The Ritual - IC [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

Lycan 01

2010-08-19, 09:15 PM

Its a warm Thursday afternoon in the late July of 1928. A group of strangers have been called to the town of Arkham, Massachusetts, specifically to St. Mary's Hospital, to visit an old friend on his deathbed. Be he an old friend, a business partner, or a family acquiantence, each of these people have at some point known a Mr. Rupert Merriweather, an elder gentleman fast succumbing to cancer.

At around 1 o'clock in the afternoon, the group of strangers are ushered into the hospital room Mr. Merriweather is resting in. The 60-something year old man, his body frail and feeble, his hair and beard silver and whispy. His elderly wife Agnes stands nearby crying into a hankie, and his 30-something weasel-esque son Betrand tries to comfort her while eyeing the strangers with suspicion. With a wet hacking cough, Mr. Merriweather tries to raise his head and shoulders up on his pillow, and attempts to make himself more comfortable.

"It is good to see you, my friends..." Rupert rasps, a small smile flittering across his pale lips. "If you'll excuse us, please..." he weakly gestures at his family with a gnarled hand. His son mutters something to Agnes, and Betrand slowly leads his from the room. Once the door is shut behind them, Rupter smiles once again, though he has to stop to cough and whipe a trickle of blood from his lips. "I am sorry we must meet under this circumstances. But it makes my heart glad to see that you've come to see me. I am sorry for what I am about to say... but I must ask your help. There is something that most be done, and you are the only ones I know and trust well enough to ask. If it is too much, I understand. But it is beyond a simple last request - what I must speak to you about is a matter of life and death, for more souls than I dare to ponder..."

Water-Smurf

2010-08-19, 09:51 PM

Angela Doe (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=231774)

Angela bit her lip, fingering the worn, faded blue wood beads at her neck, tugging them unconsciously while trying to keep the soft clicking of them knocking together to a minimum. She quietly crept forward, her eyes locked on the dying man and her face pale, and she stood near the head to listen better. She gave all her attention to Rupert, trying to keep her obvious anxiety as subtle as possible so as not to disturb him on his death bed, and faded into the background as best she could, avoiding looking at the strangers in the room.

Taekwondodo

2010-08-20, 04:58 AM

Airanne Winters (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=228185)

Airanne stood at the end of the bed, watching the face of the old man. Outwardly she was calm and collected, smiling warmly whenever he looked in her direction, but something in her eyes and the way she stood; cupping the elbow of her right arm in her left hand, cigarette smouldering between her fingers; showed her unease. As he finished speaking she reached over and patted his leg reassuringly.

We came Rupert, isn't that enough to show how much you mean to us? Whatever it is I'm sure we'll all be happy to help.

Debatra

2010-08-20, 02:20 PM

Paul Fallin (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=220388)

Paul stood there, just inside the door, and watched his friend of so many years deteriorate. There was little that could be done for him, and even less Paul wasn't willing to do for the man.

Draconi Redfir

2010-08-20, 04:52 PM

Terry Hill (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=229624) (a.k.a. older version of me)
remind me to make an actual chatricter next time XD

Terry shuffled awkwardly were he stood, he knew the day would come when he would find himself at the deathbed of someone he knew, but the event frightened him nonetheless. Terry could feel his heart beat faster as the thought of it being him laying there on the bed filled his mind, the smell of cigarette smoke filling the room did nothing to ease his tensions.

Mr. Merriweather had been a friend of his fathers for as long as he could remember, and would often come to visit for special occasions and to help his father with the taxes. it was hard for Terry to believe he would never again walk into his mothers dining room to find him sitting there gleefully chatting up a storm with his father.

ooc: short and slow, but it can only be expected in the beginning of an RP. things will pick up once we get further into the story. BIC:

Lycan 01

2010-08-20, 05:37 PM

The old man smiles an honest smile. "I am glad to have had all of you as friends. You are truely good people. Which makes me regret what I must ask all the more... hurk hack!" he suddenly coughs violently, a trickle of blood running from the corner of his mouth. After a few hacks, he shakes his head, not bothering to wipe the stain from his lips. "No more delays, I don't have long left, I fear..."

"In my younger years, I dabbled in things I am ashamed to admit. As a youth, me and several of my friends made attempts to dabble in the Occult. It was an innocent and playful thing at first - downing red wine and calling it blood, burning candles and reciting silly Latin verses. But then we met a man by the name of Marion Allen. He helped us to buy a farm house in the town of Ross's Corners, a few miles West of Arkham. There we conducted rituals and research, until our last experiment produced... results..." he gives a visible shudder, as though recalling haunting memories. "Something... awoke. Something was called to the farm house. We don't really know what it was, but in our fear we interupted the ritual before it could be banished. We fled the house, confident that the magic we'd placed around it would keep the creature contained. But... it will not hold forever. Once all the casters die, then the bindings will be broken, and the creature will be free to feed! Gyar!" he suddenly gags and coughs, having gotten a bit too ahead of himself. After another coughing fit, he lays back in his bed weakly, and sighs.

"I am the last one. Everyone else is dead. I will be dead within the hour, I fear. Please..." he looks at his friends with somber eyes, "Do what I could not do all those years ago. Complete the ritual. Banish the creature. I only hope it is not to late, for my own soul, and the souls of all who will be placed in danger by my actions..." The old man then weakly points at the night stand beside him. "Look inside the drawer there. Take the metal box inside. It contains everything I can offer to aid you. With it, you should be able to figure out what needs to be done. Please..." the color begins to fade from his face, "Do this for..." his eyes begin to widen, "Meee..."

