Thread #70222

last time:
our heroes escaped captivity, stole the truck they were in, used it to get to the camp they were headed for anyway
they then gave the truck back to one of their captors so he could get his friend to the hospital after the injured captor's head was slammed into the dashboard because the driver had a gun pointed at him
anyway, they met popper at the camp who was on fire now, and he tried to put them on fire, but he was blown up and is pretty much a charred body with a missing arm and leg now
then a man showed up with the tome the team was looking for
felicity recognized him as Charles Curtis, the former VPOTUS under the Hoover administration.

last time felicity ended with
> "Mister Curtis, sir. I would say it's a pleasure, but it has been a long day , and a longer night, for us. I suppose it would be too much to ask for a magical tome and to send us home on our merry way."

Whoo

"I'm afraid that would be far too much to ask of me, young lady. What do you plan to do with it?" The look in his eyes makes it seem as if he already knows the answer.

I sigh, replying, "We were asked to fetch it for our employer. After that, it's beyond me."

"We need it to get rid of the icky back on Archie."

"Oh, Archibald, I see." He rubs the back of his head in thought. "Is he the one you brought the last tome to?"

"Is there a reason you'd like to know?"

He chuckles. "I like to keep track of where my belongings go."

"The last time I stuck my head in one of those it felt really nice but hurt afterwards. How exactly are you okay when you're actually using them for spooky business?"

"The books belong to you?"

>>70263
"It is child's play. These books were written by my ancestors." He turns to VV. "As such, they belong to me and my people."

Thomas shrugs. " I guess that means you're better than me. For the moment."

"I'll always be better than you, little one." He laughs. "But if you crave the knowledge of these books, perhaps we can come to some kind of agreement. "

"Well that partly depends on my friends here. Also fixing Archie is top priority, but if we can somehow work something out that would be lovely."

"Archibald can't be fixed. He may be bright, but he lacks what it takes to truly use these tomes. As does his master."

VV looks puzzled.
"What are we really trying to fix him for anyway? And what's wrong with him?"

"My memory's fuzzy but his condition is tied to some bad news that would be better if we prevented it."

"Also, Archie has a master? That's interesting... but if he really can't be fixed..." Thomas looks downtrodden towards the ground for a moment.

Of course, Thomas can't assess honesty or anything, so he can hold on to hope.

Curtis looks super smug. "You didn't even know about his master? Archie as you call him is working very diligently for an old mutual friend of ours - Herbert Hoover."

"That makes sense. Though the fact that breaking the neck of a Hoover statue being the entry point to his study is a little strange if that's the case."

"Mister Hoover has done fair work for the American people, sir, as you should know. What problem is there with Hamlin working in turn for him?"

"Herbet Who? You'll have to forgive me, I'm from abroad. Why is it important that he's working for this man?"

Curtis clears his throat awkwardly. "You know, the former president of the United States, president Hoover. I was his vice president." He turns to Felicity. "Do you think books that can do this are going to be used for the benefit of the American people?" As he speaks, the book in his hands emits a faint green glow and a large owl monster swoops in from the nearby woods. It glares at the team as it hovers in the air behind Curtis.

"I mean, if it prevents apocalyptic conditions I would say that it indeed is in the interest of the American people."

"Also you just summoned an owl monster."

"Prevents apocalyptic conditions? Ha."

"I mean my good friend VV here saw some stuff with her brain once and then we got real messed up and talked to a really cool guy and ate some wall meat?
From what I know, your books are reeeeeeeeeal important to stop big doo-doo monsters from giving everybody a real bad time."

Curtis sighs with frustration. "I can't believe you incompetents managed to steal a book."

"Hey man, cards on the table. I'm being pretty straight with you here."

"I'm going to give you another opportunity to serve me. The invitation goes to each of you."

Thomas turns to Felicity.

"And what value is there in serving you, sir."

"Probably not being dead." Thomas says quietly to himself.

"Power. Survival, as your friend aptly deduced. Knowledge of things beyond your imagination."

"And what value is there in not assisting Hamlin and through him, I suppose, Mister Hoover?"

"You've yet to be clear about anything. It's a bit unreasonable to expect anyone to form a business relationship with you on such vague terms, don't you think?"

"Business relationships are forged between parties that benefit from one another. I am offering you this invitation out of kindness." He turns back to Felicity. "There's no value in assisting Hoover, is there?"

