The Eyes of a Stranger

Victorian Horror. A fashionable London party, a murder in mysterious circumstances...

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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

Post by HoneyDog »

Ann Veronica

"Sergeant Mulverhill!" says Ann Veronica in surprise. "Are you here to help us this time?"
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Suspecting nothing, Gordon breathes a sigh of relief at the arrival of the Sergeant.

"Just in the nick of time! We must disarm this infernal device," he says, knowing the officer will be familiar with the popular term for a timed explosive. We thoughtlessly wipes his hands on his trousers, vaguely bothered by the sticky substance. "And I think there's something important in that cabinet, if you can help me break it open."
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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James.png
To be honest, James is still extremely suspicious of Mulverhill. He tries to discreetly remove himself from the main focus of the conversion, and is looking for a power source for the contraption, something which would allow him to easily disable it, hopefully without blowing up the building...
Spoiler:
OOC:   Spot hidden 50%:[dice]0[/dice]  
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Image

"Yes, it's good to see you," says Diane. "Did you get our message? There's the cube." She points to it.
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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"But it is you who have helped me," Sergeant Mulverhill replies to Miss Poole. "Perhaps an explanation is in order." So saying, he pulls off one of his gloves and raises his hand. Upon a finger can be seen a gold ring bearing on its face the symbol of a compass and square. "You are probably already aware that John Bidwell was a member of the organization known as the Freemasons, to which I also belong. I confess my recent actions in visiting Bidwell's house and in following you have been at the behest of my society rather than in my work as a police officer. You are no doubt also aware that Bidwell had suffered a mental lapse -- in fact he was found to be totally, savagely insane -- and was until recently confined to Albrooke Asylum.

It was our private belief, among several prominent London Masons, that John Bidwell may have been the murderer Jack the Ripper. The evidence was compelling. The Ripper first struck in August 1888, and ended his bloody career in November, leaving five women dead. John Bidwell had returned from Australia in July of 1888, just prior to the crimes. The murders ended after he entered the asylum in November. In addition, his irrational hatred of women was known to us. We feared the public repercussions if the Ripper were found to be a Freemason.

It was through your discovery of Bidwell's private journal which I confiscated that we were able to learn the truth. Studying the entries it became apparent that Bidwell had alibis for two of the evenings on which murders occurred, and at which dozens of witnesses could corroborate his story. The journal proves Bidwell is not the Ripper. Hence, we owe you thanks for your assistance.

Yet there are questions which remain unanswered," he continues, glancing at the strange sphere and mechanical apparatus. "If Bidwell was not the Ripper then why did he become insane, gibbering about having visited an alien world? Why was he murdered by his butler? Why was he using this gang of Chinese criminals to hide his activities?

I had intercepted your message to Inspector Cleveland from Dr. Campbell at the museum, a fellow Mason, hence I followed you here," he adds at Miss Siddons' question. "What is this cube of which you speak?"

Mr. McKerry:
Spoiler:
You suddenly feel your heart beating madly and your breathing becoming strained.
OOC:   An opposed roll against POT (Potency) 20 is required which, according to the resistance table, against your CON of 14, requires a roll less than or equal to 80 to succeed. If this is the case you will lose the full 20 HP (and likely die). If not you will lose half (10 HP) and fall unconscious.[dice]0[/dice]With 12 HP that takes you down to -8 and on the brink of death.[dice]1[/dice]You will die in 4 rounds without intervention. You are unconscious and unable to act.

Sorry. It's probably not giving anything away to say you touched an extremely virulent contact poison and Lee Ho Fook gave warning about touching things.  
At that moment Mr. McKerry gives a strangled gasp and collapses to the floor, unmoving. Sergeant Mulverhill rushes to his side. "He's unconscious, not breathing. He's been poisoned. Don't touch that cabinet with your bare hands!"

He attempts to resuscitate the dying man.
Spoiler:
OOC:   Sergeant Mulverhill Medicine 05%[dice]2[/dice]  
Without success.

Everyone in the room:
Spoiler:
OOC:   Mr. McKerry has been reduced to -8 HP and will die in 4 rounds unless an antidote can be found or treatment given.
A reminder that successful First Aid rolls may restore 1D3 HP, Medicine 2D3.  
Professor Powell:
Spoiler:
At your thought of deactivating the device the sphere on the pedestal suddenly glows brighter and you feel a stabbing pain in your temples along with a sense of warning...
OOC:   A successful Electrical Repair or Mechanical Repair roll is required to determine how to operate the machine.  
As Professor Powell examines the machine, the sphere on the pedestal suddenly glows brighter.


