Chapter One - Day 3 - An Early Morning Meeting

[Priest]

As I climb from Henry's car, I see from Sister Katherine's expression that she has heard something. I listen to see if I hear what it was...

Listen,55% halved 27% 1d100 → [25] = (25) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4413198/

[Cearlan]

As you disembark the from car, Sr Katherine and Jimmy both freeze as a faint sound reaches your ears. It is the sound of a door repeatedly banging at the rear of the house. As you all reach the house it becomes more apparent. There are also faint sounds of moaning coming from within the house.

[Mr. Handy]

"Quick, we must get inside!" hisses Sister Katherine. "Someone's moaning, probably in pain. I hear the back door banging over an over." She tries the front door to see if it opens.

[Priest]

"You try the front door I'll head around back. Sister, let Henry go first if the library visitor is here..."
I leave that sentence unfinished as I try to find my way to the rear of the house.
Its at times like this I wish I knew how to use a gun. I know they say the pen is mightier than the sword but I don't think that includes a much chewed pencil stub.

[DrPeterson]

Henry nods and quickly moves to the front of the house, his pistol already in his hand. He takes a deep breath and then pushes open the door and heads in, his gun at the ready.

[Cearlan]

Henry & Katherine,You both enter the house with Henry in the lead. You enter a long, wood paneled hallway with a herring bone patterned parquet floor. From the left of the front door you can see a double door leading somewhere with a red smear on the handle. A grand staircase lies along the left wall and once you get inside the hallway properly, (as opposed to peering through the open door), you can see a door under the stairs, two doors on the far wall and two on the right wall of the hallway. There are signs of an obvious struggle, an occasional table lies knocked over with a bronze statuette lying on the floor. Also a few paintings lie on the floor where they had been knocked off the walls. The moaning appears to be coming from a door under the staircase.

Jimmy & Sharon,You head round the side of the house which lies in shadow. As you progress you can hear several crows, or maybe ravens cawing back and forth to each other in the trees above you. [color=#0040FF]"Oh my Jimmy, them birds sound awfully close to me."[/color] Sharon lays her hand upon your back causing you to stiffen slightly. You breathe slowly to help relax. When you reach the corner, unsettled by the raucous birds, you gingerly poke your head round and see a raised verandah with a screen door flying open and closed in the wind. You ascend the steps of the verandah when you notice some partial footprints leading away from the back door. You recognise them as being similar to those at the Historical Society.

[Mr. Handy]

Katherine runs to the door under the staircase and tries to open it, knowing that there isn't a moment to lose and trusting in God and Henry to protect her in case whoever is responsible is still here.

[Cearlan]

Henry and Katherine,As you open the door you see a pile of coats on the floor with a pair of women's legs sticking out away from the door. Clearing the coats away you discover a middle aged coloured woman bound hand and feet. When you free her she is obviously in an agitated state. [color=#FF4000]"Ah missy Hope - Police must be Missy Hope - What Shock for Georgia."[/color] You take her through to the kitchen and sit her down whilst Henry gets her a glass of water. Once she has calmed down enough to get any sense out of her, which takes a while, you manage to get from her the following [color=#FF4000]"I was down at Walgreen's Pharmacy store getting my mistresses items and when I came back I ... I ..."[/color] She starts to become agitated again but with your compassion and care she manages to regain her composure.

Sharon and Jimmy enter from the back door see Sr Katherine talking to a coloured woman dressed as a servant who is obviously in an agitated state. As you both enter the coloured woman starts in fright. Katherine manages to calm her down while Sharon goes to help the nun. Closing her eyes she draws a deep breath and says "Whoo boy! I came back and found her slain in her bed where she lay." Tears flowed down her face in a cascade that seemed bottomless."I screamed and turned around, dropping her medicines all over the floor as I saw the maniac who had killed her. He was white and young, though his eyes were dead if you know what I mean. He stood tall and had a cruel sneer on his face. He had a strange way of walking and ..." Looking at Sharon up close for the first time, the servant holds her hand to her mouth, "Oh my gosh, but you look a little like him missy I'm sorry to say.

[Mr. Handy]

Katherine crosses herself. "I'm so sorry, Georgia," she says, squeezing her hand. "Thank the Lord you have survived. Do you recall what time it was when you found her?"

[Priest]

Still unsettled by the birds, I come to a halt before the group in the kitchen, "There's a trail leading away from the back door. Footprints like before"
At the coloured womans remark about the assailants likeness to Sharon, I stop talking and look at Henry...

[DrPeterson]

Henry returns Jimmy's glance and nods, holstering his revolver.


"If the trail is fresh enough, we might still be able to catch up with him. Ladies, at least one of you should look after Georgia here. Jimmy, let's go, stay behind me and keep your eyes peeled."


Henry sets off towards the back door.

[Mr. Handy]

"I'll stay with her," says Katherine, reasoning that it's better not to have Sharon remain given her resemblance to Georgia's assailant.

OOC,I'm confused. Is [b]Sharon[/b] [b]Henry Atwater[/b]'s sister, or [b]Richard Cardigan[/b]'s?

