The Phantom Queen [GURPS 4E]

[Belial_the_Leveler]

And if the Dreamwraiths
have that much might
what worth is will, to man,
and knowing right?



In a city of several million, most criminal activity passes largely unnoticed except to those directly invovled. The average human cannot possibly know all that comes to pass in an area of several hundred square miles and most would not be interested anyway; live and let live. Human memory and human attention span are quite limited as well; the robbery of today becomes the nightmare of tommorow, the interesting story of the following month, the barely remembered event of the year to come and, after a time, is completely forgotten-and that's for people that actually lived the events.
But in a highly active community of a few thousand whose members are either highly connected and informed or have the uncanny ability to discover the secrets of others, things are quite different.

As usual, the latest shoot-out in the San Francisco docks was nothing out of the ordinary; two gangs meeting at the dead of night, a few shots exchanged and the criminal population of the city reduced by seven in a few short minutes. In only two hours the SFPD was done with the scene. Few cops were really interested in investigating the killings of criminals in the cold December night and the shoot-out was a pretty clear case anyway... Or so they thought. Strangely enough, nobody bothered to ask when the bodies and blood would be cleared. Or how two of the victims were dismembered in a shoot-out with low-caliber guns. Or why all seven victims bore tatoos marking them as members of the same gang. As with some other similar cases, no real investigation was done, no questions were asked, no witnesses came forth and nobody bothered to search at all. And the most interesting part? No-one noticed anything unusual about all this.

At half past midnight, five minutes after SFPD packed up and left while leaving the scene almost intact behind them, a five-foot-three redhead in red tank top and matching miniskirt walked into the scene and waited for the real investigators to arrive...

[Valgunn]

Saschenka

Saschenka patted a cigarette from her pack of Dunhill, slipping it between her lips before dropping the pack back into her overcoat pocket. With a quick practiced series of movements she had pulled her lighter from her pocket and lit up, taking in a long pull before dropping the lighter back into her pocket. Looking from her place further up the docks from the scene she noticed the woman standing in the middle of the scene, pulling the cigarette from her mouth with her thumb and forefinger shielding it with her palm. "Frigging freaks." Smoke trailing out of her mouth dragonesque as she spoke. She took another pull before she continued walking to the scene, her right hand slipping down to the revolver at her side the blades of her fingers touching the handle.

[Belial_the_Leveler]

The crime scene is not in an especially remote part of town but the sidestreet, an almost too narrow for cars road between two warehouses, is completely dark. Either there's a blackout in the immediate area or something is wrong with the streetlights. Despite the darkness, some details of the crime are quite obvious-two of the bodies are mutilated, one with its head missing, the other with its arms hacked off at the shoulders. The other bodies are spread across thirty feet of the narrow street, lying in various impossible angles. There is alot of blood around the two first bodies but not at all around the others.

As Saschenka closes in on the scene she realises the redhead woman is not a woman at all but a girl seventeen, maybe eighteen years old. She's frowning at the headless corpse. When Saschenka is only twenty feet away she looks up and sighs.
Damn foreigners can't be bothered to do things quietly-this is so Hostel 2. Got a light?


You need a light of some sort to see more details of the scene.

[Melodramatic]

Melissa Reynolds

Silently Melissa observed the scene, waiting for the right moment to enter. then as something was apparently happening she quietly walked towards the scene muttering "Messy, messy, messy" and slowly shaking her head. Then as she was close enough to converse she said quietly and calmly "Care if i take a look?"

[Valgunn]

Saschenka

Patting herself down finding only her lighter Saschenka swore under her breath in Chinese. Pulling the disposable lighter from her pocket with her left hand, her right never leaving her gun, she flicked the flame on as she crouched down to examine one of the corpses appearing to consider setting it on fire. The flame from the lighter danced in the cold night bathing her face in a flickering radiance as she studied the body. “Silver or Iron?” Her voice lingering the night air the hint of malice that those words held unknown to the few people who were lucky (or unlucky) to know about the magical aspects of the world. When the second girl strolled into the scene afterward her voice calm Saschenka stood up. Her right hand slipping around the grip of her revolver, “I do not think you should be out at a time like this. Go home.”

