Van Helsing RP: Watch that first step...

[Forever Zero]

The worn down path underneath their feet spoke of the incredible age of the path, and the place it lead to. As they followed the cracked and battered stone path with their eyes, it lead up to the massive stone gate of the castle before them, flanked by trees stripped bare by a fast hitting winter. Popular in medieval times for how defendable they were, even in modern times castles were often selected for that purpose. The man who had hidden himself away here, a Doctor Gunterbacht, probably did so for the same reason due to the "delicate" nature of his experiments, and the fact that the neighboring towns took offense to them...

You review the mission information one more time. The doctor was a genius engineer in college, and tried many times to publish books on a project he was working on, a "Mechanical Man". Everyone laughed and called him a lunatic, but from the reports you have been hearing he might have actually succeeded. Many nearby towns have been struck recently by "Iron Men" who are supposedly suited from head to toe in armor, and have steam coming out of units on their backs. Locals have been unable to harm these "Men" with their local hunting rifles however, and they act very oddly has been the reports. They normally show up, set fire to a few buildings, then leave again, killing anyone that tries to stop them. Their attacks have been becoming more and more sophisticated with time however, which speaks that the good doctor must be improving. Luckily you are here to keep those experiments from getting any better...

The Hunter's Guild has given you some experimental bullets for this mission, straight out from prototype testing. Their dual charge should give them the punch needed to cut through the "Metal Men's" thick armor, but even still if they aren't human but instead machines, it will still take a good bit of damage before they go down.

You assess the situation. The castle gate is currently closed, and the drawbridge is up, but there is no moat. The trees are tall, but only half the heigt of the castle walls. You need to find a way into the castle, make your way to the doctor's lab, and "Put a stop to" his experiments. However, try to keep the lab intact, or if nothing else save his lab notes, because we could gather vital information from his experiments that could help us in the future.

[Dante]

The earth shook slightly with every step Briareus took, but barring that, the reanimated was utterly silent as he lumbered into position in front of the castle. It would have been more accurate to refer to Briareus as "it", but the many personalities that arose from the bodies that composed the monstrosity had a dominant, controlling persona - and it called itself Briareus.

A belt of ammunition jingled gently as he unlimbered the portable cannon from the storage hook on his back. Briareus' eyes narrowed as he scanned the walls and you could hear the gears in his head whirring* as he started to think of a plan. A basso profundo rumbling filled the air, then cut off quickly as Briareus raised a hand to his chin to crush an annoying insect.

"Hmm... I wonder if blasting a tree down with a cannon and using is as a makeshift bridge for the quicker guys to climb up and open the bridge from inside would work..."

[Krylo]

The soft voice of Jecint answered the giant as the vampire moved up beside him. "It is almost a good plan... but that would make far too much noise, and the tree would not reach, however..." The vampire looked at a tree and then at the giant undead monstrosity, carefully measuring the size of each before continuing, "If you could uproot a tree with your hands and hold it above you, I could climb your combined height and make it over the walls."

[Darth SS]

Leon looked over the assembly, and then turned his attention back to his gun. He finished loading it with the special bullets, and holstered it.

The trees seemed to be the most viable option, that or just blowing their way in. Almost cautiously, he unlimbered his whip, and tested the tension on it.

"I'm almost tempted to try to think of a way to attach this to a tree and the other end so we could just shimmy on it..."

He dismissed the notion, and lashed the whip back into a curled position almost supernaturally.

"The bridge idea seems to be the best idea that we've gotten thus far."

[BMHadoken]

Jude loaded up Redemption, his main blessed gun, and the loaner he had with the new bullets. A stake would be useless in this mission, unless this newest mad scientist was using vampiric principles in his work.

"I could probably grapple from the trees...or we could bust through the bridge...I'm open to suggestions." Jude said, sliding the guns down into his sleeve.

[Dante]

Briareus looked down at Jecint.

"I believe you vampires can fly, no? Perhaps you could carry one of the others and open the bridge from the inside... Alternately, I could throw you over the wall..."

[Kazastankas]

Valant squinted at the complex as he fingered the runes that rested in the compartments under his left sleeve. His long spiked chain lay wrapped around his right arm, somehow not piercing his skin hundreds of time over. He finished his surveillance, and spoke.

"If this doctor's been making multiples of these golems, he probably has them running all over the castle. I don't think sneaking inside would prove to be as useful as you think, but it could work - though uprooting the tree is probably noisy anyway. If you could uproot this tree.. why not use it as a battering ram?"

[Dante]

"We still have to reach the bridge, and it is across the moat..."

THe basso profundo hgumming started again as Briareus struggled tot hink fo a plan.

(OOC: GOing for church now, fon't know when I'll be back.)

[Krylo]

(OOC: No moat.)

