Book the Second, Chapter the Seventh: Clouds of Battle

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

Because the creature is subject to sudden changes of mood, one successful CHA check by either person will be effective. North = 9, Lepus = 12[dice]0[/dice][dice]1[/dice]

It appears that the creature, in its state of blind rage, bears no heed to the entreaties spoken by those near it. Instead, it growls liked a caged beast facing it captors, and seems intent on battle.

This state of aggression is interrupted by a loud cry from the shattered window high above, where Miss Ravenscroft, transformed from catatonia to hysteria, cries out.

"Yes! Yes! I have succeeded! No more need Woman endure the vile embraces of Man!"

Spoiler:

one more try. Her CHA = 16[dice]2[/dice]

As music is famously supposed, thanks to the pen of the late Mister Congreve, to have charms to sooth the savage breast, so does the voice appear to cool the heated brain of the creature. It stares up at the window.

"Muhduh? Muhduh?"

Spoiler:

dex = 9[dice]3[/dice]

With more determination than grace, it climbs up the rough stones and bricks that make up the outside wall of the manor home, managing to pull its massive form up through the great strength of its limbs. Once it has returned to Miss Ravenscroft's laboratory, that lady can be heard laughing with great mirth. A cry of fear emerges from a male throat, followed by a slamming door, evidence that Lord Highdark has chosen to remove himself.

[Mr. Handy]

"Restoring life to the dead would be one thing," says Henry, "but creating new life in this fashion is clearly ill-advised. I prefer to do that the way God intended. Babies are far cuter than that creature, and far less destructive. Still, I'm glad we did not need to destroy it."

[jp1885]

Miss Ravenscroft's laughter causes Lepus to shudder.

"The woman's mind be addled; there be no telling what she will have that poor creature do. Act fast, so we must, and put a stop to this lest the Fae Lady take advantage, yesno?"

He frowns. That's three mad women, maybe or maybe not in the employ of the Fae Lady. Is there some occult significance to this?

INT 15 +3 occult lore,[dice]0[/dice]

[Mr. Handy]

"Indeed," says Henry. "Let's get to the lab post haste."

[SunlessNick]

Spoiler:

Adding one to Perversity seems appropriate.

Spoiler:

It's now 15.

With the situation of Manea resolved as best it can be, William goes in search of Lord Dunwich and Lepus, beginning with the laboratory where they seemed to be bound when he parted from them.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Miss Ravenscroft's laughter causes Lepus to shudder.

"The woman's mind be addled; there be no telling what she will have that poor creature do. Act fast, so we must, and put a stop to this lest the Fae Lady take advantage, yesno?"

He frowns. That's three mad women, maybe or maybe not in the employ of the Fae Lady. Is there some occult significance to this?

INT 15 +3 occult lore,[dice]233893:0[/dice]

It will occur to Lepus that members of the fair sex, subject as they are to the influence of the Moon, are somewhat more likely to suffer from that derangement of the mind known, for reasons one need not point out, as hysteria. This does not mean, of course, that male persons are free from mental disorders of their own. It is also true that feminine inhabitants of Faery are more likely to exert influence upon mortals that share their sex, generally holding human males to be objects of contempt and amusement, not worthy of such manipulation.

In any event, by the time the bold adventurers make their way to Miss Ravenscroft's secret laboratory, they will discover that lady and her creation engaged in what may be charitably referred to as conversation. That is to say, the being begins to grasp the meaning of a few simple words, and to make use of them in the manner of young children. This is evidence that, as ignorant as it may be, the creature possesses an ability to learn far greater than that which might be expected from one less than a day old.

To be precise, the trio enters just as the creature addresses its creator, in an state of excitement, with these words.

"Why make I?"

[jp1885]

Unwilling to provoke neither the creature or it’s insane mother, Lepus advises caution. For the nonce he is content to quietly observe the exchange from a distance and see what occurs.

[Mr. Handy]

Henry has a good idea of the reason, but he lets the creature's mother answer the question herself.

[SunlessNick]

By their demeanours this is clearly not the others' first encounter with the creature, so WIlliam will do what they do.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Before Miss Ravenscroft is able to make reply, the creature cries, in obvious agitation, "Not want live!" Then, as if its limited vocabulary is insufficient to communicate its state of distress, it utters an inarticulate groan, and strikes out with its massive arms at the apparatus in the room.

Spoiler:

dex = 9[dice]0[/dice]

Its movements still betraying the clumsiness of one not used to the operation of its limbs, it smashes a bottle of oil of vitriol, the powerful acid splashing on its hands, the skin of which visibly begins to dissolve with a hissing sound, as blood of a very dark red color pours onto the floor. Driven to blind fury by its pain, the creature screams and stomps on its heavy feet towards Miss Ravenscroft, arms raised and bloody fingers extended.

