# Supernatural: Apocrypha Main Thread



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 3, 2009)

​
Four days ago you received a letter, a letter that pulled you from your respective homes to the mountains of Colorado. 

  A driving snow had covered Malebranche, Colorado in only a matter of hours. This was not the kind of trouble that the letter had promised. The roads were impassable; the town had trapped all the residents inside. 

  The town had trapped you too. 

  At least the electrical lines hadn?t sagged down with ice yet and inside of the Warthog Pub it was warm. Splashes of watery remains from the melted snow formed a trail from the door and the sounds of boots on hardwood floors filled the air. 

  There was a moderate crowd in the Pub tonight. Mary, the bar tender, was telling stories of her drunken days at the University of Denver. Others had settled in over beer, burgers or nachos to talk about their day?s activities and share a laugh. 

  But this isn?t the carnage and destruction you were promised. The letter spoke of a demonic blood bath of epic proportions. The only thing epic here seemed to be the cold, the storm outside, and possibly the number of drunken sexual encounters that Mary had. 

  Malebranche seemed all too ordinary.

_This is where the PC?s get to start in?_


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## strongarm85 (Sep 3, 2009)

Jack finished eating his hamburger steak fries. While eating he payed special care not to get any of the food on his clean business suit. He very carefully wipes his face with a napkin. Before standing up he reached inside his jacket right hand and pretended to caugh into his left hand as he clicked the safety off his Berreta M9.

Grabbing his drink, he approached the bar and waited for Mary the Bartender to finish telling her tale of her drunken sexual escapades. He sat his drink down on the counter walked up to the bar, and light heatedly said, "That's quite a story, are you some kind of succubus?"


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 3, 2009)

Mary leaned towards Jack, *"Not sure what that means...I can only guess its dirty because I heard the word 'suck' in it."* She played with the top of a wine bottle in a slightly seductive manner, but hey it brought the tips in. 

With a flash of a smile she tossed back her dark hair and asked him, *"You want another?" *


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## strongarm85 (Sep 3, 2009)

He watched her with a bit of interest. "I sure would like some more," Jack gave her a smirk and said, "So it looks like we're all going to be in town for a while. Is there anything fun to do around here besides you? I get the feeling your the life of the party."


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 3, 2009)

Mary laughed, *"Sorry hun, this town is all about skiiing, hiking, the great out doors type stuff. I would say that you could try out the hot springs or the shopping and there's a nice lake for swimming in the summer, but all the rich people are building houses up around it now..."* she said. 

*"Seems like I might be the only game in town,"* she added. 

Overhead the lights in the room flickered and a few people glanced up. Some of the patrons even gasped. The light going out at this point might be about the worse thing that could happen. Still the flicker seemed odd, almost as if it buzzed and then was gone. 

Mary called out, *"Don't mind that, its been doing that around town for weeks...something must be up with the power company..." *

_Jack, despite his limited knowledge can tell there's something not right about the lights and how the flicker. 
_


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## Vergil (Sep 3, 2009)

Bruce sat in the corner and watched as people came in and out of the bar. He had to get a feel for the place, with cases like these, like the ones that stole his parents from him all those years ago, nothing was as it seemed. Don't trust your eyes, trust your heart. 

Seemed like nonsense at the time but now made sense. The bartender was playing for tips, the guy with the hamburger seemed happy enough to play along. 

All Bruce did was remain quiet and watch and listen. Then he heard the word 'Succubus' Not a word people use in everyday language. His attention was fully on the aforementioned pair, what else would they disclose?


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 3, 2009)

_Bruce too notices that something is wrong with the lights, though he can't quiet tell what it means. _


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## Vergil (Sep 3, 2009)

Bruce looked up at the lights. Flickering. It could be a power failure and if he didn't know what he knew about this place he would leave it at that. He stood up silently and walked out the bar. He would at least try to have a look at the power lines. 

The snow crunched underneath his black boots and he looked around for some power lines to look at.


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## strongarm85 (Sep 3, 2009)

"You know," Jack said, "I don't think that doesn't normal. Maybe someone is over working the power grid? Its probably nothing to worry about unless they blow a transformer."

While he's saying this he takes a quick look around the room to see if anyone is watching him, but regardless of what he finds he leans forward to ask, "doing anything after work?"


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 3, 2009)

There's actually no ice on the lines. It's almost unbearable to be outside in the cold though and Bruce feels that if he doesn't go back in soon enough he'll freeze. 

A long figure strolls into the bar. A gruff looking man with a white beard and a dingy trucker hat. He wears a flannel vest over a _Lynard Skynard_ t-shirt and a puffy coat over that. A bit of snow clings to him, on his beard and his boots and stomps some of it off as he enters. 

He searches the pub through squinted eyes. His gaze falls on a few of the more noteworthy members of the crowd like Jack and he goes to the end of the bar and takes a seat.

_Jack notices the old man looking at him._

*"After work,"* Mary says, *"Yeah, sorry hun, but after work for me is going to be mommy time...I guess that's just the one of the consequences." *


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## strongarm85 (Sep 3, 2009)

"That's too bad, maybe some other time though," he gave Mary a wink and walked down towards the end of the bar. He acted like he was going to walk past the man, while held his drink his left hand. Then when got up he did a double take and looked at the man's shirt and commented, "You know I'm a little bit of a Skynard fan. What's your favorite song?"

Jack was curious about the man, and suspicious. After all the way the lights flickered before he came in could be some kind of weird demon messing with the electricity with his presence thing. Or he could be someone he is supposed to meet. In any case he noticed the man noticing him and that was reason dispense with the small talk.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 3, 2009)

The man looked up at Jack, it was then that Jack noticed the old man's _glass eye. _"Skynard," the old man says, "I like _Free Bird." 

_The man looked older than he should it seemed and in a gruff voice he asked, "What about you? What's your favorite?"


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## Kuno (Sep 3, 2009)

The burgundy liquid swirled around the glass as Nicole swung her hand gently.  ‘Not what it was said to be…’ Nikki thought to herself before taking a sip of the wine and looking around the room.  Her plate stood empty before except for the few garnishments.  Yawning at the exploits of the bartender and how then men seemed to eat up, Nikki chuckled at the one man that really seemed interested.  ‘Ones like that are never really any good anyway.“

Looking up as the lights flickered, Nikki shrugged figuring it was more to do with the weather then anything unusual.  She crossed her denim covered legs, while crossing her arms.  The sweater she donned for the weather becoming a little warmer than she expected.  ‘Think I’m going to leave soon.  Maybe I got the location wrong.’ Her mind began to wander once again taking in the people around her.


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## strongarm85 (Sep 3, 2009)

"That Smell," he said with a smirk. If the guy was a smart Skynard fan he'd catch the veiled insult but it was intentional

"Take it easy old man," Jack said after a few seconds as he walked past him and sat down at a table near the corner where he could keep an eye on things.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 3, 2009)

Before he could leave, the man grabbed Jack's arm. *"That's a nice joke, boy...did you get the letter I sent you?"* he asked in a low tone. His white fake eye seemed to shimmer. 

He pointed across the room to where Nikki was sitting, *"She got one too, and the chap who just came in after me, go have a seat over there with her and I'll explain it all." *

_He goes to get Bruce. _


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## strongarm85 (Sep 3, 2009)

Jack walked over to table and sat across from Nikki and sat down across from her. "You got a letter right? I think our contact is the old man. So what's your name?"


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## Kuno (Sep 4, 2009)

“Look Studly.  If you’re here because your little gal turned you down, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”  Nicole swirled the red liquid once more before sipping on it but paused then practically choked when he mentioned the letter.  After a bit off coughing Nikki cleared her throat while setting down the glass.  

“Letter?  Yeah I got a letter.  But, who is to say that you got the same one?”  Nikki’s eyes shifted to the man he mentioned then back to him.  “Just call me Nikki.  What’s yours?”  she began to regain some composure as she lifted her glass and took a much bigger drink than before.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

During this time, the old man returned with Bruce next to him and they all sat down to the table. The old man's whited out eye seemed to fall on Nicole for a moment and then he looked to Jack and then to Bruce. He took his seat, *"Go on,"* he said. *"Tell her." *


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## strongarm85 (Sep 4, 2009)

Jack turned his head towards the old man for a second and then back to Nikki, "Jack Canning," he said offering his hand, "I wouldn't worry about Mary over at the bar. Just figuring out a few things."


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

*"Name's Fred Woden,"* said the old man. *"Now we're all good an acquainted. Sorry that I had to bring you here under these circumstances but this storm is just the beginning and it looks like we're going to be caught here for a little while..." *

The old man produced a a set of keys, putting them down on the table, one for each of them. *"There might be others coming, or they might be somewhere else in the town...but these keys are for you, I suggest you take my hospitable offer and use these rooms, they're at the Palace Inn up the street and they're paid for." *


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## strongarm85 (Sep 4, 2009)

"So, Is there anything that needs to be driven anywhere? You don't have to give me too many details. Just how big it is and what I'm carrying will be enough. " Jack asked.


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## Kuno (Sep 4, 2009)

?Why would I worry about her??  Nicole asked tentatively taking his hand in a firm shake. Then turned toward the other man.  ?When are you going to tell us exactly why we are here??  She asked him looking down at the keys for a moment.  She glanced around the room then at the three men sitting at the table before slowly taking one of the keys.  ?Um?thanks?? she said with a nod but didn?t move, waiting for her question to be answered and for the other man to speak.


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## Vergil (Sep 4, 2009)

Bruce sat at the table after being called in, apparently by the man who had sent the letter. It seemed one was a driver, judging by the nature of his questions, the other one was still a mystery, other than she was a female. 

Bruce didn't offer a hand to shake, nor did he shake anyone's. They were as in the dark about this as he was. All he could really discern from his trip outside was that the power lines didn't have any sort of ice on them. 

Then there was the old man. The one who hired them with the odd taste in music, odd for Bruce anyway. Probably a good idea to talk to him, especially seeing as he had just taken the key to the room he had paid for.

"Bruce Napier. Interesting light display you have going on here, I'd hazard a guess that the power disturbance is linked to whatever we're investigating." Bruce always looked people dead in the eye when he spoke. "What do you know?" Bruce asked curtly


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

Kunoichirule said:


> ?Why would I worry about her??  Nicole asked tentatively taking his hand in a firm shake.





Vergil said:


> Bruce sat at the table after being called in, apparently by the man who had sent the letter. It seemed one was a driver, judging by the nature of his questions, the other one was still a mystery, other than she was a female.
> 
> Bruce didn't offer a hand to shake, nor did he shake anyone's. They were as in the dark about this as he was. All he could really discern from his trip outside was that the power lines didn't have any sort of ice on them.
> 
> ...


*
"Nice to see you're all getting along so well,"* he cracked a smirk. 



strongarm85 said:


> "So, Is there anything that needs to be driven anywhere? You don't have to give me too many details. Just how big it is and what I'm carrying will be enough. " Jack asked.


*
"Son, we can't drive in this weather,"* the old man said. 



Kunoichirule said:


> ?When are you going to tell us exactly why we are here??  She asked him looking down at the keys for a moment.  She glanced around the room then at the three men sitting at the table before slowly taking one of the keys.  ?Um?thanks?? she said with a nod but didn?t move, waiting for her question to be answered and for the other man to speak.



"What's going on here, little miss is a war...and you're just now seeing the opening salvo of it." The old man paused, "Listen." 

There was nothing save the sounds of the bar and the distant howl of the wind. The cold angry air outside pressing at the wooden structure. "Can't you hear it?"  



Vergil said:


> "What do you know?" Bruce asked curtly



*"Know a lot of things,"* he chuckled. *"Maybe that question was a lapse in judgment on your part. But what I know most of all, what I hear, is a war's coming...I needed some people who would be up to the challenge and this is the perfect starting arena for us to see just what you can do."

*He rose from the table slowly, dusting his hand against his shirt, *"Get some rest soon, you're going to need it." *

The man walked out of the bar and vanished out into the snowy night.


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 4, 2009)

As the patrons go about their business, eating and drinking, a rather raggy dressed kid carefully sneaks around, deftly snatching bits of food from the plates of others. He gives a disgusted groan as he feels the melted snow water seep through his worn sneakers, making his steps squishy. The flickering lights startle him, making him choke on the bits of fries. The others stare, he nervously straightens out, waving at the dour stares, chuckling uneasily.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> As the patrons go about their business, eating and drinking, a rather raggy dressed kid carefully sneaks around, deftly snatching bits of food from the plates of others. He gives a disgusted groan as he feels the melted snow water seep through his worn sneakers, making his steps squishy. The flickering lights startle him, making him choke on the bits of fries. The others stare, he nervously straightens out, waving at the dour stares, chuckling uneasily.



_He's able to steal the food and eat it but not with out being unnoticed by Mary, the bartender. 
_*"Hey kid!"* she called out, *"You can't do that!?"* she started to come out from behind the bar while wiping her hands with a nearby rag. Mary moved around from the corner of the bar and approached the kid.

*"You can't just come in here and steal like that," *she reprimanded him, *"If you were that starved you should have asked for food..." *


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 4, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> _He's able to steal the food and eat it but not with out being unnoticed by Mary, the bartender.
> _*"Hey kid!"* she called out, *"You can't do that!?"* she started to come out from behind the bar while wiping her hands with a nearby rag. Mary moved around from the corner of the bar and approached the kid.
> 
> *"You can't just come in here and steal like that," *she reprimanded him, *"If you were that starved you should have asked for food..." *


"S-sorry..." Gwei squeaked out in a slightly accented inflection. "I-I Don't have American moneys..."

The shrunken kid averts his eyes, trying as best he can to sneak a mouth full of half chewed fries down his throat. His feet squish noisily in the soaked sneakers.

He digs around in his pocket, and hands out a small piece of gold on a string of warm wooden beads with strange, glowing symbols on it. 

"I-it's not money...But It is still gold..."


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> "S-sorry..." Gwei squeaked out in a slightly accented inflection. "I-I Don't have American moneys..."
> 
> The shrunken kid averts his eyes, trying as best he can to sneak a mouth full of half chewed fries down his throat. His feet squish noisily in the soaked sneakers.
> 
> ...




Mary patted his head, *"Keep it, come over here to the bar and I'll have them drum up some food--you like burgers?" *


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 4, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Mary patted his head, *"Keep it, come over here to the bar and I'll have them drum up some food--you like burgers?" *


"Bur...Ger?" Gwei hops up on the stool, inquisitively peering over the griddles in the back.


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## Tyrael (Sep 4, 2009)

Seb stepped from the cold and into the bar. Away from the murderous weather, but he did not allow himself to relax. Automatically he scanned the room. Some locals eying him darkly, a mismatched trio looking uncomfortable, a few teenagers lounging in the corner, a young child talking to the barmaid. Warmth of both air temperature and atmosphere seemed to occupy the room. Nothing leapt out at him as dangerous.

He made his way to the bar, reaching for his wallet. Best to shelter here for the moment and make some solid plans. There was no rush to step out into that blizzard again. He shivered and leaned forwards, both elbows propped against the counter. Guess that this place would have to do until the storm died away; the morning most probably.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

Mary passed into the back of the room to talk to the cooks and then reemerged as Seb sat down. She looked to Gwe, *"You're food will be right out doll,"* she then walked a little ways up the bar to where Seb sat and lifted a mug that had been left discarded by another customer. 

She placed the mug in the sink and sighed, *"So what's it going to be, honey?" *


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## Tyrael (Sep 4, 2009)

Seb gave a grunt of laughter when he heard the barmaid sigh, "yeah, I know that feeling."

"I-you know what just get me some water or something. I'm not in the mood for drinking tonight." In all truth he was finding it hard to relax, despite the apparent friendliness of the atmosphere. He was here, after all, to hunt, not to relax. Something told him, probably baseless paranoia, that he would need to keep his wits about him.


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 4, 2009)

Gwei straightens up, smelling a hint of poison entering the bar. He warily looks at the imposing new customer. Yet no sense of danger seems to come from Seg. Gwei shrugs, picking up the salt shaker, and shaking some on his palm to lick.


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## Tyrael (Sep 4, 2009)

Seb noticed the boy looking at him before licking salt straight off of his palm.

"Damn, that not taste horrible kid?" For the first time he noticed that this boy was dressed in a ragged attire. Was this boy homeless? He looked Asian. "You from around here?"


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 4, 2009)

Tyrael said:


> Seb noticed the boy looking at him before licking salt straight off of his palm.
> 
> "Damn, that not taste horrible kid?" For the first time he noticed that this boy was dressed in a ragged attire. Was this boy homeless? He looked Asian. "You from around here?"


"Hmmh? Oh, it makes me not hungry so much." A slight accent tinges his words.

He straightens out his over sized shirt, his clothes seem all too inadequate for the weather.

"I...Guess I can say I just moved here...Just following cats around..."

He dips a toothpick in some ketchup, chewing the end of it.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

After leaving Seb Mary makes her rounds and then comes back to deliver the food to Gwei.


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 4, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> After leaving Seb Mary makes her rounds and then comes back to deliver the food to Gwei.


"Wow, this is quite large..." Gwei clasps his hands together, bowing in respect, then voraciously starts tearing into the juicy, greasy burger.

"Mmm! It's like the pork buns back home!" Chomps down the dripping sandwich, onions and condiments falling from it.

He a sudden cold jolt in his gut, looking over to Seb, startled for a brief moment. Gwei takes a careful gulp.

