Play@YSDC

Location: The Haunted House, 121 Norman St.
Date: March 22, 1921, 2:30 PM
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After fiddling around and everyone saying yea we should go in, but still hesitating after what you encountered last night you gather up enough nerve to climb up on the porch to the front door. It is still closed and locked from the last encounter. You unlock the door, but still hesitate, not sure why. A cold chill runs up your spine and the hair on your neck stands up on end. You all immediately feel like someone or something is watching you.
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Someone finally reaches down and opens the door. It creaks so loud you think it was straight out of a movie. You see the hall stretching out before you. It appears to run the length of the house, but isn't centered. The rooms to the right of the hall will be bigger. You see 3 small doors to the left spaced out along the left side of the hall. Also on the left side at the very end is the landing for stairs going up. On the right is a set of large double doors just 8 feet or so down the hall. Then 2 smaller doors on the right. One at the very end of the hall.
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The floor has dirt all over it, and it hasn't be cleaned in a very long time. You can see on the inside of the front door, now that it is open, has 4 new deadbolts on it. They all look fairly new.

Warren Kaine
As the door opens I take the .45 from my coat pocket.

Warren thinking:   I ain't taking any chances after last night and knowing that Phil is somewhere at large.

I glance at the bolts, noting their 'newness' "Were these things here on your previous visit?"

Richard pulls out one of his pistols and moves down the hall way to make room for the others to enter.

The floorboards creak slightly as you step in, and dust swirls from your steps, but otherwise, it is quiet and normal looking house.

Taking Warren and Richard's lead, Michael also draws his gun. Much of his bravado has faded away, and the PI attempts to steel himself for whatever will come.

"So? Any ideas where to start? Big house."

"I say we do each door in order going down the hall" says Richard as he heads for the first door

The first doors are the double doors on the right, they are slightly ajar. Just past them are the small door to the left. It is shut.

Richard walks to the slightly ajar door and pushes it wide open and looks into the room.

"How much exploration did you actually manage to do last time you were here?" asks Charles. He is clearly tightly wound and alert.

OOC,Ben, how long until the sun sets?

Inside the door it opens into a large living room. A plush couch and two matching arm chairs, a fireplace with a picture hanging above it. A radio on a wall table as well as a family bible sitting on a coffee table. There are a large number of crucifixes hanging on the walls along with several shelves with small items on them, most of them of a religious nature. Dust covers everything in the room.
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There are 2 windows in this room, 1 to the front of the house and 1 to the side of the house. On the left wall is an opening into the next room, no door.

Warren Kaine

"I agree we dont leave any room unsearched behind us. Stay alert guys, we don't want a rerun of last night"
I check the safety on my .45, I don't want it going off by accident. I cross the room to the opening...

Warren crosses the room, and looks into the dining room that is connected to the living room.
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He sees the dining room, complete with a long mahogany table, a built-in sideboard, and seven chairs. Three places are set, and unused. Scraps of rice soup rots in a tureen.
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Warren,make a spot hidden check.

Warren Kaine

Spot Hidden,65% 1d100 → [62] = (62) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4307209/

Richard walks into the living room and start to take a closer look at the room and the objects in it.

As you look around the room things look pretty normal.
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Richard,you don't see anything out of the ordinary. You see Warren take a good look at the painting above the fireplace. When you look at it, its a painting of the house you are in.

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Warren,as you look at the picture it is a painting of the house. You see what looks like a demonic figure up on top of the house, for just a minute, then it scampers over the top of the roof and out of sight.

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All of you hear what sounds like footsteps from above you.

Richard ask "Anyone find anything unusual in here or should we move on to the next room?"

Seeing the others have the matter well in hand, Michael calls out from the living room.

"I'm going to check out one of the doors across the hallway. Yell if you find anything."

He heads back out and examines the first door on the left, attempting to open it.

You find the first door on the left locked.

Michael grumbles. Who the hell kept doors locked in an abandoned house? In any event, he was not willing to try and break the door down just yet. There might be a key somewhere around here.

He moves on and tries the second and third doors, attempting to see if both are locked as well.

