[D20 CoC] Mountains of Madness - Chap 4: Departure; Recruiting Alternate Players

[Job]

Martin makes his way to the mess to find Prof. Moore.

"You sent for me, Professor?"

George looks at Dr.Moore and at Martin Louis LeBlanc standing so surprisingly in the doorway.
Dr.Moore is there anything else i can be at help with?

Professor Moore looked at Martin, then George, then back at Martin. "Gentlemen, your assistance would be most helpful since my efforts are needed here. I now must hire a new captain.

"Martin, please use your contacts at the newspaper offices and police stations to find out exactly when they first learned of the murder of Captain Douglas. That may prove whether this warning letter was written by the killer, or if it's a hoax. And find out if there are any details that were not printed!"

Moore then looked back at George, asking, "Mr. Barrow, I need to you to retrace Captain Douglas's last steps. Check his apartment. Find out if anyone remembers seeing him before his death and if they noticed anything suspicious.

It might be better if you and Martin worked together, just in case some lunatic is at large, as Commander Starkweather suspects. We can't afford to lose any more crew members. I'm afraid that we don't have much time; we depart in less than two days.

"Thank you."

[OOC - Please post your actions related to investigations into Captain Douglas's death in this separate thread.
Link --> Chapter 2: Death of a Sea Captain ]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job (the tortured one).

 

[Job]

Elsewhere...

A flickering, misshapen black candle squatted on the bare wooden floor, throwing just enough light to suggest the encroaching walls of this small chamber. Oily smoke rose from its flame, rolling and folding upon itself until disappearing into the shadows above.

A solitary figure in the room, draped in tattered gray robes, sat cross-legged near the candle, rocking back and forth in time to his rhythmic murmurings. His chanting increased in urgency as he withdrew his withered arm from within the folds of his clothing, wet with a dark, thick liquid, dripping ribbons of red onto the floor and then into the candle's flame, suddenly plunging the room into darkness.

His chanting blossomed into a scream that died in a choking gurgle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job (the tortured one).

 

[Job]

At midnight, after working their 16-hour shifts to stow their gear and to prepare the U.S.S Gabrielle for departure, most of the weary crew members made their way to their rooms for the night. Not everyone went to bed, however. A graveyard shift of stevedores filed onto the ship and began working through the night, treating all of the sleeping members of the expedition to the sounds of foremen yelling, crates and palettes thumping on deck, and crane motors whirring and roaring.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job (the tortured one).

 

[Drowned Hero]

Øyvind Raknes Sled Driver

The noise of the ship the rumbling of motors and the chitt chatting of the workers had the dogs worried, they had been barking since the darkens had fallen over New York.

Øyvind had been on the pier sorting some sleds and some extra dog food he would always have as part of his personal things. He walked on board again and took the stairs down to the holds to release 6 of his dogs and walked them on deck so they could familiarize with the new people on board and the machinery doing the noise. He took out all the dogs that night...

 

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

Father P.J. Rucker

What a pleasant night. The priest thinks to himself as he exits the cab he was taking.
He pays the cab driver and scans the surroundings, taking a full inhale of the port's smells, gasoline, water, fish, oil … all are mixed in his nostrils, yep this is the port.

Straining his Priestly black suit and tightening his cloak around him, looking up to the sky he spots no cumulonimbus that might threaten the peaceful weather calmed night, spotting the Gabrielle, he begins to march.

Stopping the first crew man he sees the curly brown haired man says.
"Pardon me and sorry for the disturbance, I'm seeking Commander Starkweather, could you point me to him?"

 

[Job]

Øyvind had been on the pier sorting some sleds and some extra dog food he would always have as part of his personal things. He walked on board again and took the stairs down to the holds to release 6 of his dogs and walked them on deck so they could familiarize with the new people on board and the machinery doing the noise. He took out all the dogs that night...

While calming and tending to the dogs in dimly-lit tweendeck hold #5, Øyvind felt the ship shudder and immediately thereafter heard the sound of a muffled explosion and shout. Grumphy, Øyvind's lead dog, reacted aggressively by barking excitedly, ears perked up at full attention. All other dogs followed suit and Øyvind found himself surrounded by the animated, growling, barking, whining pack of dogs that were attempting to challenge any threats to their handler.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job (the tortured one).

