Madingley is the site of Cambridge American Cemetery, a designated US Government World War Two Monument and the site of a large collection of US Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines graves.  It takes just over an hour for normal folks to walk there (about three and a half miles) but you guys are not normal are you?
This message was last updated by the GM at 12:21, Tue 04 Jan 2022.

>>> From Arjuna Grocery Store >>>

Ann was first to the rendezvous near the cemetery, and she looked about nervously. Her clothing wasn't exactly ideal for vampire hunting: a purple jumpsuit with wide flares. She had more serious clothes but could think of no excuse for being out this late on a Saturday other than heading to the disco. So fashionable clothes would have to do. At least she'd look good while she fought.

Her handbag held the sharp length of wood she'd broken off earlier that day at the grocer's. She'd practised staking with Miss Casey, but she still got jitters at the thought of actually going toe-to-toe with a vampire. Forcing herself to breathe deeply, she tried to calm herself while waiting for the others.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:43, Wed 12 Jan 2022.

"Hi Ann" Elissa's voice said very quietly from a bush. Said and not whispered because whispers carried in the night air. She emerged from behind the bush, moving utterly silent even in the still night. Moving slowly so as not to attract attention. Not a twig breaking.

Dressed in a dark grey tracksuit, with a balaclava on hiding all but her eyes, and her hair was tied in a knot under a scarf. There were really large black socks over whatever she was wearing on her feet. On her back she had what looked to be a stuffed rucksack (probably her clothes) and a scabbared cavelry sabre strapped to the side of it, a wooden box just visible out of the top of it. She had a stake in her gloved left hand: it looked like she'd snapped a branch recently... just a piece of rubbish if she dropped it. When she stopped moving she became just a hole in the night...

"Only been here ten minutes. Not checked it out yet. Nice night to go ... vampire... hunting" she didn't know whether to hope this was a man in a tux with facepaint and false teeth or the genuine deal. Neither option ended well. But sometimes a girl had to do what a girl had to do. "I like the outfit. I guess you are ... bait?"

"Over the wall or through the gate?"


Stealth: 19
Notice: 16   (18 for danger)


This message was last edited by the player at 13:36, Tue 04 Jan 2022.

Alice didn't keep Ann waiting long, having arrived early as well.  Elissa made contact with Ann before she did, which gave Alice a chance to see who Ann's 'friend' was.  Despite the 'burglar outfit', the girl looked oddly familiar...

"Psst, over here.  Nice to see you ladies made it.  Ann, can you make some quick introductions?"

Alice herself had opted for a pair of dark trousers, a purple Parker jacket, a blue beanie, and some low heeled boots.  Inside her pockets was a crucifix, two stakes, and a vial of holy water.  Underneath her jacket was a short fencing blade.  Alice offered a gloved hand to Elissa in greeting, although whether the young woman returned the greeting was up to her.  There was also the matter of tonight's objective.  Alice wanted to make sure that everyone was on the same page.

"Do we all know what we are here to do?  Hunting can be quite dangerous, but if you trust your instincts Ann... we'll find prey before becoming it.  Remember, I'm here to assist... but this is your test Ann."

Elissa was sure she'd seen this new comer ... of course... the woman in the Grocery store when Ann had said 'talked to my Watcher' and then at the fencing club.

"Evening" Elissa retreated into the shadow of a tree so that she could hardly be seen Her voice was still quiet and little deeper in tone now that Alice was here. "No talking please." In general Elissa was most polite to the people she didn't like. The please was easy for her   "No names, no packdrill. Mr Vampire first"

Elissa studied Alice carefully from her shadow, glad she'd worn the balaclava. She'd done it in case they met anyone, but she was gladder now. She had no idea how the evening would turn out, and it might be much more complex than the simple options she and Ann had shared: were they labrats or were vampires real. If Elissa was going to be running, she wanted as little contact with 'the Watcher' as possible.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:10, Tue 04 Jan 2022.

At the gates of the cemetery is a sentry box occupied by a single, bored looking but wide awake United States Marine in dress uniform and carrying a rifle.  The Cemetery behind the gates is well lit but there are no signs of any more guards although there is a concrete block behind the sentry box which may or may not contain more guards.

