Rumour-shadowed Innsmouth

[Mi-Go Agent]

Innsmouth, August 10th, 2009

The storm which sprung up over the Atlantic earlier today has visited Innsmouth recently, and moved on quickly. Rainwater still evaporates from faded spires and steeples in the light of the setting sun. Lower in the city, moisture lingers as it has for centuries. Every building seems to be defying decay and age, and many also lean wildly where explosive blasts struck them in the winter raid of 1928.

For both the Deep Ones and the humans who live side-by-side in the isolated port, Innsmouth is a city of strange combinations. Nothing is unusual when six figures scramble up a ladder on the side of a wharf. One, a low-ranking acolyte of Cthulhu, removes a contraption from the tallest and thinnest of the visitors, then vanishes back beneath the sea.

[Mr. Handy]

Y'nkee looks around at the city of his birth. No matter how much time passes, some things don't seem to change. He leads the group into an abandoned building where they can change into their disguises. He dries himself off, opens up his waterproof containers, and puts on the disguise he had picked out. "Once we're all ready, we can head to Arkham," he says. "There's a bus that goes there a couple of times a day. It's mainly used by the people of Innsmouth, and it's rare for outsiders to ride the bus, so we should attract little notice. Hybrids who live in Innsmouth typically smell much as Jahee and I do, including the usual driver. Alternatively, we could try to obtain a car. Depending on when the next bus leaves, we might not want to wait for it. I often come to visit Innsmouth to visit my hybrid descendants who live here, but there won't be time for that on this occasion - unless it's briefly, to borrow a car. Perhaps on the way back."

OOC,What time of day is it?

[Tabs]

Jahee takes in his surrounding, "Hmmm, are all human habitations this drab, Y'nkee?

[kouchpotato]

Argyle puts on his disguise carefully, making sure it fits snugly. Hmm... which do you think would draw less attention? I have no doubt whoever killed our friend will still want us dead. Where abouts in Arkham does this bus stop?

[Mr. Handy]

"No, not all," Y'nkee tells Jahee. "Innsmouth looked much better in the early days, but at least it doesn't attract tourists looking like this. Maintaining a low profile has enabled Innsmouth to survive the decades. Charleston, now there was a beautiful city, at least by human standards." To Argyle he says. "Well, the bus puts in a regular appearance twice daily, so it's not likely to draw special attention, and ghouls would not be expected to come from Innsmouth. Still, it's possible that it is being watched. It arrives at the 705 Dyer Street in Arkham, at the interesction with Curwen Street. It's just north of Independence Square. A car of our own would give us more freedom of movement."

[Mi-Go Agent]

OOC,Y'nkee's family does have a car they might be willing to lend, although you'll have to talk to them first. Also, none of you have any skill at driving - if you intend to drive yourselves, a Knowledge: Human roll will give you an effective Drive Automobile of 01, allowing you to make it to Arkham provided that the trip is completely uneventful. The bus is driven by Jacob Sargent, who comes from a family with connections to the Deep Ones. He can probably be persuaded to take you to Arkham even at an odd time, although you might want to ask around at the Esoteric Order of Dagon to find out where he lives. At this time, he will be at home. Speaking of time, none of you owns a watch, and while several Innsmouth spires have spaces for clocks, those spaces have been empty pits for a century. I did mention that the sun was just starting to set. (Don't tell your characters, but this means it is around 7:50.) You also have the options of walking to Arkham, hitchiking, or walking to Rowley (a real small Massachussetts town not too far from Innsmouth) and taking the train to Arkham.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,Whoops, missed that!

"Come to think of it, a car may be awkward," says Y'nkee. "I've never driven one before, as I transformed before they were invented. Maybe if we could borrow a driver along with the car. The bus may be our best bet. If we've already missed its second run, we can probably get the driver to make a special trip, but that might be noticed. It depends on whether speed is more important than stealth. The fellow's name is Jacob Sargent. His family has driven that bus for many years. I'm not sure where he lives, but they'd know at the Esoteric Order of Dagon. Arkham is close enough to walk, but that would take more time. We could walk a short distance to Rowley and take a train to Arkham, but we may draw attention from the crew and our fellow passengers. Or we could hitchhike, but again, whoever picked us up would notice us. Better to get a ride from my family instead. I know they have a car, so some of them would know how to drive it."

[Mi-Go Agent]

OOC,While walking to Arkham is possible, the distance is over thirty miles. The walk would take most of the night. Rowley is approximately five miles away. Y'nkee can lead the way to the Esoteric Order of Dagon, his family's house, or any major Innsmouth landmark.

Tschh, realizing that he can be of no help, waits, listens, and tries to learn as much as he can from the conversation.

[Tabs]

Jahee says to Y'nkee, "I wonder what your family will make of us! A car and driver are our best option I think."

[Mr. Handy]

"Excellent," says Y'nkee. "If nobody has any better ideas, we'll go visit my family." He leads the way to the Gilman family's home.

