EarthenRite's Paper Chase IC

[zingbobco000]

You see that the house is quite charming, it's rather large and spacious, with a wide variety of elegant furnishings. "This, well, this used to be my uncle's house you see, and to be honest." Thomas then shrugs. "I have no idea which of his titles we-were taken, although, I do most certainly notice their absence, of course."
He then gestures for you to follow him and leads you down a hall to a room that looks rather unlike much of the rest of the house. It's cluttered and piled high with books of all shapes and sizes, and on all subjects, their only common trait is that it appears that at some point, they all were well cared for. "This, well, this was my uncle's study, I-I couldn't really bear to clean anything up, so most of it has been left a-as is. However, if you notice..." He points up towards one of the bookshelves and you see six clear dust outlines where presumably several books were. "A-a couple days ago, I heard something a s-sound from this room in the middle of the night, like someone shuffling around, only to discover these spots m-missing." He looks at you utterly confused. "I-I have no idea what anyone would want with my uncle's books, but the burglar d-didn't even take any of our, well, our actually valuables. S-so I didn't want to bother the police."

[EarthenRite]

Alright a few investigatory type questions as Victor looks around...

First, are the books in a continuous line as if a whole bunch were pulled at once, or did they look selected?

Second, is there any organization of this particular section? I know there is a general lack of organization but does this particular place have a grouping? Similar titles/topics nearby?

Third, and Victor wouldn’t be good at this but he would look, are there finger prints in the dust?

[zingbobco000]

As you're about to begin your investigations Thomas suddenly shouts from behind you. "Oh! I'm so s-sorry, I almost forgot. You can use this room here while you remain here." He leads you to a rather spacious but comfortable room decently furnished, and sets your bags down inside. "I'm also of course, willing to pay if you're able to find any information concerning either the br-break-in or my uncle. E-erm, before you leave would you like anything to drink, or eat? I don't know how long the drive is, but Mary just made s-some wonderful lemonade."
----

If you wish to do anything in the interim, let me know. Otherwise, I'm going to let you progress into the study.
----

Arnoldsberg, 3:02 PM, October 1st, 1921

You head into the study and immediately find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of books. They are of all shapes and sizes and it could take a whole day to dig through the entire pile, and there is most certainly no record of his books, at least, one that you can obviously find. Instead light from the window falls upon many of them that are simply piled haphazardly for Kimball the elder (whom Thomas informs you to be Douglas) to simply grab whatever book fit his fancy. Simply looking through a few books allows for you to realize that Douglas Kimball was quite a well-read man. There are books upon almost every single subject, from numerology to theses concerning the tenants of the Christian church.

You briefly look around through the piles of stacks. With the exception of the six aforementioned spots (made obvious by the dust marks, and are from a wide variety of different places in the study), you find nothing except a rather intriguing story concerning sea creatures deep below the ocean who could communicate with people. You expect you could spend a whole day rifling through these books and dig up absolutely nothing. On the other hand, you might be able to find something, but in all honesty, it probably would take the rest of the day. You strangely see absolutely no fingerprints.

[EarthenRite]

Then I think the logical thing to do is to spend the rest of the day systematically examining the library. This was the scene of the crime and victim all in one so the start to solving it must be in here. Victor will roll up his sleeves and examine.

[zingbobco000]

That seems fair, please give me a Spot Hidden roll as you're searching through the library.

[EarthenRite]

Spot Hidden...

(1d100)[28](28)

[zingbobco000]

Nice! You've succeeded, this means that you can note that you have succeeded in this skill.
----

Arnoldsberg, 10:37 PM, October 1st, 1921

You've spent almost eight hours pouring over and cleaning up all of the books in Douglas Kimball's study, hoping to discover information. Mary Kimball eventually comes home and the two give you a rather tasty meal of meatloaf while you continue your job. The sun sets in the window and you're still loooking through the study. Thomas pokes his head in now and again to see how everything is going, but you feel like you're barely making any progress. Nothing here hints to what the burglar actually stole or Douglas Kimball's own whereabouts. Even more time passes as moonlight shines through the window. You feel weariness wash over you as you're about to turn in and resume your search in the morning when you notice it, there's a key. Looking around the room, you suddenly realize that underneath one of the masses of books is actually a desk, removing the books you find a lock... and put the key inside.

