TAT.P3 Conclusion
Beginning of TAT: https://wjr5oakley.blogspot.com/2022/11/tatp1.html
Essie Vance [Whitney], Peter Graves [Jordan], Phillip Vance [Aaron], the Beaumonts (grandfather Pierre, Marina, 3 yo Anna)
Recap: Elizabeth confronted Joanna, calling her an imposter to
her face! A face she tried to remove as if a mask, along with a wig. But there
was no wig or mask. But enough fuzzed image to shake Essie, who privately
questioned Joanna about her late husband. Joanna confiding him John (versus
Arthur per Liz’s story) and not dead, “Divorced.” They searched Taft’s and
Joanna’s room before heading below to search. And found all in the Cargo Hold!
14
April, Day 2 at Sea: Essie realized her bullwhip had little effect on the
serpent-woman Joanna. Yet in her panic, she saw a firehose and axe on the far interior
wall. She quickly tried to jump over a crate to escape Joanna while making way
toward the axe. She slipped. Joanna lunged at her prey but only managed to claw
the top of the box as Essie pulled her legs away into a fetal position on the
other side of the box. And that’s when she heard Pierre call out, “Läche cette femme!” [“Unhand that woman!”] as he clubbed
Joanna with his cane from behind. She lashed at him with her claw, causing him
to stumble over the cargo-door lip and fall prone.
[Per
Aaron in the last session: Pierre was not in the cabin as he was “wandering the
ship.” Thus, why Marina had to stay in the cabin with baby Anna rather than go
dancing. He heard the commotion and came to investigate.]
Phillip
was barehanded against the spectral blade that slashed at him. And he saw the
serpentman Kelly behind the cars weaving his hands as if controlling the magical
blade. But he also saw the snow-shovel strapped to the fender of the first car.
He dove for it despite the blade threat.
Meanwhile,
Peter stared at the serpentman Shaw with coils around Joseph Taft, ready
to start ingesting him. But he remembered the crowbar Essie kicked. He backtracked
to grab it. [failed POW versus weaker form of spell: Wither Limb] And that’s when
he felt like he was being electrocuted… his right hand uncontrollably clenched
the crowbar as he grimaced in pain. [5 point- major wound] He fought to keep
from passing out it so painful.
The spectral
blade clattered to the floor then disappeared as its caster, Kelly, was now
focused on protecting his compatriot, the defenseless Shaw, from Peter. Which
allowed Phillip to sneak around the front of the cars behind Kelly. He wasn’t
ready to see 2 serpentman! One of them about to devour someone! [Sanity
check!]
Essie
stood and ran for the axe. Peter saw her and changed plans as he called out to Phillip,
“We need to help Essie; strength in numbers.” But Kelly understood Peter’s gaze
toward him meant someone was at his back. Kelly turned in time to catch Phillip
off-guard and bite him. [CON vs Poison - fumble 99] Fangs sunk into Phillip’s
arm which burned with intense pain. Phillip followed Peter’s instructions and
turned to run. [AOO] Somehow Kelly’s claw just missed its target.
And
in the background, they heard a faint, “Help me! Helppp…. Gaaa.”
Joanna
hovered over Pierre, prone outside the cargo hold door. She heard the creak of
the metal floor JUST in time to turn and attempt to block Peter’s swing with
the crowbar. “Crack.” [extreme: 8 points.] He must have broken an arm bone. Joanna
saw the trio closing on her… and ran, stepping over Pierre. Peter got in a free
swing but only managed to hit the door frame. Neither Essie nor Phillip were
close enough to attack. Yet they did hear gunfire, “Blam!” [extreme- 12 points.
CON pass to stay conscious.] And see Joanna limping away, trailing green blood.
[Pierre
lost his right leg in the Great War and now wears a prosthetic leg. Hollowed
where he stores a modified handled 32 revolver. He easily got past customs.]
Phillip
suggested using the shovel to bar-lock the cargo door to keep the other
serpents in before chasing Joanna. Except… Essie saw the beaded sweat on Phillip’s
forehead. And saw his eyes flutter, then roll up. And watched him slump to the cargo
floor unconscious! Only then did they realize he critically wounded. Essie
grabbed his collar and drug the limp body out the doorway so Peter could close
and brace it with the shovel. As they knelt beside Phillip, they found the fang
marks on his arm. Essie quickly grabbed Phillip’s belt to use as a torniquet as
Peter cut the wound to suck out the poison. [extreme First Aid] Within minutes
Phillip revived, “Did we get her?”
Almost 5 minutes had passed. They followed the trail of green blood down the corridor to the stairs. The blood trail grew thinner at the top of the stairs. Them now on Deck D (3rd class stowage along with Deck C). A few passengers were in the passageway. Phillip was surprised none of them screaming from fright at seeing a serpent-woman running down their corridor. Essie began to ask, “Did anyone see a scaley crea…” Peter stopped her from panicking the passengers, “We’re looking for a woman with a noticeable limp.” And that’s when Essie sniffed, “That’s her perfume!”