"Wh-what?...Is there something on my face?" The large man's eyes seem to be drawn to the kid's mouth, fixed on his large canines.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

The rest of the night passed on without much even, Seb and Gwei stayed at the bar, Seb retreated to the hotel next door. Nikki and Jack sat with Bruce awkwardly in mostly silence for a while longer before heading back to the same small hotel. 

Mary was a little thrown off by the kid and his enthused appearance over the burger. When she found he had no place to sleep she offered him something. *"Hey kid, look I have a room over at the Inn, if you want you can stay where with me tonight. I've got a couch and a warm shower you can use..." *

...

The night passed and in the morning, there was an eerie silence. 

*Gwei*
You awaken to and open door and no sign of Mary. Your bed on the couch is warm and comfortable and next to you there is a bag of McDonald's food with the top rolled up with a note.

_Got you breakfast
-Mary._

There's no sound out in the hallway of the hotel, the second floor seems to be nearly empty and outside the wind can be heard. The storm seems to have calmed now. 

*Seb
*The morning brings a plethora of nothingness. No birds, no noise save the wind. 

And then a sound of someone pounding on the hotel door stirs Seb. A female voice calls out, *"Is anyone in there? Quick...God please someone be in there!" *

*Jack & Nikki
*The beating on the door down the hall rouses them from their slumber too.

_Bruce you will come in when you are online again  _


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 4, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> The rest of the night passed on without much even, Seb and Gwei stayed at the bar, Seb retreated to the hotel next door. Nikki and Jack sat with Bruce awkwardly in mostly silence for a while longer before heading back to the same small hotel.
> 
> Mary was a little thrown off by the kid and his enthused appearance over the burger. When she found he had no place to sleep she offered him something. *"Hey kid, look I have a room over at the Inn, if you want you can stay where with me tonight. I've got a couch and a warm shower you can use..." *
> 
> ...


Gwei feels a cold spasm in his gut, picking up his sanjiegun from under the couch. bounding to the door, he looks down the hall towards the commotion through the cracked door. Quickly, he tucks away the weapon on his leg, just peeping at the scene.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

_Gwei is too far down the hall to hear the noise (and he's upstairs.)_


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 4, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> _Gwei is too far down the hall to hear the noise (and he's upstairs.)_


*Eats burger instead*


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

Out in the hall, Gwei hears someone shambling around. The door is still open so the sound isn't that hard to pick up.


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## Tyrael (Sep 4, 2009)

Seb spent a moment breathing hard and working out where he was. The beating raises him out of his dumbstruck mindset. Someone is yelling outside.

"What? What's going on?"

He slips out of bed and retrieves his need gun and knife, strapping the former to his wrist and the latter to his waste. Despite the panic of the shouts he doesn't open the door quickly. An ambush could be waiting for him. One shoulder against it, so he can barge it closed again if necessary, he eases the door open.


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 4, 2009)

Gwei drops his burger, slowly getting to the floor, and pressing his ear to the floor; concentrating on the noises reverberating through the building. He also focuses on observing the seam on the bottom of the door as well.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

((you could have peeked out the peephole)) 

From the confines of the room through the crack of the door he can see a girl who looks to be about 17 to 19 years old. She looks distraught, tears stream down her freckled face and her brown hair and clothes are wet, probably from the snow. 

*"Mr. you've got to help me! My friend had gone out to get some food and when she came back she attacked me with a knife, tried to cut me or something!" *


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> Gwei drops his burger, slowly getting to the floor, and pressing his ear to the floor; concentrating on the noises reverberating through the building. He also focuses on observing the seam on the bottom of the door as well.



Gwei can hear the sounds of televisions running in distant rooms and someone walking out in the hall, shambling around and muttering to themselves. Each of their footsteps creaks the floor as they walk.


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 4, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> ((you could have peeked out the peephole))
> 
> From the confines of the room through the crack of the door he can see a girl who looks to be about 17 to 19 years old. She looks distraught, tears stream down her freckled face and her brown hair and clothes are wet, probably from the snow.
> 
> *"Mr. you've got to help me! My friend had gone out to get some food and when she came back she attacked me with a knife, tried to cut me or something!" *


His eyebrows relax, jumping up from the floor, Gwei opens the door quickly, rather speechless at the situation, she then bolts off, Gwei following closely by, hand readied on the sanjiegun hidden on his person


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> His eyebrows relax, jumping up from the floor, Gwei opens the door quickly, rather speechless at the situation, she then bolts off, Gwei following closely by, hand readied on the sanjiegun hidden on his person



((The post you quoted was for tyrael, the second one was for you.))


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## Vergil (Sep 4, 2009)

(sorry for the inactivity )

Bruce slept like the dead. A phrase he often used typical of his black humour. The room was adequate and the bed was warm. Given the cold outside its all he could ask for. He shared a quiet time with the two at the bar. He didn't have much to say to them nor did they hve much to say to him. That was fine, he had all that he needed within himself. 

War. That was the word the old man had used. Still quite a few decades before the big one that was supposedly coming but still the choice of words were interesting. He perhaps got only 4 hours sleep, which was usually all he needed, the rest spent meditating. He thinnks he heard something outside. A little late for anyone to be outside. 

His eyes still closed he focuses his senses to his find out if he can hear anything


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

Vergil said:


> (sorry for the inactivity )
> 
> Bruce slept like the dead. A phrase he often used typical of his black humour. The room was adequate and the bed was warm. Given the cold outside its all he could ask for. He shared a quiet time with the two at the bar. He didn't have much to say to them nor did they hve much to say to him. That was fine, he had all that he needed within himself.
> 
> ...



A blood curdling scream just outside of Bruce's window breaks the air. It sounds like a woman and there is also the sound of someone shouting something in a gruff voice.


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## Kuno (Sep 4, 2009)

At the noise in the hallway Nikki’s eyes fluttered open for a moment, laying still she stared across the room toward the door until she heard the yelling.  At that point she jumped from the bed and moved toward the door.  ‘What the hell is going on?’ She thinks to herself before opening the door a crack and peering into the hallway.  “What the hell is she talking about?” Nikki mumbles to herself while listening to the woman.


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## Tyrael (Sep 4, 2009)

He peers at the girl for a few moments, but the teenage girl keeps begging. After a moment he moves away from the door, letting it swing open, and pulls on the rest of his clothes quickly.

_The letter spoke of a demonic blood bath of epic proportions._

Was this it? Only one way to find out. There was no way he could just send a girl away after being threatened anyway. Memories resurfaced. "Okay, take me to your friend."


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

Kunoichirule said:


> At the noise in the hallway Nikki?s eyes fluttered open for a moment, laying still she stared across the room toward the door until she heard the yelling.  At that point she jumped from the bed and moved toward the door.  ?What the hell is going on?? She thinks to herself before opening the door a crack and peering into the hallway.  ?What the hell is she talking about?? Nikki mumbles to herself while listening to the woman.





Tyrael said:


> He peers at the girl for a few moments, but the teenage girl keeps begging. After a moment he moves away from the door, letting it swing open, and pulls on the rest of his clothes quickly.
> 
> _The letter spoke of a demonic blood bath of epic proportions._
> 
> Was this it? Only one way to find out. There was no way he could just send a girl away after being threatened anyway. Memories resurfaced. "Okay, take me to your friend."



The girl nodded and started back down the hall way, she was talking loudly and frantically as she walked, *"I don't know what happened, it was like something just changed in him or like he was taken over--he was normal one minute and the next thing I knew he just attacked."*


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## Vergil (Sep 4, 2009)

Bruce's eyes snap open. A scream. He grabs his coat, it had a few things that may be useful, opens the curtains and the window. The freezing air comes in. No time to think about that, he looks outside to see what's going on.


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 4, 2009)

Gwei starts to stir around in the room, sensing turbulent energies all around, he presses his face to the cold window, trying as hard as possible to glimpse the source of the scream, the vantage point too angled to see anything.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 4, 2009)

Vergil said:


> Bruce's eyes snap open. A scream. He grabs his coat, it had a few things that may be useful, opens the curtains and the window. The freezing air comes in. No time to think about that, he looks outside to see what's going on.



As he gets outside he hears an engine start up and there's a squeal of tires almost instantly. Down the side of the building he spots a car race out and run down a woman. The car skids down, through a snow bank and slams into some trees with a crackle of bent metal and broken glass. 



ReikaiDemon said:


> Gwei starts to stir around in the room, sensing turbulent energies all around, he presses his face to the cold window, trying as hard as possible to glimpse the source of the scream, the vantage point too angled to see anything.





Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Gwei can hear the sounds of televisions running in distant rooms and someone walking out in the hall, shambling around and muttering to themselves. Each of their footsteps creaks the floor as they walk.


----------



## strongarm85 (Sep 5, 2009)

Jack had risen with the crack of dawn. By the time he'd heard the scream he'd already gone threw his morning workout, taken a shower and was just about ready for his day. He was fully. When he heard the scream he was ironing his jacket, already dressed in his slacks, leather shoes, pressed clean white shirt, a black tie, and a gun holster outside his shirt near the left side of his chest with his Berreta M9 in holstered with the safety on.

Jack sighed, his day never feeling complete without his morning routine finished, even if it was 99% done. He put the suit Jacket on and grabbed a long coat near the door for the weather and walked outside.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

*"Mr. you've got to help me! My friend had gone out to get some food and when she came back she attacked me with a knife, tried to cut me or something!"

*The frantic voice jack heard just before he exited his room was that of a female. 

Once out in the hall he found her leading another man away from his door, speaking as she walked: 

 *"I don't know what happened, it was like something just changed in him or like he was taken over--he was normal one minute and the next thing I knew he just attacked."

*She was a brunette and looked to be no older than 19 years old. As she walked she glanced up at Jack. She was mostly covered in her thick puffy jacket, but there was a rip on one sleeve and blood leaked through, he noticed that first off.


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## strongarm85 (Sep 5, 2009)

"Tie your wound off!" Jack called out, "You'll pass out if you loose too much blood!"

Jack continued down the stairs mentally cursing. He was feeling worse about taking this job more and more as time went on. He was a driver and now he wasn't going to be able to properly apply his skills. 

"So where is this boyfriend?" he was finally on the ground floor and approaching.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

strongarm85 said:


> "Tie your wound off!" Jack called out, "You'll pass out if you loose too much blood!"
> 
> Jack continued down the stairs mentally cursing. He was feeling worse about taking this job more and more as time went on. He was a driver and now he wasn't going to be able to properly apply his skills.
> 
> "So where is this boyfriend?" he was finally on the ground floor and approaching.



*"He was following right behind me, I don't know what's wrong with him, he's never...he's never been like this before!" *

As they moved down the hallway a figure in a wife beater stepped into view, he should have been freezing coming from outside but he seemed unaware or immune to the cold. 

*"Daisy! Why'd you run off like that?"* he asked with a smirk on his face. There was a machete in his other hand and he cut a line across his chest and gathered the blood in his hand. 

After that he charged with his bloody hand out stretched in front of him and the knife cocked back. 

_He's about fifty feet out from Jack, Seb and Daisy._


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## strongarm85 (Sep 5, 2009)

Jack draws his Beretta, clicks the safety off in the same movement, and fires a bullet at the man's head trying to aim right between his eyes.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

Jack's shot hits the man in the forehead and he crumbles to the floor with the machete clattering beside him. Blood pools around the top of his head as he lays there. 

Daisy cries out as the shot sounds, jumping slightly in fear.


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## strongarm85 (Sep 5, 2009)

Jack was a man who lived by his rules. And one of his rules was to always check his kill if he was able to. He re-engages the safety on his pistol and holsters it for a moment while reaches into the pockets of his long coat and retrieves a pair of leather gloves. His own pistol was one thing, but he didn't want to bother with getting his prints on the Machette. 

After he's got his gloves on he redraws his pistol, disengages the safety. When he gets close he kneels down the pick up the Machette keeping an eye on the corpse in case it decided to move on him. And then using the Mechette he stands back up and tries to roll that man by using the bladed end to roll him over like a spatula.

If the man moves at any part of this Jack steps back and keeps an eye on what he does.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

The body rolls over onto its back easily enough and its obvious that he's very dead. 

*"Is that it, is he dead?"* asked Daisy keeping her distance. 

Nothing about the man seemed to be out of the ordinary besides the self inflicted wound and that blood on his hand. His hair was lightly dusted with snow.


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## strongarm85 (Sep 5, 2009)

"As dead as it gets," Jack said as re-engages the safety. He walked back over towards the group and dropped the machete in the middle of them on the ground. He pulls the clip out his pistol after that and replaces the round he fired earlier and slides it back into place when he's done.


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## Vergil (Sep 5, 2009)

Bruce takes out his grapple gun from his coat, looks for a secure purchase for him to be able to swing down, as it would be much faster than run down the stairs. From where he could see, he could make out the make and model of the car, as well as the colour. He keeps a mental note of it.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

The car is red and he can see it stopped, steaming against the trees. The person inside seems to not be moving. 

And then Bruce hears a gunshot in the distance.


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## Vergil (Sep 5, 2009)

A gunshot? What the hell is going on? Though it seemed close, getting the people medical attention was of greater importance. It wasn't as if he was a superhero or anything.

Priorities. First, he checked on the person laying on the ground. He would next check the person in the car. As he went, he took out his cellphone and dialled for the emergency services.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

Both of the bodies were utterly dead, the one hit by the car was gnarled underneath the vehicle and smashed between the crumpled metal and the trees. The other had met its end inside of the car. 

But when he tried to dial his phone and odd thing happened, there was no service.


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## Vergil (Sep 5, 2009)

'Odd. But not unexpected' he thought as there was the silence from his phone. Something was happening and it was definitely out of the ordinary. He wanted to inspect the bodies of the victims but due to the gunshot, it had to wait. 

He wasn't so stupid as to run out into the middle of a fire fight. He aimed his grapnel up again to get a decent view from a roof, whilst still attempting to remain out of sight from anyone else. He had his glasses in his pocket so he could magnify, to be able to see clearly what was going on.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

From the rooftop the streets seem eerily empty, the gun's shooter and the victim seem to be nowhere in sight. Down the street there are some parked cars off in the distance covered in snow. The car is so completely covered that it almost seems like a small hill of white, but the sides of the tires showing gives it away. 

Since there is no one out and there's no prints in the snow from what Bruce can see he can only guess that the shots came from in doors.


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## Vergil (Sep 5, 2009)

'Gunshots came from inside.' he thought. He climbed back down to the car and the dead bodies. He wanted to investigate them for ID and the like.

Once he was done in that area, Bruce headed towards his open window of his room. Perhaps a phone inside the hotel would work but first he would try and figure out where the gunshots came from


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

The woman beneath the car was barely wearing clothes and her body didn't have any place that she could have hidden an ID on, and she was tattered from the impact. 

The man in the car seemed to be a cop from what Bruce could tell by the badge, _Kevin Walburg._

Back inside of the room there was no dial tone on the phone.

When he checked his hall there was no sign of anyone shot there.


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## Vergil (Sep 5, 2009)

A cop and a woman in night clothes? So far it was unexplainable but that would soon change. He would make sure of it. He kept that man's ID with him, perhaps he could research it later.

Unsurprisingly the phone was dead too. He cautiously made his way to reception to see if anyone was there


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

On the way to the lobby Bruce noticed a man wandering about the hallways with a shotgun. The man seemed gruff and had the look of a woodsman of some kind. He stalked into the lobby just as Bruce entered and when he saw Bruce he raised his gun up, *"Are you one of them?"* asked the man. *"Are you with them?"*


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## Vergil (Sep 5, 2009)

Faced with the shotgun Bruce breathed in and out calmly. assess the situation. Don't panic. 

He raised his arms into the air. "No, I'm not one of them." the answer was obvious. Us and them, you're always 'Us' and never 'Them'

"I'm here to help. I heard gunfire and none of the phones are working. I came down to see if I could get any help from Reception. What happened?" Bruce asked


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## Tyrael (Sep 5, 2009)

Seb hears a someone else talking to the girl and hesitates. The violent friend? Another guest. He lays his hand on his left arm as a gunshot rings out.

_Shit_.

He waits, but the sounds of the two people talking starts again. He can still hear the girl who asked him for help. Keeping a firm grip of his arm, so he can fire the needle gun in a moment, he strides out of the room.

"The hell," he asks, "is going on here?"


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

Vergil said:


> Faced with the shotgun Bruce breathed in and out calmly. assess the situation. Don't panic.
> 
> He raised his arms into the air. "No, I'm not one of them." the answer was obvious. Us and them, you're always 'Us' and never 'Them'
> 
> "I'm here to help. I heard gunfire and none of the phones are working. I came down to see if I could get any help from Reception. What happened?" Bruce asked



The man eyed him, keeping his gun trained on Bruce, *"Have you noticed what's going on out there, I was coming back from a hunting trip and when I got home to tend to my garden I was confronted by the Wallace boys...know them all my life but they tried to stab me or something..." 
*
*"...then I saw Sheta Pinkerton being carried off and cut on by her son and daughter, they cut themselves and bled inside of her wound...I don't know what's going on here." *



Tyrael said:


> Seb hears a someone else talking to the girl and hesitates. The violent friend? Another guest. He lays his hand on his left arm as a gunshot rings out.
> 
> _Shit_.
> 
> ...



Daisy glances back to Seb,* "I don't know, its like he went crazy and attacked us and he...he...killed him." 
*


----------



## Tyrael (Sep 5, 2009)

Seb looked at the man and then the corpse. A machete was lying on the ground; the man had dropped it when he had emerged from the room.

