January 07 - Paris - The Catacombs (Felicity-Clarence)

[Mr. Handy]

"Do we follow him?" asks Felicity. "I'm not sure we can get back. Then again, we didn't know we could get back when we hopped aboard that train."

[aine]

“We know it’s here. We could come back once we find the others. As a last resort it might be an escape route if we get attacked by the beasts.
I’m worried though, if the others get back they might walk right into the beasts.”
Clarence is worried.

[Mr. Handy]

"We need a third person to help us move the stone," says Felicity. "We could ask one of the other patients, but I think Jacque is probably the only one brave enough. Although maybe the one who fled could be convinced to come back in our company."

[aine]

“Good idea.” Said Clarence. “Let’s see if we can find him.” He turns away from the light to follow in the direction the man fled.

[robertod]

Felicity and Clarence find the other patient. He soon arrives in their direction. He´s Etienne, the frail and depressed young man who also interacted with the investigators in word 7. He wanted to follow Jacque, but he pulled back at the last moment.
The patients of ward 7 had an idea about what´s underground through Albert, the catatonic patient who sometimes has visions of the Man Below.

"Albert had told us there´s a passage down here to leave this world. This where the friend of the man below are coming from. Jacque and I have long thought to get down here and search for it, but we were afraid of those creatures."

When the investigators went down, Jacque believed that was the right time, but Etienne didn't have the courage to follow him until the end.

"There are some creatures that are eating corpses, in the room where the bodies are accumulated. The way through the pool is free."
Etienne believes that the passage closed by the stone must lead to another exit.

"Albert said the man below has left the catacombs but he´s still in this world. So, there must be another exit."

Etienne agrees to help Felicity and Clarence to move the stone, but he wants them to accompany him to find the other way out.

[Mr. Handy]

"D'accord, we'll take you there once the stone is moved," says Felicity. "We know where it is. Jacque already escaped through it. Do you have any idea where it goes? Is it possible to return from that place?"

[robertod]

Etienne shakes his head with a look of terror.
"No no ... I don't want to follow Jacque. No way. I have no idea where he might have gone. I want to take the tunnel beyond the stone. It must lead out of here, somewhere else in Paris. I want to get out of the asylum, but I don't want to follow Jacque's madness. I want you to accompany me along the tunnel beyond the boulder. I believe it leads out of here, because the man below has been using it, but I'm not sure what I might find."

[aine]

“If it is a way out then I’m all for it. All of us together could find Andrew and Archie and move the stone when necessary.
Etienne, you are a brave and resourceful young man. Let us find this exit together- quietly though!”
Clarence turns to lead the way to the stone, listening for the beasts.

[Mr. Handy]

"Oui, we'll stay with you beyond the boulder," whispers Felicity. "The way out of here must be there, because we've explored everything else so far."

[robertod]

The way through the pool is safe, the trio has no encounters. The cold water seems to penetrate all the bones when the two investigators cross it again. If they don't find a warm place to dry off within the next few hours, Felicity and Clarence risk getting sick. This, however, is not their worst problem now. Arriving at the tunnel blocked by the boulder, they hear the animal-like grunts coming from the body room, along with strange noises, like beasts chewing on something. The group of creatures remain stationary in that room, but if the fugitives remove the boulder making too much noise, they risk calling attention.

OOC:   Felicity and Clarence need to roll on Stealth.

[Mr. Handy]

Felicity is quiet as a mouse.

Stealth roll (3 points spent):
1d6+3

[aine]

Clarence knows that silence is imperative so he does his very best.

Spending 3 points, roll:5 = 8

[robertod]

Quietly, the trio manage to move the boulder away and open their exit, while the grunts of the still unknown creatures continue to echo through the tunnels. The tunnel increases in size as Felicity, Clarence and Etienne go throught the new passage opened beyond the stone. They find themselves in another ancient catacomb, lined with burial niches that have been emptyed of their bones. The passageway continue for several hundeds of yards until ending in a wall, being an opening on the floor the only way to proceed. The underground tunnel is connected to a small cave, throught an opening on its floor. Out of the cave is the beach of gray sand and a lake.The beach ends are indeed close to a cavernous cavity that penetrates the rocky substance of a hill from where the investigators came from. The trio ended up in a small lake island, washed by the lake small waves and dotted with fragments of lifeless branches.

It is a vaguely circular islet located at one corner of the lake. It is connected to the southeastern shore of the lake by a small rusted iron suspension bridge. The islet is deserted and devoid of buildings. The chaotic weed vegetation doesn´t appear to have met human hand recently, suggesting that the place is not frequented, neither during the day. The islet includes a lonely mound, covered by a small group of skeletal shrubs. It only takes a few minutes to fully inspect the place. The lake is located in a park. As Felicity and Clarence gegin exploring the island, they see two familiar silhouettes approaching them at a brisk pace. They are Andrew and Archie.

OOC:   See the other thread with the whole group