(M) The Shadows that walk among Us. (IC)

[Cfavano]

Castle Rock was a very small town, with a population of only a few hundred, the sign that denoted it was old and worn, and the buses that ferried the Con-goers was moving too fast for it to be properly read. They also didn't stop in town very long either, only for bathroom breaks and to get some food. It was a quaint little place, full of smiling people, and wide open spaces. It so happened that the leaves were changing color, and the town was full of Halloween decorations. But again, they didn't stay long.

Back on the road, in buses that they had been in since six AM, and it was now nearly eight in the evening, they hadn't seen any signs of civilization for quite sometimes as they went further and further into the backwoods of upstate Maine. People were chatting and enjoying the scenery, and one by one, their cellphone reception vanished. This was warned about in anyone who took the time to read the brochure. It was another hour before they got to a large, Iron-wrought fence which creaked open ominously...and then they saw it.

Castle Droknar, the property of an old, and incredibly rich European family, who's ancestor had it transported to america stone by stone from Wallachia, and was considered by the PSA (Paranormal Society of America) to be one of the top ten haunted locations in Northern america. Legends of it are ancient and many from its long history, and range form it being the location of a coven of vampires, to being built over a portal to hell, a place where children were brutally sacrificed to dark gods, and other foul atrocities and dark things occurred. The Perfect place for such a convention to be held.

The buses pulled up in an outer courtyard, the last ones to have arrived. People had driven card, trucks, ridden on buses, and some, come in on Yachts (the castle was built on top of a cliff and had a dock at the bottom, legend tells that secret tunnels line the underground for miles). But all noticed it right away, and it was slightly unnerving. Outside of the idle chatter, and some wind rustling some leaves...the place was eerily quiet, and it was at least five degrees colder than it was in Castle Rock.

They were guided into the castle by tall, black suited staff, and were checked in to private rooms, of which the castle had very many. They were given light dinners, and informed the Con would start tomorrow, and to not wander from their rooms. One by one, the many con-goers went to sleep, and except for 4 individuals, who unbeknownst to them, had a great destiny, was uneventful. For those 4 special individuals, their sleep was uneasy, filled with dark dreams and a strange sense of paranoia that someone, somewhere, was watching them.

The next morning, the Con was in full swing. One by one people were entering the Con area, which included several ballrooms and other large ares, and included all the amenities such as panels, Q&A sessions, a merch area, and even a cosplay competition, and the Con-goers varied from people serious about the scientific side of things, such as ghost hunting...to furries dressing up as Werewolves. But it was a Con, what do you expect.

The merch area was quite packed with supplies for sale, and surprisingly...guns and other questionable things lined the shop stalls. To name a few:

(the number next to an item is its wealth purchase DC, anything equal to a character's wealth bonus or lower can automatically be bought, but anything higher requires a check (done by me after you post your intent) and success will mean lowering your wealth bonus by a set amount (look on the wealth link for info)



Custom made stuffed toys, ranging from vampires and zombies, to ghosts, mummies, and all sorts of monsters. They come in various sizes from pocket sized (1) to bigger than people (9)



(any licensed, restricted, or illegal gear will require a diplomacy check to see if they will show it to you, and the second number next to the purchase dc is how much more expensive it is for you to buy it post normally and I will roll to see if you would actually get it, this is any item with an increase to its purchase DC)





Surveillance equipment for hunting and tracking paranomal creatures


https://i.postimg.cc/fL4jmr61/surveillance.png





A dealer in tools and equipment for hunting violent monsters (under the assumption they don't exist) Wares include listed guns and several toolkits. will only sell guns to you if you have a licence, or sells them at a higher price (the second number is the increase) if you don't.

Weapons

Ranged

Benelli 121 M1 (12-gauge shotgun) (17) (1)
Beretta M3P (12-gauge shotgun) (16) (1)
Mossberg (12-gauge shotgun) (15) (1)

12-gauge shells, box of 10 (4)

melee

Taser (Simple) (7)

Kits

https://www.d20resources.com/modern.d20.srd/equipment/professional.equipment.php

https://www.d20resources.com/arcana.d20.srd/equipment/general.equipment.php (not sports equipment)





A group of leatherworkers, wood carvers, silversmiths, and blacksmiths who make it their job to revitalize the 'classic' idea of a monster hunter, selling archaic and exotic weapons and armor, as well as other 'old fashioned' tools. All weapons have silver worked into the metal, or are silver plated if not made of metal.

Weapons

Longsword (11) (archaic)
Rapier (10) (archaic)
Hatchet (4) (archaic)
Kukri (5) (exotic)
Nunchaku (silvered) (3) (exotic)
Crossbow (9) (Simple) Crossbow bolts - box of 12 (7)

Armor

Leather armor (+2 defense, +1 if not proficient, dex bonus maximum +6) (11) (light)
Chainmail shirt (+5 defense, +2 if not proficient, dex bonus maximum +4) (18) (medium)



But above all that, that night, on the brochure, they was to be a wild party going from dusk and until the break of dawn, with free booze and dancing. For now, we leave our heroes at the Con's opening. How will they spend their day?

[Ma1chbox]

In the last few rows of the bus, there sat a strange, brooding figure, arms crossed and head slightly bowed. His face was obstructed by the thick woolen hood of his jacket. For most of the trip, he had kept to himself at sat almost unmoving, only shifting every now and again to adjust himself. Even at the sight of the castle, the mysterious figure remained unphased. Only when the bus stopped in the courtyard and the bus driver called for an exit did the hooded man finally move.

"... Oh shit... Are we here already?" the hooded figure mumbled groggily. He took off his hood to reveal a still sleepy Patches who was just now finally stirring to. He quickly picked up his backpack and followed the rest of the con-goers, taking in his first glimpse of the castle as he went. He wryly smirked, partly because he was impressed, and partly because he was fantasizing about finding some old treasure inside. For some reason, though, he felt a slight chill in his spine, but he opted to ignore the feeling altogether.

The con-goers were all herded by tall, black-clad men. Whether they were security, staff, or both, Patches couldn't really tell. Either way, he, like all the others from the bus, went through the whole check-in process in a neat single file. All along the way, a few bellboys and porters had approached and asked if he needed any assistance, but he always refused since all he brought was a backpack full of essentials. The way they kept insisting did add to the strange atmosphere, however.

Shortly after, Patches was led to a decently sized room by yet another persistent bellboy. That was the eight one since he'd left the bus. "Your room is in here, sir. Do call room service if you need anything else," the bellboy meekly said. Patches simply smiled and nodded, raising a hand to wave the man off. Before he could do so, though, he felt his stomach rumble. It was then he remembered that it was already well past dinnertime, and none of the guests had eaten yet. The thief opened his mouth to call out to the bellboy, but the man, as if having read Patches' mind, cut him off. "Dinner will be served shortly, sir," he said bowing before taking a step back and opening a door.

Much to Patches' surprise, another one of the uniformed staff was already waiting outside the door with a light meal on a tray. The waiter gently placed the meal on a nearby desk before bowing and exiting. The bellboy followed as well, but raised his head for a final say. "Enjoy the meal, sir. Oh... and please remain in your room for the night. It would be for the best." And with that, the staff disappeared behind the thick door, leaving the thief alone in his room.

Patches spent the next hour unpacking, settling in, eating, and showering, then the next half hour after that just lazing about. He'd thought about the last thing the bellboy told him. Why would not leaving his room be for the best? No explanation was given in the first place. Immediately, Patches sat up and made his way to the door. He opened the room and peeked out into both sides of the hallway. It was eerily silent, and not a single soul seemed to stir. The thief scoffed and smiled, thinking that he was free to roam if nobody was there to stop him in the first place.

As soon as he set one foot outside the room's boundaries, however, he felt a sudden, unexplainable survival instinct kick in. Any assurance he had in himself had all but gone, and only a strangely palpable dread remained as he sheepishly slunk back into his quarters. Strangely enough, as soon as the door clicked closed, the dread washed away once again. Patches decided not to press it any further and just continue lazing about instead.

The thief jumped back onto the bed and almost immediately began to suddenly feel sleepier and sleepier. This was very much strange to him since he spent most of the bus trip dozing off, but the urge to sleep was too strong to fight. With a final sigh, his eyes slowly closed and he fell into a deep, uneasy sleep.

The next morning, Patches woke up in a cold sweat, breathing somewhat heavily. Looking around, he saw that he'd fallen off the bed in a tangled mess of sheets and blankets. He almost jumped upon the sudden chiming of the grandfather clock across the room. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the con had already started and he was late. Wasting no time, he hastily threw on something comfortable but stylish and hurried over to the convention proper.

The place was already packed and lively by the time he got there, much to his delight. So many people, so many pockets to pick. He walked around multiple times at first, getting a feel for the general layout of the place. At the same time, he was scouting out possible marks, as well as any security patrols or CCTVs.

In the middle of his rounds, though, he stopped at a booth that caught his eye. The big sign on the top said "Slayer's Tools." Pretty corny name, but the merchandise they were selling were definitely not what Patches was expecting to see in the middle of an oddball convention. He mulled over buying a shotgun at first, but he decided to leave it, since there was no way he'd lug around a shotgun during a thieving run. A row of tasers on display did pique his interest, though. Simple and easy to use, and fucking painful too. He'd originally planned not to bring any weapons to the convention, but a little backup protection wouldn't hurt. He whistled to call the attention of the stall's attendant and raised the weapon in his hand. "Oi! Mate! How much for this here taser? I'd like to get one."

[Enigma]

It was already growing dark when they left the little town of Castle Rock behind them, the only sign of civilization besides the road had been a prison, not far outside of town, a bright spot among the darkness.

Lying next to her on the back seat was a dog-eared Anne Perry paperback she'd grabbed from one of those Free Library boxes while waiting for the bus, already finished. Did it wind up there because the original owner got tired of it, or was it after they found out she'd helped her friend kill her mother back when they were young, all those many years ago? A sticker in the book asked her to leave it someplace public when she was done with it, so it could be shared with someone else, hopefully the bus driver wouldn't throw it out later.

June and Jon's voices crooned to her through her earbuds, but she paid no attention to the lyrics - it was just soothing to hear them singing. Jon had actually made a big fuss about sharing the tracks with her, since they weren't releasing the album for another week, but she knew her parents were worried about her, ever since....

A murmur ran through the bus as it slowed, and glancing out the window, she could see finally see the castle, lit up for the Con guests. She thumbed the music off and slipped her phone into her pack, along with the earbuds. Sabina had promised to call, but since they left town, reception had dried up. Hopefully this place had wifi.

It was noisy and chill when she climbed off the bus, the last passenger. It was weird how quiet it was, but perhaps it was because everyone was so tired after such a long ride? Shouldering her pack, she followed the other Con guests into the entry of the castle, wishing she'd thought to bring a jacket with her. This was colder than the town had been!

But weirdly enough, once she was inside the castle, it didn't seem all that warmer despite the press of bodies ogling the walls as if they expected something to leer out at them. Not that it would be surprising here.

After checking in, a black-suited porter asked for her bags.
"Just got my pack here," she said, slinging it onto her right shoulder. He gave her a sniff of disapproval, but beckoned her to follow him as they went up a staircase and along hallways until he suddenly stopped at a door.

"In here... Miss," he grumbled, fumbling with the key for a moment, then swung the door opened. The room beyond look like it had been decorated during the Renaissance, with the only concession to the 21st century was the installation of a few electric lights and a door that lead to a tiled bathroom with a cast iron clawfoot tub that Elizabeth Báthory would have felt at home in.

"It's... nice," she offered, wondering for a moment what Hunter would have thought about this room. And then a pang of sadness as she remembered.
"A light supper will be brought to your room in a few minutes," the porter sniffed. "We recommend that you do not leave your room tonight, the halls can be treacherous at night. There have been... accidents."
"Accidents?" she frowned, putting the pack on the bed. Weird. Dressing table, wardrobe, chair, weird picture of some guy wearing period clothes staring at her intently from the wall, but no tv or phone? "Isn't that like against hotel regulations?"
"I believe it was the hotel inspector who had the last accident."
She giggled, but one look at the porter's raised eyebrow made her realize he was serious. "Oh. Is there a phone....?"
"In the lobby," the porter sniffed. "Out of order."
"Oh."

