The ranking officer steps forward. "Captain Adrian Bailey, 3rd Infantry. Apologies, we're a bit on-edge right now."

Bailey waves his hand. "The American has coordinates! Re-aim, then resume fire."

Centipede remains hidden in the shadow of a fallen building. He scans the surroundings for anything of note or interest. He’s unafraid, but this unit is not on their mission or detachment.

And the element of surprise is always a good thing to keep if possible.

Frank nodded at the man and as the bombardment resumed, He tried to get intelligence from his British counterpart. ”We crossed the river only a half hour ago. Weird boats manned by...things. How about you?”

After an update he concluded, ”We have to reach the royals. The Castle is well fortified. I don’t know the lay of the land, what do you suggest?”

Under repeated bombardment, the zombie horde is diminished. The palace suffers tremendous physical damage under the fire, but the people inside retreat to the fortified parts. The zombies make no effort to avoid the fire, but instead push through it. They are badly damaged by the time they get to the soldiers inside. It is hard fighting, but the mass of them are driven off.

Between the British army and the mystery men, the small cluster of disorganized zombies are easy pickings. You tear through them in minutes, ending the battle.

When you get inside, it is disorganized but stable. Soldiers check every body to make sure it is dead, and then move on. Already the staff are moving bodies.

King George the Sixth is seated on a box outside the vault doors of the palace bomb shelter. A rifle is leaning against his leg. His arms are resting palm-up on his thighs, and he is looking at his hands as you approach. He raises his gaze as you approach. He looks tired, his eyes sunken and his mouth a thin line.

"Thank you for your service," he says in a hoarse voice.

You hear a terrible scream from inside the vault. It is a woman's voice, howling with dread. Rather than leaping up, the king winces and squeezes his eyes shut.

Inside the shelter, a small number of female servants are attending to the queen. Queen Elizabeth, known across the world for intelligence, compassion, and courage, is tied to a chair. She is screaming, wailing with horror. Her eyes are glowing, like small spotlights. Her skin has gone from a healthy pink colour to a pale greyish cast. She struggles, although it looks like she is not so much trying to escape from her bonds as just trying to get away from...

whatever horrors she is seeing with her lamp-like eyes.

"They're all around me! Inside us, passing through us! They can't see each other, but I can! They're all here! Which ones are real?" She shouts. Her voice, normally steady and charismatic, is hoarse. Then she screams again, a howl of despair.

A man wearing a butler's suit and carrying a rifle approaches you.

"Her Majesty began suffering this affliction as the waves of blue smoke swept over. I trust you can all be discreet about this. The situation is bad enough, and we don't want to start a panic."

Frank nodded and turned away from the “Queen.” He pulled a cigerette from a pack and offered one to the king. He pointed to himself, ”I’m Frank. We were ordered here to reinforce this position. What can you tell us?” He light his smoke and offered a light to King George. It is a very surreal moment, a Native American Marine Officer giving a light to King George VI of England. The irony is not lost on Frank.

Without a clear enemy or objective just yet, Centipede is lost for what to do. He takes in his environs. What decor was once, he is sure, nice and plush seems to recoup from the horrors of war just like the palace residents. A veneer dust covers everything.

He walks to the end of a hall, and pokes his head around. He remains within earshot of DD, but will stand vigil here. Away from the screaming that he can do nothing for or about.

"When the bombing began, the royals and the staff took to the shelter below the palace. Her Majesty was still above ground when the dust-wave hit," the butler says. His highly-trained British decorum is struggling, but he swallows and continues. "She became afflicted, as you see now. Then the palace came under siege by those..." he gestures out to the fields before the palace. "I suppose they were people, before. But we had to defend ourselves. The King helped in the defence," he says proudly.

The butler appears to be about to say more, but there is a noise. A powerful wind begun while he was speaking. It has increased in volume significantly, and now is hard to hear over. The noise sounds increasingly like screaming.

"What is that?" says a soldier, looking out the window. The British army unit has taken up positions in the palace; the rifles are on the third floor, the machine-guns are on the second floor, and the mortar is on the roof. Now, every free pair of eyes is craning to make out what is happening.

The dust is swirling again. Out in the grounds in front of the palace a whirlwind catches everything loose, including the bodies of the zombies. They get caught up in the whirling dust cloud, their limp limbs flailing and striking the broken masonry. Wires whip out, snatching and striking anything nearby.

The unnatural mass begins to glow a soft blue from within. The howling of the wind seems to change. It becomes more like a voice, and the voice is screaming.

The queen's shouting becomes more coherent, but even more frantic. "She's here! She's not supposed to be here, but she's here!"