"As opposed to the unkindness of killing us."

>>70326
I smirk. "I wouldn't know. But, he hasn't tried to kill us yet. Or threatened to kill us."
My smirk falls away. "Which you, or people working with you, have all tried to do."

He shrugs. "My associates don't work for me. We're business partners, Chansky and me," he glances at VV with a smug look.

"And if we refuse and back away now, what happens? You call down your bird friend on us?"

"Oh, I do not mind if you run away!" He laughs heartily. "But you're mistaken. This is not my bird friend. It's yours."

"Oh it's Vernon? That's awkward."

"Very astute."

"I told you we should have looked harder for him! Now look what's happened to him!"

"VV I'm willing to bet the reason we had trouble finding him was because we weren't looking for owl creatures, we were looking for Vernon."

"Am I to assume you do not want to take me up on my kind invitation, then?"

"I'm not sold. You've done nothing but threats and intimidation as a 'kindness'.And I have no need of power or things beyond my imagination."

"I might urge you to be cautious when making demands, good sir, the difference in bargaining power may not be as one-sided as you think!"

Thomas tries his hardest to suppress his raised eyebrow

He laughs. "You think yourself powerful?"

"Oh no, nothing like that. I've just seem many villains laid low by circumstance."

"The circumstances here are in my favor. I am growing tired of this." He sighs loudly. "When the sun comes up, your friend will die. Why don't you give up and go on with your lives? Your friend may survive if you give up now."

VV points at Popper.
"The circumstances were in his favor too. Why not just retire and go into the casino business or whatever it is that you're up to, partnering with that gangster man."

Thomas inhales and fiddle faddles with his pouch.
Preparedness #d6 (5)
Thomas has located the smokescreen mk 2.

>>70398
He grins. "I'm going to restore my people to their greatness. I'm going to take back what the whites stole from us. I worked to help pass the Indian Reorganization Act //// worked to start the Indian Reorganization Act, but it will not be enough. We must take it back through force."

Thomas is currently trying to subtly signal to VV and Felicity that he's going to smoke bomb.
He's ... hmm...

Rolling to determine method of signal
#d6 (3)
Thomas is holding the smoke bomb behind his back and shaking it gingerly at his party

VV sighs and shrugs. "I don't really know or care about the politics between your people and the colonists. My people do know a thing or two about greatness, however, amd it's not something one can earn by picking on the poor and downtrodden. Maybe you should reconsider your path?"

"I am going to tear down the oppressors. It is my people that are poor and downtrodden. "

VV gestures at Vernon.
"Does he look like a vaunted oppressor to you? Well, I suppose he is some sort of owl at the moment. But there was nothing to be won from the man he was before. It's hard to see you as anything other than a scoundrel if you make men like that your quarry."

He begins walking towards VV.

Thomas slams the smoke bomb on the ground.
Spending 5 explosive points.
#d6+5 (2 + 5 = 7)
"Toot Toot."

#3d6 (2, 2, 5 = 9)
#d4 (3)
The owl named Eddie begins flapping its massive wings violently in an attempt to clear the smoke.
From within the smoke, Curtis says nothing.

Thomas rushes in and tries to slap and grab that book.

I aim at Owl-Vernon's wing and take a shot with the pistol.
#d6 (2)

The bullet veers off into the swamplands.

HHHHRHRNNNGNGGHGHH
Athletics #d6 (3)

#d6 (6)
Thomas feels a firm grip around his throat. He's quickly pushed backwards onto the ground, Curtis' hand still on his throat.

VV is going to seize this opporunity!
And punch Curtis right in the face.
#1d6+2 (4 + 2 = 6) athletics!

Curtis releases Thomas' throat and tumbles away from VV. He clutches his book tightly.

#d6 (4)
From the tents around the encampment, voices can be heard. It seems they heard the gunshot and woke up.

"Thomas! Something that starts fires?"

"UHHHHHHH"
Preparedness
#d6 (3)
"NOPE."

VV, with the leather strap of her medical bag in hand, dashes over to the Eddie owl, strings it right under his beak? and hops in his back, digging her slightly heeled boot into his back to apply pressure.
spending 4 riding

Eddie attempts to resist but eventually gives in and VV assumes control of him while riding.

"Oh my god are you actually - is this happ-"

VV instructs Eddie to walk over to where Curtis is and grab the book.

