Play@YSDC

Flora Café - Dunwich, England
12:00 PM - Thursday, September 5, 1985

Story, carrying the bottle, returned to the Flora Café just as Zeke Baker was finishing his lunch. He wiped his lips on his sleeve and stood up. "Ah, I see you've brought something, Professor!" said Zeke, looking eagerly at the bottle. "I like a good scotch, I do. If you're ready, I'll take you to my boat."

Story:
Story motions Zeke to lead on with his hands while smiling grandly and saying. "By all means, lead the way good sir. I can't wait to see your boat, I love fishing; it is not knowing what you will catch that makes it so interesting." Story follows Zeke.

"Right this way," said Zeke, leading Story to the car park behind the café. He went over to a battered white pickup truck, encrusted with dirt. Attached to its back on a small trailer was a little wooden rowboat containing a pair of paddles and some fishing gear. It would fit the two of them, but it wouldn't be comfortable. "Here she is. She's not much to look at, but she'll float. Help me carry her over to the shore. It's not far."

Story:
"Nothing quite like the simplicity of a wooden boat." Story said as he walked over to the back of the rowboat. He grabbed it assuringly and began to lift it; "I'll follow your lead down to the shore". In reflection Story thought that perhaps a little off topic conversation might get the friendly ball rolling and the benefit of the bottle would be of better bonus if a little friendly talk opened their trip. After all most people like to talk about themselves and what they've done and seen. "So Zeke, you look like a man of some experience; how long have you lived in Dunwich?"

"All my life," said Zeke, lugging the boat's front end. "That's fifty years so far." When he and Story reached the water, he set it down in the shallows. "Thanks, it's a lot easier than carrying it by myself." He clambered into the front end of the boat and took up the paddles, dipping them in the sea. "Hop aboard, mate."

Story:
Story reflects: Well then, we have someone who knows the ins and outs of the town. Let's start with something a little more mundane before we get to the sea monsters. "You must know all about the Feud between the Soames and the Lake family then. I understand Captain Lake was quite respected in town." Story performs the classic acrobatics known in the common tongue as launching a boat, wherein one attempts to push the boat away from shore such that it is suspended on its own buoyancy and jump in without getting one's feet wet.

Roll,Here is a [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4040371/]roll[/url] to determine success of feet dry (22)

Story had no difficulty getting into the boat without getting wet. Zeke pushed off from the shore with the paddles. "Now that's quite a tale," he said. "It all goes back to when old Captain Lake came back from the war in 1945. I was just a lad at the time, but I heard things. He was welcomed as a hero, and he was flush with gold. Nobody knew exactly where he got it, but talk was that he must've found Japanese gold during the war. One of those saying so was Edward Soames. Senior, that is. There was this reporter came to town, name of Matthew Morris, to do a story on Josiah Lake. Most people had good things to say about him, but Soames gave him an earful, told him what he really thought of the man. That Lake was corrupt, using stolen gold to buy influence in Dunwich, to buy the town really. Morris decided to find out the truth. Well, the prominent folks in Dunwich didn't take kindly to his snooping, and they rode him out of town on a rail. He got a pretty good thrashing, too. Soames didn't give up, though. He organized some of the people to oppose Lake. Things came to a head in early '46."

Story:
“Ah yes the allure of the shiny yellow metal, pursuit of it has brought civilizations to ruin throughout existence; Great conductor though, never oxidizes. But people keep decorating with it, like there was just oodles of it to go around. Oh how remiss am I? Isn’t it illegal to be sober while fishing? Oh silly me that’s Classic Earth re-enactment rules. Nevertheless it just seems wrong being out here and not having a drink or two, yes?” Story offers Zeke some Scotch. “So what are we fishing for today Zeke?” Story understands a little about fishing. At least enough to know that patience is a virtue in the sport, and that rushing is a good way to scare your fish away.

