Scene One, The Party At Chadwick Manor

[Priest]

Ted Nelson (BenTheRat),[ic-quote=Ted Nelson]"So did you draw the short straw? Or did you volunteer for this?"[/ic-quote] Aware that the question had been directed at him the attendant halted, though his vision remained fixed on his charge. [color=#0040FF]"Neither, I was hired by [b]Mrs Chadwick[/b] to fetch her nephew from Battle Creek and bring him home. Once here I am to take up a full time position as [b]Mr Lee-Chadwick's[/b] personal nurse and attendant."[/color] From the way his eyes flicker briefly you can tell that he is happy with the situation surrounding his charge, despite the somewhat overbearing attendance of a young glamorous looking female. He takes a long pull from the soda that isn't soda, and nods towrds them. [color=#0040FF]"Say pal, do you know who the dame is?"[/color] You glance towards the female. Of course you've been around the Chadwick household enough to recognise [b]Tilda Smith-Chadwick,[/b] the spoilt and illmannered niece of Regina Chadwick. As you look you notice the familiar figure of [b]Nelson Myers[/b], [b]Mrs Chadwick's[/b] buisness guru, approaching the girl.

[PatGrillo]

Professor Krugman goes to the library to wait. He looks to see what volumes may have been bought recently and what treasures the collection might hold.

[Priest]

Professor Theodore Krugman (PatGrillo),[center][img]http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/priest_019/RPG%20Stuff/RPG3/chadwicklibrary_zps3e28f093.jpg[/img][/center] [i]The library is a beautiful room with tasteful furniture, decorated in oak and mahogany with soft lighting. There are two comfortable-looking leather chairs, a small couch before a coffee table, several hanging ferns that all seem to need attending, a small conference table with chairs and coffee service on a long silver salver, and several portraits. Steam and the smell of fresh coffee indicate that the service is full. On a small table at the end of the sofa is an antique globe of inestimable value while on a table on the opposite is an artfully rendered bust of some noble figure. There are several bookshelves with scores of handsome volumes. An oversized bay window looks out onto the [b]Chadwick’s[/b] estate. You feel a slight chill from the window, and suspect that snow is likely in the next few hours.[/i] The library is empty of people so you get a chance to look around, and, if you so desire, help yourself to a cup of coffee. Please make a, [b]Library Use roll[/b] and a [b]Spot Hidden (+10%) roll[/b].

**************************************

As time passes the Chadwick's buisness manager, Nelson Myers, will make his way to each one of you and inform you that Mrs Chadwick would like you to wait for her in the library as she wishes to speak with you concerning a private matter.

The library is a beautiful room with tasteful furniture, decorated in oak and mahogany with soft lighting. There are two comfortable-looking leather chairs, a small couch before a coffee table, several hanging ferns that all seem to need attending, a small conference table with chairs and coffee service on a long silver salver, and several portraits.
Steam and the smell of fresh coffee indicate that the service is full. On a small table at the end of the sofa is an antique globe of inestimable value while on a table on the opposite is an artfully rendered bust of some noble figure. There are several bookshelves with scores of handsome volumes.
An oversized bay window looks out onto the Chadwick’s estate. You feel a slight chill from the window, and suspect that snow is likely in the next few hours.

Currently the room is occupied by a solitary figure, who some of you may recognise. Although dressed in a rather smart looking tuxedo, there is something about the way he wears it that tells of his not being overly comfortable dressed thus. He looks at home in this room as if suited to a life of academia.

[PatGrillo]

Professor Krugman looks around the library and wonders why anyone would be so foolish as to keep ferns, which need a humid atmosphere, in a library which needs a dry one for the best preservation of its volumes. Library use 60% and Spot Hidden 60%+10%.

1d100=44, 1d100=3

[Mr. Handy]

Tony makes his way to the library, nodding to the man who is already here.

