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Logged by Taisch on Nov. 27-28, 2000, edited for clarity (sometimes spelling
  and punctuation.)

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Summary: A freaky manhole, lightning effects, clouds of green gnats drawing
  strange runes, a glowing pentacle, concrete, explosions, Seraph reduced
  to shadowy mincemeat, nausea, weird visions, a pile of junk.

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Participants:

Xavior
Forteleon
Angela
Dogwood
Seraphendipity
Oleana
Khalihs
Madeleine (Claribel)
Athene
Vincent
Green gnats and weird effects (played by Taisch)

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Citadel and Cathedral - SW

Cathedral Road writhes to a halt, caught in the hilly contours of the
southwest sector, where the rich and famous among the Damned have their homes
--- tidy villas or big mansions hidden behind walls. Some are elaborate, some
plain, but all the estates here have one thing in common: a nearly paranoid
concern for security, against physical, psychological, and magical attack. The
land is bare --- scorched rock, black dust, ashes --- but you see hints of
green inside the compounds, an unnatural green. Many of the "trees" are in
fact shapeshifted enemies, kept in the gardens as trophies.

Citadel troops regularly patrol this area to keep out the riff-raff and
would-be assassins. To the north, you see the Cathedral and hear the distant
tolling from its bell tower. To the east, the Citadel dominates the landscape.
To the south and west, behind the hills, you catch glimpses of the City wall.

Contents:
Forteleon
Xavior

Sewer
A small Manhole, leading down into the sewers beneath the city.
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Xavior is talking to Fortel, looking around to make sure nobody was watching.

Forteleon is talking and doing the same expet upon his scarred face is a
sevearly confused expresion

Xavior nods his had, "I can't continue here, there are too many people around."

Something rattles. It sounds heavy, metallic.

Xavior hears the sound, his head turning toward the supposed source, looking
for what it could be.

A moment later, you see a manhole cover shiver. It rattles. Is something
underneath there?

Xavior moves his heand in the air.

Forteleon frowns and starts backing away he looks to his
friend " can you toss me that little swoard , I might need it"

Xavior takes out his wrist sword, tossing it over to Forteleon, 
then moves closer to the manhole, his hand outstreched.

Forteleon frowns and he decides to back away preparing to use his power
then taking out his Angelic blade for himself.

The manhole groans, makes a terrible scraping noise, then flies off into the
air! A ball of purple lightning rolls out of the hole, heading straight for
Xavior.

Forteleon jumps for cover while screaming to his friend " get down!!!!"

Xavior raises his hand in the air, preparing to make a metal
barrior between him and the lightning, but also using a martial arts technique
just in case.

The manhole cover crashes to the ground with a clatter. The ball of lightning
narrowly misses Xavior as he ducks aside, and splashes against the wall behind
him, cracking the bricks in a pattern of faintly glowing purple spiderwebs,
that continue to throb alarmingly for a minute or more.

Xavior stands up quickly, running over to Forteleon, his sword
in hand.

Forteleon frowns and he wonders if there is anything he can
do but he dosent even know if it is alive he ducks behind a crate and prepares
to fight if he needs too.

The open manhole yawns at you two, drooling little flickers of green and
purple lightning like spittle. Something seems to move down there...but it's
too dark to see clearly.

Angela clambers down a rough path threading between the guarded compounds.

Forteleon peers over and he turns to xav " If I start to
shake keep me safe , I will be takeing over it..."

Angela nods to everybody as she passes them. "Hello Xavior..."

Xavior's curiosity causes him to look aver, but he notices
Angela running close to it, 'Angela. Careful." He motions her over to him
before the lightning attacks her."

There's an open manhole near Xavior and Forteleon that's dribbling little
flashes of green and purple lightning.

Angela jumps away from the hole, before she gets too close.
"What the f...another hole with funky stuff in it?"

Angela walks over to Xavior.

Forteleon nods and gestures " yeah"

Angela groans and holds her forehead. "Great. And I thought
I've seen everything..."

A deep growling, grinding noise echoes up from the sewers, then a thud that
shakes the ground, a noise almost too low to hear, but it transmits itself up
through the bottoms of your feet...

Forteleon jumps up on a crate expecting it and then besides
that he starts to hover slightly

Angela listens to the sound, and obviously doesn't like it.
"Great. I guess somethings down there...again."

Xavior feels the ground shake beneath him. What could be down
there? He inclines his neck to take alook.

Angela holds Xavior back. "Wait, be careful."

Forteleon looks to both of them " I wouldent be on the floor if I were you"

Angela looks at Forteleon. "Why?"

Forteleon he looks at her " That rumbling is coming from my feat ,
its behind us:

Xavior takes a step forward, still behind the trash cans
safety, as he looks into the manhole.

Angela looks at the ground and walks a little farther away
from the hole. "Xavior..."

Forteleon is still hovering and he moves back abit his
swoard out preparing to fight

Angela nods to Forteleon. "Good idea..."

Xavior looks over at Angela, "Yes?"

Angela unconceals her black katana and her black wakizashi.

Angela looks back at Xavior. "Be very careful. If something
comes out of it while you're too close you might as well lose your face...