"Ah, thank you," said Zeke, eyeing the bottle thirstily as he took it in his hands and opened it. He took a hearty slug. "Ah, that hit the spot, all right! This looks like a good spot." He stopped rowing, put the paddles back in the boat and broke out his fishing tackle. After baiting the hook, he dangled it into the sea. "Trout tend to be biting a lot lately, maybe some carp. Salmon if we're lucky." He took a sip of whiskey. "Where was I? Oh, yes, 1946. That's when it all happened. In mid-January, that's when Soames sent a letter to Morris asking for his help. Lake was winning the struggle for control of Dunwich and was even making veiled threats against his life. Morris had been gathering evidence during the fall of 1945 and writing about him in the national press, but Lake had the town sewn up. Y'see, Dunwich has been corrupt for centuries. It used to be a huge city, with a seat in Parliament and everything. Well, after most of the town fell into the sea, it still had that seat. Notorious rotten borough, Dunwich was. Up until 1832, when they put a stop to it. Anyway, Morris took his evidence to constables in the area and convinced them to do something. They joined forces with Soames and his followers, and they arrested Lake and his inner circle, locking 'em up in the local jail. It looked like everything was all sewn up nicely. But that night..." He gulped and took a swig from the bottle. "That night everything changed..."

Story:
Story had wanted to use some of his attention to examine the sea floor to look for clues for what might have taken his TARDIS, but he realized at this point that what Zeke was telling him was probably far more important than any casual observation he could make. Story decides to focus on Zeke's story. (heh)

"What changed that night?"

Roll Psychology,Skill 90% [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4048259/]roll[/url] 1d100 → [35] = (35)

Story could see that Zeke was being sincere when he gave his account. He also seemed very afraid, but the alcohol was helping him work up his courage. He took a long swig from the bottle to shore himself up before continuing.

"That was the night they came," he went on, lowering his voice and glancing from side to side. "I seen 'em then - Sea Devils! They came outta the sea, lookin' like giant walking fish, or frogs, or turtles, or something! I was scared near to death, and I hid. They didn't see me, or I wouldn't still be here. They went into town and went back to the sea a while later. In the morning, Soames, Morris, the bobbies, and their supporters were dead, and Lake and his friends were free."

Story:
This reaffirmed Soames' story about large sea creatures claimed to be seen by his brother. An actual eye witness! Story became excited. Think of it! Large humanoid aquatics! That would explain the TARDIS' strange disappearance into the ocean, and the strange shapes seen beneath the water, AND the disappearance of Dr. Kirby. But if his history was correct, and it usually was, humans had no contact with humanoid aquatics during this time. Indeed they remained ignorant to the Silurians right under their noses and thought themselves to be very alone on Earth when it came to intelligence. Story could not recall at all, any interaction with an intelligent aquatic species this early in Earth's history. This is exactly the sort of opportunity he had wanted when he left Gallifrey! A close look at the real history of events. Who would have thought that this sleepy little sunken town harbored such an opportunity, to be there, right there, with humans and...whatever...as they forge a relationship.....Story's thoughts trailed a bit darker though. Zeke's story relates what happened 4 decades ago, an eternity for humans. This man, now old enough to be a grandfather, would have been but a young boy back then. These creatures had seemed to remain close but hiding. If they didn't want to make broad contact with humanity why come this close to shore and risk exposure? They clearly came to the aid of Josiah Lake which meant they would have valued Lake pretty highly. Why Lake? Since this occurred only a year after the return of Captain Lake from war, one can only conclude that such a trusting relationship between Lake and ....well we'll just call them the Aquatics... was forged not here in Dunwich but earlier, perhaps at his station in the war. Lake must have brought them to Dunwich, that's why the fish returned. Story would just bet that the gold that Lake had brought back with them was also in some way related to these creatures. Maybe they had found spoils from a sunken ship, or some such cache. Story would need to examine some of this gold to know where it might have originated. Story told himself despite his excitement at the opportunity, he had to remain cautious, these creatures had likely kidnapped Dr. Kirby, stolen his TARDIS, and killied several people to free Lake. Story refused to believe it was simple greed that drove Lake, he must have had motives that turned Soames against him. Lake wanted something that gold was buying him, and by extension these creatures wanted something, something Lake could get them. The best way to figure out why these creatures are here, is to explore the actions and motives of Josiah Lake. Specifically, how Lake was using his influence in Dunwich would shed a light on why the Aquatics came, and remained after his death.