She fumbled for her wallet and pulled out a twenty, which she gave to the porter. He frowned at the bill curiously and glanced at her, then seemed to belatedly realize it was a tip, which he reluctantly slipped into his pocket as if he was afraid it would bite.
"Do... have a pleasant night," he said just before leaving, somehow making it sound more like an option.

Her attention turned to the picture hanging on the wall, for how long she wasn't sure, jumping when there was a rap on her door, breaking her concentration. But there was no porter outside, just a covered tray with a singular black rose in a bud vase. Dinner turned out to be liver and onions, with a side of spinach, and a small carafe of green tea.


The bed turned out to be surprisingly comfortable, stuffed full of down with down comforters, but she tossed and turned before finally sitting up with a sigh and looking at the picture on the wall, before going to the bathroom and bringing back a towel, which she used to cover the picture.


The next morning, another sharp rap on the door woke her. The tray from the night before had been replaced by a continental breakfast, which she brought back to the bed. She frowned, looking up at the picture - apparently during the night, the towel had fallen off.

"It's just a stupid picture," Sabine muttered, nibbling on the hard roll. But she went into the bathroom to dress.


The workshops she was interested in weren't starting until later, so Sabina decided to drop into the hustle and bustle of the Dealer's room.

Stalkers had all this surveillance gear that made her eyebrows shoot up, wondering who could afford to buy this?

Slayers had a nice taser, well within her budget that she purchased after watching a guy she'd seen on the bus the night before purchasing one. But she was a little surprised to see all the guns - was it legal to have these out like this? How did they do background checks here? And wondered if they had any silver bullets behind the table? For novelty purposes, of course.

She stared long and hard at the kits, before purchasing a first aid kit and their basic evidence kit, thinking how handy the later would have been when they found her at the dig site. They also had multi-tools, which reminded her of Hunter, so she picked up a Leatherman Rebar in Stainless steel rather than the black anodized. It would be easier to see if she dropped it.

At the Armory, they had actual armor and swords, as well as numchucks and throwing stars, which made her smirk. But the Kukri blade with the silver worked into the metal reminded her of Veer, so she impulsively bought it as a present for him, tucking it into her pack.

The leather armor reminded her that she needed something warmer to wear, so Sabina went in search of a vendor selling jackets or at least a nice hoody.

[Cfavano]

Patches Spot roll = 6

Patches cannot see any cameras or security systems.



Wealth Roll (Patches)
DC = 7
Result = 23

Purchase successful, Patches's wealth decreased to 4, he has been downgraded from middle class to struggling.

After some bartering and talking with the stall owner, Patches successfully purchases a taser. (5 feet range, deals electrical damage, simple weapon)

[Cfavano]

Sabina search roll - 18

Sabina successfully finds 'Anarchy Brothers' A stall that sells various leather goods such as gloves, boots, and jackets. While they obviously cater to the 'tough guy' type of crowd, there are some women's jackets, and they look quite well made. The Shopkeeper informs her that every product she sees here is hand made from cruelty free leather.

She can easily afford and purchase one

Leather Jacket - Light armor +1 defense bonus, max dex bonus +8

[Enigma]

They had a nice classic motorcycle-style jacket with the slanted zipper and epaulets on the shoulder, with a belted front and lace up sides, with zipper slash pockets and a snap coin pocket. The inside had a quilted liner, and there was a pocket that looked good for a phone.

Momma June would have a fit when she saw it, but right now she didn't care. It looked warm and would keep the wind and the rain out. She decided to splurge a bit on a pair of gloves and a plain biker cap, looking so Marlon Brando. Maybe she'd find a steampunk booth to get her a pair of googles to accent it with?

The jacket fit well, but it was still a little loose in the neck, so she picked up two red bandanas, one to wear, one to tuck into a pocket. She then went to the Ladies. Tucked into a stall, she hung up her bag and the new leather jacket, then pulled out one of the bandanas. It was as she shook it out that she realized they had worked small skulls into the paisley pattern.

She shook her head and sighed, but draped it around her neck. Slipping on the leather jacket, she moved her phone to the inside pocket, then slipped on her pack and went to check herself out in the mirror.

Most of her cash was tucked away in what Momma June joked was her 'treasure chest', but she had a billfold in her back pocket with $20 and a plastic card that read, "You're under arrest", which she checked. Too many years of being in crowds at her adopted parents' concerts had made her wary about pick pockets, which is why she had the throw-away wallet. Driver's license, student id, and a credit card tucked in her right front pocket, along with a single large bill for emergencies.

She looked... different. Maybe that wasn't a bad thing? A pair of giggling girls entered, bringing in the muted noise of the dealer's room. Checking her phone, still without a signal, Sabina decided to rejoin the con.

[IsaacGaming]

Casually sitting in the middle of the bus, Garmr was surprisingly excited to be going to this Con. It had been years since he had last indulged in his love for the supernatural, so the prospect of finally reliving some of his best childhood memories brought on a good bit of nostalgia. The appearance of the ominous castle only leads to Garmr being even more excited for the Con, as the atmosphere perfectly fit the subject matter at hand. Trying not to get his hopes up too high, Garmr decided to take a nap, so that he would be refreshed for the coming day.

The bus came to a sudden stop, sending Garmr flying forwards and sending Garmr’s meager belongings falling to the floor. Upset, but almost bursting with excitement, Garmr thanked the bus driver as he exited into the crisp, cool air, there was a feeling of unease among the group, but this didn’t deter Garmr. After all, we were all strangers, so something like this was to be expected.

Following the black-clad staff, or at least who he believed was the staff, Garmr filed into the growing line to check in. After a lengthy process, Garmr was guided by another one of the black-clad staff to what appeared to be his room, which he found to be quite the improvement over his small apartment back in California. However, he couldn’t shake this feeling of eeriness, between the atmosphere and now the staff.

Putting what little he brought down on the bed, Garmr heard a knock at the door. This was quite strange to him, as he hadn’t expected anyone. Rushing to the door, he discovered another staff member with a paltry little meal for him, which upset Garmr. Despite his meager living, he always ensured that he had three-square meals a day. However, not wishing to offend the staff, he thanked him quickly and began eating.

The rest of the evening was uneventful, with most of it being thinking through what he would get at the Con. Finally, it came time for Garmr to go to bed. At first, he had trouble falling asleep, which he easily attributed to jitters, until the restful hand of sleep finally came to him. Garmr awakened the next morning with a start. He quickly sat up in bed, covered in a cold sweat and with some grain of fear still lingering in his mind. However, this quickly went away as he realized that it was finally time to go! Jumping up and getting dressed, Garmr hurriedly made his way to the Con.

Entering the first room, Garmr quickly realized that the Con was packed, but his larger stature made sure that could still see over a good portion of the crowd. Checking out all the different costumes and events, Garmr’s eyes happened upon the glint of what appeared to be a longsword. He felt almost drawn to the sword, but that could just be his love for fantasy talking. He made his way to the front of the table. “Excuse me, but how much for the sword?”

[Cfavano]

The sword is of excellent make, with a filigreed and blade and a handle of mother of pearl.

Purchase dc = 11

Wealth roll = 14

Purchase successful, Gormr's wealth bonus decreased to 6

[Undead_Fears]

Link sat in her seat on the bus excitedly, smiling as she read over the comments to one her videos on YouTube. When they had stopped for the break in the small town of Castle Rock she had met many fans of hers that were heading to the con. She gave them pictures and autographs on their phones, and even kept some of them to post later on her channel about the whole trip. She was excited, but nervous as well, a nervousness she hadn't felt in a long time.

As the bus rolled to a stop outside the great big house she looked out the window to view it, but before she could she pulled her eyes away from the window. "It's not real, they aren't real," she told herself quietly as she stood, grabbing her belongings and waiting for an opening to exit the bus.

Once she was off she took in the air and smiled to herself. It was cooler here, but after being on the bus it felt refreshing to her. She was ushered along by the staff, wearing all black and not seeming very friendly. As she was taken to her room, she became fascinated with the architecture of the building, reminding her of the many other locations she had filmed at for her videos.

Once she was at her room the lady who brought her there quietly said, "Dinner will be served shortly, please stay in your room until tomorrow. It's for the best." Link simply nodded, used to hearing warnings like this at the other places she's visited. The lady soon left, closing the door Link sat down on the bed, giggling to herself. She picked up her phone and quickly put it into Airplane Mode and waited for the food to arrive. It wasn't long, there was a sharp knock before the silence took over the room once more.

She got up and went to the door, opening it to find a small meal, and what appeared to be a box resting on the tray next to her food. She took both in and sat back down, quickly eating the food before turning her attention to the box. It turned out to be an iron-on patch of one of her makeups, most likely from someone on the bus. After all, she had made it public she was going to the con. She slipped the gift into her bag and got ready to settle down for the night, knowing she'd be getting up early to do her cosplay.

She slept somewhat peacefully, tossing only slightly as the night went on. As her alarm sounded she bolted upright, slightly out of fear, but mostly out of excitement. She immediately got out of bed and began working, pulling her makeup out of her bag along with multiple sketches of what she was turning herself into. She stared at the sketch for a moment, sending a chill through her entire body. She shook her head and sighed, trying to work the anxiety that was rising out of her.

When she was done she smiled at herself, happy with how she looked. She completely changed the structure of her face, her features became skeletal as her chest broadened slightly, the ribs protruding grotesquely. She thinned her waist as much as she could, also thinning out her arms and legs, making them look as if nothing but bone was there. It took her overall about four hours to complete, and by that time the con had started. Since all she had on was her painted over underwear and paisleys, she'd have to take her book bag. Pulling out the small lock she had, she locked the zippers together before carefully putting the bag on her shoulders and heading to the con.

Entering the con Link felt a wave of pride hit her as many people came to greet her. She smiled and talked to them for a bit, giving autographs and taking pictures before circulating through the con. She had to stop every once in a while to take pictures or sign things, but she didn't mind. After walking around for a bit she she found the booth Slayer's Tools. She looked at the wares before finding a disguise kit. She looked at it for a moment before giving in to her urge. "Hey, how much for that disguise kit?"

[IsaacGaming]

Satisfied with his purchase, Garmr was already more than satisfied with this trip. After all, where else could you buy an actual sword! It was at this moment that it crossed his mind that this might not be the most legal thing, but Garmr shrugged. This was all meant for fun, after all. For the rest of the day, Garmr went about exploring the invention, seeing if there was anything of note.

[Undead_Fears]

After purchasing the kit Link looked at is before smiling. "Worth the money," she said as she slipped her money back in her bag and locked it up. She stood and smiled, waving and greeting passing fans, most of which probably watched her Supernatural makeups. She continued to go around the con, entering a costume contest to test her skills.

[Cfavano]

Unsurprisingly, She won the contest, and that prize was not only monetary (increase wealth by 1), but also a brand new Diamondback X-20 mountain bike. The Con went on normally, there were panels, workshops, shows. Some seemed legit, while more than one loony had their chance to spew.

However, one by one, our heroes were approached by a staff member, and given a ticket. They were informed that, along with a few hundred others, they were being invited to a very special party, tonight. Similar to a private club party, and that they will see things they never thought they'd see.


-----


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CurN2Fg-2E

That night, they were escorted deep into the castle, away from the con area, and they found themselves in a large and very ornate ballroom. Erotic scenes were painted on the walls, as well as suggestive statues of being both human and monstrous performing incredibly lewd sex acts. They were given champagne, and caviar, and other rich canapes, and they could see famous people here among the con-goers invited like them, actors, actresses, musicians and artists from all walks were there. Sabina even recognizes a few of them.

But that was not all. A heady aroma hung in the air, incense. A strong exotic, spicy aroma that makes the head swim. Not unpleasant, not at all. Exotic, and calming.

[Undead_Fears]

Link graciously took her prizes and the ticket that was handed to her, excited to go to the party. Once the con was over for the afternoon she quickly went to her room, freeing herself from her makeup she slipped into something she had found in the old wardrobe that was in her room. It was a sleeveless black dress that stopped right above her knees. She didn't know where it came from, but she was grateful for it.

After doing her makeup and pinning her hair up she joined the others to be escorted to the ballroom. Once she entered the aroma hit her, causing a smile to bloom on her face. She graciously took a glass of champagne and took note of all the art, noting their erotic nature. She mingled and ate, mostly staying to herself in the room. While a con crowd was normal for her, this crowd wasn't anything she'd experienced before.