Xavior nods, "Almost did."

Angela says "Oh.."

Forteleon shakes his head and makes a gesture " then get
back !!!"

But it's too late...the manhole suddenly morphs and widens!

Xavior steps back as the manhole widens, a surprised look on
his face

Angela looks pretty frustrated. "Why is all that strange stuff
happening lately? First that crack at cathedral road, and now a disco-style
manho..." She doesn't quite finish the sentece for obvious reasons

The green and purple lightning flares, forming a big net over the manhole, and
Xavior falls straight in and is gone!

Forteleon gasps and calls out in surprise " XAV!!!" he then
starts going back quickly " get back"

The trashcan that Xav was hiding behind goes flying, with a freaky spurt of
velocity that gives it enough momentum to knock Angela out.

Angela doesn't even have time to make a sound before she hits
the ground eyes closed.

Forteleon frowns and realizes he is all alone he floats back to
the ground and yells " whoever is in there come out and face me like a man" he
is very nervos as you can see"

The manhole shudders, the lips of the hole looking almost alive, and then
shrinks back to its normal size, except it's now shaped like a pentagon, and
the lightning has organized itself into lines inside the hole, making a
glowing star...

Xavior walks back into the scene after a while, looking dazed
and confused.

Forteleon gets in defensive state and prepares to fight

Angela moans and opens her eyes. She slowly stands up and holds her head.
"Damn trashcan...."

Angela stares at the ex-manhole. "Shiiit..."

Xavior stares at the "manhole"? and back at his companions,
this time staying well away from the lightning.

Angela looks at the pentagram, keeping her distance. "Great.
Someone in hell really turned psycho, or I shouldn't smoke weed again..."

Forteleon frowns " what is this thing .. atacking deaomns
and blessed , why do I think this isent hell"

Angela nods. "Right, forgot about that...But what is it then?"

Gravity suddenly seems to take a bizarre twist around Forteleon, breaking his
concentration and sending him SMACK! into the brick wall, right where the ball
of lightning previously hit it. Forteleon is knocked unconscious and slides
limply to the ground.

Angela clenches her teeth. She hisses "Great..."

Xavior continues to stare at the opening, until Fortel is
knocked unconsious. He runs over to him, keeping away from the lightning, but
seeing he can do nothing, he walks over to Angela.

Angela looks at Xavior. "How did you get outta there?"

Xavior shrugs at her, "I dunno, one minute I was here, then I fell and
ended up by the city wall."

Angela says "Weird...really weird..."

Xavior nods, wondering if anything would emerge from the opening

[Dogwood] Unaware of the going on's of this place of today one lone man
comes from the alley ways, smoke fomr a cigarette in his mouth, his blonde head
peeking around a corner only to hand the small nearly finished butt fall from
his now oepning mouth "What the bloody hell...." he says looking to his gun,
but stayinga bit back just incase somethign pops out. Dogwood cocks the rifle,
pulling the bolt back, readying for anything.

Xavior looks over at Dogwood, "Get away from it Dogwood."

Angela nods. "Perhaps we should somehow close that trap..."
She turns around as she hears something, her katana ready. As she sees a man
and not another monstrosity she relaxes a little.

Angela says "You're here too. Good, we could use firepower in
case something tries to have a fight with everyone again..."

The points of the pentacle pulse more brightly, and thin green lines spread
out from the manhole...the ground under the lines seems to grow soft, almost
like jelly...

Angela says "Just hope whatever could get outta there isn't
immune to metal again..."

Angela's eyes widen. "Shiiit. STEP BACK!" She tries to get
even more distance between her and the hole.

Xavior steps back with ANgela.

Dogwood looks up and moves closer to his comrades avoiding
the jelly now oozing from the manhole cover. " What did you disturb now?" he
questions looking to Xav before noding to Angela, moving with them not wanting
to be touched by the stuff.

Angela points at Forteleon. "We should get him away from there!"

The ground touched by the lines (now reaching about a meter out in each
direction) continues to disintegrate. The jelly melts deeper into the street.
And the tips of the lines continue to creep outwards...

Angela tries to get to Forteleon fast and tries to pull him
away from there. She shouts to Dogwood "Whatever your name is, help me!"

Dogwood looks over to where Fortel is, but continues to move
for a higher and better position far away from the ooze " I'm not bleeding
draggin his bum over here..>" Watching the ground start to disenegrate he
turns and looks for a close by building running for it to climb up the fire
escape. leaving the others to find safe places, quickly climbing up the metal
ladder and stops at the firts landing watching the ooze from his new position.

Angela growls a inhuman growl as she pulls Forteleon away from the hole...

Seraphendipity comes in from the north.

There's an open pentagonal manhole in the street. Lines of green and purple
lightning form a pentagram in it. From the points of the pentagram, thn green
lines creep out, turning the ground to gray jelly in all directions for about
a meter and a half.

Forteleon is currently unconscious, being dragged away by Angela.

Angela tries to pull Forteleon to a safe place, and leans him
against a near building wall. "Xavior? A little help here?"

