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realsorienThe first of these was actually about three adventures, condensed a bit. And there had been a bunch of runs before that as well! Holy crap. Add to that the other games and the writeups for them and that's a lot of writing! In any case, here's Buffy Horror Number Twenty!
In the last set of the Buffy Horror Campaign we left off with Our Heroes, in this case being Bill, Greg and Jackie, preparing to face the hordes of the Abyss in a likely-mad attempt to retrieve the method for sealing the portal to said hellish abode, and to potentially recover their lost housemate Michael. We open with the trio standing before the yawning maw of the portal, confronting the stench and howls of the truly damned...
The chamber they are standing in is much as they last left it. The portal looms menacingly over the scene, with the floor of the chamber being sand- the altar that at one point Jackie was chained to is centered on the room, and near the portal is a crumpled pile of bloodied clothes, marked with two bullet holes- Bishop has survived again, apparently. Yet another foe to potentially face amongst the uncounted hordes.
A black fog is oozingly drifting out from the portal along the floor, and there is a bloody red glow from deep down the passage. Waves of heat also issue upwards, accompanying the discordant howls and moans. "Okay... Great." Says Bill. "Shall we?" Bill has his new sword out, Jackie her pistol and Greg the tiger fork. "Bill," says Greg, "you know that we can't search for Michael..." "I know. But if we get the chance, we get him out." Bill replies, and Greg nods.
Just then, something totally unexpected happens. As they watch, they see a figure, human-looking, coming up the tunnel. As it approaches they see that it apparently IS human, a young man dressed in the tattered remains of a shirt and jeans! He walks up to them, and then past, his eyes glazed as if in some form of trance. They notice that he's carrying something- the seal! They stop him and try to talk...
But all their plans and decisions are suddenly interrupted by something coming UP the portal-passage! The stench of the Abyss seems somehow stronger as this lone denizen lopes its way out- it's roughly the size and shape of a doberman, but reptillian-scaly and possessed of massive jaws dripping a foul ichorous goo! The things appearance is so nightmarish that Jackie, despite all that she's seen before is stunned; it charges to attack her, but fails to hit her.
Bill and Greg take what advantage they can at the creatures failed leap, the stench causing Jackie to reel and nearly vomit; Bill hacks it with his blade, cutting it deeply, followed by Greg's stab with the tiger fork- this thrust also hits, and between them the beast is crippled! The horrid goo that is vomiting from the beast does have an affect however- Greg loses the meal of pie that they had before venturing down! Bill, focused on the situation sees this, as well as the almost-hysterical giggles from Jackie caused by the intensity of the situation. He ALSO sees another of the demon-dogs coming up the tunnel! "Jackie, behind you!" he yells, and Jackie spins and fires- she misses and it leaps, sinking its fangs into her, mauling her horribly!
Bill yells, "Greg! Snap out of it!" And charges the second beast- He slices at it but his blade skids off its scaborous hide! Jackie is still held by the thing, being shaken like a ragdoll in its hellish jaws- Greg fails to hit, and she is thus still held. Jackie strikes against the thing with the supposedly-magical wooden spoon; she does hit, but it does apparently nothing. She finally passes out from the pain and injury. Bill slices at it again, this time his blade DOES score harm! The beast flings Jackie away and faces Bill.
"Bring it, bitch!" Snarls Bill, as Greg strikes again; he misses, but so does the thing as Bill backpedals out of range! Greg thrusts again, and THIS time he succeeds! The beast dies floppingly and Bill goes to assist Jackie! The foul ichor seems to be infective and she is bleeding a lot. Bill manages to stanch the bleeding, and he thinks that she's stable... But she needs more medical help than he can provide.
In the meantime, Greg maintains a watchful stance. This proves wise as he watches another thing coming up the tunnel! Its not the same as the last pair; bigger, vaguely bearlike and hideous... "You don't belong here," Greg says. "Turn back, or one of us will die." It hisses back, but the language is unintelligible to the mortal Greg.
Suddenly, a furry tentacle whips out of the thing's back and strikes at him! He manages to get under the strike and punctures the thing, but it seems to do little. The tentacle however strikes Greg! It horribly burrows under his skin and drags Greg closer! He uses the momentum against his foe, and drives the fork deep into the thing, killing it! But the tentacle is still dug into him, and he is dragged toward the hideous corpse as it falls!
As this happens, inevitably, another hideous thing staggers up the passage! This beast looks like a giant, oil-covered zombified seabird! It also attacks Greg, biting with a beak the size of his head! He sets for a charge, which doesn't work, but the thing's failed attack does rip Greg free of the tentacle!
