Genius Loci: Session Zero

[jp1885]

Genius Loci - Not all is well at the Kirby State Lunatic Asylum and it’s down to the investigators to heed a friend in need’s cry.

I guess the obvious answer is that we all have a mutual friend, who is either a patient or an employee at the asylum.

[Zero]

Hmm, perhaps The Chin and The Wheel (just nicknamed your driver, Borderline) were leaning on the coach for some reason or another. Maybe some sort of gambling debt collection and the journalist just happened to be there for an interview or something. Then in walks the Texas Ranger, about to intervene, and poof... creepy adventure hook is dangled before us all. Just a thought.

[HoneyDog]

I think jp is right; it's probably more logical to form the connection with the person we're supposed to be investigating. The characters need a motive to be involved, which could be helping this incarcerated friend. They don't necessarily have to know each other.

But an obvious and close connection which is easy to establish - everyone served in WW1 together.

[Zero]

My character definitely did *not* serve in WW1. It wouldn't suit him at all. I guess if we can't find a commonality between the investigators, the other logical step would be to link them all to the individual at the asylum in some way. Maybe the poor sap owes the Marella Family money. There you are, that's my link right there.

[Borderline]

Solomon "the wheel" Bleeker
Str. 45
Con. 55
siz. 45
dex. 70
app. 20
int. 75
pow. 35
edu. 70

I came back from the war a broken man. Mentally and physically. My daughter, Cordelia had died while I was over seas and my wife couldn't stand the sight of me. The memories were just too much for her and I know she blamed me for going off to fight and leaving them alone. Not to mention getting half of my face blown off. I'm not a stupid man, I understands human psychology to a deep degree yet still find myself falling prey to the will of others ever since my life was shattered. When I met The Chin he was the only person that didn't look at me like some kind of freak or try to manipulate me for his own gain in years, since the war anyways but most of those boys were dead, maimed or spread out across the country. Ever since that day I vowed loyalty to him on his rise to power. They call me "The Wheel" and yeah I drive, smuggling contraband, pulling robberies, but my real job is hitman. I don't think even the mobsters are comfortable talking about my "talents"that I brought back from the war and that's not all I brought back...

[jp1885]

Coach didn't serve in the war, so I think the most logical common denominator is a mutual friend in the asylum.

[Mr. Handy]

My character, Carl Norris, did serve in the Great War. In what year does this scenario take place? I'd like to know so that I can make him the right age to have been in the war.

[Borderline]

Quote:
The time is noted in the character creation post. Houston Texas 1920's.

[Mr. Handy]

I did see that, but that could mean any year from 1920 to 1929, and there's a big difference between them.

[Umbral Dragon]

I did see that, but that could mean any year from 1920 to 1929, and there's a big difference between them.

OK, if we need a specific year then I will roll the die
[dice]0[/dice]

1920 it is.

[Umbral Dragon]

Here are some suggestions for the friend in need:

Jimmy "Coach" Muldoon; High School Coach at Harrisburg School (jp1885) - As a professional, Jimmy met Lawrence Croswell early in his career as a friend of one of the managers. Croswell sent Jimmy a letter of recommendation in order for him to get the reference he needed to work at the school.

Joseph Adler; Professional Freelance Photographer (honeydog) - Lawrence asked Joe to make a few lithographs of some archaic manuscripts that would eventually end up in the Rice University archives. Joe never got to see the manuscripts. Lawrence sent a letter to Joe letting him know that the manuscript had mysteriously gone missing.

James Siegel aka "Jimmy the Chin"; a made guy from Chicago (Zero) - Chin worked for a superstitious boss of Sicilian descent. Lawrence was a collector of strange and exotic artifacts. Fortunately for Chin those artifacts were in shipping containers. Boss said if Chin ran into Lawrence it would be good luck to help the archaeologist out.

Carl Norris; Texas Ranger (mr. handy) - Lawrence is an upstanding citizen of the community. As a friend of his father he helped Carl get a letter from Senator Shepherd that allowed him to get appointed Texas Ranger.

Solomon "the wheel" Bleeker; Professional Driver (borderline) - Solomon met Lawrence in one of his short stays at the military psyche ward in Bethesda. They often sat together while Lawrence read Yeats' The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems, which, despite their occult origins soothed Solomon's inner being and set him at peace.

[HoneyDog]

Sounds good Dragon! Perhaps Lawrence will reach out to them individually, or they somehow contrive to meet while attempting to visit him or something?

[jp1885]

Yep, happy to go with this.

[Mr. Handy]

I'm sorry I still haven't had time to create my character. I'll try to get it done as soon as I can.