Ch. 9 Copperhead Road

[Bullfrog]

"One of the sheriff's associates, I'll bet. Lawrence angrily spat, moving away from the bars. He slumping onto the floor, since it was clear that the cell had no way of escape.

[Philulhu]

A tall, dark-skinned man stepped forward into the light. He was neatly dressed in a pinstripe suit, white shirt and bolo tie. His black hair was parted neatly and pomaded. Beside him stood Sheriff Digne.

”Let me just correct you, sir” he said. “For I am no ‘associate’ of the Sheriff, but he is an employee of mine. Isn’t that right, Sheriff?” Digne did not reply; he just looked down miserably, and rubbed at his bandaged wrist.

“So, would anyone else to hazard a guess as to why I have brought Mr Brophy here?”

[HoneyDog]

"Because he's been kidnapping people, no doubt. Why have you brought us here?" Howard tells him. "We're after Brophy too, he's wanted for murder. Let us go!"

[Mr. Handy]

"I presume he took someone near and dear to you, sir," says William to the new arrival.

[Philulhu]

“Actually, no,” replied the man in the pinstripe suit. “Mr Brophy here made the mistake of not doing his homework before setting up his hotel in my territory, which would have been bad enough, but then people start disappearing. That sort of thing gets people asking questions, even if the Sheriff is on your side. And that will not do, not when I have worked so long and so hard and my people have gone through so much.”

His voice had risen and his anger was clear. He paused a moment, looked away as he wiped his brow and collected himself. “We found out what we could about Mr Brophy and his brother, for only a fool rushes in unprepared. We found the house in the north and found his avatar. We see that he has plans to create another - the young man in the cell at the end, who, by the way, has a solid iron door because he killed one of my guards. Introducing such a creature into my domain would be deserving of punishment in itself, but the timing is fortuitous, and I have plans for Mr Brophy and his beast... ...”

[Mr. Handy]

"We came here to find that young man and bring him back to Massachusetts," says William. "We understand that he is no longer himself due to Mr. Brophy's actions, but we seek to restore him to himself. We have no quarrel with you, sir. What plans do you have for Mr. Brophy and his beast?"

[Bullfrog]

"Here's a question:" Lawrence spoke, getting up off the ground to peer through the bars."What plans do you have for us? Like William said, we have no quarrel with you."

[peper757]

"And who exactly are you?" Thomas asks, gesturing to their cell. "Clearly you must be of some import."

[Philulhu]

“You can call me... Nyatanga. Yes, that will suffice,” he replied. “And I am the main man around here.”

He strode forward and stood in front of Lawrence’s cell. ”This land is ours, but the white men continue to enczroach upon it, seeking to destroy our land for their own enrichment, killing our scaled brethren who only seek to live without disturbance. I can feel the growing anger of the serpent god, Yig, who rages against the injustice done.”

“When the stars are right, we shall summon Yig from his slumbers to wreak his vengeance and return the land to whom it belongs. Yig will need to draw on energy when he arrives and you will supply that - you, and this man Brophy and his beast that you call ‘James’...”

As Nyatanga spoke, he waved forward two men who were stood waiting in the tunnel entrance that lead from the cells. They took up position outside the cells of William and Thomas and pointed their rifles at the young men in the cells.

”James!” called out Nyatanga. ”I am going to let you out from your cell so your friends can see what you have become. I will warn you that if you try anything, your friends will die. Do we have an understanding?”

”Yusss...” came the muffled reply and Nyatanga lifted a bunch of keys from one of the gunmen and tossed them to Sheriff Digne, who scuttled across and unlocked the door to James’ cell. The door creaked open and James shuffled forward into the flickering candlelight. He was almost twice the size as they remembered him, a ridge of skin had grown over his forehead and down to his shoulders, giving him a hooded look. Bumps under the blanket wrapped around his shoulders reminded them of the spines of the creature they saw back at Squatter’s Lake - his appearance was truly horrifying!

OOC,SAN checks, please!

[HoneyDog]

SAN,SAN 49: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/770822]SAN[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]3[/b]

Howard recoils in horror at the sight of his friend, and then becomes engulfed in rage. He runs up to the bars of the cell, shouting obscenities and threats at Brophy.

[Mr. Handy]

William barely manages to keep it together. "James," he stammers. "You've...grown."

OOC,Sanity roll (current level 64) for seeing [b]James[/b]: [dice]0[/dice]

[Bullfrog]

Sanity 62,[dice]0[/dice]

Lawrence gazes in abject horror at the man that once was his friend, his face frozen in a state of disgust and terror. In an awful way, Lawrence was reminded of the creature he had seen at the lake; that foul, unnatural thing had stuck in his memory ever since he had seen it, and it was even worse to see a friend changing into something like that creature.

[peper757]

Sanity (79),[dice]0[/dice]

Thomas is suprised by James' appearence, but is more immediately concerned with the rifle being pointed at him.
"Serpent god? Great..." he says to himself.

[Philulhu]

James flinched at the reactions of his friends and he spun towards Nyatanga, roaring in pain and rage. The tall man faced him down calmly, as the Sheriff scrabbled hurriedly for his revolver. ”Think of your friends, James,” said Nyatanga, calmly. ”If you attempt to attack me, my men will shoot them dead. Whatever you do to me, their deaths will be on your conscience. The ceremony will not kill them, merely leave them weak, and there is every chance they will survive!” A guard worked the bolt on his rifle with an ominous click! to underline the threat.

James paused, the spines on his back rippling and causing waves to pattern his blanket. He looked around at his friends, locking eyes with them on by one, before he sighed and slunk back to his cell. As the Sheriff bustled forward to lock his cell door, Nyatanga said, ”A wise choice, James.”

“I am not ungrateful for the service you will render unto Great Yig, so I will have food and water brought to you. Eat well, for you will need all of your strength for what lies ahead, and I will see you at the ceremony tomorrow night.” He nodded to them, turned on his heel and walked away down the tunnel, with the Sheriff trailing behind.

[Mr. Handy]

"How did you do this to him?" William demands of Brophy. "More importantly, how can this be undone?"

[Bullfrog]

"Don't expect a straight answer from him, William." Lawrence sighs, leaning back against the cell walls, having recovered from the initial shock and terror of seeing James. He certainly didn't like all the talk of a ceremony and a serpent god; he wasn't a superstitious man, but after what he'd seen at Squatter's Lake, the supernatural seemed to have some kind of truth to it.

[HoneyDog]

"We need to get out of here. He said they're bringing food" says Howard. "Let's do it then. We'll jump 'em."

[Bullfrog]

"Not a bad idea. We'll have to wait and see, though; they may have guns on them, or they could outnumber us. Lawrence matter-of-factly replies, getting up to experimentally reach his arm through the bars.

[HoneyDog]

"James!" Howard calls out. "Do you think you could distract them? Start making a racket when they unlock our cell. I'll say 'Miskatonic' - that'll be your cue. Will you help us?"

[Philulhu]

“The effects are reversible,” said Brophy, quietly. “But it requires a ritual which takes time and I cannot do it here.”

“If you help me escape, then I will restore James. If you do not, then I cannot help. Do we have a deal?”