#4d6 (4, 3, 4, 6 = 17)
#d4 (3)
#3d6 (5, 2, 2 = 9)
Eddie pries the book from Curtis' hands while he is dazed.
#d6 (6)
Curtis realizes he's managed to lose the book and, reaching into his robe, pulls out a second book. The book glows a light green and Curtis explodes into a green smoke which slowly begins to spread.

VV snatches the book out of the beak and tucks it in her pack.
And instructs Eddie to bite Curtis in the arm!

"BAIL."

"Oh, I guess that won't work..."
VV orders Eddie to head back to the group.

"Like straight up let's get out of here."
Fleeing
#d6 (2)

#d6 (5)
the smoke spreads quickly
it looks very ominous

(Flee the building)

you don't have to run to flee right now, you can just leave
>un
roll even
you don't have to roll

Okay that's good
Because Thomas doesn't need to trip again

"So, we're headed out of here, yes?"

"VV, the owl-things need their organs, so you should tell Eddie to go get his, and then we can try to get out of here completely."

"Well, the first thing is getting out of here. I guess you guys don't have any ideas, so..."
VV instructs Owl Eddie to fly and snatch up the other two.

"Kyaa"

eddie grabs thomas and felicity, lifting them into the air with the gentle grace of a 200 pound owl with massive talons

I grimace, and grab onto the side of his talon with my free hand. "Miss Vane!" I shout. "Get him to his organs, it's almost day!"

Careful to watch out for ruffians with guns, VV has Eddie fly a lap around above the camp to see what they can see (it's not super dark night, is it?) before they take off into the woods.

The sun is almost up so there is some light. Circling the camp, VV sees many angry natives.
Eddie finds his way to his organs, bringing the whole crew along. He can swallow them at any time now.
You notice that you're probably a mile from the camp now.

VV hops off the bird and dusts herself off a bit.

"You may want to swallow your uh organs now big guy"

He drops his two passengers onto the ground with the gentle grace of a 200 pound owl that used to be an insane drug-addled loser.
He swallows up his organs and falls to the ground, a human once more, but unconscious.

Wincing, I stand up.
"I think I definitely prefer the aeroplane."

"It was a bit bumpy but definitely kind of cool."

everyone should roll stability now

Oh no.
Please
#d6 (5)
Oh holy shit

#d6 (6)

#d6 (3)

VV loses one stability after she processes what the fuck just happened

"Well." I squeeze my eyes tightly shut for a moment.
"We're alive still. And we have a maniacal magical former Vice President after us. If only I could write about this and not seem like a loon."

"VV, when we get back to friendly territory, I have to thank you as best I can."

VV claps her hands together.
"As lovely as all this has been, I think I've seen quite enough. Let's take this book back to Archibald so I can hand him my resignation with it!"

"About that though." I glance around at the swampland around us. "Where are we?"

"Well, I can't see the stars anymore, so I can't help in that way at least."

"Well, we should find a way back. I've had quite enough of this."
"Also, you can thank me by carrying Eddie."

Thomas nudges Eddie.

Eddie doesn't do anything.

"I'll do my best."
Thomas tries to lift Eddie

You now have 1x Eddie Vernon in your inventory.

(but no free hands unless you wrap him around you)

Thomas decides that carrying Eddie princess style would be an affront to his own wishes and also offensive to his eyes.

So he hefts him over his shoulder like a bag of dirty laundry and shines his glutes forward for all the world to see.

"Well, that's it then. Let's head back."

#10d6 (4, 6, 2, 4, 5, 5, 4, 2, 1, 2 = 35)
after several long hours, you find your way back to the first camp you discovered. It's about 10:00 am judging by the position of the sun. Eddie has yet to stir. The camp appears abandoned.

"Oh. Well that might be a good thing. We should probably be able to keep going straight on to the boat."

"Yes, let's proceed back to the boat."

One of the tents in the camp is suddenly thrown into the air. There are a number of tents between you and the origin of the thrown tent, blocking your view from seeing whatever threw it into the air.
You do, however, hear a loud growl.

Thomas' sweating intensifies

"Proceed to the boat, quickly!"

fleeing might help you avoid seeing whatever threw that tent

"You got it VV!"
Spending two points of fleeing to BOOK IT
#d6+2 (2 + 2 = 4)

(Flee towards the boat. #d6+3 (4 + 3 = 7) )

#d6+2 (5 + 2 = 7)
fleeing

#d6 (4)
Everyone runs very quickly through the swampy land, loud footprints and growls following behind them!

