Play@YSDC

The limousine travels fast out of Boston. The driver does not seem very talkative and openly disregards any question, keeping his eyes on the road. As you sit back and watch outside the window, the urban landscape leaves place to the woods north of the city, the light of the lamps fades to reveal the infinite sea of stars above. After less than half hour, you realize finally what is your destination: the Henslowe Flag Airport, a little private airport used mostly by anyone wealthy enough to possess a plane and wanting to avoid attention.

The car enters the airport and you immediately notice that only one of the hangars is lit and open - that must surely be your destination. As you get closer, you are able to see into the hangar. There is an aircraft, of course, beautifully kept and shining with the reflections of the limousine's headlights. But most curiously, there's a corner of the hangar that is occupied by a sort of little, cozy sitting room. It's an odd instance of civilization - of armchairs and bookshelves and lit reading lamps - amid the functional metal housing of the hangar, amid the rough weeds and woods at the verge of the airfield.



You notice that yours is not the only limousine heading for the hangar. Five different cars reach the hangar without even five minutes passing between the first and the last, each one with a single passenger on it. Your host clearly has great resources at her disposal, and appreciates precision and punctuality.

And then you see her, perhaps different from what most of you were expecting. She is young, probably no more than 35 years old, and beautiful. She smiles amiably as she greets you, but the smile does not really lights her face. There is a sort of sadness in her eyes, that is impossible not to notice. And yet, there is also determination and a strong will in those eyes. Whatever trial she endured, it made her stronger.
"Good evening to all of you. My name is Janet Winston-Rogers. I thank you for your willingness to come here, tonight, with no explanation and on such short notice. Please, come inside and sit, then we'll talk", she gestures towards the armchairs. You notice she stops for a second near one of you, who seems to be a priest, holding his hands and exchanging a few words, before leading the way inside the hangar.

"Pleased to meet you," says Holly, following Janet inside. "I'm Dr. Holly Chastain." While she's sure Janet can figure that out, as she's the only woman in the group, she says it mainly for the benefit of the other arrivals. She wears her best dress, a flowing turquoise off-the-shoulder gown with a matching wrap, but it pales in comparison with the splendor of Janet's clothing.

After greeting Janet, Father Flanagan moves inside the hanger, nodding politely at the others assembled there. Taking a seat in one of the armchairs, he takes the opportunity to stretch a little after the trip in the limousine.

"Happy to help in any way I can, Janet. It is good to see you again."

"Phew. Some reading room, eh?", Ian said to the driver, who responded with a dull nod.

That was definitely not what Ian was expecting of this meeting. "Who are these people?" he thinks. Given the mournful look in the eyes of their hostess, Ian decide to keep any witty comments he could have about the whole thing to himself for the rest of the night. "Mrs. Winston-Rogers, I'm Ian Morin. Pleased to meet you." He politely nod to the rest of the group as he follows them to the hangar.

Christopher Fontana

After a few aborted attempts to engage Foster in anything more than general chit-chat, his initial queries regarding to the upcoming appointment only met with "Mrs. Winston-Rogers wants to explain that in person." or a variation of that sentiment. So he settles back to enjoy the ride, after all it's not often he had the opportunity to travel in such style.

After a while, during which Christopher has to fight not to doze off, such is the comfort of the ride; he notices that the road that they are on leads to a private airfield and soon after sees that Henslowe Flag Airport is indeed their destination. Soon the luxurious vehicle sweeps through the gates and approaches a hanger, he then notices other headlights following and tat there are already two limousines parked up.

He wonders at the whole set-up .. a hanger and a sitting room set-up to receive guests, affectation no doubt; why couldn't this 'meeting' occur in more regular surroundings? Then their 'host' introduces herself and invites the small group inside.

After a brief round of introductions Christopher takes a seat, waiting for the ladies to be seated first or course.

OOC:   Would 'we' have heard of this 'Mrs. Winston-Rogers'?

Once you're all sitting in the strange parlor area of the hangar, Janet speaks again. While she speaks, she looks you straight in the eyes and her voice carries that calm authority of people who are used to be listened - and obeyed - without resorting to intimidation or arrogance.
"I'm sure you're all curious about this unusual convocation. It is not a simple matter, and not one I like to talk about, but I will try to explain it to you at the best of my capabilities. Some of these informations were always kept inside the family", she looks at the priest for a second with an apologetic look on her face, before continuing, "so I ask that you do not divulge in public what you'll hear tonight.