With a sudden spasm, a choking Rupert doubles up and begins to cough violently, hands clasped over his mouth. Blood sprays from between his clasped fingers, and the coughing fit grows more and more violent. He thrashes back, his ailing body wracked with agony. His hands claw at his chest, and he continues to cough violently, projecting bloody spit and bits of tissue from his mouth - all of his friends are splattered with droplets of gore and spittle.

A passing nurse overhears the commotion, and throws open the door to the room. She sees Rupert thrashing about, and immediately screams for help. Within seconds, doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff begin to flood the room, as well as Rupert's wailing wife and his cursing son. The whole scene degrades into a chaotic nightmare, with doctors trying to restrain the old man while nurses try to keep his family from getting in the way.

Sanity Check time. Roll a D100 against your sanity. If you get lower than your current Sanity Score, you lose 0 points because your mind is able to handle the trauma of what you saw. If you get higher, you'll lose 1 point of Sanity due to mental scarring from seing your friend die violently before your eyes.

Also, getting out of the way may be a good idea. Don't forget the box!

Water-Smurf

2010-08-20, 08:37 PM

Angela's eyes bugged out a little, then she took a breath, squeezing the worry beads at her neck before reaching into the pocket of her modest long skirt and pulling out a white handkerchief with a red AM embroidered on the corner. She unfolded it and dabbed at the blood and spit that had sprayed on her clothes, wiping it away.

After she was down, she folded the handkerchief again and put it in her pocket, making a quick sign of the cross at the foot of Rupert's bed before backing away from the nurses and doctors, her eyes glassy. She was glad he had thought of her. She knew that he hadn't known her that well--he had been friends with her father while she was a child before they had moved to New York--but she was glad that, even after all these years, he remembered her troubles. Maybe this would be... helpful for her.

"Thank you, sir. Bless your soul."

Her voice was small, but sincere. She twisted her fingers into her worry beads again and closed her eyes.

Debatra

2010-08-20, 09:32 PM

[roll0]

As the nurses fussed over his friend, Paul moved toward the nightstand and opened the drawer. He lifted out the box, and glanced around. Confident that nobody was watching him besides those who knew what it was, he pockets the box.

They would open it later. Together.

Draconi Redfir

2010-08-20, 09:42 PM

Terry winced at the sight of the man’s spasms. Being the one closest to the indicated nightstand, Terry quietly opened the drawer and reached inside, feeling around for the metal box while he kept his eyes focused on the doctors and nurses, where were all rather distracted by the dieing man at the moment. After removing the box from the nightstand, Terry prodded it into the side of the smoking woman standing right behind him, once feeling it leave his grasp, he quietly closed the nightstand and turned around to the other guests.

"All right lets get out of here, doctors need their space" he announced, spreading his arms wide in an attempt to prevent them from getting past. Steadily the other guests began to take the hint and left the room, Terry closing the door behind him. "So what’s in the box?" he asked, turning to the smoking woman, being careful not to show he was currently breathing through his mouth to avoid the horrid stench of burning tobacco.

Water-Smurf

2010-08-20, 10:58 PM

Angela made a motion to take off her worry beads, her neck getting in the way of her fingering, before she stopped herself. Mother told her to stop using them to calm down.

Instead, she started fiddling with a modest diamond ring on her finger. It sparkled gently as she twisted it, pulling it on and off nervously, and she avoided looking at it.

"I..."

She stopped herself, shrinking a little, and just backed out of the room quietly.

Taekwondodo

2010-08-21, 04:24 PM

Airanne stares down at the gore staining her hands and clothes, eyes wide.

Daddy... She whispered, clearly not seeing the activity in the room, rather watching some other, more personal, film unrolling behind her eyes.

Lycan 01

2010-08-21, 04:41 PM

Whether by their own volition or by the hands of doctors and nurses, the group is quickly forced from the hospital room. They make their way to the hospital waiting room, where a doctor comes to meet with them a few minutes later.

Rupert Merriweather is dead.

The family have requested to be left alone, so the doctor suggests that the strangers should probably leave. He gives the strangers his condolences, and then turns to leave.

It is now 2 o'clock on a warm Thursday afternoon. Yet even in the heat of July, one cannot deny the chilling since of dread they can't help but feel...

Taekwondodo

2010-08-21, 05:12 PM

Away from the room and having cleaned herself up as best she could Airanne was feeling slightly better, although not fully recovered. This not being the first time she had seen someone close to her die, it had affected her worse than the rest of the group.

While in the hospital room all the attention had been focused on the dying man but now consideration could be paid to each other. Airanne was slim (but not skinny) with curly brown hair falling past her shoulders. She had brown eyes and had reapplied a coat of bright red lipstick. She wore slim-fitting brown trousers, a white blouse and brown waistcoat, all now speckled with blood. Her trousers were tucked into black patent leather boots, from which there poked a knife hilt.

Lighting up another cigarette she replied to Terry, bristling at the implication she should know something.

How should I know? I was called here out of the blue, same as the rest of you. Open it and we'll find out.

Water-Smurf

2010-08-21, 07:44 PM

Angela instinctively reached for her necklace again before forcing her hand back down to her ring, twisting it up and down, taking it off a surprising amount. She shuffled back, ducking her head timidly and she barely looked at the others, specifically avoiding eye contact.

We...

She stopped herself again and just continued to fiddle with her ring.