Jecint sighed a bit. "I do not wish to transform before it is necessary... that form is... unappealing. You may throw me, just attempt not to hit the wall."

He then turned to the large man with the spiked chain. "Whether or not it will keep us from fighting completely, there is no need to draw all of the iron men down upon us as soon as we enter."

[IHateMakingNames]

"Just blow down the gate." Dramusa told Briareus as he approached the gate. The large wooden gate was to much for the vampire to bust down, but a Reanimated with a cannon could.

[BMHadoken]

"If we send up someone to open it from the inside, we risk them being caught and our advantage being lost. I say we storm the castle, let them get caught, and deal with our problems as we get to them. If this is a scientist worth his salt, then his lab will be farther down, away from any commotion we could make. And if we're fast enough," He punctuated the last part by letting his guns pop out, then slid them back down, "We can avoid any bad tattlers."

[Krylo]

Jecint shrugged helplessly and drew his pistols. "Very well... I suppose if the vote is for a presumptious attack, then that is what we shall do. I only hope that these new rounds are as impressive as they told us they would be."

[BassDouken]

Gregory looked at group around him and sighed. Looking up at the castle walls he remarked about the hight and complexity of them. His hand reached up and into a fold in his robes and absentmindedly fooled around with his pendent. Looking back down on the group, he asked,

"If I were a mad scientist, I would definatly not put my lab around the edge of the castle. Rather deeper inside, up or down is dependent on what you need to power."

[BMHadoken]

"And that is coming from a certifiable source, so Briareus, if you would be so kind as to do the honors."

[Kazastankas]

(OOC - Dante, there is no moat. ;) )

Valant merely nodded as he leaned back to see the 'fireworks', per se. His chain loosened its place from his right arm, seemingly ready for usage.

[Dante]

"Certainly."

Briareus set the massive cannon barrel up, leaning it against him as he reached into the armored pack behind him. Hands in tough leather gauntlets fastened around a heavy package of thick paper. As he extracted it, the smell of saltpetre filled the air.

In the light of the moon, Briareus' burden resembled a fat white tube, with a rounded end on one side. A huge fist held it upright by the rounded side as the other hand lifted the six-foot long cannon. Briareus briefly inspected the round before loading it flat side first into the cannon, and he nodded as it hit the bottom with a bloop of escaping air.

Now both hands gripped the massive cannon as he knelt and sighted along the crude but functional iron sights of the weapon. The pistons in his arms let off small shrieks of escaping steam... then stopped.

"Target acquired. Be ready."

He squeezed the trigger on the wooden grip, and for a moment there was nothing. Briareus tensed himself.

Then there was a almighty explosion, and a massive plume of smoke burst from the cannon's mouth, the wooden drawbridge blowing apart a heartbeat later as the ball thundered through it. Briareus straightened up, then hooked the cannon onto his backpack with one hand while retrieving the gatling gun with the other.

"Let us begin."

[Forever Zero]

The massive cannonball had rendered the Drawbridge asunder to reveal that the iron gate is open. The Doctor must have been rather lazy and figured the drawbridge would be enough to keep anyone back...

As you travel through the ruined wooden debris, you enter the area surrounding the castle. You look down to see wide, flat footprints all over, most likely from the "Mechanical Men". However as you look around, you don't see any movement or anything that could be construed as a threat. You do however spot the nearby doorway into the castle, a massive wooden affair that reaches even above the head of the massive Re-Animated, with two massive iron rings to open the door with. As you look to either side, you see that the foorprints don't come from this door, but from around one side of the castle.

[Dante]

"I do not have a good feeling about this. Nevertheless, we must proceed."

Briareus advanced, a steady, ponderous gait that nevertheless managed to equal a normal person's walking speed.

[BMHadoken]

"I say we go through the middle, looks likes its the least popular."

[Kazastankas]

Valant rose from his position and proceeded to stride through the debris into the opening that it gave. Noticing the footprints and becoming more alert. The chain was now more loosened as he gripped the center of it.

[Darth SS]

Leon looked around the new area.

"Anyone get the feeling we're going about this all wrong?"

He crossed his arms, and looked over the tracks. The tracks didn't come from the crazy man's most probable place for a lair. They came from the side, which meant the dude quite pointedly wanted to avoid them going through the main hallways. Or maybe he wanted to throw trackers off...

"Forgive my paranoia, but I think this entire place is rigged to become a trap. He could have us follow the tracks and go around the side, right to where he could be spitting out more, or he could assume we'll go the safe way and move them to ambush us in some sort of lobby."

He shrugged. "Middle might be a bit safer because we might have more room to skirmish."

