Frank tried to kick free of the infected people wearing concrete shoes.

09:01, Today: Devil Dog rolled 5 using 2d6+1.  Seize Control.

In reply to Devil Dog (msg # 102):

The Golem reaches out, and earthen limbs shoot forth from the ground of the nearby shore. Reaching for Devil dog and trying to snatch him up from mid-air and return him to safety.

OOC:
10:45, Today: The Golem rolled 13 using 2d6+2.  Serve and protect. Hold 3.

Centipede leaps into the fray.  Sword swinging attacking each zombie he enounters in turn.

12:52, Today: Centipede rolled 11 using 2d6+01.  Takedown using smash
Rolled and 11. Take no harm in the doing.  Reduce Mob size by 1. Impose condition.

Amber again focused the ring, bringing the mystic light to bear on these once human beings, now mere semblances of life.  The sacred light was the antithesis of corruption, bane to the perverse and the unnatural; it had a way of taking the fight out of those who served, or were born, of such things...

Amber rolled 11 using 2d6+1.  Take down w/influence.
Reduce mob by 1
Impose a condition
Take no harm in doing

Devil Dog kicks loose from the undead monsters that plague him. Even as Golem's earth catches him, he watches as they plummet below the surface. They sink, but seem undaunted by the lack of air.

Golem might not be able to easily control concrete, but earth and stone are his to command. He directs a firm, gentle grip to catch Devil Dog, and holds him up. Devil Dog, with his enhanced strength and agility, can easily leap from the makeshift platform to the bridge or to the near side of the river.

Centipede dives in amid the enemy. He has learned their strange durability now. He cuts them down with strikes to the head or heart, and leaves them bumping into one another.

Then Amber blasts them with light. Some of them collapse limply, whatever foul force that drove them on after death vanquished. A few feel despair and fear, and throw themselves off the bridge into the river.

When you guys are fighting minions, feel free to embellish on your moves. I don't like doing all the writing!

There is a rumble and a screech from the broken ship. What you initially took for steel cooling after the fire was extinguished is revealed to be something quite different. Several voices take up an inharmonious screaming. New figures emerge from the vessel's shattered hull. Three blue-green spectres drift forth. Their entire bodies are translucent; you can see through them, like haze taking humanoid form. From their waists down they are nebulous cloud that trails behind them. Their upper bodies are garbed as sailors, in an old navy uniform. They are wearing shackles that bind their hands, and their shackles are also connected to one another. The three move as one crude amalgam. The center one leads them, with the two on his flanks being pulled reluctantly behind. He stretches forth his hands at Golem and Amber, the two heroes who have yet to step on the bridge and are closest. He throws back his head and wails, and the other two join him. Like a nightmare canticle, the voices give a wordless howl of despair and pain.

Treat this new entity as major foe with two retainers, rather than a minion group. You can give it a name.

Devil Dog seemed to go pale at the creature that emerged from the ship. “La Llorona - the weeping woman. Her grip turns men’s hearts to ice and stone.”

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/gh-lallorona/

“La Llorona… Zombies, ghost ships and ghosts” he says under his breath, shaking his head and butchering the pronunciation. With a flurry of kicks and swinging his blade, he clears space around him from the zombies.  While the attention of the central ghost is on Golem and Amber, Centipede leaps to attack the spectral sailor on the right.

11:20, Today: Centipede rolled 5 using 2d6+1.  Takedown using smash.

He lands to the side of the sailor, swings his blade with all of his might and there is no connection.  Either he missed or the spirit is incorporeal at the moment.  He attempts to get his balance again after overcommitting to the strike.

Seeing the Ghost woman and her two servitors coming directly at him and Amber, the Golem notices the chains. The creature...La Llorona...seems to have the other two prisoner or enslaved somehow. They seem to be reluctant to go along with the ghostly woman. He raises both hands, and two columns of earth shoot forth. Each one grabbing the chains that bind La Llorona to her two servants. Each earth tendril pulls in opposite directions, trying to stop the movement of all three, and forcing them to deal with that rather than any attack on Amber and himself.

