Episode One/c - Trinity

[jaysun81]

As blood streams down his left arm Jonathan curses aloud and he grimaces in pain. A moment later as the adrenaline courses through his veins and he charges the thug in an attempt to tackle him.

OOC:   Brawl: 5 + 2 (Charge Bonus, pg 110) + 1 (GM Bonus - Rage) = 8 [dice]0[/dice] Total Successes: 5

[carnage_lee]

Nellie pauses to open the storeroom cupboard door wider and snatch up the mop. Then trapping the mop-head between the door and frame, pulls smartly on the handle... once, twice.. then with a loud crack the wood snaps.

Hefting her makeshift spear Nellie approaches the other door, turning the handle, she prepares to step out.

[Priest]

Jonathan –

Teeth gritted against the pain Jonathan focuses his rising anger to throw himself at the gun wielding maniac.

Defense roll 3+1 (SP) -1 (C Mod) =3: 3#1d6 2 3 6 Jonathan beats the defense by 3 success, which beats his strength by 1 so shoves him 5 feet towards the roofs edge. The Conditional modifier I’ve added is for the slipperiness of the roof.

The suddenness and violence of Jonathan’s move turns the charge into a vicious shove which catching the murderous individual by surprise and added to the slope of the tiled roof sends him, arms flailing wildly, sliding towards the roofs edge.

With a scream of horror, which the muffler fails to muffle in the slightest , he releases the pistol, which goes skittering over the edge of the roof, and manages to grab the ancient gutter, a precarious hold given its age.

He swings some seventy feet above the cobbled courtyard. Even at distance Jonathan can see the fear in the would be assassin’s eyes.

“In the name o’ God help me. Dinnae let me fall”

Nellie –

With broken mop handle in hand Nellie lifts the latch to the small door to the Chapel roof. Behind her, his breathing somewhat hard, she hears the heavy tread of Magsworthy following in pursuit.

With a creak of ancient hinges the door swings open, a few hundred feet away she sees two figures in conflict. Suddenly one of the two, a stranger dressed in a long heavy overcoat, staggers back, slips on the tiled roof and slides over the edge, grasping the gutter at the last minute. She hears a scream of terror followed by something shouted in a definite Scottish brogue, “In the name o’ God help me. Dinnae let me fall”

At the same moment, or a moment after, she hears the ominous sound of old cast iron being torn loose, and the wailing villain, his terror increasing dramatically, dropping a few inches as the guttering starts to give way. Behind her she hears a by now familiar shout, “Oi!! Stop where you are Miss” and realises that the indefatigable Magsworthy is but feet behind her...

OOC:   Rachel and Peter – At this point you are making your way across Neville’s Court to the stairs leading up to the Master’s Lodge where you left your companions to interview Doctor Choker.

[jaysun81]

Jonathan looks in the direction of the man and yells, "You tried to kill me... twice!" Momentarily gripping his left arm, he grunts. Attempting to take his mind off the pain he slowly begins to inch his way down the tiled roof to the dangling Scotsman while saying, "How do I know you will not try it again?"

[carnage_lee]

Relief floods through Nellie as she realises that Jonathan is not the man hanging from the roof. She carefully steps outside, the porter is close but she has no intention of surrendering herself, I will not stop... there are people out here that require our aid, should you not be willing to help at least be so good as to summon a constable, a deadly assult has been attempted and I will see the perpetrator face the law!" Nellie replies, drawing as much authority as she can muster.

Turning her back on the porter she picks her way across the roof, careful to mind where she steps, she sees Jonathan start to move towards their soul be assassin, something is wrong with the way her fellow investigator moves, it looks like he is favouring one arm... he must have been hurt!

Jonathan! Be careful.. she calls.

