In Search of Sanity [IC, Group #2]

[digiman619]

Flair steps forward, inspecting the bodies.

Spoiler: ooc

Show

As for "being nonchalant about glowing, that's my vestige's physical sign. To wit: ""> Physical Sign: Your clothing becomes so pristine that it shines like a torch. When you activate one of Jacques Gaston’sgranted abilities, every inch of your body shines in this manner."

[lostsole31]

There are several human bodies tumbled in the debris. The body of three Grays are also tangled amid the ruins, most riddled with crossow bolts.

Flair, you notice that lengths of flesh have been deliberately stripped from the corpses, human and Gray alike. As you rummage around, an elderly hand weakly rises before its unsteady weakness has it lower again. You go over, and it is an elderly nurse with a grandmotherly old nurse with a gruesomely broken leg. She seems too weak to speak, and a bit traumatized to boot.

[MikelaC1]

Well, this makes it easy, they wanted 3 bodies, we have 3 bodies. Zarinda starts to pick up a "Grey" body.

[pfm1995]

"I believe they wanted us to kill three of the dybbukim and *then* bring back their bodies." He sees the woman's hand fall. "Speaking of dybbukim... be cautious. I have read of these creatures, they will look like ordinary people."

And what, exactly, is ordinary? Kill her now.

Readying his scimitar, he approaches the woman cautiously.

Behind him, his bird hops forward to peck experimentally at one of the dead 'greys'.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Pop into stance...

[MikelaC1]

They didnt say they wanted us to kill three...their exact words were "bring back three dead Greys". Those are the words of the contract, and I always abide by the contracts I make. As should others.

[lostsole31]

Zarinda starts to pick up a "Grey" body.

And she finds that she can't even. These things are surprisingly heavy. Because of the rubble, there won't be any dragging, either. These 'uns will have to be heaved and hefted.

Patient 601 adopts some type of aspect to his posture. As his raven pecks at the surprisingly tasty flesh of one of the dead Grays (not to be confused with a Grey, which is a Grey Render ) he gets to the old woman. She looks up weakly. She is not moaning in any pain or anything and seems surprisingly placid ... and distant. There is a sense that she notices 601, but she isn't fully in the "now" as her eyes are wide and as his lit body bends down to look at her, her pupils are slightly dilated and she has a glassy look.

Spoiler: DM Snark

Show

I love that not a single one of you have the Heal check.

[digiman619]

Flair tries to help Zarinda move the body (as there's not much else he can do at the moment).

[lostsole31]

The two of you will be able to heft it with fair difficulty. These things weigh a surprisingly solid 200 or so pounds, and both of you are only slightly stronger than the average Jane.

[stack]

Eric tries to evaluate the old woman's injuries (and hopefully get some indication as to if she is human or gray). "Hold still and let me have a look, please. I can probably help."

Spoiler

Show

heal (1d20+5)[20]

[lostsole31]

Welp, she definitely snaps to the pain of "local stimulation" as she gives her aged cry. Eric will be able to make a decent, makeshift splint from the copious materials lying around. At some point during her low, repeated moanings of pain, she passes out for about 20 or 30 seconds, after which she is semi-conscious.

[MikelaC1]

Do we have enough hands to move these bodies back And although she doesn't say it, its clear Zarinda is only referring to the Grays

[pfm1995]

Crouching down, black-sand-skin's movements are jagged and stuttering, steps of varying length and balance slightly off kilter. He's also stopped blinking as he looks at the old woman.

"Likely not, be we can make multiple trips. If the dybbukim are heavier than they appear, this may give us a clue as to this woman's identity - regardless, we should bring her back first. The mutt may help her, or smell something we don't."

He takes a moment to study the debris pinning the woman before moving to shift it.

[stack]

Eric tries to heal the woman, the strange sensation growing more familiar with each use, though he feels his strength waning.

Spoiler

Show

cure on the woman, (1d8+1)[8]

[lostsole31]

601 moves the debris that is on the woman's mid-section as Zarinda and Flair cart the first Gray out into the hallway. It should be noted that Zarinda's possibly-faux-Hungarian inflection by calling them "Greys" has changed so that it matches the dialectal term of "Grays" as the rest of you say.

Spoiler: Ahhh, the written medium!

Show

Hey, if the people in the WICKED books can hear the difference of the capital letter in the word Animal vs. animal ...

Eric, you spend the magic. Though you already bandaged/ set the bone (which, by the way for all involved IS what you want to do ... don't magi-heal breaks and "disabilities") in a splint, you can tell something is going on. If you temporarily loosen the splints and check the bandages, you will see that your magic truly is powerful and her leg is fully healed. She also seems to be more lucid now (she was in shock, which was a deadlier condition than the break). She might not be fully "healed" and she still is traumatized.

She seeks to get up, and with the help of the two men tending her finds her feet, albeit unsteadily. She does seem a bit loopy, though. She has a "matronly frame" and is festively plump (so, either she is a dirty Gray or actually is a heavy woman).

"Thank you, sirs, thank you," she says weakly, looking around. "What happened?"

[stack]

Eric sighs. "Rather hoped you could tell us. There seems to be a dearth of useful information at the present. Do you know anything about this place?"

