The Watchman Watches in Vain

"So should we continue even though night is falling? You say these ghouls didn't attack you? Perhaps we can safely travel and investigate after all. Who knows, maybe they smelled something on us that reminded them of family..."

May 9, 2025 2:28 pm

"Maybe you're right..."she responds, a residue of doubt in her voice.

Well, girl, wasn't adventure what you were looking for? Now that you have it, are you going to chicken out? she thinks.

Finally coming to a decision, no doubt aided by the generous helping of booze, she straightens up. "Let's do this. If those dreadful things, the... ghouls and the... squids, are at war with each other, they won't be looking for us. And it might easier to enter these places by night than in daytime... I'm in!"

May 9, 2025 2:32 pm

OOC:

Just in case folks haven’t checked the map. The ghouls returned west, back to their graveyard at the western edge of the city. The church is at the other, eastern end of the block. So you’d be heading away from the ghouls anyhoos.

Only issue of course is—what’s going at the church?

May 9, 2025 4:17 pm

Emma tries to make sense of what she has seen…

Gathering her bearings, she agrees. "Lets check out the church."

Last edited May 9, 2025 4:18 pm

Rolls

TN 4 Stability check, no spend - (1d6)

(6) = 6

May 10, 2025 1:14 am

"I'm going to have to take this."

Grimacing, the detective unfolds an evidence bag and gingerly pushes the hand inside using his flashlight.

"I have to go. Shows over, I guess. Mr Potts said there was a fight here. Turns out the 'locals' took exception to this guy, whoever or whatever it was. And now they've gone home. I hope you fellas agree and take yourselves home, too..."

He looks around at the investigators.

"You're not going home are you? Bunch of crazy eggs. That's why King chose you."

Stuckey goes looking for the patrolman, leaving the 'crazy eggs' to the darkness of the yard.

It is a relief to walk eastwards, away from the unlit west of town and the fog-filled cemetery. The church at the end of the block is a spooky, derelict looking place. But at least it offers the adventurers a view of the Main Street shopping district with its brightly lit stores and billboards. There's even a drugstore open, where a clerk busies himself with boxes of soap powder. A cheerful scene.

The church's main gate has been locked and bolted from within. A side door seems to be locked. At the west end of the church, steps lead down into the crypt. The gate has been forced open, allowing access to the utterly dark space beneath the church.

OOC:

Recover 2 stability points each for acting within your drive.

Two decisions please, which I hope we can address in the same round:

1. The side door lock can be picked by anybody with points in locksmith (no spend needed). Else it's down into the crypt with you.

2. There are two flashlights --one in each car---please state who is carrying one. Without a flashlight the church interior will be dark, the crypt pitch black. Please mention any other gear your character has ready. And any other actions/ ideas you might have prior to entry.

May 10, 2025 4:32 am

Emma breathes a sigh of relief as they leave the graveyard area. She arrives at the Church and surveys their options. She says, "I can't open that lock, so my vote is to go through the basement." She digs in her purse and pulls out a pen light for one hand and a revolver for the other.

OOC:

UGH! I forgot I had a spell that lets me try to parlay with the ghouls!

May 10, 2025 7:40 am

She sees Emma producing her penlight. "Light! Of course! You are a genius, darling, you know that? I have one flashlight in the ol' Bugatti, let me fetch it."

She comes back with the flashlight, cheered up by the thought of being able to dispel some of the darkness.

Then she looks at the church side door lock. "Hmm... Wait. In the old mansion, they always kept many doors locked, when I was a child. So my little brother and I learned to pick the locks! I was so bored, even then!"
She passes the flashlight to Alex. "Will you be a darling and make some light for me? Let's see if I've still got it..."
She removes a hairpin and busies herself with the lock.

It eventually opens with a satisfactory click.
Now the policemen are gone, she readies her small purse revolver.

She grins at the others. "Shall we dance?"

OOC:

Melody has 1 point in Locksmith.

2. She gives the second flashlight to Alex.

1. Since the anomaly was in the spire of the church, going into the church makes more sense than down in the crypt, to find a way up to the tower?

Last edited May 10, 2025 8:13 am

Clancy Bleasdale

nezzeraj

May 10, 2025 12:16 pm

"You gals sure are useful. That's probably why King chose you. I'll go first if someone wants to give me a light."