OOC:
11:32, Today: The Golem rolled 9 using 2d6+1.  Seize control-Smash.
-• You prevent yourself from ending up at a disadvantage or in harm’s way
This message was last edited by the player at 16:51, Tue 14 Jan 2020.

Barbara had never heard of the entity that Frank described...but it sounded like more than sufficiently bad news;   it was fully horrible to look upon --  the antithesis of life, some sort of awful slaver of drowned and lost souls.

Centipede attacked one of the entity's chained thralls...while Golem seemed to be assaulting the shackles themselves;  most probably, in an attempt to liberate them.  Clever.  Or, perhaps born out of an understanding that Golem had as a supernatural being himself.

That left the main antagonist... she had not ever attempted this before... but, theoretically, based on what she understood of the ring's nature, it should be possible to...exorcise, or banish, such an entity of evil.

She focused her will, as intently and purely as she was able to --  and the ring responded to her, flaring in a star-like glow of its namesake amber light.       Flooding the thing in front of her, contesting the power of harmony and life against that of corruption and death...

Amber rolled 10 using 2d6+1.  Take down w/influence.
Impose a condition -- critical --   Exorcised, banished, or something else possible or fitting, if that doesn't fly.

This is my "possible" ability --  never tried before; she's attempting on the best of her understanding as regards the ring.     

Centipede's attacks pass through the enemy. He is left feeling chilled, as though his blood has suddenly cooled. He feels slowed, dizzy, and fatigued. By contrast the enemy seems positively invigorated. Its vague mist-form solidifies and takes on greater colour. It turns to him and extends its chained arms. The chain between its wrists leaps out as if by its own volition and wraps around his left wrist!

Moderate Condition: Life-Drained. -1 on checks involving exertion.

Golem's powers of earth are far stronger than the rusted iron fetters that bind the ghost to its minions. They break loose. One of them collapses to the ground, moaning in helpless despair. The newly-invigorated one lunges forward, trying to further grapple Centipede. He barely manages to leap back.

La Llorona seems to be liberated, rather than weakened, by being unshackled to her minions. It rises up and draws in a breath, as if preparing to howl again.

Amber rises even higher up into the air. She begins to glow with eldrich power. La Llorona hisses, as if this light is unpleasant and even painful. She raises up her fingers, claw-like, towards Amber. Amber increases the exertion of her will, now sweating with the effort. She feels the uncomfortable buzzing from her ring that warns her of imminent exhaustion of her power reserves. She aims the ring's glowing light at the ghost, which begins wailing. The scream is like no other, and it pierces Amber's heart like a physical blade. She reaches deeper, into wells of herself that she did not know she had. The beam is like a floodlight now, cascading down onto the screaming ghost. It is light against sound, will against fear, good against evil. The ghostly beast begins to falter. It glances around, desperation overtaking rage. Amber's ring-light winks out and she begins to fall from the sky. La Lhorna turns back, pausing in her scream. Her horrid face twists to triumph. She continues to smile as Amber falls from the sky. As her ghostly form dissolves and dissipates entirely, her last expression is a mocking grin.

(Amber's ring-related powers are currently non-functional.
Critical Condition: Unconscious)

In reply to Editor (msg # 111):

The Golem shoots another giant earthen hand from the nearby ground. Reaching up and attempting to catch Amber before she falls too fast. Not to mention softening the 'palm' of the clay limb, so when Amber makes contact it will be with a gentle, impact reducing substance.

Even as the hand catches her, the earthen fist closes about her entire body. Not to crush or suffocate, but instead to connect her to the living earth itself. Every plant, animal, and person comes from the same source. La Llorona and her ilk have moved beyond, but Amber lives. As a result, the connection to the living earth would give her some protection from the death spirit and her foul magics...

