Check out my stats (mobster by profession).
I don't want to kill it for you Vince, but I's be up for the game.
(I tend to have that effect on things)
*also fully statted
Search Posts
"If your ever in New Yaawk, look me up at the Tribune"
Skip says gregariously "I need something strong! My friend Zoltok the Magnificent got the place across the street to formulate a new act, he's a magician." He casts his eyes about the place to see if there's somewhere that obviously leads downstairs. "Me? I got the entertainment beat for the Tribune...though of course a fella like me that get's to enjoy a strong refreshment now and again would never put something like THAT in the paper. My editor, tha' bum, wouldn't print it anyway, haha..but I digress, now, 'bout that drink?" he says as he puts the glass up to his lips.
Opens the door to the dive " Where can a fella whet his whistle 'round these parts!" he says boisterously, while the his eyes scan the the joint with the precision of a trained observer.
so, I guess Vince and myself are heading to the dive, with Zoltok about a minute behind (due to addiction)
Is Vince still around?
"Sawry about your unfawtunate woikin' relationship with the brick, Dawc." his thick New York accent seemingly coming out in contrast to Ingo's erudite manner of speech. "I'll let you know tomawwrow if I can keep up with ol' Zoltok here." He chuckles to himself as he limps past and out the threshold.
"Who's coming? I'm hittin that dive across the street to see if I can get to the bottom of this, and maybe score a drink while I'm there" says Skip perking up a bit. "Just don't go telling them we know about the tunnel!" he warns as an afterthought.
With seemingly no prospect of some good ole contraband, Skip becomes downcast.
clank clank smash
"I think this is the basement of the dive across the street" Skip hisses quietly. His brain reverts to the previous thought patterns, moving back away from the out of place tracks to the shine smugglers. "We should check the other end of the tunnel, I have no desire for contact with any of the bargoers...this is somewhat of a rough neigborhood"
"Some kind of a hallway...but all clear says Skip to the others as opens the trapdoor fully, he then hoists himself up, holding the torch to both illuminate the rest of the room and assist the others in climbing up.
Skip looks back at his companions a bit anxiously "I don't hear or see anything....yet" as he brings the torch to bear in the new surroundings.
"Don't worry I got you covered!" Skip climbs slowly up the ladder and strains to hear any indication of occupancy on the other side before attemting to push open the door.
Skip waffles back to his original stance about the ladder. "Let's up then." he says directing the torch-beam back towards the ladder and following his chrome pistol-wielding companion in that direction. "Hope these batteries hold out" he's heard to mutter as he once again produces his pad and pencil and scratches a few notes.
"It's these." Skip interjects hoping to defuse some tension, shining the lamp on the strange tracks. "Doesn't seem like run of the mill bootleggers. Maybe before we go up that ladder we should see where the other end of the tummel leads... I'll count the steps back and maybe we can figure out where this ladder" Skip shifts the torch beam back to the rungs "leads, we used to do it all the time over'n the trenches."
Skip listens intently and focuses the beam upwards, not wanting to get in the line of fire
Skip complies noting the edge in Vincent's voice
"It could, by all accounts, come out in that vile looking dive 'cross the street, by my calculations" adds Skip nervously, still contemplating the quandary of the tracks. "something still don't make sense here, but I can't put my finger on it"
Skip looks back towards the shattered brick work in the dimness then to where the light reveals the tunnels end and potential egress to somewhere above. "Do we push on and see what's up the ladder?" asks the journalist, wondering whether he should yell back to the Magician at a time when there position could be given away to potentially hostile elements, the gleam off the automatic pistols making him slip into a memory of similar danger fraught circumstances half a world away. He makes a half hearted gesture towards the sound of Zoltok's words.
Skip keeps the light level and ahead over Vince's shoulder as they move around the corner. "Understood, as always sir" He replies, his momentary trepidation about the dogs relieved by the sight of the automatics and normally curious nature returning. "Kinda reminds me of the trenches, over there..." Skip trails off, a shadow crossing his countenance.
Skip stops before the corner aiming the beam of light at the prints.
Skip hadn't considered the idea the bootleggers might still be around and might be dangerous or have guard dogs before, and he ponders it for a moment, jotting down a couple notes on his pad "Ever known any of these guys to use dogs?" He asks Vince cautiously, concious of the fact Vince may not want to reveal any knowledge of such activities to a reporter-even one he seems to trust.
"As long as I don't use your name...as usual" says Skip as he takes out his pad and pencil.[i] "I just want to get this down for possible later story use" [i]Taking the proferred torch Skip begins to make his slow way down the darkened tunnel.
"whew" Skip exhales mopping his brow with a pocket hankerchief, "Haven't done anything that physical in a while.." the big man is heard to mutter. "Well I can see daylight one way, so I doubt anybody would hide anything there, whatsay we head the other way?" he queries Vince, setting the hammer aside and stowing his hankercheif.
