Part 2: Interview With the Devil

[greyarea]

Hal Armitage takes a picture of the girl/Seven with his camera phone. We need to find out who she is. She is the key!

[merias]

Magnus shakes his head, coming back into focus and hearing Hal's words - "Tell us your real name! We can help you!"

He follows Lucas into the room, intent on helping him restrain the spirit's corporeal form.

[kmelion]

Jack
Moving to the doorway in case Magnus and Lucas need assistance, I wrack my brain trying to remember what I know about revenge spirits.

[sniderman]

As the door to the Interview Room unlocks, Lucas puts his shoulder into it and throws himself into the room. The iron smell of blood mixed with a strong floral odor fills this room. “Don’t!” Webb calls out to Lucas in warning. Without losing any momentum, Lucas dashes over to the creature -- his arms wide -- in an effort to pin its bladed arms to its side. The creature stares at Lucas with fury in her eyes and brings an arm back...

[[We'll roll a new initiative round now. You guys got 5 and "she" got 9. I go first.]]

The spirit lashes out at Lucas's neck; the blade hisses as it cuts through the air. Lucas twists in mid-lunge in an attempt to escape the deadly razor.

[[I'll keep the creature's stats and rolls hidden, of course. The creature hits Lucas with an "M" result - a MEDIUM WOUND on the Armed Combat Results. Lucas takes 22 points of Stamina and 3 Wounds!]]

The ghost of the young woman screeches in anger as it slashes. Lucas cries out as the blade bites into his shoulder, leaving a deep cut. He continues pressing forward in his initial attack...

[[SPECIFIC check versus Lucas' Wrestling skill to try to grapple the ghost's arms to its side while corporeal. Results:
Wrestling skill: 90 - Rolled 16 - Margin of success: 74!
Action Table results: 74 "Attack Margin" cross-indexed with Column 3 "Skill Checks" = CK result (CRUSHING DAMAGE (Unarmed Combat) PLUS KNOCKDOWN)
I'm going to disallow the knockdown due to Lucas' injuries, but very successful!]]

Lucas swings behind the spirit and wraps his arms around it, pinning its arms to its side. Both he and the ghost seem surprised that he managed to grapple its physical form! Lucas shudders in revulsion as he hugs the dead, drenched corpse.

Magnus is next into the room, pulling his gun as he dashes over to Lucas and the spirit. "Tell us your real name! We can help you!" he commands.

[[SPECIFIC check versus Magus' Personality to see if the spirit responds. Penalty (see previous post) still in play. Results:
Personality ability: 52 - 30 (penalty) = 22; rolled 72 (FAILED) ]]

The spirit screeches in fury as she struggles, furious at the restraint.

Webb, Hal, and Jack move into the room to stand in the doorway. Hal snaps a photo of the spirit with his camera phone, while Jack tries to remember anything he might have recently researched involving revenge spirits...

[[SPECIFIC check versus Jack's Investigation Skill. Slight penalty as you're trying to "recall" something rather than actively looking it up now. Results:
Investigation Skill: 91 - 20 (penalty) = 71 - Rolled 35 - Margin of Success: 36
Action Table results: 36 "Attack Margin" cross-indexed with Column 3 "Skill Checks" = H result (HIGH SUCCESS) ]]

Jack recalls some information he read earlier about "revenge spirits".

[[Jack, check your PM]]

“You’ve avenged yourself on Baxter. Now, let us help you rest. You’ll be found, remembered...and mourned,” Webb assures the spirit.

[[SPECIFIC check versus Webb's Personality to see if the 'spirit' responds. Penalty still in play. Results:
Personality ability: 46 - 30 (penalty) = 16; rolled 79 (FAILED) ]]

Lucas feels the spirit stop struggling. The ghost slowly turns its head 180 degrees to stare directly into Lucas' eyes. Everyone sees that the ghost's head has been severed, and its head twists at the cutline like an owl. It opens its mouth to speak. Lucas can smell rot on its breath, mixed with flowers.

"...you have all failed me..." it hisses. "...you all killed me...you cannot stop me...and you will all die for trying..."

"...i...will...be...REMEMBERED!"

The spirit throws its arms up with inhuman strength, breaking Lucas' hold. A powerful wave of force explodes from the creature, throwing all of you against the walls of the room. As you pick yourselves up and shake your heads, you can see that the ghost is gone. The scent of flowers is gone too.

The door to the outside room opens and Chief Perry rushes in. He glances outside the door, shuts it and locks it. He looks into the Interrogation Room where you all stand. Lucas holds his wounded shoulder, two headless corpses bleeding out. It's a scene of absolute carnage. Perry stomps over to Hal. A combination of unbridled fury and abject terror plays across his face. He points a finger into Hal's face, then sweeps it around the room to point at all of you.

“Two of my officers are dead as well as a prisoner under my watch. I want an explanation as to what that…thing…was, and I want it now.”

[segeorge]

Webb

Knowing that the spirit can take the form of anyone it kills (if not anyone at all), Webb is suspicious of Perry’s behavior. [Any chance of a PCN of LUCK roll?]

“I don’t think locking the door would keep her out, Chief. Besides, our friend needs an ambulance.”

“We are very sorry about your men. But I can’t muster any sympathy for Baxter – they’re as much his victims as that poor woman was. Professor Armitage [Webb deliberately does not make any indication of who he’s talking about – he wants to be sure this is Chief Perry] may be able to tell you a bit more about how her spirit manifested. By the way, were you able to find any information about her from missing persons reports?”

[funfungiguy]

"Damn", Lucas says holding his shoulder. "The bright idea guy of the team just about lost his head in the first episode. Then you guys'd really have been up a creek without a paddle.