OOC-10:41, Today: The Golem rolled 11 using 2d6+2.  Serve and protect. Spending 1 hold to stop the fall, and 2 to reduce Amber's condition.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:51, Fri 17 Jan 2020.

This enemy was beyond him. Best to find cover and let those better equipped do so.

10:57, Today: Devil Dog rolled 14 using 2d6+2.  Defy Danger.

[Private to Editor: Do I get anything special for rolling two 6’s?]
This message was last edited by the player at 15:59, Tue 21 Jan 2020.

20:36, Today: Centipede rolled 13 using 2d6+2.  Defy danger. Using maneuver. Minus 1 for exertion is 12

---

Centipede summons some energy and does flip to escape the grasp of the demon and puts some space between him and them. He brings his sword back up in front of him.

“Golem! How is she? Is she ok?“

He widens his stance and gets ready for the next attack while planning his next move.

“It feeds on your energy. Don’t let it touch you!”

Golem catches Amber and prevents her from suffering any harm from the fall. As he gently guides her to the ground, she begins to wake up. It seems that her encounter with the ghastly enemy has left her no worse for wear.

(Critical Condition has been replaced with Minor Condition: Impaired Memory)

The two minions of the screaming monster have begun to dissipate, like gas seeping from a leaking container. Centipede leaps back from his opponent, keeping it at bay. It continues to menace him, but loses its coherent form with every step. Soon it has dissolved into incoherent gas. It gives one final shriek as it is torn asunder.

Devil Dog takes cover. He scans the area for more corporeal threats. The zombies on the bridge have had their morale broken, and most of them plunged over the bridge. It should now be relatively safe to advance towards the Palace.

Frank spoke quietly, ”Alright troops, lets keep moving, We’re not too far from the Palace and if we can make it in time we might even save a few people.”

The huge hand unfolds to reveal Amber no worse for wear, if a little disoriented.

“Good to see.” He sheathes his sword with a small flourish after getting one final look around to ensure no enemies are close. “I don’t know about y’all, but fighting ghosts is new for me… I think we’ll call that a victory.” He looks to the place the ghost grabbed, his wrist, and can swear that for a brief moment he sees an ethereal fog drift away from it.

He doesn’t want to think about how ineffective his blade was against that thing and only hopes that it will be more useful in the future. He shakes off the fatigue as well as he can and moves towards the palace.

Barbara slowly sat up.    Glancing about her, dazedly at first.    And then, with the intense focus of shock:

"Wh - where are we?"   She turned a horrified, desperate look on her teammates -

"What happened here? Is - is this London?"

It would have been nice if that was a joke.     But it wasn't.

You cross the bridge. The destrution isn't nearly so complete here. Most every window is broken and any carriages on the streets are shattered, but the buildings are mostly still standing. The city has been burnt to the ground often enough that they use sturdy building materials right in its heart.

The streets are deserted. At first you wonder why, when previous streets had been filled with the walking dead, the less ruined parts of the city should be different.

You approach Buckingham Palace, and the answer becomes clear. There were no undead in the previous streets because they are all here. A crowd of hundreds of the undead are surrounding the royal residence. They swarm through the streets, slow but implacable, in their determination to get into the palace.

You are about a kilometer away from the palace grounds, and another half-kilometer away from the palace itself. There appears to be a battle going on near the main building; you can hear gunfire.

The streets are thronging with the dead. Although their prevailing thought seems to be to get to the palace, the closest ones turn as you approach. They raise their hands in the now-familiar attempt to grab you.

Mob Size 12.

In reply to Editor (msg # 120):

When Barbra awoke, it seemed almost a mercy for her to forget the horrible ethereal foe. "You stopped a dangerous foe, saving us. Best to forget the rest of it." He told her before the headed to the palace.

When they got there, the Golem's large stone form moved ahead of the others. So the mob would have to deal with him first. Before thier mindless outstretched arms could reach him, he lengthed his own stone limbs so they became two tendrils of earth, smashing the dead aside without risk.

