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Chapter 2.1: Investigations V: The Blue Pyramid [01/29/1925]

Posted by The KeeperFor group 0
Millicent O'Connor
player, 80 posts
Age 29. App 14, Siz 10
Innocent Businesswoman
Mon 22 Aug 2016
at 16:55
  • msg #149

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]


 Dropping the stuff, except for the flashlight she was holding, Millicent said in a quiet voice to Tommy; "Get the sheet ready, I'll check the chest."

  Hurrying over to the chest, Milly opened it and peered inside to see if there was anything useful. "Come on," she muttered under her breath, "have something useful, or we're stuck relying on a sheet."
The Keeper
GM, 1119 posts
Wed 24 Aug 2016
at 14:21
  • msg #150

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

Millicent attempted to quickly scour the chest, but all she managed to find were various clothes, a mix of western wear and traditional Egyptian ethnic garb. The chest was poorly organized, each drawer a mix of various items of clothing. Before she could examine all of the drawers, they could once again hear footsteps pounding towards the door and then come to a stop right outside of it. The door knob turned, and it pushed inward slowly, a man walked into the room.



OOC: 

The plans as outlined will entail an opposed DEX check on the Resistance table. I'll need a d100 roll from Vincent (for slamming the door into him as he enters). I'll also need a d100 roll from Tommy for throwing the sheet over him. As Millicent is searching the cabinet, she doesn't get a roll.

But since you both have planning and some element of surprise with your plans, I'm going to borrow a concept from another system and let you roll with advantage: you get to roll twice and keep the lowest of the two rolls


Vincent Moretti
player, 218 posts
Importer
Age: 31 App: 11 Siz: 15
Wed 24 Aug 2016
at 15:07
  • msg #151

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

His jaw clenched, Moretti waited for the newcomer to step into the doorway. The moment they did so, he slammed into the door with his shoulder, using all of the speed and force he could muster.

09:35, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 25 using 1d100 with rolls of 25.  DEX x 5 - 75%

09:35, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 73 using 1d100 with rolls of 73.  DEX x 5 - 75%.

Millicent O'Connor
player, 81 posts
Age 29. App 14, Siz 10
Innocent Businesswoman
Thu 25 Aug 2016
at 00:36
  • msg #152

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]



  Millicent's face twisted into a mix of frustration and disappointment as the search proved fruitless. The sounds coming from outside told her she had run out of time. Turning to look at the two men, she really hoped that this crazy plan of Vincent's would work.
The Keeper
GM, 1120 posts
Thu 25 Aug 2016
at 04:01
  • msg #153

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

A man cried out in pain as Vincent savagely slammed the door hard on him, pounding him with the wooden door.




No roll needed from Tommy any longer necessarily, unless he is still going to throw the sheet.

Vincent, roll 1d6 + 1d4 for damage.

Vincent Moretti
player, 219 posts
Importer
Age: 31 App: 11 Siz: 15
Thu 25 Aug 2016
at 13:49
  • msg #154

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

08:46, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 5,1 using 1d6,1d4 with rolls of 5,1.  Damage.

Total: 6

Tewfik al-Sayed
NPC, 0 posts
Thu 25 Aug 2016
at 21:43
  • msg #155

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

Staggering into the doorway, the man called out something to them, though it came more in the form of a chant that sounded at once both precise and malformed, which was at the same time wild and barbaric and yet at the same time planned and laced with meaning. It was the sort of sound that they couldn't quite recognize, but that would give them chills for nights to come.

He thrust out a hand towards Millicent, his eyes keen on her as he chanted.


Millicent seemed to visibly stagger backwards against the chest, her body splayed back against it and a look of utter horror consuming her. After a moment, she was mindlessly screaming in pure terror.





Tewfik casts Mindblast on Millicent. Millicent loses 5 Sanity.

Also, we're in Combat now. Vincent is next, followed by Tommy, at which point it comes back around to Tewfik, and so on.

This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 21:43, Thu 25 Aug 2016.
Vincent Moretti
player, 220 posts
Importer
Age: 31 App: 11 Siz: 15
Thu 25 Aug 2016
at 21:29
  • msg #156

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

Instinct brought Moretti into a boxing stance as he stepped around the door. Even as he recoiled internally at the strange chant spoken by the shop owner, his fist curled around his brass knuckles and he aimed a straight right at the merchant's jaw.

16:16, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 47 using 1d100 with rolls of 47.  Fist (Brass Knuckles) - Fist 70%

16:18, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 1,4 using 1d6,1d4 with rolls of 1,4.  Damage - Brass Knuckles.

