Play@YSDC

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2020 4:31 pm**

Mr. Handy wrote:Cynthia is in luck.

OOC,Luck roll (80% stat) on the way to the gamekeeper's: [dice]235674:0[/dice]

Zero wrote:
Luck (60),[dice]235726:0[/dice]

Eventually you find yourself, if Miss Coates' address book is correct, at the edge of the village. Before you stands a terrace of modest cottages, their back gardens abutting a high stone wall that runs perpendicular to the lane for a considerable distance.

You are about to look for the abode of Sam the gatekeeper when a familiar figure emerges from a leafy track opposite the terrace.

"Well this is a jolly surprise!" exclaims Reverend Skipp. "I was just wondering where you had all got to and here you are!" He glances at the stone wall and grimaces. "Off to see the New Squire are we?"

Posted: **Wed May 27, 2020 2:34 am**

"Good morning, Reverend," says Cynthia with a smile. "First we were going to find Sam the gamekeeper so we can cross the Squire's land. We also wanted to speak to Mr. O'Kent, but we'd like to meet the Squire too."

Posted: **Thu May 28, 2020 10:35 am**

Grigori, exchanges some pleasantries with the man:

"And what business finds you in theis part of the village this morning, vicar?"

Posted: **Fri May 29, 2020 2:34 pm**

The Reverend addresses Grigori first.

"Oh, just on my daily rounds. Just as the postman distributes letters, so I distribute the word of God."

Then, to Miss Knight:

"I'm afraid the Squire will prove somewhat elusive; he does not seem keen to make the acquaintance of his neighbours, let alone strangers to the village. Alas his, um, 'associates' patrol his estate most effectively. To this end I very much doubt they will let you visit Mr. O'Kent, as the estate completely surrounds his land."

He pauses for a moment.

"Perhaps you are wise to seek out old Sam. If anyone knows a safe route to O'Kent's abode, it'll be him. Come, I'll introduce you."

He leads you the short distance to Sam's cottage, where a rather tough and wiry-looking old fellow in common working clothes is digging in his vegetable plot. He eyes the vicar warily, as if fearing he will break into a sermon, and so is relieved that he is merely introduced to you.

"Don't get much in the way of different folk 'round 'ere," he mutters, doffing his flat cap. "There summat you be wantin'?"

Posted: **Sat May 30, 2020 4:14 am**

"Good morning," says Cynthia. "I'm Miss Cynthia Knight. My friends and I wish to visit with Mr. O'Kent, but his land is surrounded by the Squire's property, and he does not allow people to cross it. We were hoping you could escort us."

Posted: **Sat May 30, 2020 1:49 pm**

Sam frowns.

“What? Yonder to the Boundary? The New Squire don’t like strangers a-goin’ on his land, but it’s a scandal that he don’t let no-one visit the daft ol’ bugger (beggin’ yer pardon miss).”

The venerable gamekeeper looks conflicted. Perhaps some kind of interpersonal roll could persuade him to help? Seeing as you are clearly friends of the vicar; a trustworthy soul if ever there was one; I’ll allow a bonus die.

Posted: **Sat May 30, 2020 3:59 pm**

"That poor old man must be so lonely," says Cynthia, her voice full of sympathy. "It would really brighten his day if he could receive visitors."

Posted: **Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:03 pm**

"Oh, well, I 'spose payin' him a visit can't hurt - been a while since anyone's seen him."

Miss Knight's entreaty clearly hits home, for Sam readily agrees to show you an old drover's path, which to the uninitiated is nothing more than a thick, tree-lined hedge.

Gnarled black trees loom overhead, hiding you from view as Sam leads you so far down the path. After a while he halts, for he dare not risk his employment by being caught escorting tresspassers so far into the estate.

"Follow this as far as it'll go. It'll take you to Stony Wood - not that it's stony any more since them silly buggers dug up all the stones for no reason. Skirt 'round the old church wall - don't go crossin' it mind - and you'll fetch up at his back fence."

He bids you good day before hurriedly returning whence he came. Assuming you wish to follow his advice, perhaps a listen or spot hidden roll might be in order?

Posted: **Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:08 pm**

Before entering the green lane, Grigori surveys his surroundings... Are they unobserved?

Posted: **Tue Jun 02, 2020 1:42 am**

Cynthia clearly hears something.

Posted: **Tue Jun 02, 2020 8:57 pm**

Making your way down the rough drover's track is slow going, and somewhat claustrophobic, with gnarled trees arching over you, dripping with damp from the recent drizzle. You are moving carefully, lest you trip over a root, when the sound of voices causes you to stop.

Peering through the branches you make out a group of men some distance ahead of you. Their language rather course and uncouth, they swear and curse, complaining loudly about the task they have been ordered to perform.

Just what this task is, is difficult to ascertain. Wreathed in black smoke, they appear to be beating the ground with sacks, sticks and what look like rug beaters.

Thankfully, if what Sam says is correct, the track will lead you around these men, and into the shelter of Stony Wood (should you still wish to proceed along it).

Posted: **Tue Jun 02, 2020 11:42 pm**

"Shall we avoid them and keep going?" whispers Cynthia.

Posted: **Wed Jun 03, 2020 7:25 pm**

"I think we'll have to, the only other alternative is to turn back I think.

I wonder what they're doing though."

Posted: **Wed Jun 03, 2020 7:29 pm**

Henry Joseph Lewis III merely nodded curtly when the others engaged in pleasantries with their acquaintance. He then followed the others, casually, but still wary of his surroundings. Fortunately, he did not have to rely on his own senses on this occasion. He craned his neck around the rather large form of Mr. Tereshchenko and observed what the others had noticed.

Posted: **Thu Jun 04, 2020 12:52 pm**

"I can't make out what are they doing... Can it be stubble-burning at this time of year?

Perhaps we may see more clearly as we pass them by..."

Posted: **Thu Jun 04, 2020 3:30 pm**

Perhaps it is prudent to consult the map given to you by the solicitor, Mr. Yemm.

The old drovers track you are following runs roughly from the bottom- left corner of the map in a northeasterly direction, with the land marked as belonging to Sty farm on your right.

You spotted the men just as the track began to turn to the northwest towards Stony Wood. They appear to be toiling in the field marked ‘the Watch’, also on your right.

Please make an INT roll.
While you can still make out the men, it is unclear just what they’re doing without peering out of cover somewhat. If you wish to do this, please make a stealth roll (with a bonus die as you are being careful).

Posted: **Thu Jun 04, 2020 3:34 pm**

Grogori sucks his teeth in thought...

Posted: **Fri Jun 05, 2020 2:35 am**

"I could try to get a closer look," Cynthia whispers. "I can be quiet as a mouse."

Posted: **Fri Jun 05, 2020 3:04 am**

Henry Joseph Lewis III took a moment to look over the map the Eton party had been previously given. The young dilettante wasn't really all that good at finding his way across unfamiliar countryside, or all that good with maps for that matter. He paid others to do that sort of thing. However, with that being said, he was fairly certain the area the men were presently located within did not belong to the Wergyn Estate.

Posted: **Fri Jun 05, 2020 5:08 pm**

INT: 70

[dice]0[/dice]

Failure

Posted: **Thu Jun 11, 2020 3:46 pm**

Wisely keeping out of sight, you continue down the old drover's track. Gnarled trees form a dank dripping tunnel around you as you proceed, but soon, as the woodland thickens around you, this opens up into a clearing.

A moment's orientation tells you that you have reached Stoney Wood.

