Play@YSDC

Caverns - Dunwich, England
12:45 AM- Saturday, September 7, 1985

Sergeant Valentine Hale awoke, groaning in pain, to find himself chained to a cavern wall he was leaning against. The chamber was partially filled with water four feet deep, and a sloping tunnel led upwards and out of it. Beside him, one of his Marines was also manacled to the wall who had apparently survived unscathed, at least physically. Next to him, Sergeant Carla Ecarg and Leonek Novak were chained up as well. Then Elliot Webb, wearing only swim trunks, waded down the tunnel and into the cavern, which had no other exits.

"Now that the sea front is secured," said Hatho from somewhere in the next chamber, out of sight, "we don't need to leave many guards here. The prisoners should give you and Emilia no trouble, Victoria. We'll go and take the inn now."

"I'm sure we can handle it," Victoria replied from the same direction. "Be careful, brother."

OOC,[b]Elliot[/b], if you want to try to treat someone's injuries, please specify which one and roll First Aid. If you succeed, then roll 1d3 to see how many HP the person recovers. [b]Valentine[/b] is injured very badly (spear wound through his torso), and [b]Leonek[/b] is also not in the best shape (he had recently been drowning).

Elliot looks over the people in chains, "Damn guys, I tried to warn you." He goes to Valentine and tries to stop the bleeding.

first aid roll,target = 30% [dice]0[/dice]

success,[dice]1[/dice]

Leonek looks up at Elliot, rather exasperated.

"Varn us? Vhat are you doing here? Vhat the hell is going on?"

Elliot moves onto Leonik, "Are you injured anywhere?" He looks for obvious wounds he can bandage.
"It was a trap, I told the general that, but he wouldn't listen. Kept insisting he could waltz right in here. Idiot." Elliot said as he goes to work on Leonik.

First Aid,[dice]0[/dice]

Elliot managed to stop Valentine's bleeding, but he couldn't do much more than that for him. "Thanks..." he moaned. As Elliot began to examine Leonek, Victoria and Emilia came down the tunnel and waded into the cavern. Victoria wore a black swimsuit that would normally be fetching if she weren't so obviously a fish-person. Elliot soon saw that Leonek had gotten some water in his lungs, but there wasn't really any way he could see to treat him.

Just as Leonek was about to reply, the two women walk in and he changes the subject.

"Vhat are you going to do to us?"

"They won't hurt you," Elliot replied for them. "They were just defending their home. You've swallowed too much sea water, Victoria can you help him. You're better at this than me."

Elliot moves over to the others to see if they are injured. The marine looks okay, so he moves onto Seargent Ecarg. "Seargent, are you ok, any injuries?" he asks her.

Sergeant Ecarg was babbling incessantly, going on about monstrous horrors that were now all too familiar to Elliot. She did not appear to be injured.

"I'm not that good," said Victoria, "but I'll try my best." She approached Leonek. "We never did you any harm, but you people attacked us. You are lucky you weren't killed outright in your aggression. Your ultimate fate is up to our mother, but if you cooperate I think we can arrange an exchange of prisoners after your people surrender." She examined him. "I'm sorry, but I don't think there's anything I can do. Anabel would be better at this than I would."

OOC,[b]Elliot[/b], please roll Psychology. [b]Victoria[/b]'s First Aid roll (30% base skill) treating [b]Leonek[/b]'s injury: [dice]0[/dice]

Leonek tries to refrain from wincing and answers indignant.

"Ve attacked you? You vere the ones that kidnapped Dr. Kirby. And you vere going to marry her to one of those crea...I mean, one of your kind! And who is this Mother?"

Psychology,target = 5% [dice]0[/dice]

"Sergeant, snap out of it. They are not like you and I, but they aren't monsters. Some are actually, beautiful." Elliot finishes as he looks over at Victoria.

