IC - 16 - Day 3 - Simon and Jocelyn

[Mephistophilis]

Bates heads off before Simon and Jocelyn, who leave fifteen minutes later in Jocelyn's car.

The start of their route is quite pleasant, taking the A404 through the Buckinghamshire and Berkshire countryside in the bright sunshine. Unfortunately traffic is still heavy, catching the tail end of rush hour, so they make relatively slow progress.

After about forty minutes they join the M4 which is now flowing fairly freely with traffic, most of the commuters already in work. Up ahead the bright skies darken and angry looking grey clouds descend rapidly. The wind starts to whip up and heavy rain begins falling. Within minutes there is a layer of water on the surface of the road and Jocelyn has the windscreen wipers on full pelt.

Jocelyn,Roll Drive Auto

[Silver Priest]

Simon keeps quiet unless spoken to, still trying to figure the puzzle out. Some things simply did not make sense. Parts of him almost want to start believing that these end times prophecy's were true... but that was absurd, and he was not crazy enough to truly believe them yet.

"Someone was in your room last night, you say?" He asks Jocelyn. "I think perhaps they paid me a visit as well. Perhaps we were drugged or something similar. It would explain my visions and how they were able to flip open the bible you saw. Rather clever gaslighting operation, I must say. I'm impressed. Though as of yet I'm not sure what exactly Balfour or his followers seek to gain by intimidating us. Another reason it's critical we find Lindsay; I suspect she has a few answers. Perhaps she was subjected to similar tricks, could explain why she undertook such madness."

He seems to be back to his usual self, logic shielding him again from any truly disturbing thoughts.

Then the rain starts, and he frowns. "Perfect. It was supposed to be clear today. Bloody forecasters always getting it wrong."

[Mr. Handy]

"Whoever did it must have been trying to send me a message," says Jocelyn, managing to drive well enough in spite of the foul weather. "At least the bad weather isn't part of a plague. It's rather typical of England. Although maybe it's the plague of darkness. I can hardly see the sun."

OOC,Drive Auto roll (50% skill) during the storm: 0

[Mephistophilis]

The temperature drops and the heavy patter of the rain turns into a sharper rat-a-tat as hail begins to ricochet off the bonnet and windscreen. Flashes in the sky presage several claps of thunder as the weather turns nastier. The wind begins to whistle and Jocelyn can feel the car buffeted from side to side.

The storm picks up further and visibility plummets. Jocelyn puts on her fog lights and the traffic begins to slow. The sound of the hail becomes louder until it is more of a series of thuds, large golf ball size lumps of ice are bouncing off the car, the repetitive crashing into the roof is particularly disconcerting as it causes the chassis to shake and vibrate. This is the worst hailstorm Simon and Jocelyn have ever experienced.

Through the wall of hail, whipping around in the gale, Jocelyn struggles to stay in her lane, great gusts of wind slamming into the car. They can make out what looks like lightening striking several points on the road up ahead followed by deafening claps of thunder. Hazard lights flash and cars begin to slow right down and pull over onto the hard shoulder.

OOC,Jocelyn roll Drive Auto again. Simon roll Spot Hidden

[Silver Priest]

"Find us somewhere to take cover!" Simon demands. "This weather is going to kill us!" He sinks down in the seat, trying to make himself less of a target.

Spot Hidden 25%,0

[Mr. Handy]

"Bloody hell!" cries Jocelyn, trying to slow down and pull over as well, but it isn't easy. "Hail is one of the plagues, I just remembered."

OOC,Drive Auto roll (50% skill) during the storm: 0 I'd better spend 9 Luck to make that a success.

[Mephistophilis]

Jocelyn brings the car to a halt on the hard shoulder, skidding slightly on the icy surface, skewed across the road. There are several cars stopped up ahead and some even seem stationary on the inside lane.

The hail worsens and cricket ball sized chunks of ice hammer the windscreen, leaving pitted indentations, thin cracks starting to criss-cross the glass. Lightening strikes the road a few metres ahead and then, as a loud crack sounds, another fork of lightening arcs down from the thunderclouds overhead, striking the roof, just above the windscreen. Sparks explode from the chassis and an acrid burning smell fills the cabin. The rear window shatters.

Before they can react to the lightening, a massive hunk of ice slams through the windscreen showering them with shards of glass. Simon takes the brunt of the hailstone.

OOC,Roll to see who gets hit by the ice - under 50 it's Simon 0. 1d3 damage to Jocelyn and 1d6 damage to Simon from the glass and ice. Sanity check 1/1d3 for the sheer panic at this unfolding disaster that seems almost unnatural. When they recover their sense both Simon and Jocelyn have the chance to look outside and roll Spot Hidden.

[Silver Priest]

"There's a rational explanation..." Simon begins to scold Jocelyn before the lightning strikes the car and the hail hits him.

damage,0

san 64%,1 2 loss if fail

Spot Hidden 25%,3

He lets out another scream and shrinks further down into the car, though the damage is thankfully minimal. It does mean he's not paying attention to anything going on around him, however.

