .. ummm .. divergency? (looking for right word) where Jean went from a Gal quite in tune with nature -> to realising that the powers of nature were at her beck & call...
or have I given away the premise of a future update?

Vander's past sounds like one I wouldn't wish on anyone... 
(except that guy who always picked on me at school - oh how he shall one day rue my vengeance! RUE!!)


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## megamania (Feb 24, 2004)

Look_a_Unicorn
Though I am still a bit curious if there was a big .. ummm .. divergency? (looking for right word) where Jean went from a Gal quite in tune with nature -> to realising that the powers of nature were at her beck & call...
or have I given away the premise of a future update?

Vander's past sounds like one I wouldn't wish on anyone... 
(except that guy who always picked on me at school - oh how he shall one day rue my vengeance! RUE!!)[/QUOTE said:
			
		

> Not sure what you mean by Divergency regarding Jean.  Admittedly her personality is the hardest for me to convey.  She is not a true pacifist but avoids doing harm to another as much as possible.  HOWEVER -don't PO her. She has a mean streak.  Eventually I'll go into her and the dragon...oops  I shouldn't have said that.
> 
> Vander is a messed up guy.  His entire life has been one of conflict with little positive feedback.  A lot more is coming up on him.
> 
> ...


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Feb 25, 2004)

megamania said:
			
		

> Not sure what you mean by Divergency regarding Jean.



Yeah I didn't describe it that well- Megamania/Jim had his training (and occult ritual), the Captain was experimented on, Vander went through torture- and as a result they gained there badass abilities. What I meant was how did Jean diverge from "in touch with nature" to Storm-Wielder.. although it may be something as simple as affinity growing over time...

"Eventually I'll go into her and the dragon...oops  I shouldn't have said that."
hahhaha


"You will see/read how all the Champions of Infiniti had a rough go of things before they died and were brought back to life by Infiniti.  Expect many flashbacks on all the characters (I hope I don't kill any before) to explain a bit of who they are."
The occasional flash of insight can really change an up-till-then background PC into a living image in the story!

"Also, if you thought the champions have had it hard, wait until the mysterious figure in the background begins to really get involved.  Lets just say things will get ugly"
Looking forward to it! Not that I want the Strikeforce to be smacked down... well maybe a little .


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## megamania (Feb 25, 2004)

Look_a_Unicorn said:
			
		

> Yeah I didn't describe it that well- Megamania/Jim had his training (and occult ritual), the Captain was experimented on, Vander went through torture- and as a result they gained there badass abilities. What I meant was how did Jean diverge from "in touch with nature" to Storm-Wielder.. although it may be something as simple as affinity growing over time...
> 
> She grew up on the seas but later found herself thrust to shore and into a city.  Here she discovered and trained in magic.  When I feel the time is right, I will go into more.
> 
> ...




I was quite surprised at how well they did against the sahuagin and the mage.  Vander is proving to be exceptionly powerful with his Falchoin and Jean with her Lightning spells and stored spells.  I may have to taller foes against them a bit.  
If you were to look at the Rogues links- the NPCS you see that Jaws of Sorrow has mucho spell resistance whichg was done because of Jean.  She never reliezed that after hitting it with about eight 10d6 bolts that virtually little damage took place.  Vander, with his psionics however got through.  This is in part why the barely thinking creature has it now for the "metal man".

More updates possiblyt this weekend.  I am strapped for time since I am working 34 hours at the store and 48 at the factory this week while trying to sign a morgage and repair a brakeless car.


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## megamania (Feb 29, 2004)

Okay-   I have had little time to write and many problems getting on EN World so as to post.  I will add a few pictures I have done or did that relate to Strikeforce.

Here is Jaws of Sorrow


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## megamania (Feb 29, 2004)

Lets try that again...but bigger


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## megamania (Mar 7, 2004)

Cookie correction....?


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## megamania (Mar 7, 2004)

I'm baaaack! back online anyway.  Expect updates now.


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## megamania (Mar 7, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 041
“Blood in the Water”

“You found them easily enough I trust.”

“Yes my lord.”

“You fought and slew them I trust.”

“We fought them my lord.”

“Did you consume their flesh?  Is their blood in the water?”

“No my lord.”

“…….yet you return?”

The wet human dressed in nothing but a cloth skirt with a component filled belt bows before his lord within a sea cave.  Sahuagin warriors bow to the same lord nearby forming a semi circle.  The lord is dressed in a cloak with red, white and grew trim.  Shark teeth on strings line the cloak marking him as a worshipper of the Shark-god.  The very creature the Sahuagin worship and believe in.  They feel the Jaws of  Sorrow is the avatar of said shark god and the human lord to be favored by him.  As much as they fear and respect him, they would be angered if they knew the undead creature was his creation and tool, not their avatar.

“They are…mighty my lord.  One carries a powerful weapon that speaks to our minds and kills in one swing.  Another has a weapon unlike any I have seen before that rips holes into one’s flesh from a short distance.  Another can make fog strong enough to force us below the surface.  Another has a shield that is a device of the devil.  They are not human my lord.”

“There you are correct.  They are flesh,” turning to the Sahuagin, “and we eat flesh!”  A murderous gleam shines over the black emotionless eyes of the sea devils.  They begin to chant together- “Flesh, flesh, flesh…”

“They wish to destroy the avatar of the shark-god.  They wish to take his magic.  They wish to starve us.” Pausing for effect, “They wish to starve YOU.”

“I will destroy them my lord.”

“Go and do not return until their flesh has been consumed.”  He waves his strong arms to dispel the mage from his sight.  The Sahuagin wait a moment.

“If he fails again- he is flesh and flesh is to be consumed.”

The creatures hiss in an evil equilivant to laughter then leave him.

He turns and goes deeper into the sea cave.  He enters a secret passage.  Here he removes his robes and replaces them with the clothes he wears when he goes to council meetings.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  == =  == =  = == = = =  == =  == = = = = = =  = = =

The inky waters part once more.  This time the gaunt man in red and black robes and leather peers at a woman moving on the rooftops of a noble’s home overlooking the bay where the heroes were.  The moon is nearly full and covered by the thick clouds of Ravenloft.  She stops and peers upward to the scrying.
“What?”

“Well done Jarella.  You sensed me.  I want a progress report.”

“The ring has gone missing.  Neither the Champions nor I have it.  The Champions seem content to seek out a creature that endangers the town which allows me to search all the better for it.”

“Hmmmm…do they suspect anything?”

“They are unaware of me and thus of you.  They are talented however.  Each is truly a champion.  None are to be taken lightly, even the rogue.”

“Yes, well I have plans for them.  Soon they will feel my wraith but first…. I need to awake our lord.”

“YOUR lord will be awaken I am sure.”

“Do not push me Jarella.  You are a feared assassin throughout the planes but do not think that can protect you if I become displeased with you or you betray my trust.”

“The mirror always has at least two images”

Silence as she looks to the slight shimmer in the sky she can see there.  “Get me the ring.  That is all.”

The shimmer moves away and she returns to her work.  She has to visit a certain cultist tonight.  A member of the shark cult whom she feels may know something.


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## megamania (Mar 7, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 042
“Picking up the Pieces”

“How much longer?” asks Jim Addards as Jean walks up to him by the dock.

“Don’t pick on Vander.  As I recall, you were next to him retrieving your equipment.”  Jean says as she watches for Vander to resurface.  He has been retrieving pieces of his psionically-empowered armor for the past hour.  He is still missing a few pieces.  “You could be helping him.”

“I did.  His left shin guard was in a location his larger frame wouldn’t fit within.”

Jean gives a straight tight smile with a nod.  There are times she can not tell if Jim is lying or telling the truth.  This is one of those moments.

“Any more luck locating the ring using our equipment?”

Jean lets out a long sigh. “No.  This world …this demi-plane is messing with it.  Christina did say that the lords of this plane did not like our being here but we didn’t expect this.”

“What did you expect? Godzilla”

“God-who?”

“A giant dragon that walks on two feet.” Answers Jim without batting an eye.

“A ..dragon…yes we expected powerful confrontations.” Jean answers believing Godzilla to be a true Dragon.

“That’s why we’re after the shark.” He answers more to himself than to Jean.

“Fahhhhhh” bursts out Vander as he surfaces with a hip guard covered in mud and silt.  He slowly dog paddles to shore and climbs onto the dock.  Ignoring the two of them, he begins to carefully and with great care clean his armor.

Jim shakes his head in dismay.  “The guy needs a girlfriend.”

“And you Jim…?” asks Jean thinking about his one night stand with Christina.

“I’m fine.”  He stretches and looks back at Vander.  He is uncertain about this subject.  He has never been yone to stay with a woman for long.  One night stands were common to him.  He honestly had not thought about how Christina would react.  He did not know Jean knew.  Who else knew?

In a small warehouse nearby, The Captain, Christina and several officials discuss the prior night’s events.  Sahuagin have always been a concern but they have never attacked a boat tied to a dock.  They have become very bold and daring.  The Captain and Christina disagree.  They came for them.  They had a human mage leading the attack.  The same human was believed to turn into a shark to escape.  Both the Captain and Christina noted the alarm on the local’s faces.  They did not believe them when they suggested it must have been a spell.  The answer came too quick and loud.

Uncertain of the possibilities the Captain asks about a shark cult.  The locals are quiet and can not make eye contact.  

“No…no shark cult.” One answers quietly

Christina, having a traveled the planes has another guess.  “Are there weresharks here?”  Several men turn away.  The Governor buries his head in his hands looking at the floor.  He sighs and looks up defeated.

“There are myths and legends.  Nothing proven.  The myths speak of an alliance between Sahuagin and shark worshippers.  Some of these worshippers went as far as to be cursed with the ability of becoming a shark.  It is only myth but these are strange times.  The Governor looks up at two Champions.  The gleaming armor of Christina and the infinite depths of the magical artifact held by the Captain.  The Governor stares at it and is caught in its spell.  He feels compelled to look at it and say everything he knows about the Shark Cult…and the lost shipments….everything.   The Captain and Christina both note that he stares and answers to the shield held by the Captain…answers as if compelled.  

I became aware of the rumors about three months ago.  It was just about when the Jaws of Sorrow began to appear in our waters on a regular basis that the rumors emerged.  A mysterious and monstrous shark sank several ships laden with gold owned by the city or myself.  The crew and cargo were never found.  A sole survivor did escape the carnage.  He died as he retold the story.  A monstrous shark would destroy the craft and Sahuagin would be seen in the area.  He died before saying anymore.  In a separate incident, on a nearby island, a fisherman thought he had seen a shark swim to a grotto then crawl onto shore and become a man.  This man disappeared into the cave.  

Later, the city patrol led by my son checked the cave.  Nothing was found.  Sharks are being witnessed more often in our waters.  Normally, our waters are too cool for many sharks to appear but this has not been the deterrent it used to be. 

The Governor now slowly looks up at the Captain.  Tears rush down his cheeks.  The Captain remains cold and emotionless.  “Thankyou Governor.  We will review this new information and return with our plans.”

“Somehow it all relates... I am certain of it” exclaims The Captain to Christina once outside.  “The ring becoming lost, the shark, the sahuagin the shark people ….everything.”

“When we go out to sea to hunt this Jaws creature…we have to be ready for anything.”

“yes …anything.”


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Mar 7, 2004)

I can't help but believe that hunting the Jaws- when it's not only assisted but worshipped! by both Sahuagin & Were Sharks can only end in tears (I've not yet found a way of using WS's in my campaign but I really REALLY want to).

Oh well, at least if they're horribly slaughtered underwater then Jim won't have to deal with the far more confusing & dangerous territory- the feelings of a female with superpowers!

Quick question, how much of the in-game tryst was the Players idea, and how much elaboration? In my experience the players are fine to roleplay melodramatics or heroics, but romance... they just struggle to deal with it in the same serious fashion.


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## megamania (Mar 9, 2004)

Look_a_Unicorn said:
			
		

> I can't help but believe that hunting the Jaws- when it's not only assisted but worshipped! by both Sahuagin & Were Sharks can only end in tears (I've not yet found a way of using WS's in my campaign but I really REALLY want to).
> 
> I still don't know how it will end :\
> 
> ...




Either you missed it or I down played it too much-  I live in southern Vermont and work 75+ hours a week.  Playing in a normal group setting is near impoosible.  What I have done is created stats and sheets for all charcaters.  I then role-play and when required- roll-play the characters.  Its not a perfect method but hey- its not a perfect world.  This is why in part I used existing comicbook characters or characters I had played before in this game.  I have a feel for them and they basically write themselves.  

When I started this I didn't intend Jim and Christina to hook up but it seemed to gravitate in that direction on its own.  Now comes the fun part-  where to between them and who else knows and how will this effect the team?

As for weresharks ...  use your imagination.  The biggest pain in the butt is how they are a marine creature.  Going by strict CRs, the Champions of Infiniti are much higher but they are greatly weakened in a marine environment.  Vander and The Captain especially.

Hope to update soon-


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Mar 10, 2004)

megamania said:
			
		

> Either you missed it or I down played it too much-  I live in southern Vermont and work 75+ hours a week.  Playing in a normal group setting is near impoosible.



Missed it completely! 75 hours- Ouch! I do NOT envy you that at all. What field are you involved in that requires such insane dedication? (from my lazy-arse point of view at least)
I've got no diea where Vermont is, I assume it's the US somewhere. That's the problem with us Australians, 89% of us are unaware there are countries outside our own borders   



			
				megamania said:
			
		

> What I have done is created stats and sheets for all charcaters.  I then role-play and when required- roll-play the characters.  Its not a perfect method but hey- its not a perfect world.



Too true. I guess it's very much like DMing a perfect world though- no left-of-field PC decisions to throw your nicely laid plans off track.



			
				megamania said:
			
		

> This is why in part I used existing comicbook characters or characters I had played before in this game.  I have a feel for them and they basically write themselves.



Nope, your imagination writes them. Kudos where kudos is due!



			
				megamania said:
			
		

> As for weresharks ...  use your imagination.  The biggest pain in the butt is how they are a marine creature.



Which is why I haven't been able to use them. No water sources in the PC's area larger than a lake, or swamps- and they have no reason (yet) to visit the poorly-defined coastal areas...


Keep up the good work! Now knowing of your 75+ hours I'll jockey less for updates


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## megamania (Mar 11, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 043
“Relaxation = Killing a Dragon”

The dragon had a broken wing and crushed hip but that didn’t stop it.   Fyrofistus was never one to give up.  But it had never been attacked by anything like this before.  The ogre had incredible strength and was incredibly savage.  To make it worse, its equipment enhanced its already incredible abilities and strength.  Fyrofistus had no idea from where the creature came either.  She had never heard of a Maestro or Brute Master before.  It had never heard of someone seeking to attack a dragon just for the fun and entertainment of it either.  This creature both fascinated it and angered it at the same time.  She hated to kill it but had to.  She struck it with a point blank breath attack that softened the stones around the beast.  Maybe she could make a cleric summon its spirit later.

There was to be no later.

The beast crawled out of the slag then rose to its knees and finally stood upright.  The flesh was regenerating rapidly.  Before she could fully turn her massive body (slowed due to the hip injury) the green ogre was attacking her again.  The next two punches caused internal injuries and uncontrolled defecation.  After a rude comment, the beast leaped onto her back and used pieces of its own skin armor to cut and gouge into her body.  

Fyrofistus died by having her horn torn free and forced back point first into her brain.

“Dragonman gave me more sport.” Spat out the displeased humanoid.

=clap clap clap clap=

“Well done Banner.  Well done indeed.”

“DO-NOT-CALL-ME-THAT” snarled the green hulk with clenched teeth. He raised his clenched fist then thought twice of it and acted to scratch at an irritation.

“You really need to control that temper of yours.” Answered the gaunt figure at the cavern opening.  Its red and black robes shifted in and out of the deep shadows giving an appearance of being incorporal.  Its yellow “eyes” however burned brightly through the dark shadows.  It moved forward to inspect the carnage caused by the brief battle.  Without really looking at the dead dragon, it nodded its head in approval.  “Do you feel better?”

“Good enough that a cooler of drink and a harem would cover me for a while.” The lecherous creature answered.

“You do not have the time.  I need to concentrate on a project for the next several days but need something done first.  Something you are perfect for.”  His cold stare burrows into the Maestro’s eyes.

“I am not your errand boy.  Go send the scared freak- Boc.  I’m sure he will do.”

“You are perfect for this and I’m quite sure you will want to do it.”

His greenish-black eyes challenge the yellow stare.  A look of concentration is on his face.  He is controlling his temper.  “Perfect for what?”

“To kill the Champions of Infiniti…..her Strikeforce Morituri that escaped you…twice.”


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## megamania (Mar 11, 2004)

Look_a_Unicorn said:
			
		

> Missed it completely! 75 hours- Ouch! I do NOT envy you that at all. What field are you involved in that requires such insane dedication? (from my lazy-arse point of view at least)
> I've got no diea where Vermont is, I assume it's the US somewhere. That's the problem with us Australians, 89% of us are unaware there are countries outside our own borders
> 
> Keep up the good work! Now knowing of your 75+ hours I'll jockey less for updates




40-48 hours at a plastics factory and 32-38 hours at a store.   This is just to pay the monthly bills.  As for Vermont's location-  I kid you not-  I have met Americans that didn't relieze Vermont was a state.  They thought it was part of New York (thus my sarcastic location under my user name).

Don't apoligize for asking for updates...I like knowing folks are reading the story and wait impatiently for more.  Speaking of which-  I am cranking up the challenge level for the team.  Hope you like how it ends.  Very proper for Ravenloft.


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## megamania (Mar 11, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 044
“Prepare for the Worse”

From the time it was decided to hunt and destroy the Jaws of Sorrow to leaving on a craft designed for warfare in rough waters, the Champions of Infiniti all tried to prepare as best as they could for the up coming battle.

The Captain researched sailing, ship use and sharks.  He spoke to everyone from sailors to bar maidens that often heard things that they kept in memory.  He still needed to sort out fact from myth but felt he could by sorting out by whatever he learned.  What he learned was not good.  This creature could out-race any ship on this world.  It was said to be undead and resistant to magic.   He was to lead the fourth group thinking they could defeat the creature.  The other three were shark / sea creature specialists.

This was going to be bloody…damn bloody.  Even worse than Normandy considering there were possible monstrous sea humanoids involved and shape shifting men.  The moon was to be full soon which seemed ominous. 

Vander sold a few goods he had for small gems.  He then spent time psionically treating these gems.  These gems could explode and cause a great deal of damage.  He also spent time working on his armor and weapons.  He refused to consider wearing something lighter.  He felt little concern for drowning in his armor since he could create a buoy effect on his armor.  Much to the humor then the amazement of the locals, he purposely trained in the water experimenting on turning his mental powers on and off.  He knew there would be times to float on the surface and times to sink underwater to reach the shark.

This was going to be bloody…very bloody.  Not worse than any battle he was in but he knew he could not prepare for every event or possibility.  As a seasoned warrior and professional mercenary and survivor, he knew the signs and sensed the dangers.

Christina spent time with the local clerics preparing powerful healing potions and scrolls.  She thought about the nature of the creature.  Her detection spells did not offer the range to give proper warning.  Even as she could sense the beast it would be on them.  She knew her role was support.  Healing, augmentation and the control of the environment were the spells she felt she needed.  She also made sure she had key components for regeneration and if needed resurrection.

This was going to be bloody…very bloody.  They were completely out of their element against something that may very well be a part of this dark and twisted world.  If this was so, they may not be able to escape it this time.

Jean the Storm Wielder spent time thinking about her own shark lore and how her spells over weather and water could be most helpful.  She worked with a local sea mage to create scrolls that would help her and the team.  She did not want a repeat of the last time they faced the beast.  They escaped purely by luck.

This was going to be bloody…very bloody.  Her spells were somehow less effective against it than other creatures.  This may be a battle of physical attacks- not magical.  She hated such barbaric tactics.  She feared someone would die.

Jim Addards prepared mainly by napping in a hammock on the Governor’s land.  Though it looked like he was doing nothing, he was in truth trying to use his greatest weapon.  His mind.  His actions seemed chaotic and without method often but in truth it was not.  His mind processed information quickly drawing on references to texts, experimentation and field experience.  Some thought he was psychotic.  He just always thought outside of the box.  There was no such thing as “can’t” or “impossible”.  It was not in his vocabulary except when describing others.  

This was going to be bloody…very bloody.  He has seen shark attacks before.  The creatures were nature’s greatest killing machines…especially in water.  He also knew the creatures were not as dumb as some believed them to be.  They showed limited thinking and problem solving ability.  This one showed this already.  He really wanted access to the USS Wisconsin for its size and weapons known and secret.

The Sahuagin learned more about their targets.  These champions were easily the most dangerous things they had faced with the exception of the Great One ...the Shark God.  This 80-foot long creature, though undead, was truly a horror to the surface dwellers.  They agreed on a few possible strategies.  Most included luring the Champions into the water.

This was going to be bloody…very bloody.    And of course this was good.

It swam in the deep with mixed thoughts in its undead brain.  It wanted to hunt the metal man but it was compelled to search for a ship loaded with silver by its creator.  The creator always wanted it to destroy a ship with flashy metal coins and gems.  The Shark men then collected the stuff on the sea bottom.  Why?  It didn’t care.  The green sharkmen ate most of the drowned people.  It wanted to but was told not to.  Instead it fed on Dragon Turtles and whales.  Now it wanted to feed on the Metal Man.

This was going to be bloody…very bloody.  The Metal Man was going to be swallowed whole and made into undead.

The light was bright and a cold breeze alerted him that he had entered the new reality.  Even as the Maestro cleared the portal onto an island he felt something.  Something stirred within him.  Something or someone was reading his mind and his body.  He would destroy it once he found it…and after he destroyed the Champions of Infiniti.  He was told to travel south and use the mage finder device to locate Storm Wielder.  With this device, he could find the Champions so long as he was within 500 miles.  Luck was with him.  The small arrow spun then locked onto a direction.  The mage would die at his hands.

This was going to be bloody…very bloody.  He knew it since deep down he knew he was nearly killed the last time they faced.  Also, he could not describe it clearly, but he felt like the world was his.  It was inviting him to rampage ...to kill …to destroy.

The Maestro smiled a smile of evil and hate.


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## megamania (Mar 14, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 045
“Captain Malbane and the Dragon Maw”

It was the second day sailing the Sea of Sorrow.  The great ship Dragon Maw was the greatest pirate hunting ship that could be hired by merchants or townships.  This is not to say it was inexpensive.  It most certainly was not.  However, Captain Malbane could be bought and was not associated with any one state.  This meant he called the shots and the price.  Since this was involving the Jaws of Sorrow, it was not cheap.  Far from it.

Captain Malbane was generally a good man but his one hubris was money.  He grew up not having it and swore never to be poor again.  Sometimes this lead to problems.  It has been rumored that pirates can pay him off.  There is no evidence of this but perception of truth is generally greater than any possible truth.  In this way, the very pirates he often sought respected him.  This is not to say he didn’t need to watch his back whenever at port.  No, a pirate is a pirate after all. Honor among thieves does not include pirates.

The Captain’s crew was handpicked seamen.  They are all fiercely loyal to him and most would die for him.  They are among the best crew that sails the waters.  Most all of them have skeletons in their closets that they run from.  There are a few known murderers on board.  Of course- they are innocent and thus wrongly accused.  Others are sons of merchants and one is rumored to be a prince.  The source of their respect of the Captain is how forgiving he is.  He looks at the man inside …not the titles given.

His first mate is perhaps the oddest one there.  Some feel he is a water genasi in disguise.  He is a small lithe man whom is always seen tapping his foot or fingers.  This tapping is not due to impatience as most feel it would be.  Those that listen and think about the tapping relieve there is a pattern to it.  Some think he is communicating with whales or dolphins, others think he is playing out an old magical tune.  No one dares to ask.  When there is a problem on board, it is usually the first mate that deals with it.  He is the ship’s enforcer.  His name is Suss Orh (the sound made when listening to a large conch shell).  Most call him Sushy which he takes no displeasure in.

The ship arrived on time.  The Captain was expecting arrogant and stuffy champions loaded with magic.  The first person on board was a noble warrior carrying a large strange shield.  He introduced himself as The Captain.  He was thankful for the help.  Malbane immediately began to wonder what secrets he had that he was running from.  The next person on board was possibly their henchman.  He introduced himself as Lt. Jim Addards.  He wore strange clothes that were torn as if smoke power was used on them.  His chest piece was the strangest.  It was stiff like boiled leather but appeared lighter and stronger.  He had a yellow button on it with what appeared to be a happy face.  This was no warrior- he was a jester.  Two women followed by a cat came next.  One wore armor and a holy symbol that looked like two tears falling from each other (symbol for infinity) and the other was a beauty from foreign shores.  Her skin was darker than a deep tan and her hair at times seemed black then seemed white depending on the sun.  It was shiny.  The final one was the closest to what he expected.  His name was Vander.  He wore heavy strange armor and a heavy sword.  He was no seaman.

With everyone aboard, the ship set out.  Day one was quiet.  There was little interaction between the crew and the strangers.  The second day proved to be the same.  The only change was the weather.  Clouds were heavy and low.  A bad storm was coming.  Captain Malbane began for a harbor when the first sighting happened.  The Jaws of Sorrow was following them!


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Mar 22, 2004)

I know patience is a virtue and all, but I'm seriously hanging out to find out what happens when a party is forced to fight a pitched aquatic battle.. .especially as the Jaws can smash their ship to kindling in seconds!

So yeah, no pressure


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## megamania (Mar 26, 2004)

Coming soon.


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## megamania (Mar 26, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 046
“Jaw vs. Maw”

The waves began to rise and the crests became a brighter white. The Dragon Maw rose and fell between swells.  This storm was in the shark’s favor, not the Champions or the crew.  Still, the large unnatural creature followed slowly and out to the side.  It would disappear between waves but remained on the surface.  It was playing with them …terrorizing them.  Or was it?  The two Captains would not rule off the other factor.  Sahuagin.  Could it be waiting for them?  Would it wait for them?

Jean was ready to attack from the air but had not yet.  She was waiting for the word.  

The storm became stronger as the winds increased.  Still the undead monster merely followed the ship.  It was clearly waiting for something.  But what and more importantly…when?

Then the crew lost track of it.  Two minutes went by.  Then five minutes.  At ten the crew wondered if the creature gave up.  The Champions suspected otherwise.  Megamania caught himself humming rock songs to himself.

Fatal strikes
We lie on the wild side
No escape
Murder rape
Doing time on the wild side
A baby cries
A cop dies
A day’s pay on the wild side
Wild side, wild side
Tragic life on the wild side
Wild side, wild side
Kickin’ ass on the wild side

© Motley Crue
Girls, girls, girls
1987

Once he caught himself doing it he stopped.  He feared he was cracking under the strain.  This was a bad idea from the very beginning.  The self-righteous Captain had went got him killed …a second time!

“Jim- go into the crow’s nest and see what you can.” Demanded as much asked The Captain.  

Jim climbed up carefully.  He pulled off his face mask part way just in case he got sick.  The pitching of the ship made the nest sway several dozen feet.  Now he was convinced the Captain truly wanted him dead and to suffer a bit first.

After reaching the top he looked long and hard.  The heavy rain made it hard to see.  Then the lightning began again.  Even though his equipment was nylon plastics Jim was certain he would get zapped before long.  He wondered if he could absorb normal lightning as well as magical.  He didn’t want to find out just now.  Then he saw it.  The creature was on the surface several swells away.  It turned his way and slowly rose and fell with the waves towards the Dragon Maw.

“HERE HE COMES!!!!”  Screamed Megamania pulling out his energy pistol.

The ship’s crew braced for the worst.  They couldn’t even try to swing the ship around.  To do so would lead to it being overturned in a wave.  The crew saw it coming now as the lightning flashed.  Christina and the Champions could hear the crew scream at it.  No wait-  they are screaming.  Christina looked over her shoulder and saw the cause- Sahuagin!  Their tridents already killed three men.  Men that were securing lines keeping the ship steady in the storm.

“SAHUAGIN!” Screams Christina.  She tries to approach them but finds her armor counters her attempts as keeping balance.  “Damn this world!”

The Captain lets fly his shield.  It strikes several Sahuagin and throws them back into the raging waters.  Jean is both morbidly transfixed and disgusted as its brothers in a blood rage attack the near dead creatures.  She takes to the sky as planned by the winds and hard driving rain fight her boots of flying.  It is as if the very world is against them.  The creature has submerged having done its job of drawing attention away from the sahuagin’s first attack.

Vander steps to Christina.  “Do it.”  He says in a grim voice.

“Do it?”

“Magic.”  His stare never leaves the Sahuagin.  “Make me breathe in the water.”

Knowing this is hard for him as it is, Christina quickly gives him a potion supplied by the governor.  Without guessing if it worked, Vander charges straight ahead at the Sahuagin.  He crashes through the rail taking several creatures with him.  His scream can not be heard over the howl of the wind.

“VANDER!”  The Captain yells.  He feared Vander would do this.  For a professional mercenary, Vander is nearly as much of a wild cannon as Megamania.  Nearly as much.

Lightning narrowly misses Megamania and instead strikes an iron tipped mast support.  The sail erupts into flames and a rope and beam swing violently out of control.  It slices a sahuagin and its just dead crewman in two before bouncing off of the Captains readied shield.  The effort throws him dangerously near to going over board.

Megamania looks again for the shark and sees it.  Along with a man swimming next to it.

HUH!?!?!

He wipes his lenses free of water and stares again.  There is a man out there with him.  The man is holding up his fist at the creature.  Now why would a man be out here much less doing that?  An instinct rides over Megamania that he acts on without thought.  He leaps out of the crow’s nest and tucks his weapon into his belt under his vest just in time to reach the waters below.  Fortunately, the sahuagin are very busy with Vander.  He hopes the gun is still as water proofed as ever and begins to fire under the waves.  Even here, he rises and falls in short dips.  After taking out a few, he turns hoping he has not outlasted his luck.  He swims towards the man…and the shark.

Jean has pelted three lightning bolts into the Jaws of Sorrow.  It just sits there and takes it.  Suddenly a green colored bead of light rises from the dark waters next to him.  The fiery explosion of magic flame bursts above her.  She easily has avoided it but her clothes and hair are singed and her arm is in bad shape.  She begins to fly in irregular circles around the creature.  There is a mage here somewhere.  She thinks of a rarely used spell she knows.  It stops magic on a limited level.  Not very weather related but required when one is well known for weather specialization.  She stops and opens her arms after finishing her last words to her spell and purple bubbles appear and surround her.  Another fireball spell is released.   The green bead strikes three bubbles and an audible pop is heard …with no explosion.  15 more bubbles protect her as she prepares to strike again.

Sushi and The Captain are doing well holding the sahuagin at bay.  Christina does all she can to aid and heal the crew whom was defeated by the creatures.  The Captain takes a critical hit from a four-armed beast that then threatens to throw him over board.  Christina, half way through a healing spell, drops to her knees and finishes the spell.  A wave of positive energy sweeps out from her and touches the dozen or more wounded crewmen and Sushi.  The Captain’s eyes snap open as the energy waves over him.  The Sahuagin had no idea what hit him as the shield swings down and critically severs his head nearly in two.
“Thankyou Priestess of Infiniti” Sushi says as he kicks another creature off the rail.

Then it happens.

The Jaws of Sorrow attacks!

The creature strikes the burning ship at the height of a wave making the ship go airborne.  It crashes heavily in the waters.  Cannon balls and ballista break free and toss across the deck followed by a rush of water.  Many crewmen are swept over the rail.  The Captain hold son but can not catch Christina or Sushi as they are carried over board.  In a near panic, Christina fumbles for a potion as she begins to sink.  It is very difficult for her to swallow when submerged but does so.  She can see the dark shape that is Jaws slowing down and turning to make another attack.  

Pushing through a red mist polluted with body parts comes Vander.  He complete concentration is on the creature.  Somehow he knows it comes down to the two of them.  Christina holds his arm for a moment and begins to caste spells to protect and enhance him but the creature strikes!

Vander slashes the shark. Christina is too shaken to act.  The six inch jagged teeth scrape and squeal on Vander’s back then come down on his leg.  Vander screams then feels himself pull free …without his right leg.  Christina’s armor is crushed on the teeth and she feels ribs pop and internal bleeding as it bites down.   Terrified- she takes no action unlike Vander whom begins to strike in a fever pitch.  The beast swallows him, Christina and chucks of its own mouth in one long greedy gulp.

“JEAN!   HELP PUT OUT THIS FIRE!” Yells the Captain.  He is unaware that she is in a mage duel.  The fire has spread despite the heavy rains.  The ship is crippled but not yet defeated.  No sahuagin have attacked now in the past five minutes.  The Captain figures that Vander has done his job.  He hasn’t seen Megamania and fears the worse.  Sushi, the first mate, begins to call out orders.  The captain of the Dragon’s Maw appears to have been killed.

Megamania swims through the waves thinking about the Navy Seal training he should have done.  He swims past several bodies.  Bodies of crewmembers killed but not yet eaten by the sahuagin littered the sea. Not paying attention to it, Megamania continued on.  There was a mystery ahead and he planned on taking care of it.  

Once he cleared the section of bodies, one figure opened its eyes.  A cruel smile developed and it uprights itself.  The crewman’s features shifted from pale white to blue.  The hair lengthened and became dark.  Jarella the doppelganger assassin was there!

Christina was concentrating immediately on a quick healing spell for first herself then for Vander …poor, poor, poor Vander.  Her pain was less distracting than his bellows of rage and pain as the stomach acids ate at his cleaved foot.  Seawater, acid and tears streamed down his face in torrents.  One tooth broke under the pressure of his clench when something struck his open wound.  Even as she felt a lung expand in her chest and a rib painfully wiggle back she noticed something.  There was a method to his rage.  His wild thrashing and attacks were carving out huge chunks of undead flesh.  He was cutting the creature open from the inside.  He was going to win!

Jim was spotted by the mage when he was about ten feet away.  The mage was about to do something to Jean when Jim reached him.  He slugged him several times.  The blows did little with no leverage behind them but the spell fizzled anyway.  Jim grabbed his wrists hoping to overpower the man and drive him under and drown him.  The mage’s hand glowed and suddenly Jim felt himself being pushed away.  No …not pushed away …lifted away.  He looked down and messed himself.

The Jaws of Sorrow had swam under him and now tried to push him away from the mage.  Jim quickly let go and began to wonder why the attack was not more lethal until he saw the backside of the beast.  Entire pieces were missing!  Something was tearing it up from the inside out!  “VANDER!”  With that, a glowing falchion erupts up and through the armored plate of the head narrowly missing Megamania.  The creature falters.  Megamania turns to the mage and sees something truly horrifying.  The Mage’s ring glowed and was pointed at the undead shark.  The chunks of cut free flesh began to nit together!  The ring was healing the creature!  Screaming in rage, Megamania leaped from the shark and at the mage.

Vander and Christina climbed out of a hole even as it was closing.  Vander was still without his foot from mid-shin down and required her aid to stumble along.  He dropped to his knees and began stabbing at it with his falchion.  The body trembled as his psionic gems exploded in it’s gut causing more damage.   Still, it healed as commanded by the mage.  Once Christina realized this she suddenly knew the horrifying truth.  This mage held the very ring they were sent to get.  He was using its powers over the undead to control and heal this creature.  

“JIM!  The ring!  Get the ring!”

Jim had him in a strangle hold trying to push him under the water but the mage was a much better swimmer than he was.  And strong!  Jim reached for it and grasped the ring to break the mage’s fingers or anything to stop his use of it.  Instead he felt glorious.  It began as warmth, then feeling light then he glowed.  He was absorbing the ring’s magic!  The mage looked in horror now.  Jim was controlling the ring …not him.  This foolish man was taking his power away!

The burning continued and suddenly the mage’s hand seemed to melt in Jim’s own.  The ring fell free and hit the water.  The man screamed then turned with bitter hatred towards Jim.  His eyes became black and his teeth folded back onto themselves.  Jagged serrated teeth rose in their place.  The f***er was becoming a shark screamed Jim.  And indeed, he was.  A ten-foot long shark with a damaged fin.  Jim struck out at it even as he attacked.  The explosion killed the man-shark instantly but Jim had a shark bite across his thigh that was bleeding profusely.

The Jaws of Sorrow seemed to break apart and then turned over and sank …piece by piece into the ravaged waters.  Dead …again.

Below, a blue skinned humanoid with fins caught the ring.  She knew its power would return.  She had won.  She activated her magical device and left the Plane of Dread behind her in a series of bubbles.