Victoria graced Elliot with a wide smile. "Thank you, dear," she says before turning back to Leonek. "What happened with Dr. Kirby was a misunderstanding. She would have been willing to marry my brother once she understood our people better. Anyway, you took her away, so you should have been satisfied with that. There was no need to bring war upon a town of innocent people. We are not so different from you, and we only wish to live in peace. My mother is Y'Hali, the High Priestess of Mother Hydra. You shall meet her soon enough."

Sergeant Carla Ecarg,Your temporary insanity is now over, and you may act freely - or at least as freely as someone chained to a cavern wall can act. ;)

"A misunderstanding? But in the meantime you vere holding her hostage until she reconsidered? How many other vomen have you forced into this and how many more vould you have abducted hadn't ve come here?"


Leonek starts coughing, the salt water in his lungs burning his insides.

"You need to cough that water out, or you'll get pneumonia I think." Elliot says, not really sure. "If it was a kidnapping, why a full scale invasion? People are kidnapped all the time, you don't go in guns blazing for that. And I freed her already and I wasn't being held captive. If you wanted to arrest someone, send the police, not the army. I think the general has a personal agenda here. We need to find out whats really going on."

"You're absolutely right, Elliot," said Victoria. "I suspect he's motivated by bigotry. Our people are forced to live in the shadows because of zealots like him, people who hate and kill what they do not understand."

Leonek is outraged:
"The police? You control the police here! And vhy send the army?! Have you seen that enormous ball of mutating snot and fangs?! You von't turn us against our own vith your silly conspiracies!"

He starts to cough violently, letting groans of pain as the binder cut into his wrists.

"Leonik, I'm not trying to turn you against anyone. But look around. How many have died tonight? You almost drowned. Valentine almost died, and for what?" Elliot looked around the chamber. "We had already rescued the doctor. Why are you even here? Because they look different? No, this is the general's own personal war."
He pauses to see if any of this is seeping into the soldiers. "It wasn't a rescue mission, there was no immediate threat to anyone. The only non-native here was me, and I called and told him I was fine. So what exactly was so urgent we had to rush in the military to take over this little town? What couldn't wait for us to try and start a dialog, that oh yea, I already had started. What couldn't wait even one more day?"
Elliot looks down, and walks over to Victoria taking her hand. "No Leonik, you aren't attacking monsters here. We are the monsters."

"You're not a monster at least, Elliot," said Victoria, squeezing his hand. "You understand. That's part of why I fell in love with you." She looked Leonek in the eye. "Too many people have died tonight, on both sides. It's time to end this pointless conflict."

Leonek rolls his eyes at the display of affection before him, unsure whether to applaud this cross-cultural bonding or to regurgitate violently.

"I am wery glad for you to hawe penetrated the General's mind and seen through all of humanity's nefarious plans to destroy these obwiously peace-lowing creatures, Elliot! Next time vhen someone kidnaps someone you lowe, I'm sure you'll be glad to just sawe her and shake hands with the kidnappers! I may be up in chains, but you are the one being bound!"

"So you are admitting the general is on a personal vendetta? " Elliot replies with a question.

"I'm pretty sure he meant that as sarcasm, Webb," said Sergeant Valentine Hale, his voice weak.

Elliot goes over to Valentine, checking his bandage. "Good to see you speak Valentine. I'm not much of a medic, but I think I got the bleeding stopped. You know I could never tell when Leonek is being satirical."

Leonek sneers
"Must be lack of oxygen at birth, or maybe it's because you feel like a -fish- out of the vater here."

Victoria glared at Leonek. "We can do without your racist comments," she said.

"Thank you," Valentine said to Elliot. "I think I need a doctor, though." The bandages were fine, and Elliot had done a decent enough job. The bleeding had stopped, and Valentine was stable.

"And ve could do vithout you kidnapping people. Vill ve agree on that deal then?", Leonek returned Victoria's glare despite her not so welcoming looks.

"Let's get one thing clear," said Victoria. "You invaded and attacked our home. You've killed members of my family. We didn't kidnap you, we captured you in a war - a war your people started."

"Whoa, everyone calm down." Elliot intercedes, seeing where this is going. "Yelling at each other isn't going to help anyone. Leonik, kidnappings happen every day, we rarely send the army in to deal with them. But we need to find a solution together to stop further bloodshed."