Forteleon stands up and blinks he picks up his swoard
and then turns to the people " What happend , what is happening now"

Seraphendipity stands at the edge of the road, looking about the scene
with eyes cocked strangely

Angela shrugs. "I wish I knew. That manhole really starts
freakin' now."

The thin green lines continue to crawl outwards. Two and a half meters now.

Angela says "Shiiit! We have to close it somehow, NOW!"

Dogwood is still up in his perch, rifle slung across his back
watching the hole rubbing his chin " If I had somethign near me to make a bomb
with I would, try blowing the fucker shut."

Forteleon stands up too fast, always bad after getting hit in the head, and
loses consciousness again.

Angela shakes her head. "Don't have anything..."

Seraphendipity meanders towards the crowd, looking
about the group, and smiling at Xavior sinisterly

Angela notices Seraph. "Hey, you..."

The green lines are out to four meters now, and branching out.

Angela says "We need to close that thing. Keep your distance!"

Seraphendipity grins and approaches even more hastily,
"Oh dear me my word! And per se, what should happen should it stay open?"

Angela stares at Seraph. "Have you heard about the accident at
cathedral road some days ago?"

A wisp of green smoke puffs out from the manhole. Followed by another. And
another. And...no, it's not smoke, but miniscule creatures, like tiny green
gnats with glowing purple eyes...

Angela turns around. "See those things? Those freaks will
attack anyone, no matter if demon, human or angel!"

Angela gets in a defensive stance and raises her katanas. "No matter if
blessed or damned. But they are quite smaller than those several days ago.."

Dogwood raises an eyebrow seeing all these small eyes " Shite
I can't shoot those. Daminit How the hell am I coing to fight some fucking
bugs, I don't have anything on me do I?" he starts searching his pockets for
his lighter and smoething else..

Seraphendipity smiles, "I hadn't heard, but sounds good to me."
He begins laughing maniachly, and his eyes grow dark as he seems
to concentrate on something and focus

Forteleon wakes up see's the bugs and he stands quickly ,
his eyes glaze over and he tries to give the bugs the urge to atack each other

Seraphendipity smiles, "I hadn't heard, but sounds
good to me." He begins laughing maniachly, and his eyes grow dark as he seems
to concentrate on something and focus (repose for poor xavior - cackle)
Wisps of what look like smoke, but are really clouds of tiny green gnats with
purple eyes, are flying out from the manhole and spreading out over the area
covered by the lines on the ground.

Angela puts away her Katanas. "Won't be able to use these
today...again."

Seraphendipity looks at the ground and grumbles, "Stupid interference...
" He moves just out of reach of the tendrils

Xavior watches Seraphendepity, with keen interest.

Khalihs comes in from the north.

Oleana comes in from the north.

Xavior ducks his head as the gnats fly out of the manhole. He
runs to Angela, "Lets get inside, it'll be safe there."

Angela nods and follows Xavior

Khalihs eyes the one that looks similar to himself and moves
out of view in the alleyways, whispering to Oleana

Dogwood looks down form his position pulling out a lighter
looking about the small apartment type building he stays on for somethign to
light, " I bet these buggers hate fire.." the limey states as he climbs to the
next level, looking for wood or anything he could use to start a torch, only
if he gad gasoline..

One gnat viciously attacks another one, leaving...what, only a few thousand
more?

Xavior runs for a nearby building, throwing the door open,
running inside with Angela, and throwing the door shut.

Forteleon runs along with them and frowns as only one
atacks " I have to rest and try again latter" he frowns

Xavior starts to shut the windows in the building, to keep the
gnats out.

Angela looks at Xavior and then at the strange creatures.
"Fuck, now what'll we do. That other guy climbed up a fire-escape, I hope he's
safe..."

The green lines spread out another couple of meters and stop. The manhole
continues to spew green gnats out from a pentacle of green and purple
lightning. The area affected continues to disintegrate into jelly...

Xavior shrugs, "Angela, maybe you can shapeshift into a group
of those gnats and attack?"

Angela shrugs. "Or not, he didn't want to help me when I
pulled Forteleon away from the hole."

Dogwood turns looking out into the street then at his lighter
chuckling and swallowing a big lump in his throat he looks to the open window
before him swinging in and shutting the window quickly, locking it, safe for
the time being.

Forteleon smiles and turns to her " thanks , he then frowns
"anything we can use as a weapon here?"

Angela nods. "I could try, but....I never did anything like
that before. I'm not sure if I can fight effectively in that form..."

Seraphendipity growls and hampers down, concentrating
further, oblivious to the new presences at the rear

The wisps swirl around, rising in the air...they seem to be flying specific
paterns above their circle...

Forteleon smiles and gets an Idea " Can you turn into
anything that eats insects?"

Angela looks at the green glow again. "Besides, if that stuff
keeps expanding It will reach the building walls sooner or later..."

Xavior nods, "That is right, lets get to the roof you two." He
Already is at a trot to move up the stairs.

Angela follows Xavior upstairs

Forteleon nods and runs too the roof with them

Oleana blinks, looking over at Khalihs from their hiding.