For a while the trail continues in a more-or-less continuous curve between slimy trees and grasping thickets, but suddenly ends in a confusion of churned up earth.

How to proceed? A spot hidden or track test perhaps? Maybe even a listen roll?

Posted: **Thu Jun 11, 2020 6:41 pm**

Spot Hidden Roll [dice]1[/dice] Success

"This place looks eerily familiar. It was in my dream!"

Posted: **Fri Jun 12, 2020 3:11 am**

Hearing something, Cynthia holds a finger to her lips.

Posted: **Fri Jun 12, 2020 10:42 am**

Grigori whispers, "Could this be where they have been removing stones?"

And slowly looks around, trying to see clues for what has transpired

Posted: **Fri Jun 12, 2020 7:38 pm**

Whitehorse wrote:Grigori whispers, "Could this be where they have been removing stones?"

And slowly looks around, trying to see clues for what has transpired
spot hid=55,[dice]236057:0[/dice]

Whispers back "Yes, I think it is - and it looks like they've dragged them off that way" - points to beaten track through the bushes.

Posted: **Sat Jun 13, 2020 7:44 pm**

It is not what Miss Knight hears, but rather what the good lady doesn't. In short, the forest is deathly quiet.

No birds twitter in the trees, no creatures skitter through the undergrowth and no breeze swishes through the grey-black branches. All is still (unnaturally so: a 0/1 SAN roll is in order I think).

Where Mr. Tereshchenko fails, Prof. Garrett, a native of this sceptered isle, succeeds and is able to spot a continuation of the path. Half obscured by the disturbed ground, it curves through the forest, possibly following the line of where the stones once stood (or perhaps the stones were placed along it).

As mentioned by the learned fellow, another track, gouged through the forest by the hauled-away stones, can also be seen, leading roughly in the opposite direction and apparently out of the forest into the fields.

So you have a number of options: continue along the track, follow the gouges in roughly the opposite direction or return whence you came.

Posted: **Sat Jun 13, 2020 8:20 pm**

"Let's keep following the trail," whispers Cynthia.

Posted: **Mon Jun 15, 2020 9:27 am**

Mr. Handy wrote:

"Let's keep following the trail," whispers Cynthia.

"Just to be clear - we're going to follow the continuation trail where the stones stood, rather than the one into the field where they seem to have been taken?"

Posted: **Mon Jun 15, 2020 10:06 am**

Dealing in strange antiquities San was never Grigori's strong suit... And this damnable eerie wood has hime rattled... (losing that 1 SAN)

Posted: **Mon Jun 15, 2020 10:10 am**

"I think we should follow the path where the stones once stood... We certainly can't manhandle those dolmens against the resistance of the thugs... so let us see where the cursus leads, perhaps there is a chamber or other feature at its conclusion?"

Posted: **Tue Jun 16, 2020 4:38 am**

"Yes, that's what I meant," agrees Cynthia.

Posted: **Tue Jun 16, 2020 7:08 am**

Whitehorse wrote:"I think we should follow the path where the stones once stood... We certainly can't manhandle those dolmens against the resistance of the thugs... so let us see where the cursus leads, perhaps there is a chamber or other feature at its conclusion?"

"Yes, agreed. Please excuse my pedantry everyone, hazard of my profession unfortunately."

Posted: **Tue Jun 16, 2020 3:33 pm**

That decided, you pick your way along the path. As it curves around, the trees eventually begin to thin out, allowing a pale light to penetrate the gloom. If you read the map correctly, it is obvious that you are nearing the other side of Stoney Wood.

Posted: **Wed Jun 17, 2020 2:28 am**

"This should lead us past the church to O'Kent's cottage," says Cynthia. "It's a roundabout way to get there, but it keeps us from being noticed."

Posted: **Wed Jun 17, 2020 7:03 am**

"Yes, although it looks as if we'll have to cross an open area to the north and east of the church. I wonder if we should try and take some kind of precaution not to be seen? Perhaps see if we can use the boundary hedge with Cowslip Farm as cover?"

Posted: **Thu Jun 18, 2020 4:50 am**

"So long as we can do it without deviating from Sam's directions," says Cynthia. "He knows this area better than we do."

Posted: **Thu Jun 18, 2020 7:46 am**

"The woods obscure us from the Estate, but I'm concerned about being spotted by the workmen in the field adjacent to the ruins.

What way do the directions indicate?"

Posted: **Fri Jun 19, 2020 4:53 pm**

Henry Joseph Lewis III continued to follow the group. He wasn't all too interested in these stones or why they were being moved, to be perfectly frank. It didn't seem very important. His thoughts instead focused upon various mathematical puzzles and proofs which helped him pass the time. Periodically, the dilettante recorded his progress into his notebook and paid little mind to the ramblings of the others.

Posted: **Sat Jun 20, 2020 8:45 pm**

A quick peek out of Stoney Wood reveals that keeping to the boundary hedge with Cowslip Farm is indeed a good idea. This course will keep what is obviously the ruins of a church, looming out of a localised mist, between you and the men working in the field. You will not be seen by these rough fellows, although anyone watching from the aforementioned farm may well spot you through the thin drizzle that once again graces you with it's presence.

Posted: **Sat Jun 20, 2020 10:15 pm**

"All right," whispers Cynthia. "Let's stick to the boundary hedge so we're not seen."

Posted: **Sun Jun 21, 2020 2:46 pm**

"Right, off we go."

OOC: Sneak rolls?

Posted: **Sun Jun 21, 2020 3:04 pm**

Certainly; by all means.

Posted: **Sun Jun 21, 2020 6:47 pm**

Cynthia is practically invisible.

Posted: **Mon Jun 22, 2020 7:53 pm**

Professor Garrett is a clumsy oaf and seems to have stepped on a dry twig.

Posted: **Thu Jun 25, 2020 2:08 pm**

Stealthy or not, it would be difficult for all but the most eagle-eyed of folk to spot you through the ever-increasing drizzle and the fog that seemingly hangs around the ruins.

Nevertheless you keep an eye out for any rough labourers as you skirt around said ruins. So much so in fact that you fail to notice a muddy trench in front of you!

Please make a DEX roll and if you fail, deduct 1 HP as you trip into it.

Posted: **Thu Jun 25, 2020 8:00 pm**

[dice]0[/dice]

Not sure why I've got a second roll but obiously I've made a mess of the spoiler button. Anyway, taking the first result: Professor Garrett stumbles unceremoniously into the ditch: "Ouch. Who put that there?"

One Hit Point deducted.

Posted: **Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:00 am**

Cynthia easily sees the ditch in time and stops short. "Stop, look out," she hisses, a hair too late.

Posted: **Fri Jun 26, 2020 3:13 pm**

Henry Joseph Lewis III proceeded along the path chosen by the group. He didn't really care whether he was discovered or not as the men's silence could easily be bought for a handful of shillings. As he continued to trudge across this terrain, the dilettante became increasingly more distressed by the amount of mud that was coating his Italian leather walking boots. They may very well be ruined. However, this preoccupation managed to prevent Henry from duplicating the professor's fate as his eyes caught sight of the ditch well in advance. He pranced to one side and avoided the entire group as they clustered near the edge.

OOC: Extreeeeeeme success, heh

Posted: **Tue Jun 30, 2020 4:06 pm**

Posted: **Tue Jun 30, 2020 4:13 pm**

Grigori stepped silently over the ditch. He was brooding and increasingly damp. He even forgot to offer Miss Knight the appropriate chivalrous assistance over the obstacle.