Nearby, a hulking figure kept swimming south.  The magical device pointing him onward.  He was so close, he could almost smell her sweetness.  He grinned a smile that none should ever have to see.

The storm seemed to quiet a bit but did not leave.  Jean figured they were in the eye of the storm now.  It would get bad again in a few minutes.

Never has anyone ever understated something like this before.


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## megamania (Mar 27, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 047
“The Power of Faith”    

The world was red.

“Hold him down!” hollered Christina to the Jim and The Captain.  Vander snarled like a wild beast as she tried to look at the bloody stub that was his right foot.  The Jaws of Sorrow had bitten it off at mid-shin.  It had quickly become infected with the digestive juices and the bloodied churned up waters filled with dead sailors and sahuagin.

“In your great wisdom and guidance…” began Christina while grasping her holy symbol….”May you grant me the ability to make this man whole and healthy.” She continued.

The world was red.

Narrrgh    get off of me! Snarled Vander at his seen demons and tormentors.  He saw not his friends.  Instead he saw two mutated and heavily scarred orcs holding each of his arms.  A succubus chanted and purred at his feet while a disfigured ½ orc named Ten Bites stood over him.  She promised more torment once the succubus and the “fellas” were done with him.  Unable to gain freedom, he finally succumbed to his inner self.  His eyes went blank and emotionless.

“Goddess!  He is going into shock!” exclaimed Jean leaning over him.

“Ugh!  Damned freak is passing out from the pain!  Don’t let go Cap!” strained Jim holding the still stiff arm in place.

The Captain never did since the deadly falchion was held within the very hand before him.  

“Weave his fate-line oh great mistress of the realities.  Nit and wield his body, mind and soul” continued Christina with great concentration.  The bleeding had at last stopped and the swelling seemed to subside.  

“How much longer?” demanded Jim in complete aspiration.

“Weave…Nit…. Make whole….”

The bone seemed to lose its sharp edge first.  Then it began to grow.  Pulsing energy washed over his body.  It originated from her holy symbol of Infiniti, the Goddess of the Realities.  Smaller beads of white spread from the completed two bones of his shin.

Jim threw up instantly.

Yellow fat tissues and reddish pink muscles began to grow next.  Arteries spread out like a red pulsing web of life.  These ended as capillaries at the toes.  New lines of the web grew back up the leg as veins.  These reconnected to the existing veins.  The tissue built up further then skin began to stretch and mold.  Jim had a dry heave but kept a weak hold on the stiff arm of Vander.  Finally hair and nails grew back.  The nails were in need of work but intact.  Completely exhausted, Christina slumped down and finally passed out herself at his feet.  Jean carefully rolled her limp body off of Vander and to the side being careful of the wet floor.

Looking at each other in both fear and preparation, The Captain and Megamania loosened their grip on Vander’s arms.  They hung off the deck for about 10 seconds before falling to the wood floor.  His falchion bouncing away from his grasp.  Still with a blank look, Vander fingered for his lost extension of himself.  The Captain carefully nudged the weapon to his hand.  Once he grasped it he lay very still and quiet.

Jim went and washed up.  Now he was convinced he had seen everything there was to ever see.  Later, he would recall those false words.

Sushi, the first mate now captain of the Dragon’s Maw, began to call out orders to the few survivors he had left.  He advised someone should take Christina and Vander below deck.  The others were to work with the crew.  The eye was nearly passed.  The storm’s high winds would begin again along with its lightning.

It was Jim whom saw it first.  It was always him whom saw things first.  The storm seemed to be making way for something.  Something coming at them.  Though the storm parted for it, the darkness seemed more complete and thorough.  Then he saw why.

“oh …sh**…. How the hell…how the f***ing hell…?!?!?”

Fearing the undead shark had returned, the Captain rushed to Jim’s side.  Instead he saw the hulking beast known as… Brute Master.  

They had faced this incredibly and unnaturally strong creature once before.  It nearly killed the Captain and Vander with its bare hands.  But that was on another world…another reality.  What was it doing here?   And now?   WHY NOW?!?


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## megamania (Mar 27, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 048
“The Power of Ravenloft”

Jean hit him with two Lightning bolts…the last she had.  He shrugged it off cursing at her.  A ballista struck his shoulder nearly taking his arm off.  He pulled it free and with new vigor, paddled onward to the ship.   He was becoming stronger somehow!

“See if Vander or Christina are awake.  We’ll need them.” Called out the Captain to a crewmember.  His voice involved no argument.  

“What manner of creature…?” stammered the shocked Sushi.  “If one is measured by the foes one has, you are amongst the mightiest and most powerful persons on the seas!”

The hulking beast master continued to swim directly at the weakened ship.  Then the water current changed.  At first no one noticed.  Then the Maestro slows down.  The waters were beginning a high swirl.  Unbothered by the sudden watery sinkhole, he struck the ship.  Wooden blanks burst and shattered.  Water came in quickly.

=stop this you hulking monster of destruction=

“Not now!” snarled the greenish grey brute.  Then he stopped.   “Banner?”

A bolt of lightning,   blackish purple lightning comes in from high and drives through the creature.  To the others, he is stunned.  To him, he feels like he is being torn apart.  The waters begin to pick up speed and the watery funnel becomes apparent to those on board the Dragon’s Maw.  A crewman falls off the edge but is grabbed by the Captain before falling over completely.

The ship is traveling very quickly and on a steep 45-degree angle.  The beast below is caught in the center…stunned and seemly talking to himself.

The ship seems to be escaping him now.  He snaps out of it and howls with rage at the ship and the Champions of Infiniti on board.  A green pulsing light forms in a ring surrounding the whirlpool.  As the ship touches the light it is repulsed and the ship is held fast.  More planks break under the strain.

“Not good” is all Jim aka Megamania can say.  He opens fire on the beast.  The shots cause minor damage.  “Not f***ing good”.

“It’s the Dark Lords Captain.  The Dread Plane wants him and will take him.  As such, we can become trapped with him.” Says Christina weakly from the stairway.  “His evil is fueling the storm …his unique psyche is reforming the land and environment.”

“What do you mean?”

The forces that regulate this reality- they are devoid of the imagination needed to expand their evil.  They need others to expand on it.  Evil others.  Somehow, perhaps through them, the Beast Master has arrived here to combat us.  The very land is fueling his evil and hate.  But at the same token, he will reshape this area into his own personal hell.  That, which makes him evil, will become his prison.  He will be the ultimate gate keeper- he can trap us here forever if he so wishes.  We need to leave- NOW.  Now before he understands his powers and their limits.”

“What should we do?  I understand nothing of this.”  The Captain is fearful and stressed.  This is a battle he senses he may be unable to battle.


“We lost the artifact.  An agent of the gaunt man gathered it while we fought the shark.  Our mission is a failure.  We have no reason to remain.  We need to get together and leave.” She says waving for everyone to join her with the still unconscience Vander below deck.

A few moments later, even as ground begins to form under his massive body, the Champions once more escape the Brute Master.  With them gone, the ship tosses itself free of his will and escapes him also.  In a rage, he goes after the ship.  As he reaches the green rings of energy his body begins to shrink and lighten in color.  “NOOOOO!   Not Banner!”  He swims back to the sandy dry land in fright.  NOOOOOO!

Thus a new Dread Lord is created.  A brute of incredible strength.  Cursed to remain within his desert.  If he ever tries to leave, he must become a puny skinny normal man.  A weak man.  Heroes will rise within the desert.  A young bard known only as Jonz with his wife and possible Vistanti- Marlo.  A woman known only as Betty whom can do no direct harm to him and vice versa.  

Welcome to Ravenloft.


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Mar 28, 2004)

Awesome updates!
I particularly like the Brute Master's fate- trapped because he fears to lose his powers.
I feel a bit sorry for the Jaws though... he stops by the buffet for a snack & the snack tears him apart from the inside... damn beligerent food!


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Apr 14, 2004)

Just wandered by in hopes of an update. I should warn you megamania- reality is totally overrated


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## megamania (Apr 14, 2004)

Sorry.  I'm experienceing aa major case of writers block.  I've written and erased the intro to the third mission three times thus far and I'm still not happy with it.  

There is also a lot of prep work for this one as there will be well over twenty 10+ levels NPCs to create along with the special nature of the reality / world they are going to next.  

Its a Dnd/X-crawl/Modern D20 combo.  Once it gets started it should be fun.


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## megamania (Apr 18, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 049
“The World Below”

The Champions of Infiniti were hardly back before they were told where the next artifact was hidden.  The urgency of locating the five artifacts became more important now that highly skilled agents of the Tattooed Man were apparent.  

The heroes were given four days to rest and recoup while reading about their next world they needed to go to.  It was another dark world.  

The heroes were being sent to Carkartus. 

Carkartus  …The World Below.

The World Below was a place of greed and deeds best not spoken of.  Life was cheap.

The true origins of Carkartus have been lost.  Some say it once was an utopian society that was beset by demons or barbarians.  Others say it was settled by demons from the very beginning.  Even another theory suggests a god of crime and evil created it.  What is clear is what Carkartus is now.

There are two sections of the city ruins known as Carkartus.  The upper section is the newer section that is referred to as Carkartus.  Crime and things done normally in the shadows are rampant here.  Everything is for sale here.  Life is cheap.  The other section is referred to as The World Below.  This large section fell into a crevasse in ancient times.  Much of it survived intact.  Carkartus surrounds this sunken area.

In the beginning, this area was beset by demons and things that lived in the deep earth.  It was thought to be cursed by the gods.  Later it was.

For the past two hundred years it has been slowly corrupted into a place of entertainment.  It began as a place to punish those guilty of crimes major and minor.  Later, it became a place of deadly contest.  Planar travelers magically allowed viewing of these “games” for a fee payable only by the rich.  The greatest place of monetary awards came from the betting pits.  

After several hundred years of tweaking and specializing “The World Below”, the events have a planar recognition on level with the outer planes.  Some worlds have even banned the viewing crystals from existing on their plane.  Needless to mention, it is very hard to uphold this law where it is in place.

However, “ratings” are down and profits are wavering.  There is pressure on the DMs (Dungeon Masters) to attract new viewers.  Special Orc vs Elf matches were tried.  Fiends vs Celetrals were tried.  Viewing is still down.  

Unknown to any of them, several powerful artifacts is hidden within the ruins.  Included is the Staff of Destruction once owned by the Tattooed Man.

Each of the heroes has thoughts or insights on the evil place.  Megamania refers to it as being brilliant.  Sarcasm or truth is always hard to say with rogue from the future.  The Captain remembers pit fighters from his service days.  He never expected something of this scale.  Vander is not impressed.  He has been on the Chaos plane of Acheron.  The entire plane is a gladiator match.  Jean is saddened that life could ever be considered so cheap and expendable.  Christina and her mothers take it all in stride.  It is yet another plane twisted by greed and lust.  So much like many other planes they have visited before.


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Apr 22, 2004)

megamania said:
			
		

> Sorry.  I'm experiencing a major case of writers block.  I've written and erased the intro to the third mission three times thus far and I'm still not happy with it.
> 
> 
> > The intro gives a pretty thorough impression of what kind of place they're getting into. It reads fairly easily- except for one paragraph that does not flow as your writing normally does:
> ...


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## ledded (Apr 22, 2004)

Niiiiice.

I like this story hour.  Very good work you are doing here with quite an interesting concept.  Consider this bad boy subscribed to.


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## megamania (Apr 25, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 050
“DM Nomadis”

The sun was beginning to burn through the clouds when he awoke.  His head ached and the nightmares were still vivid in his mind.  He would write them down later for theme ideas …later …much later.  His gaunt and sickly body shook visibly as he fumbled for the correct potion to drink.  He had several he took daily.  Everyone needed a vice.  He had several.

The liquid burned going down his dry throat.  Once he was human.  Once before meeting the creature …the evil …named Nebrisflaxonfean.  Today he is uncertain what to consider himself.  Alive? Dead? Undead?  Maybe even a new type of existence.  He was beginning to feel the warmth of the drug in his stomach when the first of three females began to awake.  He was uncertain what her name was.  Perhaps Darla.  She was not a pure human.  There was some elf or fey in her bloodline.  He could smell and taste it within her the prior night.  The others were human.  They didn’t survive the night.  What started as sex became so much more.  Such was the life of a ghoul-like creature cursed by fiends.

Nomadis had to drink these potions twice a day to live the life he did.  One to survive in daylight.  One to gain substance without consuming a person if so he chose.  These two potions gave the fiends hold over him and his creative but twisted mind.

Nomadis was a DM on Carkartus.  The proper term was Dungeon Master.  He thought Death Manager was more accurate.  Once a week he and several other charismatic and creative persons would watch, comment and dictate the games of “The World Below”.  They created themes and events for these money making arena games.  Themes were based on race, belief or ability generally.  Creatures, teams and traps were placed within the ancient ruins weekly.  He and his co-workers then worked as announcers and gave creative and colorful commentary to entertain the rich and depraved.

This week was going to be awesome.  They had teams from various planes of expert levels competing.  The traps placed in the ruins were unlike any seen elsewhere.  It was going to be good.  Better-  it was going to be awesome.  It had too …Nebris would kill him slowly if the rating didn’t change.

There were Orcs, Drow, Humans and even a team of large ½ giant type creatures.  6 teams total.  The current champions- The Black Sun.  They consisted of undead and undead worshippers.  The new favorites were lead by a paladin.  Nomadis hoped to create a good deal of tension by placing these two teams of opposites close to each other on the grid but not so close that they go into immediate battle.

He smiled to himself.  It was going to be a good game.  He just knew it.


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## megamania (Apr 25, 2004)

Thankyou for the critique.  Its something I ask for but never (at least rarely) get.  That (the fifth one) was sent if only to move on.  I knew it was still rough but I really needed to move on.

Welcome ledded.  I hope to entertain while telling a story and it appears I am doing that.

Back to finishing the character sheet for "Squint".  He is a Dromite Elocater that will be a member of a team competing in the game of "The World Below".


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## megamania (May 2, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT:  051
“Pre-show Game Event”

DM Nomadis, DM Furi and DM Blackblood each took their stations.  

DM Furi , a beholder, hovered into place and allowed the assistants to place the Crown of Awareness on its large round scaled body it had for a head.  This magical and psionic artifact allowed it to be aware and manipulate the events within The World Below.  It savored these moments.  The anticipation was great.  It was better than any drug or act of evil it had ever committed.  The best part-  it was heralded as a creature of greatness while doing this.

DM Blackblood, a ½ fiend mutant, quietly took his position.  He lets out his breathe slowly that it held for the past minute without even knowing it.  Once it sucked in fresh air he nodded to the assistants whom placed a headpiece similar to the Crown of Awareness.  This Crown of Revenge allowed him to communicate with The World Below and activate specialized traps and holdings.  An eerie and malign smile creased its face as the awareness and sensations came slowly of what was within.

DM Nomadis paced a bit.  The energy he felt was great.  He knew something unique would come from today’s show.  Deep down he just knew it.  With a short but loud “Ready” that escapes from his mouth, he settles down to have the assistants place his Crown of Attention onto his head.  This artifact allowed him to share the senses with the other two crowns and to communicate with the viewing crystals.  

All that remained was the fourth and empty seat.  DM Shelly was always late.  But still, one could set a clock on when she would appear.  The Mind Flayer would port in, blood still on it’s tentacles from a last moment snack and wait impatiently for the assistants to place a Crown of Sensation on her soft and cold head.  With this crown, she could sense the emotions of any within The World Below.

The warrior teams had long since been gathered and waited for the event to begin.  It was difficult for the Security force to keep some apart from each other.  Feuds often occurred in the taverns and bathhouses in the city of Carkartus.  The paladin and fiends had already had two confrontations.  The orcs tried to tempt the elves into conflict.  Their elven was poor, but the elves understood the racial and sexual insults.

DM Nomadis decided it was time to begin the pre-show and present the first surprise of the event.  With a nod or glare from each DM, it began.  The assistants scurried off as the crowns powered up to the fullest level.  The surprises held within became to reveal their locations and temperament.  Traps were primed and holding cells unlocked their primary safety-locks alerting those held within to be alert.

The World Below calls out
The World Below calls within
The World Below calls to you

Welcome to The World Below

DM Nomadis begins-   
“Welcome to our latest and greatest event yet …of The World Below.  Today we will witness the fighting and casting abilities of such great racial rivals as the Blackstone Orcs and the Greenleaf Elves.  We will see the violent play of good vs evil as the Paladin of Heironeous and the Warriors of Bane dance a dance of death!  But what else?  What else?  We have these teams also-  Team: Athas.  Trained as gladiators for all of their lives and they have the scars to prove it!  Who else?  Who else?  We have the survivors of last year’s Grand Melee Team: The Fatal Five!”

Images of DM Nomadis and the other DMs disappear and are replaced by images of the Fatal Five. Fiends!

DM Nomadis pauses and gives a knowing smile to his co-DMs.  

“The rules are simple.  The last surviving team leaves.  They leave with anything they have found within The World Below.  This includes weapons, gold, trophies and even magical and psionic artifacts.  As always- we have the Hounds.”  He pauses again for effect.

“The hounds are back viewers!  The greatest warriors and survivors of The World Below whom choose to stay behind to become a Hound.  Hounds are warriors that hunt the teams and look to remove them from the event.  They gain riches and rewards for each individual and team removed.”

Images of a ½ Ogress tearing a male human cleric in two appear.  Another image of a drow cleric flaying a goblin mage alive and another image of a ½ dragon barbarian tearing into a team of elven archers caught unaware begin to swirl and stack.  DM Nomadis can almost taste the excitement brewing outside.

Outside, fans and members of Carkartus stand tightly together looking at each of the starting points of teams and hounds in hopes of seeing their favorites.  

“LET THE WORLD BELOW BEGIN!”

Large heavy iron gates begin to lift that allow team members to enter the ruins.  An energy grid is activated that blankets the ruins to limit the advantage of flight.  This grid is similar to the city protections used by some elven societies.  

The teams and Hounds enter the ruins under the thunderous roar of praise and approval and the gates close again.

“So now, let us-“  DM Nomadis is interrupted abruptly by DM Shelly whom snarls.  “There is a planar disturbance ripping into the audience!”

The wretched refuge of Carkartus leap and trample others as a sizzling ball of energy begins to appear and grow within their masses.  Forms appear within.

The DMs each look at the others demanding to know whom arranged for this.

Out rushes a human fighter wearing gleaming scale armor whom carries only a shield that seems to reflect the cosmos.  Behind him, a large human in full platemail.  He holds a large falchion.  The look on his face invites no argument.  Following him, a woman with flowing silken robes and a staff.  The air rushes about her lifting her hair making it look alive.  A rogue leaps out holding something that looks like a cross between a light cross bow and a blackjack.  He slowly down and gives a wave to the younger women watching.  Finally a platemailed female cleric steps out giving the rogue a gentle push.  A black cat rushes and bounds from between her feet.  The planar gate closes.

“Who is this?!?!?  I did not order this!” Squeals in rage DM Nomadis.  DM Furi’s lone large eye flares in anti-magical rage.  “Intruders!”  Each of its ten tentacled eyes leans in to the viewing crystal in anger and awe.    DM Blackblood smiles.  “More to play with.”  His twisted but talented mind begins to break down the probable strengths and weaknesses of the new team and begins to think of ways to “play” with them.  DM Shelly smiles.  “They come with a purpose.  They seek something within The World Below.  Some know what they have entered.  Some think it is just another battlefield.  I want to educate them.”  The DMs each look to DM Nomadis for the final decision.  Having little choice in the matter, his own mind and talents search for a spin on this.

“And as a final surprise, we have Team Planar.   Humans looking to prove themselves.  They want to face, meet and test their skills against the best!  Who are we to turn them down?”


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## megamania (May 4, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 052
“This Can’t be Good”

“I didn’t like this Cap.”  Muttered Megamania as he kneeled over a puddle of mud with several large footprints leading from it.  “Those gates opened to allow us in.  We didn’t expect that.”

“The DMs have decided to allow us to play in their game.  Don’t dwell on it much.  What can you tell me of the tracks?”

“Well, five people came through here.  Each was in a hurry. Each was big and wore heavy boots of shoddy design in my mind.  However, good ol’ 20th century quality standards and the freaky worlds we go to are different.  Who knows if they were magical or whateverhaveyou.” He replies while shaking his head slowly.  Jim Addards is still getting used to the idea of magic, psionics, gods and fantasy that exist outside of his world’s time and reach.  He was once a military black-ops rogue with a bad reputation for being a lose cannon.  Then he had dreams of the end of the world.  God vs the Devil stuff.  He figured it was stress and tried to ignore it.  Then the devil killed him.   Life sucks some days.

“We need to be ready for anything team.  I stress anything.”  Their leader, Roger Stevens, came from a world similar to Jim’s.  As best he can figure it, he lived in an alternate time or version of Jim’s world.  He was a soldier is World War Two fighting Germany.  He was considered to the best of the best.  He was well trained and schooled in combat.  He was given experimental tools including a throwing shield.  He died trying to stop The Crimson Man.  This nazi wielded powers that appear to be magical in nature.  His shield was destroyed fighting a creature of strength and destruction.  He found this shield and was proven worthy to wield it in Truth, Justice and everything correct.

“Not human.  Humanoid however.  I suspect Orc or something of that nature.”   Vander Stormbringer added while looking down the path where the drying tracks led.  He was a psychic warrior from a world known for psionics.  He was a mercenary working in a world on the brink of a world war.  Magic vs Psionics.  He hopes it didn’t destroy his world.  He has traveled the planes before.  A fierce unnatural storm of magic and psionic creation whisked him to a world known as Alion.  Then again he was forcibly removed on a planar level to a place of fiends.  He, after the tortures became boring to the vile creatures, was traded to a warlord on the plane of Chaos and War.  He fought to survive and survive he did.  He still wakes at night in a silent scream.  He lives by his own code and relies on his psionically-enhanced falchion and armor to continue to do so.  He was killed by an orc for not pleasing her.

“This entire game is sick and disgusting.  How immoral can we become?”  Jean aka the Storm Wielder.  She is a sorcerer that specializes in weather-related spells and tools.  Though she dislikes killing anything or anyone, she will do so with a single lightning bolt when needed to.  She talks little of her past.  There were problems with her father and a dragon.  This dragon killed her.

“We shouldn’t stay here for long Captain.  These people know what they are doing.  Some have trained all of their lives to compete in The World Below.”  Christina is a cleric of Infiniti.  Her goddess, Infiniti, watches over the creation and expansion of the realities of the universe(s).  Each core universe has branches that differ in a single event that forever alters it.  Sometimes this is good.  Other times it is not.  She was born on the demi-plane of Ravenloft and was cursed there.  She will always met her mother whom has had a terrible fate brought onto her.  Three of these alternate realities’ mothers have stayed with her.  Momma is a black cat familiar with freewill.  Mother is a fierce and powerful heavy mace.  Mom is an invisible ghost that follows her everywhere.  All three silently talk to her leading others to think her insane.  She is the healer and planes expert of the group.   She too has died.

Each died fighting a battle of great importance that would forever alter their world’s history.  Each were cheated and died.  The Goddess Infiniti brought them together and offered them a chance to live again.  To be her Strikeforce Morituri.  Another god, one dedicated to the destruction of the various realities has new followers.  These followers are trying to resurrect their god.  Much of his power has fallen into the very artifacts of his creation.  One such artifact, a staff, has been hidden in The World Below for centuries.  Using a magical item tuned to it's’ unique energies, they hope to find it and leave.  So far, no item has been found with any great ease.  

They sought out a circlet on a world ruled by the brute master.  This HULK of destruction nearly killed three members.  They escaped with the artifact and their second lives intact.  Next came a ring hidden on a branch universe of Ravenloft.  They fought an undead monstrous shark that was created by the ring then wielded by a wereshark.  They found Christina’s mother whom was changed into a ½ bug creature and were involved in a battle there to free her people from cannibal barbarians lead by a ghoul whom controlled a huge earth elemental.   They escaped that world only when the previous HULK creature came but was imprisoned by the world.  They lost the ring as an agent of the Destructor collected it.  

Now they are here in Carkartus, in The World Below, a gladiator arena on a planar level that is “televised” through the planes using powerful magics and psionics held in check within viewing crystals.   

Jim aka Megamania is still moving ahead of the team, his skills in sneaking in and out of secured areas being most important now.   The large humanoids have split to the left so he continues straight.  Then he notices a silent small shadow slide up to him.  He looks up with his finger on the trigger of his energy gun.  A green gem or shard floats there about 4 feet from the ground.  Slowly he stands up.  “Uh …guys….”
He pauses in a crouch before standing to his full 5”10 height.  The gem just floats there as if looking at him.  

His greatest weapon is not his energy gun or even his Spellfire powers he recently has discovered.  No, his greatest weapon is his brain.  100’s of random thoughts race through his mind while analyzes the non-standard piece of igneous rock.  Silicone.

“hello…take…me…to…your…leader” mocks Jim.

The others pause a few steps behind him and look at it.

“Christina…?” prompts the Captain.

Instead it is Vander that replies.  “Scrying crystal.  Psionic.  Someone is spying or trying to communicate with us through it.”

“na-nu na-nu”  says Megamania holding up his hand with his fingers split apart to appear like three fingers instead of five.  “how.”   

“I think it’s broken.  Boring anyway.”  He goes to move around it but the crystal slides over to block his path.

Psionically, the six of them (can’t forget Momma) hear a simple yet calculating voice in their minds.

= I know not why you are here and why you have invaded our space but we will defend it ..publicly. =

A second crystal, this one pure white, appears.  It slides high and to the left.  Everyone but Vander and the Captain follow it.  They turn to the right to see what is being recorded to “meet” them.  The answer- a large monstrous snake.  It is purple and black with a red gem on its forehead.  Its tongue sticks out then it moves in closer.  Along with another and another and another.  Then the debris that it was seemly coming from behind falls over as the rest of the foul creature climbs out of a hole.

A 12 headed Hydra

“Oh well…now this can’t be good.” Quips Megamania as he snaps his head to the side and then quickly draws and aims his gun.


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## megamania (May 5, 2004)

STRIKE FORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 053
“Gate Crashers”

“Urgh!   I can smellz the elfs …I swearz!”  Complains bitterly the orc running along behind the other orcs.

“Shaddup Bigtoe!  Youze smellz no elfs yet!  You keeps up now …we hunting.” Sneers the next orc.

The five orcs did not wait long for their first encounter.  The gates opened and they charged through in full run.  They found themselves close to the flooded section of The World Below.  They didn’t care.  They were here to have fun killing humans and hopefully some elves while winning shiny coins and good-magic weapons for their king.

Within five minutes of a full charge into the ruins they encountered a large monstrous hunting spider.  It didn’t last long as the barbarians hacked into it with their enhanced axes and blades.  Finding little of value on the creature, they sped off again.

The five dim-witted but dangerous (if only to themselves) orc barbarians continued to charge through the knee-deep water filled with dangerous hidden snakes and debris blindly.  They climbed out onto a deep hillside and found themselves in a deserted park filled with marble statues.  The leader of the Blackstone Orcs, Bile Eater, paused at this sight.  He sniffed the air as if to check if the statues might be alive.  Though barbaric, he was not stupid.  Anything was possible here.  

Bile Eater carefully led the four other orcs through the field of white frozen nude humans.  Each step was a large turning step allowing for him to see everything around him.  After getting halfway through the forest of stone, he snorted, stuck down a figure and waited.  Several moments later, once he was certain there was no threat here he howled out loud and started a new charge across the courtyard.  The four large orcs in the lead never knew what happened.  The marble steps suddenly became smooth with a loud grinding thud and greasy oil flowed out from the cracks.  Their charge ended and they went backwards into a now open pit into an underground raging river.  Four orcs fell in.

Bigtoe, keeping up but suddenly with a look of intelligence stopped just prior to the orcs reaching the steps.  Instead he sidestepped to the right and ran up the thick stone arm rail.  An evil smile formed as the trap was sprung.  Only Stink saw Bigtoe as he fell into the river.  Bigtoe’s skin turned blue and soft.  His hair turned a healthy sleek black versus a greasy unkept black.  He became a her.

Jocasta, the doppelganger assassin for hire listened to the four orcs hit the water and curse as they surfaced before being washed away violently.  She lifted her forearm to her nose and sniffed.  “I hate the smell of orcs.” And began her own run.  Her run was more aware and controlled.  She was on the hunt.  There was a staff to collect and possibly the Champions of Infiniti to contend with.

The Champions of Infiniti were indeed within the arena but were very busy themselves.


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## megamania (May 7, 2004)

bump


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## megamania (May 9, 2004)

STRIKE FORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 053
“12 Heads Are Better Than One”

Megamania spins at the 12 headed black and purple hydra and fires at it twice.  Two shots strike two heads making them go limp from being stunned rather than killed.  The Captain raises his shield and steps in such a way to shield the majority of the group.  “Move back Jim, we don’t know what we’re facing!”  Christina looks at the coloration and further states the Captains bewilderment.  “These are unusual color markings for a hydra.  Beware-  it may mean a new sub-type of creature!”  Jim wants to look back and ask what is normal about a twelve-headed lizard but decides to stay quiet.  Vander passes Jean and Christina to move beside a stone column.  He hopes to attack unseen.  Jean begins with ball lightning stunning and frying one head that sizzles and smokes as the other nine coherent heads roar in anger.  Three heads on long necks strike out at the Captain whom easily deflects them to the side and into the oncoming strikes meant for Megamania.  These three strikes thus also miss.  Two other heads open their sharp toothed jaws and spit out black ooze that sizzles as it hits just before Christina.  “Acid!”

DM Blackblood smiled in amusement.  “They have no idea what they face.” He says with great pride.  Mygerra will tear them apart and pit their bodies with acid.  Hah-hah-ha!  DM Nomadis nods an approving nod but wonders to himself what these gate crashers are.

Megamania draws aim and looks to shot more heads when he notices they are recovering already-  very quickly.  “Uh-oh Tough m*****f*****s ain’t they!”   The Captain senses Megamania has just made an understatement.  “Can any of you tell me what we face and to beat it or escape it?”   Christina moves behind the Captain and tells him all he can from her memory.  She has never faced a hydra before.  The picture was scary enough.  “Most hydras are fire or cold sub-types.  This means they spit fire or cold crystals.  If a head is destroyed it regrows unless burned.”   Vander- tense and becoming enraged, runs around the pillar with his falchion over head.  His psionically-enhanced falchion cleaves greatly through six heads closest to him!  He snarls as acidic blood sprays onto him.  His armor, also psionically enhanced sheds it off but his face becomes red and sore.  Jean, whom has faced hydras before clarifies Christina’s description.  “The regeneration is related to the nervous system.  A head must be cut off to expose the nervous system.  Then fire or acid needs to be applied to the exposed system.  Otherwise-  it regrows- by two!”  The creature snarls and bites as Vander trying to keep him back more than attack him.  It has quickly come to respect his weapon that sings in his mind.

DM Furi laughed from its oversized mouth.  “Some of the creatures don’t even know what they face!” Rah-hah-hah-ha.  It wobbles laughing so hard.  It’s not easy being a beholder.

Megamania fires a few shots and hits but on head.  The head wobbles with acid dripping out of its maw.  “Vander- keep slashing at the heads- Jean- hit it hard!” yells the Captain not quite realizing what he setting into motion.  Christina Flame strikes the body setting it on flame.  Thick black fumes that may prove to be poisonous billow from its sore.  The heads roar in pain and anger.  Distracted by the pain-  six more heads are removed by Vander whom begins to whirl his blade before him to shield himself from oncoming attacks he knows will be coming.   Jean- realizing Vander is too good at his job yells for him to stop.  She strikes it with a lightning bolt causing more pain and injury.  Pain and misery that begins to heal rapidly.  Also, several heads begin to regrow immediately where Vander first struck.  The sticky wet heads open and close its jaws then blinks its eyes open.  A look of malice is expressed as they take in what they see before them.  Six of the other heads attack Vander. Three bite into him causing him crushing damage through the armor.  He growls and sneers at the heads in defiance.  Others spit at Megamania and strike him.  He screams as the acid burns into his padded kevlar body suit.  He stumbles towards the Captain for cover.

DM Shelly closes her eyes in pure ecstasy.  She can sense Megamania’s pain and growing fear.  It is beautiful.  DM Nomadis notes it but says nothing almost wishing he could share in the emotion he no longer feels.  DM Blackblood- what is the record for most heads on a hydra in The World Below?”  “22”

DM Nomadis begins to give viewers a colorful description of the action.

Megamania steps from behind the Captain and fires.  Zip! Clik-clik-clik  “Oh for crying out load!”
The Captain barely notices the rogue’s distress as he cries for Vander to stop.  Christina continues her strategy of going for the body with another flame strike.  Somewhere in the back of her mind she fears how visible that smoke is.  Vander, in a rage, slashes off six more heads in one continuous swing.  Jean, seeing Christina’s idea in action follows through with lightning strikes to the main body hoping to outpace its healing ability while Vander contends with the heads.  Vander begins to notice that there are more heads here now than before as six of them strike at him.  Two biting him successfully.  Other heads spit at the Captain whom easy uses his shield artifact of Truth and Justice to block it… or swallow it?  Unrealized by him, the acid never truly strikes his shield.  The shield's surface becomes a portal and sends it elsewhere.  Another secret for another day.

“That shield is truly worthy of a champion.” Thinks out loud DM Nomadis.  DM Furi rolls his one large eye his way.  He knows Nomadis is thinking about more than he is saying.  “HAH! We have a new record!” Howls DM Blackblood as the 23rd head roars to life.

Megamania pulls out his last energy clip.  He kisses it and thinks about how much he will miss his energy gun if he can somehow get a new clip.  The Captain, his eyes wide looking at the creature’s newest heads, is now yelling at Vander to stand down in desperation.  Christina lets lose another and final Flame strike at the creature.  Vander, not hearing the Captain continues to swing wildly taking off many more heads!  Jean strikes it again with a lightning bolt.  The hydra attacks Vander with great hatred bites at him.  More acid is displaced as it strikes at the Captain’s shield.

 “This Mania person and Vander seem to have potential.” Sighs DM Shelly.  “Their raw emotion is overwhelming.  The captain bores me.  We need to open him up.” 
“Work on it Shelly.  These five are special.  I…we need to work the most out of them.” Says DM Nomadis without passion while in deep thought while staring at the shield.  DM Furi rotates to DM Blackblood to give him a knowing smile.  Blackblood is too busy counting heads.

Megamania jumps in on the action.  “Vander-  you stupid a**wipe--   YOU’RE MAKING IT STRONGER!!!!!!”  The Captain begins to ponder what he can do other than give orders that are being ignored.  Vander continue to swing at it.  Thick sweat begins as continues.  The sweat burns at the acid injuries.  “I…WILL…NOT…BE…DENIED!”   Jean unleashes another lightning bolt.  This one staggers the magical beast.  It howls and begins to back up back into the swampy hole it came from.  Vander follows it steps for step.

Christina pauses.  The ghost of her mother that follows her everywhere has alerted her to something traveling to them.  It is traveling invisible and incorporeal!

Vander strikes at it several more times even as Jean strikes it down another lightning bolt.  Its lifeless body slides into the black swamp water and sinks slowly.

“28 heads!  A new record!” screams with joy DM Blackblood.”


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## megamania (May 16, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 054
“Traps & Treachery”

“This is just f***ing wonderful.” Bemoans Megamania as he scales over a wall of debris.  He is ever alert for trouble since this wall was not made by accident.  There used to be guardians here.  Every sense is alert and he tries to second-guess every possible event but finds he can not.  He knows little of psionic traps and nothing about magic ones.  He had been warned to watch for runes and gems that look out of place.  These were items or symbols that held the powers in check and were thus the trigger items.

He had discovered one rune trap that required assistance by both Jean and Christina to disarm.  The runes were designed to release destructive energy in a very violent way.  A bomb in his “modern” terms.  Maybe the various worlds were not so different after all.

Then he encountered his first guard.  It was a large smelly creature covered with hair with large bat-like ears.  He beat it easily.  Some laws of the universe are the same.  Humanoids seemed to have very similar inner workings.  A few well placed shots to sensitive yet important organs and the beast went down.  Vander referred to it as a bugbear.  The bear part he understood but bug as a descriptor?