"It's recent brick work Doc, it's not holding anything up, just sealing off the GOOD stuff!" Skip makes his slow way down with the torch and calls up "Hand down the sledge or bring it down with ya"
Skip looks to Vince "They should be back soon, care to climb down and see what's behind that wall? The archive at the Tribune had no police activity attributed to this address, at least, none that made the paper....only a couple reviews of the apparently god-awful plays the 'dreaming gulf society' put on....I guess they were the 'artists' that had this place before." The words dreaming gulf society and artists come out with more than a tinge of sarcasm, one of the characteristics of Skip's reviews when dealing with fringe elements. "Just another group of crackpots if you ask me....like those ectoplasm phonies" he continues, more to himself then Vince. With that he picks up the sledge and torch and stumps over to the trap door and after setting them back down and turning on the torch he gingerly pulls the door open. * creeee-eeeeeeeeeek *
" I been straightening up...Zoltok put on a bender after we left-he looked like hell when I got here, the doc took `im for a meal an to get cleaned, presumably they'll return soon." Skip stands with his jacket and tie off and sleeves rolled up, the torch and sledge lean up against some crates.
Skip comes in carrying the sledge and electric torch, his limp being more pronounced from the encumberance. "Wow...you guys really carried on here last night." With a sly wink "maybe I shoulda stayed. Oh well no matter, I found very little out about the place, but I'll tell ya later, when you get back...meanwhile I'll clean up a bit." Skip noticed they were on the way out and assumed it was to get cleaned up or maybe a meal. Skip goes about slowly ordering the place from what appears to be a night of debauchery.
"I'll check in at work in the morning, and see if I come across anything regarding this address, in the Tribune's archive" says Skip eyeing the 'shine balefully. "Maybe the super at my apartment building has a sledge, but he certainly has no rat traps...unless he hording them up for himself!" he laughs softly to himself. I know I have an electric torch somewhere, but I haven't really used it since I took the entertainment beat. The "took" coming out like a mouthful of kerosene. "So...we meet here tomorrow?"
"WHHHHEW!" Says Skip as he gets a heavy snort of chemical, with the next couple yielding equally unpleasant results. "No wonder these mooks went out of business....I'll also pass on the cocaine Doc." "Can't a fella ever get lucky and find some good old bourbon? Oh well...say there was a low tunnel leading off but it was recently bricked up with this foul stuff sitting there...maybe the good stuff's still hidden and this was meant for the G-men, but the place is crawling with rats, we'd need a light, a sledgehammer, and some rat traps to find out." "I can check the archive at the paper to see if this place was ever raided or whatnot" He says trailing off as if searching his memory for some perceived event.
Skip lovingly uncorks one of the jugs and pulling it up to his nose takes a whiff. *snn-sniffffff*
"HA HA! Paydirt!" Skip laughs shakily after being unnerved by the rats. "HEY! I found some jugs boys!" He spouts, with elation filling his voice. Skip then takes what he can carry (one jug while holding the lighter) and tries to slowly climb back up to where the others watch anxiously.
"I'll check it out...who knows what these bootleggers left behind?" Skip seems very animated. Since his return from the war he has had little piece of mind, coming back to prohibition.Alcohol could sooth a frazzled nerve "Satanist....it's all hokum and flim-flammery" while sounding completely confidant, one may notice a bead of persperation on Skip's brow.
"Trapdoor you say? I knew it! All that cult talk was just to keep the locals off, they were probably covering for 'shine runners or smugglers, and moved to another locale after one the sweeps by the G-men! C'mon what'r you waiting for fellas? Somebody crack that thing open and we just might have something to celebrate Zoltok's new digs WITH!!" Skip moves towards where Vincent and the illusionist are standing by the crates.
As the sailor staggers away without a word Skip rejoins the others back in the warehouse with a careful "excuse me please" to Guido as he goes by dissappointedly stowing his pad and pencil and casting a glance around the place. "Pretty good size room you have here." he says softly watching the European analyze the room.
"Hey!" Skip calls out with a sudden look of comprehension on his face "Um...sailor!" He says pushing past Guido to the besotted individual "Who sent ya? I'm from the Tribune and I could use an angle on my story" he continues giving the man a sly wink as he pulls out a little notepad an licks the tip of the pencil and spits.
Skip looks at Vincent, as he's heard him things like that before, sometimes rather unpleasantly, before saying "Who's the stiff? extending a thumb toward Guido. Then to no one in particular "If that sot is from that superstitious lot across the street, then at least my hunch is correct...bourbon can be obtained therin..."
"Good sir." Skip says as he makes his way to the man. (progress is slow because of the limp) "This place has been rented by one of the biggest up and comers in the the Vaudville circuit! A Magician of impeccable skill! I'm with the Tribune...say there's nothing strange or.... well, captivating about this particular building? Would lend alot to my story if there was. Zoltok himself might favor you with a trick or 2...you know"Skip drops his voice down trying to bring the man in. "these fellows need a bit of good publicity, in this town"
Skip arrives a little late as usual for one with a pronounced limp to see the others entering. As he looks across to where the man stands eyeing him, his reporters instincts bristle. "Bet there's a drink to be found in there somewhere" he says quietly to himself. He savors for a moment the idea of getting a bourbon on the rocks, then shrugs and heads to the door of the magicians new digs.
I rolled up some handout PC's when I got the quickstart so as not to waste gaming time, one was a reporter initial stats: Spoiler: I just did about 4 characters and did what I thought for whatever profession they were, but if you want invisible castle or whatnot just day the word.
STR 14, Dex 10, INT 9, Con 8, app 13, Pow,9, siz 16, San 45, edu 19, Idea 45, luck 45, Know 95, Edit: say the word |