Story's mind now distilled the sudden revelation down; Zeke a man who had just admitted to seeing sea monsters, would need some reassurance. "I believe there are many things man has not seen, both beneath the waves, beneath the surface, and beyond the sky. If you say you saw such things rise from the water, I believe you. These, creatures, must have been related in some way to Captain Lake and what he was doing in Dunwich. What was Lake doing with his new found popularity and influence that turned Soames and Morris against him so profoundly?"

Zeke nodded and took another stiff drink. "It was the bribery and corruption that drew Soames' ire," he said. "He was a man of integrity, and he couldn't stand to see his hometown being bought up. His wife supported him, and she was killed too. Their two boys survived, though. As to Morris, maybe he smelled a story, wanted to make a name for himself, win awards, that sort of thing. I don't know if they knew anything about Lake's plans for Dunwich or not.

"Once there was nobody left to oppose him, Lake started making some changes here. Not everyone agreed with him, but those that didn't made real sure to be polite. The preacher at the St. James Church was one of those killed, and one of Lake's friends, Father Stewart, took over the post. His son is in charge there today. There were some...subtle alterations to the services. We all had to take oaths. Father Stewart preached prosperity, and we got it. Fish in abundance, and Lake never ran short of gold, neither. Lake had also brought some strange womenfolk back from the Pacific, where he'd served. He married one himself, and he encouraged the other prominent men to marry them too. Father Stewart did. The Barne family didn't want anything to do with this, so they up and left back in '47, selling off their land. They sold their old manor to Josiah Lake, wanting to at least stay on good terms with him. It became the Lake family home."

Story:
Changes to the local church dogma? Strange women from far off lands to be taken as wives? Well there was more to know here for sure. But the plan behind these moves was still far from clear. A good British lass was competitively as comely as any woman; Bringing back women like war prizes to be distributed like party favors seems rather odd. Especially since the well to do families would have little trouble finding quality spouses at home. They must be related to what happened with Lake in the Pacific, and therefore the Aquatics. Story resolved to continue fishing there first.

"These women that Lake brought with them; Was there anything strange about their manner or appearance? Really anything about them at all that stands out in your memory as just odd?"

"What was strange about their appearance was that we didn't see them at all," said Zeke. "They never showed themselves in public."

Story:
"Well that's pretty odd. Never seen in public? Never seen by anyone? That's real odd. Is there anyone still alive married to one of these women? Or does one of the widows still live in town?"

"The widows don't live in town, no," said Zeke. "It's been near forty years, but a few of those men are still alive today. They keep to themselves, though."

Story:
So the women were all to expectedly unavailable. No matter a living link to them existed in Father Stewarts son. Conincedentially the other anomolous behavior of Lake, the changing of Church liturgy also involved Father Stewarts son. It was looking more and more like the path back to his TARDIS was going to be through the Dunwich Church.

"So you said the things changed at the Church, oaths had to be taken, what kind of oaths if you don't mind me asking? Was there anything else that you recall about how services changed?"

"I had to take the oaths too," said Zeke, taking another slug of scotch. "The first two, anyway. I never took the third oath, but that was optional. Didn't want to marry one of them strange women, which was what it involved. Much better off being a bachelor, mate. It's been a long time, so I don't remember exactly how the oaths went, but I remember the gist. The first oath was one of secrecy...guess I broke that one, eh? The second was loyalty, I think.

"Father Stewart rededicated the St. James Church to 'Our Lady of the Sea.' Most things stayed much the same, at least on the surface, but I don't think he was worshipping the same God any more, if you catch my drift. A lot of the good, God-fearing folk in town packed up and went elsewhere. Father Stewart's church is the only one left in town, 'cept those that are underwater, o' course."

Story:
Hmmm. Classic secrecy and loyalty oaths pretty standard secret society/occultism fare. 'The only church in town, except those under water...' Something told Story that they were all part of the same congregation anyway. 'Our Lady of the Sea' indeed.