[Ma1chbox]

Having successfully bought a taser, Patches gave in a little trick spin in his palm before pocketing it. "Snazzy." He nodded at the stall's attendant and disappeared into the crowd again. While walking, he fumbled around in his pocket, gauging how much cash he had left on him by feeling out how many bills and coins he had. The thief grimaced upon finding substantially less than he'd wanted to. He'd knew have to start taking marks sooner or later.

Suddenly, a staff member came out from seemingly nowhere and interrupted Patches' planning. The guy held up a ticket and said something about a private party of sorts, and that Patches was invited. The thief hesitated at first, wondering why he was chosen in the first place. "Hey listen, buddy, I don't--" He immediately cut himself off and took a few seconds to think. "A private party, you say? With, like, special people and all that?" A grin began to form on the thief's face as he thought about the high-class snobs he'd get clean access to. His job seemed to just get easier and easier at this point. Smiling from ear to ear, Patches turned back to the staff member and grabbed the ticket excitedly. "Tell you what, I'll be there! Give your boss or whoever gave me this ticket my regards, eh?"

For the rest of the day, Patches remained distracted, trying to mentally practice buttering up some rich folk with his words. He was pretty confident in his skills, but a little practice never killed anyone. Eventually, he'd decided to end the day early to prepare for the big hit later that night.

Of course, he couldn't resist getting at least one mark picked clean, so he made his way over to a particularly busy show with a whole bunch of distracted patrons packed together. He pretended to listen intently to the speaker, but was silently eyeing a particularly well-dressed man who seemed to be engrossed in the show. The thief shimmied through the crowd like an eel covered in butter and proceeded to bump hard, but harmlessly into the man. In the midst of this split-second distraction, the thief's hands felt around the man's pockets and yanked out the first thing that felt like a wallet, then immediately hid it in his jacket. He mumbled a quick "Sorry about that, mate," and attempted to disappear into the crowd as quick as he entered, just in case the criminal act didn't go unnoticed.

Satisfied with himself, Patches left the con immediately and headed to his room for a quick nap and shower to freshen up. Thankfully, he slept fine this time and woke up still in the bed. Refreshed, Patches jumped up and donned an aged but still decent-looking dress shirt, a formal vest, and some comfortable slacks. Just in case, he slipped his new taser in his pocket as well. As soon as he finished, a knock on the door signaled that it was time for the party.

The moment Patches stepped into the ballroom, a strange scent assailed his sense of smell. If it was a drug, it was definitely nothing he'd ever tried before. Still, it did seem to calm the nerves, which quelled any little feeling of nervousness he might have had. The statues were the next to catch his attention. The thief laughed at first, noting that the sculptor must have been watching too much weird Japanese porn, but immediately became unsettled. "Oh jeezus... Weird drugs... Kinky statues... Rich people... Is this gonna be some weird sex party? ... Eh, whatever." Shrugging the notion off, he grabbed some food on a plate and a glass of champagne before mingling with some more possible marks, asking innocently-put questions to find out who was rich, but not rich enough to have security.

[Enigma]

The Werewolf panel was a disappointment, it was three authors talking about how they saw the werewolves in their book, and screaming at each other for "getting it wrong." One of them even claimed that he turned into a werewolf at night, then offered any interested young women to pay a visit to his room later to see for themselves. She rolled her eyes while the catcalls roared.


"Miss Lang?" someone called out as she stepped out of the door.

"Who...? Oh, it's you," she said crossly. It was the porter from last night. He raised one eyebrow.
"I almost didn't recognize you," he sniffed, handing her a ticket. "You've been invited to a special party tonight."
"Party?" she demanded, accepting the slip of paper. "I wasn't expecting any parties, I didn't bring anything to wear!"
"Clearly."


Sabina bristled at the cheap shot, but glanced determinedly towards the Dealer Room. "Maybe I can find...."
"I'm afraid they closed five minutes ago," the porter said in huge disinterest. "There will be a few hundred guests there, I assure you nobody will care how you look coming in."
"Huh?"
"Yes," the porter said, his mouth quirking into a very grim-looking almost-smile. "Shall we say in two hours?"


The ballroom was... unexpected, to say the least. Certainly not the elegant room she was expecting in a castle as old as this. The archaeologist in her wanted to take out her phone and take pictures of everything. Momma June would have liked it.

The pragmatist in her was glad she tucked her taser in her pocket. With the champagne, the odd incense and the erotic art, she may need to remind some of the other guests that "no" really meant "no".


She hoped the hour and a half or so she spent charging it was enough. Just in case she packed the leatherman.


There was something... off, about this room, and not just the strange erotica all over the place, it made her skin crawl between her shoulder blades. Or maybe it was how some of the guys were sizing up the women in the room, perhaps anticipating a sex party? The offered champagne she barely sipped, really just wetting her lip as she wandered through the crowd, passing on the trays of snacks going around and trying to listen to some of the conversations going around.

(listen)

[IsaacGaming]

After attending a few of the panels, of which he found the one on Vampires the most interesting, he was approached by one of the staff as he wandered toward the next. “Oh, what’s this?”, Garmr asked, intrigued by his approach. “For you, sir.” The staff member said as he held out the ticket. “For the gathering tonight.” Garmr was skeptical at first. After all, he was no one of true importance. But then again, a free party is a free party. So, Garmr graciously took the ticket and ran back to his room to prepare for the party. After showering and recharging his phone, Garmr put on his nicest pair of jeans and his cleanest t-shirt and began to make his way to the party.

Garmr was extremely uncomfortable when he first arrived. Between the erotic art on the walls, the strange smell in the air and the type of people that were here, he thought that this might be one of those weird “sex parties” he’d heard about back in California. So, in his usual awkward manner, Garmr made his way to a corner. Thankfully, the sword he carried with him, while making him stick out like a sore thumb, brought a surprising amount of comfort to Garmr. With it at his side, Garmr decided to finally begin mingling with the crowd, keeping an eye out for anyone who stood out like himself.

[Undead_Fears]

As Link walked around, she saw a glint of metal on someone's back, catching her eye in the dim light. She turned to see a large figure with an elegant long sword strapped to his back. She giggled slightly at the sight, but understood where the man could've been coming from.

Making her way through the crowd Link caught up with the man, going on her toes slightly to tap the man on his shoulder. He was much taller than her, which caused her to blush slightly. "Uh, h-hi," she said shyly. "I like your sword..!"

[IsaacGaming]

Needless to say, Garmr was taken by surprise. He’s almost never approached by others. His surprised as soon as this stranger mentioned the sword on his back. “Th-thanks! Probably should have left it back at my room, though…” Garmr responded in a flustered tone. “Oh! Wh-where are my manners. The names Garmr. Say, have I seen you somewhere before? You look familiar…”.

[Undead_Fears]

Link blushed and giggled, at Garmr, smiling at his flustered nature. "I'm Link, you might know me from YouTube, I run the PulseFX channel. I was also in one of the cosplay contests with one of my creatures," she said with a smile. She didn't like to flaunt being a famous person, but she was always happy to see a fan.

[IsaacGaming]

“Oh, of course! I love your videos! Very professional.” Garmr was finally beginning to warm up to Link, but something about the party was rubbing him the wrong way. “Say, do you find this party strange at all? Other than the fact that I’m here, at least?”

[Cfavano]

Patches manages to steal a small silver-plated zippo lighter. it seemed to be well made.


Later on, he was able to find out that some very wealthy and influential people were here. CEOs, Billionaires...and he even notices the Vice President.


Sabina on the other hand got brought into a conversation with one of her parents' friends, asking how she was, and how they had a lovely dinner with her mother and father just last night.

[Cupsy]

Gawd, I was so tired. I haven't had a vacation in ages and the excitement of going to the con and prepping my costume had really burnt me out. I just wanted to take a little nap on the bus, but the next thing I know we've arrived and being escorted out to the castle. After settling in, making sure my vampire hunter costume looked perfect and applying my make up I make my way down and mingle with the crowd. The castle was perfect, so wonderfully gothic. The cavernous rooms were better then any of the other venues I had been at for other conventions. The setting gave the whole thing a spooky gravitas that excited me to the bones. When I was told that I was invited to a special party that night my heart almost exploded I got so giddy with the surprise. I could barely hold my excitment and was nearly bouncing off the walls as I waited for the party to start.

When I finally was escorted to the ball room my mouth spread into a huge devilish grin as I walked past the statuary and tapestries. The images of humans and monsters in carnal embraces made the blood in my veins pump with vigor and I realized I needed to meet who ever set this whole thing up. This party surpassed any other even I had ever seen, and as I looked around and noticed I wasn't alone.... the room was full of people! Full of celebrities? My goodness movie starts? politicians? sports personalities? At a con? This just keeps getting weirder and weirder. I look for the nearest bar and lean against it with out thinking, letting my skirt ride up, slightly exposing my ass cheeks and panties.... my usual way of procuring free drinks at cons from all the desperate geek boys.

[Enigma]

"Sabina?" Someone asked, incredulously. "Is that you?"


"Mrs. Shaw?!" Sabina replied, startled when she recognized her. She could feel her cheeks beginning to burn. This was one of the wives of the record company executives - the trophy wife. She wanted to slink away now, out of this room, but the slightly tipsy blonde's grip on her arm was like a velvet shackle."Oh my, I never expected to see you here!" Wife 2.0 gushed, then turned to wave at a nearby clump. "Bert! Come over, you'll never guess who I found!"

Sure enough, the slightly paunchy balding man with the few strands trying to do the job of a toupe and failing miserably turned and smiled, surprised.

"Sabina!" he called out, spreading out his arms like he expected her to run up to give him a hug as he walked over to join them. What she really wanted was to crawl under a table and die. "Incredible to see you! Love that leather look, we should do an album! How's your mother and father? Hey, did you hear their new album yet? I'm tellin' ya, it's gonna go platinum!"

"Hi Mr. Shaw," she managed. "Yes, I listened to it on the way up. Did you come here for the convention?"
"The convention?" the pair laughed. "Naw, we come for the party. I've been telling Grace all about it."
"You've been here before?"
"With Rosie, God rest her soul," he sighed, making the sign of the cross. "Before her accident, of course. Come to think of it, I saw your sister Clare here too, last year!"


"Clare was here?" she squeaked, looking around. "Is she here this year?"
"Beats me," Bert shrugged. "But hey, a sexy sister act where the two of you are out on stage, struttin' your stuff, especially with that motorcycle jacket you've got there, I'm tellin' ya, I'd sign the two of you up now for a contract."
"Oh, my voice...."
"Not to worry babe, we got stuff now that makes autotune look like amateur night. Hey, you need a fresh drink? Waiter! Can we get a couple glasses over here?"

He paused, his attention caught on some girl at the bar, his grin growing wilder. "Now that girl, I can see it now, the two of you together! That's gonna be hot!"

"Huh?" she frowned, glancing behind her. "Now you want to sign her and me to a record contract? Do you know her?"
"Record...?" he asked non-pulsed, glancing at her, then laughed. "Hey, that's funny!"
"Oh, don't mind him," Gloria said, pointing out a guy wearing a sword. "Wouldn't you like to take that to bed?"

Her blush got redder.

[Ma1chbox]

It took no time at all for Patches' word grease to work its magic, as in the span of a few minutes, he'd already had a long list of possible targets. Hell, it almost seemed like he didn't even need to choose! Damn near everyone here seems to be up to their necks in riches! The faces that adorned bustling billboards, corny commercials, and annoying ads now looked like items on a menu! Still, he didn't want to bite off more than he could chew while the night was young and the guests were sober, so he started small at first, like say, old and unwary CEOs who feel all too secure in a high class party.

Speaking of the devil, some old schmuck seemed to be well-invested in a conversation with two women nearby at the moment. The thief immediately put down his glass of champagne and skulked closer to his prey. He tapped the executive on the shoulder to turn him around and facing away from his two female companions before shaking his hand firmly. Leaning in close as if trying to talk over the music served as enough misdirection for Patches to worm his hand into the man's inner coat pockets and fish for valuables (Sleight of Hand).

