'Days?!' Penny gasped, aghast. 'We can't wait days. Ian cannot wait days for a cure. Surely there is some other form of dream magic we could try...' She wracked her brains for possibilities, thinking naturally of her encounters with Queen Gwendolen, but whether those had been fevered fancy in desperate need for reassurance or something much more she might never know. She tried to recall what she knew of dream magic, oneiromancy, the ways of their Celtic ancestors, even certain drugs.

But, right now, with Ian lying stricken before her, she came up blank. She could think of nothing but the most direct and reliable means of aiding her friend. And one other: 'What about the djinn? Is there some way we can use it to put me in Ian's dream?'


OOC:
Listen 22, Spot 25

Can Penny think of an alternative? Apparently not today.
Knowledge (arcane lore) 13, Knowledge (behavioral science) 10, Craft (chemical) 14

Researching Indians:
Gather Information 22

very busy with hospital. short response to follow. Artemis please roll for me.

Alice nodded and went to fetch her things...and dress more appropriately.

Emma listens to Penny's protests with a frown. I know that some hunters have been working on a cure for this sort of thing but I don't think they've gotten the wrinkles straightened out yet. This is the best course I know. If you want to cure him sooner you'll have to hope their are Indians nearby willing to deal with us. At least I think he should keep considering he's out of danger from the Djinn itself. They feed on their comatose victims over time you see. However, he could waste away for want of water if we take too long...hm. Well, guess we'd better get started tonight. How about Alice and I gather supplies while you find our answers? We'll meet back at the hotel.

Fortunately Penny's efforts yield good results. There is a tribe some three days away but they have a small encampment that is usually much closer. You should reach it by the next night.

ooc: For time's sake I'm going to move you on. Hopefully that's ok.

You leave that night, Kate reporting that Ian is stable as she had stayed at the hotel with him. The day passes uneventfully save it's uncomfortable and slower going than you'd like. Emma directs you easily now that she knows where she's going and at last the sun goes down and you estimate you're within about twenty or thirty minutes of your destination. You're in the middle of nowhere. Mostly just plains all around and some thick trees and brush here and there. In the dark the eerie rustling of the tall grass is both peaceful and unnerving. The air feels charged, thick with something unsettling though you don't know what. This feeling continues for some time. Both Penny and Alice hear a faint, distant whistling sound. It rises and falls as though some ways off. Perhaps it is the natives. Emma seems not to notice it at first but does eventually and shrugs it off. After a few minutes it stops and that is that.

Suddenly, several yards off in the grass, Penny spots a familiar figure. It is a woman, standing stiff but waving her arms in a jerky, halting motion. She's trying to get your attention. Penny! she calls. Penny!! It is Lily.

On the journey, Penny had tended anxiously to Ian, pouring water and spooning liquefied foods into his mouth, just to keep him alive and healthy until he could be woken. He'd become a dear friend, and it pained her to see him stricken.

Hearing a cry, she looked up from her task, unnerved faintly by the plains at night. The rustling of the grass seemed like a constant whispering, and the land was so dry as to seem dead, and there was some other strange feeling she couldn't place. The weird whistling didn't help her nerves either. Oh, how she longed for the fresh green pastures of England. Even the desolate and dangerous moors of her beloved Devon had more life and greenery than the American plains.

Spying the figure, she strained to recognise a familiar face far out of her expected place. What was wrong with her? 'Lily?' Penny answered, more in surprise than greeting. 'I thought you were in New Orleans!'

Alice nodded, "As did I, how odd."

Lily doesn't move any closer or acknowledge the statement. She just keeps waving her arms in that stiff, almost puppet like motion, her voice sounds almost like a wail; thin and stretched. She continues to gesture. Penny! Penny! Something most definitely doesn't feel right.