Draconi Redfir

2010-08-22, 09:12 AM

Terry glared at the smoking woman for a moment before looking down to he empty other hand. he raised an eyebrow, he was positive he passed the box to someone who was standing behind him. "allright who has the box?" he asked pointing towards the womans empty hand. he sighed and secretly wondered if all that smoke had clogged up his brain or something if he couldn’t remember who he passed the box too. he looked around the nearly empty waiting room, the small group had formed a small circle in the center of it, but was surprisingly not drawing any attention from the five or so other patients and secretary sitting around waiting for an appointment.

"Look" he said to the group. "if you have the box, just open it, and we can see what the old man wanted us here for. i don’t know how much you knew the guy, but if what he said is true, then we will need all the help we can get. Open the box... please."

Taekwondodo

2010-08-23, 01:13 AM

Airanne took a deep breath, trying to calm the irritation she was feeling. It wasn't this gentleman's fault. It had been along day, flying in only this morning and now seeing a close friend die; she shuddered at the thought. Smiling at him she tried to make amends.

I'm sorry, I think we started out on the wrong foot. It's just been such a trying day, I flew from the UK this morning and now with Rupert. She paused, closing her eyes in pain. Anyway, the name's Airanne, Airanne Winters, nice to meet you all though I wish it was under better circumstances. Turning to the person that had the box she added. Lets get this over with.

Water-Smurf

2010-08-23, 01:54 AM

Angela's ears perked a little, twisting her ring. Airanne's a pretty name...

Of course she didn't say it aloud. She had been taught to be a proper lady and not speak unless spoken to. This strange smoking woman was a mystery, and a frightening one at that. But she was a scary mystery with a pretty name.

It didn't occur to her to actually introduce herself. Angela did her best to fade in the background, ducking her head so her face was in shadow. She privately wished that it would be respectable for her to undo her long black hair from its tight bun so she could make it hide her face, but her mother had told her that only tarts did that. So she settled for keeping her blue eyes downcast and her hand fiddling with her ring.

Debatra

2010-08-25, 12:44 AM

Coming out of Rupert's room, Paul pulls out the box and shows it to the others.

"Would you calm down? I have it."

He opens the box, and they all peer inside.

Lycan 01

2010-08-25, 01:12 PM

Cthulhu is in the box.

The small metal box contains three things. An old yellow envelope containing the deed to a farm in Ross's Corners and a key to the door, a small sarcophagus-shaped golden box of ancient design, and a battered old journal with yellowed pages and black leather binding. Its contents are handwritten, and it will take several hours to read and study over...

Water-Smurf

2010-08-25, 01:46 PM

Something clicked in Angela's mind, and before she knew it, she was talking.

I can handle the journal.

She took the book, hugging it to her chest as if she expected someone to take it away, and backed up to the shadows again, shrinking meekly. She hid the growing blush in her face by looking down and opening the book, cocking her head at the handwriting. She'd seen worse. She'd be able to do this if given time.

She tried to ignore the voice of her mother harping at her about how rude she'd been. You're not supposed to speak unless spoken to when you are in the presence of a respectable man or a woman of higher social standing than you. You're not supposed to take things unless offered. And you're definitely, under any circumstances, never to show your unnatural hobby in the presence of others.

Taekwondodo

2010-08-25, 01:46 PM

Airanne's eye is caught by the flash of gold as the box's lid is lifted and she barely registers the other items. Intrigued, she reaches in and pulls out the golden box, turning it around in her hands and running her fingers over any patterning.

A box within a box, how interesting. It looks old.

She tries to open it.

Draconi Redfir

2010-08-25, 03:53 PM

Seeing the two girls take the other items out of the box, Terry decided to reach inside and pull out the last remaining item, what appeared to be a letter in an envelope that was yellowed by age, Mr. Merriweather's wax seal holding the envelope shut. Terry gently rubbed the envelope with his sleeve to remove most of the dust, believing blowing it off to not be the best idea in the middle of a hospital. He reached into his trousers right pocket and pulled out a small pocket knife, opening it and carefully using the blade to tear the top of the envelope open without damaging the wax seal, pocketing his knife and dumping the contents of the envelope into the palm of his hand afterwards.

Terry tucked the envelope unfolded into a pocket on the inside of his jacket, examining the key with his right hand while reading the Deed held in his left.

"This place doesn’t seem too far away,” Terry announced into the silence. "I have a car just outside we could use to get there. Whatever were doing I think we should leave the building anyways... the situation doesn’t really seem like something we should be talking about in a public place. im Terry by the way, Terry Hill."

Lycan 01

2010-08-26, 10:11 AM

The small golden box opens easily. Its empty, aside from the strange glyphs and markings that decorate the inside and outide of it. The ones on the outside are obviously Egyption hieroglyphics, but the engravings on the inside are of an unknown language.

The deed to the farm looks legitimate, and the key is rather mundane.

Angela will need time and concentration to fully read through the journal, though she might be able to skim through it quickly if she so desires...

Water-Smurf

2010-08-26, 11:10 AM

Angela carefully skimmed the journal, taking mental notes of what looked particularly important or difficult to figure out, and she shrank a little more, the tips of her ears burning. It felt strange to be letting people see her read outside of the library. Her mother said it was unladylike.

Taekwondodo

2010-08-26, 01:10 PM

Slightly disappointed by the fact there was nothing in the box, the writing on the inside was still interesting, even if she couldn't make head or tail of it. Closing it again she nods at Terry's suggestion.

You're right, and there's probably not much else we can do here anyway.

