[Scenario 1] The Edge of Darkness

[gaylord500]

Aloysius Taft

Aloysius is willing to go along with the larger crowd.

[MI70]

Jed

Jed will also make a Conceal and Spot Hidden check on the larger box, journal, and sarcophagus (as appropriate) to look for any secret panels, etc. [Would appreciate a roll(s) from the keeper]

[ken-do-nim]

Jed

Jed will also make a Conceal and Spot Hidden check on the larger box, journal, and sarcophagus (as appropriate) to look for any secret panels, etc. [Would appreciate a roll(s) from the keeper]

No rolls necessary; nothing of that sort exists. You do, however, see for yourself the strange markings inside the sarcophagus, which are very different from the Egyptian hieroglyphs on the outside.

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

The party heads over to the famed Miskatonic University Library, home to over 400,000 books. Hours are 8 AM to 9 PM Mon-Fri, 10 AM to 6 PM Sat, and the reference room only is open Sundays 1 PM to 6 PM. Only students and faculty are allowed to borrow books, but the library is otherwise available to the general public. A quick inquiry reveals that Dr. Armitage is in his office on weekday mornings, and has already left for the day. You also check on the library's copy of De Vermiis Mysteriis, and the card catalog shows that the library's copy of this book is in the restricted rare book collection upstairs. The librarian further tells you that this particular volume is on a special restricted access list compiled by Dr. Armitage personally, and you will need to speak with him to gain access to it.

Other than that, other parts of the Library that may be of research interest in this adventure are the Egyptology section (a sub-section of the History section), the Occult section, and old newspapers in the basement. The library has complete collections of both the Arkham Gazette and the Arkham Advertiser.

[coil23]

Hyacinth Ausby Hudspeth, antiquarian

Not sure if there is any way to track down the professor before tomorrow morning but I'd like to look into all this at the library while we are here. I will start with the occult and egyptology areas, move on to the newspaper archives after that unless someone else wants to check there? Who is holding on to these artifacts while we do research? How are we keeping them safe?

library use (75%) ...not sure if needing a separate roll for each topic so

occult[1d100] = 29

egyptology[1d100] = 79

[Pulpatoon]

I'm operating under the assumption that Dr. Pale knows Dr. Armitage, personally (otherwise, he wouldn't have been using his first name back at the hospital). If this is an acceptable assumption, would it follow that Dr. Pale knows where Armitage lives and it would not be untoward for him to drop in?

Dr. Pale: "I'll see if Henry is at home. It looks like many of you will find fruitful engagement here among the stacks. Should you need borrowing privileges, my daughter is a stud... no, nevermind, I wouldn't want to get her mixed up in this beastly matter. I'm sure Henry will arrange whatever loans we might have need of.

"Would any who know Henry socially care to join me?"

[ken-do-nim]

I'm operating under the assumption that Dr. Pale knows Dr. Armitage, personally (otherwise, he wouldn't have been using his first name back at the hospital). If this is an acceptable assumption, would it follow that Dr. Pale knows where Armitage lives and it would not be untoward for him to drop in?

Not a problem. I'll give you a follow-up post when I have time to start that conversation.

[MI70]

Jed

Only a basic (25%?) library use, but Jed try to find a reference to the sarcophagus in a "basic" reference volume mentioned in the journal and look for any other news articles of interest from the time of summoning.

[geomys]

I'll give you a hand, Miss Hudspeth." Archie also will start perusing the Egyptology section.

[1d100] = 81 Library Use (55)

[Scott308]

Elmer "Big City" Ramsey

I don't know Dr. Armitage, but I'll go with you. Do you want me to bring the box and everything in it so he can take a look at it?

[Pulpatoon]

Dr. Pale to Mr. Ramsey: "Yes, I should think he'll want to see what all this is about."

[Stirling]

Miss Faversham

Jasmine will flick through picture books of aviation exploits and wartime adventures. Might even pause on anything regarding midnight raids over Hun territory. Are there any other students in the library? Jasmine will go sit opposite a student if she can spot reading any occult/Egyptian history books.

"oh I do like the boys in uniform, don't you?"she says.

[coil23]

Hyacinth Ausby Hudspeth, antiquarian

Trying to focus on her reading, I always found them to be dull conversationalists, myself, Hyacinth replied tartly.