Had she been less familiar with the dark horrors of the supernatural, she might fallen for it, but Penny had learned to look beyond appearances. Disturbed by his strange behaviour, Penny called a halt to the coach. 'Something's wrong...' she warned her companions. This really couldn't be Lily, even a poor shifter's imitation. She was put in mind of a scarecrow, or a fisherman's lure... Penny waved back in the same manner 'Lily! Lily!'


OOC: Knowledge check to ID it: Knowledge (arcane lore / theology): 24

Alice nudged "Friend of yours?" indicating Lily.

Waiting for the strange figure to respond, Penny answered absently 'Yes, another of the Men of Letters. An Indian, and a good woman, most of the time. But now, I'm not sure that's quite her...'

Alice nodded and pulled the scatter gun into her lap, ready for a fight if necessary.

As Penny waves back in kind, Lily stops. Stiff arms drop to her side and her head rolls back and to her shoulder, resting there unnaturally. She stares at you from her distance and though you can't see her well, there's something terrifying about the gaze. Gooseflesh covers your skin and the horses start to stamp and snort, the whites of their fear filled eyes rolling around frantically. Emma grips the reins, trying to gain control. What is that?! she growls, stress in her voice. Meanwhile the figure just stares, unmoving though you can tell its eyes are following you.

Penny: the more you watch and wrack your mind, the more you seem to recall reading about a monster known especially to natives...

Penny quickly began fetching her weapons and rifling through her belongings. 'Something Lily – the real Lily – mentioned in passing once, after the double-face... The Indians call it a skinwalker, which causes no end of confusion with the shifters we know...' She emptied the bullets from her revolver. 'It seems to have powers of witchcraft and mimicry or shapeshifting. So, as with werewolves and shifters and other things that change their skin, I surmise that silver might be effective against them.' she concluded, reloading her pistol with six silver bullets. 'Oh, and one more thing: beware of the dog.'

It being rare that a monster gave them time to prepare, Penny even exchanged her new Stetson for her trusty bowler hat.

Rising, Penny showed the skinwalker her pistol; she was far too British to attack first. 'What do you want?!' she demanded loudly, ready to shoot the thing if it answered poorly.

Alice set the scattergun aside. She feigned being a simple driver until Penny gave her the signal to fight.

In answer the false Lily merely drops her arms, noticing the pistol blankly. Then she steps back and melts into the shadows where you see her morph into a massive dog like shape, though you can't see it clearly and the features are...off. You also note that it stands on its hind legs. As it stands there, staring once more, your hearts start to beat faster, you break out into a sweat and an overwhelming feeling of dread threatens to engulf you...

ooc: Roll a will save please (DC 20) or become shaken.

Save18

'Damn.' That was all the answer Penny needed; this eerie feeling of dread was not the weather, but some kind of curse. With stiff upper lip, she resisted the skinwalker's baleful influence, then raised and fire her pistol – a sure shot, even in the darkness.


OOC:
Will save (with +2 Hunter bonus): 26, success
Initiative: 11
Dodge feat: +1 dodge Defense vs Skinwalker
Shooting the skinwalker: Point Blank Shot +1 attack, +1 damage if within 30 feet
Attack 29, rolled a 20, critical confirmation 11
Damage 7, critical damage 15 (or 6 and 13 if outside 30 feet)
This message was last edited by the player at 02:35, Sat 05 Aug 2017.

The bullet hits squarely but not critically and though it flinches slightly at the impact, the skinwalker meets your gaze coolly, stepping back and melting into the shadows. It disappears completely as it does so, but you still feel that intense fear and the sense of being watched does not dissipate. You hear a deep chuckle suddenly from beneath the wagon and should you look down you'll see Lily's form again peeking out mockingly from beneath it, smiling unnaturally wide up at you from the ground...

ooc: Roll a fort save or become paralyzed for one round, DC 20. Also for future reference, the AC is 22 for this creature so you know if you hit. Next round please.

