And What We Found There

[mrblah]

devilbird

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

[Charisma contest; Josephine = 24, ??? = 7.]

The young lady stared at her... before she'd nod, finally conceding. "So be it," she started. "That 'shard' you hold in your possession is an important artifact that kept a great and destructive evil at bay. By taking it from the tree, you unleashed it into this world, allowing it to run rampant as it pleases while it damages the very fabric of our reality. It is not a thing the ignorant can so easily tamper with, and for that reason, it is not something you should have in your possession. If you want this nightmare to end, you need to give it to me and let me return it at once while there's still time." She emphasized her point by further outstretching her arm. By the look on her face, she had no intention of dropping this matter easily.

Josephine couldn't feel her strange friend's presence at all. There was none of the usual intent that lingered in the recesses of her mind. No touch of darkness that ebbed on the edges of her sanity as her cognition struggled to comprehend the ethereal presence he held. He was strangely... quiet. Maybe he wasn't even watching her at this moment. If there was ever a time to make a free choice, it'd be now.

literally everyone else
The group considered their recent discovery of the kegs of gunpowder. With enough in there to pack a sizable punch to a wall or two, they had to figure out what to do with it, if anything at all.

lilbooth

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Meanwhile, Teresa had begun searching for any other hidden passageways... [Craftiness check; Variable. Teresa = 21.] She did find something noteworthy. After removing what looked to be a loose piece of the wall, she spotted a strange blue symbol on the other side of it... [Knowledge check; Variable. Teresa = 18.] Teresa recognized it as an arcane rune. The familiar and complex lining, the strange letters within it, the pattern design—it all looked like the same runes she's been learning of during her stay in Lacuna. She, unfortunately, couldn't recognize the purpose of it. If they ever learned the runic message in it, she must've forgotten it.

Blue56

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"On break? Would you think it's possible... that she's left the premises?" Madeline threw out an unlikely possibility off the top of her head simply to bounce some ideas around. She seemed pretty concerned by Bridgette's admission though. The idea that their professors would pick now of all times to disappear... "Truly, it's a damn bad time to pick now to not do your jobs." The redhead was understandably frustrated. Bridgette would then read the rest of the teacher schedule; some of them were on break, others would be working classes... nothing really stood out. Bridgette also searched for matches or something to light the gunpowder with. [Craftiness check; Moderate. Bridgette = 12.] She wasn't having much luck.

RandomRoninKitten

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"HM." Doggo Borkinson grunted as his teddy bear eyes stared blankly forward. "YES. WE SHOULD HAVE ONE OF THOSE USELESS MORTALS LIGHT THE EXPLOSIVES AND SACRIFICE THEMSELVES FOR OUR CAUSE. THE KNIFE THIEF WOULD BE A GRAND CHOICE FOR THIS." This was his opinion. "HER SCREAMS AS SHE BURNS SHALL BE FUEL TO OUR ASCENSION UNTO GODHOOD. IT WILL BE A PAINFUL END AS SHE DESERVES FOR HER TRUE SIN." Now he's laughing maniacally.

Their conversation would continue as they proposed their reactions and thoughts regarding the newly discovered kegs, totally unaware of the danger sneaking up to them. It crept from outside as its seekers done their work of forcing them into a small enclave, effectively trapping them for its master. As it was approaching the door, their sense of danger would slowly raise. The hair on their backs would stick out as an unsettled air would spread throughout the room. A feeling that they were being hunted struck them suddenly like lightning. Something was very wrong. They were too late to react before this would be proven.

It started with a gradual increase in humidity until it felt like they were practically standing in breathable water. Their bodies felt heavy and the room seemed to darken. The shadows danced in the corners as the overhead chandelier would shake, and a weird noise, near imperceptible to all but Victoria could just barely be heard. The sound of... something slimy sliding against the floor, and hissing.

These were the only precursors that announced It, just a minute before it'd make its mind boggling arrival. As if it appeared from mist, the shadowy form of a mass of snakes forming a larger snake-like being took up the entire other half of the room, blocking the exit with its mass. Their minds screeched at them to look away from the impossible sight, struggling to comprehend it as it seemed to fade in and out of their awareness. "—̴̟͖͉͖̲̠̞͚̟͕̋͛̌̓͆ —̸̝̜͙̪͇̰̃̏̆̓̽͛—̴̰̗́̌͗̆̀͊̓ —̵̢͈͉̩̝̜͉̻̌͂͒͋̒̔͂ͅ—̸̳͗̎̏͛̀̾̀ —̶͎̯̦̞̺̺̦̠͇͛͌̍͗̂̂͗͜͝͝!̵̪̙̩̺̓́̄́͝" It... spoke? The sounds weren't anything ever heard before, and it ran through their ears like sandpaper. This was its ungodly hello. They did not know what they were facing.

