The Devourer Below

[Mr. Handy]

Spoiler:

I didn't realize it worked that way, or I'd have split up to go to a new location last turn. In that case, we have even less time to spare than I'd thought, so I'd better go off on my own. At least I'll be able to handle a monster if one pops up on me. I'll have to spend my first action going back to the Main Path and my second going to a new Woods location.

[Tabs]

Spoiler:

2 clues. Ha! if only Skids had found this place first.

[Mr. Handy]

Turn 2 Investigator Phase

Daisy follows the men back to the main path, but she soon gets separated from them and is lost in the woods. She finds herself at the base of a cliff. She isn't the world's best climber, but thanks to her flashlight, she is able to reach the top.

Spoiler:

Yeah, it would have been better if you'd found my location and I'd found yours. Still the flashlight will help me, as it reduces shroud regardless of the attribute being tested. It won't help with your Intellect test for getting out of your location, though.
Action 1: Move to Main Path
Action 2: Move to Arkham Woods (Cliffside)
Action 3: Activate Flashlight to investigate
Agility test (2 skill vs. 2 - 2 = 0 shroud):

Mr. Handy rolled 1d17:
17

2 minus 5 results in a minimum of 0, which is still a success! 1 Clue gained.

[Tabs]

Skids watched the flashlight's beam as it flicked to and fro amongst the tree trunks. Daisy was some way away and he felt concerned for her safety, all alone in the woods. If he'd realised she was scrambling up a cliff he'd have gone into a decline, but he only marvelled at how useful a flashlight really was...

Upkeep Phase 2

Skids draws and gains 1 resource.

Daisy draws and gains 1 resource.

[Tabs]

Mythos Phase 3

Place 1 doom on the agenda (3/4).

Skids draws

Advance agenda.



1 doom





"Umordhoth... Umordhoth... Umordhoth..."

Skids winced and ducked as if physically struck. The gloom of the woods became a shade darker. "Shit bricks," he muttered, an imprecation from his elementary schoolyard.

Daisy draws

Main Path [Ghoul Minion (1 doom)] -> connected to each other Woods location.

Quiet Glade -> Cliffside

Cliffside [Daisy, Ghoul Minion] -> Quiet Glade

Twisting Paths [Skids]

[Mr. Handy]

Spoiler:

You should probably try to get the two clues at your location and equip your machete so that you can quickly kill lone ghouls. I think I can handle the ghoul at my location with Mind over Matter and then pick up the second clue (using Working a Hunch if I run out of actions).

[Tabs]

Investigation Phase 3



Skids cocks his head, listening? "Yeah, let's investigate these twisting paths!"

Action 1: Play Flashlight.



Action 2: Investigate, using Flashlight, Twisting Paths (shroud 3 -2). Intellect 3, Chaos token

Tabs rolled 1d17:
7

(-2); success! 1 clue gained.

Action 3: Investigate, using Flashlight, Twisting Paths (shroud 3 -2). Intellect 3, Chaos token

Tabs rolled 1d17:
16

(elder sign +2 and gain 2 resources); oh yeah! 1 clue gained.

Action 4: Play Machete.



He poked around with the flashlight's beam, and discovered a torn piece of hessian cloth and a pot of red powder--he didn't know what to make of these clues but stowed them in his voluminous pockets anyhow. Leo de Luca handed him a machete, something more at home slicing its way through vine tendrils and other tropical vegetation. "You're gonna need it," said Leo. "I fuckin' hope not," replied Skids, sliding the machete under his belt.

[Mr. Handy]

Turn 3 Investigator Phase

No sooner has Daisy reached the top of the cliff than one of the hideous canine-featured creatures rushes at her from the woods and slams her to the ground. "HELP!" she screams at the top of her lungs. While she is sure that Skids and his friend will be able to hear her wherever they are, she is equally sure that they will never get to her in time. She struggles with the monster, but she is not strong enough, and it seems to have superhuman strength. Its claws further shred her clothing, and it brings its face close to hers, drool dripping from its jaws as it leers at her. She turns her head aside, clenching her eyes shut, sobbing and shrieking as it nuzzles her neck. Then she feels it hike her skirt and force her legs apart. "NO!" she cries, despair nearly overwhelming her. However, she manages to keep enough of her wits about her to realize that if she is going to get out of this, she will have to use her mind rather than her flagging strength. When it tries to thrust forward, she propels the beast upwards so that it sails over her and off of the edge of the cliff. It lands far below with a crunch.