[Priest]

Jonathan –

Ignoring the pain in his arm, though it burns like fire, Jonathan determinedly starts to move down the roof’s slope toward the assailant. For a brief moment anger banishes any hint of pity for the man’s precarious plight.
To his right, the towers of the Great Gate loom in the darkness, a brief light silhouettes a female form brandishing a spear or something. Nellie, for it can only be she, moves towards you, while behind her a large man, his bulk momentarily blocking the light which spills from the open door which Miss Bly had just come through, steps, gingerly, onto the roof. You hear her voice raised in admonishment to another, then the voice takes on a concerned tone, “Jonathan, be careful”
Then another voice, much deeper, masculine, “Now Miss going onto the Chapel roof is dangerous and forbidden. I suggest you stop now and return...Who’s on the roof?....Hello! What’s happening over there?”

Your question snarled painfully at the dangling Scotsman goes without answer, all you hear is another scream of pure terror as yet more brackets tear loose and the guttering drops another couple of inches.
“In the name o’ God help me, please!!”

You can tell by the whiteness of his grip on the guttering that he is no longer in possession of the firearm, and the terror you can see easily at distance tells you this man is in no position to offer you harm...

Nellie –

You can feel the nearness of the porter, and can tell that if he but extends an arm he will grasp you and halt any further progress along the roof. However your words seem to bring him to an abrupt halt and you know that he can see the dangerously hanging figure who at the moment is poised on the brink of disaster. If the guttering gives way, and from the ominous noises emanating from it that could be at any moment, Then the mysterious assailant faces a long fall to the courtyard some seventy feet below, and given the cobbles such a fall will result in broken bones at the very least.

His voice filled with determination and military precision, Magsworthy pushes past you and half sliding quickly moves toward the figure.
“Quick man, give me your hand before disaster strikes” as he reaches forwards he snarls at the wounded Jonathan, “You man, grasp my ankles for if the guttering gives way then two of us might die tonight”...

[jaysun81]

Jonathan shifts his attention to Nellie for a moment, flashes a weak smile and says, "I'll be alright." Seeing the man come out onto the roof and call to him, he moves into a place where he can grudgingly offer assistance in rescuing the would be assassin as he snaps, "I'm coming!" Then in a less pained tone he continued, "The Scotsman is an attempted murderer."

[Priest]

Jonathan and Nellie on the Chapel roof -

Between them, despite the obvious pain being displayed by Jonathan, the, relieved but shaking, assailant is safely hauled up onto the roof. For a second his eyes flash with a mixture of relief and gratitude, however it is but momentarily for within an instant the eyes are filled with a look of pure hatred. He whispers something but the thick muffler that covers his mouth renders it incomprehensible.

He makes as if to break free, but quickly realises that the heavily built porter, holds him in a grip of iron, so relaxes slightly, but you can tell from the way his eyes flash left and right that he will not ‘come quietly’.

Magsworthy speaks his deep baritone voice a mixture of confusion and relief, no doubt relief that no one has fallen to their deaths tonight, “Murder? Would someone please explain just what has been going on, and was that a gunshot I heard earlier?”
At this point the pathetic attempt by the assailant to break free draws his attention. He merely tightens his grip, “Now then, it seems you have some explaining to do. So quit your wriggling” ....

OOC:   Rachel and Peter – At this stage you are entering the Master’s Lodge to discover that your companions had departed several minutes earlier. As of yet you have no intimation of the drama that has occured outside.

[jaysun81]

Jonathan looks from the Scotsman to the porter as he holds his arm and says, "As my friend and I entered the court below this Scottish buffoon attempted to drop the gargoyle on ours heads. Thankfully today was not his lucky day. Seeing him scurrying around up here like a common roof rat set me off in pursuit. Once I confronted him, he had the nerve to shoot me in the arm!" He looks at Nellie, his bloody right hand from holding his left arm, and then back to the porter, "Sir, I'd like to get on solid ground to get this wound wrapped up."

[Priest]

Jonathan and Nellie on the Chapel roof -

The assailant stops his squirming, defeated by the strength of the porter, and stares evilly at Jonathan, “Dropped? ‘t was an accident man, yon stone fell of its own, with nay help from me...Of course I ran when I saw ye coming after me yellin’ about killin’ me. Seems I have a right to defend meself against madmen...Made me lose ma pistol, and it was not a cheap thing t’ buy” The muffler softens the harshness of his accent, but does little to make his words more convincing.