[Melodramatic]

Melissa Reynolds

Mellissa studies he girl who addressed her and says sweetly in response "Leave already? but i've only just got here, you cant possibly be serious". She takes a long look at the scene before her and asks "If already on the subject of who should be here, might i ask who exactly are the both of you?" She then, with a smile, shifts her attention to the second girl.

[Belial_the_Leveler]

As Saschenka sheds light into the scene, quite a few details become visible; there are bullet holes in the surrounding walls, most of them near the entrance of the sidestreet and at the warehouse wall on the left side of the street.
There are two pools of blood in the center of the street next to the two mutilated bodies and splatters of blood and thicker fluids at the right side of the street and down the length of the road, away from the entrance.
The head of the first corpse is missing entirely-Saschenka can't see it anywhere-and the two arms of the second corpse are torn off at the shoulder and thrown thirty feet down the road and away from the body. The remaining corpses are all lying in angles the human body can't normally take but there is no blood and no open wounds whatsoever. The clothes of three of the victims at the far side of the sidestreet are torn in several places but there is no visible wound to match the tears.

Saschenka takes in the scene then the younger of the two girls that was at the scene before her; all of seventeen, short, slim and striking, with long crimson hair and clothing to match. The red tank top she wears bears the logo "fires of damnation" across her chest. In the red light of the lighter, reddish eyes, dimples and an impish smile greet her as she stares.

You sound like my mother. the girl in red complains. What, you think the big bad wolf is out to get me?
She opens her purse, takes out a cigarette, puts it in her mouth and draws deeply. The cigarette flashes red in the near-darkness of the street. She exhales smoke then kneels and raises the limp arm of the headless corpse to bare the wolf tatoo on the dead man's biceps.
We're all out of wolves tonight. And I forgot my hood.

[DSCrankshaw]

Roland Sinclair

A young man comes boldly down the narrow street, a flashlight in hand. Tall and lean, with short-cropped dark hair, he wears a gray overcoat unbuttoned down to his waist, revealing a black T-shirt and a prominent crucifix. He pauses when he sees the women gathered near the bodies. "I wasn't expecting others to be here," he says, as he shines his flashlight on each of them in turn. "You don't look like the police, and I saw them leave in any case. I doubt you're the ones who did this"--he flicks his flashlight over the bodies--"as it's kind of early to return to the scene of the crime. So are you here for the same reason I am, or for something else?" He shifts the flashlight to his left hand, and moves his right nearer to the opening in his overcoat, hooking his thumb on the last buttoned flap.

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Roland's flashlight flickers several times before settling into a fitful, uneven glow. If the handle of the device didn't contain iron and if it weren't a simple, battery-powered lamp, it probably would have burned out in moments. He immediately feels something is very, very wrong in the area-apart from the obvious murders, that is.

The woman in his right, an athletic, average-sized foreigner with eastern european, maybe russian features, does not feel threatening or off to him at all, despite her casually ready pose, military-style clothes and the revolver strapped to her belt. The very attractive green-eyed brunette in his left gives off a sense of mild danger and unease despite her inviting pose, casual clothes and lack of weaponry. It takes Roland a few moments to realise the warning his gifts are giving him is due to the fourth person in the street, the young redhead girl. Modern, highly impractical, provocative clothes, short slim body, soft features and a carefree attitude; typical teenager. So why is every instinct Roland has screaming at him about danger?

The girl smiles at Roland's comments, her amusement evident.
Oh but there's also reverse psychology, sir knight. Were I the killer, I would have disguised myself as the least threatening individual imaginable and remained at the scene, ensuring I'd be beyond suspicion. Of course, were I the killer, the largest piece of evidence would barely fill a matchbox.
The redhead girl sighs.
And the only reason I'm here is that just about anyone in the city authorities is playing "backstab marathon" at the moment. They can't be bothered to deal with trivial matters like, say, a string of murders.



premonition triggers for Roland

[DSCrankshaw]

Roland Sinclair

Roland turns off his flashlight and puts it away in the overcoat's deep pocket. That's a bad sign, he thinks to himself.

Carefully and slowly, he unbuttons his overcoat the rest of the way, revealing the broadsword hanging from his belt. He doesn't reach for it, but he watches the girl carefully, if that's what she is. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, miss," he says. "You seem to know something about me, but I know nothing about you." He bows to her politely. "I am Roland, and I suppose it's fair to call me a knight, even if the term is archaic. Would you care to introduce yourself?"