"Hey mister! I saw you from across the room and I just had to come say hello! I'm a big fan of your work, it's gotten me through tough times and I'm really glad I can thank you in person here today!" In reality, Patches didn't really have any idea who the guy was. He did know that rich folk were suckers for praise, though. As soon as he could snag something from his pockets, the thief palmed it and distanced himself a bit. "Anyway, I know you're a pretty busy man and I won't take up more of your time. Thanks again!" He peeked behind the man and gave the two other ladies a smile and nod. The one with the leather jacket did strike him as somewhat underdressed, though.

In any case, the thief disappeared back into the crowd. A celebratory glass of champagne was in order. On the way though, he almost bumped into some oddball with a big sword talking to what seemed to be a goth chick. Regaining his balance, Patches hovered around them for about half a second, eyeing them down from head to toe. Neither gave off a particularly rich, snobby vibe, but they still might have something on them. Either way, Patches still had bigger fish to fry. Those two were nowhere near the top of the hit list.

Moving to the bar for a quick pit stop, Patches found himself beside a scantily clad lady sitting by herself. Seeing as the bartender was still busy with the other patrons, he decided to make small talk. "Evening miss, I don't know if you've noticed but uhh... You seem to be a little... exposed down there, if you get my meaning. Nice costume though, not gonna lie." Leaning in to get a better look, Patches began checking her out, or her pockets, rather, while waiting for a drink.

[Cfavano]

He manages to pull out, surprisingly, a phial of some red liquid. He couldn't tell what it was, but it was vibrant., and the phial seemed to be made of some fancy crystal instead of glass.

[Cfavano]

The clock suddenly struck midnight, and the music suddenly stops. Of course, even in the massively drunken stupor most of the con guests are in, even they noticed that a man in black robes strode out to a podium on the raised end of the ballroom, and the room was suddenly quiet with rapt attention. His face is sunken and pallid, and his eyes seem to have an unnatural glow. "Brothers, sisters, and most honored guest of Shadowcon. I would like to welcome you to this most special of nights. It has been too long since our family has been together like this, and much planning has gone into it. For tonight is a special feast tht will go down in history for generations, the rebirth of the father of all vampires, Cain!"

It was at that point that the doors loudly slammed shut and locked. The consensus among the more lucid con-goers was that this was an act, but our heroes had an uneasy feeling in the pits of their stomachs that they could not lose as part of the floor opened up and a large stone font rose from it. Set inside was a clay urn Both the urn and the basin had strange writing on it, which, to Sabina's best guess, was very early Samarian. The man walked over to both, and taking out a solid gold hammer, broke the urn, and it was revealed that ashes were in it.

The man begins to speak. " Eum patrem quo affliguntur damnati, accipe sacrificium, ita et resurgent, ut operiant carnem in aeternum tenebras mundi."

The famous and rich people, even the staff at the party, all respond; "Ortum, oriri, ut surgeret de inferno, et portas caeli et gloriosos terræ humiliabo."

The man continues. "Magna eum: interfectorem tui justi Abel, maritus Lillith ut malediceret ex Adam et robigo hominis. Mors orbis terrarum, et reverterentur ad Terram tenebris." At this point he raised a wickedly-sharp looking obsidian dagger. "Lumen exstingueret Deo parere Armageddon!" At that, he brings the dagger across his throat, and his blood sprays out and into the font, wetting the ashes. He balances himself so it all flows in, seeming to be sucked in greedily.

In a few seconds, he fell. There was some applause as a few of the drunker on-goers were sure it was fake. The blood and ashes began to boile, and within moments, a figure (https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/226/617/large/alexander-scrivener-femto.jpg?1458950651) rose up from out of it.

The rich and famous people were getting quite raucous, screaming and cheering, and even some were snarling. The figure raised a taloned hand, and a ball of fire appeared in it. Then, a flash, and little motes of flame shout out and smacked into each and every one of the con-goers, leaving behind a bloody and painful brand (http://www.ancientclan.com/uploads/gallery/album_36/gallery_1620_36_1357354445_565.jpg) on some part of their body. Patches got it in the forehead, Pulse on the back of her wrist, Dani on his inner left thigh, Sabina on the top of her right breast, and Garmr on the back of his neck. While people were still reeling from this pained mystery, the figure said one thing: "Feed, My children."


That is when everything went to shit. The rich and famous people changed, their faces became twisted and monstrous, they gained long fangs and long sharp claws...and then they attacked. Some were simply ripped apart, their flesh and blood consumed freely, others were violently rapes as they were fed upon. The bartender was no different. With one hand, he batted Patches away and he went flying and he grabbed Dani and dragged her behind the bar. She an feel his hot, horrid breath upon her. "You know what they say about me? I suck!" and he snarls at her.

Similar things happen to the other heroes, they get the attention of the frenzied monster, creatures which they all have one name for...VAMPIRES!

[Ma1chbox]

While chatting with the lady, Patches' attention was wrenched by the music stopping. A strange robed man appeared on the podium. Part of the costumed entertainment perhaps? The long garish introduction seemed to suggest it. For a moment, even Patches himself was drawn into the speech.

Then, the doors slammed shut. Possibly another fancy element to the show, but Patches gulped and shifted his feet. A weird stone structure with a clay urn and basin emerged from the ground, which the robed man whacked open to reveal what looked to be ashes. The thief once again gulped hard, trying to push down the feeling of paranoia that was now eating at him.

As the robed man began to chant in some strange language, he nervously looked over to the bartender to make small talk and calm down, only to find that the man behind the bar was watching gleefully and responding to the chant as well. Patches turned around just in time to watch the strange man pull out a weird knife and just straight up murk himself, which almost made the thief jump in surprise. He'd seen people get killed before, but this felt much, much different. "I knew it! I fucking knew this was gonna be one of those fucking weird rich people sex parties!"

His head began darting around, frantically scanning the place for other exits besides the ones that closed. He paid no mind to the other costumed figure on the stone font who materialized seemingly out of thin air. The sudden cheers and flash stunned the thief, who suddenly felt like he was shot in the head by a flaming bullet. He recoiled and leaned backwards over the bar counter, clutching his forehead and letting out a long grunt of agony as a mark was seared into his flesh. As the pain was finally subsiding, Patches hissed out a loud "FUCK," coming to just in time to see all the big names morph into, well, monsters. A brief calm fell over the room, and all Patches could do was mumble a constant stream of "shitshitshitshitshitshit" while clambering backwards up the counter.

Without warning, the demons fell upon the ones who remained human, slaughtering them mercilessly. All the little alarms and bells and whistles in Patches head were now absolutely deafening and were telling him to get the fuck out immediately. He reached for his measly little taser, but was shortly met with a strong whack to the side of the ribs from behind, which sent him flying.

He lay winded for a moment before scrambling to his feet, desperate to just stay alive. He spotted a few marked humans trying to hide behind the statues, only to be cornered and devoured, so he knew his first plan was out of the question. Suddenly, his eyes shot back to the bar, which only had the bartender behind it. Hopefully it'll make a safe hiding spot once he was gone. The ugly bastard seemed to have his attention focused solely on the scantily clad lady now, making him a perfect target for a surprise attack.

With a running start, Patches vaulted over the counter, grabbed an expensive-looking bottle of vodka from the shelf, and chucked it hard at the monster's head, hoping to cover it in glass and alcohol. In his now free hand, he pulled out the silver-plated zippo he'd nicked earlier and flicked it alight. It would have been a good time to just burn the damned creature right then, but he couldn't bring himself to do it while the bartender had the costumed lady in its grip. Instead, the thief grimaced and taunted the bartender, but kept the zippo alight. "Come on you ugly fucker, I still have to pay you back for sending me flying across the room!" (set bartender as target for Dodge)

[Cfavano]

The bartender howls in pain, and, getting away from Dani, lunges at Patches. "Fuck you, you skinny fucker!" He says, and slashes at him with his claws, which rips through patches's shirt, but he was able to keep from taking much damage as the claws slash his chest. (1 damage)

[Ma1chbox]

Just as planned, the bartender let go of its victim and came for Patches. He'd read right through the monster's movements, hopping back at just the right time. It seemed he had misjudged the distance by a few inches, though, as the monster managed to give him a few shallow flesh wounds across the chest. Patches yelped, doubling back in pain.

At this point, the adrenaline was already kicking in. Patches lunged at the bartender, knocking over some more expensive alcohol onto the floor as he went. He feigned a strong punch, but instead tucked in his arm at the last moment and let his momentum carry him past the monster and into relative safety. (Tumble) Now crouched in front of the lady the monster dropped, a safe distance from the spilled alcohol, Patches pitched the lit zippo like a fastball right into the bartender's chest.

[Undead_Fears]

Link smiled, happy to hear the praise. "Thank you! I try to be professional but I ramble a lot." At the mention of the party being strange, Link nodded and rubbed her arm. "Yeah, I don't like how I'm feeling... something just isn't right.." Before she could say anything else the music cut off quickly and all attention was on a robed man. As he spoke Link's nerves began to rise more and more, having had a similar nightmare with a figure like that.

She watched as the urn and basin rose from the ground. As the man began to speak she looked around, seeing other party goers chanting with him. As the chanting grew louder she felt anxiety begin to well up, beginning to see the nightmare monster she saw oh-so-often.

As the man slit his neck, Link held back a scream, knowing this performance was no stage act. As the figure rose from the ashes Link felt her heart go cold and her body go numb, becoming frightened of the events that would shortly follow. She then felt a painful sensation on her wrist, holding back a whimper as she looked to the burnt and bleeding symbol on her wrist. She could barely register what was going on before she looked up to see vampires all around her, fear flooding through her veins.

Before she could react she felt someone grab her from behind, trying to pull her down to feast upon her. She remembered the sharp metal accents she put on the ends of her nails, trying to slash at the person to let her go so she could get up and figure out a better way to handle the situation. (set attacker as target for Attack)

[IsaacGaming]

Right when Garmr was about to get an answer, the room suddenly went quiet as a robed man began to announce the return of some guy named Cain. At first, Garmr was intrigued. He had no idea that there would be a performance! That was, until the crowd began to chant, and the man had slit his throat. At that point, Garmr was panicking.

The fact that a figure rose out of the urn didn’t help to relieve this panic. Neither did the bursts of flame. In fact, it was a sharp pain and the trickle of blood coming down the back of his neck that snapped Garmr from his panic and back into the situation at hand. As if the situation wasn’t strange enough already, Garmr then realized that Link and himself were surrounded by vampires!

Garmr’s fighting instinct was already kicking in and, seeing that Link had already been grabbed by one of these creatures, Garmr began to assist in fending the creatures off. (Make an attack against an attacker. If none (somehow?) approach, then help pry vampire off Link)

[Cfavano]

Turn 2 Combat

Patches Tumble roll = 17 Successful

Almost like an action hero, or ninja of old, Patches swiftly and expert agility rolls past the vampire's swiping claws to rise once more to his feet.

Patches ranged attack roll = 21 (hit)

Patches flings the zippo accurately, and it smacks the vampire in the face It is set alight, but even more, it sticks to the vampire, as the silver sears into its flesh. It screams as its flesh literally melts away into an expanding flaming puddle and its head explodes in a torrent of flaming blood and gore.


Pulse takes 1 damage from bring grappled

Pulse manages to land some blows upon the vampire (18, hit), but the grapple still holds.

Garmr attack Roll 17 (hit)

Pulling his massive fist back and letting out a roar of nordic rage, he lands a mighty blow upon the twisted face of the vampire, knocking off the top of its head and killing it. It falls limply to the ground and dissolves into ash.

[Undead_Fears]

Link felt her nails dig into the flesh of the vampire before feeling the weight lift altogether and a spray of blood hit the side of her face. She looked at Garmr before shouting, "Your sword! Use it!" She looked at her nails and shivered slightly, the cool blood causing her body to chill. She stayed close to Garmr, having the sword and all. "We need to leave! This is bad, we need to go!"

