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
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Modern/Delta Green - The Beginning of the End (COMPLETED)
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="talien" data-source="post: 4386267" data-attributes="member: 3285"><p><strong>Nemo Solus Sapit: Part 16 – Simon’s Plan</strong></p><p></p><p>The Van Dyson Center was a 175-bed Intermediate Security treatment facility for male psychiatric patients. Its primary clientele were those who had histories of committing criminal offenses and were either committed to the Department of Mental Health by the Circuit Courts of the State or who were admitted under authority of an appointed guardian.</p><p></p><p>The sprinklers “thwip, thwiped” outside, watering the impressively kept gardens. The expansive complex was more Victorian campus than drab prison, with separate wings (male and female), research units, libraries, gym and volunteer outpatient center.</p><p></p><p>Jim-Bean pulled up to the guard gate. The guards looked up from their card game. “Can I help you?”</p><p></p><p>“We’re here for Hank Gupta,” said Jim-Bean.</p><p></p><p>The guards shook their heads, chuckling. “Third floor. You can get a couple chairs from the nurses up there. A pretty decent cup of joe too.”</p><p></p><p>The guard pointed at the bank of monitors. “Although why the sheriff is making you fellas waste your time is beside me. We got him right here. He ain't going no place.”</p><p></p><p>Hank was on the monitor inside his pristine white cell, pacing restlessly.</p><p></p><p>Suddenly thunder crackled and the power went out. No monitors, no radio, no nothing. Pitch black.</p><p></p><p>“S*&t,” said one of the guards. “There goes the card game.” </p><p></p><p>They arrived at the Center to find every door in the corridors flung open. Confused patients spilled out as guards and nurses tried to restore order. Radios squawked, flashlights beamed and footsteps filled the dark corridor as patients tried to escape.</p><p></p><p>“What’s going on here?” shouted Hammer over the fracas.</p><p></p><p>“One of the patients is holding a woman hostage,” said one of the guards. “They’re in the rec room.”</p><p></p><p>Hammer and Jim-Bean jogged to the rec room. </p><p></p><p>Damon was inside, the butt of a cane pressed hard against a blonde woman’s ear.</p><p></p><p>“Damon, I don't know how you think you can get out of here,” said the woman, “but –“</p><p></p><p>“We’re using our real names, DOC,” snarled Damon. “I won’t call you Candice and you won’t call me Damon. Call me by my real name.”</p><p></p><p>She hesitated. Damon pressed the cane harder.</p><p></p><p>“SAY IT.”</p><p></p><p>“Fine. I don’t know how you think you can get out of here…Simon.”</p><p></p><p>Damon glanced up as the agents entered. He stepped behind Candice to use her as cover.</p><p></p><p>“Nobody move or I kill the good doctor.” He flashed a wicked grin at Jim-Bean. “Hello, Jim, old bean. Good to see you again. The grownups are talking now. Children aren’t allowed in. Tell them, Doc. Do it.”</p><p></p><p>Candice cleared her throat. “It's alright. I can -- I'm just going to –“</p><p></p><p>“That’s not what I said, Doc. I said the grownups are talking now,” said Damon. “Don't paraphrase me.”</p><p></p><p>“The grownups are -- are talking now. Just leave,” said Candice.</p><p></p><p>“Do you know what you did to us?” sputtered Damon. “It was fine, in here, until you had to shove that thing in Damon’s eye!” Damon rapped a knuckle on his head. “But it doesn’t matter now. None of it matters. Because I found my cane. We found it. We didn’t even know what it could do. But now Xada-Hgla is coming in his pure form.” He laughed. “Tell them! Tell them about Candice! And Mal! Your new therapy really does work! You are I, I am you, we are us. Nobody’s alone anymore, not even in death. Now SAY THE WORDS.”</p><p></p><p>Candice swallowed hard. </p><p></p><p>“SAY THEM.”</p><p></p><p>“<span style="font-family: 'Impact'">ABYssus-D|AcoNrsus,</span>” chanted Candice and Damon together, “<span style="font-family: 'Impact'">ZEXOWE-AZATHOTH! NRRGO, IAA! NYAR-LATHOTEP!</span>” </p><p></p><p>The cane in Damon’s hand glowed with a sickly green light. Outside, the air grew thick and heavy, almost green, as the swirling clouds spin faster, lightning flashing between them. Then a shrill piping filled the air as a pore opened in the center of the racing clouds. </p><p></p><p>Jim-Bean and Hammer, pistols leveled at Damon and Candice, became aware of a presence standing between them.</p><p></p><p>“Guppy?” asked Hammer in disbelief.</p><p></p><p>Guppy was dressed in sweats and a t-shirt. He had a fire extinguisher in both hands. “Hi guys,” he said as if he hadn’t been committed to an insane asylum.</p><p></p><p>Then the power returned. In the sudden, shocking glare of returning light, color abruptly re-entered the world and every radio, phone, fan and machine that were left on hummed to life. </p><p></p><p>Where Candice stood was Petrov Van Dyson, dressed in Candice’s clothes, bathed in the glow of the flashing red and blue lights from the cruisers outside. </p><p></p><p>“What the hell…?” asked Hammer in disbelief.