She pauses for a second, as if collecting her thoughts.

"My father, Walter Winston, died in december 1936, just a few months ago. As much as I desired to leave the past behind with his death, I've found myself unable to do so. I seek an appropriate closure, one that so far has eluded me. My father's life is for the most part unknown to me, you see. Shrouded in mystery. I need to know the truth about him, about what he did, why he did...", her voice trails off and she falls silent for a second. "That's why I've gathered you here tonight. I fear it's not an easy task that I'm presenting you, since my father was involved for years with strange people and even stranger... things. But it's a matter of great importance to me, and of course you'll be compensated for your efforts."

She leans back on the armchair, her eyes half-closed, as if weighing you up. "My father made his fortune in the pharmaceutical business in the years after the war. After that he spent months traveling around the world. He studied folklore and, unfortunately, picked up an interest in... occult. He was never the same again. My father was a very driven man, you see. And he found a battle to fight. He wouldn't tell us any details, but he spent years traveling, on the trail of what he called 'bad people'. He grew more and more distant from me and my mother. We would not see him for weeks, even months at times."

"That is what I need to know. Where was he? Who were those bad people? It is a matter of my father's memory, but not only that. Am I safe? Can I be assured that the consequences of my father's actions will not find their way to me? Is there something that he left unfinished, perhaps?"

She pauses for a second. "Will you help me?"

Clarence finished scribbling in his notebook. Yes, this was the kind of investigation he believed he was good at, and from a wealthy customer. Not the nickel and dime customers hoping to trap their husbands or wives. He pocketed the notebook and stood up, "Yes I will help you. Clarence Lanalor at your service" He briefly looked round at the others and sat down. He pulled out a Rothmans and lit it with his Dunhill lighter.

"I would also be pleased to help you," says Holly in a comforting, sympathetic tone. "This should prove a challenge, but I feel I am up to it. Normally, I deal with living patients, and I can speak with them and ask them questions to get to the bottom of their troubles. That won't be possible here, so we'll have to use other means of learning everything we can about your father. We have you here, so we can ask you questions about him. I can also counsel you if you so desire. Your grief and fears cannot be easy things to bear. If your father left behind any writings, such as a diary, those would be invaluable in finding the answers we seek. Also, if you don't mind my asking, how did your father die?"

"Despite his peculiar life, my father died of a common heart attack. I wonder if he found that ironic". There is a bitter smile on Janet's lips as he speaks. "He was 53. Considering the way he has lived and his constant paranoia, I guess life has been almost too generous to him".

She allows Clarence to light her a cigarette before continuing. "He didn't leave any written record, but... there are the letters". She sighs heavily. Reluctantly, she stands up and walks to a nearby table. There is a small wooden box on it, which she unlocks with a key from one of her pockets. She walks back to you and hands over the box to Holly before sitting again. "You all can read them. As I said before, I ask for your reserve on this matter".

Inside the box are a number of letters, covering a period from 1925 to 1934. The oldest ones start to show the signs of aging, with a slightly yellow color and small cuts on the edges. More than that, the first three letters show signs of someone working on them with a pencil, circling words and letters, writing numbers. There are no such markings on the others. All letters come from Savannah, Georgia, from two different addresses.

As he reads the troubling letters, Ian too felt the need of a cigarette. He lights up a Lucky, and after write in his notebook the names of Janet Winston-Rogers, Walter Winston and Douglas Henslowe, his known addresses and dates, he turns to Janet: "Mrs. Winston-Rogers, these letters are indeed disturbing, and I'm willing to help you in any way I can. However, you do know I'm a journalist in one of the largest newspaper in the country, and my primary commitment is with my readers. I have no intentions of dragging your father's name, or yours, in groundless rumors, but these documents mention people getting killed. Also, you talk about bad people and, in your words, strange things. If we are talking about the mafia or any other malicious group working here or abroad, it may be of public interest. I hope you appreciate that."