Greg then thinks of the spoon- He grabs it, and screams, "Work!" And suddenly... The thing stops! It beats on an invisible barrier and cannot pass! "Get out of here!" Greg yells to Bill. "Coat yourself and Jackie with the oil and go!" "NO!" Bill yells. I'm NOT leaving you! I've paid too much already!" Greg snarls back again, and with the appearance of another bird-thing Bill blasts away with Jackie's pistol! the one round that hits nearly takes away the things arm, and its new companion focuses on Bill!! "O FUCK you..." Says Bill to this new threat. Greg says, "give me some of the oil and go!" Bill does and starts dragging Jackie clear.
When Bill gets down to the tunnels and the water pool... There are THINGS coming out of the water! "O HELL no..." He says, leveling the Browning at the potential threat. He then realizes they're high-tech assault troops, not more demons! He puts Jackie's gun aside and gets a LOT of assault rifles pointed at him! He steps back, and even MORE troops come out! They tell him, "Get out of the way, civilian!" And he does. "Do you have a medic?" Bill asks, and they do- the medic starts to work on Jackie. Soon thereafter, the strange young man that they saw wander out of the gate with the shield wanders down! Bill stops him from going into the pool, and gets the seal!
Greg is in a bad spot. He's realized that if he moves the things that are coming up the portal might be able to get past and around the protection that the spoon provides! With this in mind, he keeps his place, believing that this may be his 'heroic end'... The world isn't done with him yet, he finds, when the assault troops pour out behind him and open fire! "Stand down!" They yell to him, and he starts backing away from the fight and heads to meet back up with Bill, soon finding himself at the pool with Jackie being cared for by the medic.
Bill gets a sudden chill- they need the books and they don't have them! Bill suddenly gets the idea that Bishop is way too power hungry to give away his keys to power, and that the books might still be at his clothes! He bolts up to the ritual cave, the battle between the troops and demons raging around him. He digs through the bloodied clothing but the books aren't there, nor are they buried beneath... He looks around in rising panic, and spots them on the altar! He RUNS back to the pool room to get the seal, which he left behind!
Now... While Bill is searching for the books (having not told anyone what he was doing, as is often the case), Greg has been trying to reach Jackie psychically. He believes that she's needed to close the gate, and so is trying to get her conscious. He manages to get to her, but she's not with it: "I'm sorry, but the number you have reached is not taking calls at this time. If you leave a message...". He has the medic wake her with atropine, but she's STILL glazed, fogged out by pain. Seeing this Greg decides to take her pain into himself... And he does, starting to convulse!
Jackie is suddenly clear-headed! She starts to try and reach Solomon for his aid in sealing the portal, and apparently DOES reach him! The spiritual form appears and says, "You summoned me?" "Yes," she replies. "We need to seal the portal!" "I can do that... But this is not a thing I want to do again..." "I'll do it." Jackie says. His reply is ominous: "If you do this, you will be as I am forever..." She nods. "I know. I'll do it." He drifts past her to the stairs and says, "Follow me then..." The pair head up the stairs just as Bill comes down! "What's happening?" Bill asks. "We're going to seal the gate." "The books are on the alter!" Bill tells her.
Jackie and her ghostly companion head up into the altar chamber. Gunfire and detonations mingle with the howls of the hellish beasts now pouring in ever-larger numbers into the hail of fire delivered by the troops, but they pass through the carnage untouched to the yawning portal. Solomon takes up station in front of it and Jackie holds the seal. "Repeat after me..." He tells her, and starts to chant. After a bit, Jackie suddenly stops. "You're not Solomon. You're not Solomon! I'd SENSE you! " And he vanishes!
"Bill! It wasn't him!" Jackie yells, and Bill hauls ass back to her! He heads for the books, gets the notes and decoder ring out, and starts chanting the ritual! Soon, Jackie starts chanting as well... Time passes, and the Seal grows warm in her hands; the light in the chamber slowly dims, and the howls seem to dim to the distance. Bill reaches the end of the chant, but despite the light dimming almost to nothing and the warming of the Seal, nothing seems to happen!
Jackie hears a voice, familiar and nearby but with no discernible source; "There is one last word... Speak it to seal the gate..." And Jackie hears the word. She feels that it isn't the fake Solomon, and speaks it. There is a shudder through the air in the chamber as the Seal levitates from her hands- it rapidly enlarges to fill the hideous demon-spewing maw of the portal, and soon the passage is just... Gone.
The fighting that they barely noticed throughout the ritual just ENDS. The troops cease fire and stand down while the demons, dead and alive puff into foul-smelling mist. Bill drops to his knees, and Jackie also collapses- however, in her case its that all that pain has suddenly come back! She's out, but Greg is once again able to act! The poor medic with him is totally at a loss for what's going on.
