Author Topic: Chapter 1: A New Beginning  (Read 128668 times)

Offline bhu

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Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« on: July 01, 2016, 05:00:44 PM »
The setting: A rural town not far from Philadelphia (and by not far I mean a Few days ride).  It has been a few weeks since news of the destruction of New York by fire at the hands of the British.

Except that's not exactly true, according to old Sheriff Barnes.  If you listen to him Washington used a form of alien science we'd call magic o open a door to multiple realities in the hope of destroying the British, and lost control.  Even before then you knew something was up due to the prisoner he kept locked out of sight in some sort of circle etched into the cell floor.  It looks like something out of a book on witchcraft.  No one knows who the prisoner is, but he taught Sheriff Barnes some tricks, which Barnes taught to you.  You learned in order to humor him as they never really worked.

Until now.  Now Barnes is dead, killed by a 15 foot high monstrosity that looked like some sort of spider or crab.  Now your tricks work just fine, and you have to wonder who the unnamed prisoner is, and why he's where he is, because Barnes died before he could tell you everything.  No you have to see to the defense of your town somehow, and maybe get word through to Philadelphia, where Barnes assured you there was help.

And to make things worse it's raining like hell.

Offline RobbyPants

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2016, 10:35:39 AM »
To the group: To everyone who has worked with Elizabeth before, you know her as a relatively serious-minded investigator who tends to have a business-first sort of attitude on the clock, and a rather deadpan sense of humor. She lightens up off the clock, and will have drinks and play cards with the guys (if they're into that sort of thing).

She's in her late 30s, has a slender build, and keeps her straight, brown hair tied back in a pony tail most of the time. She usually wears guy's clothing as she tends to get messy in the shop/lab and while crawling on the ground looking for clues. Her most noticeable features are a series of scars on the left side of her face and neck, as well as the missing lobe from her left ear, missing left pinkie, and partially missing left ring finger. She said there was an explosion when she was 15 while experimenting with some black powder.

Pic:
(click to show/hide)



Until now.  Now Barnes is dead, killed by a 15 foot high monstrosity that looked like some sort of spider or crab.  Now your tricks work just fine, and you have to wonder who the unnamed prisoner is, and why he's where he is, because Barnes died before he could tell you everything.
Bhu: Is there any chance we'd get to look at the scene of the attack? If so, I'd like to look for any clues, taking 20:

Search = 20+17 = 37.


Once everything calms down from the attack and Elizabeth has time to clear her head, she storms over to the jail to talk to the prisoner.

"Who are you, and why are you imprisoned here?"

Sense Motive = d20+10
Rolled 1d20+10 : 6 + 10, total 16



No you have to see to the defense of your town somehow,
OOC: when you say "defense", do you mean against eldritch abominations, or is the town worried about attack from the British?

How many people saw the 15-foot tall monster attack?


and maybe get word through to Philadelphia, where Barnes assured you there was help.
Did Barnes give any sort of clue as to what type of help?
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Offline bhu

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2016, 04:30:14 PM »
The town is worried about both.  You did arrive at the scene of the massacre, but too late to stop the monster or save the Sheriff.

Barnes implied there were constables and government officials in Philadelphia who knew the truth.

Sol and genius do yuo want to be present for the interrogation?

Offline geniussavant

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #3 on: July 02, 2016, 08:40:30 PM »
Yeah, give me a couple hours and I'll have something up for you.
Smile beautiful. It's not as bad as you think.
I usually post from my phone. Please excuse any typos. I swear, they're the phone's fault.

Offline geniussavant

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #4 on: July 02, 2016, 09:50:11 PM »
Samuel has been one of the, maybe only, town doctor for a few years now.

Things known by the majority of townsfolk, our freely offered if asked:
Samuel is in his mid thirties (36), and was born a few towns over. He studied medicine under the town doctor there, but left about ten years ago to start his own practice. He settled in (what's the town's name?) Soon after. As the years have passed, he has made a name for himself and built a house on the outskirts of the town. Nice house, but nothing impressive, a quite place to call his own. Most of his medical work happens within the patients home and he uses a light weight buggy and stout horse to make most of his house calls. Otherwise, he didn't socialize much, but he is polite to anyone he encounters.

Aside from his medical practice, he did have a taste for fine food and good whiskey. Each week, he stops by the local store and picks up fresh groceries and a new bottle of whiskey. He has a deal with the shop owner to make sure he keeps a good bottle ready for him and to let him know if he ever gets a chance to get a new whiskey he hasn't had before. Rye preferably, but a good bourbon, Irish or scotch is always a nice change.

Samuel is 6 ft tall, with brown hair and grey eyes. Usually seen wearing tailored clothes and carrying a leather bag with his medical tools. During train, he wears a heavy trench coat to ward of the weather.

Samuel could easily be asked to be present for the interrogation as a nod to the health of the prisoner.
Smile beautiful. It's not as bad as you think.
I usually post from my phone. Please excuse any typos. I swear, they're the phone's fault.

Offline bhu

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #5 on: July 03, 2016, 02:47:13 AM »
Sol?