This message was deleted by the player at 15:32, Tue 04 Jan 2022.

"Freeze" Elissa breathed in her normal voice but so very quiet. Her hand moved just the slightest to reinforce the message "Don't fucking move"

Perhaps twenty seconds went by.

"Sorry Ann. Sorry I doubted you. I thought the whole thing was nuts."

"But fuck me, a man on a flying horse just went around the wall that way. I don't know if there are vampires inside. Jesus on a flaming pogo stick that wasn't normal. That wasn't super conspiracy making us into lab rats. He'll be here soon. We have to fucking move"

"I'm El, Alice. I'm like Ann. Now let's get out of here and decide what to do. Because a man on a flying horse isn't a fucking vampire. We don't know each other. And we need to. Need to know our capablities and trust each other before we even consider talking to a man on a flying horse"

Edit: Corrected the info on the man. He didn't fly over the wall, he's flying around it
This message was last edited by the player at 15:52, Tue 04 Jan 2022.

Nobody except Elissa could see the man on the flying horse.

The Guard notices Alice and calls out. "Excuse me Ma'am but are you okay?  Can I help you?"

Alice looked a bit skeptical when Elissa mentioned a rider on a flying horse... especially because she saw no such thing herself.  But if it was one of the Fae, there could be a logical explanation.  So Alice was willing to suspend her disbelief and trust in Ann's new friend.

"Describe the rider... did you see any symbols or heraldry?  Vampires aren't the only thing that plagues this area, but that's something I'd hoped to tackle later."

And then the guard was calling to her.  That somewhat committed them to attempt entry into the cemetery.  Alice quickly murmured something to the girls.

_{"Maybe I can bluff our way in.  If I cross the fingers on my left hand, assume its not going well and we'll leave.}

Alice then strode over to the guard and shot him a pleasant greeting.  She played up her Irish accent so it was a little harder for the man to parse her words.  If he had to think about what Alice said, he might not dismiss her out of hand... while she was fast talking him.

"Oh, I was wondering... I be tutoring some students and wanted to show them actual grave plants.  Daylilies and Coral-Bells mostly.  Library books don't do them justice in terms of texture and scent.  I was hoping to get it done tonight, but if its not possible, are we able to get day passes?"

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
03:23, Today: Alice Casey rolled 14 using 1d10+5 with rolls of 9.  Int+Influence: bluffing guard.

---

The Guard remains gazing forward with the traditional thousand yard stare but out of the side of his mouth he said.  "You can look but don't touch Ma'am.  You'll have to leave any digging materials and bags with me.  If that's acceptable then fine but be back out in twenty minutes, which is Oh One Hundred.  Otherwise I'll have to write you a day pass and you can collect it at oh nine hundred."

Ann was torn between running with Elissa or staying with Miss Casey. Once the guard agreed to let them in, it was easy. One would be superpowered and outside the cemetery if she didn't decide to enter too, the other would be an ordinary human in the middle of the danger zone. She moved up beside Miss Casey and handed over her handbag to the guard.

The bag with the stake in it. She hoped there were trees or something in there to fashion a makeshift stake from.

Ann shivered, though it was a warm evening. It was time to see what was really going on here.



This message was last edited by the player at 20:01, Tue 04 Jan 2022.

Perhaps only a minute later a shadow drifted from behind a tree, staying in its slight shadow "It's me. Super cool moves Alice. " the voice was if anything quieter than before. She was still berating herself for letting the surprise of a flying man break her stealth enough for the guard to hear her. This time she'd waited for the other two to get some distance from the guard before saying anything

"The man and horse ... jeez... they kept going. Not coming in here. They ..." she stopped in mid sentence as the reality came crashing down on her again She wasn't sure she would feel safe ever again. Flying men. If they could fly what else could they do? Her hand still held the stake, but she wasn't feeling that a large splinter of wood was going to help very much against what she'd seen "Later"

Even while quietly talking, Elissa looked around. There was supposed to be a vampire in here. And now she wasn't expecting to see a man with a tux, white face paint and false teeth. She didn't know what it would look like... but she wasn't looking forwards to it. Still she couldn't leave these two in here.

Notice: 17, 19 vs danger and stealthy things