Ch. 14c. Together Again (all)

[Bullfrog]

Jerry follows Ivy's lead, shutting his light off and pressing against the wall as he approaches the sobbing sound.

Sneak 60%: 1d100

[Philulhu]

William found himself alone in another small cave. The animalistic smell was still present, but thankfully none of the creatures were here.

Ahead of him, the cave narrowed to a tunnel. Behind him were the caves where the creatures lived, where Alex had abandoned him to his fate…

OOC:   William can take stock of his situation and calm himself so he will no longer be running uncontrollably. He is still suffering from claustrophobia however, so will try to avoid enclosed spaces and will still want to return to the surface as soon as possible.

Alex found himself in trouble very quickly. Ivy had taken the lantern and, once he and William had separated, he found himself in near darkness, listening to the ape creatures shuffling around him…

Keeper Roll: 1d100

As Ivy and Jerry moved towards the end of the tunnel, they could see it opened out into a lit room, from which steamy, perfumed air rolled along the corridor. Across from where they stood, they could see an square alcove set into the wall, with thick iron bars keeping some ape creatures and Josh Winscott locked up!

[Silver Priest]

Realizing there was little light around him, Alex is beginning to wish he thought this through. But he couldn't turn back now. William was likely even further ahead, and had proven incapable of reason. He needed to get out of here, and hope to find the others.

Hearing the creatures around him, Alex is uncertain what to do. But he reasons that they can see in the dark and are already a bit leery of him; indeed, they seemed protective of their pack but not overtly hostile. The only way he is likely to find Ivy again is by making a racket anyway, which hopefully would have the secondary goal of keeping the apes frightened of him enough for the detective to retrace his steps and slowly make his way back out of here.

So, standing as tall as he can, he begins to incoherently shout and make a racket as he starts to back out using what little light he could see, reasoning these creatures may react similarly to bears. He keeps a close grip on his gun, just in case anyone thinks to attack him, but hopefully he won't need to use it.

[Mr. Handy]

William catches his breath and proceeds more stealthily ahead along the tunnel, hoping it leads out of this place.

[jp1885]

“Oh my; Mr. Winscott I presume?” says Ivy, eschewing Jerry’s caution and approaching the cages.

She inspects the alcove to see how the prisoners are locked in, and if Winscott is held separately from the ape creatures, whom she is reluctant to release!

[Philulhu]

William moved forwards through the tunnel and soon found himself in yet another small cave, albeit more elongated than the last. By the light of his headlamp he could see a tunnel ahead and two more to his left.

Keeper Roll: 1d100

His own yells and the agitated responses of the degenerate ape creatures echoed from the walls of the cave, further disorientating Alex in the darkness…

OOC:   Which direction is Alex moving? Having abandoned William he walked out of the passage and into the previous cavern. Is he moving to the left, right or straight ahead? Can I also have a luck roll, please.

Joshua Winscott looked up at Ivy through the bars. His gaze was uncomprehending - his fractured mind unable to process what was happening to him.

Before she could speak further, Ivy heard a voice from her right. “Another of the ape creaturesss! Have you come to ressscue thisss one? I’m afraid hisss mind isss broken!” Turning to see who spoke, Ivy was horrified to see the creature before her - a serpentine beast that stood upright like a man, dressed in white robes!

With three of the pale apes beside him, he looked at her in the same curious way that an animal might look at something when judging whether or not to eat, or not…

OOC:   SAN check, please.

Caught on the hop, Jerry could only watch as Ivy ran into the room and across to the page. He heard Ivy speak to Winscott, then heard another voice from an unseen part of the room which caused her to jerk around with a grimace of horror on her face…

OOC:   If you wish to hear what was said, roll Listen.

[jp1885]

[61] = 61
SAN 67 1d100: [ 61 ] = 61

Ivy is startled, but not surprised by the snake creature’s appearance, given the ruptured pod.

She takes a deep breath, fighting to stop herself shaking.

“Not surprising, given the circumstances. My name is Ivy Ripley. T-to whom do I have the honour of addressing?”

[Silver Priest]

OOC:   Can I roll INT to see if Alex remembers which way he came in all this confusion to see if he can retrace his steps?

1d100 Luck 75

[Philulhu]

It will require a hard INT roll.

[Silver Priest]

1d100 Hard int 38

Try as he might, Alex can't remember which way he came. Slowly, he starts moving straight, reasoning it will lead to a main cavern at some point. He just hopes he avoids the apes until then.