"You're right," said Victoria, relaxing somewhat. "We need to talk to the Brigadier. He's the only one who can order his troops to stand down. Where can we find him?"

"Where are their radio's, did you take them?" Elliot asks.

"They were taken," said Victoria, "but it was before we got here. They must have been put in the storage chamber. You tried talking him to him on the radio before, though, and it didn't work. Besides, he can always cut you off on the radio. If we speak to him face to face, he'll have to listen. We just have to put him in a position where he can't fight back first. If he's at the inn, he should be trapped soon if he isn't already."

Leonek isn't so quick to cool his temper.

"No, you're right, Elliot, vhen people get kidnapped by people, ve send in the police. Vhen they are kidnapped by these things, ve send in the military."


He then looks at Victoria.

"It looks like you don't have it clear. You kidnapped one of us and ve came to rescue her, and now ve have come back to make sure you newer kidnap anyone else before. I newer claimed you kidnapped me, you took me prisoner and that, to -get things clear- is an entirely different thing. Now are you going to kill me or bring me to your Mother, because ve vill newer surrender to you."



(edited for spelling)

"You're not helping here Leonek," Elliot says. Then looking over at Victoria, "Why don't you go retrieve a radio. If I can find his location, we can go talk to him face to face. But we need to find out where he is first."

"We are not things," Victoria spat back at Leonek. "We are people, just like you. We only wish to live in peace. If the rest of your people have your attitude, I'm afraid this battle will be to the death - their death. I'm not going to kill you. Your fate is up to Mother, and she will come to you when the battle is won." She nodded to Elliot. "I'll go get a radio. You can either come with me, or you can stay here with Emilia and the prisoners. Maybe they know where the Brigadier can be found." She began to ascend the sloping tunnel.

Leonek sneered, rattling his chains.

"If your people wanted to live in peace, you shouldn't have taken hostages."

"Thanks dear," Elliot said as she left. "Leonek, no one took any hostages, what you are talking about." Elliot looked down exasperated. "Listen, whats in the past is done. We need to work together now. To stop the killing going on NOW. Do you understand?" Elliot paused hoping the others would see reason. "Where can I find the general so I can go talk to him face to face?"

"Don't tell him, Private," said Sergeant Carla Ecarg. "If they find out where he is, they'll try to kill him."

Leonek spat on the ground before Elliot's feet and looked him straight in the eyes.

"I am Priwate Leonek Novak, serwice number 25232301."

Elliot looks at Leonek, "I'm not your enemy here. I don't understand why you are doing this. I'm neutral in this I'm trying to stop the killing on both sides. You'll see," he says looking at all the prisoners hanging up.

The cavern was partially submerged, so Leonek's spit only landed in the water. None of the other prisoners was willing to talk either.

After a few minutes, Victoria returned with a hand-held radio, wading into the cave. "Here's one of their radios," she said, holding it out to Elliot.

Leonek just stared at Elliot.

Elliot takes the radio, "Thank you Victoria," he says. He presses the talk button on the radio, "General this is Elliot again. Are you ready to talk yet? It's time to stop the bloodshed."

There was no response from the Brigadier. "I didn't think that would work, but it was worth a try," Victoria said. She examined the prisoners. "Do any of you want to tell us where we can find the Brigadier?" She was met with stubborn silence. "Well, you may yet change your minds." She began to sing, a haunting melody that wordlessly conveyed a sense of unfathomable depths and the majesty of the sea.

OOC,Everyone, please make a 1d100 Resistance Table roll pitting your POW against [b]Victoria[/b]'s POW of 15. This means that [b]Leonek[/b] will succeed on a 30 or less, and [b]Elliot[/b] will succeed on a 35 or less.

Emilia clapped her claws. "You sing so pretty, Vicky," she said.

"Thank you, Emilia," said Victoria. She surveyed her prisoners. The men were staring back, enraptured, but Carla seemed unaffected. "Now, will you please tell me where the Brigadier is so we can end this needless killing? They're murdering my people - my family! Won't you do this for me?"

