[d20 Modern] RESIDENT EVIL: Damnation [PG -17]

2nd Floor – Stair Hall
Clairemont Mansion

"What could . . . " Anders started then stopped. I don't really what to know.

"So I'm guessing it's a male, no clothes, no markings, no gear. Freshly dead," Anders finished, his heart rate steadily accelerating. "Anyone see anything more, maybe bloody tracks of what did this?"

Anders turned to Maria, "There may be others up here - my gut says the left hallway. We hit the doors looking for anyone else alive, or our possessions. Quick searches room by room . . ." he looked to his bloody arm " . . . water is a priority. We find trouble - we fall back to the rest of the team with all haste. Deal with it together."

"Issues?"

2nd Floor – Stair Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Holding her torch high, so the light spreads around the room, Maria takes a fast look at it.

"Anders," she starts, "this guy is fresh, and I'm not seeing anything that just did this to this... guy. Watch out for possible boobytraps..."

Maria kneels down at the body, trying to see if he has any bite-marks on him, or her, or whatever it was. She tries to see if the clothes they are wearing are almost the same as this person wore before he died. Damn this is gore new style... I really hope this isn't one of us..

"I don't know if the rest of the team heard you, but I'm cool with it. Maria tries to locate any blood on the floor, on the walls, even on the ceiling while speaking. "Whatever did this, it can't be far. Be prepared."

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Michael takes a quick look behind him to see if both of the women have left the hall.

Ah good, the blonde is heading for the door at least. She's been through the ringer here, I'd aklready hoped she would recover enough to hold her own. Hey, what the heck?! She can't be serious... Did she just close the door with us still here?

Michael sees the raven-haired woman follow close behind Amelia. He stops worrying about the door and follows her, still facing the window and counting on her to open the door again.

Keeping his attention to the hall before him, Michael inches back toward the door, still prepared for a window breaking. As he stand in the middle of the door frame, he holds. He turns his head to take a quick peak into the room behind him, lit by the corporal's candle.

Seems safe enough...
Damnit, I don't like splitting off where we don't know how the others are doing. No way of keeping contact or knowing if they would require assistance. I guess there's no other option if we want to find anything in this house, but I really don't like this.

"Yes Sir, we're all here now. I've got the exit covered. Sorry it took me some time, it seems someone here closed the door on us." Michael does't look at Amelia, he's still staring in the hall. However, he suspects thatr hse had something to do with it and makes sure that the tone of his voice will let her and the corporal know how dismayed he was by the incident.

Michael makes a last review of the hall. He also looks up to the balcony, thinking about the rest of their team, and how they would be doing. He hesitates one last moment, and then takes a last step back, closing the door now before him.

2nd Floor – Stair Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Amisha gladly listens to the Sarge give out orders. Finally, we're getting somewhere. She gives a quick inspection of her firearm and checks off the safety. Assuming a Raid Stance, she'll back up the pair of officers and keep eyes-and-ears open on the fire team's backs, tops, and sides.

Clairemont Mansion

1st Floor – Reception Room

Isaac, Yuri, Michael, Amelia, Jacqueline

The room appeared silent, the only signs of life being the five of you. A layer of dust covers everyone, even the pretty lace covers on the elegant sofa near the window.

Everything looks like a normal sitting room, with pretty sofas and rather uninteresting paintings. A blanket lay draped over one corner of the sofa, some lacey pillows on its corners. One of the small end tables had an unlit candelabra and the other a small sculpture resembling a replica of an ancient chinese solider.

All of you can still hear the howling from outside though.

Isaac Goldstein

Your well-trained eyes notice two more doors in the opposite corner of the room. On one of the end tables you notice the sculpture looks as if it has been moved recently. One of the doors, the one directly across from the one you entered had a odd sort of moist smell to it.

Yuri Borzakovsky

Your eyes pass over the armoire. Large and intimidating, it stands almost to the ceiling with one large wooden door. You hear some creaking noise inside...maybe a little scratching.

The handle feels cold in your hands, but the door doesn't give way. It appears to be locked.

