Play@YSDC

Curled up in the corner, gibbering in fear, "Horrible, evil, gnashing maws of death, black holes of decay swallowing my soul, ALL our souls!" still waving his knife, his breathing steadying as he sees Ascot turn his back and leave the room.

"I think the beastie is gone," says Bonnie, following Ascot. "If not, he has the journal. I dinna think he wants us near him now, and there's naught we could do to protect him if we stayed. Hopefully he'll come to his senses soon and follow us out."

The Father followed with Ascot and Bonnie, for he was really just an scared old man at this point. He did it while praying, for there were two new bodies claimed by the Lord, and the destiny of their souls deserves his care.

Dr Douglas watched as the rest of the group left the room before slowly getting to his feet. Journal clasped tightly in one hand, dagger in the other and slowly walked to the door way. Peering slowly around the corner, making sure that he was alone before making his way out.

Ascot found McBride’s revolver discarded in a pool of blood on the floor. Leading away into a thankfully be-shadowed corner, were two bloody streaks on the floor. Whether the beast had dragged the doctor there to feed or whether the doctor had tried to crawl away to some semblance of safety wasn’t clear, but it was clearly moot, as there was neither sound nor movement, indicating that their erstwhile foe was no more.

Making their way through the silent Manor House, trailed by Dr Douglas (who would shy away from their sharp white teeth in their blood-flecked maws when any of them turned to check he was still there), Ascot, Bonnie and Father Ó Shaban emerged from the entrance into the rain that still fell steadily from the sky.

In front of them, stood one of the strange African trees, but not as they had previously seen it. It had been tall and straight, but now the trunk was warped and buckled, as if twisted out of shape by an almighty force…

Bonnie looks around for Willie's body, and his shotgun.

The eviscerated corpse of Willie Stewart lay on the ground, mangled and torn, with his shotgun nearby.

Can I have a luck roll and a SAN roll, please.

Revolver in hand and cutlass tucked through his belt, Ascot stares at the warped tree in horror and suspicion. "What has happened here? Are even these strange African trees not to be trusted?"

"Whatever the case, let's get us back to the public house and some hope of safety. And we must get Dr Douglas some help. Or whisky."

Trying to keep the others close (Douglas excepted), Ascot warily heads back towards the village.

Are there any beastie tracks to be seen?

Surveying the carnage all around him Dr Douglas gingerly steps through and over all the blood and remains, before fixing his gaze on the gnarled, mangled tree infront of him, shuddering he sees the others in the distance and begins to follow, journal and knife still clutched tightly in his hand, eyes wide, jumping at every sound, expecting the creature to reappear at any moment.

Ascot could see that the tracks led straight to the tree and, as he drew closer, he could determine the cause of the misshapen trunk.

The bulges were what protruded of the creature’s limbs as it had fought its reabsorption into the tree. Circumnavigating the trunk, he saw another protrusion on the other side and found himself staring up at the silent, screaming maw, now at one with its timbers host once more.

The Father continued his prayer as he followed Sir Ascot. And being near him, he would presumably soon see the strange deformed shape of the tree and its incomprehensible cause. If that was to happen, the Father was surely to declare quite a viciously considerable amount of insults in arabic. For this was clearly proof of demonic influences.

"Bloody hell," mutters Bonnie when she sees the remains, thus demonstrating that she does say worse things than the gentlemen. While she takes them in stride, the shotgun doesn't look to be in good shape.

Luck roll (55% stat) finding the body and shotgun:
d%
Sanity roll (current level 61) for finding Willie:
d%

Ascot reels away from the tree and its monster, his simple mind in turmoil and horror at this unnatural sight. Revolver pointed safely at the night sky, he frantically continues to urge his two sane colleagues away, trying to keep them moving, watch the suspect tree, and watch for more monsters all at the same time.

As he does, he whispers hoarsely, "Hush! It's in the tree, or the tree has grown around it, or something. But we need to get away now before it wakes again. Hurry, we must get back to the village. And the poor Doctor seems to be following us, at least."

They staggered through the muddy woods, stumbling over tree roots, every shadow a threat, every moment expecting something to leap out at them! Soaked with rain, bloodied by thorns and muddied up to the eyeballs, the were mightily relieved when the lights of Strathmorn suddenly twinkled through the trees, giving them renewed hope!

Almost running to the inn, they shoved the door open into the bar. Mrs McPherson looked up sharply from the person she was serving, blinking at the unexpected intrusion. Visibly taken aback at their appearance, she put the glass down unsteadily upon the bar, causing the liquid to slop over the rim and run down her fingers.

“Good Lord! What on earth has happened tae ye?!” she exclaimed.

The Father Ó Shaban really was quite prepared to be intensive for wathever had just happened, but also was incredibly tired and weak.

"Ze Prredator! A beast, inshallah!"

With this declared, he would do everything he could to get to change his clothes, meaning in the privacy of a room, bathroom or equivalent, because he wasnt insane yet. And if possible, to take a bath.

Philulhu wrote: ↑Wed Jul 26, 2023 3:16 pm

Dr Douglas is still feeling the effects of his break from his reality and will continue to hang back from the others. As far as he is concerned, looking through the pub window (after the others have gone in, naturally) all he can see is his friends and a number of others conversing with their large, blood-flecked mouths…

What he said......plus...

Seeing the hotel full of these abominations Dr Douglas whimpering cowers down under the window frame, wondwring how he is goinf to survive the night, ket alone get to the safety of his room.

Ascot had hastily stashed the revolver in his coat pocket before walking through the door. Grateful beyond reason to be in even this unwelcoming public house, nonetheless, he tries to get his addled wits together to make a plan. One that didn't involve panicking or getting lynched by the unwelcoming locals.

Ascot looks at Father Shaban, finger to his lips. "Hush Father, you are exhausted. Bath, dry clothes, bed, I recommend, eh?"

Then he turns to Mrs McPherson. "Madam, I am afraid we went out in the dark, and we've been blundering about trying to find our way back. We've all grown soft in big towns and cities, we forget how easy and dangerous it is to get lost, somewhere as wild and rugged as Strathmorn."

"I would be grateful if you could pour us a whisky each to warm our bones, then we will need to get cleaned up. And I must needs make a phone call. And I think we better make a call on the good Reverend in the morning too."

Ascot looks at his colleagues meaningfully, hoping they will agree with his plan.