</p><p></p><p>Damon hurled Van Dyson to the ground as his body shuddered and morphed again. His features took on the appearance of…</p><p></p><p>“Uncle Mal!” wailed Guppy. He took a step forward, but Hammer put one arm out to stop him. </p><p></p><p>“That’s not Uncle Mal.”</p><p></p><p>“No, it isn’t,” said Simon in Damon’s body, with the slow, unnatural tones the agents heard on the audio tapes. “But you might say the Doc has a taste for…his patients. Personality inhabitance therapy, he calls it. I taught him that spell. Did I mention that you don’t HAVE to eat your patients to take on their forms, Doc?” </p><p></p><p>Simon pointed the cane at Hammer and a searing blast of black energy struck him in the shoulder, striking the agent so hard that it spun him around. </p><p></p><p>Jim-Bean fired his SIG Sauer at Simon/Damon. A red blot appeared in his forehead and Damon fell backwards, still clutching his cane.</p><p></p><p>“Stay back!” shouted Jim-Bean. </p><p></p><p>There was a flash of light as something buzzed out of Damon’s face into Van Dyson. </p><p></p><p>Van Dyson turned toward them with a wicked grin. He painted a mystical symbol into the air with his fingers. A dull, red symbol glowed ominously before him. All three agents fell to the ground as their bodies quaked and spasmed, their internal organs and blood vessels convulsing. </p><p></p><p>“This body will do nicely, Doc,” said Simon in Van Dyson’s body. He kept one hand’s fingers twisted in an arcane pattern, concentrating on the red symbol as he edged over to the cane. “Looks like good ‘ole Simon wasn’t a figment of Damon’s imagination after all.”</p><p></p><p>Jim-Bean crawled over to his bag to reach for his HK, but the pain was too great. </p><p></p><p>“Valiant attempt, old bean,” said Simon. “But I’m afraid it’s not good enough.” He picked up the cane and pointed it at Jim-Bean’s head.</p><p></p><p>A blast of extinguishing foam struck Simon/Van Dyson full in the face. He fell back, sputtering, as the red symbol winked out of existence.</p><p></p><p>Jim-Bean immediately sat up and peppered Van Dyson’s body with his machine gun. </p><p></p><p>Even as the body collapsed, a pigeon-sized glowing dragonfly shrieked out of Van Dyson’s face…straight towards Jim-Bean. He fired a full burst from his HK, but the thing moved faster than a dragonfly, making course adjustments in mid-air. It became a geometric pattern of glowing streaks, moving faster than the eye could follow.</p><p></p><p>Another burst from Guppy’s fire extinguisher caught the Shan in mid-flight. The thing sputtered, buzzing about in crazy circles like a moth too close to the flame.</p><p></p><p>There was the loud retort of a pistol. The glowing dragonfly with too many eyes and legs plopped to the ground wetly. Hammer sat up, one arm limp at his side and the other holding a smoking Glock.</p><p></p><p>Outside, a great shaft of sickly-green light lanced down from the opening in the sky, blasting and dessicating several acres about a half-mile from the Center. </p><p></p><p>Jim-Bean picked up Simon’s cane. “I think it’s time to get out of here.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="talien, post: 4386267, member: 3285"] [b]Nemo Solus Sapit: Part 16 – Simon’s Plan[/b] The Van Dyson Center was a 175-bed Intermediate Security treatment facility for male psychiatric patients. Its primary clientele were those who had histories of committing criminal offenses and were either committed to the Department of Mental Health by the Circuit Courts of the State or who were admitted under authority of an appointed guardian. The sprinklers “thwip, thwiped” outside, watering the impressively kept gardens. The expansive complex was more Victorian campus than drab prison, with separate wings (male and female), research units, libraries, gym and volunteer outpatient center. Jim-Bean pulled up to the guard gate. The guards looked up from their card game. “Can I help you?” “We’re here for Hank Gupta,” said Jim-Bean. The guards shook their heads, chuckling. “Third floor. You can get a couple chairs from the nurses up there. A pretty decent cup of joe too.” The guard pointed at the bank of monitors. “Although why the sheriff is making you fellas waste your time is beside me. We got him right here. He ain't going no place.” Hank was on the monitor inside his pristine white cell, pacing restlessly. Suddenly thunder crackled and the power went out. No monitors, no radio, no nothing. Pitch black. “S*&t,” said one of the guards. “There goes the card game.” They arrived at the Center to find every door in the corridors flung open. Confused patients spilled out as guards and nurses tried to restore order. Radios squawked, flashlights beamed and footsteps filled the dark corridor as patients tried to escape. “What’s going on here?” shouted Hammer over the fracas. “One of the patients is holding a woman hostage,” said one of the guards. “They’re in the rec room.” Hammer and Jim-Bean jogged to the rec room. Damon was inside, the butt of a cane pressed hard against a blonde woman’s ear. “Damon, I don't know how you think you can get out of here,” said the woman, “but –“ “We’re using our real names, DOC,” snarled Damon. “I won’t call you Candice and you won’t call me Damon. Call me by my real name.” She hesitated. Damon pressed