"You gonna use that thing again?" He nods to the man's gun.


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## Vergil (Sep 5, 2009)

Bruce listened as the man spoke. Friends turning on each other, even family. Family. Bruce's mind couldn't help but wander back to that night. Images of his parents brutally killed by demons, they didn't care about family. They didn't know.

"Some sort of mind control. Perhaps possession. Unfortunately sir, these things are all too common place, but I've never seen it effect a whole town like this. It's a guess but that's the only thing that makes sense at the moment. If you would be so kind as to put the gun down," Bruce said adding just a little bit of edge to his voice. "I'm here to help and I can't very well do it like this."


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 5, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> *"Mr. you've got to help me! My friend had gone out to get some food and when she came back she attacked me with a knife, tried to cut me or something!"
> 
> *The frantic voice jack heard just before he exited his room was that of a female.
> 
> ...


----------



## Kuno (Sep 5, 2009)

Rushing back into her room, Nikki got dressed quickly and grabbed her bow.  She slung the quiver across her back before grabbing one of the arrows so she didn?t have to waste precious time in reaching for one.  After a quick look up and down the hall she stepped out to follow the girl she had been listening to.


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## strongarm85 (Sep 5, 2009)

Tyrael said:


> Seb looked at the man and then the corpse. A machete was lying on the ground; the man had dropped it when he had emerged from the room.
> 
> "You gonna use that thing again?" He nods to the man's gun.



"Probably, you cannot have mine though. Guns are a lot easier to get in the colonies. Get your own." Jack said as he straitened his jacket.


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## Tyrael (Sep 5, 2009)

Seb shook his head, "don't worry, I wasn't asking that."

He turned to look again at the body. "So anybody know what is going on here?" He had not meant to say the thought aloud.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

Vergil said:


> Bruce listened as the man spoke. Friends turning on each other, even family. Family. Bruce's mind couldn't help but wander back to that night. Images of his parents brutally killed by demons, they didn't care about family. They didn't know.
> 
> "Some sort of mind control. Perhaps possession. Unfortunately sir, these things are all too common place, but I've never seen it effect a whole town like this. It's a guess but that's the only thing that makes sense at the moment. If you would be so kind as to put the gun down," Bruce said adding just a little bit of edge to his voice. "I'm here to help and I can't very well do it like this."



The man lowered his gun, *"Possession?"* he stared at Bruce in a strange manner, "Possession by demons?" he shook his head, *"Hogwash, you're just as crazy as them...this is like some, some bad nightmare or something." *



Kunoichirule said:


> Rushing back into her room, Nikki got dressed quickly and grabbed her bow.  She slung the quiver across her back before grabbing one of the arrows so she didn?t have to waste precious time in reaching for one.  After a quick look up and down the hall she stepped out to follow the girl she had been listening to.



When Nicole moves to follow the girl, she is able to sneak out without Jack of Seb hearing her coming, Daisy is too distraught to notice too. She can hear the conversation between Seb and Jack from this far away and make out their words clearly.



Tyrael said:


> Seb shook his head, "don't worry, I wasn't asking that."
> 
> He turned to look again at the body. "So anybody know what is going on here?" He had not meant to say the thought aloud.



Daisy shook her head, *"The town's like a ghost town," she said, "There's no one in the streets, there's nothing...the snow calmed down but I heard it was going to get really bad tonight." 
*


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

*Gwei
*A sound like someone out in the hallway rouse Gwei from listening to the floor, there were footfalls coming around the corner, as he sat up he saw Mary entering the room. She had a distraught look on her face, *"We've got to get out of here!"* she said. 

She ran to her bedroom and went into the bedside table where the hotel usually would have kept the Bible, she pulled out a Colt Revolver and stuffed it into the waistband of her jeans and started back for the door, *"Something's wrong out there." *


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 5, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> *Gwei
> *A sound like someone out in the hallway rouse Gwei from listening to the floor, there were footfalls coming around the corner, as he sat up he saw Mary entering the room. She had a distraught look on her face, *"We've got to get out of here!"* she said.
> 
> She ran to her bedroom and went into the bedside table where the hotel usually would have kept the Bible, she pulled out a Colt Revolver and stuffed it into the waistband of her jeans and started back for the door, *"Something's wrong out there." *


Gwei stops as he sees the Colt.

"That isn't?..." Gwei lists off as he points at the gun. "N-no, nevermind, it's not important now."

Gwei unsheathes his wooden exorcism sword, fixing a paper talisman to the tip, ready for Mary's lead.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

Mary leads Gwei out into the hall talking as they go, *"We need to avoid other people it seems, there's something wrong with them, some kind of madness, Lucy at the shop tried to attack me and I saw some kids beating a woman in the alley. When I came back, my car tires had been flattened."*


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 5, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Mary leads Gwei out into the hall talking as they go, *"We need to avoid other people it seems, there's something wrong with them, some kind of madness, Lucy at the shop tried to attack me and I saw some kids beating a woman in the alley. When I came back, my car tires had been flattened."*


"If they were possesed, I might be able to exorcise them. But...There are different degrees of possession...They might not be able to be cured...."

Gwei feels malevolent energies from all around, 'how could this much evil suddenly appear without warning?' Gwei thought to himself. The evil felt as if it all suddenly popped into thin air, Gwei's fingers trembled, he has never dealt with so much at once. His head started to ache, so he shut off his senses for a while, vulnerable, but able to think clearly now.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

((Any form of possession can be removed, even the kind where the demon seals itself in the body. One simply has to find the seal and break it))

*"Where did you get all of this?" *Mary asked,* "Possession's not real, it must have been something they got into, in the water or the air...but what could do this?" 
*
_She's going to have a hard time believing anything about demons and Gwei is going to have a hard time discerning what is actually making people go mad until he sees them. _


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 5, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> ((Any form of possession can be removed, even the kind where the demon seals itself in the body. One simply has to find the seal and break it))
> 
> *"Where did you get all of this?" *Mary asked,* "Possession's not real, it must have been something they got into, in the water or the air...but what could do this?"
> *
> _She's going to have a hard time believing anything about demons and Gwei is going to have a hard time discerning what is actually making people go mad until he sees them. _


"S-Sorry, I was speaking figuratively I guess." Gwei reminds himself that he should adhere to his code to keep non-believers ignorant. He starts to get wary, scanning all around, essentially blinded without his extra senses on. The hairs on the back of his neck seem to spark from the tension. 

'Dementia or possession, one thing is for sure, there is demonic blood is running through the air' Gwei thought to himself


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

Mary led him out to the street, *"I don't know where anyone else is but this car, it should get us out of here."* There was a parked car on the side of the road, *"The roads might be impassable but if we can just get to the edge of town we can do something..." 
*
She threw open the driver's side door and got in, starting the car, *"Dammit, these mountain roads will be almost impossible to move around once it's nice and the temperature will drop too..." *

*"Get in."* Mary told him.


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 5, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Mary led him out to the street, *"I don't know where anyone else is but this car, it should get us out of here."* There was a parked car on the side of the road, *"The roads might be impassable but if we can just get to the edge of town we can do something..."
> *
> She threw open the driver's side door and got in, starting the car, *"Dammit, these mountain roads will be almost impossible to move around once it's nice and the temperature will drop too..." *
> 
> *"Get in."* Mary told him.


Gwei slides in, secretly attaching a talisman to the inside of the car, to at least cloak and protect them from low level entities.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 5, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> Gwei slides in, secretly attaching a talisman to the inside of the car, to at least cloak and protect them from low level entities.



The car glides down the road, its obvious that Mary knows what she's doing behind the wheel. With the heat blasting but not yet warm and the radio off they cruised through the town toward the bridge that would be their best hope of reaching safety. They moved silently and as they neared the bridge there was a barricade of cars, some of them cop's cars blocking the road. 

A man with an AR-15 stepped out of the woods with the weapon trained on the car, another man brandishing a shotgun approached from the other side. Mary let the car come to a stop, *"What seems to be the problem?" *she asked as she rolled the window down.

Gwei notices her hand going for the gun she carried.

The man with the shotgun shots back, *"Stay in the car and turn around, towns under quarantine!" *

*"Quarantine from what?" *Mary asked.

*"Men from the government didn't say," *said the man with the shotgun whom Mary knew to be Buck Olsen. There was something odd about his mannerisms and tone of voice that made him seem unrecognizable. 

Gwei remembers something, saying the name of the lord in the presence of demons makes them show themselves...but it could rouse and attack from them too.


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 6, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> The car glides down the road, its obvious that Mary knows what she's doing behind the wheel. With the heat blasting but not yet warm and the radio off they cruised through the town toward the bridge that would be their best hope of reaching safety. They moved silently and as they neared the bridge there was a barricade of cars, some of them cop's cars blocking the road.
> 
> A man with an AR-15 stepped out of the woods with the weapon trained on the car, another man brandishing a shotgun approached from the other side. Mary let the car come to a stop, *"What seems to be the problem?" *she asked as she rolled the window down.
> 
> ...


'Crap, how did that prayer go? I knew I should've carried a bible, dammit'
Gwei curses under his breath in Mandarin, riffling through some of the talismans that have prayers from many faiths around the world written on them.

He glances to the strange men, getting more belligerent, the barrier seems to be shrinking, allowing them to get more comfortably closer, he glances to the talisman he stuck earlier, it is burning down to it's last centimeter.

"AHA! GOT IT!"

Gwei whips it out and slaps the talisman to the hilt of his wooden exorcism sword, then grips it by the blade, holding it upside down, the hilt and handle serving as a crucifix, he climbs over Mary, holding it in front of the men. With the word of the lord towards Gwei, he recites loudly.

"Our     Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your name.
    Your Kingdom come, 
    your will be done, 
    on earth as in heaven
    Give us today our daily bread.
    Forgive us our sins,
    as we forgive those who sin against us. 
    Lead us not into temptation, 
    but deliver us from evil. 
    For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. 
    Now and for ever. Amen!"

The sword bursts into light.


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 6, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> 'Crap, how did that prayer go? I knew I should've carried a bible, dammit'
> Gwei curses under his breath in Mandarin, riffling through some of the talismans that have prayers from many faiths around the world written on them.
> 
> He glances to the strange men, getting more belligerent, the barrier seems to be shrinking, allowing them to get more comfortably closer, he glances to the talisman he stuck earlier, it is burning down to it's last centimeter.
> ...



Mary glared over at Gwei, *"What the Hell...?"*

The man with the shotgun yelled, *"Out of the car, now!" *

Mary threw the stick into reverse and stepped down on the pedal. The car slipped on the ice for a split second and then kicked into a speedy retreat. Mary had the gun up now and gun shots rang out from the men blocking the road as she spun the wheel of the car and forced the car into a 180. 

The vehicle whirled about and a shot ruptured the back window into fragments of glass They sped back towards the town and the men didn't seem to come after them, at least not right away. 

Mary looked over at Gwei, *"What the Hell is wrong with you? Where did you get that knife from?" *


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 6, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Mary glared over at Gwei, *"What the Hell...?"*
> 
> The man with the shotgun yelled, *"Out of the car, now!" *
> 
> ...


"Ehehe...Oh, it's okay, i-it's wood, see?" Gwei knocks on the sword.

"I, uh, though since this is America, then they would know we were good people if we know the Christian scriptures and customs..." 

Gwei slides back down in his seat, and reactivates his senses, looking back.

'I guess it's no use trying to see, even if they weren't influenced, I couldn't tell if I preformed a warding afterwards...Still, they don't seem normal...' Gwei thought, he sighed, looking at the neat curved line of glass and buckshot on the seat. 'I guess it's lucky the barrier was still big enough to protect us, and even more lucky that the rounds were low enough caliber' Gwei grimaced, his head filled with the evil spiritual noise that was saturating the area, he sighed, blinding his third eye again.

Gwei becomes quiet, not knowing whether to be embarrassed or grateful for his actions, he stuck another talisman under the seat once the last one burnt out completely.


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## Kuno (Sep 6, 2009)

Nikki continues to sneak forward to the group talking and listens to what was being said.  ‘Maybe that old guy knew what he was talking about…’ She continued forward her steps lightly until she was near them.  “Maybe we should continue on?  Figure out what is going on?”  Nikki smiles at them before slowly heading down the stairs.  Her arrow resting on the bow’s string.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 6, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> "Ehehe...Oh, it's okay, i-it's wood, see?" Gwei knocks on the sword.
> 
> "I, uh, though since this is America, then they would know we were good people if we know the Christian scriptures and customs..."
> 
> ...



*"Whatever it was that you thought you were doing was a bad idea, those men weren't joking around back there and I don't know what's going on." *She said as they headed back for the town, *"But we'd be dead if we didn't have such good luck right now." *
*
"We're going to head back for the hotel." *



Kunoichirule said:


> Nikki continues to sneak forward to the group talking and listens to what was being said.  ?Maybe that old guy knew what he was talking about?? She continued forward her steps lightly until she was near them.  ?Maybe we should continue on?  Figure out what is going on??  Nikki smiles at them before slowly heading down the stairs.  Her arrow resting on the bow?s string.



Daisy glances back to Nikki, *"Who are you?"* she asked.

Seb and Jack spot Nikki for the first time but of course Jack remember's her from the previous night.


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 6, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> *"Whatever it was that you thought you were doing was a bad idea, those men weren't joking around back there and I don't know what's going on." *She said as they headed back for the town, *"But we'd be dead if we didn't have such good luck right now." *
> *
> "We're going to head back for the hotel." *
> 
> ...


Gwei watched the snow encrusted building fly by during the drive, lulling him a bit with their rustic, cozy monotony. Yet it was a fresh and vibrant sight to his eyes, which only used to grace the tranquil, pious grounds of shrines, and forests. He felt like one cannot focus past the monoliths, where eyes are corralled into line, and made to behave like cattle. The sky seemed to mesh with the tops of the buildings, all matted with frozen over snow.  Only eyes not yet bright to parallel horrors can see the kind of blackness that hangs hidden over the bleached out expanse. Those eyes trained on the mundane are spared however, one can never live peacefully with sight beyond.

Gwei sighed, 'I wish my father was here...Dammit, that letter was supposed to be for him in the first place. Those elders don't know anything about the world anymore...' Gwei felt like he could paint his thoughts on the blank buildings, the once living, breathing  buildings, the words in his head rolled with the scenery, smoothly, unhindered. His first time alone with just his thoughts, no magical noises, no pleading voices of dead men, women and children, no more profane declarations of prisoners once breathing. In a sense, he was thankful to not be able to tolerate the psychic noise like those older than him.

'Those elders...'


*Spoiler*: _Flashback_ 





Gwei sat at his father's feet, as still as a statue, his black robes made the incense smoke shimmer and swirl around him. The smoke crawled over every part of him, making a ghostly silhouette of the shy child.Gwei gulped as his father recited quite ominously, the end of the letter he recieved.

"...a demonic blood bath of epic proportions..."

Gwei feared for his father, yet chastising himself at the thought, he was quite an accomplished exorcist. Still, he feared. Gwei jumped as the elders towering high above broke out in deep, incredulous laughs. They were looming figures under the lantern light, there eyes glowed through their clean figures, shaped out by robes and hats of eras long gone.

"America? America? How ridiculous! You want to go to America and fight in this little skirmish? An exorcist of your standing? RIDICULOUS AHAHAHA!" The fat elder guffawed.

"Really, America has never been such a concern for us, it's rather tame compared to the rest of the world...How ridiculous...India, Japan, Africa, Germany, those are infested with demons, how about you just go on and seek work in those posts?" A lithe female elder scoffed out.

Gwei's father stomped forward, indignantly seething upwards into the crown of elders."Have you lost touch of what our duty is? To serve the innocent and weak! Did we not all strive to clean up this world?! Is that not our purpose!?"

A rather crumpled sillouette groans, and rubs his temples, "If you are so intent on helping them, send your son, surely a child is more than enough to quell such an uprising."

"But!-"

"We will not deign ourselves to such places like America! I bet I could take care of this whole thing single handedly myself if I were your son's age, with just a tiger fang." 

"You can't even do that now! You're dead! You seem to be quite confident of yourselves without a coporeal body!"

A massive wave of gasps rise through the rafters.

"D-dare you talk you your elders that way?! Your ancestors?!"

"I dare, and dare a thousand times more, we're supposed to be aiding the people, instead, all you want to do is to coddle them, control them with their fears."

"It's for their own good, they can't live without guidance, without our power"

"You just want to benefit yourselves off the glory and spoils, you treat this duty like a service. You welcome those spilling pockets with such fervor, it disgusts me. The true elders have all left this world, and moved on, they were beyond all of that!-"

"ENOUGH OF YOUR DISHONOR! We will have to punish you for your outburst, your son, send him to America!" They all simultaneously roared out, flickering like black flames, licking the lanterns above, then snapped out of sight, leaving behind just gravestones settled neatly on thrones oppulently decorated with gold, and jade. Gwei felt like he was going to faint, his head was numb, he has never seen real action before.

"Feh, those damn ghosts, demons are stil demons, damn money grubbing codgers."Gwei's father stomped around, spouted as many profanities from as many languages as possible, he knealt down to Gwei, and hugged him."Those elders don't know what they are talking about, America is just as dangerous as anywhere else.Come on, lets get you ready for Colorado..."


