Back to the Village (everyone)

[Mr. Handy]

Bonnie nods, too numb to add anything else.

[Philulhu]

That sounds like a Persuade roll to me, a hard one given your appearance and Father Ó Shaban’s outburst.

[Snapper]

1d%pd40%

That's a straight fail.

[Philulhu]

Mrs McPherson looked at Ascot suspiciously. Clearly there was more going on than he was letting on!

“I dinnae think so,” she said firmly. She moved around from behind the bar, the half dozen or so patrons now giving Ascot, Bonnie and Father Ó Shaban their full attention.

“Ye sit down and I’ll fetch ye some blankets. Frankie, ye pour these people a drink. Jamie - can ye go and fetch Dr McBride and we’ll get these cuts and bruises seen tae?” she said.

[Snapper]

Ascot is exhausted and out of ideas. He looks at his colleagues helplessly.

"I just need to telephone the Reverend, rather urgently. Won't take but a minute."

[Mr. Handy]

"Dinna fash, Jamie. Dr. McBride is oot," says Bonnie. She won't have him going out and putting himself in danger, especially since the man he seeks cannot come.

[BoyBlunder78]

Now and then Dr Douglas peeks his head up at the window before ducking back down as he sees the monstrous blood encrusted gateways to death glistening with saliva on all the patrons in the bar.

"Be brave Doctor, if i I can just get through the bar, its plain sailing to the sanctuary of my room."

[Philulhu]

“Oot oan a night like this?” said Mrs McPherson, peering out of the window into the wet, blustery night. “Some poor soul must be ill. Jamie - just leave a note instead. He’ll come when he’s able.”

Jamie, a hulking young farmer, drained his pint, picked up his shotgun bag from by the door and headed out into the night.

[Snapper]

Ascot staggers off to use the hotel pay phone to make a call to the good Reverend, hoping he's awake or answering calls at least.

[Joajackson]

The Father would not accept drinks, but would accept help. And then insist that that help helped it to a place in which he could change, and or take a bath.

[Philulhu]

Hamish was roused from his slumbers and came down to help Father Ó Shaban. Clearly still half-asleep he looked decidedly nonplussed by his master’s sudden reappearance.

When Ascot’s call was put through, Reverend MacAllan’s housekeeper answered the telephone and it took a few moments before she could understand Ascot well enough to go and fetch the Reverend. It was a further couple of minutes before he came to the telephone.

”Mr Ascot,” he said wearily. ”What can I do for you now?”

[BoyBlunder78]

“Oot oan a night like this?” said Mrs McPherson, peering out of the window into the wet, blustery night. “Some poor soul must be ill. Jamie - just leave a note instead. He’ll come when he’s able.”

Jamie, a hulking young farmer, drained his pint, picked up his shotgun bag from by the door and headed out into the night.

Seeing Jamie leave, Dr Douglas moved around the corner, trying to keep out of sight while he tried to regain his composure.

[Mr. Handy]

Bonnie figures that Jamie should be okay as long as he goes nowhere near the manor, and she wouldn't be able to protect him anyway if she were to follow him. She goes with Ascot to the phone.

[Snapper]

Ascot tries to get his wits, never his strong point, together.

"Reverend, you were right all along. There are unnatural creatures up at the manor. Demonic even. And somehow connected to those African trees up there."

"We were kidnapped earlier this evening from the village by Dr McBride and Willie, who was working for him. McBride is the missing heir to the manor. They forced us up to the manor at night, at gun point. McBride thought there was treasure, gold to be had and we'd discovered it. Nothing could be further from the truth."

"Then one of these creatures attacked them and killed them both. We barely escaped with our lives. Poor Dr Douglas had quite lost his wits from the experience."

"My next call will be to the police in Inverness but they may not be able to get here until the morning. I am fearful when I tell the locals what has happened, they may either attack us or decide to head up to the manor now. Either would be bad."

"As a good protestant, I give you my word this strange story is true. I'm pleading with you to come down to the public house now to help me talk to the local people. We can head up in the morning but they must stay away from the manor while it's dark."

[Philulhu]

Spot hidden 1d100

A man stepped out of the inn with a shotgun over his arm and started to make his way down the street, shoulders hunched against the steady drizzle that filled the night air. He passed Dr Douglas skulking by the window, then paused and turned around, stepping back and shifting the grip on his weapon.

”Who’s there? Show yerself!” he said, his sharp teeth glinting in the light from the inn window…

There was a pause at the other end of the line as Reverend MacAllan tried to take on board everything Ascot was telling him.

Finally, there was a heavy sigh. ”Well, either ye’re telling the truth or ye’ve gone start raving mad. Either way, it sounds like ye need ma help. I’ll be along shortly,” he said shortly, before putting down the phone.

There was a solid-sounding ‘thunk!’ and some muttered cursing as Hamish once again forgot to duck as he entered their shared room. ”Yer bath’s runnin’,” he said. He swallowed hard and carried on, ”Ye’ll be gettin’ oan all right oan yer own? Ye’ll no be expecting me tae bathe ye, will ye?”

[BoyBlunder78]

Seeing the abomination before him, with a shotgun no less. Dr Douglas cries out in fear holding up the knife infont of him, journal clasped to his chest. " STAY BACK! KEEP AWAY FROM ME YOU CREATURE FROM THE DARKEST DEPTHS OF HELL!!!" Before turning around a fleeing into the darkness.

[Philulhu]

Shotgun 1d100

Shotgun pellets peppered the wall above Dr Douglas’ head and the gutting and roof tiles on the cottage were demolished! As he disappeared into the darkness, the last thing he heard was ”Awww, shite…”

At the same time that Father Ó Shaban was lowering himself/being lowered into his bath and Ascot and Bonnie we’re returning to the bar to face the wary stares of the locals, a sudden shotgun blast rent the night air…

[BoyBlunder78]

Shotgun 1d100

[Philulhu]

He was aiming to miss - if he’d fumbled (95+) then the good doctor would have been picking buckshot out of his arse for a week!

[Snapper]

Finishing his call with the Reverend, Ascot sighs then puts through a call to the constabulary in Inverness...