Thanks are exchanged, and the troops (the demon hunters from past encounters) help them get out via the water-tunnel. Once back on the beach they split apart from the troops, after Greg asks the troopers about his father. "That's classified" is the reply, but after repeated pleas one of the men pulls off his combat-mask- its one of the customers of the motorcycle shop!
"We don't know..." Is the answer that Greg gets. Not what he wanted. There is something else waiting on the beach- the strange young man who walked out of the Abyss! He's still VERY out of it, but after a while he does communicate a bit. He really doesn't recall much, apparently this includes his name! He definitely can't explain how he came to be in the Abyss, nor how he got ahold of the Seal.
After a while, they notice that the setup for the beach concert and 'Bonfire' has started! Greg sticks with the strange young man and goes to talk to Ronnie, to pass on what's gone on. Bill takes Jackie to the hospital with a tale of a rabid dog attack- they buy it, but she has some form of infection and will be treated for tetanus and rabies, as well a course of general antibiotics. From the hospital Bill heads to the police to pass on the same cock-and-bull tale, then heads to Akbars to turn over the books and decoder ring.
Back at the beach, Greg and Roy (the mystery man) talks with Ronnie. He explains how Jackie likely will miss the party, and passes on that the portal has been sealed. Ronnie expresses his disappointment that Jackie won't be there, and upon request supplies Roy with slightly better clothes than the tattered rags he's in, plus some Mountain Dew; its the best pop that Roy can remember ever having! Soon thereafter the pair head to the Dane Estate. Once there Ms. White lets them in and sends them to the library to await her, soon arriving there herself with drinks and food. Greg introduces Roy, and Ms. White gives him an odd look.
She leaves again, and after a while she comes back with a set of clothing for Roy- all he has is tatters, other than the basics given by Ronnie. With less-than-subtle hinting from Greg, Roy is induced to take a shower- The Abyss isn't really a clean place after all.
When Roy is in the shower, Greg debriefs Ms. White as to what happened, telling her all he can with some things left out that he obviously missed while blinded with pain. After she steps out to make several phone calls, Master Gung Dok wanders in. "So I DID make a good choice in my students!" They talk briefly, and Greg is told, after he offers to help fix the dojo: "I believe you should take some time for your self, a few days... If I am right things for you are going to change dramatically..." The master goes to get himself a Mountain Dew, and Greg rushes to serve his master; when he tries, the pain from his shoulder wound knocks him down! He tries to control it, and accidentally projects it to Jackie! She wakes suddenly with a GASP, in a lot of pain! Unfortunately, Greg doesn't pass out, and the pain isn't lessened despite the projection!
While this goes on Bill arrives at Mad Akbar's, turns over the books and ring. Akbar smiles widely and says, "ah, it is a fine day, and the skies are clear! It is nice to see that you have succeeded! And you have brought me my books and my ring! Very good!" They talk briefly, Bill saying that it was a close thing; "Ah my friend, you have NO idea... Bill quizzically disputes that, and Akbar grins. "Wait here a moment." He goes in the back and Bill hears the sound of a hammer hitting something solid! Akbar returns with a scroll, that he carefully unrolls. He then takes a (obviously freshly knocked from a larger stone) crystal and touches it to Bill's head! Suddenly, he can't understand English anymore... But he CAN read the scroll! And the scroll is the account of the LAST time the portal was opened. He really DIDN'T have any idea.
Bill, a little dazed by the volume of information he's gained thanks Akbar, then heads back to the mansion.
Meanwhile, everyone in the mansion (including the fresh-out-of-the-shower Roy) runs to help the fallen Greg! By the time they reach him, he's finally passed out. Bill arrives right in the middle of this, and is let in by Ms. White, though she just looks out the window to confirm he's safe to let in. Master Gong Duk reaches Greg first. He briefly looks his student over, then claps his hands together with a brisk rubbing. He presses his hands against the wound and Greg awakes, the pain subsiding. Greg feels a lot better, though he is still wounded.
Bill comes up, and while Ms. White fetches food for him he tells Master Gung Dok about the infection that afflicts Jackie. "Ah. We should go to Akbar..." The master says. Bill sighs, having just left there! He asks, "should I go now, or would it be alright to wait?" "You rest," is the reply. "We can take care of this." "How is the dojo?" Bill asks. "It will need some repair, regrettably." "Well, I know some carpentry, I could help out..." Offers Bill. "I may take you up on that." Master Gung Dok then leaves for Mad Akbar's.
