IC-Chapter 1-Holy Holy(Father Levington/Harry Sawyer)

[Mr. Handy]

Father Levington's Home - Ivy Hills, Pennsylvania
9:20 PM - Wednesday, July 16, 1969
Father Levington reached his house in the Philadelphia suburbs and went inside. It was getting late, but he was used to staying up later when he needed to and the events of the evening had him curious.

OOC,[b]Father Levington[/b], feel free to describe your own house. Also, roll Idea.

[TheAlchemist]

Levington's home was not a large one. It consisted of a single story with green vinyl siding and a sloped black shingled roof. The inside of the home often suprised first time visitors because of the contrast between it and the outside of the house. While the outside was plain and similar to all the other houses in the neighborhood, the inside was finely furnished. Most rooms in the house had beautiful hardwood floors and decorative molding darlky stained. Pieces of art, both replicas and even a few original pieces hung from the walls in various places. Fine rugs, obviously not local products, but likely foreign imports, served as the center pieces for seveal of the rooms. The Library was the most finely furnished of all the rooms. Originally the library had a wall in the center of the room, and it had severed to divide two bedrooms, but it had been taken out to make room for Levingtons large collection of books. Shelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling. A massive globe sat in one corner and in various places, between book shelves and sitting on them were various nick-nacks, busts of historical figures, model ships and the like. A large, leather, maroon easy chair sat to the edge of the rooms persian rug next to a squat oak table. An electric lamp sat behind the chair. A fireplace, covered in intracate woodwork sat in the middle of the west wall near the easy chair, dormant. A stack of wood sat in a metal container next to it.

Other then the library the house contained a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and living room.

Coming in the front door, Levington took of his shoes, went into his library, and slumped down into his easy chair. The events of the evening had given him much to think about. He started a fire and sat there by the firelight letting his eyes drift about the room.

[Mr. Handy]

As Father Levington looked at the shelves full of the many books in his personal collection, a thought came to him. The mention of Morpheus had intrigued him, and he could do some research on it to find out its significance. While the public libraries were closed at this hour, his own library was right here in the room. Perhaps there was something useful in one or more of his books.

OOC,[b]Father Levington[/b], roll Library Use if you want to research Morpheus. This will take a total of four hours, though you can do some of it tonight, sleep, and do the rest in the morning.

[TheAlchemist]

Levington stood from the chair and pulled several volumns on folklore and mythology down from the shelf and paged through them.

[Mr. Handy]

Father Levington started looking through his books, but he wasn't finding anything in them about Morpheus.

OOC,Let me know how many of the four hours you spend on research before you go to sleep. If you don't stay up until you've finished, you'll be able to finish up in the morning. Your roll failed, but not by much, so at the end of the four hours I'll give you a hint on where to look next. Don't go ahead to the morning yet, though. Just let me know when you're ready to go to sleep.

[TheAlchemist]

While Levington enjoyed perusing through his books, he did feel rather tired. Having little to do the next day, he turned in at ten o-clock planning to get an early start the next day.

[Mr. Handy]

Father Levington started poring through Bullfinch's Mythology, but after forty minutes he had found no references to Morpheus. He hadn't expected to come up with something that quickly, and he was feeling tired, so he retired to his bed and soon drifted off to sleep.

Father Levington was surprised to find himself standing by the side of a dirt road in a wooded area. The road stretched from horizon to horizon, and the sun was either starting to peek over it or was setting behind it in one direction. The chirping of birds filled the air, and the scent of grass and flowers was very strong. There was no sign of civilization as far as he could see. Apart from the birds, there was only one other animal visible: a calico cat lying on the other side of the road. It regarded him with obvious curiosity as it stretched and purred.

[TheAlchemist]

ooc,does my character think that he is dreaming?

Levington walked across the road to stand next to the cat.

"Hello there kitty," he said, bending down to pet it. "How'd we get here?"

Levington smiled, bemused that he was asking a cat questions.

[Mr. Handy]

"Hello," said the cat, grinning at him as it spoke in what seemed perfectly understandable English. It sounded just like a human might sound when speaking, only its voice was a little high-pitched. "Well, I got here after I fell asleep. I don't know how you got here, but it was probably the same way."

