Searching for Clues at the Park (Ghoster & Logos)

Hands lunge at Ghoster as he scrambles to his feet, but miss -- and the over-balanced figure falls to the ground, where Ghoster just was.

Ollie moves on one of the zombies still on it's feet, it's bloody hands flailing at his friends. He runs up to it, and throws a right hook at it, giving it all he's got and calling down another favor from fate in the hopes that it'll be a knockout. Luck and timing favor him, and his punch connects squarely with dead flesh.

Spoiler:

((Val's not hurt yet, Ghoster is. Attack what's attacking him))

((Ok))

Ghoster extricates himself from the pack and begins making his way towards the bleachers. Arms reach out for him, ripping into his arms and back as he pulls away, and another tumble of bodies falls over into the inch-deep water.

Ollie feels as if he's punched a large bowl of Jell-O with pine cones in it. Rotted flesh gives way and bones scrape at his hands as it sinks into the undead thing's chest. With a gagging sound, it spews a mouthful of bile and rotted lung tissue at him, and falls over.

Guy is suprised as the three encircling him move past him, and jump off the bleachers. Except one. He slips, and falls down into, and under, them.

As Valkyrie watches the bodies fall over, her Common Sense tells her that now would be a great time to make a break for it.

Vakyrie's player's Common Sense tells him things said OOC don't count, and won't be allowed to be used IC.

((duly chastised))

Bewildered but thankful for the zombies sudden disinterest in him Guy runs over to help the others.

Spoiler:

Guy | Valkyrie(Prone) | Yuk | Ghoster(2L3B) | Yuk(Prone) | Ollie(2rB) | Yuk | Yuk(1B,Prone) | Yuk(Prone) | Yuk(Prone) | Yuk | Yuk | Yuk(3B,Prone)

Arms reach out to grab at Guy, but just aren't lucky enough to get a hold.

Valkyrie (and Valkyrie only) notices two dark figures heading for her car, from the bleachers.

Ghoster, breathing heavily, tries to make it to the bleachers, but the combination of rain, blood, and fear forces him to misstep again.

Spoiler:

A dark figure begins to rise from the ground, but slips and falls again.

Ollie hauls Ghoster to his feet, not to difficult with his enhanced strength, and begins hauling ass towards the bleachers, holding on to him.

"On your feet, man let's go!"

Spoiler:

~~Narration~~

Things seem to be going well.

Arms claw at the escaping pair, but none connect. Other forms rise from the ground to give chase, but the process of getting up is laborious and slow.

Thing are going so well, in fact, everyone can hear someone open a bottle of champagne.

Either that, or they slashed a car tire.

Guy starts heading back to the bleachers making sure to pace himself so that they all arrive there as a group. They just had to get out of the park. Even if they had to escape on foot. If they did that they would be ok.

"Careful. One of them fell under the bleachers and I don't know if it is still under there."

Spoiler:

~~Narration~~

The group reaches the bleachers, and are faced with the decision to go under them (2 turns) or run up them and jump down (Dex+Ath, 1 turn).

The majority of the large crowd of dark figures turn and begin to shamble towards the bleachers.

Guy | Valkyrie | Yuk | Ghoster(2L3B) | Yuk(Prone) | Ollie(2rB) | Yuk | Yuk(1B,Prone) | Yuk(Prone) | Yuk | Yuk | Yuk | Yuk(3B)

((what about the zombie that fell under the bleachers?))

(( Spend your Action taking a peek and find out ))

((assuming she doesn't fall on her ass, Val's going up and over))

Ghoster can't keep his feet underneath him long enough to see if there was a zombie through the bleachers.

Spoiler:

Ghoster's down again, and Ollie moves to stand over him. He reckons that Ghoster really needs the next few moments to go just right for him, and he turns that into an imago. A moment's concentration later and Ollie feels a bit of his mana slip away as he imbues Ghoster with Fate's blessing, as fickle as it could be. He then turns to wait while Ghoster composed himself.

They were going over those bleachers together.

Spoiler:

~~Narration~~

The lurching group of undead catch up to the fallen Ghoster, and hands reach out for him. They slash and tear at him, and one set of hands grasps him firmly.

Another popping sound is heard from the vicinity of the car.

(( Ghoster must roll STA checks to stay conscious; all Actions suffer -3 Wound Penalty, including Reflexive footing checks ))

Not wasting any time Guy throws the zombie off of Ghoster and continues pushing him up the bleachers.

Spoiler:

~~Narration~~

Guy manages to get the grasping hands off of Ghoster, but loses his flashlight in the process. Still struggling to help Ghoster to his feet, he watches Valkyrie fall.

A figure lunges at Ghoster, but also falls.

Those bleacher steps are so close.

(( Ghoster needs to make a STA check to stay conscious. Footing check suffers -3 Wound Penalty as well ))

Ghoster's lids grow heavy; arms reach to help him, arms reach to hurt him. Ghoster exerts any will he has left to stay conscious.

Spoiler:

Gotta get up. Can't die in the dirt. Can't let 'em laugh at me.

Spoiler:

"No..." he mumbles, his voice oddly child-like.

