Salted Wounds [IC], a Deep Black Sea game Options

[Volker]

"No need to rush, it's regenerating itself. Someone strong hold that bugger. Anyone got restraints? Ah, and just for good measure."

bnc grabs the goblin on his shoulder and wrist and sends a wave of electricity through it, rendering the goblin to shriek loudly. For a second, she observes it, judging its state of health. When she deems it out of danger, she sends another jolt of power through its body, effectively paralyzing the creature. Then she steps back, leaving the critter to Nova.

"There you go. You might find it interesting that it can't regrow a severed spine. But this I don't do myself."
She steps back another second and turns. Then turns back, eyes transfixed on the sorry creature.

[ Spoiler ]

bnc will estimate the amount of damage the creature has already received. I'll just buy 3 hits on First Aid. She'll send the second burst when the creature's about to get up again, i.e. has healed most of its overflow damage. From your description ("began to stir again") I deduced, it's already so far. If not, she'll wait a couple of seconds.

Unarmed Combat: 2#6d6t5 1 1
As the goblin can't defend, that's 10S twice.
Soak: 2#6d6t5 3 2
7S+8S = 15S. That would be a full Stun damage monitor and some 5 or 6 boxes of physical damage, which might just cover up what the creature has just healed.

[Luckace]

"On the way. Do we have time to drag it out of this godforsaken hole? The background count in here is... Well, challenging. If not, just leave it there, I'm with you in a sec."
God, what is this vile creature?

While running down the stairs, he readied his combat focus, should the goblin wake up again.

[Gilga]

Anna shrugged "Dammit... I smell like rotten eggs... and Yuck.. these roaches... I feel as if I spent the night in a garbage heap... I need a shower, and my clothes need some laundry." She cleaned up, removing whatever remaining roaches she had on her body. With a look of disgust... but it was clearly not the first time she had these buggers on her. As a former street girl, Anna was used to being dirty - but it did not mean that she liked it.

Once she finished removing the roaches she said "Quick... take him outside of here, Wraith is more likely to succeed with mind reading outside..." Anna is unlikely to be strong enough to restrain the critter and she makes a gesture indicating that she has no restraints. "Unkinky of me... sorry to disappoint you." she responds to bnc, and then promises with a silly smile "I'll have something furry the next time you ask that of me for restraints.", the smiles turn into a silly laughter. She survived, they were alright... and that creepy things regenerate, so she gets to shoot them all over again... How funny was that?


She regains her composure as Wraith enters and says "Thanks for not commenting on the smell..."

[Volker]

While Nova and/or Sharkboy (hopefully) secure and carry the monster out, bnc explains in a calm voice.
"This is a goblin, not to mistaken for the hobgoblin which is a metavariant subspecies of the robustus. This sorry creature used to be a dwarf but was infected by the-"
She looks up, judging whether or not everyone in the group is familiar with the abbreviations. "-Human Meta-human Vampiric Virus. It's kind of a vampire, if you want, but a dwarfish one. And they're tough to kill."

Her eyes flick around, is if now reading through a text she opened while reading. She scans through the text at amazing speed. "Be wary when you cast your spell. Scientists still disagree whether or not the goblin is a sentient creature. Research reveals test results similar to great apes, so prepare for a very primitive, very distorted mind, maybe clouded with shredded fragments from its sapient past."
She looks him in the eye and says with her real voice. "You are to expect a gruesome experience."

[Gilga]

Anna asks "Is it contagious? What kind of precautions do we need?"

[Jack_Spade]

The goblin is strong and needs a little shock every three seconds or so to prevent it from coming around again. But between Nova's mechanical body parts and bnc's physician knowledge it's no problem to keep the creature subdued long enough to take it outside into the freezing cold, where the BC is merely anoying. Of course, Wraith knows that the nearby catholic church promises both shelter and a better atmosphere for casting such a difficult spell...

[Volker]

Anna asks "Is it contagious? What kind of precautions do we need?"

"Yes, very much so. Don't let it bite you.
On the bright side, you" - She gave it another shock. - "wouldn't turn into that creature. Actually, you'de become a vampire" - shock - "which is a way nicer means of becoming an undead monster than this."

[Luckace]

"Thanks for the heads-up. Gonna get interesting...", he murmurs with a sour grin.
"Can you carry it over there, to the church? My mojo will be stronger around there. And it gets us out of the fragging blizzard."

While the others are carrying the goblin, he fills his Predator with gel ammo and carefully watches the barely contained creature, ready to shoot it, should it try to bite one of his companions.
Turn into a vampire? Frag, I really need to read more about this stuff...

