Curtains #3 - Problems of One's Own

[Rybaer]

OOC: Supposing the dog agree.

The dogs barks twice in agreement.

Lawrence transform into a spider swarm and bite him once, so he will be weaken but not paralyzed. The swarm transform back into Lawrence and he tell to the dogs.

"Now you can let him go." Lawrence leave as soon as he see the dogs leaving too. He will then go back to Gus, take him and bring him the fastest possible to the hospital. Taking a cab or calling the ambulance with the phone, the one that seems the fastest to him.

The man seems very uncomfortable watching Lawrence transform into the spiders and flinches away as he is bitten. The dogs relax their threatening posture and allow the man to leave the room as quickly as his weakened legs can carry him.

Lawrence is only a handful of blocks from a hospital. He drags Gus out of the building and manages to flag down a cab. The driver hesitates upon seeing the situation, but ultimately gets out and helps Lawrence get him loaded into the back.

On the drive over, Lawrence checks Gus' condition again. Reality finally begins to sink in - Gus is dead. Judging by his cold temperature, he probably has been for several hours.

"You just want to go to the Emergency Room entrance?" the cab driver asks.

 

[Rybaer]

"While I can appreciate your need for solitude, Loremaster," Steven explained. "I have no intention of leaving just yet. There is a young woman that needs my help . . . for me to do my best to find her, I need information. This information may come from your books and records . . .especially if it is related to the Sorceror/Draco dualism."

"And I think you know that . . . ," Steven added quietly.

"I'm not convinced that the books will help you, but perhaps...," she says. "Come."

The Lorekeeper leads the group through the screen door and into a sitting room. The decore of the house is old, but tasteful. Everything likely has antique value.

"Have a seat," she says. "Nicole, please come help me."

While the others are out of the room, Denise looks at Fate apologetically. "You have to understand," she says, "but it's the Lorekeeper's responsibility to ensure the security of the books. She scarcely lets members of our order even get near them."

A minute later, Steven can hear Esther and Nicole's footsteps returning...from down a flight of stairs. He can also overhear Nicole complaining in hushed tones, "but he specifically didn't want to see this book yet...you can't make him look at it."

The two enter the room carrying between them a wooden case about the size of a small television. Esther directs it to the coffee table in front of Steven. She extracts an elegant iron key from a chain worn around her neck and uses it to open the massive padlock on the lid. Denise and Nicole both look nervous as the Lorekeeper flips open the lid.

"Look inside," she instructs Steven in a voice unwilling to accept defiance. At a glance, there is a leather-bound book of some considerable size laying in the velvet-lined box. "Tell me what the cover says."

As Steven looks at the cover, the inked lettering appears to squirm. They resolve themselves from indistiguishable gibberish into readable words: Codex Imbellis - Writings and Musings on Creation. Reading the words is difficult and taxing on the eyes.

 

[Rybaer]

"They got some serious firepower though." He adds as he looks over at the blast area. Granite will search the body of the dead/wounded lizard man, not really caring if it lives or dies, he had been in the army too long to be effected by it too much one way or the other.

He will also check the weapon that it was using, if its workable he will take it along with him as he continues his search.

A quick search of the (seemingly dead) lizardman reveals only a satchel. The contents include a handful of completely mysterious technological devices. Two, however, he recognizes as the grenade-like weapons used moments ago against him. The beam weapon has a construction very similar to a rifle, though the grips are awkward - clearly designed for the lizardmen's longer, claw-tipped fingers. Pulling the trigger yields the expected results - a bluish beam lashes out. The beam appears to have no effect on the stone structure of the mine.

Granite crosses the large chamber, passing the portable lights toward the next shadowy exit. When about fifty feet from the entrance of the passage, Granite is able to make out a human (not lizardman) figure. The person's features are difficult to make out in the darkness, but his arms are crossed and he is standing tall and straight. The man's posture reminds Granite of a General scrutinizing his soldiers before speaking.

"Welcome," the man says. "My apologies for the welcoming committee. They're a little bit...enthusiastic."

 

[Velmont]

OOC: Forgot about it, but Lawrence would have taken the gun and put it in his pocket, taking care of not leaving finger print on it for now.

Lawrence doesn't hear the cab driver at first. It is only when he repeated his question that he seemed to awake from his thought. "Yeah..." The cab stop in front of the emergency room entrance. "A friend have been shot. Please, help me!" says Lawrence, as he drags out Gus of the Cab. He takes out a 20 from his wallet and throw it to the cab driver. "Keep all."

