More Dead Men Stomping

[Ashuaps]

René Vézina

Spot Hidden Check vs 60/30/12 [1d100]=12

Not sure if this is going back in time and also if the geography is such that the bridge is within walking distance of the cemetery. If this is OK, then Rene will act on Thurston's suggestion to look under the bridge and run to the cemetery if close by. If cemetery is too far but the traffic is slow enough, Rene will jump out, take a look and get back in the car. However if OGRE MAGE prefers to stick with "you brush it off as your mind playing tricks with your imagination", this is also fine.

"Did you hear that?" announces Thurston. "A trumpet? Quick, someone jump out and look under the bridge! It could be Leroy!"

"I'll take a look!" says Rene. "We're very close to the cemetery, I'll join you at the gate."

With the traffic nearly at a stand still, Rene jumps out of the car to go have a look under the bridge. He will then run up to the cemetery to join with Charles and Thurston.

[OGRE MAGE]

Dead Dogs Barking

Rene doesn't see anything over the side of the bridge, but once outside the car he becomes certain that he hears a trumpet playing somewhere down below in this seedy part of town.

When Charles yells at the groundskeeper, the man snaps out of his funk, finally noticing the trio. "Huh! What ya going on about now?" He raises his rake with the look of fear still plastered across his unfriendly features.

Finding it likely that Leroy has come this way because his dead wife was buried here, and he may now be thinking about reviving her with his horn in his disturbed state of mind, Thurston searches the immediate area, finding neither tracks or any other people. He pulls out 3 dollars from his jacket pocket and waves them at the surly man with the rake, who quickly changes his demeanor. "THREE BUCKS!?!? Mister, I'd take you to the damn moon for that much money!"

He points out over the cemetery, at a ridge towards the back of the property, where Rene and Charles suddenly spot movement. They see a gangly black man striding quickly through the gravestones, clearly in route to somewhere important. Behind him shamble a pair of dogs that don't seem to be walking normally, though they follow the man all the same. The groundskeeper points in that direction. "I think the grave yer lookin fer is that way. Come on, I'll show ya. Watch yerselves though. I saw a guy come in here with a couple of dogs that looked as nasty and mean as all get-out."

The man takes off through the lines of graves just as you hear strained barking in the distance, coming from the direction of Leroy Turner.

Actions?

[Grognardsw]

If there is a shovel around, Thurston grabs it.

He rushes with the others toward the Jenkins grave.

“If this is Leroy, we must get and destroy the trumpet,” Thurston says. “It is a blasphemous thing, a tool of devilish evil.”

To the groundskeeper he says: “Help us and there is more money for you.”

As they get closer, Thurston motions for the group to try and surprise Leroy if it is him.

[Rex]

Charles

Charles tries to catch Leroy once again.

[Ashuaps]

Rene tries to figure out what's wrong with these dogs as his fasten his pace to keep up with Thurston and Rene.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Blasphemous Horn

Thurston grabs a shovel from the groundskeeper’s wheelbarrow and encourages him financially to continue lending aid.

With their grizzled guide leading the way, the trio of investigators quietly jog through the cemetery, silently praying they don’t find out what happens if Leroy starts playing his magic trumpet in here. They pass by several rows of well tended marked graves before eventually cresting a small hill towards the back of the grounds.

From a few rows away, you spot Leroy sitting on the grass in front of one small newer headstone, surrounded by hundreds of other old grave markers. He appears to be talking to himself, moving the trumpet in his hands to his lips a few times in between his long, babbling sentences.

When you move a little closer, you notice that Leroy is not alone. With him are a pair of frightening looking decaying guard dogs with hollow grey eyes and sloughing skin. Though Leroy hasn’t seemed to notice, these reanimated animals reek horribly, sniffing the air and looking in your direction as you approach. The groundskeeper gasps at the sight, raising his rake defensively. “What the hell?”

Actions?

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[Rex]

Charles

"This is not good." He readies himself to defend himself from the dogs, looking for any weapon he could grab.

[Grognardsw]

Thurston gives Charles the shovel and takes out his pistol in one hand and smoke bomb in the other..

“Maybe Leroy controls the dogs,” the stage magician whispers. “If they charge, defend yourselves.”

Thurston steps from the bushes. “Leroy, the gangsters are on their way after all of us. Call off the dogs, come with us to safety. Marnie will be here, but now is not the time to dwell in mourning. Marnie would want you to escape to safety. We have a car, and liquor and food to settle our nerves.”

[Ashuaps]

Rene readies his pistol, staying at a distance but moving sideway in an arc to get an angle rather than being behind Thurston and Charles, all the while trying not make abrupt movement that would look aggressive to the mastiffs.

[Rex]

Charles

Charles takes the shovel, "Thanks Thurstan. Stay back dogs."

[OGRE MAGE]

The End?

Rene slowly moves away from the others with his pistol at the ready in case the dogs charge.

Thurston hands Charles the shovel so he can retrieve his pistol and smoke prop as well. The large security man tells the dogs to stay back, which only makes them growl all the louder.