Time passes, and Jackie wakes. There is a strange smell in the room, and she can tell that there is someone in the room with her- its Master Gung Dok. He looks at her, and offers her tea. "Drink all of this, but do not drink the dregs." She does, shocked at the VERY astringent, drying flavor! This is followed by three more cups of bitter, dry-seeming tea. After she finishes, the little old man strongly CLAPS his hands together, rubbing vigorously, then presses them against her wound- She feels an incredible warmth, then soon falls asleep.
At the mansion, Greg is asleep. Bill talks some more with Ms. White, and asks her opinion about whether the dormhouse is safe; she doesn't think its dangerous, so with her help Bill loads Greg into the van, forgetting totally about Roy, and heads home. It bypasses Bill at the time, but Ms. White seems to have a disconnect with the supernatural events going on, despite her past knowledge... And he's not the only person to have missed this.
When they go in, Bill waking Greg, they see that much of the damage has been repaired. Soon they hear a stomping up the stairs- its Blue! "I HATE Imps!" He says. "Me too!" replies Bill." They talk a bit more, then Bill helps Greg to his room. Greg asks Bill to move the bed to the center of the room, and get salt to ring it for protection! Bill moves the bed then heads downstairs to get the salt. As soon as he gets the box and starts back up, there is a knock at the door. He sighs, then checks- its a little girl with two suitcases? He opens the door. "Hello?" Bill says. "Can I help you?" "I'm looking for my daddy," she says. Bill blinks. "Who's your daddy?" "Greg Poulte..." Bill blinks again. "I'll be right back..." And he heads back in and up to Greg, forgetting to invite the tot in!
Once back in Greg's room, Bill says, "dude, you need to get up. Your daughter is downstairs..." There is a short, stunned pause then Greg LEAPS out of bed!! He gets into clean clothes, checks to see if he smells and then heads down. He goes to the door and lets her in, asking Bill to get the girl's suitcases. She tells him that her name is Ariel, and it turns out (from the note she gives to Greg) that her mother, Anasazi, has sent her to Greg for safety. Things are apparently not so stable back home. Having retreated to the kitchen, Bill wisecracks a bit with Blue. When Blue sneaks back downstairs out of sight, Bill heads out to deal with a few things- He's going to recover the sword and then head to the party. SOMEONE from the group ought to make an appearance!
After he's introduced to Ariel's dolls (Anasazi Barbie and Ken, both of which have a LOT of legs... ) Greg takes Ariel out for a walk to find her better bedding (a hammock) and something for her to eat... At a butchers shop. He gets her some pork ribs, and when they get home, after they talk a bit... She bursts into an insane number of tiny little spiders! The meat is cleaned to the bone, and she reforms. This and the blood from the fridge aren't exactly what she wants, nor what she was used to at home. Greg was NOT expecting this, but afterwards it gives him some ideas as to how to feed her.
Right about then Ms. White pulls up with Roy! Greg lets them in when they come to the door, and Ms. White tells Greg that Roy will be staying at the dormhouse! There is some confusion as to what room he'll be in- Michael's room is NOT considered vacant, and Gabriel's room, formerly Anne's, needs to be cleaned- He did take his stuff, but the condition of the room is questionable. When Ms. White meets Ariel, and Greg says that she's his daughter... The glare from Ms. White is almost audible!
Greg welcomes Roy to the dormhouse and introduces Ariel to him as well; Ariel previous to this wanted to play in the basement, but Greg wants to check it for her first, despite the testimony (according to Ariel) of the resident spiders.
Ariel thinks that Roy is 'funny' and Ms. White 'isn't real'. Greg ends up having to explain that Ms. White doesn't KNOW she's not real, so they have to pretend that she IS real; "That's a silly game." Pronounces Ariel. After this short conversation, the father and daughter go off to play dolls before bed. Eventually, she gets tired and he sets the hammock up for her. He fetches a blanket, and when he gets back... She's gone! Or rather she's scattered again. He sets the blanket down carefully, and before crashing himself he orders bulk insects online for her, in the hope its closer to her desires.
Back at the hospital, Jackie is feeling better. MUCH better. The nurse checks the wound and its closed up a lot more than it should have! After a full exam they tell her that if she wants to leave, she can. So she does. She calls a cab, NOT getting Kelsey (Death) Gramar this time, and heads towards home.
Bill rents the scuba gear and heads to the beach. He sees that the party is setting up fairly close to where the sword was left, and waves to the setup crew. THey probably don't recognize him from the distance, and he heads into the surf. He swims out, and out, and out... Just keep swimming, just keep swimming... He doesn't seem to notice that he's a LOT further than he needs to go, and just keeps swimming...
