Track Three: A Whiter Shade of Pale

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

[dice]0[/dice]minus one for wearing heavy leather everywhere.

The penknife goes into the Embalmer's flesh, penetrating his leather clothing. White fluid spills from his body. Injured but not incapacitated, he slashes out with his razor, screaming with rage.

Spoiler:

dex = 9 - 1 = 8[dice]1[/dice]

Although his aim is not perfect, he manages to cut Zara with the blood-stained blade.

Spoiler:

[dice]2[/dice]

The wound is more than superficial, but not yet as serious as it might be.

As he prepares to strike again, the sound of rapid footsteps are heard from where the secret staircase is located.

[SunlessNick]

OOC:   Dexterity = 13, -1 pain/injury. Rolled: 20

Zara loses her grip on her knife and staggers back away from the Embalmer. At the sound of the footsteps, she screams "I'm here! Help me!"

[jp1885]

Spurred on by Zara's screams, Tony races on, following the sound.

"Remember, shoot first chaps!"

If he gets to the chamber in time, he will attempt to get between the Embalmer and Zara, trusting his friends to shoot the fiend.

[Mr. Handy]

Liz winces when she hears Zara scream. Please, save her... she thinks, wishing she could do something to help.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

Tony's DEX currently 13 + 1 for Danger = 14[dice]0[/dice]

Tony is able to block the Embalmer from approaching Zara, but the villain makes an attempt of his own to move quickly away.

Spoiler:

DEX currently 8[dice]1[/dice]

It seems that he is trying to reach Moonflower, but his injury slows him down.

[Rooter]

"Hold it, mister!" Carson raises his pistol and fires at the Embalmer.

[jp1885]

"Zara, get out of here!"

Tony will try to reach Moonflower before the Embalmer.
If the fiend is incapacitated by the shots, he will attempt to reverse the embalming process, calling Liz for assistance over the tracker if need be.
The the fiend is still active however, he will use his Bartitsu skills to strike him with his stick.

[SunlessNick]

Zara takes the opportunity to back up against one of the walls, but she doesn't try to flee the room.

[Starspawn338]

Lew moves as quickly as he can, knowing every second is crucial. As he enters the room, he aims his pistol and shoots at the Embalmer without wasting time with words.

OOC,Dexterity 8 (with injury) [dice]0[/dice]

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

Carson's DEX = 9 + 1 Danger Bonus but -1 for the injury = 9[dice]0[/dice]

Two shots fill the chambers with ear-splitting echoes. Carson's aim is true.

Spoiler:

[dice]1[/dice]-1 for heavy leather

The bullet strikes the Embalmer in his chest. He collapses to the ground, unmoving.

Lew's shot misses and ricochets off the stone wall.

Spoiler:

1-15 the bullet hits nothing; 16-20 I'll have something interesting happen.[dice]2[/dice]

Fortunately it strikes another wall, causing no harm to anyone present.

Tony is able to reach Moonflower safely. The young woman's breathing is noticeably slower and shallower, her skin paler.

[SunlessNick]

Zara slides down the wall into a sitting crouch, shaking as her adrenaline begins to drain - though she doesn't take her eyes off the Embalmer. "Is Moonflower ok?" she asks Tony. Then, "Is Liz ok?"

[jp1885]

"Quick, someone tie him up!"

Crouching at Moonflower's side, Tony frantically studies her predicament, trying to work out how to disconnect the girl from the Embalmer's equipment without harming her.

He describes what he sees to Liz, hoping that the tracker has a two-way channel.

[Rooter]

Carson checks the Embalmer's body.

[Mr. Handy]

Liz considers, thinking of the safest way to free Moonflower and undo whatever the Embalmer has done to her.

OOC,Intelligence roll (14 + 1[Scientific Knowledge] = 15) to figure out how to free [b]Moonflower[/b] and reverse the process: [dice]0[/dice]

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Carson checks the Embalmer's body.