Dogwood watches the patterns from the window then slowly back
up where he can look out the window, and yet be close to the door if he needs
be, luckly for him no one was home today in this room, otherwise it might have
been a rude intrusionon his part...

Angela stops as she finally arrives upstairs. "We have to find a door we can
close. If the walls down there open, those things will be in here pretty fast.

Xavior reaches the halfway pint to the roof, looking out the
window. "We need to get to the roof."

Seraphendipity cackles darkly and visciously as he gives up his physical
form to something more suitable
Seraphendipity disperses into a cloud of darkness, yet retaining the vague
appearance of a humanoid

Angela nods and speeds up, still following Xavior

The wisps of gnats continue drawing green lines in the air, with purple
accents...the lines on the ground now spread out along the circumferance of a
circle...a pentagram inside a big circle, strange symbols being written...

Forteleon runs upstairs with all his stenght once there he
shrugs and points at them his eyes glazing over to try his possesion again and
winces at the strain on his mind

Angela says "If we could just read the symbols..."

Xavior reaches the roof, waiting for Fortel and Angela to come
on before slaming the door. "So Do we get out of here, or do something about
the gnats?"

Dark Seraph whirls to Angela's words, and twisty misties
around towards the threat, studying it carefully, looking more towards the
manhole htan he had before. He drifts towards it, but still out of reach until
he can discern its origins, calling on his knowledge of ritual magicks to
examine what appears to have been summoned, with symbology to aid him

Xavior looks down at the chaos below. He notices the dark
cloudy creature, remembering him from before.

Oleana turns around and disappears deeper into the Alley.
Oleana has left.

Angela looks around. Wait a sec, is this the same building
that other guy climbed into? If yes, he should be in one of these rooms...

Dogwood looks about the apartment seeing no one hom he heads
into the kitchen nook, opening the fridge and looks inside, some bread, odd
looking meat and mayonaise. hmm he's hungry quickly taking the indgredaints he
looks in the sink for a clean knife to use.

Xavior looks over at Angela, "Well? We leave, or stay here?"

Angela says "Let's search this level of the building...perhaps
we're lucky."

Xavior nods, preparing to go back into the building. he opens
the door and leaves the rooftop, for now.

Angela follows Xavior and starts opening the doors of the
rooms, searching them.

Xavior opens the doors, knowing that they are looking for that
man.

Khalihs watches Oleana go to the safety of the alley, and
heads towards the path and fire escape he saw dogwood take

Angela opens the door of the next room...

Dogwood finds one luckly starting to make his sandwich
looking aboutback into the fridge removing a..soda? eh it works now going back
to his seat in the room by the window, soda and sandwich. hearing the door
open he sets his can down and swivels the gun to point at the door "Stop right
there mate." he says to god knows who before taking a bite of the food..

Angela says "Watch it. That gun looks dangerous..."

Xavior raises his hand as a reaction, but stops from using a
power when he sees Dogwood. Wouldn't be nice to destroy another blessed's
weapon. "Watch were you point that thing."

Khalihs jumps up to the fire escape, still weak from his
recent death experience, and climbs the rungs towards the window he saw

Dogwood enter from his vantage point

Dogwood blinks seeing the same woman from before nodding and
grabbing his drink returning to his seat " Aye it's supposed to be." eating
contently

Xavior shakes his head as he sees the food, "We need to get
out of the building before it starts to melt, Dogwood."

Angela enters the room and looks at Dogwood. "Having fun?
First you don't help me with rescuing For...far...no matter, fleeing like a
coward, and now you're sitting here, EATING???"

Xavior shakes his head, and hears a noise from the window. He
moves over to it to see what was there.

Khalihs jumps up on the landing, and steps thru the still
open window, surveying the room, eyes falling suspiciously on Angela

Xavior looks at Khalihs, remembering him from the alley
outside the Rat.

Khalihs steps shakily through the window, holding his side
gingerly, but makes no sound

Angela looks at Khalihs. "So, you turned back into your bodily
form? Did you find out something?" Obviously she thinks he's Seraphendipity

Xavior looks at Khalihs, wondering if he is wounded, since he
is holding his side like that.

Khalihs stands up and wobbles in, staring coldly at Angela,
"That.. thing.. is not me." He notes Xavior's concern, "It is nothing. I am
recovering from a bad death."

Angela looks through the window. "Amazing...how come you two
look so...alike? Sorry if that question offends you..."

Xavior nods to Khalihs, "Never had one of those." He moves
over to the window, staring at the gnats.

Khalihs glares back at ANgela, knowing he's seen her before,
"I do not know. Trinith told me of him, but I know not who - or what - it is.
A hunter, I suppose."

Angela nods

Xavior sahkes his head, remembering the CLuffbridge
incident."He is evil, he destroyed Cluffbridge."

Angela looks at Xavior. "He was that? That guy down there?"

Angela says "Damn..."

Dogwood shrugs from where he sits eating looking up to her "
You can call it fleeing mate, I'm looking out for my life, Fortel isn't one I
would trust it with, he's a bleeding loose cannon. If anyone drags him around
tis their won fault if he follows them like a lost dog."

