knightsoflegend | sagebrush ♔

Entry tags:

sagebrush ♔

WHO || Abigail, Barry, Jo, Sawyer and Eric [closed]
WHAT || Investigating a series of attacks in an old fashioned town
WHERE || Sagebrush, Nevada
WHEN || May 2016 [ backdated ]
HOW || Actionspam

The Knights arrive in the small town of Sagebrush and find it's almost like they've stepped back in time. Many of the buildings have been preserved for historical significance, and there's not even a paved main road - everything is just well trodden dirt. The marshal has agreed to meet them at the latest murder scene, and they'd seen him leaning against his police car outside the fence where cattle graze.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Jo cants her head to the side, she hasn't picked a lock in a while and she had seen the attempt happen. She's pretty sure she wouldn't do any better than that.]

If we use an ax... and someone gets upset, we can just have them bill us, right? [She shrugs.] It's not like we aren't trying to make sure no one else gets hurt.

[Barry gives a small shrug in return. He really isn't good enough at picking locks to give it a go and while he can't phase through doors like he used to - thanks, Veil - chopping it down seems like the best option they have left beyond:]

Or we could just knock first? See if anyone's around who will actually talk to us?

Spoilsport.

[ but look. abigail is stepping forward... to knock. you're no fun, barry. jo knows what's up. ]

[ Eric looks relieved, at least, and after an extended pause, there's the sound of the doors being unbolted. It's opened by a blonde middle aged man in flannel, and a stetson, and those who glance within see three similar generic white southern guys hanging back.

Two rows of wooden pews lead up to a dais surmounted by a podium at the opposite end of the room. The high ceiling is vaulted in the manner of a great cathedral. A
door is built into each of the diagonal walls to either side of the dais. A red rug runs between the pews and up onto the dais; the rest of the floor is covered by a thick, black carpet.

"Church is closed today," the man drawls, eyeing them up ]

[Barry is quick to speak up, not wanting to hold them up but wanting to keep them talking long enough so that he can try and get a better glimpse at what's inside (spot 21).]

No, we're not here for a service. My name is Barry Allen and we're with the Karthur Institute. The sheriff brought us in to investigate some of the incidents happening in town and we were wondering if we could ask you a few questions.

[It's said simply and earnestly, Barry's experience as a CSI coming to the forefront and keeping his tone casual. He's made this request many times before, so it's practically old hat (diplomacy 17).]

[ the men behind him exchange significant looks with each other, and barry would notice the end of a 12 gauge shotgun poking out on one of the pews.

"Someone give you an invitation? Let's see it," he responds. "Otherwise you come back with a warrant." ]

We don't have an invitation. And if this a church, isn't it public property?

[ eric raises one eyebrow challengingly at the guy, who stares back at him, chewing on some tobacco.

"Ain't that kinda church." ]

Don't mind them, [ abigail says, stepping forward between the taller men, flicking her braid back over her shoulder which subtly bares the scar on her throat. ] We know that anyone who knows anything would be in the church. Town like this?

We wanna help. Especially since whatever it is seems to be... you know.

[ assuming they're racist is easy, okay, so she's just going to play right into that with her downright approachable, innocent charm (diplomacy 29), one eyebrow lifting slightly as if to imply they're on the same side. ]

[ the men exchange looks over her head, that are difficult to decipher. the one to her left nods to the guy at the door.

"Verne," he says. "Let's here what they want."

verne doesn't seem too happy about the arrangement, but he folds his arms and lets that guy keep talking.

"You ain't from around here." ]

No. We're from out of town.

[He's not sure exactly what play Abigail is going with but since they seem to be responding to her more than they are to Barry, he'll back her play with a thin smile because gross. Racists.]

[ do what u gotta do, barry. ]

I'm from right outside Bloomington, actually. Minnesota. But we've dealt with stuff like this before.

Nebraska - [Jo opts to drop in a quick reference to a place a bit closer to Nevada.] and we are just looking to help. [Diplomacy 16] No here one wants trouble, no matter where they're from.

[ "Why don't we go for a walk?" the initial guy asks, and eric raises an eyebrow ] What's wrong with here?