Story took some time to look around at the water below to see if he could observe anything that would be helpful.

One matter could also be helpful. The gold Lake had brought to town. Every culture that collected gold on Earth, usually at least minted or stamped it even if it was just ingots, if not fully fashioned it into decorations. "Do you remember anything about the gold Lake brought back to Dunwich? Is there anywhere I could go to see an example of it?"

One thing did not make sense to Story. All the focus on religion. Normally not the big focus of the more practical malevolent forces of the universe. Had he stumbled upon some sort of radical occultism....yet again...?

"I'm no rich man," said Zeke, pausing to hiccup. He took another slug of whiskey. "I sometimes find bits o' gold washed up on shore, but not usually actual coins or anything. Although this one time I found an old Roman coin. Sold it to the museum for a nice sum. Lake brought back a lot of gold, but I never held any of it myself. I imagine his children still got some. There'd be some in the church, worked into decorations and whatnot. Anyone wealthy might've been paid with some of the gold by Lake." He felt a tug on his line and reeled it in, revealing a herring flapping about on the hook. "Got one!" He expertly slammed it against the side of the boat to kill it, then took out a small knife and gutted the fish. He tossed the guts over the side and proceeded to clean the fish. "That'll draw the bigger fish, but hopefully no sharks. If one of those shows up, we'll have to move on."

OOC,[b]Story[/b], please roll Spot Hidden.

Roll Spot Hidden,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4061846/]roll[/url] chance 28 roll 64 After examining the ocean carefully Story notices the presence of water. BTW sorry for the delay. You'd think I'd have the smarts to go to page 2 on my own. You'd be right, but only after wondering for 4 days why there are no new posts.

Story: "Wow that's a nice one; with any luck bigger and better fish await" Story was thinking about what had been discussed when he remembered the object of Dr. Kirby's mission 'The Eye of the Hydra' Sapphire.

"You know, a rumor has been floating around about a woman who came to town looking for a Sapphire called 'The Eye of the Hydra' supposedly entombed within one of Dunwich's sunken churches. Apparently she had set about to dive for it. You ever see her or hear about the Sapphire? I think it's an interesting legend."

"Oh, aye," said Zeke, nodding. "I heard tell about that legend once. I think Virgil Soames, the surviving son of Edward Soames, Senior, wrote something about it. I did meet a young lady a couple days back. She didn't say anything about the gem, but she did say she was thinking of going diving and exploring the sunken buildings. Her name's Valerie Kirby. She's a doctor, real pretty too. I warned her how dangerous it was. Bad things can happen..."

Story:
"You saw the doctor? Where did you see her at? Did she mention where she was going to dive?"

"I met her on the beach," said Zeke. "Not far from where I met you. She was real nice, even brought me something to drink just like you did. She didn't say where she was thinking of diving. I really hope she decided not to do it. Somethin' dreadful might happen."

Story:
"I'm starting to get the picture that one should mind their Ps and Qs in Dunwich. You have to admire the Soames'. Resisting the allure of riches for higher virtue is an uncommon trait in humanity. You know I heard that though Loake is gone, Lake's family is still running the show in town. Bertie his son in particular. Though he hasn't been seen in a while I understand; I've heard rumors of illness. Have you heard anything about Bertie? He does have a daughter I hear, Victoria. I hope she's OK"

"Yes, Josiah's children run Dunwich now," said Zeke. "Particularly Bertie. He's been sickly for years now. The illness first appeared in the seventies. It must have come from the islands - it only seems to affect the children of those strange women. Bertie hasn't been seen in public for years now. Victoria is his sister, and she's showing signs of it too, but she isn't as far along. Of course, she's a bit younger. Bertie's got a son named Joshua, just turned eighteen a few weeks ago. He hasn't come down with it, but it doesn't really start to affect people until they're in their twenties and thirties. I also know that Bertie's a widower. He married the late Father Stewart's daughter, sister of the current Father Stewart. She died in childbirth when Joshua was born, and Bertie was heartbroken. He never got over her, and he's been lonely ever since."