Still weeping and trembling, Daisy drags herself to her feet and takes a good look around her. Suddenly, everything becomes clear.

Spoiler:

Nicely done!

Fast Action: Play Mind over Matter.
Action 1: Fight Ghoul Minion
Intellect test (5 skill vs. 2+1 = 2):

Mr. Handy rolled 1d17:
5

5 -1 = 4. Ghoul Minion takes 1 damage.
Action 2: Fight Ghoul Minion
Intellect test (5 skill vs. 2+1 = 2):

Mr. Handy rolled 1d17:
8

5 -2 = 3. Ghoul Minion takes 1 damage and is defeated
Action 3: Investigate
Intellect test (5 skill vs. 2 shroud = 3):

Mr. Handy rolled 1d17:
1

5 +1 = 6. 1 Clue gained.

[Tabs]

"DAISY!" he cried, "Daisy, DAISY!" He said in a strangled whisper, his gut wracked with fear, "They've got her. God damn it all to hell!"

Upkeep Phase 3

Skids draws and gains 1 resource.

Daisy draws and gains 1 resource.

[Tabs]

Mythos Phase 4

Place 1 doom on the agenda (1/5).

Skids draws



Agility 4, Chaos token

Tabs rolled 1d17:
5

-1 vs. 3 ; success.

More disembodied hands, like the ones which had scratched at Daisy's legs, thrust between the tree roots and clawed at the air, straining towards Skids. He siddestepped away nimbly, and aimed an accurate gob of spittle at them.

Daisy draws and it engages her...

Each enemy gets +1 fight and +1 evade.

Main Path [Ghoul Minion (1 doom)] -> connected to each other Woods location.

Quiet Glade -> Cliffside

Cliffside [Daisy, Young Deep One] -> Quiet Glade

Twisting Paths [Skids]

OOC:   How tough is an Old Deep One?! What to do, what to do... and Skids may well be lost amongst Twisting Paths. But he could try for the Main Path and kill the Ghoul Minion there. Daisy to Move, taking a hit from the Young Deep One?

[Mr. Handy]

Turn 3 Mythos Phase

Daisy follows the path she has found until she comes across a stream and begins to wade across it, her skirt short enough that it doesn't get wet. When she gets about halfway across, something seizes her by the legs and pulls her beneath the water! Flailing and spluttering, she manages to turn around and bring her head back above the surface, where she is met by the horrifying sight of yet another monster. This one is humanoid, but it looks like it is a cross between a man and a fish or a frog, with bulging eyes, sharp rows of teeth, and gills. Its webbed claws crawl up her body as it climbs on top of her, and her terrified screams begin anew. They are cut off suddenly when the creature locks its lips around hers and kisses her roughly.

Spoiler:

Yes, you should move to the Main Path (if you can) and kill the Ghoul Minion. If you have two actions left after doing that, you could then move to the Cliffside and engage the Young Deep One so that I can escape. If you don't manage that, I may be able to evade if I commit Manual Dexterity and Hyperawareness. If not, I may even be able to do some damage, but it would mean throwing the Knife and committing the Bulletproof Vest for extra strength.

[Tabs]

Investigator Phase 4



Screams. Daisy's screams. For a moment he's relieved, "Daisy Walker is alive still!" Then the awful alternative presents itself, "And she's in danger again!"

"I'm coming, Miss Walker!"

Action 1: Move out of Twisting Paths to Main Path.



Intellect 3 +2[On the Lam] +1[Opportunist], Chaos token

Tabs rolled 1d17:
14

(tablet -3) ; success.

OOC:   Edit: Just realised that "On the Lam" is +3, so I'm taking "Opportunist" back into my hand.

He found his way out. Jogging round a huge, lightening-scorched tree stump he stopped dead, confronted by "a colossal and nameless blasphemy."

+1 fight, +1 evade

Action 2: Fight the Ghoul Minion. Fight 3 +1[Opportunist] +1[Machete], Chaos token

Tabs rolled 1d17:
3

(0) ; success, 1 +1 damage, Ghoul Minion killed.

