Play@YSDC

The companions rejoin in the back room where they warm themselves by the fire and prepare for their evening meal. The night has set in and the darkness is an ominous presence outside the window. It has become very cold and the group wrap themselves in blankets as they eat and discuss events so far.

Isadora Carmichael

Upon their return the two "boys" see the living room transformed into a ritual space, with furniture moved to the walls and various objects spread out on the floorboards. Isadora is relieved that Balzac and Glynn made it back in safety. "What did you find?" she inquires.
Looks like her feeling that something has left the house was right. Yet she shivers, not only from the cold, but also from the anticipation of the ritual, and the possible return of the evil power.

"The three of us can chant, then, with Dr Balzac as our guardian."

She lifts the little box with the "Dust of Abu-Ghazi" inside.

"In the journal they wrote that this powder turns the shapeless entity visible... So maybe Dr Balzac should have it. But I hope we won't have to use it. If our ritual is successful, I presume the power will be bound to the center of our pentacle."

Balzac clears his throat. "Ladies and Gentleman, I must show you something before we proceed any further. Ladies, as M. Glynn will agree, the attic is full of the rotting remains of small animals. But look at this."

Balzac unwraps his handkerchief to reveal a little dead animal then pulls out his magnifying glass for the other to see with.

"Every animal has had its ribs or chest gnawed apart and its heart eaten out. And look at the wound. Every wound I examined was smooth. I can tell you with certainty no animal currently known to science feeds like this." Balzac pauses to look at each of his colleagues.

"I must once again be the voice of caution. An animal completely unknown to science has its lair in the attic. Do I want to see it? Yes, but not at night, unprepared."

"We cannot judge how dangerous it is. It is currently out, perhaps hunting, but it may return at any time. Should we not leave this place for tonight and return in the morning, with daylight on our side? We have no proof that the professor's magic words will work but at the very least, I feel returning in the morning will give us more time to perform this ritual properly."

"I don't think waiting is a good idea," says Alice. "We're as ready as we're going to get tonight, and if that...predator is allowed to hunt another day, someone could be killed. Someone may have already been killed. Maybe that's what happened to the missing woman. The hobo might not have had anything to do with it. I don't know if the ritual will do anything either, but we promised the professor we'd do it, and the journal said it must be done at midnight."

Balzac ploughs on in a voice of French-Canadian accented reason. "Do we have any evidence to suggest this creature is in fact a danger to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts? We only have the general concern expressed by the professor that the creature will now be released from its ethereal bonds. Perhaps we jump to conclusions to assume the creature poses a risk to anyone, except perhaps four people camped in its lair."

"I only ask as I wish for us to be clear why we think it is so urgent we stay here tonight?"

Isadora Carmichael

"The evil force that permeates this house is enough evidence for me," says Isadora. "We need to stay here and commence the ritual, before anything even worse happens."

"Besides, the professor voiced in his journal not merely 'concerns'. One of their friends was killed by the creature."

Henry Glynn

Henry appeals to Balzac "The ladies seem determined to see this through and we can't abandon them. Whatever has been eating the critters is sure to be no match for your shotgun."

Balzac shrugs Gallicly. "If you are determined to stay, I will of course stay with you."

"Mme Carmichael, you make a good point about the death mentioned in the professor's journal. My concern about that account is I am not yet convinced it really happened as described. I am sorry but I do not believe in magic. I believe in unexplained phenomena and unidentified fauna and flora, but I believe science can eventually shine a light on those."

"Well, we shall soon see. Let us have dinner." Balzac turns his attentions to the food.

Henry Glynn

Henry wraps an extra blanket over Alice's shoulders and offers Balzac a piece of Ma Peters' bread.

"Mrs Carmichael, you said yesterday that you'd had a previous experience of an 'entity'. Now might be a good time to share your story?"

"Thank you, Henry," says Alice, pulling the blanket around herself as she begins to eat and listens to Isadora.

Balzac lights a Gauloises, pours himself a cup of thermos coffee (pre-creamed and sugared) and proceeds to start messily dunking bread roll in coffee. He makes a polite "you have the floor" gesture to Isadora.

evil_scientist,I'm assuming you probably don't want to relate the whole Haunting story, but if you do please let me know and you can do so.

As Isadora regales her companions with the story of the terror of the Corbitt House, the night draws on. The heroes become drowsy by the heat of the fire, wrapped in their blankets. It is peaceful outside, and one can begin to imagine a more pleasant set of circumstances than the ones which have brought them together.

The time is now about 10pm...

OOC,You can all roll Listen.

OOC,I don't have the inspiration to re-tell the story in color, so maybe I will write it up later!

Isadora Carmichael

Listen 25%
[dice]0[/dice]

Alice doesn't hear anything.

OOC,Listen roll (55% skill) in the house: [dice]0[/dice]

Isadora Carmichael

"...and then we found a strange symbol painted on the wall near the ruined church....... Wait!! Did you hear that?" Isadora says abruptly breaking her own story.

"There was... a scream outside. A human screaming!"

Henry Glynn

"Dr Balzac, one of us should stay with the ladies while the other goes take a look."

Isadora Carmichael

"No, no, none of us should walk around alone in the darkness. Let us all go, it's the safest if we are all together."