Xavior nods, "I should know."

Angela looks at Dogwood and shrugs. "Suit yourself..."

Dogwood loosk to the window now going to his drink " Somebody
mind closing that thing afore the gnats come inhere, supposing they do that."

Xavior closes the window, the gnats buzzing dying out. He
continues to look out the window though.

Angela sighs and sits down on the floor. "Does anyone know how
to fight those things? Or anything like them?"

Xavior shakes his head, maybe destroy the manhole?

Angela nods. "Perhaps that would help..."

Xavior says "I might be able to cover the hole up"

Angela nods. "I could try to shapeshift it, too."
Angela looks at the fridge. "Is there something left....I have
to admit that I'm kinda hungry too..."

Xavior nods, "If you could make the hole smaller, I may be
able to cover it with metal easier. Sounds like a plan to me."

Dogwood shrugs " Don't know if I had bally known you chaps
were going to join me I would have had the owner of ths shitehole buy more
food.."

Angela looks at Xavior. "Good. But as weird as it sounds we
should wait until that strange guy down there read the symbols...I have the
feeling that we'll need that information..." She looks at Dogwood, shaking her
head.

Xavior hummphs, "then can I just kill him and stop his evil?"

Angela nods. "Might as well do that..."

Dogwood shrugs finishing his canned drink crumpling it and
dropping it to the ground. looking about now noticing Khalihs " Where did you
bloody come from?"

Angela chuckles. "Slow today?"

Dogwood chuckles looking at her "Nope just didn't care when
he first entered I suppose."

Khalihs looks at Dagwood, "Window."

Dogwood nods " Hmm explains it, most people hadrly use the
doors these days. who are you mate?" he asks rasing an eyebrow hand resting on
his gun as he relaxes amongst the odd crowd.

Xavior looks at Khalihs, wanting to know the same, as he never
found out the time he saw him before.

Khalihs suppresses a wince as he crosses the floor, "I have
gone by many names, but most say I'm Khalihs.. "

Xavior nods his head, turning his attention to Khalihs as he
leans against the wall, putting his hands into the pockets of his light
green-brown trenchcoat.

Khalihs slips his hand under his garments and a dark blue
glow emmanates, and he smiles a bit

Dogwood nods " PLeasure ta meetchya mate, I have gone by many
meself, but most call me Dogwood."
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[I had to go AFK for dinner, but my connection died as soon as I returned
and stayed dead all night, so we had to resume the scene the next day.
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The streets are clearer than usual. Where has everyone gone? Maybe it has
something to do with the open manhole, newly decorated with a pulsing
pentagram of green and purple lightnings. Green lines creep out from each
point, going out some four meters, then branching and tracing the
circumferance of a circle. Where the green lines have been, the ground has
turned a sickly gray, with a jelly-like consistency. From the manhole, small
clouds of tiny green gnats with purple eyes have emerged, and are now flying
above the circle, tracing what look like mystic runes.

Dark Seraph hovers about more, moving around from a different angle, trying
to discern the symbols that the gnats are drawing in the air

[He's in mist form]

Xavior shuts the door of the building as Angela fails to make the hole smaller.
He opens the window a crack and stares at the sign, knowing they mean
something, before raising his hand in the air.

Madeleine turns the street corner, coming into view of the anomalous sewer.
With a frown, she slows cautiously to a stop, studying the scene.

Dark Seraph looks up towards the building and smiles, calling out coldly,
"Oh, young man.. I think I know how you can be of service.. trust me."

Madeleine glances in the direction of the voice, and doesn't look much
happier when she sees the weird form of an anomalous entity (that's you, DS)
openly manifesting itself. She ponders some more.

Xavior starts to chant some words as his hand is raised in the air. His eyes
are slightly closed, blinking rapidly as he uses his power. The words are
spoken to softly to be heard. "God...me...the...heaven..."

More wisps of gnats continue to stream out from the pentagram...

Standing at a careful distance away in the road, Maddy fingers her lip
thoughtfully.

A sheet of metal starts to form over the manhole, but then balls of green
lightning roll around the edges of it...the whole thing starts to glow...gnats
fry and drop their little corpses onto the metal... then the whole thing
seems to get blown back up in the air, splintering into a hundred small
knife-blades and blasting outwards...

Careful distance or no, this thing in the ground seems to take a sadistic
delight in flinging bits of metal about... (Just ask Angela) and a shard
flies through the air and spikes through Maddy's throat...

Dark Seraph laughs as the blades pass harmlessly through him, striking
those about, and almost seems to take a troubling delight as blood flows
from Madeleines wounds. You might even say he is salivating. His eyes look
back to the young man again, "Strike one!" He throws his head back and looks at
the creature, tilting his head to the side, as it were, "Aw.. poor gnatties
fall down go boom boom squish. Is baby waby hurt much? Do you taste good, my
friend?"

"Ulp!!.." an astonished and choked sound emerges from Madeleine's throat,
her hands flying up to grasp the metal shard lod gedthere. The gruesome
spectacle ensues of her trying to pull it out, hands slick with her own blood.

