[IC]Prologue 0.5: The Ranch

[Zero]

Once the battle had ended, Atauchi lowered himself from the rooftop and made his way toward the body of de Mendoza. As he neared his objective, he noticed the firebomb in the young woman's hand and immediately knew her intention. He had vowed to take the Spaniard's head as a trophy, and so he did. The Quechua tracker separated the creature's head from its body with a swift strike from his machete, and kicked it aside so that it would not be consumed by the flames. He would attempt to replicate the techniques of the Jivaroan peoples, and preserve the head as a tsantsa.

This task completed, he quickly glanced about. "Where Larkin?" he asked the others.

OOC:   Atauchi is going to attempt the process of making a shrunken head from de Mendoza's as a trophy. ;D He's losing his sanity a bit, I feel.

[jp1885]

By the time Cynthia has lit her firebomb, she reaches De Mendoza's corpse to find Atauchi kicking the head aside.

"Where Larkin?"

"I don't know what he looks like so I can't say for sure, but there was another guy walking along the path towards the main house, all casual like."

As she sets to work setting fire to the corpse, she grimaces at De Mendoza's head, lying in the grass. Her knowledge of indigenous practices giving her a rough idea what the tracker intends to do with it.

"Listen, while I'd love to make a trophy out of that jerk, we can't risk him coming back to life, even if it's just his head. We gotta burn it too."

[Silver Priest]

Marcus keeps watch from his position. If he can see Larkin he will take a shot, but he's not planning to leave his cover until all the enemy are dead or one of his group is in distress.

ooc,Don't think I can see Larkin from here, but Marcus would shoot if he did.

[kabukiman]

OOC Can Anderson see Larkin?

[Raiko]

When Atauchi decapitates de Mendoza's corpse, Larkin turns away from the garden path and begins walking towards Cynthia and Atauchi. He speaks before Cynthia can set the body alight.

"Cynthia, please don't do that. Luis is really rather useful to me."

He keeps walking as he speaks, he is only about six yards from Cynthia and Atauchi.

CYNTHIA ONLY,EDIT - Larkin tried to use magic to enthrall Cynthia, she knows that somehow but isn't affected at all. Please still make the sanity check below though. From this distance Cynthia can see that Larkin's eyes are completely inhuman - pools of empty blackness like the void of space. Make a SAN roll, lose 1d2 sanity if you fail.

KEEPER ONLY - No peeking,Larkin previously spent 6 MP on flesh ward, granting 6d6 armour. [dice]0[/dice] Enthrall Spell - Larkin's POW Roll [dice]1[/dice]

OOC:   I think that Marcus can see Larkin, take a shot if you like. Anderson can also see him, let's say that he and Husiy moved to the side of the house facing the garden, as Sánchez, Amy and Jackson handled the kharisiri outside the house easily enough.

[Raiko]

OOC:   jp1885, Larkin fumbled a roll, so I've removed the need for a POW test from the spoiler above.

[jp1885]

As Larkin speaks, Cynthia shakes her head as if trying to shrug off something pricking at her mind.

SAN roll FAIL,SAN 50%[dice]0[/dice]SAN loss[dice]1[/dice]SAN now [b]49[/b]

She yelps as she notices what's wrong with Larkin, dropping the lit match onto De Mendoza's fuel-soaked corpse by accident, rather than by design.

She backs into the doorway of the small house, pointing her pistol at Larkin.

"W-what the hell are you!? K-keep away from me - get the hell outta my head!"

OOC,If she has time to shoot, she'll pull the trigger, but I don't want to hog all the action :)

[Anatomist]

Dr.Sánchez will return as fast he can to the gate after immolation the kharisiri.

[Silver Priest]

Once Larkin comes into view, Marcus shoots him. There's no witty banter, no reflection.

rifle 65%,[dice]0[/dice] Damage [dice]1[/dice] [dice]2[/dice]

[Mr. Handy]

Once the kharisiri near her are burning, Amy puts her pistol back in her waistband and reloads her shotgun.

OOC,I think the rifle does 2D6+4, not 2D6+1D4, but you rolled a 4 on the 1D4 anyway. Well done!

[Raiko]

OOC,Mr Handy is correct, the damage is 2d6 +4 I meant to post that after your previous shot. I have been taking it into account though.

Larkin is shocked that Cynthia resists his will, he stares at the flames engulfing de Mendoza's body.

"How..?"

Larkin's question is cut short by Marcus' rifle shot.