Story:
Hmmmm. A mysterious illness that only effects those descended from the women that Lake brought from afar. Very mysterious indeed.

"Victoria is 'showing signs' of this illness? What are the signs of the illness? What about the current Father Stewart? He is supposedly descended from a marriage to a woman Lake brought home, is has he to presented signs of this illness? Has anyone actually died from this illness? Or been seen by a medical doctor for it?"

"First thing you notice is that people get all ugly," said Zeke. "It often starts with the eyes getting bigger. Their hair starts to fall out, even the women, and their skin gets kind of scaly. They smell bad too, like rotten fish. Their fingers become webbed. Probably the toes too, but, ah, I have no desire to look. As the years go by, they get more deformed. They start looking a bit like them Sea Devils, as a matter of fact. I can't tell for sure if Father Stewart's got it. His eyes do look a little big, but then they've always been big. Nobody's died from it far as I know. The only doctor in town is Dr. Richard Strong. He lives in the Rose Cottage, in the middle of St. James's Street, on the north side. It's right near the phone booth. He's older than me, and he was a grown man when the troubles started after the war, but not yet a doctor. He was in the war too, towards the end. A corpsman, I believe. I imagine he treats a lot of folks in Dunwich, but I don't think the Lakes go to him."

Story:
A progressive condition that morphs the afflicted to ever more aquatic in appearance; Strange indeed. He would have to speak with Fr. Stewart if he can be found. Some good hypotheticals were surfacing, but the religious angle was still a complete mystery. But honestly Story was running out of avenues of inquiry.

"any bites?"

OOC,This post continues from the previous

Story:
"You know we've it seems you spend some time out here on the water. You've seen, strange things. What about while you've been out here on the water? Has there been anything you've seen in the deeps below that seems out of place?"

"I sometimes see things moving down there," said Zeke. "Can't tell for sure what. My eyesight ain't as good as it used to be. Maybe it's sharks, maybe it's...them. Either way, I steer clear of 'em. Bad things happen to folks what don't." There was a tug on the line just then, and the little boat rocked. "My, that's a big one!"

Story:
"You've got him Zeke! Don't let him get away!"

Zeke reeled in the big fish, showing a good deal of strength in spite of his age. A large salmon about half as long as his arm landed in the boat and flopped around until he smacked it. Then he proceeded to gut and clean it. "This is a nice one," he said. "I'm going to eat well tonight!"

Story:
"Look at that one! A beauty indeed! A fine addition to the dinner table. A fair day of fishing after all!"

"And we're not done yet," said Zeke, beaming. "The fish are plentiful here. This one's a keeper, but I'm sure I'll be able to catch some more to sell." He put fresh bait on the hook and lowered it back into the water.

story:

"Good fishing spot eh? What do you reckon brings the fish here?"

"Well, the Lake family would like to take credit for it," said Zeke. "Fishing's been plentiful since shortly after Josiah Lake came home. Father Stewart would say that we're blessed because of our faith. He and his old man before him promised that if we believe and obey, we'd have a bounty of fish, and they seem to have delivered. I don't rightly know myself why there's so many fish, but I'm glad of it."

Story:

"I was just wondering if this a particularly good spot"

"Better than most," said Zeke. "I have been fishing most of my life, and I know how to pick my spots. But this whole area's been pretty good."

Story:
"We'll a man whose been fishing that long, you must have some good instincts. What do you look for in a good fishing spot?"

"A lot of fishing is instinct," said Zeke. "You just get a feel for where the fish are biting without really understanding why. But there is one key to it: don't go where everyone else is. The best spots are the ones where nobody else is fishing. That's why we're far from the other boats out there. If there's a spot where a lot of folks are fishing, they'll tend to deplete the fish faster. Even if they don't, there'll still be less to go around for each person. It also pays not to fish the same spot a second time for a while. That gives them time to restock the area. Plus, fish are smarter than you might think. If their buddies disappear somewhere, they may avoid it."

Story:
"Well that seems reasonable. What kind of rig are you using?"