[Forever Zero]

The group opinion seems to be leaning towards going through the front door, so you do. With a heave, you all work to pull the massive doors open. Once it is opened and you walk inside, the first thing that strikes you is... Dust. The dust is so think, it almost forms a carpet over everything. However you immediatly assess your surroundings. There are 8 pillars running the length of the long hallway, and you can see one door to the left and one to the right, and one straight ahead. The two to the sides are normal sized and wooden, but the one at the end is larger, with gold inlays, so this was once the door to someplace impressive. As you look about the room, you note the ancient suits fo armor along the walls, the tables littered with finery that has long since gone out of use, and the tapestries that have grown so old and worn they seem ready to rip themselves apart. This castle seems to have been struck with entropy and abandonment since it originally lost it's purpose, but you aren't sure why it would just be abandoned like this... Any intelligent group would have taken all the finery with them, and raiders or bandits would have ruined what they didn't want and taken the rest, but it all seems as if it is in stasis, as if the original occupants just picked up and left one day...

The room, before just old and musty, now sends a chill down your spine...

[Dante]

"In any case, the denizens of the castle are certainly aware of us now, so I suggest we pay a visit to them."

The belt of the Gatling clinked as he shifted it slightly, still holding it upright with one arm.

[Kazastankas]

Valant looked around the room with disdain. This place haven't even been walked upon, meaning that the scientist didn't use this place for entry and exit. That usually meant that it would be an ambush area. The chain slid from his arm, ready for use.

[Krylo]

Jecint sheathed one of his guns and reached out for one of the walls and rubbed a layer of dust off on his fingers, looking at it with mild bemusement. "It doesn't look like anyone has been in here for a very long time. Whatever the reason, I doubt we'll find our mad scientist by continuing along this route."

[BMHadoken]

"You're perfectly right, we should just go around to where the Metal Men frequent, announce ourselves for good." Jude countered smugly. "Or, we could just continue through here. Think this through, if you can, like a regular human. I would probably come into my castle through the drawbridge, go through the main hall, enter one of these doors to my lab, construct some Metal Men, then send them through the side hall. Of course, that last part would be if I were a mad scientist, but you get the point."

[Darth SS]

Leon glanced nervously around the room.

"We should take one of the side doors."

He kneeled, and rubbed how thick the dust was. No one had been through there for a long time.

"And on a side note, in the event of an ambush, the dust would whip up and give us a heads-up."

Then he sneezed. He sniffled, rubbed his nose, and said, "Wow. Sorry."

[Kazastankas]

"Or, this dust can give a decent cover. However, it may also present many traps. An interesting decision, this will be."

[BMHadoken]

"Yes...interesting...so, eeny-meeny-miney-moe?"

[Darth SS]

Leon shrugged, and pulled his pistols.

"May as well."

[Forever Zero]

As you walk further into the Main Hall, each step brings a light puff of dust floating up into their air, threatening the sinuses of your living allies (With much larger puffs coming from your large ally, Briarius). You can feel the tension mounting as you head into the room, keeping an eye out for any traps or things that might give away your position. Some of you with a much finer sense of the darkness in the hearts of men feel something at the twinge of your "Sense". This being is down, below where you now stand, and in front of you. That means he is in some sort of basement, but it doesn't tell you where the stairs are...

Suddenly there is a loud shriek of metal grinding against metal, and you look to the walls. One of the suits of armor has stepped down and is slowly stomping towards you, spear armed to skewer you, a loud and unearthly clanking, ticking, and whirring comeing from inside the contraption. Suddenly it is joined by more and more shrieks and clanks as all the suits of armor step off their platforms and begin to march towards you, spears raised to impale tresspassers. There are a good number of them, twenty from a quick count, and they surround you and slowly stomp into range.

[BMHadoken]

"Damn, how did I forget, never trust a hallway full of suits of armor..." Jude grunted. He aimed his hand and shot his grappling hook around the leg of a nearby 'knight' and pulled...

(OOC: I assume thats where the dice rolls come in...or no?)

[Darth SS]

Quite calmly, Leon shot the first in the face.

The second he shot twice in the face, once from each gun. From his left hand he shot the head of another enemy.

Quickly, he holstered one pistol, and freed his whip. One knight was too close to comfort, so Leon wrapped his whip around the spear, yanked it out of it's hands, then grabbed it by the ankle. Then he tripped it.

It died when he shot it twice more with his left hand gun. Barely missing a beat, he put away the whip and pulled his pistol. He locked down on the biggest suit he saw, and emptied both pistols into it.

"Cover me while I reload!"

[Forever Zero]

OOC: No dice rolls, just have at it. I'll announce the Boss Fight when you need Dice Rolls...