[ Spoiler ]

@Jack: thanks for the reminder!
Also, are there any heavy but movable objects (containers or something like that) in the room that could be used to block the hole in the ground? If so, Wraith will push one on top of the tunnel before leaving.

[Jack_Spade]

[ Spoiler ]

Nothing that would stop creatures that can claw through stone and concrete

[Thanee]

Before leaving, Nova took a quick look around, maybe there was something else inside the hideout that they missed on the first glance.


"A ... vampire!? Well, guess it is good it did not manage to hit me, then ..."

With only the slightest whir, Nova's gun vanished somewhere underneath her pants.

Her rifle slung over her shoulder, Nova helped carry the thing outside, and dumped it nonchalantly on the ground there.


"Well, this is supposed to close up again, so..."

She pulled the gravestone that was the door back in place, possibly with the use of that little statuette to lock it once more.

[ Spoiler ]

Perception (visual) 6 hits -- Looking for clues in the hideout

[Gilga]

"We need to make sure that the church is empty...Would not like to hijack someone's funeral with an undead guest... Probably a good idea not to be seen by a camera as well. Wraith? Since you are a man of the faith and everything... Do you mind?"

[SquirrelDude]

"Wraith and me's turn to clear out some gnob-gobs, then?"

He turned to walk away, and then turned back to broach an unhappy topic.

"Do we need to go down there and make sure our girl didn't turn out as lucky as you two?"

[Luckace]

"I don't expect anyone at this time and weather. But I guess you're right, better safe than sorry.

Do I mind what? Using the church's power against that thing? Absolutely not.
But Actually, I wasn't even planning on entering the main building, the pathway with the columns should protect us from the storm just fine, yet isn't inside the church where there might be cameras."
" bnc, any sensors in that yard?"

To Sharkboy:
" didn't elizia say, our girl left the hideout?"
"Elizia, are you positive that Bean Si indeed left?"

[ Spoiler ]

https://www.google.com/search?q=karl+lueger...peIRaWGVSdydwM:
That's the church. We don't necessarily have to enter the potentially watched main building.

[Jack_Spade]

Nova's quick look around didn't show her anything particularly useful, except that there were further rooms with locked doors in the bunker that the HMHVV victims likely hadn't opened.

Eliza replied: "Positive, she left and killed two Harvesters at the Prater island before vanishing."

The church wasn't particularly well defended in the matrix: Two old fashioned cameras that were neither slaved to a host nor had a particular impressive field of view protected the main building, leaving the team ample opportunity to find shelter in one of the side entrances. A small chappel was accessable, although all valuables here were behind bars and thick armored glass.
Wraith felt the oppressive mana from outside fall from him and be replaced with a calm tranquility.
For the other magic users the flavor of the mana changed but it didn't feel particularly good to them - and neither did the goblin seem to like it. A soft, keening sound indicated that he felt decidedly unwelcome here.

[Volker]

When they have the creature nice and tight, bnc refills the spent ammunition.

"Hitting wouldn't have done anything but giving you pain. It's the bite that's contagious ... but then, once it slapped you, it would bite you next as that's pretty much the whole idea behind hunting prey. Which we are to them."

She left with the others. When Sharkboy raises the topic of her sister becoming an undead monster, she answers with artificial professionality. "My sister's as homo sapiens sapiens, so the virus would have affected her in an entirely different way. Vampires do, if I'm right, not prefer graveyards for dwelling, though I might be mistaken. Also, the given description doesn't match..."
bnc says this in a voice that indicates that she doesn't only try to convince her team members.

"There are cameras, but I can take them out easily. Just indicate where you wanna go. I'll clear the path."

[Thanee]

"After we interrogated that creature, or however you wanna call it, we might want to check the remainder of that hideout. There's still some doors down there, that were not opened," Nova mentioned while moving with the others, keeping an eye on the surroundings mostly and glancing at the goblin here and there, to see if it is being well-behaved.

[Gilga]

Anna replied "Definitely..." to Wraith "If you need my help with the drain let me know. Though, this church is no better for me than the outside." She knew enough that the spell could be cast with reagents, but Anna did not utilize them. Perhaps out of the habit of being broke.

[SquirrelDude]

Sharkboy nodded and Nova's suggestion.

"Besides, I'm not saying that I don't trust Eliza's report. I just want to make sure we can say we had a look down there for ourselves and not just trust digital records. If we could trust those, most of us wouldn't have been allowed in this country in the first place."

[Luckace]

"I don't worry about the drain, not this time. But you had a painkiller-spell, right? That would be wiz."