The breech in etiquette brought him somewhat to his senses.

"My apologies Miss Knight. I have not been as much of a gentleman as I would like. Are you managing this rough ground alright?"

Posted: **Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:46 pm**

While most of you manage to avoid the ditch (with Mr. Lewis practically skipping over it), Professor Garrett is not so sure-footed. Following an ignoble tumble, he climbs out, his hands and clothes covered in mud.

Being able to study the ditch up close, it is clear to the professor that until recently it was a small watercourse. A quick glance at the map confirms that you have come across the former course of Scheld Brook. Peering through the drizzle, you can follow this ghost of a stream as it curves roughly in parallel with the ruined walls of the old churchyard.
As the day is reaching it's dotage, the weak sunlight is failing, but not too far ahead of you squats the dark shape of a building.

Please can everyone make a listen roll.

Posted: **Wed Jul 01, 2020 4:32 am**

"Thank you, Mr. Tereshchenko, I'm all right," says Cynthia, gladly accepting his help across the ditch. "I'm sorry, Professor. Perhaps you can have a bath at Mr. O'Kent's." She cocks an ear. "I hear the men shouting, but they haven't seen us. They're cheering because they've finished whatever they're doing."

Posted: **Thu Jul 02, 2020 7:59 pm**

Listen roll at 20%

[dice]0[/dice]

"Really Miss Knight? I can't hear a dicky-birdy myself, but I am getting on a bit as my recent failure to notice that blasted ditch all too clearly shows. I'm happy to take your word for it. Not a good sign methinks."

Posted: **Fri Jul 03, 2020 1:45 am**

Henry Joseph Lewis III waited for the professor to climb out of the ditch. He tilted his ear towards the direction he last saw the workmen and also detected the commotion.

"Hmm, they do seem to be carrying on over there. That's probably not good for whatever it is you're trying to do here, yes?" the dilettante said.

OOC: So that's a critical success, heh. These dice are hot.

Posted: **Fri Jul 03, 2020 5:18 am**

"Yes, I'm quite sure," says Cynthia. "When you work in a library, you develop good hearing. I could hear a pin drop when there's no other noise."

Posted: **Sat Jul 04, 2020 9:34 pm**

Let us assume that, following the curve of the dried-up brook, you are continuing towards O'Kent's cottage (assuming the dark, squat shape ahead of you is indeed that edifice). As you grow near, the wind strengthens, swirling the cold, damp mist out of the ruined church to your right so that it flies raggedly around you.

Posted: **Sun Jul 05, 2020 2:31 pm**

Suddenly and most uncharacteristically, Mr. Pritchard yelps in alarm.

"No! It ain't right! That ditch - it's the same as in my dream! The stream, the stones and now they've beaten down the flames: can't you see what they're taking away? The walls! The walls!"

With a strangled scream, he barges past you and runs off through the mist towards the ruins. Within seconds he is lost frm sight.

OOC: Alas Speshul has decided to leave us, so I'm writing Mr. Pritchard out of the story.

Posted: **Sun Jul 05, 2020 5:55 pm**

Cynthia manages to refrain from screaming or panicking. "My, what big teeth you have," she says as she backs away. She realizes that this whole thing is probably an illusion, but she's staying away in case it isn't.

Posted: **Mon Jul 06, 2020 9:56 am**

OOC: Sorry to be so intermittant here. My notifications seem to have completely given up. I'lll put it on my start page for Firefox - it's the only way I'll remember to look!

Posted: **Mon Jul 06, 2020 9:59 am**

Posted: **Mon Jul 06, 2020 10:02 am**

Grigori involuntarily shrinks back from the seemingly prematurely wizzened man... But gathering himself, he shakes Lewis by the shoulder...

"My God Lewis, are you all right! You look like you've ages 50 years..."

Posted: **Mon Jul 06, 2020 8:05 pm**

Professor Garrett is appalled at Mr Lewis's transformation.

SAN 59

[dice]0[/dice]

The Professor loses 1 point of SAN but keeps his cool.

"I say, it looks like Mr Lewis is a bad egg!"

Posted: **Wed Jul 08, 2020 9:12 pm**

From the outset the Henry Joseph Lewis III had suspected that these Eton folks were psychologically or intellectually deficient, but now his concerns were becoming manifest as he observed the telltale signs of madness.The look of amusement from the dilettante's face quickly vanished and the young man gave the others a vexing look, then abruptly replied, "Just what are you lot playing at? I haven't changed at all."

Posted: **Thu Jul 09, 2020 3:07 am**

Cynthia relaxes. "It's just another illusion," she says. "We're seeing things."

Posted: **Mon Jul 13, 2020 1:07 pm**

Another illusion: quite so.

Perhaps the dry, rattling chuckle you also hear is too?

Either way, Mr. Lewis is suddenly back to his normal aloof (if somewhat perturbed) self.

As you carry on along the dried up stream, you see something moving in the fading light ahead of you. At first you mistake it for the mist being whipped up by a localised squall, but this is not the case.

Upon your approach the phenomenon appears to be a number of flapping, sheet-like things...

Posted: **Wed Jul 15, 2020 8:18 pm**

"Look at those. What are they? Bats?"

Posted: **Thu Jul 16, 2020 4:19 am**

"I saw them in my dream!" exclaims Cynthia. "Another illusion, no doubt. Someone really doesn't want us talking to Mr. O'Kent."

Posted: **Thu Jul 16, 2020 10:50 am**

"Head down and forced march to our destination may be our best tactic... I fear for our sanity if we allow ourselves to be distracted by these visions!"

Posted: **Thu Jul 16, 2020 5:49 pm**

"Something tells me that pretty soon we're going to see one that turns out to be real."

Posted: **Fri Jul 17, 2020 4:37 am**

"Right, let's keep going, then," says Cynthia. "Someone seems to be producing these illusions, in an effort to keep us away. That someone is likely to be dangerous, but we have numbers on our side."

Posted: **Fri Jul 17, 2020 12:49 pm**

Upon your approach, you discover that this is no illusion...

...in fact, it is simply a long line of what appears to be washing!

Before you is what is obviously the curved line of a garden fence, on which a number of tall poles have been attached. Slung between these poles is a line of string and pegged on this line are numerous sheets, shirts and even the occasional pair of longjohns.

Some of the sheets are ragged and have clearly been hanging there some time, while the clothes look like recent additions. These items must have been cunningly positioned to catch as much air as possible, as they flap about even though the misty air seems quite still.

Please make an INT test.
Set in the fence between the flapping sheets is a small wooden gate leading through an overgrown garden to a tumbledown cottage. All is dark, save for a flickering light in one lower floor window.

Posted: **Fri Jul 17, 2020 9:32 pm**

Grigori thinks a moment..

Posted: **Sat Jul 18, 2020 4:24 am**

"Oh, it's just the washing," says Cynthia with relief. Still, she's disturbed by the eerie similarity to her dream. How could she dream accurately about a place she's never been? "You know, the stream on the map and this stone fence forms part of a circle. The stones those men removed must have formed part of the same circle, accounting for about a quarter of the circumference. Hasn't the stream been diverted too?"

Posted: **Sun Jul 19, 2020 9:41 am**

Henry Joseph Lewis III glanced over at Ms. Knight and considered what she had observed for several moments. Even if this new squire was modifying the property, it hardly mattered. There was no such thing as the supernatural, except in the works of fiction. Further, this man had every legal right to do so, therefore it wasn't really their place to meddle in his affairs.