It's not a distinguished book per se, but unlike literally every single other book in his study, this one does not have a title. It's rather small and appears to be... a journal. Realizing this could contain the answers you seek, you head back to your room to pour over its contents.

Arnoldsberg, 11:16 PM, October 1st, 1921

With a brief skim it seems quite clear that Douglas did not lead a very interesting life, and yet, every book that he read seemed to give him immense pleasure. It was as if he was living out a myriad of interesting lives all at the same time, or at least, that's how he describes it in his journal. Eventually, you reach the end, wherein you find the following two pages.

Spoiler: Journal Entries

Show

You happen to ask Thomas for more information about Douglas' disappearance and you realize that the final entry is dated the day before Douglas vanished.

Arnoldsberg, 8:37 AM, October 2nd, 1921

You have just finished a most marvelous breakfast of bacon, toast, and eggs, courtesy of Thomas (who appears to actually be a decent chef himself). As while you're eating, he happens to ask. "So, Victor, did you happen to find anything?" You notice he seems to be more at ease now that you're on the case. As they await your answer both husband and wife lean in closer.

[EarthenRite]

“Did your father speak of the cemetery much? He seemed to have believed he...saw something there. A trick of the mind, perhaps, but certainly helpful to the case. Also, would there happen to have been some family function happening that might have unsettled your father?”

Victor had recorded in his own notes that when breakfast ended he wanted to go try to find Douglas’s copy of Dracula. If it was his most recent read, it might have more information. If it wasn’t there...well that suggested something too.

“You are both exceptional hosts, might I add. I am growing spoiled in this investigation.”

[zingbobco000]

Reminder that Douglas is Thomas' uncle.
----

Both Thomas and Mary shake their heads as you mention the cemetery. Thomas does pipe up that "I remember my statistics professor always said that you could look at the data, observing something from the outside before making any conclusions." He gestures towards the center of town. "Maybe there could be some information about it in the library? The newspaper here reports on basically everything." Thomas holds up a copy of the Arnoldsberg Advertiser which contains the headline of: "Cow has a Calf!" and other similar scandalous (/s) stories.
As for the second question though, Thomas looks towards Mary, and she nods. "Yes, that's when we had the whole tie debacle. But I think that's when everyone in the family found out my Uncle-in-law was missing. We offered to check things out, have a look around, and now, well... we've sort of just... moved in."
Mary and Thomas both beam and smile at the complement, "Ah, we're just happy to have the company. The house is nice and all, but it's a bit lonely."

[EarthenRite]

Victor raises a curious eyebrow.

“The tie debacle?”

[zingbobco000]

Mary and Thomas chuckle and shake there heads. "My husband couldn't decide which tie he wanted to wear, so we spent nearly an hour, until while we were already on a coach up from Boston, he decides that he chose the wrong on-"
Thomas then cuts in, "Only I didn't tell her why we had to go back, but I got simply got out, found another ride, and headed ho-"
Mary then laughs out loud, a nice and clear chime, if you will "Only when we finally got back home, he couldn't find it anywhere... because I had taken it just in case!"
Thomas shakes his head, "If only I had actually told her why I wanted to go home..."
Mary nods sagely. "Then maybe we wouldn't have such things, but we arrived late, really late, but when we got there we found the rest of the family just as confused as we were, as the house was abandoned."
Thomas confirms Mary's story and then adds on a bit of his own. He seems to be in a much better mood after the humorous story. "Uncle Douglas has never been the most... normal person, but he's not crazy. He just doesn't enjoy crowds really, always reading he was."
Mary looks over at her husband, "Eccentric, wouldn't you say?"
Thomas nods at that.
----

Also I just did the first part because I don't want to do too many time warps, but you may revisit the study to investigate whenever you would like.

[EarthenRite]

“Eccentricity has been my bread and butter amongst collectors.”

Victor smiles as he finishes.

