Episode 26: The Tree

The heroes do some research on Thomas Moth in the library and make a disturbing discovery. As night falls, they drive to Moth Park to meet the strange man, and the killer...

GM: Right, let's begin. John, roll for McMurdoch's research.

McMurdoch: [1d20+7] - [1,7] = (8)

GM: You spend the late afternoon and early evening at the local library, and the archives, searching for any relevant information about Moth Park, or Lenore White. Outside, the sun becomes a fading ember in the west, and the shadows of Laketown swell into murky pools.

GM: You find little of interest.

GM: What are both of you going to do now?

McMurdoch: McMurdoch wakes up with a start and lifts his head off the library table. "Nothing!" He mutters. "There's absolutely bloody nothing."

Ethan: Ethan folds his arms and leans against one of the bookcases with a sigh. "What now, then?"

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch picks up his cup of coffee and snifs it. "I'm all burnt out." He mutters and gets up to find a refill.

Ethan: Ethan sighs and picks up one of the books. "This is going to take awhile..."

Ethan: [1d20+2] - [20,2] = (22)

GM: Woodward finds in the archives an old yellow tattered newspaper clipping with a bold headline, dated May 16th, 1900. Wealthy industrialist Thomas Moth came home to find his wife Felicity and children Millicent and Edmond shot to death in their beds. The murderer was the estate’s head gardener, Henry Creed, who was seen by Moth fleeing the grounds with a pistol in hand, and blood spattered on his clothes.

GM: He finds another article, about Moth slowly sinking into bankruptcy later in life, and spending the final years of his life in an asylum, a shadow of his former self.

Ethan: "I found something! Take a look!"

McMurdoch: "I've tried everything. Births and deaths, the Laketown Tribune all the way back to 1893."

Ethan: "%$_." Ethan mutters to himself as he reads the text.

McMurdoch: "There's nothing!"

McMurdoch: "Whaddup?" Mcmurdoch rubs his bleary eyes and saunters over to Woodward.

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch peers over Woodward's shoulder. "Good spotting, dude."

Ethan: "Now, what do we do with this?"

McMurdoch: "So he was a nut job." Mcmurdoch pulls a cigarette from behind his ear, puts it to his lips, lights it and starts to puff thoughtfully.

McMurdoch: "Where's the asylum?"

Ethan: "Huh, dunno. Think it'd be worth looking into?"

GM: He'll be long dead. This is over 100 years ago.

McMurdoch: "I wonder what flipped him over the edge?"

McMurdoch: "Is there any info on what kind of business he ran?"

Ethan: "If I remember correctly, the gardener and the wife had their names carved into the tree. Why would he kill her...?"

McMurdoch: "How do we know he killed her? All we have is the rantings of that guy we met last night."

GM: Plus the newspaper archive, which states that Henry Creed killed them.

McMurdoch: "He didn't seem like the most reliable source to me."

McMurdoch: "Why did Moth build the park?"

Ethan: "...According to this, the gardener was the murderer. There's an old rhyme about Henry Creed killing her and Moth's children."

McMurdoch: What kind of business did Moth run?

GM: Moth was into a lot of things, textiles, mainly. General industry. A wealthy man.

McMurdoch: Why did he build the park? Philanthropy? Or for some more nefarious reason?

GM: Quote from on of the plaques in the park which you have seen: "When Thomas Moth donated his estate to the city, the land included several dozen trees that Moth had planed over the course of 20 years. An amateur botanist, Moth collected seeds and cuttings from all over the world with the intent of creating a vast arboretum that would be of interest to scientists and nature lovers alike. Unfortunately, he suffered a reversal of fortune before his dream could be fulfilled."

Ethan: Well, I don't know what to do next other than go back to the park and check out the plants and stuff

Ethan: Except to check out the mysterious new plants across the street

Ethan: Find out why they are there now! Who planted them?!