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Which is about the time Phillip notice a
man at the far end of the passage observing them. His eyes blinked… sideways! His
pupils almost vertical slit versus round. Like a snakes! “He’s
Joanna!” [Could have been another serpent-person! But the lingering perfume smell gave her away.]
CLIMAX
They
chased her/him/it up one set of stairs to Deck C, then to another set of stairs
leading back down to Deck D. Peter at the top, stared down at it, when, [opposed
POW- tie] Peter’s eyes suddenly went opaque as him blinded. He grabbed for the handrail
to keep from falling down the stairs. “Phillip, take the gun and kill the damn
thing!” Essie wanted to stay to aid him, till he shoved the crowbar in her
hands, “I said get her! I’ll be OK.”
They
chased it on Deck D. It obviously wounded as slower. Phillip stopped to shoot
at 15 yards but missed. Essie passed him to close with the crowbar but also
missed. [failed opposed POW: spell Cloud Memory] Essie suddenly stopped,
confused, “Where are we? Why do I have a crowbar?” Instead of continuing the
chase and attacking, Phillip paused to slap Essie back into the present. Enough
delay that Peter caught up. [His blindness only lasted 3 rounds]
Peter
grabbed the crowbar and gave chase. From the description of it slowing, it must
be close. Peter rounded the corner only to see/hear multiple cabin doors
slamming shut. Frightened passengers reacting to the gunfire. And probably one
of them Joanna. He gave up the chase and returned to the others. “Let’s find the
ship detective and confront those bastards in the Cargo Hold.”
And
that’s when Detective Reginald Fenster arrived to apprehend Phillip and Essie, “Sir,
there’s reports you’ve been firing a weapon aboard ship. If you’ll hand it over
and come with me. You too mam; I understand you attacked a man with your
crowbar.” Phillip tried to explain, “There are shapeshifters aboard…” Per her
amnesia, Essie truthfully claimed, “Why would a woman be beating up a man?”
Peter tried to intervene, “The poor man has been bitten by a snake. Can’t you
see him delusional and about to go into catatonic state from poisoning!”
Phillip
spent the next 5 days in the ship infirmary. The doctor confirmed snake
poisoning, “Snake must have crawled into crating before loading aboard ship.
Thank goodness we carry anti-venom. Thank goodness it wasn’t a cobra brought
aboard by one of those snake-charmers from India. Those things are deadly;
their poison is necrotic which kills the skin cells starting at the bite
location. Then paralysis and eventual death.”
As
for the Cargo Hold: Peter led detective Fenster to the hold. The shovel no
longer barred the door. [Joanna had enough time to circle back and open it. She
and her henchmen carried Taft to another location to complete their consumption
plan. Serpent blood quickly evaporates; thus, no remaining evidence other than
a green ting stain.] Other than an unnatural animal stench, there was no real
evidence. Fenster surmised, “Last sailing to England, we transported a circus
with all their animals. Must be the crew failed to properly clean the cargo
area.”
During
the last days at sea, Essie and Peter kept an eye on the Captain’s table at a
distance. No sight of Joanna or the stewards. Nor sight of Joseph Taft as
expected. Peter stopped the new steward who was waiting the Captain’s table and
learned, “The wedding has been cancelled. As for Mr. Taft… they say he is
probably downstairs chasing 3rd-class skirts.”
April
20th, Boston Harbor: With Phillip released from care, they stood at the railing
along with the Beaumonts, watching the first-class passengers disembark first.
No rush on their part as they had to wait for Stanley’s casket to be unloaded.
But while at the railing, Phillip cupped his eyes and pointed, “See that limo?
Isn’t that Augustus Vanderbilt? Who’s that man beside him in the heavy coat?”
All gasped as the man stooped to get into the car. They saw his face: Joseph
Taft!
BACKGROUND
A trio of Serpent People sorcerers are crossing the Atlantic
aboard the RMS Adriatic and they have decided to murder Joseph Taft. The
young man is the nephew of the current Chief Justice of the United States and
former President, William Howard Taft. The sorcerers plan for one of their
number to consume his likeness and thus become Joseph Taft. They believe that
the persona of Joseph Taft will grant them access to certain people and places
that will allow them to further the agenda of the Serpent People.
By consuming a human, serpent people are able to assume his
visual identify (as for memories, only what these they were present to
witness). Yet while in human form, they still cast their serpent shadow in true
sunlight. Thus, their need to stay in the shadows outdoors. And if ever
identified, they could easily escape and assume one of the many past identities
they had consumed. Such as Joanna transforming into a John Galley. [She was
near death- only 2HP left after those extreme hits by Peter’s crowbar and
Pierre’s pistol shot.]
NEXT
SCENARIO:
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