----------



## Kuno (Sep 6, 2009)

“Somebody that is still sane and willing to help…” Nikki laughed flatly before giving her a smile.  There was no real feeling behind it, only a reaction.  She wasn’t trying to make the girl feel better.  Not with her boyfriend laying dead before her.  “This is going on all over town?”  she asked pointing at the dead man then looking at the other two.


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 6, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> Gwei watched the snow encrusted building fly by during the drive, lulling him a bit with their rustic, cozy monotony. Yet it was a fresh and vibrant sight to his eyes, which only used to grace the tranquil, pious grounds of shrines, and forests. He felt like one cannot focus past the monoliths, where eyes are corralled into line, and made to behave like cattle. The sky seemed to mesh with the tops of the buildings, all matted with frozen over snow.  Only eyes not yet bright to parallel horrors can see the kind of blackness that hangs hidden over the bleached out expanse. Those eyes trained on the mundane are spared however, one can never live peacefully with sight beyond.
> 
> Gwei sighed, 'I wish my father was here...Dammit, that letter was supposed to be for him in the first place. Those elders don't know anything about the world anymore...' Gwei felt like he could paint his thoughts on the blank buildings, the once living, breathing  buildings, the words in his head rolled with the scenery, smoothly, unhindered. His first time alone with just his thoughts, no magical noises, no pleading voices of dead men, women and children, no more profane declarations of prisoners once breathing. In a sense, he was thankful to not be able to tolerate the psychic noise like those older than him.
> 
> ...



It would be several minutes before they arrived back at the hotel, *"So kid, I don't think I ever caught your name,"* Mary seemed to be a little upset that she had reacted so badly to what had happened at the roadblock. There was something sympathetic in her eyes. 



Kunoichirule said:


> ?Somebody that is still sane and willing to help?? Nikki laughed flatly before giving her a smile.  There was no real feeling behind it, only a reaction.  She wasn?t trying to make the girl feel better.  Not with her boyfriend laying dead before her.  ?This is going on all over town??  she asked pointing at the dead man then looking at the other two.



*"I don't know," *said Daisy,* "The town seems to be empty...and people should be out right now, something's not right..." 
*


----------



## strongarm85 (Sep 6, 2009)

"Looks like it," Jack said, "We should find that old man and get him to tell us what he knows. If he's got us staying at the Hotel then chances are he's here in one of the rooms. In any case I think classic Zombie survival rules apply."

Jack reached into his pocket, took out a cigarette, lights up, up and takes a drag.  After blowing smoke he says, "The rules are pretty simple, we stick together and keep an eye out for trouble while keeping an eye on each other in case one of us goes crazy next. After that we either try to escape or find a place to hold up in. Escaping is probably the better way to do it."


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 6, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> It would be several minutes before they arrived back at the hotel, *"So kid, I don't think I ever caught your name,"* Mary seemed to be a little upset that she had reacted so badly to what had happened at the roadblock. There was something sympathetic in her eyes.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


"Oh, my name is Chan Gwei, I'm told however that my given name would be my first name here in America, so it's Gwei Chan" 

Gwei looks over the hotel, scanning it with his senses on, it seemed to be clean, but there are some blind spots, he blinded his third eye again.

'I wonder if the others know? Would be nice to meet more people in this...Business? Job? There seems to be some holy objects on the others'


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 6, 2009)

Daisy sighed, *"But he wasn't like a zombie, he was acting like a normal person and then just suddenly..." *

There was a short pause, *"I don't think I want to move around, I just want to find somewhere safe, somewhere I can ride this out." *


----------



## strongarm85 (Sep 6, 2009)

"We wont know what the right move to make is until we know the facts." he says taking another drag, "It could mean that the effect that's driving everyone crazy covers the whole town and makes people more likely to loose their minds the longer they stay here."


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 6, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> "Oh, my name is Chan Gwei, I'm told however that my given name would be my first name here in America, so it's Gwei Chan"
> 
> Gwei looks over the hotel, scanning it with his senses on, it seemed to be clean, but there are some blind spots, he blinded his third eye again.
> 
> 'I wonder if the others know? Would be nice to meet more people in this...Business? Job? There seems to be some holy objects on the others'



*"Well its nice to meet you Gwei, I am sure you're already aware my name is Mary..."* she paused. *"I guess its just good to know who you're with when something strange like this is going on..." *she said. 



strongarm85 said:


> "We wont know what the right move to make is until we know the facts." he says taking another drag, "It could mean that the effect that's driving everyone crazy covers the whole town and makes people more likely to loose their minds the longer they stay here."



*"Then why was I unaffected,"* she asked.

The stairwell they're taking leads down to the bottom floor where they will exit into the snowy alleyway. There's no sign of anyone yet.

*"You said something about an old man, I know everyone in town," *Daisy added, *"Maybe if you describe him I can tell you who he is and he can help us get out of here." *


----------



## Tyrael (Sep 6, 2009)

"What's all this about an old man anyway?" He looked at Jack, sparing a glance towards the two other girls. "Feels I'm two steps behind everyone else here."


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 6, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> *"Well its nice to meet you Gwei, I am sure you're already aware my name is Mary..."* she paused. *"I guess its just good to know who you're with when something strange like this is going on..." *she said.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


"Pretty strange, even for me..." Gwei sighs quietly under his breath. "Well, I know Kung Fu, I'm sure that'll help, until we get to the guns..."


----------



## Kuno (Sep 6, 2009)

?Your right.?  Nikki says nodding to Jack while they walked.  ?Let?s see.  Scraggily looking older man.  Has a beard.  Ring a bell??  This time Nikki chuckled a little.  ?Probably sounds like several men in this town.  ?Said his name was Fred?something??  Nikki thought for a moment before turning to the other guy.

?We were?um?invited here by that fellow.  Met ol? Jackie-boy through him last night.?  She spared him only a glance as they moved on.


----------



## strongarm85 (Sep 6, 2009)

Jack takes one last long drag before tossing the bud on the ground and mashing it with his food. "He also has a glass eye you might have noticed. I think glass eyes are a bit pointless. When you notice someone has a glass eye it a little gross. Personally, I'd rather wear an eye patch."


----------



## Tyrael (Sep 6, 2009)

Seb frowned. Eye patch? That was probably sarcasm.

These two seemed calm-as good as unaffected by the sudden change in mood in the town. In fact, it looked as if they were prepared for it. An old-man who knew something about what was happening?

A picture began to form in Seb's mind.

"Damn, you ain't gonna say that this is something to do with a letter you two received are you?"


----------



## strongarm85 (Sep 6, 2009)

"Ahh, then you got the same letter we did then. You must have been late for the party last night. The old man is the one who sent us the letter. He also put us up in this hotel, so he's probably here too or planning to come here.'


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 6, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> "Pretty strange, even for me..." Gwei sighs quietly under his breath. "Well, I know Kung Fu, I'm sure that'll help, until we get to the guns..."



The car sped back towards the town, *"I have a gun already and Kung Fu is a really bad idea against a gun, my father was in the Marines, taught me how to shoot and everything." 

"If these guys are armed, our best bet is to avoid them." 
* 


Tyrael said:


> "What's all this about an old man anyway?" He looked at Jack, sparing a glance towards the two other girls. "Feels I'm two steps behind everyone else here."





Kunoichirule said:


> ?Your right.?  Nikki says nodding to Jack while they walked.  ?Let?s see.  Scraggily looking older man.  Has a beard.  Ring a bell??  This time Nikki chuckled a little.  ?Probably sounds like several men in this town.  ?Said his name was Fred?something??  Nikki thought for a moment before turning to the other guy.
> 
> ?We were?um?invited here by that fellow.  Met ol? Jackie-boy through him last night.?  She spared him only a glance as they moved on.





strongarm85 said:


> Jack takes one last long drag before tossing the bud on the ground and mashing it with his food. "He also has a glass eye you might have noticed. I think glass eyes are a bit pointless. When you notice someone has a glass eye it a little gross. Personally, I'd rather wear an eye patch."





Tyrael said:


> Seb frowned. Eye patch? That was probably sarcasm.
> 
> These two seemed calm-as good as unaffected by the sudden change in mood in the town. In fact, it looked as if they were prepared for it. An old-man who knew something about what was happening?
> 
> ...





strongarm85 said:


> "Ahh, then you got the same letter we did then. You must have been late for the party last night. The old man is the one who sent us the letter. He also put us up in this hotel, so he's probably here too or planning to come here.'



Daisy seemed to recognize the guy when he was described, *"Wait, that's right!"* she said. *"A man came into town recently, maybe a month ago, he's been staying in a cabin up by the lake--fits your description."
*


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 6, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> The car sped back towards the town, *"I have a gun already and Kung Fu is a really bad idea against a gun, my father was in the Marines, taught me how to shoot and everything."
> 
> "If these guys are armed, our best bet is to avoid them."
> *
> ...


"Well, I do have throwing knives" Gwei showed one of the red tasseled knives, "among other useful things..." Gwei added under his breath.

'If only the sacred shrine guns were a lot smaller...I guess I'm going to try and see if I can make some sacred gunpowder and shot later...'

"If it's any use, I can make ammo"


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 7, 2009)

*"Make ammo?" *Mary asked, *"No that doesn't seem like a good idea, the gun store is nearby...we just need to go to the hotel and get some things," *she said.


----------



## Kuno (Sep 7, 2009)

“Sounds like a trip to the lake might be in order.”  Nikki smiled then snapped her fingers before running back up the stairs.  “Never know…” she says grabbing the dead man’s machete.  She then returns to the group and looks at Daisy.  ‘Pretty calm for just seeing her man shot in the head…” Nikki thinks before returning to the issue at hand.  “Mind pointing us in the right direction?  Seems he needs to meet our new friend”  She says hooking her thumb toward Seb.


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 7, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> *"Make ammo?" *Mary asked, *"No that doesn't seem like a good idea, the gun store is nearby...we just need to go to the hotel and get some things," *she said.


"Okay...but just in case we need it, we might never know. The way things have been going on, there might be a possibility that the citizens have been holing up in supply stores, they might be, forgive me for using this, 'possessed', or they not be, and just trying to defend themselves from the recent 'outbreak'. We might have to risk a shootout on limited ammo to get more ammo. Anyways, do you have any medical knowledge?" Gwei pulled a first aid kit out of his deceptively roomy clothes. "I don't know much about treating wounds, just making the stuff that heals them."


----------



## strongarm85 (Sep 7, 2009)

Kunoichirule said:


> ?Sounds like a trip to the lake might be in order.?  Nikki smiled then snapped her fingers before running back up the stairs.  ?Never know?? she says grabbing the dead man?s machete.  She then returns to the group and looks at Daisy.  ?Pretty calm for just seeing her man shot in the head?? Nikki thinks before returning to the issue at hand.  ?Mind pointing us in the right direction?  Seems he needs to meet our new friend?  She says hooking her thumb toward Seb.



"I'll get the snow chains out. Why don't you two look at Daisy's arm while I get them on?" Jack popped the trunk on his truck using a remote button on his key chain and pulled out a set of snow chains for each of the tires and went to work putting them on.


----------



## Tyrael (Sep 7, 2009)

"Right." He nodded and turned to the girl.

There was a lot of blood, but she seemed to be in fairly good shape. A trickle of guilt entered his mind when he considered that they should have dealt with the injury earlier. "You need that thing bound?" Stopping the blood flow was probably the way to go. He tried to remember if he knew anything about first aid or was just guessing.


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 7, 2009)

Tyrael said:


> "Right." He nodded and turned to the girl.
> 
> There was a lot of blood, but she seemed to be in fairly good shape. A trickle of guilt entered his mind when he considered that they should have dealt with the injury earlier. "You need that thing bound?" Stopping the blood flow was probably the way to go. He tried to remember if he knew anything about first aid or was just guessing.


((doesn't seem like it))


*Spoiler*: __ 



:: Reflexes ::
brawling:

:: Coordination ::
sleight of hand

:: Physique ::
stamina
running

:: Knowledge ::
security

:: Preception ::
streetwise: 

:: Presence ::
intimidation


----------



## Tyrael (Sep 7, 2009)

((Yeah, my guy is just grasping at straws. He's still pretty lost in the whole situation.))


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 7, 2009)

Tyrael said:


> ((Yeah, my guy is just grasping at straws. He's still pretty lost in the whole situation.))


((me too D: ))


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 7, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> "Okay...but just in case we need it, we might never know. The way things have been going on, there might be a possibility that the citizens have been holing up in supply stores, they might be, forgive me for using this, 'possessed', or they not be, and just trying to defend themselves from the recent 'outbreak'. We might have to risk a shootout on limited ammo to get more ammo. Anyways, do you have any medical knowledge?" Gwei pulled a first aid kit out of his deceptively roomy clothes. "I don't know much about treating wounds, just making the stuff that heals them."


*
"I don't really know much about medical stuff really. And wouldn't you need materials to make ammo?"*



Kunoichirule said:


> ?Sounds like a trip to the lake might be in order.?  Nikki smiled then snapped her fingers before running back up the stairs.  ?Never know?? she says grabbing the dead man?s machete.  She then returns to the group and looks at Daisy.  ?Pretty calm for just seeing her man shot in the head?? Nikki thinks before returning to the issue at hand.  ?Mind pointing us in the right direction?  Seems he needs to meet our new friend?  She says hooking her thumb toward Seb.



*"The lake's not far from here, its really hard to miss it,"* she informed them, *"We're in luck because the cabins are on this side...taking the road might make it slower because the lake is just through the woods there." *

She pointed back up the alley, across the road and to a tree line that wasn't very far off. 



strongarm85 said:


> "I'll get the snow chains out. Why don't you two look at Daisy's arm while I get them on?" Jack popped the trunk on his truck using a remote button on his key chain and pulled out a set of snow chains for each of the tires and went to work putting them on.





Tyrael said:


> "Right." He nodded and turned to the girl.
> 
> There was a lot of blood, but she seemed to be in fairly good shape. A trickle of guilt entered his mind when he considered that they should have dealt with the injury earlier. "You need that thing bound?" Stopping the blood flow was probably the way to go. He tried to remember if he knew anything about first aid or was just guessing.



After Daisy agrees, Seb is able to get her wound bound and stop the bleeding temporarily. Then she pipes up,* "I might need to find some place safe if  I can't get out of town, there's a water tower by the lake that's abandoned, we used to play there as kids..."
*


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 7, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> *
> "I don't really know much about medical stuff really. And wouldn't you need materials to make ammo?"*
> 
> 
> ...


"Yeah, I can make the powder, and the slugs" Gwei broke down the steps in his head, he can roll and cut his talismans to the caliber of Mary's colt, then burn them on the stars of his sword to harden them to metal hardness. Then he can refine the left over ashes by enchanting them with holy water, and brush spells, grinding the powder with the flat of his sword until white. Then he can press the finished rounds and powder into paper casings and caps.

"I can custom make the rounds so that you can pierce armor, stuff your colt won't take normally. I can also give the rounds a bit more punch if you don't mind the recoil."

'Hopefully, they're enough to incapacitate the demons without hurting the victims, I hope she doesn't go for headshots. Though, I'll use up most of my talismans, probably a whole stack, I'll have to ration the rest'


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 8, 2009)

Daisy lead them down towards the woods and up a small embankment until they reached the rocky side of the hill and were looking over into the lake lot area. 

A cabin stood with a pick-up truck parked out front, it was rooted down in the snow. 

*"That's his truck I am pretty sure,*" Daisy said, *"And over there is the water tower."* She pointed up to a structure towering around one side of the lake. 



ReikaiDemon said:


> "Yeah, I can make the powder, and the slugs" Gwei broke down the steps in his head, he can roll and cut his talismans to the caliber of Mary's colt, then burn them on the stars of his sword to harden them to metal hardness. Then he can refine the left over ashes by enchanting them with holy water, and brush spells, grinding the powder with the flat of his sword until white. Then he can press the finished rounds and powder into paper casings and caps.
> 
> "I can custom make the rounds so that you can pierce armor, stuff your colt won't take normally. I can also give the rounds a bit more punch if you don't mind the recoil."
> 
> 'Hopefully, they're enough to incapacitate the demons without hurting the victims, I hope she doesn't go for headshots. Though, I'll use up most of my talismans, probably a whole stack, I'll have to ration the rest'



*"Okay its scary that you know all of that."* Mary said as the pulled up on the southern end of the hotel, the building seemed to be clear on this end, no one was around. 

No one was outside or even nearby.


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 8, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Daisy lead them down towards the woods and up a small embankment until they reached the rocky side of the hill and were looking over into the lake lot area.
> 
> A cabin stood with a pick-up truck parked out front, it was rooted down in the snow.
> 
> ...


Gwei peeked around as well, scanning any supernatural blindspots Mary could miss. "It's a family thing...A trade skill..." Gwei suddenly realized that it was indeed surprising for someone from a place so secluded to know much about munitions more commonly used here in America. Before, he thought every person in modern day knew, since all the people from his home has known how to make bullets and service guns since childhood, as per decree of the elder exorcists. It was a frustrating attempt on part of the elders to try and reproduce the effects of the famed Colt. Although surprising advances had been made, they fell all too short of the ultimate goal.

"I, uh, need some privacy if I'm going to make some rounds, family thing, secrets you know. Let me know when you need some"


----------



## strongarm85 (Sep 8, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Daisy lead them down towards the woods and up a small embankment until they reached the rocky side of the hill and were looking over into the lake lot area.
> 
> A cabin stood with a pick-up truck parked out front, it was rooted down in the snow.
> 
> *"That's his truck I am pretty sure,*" Daisy said, *"And over there is the water tower."* She pointed up to a structure towering around one side of the lake.