Magsworthy is obviously more than a little doubtful over the offered excuse, “Hmmn, well I’ve been porter here for years since being invalided out of the army, and while I grant you that some of the stonework has faults I’ve yet to see one of the statuary come loose without aid. As to why you were on the roof in the first place, well that’s another question”. The giant porter tightens his grip on the now acquiescent Scot, “I guess we’ll let the police deal with you, attempted murderer or not”

He turns his gaze to the bleeding Jonathan, “Come along with me to the porters office and we’ll get that wound cleaned up. Saw many a lad lose a limb after being hit by a lead bullet in India” .he smiles as if a distant memory has crossed his mind, “As for this one. I’ll send young Stanley after the police”

To Nellie he nods politely, “Now Miss let’s get off this roof, find somewhere warm and have a mug of tea”.

Within minutes Nellie and Jonathan, accompanied by Magsworthy and a somewhat subdued Scotsman are ensconced at the base of the Great Gate in the warmth of the porter’s office. Jonathan’s arm has been expertly treated by Magsworthy who obviously knows what he is doing when it comes to gunshot wounds and both he and Nellie hold large mugs of steaming sweet tea. Magsworthy, true to his word, has gone in search of Stanley, leaving you with the assailant firmly tied to a chair...

Rachel and Peter crossing the courtyard of the Great Court –

Even as you cross the cobblestoned courtyard you have the feeling that all is not well, a nervous itch runs down your spine. In a sudden shaft of moonlight you can see something metallic gleaming near the base of King Edward’s Tower, as you get nearer you can make out the ominous shape of an American Colt .45 pistol, the one the American’s call so quaintly a ‘Peacemaker’. Further towards the main gateway you can see the large frame and bowler hat of the porter you had met earlier that evening and who you are told has keys to the rooms that belong to Edward, from the urgency of his step it would seem that something has occurred.

[carnage_lee]

Feeling extremely relieved that Jonathan doesn't seem to be badly wounded and that the porter, Magsworthy had decided to come down on 'their side' and was being co-operative, Nellie gingerly makes her way back across the roof.

After a while she stands in front of the fire in the porter's office, sipping a large mug of very sweet tea and eyeing their 'prisoner'.

"So then, how long have you been working for Choker?" she asks the restrained man.

[Papa Gateau]

Roxborough steps swiftly over and collects up the pistol, looking for signs of where it may have come from, the scuff mark of a boot from the person who may have lost it or an open window above from which it may have been dropped.

Seeing the porter making haste he calls out You there! Mr Magsworthy! Hold still a moment! I would have a word with you about this! he raises the pistol by its barrel so as not to alarm the man.

[jaysun81]

Jonathan sips some tea from the mug as he waits for the Scotsman to answer Nellie's question.

[Mr. Handy]

Rachel also hustles after the porter. "Yes, what is going on here?" she asks. "And have you seen our friends, by any chance?"

[Priest]

Nellie in the porter's office –

The sweet tea, strong of course, settles any nerves you may have been feeling admirably. It is a remedy for all ills that the British excel in.

For several seconds the Scotsman stares at you through narrowed eyes, as if weighing you up, “I dinnae ken what your meanin’...Choker what’s that when it’s at hame?”

OOC:   Apologies for the stereotypical awful attempt at a Scots accent

It seems that the man is either stupid, good at acting, or indeed knows nothing of the name Choker.

Jonathan in the porter's office –

As you wait for the villain to answer it becomes obvious that any fear that he had displayed when dangling above the courtyard, has, in these more comfortable and secure surroundings been replaced by bravado. From the set of his mouth and the arrogance displayed in his eyes, you realise that it will take more than simple questioning to gain answers from this man.

With his answer to Nellie's opening question, it is obvious that he believes that keeping his mouth shut is his best option.