Richard says "ok we move on to the next room" as Richard see's Michael moving from door to door impatiently he just shakes his head at Michael's ignorance in these matters. After checking and finding the next door locked he looks over his shoulder and says "Who has the keys? Lets see if they will open this door, if not Jordie you might have to take a look at it for us"

The 2nd door on the left opens. Its about 10 feet deep and 30 feet wide. The door is centered. It appears to just be a storage room with old broken furniture. It looks like they were breaking into pieces to burn.
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Richard, you remember Jordie is out in the car reading.

You can check the keys, there are 2 different keys, but both look like outside door locks. Neither looks like it would fit the interior door.

You fail to open the lock.
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Again you hear footsteps upstairs.

Warren Kaine

Warren thinking:   Damn this whole thing is starting to spook me out. Now I'm seeing things that aint there.

Shaking my head in wonder at the painting, I reach into my jacket pocket and take out my flask. Unscrewing the top I take a quick hit.

"Uhh, Richard did you...?" I leave the sentence unfinished as I can tell by his quick glance at the picture that he hadn't seen anything.

I watch as first Michael, then Richard fail to open the door. "Jordies outside lost in her book. So if there aint no key and it won't open with a little persuasion then maybe we need to bust it? After all it aint like the owner will bitch about a little damage"

I gesture at the general squalor of the rooms so far, then suddenly noticing Richard's alertness, "What is it?"...

Richard turns and looks at Warren and whatever he may be looking at "What is what?"

Warren Kaine

"Looks like you either heard something or trod in something nasty"

Richard,Ben said you "heard footsteps upstairs"

The second room looking to hold nothing of interest, Michael prepares to head for the third one.

Warren's words stop him. "Well, wait a minute here. We were hired to get rid of whatever's haunting this house. I don't think that excuses us breaking down any doors. I'd prefer to do that as a last resort. I don't want any damages we cause taken out of my pay."

Suddenly hearing the footsteps above him, Michael whips his gun up, looking alert and more than a little on edge.

"What the hell was that? I thought I heard something before, but I thought it was just the house settling. But no, that time it was footsteps, I'm sure of it! Someone's upstairs."

The former cop heads for the stairs, not bothering to be sneaky. Whomever was up there probably knew they were here anyway.

Richard shouts "Someone go out back and out front to cover the outside to ensure no one escapes this time" and then he heads up after Warren.

As Michael runs for the stairs at the end of the hall he passes the 3rd door on the left, it is closed. Then the 2nd door on the right, it is open and he sees a kitchen behind that door.
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He then reaches the stairs, the last door on the right is opposite the stairs, it is closed and has several locks on it.
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Michael bounds up the stairs 2 steps at a time. It opens onto a landing. You are facing another hall that stretches the length of the house. On the right are windows. There is a door immediately to your left, it is open and appears to be a bathroom inside. Then there are 3 more doors along the hall on the left. All 3 doors are closed, the noise seems to have come from 1st closed door on the left.
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Richard is only 5-10 feet behind Michael.
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Warren,roll a d100 for me and let me know what you rolled.

Adrenaline still racing, Michael attempts to slam open the first door and catch whomever may be inside.

As you slam the door open, this room looks very unused. A small dresser sits in one corner, and a bare bed frame with springs sits in another.
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There is no one in the room, but you hear the window pane rattle, like it was just closed, and when you look a shadow moves outside the window.

Warren Kaine

d100 roll,1d100 → [9] = (9) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4309573/

Warren Kaine

Warren thinking:   I aint seeing this. This is all heebyjeebie, mumbojumbo bullshit, but...

I shout as loud as I can, "Watch the windows up there I think there's someone outside" I keep watching the picture.

Sonny has followed everyone through the house, he has been unusually quiet, his smiling demeanour obviously missing - his previous visit here and the events at the chapel have clearly unnerved him - more so than he thought.

As Michael and Richard head up the stairs Sonny is overcome by a sense of deja-vu, as he hears Warren's shouted warning he finally shakes himself out of his stupor.