The Knight Jude pulled fell over, collapsing into a pile of armor pieces and strange cogs and springs that shot out of the collapsed armor. The Knights shot in the head only have their helmet's fly off their heads, revealing an odd block of a bronzish metal with a lense in the center of the block. This lense seems resistant to some bullets from those that bounced off of it. However the one riddled with bullets falls to the ground and lays still, an odd fluid leeking out of the armor. There are still a good number of the Knight Machines coming at you, for they don't seem to respond to bullets or any other damage they take until they are rendered inoperable. They are almost in melee range now...

[Krylo]

Jecint shrugged. "I hate to say I told you so... but... I did."

He then sheathed his still drawn pistol, seeing no reason to waste precious ammo on these subpar monstrosities, and drew his blade, charging the nearest suit of armor with his held close to his body. As he arrived about two feet away from it he thrust his arms out with the blade still held in them, and while still moving, aiming his blade directly for where the lens should be located underneath the helmet.

"Besides..." Jecint stated calmly as he drew his blade out and smashed it down upon one of the thing's arms. "Anyone with half a brain, human or otherwise, could see that the scientist doesn't use this room for anything, except killing those foolish enough to walk through it. The dust would have left his footprints... much as it is leaving ours now."

[IHateMakingNames]

Almost in melee range was close enough for Dramusa. After closing the distance between himself and the nearest suit of armor, Dramusa side stepped the lunge with a spear the suit of armor did at him. With the lunge, the suit of armor was right next to Dramusa, it's spear past him. Turning around partly, he punched the wooden shaft of the spear, snapping it in half. Following up on his punch, Dramusa shoudler tackled the suit of armor, hoping to make it lose it's balance so he could knock it over.

[Forever Zero]

The Mechanical Knights must have been early inventions, because once they are knocked over, they break into pieces and collapse. Dramusa and Jecint prove this when their blows both tip the unstable robots, sending them over and shattering them on impact with the floor. The robot count is now fifteen from the various blows, and a cloud of dust is rising up, having an adverse effect on the living's noses and causing sneezing, but also settling on the robots lenses and making their aim poor as they get into melee combat and begin to swing and stab at the Hunters.

[Kazastankas]

Valant held his nose, not wanting the dust the distract him as the spiked chain lashed out again and again, each time connecting with an arm or an ankle, pulling it down. At this point, seeing the fragile structure of these 'Knights', he didn't deem the usage of the runes necessary. He stepped aside from two of the sluggish spear thrusts, ducking below the armors to kick their feet out from behind them, while the two sides of the chain entangled the limbs of other knights.

[BMHadoken]

With no time to reload the grappling hook, Jude settled with a wide swing, managing to wrap it around the head of a knight. He tugged and succeded in pulling off its head, then rushed it and managed to topple it down, going with it in a cloud of dust.

"I would reather deal with these heaps than an army of finely tuned Mechanical Men."

[Dante]

Briareus stood behind the group, silently observing the battle, or what little of it could be seen throught he swirling clouds of dust that were Dramusa, Jude, Jacint and Leon.

Ordinarily, he would have delivered suppressive fire from his Gatling, but these primitive mechanicals were probably mindless enough not to keep their heads down when subjected to a barrage of rounds, the dust clouds obscured the combatants, preventing him from distinguishing friend from foe, and in any case, he wanted to save his rounds for a better occasion.

Besides, he could watch the group's rear,and if need be, pick off anyone trying to flank them.

So he stood, silent and still, only his head moving as he methodically scanned the area around him for any unexpected threats

[Krylo]

After noticing how quickly the mechanizations fell apart once they were knocked over, Jecint began to aim for their legs, moving about the room as fast as he could without using his precious reserves of blood. First one, then a second, and then a third monstrosity collapsed to the ground in a pile of mechanical parts and pieces with bangs and din loud enough to wake the dead.

[Forever Zero]

The Hunters fought well, and in a fairly short time, even with the dust interfereing, the Mechanical Knights were demolished with only a few cuts to show. When investigated, the Mechanical Knights were composed of complex machines with hoses, gears, and pistons running all throughout to make them move and attack. However, these must have been very old creations from how easy they were to destroy, and they were probably meant for ill armed and prepared peasents and not well armed Hunters. Also from the incredible noise made by this battle, you wouldn't doubt the Doctor heard you, although you have nothing to prove it yet. As the massive cloud of dust settles, the room is as it once was, minus the standing Knight Armor, and with a good portion of the dust on the ground now in the air.

[Kazastankas]

Valant tooked forward, nose wrinkled at the dust. These Knights were obviously insophisticated versions if the new ones presented a continuous problem. He looked down the hall, wondering what lay beyond.

[BassDouken]

"Hmmmmmm, yeah they probably were just for common bandits or theives. Fortunatly, we are neither. Although it makes me wonder just how much time this guy has on his hands to make all of these." Gregory looked forward to Valant and the rest. "We should probably continue with haste, the good Doctor will need all the time he can muster to prepare if his Knights are anything like these."