[Cupsy]

Dani sit up and looks around trying to understand what happened, and the turmoil in the room. Taking a quick inventory of his own body. Almost instantly Dani realizes Patches is now in fighting the man who attacked him. The chanting of the crowd is unnerving, and he realizes its some latin intonation. Perhaps if he had the time he could piece together what they are saying but the chaotic melee infront of him pulls his attention. He cant just stand by while Patches defends him… well... ya sure Dani has a history of having guys "defend his honor" and usually enjoys playing the damsel in distress, but this whole thing has become too crazy to sit on the sidelines. He scurries over to Patches and stands close behind him, placing a soft warm hand on his back. "What the heck is going on here?" he sputters in a soft voice "I've never seen any sort of stage show like this.... this can't possibly be real can it?" He pauses for a moment and places a well manicured soft hand on Patches arm "oh... and thanks I owe you, that guy caught me totally off guard"

[Ma1chbox]

With the bartender's agonizing death, the area behind the bar became relatively safe, even for just a moment. Patches, now splattered in blood, slumped back and clutched his chest to help soothe the pain from his wounds. A sudden touch on his back made him tense up with a panicked exclamation of "JESUS--" and prepare to elbow whatever was behind him. Fortunately, it was just Dani.

"What the heck is going on here? I've never seen any sort of stage show like this.... this can't possibly be real can it?"

"What happened? Exactly what you saw happen, that's what..." the thief said, breathing hard through clenched teeth.

"Oh... and thanks I owe you, that guy caught me totally off guard..."

Patches, being too shaken to reply, simply waved off the thanks. Suddenly, he was shocked back into action. He remembered why he fought the damned bartender instead of running literally anywhere else. "Get down here!" The thief mumble-shouted as he dragged Dani into a crouching position. He crouched as well, hiding behind the counter. (Hide)

As the fires on the bartender's corpse were sputtering their last, Patches used his bloodsoaked leg to gingerly retrieve the zippo from what used to be a head. He then slowly peeked over the top of the counter, scanning the room once again for any exits they could take.

[Cfavano]

Patches's Hide Check: Nat 20

He successfully hides behind the bar.

Patches search check Take 10

He cannot see any doors, but realizes he is standing on top of a trap door, or some sort of hatch.

[Cupsy]

In the moment of respite crouched with Patches behind the bar Dani sees that Patches is wounded and tries a concerned look spreads across his face. "oh... gawd your injured! uh is it bad?" He tries not to get in the way but his eyes and fingers gently check Patches wounds that Dani can see, his years of training making a quick assessment of the mans wounds. "Uh... those are real. This isn't just special effects is it?" absent mindedly Dani tears a swatch of his skirt away and applies it to Patches worst wound to staunch the bleeding.

[Cfavano]

Dani Treat Injury check 24 (success)

Dani expertly treats Patches wounds by first leaning them quickly with grain alcohol, then expertly bandages them, using a first aid kit that was hidden under the bar. Patches regains 1 HP.

[IsaacGaming]

“Oh, right!”, Garmr responded. He was so accustomed to using to using his fists, he had completely forgotten his new sword! Unsheathing it, Garmr began to scan the room, looking for a way out of this situation. (Search/ Perception check) “Link, can you see a way out?” (Prepare attack against attacking enemy)

[Undead_Fears]

"All I saw were the doors, and the windows are blocked by raving lunatics! I saw some people duck behind the bar over there, but I have no clue who or what they are," she said panicked. She didn't like the situation one bit, cursing her self even further. "After we get out of this sitch I need my makeup, it's too expensive to leave behind but it'll come in handy later on, I can feel it. But first we need to leave."

(Search/ Perception check)

[Ma1chbox]

While Patches surveyed the area, his new companion went about healing his chest wounds. He gritted his teeth at the feeling of alcohol sterilizing the cuts on his chest, but remained silent. Once that was done, the worst of it was over, and the fresh bandages seemed to give Patches his vigor back. He was pleasantly surprised both at how well and how fast that took, noting that Dani must have been some sort of medical professional. "Ah, that feels better already... Thanks--"

While Patches was inspecting the expertly done treatment on his chest, he noticed something strange right under where he was crouching. It seemed to be some sort of hatch. A cellar, perhaps? Maybe a secret tunnel? Either way, it should be better than the complete hellscape of a ballroom everyone's currently in. He shot a look at Dani, then back at the hatch, then to Dani again. "I think this here might be our way out! Keep a lookout on what's happening out there, I don't wanna get jumped while going down here."

The thief hopped off the hatch and slowly lifted it, peering down to try and see where it leads.

[Enigma]

"Oh wow," Sabina said as they did their stage act. "That's very good, you'd almost think it was..."

Then the searing pain hit her breast, making her press her hand on the burn as she dropped to her knee. This wasn't an act. This was real.

Something snarled at her as she pulled out her taser and jabbed, pressing the button.

(Simple Weapon Proficiency)

[Cfavano]

Garmr Spot check 16 (success)

Pulse spot check 17 (success)

The booth notice that two people (Patch and Dani) are fooling around behind the bar with a hatch of some sort, its open.

Patches spot check 17 (success)

Patches sees that it leads into a sort of stone tunnel with flowing water in it. he can't tell how deep it is, but it is moving quickly.

Sabina attack roll - 9 (miss)

Sabina makes a clumsy thrust quickly with the taser, but her target easily deflects her, and backhands her powerfully, sending her flyng backwards over the bar, and crashing into the liquor rack, breaking many bottles, causing many cuts and her to be covered in liquor (1 bludgeoning damage, 1 slashing damage).

[Ma1chbox]

"I don't know what's down there, but it looks to be some sort of sewer, I think..." Patches shot an unsure look at Dani, then back down the hatch. Finally, with a look of determination, he then opened the hatch all the way and positioned himself over the entrance. "The water's fast and I don't know how safe this is, but I am not taking my chances here!" The thief quickly positioned himself on the ladder and took a deep breath to prepare himself. As he slid down the ladder like a fireman, he caught a glimpse of someone flying over the hatch's opening and the deep thud of them crashing into the bar.

[Enigma]

The blow sent her flying backwards into the shelves of booze behind the bar, which cut and tore at her. The alcohol stung as it reached her slashed flesh, making her hiss. Woozily, she looked around her, wondering if she managed to hold onto the taser or not...?

There was a girl by a manhole - a manhole...?

"Go," she managed, slipping down to the floor with a moan.

[Cfavano]

It was still, in fact, around her wrist from the wrist strap.


The pool of victims was slowly getting more scarce. If the heroes didn't leave soon, theyd be swarmed.

[Undead_Fears]

Link tugged on Garmr's shirt and pointed to the bar. "Looks like there's someway of escape, c'mon!" Before anything else could happen she quickly ran through the crowd while the others were busy. She pulled herself over the bar and landed on her back, looking to see the other people there. "What the hell are we waiting for, why aren't we down there already?!"

Link didn't hesitate any longer before jumping down, grabbing onto the ladder to stop herself from falling straight down. After lowering herself into the pipe she looked and saw someone else in the tunnel as the water rushed by.

"Hey, you aren't gonna eat me, right?" she said as she got to the bottom of the ladder, bracing in case she was going to be attacked.

[Enigma]

Now someone new leapt in. It wouldn't be long before the others noticed, She needed to get out quickly. Pulling herself over to the hole, she climbed in, telling the girl, "Best be quick."

The newcomer was yelling something at the bottom of the ladder, and it looked like someone was up ahead.

"Why didn't someone sell me some chem lights?" she muttered.

"We got to get moving," she called down. "They may notice we're missing."

Or maybe they'd be too sated from feeding on the crowd.... Which one of them hit her? she wondered. Mr. or Mrs. Shaw?

[IsaacGaming]

Link didn’t need to tell him twice. Garmr immediately made a break for the bar, watching out for vampires as he put all his effort into ensuring Link and any other survivors made it fine. As Link began to descend into a hatch behind the bar, Garmr made one last scan of the room. Although he was disappointed he couldn’t save any more people, he was glad that he could at least make it out with a few of the others.

Grabbing the latter, Garmr quickly climbed down. As he reached the bottom, he suddenly noticed a few other people who had also made it, as well as the voice coming from above. "She's right. We need to go now."

[Ma1chbox]

Upon reaching the bottom, Patches milled about for a bit, trying to figure out where the tunnel led to. A sudden thud behind him made him wheel around instinctively, taser in hand. It seems another girl slid down the ladder, and it wasn't the one that patched him up. Patches, wary as ever, took a step back but pointed the taser at the girl.

"Hey, you aren't gonna eat me, right?"

The thief scoffed. "Funny, I should be asking you the same thing. How do I know you're human, eh? Give me a good reason not to fry you up, right here, right now."

Two more people made her way down the ladder at that moment, a male and a female. The girl seemed to be wounded. Maybe she was the one who went flying over the bar? The big guy seemed in perfect condition, though, apart from a bloodied fist. Either way, Patches didn't trust any of the three people in front of him just yet. He stood a safe distance and pointed his taser at them alternately.

"Three at once, Jesus-- Alright, how do I know you're not... whatever those things were, huh?" Patches squinted and scrunched his eyebrows together, causing the mark on his forehead to crease slightly.

[Cfavano]

As Dani made his way down the ladder, the hatch suddenly slammed shut, and locked, leaving the heroes in the tunnel in pitch blackness. It was very cold there, and while the water was not deep, it did get into their shoes and soak their feet through their socks. It was very slimy water. All at once, a wave of pain and nausea washed over them as the stress and trauma of the previous situation hit them as their adrenaline wore off.

But even as the trembling and dry heaving and vomiting passed, they did not feel weaker, they felt oddly...stronger, more ready to face the horrors of the world. They were still scared shitless, but filled with a sort of resolve. The had to survive, get out, and tell the world. For now, they just had to survive...


END PROLOGUE



Chapter 1 : Escape Castle Droknar


One by one, the heroes would likely turn on their cell phone lights, and they would see that they are in an arched stone tunnel. The walls were slick with a sort of slime, and they an see their breath in the air. to their left was interlocking bars, preventing them from going that way, and to the right, the tunnel stretched off into darkness., that was the way the water flowed, and they can feel wind blowing from that direction.

[IsaacGaming]

As the last person started making their way down the hatch, there was a sudden slam and then darkness. While this made Garmr jump, it was also a very welcome sign. He had made it out. Or, at least, for now. This relaxation suddenly gave way to nausea. There were so many dead people… the whole situation was horrible and disgusting. Garmr began to heave what little contents his stomach had, with some hope that these other people and himself would be able to make it out of this. Hell, maybe they would be the ones to even try and stop this.

But for now, the first order of business was to make it out of… wherever they were. Turning on his phone, Garmr addressed the others and pointed to the right. “So, shall we get going?”

[Enigma]

"Yeah," Sabine replied with a sigh. She didn't like how the hatch had slammed shut. Was it to keep them inside? Or something that was in here from invading the room the vampires were in?

And then there was that burn she got. But was it just a burn, or a brand? And if it was a brand, what did it mean to the vampires?

She started sloshing through the water. She needed a bath, and a full-length mirror, and some privacy so she could examine the burn, maybe it will tell her what it was?

[Undead_Fears]

Link watched as the hatch shut, immersing the tunnel into darkness. As the adrenaline that had flooded her body began to calm, it was immediately replaced with debilitating anxiety, the kind she hadn't had since a few years after her brother had died. She looked around at the others as her body shook, her thoughts running a mile a minute trying to figure out what was going to happen to them, and last but not least, the black figures she'd see in dark nooks and cranny's.

At the sound of Garmr's voice, her head snapped back into reality and she gave a slight nod, starting down the tunnel with the others. It was hard to keep her body from shaking, and harder to properly move her body at all. She put a hand on Garmr for a second to steady herself, then pulled it away shakily. "S-Sorry.. Just n-needed to catch m-my balance.."

[Cupsy]

Dani squeaks in surprise as the door slams above her and slips from the ladder falling on his ass in surprise. A stream of expletives stream from his mouth. "Holy crap what the heck was that!! This cant be real!! Some one tell me this isn't really happening! This kinda thing doesn't really happen!" he calls out to no one in particular as he stands and tries to wring the water from his skirt. Silently he listens to the group get their bearings and when one of the guys suggests the group move he watches the rest of the group to see how the rest respond .. what their reactions are to this impromptu leader. As he watches he notices Sabine nursing some sort of wound, and he moves up to get a closer look. As the group begins to move he follows up behind Sabina and points to the injury with a concerned look on his face, his eyes a glinting with concern in the dusky light. "uh hey... can i get a closer look at that, maybe i can give you a hand you really don't wanna have a open wound down here". He offers Sabina a empathic smile, his lips almost glowing in the dark tunnel as the lights play off of his highly glossed lips.

