Play@YSDC

You pull into the museum late afternoon. The sun is still up, but something is scratching at the back of your heads. Something you felt unfinished, a dark shadow looming over you.

After the battle with the cult it was early morning. You decided to just get out of town and regroup. You retrieved your belongings and cars and drove out of town. As you passed the circle by Bear Neck you could see the artists had abandoned the place. Its like they just all got up and left, leaving their paintings and art supplies behind. You did pass by the sheriff's office on the way out of town, but he was no where to be seen, and just outside of town you saw several of the artists just walking. Robin smiled as you passed them. "The charm over them was broken, they can all head home now," she said.

In Glocester, Robin took her leave and said she could make her way home from here. So with a hug to Alyssa, you drop her off at a train station and she is gone.

You enter into the museum the same way you have the last few times, through the back door. Ms. Patton jumps up and runs to give you a hug as you enter. "Oh thank god you all made it back. The professor will be so happy to see you." She escorts you to the lounge where coffee, tea, liquor, and cigars are waiting. It isn't long before Ms. Patton brings in some platters of food.

Soon Dr. Chambers coming in, obviously he was away from the museum when you arrived. He listens to your story. (Assuming you don't leave anything out, if you plan to, let me know)

"Very interesting, so you found the statue, that is good, and you dispatched the Reverened and this Phil fellow. Excellent work." he says as he leans back in a chair smoking his pipe. A worried look crosses his face.

"So what is your plan," he asks?

"Not all of us made it back, unfortunately. Scott... I was unable to rescue him. I just hope he did not suffer." says Norman.

"As for our plan, can't we just call this a victory? The cult leaders are dead, and from what one of their hostages told us, what remains of it is only a scattered few. Perhaps we can consider the case closed?" Norman's tone is hopeful, but he knows deep down this is not yet over.

"I'm sure he didn't, Mr. Smith," said Alyssa. "Well, we need automatic weapons--I do, anyway--and dynamite. Let's go get the statue and bomb whatever is in the pit." She sounded a bit wild.

"That's pretty much the plan," says Eddie, "but I think we may have to settle for shotguns instead of Thompsons, unless someone has a good source of funding. Even if we do, I've trained with shotguns, so I'd rather have one of those for myself."

Dr. Chambers listens intently, "I think we can get you what you need, but do you have any idea what was down in the pit?"

"Whatever it is, it's horrible," says Eddie with a shudder. "We didn't get a look at it, and we didn't stick around to wait for it to come out. I think they were feeding artists to it. That's who they were luring there and locking up in cages. We rescued a couple of them."

"Shotgun for me, I think," said Alyssa, "they look dangerous and I'll pepper something with buckshot at close range. And dynamite: how much can we get, Dr. Chambers? Also, let's take some cans of fuel--to add some flames to the lovely explosion; I like the idea of it burning!"

"I have plenty of Shotguns and even a couple tommy guns, and we have some dynamite. I don't like to keep too much on hand as it is dangerous, especially if it gets old. Do any of you have any experience with demolitions? Just throwing sticks down a hole may not seal it up if there is sufficient room for the force of the blast to be redirected." A look crosses his face different than any you have seen before.

"You said this Phil or someone had a charm like spell over the artists to lure them there to be food for the beast. Is it possible he had a charm on the creature as well? To keep it in the hole?" A look of urgency crosses his face. "I fear the worst, Ms. Patton the team will need a bit more heavy artillery and right away. You've already been up for 36 hours straight from your story. I'd recommend getting some rest and heading back first thing in the morning."

Dr. Chambers taps out the tobacco in his pipe. "All of you need some sleep you can barely keep your eyes open as it is."

"I don't have any demolitions experience, no," says Eddie, stifling a yawn. "You're right, we need sleep. It's amazing we were able to make it back."

"I''ll just require some ammo for my pistol," Norman says. "I don't feel comfortable with anything else."

"I'll take one of those Tommy Guns," says Richard.

"I'd like to volunteer to carry the dynamite--in a backpack or something," said Alyssa rather hoarsely. She yawned as well. "God! I'm tired."

Ms Patton shows you to a part of the museum basement you had never been to. Separate luxury bedrooms were already setup. As you slept nightmares invaded your minds. Scaly creatures with the heads of the reverend and Phil filled your heads. The scene of bodies and blood as you fought your way through the sewers.
An image of the white houses as tentacles of some massive beast rising out of the sea...

