IG's Legend of The Ripper [IC]

[Schmoe]

Xao doubles over in pain, then staggers back to his feet, panting hard to regain control. He is obviously injured.

"Well," says Xao, as he backs up a bit, "this could be a problem." He peers into the dark tavern for a moment, looking for anything that strikes him as odd or out of place. As he scans the room he continues in a low voice, "I'm embarassed to say, but I'm not sure what the best way to proceed is. I could try to calm the spirit by speaking to it, but I'm afraid I won't last through another such outburst."

 

[Autumn]

Fen's reflexes serve him well and he turns away in time to take the flying shrapnel in his back, somewhat protected by his long leather coat. It's enough to prevent a serious wound, but not enough to stop it hurting like hell. A harsh grunt of pain escapes him.

He turns back slowly to survey the room, eyes narrowed and squinting. He's still scanning it as he shrugs off his coat with a wince and shakes the splinters out of it before putting it back on.

"Kinda different..." he mutters darkly. A slight shake in his voice is evidence of the cracks starting to appear in his hard-boiled facade.

"If ya reckon you can talk it down, better start talkin' fast..."

 

[Schmoe]

Xao swallows dryly. He mutters something unintelligeble beneath his breath and takes another hesitant step into the room.

"Spirit, if you can hear me, know that we do not come to disturb you." The young wu-jen's voice begins shaky, but slowly grows more confident. "We have come instead to provide some rest and comfort to your long suffering. We seek to know what torments you, so that we might know what torments those living in our time, and so that we might put an end to it. We beseech you to not turn us away, but instead to reveal your secrets."

He stares warily about the tavern, awaiting some sort of response.

 

[industrygothica]

There is no answer to Xao's pleas.

Along with extraordinarily large rat nesting in the fireplace, there are several closed doors and a set of stairs in the main bar.

 

[Schmoe]

"Well, I take that as a good sign. Let's proceed."

 

[Schmoe]

Xao suddenly stops mid-stride, a surprised look on his face. "I just had a thought, a rather disturbing thought, actually." Motioning the others to come closer, and keeping his voice low, Xao continues. "It just occurred to me that the one we are tracking is most likely a person or creature of the flesh. This room," and he waves back to the blood-soaked room of Mari Kell, "is evidence of that. It could be that whoever or whatever we are stalking has chosen to emulate the Ripper of days gone by, and has placed elaborate displays and traps to scare off the curious. I wouldn't be surprised if the thrown table and the ghostly voice were part of a trap."

The foreigner pauses and wipes his brow, then continues. "I could be wrong, of course, but if there are any of you that know what to look for, it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye out for further traps."

 

[Rhun]

"Traps aren't really my area of expertise," says Rexy.

 

[industrygothica]

ooc: Looks like we're back online now. What're we doing from here?

 

[Autumn]

"Traps I can do," Fen says pensively, "but I ain't so sure about this 'flesh an' blood' thing. I said it before an' I guess I'll keep wastin' my breath 'til someone listens - whoever or whatever killed that fella we came across earlier, he managed ta arrange all his insides in neat little piles without leavin' a single trace in the blood that was all over the floor. I don't call that natural."

He gives a sniff and then takes the lead, stepping cautiously into the room ahead.

[sblock=OOC]Searching as he goes, at +6.[/sblock]

 

[Rhun]

Rexy follows Fen, holding her rapier at the ready. Flesh and blood she could handle. Traps and ghosts were an entirely different matter.