Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Dark*Matter: Gators Under Gary (Was Exit 23)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="arwink" data-source="post: 1838781" data-attributes="member: 2292"><p>Exit 23, Part Thirteen</p><p></p><p>The best is made of increasingly limited options. The cars are a waste, the demon is still strong, and there seems little hope of help making it to the rest stop in time to save them. Inside the donut store, people are either frightened out of their wits or quietly resigned to the fact that death is inevitable. Behind the counter, Mabel is drinking and praying in roughly equal portions.</p><p></p><p>Ammie heads out into the parking lot, the keys to Riley’s car in hand. Nick has the truckers keys, slowly working his way from truck to truck until the keys fit. According to Nick’s logic, both forces where trying to contain or control the demon, so the odds are they may be relying on something more than a occult tourist toy.</p><p></p><p>Zac sits in the donut store, the occult tourist toy on his lap. He’s muttering to himself, loading scraps of arcane lore onto his laptop and trying to find something that will help him control the demon. Every now and then he holds the orb up and chants, silencing the quiet crying that permeates the donut store. When it becomes apparent that nothing has happened and everyone is still trapped, the crying starts again.</p><p></p><p>Eventually, Zac wonders if perhaps Wilkins is right. They are all going to die. He’s always believed in occult, but he’s starting to think he preferred it when it was something not quite as tangible.</p><p></p><p>Ammie is the first back to the donut store. She’s dressed in a heavy jacket, stolen from the diners freezer. She’s cradling a long, black object in her hands.</p><p></p><p>“What you find?” Zac asks.</p><p>“Uzi,” Nick says. He holds it up, the shape of a black gun distinct in dim light of the computer screen. “Our trucker friend was well armed”</p><p>“That’s hopeful,”Zac commented. </p><p>“How so?”</p><p>“It suggests he didn’t have quite the level of control over the demon that I thought,” Zac said. “Which means he was afraid of it, and that the cult doesn’t yet have the head.”</p><p>“Oh,” Nick says. “Good. You..ah...figure out where the head is?”</p><p>“Nope. ‘Course, I study this kind of stuff because it’s interesting. I don’t really have much call to try using the occult stuff I dig up. I might… I stress might…be able to use the sphere to control it.”</p><p>Nick blinks for a few moments. This isn’t what he expected to hear.</p><p>“And you haven’t tried because…”</p><p>“…Because if I’m wrong, I’ll probably attract the creatures attention and it’ll rip me into tiny little pieces.”</p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>Ammie rips apart the car, tearing up seats and searching for secret compartments. If Riley was carrying something relating to the demon, it was probably important enough to keep hidden. She works her way through the list of likely locations Nick carefully told her about, explaining the most common tactics used by smugglers and drug-runners. The seats are a bust, but she hits the jackpot when she starts ripping apart the trunk.</p><p></p><p>“Why do I feel like I’m in a bad cop show?” she mutters. There’s not a lot in there, just pistol and a few clips. She takes the gun and checks the clips, hoping like hell she’s loading the weapon correctly. She thinks back to Nick’s handling of his gun, carefully checking to see that the safety is on. </p><p></p><p>One of the clips is loaded with short, lead ammunition. The second clip of bullets has a silvery sheen. </p><p></p><p>“Son of a Bitch,” Ammie says. “Just like the boy scouts.”</p><p></p><p>The wind picks up, howling like a wounded animal. She tucks the clip of silver bullets into her pocket and tightens the grip on her sword. Forty-five feet and she’d be back in the truck stop, alongside the others. All she has to do is make it that far. For the first time, she lets herself feel like they have a fighting chance of seeing dawn. All she has to do is get the silver bullets to the guy with the gun. Easy.</p><p></p><p>The demon hits her halfway there.</p><p></p><p>She screams, sword lashing out in wild swing borne of frustration and fear. The tip slices through the demons chest, opening a thin wound that bleeds blue blood and icy mist. Riley’s misshapen head leers at her from atop the demon’s hairy frame as claws lash out, knocking her aside and opening a wound in her stomach. Ammie lays on the ground, dimly aware that the sword is still in hand and the demon is coming towards her.