Total Damage: 5

Thomas Cotton
player, 316 posts
Age 24 APP 12 SIZ 09
Intrepid journalist
Mon 29 Aug 2016
at 09:06
  • msg #157

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

Heart pounding Tomy lunged toward their assailant. From the corner of his eye he saw Millicent falter and felt a surge of rage toward the man they faced.
With little time to think the reporter took two deft steps sidewards and flailed with his fists, the blows barely connecting.

10:01, Today: Thomas Cotton rolled 83 using 1d100 with rolls of 83.  Fighting time! (Vs 50 fist?).
Tewfik al-Sayed
NPC, 1 post
Thu 1 Sep 2016
at 00:53
  • msg #158

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

By the time Vincent's brass-knuckled fist struck the spice merchant, he was still reeling from the bloody gash in his head caused by the door slamming into it as he had entered the room incautiously. The brass knuckled caused his head to jerk back with something of a nasty snap, and another gash in his cheek. It would be hard to see in the night with that room, but as the light caught his eyes they seemed to blaze with cold fury, and his voice reached an ululting crescendo as he called out to what could only have been some dark and foul power, as what other type of being would answer such a call?

As neither Vincent nor Tommy seemed quite taken by the spell, Tewfik turned to flee into the room he had come from.




This is a new round of combat, but we keep the same order. Tewfik, Vincent, then Tommy.

That leaves Vincent up next.

For your information, Tewfik is not close enough for an immediate attack, but if you make an opposed DEX check, you can catch up to him. Because he's been badly hurt, I'll let you roll with advantage - roll twice and keep the best result. If you succeed (less than a 40), go ahead and make an attack.

Oh, please keep in mind that Millicent has been screaming like a banshee this whole time!


This message was last edited by the player at 03:30, Thu 01 Sept 2016.
Vincent Moretti
player, 222 posts
Importer
Age: 31 App: 11 Siz: 15
Thu 1 Sep 2016
at 14:01
  • msg #159

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

With O'Connor's screams filling his ears, Moretti immediately moved to pursue the shopkeeper as the man tried to make a run for it. Rage already had a strong hold on Moretti, but hearing Tewfik's chant only served to deepen it, perhaps due to his comprehension of precisely what the merchant was a part of.

Snagging the shopkeeper's shoulder as he fled, Moretti tightened his grip on his brass knuckles, aiming a rabbit punch at the base of Tewfik's skull.

08:20, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 34 using 1d100 with rolls of 34.  DEX x 5 - Dexterity Roll for Pursuit.

08:21, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 17 using 1d100 with rolls of 17.  Fist (Brass Knuckles) - Fist 70%.

08:22, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 4,1 using 1d6,1d4 with rolls of 4,1.  Damage.

Total Damage: 5

Thomas Cotton
player, 319 posts
Age 24 APP 12 SIZ 09
Intrepid journalist
Thu 1 Sep 2016
at 18:06
  • msg #160

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

In the low light Vincent was like a shadow as he surged forward seeming to engulf the fleeing shopkeeper. Anger and adrenaline were surging through Tommy's veins when suddenly Milly's screaming seemed to cut through his conscious. She was still screaming.
Moretti could take care of Tewfik.

"Milly. Milly!". Tommy spun to face the girl, searching her eyes, reaching out to clasp her shoulders. Was she injured? It didn't look that way. He held her firmly, somehow trying to reach her as he spoke urgently.
"Quiet!".
That noise would wake neighbours. Bring attention.
They had to get out of there.

More to follow pending Milly's reaction
The Keeper
GM, 1124 posts
Thu 1 Sep 2016
at 18:54
  • msg #161

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

In a few quick strides, Vincent caught up to the staggering Arab as he was about to descend the stair case and delivered another powerful blow to the nape of his neck, throwing off his momentum as he fled the room and sending him tumbling down the stairs in an ugly fall. At the end of that fall, he lay lifeless in a twisted contortion. 
Vincent Moretti
player, 224 posts
Importer
Age: 31 App: 11 Siz: 15
Fri 2 Sep 2016
at 04:53
  • msg #162

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

Moretti stood at the top of the stairwell for a moment, gazing down at the broken body of the shopkeeper. Just long enough for him to be certain that the merchant was dead and to recognize that he felt nothing, not even a twinge of guilt, for ending the man's life.

"I'll see you in hell, Stronzo," he muttered.

Almost immediately, his mind shifted to problem solving. It wasn't the first time he'd had to manipulate a scene where violence had occurred.

Moving swiftly, he returned to the bedroom where Cotton was trying to calm O'Connor.