"Guys - stay outta there! Get away from the window! Shit guys this is what happened to me and Harry, the footsteps, the window the flying bed, everything!

Fuck guys, get outta there now!

"I see someone, outside the window!"

Warren and Sonny's warning stops Michael right before he enters the room. He suddenly feels very exposed.

"The flying bed? I didn't believe you when you mentioned it before, but now..." he leaves the thought unfinished.

"The noise was coming from that room, I'd swear to it. Can anyone go around back and check out the house? I saw a shadow moving around outside the window." Michael shouts down the stairs.

Warren Kaine

Keeping my eyes firmly fixed to the picture I shout to Sonny, "Take a look round the back Sonny. I don't know what the fuck is going on but I aint taking my eyes off this picture for a moment"

Ben,can I still see the figure in the picture?

Sonny heads towards the room which should be directly below the one with the flying bed.

Michael,everything in the room looks normal except for the shadow moving back and forth across the window.

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Warren,yes you still see the figure, he is jumping back and forth in front of the window. You can see michael through the window standing in the doorway of the room. Yes the picture seems to have turned.

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Sonny,you aren't quite sure exactly where, but the kitchen window seems too far down the hall, that is probably below the bathroom. Must be the dining room, which is between the kitchen and living room. No one has gone in there yet.

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Richard,you hear the yelling going back and forth as you run up the stairs, you see Michael kick open the door then stop looking in. You stop right at his back.

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Ok, I've given everyone updates, let me know what you are doing next.

Richard yell back down "Talk to me Warren whats going on what am I looking for?"
Richard continues past Michael looking out the windows on the right as he does, until he reaches the last door which he opens.

As Richard walks further down the hall the windows to the right look normal, looking out into the side yard of the house. Its a cloudy day but still plenty lit. Nothing unusual.
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When you get to the last door and open it.

Richard,You see, an ordinary bedroom, with a double bed, bookshelf, and window view, apparently used as the master bedroom. More crosses and many candles are here, and a rosary and breviary rest on a table beside the bed.

Not taking the bait, Michael follows Richard, his gun drawn.

Michael follows Richard down the hall and looks over his shoulder into the last room.

Michael,You see, an ordinary bedroom, with a double bed, bookshelf, and window view, apparently used as the master bedroom. More crosses and many candles are here, and a rosary and breviary rest on a table beside the bed.

Warren,As you see Michael through the picture move away from the door and down to the other room, you now can see that door open and Richard and Michael looking in. You see the creature, open the window and climb in, go up and shut the door. That room goes dark.

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Michael and Richard,The door to the bare room you left, shuts.

Charles is standing at the doorway of the front door, trying to figure out the best place to go.

Charles,did you want to do something?

Sonny runs into the kitchen and notices nothing out of the ordinary from when you were there last. You run into the dining room through the entry way. You can see Warren standing in front of the fireplace looking up at the picture hanging above it in the living room through the opposite entryway. There are no doors into this room.
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The dining room is complete with a long mahogany table, a built-in sideboard, and seven chairs. Three places are set, and unused. Scraps of
rice soup rots in a tureen.
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There are 2 windows in this room. The first one closest to you would be right below "the room" you look out but don't see anything, just the yard. Its still day, though it is overcast.

Warren Kaine

Warren thinking:   This is bullshit, but in for a penny.

As the room goes dark, I shout up to Richard and Michael, "Did the door just close? I can't explain this stuff, but just stay out of that room."

Taking my eyes off the picture momentarilly I call to Sonny, "Did you see anything outside?" Then "Come in here and look at this damn picture so I know I'm not losing my mind"

Michael gives a startled shout and jumps as the door closes.

He turns towards Richard. "Maybe we should go back downstairs. You know, make sure the others are okay. I have a feeling we're in over our head here."

Charles joins Sonny and Warren in the dining room. He looks up at the painting. "This one? What should we be seeing?"

Sonny is still in the dining room.

Warren,once the room went dark, the house rotated back to its original picture just as Charles walks up.

Charles,as you walk up and look at the picture, it is a painting of the house. But nothing special.