She recalls that there had been some sort of book in Rupert's box and sees it being perused by a, rather unnoticeable, young woman with black hair. Airanne frowned, had she been there all the time? Putting on her friendliest smile, she started to addressed the woman.

Hi, ... Airanne faltered. Had she been told her name? She was usually good at remembering names, and other little things that could be used to her advantage at a later date. She decided to leave it for now. So, is there anything interesting in there?

Lycan 01

2010-08-26, 01:47 PM

Angela is able to gleam from the journal that it is an account of Rupert Merriweathers little occult club, which was referred to as the Dark Brotherhood. It seems to detail how it progressed from a group of friends being silly to dark rituals meant to summon spirits. The last page or so of the book is hastily scrawled and difficult to read. It will take longer to fully discern what is says...

Water-Smurf

2010-08-26, 03:56 PM

Angela slammed the journal shut and winced in surprise, flinching away from the strange smoking woman and looking up, her eyes big and round as if she were a deer in headlights.

She caught herself fast, however, and hugged the journal to her chest, unable to smooth the tension from her posture but able to make the anxiety in her expression less obvious.

The occult. It's about... I think it's a diary from when he first started the ritual. He has awful handwriting, so I need some time to look at it more thoroughly... She twisted the engagement ring, then gave up that fiddling and started fingering the worry beads on her necklace, reviewing the etiquette lessons that her parents had drilled in her head. My... my name is Angela Doe. A pleasure to meet you, miss. She held out a ghostly pale hand, trying to keep it from shaking too much.

Taekwondodo

2010-08-27, 07:41 AM

Airanne reaches for her hand, taking note of the shaking and stuttering. Such a disgustingly timid creature who doesn't spend much time outside by the sickly shade of her skin. She tries to put more warmth into her smile, even perpetually frightened as she is she might be useful in the future.

Lovely to meet you Angela. A record of the ritual he performed? That could be useful, well done! I'm sure you'll be able to decipher it all in no time.

Inwardly, she was considering the engagement ring Angela was constantly fiddling with. So she had managed to hook a man? Interesting...

Water-Smurf

2010-08-27, 05:13 PM

Angela tried to give a sincere smile, but it was tight and nervous. The smell of smoke stuck to the woman, like it did at her father's office or in the library. It was a strange mix of the familiar and comforting attached to the strange and frightening.

She pulled her hand away, hugging the journal to her chest and fiddling with her worry beads, swallowing nervously. Thank you, miss...

She stopped touching the worry beads, the voice of her mother hawking in her ear, and started fiddling with her ring, spinning it on her finger and pulling it off over and over before realizing what she was doing and putting it on again.

Draconi Redfir

2010-08-29, 06:43 PM

Terry held the hospital doors open to allow the others to exit the building. Once everyone was outside in the cool night air, he led them towards his car on the far end of the lot. It was a brand new Fiat 525 Sedan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fiat_525_Sedan_1928.jpg) bought with a combination of money from his Biology research, and a loan from his father who had a successful career producing equipment for military use.

Terry unlocked each of the four doors, holding open one of the rear doors to allow the smoking woman he now knew as Airanne inside, while the man who had introduced himself as Paul did the same for Angela. Once both of the women were securely in the car, the two men entered and sat in the front seats. Terry pulling a map of the City and all those around it out of the glove compartment in front of Paul and handing it to him. "The old man said the farmhouse was in Ross's Corners or something didn’t he?" Terry asked. "See if you can find us a path there. In the mean time, anyone want to go anywhere before we leave the city?" Terry turned to face the girls; quickly grabbing the Cigarette Airanne was about to light and taking it from her. "No smoking in my car please."

Water-Smurf

2010-08-29, 10:03 PM

Angela made herself shrink as much as possible without actually curling into a ball and buried her nose into the journal, the tips of her ears starting to burn red. It felt strange to be cooped up with two men she didn't know. At least Airanne was there, right? It was less improper if there was another woman there...

She gave her worry beads a savage tug and started concentrating on the pages, the tension beginning to leave her body.

Taekwondodo

2010-08-30, 10:18 AM

Nice car. Airanne thought, as she slipped into the back seat, the smell of leather and faint gasoline enveloping her. She had fond memories of going on drives with her father especially with the top down, something that her mother found distasteful as it messed up her hair. She had learned to navigate on those drives as her father favoured winding country roads. Peering over Paul's shoulder at the map she was surprised at the uniform street layout of the town and realised that this should make it a bit easier. Sitting back in her seat and staring at a cigarette she wasn't actually going to smoke she found it grabbed from her hand by Terry.

What?! Oh, OK. I don't usually smoke that much anyway. So, I'm pretty good at navigating, I could help?

Debatra

2010-08-30, 10:26 AM

"Sure. Here you go." he said without a thought, passing the map back to Airanne.

Taekwondodo

2010-08-30, 11:17 AM

Thanks

Airanne took the map from him and fished her pen and pad of paper from the satchel slung across her shoulders. While searching for the location of the farmhouse she also noted down the location of any other places that she thought might be interesting; the library, the university, etc. Once she had located the house she wrote down, in her neat handwriting, the quickest route.

You're right, it's not far, but there are other places that might be a good idea to visit first. She said then proceeded to list them. So where do you want to go? Straight to the farmhouse or somewhere else?

Water-Smurf

2010-08-30, 12:02 PM

Angela seemed to be calm now that her attention was completely on the journal. She stopped holding herself to be small and she leaned against the side of the car, propping her head on her fist and studying the book. For the first time since she had been called to the hospital, she wasn't fidgeting with her beads or her ring.