You wake to a cold sweat. Its still only 2 AM. You are restless for a while, but finally you find peace in a deep rest with no dreams.

At 6 AM you wake to the smell of bacon, eggs and coffee throughout the basement. As you wash up and make your way to the Lounge a buffet is setup of food on one wall and a buffet of firearms on the other.

Shotguns, pistols, rifles, 2 Tommy guns, and 10 sticks of dynamite. And a tray with assorted ammo for each gun.

Eddie is the first one to arrive. He leaves the weapons for now, as at the moment the coffee and food are more important to him. He helps himself to a cup of joe and a heaping plate of bacon and eggs.

Norman takes two additional clips for his pistol, and Richard grabs a Tommy Gun and as much ammo for it as he can carry.

Then they both dig into the food, happy for a home cooked meal after all the trouble. Norman especially eats like a man not expecting to eat again.

Alyssa picked up a shotgun and the dynamite.

"You sure have a mighty appetite, Eddie," said Alyssa, sipping frugally at a cup of coffee. "Cheer up, Mr. Smith"--she sounded depressed herself so that her encouraging words fell flat, realising this she starts giggling in an abandoned way.

"Well, I'm a mighty guy," says Eddie, smiling at the sight of Alyssa. He worries about her coming along, but he knows he'll never be able to convince her to stay behind. This is personal for her too. He'll just have to do his best to protect her. "I missed a couple of meals yesterday. Gotta make up for them. Fighting evil is hungry work. It's good to see you cheerful, Alyssa."

When he finishes his food, he picks out a shotgun, preferring pump over double-barreled if there are any. He takes plenty of shells and additional .38 bullets for his revolver to replace the ones he fired, as well as a couple of sticks of dynamite.

"I'm well, Ms. Ryan" Norman offers a shaky smile. The experience had taken a lot out of him, mentally as well as physically. But it also made him feel alive. For the first time he had truly been a hero, and he knows now he will stick with Maps and their work as long as he draws breath. Though hopefully the next mission won't be quite so... lethal.

"I suppose we cannot contact the police now. Even with all we've learned, we've all killed men. We cannot rely on the authorities or the government. It's up to ah, us. If it helps, I cannot think of a better group to be apart of. I think of you all as ah friends."

"That's the spirit, Smithee!" Richard pounds Norman on the back, causing him to cough. "We're gonna go back to Rockport and send the rest of the cult straight to hell!"

"P...please, Norman is fine, Mr. Rahl. Or Mr. Smith."

"Don't be so uptight Normie! We;'re practically blood brothers now, what with what we've been through."

"I...suppose." sighs Norman.

After breakfast and resupplying on weapons, ammo and dynamite, the 5 of you get back into the car. Eddie, Richard, Norman, Alyssa and Aunt Loosa. No amount of talking could desuade either of the woman from joining you.

The drive back was uneventful and things seemed as normal until you passed Gloucester. The first time you drove into Rockport there wasn't another car on the road, and you had a hard time staying on highway 127 that leads into Mainstreet of Rockport.

This time it is easy to find as there is a steady stream of cars passing you going the other way.

OOC: Everyone make a spot hidden check.

Eddie spots something as he drives.

OOC,Spot Hidden roll (55% skill) approaching Rockport: [dice]0[/dice]

You notice the people driving the other direction appear to be scared and are driving that way. Lots of honking, swerving, clothes hastily thrown in the back seats. Its like they left in a hurry to get out of town.

The sun is still up when you get to the outskirts of town, but you only have an hour or so of daylight. You see the sheriff station appears to have been ransacked, and you do not see the sheriff or deputies car.
You passed the last car leaving town a few minutes back. As you roll into the town, what before was full of life, seems vacant and empty.

"The monster must be loose now that Phil's dead," says Eddie. "Everyone's fleeing from it, and they looted the sheriff's office, no doubt looking for weapons. It shouldn't be too hard to find if we follow the trail of destruction it would have left. We'd better deal with it now, before it gets dark."

OOC:   Spot Hidden [dice]0[/dice] skill 75%. I guess that Eddie has spotted it already?

"Right," said Alyssa. She looked for tell-tale signs of the monsters passing.

