In reply to Yacht Officer (msg # 666):

"On the deck of the stricken vessel, look near the woman."

Despite missing JM leaped forward.  He gripped Cynthia and tried to pull her away from the forming blue mist.  "Move away from this thing if you can!"

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg # 667):

The motor yacht (not steam) was getting close, about 25 yards now. But the Felluca was sinking!

At this point the officer glanced back at the boat, and, still seeing nothing, moved forward gripped Bathony's shoulder. He insisted, "I still don't see any bloody crocodiles on the boat! They can't climb! You're a madman, cease at once or I will have you disarmed and taken belowdecks before you kill some poor fellow!"

He waved at a couple crew to come over and assist him. The sailors began to make their way across the pitching deck towards them.

Aboard the stricken Felluca, the one tentacle was severed but another snaked its way over the gunwale and towards Cynthia. This one would be much harder for Bathony to hit as it was coming from the opposite direction. Another poked it's way above the surface of the Nile.

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 669):

The boat was sinking from the stern.

Alexander made his way forward. "Get ready to swim! There is a boat drawing near, let's make for that... I say, what the deuce is going on?"

He stopped and stared at the growing column of blue mist, dumbfounded!

"The smoke is probably fine! Just worry about these damn things coming out of the water!" Cynthia runs as fast as her sea legs will let her past John-Marc. If it's coming after her, at least she can force it past the man with the gun.

Seeing the Count now distracted by the crew, she stares for a moment in disbelieve, then shouts across the water, "What are you waiting for? Shoot it! Shoot it!" She gestures towards the tentacle. Some men don't just need to be led to water, they need their nose put in it too!

"Keep your men back and get them ready to lend a hand. It looks as if I have done all I can." He gives a glance to Ms Fuller and then back to their friends on the sinking boat.

-

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg # 672):

Molly jabbed the sailor that was by her and pointed to the side of the boat.  "Go and help them!  I'm back here and safer.  Go help my friends!"

Molly looked up at the heavens and shook her head.  "Ok, you Good Gods, past and present.  You are letting the bad guys win!  What's up with that?  Help my friends!"

JM stepped between Cynthia and the tentacles as she rushed past him.  "Steer the boat toward the launch Alexander!  We don't want to go into the water with whatever is attacking us!"  He fires again at the nearest tentacle that was not easily attacked from the other boat.


22:25, Today: John-Marc Falcon rolled 24 using 1d100 with rolls of 24.  Handgun [65].
 
This message was last edited by the player at 05:26, Wed 27 Sept 2017.

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 671):

"The motor is flooded, I'll see what I can do!" He and another crew member attempted to trim the sails to help propel the stricken boat towards the motor launch that was drawing near but still just too far away. "God preserve us!" he cried, spying the other tentacle. He drew his Mauser and cocked it, readying it so that he could open fire once he had a clear shot.

20:47, Today: Alexander Hussein Mahfouz rolled 67 using 1d100 with rolls of 67.  SAN Check.

20:43, Today: Alexander Hussein Mahfouz rolled 37 using 1d100 with rolls of 37.  Boating.

The yacht's engine roared as they drew near, about 30 yards distant. Cynthia's call was lost in the noise of the approaching boat and the howl of wind and slap of waves. The yacht's crew, still not seeing the threat but satisfied that the Count was not going to keep shooting dangerously left him and Molly alone for a moment to get ready to pull more people out of the water.

JM's bullet cleanly cleaved the questing tentacle in two. The severed end thrashed in the water that was now filling the Felluca up to shin-height. Alexander and his crew did what they could to steer the boat towards the oncoming yacht but with no functioning motor and the sails half-shredded there wasn't much to be done as the wreck spun slowly around in a watery vortex. One of the surviving crew did grab a boathook and joined Alexander in watching for more tentacles.

They were not disappointed, as two more pseudopods snaked over the starboard gunwale, again unfortunately opposite the approaching yacht carrying Bathony and Molly. And, inexplicably, the swirling column of blue mist near the bow continued to grow, despite the deck being awash (and therefore the column was coming out of the water!) and the presence of punishing cross-winds. It was nearly completed but not quite there, yet.