McMurdoch: Possibility: Moth imported some kind of 'loco-weed' tree that poisoned the mind of Creed and drove him to his crime, as well as driving

GM: Well, that's a good idea, the broad shouldered, strange man, told you to return to the park after dark to find out more.

McMurdoch: Possibility: Moth imported some kind of 'loco-weed' tree that poisoned the mind of Creed and drove him to his crime, as well as driving

McMurdoch: Moth mad

GM: NEXT SCENE: Outside Moth Park at Night

GM: The late Autumn twilight turns to nightfall, and there is a hazy, dark cloudcover.

GM: You arrive back at the gates of Moth park. Night has fallen over laketown, and the nearby streets are mostly deserted, except for some vagrants shuffling along across the road from the park, a few black and yellow taxis racing past, and a couple of leather jacketed, rough looking young men across the road, engaged in conversation, and looking over their shoulders.

GM: You are standing outside the gates, and it is a few minutes before your planned rendezvous with the broad shouldered man you met near the large sycamore tree, whose name you do not know. They are wrought iron, black., and high. They are locked with a thick padlock and chain.

GM: Some four storey tenement blocks loom behind you, across the street from the park entrance. Gargoyles leer down at you from the 19th century facades.

GM: Before you is Moth Park, or at least, the entrance. It is locked.
GM: What now?

Ethan: "Looks like they're not going to just let us in."

Ethan: Ethan appraises the gates with some apprehension. "Think we'll have to climb...?"

McMurdoch: "Not necessarily." Mcmurdoch pulls his double barrelled shotgun out from under his trenchcoat and points it at the lock on the gate.

Ethan: "Don't you dare."

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch grins and winks at Woodward. "Just kidding."

McMurdoch: He puts the gun back, spits on his hands, jumps up and grabs the bars and starts to climb.

McMurdoch: [1d20+7] - [9,7] = (16)

GM: McMurdoch's over.

McMurdoch: How high is it?

Ethan: "I don't know about this..."

Ethan: [1d20] - [2] = (2)

GM: Typical park gate size, maybe a little larger. About 10 foot I suppose.

GM: OK, that's a fail.

Ethan: "Give me a hand here, somehow..."

GM: Yes, but the roll was so bad...

GM: Have any of you guys got lock pick skills?

GM: Maybe McMurdoch might have to pull out his trusty shotgun after all...

GM: And run like the clappers...

GM: I just had an idea.

GM: You could drive your VW Jetta up to the gate, and climb on the roof, and hop over that way.

McMurdoch: Are there any trees near the fence that could be climbed?

GM: That's another option.

Ethan: "I'm going to try it again. Help me this time."

GM: Not to get in, but maybe McMurdoch could hack off a limb and throw it over, so Woodward could use it as a ladder.

McMurdoch: "Hey. I think there might be a rope in the boot of the Jetta."

McMurdoch: In which case there are two options. One: use the rope to climb over. Two: tie the rope to the gate and use the car to pull the gate down.

Ethan: Let me make an on hand wealth check

GM: No, that roll is for something else. :)

Ethan: "I'll go check if there's a rope in the back. Be right back."

Ethan: Ethan rummages through the volkswagon.

Ethan: [1d20-4] - [2,-4] = (-2)

GM: The leather jacketed men across the stree move off down the T junction, away from you, glancing at you with mild curiosity. They disappear out of the street lamp light.

Ethan: "Ah, is this it... No, ah, how about this...? Darn it, I can't find anything..."

Ethan: Ethan heads back to the gate. "No go. I'm going to try climbing it again. Give me a lift."

Ethan: "Seriously, give me a hand. Here we go..."

Ethan: [1d20] - [6] = (6)

Ethan: Ethan barely avoids landing on his butt. "%$^#... %$^#er..."

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch takes a close look at the lock.

GM: [1d20] - [13] = (13)

Ethan: [1d20] - [19] = (19)

GM: [1d20] - [4] = (4)

GM: OK, Woodward's over.

Ethan: "Holy crap, watch out!"

