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 Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 12:01 pm
Quote: Clearance Mission 40966A
Location: Cornwall, England
Brief:Construction work at a basic underpinning job at a property in England has been halted due to discovery of an unrecorded mine works beneath the house. This has been stated as the source of the original subsidence and has since claimed a shed in the back garden into a mine shaft. Backfilling works were halted when a large incidence of paranormal occurrences impeded progress. Deus quickly intervened to prevent press interference and sensationalising of events.
The family from the home above has moved out and the house is temporarily being used for the kitchen facilities and for the team will be used temporarily as sleeping facilities when not moving further into the mine.
Team
Lawr - Life - Medic duties
Chris - Mist - Backup Medic with flexible duties.
Sandra - Sun - Combat duties
Jim - Moon - Defence
Duncan - Death - Recon and Intel
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 9:27 am
((OOC Note : This takes place in OOC time after Lawrence’s weight is back to an acceptable range.))
It was the first mission that Lawrence had been permitted on since regaining his weight to at least an acceptable level, no longer endangering anyone he went on a mission with at least through the risk of passing out or being weaker than usual. Butch was keen, eager to get out for what he considered “walkies.” Lawrence was less keen, well aware of the dangers and horrors often encountered on missions and somewhat wearied at the prospect of interacting with new people. This feeling was only intensified by the fact that of late he had been maintaining a very very taxing view on the world he couldn’t switch off, trying to respond to each traumatic or troubling experience with as much believable humanity as he could muster. There was a script every human seemed to be born knowing but which he had to improvise daily. It had been his means of attempting to understand everything once upon a time and it was the same once again now.
He arrived to the location on time and was introduced to the team members by the mission leader Jim. The man seemed like a good sort, putting him in mind of his brother Lars in his eager friendliness underpinned as it was with genuine concern for their wellbeing. He instructed each of them what their roles would be and what sort of eventualities they might need to be prepared to encounter, he asked each of them their weapon races and names and made note of all of them, giving Duncan a list also in case they needed some snap information about a species which a weapon might be able to give. Lawrence found himself intrigued by the man and impressed by his organisation and manner. They were shown around the house and where they would be able to store items and sleep when not in the mine. It was almost haunting to Lawrence how familiar the little semi-detached house was, similar to to where he and Maja had lived down to the pokey little kitchen and children’s bedrooms upstairs. This achieved they were left to arrange their possessions and help out Duncan and monitor the entrance as the Death hunter made his way down into the darkness to check that the way was at least somewhat safe.
This left some time for the team to begin to get to know one another a little more. It quickly became obvious Duncan had been brought because before the island he had done a great deal of caving and had been qualified as a structural engineer. There weren’t many more equipped for the task. He was busy for the most part, heading into the blackness with his torch and some equipment and returning now and then dirt and mud blackened and looking somewhat rattled. He let them know that there definitely was something FEAR related going on down there and the readings and sounds he’d run into confirmed it. Jim put his foot down on this and said that the Death hunter would not be able to go too much further than a point where he reported the shaft seemed to split off into several paths. Besides this however, Duncan assured them that the way was safe at least structurally and had been charted out.
Sandra was left rather bored and idle while the other worked, fully equipped for fighting rather than exploring. She’d been brought because of her small nimble bladed weapon and her proficiency in close quarters. She had run quite a few missions in the Sahara and was was quite happy to talk to Lawrence about the horrors she’d seen there, turning a sympathetic ear to his story about the loss of his daughter to the bloodline tracers. She took to him pretty quickly he found and spoke about how much she missed her own dad. Lawrence gently turned the conversation away from dark paths and two got to work with Chris turning the living room into a small emergency medbay in case things got at all out of hand. It was bizzare to Lawrence, setting up two cots on the plush carpet, the furniture pushed up against the wall and family’s photos still sitting in the cabinets as if they’d only just been evacuated. He wasn’t sure if they had been or if they were gone.
The conservatory doors were open looking onto the garden, spring sunshine making the whole scene bright and almost merry in tone, lifting everyone’s moods as they joked and worked. Chris had worked in insurance for a long time before the island it turned out and there was a conversation about curious claims he’d run into which were probably Halloween’s fault and just how much this one might cost if the whole house fell into the ground. This idle settling took the edge off everyone’s nerves and a bravado of sorts began to replace the anxiety which usually accompanied a new mission.
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Baneful rolled 1 6-sided dice:
6
Total: 6 (1-6)
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 9:28 am
Quote: Prep - Setting up a campRolling a 1d6 til 10 is reached to unpack things brought and to set up an emergency cot area along with checking everyone’s runic bandages are charged and packing up a kit and bag of supplies to take into the mine itself.
They found some spare sheets in a cupboard upstairs and after a short discussion about the moral correctness of using the belongings of someone not there to ask if they could and finally settling on the fact that no one would officially know they were there and that it was for the greater good. Besides, all going well there would be no need to use them at all.