He expects it doesn't sound too insensitive, as she appears to be in great distress, but he always preferred to be clear in his terms. "That said, you have any idea of who is this Douglas Henslowe, or what business he had with your father? You know where Mr. Winston was in August 1924?"

Janet reflects a few seconds on Ian's words. "I understand your position, Mr. Morin, but I hope you can understand mine, too. If your investigation will bring to light a potential threat to the security of people, I'll be the first to act to make sure that the authorities are informed and ready to take the appropriate countermeasures. But I would prefer my father's name to remain out of it. He's no longer among us, after all. I would also ask you to leave these letters here, as I wish their content to remain hidden. I feel the less people read them, the better". He moves uncomfortably in the chair.

"Regarding your question, I do not personally know this Douglas Henslowe. During the early twenties, as I told you, my father spent much time traveling. When he wasn't traveling, he sometimes held meetings - secret meetings - with people he wasn't in business with. Other dabblers in the occult, I think. Perhaps this Henslowe was one of them." She pauses for a second. "It all ended in 1924. Something happened that year, something that sent my father back to us rattled and unraveling. He stopped traveling, stopped having these meetings. But he wasn't well. He saw a psychiatrist for a few years. He burned his books. He hardly ate. He jumped at shadows, insisted he was being watched". Janet shivers, showing the first breach in her self-control since the beginning of the conversation. "He was never the same. He forbade us from asking about his travels and said more than once than 'nothing mattered anymore'. When mother died, in 1932, he hardly grieved. After that, he became only more frustrated and paranoid, until he passed away." Her eyes lose focus, as if watching something very distant, probably something in the past. "I don't know where he traveled. I have been asking myself that exact question for months, trying to recovery any detail lost in my memory, but I do not know. It is one of the things I want you to find out. Probably this Henslowe knows the answer."

Christopher Fontana

Christopher listened intently, his interest growing steadily as the tale unfolded. There wasn't a lot to go on Janet Winston-Rogers' reasons were barely sketched out, but then he was used to starting one of his 'investigations' with very little to go on, best to start with an open mind was an adage that he held true. He to started to make notes in his notebook and took his turn reading the letters.

"I must say Mrs. Winston-Rogers that your plight has piqued my interest and I assure you that I shall do my utmost to find the answers you're looking for. I have some leave due to me from my post at the University and should this become a protracted matter I may be able to negotiate a sabbatical." he looks at the notes he's made so far... "Is your late Father's secretary available to answer questions? After all they may have been asked to make any travel arrangements or indeed know where your Father was, in case any urgent business matters should arise... that kind of thing.." Christopher takes a proffered letter from one of the other 'Investigators' and reads the script.. "I quite understand you not wanting to release these letters but may we write our own copies?" he asks.

Janet shakes her head as she speaks again. "No, unfortunately my father's old secretary died around five years ago. Some accident while he was traveling abroad, I don't remember the details. His name was Terence White. I doubt he could have helped us anyway, as I told you my father was extremely secretive about that side of his life. It's like he was living two different lives and wanted to keep them completely separate. You can't have the letters, but you can read them here and take some notes if you wish."

She falls silent for a second, then adds, slightly embarrassed: "I understand this job could require some time and have an impact on your everyday life. I'll triple your monthly salary for all the time that will be required to give me the answers I need. And my plane is at your disposal for a trip to Georgia. Frank!", she raises her voice while calling the name and a person emerges from the shadows of the hangar. He is very tall, dressed in simple clothes, in stark contrast with all the elegant suits you've seen so far. He has a serious expression on his face. His nose is slightly bent and was probably broken once. "He is Frank Kearns, my personal pilot. One of my most trusted men." The man slightly bows his head in salute.

"I would like for you to start as soon as possible. Time is of importance, to me." She puts out her cigarette in an ashtray before adding. "The books here are at your disposal. I think there might be some maps as well. Do you have any other question?"

Father Flanagan shifts uneasily in his chair. Something stills weighs heavily on his mind.

"You mentioned concern that consequences of your father's actions may find their way to you. Are you concerned for your safety? Has something happened to cause your concern?"