[gaylord500]

Aloysius Taft

Aloysius will see if he can find anything about Cecil Jones, who died in 1920, or the house they used in the local newspapers.

[ken-do-nim]

Hyacinth Ausby Hudspeth, antiquarian

Not sure if there is any way to track down the professor before tomorrow morning but I'd like to look into all this at the library while we are here. I will start with the occult and egyptology areas, move on to the newspaper archives after that unless someone else wants to check there? Who is holding on to these artifacts while we do research? How are we keeping them safe?

library use (75%) ...not sure if needing a separate roll for each topic so

occult[1d100] = 29

egyptology[1d100] = 79

These are just library use rolls. Egyptology and the Occult are in separate sections, and each will require extensive (4 hour) research. I'll start you off in the Occult section.

Library Use for Hyacinth, 75% [1d100] = 63

That 75% comes in handy!

Hyacinth turns up a book about the fabled civilization of Mu. A reproduction of sea-eroded carvings purported to be Muvian in origin closely resemble those found inside the lid of the sarcophagus. However, the book offers nothing in the way of translations and the glyphs are undecipherable.

[ken-do-nim]

Jed

Only a basic (25%?) library use, but Jed try to find a reference to the sarcophagus in a "basic" reference volume mentioned in the journal and look for any other news articles of interest from the time of summoning.

Amazingly, Jed succeeds!

Library Use for Jed, 25% [1d100] = 15

You find the book mentioned by Marion Allen in Merriweather's journal. It contains a drawing and short description of the small box now in your possession. It notes that little is known about the box but that scholars believe it to have been the possession of the little known Nophru-Ka (sometimes Nephren-Ka), sometimes called the Dark Pharaoh, a would-be usurper of the Egyptian throne who lived sometime during the XIVth dynasty. The sarcophagus was supposed to have been given to Nophru-Ka by the gods and was said to contain spirits that Nophru-Ka could call upon to serve him. The sarcophagus actually contained a piece of unpolished amber encasing a trapped insect.

For years the golden box was owned by a noble family in Britain. It was stolen in a burglary in 1876, and not seen since. The article contains a translation of the inscription carved on the box:

"Seeker of wisdom, Servant [son] of Yugr [Yoag] Setheth,
Deliverer of the people [slaves] of the water, Bearer of the
spirits of Nar-Loth-hotep,
child of Thoth, Seeker of Wisdom."

The article briefly mentions the odd glyphs carved on the inside lid but makes no attempt to explain or decipher them.

*******

All I've got time for today, I'll get caught up on the rest later!

[ken-do-nim]

Aloysius Taft

Aloysius will see if he can find anything about Cecil Jones, who died in 1920, or the house they used in the local newspapers.

Library Use for Aloysius, 25% [1d100] = 37

You find the library's bound collection of newspaper back issues in the basement. After a good hour or so, you realize how tedious this is, and you keep getting sucked into interesting articles that don't end up being pertinent to this mystery.

[ken-do-nim]

Miss Faversham

Jasmine will flick through picture books of aviation exploits and wartime adventures. Might even pause on anything regarding midnight raids over Hun territory. Are there any other students in the library? Jasmine will go sit opposite a student if she can spot reading any occult/Egyptian history books.

"oh I do like the boys in uniform, don't you?"she says.

She has fun flipping through the books and flirting, but doesn't learn anything additional.

[ken-do-nim]

Dr. Pale to Mr. Ramsey: "Yes, I should think he'll want to see what all this is about."

The two of you head over to Dr. Armitage's. He answers the door himself, and says, "Can I help you gentlemen?"

[Pulpatoon]

Dr. Pale: "We're bearing sad news, I'm afraid. May we come in and sit? Thank you. It's about Rupert. He passed on, earlier, today. I wish I could say he was peaceful at the end, but... well, he had grave concerns weighing on him, mind and body. We're doing our best to honor his final wishes and set his concerns to right. Among his wishes was that we see you. He asked... Henry, does the phrase 'Beware the Starry Wisdom' ring any bells for you?"

[Scott308]

Elmer "Big City" Ramsey

Also, he gave us this box. We thought you might want to see what is in it, and maybe you could help us, please? He places the box on a table, then holds out his hand and introduces himself. Dr. Armitage, my name is Elmer Ramsey, sir.