(ooc-04:46, Today: The Golem rolled 8 using 2d6+1.  Smash the mob. reduce mob size and takes no harm doing so)
This message was last edited by the player at 09:58, Wed 29 Jan 2020.

Frank ran out front with his Thompson attempting to fight off the new mob.

09:10, Today: Devil Dog rolled 5 using 2d6+2.  Take Down.
Pretty sure the gun jammed...

She nodded swiftly at the Golem's reassuring words;  it must be enough for the moment.

She arose into the air, knowing that the ring's energy reserves were presently depleted, and she was drawing directly from her own will power.   Which meant she needed to be careful not to overdo it.     The last thing she needed was to pass out in this situation.

Flight and force shields were always the least demanding... so she did her best to shield her teammates from the vicious attacks of this malevolent mob...

Amber rolled 8 using 2d6+2.  Serve and protect w/Protect.
1 Hold
Reduce condition by 1 anyone who may get hit.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:30, Mon 03 Feb 2020.

15:29, Today: Centipede rolled 8 using 2d6+1.
Takedown Using maneuver -1. Reduce mob by one. Take no harm.

---

As the group approach the throng of zombies, the scene fully hits him and dawns on him.  “There are so many here...” as the team begins thier assault to enter the palace, Centipede sneaks off and uses the shadows as an ally.

He strikes out from behind rubble, from shattered buildings and over turned cars, cutting the animated corpses down.  He’s tired, hungry and upset about the La Llorona.  He’s rarely met an enemy that cannot be cut down or even touched by his fighting skills.  The supernatural is an affront to his training.  He’ll deal with it, the same way he told Amber to though… Trust his training, trust his allies and keep fighting.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:32, Wed 05 Feb 2020.

Golem moves forward into the heart of the enemy. Mindless and ravenous, they seek to attack him, only to be struck down by his whirling earthen limbs. He strikes them down two, three, even five at a time, creating a zone of clarity in the midst of chaos. The zombies surround him, filling every gap left by his arms a moment later. He began an offensive, but is suddenly sore pressed to keep the foe at bay.

Devil Dog suffers a similar situation. His machine gun fires and rapidly empties. He quickly reloads, and fires again. He has learned that these creatures require either precise attacks to the head or spine, or many bullets to destroy their flesh. The tommygun is simply not capable of the precision necessary for headshots. He can gun them down individually, but there are too many for him to clear the crowd. Soon he too is forced back and away from the others. He diverts into an alley, the mouth of which is soon choked with hungry bodies.

Centipede zips through the shadows, never fully detected by the horde. They chase his last position, where one or two fell at his hand. Then the horde feels his bite elsewhere, and the chase continues. This saps their numbers, but does little to slow their momentum. Without a clear target, the zombies redouble their attack on Buckingham Palace. The horde presses forwards. A hundred or so zombies manage to clear the first wall and begin crossing the lawn.

Amber is the first to see the new threat emerge. The tower of a churches' spire gives a rumble and then a crash as the mouth of an old-fashioned cannon is shoved out. It is being manned by literal skeletons. They clumsily paw at the huge iron tube, pushing it up to take aim at the palace. They chatter and clack as two of them force themselves under the barrel, bracing it up with their bony bodies. Another two manhandle a cannonball towards the wide mouth.

In reply to Editor (msg # 125):

The Golem roars, and inhuman sound to match his equally inhuman foes. He is covered in the dead, and they claw and bite and try to cling to his earthen body. He causes spikes of stone to shoot from every inch of his body, like some enormous sea urchin made of rock.

Even as he does so, he loses more connection to the people who told him to be here. He had been sent by the war bureau to defend these people. Now he was deflying thier corpses...

ooc-07:31, Today: The Golem rolled 5 using 2d6+1.  Smash the mob. Burning 1 point link to the war bureau to get a roll of 7+. Reducing the mob by 1 and takes no harm.