These creatures had a small encampment in a ruined four-story building nearby.  Rather than disturb them, they simply went around it.  They were here to find the artifact, not play The World Below.  The World Below.  It both amused and sickened the Rogue from a tech based world.  It reminded him of a movie he saw once.  California’s governor wannabe was in it.  He fought crazed and sick “warriors” to the public whom with the proper spin were indeed heroes of a sort.  To think- this really existed.  Was Stephen King a dimensional traveler?  If so- what other worlds he depicted in his books existed?  The Stand?  

The Stand.  Ultimate good vs Evil.  He was that.  He was a warrior for a god and didn’t believe it.  He was destined to face and defeat Randal Flagg, the Walking Man, The Darkman, The man with no face.  What did that make him?  He was a murderer, a thief, anything but a virgin.  All of these sins he did for the greater good.  At least this is what he was taught by the US Government.  

He was………huh?!?!

He froze as he felt a presence.  It was in his mind.  It was familiar.  Enough of thinking of  how and where he fit within this world.

Memories surfaced.  Unwanted memories.  Theta …Malign and the Turbulent…. Lord Dextor….Count Blood…..all of them.

Then it is gone.  A rage begins to build.  One he has learned is instinctional and when it surfaces is for a good reason.  Something like a survival instinct.  Someone just violated him …raped his brain …looking for memories …thoughts …secrets?

Slowly he stops moving forward and inches back towards the others.  Something is wrong.  Something is horribly wrong.  He then sees the Captain moving slowly and carefully …alone.

“What happened?”

The Captain places a finger to his lips then makes a circling motion stopped abruptly with a closing of his fist.  Something is wrong.

The Captain moves quickly and silently to his right.  Then comes Vander.  “We are under attack by a doppelganger!”

Jim begins to react then his anger stops.  Vander, in full plate armor, makes no sound.  

“Lead on big guy” Megamania says hoping to bluff his possible discovery.  Vander climbs up a wall of a burned out building.  He pauses with his mighty falchion waving before him.  Ready to strike.  Megamania climbs easily after him.  He stares at the falchion.  It is not singing in his mind.  This confirms it.

“Yes it does my pretty, pretty, pretty boy toy.”  Vander’s large armored form softens and shrinks.  A black haired, blue skinned woman dressed in red leather armor stands before him.    “Only you and Christina guessed the truth.  Christina only because of her dead mother’s aid.  I have come to respect your team Jim Addards.  You especially.  You are a survivor.  You can tap into inner warrior whenever you need to but not become trapped there like Vander.  You appreciate life like Jean.  You see its wonder and awe like Christina.  You understand honor and duty like Roger Stevens.  However you chose not to be a follower.  I respect that.  I was sent here to retrieve the very item you seek.  Also to kill your party if I can.  In spirit of the game reality we are guests within, I will not do this.  Instead-  I will allow the game to consume and destroy you instead.  Goodbye.”

“huh?”

Suddenly the burned wall gives way.  Megamania, aka Jim Addards, falls with it.  He tries to grab at anything he can but can not.  He falls into a darkened area.  A deep pit.  A    very    deep   pit.

Alone now, Jarella stands at the edge of the deep pit.  She knows she can not care.  It is against her moral code and the code of the assassin.  But this one…  so small…so lost…was special.  He was unique.  She closes her eyes tight until the sight of his falling body leaves her mind then moves on.


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## Look_a_Unicorn (May 20, 2004)

I'm BAaaaaaacCk 

Great updates MM- loved reading them.

hehehehehehehehe boy toy.

So if Megamanic (in game) survives, will he be seducing the Strikeforce a new Cohort?


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## megamania (May 23, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 055
“The Captain and The Blue Death”

The Captain creeps along the side of the broken wall.  Deep inside he knows this is wrong but it is after General Zema leading his Hydra Force.  He has to be stopped.  If he has somehow escaped earth and has come here to collect the artifact it will lead to the Allies downfall for sure.

Closer …closer …. He can almost smell them now.

= The general is ready for you my captain.  Do fight well for your cause.  Farewell and let your justice prevail. =

A look of panicked confusion crosses his face.  The Captain looks about but sees no one.  Not even Jim.  But he does smell something.  Something unlike anything he has smelled before.  Preparing for the worse, he peers around the corner.  There are bodies of dead man-like dogs everywhere.  All were armed and appear to have been seasoned warriors.  There is no sign of the cause of their death or the smell.  Cautiously, The Captain walks to the epicenter of the destruction.  Something large hit these creatures.  An impact mark was made but it looks like a long arm …or tail did the damage.  Looking for more clues, he sees deep scratches on a stone block.  A statue 20ft tall was once on this block but long ago was smashed.  Looking closer, the Captain sees there is something written on the block but he can not read read it.  Something about the enchantment he and the others were given.  They can understand certain speech but can not read anything unless it was written in a language they already knew.

The seriousness of his situation becomes apparent to him now.  They were attacked through the mind.  The team has been separated and lead to danger.  Not only is the mission endangered, but of them will possibly die now.  There is magic or healing backup.  No anti-magic combatants.  No psychics.  Only himself now.  Separated and in a place of constant cat and mouse hunt and be hunted kill or be killed world.  His mind was racing as fast as Jim’s was he figured.

Composure.  Cool and in command.  The Captain stopped, closed his eyes and emptied his mind.  Then he listened.  Then he sniffed the air.  Then he allowed his skin to pinpoint air currents and earth tremors.  He tasted the air for anything incorrect.  Then he opened his eyes and turned to the remains of a large building that was gutted.  The building looked to have once been a large office building or possibly a school.

He heard a crunch of stone under pressure and slowly, with his head only, turned to the sound.  

“You are no Gnoll.  I smell the planar energies on you.  Your shield …your wonderful shield…. smells of power …and purity.  What brings you to the Home of the Blue Death?.  The voice is deep and full of quiet power.

The Captain looks at the creature before him.  The man whom has charged machine gun defended foxholes shakes in a cold sweat.  Before him is a 10ft tall heavily scaled creature.  Long and powerful talons grip and scratch the stone.  A long armored tail with sharp ridges sits swung to one side as if readied to reach out and cut and crush anything before it.  Curled onto its back are leather wings that can no doubt lift this creature from the ground.  Small but blazing blue eyes peer out of dark deep-shadowed brows that are also armored.  A large tusk of bone grows from its snout.  The Captain tries to remember anything that fits the description of this beast.  Only one fits.  

dragon.

Once he had assumed there were no such things.  Even in Myths, dragons were green or brown.  This is bright blue.  Blue like the sky of a clear day.  He tries to swallow but finds he has no spit.  In his dry raspy voice he tries to be diplomatic to this obviously threat.

“I am known as The Captain.  I came here in search of an item for a goddess.  I was mislead by another and brought here.  I am not here to do you harm nor do I wish to.  If I could ask a few questions of you I would be pleased.  If not, allow me to go.”

Sweat builds, pools and then drips from the Captain’s brow.  The creature peers at him as if to study and mull over his comments.  “What questions would you have of me Captain?”  The creature settles with its front paws crossed before it.  Its large sharp edged head rests on these.  Its confidence in itself out-measuring any caution of fear it has of the lone human known as a captain.

The Captain is speechless for a moment.  It was diplomatic to ease into this but he had no questions ready.  At least no questions to pose in a non-threatening manner.
“Have you seen any other humans that smell of the planes?  I have been separated from them and wish to find them.”

“Hurrm  …. all humans smell alike in a barbaric way.  There was the King of Tyr but  he died.  That was last week.  There was the cleric of Torm … he died also.  No.  No you are my first human in several days.  Only these flea-bitten Gnolls and the shapechanger have I seen thus far.”

Looking about him at the bodies he replies.  “What can you tell me of the Shape-changer?”  When was he here last?”

“Hurmmmmm.  He, She or it.  It matters little.  I met a shape-changer that offered me gold if I killed a warrior that may venture too close to my home.” 

Already knowing the answer, the Captain pulls up his shield and begins to back away.  A new spark of emotion grows in the eyes of the blue hued dragon.  Its leathered thick scaled skin crackles a bit at it seems to smile.  “…and that building is my home.”

The Captain makes for cover even as the mouth of the Blue Dragon opens and the o-zone seems to burn by the building energy.

Though not there, Jarella can only guess how well the Captain will do against a dragon by himself.  She moves onward to look for the artifact of the Tattooed Man.


----------



## megamania (May 23, 2004)

Look_a_Unicorn said:
			
		

> I'm BAaaaaaacCk
> 
> Great updates MM- loved reading them.
> 
> ...




If he survives, all he can do to curse to irritate the Captain and seduce women (possibly to irritate the Captain also).  To seduce a new team member ...that would be neat.  'o course I can't tell you.  Only Infiniti knows....  

You had asked about more PC background ...well...here it comes.  As the Captain eluded to-  Each needs the other for power and most importantly- knowledge and expertise.  

what would happen if Megamania came across Green Slime with the team there?   Don't touch.    end of story.   With out their knowledge ...no more megamania.  "He slimed me...hah-hah- ugh...it's disolving me! arrrgh"

As another side note.  I went back to part time with my second job.  I'll work about 65 hours a week now instead of 75-80.  I should be able to update more regularly and with more thought.


----------



## megamania (May 24, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURU
SEGMENT 056
“Vander’s Torment”

The black and putrid water lay still in the deep shadows.  Then a few air bubbles rose.  The wary frogs leapt away and the dragonflies quickly zigzagged away.  Then the large armored figure broke the surface.  He gasped for air then floated there very still.  He was more dead than alive.  A brave (or very stupid) purple and black colored frog hoped onto his chest and peered at the bloodied and defeated human.  

Keeer-rupp.  The frog said as its air sack filled and emptied several times.  The man did not answer.  He did not even stir.  The rippling of the water around him then began to slow down.  As such the heavy body began to sink once more.  The frog just went for the ride.

The man sank below the surface once more.  The frog let out a few quick quirps before leaping onto a lily pad.  Only a few bubbles marked his passing as he sank once more under the surface and into the darkness.  The eternal darkness.

Sometime later …in a hidden lair.

The barely clad woman lifted the Gloves once more.  She ran her hands over the surface with great care and feeling.  She then brought the leather gloves to her face.  She smelled the leather and the sweat of the person that wore them last.  She caressed her face with the glove as if worn by her lover still. A smile flashed from under the glove and her long black hair.  She placed the gloves down and moved to a leather bag with strange runes or markings on them.

She slowly and cautiously opened the pull string and peered into.  A surprised and pleased smile outlined with purple lipstick grew.  She held the pouch to her forehead as if to think and commune with the bag.  Still with her smile she reaches in bag and pulls out a rough edged gold coin.  A coin that was not there before. 
“Acheron?  You have traveled a long way my sweat.”  The woman purrs.

Nearby, in a dark cell lays a large naked man in a fetal position.  One would think he is dead except for the pulsing of his large muscles and his grip on his forearms and shins. Whether it is sweat or stale water is unknown but he covered in it.  Hundreds of criss-crossing scars travel over his body’s surface.  It appears much like a chaotic spider web.  Tattoos appear here and there.  Many broken up and torn asunder by scars that appeared after the tattoo was inked.  Others seem to thrive and move on their own on his skin’s surface.

Strips of light appear into the room as a barred window is opened at the door.  A figure steps to the window and peers inside.  The viewer’s hand reaches to the head.  A ring worn on the finger begins to glow and is pressed to the viewer’s head.   The ruined man stops quaking for a mere moment before starting again.

Images flash without form or function in the mind of the woman at the window.  Then like a top losing its spin the images become clearer but unsteady.  

“Vander is a sissy pants.  Vander is a sissy pants!” cried a child nearby.  

“Am not!”  The viewer, looking down, sees a cut knee and the hands of a child with blood on them.  The view changes and allows her to see the boy.  To see Vander.  He is a mere child of about 5 years.  He has fallen off of a series of rocks that make for a water break.  The salty water moves slowly at these rocks.  The pain of the fall and the salts in the cut knee are clear.  Though the child appears to be overweight, he easily and quickly scales the rocks once more to the level where the other four boys are playing.  

These children are older.  Perhaps 8 to 10 years of age.  One looks like a sibling.  All are dressed like nobility.  Fine clothes and well-kept hair.  Behind the boys, a large building can be seen.  She knows it to be the home of the small boy named Vander.

He and his older brother, Vassos, live on the estate of the Stormbringers on Waverly.  Their father was a military leader.  The island nation of Waverly had not known war in five generations.  His mother was a political leader and in charge of the islands import and export trade.  They were the most powerful family of the entire nation.  

A strange looking female called to Vander and Vassos.  A half-breed of human and elf.  She was obviously dressed as a servant.  ALL of the servant staff was crossbreeds.  Mainly half-elves.  The boys went inside to the marble and gold lined home.  The home itself was worth millions of gold and platinum.  It had been in the family for about 8 generations.  Vassos went to his martial classes.  Vander cried and carried on.  He wanted to go with his big brother but his mother insisted he learn the will and the way.

A faint smile creased the viewer’s lips.  A psion.  

The boy became older and stronger.  Much stronger.  He had the ability of the will and the way but he preferred martial activities.  His father convinced the mother to get a new teacher.  This teacher was a military man from Bodach.  He specialized in using the mind’s gifts to bolster the body. Vander was going to become a psychic warrior.

The new teacher was hard on Vander.  He demanded discipline and self-control of one’s emotions.  “You are not a Wilder-  you a warrior of the mind.” He would preach.

War came.  A trade war that was separated as much by race as trade house.  His father hated the crossbreeds for this.  Two of the three factions against him were lead by ½ elves and used muls, human / dwarf cross breeds, as their muscle.  It was not until Vander was 16 that he discovered much of the world was drawing lines and choosing sides.  A racial and trade war was brewing.  

When the war did arrive on Waverly, the Stormbringer home was destroyed.  Mother and father were hung up in a make shift gallows.  His brother was slain by the very crossbred staff he had thought he could trust.  Vander escaped only because he believed to be dead and lost at sea.   He sneaked back to the seaside home that had burned for five days without any water ever touching it.  He found enough food and supplies to live for a few weeks and escaped the island on a stolen boat.

The female viewer, shaken and sweating paused.  She looked at the large man before her and had a few quiet and sympathetic thoughts cross her mind.  Then she went on with her magic as she uncovered more about this mysterious man before her.

Vander’s psionic education came to a halt but he continued to study war and fighting.  He had chosen the falchion as his weapon.  It matched his physique and method.  He found himself becoming a mercenary.  There was much call for it in the battles that had been rising almost daily now.  There was rumor that Guistenial had fallen.  The lion headed giant killed by a man with Vander’s style and thinking.  He very much wanted to meet this man.  General Dregoth was his name.  Instead, he found himself marching to Utopia.  General Irikos was threatening to take down the Peacemaker council.  This city was lead by Pyreen and druids.  They welcomed ½ breeds to join them.  No wonder the city needed to be destroyed.

The night before the attack, there was a large party.  Men and women both drank and danced to the early hours of the dawn.  Vander was no longer a man-child as his father would have put it.  The girl was another human with long white hair.  The memory of the long white hair is strong in his memories.

The next day, the legion of warriors, over 100,000 strong marched.  Powerful mages and psions from both sides began the war while Vander and his battalion were still 100’s of miles away.  Something happened.  Something horrible and unnatural.  Vander could not put a word to it.

The viewer knew.  The crazed mages and psions opened a rift to the negative plane.  A plane otherwise was unattainable to Athas.  Once opened, they could not close it.  She gasped and placed her ringed hand down away from her face.  For the first time all-day she spoke.  “You are truly special to have survived the opening of the negative plane onto your world for the first time.”   She looked the man before her.  He was shaking and distraught.  Her reading of his memories were making him relive them.  She was …tormenting him.   She continued on.  A new smile on her face.

Chirping birds and the rustle of leaves on a gentle summer eve.  Vander, still in his armor and with his falchion, sat up on an elbow.  Several others were there looking at him.  A dwarf in armor was leaning over him.  Fruit juices were on his beard.  As he spoke, pieces of a pear spat out at him.  A human or possibly ½ elf leaning on a bow watched over the wide dwarf’s frame.

Introductions were made by all.  These adventurers were also planar travelers.  They came from various worlds and planes and found themselves here on Alion.  They were on their way to Skydock to resupply themselves.  There was a humanoid war developing and they asked if Vander wanted to join them.  He did so out of security of numbers in a strange land.

+++++SPOILER WARNING TO READERS++++++

This was the first time the goddess Infiniti aided Vander.  She saved his life by moving him to another plane of existence even as his fellow mercenaries were dying around him.  He still can see the face of the long white haired woman as she silently screams at him.  She is in brown and yellow washed colors.  Her face breaks apart revealing the bones below that then shatter into dust.  This is one of many things that give Vander the nightmares he often has.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

He came to befriend the Dwarven Warrior of Rkard.  Vander found great amusement listening to the dwarf talk about a god of strength known as Kord.  Vander knew otherwise.  The dwarf was a psychic warrior under the dwarven king Rkard.  They trained together and played games of chance together.  Snak was his name.  Vander did not trust most of the party however.  There were two ½ elves and a half-orc in the party.  He secretly hoped for their deaths.  Especially the mage.

Magic was bad.  He had seen magic only three times before finding himself on Alion.  The first time an apprentice tried to project energy from his finger to strike a moving target.  A mere rat in this case.  He instead fired the magical missile that turned on him and killed him.  Another time, near seaport of Balic, a mage burned down an entire building when he tried to caste a spell of explosive fire.  He and five others died that day.  Then there was Utopia.  MILLIONS died.   Millions in an instant.  He tried not to think about what that had to have done to the area.

His distrust of the ½ elf mage was proven shortly after reaching the outer markers of Skydock.  She had found a box of magical clay plates.  The finding excited Snak.  He recognized them as an item called a Deck of Wondrous Things.  A decision was made to try it.  Snak talked Vander into picking a card from it.  The cards were unpredictable.  Sometimes good things came from it.  Other times …not so good.  Snak was always a gambler.  He wanted to pick as many cards as he could.  Vander wanted none.  Snak convinced him to choice one card.  “How bad can it be good buddy?”

Vander reached unsteadily for the card.  Growing impatient, Snak reached for cards himself.  He accidentally bumped Vander’s arm and Vander drew three cards.  Even as the cards were being turned over Vander felt pain and a sensation of being moved.  He never saw the powerful dwarven war axe appear or the gleaming magical armor.  No.  He awoke to find himself naked and hanging in a warm cage suspended from the ceiling.  Sulfur and fumes made him cough and become sick.  He looked down and saw a large creature that he knew was evil.  He was the prisoner of a fiendish creature of legends.  Worst yet, he was alone and without armor or weapon.

The viewer looked through the bars at the bare man before her.  The irony did not escape her notice.  She continued to read his memories and mind.

The Pit Fiend below was known only as Bartacuss Filthy.  He was not the normal Fiend.  He enjoyed games of chance and being on the Prime Material plane.  He found mortals, especially humans, would bet on anything no matter what the chances were.  

Vander was found outside of his domain near a portal than was unpredictable at best.  The Fiend considered him a free gift and with great relish, placed him in study.  He was hung from the volcanic ceiling and had various creatures study and report things to him.  His mind and memories were mined by memory wyrms.  These wyrms could cause complete memory loss in some cases.  To Bartacuss’ best judgement, they erased his memories of his childhood.  

Bartacuss would beat and break the mortal over and over.  Sometimes the human healed normally.  Other times by means of a clerical healing.  So long as the plaything still entertained him.  He used the human as an instrument of chance often.  He became something like a specialized gladiator.  He found fiends, creatures and other captured souls.  Vander rarely loss.  When he did, he was given special treatment.  Demons that looked like female humans with long white hair seduced him then did unspeakable things to him.  Soon, he came to distrust women and even feared them.  Soon, he came to lash out at the temptresses.  Bartacuss and his sick and demented gambling friends were especially cruel one day.

Vile Victor Villainous, another Pit Fiend and fellow gambler had received the soul of a specific white haired woman from Athas.  Seeing potential for new levels of depravity, Bartacuss bought her and forced her onto Vander.  Vander literally tore her apart with his great strength.  Learning whom this was soon after; he tried to kill himself over and over.  Bartacuss had won a bet with several other Pit Fiends on this outcome.  Vander hated the Pit Fiend more than he had come to hate himself.  He came up with a new plan.  A plan borne out of desperation.

He allowed the seductresses to come to him.  He allowed his flesh to be torn.  He allowed everything to occur to him but without giving in.  He was going to beat Bartacuss Filthy at his own game.

In the beginning, Bartacuss found great amusement at this.  Especially as Vander would give in after long periods of torture and pain.  But he used his mental skills to block it out.  He blocked out the pain.  He blocked out the horror.  He blocked out the emotion.  He was winning.

Bartacuss would scream in rage.  How dare this lone human do this to him!  For two weeks straight, he would kill and heal the determined human every hour on the hour.  He was bathed in acids.  He was burned.  He was sliced.  He was crushed.  He was dissected.  He never gave in.

Bartacuss was losing standings within his sick circle of friends.  The human was beating him.  a …mere … mortal …human . To save face, Bartacuss traded him for a soul of an imp.

The trade was no picnic for Vander.  He found himself on the Plane of Chaos.  He was in Acheron.

The female viewer’s eyes glowed.  This human was special.  He was everything she wanted and more.  He defied death.  He defied a Pit Fiend.  He defied it all.   Her respect for this mortal was growing stronger.  She was becoming caught up in the memories now.  She did not notice Vander’s body had stopped quivering.  She did not notice how his head went from being still now shook a defiant no to the world.  She continued to probe and dig into his memories.

Now she saw the new owner of his soul.  A wicked ½ orc that may have had some fiend or dragon in her.  Her name was Queen Ten Bites.  It was rumored that she chipped one tusk when she fought a dragon bare handed.  She killed it by biting into its neck.  On the tenth bite, the dragon succumbed and died.  Vander cared little if it was true or not.  He only knew this creature was truly sick.

Bartacuss Filthy told her that he was a sex slave and satisfied several sex fiends.  Her own desires knew no limits and thus jumped at the chance to have this impressive human for a cucubine.  Vander experienced things no mortal man should ever have to.  He honestly began to wonder if Filthy was a better choice for him.  Bartacuss did what he did for the joy of it.  It was not personal.  Ten Bites relished her ways and Vander was the most common receiver of her lustful needs.

Understanding that his spirit was not dead but hiding, Ten Bites decided to give him his pride back a bit.  She had him join her army on the battlefield.  He proved a very capable warrior and grew in power and ability.  She rewarded with new armor.  He rejected it as it was magical, not psionic in nature.  She punished him for weeks in her private room then presented a psionic weapon and armor.  It was taken from Athas after the great Cleansing Wars began.  

+++++SPOILER WARNING+++++++
His armor and Falchion once belonged to a future Dragon-King on the world of the Darksun.  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

With new pride he proved to be a better warrior.  He began to show emotion in her private chambers again (horror more often than not).  

Then a new memory rises.  A cloaked figure steps carefully to Vander in an underground war bunker.  Above, the Legion of Doom lead by a new foreigner from another plane waged war on Ten Bites and her tribe.  Vander was weak and ashen.  He was sick and diseased from a poison.  The cloaked figure began to glow and he tried to heal the warrior.  The cloaked figure tormented Vander by reminding him of whom he was.  He was a powerful psychic warrior.  He had taken on creatures and wars and survived them all.  The cloaked figure convinced Vander not to do as Ten Bites wanted.  He was to be free.  The figure left as quietly as he came.  No name ever given or said.

Vander rebelled.  In fact, he struck down important members of Ten Bites army.

He died a painful death and was not to be resurrected by anyone or face Ten Bites herself.

The female viewer sighs.  The effort of maintaining this magic was taxing on her.  But the story obviously didn’t end there.  He was after all there in her cell.

She began to see images of a fireplace in a lone quiet room.  His armor and items polished and sitting on a table.  A bottle of strong drink near by.  Something he swore to never use to escape his horrors.  This was a place outside of time and reality.  It was….

“What is it Gortallis?!?” she says in anger to her familiar.  She pulls away her hand and sees the hatred and anger on Vander’s face.  He is at the door glaring at her.  She moves to caste a spell of protection but it is too late.  He pushes on the door and it breaks free of its rusty hinges and collapses onto her.  The air is crushed out of her lungs as he walks over the door and thus her prone body.

She tries to caste a spell somatically only.  Vander stomps on the heavy door several times until he hears no more chanting.  The purple and black frog tries to escape notice but fails.  He lifts and hurls a heavy chair at it.  It splinters as it strikes the floor where the frog was.  He knows not if it is dead or alive and cares less.  He is full of anger now.  He is tired of being manipulated and used.

In a quiet but harsh whisper he only says this-

“I …DEFY …THIS.”

Then he leaves to find his equipment and friends.


----------



## megamania (May 29, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 057
“Prey for Help …Not a Mantis”

Jean Stormweilder flew slowly on the power of her winds she generated magically.  So low, the dust and small debris was getting onto her.  She didn’t seem to mind.  She was somewhere else.  She was back on Kalamar flying just above the waters south of Basir.  The dolphins were racing her just under the surface.  The sun was shining and glorious.  It was a day only a god or goddess could create.

Then it ended.

Suddenly the salt that burned merrily her nose and irritated her eyes became dust.  The dolphin was her shadow.  It swam over broken ground instead of open water.  She landed in utter confusion.  A headache came over her unlike any other.  What happened?

Christina called out to the group.  She did not hear what the alarm was about as she was conducting electrical energy at the hydra.  Then she saw something to her left.  A person?  No …it was a glitter of something.  Water!  She flew to it in overwhelming curiosity.  Then she saw the grand open seaways of the Kalamar seas!

How long had she been flying?  Where were her friends?

“Christina?” She called out.  Nothing.

“Vander?” She calls next.  Nothing

Before she calls to Jim she realizes she is endangering herself by calling out.  She raises her head again to call anyway but then thinks twice about it and decides to try to get her location.  She is not used to climbing as she tries to scale the wall of a tipped over building.  From up here she can just make out a marshy area.  Possibly where the Hydra was and thus her friends.  She also sees a large statue.  It is a sitting figure that sits possibly 50 feet high.  If it stood up it would surpass 100ft in height!

Deciding to check this first, she wills her winged boots to lift her and carry her to the statue.  It is an image of a tall but large framed man in robes.  A headpiece suggests he followed a god from a world she can not remember now.  Suddenly a sharp pain emits from her leg.  Even as she looks down something flies by her torso and strikes the statue in the chest.  An arrow!

The arrow has gone into her café and existed partially from the inside edge of her calf.  A green icor is on it.  Poison!

She tries to fly to the backside of the statue for cover.  Two more arrows sail by her striking the statue.  Using the statue for cover she scans for the source of the attack.  She can see nothing.  The general area where the arrows came from has the remains of a burned out building with many holes and cracks.  Piled debris and wild growth give lots of cover also.

Several minutes go by and nothing happens.  She turns to leave figuring the threat has moved on.  As she flies over a section of building with wild growth she is attacked again by a very large insect.  A reddish brown giant Preying Mantis leaps up through the growth and attacks.  Both claws hit-  one on the precise spot of the arrow that causes the arrow to wrench free and takes more flesh with it.  She screams and crashes into the growth.  The preying mantis leaps up out of the growth and works towards its new food.

Jean concentrates then releases a Lightning bolt into the creature.  The suddenness of the heat and energy makes its chitin shell crack and burst.

“Owwwwww”  is all she can express.  Her leg is badly torn up and in need of attention.  She searches her pack hoping for one last healing potion but finds none.  Then a new shadow flows over her.  A smelly humanoid figure holding a club in its hands and with a short bow on its back stands over her.

“Pretty pretty pretty thing.  My lord Chern says you must die …how is up to me.”

whack


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## megamania (May 29, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 058
“To Die Again”

Megamania jumps in on the action.  “Vander-  you stupid a**wipe--   YOU’RE MAKING IT STRONGER!!!!!!”  The Captain begins to ponder what he can do other than give orders that are being ignored.  Vander continue to swing at it.  Thick sweat begins as continues.  The sweat burns at the acid injuries.  “I…WILL…NOT…BE…DENIED!”   Jean unleashes another lightning bolt.  This one staggers the magical beast.  It howls and begins to back up back into the swampy hole it came from.  Vander follows it steps for step.

Christina pauses.  The ghost of her mother that follows her everywhere has alerted her to something traveling to them.  It is traveling invisible and incorporeal!

Vander strikes at it several more times even as Jean strikes it down another lightning bolt.  Its lifeless body slides into the black swamp water and sinks slowly.

“What is it Mom?”

= I saw a woman …dressed for combat.  Long hair and held a light mace.  She was moving behind you then hid in the rocks when I turned.  I fear she means you harm daughter =

Christina, being the only person that can see her “Mom” (her real own reality mother) is troubled by this.  “Guys-  I don’t think we are out of danger yet.”

Suddenly she hears a scream in her mind.  Christina’s mother has her head twisted back in a way that suggests it is broken.  A figure is vaguely seen beside her.  She is twisting the head and with a dagger has stabbed her in the side.  Ectoplasmic equilivant of blood is pouring out.  

Christina-  in both shock and amazement watches as her mother draws on her own special talents and attacks this assassin.  The attacking figure releases her quickly.  “Go!  Run away!-  This assassin is too dangerous for you to defend yourselves.”  She motions to conjure more energy but instead reels back and grabs at her severed incorporeal hand.  

Christina can not see the incorporeal figure of the assassin but can see her ghostly mother’s body due to their unique link.  She sees the essence grow weaker and bit by bit be torn up and cut up.  “Mother”, her intelligent and very powerful mace that carries the spirit of her mother from another reality screams to attack in Christina’s mind.  She guesses where the assassin is and swings.  A satisfactory flash of a woman being struck flashes to her view before rolling and tumbling to a battle stance.  Even as her image disappears she smiles and slowly mouths the words of  "I-will-cut-you” before leaving.

Christina turns her attention to her ghostly mother.  She is laying down and becoming less visible to her.  “I …I …it appears I …will be lea …leaving you now.  Be careful ..daughter.  Do Infiniti’s …will.  She  …will protect …you and you’re …friends.   Remember …I have always …and will forever …looooo—“


The Captain turns back, his shield still poised to defend the ranged attackers, and looks bewildered.  Christina is sobbing, her body hunched over as if holding someone.  Someone dear to her.  Jean began to settle to the ground but then stops.  She is preoccupied and distracted by something she has seen nearby.  The Captain turns back to call for Vander and Megamania to hold but Megamania is walking away sputtering about being on scout duty.  Vander just stands there, very very very still.  The acid dripping from his weapon and armor.  Visible burns on his skin smoke as the acid breaks up.

A shimmering doorway opens up beside Christina.  The Captain calls out a warning but it is too late.  A running blue skinned woman in red leather comes out of invisibility in a full rush.  She strikes Christina in a tackle and both go through the doorway.

Vander snaps out of it.  “Mind bender!”

“What?!?”

“There is a psion here attacking us.  I am unclear if it was male or female or even what race.  It trapped me within my own mind.”, looking about quickly, “Where is Jim, Jean and Christina?”

“Attacked I’m afraid.  Mentally just as you were.  We are being tricked.  I fear most for Christina.  Her mind is so …unusual.  I think she was forced to see something from her past again.  Someone that died in her arms.”

Another shimmering doorway appears and Christina steps out.  She has a black eye and a bloody nose.  “That witch won’t be bothering us anymore.”

Both the Captain and Vander look at her and then each other.  Both know that she has never used a doorway and now seems to but to their minds …that is okay.

“We better get Jim.  He is headed into a trap.”  Christina adds.  Both men shake their heads yes.  They know something is not right but can not place it.

They begin to run in the direction of Jim’s leave when Vander suddenly whirls about with his falchion trying to cleave Christina in two.

“How did you know?” She hisses!

“I do not sense the intelligence in your weapon.  Vander suddenly finds himself facing a fiendish looking ½ orc female.  It wears little but still holds a mace.  

“Come to me lover or I will punish you.”  

Vander’s face ashens.  He trembles and can not raise his arms to strike.  In a low whisper he trembles- “Ten Bites”

Suddenly a throwing shield of pure cosmic power strikes Ten Bites throwing her back.  It morphs into an image of a young man in green cotton clothes.  The name stitched on his uniform is Buckley.  “Captain Stevens-  you just nearly killed me!”

The enchanted shield returns to the Captain’s open grasp.  He only catches it by repeated reflex.  His mind is racing back.  Back to the mid 1940’s.  The two planes.  The Fireball as it erupted on the plane he had just leaped from.  The plane Buckley was in.

Buckley’s skin blackens and boils burst and smoke emits from his.  Vander finds himself in complete darkness.  The Captain, too stunned to react, stands there and stares.  Buckley …

He snaps out of it and sees Vander come out of the darkness.  He is alert and has a tight grip on his psionic falchion.  “It is still nearby.  I sense it through the lack of space and thought.”

Vander’s quick assessment and method to bypass the mental and magical trickery would have impressed the Captain but he can not help but wonder if he can trust the person before him.

The Captain feels a great surge of energy in his mind.  He knows the attacker is in his mind.  But why?  It is obvious this person can enter their minds undetected.  Why makes the presence known?  Mind games.

Vander turns to attack something to his left but a ball of metal pieces is thrown his way.  He fights instinct and doesn’t swat it away.  It would have mattered little.  It explodes and with a grinding and churning it wraps his armored body in thick iron coils.  Even with his great strength, he finds himself struggling to remain standing.  Then small cracks begin to spread out from under his two heavily laddened feet.  He looks up at her and swears.  He and the used Iron Bands of Binding fall through the thin wood and marble tiled walkway they were on.

The Captain begins to run.  He needs to find Jean and Jim.  Maybe they are still free and able to help him.
He runs into a section where a burnt Buckley is hunched over looking at runes very carefully.

“What happened?” the illusionary Buckley asks.

The Captain forces himself not to react to the ghastly figure.  He motions for Buckley to stay where he is then rushes off to a new threat.

Buckley, aka Jim Addards- the Megamania, stands up with a really annoyed look on his face.  Vander is next.  “We are under attack by a doppelganger” Vander says running by.

Jarella, the planar assassin doppelganger is beginning to enjoy herself now.


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## megamania (May 30, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 059
“The Good Samaritan Law”  

“Yes it does my pretty, pretty, pretty boy toy.”  Vander’s large armored form softens and shrinks.  A black haired, blue skinned woman dressed in red leather armor stands before him.    “Only you and Christina guessed the truth.  Christina only because of her dead mother’s aid.  I have come to respect your team Jim Addards.  You especially.  You are a survivor.  You can tap into inner warrior whenever you need to but not become trapped there like Vander.  You appreciate life like Jean.  You see its wonder and awe like Christina.  You understand honor and duty like Roger Stevens.  However you chose not to be a follower.  I respect that.  I was sent here to retrieve the very item you seek.  Also to kill your party if I can.  In spirit of the game reality we are guests within, I will not do this.  Instead-  I will allow the game to consume and destroy you instead.  Goodbye.”

“huh?”

Suddenly the burned wall gives way.  Megamania, aka Jim Addards, falls with it.  He tries to grab at anything he can but can not.  He falls into a darkened area.  A deep pit.  A    very    deep   pit.

The air whistles over his ears.  How deep can it be? He asks himself.  Remembering this world is unlike any other, he decides too deep.  He checks his belt.  Nothing of any use there.  Where is Jean when I really need her. He whines to himself.  She would fly us out.  Oops.  Not me.  I can’t fly…. 

“Baff!” he says out loud and hits his own head.  “I can fly damn it!”  The mask glows faintly through his covered eye slits.  He begins to slow down.  The air no longer whistles by his ears.  His night vision mask is however not working for him.  By calling up on his ability of Spellfire, he has begun to glow.  This glow is washing out his ability to see in the dark.

Now hovering, Megamania removes his ball cap and mask.  The glow and light he produces illuminates a balcony before him.  Looking up and down, he appears to be in a deep pit with railed balconies on the sides.  This pit was either man made or built onto at a latter date.

Deciding it would be better to conserve his energy he lands on the balcony and turns off his power.  The glow goes away faintly but in this deep darkness, the faint glow stands out.  “Damned if I do, Damned if I don’t,” he says shaking his head.  He checks the energy level on his weapon.  It is near full but with no extra clips for the near future…. He checks next if his ion charged billy club is still with him.  It is.  “Oh-Kay-Dokee-  Time to get out of here.” He says aloud.

He marks the floor by scratching in “Long Live Rock and Roll” and with a smirk he moves onward.  He hopes to find stairs leading up in this crazy round pit.  Bad memories of the Bleakstone Tower of Styxville cross his mind.  Though no where as deep, it was similar in design.  Glass encased elevators went up and down inside and outside the small skyscraper.  He suspected he would find no elevators here.  