Among the roiling dust in the whirlwind, you can see the vague shape of a face. It is the face of La Lhorona, larger than ever.

The Golem had been quite up till now. More the willing to let others do the talking and leading. He stood as still as a statue when the group was not travelling.

However, when the wind picks up and the familiar inhuman face is seen, the earthen gaint heads outside. With more speed one would not expect from such a lumbering figure.

Frank knelt in front of the king, not in reverence, but to put himself eye to eye with the seated man. ”Listen, you are a military man and everyone here will follow your lead. We slogged our way here to help. This palace is a good defendable position under most circumstances. What is going on out there, it ain’t normal. This is magic. Magic will find a way in here and turn this place into a death box. We need to escape. There must be a way out of here. Sir, it is to you. We will stand and fight with you here if you command it, but none of us will live.” Frank is a bit blunt in his manner, but being a soldier lends to that.

Centipede runs back to stand next to his comrades, leaving his vigil of the adjoining hallway. Looking at seeing the ghastly face of La Lhorona, his lips crease, hidden behind his mask.

He pulls his sword out, for whatever little it can do, and starts preparing to get some revenge on the creature. He’s seen it in action now and it’s like the man said...

“The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

As soon as King George had come into their sight, Amber had softly bit her lip.    She didn't need to be a mind reader or a psychiatrist to get that something was horribly wrong.     Which turned out to be worse than anything she might have guessed at.  She gasped, shuddered a little upon hearing then seeing the unholy truth of it. Purely horrified by the twisted depravity of what the enemy was willing to stoop to in their utterly insane bid for power.

"I think -- perhaps the queen is inferring she can see whatever spirits are animating the cadavers.  But that's only a guess."    She addressed the king:

"Your majesty --  it is...possible that I may be able to do something for her.   Based on what I know of the power I wield.   But... it would be a risky, uncertain thing to try."     Amber also guessed the queen would not remain in this...transitional state for too much longer.   For it very much appeared she was well on her way to becoming something else...

And as if this wasn't nightmare enough, they would now have to deal with La Lhorona again, who was back from wherever the ring's light had temporarily banished her to.    Mystic artifact aside, Amber was still quite and totally human.  And this was almost too much.   She realized she felt overwhelmed.   And simultaneously realized she couldn't afford to feel that.   Far too much was on the line.

She glanced as the Golem sped to confront the kind of unearthly evil he'd apparently been created to fight.    And then toward Devil Dog, as he attempted to talk sense into the king.

"He's right, your majesty," she concurred.   "Please listen to him.  Some of us can hold  her off -- while the rest get to safety.     If there is a way, it's the sanest, best choice."      Then her eyes went to Centipede, as he drew his blade and spoke.

Barbara walked immediately to him, and put a hand lightly on his shoulder. "Sam. Don't. You're not armed for that fight.  I am.   Help Frank get the others out of here."    She'd been running on reserve power recently...and tried to focus on the ring, to get a feel for what she now had, before deciding how she could deal this dire and now familiar enemy...

What sort of power do I have to work with?
This message was last edited by the player at 01:59, Fri 01 May 2020.

Frank watched the back and forth. Finally he nodded to Centipede, ”Lady’s right, we gotta get these civilians out and you are the best to lead that. She is wrong about something, though. I think my ancestors have given me a tool to use here.” He took his bow out and drew an arrow. ”I’ll cover Golem with this, using the firing slits. Amber, if you’ve got some juice left now is the time, but if not don’t push it. All Golem and I need do is buy you guys some time and I really think we can do that.”<yellow> He turned and gave the King a sharp salute. <yellow>”Godspeed Sir.”

09:10, Today: Devil Dog rolled 8 using 2d6+2.  Take Down.
Impose Condition x2
I want to physically slow the behemoth.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:11, Fri 01 May 2020.

In reply to Devil Dog (msg # 163):

The golem rises up various earthen walls against the fors and thier ethereal wind. However, the earthen giant had to draw on more of the earth to battle against the spectral lady's power. He starts to lose more connection to other humans...

ooc-10:53, Today: The Golem rolled 6 using 2d6+2.  Serve and protect w/protect. Burning a bond with Amber to make it a success.

Several emotions flooded Centipede very quickly. The anxiety of the coming fight gave way to anger at their words. He was annoyed and kind of incensed that these people thought there was a fight that he couldn’t win. But that quickly ebbed when his discipline had him analyze what was said and why.

It was, of course true that any of these heroes had a broad skill set to fight this horror than he did. It was also true with his knowledge and skill with evasion and infiltration, that he may have the best bet leading the others out without confrontation.

All of that thought passed in two breathes as he sheathed his swords and followed the orders and  entreaty.