While they where approaching Jack warned, "Pay attention when we get close, and keep your eyes open for any traps he might have set. That guy called us here knowing this was going to happen. Anyone who would do that is probably crazy as fuck. Besides that, he might be like those other crazies."


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 9, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> Gwei peeked around as well, scanning any supernatural blindspots Mary could miss. "It's a family thing...A trade skill..." Gwei suddenly realized that it was indeed surprising for someone from a place so secluded to know much about munitions more commonly used here in America. Before, he thought every person in modern day knew, since all the people from his home has known how to make bullets and service guns since childhood, as per decree of the elder exorcists. It was a frustrating attempt on part of the elders to try and reproduce the effects of the famed Colt. Although surprising advances had been made, they fell all too short of the ultimate goal.
> 
> "I, uh, need some privacy if I'm going to make some rounds, family thing, secrets you know. Let me know when you need some"



Mary nodded, *"I can do that,"* she stepped out of the car. *"Be careful, we don't know what's going on and it seems like there could be some sort of government thing going on..."*

The door to the hotel was unlocked and she pushed it open to enter the lobby. The carpet was plush and as the two stepped in and the television that sat off to the side of the front desk was just getting static. 

Mary looked at it and walked over to check it. After a moment she said, *"The digital box seems to be working, there's just no channels." *



strongarm85 said:


> While they where approaching Jack warned, "Pay attention when we get close, and keep your eyes open for any traps he might have set. That guy called us here knowing this was going to happen. Anyone who would do that is probably crazy as fuck. Besides that, he might be like those other crazies."



They approached the cabin without incident and the snow picked up just before they reached on the door. 

Daisy knocked on the door and the old man opened it, his glass eye seemed to gleam. *"You're a little late, things are just getting warmed up." *

He held his hand back ushering Daisy in and then he told her, *"There's some food in the fridge in there honey, I suggest you go get some while I talk with these upstanding citizens." *

As the others stand there Daisy walks off, he smiled, *"They just can't help but do what you say sometimes, get the fuck in here before you catch colds." *

On the opposite side of the room cleaning weapons is another man with long dark hair, a trench coat and a beard. He's sitting at a four legged wooden table and he glances up as they come in (Yami's character)

_for those who met the man with the glass eye earlier his name is Fred Woden._


----------



## G. Hawke (Sep 9, 2009)

*Edited Post*

*[The night before and before the others entered:]*

_"Well fuck me."_

That had been Marcus's first thought when he rolled into this ice covered shit hole, snow and gale assailing his poor car. He was late, and that put into him into and even more pensive mood. Marcus, to his credit, has never been late to anything before this. His old man always believed that hunting the damned was never an excuse to be rude. 

But Jan had been insistent he delay his departure, because being the rat bastard that he is, Marcus forgot to inform said lady that he had business to attend to. She had actually ventured into the kitchen and cooked that day, and as god as his witness, Marcus would swear that she would have cut his balls right off if he did not stay and finish it.

While enjoying it of course.

And thus Marcus ended up deciding to spend the night in his car, too lazy to look for a motel in the weather, with a shotgun in his lap. It was reasonably good sleep, even if he had grown use the scent of his woman, only for it to be shattered by the sound of someone knocking on his window

Well that just wouldn't do.

It was an old man, with an eerie glass eye staring at him. Marcus would later learn that this was Fred Woden, and he was the man with the job to do. Lowering the gun he was now pointing at his window, Marcus met his eerie look evenly. Stepping out the door, Marcus barely got a word in before the he was asked to follow, silently and without question.

He was also casually informed, much to his chagrin, that while he slept the town was snowed in and effectively cut off from the outside world.

After a moment of hesitation, Marcus could but agree. Fishing out some equipment from the trunk while returning his beloved two barrel beauty to it's compartment, Marcus followed the the old man to his cabin. Finally arriving at the heat soaked cabin, Marcus found a seat and unconsciously began fiddling with his semi-auto's. Looking at the old man, who was staring out the window at what was obviously going to turn into a snowstorm, Marcus casually posed his question. 

*"So, how about telling me what this is about?"*

But he had a feeling the answer would a be a long time coming.

_*[Current time]*_

It was morning, or at least late morning. Hell truth be told, cause of the weather, Marcus wasn't sure what time of the day it was. Shrugging off his stiffness of having fallen asleep at a table, Marcus stifled a yawn, and looked to see if the company the old man had talked about had arrived. They had not. Scanning the room for the old man, he found him staring intently through the window into the growing blizzard. 

Sighing Marcus went back to work his guns, attempting to think about the info he had been provided last night. There was something strange yet oddly familiar about what the old man had told him, but Marcus just couldn't place the memory. After half an hour or so, there was finally a knock on the door, and in walked the saddest bunch of sacks he had seen in awhile. _"This was the company? Well, fuck me. And no way those two bitches are hunters, no bloody way in hell."_

Unlike his thoughts, Marcus on the surface was a silent calm. Having had a good look at them, Marcus simply nodded, and promptly when back to his guns. The old rat bastard could do the fucking introductions if he wanted to.

_"Well, fuck it all, I could have had sex last night instead. But no, I had to drive up to some shit hole filled with snow and crazies instead. God fucking hates me.'_


*Spoiler*: _OCC_ 



Edited as best I could. Info provided up to your discretion CTK. Hope it is ok this time


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 9, 2009)

Yami no Takeshi said:


> *[The night before and before the others entered:]*
> 
> _"Well fuck me."_
> 
> ...



*"Going to have to wait till the others are here, but just know there's a storm brewing, more demons walking among us than ever before and I have reason to believe that something is on the horizon." *



Yami no Takeshi said:


> _*[Current time]*_
> 
> It was morning, or at least late morning. Hell truth be told, cause of the weather, Marcus wasn't sure what time of the day it was. Shrugging off his stiffness of having fallen asleep at a table, Marcus stifled a yawn, and looked to see if the company the old man had talked about had arrived. They had not. Scanning the room for the old man, he found him staring intently through the window into the growing blizzard.
> 
> ...



The others enter and the old man looks to Marcus,* "Alright, I guess its good that we're all here, this here is Marcus," *said the Fred. 
*
"He was the other one I wrote a letter for to come out here," *said Fred. *"As you might have already guessed, this town is in a heap of shit." *


----------



## G. Hawke (Sep 9, 2009)

*[The night before and before the others entered:]*



Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> *"Going to have to wait till the others are here, but just know there's a storm brewing, more demons walking among us than ever before and I have reason to believe that something is on the horizon." *



Sighing, Marcus put his gun down. *"Old man, there is always something on the fucking horizon, there's always some shit brewing and as long as men shall walk the earth, thus shall the Deabhal Djowl fuck with us. My old man was specifically proud of that last line.* Picking up his gun again, Marcus slowly muttered under his breath.

*"This snow, but there something fucking wrong with the snow. Almost as if.....it wants to trap us here. As if that is it's very design and purpose, and that just ain't fucking natural."*

At this point Marcus felt like he should know this, as something once remembered but since forgotten, but he could not place it. Looking up, he noticed that the old man had gone back to window, paying no need to Marcus's rambling. Seeing that it was obvious he was getting no info now, he put slowly put his head to the table, trying to catch some sleep.


*Spoiler*: _OCC_ 



Deabhal Djowl is Old Irish for demon. Marcus is of Irish decent and sometimes certain reference words gets passed down.




*[Current time]*



> The others enter and the old man looks to Marcus,* "Alright, I guess its good that we're all here, this here is Marcus," *said the Fred.



Hearing his name, Marcus sighed and raised his head again. Looking at all them intensively, he simply nodded and curtly spoke.

*"Charmed, nice to meet you'll in this fucked up snowy shit hole."*

Well, balls in their park now.



> *"He was the other one I wrote a letter for to come out here," *said Fred. *"As you might have already guessed, this town is in a heap of shit." *



At this point Marcus was getting annoyed, cause he was pretty sure he had made his feelings clear. They were hunters, now suddenly gathered together in a reasonably large number, did the old rat bastard really think they could have confused this invitation for a snowy mountain getaway or something?

Obviously some shit was fucking up innit?

*'Old man"*, almost spitting out every syllable, *"you said you wanted to wait for these other fuckers..."* At this point Marcus remembered Jan telling him that while some women enjoyed the occasional well placed cuss, most did not in fact appreciate being called fuckers. *"...and the ladies to turn up before disclosing anything. Well, they're here now so how about instead for telling us shit HAS hit the fan, which we know by the way, tell us HOW and WHY or maybe WHOSE shit has hit the fan so we can fucking fix it?*


*Spoiler*: _OCC_ 



Sorry if the characters annoyance comes off harsh and strong. Just be noted that he is not used to working with outsiders, and his fire towards the job isn't as strong as it used to be. And since now for the first time he has a home and a person to actually go home to and miss, he is slightly high strung. His disposition will clam down as thread progresses.


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 9, 2009)

Yami no Takeshi said:


> *[The night before and before the others entered:]*
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Fred looked at him, *"I assure you its to a greater degree than you think,"* he said. *"Now get some rest, big day tomorrow." *



Yami no Takeshi said:


> [Current time]
> Hearing his name, Marcus sighed and raised his head again. Looking at all them intensively, he simply nodded and curtly spoke.
> 
> *"Charmed, nice to meet you'll in this fucked up snowy shit hole."*
> ...



*"Calm down there, I just wanted everyone to be here before I took the time to explain myself." *

Fred looked older in this light, his face seeming somewhat worn as he gazed out a nearby window. *"This is Nikki, Seb and Jack--"* said Fred introducing them to Marcus. 

*"Now, about what kind of trouble we're looking at here,"* Fred walked over to a table and picked up a book and flipped through it. The book seemed to be an old leather brown journal. He stopped on a photo and held the book up to see them. 

It was a photo of a word scratched crudely into the side of a wooden barn, it was rough and the letters were dug deep.

_'CROATOAN'_

*"That sound familiar to anyone?" *


----------



## G. Hawke (Sep 9, 2009)

> *"Calm down there, I just wanted everyone to be here before I took the time to explain myself." *
> 
> Fred looked older in this light, his face seeming somewhat worn as he gazed out a nearby window. *"This is Nikki, Seb and Jack--"* said Fred introducing them to Marcus.



Holding the old man's stare for a moment, Marcus finally sighed and looked down. *"Right, sorry. That was uncalled for, but fuck it all old man, you were born to push my buttons in all the wrong ways.*

Taking another look that the company that graced them, Marcus managed what one could describe as a "weak smile". *My apologies, this has not been one of my better days.*



> *"Now, about what kind of trouble we're looking at here,"* Fred walked over to a table and picked up a book and flipped through it. The book seemed to be an old leather brown journal. He stopped on a photo and held the book up to see them.
> 
> It was a photo of a word scratched crudely into the side of a wooden barn, it was rough and the letters were dug deep.
> 
> ...



Turning his attention to the old man's journal, Marcus turned the page towards him to get a better look. It seemed somewhat familiar, and after a moment or two jumbling the words in his head, Marcus knew where he had seen it before. In his Grandfathers' old journal, the only thing he ever inherited.

*"Croatoan, the only thing or clue left at the lost English colony in Roanoke. Words, carved into a tree."* Suddenly thoughtful, Marcus tried to summon the memory of his grandfather's written word. *"My granddaddy always had suspicions about that place, almost sure that he had it figured out. Of course I was mostly of the opinion that the old codger was simply too used to seeing evil, sometimes forgetting that certain things simply are."*

Learning against the table, Marcus let off a small laugh. *"I have never had a day of school nor ever seen the need of it, but my granddaddy had a way with words that almost compelled you to read up stuff just so you knew what the fuck he was going on about. But he was wrong about Roanoke, there was nothing supernatural about it, almost all historian agree on that regard."*

Taking another look that picture, with the ominous words stretching across the barn, Marcus turned to stare at the blizzard growing outside.

*"But I got me a sinking feeling that me and those damned historians are about to get our asses proven wrong."*


*Spoiler*: _OCC_ 



Marcus has no real personal lore knowledge, as his character sheets show that knowledge is his weakest front. But being as he comes from a family of hunters, it seems somewhat reasonable that there some semblance of generational knowledge, or rather knowledge that is passed down form each generation to another. It this regard, it was his grandfathers journal which he read as a child. I have no intention of doing this often. Will change/remove if CTK has an issue with it.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 9, 2009)

((this is good so far Yami, I am going to give the others some time to post though))


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## Tyrael (Sep 9, 2009)

Yami no Takeshi said:


> Holding the old man's stare for a moment, Marcus finally sighed and looked down. *"Right, sorry. That was uncalled for, but fuck it all old man, you were born to push my buttons in all the wrong ways.*
> 
> Taking another look that the company that graced them, Marcus managed what one could describe as a "weak smile". *My apologies, this has not been one of my better days.*



Seb, reclining against the wall near the door, shrugged at this. "Might wanna save some of that fire for the creatures out there." At any rate, another fighter would be useful. He caught that thought and let it settle. Was this them all working towards the same goal, or was it everyone for himself?

He listened to what Marcus had to say about the word and looked back to Fred. "I'm sure I saw it somewhere last night in the bar. What's it mean?"


----------



## Kuno (Sep 9, 2009)

Narrowing her eyes at the man at the table, Nikki then nodded as they were introduced.  ‘He seems pretty knowledgeable..’ she thought to herself before turning to Fred.  “Okay ol’ man…”  she said with a sigh.  “Why don’t you just spill it?  Instead of walking around the edge.  What exactly are we up against?  And, how did you know it was coming?”  Normally patient Nikki’s was a little on edge after seeing what happened and being in the dark, especially when someone else knew the information.


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 9, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Mary nodded, *"I can do that,"* she stepped out of the car. *"Be careful, we don't know what's going on and it seems like there could be some sort of government thing going on..."*
> 
> The door to the hotel was unlocked and she pushed it open to enter the lobby. The carpet was plush and as the two stepped in and the television that sat off to the side of the front desk was just getting static.
> 
> ...


Gwei sat on the couch next to the television, he always seemed to be looking around. The room was slightly messy with the signs of life. He got up, and stayed vigilant. 'Television huh? My first look at one, and it's broken...' Gwei stared at the snow on the screen, and the white noise blaring out of the speakers. It amused him, it was the first thing he could relate to since he came here. Like him, the incessant snow showed on it's face, with specks of blackness tainting the otherwise uniform noise. The speakers were as muddled as his head when he tries to sense the beyond. He had heard that some supernatural phenomena affect things like televisions, sometimes providing a looking glass to reveal it.

"Just like me..." Gwei reached over, fiddling with the buttons until it turned off. "I suppose you want peace too."


----------



## strongarm85 (Sep 9, 2009)

"So let me get this strait. You think this Croatoan is what's caused that guy to go crazy and chase poor Daisy over there with a machete? What the hell is a Croatoan?" Jack was getting a little testy.


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 10, 2009)

Yami no Takeshi said:


> Holding the old man's stare for a moment, Marcus finally sighed and looked down. *"Right, sorry. That was uncalled for, but fuck it all old man, you were born to push my buttons in all the wrong ways.*
> 
> Taking another look that the company that graced them, Marcus managed what one could describe as a "weak smile". *My apologies, this has not been one of my better days.*
> 
> ...


*
"Old John Winchester had a similar theory that it was a demon's name, but that's neither here nor there. But we've got an entire town of people he seem to be turning on each other." *



Tyrael said:


> Seb, reclining against the wall near the door, shrugged at this. "Might wanna save some of that fire for the creatures out there." At any rate, another fighter would be useful. He caught that thought and let it settle. Was this them all working towards the same goal, or was it everyone for himself?
> 
> He listened to what Marcus had to say about the word and looked back to Fred. "I'm sure I saw it somewhere last night in the bar. What's it mean?"



Woden sighed,* "A long time ago out on the East Coast there was a colony, one of the first to be established, the founders went back over seas to take care of some business and when they returned the people had vanished with only one clue left, the word Croatoan scratched into a tree and into the side of a fort."*



Kunoichirule said:


> Narrowing her eyes at the man at the table, Nikki then nodded as they were introduced.  ?He seems pretty knowledgeable..? she thought to herself before turning to Fred.  ?Okay ol? man??  she said with a sigh.  ?Why don?t you just spill it?  Instead of walking around the edge.  What exactly are we up against?  And, how did you know it was coming??  Normally patient Nikki?s was a little on edge after seeing what happened and being in the dark, especially when someone else knew the information.



*"What we're up against, I can't tell you sweetheart," *he smiled a Nikki and suddenly his face seemed slightly more youthful, *"But what I can tell you is that I had the foresight to see this coming because the signs were all around us. Meteorological events, mysterious deaths, demonic possessions on the rise..."
* 


ReikaiDemon said:


> Gwei sat on the couch next to the television, he always seemed to be looking around. The room was slightly messy with the signs of life. He got up, and stayed vigilant. 'Television huh? My first look at one, and it's broken...' Gwei stared at the snow on the screen, and the white noise blaring out of the speakers. It amused him, it was the first thing he could relate to since he came here. Like him, the incessant snow showed on it's face, with specks of blackness tainting the otherwise uniform noise. The speakers were as muddled as his head when he tries to sense the beyond. He had heard that some supernatural phenomena affect things like televisions, sometimes providing a looking glass to reveal it.
> 
> "Just like me..." Gwei reached over, fiddling with the buttons until it turned off. "I suppose you want peace too."