 

[Job]

Straining his Priestly black suit and tightening his cloak around him, looking up to the sky [Father Rucker] spots no cumulonimbus that might threaten the peaceful weather calmed night, spotting the Gabrielle, he begins to march.

Stopping the first crew man he sees the curly brown haired man says.
"Pardon me and sorry for the disturbance, I'm seeking Commander Starkweather, could you point me to him?"

Father Rucker encountered difficulty in getting past the overweight Port Authority guard at the dock gate. The guard did not recognize the priest, and since Father Rucker's application had been rejected by James Starkweather, he was not on the list of crew members.

The guard picked up the telephone to call the ship, but just as he did so, a huge explosion erupted on the pier. Father Rucker watched as a fireball rolled skyward, throwing flaming planks of wood, pieces of metal, showers of sparks, and--was that a body?--hundreds of feet into the air.

The guard exclaimed "HOLY CRAP!", jumped up, knocking his chair backwards, and immediately exited his small office to lumber down the pier towards the ship, leaving Father Rucker by himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job (the tortured one).

 

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

Father Rucker

The guard picked up the telephone to call the ship, but just as he did so, a huge explosion erupted on the pier. Father Rucker watched as a fireball rolled skyward, throwing flaming planks of wood, pieces of metal, showers of sparks, and--was that a body?--hundreds of feet into the air.

The guard exclaimed "HOLY CRAP!", jumped up, knocking his chair backwards, and immediately exited his small office to lumber down the pier towards the ship, leaving Father Rucker by himself.

By the name of Virgin Mary, what just happened???
He calls and watches the rising fireball
Do you want me to call the police?!?!
He barks to the running guard

If the guard will not answer, Father Rucker hastens after him.
If do, He'll take the phone and dial to the emergency units

 

[Job]

By the name of Virgin Mary, what just happened???
He calls and watches the rising fireball
Do you want me to call the police?!?!
He barks to the running guard

The rotund guard stopped running, turned around slowly to face Father Rucker with a sheepish look, and said, "Father forgive me, I did not mean to curse. Yes, of course, please call the police and then come. We may need your help." The guard then spun and hurried down the pier towards the conflagration.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job (the tortured one).

 

[Job]

In corner cabin number five of the aftercastle, the explosion shook a small statuette from a shelf and it dropped, bouncing from a small desk onto the bedpillow next to the nose of Camille Bardier. She woke with a start and heard glass breaking, then shouts.

Link to map of USS Gabrielle's aftercastle, showing Camille's cabin #5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job (the tortured one).

 

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

The rotund guard stopped running, turned around slowly to face Father Rucker with a sheepish look, and said, "Father forgive me, I did not mean to curse. Yes, of course, please call the police and then come. We may need your help." The guard then spun and hurried down the pier towards the conflagration.

Father Rucker picks up the telephone and dials the emergency number to the Police, after notifying them about the explosion he just saw on the pier, he hastens after the guard.

 

[Drowned Hero]

Øyvind Raknes Sled Driver

While calming and tending to the dogs in dimly-lit tweendeck hold #5, Øyvind felt the ship shudder and immediately thereafter heard the sound of a muffled explosion and shout. Grumphy, Øyvind's lead dog, reacted aggressively by barking excitedly, ears perked up at full attention. All other dogs followed suit and Øyvind found himself surrounded by the animated, growling, barking, whining pack of dogs that were attempting to challenge any threats to their handler.

'Helvete!, hva var det?!!!' he grasps all the dogs bonds and tries to keep them from pulling him over 'Easy now boys! what do you smell or sense?' 'Easy boys...' Øyvind will take control over hsi dogs and go towards the noise of the explotion

Animal empathy - handle animal - spot (1d20+8=16, 1d20+8=13, 1d20+6=12)

[sblock]Translated: F.u.c.k what was that!!! [/sblock]

 

[Job]

From within cabin 13...