"You can of course count on my discretion," says Holly. "In my profession, it is standard practice to maintain confidentiality with my clients." She examines the letters, musing aloud for the benefit of her new colleagues. "Hmm...these letters are awfully vague about the specifics of what happened, but these numbers and circled letters seem to indicate that the two men were using some sort of code that they both understand. Do any of you gentlemen know anything about cryptography? I can solve cryptograms, but I'm afraid this is beyond me. If we cannot break the code, we'll have to find out from Douglas Henslowe what it means." She jots down the circled letters and words and the numbers, as well as the interconnecting lines, that she finds on the early letters. "Once we find the key to this code, we may have to come back and look at the letters again. We also have to find this journal of Henslowe's. That would have many answers collected together in one place, and is most likely what we need to find out about the traumatic events of August 1924. It may also help if I can locate and consult with the psychiatrist that Henslowe saw."

Father Flanagan's question seems to unsettle Janet: "No... no, I don't feel threatened. Not now".

She quickly moves her attention towards Holly. "Yes, my father's therapist... Let me see...". She takes out a piece of paper from one of her pockets. "Here it is... Doctor Jonathan Powell. I already contacted him, but he did not seem too cooperative. Perhaps he'll open up with a colleague". She nods towards Holly.

Clarence studies the letters, nodding to himself, and said, "Well.... yes... most disturbing. I don't have a clue about the secret markings. This 'hidden journal' your father wrote about is the key to all this. And I believe we need to pay a visit to this Douglas Henslowe"

"Thank you," Holly says to Janet as she accepts the paper. "I think he just might."

After you spend a few minutes reading the letters and taking notes, Janet stands up and says: "Well, I think you have all the informations I can provide you, and I hope it's enough to start. I now have to return to Boston. You can contact my personal secretary if you need anything, including the arrangements for the trip when you'll be ready". She hands all of you a business card reporting simply a name (Thomas Foster), an address and a telephone number. "The cars will remain here until you're ready to leave. I will be expecting periodical reports. Good night and good work." She smiles briefly. "Father Flanagan, a word in private, if you please". Then she leaves, accompanied by the priest.

You are now alone in the hangar, except for the silent presence of the pilot, near the plane, still observing you with mild interest.

Holly nods. "Good night," she says, pocketing the business card. "We'll be in touch." She turns to her new colleagues. "We should all introduce ourselves and tell the group what skills we bring to the team. I'm Dr. Holly Chastain. psychoanalyst and medical doctor. I'm also a good researcher, with some general scientific knowledge."

Christopher Fontana

"Pleased to meet you Dr. Chastain, I am Christopher Fontana, with the American Society for Psychical Research, currently with the Philosophy and Psychology department at Harvard. I have some experience in investigations of a outré nature, something that I think we are now involved in; I am also experienced in 'field work', planning and documenting such investigations."

OOC:   Christopher will ascertain from Frank Kearns how much notice he requires for use of the plane, how long he has been in the employ of Mrs W-R and whether or not he knew/worked for her Father.

Ian remains quiet for some minutes as he thinks on how to proceed in this matter. There's definitely a story here, a big one by the look of it, and if something indeed come out, he could probably leave Mr. Winston and Janet aside. At least if she so innocent as she pleads...

"Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts. I'm Ian Morin, from the The Boston Post. As an investigative journalist my job is to talk to people and gather information. I have plenty of contacts in almost all the big newspapers in the country. I also get along very well with the police and, if needed, some crooks."

Father Flanagan heads back into the hangar after a couple of minutes and joins the group again.


In the meanwhile, Christopher has been asking questions to the pilot, but he does not seem very cooperative. You have the impression that he doesn't trust you, not yet at least. "Well mister, I'm paid to fly you around, so just tell me where you want to go and I'll take you there. This beauty is always ready, and so am I". He puts one hand on the fuselage and seems very proud of the plane.

Father Flanagan looks the group over.

"I am Father Cecil Flanagan. I'm a Catholic priest from Aylesbury, Massachusetts, not too far out of Boston. I knew Janet's father, but not well - mostly as a face and a name from our community. I suppose I don't have much to offer this endeavour in the way of career skills, but I will offer any help I can. Where should we head first?"

Christopher Fontain

Christopher thanks the pilot for his 'help' and rejoins the others.

OOC:   After the introductions...