Richard walks over to the 2nd door upstairs, and looks in.
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Richard and Michael,you see another bedroom, in it is two small beds, toys, dressers, and pictures of aircraft and cowboys mark this as the children's bedroom.

Richard stands to the side of the doorway where he heard footsteps and opens the door to have cover from the wall in case a bed comes flying at him, his gun ready.

As Richard looks into the bare room, you can see only the bed frame with springs and a dresser. Everything looks normal.

Warren Kaine

Looking away from the picture momentarilly at Sonny's question, "I'm not sure, this picture is wierd"
I look back, "See here...Now what the fucks going on?"

"That room's trying to trick us like it did to Sonny. I don't trust it. Let's go back to the others and decide what should be done." Michael suggests to Richard. It is clear that the house is starting tog et at him. At least he could shoot the demon from before.

Sonny goes over and looks at the picture "What am I looking for man?

Warren Kaine
I scratch the back of my head, not sure if I want to say this, "This godamn picture it..." I cough, "I know this is gonna sound screwy but...A moment ago, I watched as something climbed in through a window upstairs and shut the door"
I remove my hat and drag my fingers through my hair, grinning sheepishly at Sonny, I continue, "But now the picture looks exactly the same as when we arrived"

"I don't know what the hell is going on but I don't like it. I think we need to regroup and rethink this"

Richard turns to Michael and says "Ok lets head back down stairs"

Warren Kaine
I take a closer look at the picture.

Warren thinking:   This has to be some kind of side-show trickery, wires and switches?

I carefully remove the picture from the wall, looking for small holes in the wall behind it, or wires leading to it etc.

"I don't know how they're doing this, but I will find out"

Spot Hidden,65% (checking picture for tricks)1d100 → [43] = (43) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4314023/

Warren Kaine
I turn the picture over and check the back nothing, no wires, no hidden switches, nothing.

Warren thinking:   if theres a trick here i aint seeing it

I look at the others and shrug.

Sanity Roll,48% 1d100 → [3] = (3) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4314310/ success so -1 sanity now at 47%

Richard walks down the stairs and into the room where the others are, he see's Warren holding the picture from above the mantle in his hands looking at it and ask "Did you find something?"

Richard and Michael walk down the stairs and into the living room. All 5 of you are now in there. Warren is holding the painting from above the fireplace. The clouds must have parted outside as sunlight is now coming in the windows and now instead of a dingy house of horrors where it was difficult to breathe, it now is now a normal home where you can relax and enjoy yourself. The area is brighter, the rooms cleaner, the air lighter. You find yourselves relaxing for the first time since you walked into the house, despite yourself. In fact you start to realize you'd been holding your breath for a long time, waiting for the next shoe to drop.
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Warren,you do realize it wasn't anything with the picture, probably just a mind game, another trick of this house.

Warren Kaine
Slightly perplexed, an emotion that must be visible across my face, I replace the picture on its hook.

"No, nothing. I guess this house and all the shennanigans last night are starting to get to me."

I turn back to Richard and Michael, "Find anything?" Before we go looking upstairs I think we should finish the downstairs first. Michael, Sonny, where is this door with the locks on that probably leads to a basement?"

Michael shakes his head in frustration. "Nothing really. Apparently the house was making all that racket in an attempt at pulling the same trick it did on Sonny. Thanks for the warning, by the way." He offers a respected nod towards the jazzman.

"The locked door is the last one to the right of the stairs. You all sure you want to head on? I don't know if we can stop this thing on our own, frankly. But I'm not about to let some spook think it can pull one over on me."

Richard says "I agree lets check out the basement, do we have a key for the locks on that door?"

Warren Kaine
Having replaced the picture I look at Michael and raise a quizical eyebrow, "House, pulling stuff? Houses dont 'pull stuff'. Whatever is going on here has a human hand pulling the strings, find the hand, cut the strings"

I start walking towards the door in question, "I aint sure if we have the key, probably not, so either we go wake Jordie or we force the door"

"To the basement it is, then," says Charles. "Let's leave Jordie working on that book. I'm sure that between us, we can force the door."

