Book Three: Out of Time

[Grognardsw]

"Elspeth Waite?" asks Edith.

She motions David into her car. She clutches the stick and puts the car in drive.

[DadsAngry]

Dr. Clarke:

Looking confused as he enters the vehicle. "No, Ms. Asenath Waite. Who is Elspeth?"

[Grognardsw]

"Why, her sister," answers Edith. "I met her at the university pool and we've taken up playing tennis. Is Asenath in some sort of trouble?"

[DadsAngry]

Dr. Clarke:

"I'm not sure Edith. The fact that she was present at Chertovski's home make her someone of suspect. Frank and I here to find out if she has any connections to the murdered girl found at the old mill that Mr. Albertoni discovered. We also hoped to find out if she is indeed related to Mr. Chertovski. Have you seen Claire Ford lately? She is another one we need to look into further."

[Starbeard]

Marius Albertoni, hunter

In Providence, Prof. Angell talks nervously with Reginald and Marius.

"The cult? I have come across several in my time. Those degenerates who follow murky Dagon, themselves becoming one with the deep. Then the deranged followers of dread Cthulhu. It was around that investigation in which I used the clipping service referenced in that letter you brought. And then small pockets - or one could say families - of unbalanced individuals believing this or that."

"But the activities and organization you describe is larger and unlike what I have encountered. There is a mind behind that, and legitimate citizens, and money. Yes it has reached a new level of sophistication that is worrisome. But so too has the opposition grown. I never had the goverent helping to such extant as you do. Such resources are needed to combat a multi-state, even country, coordinated cult."

"Does this portend a climax to the dark prophecies I have heard? Nyerlathotep preparing the way? There would need to be a confluence of factors - objects of power, sacrafices, blasphemous ceremonies across the world, the opening of gates at such times when the stars are right! Do you know of such things!"

"Hold onto yourself, Professor," says Marius, "you don't have anything to worry about. These goons may be rich and powerful, but they're also flesh and blood and they take bullets just as good as we do."

"You mentioned Dagon's followers becoming one with the deep. Would it ring any bells to you if I were to describe an underground cave with a lake, a giant carved altar in the water, and a glowing woman who hoots like an owl?"

As he listens to Angell's response, he asks finally. "What can you tell us about Mt. Hatheg-Kla in Turkey? Did that place ever come up in your research?"

[Grognardsw]

Edith in her car.

"I'm not sure Edith. The fact that she was present at Chertovski's home make her someone of suspect. Frank and I here to find out if she has any connections to the murdered girl found at the old mill that Mr. Albertoni discovered. We also hoped to find out if she is indeed related to Mr. Chertovski. Have you seen Claire Ford lately? She is another one we need to look into further."

Edith puts the car into second gear.

"I haven't met Asenath, though Elspeth mentioned her younger sister. I saw Claire at Randolph's funeral. Her pregnancy was showing considerably more. She is a social worker now. I would think Randolph's wife would have her information, since she was helping care for him in his final days."





Prof. Angell nods his head as Marius talks.

"Subterranean caves and waters would be expected, yes. Altars for unspeakeable rites. I have not heard about a hooting woman though. The Turkey locale is not familiar. You must tread carefully!"

[Starbeard]

Marius Albertoni

"Thanks for your help, Doc. Look out for yourself," Marius says. He indicates to Reginald that he's ready to go, and excuses himself for a quiet smoke. He casually takes in the surroundings outside as he waits for Reginald to finish up.

[Grognardsw]

Prof. Angell goes to a bookshelf and removes a book. Inside are loose papers. He hands several to Reginald.

"Take this. You may need it. If there is God, I pray to him that you survive and stop that which should not be."





Prof. Angell watches the men from his office window as they pull away in their car.

"There is no God," he whispers. "There never was."




Edith and Dr. Clarke park in front of the administration building. Dr. Morgan is in the lobby.

[SocraticLawyer]

Reginald Wilkins, bookdealer and occultist

Prof. Angell goes to a bookshelf and removes a book. Inside are loose papers. He hands several to Reginald.

"Take this. You may need it. If there is God, I pray to him that you survive and stop that which should not be."

Reginald mutters his thanks, unsure of what to make of the professor's words. He suspects that he will never see Professor Angell again in life.

Before meeting with his old friend Dr. Mathers, Reginald reviews the papers he received from Professor Angell.

