[Scenario 1] The Edge of Darkness

[Stirling]

Miss Faversham

Jasmine will try to calm the man down, waving to the other guys to go explore the cellar.

"Come over here fella, we mean you no harm. We're just looking for Maggie. Sounds like she had a scare too. What's this with monsters and claws. Maybe you've taken too much of this...or perhaps too little. Here have a gulp it'll put your mind at ease."

Jasmine will sit the guy at a table or sofa and coax a few bits of information from him with a little help of her hip flask of whiskey.

[MI70]

Jed

"Take it easy, bud. What's yer name?" Jed hopes to keep the man calm and was going to offer some moonshine, but he lets Jasmine take the lead with her higher quality booze.

"Well, since we're here in a spooky basement, might as well look around a bit," he sighed.
Jed will very carefully do a search of the basement.
"Ya didn't see that thing in the basement, did ya fella?" he asks the hobo, not certain he wants an answer.

[Scott308]

Elmer "Big City" Ramsey

Elmer will continue to stand ready if the gentleman in the basement decides to get violent or make a run for freedom.

[ken-do-nim]

The search of the basement reveals nothing.

It doesn't look like Pulpatoon is playing any more, but Dr. Pale is the only member of the group to have put points into psychoanalysis. I'll NPC him and have him step to the forefront to calm the hobo down. Rolling ... 07, made it! There's something about Dr. Pale's calm tones and kind words that puts the hobo at ease. He starts to talk, he's clearly terrified.

"My name ... Red Jake. Just wanted place to stay. Last night ... noises and smells ... attic. Took off. It came after me! It will come after all of us!" He looks up the stairs, indicating that he wants to lead the party up, "I show you." he boldly declares.

Do you let him up the stairs?

[Scott308]

Elmer "Big City" Ramsey

Elmer will step aside to allow those in the basement to climb the stairway and exit the cellar should they choose to do so.

[MI70]

Jed

If he means to take us to the attic, Jed is a little wary.
Are there runes around the attic door?

Jed will ask a few questions first:
"Have you been up in that attic? Why don't you have a drink and tell us first?"

[geomys]

Satisfied, Archie recoils his whip and puts it away. Jed seems to have rapport with the hobo. If the others go upstairs with the man, Archie will have another look around the basement with a flashlight.

[Stirling]

Miss Faversham

Jasmine will help search in the cellar, looking through he old bits of junk for anything useful or stuff which might connect to 'monsters'. Crucifixes, pentagrams, devil masks, ect

[MI70]

Jed

To clarify, Jed will let the hobo up the stairs from the basement, counting on Elmer and the others to keep him from bolting. Jed will try to keep him talking all the same and offers him a swig of moonshine to calm his nerves.

[ken-do-nim]

Jed

If he means to take us to the attic, Jed is a little wary.
Are there runes around the attic door?

Jed will ask a few questions first:
"Have you been up in that attic? Why don't you have a drink and tell us first?"

There aren't any runes around the attic door. He merely grunts in reply to your question.

[ken-do-nim]

Miss Faversham

Jasmine will help search in the cellar, looking through he old bits of junk for anything useful or stuff which might connect to 'monsters'. Crucifixes, pentagrams, devil masks, ect

The two of you find nothing useful, not even occult stuff in the basement.

[ken-do-nim]

Jed

To clarify, Jed will let the hobo up the stairs from the basement, counting on Elmer and the others to keep him from bolting. Jed will try to keep him talking all the same and offers him a swig of moonshine to calm his nerves.

The hobo reaches the top of the stairs, points to the attic trap door, and yes, when your attention is diverted, he tries to bolt out the back door. Elmer is there; I don't have time to roll the grapple right now so I'll get back to this soon. Red Jake clearly wants nothing to do with this place anymore.

[Stirling]

Miss Faversham


"Let him go if he doesn't want to stay. he will only get in the way." shouts up Jasmine from the cellar.

[Scott308]

Elmer "Big City" Ramsey

If the man from the basement wishes to leave, Elmer will allow him to do so, following directions received from Miss Jasmine.

[ken-do-nim]

Elmer "Big City" Ramsey

If the man from the basement wishes to leave, Elmer will allow him to do so, following directions received from Miss Jasmine.

And just when I sat down at the computer to roll out the grapple

Red Jake runs into the dark woods, and before he disappears from your sight you notice he looks back for signs of pursuit - not from you guys, but given the angle of his glance - the attic.

**************

All is quiet now. What are your next actions?

[ken-do-nim]

Elmer "Big City" Ramsey

Elmer hands the box and papers to Hyacinth before taking a position near the basement stairs, shotgun at the ready.

Hyacinth first examines the cigar box. The sheets of paper glued on it are peeling and yellowed. Inside is a small metal canister containing a coarse, brownish powder and a small wooden box with a sliding lid holding a small amount of a silvery, talc-like substance. She asks, "Anybody know any chemistry?"

Hyacinth next examines the sheaf of yellowed papers. The papers are hand-written notes dated March, 1882. All the sheets are in a large, flourished hand, a hand unlike the neat, crabbed script of Rupert Merriweather. There are six copies of the same Latin chant. Three other sheets identify the chant as having been copied from a book called De Vermiis Mysteriis written circa 1542 by one Ludwig Prinn, and they contain supplemental notes about the book and its history, and comment in passing that the chant 'could be used to release the spirit trapped inside the ancient amber'. The tenth sheet includes a description of the pentagram, the symbols to be drawn, and the combination of chemicals to be burned in the fire. The last three sheets discuss the ritual. They indicate that to dispel the spirit, the chant should be reversed, but that everything should be done the same, whether invoking or dispelling. A two-hour ceremony, begun at midnight, will drive the unwanted spirit off. Although the ceremony can be performed by one person, Prinn suggests the use of several chanters, allowing individuals to occasionally interrupt their chanting without disturbing the potency of the casting. As long as the chant is continuously made for two hours, at least one person at all times maintaining the rhythm, the spirit must succumb. But even the slightest disruption of the chant will result in failure and another dispelling must commence on a following night. Prinn suggests that during this time, as during any summoning, that a "watcher be posted, lest the sorcerers be disturbed by the nuisances and distractions of malevolent spirits."

Obviously it takes several hours to read through all of that.

(reminder)

[Stirling]

what time is it now?

[MI70]

Jed

"Daignabbit! I'd a liked to hear from that crazy hobo afore he hightailed it outta here . . . Rassum frassum . . ." Jed trails off muttering to himself.

He will take a close look at the attic door to see if it has been opened lately and checks his old pocket watch. He will also bring supplies in.

Depending on the time until midnight, he will start preparing for the ceremony. "I'm not much for chantin', but I suspect I can watch pretty good."

He suggests that Jasmine, the doctor and pharmacist take a look at the powder. "Must be that Ibn Ghazi dust, I reckon."

[ken-do-nim]

OOC: Sorry everyone, I've been distracted these last couple of weeks by the spectacle that is the 2016 race for the President.

what time is it now?

When you arrived, the sun was still up, and you've been at the cabin now for a few hours, so you have plenty of time until midnight.

[ken-do-nim]

He will take a close look at the attic door to see if it has been opened lately and checks his old pocket watch. He will also bring supplies in.

You glance up at the trap door to the attic. It certainly doesn't look as if it has been touched in quite a while. There is a spider web over the opening. If anyone wishes to inspect the attic, they will need a step ladder or a shoulder boost to get up there.