"Oh, it's a standard rod and reel," said Zeke. "It's worked well for me since I was a boy." There was another tug on the line, and he reeled in another fish, this one a medium-sized trout.

Story: "O' another one. A good day indeed."

OOC,A rig BTW at least by American English vernacular is not the rod and reel, it's all the stuff an angler ties to his fishing line, e.g. hooks, sinkers, lures, beads, flashers, bobbers, swivels, etc etc. Anglers tend to obsess over their favorite rigs.

"Indeed it is!" said Zeke as he cleaned the fish. "I use a fly on the end of the line that I made myself, along with a couple of washers I've polished to a shine. For bait I use only fresh worms or very small fish like minnows. It's worth it to use the good stuff, as that will be more likely to attract fish. I wouldn't eat day-old food, and neither would they."

OOC,Whoops, I didn't know that! :oops: I've never even been fishing.

Story:
"Trout....Good fish indeed. Washers to flash and attract fish? An elegant and simple solution. Do they ever oxidize from the seawater?"

"I use stainless steel ones to prevent that," said Zeke. "They're cheap too, which helps a lot."

Story:
"I guess that's a critical element to truly authentic Classic Earth fishing. Using simple components on your rigs."

"Earth fishing?" asked Zeke as he scratched his head.

Story:
"I mean classic fishing. Haha.. sometimes I lose my frame of reference, scholarly terms and all that. So who taught you to fish?"

"My pa taught me everything I know about fishing," said Zeke, "God rest his soul. I used to go out with him all the time since I was a boy."

Story:
"Ah yes, the classic father-son activity. Fishing. Time together, to really learn about each other."

"So true, so true," said Zeke. "I learned a lot more about him than just how to fish, that's for sure. You learn a lot about a man by fishing with him. There's so much about you that I still don't know, but we've got time to find out about each other. Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?"

Story:
"Oh not sure it is all that interesting. I grew up in a prominent family who entered me into an Academy at 8 years old. After I looked into the....uh....looked at the master timeline of universal events that my Academy made a habit of showing to new students I was inspired to study history. Which I did for years and years, what seemed like an eternity, learning about different cultures, different events, how the past shaped the present, how the present is shaping the future, the full cornucopia of intelligent existence of so many far off lands laid out. I became a professor of the subject and I was quite happy in my studies for all those years. One day I met some travelers, and they filled my head with so many stories. Stories that had so much color that was left out of the sterile pages of my academic journals of events. I realized that most of the true essence of history was lost in my studies. That history wasn't just a bland chronicle of events but rich and involved stories, full of people, and desires, ambition, hope, love, courage, sacrifice, and so much more. I had to find the missing colors to all those stories. So laid my case before our directors and I gained permission to take a retreat from pure academic work to travel; To explore all of those things my studies and writings had lacked, the story. That's where I am now, traveling, meeting good people like yourself, finding out wonderful stories; right now specifically about Dunwich. Though at least with Dunwich I think I'm a long way from finding the whole story just yet. It just seems too many pieces are missing."

"Ah, well all I know about history is from living it," said Zeke, "but I s'pose that's what you mean there. Have you met Amelia Cressy over at the Dunwich Museum? You'd like her, and I expect she'd like you too."

Story scans the horizon before looking back at Zeke. "No, I haven't had the opportunity of visiting the museum yet. Plan to though...actually I think my associates are there now. Tell me, how long has Ms. Cressy been in the town?"

"Oh, she's lived here all her life too," said Zeke. "That's about fifty years. Folks leave Dunwich, but they don't tend to move here."

OOC,[b]Story[/b], please roll Spot Hidden.

Running his hand through his hair Story says, "Well, such is the way of some communities."

OOC,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4140748/]Spot Hidden - 28% (1d100=94)[/url]

Story saw nothing unusual on the horizon.

"Yeah, Dunwich ain't what it used to be," said Zeke, nodding. "It's been going downhill for hundreds of years. Amelia knows a lot more about that than I do."