[Mant72]

Dr. Morgan:

Dr. Morgan looks well rested, but there is still a haunted look perched behind the professor's eyes.

At the sight of David and Edith, he beams, "Edith, what a pleasure it is to see you! How have you been?" He shakes David's hand and inquires about his night. Frank makes with the pleasantries, eager to follow the Waite lead.

[DadsAngry]

Dr. Clarke:

"Good morning Frank. Did you rest well? You'll never guess what Edith just told me. Ms. Asenath Waite has an older sister here at the university, Elspeth. She met her at the university pool and play they play tennis together."

[Mant72]

Dr. Morgan:

"Yes, David I slept remarkably well, thank you." He considers David's news and adds, "Elspeth could give us insight to her sister's role and connections...if there are any. Have you told Edith about how we met Asenath?"

[DadsAngry]

Dr. Clarke:

"Yes, I told her the circumstances of our meeting with Ms. Waite. Come, lets go inside and see what we can find out."

[Grognardsw]

Reginald looks at the papers given to him by Prof. Angell. They appear to be torn out of a book. At quick perusal shows they discuss a method of protection against supernatural and "outer world" forces through an inscribed symbol and accompanying runic text created through a spell. The book dealer and reluctant occultist has heard references to this elder sign before but has never seen it.

The Elder Sign as drawn by Lovecraft in a 1930 letter to Clark Ashton Smith is this branch design (within the circle), not the later eye-within-a-star design August Derleth created.

In Arkham, the Miskatonic men and Edith Walton discuss the Waite sisters.

"Good to see you again Francis. I'm glad none of you were hurt in Red Hook."

The professors visit the administration office to procure Asenath's dorm and room number. The button-up secretary with a stern demeanor looks at Dr. Clarke and Dr. Morgan. A passing look of recognition crosses her face.

"With all due respect, sirs, you are each 'on sabbatical' and rules dictate that information cannot be released to you," she states, perhaps with some relish.

The professors aren't sure what the rules are, or what bee has gotten in her bonnet, but the secretarial gatekeeper apparently will need to be persuaded. (Fast Talk or Persuade rolls.)

[DadsAngry]

Dr. Clarke:

"My good woman, yes it's true that Dr. Morgan and I are not currently teaching this semester, but it is only because we have been called upon our country to serve as so many brave men did before us. Place their lives in great peril in the trenches along the eastern front. Sacrificing their lively hoods and lives so we can live free from oppression and free from those who would do us harm. It was not more than two months ago that Dr. Morgan and I were called upon to sacrifice ourselves in a similar matter, when we were personal chosen among the best and brightest this country could offer to lead a very important investigation for the Bureau of Investigation. Only Dr. Morgan and I possessed the knowledge to resolve the series of intellectual riddles brought forth to us. Unfortunately our leads in the investigation has brought us back here. I can assure you that we will protect the university as best we can, for we do not believe it is at fault. Dr. Morgan and I both feel the Miskatonic is not only where we get to shape the bright minds of our future leaders and scholars, we also feel deeply within our souls that this, The Miskatonic University, home of the Fighting Cephalopods, is our home and each person in it is our family. That is why it is so important that we have this information. A injustice has taken place, a horrible and unspeakable crime has been committed that could place the university, my home, my family in jeopardy. Now I ask again can we please have the information we seek or do I need to have Agent Mulder from the Bureau of Investigation come down here along with the droves of reporters that are following the case and have him request the same information? Cause wide spread muckraking of the university and it's administrators. Placing a bloody stain on this institution's reputation as a center for higher learning."

Oratory 53% [1d100] = 83

[Mant72]

Dr. Morgan:

Frank tries his hand at convincing the stern secretary. "Excuse me, ma'am," he offers a pleasant smile and proceeds, "as my esteemed colleague so gravely mentioned, we are on a mission of dire import, and we have no time to dally. The welfare of our beloved institution is at stake. Now, if you would please just provide us with the requested information, we would be ever so grateful."

Persuade (15%): [1d100] = 48 Not a chance!

[Starbeard]

Marius Albertoni

Marius comes to a bit of a loose end. The conversation with Prof. Angell shook his nerves.