</p><p></p><p>Two sets of instinct kick in at once. The first has her on her feet, countering the beasts claws with a series of lightening fast blocks with her blade.</p><p></p><p>The second has her screaming for help.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="arwink, post: 1838781, member: 2292"] Exit 23, Part Thirteen The best is made of increasingly limited options. The cars are a waste, the demon is still strong, and there seems little hope of help making it to the rest stop in time to save them. Inside the donut store, people are either frightened out of their wits or quietly resigned to the fact that death is inevitable. Behind the counter, Mabel is drinking and praying in roughly equal portions. Ammie heads out into the parking lot, the keys to Riley’s car in hand. Nick has the truckers keys, slowly working his way from truck to truck until the keys fit. According to Nick’s logic, both forces where trying to contain or control the demon, so the odds are they may be relying on something more than a occult tourist toy. Zac sits in the donut store, the occult tourist toy on his lap. He’s muttering to himself, loading scraps of arcane lore onto his laptop and trying to find something that will help him control the demon. Every now and then he holds the orb up and chants, silencing the quiet crying that permeates the donut store. When it becomes apparent that nothing has happened and everyone is still trapped, the crying starts again. Eventually, Zac wonders if perhaps Wilkins is right. They are all going to die. He’s always believed in occult, but he’s starting to think he preferred it when it was something not quite as tangible. Ammie is the first back to the donut store. She’s dressed in a heavy jacket, stolen from the diners freezer. She’s cradling a long, black object in her hands. “What you find?” Zac asks. “Uzi,” Nick says. He holds it up, the shape of a black gun distinct in dim light of the computer screen. “Our trucker friend was well armed” “That’s hopeful,”Zac commented. “How so?” “It suggests he didn’t have quite the level of control over the demon that I thought,” Zac said. “Which means he was afraid of it, and that the cult doesn’t yet have the head.” “Oh,” Nick says. “Good. You..ah...figure out where the head is?” “Nope. ‘Course, I study this kind of stuff because it’s interesting. I don’t really have much call to try using the occult stuff I dig up. I might… I stress might…be able to use the sphere to control it.” Nick blinks for a few moments. This isn’t what he expected to hear. “And you haven’t tried because…” “…Because if I’m wrong, I’ll probably attract the creatures attention and it’ll rip me into tiny little pieces.” *** Ammie rips apart the car, tearing up seats and searching for secret compartments. If Riley was carrying something relating to the demon, it was probably important enough to keep hidden. She works her way through the list of likely locations Nick carefully told her about, explaining the most common tactics used by smugglers and drug-runners. The seats are a bust, but she hits the jackpot when she starts ripping apart the trunk. “Why do I feel like I’m in a bad cop show?” she mutters. There’s not a lot in there, just pistol and a few clips. She takes the gun and checks the clips, hoping like hell she’s loading the weapon correctly. She thinks back to Nick’s handling of his gun, carefully checking to see that the safety is on. One of the clips is loaded with short, lead ammunition. The second clip of bullets has a silvery sheen. “Son of a Bitch,” Ammie says. “Just like the boy scouts.” The wind picks up, howling like a wounded animal. She tucks the clip of silver bullets into her pocket and tightens the grip on her sword. Forty-five feet and she’d be back in the truck stop, alongside the others. All she has to do is make it that far. For the first time, she lets herself feel like they have a fighting chance of seeing dawn. All she has to do is get the silver bullets to the guy with the gun. Easy. The demon hits her halfway there. She screams, sword lashing out in wild swing borne of frustration and fear. The tip slices through the demons chest, opening a thin wound that bleeds blue blood and icy mist. Riley’s misshapen head leers at her from atop the demon’s hairy frame as claws lash out, knocking her aside and opening a wound in her stomach. Ammie lays on the ground, dimly aware that the sword is still in hand and the demon is coming towards her. Two sets of instinct kick in at once. The first has her on her feet, countering the beasts claws with a series of lightening fast blocks with her blade. The second has her screaming for help. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Dark*Matter: Gators Under Gary (Was Exit 23)
Top