[Priest]

Professor Theodore Krugman (PatGrillo),Subjecting the libraries collection to the critical gaze of an academic, you note that the vast majority of books are those that you would expect to find in any fashionable houses collection. Mostly the usual mix of tasteful, if somewhat pedestrian, classics. All of the 'greats' of classic literature are represented, [b]Ovid[/b], [b]Homer[/b], [b]Shakespeare[/b] and [b]Milton[/b], and at least a select sample of other 'classics' in almost identical bindings. The entire collection seems to have been gathered in an attempt to grant a veneer of class, that has more to do with family wealth than age. However, as you peruse a limited edition of a shakespeare with a price tag of several years income for an academic professional, you chance to notice a small, unassuming collection of titles gathered on a small shelf, partialy obscured by one of the dreaded ferns. Although the not startling or world shattering the titles of the books gathered here do give some hope for further investigation. You see, [i]The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts [/i]([b]Arthur Edward Waite[/b], 1898, London), [i]The Golden Bough[/i] (second edition in three volumes, [b]Sir George Frazier[/b], 1900, London), [i]Myths and Legends of Japan[/i] ([b]F. Hadland Davis[/b], 1912) and [i]Occultism and Atavistic Religion [/i][b](Fr. Francis D. Imony, SJ,[/b] 1st American Edition, 1878, Chicago). As you digest these titles, you hear someone enter the room behind you.

Tony Esposito (Mr. Handy),The occupant of the room appears to be studying some of the books on one of the libraries lower shelves. Please make a [b]Library Use[/b] roll.

[Cearlan]

Tilda Smith-Chadwick

As the boorish business manager infers that I should head towards the library, I seek directions, despite having a rough idea of the layout of the house, just to confirm. I head there forthwith as the crowd seems to be thinning out, presumably already in the library. I nod and say, "I'll be there in a moment Mr Myers."

[PatGrillo]

Professor Krugman turns to acknowledge the new arrival. If it is not yet his host he will spend a few moments flicking through Myths and Legends of Japan.

[BenTheRat]

Ted Nelson

"That's great, Oh I see you have a good eye. I could possibly arrange and introduction. So Mr. Lee Chadwick doesn't look so good, what's wrong with him that he needs a personal nurse?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Whatcha lookin' at there?" asks Tony curiously, scanning the titles of the books. He almost doesn't see it, but something just catches his interest.

[kabukiman]

Francis takes a drink from the "soda". Then he looks at what everyone is doing.

[Priest]

Ted Nelson (Ben),As you talk to the attendant, whos name is [b]Mitchell Fry[/b] according to a name tag pinned to his jacket, you are aware that [b]Nelson Myers[/b] Having spoken to [b]Tilda[/b], and another unidentified female near her, is moving towards you. From his expression it is clear he wants to speak with you. [b]Mitchell Fry[/b], still looking appreciatively at [b]Tilda[/b], grunts, "[color=#0040FF]I don't know much about him, as I said I was merely hired to pick him up, bring him home and look after him. However..."[/color] he drags his gaze away from [b]Tilda [/b]and winks conspiratorialy at you, [color=#0040FF]"I hear that he had been brought back from someplace in India in a straightjacket, and that he mumbles in his sleep about an unknowable darkness and keeps calling out for someone called [b]Veronica[/b]"[/color] As [b]Myers[/b] closes he moves off toward Edgar. It seems that [b]Mrs Chadwick[/b] wishes you to meet her in the library, she may have a job for you.