Ethan: Ethan pulls himself over and falls to the other side.

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch dives out of the way as Woodward almost falls on him.

Ethan: He wipes the dust off of his pants. "Yikes."

GM: You're inside the park. A path leads ahead. The wind has picked up and you can hear the trees waving their limbs restlessly, but only just make out their macabre outlines against the sky. The air wheezes through the branches.

GM: Where to?

McMurdoch: To the rendezvous point with the guy from last night.

GM: You follow the path into the park. You follow a near pitch dark path to the arboretum. Every fifty metres or so there is a dim diamond shaped victorian lamp, its tiny glow struggling to throw back the blanket of darkness that has covered the park. It casts a feeble oasis of light, a murky sphere of about 3 metres.

Ethan: Woodard gazes back and forth as they travel, his eagle eyes spoting out for trouble in the dark night.

GM: Beyond that, all there is, is cloud above, and the distant overflow of the lights of Laketown, which right now, seems as far away as the clouds.

GM: You pass what you think are the sports fields, and enter a wooded area again. You are surrounded by trees.

GM: You come to a fork in the path. The park seems do different now, in the dark. You don’t recall this fork…
GM: Which way are you going to choose, right or left?

Ethan: "Which way was it? @&$^..." Ethan looks back and forth, before peering down the right path.

Ethan: [1d20+10] - [2,10] = (12)

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch takes a coin out of his pocket and looks at Woodward. "Dunno. Heads says we go left."

GM: You can see little but darkness and tree limbs...

Ethan: Ethan looks down the left path.

McMurdoch: 1-2 = heads. 3-4 = tails.

Ethan: [1d20+10] - [2,10] = (12)

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch flips the coin and catches it...

Ethan: Ethan shrugs. "All right, you're on."

McMurdoch: to reveal....

McMurdoch: [1d4] - [2] = (2)
McMurdoch: a head.

GM: You head left. The woods thin out, and in the darkness you can sense you are in an open area now. Woodward’s right foot hits something and he stumbles, perhaps a tree root....

Ethan: His eyes widen and he quickly glances towards the ground

GM: It's almost pitch dark, you can't see anything. The wind gusts suddenly.

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch stops dead still and listens intently.

McMurdoch: [1d20] - [19] = (19)

McMurdoch: That was a roll for the Listen skill.

GM: You just hear the whistling wind.

GM: OK, head further on?

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch puts his fingers to his lips and starts to tiptoe.

Ethan: Ethan draws his flashlight from his coat into his left hand.

McMurdoch: [1d20+2] - [15,2] = (17)

McMurdoch: That was a Move Silently roll.

GM: Woodward sees what looks like a small head, a dolls, head sticking out of the ground, It looks eerie and wrong, in the light of his torch.

Ethan: "Holy #^&@...!" He exclaims as he steps backwards.

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch's lanky frame is tip toeing away in exaggerated slow motion.

McMurdoch: He freezes, with one foot off the ground.

GM: You head on, further, further into the forbidding dark night, towards your rendezvous.

GM: Finally, you enter the arboretum which you recognise. The darkness is almost absolute. You think you can hear some scurrying sounds in the trees, but it may just be the wind.

GM: In the centre of the arboretum, you pass the culvert where the body was found.

GM: You can see the large sycamore tree, silhouetted against the sky.

GM: You see a large man, standing there, in the darkness, next to the tree. He is staring up at the sky, the cloudy sky.

Ethan: Ethan's shifty eyes dart around the arboretum.

Ethan: They narrow and stare at the man.

Ethan: [1d20+10] - [12,10] = (22)

Ethan: spot

GM: It is the broad shouldered man, standing there, as he said he would be.

GM: He looks at you blankly, dazzled by Woodward's flashlight.

GM: His eyebrows rise questioningly.

Ethan: Ethan points it down.

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch's hand reaches under his coat to pat his trusty shotgun.

GM: Somewhere, beyond the park, you can hear the sound of a car horn, like the faint mewl of a monster from another world.

