Author Topic: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us  (Read 22118 times)

Offline dman

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #160 on: November 05, 2020, 06:54:09 PM »
Hank just offers a dejected stare at the sisters' feet and sighs.

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Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #161 on: November 06, 2020, 06:48:37 PM »
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They head over to the room. Before they even get to the locked trap door, you can hear loud banging and screaming from a woman from it. "Open up already! Open up! I swear you will regret it if you don't open up IMMEDIATELY!"

Katya glances back worriedly, but eventually her greed for the promised coins wins out. She works on the lock and steps back just in time to escape the flashing silver dagger of Lusica. The guardswoman looks terrible, insomniac, panicked and with burn marks and soot disgracing her wardrobe, hair and skin. Lucy's acting like a caged animal and not paying much attention to you as she stabs after the wild-eyed little maid.

Behind her, one of the tall Red Guard cohorts very slowly climbs up the ladder leading up and out of the trap door. He too looks to be in terrible shape, with stiff limb movements and a wide gash in his side. The wound is heavily swollen, with a suspicious clear liquid dripping from it.

In the darkness under them, you can hear something very large sniffing, growling animalistically and prowling around. From the sounds of it, it would be way, way, waaay too large and heavy to fit through the narrow shaft, even less so climb up the flimsy ladder. At least you hope so.

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Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #162 on: November 06, 2020, 07:30:50 PM »
Listening to the sounds, Yuki takes a deep breath and focuses, thinking back to her other talents. It wasn't just felling humans, after all.

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Offline Nanshork

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #163 on: November 06, 2020, 09:08:04 PM »
Niko claps his hands together loudly in front of Lusica's face trying to snap her out of it.

"Your companion has been poisoned with poison from a giant wasp and there is some sort of catlike abomination down there.  You have bigger things to worry about than stabbing the one who just let you out!"

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #164 on: November 06, 2020, 09:22:54 PM »
Lusica stares at Niko for a moment, then snaps out of her sleepless stupor.

"Ah, it's you. That's good. That's very, very good, much better than this lot of thieves here. - Whatever your business here is, don't go down that hole, it is very dangerous. Got rid of that lot? That is very convenient for us, very convenient, I won't forget. Now, if you don't have any pressing business, we will leave to report after we have rounded up what is left of them."

Katya looks even more wild-eyed, and Svetlana tenses to dash out while she still can.

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #165 on: November 14, 2020, 02:11:12 PM »
Mist stands between Lusica and the girls.

"You've done well Lusica. Now get some rest." she says, pulling out a wand. "You've earn this."
A soft light emits from the wand as it makes contact with the guardswoman and her injuries begin to fade.

"Let us take care of the rest." Mist says, looking at Yuki to see if she is ready and stowing the wand in favor of a different one.

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Hmm.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #166 on: November 20, 2020, 04:45:55 PM »
Lusica tenses up a bit.

"I'll relax after I have done my duty. I'll have to round those two up for interrogation, we will need all information we can get before we send a large and equipped enough unit down there."

She looks askance at Mist.

"Unless you'll want to go down there... Not something I would recommend, but I know you adventurer types. Still, you should get all the rest and information you can before you venture down that hell-hole. What might be of interest of you is that I only need a teeny-tiny trinket from there, a small ring of no real value but of sentimental value. The Cardinalesse would have you let all other treasure from down there, and will extend her favour and may extend you a reward if you reclaim it for her."

The ring Lusica describes to you afterwards sounds awfully similar to the one Tanya needs to reclaim her stolen pedigree.

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #167 on: November 29, 2020, 02:38:31 PM »
"We can fell the beast down there. No need to get the girls involved." Mist says. "But you sound awfully sure that trinket is down there...you've seen it with your own eyes?"
Hmm.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #168 on: November 29, 2020, 03:10:33 PM »
"You seem to care a lot about those girls... What if we only detain them until you return the ring, and then set them loose as they are no longer valuable? I could even see to it that the fines for the crimes they have been accessories to get included in your reward package, making them effectively indebted to you and forced to your bidding. How would you like it, not only to have those girls being set free, but being made into your servants working their debt off?"

She clears her throat before adressing the second part of the question.

"Of course I have seen the ring among the treasure piles. Sadly I wasn't able to grab it before being forced up again by the attacks of the great beast, or there wouldn't be my generous offer at all."

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Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #169 on: November 29, 2020, 03:28:45 PM »
"So, it's just the beast down there?"

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #170 on: November 29, 2020, 03:50:05 PM »
"Yes, 'tis but a beast, singular. Still, you should be well-rested and well-prepared before you take it on. I would need a whole army to dislodge it from its cavernous chambers if I were to rely on the forces I have available."

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #171 on: November 29, 2020, 11:01:25 PM »
Yuki looks at the trap door, then back at the guard, then once more at the trap door, as if trying to work out how an army could be of use in a small basement entrance. "Are your troops so incompetent they leave no choice but to feed the monster until it's sated?"

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #172 on: December 06, 2020, 12:51:04 PM »
"I only know what we'd need to succeed, not how to best apply it. I'm here to help people by talking and listening to them, not to hurt them or direct others on how to best hurt them. A small but very capable group as you might be more effective then sufficient numbers of our people.