[Ma1chbox]

The wary Patches kept his taser pointed at the three of them, unsure of whether or not they could be trusted. Suddenly, he saw that they too had strange brands on them, quite possibly the same one he had on his forehead. Dani made his way down the ladder and didn't get torn to pieces either, so that was more proof the three new guys weren't actually vampires in disguise.

Now that all five people were safely on their feet in the tunnel, the hatch at the top of the ladder slammed shut. This surprised Patches at first, but then it gave him relief knowing that at least they wouldn't be followed. That smile was all but wiped from his face when the adrenaline finally stopped. The thief looked at his blood-covered clothes and the bandaged wound on his chest and began to tremble, almost dropping his taser in the brackish water. The reality of things was finally settling in. "Oh god... This is real, isn't it?" He stopped pointing his taser at the others and took a deep breath to stop himself from shivering. A sudden wave of resolute will washed over him at that moment. "... I'm not going to die here. I am not going to die here. I am unbreakable. Unbreakable."

The big viking guy was the first to take initiative, suggesting that the group start moving in the only direction they could go. Fortunately, the water flow and slight breeze suggested it was the way out. Patches turned on the flashlight on his phone as well, choosing to stick close to the others but stay in the rear. "After you then, mate..."

[IsaacGaming]

Getting a general sense of agreement from the impromptu party, and by the recommendation of the mysterious bald man, Garmr readied himself to lead the group. Just as he was about to take his first step into the vast unknown, he felt someone putting pressure on his arm. Turning his head, he saw it was Link, who offered a quick apology. “No worries, friend. We’ve been through a lot, so take all the time you need to recover. Oh, and thanks for having my back up there. That could have been a messy situation without your help.”.

Taking one last glance and seeing everyone was finally ready, Garmr lifted his phone in front of him and began to head down the tunnel, unsure of what laid ahead in the darkness…

[Enigma]

Sabina paused, turning towards Dani with a sigh as she dragged off the bandanna around her neck, then pulled the other from her pocket.

"I don't have any tape, I'm not sure how you're going to bind this," she said, offering him the cloth.

Bet she rips one of the bandannas, she thought.

[observation]

[Undead_Fears]

"Me have your back..? M-More like you had mine," she said as she continued walking with him. She looked at the others, noticing the same brand on the bald man's forehead that was on her wrist. She looked at the lady who was stopped with another woman, unsure of what was going on.

She kept on walking, trying to keep her eyes down and keep herself calm. "I think we should try to rondevue back and get our stuff, maybe we can find some things to help us, and with my supplies and can disguise us if we need it.."

[Cfavano]

They walked and walk along the damp tunnel, the massive weight of the castle above them always weighing down. They also notices the the tunnel was getting narrower, and thus the water deeper.It eventually crept up to a foot depth, and they could hear it rushing, like a waterfall. Thea's when they found the exit. They were in a storm drain or channel of some sort, and it was black outside. Looking down, they could her the rushing of the ocean, only barely though, over the howling wind and driving rain. From the looks of it, a sudden hurricane had blown in, and rain was coming down in sheets. Lightning flashed, and they could see the bottom of the cliff, over a hundred feet below, lined with sharp rocks and rushing waves. They were tapped, it seemed. That was likely why the hatch was shut and locked, they would have nowhere to go.

The finality of their situation hit them. The monsters that nearly killed them expected one of three things to happen; they would die of exposure, die of hunger, or leap from the ledge and die that way. There was no signal, so they couldn't call for help, and the brochure never actually said where the con was held, just that it was a short drive from Castle Rock, but it wasn't. They were alone, in the wilderness of upstate Maine, if they were still even IN Maine. With no GPS, there was no way of knowing exactly where they were. It was in this moment, that all hope faded from our heroes, and their impending doom weighed heavily on their minds.


But wait! Garmr can see that there is a balcony overhead, and there is a ladder than can be lowered, as if that is how maintenance was done! If someone could get up there, they could lower the ladder. But two problems existed; One, it was twenty feet above them, and two...it was a cheer cliff wall. While it was true there were climbing holds, as if people used to climb here they had worn down from age to only finger and toe holds. It would take someone with immense physical strength and endurance to make it, not even taking into account the driving rain and howling gales that buffeted them. A fall from there would certainly mean death.

[IsaacGaming]

As Garmr lead the makeshift group, he began to realize that the place was getting more and more narrow. While Garmr wasn’t necessarily afraid of small spaces, he was more freaked out about the possibility of being ambushed in such a small space. However, these fears ended up being unfounded, as he finally came upon what appeared to be the exit. Looking out, it was almost as if a maelstrom had begun to take its course. On top of this, the sheer drop of the cliff was quite disheartening. Garmr began to feel what little hope the escape offered disappear…

That was, until Garmr looked up. That was when he saw a balcony! Looking further, he also saw that there was a latter. This would be too perfect, if the latter wasn’t raised. Looking at the cliff face, Garmr knew what he had to do. He turned back to the others, “Well, this will be a bit risky, but I’m going to try and climb up to that latter and lower it. The rest of you, wait here. Hopefully, I don’t fall to my death…”

[Ma1chbox]

The walls were narrowing in, and the brackish water was now shin-deep. Patches kept on edge, nervous about how little space he'd have to move around if ever they were attacked. The party eventually reached the very end of the tunnel, though... hundreds of feet above a precarious precipice. It seems a hurricane had materialized out of nowhere in the span of just a few hours. The thief was speechless. Some real shit was going down today, and it seemed like there's much, much more to come.

Along with the others, Patches took a gander down below. Nothing but sharp rocks and raging water. Up above, a difficult climb, but it led to what seemed to be the only way out. The thief mulled over giving it a try. Living most his life in a fairly low-to-middle class city, he was a fast little bugger, but he never had to do much climbing. One wrong move on those cliffs though... Patches gulped at the thought.

Thankfully, the man who seemed to now be the de facto leader volunteered to attempt the climb instead. The uneasy Patches gave him a concerned nod, knowing that if he failed and died, it would mean the rest of the party were quite possibly trapped.

[Enigma]

"So," Sabina asked Dani, taking a rest from biting her lip, "How bad is it?"

The others had moved down the tunnel, going to who-knows-where, but there didn't seem to be any immediate threat.

Even assuming they got out, what then? No phone service for miles, the nearest town miles away, nothing but trees and ocean below. Hopefully there was another manhole opening before the end of this tunnel, she didn't like the alternative.

And this taser was little help. How were they going to fight vampires? Much less vampires who may not be afraid to reveal themselves. She had that kukri knife with the laid-in silver, but that only worked against werewolves - right? So it would have to be a big wooden stake through the heart - best done while the vampire was sleeping during the day - did they actually do that?

[Cfavano]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9bakJLAevo


GARMR'S ASCENT

Garmr sidles to the first holds on the cliff, and feels the full force of the north wind's mighty horn blow against him. Rain, icy cold, pelts him like pellets, and he is soaked through in seconds. But, drawing on his inner reserves of strength, he begins to ascend. Up, up he goes, his muscles burning from the exertion, water rushing down the cliff and spraying onto him, making the holds slippery. The heroes watch him with dread, for every instant he is up there, they could be watching him die.

Thor splits the sky with his mighty thunderbolts, the storm increasing in intensity, as if sentient and seeking to stop him. But it might not have to. He grabs onto a hold, and just as he is transferring, the one he was balancing on collapsed, leaving him dangling in the breeze, barely holding on with one set of fingers. The wind repeatedly lifted him up and slammed him into the cliff, knocking the wind out of him, and he would feel his mighty strength waning. This filled him with gloom, as he had gotten so far, the balcony was only five feet to the right. But he wasn't about to go out like a bitch, he would not disappoint his ancestors. Utilizing the last of he strength, and the momentum of the wind, he flung himself at the balcony...but it was not enough, he could see himself falling, and his heart sank.

But just then, a mighty thunderbolt struck the cliff wall, sending a blast of rocks everywhere, right below him. The shockwave propelled him upwards, and his hands found purchase on the balcony's lip. Using what power he had left, he pulled himself up, and hit the latch on the ladder which slides down and locks into place. Garmr, spent, and heart beating like a drum, lays down in the rain, in the fetal position, his fingers torn and bleeding, and his entire body shaking like a leaf from the exertion and adrenaline.

Garmr's climb roll = Nat 20

[IsaacGaming]

As Garmr laid on the cold, hard floor, being drenched in rain, he gave many thanks to whatever higher being there was that he managed to do that. Besides the fact that Garmr was now bruised and battered, all he felt was genuine relief that he was able to manage that stunt. After all, it’s not the easiest to climb a slick cliff face while the mother of all storms is happening. Doing his best to sit up, despite the retaliation from his aching muscles, Garmr tried to make look like he hadn’t been panicking and awaited the ascent of his fellow party members.

[Undead_Fears]

Link watched as Garmr started his climb up the rock face, wringing her hands nervously as he climbed. As the storm seemed to worsen as he climbed, she yelped as a bolt of lightning striking the cliff face right below him as he climbed. As he made the final push and let the ladder down, she quickly pulled herself up the ladder. As she climbed she became soaked through the bone, the rain stinging her skin.

As she pulled herself up onto the balcony she went over to Garmr and knelt beside him. She put a hand on him, feeling him shake from what she thought was a mixture of chill in his bones and the fear that his adrenaline left behind. "We'll get you fixed up once we're out of the rain, ok?" She looked up and looked around before quickly snapping her head away. "Fucking Shadowwalkers.." She took a moment before looking back up to fully observe where they were.

(Observe)

[Ma1chbox]

Patches watched in awe at the spectacle of sheer luck that had just taken place in front of him. He'd half expected Garmr to die in the attempt, but boy, did gods have something else in mind. The ladder slid down and locked into place, and one of the girls was the first to make the climb. Patches followed shortly after.

The moment he left the relative safety of the tunnel mouth, he was immediately buffeted with heavier rains and stronger wind. It made the ladder climb more difficult, to be sure, but nothing he couldn't handle at his current state. He emerged at the top, rolling over onto the solid ground of the balcony.

Drenched head to toe in rain, the thief got on his feet and gave Garmr two light pats on the back. "Good job, mate... Now let's get the hell out of this damned hurricane already." Patches then peered around, looking towards wherever the balcony would lead.

[Enigma]

Bandages and tape strips applied, Sabina sighed.

"Thanks," she told Dani, then waved downstream. "We better join the others."

It wasn't long before they reached the end, and found the extended ladder.

"They must have gone up," she said over the wind and rain. Steeling herself, she climbed up the ladder, pausing only to look out of the top to see where the others had gone.

[Cfavano]

The room that had the balcony, luckily had large glass doors. It was a somewhat large room, but looked unused. The furniture was covered in sheets, but they could see a few chairs and a sofa There was also a large wooden bar, and an stone fireplace. The door looked simple, there was not even a lock, just a handle to keep it from blowing open. The owners must not expect anyone to try and break in through this door, and it would be nearly impossible to enter the castle like that anyway. So, in a way, it makes sense. But at this point, its pretty much an 'any port in a storm' situation.

Inside, it is dry, and slightly warmer, and while there is some dust, its obviously not abandoned, but no one has used it in at least a week. There was dry wood stacked next to the fireplace, as well as in it, with tinder and kindling set up. An easy (take 10) search check reveals small knife and flint on the mantelpiece. Looking at the room, its a sort of lounge. The bar even seems stocked with liquor, and even a big jar of herrings wrapped around sour pickles.

[Kortaga]

A soft bed sheets had welcomed her and now they were trying to keep her. She pressed her face more into her pillow feeling the embrace of sleep attempting to pull her into another nightmare. Drinking had been her way of sound sleep and with her sleep schedule shifted from day to more night activity, her body was pushing her to fight her drunkenness and get up. She felt the sheets and scratched at them like the beast would allow her up more easily if she fought it. Once the fog in her head rolled away she lifted herself up. She cooed softly to no one and stretched. She looked around a bit concerned at first and then blinked a few times. She relaxed a bit and reached down to find her dark bra on the floor. She pulled it up and looked at it like it had defied her. She remembered fighting in her sleep with something that had been strangling her. It was probably this.