̄As Reginald looks through Angell's notes, Marius looks through the Pnakotic Manuscripts to see if he can find the "elder sign" anywhere in there. The perusal spurs him on, and he decides to sit down for the rest of the with the manuscript, hoping to discover other patterns or signs that come up repeatedly throughout the text and illustrations.

The next day he visits the Providence Public Library to find out what he can about Mt. Hatheg-Kla in Turkey, in atlases, encyclopedias, and newspapers.

[Starbeard]

Forgot my rolls…

Library Use (29): [1d100] = 54
Occult (5): [1d100] = 4

First success of Occult for this game day…Raise Occult? (5): [1d100] = 16 by [1d8] = 1
Occult raised to 6.

[Grognardsw]

Dr. Clarke makes an impressive appeal, followed by a moving Dr. Morgan statement. The secretary seems unmoved. Is that a smirk from the corner of her lip?

Edith steps forward and whispers something in the secretary's ear. Her eyes widen in shock.

"Very well," she responds icily. After checking some files she provides the information. "Chambers Hall. The Yellow floor, room 13. Here is her current class schedule."

Edith's whisper [1d100] = 27

Reginald wonders if he'll have to use the elder sign in his dealing with the cult. The book dealer parts ways with Marius, who says he will be at the Providence Public Library doing research. Reginald walks downs College Hill from Brown, making his way to the Providence river and the Hawthorne Cafe where he is to meet Harold Mathers.

"Reginald! Good to see you again!" greets Harold.






Inside the Providence Library,


Marius Albertoni tries to find information about Mt. Hatheg-Kla in Turkey. He consults atlases, encyclopedias, and newspapers. The hunter visited some libraries when he was a child, and is a bit overwhelmed by this big-city library. He asks a friendly librarian to help.

While waiting, Marius studies the Pnakotic Manuscripts translations (for the hunter cannot read the original language) for more on the elder sign. He does indeed see a drawing of the sigil and description of the rite of creation. Marius continues to read the text, hunting down any clues or references. He sees again those disturbing illustrations.

Pictures

That woman - could it be the she-creature he saw beneath the Shunned House? She is carrying heads - the cultists have been decapitating victim's heads and hands and opening up their torsos. What is she? What are those other creatures?

Marius spends some time reading the translation, particularly the margin scribblings that Reginald made, and his underlined phrases, circled texts, and the book dealer's own attempts at translating the Xaqloui text.

The hunter takes his own notes, trying to list the incantations and rituals which he heard Reginald refer to as "spells." Marius doesn't understand what they exactly do, or how to perform them (which would require days of study for just one, and contains assumed knowledge on part of the caster which Marius is not confident he knows.) However, he is able to draw up a list...

Spells from the Pnakotic Manuscripts

Brew Dream Drug and Brew Space Mead...

Dream Vision...

Journey to the Other Side...

Mesmerize...

Send Dreams...

Shining Trapezohedron

This enchantment rewards or damns the caster with visions of other worlds, dimensions, and mind-expanding epiphanies. However, it needs the referred-to trapezohedron crystal to work. Reginald's study of this spell quickly infers this, so he may study a different spell if he wishes.

Elder Sign

Find Gate

Marius is confident Reginald knows this list, and is possibly capable of casting some of them, though he has been closed-mouth about the subject. Marius knows Reginald has cast the Find Gate incantation in the courtyard wall drawing outside Ambrose Carcosa's apartment building, and in the basement trapdoor of the Shunned House. According to him, each location was a Gate into... another place, or world? Marius' memory gets muddled - was the trapdoor really that, or a drawing, or had it become a drawing after they escaped and were found by the others? The raid on Club Zothique, the dark basement. There was a drawing there too. And a tunnel into the graveyard next door. And--

"Mr. Albertoni, I have found information on Mt. Hatheg-Kla in Turkey," says the librarian, interupting Marius' thoughts. "Are you okay sir?"

[SocraticLawyer]

Reginald Wilkins, bookdealer and occultist

Reginald wonders if he'll have to use the elder sign in his dealing with the cult. The book dealer parts ways with Marius, who says he will be at the Providence Public Library doing research. Reginald walks downs College Hill from Brown, making his way to the Providence river and the Hawthorne Cafe where he is to meet Harold Mathers.

"Reginald! Good to see you again!" greets Harold.

Reginald grins upon seeing his old friend. "Harold! Great to see you. I was so worried when you left. Is Cassandra all right?"