[Valgunn]

Saschenka

Not bothered with a knight or the others of this little group that had formed. Using the moment of flashlight and the continued illumination from her lighter Saschenka continued her work; find out what happened. She of course kept her eye on the new factor and the older ones.

OOC:
Keeping it short 'casue I'm hoping to fill in with her knowledge of the occult, basicly what sort of creature or creatures attacked and what the victims are (if not human).
Occult Test: 8 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1858252/)

[Belial_the_Leveler]

While Saschenka is examining the scene, the girl nods at Roland and flicks a finger lazily at nobody in particular. A second later a small fire is dancing merrily on her right palm, lending some light to Saschenka's search.
Name's Jessica Emrys, sorceress, but my friends call me Jess. I am the unofficial sidekick to the city's Executioner, the biggest, baddest supernatural in the area that doesn't bother with politics and instead does useful stuff; police the streets, capture criminals, cause general mayhem when things grow too quiet-the works.
She pauses to take a few draws from her cigarette then points at the bodies
Word came three hours ago that some bodies wound up in the harbor so I jumped here to mindrape the police out of our necks but I don't know crap about forensics and Erika is out of town. I was told a few more people would be arriving. I don't know you though... you sure aren't working for the local authorities.


Meanwhile, Saschenka examines the scene. There are no traces of actual magic other than the burned-out lights. This probably means that a great deal of power was used but no true spells. With no immediate magical clues, Saschenka examines the layout of the scene and the wounds that killed the victims;

WARNING; class 3 gore ahead


First of all, what strikes her as an important clue is the position of the corpses, blood and bullet holes. Bullet holes are concentrated near the entrance of the alley but every corpse and all of the blood is deeper inside. This probably means that the victims were all shooting at something as it came towards them but the lack of blood means they either did not harm it or that it lacked blood. Since the victims all died in a small area without bullet holes-and since there are no bullet wounds on them-whatever attacked them killed them all without guns fast enough that they didn't manage to flee.
The second clue comes from the type of the wounds; the armless corpse lacks its arms completely, signs of tearing in the muscle and ligament and lack of broken bones indicating the arms were torn off by main strength-the arms themselves, thrown fifty feet away from the corpse and with the humerus and the surrounding muscles crushed support the theory. The man probably died from the shock and blood loss only minutes later. The headless corpse has the neck still attached but muscles and the spine are disjointed and torn from left to right-nearly severed from the rest of the body. Fragments of bone and teeth, pieces of flesh and copious amounts of bodily fluids on the right wall of the alley reveal where the head has gone: the attacker struck the now headless man with enough force to literally explode the skull and spread the pieces all over the wall.
The rest of the victims all have shattered bones, fractured skulls or crushed chest cavities, the cause of death being blunt blows with extreme strength that physically broke the bodies. The wounds are comparable to automobile accidents at very high speeds and the positions of the bodies indicates some of them had been knocked back several dozen feet or smashed against the walls.
The last three of the bodies are the most interesting; their clothes have been torn from the inside as if by the pressure of something growing larger and their wounds have signs of days, if not weeks, of healing despite their deaths. Saschenka has read of such things-pretty much any teenager nowadays has seen a movie or read a novel about them-but has never really seen them before. If her suspicions and the relevant lore is correct then the last three victims were shapeshifters and attempted to change shape when they were attacked. One relatively minor detail supports the theory; every single victim bears the tattoo of a wolf on his arm. There is a good chance that every single victim in the alley was a werewolf-but the attack was too fast and too brutal for them to shapechange...

OOC: The above info is from just examining the layout of the scene, the positions of the corpses, bullet holes and blood as well as the apparent manner of death. Saschenka needs to examine a great deal of secondary evidence to get the full info (bullets, guns, other items carried by the victims, appearance/nationality/physical characteristics of the victims are just the immediate evidence. Trace evidence could tell more but will require a forensics lab or magic.

[Melodramatic]

Mellisa answers with a more practical tone "Well a cretin... acquaintance of mine was also informed of this terrible murder, assuming it is a murder, and therefore I was also indirectly... informed, and so I am here mainly out of curiosity and a need for employment. but enough about me" she walks towards the blade wielding man "I am sure your story, Ronald is it? charming name, is much more interesting them mine, what is a "knight" doing in a place like this?"