“Y’all got it. “

He placed his attention on taking in the details of his charges, who could move, who could fight, who was clumsy, etc... and made his way to the king.

18:01, Today: Centipede rolled 9 using 2d6-1 ((6,4)).

“Your highness. Sirs and madams, please follow me. I’ll need your help to get us out of here in one piece but please let me go first. Gather up anything and anyone you need and quickly and let’s get out while the gettins good. “ He waits for everyone e to collect themselves and proceeds to lead away from Lharona and let the big guns do the fighting.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:37, Fri 01 May 2020.

Assured that the civilians would be under the Centipede's capable direction and protection, it was now to see how best to aid the titanic Golem against their ghastly adversary.  She eyed the arrow that DevilDog had produced, awaited to see what would happen.  Meanwhile, she lifted the hand that bore the ring.  And drew a deep breath, and reached deep within herself.   How much faith did she have?   The last time she'd confronted this spectral witch, it had depleted her, rendered her unconscious, and temporarily obliterated part of her memory when she'd awoken.   But she'd survived.   And Llorona had been sent elsewhere...for a time.

They needed a more lasting result, this time.   Herself, her own abilities,  she was never so certain about.   But, what Barbara Wells had unwavering faith in was the primacy of compassion and love over malice and hate.   Just like the cells of living things inclined naturally to health, so the universe abhorred a cancer the likes of L'Lorona.   And made certain that cures were available.

The ring flared star like on her hand, more gold than amber...

Nothing yet.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:53, Mon 04 May 2020.

The King accepts Amber and Devil Dog's pep talks in a manly manner. He stands up, then lifts his rifle and checks it with a professional snap. Then the noise begins.

King George rallies the civilian staff into the vault. Centipede takes on a much harder role, convincing the soldiers in the palace to follow. They protest, but he argues convincingly that their earthly weapons are of little use against spirits. There isn't enough space in the vault for everyone, so most of the soldiers create a second defensive position in the palaces' interior. It is reinforced and well away from the windows, so they are safe for now.

The four mysterious heroes with their strange powers face off against the howling ghost. They have bested it once already, but it seems to have returned with even greater power.

Devil Dog fires an arrow that somehow seems to catch the whirling wind and pin it to the earth. The cyclone struggles to get closer. It howls in frustration and rage. Several chunks of masonry hurl from the storm. Golem raises his hands, causing walls of earth to form in turn. These stone walls block the stone missiles, which slam distressingly against them but do not penetrate.

The undead beast sees Amber's ring flare. The face takes on greater coherence. It seems to be gathering in its breath to unleash a scream.

Frank took another shot with his bow, but this time he is much less sure of it’s efficacy.

Attempt to impose condition making the creature unable to scream
08:54, Today: Devil Dog rolled 4 using 2d6+2.  Take Down.

And it was that harrowing face amidst the winds that became the focus of Amber's resolve and will.   She drew a deep breath, took as firm a stance as she could --  and opened herself fully to the otherworldly light that she had been given to wield.

It streamed from her ring-hand like a shaft of purest sunlight; the sort that classical artists liked to depict as emanating from the clouds of heaven.  It lanced straight toward Llorona's leering, ghastly visage, to illuminate the truth.

And the truth for Llorona was death; she was dead. She had no place, no right, to linger on in this world. To vent her bottomless malice on the natural and the living. For whom this conflicted, muddled but still so vibrant and beautiful middle-realm was home.

Streaks of light shone in Amber's hair, traced down her body, as she maintained the sun-like ray on the baneful ghost-mistress, with all the will and faith she could find within herself...

Amber rolled 7 using 2d6+1.  Banish/exile w/influence + a bond -- so becomes a 10 result.
Bond burned = The Howard Carter Archaeological Society (dropping from a +2 to a +1); in her role as a heroine, Barbara is moving further from her previous life.
Possible:
- Banish or exorcise evil supernatural beings

I've done it before, so I know it's possible.   Last time was costly and temporary.  Striving for a (much) better duration this time, if possible...and willing to pay most costs.  Mean business, here --  I want this bitch gone!

The Golem raised its arms, and more earthen barriers rose from the ground. Shielding Amber and the others from the oncoming debris sent by the gusts. Once again pitting the living earth against the the death wind of the spectral creature.

OOC:

18:49, Today: The Golem rolled 12 using 2d6+2.  Serve and protect.

Holding 3, using 1 to repair bond between me and Amber.

Centipede leads the motley crew through the halls of the palace. He allows one person to stay right near him, pointing out which direction they feel may be the best route out.

Centipede keeps his eyes open for the walking dead or any other survivors and lost people.