As you drive down main street you see cars wrecked and abandoned, clothes, trash and other debris strewn along the street, dropped and forgotten. As you pull up to the first major intersection, it is the 5 way stop with Railroad Ave to the left that leads to the rail station, Parker street to the right. Broadway leads off at a 2 o'clock heading while Main continues off at an 11 o'clock direction. You haven't seen any real damage that would have been caused by more than people.

To your left is the Smith Hardware and Lumber store you stopped in, what seems like months ago, the door is wide open.

Alyssa,you think you see movement in the store.

"I guess we could take a look inside," says Eddie. "Probably already been looted, though. We might check the Colonel's house. He's probably split with the rest of them, but we can always access the tunnels through there. If we can't find any trace of the creature on the surface, we can find that pit and pick up its trail from there. We know it started there. If we stick around here long enough, it'll probably find us, but I'd rather we get the drop on it, and before it gets dark."

"There's movement in there," said Alyssa. "It can't be anything but the monster, can it?"

"Or maybe a looter." Norman whispers.

"If you think its the monster Alyssa, we should burn down the building. I'd rather get it before it gets us. And anyone left in this town probably ain't innocent anyway." says Richard.

"We can't just kill someone sight unseen," says Eddie. "We've got to at least take a look inside. I doubt it's the monster. Whatever that thing was, it had to be too big to fit through that door."

Now that everyone is looking it looks like the size of a person, throwing things around inside the store.

"I think that's a person in there,' says Eddie. "We should talk to whoever it is, maybe find out some information about the monster and where it's been seen."

Norman nods and heads closer to the store.

"Hello? Is anyone in there? We're uh, friendly."

Richard seems frustrated and lets out a sigh. "Fool's going to get himself killed!"

"He probably will do, Mr. Rahl, but he's doing his best. Anyway, we look a pretty fearsome crew so hopefully the looters won't bite at us?" Her shotgun held at high port, signalling their peaceful intent and a visible display of firepower, she stalked after Norman.

As the 5 of you walk up to the open door you can hear talking coming from inside. You can't make out any words per say a lot of yammering and words you've never heard before.
As one of you looks into the doorway a lantern smashes against the door frame. You're not sure if it was thrown at you, or just happen to be in your direction.

You see Cristina, the smallish young woman with curly black hair, walking around gibbering. She has a large handgun in one hand waving it around like she has forgotten she is holding it. Her hands are gesturing in wild patterns and the gun is just going wherever her hand is going. She is yelling at something but you can't see anything and occasionally she picks up something off a shelf and throw it in some random direction. The place is trashed and she doesn't seem to realize you are there.

"We'd better avoid her," whispers Eddie. "She's not in her right mind, and she's armed. Not a good combination. There's no telling how she'll react. Back to the car."

Norman tries to return to the car. Though part of him wants to talk the girl down, he's not willing to risk agitating her further.

Alyssa nodded. "Somebody 'll get hurt."

You make it back to the car safely.

OOC: Which way do you want to go?

"Let's check the colonel's house," suggests Eddie, getting back behind the wheel. "At least we know he's an ally if he's still there."

Alyssa placed the shotgun next to her across the rear seat.

"Maybe he'll join us in our hunt for the monster?"

You continue on Main street, still everything seems normal until you get up to Beach street. Here you can see the ocean a couple hundred freet in front of you. But blood is everywhere. You can see some half eaten bodies scattered around the street and guns scattered around. The Sheriffs car is there blocking the road and the roof is smashed in. Several buildings stretching to your left are damaged on both sides of the road. The appear to have been smashed by something large, like a telephone pole or tree.
It looks like the towns people tried to make a stand here and possibly succeded. The buldings to your right going down towards the square and the Memorial Hall appeared undamaged. There is no sign of any people alive here or of any monster.

You cannot drive any further this direction.

OOC:   Everyone make a Sanity 1/1d6 check

Eddie slumps back as he takes in the horrific scene. He has only seen anything like it once, on that terrible day in Boston, and the knowledge of it rips apart his mind...

OOC,Sanity roll (current level 49) for seeing the carnage: [dice]0[/dice] Sanity loss for seeing the carnage: [dice]1[/dice] Idea roll (60% stat) to avoid temporary insanity - failure is good: [dice]2[/dice] Wibble!

Richard swears and shakes his head at the carnage in front of him. Norman though is more affected. He grows pale and begins to shake. "Dear God above, why did I agree to come back here?" he sobs.

