The Lure of the Nile, BRP, 1920's

[RockySantaCruz]

@Saladin: Is there still place left for another player/character? I'd like to play a photographer/journalist. Please tell me if you could cope with still another character; if so, I'll gladly work out the background etc of my character.

[YithianAbduction]

YithianAbduction as An English military officer and friend of one of the others, on sick leave for some minor wound sustained during the frequent rioting with an interest in archeology and bored with sitting about the hospital.

To do: Need a name, Completed background and character sheet. Nature of the wound both physical /and or mental. (Obviously this needs to be not too debilitating)

(Background for Major Shane Reynolds. It is a bit long. Enjoy.)

Supporting his weight with a cane, Major Shane Reynolds limped into the office of Colonel Malcolm Burnham. Burnham stepped around his desk to great his old friend, warmly embracing his hand, and patting his back.

"It's good to see you, Shane." Truth was, Burnham was a bit taken aback by his friend's appearance, though he tried not to show it. If Reynolds noticied any reaction on Burnham's part, he didn't show it. Reynolds had always been a fit man, and rather baby-faced; now he looked worn, tired in body and soul. With his curly black hair, skin tanned from constant exposure to the Egyptian sun, and the fact he spoke fluent Arabic, Reynolds was often jokingly accused of going native by his comrades. Now, he looked pale, and the black hair had turned to salt and pepper around his temples. There were heavy bags under his exhausted eyes, and days old stubble marked his jaw. If Burnham hadn't known the man intimately, he would have guessed Reynolds was ten years older than his 46 years. Overall, his appearance was very uncoming for a Major in His Majesty's Army.

"It's good to see you too, Malcolm." Shane offered a half-hearted smile as he shook the Colonel's hand.

"Please, sit down! Far be it from me to keep a crippled man on his feet!" said Burnham with a laugh. Reynolds returned with a barely audible grunt, and walked over to a chair in front of Burnham's desk. He sat gingerly, placing the cane beside him.

Burnham moved to a liqour cabinent. "It is good to see that slug you took to the hip didn't keep you down for long," he said, opening the cabinent, then looking back at his friend. He again noted Reynold's appearance, and thought better of asking the man if he wanted a drink.

"Thanks, the doctor says I should only need the cane another week or two." sighed Reynolds, wishing not to remember the events that lead him to being shot. He watched Burnham move back to his desk, and sit. Burnham opened a drawer, retrieving an envelope. He handed it across the desk to Reynolds. Reynolds took the letter, briefly glanced at it. It was post-marked from his hometown, Priddy, and he recognized the hand-writing. Sarah.

"It came for you yesterday." Burnham watched his friend's reaction. Reynolds stuffed it into his pocket. "In Margaret's last letter to me," Burnham was refering to his wife, "she said Sarah's baby was quite beautiful. Has her grandmother's eyes and hair."

"Malcolm..." Reynolds said, releasing a long, deep sigh, "You didn't summon me here just to give me a letter. Anyone could have given me this."

"I'm sending you on holiday. You need to take a leave. You've been pushing yourself for 3 years now. It's starting to show. You are not the same man who performed so brilliantly at Meggido. My God, man! You could have had any command, any post when we returned from the Palestine campaign. But you've been hiding here for three years! And what happened during those riots should have never happened!" Burnham had intended to be gentle with his friend, battered by events he couldn't control and more so by himself, but found his concern boiling over into anger at Reynold's slow descent. "The man I knew would not have hesitated, like you did out on the streets. You need a rest. And more importantly, you need to go home. You need to see Sarah. You need to face her, and face yourself, and face the fact you bear no guilt for what happened to Windy and Robert!"

At the mention of his late son and wife, one dead on the fields of France after he lied about his age to fight in the Great War, and other from an accident caused by the depression over her son's death, Reynolds shot up out of his chair faster than either he or Burnham could have expected. Pain radiated down his leg and into his groin, Reynolds ignored it, planting his hands on Burnham's desk, locking eyes with the Colonel, shaking with rage.

"Stand down, Major," growled Burnham. Reynolds kept his eyes on Burnham, their faces just inches apart. "I said stand down, Major!"

Reynolds hesitated, then slowly sat down, his hip protesting with bolts of electric pain every inch he moved. "No."

Burnham narrowed his eyes. "No what?"

"I'm not going. I'm staying here. I'd rather get lost in the desert, in the ruins."

Burnham let out a sigh. "Then do that! You've always been interested in this Egyptology and mummery. This is your chance to finally explore. But," Burnham raised one finger, "I cannot say I am completely comfortable with you staying Egypt. Therefore, if you insist on staying here, I'm releasing you into the care of your friend, Dr. Love."

Reynolds pursed his lips, nodding his head. He knew there was no use protesting. Burnham might not have said it, but this was an order. "How long?"

"Starting this minute, and lasting as long as it takes."