Downstairs...

As Reverend Somerhayes is talking there comes the sound of a commotion from the doorway. Several police constables with truncheons enter the restaurant, led by Inspector Cleveland and Sergeant Craig. At this, Lee Ho Fook dashes away for the kitchen exit. "After him!" Inspector Cleveland shouts and Sergeant Craig takes off running after Lee Ho Fook.

Recognizing you, Inspector Cleveland walks over. "I received your message, Reverend. What's going on here?"
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Ann Veronica rushes to the stricken McKerry. Loosening his collar, she attempts to help him breathe more easily.
First Aid,First Aid 50: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/554610]First Aid[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]20[/b] Restore: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/554611]Restore[/url]: [u]1d3[/u] [b]3[/b]
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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James.png
Seeing Gordon collapse, James immediately abandons all thoughts of disabling the machine, and rushes to his aid.
Spoiler:
OOC:   First aid 50%:[dice]0[/dice]  
OOC:   Restore: [dice]1[/dice]  
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Image

"It's cobra venom!" calls Diane as she kneels to help Gordon McKerry. "Remember Lee Ho Fook's warning! Don't touch the cabinet with your bare hands, use gloves or something. Perhaps the antidote is inside!"
OOC,I don't know if we're allowed to restore HP multiple times to him from multiple First Aid successes, but I'll roll as well. First Aid roll (60% skill) trying to save [b]Gordon[/b]: [dice]0[/dice] HP restored to [b]Gordon[/b]: [dice]1[/dice]
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Absolom Peredue Somerhayes

“Message?” mutters Absolom, then as realisation dawns, “Ah yes, message. Quick man the others are above searching some damnable opium den. But beware inspector the stairs are guarded by some huge Chinaman”

Absolom grabs his stick, and quickly draining the last of his tea and bowing politely to his tea companion, points towards the door to the stairs.
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Everyone in the room:
Spoiler:
OOC:   Those rolls combined take Mr. McKerry up to -3 HP. I'm unable to find any rulebook reference which says you either can or can't restore HP multiple times but "The Keeper is encouraged to be creative with the effects of poison and use the table as a guideline." Since 1D6 rounds are given before the victim succumbs I think it reasonable to assume additional rolls can be effective over the resulting rounds (3 remaining in this case) unless you have better guidance to the contrary.

The alternative given is to make two successful Medicine rolls, one to identify the poison and one to treat it.

If you wish to attempt to force open the cabinet an opposed roll against a STR of 13 is required. This will entail checking the resistance table for the necessary value to beat. (Efforts can be combined.)  
As the investigators in the office attempt to revive the stricken Mr. McKerry they do not immediately see the figure step out from behind the curtained area next to the shrine.

The Chinese man's physical appearance is nondescript: he wears ordinary clothing and could easily be just another of the common thugs seen earlier. He carries no weapons. Yet something is different about this one. His limbs hang at odd angles and he moves with a jerky gait as if unnacustomed to walking. He makes a continuous strange clicking sound in his throat and his eyes are somehow inhuman, like those of the butler Hanson after Bidwell's murder, or of the Chinese woman in Limehouse, or of Constable Baker, in those fleeting glimpses before they fled.

This man moves to stand next to the machine and with a fumbling hand flicks a series of switches and valves. The machine's activity intensifies; all its dishes swivel and direct toward a single point on the nearby wall. As the humming, steam-spouting device rattles and shudders, the wall begins to shimmer and a hazy tunnel forms in midair, a manifestation not unlike the one you saw in last night's strange "dream".

In the shimmering field's unearthly light you observe a ghostly shadow-image super-imposed over the figure of the Chinese man like an invisible aura revealed: an eyeless, slug-like thing nearly ten feet long.
Spoiler:
[dice]0[/dice]
Mr. McKerry lies on the brink of death...

The strange sphere glows eerily...

The tunnel slowly expands...

Everyone conscious in the room:
Spoiler:
OOC:   Seeing the shadow-image requires a Sanity roll for a loss of 0/1D4 please.  
Reverend Somerhayes is followed by Inspector Cleveland and a pair of truncheon-wielding constables up the hidden stairs leading to the den. The guard, Guang Lun, appears to have fled along with Lee Ho Fook. The reinforced door stands ajar as those of the customers who are not too intoxicated to move also attempt to escape the police raid. The golden Buddha statue stands in place but having previously been present when the mechanism was discovered the reverend is able to open the concealed door to an astonishing scene. Inspector Cleveland gasps audibly.
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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James.png
Spoiler:
OOC:   Sanity 41%: [dice]0[/dice]
Loss: [dice]1[/dice]  
James manages to shake off the influence of sight of the slug-like creature, no doubt because the experiences during his nightmare had already prepared him for this.