"Thomas," I shout behind me, "keep running!"
Veering from the trail, I dive into the bush and hide.
(Shadowing #d6+3 (1 + 3 = 4))

"You got it boss!"
Spending 1 final fleeing
#d6+1 (6 + 1 = 7)
BOOKING IT

VV, having quite enough of this, ducks behind a tree.
#d6+3 (2 + 3 = 5)

that's shadowing

#d6 (1)
Felicity and VV watch as the massive, hulking, hairy, humanoid behemoth runs past, growling all the way. Unfortunately for that behemoth, it looses track of Thomas, who successfully escaped, leaving the beast lost and off the trail.

Felicity and VV should roll stability.

#d6 (5)

#d7 (7)
oh no wasted my roll on a typo
#d6 (6)

wow

Keeping careful and quiet, I make my way through the underbrush until the motorboat appears in front of me.

Everyone safely makes it to the boat! Eddie is still not doing anything. He's breathing. That's something, at least.

"When we get back, I should consider looking at that book. Maybe Eddie's still tethered to it or something."

It's a long ride back to the guard camp. Nothing's stopping you from taking a peek while you wait, you know?

I get in position to drive the boat, and turn the engine on.

It's pretty loud.

"Hmm." Thomas thinks.
Thomas shifts over in the boat and makes hand gestures at VV.
One is for opening a book, and then another is pointing at his eyes and then the nonexistent book, and finally a turning pages motion.

VV rolls her eyes and hands over the book.

I direct the boat on the route towards the National Guard camp and relax in my chair.
A little bit. It has been a long day.

Thomas inhales deeply and takes a peek at the book's contents.

Thomas looks like he is reading normally, but Thomas feels a bit of a pain in his stomach. He looks down only to see something writhing around beneath the skin. It's long and slender like a snake. It divides into two, and then those two divide into two. They spread out every which way through his body. He can see them writhing around and feel them writing around. He can hear them speaking. He can't understand their words but he knows that they're telling him something important. They're telling him he needs to read more. Not just of this book, but of the other books, too. The writhing things return to his stomach where they form back into one writhing thing. It forces its way into his stomach, no longer merely beneath the skin. It forces its way up through his body, he can feel it creeping through. It exits his mouth partially and gazes into Thomas' eyes. Thomas cannot gaze back into its eyes as he is focused on the book. He can see the ruins of Washington DC, smoldering, with no people remaining.

Felicity and VV see none of this, however.

Thomas acknowledges this situation and is glad for the knowledge, but knows he should probably stop for a lot of reasons.
#d6 (6)

Thomas manages to close the book. The writhing thing is gone.

Thomas either takes a seat or becomes significantly more relaxed in his seating posture as he rests, exhausted and probably a bit sore from the literal mass of writhing tentacle things.

And so the team safely makes it back to the national guard camp.

"Um... so did any of you see all of that on the boat?"

"See what? I feel like I might have fallen asleep at the wheel if not for the blasting noise of the whirring engine."

"There were some freaky tentacles moving about my person as I read the book this time around. Some really freaky stuff, one of them came out of my mouth, it was spooks. But I got to see a vision or so of DC in flames, with no t a single person around.

After that I forced myself to stop, before it really messed with my head."

"I've had quite enough of 'freaky stuff'. Let's report back to the commander so we can be on our way."

>>70743
"I think your head is already messed up plenty enough. By now I don't know if I should be concerned or accepting it as normal."
"But yes, let's find Eagleman."

Dan is sitting in his tent. He appears to have fallen asleep in his chair.
Sicily is sleeping on a cot.

Thomas gives Dan a slight nudge.

Thomas is probably also still carrying a naked Eddie so he probably nudges Dan with Eddie's foot.

Dan looks up at Thomas. He looks afraid. "You're one of... those?"

"Sir, it is simply us. You sent us out to look for the missing guards?"

"Yes, but that man." He points at Thomas. "He's one a' them? One a' them... gays?"

"No sir. I just took it upon myself to carry this person to protect the dignity and grace of my lady friends here."

"I see. So what did you find? Did you find my guys?"

"If I really think about it, I think it's entirely possible they've been turned into people that are also actually owl monsters."
Thomas pats Eddie's back. "Kind of like this fellow."