"The merchant's dead," he told the reporter flatly. Pointing to the window, he said, "See if you can get Miss O'Connor to come with you down the fire escape and get the hell away from the this place. Head back to the hotel as fast as you can. Capisce?"

He gestured toward the stairwell. "There's just a couple of things I need to take care of. I'll be right behind you once they're done. But don't wait for me. Get going."

Moving quickly downstairs, Moretti knelt close to Tewfik's body. Tightening his gloves, he quickly went through the shopkeeper's pockets, doing his best to disturb the corpse as little as possible.

23:38, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 55 using 1d100 with rolls of 55.  Spot Hidden - Spot Hidden 60%.

He then paused to study the position of the dead man in relation to the front of the store, trying to determine if Tewfik could be easily seen from someone looking through any available windows. If that was the case, he dragged the body behind the counter.

He then searched under the counter and in the storeroom for a small bag or sack. Once he located something suitable, he opened the cash register and emptied it into the bag, leaving the drawer open. Entering the storeroom, he pulled a handkerchief from his coat pocket and wiped down the doorknob and lock on the back door before securing it. He doubted Cotton had ever been fingerprinted, but better to be thorough.

Circulating back through the store, he wiped down anything he suspected that Cotton or O'Connor had touched, then headed back upstairs, hoping that the reporter had been able to calm O'Connor and get them out of the building.
Millicent O'Connor
player, 84 posts
Age 29. App 14, Siz 10
Innocent Businesswoman
Mon 5 Sep 2016
at 00:16
  • msg #163

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]


  Millicent didn't see what happened with the fight, she was in her own little world, one where she was gripped with terror and she couldn't escape. Suddenly she heard something distant, a voice calling her name. It sounded familiar and it allowed Milly to slowly get out of this horrible place.

  Blinking, she tried to focus her eyes on the person in front of her. She tried to speak but found her throat so horse for some reason. "T...T..Tommy?" She finally got out. The effort made her cough and she gripped the young reporter to keep herself steady, There were tears in her eyes as she struggled to regain some sense of where she was and she finally remembered.

   "Oh my God Tommy," she said with a sob, "it was horrible. What did he do to me?" She looked around; "where is he, did you get him? Please, help me up." The poor woman shook as she struggled to rise to her feet.
Thomas Cotton
player, 322 posts
Age 24 APP 12 SIZ 09
Intrepid journalist
Mon 5 Sep 2016
at 12:22
  • msg #164

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

As Milly seemed to find some token of focus Tommy looked at her with anguish.
What did he do to me? The reporter had no idea. And right now they couldn't pause to talk it through.
As calming as he could he tried to bolster her spirit "You're ok. It's over.".

Helping the girl to stand he touched a hand to her cheek, forcing her to look into his eyes and concentrate, to stay with him.
"Yes we got him. But we need to get out of here. Ok?".

For a moment the reporter lingered. The feisty spark that had shone in Millicent's green iris seemed for now lost and replaced by some haunted emptiness. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder he tried to comfort her and reassure her she was protected. "Come with me. Lets get you safe. Vincent will clear up here, but we need to move, quickly. You up to that?".

With a nod to Moretti Tommy steered Millicent toward the fire escape. He could feel her trembling, her shoulder almost cold as he tightened his grip to steady her.
"Good luck Vincent.".

As quickly as she could manage Tommy led Milly out of the building into the cold dark of the London night. Glancing both ways along the street he urged her South, hugging the shadows as they fled the scene.
Vincent Moretti
player, 226 posts
Importer
Age: 31 App: 11 Siz: 15
Tue 6 Sep 2016
at 19:35
  • msg #165

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

Pleased that Cotton had managed to calm O'Connor, Moretti returned the reporter's nod as he watched the pair move to the fire escape. A pang of guilt tugged at his thoughts, the inescapable feeling that, if anyone was going to get hurt doing this thing, by rights it should have been him.

Knowing he would have plenty of time to ruminate on the night's events later, Moretti returned to the living area. After wiping down anything he suspected his companions had touched, he rifled through the papers on the desk, deliberately giving them the appearance of having been roughly sorted through, then made certain the hidden drawer was standing open and empty. When the police saw it, he hoped they would conclude that it had held a hidden stash of money, while anyone from the cult that came calling once the store remained closed for a few days would know what had actually been discovered.

He opened the case full of figurines, dropping a pair of them to the floor, to give the impression that they had been considered and then carelessly rejected by a thief. Moving swiftly back to the hall, he opened the two closed doors, giving each room beyond them a quick scan, just to ensure there was nothing important being overlooked and to verify that the home was as unoccupied as it appeared.