And there we leave off. Two weeks til we find out what happens!
In the last set of the Buffy Horror Campaign we left off with Our Heroes, in this case being Bill, Greg and Jackie, preparing to face the hordes of the Abyss in a likely-mad attempt to retrieve the method for sealing the portal to said hellish abode, and to potentially recover their lost housemate Michael. We open with the trio standing before the yawning maw of the portal, confronting the stench and howls of the truly damned...
The chamber they are standing in is much as they last left it. The portal looms menacingly over the scene, with the floor of the chamber being sand- the altar that at one point Jackie was chained to is centered on the room, and near the portal is a crumpled pile of bloodied clothes, marked with two bullet holes- Bishop has survived again, apparently. Yet another foe to potentially face amongst the uncounted hordes.
A black fog is oozingly drifting out from the portal along the floor, and there is a bloody red glow from deep down the passage. Waves of heat also issue upwards, accompanying the discordant howls and moans. "Okay... Great." Says Bill. "Shall we?" Bill has his new sword out, Jackie her pistol and Greg the tiger fork. "Bill," says Greg, "you know that we can't search for Michael..." "I know. But if we get the chance, we get him out." Bill replies, and Greg nods.
Just then, something totally unexpected happens. As they watch, they see a figure, human-looking, coming up the tunnel. As it approaches they see that it apparently IS human, a young man dressed in the tattered remains of a shirt and jeans! He walks up to them, and then past, his eyes glazed as if in some form of trance. They notice that he's carrying something- the seal! They stop him and try to talk...
But all their plans and decisions are suddenly interrupted by something coming UP the portal-passage! The stench of the Abyss seems somehow stronger as this lone denizen lopes its way out- it's roughly the size and shape of a doberman, but reptillian-scaly and possessed of massive jaws dripping a foul ichorous goo! The things appearance is so nightmarish that Jackie, despite all that she's seen before is stunned; it charges to attack her, but fails to hit her.
Bill and Greg take what advantage they can at the creatures failed leap, the stench causing Jackie to reel and nearly vomit; Bill hacks it with his blade, cutting it deeply, followed by Greg's stab with the tiger fork- this thrust also hits, and between them the beast is crippled! The horrid goo that is vomiting from the beast does have an affect however- Greg loses the meal of pie that they had before venturing down! Bill, focused on the situation sees this, as well as the almost-hysterical giggles from Jackie caused by the intensity of the situation. He ALSO sees another of the demon-dogs coming up the tunnel! "Jackie, behind you!" he yells, and Jackie spins and fires- she misses and it leaps, sinking its fangs into her, mauling her horribly!
Bill yells, "Greg! Snap out of it!" And charges the second beast- He slices at it but his blade skids off its scaborous hide! Jackie is still held by the thing, being shaken like a ragdoll in its hellish jaws- Greg fails to hit, and she is thus still held. Jackie strikes against the thing with the supposedly-magical wooden spoon; she does hit, but it does apparently nothing. She finally passes out from the pain and injury. Bill slices at it again, this time his blade DOES score harm! The beast flings Jackie away and faces Bill.
"Bring it, bitch!" Snarls Bill, as Greg strikes again; he misses, but so does the thing as Bill backpedals out of range! Greg thrusts again, and THIS time he succeeds! The beast dies floppingly and Bill goes to assist Jackie! The foul ichor seems to be infective and she is bleeding a lot. Bill manages to stanch the bleeding, and he thinks that she's stable... But she needs more medical help than he can provide.
In the meantime, Greg maintains a watchful stance. This proves wise as he watches another thing coming up the tunnel! Its not the same as the last pair; bigger, vaguely bearlike and hideous... "You don't belong here," Greg says. "Turn back, or one of us will die." It hisses back, but the language is unintelligible to the mortal Greg.
Suddenly, a furry tentacle whips out of the thing's back and strikes at him! He manages to get under the strike and punctures the thing, but it seems to do little. The tentacle however strikes Greg! It horribly burrows under his skin and drags Greg closer! He uses the momentum against his foe, and drives the fork deep into the thing, killing it! But the tentacle is still dug into him, and he is dragged toward the hideous corpse as it falls!
As this happens, inevitably, another hideous thing staggers up the passage! This beast looks like a giant, oil-covered zombified seabird! It also attacks Greg, biting with a beak the size of his head! He sets for a charge, which doesn't work, but the thing's failed attack does rip Greg free of the tentacle!