Dan sort of averts his eyes to the others before returning them to focus on Thomas. He doesn't say anything but looks uncomfortable.

"He's not quite right" VV says impatiently.
"The long and short of it is that the natives are working with the mob to build a casino in the swamp, and they are probably the ones who kidnapped your men."

Dan stands up and slams his fist onto the desk in front of him. "A casino! That's illegal!" It wakes up Sicily.

"That's right sir. They have the backing of the local mafia, and it is likely the abduction of the Guardsmen has been to avoid knowledge of its construction being breached to the public."

"So is turning people into owls." Thomas says quietly while looking towards the ground.

"You've given us good information! We're going to take these bastards down!" He seems excited.

Sicily yawns and stands up from the cot. She sees her godfather naked on Thomas' back and looks disgusted.

"Good luck. Watch out for the former vice president."

Thomas also mouths a "sorry" at Sicily

"The fuck is wrong with you people?" Sicily asks. "I was hoping you'd leave that deadbeat to die in the swamp."

"Well, if that's what you want, mind if we keep him? VV still wants to extort money out of him."

"I've lost interest. We're done here, so let's see to getting back out of here."

"Where are you taking him?"

"To a mansion in........ I've forgotten. He's a useful mount, you see, namely for VV."

"...Mount? Ugh, whatever. You've got a fuckin' mansion? You guys kind of got the mafia after me. I think you should make up for that by letting me stay at this mansion."

"Just leave him here."

"Do we have enough room in the plane?" Thomas turns to the others.

"You've been carrying around Vernon this long, I'm sure you'd be fine with him riding on your lap, right?"

Thomas shivers uncomfortably.
"It's a burden I'm willing to bear."

"But yes, come along with us, Sicily. You're more than free too...I think. Our host and employer is..eccentric, but provides a good hostel."

"A-actually, Dan? Do you have a spare set of clothes for this guy"?"

Dan seems distracted. He is too excited to help find clothes.

Rolling Preparedness
#d6 (6)

Thank goodness that Thomas kept some undergarments and a pair of comfy shorts that he never wears in his bag.

Sicily thanks Felicity but is more distracted by her disgust in Thomas.
"You carried him around naked when you could have put clothes on him?"

"I didn't really have time to look in my bag and then we got distracted by a giant ape thing and I just sort of forgot."

She nods awkwardly.

"Well, before we leave and return to Hamlin's, do we chance a visit to Orangetown? Would the mafia presence there calmed down at all in the time we've been gone?"

I // "I imagine VV wants to continue leaving. And we have several // a couple people here who would likely prefer to be as far away from the mafia as possible."

"It really would be best to just go back, don't you think? Aren't you tired of being shot at, chased, and bearing witness to scenes of horror?"

"Really I'm just tired.
So tired that everything beyond that is barely even a blip in my thoughts so..." I trail off and blink wearily for a moment.
"Then let us just head back to Hamlin's. We can make it up to him later."

"I wouldn't mind a break. I nearly vomited a tentacle."

and so the team made their way back to plane where the strange old man and the red haired man waited
the plane takes off and makes its way back to the mansion with the team and their new friends in tow

alas when the team arrives at the mansion, it appears to be completely empty
There's no Samuel, no Archie, no anyone.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHH?"

In Archie's office is a fresh cup of tea on a saucer. Steam still rises from it.

"Hey Thomas, five dollars if you drink from it."

Thomas looks over at Felicity.
"..................... you got it boss."

Thomas sips the tea.

The tea tastes very bad.

"This is disgusting. But I'm still alive."

"Well, where is everyone?"

I toss a five dollar bill on the table next to the saucer and look around the room in detail.

Thomas picks up the five and stows it away in a billfold in a billfold in his bag.

Under the saucer is a letter, which Thomas notices as he sets down the cup.

Thomas opens and reads the letter.

It is addressed to Herbert Hoover. In the letter, Archie has written that he has left for the town of Lander, Wyoming. There, he expects to find a book. Although he has his wonderful team working for him, he apparently felt that waiting too long would be bad and wanted to get started as soon as possible.
Samuel has gone with him.

"I suppose we should just wait for him to get back then. If you need me, I'll be sleeping in my room."

I show Sicily to an unused guest room, and then head to the kitchen to look for signs of activity.

"Don't forget to mention that her godfather is literally an owl now