2nd Floor – Stair Hall

Anders, Maria, Amisha

The whole stair hall stinks of freshly slaugtered meat.

Amisha Patel

You wait patiently if a bit nervously. All your years of service you had never seen anything like this...even remotely this gruesome. While the others checked the stair hall, you sit there watching their back and hoping you don't hear a noise anywhere. Your eyes do spy a half-full beretta clip in the corner of the room near the opening into the hallway.

Maria Moreno

As you probe the headless corpse you notice a few things about it that bother you. The damage looked like claw marks...really large sharp claws. The corpse looked as if it had been disembowled and queasily you realize that the intestines were no were to be seen. The shreds left of the clothes tell you only the corpse wasn't one of your own platoon.

Anders Carlson

Your eyes pass over the walls more closely and then you notice something that gives you a sharp uneasy feeling in your gut. There's no trail running from the body that you can see...it is as if the body had just imploded on its own...that is until you notice something on the ceiling. Splatters of blood and in the splatters, the outline of a paws and gouge marks in the ceiling where whatever it was had held on.

Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Reception Room

I better keep everyone informed of my findings, we've no choice but to work together.

"That door, there's a moist smell coming from it," he says, then walks over to the statue on the table, "This statue was moved recently."

Isaac takes a closer look at the statue and the desk, checking in particular if anything was hidden under the statue.

2nd Floor – Stair Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Maria tries to inhale, but almost has to puke because of the gruesome stench coming from the body. Ugh... she thinks while putting her hand before her mouth.
"Anders, I'm confused, how did this... guy... get here?" She takes another fast look around the body, searching for bloodmarks. "This thing has been eaten, torn up, lost it's head and you're gonna tell me it walked here?" Maria gets up from her kneeled position. "At least it isn't one of ours, the clothes, or what's left of them, dont match."

"So..." Maria starts, looking at Anders and Amisha. "Keep searching where he came from, or forget it for now?"

2nd Floor – Stair Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Anders stared up at the ceiling, illuminated by the torch held high. Whatever did this can walk on the ceiling . . . Great, just great, Anders thought.

"Ladies, don't forget we're dealing in three dimensions here. There's some proof that whatever killed this man, did so while hanging from the ceiling," Anders stated. "Patel, save those slugs for whatever did that . . . somehow I don't think table legs will do the trick."

"So..." Maria starts, looking at Anders and Amisha. "Keep searching where he came from, or forget it for now?"

Click to expand...

"We keep moving," Anders replied, noting there were no civilians present, "I want some f-ing answers, I want my damn equipment, and I want to know who the f- set us up. This isn't the layout of the mansion we were given, and that means either something was up from the beginning or someone took us all out, we don't remember it and put us in some experiment. I'm sure as h-ll not going to be a rat nor is any member of my team."

"Patel, you've got our backs. Moreno, cover me. Tight formation, eyes and ears open. Let's move, " Anders finished. Anders moved to the first door on the left, listening and waiting for the others to get into position. Please let it be a bathroom. That's where mine is in my house. 'Upstairs, first door on the left.' Come on, be there . . .

Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Reception Room

Jacqueline moved through the room sinuously, running a finger along some of the furniture and examining the dusty trail she created with disdain. In the back of her mind, she thought about how strange it was that the first thing that entered her mind was how dirty the place was. Zombies to the left of me, corpse to the right of me, and I'm still riled up by a little dust, she sighed inwardly.

She moved to the candelbra and picked it up, turning to man with the candle. "Maybe we could get a little more light in here?" she suggests, peering into the darkness as she says so. She glances at the statue and then the candlebra in turn, trying to determine if either of them can be used as a more efficient weapon than the marble shard.

Absently she scratched at her wound. The burning had been incessant for the last little while that her mind had pushed it to the back of her mind, so that it was nothing more than a dull, writhing pain. Still itched like hell, though.

2nd Floor – Stair Hall
Clairemont Mansion

"Sarge," Amisha whispers for all the good it likely does. She's used to being quiet, though likely everyone within a mile knew they were there now, "that look like a clip to a Baretta 9-millimeter to you? Over there in the corner?"