"I don't see it, but even so, what's wrong with that? Surely a new landowner has the right to modify their property as they see fit, no?" he replied.

Posted: **Sun Jul 19, 2020 9:45 pm**

"That may be," says Cynthia, "but that doesn't mean it's a good idea. That Boundary was built for a reason."

Posted: **Mon Jul 20, 2020 7:17 pm**

"I thought there was something significant about the stream being diverted, I rather fancy you've hit on something there Miss Knight."

Posted: **Tue Jul 21, 2020 2:08 pm**

So, might one enquire how you wish to proceed?

Posted: **Tue Jul 21, 2020 6:04 pm**

"Shall we approach the cottage and knock on the door?" asks Cynthia.

Posted: **Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:25 am**

"Indeed MIss Knight. We have come this far, we should make this fellows acquaintance with all speed."

Posted: **Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:45 am**

The short walk from the washing line, through the unkempt kitchen garden and up to the cottage door passes without incident.

Even though the light is fading, it is easy to see how tumbledown the place is. However, despite seemingly on the brink of collapse, the building radiates a strange feeling of solidity and indeed protection. It is as if this modest abode acts as some sort of bulwark against the oppressive dreariness that has haunted your steps as of late.

Upon your approach to the weather-worn wooden door, you hear a guttural cough from within, before a rough-sounding voice wheezes:

"Yer 'ere at last aye? Come in then!"

Posted: **Sat Jul 25, 2020 1:02 am**

Henry Joseph Lewis III rolled his eyes and let out a small sigh as he took in the state of the ramshackle dwelling which lay before him. Honestly, was everyone in this place completely destitute? The haughty dilettante silently trudged along behind the Eton group, visibly displeased with this new situation he found himself involved in.

Posted: **Sat Jul 25, 2020 3:46 am**

"It seems we're expected," says Cynthia. "He may have had the same sort of dream I did. I expect he'll be the old man of whom I dreamed." Having been invited, she enters the cottage first.

Posted: **Sat Jul 25, 2020 6:22 pm**

Grigori follows within, somewhat warily.

Perhaps this gentlemen might be able to shed some light on the issue with the squire, and on the measures that might be taken to halt whatever evil might be afoot.

Posted: **Mon Jul 27, 2020 8:27 pm**

I will also accept the householder's invitation and venture inside his no doubt charming cottage.

Posted: **Tue Jul 28, 2020 10:27 am**

Alas Professor, the word 'charming' can only apply in this case if laden with the most heavy of ironies.

Imagine the abode of an elderly man who has lived alone with only the barest of necessities for several decades. Imagine the dirt and the grime of someone for whom wash day is but a distant memory and spring cleaning is an alien concept.

Imagine the weak light struggling through the miasma of dust (that which manages to fight past the small grease-smeared window panes at any rate). Imagine the bric-a-brac that lines the modest walls, throwing dark shadows that stagger under the illumination of a single oil lamp.

Imagine the smell.

Imagine the tiny, wizened form, half-hidden among soiled blankets; lying on an ancient camp bed and propped up by mouldering cushions.

For it is he: Mr. O'Kent.
He beckons you over, hacking a dry cough as he tries to speak.

"I ain't got long, so listen well. While you was far away I tried to reach you in yer dreams, but talkin' in pictures never gives a clear message. When you got nearer I spoke to you d'rectly through them's who is sensitive, but when I used that daft ol' bird in the village HE was waitin' and got through first. So it's good you's come to speak face to face eh?"

He coughs again, the effort of speaking clearly draining his energy.

"Won't be long afore I dies... Can't keep Him down much longer..." he whispers, collapsing back onto the cushions. "Water, rock, fire, wind... My ancestors called on the elements to build a wall around Him once He was buried under the church. The Old Squire knew how important it was, but he went and died... When the water was gone the circle was broke an' it let Him reach out... New Squire's a weak man... Now the stones is gone an' they put out the fire; 'tis only the wind what keeps Him from rising... They'll be 'ere tomorrow to take down me washin'..."

The effort is too much. He closes his eyes, gesturing weakly with one hand whilst slipping the other under his grubby shirt.

"I ain't got long... You gotta go under the church tonight an' finish Him afore the wall is gone... Protect yerself wi' this..."

His breathing becomes shallower. Even those without medical knowledge can tell that he does not have long for this world...

Posted: **Wed Jul 29, 2020 2:02 am**

Cynthia is made of sterner stuff than she had thought, and the miasma doesn't bother her much. Already ahead of the others, she approaches the old man. "Thank you, sir," she says, accepting the object. "How can we defeat...Him? And who is he?"

Posted: **Thu Jul 30, 2020 10:50 am**

Grigori is halted for a moment by the noxious odours, worse even than the serfs at his grandmother's dacha....

Posted: **Thu Jul 30, 2020 10:53 am**

But his encounters with lowly peasants had largely inured him to squalor...

"What is this thing old man... Pray do explain yourself in plain words, we cannot be puzzling them if we are faced with danger..."

Posted: **Wed Aug 05, 2020 4:16 pm**

"So... many... questions y' shud know the answers to... He be the Norman knight who... Bad man... Crusades..."

Coughing dreadfully, old man gives up trying to speak and points a trembling finger towards a dark corner of the shabby parlour.

"Y' need to read them books... I never could..."

The hand he has placed inside his shirt bunches up into a fist, as if grasping something.

"An' take this..."

With a final shuddering rattle, he collapses back and falls silent.

Outside, the wind howls, chasing down the crooked chimney and startling the feeble embers in the fireplace.

The nothing...

You are alone...

With a dead man.

Please make a 1/1d4 SAN test.

Posted: **Thu Aug 06, 2020 3:16 am**

Cynthia manages to suppress what would have been a scream. Mustering her courage, she opens the dead man's hand to reach the object within.

Posted: **Thu Aug 06, 2020 11:09 am**

Posted: **Thu Aug 06, 2020 11:11 am**

OOC: Ah. so close...

Posted: **Thu Aug 06, 2020 11:17 am**

At last, Grigori's stomach turns at the stench and decay of the crespuscular old corpse that was a moment ago alive. He ducks away and cough vomits into his silk handkerchief...

Posted: **Thu Aug 06, 2020 5:35 pm**

CON:50

[dice]0[/dice]

I make a dash back outside to regurgitate my breakfast in the yard.

Posted: **Thu Aug 06, 2020 5:38 pm**

Current SAN: 58

[dice]0[/dice]

Posted: **Thu Aug 06, 2020 5:38 pm**

[dice]0[/dice]

In between vomiting I also do some gibbering.

Posted: **Thu Aug 06, 2020 10:03 pm**

Henry Joseph Lewis III nearly wretched at the foul odor which permeated the cottage and refused to bear it. He exited and remained outside, content to let the others speak with the decrepit old man. Every so often, he would peek inside to determine whether the nosy Eton lot had finished with what they had come to do. At the moment the elderly man passed on, the dilettante felt a mixture of distress and relief. Even though he was a good distance from the corpse, the sight was still unsettling, but at least he wouldn't have to linger here any longer. Surely the others would want to leave now that the old nutter had expired.

"Alright. Grab the books and whatever else and let's get out of here." the young man said, handkerchief held to his face.

OOC: Even with the Sanity loss, I downplayed its effect here as the stench would have definitely sent HJLIII scrambling for fresher air. He wouldn't be in an enclosed space with a corpse.