((he fell again))

~~Narration~~

Hands reach for the fallen Valkyrie, but the shambling figure falls as well. Really close to her, too.

Ollie bends down and pulls Ghoster up onto his shoulder in a fireman's carry, grunting in exertion. He starts carrying him over the rainslick bleachers, trying to shrug off the flailing claws of the undead horde behind him. He trudges up the steps, praying that Val, behind him, finds her feet.

Spoiler:

~~Narration~~

As Ollie picks up Ghoster and starts hustling up the stairs, he thanks his lucky stars that he infused his muscles with magic.

Valkyrie thanks her lucky stars that the wet, smelly figures all decided to assault Guy instead of her.

Guy has no thanks to give, as chitinous yellow nails tear into him, gashing his face, torso, and arms. His blood is running freely, and he begins to feel faint from the loss.

(( Guy is up, -1 Wound Penalty to Actions, including rain/footing check ))

The sudden loss of blood coupled with the slick terrain is to much for Guy as he slips and tumbles to the ground.

Spoiler:

Val gets up and moves over to Guy. She hopes that this isn't an instant re-play of what happened when Ghoster tried to save Logos.

Spoiler:

~~Narration~~

One of the fallen figures also rises, moving towards Guy and Valkyrie.

Spoiler:

Broken and bleeding, Ghoster finds a way to stay conscious. If he had any idea of what the zombies were doing to Guy, he might not have bothered. Useless.


Ghoster holds action.

~~Narration~~

Another figure climbs to it's feet.

Guy(5L,Prone) | Valkyrie | Yuk | Ghoster(Prone,3L4B,no DEF) | Yuk | Ollie(2rB,no DEF) | Yuk | Yuk(1B,Prone) | Yuk | Yuk | Yuk(Prone) | Yuk(Prone) | Yuk(3B,Prone)

You forfeit your life already, boy, he hears Finn's voice say, don't let these people die for you. Don't let me down. Ghoster set his jaw, and tears dropped and mixed with the mud and blood below him. He rips at his own musculature for precious Mana.

Ollie notices Ghoster stirring and sets him down on the top bleacher. The zombies seem to have more trouble climbing the precarious structure and he's counting on that.

"Listen to me, Ghoster. I'm going back down there. Lay down on this step and don't try to move."

He leaves Ghoster clinging to the top step, and tuns to see Guy covered in a horde of writhing, fetid creatures.

No...

He clambers back down the bleachers to stand by Val and Guy, readying in his mind the Imago that would heal Guy. If only he can just reach him in time..

Spoiler:

~~Narration~~

Ollie and Valkyrie watch in horror as yellow nails and withered hands eviscerate Guy in front of their eyes. The screams of agony are deafening.

Even Ghoster can hear it through the haze of his Scouring pain.

(( Ollie and Valkyrie roll three dice for Degeneration ))

~~Narration~~

One of the monstrosities tries to follow Valkyrie, but the slick bleacher steps prove to be too much, and it tumbles over with a dull clang against the aluminum.

Damn patent leather shoes.

Ghoster spends the first Dime right away, trying to stay awake long enough to be of help to anyone.

Spoiler:

The second almost spends itself, as Supernal morphine presents itself as an Imago.

Spoiler:

Another figure grabs at Valkyrie, but falls over his struggling compatriot.

During all of this, Ollie hears a single deep toll of a bell. Looking around, he realizes that no one else has heard it.

He doesn't realize it yet, but it's the sound of a Geas being broken.

(( Ollie is -5 to ALL ACTIONS, until the Geas is removed. ))

Ollie watches in horror as Guy is taken apart. The deafening screams only blotted out by the hollow sound of the geas being broken. His insides twist up, and he begins feeling sluggish and out of place.

What is this?

"Val, Logos... There's something wrong with me. I can't... We need to run. Now. I'll go first."

With that he drops off the bleachers. His landing is a little sketchy, but his balance pays off. Then he runs, past anything he might find on the other side of those bleachers, anything that might reach out with haggard claws and try to snag him up.

Spoiler:

~~Narration~~

Ollie splashes through the water and rain, running by the lopsided Beetle. Both tires on the driver's side appear to have been shredded. Black shapes move in the night, but the darkness makes it impossible to discern depth and distance.

Hollow metallic thumps are heard as figures begin to make their way up the bleachers, toward Ghoster and Valkyrie.

Something flies out of the darkness, and Ghoster's eyes widen in horror as Logos' face fills his vision.

Valkyrie watches the head crack into Ghoster's face, stunning him, and spattering her with blood.

It sounds like a watermelon being dropped, after it bounces off of Ghoster's head and hits the pavement.

Spoiler:

~~Narration~~

Ghoster can't tell in the darkness how many gaunt faces are coming up the steps at him, but there are a lot. The bleachers are swaying with the rhythmic footfalls.

Unfortunately, Valkyrie is just too short to help him... he's on his own.

Spoiler:

The pain, the symbolism, of being struck with Logos' head jars Ghoster awake. For now. He's got one more chance to stay alive.

Spoiler:

Ghoster, finally able to get up, follows Ollie.