Reynolds rose from the chair, leaning on the cane. "Understood." He saluted the Colonel, and limped to the door. He paused as he opened the door, looking back at Burnham. "Malcolm....thanks." He cracked the slightest of smiles. "In your next letter to Margaret, tell her I said hello. And tell her..." he hesitated, then swallowed hard. "Tell her, next time she visits with Sarah, to give her my love."

Burnham nodded. "I will see to it."

Reynolds limped out the office, and out into the withering Egyptian heat. Closing his eyes, he lifted his face towards the relentless sun. He reached into his pocket, fingers sliding around Sarah's letter...

[Saladin]

@Saladin: Is there still place left for another player/character? I'd like to play a photographer/journalist. Please tell me if you could cope with still another character; if so, I'll gladly work out the background etc of my character.

Go ahead and submit a photographer/journalist. Perhaps he is a freind or professional aquaintence of Percival Brook, an Art Historian at Rhode Island School of Design and the Money man for this expedition. Percival is the other archeologist/ historian/ anthropologist on the trip. He's also knowledgable about photography, geology, the occult and a smattering of other stuff.

We also have Wu Ming, who wil be playing Herbert Alexis Giles. Giles is an Englishman, 37, an Author, Free Lance Writer, and Former Oxford Professor with Degrees in (PHD) Religion/Linguistics (Doctor of Letters and Divinity) He is also a veteran of WWI. He is an anthropologist and oriental and middle eastern religious scholar. Wu Ming and I are still figuring out why he is in Egypt and how he fits into the expedition.

At this point I'm, going to close recruitment of the game for now. The forum is up and we will be starting in Cairo soon.

[RockySantaCruz]

I've sent you a PM, Saladin. Thanks for letting me join.

[Saladin]

N/T

[welsh]

Hey Saladin-

Thanks for letting me join up.

Welsh

[Saladin]

Lure of the Nile, 20's classic archaeological expedition seeks medical personnel in Cairo. Doctor or Nurse will probably be needed to treat various physical and psychological ailments as the expedition makes it's way into the unknown.

If interested, please read through what has gone before at Lure of the Nile and submit a suitable, period appropriate character via PM to Saladin. Try to include a good hook to one of the existing characters in your background. We are male heavy, so another female character would be great!

Thanks

Saladin

[SuAside]

Hi there,

Welsh told me to drop in on you guys & see if you had a spot for me. I must let you know up front that i've never played CoC games, but i've read a few H.P. Lovecraft stories (but not the spinoffs). I am, however, not new to RP's (games, forums,...).

What you're doing here seems promising, so I'm hoping to catch a piece of the action. Since I'm new to this, I doubt I could pull of a convincing doctor though, especially on the psychological side of things. (you're asking for one, but i dont really see the problem, since "dr. Love" can still trail along as a NPC. i think he could be the catalyst to a few funny scenes as such.)

I haven't quite made up my mind yet on what character i'd like to enter in the story, I'll think about it some more.

Greetz,
SuA

[SuAside]

This is the best i could come up with atm (i dont know if it ties in with the story the GM had in mind though):

Roland De Wolf, 27 year old belgian ww veteran, now employed as a 'specialist' (read mercenary) by Union Minière (a belgian mining firm, that in later years would employ the largest 'private' army in the world. they specialise in conducting mining operations in the colonies, but also in 'hostile' territory.).

Roland has the task of finding out what happened to a missing prospecting expedition (1 geology/mining expert and his assistant, 1 european merc, 1 guide, 2 local guards, 3 carriers), since local (british/egyptian) autorities have come up empty handed.

He suspects the expedition was either attacked by raiders or that the carriers & local guards revolted and made off with the equipement, leaving the europeans to fend for themselves (or worse).

His point of entry into the story could be either meeting the person that investigates the disappearances for the archeology expedition group or he could've posted messages (with credentials) at all outfitters in Aswan, wanting to trail along with any expedition headed to the region where the prospecting expedition disappeared.

He would probably travel with 1 or 2 (armed) NPC's. Most likely at least 1 arab (Moroccan? Algerian?).

I've got a bunch of idea to flesh out the character, but it has only limited use to write that out yet, if the GM doesn't approve of this character sketch I just made.

[welsh]

Hey Suaside-

Nice to see you here.

You might want to check out these sites-
for quick start rules-

http://www.chaosium.com/index.php?section_id=30

And the intro section-
http://www.chaosium.com/index.php?section_id=13

Take your tips from Saladin about character creation. I also have a copy of the 1920s Character Companion which might help you create your character, so send me a pm.

[SuAside]

yup yup, already read the QuickStart guide & re-read the Call of Cthulhu by H.P. L. to get in the mood.

i have already made an oldschool pen&paper char sheet to get a feeling of how the rules work & where some of the stats come from instead of autogenerated stuff.

ofc, none of this is worth a damn unless the GM OK's the general character outline.