She got dressed in her suit pants and dress shirt leaving the tie on a nearby chair. She wished she had a cigarette. She left her hair loose and scanned outside the window. She watched the storm clouds and the thunder and smiled mischievously. “Aww…how lovely…” She still felt some of the effects from her slamming drinks but rolled her head around a bit to get the stiffness out. She looked towards her desk and grabbed the water there getting a drink. The room temperature water was not refreshing…

She glanced outside again and started to look closely. She had one thought on her mind. “Now that all the good little boys and girls are in bed…” She reached over and slipped the suit part over her dress shirt. “I wonder if my darrrlinnnng is here tonight!” She giggled to herself and felt a rush in her blood. She hoped very much so that she was right…she had not been right in such a long time.

She figured she would watch the storm for at least a little while and if it got boring she would leave to wonder the halls. It was after all…why she had come in the first place.

[General Spot check for anything]

[IsaacGaming]

Finally, able to stand again, Garmr headed into the room along with the rest of the group. Seeing the contents of the room, Garmr felt somewhat safe for the first time since the events of the party. Perhaps this was more due to his prior actions rather than actual logic, but it’s a feeling he had nonetheless. It was while he was ensuring the security that Garmr first noticed the stranger in the room. Two things quickly came to mind. For one, how had he not noticed her earlier? Perhaps it was the adrenaline? The second thought was how had she not noticed them? With his guard raised, Garmr walked over to address the stranger. “Umm… hello?”

[Ma1chbox]

Cold. Shivering. Shook from the prior events. Patches gingerly peered into the room, making sure it was safe. The room seemed to be empty at first glance, and it looked to have been that way for a long while now. As he was about to step in, Garmr walked in before him. Though mildly annoyed, Patches let it slide. If anything, at least he'd be the first one to run into any traps.

The thief took a moment to look at his other companions in the rain before heading inside, only to stop dead in his tracks when he heard Garmr call out to someone.

"Umm... hello?"

Only then did he notice the lady standing in the middle of the room. While Garmr moved to approach her from the front, Patches waited for a moment, then slowly but casually paced in a quarter-circle path, heading for the back of the bar. The whole time, his eyes were locked on the stranger, ready to react to any surprises at a moment's notice. "No sudden movements, lady. Can't trust you yet, can we..."

[Enigma]

"Where did.. oh," Sabina sighed, seeing the trails of footsteps in the wet grass, going towards a distant door.

"Hey," she yelled down to Dani. "The guys found shelter, hurry up!"

Hunched over, she bolted for the door. At least where the jacket wasn't torn to shreds gave her some protection...!

"Oh god, it's cold out there," Sabina managed, gasping slightly as she pressed her side, then looked up at the stranger and the guys, raising her eyebrows. "Uh, what's going on?"

[Undead_Fears]

Link sat in the rain as she watched the others walk into the room. The rain felt good for the brief moment she was catching her breath, but then the chill set in and she quickly got up and ran to the doorway. She watched as Garmr and Patches walked into the room, walking around a stranger in the dark room.

She pulled herself into the inside wall and sat against it, wringing the water from her hair and dress, watching as the sight unfolded.

[Kortaga]

Cilla had made her way out of her room and had been traveling through the castle much against what she had been told to do. After she needed to see this place as it was. Middle of night and a lovely storm to match. She eventually came to a room where the door had actually been opened. As she came in though it had been completely empty. She found herself frowning and then moving over to a mirror. She looked into it and started to fix her hair. Nothing was out of the ordinary and it bored her to no end.

As she moved to the middle of the room she held her head a bit and looked down. Where is anything…? Had this been a complete waste of time? She was so tired of wasting time…

It was then that she heard a noise maybe a window or door open up. She noticed a man come into the room and noticed that he was wet. She she sort of looked at him with a dumb expression before he also noticed her and said hello.

She noticed also that he was not alone. Another man was circling around her and she felt like she might get mugged. They certainly did not have a friendly atmosphere…

Can’t trust me...she shrugged her shoulders and gave them a half smile. Were one of them her darling? Maybe…

She shifted her stance and put on hand on her hip. The other was held up and she waved it in the air. She decided to look forward but paid most of her attention in the corner of her eye to the one circling her.

“Hi...you lot certainly look lively…?”

She glanced towards the girls who were coming in and a mischievous smile played on her lips. “Oh I see...you were worried about getting caught…”

She smiled and put her hands behind her back. “No worries I won’t spread a single word about your night play, Angel promises you as much.”

[Enigma]

"Night play...?" Sabine repeated incredulously, then buried her face in her right hand.

After a moment, she looked up at Cilla, letting her hands slide down until it reached her chin. "You gotta light?"

She pushed herself off the wall, heading towards the fireplace, letting Cilla see the torn up back of her leather jacket and the stained bandages underneath.

"Anybody got a light?" she asked, exasperated. "I'm cold and I'm wet and I don't want to think what might be waiting for us in our rooms if we go now."

Sabine glanced over her shoulder at Cilla. "You might want to stay here, too. Staff's gonna be checking the hallways, I'm sure, and you really don't want to be caught by them."

[IsaacGaming]

“Good to hear. Trust me, getting caught is the last thing that we, as well as yourself, would want to happen. Anyways, the important thing right now is that we rest. If we don’t want to be killed, we need to be ready. So, of course, we should sleep in shifts. Would that be OK with you... was it Angel?”

Waiting for the answer, Garmr went and sat down by the fire, still somewhat exerted from his climb up. “Also, I apologize for barging in like we did. Probably weren’t expecting company, were you?”

[Ma1chbox]

While circling the lady, Patches noticed a glint in her eye. She wasn't facing him but it seems she was eyeing him back as well. A mutual mistrust seemed to boil between the two, and rightly so. From his spot behind the bar, he sat on the back counter and simply watched as the lady tried charming her way out of her predicament.

Her quip about night play made the thief raise his eyebrow in confusion. Did she even have any idea what was going on? Or worse yet, was she just feigning ignorance to mask some ulterior motive? Either way, the rest of the party seemed to be warming up to her rather quickly. Patches, though, he wouldn't be so easily swayed. He'd trusted the wrong people too many times in the past already.

The thief remained quiet, but took his eyes off her for a moment to pop open a bottle of brandy to help warm himself up. Sabine, who was now making her way to the fireplace, was now asking for a light. Patches fished out the silver lighter he'd stolen and whistled to call her attention before tossing it in her direction.

Garmr's suggestion to sleep in shifts was definitely a good one. It'd help him keep tabs on the stranger. Immediately, he replied. "I'll sleep last. Watch over everyone and all that jazz."

[Undead_Fears]

At the mention of "night play," Link laughed and shook her head warily. "Yeah, sure, if that's what you wanna call it." As everyone moved towards the fire place she stood up and began walking over as well, setting herself down on a chair next to the big Norse man. She saved her life after all and he did have one of the most dangerous weapons in the room, if you didn't count patches with the alcohol and lighter he currently had.

She looked over at the stranger and cocked an eyebrow. "So, whatcha doin here? I mean, certainly you know what's happened, right?" As she spoke the more uneasy she felt about the stranger, moving from he chair to sit by Garmr, positioning herself so she was slightly behind him.

[Kortaga]

Cilla was asked if she had a light...sadly no those things distracted her far too much. She only indulged when she was certain she would not meet her darling.As the girl turned away from her and moved to the fire she could see the bandages and the tears. Either they were playing around a little rough, she had dressed for the con...or well there were a lot of reasons but it did get her excited.

Another gentleman...did he introduce himself? She might have missed it. Mentioned they should sleep in shifts...were they so worried? What would cause them to be that on edge. They also mentioned the staff would be patrolling...humm...did they take something? She thought of the bandages again and felt giddy clearly a smile on the girls face.

He asked if it was alright with her and she nodded much more enthusiastically then she probably should have. The man who had circled her gave a lite to the girl and mentioned that he would sleep last. She smiled delightfully. “I slept the entire afternoon away so I have plenty of energy to watch over you all too!”

She got two questions that wrapped up together nicely. She looked towards the very talkative man and said, “No please it’s quite alright i was looking for people too though no one in specific.” She gave a happy girlish giggle at that. She approached the man who had been speaking to her and gave him a once over. After she did she grinned in delight. “I was not expecting company after all but i do so greatly appreciate it. No need to apologize...I felt I was getting rather lonely…”

As the final girl sat down in the chair and asked if she knew what was going on she quickly swayed her way over to her. She licked her lips a bit and sat down right in front of the chair. She leaned forward and looked up into the girls eyes. “Please oh please...tell me a story?” She loved hearing about things. She looked quite eager to her about it too. She shifted like a small girl about to get a treat and wiggled with anticipation.

[Undead_Fears]

Link stared at the girl in shock, not knowing how to comprehend her excited to hear about the destruction that had taken place. She swallowed hard and took a breath, letting it go before gearing up to explain.

"We all came here for the con, and that went normal, but it was the after party that didn't. All of us went, and all of us made it out... b-but..." She could feel her anxiety creeping back onto her system, wishing she had her meds with her. "Th-they summoned this guy, a-a vampire. We got branded and then it's just a flash of red and dead bodies and then we all went into this tunnel thing that was under the room and walked till we came to the end of it. G-Garmr climbed up and pulled the ladder down and we all scrambled up.."

She held her hands tightly in her lap, trying to keep the shake in them from being visible. "That's it.."

[Enigma]

"Thanks," Sabina said as she caught Patches' lighter.

She knelt down by the fireplace, hissing slightly as her wounds flared momentarily from the movement. When it subsided, she got to work clearing the ashes from the middle and laying a fire, all the while listening to the conversation going on behind her.

"Anyone see some paper lying around?" she asked, when she was done, glancing behind her. "I want to warm the flue and not have the smoke pour in here."

She then realized she had no idea who any of these people were.

"Sorry, we were doing all that running. I'm Sabina, Sabina... Lang," she paused, wincing slightly. "What's your names?"

[IsaacGaming]

At first, Garmr wasn’t quite sure what to think of this woman. At first, she seemed normal. Hell, the fact that she was willing to room them was the first nice thing to happen tonight. However, some of the things that she said put Garmr a bit on edge. But why? Was it flirting? A loose screw? Either way, Garmr really didn’t mind. After all, a stranger is a friend you haven't made yet. Plus, any ally is a good one in the situation the group was in.

As Garmr snapped out of his thoughts and listened to the others talking back and forth, the topic of the current situation finally (and inevitably), came up. Garmr turned to Link and watched as she retold the horrific events. As she finished the tale, Garmr quickly put a hand on her shoulder and felt that she was shaking. “It’s fine now, Link. You’re very brave in retelling the events.”

Garmr turned back up to one of the many strangers, who introduced herself as Sabrina. “Oh, right. Introductions would be nice, albeit I would have rather met in better conditions. The name’s Garmr Hrovitnir.”

[Ma1chbox]

The stranger, still giddy as ever, continued her act. She fluttered amidst the party, moving from person to person. The stranger even gave Patches a smile, no doubt meant to be delightful, but instead it made the thief feel a twang of threat. He balked at her remark about also watching over the others, but did not retort. He didn't want to show all his cards yet. After all, what mattered was that there were at least one or two people awake to monitor her actions at all times.

Suddenly, Patches had a eureka moment. He shuffled over to Sabina, brandy in hand, and crouched next to her. While the stranger was busy listening to a story, he took his lighter back once the fire was going. "I'll be using this for a bit..." he mumbled, palming the silver heirloom. He then walked over to the other two ladies, his firelit shadow looming over them.

Without warning, Patches leaned over the stranger and put a hand on her shoulder. "I suppose I've been a bit harsh with you, and I may have botched my first impression, but you know how it is. Can't just trust anyone willy-nilly, eh? What do you say, no harm, no foul? Let's start over-- Oh, wait, hold on!" He paused and pressed the silver-coated lighter into her palms, then clasped her fingers around it. "Be a dear and hold on to this lovely little trinket for a moment, will you? I'll be back right shortly..."

For the first time, the thief turned his back on the lady. He walked to the counter, listening carefully for any sizzling or screeching coming from behind him. If she really was human, then the little favor would be of no consequence to her.

