Play@YSDC

The party arrive safely at the outskirts of Arkham without incident.

Rain falls fairly heavily and as you crest the hill overlooking the town, the decaying and shadowed gambrel roofs hint at hidden menace.

"That key is from the First National Bank of Arkham," says David. "My guess is it opens a safe deposit box. Our first order of business should be to see what's inside it."

Trees hide the knots of small houses. Grass grows through cracks in the sidewalks, homeless people lurk in the dark alleyways, and the streets themselves are strangely deserted. Arkham more resembles Innsmouth now.

The main centre of the town is taken up with the prestigious Miskatonic University set to the South of the river. The older university buildings are starting to show a little of their age, but the crowning jewel as far as you are concerned is the infamous University Library, one object of the investigators’ journey. The University Library is a repository for over 400,000 carefully chosen books and pamphlets. It is a three-story Gothic structure built of native granite.

The other two are the First National Bank of Arkham, located at 150 E Hyde Street around the corner to the Tele-views Cinema and opposite the Absury M.E. Church. It's opening hours are 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. Monday-Thursday, extended to 5 P.M. on Friday.

Finally there is the the hotel where Sorrell stayed, The Tilden Arms Hotel of 179 W Armitage St, located opposite Gedney Street. It is a decent, four stories high hotel charging $2.25 a night and up for room and bath, and it is handy for the train station.

Both the Bank and hotel are situated in the downtown area of Arkham, located to the North of the Miskatonic.

Yes. The bank.
Josep says as he eyes the imppresive place around him. He never been to Arkham before but he heard about the famous library a lot.

"Since I'm Martin's friend, I should take the lead," says David as he starts heading for the bank. "Hopefully I can convince them to let me into he box if having the key isn't enough by itself."

As you enter the bank, you are directed to a sub-manager who says "I am afraid that I couldn't possibly just allow you access to the box unless I can see a letter of authorisation from Mr Sorrell or something similar. I am sure you understand that the privacy of our clients is paramount to our business."

OOC:   Fast-talk or persuade, whichever is higher from David or Joseph please ... if they fail I'll bring Jemima's winning smile into play (40% Persuade)

David speaks with logic and reason. "I'm afraid Martin Sorrell won't be writing any letters until the Day of Judgment," he says, lowering his head. "He passed away recently under unusual circumstances. I'm Professor David Johnson, his best friend and colleague, and we are assisting the Providence Police in their investigation into his death. You can verify this by calling Lt. O'Grady. We have reason to believe that the contents of his safe deposit box may aid in the investigation, and we have his key right here."

Joseph stands next to David ... well, the man got a point and his low and assuring voice he convincing. If he was the banker he would spread a red carpet for the man.

After a quick call to Lt O'Grady, the manager relents and allows access to the safety deposit box.

"I remember Sorrell pretty well," he adds with an acid look on his face as you all head down to the tiny vault. "Always looking down his nose at us." He shows you all to the conference room next to the vault whilst he retrieves the box and asks you to leave the box on the table when you leave and let him know on the way out.

Opening the box reveals two items. Firstly a large manilla envelope containing the outline of Sorrell's new book as well as a couple of sections of his book.
The second item is a second manilla envelope containing excerpts from the restricted section of the Miskatonic Library in Sorrell's own hand

David voraciously reads the documents, his wonder growing. "This is incredible!" he says when he finishes. "I don't yet know what it all means yet, but it seems to be along the lines of Martin's other research that we've found. I've heard of Tezcatlipoca, but the name Nyarlathotep is new to me. It does sound Egyptian, which lends credence to the theory of ancient Egyptian influence and contact. And these 'Deep Ones' sound much like what he described in his other writings, as well as that hideous fellow that had been poking around the house before us. He mentions Innsmouth and Devil Reef. Those sound like normal names, but Y'ha-nthlei must be from some other language I don't know."

I don't want to sound rude but looks like Sorrel lost it or on the other hand found something ...
Jospeh trying to find an appropriate word
... not ordinary ...
Who is this Nyartholatep ...
He takes one of the notes to correct himself
N-y-a-r-lo-tho-tep ?
What ever it is, this research killed him without a doubt. Sadly I did not find anything in there that might explain the autopsy and brain exchanges I saw in the morgue.

"I think it's meant to pronounced Ny-ar-lat-hotep," says David. "I've never heard the name before, but it appears from these documents that he has a thousand different forms and guises, and that one of them is Tezcatlipoca, the Smoking Mirror, a particular vile Aztec deity. Now, the Aztecs came centuries after the Mayan civilization had collapsed, though clearly there's some Mayan influence on them."

You are now at the faculty and after being kept waiting until he finishes lecturing, you are greeted by the senior lecturer for the Archeology faculty - those above him are all unavailable due to other engagements. It is about 16:45 when his secretary ushers you into the offices of Professor Lester Cox, Assistant director of the Faculty of Archeology, Miskatonic University. He is a thin wiry man with pale skin, blonde hair, and a remarkable penetrating gaze; he seems to stare right through whomever he looks at. He sits behind a desk littered with folders and files. As you sit facing him, dust motes dance in pale, watery sunlight off to your right hand side.