GM: The man stares up at the sky again. His hands are buried keep in his large coat pockets.

Ethan: Ethan moves up to McMurdoch and pushes him towards the man.

McMurdoch: "Whadda ya doin?" Whispers Mcmurdoch.

GM: He looks at McMurdoch, with a puzzled expression, He looks back up at the sky, and does not answer for several minutes.

Ethan: Ethan sighs and moves towards the man. "Yo."

Broad Shouldered Man:"The killer will arrive shortly. " He crosses his arms and stares up at the sky again.

Broad Shouldered Man:The tree, the same one you saw earlier in the day, is the largest in the park, standing about 150 feet, looming skyward, dark leaves and limbs sprawled.

Broad Shouldered Man:"The killer will arrive shortly"

GM: Woodward's flashlight catches a glinting plaque at the base of the tree.

Ethan: "Killer...?" Ethan says questioningly, taking a short step back and casting a searching glance around the area.

Ethan: He looks at the plaque.

GM: "American Sycamore. Perhaps the oldest tree in the park, this sycamore is said to have been present before Thomas Moth purchased this land and built his estate. Its true age is unknown."

GM: Spot check

Ethan: Ethan narrows his eyes.

Ethan: [1d20+10] - [19,10] = (29)

GM: You notice one withered limb, that juts out on its own, and looks diseased, or dying.

GM: Minutes pass.

GM: The man announces, "The killer is here."

GM: He points to the ground. "There."

Ethan: Ethan quickly looks over there.

GM: He is pointing to a shadow of the tree on the ground.

GM: "Look there, …"

GM: You can see a strange shape in the shadow.

Ethan: Ethan tries to make it out.

Ethan: [1d20+10] - [20,10] = (30)

GM: You can see on the ground, the silhouette of a hanged man dangling from the dead limb, dangling in the breeze.

GM: Woodward can see eleven more bodies, two child sized.Some hang limp like wet laundry, others twitch and jerk like bugs caught in a web.

Ethan: "Holy #$^@!" Ethan exclaims, making a short backpeddle once again.

Broad Shouldered Man:"The killer."

Broad Shouldered Man:"Behold the killer."

Ethan: Ethan shines his flashlight into the tree branches.

Broad Shouldered Man:He looks at you, and the whites of his eyes almost glow in the light.

GM:Spot check.

Ethan: [1d20+10] - [12,10] = (22)

McMurdoch: [1d20] - [13] = (13)

GM: Woodward notices, not in the tree (where there are no dangling bodies), but in the shadow, out of the cornder of his eye, one of the silhouettes pointing at him.

GM: Listen checks both of you.

Ethan: [1d20+10] - [7,10] = (17)

McMurdoch: [1d20] - [1] = (1)

GM: Woodward hears the soft pad of running legs behind him, the gait of...

GM: A four legged animal

Ethan: "#$&@!" Ethan exclaims, whirling around and moving to draw his colt python.

GM: Roll intitiative.

GM: [1d20+2] - [7,2] = (9)

Ethan: [1d20+1] - [18,1] = (19)

GM: Woodward sees four dogs with slavering mouths, white fangs, and black sleek bodies, racing towards him at full speed.

GM: THey are about 30 feet away.

GM: Let's place things on the map

McMurdoch: I take it Mcmurdoch doesn't roll for initiative because he didn't hear anything?

GM: McMurdoch was suprised, so roll initiative, but you wont get a hit in first round.

McMurdoch: [1d20+2] - [15,2] = (17)

GM: The map shows the sycamore in the middle, and the very rough outline of the arboretum boundary. You notice the Broad shouldered man is sprinting silently away.

GM: Place your minis

GM: OK, Woodward's move

Ethan: Ethan pulls out his gun as he surveys the creatures.

GM: Four slavering, sleek black, fanged dogs, which have a murderous rage in their eyes.

GM: But they are strangely silent, not barking, or howling.

