[IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

September, 1915. On the western front, battle rages less than 100 km from Paris. Paris, the beautiful. Paris, the proud. Paris, a city on her knees. The government has fled the capital, seeking a safe haven in Bourdeaux. General Joseph Gallieni is now military governor of the city, and he faces a terrible task. There is not enough food for everyone. The city is dark at night, for fear of bombardments. Explosives and ammunitions are manufactured inside the city, sometimes resulting in terrible incidents that costs tens of lives. And this is just on the surface. Dark tales tell of monstrous, yet horribly human-like creatures, prowling through the battlefields and the graveyards, eating human flesh. Even darker tales revolve around a mysterious and incredibly powerful tome of ancient, dark magic; a tome that could destroy the balance of power between the Germans and the Franco-British coalition.
And yet, even among all this despair, human nature finds his hope. Hundreds of people arrive in the city every day: soldiers, journalists, thrill-seekers. Each one injects fresh energy into the agonizing city. Entertainment is the only thing that is not rationed - music halls, theaters and the Moulin Rouge are shining beacons of light, metaphorically if not physically. New forms of art cry out as newborn children.

Semptermber, 1915. Paris, the city of tears. A mysterious murder sets in motion a chain of events that, unknowingly to the rest of the world, will decide the outcome of the war. Millions of lives are at stake. There will be no glory for the unsung heroes, no recognition for the martyrs. A terrible power awaits those willing to use it - or seal it. What will you do? How far are you willing to go for your friends, your loved ones, your country?

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[IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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You gather the necessary equipment and finally head to the catacombs. Before getting there, you leave Andre to the care of his family, as he doesn't seem fit to venture into another dangerous expedition. Jean-Luc remains with him, with a gun, in case someone with bad intentions comes looking for him.

It's now mid-afternoon, and soon the night will fall, but it won't really make a difference down there, and you're eager to put this whole mess behind you. With you is Madeleine Morvan, without her usual smile and a preoccupied expression on her face, and a young gendarme called Francis Bateau. You light up a couple of torches before entering, then head down into the darkness.

Image Image

And you enter into a land of the dead. Wherever you turn, there are bones, and skulls watching you with empty eyes. The light of your torches plays with the bones, painting fleeting smiles on the faces of people dead centuries ago. Even if every turn seems the same as the last, Madeleine confidently guides you on, deeper and deeper, into corridors and halls unknown to the living, without even stopping to think.

Spoiler:
Decide what equipment you carry with you as you enter. Anything else you might need later on will require a Preparedness spend.
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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Image

Jacques carries an electric torch and his pistol, and he has brought along plenty of extra bullets and a spare battery for the torch. He also has his truncheon, which is attached to his belt. He has a full canteen of water on his belt, and a backpack containing a first aid kit, a long sturdy rope, climbing spikes, and rations, in case they end up in the catacombs for a long time. If one is available, he brings along a map of the catacombs, as well as some chalk to mark their trail. He wants them to be able to find their way back out, just in case. He has a compass too, to aid with navigation.
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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Francois carries an electric torch, his pistol, and his shotgun as well as extra cartridges for both. He wears his greatcoat with a spare battery tucked carefully into one of the pockets, a cold chisel to permanently mark their path is wrapped in a cloth and placed in another, he also has some candles and matches a canteen of water and a hip flask with some decent brandy in it.
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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OOC,I also still have my saber. I'd forgotten to mention it.
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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You keep moving ahead, deeper inside. The place is weird, and unsettling, but after Verchanne, a few skulls and bones won't be enough to impress you. Finally, Madeleine slows down, as you approach what seems to be a large underground room.
Spoiler:
Roll Sense Trouble.
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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Image