OOC,[b]Sergeant Valentine Hale[/b]'s Resistance Table roll (POW 8 vs. [b]Victoria[/b]'s POW 15: 15% chance): [dice]0[/dice] [b]Sergeant Carla Ecarg[/b]'s Resistance Table roll (POW 16 vs. [b]Victoria[/b]'s POW 15: 55% chance): [dice]1[/dice] Marine's Resistance Table roll (POW 9 vs. [b]Victoria[/b]'s POW 15: 20% chance): [dice]2[/dice]

Leonek Novak/Sergeant Valentine Hale,Until further notice, [b]Victoria[/b] is everything your heart could desire, and you are in love with her. Nothing else has changed.

Elliot Webb,Nothing seems to have changed for you.

Leonek stared at Victoria, transfixed by her heavenly voice and gloriously iridescent skin.
He nodded slowly as she asked her question and then sadly shook his head.

"Ve had our last radiocontact before ve ran into that huge thi...creature vith all the teeth and eyes. So I don't know vhere he is right now. Ve vere going to establish a command post in the Ship Inn, but if that's overrun, he could be anyvhere..."

"I'm so glad you are finally seeing things my way. I knew you'd listen to reasoning." Elliot said. Then to Victoria, "maybe we should head up to the Inn. I don't think the general trusts me anymore, but if Leonek is with me, he might listen to reason. What do you think Leonek? Can you help me talk to the general about a truce?"

"Now there's a thought," said Victoria. "I have a key for these chains in my oilskin sack. He might listen to Leonek, you're right. But we need to know where he is. Do any of the rest of you know?"

"Don't say a bloody word!" barked Carla.

"I really wish I could help you, Miss," said Valentine, gazing at Victoria longingly. "I came by sea with the Royal Marines, though, and the Brigadier came by land. Carla might know where he went."

The marine nodded. "You're beautiful," he told her.

Carla groaned. "What is the matter with you chaps?! Can't you see she's done something to you? It's because you're men, isn't it? It's not affecting me because I'm a woman!"

"Of course he doesn't trust you, you turned when you had the first opportunity to do so." Leonek spat the words out at Elliot, his face a mask of hatred for his sexual rival.


He scowled at Val, ignored Carla and nodded eagerly as he turned to Victoria.


"He's right though, I could get the big brass to listen and help you...and your people. They know my worth, I've fought your people, I returned with Dr. Kirby...", Leonek paused for just a second, the bravado his infatuation gave him faltering for a moment at the thought of the good doctor.
"Send me, I'll find the chief or hook up with others who can lead me to him and I'll relay your message."

"We'd better try to locate him together first," said VIctoria. "If the inn is the command post, he's probably there. He may already be captured or killed by now. Let's head up to the surface together and head that way to see what the situation is there. Emilia, keep our prisoners company while we're gone, but don't touch them...unless they try to escape." She fished a key out of her sack and unlocked Leonek's manacles. "Both of you follow me, and please try to get along with each other. We're all on the same side here." She led the way back up the sloping tunnel.

Leonek let out a sigh of relief as his manacles were undone.

"Do not vorry, I vill be on my best behawiour." He smiled as he rubbed his wrists and started up the corridor. "Better vatch your back though.", he added almost as an afterthought as he glanced at Elliot.

Elliot stares at Leonek, "I never turned on anyone. I just had my eyes opened a bit earlier." He followed Leonek, keeping him between them. "And keep your mind on the job at hand, Victoria is already spoken for."

Victoria led the way through the chamber with the altar in the center, wading around the curve and continuing up the tunnel on the left that led further upwards. "We'll take the secret passage through the ruins, then go up the road," she said, taking her shotgun out of the sack.

Leonek trudged along, giving Elliot the cold shoulder.

He looked worriedly on as Victoria pulled the shotgun out.

"I'm not sure if it's a good idea to go in wisibly armed, Miss Wictoria. Let me go up front, they von't shoot me and I'll conwince them to talk."