Athene comes a-trudging down the street, looking about with an expression
that suggests 'rampant boredom'

Xavior looks out the window after he closes it once again, noticing Athene
has come. He goes over to the door, opening it and waving his hand.
"ATHENE, OVER HERE!"he shouts across the loud buzzing of the gnats.

Athene wiggles a finger in her ear at the sudden buzzing, and darts over to
Xavior quickly, eying the swarm with some trepidation "What in the name of
Hephaestus' Hernia is THIS?"

Xavior puuls Athene in and slams the door shut behind them. "The manhole
burst open, and I was attacked by a ball of lightning, and this happened."

Madeleine has a shard of metal stuck in her throat. Her face has that
grotesque choking expression, mouth and eyes wide as if in astonishment, as
she tries to yank the foreign object away. Finally, it slips free from her
torn flesh with a sickly, squishly pop. The woman gives a gasp, blood bubbling
in her airway, and stares down blinking at the mangled piece of metal.

Athene peers out at the ensuing carnage. "Hmm Small balls of lightning, hmm?
And do you think anyone is trying to do anything about this?"

Xavior shakes his head, "Only us here, well, I tried at least. 
With no success though."

After staring at the metal for a few instants, Maddy lets it drop with a
clang that can be heard faintly above the ominious buzzing. One of her hands
remains clutching the bloody hole in her neck, while she turns to face the
sewer, feet planted steadily and face set in a determined stare.

Athene watches the scene with an expression of deep thought and
very little concern at this time. After all, she's used to weird lightning
and all, having once seen Zeus get drunk and do his famous 'lighting his holy
breath' trick

Xavior looks over at Athene, "Maybe you can try that lightning
trick you showed me to get some of those gnats."

Athene rolls her sleeves up and takes a deep breath. "Open the door Xavior.
Let me show you how we kick righteous hindquarters back on Olympus"
                                 
Xavior opens the door, stepping back for her, hoping that none of the gnats
come into the room.

The gnats are currently busy with whatever little gnat ritual they're enacting
above the circle...

Madeleine inhales a thick, wet gasp. Then, she steps forward as close as she
dares and bends to the ground. Her hand slips quickly from her slashed neck,
and, using her own welling blood as if it were a pot of paint, she begins to
trace a series of symbols upon the concrete ground.  Her own ritual, to match
that of the gnats..

Athene takes a few deep breaths as she looks at the gnats, then with a little
ancient greek on her breath, she starts to sway, then seems to be dancing on
the spot. And finally, she extends her arms and stands on one leg, arms
spread like wings, and brings them forwards. She makes a screeching noise,
sounding rather like an owl

The bent figure of Madeleine goes still, resting on her knees a moderate
distance away from the open hole. Then.. it's as if a team of highway
engineers has somehow invisibly arrived. A sheet of concrete begins to
roll over the pavement, spreading on briefly wet and then instantly
solidifying. The substance flows over the gnat's magic circle to cover and
erase it, then begins to close over the gaping manhole.

Dark Seraph feels the sensation of concrete rolling through
 him, but steps up to rise above it, watching the event casually.

Xavior watches the concrete roll over and cover the hole. Madeleine had done
the job he had tried, with more success.

The concrete shudders, green points appearing in it, but they flicker and go
out. It starts pouring thickly down into the manhole...into the pentagram.
Little droplets of concrete splatter, vanish, but the inexorable flow covers
it over...solidifies...

Madeleine stays poised on her knees, watching. Is everything safe now?
Cautiously, she scoots back. Sweat beads her face running through the bloody
markings. Her blue eyes turn to regard Athene, noting her action.  

[Athene] WHOOMPH! From out of nowhere, it seems, a bright blue ball explodes
amidst the cloud of gnats, coruscating amongst them with a crackle and a spit
as Athene releases her screech into the melee, showing why you don't piss off
a storm goddess...

Dark Seraph smiles mischieviously, eyeing the mass covering
 the manhole, and his eyes beging to glow darkly

Xavior grins as Athene's power was not just a small spark as it
was before.

Madeleine is kneeling there, watching the Pagan goddess expend her wrath upon
the remaining gnats, and hoping everything's gonna be okay now. Heh..

The poor gnats, already zipping around in increased agitation when the concrete
flowed over the circle, their patterns disrupted, get scorched! Ow, ow, ow! The
inaudible sound of hundreds, thousands of gnats screaming and being fried...
Their little bodies turn black and drop, darkening the concrete.

Athene tosses her hair back from her faces and shakes her hands
out "Malachios" she says, rudely

Xavior smiles widely, good job Athene, that was too cool.

With one hand clutching her wounded throat, Madeleine staggers to her feet and
weakly begins to move away to the side of t he road, still keeping an eye on
the now-quiet manhole area. Her gaze sweeps to study the 'goddess' another
time, curiously, before moving back to the dark, cloudlike thing (that's
Seraph) with a frown.