Posted: **Sun Aug 09, 2020 3:36 pm**

The dead man's grip is tight, and it is with many a sickening crunch that his cold fingers are prised open.

Held within is a stone, about the size of a sovereign. It is a strange greenish colour and smooth like a pebble. A grubby piece of string runs through a hole in said stone and runs around O'Kent's scrawny neck. It looks like it will snap (the string I mean, although the same could be said for the neck) with little effort.

Revealed by moving the old man's oil lamp, the aforementioned bookshelf lurks in a corner of the room. A cursory glance will discern a number of ancient and mouldering tomes on the bottom shelves, while what appears to be ledgers and notebooks pile up on the higher ones.

This, saving a venerable armchair and of course the old man's cot, make up the parlour. An open doorway leads to what appears to be a kitchen, while set against the opposite wall is are two closed closed wooden doors, one about three feet from the other.

Mr. Lewis, while outside you notice that the air is whipping up most alarmingly. Amid the shrieking wind you think you hear a brief scream. The mist around the ruined church seems to curl around into strange shapes.

Posted: **Sun Aug 09, 2020 8:18 pm**

Cynthia carefully removes the stone from around the dead man's neck. If she can't do it without snapping the string, she'll take a new piece of string from her sewing kit and restring it. Then she places it around her own neck. That done, she will next inspect the books on the shelf, which have been calling to her ever since she saw them.

Posted: **Mon Aug 10, 2020 3:36 am**

Henry Joseph Lewis III peered curiously towards the swirling mists around the old church. He was no expert on meteorology, though he had perused the works of both Theophrastus and Aristotle on the subject in his estate's library over the years. He knew enough to realize that something that they didn't want to be caught up in it was brewing.

"Go on, grab a bag and snatch them all up. We can look them over later. I think the weather might be taking a turn for the worse out here. We should find better shelter." he directed at Cynthia.

Posted: **Wed Aug 12, 2020 7:59 pm**

Staggering back into the cottage I hear Mr Lewis's instructions to Cynthia.

"Possibly we'd be better waiting out any storm here in the house?" I suggest. "We could look at the books then as well."

Posted: **Thu Aug 13, 2020 1:50 am**

"I'm all for a good read," says Cynthia. "There's nothing better to do on a stormy day. Or a clear day, for that matter."

Posted: **Thu Aug 13, 2020 10:43 am**

Henry Joseph Lewis III animatedly pointed in the former resident's direction, handkerchief still held firmly in place to filter out the stench, then said, "I'm not occupying the same space as that, and any of you even considering it are mad." There was a definite hint of frustration in his tone at this point as he was growing weary with trying to reason with this lot. For the life of him, the dilettante couldn't fathom why this lot desired to shelter in what had now for all intents and purposes become a tomb. It was utter foolishness and he would have no part in it and attempted to determine the route back to the inn.

OOC: Probably an INT roll to see if he recalled the route back, yeah? Or is most of the village still plainly visible?

Posted: **Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:56 pm**

OOC: It should be easy enough to trace your route back, despite the thickening mist outside.

Posted: **Thu Aug 13, 2020 6:04 pm**

Grigori tries to persuade Henry that the fog is thick, the ruffians might pounce on him, and that the books here, which seem fragile and difficult to carry, really could be important to their mission...

OOC: Not sure if you'll want an opposed roll of some sort, or if Grigori's mediocre charm skills on their own will suffice..

Posted: **Thu Aug 13, 2020 6:28 pm**

Whitehorse wrote:
OOC: Not sure if you'll want an opposed roll of some sort, or if Grigori's mediocre charm skills on their own will suffice..

OOC: Actually, players cannot use Charm, Intimidate, or Persuade skills on one another. I'll post again later after more have chimed in, but there's no way HJLIII is staying in that hovel.

Posted: **Fri Aug 14, 2020 11:07 am**

OOC: @Zero, actually that's not the case in 7th edn. rules at least. Though given Grigori failed his roll, it's a bit academic!

" When one of these four skills is successfully used on an investigator (either by an NPC or another investigator), the player is not compelled to follow the wishes of the other party. If the player refuses to act in accordance with the wishes of the character who is coercing them, the latter can inflict one penalty die on one dice roll (of the coercer’s choice) made by the player of the coerced investigator. This penalty die need not be applied to the very next dice roll, but does not last indefinitely. Only one penalty die can be held by one character against any other single character at a time."

Posted: **Fri Aug 14, 2020 11:16 am**

OOC: That must be an optional rule, because that's absolute nonsense. I'd sooner exit a game in protest than let a roll determine whether I was being cooerced by another player. That is far too easily abused.

Posted: **Fri Aug 14, 2020 11:35 am**

OOC: It's right there in the core rules as a boxed disambiguation on p.60. Look it up if you don't believe me.

But as the first line I quoted says, a player is not compelled to follow the wishes of the persuader. It's not so different to failing a sanity roll, and losing full control of a character. It's just role-playing.

I feel Grigori would try and persuade Henry. The only way to determine the character's persuasiveness is a roll taking into account his skill and the GM's perception of the difficulty. But Grigori failed even a basic roll, so there you have it.

Having said that. it's a game. No-one should be made to do anything they don't consider fun. If you don't like something, say so (or X-card if that's available).

Posted: **Fri Aug 14, 2020 11:57 am**

OOC: Yeah, like I said before, I would never go along with it. Game mechanics be damned. I find the practice offensive.

Posted: **Fri Aug 14, 2020 3:19 pm**

OOC: Thankfully the point is moot, allowing us all to continue the adventure as the civilised investigators we undoubtedly are. Mr. Lewis is welcome to keep watch outside while the others look at the books: details of which I will elaborate when time permits.

Posted: **Fri Aug 14, 2020 10:25 pm**

Mr. Lewis; resolute in your determination to stay outside, you witness the mist continuing to swirl around the ruins. Intriguingly, the flapping of the sheets at the bottom of the garden seems to push the mist away.

Oh, and please oblige me with a spot hidden roll.
Everyone else; braving the unpleasant conditions within the cottage is something of a trial (especially if you failed the CON roll and must perforce suffer a penalty die).

However, soldiering on you inspect the mouldering books. Some, you notice, are ledgers and diaries. Others are books of history and folklore. Meanwhile a choice few, ready to crumble at the slightest touch judging by thier frayed spines, appear more esoteric in nature.

While the wind picks up further, howling around the cottage, you decide which books to read.

Oh, please indulge my whimsy with a spot hidden and a listen roll.

Posted: **Sat Aug 15, 2020 3:49 pm**

Henry Joseph Lewis III ignored the Russian's queer attempt at befriending him, and attempted to retrace his steps back towards the village center. The young man was done entertaining his uncle's notions of assisting this impious group of individuals. Once back in Hereford he would be sure to give his report, a rather unfavorable one, then return to his research.

OOC: Not even close.

Posted: **Sat Aug 15, 2020 5:30 pm**

"I wonder if the roof can hold?" says Cynthia. "The ceiling's creaking rather badly, and I see dust trickling down." She starts with the fragile esoteric books. As a librarian, she knows better than anyone else how to handle delicate books. Treating them with the utmost care, she carefully examines them one by one.

Posted: **Sat Aug 15, 2020 7:54 pm**

Miss Knight; with well-practised handling you are able to study some of the grimoires.

Clearly they are very old, as evidenced by the archaic handwriting. Your best guess, comparing the tomes to those in your care at Eton, would date them from between the 16th and 17th century.

Alas, their contents are something of a mystery, the books being written in what appears to be Latin.