Once introductions are made he says in a distracted voice; "Ah Dr. Johnson, I now you by reputation, how are things with our 'Brothers' at Brown University?" There is some small talk between the two archeologists before he addresses the entire group "Well Ladies and Gentlemen, now that the pleasantries and formalities are completed, what is it that I may do for you?"

OOC:   DeeJ's father's cremation is taking place on Friday so I will probably not be posting until Saturday, though more likely Sunday once we get things back to some semblance of normality - Thank you all again for your forbearance and kind thoughts and well-wishes - Till the weekend then my cyber-friends Ia! Ia! Ia Cthulhu Fhtagn!

"My colleagues and I have come to discuss the research Professor Martin Sorrell has been doing here at Miskatonic Unversity," says David. "I'm not sure if you are aware of what has befallen him."

"Young Sorrell, what has transpired?" After you explain what has happened Cox retorts; "I am shocked to learn of these events, I quite liked the young man who I thought of as a rising star. Of course, whatever help I can be, I obviously will do my best to accommodate. However I do have my own workload to take care of as well so may not be at your beck and call all the time. I'm afraid that Sorrell has left our manuscripts in a bit of a state, all mixed up you understand. Please wait here a moment or two."

He returns some ten minutes later and says to you. "Please follow me, I need to direct you to the Library to see the documents he was working on." As he leads you across the campus to the Library he says to you "Sorrell worked mainly on something to do with a previous dig that took place in British Honduras that was stymied by local drug runners. Dr Johnson, weren't you involved in that dig - headed by that pompous oaf Bowery if I recall. Sorry if I offend with my bluntness, but I tend to speak my mind. Anyway, I do know that very few returned from British Honduras, and some of those who did were not left with their careers unstained." Cox gestures when you reach the library and ushers you inside. He takes you to the office of the head librarian a Maximillian Armitage and makes the introductions. After a few minutes he says "I will leave you in Armitage's tender care he adds before he leaves."

David,As Cox mentions Bowery, British Honduras and sullied reputations, you get a shiver down your spine and a lot of fogged memories of the events of the dig.

"Thank you, Professor Cox," says Henry. "I was at that dig in British Honduras with Martin Sorrell, yes. It was a long time ago, and I try not to think about what happened there, but I know I was lucky to escape with my life."

"Fortunately for us, you did get away though." Cox smiles as he turns on his heel and says "I really must go now."

You turn round and look up at the cadaverous form of Armitage who looks down his nose at you and says. "Well ladies and gentlemen, firstly I will require you all to sign in." As you are doing so he continues "Now what is it that I can do for you today. Professor Cox has indicated that I am to assist you but never indicated how or more to the point why, what is it that I can do for you?"

"Professor Armitage, I'm Professor David Johnson from Brown University," says David, offering his hand to shake. "You were assisting my friend and colleague,the late Professor Martin Sorrell,with his research. We were hoping you could help us retrace the research he was doing here and grant us access to any restricted materials he may have been using. It may shed some light on what happened to him."

Armitage looks down his nose at your outstretched hand as though it is a king cobra you are offering him. "I am not a professor, but the head librarian for this University library. You say I, or should I say we, assisted with this Martin Sorrell, with his researches." He steeples his fingers and thinks for a moment. He offers a description which you verify was similar to young Sorrell.

"Yes I remember him. A most disagreeable young man. Came in here expecting us all to bow and scrape to him simply because he is considered to be a rising star in his field. His research involved some fairly disturbing tomes, and in truth I have to get further permission for you to get access to them, supervised access of course."

OOC:   Basically, Armitage is not happy about having you thrust upon him by Professor Cox and is trying to be as uncooperative as he can possibly be - it is so obvious that you won't need a Psychology roll to spot this. He will grant access to the general stock whilst he begrudgingly, and slowly, seeks permission to allow access to the more interesting books.

Armitage eventually gets permission and he calls you into his office. Just as you enter his office, you see Whateley puts something small and heavy in his coat pocket, then says Well it seems you have friends in high places. You can have supervised access, despite my better judgement." He leads the way back through the stacks, talking sullenly as he goes. “The University is very particular on how these books are kept you understand. We keep them crated up, as safe and secure as possible. Also, we never entered them into any catalogue. Your friend Sorrell was the first to come looking in a long time. A very intense young man, left a bad taste in my mouth.”

Armitage leads them down a long flight of steep, dark stairs. Most of the lights in the basement seem to have burned out. At the bottom, you find cavernous rooms with arched ceilings piled high with boxes and crates of all descriptions, the floor drowning in dust and the ceiling lost in a haze of cobwebs. Spiders stroll without haste across the walls. Parts of the walls, the floor, and many of the crates are encrusted with a gray fungus which you believe even a trained mycologist cannot identify.