GM: They are running at breakneck speed towards you.

Ethan: Ethan levels the gun to the nearest beast and whispers lowly to himself. "Consider this your warning shot...!"

Ethan: [1d20+5] - [11,5] = (16)

GM: hit

Ethan: [2d6+1] - [4,4,1] = (9)

GM: The nearest dog takes a bullet, and is knocked off stride. It makes no sound.

GM: The dogs charge and attack, both of you!

GM: Two take on McMurdoch, two Woodward.

GM: [1d20+3] - [19,3] = (22)

GM: [1d20+3] - [5,3] = (8)

GM: [1d20+3] - [9,3] = (12)

GM: [1d20+3] - [14,3] = (17)

Ethan: AC 14

GM: [1d6+3] - [6,3] = (9)

GM: One hit on Woodward for 9 damage.

GM: This could get ugly

GM: The dogs rips at woodward's throat, drawing blood and tearing his collar.

McMurdoch: AC 12

GM: [1d6+3] - [6,3] = (9)

GM: wtf

GM: One hit on McMurdoch for 9 damage.

Ethan: "Augh...! My god!"

GM: What are your HP?

Ethan: 12 left

GM: OK, for now, but you may need to think about other options if things get bad...

GM: Mcmurdoch?

McMurdoch: 7 left

GM: HO?

GM: OK.

GM: Now, you both get to retaliate.

Ethan: Yikes

GM: Or do something else...

GM: Oh, roll for init, Mcmurdoch.

GM: If you haven't already, if you have, let me know what you rolled.

Ethan: he rolled 17

McMurdoch: I did earlier. I got a 17.

GM: OK, Woodward's turn.

GM: The dogs are silently leaping at your throats.

GM: I think pistols are OK for close combat, but McMurdoch's shotgun will get a minus four because it is a long arm. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Ethan: Ethan takes a quick step back and swings his colt python into the beast's face and quickly pulls the trigger in rapid succession.

Ethan: [2d20+3] - [15,4,3] = (22)

GM: hit

Ethan: oops

GM: OK, try again

Ethan: rolled that wrong

Ethan: [1d20+3] - [4,3] = (7)

GM: crap

GM: miss

Ethan: action point

GM: OK.

GM: 1d6

Ethan: [1d6+4] - [4,4] = (8)

GM: Plus four?

Ethan: faith, +wisdom to action point rolls

GM: Nice one.

GM: Hit.

Ethan: [3d6+1] - [6,1,3,1] = (11)

GM: The dog nearest woodward is hit with a bullet, and reels backwards, blood spurting from the black fur.

GM: McMurdoch?

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch unloads both barrels at the head of the nearest dog.

McMurdoch: [1d20-2] - [18,-2] = (16)

McMurdoch: -4 for close range and a +2 modifier

GM: Hit!

McMurdoch: [2d10] - [8,7] = (15)

Ethan: yikes

GM: The head of the dog nearest to McMurdoch is blown clean off its shoulders, black fur, brains, bone, fangs, and blood black in the moonlight fly asunder.

McMurdoch: "Take that ya filthy butt sniffing, turd licking little mongrel!!!"

GM: [1d20+3] - [12,3] = (15)

GM: [1d6+3] - [6,3] = (9)

GM: wtf

GM: [1d6+3] - [5,3] = (8)

GM: McMurdoch takes a hit from the remaining dgo

GM: 9 damage

GM: [1d20+3] - [1,3] = (4)

GM: [1d20+3] - [9,3] = (12)

GM: Two dogs jump at woodward but miss

GM: Woodward's turn

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch's world goes black as he slumps to the ground.

Ethan: "McMurdoch!"

GM: OK, Woodward;s turn

Ethan: Woodard backs up again, his gun blasting out light into the dark night as he tries to subdue the canine attackers

Ethan: [1d20+3] - [13,3] = (16)

GM: hit

Ethan: [3d6+1] - [3,6,1,1] = (11)

GM: A bullet careers into one of the wounded dogs, and it curls into a heap.