[Cearlan]

OOC:   From the very first post in Arkham Asylum (now in the archive) "Henry Calamy, Sharon Williams and Jimmy Veccio Wealthy banker Herbert Cardigan had sent his son to Miskatonic University to study Botany of all things ... well at least his elder brother would follow in the family business. Last Thursday morning, his son, Richard and his friend Henry Atwater set out from Arkham to camp on the bank of the Miskatonic River in Bowen Woods. They were expected to return on Saturday but never arrived. Early Sunday morning, Atwater was found wandering along west River Street, in a disturbed state of mind. Police took him to St. Mary's Hospital where he was examined by Doctors and Herbert want's answers as to what happened and where his son got to. To this end he has assembled a crack private investigator, one who specialises in missing persons; a local reporter, who better to know the area and where the leads are and his daughter who refused to be left out of the investigation. You are informed that the Atwater boy is now being held in Arkham Asylum after being transferred from St. Mary's." So in short, Sharon is Richard Cardigan's sister. What with the suspected person committing these acts resembling Atwater and the poor wretch claiming to be Atwater it is slightly confusing. My bad if I haven't explained it properly. Cardigan was found buried, in the sand by the Miskatonic with his head bashed in and a somehow still living being, the poor wretch claiming to be Atwater under him. This is where the ornithophobia (fear of birds) stems from ... in this game anyway.

Katherine and Sharon,Georgia looks at you with deep brown eyes and says "Missy, I know 'tain't my place but shouldn't we be a-callin' the pollis. I know you and your friends mean well an' all, but the fact is my mistress is a-lyin upstairs all dead an' all. Sharon asks "Georgia, do you have a telephone at all in the house?" Georgia tells her with a look of fear in her eye "It's in the front parlour missy." Sharon slowly rises and goes to make the call.

Sharon leaves Katherine and Georgia in the kitchen and goes into the front parlour and places the call to the police before you return to the kitchen. As you enter the room you notice Georgia's grip on Katherine's arm tightens significantly. Sharon nods and says I had better go and make sure the boys don't get into trouble. You know how men ... her words trail off as you realise the impact of what you were saying may have on Georgia.

Henry and Jimmy,A few bloody half footprints lead from the hallway, through the kitchen and down the steps.

OOC:   Either Track or Spot Hidden at 1/5 please

Sharon joins you both looking down at the bloodied half prints down the steps "This is disconcerting gentlemen. I felt that my presence in there might agitate the servant so I have left Sr Katherine with her. I have called the police so they should be here presently. Where do these tracks lead?" She hunkers down and looks for where the trail leads, but without success.

[Mr. Handy]

"The police are on their way, Georgia," Katherine assures her."Do you remember what time it was when you came home?"

OOC,That's what I thought. What had me confused was that it sounds like [b]Georgia[/b] thinks there's a physical resemblance between [b]Sharon[/b] and [b]Henry Atwater[/b], who is not her brother.

[DrPeterson]

Henry starts following the tracks, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

Tracking,[dice]0[/dice]

He swears and scratches the back of his head as he's lost the trace.

[Priest]

Seeing Henry's reaction, I peer in the general direction that the footsteps seem to have been heading.

Spot Hidden,65% 1d100 → [51] = (51) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4418164/ Fail

"Nah can't see anything Henry. He may have gone that way, but your guess is as good as mine"

[Cearlan]

Henry Sharon and Jimmy,The trail has gone cold now and the murderer seems to have eluded you for the time being. Sharon says [color=#FF4000]"The police will be here all too soon, shouldn't we have a look to see if there is anything that may be helpful to our particular inquiries."[/color]

Katherine,Georgia, trying to talk through her tears, which are starting to subside, adds. [color=#FF4000]"Thank you sister for your calming presence has surely helped me. That other woman looks jus' like the man Sister Missy, especially 'cross her eyes and nose. I feel uncomfortable in her presence, but I sense that she is a decent person." [/color]Georgia shudders before saying [color=#FF4000]"I wonder why he disfigured my mistress ... after all she was a little old lady - a bit eccentric I guess but we all have our ways as my momma used to be fond of saying."[/color]

[Mr. Handy]

"You're welcome, Georgia," says Katherine, "I haven't known Sharon long, but she is a nice person. Maybe she's related to the man who did this. It's possible that he's an escaped mental patient." She describes Henry Atwater. "Was that the man you saw?"

[DrPeterson]

Outside,[color=#0000BF]You're right, let's have a quick look around the house before the cops get here.[/color]

Henry heads into the house, looking none too happy.


"I'd like to have a quick look at where the murder took place. Is it upstairs?"

[Priest]

Dissapointed at the lack of an obvious trail outside, I follow Henry back into the kitchen, "Hang on Henry, lets have a look and see if the footprints lead anywhere within the building"
I take a look and see if the footsteps can be backtracked inside. "We know he went out the back door, but where else had he been inside?"

Spot Hidden,1d100 → [64] = (64) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4422235/ normal spot hidden chance please adjust if necessary.