[IC]Prologue 0.5: The Ranch

[jp1885]

OOC,I'm not sure Cynthia can see the tattoo from the truck, especially as I suspect something unpleasant is about to happen to her, but just in case, here's an Anhropology roll (21)[dice]0[/dice] Hah!

[Mr. Handy]

"I agree, burning it's the best thing we can do," says Amy. "Let me just take a look at that tattoo first." She gets down from the truck and examines it with a shudder. "It's East African, and it depicts some sort of evil creature or demon - maybe the same sort of thing he had inside him. There was nothing else of interest in the truck. I guess he didn't write his plans down."

OOC,Anthropology roll (41% skill) examining the tattoo: [dice]0[/dice]

[Raiko]

OOC:   The truck is/was 200 yards away from the farm. I guess that maybe it makes sense if you've driven it closer now.

At the Truck
7:20pm - Tuesday 22nd March, 1921

The mask seemed perfectly 'mundane' to Cynthia before she passed it on to Dr. Sánchez. The back of it is certainly shiny enough that it's more likely a mirror than a mask. Especially as it is a little too small and lacks eye holes.

OOC:   Cynthia failed her POW roll, so nothing good or bad happened to her. I need POW rolls for Nemesio Sánchez and Michael Anderson (Anderson's will probably only be needed if Sánchez fails). I'll assume that Amy only had a quick look at the mask / mirror, so I don't need a roll for her - it's too confusing for the narrative now if she ends up back at the truck).

[jp1885]

OOC:   Sanchez has rolled POW - https://www.callofcthulhu.org.uk/pbp/vi ... 60#p214769

[kabukiman]

Anderson power: 70%

[dice]0[/dice]

[jp1885]

Feeling rather peeved that no one has told her what the items are, Cynthia scuffs her feet in the dirt and walks sulkily back to the ranch, picking up snatches of the conversation as she goes.
"I came up a blank too. East African eh? Weird... I guess we should burn Larkin with the rest of them, just in case. Keep that swanky sword though!"
She nods toward the stables.
"We letting our driver head back to Puno before it gets too late?"

[Raiko]

OOC:   Sorry Anatomist, I completely missed that post.

Nemesio slowly turns the golden mask around as he studies the design. As he scrutinises the reflective back surface he suddenly goes rigid and stares at it wide eyed in horror...

Sánchez,...[b]Dr Sánchez [/b]is bombarded with a million ghastly visions inside his mind, each too fast for the human brain to fully comprehend. A few of the most vivid remain like memories of half-forgotten dreams... [i]...thousands of people, men and women of every race, perform bloody and orgiastic rites atop a great mountain... ...an ancient stepped pyramid on a plateau breaks apart as greasy white tendrils dripping with huge maggots reach upwards from its remains... ...a grassy island in a misty marsh... terrified men and women struggle, chained to a stone column... hooded and robed figures chant around them... a shadow descends out of the moonlight......[/i] The final vision is most vivid of all: [i]...a small man sits huddled in a corner of a dingy room feverishly painting... something... the doctor steps closer... ...the painting depicts a steaming jungle... no it is the great mountain... he steps closer again... not the mountain... the plateau... the pyramid is cracked, but not yet broken... ...[b]Dr Sánchez [/b]is inside the painting now... ...something stirs inside the pyramid, beyond the crack... ...this is not a painting... ...IT senses the doctor watching... ...IT is aware of him... ...IT reaches out IT'S mind to make a connection... [/i] ...[color=#FF0000][b]GAZE INTO THE DARKNESS, BEHOLD MY MAJESTY[/b][/color]... [i]...the doctor steps closer... peers into the darkness inside the pyramid...[/i] [ooc]OOC, The visions last less than a second. Make a SAN check - Lose 1d3 sanity if you succeed / 1d6 sanity if you fail.[/ooc]

...the mirror slips out of the doctor's hands and the priceless gold relic clatters onto the floor of the truck.

[Anatomist]

...the mirror slips out of the doctor's hands and the priceless gold relic clatters onto the floor of the truck.