Christopher nods and smiles at the Priest "Where shall we head first indeed... I think our initial destination is clear, the only 'lead' we have at the moment is this Douglas Henslowe a 'one-time' companion of Walter Winston and thanks to the letters we have his address as of last December.." Christoper pauses to check his note book, "... ahh yes ... the letters were written from two addresses both in 'Savannah' ..." Christopher takes out his cigarette case, offering one to his companions before lighting his own.. inhaling deeply, deep in thought.

"I am not in a position to 'drop everything' and fly down to Savannah, I shall need to make arrangements with the University and I dare say you all need to make arrangements too .. why don't we take a little while to mull things over... I for one am very interesting in the library that has been assembled here... " with that Christoper starts to investigate the books, seeing what's there and if they can be of any immediate use.

OOC:   Points Christopher will raise... "I'm curious, did any of you note the strange markings on the letters... those circled letters and words and the scribbled numbers, a code of some kind?" Basically Christopher's suggestion is to meet back here the day after tomorrow (game time) and fly down to Georgia As a group we can investigate the points we ought to consider/investigate before heading off to Georgia Who is Henslowe? Henslowe mentions that he wrote everything down (re the event in 1924) - this sounds like something we really need to get hold of. What happened and where in 1924 - if there were 'many death's' then it's possible that the event was reported in the papers. Winston had medical help - his therapist might have info? Perhaps Dr C and Father Flanagan check out the therapist, Prof C and Ian Morin check the newspaper records and Clarence Lanalor check out Henslowe and Winston ?

OOC:   After the introductions...

Oh, thank you. Ian takes one of Fontana's cigarettes and start tapping it while he continues. "Indeed, I also have some arrangements to do at the office before we leave. Also, I would like to look in the Post records for any reports on multiple deaths in August 1924. But before I leave, let me check on something. Excuse me."

Ian left the main group, addressing the pilot. "Excuse me, Mr. Kearns. Sorry to bother you again, as I can see that you are a very busy fella. To maintain this beauty in such a good shape must require quite a lot of work. I just have two quick questions. Firstly, do you know who owns this airport? Also, before working for Mrs. Winston-Rogers you worked for her father, Mr. Winston, am I right? He used to use this same hangar and reading room?"

OOC:   Using reassurance in the Pilot

Frank does not seem very convinced yet. Anyway, he answers to Ian: "Well mister, you see, the airport is owned by some people in Boston, it's a company called Massachusetts Civil Airports. As far as I know, they own half a dozen small airports in the New England area." He looks you straight in the eyes, then adds. "But I'd rather not talk about my employers, I don't like anyone poking their nose around in other people's business".

OOC:   You'll need a 1 point Reassurance spend to convince him to open up a little more. Also try to roleplay the investigative ability in the dialogue if you can: how would your investigator reassure him and convince him to speak?

Clarence turns to the group. " Since we are doing introductions, I am Clarence Lanalor, Private Investigator ".
He turns to the books and starts to browse.

After a few minutes of browsing the books, Clarence turns to the group, book in hand and says, "I need some help with these. There are a lot of books! Oh, and by the way, does anyone have any idea about 'decrypting' these pencil marks? "

"I did notice the markings," says Holly, "and I wrote them all down in my notebook. Henslowe most likely has the key to the code, and perhaps it is in that journal of his. You're right, I will need to clear my schedule before I can head to Savannah. I can look into and speak to Mr. WInston's therapist as well. But yes, let's look through the books while we're here." She goes over to help Clarence sort through the books, examining them and getting a feel for how they're organized.

Clarence and Holly skim over the books in the library to get a general feeling. There are mostly books regarding scientific topics and natural sciences - physics, chemistry, botany and so on. The library also contains detailed maps of all the major American cities - Savannah included. Finally, there are some occult books, but the two of you do not possess the knowledge needed to evaluate them

Christopher Fontana

Christopher also peruses the contents of the 'library' spying some tomes that have 'occult' connotations he takes those volumes "Interesting... these are not 'run of the mill' publications.. let me see now." he proceeds to skim the volumes to get an idea of the late Winston's occult interests, how might they shed light onto the life of their new employer's father?

OOC:   Christopher has *Occult:2 Do I need to 'roll' anything?