13:51, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 4 using 1d100 with rolls of 4.  [b]Spot Hidden - Spot Hidden 60%.

He paused only to examine anything significant, ready to head for the fire escape and put the place behind him.
Millicent O'Connor
player, 85 posts
Age 29. App 14, Siz 10
Innocent Businesswoman
Wed 7 Sep 2016
at 01:50
  • msg #166

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]



Millicent nodded to Tommy and let him lead her outside. It was hard at first but with him supporting her, they were soon out of the place and escaping into the shadows.

 "Is this what it's like", she asked in a softened voice as they walked. "What you've encountered, the horror of what these people do." She gave a shiver, "O God, I need a drink. I want to drink so much that I forget this night and I never remember it again. Ho..How are we supposed to fight against things like that," Millicent asked Tommy in confusion; "deal with them?"

She didn't expect he had an answer, didn't know if anyone did.
Thomas Cotton
player, 323 posts
Age 24 APP 12 SIZ 09
Intrepid journalist
Wed 7 Sep 2016
at 07:26
  • msg #167

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

At any moment Tommy feared he would hear some shout of alarm or the wail of sirens haunt the night. They had'nt been caught yet, but that didn't mean they were safe.
Hurry up Vincent. Get out of there.

The fleeing pair hurried through the shadows, seeming more akin to drunken lovers than fugitives as the reporter held his arm supportivly around Millicent's waist until she felt steady enough to move with her own purpose. The reported scanned the windows above and behind them, hunting for twitching curtains or witnesses. He held a hand across his face in a loose effort to make himself harder to identify, urging Milly forward.

When it seemed they were far enough away from the scene their pace slowed and the pair ducked into a dark alley to recoup.
"We both need a drink.". He looked the irish girl up and down, checking her again for wounds. "We can worry about how to fight them another time. Right now, are you ok? Are you hurt anywhere?".
Millicent O'Connor
player, 86 posts
Age 29. App 14, Siz 10
Innocent Businesswoman
Wed 7 Sep 2016
at 22:41
  • msg #168

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]


 Stopping to rest, Millicent shook her head in a negative response to Tommy's questions. "No, not hurt, just still a bit hoarse. My head though," she held up her hand to it. "Feels like I have a pounding headache. I don't remember what I did, but it was bad wasn't it?" Suddenly she looked around nervous and a bit twitchy, then turned her attention back to Tommy. "Do you think they're out there, looking for us and where's..." she trailed off for a moment, trying to remember. "Vincent, did he get away?" She looked around again, trying to see anything in the gloom.
The Keeper
GM, 1126 posts
Thu 8 Sep 2016
at 04:17
  • msg #169

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

Vincent found that the two remaining rooms were a washroom and a small kitchen. A cursory examination revealed nothing of import, and a quick attempt at a more detailed study of the two rooms confirmed the same for him.


Vincent didn't leave but a few minutes after Tommy and Millicent, though those minutes would have felt much longer to him. He arrived at the hotel not long after to find both the young reporter and the young lady at the Savoy's bar, whiskey in hand.
Millicent O'Connor
player, 87 posts
Age 29. App 14, Siz 10
Innocent Businesswoman
Thu 8 Sep 2016
at 23:28
  • msg #170

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]


  Millicent stared into her whiskey for a moment then drained it in a gulp and set the empty glass down. It was her third but the effects had not barely begun to help her forget the events of the night; it would take more, maybe a lot more. She signaled the bartender for another then turned and saw Vincent. Whatever business he was doing seemed to be completed and he looked no worse for wear.

   "So," she said, the smell of alcohol on her breath filling the air; "I see you made it ok, what happened to that bastard that attacked us and did you find out anything more about that damned cult?" She sounded bitter, tired, and slightly confused, nothing like her old self.
Thomas Cotton
player, 324 posts
Age 24 APP 12 SIZ 09
Intrepid journalist
Fri 9 Sep 2016
at 00:26
  • msg #171

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

As moretti entered the bar there was an almost visible release from Tommy and Milly who had sat there anxious and helpless, clouded by dark thoughts and worry, inviting the dark oblivion of whiskey.

Tommy stood, clasping his arms around the 'fixer'.
Earnestly he held the man close, his voice quiet and spent.
"Thank god!. I'm glad to see you again.".
Brother. The word unsaid but true.
There was so much Tommy wanted to say but couldn't. Vincent had defeated their foe. Vincent had empowered their escape. Without his bravery...
New York had been tough, but tonight the young reporter felt a surge of loyalty he'd never felt before. He owed this goon.