There was a shout from somewhere down the hallway, "You there?" came a male's voice, "Are you infected?" he asked.

*"Infected?"* asked Mary training her gun on him.

He backed down, "Wait...wait...if you're not then we have to find a way out of here...we have to get to the bridge or something..." 

*"Bridge is blocked, Doctor Biden, now stay where you are!" *Mary said. 

"No you don't understand, these something in these people's blood, a toxin. Lester Viaman came in my office after he and some of his men inhaled something in the old mines...his wife called and told me he was acting weird and then he attacked her the other night, she came down to my office and tried to attack me...I couldn't get help..."



strongarm85 said:


> "So let me get this strait. You think this Croatoan is what's caused that guy to go crazy and chase poor Daisy over there with a machete? What the hell is a Croatoan?" Jack was getting a little testy.


*
"It could be a demon, a spirit or something else like that, one thing I know is that we have to go back to the old ways of doing things, cell phones don't work, phones and television are down and all I found here are old DVDs of Ghostfacers, those crocks, we need to band together and spread out to investigate this mess, see if we can find a way out of here." *


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 10, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> *
> "Old John Winchester had a similar theory that it was a demon's name, but that's neither here nor there. But we've got an entire town of people he seem to be turning on each other." *
> 
> 
> ...


"What's going on Mary? I hear shouting." Gwei carefully got behind Mary, looking over her shoulder. 'Inhalation? Could it be demon parasites like the Guangdong Massacres? Or a demon created poison like the riots in the Hong Kong subways? What could it be?' Gwei bit his nail, pensive, there have been so many cases of demonic pandemics, but nearly none where the victims seem so deliberate in their actions, planning and speaking.

"Why couldn't it be goblins? Or ghosts of pets?...." Gwei sighed under his breath


----------



## strongarm85 (Sep 10, 2009)

"Great! Let me get this strait, you invited us all the way out to a shit stain town in the middle of no where with no idea of what we were up against, how to deal with them, and no escape route! Sounds perfect!" Jack was not happy.


----------



## Tyrael (Sep 10, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Woden sighed,* "A long time ago out on the East Coast there was a colony, one of the first to be established, the founders went back over seas to take care of some business and when they returned the people had vanished with only one clue left, the word Croatoan scratched into a tree and into the side of a fort."*



"No, it's a word right? Must mean something, even if it's only a name. I mean, most names came from somewhere, have some sort of meaning." Shit like that could often be important when dealing with the supernatural.

Seb chewed on his lip. He wasn't expecting the old man to have a reply to that. More smoke and mirrors, more riddles. It was always safe to imagine that a person knew more than they were telling. There were rarely straight answers in this business; in his experience it only ever came down to finding out who was the enemy. That was often harder than it sounded. He felt himself reaching for his left arm and stopped himself.


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 10, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> *Spoiler*: __
> 
> 
> 
> ...



((Gwei can see the doctor)) 

Mary watched the doctor close, holding her gun down, but keeping it trained on him, *"I don't know what's going on,"* she answered, *"It seems like we've got a bit of a problem...some kind of virus or illness."*

Doctor Biden nodded, *"Correct, but I can't really figure out what it is or even if we can do anything about it." *



strongarm85 said:


> "Great! Let me get this strait, you invited us all the way out to a shit stain town in the middle of no where with no idea of what we were up against, how to deal with them, and no escape route! Sounds perfect!" Jack was not happy.



*"Hold your horses boy, I didn't know the storm would get this bad, plus I've got enough of an arsenal out there in that truck to take care of what ever it is." *



Tyrael said:


> *Spoiler*: __
> 
> 
> 
> ...



*"Croatoan is also the name of an Island near the colony,"* Fred said, *"Course the island could have been named for a God that the Indians had, which would have probably been a demon." *

For the first time, you all notice the line of salt that covers each window and door. On the ceiling above you there's a symbol scratched in with a piece of chalk.


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 10, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> ((Gwei can see the doctor))
> 
> Mary watched the doctor close, holding her gun down, but keeping it trained on him, *"I don't know what's going on,"* she answered, *"It seems like we've got a bit of a problem...some kind of virus or illness."*
> 
> Doctor Biden nodded, *"Correct, but I can't really figure out what it is or even if we can do anything about it." *


"Doctor, is there any chance I could have a look at those samples?"


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 10, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> "Doctor, is there any chance I could have a look at those samples?"



((Please just quote the part that's relevant to your character)) 

The Doctor looked at Gwei, *"I don't know what you're going to look to see,"* he had to question what a kid would even be able to tell from the cell samples. *"I don't have them on me though." *


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 10, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> ((Please just quote the part that's relevant to your character))
> 
> The Doctor looked at Gwei, *"I don't know what you're going to look to see,"* he had to question what a kid would even be able to tell from the cell samples. *"I don't have them on me though." *


"Darn...Well, it was worth a try, something like this has been encountered in my country, and I know what some strains look like. I suppose you have a lab where you kept all this? Were any of your assistants affected somehow during research? Complaints of voices,hallucinations, headaches maybe? What was so strange about the blood?"


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## Kuno (Sep 10, 2009)

“A way out of here?  Shouldn’t you have thought about that before bringing us in here?”  She raised an eyebrow as she ran her hand through her hair, her eyes roaming the room in her frustration.

Looking around Nikki notices the salt, causing her eyes to narrow a bit at seeing his preparations.  ‘Why didn’t he mention that before…’ she thinks as her eyes take in the rest of the room and she notices the ceiling.  “What exactly is the symbol for old man?”  Nikki asks pointing toward it.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 10, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> "Darn...Well, it was worth a try, something like this has been encountered in my country, and I know what some strains look like. I suppose you have a lab where you kept all this? Were any of your assistants affected somehow during research? Complaints of voices,hallucinations, headaches maybe? What was so strange about the blood?"



*"Voices? No its just a pathogen, they seem to display sudden dementia...and I don't know how to describe it really..." *



Kunoichirule said:


> ?A way out of here?  Shouldn?t you have thought about that before bringing us in here??  She raised an eyebrow as she ran her hand through her hair, her eyes roaming the room in her frustration.
> 
> Looking around Nikki notices the salt, causing her eyes to narrow a bit at seeing his preparations.  ?Why didn?t he mention that before?? she thinks as her eyes take in the rest of the room and she notices the ceiling.  ?What exactly is the symbol for old man??  Nikki asks pointing toward it.



Fred smiled, *"That, my girl, is a Devil's Trap."* He smiled and walked to the center of the trap making them part from his path as he moved. *"It's made specifically to hold any demon that ventures into it. As long as the circle exists the, they're trapped." *


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 10, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> *"Voices? No its just a pathogen, they seem to display sudden dementia...and I don't know how to describe it really..." *





"Hmm...Do the victims seem aware of their affliction? Almost as if they know they can spread it? As if they actively seek to inflict others with this dementia?..."


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 10, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> "Hmm...Do the victims seem aware of their affliction? Almost as if they know they can spread it? As if they actively seek to inflict others with this dementia?..."



*"That's the first thing they do the first chance that they get, its spread by blood to blood contact."
*


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 10, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> *"That's the first thing they do the first chance that they get, its spread by blood to blood contact."
> *


"It is definitely not a normal disease, wouldn't you think so? Tell me more, do they show aversion to anything of religious nature?" 

'We're getting close to knowing what is affecting these people...A bond of blood is definitely an indication of demon manipulation, and hopefully the indication of a cure.'


----------



## G. Hawke (Sep 10, 2009)

No one sounded happy, at all. In fact, everyone sounded either pissed off or horribly annoyed.

Admittedly at this point Marcus wasn't really paying as much attention as he should, preferring to think  about what the old man had said. It was becoming apparent that the old man, while having the foresight to see that something was coming, had no real idea what exactly was going on. Obviously he would have theories, the old man basically dragged them all here on a hunch.  Signs were no something that Marcus really put stock in, he preferred dealing in facts. And facts are the old man was right, something is happening. Of course, noting that he had effectively stranded them here, Marcus wasn't really in the mood to dish out praise for his foresight.

The snow.

Marcus couldn't put his hand on it, but there was something unnatural about the weather. There were after all things that had the juice to mess with weather, so he never dismissed those kind of possibilities. Sighing, Marcus absently raised his head upwards, attempting to give his neck a stretch. _?...What the hell, how the fuck did I miss that??_ Drawn in to ceiling in chalk was an intricate and most certain effective devil trap, one of the more powerful ones in fact, which Marcus had never ever found the need to personally use. Hell, he had never faced a demon powerful enough to warrant such a devil trap. Suddenly taking a look at the windows, he then noticed the salt lining it.

_He thinks these events are the act of direct demonic interference?_

Now utterly ignoring the chatter around him, Marcus stood up and began to pace, softly mumbling to himself. It helps him think, no matter how weird it made him look. *?Fucking blizzard, which snows us in. Traps us in fact, isolating this town from the outside world. Signs and portents pointing to something bad a coming, and the old man alluding, with view of his security, that demons or demonic forces are afoot.?*

And the word, Croatoan. The lost colony, an entire town lost, never heard from again. And now here they were, in an isolated town. *"How different were we, at this moment, from an old colony in a foreign land?"* The answer was there, Marcus knew it, just had to put it together. Though his thoughts were momentarily brought to a halt when the girl, Nikki if he remembered correctly, question the nature of the trap.

*?...You don't know a devil trap when you see one? You sure you a hunter lass??* Stopping to ponder on how insulting that probably sounded, Marcus sighed as he decided it best to simply move on. *?The people in town, the ones who had gone crazy, how were they acting? Yes, I know, crazy. But I need to know how crazy. Total loons attacking indiscriminately, or rather crazy with purpose, almost they were trying to do something??*

The answer was there and by god, Marcus was going to get to the bottom of this.


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 10, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> "It is definitely not a normal disease, wouldn't you think so? Tell me more, do they show aversion to anything of religious nature?"
> 
> 'We're getting close to knowing what is affecting these people...A bond of blood is definitely an indication of demon manipulation, and hopefully the indication of a cure.'



The doctor glared at him and Mary stepped back as the doctor asked, *"What do you mean, of a religious origin?"* he seemed confused and slightly irate. 

*"Gwei, I don't know what's with you and the religion stuff, but it really doesn't seem to be helping our chances,"* said Mary. 

*"I don't even know what kind of sickness you're talking about, but no I don't test for that sort of thing, all I know is what I've told you really..." *



Yami no Takeshi said:


> *Spoiler*: __
> 
> 
> 
> ...



((You guys have got to shorten these posts)) 

*"They're crazy with a purpose son and the best I can tell you is that it's a demonic purpose," *said Fred. He walked into the next room where Daisy should have been to find that the door was open and she was gone.
*
"Well shit...looks like she escaped," *said Fred. 

He rushed back out to the others, *"She couldn't have been possessed, she walked right through the salt lines and the trap..."*


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 10, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> The doctor glared at him and Mary stepped back as the doctor asked, *"What do you mean, of a religious origin?"* he seemed confused and slightly irate.
> 
> *"Gwei, I don't know what's with you and the religion stuff, but it really doesn't seem to be helping our chances,"* said Mary.
> 
> *"I don't even know what kind of sickness you're talking about, but no I don't test for that sort of thing, all I know is what I've told you really..." *


Gwei raised his hands, trying to give his input "Well, it's just a well known symptom of the cases that occurred in my country, probably, how you say in English... Psychosomatic? The victims sometimes show a strong aversion to religious symbols. Although, the reactions vary from violent behavior that results in said religious item getting destroyed, or an extreme reaction on par of severe pain and avoidance of any sight of a religious item" Gwei kept his eyes on the doctor, his face kept a sober look of truth, yet a slight twinge of truth not yet told was held back. An inhuman truth beyond normal medicine.
"Has there been violence around any churches here?"


----------



## strongarm85 (Sep 11, 2009)

"She said something about hiding in the water tower earlier. She probably went up there." Jack suggests before asking a rather pressing question, "I've heard the word hunters a few times now. What the hell is a hunter?"


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 11, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> Gwei raised his hands, trying to give his input "Well, it's just a well known symptom of the cases that occurred in my country, probably, how you say in English... Psychosomatic? The victims sometimes show a strong aversion to religious symbols. Although, the reactions vary from violent behavior that results in said religious item getting destroyed, or an extreme reaction on par of severe pain and avoidance of any sight of a religious item" Gwei kept his eyes on the doctor, his face kept a sober look of truth, yet a slight twinge of truth not yet told was held back. An inhuman truth beyond normal medicine.
> "Has there been violence around any churches here?"


*
"I wouldn't know anything about that," *said the Doctor.* "I mean I don't know why it would even matter, we're needing to get out of this town, warn some one at the CDC or the state police, we can't just sit here. But we will have to transport the samples I have at my lab to give them an idea what we're up against." 
* 


strongarm85 said:


> "She said something about hiding in the water tower earlier. She probably went up there." Jack suggests before asking a rather pressing question, "I've heard the word hunters a few times now. What the hell is a hunter?"


*
"You don't know what a Hunter is boy?"* asked Fred. *"Hunters fight the things that most people don't believe exist, or that they're to scared to admit exist--demons, vampires, werewolves, ghosts and all manner of other creepies. I thought that I was sending the letter to a hunter...there must have been a mix up, its too late to fix it now," *said Fred. 
*
"If that girl went to the water tower, we better send somebody that way to check on her and bring her back...or you could all go,"* said Fred.


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 11, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> *
> "I wouldn't know anything about that," *said the Doctor.* "I mean I don't know why it would even matter, we're needing to get out of this town, warn some one at the CDC or the state police, we can't just sit here. But we will have to transport the samples I have at my lab to give them an idea what we're up against."
> *


"Unless if you have a tank or something, I don't think we can make it out of town, the town is cut off by those infected individuals." 

'Even if we do make it past the victims, something else might keep us here...'

"We...Might have to try curing the epidemic here...We need help, lots of help...The others! Mary, do you remember? A whole bunch of strangers? Including me, showing up yesterday?"

'It may be just a hunch, but I definitely sensed anti-demon artifacts in the bar yesterday...And then there's the person who sent the letter to my father in the first place. There's no doubt that demon activity of this magnitude would draw others like me.'


----------



## Tyrael (Sep 11, 2009)

Seb listened and listened and listened. These questions, mysteries, were important? He would loved to have thought that all that was necessary was to find the creatures responsible and kill them. Maybe it was like that. But hearing about this word, these possessed people having a purpose, the unnatural storm and, more than anything, this old man that seemed to be pulling all of the strings and holding all the cards put deep doubts in his mind.

Still, he stood and got ready to go outside.


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## G. Hawke (Sep 11, 2009)

CTK said:
			
		

> *"You don't know what a Hunter is boy?"* asked Fred. *"Hunters fight the things that most people don't believe exist, or that they're to scared to admit exist--demons, vampires, werewolves, ghosts and all manner of other creepies. I thought that I was sending the letter to a hunter...there must have been a mix up, its too late to fix it now,"* said Fred.



This information dumbfounded Marcus.

*"Wait, that can't be right.* Began Marcus, almost stricken. *"I was basically retired and hidden, but somehow you managed to be competent enough to track my ass down to ask me to take this job. But on the other hand, you also managed to bring in amateurs and non-hunters into what is obviously building up to become the worst day in my entire fucking life? Are you like shitting me old man? Cause you're gonna get these fuckers killed."*



			
				CTK said:
			
		

> *"If that girl went to the water tower, we better send somebody that way to check on her and bring her back...or you could all go,"* said Fred.



Noting the black guy standing up, Marcus decided maybe he'll go out to look for the stupid bitch as well. It would beat being stuck in the same room with these shitheads.

*"I guess I'll go, and seeing that this here...Seb, seems to be volunteering as well I think a two man tracking team should suffice. No need for everyone to stumble into a snow storm and die, unless you want to of course."*

Holstering both his semi-auto's, Marcus made his way towards the door Daisy had left.


----------



## Kuno (Sep 12, 2009)

‘What an unbelievable asshole…’ Nikki thought to herself, not liking the tone in Marcus’s voice.  “Do you guys know where your going?”  She asked them as they headed toward the door to follow Daisy.  “Honestly she might be safer where ever she is going.  She knows the town much better than you do.”  Nikki sighed and looked out the window.  “Then again.  Keeping her alive might be to our benefit.  Why don’t we all go, hm?  Safety in numbers…you know the drill…”


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 12, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> *Spoiler*: __
> 
> 
> 
> ...



*"I work in a bar in a mining and logging town, strangers show up every day,"* she said. 

Doctor Biden nodded, *"It would be hard to get out if they have blocked the road, but you know we might be able to find someone uninfected if we head out further from the town...to the lake? We could get help to get back to my office..." *

If he allowed them, Mary and Biden would lead Gwei towards the Lake.



Tyrael said:


> *Spoiler*: __
> 
> 
> 
> ...





Yami no Takeshi said:


> *Spoiler*: __
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Fred chased after him out the door, "Wait," he said, "This all is proof that something is wrong, its been a long time since I got a flash of something like this and I think there's something big coming and its shrouded itself from me..." 

The old man stood there in the snow with his head down for a moment, as if he was thinking. 

"But if what I saw involved them...maybe they have to be here?" Fred said.



Kunoichirule said:


> ?What an unbelievable asshole?? Nikki thought to herself, not liking the tone in Marcus?s voice.  ?Do you guys know where your going??  She asked them as they headed toward the door to follow Daisy.  ?Honestly she might be safer where ever she is going.  She knows the town much better than you do.?  Nikki sighed and looked out the window.  ?Then again.  Keeping her alive might be to our benefit.  Why don?t we all go, hm?  Safety in numbers?you know the drill??