Posted: **Sat Aug 15, 2020 9:13 pm**

"Do either of you chaps know Latin well?" asks Cynthia, showing them how to safely handle the old books and turn the pages without damaging them. Once she passes the books off, she takes a look at the ledgers, having some experience with accounting.

Posted: **Mon Aug 17, 2020 10:27 am**

Grigori peers around the hut as best he can in the poor lighting , listening to the creaks and groans that seem to permeate the evening air... "Miss Knight, I have picked up a little pig latin in my time... Let me have a look...

Posted: **Mon Aug 17, 2020 1:39 pm**

OOC: I’ll leave some time for LTD1969 to dust off his Latin before the next update.

Posted: **Wed Aug 19, 2020 6:34 pm**

Latin Skill 50% [dice]0[/dice]

Posted: **Wed Aug 19, 2020 6:35 pm**

Penalty dice 1d10 (?)

[dice]0[/dice]

and that's 30% so still a success?

Posted: **Wed Aug 19, 2020 8:10 pm**

LTD1969 wrote:Penalty dice 1d10 (?)

[dice]237826:0[/dice]

and that's 30% so still a success?

It is indeed. Bravo Professor! What follows is something of an exposition dump, so give me a day or two

Posted: **Fri Aug 21, 2020 4:49 pm**

Professor Garrett,After considerable study (made all the more difficult by the trying conditions of the cottage and the eccentricities of the Latin spelling and grammar), a story emerges… In 1099 Guy de Lancey, (‘[i]may his owne falchion be hys undoing[/i]’): Norman knight of ill-repute, famed for dark deeds carried out during the 1st Crusade, was exiled to the Marches and tasked with putting down the rebellious locals near what is now the village of Wergynstone. De Lancey arrived with his retinue, claiming the land for himself. He brutally slew the locals and looted the local church. Using unholy magic learned in the Middle East, he supposedly embarked on a bloody quest for immortality. The locals of the surrounding villages suffered Guy’s depredations for decades, until 1254, when a ‘cunning man’ by the name of Jack O’Kent was contacted by another local worthy, Barnabas Barneby. Remembering how, in early Christian times, St. Wergyn was supposed to have tricked the devil into trapping himself under a stone in the area of Wergynstone, the cunning man devised a ritual trap de Lancey, who by now spent weeks on end sleeping in his lair below the crypt of St. Wergyn’s church. One tome tells of how O’Kent somehow ringed the church with the four elements, namely: water, stone, fire and wind, thus ‘[i]buildinge ye walle around ye beaste[/i]’. Another book tells of how Barneby led his men in feverishly labouring to complete this task before de Lancey awoke. When completed, the ritual drained the evil man of his power and left de Lancey in a state of helpless, paralysed undeath. One 17th century writer, presumably a descendant of the original O’Kent, asks himself why they did not simply go down to slay the powerless knight? A feverish postscript adds that anyone attempting to enter his lair would be assailed by terrible phantoms and plagued with nightmares. Another goes on to write how he is content to leave de Lancey to lie helpless and maintain the boundary from thenceforth after making a similar excursion with '[i]ye trappyngs[/i]'. Perhaps the most pervading theme in all of these grimoires is the need to keep the ‘[i]walls secure and inviolate[/i]’, and, if they were to fail, to ‘[i]find and kille ye devile hys phantoms be dammed[/i]’.

As you read, dust begins to fall from the ceiling in increasing volume, accompanied by small pieces of plaster. Meanwhile, the cottage begin to creak and groan alarmingly.

Posted: **Sat Aug 22, 2020 2:26 am**

"He knew me by name!" gasps Cynthia, showing the others what she has found. "He spelled it wrong, but it's clearly me he's writing about. He knew we were coming, from his dreams. He tells me we must all go under the church and put Him down before we're crushed! There's been a deal between the villagers and the O'Kent family lasting centuries whereby they received payment, so that the evil could be contained, but the new Squire is who he is and the villagers no longer believe. He also writes that only through his magick does his house still stand." She looks up. "The magick died with him. I think we need to get out of here before the cottage collapses and get to the church ruins, then find a way underground."

Posted: **Wed Aug 26, 2020 11:12 am**

"Underground... MIss Knight? Perhaps in a crypt?"

Grigori beckons his friends under the lintel of the doorway...

"We should I think make our way to the church without any further delay..."

Posted: **Thu Aug 27, 2020 3:01 am**

"Yes, let's go!" says Cynthia, placing whichever of the fragile books will fit into her handbag as she hurries outside.

Posted: **Thu Aug 27, 2020 6:44 pm**

"Hang on everyone, I'm not so sure that's a good idea. There's an undead fiend in the crypt of that church, and I'm not so sure we can prevail against him."

Points to book. "It says here that anyone entering the crypt will be assailed by phantoms. I imagine they'll be like the visions we've already experienced, but worse."

Posted: **Fri Aug 28, 2020 2:45 am**

"If so, we can deal with them," says Cynthia. "They have the power to deceive, but not to harm. Now we know how to see through them. O'Kent equipped us for the fight ahead as best he could. We already have his attention, and if we don't go after him, he'll come after us. We may not win, but we have to try."

Posted: **Sun Aug 30, 2020 6:52 pm**

"I suppose there isn't much choice. It's a bit late in the day for trying to rebuild the barriers."

Posted: **Sun Aug 30, 2020 7:00 pm**

As if to concur, the ceiling of the cottage groans again. Upstairs, something crashes to the floor, showering you with chunks of plaster.

Meanwhile, the glass in the small parlour window cracks as the wooden frame buckles.

Posted: **Sun Aug 30, 2020 7:47 pm**

"Get out of there!" calls Cynthia, already outside. "It's about to collapse!"

Posted: **Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:53 pm**

More chunks of plaster drop from the ceiling, preceded by an even louder crash upstairs.

Should you gentlemen wish to follow Miss Knight’s lead, you may do so without hindrance.

However, if you wish to tarry, then please furnish me with DEX rolls, lest part of the upper floor lands upon your noble heads.

Posted: **Wed Sep 02, 2020 10:03 pm**

Grigori springs out the door with alacrity, preferring to brave the weather than the rain of plaster and debris...

Posted: **Sat Sep 05, 2020 5:40 pm**

As you tumble out of the cottage, a loud CRACK heralds it's collapse. Looking back from a relatively safe distance, you watch as the humble dwelling seemingly implodes, crunching into itself amid a cacophony of creaks, snaps and groans.

Soon all that is left is a flattened pile of rubble, bits of which are taken and spun around by the maelstrom of wind that howls, as if in triumph, around you.

Odd then, how these gusts have failed to pluck the sheets and ragged clothes off the line at the end of the garden, nor disturb the thick mist that, save the occasional glimpse, obscures the ruined church that lies beyond.

Posted: **Sat Sep 05, 2020 7:27 pm**

"Phew!" says Cynthia. "I'm glad everyone made it out. That was too close! Good thing the washing is still standing. That's the only part of the barrier left. We don't have much time. Let's head to the ruined church."

Posted: **Mon Sep 07, 2020 8:56 am**

Fighting your way through the flapping sheets and howling wind, you soon reach the remains of a stone wall (presumably the one which encloses the ruined church).

The whole area is encased in a damp, swirling mist, making it difficult to make out any details, save the looming black bulk of the edifice, some distance in.

Please oblige me with a spot hidden roll.

Posted: **Mon Sep 07, 2020 9:58 am**

Grigori peers through the mist, straining his eyes in the poor light...