Taekwondodo

2010-09-03, 05:55 AM

Having considered the options and debated it amongst themselves the group finally came to a decision.

Right, so we're heading to the library then, here are the directions. We can do some research on the house and the guy who sold it to Rupert and then once Angela's finished deciphering the journal we can have a look at what rituals he performed. That should hopefully give us a better understanding about what we're letting ourselves in for. Not that I believe any of this superstitious stuff.

Lycan 01

2010-09-03, 08:02 AM

A short drive later, and the group is sitting around in the college library of Miskatonic Institute. There's no telling what they can or can't find here, so only hours of searching will likely be of aid to them. Angela continues to read the journal, wrapped up in the hand-scrawled words on the old pages.

Tell me what you specifically want to look for, then throw down some library use rolls. The number of hours you want to spend on each search should also be mentioned.

Draconi Redfir

2010-09-08, 10:22 AM

Eventually it was mutually decided that the group would head to the library to see if they could dig up some additional info on this place. Airanne read directions from the map in the back seat so Terry knew were to go, Angela sat against the window next to Airanne, her nose deep into the old mans diary. The Paul guy... Terry wasn’t sure what was up with him, he was stiff and quiet, never moving beyond the most necessary action, and rarely speaking, as if he was some kind of living statue.

Terry rolled his shoulders and straitened his back, he always had the habit of hunching over without noticing it, and he was always worried it would give him back problems when he got older. As he passed by a local steakhouse, Terry briefly wondered if he should ask the others if they wanted to stop for something to eat, in the end he decided against it, Angela probably wouldn’t feel comfortable in a crowded area, Paul would just kind of sit there staring at whoever sat in front of him, which would be very uncomfortable, and if he wasn’t lucky, smoking would be allowed in the restraint, prompting Airanne to light up again and get the smell stuck in his clothes.

Finally the library was in sight; Terry pulled up into its parking lot and let the girls out. Angela walked with her nose still neck deep into the book, apparently more comfortable with it then any living person, Terry had the nagging suspicion that if he ever wanted to talk to the girl he would first need to write down his entire half of the conversation and then get it published. Paul... still walking like a robot... Airanne on the other hand walked normally, and was speaking aloud to the group on what they should look for. Terry just nodded and agreed to help her look for whatever books they needed as he held open the door.

OOc: here are eiour gog dang dice rolls 1d100 1d100 1d100 1d100BIC:

Taekwondodo

2010-09-08, 12:36 PM

Airanne decided the best use of her time would be to spend a couple of hours searching about the farm house and another couple of hours looking up Marion Allen, the gentleman who had sold Rupert the house in the first place. She hoped Angela would have more to tell them about the journal once she had finished reading it.

OOC: Rolls are in OOC thread. Your rolls don't seem to have worked again Gicko. BIC:

Lycan 01

2010-09-19, 01:56 PM

The visit to the library yields some results over the next few hours for most of the investigators. Except for Terry. He falls asleep almost as soon as he starts reading old newspaper reports, and spends the next four hours snoozing in a forgotten corner of the Miskatonic University Library.

Airenne has better luck, however. Hours of searching yield a few scraps of information regarding both the farmhouse and Marion Allen. Several decades ago, several young men were out riding in the woods near Ross's Corners when there was an accident. One man was killed, and another driven mad by the horror of it all. The site of the accident corresponds with the location of the farm, and the date lines up with about the time of Rupert's days in the Dark Brotherhood.

Marion Allen is mentioned in another newspaper article - it seems he met an unfortunate fate in New Orleans, according to the report. His body washed up near a dock, with his tongue and eyes cut out. Police report that he went to the police shortly before his death, claiming he was being pursued by men seeking a golden box he no longer possessed. He fled before a report could be filed. The time of his death is a few years after the events at Ross's Corners, after he'd severed ties with Rupert.

Angela finally finishes reading the journal, though the event leaves her slightly drained and shaken.

The journal is a wall o' text, so it'll take me awhile to write it up, unless you want it paraphrased.

Angela loses [roll0] Sanity, and gains 1 Cthulhu Mythos Point.

Taekwondodo

2010-09-26, 05:46 PM

In between disgusted glances in Terry's direction Airanne manages to dig up some scraps of information. Slightly sickened by the reports of death and madness she feels more wary of the empty gold box resting in her satchel. A box she is sure is the one that is mentioned in the report of Marion's death, even without any definite descriptions. She shares her findings with the rest of the group after shaking Terry awake.

Right, I haven't found much and what I have is rather unsettling. There seems to have been an accident near the farmhouse, one man dead and another left without his mental faculties, around about the time Rupert and his friends were messing around in the occult. The previous owner of the farmhouse, Marion Allen, is dead. A grisly fate having befell him some years after severing ties with Rupert. Even more worrying is that there seems to be someone after this box. She removes the box from her bag to remind the group what she is talking about. It's nowhere near definite as there are no descriptions of the box beyond it being golden but my gut is telling me it's the same box. Paul, Angela, have you found anything of use?

Water-Smurf

2010-09-28, 10:33 AM

Angela closed the journal, her face a little too pale to be healthy and her hands shaking. There was a strange look in her eyes, like she saw something past them that no one else could see.

...They made a mistake. She hugged the journal to her chest with almost paranoid tightness, her hand going straight to her worry beads. I...

She tentatively opened the journal again, flipping through the pages. I need to...

She came to a list of names with dates beside them.

