Cassandra

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Meanwhile, a pair of battles rage.

Adam and the unknown woman struggle hand-to-hand, growling at each other wordlessly.

Spoiler:

equal characteristics, so Adam first2d20damaged6

Adam strikes the woman harshly upon the mouth, drawing blood and knocking her back a few steps. Then, as if their rage is transformed in an instant into other emotions, the woman begins to sob shamelessly, and Adam whines, as if pleading for forgiveness.

At the same time, Cassandra, her bloodlust unsated, lunges at Doctor Hoffman. The intended victim lifts an object that hangs around her neck to ward her off; not a cross, as one might think, but the large, multi-colored bauble she always wears.

Spoiler:

wis 9 to resistd20

Whatever Doctor Hoffman intended by this gesture, it has had no effect, and Cassandra continues to attack.

Spoiler:

dex 11d20

Doctor Hoffman just barely manages to leap aside as Cassandra grabs at her throat. Cassandra hisses with fury at being frustrated.

[Mr. Handy]

"What about Dr. Hoffman?" asks Victoria. "She's still down there."

[SunlessNick]

"Julia!" Maggie screams. She looks around for something that might be able to ward off Cassandra.

[Mr. Handy]

"I have my crucifix," says Victoria, brandishing it to force Cassandra to back away from Dr. Hoffman.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

As before, Cassandra turns away from the holy object with cries of pain. Doctor Hoffman rushes to join the others, leaving Adam and the woman behind.

"Lock them inside!" Doctor Hoffman cries.

[Mr. Handy]

"What about Adam?" asks Victoria. "He'll be trapped down there with them! I don't think he really understands what's going on. He's like a baby. A very big, very strong baby who doesn't know his own strength, but still. It hardly seems right to abandon him."

[SunlessNick]

Maggie goes to do what Julia says, but hesitates at Vix's words. "Adam, come on!" she screams.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

cha rolld20

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

cha rolld20

Drawn by the sound of Maggie's voice, Adam approaches her, holding his hands out to her.

"This is a very dangerous game you're playing," Doctor Hoffman warns.

Meanwhile, left together, Carolyn and the woman fight each other like enraged wild animals, neither one able to overcome the other.

[SunlessNick]

As soon as Adam is out, Maggie slams the door, shutting the two combattants inside. "Can we lock it?" she asks.

[Mr. Handy]

"I think we'd better," says Victoria. "We can return in the morning, better equipped and with help. Then we'll have the sun on our side. It can restore a newly turned vampire to humanity, or it can destroy one that's older. But we need to get Barnabas somewhere safe before dawn. The only way he can be restored at this point is through true love, and that sometimes takes time."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Once things have settled down a bit, Doctor Hoffman hurriedly offers some information.

"Barnabas is free from the symptoms of his . . . condition as long as Adam is safe. It's much too complicated to explain now, but, in essence, enough of the life force has been transferred to restore Barnabas to a normal state, while keeping Adam alive. We've got to keep Adam away from prying eyes, and make sure he doesn't get into any more trouble."

Barnabas weakly agrees by nodding his head, while Willie stands by, clearly badly shaken. Adam follows Maggie around mutely. Meanwhile, crashing and snarling sounds come from beyond the locked door.

[Mr. Handy]

"Then it's doubly good we got Adam out of there," says Victoria. "We should barricade the door, just in case it doesn't hold."

[SunlessNick]

Maggie nods and looks around for stuff to wedge against the door.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

There is plenty of heavy furniture around the place to create a strong barricade, and to block out the sound of battle going on beyond the door. Adam, eager to please, at least for the moment, easily lifts even the heaviest objects and places them where directed to do so.

"What are we gonna tell Mister Collins?" Willie asks nervously. "He'll be real upset if his wife and the guy claiming to be her brother just disappear, maybe get the cops involved.

"That is a problem," Doctor Hoffman remarks. "If the police decide to search this house . . ."

[Mr. Handy]

"What if he could be made to think that he wasn't really her brother, and that the two of them just ran off together and left town?" asks Victoria. "Without any idea of where they went, he'd never be able to track them down, and if he tried, he wouldn't be looking around here. I'm no good at lying, though."

[SunlessNick]

"I'm not either," Maggie says, "but it sounds like the best idea."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

unexplained rolls for future use2d202d6

Perhaps to their surprise, when they confront Roger with this story, which takes some courage, he does not seem entirely surprised.

"I knew there was something going on," he confesses, after taking a large drink of whiskey. "But I thought it was with that damned lawyer. Cassandra is a very . . . passionate woman. I suppose she can't help herself. I seem doomed to be an utter failure at matrimony." He continues to drink heavily.

Time passes. The lawyer, Tony Peterson, seems to have vanished.

"Probably left town after Cassandra tossed him away for another plaything," Roger remarks bitterly.

The only other unusual event during this time is the discovery of the body of an unknown woman in the sea cave at the bottom of Widow's Hill. The police have been unable to identify her.

[Mr. Handy]

"I wonder whose body that was," says Victoria to Maggie, not certain whether it was Cassandra or the other woman. Whoever it was, someone had gotten her out of the basement and moved her to the cave. "No doubt they believe she went over Widow's Hill and the tide washed her into the cave."

[SunlessNick]

Have there been rumours at the diner of anyone going missing?