[Mr. Handy]

William examines the tunnel entrances, looking for signs of recent passage.

[Bullfrog]

Jerry remains pressed against the wall, slowing his breathing as he listens in on what's being said.

Listen 25%: 1d100

[Philulhu]

William studied the floor where he stood. It seemed that all three routes were regularly used, showing faint marks that resembled simian footprints, along with some larger, more human-like in among them.

Alex stepped forward carefully, his questing fingertips catching the rock wall in front of him. By his feet, there was a ’crack!’ as something snapped under his foot. He wanted it to be a branch, but he was pretty sure it was bone, and something stirred by his leg…

OOC:   I assume that Alex is walking with his hand in front of him, otherwise he’s likely to break his nose… Left or right?

The white-robed beast’s tongue flickered out, as if tasting the air in the manner of a lizard. “I am S’syaa-H’risss, a ssscientissst. And what isss your name, ssspecimen?” he asked.

Ivy had jumped a mile when she was addressed and had spun around looking very pale. Jerry couldn’t make out the words but whoever was speaking sounded like a leaking tyre…

[Silver Priest]

Deciding that that was definitely a stick, Alex does his best to continue moving forward and trying to seem intimidating. He attempts to head right.

[jp1885]

"Specimen eh? Is that what we are to you?" Ivy replies, suddenly affronted. "How long have you been sleeping in your pod? I think you'll find Mankind can be a formidable foe these days."

She pauses, forcing her anger to subside. This creature holds all the cards, perhaps it's best not to antagonise it too much. Although, with a well-armed Jerry presumably hiding in the shadows, maybe there's one card the creature doesn't hold..."

"As I said, my name is Ivy Ripley. Your servants-" and here she nods towards the albino apes flanking the creature, "-dragged me here against my will. Most bothersome; but it did give me a chance to admire your wall carvings. A fascinating and ancient history - you must view us as doltish interlopers, hm? Much as we view your tiresome servants."

She forces herself to look the creature in the eye. If she can establish some sort of parity, perhaps it will see her as less of a specimen...

[Mr. Handy]

William proceeds down the tunnel straight ahead.

[Bullfrog]

Jerry now knew exactly where the denizen of the opened sac was, and he wasn't going to be taking any chances by letting that ancient, awful thing live any longer.

Jerry lights his firebomb, rushes down the corridor, and hurls it at Ivy's conversation partner!

Tbrow 25%: 1d100

[Philulhu]

Moving straight on, William found himself in the larger corridor, near the deep pit that he and Jerry had skirted around earlier.

An opening in the wall opposite lead to, he knew, the room with the unholy organ where they had seen the tall, deathly creatures that had earlier caused him to flee.

To his left, there were two tunnels leading deeper into the caverns but to the right was the way out, the way out of this godless place and he so wanted to be out of here… …

OOC:   William has free will but the urge to leave is very strong. Doing anything other than heading for the exit will require a POW roll.

Keeper Roll: 1d100

Alex moved to the right, carefully exploring in front of him with his hand and foot. He caught something and there was a snarl and a sharp pain creased his thigh, but whatever it was, it wasn’t deep enough to cause a serious wound.

OOC:   Keeper Roll 1d100

OOC:   Keeper roll 1d100

Ivy would never know whether her attempt to be seen as an equal had succeeded for, at that moment, Jerry charged into the room and threw something at S’syaa-H’risss. It sailed past him and burst against the wall, spraying burning liquid all over the retorts and vials of strange concoctions that littered the serpent man’s work bench behind him, which promptly ignited in a fireball that engulfed S’syaa-H’risss and his degenerate helpers and send sent shards of glass, retort stands and other detritus flying across the room… …

OOC:   Damage: S’syaa-H’risss 3d6 Degenerate ape creature #1 3d6 Degenerate ape creature #2 3d6 Degenerate ape creature #3 3d6 Ivy 2d6 Jerry 1d6 Winscott 2d6 If you take damage equivalent to more than half your hit points, roll CON to remain conscious.

[Silver Priest]

Deciding not to risk further antagonizing whatever that was, Alex tries to go around whatever he had gotten caught on. He readies his gun in case anything tries to attack him.

[Bullfrog]

"You son of a bitch! This is the age of man, you god-damned reptile!" Jerry roars, bleeding profusely from having his front half torn up by shrapnel yet taking it remarkably well, and starts emptying his gun into the burning serpent!

Handgun 50%: 1d100

Damage 1d10+2: 1d10+2