Jacques has a bad feeling.
OOC,Sense Trouble roll (3 points spent): [dice]0[/dice]
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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Francois is to involved in his surroundings and loses sight of the bigger picture
Sense Trouble,Sense Trouble roll: [dice]0[/dice]
Last edited by ghill on Wed Nov 22, 2017 11:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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A vast network of tunnels seems to converge to the room where you're headed. There are more side tunnels departing from the main ones, linking them like a web. "We've arrived", Madeleine says with a cold voice, entering the room.
Jacques,You see shadows moving around in the other tunnels, fast shadows, humanoid in shape. They disappear before you can focus on them.
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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Where did you hide it mutters Francois not happy in the dark with no visible sky.
OOC:   Francois isn't claustrophobic, but I can imagine a man so in love with the outdoors as he is isn't going to be overly happy deep below the ground  
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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Image

"I saw man-shaped shadows moving in those tunnels," whispers Jacques. "More ghouls, perhaps? They moved away, but they're still around."
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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Perhaps like wolves they gauge our strength waiting for an opportune moment to thin the herd says Francois
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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Image

You walk inside a large room, full of bones like all the rest. A tombstone on the wall to your right, with a golden crucifix on it, reports that this room contains the bones of the victims of a large fire in the 3rd arrondissement, about two centuries ago. There isn't much difference with the rest, at least that you can see. But perhaps knowing that the memory was going to live through the centuries offered some measure of comfort to the people who buried these bones. In front of you, one wall has caved in, or perhaps was demolished, revealing a much larger cavern beyond that. It appears to be natural, not human-made.

"Don't shoot", Madeleine says with a note of urgency in her voice. "Whatever happens, don't shoot. If you shoot, none of us will live to see the light of the day again. Now follow me", and she walks quickly through the room and into the cavern.
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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Image

"That won't be a problem," says Jacques, following her. "I've no wish to start a fight with them." If it does come to a fight, he's perfectly capable with a sword, though that would still likely prove to be extremely dangerous.
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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Francois steps over the rubble, his shotgun in both hands but muzzle pointing down, he has no desire to start a fight in this place
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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The room opens up into a vast cavern, so vast you can't see where it ends with the feeble lights you carry. There shouldn't really be anything like this under Paris, or at least, the government, the military, someone should know. Yet you're here, and you feel like you're the first people here in centuries.
This strange sensation vanishes once you see the house. A very normal house, with wooden walls, a door, and windows. Even a stone chimney. The most normal house you can think of, but here, it's just another weirdness. Something completely out of place inside a space that should not exist.
As if everything is completely normal, Madeleine is walking towards the house. You're no more than 30 meters away from it.
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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Image

Jacques follows Madeleine, staying alert to their surroundings. She could have hidden it somewhere that didn't stick out like a sore thumb, he thinks. Anyone who stumbled upon it would know it was unusual.
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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Francois follows the other two, the cavern he thinks must be one of the large quarries that he has been told are scattered around the catacombs. But the house?
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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You are walking towards the house when you notice the shadows moving around you. Lots of shadows. Alarmed, you swing your flashlights in a wide arc, revealing a shocking and horrible sight: ghouls. There are ghouls everywhere. Dozens of them, possibly more than one hundred. They have surrounded you, cutting your way back. But surprisingly, they don't look ready to attack, although they could surely slaughter you in a matter of moments, should they choose to. Instead they're standing still, an army of pale bodies acting almost like an honor guard welcoming an important guest. "Easy now, don't lose your head", Madeleine whispers as she keeps walking.
Spoiler:
Roll Stability.
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

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Image

Jacques tries to remain calm, and he follows Madeleine. He doesn't even reach for a weapon, knowing that it wouldn't do any good.
OOC,Stability roll (no points spent) for seeing the ghouls: [dice]0[/dice]
Doctor Who/CoC Campaign:
(viewforum.php?f=176)The Terror Out of Time
(viewforum.php?f=191)]The Ninth Planet
The Shadow Over Dunwich
The Brotherhood of Death
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The Masque of Nyarlathotep
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Re: [IC - SCENE 8] The Catacombs

Post by ghill »

Francois places the butt of the shotgun snugly into his shoulder but keeps the muzzle pointed firmly at the floor.

Stability,[dice]0[/dice]
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