To the Manor borne… (everyone)

[BoyBlunder78]

" Now now,what do we have here?" coos Dr Douglas as he retrieves the book. Examining the cover.

[Philulhu]

The notebook was about twice a large as a pocket diary, bound in scuffed brown leather.

[BoyBlunder78]

Dr Douglas carefully opens the book, looking for any information which may identify the author.

[Mr. Handy]

"Ooh, well spotted, Doctor," says Bonnie.

[Philulhu]

There were no identifying marks on the inside cover, just a scrap of paper with some strange writing on it. In carefully written capital letters were the words, “NIHAR CTHOR HAG NAATHI IST’HE GHLAN GHEIHNT’HOR.”

Doctor Douglas could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise as he read the unusual text.

Are you reading the rest of the book?

[BoyBlunder78]

In my head yes.......

Dr Douglas calls over to Father Ò Shaban " What do you make of this language?"

[Joajackson]

In my head yes.......

Dr Douglas calls over to Father Ò Shaban " What do you make of this language?"

Father Ó Shaban looked at the language warily.

"Ohh. No... No Doctor, I don't know nothing of this language. This is not from africa... No. Not at all."

[Mr. Handy]

"It's nae Scots," says Bonnie.

[Philulhu]

OOC:   As you said the good doctor was reading the book, this is what you read.

It was quickly clear to Dr Douglas that the notes in the book had been written by Alex McMorn, although much of the writing inside was indecipherable, and none of it was dated, although it could be assumed to be in chronological order. The book made several references to McMorn’s pets and there were also a number of mentions of a place called T’gaorl, a city deep in the African jungles, which he had discovered on his travels. The more interesting of the legible entries were as follows.

“All is going well. The common folk now hate and fear me sufficiently to shun the house entirely. Douglas and Yuba have finished planting the trees. My great experiment is about to begin.“

“I’m feeding them as the witch doctor told me. They are growing strong and the hunger increases. All is well.“

“The idiots in the village come bringing their Christmas gifts as they say is customary. T’was fortunate there was nothing hanging in the store room.”

“No one in Edinburgh seems to have knowledge of the tomes I seek. I am loath to seek further afield as I need much gold to buy food for my pets, yet t’would be as well to have more knowledge before they are fully grown. What shall I do I wonder?“

“That scum Lennox sought to cheat me. The corpses were fresh and un-hung. Good fortune that I had to sense to keep back some of the contents of the crypt. My pets seem particularly fond of mother. Perhaps they can somehow tell who it is, they eat.“

“I am running short of gold and things are still not full grown. I have tried to get them to sleep as I saw in the city of T’gaorl, but they hunger still. Soon I will have no choice but to feed them sheep.“

The final entry was:

“Today, they tasted blood for the first time. I must now trust to God, but I have forgotten how. At least if I die, foolish villagers will not come here for many years and the things will, as like perish of hungry. Yet they should be fully grown by now. Why will they not sleep? Why? Why?”

OOC:   1d6 Dr D loses 2 points of SAN for reading the book.

[BoyBlunder78]

His hands shaking, Dr Douglas slowly lowers the book. "Its McMorns journal," He tells the others."He brought back something from Africa, the trees. He talks of a hidden city, of wotch doctors. He says he fed his 'pets' on bodies drained of blood and when he couldn't get him fed tyem the bodies of his family from the crypt. And how they loved eatingbhis mother!!What an ungodly man, his last entry was just ranti g on how they have tasted blood and he hopes that the villagers stay away and the creatures might die." Shaking his head muttering under his breath, " The trees...trees....the creatures are linked to them.....inside them? No....could they be living inside them?" His eyes suddenly widen in terror and he stares at the Father and Bonnie shouting "THE TREES!! ITS IN THE TREES!! CHRIST WE MUST WARN ASCOT!!!" and turns and runs from the room, pocketing the diary. "QUICKLY!"

[Philulhu]

All Ascot could hear as the party burst out of the front door was, "THE TREES!! ITS IN THE TREES!!”

[Mr. Handy]

Bonnie hurries outside, gripping her rifle.

[Snapper]

Ascot turns to observe the entourage charging out of the house and raises an eyebrow, but does not otherwise move. "Ah, well if it didn't know we were here before." He turns back to regard the surrounding trees.

[Philulhu]

The leaves moved gently in a light breeze but other than that the woods were silent and still.

[Joajackson]

Father Ó Shaba looked worriedly to the trees, but seemed mostly confused. For being safe, he made sure to stay close to Hamish. If the predator was hunting, he wasn't going to be able to defend himself without the young man help.

"Dr Douglas, please, can you explain what ze prroblem with ze trees?"

[BoyBlunder78]

Reaching Ascot ,Dr Douglas breathing hard,"Whatever this creature is its kining inside the trees! We found McMorns journal and it exolains that he brought these abominations over from Africa. He waa feesing and growing something in them! It's all here in this!" Dr Douglas raises up the book.

[BoyBlunder78]

Turning to Father O'Shaban, "McMorn states in his journal that he learned some hellish knowledge from a witch doctor from some gudden city in Africa. He brought these....affronts of nature", He gestures to the trees with him and planted the seeds a d inside is a creature. His journal tells of him hanging up.bodies for the beast to feed on and how whe
He couldn't get bodies, he fed it his family corpses! The last entry states that it has tasted human blood for the first time and preys that the villagers may stay away and the creature may starve to death. Alas recent events seem.to disprove his hopes! There is alsoa strange inscription, the i e i showed you Father which i dare not read out loud as i do not know if it will aid or hinder us."

[Joajackson]

The Priest decided to try to calm down the man, for the doctor clearly had read things that had perturbed him greatly.

"Dr Douglas, please. Inshallah, slow your mind and heart. Ze evils of ze beyond are not present in here."

[Mr. Handy]

"If they live in the trees, would chopping them down flush them out?" asks Bonnie.

[Joajackson]

"If they live in the trees, would chopping them down flush them out?" asks Bonnie.

"Seeing how ze sheep ended, I wouldn't be nearby ze place."