DOT
Ellery reporting for duty :D
Andrea’s test post.
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You are lost in a city that you faintly recognize, your pulse pounds. All around is a wall of sickly yellow fog, tumbling through the alley's canyon of crumbling gray brick walls like some jaundiced flash flood. Ahead, the unfamiliar alley splits, curving to the left and right. Behind, from the silent swell of mist, emanates the sound of footsteps—slow, but somehow keeping pace with the careening, hungry wave.
You are lost in a city that you faintly recognize, your pulse pounds. All around is a wall of sickly yellow fog, tumbling through the alley's canyon of crumbling gray brick walls like some jaundiced flash flood. Ahead, the unfamiliar alley splits, curving to the left and right. Behind, from the silent swell of mist, emanates the sound of footsteps—slow, but somehow keeping pace with the careening, hungry wave.
Ellery tries to peer down the two paths hoping that one looks considerably more obstructed than the other. If one looks like it has more debris Ellery will take that route, if they look about equal Ellery takes the left alley.
Andrea looks around (can she see anyone else?) to see if she can pick out anything in the mist. If she can see which direction Ellery went, Andrea will follow.
Ellery pauses for a split second to consider the paths before him with Andrea just behind, while Byvalson and the others speed past choosing directions without thought or consideration. Seeing no practical difference between them Ellery quickly darts down the left alley leaving Andrea behind. Everyone hears a liquid splash and a voice no one recognizes speaks an incomprehensible word.
The alley walls sag, battered brick slumping over the path, nearly blotting out the bruised twilight sky. Again the grimy cobblestone path splits. This time one route curves uphill, while the other recklessly descends. Behind, the yellow fog and the relentless sound of pursuit grow closer.
** spoiler omitted **
Ellery pauses for a split second to consider the paths before him with Andrea just behind, while Byvalson and the others speed past choosing directions without thought or consideration. Seeing no practical difference between them Ellery quickly darts down the left alley leaving Andrea behind. Everyone hears a liquid splash and a voice no one recognizes speaks an incomprehensible word.
The alley walls sag, battered brick slumping over the path, nearly blotting out the bruised twilight sky. Again the grimy cobblestone path splits. This time one route curves uphill, while the other recklessly descends. Behind, the yellow fog and the relentless sound of pursuit grow closer.
Rogelio looks oddly at the fog and dashes up the hill.
Rogelio looks oddly at the fog and dashes up the hill.** spoiler omitted **
Ellery pauses for a split second to consider the paths before him with Andrea just behind, while Byvalson and the others speed past choosing directions without thought or consideration. Seeing no practical difference between them Ellery quickly darts down the left alley leaving Andrea behind. Everyone hears a liquid splash and a voice no one recognizes speaks an incomprehensible word.
The alley walls sag, battered brick slumping over the path, nearly blotting out the bruised twilight sky. Again the grimy cobblestone path splits. This time one route curves uphill, while the other recklessly descends. Behind, the yellow fog and the relentless sound of pursuit grow closer.
Finally recognizing his companions, Ellery follows Rogelio dashing up the hill. Still scanning for debris that could slow down any pursuit, hands flashing as he runs.
Anyone know where we are going or how to get to a safe place?
The mist parts, now mere steps behind. A mask of gray rags emerges, strips of something fleshier than fabric worming and constricting across a body that's almost human like—but too lean, and far too flexible. Gauzy gray ribbons reach out like tendrils, each grasping for less doubtful flesh to claim. Ellery, slowed ever so slightly by his frantic signing is the second victim, a set of vicious claws rip through his belly spilling entrails onto the cobblestones and spraying blood onto the wall.
Rogelio notices the blood spray spell out the word "me" while Ellery's mouth barely open and a voice no one recognizes echos forth as if from down a long hall, "ME." The 'man' in yellow rags saunters impossibly fast up to Uther deftly jabbing a war razor through his heart. Again blood sprays on the walls this time forming the word "up" and the strange alien voice speaks through Uther's mouth "UP". Before Byvalson can react the 'man' in tatters is upon him and he is stabbed through the eye scrambling his brains. The gore spray on the wall this time forms the words "save" while Byvalson's mouth in the strange voice intones the same, "SAVE."
Rogelio notices his nose is bleeding heavily, down and onto the cobblestone it spells out the word "wake." The Tatterman smiles with a lamprey's mouth and begins to choke the life out of Rogelio.