At the first touch, the body inside the heavy leather collapses into itself, releasing at the same time an overpowering smell of corruption. This dissipates in a few moments, to be replaced by a musty scent. The clatter of dry bones is heard as the body further falls in upon itself. Eventually there is nothing to be found within the empty clothing but dry white powder.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Liz considers, thinking of the safest way to free Moonflower and undo whatever the Embalmer has done to her.

OOC,Intelligence roll (14 + 1[Scientific Knowledge] = 15) to figure out how to free [b]Moonflower[/b] and reverse the process: [dice]219717:0[/dice]

After a great deal of back-and-forth conversation over the two-way radio transmitter, frequently broken up by static, certain facts become obvious.

Moonflower has lost a great deal of blood. That which has been collected in the bottle beneath the table upon which she lies has coagulated, to the point where it would be useless to attempt to transfuse it back into her. So much blood has been removed from her body, in fact, that it seems as if the slow infusion of the white liquid is the only thing keeping her alive, if only in a comatose state. It would seem nearly impossible to safely move her.

A desperate plan suggests itself. Looking at the equipment available, it seems as if it would be possible to obtain blood from someone present in the room, and attempt a transfusion, allowing the white liquid to be stopped. There are, of course, serious risks to the recipient, as time does not allow for checking blood types for compatibility. The donors, or donors, will also be weakened by the procedure.

A grim reality faces the investigators. The greater the number of blood donors, the less weakened each will be. However, more donors also means more risk to Moonflower.

Spoiler:

If anyone volunteers to donate blood, I will randomly determine the blood type of Moonflower and the donor(s), based on statistics.

O-positive: 38 percent
O-negative: 7 percent
A-positive: 34 percent
A-negative: 6 percent
B-positive: 9 percent
B-negative: 2 percent
AB-positive: 3 percent
AB-negative: 1 percent

Meanwhile, the two cops have arrived, pistols drawn.

"Drop the weapons! What the hell is going on here?"

[Mr. Handy]

"It's dangerous to try a transfusion with unknown blood types," Liz says over the radio. "I can walk you through how to quickly test someone's blood if the right equipment is there. If it's not in his lair, we can probably do it with what's in the ambulance."

[SunlessNick]

"It was the Embalmer. He had us," Zara says to the cops, glossing over the truth a bit. "These guys saved us."

[jp1885]

As Zara deals with the policemen, it is naturally Tony who steps up to the plate(let).

"I'll donate my blood if I'm a match. While I'm being plumbed in, perhaps this place could be searched for clues as to who the Embalmer actually was - maybe take some of that powder for analysis too."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"The Embalmer, huh?" The other cop takes a look at the pile of leather clothing. "All I see is a bunch of white powder, and I don't think it's Ajax. You folks know what the penalty is for possession of cocaine?"

"Yeah," the other says. "Better get some ID on the suspects, O'Malley, and run 'em in. Meanwhile, I'll call for an ambulance. Don't know how we're gonna get this poor girl out of here alive." He reaches for his two-way radio.

While the cops disarm all present, and take statements from them (not without some obvious skepticism), a couple of medics make their way down the stairs. After examining Moonflower, they confirm her condition.

"She needs a transfusion STAT, and we can't move her without risking her life. I've got a quick bloodtyping kit here, and it looks like we could use some of this equipment to rig something up."

"I don't like it," the other remarks to her companion. "Risky."

"Yeah, but we've got no choice."

Spoiler:

1-38 = O+; 39-45 = O-; 46-79 = A+; 80-85 = A-; 86-94 = B+; 95-96 = B-; 97-99 = AB+; 100 = AB-[dice]0[/dice]

"She's got O positive," the first medic announces after the test results are available. "Since you're ready to volunteer, let's check you out," he says to Tony.

The cops are leery about the whole situation, but let the medics proceed.

Spoiler:

same percentages[dice]1[/dice]

"B Positive. Sorry, mister. I appreciate the effort, but your blood might kill her. Too bad it's not the other way around. She's what we call the universal donor. Anybody else want to try?"