Robert Menkin, March 1882
Harold Copley, August 1882
Marion Allen, August 1903
Crawford Harris, January 1915
Cicil Jones, March 1924
Rupert Merriweather

She held out a hand, the shaking obvious. I need a pen.

Taekwondodo

2010-09-28, 01:21 PM

Airanne handed over her pen.

Who made a mistake? What happened?

Water-Smurf

2010-09-29, 08:33 AM

Angela didn't seem to hear her. She uncapped the pen, pulling her worry beads hard enough to leave imprints on her skin, and wrote down the day's date besides Rupert's name.

She capped the pen, bowing her head, and the shaking stopped.

They summoned an awful monster in that place. It killed one of them and drove another insane in the most horrid way. Mr. Merriweather's witchcraft has kept it bound to the house, but he said that with his death, the spells are weakening. He thinks that it will be able to escape.

She fell silent, a blush crawling up her neck. She kept her face hidden and her eyes averted, biting her lip hard enough for a tiny bead of blood to well, as if punishing herself for saying these things.

She closed her eyes and started fiddling with the engagement ring again.

Draconi Redfir

2010-09-29, 08:56 PM

Terry rubbed his eyes and propped himself up on the table with his elbows, he never could stay awake when reading something he wasn’t really interested in. heck he had barely passed his prerequisite classes at the university because he was always falling asleep. The rest had done him some good though, as he was now able to focus on what Angela was saying. When she as finished, Terry leaned back into his chair and removed the elastic holding his ponytail to re-apply it tighter.

"Way I see it,” he said as the front legs of his chair separated from the ground, Terry's legs wrapped around a table leg to prevent him from toppling. "We have two options. Get some rest now and check the place out in the morning, or head strait there and see if we can get rid of whatever this creature is." Terry brought the chair down to the floor again and leaned on the table. "I probably have enough money to get us a pair of rooms at a motel for the night if we choose the former. Breakfast might need to be on somebody else. However, if we go for the former, its possible this creature will have already gotten out. If we go for the latter however, we might be too tired to do what we need to do."

Debatra

2010-09-29, 09:38 PM

"Right now, we need rest," Paul finally spoke up. "Breakfast can go on me tomorrow, and we can always hunt down this thing if it gets out. If it's as destructive as I'm thinking it is, we shouldn't have that hard a time finding it."

Lycan 01

2010-10-01, 04:08 PM

Paul then remembers that he discovered essentially what everyone else found - police reports of the accident and the newspaper article about Marion Allen's death. But he also uncovered an even older newspaper article, detailing the theft of an Egyptian artifact, purportedly a small golden box with a piece of amber inside of it, from a wealthy collector's mansion a short time before the events at Ross's Corners. He was then distracted by a collection of political cartoons, which gave him much mirth and cost him track of time...

Water-Smurf

2010-10-04, 02:45 PM

Angela's eyes got a little wide, whites surrounding her irises for a moment, before she ducked her head to hide them, clutching the journal tighter.

I'm a librarian. By your leave, I'd like to spend an hour or two researching. I might have more luck...

Her blush became more prominent, and she shut her mouth tightly.

Taekwondodo

2010-10-04, 02:54 PM

Something in the journal had obviously seriously affected Angela and Airanne placed her hand on her shoulder to try to calm her.

I'll agree, you're probably our best bet at finding anything useful in here but I know my way 'round a library as well. Just tell me what to look for and I'll try to help.

Water-Smurf

2010-10-04, 07:43 PM

Angela jumped a little in surprise, looking at Airanne's hand as though it were some alien object, but nothing in her expression implied that she disliked the contact. The blush became harder, but she looked away, specifically not shrugging the hand off or discouraging the touch.

...He included a vague description of the monster, and the title of the book they used. It wasn't much, and there was even less on the actual ritual, but I think I...

Now her face was beet red up to the roots of her hair and her voice dropped to a whisper.

I might know something about it if I find out what the ritual was.

Occult: 1d100 vs 75
Library Use (1 hour): 1d100 vs 70

Lycan 01

2010-10-04, 08:47 PM

Angela realizes something. The book mentioned in the journal, which they got the rituals from, is an old occult text written in Latin. While uncommon, there's a chance a library of this magnitude and prestige may have a copy or translation of the old tome on hand. With this information in mind, Angela sets out to search.

It is not long before her quest comes to an end. A bit of search and using reference materials leads Angela to a small section of occult texts. Many are old and worn, some almost falling apart, and nearly all of them are in non-English languages. However, the book she seeks is not here. In fact, there seem to be several books missing from the shelves, judging from the gaps left between some of the old manuscripts. Perhaps one of the librarians may be able to tell her where it and the other books have gone...

Water-Smurf

2010-10-09, 02:23 PM

Angela went to the nearest librarian, suddenly standing tall, eyes cool in the midst of an environment that was completely hers--the library.

Excuse me? May I ask about some books that I've been looking for?

Lycan 01

2010-10-09, 02:30 PM

"Why certainly," the meek old lady behind the counter replies, trying to focus on Angela from behind her thick old glasses.

Water-Smurf

2010-10-11, 06:31 PM

Angela gestured towards the missing books. There are books missing from your Occult section. Would you tell me how I could find them? Maybe when you think they'll be back?

Lycan 01

2010-10-11, 11:19 PM

"I'm afraid that Doctor Henry Armitage has removed them from public access. You'll have to get his express permission to see any of the restricted texts. He should be in his office early tommorrow. He spends what free time he has there on weekday mornings. If you'll lucky, perhaps you can catch him?" the old lady smiles.