OOC:   You can have a bonus die your shot, even without aiming, because you're laying in the trees. Bonus die for Marcus [dice]0[/dice]

[Raiko]

Augustus Larkin stumbles backwards a step and glances in surprise at hole in his jacket when the bullet hits him in the chest.

Then looks up towards the wooded hill where Marcus is concealed.

OOC:   Make a stealth roll for Marcus. You get two bonus dice, one for being prone, and one for being in the woods. You need an exceptional success to succeed.

[Raiko]

OOC:   Atauchi can act before Cynthia fires. Also Anderson can see all of this from the window. Larkin won't have time to do anything else before that.

[Silver Priest]

Marcus attempts to remain very, very still.

Stealth extreme 15%,[dice]0[/dice] [dice]1[/dice] [dice]2[/dice] Fail all three if extreme is 1/4 of skill. Very tempted to spend luck here, but I think for now I will pass. Sorry for so many questions :( ,but do I make a damage roll for my other shot? If so, here it is: [dice]3[/dice] +4

[Zero]

Atauchi's gaze affixed upon Larkin when he approached their position. Oddly, despite never having met his companion, their adversary addressed Cynthia by her given name. The Quechua man peered into the black orbs that once appeared as normal human eyes and felt a wave of uneasiness pass over him. There were dark powers at work here, without a doubt.

"Supay..." he muttered then raised his bow and took aim at Larkin's heart.

Firearms (Bow) (35%),[dice]0[/dice]

Damage (1d6),[dice]1[/dice]

OOC:   Heh, 1 damage... deflected off a rib I guess.

OOC:   I think the boiling process needed for the shrinking process should eliminate any "living" tissue and halt any regeneration. What do you think, Keeper?

[jp1885]

As Larkin staggers backwards, Cynthia empties the final three bullets out of her pistol's ammo clip.

Handgun 60% point blank,1st shot[dice]0[/dice]1st shot bonus[dice]1[/dice]2nd shot[dice]2[/dice]3rd shot[dice]3[/dice]1st damage[dice]4[/dice]2nd damage EXTREME[dice]5[/dice]3rd damage[dice]6[/dice] Total damage [b]33[/b]

She makes quite a mess of him...

[Raiko]

Atauchi's arrow literally bounces off Larkin's chest to Atauchi's horror, clattering to the ground at the man's feet.

But Cynthia's bullets have more effect. While the first hits Larkin without causing any visible damage, the second hits him in the heart. Blood is already pouring out as Cynthia's final shot lands a little higher, piercing just beneath Larkin's collar bone.

Larkin looks down at the blood stains spreading quickly over his skirt, then back up at Cynthia with his empty black eyes. His voice is still strong despite his deadly wounds, much stronger and deeper than the voice of Augustus Larkin that Atauchi heard back in Lima.

"This pitiful vessel is finished, but I shall remember you Cynthia Vallier. Few have the strength to resist my will."

As his life ebbs away Larkin's voice finally falters.

"We... will... meet... ag... g... g... ai... nnn."

The black void is drawn back into Larkin's head, revealing the archaeologist's horrified eyes. He wheezes as he draws his last breath.

"Th.. ank... you."

Larkin falls to the floor, convulsing once as he dies. Then a black mist that stinks of death pours out of his mouth, filling the entire garden before being carried away by the gentle evening breeze.

OOC:   SAN checks please, Lose 1 point if you succeed. 1d3 points if you fail.

[Mr. Handy]

Amy shudders at the sight. It is one thing to find evidence of the existence of the supernatural, and quite another to see it in action. Whatever had been inside Larkin had not been a kharisiri, but something far worse - and poor Cynthia had gotten its attention. Amy goes over to her and hugs her. "You were amazing!" she says.

OOC,Sanity roll (current level 71) for seeing the entity: [dice]0[/dice]

[Silver Priest]

San 49%,[dice]0[/dice] Possible loss [dice]1[/dice] ...Great.

Marcus' eyes go wide and he lets out a curse when he sees the thing possessing Larkin leave his body. He heads down to join the others, reaching for a cigarette as he does so. Everyone notices his hands are shaking.

"That...thing, is gone. So I'd classify this as a success. Now all we have to do is find the pyramid, right? I say we blow the damn thing up, prevent something like this from ever happening again.

"Good job everyone. Especially you, Cynthia. I think Larkin had just spotted me, and I don't even want to imagine what he'd have done to me."

[Anatomist]

OOC:   did Dr.Sanchez see this last scene?