Very few will ever know the whole story of that night. Decades after, historians will piece together accounts. Scientists will analyze every detail of the evidence. Decades later, 'conclusive' eassays will be thrown awry by some new detail.

What is commonly known was that the Luftwaffe dropped a new type of bomb on London, escalating the Blitz to a whole new level. It seemed to have a chemical component, although the results were unpredictable. Those close to the epicentre before it was cordoned off swore that the dead walked, attacking anyone who came near as if compelled by cannibalistic hunger.

Those at Buckingham Palace were sworn to secrecy, but a few key details were revealed. These were consistent with most unofficial leaks. A company of the military arrived to reinforce the guards at Buckingham, and successfully defended the Royal family. Several medals were awarded. The Queen was struck with some sort of previously-unknown illness, and was placed into intensive medical care at a secret facility.

The rest of the details were kept quiet, but a few soldiers gave candid accounts before they were told to hush. Most spoke of the Golem, an earth-clad warrior who had served the British Army. Some spoke of an American, although these reports were inconsistent. Some scientists concluded that a number of the zombies had been dispatched with a long blade, although who wielded it was unclear.

What all of them agreed on was perhaps the strangest story of all. A woman clad in gold, or perhaps glowing so brightly as to make it hard to know, rose into the air. As if by holy light, she banished the greatest threat that the bomb had unleashed. Whether it was truly a ghost, or merely a strange occurrence of the weather, was the least clear of the entire matter.

When asked about this, no-one would admit anything. It lined up with reports from the bomb brigade above Berlin earlier that same night. The coincidence seemed too much for most. What are the odds that a golden woman existed at all, let alone being in two crucial battles on the same night?

The masked heroes stand in the blasted courtyard in front of Buckingham Palace. The ghostly storm swept up all the dust and debris. When Amber blasted it away with the power of her will, channelled through her ring, it cleared the area. There are clouds of dust roiling in the city in the aftermath of the bomb, but in the immediate vicinity the air is clear. The stars twinkle above.

Amber, Centipede, Devil Dog, and Golem are the only living creatures around. The closest living people are barricaded in the Palace, waiting to be told that the fight is over.

1 More post from everyone.

Sam stands mask off, one foot up on some rubble, looking out onto the scene of the battle. Taking in the eerie quiet, some of which is due to the hearing loss he got earlier in the evening, a smile cracks his face for the first time in a long time.

He was happy that he could lead the civilians to safety and though he wished he could have met the La Lharono  in battle one more time he was happy with this ending. They had lost some people today, and more would be lost tomorrow, but he’s glad at least these 3 made it.

He wraps a mirthful and companionable arm around Amber. “You know Amber, you asked at the beginning of the mission how one could be prepared for combat. You were worried about being blue to do what needed to be done when the time came. “ with the other arm he gestures in front of them and, subtextually, what she had done. “I don’t think you need to worry about that anymore. Good job. “
This message was last edited by the player at 03:13, Wed 06 May 2020.

The earthen giant nodded at the scene of relative peace and quite. It would not last long, as the war was still out there-raging as it would. Seemingly forever against the foe who wanted more than conquest...it wanted extermination of all other forms of thought and life. Still, all they had was this moment. The past was unchanging, and the future an illusion that never arrived.

This moment was their victory. That would be enough. "Well done." He said in his gravely voice to his fellows. He needed to once again to assume his form of flesh, and find someone with a radio.

He needed to let Miriam know he was ok. She did worry about him, although he wondered if she should. In the end, was he a comfort or just a weight around her neck? He was never sure, but was too afraid of the answer to ask.

Frank nodded to the ring bearer. ”Good work.” High praise indeed from the normally stoic Native American. Then he stowed his weapon and made his way to the bunker, ”All clear. We need to get the heck outta Dodge City though, so anyone got any kind of transport?”

Once it was all over, Barbara let go a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, and gazed at her ring for several moments.  Not for the first time wondering and simultaneously feeling grateful, that such a thing had been bestowed upon an inexperienced, idealistic eccentric.  Who would likely always feel in over her head with all of this...

At Sam's acknowledgment, she blushed some, and glanced downward.   "That means a lot to me to hear.  Thank you."  She then smiled over at Frank - knowing well that was serious kudos to receive from him.   With her free hand she flashed him the 'V' for victory, that the Brits liked to use.

"Of course this was all the result of teamwork.  Without the three of you, I wouldn't have got the opportunity." She glanced up at the Golem   "And our dear Big G, in particular...who pulled my bacon out of the fire enough times I lost count."  She cleared her throat.

As they prepared to leave, there was one more thing: "So.  Just what do you gents want to name this little group, anyway?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:40, Sat 09 May 2020.