Peter and Rachel in the courtyard –

Magsworthy looks at the pistol displayed by the tall Englishman, “I have no direct knowledge of that...But it may be the one that gentleman you arrived with earlier referred to as having been in the possession of the Scottish fellow at present under watch in the porters office”

Turning to Rachel he gestures over his shoulder towards the towers of the Great Gate, “If by friends you are referring to the bearded fellow and the American lady you arrived with earlier, then you will find them at present ensconced within the porters office following a rather nasty incident on the roof above. Now if you will forgive me I must find young Stanley and have him run and fetch the police”

With a polite nod of the head the porter moves briskly off in the direction from which you had just come towards a gathering crowd which has appeared at the doorway to the stairs of the Masters Lodge. Amongst the crowd you are able to distinghuish several persons that you had been introduced to earlier, including Oswaldtwistle, MacMillan, Choker. With MacMillan stands a younger person who has the appearance of a student rather than a member of the faculty.

[carnage_lee]

"Oh well, if you don't want to be sensible then I suppose we shall just have to turn you over to the constabulary. Nellie says as she puts down her cup.

"Oh look, silly me.." Nellie says brightly laying her hand on the snapped mop shaft "I didn't return this, how forgetful of me.." Nellie turns smartly, letting her arm stretch, with a resounding 'crack' the end of the ex-mop connects with the back of their attackers skull. "Ohh dear me, that was clumsy..." Nellie sneers. "Now where did I put my cup..." Nellie moves in an exaggerated way, almost completing a full circle, the wooden shaft smacks into the 'prisoner's' ear with a meaty thudding sound. "Goodness, this parlour is quite small isn't it Jonathan? Not enough room to swing a cat... one might say. I think I had better buy the University another mop, look this end is very jagged." ssswwwiisshhh Nellie reverses her grip and swing again, this time the broken end stops a couple of inches from the thugs nose.

Nellie levels her gaze, face set "Why did you push that gargoyle ... why shoot my friend?" she says grimly.

[Priest]

Nellie –

The use of the mop handle elicits a howl of pain from the bound prisoner, and your threat of further violence seems to have an effect. First his eyes widen in surprise that such a petite female can stoop to such violent means, then as you halt the jagged end of the handle inches from his face his mouth lips part in a repressed shudder...

To interrogate the assailant I will let you use Investigation -2 as you are unskilled in the area of Intimidation, However I will give you +2 for your 'inventive' use of the broken mop handle. So please roll 6 dice v a df of 3 (you may of course choose to add Style points if you feel the need)

[carnage_lee]

OOC:   [quote="Priest" To interrogate the assailant I will let you use Investigation -2 as you are unskilled in the area of Intimidation, However I will give you +2 for your 'inventive' use of the broken mop handle. So please roll 6 dice v a df of 3 (you may of course choose to add Style points if you feel the need)[/quote] [dice]0[/dice]

[Priest]

Nellie –

For a moment a hint of fear shows in his eyes. However almost as quick as you can blink it is replaced with a gaze of pure hatred as his mouth retakes its fierce set. He blinks away the pain from where you had struck him,
“I have nothin’ for ye. Ye’ll nae find oot from me! Anyway, it’ll all be over in a couple o’ days!”

You may try once more at a -2 penalty, or wait and see what Jonathan can do

[jaysun81]

Jonathan smiles approvingly at Nellie's tactics. However, upon seeing the stubbornness of the Scotsman he sits his cup aside, stands up, and in an exaggerated fashion cracks his knuckles, followed by his neck before saying, "As an explorer I'm a traveled man, and I know many things. Tell me... have you ever heard of what the Japanese call kyusho jitsu? In English it's called the Death Touch." Jonathan moves a little closer to his assailant. "When executed correctly kyusho jitsu can lead to a delayed death — meaning that if I simply pinch the right spot you will find yourself suffering from organ failure and then sudden death in a day or two." Looking at Nellie, then back to the bound man. "The best part is that unlike your foolish attempt, I will kill you... and no one will know." Jonathan smiles at the man and lays his hand on the thug's shoulder with a light grip. "So, shall we begin?"