Grim Occupation.P3 Conclusion

START OF THIS SCENARIO: https://wjr5oakley.blogspot.com/2022/10/grim-occupationp1.html

Essie Vance [Whitney], Peter Graves [Jordan], Phillip Vance [Aaron]

Recap: They entered the castle in search of Marina carried off by two winged creatures. They found a tapestry depicting the 700-year-old storming of the castle. At the foot of the stairs, they confronted a vile experiment coming down the steps to attack. Blasted by a shotgun, it lay dead at their feet. Peter stepped over it to climb the stairs. Phillip double-tapped it with his hatchet.

2^nd Floor: They cautiously climbed the stairs that lead to a long room. Old portraits hung on the west wall while the east wall was interspersed with arrow slits that looked out over the castle courtyard and the town’s center plaza. While Essie and Phillip studied the paintings (Essie looking for scenes that might explain the current atrocities), Peter gazed out an arrow slit for movement in town. He caught glimpse of something just at the top of his arrow slit… leathery? It was Essie who heard the rustle, “Look out; behind you!” A leathery tail protruded into the room thru a slit and swung at Peter who dodged just in time. Phillip turned to see the face of a winged creature leering thru the slit Peter just backed away from. All could hear the scrapping of claws against the outside stone wall face.

Master Bedroom: They all backed out of range. Peter opened the southern door and gazed into a bedroom. Large canopy master-bed, arrow slits on southern wall. He was about to enter till he realized the eastern wall was a floor-to-ceiling glass window! The Lord’s grand vista of his town. But currently an entry threat from the creature outside. Peter slipped into the room with his garrote ready to attack the creature when it came in. Phillip entered further inside, readied with his MP-18. Essie… entered in search of linen to bandage her damaged pinky finger.

Phillip saw in time, “Look out! It’s going to crash thru the window.” “CRASH!” Poor planning by all. Phillip wanted to shoot but Peter jumped at the creature’s back. Essie turned in fright, caught barehanded before the creature barely 4 steps away. Peter’s garrote barely fit around the creature’s thick neck. About the only thing accomplished was him gaining hold as the creature tried to sling him off its back (and probably thru the grand window… long fall to the courtyard below!). Phillip charged with his hatchet but was blocked by a wing; at least he was able to duck under the claw swing response. Peter slid off its back and drew his pistol (3 shots point-blank): miss/hit/hit. Essie notched an arrow and struck the beast in its chest… the arrow barely sunk in… part of the arrowhead still visible.

Maybe the arrow distracted Phillip: he was struck by a back-handed claw. Peter emptied his pistol (last 2 bullets: one extreme), dropping the creature dead. It fell backwards at Peter’s feet. Only now did the others see Peter alive, holding a smoking gun. All were shocked to see the creature’s chest… stitches as if a ‘Frankenstein’ creation!

As Essie tried to bandage Phillip’s cuts, Peter noticed a telephone on a table. He picked up the receiver and heard on the other end, “Richter, bist du das? Verdammit, roch mal bericht! Wo bist du gewesen?!” [Richter, is that you? Damn it, report! Where have you been?!] Peter hung up after answering, “Nein.” And that’s when Essie stepped to the phone to use her telephone skills. “You have to hit the clicker bar 2 times to get the operator.” She soon was talking to the French operator. A hard persuade to get the woman to believe her story not a prank call. “Yes, send the police… the gendarmes.” [While the operator was convinced, it took the Paris police 2 days to finally send someone.]

Laboratory: And that’s when they heard noise behind the wall. Something dropped. Phillip reached for the handle of the metal door in the northwest corner (unlocked) and opened it. A dimly lit room that reeked of rot and decay. Inside: 3 metals tables in the middle, medieval torture tools hung from the walls, a side table with modern medical implements. Peter shined his flashlight: dried blood stains were obvious; the two front tables were butted together with bodies prone upon them. But most concerning: Essie watched the chest of the bodies rise and fall with heartbeats. The two bodies... joined...sewn together... with leathery wings draped to either sides of the tables!!

But it was Phillip who saw movement behind the last table. As if something crouching/hiding. He warned the others. Essie edged inside the room and called out in French, “Marina?” All focused on the threats before them, with weapons or grenade ready. Thus, Essie was slow to feel the breath near her neck… slow to hear movement behind her. She turned at the last second to see a lab-coated man wielding a syringe aimed at her neck! She dodged JUST in time! “HELP!”

SA Richter pushed his way past Essie and rushed out the door. Phillip rushed toward the door, forgetting about the threats before him. Peter took a shot at the departing German… missing Phillip and Essie and hitting the door instead. Essie pulled out her whip and tried to tangle the German’s feet but missed. Phillip grabbed the doorhandle and fought to get it open so he could attack the deranged mad scientist.

And that’s when the creatures inside the room came center-stage. The experiment cowering behind the table, rose to attack. The conjoined creature on the table stirred and began to sit up. Peter wheeled about and threw his grenade: (extreme: 4d10 = 40 points). The ambling creature was obliterated. The winged creature was protected by the metal table.