Tony Esposito (Mr. H),At your entry the rooms occupant half turns, looks at you in something that looks like minor disapointment then returns to the study of a book that he has removed from a lower shelf. With difficulty you can see part of a title,[i] '....and Legends of...'[/i]

Professor Theodore Krugman (Pat),Momentarilly distracted from the book by the arrival of another person,your attention is caught by one of the books on this shelf seemingly out of position as if recently taken out and replaced in another position. [i]Occultism and Atavistic Religion[/i] ([b]Fr. Francis D. Imony, SJ[/b], 1st American Edition, 1878, Chicago), a standard work and of little intrinsic value, you note that pages have been turned down at the corner. Pages that have been roughly annotated in the marginalia, amongst which in a rough hand has been noted, in a section concerned with primitive ritual sacrifice, the following; "Possible Burma connection (Cho Cho?)". Please make another [b]Library Use[/b] roll

Everyone,
The library, as described, is a well furnished room filled with an assortment of books and odd pieces of art. You are all free to make Library Use rolls if you haven't already done so.

[PatGrillo]

Professor Krugman: " That? Myths and Legends of Japan - a good general read no doubt, but this one looks most unusual, Occultism and Atavistic Religion, Imony, it's a standard work but look here! He points to pages that have been turned down at the corner. Pages that have been roughly annotated in the marginalia, amongst which in a rough hand has been noted, in a section concerned with primitive ritual sacrifice, the following;
"Possible Burma connection (Cho Cho?)".

He wonders what it might mean. [Another Library roll] 1d100=89

[BenTheRat]

Ted Nelson

"Guess that introduction will have to wait, sorry about that, but duty calls. Good luck." And Ted moves on to the library.

[Mr. Handy]

"Never heard of that before," says Tony, eyeing the book, "but it does look interesting. Whoever made the notes in the margins would know more."

[Cearlan]

Tilda Smith-Chadwick

As I enter the library I note straight away the humid atmosphere ... 'It must be all these people gathered in such a small space,' I wonder to myself.

I quickly look around the room and see who is there ... 'the same old boring people' I sigh to myself. I absently scan the bookshelves as I move around the room.

OOC:   I don't have a library use skill noted so I'll assume it's the base of 25% (6th Ed) - if not please feel free to amend as needed.

[dice]0[/dice] but don't seem to notice anything worth getting excited about - 'Ye gods but this is so drab!'

[Priest]

Bridget Barrett, enters the library and glances around, taking in the collection of books and people gathering. She notices that awful Tilda Smith-Chadwick girl.

Bridgett Barrett thinking:   So it seems whatever [b]Mrs Chadwick[/b] has to say, it concerns the obviously useless addition to her family.

Sipping from her tea cup, she continues to look around with the attention to detail so necessary in her business.

Library Use,35% 1d100 → [23] = (23) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4530858/

She notices that the academic looking gentleman, she thinks his name Krugman, is studying a book that he has taken from a lower shelf of the library. Looking around she sees something that looks out of place. A slim book that has been pushed between two of the volumes of an out of date set of encyclopedias.
Reaching up she removes the book, looks at its title, A Dream of Japan (unattributed author, translated by Martin
L. Brookman, 1924, London). and flicks it open to reveal a handwritten dedication.
“To my little Ronnie Mouse: all the best, Eddie.”

[PatGrillo]

Professor Krugman: Found something interesting there Miss?

[Priest]

Bridget Barrett turns to the speaker and holds out her hand, "Ah Professor Krugman, I recognised you from a series of lectures you gave concerning the subject of parapsychology. I was covering it for an item for the Eagle, an item I hasten to add which was later cut from the paper."
She holds up the slim volume, open at the title page with its scribbled sentiment.
"Bridget Barret of the Brooklyn Eagle. I assume everyone is here at the request of Mrs Chadwick?" she glances around at the assembled people. "So, does anyone know who Ronnie Mouse is? Iassume that Eddie is our hostesses nephew Edgar. And does anyone have any idea why our presence is requested"
At this question she moves her gaze to the figure of Tilda, who seems to be wandering in a bored fashion around the room.

[Mr. Handy]

"Ronnie Mouse can only be Veronica Chadwick, Miss Barrett," says Tony with a ready grin, glad for his knowledge of the family. "It's Edgar's little nickname for her. I'm Tony Esposito. I work for the Chadwick family, but I don't yet know why they called us here."