[SunlessNick]

William's instinct takes over - he raises his pistol and fires at the crature before it can assault Miss Ravenscroft.

OOC:   Dextertity 12, + 1 Soldier +3 Good Shot Rolled 1D20: 14, success

[Mr. Handy]

If the shot fails to bring the creature down, Henry will use his Force Projector on it. He needs to protect Miss Ravenscroft, and the creature doesn't want to live anyway.

[jp1885]

If Lepus is brutally honest, the matter of Miss Ravenscroft's life is neither here nor there. Perchance she deserves to perish at the hands of the abomination she has created?

However, it would also be an obvious kindness to put the tormented beast out of it's misery, and so he rummages in his sack for an explosive stone and makes ready to bounce it off the floor towards the pair, in the event of his companions' weapons failing to have the desired effect.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

William's instinct takes over - he raises his pistol and fires at the creature before it can assault Miss Ravenscroft.

OOC:   Dextertity 12, + 1 Soldier +3 Good Shot Rolled 1D20: 14, success

Spoiler:

The creature has an Armor of 6 (!) which reduces your total Dex to 10. It's tough to hurt.

Although the bullet strikes home, burying itself in the thick flesh of the creature's torso, it seems to have little effect upon it, save to add fuel to the fire of its rage.With a loud roar, it turns upon its attacker.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

If the shot fails to bring the creature down, Henry will use his Force Projector on it. He needs to protect Miss Ravenscroft, and the creature doesn't want to live anyway.

Witnessing the alarming fact that the creature's flesh is resilient enough to resist the impact of a bullet, Doctor North activates the Force Projector. From the device pale blue tendrils of galvanic fluid rush out towards the creature, encircling its head with a fiendish mockery of a halo. The creature grips its head in its mighty hands, shrieking with agony.

Spoiler:

The creature has hit points of 5d6[dice]0[/dice] The Force Generator does 1 d6 of damage.[dice]1[/dice]

Despite the irresistible nature of Doctor North's invention, the device does only minor damage to the creature, perhaps due to the extreme thickness of its skull.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

If Lepus is brutally honest, the matter of Miss Ravenscroft's life is neither here nor there. Perchance she deserves to perish at the hands of the abomination she has created?

However, it would also be an obvious kindness to put the tormented beast out of its misery, and so he rummages in his sack for an explosive stone and makes ready to bounce it off the floor towards the pair, in the event of his companions' weapons failing to have the desired effect.

Spoiler:

DEX = 15[dice]0[/dice]

With uncanny accuracy, Lepus tosses the explosive pebble directly at the creature, striking it in the middle of its clay-like face.

Spoiler:

damage = 1 d6[dice]1[/dice]

The result renders the creature's countenance even more ghastly in appearance than it was before, as the resulting explosion renders one eye entirely destroyed, leaving only a open wound, from which thick ichor drips. Driven to a state of brute madness by the barrage of attacks, the creature lashes out at William with its mighty fists.

Spoiler:

dex = 9[dice]2[/dice]

No doubt because of its reduced vision, it fails to strike at its enemy, or even come anywhere near him.

As if unaware of the danger to which she is exposing herself, Miss Ravenscroft rushes to the side of the creature, offering such comfort as is natural to the female sex. The creature, in turn, whose sudden and extreme changes of emotion cannot fail to be obvious, welcomes her embraces, blubbering and sobbing as any injured infant, while also turning towards the adventurers from time to time, hissing and snarling at them with obvious malevolence.

[jp1885]

"See how the mother comforts her babe..." spits Lepus as he fishes out another stone.

"Thy 'science' damns thee Madam!" he calls out. "Lest we injure him further, leave this house, tend to thy child's wounds and never return hence!"

[SunlessNick]

William draws his sword with one hand, while keeping his other ready to fire his other pistol, but does not attack further yet, waiting to see how Lepus's demand is received.

[Mr. Handy]

"I understand what you are trying to do, Miss Ravenscroft, and why," says Henry in a calmer tone. "Many men, perhaps even most, are wicked, but not all. You just haven't met the right one yet. There may yet exist a proper scientific means to have a child without the aid of a man, but this is not it. Still, it lives, and it would be wrong to take that life away. You are its mother, and you are now responsible for it. Consider well what that responsibility means."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

With a look of haughty disdain, but without words, Miss Ravenscroft leads the creature out of the ravaged laboratory. The creature is nothing loath to accept such guidance, although it continues to growl and spit at the adventurers. As the remarkable pair are last observed vacating the ruins of the laboratory, a final bit of conversation between the two reaches the ears of the party.

"Make woman for I."

"Yes, I shall. I know a fine place to begin."