[Scenario 1] The Edge of Darkness

[MI70]

Jed

Jed does not need to inspect the attic. If someone else wants to, they can use his ladder. If not, he will nail a few boards over the attic entrance, just in case.

"Best get this demon banishin' hootenanny underway," he grumps. "I think the Professor said it was best for the younger and stronger to chant, so I'd rather be a designated watcher, but I can if you need me." Jed will do what he can to help set up for the ritual.

[Scott308]

Elmer "Big City" Ramsey

Well, Mr. Rupert said I was picked to do some chantin'. Guess if that's what Mr. Rupert wanted me to do, that's what I'll do.

[ken-do-nim]

Alrighty, let's move things along then, and I see I almost forgot some events! After the sun has fully set, around 7:30, everyone in the house hears a whistling sound. At first it sounds like it is coming from the attic, but then it rolls out onto the fields and the sound disappears into the woods. Does anyone wish to go outside and have a look?

Next, at around 10 o'clock, everyone makes a listen check:
Aloysius: 100, nope!
Jed: 91, nope!
Dr. Pale: 09, made it
Elmer: 63, nope
Jasmine: 26, since she doesn't have skills defined, I'll assume that fails since default is 25
Hyacinth: 13, made it

Those who made their listen checks hear a distant screaming out in the woods, but it cuts off abruptly. Does anyone wish to mount a search to find out what that was?

[geomys]

Archie finally emerges from the basement to see people discussing a scream in the woods. "Better check that out. Beats hanging around this place for another five hours. Who's coming.?"

[ken-do-nim]

Archie finally emerges from the basement to see people discussing a scream in the woods. "Better check that out. Beats hanging around this place for another five hours. Who's coming.?"

Hyacinth says, "And also, if there really is a 'thing' in the attic, and if it left, should we have a look around up there?"

[Scott308]

Elmer "Big City" Ramsey

Well, I didn't hear any scream, but if you guys did, I'll go check it out with ya. Prob'ly shouldn't go alone in case there is somethin' out there.

[MI70]

Jed

"Admire your spunk, young fellas. Jest remember that the one place this critter apparently can't go is inside this house, 'cept fer the attic, so don't stray far and make a run back here if ya gotta. I'll cover ye as best I can and if I see that thing swoopn' down, I'll blast it!"

If Elmer and Archie go investigate, Jed will set with his rifle at a window and look after them.
He looks to Aloyisius. "Maybe you can mind Ms. Hyacinth if she's bound and determined to check that attic real quick. We don't want to miss the chance ter git this here ritual done."

[ken-do-nim]

(Sorry for the delay, I've barely had a chance to catch my breath these last two weeks.)

Elmer, Archie, and just for fun Hyacinth depart out the back door and head into the dark woods. You are gone for about twenty minutes when you come across the corpse of poor Maggie McPhirter. Her heart has been chewed out.

The woods are too quiet - no owls hooting, no crickets chirping. There's a strange wind that seems to blow, affecting some trees but not others.

Actions?

[MI70]

Jed

Jed will keep an eye out from his perch by the window and listen for any screams with his rifle at the ready.

[Scott308]

Elmer "Big City" Ramsey

Well, that ain't right. No sir. Nobody should have to have this happen to them. At least we found poor Maggie. Leastways, her kin won't have to wonder any more. We should bring her back to the farmhouse so she can get a proper burial. Elmer will begin picking up the body to carry back with them.

[ken-do-nim]

Elmer "Big City" Ramsey

Well, that ain't right. No sir. Nobody should have to have this happen to them. At least we found poor Maggie. Leastways, her kin won't have to wonder any more. We should bring her back to the farmhouse so she can get a proper burial. Elmer will begin picking up the body to carry back with them.

Hyacinth says, "Must have met up with a large predator, like a wolf or bear." But given the unnatural way Maggie's heart is chewed out, the words sound a bit hollow. This is one of those cases where if you actually confirm that it isn't a normal predator, you'd have to make a sanity check.