Nikki stepped outside and up on the hill she saw a man and a woman with cuts across their chests walking down towards them, their shirts gone and their chests slathered with thick, coagulated blood.

_"Oh thank God,"_ the woman said with a warm smile despite the blood on her naked chest, "perhaps you need a little help." 

The man next to her smiled over at her, "_Yeah, what can we help you, friends."_ Even from this distance he offered his hand out and it could be seen by all to be covered in almost dried blood.


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 12, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> *"I work in a bar in a mining and logging town, strangers show up every day,"* she said.
> 
> Doctor Biden nodded, *"It would be hard to get out if they have blocked the road, but you know we might be able to find someone uninfected if we head out further from the town...to the lake? We could get help to get back to my office..." *
> 
> If he allowed them, Mary and Biden would lead Gwei towards the Lake.


"Hmm, I guess the others might cross our paths if we're all seeking the same goal...Alright doctor, if the living density is smaller by the lake, I suppose it's safer. Hopefully, the other infected people haven't already thought of keeping posts by the lake.Ok, lets go."


----------



## Kuno (Sep 12, 2009)

Taking in the state of the pair, Nikki slowly laced an arrow onto the bowstring.  “Why don’t you stop right there…” she says to the couple.  “Tell me how you got so…messed up.  Don’t come any closer, understand?”


----------



## G. Hawke (Sep 12, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Fred chased after him out the door, "Wait," he said, "This all is proof that something is wrong, its been a long time since I got a flash of something like this and I think there's something big coming and its shrouded itself from me..."
> 
> The old man stood there in the snow with his head down for a moment, as if he was thinking.
> 
> "But if what I saw involved them...maybe they have to be here?" Fred said.



Sighing, Marcus stopped and turned and faced the old man. *"Look, I don't fucking care, okay? All I see are people who have no business being here, or in this fucking situation."* Marcus then turned back towards the snow, silent for a moment before speaking. *"I am here and that means I have taken the job, meaning I am in this for the long haul. This is the Grey family business after all. But these shitheads, they're your problem. They can be your ghost, cause god knows I have enough of my own."*



			
				Kunoichirule said:
			
		

> ?What an unbelievable asshole?? Nikki thought to herself, not liking the tone in Marcus?s voice. ?Do you guys know where your going?? She asked them as they headed toward the door to follow Daisy. ?Honestly she might be safer where ever she is going. She knows the town much better than you do.? Nikki sighed and looked out the window. ?Then again. Keeping her alive might be to our benefit. Why don?t we all go, hm? Safety in numbers?you know the drill??



Shrugging, Marcus spoke as he walked through the door. *"That be up to you lass, it's your funeral."* Suddenly he turned backed, taking a critical look at Nikki. *"You do have something other than the bow right? Like a Gun, which you don't have to notch every time you decided to kill something?"*



			
				Kunoichirule said:
			
		

> Taking in the state of the pair, Nikki slowly laced an arrow onto the bowstring. ?Why don?t you stop right there?? she says to the couple. ?Tell me how you got so?messed up. Don?t come any closer, understand??



_"Oh fuck me."_

Cursing in the bowels of his mind, Marcus pulled out both his guns, each pointed at an individual target. *"Lass, it's freezing, and these fuckers are walking around half naked without a care in the world. I'm just thinking that how they got messed up may not be as important as to what the fuck they are."* 

Taking a look back to gauge the distance to the door, Marcus spoke to Nikki again. *"Girl, just a suggestion, but maybe start retreating to the door? Cause I honestly doubt these shitheads are going to be civil for much longer, and I am likely about to start popping heads."*


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 12, 2009)

With Gwei at the Hotel

They headed out toward the lake together, it was just up a small incline through the trees on the other side of the street. The walk would take merely a few minutes. 

At the Lake with the others

The man and woman that stood before them didn't move any closer right away, the man lowered his hand slowly and cautiously, _"Relax,"_ he started, _"We...there's an explanation."_ There was something frantic in his voice. _"Animals are crazy, must be because of the storm...we were attacked, honest!" _

His tone and demeanor seemed sincere, yet at the same time Nikki and Seb could tell something was wrong.


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 12, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> With Gwei at the Hotel
> 
> They headed out toward the lake together, it was just up a small incline through the trees on the other side of the street. The walk would take merely a few minutes.


The air seemed clearer as the others get nearer to the lake, Gwei gritted down, and kept his third eye open, keeping a bead on their surroundings in relation to the infected civilians. Gwei's sweatshirt was buffeted against his body by the cold winds, he squinted ahead to the watery horizon.


----------



## Tyrael (Sep 12, 2009)

Seb glanced at Nikki and Marcus, still arguing, and decided to act. He gripped his left arm, feeling the mechanism under his coat. Best to aim for places that wouldn't kill them; shoulders. His small iron needles would do damage, and hopefully disable them, without killing them. If they were really people then he had the antidote for the poison too. He seriously doubted these were normal people though.

If they were possessed and if he was able to disable them, then they might even get a chance to use that Devil circle.

There was more ifs in there than he liked, but that was the nature of the job. He raised his arm and in a rapid motions shot a needle at each of the couple.


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 12, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> The air seemed clearer as the others get nearer to the lake, Gwei gritted down, and kept his third eye open, keeping a bead on their surroundings in relation to the infected civilians. Gwei's sweatshirt was buffeted against his body by the cold winds, he squinted ahead to the watery horizon.



The uphill walk was slow and Gwei manages to fall because of the steepness of the hill. As he does Mary falls trying to help him and the Doctor grabs onto a tree. 

While the two of them lay there, she glances up,* "Do you hear that?" *

Bide sighs, *"What is it?" *

Gwei hears voices in the distance. 



Tyrael said:


> Seb glanced at Nikki and Marcus, still arguing, and decided to act. He gripped his left arm, feeling the mechanism under his coat. Best to aim for places that wouldn't kill them; shoulders. His small iron needles would do damage, and hopefully disable them, without killing them. If they were really people then he had the antidote for the poison too. He seriously doubted these were normal people though.
> 
> If they were possessed and if he was able to disable them, then they might even get a chance to use that Devil circle.
> 
> There was more ifs in there than he liked, but that was the nature of the job. He raised his arm and in a rapid motions shot a needle at each of the couple.



Seb hits the man, but his aim is off, and the hits come into the neck. Almost instantly the woamn rushes forward with a knife in her grasp. 

The man's body falls to the ground and the woman is hit in the chest and shoulders before she can cover much distance and her body slumps into the snow. 

Fred glances around before pulling out a small vial.* "If they're possessed this will tell us, it's Holy Water." 
*


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 12, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> The uphill walk was slow and Gwei manages to fall because of the steepness of the hill. As he does Mary falls trying to help him and the Doctor grabs onto a tree.
> 
> While the two of them lay there, she glances up,* "Do you hear that?" *
> 
> ...


Gwei's keen senses make out a small commotion.
"I hear people, seems like a small incident, something happened to two of them...Maybe a weapon, some strange mechanical noise"


----------



## Tyrael (Sep 12, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Seb hits the man, but his aim is off, and the hits come into the neck. Almost instantly the woamn rushes forward with a knife in her grasp.
> 
> The man's body falls to the ground and the woman is hit in the chest and shoulders before she can cover much distance and her body slumps into the snow.
> 
> ...



"Those were iron needles, so they should be doing quite a bit of damage to the demon without that much to the person. There's also a poison on them-a paralysing one. Heh, doesn't work as fast as I'd like it to. I reckoned between that and the pain we could could get them alive." He looked at the man, face down in the snow. "Was the plan at least. Will the devil circle keep these things prisoner?"

He pulled a tin of treated needles out of his coat, rolls his left sleeve up and began to reload.


----------



## G. Hawke (Sep 13, 2009)

*"That's an interesting....contraption you have there Seb."*

It was interesting, and it seemed effective, but personally Marcus something he could hold in his hand. Taking a look at the incapacitated things, he doubted they were people at this point, Marcus took the vial of holy water from Fred.

*"Well, demon traps hold demons, so lets find out what we are dealing with."* Moving up next to Seb, Marcus knelled unto the snow and pulled the males face out the snow, forcing the contents of the vial down his throat. Waiting a moment for any form of reaction, it would seem that they would be disappointed.

*"Nope, no demonic possession here. This is some new shit."* Thinking a moment, Marcus wondered if they could be questioned. *"They speak, so we can guess they're lucid at some level. Maybe we could drag them in, secure them and maybe get some answers?"*


*Spoiler*: _OCC_ 



Based on the episode, they gave no indication that the demon virus things works anything like demon possession nor did I see Sam or Dean use any normal anti-demon methodology to deal with it. I take this to mean it ain't the same. I am more than happy to edit if you all wish to go a different route compared to the cannon lore.


----------



## Kuno (Sep 13, 2009)

Jaw flexing, Nikki glared toward Marcus but decided to keep her mouth shut for the moment.  ‘Just keep in mind he doesn’t know me…and he is just a complete chauvinistic asshole…’ She growled in her mind as she lowered her bow after watching Seb take care of the couple.  

“Not right…”  She muttered softly as the holy water is poured down their throats.  Nikki scans the area, watching for more people as the Marcus and Seb deal with the now paralyzed people.


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 13, 2009)

Fred nodded, "If Holy water didn't work...they're either not possessed or they're not the kind of demon's that are effected by Holy water..." as he looked over the bodies he added, "These two don't strike me as demon top brass, there's some chains in the truck, we can tie them up inside of the back room of the cabin and interrogate them there...but someone needs to find that girl." 

Gwei, Mary and Biden

After the doctor helps them up, Gwei, Mary and Biden make their way over the hill to find the others standing across the road and outside of a cabin. 

As of right now only Marcus notices them, Fred is getting the chains from his truck.


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 13, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Gwei, Mary and Biden
> 
> After the doctor helps them up, Gwei, Mary and Biden make their way over the hill to find the others standing across the road and outside of a cabin.
> 
> As of right now only Marcus notices them, Fred is getting the chains from his truck.


Gwei smells the unmistakable aura of holy water in the distance where the cabin lay, he relaxed for a second, realizing that they caught up with the others who are wise to the presence of demons. Then he kept his guard up, if holy water was released, there is definitely trouble about.

"Careful now, there has been trouble. We should be safe though, we finally caught up with the others. I think it's best we hurry, so..."

Gwei plops down in the snow, and slides down the hill.


----------



## G. Hawke (Sep 14, 2009)

CTK said:
			
		

> *Gwei, Mary and Biden*
> 
> After the doctor helps them up, Gwei, Mary and Biden make their way over the hill to find the others standing across the road and outside of a cabin.
> 
> As of right now only Marcus notices them, Fred is getting the chains from his truck.



As Fred went for the chains, Marcus grabbed the hair of the male to drag him into the cabin. _"Why the hell are they so bloody? It makes no fucking sense."_ After a few feet, Marcus looked up, suddenly catching something moving on the small snow covered hill in front of them.

_"What the fuck? Three people I think, a man, woman and....a kid?_

Letting go of the man, Marcus's hand went to his guns. *"Heads up guys, we have fucking company coming."* Just then, the kid slid down the snow to the base of the hill. Aiming his gun at a kids head was never fun, but Marcus could admit he did not care enough to worry about it.

*"Hold on there laddie, might consider not moving, cause blowing a kids head off ain't something I want to add to my already fucked up resume."* Pausing a moment, Marcus considered those words. *"Well, at least not anymore than the times I already have."* Motioning to the two people still on the hill, Marcus ordered them down.

*"Might as well come down, and no fancy stuff eh? Rather my gun arm not get twitchy."*


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 14, 2009)

Yami no Takeshi said:


> As Fred went for the chains, Marcus grabbed the hair of the male to drag him into the cabin. _"Why the hell are they so bloody? It makes no fucking sense."_ After a few feet, Marcus looked up, suddenly catching something moving on the small snow covered hill in front of them.
> 
> _"What the fuck? Three people I think, a man, woman and....a kid?_
> 
> ...


Gwei shakes the snow out of his hair, tittering, wiping his face off. He sat up, looking at the rugged grizzled man training the gun on him. His eyes widen. 

"W-wow, you're a Grey aren't you?" Gwei let out in an awed voice. He scratched his head, "Ahh, Marton? Marco? I can't seem to remember your given name...Marcus!" Gwei quipped, his hair flinging back over his shoulders. He looked rather small, being partially covered in snow from the waist up, he dug the snow out of his ear. Despite their situation, Gwei felt more tranquil here near the cabin, than having his third eye switched off back in town.


----------



## G. Hawke (Sep 15, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:
			
		

> Gwei shakes the snow out of his hair, tittering, wiping his face off. He sat up, looking at the rugged grizzled man training the gun on him. His eyes widen.
> 
> "W-wow, you're a Grey aren't you?" Gwei let out in an awed voice. He scratched his head, "Ahh, Marton? Marco? I can't seem to remember your given name...Marcus!" Gwei quipped, his hair flinging back over his shoulders. He looked rather small, being partially covered in snow from the waist up, he dug the snow out of his ear. Despite their situation, Gwei felt more tranquil here near the cabin, than having his third eye switched off back in town.



Taken aback upon hearing the kid recite his name, hell his family name even, Marcus's eyes began to narrow suspiciously. He never did like surprises, more so in the shape of a little twerp who somehow who he was.

_"Who the fuck is this kid? Some demon I sent back back to the pit before, riding a meat suit? Naw, the creepily awed tone was not faked."_

Silent for a moment as he thought, Marcus decided to take action. *"Uhh Nikki, despite the fact I am hardly you're favorite person in the world, would you mind helping the old bastard secure these two fuckheads? Get the other guy to help as well, Jack is it?"* His eyes then sought the attention of the eerily quiet black dude. *"Seb, cover me. I am going to greet our new "guest"."*

Slowly moving forward, Marcus kept his gun grip tight, eyes constantly moving between the kid at the base an the two other moving down to join them. At about 10 feet distance, Marcus stopped.

*"Alright kid, you have about 30 seconds to explain who the fuck you lot are, why you're here and how the hell you know who I am."*


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 15, 2009)

Yami no Takeshi said:


> Taken aback upon hearing the kid recite his name, hell his family name even, Marcus's eyes began to narrow suspiciously. He never did like surprises, more so in the shape of a little twerp who somehow who he was.
> 
> _"Who the fuck is this kid? Some demon I sent back back to the pit before, riding a meat suit? Naw, the creepily awed tone was not faked."_
> 
> ...


Gwei looked up past the iron sights of Marcus' gun, with a bit of a curious catlike gaze. He looked down at the holy drinking gourd next to his thigh; it fell off of him during the slide. He casually picked up his holy drinking gourd, popping the cork, the smell of holy water emanated out, he took a long swig. 

"Sorry, I was thirsty, we've been running everywhere, care for some? You're rather hoarser than I imagined." 

Gwei held the gourd up towards Marcus, in a sharing gesture, still a bit "starstruck". There was a kind of bright innocence on his face, no hint of malicious intent was in his voice, or eyes. 

"My name is Chan, my family name." 

The light breeze carried the especially potent scent of holy water. The smell was markedly different from Christian holy water, but was still unmistakeably some variety of holy water. He noticed Seb off to the side, he turned his head towards him.

"Hey, didn't you sit next to me at Mary's bar yesterday?"


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 15, 2009)

Fred nodded, "I sent out several more letters," he said, "I thought not all of them had made it...there might have been forces out to stop you all." 

Mary walked to the center of the group, she looked down at the people on the ground, *"Sim and Jennie,"* she looked down over the people laying there, *"What's going on here." *

After a moment the doctor looked to Marcus, *"I'm doctor Biden,"* he said and then looked to Fred, Seb and Nikki. *"I think that these people might be suffering from the same thing I saw at my office...its a kind of sickness,"* he said.


----------



## Kuno (Sep 16, 2009)

“A sickness?”  Nikki said then shook her head while grabbing the feet of the unconscious woman.  “I think it’s more then that.  Or maybe not.  I don’t know think I ever saw anything quite like this while running the ambulance…”  She thought about anything that could have been close while she begins to drag the woman through the snow to where they are going to keep them.


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 16, 2009)

((maybe we should send out a reminder....))


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 19, 2009)

Gwei jumped up beside one of the others, looking over the map, some of the points looked familiar. 

"Fred-fūzǐ, is there a pattern to these occurrences?"


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 19, 2009)

"No pattern," said Fred. "Although at one point," Fred drew on the map to create a circle, "There were no Demon's with in this area...that seems to have changed now."


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 19, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> "No pattern," said Fred. "Although at one point," Fred drew on the map to create a circle, "There were no Demon's with in this area...that seems to have changed now."


"That makes sense...Could it be?..." Gwei took out his brush, and connected all the surrounding demon incidents around the phenomenon, noting the dates and times.


----------



## Tyrael (Sep 19, 2009)

Seb looked on as the others headed into the cabin again. He was tempted to head off into the night and look for the girl alone. It was easier walking alone; being on a group always caused him stress. But there was too many unknowns, and an extra pair of eyes and hands was necessary. He followed them inside.

((Sorry about my absence, restarting Uni. and such jazz been keeping me busy. Gonna not have 'net connection for the weekend, so if the plot moves along to a point of physical action, CTK can just control Seb. He doesn't say that much most of the time anyway.))