In time he does find some stairs and begins to climb them.  Level by level.  After ten minutes and his thighs and calves begging for no more he begins to count the layers.  Between 35 and 36 he thinks he heard something.  Slowing down and pausing at the base of each stairway, he is quite certain he is not alone by level 40.  At level 42 he discovers the cause.  A body.

The thin human with long pointed ears in dressed in boiled leather.  His leg is broken and has many bad cuts and deep bruises.  He seems unable to breathe and looks at Jim like he is a devil.  The man gurgles and wheezes at him weakly.  Jim looks at him uncertainly.  The man stiffens and passes out.

“Crap!”

He immediately checks him over what injuries he has.  “ABC Dude!  ABC.”  Jim checks the airways.  There appears to be nothing blocking his Airway.  Breathing.  Nope.  Circulation.  Jim pulls off his leather glove and checks for a pulse.  “Dammit!”

He pinches the strange man’s nose and pulls back the back by the chin.  He checks for the air going in which it does as he breathes in twice.  “Dude- you better be a good guy- I’d hate to have to kill you after doing this crap!”  The leather armor restricts Jim’s ability to do CPR.  He is ready to cut it open when he spots the tie cords and scraps.  He quickly yanks these free and feels for the sternum base.  He notices the guy’s frame is more slender than originally thought.  He hopes he doesn’t break the bones doing this.  Squaring his shoulders he begins his 15 compressions …cursing as only Jim can the whole time.

Unseen by him, a figure watches him from the other side.  A slender figure in similar design and markings.  The figure tenses up fearing the figure with glowing hands and head is killing or worse the elf before him.  The figure begins to move over quickly once it is clear something is wrong with the elf before him.

Jim finishes his four sets of compressions and rescue breathing and checks again for circulation.  “Ah for crying out loud ya bastard!”  He moves to the chest to begin again when suddenly two leather boots appear before him. “oops” he thinks.

“You are no cleric …at least of Corellon.  Stand aside and allow a true cleric to aid  Faejahhal.”

Jim, himself tied from climbing the stairs then administering CPR falls back.  Another slender human with pointed ears.  Female he thinks but is uncertain due to the armor.  He watches as the hands check Faejahhal’s face, eyes, neck then ribs and the leg.  “He stopped breathing- no good to fix a leg if the man ain’t breathing.”  She looks up in annoyance and returns to the head and chest.  Thinking they need an AED unit, Jim decides to try something.  He thinks about a short magical burst to emit from his hands.  He hopes the magic of Spellfire is like an electrical charge.

He leans over blocking her view and places a hand under the collarbone and another on the ribs across the body and wills a short burst.  Energy does release but not as he intended.  The energy washes over him.  It seems to raise the body.   A deep gasp escapes from his body and Faejahhal’s eyes shoot open.  The cleric of Corellon is quick to direct Jim’s actions.  She tries her best to direct how to weave the healing energies.  When Jim is done and exhausted.  The glow is leaving his skin and he collapses.  The female picks up from where he left off completing the reset of the leg and healing it.  

Jim passes out.

He is unclear how long it has been when awakens but he is not where he was before.  The light is faint.  He guesses they are closer to the top of the pit since he can see a dime sized hole above of light.  Possibly where he fell through.  The two slender humans are talking.  Jim is uncertain if they know or care he understands them.  His combat vest has been removed along with his weapons.

Understandable he thinks.  These two were together before.  Maybe even teammates for this sick game.  He was a wildcard.  His actions were honorable but properly clumsy to them and their own standards.  Then he spots something.  A gem or crystal.  It is floating and moving its flat surface between them and Jim.  They are being observed and “telecast”.  

“Sick freak” Jim whispers and he picks up a pebble and flicks it at the crystal.  It misses but the crystal spins and moves in closer to Jim.  Jim gives it the universal salute of discontent before trying to stand up.  “Omp!”  A cord was tied to restrain him.  He pops it free but now the others are moving to him.   

“I am Jim.  I come from a galaxy far far away.”   The two look at him in uncertainty.  He hopes they understand him.  If not, this is going to be a looong day after all.

“I am Celion and this is Faejahhal.  We are in your service.”

Jim notes their slender bodies and slender cheek structure.  Their pointed ears and light frame.  He realizes they are not human …at least not as much as he is.  It’s not a job- it’s an adventure he quips to himself.


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## megamania (May 30, 2004)

For those that are curious-  I have posted Jarella's stats and those of future combatants on my Rogue's Gallery Link found Below.

Jarella a Doppleganger Psion Rogue Assassin

Squint a Dromite Psy War Elocater 

Ti-lenna a 1/2 Ogress Fighter with a Spiked Chain

Feel free to comment

Others that are there are the five Champions of Infiniti, Maestro, Jaws of Sorrow and the Black Witch.  oh- and folks from my Darksun SH


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## megamania (May 31, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 060 
“Don’t P O the DM”

DM Shelly was out for a quick “break”.  DM Blackblood was furious but just as excited as the planar viewers.  No one had defeated his pet Hydra before-  NO ONE.  DM Furi was oddly silent.  He was viewing the strange rogue known as Jim, Jim Addards, Megamania or Pathfinder.  He seemed awed and scared by his abilities to fly and heal.  DM Nomadis took it all in.  He took everything in.

There were six teams originally then came this group of planar travelers.  The groups carried on as expected.  They fought creatures, traps, other teams and on one occasion- between themselves.  The Orcs were tricked by a doppelganger.  The same doppelganger that attacked the gatecrashers.  This game was unique.  It was on the verge of being out of control.  Somehow Nomadis found this exciting.  The outcome was no longer certain.

“The Hunters.” He said in a quiet and mono-toned voice.

DM Blackblood grunted an approval without turning away from his viewing crystal.  The tentacles that grew from under his chin twitched and were the only sign of emotion given.

DM Furi showed a fanged tooth.  “It will do no good.  I smell divine intervention Nomadis.  These are no ordinary warriors.”  He ignores the crystals showing the survivors of the teams.  He only watches the rogue.

DM Shelly was still missing.  It was not like her to be gone for long.  She loved The World Below.  Loved it beyond reasonable cause.  Nomadis suspected they would see her again …soon.

“The Hunters.” Nomadis repeated.  “We should send in the Hunters.”

DM Furi stares with his one large eye at the scene.  “The gods are not suppose to be here.  I think a new game is needed.”

“A new game?” asks Nomadis sensing what he has in mind.

“Instead of each team against the other, he have these invaders from elsewhere battle all.  Give special incentives.  Magic is always a plus.”  He slowly rotates his large round body to face the other two.  “I think this demands for it.  If only to send a message.”

DM Blackblood, his skin all black and crusty, scratches at some irritation.  Finding it, he puts it into his mouth.  Smoke and vapors rise as he digests the irritation.  “The entire World Below against them.  Direct all traps, citizens and the other teams against them.”

DM Nomadis thinks about it.  For the first time ever in the known and printed history of this enterprise he is about to cheat.  He could not spin it as bending a rule or two.  No, they were going to break the rules outright.  “Let it be done.”


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## megamania (May 31, 2004)

Posted two more "Hunters"

Ballista
 1/2 Dragon Lizardfolk Barbarian

Lethal Lita of Lolth
Drow Cleric of Lolth


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## megamania (Jun 6, 2004)

looking to update tonight or tommorrow morning before work


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Jun 7, 2004)

megamania said:
			
		

> looking to update tonight or tommorrow morning before work




I will have to remember to get online tomorrow then!


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## megamania (Jun 7, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 061
“The Bridge”

Vander paused as he looked at the great expanse before him.  A deep crack split The World Below in half.  Blackish red mist was all he could see at the bottom.  Pillars of rough stone shut up from the mist to roughly the same height as the ground he stood on.  The device he wore that tracked the others showed three were on the other side.  The fourth was not shown.  He hoped this was not a bad thing but suspected otherwise.  

Behind him, followed a small floating crystal.  He had not seen it.  The DMs decided to pull back from these strangers for now.  The time to present themselves was not now.  Later …when the Hunters arrived.
Still, they monitored everything he and the others did.  They hoped to find weaknesses or points of dramatic tendencies to exploit for their viewers.

Vander, silent and still surveyed the land on both sides.  Something caught his eye to his right and he looked closer.  A strange narrow bridge of some sort criss-crossed over the mists from pillar of stone to pillar of stone.  He was uncertain if it reached either side.  Still, it was an option.  The only option before him now. 

There appeared to a path to follow.  He was uneasy about this.  In his armor, a path would be good but this meant others traveled here also.  So far, this was not a good thing.  He had not taken the time to see if the mind bender still lived or pursued him.  He just needed to get out of there and wear his armor and wield his weapon again.  Perhaps it was time to slow down and decern his situation.

He looked around and saw no tracks or signs of recent use.  The path followed the mist filled crater to his left and right.  His most of his companions were on the other side.  One was not showing at all.  He could not figure out where the artifact was without Christina or Jean’s help.  He could not fly over the wide crack.  The bridge was his only option.  

Pausing again, he knelt on the ground and began to touch some of the stones loose in the path.  His psionic-empowered gloves began to communicate with the rubble.  It asked who was here last and what were they.  Little came back.  Vander picked up broken pieces of information.  The rubble could tell him little he could not figure out on his own.  The gloves were more for personal items than lose debris.  But the gloves did show brief images of a tall black creature with thick claws and red eyes.  This creature traveled here often.

It took nearly twenty minutes to find the bridge’s beginning point.  It was a strangely molded or somewhat natural rock formation with wood attached on the sides to give it a different appearance and at times shield walkers from the winds that blew here.  A large arch made from stone; plaster and old vines held a sign.  Vander could not make out most of it.  His language skills were not his strongest point after all.  Taking a deep breath and letting it out sharply, he put on his grim face of determination and took his first steps.

Somewhere in the multi-verse, a rich and decadent merchant with a station in Sigil watched with amusement.  The strong and massive warrior was walking across Garretzarrean’s Bridge.  It had a creature on it that patrolled the area.  A daemon of some sorts.  A Cacodaemon if he remembered correctly.  There were other dangers also but a Cacodaemon …the merchant put his potent drink aside and shoved the woman that was at his feet away to lean into his viewing crystal…..

Vander was on full alert.  He was uncertain if the whipping winds were moving the vines or if they wiggled on their own.  He wished not to know.  The bridge was becoming very narrow now.  It was 20 feet wide at the beginning but now was nearing 10 feet wide.  It had stopped having a slight incline and was now falling to the pillar that stood about 500 feet away.  He walked down the center fearing the vines and the view.  He was never one for heights either.

Occasional moans or hisses could be heard.  Their origins unknown and ignored as Vander continued across.  This was not a place he liked.

Finally he reached the first pillar.  There was another arch over head.  Carved into it were gargoyles.  He was uncertain if they were protectors or guardians.  Either way he needed to go on.  A large stone building stood in his way.  There was no way to avoid going through it.  Looking up, he saw narrow slits for archers or psions to attack through.  It was highly defensive in nature.  The dwarven King Rkard would have been proud.  

He went inside.  Diluted light shown from the exit a mere 50 foot away.  Vander moved slowly and watched the shadows.  His ectoplasmic skin twitched under his armor as it reflected his anxiety.  His last few steps to get out of the shadows were quick and long.  He never looked back.  Just as well.  

The winds picked up and howled now.  The vines looked as if they were trying to hold on in some points.  He noticed cracks in the walls and on the bridge in general.  As he reached the top of this tall bridge he saw he had possibly a mile to walk even though he was a mere 1000 feet from the other side.  The bridges followed pillar to pillar taking the shortest routes it could.  He noticed one pillar that was not built onto.  Something had built a nest on it.  Something big and dragon like.  Now he was forced to look side to side.  What if a Wyvern or some true dragon was to attack him here.  He was in no position to defend himself correctly.  He would either be ripped apart on the bridge or caste over the edge into the red mists below.

This next pillar had another stone building also.  As he entered he was sure he heard something moving in the shadows but saw nothing.  Moving onward, he missed the glowing red eyes that angrily peered at him from the shadows on the ceiling.

He continued on, walking over the dried blood that he didn’t see since he kept looking at the nest on the far pillar.  Something was inside that nest.  He was certain of it.  Then near the highest point of this expanse between pillars he spotted something on the floor.  A coin.

Taking the time of using his gloves, he tries to read the coin.  A human.  A human last held it.  A few moments later he sees the human.  A thief of sorts.  He was flipping the coin in nervousness.  He ……

“Hello good fellow-  what brings you to this lonely and dreary bridge?”

Vander rolls to his side and rises with his hands on the grip of his falchion.  The coin falls then begins to roll and bounce away from Vander down the opposite slope.  A soft leather boot stops it.  A slender hand reaches down and picks it up.  The very human whom dropped it before!

“I am Douglas of Verses.  Who may you be?” he asks politely. Vander listens and holds his weapon.  Being in its sheath it has not yet begun to sing psionically.

Vander looks the man over.  He is slim yet athletic.  His smile is charming and his stance is welcoming.  Vander sees nothing to cause alarm but he was never one to trust anyone.  Especially a stranger.  Especially a stranger on this bridge of all places.

“I must go.  Have a good day Douglas.” Vander says with a tone that implies the need to go.  Vander begins to move to Douglas’ side but Douglas steps with him blocking his way across the 10-foot width of the bridge.

“Why the hurry?  Most certainly there is no need to be rude.”  He says with a sparkling smile and sincere eyes.

Vander’s only reply is a low animalistic growl complete with barred teeth.

The meek human’s appearance begins to warp and bleed.  He grows to seven feet in height.  His features darken and become more massive.  His nose retreats into his black face lit by glowing red eyes.  Large white sharp and mis-shaped teeth form where lips once were.

“There is a toll to cross this bridge.  In your case, that toll will be… your life.”

The Cacodaemon’s mind is filled by the sounds of rushing energy as Vander pulls on his weapon.



“I hope we don’t lose that one.  I paid a steep price for his services from an Oinodaemon” laments a DM under his breath.


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## megamania (Jun 13, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 062
“The Blue Death”

The Captain successfully avoided the lightning discharge from the Blue Death but failed to avoid the next attack.  The blue dragon flapped its large wings hard.  It did not wish to fly but only to disturb the lose dust and dirt.  The Captain’s shield could block only so much of this.  His eyes blinking against his will he backed up to a doorway and fled inside.  The Blue Death cocked its head and harrumphed with a slight electric sparkle.

He dropped to his four feet and began to walk across the courtyard.  He mindlessly stepped on the dead gnolls with little thought.  “Oh no.  The sly human has run away and I can’t find him in these ruins.” The Blue Death sarcastically says.    As he reaches the doorway, preparing to breathe into it with all of its might, the Captain strikes.  Unfortunately for him, Blue had heard him climbing inside to attack from above.

The Captain reaches back to throw his shield when the lightning arcs up and strikes him.  The armor he wears burns his skin as the lightning heats it and arcs through his body.  The Captain finishes his throw however.  The shield strikes Blue hard but ricochets away.  Not understanding or expecting part of its enchantment, he is unexpected by the following strike which strikes an eye.  The shield bounces around two more times before returning to the Captain’s trembling hand.

“Rarrrgh!  What magics are these!” Blue Death snarls with blood pouring from its one damaged eye.  “I will add that weapon to my treasure once I tear it from your burned body!”  The Dragon now begins to flap its wings to rise from the ground.

“Ugh”, moans the smoking WWII veteran soldier.  The Captain climbs to his feet using his shield for support.  He quickly thinks about lightning and electricity since THIS dragon seems to be electrical- not fire.  Maybe that’s why it is blue instead of green he figures in ignorance.  Hearing the dragon’s wings again, the Captain begins to move to the back of the ruined building.

The plastered wall begins to shatter and explode as a new line of white lightning tore through the outer walls.  The Captain shielded himself as he ran down the stone steps and exited out the back door.  The shadow of the Blue Death fell over him quickly.  He ran into a new building looking to avoid a flyby attack of any kind.  The Blue Death cursed in Draconic and passed by before landing nearby.

The Captain throws his magical artifact again.  The shield strikes the Dragon four times as it bounces and returns at the dragon just as hard as before.  Scales are cracking and the dragon is in pain.  How can this base human do this?  A new blast of lightning strikes the Captain throwing him back and off his feet with his shield intact.  The shield absorbed much of the impact and power of the discharge this time.  Still, the Captain is in a great deal of pain as the electrical burns are causing his skin to blister and his heart to pump irregularly.

The Captain spots a deep crack in the ground and tries to move silently into it.  The Blue Death knows this area and smiles as only a dragon can.  It slowly picks up a stone and begins to hum a strange tone.  It walks to the hole and waves one clawed paw over the stone held by the other.  It then gently lets go of it as it drops into the hole.  The entire time it smiles at it’s own great amusement.

The Captain drops into the hole hoping for cover and to find a secret exit.  No such thing.  Instead he finds himself in a roughly cone shaped hole.  A trap.  Worse, hearing the talons and tail above scrapping near the surface, the Captain realizes it is a trap made by the Dragon.  He looks up and seems a small stone drop from the top.  Halfway down he suddenly sees nothing at all.  Even his thick leather and metal gloves can not be seen before his eyes.  His combat reflections act even as he realizes what is next.  He directs his shield up for any incoming electrical attack.  Due to the shape of the pit, he can not know for sure where the dragon is above but the dragon knows exactly where he is in this magical darkness.

The Captain braces himself for the expected attack but nothing happens.

He waits still with his shield held high in protection.

Nothing.

Then, in his own voice, he hears himself say from above-  “arms tired yet human?  I suspect you have been holding that marvelous and beautiful shield high for protection for some time now.”  The voice sounds like the Captains but the tone is unmistakably cold and devoid of emotion.  “Your shield …it defies logic and even any known magic I am aware of.  It is an artifact.  Am I correct?  I just LOOOVE artifacts.  I have not found any to have in a long time.  Generally the powers that are here wish for no artifacts to be brought in without their permission.  Where did you get it?”

It is the dragon’s turn to wait impatiently.  It doesn’t like it.

“I want answers!  Where did you find it?!?”

silence

The Blue Death rears up its horned head, electricity arcing from it with excitement, it lands hard and fires in a blast.  The scream of pain and the faint smell of cooked flesh (even human flesh) satisfies the scaled horror greatly.

With a great smile and sense of security, the adult wyrm asks once more in it’s softest voice it can manage (a female bard from two years ago) – “Where did you find the artifact?”


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## megamania (Jun 13, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 063
“Not for the Squeamish” 

The heat was horrible.  It had a life of it’s own.  

Jean fought it.  She knew it was not real.  It was a fever dream …right?

Before her, looking a scroll, was her father.  Her damned father!

Bahroomkahlargga …the Blue Undercurrent.

He stood there ignoring her.  She reached out for help.  Her hand was feeble and shook from the effort.  In her horror, her skin was no longer soft and smooth.  It was dry and dotted with liver spots.  Boils of dark skin appeared here and there.  Her fingernails looked yellow.

“Why” she asked but all that came out was a hoarse whisper followed by a dry cough.  The polymorphed Blue Dragon turned to her smiled.  It placed the scroll down and came over with a wand now in his hands.
“Illuminate Thee” he said in a strangely high-pitched voice.  The wand tip lit up and he used it to better look into her eyes.  “You have the fever, you have the boils, you are losing moisture.  Visions have begun.  You progress well my pretty.”

His fingers are hard and taloned.  She can barely feel them on her once smooth skin.  “where?” she begins but he closes her mouth.   

“Shoooosh” he says with a warm smile that is evil in essence in not appearance.  “Soon I may allow you to leave again.  But not yet.  I have only begun.”

It is only now she realizes that ropes bind her legs and midsection.  She tries to pull at the rope but finds herself with no strength.  Her bare skin feels hot but she is cold.  Slowly it strikes her-  she is very sick.

Why has her father done this to her?  She hates him and he disowns her but neither would harm the other.  It was their way.  Father and Daughter.  One just did not kill a blood relative.

Her vision becomes blurry.  Tears run from her dry and bloodshot eyes.  Then she passes out.

She sleeps an uneasy and restless sleep devoid of dreams or nightmares.

Three hours later she awakens.

She still feels weak but the chill has gone away.  Her mind is clearer now and she looks around with her eyes first so as not to alert anyone watching her that she is awake.  She is in a large simple room.  The bed she is on is soaked.  She has been sweating for a long time and is dehydrated.  Near her is a cart or small table with vile looking fluids inside glass jars.  A strange knife with images of misshaped humanoid faces for a handle.  Blood is on these and on the table itself.

Though she feels cold, she can not feel anything around her.  It is as if her ability to feel anything has been removed.  She now rolls her head to the side.  Her hair has become stiff and dry also.  She longs for the waters of the Nathaus Falls, which healed and retained her youth before.  She looks across the room.  A desk with several tomes and scrolls are set there.  A wand with a white crystal also.  Then not everything was a fever driven dream then.  Some of her visions were real.  She rolls her head back to the other side.  A door and several buckets are there.  A large image of a body cut open hangs on the wall.  Fear grips her.  

She looks down at her feet now.  The horror makes her scream.

Her breasts are no longer full and large.  In fact, her left one has been removed.  Deep cuts along her stomach and chest has been sown up.  No blood seeps from these grievous wounds.  Her entire body is pale and yellow.  Her toenails are yellow and thick.  She continues to scream.

She is still screaming when the door is hurriedly opened.  

“oh-good-  I feared I lost her ability to speak with the slip of the knife.”


Jean the Storm wielder, lover of nature and everything good and beautiful, was now undead.


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## megamania (Jun 13, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 064
“6th  Member”

She walked with grace and speed in a humble way.  In her hands were two books.  One was entitled the Reality Cores and the other was the World of Eberron.  She had been reading these and studying.  It looked poorly for her teammates.  The Tattooed Man’s agents were better organized and prepared for the battle.  In short- they were winning.

She paused at the bottom of a 15ft ladder that could allow her to reach the upper levels and shelves for books.  She stepped onto it and held on with a firm grip as she whistled a short tune.  The runes magically moved up the ladder bringing her up slowly.  She whistled a short tune that stopped it then a new tune to move the entire ladder to the right.  She stopped and reached for a book entitled Caldonia.  She gripped this book with the other two and slowly descended to the floor again with a new soft whistle.

Infiniti had spoken to her in her dreams.  Something horrible was happening to the team and soon, to her.  She needed to do several things before anything else happened.  The sixth member was needed.  She was to be from Caldonia, the Core no less.  

She sat down at her lit desk and padded chair and began to thumb through the books.  The book of Reality Cores was about how to travel between planes and alternate realities.  The contents changed daily through divine magic and will of Infiniti.  The Eberron book showed images of metal warriors with noble souls on the frontlines of a great and dark war.  She stared at the image then put it aside.  It was the third book she needed now.  Caldonia.

It was world much like Eberron.  Recent world strife located on islands with great rifts in the islands.  Tectonic activity she remembered it being called.  She looked for the chapter labeled “The Middle Lands” and looked it up.  This large island was largely forested and guarded by the elves of the world.  These druids were very serious about their island and the protection of it.  The island to the left was Caldonia.  It was largely a human controlled island.  They respected the elven druids except for some of the merchants.  To the right were the Broken Lands.  Orcs, Goblins and other devolved humanoids lived within this mangroo grove that stretched hundreds of miles.

The person she sought lived on the open but shallow seas of the world.  She hired herself out as a protector and adventurer. The time of her “death” was to be when she was visiting the druids during a holy ritual.  Forces of darkness tried to destroy the great “Purity of Life Trees” which were seeding.  These seeds would be cultivated by the druids and in time sprout to become beings of pure light and good.  She died protecting them.

Teresa finished reading about the time and place before getting up.  She had much to prepare before she arrived.


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## megamania (Jun 13, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 065
“Vander on the Bridge; Vander’s last Stand”

Vander snarls at the shape-shifting Daemon that guards the long and narrow bridge.  His powerful falchion strikes the creature and slices it up.  The daemon’s lidless eyes stare in disbelief (as did mine when I started this battle) as it loses first an arm then a large section of chest and finally it’s black heart is burst.

Vander stares at the creature and moves on stepping over the black skinned creature.

DM Blackblood is speechless.  It was so easy.  Too easy.

Viewers cheer on Vander.  Some mistaken him as a paladin of Kord, others of Hextor.

Vander is near the last stone pillar when he stops.  His uncanny warrior senses alert him to danger.  Something is gravely wrong.  Something or someone is within this last shelter.

He stops and holds a defensive pose that can be offensive with but a flick of his thick wrists.  “Come out creature of the bridge.  Come out so that I may see you.”  His voice beckons no argument.

His answer comes in the form of a psionic assault.  He hears and feels nothing.  The world seems to move in slow motion as ripples of pure psionic force rip into his mind.  His psionic ectoskin reels and peals in the surge of will and the way.  Vander stumbles back, the world going gray before him. He drops to a knee heavily.  His armor chips the stone under him. He has never felt anything like this before and may never again.

A tall and thin figure steps out from the deep and dark shadows.  Her bulbous eyes and rubbery head looks pale in comparison.  Her tentacles wave in eagerness.  It has been a long time since she ate a psionic brain.  DM Shelly is nearly giggly as she tries to lift his armored body.  His helmet resists her probes from her feeding tentacles.

She is forced to work on the ties of the helmet first.  The tall fins on it block her vision and in frustration she drops his head to the ground and moves to straddle him instead.  He grunts in response to the violent shock to his head.  She gets the helmet off and finds his ectoplasmic skin protects him even in his stunned condition.  She mentally calls to the skin and it slowly resists it’s programming and removes itself from his head.  Her hands shake as she brings his now unprotected head towards her mouth.  At that moment, his eyes snap open.  The tentacles latch on and her hard beak like mouth strikes his head …hard.  Even as she did this, he reaches up with his strong gloved hand and grabs her throat.

Blood pours from the deep gash in his head.  The Mindflayer has broken his skull but not his grip.  He squeezes mightily and the Mindflayer finds herself unable to finish the fatal blow.  

“I defy you.”


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Jun 14, 2004)

Wow, and I only expected one update!
Superb writing, as always.

Most sympathy for Jean- fist raised in salute for Vander.
The Captain must have failed an Int role...

"DM Shelly was out for a quick “break”."
Subtle foreshadowing- I take it this would normally be against the World Below rules?


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## megamania (Jun 14, 2004)

Look_a_Unicorn said:
			
		

> Wow, and I only expected one update!
> Superb writing, as always.




Thankyou.  I got on a roll.



> Most sympathy for Jean- fist raised in salute for Vander.
> The Captain must have failed an Int role...




This is to be the "darkest hour" moments.  Hate to say it, but I'm far from done.  Yeah-  This was the one thing that Jean would be the most mortified of so-  there we are.  Vander...down but not out.  Althought I'm sure you noted his "I defy you." was not in caps.  He is losing it.  The Captain failed twice.  He failed his Spot (what kind of hole it was- natural or creature-made and an INT check which was a surprise to me but hey- a three rolled is a three rolled.



> "DM Shelly was out for a quick “break”."
> Subtle foreshadowing- I take it this would normally be against the World Below rules?




Yes.  DM Nomadis suspected it and allowed it but whether he will use it against her remains to be seen especially since that would be a story hour of theirs-  not the faltering Strikeforce.

I had planned a sixth member but it may be where I need more...oops.  By the way-  no one has asked about Christina yet ....I wonder what happened to her?

Hoping to do more on Wednesday but now I am restarting Under a Darksun also so my Storyhour time will be split by two once I get started.

PS-  Dosen't look like I'm going to be using my Hunters....maybe the next adventure


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## megamania (Jun 14, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 066
“Jim’s Luck”

Jim Addards.

Lil’ Jimmy

Cop-son

Private Addards

Megamania.

Pathfinder.

Traitor

Morituri

And now …one who walks with elves.

Titles.  All are titles or names he has had through his life.  Jim has always had a way of collecting them.  He has had more but these have always stuck.  He hopes the elven one doesn’t.

Celion and Faejahhal are elves that came here in pursuit of a group of Orc marauders that destroyed their village and area.  They knew something was wrong when one of these orcs were found dead by them before the game started yet at game start, there he was spitting on the viewers along with his comrades.  Once inside, they ran into a Wyvern that spit goo that froze on contact and finally they went underground when they found the Orcs had fallen into a trap that lead to an Underground river.  During this river trip, they were attacked and nearly wiped out by a Beholder (the **** is a beholder?).  That was when I arrived to save Fae.  

Can you believe that- a guy that wants to be referred to a Fay.  Could he be …. Naw.

“Based on what you have told us, you were ambushed near the Bridge.  That is where we will go first.”

“hum?  Oh yeah. Yeah the bridge.” Answers Jim as he comes out of his deep thoughts.  Jim is following between the two elves through a path of sorts that leads to the bridge.  Jim can not help but to note Celion stares at him at times.  He finds her too young for his liking (unknown to him she is over 120 years old- she just looks 14).  

“Your aura is quite unique Jim.”  She finally adds.

“My aura?”

“Yes, it is a gift of mine from Corellon.  I can read one’s aura.  Yours is one that is in conflict.  I have never seen one such as it.”

Fae stops knowing she will want to finish this subject before going on.  It is quirk he both loves and hates in her nature.

“I see protector.  That is your strongest trait.  But I see the trickster also.  The Trickster has several sub-types.  Yours is of luck.  You are a lucky man in general but that bad-luck needs to go somewhere.  It builds up then is released.  Sometimes on you, other times on those you wish to protect.”

Unknown to her, these words pain Jim greatly.  He is well aware of how those he loves tend to be hurt by him or his job.

“Then there is this pure white aura.  I have seen it but once.”  She pauses to build interest.  Fae raises an arched eyebrow and Jim's expression is largely hidden still by his facemask.

“You have the color of an avatar.”

“Ava- who?!?” Jim says scratching his head in faked confusion.  He knows what she speaks of.  He was supposed to be the “chosen one” to rid the world of a great unnatural evil.  He was born with gifts to do this, luck being but one.

“You are touched by a god.  A god not known to me thus of Faerun either.  But a god still.”

“I hope it was good touch.” And Jim turns around to begin climbing again.  This subject-  gods, faith and him bother him to talk about.

Fae looks at his betrothed.  He knows she means no harm but has noticed Jim’s aversion to the subject.

Jim gives a quick “Lookie-here” once at the top.

A large crack has split the city in two. Dark red mist rises from the bottom.  Several pillars of stone stand like lost sentinels.  It appears they hold bridges up to cross.  Jim can see a large creature, a winged creature, fly in and out of the mist.  If he didn’t know better, he would swear it was a mythical dragon.  “Smog”

“Smog?” asks Fae as he reaches the top.  

“Yeah- pollution and also a reference to Tolkien.”  Jim says then wishes he had not.  Seeing at how they are elves, they undoubtedly believe in dragons also.

Celion pushes a glass ball onto her forehead.  It seems to meld in and then glow.  Jim looks away quickly in disgust and discomfort.  “Your one ally- he is a large man carrying a very large sword?”

“Uh- yeah” answering what he thought he explained well enough.

“He is walking on the bridge towards our side.”

Under his mask, Jim smiles wide and true.


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## megamania (Jun 20, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE:  MORITURI
SEGMENT 067
“So close Yet So Far”

“What is this thing?” hollers Megamania.

Looking confused at the need of identification, the elves look from each other and shout to him-  “Giant Dire Bat!”

Acting like his feeling were hurt, he pulls out his energy gun and nonchalantly shots through the wing and it plummets into the red mist which swallow it up greedily.  Both elves stare with open mouths.

“What a strange weapon you have.  Is it magic?”  asks Celion.

“American” answers Jim putting it back into the holster hidden under his torso protector.  

They continue onto the bridge.  Jim is unhappy with the red mists.  He doesn’t want to know if it’s magic, cursed or just red.  He just wants to get Vander then the others.  The artifact is even less important to him.

They find Vander kneeling on the bridge with his helmet at his side.  Jim’s heart jumps into his throat.  Disbelieving and hoping he is just resting, he runs up to his friend.  His dead and brainless friend.


The Blue Death snorted and sparked in frustration.  This damned human was holding him off still!  Would he never tire?  Would his shield never tire from the endless lightning strikes?  Perhaps this is why the Blue Death did not notice a new threat.  

The World Below Goblins loved dragon egg stew.  Whenever they found a nest, they dropped all activities to get an egg.  They have discovered Blue Death’s nest and have waited very patiently for the last two days for a chance to rush the building where the nest was and procure an egg or two.

The Blue Death suddenly realized its mistake as an egg is dropped and rolls into view.  Several goblins come after the egg then stop as the shadow of an angry adult blue dragon falls over them.  It is forced to attack with its talons since its breath weapon is currently burned out fighting the infernal gnat in the hole.

The Captain is uncertain what has happened.  Though his hair is still on end and bits of static electricity arch around him still, he has not been fired on for several moments now.  He looks up and sees nothing.  Only the open and very inviting air above.  The walls of the hole are charred and cracked from the lightning.  Though there are not many, they are handholds now to climb on.

Blue Death finishes the last of the annoying goblins just in time to see the Captain climb out and roll into cover.  Holding its unhatched egg, Blue Death decides to eat the doppelganger instead of the human and goes back to see if the goblins harmed any other eggs or worse- took any goodies from its treasure.


“Can the priestess of Infiniti resurrect your friend?”

“Huh?” replies a disgusted Megamania.

The armor has been taken off of Vander and carried by Celion.  Fae and Jim carry the lifeless body of Vander.  He had never thought of anything like that.  He was just going by the US Ranger code of never leave a teammate behind.  With new energy, Jim hefts the massive body higher and they continue on.  Jim is trying to “wander” towards his friends using the crystal he has.  The problem is- his Spellfire powers are messing with it.  Unknown to him, his is psionically charged vs magical.  He doesn’t feed off of it as well but he does effect it.  He basically dispels it.

He is watching also a tower in a section of city coming up.  He is guessing that is where Jean is but is uncertain.  Its time like these he hates his spellfire abilities.  He can’t even find Christina on the gem.  There are only two three dots.  His, The Captains and a flickering one that should be Jean.

He stops.

Vander and Christina are both not on the gem.  Vander is dead.  Is ……?

His facemask becomes moist around the eyes and checks as they restart their quest.


Jean locates most of her goods and clothes.  She also has found a mirror.   Bad.

She looks similar to a zombie or dehydrated creature.  Her skin is tight to her bones.  Her once full chest now has but one breast and it is lost in the folds of her satin top.  She would cry if her could.  She wants to find the creature that did this to her.  She wants it dead.


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## megamania (Jun 27, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE:  MORITURI
SEGMENT 068
“ The Team Reunited …Minus One”

The Ogre never had a chance.

It saw a lone and injured weaponless human and thought “yumm …easy food” The dim witted Giant-kin never suspected the power of The Captain’s shield.  The first strike broke ribs and collapsed a lung leaving it wheezing and tottering on the edge of a hole.  Then the shield whirled around in mid air and struck him again and again.  The shoulder seemed to explode and even as the world went black it struck him again on the knee shattering it and causing him to fall into the hole.

The shield magically flies back to the Captain’s outstretched arm and stops even as he grasps it.  The Captain is becoming tired and depressed.  He has been walking for several hours trying to locate his teammates and the artifact.  The artifact has been on the move, which concerns him.  Does this mean they failed?  Or has a teammate gotten it?

Part of his answer is narrowed down as a familiar voice calls out to him for aid.  Megamania.  He and two slender warriors are carrying Vander and his armor.  Not a good sign suspects the Captain.  Even as fifty feet away he can see the blood and the sheer amount of it that stems from his head.

The Captain runs over and sees that Vander has died a grisly death.  His head has been crush from above and his brain removed or lost.  A ghostly look still on his face that is pale from blood loss looks up at the Captain.  Kneeling down, The Captain prays to god for and any god Vander believed in and remains kneeling there for several moments before first standing up with his head low then pretending to adjust his facemask, rubs his red eyes.  “What happened?”

“It’s how we found him” answers Megamania as if truly speaking to a General or Captain in the military.

“Mind Flayer”

“a  …mind flayer?” asks the Captain to the slim figure before him.  Looking at the warrior he realizes his mistake.  He thought both warriors were female.  The slim body type and long hair tricked him.  The figure that spoke to him was a male.

“And you are …?”

“I am Faejahhal.  This is Celion.  We are a paladin and a cleric of Corellon Larethian.  Your friend here saved my life using an unique healing technique called cee-pee-are.  We were looking for you and the others when we found Vander on the bridge.   Dead.  His injuries suggest a mind flayer attack.  I am sorry.  We do not have the means to resurrect him.  At the words of resurrection, the Captain’s eyebrows raise and image his god’s son come to mind.  This world …so strange, so very, very strange.