[lostsole31]

She looks down at what she's dressed in and tries to make sense of it all, and with each question there is a rising panic. "I ... I think I am a nurse. And you are patients? Is this a hospital? Why are many of you glowing? Are you ghosts? Are we dead? Am I dead?!?"

[digiman619]

"As far as we can tell, no." Flair says, trying to calm the woman. "We have found ourselves stranded here with no knowledge of who or where we are. As for the glowing, it's a trick to save on torches." He then smiles at her, "It's fun, you'd like it."

[lostsole31]

She gives a stank face (not to be confused with "stack's face" ... because then she would be a Gray, right?). She pulls back a little at the glowing man's offer. "Is there a safe place?"

Meanwhile, Knuckles tosses a Gray over her shoulder (with difficulty) and trudges out to Jacqui, the pooch, and the other Gray and drops it before going back in for the third ...

[pfm1995]

She gives a stank face (not to be confused with "stack's face" ... because then she would be a Gray, right?). She pulls back a little at the glowing man's offer. "Is there a safe place?"

Meanwhile, Knuckles tosses a Gray over her shoulder (with difficulty) and trudges out to Jacqui, the pooch, and the other Gray and drops it before going back in for the third ...

"Maybe. That's what we're hoping to find out."

Stepping away from the woman for the moment, the ashen-faced man moves a little farther up the hallway.

[MikelaC1]

[/COLOR]Meanwhile, Knuckles tosses a Gray over her shoulder (with difficulty) and trudges out to Jacqui, the pooch, and the other Gray and drops it before going back in for the third ...

Zarinda addresses the guard group. You asked for three dead Gray bodies, we have brought 3 dead Gray bodies.

[stack]

Eric just shrugs as others answer the questions, then helps haul the bodies.

[lostsole31]

Eric helps Knuckles take the third body out and Zarinda makes her remark.

Captain York comes back out and asks you bring the bodies closer for inspection.

Meanwhile ... back in the room with the old nurse?

[digiman619]

"...and that is why you never play poker with a Diviner." Flair continued his story. "Unless, of course, you're a Telepath. Unfortunately, I was neither and lost my shirt. But it was a good thing that I did because that's how I met..."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I am Bluffing, of course.

[lostsole31]

"Where are the rest of your people?" asks Captain York. "If you don't keep track of them, they might be killed and replaced by Grays. You need to get them right away if you want a chance to be admitted."

[stack]

Eric suppresses an shrug and returns to fetch the others and the nurse. "They want to see us all in one place to make sure we aren't getting replaced."

[pfm1995]

"These people's paranoia wears on me. Lets go."

Turning and relaxing, 601 helps pick the old woman up before following the others back.

[lostsole31]

601 helps get her on her feet and it is assumed the splint was never re-applied since the bone was set/healed, and the remainder of the group go out into the hall, escorting the nurse. Zarinda and Flair are further down the hall with the pile of bodies talking with the captain. Jacqui and Bishop are still closer to them (but 30' north by the storage room doors). As the group gets closer, Bishop is wagging his tail to see everone again and then suddenly stops, getting into a low crouch and growling when the group gets within 30' of him. He starts barking wildly. Having an instinct of what he might be barking at, the group looks at the old woman only to see that the "old woman is now six feet tall, gangly, and like the Gray "doctor" that was your jailer! Unlike the doctor, this Gray is not wearing clothing.

R1T21: Bishop steps in front of Jacqui and barks and the like, cute little dog jaws slavering and trying to be as terrifying as possible.

R1T20: Zarinda, the rest of the group way up the hall is walking with a Gray and they just got within 30' of the pooch - who is going absolutely bonkers!!!

Spoiler: Zarinda

Show

If you want to shoot, you would have to step draw and shoot since with futzing with the bodies your bow is slung. The Gray is 65' away, meaning you would have to use a 5' step and a move action draw, or a move action up to 30' with the free draw to bring it within short range. You can't draw, move, and bring the target into point blank range this round.

What do you do?

[MikelaC1]

Zarinda curses the changing old woman, muttering Thats why you dont trust every stray you run into in a dungeon while she takes the 5 foot step forward and unleashes a long range bow shot

Spoiler: Attack

Show

(1d20+6)[23] attack & (1d6)[2] damage

[pfm1995]

Dropping the old lady with a shout, the ashen-faced man's body language changes back to the jittery and overbalanced posture he had before. He steps back and draws his scimitar, raising it high.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

5ft stepping away, dropping into my stance, and drawing my scimitar. I'll also use my standard action to ready an attack if she/it comes within range.

Attack: (1d20+3)[15]
Damage: (1d6+3)[5]

[lostsole31]

R1T20: Zarinda curses the changing old woman, muttering, "Thats why you dont trust every stray you run into in a dungeon" while she takes the 5 foot step forward and unleashes bow shot that grazes the creature's left knee for 2.

R1T19: The Gray seems less concerned with the wound it just received, and is much more animated as regards the barking dog. It bolts away to the north and back into the room where you found it originally.

R1T17: Eric, what do you do?

Knuckles on deck, Jacqui in the hole ...