Current Sanity: 47,[dice]0[/dice]

san loss,[dice]1[/dice]

Dr.Sánchez eyes go wide and his pupils shrinks visibly. He suddenly leans over the edge of the truck side and vomits.
"A thing! there's a thing inside it! inside the mirror! inside the pyramid! and maggots! it knows im here! oh God almighty! it told me to GAZE INTO THE DARKNESS and BEHOLD its MAJESTY! "
Dr.Sánchez vomits again, and again until nothing more comes out then thick bile.

[Mr. Handy]

"It's too bad Professor D'Estaing didn't join us," says Amy. "He would have loved that sword. It should be yours, though, Cynthia. To the victor go the spoils! I agree, the driver should go back to Puno while there's time. We'll stay at the ranch tonight and set out in the morning."

OOC,Oops, sorry. :oops: I'd forgotten where the truck was, but yes, we could have brought it closer.

[jp1885]

Cynthia grins, taking the sword.

"Well if no one else wants it, I guess there's a certain poetic justice to me taking it, considering how he shanked me back in Lima."

She is about to stash the weapon away when she becomes aware of a commotion at the truck.

"GAZE INTO THE DARKNESS and BEHOLD its MAJESTY! "

She turns to see the learned archaeologist vomiting from the truck.

"What the-? Dr. Sanchez! Are you okay?"

[Anatomist]

"What the-? Dr. Sanchez! Are you okay?"

"I had some sort of vision i think... under the... the... pyramid! something dark and dangerous was luring my mind into it" Dr.Sánchez wipes his mouth and sits down lighting a cigarette. Im better now. I need to rest. With that he fetches his backpack at the truck they arrived, walks into the ain house and lies down on the sofa falling asleep

[Silver Priest]

"So now the thing is sending us visions..." Marcus mutters and shakes his head.

[Mr. Handy]

"That must be the thing that the pyramid's wards are containing," says Amy with a shiver. "The Father of Maggots. It can communicate through the mask like some kind of radio!"

[jp1885]

"Well forgive me for not tuning in..."

Cynthia gingerly fishes the mask from the floor of the truck, using a handkerchief, just in case. Grim-faced, she grabs a spare sack and stuffs it inside, before placing it back in the back of the vehicle.

"Let's keep this thing at arm's length huh? Well, bang goes any hope that the pyramid is empty. Something's waiting for us - trying to get into our heads. We need to be prepared - more firebombs and such."

She taps her head.

"And we gotta try to concentrate and keep it out of here."

[Zero]

Atauchi finished his rather uneventful walk of the perimeter. As the tracker approached the group, he observed the aftermath of Doctor Sanchez's episode. Something appeared to be wrong with the man, though he could not tell what.

"He okay?" he queried.

[kabukiman]

"So, we cannot use this object, but we must prevent the others to get. Why don't we simply destroy it?"- asks Anderson.

[jp1885]

Cynthia answers Atauchi.

"He took a call from the Father of Maggots through something we found in Larkin's truck. I don't think it was a pleasant experience."

She turns to Anderson.

"Honestly? I've no idea. If you think destroying it will help, then be my guest."

She stretches her arms and fights off a yawn.

"I'll go and see how Dr. Sanchez is and take first watch from the big house."

She heads back into the building.

[Silver Priest]

"If it can be used by this Father of Maggots to try and influence it, I think it's better we destroy it. Might have been how Larken fell prey to all this."

Marcus volunteers for second watch.

[Mr. Handy]

"I guess we could melt it down, if we can generate enough heat," says Amy. "I'll take last watch."

[Zero]

Atauchi lingered near the group for a few moments longer. He heard the others discussing the destruction of the artifact. What if the object was necessary to complete their task? He wished that the yatiria was with them now. Her advice would be most welcome.

"Unless we sure it right move, maybe not destroy object yet. Maybe we need it." Atauchi recommended.

The tracker then set to the creation of a simple ground-level alarm system utilizing his knowledge of bushcraft and the natural environment. If someone or something were to approach them in the night, he wanted those on watch duty to be aware of it.