OOC:   A Spot Hidden roll please.

David looks around, but it's too dark to see much detail.

Spot (1d100=36)- Pass

Hmmm...
Joseph says with interest as he picks out something in the corner of his eye.

Joseph,Your successful Spot Hidden roll shown faint, fresh-seeming footprints in the dusty floor, and Whateley follows the path that the footprints have blazed.

In a far, shadowy comer is an isolated crate. A chipped and dented folding card chair sits before the crate. The crate lid is clearly marked in black paint: 'RESTRICTED COLLECTION. Do Not Open.'

Whateley takes out a small prybar from his coat pocket and wedges up the nailed lid. Inside are heaps of wood shavings used as packing material. The books themselves are gone! No sign of them can be found. As Whateley and the investigators search, they find themselves looking over their shoulders as the movements of the spiders, falling bits of fungus, and shimmers from the cobwebs. You all get the impression you’re not alone. Whateley makes a feeble attempt at a joke about the feeling, but it’s nowhere near funny.

Though Whateley expresses shock and chagrin at the loss, he is angry enough to substantially accuse Sorrell of stealing the books.

OOC:   Psychology roll please If you pass,Your successful Psychology roll suggests that the librarian is faking his surprise about the theft. You feel that he is a good enough liar that he gives no clue as to why he might be faking.

"This is outrageous, it is obvious to me that your 'friend' Sorrell is behind this. He is the only one who has been to see these books in years I'm going to inform the police. Right everyone. I have to ask you all to leave this area now as the police will no doubt have it cordoned off as a scene where criminal activity occurred."

Once back in his office he does indeed phone the police.

OOC:   Spot hidden roll please If you pass,A successful roll reveals something in the way he reports the matter encourages the investigating officers to believe that the books somehow will turn up. Looking at this situation from a neutral perspective, you would say that the police have better things to worry about given the way the complaint was put over to them.

David can't get a good read on Whateley, but his eyes finally adjust to the dark. "Let's not jump to conclusions without proof," says David. "Keep in mind that Sorrell died under mysterious circumstances. We did not find any trace of these books among his effects. But whoever killed him appears to have taken an interest in his research and may very well have had reason to take the books. In any case, finding out what happened to him may lead to recovering the books."

There are foot prints in the dust.
Joseph says to his companions as they look at the empty crate.
Maybe we can trace the thief ?
Joseph tries to understand the size of the shoes and other features that might help him identify the thief.

Psychology and Spot (1d100=48, 1d100=31) - Fail the Psycho and passed the Spot.

Well, the man with the bulgy eyes could have taken the books.
Joseph says
Mr. Whateley, who was the last to visit this place and who holds the key beside you and Armitage ?

David, Joseph, Meredith and Jemima, You are all ushered unceremoniously out of the basement and once more have to brave the long passage with the failing lighting and huge spiders.Once back in his office you can see that he is flustered as he phones the police to report the theft.

Looking squarely at David, the librarian's eye narrow almost as thin as his bloodless lips. "I am well aware that young Sorrell is dead, if what you say is indeed true. Assuming it is then I am truly sorry for him, and for your loss. But perhaps the subjects he was researching finally caught up with him." Addressing the group in general he continues. "There are very few people who are even aware of the existence of the restricted collection, let alone have access to it. I am not prepared to discuss who has access with strangers, no matter if you have Cox's ear or not. Now if you'll excuse me I have an appointment. You are of course free to use the library as you will. I hope I will see you after my appointment is complete." The expression on his face tells you the opposite though.

David sighs. "Well, we might as well do some research while we're here," he says. "Even without the restricted books, Miskatonic's library is well known as a font of information. Let's choose topics we want to study further and divide up the work."

Something occurs to David.

OOC,I'm sure there are specific things I'll want to research, but I need time to look back through what we've discovered so far and sleep so I can think straight, both of which I can usually only get on weekends.

"One of us should discreetly follow the librarian and see where he goes and who he talks to," suggests David. "I'll see what I can turn up about these 'Deep Ones' in my research. That fellow who was poking around Martin's house appears to have been one of their descendants, and he's most likely to have stolen the books. We need to know more about them."

You sit at a table opposite Whateley's office and he sits for a while gazing into space, his face more ashen than it was before. After a few minutes he checks his watch, rises and exits the building without locking his office, obviously preoccupied about something. Jemima says "I'll follow him and see what sort of 'meeting' he is about. I'm afraid I'm not really focussed on books at the moment anyway. Smoothly she gets up and walks out the library, a fair distance behind the emaciated librarian, but close enough to react to his movements.

David, Meredith and Jonathan all sit reading through some very rare texts on Mayan Lore while awaiting Whateley and Jemima's return.