Greg then thinks of the spoon- He grabs it, and screams, "Work!" And suddenly... The thing stops! It beats on an invisible barrier and cannot pass! "Get out of here!" Greg yells to Bill. "Coat yourself and Jackie with the oil and go!" "NO!" Bill yells. I'm NOT leaving you! I've paid too much already!" Greg snarls back again, and with the appearance of another bird-thing Bill blasts away with Jackie's pistol! the one round that hits nearly takes away the things arm, and its new companion focuses on Bill!! "O FUCK you..." Says Bill to this new threat. Greg says, "give me some of the oil and go!" Bill does and starts dragging Jackie clear.
When Bill gets down to the tunnels and the water pool... There are THINGS coming out of the water! "O HELL no..." He says, leveling the Browning at the potential threat. He then realizes they're high-tech assault troops, not more demons! He puts Jackie's gun aside and gets a LOT of assault rifles pointed at him! He steps back, and even MORE troops come out! They tell him, "Get out of the way, civilian!" And he does. "Do you have a medic?" Bill asks, and they do- the medic starts to work on Jackie. Soon thereafter, the strange young man that they saw wander out of the gate with the shield wanders down! Bill stops him from going into the pool, and gets the seal!
Greg is in a bad spot. He's realized that if he moves the things that are coming up the portal might be able to get past and around the protection that the spoon provides! With this in mind, he keeps his place, believing that this may be his 'heroic end'... The world isn't done with him yet, he finds, when the assault troops pour out behind him and open fire! "Stand down!" They yell to him, and he starts backing away from the fight and heads to meet back up with Bill, soon finding himself at the pool with Jackie being cared for by the medic.
Bill gets a sudden chill- they need the books and they don't have them! Bill suddenly gets the idea that Bishop is way too power hungry to give away his keys to power, and that the books might still be at his clothes! He bolts up to the ritual cave, the battle between the troops and demons raging around him. He digs through the bloodied clothing but the books aren't there, nor are they buried beneath... He looks around in rising panic, and spots them on the altar! He RUNS back to the pool room to get the seal, which he left behind!
Now... While Bill is searching for the books (having not told anyone what he was doing, as is often the case), Greg has been trying to reach Jackie psychically. He believes that she's needed to close the gate, and so is trying to get her conscious. He manages to get to her, but she's not with it: "I'm sorry, but the number you have reached is not taking calls at this time. If you leave a message...". He has the medic wake her with atropine, but she's STILL glazed, fogged out by pain. Seeing this Greg decides to take her pain into himself... And he does, starting to convulse!
Jackie is suddenly clear-headed! She starts to try and reach Solomon for his aid in sealing the portal, and apparently DOES reach him! The spiritual form appears and says, "You summoned me?" "Yes," she replies. "We need to seal the portal!" "I can do that... But this is not a thing I want to do again..." "I'll do it." Jackie says. His reply is ominous: "If you do this, you will be as I am forever..." She nods. "I know. I'll do it." He drifts past her to the stairs and says, "Follow me then..." The pair head up the stairs just as Bill comes down! "What's happening?" Bill asks. "We're going to seal the gate." "The books are on the alter!" Bill tells her.
Jackie and her ghostly companion head up into the altar chamber. Gunfire and detonations mingle with the howls of the hellish beasts now pouring in ever-larger numbers into the hail of fire delivered by the troops, but they pass through the carnage untouched to the yawning portal. Solomon takes up station in front of it and Jackie holds the seal. "Repeat after me..." He tells her, and starts to chant. After a bit, Jackie suddenly stops. "You're not Solomon. You're not Solomon! I'd SENSE you! " And he vanishes!
"Bill! It wasn't him!" Jackie yells, and Bill hauls ass back to her! He heads for the books, gets the notes and decoder ring out, and starts chanting the ritual! Soon, Jackie starts chanting as well... Time passes, and the Seal grows warm in her hands; the light in the chamber slowly dims, and the howls seem to dim to the distance. Bill reaches the end of the chant, but despite the light dimming almost to nothing and the warming of the Seal, nothing seems to happen!
Jackie hears a voice, familiar and nearby but with no discernible source; "There is one last word... Speak it to seal the gate..." And Jackie hears the word. She feels that it isn't the fake Solomon, and speaks it. There is a shudder through the air in the chamber as the Seal levitates from her hands- it rapidly enlarges to fill the hideous demon-spewing maw of the portal, and soon the passage is just... Gone.
The fighting that they barely noticed throughout the ritual just ENDS. The troops cease fire and stand down while the demons, dead and alive puff into foul-smelling mist. Bill drops to his knees, and Jackie also collapses- however, in her case its that all that pain has suddenly come back! She's out, but Greg is once again able to act! The poor medic with him is totally at a loss for what's going on.