[Mephistophilis]

Simon,He could, of course, spend Luck or push the roll by looking out the window. I'm not saying if that would be a good or a bad thing to do!

[Silver Priest]

Keeper,Tempting, but I think at the moment Simon is terrified and not in the mood to be looking around. :D

[Mr. Handy]

Jocelyn also suffers only minor injuries and manages to keep her wits about her. She spots something outside.

OOC,Damage from the hail: 0 Sanity roll (current level 60) for the hailstorm: 1 Spot Hidden roll (60% skill) looking outside: 2

[Mephistophilis]

Her eyes drawn by the flashes of lightening, Jocelyn looks up into the storm.

Jocelyn,In the heart of the storm she sees a shape coalesce, it looks like an angry face, framed by cloudy black angel’s wings, lightning flashing from the eyes. [img]https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/004/255/600/99cc5c773946314ddfab03190e407767_original.jpg?ixlib=rb-2.1.0&w=680&fit=max&v=1438641904&auto=format&frame=1&q=92&s=593caf4a41eec524931457c4976d50ee[/img] Sanity check, 1/1d10

The wind eases off slightly, the relentless rat-a-tat dropping to a lower pitched rattling of smaller hail stones battering the car and streaming through the shattered front and rear windows.

[Mr. Handy]

"It's the Passover Angel!" cries Jocelyn, pointing.

OOC,Sanity roll (current level 59) for seeing the "angel": 0 Sanity loss: 1

[Silver Priest]

Simon looks at where Jocelyn is pointing to see if he spots anything.

Spot Hidden 25% if needed,0

[Mephistophilis]

Pointing into the sky, Jocelyn lets out an involuntary shriek and flinches away. Simon's gaze follows her finger to look into the heart of the storm.

Simon,A shape coalesces, it looks like an angry face, framed by cloudy black angel’s wings, lightning flashing from the eyes. [img]https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/004/255/600/99cc5c773946314ddfab03190e407767_original.jpg?ixlib=rb-2.1.0&w=680&fit=max&v=1438641904&auto=format&frame=1&q=92&s=593caf4a41eec524931457c4976d50ee[/img] Sanity check, 1/1d10

[Silver Priest]

san 63%,0 1

As Simon looks, his eyes widen and his mind breaks.

Int 85%,2

Keeper,I admit I was hoping Simon wouldn't see anything. ;) Well, he failed his int roll so I'm hoping he's able to rationalize this somehow. I kind of like the idea of him stubbornly trying to refuse to accept what's going on and clinging to logic as a faith as the situation gets crazier and crazier.

[Mephistophilis]

Simon,Unfortunately, while Simon has avoided Temporary Insanity he's lost enough Sanity today for Indefinite Insanity. Gain Cthulhu Mythos 5%. I have an idea for how this might affect Simon but let me know if you have any ideas - I'd be looking for insanity that allows him to continue the investigation in some way

[Silver Priest]

Keeper,Perhaps Simon refuses to believe this is supernatural and is obsessed with finding a rational explanation, ignoring all evidence to the contrary? Nothing he sees can convince him otherwise, and if people insist on it or if he finds something he can't understand, he grows more agitated to the point of violence. If this does not work though I'm fine with anything else. Maybe a fear of Christian symbology and angels? Curious to hear your idea.:)

[Mephistophilis]

Simon,Okay, that's fine with me. Simon will have an Underlying Insanity which will be a 'phobia' of Christian symbology - that'll persist long-term. His Bout of Madness (which is going to last a while, the whole investigation probably!) is an outright refusal, to the point of delusion, to recognise any supernatural explanation for any of his experiences, even to violence when challenged. Wanna roleplay that out for the sighting of the angel

[Silver Priest]

For a second absolute panic fills Simon, as his worldview is severely jeopardized. He feels a buzzing begin to fill his head, and it reaches a crescendo and then breaks. Absolute clarity fills him, and he begins to laugh. It is a stressed and high pitched sound.

"Camera tricks, that's all it is! Look there, you can see the wires! Oh, Balfour is a clever man! He and Red Trumpet must be projecting some sort of hologram into the sky to make people think they are witnessing his herald. Or perhaps they are drugging the area like they did to us last night, making everyone hallucinate seeing The Passover Angel. Nothing else could explain the lightning strikes. Yes, a fun ploy, but you can see that this is all a carefully constructed illusion, designed to fool the weak willed and naive. And Simon Eagleton is neither, ha ha! After this is over I must figure out precisely how he did it. Perhaps he's working with a Holloywood special effects studio..." He continues to mutter to himself, his eyes not leaving the Angel's. He's not scared of it, he knows it's an illusion, but it makes him uncomfortable,and he understands why.

"Balfour is clever to use Christian imagery to pull off his con. And there was so much of it! Even a simple cross could be part of his deception. We need to be vigilant and avoid it as much as possible. Only in that way could we be free of Balfour's tricks. "