[DSCrankshaw]

Roland Sinclair

"You're right," Roland says to Jessica. "I don't work for the local authorities--I work for a higher authority." He fingers the crucifix he wears. "My more immediate supervisor goes by the name Uriel. I knew there was trouble here, something that I would need to deal with, so I came. I haven't been given much in the way of details yet."

[Valgunn]

Saschenka

"They were werewolfs." Saschenka finally said to Roland, flicking the lighter off and dropping it into her pocket. "Something fast and strong came in here and tore them apart. Anyone here have a camara? I didn't think I'd need one." She finally stood from her crouch.

[Melodramatic]

Mellisa shifts her attention to the woman and says "Werewolfs? well I have little knowledge to share in that area" she then walks towards the foreign woman and says "I happen to have a camera on me yet I think it would be preferable that I know who I'm giving it too, don't you agree?"

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Werewolves? exclaims the young sorceress, her voice full of worry. The last time somebody murdered shifters in their own territory... damnit! Why did this have to happen now?
She suddenly kicks out at a nearby dumpster and throws the three-hundred-pound container twenty feet across the street.
I am sorry, but I have to leave you right away.
There's a flash of green and black light and she's gone, vanished into thin air.

[Valgunn]

Saschenka

"I'm Saschenka and this is very bad." Even without in depth knowledge of werewolf tendencys the very fact this murder occured inside their homeground was bad, her strong hard back arching as she swore in an interesting combination of English, Chinese, and Russian. "Our scent is going to be everywhere and the others are going to think we did this or can lead them to those who did." Another colourful string of words in various languages froths forth from her. "I think it might be best if we stick together for now." Then turning her head to the spot where the mage had disappeared. "Selfish sea sow! Might've taken us with you!"

OOC:
Another Occult Roll and I'm sure glad I took it. Trying to remember as much as I can about Werewolfs and depending on which sources you're using I have a good idea of how bad things are.

Occult Roll: 13 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1859758/)

[DSCrankshaw]

"So something attacked the werewolves and tore them apart," Roland says as he approaches the bodies. "Something stronger and faster than them. You're right, this isn't good. The werewolves are bad enough, but if we have to deal with what killed them... yes, perhaps we should keep together."

He looks in the direction of the departed sorceress. "Do you think she'll deal with the bodies? I'd hate to just leave them."

[Melodramatic]

Mellisa listens quietly as she studies the gazes on the bodies with her enchanted senses, making sure no detail has been missed and says "I see no problem in this little arrangement, we shall stay together for now". She then looks toward Ronald and Saschenka and says "The name's Mellisa, by the way"

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Saschenka realises things are not as bad as they seem. A moderate-strength undead using vampiric powers to enhance their speed could have killed almost a dozen armed humans; vampires aren't nearly as succeptible to bullets as humans are. But someone killing the same amount of werewolves? No, things are much worse.
All accounts Saschenka has read agree that most werewolves are about as strong as a new vampire; three or four times stronger than a human with the same build. They lack the fortitude of undeath that vampires have-they can still die of blood loss or lethal blows to vital organs-but have no particular weakness to fire, sunlight or holy ground. They also have good enough senses to rival a bloodhound or an actual wolf so whatever surprised them either did not have a scent at all or had a very common scent that would not be alarming.



But as the three of you gather closely to examine the scene in search of more evidence or anything else that can be of help, Roland feels a stabbing pain through his shoulder and the feeling of phantom hands around his neck. He coughs and attempts to dislodge the hands for a moment-only to realise nothing is there. What he sensed was an intense premonition of danger.

You do not want to leave the bodies here, sir knight? Then it is your lucky day-it seems I still have need of them. And if you don't mind, may I also use yours?

The pronouncement, given in a deep, rasping voice, comes as a surprise. You jump around, trying to find the speaker but see no-one. Only seconds later though, the speaker reveals itself-to your horror, the armless body rises to its feet and grins at you. You realise it was the dead body that spoke... or at least that's where the voice came from.

[DSCrankshaw]

Roland's sword flashes into his hand, but he does not attack. Instead he touches his crucifix and says, "In nomine Patris, Filii, et Sanctus Spiritus!"