6/10
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Baneful rolled 1 6-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-6)
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 9:33 am
Next up was the runic weapons and bandages. Lawrence wasn't as adept with these as some people and though he had learned some minor tips and tricks from Melvin he did not overly trust technology, finding it a little beyond his comprehension and an area he could be tricked in. Still, he understood the basics of runic weaponry and could at the very least take lists, once again noting what everyone was booked out with and making sure each of them were properly charged and stowed, as it turned out, Jim's runic bandages were drained already and involved a short trip back to the island for him to retrieve a non-faulty set, all the while irritated that such a life-saving runic could lose its charge at all.
Lawrence as always simply did what he could as well as he could, asking if he could keep hold of the faulty bandages to try and understand why they failed to hold a charge or at least to speak to someone on the island who could update him about it. He assumed that if he was to get any better at his job the first task was to ask many many questions.
8/10
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Baneful rolled 1 6-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-6)
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 9:38 am
All in all their respective tasks took quite a bit, involving checking the garden for any other unseen holes from the collapse, setting up a forensics style tent over the entrance in case it rained (or anyone got nosey) and having someone on guard at all times, as well as someone within range of Duncan's headset.
It got dark all too soon and Jim ordered everyone indoors, determined to have a hearty dinner and a good sleep before they ventured into the darkness tomorrow. It was while he was asserting this that Lawrence managed to hear that the man was so set on a solid base and rest as he had been part of a mission gone awry where he'd lost a close friend to simply negligence on the part of some of the other hunters stationed there. Miserable and of low morale the team had bickered and fought over every little thing and it had cost a woman her life. He assured them all that the best weapon against FEAR other than their partners was a good mood and a healthy body.
Lawrence ended up getting given second helpings and he wondered if it was deliberate.
9/10
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Baneful rolled 1 6-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-6)
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 10:25 am
After dinner there was only the matter of packing everyone's things ready to head out in the morning, checking and double checking everyone had supplies of water, food and other important necessities for the mine in case they found themselves trapped. Setting them out he joined the others in the living room where the television had been dragged out and rigged up and where Duncan was watching the ten o clock news, a sight which was completely jarring to someone used to living on an isolated island for so long.
The very fact that the world went on regardless without all of them was almost eerie.
10/10
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 12:11 pm
Unfortunately for the hunters their television watching was cut short by the electricity in the house going out a few hours later in the middle of a movie rerun. They didn't think too much of it, assuming someone hadn't paid the bill or something had been damaged by the subsidence and deciding to head for some sleep.
It was only when they made their way to the room they'd arranged for sleeping that they realised all of Chrises belongings had been taken out of his pack and lined up on one of the beds. Combined with the lights going out this put the younger man in a bit of a state, still fresh from civilian life and certainly not in any mindset to be able to respond to the paranormal with anything but fear. Even with a weapon in your head which could harm ghosts it was difficult to erase terror of the unknown.
Eventually they gathered up, deciding to sleep in the same room and their rest was rendered much less relaxing than Jim had intended it to be, stirred throughout the night by thumps and slams. Lawrence wasn't too bothered by any of it, resting best out of all of them, hardly able to hear the thumps and sounds over Butch and his endless, incessant yammering.
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 12:46 pm
Next morning at first light they got up, gathered their things and headed into the mine. The rain had somehow kept away which was a relief given the dangers of groundwater and caving. Duncan assured them that it would be best conditions they could hope for and they let him lead the way.
Lawrence wasn't claustrophobic but he did rather dislike any situation which could potentially end in his death. This was feeling like one of them, trapped underground with a potentially irate creature, trying to get rid of it before it brought an entire row of houses down on their heads.
At first it was mud, so much mud, mud which made him glad he'd worn cheaper clothes, caking everything and getting into the boots they'd worn, making him shiver as they traipsed along. It was cold and filthy and most of all utterly utterly dark. He wasn't really fit enough for it either, finding himself lagging a little as the other nimbly navigated rusted machinery and calcified rocks.
The most interesting part of it all was Duncan pointing out the various ways they could die horribly along the way from the still pools of water long uninterrupted to the lingering mist which already clung to the ground around them.
The way opened out, more structured and evidently not too far off of how it was initially abandoned with the way opening up into what seemed like a long uninterrupted shaft peppered with chains. It seemed unremarkable at first until they realised that though all of the chains were moving slightly in the breeze from the entrance one was swinging wildly back and forth in a huge arc as if shoved or some manner of scythe trap. They all froze, eyeing it warily and uncertain how to proceed.
Eventually they were forced to proceed and Sandra, boldest of the bunch reached out to stop the chain swinging, when she did it did not move again.
"There's no breeze." was her grim statement and when they moved onwards, it was with a few less jokes and a lot less conversation than they'd had prior.
