black rock ♔ with my sad bones and my soiled throne

[sternshield]

WHO || Erky, Maxwell, Liam, Thoster
WHAT || The Knights track down a message from a mysterious woman in trouble
WHERE || Black Rock, Utah
WHEN || April 22nd, 2015
HOW || Actionspam

It's after noon when they arrive, a bleak, dreary day, and an ominous blanket of low, gray clouds hangs over the landscape.  A recent rain has left everything damp, giving the scenery an air of decay.  It seems there is no end to the parade of empty fields and derelict farmhouses flanking this stretch of road.   As they drive towards the coordinates of Black Rock, Thoster's phone abruptly rings.

Comments

[sternshield]

[ erky will put a hand on him, healing him for 22 dmg ] Do you think they... tried to lure us over here?

[beatemup]

[And here's Max, interrupting your healing session with a phone call.]

[bluffcheck]

Aye, I'd bet my life on it. There may me more of-- [He stops because his phone rings. And it's his team leader so brb let him take this.]

[sternshield]

I take it they found trouble as well. [ he could pick that much up from thoster's end of the conversation ]

[bluffcheck]

[He nods.] Max seems to think it's zombies. Not sure if he just found more of our friends here and doesn't know the difference. Best to just wait for him to confirm. They should be along shortly. [And then just because gossip is a thing.]

And apparently our good lad Liam is a werewolf.

[sternshield]

And he never thought that was worth mentioning?

[bluffcheck]

It seems not. No harm in it. We all have our secrets. Perhaps the boy was afraid how we might react.

[sternshield]

Hard to blame him. I wasn't aware most wolves could control the change.

[bluffcheck]

I can't say I've ever met one to be able to ask. It certainly seems like a useful trait.

[sternshield]

I'd heard rumors the Knights had some in their ranks.

[bluffcheck]

Is that so? Haven't heard anything about that. Might have to ask around.

[beatemup]

[Hello, guys! Your beloved leader is here. Time to save the day! ] Yo, you guys alright?

[sternshield]

No thanks to the monsters that drew us here. Probably trying to separate us.

[beatemup]

This is the first time I hear zombies that can use tactical moves. Guess real-life zombies aren't as moronic as their game counterparts. [Max scratches the back of his head and sighs, bothered by the thought that they are fighting smart zombies.] I got clawed back there, but I didn't feel like I was becoming one of them, so at least they're not infectious I think.

[ex_boning176]

[Liam is kind of hanging back behind Max through all of this, keeping quiet with his head down like it will help to hide the fact that he looks like a literal monster rn.]

[sternshield]

[ erky, for his part, is trying not to stare. ] That's likely because they're ghouls, not proper zombies.

[beatemup]

What's a ghoul? [He looks at Erky, curiously. Because that's more important than hurrying to save a family from ghouls attack.]

[bluffcheck]

Legend says it's what happens when a human dies but while in life, they enjoyed the taste of human flesh. Nasty things. Can paralyze you with a scratch. Happened to me with our run in with them. Thankfully, Sir Erky was here to take care of them for the both of us.

[Delicately starts writing a song in his head about Erky's triumphs over the ghouls tbh.]

[sternshield]

They've kept some real wits about them, for being flesh-eating monsters. They lured us out here, probably hoping to get us far away from you two. And we think they took out our tires.

[beatemup]

I don't think this ghouls are smart enough to make a plan like this. There must be someone controlling them. [Max ponders a bit but since he is an expert in plan brute force then that's the way the are gonna do.] Well, I don't wanna stay here too long. Let's get in and find out. [He prepares his hammer and starts walking toward the front door.] Strike the leader first if there's one, kay? [He stands by on the front door, waiting for the other to follow.] Ready?

[ex_boning176]

How will we know which one the leader is? [Liam finally speaks up, because he's kind of confused on that part.

But he is going with the flow and following everyone else's lead for now. He got claws too bitch ok. X(]

[beatemup]

[Max does a double take at the werewolf. Like, seriously? What kind of guy doesn't know which one is the boss? Were you born yesterday? Max looks at him with eyes full of those question.]

Never played an RPG before, pal? The Boss is always the most unique one. The biggest, the strongest, the weirdest, or the most whatever-adjective-you-can-think-of. Use your imagination. Unless the big bad guy is taking the form of an old feeble granny, I think you should look for those signs. [He smiles in satisfaction. Nothing is more fulfilling than successfully teaching something to another guy, and for Max, especially if it is about games.]

I'll let you borrow one of my games later, but let's finish this mission first. Any other question?

[ex_boning176]

[Liam is about to ask him what an "rpg" is but then thinks better of it because ... it's not really important.

So he just nods that ok, I understand what you mean (sort of) and gets ready to move inside with the others.]

[sternshield]

[ they push open the door of the house--

and find themselves in a living room, which seems eerily quiet. ]

[bluffcheck]

[Thoster steps inside and his eyes sweep around the room, looking for anything of interest, anything out of place (spot 22).]