Alyssa Sanity check[dice]0[/dice] loss [dice]1[/dice]

She takes a horrid jolt but manages to retain control of herself. Alyssa cradled Eddie. "The poor boy has had too many shocks, physical and mental. Let's end this, Richard, Norman? Has it gone into the ocean?"

"There it is!" hisses Eddie, his eyes wild as he points behind the building. "It just slipped behind there. It's coming..."

Richard gets out of the car, his gun ready. He cautiously approaches the building Eddie pointed to.

Alyssa wondered if Eddie was confused... or not--the building, would it hide a giant monster? She thumbed her cigarette lighter.

OOC: Waiting on reactions from Eddie, Norman and Aunt Loosa

Ben

Norman waits in the car, looking anxiously out at Richard as he walks away.

Eddie also gets out of the car and approaches the building, shotgun in his hands.

You travel down the small alley between to buildings to cut whatever Eddie saw off. As you get to the end you don't see anything in front of you. You can turn and look left or right, or each of you could look a different direction.

"We'd better not split up," says Eddie. "I can't tell which way it went, so let's just pick a direction. If nobody has a preference, I say we go right."

Richard looks left.

Alyssa watched on from the car, looking all around.

Keeper,Can she drive a car?

Alyssa,I assume anyone can drive a car without any rolls unless you get into a chase, or some tricky driving situation that requires skill.

OOC:   Still waiting on Eddie and Aunt Loosa.

Eddie looks around. "Wait, where's Alyssa?" he says. "We can't leave her by herself. We need to stick together."

OOC:   I'm presuming that several sticks of dynamite are in the car?

Alyssa, the engine ticking over, drove the car along after the boys.

OOC:   We could be waiting a long time for Aunt Loosa.

As you approach the corner Richard ready to look left, Eddie to the right, you hear the car move, as it backs up and then pulls into the alley behind you. The engine is kind of loud so any surprise you had is probably gone.

OOC: on Aunt Loosa I know. For now I'm just going to have her hiding in the car, but if you guys ever want her to do anything, go for it.

Eddie sighs with relief when he sees Alyssa following in the car. "Well, since stealth is out the window," he says, "we'd better rely on speed and get back in the car. If you think we should go left, Richard, let's go left. I do remember that the buildings to the right weren't damaged, so it hasn't been that way before. I don't see any signs of destruction or the monster's passage, but maybe it left some tracks."

"Sounds like a good idea," says Richard. "Left it is." He gets back in the car.

"Sorry--about the noise," apologised Alyssa. "I've a notion to ram it, dynamite sparkling, into the thing?"

Everyone gets back in the car, (who is driving).

Eddie,just as you are getting in the car you see a shadow out of the corner of your eye behind the car.

"It's okay, but please don't ram the car into it - at least not while you're still inside," says Eddie. "I'll drive." While he waits for Alyssa to vacate the driver's seat, he glances back. "It's behind us!" he hisses. "Or someone or something is, anyway."

As everyone looks back, it ducks behind the corner of a building.

"I did plan to leap in out at the last second, Eddie," replied Alyssa wryly. "Anyway, we have a dinner date that I intend to be at! How about the boys, on foot, entertain it with their guns and I try out my plan?"

Richard gets out, Norman reluctantly following. Both men are armed and ready for trouble. Slowly, they approach the building.

Eddie explains it went to the right behind the building, so all of you make your way back to the end of the alley, guns drawn, sweat rolling down your backs. You jump around the corner, guns ready to fire and ... There is nothing there.

"I wouldn't want to put you in that kind of danger, Alyssa," says Eddie. "If anyone should drive a car full of dynamite, it should be me. I'm the best driver, and it's my car. Anyway, this thing moves too fast to be able to pull that off."

"For the love of God!" Richard complains. He glares at Eddie. "Nerves getting to you, officer? There's nothing here!"

"Please keep your voice down Richard. It might hear us!"

"Good! Let the thing come. I'll pump it full of lead."

"Well, it seemed to be a good idea," said Alyssa. She gets out of the car holding the shotgun and packing two sticks of dynamite.

"I know it was there," insists Eddie. "I saw it. Can't any of you see it?"

Norman shakes his head.

"I don't see anything," says Richard. "And judging by how much carnage it's caused, I think it would be nosier."

"Is there a trail of destruction we can follow? Let's try the beach?" said Alyssa.

"There it is!" cries Eddie, spinning around and pointing his shotgun at the thing in front of his car.