After about an hour Whately returns and Jemima sidles next to you. "Well, I'm not sure what to make of that ..." she intones. "... he left the library as you saw, and I followed at a safe distance as he strolled down West College Street to the museum. I don't think he knew I was following, though he did seem agitated. In the museum grounds he had a somewhat heated conversation with a female gardener. Jemima chewed her lower lip in consternation. "I say heated but it was obvious they didn't want anyone to hear what was said by their furtive whispering. It was the body language and abrupt hand gestures that gave it an angry tone, you know lots of pointing fingers and so forth. Being an actress you got to know about this kind of stuff. I tried to get close enough to hear what they were saying but could not in case he recognised me. After their conversation, which left him looking more dazed than he was before, he went to a delicatessen, bought a sandwich, sat in the park and ate it before returning here.Now the gardener was very suspicious in the way she acted after their argument and all but ran away after collecting her tools together. I was torn between following her and following Whatley, I hope I didn't make the wrong choice."

"It would have been nice to know where she went from there and who she talked to," says David, "but you had no way of knowing that following the librairian further wouldn't produce anything more. In any event, we know where she works, so we can always observe her and find out more about her later."

Do you think Whateley knows who took the rare books ?
Joseph says

"I don't think he or the gardener know who took them," says David. "Otherwise, they wouldn't have reacted in such panic if they knew who had them. They wanted the books for their own purposes, and they were upset that someone else got them first. Either that, or he stole them himself and is upset that it's been discovered they went missing. I don't think Whateley really wants the police heavily involved in this considering the way he reported it to them, as if they books would just turn up. It seems there are a lot of players in this game."

By the end of the day, there is little you have discovered in the books that you did not already know from Sorrell's notes. All you lack is corroboration and/or context of the quotes Sorrell made.

OOC:   Either way - what you going to do now, stay till closing time, follow Whateley when he leaves, go back to the hotel or something else?

"One of us ought to follow Whateley and see where he goes," suggests David. "Another might go to the museum and try to pick up the gardener's trail. If she went back there, it might be good to see where she heads, even if it's only to her home. At least then we'd know where she lives."

Jemima already seen the gardener, she can do that job. I will follow Whateley as I bring no help in the library. I'm sorry, but I know nothing on the topics Sorrel investigated.

"Yes, that's a sensible plan," says David. "Are you good at moving around without being noticed, though?"

OOC,Are [b]Mark[/b] and [b]Sarah[/b] still with us? They have excellent skills in Hide and Sneak.

OOC:   Garrett and Tormsen both packed their characters up earlier. Mark went over the banister in Sorrell's house the first night and is in hospital. I think Sarah stayed back at Providence. Sarah can be there tomorrow morning if you get in touch with Philip Baxter tonight - I'll assume you can do this from your hotel or anywhere that has a telephone really with no problem.

Jemima looks bemusedly at Joseph, arching an eyebrow. "I can move fairly quietly when needed you know Joseph, but you are right ...," she smoothes her skirt and brushes some imagined lint off her blouse. "... I do know the appearance of the gardener. I'll pick up her trail and follow her."

"Following Whateley will be a challenge, especially since he knows what we look like," David says to Joseph. "Maybe we should team up for that. You can follow him at first, and I'll follow you, making sure that I stay out of Whateley's sight. Then, after a while, we switch off; I follow him, and you follow me. If we keep switching, at least it won't be the same one of us tailing him the whole time, which will make him less likely to notice us."

Very good plan. good thinking.
Joseph replies to David
Meredith, I guess you will stay in the library.

OOC:   Sorry I thought you had already left the library - my bad.

Jemima leaves and returns to the library but the gardener is nowhere to be seen. She tries to think of a way she can find where she went ... thinking back to when she was here last she remembers the gardener went to the right of the library after talking to Whateley. She heads down that road and sees a small shed just inside a compound at the rear of the building. She just sees the gardener heading down the street out of the corner of her eye. Luck roll - 39/55% Following the gardener is relatively easy at first but after a couple of intersections where the gardener turns left then right Jemima loses her quarry at a crossroads. Track roll - 24/15% Jemima, certain she turned to the right looks hard down West Main Street, heading towards Rivertown, but can see no trace of the woman she was following.


Whateley gets up and leaves his office, locking the door he says good-night to his staff and heads out the door. He heads left down the street.

OOC:   Can I have a track roll please Mr Handy - I'll roll for Royya after yours

David does an excellent job of following Whateley.

OOC,Wow! :o I even got 1/5 of my skill!

OOC:   I'll rule that your excellent roll covered the failure of Royyas character lol - great rolling there! Jonathan - Track roll - 59/10%

You follow Whateley and Jonathan takes over, followed by you then Jonathan again. You are just about to take over from Jonathan when it becomes apparent from his body language that he has lost sight of the librarian but you spot him as he turns into a side street. You race ahead of Jonathan and watch as Whateley removes a key from his pocket, opens a door and enters a building. Crossing the road and walking down the far side you notice that the buildings here are all residential.