May 10, 2025 8:04 pm

Emma smiles at Melody's skill. Then she hands Clancy her flashlight.

Alex Cowley

Lemming23

May 11, 2025 1:10 am

"Of course," Alex replies as Melody asks him to hold the flashlight, which he does, steadily aimed at the lock as she goes to work. He takes out his own pistol too, holding that in his right as he holds the flashlight on his left. "We should all stick together, since there's only two light sources."

May 11, 2025 10:49 am

The side door admits the investigators to the rear of church nave, behind rows of wrecked pews. The church's interior is dusty and cobwebbed, fetid with rot and the musty stink of bats.

To the party's left is the empty rear of the church, with doors to some abandoned offices and a dismal side-chapel. To their right, rows of pews face the altar , a raised pulpit and carved doors leading to the bell tower steps and larger (Main Street) entrance .

A creature crouches in the aisle, staring at the investigators over the pews. It is utterly alien and nightmarish in appearance. Spindly, long-limbed like a toad , yet with shaggy white fur covering its torso. Its eyes are hidden in deep folds and a tubular mouth sports needle-like teeth. Its right hand is missing. Its raises its left, remaining hand which clasps a twisted metallic tube.

OOC:

Those with any rating in firearms will intuit that the creature has levelled a weapon to shoot at the party. Your character can still shoot first if their firearms rating is >4 and readiness of a weapon has been described in the previous post. Slightly afterwards otherwise.

Target is tn4 for a firearms test, due to the partial cover provide by the pews. Please roll damage if you succeed.

You can instead (i.e. in place of shooting) duck out of the door or hide behind a pew with a tn4 fleeing test.

May 11, 2025 1:43 pm

Emma slowly enters the area, swinging her pen light this way and that as she looks around. In her other hand, she grips her revolver. Suddenly, she sees it. Some...thing squatting amidst the pews. And... it's aiming some kind of weapon at them!

She raises her revolver and fires!

OOC: That's a hit for 4 damage.

Last edited May 11, 2025 1:45 pm

Rolls

Spending 3 of her 4 Firearms - (1d6+3)

(2) + 3 = 5

Damage - (1d6+1)

(3) + 1 = 4

May 11, 2025 3:09 pm

Melody reads the monster's gesture as preparing to shoot some weapon. She sees Emma reacting, and is quick to echo her shots with some of her own!
"You horrible brute!"

OOC:

had the purse gun ready. Spending 3 of her 6 Firearms pool. Not sure what a Derringer-type revolver damage could be?

Rolls

Firearms - (1d6+3)

(2) + 3 = 5

May 11, 2025 5:10 pm

OOC:

There are stats for a Remington .41 short double derringer (1866) in the Condensed Rules. It’s +0 for close range so let’s go with that.

May 11, 2025 7:41 pm

OOC:

cool, rolling

Rolls

Gun damage - (1d6)

(3) = 3

Clancy Bleasdale

nezzeraj

May 12, 2025 1:50 am

Unarmed except for a flashlight, Clancy dives behind some pews for cover. "Jesus, what is that?"

Rolls

Fleeing (+2) - (1d6+2)

(5) + 2 = 7

May 12, 2025 9:14 pm

OOC:

Lemming might be waiting , deciding he would shoot after the monster? Not sure, but I’ll take the monster’s turn now.

I’m going to load all its remaining ‘firearms’ pool points onto the roll so it’s a dead cert—no roll needed.

The beast utters an alien bleat as the bullets wing and stagger it. But it manages at last to operate the sinister device.

A wide beam of baleful green light floods the space occupied by the shooters.

OOC:

Everyone make a sort of ‘saving throw’, athletics tn5. If you fail, you are wrapped up in the beam and drop paralysed, sharing the same fate as Harrington. If you succeed, you manage to have fired and dropped in time.

Clancy can make the roll at tn3, given he’s already in some cover.

Lemming can retro-decide whether Alex was trying to make the shot, or dropped like Clancy. If he decides the former, he can make the saving throw, and take a shot afterwards if he saves. The monster only has a couple of health points left…

May 12, 2025 9:21 pm

OOC:

You said Agility. Do you mean Athletics?

May 12, 2025 9:34 pm