Dark Seraph cackles and jumps about, scrawling Kanji symbols in the air, his
misten form rolling about in a perverse ritual mocking of sanity. He looks
like the smoke pouring from a large sparkler, being run around by an excited
5 yo human cub, calling out in an ancient Asian dialect, long forgotten to
mortal men, culminating in a shimmering wave, which emanates from his body
and pulsates out towards the manhole

Xavior closes the door, not expecting the pulsating body to do any good at
all. he moves farther into the room, sitting behind an old sopha, until he
is sure everything is alright out there.

-Uh- oh. Maddy can neither speak nor shout a warning, but she knows when to
hit the deck. She drops to the pavement automatically, anticipating no good
from this.

Athene watches, intrigued, and stepping backwards...

Xavior looks to Athena, now remembering the ritual and the big explosion.
He turns his head yells to Athena, already running as for away from the
manhole as he could, expecting another explosion like at CLuffbridge. "Athene!
Come on! We have to get out of here!"

Athene moves. Like greased bloody lightning, if you'll pardon the pun

The powdery stuff drops...down...down...then reacts violently with whatever
it comes in contact with down there! Can you say fireworks? KABOOM! But the
explosion is contained underground. A small tremor shakes the ground, and a
blinding flash of sodium yellow light is seen from the manhole, but for a
wonder, nothing collapses...nothing else explodes...yet...  

Madeleine is crawling like a scorpion on stimulants, towards the nearest exit
from the street. Attempting to put at least one row of buildings between her
and the blast. 

The gnats are history. So is the ritual circle and pentagram.
But now the very air seems to be shuddering. A wave of queasiness spreads
out in an expanding sphere from the manhole, engulfing all of you...penetrating
walls, stone, air, every thing...you can't tell how far, but it does reach all
of you currently watching.

Athene eyes Xavior and looks about the room. "That's it. Let's get the hell
out of here. Pardon the analogy, I'm sure"

Xavior hits the floor as the explosion sends vibratoins through
his body. He looks over to Athene to make sure if she was alright before moving
farther way from the building, reaching the window at the back end of the
building.

Dark Seraph cackles maniachly, barely heard above the rumbling, enjoying the
sheer chaos summoned up by his actions, and revelling in it - no, FEEDING on
it!

Xavior smashes the window and waits for Athene to crawl out first, before
leaving himself.

Athene swirls into the form of a jaguar.

Time passes. Guess you got lucky. The sodium must have just gone out, no
further explosions forthcoming.

Xavior is at the broken window at the far end of the building, waiting for
Athene before he decides to jump out.

Jaguar legs it as far away as she dare, and sits, poised, watching the up and
coming events closely, her senses twitching carefully. Far down the street
she can still smell and see a hell of a lot better as a huge cat than as a
human form. Any moment now she is going to race away...any moment. Er. what
was it curioisty did to the cat again?

Dark Seraph loooks at the fizzling and "awwwwsssss" disappointedly, casually
moving over to the hole, looking down to examine what might be left of
whatever was attacking them

Dark Seraph whistles to the tune of an old Earth song, "If
at first you don't succeed, if at first you don't succeed, you gotta get up and
try again, gotta get up and try again.."

Jaguar hisses down the street a little, ears back against her head

Another wave of queasiness spreads out from the manhole, weakening as it gets
further away. DS feels it the most, as if something died in your guts and is
trying to turn them inside out. The others...just a brief nausea. The air
flashes white in the area of the manhole, which is now dark and devoid of
strange lightnings and little gnats.

Xavior feels strange as a little nausea comes over him, he stares down the
alley toward the street, barely seeing the smokey form of Seraph in the
distance.

Dark Seraph drops down into the sewer to survey his deep, sparks of light
jumping from his misten body, intent on learning more for his insatiable
curiosity, and to see what effects the blast had below.

Madeleine raises cautiously to a crouch, still not feeling comfortable with
this. Her blue eyes center on the black cloud- thing, wondering if it has any
more 'surprises' planned. As nausea floods uncomfortably through her, she
leans against a nearby building wall.

Jaguar pads down the street, shuddering as she goes, and when it
seems that she does NOT need to flee, she shifts back to her old self

Then the flashes rip Dark Seraph into a million planes as thin as thought, and
the planes diverge... and the being is gone.

Madeleine's blood-slicked hand slips protectively over her eyes at the sudden
flare. When it is over, she peers out cautiously, her face more a mess than
before. But the black thing seems to be gone.

Xavior watches as Seraph is destroyed by the light, sheilding his eyes and
turning away, then smiling that his evil has sent him back to where he came
from. He walks over to the jaguar, giving its head a pat, and then looking
back at the small form of the woman.

Athene morphs to human and looks at Xavior. "Please don't pat me
again. I'm a goddess, not a pet."

The air continues to pulse over the hole, bright, normal, bright, normal...

Athene licks her lips. "That's bad. NOTHING should pulse like that."

Madeleine is supporting herself weakly against the wall, eyes somewhat
glazed from all the shock but not yet fully relaxing her vigilance. Her eyes
flicker between the two remaining people and the manhole region.

Xavior looks over to Athene, "Sorry. But I was just so happy that the evil
mist has left this world, for a short time at least."

Vincent's form is seen turning the corner to the north. Moving southwards
down the street slowly. Both hands concealed within his treanch coat pockets.