Thanks are exchanged, and the troops (the demon hunters from past encounters) help them get out via the water-tunnel. Once back on the beach they split apart from the troops, after Greg asks the troopers about his father. "That's classified" is the reply, but after repeated pleas one of the men pulls off his combat-mask- its one of the customers of the motorcycle shop!
"We don't know..." Is the answer that Greg gets. Not what he wanted. There is something else waiting on the beach- the strange young man who walked out of the Abyss! He's still VERY out of it, but after a while he does communicate a bit. He really doesn't recall much, apparently this includes his name! He definitely can't explain how he came to be in the Abyss, nor how he got ahold of the Seal.
After a while, they notice that the setup for the beach concert and 'Bonfire' has started! Greg sticks with the strange young man and goes to talk to Ronnie, to pass on what's gone on. Bill takes Jackie to the hospital with a tale of a rabid dog attack- they buy it, but she has some form of infection and will be treated for tetanus and rabies, as well a course of general antibiotics. From the hospital Bill heads to the police to pass on the same cock-and-bull tale, then heads to Akbars to turn over the books and decoder ring.
Back at the beach, Greg and Roy (the mystery man) talks with Ronnie. He explains how Jackie likely will miss the party, and passes on that the portal has been sealed. Ronnie expresses his disappointment that Jackie won't be there, and upon request supplies Roy with slightly better clothes than the tattered rags he's in, plus some Mountain Dew; its the best pop that Roy can remember ever having! Soon thereafter the pair head to the Dane Estate. Once there Ms. White lets them in and sends them to the library to await her, soon arriving there herself with drinks and food. Greg introduces Roy, and Ms. White gives him an odd look.
She leaves again, and after a while she comes back with a set of clothing for Roy- all he has is tatters, other than the basics given by Ronnie. With less-than-subtle hinting from Greg, Roy is induced to take a shower- The Abyss isn't really a clean place after all.
When Roy is in the shower, Greg debriefs Ms. White as to what happened, telling her all he can with some things left out that he obviously missed while blinded with pain. After she steps out to make several phone calls, Master Gung Dok wanders in. "So I DID make a good choice in my students!" They talk briefly, and Greg is told, after he offers to help fix the dojo: "I believe you should take some time for your self, a few days... If I am right things for you are going to change dramatically..." The master goes to get himself a Mountain Dew, and Greg rushes to serve his master; when he tries, the pain from his shoulder wound knocks him down! He tries to control it, and accidentally projects it to Jackie! She wakes suddenly with a GASP, in a lot of pain! Unfortunately, Greg doesn't pass out, and the pain isn't lessened despite the projection!
While this goes on Bill arrives at Mad Akbar's, turns over the books and ring. Akbar smiles widely and says, "ah, it is a fine day, and the skies are clear! It is nice to see that you have succeeded! And you have brought me my books and my ring! Very good!" They talk briefly, Bill saying that it was a close thing; "Ah my friend, you have NO idea... Bill quizzically disputes that, and Akbar grins. "Wait here a moment." He goes in the back and Bill hears the sound of a hammer hitting something solid! Akbar returns with a scroll, that he carefully unrolls. He then takes a (obviously freshly knocked from a larger stone) crystal and touches it to Bill's head! Suddenly, he can't understand English anymore... But he CAN read the scroll! And the scroll is the account of the LAST time the portal was opened. He really DIDN'T have any idea.
Bill, a little dazed by the volume of information he's gained thanks Akbar, then heads back to the mansion.
Meanwhile, everyone in the mansion (including the fresh-out-of-the-shower Roy) runs to help the fallen Greg! By the time they reach him, he's finally passed out. Bill arrives right in the middle of this, and is let in by Ms. White, though she just looks out the window to confirm he's safe to let in. Master Gong Duk reaches Greg first. He briefly looks his student over, then claps his hands together with a brisk rubbing. He presses his hands against the wound and Greg awakes, the pain subsiding. Greg feels a lot better, though he is still wounded.
Bill comes up, and while Ms. White fetches food for him he tells Master Gung Dok about the infection that afflicts Jackie. "Ah. We should go to Akbar..." The master says. Bill sighs, having just left there! He asks, "should I go now, or would it be alright to wait?" "You rest," is the reply. "We can take care of this." "How is the dojo?" Bill asks. "It will need some repair, regrettably." "Well, I know some carpentry, I could help out..." Offers Bill. "I may take you up on that." Master Gung Dok then leaves for Mad Akbar's.