It loped towards him, knuckles dragging through fallen leaves, bony claws clenching and bloody maw drooling with anticipation. Skids drew the machete from out under his belt, and took a mighty swing with it at the ghoul; truth to tell, he had his eyes closed and mentally crossed his fingers. The result was as brutal as it was shocking to him. Gouts of gore sprayed the path, trees, and himself. The ghoul fell and lay motionless upon the ground.

Action 3: Move to Cliffside.

Action 4: Engage the Young Deep One.

"Daisy, Daisy," he repeated.

Splashing, gurgling, choking, gasping. He waded into a stream which had stopped his frantic running and dived towards a patch of bubbles and foaming water. He hooked an arm round Daisy's waist and dragged her to the bank. Something jerked at his ankle. Skids turned to face a hideous frog-thing, his eyes drawn to its gills which flapped uselessly at the air.

"Run, Miss Walker, run!"

[Mr. Handy]

Turn 4 Investigator Phase

"Th-thank you..." wheezes Daisy, scrambling to her feet. What's left of her clothing is drenched, her torn blouse hanging off of her right shoulder, now bare but for the strap of her brassiere. The left side of her skirt is ripped up to her hip. However, she isn't too badly hurt physically. She races back for the main path, not daring to look back, and continues into the woods beyond on the other side. She runs until she is out of breath, when she leans against a tree and slides down to the ground, gasping. Why do these monsters keep trying to have their way with me? she thinks, shuddering at how close she had come to being violated. Maybe that frog-man thought it would turn into a prince. If Skids hadn't gotten to me in time...I hope he's okay. I wouldn't have minded if he had kissed me.

Spoiler:

Action 1: Move to Main Path
Action 2: Move to unexplored Woods location

I'll wait to see that before I take my third action. Hopefully I can pick up a clue with that and then get the last one we need with Working a Hunch.

[Tabs]

2 clues

[Mr. Handy]

Turn 4 Investigator Phase

Once Daisy has caught her breath, she gets up and continues through the thick, tangled woods. Branches and brambles clutch at her, reminding her all too uncomfortably of grasping claws, but she lights her way with the flashlight and cuts through them. Soon she reaches a clearing, where what she sees reveals, with the help of feminine intuition, what needs to be done to stop this madness.

Spoiler:

Action 3: Activate Flashlight. Fight roll (2 vs. 2 -2[Flashlight] = 0 shroud:

Mr. Handy rolled 1d17:
4

2 -1 = 1. Success! 1 Clue gained.
Free Action: Spend 2 resources to play Working a Hunch. 1 Clue gained.
Spend 6 Clues to complete the Act.

[Tabs]

spawn at the Main Path.



Enemy Phase 4





Leo de Luca pushed aside Skids. The Louisiana Lion was subject to the full horror of the frog-thing, and he took a nasty swipe across his chest from its webbed claw; miniature phials of moonshine, which he had kept in one bulging breast pocket, scattered, some smashed, over the river bank.

"That really is the pits," he said, and meant it, too.

Leo suffers 1 damage and 1 horror.

[Mr. Handy]

Spoiler:

Yikes! I sure hope you draw a Dynamite Blast! Otherwise, you'll probably need to go to the Main Path after you've dealt with the Young Deep One while I slip past, though I'm probably ill-prepared to do anything at the Ritual Site.

[Tabs]

Upkeep Phase 4

Skids draws and gains 1 resource.

Daisy draws and gains 1 resource.

OOC:   What will our encounters be? Also I don't know what we'll face at the Ritual Site, but how about we make a rush for it? Daisy could don Bulletproof Vest and Skids ready Bandages?

[Mr. Handy]

Spoiler:

Yeah, let's get there as fast as possible. That Barricade will be really nice for me to put up once we get there, as that will keep other monsters from following us. Plus, it's free!

[Tabs]

Mythos Phase 5

Place 1 doom on the agenda (2/5).

Skids draws Take 1 horror (+1 because I forgot to for the other Young Deep One).

Daisy draws 2 doom placed on Peter Warren.

Each enemy gets +1 fight and +1 evade.

Main Path ["Wolf-man" Drew, Peter Warren (2 doom)] -> connected to each other Woods location.

Quiet Glade -> Cliffside -> Tangled Thicket

Cliffside [Skids, Young Deep One, Young Deep One] -> Quiet Glade

Twisting Paths -> Tangled Thicket

Tangled Thicket [Daisy] -> Twisting Paths -> Quiet Glade

Ritual Site