Athene grunts "Well, don't let us get into a row about it. We need this place
watching. Can you get a legion of spearmen or something to close it off?"

Vincent's eyes move to look stright down the main road, where he notices a
pulseating light of some sort. He stops and cocks a half grin before glancing
about if anyone around is alive.

Meanwhile, along with the pulsing, waves of queasiness continue to spread out
from the open hole, weakening the further away you are from it.

Athene stays down the street where she seems to be relatively free of nausea.
"That is one ugly little titan down there"

Vincent is towards the north part of the area, walking south down the main
road. His eyes move back to the pulseating light.

Angela moves towards the window of the building close to the hole and looks
down. She notices the changes at the hole, and notices Madeleina

Frowning at the intermittent flashes, Madeleine shakily releases her
supporting grip on the wall to again move in closer to the hole. She still
has enough blood dribbling to trace a few smeary sigils on the ground, though
she makes it quick this time as she figures this has been going on long
enough. Once again, she aims to put a lid on whatever is lurking below.

Vincent stops mid stride some thirty feet away from the light,
a slight sizzel runs through his body as he begins to think about something.
He wispers something aloud.. "Could this be a reacurence of the Nothing?" he
grins slightly. He crosses his arms on his chest once more. Turning his head
he glances at Madeleine closely. But continues to stand there.

Athene looks at her fingernails and seems satisfied. "For now, this will have
to do." She starts to trudge down the street again. "How come nothing
INTERESTING happens here these days?"

The shimmering in the air alters subtly as Madeleine's power comes into play,
interfering with the eldritch energies already occupying the space. In the
blink of an eye, a thick steel cover materialises over the hole, secured with
heavy bolts. The word 'DANGER' is blazoned on it in bright red letters, in
case anyone should be dumb enough to want to open it again. Of course, knowing
this city, no doubt someone eventually will..

Vincent begins to walk closer to Madeline slowly, though he eyes the hole as
yet another seal is placed upon it......He gets close enough and speaks up,
"Another seal? Whats down there anyways?" he asks standing before her.

Angela climbs down the ladder and walks towerds the hole. "Damn, finally this
freakhole is sealed....where did Xavior, Dogwood and Forteleon go, anyway?"

The cover is there...then one of the bright flashes come. And a hideous
screeching sound is heard, then the cover shatters into a million slices of
time and space, vanishes, just as the Dark Seraph did. And then the air goes
shiny...it's as if a thousand razor-thin mirror planes shoot out...reflections
are seen, but not reflections of anything here...reflections of some other
city. Some other forest. Some other sewer. Some other factory floor. Some
other panicking crowd of humans...

Angela jumps back. "What the shit???"

Athene stares from her vantage point, and smiles "Ah, maybe this
is getting interesting after all." she sits down and watches from afar

Those of you walking closer to the hole are enveloped in the reflections...

Slumping from her recent effort, Madeleine turns her head slowly to Vincent.
She shakes her head pointing a finger to the ragged, bloody wound in the
middle of her neck. Only a gurgling sound comes from her throat. At that
moment, the flash rolls over, sending her back down to the ground.
Nevertheless, her tired face strains upward, eyes mesmerized by the flow of
visions.

Vincent sees the visions he speaks up loudly as he grabs Madeline by the
shoulders, "Get down" he speaks up as he drops to his knees and brings her
down with him, Though for the instence he notices the tiny reflextions, as if
another world was opened up...

The reflections flicker in Madeleine's eyes as she peers out between her
protectively laced hands.

Athene hms "No use. This requires more than me" she stands and heads
away towards the Abbey, seeking reinforcements

Vincent's hand in a fit of quickness as be brings madeline down
 to the ground with her. His knees touch first but when his right hand touches,
the rocky ground begins to flutter and in a wave his hand reaches up from the
ground following it a wall of rock. He archs his hand over madeline and himself
leaveing only a rainbow of rock to guard them.

The images flicker...the mirror planes zoom around...then bits and pieces of
stuff begins falling out of the reflections: part of a wall, a human arm,
blood still flowing from the stump, half a car engine, unidentifiable liquids,
a rusty car...etc.

Athene is gone...

Madeleine tries to shout a warning to the people who are trying to use magic
on this unknown menace, but she can't get the words out of her throat.
Frustrated tears form in the corners of her eyes as she chokes on her own
blood. Then, Vincent's wall surges up before her to obstruct her view.

Vincent's wall instently vanishes in about ten seconds...He look at Madeline,
"Im sorry but I had to do that.." after which he stands up gives her a hand to
help her up. He doesn't say anything except,. "I gotta go find some one fast!"

And then everything stops. No more lights. No more nausea. Just a big pile of
junk, some of it once attached to living beings.

Angela stares at the pile and the hole. "What happened NOW?"

Angela looks at Madelene. "Can you speak?"

Madeleine's head bobs in a quiet nod to Vincent, looking grateful for his
protection however brief. When he has left, she turns weakly to Angela,
shaking her head. The gash in her neck oozes, gleaming moistly.

Angela nods to Madelene. "Rest and heal...." She waves bye and turns around...

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