Elliot followed along, not talking. He didn't like the way Leonek was looking at Victoria, but he had a point about the shotgun.

Victoria led the way up the ramp into another circular chamber with exits in four directions. She continued straight ahead towards the tunnel sloping upwards that led to the stairway. "I'll need the shotgun while we're on the way," said Victoria, "just in case we run into any trouble. When we get to the surface, you can take the lead while Elliot and I hang back. We still don't know who holds the inn, so we'll want to come up through the woods behind it until we can see how things are."

Leonek frowned deeply and stopped.

"I understand your perceiwed need for security. But your..people von't attack you vhen they see us. My people vill attack if they see you are the one with a gun. They vill think ve are your hostages."

He starts to unbutton his shirt.

"I vill valk ahead and vave my white undershirt, anyone vatching vill know ve need to parlay."

"I agree Victoria, maybe I should hold the shotgun and Leonek go first. I couldn't stand it if something happened to you." Elliot added.

"If your people think you're my hostages," said Victoria as they ascended the stairs, "they'll be less likely to attack me for fear of causing your deaths. Not that I'd kill you, but they don't know that. In any case, I don't intend to be seen until I'm ready. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

They soon reached the top of the stairs where the secret entrance to the caves below was open. The rain was still coming down in buckets. The ruins were deserted, but an APC was parked in the middle of the road not far away, its front facing south. "Leonek, check out the vehicle and see if anyone's in it. If not, we can use it ourselves if either of you can drive it."

Leonek Novak,[b]Leonek[/b] recalled that [b]Carla[/b] had left two soldiers from her squad outside the entrance on guard duty with most of the rockets and the PIAT. There was no sign of them.

"I can drive it, but there were supposed to be guards out here..."

Leonek looks around and approaches the APC. He knocks on the side of the thing and calls out.

"Anyone left in there?"

"They could be hiding." Elliot says, looking for the best spot he would hide if he wanted to do an ambush.

Leonek's knock echoed through the hollow interior of the armored vehicle. There was no response.

Elliot could find no trace of the guards, but the ground near the secret entrance to the caves was coated with a slimy, white goo. "I wouldn't worry about the guards," said Victoria. "Rover's been through here on its way to the inn. It must have taken care of them. If they were smart, they ran away and won't be back. If they tried to attack, it would have eaten them." She covered up the underground passage, concealing it effectively. If Elliot hadn't known it was there, he probably wouldn't have noticed it.

Leonek cringed at the creature's name.

"Vh..vhat is Rower anyvay? I hawe newer seen anything like him."


He tried to open the hatch of the APC and if that worked, he'd clamber in and try to get the engine started.

Elliot looked inside to make sure there were no bodies and what else might be in the vehicle, "I think they said it was a Shag..oth or something like that. I didn't recognize the name."

Elliot could find no bodies or human remains. If the guards had been eaten, Rover had consumed them completely.

"It's called a shoggoth," Victoria said, following Elliot to the vehicle. "Mother taught me that."

Leonek easily opened the hatch and found the APC empty. He climbed in and started the engine with no problem.

Leonek's smile broadened.


"See? I told you it vas going to vork."

He looked back at the other two and grinned.

"Buckle in, ve are going for a ride."


Leonek kicked the APC into gear and headed towards the Inn.

Elliot got in and buckled up just before the APC took off. "Don't kill us before we get there."

Victoria climbed into the troop compartment, closed the hatch behind her, and strapped herself in next to Elliot. Leonek turned the APC around and headed up Monastery Hill towards the inn.

OOC,I need to wait for another thread to catch up with you before you get there, but feel free to keep conversing.

Leonek grumbled almost inaudibly.
"If only..."


Then he spoke more clearly.

"I could try the radio in this wehicle to contact the Brigadier, then ve can leawe our guns behind."

"Try the radio," said Victoria, "but leaving our weapons behind is a bad idea."

Leonek nodded and grabbed the speaker.