The Count looked for a flotation ring or the like on the rail he had been using or even just a rope of some kind. His intention was to throw it down to the Felluca to get at least one of their friends off.


-

Leaving Alexander and the crew to deal with the tentacles JM seized a boat hook and charged forward at the blue mist.  He swung the hook at the mist not trying to damage it per se but disrupt, especially with the iron tip.

OOC: Trying to disrupt the mist, maybe the iron of the hook might do something.  At least I'll be a few feet away from it using the boat hook

In reply to John-Marc Falcon (msg # 678):

JM's hook passed through the blue mist, not affecting it in the slightest!

One of the tentacles snaked towards Cynthia, missing! The other was waiting behind her for her to step back and it tried to latch onto her.

Bathony managed to grab both a life-belt and a life-saving ring, ready to cast!

Molly can try and make an Idea check!

Cynthia steps carefully away from the tentacles, keeping out of reach as best she's able, heading towards the fog if its complete, or her shotgun if it's not. She's bidding for time, but maybe some 00 shot would help with that.

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 679):

Making sure all the line for the ring was off the spool the Count got ready to toss the ring with the lifebelt tied inside it, to those on the boat. He hoped that by the time some one was able to don it he would have retrieved all the slack line.

Molly screamed in frustration.  It felt like her head was going to explode for lack of ideas on how to help.  So instead she just kept pointing to the boat and shouted "HELP THEM".

She was ALMOST to the point of trying to ram the tentacles but that would put them ALL in danger so that wasn't helping.  "Bast, where are the cats to help us now!"

Unable to affect the growing blue mist JM growled and turned back to the battle swirling around Cynthia.  He moved for a clear shot and fired at the tentacle menacing the brave woman.




20:54, Today: John-Marc Falcon rolled 80 using 1d100 with rolls of 80.  Handgun [65].
 

There was a fusillade of shots on the boat. The column of blue mist was almost completed! One bullet (from Alexander) struck one of the tentacles. The other tentacle started slithering around Cynthia's waist from behind!

The motor yacht needed to stand off from the sinking Felucca, lest its screw become fouled in the shrouds and tattered sail that were attached to the flailing mast. The Count and Molly were ready to assist when the time was right, but it appeared the helmsman was reluctant to come in closer and the freakish weather was still too much to allow for the lowering of a boat.

Keeper's Note: Cynthia may attempt a Dodge to avoid the tentacle's slimy grasp!

The Count launches the life preserver into the air, an misses cleanly. He grabs the rope and frantically pulls it back in for another go. As he does so he tries to keep and eye on what is happening in the boat below them.

Once the ring is back in his hands he checks the rope is clear and readies himself for another throw.

-

Bathony's thrown ring missed. On the boat the blue smoke was completely solid. Cynthia felt another tentacle start to grab at her leg. The other slithered up to her waist, then started to wrap around her throat.

Keeper's Note: Cynthia may shoot at this point! She only gets 1 shot this turn. The second tentacle doesn't actually grab until next turn.

JM stepped up and fired again at the nearest tentacle in an attempt to keep it clear from the struggling woman.

21:48, Today: John-Marc Falcon rolled 29 using 1d100 with rolls of 29.  Handgun [65].

Cynthia levels her gun at the base of the tentacle and fires, hoping to sever it cleanly.

Cynthia managed to shoot one tentacle, while JM hit another with a bullet. More black-green ichor sprayed into the air. This was too much for the other 3 remaining crew of the Felluca. They all dove overboard and began swimming to the nearing motor yacht. This knowledge of swimming was rather unusual for Bedouin.

Keeper's Note: Everyone may make Spot Hidden checks.

The count had another go at throwing the ring towards the small boat and again came up short. Hand over hand he drew the ring back towards the boat hoping third time lucky may work.

Count Sigismund Bathony rolled 56 using 1d100 with rolls of 56.  Throw = 37%.

Those on the boat noted that the "Bedouin" crew were likely Coptic Christians as a couple were wearing ornate gold crucifixes. Alexander had remarked on him needing Copts for help a while back, as they would work through the Muslim's prayer and could crew a boat better than the desert dwellers. They also saw that the blue column had grown relatively solid and wasn't growing more. With the two tentacles onboard severed, the half-dozen or so that were slithering over the gunwale instead withdrew.