Ethan: Action surge

GM: OK

Ethan: Ethan, not finished with his assault, moves his gun towards the dog nearest McMurdoch.

Ethan: [1d20+3] - [18,3] = (21)

GM: hit

Ethan: [3d6+1] - [2,2,5,1] = (10)

GM: The dog near McMurdoch makes the faintest whimper as a bullet pierces its heart. It collapses on top on Mcmurdoch's body.

Ethan: He yells out in rage as he sends a steady stream of bullets into the canines. He continues his assault on the last one, but sadly, all that comes out of his weapon is *click* *click* *click* "%#$^..."

GM: The remaining dog charges Woodward...

GM: [1d20+3] - [3,3] = (6)

GM: It's leap falls short however.

GM: Woodward's turn

Ethan: Woodard's hands reach into his pockets to grab his speed loader and bullets as fast as he can.

GM: The sound of McMurdoch's shotgun must surely have been heard...

Ethan: AOO

GM: [1d20+3] - [1,3] = (4)

GM: As Woodward hurries with the speed loader, the last dog makes a failed leap at his throat.

Ethan: Woodard manages to keep the dog at bay as he swings his revolver shut.

GM: Shoot!

Ethan: He brings it around and nearly shoves it into the beast's vicious gaping jaw as it lunges for another attack!

Ethan: [1d20+3] - [12,3] = (15)

GM: hit

Ethan: [3d6+1] - [6,5,4,1] = (16)

GM: The bullet from Woodward's revolver enters the beasts mouth and pierces his brain, exiting the other side of his black head.

GM: The dog collapses, twitches, and is still.

GM: There are four dog corpses, one lying across Mcmurdoch.

GM: There is no sign of the broad shouldered man. The breeze rustles the sycamore's leaves, but there are no more unreal shadows.

Ethan: "^$&* oh %^$^ oh ^%#& oh $^*#!" Ethan yells as he runs over and pushes the dog away, pulling out his medical supplies as fast as he can.

Ethan: "Stay with me, man!"

GM: Woodward has to heave the heavy body off, but he manages it.

Ethan: First, stabilize

GM: OK

Ethan: [3d20+10] - [9,7,20,10] = (46)

GM: Crikey

Ethan: crap

Ethan: [1d20+10] - [3,10] = (13)

GM: Fortitude check

GM: 15+

GM: OK, roll two fortitude checks, Mcmurdoch

McMurdoch: [1d20] - [1] = (1)

McMurdoch: [1d20] - [9] = (9)

GM: you were on -2, so you're now on -4

McMurdoch: Bummer...

GM: OK, do now WOodward attempts to stabilize

Ethan: Okay, now I make my treat injury check

GM: Treat injuryy...

Ethan: [1d20+10] - [16,10] = (26)

GM: Which kind of treat are you doing?

Ethan: stabilize

GM: OK, Mcmurdoch is well stabilized.

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch will continue lying there, breathing raggedly.

Ethan: He becomesconscious again after 1 hour with a DC 20 foritude check

GM: OK, going to wait one hour?

Ethan: And he heals naturally as normal

GM: You hear feet approaching.

GM: It is the broad shouldered man.

Ethan: Ethan raises his gun towards the man.

Broad Shouldered Man:He looks down at Mcmurdoch. "You're friend, badly hurt. The tree tried to kill him."

Ethan: "Yeah. And so did those crazy attack dogs from hell..."

Broad Shouldered Man:"The souls in the tree are suffering. They need release from their torment."

Broad Shouldered Man:His eyes tear up. "When I sleep in the park , I dream of them crying out for help."

Ethan: "What should we do? Burn it down?"

Ethan: "Call a priest?"

Broad Shouldered Man:"BUt the tree won't let them go, it makes them kill when it's hungry for more."

Broad Shouldered Man:"Are you willing to go further?"

Broad Shouldered Man:"I have done all I can."

