Chapter 9: Property Records

[HoneyDog]

Tuesday September 17th, 10 am

Arkham Town Hall, North Peabody St.

The Town Hall is a fairly new large brick building, housing the town’s administrative services. The companions are admitted to the clerk’s office where they are allowed to see the existing records relating to the house on West College Street, including the title and deed.

The house was built in 1823 for William Bosworth, listed as a local lawyer. The architect was a Ryan Saxby, who designed the house in the Federal style. It seems that the house passed onto to the Bosworth’s daughter, Samantha, who then passed it on to her son, the present owner Joshua Whately, who lets it out.

Blueprints of the house are also included.

[Mr. Handy]

"Now we've got some names," says Alice. "We can research these people and find out more about them."

[evil_scientist]

Isadora Carmichael

Isadora leans over the table to study the plans. Then for a second she seems to lose balance and stumbles, and sends a stack of papers flying in the air.

She looks up, her eyes bewildered.

Then she snaps back into normal.

"Which... which of these rooms is the one with the wallpaper?"

She tries to makes sense of the plans, but she cannot concentrate.

Keeper,SAN 56 [dice]0[/dice] :o This was a close one!!

[Mr. Handy]

"It was one of those three upstairs bedrooms," says Alice, trying to remember where the room was in relation to the stairs and the bathroom.

[Starspawn338]

"I think it was the bedroom that is on the left. I seem to recall walking down the hall and it was the last door we opened."

[HoneyDog]

The companions make some inquiries about Ryan Saxby, the architect, in the Clerk's Office. It appears that he was a local architect who designed few properties around the town; mainly just houses and office buildings.

[Mr. Handy]

"Let's find out what we can about William and Samantha Bosworth and Joshua Whately," suggests Alice.

[HoneyDog]

Being the landlord of the property, Joshua Whately has a telephone listing.

OOC,How would you find out about the Bosworth's?

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,We could try the Historical Society, see if they have records about the [b]Bosworth[/b] family.

[HoneyDog]

OOC,Unfortunately there is no historical society in Arkham, but an inquiry with the town clerk and a successful Luck roll might get you something! Although I fear we seem to have lost most of our players.

[Starspawn338]

OOC,I'm at a loss of where to go next. I'm thinking it's some kind of thinning of the wall between planes but I have no idea how to follow up with that.

[Mr. Handy]

Alice is in luck when she speaks to the town clerk about the Bosworths.

OOC,Luck roll (65% stat) to see if the town clerk can help find information about the [b]Bosworth[/b] family: [dice]0[/dice]

[HoneyDog]

OOC,You just have to keep seeking out more information. There is still Margaret to talk to, and the house hasn't been fully explored. What is going on with Isadora? Has anyone asked her? This is a very loose and open adventure, and normal routes of investigation may not apply, so what happens will be very much dependent on the decisions you make. Nothing is what it seems.

“Why, yes there is in fact a historical society in Arkham” the clerk tells the companions. “Whoever told you there isn’t is very much mistaken. Let me get you the address. I believe it’s open to the public. The curator is a Mr. E. Lapham Peabody”. The clerk gives them an address in Garrison Street on the Lower Southside.

OOC:   It's about lunchtime now, would you like to visit the Society after?

[evil_scientist]

Isadora Carmichael

"Official archives, historical societies, what next, a knitting circle? Wait, we had embroidery already," Isadora grumbles. She seems very annoyed, and unusually aggressive. "Fine, let's see what these historians know... They will probably give us a boring rundown on the political affiliations of the tenants, and maybe tell us how a famous gardener lived down the street in a house with a gambrel roof."

Suddenly, she switches to a louder voice, possibly making some heads turn if they are in a public place.

"Whatever this is about, we can only find answers in the house itself! The passage is there, it is where the lady in the walls roams!"

[HoneyDog]

The town clerk looks on, taken aback by this outburst. Regarding Isadora’s curious attire and peculiar jewelry, he decides to say nothing.

[Mr. Handy]

Alice takes Isadora by the arm and pulls her aside. "We will get to the house," she says quietly, "but we need to get as much information as we can first in order to stop...her. What passage are you talking about?"

[evil_scientist]

Isadora Carmichael

"The passage to that other city, with the narrow streets and the people with the molten face..."

[Starspawn338]

"I'm confused. Where did you see that passage?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Was it in the room with the wallpaper?" asks Alice. "I'm really worried about you, Isadora. You're experiencing what Margaret did. We have to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible."

[evil_scientist]

Isadora Carmichael

"I don't know, I just don't... I keep getting these dreams and feelings."

Isadora shivers.

"And they are becoming worse. Every time I see some sort of a pattern, it attacks me. Elisa's embroidery, the blueprint of the house, the wallpaper... These shapes set off something in me, like nausea, a sense of vertigo.

"I think I will try to to what I always do. I will try to draw this. Margaret tried to write about it. I will paint it... But..."

She shrugs and trails off.

"Let's go see that historian."