David looks for the name of the street on which the house stands, and then approaches the house close enough to see its number so that he can get the address.

Joseph (not Jonathan) catch up with David.
Pheeww. I thought I lost him. good job Professor.

"Thank you," says David, "but I was more lucky than anything. This is the first time I've ever done this." While he is getting the address, he checks the mailbox to see if there's a name on it.

You notice that Whateley entered 172 Walnut Street. Looking at the mailboxes you can see that there are three names attached to this house, Harden, Dunlap and Whateley.

David returns to Joseph and tells him what he's discovered. "This must be his home," he says, "probably a boarding house where Harden and Dunlap also reside. I think we've done all we can here, though at least now we know where he lives. Shall we return to the library and report back to the others?"

Let's assume they are waiting outside for you.

I hate to say this but we need to get into his house when he is away.
Joseph said.
We can wait for the morning.

David nods. "Yes, that's best done when he's at work, not at home," he says, "and the young lady is more suited to the task than either of us. Let's go rejoin the others outside the library."

You all gather outside the library where Jemima stands shivering in the shadows.

Jemima tells you "I followed the gardener up to where she turned onto West Main Street but lost her in the crowd. I don't think she was aware of my following her. She seemed to be heading towards the Rivertown area. Can we go to the hotel now, I'm cold?"

"Yes, let's go back," says David, continuing to speak as they walk. "We trailed Mr. Whateley back to his home: 172 Walnut Street. He shares it with two people named Harden and Dunlap, so it's likely a boarding house. It might pay to visit the place during the day while he's at work."

Jemima nods at the information David gives her. "Well I could do either of two things. I can follow the gardener, or maybe I could use some of my <ahem> specialist skills to gain access to Whateley's abode. You say it's a boarding house, but could it be an apartment? Either way we could try to see where he lives in a bit more detail."

"Well, I was just speculating really," says David. "We haven't been inside, so I don't really know if it's a boarding house or an apartment. All three names were on the mailboxes. We really need to follow both leads, and perhaps there's a way we can do it. I can call Philip Baxter back in Providence and have him arrange for Miss Hawkins to join us here tomorrow morning. She has some similar talents. Since you know what the gardener looks like, you'd be best suited to keep an eye on her and see where she goes and who she meets, while Miss Hawkins can investigate Whateley's home. Joseph and I could continue our research, but without those books I doubt we'll find anything we don't already know. Of course, I can keep studying the material we've already recovered. There's a lot there that I haven't fully understood yet."

"What's his address?" Jemima asks, all sweetness and light. "I'll go and have a look. The more information we have about where he lives, the better we shall be able to plan how to get in and out again." Once you give her the address, she adds "I'll see you back at the hotel, just let the front desk know to expect me - it shouldn't take long. Unless you want to sort out something or somewhere where to eat while I'm gone." Without waiting for a response she turns on her heel and heads off towards Whateley's abode.

When she returns some 45 minutes or so later she tells you "Well. Mr Whateley lives in the lower floor apartment, so getting in and out should be easier. He is a polite quiet man who keeps himself to himself, more often than not he stays in. About one or two, occasionally three times a year he goes away to meetings or something to do with his work. He gets his groceries from the local store and always pays everything, his rent etc, ahead of time. He has family that live out of town, but doesn't talk about them. I got this from talking to a neighbour who thinks I'm a niece out to pay him a surprise visit."

"And so you shall, only he won't be at home when you call," says David with a grin. "Well done! Perhaps in his apartment there will be some papers or a diary detailing his involvement with the gardener or his true agenda."

David, we should be in the library during Jemima's visit to Whateley place to clear any suspicion and search other clues about the notes we found. Now I know we need the books, maybe they'll show up as the police said suggested but we should keep Whately busy looking for them for us. we should nudge him.
Joseph says

"Oh, absolutely," says David. "I'm sure we can keep him quite busy. We might even get some research done while we're at it, though I think we've exhausted everything relevant that wasn't in the missing books."

OOC:   Right the hotel it is then. You have placed a call to Prof Baxter and Sarah will rendezvous with you at the library after dropping her stuff off at the hotel tomorrow morning.

You have booked rooms at the hotel and have decided to go for a meal out tonight. You enjoy a good wholesome meal at a local restaurant before returning to the hotel for the night.

Upon your return you all return to your rooms.

David,As you open the door of your room and turn on the light you see the figure of Martin Sorrell calmly sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. He is dressed in a long black trench-coat, with the collar turned up, that covers him totally from his throat down to the top of his shoes almost. [color=#FF4000]"Hello!"[/color] he says. [color=#FF4000]"Could you please call the others in here for me?"[/color] His face and body seem somewhat thinner than you remember, almost gaunt. His eyes shine bright and intelligent behind his spectacles. [ooc]1/1D3+1 San for seeing the figure seated so calmly there in front of you[/ooc]

David recovers from the shock. "Hello, old friend," he says, smiling. "I'm relieved that reports of your death have been greatly exaggerated. Yes, I'd better go get the others." He steps out into the hall and knocks on the others' doors. "You'd all better join me in my room," he tells them. "We have a visitor: Martin Sorrell."