Offline bhu

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #6 on: July 10, 2016, 06:39:49 PM »
The investigation turns up little beyond dismembered bodies.  The rain has washed away most possible evicence , other than huge tracks of a kind you've never seen.

Upon asking the prsioner he replies


"I am no one, and I am here because I know the truth."

Offline RobbyPants

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #7 on: July 10, 2016, 08:58:09 PM »
The investigation turns up little beyond dismembered bodies.  The rain has washed away most possible evicence , other than huge tracks of a kind you've never seen.

Can we see where they go?


Upon asking the prsioner he replies


"I am no one, and I am here because I know the truth."

"What truth do you know? How did you learn it?"
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Offline SolEiji

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #8 on: July 10, 2016, 09:52:13 PM »
In the middle of the interrogation, the door was kicked open.  The smell of leather, blood, and dirt drifted from this scraggly man wearing a heavy coat and hat which covered his eyes, further obscured by some bandages wrapped about his head from a recent.. infraction which got a bit rough.  Grayed out brown muttonchops sprayed out from the sides of his face, and his breath was heavy with brandy.  He had the look of a ruffian or an outlaw, few would expect him to be an officer of the law.

Lionel was late.  He had gotten the news while he was self medicating himself in the pub.  The old man was dead, and someone, or something was to blame.  Though to be fair, bring in his cups wasn't the reason he was really late.  Quietly he patted the pocket on his coat, feeling a familiar and forgotten little book at his side.

"Where is he?" he announced with a bassy smoker's grumble.  "Who will we be hanging for this one?"
Mudada.

Offline RobbyPants

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2016, 10:17:01 PM »
"It's not a he so much as... an it. It was some huge monstrosity. The rain washed away almost everything I could hope to find, save for some rather large tracks. I'm asking this guy the sheriff had kept locked up why he's here."
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Offline bhu

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #10 on: July 11, 2016, 03:09:30 AM »
The investigation turns up little beyond dismembered bodies.  The rain has washed away most possible evicence , other than huge tracks of a kind you've never seen.

Can we see where they go?


Upon asking the prsioner he replies


"I am no one, and I am here because I know the truth."

"What truth do you know? How did you learn it?"

The tracks go off into the Deep Woods.

"I learned the true way the world works from my Master."

Offline RobbyPants

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #11 on: July 11, 2016, 10:50:58 AM »
"Who was or is your master? Did your master teach you any tricks?"

OOC: remember the 16 Sense Motive I rolled in the first post, which should kick in after we've been talking a minute, to see if he's lying.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2016, 10:52:32 AM by RobbyPants »
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Offline bhu

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #12 on: July 11, 2016, 05:30:49 PM »
ooc: he ain't lying yet, but he ain't giving up much either


"My Master taught me many thing, parlor tricks were not among them."

Offline RobbyPants

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #13 on: July 11, 2016, 09:55:26 PM »
"And who is your master? How did you find each other?"
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Offline bhu

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #14 on: July 12, 2016, 01:26:07 AM »
"Some questions are best left unanswered."

Offline SolEiji

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #15 on: July 12, 2016, 05:44:48 AM »
"That so?" muttered Lionel from under his breath.  He heard enough, this cheeky prisoner was playing games with them.  He kicked a nearby stool closer so that he could interrupt this little interrogation, taking a place uncomfortably close.

"The way I see it, I don't think you understand the s'tuation you're in.  Barnes is dead.  I've got people telling me that it was some kind of monster.  15 feet tall.  Big fangs.  Probably a thousand limbs.  Whatever.  Do you know how fukkin absurd that sounds?

The way I see it, a police officer died all horrible.  The only witness is a man already in jail for crimes.  A man who has a motive to escape, and a motive not to tell the truth.  Better tell a story about a boogeyman, so they don't realize what a sick fuck you are and hang you for your crimes.  Hell, if I tell the people about what you did to Barnes, I think they might skip the hangin' for somethin' more... biblical."

He slapped his hand on a nearby table, brandy soaked breath getting up in his face as he leaned in.

"So, we're gonna do this again.  The lady asked you a question.  I think this is one best answered."
Mudada.

Offline RobbyPants

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #16 on: July 12, 2016, 08:05:53 AM »
Bhu: is the prisoner remaining inside the circle on the floor?
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Offline bhu

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #17 on: July 13, 2016, 12:48:05 AM »
yes, in fact until Lionel pulled up a chair he didn't even bother to look up and notice any of you at all while he was speaking.  He is now gazing intently at Lionel and smiling.

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #18 on: July 13, 2016, 09:31:07 AM »
"Lionel, make sure during your interrogations that you don't grab him and pull him out of that circle. I don't know why he's in there, but it's certainly for a reason.

Well, this is proving less than useful for the time being. Do any of you want to venture out into the rain to see if we can find more information out, there."


To the prisoner: "When was the last time you were fed?"
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Offline bhu

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Re: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
« Reply #19 on: July 13, 2016, 05:06:38 PM »
"I do not require food in the same manner you do, nor am I capable of eating the same as you.  I will let you know when the time comes, and you will bring me something living to eat.  A chicken or squirrel perhaps."