Play@YSDC

Roxborough watches the creature fall to the ground, great lumps of flesh torn from it's body where the bullets have impacted. He approaches slowly, keeping his gun trained on the creature, glancing briefly at Wellington he says under his breath Good shots sir, good shots!

Roxborough thinking:   Damn and blast him! Why couldn't he have shot for the head, there's at least two good cuts ruined!

"Is it dead?" asks Klevendon.

As Roxborough approaches he can tell by the shaky but even movement of the creatures upper body, that it lives yet. To his trained hunters eye it would appear the the creature, though having sustained heavy damage from Wellington's shots is but temporarily rendered unconsious - for how long is anyones guess.

Horatio Wellington

Wellington lets out a deep breath, even though he was confident of his shooting prowess he hadn't expected all his rapid shots to hit home. Trying to steady his now trembling hand he lowered the pistol so it pointed at the floor. "Good grief! That was close!" he thinks eyeing the monstrosity as it lies on the tunnel floor dark blood oozing from the bullet holes he had sent smashing into its body mixing with the dank water pooled under its body.

He shakes his head to try and clear the ringing in his ears....

Nellie closes her mouth, aborting the scream she was about to let out as the creature charged towards the group.

Wellington's quick reactions had stopped the beast in its tracks. She slowly stepped forwards, lantern held high... shedding yellow-tinged light onto the scene...

With your ears still ringing somewhat from the firing of the pistol in a confined space. You are, with the aid of Nellies lamp, able to get a better look at the creature that the crackshot pistoleer has brought down.
It appears to be repitloid similar to the creatures that are assumed to have lived on the earth countless years before man.

Klevendon,you may roll [b]Mythology[/b] and I will give you a bonus dice for your membership of the [b]Hollow Earth Society[/b].

It still takes shuddering breaths and muscles in its legs and powerful looking jaws twitch with life. It is most certainly down, but not out. You are all very aware that it could spring back into action at any moment.
It stands about five feet high and if it were not for the teeth and the wicked looking talons that adorn it feet, might not look that fearsome, especially at the moment in its unconscious state.

Roxborough switches his gaze, a begrudgingly impressed gaze, from Wellington to the creature, "Oh well, lets hope too many cuts of meat weren't spoiled" he pulls from his belt a long bladed knife, the kind of knife you might find in the kitchens of a top chef. As he does so his stomach rumbles, in a sound that very closely resembles the purr of a contented kitten. It sounds rudely loud in the tunnel.

OOC:   Roll x7: 1336542 code: 4610818

His face turned away, Klevendon says: "If it's still breathing, you must finish the beast, Mr. Roxborough!"

Klevendon,The creature looks like one of the 'dinosaurs' still believed to exist in the Hollow Earth. You believe it is called a [i]'Clawasaurus'[/i]. But whatever it is it is not a [i]Basilisk[/i] nor given its size did it recently hatch from an egg.

Roxborough lets out a small snort of derision at the obvious fear in his companions voice. Knife in hand he bends to the twitching creature. A short sawing sound followed by a gush of warm blood and he stands back up, his eyes scanning the tunnels roof, "Now if only we can find a place to hang the beast. oh and Klevendon it might be a good idea to keep your eye on the device in case this beast is not alone".
He laughs a merry laugh as he bends and begins to gather the carcass.

After the throat cutting--the sawing and gushing--Klevendon looks at the beast. "I say! gentlemen, lady, it's a dinosaur, a Clawasauros I believe! Certainly not a newly hatched basilisk." He remembers the workmen. "Oh, good God, those poor men . . . there must be more of the beasts!"

Nellie quickly looks away as Roxborough administers the coup-de-grace, the loud rasping sound as his knife blade severs tendons and blood-vessels makes her shudder.

Klevendon's revelation as to the origins of the beast makes her open her eyes and cast her gaze back to the grizzly scene. "A.... a dinosaur you say.. but how.. how could it get here....?" she starts to ask before the full impact of what Klevendon had to say registers. "More of them! Goodness no.. Nellie glances fearfully over her shoulder.

Horatio Wellington

Wellington looks on dispassionately as Roxborough expertly goes about ending the creatures life, before it can regain conciousness.

He nods as Klevendon makes his identification of the dead beast... "Quite so.." he nods. "More of them! I'd hope not! Now let's see if we can make sense of what's been happening... if I can get a good look at the teeth ..." Wellington drops to one knee and he looks intently at the jaws and teeth... can he attribute the attack on the workers in the adjacent tunnel to this creature?

OOC:   Wellington uses his deductive powers... Is their any evidence by way of flesh in/between the Clawasauras' teeth or on its claws? Would the dead creature in front of them been responsible for the demise of the tramp? Perception (8) [dice]0[/dice] Investigation (8)[dice]1[/dice]

Horatio Wellington

Satisfied with his cursory investigation of the creature he stands briskly and faces the others. "I don't think we have to worry about another attack, not immediately in any case. Evidence suggests that the creature was responsible for the attack on the workmen and for the unfortunate fellow behind us. This section of tunnels was probably the creatures home ground and as such it wouldn't suffer any competition from another creature... However we must assume that there were at least two adult creatures. So we should remain alert." with that the detective snaps open the chamber of his pistol and replaces the three spent cartridges with fresh rounds.

"I propose that Roxborough and I remain here whilst Miss Bly and Mr Klevendon make haste to notify the authorities; locating Inspector Nettles at Scotland Yard would be best... Hawthorne ought to have already been in touch with him. Roxborough and I will locate the path to where the workmen were and if possible we shall render aid to them... speed is of the essence." he looks at his companions in turn. "Are we all agreed?"

Klevendon nods his assent. He doesn't speak in case he sounds too relieved to be exiting the sewers. He offers the Stonway up to Wellington or Roxborough.

Wellington takes the device, adjusting the harness and quickly familiarising himself with the controls, having observed Klevendon operating it during their hunt.