As you all enter David's room you see a gaunt man sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. His spectacles cannot hide the intelligence in the eyes behind them. He is wearing brown shoes, of the unfashionable brogue variety, a pair of grey checked trousers peek out from beneath his black trench coat which all but covers him from it's upturned collar to just above the shoes he is sporting.

He greets you all as you enter and entreats you to sit wherever there is a space. Once seated he coughs and starts to speak.

“First of all, I want to apologize to you for the trouble you have gone through on my account. I’m more than a little embarrassed that all of you have been hired to track me down. You see, I think the events back in British Honduras hurt me more than I knew, something akin to shell-shock and all that. That, and the fact that I found the field work was starting to wear on me. While doing some epigraphy research, I came across some rather startling theories from the eighteen-nineties about lost continents and beings not of this world. To my surprise, the theories seemed to fit in with what I was discovering in British Honduras. They seemed to. In retrospect they fit a bit too perfectly."

“The further I dug, the more I discovered: a whole branch of science devoted to these crackpot theories, which were dismissed piece-meal at the turn of the century. The books at the Miskatonic University Library ... they ... they had quite an effect on my mind. I began to get paranoid, delusional envisioning a vast conspiracy to keep this knowledge secret. That all of it is an elaborate falsehood never once occurred to me. I could not sleep properly and began to think that I was being followed, that unknown forces were spying on me."

“Finally, I cracked and fled into the jungle, where I wandered around for a long time before I came to my senses. I can see now what a fool I was. I am getting some professional help. Anyway, I made my way back to Belize City and flew home. When I called the Dean, he told me about you, and put me on the first train here to meet you, I’m so sorry. As you can see, I’m much better now. I guess your errand for Professor Baxter is over. You have found me. You can collect your money and go home.”

The longer Sorrell sits there talking the more uneasy you all start to become. Nothing you can put your finger on, just a vague nameless dread that tickles the back of your conscious mind.

OOC:   Listen and Idea rolls please.

David doesn't hear anything out of the ordinary, but something occurs to him. "Martin, I did not take this job for the money," he says. "You've been my friend for years, and I would have done this for nothing. There are still some unanswered questions, however, and I'm hoping you can clear them up."

"I'll try to answer your questions as be .."

An ominous thump comes from the bathroom, (the door to it is closed). Martin Sorrell's head swivels to look in that direction.

David,You notice that Martin has not blinked once since you have seen him. This will cost you 0/1D3 SAN.

Suddenly the door opens and two men dressed as waiters enter guiding a serving cart bearing a covered platter. "Room service." the one pushing the trolley calls out cheerfully. Sorrell's head wheels towards the two waiters then makes a sound that is not remotely human. His trench-coat bunches up and writhes as if it had a pack of weasels under it. Sanity check, costs 1/1D4 SAN.

One of the waiters whips the cover off the platter, and the other hefts out something from under it that looks like a fire extinguisher.

OOC:   Spot Hidden rolls please.

The bathroom door flies open. Everyone smells a stench like decaying leaves. In the door is a flat wall of blackness, as though the room beyond is absorbing all light. Call for another sanity check, costing 011 SAN.

A flurry of thumping, buzzing, clattering, and slipping (sounding like a dog’s claws on tile or linoleum) comes from the bathroom. So does the flapping of huge wings. The sounds from the darkened bathroom are so strange, and so inhuman that in themselves they require another sanity check for 0/1D2 SAN.

OOC:   What you going to do? Note; fail a SAN roll and you will be too surprised to act the first round as we are about to enter combat

Martin's lack of blinking doesn't frighten David at all, compared to all of the other freaky things that happen. Martin's trench coat is slightly unnerving, and it distracts David from some of the other things occuring. The wall of darkness disturbs him, but he is able to gloss over whatever is behind it.

OOC,I guess I stand paralyzed for the first round, then, since I failed one of the rolls.

SAN vs. Martin; Spot Hidden; SAN vs. Wall of blackness; SAN vs. Inhuman voices (1d100=19, 1d100=81, 1d100=40, 1d100=51) - I passed all the SAN checks but failed the Spot Hidden roll. 1 San damage from the first roll.

What the .... how could it be?
Joseph says as he sees Martin for the first time
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Joseph cannot think clearly as he looks at Martin and the things he saw in the morgue, ideas and thoughts are racing in is mind about a possible brain exchanges and a parasite that might settle in Sorrel's head.
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When Martin throws his coat away to reveal some horror that cannot be explained with words, Joseph keeps his nerves to save himself and the others. He fails to spot anything else as he turns his looks from Martin, to the waiters and the darkness in the room.
He is looking for something to grab, a poker, maybe he took his personal bag to take his scissors from it ?
Luck roll (1d100=4) - Pass a Luck roll 1/5

OOC:   Jemima failed all her SAN rolls and passed her Spot Hidden.