Ethan: "Right now I want to get my partner safely out of here."

Broad Shouldered Man:"I wish you friend well." He reaches deep inside his coat pocket, and pulls out something that appears to be wrapped in newspaper and greasy fast food wrappers.

Broad Shouldered Man:"This is all I could find out about the history of the tree. Maybe you can do better."

Ethan: Ethan eyes the object he's pulling out.

Broad Shouldered Man:He hands Woodward the wrapped object.

Ethan: Ethan keeps his hand on the gun as he moves to take the object.

GM:It's heavy, and wrapped in newspapaer and fast food wrappers.

Broad Shouldered Man:He turns and walks away.

Broad Shouldered Man:"I've done all I can," he mumbles.

Broad Shouldered Man:As he departs, he appears to start talking a foreign language. It sounds like....

Broad Shouldered Man:Knowledge check ?

Ethan: Untrained knowledge check

GM:OK

Ethan: [1d20+2] - [1,2] = (3)

GM:Sounds like an old language.

GM:The man disappears into the darkness.

Ethan: Unless streetwise would be appropriate

GM: No, that won't help.

GM: The sounds of gunfire have surely been heard....

GM: But the sounds of gunfire are common on the streets of Laketown at night.

GM: And deep within this park...

GM: However, who knows what else is in this park.

GM: Wait till Mcmurdoch wakes up?

Ethan: Ethan moves back to McMurdoch, setting the object down next to his flashlight discarded there earlier. "$^_."

GM: Wait till Mcmurdoch wakes up, or something else?

Ethan: Ethan sits down next to his fallen comrade and reloads his gun as he gazes out into the night for danger.

GM: [1d20+3] - [9,3] = (12)

GM: [1d20+3] - [13,3] = (16)

GM: An hour passes.

GM: Mcmurdoch awakes.

GM: Woodward, are you going to unwrap the object now or later?

Ethan: Later

GM: OK

McMurdoch: McMurdoch sits up groggily. As he recalls what happens, his hand reaches for his throat.

McMurdoch: Happened.

Ethan: Ethan, hunched over on the ground and slightly nodding off, quickly jumps to his feet and whirls around as he feels McMurdoch stirring behind him.

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch tries to get up and staggers.

McMurdoch: He sits back down.

GM: You see the flicker of flaslights approaching.

GM: Flaslights flickering through the woods.

McMurdoch: "The dogs? You got them?"

GM: They are a good 300 yards away.

Ethan: "%^_, someone's coming this way."

GM: What now?

Ethan: "Stay still."

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch gets onto his hands and knees and tries to stand.

GM: They appear to be coming through the arboretum, toward your clearing.

McMurdoch: He gives up and rolls onto his back with a groan.

GM: You are bathed in darkness, but you're in a clearing, next to the large tree.

Ethan: Ethan puts his magical medical fingers to work as he quickly moves over McMurdoch's wounds.

GM: Not a good place to hide.

Ethan: Take 10 on restore hit points, no kit, it's 16

GM: OK

Ethan: [1d4] - [4] = (4)

Ethan: He gains 4 hp

Ethan: So now he's at 4 :)

GM: Sweet

GM: The flashlight glimmers are getting closer, and you can hear the faint sound of hushed voices.

Ethan: Ethan takes his hands out from underneath McMurdoch's clothes. "Sorry for the invasion of privacy, but here comes trouble."

GM: The distance to the edge of the clearing is about 80 feet.

McMurdoch: "That's OK dude. They didn't bite anything below the neck."

McMurdoch: "But thanks..."

Ethan: He crouches low, drawing his revolver and backing up towards the tree.

GM: You can see the flaslight beams now. They are just about to reach the edage of the clearing.

Ethan: Woodard tries to make out what they're saying.

GM: They are heading for the clearing in the arboretum.

Ethan: [1d20+10] - [6,10] = (16)

GM: Too far away to distinguish.

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch gets up and half walks, ahalf crawls to the trees after Woodward.