The appropriate reaction was a scream from Madeline.

OPTIONS
[Key roll; 18. Unlock values; 10, 16, 16, 17. All Options unlocked!]

Run - Try to run through the near translucent being. It's kinda fading in and out, so maybe it's not really physical?
Odds of Success: ??? | Checks: 1 (Bravery) | Consumption: -10 Energy | Consequences of Failure: try it and find out

Secret Passageway(?) - Teresa found something that could open an exit... but how do you activate it?
Odds of Success: Unlikely | Checks: 1 (Knowledge) | Consumption: 0 Energy | Consequences of Failure: None

Explode Wall - Use the kegs of gunpowder to blow up the wall. Note; will need a way to light them from afar. Or don't and blow up with them.
Odds of Success: Guaranteed | Checks: None | Consumption: -5 Energy | Consequences of Failure: None

Explode Monster - Use the kegs of gunpowder to blow up the snake monster. Note; will need a way to light them from afar. Or don't and blow up with them.
Odds of Success: ??? | Checks: None | Consumption: -5 Energy | Consequences of Failure: Lose Explode Wall Option

Distraction - Draw the attention of the monster through a method of your choosing. Surely there's no reason to do something so dangerous unless you needed to buy time.
Odds of Success: ??? | Checks: Depends | Consumption: Depends | Consequences of Failure: Depends

[MiscChaos]

Well, it seems no one really has any good ideas what to do with the gunpowder since no one really says anything constructive. Of course they want to light it from a distance. Unless they are very much magically reinforced, none of them would survive setting it off up close! She would refuse to let anyone do such a thing anyway! There are sacrifices necessary to bring in the new world and then there are stupidly unnecessary ones and that plan falls securely in the latter. With the chandelier being out of reach, there are no easy ways of gathering flames for use. Perhaps if they searched the room some more for something flammable...

Her entire thought process is ground to a halt as her sense of danger screams at her. She doesn't know why she feels this way, but they need to leave. RIGHT NOW. Her apprehension only increases when the room suddenly becomes more humid and her body more heavy. She barely notices the room getting darker over all the other signs going on, but she DOES notice it. Everything coalescences into a... an abomination. That is the only word she can think for what suddenly appears before her. There really is no more time for doubt and planning. If they do not leave NOW, they might not leave at all. Shoving the barrels firmly against the wall, she tears off a small part the bottom of one of the barrels to allow the gunpowder to begin pouring out. If she's a good judge of it, it should be enough to release some of the gunpowder, but small enough that only a small portion can escape at a time. Unless she removes some of the gunpowder now on the floor, no more should come out. Using that, she takes a few handfuls and begins making a semi-thick trail away from the barrels to a safe distance. "Whoever has the knife, strike the back of it against the floor! We need sparks to set the gunpowder trail off!" She shouts, fear increasing her volume and the urgency in her voice. Given no one else has found any other way of setting the powder ablaze, making an improvised flint and steel is the best they're going to get at the current time. "Quickly, please!"

[Mark3000]

Margaret rubbed Ninette's shoulder as she tried to calm the girl's fears. "Worry not. I doubt any of us would aim to light that gunpowder on purpose." She said with a calming voice. Though it did beg the question, why was there gunpowder in the facility lounge?

Her inquisition would have to wait as a shiver went down Margaret's spine. It was as if she was being stalked by some malevolent force. The sudden rise in the humidity and the slimy slithering sounds rising up did little to temper she fears. Then it appears, a writhing mass of snakes that spoke in what could only be described as the devil's tongue. The only reason Margaret didn't let out a blood curdling scream was because Madeline already had.

Even in her stupor, Sasha had already come up with a plan. Looking around, Margaret saw that Teresa was that one who had the knife. Running to the red-haired woman, Margaret quickly took the knife from her. "I'm sorry Teresa, I need this" She says as she runs to Sasha's location. Using the knife she tried to make sparks to light the gunpowder trail. All the while prying that god would protect them from this ... abomination.

[devilbird]

Some of what the woman said rung true. All of this started when she pulled that shard out of the tree. It wouldn't be a stretch to assume that it was indeed a seal for whatever these shadow creatures were. But if all that needed to be done was to return it to it's rightful spot, then why did it have to be done by this stranger. Could she even be trusted? The young woman knew entirely too much for her to just accept. Josephine, didn't think it wise to do so with so little information on her part. Something else stood out to the young mistress as well. If she handed the shard over to this stranger, even if she were honest and true, then Josephine would lose her chance to study the shard and this world. That would be the real tragedy here.

Taking another slow step back, Josephine quickly dashed back and ran to the other end of the book shelves. She grabbed at one and attempted to tip it over to help block the path of the girl. Regardless of success, she would then make a mad dash for the nearest exit that wasn't swarming with shadows.