“Captain, my detector is not working well.  Christina is missing and Jean’s seems ..faint.  Looking down- to look at it again-  Holy ****!  The artifact is moving!  He looks up stunned to the Captain then grits his teeth.  He is really trying to control his use of colorful language around the Captain.  If it bothered him this time, it does not show.

“Okay, lets try to find Jean.  She is roughly on the way of artifact.  If an agent of the Tattooed Man does have it, we’ll need all the power we can muster and her lightning and control over weather will be very helpful.

Foregoing the original mission (for now), the two elves follow The Captain and Megamania and continue to help with Vander body.

After several hours of searching they note that Jean seems to be heading towards the artifact.  They are entering an area with tall towers made of stone with layers of wood and bark covering them.  The towers are several stories high.  Some nearly 10.  “Have you noticed that the crystals are no longer following us?”
Asks Jim aka Megamania.

“Yes but this doesn’t change things any.  We need to find Jean and the artifact.”

“You have found me but I wish none to see me.” Comes a voice from the shadows.

“Jean- is that you? Your voice is so hoarse-…” begins the Captain.  He is interrupted by the very ground trembling then cracking.

“Looking to the epic center the Captain yells for everyone to take cover.  The cracks spread out like a huge web then erupt in an explosion of rock, earth and pieces of wood.  A loud growl is heard and up out of the hole climbs out a mighty creature.  Huge and armored, it climbs out of the hole now measuring over 30ft wide.

“What in the world?”  mumbles Megamania in stunned indifference.

In its hands are two things.  A minotaur holding the required prize to win the “contest” and in the other, a blue skinned woman holding a staff.  The artifact and it is held by the shape changer that nearly killed the party through trickery and deceit.

“oh ****” The Captain lets slip.

**********For reader’s- it is an Adamantine Golem**************


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## megamania (Jul 4, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 069
“Adamantine Might”

The Golem only shudders a bit as the three blasts from Megamania’s energy gun strikes it.  Jean unleashes a large lightning bolt, which strikes but crackles around the Golem.  It is immune to her lightning!  The captain unleashes his artifact.  It strikes true in the massive chest of the Adamantine Golem.  As the Golem looks down to see what has struck it the shield whirls away and strikes it again on the arm.  The Golem, now aware of it’s attacker, tries to swat away the insect.  Though it misses, the shield swoops but only skips off two more times before returning magically to the Captain’s outstretched hand.  Fae and Celion take cover.  They know this is beyond their abilities.

The huge construct turns its attention to the Captain whom it goes to kick.  The Captain moves away keeping the golem at range.

Megamania fires away again hoping against hope against what to his mind is a giant well-armored robot.  The shots all strike its knee and discolor the armor there.  If it hurt it, it doesn’t show. Jean tries a new trick- she calls up the icy air and moisture from high in the sky and calls it to strike the Golem.  Thick ice develops on its back and arms.  The arm holding the limp minotaur becomes frozen to its side.   The Captain unleashes his shield again hoping for the power of truth and justice to guide his aim.  The shield flies true but strikes ice as it forms (rolled a natural one) and becomes incased in the ice.  The magic of the shield causes it to move to break through the ice storm before returning to the Captain. The elves ponder what to do.  Fae knows better but pulls out his bow and arrows.  Celion prepares healing spells feeling these will be in great need soon.

The Golem reaches the Captain and steps on him.  He uses his shield to brace himself but finds the great weight forces him and shield into the ground.  The Captain can feel an arm snap and several ribs go as the shield is used against him.  The Golem takes another step then turns to locate the other subject that shot it several times.  Its limited intelligence knows these gnats want what it guards and it will not relinquish it to them.

Megamania notes the shadow that over takes him and he runs for it.  It is not a wild run without reason.  He hopes to lead it to soft ground and slow it down.  Jean concentrates once more.  She is going to strike the golem with the fury of nature.  She tries to maximize the energies involved as best as she can.  Her now undead hands flak and crack as she rapidly twists and wriggles them in the arcane patterns needed.  Though the words are correct, the sweet innocent sound is replaced by a dry voice of an undead thinking zombie.  Ice and wind form around the head of the golem.  A mini but powerful blizzard has magically started.  Hail the size of large fruit pummels at it and ice several inches thick form.  The minotaur is now frozen to its hand.  Jarella, the shapechanger begins to awake as the fierce and unnatural cold creeps to her.

The elves wait for the Golem to take a few large steps away from the fallen Captain.  Fae puts down his bow and arrows to pull the shield literally out of the captain.  The shield speaks to him.  The Lawful Good essence of it speaks to the Paladin.  This human has no idea what he holds thinks the elf as he considers using and keeping the artifact.  Celion is quick to remove pieces of the scale armor from his ravaged and crushed body.  She directs her most powerful healing powers into him hoping to seal up his torn open stomach.  She fears the worse as the Captain shudders and twitches.  His body has taken a lot of damage and it is going into shock.

Megamania leaps and tumbles over pieces of broken wall and column trying to lead the golem to a patch of very wet ground.  Several Orcs are there, all wet and bloodied.  They are angry and have just only crawled out of the underground river.  The leader sees Megamania running with his head turned over his shoulder.  An easy target.  Then the wall bursts and the 30 foot tall Adamantine Golem appears.  Now becoming tired, Jean tries more ice as she substitutes electricity for cold and castes that at the golem.  The golem is immune to the direct damage but it is carrying tons of ice and snow now on its massive back and shoulders.  It is not slowing down yet but its steps are shattering the stone walk it walks on.  The Orcs scatter and become airborne as the golem steps onto one end of a column they had climbed onto.  Like a great catapult, the three surviving orcs find themselves airborne and land past the others in a wet and messy thud.  Fae can only give a quick curse of satisfaction seeing their dead bodies.  

Celion tries more healing magic.  The Captain has stopped shaking but is still very pale.  Then Fae hears something.  He hears a great and powerful voice in his mind.  His eyes go wide and kneels beside the Captain.  Celion, now too tired to stop him, leans back.  With a look of rapture and tears , he goes to Lay on Hands.  The shield glows and somehow channels positive energy to him then to the Captain.  Bones reform and torn organs nit and pump.  The adrenaline pumps fast and furious as the Captain’s own eyes open up wide.  The Rapture now spreads to him.  The armor itself begins to rethread and reattach.  The power of the gods are being channeled!

Jarella looks from the safe distance of a broken building.  She admires the efforts of the heroes.  Vander is dead.  Jean is a mockery of her beautiful body.  The Captain is nearly dead put is healing through sheer will.  What is their reward?  She will be paid a kingdom’s ransom.  They fight now …out of caring and fellowship.  She puts her head down in disgrace and dishonor then pushes the button to return to her employer with the prize.  The great staff.

It is not until the golem has sunken to its thighs that it computes its situation and how the blue humanoid has escaped with the prize it was to protect.  As close to anger as an unfeeling construct can feel, it tries to tear through the soft mud.  All it does is free space for water, which causes it to sink further.  The tons of ice begin to push it down deeper and the water freed up by melting makes the ground softer.  It is trapped  …but not destoried.

The heroes meet in a semi-circle.  Megamania goes to retrieve something that has fallen.  The flag of victory.  He brings it to the two elves and thanks them for saving the Captain.  Fae looks at the shield then at the Captain.  “I am honored to meet you.”

The Captain replies likewise and takes the outstretched shield.  It feels good to hold the shield.

“How do we leave?” asks Jean.  “Christina is gone.  She had the ability to planeshift.”

“Vander”

“What was that Jim?” asks Jean.

“Vander had a gem that was encoded for returning to home.  He should still have it on him.”

After a few moments of searching the body, they find a gem they do not know.  “How do we activate it?” asks Jim.

“Think of home.  It is psionic afterall.” Answers the Captain.  A new glint of hope in his eye.

The surviving members of the Champions of Infiniti think of home and slowly phase out of view.  The two elves are left alone as the winners of The World Below.

“The Captain is a good man.” Sighs Fae.  “He carries a means of touching the gods directly.  I ..I..I heard the voice of Corellon Larethian.  He said I would do the …right thing.”

“and you did.” Replys Celion.  “and you did.”


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Jul 7, 2004)

Could they have dealt with the golem any other way?
I think not.

Interesting byplay with the elven NPC's.


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## megamania (Jul 7, 2004)

Look_a_Unicorn said:
			
		

> Could they have dealt with the golem any other way?
> I think not.
> 
> Interesting byplay with the elven NPC's.




If Vander was still there ....who knows.  The elves were there to show the difference between Mania's thinking and fantasy's.  I also wanted a LG paladin to give further hints at the Captain's artifact.


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Jul 7, 2004)

megamania said:
			
		

> If Vander was still there ....who knows.  The elves were there to show the difference between Mania's thinking and fantasy's.  I also wanted a LG paladin to give further hints at the Captain's artifact.




Any chance of Vander coming back (well, again)?

And the insights granted by the elven perspective have been archived for later reference


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## megamania (Jul 8, 2004)

Look_a_Unicorn said:
			
		

> Any chance of Vander coming back (well, again)?
> 
> And the insights granted by the elven perspective have been archived for later reference




Vander returning?   Well, we did see four seperate versions of Christina's mother at the same time.  Anything is possible with hi-level alternate time/reality stories.   Just keep reading.

Yes-  The Captain's shield is VERY powerful if he ever excepted it for what it truely is.  Maybe in time.

Things to wrap up before taking a break from Strikeforce: Morituri

Where is Christina?
Who is the new member?
What has become of the artifacts collected by both sides?
Will the curse placed on Megamania come true and if so -how?

Stay tuned
readers-   stay tuned.......


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Jul 21, 2004)

Just a quick bump...


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## megamania (Jul 26, 2004)

Looking to update soon.  On top of the THREE Story Hours I do here, I have two jobs, family and other sorted things to do.  I have not forgotten folks here-  I just have bitten off more than I can chew as of late.


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## megamania (Jul 27, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 070
“Where is Christina?”

“Where is Christina?!?” Yells Jim.

The Captain and a reclusive Jean say little.  They too want to know.  She may have the power to revive Vander based on what the elves hinted.  But she is lost.  Teresa, the Tower’s guardian and Liberian is not here also.  

Jean stares at her dried up wrinkled skin on her hands.  Undead.  She is a disgrace to everything she believed in.  She was better off dead before she met Teresa and the others.

The Captain sits down to polish his shield.  He thinks about everything he has ever seen Teresa do before.  She always had books.  But how did she know which book to pick and where it was?  This room had possibly over a million books about the worlds and multiverse.   As he thought about it, the cosmic swirls on his shield shifted and moved.  One star seemed to shine more than the others.

Deciding to pack for a new adventure (hoping Teresa would appear and send them on their way immediately) Jim went to his room then to hers.  Within her room were potions, scrolls and a few other goods saved for emergencies.  This was an emergency.  Either ignoring the magic of it or accepting it finally, he pushed everything he could find into a bag that he knew held more than it would ever appear.

The Captain thought long and hard.  The person that kidnapped Christina seemed more intent to test them than to kill them.  She (if she was a she) seemed to take exception to Christina.  Perhaps because of her being a strong believer in Infiniti.  Either way, she did something extra with her.  Instead of leaving her somewhere within The World Below, she had her placed somewhere else.  But where?  The universe was large.  The multiverse even larger.

Out of the corner of her yellowing eye, Jean saw a beam of light.  Looking at it more she saw it led to a large map of the world they were on.  A place outside of time and space.  It was referred to as the Collective.  The beam showed an island.  The island was several hundred miles from where they were.  The light came his shield.  The Captain’s shield was giving them direction.

Direction-  to Christina or something or someone else?

Did it matter?  It would be a distraction from …her current state.

“Captain …Captain- open your eyes …I think you should see this.”


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## megamania (Sep 5, 2004)

What has happened to them?   Lets find out!  Updates coming soon.


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Sep 8, 2004)

Life can get a bit irksome with those "responsibility" things. Thanks for the update!


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## megamania (Oct 9, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 071
“The Quickest Way There”

With no means to teleport or walk between the dimensions, the three would be rescuers were forced to improvise.  Fly spells were the obvious choice.  The Captain carried Megamania whom still had no control over his Spellfire abilities.  This left Jean free to deal with any problems they may encounter.

Based on the map they were following, they had to follow the river that was nearby to its end as it reached a large bay.  The light suggested something of great importance was located on an island within the bay.  Beyond this, they had no way of knowing what was happening and what could still yet happen.  Teresa was not there to give advice.  Christina was not there to give her planar knowledge.  Vander was not there for his general support and strength.

This is NOT to say the three were eager and determined however.  Each needed something to preoccupy their minds.  Jeans had been unable to sleep since becoming undead.  She was uncertain if this could even be reversed.  She could only hope.  The Captain was still shaken by the visions of his past and specifically of his best friend and ally- Buckley.  The shield he carried also concerned him.  During all of this time he wielded it, he still had no idea what the limits of it were.  The elves suggested it was more than a shield.  The recent events of a light giving direction on a map made him uncertain.  Just what was this shield?  Jim Addards, aka Megamania, was confused in a different way.  It seemed his feelings for Christina were deeper than he originally thought.  He wanted to ignore this but could not.  He had not felt this way since Theta and that did not go very well.  Not at all.

The three of them flew towards the mountains they had seen on the map.  They traveled over a thick forest.  Many birds flew and nested within these trees.  Occasionally a clearing revealed a lake, river or farm.  They continued past it to the mountains.

The winds became stronger and cold here.  They stopped to rest and do their business before moving on.  Megamania scared up a large and tall hairy creature that he referred to as a big foot reject before shooting it.  They left quickly as howls of anger and rage began to issue forth from everywhere.

Jean found the sudden temperature change to not bother her new body.  Worse- she barely felt the wind’s push.  Her nervous system was dying and there was nothing she could do about it.

Finally they cleared the mountains and found the grasslands they were searching for.  Soon the grasslands led to a large water source.  It was either a massive lake or a bay.  Soon they found the island they were searching for.  Soon …soon they hoped to find Christina.


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## megamania (Oct 9, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 072
“…And it Gets Worse”

The large hairy humanoids snorted at the tree line.  They were impatient to stop.  The small man in red with the strange facial scars glared with his one good eye at the leaders.  He was no Gruumsh but he gained their respect.  They, the five tribe chieftains, watched this weak looking man kill the mighty Green Tongue leader with his bare hands.  This was no simple act but the fact that he never looked mad, angry, happy or even sad scared them the most.  His face was made of stone.  Still, they sensed his intense interest in the people that lived within this tower.  A Gem or Jim or something like that.  Sounded like a girl’s name to these orcs.

As the moon tore through the clouds, the man silently but impossibly quickly moved across the green yard.  He covered 500 feet within a few seconds.  Once he sensed no one was watching him, he motioned for the Two Tooth Tribe and the Braken Backers Tribe to advance.  The Crimson Trees lifted their bows.  They were ready and quite eager for this Jem and her friends (they DID think Jim was a woman) to attack or at least present themselves.

It was the Frenzies that first saw them.  They thought it was a shadow creature at first.  It was the Talon.  Vandel Boc’s personal assassins.  Vandel was hoping to catch the heroes home and at ease with his army of 250 orcs to use as distractions as his 12 talons did the real attack.

Vandel and his Talons knew two things the orcs did not.  One- the heroes were not here and Two- the tower’s magical defenses were still active.  The trained and skillful ninjas avoided any and all traps then held back.  Once the first orc was set on fire by stepping onto the stone walkway the others charged.  Over 200 orcs died in a few short but savage minutes as the tower’s defenses system was over loaded and shutdown.  The remaining orcs broke through the doors into the sleeping quarters.  They tore the rooms apart then moved onwards to the main library.

Vandel paused and looked into the rooms.  No emotion was seen on his heavily scared face or lone eye.  Not until he came into a room he recognized as being used by Jim Addards aka Megamania.  When he was contacted by his allies and informed that his arch foe was alive and well he acted quickly.  On his world, as he understood it, he had indeed killed the chosen one and beaten the celestial odds.  He was one of the few of “him” to do so.  Somehow this chaotic and unruly child always defeated him.  He was NOT going to allow this one to win in the long run.

His attention was turned when several orcs suddenly turned into stone before him.  Someone was home!

Teresa and a large ½ orc woman were standing within a smoking circle where they had just teleported in.  Each was surprised by the other.  The two women gathered their wits better than the orcs whom began to die rapidly.  The talons waited for the cue. Vandel slowly walked up to the entrance to the library.  Teresa was holding her own against the savages.  This skillful woman dispatched any that got close.  Vandel continued to watch.  He was invisible which was not fair but he was never one to quibble about fairness.

He called up his psionic energies and concentrated on the woman.  Her mind was strange.  She was from a world of dragons, magic energies and a large war.  Somehow, she broke through the planar barrier to come here from a world called Eberron.  No matter.

Now a puppet, she struck down Teresa.  Dazed and bleeding… Teresa’s last mortal sight was Vander’s empty head.  

Twenty minutes later, after the 6 surviving orcs had their way with both women’s bodies and Vander, they left the burning tower.  The Crimson Lich would not approve but he had to return to the war where the next artifact was hidden.  Once HE had the items of a god, then they would discuss power and rulership of the multiverse.

That brought a supernatural gleam to his bad eye and a sneer that was barely detectable.

Then …then ALL of the multiverse Jim Addards would die.


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Oct 10, 2004)

Wow!

Ummm who was the 1/2 orc woman? I've lost track.


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## megamania (Oct 11, 2004)

Look_a_Unicorn said:
			
		

> Wow!
> 
> Ummm who was the 1/2 orc woman? I've lost track.




Thought I had mentioned but may not have (plus it has been awhile).  Teresa, the hi cleric of Infiniti is the team organizer.  She has (had) a lot of background knowledge the others do not know.  She knew of the oncoming disasters coming and was trying to gather backup members for the Strikeforce.  She arrived with a new fighter but too late and died along with the spirit of the 1/2 orc dragon marked family member from Eberron.  

So....

to recap things a bit....

The Captain
Has a powerful artifact that has been hinted at being EXTREMELY powerful.  Until recently, he thought it was just a very well made shield.

Jean aka Stormweilder
She was poisoned/cursed by a nasty creature.  From being a person whom embraced life and mercy for the living, she has becoming a special type of undead.  Slowly her body and mind are changing into that of a zombie.  She hates herself but hopes to find a way to reverse it before its too late.

Jim Addards aka Megamania
He has come to accept magic and how his body uses it but still can not control it (assuming he ever will).  He has also come to care deeply for another party member whom may or may not be dead.

Christina of the Mace
A powerful cleric of the goddess Infiniti (goddess of the cosmic balance within the multiverse) whom has recently been kidnapped and misplaced within the multiverse by a high level doppleganger psionic assassin.  Her "natural" mother was once a ghost whom has been "killed" by the assassin.  Her two other "mothers" remain, a cat and her mace.

Vander Stormbringer
Powerful yet unbalanced psychic warrior and fighter from the world of Athas before it became barren.  He lost a battle versus a Mindflayer and had his brain removed.  The orcs may be defiling his dead body further.

Various villians-

The Crimson Lich whom appears to the leader of this group of evil guys looking to damage the multiverse by resurrecting the destroyer (oppisite number to Infiniti).  Some readers may suspect his special ties to the Strikeforce team.

Vandel Boc is a ruthless cold hearted psionic monk whom battled Megamania.  He is here strictly to kill the "boy" again since he troubled him so much.

Jarella is a hired psionic assassin that was hired to retrieve an artifact.  Instead of killing the Strikeforce members- she made it into a game which has lead to Vander's death and Jean's undeath.  It was hinted that she respects Megamania's methods, madness and charm.

Maestro is a hulking creature of pure brute strength.  He fought the team on his home world but was defeated  He was sent to kill the heroes within Ravenloft but the powers that be took control of him instead entrapping him on an island.

Basic story-
Good guys all died wrongly in their timeline or reality and are given a second chance if they help the goddess Infiniti.  Darqueness, a reality destroyer is trying to regain shape, form and power.  Through the Crimson Lich, he is having "evil" forces collect artifacts of great power that belonged to him and/or were created by him.
The heroes found the circulet on Maestro's world.  Jarella escaped with the ring on Ravenloft and now has escaped with a staff from another demi-plane referred to as the World Below.
Until recently, the "bad guys" have over looked the heroes but can not anymore.  They are becoming more aggressive and proactive.  To further this, the heroes are now on a search for their cleric and planes lore master and just had their most powerful aid removed.

...oh and Megamania was cursed in Ravenloft.  He honestly believes it will not effect him in any way or function.  hee hee...is he ever wrong but you will need to read it to believe it.

Back to the main story.


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## megamania (Oct 12, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 073
“The Forest and its Unexpected Guardian”

“I think that is the island” shouted the Captain to both Megamania and Jean.  “Those rocks look like the ones from the map.”

Before them were tall rocky cliffs with patches of fully-grown trees on cracks and paths leading up the wall.  Colorful birds, feathered and reptilian, flew about.

Jean found her sight was not as strong as it used to be.  Was it new sight or was she going blind as her eyes dried up.  She shuddered thinking about it.  She could not feel the wind or the cool air on her skin but she felt something still.  Something she had not felt in many a year.  Hatred and the need for revenge.

“There is the tower we saw.” Says Megamania as he spots it ahead of them.  They circle a few times looking for problems and a place to land.  As they do they realize it is unnaturally quiet here.

“Okay…this is weird” mumbles the spy from the 20th century.  Trying to use his powers of magic absorption, he tries to feel out magic but finds he senses none.  Whether this means there is none or he just can’t use his powers this way is uncertain to him.  But it was worth the try to him either way.

With the Fly spell nearly used up, the Captain from WWII lands quietly next to him.  His powerful shield seems alive with reflections of the moving tree branches and floating flowers.  Jean settles next to them.  Jim can not help but wonder if the nose filters of his mask are keeping out the smell of rot or if Jean simply dose not smell since it is magical in nature.  Knowing this is the last thing that should be on his mind he looks to the tower.

“Looks innocent enough.” He leans forward to take a step to the tower but The Captain stops him.

“That is what scares me.  With so much life here, why is it we hear none of it?”

Daintily Megamania removes the hand of the Captain from his shoulder and moves on.  “You worry to much.”

Three steps into it Megamania suddenly leaps back as the ground explodes in rapid short bursts as tiny metal needles are fired at him.  Following the direction of the onslaught, Megamania can a large metallic spider like robot.  No- make that several CHARGING spider like robots.

The Captain’s shield whistles by Megamania and strikes down three robots.  Jean creates a focused ice storm that fires sharp pieces of hurtling ice that breaks up more robots.  Megamania pulls out his energy pistol but waits.  He is running low on energy in this clip.  Once it’s gone, where will he recharge it?

The creatures seem to never end.  Several dozen are destroyed before the three heroes step cautiously towards the tower again.  Amazed, Megamania pushes the unlocked door open.  Then his hand glows.  He pushes on the space of the door and it resists him.  “An illusion!”  He absorbs it for later use.  It takes another ten minutes to use the combined abilities of his Spellfire and thieving abilities to find a hidden door covered with another illusion.

They go inside and find the space inside is MUCH larger than outside.  The tower was only about 40 feet at the base.  This first room is easily 75 feet long and deep.  Doors lead away and two entwined spiraling staircases lead up into the darkness above.

“wow ….where to?”


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Oct 13, 2004)

Ahhh the old memory neurons are starting to fire again. The slackers.


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## megamania (Oct 16, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 074
“Empty Rooms …Nearly Empty That Is”

“Ah Comon!  All of these rooms are empty white and boring rooms with no clues to where Chris is!” grumbles loudly Jim Addards.  He is currently within his fourth room searching for clues or a secret door.

“We can not give up.  You should not give up.” Says the Captain with a tone that beckons no rebuttal. 

Jean merely watches on with yellow and red eyes.  She worries about her friend but finds her heart is darkening.  Her care for the living is dissolving.  She has yet to admit that she is finding wasting time looking for a living person bothers her.

Four hours later, Jim is now becoming furious with frustration.  “I can’t believe this!  Its like there is nothing here to see.  It’s a video loop.  Its …….?”

“Video loop?  What is that?” asks the Captain who has heard of video but not a loop.

With an increasing smile, the US Government spy stops and seems to concentrate.  On what is uncertain to the Captain.  Jean watching passively.

“Ahhhh ..the rat bastards ….nearly worked to.”

“What nearly did?”  Asks the Captain trying to be patient with Jim and his mannerisms.

“This is an illusion.  ALL of it.  Damn powerful hocus pocus.  It is hiding my ability to feel magic but once I took time to try – I can feel it …the magic.”

“WELL DONE YOUNG TRICKSTER.  YOU HAVE SENCED THE TRUTH.  CAN YOU NOW FACE IT?”  Comes a voice from the very walls.

“Crap.  Yeah.  I saw a movie and read a few comic books of this.  Guys- this place is possessed …haunted.  Or even alive.” Says Megamania smiling.

Standing straight and trying to sound clear and confident- “Do you have our friend within this place?” Asks the Captain.

A long silence follows.

“I ask once more politely …Is Christina of The Mace within these walls?” asks the Captain.

Silence.

“Jim …..” commands the Captain without a look or complete command.

Jim touches the wall and concentrates on the magic.  His control is improving but this time the magic is alive.  It is fighting his Spellfire abilities to absorb magical energies.  The walls begin is yellow and should gray lines of stress.  Jim’s hands begin to glow.

“YOU WOULD DARE?”

Suddenly Megamania snaps back his head and grunts.   A silent scream of terror is hidden by his facemask.  He drops to his knees but never breaks contact with the walls.  His head sags and his body slumps down as if unconscience.

“Jim…?” asks the Captain reaching out with his free hand.

“NO! Step back Roger!” Yells Jean is a hoarse voice.

Jim turns.  The green visors of his mask flare with a reddish purple color.  He reaches out and releases a blast at the Captain.  His shield blocks the attack but he is forced back five feet.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh   Poooowwwwwweer!” yells the glowing Rogue.  He tries to blast as Jean but she moves away easily taking flight with her magical boots.

The images of the walls break away revealing a broken vine covered ruin instead of the beautiful and pristine tower it once was.

Glowing still, Megamania, now possessed by the spirit, begins to float.  “Are you ready to die before me?”


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## megamania (Nov 11, 2004)

Any thoughts about getting past writer's block?


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Nov 12, 2004)

Some advocate setting yourself a schedule or regular timeframe to sit down and write once an evening/week/fortnight. If you get nothing out in this time, then so be it.

I dealt with my writers block yonks ago by a complete shakeup of my activities- changed routines all over the palce, took up new hobbys/sports and dropped old ones. Got rid of that "stuck in a rut" type feeling.

The other thing that might work is to give yourself a genuine break for yoursself- a completely selfish one. Only do things you want to do, go away somewhere for a weekend alone or only with the people/person you know will understand the concept of "me time". Take it easy, crack open a beer and watch a few sunsets.
Or if you can't take the time to do any of that, just some simple meditation after work. Get home, get changed... then put on some soft music and just focus on breathing without thinking about ANYTHING for as long as you need. 15 minutes? 5? Don't get frustrated if you find yourself following lines of thought, just tell yourself "later" and let go of them.

Works for me, anyway *shrug*


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## megamania (Nov 13, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 075
“Taking Down the Mania”

“I would rather not have to do this …again….” Says the Captain as he balls up his fist to strike the now possessed rogue.  “But we can’t allow this to continue.”

Even as the Captain prepares to leap at Megamania the rogue reaches out with his hand and releases a blast of Spellfire.  The Captain’s shield easily deflects it but it stops the Captain.  Jean however, is free to act and does.  Knowing he can absorb most of her spells she decides to caste a spell that conjures up a great wind.  The wind blows onto him and forces him back and to the ground.

Protecting his face, he digs in and tries to walk against the steady wind.  Step by step he does.  His strength is being increased by the will and evil of the spirit within him.

A reverse wind effect begins.  It is colored green and purple as if tainted by the spirit’s essence.  Jean finds her spell is weakening.  

Suddenly, Jim’s head looks up to Jean as if in surprise and he stops resisting.  His body is ripped from the ground and thrown into the edge of the forest.  Many curses can be heard as his body rolls and comes to a rest against a tree.  His eyes begin to glow again.  Stiffly, he reaches to his hip pouch and withdraws his energy pistol.  

“Take cover!” The Captain yells as he swings his shield before him.  He has pulled out his primary weapon.

The zombie soars higher and flies over the trees above Megamania giving her cover.

“Run but you will not hide.  You have done me a great service undead whore.  With the boy defeated and unconscious, I AM IN CONTROL!”

“Who would that be?” Asks the Captain moving closer wondering if he could use his shield as a weapon without killing the human host.

“His name is Baatezeussus.  He is a creature most foul and evil.  Some refer to him as a Horned Devil.”

Both the possessed rogue and the Captain turn to see green eyes hidden within the tree branches.  A yellow and green fringed cat-like woman looks down.  She wears a body suit not unlike that worn by the rogue but of purple and black.  She jumps down from the tree branches and lands gracefully below.

“Shall we dance?”  She almost purrs to the possessed rogue.

He lets off three blasts of energy from the gun.  Two go wild and the other strikes an invisible field that protects her from such attacks.

“Tsk Tsk.  That is no way to make friends.”  She casts a spell that seems to Hold him.  Do not worry Captain.  I have already protected the two of you from his possession attempts.  Now we must only aid Jim Addards.”

Jean lands nearby.  Her ankles are stiffing up so it is less graceful that usual.  “Who are you?”

She pulls out something from a hidden pocket and gives a quick flick of the wrist that alarms the Captain.  She places her sunglasses on and smirks  “Back up.”


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## megamania (Nov 13, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 076
“What Makes Jim Tick?”

He opens his eyes slowly.  He has heard nothing and felt less once he came to a few moments ago.  He remembers touching the wall of the strange room within the tower and feeling a voice in his mind.  It sang to him.  Celine Dion singing to him.  He opened his mind to her and well …here he is.

He looked up and saw he was on a park bench.  NYC but it wasn’t NYC.  The Styx Tower was here.  BUILT    WHERE   THE    TWIN    TOWERS   WORE.  HE growled under his breath.  It no longer mattered where he was.  Vandal Boc was NOT going to commit this act of evil here …whereever here is.

A police officer was moving his way.  Slender and …yes the source of the voice.  He was certain of it.  Even for him, this dream was strange.

“Curfew.” She said in that beautiful and seductive voice.

Jim looked at his garb.  Why did the officer have no issue with how he was dressed?  He was in his riot gear.  Heavy metal and ceramic plating that he wore to protect himself when he knew it was going to be a shot ‘em up mission.  

“Gonna arrest me?” He says with a boyish grin hoping to be charming.

“If need be.”  

A cab drives by.  He can see Beyonce in the back seat.  She has a tattered skull face image on her shirt.

He ignores the second mental warning.

“You have best to be going young man…”

Jim sees a man in a military suit waving for a cab.  He has a large artist’s portfolio case that is oddly about 3ftx3ft.  The cab with Beyonce pulls up.  The soldier stares at him as if to judge him before he gets in.  It pulls away.  Jim notes it is the only car on the street.  

He stops thinking about the officer before him for a moment.  Another car comes by.  In the back is a woman cuffed.  She looks sad.  She looks …like Christina!

“… or do I need to take you?”  the officer says looking directly at Jim now.  Her eyes glow white and then her skin darkens and small horns tear through her uniform.  Finally, bat-like wings tear through the back of her shirt.  She strikes Jim hard and he goes down.

He awakens again.  He is in a dungeon.  One he knows well.  Styx Tower.  Vandel Boc had him here for several weeks trying to break his will.  Instead he broke his bones and finally his neck.

He senses his friends are nearby.  He senses they are in trouble.  They are in danger.  But he is trapped here.

“No.”

He stares at the walls and ceiling.  

“No.” he repeats to himself.

He looks at his bindings.  He has picked these before.  He will again.

“This is not real.  None of this is.”

Days seem to go by before anyone comes.

It is the same police officer with horns and wings.  Behind her is a man in the shadows.

As soon as the officer enters the room Jim acts.  He has already picked the lock.  He attacks and fights with the creature.  

Suddenly it is all gone.  He hears a distant howl of strong winds.  He can feel the cold and pressure on his body.  He feels his muscles tighten and pushing against the force.  He opens his eyes and sees the Captain in a protective stance.  Protective against ..him?!?  Suddenly he is air born and flies into a tree.

The winged woman has her foot on Jim’s throat.  You can not win mortal.  Not against me or my friend.  The “friend” steps out of the shadows.  He is dressed in a dark red uniform with shiny soft leather looking boots.  His face is heavily scared.  The scars issue from his face and wrap around his head.  One eye is dull white and possibly sightless.

“Hello again boy.”

“NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!” Screams Jim and he grabs the leg holding her weight and gives a sharp yank.  Unsteadied, he spins and wraps his feet before and after her foot and kicks ..hard.  He breaks her ankle and trips her up.   

“NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!” it screams.

Jim can feel the spirit being ripped out of his mind, body and soul.  He can feel their support.  His friends are here.  As is Christina.  Everything is bright and swirling before him.  He can feel his stored Spellfire releasing itself to aid him.

“There will be another day.” The possessive Baatezu snarls.  “Soon”

Jim ignores her and stares at the figure beside her.  He smiles and flips him the bird before mentally leaving the tower and reconnecting with his body fully in the forest.

He falls to his feet then to his knees and would have fallen to his face if not caught by a woman.  Christina.


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## megamania (Nov 13, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 077
“Club: Fallen and Won’t Get Up”

“Infiniti saw this.  She saw it all.  It is why I am here.  It is why you are here.  All of us.”

Still holding onto each other, Jim looks over this new member.  Sasha.  She is a cat-like person with great skills of magic and divine might.  She had visions.  She saw Vander die.  She saw Teresa die.  She saw the possession of Jim.  She saw what would happen in Acheron.  She knows all of it.

They stand around the remains of the tower.  They hope Teresa is alive but Sasha says she is not.  She does say that Vander’s body is still here.  She says that the dark forces have collected many objects of power.  They collected the ones stored here.  There is only one item remaining.  It is on Acheron.

Christina, still weak but grateful to be alive and rescued by Sasha and in part the others (whom distracted the creature that guarded her) is feeling down.  Everything she has ever believed in has been destroyed or taken away except for Infiniti and Jim.  The forces against her are growing.  Jim was nearly killed.  And gods-  what has happened to Jean?

“We need to make a stand.” Says Sasha.  She looks at Jim whom is scared.  He won’t admit it.  But he is scared.  Vandel Boc is around and hunting him.  He is part of this.  The man whom many referred to as the anti-christ.  He is alive and seeking him.

“We can’t give in to despair.”  Christina holds onto Jim.  She has lost her one mother once again.  This time forever.  She has yet to see Momma.  She fears the Orcs have gotten her.  And Infiniti is …weakening.  Her life is unraveling before her.

“We can not give up.”  The Captain looks at his shield.  The stars and moving constellations slowly swirl.  His reflect appears on it.  A tear forms within his right eye.  

Sasha fears it may be too late.  The Champions of Infiniti may already be defeated.  Long and hard quiet minutes go by.  Finally she turns her back on them.  She stiffens up then relaxes.  She begins to walk into the debris that was once their tower.  Within a few minutes time she finds the armored form of Vander.  It was largely ignored as the Orcs had their way with the two women that were here.  Teresa and the Eberron native.  Using magic she pulls the heavy form out of the debris.

Another tear forms in the Captain’s eyes.

Sasha calls out the other forms.  Jean looks at them.  Dead.  Dead like her.  She would weep if she could.

no

The leaves rustle in the light wind.

no   no   no  no 
Clouds darken and mass.  Thunder rumbles.

The Captain stands up. A new look on his face.  A look full of fierce determination and fortitude.

Rain drizzles and the thunder booms.

NO

The wind swirls and weak branches bend.  The rain comes down.

“NOOO!”

The rain washes over them.  It removes the dirt and grime.  It removes their salty tears.  It removes their blood stains.

“NO!   This is not how it goes down.  We must fight.  We must fight for Infiniti.  We must fight for the billions of lives at risk.  We must fight for those we care about.”  The Captain looks at them all.  Sasha, still with her back to them smiles.  It begins.  The end begins now.  She continues her work.

“We must fight for those we love.  We must fight for those that we lost.  We must fight for those that we loved and have lost but not forgotten.”

Jim looks hard at the Captain.

“They have tried to deter us.  They have tried to destroy us.  They have tried to pit each of us against the other but CAN NOT GIVE IN!”