Warren Kaine

"I'm still trying to guess what you would keep in the basement that was so all fired important to need locks to keep in or keep out"

Warren thinking:   Maybe if I look long enough at the picture it will show me so we don't need to go down there.

As the 4 of you move onto the door at the end of the hall, Warren stays back to watch the painting.
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Warren,you see the creature or person from before. he is crawling down the side of the house.

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As the 4 of you reach the end of the hall, the door has 3 deadbolts on it that are locked from this side. You do not need a key to unlock them. Obviously these locks were designed to keep something on the other side of the door from getting into the main part of the house.
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The door latch itself is locked as well. It is the same type lock that was on the other door that was locked. It is a small internal door lock with the keyhole directly below the doorknob.
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Just as you are reaching for the deadbolts you hear a loud crash from upstairs. Pounding and screeching from almost directly above you. All the lights in the house flicker and go out. The windows darken outside and a foul smell swirls down the stairs making you gag and cough.
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Warren,as you watch the creature in the painting, the noise from upstairs begins. The foul stench invades every part of the house. While the room goes dark, even the light from the windows is blocked. Except for the painting, which is darker but still much clearer than anything else in the room. You see the creature hold out its clawed hand and a ball of fire erupts on it. He holds it up to the wooden slats of the house which immediately burst into flames. In the painting the house is on fire. You smell smoke.

Warren Kaine

Warren thinking:   Aw shit not again.

"Um, Guys I think we'd better get out, the upstairs is on fire."

Ben,is the creature upstairs, or did it come down from there?

"Yeah, and people aren't supposed to fall into a trance and wind up summoning a demon, but some of us did. So if that can happen, you'll forgive me Warren if I place this structure under some suspicion."

Heading over to door with the others, Michael is assaulted by the sudden tantrum of the vengeful ghost.At Warren's yell, he tries to remain rational, or at least what he thinks to be rational. "I'm sure it's nothing. It's trying to distract us again, like with those noises it made before," he assures the others through his coughs, but his voice notably shakes as he does so.

Warren Kaine
"It's not the upstairs it's outside, the dining room wall!!"
As I shout I run for the back door, in hope that I can get outside and see what's going on.

"Somebody's playing games with us, and I'm starting to get sick of it. Somebody head out front and make sure no one comes that way"

Warren Kaine
I stand in the kitchen looking confusedly around,

Warren thinking:   I'm sure that when Sonny and Harrison came here before they said there was a door in the kichen to the outside.

"Hey Sonny, where the hell has the back door gone?"

Ben,The drawing you supplied to them on the first visit seemed to show a door in the outside wall of the kitchen, so I assumed that was to the back.

I don't remember no back door man - just a window from the kitchen" Sonny calls back to Warren

"Hey everybody - get back with Warren - I gotta an idea!"

Sonny runs back to the kitchen and opens the window - trying to locate the fire outside.

Warren Kaine

"Watch yourself Sonny, if this picture is to be believed the creature its showing me can climb walls"

I watch as Sonny heads for the window. "Okay someone else watch the damned picture, if there is something nasty outside lets see how it deals with a .45 bullet or two"

I flick the safety off of the automatic and chamber a round.

As Sonny runs to the window in the kitchen and tries to open it, it won't budge. Smoke begins to filter into the room and the wall seems extremely hot.

Richard draws a calming breath in with all the comosion going on around him. He then walks to the door with the 3 deadbolts on it and unlocks the 3 deadbolts.

Warren Kaine
"Sonny get out the way!"
I aim at the window and fire several shots at the frame.

Pistol,30% 1d100 → [15] = (15) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4316762/ to hit the window frame.

Warren fires his pistol into the window frame, and hits. It doesn't seem to have much affect except to put a bullet into the wood frame. You see the wall go up in flames, as well as the interior wall between the kitchen and dining room.
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Richard hits the locks and unlocks the 3 deadbolts.
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The smoke is quickly filling up the house.

Sonny thinking:   Man, that window opened and closed easy enough the other night!