Water-Smurf

2010-10-13, 10:37 AM

Very well, thank you. About what time do you think he will be here?

Angela, for once, looked completely at ease, her worry beads laying undisturbed at her throat and her engagement ring happily perched on her finger.

Lycan 01

2010-10-13, 06:25 PM

"I'd say between 8 and 11 AM, dearie," the librarian replies. "Give or take a quarter hour..."

Water-Smurf

2010-10-14, 03:05 PM

Thank you. I'll be back. Angela smiled, nodding politely, and turned away, making her way back to the group.

As soon as she was with them again, she shrunk once more and avoided any eye-contact, fiddling with her ring. I... I should come here tomorrow.

Taekwondodo

2010-10-14, 05:45 PM

Airanne rubbed her eyes and blinked as Angela walked back to them, fatigue beginning to show. She could have sworn that the Angela talking to the librarian was a completely different person. Maybe her lack of sleep was catching up on her.

Right, that's settled then. Motel tonight and then back here tomorrow morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed to talk to this doctor guy. She yawned, belatedly covering her mouth with a hand. She pulled out the map. Oops, sorry. I don't know about the rest of you but I'm bushed. Let's see if there's one close. She studies it for a second. Here's one, and only a short distance away.

Water-Smurf

2010-10-14, 09:59 PM

Angela nodded slightly in agreement and rubbed her arm, looking away and fiddling with her worry beads.

Lycan 01

2010-10-16, 07:19 PM

(Moving the plot along...)

The group of strangers retire for the evening. The check into nearby hotel rooms, and try to get some slumber. Some sleep peacefully, others not. The next morning, they awaken to a new day with a fresh start.

Taekwondodo

2010-10-21, 04:40 AM

As the rest of the group come down the stairs Airanne is already up, sipping coffee and reading a newspaper. She smiles at them and points to the cafetiere on the table.

Coffee anyone? I hope everyone slept well. She checks her watch.We should get moving if we want to see this gentleman.

Lycan 01

2010-10-27, 07:55 PM

(To save time, I'm just going to keep things simple.)

The group head off to visit Miskatonic University. Unfortunately, Doctor Armitage will not be in today. It seems he's gone to New Orleans with several of the other professors for some sort of occult conference. With that dead end, the group decide to head on out to Ross's Corners.

It is just about noon when the group drives into the old town. Its a very simply hamlet in the hills of Massachusetts, probably established early in the last century. A farming community, the main town is rather small, with only the basic buildings - a general store, a church, a post office, a doctor's office, and the sheriff's office. According to the map, the house is about 45 minutes out from the town.

There group can either stop in town to ask questions or buy supplies, or head on to the old farmhouse...

Taekwondodo

2010-10-29, 03:53 AM

Ignoring Terry's protestation that they don't need anything as it shouldn't take long to do what's needed, but with Paul's full support, Airanne heads to the store to buy what she feels they would need. She picks up water and some supplies (like chocolate :smallbiggrin:) and anything else she sees and thinks they might need. While paying for the items she asks the cashier if they know anything about the old farmhouse. She then returns to the group and they head to the farmhouse.

Water-Smurf

2010-10-29, 08:33 PM

Angela blankly stared at her engagement ring. She would look pensive if it weren't for the slightly deadened look in her eyes. She didn't seem completely aware of her surroundings as she began to twist it around her finger, pulling it off, then forcing it back on.

She looked up at the farmhouse, no change coming to her face, and she began to walk towards t.

Lycan 01

2010-10-29, 08:53 PM

The storekeeper isn't very talkative. He seems to glare suspiciously at Airrane, though he does sell her some bottles of water, some tins of crackers, and a handful of Hershey's chocolate bars. She also buys a small first aid kit, a lantern, and small tin of kerosene, and a box of matches. When she asks about the farmhouse, he narrows his eyes, and tells her that nobody lives there, nobody goes there, and nobody should have any business there. The group then heads out to the farmhouse.

The old house is a simple square farm with a single floor and an attic. There are grassy fields around it, all of which are grown up with chest-high grass, and a treeline a few hundred feet away from the building. The dirt road is about 50 feet from the front door, with more grassy fields and eventual treelines on the other side of the road. The building is constucted from wood, most of which is aged and beginning to warp and rot. There are two windows on either side of the front door at the front of the house. The roof is missing several shingles, and it is beginning to lean in with age. There are several large ravens perched atop the roof, cawing forelornly every now and then and gazing down menacingly at the approaching strangers.

Angela:

As you approach the farmhouse first, you get a strange feeling. Its almost like you're being watched. And now by the birds...

(Spot Hidden roll, please.)

Taekwondodo

2010-10-30, 06:32 PM

Airanne trails behind the rest of the group. Something about the farmhouse doesn't look right to her. Suddenly something catches her eye.

Hey, guys? Did you see... But looking back there was nothing there. Heh, never mind. Still, she can't shake the feeling there is something watching. A light breeze stirs her hair even though none of the trees seem to be affected. She shudders and walks faster to catch up with the rest.

Water-Smurf

2010-10-30, 10:54 PM

Angela glanced back at her, then flinched a little, looking forward again. She would need to explain her lengthy absence to her parents, it occurred to her. She couldn't stand to lie to them, but her mother would be furious if she knew about what her daughter was doing.

Debatra

2010-10-31, 04:39 AM

"Actually, I think I did." Paul keeps moving, keeping his hand on the hilt of his Leafsword.