So, let me summarize: All the other treasure down there, plus the redheads indebted to you, plus whatever other reward I can have permitted. You liked scrolls of identification, I believe? Anything else you would particularly desire in exchange for the ring?"

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #173 on: December 13, 2020, 12:39:57 PM »
"Coin works fairly well." Mist says. While she is not sure how she will meet the expectations of both employers who seemed to be at odds with each other, that would be for her future self to deal with. "How about you take the girls to a safer place while we go to work."

She looked at her companions meaningfully. "Assuming we are all ready?"
Hmm.

Offline dman

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #174 on: December 13, 2020, 07:28:52 PM »
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Having being lost in his own regret for slaying one of the people he should have been trying to save, Hank quickly becomes aware of the conversation after sensing something suspicious. His eyes refocus on Lucy, and he clumsily wipes his tear streaked cheeks managing instead to creating an ugly smear of soot and grime. 

"Lucy?  You're alive!  When we saw you'd come in ahead of us we were worried that you might be captured or . . . worse . . ." Hank stops himself from glancing back at the body of the young woman behind him. 

"I'm so glad you're ok, but, Lucy, I can't understand why you'd think lying to us could possible help your cause.  I am beginning to think that this Red Guard with which you associate is a bad influence on you and unworthy of your loyalty.  It makes me wonder why you continue to work with them, and how we're supposed to trust you at all." 

"The way I see it whatever treasure is here is already ours by rights and that you are additionally in our debt for having saved your life from this band of brigands and for presumably slaying this beast for the church.  I propose that we sweep the complex and give these women a chance to explain the criminal operations going on here.  If they're HONEST you can given them the choice to remain in our protection or to go with you.  If they're not honest you can do whatever the law requires for uncooperative informants.  Either way you can return to your superiors secured in the knowledge that we are your friends and that you've cleared this blot of corruption in the city.  You're welcome to think of additional ways to reward us in the mean time."  Hank heaves a heavy sigh and runs his grubby hand through his singed hair.

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"I want a bath..."
« Last Edit: December 14, 2020, 06:46:46 PM by dman »

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #175 on: December 14, 2020, 01:57:04 PM »
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Lucy bites her lip, having been caught in her lie.

"Look, yes, I haven't actually seen the ring... But I have it on good authority that it must be down there, and that it mustn't fall into the wrong hands. Wee me is a reasonable woman who will make it worth your while if you let me safekeep it. Other parties interested into it are not so reasonable, and may stab you first and then search your estate for it second."

She stretches.

"I think I might best leave the rest to you, besides, I have... things to check at home. You know where to find me, I'll see what I can scrounge up for you. And if you find the ring, just think of me and my offer."

With that she directs her surviving guardsman to collect the two redheads and readies to leave.

Offline dman

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #176 on: December 16, 2020, 07:30:01 PM »
Hank turns toward the sisters.  "You have a difficult choice.  You can choose to confess your sins and repent of your crimes - sharing everything you know about this criminal enterprise including your involvement and pledging to never enter into such association again in which case I will take you under my protection and you will welcomed into the community of Svyata Nadezhda.  You will be treated with dignity.  Your needs will be provided for.  You will be taught a trade, given spiritual instruction, and be required to work in service bringing hope and help to the poor.  If you lie to me even in a small detail . . . and please understand, I will know it . . . or if you choose not to trust me . . . which I would not fault you for . . . you will be relinquished to this lady and the custody of the Red Guard for your crimes.  I trust you understand that they will not make you such a gracious offer.  It's a **** choice having to make this decision after what I have done . . .
 
"For what it's worth I deeply regret the finality of the hurt I have brought you and yours."  Hank's eyes, fixed on the sisters, turn red with tears. 

"It will haunt me for the rest of my life." 

He sniffs. 

"I offer what I can.  I offer you a choice." 


Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #177 on: December 18, 2020, 04:53:09 PM »
Katya immediately blurts out: "But... we have no crimes to confess! We were kept against our will! Please let us go!"

Svetlana chimes in: "That's right. We cannot admit something we did not do."

Lusica puts on a worried expression. "That's what happened? You poor little things, I can't just leave you off like that. Why don't you come along so I can take a report? We could then also see that you get restituted with some of the ill-gooten loot after we have seized it."

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Offline dman

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #178 on: December 19, 2020, 12:18:59 AM »
Hank bows his head.  "I gave you the choice.  I pray the Lord would save you from lying lips and from deceitful tongues."

He looks up at the sisters with an expression that is both serious and pleading.
 
"'Those who follow the right path fear the Lord; those who take the wrong path despise him.
An honest witness does not lie; a false witness breathes lies.
The prudent understand where they are going, but fools deceive themselves.
A fool’s proud talk becomes a rod that beats him, but the words of the wise keep them safe.
A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words of your mouth.'"

He turns to Lucy.  "I know there's more to you than lies and intrigue, Lucy.  Remember how many people we killed today so that you could live, and consider that these girls aren't so different from your own before you set on your course.  You have a choice too.  Mercy triumphs over judgment." 
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Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 4 - The Creature Walks Among Us
« Reply #179 on: December 22, 2020, 11:16:45 AM »
The reference to Lusica's past seems to strike a note with her.

"I'll... look after them, make sure that they aren't going too rough with them."