Chapter One - Day 3 - An Early Morning Meeting

[Cearlan]

Day three begins with you all meeting at a local cafeteria, or wherever you so desire, to compare notes and exchange information and experiences from the last two days.

OOC:   The story so far is that two students from the Miskatonic University, Henry Atwater and Richard Cardigan have gone missing during a field trip on the bankks of the river. Henry and Jimmy have been hired by Richard's parents to find out what happened and are occasionally accompanied by his sister, Sharon. Sr Katherine and Dr Weedon became involved when she treat a strange man dressed in rags at the local hospital who claimed, in archaic speech, that he was Henry Atwater, the missing boy ... despite his being hideously deformed and looking to be in his seventies. He is transferred to Arkham Asylum where Dr Hardstrom, the Asylum's head introduces you to Detective Stukley, who is running the case. They allow you a few moments with the wretch calling himself Henry Atwater, but you get little of import that you can understand from him. A Fr Marsh, an expert on demonic possession says there is no need for an exorcism. You head off to the campsite and have a few words with Off Peartree who is known to you, who is co-ordinating the search of the area. Observing some friction between Peartree and Off Oxley you determine that Peartree is still drinking on duty. Henry and Jimmy head off towards the ruined bridge leaving Sharon and Sr Katherine to discover a half-buried body. This affects Henry, Jimmy and Sharon pretty badly, especially when another body, the body of Henry Atwater, is found buried underneath the first one. Sharon, his sister positively identifies him. Once Henry and Jimmy get their wits back together again they return to the ruined bridge and discover some stones that have a design on one side and a relief of a figure on the other - a figure that looks very similar to the wretch back at the asylum. Meanwhile, Sr Katherine goes to support Sharon as she goes to tell her father of Richard's death. This causes a heart attack for the aging man, but sterling work by Sr Katherine saves his life. The symbol looks ancient and so you head over to the Arkham Historical Society where E.L. Peabody takes charge of the stones and over dinner he tells you to come back tomorrow as the symbol is something he remembers but cannot place where from. You return to the Asylum to find that the mis-shapen wretch calling himself Atwater has escaped. Examination of his cell shows no way out of the room other than the door and a faint circle of some description on the floor. A search of the ground shows that a section of the all has been destroyed and a trail of blood heads towards town. After mmaking the asylum staff aware you return to town and find a light on at the Historical Society, but you are unable to gain entry or rouse a response from inside.

[Mr. Handy]

"Good morning, everyone," says Sister Katherine, feeling refreshed after having gotten some sleep. "I think the first thing we should do this morning is return to the Historical Society now that it's open. We can make sure everything's all right and can find out if Mr. Peabody learned anything from studying those stones."

[Priest]

Adding another heaped spoonful of sugar to my coffee, I nod at the smiling nun, "Morning Sister"

Jimmy thinking:   Jesus she looks like she actualy got some shut eye last night. Obviously she wasn't bothered by rustling feathery sounds each time she shut off the light.

[DrPeterson]

Calamy had spent most of the night fiddling with his violin, staring out his window into the darkness of the heavens. The detective had slept very little, his mind too busy trying to make something of this case, but there was just so much weirdness...
To soothe his mind, he'd picked up Arthur Conan Doyle's collected stories, hoping to find some insight in his favourite fictional sleuth.
Holmes always seemed to be able to distil the problem down to the essential, even when it was packed behind layer upon layer of obfuscation, to reduce the problem to the basest of human urges and motivations...

Calamy thinking:   A motive!

The few hours he had slept, weren't too peaceful either, the grabbing man, the birds, the stink of sulphur and decay. He was used to sleepless nights though, and he didn't mind, as long as they didn't last too long.

And now he was here at the coffee shop, smoking another cigarette, drinking more coffee, mulling over another case after a sleepless night. Calamy smiled.

Calamy thinking:   The good things never change.