 

[Keia]

Fate HPs: 4/4, Wearing: Stylish Tan Trenchcoat, casual clothes

"I'm not convinced that the books will help you, but perhaps...," she says. "Come."

Steven inclined his head in regard to the woman and followed her inside.

"You have to understand," she says, "but it's the Lorekeeper's responsibility to ensure the security of the books. She scarcely lets members of our order even get near them."

'I can understand that, Denise,' Steven thought to her, comfortingly, 'She is performing a difficult and respectable task.'

"Look inside," she instructs Steven in a voice unwilling to accept defiance. At a glance, there is a leather-bound book of some considerable size laying in the velvet-lined box. "Tell me what the cover says."

Steven looked up from the book, and briefly thought about swaying or falling over (though it would wrinkle he coat) or even screaming. Instead, he looked at the Loremaster and thought to her, quitely said, "Words into thought," then telepathically, 'It reads, Codex Imbellis - Writings and Musings on Creation, Loremaster. You didn't state that the others should hear it, and I would not want them to come to harm.'

 

[Rybaer]

OOC: Forgot about it, but Lawrence would have taken the gun and put it in his pocket, taking care of not leaving finger print on it for now.

Ooc - gun in pocket...check.

"A friend have been shot. Please, help me!" says Lawrence, as he drags out Gus of the Cab.

A pair of EMT's are chatting near the back of a parked ambulance as the cab pulls up. When they hear Lawrence call for help, they're the first to come running. One drags a gurney while the other assists in pulling Gus from the cab. The two men hoist Gus onto the gurney and start rolling him to the door while strapping him down.

"Where was he shot?" one of the EMT's asks Lawrence. He's starting to peel off layers of Gus's jacket, looking for blood and injuries. There is considerable bruising on Gus' face, but no blood.

"Uh, no pulse," the other tech says, removing his hand from Gus' neck. "And he's cold. Better get the defib ready..."

 

[Rybaer]

Steven looked up from the book, and briefly thought about swaying or falling over (though it would wrinkle he coat) or even screaming. Instead, he looked at the Loremaster and thought to her, quitely said, "Words into thought," then telepathically, 'It reads, Codex Imbellis - Writings and Musings on Creation, Loremaster. You didn't state that the others should hear it, and I would not want them to come to harm.'

The Loremaster thinks back to him, "Wise to be cautious, though I don't think they are at any risk."

Speaking aloud again, "You have the ability to read the words, which means one of three things: You could be Sorcerer, you could be Draco, or you could be a powerful magician of unknown origin. According to lore, no other can read these words."

She closes the box, sealing the book from view. "I'll grant you access to our lore, except for the Codex," she says. "Until I'm convinced of your nature, I'll have to ask that you keep an escort at all times while reading the texts...either me or Nicole would be sufficient. The Codex will remain locked until needed. Is this satisfactory?"

 

[Velmont]

"I don't know... there was a man with a gun, and Gus laying on the ground... I... I thought he might have been shot."

What, he hasn't been shot? But that guy was coming cleaning the place, and he knew about me. They killed him, beating him?

Lawrence follow the man with his eyes, hoping for some miracle to happen.

 

[Keia]

Fate HPs: 4/4, Wearing: Stylish Tan Trenchcoat, casual clothes

Speaking aloud again, "You have the ability to read the words, which means one of three things: You could be Sorcerer, you could be Draco, or you could be a powerful magician of unknown origin. According to lore, no other can read these words."

"Well, that narrows it down a bit," Steven replied somewhat sarcastically. He was a bit annoyed that the Loremaster would run the risk of driving him insane or worse by reading those words.

"I'll grant you access to our lore, except for the Codex," she says. "Until I'm convinced of your nature, I'll have to ask that you keep an escort at all times while reading the texts...either me or Nicole would be sufficient. The Codex will remain locked until needed. Is this satisfactory?"

"Very well, Loremaster," Steven replied. "I look forward to the time that we both are satisfied as to my nature."

Looking to Nicole, Steven offered, "Shall we?"

 

[Mimic]

Granite hp 4/4 status: alternate form -3(?)

"Welcome," the man says. "My apologies for the welcoming committee. They're a little bit...enthusiastic."

"Yea, they make a visitor almost feel unwelcome." Granite responds taking a step closer trying to identify the man.

"So, who are you and what are you doing here?"