Jemima just sits there, her face a mask of sheer terror as her eyes widen and a silent scream forms in her throat as her hands instinctively clutch each other at her breast. She tries to squirm back further into the chair she is sitting on. All that comes out of her mouth is a croaking gasp.

OOC:   Yes David cannot do anything this round unfortunately, looks like just Joseph can act (see below). Right I'll go in DEX order then

A loud hiss sounds from the bathroom and a jet of white mist shoots out, missing the waiters but hitting the cart. Frost and icicles sprout all over it, and the temperature in the room drops ten degrees (SAN check 1, 0/1D2).

The waiter with the fire extinguisher lunges forward, knocking over the cart, which shatters as it hits the floor. The man thumbs the nozzle and a thick, greenish gas shoots out and into the bathroom.

The other waiter looks at the investigators and pulls a glass sphere from his pocket. A hideous buzzing issues from the bathroom.

'Sorrell' stands up. He only reaches a height of four and a half feet. His hands drag the floor, as does the trench coat. Woodson’s head, now much too big for his body, wobbles and suddenly falls to the floor where it bounced towards Jemima (SAN cost 1/1D4 San - 1/1D6 for poor Jemima). A horrific glimpse of the bathroom door shows a terrible silhouette and a putrescent tail slithers into the light momentarily. A terrifying buzzing shriek issues from "Sorrell's" chest and then the lights go out as the room is plunged into total darkness.

Now in total darkness, it seems that the sound of buzzing and thumping around has been intensified As furniture falls over. A waiter screams loudly. Joseph blunders blindly into the furniture. There is the sound of glass breaking, and of fragments
crunching underfoot. A strong serpentine smell washes over everything.Now all the investigators lose consciousness from the effects of the gas.

OOC:   The 'combat' ends in the first round on DEX 15 - sorry guys These boys don't mess around. I feel kinda guilty for making you think you could influence anything here so I'll give you what you might have noticed on the spot hidden roll. You notice that the two 'waiters' were both wearing rings set with yellow stones.

OOC:   Jemima failed all her SAN rolls and passed her Spot Hidden.

Jemima just sits there, her face a mask of sheer terror as her eyes widen and a silent scream forms in her throat as her hands instinctively clutch each other at her breast. She tries to squirm back further into the chair she is sitting on. All that comes out of her mouth is a croaking gasp.

OOC:   Yes David cannot do anything this round unfortunately, looks like just Joseph can act (see below). Right I'll go in DEX order then

A loud hiss sounds from the bathroom and a jet of white mist shoots out, missing the waiters but hitting the cart. Frost and icicles sprout all over it, and the temperature in the room drops ten degrees (SAN check 1, 0/1D2).

The waiter with the fire extinguisher lunges forward, knocking over the cart, which shatters as it hits the floor. The man thumbs the nozzle and a thick, greenish gas shoots out and into the bathroom.

The other waiter looks at the investigators and pulls a glass sphere from his pocket. A hideous buzzing issues from the bathroom.

'Sorrell' stands up. He only reaches a height of four and a half feet. His hands drag the floor, as does the trench coat. Woodson’s head, now much too big for his body, wobbles and suddenly falls to the floor where it bounced towards Jemima (SAN cost 1/1D4 San - 1/1D6 for poor Jemima). A horrific glimpse of the bathroom door shows a terrible silhouette and a putrescent tail slithers into the light momentarily. A terrifying buzzing shriek issues from "Sorrell's" chest and then the lights go out as the room is plunged into total darkness.

Now in total darkness, it seems that the sound of buzzing and thumping around has been intensified As furniture falls over. A waiter screams loudly. Joseph blunders blindly into the furniture. There is the sound of glass breaking, and of fragments
crunching underfoot. A strong serpentine smell washes over everything.Now all the investigators lose consciousness from the effects of the gas.

OOC:   The 'combat' ends in the first round on DEX 15 - sorry guys These boys don't mess around. I feel kinda guilty for making you think you could influence anything here so I'll give you what you might have noticed on the spot hidden roll. You notice that the two 'waiters' were both wearing rings set with yellow stones.

David was unaffected by the sudden cold, but the severed head nearly freaked him out.

SAN vs. cold ; SAN vs. falling head (1d100=84, 1d100=25) - Failed the cold SAN check and passed the falling head.

The coldness penetrate the bones of Joseph, a logical explanation cannot explain this sudden drop of temperature but the falling head was something Joseph, god's knows why, was expecting. He was sure something was wrong with Martin's brain, if it was Martin at all. His recent research at the morgue prepared him for non-logical findings.

You wake slowly, finding yourselves seated on chairs or the couch, and with your joints stiff and heads aching.