[Mi-Go Agent]

Gilman is a fairly common name in Innsmouth, shared by several large and related families. Y'nkee's great-great grandchildren live in a house that their small branch of the Gilmans purchased in 1952, when it was built.

No one notice the oddly-moving figures that approach the front door of the building.
Hideous and blocky, it's once-white sides look older than some of the surviving Georgian dwellings.

Matthew Gilman opens the door. His bulging eyes, miniscule ears, and lack of hair mark him clearly with the Innsmouth look, but he has so far seemed to lack enough Deep One blood for the transformation. Like most Innsmouth residents, it is easy for him to pick up that his visitors are not quite human. However, he has difficulty telling exactly what is behind the masks. He mumbles something that only a fluent speaker of Reason could tell was a greeting, and makes an ambiguous gesture.

OOC,As with every human building you enter, a Knowledge: Human roll will give you some general architectural information.

[Mr. Handy]

Y'nkee admires the house. He is very familiar with it due to his many visits. He lowers his sunglasses so Matthew can see his eyes behind the mask. He switches to English, as he and his descendant are both more comfortable with it. "Good evening, Matthew," he says. "It's your great-great-grandpa Walter. These are some friends of mine. May we come in?"

[Tabs]

Jahee says, "How do you do, my good man." Hoping his diction is correct.

[Mi-Go Agent]

Matthew switches to English with some relief. His mind isn't quite built for Reason.

"Hello! I'm always glad to see you. Erm - is there anything I should know about these friends before inviting them in?"

As he says it, he opens the door all the way and gestures through it. He seems relatively relaxed about his visitors, although not completely at ease.

OOC,Jahee, with a 1% in Other Language (English), cannot understand Matthew. Thanks to the throatpieces, everyone can understand anything Y'nkee says, but he will have to translate Matthew's speech.

Y'nkee has remembered the house from previous visits. It has an extremely large basement, and a poorly-designed tangle of interior rooms, with two stairways leading to the second floor. It was designed in the Streamline Moderne style by the one of the few architects who could be persuaded to work in Innsmouth.

[kouchpotato]

Arglye bows deeply before the human. We are honored to meet you.

[Mr. Handy]

Y'nkee translates Matthew's statement subvocally into his throatpiece, then continues speaking to Matthew in English: "It is good to see you again, too. Some of my companions do not know English, but I can translate for them." He introduces each in turn. "This is Jahee, a priest from Y'ha-nthlei. The two ghouls are Miss Eleanor Pickman and her servant Argyle. And this being is Tschh, whom they have summoned. He looks somewhat like a human, but he is not. We will not be able to stay long this time, as we have urgent business in Arkham, but perhaps I can make a longer visit on the way back after it is done."

[Mi-Go Agent]

"Come in, come in," Matthew says.

Inside the parlor, three other rooms can be seen through six doorways. It occurs to you that some of these are unnecessary. Through one, you can see a human female - Matthew's wife, who Y'nkee has met quite a few times - cooking something on a stove. The parlor itself is sparsely furnished, with a sagging couch beneath a dark oil painting on the north wall, an armchair pulled up to an antique table on the south wall, and a nearly empty bookshelf next to the table.

"Is this visit about the urgent business?" he asks.

[Mr. Handy]

"Yes, it is," says Y'nkee after translating. "The one thing we need is transportation to Arkham. I remember that you have a car. I've never learned how to drive one, as they weren't around until after I went through the Change. I might be able to figure it out, but I wouldn't want to risk crashing your car. As far as I know, my friends can't drive either. I was hoping you or someone else in our family could give us a ride to Arkham, if it's not too much trouble. We quite understandably don't want to attract too much attention from our arrival."

[Tabs]

Mi-Go/OOC,Not being able to converse with a human is an important skill, I confess the need to have it did not occur to me. Can Jahee alter his skills or acquire some kind of technological gizmo?

Jahee takes in the living condition of the human and is not impressed.

[Mi-Go Agent]

"Yes, I do have a car. I prefer walking in Innsmouth, but it is convenient for visiting to Arkham and Boston. It isn't very new or in particularly good condition, but it should be large enough to carry all of you. If it is urgent, I can just grab a suitcase from the other room and be ready to drive you. Um...follow me and I'll lead you to the garage."

He then shouts something quickly to his wife, and leads his ancestor through one of the north doorways.

"Will there be any...complications?" he asks nervously as he stops to retrieve a battered brown case from a closet.

OOC,There really isn't a reason why a Deep One born in the 1500s should be able to have an English conversation with a modern human. Y'nkee can do a fine job of translation, and Eleanor Pickman is even more fluent than he is. The ability to speak English is not the same as the ability to converse with a human being - Matthew has had heavy Mythos exposure and is part Deep One, which is why he speaks to you so casually. Ordinary humans will probably not even notice if a horrible monster speaks English - and what if you go to Venezuela?