"Madre del Dio!", shouted Vittorio as he rolled from his bunk and collided with Jim Poole, who had dropped from the top bed at that same moment. Both men yelled in surprise and crashed to the floor, arms and legs tangled, awakening their roommate, George Barrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job (the tortured one).

 

[Drowned Hero]

George Barrow Scientist

Georg feels suddenly the shacking of the ship and a scream from above as Vittorio fall on him.
'Holy mother of Christ' 'was what that!?' 'come Vittorio we must go and see what happened'
George snatch his revolver as he walks out of the room and jogs towards the noise.

 

[Job]

Paco was out of his bed in a flash, his long underwear, red and threadworn, drawing attention in the mess hall as he yelled questions, "¿Qué están sucediendo, los sires? ¿Cualquier persona está lastimada?"

"Speak english!", shouted a shiphand as he ran past towards the obvoius chaos.

"Oh! I am sorry. What is happening, por favor?", said Paco as he followed the deckhand towards the door leading to the ramp to the ship's deck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job (the tortured one).

 

[Job]

From within cabin 13...

"Madre del Dio!", shouted Vittorio as he rolled from his bunk and collided with Jim Poole, who had dropped from the top bed at that same moment. Both men yelled in surprise and crashed to the floor, arms and legs tangled, awakening their roommate, George Barrow.

Georg feels suddenly the shacking of the ship and a scream from above as Vittorio fall on him.
'Holy mother of Christ' 'was what that!?' 'come Vittorio we must go and see what happened'George snatch his revolver as he walks out of the room and jogs towards the noise.

As the men disentangled from each other, Vittorio quickly dressed while Jim Poole reached for his knapsack, then ran from the room. Vittorio, his hair touseled and standing straight out from his balding pate, looked at the gun in George's hand and asked in a serious tone, "Do you know how to use that pistola, signore?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job. (The tortured one).

 

[Job]

Father Rucker picks up the telephone and dials the emergency number to the Police, after notifying them about the explosion he just saw on the pier, he hastens after the guard.

Poking his head into the guard's office, Father Rucker could see that the anxious guard had dropped the phone as he had run off, and the phone's handset lay hanging from its cord, banging against the desk.

"Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?" shouted the tinny voice of someone from the other end of the line.

After Father Rucker managed to convince the ship's operator on the phone that he was a priest, the conversation proved short and the man stated in clipped, precise tones that "I will send immediately for help."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job.

 

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

God help us.
Father Rucker mumbles, gather his belongings and heads toward the docks

 

[Job]

'Helvete!, hva var det?!!!' he grasps all the dogs bonds and tries to keep them from pulling him over 'Easy now boys! what do you smell or sense?' 'Easy boys...' Øyvind will take control over hsi dogs and go towards the noise of the explotion

Animal empathy - handle animal - spot (1d20+8=16, 1d20+8=13, 1d20+6=12)

Øyvind easily manages to get the dogs under control [OOC - successful Handle Animal roll], but he must decide whether to put leashes on the dogs, or put all but two into cages so that he can keep them under control as he moves about.

Øyvind senses a protective response from the dogs [OOC - from Animal Empathy roll] because of the loud explosion above him outside of the ship, the shaking of the ship from the explosion, and furious activity above on deck. He does not sense that the dogs have detected an intruder in the hold.

Øyvind does not spot anything unusual in the hold.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job (the tortured one).

 

[Job]

God help us.
Father Rucker mumbles, gather his belongings and heads toward the docks

As Father Rucker moves quickly towards the docks, he hears someone shout "Fire!" and in the distance a man begins to scream.

As the priest moves through a thick cloud of smoke, he sees that the dock and ship area are bathed in bright yellow and orange light from the huge blaze, and the area smells heavily of petroleum fumes.

To the right of the ship, about 150 feet away from him, the priest sees that the source of the panic is clear. Fire has broken out in the shed alongside the ship. Several fuel drums in the shed have exploded, shattering a section of the roof and skylights and sending sprays of burning fuel in all directions. Gasoline flames leap skyward, and a stream of burning liquid runs across the pier to cascade into the water beside the Gabrielle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job (the tortured one).