The Cracking Ice - Chapter 1

How Kyron's shotgun looks after the Smite Spell.

Everybody can take 1 Bennie for great role-playing so far.

How do you proceed? Maybe some (Tip and Ben) are walking ahead, Chay and Ana following in Echo, Kai walking or flying? Kyron in the middle or on the bus?

Kyron can be in the middle he wants to be able to move about and report what he senses to everyone.

He would like to get closer to the ley line before armoring people.

Detect Arcana w/Presence Sense
PRESENCE SENSE (+1): The caster is
able to sense the presence and exact
location of living beings within range
like a radar; detect arcana activated with
Presence Sense no longer requires line
of sight to locate living beings.

Up goes the kerchief, Chay hops into Echo and starts to set off in the direction of the ley line. The missile launcher was ready and using his never-ending tinkering abilities, Chay managed to mount the rifle next to it.

Kyron doesn't detect anything in range (Smarts die x 2 meters). Note: the spell lasts for 5 rounds, which expires well before the text below.

Traveling into the snow-covered area, it's slow going. You can't help but make noise as your boots crunch through the powder. After a hundred meters, the temperature has dropped and if you're not wearing armor, you're probably shivering.

You hear a crack beneath Tipolei, as he snaps a log in half, frozen solid.

While the movement provides some resistance to the effects of cold, you know that you'll have difficulties after an hour or two.

The snow grows deeper, and firmer. Tipolei's large size and weight mean that he pushes through the waist deep snow. This prodigious strength and vigor alone layup him moving at any speed. Kai similarly chews up a lot of snow as he passes, leaving a churned wake behind him.

Ben, however, finds he can soon walk on the top if he places his feet carefully, and is now eye to eye with his dog boy companion. The snow isn't even, and he periodically punches through, ending leg deep inside before he can crawl out. Kyron also will find the path of virgin snowpack on Ben's side easier to traverse.

Echo doesn't care or really notice, other than using slightly more power than on clear ground.

The howling wind, the treacherous snow, make for a strenuous time.

Just over half way, after about a half hour in the snow, you feel a change in the air, a prickle at the back of your neck. You're still one or two hundred meters from the ley line and the structure Kai spotted.

What do you do?

Kyron holds his arm up fist clenched when he feels the prickle at the back of his neck.

On the radio to the ones in front, ~Hold up~

Detect Arcana *Presence Sense* Again

On Radio ~Directly infront of you Ben and Tip and one back by the Echo Chay. I seem to be flanked all under the snow.~

Whispered up to Kai, "Wanna melt a little snow in front of our front line."

Now is the time to armor at least the people outside. Vehicles.

Protection Spell, Mega Protection and Toughness on himself and Ben and Tipolei.
1 PPE, +1 Toughness, +3 Mega Protection,+2 to armor Ben and Tipolei.

Ok since a raise that will be 8 Mega Damage Toughness for the three of us.
That is not subject to armor piercing.

Note to Self: PPE: 3 left.

Tipolei walks almost unhindered in the snow thanks to his size and strength, holding his trusty JA-11 rifle in hand. Justice's hammer is strapped on his back, enhanced by Kyron's blessing spell, looked shinier than ever, almost like it was the weapon of an angel. It contrasted severely with the look his armor took with Kiron's spell of protection... his armor seemed blacker than a moonless sky, with bony spikes still dripping with the blood of long forgotten enemies...
Focused on his surroundings, Tipolei keep sniffing the air, hoping to find the enemy before they found him...

Doing his best to take the point on the ground, Ben slogs on through the snow. "This isn't the worst thing I've ever dealt with, but it isn't the greatest either," he thinks to himself. "I hope Echo doesn't get stuck in all this." As he proceeds, he realizes that, strategically, his group are at an extreme disadvantage in this snow. "We'd almost be forced to fight from the top of Echo if it comes down to it. We'd never be able to dodge a blow in all of this misplaced winter." Looking over at Tip he says, "we may need to find some firmer terrain, otherwise, we could be in real trouble should the enemy approach. Keep your nose sharp in case they're nearby."

Ben relays some of his strategic concerns to Chay, with regards to using Echo as how to stage an attack, knowing that it makes them all targets.