The hair on Jim’s neck rises.  Something rises within him.  The part of him that is a survivor.  His soul.

“Vander died for us!  For the millions and billions of innocent souls he did not know.  Teresa died saving us.  How can we turn our backs on them?”

Christina has tears mixing with her rain covered face.  She feels it.

“Don’t you understand-   They are afraid of us.  That is why they have tried to attack us one on one.”

Jean looks at her browning fingers.  She is deep in thought.  Mindlessly she nods her head in agreement.

“TOGETHER.   Together we can stop them!  We have the ability.”

Jim stands up.  Christina stands up beside him.  

“take it to him”

Sasha nods with a forlorn look.

“He has been attacking us from the shadows.  He is using the very foes that defeated us in the past.  Together we can do this.”

Lightning seems to begin to strike everywhere in the near distance.

“We have been about the objects only.  We have totally ignored his soldiers …his pawns.”

“We need to figure out who we are facing and where the objects of power are and destroy them.” Says Christina.

Light…bright light…the brightest daylight shines around them.  They all look around to see what is happening.

The energy has formed a ball of pure white.  A slender outline of a man steps forth.  It is Sasha.  She looks tired but other wise easy.

“We will need to plan.” She says.

“Between us, there is little we do not know of the multiverse.”  Says Christine.  A new gleam within her eyes.

“I have lead armies into war.  I can lead you if you tell me what is required.”

“I have skills in gathering information and getting things.” Says Megamania.

“I have magics and the forces of nature with us.” Says Jean.

“I have a score to settle.  I want it square …NOW.”

Everyone stops and turns.

Sasha smiles and steps aside.  Through the bright light comes a large figure.  The figures walk and manner looks familiar.  Could it be?

“vander…?”  is whispered by the Champions of Infiniti.



Elsewhere….. the gaunt man watches.  His undead hands tap at the table in frustration and anger.  He knows he has little control over his generals.  If these heroes become organized ………..


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## megamania (Nov 13, 2004)

Writer's block is shattered. (at least for this Storyhour)   Let the mayhem reign!!!!!!!!


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Nov 15, 2004)

Glad to hear it!
Great updates, writers block or no.


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## megamania (Nov 17, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 078
“The Forces That Are”


Since I have not updated in a while I thought I would take a moment to break down the two sides that are competing for control of the fate of the multiverse.

The “good” guys-

INIFINTI-	Goddess of creation and divergence.  She is the one that keeps the multiverse running and allows for the “core” timeline and reality to alter.  Few know of her and she is not widely worshipped BUT she is extremely powerful due to the unlimited powers she normally has.  She has been trapped in a struggle to hold back her counter part.

TERESA-	High level cleric and direct hand of Infiniti.  It was she that organized the Champions of Infiniti and has tried to stop the “bad” guys.  Her place of operations and thus of the heroes was within a tower in the Lost Lands.  Vandel Boc and his assassins have recently killed her.

THE CAPTAIN-	From a world very close to our own.  During World War II he and his ally, Private Buckley, fought for the allied forces.  They were close to finding and defeating the Red Man’s newest and most dangerous plot.  Unknown to them, his real ploy was the discovery of magic, which was unheard of in their worlds.  Buckley was killed as well as the Captain.  The Captain was offered new life if he led the Strikeforce.  He agreed.  
He is very proper and has a 1940’s mindset of American idealism.  He had an experimental shield, which was destroyed with their encounter with a large hulking figure known as the Brute Master.  During this same battle, he found a new shield and wields it.  It has been strongly hinted at as being a very powerful artifact that allows direct contact with the gods of justice.

CHRISTINA OF THE MACE-	Christina is a high level cleric of Infiniti.  She knows planeslore and acts as a guide.  She has been aiding Infiniti for most of her life traveling through the planes often with alternate history and timelines.  She was captured and hidden by a planar assassin known as Jarella until recently.  She can be very superstitious at times and seems to have taken to the team’s rogue with an attitude- Jim Addards.
She has a unique condition.  While still on her own native plane she was cursed.  Her home was Ravenloft so this curse took on new meaning.  Everytime she visits Ravenloft of a different time and reality, she meets her mother whom then has something horrible happen to her.  Her “true” mother was a caring and watchful spirit that followed her through her adventures.  She was referred to as Mom.  Jarella destroyed her.  Another time her mother of the reality was killed but her spirit and essence was placed into a powerful mace.  This mother is referred to as Mother and is very overprotective and at times aggressive.  A third mother known as Momma was transformed into a cat then became a familiar to a powerful mage.  The mage died but she retailed her abilities.  She travels with Christina also.  She uses a special dimensional pouch to hide during times of great danger.  Recently, she met a version of her mother that was experimented on and mutated into a centipede like creature.  

JEAN-	The Storm Wielder grew up on the blue seas of Kalamar.  It has been hinted at that a dragon was the reason she left her home and lost her family.  She tried to become a thief in the city to survive but was no good at it.  She was taken in by a mage and trained in the arts of sorcery.  She had an eventful and noteworthy adventures with other adventurers until killed by the very dragon that killed her mother.  As the others, she was given the opportunity to live in the service of Infiniti and the multiverse.
She is a nature loving and protective mage that specializes in only spells that deal with weather.  Recently, she was captured and experimented on.  An undead body of a zombie is slowly replacing her beauty and positive life force.  She hates herself and what she is becoming.

VANDER  STORM BRINGER-	Vander was a mercenary Psychic Warrior during the very early stages of Athas’ Cleansing Wars.  He has seen little magic then and knew of it only being bad.  He was within a few hundred miles of the epicenter of the psionic/magic disaster that created the Deadlands.  Instead of dying, he was thrown into a rift of the realities.  He found himself in a new world that was very different in many ways from Athas but still the same.  War was brewing.  During his time here, he was exposed to an artifact called the Deck of Wondrous Things.  He found himself once more torn from one reality into another.  This time to hell.  After an unclear number of years here he was traded with a savage orc within the plane of Chaos.  Ten-bites made him wish he were back in hell.  But he did train well for war since that was the main thing to do on Acheron.  He died displeasing her.
He was brought back to life and now travels with the group as the psionic specialist and very powerful fighter.  He was killed when he fought a psionic mind flayer in one-on-one combat.  His body was returned and recently brought back to life again (conversion of 3.0 to 3.5 psionics).

JIM ADDARDS aka MEGAMANIA-	This rogue came from a world very similar to ours except for there were the start of mutants and super powered beings.  He died in the year 2003 and refers to everyday stuff as such.  His story is unique in that he served another god before without ever realizing it.  He was a very gifted person trained by the US Government to be a spy and when needed, assassin.  He was okay with this but found his life kept becoming twisted with possible cultist.  Later in life, he began to have dreams of a powerful evil leader similar to Hitler.  He became convinced he was born to kill this person to allow an age of enlightenment to begin.  It never happened.  Vandal Boc killed him.
As with the others, he came back to aid the team.  When exposed to magic for the first time he discovered he was a SpellFire Wielder.  He has taken great joy in this.
Jim is a rogue in so many ways.  He is anti-authoritative and often has conflicts with The Captain.  He is also the person that most often thinks out of the box.  He has unique solutions that often work (pure luck) in surprising ways.  While in Ravenloft, he given a curse, which he has dismissed, but Christina fears for the worst.  He is a womanizer but has found he cares for her greatly.

SASHA-	An Aural from the Oathbound World.  She is another high templar and mage that follows Infiniti.  She is new and still trying to fit in.  She is proving to be highly informative and seems to know the future and acts like it will be grim.


The “Bad” Guys

The foe that wishes to destroy all none core realities goes by many names.  He has been referred to as The Tattooed Man, The Darqueness, and The Destroyer.  It has been suggested that he was reduced to an essence with no form from a past battle. His minions were given the mission of collecting artifacts he created so that he may re-absorb his energy back to have form and thus combat Infiniti.  
He has promised power to his many generals.  Several of these generals have direct links to the heroes.

THE RED LICH-	A gaunt viewer and manipulator of others, the Red Lich was once the Red Man that The Captain battled.  He is indeed a lich and very powerful.  He avoids direct conflict with the heroes.  He has hired or coerced several conflicts for the heroes.  He appears to be the main leader of The Minions.

BRUTE MASTER-	This Ogre of enormous and unnatural strength was the first the heroes fought.  He was from a world once protected by epic level heroes but killed one by one by him.  He controlled anything and everything he saw.  He survived his first battle with the heroes and in turn nearly killed The Captain and Vander in combat.  He vowed revenge when they escaped from him.
The Red Lich offered him this chance on a whim.  He sent the green brute to Ravenloft to destroy them.  However, the powers that be overwhelmed the creature and trapped him making him into a new darklord of an island that is his prison.  He still Vows revenge.

JARRELLA-	The plane’s greatest assassin. This psionic assassin doppelganger kills with little remorse and completes her given task at any expense.  She is most dangerous when allowed to study and psionically read a foe.  She attacks physically but also mentally.  She has outwitted the team several times and as such collected several artifacts the heroes sought.
She may have a weakness however.  She has come to respect the heroes; especially the rogue Megamania.  What will mean in the future is uncertain.

VANDEL BOC-	This psionic monk assassin has joined the Red Lich if only to kill Megamania.  His hatred of the brash young man is so great he has left his “reality” to destroy him.  He leads a powerful band of assassins and ninjas that follow his every word.
One of the most distinctive features he has is his facial scars.  He received them by Megamania when thrown through glass that tore at his skin.  He lost sight in one eye and has a series of jagged scars that center from his eyes and spread out.    

There are many others but they have yet to be introduced.

Currently, the battle is centering on a great conflict on the plane of Acheron; The Chaos Plane.  What will come of this is unclear and if Sasha knows she is not saying.


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## megamania (Dec 17, 2004)

Looking to update again for christmas.  Sound good?


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Dec 20, 2004)

megamania said:
			
		

> Looking to update again for christmas.  Sound good?




Suits me


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## megamania (Dec 25, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 079
“CHAOS Is Spelt With Three Letters   W-A-R.”

The Troll crept through the rock field being watchful of any threats or dangers.  He was sent here to patrol the area.  It wanted more.  It was hungry.  The loose stones and many boulders created an excellent means for it to hide.  But the ones he sought were even better at it.  Kobolds.

These were no simple kobolds.  These were the Kobolds of the Emerald Claw.  They were stealthy, sneaky and the worse-  they wielded fire.
The troll, his name lost long ago but known now as StinkTusk, heard something nearby.  Now creeping through the large stones he made his way up to a cliff’s edge.  Below were tents and pens and …Kobolds.  Dozens of the dirty things.  Within the pens were livestock and of all things…humans.  Stinktusk found this funny.  Kobolds stupid.  Humans should be eaten quickly.  Humans can be sneaky and runs away.  Some even can hurt you.  Unconsciously he rubs his shoulder where a magic user had struck him a few days ago in combat.  He ate that mage one joint at a time.  Beginning with his hands.

Then quite suddenly, the kobolds freeze.  Did they see Stinktusk somehow?  Then a great wind swept through the camp.  The kobolds immediately went into defensive positions.  Stinktusk did not believe what he saw next.  Even on Acheron,  a series of places within the Chaotic Plane, this was strange.  Coming directly in high using the blinding glare of the sun, a woman and an armored man flew in.  It was as if they flew on the great winds.  But that is not possible Stinktusk tried to think.  Another man, this one carried a strange and obviously magical shield entered down the main path.  With him was a heavily armored woman. 

Who were these humans?  They were not of his tribe.  They were not of any tribe he knew of.  Outsiders!  Outsiders are always trouble.  They come not to fight.  No-  Strangers come here for something.  Nothing else to do here but fight and find magic things left behind in war.  Must tell my master.

As Stinktusk begins to move he senses something.  A low hiss emits behind him.  A kobold.   This would be painful but required.

Jim Addards sneaks in behind everyone and reaches the cages and pens that hold the humans.  Locks he can open he does.  Once he finds one he can not, he begins to break them.  One then another and another.  A kobold rushes out to confront him.  It suddenly freezes up and then is dispatched by Sasha, a catlike creature with bright yellow and green fur.

“Hurry, even these Kobolds will be hesitate but only for a moment.  We do not wish to be here when they reorganize.”

“Too late human-lovers.”  Comes a voice from no where.

A fiery blast erupts killing many humans instantly.  The Aural hisses in pain as her fur catches on fire.  The force of the blast has thrown Megamania into the pen and through a wall.  Smoking he rises.  A scary blend of hate and excitement on his masked face.  “Time for introductions are over….”

The kobold sorcerer whom had attacked while invisible blasted them with his most powerful spell.  The human wearing strange clothes seems unaffected by it.  He instead raises a hand and blasts the startled sorcerer whom screeches in pain and surprise.

“The Kobolds of the Emerald claw are about to have a bad day” quips Christina.


It has been several hours since Stinktusk fought the evil toadling that wields fire.  He is burned but alive.  His stomach aches from the hot bones and flesh he consumed but he will live.  He must reach his master and lord with the news.

Vander is back!


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## megamania (Dec 25, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT: 080
“ACHERON”

“This place is really %#@@- up” grumbles Jim Addards.  His skin is visibly glowing from the many fireballs and fire spells he was hit by the frightened and confused Kobolds.  

When they arrived on the plane they ran first into a bugbear tribe that had human and elven slaves.  Never caring much for slavery, both The Captain and Jim attacked.  During the course of the conflict, they learned the bugbears had “bought” the slaves from a tribe of magic using kobolds.

The battle was fierce but Jim’s unique Spellfire abilities turned the tide of battle.  The humans were free but what now?  They were in no shape to survive on their own.  Many even took to the charismatic Captain and the power stranger Megamania.  Hero worship.  The Captain was uneasy with it but had dealt with it before on the lands of Africa during the big war.  They would seek out the closest human village and hope they offer aid for the survivors.   Christina showed little support for the notion.

“This is a place of war and chaos.  Sharing supplies with strangers can be a double-edged sword.  Not all communities are willing to or able to do as you plan to ask.”

“What do you think Vander?  You once lived here?”

Caught in deep thoughts he snaps out of it.  “People on Acheron are survivors.  Their best chance is to join a village but we can not cuddle them if the village turns them down.  They at war here.  The entire place.  The plane itself wars with itself.”

“?” sighs Megamania.  He can not imagine anything that crazy or chaotic.

They continue towards a possible village Jean saw while flying high over the stone plains.  There are about 35 survivors- all human.  Most are simple folk.  Cannon fodder in a place like this.

Jean is uncertain if it is her changing lifeless eyes or even the strange atmosphere here.  She swears she can see a faded block of uncanny portions floating in the high sky.

“Acheron is no mere plane.  It is a unique series of blocks and fragments.  Each has very unique properties to them.  The greatest fear is to be near a strike zone.” Begins Sasha.

“Strike zone?” asks The Captain. With concern.

“Sometimes these fragments come very close creating wild magic and weather patterns.  Sometimes they even strike.  When this happens, hundreds of miles of land can be erased in a mere second.”

Megamania stratches his head thinking about it.  He sparks living magical energy as he looks up to the sky.  He can not see it but has little doubt Jean and Sasha are correct.   He could die at any moments as the world literally collapses into itself.   Unbelievable!

They exit the rock fields and begin to walk on a sandy barren area with little to change the scenery.  Large rock monuments that are too war damaged to make out crop up occasionally.  With night coming, they decide to risk exploring one.  It roughly resembles a headless crouched animal.  Caves and doors are visible but no signs of intelligent life.  Birds, some dangerous, glide around the structure.

Getting closer- many were Wyverns.  Not good.  Vander is not impressed.  He remembers battling one on Alion.  Easy to defeat.

“Best make camp.”  Suggests The Captain.  “Try for a defensible spot with no occupants.”

Looking around the mound of solid rock Jean and the others come to the realization of the nature of the rock formation-  it was once a single city sized settlement.  Hundreds of ramps, stairs and built in ladders lead the way in.  Some of the “tunnels” are very cavern like but many are carefully and skillfully shaped.  Only the birds and bats seem to occupy it.

“What do you think Vander?” asks the Captain.

“I am unfamiliar with it.  Acheron has many secrets hidden on it.  This could be any number of lost cities or fortresses.”

Staring at the immense rock structure, The Captain tries to decide on a defensible place.  He spots a balcony about sixty feet up and decides to check this out first.  Looking about, he finds the remains of furniture and clothing.   Anything wooden has long since rotted away but the metal and glass parts remain.  There are several rooms that branch off from the main room.  It appears to have only two exits, the balcony and a door leading into the center of the rock city.  It would not take long for them to fortify it.

“Drop your bags-  we have found our camp.”

“Jim-  can you do anything with that glow?” asks the Captain.

“Not really, unless I release a lot of energy now.  I figured I was due for that back room with a working door.  Seal myself in.”  Then looking at Christina, “Sealed in all by myself and alone.”

Sasha watches the exchange.  She the importance of it and wishes it would go on forever, but everything has an end, even Infinity.  She goes back to casting wards on the doorway to alert them of any intruders.

They sit and eat.  Vander is the center of attention.  It is not everyday one dies and returns.  Vander admits he feels different.  His psionics are different anyway.  He can still use them on an instinctual basis but they are different.  He explains how the mindflayer and he fought and how he died.  It bothers several members that he can recall this with no sense of pain or terror.  Vander is still Vander.

Now late, Vander takes first watch while the others sleep.  If he sees Christina sneak into Jim’s room, he says and does nothing.  Love and feeling are beyond him at this point.

Jean, sleeping in the room next to Jim is aware of  Christina.  Not by sound or by being her best friend.  No it is much worse.  She can sense the positive life energy.  It is something she craves which brings fear to her.  Will she ever turn on her friends?   Becoming an undead creature has some benefits however.  She never sleeps and has increased resistance to damage.  Some of her senses have heightened …some reduced.

Sasha, the newest and possibly strangest member meditates.  She is the only none human here.  She comes from a world far removed from the ones the Strikeforce have thus far visited.  It is a Bastion of power and trickery.  It is as dangerous as any other world but the gods are directly involved.  The gods and their powerful agents.  She meditates on this.

The Captain is asleep.  His powerful shield within arms reach.  The swirling celestial pattern forms and reforms on its surface.  Then, with him still asleep, the swirls rise and reach out from the shield.  It surveys the room and the Captain.  It studies him.


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## megamania (Dec 26, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT: 081
“DREADLOCKED SPIKED UGLY SMELLING TROLL THINGIE!”

 Jim stares at the grooved ceiling.  The glow coming from his body allows for him to see it well enough.  He perceives the etched lines and thinks about the Japanese stone gardens.  So beautiful and with hidden meaning.  He moves his head to his side.  Christina is sleeping.  She has her own glow.  It is not the magics she used to become immune to his Spellfire that crackles on touch.  No.  She is happy.  The happiest he has seen her ever.  She …loves him and he …her.

Of all the women in the multiverse to fall for.  At least Momma stayed in her dimensional pocket.  He hates making love and looking up to see the cat staring at him, twitching her tail.  It was worse once he learned the cat was her mother.  Oh the humanity.

His moment of peace and introspective is broken by the Captain shouting out from the balcony.  Intruder!

Jim runs out to the main hall.  From there he sees the Captain using his shield to hold off tentacles from a troll-like creature.  Each of its tentacles has multiple mouths on it.  It speaks in a hard and loud language.  Where its head should be looks like black cords with a mouth within it.  The mouth has long and razor sharp teeth.  It stands over 9 feet tall.  ( Epic Handbook- Pseudonatural Troll page 211)

The Captain calls Jim to stay back as he hurls his shield.  The shield flies out striking the creature several times but it does little to no harm to its resilient skin.  The creature attacks again even as his shield magically returns to his arm to defend him.  Five of the six tentacles complete with thorny spikes strike.  One is batted aside easily but the other four snake around the shield and strike him.  He screams in pain as the tentacles coil tearing into his armor and armor then they lift him up and begin to saw and pull at him.  The rending attack is killing him.

Jean, never truly asleep runs out.  Her room was the closest to the Captain’s watch position.  She immediately releases a lightning bolt at the planar creature.  The air crackles and the creature pauses then shakes and stiffens as the lightning courses through it.  The Captain shudders.  Jim rushes in and grabs at the Captain.  He directly releases a blast of pure magic into the creature making it howl in pain.  The Captain tries to pull free but can not.  Sasha stumbles out saying the creature will kill the Captain if allowed to attack again.  She says this before even seeing what they face.  The creature pauses then changes form.  The legs and arms pull into the body as new tentacles sprout from its back.  The mouth gives one more snarl and hiss before tentacles spill out of it.  Soon, the Captain is covered by a mass of swirling and grouping spiked, multi-eyed and mouthed tentacles.  He is nearly unconscious from the pain from the first attack.  Christina, still wearing only a nightshirt begins to call onto the power of Infiniti.  An aura surrounds the creature then fades.  “It is resistant to magical effects!” she curses out loud after trying to Banish the creature.  Then comes Vander.  Vander’s psionic falchion audibly sings and he pulls the sheath from it.  Wearing no armor he walks directly up to the swirling mass and begins to cut at it.  Two strikes hit cutting off chunks of the beast.  Most of the original damage regrows back!  (DR25/+6 OUCH!)  If Vander is scared, he doesn’t show it.

Jean, sensing how close the Captain is to becoming lifeless, changes tactics and drops the temperature radically around the creature.  Ice forms and breaks as it tries to roll and slither away with its prize.  The cold strikes but it is shrugging off the worst of it.  Jim, now thoroughly pissed strikes again.  He blasts at the creature with as much power as he feels he can safely.  The creature screams and throws the near lifeless body of the Captain into Jim’s glowing body.  The attack knocks the wind out of the unarmored and surprised rogue.  The creature Dimensional Doors to the edge of the balcony and tries to escape. She sears the creature by opening a small but highly effective gate into the plane of sound.  The sub-sonics tear the creature apart.

Christina immediately goes to the Captain’s body.  Deep cuts and torn muscles pulse sickly.  “Can you help him?  I don’t like the idea of another walking dead with us.” Quips Jim thinking about Vander’s resurrection.  The words tear into Jean’s soul instead.  “Yes- just hold him still.  The damage is more than physical.”

20 minutes go by before Christina and Sasha are done healing the Captain’s visible injuries and the Constitution loss he received also.  His armor is badly mired but as always- the shield shines like a universe waking up.

Sasha takes guards as she continues to watch over the Captain.  The others return to their rooms.  Jean sits in the dark …by herself.   Silently she repeats “walking dead…walking dead …walking dead…” for many hours until daybreak occurs.


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## megamania (Dec 26, 2004)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT: 082
“The Neighbors”

DM NOTE-  Captain has reached 21st level and Megamania and Jean have reached 19th level
Captain= 21st level of Fighter
Megamania took 9th level of Rogue
Jean = Corpse Creature Template  (CR +1)

Fortunatly, the creature attacked the Champions of Infiniti instead of the freed slaves.  They awoke with the thunder and crack of unnatural lightning but learned not to show themselves.  They came to trust the Captain.  It caused them fear and concern to learn he was so grievously injured the day prior.  It did not bother them at all when asked to remain within this structure for another day as the Captain rested further.

These survivors told of the legends of this structure.  Several deadly creatures lived here.  It was avoided by resting armies.  The people had never had any incidents occur to them on any occasion that they were forced to stay.  The creature last night was the first danger seen beyond an occasional Wyvern or other flying predatory creature.

Not one to sit and do nothing, Jim decided to explore some.  Christina and Vander joined him.

Jim knew better than to go too far in.  Stealth was out of the question as both Christina and Vander wore full plate armor.  Though Jim could convince Christina to shed her armor, he knew better of Vander.  Looking into exploring chamber two levels higher, they used ropes and climbing gear to go up.  

Jim climbed onto a new balcony and helped the others over the sand worn rail.  His skin still glowed and sparked at contact.  Jim would only shrug whenever he accidentally bumped into Vander causing a static discharge that stung him.  Vander was not certain what to make of Jim’s powers over magic.  Vander never liked or trusted magic.  Especially unknown and uncontrolled magic.  Jim seemed to be getting more control over it but it was obvious that there was room for improvement.

Christina allowed Momma out for stretch and stroll.  The black cat was not happy with either of the two.  It was obvious to her that the two were becoming closer again.  She did not approve of Jim entirely.  He was too much of a rogue and wild with his affections.  He seemed to have little restraint and control.  Ignoring Jim, Momma walked ahead of them and looked around.

Vander continues to look out across the barren plain from the balcony.  If he is thinking of anything, he is not saying.

Momma hops onto a low knocked over shelf.  She peers around into the darkness.  Her tail begins to flick.   Something is bothering her and it is not that her daughter is romantically involved with the child.  Something is here …but it is not …here.   “Beware…. we are not alone.”  She says.

“Yeah I know- Vander is out there looking around.” Smirks Jim.

She hisses at him.  “I do not joke.”

Christina walks up to her mother turned cat familiar.  “What do you sense Momma?”

She glares into the darkness with her cat eyes trying to pierce the darkness.  “I do not know.  If only she was here.  Her senses were better for this than mine.”  Christina frowns.  She knows that the cat refers to Mom.  Her natural mother whom became a ghost.  She was destroyed and put to rest by the psionic assassin known as Jarella recently.  Her connection to the ethereal plane was incredibly helpful.  “Is it a spirit?”

“No.  We should go though.  There is nothing to gain here.”  The black cat hops down and hurriedly makes her way towards Vander.

“Momma-  what is it oooooooooohhhhh!”

Jim whirls around and sees a yellow mist surrounding Christina.  She is stumbling forward but coughing violently.  Vander’s falchion sings in the background.

Adjusting his mask’s visor, Jim goes from normal vision to darkvision.  A swirling mist is visible but nothing else.  Looking at it, the mist is not airborne however.  It is moving on its own.  “Smoke monster in the dark!” he yells as he grabs Christina and withdraws his energy weapon.

A swirling mass of gray and white mist becomes visible as it moves out of the stark darkness.  It reaches out to strike Christina and Jim again.  Jim shields Christina’s body with his own.  The mists strike through him three times.  His armor becomes frayed and the knees of his blue jeans wear out and split.  Never missing a step, he scoops up Christina and moves out of the way.  It strikes him again for his effort.  His pure black modern armor becomes dark gray and scuffed.

Vander powers up with his Lion’s Charge and attacks the mist.  The falchion sparks blue and green as it passes through the mist.  His falchion slices up the mist with great ease. (163 damage!)  Christina casts divine spells onto herself to stop what she senses is beginning to happen- She is aging!

The mist reforms and pauses (Time Elemental Tome of horrors) then casts Time Stop and disappears deeper into the darkness.

“Are you okay?” Jim asks Christina.

“Yeah…Stomach just feels sick.”

“You have best to gather your senses.  We have company.” Implies Vander looking out across the plains again.

Not far away, dust is rising as something, rather many somethings, charge across the plain towards the rock formation.


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## megamania (Jan 6, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT: 083
“Steel Predators”

“Get the survivors somewhere safe Sasha.   We have company and it looks aggressive.” Says the Captain from his vantagepoint.  “I can’t make out exact numbers due to the dust but I’m guessing between eight and ten metallic creatures running full bore towards this location.  They’ll be here within a few minutes.”

“Acheron’s Steel Predators Captain.   They hunt in small prides looking to fed on anything available- anything metallic mainly.”  Then she turns and begins down the stairs to the room where the human ex-slaves are hiding.  She hesitates at the area Jean was last.  “Jean, Don’t use lightning.  Sonics are no good also.  Try your cold abilities.”  Then she returns to the task given to her- the safety of the survivors.

The Captain watches the dust cloud near the base.  He hopes the others can see this.

“What is wrong Vander?  No war cry and attack?”  Mocks Megamania as he checks the energy level of his weapon before reholstering it at his hip.

“I recognize the creatures.  Steel Predators.  They will seek Christina and myself first.  We wear the heaviest and purest metal complete with magical and psionic enchantments.  Don’t underestimate them.”

Jim looks at him as he stares at their charge.  Jim smirks and shrugs then tells Christina that it’s only Steel Predators and he’s to greet them in person.
Not knowing what they are, Christina hurries after him.  Then she sees the creatures more clearly once she reaches the lower edge.  She feels a sickly at the sight.  Dark colored metal creatures that have tails and claws.  She sees Jean take to the sky using her boots of flight and begin to weave a storm.  The Captain’s Shield speeds out from within a hole below her and strikes a creature repeatedly, which makes it fall from its furious climb up the rock structure.

Megamania fires his weapon of choice at the creatures.  Their leaps and bounds avoid the three shots of energy.   The Captain throws his magical shield.  The creature never hesitates and takes a powerful strike that bends its metal snout.  Even as its grip of the stone loosens, the shield magically whirls around and strikes it three more times before returning to the Captains waiting hand.  The creature’s pieces rain onto the predators below.  They look at them then turn cruelly up at the Captain and snarl.  They continue their climb with leaps and bounds growing nearer to the Captain.  Jean focuses her growing storm and castes it onto the creatures.  She tries to freeze the creatures.  The cold strikes at it causing an icy glaze to form.  The ice shatters as the creature bounds to a new stone ledge.  The cold isn’t very effective against these either thinks Jean.  Christina calls forth a column of divine fire hoping to strike more than one creature as they climb the vertical wall.  She strikes but one and it shakes off the fire but the divine afterglow remains.  It’s armored skin is pitted and steaming but it still moves forward.  Vander hesitates.  He has seen captain in full plate torn apart by these creatures.  They have an uncanny ability to damage armor- even enhanced armor.  He calls on his psionic tattoos to give him flight.  Perhaps he can attack while still protecting himself and his previous and beloved armor.

Frowning under his mask now, Megamania takes a moment to aim better.  He fires and the creature dodges.  He fires again and strikes.  It merely stops its charge.  His next shot misses wildly.  “Uh-oh” The creatures continue up and two reach the Captain.  They smell and sense his metal scalemail armor and his shield.  His wonderful shield.  They attack him together. He easily avoids their attacks making them look clumsy and robotic.  The Captain then begins to counter attack them.  His shield strikes at them bouncing between them.  This keeps them at bay while still attacking.  Tears and punctures form in their metal skins.  A greasy blue fluid leaks from the wounds.  Something between oil and blood.  Jean continues her storm.  The creature shakes off the worse again.  The cold is no longer stopping it.  Christina Flamestrikes at the smoldering Steel Predator again.  The divine energies swirl around the creature causing more damage but not enough to destroy it.  Vander begins to three his psionic gems at the creatures.  Two of the three bounce and explode next to a creature.  The explosion sends the creature down to the landing below.  Little damage was done.  His frustration is beginning to catch up with him.

Speaking of frustration, Megamania holds his gun in his right hand and points with his left hand.  He releases the Spellfire held within him at the closest creature to him.  The magical energies blast into the creature causing small fractures and fissures to appear.  It stops and snarls at him in defiance.  His afterglow has settled down considerably now.  One of the creatures reaches him by surprise.  It bites down onto his arm.  Megamania screams in pain as the heavy and large creature pulls him down with its weight.  Its hind legs tear into his kevlar armor.  The two on the Captain continue to attack but can not get a direct hit on him or his tasty shield.  One creature enters a tunnel.  It can smell the metal components Sasha carries on her.  The others look for any chance they can get to grab Vander or go higher to where Christina is.  The Captain’s shield strikes and tears into the two predators causing a great deal of damage.  They will not survive another attack from him.  Jean decides on a new tactic.  She wills the storm to produce a highly powerful acid rain and sweeps it into the creatures.  The creature howls at the first drops of acid that bore into it’s skin.  It runs into a hole to avoid the full assault of the acid.  Christina knows the creatures will reach her in a moment she prepares a spell for their arrival- Wrath.  Vander sweeps in to attack more directly.  His falchion shimmers and crackles as it hits the creature.  The electric burst seems to merely pounce off but the explosive psionic energies and Vander’s own great strength makes up for it.  He strikes at it again and again.  The creature can do little as it is hanging onto the stone wall with its claws embedded into the rock.

Though he hates to use up his Spellfire energy, he blasts at the creature again.  He uses the very arm the creature holds.  His blast knocks the creature back but in doing so he loses his energy gun.  Smoke still rising from its face, it looks at the strange piece of metal and gobbles it up.  “You M***********!  I CAN’T REPLACE THAT!”  The creature ignores him and begins to consume the weapon.  Megamania bolts.  He fears what can happen if the energy is released too quickly.  Two of the creatures reach Christina.  They attack by flanking.  One misses but the other strikes into her magical armor.  It is only a minor injury.  The creature dealing with Vander tries something out of desperation and hunger- it jumps at him!  It successfully jumps into him but fails to catch him and falls thirty feet down onto the hard rock below.  More cracks and fluid leak from its ravaged body.  It is slow to get up.  The Captain uses his shield to batter the creatures and drops both of them.  Not even breathing hard yet, see looks to see where he can help next.  Jean follows the predator and catches it with her acid storm.  It screams in pain and torment before dying.  Strangely, Jean enjoys the moment of destroying it with her powers over the weather.  Christina releases her powerful spell.  The divine energies erupt from her body and tear into the creatures.  It seems to only anger them in the end.  Vander swoops in and delivers a powerful strike that splits the creature in two.  He continues to chop the remains up for a few seconds before he realizes he has defeated it.  He then hears the others in trouble.

BOOOOOOOOM! Goes the weapon throwing the creature back in a ball of rapidly shifting flame of yellow and green.  It shakes off the explosion and finds its target has moved away.  Megamania is not sure what to do.  His energy is low and the ****ing alien wannabe ate his weapon.  That leaves only his ionic club, which he rarely uses.  Not good, not good at all.  Wishing she ran instead, Christina is attacked by the creatures.  Each bite and hold on and drag her down.  Their hind legs tear into her armor as they rake her body. Hoping to catch the Captain off guard, one creature pounces on him while he looks into Vander.  It merely bounces off of his magical shield.  The Captain then releases the shield into the creature.  The shield repeatedly strikes the creature then returns to his arm.  Jean hears Christina’s screams and turns.  Her friend is in danger.  Why is she hesitating?  Then she flies to her fearing the answer.  Christina tries to defend herself but can not.  She is torn by the two creatures.  One has her leg and the other an arm.  Clumsily she tries to strike at one with her mace.  She swings more due to Mother’s commands and her own instinct than any concentrated thought.  She hits but once.  The fire, electric and cold leech out to strike but are ignored.  She merely puts a small dent into the large forehead of the Predator.  Vander hears her screams and takes to the air to save her.  He flies up and lands next to her and the two predators.  He can psionically feel Mother calling out in anger.

Megamania waits for it to come.  He hopes to sneak attack it with his club.  To bad he learns later the creature smells the studs of his blue jeans and the metal within his vest and mask.  He still hits it once but the backlash of the vibration of hitting it makes him reconsider this action very quickly.  He has no choice.
The predator strikes at him and brings him down again.  The creatures continue to kick at Christina.  She stops screaming.  The one facing the Captain circles him.  It hopes for him to make a mistake.  It does instead.  It stayed there.  The Captains shield flies and it tries to catch the shield in midair.  It only loses its lower jaw.  Then it loses its upper jaw and it dies as the shield strikes it again before returning to the arm of the team’s leader.  Jean arrives and blasts at the closest creature with an acid bolt.  It howls and stumbles away from Christina’s prone body.  It wobbles then falls inert.  Christina lies still.  Jean senses life but it is …not hers?!?  Vander charges the remaining creature on her.  “I DEFY YOU!”  He screams as he charges falchion first.  The creature seems to explode (3 of 4 hits were crits!) as he steps through it.  

Jeans stares in fascination and horror.  Christina is healing.  Not much but a little.  Just enough to stay alive.  She moans then struggles with her armor.  “It is squeezing …the life …out of me.”  Vander looks to see if any more predators are about then helps her with her armor.

Megamania becomes desperate.  He is uncertain if he can survive another moment with this creature.  He releases more magical energy and blasts the creature.  It splits and it’s armored skin peels away in several spots before falling over.

The Captain climbs above to where Christina is reportedly down.  When he gets there he finds Vander is supporting her.  Her chest plate and torso armor has been removed.  What the Captain sees horrifies him.  “How?!?” he stammers in utter confusion.

Jean looks at her swollen stomach.  “You are correct Roger …she is with child and it grows quickly.”


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## megamania (Feb 13, 2005)

bumping while getting links fixed


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## megamania (Mar 6, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 084
“STRANGER THAN STRANGE-  JUST PLAIN WEIRD”

It has been three days.  Three very strange days.

At noon of day one Horizon Lee Culterdoss was born.  She was born not into darkness but light.   She was the source of the light.