Fast-Draw 12 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5501124&postcount=74) v 15 (includes Combat Reflexes) success
Concentrate, Assert faith for true faith

[Melodramatic]

Mellisa quickly attempts to move away from the crime scene until she's at a safe distance she tries not to be near any corpse while moving.

[Valgunn]

Saschenka

Turning on the spot Saschenka tore the revolver from its home the heavy weapon aimed at the now animate dead. "Roland. We should be leaving." Her voice steady and calm to an icy point.

[Belial_the_Leveler]

The armless corpse laughs, its bloodless lips stretching and cracking as its animator guides its motions from afar.
Leaving so soon? Why, young lady, wouldn't you like to stay for dinner?
The remaining six corpses, including the headless one, immediately stand up as if they were puppets pulled by strings.

Mellisa attempts to leave but with her and her new companions dead at the center of the scene and some of the corpses spread across the length of the narrow street, she doesn't manage to get clear. By the time she's almost at the entrance to the sidestreet the headless corpse, the first to fall to the unknown attacker, rises to its feet and blocks her path. Still, she has evaded most of them-Saschenka and Roland are surrounded by six times as many.

As Saschenka draws her gun and the zombies rise, Roland calls upon the power of the Light, which resides everywhere. His crucifix shines with a pale radiance and the nearest zombie that has rizen right next to him immediately recoils.


neither side is surprised. you act before the zombies

[DSCrankshaw]

Roland Sinclair

When he sees that the corpse flinches back, he murmurs a brief prayer of thanks, then tells Saschenka, "I can hold them off, but it won't do any good when they're surrounding us." He takes a step towards the closest one and makes two quick swings with his sword.


Attack
One step to closest
Rapid strike
Broadsword 14 + 1 Acc - 3 Rapid strike with Weapon Master
[roll0]
[roll1]

[roll2]
[roll3]

[Melodramatic]

Mellisa quickly reacts to the situation. if any corpse gets near her she attempts to strike the nearest corpse with a punch and retreat a step backwards.


so she waits until a corpse gets near her and then strikes said corpse with a punch fallowed by taking a step backwards to stay out of harms way. Brawling 14, damage 1d+2
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Roland slashes at the nearest corpse twice and his holy sword cuts deeply into the undead flesh with a sizzling sound. The zombie does not bother to dodge and Roland's second blow cleaves its right arm completely off. Still, the thing does not die. Most normal humans would be gravely wounded and probably in shock now but the walking dead are difficult to rekill.
Saschenka pulls the trigger in her already aimed revolver and the gun shatters the silence of the night in an abrupt crack that anyone experienced with firearms recognises as a good silencer. The bullet pierces another zombie with the same sizzling sound as Roland's sword, penetrates and hits the wall beyond.
Mellisa slams a fist into the nearest corpse but the dead thing is unfazed, despite a cracked rib. She jumps back to avoid another lunge.

The dead corpses do not strike back. They simply advance and reach out with both hands, one grabbing at each of you. The others move to fully surround you, shambling forward with the slow but inexorable gait of the dead.

Roland's and Sascenka's zombies miss in their slow and uneven attack but Mellisa gets grabbed by the one facing her. Pushing back, she throws the zombie off-balance and easily escapes its grasp.


I didn't do the parry/dodge/block. I'd leave it for your own posts-a dodge would mean you slip away, a block would mean you breaking their grip with your own and a parry would mean you striking back and stopping them cold-but none of the grapples succeeded anyway. You are currently fully surrounded by 3 zombies each (Mellisa only 2)

[DSCrankshaw]

Roland Sinclair

"Nomen Dei!" Roland exclaims as the corpse keeps coming. It doesn't look like they'll be able to fight their way out. Instead, he takes hold of his crucifix with his left hand and lifts it before him. "Fiat lux!" he says. The cross radiates holy power as he takes a step toward Saschenka. If he could make a hole, maybe she could get out.

Assert faith, and take step toward Saschenka. The area of true faith isn't really large enough to protect someone, but it may create an opening she can move through, especially since you can move through an ally's space.

[Melodramatic]

Mellisa decides to try to turn the situation around as she kicks the corpse before her and moves a step towards the exit of the ally. If she is completely blocked she retreats backwards instead.