[ "Church is closed," pipes up another guy. ]

[Yeah, Barry's just going to squint a bit at that, still keeping quiet but trying to see if he can discern their meaning (sense motive 22).]

[ there's something fishy here, notable in the way that guy glances towards the door at the back of the room involuntarily with his words.

it seems they are more interested in getting them out of there quickly than in actually securing their help. ]

[Yeah, Barry doesn't trust this at all. He's going to eye the open door for a moment, glance back over what they have with them, before he very gently inches his foot forward to subtlety nudge the fox sitting next to Abigail towards the door (sleight of ~~hand~~ foot 26).]

[ jamie foxx takes off running through the door because he's a fox. (will save 5) ]

Jaime! [ and abigail is going to try to duck around the guy in the doorway and sprint after her companion. emphasis on try because of her whole strength 4 and dexterity of 6. go, abigail! ]

[Barry's going to snap a hand forward and grab at the door (reflex save 31), trying to give Abigail enough space to get through the door after her fox.]

Whoops. Look at that. We'll only be a second.

Just let her deal with it. I think that thing has rabies. [ his flat bluff of 5 does not even remotely begin to sound like he's trying. which gains him an angry look from one of the guys, as the other two turn to follow abigail across the room, while the fox bounds towards that closed door at the back.

"Hey!" one shouts after her. ]

Someone should probably go help her. Two sets of hands are better than one, right?

[Barry would ideally mean for it to be him but if another member of his team wants to get in on it, they should go for it.]

[ abigail is going to take advantage of this opportunity and flat out run after her fox. and maybe "fall" into the door if she reaches it, and grab the handle to "catch" herself, and maybe yank it open, but i have zero idea what to roll for that! ]

Good idea. [Piping in and nodding at Barry as if to say, go dude we got this.] Trust me, you do not wanna see what a Fox can do in a confined space.

[Sawyer with a ridic Nat 20 SOH to brush her hair over her ears. Little hard to play the Racist Bros card when you're hanging with a half-elf. On the off chance this doesn't all go sideways... now? Cover in tact.]

[ it's a bluff check to sell it as an accident! either way, the door opens immediately, and she finds herself looking into a small inner sanctum. two large tables dominate the room, and bookshelves filled with dark, leather-bound tomes line the walls. the furniture appears to be made of oak. a thick, red carpet covers the floor.

a man in his early forties with nicely trimmed black hair and a clean shaven face, dressed in boots, chaps, and all black, with a priest collar, turns to look away from the conversation he's having when she enters. the man he's speaking to wears crimson robes that look like something a mage would wear.

most notably, however, there's a creature chained up in one corner, that looks at first glance like a big cat... except for the furry horrifying tentacles waving off its back. and that it's got too many legs. as well as other telling features.

"What is this?" demands the priest immediately, craning his neck to look past abigail to be like how the fuq did she get past all those brawny dudes... ]

[ her bluff is a 35 ftr. ]

Jamie...

[ the fox stops immediately and ducks between abigail's legs as she takes in the room in front of her, eyes lingering on the displacer beast (spot 18) -- is it purple? -- before they flicker back to the priest. ]

Sorry, Father, the fox got away from me. You know how wild animals are.

[And Barry's going to just slip past and try to follow Abigail, possibly using a bit of his speed to try and dodge whoever might get a hold of him and head to back her up because that doesn't sound pleasant (escape artist 32).

He'll keeps his eyes roaming to see if there's anything else important (listen 30, spot 23).]

Everything okay?

[ it's totally purple. and barry zips past the others so fast that they are just left looking wildly about like how the hell did he get over there?

the guy chasing abigail stops behind her, and locks eyes with the priest, sounding chagrined as he starts. "Sorry, boss, she--"

but the priest holds up a hand, lets out a sigh, and reaches back to his belt - pulling up a derringer that he aims at her.

"Now this is just a real shame," he drawls. "A right real shame." he nods his head to the guy in robes beside him and says: "They've seen it. You know what to do." ]

Abigail! [ eric shouts out just as... we go into init! ]

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