Torn between helping Gordon and trying to stop whatever infernal business is going on with the device, he suddenly settles on a course of action which might help both causes at once: he barrels into the Chinese man, choosing his angle in such a way that he tries to crash him into the cabinet in order to try and break it open. He takes care as much as possible to try and avoid contact between the cabinet and his skin.
Spoiler:
OOC:   Grapple 25%: [dice]2[/dice]  
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Absolom Peredue Somerhayes

Wheezing heavily with the effort but managing to keep up with the policemen, Absolom, reaches for the hidden switch to open the door. It opens to reveal a sight that not only produces a gasp from the Inspector but one of equal force from Absolom as with horrified eyes he gazes into the room. “Dear God! Make haste Inspector, pray God that you have a gun!!”
San,[url=http://orokos.com/roll/555325]San Roll: current sanity 56%[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]88[/b] [url=http://orokos.com/roll/555326]San loss 1d4[/url]: [u]1d4[/u] [b]1[/b]
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Ann Veronica
SAN,SAN 70: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/555443]SAN[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]18[/b]
Ann Veronica calls out to Mulverhill. "If you have a weapon Sergeant, you'd best use it!"
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

Post by Mr. Handy »

Image

Diane has never even played a physician, and she has no idea how to save Gordon. She screams in shock when she sees the shadow.
OOC,The 6th edition rules do mention that each separate injury can only have one successful First Aid or Medicine roll applied to it to immediately restore HP, but you're free to do things how you like. Since I've already deduced that it's cobra venom, is only one successful Medicine roll required? Sanity roll (current level 75) for seeing the shadow: [dice]0[/dice] Sanity loss for seeing the shadow: [dice]1[/dice] Medicine roll (5% base skill) trying to save [b]Gordon[/b]: [dice]2[/dice]
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

Post by Rooter »

Spoiler:
OOC:   Yekubian Host Grapple 25%[dice]0[/dice]  
Professor Powell succeeds in tackling the man.
Spoiler:
OOC:   According to the rules:
If a Grapple attack succeeds in the first round and is not neutralized, then the attacker holds the target and may thereafter exercise one of several options.

Immobilize the target by overcoming the target’s STR with his or her own STR, using the Resistance Table. With a success, the target is held fast indefinitely, until the grappler attempts another action.

Knock down the target. If used, this option automatically succeeds.

Physically injure the target. The opponent already must be successfully grappled. Then the grappler must receive a second successful Grapple roll in that round, or a successful Grapple is some later round. Success costs the target 1D6 hit points plus the attacker’s damage bonus. Harm in subsequent rounds requires a new Grapple success in those rounds, and the amount of injury done remains the same.

(There are others but these seem most relevant in this instance.)

I'll assume your intended option is as stated to try to damage the cabinet by collision. With the success of the Grapple roll it seems reasonable to allow this to act as an attempt at an opposed roll against the cabinet's STR of 13 using the combined STR of you and the man (9+13). According to the resistance table a roll less than or equal to 95 is required for success.[dice]1[/dice]  
The cabinet door smashes open upon the impact of the two bodies. Inside you can see several items: a set of scrolls; a letter (in Chinese); what appears to be an ornate Chinese puzzle box; and several small vials marked with a cobra symbol.
Spoiler:
OOC:   [dice]2[/dice]  
As violence breaks out the odd glowing sphere on the pedestal of the shrine flashes still brighter and each of the persons in the room feels a sudden stabbing pain in their temples along with an eerie mental sense of warning. The sphere, now a pulsating ball of shimmering energy, rises up from the pedestal and floats in midair above the assembled onlookers. You can feel your mind being probed by some alien intelligence and with it comes the certain terrible knowledge that you are in the presence of the god of Yekub: Juk-Shabb, the Great Old One.

Inspector Cleveland pulls out his revolver at Reverend Somerhayes' urging but hesitates as to where he should fire. Sergeant Mulverhill looks on helplessly at Miss Poole's shout as he leans over Mr. McKerry's still form.
Spoiler:
OOC:   Sergeant Mulverhill Medicine 05%[dice]3[/dice]
Everyone conscious: Seeing Juk-Shabb requires a Sanity roll for a loss of 1/1D4 please.