Time passes, and Jackie wakes. There is a strange smell in the room, and she can tell that there is someone in the room with her- its Master Gung Dok. He looks at her, and offers her tea. "Drink all of this, but do not drink the dregs." She does, shocked at the VERY astringent, drying flavor! This is followed by three more cups of bitter, dry-seeming tea. After she finishes, the little old man strongly CLAPS his hands together, rubbing vigorously, then presses them against her wound- She feels an incredible warmth, then soon falls asleep.
At the mansion, Greg is asleep. Bill talks some more with Ms. White, and asks her opinion about whether the dormhouse is safe; she doesn't think its dangerous, so with her help Bill loads Greg into the van, forgetting totally about Roy, and heads home. It bypasses Bill at the time, but Ms. White seems to have a disconnect with the supernatural events going on, despite her past knowledge... And he's not the only person to have missed this.
When they go in, Bill waking Greg, they see that much of the damage has been repaired. Soon they hear a stomping up the stairs- its Blue! "I HATE Imps!" He says. "Me too!" replies Bill." They talk a bit more, then Bill helps Greg to his room. Greg asks Bill to move the bed to the center of the room, and get salt to ring it for protection! Bill moves the bed then heads downstairs to get the salt. As soon as he gets the box and starts back up, there is a knock at the door. He sighs, then checks- its a little girl with two suitcases? He opens the door. "Hello?" Bill says. "Can I help you?" "I'm looking for my daddy," she says. Bill blinks. "Who's your daddy?" "Greg Poulte..." Bill blinks again. "I'll be right back..." And he heads back in and up to Greg, forgetting to invite the tot in!
Once back in Greg's room, Bill says, "dude, you need to get up. Your daughter is downstairs..." There is a short, stunned pause then Greg LEAPS out of bed!! He gets into clean clothes, checks to see if he smells and then heads down. He goes to the door and lets her in, asking Bill to get the girl's suitcases. She tells him that her name is Ariel, and it turns out (from the note she gives to Greg) that her mother, Anasazi, has sent her to Greg for safety. Things are apparently not so stable back home. Having retreated to the kitchen, Bill wisecracks a bit with Blue. When Blue sneaks back downstairs out of sight, Bill heads out to deal with a few things- He's going to recover the sword and then head to the party. SOMEONE from the group ought to make an appearance!
After he's introduced to Ariel's dolls (Anasazi Barbie and Ken, both of which have a LOT of legs... ) Greg takes Ariel out for a walk to find her better bedding (a hammock) and something for her to eat... At a butchers shop. He gets her some pork ribs, and when they get home, after they talk a bit... She bursts into an insane number of tiny little spiders! The meat is cleaned to the bone, and she reforms. This and the blood from the fridge aren't exactly what she wants, nor what she was used to at home. Greg was NOT expecting this, but afterwards it gives him some ideas as to how to feed her.
Right about then Ms. White pulls up with Roy! Greg lets them in when they come to the door, and Ms. White tells Greg that Roy will be staying at the dormhouse! There is some confusion as to what room he'll be in- Michael's room is NOT considered vacant, and Gabriel's room, formerly Anne's, needs to be cleaned- He did take his stuff, but the condition of the room is questionable. When Ms. White meets Ariel, and Greg says that she's his daughter... The glare from Ms. White is almost audible!
Greg welcomes Roy to the dormhouse and introduces Ariel to him as well; Ariel previous to this wanted to play in the basement, but Greg wants to check it for her first, despite the testimony (according to Ariel) of the resident spiders.
Ariel thinks that Roy is 'funny' and Ms. White 'isn't real'. Greg ends up having to explain that Ms. White doesn't KNOW she's not real, so they have to pretend that she IS real; "That's a silly game." Pronounces Ariel. After this short conversation, the father and daughter go off to play dolls before bed. Eventually, she gets tired and he sets the hammock up for her. He fetches a blanket, and when he gets back... She's gone! Or rather she's scattered again. He sets the blanket down carefully, and before crashing himself he orders bulk insects online for her, in the hope its closer to her desires.
Back at the hospital, Jackie is feeling better. MUCH better. The nurse checks the wound and its closed up a lot more than it should have! After a full exam they tell her that if she wants to leave, she can. So she does. She calls a cab, NOT getting Kelsey (Death) Gramar this time, and heads towards home.
Bill rents the scuba gear and heads to the beach. He sees that the party is setting up fairly close to where the sword was left, and waves to the setup crew. THey probably don't recognize him from the distance, and he heads into the surf. He swims out, and out, and out... Just keep swimming, just keep swimming... He doesn't seem to notice that he's a LOT further than he needs to go, and just keeps swimming...
And there we leave off. Two weeks til we find out what happens!