the cane harder. “SAY IT.” “Fine. I don’t know how you think you can get out of here…Simon.” Damon glanced up as the agents entered. He stepped behind Candice to use her as cover. “Nobody move or I kill the good doctor.” He flashed a wicked grin at Jim-Bean. “Hello, Jim, old bean. Good to see you again. The grownups are talking now. Children aren’t allowed in. Tell them, Doc. Do it.” Candice cleared her throat. “It's alright. I can -- I'm just going to –“ “That’s not what I said, Doc. I said the grownups are talking now,” said Damon. “Don't paraphrase me.” “The grownups are -- are talking now. Just leave,” said Candice. “Do you know what you did to us?” sputtered Damon. “It was fine, in here, until you had to shove that thing in Damon’s eye!” Damon rapped a knuckle on his head. “But it doesn’t matter now. None of it matters. Because I found my cane. We found it. We didn’t even know what it could do. But now Xada-Hgla is coming in his pure form.” He laughed. “Tell them! Tell them about Candice! And Mal! Your new therapy really does work! You are I, I am you, we are us. Nobody’s alone anymore, not even in death. Now SAY THE WORDS.” Candice swallowed hard. “SAY THEM.” “[FONT="Impact"]ABYssus-D|AcoNrsus,[/FONT]” chanted Candice and Damon together, “[FONT="Impact"]ZEXOWE-AZATHOTH! NRRGO, IAA! NYAR-LATHOTEP![/FONT]” The cane in Damon’s hand glowed with a sickly green light. Outside, the air grew thick and heavy, almost green, as the swirling clouds spin faster, lightning flashing between them. Then a shrill piping filled the air as a pore opened in the center of the racing clouds. Jim-Bean and Hammer, pistols leveled at Damon and Candice, became aware of a presence standing between them. “Guppy?” asked Hammer in disbelief. Guppy was dressed in sweats and a t-shirt. He had a fire extinguisher in both hands. “Hi guys,” he said as if he hadn’t been committed to an insane asylum. Then the power returned. In the sudden, shocking glare of returning light, color abruptly re-entered the world and every radio, phone, fan and machine that were left on hummed to life. Where Candice stood was Petrov Van Dyson, dressed in Candice’s clothes, bathed in the glow of the flashing red and blue lights from the cruisers outside. “What the hell…?” asked Hammer in disbelief. Damon hurled Van Dyson to the ground as his body shuddered and morphed again. His features took on the appearance of… “Uncle Mal!” wailed Guppy. He took a step forward, but Hammer put one arm out to stop him. “That’s not Uncle Mal.” “No, it isn’t,” said Simon in Damon’s body, with the slow, unnatural tones the agents heard on the audio tapes. “But you might say the Doc has a taste for…his patients. Personality inhabitance therapy, he calls it. I taught him that spell. Did I mention that you don’t HAVE to eat your patients to take on their forms, Doc?” Simon pointed the cane at Hammer and a searing blast of black energy struck him in the shoulder, striking the agent so hard that it spun him around. Jim-Bean fired his SIG Sauer at Simon/Damon. A red blot appeared in his forehead and Damon fell backwards, still clutching his cane. “Stay back!” shouted Jim-Bean. There was a flash of light as something buzzed out of Damon’s face into Van Dyson. Van Dyson turned toward them with a wicked grin. He painted a mystical symbol into the air with his fingers. A dull, red symbol glowed ominously before him. All three agents fell to the ground as their bodies quaked and spasmed, their internal organs and blood vessels convulsing. “This body will do nicely, Doc,” said Simon in Van Dyson’s body. He kept one hand’s fingers twisted in an arcane pattern, concentrating on the red symbol as he edged over to the cane. “Looks like good ‘ole Simon wasn’t a figment of Damon’s imagination after all.” Jim-Bean crawled over to his bag to reach for his HK, but the pain was too great. “Valiant attempt, old bean,” said Simon. “But I’m afraid it’s not good enough.” He picked up the cane and pointed it at Jim-Bean’s head. A blast of extinguishing foam struck Simon/Van Dyson full in the face. He fell back, sputtering, as the red symbol winked out of existence. Jim-Bean immediately sat up and peppered Van Dyson’s body with his machine gun. Even as the body collapsed, a pigeon-sized glowing dragonfly shrieked out of Van Dyson’s face…straight towards Jim-Bean. He fired a full burst from his HK, but the thing moved faster than a dragonfly, making course adjustments in mid-air. It became a geometric pattern of glowing streaks, moving faster than the eye could follow. Another burst from Guppy’s fire extinguisher caught the Shan in mid-flight. The thing sputtered, buzzing about in crazy circles like a moth too close to the flame. There was the loud retort of a pistol. The glowing dragonfly with too many eyes and legs plopped to the ground wetly. Hammer sat up, one arm limp at his side and the other holding a smoking Glock. Outside, a great shaft of sickly-green light lanced down from the opening in the sky, blasting and dessicating several acres about a half-mile from the Center. Jim-Bean picked up Simon’s cane. “I think it’s time to get out of here.” [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Modern/Delta Green - The Beginning of the End (COMPLETED)
Top