I need to know what Archie is doing while the two of them try to gather up the corpse, then we'll move on.

[Stirling]

Miss Faversham

Jasmine takes a look a the books or sheets from the notes. "So what do we have to chant and how? I did choir practice when I was younger, maybe I can still hit the tight notes, though its' hardly jazz is it?"

[geomys]

"A bear?" Archie tries not to stare at the corpse, instead looking for any sort of tracks on the ground around it.

[Scott308]

Elmer "Big City" Ramsey

Did we want to look for tracks? If there's a bear somewhere 'round here, it shouldn't be too hard to find, if you wanna.

[ken-do-nim]

The group out in the woods starts looking for tracks, and your initial search comes up empty. It is very dark though, so you soon realize you'll have more success in the morning.

The wind coalesces into a gust that hits the 3 of you, and then moments later, a barely visible claw aims for poor Hyacinth. Rolling to hit ... 92, it actually misses. Hyacinth ducks at the last moment! A tree branch is snapped off instead. The attack is accompanied by a smell like rotting eggs.

Sanity checks:
Archie: 39/40 ... 62, failed. Current Sanity drops 1d3 points ... 3 to 36/40
Elmer: 45 ... 78, failed. Current Sanity drops 1d3 points ... 2 to 43/45
Hyacinth: 60 ... 09, success. Her sanity still drops 1 point to 59/60.

Actions!

****************

Jasmine examines the sheets. She figures the chant must be done like the opening of Carmina Burana.

****************

PS:

Dodge - Allows an investigator to instinctively evade seen blows, thrown missiles, ambushes, and so forth. A character attempting Dodge may perform no attacks in that combat round, but may parry.

Parry - In defending against a hand-to-hand attack, a defender may attempt to parry an attacking blow - a parry is a harmless blocking or diversion of an attack. A parry roll equals the normal attack percentage for the weapon skill or personal attack. A parry is always defensive and does no damage. One parry per participant can be attempted anytime during the combat round. At the beginning of the round, the defender states which potential attacker he intends to parry, before anyone attacks. If the defender is knocked out or stunned before the attack occurs, then the parry is foregone. If an object is used to parry, it absorbs any damage from a physical blow, not the character doing the parrying. If the damage exceeds the object's hit points, however, then the object is broken and the defender suffers the damage exceeding the object's hit points.

• Personal attacks can parry each other
• An investigator can parry an edged or impaling weapon with most hand-to-hand weapons and with rifles and shotguns. Personal attacks cannot parry weapon attacks, but two consecutive grapples can in effect parry an attack, one to establish contact and the next to grab the weapon or weapon hand.
• Foils, rapiers, and most swords and sabres can attack and parry in the same round.

[Scott308]

Elmer "Big City" Ramsey

Repulsed by the horrible smell, Elmer drops the body of poor Maggie, bringing his shotgun around to try getting a shot off against the bear that attacked Hyacinth.

[geomys]

Archie's brain starts to shut down, but his adventuring instincts kick in. He stands beside Elmer, facing the mysterious attacker. "Hyacinth, stay behind us! We need to get back to the house, now!" Archie will try to dodge, while urging the party back toward the illusory safety of the door.

[MI70]

Jed

If Jed can see or hear ant commotion, he yells for one of the others to shine a light out into the woods. Gripping his rifle tighter, he scans the tree line as well as the sky.

[Stirling]

Miss Faversham

"Do we need to make one if those pentagram thingys' to stop the demon getting through?"

Jasmine reads the notes and tries to understand what the proper actions, details should be. Who is chanting with her?

[ken-do-nim]

Sorry for the delay; I hope to roll up the next combat round tonight.

Jed

If Jed can see or hear ant commotion, he yells for one of the others to shine a light out into the woods. Gripping his rifle tighter, he scans the tree line as well as the sky.

They are too far into the woods, though you'll hear the gunshot when it goes off.