Horizon was born of pure magical and positive energy.

Now at day three, she stands at 2 feet tall.

Everyone is quite taken by her except for Jean and Jim.

Jean feels her aura.  It conflicts greatly with her own undead aura.   Jim Addards, the father, has yet to take it in.  He is a father.   The father of a nuclear light bulb as he puts it.

Roger Stevens, The Captain, thinks it is a good sign.  However, he recognizes the timing is poor at best.  However, Horizon seems to share some of Jim’s Spellfire abilities and has divine qualities similar to Christina’s following and beliefs.   However, she is growing …fast!   Vander finds ease around her but wishes not to touch her.  He fears he will damage her accidentally.

What does Sasha think?   Whatever she thinks or knows she keeps to herself.  As always.

They continue across the barren plateau and reach a series of deep crevasses.  Jim notes that Vander is very uncomfortable at the sight of these.  When asked about it, he says it is nothing and takes a few quicker steps to get beyond Jim.  “Nothing my butt.”

The cracks in the earth are deep and maze-like.  They travel all day with the refugees but feel they have only traveled a few miles as a crow flies.  Jean considers flying them but notes there are many flying creatures over head.   Predatory no doubt.

They come across a small ruin.  The Captain and Jean check it out while Vander and the others hold back as support and defense to the freed slaves.  They find nothing of danger and settle in for the day.

Day becomes evening and evening becomes twilight.  Vander remains on edge as noted by Jim.  Looking for something to think about other than his glowing child he tries again to learn what is bothering Vander.

“You will not let this go will you?” grumbles Vander.

“Ah- nope.” Answers Megamania with a smirk.  He takes his padded mask off and gloves.  “Well…?”

“We are near …the place I died.”

Jim tries not to think about it much.  “oh?”

“Do you see those stars up there?”  Vander says as the first of the stars twinkle overhead.  “They are lined up nearly exactly as they had when I died.  Sometime in the next few weeks I will die near here.  10 Bites will tear me apart in a rage unseen since that of the Brute Master.”

Jim lets it go.  Over the past few months he has heard of much concerning Vander’s past.  Maybe too much in truth.  Near the end of his first life, he was slave to a ruthless war leader in on the plane of war and chaos.  She used his mighty body in combat …and to satisfy her less bloody needs.  Sometimes, Jim forgets that other people have their problems also.  Why must his be the center of the universe?  He is a father.  He should be happy.  He looks at Vander.  Vander looks almost helpless now.  He loathes what may happen again.  He …. Hey.  Wait a damned minute.

Horizon, now about 2 ½ feet tall gets up and walks and stumbles to Christina.  “Mom-ma!”  Tears well in her eyes.  She looks at Jim hoping he shared in this moment.  He has his back to her talking to Vander.  She looks for her best friend, Jean, and notes Jean is keeping a clear distance from the child.  As she walks through the camp, she goes the long way to avoid Horizon.  She looks away from the child, staring into the dark shadows as they grow.

Steve sees that Christina is hurt by the two closest people to her are staying away from her and her child.  At first he thought the child was a good omen but unnatural all the more.  He questions its existence.  Then he notes how the child is so innocent.  So caring.  How can the child be evil?   He gets up to give Christina a pan of stew he finished cooking.  She thanks him and continues to watch Horizon.

“She is a miracle.” He says to her.

“That she is.”  She answers watching as the child walks up to an amazed and awestruck ten-year-old girl.  She notes the bruise on her arm.  “owwie.” She says and reaches for it.  The girl pulls her arm back from the glowing 3-day-old. “Owwie.” She repeats and touches her arm.  The glow spreads onto the girl then disappears.  The bruise gone.  “Owwie go bye-bye.”

Both Roger and Christina are uncertain of what to say then it happens-

BOOOM.  BOOOM.  Bo-BOOOM

The Captain stands up quickly and becomes fully alert.

Christina calls over Horizon while hefting up her mace in her other hand.

BOOOM BOOOM Bo- BOOOM

Jean tries to make her unnatural ears depict range and distance.  Impossible in these canyons.

Vander grows pale.  His hands shake.  “It…it has begun.  The Battle of Broken Years….I will die within the week.”

BOOOM BOOOM  Bo-BOOOM

Megamania, near his pack, holding pencil and paper stops to look at Christina and Horizon.  He finishes the note and folds it.  A look of purpose on his face.

Sasha watches Jim Addards leave.  “And thus the curse begins……  and thus comes the final battle.   One I do not know the outcome of.”


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## megamania (Mar 6, 2005)

Any thoughts other than being so long since the last update?

What do you think of Sasha?   Horizon?   Where is Megamania going?   What are those drums?


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## megamania (Mar 20, 2005)

No responders?  Oh well.  I'll try to finish this one up soon then.


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## megamania (Mar 29, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 085
“THE LEGION OF DOOM”

Chrystrall held his gaze at the ogre until it is cowered.  The Mind Flayer reached into his mind next.  The simple creature had simple needs and these were easily caressed to get the desired results.

= Do not make me strike you down Giant-kin.  I will feed on your mind as I would any other creature.  Do not forget this =

The ogre backs down and slinks away.  Once more the leader of the Legion of Doom has proven the better.  

Thy flayer’s tentacles twist and churn in the emotions he feels.  The battle needs to begin.  His troops are becoming restless and he is not so certain how long he can maintain control.  The Legion of Doom was no mere troops.  They were a force.  Trained Ogres, Trolls, Hill Giants, and other monstrous creatures were part of the Legion.  These mercenaries called for top dollar within and without the planes.  This was no different.

A large battle was to begin so between two armies.  One army is mainly humans and the other goblinoids.  What becomes of this matters little.  There is a third party here.  A team of very specialized and skilled warriors and mages that may interfere in the benefactor’s plans.  The Legion is here for them.  They are here to destroy them.  This is why they are called the Legion of DOOM.

The benefactor seems oddly out of place for this battle.  He deals with stealth rather than brute force.  Perhaps this is why he needs the Legion.



Two miles west of the Legion-

A human army of 10,000 men and women amass.  They fight the endless battle to win their personal freedom.  They have fought for so long and for so many generations the true prize has been forgotten.  The ancestors speak of pride, power and prestige.  Others speak of freedom and peace.  Others sigh and say nothing.

Two miles east of the Legion-

A goblinoid army of 12,000 grows and spread like a deadly fungus.  Goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, orcs and even a few kobolds and Ogres are thrown in.  They also have fought for many generations.  The original cause and reason has been forgotten but the goal is clear- to survive and conquer.  This new army of humans will bleed and die slowly on the battlefield.

Two miles north of the Legion-

A lone human wearing a tattered and soiled brown cloth and hood sneaks from rock to rock, ruin to ruin.  Why?  He wishes to prove himself.  He needs to feel worthy of being alive.  He wants to do something for another that over shadows his own wants and needs.  Jim Addards aka Megamania is looking to save Vander Stormbringer.


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## megamania (Mar 29, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 086
“THE FALL OF VANDER”

“RAAAGH!   Where is he?  Where is the human puke named Vander!?!”  The scarred female Orc screams as she tears a painting from the wall and throws it across the smoking room.

“Mistress Ten-Bites   the human is outside tending to the survivors.” Grovels a kobold.

“Truth?” She asks as she stops and seemly calms down instantly.

“Truth. I swears.”

“Tends humans or goblinkind?”

No answer comes quickly.  The kobold takes tiny steps backwards towards the broken door doorway.
“RAAARRRRGH!”

Several goblins looting outside the burning home stop as they hear the kobold scream in pain.  Before he has finished, they share an evil smile and return to their looting.

The old woman was alive but would not make it through the night.  Vander considered beheading her to end it quickly.  This was not proper.  The torture of old people and children was wrong.  He placed his hand onto the weapon of his choice-  the psionic falchion.

“What do you do little tick?”

Vander turns quickly.  Ten Bites stood before him.  She was chewing on bloody meat that looked raw and fresh.  Vander hoped it was not a child.

“What would you be doing little puke?  Mercy for the human?  The old woman?”

Vander looks to the ground and says nothing.

“I say who receives mercy!  I – Ten Bites!  Not you little puke of human flesh.  I will pass the judgement on her.  Not you!”

Twenty minutes later, after much screaming in rage and pain, the remains of the woman is brought out and fed to the Worgs.  Vander, beaten and bloodied, crawls out.  As he nears a large war-horse, Ten-bites pushes him down with her boot.  He falls into manure.  “I have s*** on my boots.  Clean it little puke.”

Another hour goes by before the human rogue sneaks into the camp.  In time he finds whom he sought.  He has found Vander before he dies.  Before he dies from Ten-Bites rage.  

“Psst.  Yo Vander…”  calls quietly Megamania.

The massive psychic warrior remains crumpled on the floor.  He has been beaten once more.

Crawling as he was taught in the Marines, Jim crawls quickly to Vander. “Psst.  Vander buddy.  It’s me …opps.  I forgot.  We have not met yet.”

The beaten man peers from his shielding arms and knees at the figure before him.  The human has blonde hair and face paint and mud with grass.  He looks like a scout.  He opens his mouth to call out for help but Jim is quick to grab his jaw.  “Shhhh.”   

Beaten as he is, Vander can not remove the smaller man’s gloved hand from his mouth.  “I’m here to warn you and help if I can.  I have a strong gut feeling you will die tonight if you allow that be-otch on steroids to beat you again. I can’t stand seeing you this way.  Don’t you remember who you are?  Com’on man.”

Vander looks to the ground in shame.  A tear wells in one eye.

“Com’on.. you can say it.”

Nothing.

“I…..   Defy you. ….?”  

Nothing

“Aw ***** ****** Vander! Snap out of it.”

“You can say it.  It motivates you.  Kinda like the orange rocky thing in the comicbooks.  I defy you.  Say it.”

One blinking eye peers out to look at this new tormenter.

Jim uses his other arm to move Vander’s hands away.  The face is beaten and a jagged chunk of flesh that was once an ear is torn free.  “Now I understand the “Bites” part of her name.  Com’on man.  Leave here with me.  You can do it.”

Nothing.

Jim gets closer to lock eyes then pulls back.  “Man you need a breath mint.  Your breath smells like crap.  I mean it really …oh crud.  That is just wrong.” As Megamania begins to understand how far vander has fallen and what levels of punishment and disgrace he is willing to endure.

Jim rests his head on his arms looking at Vander (from a breath-clear distance) and tries to figure out how to do this.  The Vander he knows is so proud and so take charge.  Then something crosses his mind.  Two things in truth.  The team travels the multi-verse.  Each “universe” has different qualities and histories.  What is the Vander he knows did not originate from this universe?  What is this universe Vander is a whipping boy while the Vander he knows would scream Defy you and hack you up into dozens of pieces. The other thing he remembers is something Vander gave him.  It was a long time again.  Jim had forgotten about it in truth.  It is a crystal.  Vander suggested it carried a bit of him within it.  Not being a believer in new age religions, Jim dismissed it.  A lot has happened since then.  Jim is more open minded.  After all, in the last three days he went from having no children to having a four-year-old lightbulb of a child.

“You have been through a lot of s***.  Literally.  I feel for you man.  I really do.  Maybe that is why I am here.  I’m trying to save you.  Save who you are.  I guess you are not the man I thought you were.  I have to leave.  As it is, I have a lot to explain to Christina and the Captain.  I leave you this Vander,” he holds out the crystal, “It’s not much but it meant a lot to a man I liked and hoped to save.  It means a lot to me.  I want you to have it.  Goodluck and watch out for that freak of a female.”

Slowly Jim backs out leaving the crystal on the floor.  Vander stares at it for the longest two minutes he has ever experienced.  Then he reaches out unsteadily.  He touches it and the crystal throbs in his fingertips and begins to glow.  “I ….   I ……..”  and he looks to the floor again.


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## megamania (Mar 29, 2005)

Just thought I would throw this out to to beviewed by you folks- 

Cries of Doom will defenses be crushed 
Friends and Allies raise shield and sword
You will run from the battle feeling rushed
And as a result, a friend will die by your good word

To avoid this horrible fate
You have but to face your death 
Battle it with desire and purity; not hate
Or the battle will take your last breath
		A Ravenloft curse placed on Jim Addards aka Megamania by a dying Adept
						SEGMENT 043


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## Look_a_Unicorn (Mar 31, 2005)

Still here (when I can be!)
Still enjoying the updates


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## Mirage_Patrick (Mar 31, 2005)

enjoying the story


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## megamania (Apr 2, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 087
“Concerns”

“We are in a bad spot Captain.”

“I know.”

“What we seek is within those ruins.  Two large armies are converging on the ruin.  A large war is about to breakout and we are going to be in the direct middle of it.”

“I know”

“Any suggestions?”

“We need to be careful, the two armies are at war with each other but we will be looked at as an enemy by both if only since we are an unknown.”

Sasha steps up to Jean and The Captain.  “I suspect the Tattooed Man’s minions will be here also.”

“Any word on Jim?” asks Christina.

“No.”

“That is so like him.  And to think he had me believing him before.” Frowns the Captain.

“Believing?”

“He was discharged without honors from the military.  He convinced me it was the enemy manipulating his leaders.  I can see he has done it again.”

“Is that fair?” asks Christina.  “He is not here to defend himself.  Perhaps there was a reason.”

“Not now.  This is it.  Don’t you realize this?  If we fail this time the relics that can restore the “Destroyer” or “Tattooed Man” can be used to empower him and thus begins the end of the Multiverse.”

“Maybe it would be for the better.” Says Vander a bit louder than meant to be.

“WHAAAT?” says several members at once.

“You can’t mean that Vander.” Says Jean.

“How can you say that?” includes Christina.

“It seems all of the worlds we have entered were wrong.  They were broken.  Maybe by this god of reality destruction is good.  Maybe limiting how many different varieties of worlds is good.  It could become manageable. Maybe not so chaotic.”

“I feel your pain but Vander- think of the worlds that are good.  Think of the billions of innocent lives that would be lost.  No- forgotten.”  Adds Sasha.  “There is no doubt you have lived a hard life.  Everyone here has but you have had it the hardest.  I would think you could appreciate the desire for the innocent to continue.  Not all of the Vander Stormbringers of the multiverse suffered as you have.  Once we WIN this and have time to settle we need to travel for the sake of travel.  We need to see the better worlds.  To know what we have fought for so hard.”

“Can we start in the world where Pamela Anderson, Britney Spears and Jenna Jameson all want me?”

“Jim!”  Christina yells.

Out of the hidden passage leading to the top of this canyon, Megamania steps up.  “What did I miss?”

“Where were you?  I demand an answer!” commands the Captain.

“Scouting.” Answers Megamania looking towards Vander.  “If you recall, that’s what I do.”

“And what did you find?” asks Sasha knowing more than she ever will admit to.

“That open space ahead of us is where you said the last artifact was.  There are the ruins of several large fortifications there that you can see.  What you don’t see are the tunnels below it.  As in below the entire field.”

“What do you mean?” asks the Captain growing concerned.

“There are maze like caverns and tunnels below there.  I didn’t go far but I saw enough to know to return.”

“What did you see?”

“The devil.  And he wants my soul.”

The Captain frowns-  is he joking or not.


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## megamania (Apr 2, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 089
“Temptation”

A few hours before-

“Where can he be?”  

“I don’t understand this- it’s too dangerous to wander off here.  Anywhere we go.  He knows this.”

“I’m sure Jim had a reason.” Answers Christina as she holds Horizon.  The child was becoming more of a young adult than babe now.  Within a few days she would have the height and maturity of her mother.  However, she still spoke and acted more like a toddler.  Her body aged far quicker than her mind or mental self.

“Don’t go far but Jean- can you fly up and look for him?” asks the Captain.

“Already on my way.” And up she goes.  

She looked for Jim in the shadows.  Her darkvision of the undead found nothing.  She followed a path that lead down towards the ruins Sasha was certain contained the “Book of Creation.”.  It was the final artifact needed to bring the destroyer back to power.  It was odd that a creature known for destruction would create a book about creation.  But then again- she stood for nature and beauty but now has become a living zombie.  It was so unfair.

= I can fix that. =

“Huh?  Jim is that you?”  Jeans hesitates and hovers about 100 feet off the ground.

= I can fix your beautify body.  I can remove the undead curse placed into your system.  =

“Who is this?  Show yourself!”

= I can make you feel the sun light again.  I can make it that you feel the cool water on your bare skin when you wade into stream.  I can make your eyes blue again.  I can do that for you.  I want to do that for you =

“Who is this?  A minion?”

= I merely wished to help you.  I am sorry to offend you.  I can leave now if you do not want my help. =

“NO!” she yells with a wrinkled flaky arm raised trying to feel for the voice in her mind.  “Don’t leave.  I … I want to talk but I need to locate a friend.”

= Your friend is nearby.  He was fulfilling his destiny.  This was not your destiny.  You never should have lost your beauty or your grace. =

“Who are you?”

= Someone that wants to help you regain your rightful beauty and vitality.  =

“How?”  She says turning slowly in the winds that gather and flow with her.  She can not feel the currents on her skin.  She still senses direction but can not feel it.  She truly misses feeling nature around her.

= I have the means to repair things.=

“What kind of things?”

=  many things.  Health and beauty.  YOUR health and beauty =

Jean is quiet.  She looks with her yellowed eyes at her undead hands.  Her nails are cracked and split.  They look old and bony.  “What you ask …it …is comes at a cost.  A great cost I believe.”

=  you know what needs to be done.  You can do it.  You can regain your youth and beauty. =

“…my youth and beauty…..”

=  yessssss…. Health and beauty.=


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## megamania (Apr 2, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 090
“Torment”

“aaaaarrrrrgh…..”   how   why?”  Megamania slowly rises to his hands and knees.

“You are not he.  If you were, the lightning would have been absorbed.”  Says Jean with anger in her voice.  “I know who you are and why you have come.”

“I was under pressure to succeed quickly.  My mistake and now yours….!”  Megamania’s form melts and turns into a blue skinned female with black hair.  Her red leather armor rises from her form.  Jarella.

“You will never regain your prior appearance weather witch.”

“Despite being undead, I still have a soul.  Your actions and the actions your master spoke to me of would have erased that soul.”

“That is too bad.”

“!!!?!!!”

“Lost the ability to move Jarella?  I specialize in weather related arcane powers but I can do more.  I can do many things.”

“You have removed my abilty to move, basically Holding me still but my mind is still free and that is MY greatest weapon and one most underestimate.”




“We underestimated the situation …again.” Says the Captain suspecting what has happened.

“The shapeshifter…?” fears Christina whom was nearly killed by her when last she struck the team.

“Yes and think she is using Jim’s form to trick us.  Jean’s eyes would work regardless of the lack of magic or psionics.  She knew.”

“She did try to stop me from entering here.  I …wish I listened to her now.”  Says Christina.

“She tried to tell me something important before we left but didn’t give her the chance.  Jim was still missing and we needed to act quickly.” Continues the Captain.

“She waited until the child was safe.” Answers Vander.  “She would have known the shapechanger would have used the child against us.  This way she was away from her."” He pulls forth his psionic falchion.  It sings softly to him and the others.  A faint glow illuminates a few feet around Vander.  He uses the drawn weapon as a source of light to look onto the walls and surroundings of their new prison.

“Solid rock everywhere.”

“We’re entombed and can not get out.”

“Secret doors to leave by?” asks the Captain.

“None.”  My detection of portals is finding nothing at all.  Magic or standard.”

“Then what are our chances?” asks the Captain frowning and frustrated at the ease Jarella has once more trapped him.

“We die when HE is resurrected.”

“There is a way.  There always is a way.” Says Vander with a grim look on his face.


Megamania hurries back to the camp.  He hopes Vander will think about what he said.  His friend has been through so much.  He deserves better.  He looks up as he senses movement above.  The sky is nearly glowing from the falling stars above.  “I hope those are stars and not spells.” He says as he begins to climb the ridge.

He looks again.  “Man-  that is eerie.  It looks so much like….oh ****!   IT CAN”T BE!”

Then, only because of years of training, he instinctually twists as something moves by him quickly.  He hears a dagger or some thrown weapon hit the rocks past him.

“Show yourself!”

“Hello James Scott Addards aka Megamania aka Lt. Addards aka The Pathfinder aka Government traitor.”

The voice chills Jim to his soul.  To the very depths of his soul.  He slowly turns and looks.  Behind him, on a large boulder, stands a man with thick heavy scars spreading across his face light a burst originating from his forehead.  His red leather suit and black boots appear to be made of similar materials as his own 2003 technology.

“Vandal  …  you @#*&% Bastard!”

“I’m happy to see you also.  You were missed after your death.  After you killed Pittfire.”

“His mommy must have warned him about riding speeding motorcycles and what a thin razor wire can do when stretched across the road.”

“Meet the NEW leader of my assassins.”

“no….oh you ****ing bastard….you didn’t….”

“I believe you know her.”

“I’ll tear your heart out you ****ing bastard.  Tear it right out of your ****ing a*****.”

Before him, stand several darkly clothed warriors of stealth.  One steps forward and pulls back the cowl of the uniform.  She then shakes her long black hair free.  Her blue eyes burn into Jim’s.  “Hello lover.”

“… Theta….you’re alive….”

“I wish I could stay Jim but I have a meeting with a mindflayer and don’t wish to be late.  If you will dear…”

She lowers her head and closes her eyes.

“Theta…?”

She rises her head and the blue eyes are now blood red and fangs appear.  “Jim my beloved.  Give your high school girl friend a hug and kiss…..” and with that she pulls free a glowing katana from an invisible sheath at her side.  Each of the ninja-like warriors draw weapons.

“**** me…”

“Already did.  Kill him boys!”


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## megamania (Apr 2, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 091
“The War of the Multi-verse: Jarella’s Strike”

Suddenly Jarella’s body is no longer lightning damaged and she leaps into the shadows surprising Jean.

“How?!?”  She says then decides to try something new.  She calls up the power of Thunder, a storm’s powerful voice and yells into the dark shadows.

The sonic attack of her Great Shout blasts into the stone structure.  Jean can not hear the effectiveness of the blast but her eyes can see her stagger with her hands to her ears.  The doppelganger is shouting and screaming in pain.

Jean, once a caring person, now sees the power and strength of her might and strikes at the defenseless assassin.  Jean rips the very cold substance from the higher atmosphere and drags it into the very area Jarella is.  Everything freezes solid within the space as the temperatures drop instantly to –50 degrees.  Jarella can not even scream.

Unknown to Jean however, the assassin is prepared for her.  She wears two rings.  Each gives her the ability to better survive climate or weather changes of cold and electricity. (resist 30).  She play-acts the pain and waits for Jean to fly lower into range.

What Jarella doesn’t see is the undead eyes of Jean are using detection spells and notes the truth of the situation.  Once more, Jean changes from her normal tactics.

“You handle electricity well.  You have seen me use this spell often.  You handle cold well.  This you saw in “The World Below”.  But have you seen this?”

Jean calls onto the sun’s energy and focuses and refocuses the sun’s energy.  A green but bright bead of energy forms in her palm and she releases it into the frozen chamber.

“She wouldn’t……the bitarrrrgh!!!!!”

Jean has just fired in a lightning bolt changed into pure fire and maximized it.

Jarella is thrown out of the chamber as the magical fires of the sun explode within the frozen tomb.  She was not prepared for this but still escapes the worst of it.

Jarella lands by a stone ruin.  She pats out the fire that remains on her arm and legs.  “Your undead nature is giving you strength to do something you were loath to do before.  You are prepared to kill now.  Good.”

“Have at thee shapechanger…..”  Jean’s undead eyes flare in pure energy as she once more powers up a fire-related spell and maximizes it.  A blast of purest fire erupts instantly between herself and Jarella and strikes at the ruins.

A rechanneled Cone of Cold strikes her in full.  Equipment bursts into flames and potions explode.  Screaming in pain and rage, Jarella drops and rolls.  She pulls out a glass orb and looks at it quickly.  She imagines a safehouse she has with healing potions and then slams the glass on the stone pieces around her.  It shatters and she disappears as if she was never there.

“Damn you to hell changeling.  Damn you to hell.”


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## megamania (Apr 2, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 092
“The War of the Multi-verse: Vandel Boc’s Strike”

“****ing Bitch and her ****ing pups!” screams Megamania as he tumbles and rolls out of the way of a volley of many throwing stars.  Fourteen black and crimson robed warriors (ninjas) attack him.  Seven throw stars while the other seven move in for direct melee.  The female commander watches on.

Megamania has only faced this kind of force twice in his prior life.  Once when with a team of Pathfinders when they were trying to “shut down” the ninja training facility.  The last time was on the day he died while trying to get at Vandel Boc to kill him.  They were lead then by a large fighter with some ninja skills named Pittfyre.  He defeated them by dropping an entire building onto them with well-placed mines.  He is fresh out of mines today.

There is a difference this time however.  Now he understands his “gift”.  He has the power of Spellfire.  He can store and use magical energies.  He uses them to destroy, heal or in this case- fly.

“Going somewhere lover?” asks the female master.  

A ninja pulls out a chain and throws it at him.  It entangles his legs costing him the ability to better steer while in the air.  Undaunted, Megamania goes into his zone.  It is a time where a fighter works without thought.  It has saved him many times.  He lets lose with his energy pistol.  Two ninjas are struck.  Red bloody mist bursts into the air but they do not go down.  His third shot narrowly misses a third ninja (nat 1 dang it!)

He skillfully swerves in and out of a hail of throwing stars as he works free of the chain.  Glowing magic dust falls from his energy trail giving an eerie glow to the combat during the night.   Three more shots are fired off stopping three more ninja whom shake off the pain and stand back up to attack.  A single throwing star strikes and sticks to his leg.  He is quick to remove it in fear of the poison they often use.  He throws back at them but at no successful result.

The ninja master squats down in a springing attack position and watches.  She has not seen Jim Addards since she was 17 years old.  She and he gave each other to each other as virgins.  Neither can say this anymore.  When her possessed mind and body escaped the power of her father, Jim and his high school friends had already escaped.  But Jim’s powers had been awakened without killing him.  He had become more dangerous than ever.   She has become dangerous herself.  She trained as a thief then as a warrior. Then she gave herself to the evil.  The very evil that will destroy Jim …or possess him.  Perhaps he can be turned still.  Her eyes burn with new passion.

Jim continues to keep his distance and attacks from the air.  The ninjas, if struck, step back to recuperate and allow fresh and uninjured killers to attack.  Jim is having a hard time of this.  Another star hits him and again he quickly removes it.  This one he merely throws over his shoulder.  “Where is everyone?” he thinks.

Jim has gotten sloppy and misses his location.  He has drifted close to a tall dead tree.  He doesn’t see the three ninja hiding within the tree using their Ki power of invisibility.  They leap out with their katanas raised.  They become visible in mid-air.  He boosts his speed causing one ninja to fall to the ground.  He easily tucks his sword and tumbles to a stop then with only a blur of motion turns and charges back into the melee.  The other two strike.  Twin lines of red appear on his back as the blades cut into his kevlar vest and jacket.  They fall to the ground and bound to a point to see what damage they have done.

“Okay- you want to play rough …” He stops to attack but remains too close to the tree.  A steel mesh net is thrown over him.  Four cords hang from the corners that four ninja leap to and grasp.  Their added weight begins to drag him down.  The katanas are drawn and they form a circle.  Jim Addards floats to the center of this mess.  “Oh no you don’t!   I got a kid to raise- this isn’t going to happen!”

He stares at the master and mouths the words- “I defy you.” Then rolls into a ball and drops.

Sensing a trap, The ninja master turns her eyes and leaps back.

Silent screams from the ninjas rise as Megamania suddenly glows.  Their weapons melt when they hit him.  Light leaks from his eyes and a scary smile crosses his face.  “Sasha-  good call girl.”

He stands upright slow and dramatically.  The net melts off of his body.  The glow strengthens on his body and begins to pulse.  Uncertain of what to do, the ninja hesitate.  It will be their last mistake.  A blast of pure magical energy erupts from his body and strikes the weakened ninjas.  8 of the 14 ninja condense into green mist that is then blown away from the pulse.

“I DEFY YOU ALL!!!!!”   Yells Megamania as he charges into the surviving with his ionic charged clubs now drawn.

He strikes one ninja along the knees; even as it buckles he follows through and strikes its head into the stone ground.  He whirls around and catches another ninja and crushes its throat.  Green mist erupts as Jim’s glow begins to fade.

One ninja tries to grab him but misses.  His ribs are first shattered then his backbone.  Another ninja is struck into the chest stunning it.  Megamania’s leg is kicked out from under him as a ninja sweeps him.  Another ninja strikes his wrist making him drop his weapon.

Not at the least concerned, Jim rolls and kicks him back.  “You got the moves but I got the game!” yells Megamania as he recalls his hand to hand combat training.

The three surviving ninja surround him and attack.  One makes a powerful punch that numbs his arm.  Still undaunted, Jim merely shakes it and as the next ninja swings, he catches the warriors wrist.  He savagely bends then twists it causing a loud snap to be heard.  Not letting go he uses his other free hand to punch him in the head and drive him into the ground.

The two free ninja try to kick and punch at him but either they miss or their attacks are absorbed by his shock resistant armor.  Jim snaps the neck of his held captive using his foot.  Using this same motion he kicks back into a spinning flip and collides into a surprised warrior.  This warrior rolls free from him while the last ninja withdraws a dagger.

“Cheater Cheater how I miss the Theatre” and he launches himself into the dagger wielding ninja. He does a double punch to the warrior’s face.  Not very graceful or pretty but the shattered nose and eye socket reduces the ninja into green mist.

The last ninja tries to grapple him instead of striking him.  He easily slips out of it and grabs his arm.  He wraps his legs around the stretched out arm forcing the ninja down.  The ninja tries to kick free.  Before he can Jim drops the sneakered heel of his foot onto his face two times.  The ninja yet lives by a gargle escapes from his crushed mouth.  He tries to pull free again.  Megamania kicks him again.  Stunned, Jim places his toes along the jaw and kicks out with his other foot.  The neck, jaw and skull all separate and green mist pours out.

“Haw….haw….hee….wacky ninjas….haw……”  Jim is more panting than laughing.  He stops and freezes as he hears clapping behind him.  Theta!

“Well done hero.  Well done.  You have come a long way.  Now … now you get to face a master.


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## megamania (Apr 2, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 093
“The War of the Multi-verse: THE LEGION OF DOOM”

Chrystrall sat on his planar throne contemplating the events of the past two weeks.  The mind flayer was contacted by a human from a back woods world called earth.  He seemed prepared for anything and brought along a doppelganger for protection.  It was this person that he knew.  The human’s money and gems were good but it was the doppelganger that closed the deal.  

Chrystrall could have simply erased the human’s mind and memory but the assassin was known as Jarella.  She was a well-known planar killer and to be working with him suggested bigger powers.  The scarred human was merely a puppet.  That was fine, in the end, we all dance on strings muses the mind flayer.  The secret of life was to pull more strings than to be pulled by others.  With the artifacts and gems given to him, he could more readily do this now.  Vandal Boc was going to have the Legion of Doom to add to his pathetic shadow warriors.

The choice of battle location was curious to him.  At the Ruins of Snake Tongue within the Chaos Plane of Acheron.  Snake tongue was a grand twin fortification built over a maze of deadly traps and captured creatures.  The creators build it too well.  They were placed under siege and it took 15 years, but eventually their stored foods and supplies ran out.  That was thousands of years ago.  Many armies have claimed control over the ruins.  No one controls these ruins.  They are alive and will look out for itself.

To make it more of a challenge, there were two armies massing to try to control the forts.  The Legion was to ignore these two armies and hunt a third force.  A small team of highly skilled and armed warriors of Epic power. Chrystrall couldn’t resist any further.

He has sent out several teams of his warriors and it is just a matter of time before the humans are killed.


Speaking of which ……

“Sounds like the battle has either ended or moved on.”

“Okay then how do we get out?”

“Join my hands and let us leave.” Says Christina.

The cleric takes the hands of Vander and The Captain and says the last words of her spell.  She asks them to close their eyes and she then does.  She visualizes the grounds above and lets out her breath slowly.  “You can open your eyes now.”

It is still dark.  There are signs of ice, lightning and fire damage everywhere.  Pieces of a glass orb lay on the ground before a stone monolith.  Vander looks at the pieces.  “Someone teleported out using Planar psionics Captain.”

“Jarella.  Then it is official- they know we are here.” States the Captain.  “Best be on alert.”

The Captain looks at Christina.  “I’m sorry Christina.  I suspect she has gotten to Jim and then tried for Jean.  However, we have our mission and don’t forget what lies at stake.”

“Could it be your lives?” comes a hoarse but female voice.  A large figure steps out from the dark shadows.  She wears no clothes but carries a large spiked chain.  She appears to be an ogre or ½ ogre.  She smiles at the Captain.

“Captain- narghhhhh!” snarls Vander as waves of energy seem to appear out of no where aimed directly on him.  The Captain and Christina avoid the worst of it.  Something moves rapidly within the shadows laughing a tiny high-pitched laugh.

Even as Christina rises to her feet she feels waves of infernal energy wash over her.  She feels herself weaken but then wills it off.  Out of the shadows steps a ratman dressed in tattered strips of cloth.  It carries before it an unholy symbol.  “Your will …it is strong.”  Christina looks at the creature and remembers Jean’s description of the creature that altered her into an undead creature.  “oh-no.”


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## megamania (Apr 2, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 094
“The War of the Multi-verse: Ti-Lenna vs The Captain”

“I know nothing about you and wish no conflict with you.  We merely are looking for our friends.”

“So am I …after I kill you little man.” Says the ½ Ogre.

Seeing no room for talk or other diplomatic means to end this conflict quickly the Captain begins by throwing his shield in full frontal attack.  The shield whirls out and stops her in mid stride.  It rebounds and goes to strike her again but is blocked by her whirling chain.  However, the strike against the chain is enough to knock it out of rotation while the magic of the shield allows it to strike two more times.  She snarls in pain with blood being spat out through her nose and mouth.  She spins her chain and lets it whirl at him.  He blocks the first two strikes but then the chain snaps over the top edge and strikes the Captain on the head and shoulder drawing blood through his chain armor.

The Captain attacks again with his shield.  She has closed in the space keeping him from effectively using it as a thrown weapon.  This bothers him little as he begins to bash her massive frame with the shield.  She spits blood into his eyes then seems to melt into a blob …a green blob.   ARRRRRGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Screams the Captain as the Green Slime burns into his armor and skin.

From out of the darkness streaks a small grayish-brown creature.  Vander can barely keep track of it moves so quickly.  At the last moment it swerves away from him and speeds up a stone next to him and drops onto his back attacking.  Vander feels the blade slip between his armor plates piercing his shoulder.  “You and I are the same.  But you are slow.  You have might but I have speed.” It squeaks.  Vander swings at the creature.  It is caught off guard that Vander would sacrifice himself to strike at it.  He strikes the creature with his Falchion using it as a club.  The small Dromite is knocked free but leaves a bloody trail ..Vander’s blood.

Not scared at the least, the creature strikes again.  This time it speeds along and attacks low.  It stabs a leg at the knee joint then spins around and groin hits him then stabs at his lower back.  Vander grows frustrated, as he can not track the vile creature.  “Stand Still!” He shouts.  He swings wildly and misses all but once.  The trick of the hit was he swung at one location and while drawing the blade to a new position caught the creature as it spun behind him.

The creature pinches one nostril closed and lougges him with a psionic Ectoplasm.  Vander becomes entrapped in the stretchy strong goo.  Not missing a step, he now reaches into his mind to attack.  He tries to grease his armor to squeeze free but can not.


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## megamania (Apr 2, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 095
“The War of the Multi-verse: Treegara vs. Christina”

Christina gives the rat creature a cold stare.  “If you are the one that has cursed my friend you can not die with any mercy.”

“Big words from a cleric.  Such a pretty one also.  I see why the boy has taken to you.”

The creature moves forward suddenly.  An aura of pain and disease spreads out even as it attacks her by firing a bow at her rapidly.  The first arrow hits her but the second one launches high.  However, it is the creatures plague ability that sickens her.  The horrid Wilting strikes her as she rapidly sweats and pales.  She drops to a knee and begins to wretch uncontrollably.  This causes more fluid to leave her body.

“Vile …creat…ture….”  She gasps.  She closes her eyes and concentrates (nat 20 yeah!) and calls down a column of fire on the filthy creature.  The fire burns the creature and the disease it spread.  The creature rolls like a skilled ranger and pats out the flames as it stops.  “Nicely done.  Two birds …heh …with one stone.”