“And with that I must excuse myself. Thank you for the wonderful meal. I will be popping back up to the study for one moment to see if I can’t find your uncle’s copy of a certain book, and then I will be heading to the newspapers, to see if they’ll permit me to look through their records. And...this may sound a pair of strange questions, but might it be possible to have a...carafe or thermos of coffee tonight? And, do you know anyone in town that might have a pair of decent binoculars?”

[zingbobco000]

The pair nod and find an old pail of sorts with a cap, which could probably be used as a thermos. "For binoculars, I'm not sure they sell those, but you could probably find some field glasses at the general store."
Meanwhile, Mary notes that, "They're always rushing around in that news office of theirs, but I think the library also has periodicals, so if you can't get in, you might want to check out the library."

[EarthenRite]

“Thank you; that sounds like a wonderful thought. I will definitely be looking there soon, regardless.”

Victor stands up and returns back to the library for his first planned stop.

[zingbobco000]

Presuming you mean Douglas' library/study (sorry I know the two can be confusing). Also for reference, Binoculars back then would cost like several hundred dollars in today's money, so that's probably why the store wouldn't stock any.
----

Arnoldsberg, 9:15 AM, October 2nd, 1921

You head back into the library, and although things are certainly neater than before, it's nevertheless slightly disorganized, however you figure looking for a man's most recent book in a room full of books (albeit simply a room) should not be too difficult.
----

Please give me a Library Use roll, and you may have a Bonus Die due to the fact that you organized the library yesterday.

[EarthenRite]

Library use roll - (1d100)[30](30)

Bonus die - (1d10)[6](6)

[zingbobco000]

That is a Hard Success, nice! This means that you may note that you've succeeded in this skill.
----

Arnoldsberg, 10:23 AM, October 2nd, 1921

Maybe it was just in your blood, you're not sure, but last night you happened to simply begin organizing the shelves. This proved to be most fortuitous as it allows for you to clearly go through each and every book. However, to your dismay you discover that there is nothing about a certain blood-sucking undead creature to be found! You're rather certain of this, as you've done your search most effectively. Dracula is not there.
----

What to do now?

[EarthenRite]

Interesting. Victor puzzles about that, trying to connect it to other things. That is very interesting.

He packed his bag with the things he’d need for today - notes, pens, things of that nature and sets off first to the general store to see if there are indeed reasonable field glasses that could be cheaply purchased or, if he was very lucky, loaned.

Following that, Victor actually would have changed his priority. The newspaper would require a great deal of interaction and better wait until he had more information from the library.

Before going in to the library, he made a point of writing down his order of pursuits. First he would need to ask about Douglas, to see if anyone had any information to impart. Then, he was going to research the cemetery itself and any peculiarities of it. Third, the history of the *lot* where the cemetery was located. If there was indeed something going on under it, there would be some record of it, perhaps.

[zingbobco000]

Arnoldsberg, 11:02 AM, October 2nd, 1921

Victor heads off towards the general store. A couple people look at him strangely, as it is a small town and he's not exactly a resident, but there's no maliciousness behind their gaze. He soon passes by the graveyard and eventually makes it to the center of town with all of its trappings as a small village community. From there he enters the general store, run by a matronly woman named Helen Willis, who's able to procure for him all that he needs.
----

Please give me a Luck roll to see if you are able to be loaned the Field Glasses.
----

At that point, Victor heads back towards the neighborhood around where the Kimball residence was situated. Although there are no direct neighbors (graveyard excluded), there are some houses within a five-minute walk or so. A quick ask around the residences gives very little. Nobody has seen anything suspicious, and of Douglas Kimball, fairly few people happen to remember him. One middle-aged gentleman happens to recall him as a "kindly man."
----

Please give me either a Credit Rating or an Appearance roll as Victor is looking around though.

[EarthenRite]

Alright - Luck first: (1d100)[52](52)
Then Appearance: (1d100)[8](8)

[zingbobco000]

Luckily she has enough in stock that she considers lending one to you for a lower price
----

Eventually, an old woman approaches you as you're asking around. She speaks slowly and feebly, her voice shaking, but it is also full of wistfulness. "Pardon me, but I could not help but overhear you were asking about Mr. Kimball? I've been walking around this block for a long time, if you know what I mean, and I remember seeing him back when he lived in that house." She slowly meanders towards a street bench and sits down, letting herself rest in the comfort of stability. "When I used to go out for my morning constitutional, I remember seeing him as well. He was always walking towards the cemetery, eternally with a book under his arm... Forever reading he was."