----------



## G. Hawke (Sep 20, 2009)

CTK said:
			
		

> The old man was quiet this whole time as the doctor answered Marcus. He pushed his spectacles up onto his face and said in a low tone, "I think its blood," he said, "The assailants were cutting themselves and putting their blood in the wounds of others."



Still holding onto the males foot, Marcus stopped for a sudden, taking in this new revelation with surprise. Silent for a moment, a sudden horrifying thought and conclusion came to him. Dropping the males foot, it first seems like Marcus was about to launch into another tirade, his shoulders trembling violently.

Instead, all the while ignoring the old bastard and the map, Marcus broke into sudden roaring laughter.

After some time, Marcus finally got control of himself, turning towards the coward with what almost seemed wondrous amusement. *"This is an experiment, don't you see it? Controlled environment, controlled subjects, and into which they drop one one piece of poisoned cheese. Only difference is of course, this cheese hunts you down, spreading and infecting as it grows."* Letting another another hyena like bark, it was awhile before he could continue.

*"And they just sit back as we tear each other to pieces. Hah, demonic biological warfare. Fuck me, my old man would have loved this shit.*

Finally securing the male to a chair with chains Fred provided, Marcus left enough for Nikki to deal with the female. *"If they can still function, get from them numbers and how well armed the infected are. I would feel much better knowing just how many people we going to have to kill."* Marcus then moved again to the door.

*"I'll go get the runaway bitch back, cause more people we have to put guns in their hands, better chance we going to get through this."*


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 20, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> "That makes sense...Could it be?..." Gwei took out his brush, and connected all the surrounding demon incidents around the phenomenon, noting the dates and times.



_There was seemingly no pattern in the connection. _



Tyrael said:


> Seb looked on as the others headed into the cabin again. He was tempted to head off into the night and look for the girl alone. It was easier walking alone; being on a group always caused him stress. But there was too many unknowns, and an extra pair of eyes and hands was necessary. He followed them inside.
> 
> ((Sorry about my absence, restarting Uni. and such jazz been keeping me busy. Gonna not have 'net connection for the weekend, so if the plot moves along to a point of physical action, CTK can just control Seb. He doesn't say that much most of the time anyway.))



((will do if need be)) 



Yami no Takeshi said:


> Still holding onto the males foot, Marcus stopped for a sudden, taking in this new revelation with surprise. Silent for a moment, a sudden horrifying thought and conclusion came to him. Dropping the males foot, it first seems like Marcus was about to launch into another tirade, his shoulders trembling violently.
> 
> Instead, all the while ignoring the old bastard and the map, Marcus broke into sudden roaring laughter.
> 
> ...



"Don't you think we should at least send more than one person after her?" asked Fred.


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 20, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> _There was seemingly no pattern in the connection. _


Some patterns looked familiar to Gwei, but the majority seemed like garbage. 

"Does this map have every single point ever in the last three years? Do you know any more that are older?"


----------



## Kuno (Sep 21, 2009)

Moving quickly Nikki got the woman chained down to do the chair.  She didn’t stall not knowing how long the sedative would last.  After stepping back and checking both chains one last night she turned toward Marcus and nodded as Fred spoke.  “He’s right.  It would be better to have two people to go and retrieve her.  I mean if there is anything to find.”  The thought to her was grim but she shook it off.  “I might be your best choice.  As full of yourself as you are sometimes you might want to get to know someone else a little bit before you pass judgment.”  She heads for the door laying her hand on the handle.  “So unless anybody objects or would rather go.  Time is wasting.”


----------



## VerdantVenus (Sep 21, 2009)

Kunoichirule said:


> Moving quickly Nikki got the woman chained down to do the chair.  She didn’t stall not knowing how long the sedative would last.  After stepping back and checking both chains one last night she turned toward Marcus and nodded as Fred spoke.  “He’s right.  It would be better to have two people to go and retrieve her.  I mean if there is anything to find.”  The thought to her was grim but she shook it off.  “I might be your best choice.  As full of yourself as you are sometimes you might want to get to know someone else a little bit before you pass judgment.”  She heads for the door laying her hand on the handle.  “So unless anybody objects or would rather go.  Time is wasting.”


"Hold on, you smell like you handle medicine." Gwei bounds up to her, pulling out a moderately sized wooden box with a slight curve like a drinking flask. "Here, take this first aid kit, you know how to use it better than me probably."


----------



## G. Hawke (Sep 21, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> "Don't you think we should at least send more than one person after her?" asked Fred.



Stopping for a moment, Marcus turned back to face Fred and Nikki.

*Well, Seb was coming along earlier, so I presume he would be now as well. Unless he changed his mind of course.* Thinking a moment, Marcus spoke again. *"Anyway, too big a group and we may attract unwanted attention but I guess another gun arm would not be amiss."*



			
				Kunoichirule said:
			
		

> Moving quickly Nikki got the woman chained down to do the chair. She didn’t stall not knowing how long the sedative would last. After stepping back and checking both chains one last night she turned toward Marcus and nodded as Fred spoke. “He’s right. It would be better to have two people to go and retrieve her. I mean if there is anything to find.” The thought to her was grim but she shook it off. “I might be your best choice. As full of yourself as you are sometimes you might want to get to know someone else a little bit before you pass judgment.” She heads for the door laying her hand on the handle. “So unless anybody objects or would rather go. Time is wasting.”



Grinning, Marcus moved up next to Nikki.

*"Very well lass, since you seem so determined to get into the thick of this."* As he waited for Nikki to open the door, Marcus thought it best to at least attempt to pacify the obviously annoyed female. *"It ain't personal you know, I just don't trust easily. The fact is lass, and pardon my french, you don't seems like you've been fucking around with this crowd long enough for me to trust."*


----------



## Tyrael (Sep 21, 2009)

Seb looked at Marcus and Nikki and shrugged. "If you two want to go then I'll stay, see what these two have to say. Might wanna take a local with you. I reckon that snow'll kill as easily as any demon if you get lost."

He moved over to the two people chained to the seats. Was Marcus's theories about it being an experiment just hysteria? Something bad was happening; that was obvious. He wanted to go search for the girl with the others, just to do something. But whatever the possessed couple could tell them would be far more useful than putting himself at risk to make himself feel better.


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 22, 2009)

*Marcus and Nikki*

((you can see to it, there's no way to get lost))
Marcus and Nikki find the trail easily enough and make their way across the snow laden landscape towards the water tower in the distance. The walk is long and there seems to be nothing moving around them. Oddly enough the woods are devoid of animal life and the wind is too still. 

The sky is covered with white fluffy clouds that seemed stretched flat over the once blue expanse and there's something eerie about the entire setting. 

Nikki keeps her bow at the ready as she treads and the closer that they get to the tower she begins to feel uneasy. Daisy had covered a lot of ground in a short time and it seemed that something might have happened to her but the tracks continued toward the tower. 

Every few feet in the tracks there was blood in the snow, but Nikki had been bleeding, so this just made it more likely they were following her. After about ten minutes they reach the tower, the cold has made it hard to travel fast and the further they went the colder it seemed to get. 

The tower is seemingly a derelict, rusted and only standing on three legs. Barely standing at that. The pair stands before it with no sign Daisy got up or even how should could have gotten up. A rusty ladder leans against a snow bank not far off...

*At the Cabin*

Fred explains to them, "We might be in more trouble than you know," he said. "I've been mulling over that damn map for a long time and I've never seen anything like it, there's more demons running around right now than in the past fifty years combined..." he said. "It's odd, there's been spikes before but nothing like this." 

"I still can't get behind all of this, demons, you expect us to believe that there are really demons and that all of those points on the map are demons?" said Mary.

Fred lays a little knowledge on those less knowledgeable. "That's right little Miss, there are demons, ghosts and all manner of other creepies out there and a few of us lucky ones know about it and even fewer take them on. I can tell you this, demons don't like salt, or iron and they can't hide when the Lord's name is said around them. Those two things in there seem no more demonic than you or me, but they aren't in their right mind." 
 
"I doubt that Devil's Trap holds them," Fred added. "If the weather stays this good, we should be able to get out of here by tomorrow and down to someplace safer, but this town is probably a loss although what they're doing here I can't be sure." 

"Why would any demon want this place?" asked Dr. Biden distraught. "I moved here after my divorce to get away from all of the craziness of Denver...now this?"


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 22, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> *At the Cabin*
> 
> Fred explains to them, "We might be in more trouble than you know," he said. "I've been mulling over that damn map for a long time and I've never seen anything like it, there's more demons running around right now than in the past fifty years combined..." he said. "It's odd, there's been spikes before but nothing like this."
> 
> ...


Gwei stared at the map, rubbing the back of his neck. He followed the lines with his eyes, it seemed incomplete. He rubbed his neck.
"Fred-fūzǐ, what do you know about summonings?"


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## G. Hawke (Sep 23, 2009)

CTK said:
			
		

> *Marcus and Nikki*
> 
> ((you can see to it, there's no way to get lost))
> Marcus and Nikki find the trail easily enough and make their way across the snow laden landscape towards the water tower in the distance. The walk is long and there seems to be nothing moving around them. Oddly enough the woods are devoid of animal life and the wind is too still.
> ...



The silence.

It was eerie, disturbing even, that Marcus could make out no signs of life within this snowy expanse. While lack of human life could be explain that most of the infected are still in the town, where were the animals? This was wrong, and while Marcus was used to the unnatural, this was a whole new level of freak.

While he and Nikki tracked the runaway bitch, Marcus became alert when they came upon s blood trail. _"Crap, if she is wounded then it stands to reason she could be easily infected as well. Looks like I am going to have to blow that pretty little...."_

Suddenly they came upon the tower, a derelict little thing, and it had Marcus wondering if anyone could be stupid enough to climb it. The he noticed the ladder, lying prone in the snow. 

Not wanting to attract the attention of anything that may be lurking, or even the bitch who might be in the tower and maybe infected, Marcus drew close to Nikki and whispered.

*"Don't make a sound, wouldn't want to startle her if she is up there. And I don't want to chance one of those infected freaks being around either. I'll get the ladder and you have a peek inside while I cover ya."* Worried if he might have insulted the poor lass again, Marcus hastily added. *"Nothing personal again mind ya, but that thing looks like it is about to collapse. If one of us have to take a jump, I think I have a better chance of catching ya instead of the other way around."*


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 24, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> Gwei stared at the map, rubbing the back of his neck. He followed the lines with his eyes, it seemed incomplete. He rubbed his neck.
> "Fred-fūzǐ, what do you know about summonings?"



Fred looked at Gwei, "Are you asking me? Summoning what?"



Yami no Takeshi said:


> The silence.
> 
> It was eerie, disturbing even, that Marcus could make out no signs of life within this snowy expanse. While lack of human life could be explain that most of the infected are still in the town, where were the animals? This was wrong, and while Marcus was used to the unnatural, this was a whole new level of freak.
> 
> ...



((I'll NPC her)) 

Nikki retrieved the ladder and with his help got it set up against the side of tower, the thing was rickety and unstable but she got up it just fine and was able to climb up to the top of the tower. 

She peeked in through the opening that hung open in the front. It seemed that the inside of the place was empty but someone had slept there, maybe more than a week ago. There was a bedroll and some water jugs and wine bottles. But no signs of Daisy, no blood.


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 24, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Fred looked at Gwei, "Are you asking me? Summoning what?"


"Well, it's just a thought, but what if something is relocating demons from around the world, and the country? The concentration of demons on this map...It almost looks like the early days of the Industrial Revolution, when demon numbers were high, but drastically reduced by the amount of iron circulated through our lives through food and other items; and the growing frequency of ocean travel became a nuisance for demons trying to chase mortals. Ships made of iron, sailing on salt water and housing silvered water became a deathtrap for any demon. The majority of demons have gotten sterile from the Industrial Revolution as well, it can't be something as simple as them just breeding these numbers up. Something is summoning these demons from one place to here."


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 24, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> "Well, it's just a thought, but what if something is relocating demons from around the world, and the country? The concentration of demons on this map...It almost looks like the early days of the Industrial Revolution, when demon numbers were high, but drastically reduced by the amount of iron circulated through our lives through food and other items; and the growing frequency of ocean travel became a nuisance for demons trying to chase mortals. Ships made of iron, sailing on salt water and housing silvered water became a deathtrap for any demon. The majority of demons have gotten sterile from the Industrial Revolution as well, it can't be something as simple as them just breeding these numbers up. Something is summoning these demons from one place to here."



"Demon numbers have never been this high, and Demons don't relocate boy, they come out where they mean to be or they travel really fast in black clouds." 

Fred paused. 

"This many Demons uptop is unheard of...demons aren't like ghosts or bloodsuckers, they have reasons for doing things, motives and desires. If there's this many of them, they are doing it. No one summons them but there's something cooking down below, that's for sure."


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## VerdantVenus (Sep 24, 2009)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> "Demon numbers have never been this high, and Demons don't relocate boy, they come out where they mean to be or they travel really fast in black clouds."
> 
> Fred paused.
> 
> "This many Demons uptop is unheard of...demons aren't like ghosts or bloodsuckers, they have reasons for doing things, motives and desires. If there's this many of them, they are doing it. No one summons them but there's something cooking down below, that's for sure."


"Well, since I live on the other side of the world from here,we back home can't really discern between summonings and demons drawing out of hell "normally". Plus, our hell is completely different from your hell, so forgive me for not knowing much. If it's true that there hasn't been mass summonings, then that confirms our fears that a gate has been opened."


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## G. Hawke (Sep 25, 2009)

CTK said:
			
		

> ((I'll NPC her))
> 
> Nikki retrieved the ladder and with his help got it set up against the side of tower, the thing was rickety and unstable but she got up it just fine and was able to climb up to the top of the tower.
> 
> She peeked in through the opening that hung open in the front. It seemed that the inside of the place was empty but someone had slept there, maybe more than a week ago. There was a bedroll and some water jugs and wine bottles. But no signs of Daisy, no blood.



As Nikki climbed up the rickety tower, Marcus stood below, with his guns drawn and eyes alert. Scanning the surroundings intently, he occasionally looked up to make sure he had Nikki covered as well. With the snow and wind it was getting hard to pay attention to the environment, but all those years of hunting told him that this was one those moments where he could ill afford to lose his concentration.

_It's too quiet, just too much of...nothing. Yeah, just like when me and the old man was hunting that wendigo. The entire forest was silent, as if fearful of the evil that lurked on it's very ground._ Taking a another sweep of the surroundings, Marcus felt a chill up his spine. _"There is something nasty out there in the winds, I just know it."_

Looking up again, he noted that that Nikki had made it up the tower. Thinking that it seemed safe enough, Marcus called out to her. *"Well then lass, find anything interesting?"*


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Sep 27, 2009)

ReikaiDemon said:


> "Well, since I live on the other side of the world from here,we back home can't really discern between summonings and demons drawing out of hell "normally". Plus, our hell is completely different from your hell, so forgive me for not knowing much. If it's true that there hasn't been mass summonings, then that confirms our fears that a gate has been opened."



Woden shook his head, "Hell is Hell boy," said the old man, "I can tell you this because I've been."

He walked to the center of the room, "We need to try and get ready to move, these people can't stay here and the second that those others get back with that girl, we can make a break for it." 



Yami no Takeshi said:


> As Nikki climbed up the rickety tower, Marcus stood below, with his guns drawn and eyes alert. Scanning the surroundings intently, he occasionally looked up to make sure he had Nikki covered as well. With the snow and wind it was getting hard to pay attention to the environment, but all those years of hunting told him that this was one those moments where he could ill afford to lose his concentration.
> 
> _It's too quiet, just too much of...nothing. Yeah, just like when me and the old man was hunting that wendigo. The entire forest was silent, as if fearful of the evil that lurked on it's very ground._ Taking a another sweep of the surroundings, Marcus felt a chill up his spine. _"There is something nasty out there in the winds, I just know it."_
> 
> Looking up again, he noted that that Nikki had made it up the tower. Thinking that it seemed safe enough, Marcus called out to her. *"Well then lass, find anything interesting?"*


"There's nothing!" Nikki yelled down, "I don't understand, she said this would have been the first place she'd come when we last talked to her." 

She descended the ladder, "Maybe we could check the wood?"


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## G. Hawke (Sep 28, 2009)

CTK said:
			
		

> "There's nothing!" Nikki yelled down, "I don't understand, she said this would have been the first place she'd come when we last talked to her."
> 
> She descended the ladder, "Maybe we could check the wood?"



*"That's strange,"* mumbled Marcus in surprise, *"where could she have gone then?"*

Upon hearing Nikki's suggestion, Marcus cast his eyes to the woods not far away. Under normal circumstances, Marcus would confidently claim that he could track anyone through a forest. But with the snow and winds plaguing them, Marcus knew that tracking would be highly difficult.

_"But hell, we're already out here anyway, and Gray's just don't give up."_

Looking up at Nikki, he held the ladder steady as he beckoned her down. *"All right then lass, come on down and we'll have a go at the woods."*


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## Kuno (Oct 10, 2009)

Stepping carefully Nikki descends the ladder and stops standing in front Marcus.  “It’s the only thing I can think of.”  She says turning toward the forest around them.  “I don’t like going in there…but…what choice do we have?”  Nikki readies herself before heading into the tree line.  She looks back to make sure Marcus was coming.


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## VerdantVenus (Oct 15, 2009)

((Where the heck is our dungeon master? Oh, and bump))


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