Eddie,It leaps at you, you can shoot you have a gun ready.

Everyone except Eddie,You all spin around but you aren't sure what Eddie is talking about he says its right there, but you don't see anything.

Eddie leaps aside, fearing that one shotgun blast will not be enough to stop this thing.

OOC,Dodge roll (67% skill) to avoid the creature's attack: [dice]0[/dice]

Alyssa, who couldn't see what Eddie was pointing to, turned and fired anyway; her shot was aimed above the car.

[dice]0[/dice]

Norman leaps back as well in surprise, while Richard just stares blankly at the others.

"Have you all gone mad? There's nothing there."

Eddie,The creature tumbles by you as you dodge behind the car, its now right between you and the wall of the alley, the car door at your back. Its breath rolling over your skin, the drool from its mouth dripping down and sizzling on the ground. It's razor sharp claws scratch along the wood wall behind it, driving a nerve into your skull. OOC: Make a Sanity 1/1d6 check

Everyone but Eddie,You hear him scream and hide behind the car, Allysa fires her pistol the bullet hitting the wood wall splintering it. You can't see it, but Eddie obviously can, he is now facing the wall, a look of terror on his face. His shotgun useless in his hands. Norman you are on the same side as Eddie. Richard and Allysa are on the passenger side. Aunt Loosa screams when the gun shot goes off.

Eddie manages to stay in control of himself and brings his shotgun to bear on the creature now that it has missed him.

OOC,Sanity roll (current level 44) from the creature: [dice]0[/dice]

Eddie squeezes the trigger. It's a hasty shot, but at this range, he can hardly miss.

OOC,Shotgun roll (50% x 2 = 100% skill) shooting at the creature, point blank: [dice]0[/dice] Damage to creature from 12-gauge shotgun shell: [dice]1[/dice]

Hands shaking, Norman fires his gun at where Eddie is looking.
Richard meanwhile continues to stare blankly at the others. "I can't see anything!"

Eddie,the shots ring loud through the alley as your shotgun and other guns light up. The wooden walls of the building are blown to pieces, and the creature before you is gone after the smoke clears.

Everyone except Eddie,You all blast your weapons, its almost deafening in the small alley. None of your shots seem to hit anything except the wall in front of Eddie.

Eddie breathes a sigh of relief. "It's gone again," he says, taking out a spare shotgun shell and loading it into the shotgun to replace the one he fired. "How does it keep disappearing like that?"

Alyssa said: "Let's assume that if we can't see it it's not there."

"Maybe our shots d...destroyed it?" ventures Norman. "And we can go back to Boston."

"Doubt it's that easy" says Richard. "Keep an eye out. Hopefully next time I'll be able to actually see it." His tone is sarcastic.

"Let's get back in the car," suggests Eddie. "I know I hit it pretty hard, but it wasn't enough to destroy the thing. If it were dead, there'd be a body. It must have slipped away again when the smoke blocked my view."

Everyone gets back in the car, the monster (that no one saw except Eddie) disappeared or has fled.

You pull out of the alley and onto Beach Street. There are bodies still everywhere.

OOC: Make an Idea check

Something occurs to Eddie.

OOC,Idea roll (60% stat) on the street: [dice]0[/dice]

Alyssa Idea roll[dice]0[/dice]

Eddie brings the car to a halt. "I think we should proceed on foot from here," he says. "If we drive on, we'll obliterate any trace the creature left, and we won't be able to track it. We should probably head in the direction of the destruction, as we know it has been that way."

As everyone gets out of the car, it smells really bad here. Parts of bodies are strewn around, from your best estimate, 15-20 people might have died here.

ooc,everyone make a spot hidden check.

Eddie can't tell which way the creature went.

OOC,Spot Hidden roll (55% skill) on the street: [dice]0[/dice]

There is blood everywhere, those most of it has started to dry.

Richard kneels down in the middle of the road, "this isn't human blood, this is different. Whatever it is, it looked like someone was able to hurt it." He gets up and scans around and walks north along Beach street. "Looks like he turned around and went back the way he came."

"I knew I wounded it," says Eddie. "All right, let's double back and follow its blood."

"Okay," said Alyssa.

Norman follows.

OOC: Are you trying to follow in the car, or on foot?

Alyssa followed the blood trail on foot.

"Where is it, the cowardly thing? Show yourself!"

OOC: Forgot to post this, everyone move to the new thread here