Well she basically attempts to get out of the ally, even if it momentarily puts her in danger, while kicking the corpse she attacked before. If the corpses enclose on her completely (though from what I understood that’s unlikely) she retreats backwards after kicking (all movement is unless she fell from missing). Brawling (14-2) 12, damage 1d+3
[roll0] vs. 12
[roll1]
And a DX roll if she missed
[roll2] vs. 12

[Belial_the_Leveler]

As the zombies have the group surrounded, in the almost silent battleground echoes a shout quite common during those days-and highly disturbing given the situation;
Ho! Ho! Ho!

Roland forces the two closest zombies to fall back using the light of heaven emanating from his cross and Sascenka manages to escape the trap through the gap.
Mellisa knocks her own zombie back almost an entire yard and steps through the gap towards the exit of the alley and escape.

Santa Claus (!) flies into the alley, a tall figure clad in the traditional red-and white with a long silver beard that fans left and right in the wind of its passing.
You have been a very naughty kid. Santa tells the armless zombie, the voice a bit more high-pitched than you'd expect from the seven-foot old elf. And naughty kids have to be punished.
Flying towards the armless zombie in a blur of movement so fast he doesn't seem to cross the intervening distance at all, Santa lashes out with one hand. You don't see how or why but the zombie leader topples over, its body now sliced in several pieces spread across a couple yards of pavement.

As the other six bodies fall lifeless to the ground, "Santa" turns to face you. Now that the newcomer is standing still, you can see more detail despite the half-light of the alley. While dressed in the traditional Santa uniform complete with silver bells, tiny stars and a large red velvet bag hung over the left shoulder, the newcomer is not a balding old man with a beer gut and a long beard. She is not even a man. Seven feet tall from head to toes-more with the black leather boots and the fluffy red hood-she is very tall for a woman. Pale of skin and green-eyed, athletic but with an angular face and slim, long-fingered hands, she's quite far from the traditional image of St. Nicholas. What you initially mistook for a beard as she came flying in out of the night is a long mane of silver hair that falls in waves over her shoulders and down to the small of her back. Most disturbing of all-apart from the way she flew in, that is-are her eyes; they appear to be empty black holes with greenish flames dancing within.
And what about you? she asks with a smile, showing dainty fangs. Have you been good or naughty children?



anyone get the reference? :smalltongue:

[DSCrankshaw]

Roland Sinclair

Roland lowers his sword but does not sheathe it, as he releases his crucifix. "Aren't we all sinners?" Roland says. "Who are you to judge us?"

[Melodramatic]

Mellisa, seeing the change in the battle(and Roland releasing his crucifix), moves back towards the Roland and Sascenka and quietly says to herself "This is getting weird"

[Belial_the_Leveler]

The tall woman in santa's uniform sighs and lowers her red hood, fully revealing her pale face. Seeing Roland's sword and crucifix, Sascenka's gun and Mellisa's... special status she sighs and seems to examine you carefully, black eyes meeting your own one by one.
To answer your question... Roland, yes, we're all sinners. But I am the Executioner for this city. This means I'm secret police, special forces and, occasionally, head spy and assassin for the immediate area. Hunting down wrongdoers and enforcing peace is my job. So when I sensed the use of a huge amount of necromancy in the area, I had to skip the party I was in, fly a mile in ten seconds and come clean things up.
Obviously annoyed, she removes the santa uniform piece by piece, revealing form-fitting leather and spandex from neck to toes, soft leather boots, a gun belt with a revolver nearly a yard long hanging on each hip and little else.

If the levitation, supernatural speed and obvious strength at ripping a zombie apart had not clued you in, the dreadful aura, pale skin, lack of shadow, unnatural eyes and fangs would have; whatever else she claims to be, the woman is a vampire. And the ease with which she read Roland's name in his mind plus her claim-if it can be believed-of flying a mile in ten seconds indicate she's no run-of-the-mill bloodsucker but an extremely powerful vampire master.

[Melodramatic]

"Must've been one hell of a party" Mellisa says to the woman "So I understand you are who the girl from before mentioned, right? in that case are you able to shed some light on why we were just attacked by zombies?"

[Belial_the_Leveler]

The vampiress checks the bodies then kneels and touches the ground where the asphalt appears to have been burned and frowns at Mellisa.
I do not know why these zombies were raised. But the amount of power I felt here? Totally out of proportion to the number of zombies raised-I came here expecting a small army, not just seven of them with a single controller.
As for this girl you mention, describe her to me, what she did and said-the exact words, if you remember them.

