IC - Arnoldsburg, Michigan

[Leonulf]

Time: 23:45 PM

You both edge closer and the movement of the clouds reveal more of the moon increasing the moonlight. Hearing John's question the figure looks up once more, and with increased visibility you can see why the face was so familiar, it is the face of Douglas Kimball himself. "Dickens" he replies lowering his head once more.

OOC,the realisation that this creature is Kimball is shocking, you both need to roll to check sanity or lose 1d4 sanity, if you fail you also need to let out an involuntary scream

[jp1885]

SAN 70%,[dice]0[/dice]

Potential loss,[dice]1[/dice]

Harrison recoils when he realises that the creature is actually Kimball. However he holds his nerve; revulsion turning into fascination.

"Ah. Your nephew Thomas was wondering what happened to those books. I'm a book dealer myself - Harrison Holst at your service."

Out of habit, he begins to extend his hand in greeting, but quickly thinks better of it and raises his boater instead.

[HoneyDog]

SAN,SAN 60: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/768917]SAN[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]52[/b]

John’s curiousity overcomes his compulsion to run. He regards Kimball in fascination.

Clearing his throat, he asks,

“Mr. Kimball, forgive me for asking, but are you feeling yourself?”

[Leonulf]

Time: 23:48 PM

Douglas puts the book down and resumes a much more human like posture as he starts to talk. "Pleased to meet you. A book dealer? Oh I once would have had great use for you. Am I feeling myself? Some may say no, but I would perhaps argue that not only do I indeed feel myself - but more like myself. I admit I feel a little guilty for what my nephew must have gone through with my vanishing - but he has gained my house out of it, and my book collection."

He pauses for a moment looking over at the opened tomb, as if he was watching out for something then turns back to resume the conversation.

"Our time, well your time is short. My friends below are far more base than I, and as such are very unpredictable. So I will make this as quick as I can, then you must make haste out of here - for your own safety. I have always kept myself fairly distant from too much company, but in recent years I found myself increasingly disinterested in human contact. I spent more and more time here reading, and one day I had taken candles with me so I could stay out here in the moonlight - I have no need for candles now however." He grins.

"As it approached midnight I observed movement from the tombs and 'my friends below' as I call them first showed themselves to me. Being content with my books I was rather unthreatening with my stillness and over time they came quite content to move around me. I found a peace in their lifestyle, if you can call it a lifestyle - its simply living really. Finding myself accepted amongst these ghouls I eventually braved their tunnels and went down below with them one day. I spent more and more time down below, at peace with myself, but my body did start to slowly change over time. I knew my time above ground would eventually come to an end - so I made one last visit to the house, so I could some of my favourite books. I still become more like them with each passing day - I was not even reading my book properly, I was more staring at it remembering reading. Please tell no one of what you have seen here, for their and our safety. We will not hurt anyone unless threatened and I am at peace here. Tell my nephew I went abroad to travel but perhaps died at sea, he mustn't come looking for me. My friends will be stirring very soon, please take your leave".

Douglas starts moving slightly oddly and seems to be caught staring into darkness.

[jp1885]

Torn between utter shock and morbid curiosity over the man's transformation, Harrison doesn't like the sound of these 'friends'.

"Yes, perhaps we'd better leave...

Gripping John's sleeve, he takes a step backwards.

"Er, nice meeting you Mr. Kimball."

[HoneyDog]

John's mind is reeling from hearing Kimball's account. He doesn't resist when Harrison takes his arm, but turns his head in the direction of Kimball's stare.

[jp1885]

As he steps back,Harrison follows John's gaze while he wracks his brains. Having bought and sold many strange books, have any made specific mention of these 'ghouls'?

Occult 25% hard success,[dice]0[/dice]

[Leonulf]

Time: 23:50 PM

As you start to move away you can hear some strange animal like noises coming from within the tomb. Douglas is still staring at the darkness, but seems to be seeing something you can't quite make out yet.

Harrison can recall a fair amount of information regarding Ghouls from your studies and various readings over the years. The beasts are human-like, but can be very dangerous due to their cannibalistic and animalistic nature. A stench often follows them due to their fondness of graveyards, and they are often covered in grave mould all over their rubbery skin. The hoof like feet as seen on Douglas are common as well. You remember myths of humans become slowly turned into ghouls over time but now it appears this is more than myth. You also gain the realisation that the noise, and darkness that Douglas is staring into is indeed his ghoul friends, and it sounds like there is a large number of them. From what you remember Douglas' cogency is unheard of, you can only assume he is far enough away from being fully transformed that he has some shred of humanity left, but this is unlikely to be the case with his "friends". Your knowledge is telling you to run.

OOC,if either of you are choosing to quickly get away then please roll dexterity. A hard success gets you back to the house, a normal success results in a pulled muscle - but this affects you at destination your still able to run to the house otherwise (1 hp loss), a fail results in you falling over and crashing into a grave stone for 1d4 hp loss and you wont have got away.