GM: So you are standing in the middle of the clearing, next to the big tree?

GM: The flaslight beams now swoop into the edge of the clearing.

GM: There are two of them. They are heading your way.

Ethan: I'm using it as cover.

GM: OK.

GM: The voices stop.

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch crawls behind the tree.

McMurdoch: He lies down and trains his shotgun on the approaching flashlight beams.

GM: The flashlights slowly jump and jolt, and swoop left and right as they approach the tree.

Voice 1: "S**t. Bit of carnage here, chief."

Voice 2: "What have you got?"

Voice 1: "Dogs. Mutilated. Shot up real bad.'

Voice 2: "Get your weapon ready, they might stil be around."

Voice 2: ONe of the flaslights is approaching the tree.

Voice 2: [1d20+3] - [12,3] = (15)

Voice 2: It is within 5 metres.

Voice 2: [1d20+3] - [7,3] = (10)

Voice 2: It is within 2 metres.

Voice 2: [1d20+3] - [1,3] = (4)

Voice 2: It is a man.

GM: It is circling the tree.

GM: It is about to step on Mcmurdoch, who is prone.

GM: What are you going to do, in your split second that you have, Mcmurdoch?

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch tries to roll out of the way, as quietly as possible, asnd remain out of the flashlight beam.

GM: [1d20+3] - [18,3] = (21)

Voice 2: "What the!"

McMurdoch: Move silently:

McMurdoch: [1d20+2] - [10,2] = (12)

GM: He spotted you.

Voice 1: "We got company!"

Voice 1: "Put your hands up!"

GM: The flaslight is pointing right at Mcmurdoch.

GM: Light into his eyes.

Voice 1: Your move

Gm: (you guys should have just run into the trees and would have saved yourselves some bother)

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch decides that discretion is the better part of valour and puts up his hands.

GM: You’re close enough to see that it is a policeman.

Voice 1: "What the hell are you doing killing defenceless animals in the middle of the goddammed night, you creep?!"

Ethan: Crouched at the base of the tree, Ethan lazily puts his gun down and pulls his badge out of his pocket. "Investigating."

Voice 1: "Investigatin' my ass. More life killin'. We're patrolling this park, due to the recent killin' of Lenore White, and we didn't expect any animal killers. Now put down you're weapons, We're taking you in."

GM: The other policeman approaches.

GM: "You heard the man. Turn around so we can cuff you."

McMurdoch: Mcmurdoch points to his wounded throat repaired by Woodward's stiches. "They attacked us." He rasps, playing up the damage to his throat. "It was self defence."

GM: One of the cops shines his flaslight on the wounds.

Ethan: "No, I won't go. There was nothing defenseless about them. Some guy told us to come here, in the middle of the night, to hear something about the murder of Lenore White, and when we meet him, he runs off, and these four dogs attack us."

Cop 1: "Shees."

Cop 1: "Looks bad."

Ethan: "They would've killed my partner if I wasn't a skilled medical practionier."

Cop 2: "Got what he deserved. Now put those cuffs on."

Cop 2: Cop 2 approaches Mcmurdoch, with handcuffs open.

Cop 2: Cop 2 puts on the cuffs. Do you resist?

McMurdoch: No. It would be foolish. Even if he had more than 4 hp.

Cop 2: OK, you're cuffed.

Cop 2: Cop 2 approaches Woodward.

Cop 2: Do you resist?

Ethan: Woodard puts his badge and gun away. "There's an object, I don't know what, wrapped in newspapers and food wrappers. The guy left it behind. I don't want it staying out here all night."

Cop 2: "You can keep it."

GM: You can put it in your coat pocket.

Ethan: Ethan stands up and lets the cop cuff him.

GM: The cop cuffs Woodward.

GM: They lead you out of the clearing, along the dimly lit path, through the woods, with the diamond shaped victorian lamps, past the sports fields, and out of the gate.

GM: The rest of your night is spent in the cells.

GM: END OF SCENE