JM staggered back.  "Christ and Mother Mary in heaven preserve us."  He was stunned by the onslaught of horrors.

23:11, Today: John-Marc Falcon rolled 85 using 1d100 with rolls of 85.  Sanity Check.
 Failed

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 155):

Chi-yin stared at the horrifying image, and in shock and terror collapsed.

Ooc: Okay, thank you for letting me know.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:36, Mon 29 July 2019.

Cynthia forces her eyes away from the image, and back to the barrel of her gun, leveled at the beast.

"Why are you here? Why do you want our planet so much? And why are you giving us a chance to walk away instead of just doing like you did to them?"

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 158):

"You could not possibly comprehend my motives, or those of the dark ancient gods I serve as Herald for. As for why I extend this offer, I always prefer people do my bidding. It befits my right to rule and command."

He pointed at the massacre and sneered. "Even the brave know their lot. All doors are closed to you, all your dreams are doomed, all your struggles are futile, your future is already lost.

"Now witness my rewards for those who obey my command:"

He waved his hand again and the current scene faded out, replaced by a new one that shimmers into place where the hemispheric map used to be. In it's place is an archway. They are looking into a bustling marketplace. People wear robes and kohl darkens their eyes. Soldiers armed with spears man an open gateway. Beyond stretches... ancient Egypt! And they can sense this is no image, it is obviously some kind of a portal, an open door. Steps have appeared at the bottom, allowing easy passage into the perhaps distant past. A warm breeze blows in, fragrant with spices and flowers, the smell of people and livestock and the endless desert. They can hear the hubbub of the market.

Perkins, observing the old doorway, noted that it was still a solid stone slab.

The Count was holding his hand to his mouth and it took him a moment to notice the new portal. He stared in wonder, imagine walking back in time, what would his homeland be like could he return ?

He shook his head and turned to vomit the nausea overtaking him.


-

In reply to Nyarlathotep (msg # 159):

Matt cowered at the vision, no, the door before them. "It's not real, it's not real! I'm goin' outta my mind! Ahhhhhh!"

With a cry, he gathered himself off the floor and lunged for the doorway!

JM stood staring at the horrible scene before them.  He had seen horrors in the War of course but somehow this horrible, arcane slaughter surpassed all of his worst memories.  He dropped to his knees and sobbed.  "God, God preserve us..."

Cynthia's mind flickers back and forth between the choices before her. Cast away in... ancient Egypt? And somehow worse, in the service of the beasts they had been pursuing?

all that is necessary... is for good men to do nothing

The lives laid down already, in New York, in London. Her mind flitted back to her own upbringing, the lessons of her tutors, of history, of history being changed by a few accepting great sacrifice...

Molon labe

Cynthia brings her shotgun back up, aiming at the head of the man who was once her friend, and  pulls the trigger.

God save me. Bast save me.

The Count fell away from the shotgun blast and scrambled towards the entrance they had entered from.


-

Mr. Perkins begins again to search the stone that seemed to be blocking their way as soon as the shotgun was fired. He to seemed unable to grasp what was going on and what was happening.

-

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 163):

With a cry, Matt dove through the doorway, landing on the flagstones of the ancient marketplace, or so it seemed!

Maybe Bast was listening after all, or maybe a God can be taken unawares. Either way the buckshot charges of both barrels struck Nyarlathotep and he staggered backwards, then collapsed. Suddenly the corpse began to bubble and writhe, swelling as if it were rotting and expanding as they watched. Within an instant something black and full of mouths burst from the husk, spraying the room with bit of flesh and gore. There was a tremendous squealing and the cries of a hundred babied being crushed alive under a locomotive's steel wheels. The black form expanded and grew, paused for less than a second, then surged upwards, striking the solid masonry of the pyramid's cap. The massive stone blocks were practically insubstantial and blew out and upwards with the unholy force of the being that now stretched, elastic-like and deranged, up through the hole. With a sucking sound it was gone, leaving behind a throne room covered in gore, a hole in the roof, and relative quiet. All that was left of the Black Pharaoh aside from the scraps of flesh and blood sprayed everywhere was the head (now reverted back to the thoroughly-dead Chalky) which had rolled backwards to bonk up against the throne. The formless shapes that had accompanied Nyarlathotep vanished as well.