His brow furrowed with concern as he stepped back to examine his freind in earnest. "You ok?".  Without speaking the threat Tommy watched the empty lobby behind Vincent half afraid the police or some fiend would come galloping in with pursuit. With no initial threat emerged he listened eagerly instead to any news Vincent would give, relieved as the trio seemed alone.

The night at least seemed to have spent her terrors though...and for the moment safe, Tommy felt exhaustion rise. He slumped back into the booth they lingered in.
"What we found can wait, the others need to hear it too. I'm just glad we got out of there.". He looked Milly in the eye, full of concern for her invisible injury. More whiskey wouldn't help that.

"Come on, we all need rest.".
This message was last edited by the player at 00:38, Fri 09 Sept 2016.
Vincent Moretti
player, 227 posts
Importer
Age: 31 App: 11 Siz: 15
Fri 9 Sep 2016
at 01:30
  • msg #172

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

After he had checked the kitchen and washroom, Moretti had wiped down the chest in the bedroom, along with the door and window. Moving out onto the fire escape, he had shut the window, then punched out one of the panes of glass that would put the inner latch within reach of an intruder. Buttoning his coat closed, he had moved down the ladder and into the London night.

He had walked quickly, pausing only once when he was well away from the shop to organize the few bills from the store into an orderly stack and to drop the sack into an unused waste barrel in an alley, where he burned it up with a match. That done, he resumed his stroll to the Savoy, his pace more leisurely, smoking a long craved for cigarette as he made his way back.


Moretti was surprised when Cotton stood and embraced him. He was accustomed to such demonstrations of affection from his own people in Harlem, but from the reporter, the gesture caught him off guard. He grinned broadly and clapped his friend on the back. "I'm alright, paisan," he replied, "A little worn out, but no worse for wear. I'm so glad the two of you made it back here without trouble." Though he tried to swallow his emotions as a matter of course, he couldn't conceal his relief at finding Cotton and O'Connor safe in the familiar environs of the hotel.

Taking a seat, Moretti ordered a double of Jameson, neat, and lit another cigarette. He regarded O'Connor for a moment. "I'm truly sorry for what happened back there, Miss O'Connor," he said, after a pause, "It was my idea to go in the shop. I should have been the one to suffer the consequences. Tomorrow, after you've had some sleep, you might...speak with Stanley Bishop. Back in New York, I think he went through something very similar to what you faced this evening. Talking it out with him could be helpful."

He took a deep gulp of whiskey, scanning the bar and the area nearby to ensure they couldn't be overheard. His voice low, he said, "The man who attacked us is dead. I sent him headfirst down the stairs." He patted his chest, indicating the inner pocket of his coat. "That parchment we took. In the morning, I'm going to give it some study. See if I can make sense of it. Hopefully, it will tell us more. We can have Leo and Rosalie look at the rest of the things we grabbed. They might have some ideas...or insights."

He noticed Cotton eyeing the bar's entrance. "I won't get into detail, but the way I left it, it looks like a burglary that went wrong. If the police get involved, they'll go looking for hoods hungry for a some quick cash. If the cult stumbles onto it first...I'd be surprised if they involve the police at all. They have ways of making people disappear. They'll probably do the same with the spice merchant. They'll know what's been found, but I'm hoping they believe some thieves just stumbled onto it by accident. People who didn't know what they discovered."

"I doubt that anything unusual will happen at the shop tomorrow. Being closed one day probably won't alarm anyone. But by the second day, people will start asking questions. We'll have to figure out how to watch the place. See who comes to investigate. It's something we can put together in the morning." He finished his drink and took a slow drag on his cigarette.

He nodded at Cotton's wisdom as he crushed out his smoke. "No argument. We could all use some sleep."
Millicent O'Connor
player, 88 posts
Age 29. App 14, Siz 10
Innocent Businesswoman
Fri 9 Sep 2016
at 23:43
  • msg #173

Chapter 2.1: Investigations V [01/29/1925]

  Millicent listened to Vincent's explanation while downing another of the drinks. She didn't say much, mainly just nodded to his suggestions.

 "I'll do that" she finally said when he mentioned Stanley. "Better than getting drunk every night I suppose," she quipped, a trace of the old humor coming back probably thanks to the Whiskey. "And don't blame yourself Mr. Moretti, you couldn't have known what he would do and that he could do that."

  Stopping after 5, she got up and prepared to leave with the two men. "Sleep would be welcome and I really hope it comes to me;" Millicent responded when it was mentioned. She felt a bit tipsy but regained her balance and left with the others.
As she waited for the elevator she thought, what a day, I really hope tomorrow goes better.
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