[EarthenRite]

“It is very kind of you to speak with me. Do you happen to recall when he left the cemetery? Or perhaps any of the books he was carrying? Anything else you can remember would be invaluable.”

Victor will offer his arm if it is needed and walk over to the bench with her to continue speaking.

FYI, the plan for the coffee and glass later is to stay up very late watching the graveyard from a window. I believe it being mentioned that there was a way to overlook the cemetery from the Kimball house.

[zingbobco000]

“It is very kind of you to speak with me. Do you happen to recall when he left the cemetery? Or perhaps any of the books he was carrying? Anything else you can remember would be invaluable.”

Victor will offer his arm if it is needed and walk over to the bench with her to continue speaking.

FYI, the plan for the coffee and glass later is to stay up very late watching the graveyard from a window. I believe it being mentioned that there was a way to overlook the cemetery from the Kimball house.

Indeed, I gathered as much, and you are correct. The window from Douglas' study looks out directly towards the graveyard.
----

The old lady nods kindly as you escort her to the bench. "Ah... thank you so much, like I used to say to my grandson: 'You are a gentleman and a scholar.'" However, she then looks down, saddened by something. "Although, I'm afraid I haven't seen him for many years, so I don't know how much help I'd be. Didn't he pass away?"
She looks at you questioningly and then feebly festures towards in the direction of the Kimball household. "I do believe that his nephew inherited the house." She then shakes her head, pondering. "I'm sorry, but I don't really remember too much else. I do not recall him ever leaving the cemetery, but then again, I wasn't watching it like a hawk, of course. As for the books..."
She shakes her head solemnly, like she is both struggling while also incredibly saddened by her thought process. "I do apologize that I can't be of more help... it's been a long time, and my memory is most certainly not what it used to be."

[EarthenRite]

“You have been more than helpful, thank you. Any information I can get is appreciated. If you think of anything else that might help me learn more, I will be temporarily staying at the Kimball residence. And...might I ask your name?”

Victor extends his hand as he stands up.

“My name is Victor.”

[zingbobco000]

She nods, "It was a pleasure to meet you Victor. You may call me Mrs. O'Dell. I hope you figure out whatever went on with him, he was a nice man..." She then slowly gets to her feet (with your help, I presume) and wanders off.
----

What to do next?

[EarthenRite]

The library is next! I mentioned my list of things to research in a previous post...Victor will be following those lines of inquiry.

[zingbobco000]

The library is next! I mentioned my list of things to research in a previous post...Victor will be following those lines of inquiry.

I figured as much, I just like to confirm when I push people along because... well, sometimes people get upset because they feel like new information affects what they're doing. But no, sounds good!
----

Arnoldsberg, 11:25 AM, October 2nd, 1921

You head into the library, which, while rather small, is still sizable considering the size of this small town. Soon you begin to look over periodicals and other books related to weird things in the graveyard. However, there are quite a few books and newspapers to get through...
----

Please give me a Library Use roll as you spend even more time reading and researching!

[EarthenRite]

A skill I am good at! (1d100)[86](86)

[zingbobco000]

Arnoldsberg, 1:10 PM, October 2nd, 1921

You look through all of the periodicals, blueprints, etc... but in all honesty, you've barely turned up anything. The town prints a surprisingly large amount of news, but very little of it is of any relation to the graveyard. As for the lot itself, you find nothing that would indicate tunnels of any kind near the graveyard or the Kimball residence. The library is closing soon, but maybe you can still find something? Or would you rather try another avenue of research?
----

You may Push the roll if you so wish (with the reason for pushing being that you're spending more time [you always need a reason to push the roll]), but otherwise, that's all that you uncover.

[EarthenRite]

I will push it then... (1d100)[77](77) hopefully it will work!