In reply to Increase Trask (msg # 882):

Laurin said to Trask, "I don't like this. We either must walk over the wooden walkway, or in the water. I'll go first, check for booby traps and mines."

She detpped off the wooden "duckboard" path of planks and pallets, splashing in the shallow water off to the left. "Ach! Not pleasant at all. It is good my battlesuit is waterproof."

She took out a meter and checked for motion sensors and the chemical scent of explosives, as well as just examining the bridge and the water for pressure triggers and tripwires.

Jane always hated this part.  She wanted things to be easy just one time but then she didn't want things to be easy.  She was too paranoid at times to believe that things COULD be easy and just go their way.  She kept her eyes making sure she watched for ambush from above as well as from the other directions.

Peter looked around carefully. He was right along with Knapp in feeling that this had to be some sort of trap. It was a good place for one. He looked up and around and then peered down at the pallets and water from where he was standing to see what he could see, while he waited for Knapp to make her way.

In reply to Peter Firecrow (msg # 886):

On drag Rowan turns sweeping the darkness around her looking for any one sneaking in

Smoker padded along quietly, keeping an eye out in all eight directions and wishing he was somewhere else entirely.

As they started passing the mural painted on the side of the wall, Vundra noted with some puzzlement that there was more than some plastic bottles, jugs and a metal pot floating in the runoff. There were also items of clothing: a pair of pants, one shoe, some small shirts, a hooded sweatshirt ("hoodie").

The mural itself was pretty disturbing. The main part showed a woman and some children gathering water, but their screaming faces were etched in agony. More silent souls lined the perimeter of the 10's design, sadly watching those who were suffering in the middle.

Vundra bent down to pick up some of these items. He discovered with horror a round object he pulled out of the water was a child's skull...

The muraled wall in front of him silently sprouted tentacles that began reaching for him, with gaping mouths full of jagged teeth. The movement brought Vundra up just as two tentacles erupted from the ankle-deep water around his feet, trying to clamp onto his legs!

The tentacles seemed to be sprouting from the mural itself in a way that would only be possible with CGI in a movie. The mural and its tentacles are bright and disturbing patterns.

Marshall's Note:

Everyone make a Terror check of 11. Don't forget your Grit! And applicable Edges.

I am trying out a house Ambush rule. Those who made their Search check must make a Cognition check of TN5 to act. Jason failed his so he needs a TN11.

To speed things up I made all your Cognition checks and everyone passed but Jane. She loses her actions for the turn and must make a Guts check TN5 to act next turn.

Unfortunately, Smoker also drew a Black Joker and so is inactive this round (hesitates, is shocked, etc.). Everyone else may act normally. Peter and the Scrawler are tied for cards and will be resolved simultaneously.

Scrawler - Jack Diamond (2 Actions)

1: Attack on Vundra (rolled 14)
2: Attack on Vundra (rolled 21)


This message was last edited by the GM at 22:45, Sat 23 Jan 2016.

As the monster erupts from the paining and the water Trask turns in a sweeping motion and with his SAW already at his shoulder he begins firing off bursts at the mural and the horror within it. Trask concentrates his fire at the central mass if there is one or a point the tentacles emanate from.


Increase Trask
Out Front
SAW 7.62mm [?/?]
Firing on wall monster

Increase Trask rolled 7 using 4d8, keeping the highest dice only, rerolling max with rolls of 5,6,7,7.  Initiative.

Increase Trask rolled 21 using 5d12, keeping the highest dice only, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(12+9)21,10,8,3.  Shootin.
Increase Trask rolled 20 using 5d12, keeping the highest dice only, rerolling max with rolls of 6,2,1,(12+8)20,4.  Shootin.
Increase Trask rolled 9 using 5d12, keeping the highest dice only, rerolling max with rolls of 7,9,8,3,1.  Shootin.
Increase Trask rolled 14 using 5d12, keeping the highest dice only, rerolling max with rolls of 8,3,(12+2)14,8,4.  Shootin.


-
This message was lightly edited by the player at 23:23, Sat 23 Jan 2016.

Jason smiles a grim smile and draws Evanor. Sometimes his luck is with him. As he sidesteps to get a better angle he says to Vundra "Fall back if you can." He swings Evanor in a figure eight warding pattern in an attempt to ward off the tentacles.

OOC: Got a 12 on my Terror check(Brave sure is handy). Quick Draw test was a 7. Did a Fightin:Sword roll because I figure at least one the tentacles is gonna get hit. 15 on that.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:22, Sun 24 Jan 2016.