[Melodramatic]

"The girl?"Mellisa smiles and says "I believe she was a young redhead named Jessica, she was here before us and her words are hard to remember. Care to tell my why is she important first?"

[DSCrankshaw]

Roland Sinclair

Roland tries to remember the girl's words in more detail, and relays them if he can.

[roll0]

[Belial_the_Leveler]

The Executioner seems worried as Mellisa describes the girl and Roland repeats what she said.
That's Jessica all right. Or so it would seem. But, as you can clearly see, I am not out of town. I also know that Jessica is; she went to Canada to visit her brother yesterday.
The Executioner paces the length of the alley in slow, even steps and examines everything again.
Jessica Emrys is important to me because she's a friend. She's also important in general because of her family. But I do not believe what you met was really her. For one, she could have burned these zombies to ash as easily as I destroyed them. For another, she would not have lied about my whereabouts.

[DSCrankshaw]

Roland Sinclair

"That is disturbing," Roland says. "Something felt wrong about her, but I assumed it was because she was a vampire."

[Melodramatic]

"if you ask me" Mellisa says as in mid-thought "the interesting thing is that whoever was wearing Jessica's face didn't seem to know what killed these people in the first place, not until Saschenka insightfully said they were werewolves" she then looks on the vampress and says "we did tell you we came here to investigate a murder of some kind".

[Belial_the_Leveler]

The white-haired vampire smiles at Roland.
Newsflash, boy; supernatural strength doesn't make one a vampire. Jessica is a sorceress-though not an entirely mortal one. As for what happened here, I cannot say. Excluding some few dark sorceries, I am far better at physical combat than true magic. We need to see M...

You aren't going anywhere, girl. Not before I find out what happened to my people!
The arrival of an older man interrupts whatever Erika was about to say. Prowling silently out of the night, a man in his sixties jumps silently down from the warehouse roof and lands on his feet, having taken the forty-foot drop as easily as he would a single step. Grey-haired and grey-eyed, with the hallmarks of age evident on a once-athletic body clad in worn commando greens, he looks like an old human general rather than a supernatural entity and Roland's cross and holy sword do not react to him at all. Mellisa's senses though pick up the scent of cat and moist soil and an aura of earthly power.

His angry comment strongly indicates that he's a were, a shapeshifter, and a leader at that. He and the Executioner seem to just stare at eachother for a few seconds, possibly conversing without words, then he points straight up; you can see many other forms half-hidden in the dark atop the nearby buildings. Erika smiles and for a split second her face is no longer that of an attractive if black-eyed humanoid female. Superimposed upon the transparent image of her human guise you glimpse an inhuman skeletal visage with a gaping maw of sharp teeth, empty eyesockets where green fires fiercely burn and a halo of darkness around it all. For the same moment Roland's cross burns in his hand then seems to cool and diminish as if cowed. Then, the moment passes and you're not really sure you saw anything at all.

If you're done grandstanding, girl the old shifter says with a smile of his own let's get down to business. We both know you could eat me and my guys for breakfast. We also both know you won't do it. Why don't we discuss things like civilized people then? I still need to know what happened to my men.
The Executioner sighs.
Old man, my version of civilized talk involves death spells and tactical nukes. She points at Roland and Mellisa Why don't you take it up with them?

You find yourselves under the scrutiny of the old man and the weight of the unseen gazes of dozens of his hidden subordinates. Under his stare, you realise your hands, clothes and weapons still bear the relatively fresh blood of several werewolf zombies and that now that the zombies have been disabled, they probably won't appear or feel any different than normal corpses. Somehow, Erika the Executioner appears to be completely clean-and you remember the hastily discarded Santa constume she ditched not long ago.

[DSCrankshaw]

Roland Sinclair

Roland grimaces at the Executioner. Is she trying to get them killed? He sheathes his sword and turns to face the old man. "My name is Roland Sinclair. These men were dead when we arrived. They didn't stay that way, though. Some sort of necromancy was at work here."

[Melodramatic]

Mellisa smiles to hide her nervousness and says in agreement "Indeed, we did not preform this heinous act, but tried to find out who did and therefore help these poor souls by assisting justice "she stops to think for a second and continues " The problem is that before our investigation began to bare fruit we encountered.... resistance, so to speak"