As he listened, Patches briefly turned his head when the girl in the torn leather jacket spoke up and introduced herself, followed by the big viking-esque man. He didn't hesitate to introduce himself next, but not before getting his hands on some much needed food. "Patches. Trusty--" He paused and popped open the lid off the jar of pickled herrings with a muffled grunt. "-- Patches, I'm called."

[Undead_Fears]

As Link felt Garmr's hand on her shoulder, she shrugged it off and shook her head. "Just because I h-have anxiety issues doesn't mean I want to be treated like I'm f-five," she said, her face falling into a frown before turning to him. "Sorry.."

She watched the other man get up and give the strange woman the silver lighter as introductions were made, curious as to the reason he did so. She watched him open a jar of food, grimacing slightly as the stench hit the air. She looked at the others before rolling her neck to one side and sighting. "Guess it's my turn. I'm Link, I'm also known as Pulse from the world wide web." She felt awkward saying her other, YouTube name to the group. She felt it was irrelevant but at the same time it was a part of her.

She looked around at the others before looking at the strange woman. "Your go."

[Kortaga]

The girl before her started to go into the story of how they came to be as they were. It was not a thrilling tail however it was horrifying for her. She noticed that the girl went through a myriad of emotions during her explanation. Cilla began to have many questions, mainly about the brands...what a summoning was...and for that matter what a vampire was? She just sort of tilted her head but kept a mostly blank stare as the story unfolded before her.

One of them suggested that they all slowly introduce themselves. Names to faces was always a good thing but Cilla felt like she had way too many questions to ask. The man came up to try and comfort the girl whom she sat before but she told him off saying that she did not want to be treated by a five year old.

The one person in the room who she related to started to act really weird. She felt the hand on her shoulder and she listened to what he had to say. He moved to hand her something and as such she removed the glove from her hand before taking the item. While some may have considered him being a bit forceful she did not mind a bit of force from a man.

He ended up putting a silver lighter into her hand. She held it for a moment but did not understand the significance of this. She decided to stand up and start to play with the fire a bit moving her fingers through it to feel the heat. She could easily burn herself if she was not careful but she had done this plenty of times before now.

She stood up and moved towards the middle of the room still staring deeply at the flames she was playing with and moving her fingers through quickly. She clicked it closed and the did the deepest bow she could possibly manage. “Priscilla Creevan...at your service. Cilla or Angel is sufficient...I do so prefer the name Angel though.”

She had no real comment on the story though. They looked messed up but could they be trusted? She needed to verify things before she fully believed them. She closed the lighter and stopped playing with it. It was too distracting. “What’s the next step then after resting? Something I can help with?”

[Enigma]

Sabina frowned when Patches took his lighter back, then noticed as he gave it to Angel. She didn't yell, she didn't burn, she seemed confused. Well, who wouldn't be?

"Do?" Sabina scowled, turning back to the fire with a glance towards Link. "Barricade the doors and wait for daylight. Hope these things crawl back into their holes."

What should they do if these things come hunting? She doubt they'd want to come down the flue now there was a fire, assuming they could turn into bats. Were there secret passages in the walls? Old places like this could have a ton of them.

"Maybe we should see if there's another way out, if someone comes in?"

[Cfavano]

The room lit by fire, they could see it more clearly. It was definitely a lounge. It was roomy, comfortable...and had a hunting theme. There was a glass-paneled gun cabinet, nd there were stuffed heads ll over the walls...human heads. The Chair Pulse was sitting in was leather, but no she can see it...Its made from tanned human faces stitched together, they appear to be screaming. At that moment, a distant scream is heard followed by a growling snarl and the ripping of flesh and thudding footsteps.

At that point there was another booming rack of thunder, and a lightbulb flashed brightly and then explodes, causing electricity to arc harmlessly across the ceiling, but it doesn't make the usual sparking noise, they sounds like screams and ghostly figures re drawn out of the stones and sucked through walls out of the room.

[Enigma]

Sabina jumped as the bulb exploded, her eyes drawn away from the arcing electricity and towards the grisly heads they'd decorated the walls with.

"I... guess they're really serious about people not wandering around the halls at night," she managed, then caught site of the gun cabinet.

"Please let that be unlocked and no alarm," Sabina prayed, moving towards it.

(Check for alarms/traps; skills Knowledge (Technology) III)
(Lockpicking attempt with Leatherman multitool; skills Knowledge (Technology) III/Slight of Hand IV.

[Undead_Fears]

As the room was illuminated, Link looked around the room, horror creeping into her body and her blood ran cold. As she looked at the chair and realized what the chair was made of she jumped, clamping a hand over her mouth as she let out a muted scream.

She felt herself fall to the floor as the bulb exploded, the sudden screams flooding her head. She pushed herself to the wall and covered her face, trying to hide the sight from herself. "I-I hate this..! I wanna go home..!" She felt her body shaking hard, hating herself more and more. "P-Patches, h-hand me some alcohol.."

[Ma1chbox]

The stranger didn't burn, or smoke, or yell, even as she fiddled with the shimmering silver lighter. Definitely not a vampire, then. Still, she had yet to prove they weren't one of them, whoever they were. As he munched on a pickled herring, he plucked the lighter right back out of the lady's hands. "Right then, Angel. You don't seem to be as bad as I thought, but... do watch yourself, eh?" He whispered the last part with a tilt of the head and a squint of the eyes, an expression that could either be taken as friendliness, distrust, or both. "After all... there's plenty dangerous things around this damned place..." He took a swig from the bottle in his hand and sighed.

By now, the fire was going bright, and the rest of the room now showed its grisly details. It became apparent that the abandoned room the party found themselves in was some sort of grisly trophy room for whatever fucked up kind of people lived in the castle. Whatever-- or whoever-- it was, it was definitely into sport hunting humans. The sight sent a chill down the thief's spine. He gulped hard and turned to see Link leaping off her chair, which was covered in tanned human hide.

At that same moment, a scream, followed by a guttural growling seemed to come from afar, but the thumping footsteps hinted at whatever that was coming closer. Thinking quickly, Patches placed the jar of pickled herrings on the floor and leapt over the screaming chair. Putting his entire weight into it, he pushed the piece of furniture up against the door, then leapt back a safe distance. The exploding light bulb and screaming walls caught him by surprise, but he managed to keep his balance.

Sabina was now working on unlocking the gun cabinet. Taking notice of this, Patches yelled out to her. "Get that thing open! I know how to use those!" Link was the next to catch his attention. She was huddled up against a wall, breaking down. He scoffed at her asking for alcohol and turned back to watching the door, pulling his taser out of his pocket. "Nuh-uh. Best not muddle your mind right now, love. Something's coming for us, and it's coming for us fast..." The thief crouched low and nodded at Garmr before circling around to a nook of the room that was in the blind spot of whatever would come bursting through the door.

[Cfavano]

The lock was fairly simple and old, more there for looks than to actually keep it closed.

Inside she found a bevy of weaponry, some quite illegal.

She found a Remington 700 Hunting rifle with an electro-optical scope and a silencer. Box of 20 7.62 rounds to go with it

an MP 51 with an iluminator (flashlight) . 2 30 round magazines

M-79 grenade launcher with a box of 6 40mm fragmentation grenades

Baretta 92F with 3 magazines.

[Enigma]

"Yes!" Sabina exulted when the lock gave and she could open the door.

Picking up the Beretta, she loaded one of the three magazines and noted the safety before slipping it into her jacket pocket. The other two magazines she put in her other pocket.

"Guys, get over here and get one!" she whispered hoarsely, waving at the open door of the gun cabinet.

The MP 51 would probably go to Patches, the rifle to Garmr, which would leave the grenade launcher with Angel. This should be fun, unless they started arguing over who should have which gun.

Then there was the poker by the fireplace. Didn't a lot of supernatural creatures have an aversion to cold iron?

[Ma1chbox]

Patches turned his head when he heard the cabinet's lock click open and its doors swing wide. He dashed over from his hiding spot and immediately began taking down the other guns, apart from the pistol that Sabina already took for herself. He loaded and cocked the HK51 first, which he took for himself, along with its extra mag. After all, he did love himself a good bullet hose.

Next, he set to work prepping the Remington, loading it, but then removing the silencer at the end. They needed to save that for when it counts. Turning around for a split second, he tossed the loaded rifle to Garmr, but not before making sure the safety was on first. "Up to you guys who gets that one!"

Lastly, there was the grenade launcher. He loaded a round into it and was about to toss it to the others, but grimaced and stopped upon remembering that using it inside some old castle's hallways wouldn't be the brightest of ideas. Instead, he slung it across his left side, opposite to the HK51, put two more shells in his pockets, then put the rest of the ammunition on the bar.

Once again, he put his carbine to his shoulder and aimed for the door. All these weapons were much, much fancier than anything he'd ever used back in his younger days, but at least they operated pretty similarly enough. "Oh!," Patches interjected, "and for the love of god, count your shots and don't fire blindly! We're already short on bullets as is!"

[IsaacGaming]

As Garmr sat and listened to the others, that’s when things began to go even worse than they already were. First, he took notice to the stuffed heads and the chair. Whoever, or whatever, owned this room appeared to be into the sport of human hunting. This took Garmr by surprise, a twinge of fear on the rise. It was the sudden scream and growls that cause Garmr to begin to panic. Quickly standing up, the light bulb suddenly burst, causing the once bright room to dim somewhat. Garmr watched as Patches quickly jumped into action, barricading the door from the potential attack that was about to occur.

As Garmr stood in the middle of the room dumbfounded, he was finally snapped back into reality by Patches tossing him a rifle. While having a firearm would be nice and all, Garmr honestly had never really learned to fire one. To be quite honest, Garmr felt more comfortable with hand-to-hand combat than any sort of firearm. “I would prefer to be the first line of defense should they breach.” Garmr quickly tossed over the rifle to Angel. “Well, since you’ve now officially been thrown into the mix, mind giving us a hand?” Readying a battle stance, Garmr pulled out his longsword, ready to face whatever came through that door.

[Kortaga]

As “the stranger” sat she noticed that they were all much more an edge then she had originally given them credit for. They were seriously at odds end. When the fire was lite she noticed the heads around the walls. She felt she had to steady her breath a bit. Surely they were not real?

She gave a small chuckle. A distance noise ran through the building and she stood up at attention. Unless someone was playing a very interesting prank that would certainly be something large and scary.

She shivered a bit and noticed that they others were all acting. That was a good thing. She certainly prefered that to laying there useless. She watched patches move and thought about what he said before the fire really kindled. He mentioned she should watch herself. She nodded to him as he moved rather quickly.

A Lot of quick movement and hands came about but at the end of it all apparently she was to be entrusted with a gun. She took the rifle into her hands and gave it a tender hug and kiss. She missed having a firearm and while she likes function over firepower she would treat this like a lost lover.

She faced forward with the rest of them and prepared for whatever was making this noise. “I am happy to have met you all already.”

[Enigma]

"Let's just hope we don't bring the rest of the castle down on us," Sabina sighed, giving Angel a worried look as she came back with the fireplace poker.

Garmr had his sword out - certainly a quieter weapon. Maybe they could just capture whoever was coming towards them...?

She winced. Could they capture a creature like the one that had thrown her down the length of the ballroom?

[Undead_Fears]

Link watched as everyone prepared to fight, knowing she'd have to do something to help them. She looked over to the fire, grabbing the fire poker and standing up. She went and put the chair onto the floor, ignoring the feeling of her skin crawling. She pushed the chair into a position so she could see the door. She looked around at the others before steeling herself. "Alright, how are we doing this?"

[Ma1chbox]

A bead of sweat rolled down Patches' temple as he listened to the thumping footsteps. His hands began to shiver for a moment, but he calmed himself with a deep breath. This was no time to get all clammy. A quick glance at Link showed that she was trying her best to ready herself for what was coming, but she still had that unsure look on her face. "Well, uh, whatever comes through that door, light it the fuck up and whack it when it's down, eh?"

The thief gave a nervous laugh that came out as mostly huffs of breath. He'd pushed a heavy chair in front of the door, but judging from how heavy the footsteps from outside sounded... That may not have helped at all. He fidgeted and adjusted his grip once again, taking deeper breaths this time. His eyes drifted to the ceiling, whose lights were all destroyed from that wild arc of electricity. His main concern was the beast heading straight for them, but the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end at the thought of monsters coming out of the walls as an ambush.