"What's up with that nauseating floral scent she carries with her? That's gotta be some clue about where she's buried right. Anyone know about flowers and such? Anyone recognize the type of flower that might have been?

Unless Lucas is getting patched up at a hospital, (how bad is 3 wounds? Stitches?) he's going to check for satellite images on his tablet of the area of the original deaths, and also the recent ones, looking for anything resembling a meadow, or some flower patches, or something that might flag as a floral emitting scent.

[greyarea]

Hal looks at the Chief with his finger pointing at him.

That thing is what happens when an investigation fails to find a victim! That was a spirit bent on revenge, and it looks like she's doing a fine job of it, so far. You've lost a few, we nearly lost one, and that thing is on the loose.

I need to find who that person was and we need to honor her so that she will be remembered, or this slaughter is merely the beginning, Chief! Now, do you have a missing persons database of some sort, we need to find this woman, holding up the picture on the phone, from when Baxter committed his crimes? And can we get an EMT team as quickly as possible? Lucas is in a bad way there!

[kmelion]

Jack
Since Hal has brought the chief up to speed, I will quickly search for a first aid kit, but as I go say"Baxter mentioned burying her under a gold rock, didn't he? "

[merias]

Magnus holsters his pistol and helps Lucas as best he can.

"Quite a show...I have to admit not seeing anything quite like that before. Chief, can I help you search the missing persons database? We can start around the time of Baxter's original crime."

[sniderman]

“Two of my officers are dead as well as a prisoner under my watch. I want an explanation as to what that…thing…was, and I want it now.”

The five investigators stare at Perry at his demand. He seems panicked and you do see his hand on his holster. Having seen the spirit take the form of others, Webb scowls at Perry in suspicion.

[[GENERAL check versus Webb's Perception. Results:
Perception ability: 68 - Rolled 61 (SUCCESS) ]]

Webb doesn't notice anything unusual about Perry's mannerism, and that stifling flower scent isn't in the air anymore.

"That thing is what happens when an investigation fails to find a victim!" Hal shouts while grasping and slowly moving Parry's finger out of face. "That was a spirit bent on revenge, and it looks like she's doing a fine job of it, so far. You've lost a few, we nearly lost one, and that thing is on the loose.

[[SPECIFIC check versus Perry's "NPC Receptivity" (page 51) to see if he now believes in the supernatural. Results:
Keeping the numbers and rolls hidden, he's no longer a disbeliever, but he is doubtful. ]]

"You saying that thing is...a ghost of some kind?" Perry asks as he removes his hand from his weapon.

"Yes, that's precisely what we're saying," Webb says. "We are very sorry about your men, but I can’t muster any sympathy for Baxter – they’re as much his victims as that poor woman was."

Lucas clears his throat as he clutches his shoulder.

"Damn, the bright idea guy of the team just about lost his head in the first episode. Then you guys'd really have been up a creek without a paddle," Lucas says with an ironic smile. Jack asks Perry for a first aid kit and Perry wordlessly points to a medical station mounted to the Interview Room wall. Magnus and Jack use some found bandages and antiseptic to close and bind Lucas' injury. It's a good cut, but not dangerously so. The bindings will hold nicely without the need for professional attention (for now).

[[Lucas is healed for 9 STA points and one wound.]]

"Quite a show...I have to admit not seeing anything quite like that before," Magnus says as he helps Lucas to his feet. "Chief, our interview with Baxter and the spirit's actions seem to indicate she was an unfound and unidentified seventh victim of Baxter's. Can we have access to your missing persons records? We can start around the time of Baxter's original crime."

[[SPECIFIC check versus Perry's "NPC Receptivity" (page 51) to see if he now believes in the supernatural. Bonuses are in play. Results:
Keeping the numbers and rolls hidden, he's no longer doubtful, and has moved to "open" to the idea. ]]

"Yeah, when I ran off, I went to get the missing persons database. Here." He hands you a portable hard drive. "I dropped the files onto this for you. Don't know why I did, but with everything that's going on, it sounded like you guys knew what was going on."

Perry crosses through the Interview Room to the rear door, glancing sadly at the bodies as he passes them.

“Look, I don’t know if I believe any of this, but I’ll be damned if I have any better ideas as to what happened here. But you're right. That…thing…will kill again if it ain’t stopped. I've got to deal with...this in the meantime. State reinforcements have been called in and they're in route. They'll be here any second, and they're going to be looking for a murderer for this slaughter. I don't think they're going to believe a ghost did this."

He opens the rear door. "Don’t leave town because you’re all witnesses…or suspects. Hell, I ain’t too sure which right now. But somehow I think you’re better equipped to deal with this than we are. So go out the back door. I’ll be in touch.”

Perry ushers the players out the rear entrance, adding:

“And don’t come back to the station. Too many questions need to be answered and it sounds like we don't have the time to answer them.”

Perry shuts the door, leaving you in the rear parking lot of the station. In the distance, you can hear the wail of an approaching siren as the reinforcements approach.

Lucas takes a moment to ask: "What's up with that nauseating floral scent she carries with her? That's gotta be some clue about where she's buried right? "

"Yeah, and Baxter mentioned burying her under a gold rock, didn't he?" Jack adds.


"Guys, we all have questions, but first we need to find who that person was and we need to honor her so that she will be remembered, or this slaughter is merely the beginning," Hal says.

"We need to find this woman," he says, holding up the picture on the phone.

Let me know where you'd like to go and what you'd like to do with the information you now have. Hanging around the police station is probably a bad idea...