The door to the bathroom stands half ajar, the light on in the bathroom dimly illuminates the room beyond. Both rooms are now about forty degrees colder than they were. Condensation drips from the ceiling and down the walls. A hideous stench like spoiled milk hangs in the air. There is no sign of Sorrell, his ghastly head, the two waiters, or the service cart.

By their watches the investigators see that two hours have passed. In the bathroom two heaps of greenish slime lie on the floor, ribbons and tendrils of the stuff running all over the counter and into the tub. The gelatinous muckis the source of the stink. Each heap is inert and seems to be quite dead.

Someone has written a message on the wide bathroom mirror, in smears of the hideous stuff “You are dealing with things you do not understand. Get out while you still can.” Thousands of questions race through your minds, but there’s no one to answer. Yet, somehow, the clues seem to indicate that the answers lie deep within the jungles of British Honduras.

David shivers, and not just from the cold. "I had had my suspicions that that wasn't really Martin," he says, "but what just happened confirms it. Both whatever was impersonating him and the men who killed it want us not to investigate further. They seem to be carrying on their own private little war, and those may not be the only two factions. We still don't know exactly what Whateley's involvement is."

Shivering in the cold room, Jemima suggests that you all retire to hers as it is the farthest away from this room, therefore more likely to be a whole lot warmer.

You get hot coffee/tea/drinks sent up to the room in an attempt to warm you up quicker. "I still can't get warmed up. What shall we do now then ..." asks Jemima. "I know when I have been warned off, and I don't take kindly to it one bit. That being said, they took us out as easy as we'd put a hot knife through warm butter, and they could quite easily have killed us had that been their intention. So who was it let us live and then warned us off I wonder?" She shivers again and takes another long drink of her coffee.

"Well, they're not our enemies," says David, "or they'd have killed us, as you say. They aren't exactly our friends either, though they are opposed to those creatures. Both sides in that conflict want us to stay out of it, but I have no intention of giving up. I must find out what really happened to Martin."

Well, that was an experience I would not want to be involved again.

Joseph says
Clearly, there are evident traces, probably the stench, of a usage of some sort of hallucination substance carried by the man that was acting as Martin and a poisonous gas that made us feint. The waiters were with gas masks, so no alien creatures or hideous monsters over here.
Joseph conclude the event.
But we must investigate further.

Jemima looks a little concerned. "But what shall we do next. I think we all agree that we all want to proceed, but how? I for one would like to know what Whateley's part in this is, but the trip that Sorrell took, that should yield a richer vein of further information."

"Yes, finding out what Whateley is up to is our only real lead here in Arkham," says David. "He clearly knows more than we do. You're right, I will need to return to Belize in order to learn whatever Martin has discovered - and hopefully avoid meeting the same fate. But Joseph, the gas could not have been hallucinatory, for you saw the same things I did. How could a hallucinogen make us hallucinate the same thing?"

Jemima says; "I agree David that Whateley knows more about this, but I don't think we should waste too much time following up a lead that could be a blind alley. I say we give it until we can arrange to travel to British Honduras. Perhaps this contact you have at the University can help get that into motion whilst we finish off here?"

"Yes, I can get that sorted out and arrange an expedition tomorrow," said David. "I'll call Philip Baxter again tonight to get the ball rolling. Then we'd better do something about the mess in my room."

I need a day or so to arrange someone to take over the clinic now that Father and Mother are off the country too, who knows when they will come back from Africa.

Joseph replies, excited from the planned trip

That night you all find sleep extremely hard to come by ... in fact what little sleep you do have is plagued by dreams of your friends disguised as strange monsters fighting disturbing battles with creatures that seem remarkably featureless. The following morning you all assemble down in the dining room for breakfast when Sarah Hawkins enters the dining room. "Hello there David Well then, what is happening here that you need my input?"

"Quite a bit has been happening," says David, and he explains to her what has happened since they came to Arkham. "We have need of someone with your particular talents, or rather we need two such people at the same time. Miss Thorndyke is the other. Our plan is to have one of you pay a visit to Mr. Whateley's home in his absence and have a look around, while the other keeps tabs on the gardener. I think it's best if Miss Thorndyke performs the latter task, as she has seen her before."

Sarah nods solemnly. "You may be surprised that I'm here so early, but when Prof Baxter got in touch last night, I packed and got the first bus down here. I guess I can guess what skills you have in mind David." Sarah laughs gaily. "Of course I will do whatever I can, you know that. Can you give me a description of the apartment, to help me get my bearings and all that? Is it ground floor or higher and so forth?"

OOC,Do we know that?

OOC:   Reply;- See the posts from around 10th April in this thread. You and Joseph followed Whateley back to his apartment where I posted;- "You notice that Whateley entered 172 Walnut Street. Looking at the mailboxes you can see that there are three names attached to this house, Harden, Dunlap and Whateley."