Posted: **Mon Sep 07, 2020 10:01 am**

"What is that strange figure over there... Is it watching us...?"

Posted: **Mon Sep 07, 2020 6:23 pm**

"I see it too," says Cynthia. "It could be another illusion."

Posted: **Mon Sep 07, 2020 8:27 pm**

Spot Hidden 45% [dice]0[/dice]

"What is it? I can't see a bally thing!"

Posted: **Wed Sep 09, 2020 8:28 pm**

Professor Garrett, you panic momentarily as the maelstrom of fog envelopes you.

However, a gust of wind swirls it away an you catch sight of your companions...

...and the figure, head still cocked to one side.

The three of you can just about make out the rough path, leading into the ruins, upon which this individual stands. Either side of this path the ground appears rather rough, replete with broken gravestones poking out from tall grass and gorse.

Posted: **Thu Sep 10, 2020 3:17 am**

"I don't think we should stray from the path," says Cynthia. "If this is an illusion, its purpose is probably to get us to do precisely that."

Posted: **Thu Sep 17, 2020 12:43 pm**

I presume the gentlemen of the party are not so gauche as to allow Miss Knight to proceed alone?

The figure does not react as you advance up the path, but remains stationary, head still tilted quizzically.
OOC:Wow, you’ve all just made a successful medicine check - I rolled a 1!

As you draw nearer, it doesn’t take a doctorate in biology to see that the figure’s neck is obviously snapped. His head (for you can tell that it is male), lolls at a right-angle to how it should be.

To heap horror upon horror, a fetid breeze stirs the mist enough to reveal the fellow’s scarred face...

...it is your companion Mr. Pritchard...

Please make a SAN roll; 1/1d6.

Posted: **Fri Sep 18, 2020 4:47 am**

Cynthia barely manages to suppress a scream.

Posted: **Fri Sep 18, 2020 2:50 pm**

My god, Pritchard was gruesome enough when he was alive...

Posted: **Fri Sep 18, 2020 2:53 pm**

Gruesome, gruesome, gruuuuesome...

Grigori can feel bile rising up in his chest...

Posted: **Sun Sep 20, 2020 5:34 pm**

Mr. Tereshchenko, your scream is of a higher pitch than one might expect, whereas Miss Knight, you hold your nerve.
While we await Professor Garrett's response, please ponder upon how you wish to proceed.

Posted: **Sun Sep 20, 2020 5:51 pm**

SAN: 54

[dice]0[/dice]

Lose 1 SAN - a most disquieting experience but I've kept my head, unlike the late Mr Pritchard.

Posted: **Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:06 pm**

Bravo Professor. Clearly you are a man of strong nerves!

The ghastly figure before you seems to be standing unaided on the path. However the undergrowth either side appears to have been trampled down, so it is possible to walk around the cadaver without risking entanglement.

Posted: **Tue Sep 22, 2020 2:45 am**

"What's keeping him on his feet?" Cynthia wonders aloud, taking a closer look at the corpse.

Posted: **Tue Sep 22, 2020 8:58 am**

"Perhaps he's propped up at the back, like a scarecrow?"

Posted: **Wed Sep 23, 2020 8:11 pm**

As far as you can tell (without getting too close to the late Mr. Pritchard), there is nothing keeping the corpse up. It is as if he is standing unsupported. Dead on his feet, if you will.

Inspecting the trampled area suggests that the undergrowth has simply been trampled by someone running around, as if in panic. Your former companion perhaps.

Another gust draws the mist behind him open like a tattered curtain, revealing the entrance to the ruined church - a dark, ragged maw of a hole, set in a crumbling wall.

Posted: **Wed Sep 23, 2020 9:16 pm**

"I can't believe Pritchard is dead, it's another of those abomnible delusions I'll warrant!"

Grigori picks takes his stick and swishes it in front of him, as if at some angry bees, and approaches what he takes to be a phantasm, testing its materiality by force...

Posted: **Wed Sep 23, 2020 9:35 pm**

Grigori, your stick strikes the cadaver with a solid, if sickly sounding, thwack.

Posted: **Thu Sep 24, 2020 3:39 am**

"Not an illusion, then," says Cynthia with a shiver. "Let's enter the ruined church without delay. We have to confront the villain behind this and stop him!"

Posted: **Mon Sep 28, 2020 9:57 pm**

Assuming we manage to get past the late Mr Pritchard. I'll look back in his direction a few times as we approach the church, just in case he suddenly comes after us. He may not be alive, but I'm not completely sure he's dead.

Posted: **Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:42 pm**

It is a short walk to the ruins of the church (looking back, Professor Garrett, it appears that the late Mr. Pritchard has not moved, although a spot hidden roll would say for sure).

The outer walls have crumbled to such an extent that there are several ways into the interior, which, judging by what remains, bears the hallmarks of an early medieval church.
The trappings of the church have long since perished and little can be discerned among the rubble save the pulpit, a smashed altar and a stone structure of some kind on a raised dais.

Posted: **Thu Oct 01, 2020 2:25 am**

"Let's get inside and find the entrance to the crypt," says Cynthia. "Maybe by the altar?"

Posted: **Sat Oct 03, 2020 4:10 pm**

On inspection, the smashed altar appears to be exactly that: a broken stone.

Perhaps a history or archaeology roll might help at this juncture?

Posted: **Sun Oct 04, 2020 12:08 am**

"There could be a priest hole hidden in here," says Cynthia. "Such things were common in the time of the dissolution. But that's likely to be too small. These types of churches didn't tend to have crypts, but there may be an individual tomb. Let's examine that stone structure. We may be able to tell more about it if we clear away the rubble."

Posted: **Sun Oct 04, 2020 3:02 pm**

"This place is exactly that of the horrible dream... That gap is where the stained-glass window once illuminated the pious...!"
[dice]0[/dice]

Posted: **Sun Oct 04, 2020 3:16 pm**

OOC: sigh, bogged up my san rolls again... I think the 93 was first...

Posted: **Sun Oct 04, 2020 3:17 pm**

OOC: ffs, not sure what's going on here... trying san loss again....

Posted: **Sun Oct 04, 2020 3:24 pm**

Grigori crumples his face and wringes his hands in anguish at the coincidence between the terrible vision and the reality he finds himself in...

"Матерь Божья protect us...! Oh my lord, we need fire and warmth in this place before it is too late...!"

He looks around for anything that might serve as firewood...

OOC: San is down to 40, by my reckinging he started this chapter on 47... Almost at that magic 20% level....

Posted: **Sun Oct 04, 2020 5:53 pm**

Mr. Tereshchenko, you blunder around the ruins desperately looking for something flammable. However such things will have rotted away over the centuries.

On a positive note, your frantic search helps Miss Knight shift the rubble from the stone structure to reveal, as expected, a tomb. As is often the case, the occupant of the tomb is represented in statue form, lying in repose on top. The fellow was obviously a knight of some kind, for he is portrayed in mail armour and holds a sword to his chest.

Of the identity of this noble personage there is no information, for his face has been smashed and any writing has long been erased.

Posted: **Sun Oct 04, 2020 10:39 pm**

"This must have been the Norman knight," says Cynthia. "Shall we open it? I'm afraid I can't be of much help, as I'm not very strong, but maybe I can find something we can use as a lever." She looks around for something that could fit the bill among the wreckage.

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2020 10:13 am**

Grigori looks, wide-eyed, at Miss Knight, and then the tomb...