Ooc
Everyone groggily regains consciousness. "Wake up, damn it!' a man on the table screams, his panic cutting through the claustrophobic near dark. Bars separate you from the stranger, a struggling human with split lips and skin covered in a map work of fresh red lines. Heavy ropes lash the man to a splintery worktable.
Another figure, unsettlingly thin and wearing a blood-smeared doctor's coat, circles the table casually—stopping every so often to scrutinize one of the man's wounds or select a different object from a sideboard of shiny blades. Currently, she spins one blade of a broken pair of pruning shears, which glints in the dull light of the lamp suspended overhead. With careless cruelty, the 'doctor' draws the blade across the bound man's bare thigh, who releases a tortured wail.
The smaller table next to the bound man displays an array of sharp instruments, none designed for use on living flesh: a gardening trowel, forks, several long pieces of broken glass or metal, and the other blade of the tormentor's shears. Heavily loaded sacks lie near the door.
You don't recognize the man on the table nor the 'doctor'. As you further gain your bearings you don't recognize each other either. While you remember your strange shared dream you remember little, if anything, of your life prior to this moment. You do however remember practical knowledge and skills.
You don't have any equipment and are locked behind cell doors.
Ellery is an scrawny androgynous looking human. Generally swaddled in a cloak or perhaps it is a discarded burlap bag, either seem a fair guess. Ellery's face is generally smudged with dirt which makes two things stand out: stormy eyes and the piece of leather laced through the lips causing the mouth to be psuedo-sewn shut. Closer inspection will show that the lacing is not new, the holes which it slides through are gauged to prevent them from closing.
Ellery's eyes dart around the room quickly taking in the situation and then slowly edges towards the cell door. Ellery's hands makes some quick motions and then proceed to fiddle with the celldoor.
anyone know how we got here? Hope someone distracts the wanker so I can get this door open.
[dice=Disable Device]1d20 + 8
** spoiler omitted **
Rogelio is a lean elf with an air of knowledge about him. He studies his surroundings carefully and stoically as if unphased by his situation but is simply waiting for the right move.
He studies Byvalson closely then looks around the room to see if any of his years of studied knowledge will help him to discern the situation. He then examines the doctor for any clues to their whereabouts.
Rogelio then turns to Byvalson again and whispers "hello friend. it appears we have landed in quite the conundrum." With a wide and unsettling grin he whispers again "I think it's time to go. Don't you?" and offers his hand to help them up.
Byvalson, a lean elf with cold eyes, wearily grasps Rogelio's given hand with slow purposeful grace. He rolls his shoulders and gathers himself to cut a scholarly and reserved figure.
He calmly appraises Rogelio and drinks in the details of the room. An imperceptible flicker passes through his gaze as he looks on the bloody work being done in the cruel laboratory.
Byvalson leans into whisper to Rogelio, "I can escape our pathetic prison with a flip of my hand, but you must be ready for the keys to be delivered to you."
Byvalson calmly moves to the bars and waits for the attention of the sadist to be held by their victim. He then shifts through the bars to other side, as if taking a long step without having using any mortal means.
Byvalson attempts to quietly remove the keys from the gaoler's possession.
Rogelio readies himself to catch the keys and unlock the door.
Andrea is an average height half elf with blond hair and piercing eyes. She appears strong, but feminine. She seems oddly calm, despite her current situation.
Andrea looks around her cell, then around the rest of the room. She leans against the cell door with her arms on the support that runs horizontally halfway up. She sees Ellery’s signing, and silently nods, then signs back, “I’ll try.”.
To the doctor, she says, “If you’re torturing him for information, you’re doing it wrong. If you’re doing it for fun, I can keep him alive longer.” [intending to use diplomacy here.]
Uther is a human of average height and stocky build, with a bull neck and powerful shoulders visible through a drab tunic. His thick arms are covered with religious tatoos. He has a battered, rugged appearance with a square jaw and tired eyes.
After getting his bearings and noticing the activity in the room, Uther moves close to the door of his cell.
The 'doctor' wheels on Andrea and demands, "Pipe down. You'll have your turn soon enough. Maybe then we can try it your way." As she turns her skin ripples and stretches like rubber, her hair changes color and length, and her bones crack and crunch as they conform to a half-elf body. The 'doctor' now looks exactly like Andrea in a doctor's coat.
The 'doctor' is however distracted by Andrea, this affords Byvalson the opportunity he needs to sneaks up on her.