[ Spoiler ]

@gilga: I'll use edge anyway, as the spell only becomes useful at 3+ net hits. That has the side effect that I don't have to use such a high force, meaning less drain. Unless, of course, Jack houserules that as being to cheap. Then improved drain resistance would be neat (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Gilga]

"Sure... Here you go"

Anna's hands glow with a noticeable but pale white glow as she touched Wraith's chest. That glow spread up through his body before fading away. In comparison with Wraith. She did not give the spell any occult, mystical or religious meaning. It was a mental pattern with a few physical aspects... and that glow was not divine energy. It meant that she some of the mana she channeled leaked and that she needed more skill to make it go away.

[ Spoiler ]

I figured you will, yet as it is apparently a draining and difficult spell she suggested.
Resist pain F8: 15d6t5 4
drain: 11d6t5 2
Four stun condition boxes are ignored for the sake of wound penalties.

She commented "I don't mind following the rabbit hole, even if Bean Si is not there... these guys might have taken something from the safe house to there. It might be dangerous, so let's extensively check the safehouse before going there. Perhaps we find some stronger lead in the safehouse..."

[Luckace]

Upon Anna's spell, Wraith's body seemingly straightened, as if a day's hard work was suddenly forgotten. "Thanks."
He turned towards the goblin, seemingly delighted about its disdain in the chapel, raised one hand in its direction as if force-choking it and murmured a prayer: "Lord, you see to the heart of all creatures. Grant me a glimpse of this poor soul's mind."
Now, you little fragger... What do you know about Kerstin?

[ Spoiler ]

F3 mind probe (limit ignored due to edge) Mind Probe (pushing the limit): 21d6t5 10
Exploding sixes (4): 4d6t5 1
That's a staggering 11 hits, drain is physical.
Drain: 12d6t5 8 no drain, wraith is quite in luck with these rolls. Guess his God is with him today (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

To speed things up: after probing for information on Bean Si, he will look as to why they appeared in the hideout and whether he has noticed the presence of anyone else at the hideout. Afterwards, any possible connection to one of the factions or Dr Rosenberg's or his HHMVV- Research. (one combat turn per Information)

[Thanee]

In the meantime, Nova pulled out her medkit and asked bnc to help her getting rid of the damage sustained from that Noxious Breath earlier.

[ Spoiler ]

First Aid with Teamwork, if bnc helps. Medkit R3 (the bigger one is in the van as it is too unwieldy).

Assuming -1 for conditions? Another -1 for implants. And Nova also has a -1 Wound modifier.

I will roll for Teamwork, then bnc can make the actual First Aid roll (with +4 dice from the Teamwork test), if that is okay with you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

First Aid (Teamwork) 4 hits

[Volker]

bnc sighs with a disgusted look at the goblin. "Creatures like these make the usage of pronouns a real toughkick."
Shen then kneels beside Nova. Although she's never received any kind of formation, she automatically adopted the kind of paramedic behavior: If a person seeks help, there is no asking. There's no denying help anyway. As a result of this approach, she doesn't reply with more than a nod and a gesture.
"You apparently know to sit upright and support your muscles of respiration with outstretched arms. Judging by the sound of your breath and the discoloration, the symptoms are mainly bacterial, though magical influence can't be ruled out. I'll give you 15 litres of oxygen at least until you reach a saturation of 96 %," bnc explains while she applies the oxygen probe and opens the compressor valve. "Please grant me three marks on your biomonitor. I'll add cleansing bacteria stems to the oxygen in order to purify your lungs and improve blood stream and regenerative capabilities in the pulmonary alveolus. Ah, and here, eat some coal, then you should be just fine."

[ Spoiler ]

13 + 4 (teamwork) + 3 (medkit) -1 (environment) - 1 (implants): First Aid: 18d6t5 7
Mental Limit is 9.

[Thanee]

"Sure, no problem," Nova replied, when asked about her biomonitor.

"Much better."

[ Spoiler ]

Nice, that is the 6 hits needed to remove the 4 boxes of stun.

[Volker]

"Speaking of..." bnc began, as she repacked the used contents into Nova's medkit.
"Can you give me three marks on your commlink as well? Don't worry about my abusing it ... if I want into your commlink, I'll get in there without your permission as well. But in some situations, I need to access every important device in the group fast. I understand if you refuse as it is kind of sensitive but you should know that the two seconds it takes me to hack a commlink already saved a life once, and I'll happily violate your privacy if I can save a second chummer."

bnc almost takes the medkit with her, before she realizes, she used stuff from a stranger, and leaves it behind for Nova. "Same goes for you, Fishbone and Wraith."
She then turns to Anna. "Have you been hurt? Insect bites, maybe?"

[ Spoiler ]

With a medkit, bnc is a magician (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)