'The Strangeness of Hezekiah Mason' - chpt 1

[carnage_lee]

Tommy Stone

With some reluctance Tommy starts to dig, the blade of the long handled shovel making a wet sucking sound as it spears the ground. The spade slides into the freshly turned earth easily enough but the rain has made the clay soil heavy and sticky. A mound of dark wet soil starts to pile up to the side of the grave, despite the breeze and intermittent cold rain Tommy starts to sweat and curse under his breath. This was a lot harder than he had anticipated.

After a good half hours work he stops, his muscles ache and he stretches and rubs his arms and back; he's starting to resent the others, oh they mean well with the odd comment of encouragement but it's not them getting their 'hands dirty'.

He eyes the pile of earth he's excavated, it's too near the edge ... "One of you can make yourself useful and start moving that of earth back a bit." he shovels more earth out.. "Ohh.. and someone go find some ropes, we're going to need to bring the coffin up.." he adds.

[Priest]

Rebecca Conners holds the flashlight up allowing the lbeam of light to illuminate the faces of the group. "Well" she says her voice a little tight. showing her nervouness as to the situation, "I have the flashlight so I can't go looking for a rope". As if to emphasise her view she allows the light to play across the heaped earth that marks the grave.

[Mr. Handy]

"Perhaps Hezekiah Mason is not dead at all," says Anne. "But then who was buried in his place?" She looks around at the rainswept vista. "Where would we find ropes around here? Maybe there's a storage shed or something."

[Priest]

OOC:   Previously Anne Dewar said:   "Where would we find ropes around here? Maybe there's a storage shed or something."   You know that there is a small building near the churchyard entrance, you had watched the unknown visitor rush past it on his way back to his pickup. It is quite likely from its size and position near the gate to be some kind of storage shed, the ideal place to store bits and pieces.

[Mr. Handy]

"I remember seeing a storage shed near the entrance," says Anne. "There could be some ropes there. I'll go get them if someone comes with me. I'm not strong enough to carry too much by myself." And I'd rather not be alone in this place, she thinks with a shiver.

[Supercape]

Harry had his breath back and had resigned himself to the inevitability of physical exertion that night. He stroked his beard and stood up.

"I'll accompany you madam. I'm used to carrying a heavy load" he said, patting his belly. "And besides, I don't think anybody should be alone tonight..."

With that, he cracked his knuckles and accompanied Anne out of the Church...

[carnage_lee]

Tommy Stone

Tommy watches for a few moments as Harry and Anne trudge off across the sodden grass towards the storage hut near the entrance to the cemetery before continuing with his macabre task. The soil seems less wet and heavy a few feet below ground level, still wet but not sodden like the soil at the surface and he starts digging with a little more gusto.

The wind suddenly picks up, gusting through the cemetery, making a moaning, mournful whistling through the trees. Some soil slips back into Tommy's excavation. Tommy jumps back before the earth can cover his shoes. The wind dies down as fast as it picked up, leaving behind a chill in the air.

The spade sides into the earth but stops with a dull metallic 'clunk', the sudden arrest of the spades movement sends a shock-wave through Tommy's hands and forearms.

"What the... there's something here..." Tommy chops the spade down a few times with less force, a dull metallic sound rings out each time. "That's weird.. we're not deep enough to be hitting the coffin yet, shine that light down here here..." he asks Rebecca looking up at the two women, puzzlement on his face.

Tommy moves the spade around tapping lightly to find the size of the object ... "It's about two feet .. sounds pretty solid..." he then sets about scraping the earth away, the light from the flash-light slowly illuminates a disk the size of a small tray, there seems to be carving or marks on the disk but darkness and packed soil make it impossible to make out any detail.

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you," says Anne, grateful for any company. She leads the way to the storage shed to try the door and look around inside for some ropes.

[Priest]

Rebecca carefuly directs the flashlight's beam to the object that Tommy has pulled from the ground, "Here, maybe this will help?" From the pocket of her raincoat she pulls a handkerchief.

Tommy,please make a[b]'Poke Around'[/b] roll.

The small building built of brick and timber, its shape partialy obscured by a tall Yew tree, is secured by a single plank door, looking almost as ancient as the rusted catch holding it shut. With a tug the door opens, a low dragging sound marking its progress across the ground, to reveal a dark, damp, earthy smelling interior. In the darkness you can see a motionless shape.

Anne and Harry,Please make[b] 'Poke Around'[/b] rolls

[carnage_lee]

Tommy Stone - Poke Around Roll,[dice]0[/dice]

[Priest]

Tommy Stone - Poke Around Roll,[dice]176327:0[/dice]

Tommy,Select 1 of the following: (modified to fit the occasion) *Find 1 good item (Keeper’s choice) *One minor item, other than the object you already have (Your choice) *Find 1 clue on the item (+1 forward when acted upon) * Determine the presence of one physical hazard (if none present, you learn that)

[carnage_lee]

Tommy,Select 1 of the following: (modified to fit the occasion) *Find 1 good item (Keeper’s choice) *One minor item, other than the object you already have (Your choice) *Find 1 clue on the item (+1 forward when acted upon) * Determine the presence of one physical hazard (if none present, you learn that)

Tommy Finds...,*Find 1 clue on the item (+1 forward when acted upon) - Please :)

[Supercape]

Spoiler:

[dice]0[/dice] meaning 6, a faiiiiil

[Priest]

Spoiler:

[dice]176335:0[/dice] meaning 6, a faiiiiil

Harry,Not necessarilly.

[Priest]

Tommy,As you use Rebecca's handkerchief and some spit to clean the strange disc a little, you can make out some odd markings similiar to those you had been told were to be found on Mason's signet ring. Markings that seem to form unatural angles and leave you with a creeped out feeling as if your mind was on the edge of a vast chasm. You are sure you have seen or heard a description of these markings elsewhere. [size=150][b]Where?[/b][/size]

[Mr. Handy]

Anne rummages through the miscellania in the shed. Years of puttering around her shop searching for this and that have honed her skills to a fine degree, and she almost immediately finds the ropes she seeks.

OOC,Poke Around roll looking for ropes in the storage shed: [dice]0[/dice]

[Priest]

Anne,Select 1 of the following: (within the building's environs) As well as several legths of rope. From the wooden handles attached you think these are tailor made for the purpose. *Find 1 good item (Keeper’s choice) *One minor item (Your choice) *Find 1 clue (+1 forward when acted upon) * Determine the presence of one physical hazard (if none present, you learn that)

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,Cool! I didn't know I'd get something else in addition to the ropes and thought I'd have to choose them as what I find. In that case, I'll take a good item, your choice.

[Priest]

OOC,Cool! I didn't know I'd get something else in addition to the ropes and thought I'd have to choose them as what I find. In that case, I'll take a good item, your choice.

Anne,In the darkness you see a familiar shape. That of a kerosene lamp, shaking it shows it to be full of kerosene. Now all you need are some matches...

Harry, you manage, with a litle help from Miss Dewar, to find some rope as you reach for it something moves within the shadows and a pile of rubbish falls towards you. What do you do?

[Supercape]

Harry pulled back his hand as he reached for the rope, staggering backwards.

"Something...something moved!" he gasped, clutching his chest and reaching backwards. His hand closed around a rubber plunger, dirty and half rotted. "A rat, maybe?" he hoped, although it had not looked like a rat. It had squirmed.

He held the plunger out in front of him, pointing to the shadows. It was a useless weapon, but if it was a rodent, he would exterminate it!

With a growing resolve, he inched forward, and poked around the shadows at arms length.