Play@YSDC

Ivy is loathe to leave the beautiful music, but sees sense in Michael's plan.

"I think that's the best option."

She continues trying to pull Jeremy away from the pool.

As Emma nad Jeremy are stopped, the music stops as well. They both wake up from their hypnotic state. The people who were bathing immediately disappear in the vapors, and while images takes shape in front of the investigators. Two new figures appears in the pool. They are partially hidden by the vapors, but the lantern light is casting their shadows on the cave walls. One is a young girl, the other is hugging the girl and is somewhat humanoid. The thing immediately submerges. The vision of that moment is too brief to delineate this creature clearly, but it was something terribly non-human, whose contact with a human body would be absolutely unacceptable. As the thing submerges the girl´s features become clearer. She is dressed, but her clothes are all wet. The investigators recognize the girl. She is Selma, Jeremy´s sister.

Something is holding the girl up. A number of tentacles emerging from the pool are keeping her suspended upon the waters. Such elongated organs have animal features of slimy mollusks, but they keep that body as guided by something intelligent. As they are seen by the group, the tentacles start moving fast and chaotically, like an animal that reacts instinctively.

At the same time, two larger and horrible tentacles emerge from the waters. They seem to generate from the pool bottom, leaving their hidden and almost forbidden origin to be unveiled. They quickly grab Jeremy by the legs, dragging him violently and quickly under water.

Finally, a larger figure becomes visible, standing behind the girl, as suspended upon the waters. It is a big creature vaguely resembling a frog, as well as squids or octopi. It is 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide and a concave shape makes the rough body structure. The skin covering the head and the back works as a kind of armor, protecting the ventral and hollow and part of the body, from which big tentacles depart, appearing those of a giant octopus. One of the tentacles is holding a big flute.

Secrets rolls,Kathrin [dice]0[/dice] Ivy [dice]1[/dice] Michael [dice]2[/dice] Emma [dice]3[/dice]

"Hail Mary, Mother of God . . ." Michael mumbles the rest of the prayer under his breath, terrfied by what's happening. Whatever this abomination might be, it has to be destroyed. Michael holds the crucifix up high in his left hand, while firing his pistol at the monster. "Back to Hell, you evil sonuva..."

"My sentiments exactly!"

With the strange sense of bliss gone with the music, she hefts the unfamiliar-feeling rifle to her shoulder and fires.

Firearms (rifle) 25%,[dice]0[/dice]I will spend 4 luck for a pass.

She squeezes the trigger, and, more by luck than by judgement, the shot hits the creature.

Damage,[dice]1[/dice]

"Jesus Christ!" Emma quickly reaches for her gun and fires two shots at the creature.

First shot,Firearms (handgun): 27% [dice]0[/dice] [dice]1[/dice]

Second shot,Firearms (handgun): 27% [dice]2[/dice] [dice]3[/dice]

The first shot hits the water, but she manages to land the second one.

Damage,[dice]4[/dice]

Kathryn can only manage a terrified scream as she puts a bullet in whatever that thing is.

OOC,Wow, that was some nice shooting! 8-) If we're at point blank range, then that first shot hits as well. Please let me know if we are, as then I'll fire multiple shots this round (and the first shot gets a bonus die), though it may not be necessary if our first volley brings it down. Handgun roll (65% skill) shooting at the creature: [dice]0[/dice] Damage to creature from .38 bullet: [dice]1[/dice]

The shots fired by the group hit the creature and force it to retreat. As one bullet hit its tentacles, the monster throws the flute away, which floats upon the water´s pool a few feet from it. The monster´s mass floats above water, while the spirals drawn on the aphybious skin seems to move swirlingly, giving this being an even more unnatural and absurd appearance. It approaches Jeremy, and an indescribable fear is painted over his wide eyes. However, the other bullets that hit its chest dissolve inexplicably as soon as they clash into what seems to be a field of energy, enveloping the central part of its mass and mingling with the surrounding vapors. Jeremy manages to emerge and free himself to get briefly aired, but only to see the horror in front of his eyes.

At the other point of the pool, other tentacles coming out from the bottom begin to tighten the girl´s body. A long slimy protuberance wraps around her slender neck, just while she was about to get out of her trance state into this terrifying nightmare.

Darting forward while the creature is distracted, Ivy makes a grab for the flute.

Kathryn fires at the tentacles gripping Selma, hitting one of them.

OOC,Am I at point blank range? Handgun roll (65% skill) shooting at the tentacles: [dice]0[/dice] Damage to tentacles from .38 bullet: [dice]1[/dice]

Following Kathryn's suit Emma shoots at the tentacles around Selma.

Handgun: 27%,[dice]0[/dice] Damage: [dice]1[/dice]

OOC:   How far away from us is Jeremy?

Bullets don't seem to faze this thing, so, against his better judgment, Michael decides to toss aside the pistol and crucifix and dive into the water after the girl, hoping he can grab her and pull her away from the creature.

After the shots fired by Emma and Kathryn the tentacles of the creature relax their hold on the girl and rush into the air rhapsodically among the vapors, as if reorganizing for a new disposition. Selma agitates by resorting to the full force of despair. Michael helps her by pulling her towards him. One tentacle still binds the girl's arm. Her body is contended between Michael's grip and the last damned tentacle. Her cry echoes throughout the cave, in a mixture of pain and fear.

The body creature stands like an upside-down tree, with a myriad of tentacles that sink into the waters and re-emerge at different points. A set of them now directs towards the body of Jeremy with an impressive speed, like an independent organism, while the others might grasp again Selma at any moment.

Jeremy doesn't even have time to scream. Ivy picks up the flute and when she raises her head, something terrifying is consumed before her eyes.
The tentacles hit the emerged part of the Jaremy body in several points. For a moment, his body seems to disappear into the vapors. When the infernal things recede with a gesture of complete, quick and natural indifference .. the silhuette of Jereme´s chest has disappeared.
They have crushed Jeremy like a mass of hot butter. What remains is a slime that collapses on the water causing a red circle that increases its circumference,
whose vision invades the minds of the others with the unbearable weight of such a horrible reality. Selma faints.

Horrified beyond words, Michael tries to forget what he's seen and concentrates on getting Selma to safety. He's heard stories from old sailors about sea monsters, but always thought they were full of baloney. Now he's not so sure. If he can get Selma out of the water, he'll check her pulse to see if she's out of danger.

Kathryn fires at the last tentacle holding onto Selma, striking it.

OOC,Handgun roll (65% skill) shooting at the tentacle: [dice]0[/dice] Damage to tentacle from .38 bullet: [dice]1[/dice]

Ivy is horrified by what she sees and backs away hurriedly from the edge of the pool. Though stunned by the whole unnaturalness of the situation, she forces herself to think about what they've learned.

Magical flutes that aid the casting of spells; special seals and symbols. What if...?

She fishes out her notebook and quickly fines the unusual star symbol she had copied. Holding it up before the creature with one hand, she holds the flute in the other and blows into it.

Emma was used to the sight of death, but the situation was still difficult for her to stomach. She begins wading towards Michael and Selma to help get her out of the water as soon as possible. She's trying to keep an eye out for any tentacles that get too close.

"Yeah, help me get this poor kid out of the water," Michael says to Emma. "Might need some first aid. Could be sufferin' from hypothermia or somethin'."