[jp1885]

“Oh my God... John, we gotta get out of here now - c’mon!”

DEX 50% hard pass - phew!,[dice]0[/dice]

Despite the darkness, Harrison weaves through the gravestones, looking back to check that his pal is following.

[HoneyDog]

The noise and Harrison’s frantic urging convinces John that it’s time to leave. As he follows his friend through the dark though, he trips and collides painfully with a stone marker.

DEX,DEX 40: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/770269]dex[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]60[/b] [url=http://orokos.com/roll/770270]HP loss[/url]: [u]1d4[/u] [b]3[/b] Now 8 HP

[jp1885]

Seeing John fall, Harrison swiftly doubles back to help his friend.

Mindful of the approaching ghouls, he shouts out:

“Mr. Kimball! How’s about keeping your pals at bay for us? I’ll happily drop you off Lord Dunsany or somesuch! Maybe a Poe!”

[Leonulf]

Time: 23:51 PM

John gets back to his feet thanks to Harrison's help. You can both see rather beastial shadows moving around near Kimball, the ghouls have disembarked from their tunnels. The moonlight shines through a cloud to light up the face of a vicious deranged face that has sharply turned to look at you, and it seems to be gathering the attention of its friend.

Kimball suddenly looks up at the mention of "Poe" and seems to regain some cogency - he moves slightly to block one of the ghouls and tries to gesture them over to another spot. For now your play seems to have worked and you should have enough time to make it back to the house.

[jp1885]

Harrison takes full advantage of the opportunity and, supporting his pal, hurriedly heads back to the house.

“That window definitely needs boarding up!” he says with forced levity.

OOC:   Did we find a Poe when we catalogued the book collection?

[HoneyDog]

First Aid,First Aid 30: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/770723]First Aid[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]29[/b] [url=http://orokos.com/roll/770724]HP gain[/url]: [u]1d3[/u] [b]1[/b]Now 9 HP

John sinks into a chair and checks his injury. He is bleeding from a cut on his leg which is painfully swollen, but he manages to apply a bandage.

“Harrison, see if you can find any liquor” he asks, his voice tight.

[jp1885]

“Sure thing pal.”

Harrison makes for the liquor cabinet at his friend’s request before setting about the broken window with whatever he can find.

[HoneyDog]

John drinks deeply and gratefully from the bottle, before setting it down shakily.

"Where the hell is young Kimball?" he wonders out loud.

[Leonulf]

Time: 23:58 PM
You make it into the house without further difficulty, albeit in a noisily fashion. As far as you can currently tell you are not being chased or harrassed by the ghouls, hopefully they are occupied elsewhere.

Standing in the doorway behind you, Thomas has appeared - with a frowny look upon his face and paying particular attention to the bottle in your hand.

"Where am I? Where was I you should ask. TRYING to sleep. Do you have any idea what time it is making all this noise, and the liquor! Gentlemen partake in the afternoon, this is not the afternoon! Why are you behaving like some vagrant - and whats with the blood - what on earth is going on?".

For a moment the blood seemed to excabate young Kimball's temper, but having a moment to think about as the words leave his mouth his expression changes to that of more concern and puzzlement.

OOC,Poe would have been among [b]Kimball[/b]'s collection so you know where a copy is to hand from his study should you want it.

[HoneyDog]

John looks up at him balefully.

"We found your uncle, Kimball. But he's not who he used to be. We can show you tomorrow night."

[jp1885]

Harrison groans inwardly as his friend blurts out that Douglas is alive. Having some knowledge of ghouls (though until tonight assuming it was all myth and legend), he appreciates the dangers of exposing the existance of such creatures to ordinary folk.

"Oh he’ll be long gone by now," he hurriedly interjects with a warning glance at John. "You see Mr. Kimball, your uncle got religion; all that reading in graveyards I guess. We tracked him down to some fundamentalist group, just as they were heading out of town."

"Seems like he's renounced all his worldly goods," he adds, hoping that promise of material advancements will mask such flim-flam. "So the house is officially yours."

"As for the break-in; well on our way back to the house we bumped into a hobo who tried to sell us the very books that were missing from here! Of course when we confronted him he ran for it. We chased him through the graveyard but my buddy here tripped and crashed into a tombstone, hence the blood. If it's of any consolation I don't think he'll be coming back now he knows the house is being guarded."

He wanders over to the bookshelf where he knows the copy of Poe is, idly taking picking it up. Again, hoping that the promise of money will distract their host, he grins.

"Say, if you want some of these books taking off your hands, I can give you a good price."

[HoneyDog]

John rolls his eyes at Harrison's ridiculous tale, but keeps quiet as he takes another drink. After all, he owes Harrison for saving him earlier.

"I'm going to bed" he announces. "I'm exhausted".

He rises painfully to his feet.