A previous post notes that Mulverhill is unarmed, having failed the Conceal roll to sneak a weapon past Guang Lun. Feel free to give directions to the police officers. You have 2 turns remaining before Mr. McKerry dies. One successful Medicine roll will suffice, yes.

An INTx5 roll is required to solve the puzzle box in the cabinet.  
The shimmering tunnel stretching impossibly through the wall continues to expand...
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Ann Veronica
SAN,SAN 70: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/555795]SAN[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]86[/b] SAN loss: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/555796]SAN loss[/url]: [u]1d4[/u] [b]1[/b]
This is the first time for Ann Veronica to see the reality of what they are facing. The completely alien nature of their foe causes this confident and self-assured woman to doubt everything she's ever known. Fighting the presence in her head, she manages to pull herself together. She steps up to the device and raises her foot, stamping down as hard as she can.
OOC,Do I need to roll to smash up this infernal machine?
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

Post by Priest »

Clergyman.jpg
Absolom Peredue Somerhayes

Shaking his mind free of the rising chill, Absolom grasps the shoulder of the inspector, noting his apparent confusion over a target for his pistol. “Quick man, the box. Shoot the damned thing!!”
He has no reason other than a hunch that destroying the puzzle box may be the best thing to do.
San,[url=http://orokos.com/roll/555836]San Roll; current sanity 55%[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]25[/b] Sanity Loss for seeing Juk – Shabb -1, current sanity now down to 54%
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Image

"Wait, what if the antidote is in the box!" shouts Diane, hurrying to the cabinet presuming the Inspector holds his fire. "You could destroy it! Let me see if I can open it!" She quickly has it open.
OOC,Sanity roll (current level 73) for seeing Juk-Shabb: [dice]0[/dice] INT x 5 roll (70% stat) to solve the puzzle box: [dice]1[/dice]
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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James.png
Spoiler:
OOC:   Sanity 41%: [dice]0[/dice]
Loss: [dice]1[/dice]  
James hears the commotion about what target to shoot, but at the moment, he requires all of his mental and physical energy to keep the Chinese man on the floor...
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Miss Siddons succeeds in solving and opening the Chinese puzzle box from the cabinet. Inside, at the center of the ornate box, she discovers a tiny vial of clear liquid marked 'ELIXIR VITI'.

The possessed man struggles against Professor Powell's restraining grip.
Spoiler:
OOC:   Yekubian Host Grapple 25%[dice]0[/dice]  
The man breaks loose and starts toward Miss Poole.
Spoiler:
OOC:   [dice]1[/dice]  
He takes only a few steps however when he appears to lose control of his flailing limbs and abruptly collapses to the floor, writhing.

Professor Powell:
Spoiler:
You suddenly feel an alien consciousness attacking your mind, trying to force its way in and take control of your thoughts...
OOC:   Please make a POWx5 roll to resist. If you fail your body will be taken over by the Yekubian and your mind will switch into the body of the Chinese man.  
Miss Poole kicks out at the machine.
Spoiler:
OOC:   Each point of damage inflicted to the device has a cumulative 5% chance of destroying it.

Kick damage = 1D6+db[dice]2[/dice]
(0 damage bonus)
= 10% chance[dice]3[/dice]
Any further attempts will have a starting chance of 10% + % from any additional damage.  
She does a small amount of damage only: the device continues its whirring, steaming activity.

As the machine is struck everyone in the room suddenly feels the hovering, shimmering sphere of Juk-Shabb sending a warning spasm into their mind: you can sense it preparing to lash out in some direction with its ineffable mental energy...

Everyone conscious 1:
Spoiler:
OOC:   Please make a Luck roll. Failure doesn't mean you will be struck ... yet.

Inspector Cleveland Luck = 70[dice]4[/dice]
Sergeant Mulverhill Luck = 60[dice]5[/dice]
Police constable 1 Luck = 45[dice]6[/dice]
Police constable 2 Luck = 45[dice]7[/dice]  
Meanwhile at the far end of the expanding tunnel there can now be seen indistinct shapes: huge malevolent alien worm-shapes like those encountered in last night's vision, shuffling toward this world, bent on conquering...

Everyone conscious 2:
Spoiler:
OOC:   Sight of the worm-creatures calls for a Sanity roll against a loss of 1/1D8 please.

1 round remaining before Mr. McKerry dies.  
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