Seeing his chance Byvalson grabs for the key, but the doctor wheels away just as he goes for it. Luckily her attention is completely focused on Andrea and the man on the table. She does not notice the attempt. The 'doctor' goes back to her gruesome work giving the man a fresh cut from the broken shears, oblivious to Byvalson's escape.
“That is an impressive trick... I don’t think I’ve encountered anyone quite like you before. I have a relentless thirst for knowledge. If you’d allow me the pleasure and honor of touching your hand, I would greatly appreciate it. Seems like you intend to kill me anyway, and I’m unarmed and at your mercy. Would you do my this honor so I can learn a bit about you... if these are to be my final days?”
Andrea extends her hand just outside her cell door in a non-threatening manner.
Byvalson grimaces and reaches for the keys again.
DC 14
He moves to Rogelio's cell and shifts through the bars, passing the keys from elven hands to elven hands.
Rogelio studies the keys to see if there are any obvious markings to see which key is right. If none he tries them quietly. He motions for byvalson to get out of sight.
Ellery, noticing that the doctor has become distracted, steps back from the failed attempt to pick the lock and becomes begins to use Uther to further block people's line of sight.
The 'doctor' turns on Andrea again, yelling, "Quiet!" as she does this the man on the table struggles in his blood-slicked binding and manages to get a leg free. Desperately, he kicks her in the small of her back, throwing her up against Andrea's cell.
Andrea goes to touch the 'doctor' using her lore keeper ability.
Byvalson uses the distraction to go for and get the key, miraculously without detection. He returns to his cell while the 'doctor' stands up and storms back over to the man on the table. "You'll pay for that filthy worm!" She drops her improvised torture implement and starts clawing at his face and neck, the man screams but soon stops limbs limp.
Rogelio has the keys to the cells.
Byvalson chills in the cell, watching the elf Rogelio and the keys with interest.
The 'doctor' savages the man on the table as he helplessly screams for you to save him while kicking uselessly with his one free leg.
It's clear from the cells that he is now dead.
Rogelio opens the cell and quietly moves over to uther to unlock his cell.
Uther reaches toward Rogelio, beckoning for the keys. He will unlock the door as quickly and quietly as he is able.
Ellery takes the opportunity to stealthily sneak out of the cell after Uther unlocks the door and quietly takes on of the improvised weapons from the table.
“Now that you’ve finished your little tantrum, maybe you can tell me how, and why I ended up locked in here?”
She steps back a half a step and rattles the door to make sure the ‘doctor’ looks her way.
Byvalson watches on with interest as Uther leaves his cell, rubbing his chin thoughtfully between two fingers.
Doppel-Andrea continues to savage the now dead man on the table, ignoring regular-Andrea.
Rogelio takes the keys from uther and moves to unlock andrea, keeping an eye on "andrea," studying her carefully for weaknesses.
Uther bullrushes out of the cell towards the table. He drops his shoulders and sprints low and hard, attempting to knock Dr. Doppelganger off her feet and then to grab for the most deadly-looking object on the table to use as a weapon.
Uther bursts from cell, makes quick 5 ft step, attempts to trip Dr. Doppelganger, then reaches for improvised weapon.
Uther plows into the unaware monstrous woman and is surprised at how solidly built she is despite her relatively slight frame. He does manage to knock her off balance for a second as she bends unnaturally at the waist. But just as quickly she bends back like she's made of rubber. A look of surprise, then anger and finally fear crosses her face as she realizes most of you are now out of your cells.
Seeing that the party has indeed started Ellery steps into action and takes a five foot step to flank the Doctor before attacking.
Assuming the improvised weapon is a light weapon
If it hits, bonuses are str and sneak attack
Andrea will take the keys and Start unlocking her cell.
Byvalson leaves his cell and moves along the wall toward the scuffle, he shifts to keep the bars between himself and the half-elf appearing monstrosity and the 'doctor'.
Ellery's inexperience with using shards of broken glass as a weapon cause the strike to come up short.
The doctor changes shape yet again this time becoming a grayish humanoid that seems almost unfinished, with a narrow head, gaunt limbs, and a sinister, noseless face. She scrambles toward the door with the sacks piled nearby and opens the door.
Uther attempts to slash and stab the Doppelganger as she retreats.
Ellery slashes the doppelganger's forearm as it flees.
Rogelio moves, grabs a weapon from the table mid-stride and takes a position around the corner from the not so good doctor.
Not wanting the Doppleganger to summon help or set an ambush, Uther charges after the torturer. He swings his improvised blade at his opponent as hard as he possibly can.