"I agree that we should go see Peabody first, sister. But something else has been gnawing at my mind. I can't find a motive for this entire scheme. Why and especially who would want to take care of Henry Atwater and Richard Cardigan and why would they do it in this way?

[Cearlan]

Sharon enters the cafeteria and sits down at the end of the table currently occupied by the investigators. She looks pale and drawn but her voice carries a steely resolve as she orders a strong coffee before she tells the group;

"My father has had a heart attack, when he was told about poor Richard's death. Thanks to the good Sister here, he survived and seems to be past the worst of it now and needs nothing but rest. He sent me from his bedside and so I am back with the party now once again. What has happened since Sr Katherine and myself last spoke? I need to find some answers as to how my brother was slain."

Once she has been brought up to speed she enquires "Henry, I agree that there is nothing that gives us anything resembling so much as a clue regarding a motive for these deaths. What is the suggested course of action for us now? Maybe the next actions may render a meaningful clue to us."

[DrPeterson]

Henry crushes the butt of his cigarette in the ashtray and finishes his coffee.

"I say we go call on Peabody, we'll see where we go after that. Shall we?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Do the devil and his servants need a motive to do evil?" asks Sister Katherine. "They often seek destruction and death for their own sake. However, there may be something more to it. Perhaps the boys stumbled upon something, like those stones, that whoever or whatever is responsible for this would have preferred remain undiscovered. Hmm...now I'm even more concerned about Mr. Peabody. We should go see him at once." She smiles at Sharon. "I'm glad your father is doing better, Sharon, and that I was there to help him, but all of the glory should go to God. He arranged for me to be there and guided my hands."

[Priest]

I sip my coffee. This is one of those coffees you hope will never end, especially given what the future may hold, if the past few days is anything to go by.

"Peabody's...Yeah that's good"

[Cearlan]

You arrive at the Arkham Historical Society and find it still locked up. A board outside states that the institution is not due to open until Twelve O'clock. You still have a little under two hours before opening time. Now that the sun is up, although it is largely concealed by low scudding clouds similar to yesterday, it is difficult to tell if the light is still burning in Peabody's office or not, but if you were to guess it would probably have been extinguished at some point after your leaving last night and the present.

Persistent knocking from you elicits no response from inside.

[Mr. Handy]

"I hadn't known they opened so late," says Katherine. "It seems they like to sleep in. Where else shall we go for the next two hours?"

[DrPeterson]

"Hmm, I hadn't counted on that..."

Henry starts walking back to the car.

"I say we go ask around a bit at Miskatonic University, interview their friends and fellow students. Though I doubt we'll find many who are up at this ungodly hour."

[Mr. Handy]

"All right," says Katherine. "I can't think of a better idea. Although I wouldn't call ten o'clock ungodly. I often wake up at six, if not earlier."

[DrPeterson]

"I wasn't talking about your devotion, sister. I was alluding to the student's lack of piety."


Henry grins as he lights another fag.

[Mr. Handy]

"Oh, no offense taken," says Katherine. "Still, there must be some dedicated students up and about, and that's just the sort we need to talk to."

[Priest]

I smile, ruefully,

Jimmy thinking:   Ungodly?...Lack of piety?...Yep that about covers the student body at the University

"If its 'dedicated' students we are after we'd be best trying O'Malleys Diner just down the road from the main campus building"

[DrPeterson]

"Good thinking, Jimmy. To O'Malley's it is!"

Once everyone's gotten in, Henry takes off.

[Mr. Handy]

"Then let us go," says Katherine, getting into the car.

[Cearlan]

You pull up outside the diner and despite the place looking fairly full, it has little or no atmosphere as the majority of students are either at the first lecture of the day or just getting up.

[DrPeterson]

"We should see if we can shake any trees here."


Henry looks around to see if he can see any solitary student with whom he could share a table.

[Mr. Handy]

Katherine enters the diner with the others and looks around for likely students.