Christopher studies the book with interest but is quickly disappointed. The occult books are mostly entry-level material, more often than not simply related to local folklore. If Walter Winston ever had serious occult stuff, it's not in this collection.

OOC:   No roll is ever required for investigative abilities in ToC. Every use of an investigative ability is an automatic success. Sometimes it's necessari to make a spend, and I will present you the choice. Rolls are only needed for general abilities.

Clarence proceeds to put the books back, " Well ... from our perusals, I believe its safe to say there's not much more to be gleaned from these books. These secret markings on the letters - does anyone know of any boffins in universities who could help? "

"The maps of Savannah will prove useful in the short term, at least," points out Holly. "The books may be useful later, but right now we don't really know what to look for. I don't know anyone offhand who's good at codebreaking, but there must be someone who is at Harvard or MIT. I'm sure if I did some research I could find an expert."

Christopher Fontain

Previously Clarence said:   "..These secret markings on the letters - does anyone know of any boffins in universities who could help?

Previously Dr. Chastain said:   "..I don't know anyone offhand who's good at codebreaking, but there must be someone who is at Harvard or MIT. I'm sure if I did some research I could find an expert "

"Well, I dare say someone from the Mathematics department might be able to help there, or point us in the right direction; perhaps we should consider that for later, I'm not sure Mrs Winston-Rogers would appreciate us sharing the contents of her father's letters.

"Lets see if we can locate the two addresses we have for Henslowe on the city map for Savannah.."

"OK, thank you, Mr. Kearns. Your employers surely appreciate your discretion." Ian finishes his conversation with the pilot and walks back to the main group while lighting the cigarette he took from Fontana.

OOC:   I'll hold that spend for now.

"It shouldn't be a problem to find a specialist here in Boston" Ian answers to Lanalor, "but I think we should try Henslowe first. Maybe he'll open up if we mention Janet's concerns." Ian quickly changes the subject. "So, nothing noteworthy in these books? The only thing I got from Mr. Kearns is that the Airport is owned by a company named Massachusetts Civil Airports, but I don't know if it is a lead worth following. What do you think? Maybe it's time to get back to the city and take care of our tasks and personal arrangements before we leave to Savannah. Any success finding these addresses, Fontana?"

Christopher Fontana

Previously Morin said:   "... Any success finding these addresses, Fontana?"

"Well... nothing yet but I'm hoping to find a gazatteer at least then we'd be able to see the addresses on a map."

After about ten minutes of work, Christopher manages to locate both addresses on the map.
West Henry Street is near the city center, while Old Hope Road is just outside Savannah.

Clarence turns to Ian, " I've come up dry with these books. I agree that its best to go back to our respective homes, sort out our arrangements with families, etc. So, shall we all meet back here tomorrow morning, say 9am? "

"Yes, let's try talking to Mr. Henslowe first," says Holly. "We know for a fact he can decipher the code because he used it, and we can reveal the contents of the letters to him safely because he wrote them. If we can't get him to open up, or find the key to the code in his journal, we can always consult an expert upon our return. Well, I think we've accomplished enough for tonight. Tomorrow morning at nine is good for me."

"I agree, Dr. Chastain. However, I'll probably need more time at the archives in order to find something. Ian explains. In fact, I could use a little help. Fontana, do you fancy a visit to The Boston Post?"

"All right," says Holly. "We can spend another day in Boston. While you're doing that, I can look up Mr. Winston's therapist. Father, you're a friend of the family. Perhaps you should accompany me."

"That plan sounds as good as any", says Flanagan. "Hopefully together we can glean some useful information."

Previously Morin said:   .. In fact, I could use a little help. Fontana, do you fancy a visit to The Boston Post?"

Christopher Fontana

"That sounds like a good idea Morin, shall we say meet at ten tomorrow morning? That will give me a couple of hours to get my affairs sorted.."

Clarence returned to the hanger for 9am the next morning. After 30 mins and no sign of the others, he locates a telephone and dials the number of Thomas Foster, Janet Winston's secretary. " Hello Mr Foster, My name is Clarence Lanalor. I am in the employ of Janet Winston. I would to like to make an appointment to speak to you about her father, the late Walter Winston. In particular any old travel documents, passports, receipts, etc, belonging to Mr Winston which the family may still have."