Leroy looks up once the stage magician addresses him, his eyes less crazed now but filled with tears.

"Let em come! Alls I gotta do is blow this here horn and I'll have all the protection from them thugs I needs." He spins the trumpet around on his finger but doesnt put the mouthpiece to his lips yet.

"You don't understand, mister. My Marnie girl was all I had when I came here, she was my everything. Without her here with me, all I got left is this damned horn."

"But now I know I can use this gift to bring her back, what's left of her, anyway. So why don't you all skedaddle and let me get on with it. I dont think you want to be around here when I start playin again."

He gets to his feet and the dogs slowly start walking towards Charles and Thurston, staring with their dead grey eyes and growling menacingly.

"I aint joking man, I'll sick em on ya if ya try anything."

Actions?

[Ashuaps]

René Vézina

Keeping his distance and on his guard, René asks Leroy "What about what Marnie wants? Do you think Marnie, who should by now be in Heavens wants to be dragged back down here and brought back into a broken rotting body?".

René looks for a reaction and continue "This murdering Joey guy that killed my Italian friend... He'd want to be brought back so that he can steal, rape, kill some more, including you and I, instead of rotting in Hell. But Marnie? ... Honestly I think Marnie would want you to rebuild your life, live a good and just live and join her when your time comes. Do you think if Marnie was here she'd say you should raise bodies from the ground? Or do you think she'd want you to honour her life and memory?"

[Grognardsw]

Thurston stands by, gun and smoke bomb at ready to see how Leroy responds.

[OGRE MAGE]

Maybe the dogs got Charles' tongue?

Charming Advice!

Charles and Thurston watch as the slowly approaching dead dogs continue to meander towards them, their gait appearing weak and uncoordinated.

Rene gets to work trying to convince Leroy that playing the trumpet in the middle of a cemetery would be a very, very bad idea. As he suggests that Marnie might not wish to be brought back from the dead, he sees Leroy going through a myriad of emotions. Initially, his crazed look turns to one of anger, at his situation and for all the things that have happened to him recently. That eventually changes to sadness once he starts thinking about what Marnie would actually want from him. The investigators can see tears welling up in the young mans eyes at this point.

"Ya, well........"

He appears about to play his horn anyway, but the suggestions presented by the thoughtful Canadian seem to be slowly sinking in.

Okay, lets have a Charm roll attempt from Rene to see how this plays out. Anyone else can try something along those lines as well.

Actions?

[Rex]

Charles

Charles remains quite but moves if need be to make sure he has room to swing the shovel if need be, trying to to threaten Leroy in the process.

Sorry, thought I had posted.

[Grognardsw]

Charles

Charles remains quite but moves if need be to make sure he has room to swing the shovel if need be, trying to to threaten Leroy in the process.

Trying NOT to threaten Leroy in the process?

Thurston echoes Rene's sentiments... "Think of Marnie..." while discretely motioning for Charles to not threaten Leroy.

Persuade - 60
Charm - 40
P [1d100]=9 C [1d100]=8

[Ashuaps]

Rene Vezina

Charm check vs 70/35/14 [1d100]=49

[OGRE MAGE]

Working Words Of Wisdom

Leroy stands there with the trumpet in his hands as the zombie dogs circle Thurston and Charles.

With the logical words of Rene still ringing in his head, Leroy's expression suddenly softens. "I don't believe she'd like ta come back ta me no mo. Not after what's become a me, anyway."

He spins the shiny horn around on one finger, keeping it away from his talented lips for the time being. He looks like he is about to smash the thing against a nearby gravestone when a deafening crack of thunder suddenly echoes down from the grey sky overhead. In a confusing momentary flash of total darkness, the investigators are stunned for a second until there senses return to find the two dogs suddenly attacking.

One lunges for Thurston and the other towards Charles, leaping up to try to bite at their necks. Leroy seems dumbfounded for a moment, slowly reaching into his jacket pocket with one of his 2 empty hands.

Actions?

Dexterity determines initiative order, so the zombie dogs (60) will attack after Rene and Charles actions (80), but I cant see Thurstons sheet anymore for some reason, so he may be in there somewhere too.

You can give me Brawling or Firearms rolls along with damage rolls if you succeed. Dodging is also an option. Go ahead and add any rolls you deem worthy and I will sift through them as this plays out.

Good luck!

(Remember that you can use luck points to improve your rolls, but you cant "push" any failed combat rolls.)

[Rex]

Charles

Brawling/Shovel (70) [1d100]=82

[Ashuaps]

René Vézina

While Ashuaps is confused on how the dog that lunged for Thurston is about to bite René, René himself has more pressing matter to think about, like for example staying alive

René shoots at the dog and while trying to dodge it at the same time

Dodge (60/30/12) [1d100]=49
Handgun skill (40/20/10) [1d100]=69 damage [1d8]=7

René also noticed that the trumpet is missing. In the fury of the action, he tries to figure out what happened to it.

Spot Hidden Check vs 60/30/12 [1d100]=24