Perhaps...

"I am no muscle-man Miss Knight, but perhaps if you will assist me... And you also, Garrett... We may shift this lid..."

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2020 10:20 am**

A combined strength test is in order I think (in other words, everyone can roll STR). Additionally, if someone can pass a spot hidden or luck test then perhaps a metal rod or somesuch can be found, which will give a -20 to your roll.

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2020 7:55 pm**

I willingly lend a hand, after casting around for a suitable lever:

Luck Roll 30 [dice]0[/dice]

Spot Hidden 45 [dice]1[/dice]

That's a no and a yes, possibly I find one but it's bent or on the brittle side?

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2020 8:09 pm**

You only needed to roll one or the other, so I'll be generous and let you have the spot hidden, whilst pointedly ignoring the luck roll

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2020 11:18 pm**

Cynthia can't find an adequate lever. Unsurprisingly, she is of little help in opening the tomb.

Posted: **Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:13 am**

Grigori looks around...

Posted: **Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:16 am**

He finds a higlhy suitable piece of iron railing...

And with feverish eyes, wedges it under the lip of the tomb's lid and heaves with all his might...

Posted: **Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:17 am**

OOC: Yaheeey, a glorious fumble... What terrible mishap do you want to inflict keeper?

Posted: **Tue Oct 06, 2020 12:44 pm**

Mr. Tereshchenko, your back spasms as you heave on the improvised lever. Yelling in pain you stagger backwards.

Please make a CON roll. If you pass, the effect is temporary and the twinging subsides. Fail and you have damaged your back somehow, giving you a penalty die on any rolls when taking physical action.
Please can everyone make a listen roll.

Posted: **Tue Oct 06, 2020 1:10 pm**

Aaaaargh!

Posted: **Tue Oct 06, 2020 1:14 pm**

Holding his back, Grigori wonders if he hears something, or if it is merely the whistling of the wind and the echoes of his own cries...

Posted: **Tue Oct 06, 2020 5:54 pm**

Cynthia hears nothing.

Posted: **Thu Oct 08, 2020 7:46 pm**

Listen 20% [dice]0[/dice]

Can't hear a thing above Mr Tereschenko's cries of pain.

"I say old chap, you'd better let me have a look at that. I know a bit about first aid - the basics anyway."

Posted: **Fri Oct 09, 2020 4:43 pm**

Professor Garrett, a quick check-up of Mr. Tereshchenko reveals no lasting damage to his back, though you may make a first aid roll if you wish to be sure. Beware the consequences of a fumble however.

You are also invited to try your hand at shifting the stone lid with an STR roll Professor, as you are the only one who hasn’t tried yet.

Considering the horrors ahead of you, I will also be generous and make a 60% luck roll. If I succeed, then the metal rod you have found is long enough for the three of you to manhandle at the same time.

[dice]0[/dice]
That’s a pass, so please can someone make a roll against your combined STR (at least those of you who wish to try together, as a fumble will effect everyone).

Posted: **Sat Oct 10, 2020 3:42 am**

Cynthia helps the others try to pry open the tomb.

Posted: **Sat Oct 10, 2020 3:00 pm**

The three of you easily manage to pry off the lid of the tomb, thankfully without further damage to your personages. The prone statue that lies serenely on top crashes to the floor with a heavy thud, the sword it is holding flying a little further before coming to rest with a metallic clatter against a chunk of masonry.

The open tomb reveals, as you have no doubt surmised, a yawning hole from which a rickety wooden ladder descends into the darkness below.

Please make another listen test, this time with a bonus die.

Posted: **Sun Oct 11, 2020 1:12 am**

"Someone's shuffling this way from outside," whispers Cynthia. "I'm afraid it's our late friend. We need to get below before he catches us up. One of you gentlemen should take the sword; we may have need of it. My talisman just got hot too. I think our foe is close."

Posted: **Sun Oct 11, 2020 4:43 pm**

Posted: **Mon Oct 12, 2020 3:27 am**

"He's moving slowly," Cynthia adds. "It'll take him a few minutes to reach us. Still, let's not waste them."

Posted: **Mon Oct 12, 2020 7:13 pm**

Listen 20% [dice]0[/dice]

bonus dice [dice]1[/dice]

"I can't hear a thing Miss Knight, but I'm happy to take your word for it. Perhaps you'd be better taking the sword Mr Tereschenko? Rough stuff isn't really my speciality."

Posted: **Tue Oct 13, 2020 4:07 pm**

Grigori taes a moment to listen, for clues... or trouble...

Posted: **Tue Oct 13, 2020 4:22 pm**

"Something is indeed scraping its way towards us...."

"I hope you won't have to use it Professor... but do take the sword nevertheless... If it comes to fighting, I intend to use this..."

And Grigori reveals the mechanism of his shotgun-stick..

"This will blast a hole in anything, living or dead...!"

Posted: **Tue Oct 13, 2020 7:44 pm**

"Let's hope so. I'm not sure I'm going to be much help with this." Waves sword around in an uncertain manner.

Posted: **Tue Oct 13, 2020 8:07 pm**

So, gallant adventurers, what next? Confront the source of the shuffling sound? Climb down the rickety ladder? Flee for your lives?

Posted: **Wed Oct 14, 2020 4:51 am**

"You'd certainly be more help than I would with it," says Vanessa. "Let's get down that ladder."

Posted: **Wed Oct 14, 2020 11:09 am**

"Has anyone got anything to make a light...?"

Grigori peers into the darkness below...

"Perhaps we could at least light a rag and drop it down to show us a little of what lies before us..."

Posted: **Wed Oct 14, 2020 12:03 pm**

A little light would be useful in this situation. Did anyone bring a lantern with them? I’ll allow a group luck test (roll for whoever has the lowest score) to see if you remembered to bring one, or picked one up from O’Kent’s cottage.

Posted: **Thu Oct 15, 2020 3:24 am**

"Maybe there's something here in the church we can use," says Cynthia, looking around. "There must at least be candles."

Posted: **Thu Oct 15, 2020 7:41 pm**

jp1885 wrote:A little light would be useful in this situation. Did anyone bring a lantern with them? I’ll allow a group luck test (roll for whoever has the lowest score) to see if you remembered to bring one, or picked one up from O’Kent’s cottage.

OOC: Apologies if I'm being dim - do we need to roll against the lowest luck stat in the group, or we all roll and the lowest number counts, success or failure?

Posted: **Thu Oct 15, 2020 7:58 pm**

OOC: Lowest stat, which Mr. Handy has rolled against and, alas, failed.

Posted: **Thu Oct 15, 2020 9:45 pm**

While Mr. Tereshchenko's search for something flammable was somewhat frantic, perhaps a more lebel-headed search will yield some candles or somesuch.

A spot hidden roll everyone, if you please (I'll allow you each a bonus die as you've already searched for a metal bar and so can discount certain sections of the ruin). If you succeed, then you find something from which to fashion a light source.

Oh, and by the way, if you failed to hear whatever it is that's shuffling towards you, you hear it now...

Posted: **Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:53 am**

"The pendant's getting hotter as that thing gets closer," remarks Cynthia, unable to find even a candle stub.

Posted: **Fri Oct 16, 2020 10:55 am**

Posted: **Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:57 pm**

Grigori takes a deep breath, steadies himself, ad looks one more time...

Posted: **Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:02 pm**

OOC: Grigori finds something, though I think I'll leave exactly what to our Keeper

Play@YSDC

[IC] Chapter 4: The Wergyn Estate

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