OOC,Before this there was no way to tell you were dreaming, but the talking cat is a pretty big clue (and so is what it said). Even so, it's sometimes difficult to realize that one is dreaming while in the dream. Roll Idea to see if you can figure it out, and to see what you can remember about how you got here.

[TheAlchemist]

OOC,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2203104/]Idea.[/url]

"Where are we?" Levington asked.

[Mr. Handy]

Father Levington did realize that, while this place certainly looked and felt real, there was a certain dream-like quality about it, and he was aware at the back of his mind that cats couldn't speak. Even the cat's very words seemed to hint at the possibility that he was dreaming. He had the vaguest recollection of descending an odd stairway, and then of reaching a guarded gate, where the gatekeepers examined him before allowing him to pass. Beyond the gate, he had gone down some more stairs and somehow ended up here.

"We're in the Enchanted Wood," said the cat, "not too far to the east of the town of Ulthar."

[TheAlchemist]

"Ulthar? I've never heard of it. I take it you've been around here before?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Oh, yes, I come here all the time," said the cat. "My name is Snookums. Well, that's the name my Big Folk gave me. My true cat name is probably too hard for you to pronounce. When I'm awake, I'm just a simple but beloved pet, but here," Snookums pounded his chest with a paw, "I am a mighty hunter and warrior. Haven't you ever wondered why cats spend most of the day asleep? Ulthar is a nice town, one where Big Folk and cats live in peace, and I go there often. I came out here to catch one of those yummy-sounding birds for breakfast, and to see if anyone new like you was going to show up."

[TheAlchemist]

"Aren't I a little old to be the new guy?" Levington asked, turning around to take in the scenery. Without waiting for a reply he asked: "So, what do the new guys do after getting here?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Oh, we get all kinds," said Snookums. "Some people are older than you when they first find this place, and it's not easy to find. You must be very special to have been allowed through the gates. Most people like to explore when they get here. These lands are vast and filled with wonders, but there are also dangers. I can guide you around, if you like. I can show you Ulthar, which is a safe place, but still interesting. Or I can show you the sights to be seen in the woods."

The forest was vast and stretched as far as the eye could see. Many trees with multicolored leaves were dotted around on both sides of the road, their branches reaching quite high. The sun had been inching higher over the last couple of minutes, and the cat's mention of breakfast also indicated that it was early morning.

[TheAlchemist]

"We're in the woods, so that might be a good place to start, if you don't mind showing me around."

[Mr. Handy]

"No, I don't mind," said Snookums. "I love exploring the woods, meeting new people, and showing them around. You'll need to watch out for the zoogs. They live in these woods. They've gone to war with the cats in the past, but we beat them and took some of them prisoner. Now they don't dare attack us. They still like to eat Big Folk, but you'll be perfectly safe while you're with me. Let's go see if we can rustle up a bird or two while we explore. You have the look of a hunter about you. There are some nests near the vaults of Zin. The ghasts live in there, but you don't have to worry about them. They only come out at night. I can also show you the graveyard of the gugs, which is right next to them. They're really scary, but they're trapped underground now. As long as you don't go down into their realm, you're safe from them. Both places are several miles south of here, and it should only take us a few hours to walk there. Sound good to you?"

[TheAlchemist]

"Actually, this sounds kinda dangerous. Well. I don't know." Levington paused a moment, considering. "Alright, sure I'll follow you."

Its just a dream after all, he thougth to himself, the wonderment of his situation plain on his face. This is too vivid to pass up. He smiled. This is way too awesome.

OOC,Before I forget, I want to ask the cat about some of the weird things he said, as we're walking to wherever it is that we're going. Just a heads up.

[Mr. Handy]

"Good!" said the cat. "This way!" He led the way south, away from the road and into the shadowy woods. The sun was starting to climb as they walked. "So, what's your name?"

OOC,Sure, go ahead and ask what you want.

[TheAlchemist]

"I'm Nathaniel," Levington said. "What is this place exactly? I mean, you mentioned that you came here after you fell asleep, and that was weird because I have this notion in my head that I'm dreaming this whole thing up. Cats can't talk you know." He smiled."I feel like Alice in Wonderland, but yet it all seems so real. I've never had a dream like this."