'How in the...' Penny began, moving and aiming her pistol at where the skinwalker appeared next, moving like a shadow – or was it from the shadows? But she had no time to contemplate this, nor to attack, as her limbs moved increasingly stiffly, and finally locked horribly into place. She was paralysed! She couldn't even scream.

Yet her mind and senses still worked, and she thought furiously about the skinwalker, searching for its weakness, hoping the others could free her in time.


OOC: Fortitude 14, fail!

With nothing else to do, Exploit Weakness: 22 vs DC 15, success, apply Int to future attack rolls.

rolled 6. Looks like Penny is on her own for now. Sorry...

OOC: Eeep! It looks like it's up to Kate and Emma to save us!

ooc: Kate has informed me of some crap going on in real life that will prevent her from posting for a long while. So for now I'm going to just roll and post for her, though I may put her aside at some point until she's ready to come back.

As the pair of you struggle against your paralysis, Emma notices the false Lily and gives a shriek of terror. The horses are even more alarmed, bolting immediately, the jostling of the wagon throwing your unmovable forms down into the bottom of the wagon roughly. Kate shoots her gun at the skinwalker, who is climbing up the side of the wagon, hitting it squarely and Emma, distracted by the sudden wild ride, does manage to strike the woman with unseen hands, her magic clearly at work. However, the creature is feeling determined and with that unnatural smile on its false face, jams its long claw like fingernails into Kate's side.

ooc: Roll another fort save please. If you succeed you may perform your next round and paralyzed or not, speaking is an option. Good luck!

09:54, Today: Mary-Alice Reussoe Conner rolled 22 using 1d20+4.  Fort Save

Suddenly freed from whatever the creature was doing to her, Alice pulled a pistol and went to work.

09:55, Today: Mary-Alice Reussoe Conner rolled 26 using 1d20+6.  Shot 2.
09:55, Today: Mary-Alice Reussoe Conner rolled 28 using 1d20+11.  Shot 1.

Although straining desperately against whatever force gripped her, willing herself to move, Penny found no freedom. It was like she wanted to move, but had forgotten how She could only watch on helplessly as they battled the skinwalker atop the now runaway wagon. But with the jostling and bumping motion, she discovered her jaw could move, and as the skinwalker stabbed Kate, her rediscovered mother, Penny found she had voice. 'No!'

She could speak! It was something, at least. No one who could still speak was powerless. 'I can't move!' she gasped to her companions. Searching for something, some words, some prayer, some spell, she could say to help, Penny shouted 'Skinwalker! Why are you doing this? We did not come here for you. By attacking us, you make powerful enemies. The demon prince Belial himself desires that we live.' It wasn't false, nor was it the whole truth, but it should be something the skinwalker might be concerned with.


OOC: Fortitude 10, still paralysed
Diplomacy 23, natural 20. :)

Alice's shots ring true and the false Lily's face twists in pain and rage even as she brings her claws round and slashes you across the side. You feel a strong throbbing of something vile and hot in the wound, this is no ordinary injury...

Meanwhile Penny's warnings have a surprising effect. The skinwalker growls in fury, like some wild dog. Lily's voice is a half beast rasp of hate as she sneers, I have no loyalty to that abomination. For all his demon ways he's just a white man bent on taking what isn't his. Just like the rest of your kind. I should eat you all just to spite him she smirks. In spite of her words you notice fear and hesitation in her wild eyes. Penny has clearly touched a sore point.

During this, Emma, clearly terrified, reaches out a hand to Penny and mutters something. You can feel yourself being strengthened as a warm sensation shoots through your body.

ooc: Alice, fort save DC 20 or you are weakened and get -2 to all rolls save for damage. Penny, another save please. Take a +4 thanks to Emma. If you succeed you are free. Good luck!
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:43, Thu 17 Aug 2017.

save 11

Alice howled at the pain. Her first shot is off, but her second is dead on.

roll 1 is 8
Roll 2 is a natural 20, 14 to confirm crit