As the tentacles appear, Vundra drops whatever he was carrying (including his gun). He quickly retreats toward the front of the group while drawing his pulwe pistol.
Ooc: Vundra sleeving 1 action and using the other to draw his flash gun. Then use his sleeve to dodge
Dodge |19

Peter had that prickling sensation, the kind that made the hairs on the back of the neck stand up, a sign of something being wrong or the feeling of being watched. He frowned slightly as he started to look around for the source...when a mural on the far wall exploded into action and grabbed at Vundra with tentacles. Peter backpedalled from it but didn't fire immediately, not entirely sure he could miss Vundra if he did so.

OOC: 1 action - Sleeving card.

Jane stared at the tentacles and shuddered.  She had a brief thought of smoking it since she hadn't had smoked octopus in...well as long as she almost couldn't remember having it.  It had been a delicacy then and even more so now.  She then mentally kicked herself for getting distracted.

Smoker stared, wide-eyed in horror. He'd known that this whole trip was a Bad Idea, known something terrible would happen. He'd only come out of a sense of duty, he knew he had to come along.

Now all his fears were being realised, coming to awful tentacled life before his eyes!

 From the rear Rowan swears and brings her AK up
AIms and fires

When the horror attacked, some of the Posse were taken by surprise. Schaeffer gaped in horror, letting his M4 dangle by its straps as he staggered back. Realising the wall mural come to life had actually eaten women and children collecting water there caused Knapp to lean forward, hands on knees, and vomit into the water.

The water around Vundra exploded as he turned and ran, dropping his Voxar cannon. First two, then three tentacles reached for him. None hit or grabbed onto him.

Jason stepped forward to slice at one of the flourescently painted limbs. There was a shower of sparks when Evanor bit into it, and there was a jolt that travelled up his arm like he had struck a concrete! The mighty blow only left a scratch on the surface.

There was a tremendous racket at Rowan cut loose with her AK! Numerous rounds slammed into the wall/creature, chipping off paint and kicking out puffs of concrete dust from the cinder blocks. Bullets whined off past the other posse members but she had been careful to aim at an angle so the danger of hitting friendlies was reduced. Trask aimed his SA M260 SAW and also laid down a hail of gunfire. Many of his rounds hit as well causing further damage.

Smoker and Jane seemed stunned or surprised by the situation and the supernatural being, while Peter held his fire, looking for an opening.

It looked like none would be needed. The combination of Jason's sword strike and over a dozen hits from automatic weapons,  the tentacles collapsed lifelessly into the water. On the wall, the mural... sagged. Day-glo paint began gushing out of the bullet holes into the water, like some kind of analogue to blood.

Combat is over. Good job!

"Well then. Nice shootin' guys. Remind me to not take on rock monsters with a sword." he quipped once we could all hear again. "I guess the Combine really knows we are comin' now." He says far more seriously.

Rowan sniffs "Yah think Ranger" she drawls in her best Texan piss take, "shite they ahh knows we were coming after them when this first started".
She pauses looks at the remains of the creature and adds softly
"Though I have to ask in the name of the goddess what was that thing"?
Rowan reloads her magazine and collects her used brass for reload, and steps back beside her lover

Trask let out a whistle that no one can hear in his suit. He moves closer to the mural checking to see if the thing was dead and how it disguised itself within the painting. "Does it have some sort of lair up in the back ?" He thinks to himself.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:47, Mon 08 Feb 2016.

In reply to Increase Trask (msg # 900):

Jane shakes herself out of her frozen state.  Perhaps it was the firepower that did it for instincts kicked in and if you just stood still while ammo was flying all around you, you got hit.  The first thing she did was to check herself for injuries and then look over at Peter to make sure he was ok.

"Ok.  I take back the smoked Octupus comment.  I'm not going to eat that.  Everybody ok?"

Vundra moves back to the cannon and then strap it to his pack. "Am ok" is all Vundra say before moving away from the mural with his gun.

Peter stood there for a moment longer and then finally let out a breath. He leaned away from the wall a bit to look back at Rowan and gave her a nod. "Good shooting indeed."

He looked to Jane to make sure she was okay and then waited for everyone to compose themselves once more.

In reply to Peter Firecrow (msg # 903):

Schaeffer and Knapp slowly pulled themselves together. Both seemed badly shaken. This was perhaps not surprising if she didn't have the experience with the supernatural that Schaeffer did, but he at least had fought powerful entities like Modeen and the Doombringers. Maybe everyone had a breaking point or at least a moment of weakness.

Still, it seemed the pair were ready to continue on and signalled to Jane as such with thumb's up gestures.

Jane looked at Peter and gave him an embarrassed nod.  She wasn't proud that she had frozen but knew that it happened from time to time.  "Yeah, I'll be all right."

Smoker was still huddled in on himself.

Schaeffer and Knapp also seemed to be out of it, like Smoker.

It looked like they were going to wait there for a while longer.

Meanwhile, the water they were standing in was cold, and drips from pipes echoed down the concrete corridor.

 Was there any thing in the creatures lair