A couple of contingency rolls:
Spot Hidden:
[roll0] vs 55
[roll1] vs 55
[roll2] vs 55

Listen:
[roll3] vs 25
[roll4] vs 25
[roll5] vs 25

Occult:
[roll6] vs 55
[roll7] vs 55
[roll8] vs 55

Lycan 01

2010-11-02, 09:56 PM

(Special OOC note!)

Here's some ambient music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPVrizQOma4&feature=related)for this whole scene. Go ahead and start playing it at the beginning of the post, or when the house is entered. It'll really help to set the mood. Or so I hope. :smallwink:

---

As the group approaches the old and foreboding house, the boom of thunder rolls in the distance. That breeze Airanne felt was not her imagination. The wind is beginning to pick up, and dark clouds have formed across the horizon. There's a storm coming in...

Terry unlocks the front door to the house. Its a bit stuck with age, but a few good shoves finally forces it to swing open. Sunlight from the overcast sky filters in from the doorway, and along with the faint light from the dirty windows, dimly illuminates the first floor of the house with a dull glow.

The main floor of the farmhouse is divided into two rooms. The main room, which the group enters, was once a living room. The floor is covered in dust, having been undisturbed for decades. There is a fireplace on the left side of the room, and an old sofa forced against the right wall. The walls are barren, the bare wood panels old and aged. One the floor, however, there are a few mounds of old wax, where candles have been burned. And in the center of the room, there is the faint and partial outline of a pentagram stained into the floor, one corner of the star broken and smeared. Thunder echoes again in the distance...

The kitchen is mostly barren. It is dimly lit by the faint sunlight filtering in through the windows, although one window has been shattered and its frame broken. Slivers of glass speckle the floor. There is a simple table with a trio of battered wooden chairs in the center of the small kitchen, shelves along the walls, and cabinets built into the ceiling above them. there is also a worn trap door on the floor on left side of the room, and a rickety ladder on the right side of the room that leads up to another aged trap door on the ceiling. Strangely enough, there are a few items scattered around the floor near the trap door - a half-empty can of pork & beans with a fork still in it, a small pile of ashes and cinders, a few magazine clippings of beautiful women, and a moth-eaten blanket.

Thunder booms once more, even closer now, and the light outside begins to fade...

Taekwondodo

2010-11-03, 04:12 AM

Airanne switches on her flashlight, the beam cutting a reassuring swathe through the growing darkness. She trains the beam on the symbol chalked onto the floor of the living room and turns to Angela.

What does the journal say about this?

Draconi Redfir

2010-11-04, 03:29 PM

Terry wandered around the main room of the farmhouse while Airanne spoke to Angela, instinctively he pulled his pen out of his shirt pocket and placed it in his mouth, chewing on the already tooth-marked end. he then reached into his left pants pocket and pulled out his pocket-knife, clicking it open before placing it back in his pocket, keeping a firm grip on it with his left hand.

Finally Terry crouched down near the smeared corner of the pentagram, removing the pen from his mouth temporarily to blow some of the dust away. he instantly regretted it as a cloud of dust formed in the air forcing him to stand up and back away, blowing air out his nose in puffs to keep the dust away. Once the dust had more or less settled, Terry examined the wax mounds, trying to see if there were any useable candles available*

* (d100)[86] Vs 25 spot hidden to find some useable candles

Lycan 01

2010-11-04, 04:02 PM

None of the melted candles on the floor can be of any use, as they have already been burned and are many decades old.

Water-Smurf

2010-11-21, 04:12 PM

OOC: Nice music selection! Sorry it took so long for me to post again. :smallredface:

Angela didn't seem all there. Her eyes were tracing the pentagram, over and over and over. Her lips were moving, but hardly any sound was coming out, until she shook herself a little and raised her voice.

They made a mistake. The ritual went wrong.

Taekwondodo

2010-11-24, 11:00 AM

Realising she is probably not going to get anything more from Angela, Airanne decides to look around the rest of the house. She checks if the pile of ashes and cinders under the trap door are still warm, sniffs the tin to see if the food in it has gone off and looks to see if there is much dust on the fragments of window that have been knocked in.

Rolls

spot hidden: vs 65
listen: [roll] 1d100 vs 65

Seems someone broke in, looks like they've been living here. We can't have missed them by much as the ashes are still warm. Her ears perk as she hears a slight creaking noise. In fact, they might still be here, hiding from us...

HELLO! IS ANYONE HERE? She calls.

Taekwondodo

2010-11-24, 11:01 AM

Listen roll again:

[roll0] vs 65

Lycan 01

2010-11-24, 12:53 PM

The ashes are still warm, and the remaining food in the can has not spoiled. The glass on the floor is on top of the dust - it is relatively fresh.

Airanne hears a faint noise from nearby, like the subtle creaking of wood. It is a short sound though, and she is not quite sure from which direction it came.

Draconi Redfir

2010-11-28, 07:46 PM

Terry sighed and let the empty candle box fall to the ground. "So much for that" he thought. He was hoping he could find some useable candles to light the room up a bit without leaving flashlights behind, evidently that was not going to happen.

The others were all huddled around Angela, who still had her nose deep into the book. Terry figured they were going to be there awhile, so he made his way to the ladder leading to a trap door on the roof above him. Carefully he tested each rung to see if it could support his weight, everything seemed sturdy enough. Just as he was within reach of the trap door however, he was startled by Airanne's sudden shout. Causing him to fall to the floor with a thud, sending dust everywhere.

OOC: he still has the pen in his mouth BTW. just a heads up.))