Nods. "Yeah, I suppose running the local museum would give you a certain understanding of a community...especially over the long term." Smiles at Zeke, "But it's the stories that folks like you share that bring the community to life. Sure, looking at artifacts is lovely and you can learn a lot of things...but it's the people that have seen some of the history that intrigue me the most. That's what's so fascinating about you Zeke...you've been blessed with the eyes and ears to have the stories to share."

"Thank ye kindly," said Zeke, smiling back. "Of course, some of what I seen and heard, I wish I hadn't." He shuddered. "This place ain't like it was when I was a lad."

OOC,[b]Story[/b], please roll Psychology.

Story got the sense that there was something particular that Zeke was recalling that he didn't want to talk about, something he hadn't mentioned yet but had alluded to a few times.

Story looks at Zeke attempting to discern just what it is that's being held back...he knows he will get there, it's just a matter of time; something that as a Time Lord he would normally have lots of but without the Tardis...well, not so much. He finally says, "So even in your own life there has been a noticeable change in Dunwich?"

"Well, you might say that," said Zeke. "More fish, yes, but Dunwich is not such a pleasant place any more. Nothing bad's happened to me. They leave me alone, as long as I don't run my mouth. The folks who live here know to leave things be. The ones what didn't, well, they learned their lesson the hard way back in '46. But when people come to Dunwich who don't know any better..."

"I see," said Story. "I understand you're hesitant to talk too much because you want to be left along. But I need to know...what exactly do you mean about people who don't know any better? After all, Dr. Kirby didn't know any better. For that matter me and my companions don't know any better. What fate awaits us Zeke?"

"Most people who don't live here don't know to leave well enough alone," said Zeke. "Most tourists and historians are usually fine. They come, they go. Sometimes people ask a lot of nosy questions, though. If you mind your own business, you'll be all right. And don't go swimming. Or diving. Especially diving. The water's dangerous."

"You don't say." Story looks over the side of the boat and stares into the water. As he looks into its depths he says, "Tell me Zeke...have I asked to many nosy questions?"

The water was murky, concealing who knew what from view.

"Well, you've asked me plenty," said Zeke, looking into his now empty bottle, "but I don't mind and won't tell anyone. A lot of folks can't be trusted, though. Amelia Cressy is a good hat. She knows a lot about Dunwich's history, but there are many things she doesn't know that are more recent. She's better off not knowing too. Virgil Soames has no love for the Lakes, nor they for him, but there's something about him ain't right. i'd be careful about him. Dr. Strong is a decent enough fellow. A lot of townspeople would gossip if you start poking your nose around, though, and word would get back to the Lake family. Why, you been asking these questions to other folks?"

Story looks back at Zeke and says, "My companions and I have asked around a little. We spent a few minutes speaking with Virgil at his residence." Looks back to the shore. "Lucius can handle himself..." Again runs his hand through his hair while exhaling deeply then says, "It's Brook and Elizabeth I'm worried about. Perhaps once we get back to shore and I've had a moment to check up on them I'll have to go and speak with this Amelia Cressy."

Zeke nodded. "That sounds like a good idea," he said. "Would you like to go back to shore now and get back to them? I can drop you off."

Story nods and then says to Zeke, "That would be good. However, I don't want to jeopardize your day of fishing."

"Oh, it's no bother," said Zeke, pulling up his line. "Won't take long, and you really should make sure your friends are all right." He took up the paddles and began to row back towards shore. "I can just head back out once I drop you off."

OOC,[b]Story[/b], please roll Spot Hidden.

Zeke soon reached the shore, and the tide carried the little boat onto the beach not far from the road. "All ashore that's going ashore!" he said. "It's been a pleasure fishing with you. Just give the boat a shove once you're out, there's a good chap. Hope to see you around, and that your friends are okay."

Story climbs out of the boat. As he pushes the boat off the beach he says, "It has been a pleasure indeed Zeke! Perhaps we shall do it again one day." He flashes a smile, waves farewell, and watches Zeke head back out. After a moment Story turns and starts walking back towards the general area of the museum.

Story made his way back to the museum.

OOC,[b]Story[/b] is moving to the thread linked below.

Together Again