"This is Priwate Novak. I am in the company of a representatiwe of the ...", he looked back at Victoria apologetically and continued, "of the Sea Devils. They vant to parlay for peace. Requesting orders."

"If they wish to surrender," replied the Brigadier, "that's all well and good. But they'd better not think they can dictate terms to us. What's your position and status, Private?"

"Ve are currently en route to the Ship Inn, sir. The rest of my team is either captiwe or dead. I am in the company of Vebb and a wery fine representatiwe of the Sea Dewils."

Even from behind, Leonek looked rather uncomfortable to call Victoria's race by their name.

"So you've been captured by them too?" the Brigadier said. "And what do you mean by 'very fine representative'? You're starting to sound like Webb. The last I heard, the Ship Inn was under attack. Get the Sea Devils to call that attack off if you can."

Leonek almost snarled.

"I am not a traitor!...sir..."

He takes a deep breath, sounding less combative this time.

"And yes, I am their prisoner. Shall I tell that if they call off the attack on the Ship Inn ve vill negotiate a truce?"

Elliot listened in but bit his tongue.

"It's too late for that," said Salem Shields's despondent voice on the radio. "This is Trap One. The enemy has taken us. They breached us from both sides, Greyhound One, and they have hostages. We had no choice but to surrender. I think their leader wants to talk to you."

"I am High Priestess Y'Hali," said her voice next. "Your command post has fallen. Your assault on our temple has failed. Your people have all been killed, captured, or driven away. Your naval vessels have been sunk. You have lost. Now we shall discuss your surrender and end this bloodshed. No more lives need be lost tonight. If you kill any more of my people, I promise that you will not get out alive."

The APC was approaching the Ship Inn. The car park on the right side of the inn was smeared with a tremendous amount of white goo. A single Sea Devil lay dead near the rear entrance. There was no sign of anyone, human or otherwise, outside, but there were lights on in the inn's rear-facing windows on the ground floor.

Leonek stared at the pulpy goo outside the inn and stopped the APC.

"Vhat the hell happened here..."


"Ve should go inside, look for surwiwors maybe..." He looked at Victoria with kind eyes. "Maybe it's safer if you waited here."

"Let me get back to you," replied the Brigadier on the radio.

"That must be what's left of Rover," said Victoria, her eyes downcast. "I didn't think anything could kill it...We do have to go inside, but I need to come with you. That was Mother speaking on the radio. The inn is hers now. The battle is over, and I'll be safe there. If you go in there without me, there's no telling how they might react."

Leonek tried to take in the white snot covering everything, it was hard to fathom that had been Rover. Somehow he felt quite relieved. Victoria's suggestion drew him back to the present and he nodded.

"Yes, I can understand that. Let's go inside then and see vhat ve'll find there. Don't vorry, I'm not leawing you alone."

He managed a smile, despite the carnage and got out of the APC with the others.

Victoria led Leonek and Elliot out of the APC and across the car park to the rear entrance. As they walked, they noticed the bodies of two UNIT soldiers lying in the puddles of goo, drenched in the stuff. Both of them had spears through their chests.

OOC,[b]Elliot[/b], please roll Sanity for seeing the bodies. Sanity loss is 0/1d3. I believe [b]Leonek[/b] already lost 3 Sanity for seeing a dead body, but I can't be certain since Invisible Castle is down and I don't have time to go back through all of his threads. [b]Leonek[/b], if you haven't lost 3 Sanity for seeing a dead body, please roll Sanity as well.

Leonek made his way, careful not to step on anything that could have been Rover. He was rather unphased by the speared soldiers.


spoiler-button]OOC:,I can't remember either, I'll just make the roll.[/spoiler-button]

Sanity-great success:,[dice]0[/dice]

Sanity,[dice]0[/dice]

Elliot had seen dead bodies before. This was no different. He walks along with Victoria towards the Inn.

The threesome approached the rear of the inn. The back door had been splintered inwards.

OOC,[b]Valentine[/b] and [b]Carla[/b] are moving to the thread linked below.

Chains

OOC,Everyone else is moving to the thread linked below.

An Inn Too Far