The rat creature leaps at her in a mad run and attempts to smite her with his unholy touch.  He misses but fears little, as she is barely alive.  One should never under estimate an intelligent weapon.  Especially when it is a mother of the wielder.  It screams into Christina’s mind and she raises the mace into the ratman’s lunge.  The contact with the creature allows her to release her energies of electricity, flame and cold all at once.  

“Narrrragh!    The weapon has intelligence!”

The Captain screams as he feels his skin melt away from him.  The Green Slime withdraws from him leaving him badly burned and lacking key muscle groups.  It bubbles into shape of the ½ Ogre again holding her chain.  She uncorks a potion and drinks it.  The deep purple bruises on her yellow pale skin heals up.  The Captain tries to get to his feet.  One arm barely holds on.  Fortunately for him, when Ti-Leena reformed she took all of the slime with her or it would have killed him outright.  

She pulls out one more potion.  “ I have heard many things about you.  The power of the shield seems true.  I have not even tarnished it.  But you …you are weaker than your legend suggests.  I will wield your shield with a vengeance.  I will give it the glory it deserves.”

“The hell you will monster.”  With one arm flapping loose at his side the Captain attacks.  It is a simple charge into her.  It knocks her back and she loses her second healing potion.  She swings the spiked chain around his body and catches the other end.  The spikes draw blood but she doesn’t mind.  She holds him against her body and begins to saw at his back with the chain.

“ARRRGH!” and the armor begins to tear and blood seeps through the torn free rings of his armor.  He struggles to become free which only allows the chain to dig in deeper.  She smiles and snorts as she continues to work the spikes back and forth across his back.  Again he struggles but can not free himself.  Again she saws at his back and begins to pull the chain tighter at the same time.

“Without your shield, you can not even hurt me.  You are weak.”


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## megamania (Apr 2, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 096
“The War of the Multi-verse: Squint vs Vander”


Vander pulls in his inner strength and builds it into raw strength.  He climbs to a knee and then stretches the goo until it snaps.  The speeding Dromite continues to charge into him.  The first strike hits but from there Vander is in constant back peddling.  “Enough!”

The Dromite moves under him and Vander merely closes his legs.  He receives a power headbutt to the groin by the Dromite is caste onto the ground.  He sits with his massive weight and the weight of the armor onto the Dromite.  It’s large eyes nearly pop out.  “Squeak!”

Vander then begins to pummel the Dromite with his mailed gloves even as tears run down his face from the burning sensation in his groin.

Christina, still barely conscience, calls onto a new spell. (nat 19!  Rolling well today).  The Heal spell removes the disease effects and damage she has taken thus far.  Treegara once more returns to using the bow.  It licks each arrowhead leaving thick goo on each.  Both shots go wild as a string snaps.  It curses and knows this battle will have to continue another day.  However, before the ratman can run, Christina calls on her spell of Divine Wraith.  Pure divine energy leaks out of a swirling gate near it.  It screams and burns as the light shines onto it.  It runs into the darkness with the lingering smell of rooted burnt flesh.

Again the Captain struggles to become free but can not.  Again his back is torn and ripped as Ti-lenna saw at him.  The Captain tries a new tactic…  “Over here Jean.   I need your power!” he shouts.  The ½ Ogre stops and turns.  The Captain head butts the beast.  Not fazed, she returns the favor.  Each now have gashes.  He on his forehead and her on her chin.

“You do not have the heart to cheat like that human.  I have seen it in your actions.”

He tries to pull free but instead is cut again.

He can see the others are in combat and can not help him.  He must do this himself.  The Captain reaches up tries to grab the fingers to wench and break.  Instead he finds her massive ring.  Suspecting this is her power to polymorph he tries something.  Still touching the ring he calls on it.  A battle of wills to control the ring begins.

(both roll an 18) Each stare into the other’s eyes.  The battle now becoming one of will and stubbornness.  The Captain thinks himself to be winning when suddenly she changes form into a Rust Monster.  His armor melts away from him as her tail sweeps over him.

The tactic worked after a fashion.  The Captain is free to use his arm and the shield again.  He takes full advantage of it.  The shield, still on his arm slices through the tail then a claw then the middle as he cracks open the thick ferrous armor.  Once open, it is an easy target to strike at the soft interior.  Ti-Leena’s form returns as she dies.  The Captain falls to the ground next to her.  The pain of the lost arm too much for him.


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## megamania (Apr 17, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 097
“The War of the Multi-verse: Jean vs The Furnace Golem”

Jean hesitates, there is a large glowing armored giant walking her way.  As she moves, it seems to move with her.  Either he has seen her and wishes to contact her or was seeking her before.  In this world, it would not be good to be targeted.

Jean steers her winds to carry her away where to follow her, the giant will come across the human army.  Maybe this way she can learn more about the creature’s motives.   And she does.  As it walks into the scouts, it blasts flame into them.  Survivors are trampled or struck down by its burning mace.

No longer believing it may be a good giant, she prepares a few spells for the creature.

Stormwielder charges up the air above the huge armored giant and castes it onto him.  The electrical bolts ride and crackle over its body.  Nothing.  “Does everything we face have powerful resistance to magic?”

The Huge Furnace Golem turns and leans back to see what attacked it.  Jean Flies over it and feels the heat rising off of the construct.  She wonders briefly if it is a Fire Giant within the armor until it releases a blast of heat and cinders into the forest and the army hiding there.  

Once more she attempts to get around the creature’s magic resistance but this time creates acid rain from the very clouds that had lightning before.  She can hear the men below screaming as the acid washes off of the golem and onto them.  She cares little.  They should have known better she decides.

She decides to try the trick she used against the last powerful golem she faced of huge size.  She creates a blizzard to blast at it.  She hopes it will seize up and destroy the magical flame that powers it while collecting ice and weight to slow it down.  Instead- thick pea-soup fog occurs and nothing can be heard over the hiss of hot, cold and acid.  More screams from below.

Her yellow eyes barely can make out the shapes of the fleeing army.  Unaware of it, a cruel smile develops on her face.  Her undead nature continues to corrupt her.

As a precaution, she weaves one more spell to herself before attacking the golem head on.  During this time the golem has begun to step up a slight hill rise allowing it to come into reach of the sorceresse.    Even as she completes her spell it reaches up and slaps her from the sky like an annoying fly she is to it.  She crashes to the ground and comes rolling to a stop against a fallen burnt tree.

She looks up in time to see the golem reach down and grasp her.  The metal is so super heated that her hair rises and flows from the hot air surrounding it.  The golem reaches to its side and easily holds her and flicks a switch to its stomach.  A burning burst of air escapes as it positions her.

“Noooooo!” then her voice is overthrown by the rush of the superheated air.  She is thrown into the magical super nova that powers the Furnace Golem and it closes the hatch.  It spots a few fleeing humans and gives pursuit- with new fuel for its consumption.


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## megamania (Apr 17, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 098
“Recover and Respond”

Christina calls on her powerful healing powers to save the Captain’s life.  Vander stands over her watching anything and everything.  The Captain has nearly lost his entire none shield holding arm, he has deep cuts in his back and remaining arm.  His armor has been nearly destroyed by the touch of the rust monster’s powers to degrade armor and metal in general.

The Captain’s arm begins by glowing.  The damage and lost portions of bone reform and nit first.  The sweat and pressure is clear on her face.  She suffers even as the Captain does.  Once the skeletal framework is returned, she imagines and grows the nervous system followed by the meat of the arm.  Suddenly the Captain snorts as if he was holding his breath for too long.  The strain is taxing on him.  The flesh grows and strengthens. Then fibrous tubes that fill with blood wrap them.  As it reaches the fingers, new tubes fill with blood as it returns to the chest for more nutrients.  During this, his back is slowly closing up also.

Several humans wearing armor with drawn swords enter the area.  They stop and stare at what they see.  A powerful healer.  They could use that for their own army.  A powerful warrior.  Another plus.  And the other warrior looks strong but is without a weapon.  Maybe that is why he lies on the ground nearly dead.
“You are not with the goblinoids or the orcs.  Who are you?”  Asks the apparent leader.  His short sword glows lightly in the dim light.

Vander stares at the man.  He is trying to place him.  “Fal …Fal …. Fallard?  Commander Fallard?”

The man stops with renewed suspicion. “Who would know of my name yet I know thee not?”

Vander will not answer.  He is well known and wishes not to be considered an enemy here.  “I am Dregoth.” He says remembering the legendary giant slayer from his home world.  “We seek nothing that involves your war with Ten Bites.”

“Ten Bites?”  Says the man with confusion.  “We fight the goblins known as the Black Fester.  Lord Mixan help us if Ten Bites is involved.”

Vander says nothing.  After all, in THIS alternate universe perhaps she is not here. Even better, he hopes she is dead.  Maybe there can be justice somewhere.

“You have be moving on gentlemen…” speaks weakly Christina.

“Lady of Healing-  are you well?” asks the leader.  Her face is wrinkled and lose-skinned.  The spell still hurt her though it did not kill her as planned.  

“I …I will be alright.  The Captain needed me first.”  She then lets out her breath and focuses on herself.  The skin tightens and softens then regains its prior color of youthful health.

The sounds of a man running can be heard nearby.  Everyone turns to look and a messenger with acid burns runs up.  “An attack sir!  The entire Falcon’s reach division was decimated by a fire driven golem and a lich that threw lightning and ice.”

Vander’s sharp eyes spear into the man.  “Where?”

“Above ground and to the east.  I believe it is a construct.”

“Uhhhh, then we need to go…” says the Captain in a great deal of pain.

“You need rest.” Says Christina looking weak herself.

“The mission is what is important and we NEED Jean to complete the mission.”

“How do we respond” asks the psychic warrior.

“Direct.”


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## megamania (Apr 17, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 099
“Take Down the Golem”

“Furnace Golem.  Very Dangerous Captain.”

“Not as dangerous as we are.  I don’t like the fact we don’t see Jean anywhere.  If she engaged this monster she would not back down from it.  Especially with it attacking the people below.”

“I hate to remind you sir, but Jean …Jean is not her usual self these days.”

“Believe me- I know.”

“No Captain.  Christina means her mind.  She is not as well in the mind.  The disease that makes her look as she does also taints her soul.”

“Either way soldier- that monster needs to come down.” Says the Captain staring at it.  He doesn’t see many weaknesses in the design.  The last Golem they faced was this big and nearly indestructible.  He hopes this creature has some weak points.

“You recognized the design Vander.  What can you tell me?”

“The Black Fester Goblins use these to spread terror and break up formations of advancing armies.  Warped elemental forces run them.  They can emit streams of fire that consume everything.  It has been to known to eat victims when low on energy.  It is nearly immune to all magics.”

“Wonderful.  Enough with the strengths.  Any weaknesses?”

“Beat it.  Beat it hard.”

“Direct as I first suggested.  Hit and run tactics.  It goes down here and now.”

The burning metal creates a few shrub fires as it advances from the forest into the plains looking for the human encampment.  As it clears the trees it is struck by a speeding disk.  The disk hits and spins to hit it again.  Glowing cracks form where the shield cracks open the thick hot metal chassis of the golem.  Sparks float out and die as it shambles onward.  Then from below, Vander strikes now powered up by Christina’s divine powers. He strikes and drives his psionic weapon deeply into the joint of the ankle ( 4 crits!).

The golem suddenly finds itself with no foot and teeters then stumbles on its shin.  Christina enchants her weapon and strikes the ground nearby.  Earth and loose debris leap into the air as a tremor rips through the ground and strikes the golem.  It topples and shatters as it strikes the ground.  Red-hot coals spill out mixed with lava like substance.  The remains of magical armor (destroyed by with form) spills with it.  A body also washes out and stops only when caught onto a stone.

“no……” whispers the Captain

“She was …being cremated….” Says Vander.

“Dead.  Poor lass.” Says Fallard.

“No- look-  she moves!” says Christina.  She runs over to help her teammate but stops short.  The heat from the plasma is super hot and repels her at the distance of ten feet.

“I  … I wasn’t sure if I got the fire …immunity spell off …in time.” Says Jean as she pushes up out of the lava like substance.  Much of her clothes have burned off and most of her equipment is missing.  The yellow eyes now flare bright red in undead anger.

“Someone will die for this.” She says as she stands up and is forced to see what her once beautiful body has become.

Vander dismisses her tone of voice and obvious anger as he searches for Jim’s remains within the elemental ooze.  None is found but this doesn’t mean he wasn’t already burned up to no remains.


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## megamania (Apr 28, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 100
“That Was Then …  This Is Now   ”

“Well done hero.  Well done.  You have come a long way.  Now … now you get to face a master.”

“How…   but….WTF?!?!?”  Stammers a confused and completely caught unaware Jim Addards.  Before him stands a woman in her early thirties.  She is dressed in black satin and leather.  Pouches are visible to the trained eye where weapons and other small items can be well hidden.  The black face scarf has been removed and waves in the gentle breeze within one hand.  The other hand rests on a curved hip, perhaps fingering a weapon.  Her black long wavy hair also lifts and falls in the wind.  Her dark eyes almost seduce Jim.  Just as they did when he was 18 years old still in high school in southern Vermont.

He heard that she had survived that night of terror and awakening and went into becoming a master thief whom specialized in smuggling weapons and exotic materials.  Here she stands, now and forever, taunting him.  His first love and up until the past few months, he thought his only possible love.

Jennifer was her name in high school.  Her professional name was Theta.

“Your vocabulary has grown.  So much for your innocence.”  She says, as she remains completely motionless.

Drained of arcane energy and tired, Jim drops to his knees.  “I…  I thought you…  I thought….”  He is unable to complete the sentence.  His mental state was always of questionable stability but with the confession of his love for Christina and now becoming a father…  it has reached critical mass.   Now Theta has arrived back into his life.  Why now?   

“Can’t say it?”

“Why … why did you never  …” tears well in his eyes and he trembles.

“Never contact you?  Do you really think you were that good?  That important to me?  To my life?”  She sneers.

Quietly he whispers…”yes”   He looks down to the ground.  “yes I did …once.”

“Stuff happens.”

“Why are you here?”  Jim perks up.  He has a reason for being.  A second chance.  A second chance to save everything important to him and a second chance at love.  He doesn’t plan on ruining it.  Again.

“To kill you of course.”

“You lie.”

“You are to die today.  You and your friends.”  She pulls her arms out from her body.  The face mask flies away in the rising wind.  Something glitters in her other hand.

“Do you know what you fight for?  Who you fight for?”  Jim reaches to his side hoping to find the gun he dropped.  He hopes there are still charges within it.


“Enlighten me.”

“Worse than Satan.”

“Worse?”

“This one destroys entire universes.”

“He will restore balance and order.  Do you remember Star wars?  Darth Vader created balance in the end.  He did good.”

“This is no Freakin’ movie.  This is real  R – E-  A – L. Real.  “

“Ever the romantic.  Enough stalling.  Shall we dance?”

Jim rolls back and springs onto his feet.  He has not found his dropped weapon but grabs a sword instead.  And smiles.
She throws two metal spikes.  Each strike Jim in the thigh.  The pain is great.  One leg goes knumb.  Poison.

“not f****** fair….” And he collapses onto his back.

“The poison on the spikes works quick and I have things to do and clerics to kill.  Within five minutes you will die. “

“**** you.”  Jim says trying to smile.

“You already did a**hole.  Or have you forgotten so soon?”

“be…see…ing   you….la …ter.”  And his seem to focus on nothing.”

“You ARE an idiot.  You killed yourself…”  Theta is surprised and unsure if it was by accident or intention.  She never thought of him as a suicidal person like this.  She turns and walks away in disgust.

Behind, a sword tip glistens with blood.  It sticks up to the stars above.  Jim, stumbling backwards and weakened, has impaled himself onto a sword held by a downed ninja.  His face is trapped in a pained smile of madness.

Mere seconds after she has silently left, a carrion bird arrives.  It looks at the bodies.  It senses the tainted flesh of the ninjas and ignores these bodies.  It looks at Jim’s eyes.  The wide open staring eyes.  The glowing eyes.

“mayyy ……kik…..”  and drool escapes his quivering lips as he succumbs to the enchanted blade’s might.


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## megamania (May 1, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 101
“As Bad As It Could Ever Be ”

“Captain-   your armor-“

“It can wait Christina.  If we don’t find that last artifact the entire Multiverse is at stake.”

“Allow me then….”  Jean walks over to the topless Captain.  She dances her fingers briefly in the air and then gently touches him.  His upper body glows.  

The Captain can not help but to feel sorrow for her.  Her touch was stiff and without warmth.  The state of her decay has grown worse.  “Alright then.  It’s under ground so we need to go.  We can not be hindered any further by the existing conflict here between the two armies.”

They pick up their equipment and begin to go when shouts fill the air.  Turning to face the new issue, The Captain is not impressed.  He and the others follow the stares and pointing fingers to the very sky.  A large shape is there.  Dark and impossibly close.  What at first looked like stars has grown larger and animate.  

“May god overlook us…” mutters the Captain as he watches.

“It can not be!  The very sky falls!” exclaims Vander.

Jean stares and says little.

Christina looks up.  “It is his work.  His power grows.  These are his minions.  Haste!.  We must hurry before they strike.”

The sky is full of raining fiery meteorites that seem to come from no where.  Before the group can reach the entrance again the first one strikes.  Bright light pulses as the explosion occurs about 1500 feet away.  Goblins and Hobgoblins can be heard screaming.  The Captain waits at the door as the others enter the ruins.  He looks and sees two more impacts.  He grits his teeth and a tear rolls down his eye.  It tears at his heart to abandon the people here.  They are about to die for a reason that is not theirs.  Whatever these things are, they are here because of their attempt to stop the Destroyer.   

He gives the sign of the Christian cross on his chest before closing the heavy stone door.  Even closed, he can hear the screams …or so he believes.


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## megamania (May 1, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 102
“ INFERNAL CONSTRUCTS”

The globe is extremely bright in the Gaunt Mans hands.  The Infernals have been released to stop the would be heroes.  These constructs are made from the burning hatred his master has for the many alternate worlds and creations Infiniti has allowed in his absence.

“Run Captain.  Run for your very life.  It matters little.  Several of these world destroyers were instructed to seek you and your kind out.  You can not hide from one that can see all worlds, all universes.”

The evil laughter continues as within the globe the first creatures arise.

A few minutes ago-

 the following in goblinoid

“War master Grog.   The humans have new champions.  They have done the impossible.  They have defeated the Burning Knight.”

The War Master turns and backhands the goblin with his armored fist.  The goblin tries to crawl away but can not.  The War Master places his heavy armored boot onto his back.

“Collect my generals.  Bring them here.  These champions will die as any champion ever has.  Get Ten Bites first.  She has a champion of her own.  He can go in to soften up these humans.”

The goblin crawls away.  His face a bloody pulp.

“Eh?”

The War Master looks to the sky.  A swirling glow is forming.  From this glow escapes several small balls of light.  They streak down in a flaming wave and strike the ground between him and the ruins.  He can hear screams of pain.  “What magics are these?”

Back to the front-

“Ahhhhhhhh!  The human lich now brings the stars onto us!” screams the goblin scouts.Balls of burning stone fall and crash into the earth.  Dozens of scouts are incinerated on impact.  Slowly the impact crater shifts and takes shape.  Fire burns through and up stands a Large blacken creature made of burning stone and adamantine.  It climbs up and begins to burn its way through the thin forest igniting everything it touches.

Around it three four strike down causing new explosions and new sources of burning infernos.  Soon the creatures and their fiery trails of death and destruction light up the sky.     

[DM NOTE:  These are Infernals from the Warcraft Monster Book  page 124.  I picked these to be the world destroyers since they are very dramatic in arrival and appearance.  They are CR 14 which makes them tough but reasonable to have armies of.      Evil DM.


STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 103
“HEXTOR’S  REACTION!!!!!”


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## megamania (May 1, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 103
“HEXTOR’S  REACTION!!!!!”

The dark towering fortification overwhelmed the landscape it controlled.  None dared to near it in fear of arousing the ire of those that dwelled within it.  So then- why does this lone figure go there?

The figure looked up at the expanse.  For an undead he did fear the owner of this structure.  After all- he was a god.  This is the home of HEXTOR!

The vampire changed shape and flew to the upper level.  Red eyes looked from the darkness and watched the dire bat fly up.  At the thirteenth level he reshaped into a human male and waited.  There were no guards here.

Then the very stones shaped shape and grasped his legs.  He turned into vapor and escaped it.  A vicious wind blew in from no where and forced the vampire deeper into the fortress through an opening door made of iron and dark wood.  “Enter” he heard in his undead mind.

He reformed and fell to the ground.  His tattered cape formed a tight shroud around his body as the wind persisted.  He strode further in by foot.  He expected instant death at any moment but none came.

Finally he arrived at a large throne room.  The throne was still 250 feet away.  His undead eyes saw the form of an athletic and well-toned human in armor.  The undead’s mind saw a six-armed gray skinned humanoid.  Both were more real than the other was.

= What brings you to your certain destruction Count? =

“I bring word from your generals.  There is a new force here.  A force more powerful than you-“

“WHAT!?!”  The six-armed humanoid suddenly appears before him.  One arm hoists him up, the other five all wield different weapons of mass destruction. 

“The… the tattooed man…   he begins to reform…..”

“How can this be?!?!?  I would know of it….”

“Yes- you would think so.”  Hextor turns to see a figure now sitting on his throne.

“YOU!”

“Yes- I.”  A tall gaunt and heavily tattooed man sits in his throne.  A gentle light or better a glow falls on him.  It gives him a menacing look.

“Begone Unknown God of Chaos.  I reign here.”

“CHAOS!?!    I did not create thousands of new universes!  I did not ignore the Law of the first.  Infiniti did!  Infiniti!”

“Did I find a raw nerve?”  Without looking, The Champion of Evil crushes the head of the vampire and ignites the remains into flames before turning to reclaim his throne.

“I bring law to the universe.  There can not be a multiverse.”

“I do not mind it.  It gives me power.” And the god of Acheron smiles and he begins to twirl and wave each of his six weapons to prove he has little fear of this “new” god.

“I came not to fight godling.  I came here to fight.”

“Always the same.  You bring words to a battle of arms…….”

The tattooed man stands up and his hands glow with the powers of a god.

“I offer a truce… not your life.”

“Speak  before I kill you six times over.”


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## megamania (May 1, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 104
“ And Kobold Saves the Multiverse”

Kikinn wasn’t a warrior.  Even for a kobold he was weak and scared.  But he was a salesman.  A good one at that.  He followed the warriors and picked up after them.  He collected swords, shields and armor if he could carry them.  Tonight’s search was unique.

He had not heard the combat but saw the flashes from the ledges nearby.  It took him several minutes to arrive to the site.  What he found where dozens of black robes with no bodies within them.  However, their magical weapons were everywhere.

Kikinn had a special talent.  He could smell and taste magic.  His mind was overwhelmed by the smells of magic here.  Magic from another world.  He could buy another harem with the money collected from this site along!  He hoped along to check it all out then froze.

There was someone here.  Someone alive and groaning.   He cautiously looked over a rock and saw the human.  He was strangely dressed and glowed faintly.  A sword stabbed from his back to his front.  It was a fatal blow but somehow the human remained alive.

Slowly and with many periods of stopping to watch, Kikinn made his way to the human.  He was in a great deal of pain.  The human’s hands were grouping around and touching weapons.  The weapons would glow then die down.   The human then would glow then the glow would die out on him also.

Kikinn hoped over to him.

“Mayyyyy---kik.” Moaned the man.

“Kikinn.”  He says pointing to himself.

The man rolls his head over to look at the kobold better.  Kikinn hops back a few steps to remain out of arms reach.

“helllll….”

“Some say we live there.”

“…llllp  me”

“Got money?”

“Paaaaants… “

“You have breeches yes.  Strange design.  Is that a cotton material?”

“Blass…..lil’   run…..t”

“No needs for name calling.  You look more dead than alive.  Maybe I’ll just sit here and watch you die for a bit.”  And with that the kobold dusts off the rock, places some ninja suits on the rock and sits.  He rests his serpentine head on his palms and watches the stranger die.

“Maaa-  kik….”

“Hurmmm….oh yes.  Many magic items here have magic.”

The figure fumbles over eloquent katanas and stars.  He finds a ring and grasps it.  The Kobold watches.  He knows it has magic and will pick it from the body of this strange dead human soon enough.

The man glows then breaths better.  He drops the ring.   

“What did you do?1?  You ate the magic!”  in fear, anger and surprise the kobold hurries over to move the remaining magical items from the dying man.  A look of clarity appears in the man’s eyes as he grabs the kobold.  His hand pulls and tugs at the pack.  In fear of his life, the kobold wriggles free of the pack and hops away.

The man sticks his hand into the pack; he grabs at the rings, daggers and other small magical items.  He begins to glow and he gains the strength to topple over from his knees.  With his other hand, he reaches back and begins to pull the sword back.  The glow surrounding his body rises and falls as he touches Kikinn’s found magical items.

“MY GOODIES!”

He hops over to pull it free but instead is grabbed.  “Thank …u”

“Thankme!?!?  You just destroyed my entire stash!”

He rolls back to his knees.  “I …don’t …feel…so …good.”

“If I had a sword in my back I would call it a bad day also!  Now let me go!”  and the kobold wiggles free as the man releases him.  He crawls to another sword and absorbs the magic within it.  

“I need…magic…..I need…to find….my friends….”

“Too bad!”

“I will not ask again…nicely”

Jim Addards aka Megamania slowly but oh so dramatically stands upright.  The whole time he looks to the skies.  It is raining shooting stars.

“I wish…  I might… Wish on a star tonight….”

“Why do all of the undead become insane here?” bemoans Kikinn.


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## megamania (May 1, 2005)

Won't be long now-

Unknown to the heroes, the last item has been found and the Tattooed man has been resuurected.  His first order of bisiness-  destory the heroes and if need be ALL of Acheron itself.  

What if anything can Hextor do about it?   Remains to be seen.

This Storyhour nears the end.  I may do a STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI PART II But who knows.

Any input from readers?


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## megamania (May 6, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 105
“ THE INFERNALS”

 The very space that makes up the sky on the Plane of Acheron begins to ripple and twist.  It begins with a spark then a cascade of sparks and then a flood of light.  Plasma bursts through the planar rip and burning chunks of rock and metal tumble free.  Before it has fallen more than 50 feet two more planar tears appear then six more.  Soon the sky is torn open as pieces of planar meteorite begin to rain onto the surface of the one cube shaped piece of elemental mass that can be thought of as a planet.

The first piece seems to redirect its fall.  Several other pieces do so also.  They strike near the ruins where two large armies are beginning to battle.  The impact is explosive and sends goblin scouts into the air set aflame by the planar energies released.  The first chunk of planar rock begins to crumble and fall apart within its crater.  Then it becomes apparent that it is not falling apart- it merely is moving.  The smoke and dust in the air masks the form until in rolls over and begins to stand up right. An Erie orange glow begins to flare up.  Smoke and the screen of super heated air continue to mask any details that were once visible. 

One goblin, more courageous or stupid (take your pick) has walked near the blazing form looking to see what has happened.  He is close enough to see runes carved into the metal and heated rock that make up this unique creature’s form.  The goblin screams as the very air around him becomes super heated.  His lungs burn and harden as he breathes in the fumes of the burning earth and flesh around him.  He is nearly dead even before the creature lashes out at him.  The goblin is crushed and ignites in with an infernal intensity that defies logic and nature.

Several more explosions occur within 100 feet of the first creature.  It scans the darkness as it waits for its fellow INFERNALS to awaken and rise from their craters.  Soon, several dozen of these creatures gather together and begin to walk to the ruins nearby.  The ruins where the Champions of Infiniti are located.

They find the doorway used by the Captain to enter the mazelike cells below.  The Captain has closed the heavy stone doors with Vander’s help.  Two of these creatures team up and open the door.  Smoking scorch marks remain on the door where they grasped it.

The creatures unnatural glow light up the darkness within the worked stone catacombs.  They move with purpose and force.

The other HUNDREDS of creatures decimate the two armies above the ruins.


ELSEWHERE-

Elminister leaned on the rails of the artifact most know as the Crystal Shard.  The powers of the artifact mixed with his fearsome magic made the capture of the Northern Hemisphere of Faerun easy enough.  To continue to hold this control has not been as easy.

The rebels were gathering and becoming too strong to ignore.  Their leader, a strong barbarian known as Wulfgar, began with the Forces of the Silver Marches.  Another force, three women created by a mortal man that became a god , are forming a strong force to the south.  Alias is the lead sister of the Starlight Wall.

A new and unexpected force has recently risen.  These drow are led by a human of all beings.  Entreri has pledged the destruction of the artifact after it burned his friend Drizzt.  Though believed to be alive, the drow ranger has taken to exile in Chult.

Suddenly Eliminister snaps his head up.  “Yes- I feel it also.  There is something wrong here.  Something unexpected.”

The sky opens up in a ball of fire.  Fiery lines of energy begin to fall from it to the surface of Faerun.  They watch as the pieces strike the world causing fires to erupt within Shadowdale’s large forests.  “I am well aware this is not from Alias nor Entreri.  By the dead body of Mystra- who dares?!?”

ELSEWHERE

The middle-age man sits at his computer.  He is surrounded by examples of his hobbies and interests.  Pop culture icons, toys and fantasy items to cling to the walls.  He is typing on the keyboard trying to communicate with unseen friends on the internet at a site about his hobbies.

So engrossed in his activities he doesn’t see the sky rip open.  Hundreds of burning rocks falls from the sky.  He jumps in a start when the first one strikes the Green Mountains of Vermont.  He watches in awe as the fires spread.  Unknown to him, his alternate reality is about to become ashes and reabsorbed into the core universe.


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## megamania (May 6, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 106
“When a God has a Bad Day….  ”

Hextor sat on his throne.  And brooded.

The god of Tyranny and discord sat in utter disgust.  He had heard of these two entities.  He didn’t think they existed.  Infiniti, the overall force of imagination and creation and being referred to as the Tattooed Man whom was the force of destruction that kept Infiniti in check.

Normally this being who was a god of gods whom be a welcomed change.  However he is going too far.  He is going to destroy everything and start from scratch.  He would destroy entire worlds, universes and the gods that were worshipped within them.  Even himself.

But how to stop him?  He was a god but even gods have limits.  Especially in the case of two competing gods.

Two COMPETING gods.

Hextor sits upright.  His six arms flow and move to grasp the armrests and hold his chin in thought.  Perhaps there was another way.  Perhaps there was still hope.  The Champions of Infiniti have failed but what of …

Hextor stands up and calls form his weapons and wills himself into another world.  A world outside of time and reality.  It was time to declare war on a supreme being……

ELSEWHERE

“For the Steel Nation!”

“STEEL NATION!” is screamed in unison by thousands of warforged warriors.  This was it.  The three remaining countries not overthrown by the Lord of Blades had joined to stop him.  Little did they know that he had a secret weapon.  He had the Creation Schema.  Uttu was on his side.  Warforged creatures unlike any seen before joined the fray.  Thousands died within the first minute of the battle.

Then the sky tore open.

550,000 soldiers all stopped and looked to the sky.  

They did not know it yet, but their world was about to be absorbed and exist no longer.

ELSEWHERE

Malachite stands over the bloodied body of the hobgoblin.  Karthos, his weapon, still shines red from the blood spilt.  Overhead he sees Mara on her flying warhorse.  She is evading the crude spears being thrown at her and her rider- a monk.

Nolin calls out warnings of new weapons of war.  The ghoulish forces are prepared and ready to fight off the living.  Velendo moves ahead of him to confront the siege machine.

Suddenly an explosion occurs within the ghoul ranks.  Then another and another.  A malachite look up to see who is helping their cause then sees the rift.  Entire sections of the castle are blown free and topple onto the undead as more balls of flame and stone fall from the rift.

Nolin is uncertain what to do.  This is not done by them or the undead.  The dwarves didn’t seem to have the power….

The main gate to the castle burns and falls as a burning golem like creature walks out and begins to attack any and all sources of movement by it.

And thus we know why Pirate Cat has not updated in a while.  His multiverse is being destroyed.


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## megamania (May 15, 2005)

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 107
“Oh- This is Bad… ”


It has been 4 hours now since the Captain has gone below.  They are near the final resting-place of the artifact.  Jean freezes the door then Vander strikes it after being boosted by his psionics and Christina’s divine magic.  The door shatters and once the dust settles the team looks in and….

Nothing.

The room has been cleaned out.

“But….?” The Captain is nearly speechless as his utter defeat comes to his mind

“oh no…” whispers Christina.  They are too late…again

silence.  Vander has accepted death before.  He will again.

“Hah-ha-ha-hah-hah!”   Jean’s Chaotic Evil nature begins to take full control.

Then a soft light creeps up onto the team as their attention is drawn on Jean’s snapped mind.  The light suggests large hulking forms surrounded by flames and smoke.  Infernals!

Dozens of the creatures arrive.  Pinned in, Jean can not use her weather spells in full, Captain can throw his shield and Vander can not swing without hitting a teammate.  Christina is the first target.

The battle is short lived and violent.  None survive except for the Infernals.  Then a new light creeps up behind the survivors within a small cramp room.

“You ****ing Bastards! And the person known as Megamania, whom has absorbed any and all magical items he has found on the ground, begins to unleash on the Infernals.  Again, the battle is short lived and violent.  No quarter given.  None asked.

Jim is careful not to absorb the items as he picks them up.  He gathers Captains shield.  It speaks to him, which is strange but not that surprising.  He picks up Vander’s Falchion.  A mumble is heard in the background of his mind.  He peers at Jeans destroyed undead body and frowns.  Then he looks at remains of Christina.  His beloved Christina.

After holding her dead body for long minutes, he places her down gently.  Tears flow easily from his eyes.  He looks at the mace.  Her original mother.  He hesitates then picks it up.  “Avenge her!”

“I will….somehow.”

The shield glows and the souls from the fallen heroes (even Jean’s) flow into the shield.  



Thus STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI PART ONE “THE MORTALS” HAS ENDED

Look for STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI PART II   “THE IMMORTALS” To Begin.


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## Look_a_Unicorn (May 16, 2005)

Can't wait!


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## megamania (May 16, 2005)

Part II is being mapped out in my mind but I won't be posting for quite some time now.  Why?

Several reasons-
1   I'm doing it in comicbook format.
2   I'm using Gods...NOT avatars but the gods themselves.  WHOLE new terroritory for me
3   I have begun my concept drawing only.  Still tweaking the gods I'm using and why.  
4   Of the 100's of gods listed, which to use?  Two have seen time here already.
5   I want to post a page twice a week so I need to get a few "issues" done ahead of time
6   I'm getting involved in PbP which take more time that I first figured on (thus why the story was shortened.  I didn't describe the battle much.

Any guesses whom the gods are I'm using?


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## megamania (May 16, 2005)

Look_a_Unicorn said:
			
		

> Can't wait!




Thankyou for the compliment and thankyou being the only outspoken fan of this Storyhour.  I know others read it but you were the only one to share thoughts and express any thought about it.  That from beginning to end.   For that-  I THANK you.


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## Look_a_Unicorn (May 16, 2005)

megamania said:
			
		

> Thankyou for the compliment and thankyou being the only outspoken fan of this Storyhour.  I know others read it but you were the only one to share thoughts and express any thought about it.  That from beginning to end.   For that-  I THANK you.




My pleasure- but you know how it is, for every one that speaks out, there are a hundred more who are thinking the same thing.

I've been pretty absent from these boards myself lately though- work's been a little less benevolent with their internet use policy


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## megamania (Aug 17, 2005)

Looks to be some changes to my original concepts.  I found there is little to challenge 60th level gods (20 outsider/40 of classes) and when all rolls are max automatically it takes the adventure out of it.  I am also having some issues with the scanner and images leading to here.

So-  It looks like depowered gods and a mix of text and art.  With this mind, I should begin between now and mid September.

For those reading Strikeforce: Morituri thankyou.  For those that have not ...give it a try.  It's a bit different from the normal adventures you find here.

I mix game worlds, comics and styles then spice it up with humor and lots of craziness.


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## megamania (May 22, 2006)

bumping for reader awareness


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## megamania (Mar 31, 2007)

believe it or not STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI II is coming.  I have had several false starts but have come to a version and format I think will work with my time and resources availiable to me.

A new team

New missions

Same planar / reality travel and humor


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## megamania (Oct 28, 2007)

Bump before EN World 2 occurs


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## megamania (Nov 22, 2009)

Bumpin for my kids to look at later


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