Keeper's Note: Cynthia needs to roll a SAN check for witnessing this almost indescribable horror. Chi-Yin is unconscious and JM is insensate, both are protected. Bathony and Perkinds are both looking the wrong way and occupied. Matt is in another time and place, Chalky is dead dead dead.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:20, Mon 16 Sept 2019.

Chi-yin finally recovered from the shock to find Matt gone and Chalky most likely dead. What happened here? she wondered.

Cynthia staggers backwards, as surprised by the result of her shot as anyone.

"Well." She lowers her gun and smooths her clothes. "Take that."

"Matt, Matt can you hear us? Come back!"

Cynthia keeps her (now empty) shotgun clutched close as she heads back to where the portal was, feeling for it. "Matt, we're following you! We're going back in time with you! Matthew, tell us where you are!!" As she can't find the portal, she becomes increasingly frantic, throwing dust from the floor and scrabbling for any gap in the flagstones.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:16, Wed 25 Sept 2019.

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 168):

But the portal was gone. So was Matthew.

Left behind were scraps of flesh spattering a gore-covered throne room. Chalky's severed head was the largest piece remaining of the luckless "Digger".

The last candle till burning guttered out. The eerie candle lights that sprouted out of the narrow black posts were gone. All the lamps that had been lit before were extinguished, leaving the chamber in almost complete darkness.

Keepre's Note: Once people are recovered from their various manias or whatever they can make a Spot Hidden check.

The Count had continued to craw away as what ever was before them disintegrated and then covered the walls with gore. "The smell...." was all he could manage between dry heaves, having emptied his stomach earlier.

He made his way to the entrance to the chamber and then stopped.

Count Sigismund Bathony rolled 73 using 1d100 with rolls of 73.  Spot Hidden = 72%.


-
This message was last edited by the player at 07:14, Thu 26 Sept 2019.

Mr.Perkins was uttering something under his breath as he moved his hands over the large block of stone covering the exit.

George Perkins rolled 80 using 1d100 with rolls of 80.  Spot Hidden = 25%.


-

Slowly, slowly JM's mind returned from where ever it had wandered.  He straightened up, knelt now and took a deep breath.  There was a horrific smell, a hint of breeze now seemed to stir the room from above and the moans and soft noises told him of his comrades.  It was dark...

There was a flick of light as JM activated his electric torch.  He passed it around the room and half sobbed again.  "Oh my god... what... what happened to... it?  Matt... Chalky..."

The stone sealing the doorway stayed put, cool and unyielding. Pointing his torch at the slanted pyramid ceiling off to the side of the capstone JM saw an irregular hole blasted through the blocks that made up the pyramid. For the life of him he couldn't fathom what had created such a hole through such a thick and solid barrier! There was a little rubble underneath it but not a lot. Perhaps this is where Matt escaped to?

Keeper's Note: Please make a Listen check.

JM gazed about in amazement as he flashed his torch about the room.  "That... thing... did it escape... make that hole?" He turned to look at the stone blocking their exit. "Can we get out that way George or will we need to make our way up that shaft?"

George stopped running his hands over the stone, but only noticed the hole in the ceiling when John-Marc pointed it out. "I, I don't think the block is going to move.... Yes it looks as if the hole is the only way unless there is a tunnel we have not yet discovered."


-

The Count stepped back from the sandstone block to get a better view at the hole, "Let us hope that what ever made it continued on into the sky...."

He looked to see if there was anything that might get them on their way.


-

In reply to John-Marc Falcon (msg # 174):

"It would seem so." Chi-yin replied.

In reply to Wong Chi-yin (msg # 177):

Perkins and Count Bathony could hear a faint noise of shouting coming through the dark hole. Outside was darkness, it looked like it was still night.

The jagged hole was about 10 feet up, on one of the slanted roof sides. There were no handholds or furniture near by. The lip of the hole, while jagged, was not actually sharp. More like the blocks making it up had been blasted out and away, mostly pulverised.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:24, Mon 14 Oct 2019.

"Let's see if we can pile something or rig something to get us up to the hole.  We may have to fire off a weapon to draw attention from the outside but I'd rather make our own way out first as we have no idea who is waiting outside."  He looked around for anything that might work to get them up to the hole in the ceiling.

"Please, yes. Or just lift one of us out. I think I'm ready to leave..." Cynthia continues to check the area, erratically. She reloads her shotgun, and keeps a very, very close eye on her travelling companions.