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Baneful rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 12:53 pm
Quote: Rolling 1d4 exploring the branch tunnels 1- Find a dangerous area of still water down one tunnel 2- Find a large rusted solid machine covered in calcified deposits, on approach it seems to grind and then stop 3- A clear tunnel which stretches off further into the darkness 4- A flicker of movement which seems like a retreating figure, leads to a dead end and a wall with groundwater trickling down to mud
The deeper they got into the darkness the further away the daylight and memory of it seemed to be, making every drip and sound seem sinister and dangerous. More than once they stopped, troubled by the creaking groaning depths.
It was only when they came to the branched path where it veered off in five directions did they ponder which way to go, Jim at the lead of the group, checking the waterproof map they had of suspected routes the mine would take along with what Duncan had researched.
They were decided only when on shining the torch down one of the tunnels there was a bolt of movement. "There! " he cried out and ran, followed by everyone else towards it, all of them hoping to make short work of the mission and get out of here.
They came to a dead end with nothing but dripping water and a dead end to show for it.
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Baneful generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
1!
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 1:15 pm
Quote: Rolling 1d3 exploring the branch tunnels 1- Find a dangerous area of still water down one tunnel 2- Find a large rusted solid machine covered in calcified deposits, on approach it seems to grind and then stop 3- A clear tunnel which stretches off further into the darkness
Turning back from the dead end, wearied by their lack of success, damp and on edge the group made their way back to the junction of tunnels, looking for another route to take. This time they opted for one of the narrower ones heading north and found themselves walking and stumbling in the dark for ages and ages, unsure if the tunnel ever came to an end, beset by strange echoes and the crunching of stone underfoot.
Lawrence was not on edge, though he acted as if he was, unafraid of the echoes or sounds, Butch fascinated by the noise and the dark rather than intimidated and following strange earthy and dangerous smells through the underground paths. He liked digging and this was like digging and even the threat of being trapped here didn't intimidate him, if they were buried they'd stay together forever, him and his master.
It would be excellent.
He was so far into his thoughts on this matter that it was almost him who stepped off the rotted wooden beam into the very stagnant pool that Duncan had warned them all about, halted only by Chris who seized his arm.
"No!" the man yelled and pulled him back, his voice echoing far behind them. He leaned back, his heart pounding in sheer instinct and shook his head, thanking the man profusely for capturing him.
He really. Really didn't like water very much. He didn't want to die like that.
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Baneful generated a random number between
1 and 2 ...
2!
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 1:24 pm
Quote: 1- Find a large rusted solid machine covered in calcified deposits, on approach it seems to grind and then stop 2- A clear tunnel which stretches off further into the darkness
On returning to the cross section of mine shafts the group finally came to a half, far underground at this point and without a solid trace of what they sought so much as teasing glimpses the decision was made before progressing down the clearest tunnel (one which boasted a strong breeze implying there was a way out or in up ahead) to rest, however this time their rest would be within the tunnels themselves, spending the night beneath the earth in an attempt to lure forth their prey before progressing into the darkness beyond.
It made for probably the most fitful sleep of any of the groups lives, this time Lawrence no exception, finding himself just as beset as the others by strange and twisted dreams and awakened by clanking and distant voices in the darkness out of sight. They huddled around the weak runic light of their charged weapons and tried to keep their spirits up before sleep, sharing rations in the damp and unnatural world, constantly aware that no one had been down here in decades other than creatures of fear and that whatever had this mine in its sway would have gained enormous traction over time.
No one slept well and it made telling day from night even harder than it already had been for much of the team.
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 1:34 pm
The next morning Lawrence woke first, if you could call it a morning, relieving Chris of his watch duty to take up a post himself while the others got ready to move deeper into the mine.
Curiosity had always been his greatest weakness and while he waited, he could not resist but to hang back a little from the group and to steal a glance along the narrowest of the tunnels, the one they did not intend to go down next but last instead, shining his torch into the dark while Butch simply looked on with rapt attention.
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 4:56 pm
The tunnel feels like it goes on for far, far too long until finally, it opens up into the feeling of space. An almost vast amount of space after the cramped journey. The walls flicker gently as the masses of moths collected upon them gently open and close their wings.
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 10:46 pm
He should have gone back to camp, that would have been the proper and clever thing to do, but he didn't. He wanted to know where it led, following the path through the dark almost blankly, sure that any moment it would be a dead end. He wasn't even sure the others could follow other than Sandra, the walls narrowing so even his slight frame was pressed for space.
When it opened out he moved slower and more cautiously and when he saw the moths, for the first time in the journey he stopped dead in what was the closest thing to fear and excitement he experienced, Butch falling silent in his thoughts.
Surely, surely it was just a coincidence and these were just normal moths, just a colony of insects down here, hiding from the light.
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 9:34 pm
The cavern seems to breathe around him, inhaling and exhaling with the near silent beating of wings. Eventually, like a sigh, the sounds come together with words strung between. "How many?"
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