Sonny dashes back to the dining room and grabs a chair "Ok Warren I'll smash the window - you get ready to plug whoever's out there"

The entryway is engulfed in flames but you run into the dinning room. You grab a chair and run back into the kitchen. Flaming debris is starting to fall around you. You rear back and smash the chair into the window and watch as the chair shatters in your hand. The window unharmed.
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OOC:   All need to make a Con *5 check to keep from being overcome with coughing. So if your con is 9, then a 45% or less.

As it becomes harder to breath, Michael reconsiders his earlier protestations of this all being an illusion. Fighting off an increasing level of panic, he regards the door and Richard.

"Maybe we can both force it open." he suggests, a fit of coughing immediately following. Every bit of common sense is telling him to flee, but Michael struggles to remain clam. The house would not burn itself down. This was another cheap parlor trick, nothing more.

con roll,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4317121/]con * 5 (55%) (1d100=18)[/url]

CON Roll,Con x 5 = 35 Roll = 57 http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4317179/

Overtaken by a fit of coughing, Charles gets down on his hands and knees to avoid the smoke and begins crawling towards the door the Richard is opening.

Richard Con Roll,Roll = 13 so a success [url]http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4317304/[/url]

Richard opens the basement door but then starts to retreat to the front door because of the smoke

You get the deadbolts undone but the door handle is still locked and needs a key. Or you can make a strength *3 roll to bust it in. The fire is spreading and is in the hall now.

Quickly forgetting his prior objections to damaging the house, Michael throws himself against the door. He doubts it has much of an effect however.

Sonny expecting the window to smash open draws in a lung full of what he expected to be fresh air.

As his lungs fill with smoke he doubles over - coughing and retching, tears stream from his eyes.

Con[50],87 http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4317460/

Warren Kaine

"Shit! Sonny we need to....Cough, cough,cough!!"

Con *5,60 1d100 → [61] = (61) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4317471/ missed by 1 blast.

Michael and Richard look around. Their 3 friends are coughing in fits from the thick smoke. The house is like an inferno now. The door with the deadbolts didn't budge at all when Michael gave it a kick.
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The other three of you found some slight relief by going down to the ground but not much. The smoke is already overwhelming you and you are starting to black out.
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Warren and Charles and Sonny,you may attempt one action before blacking out.

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Michael and Richard,What do you want to do? You can kick at the door together, if you decide to you can combine your strength (str + str) *3. Which should be a 72 if my math is correct. So both must post you are doing it and either can roll. Or you can do something else like getting your friends to the front door. Or some other ingenious plan. Either way at the end of your action you must make a con *4 roll.

Warren Kaine
"Get...cough...to the hallway...cough,cough"
I will try and crawl through the kitchen door to the hallway.

Richard drops to the ground and starts to head toward Warren and Sonny, he covers his mouth with his handkerchief to help keep out as much smoke as possible from his lungs. Richard tries to stay calm as thoughts of the childhood accident that scarred him badly start running through his mind, but he clears his head and starts towards Warren and Sionny hoping that they are down close to the ground to try to make it easier to guide them out. When finding them he starts herding them to the front door.

Con Roll,passed Roll = 59 Con*4 = 60

Charles crawls as fast as he can towards the front door.

Michael begins to cough heavily and drops to the floor, attempting to follow Richard to the front door.

Con*4,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4318321/]Con*4 (44%) (1d100=45)[/url]

The five of you have made it into the hall. But Sonny, Warren and Charles all pass out, overcome with smoke. Richard grabs Sonny and starts dragging him towards the door, keeping low and trying not to breathe. Michael does the same but the smoke and fire is too intense and stumbles to the ground. The front door only 20 feet from where he is.
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Fire has engulfed the whole hall, but the smoke is stinging your eyes making it impossible to see. The heat burns at your skin.
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A burning timber falls from the upper floor right behind Richard. You doubt you will be able to save anyone besides Sonny.
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Just as you are about to reach the door it opens. Jordie is standing there.
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The fire and smoke are gone. You still find yourself coughing but you quickly realize there is no reason to. Those that had passed out start to come to. It's getting dark outside. A cool breeze rushes into the hall.
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OOC:   We will be starting a new thread with Jordie here.