CLIMAX

Peter and Essie battled the winged creature. It was close enough to swing its claws. Essie twanged an arrow that sunk deep into its flesh. Peter raised his pistol for point-blank… 00… it jammed. The creature swung wildly and spastically, missing its foe. [It would take an hour for it to gain stability.] Which gave Peter chance to grab his shotgun from his backpack… “BLAM!” [Extreme]: guts, gore, viscera splattered the back wall and tables.

In the bedroom, Phillip confronted the syringe wielding scientist (Richter) who raised an open left palm toward Phillip as he muttered strange words. [failed opposed POW to the spell Wither Limb] As if an electric shock, Phillip’s right hand uncontrollably clinched painfully tight. So tight, he triggered his pistol. A wild shot. Richter laughed maniacally as he closed with the syringe held high. Phillip failed to dodge: the needle sunk into his neck. Painfully hot fluid pumped into his bloodstream. [Successful opposed POW] Phillip fought for consciousness and regained use of his hand as his grip relaxed and the pistol clattered to the floor. Phillip grabbed his hatchet and swung. It chinked off of Richter’s chest. [He had heard their earlier gunshots and cast Flesh Ward armor upon himself.]

Phillip winched in pain as the fluid coursed thru his blood. His eyes dilated. His brain echoed with a simple command “Kill them!” [He was susceptible to the first command heard.]

Peter and Essie entered the bedroom in time to see Richter exit the other door. Essie saw poor Phillip in pain and approached to give aid as Peter began to give chase of Richter. But out the corner of his eye… he saw Phillip raise his hatchet toward Essie! [Phillip was drowsed for 2 rounds and thus penalized in actions]. His swing missed as Essie realized in time to dodge. Peter charge to tackle him, grabbing for the hatchet. They tumbled backwards onto the bed in a death grip fight for the weapon. [crit 01] Essie pulled cords from the canopy master-bed and lassoed Phillip’s legs then hands. Soon hogtied. Three hours barricaded in the Laboratory before her brother-in-law came to his senses.

Only then did they emerge to go find Marina locked in a dungeon cell. No sign of Richter or the other winded creature. Slowly other villagers emerged from their hiding. One reported seeing Richter drive off in the Citroen parked in the center plaza. With the winged beast flying overhead as they exited north out of town.

EPILOGUE

They spent the next few days helping the surviving citizens restore (what they could) their town. Peter spent his time learning French from Pierre, while Phillip tried desperately to convince Marina to “come with me to America. The land of the free.” She was reluctant to leave Pierre who wanted to stay… “This has been our family home for generations.” But Phillip was convincing in his persuasion. Even Pierre was convinced, all for the good of little Anna.

It was two days before a lone gendarme from Paris arrived. He quickly called for backup. At least they found a car large enough to hold them all as they rode back to Paris. The taxi-driver who rented them the original Citroen pleased with his upgrade in cars. They overlooked needed paperwork of prior ownership.

In Paris, It took 2 days to complete the needed paperwork for the Beaumont family’s immigration to America. With Phillip Vance their sponsor. The America embassy first resistant (“It will take at least 2 months.”) till Essie reminded them the trio’s discoveries in Iraq that were being shared with England AND America.

Finally, they called Sir Leonard Wooley at the British Museum to arrange pickup by Flt Lt Kingsley in the Vimy transport.

BACKGROUND

12th Century: The Lord of Cauzerte, desperate to overthrow the king due to the exceptionally high tax and levy, began searching for a way to raise an ultimate army. To achieve this treacherous goal he began consulting metallurgists, witch doctors and disgraced military leaders for any form of advantage he could use.

Sinking further into depravity, he consulted a lone traveler (an avatar of Nyarlathotep) who provided him with unbound knowledge that detailed horrific sacrifices and experiments that could help him create his ultimate army.

However, his porter was eavesdropping on the lord's feverish plotting and word spread quickly. Fearing the lord was possessed by the devil, the town's people rushed his castle and placed his head upon the battlements. Following his swift murder, they attempted to burn the tome of unholy knowledge however its vile knowledge seemingly outlived the licking tongues of the flames. Realizing the true nature of this journal, The Traveler’s Teachings, it was hidden away in a building that would be later used as the town hall, where the tome remained for 800 years.

Present 1920s: In his budding days, Hitler was drawn to the occult and craved any knowledge that might aid HIS desires for world domination. He learned of the book and sent his Brownshirts to claim it. Their vile leader, Sturmfuhrer Officer Richter, found the book and began his own horrific experiments using the residents and his own troops as the sacrifices and transformed creations.

Real History: The SA were the ‘Sturmabteilung’ (assault division) also known as the Brownshirts or Storm Troopers. It was a violent paramilitary group attached to the Nazi Party in pre-World War Two Germany. Hitler formed the SA in Munich in 1921, drawing membership from violent anti-leftist and anti-democratic former soldiers.