Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

1976, South California
The Sandoval couple is worried sick: their daughter, Elizabeth, ran off and joined a cult, the Temple of Concordance. They had no contact with her until recently, when she called them, clearly in a state of distress. The call ended abruptly, without any answer from Elizabeth about her status. The police checked up on the Temple, but found everything to be in order: Elizabeth is 21, practicing her right to worship as she wishes. The Sandovals decide to take matters into their own hands...

Moderator: evil_scientist

User avatar
evil_scientist
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 1467
Registered for: 7 years 4 months
7
Contact:

Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by evil_scientist »

Image

The following morning Julie, Ray and Nat hop into the car and drive to Kane Springs. The ride takes them through a patch of desert, then a shining sphere appears ahead - at first it looks like a mirage, but it turns out to be the surface of the Salton Sea reflecting the sunlight.

Most of the roadside motels lie abandoned, and the beaches are slowly reverting back to desert. It quickly becomes obvious, that the Salton Sea is not the swinging resort area it used to be in the 1950s...

A few miles before reaching Kane Springs, Nat notices that the car is running low on gasoline and decides to stop at the nearest station. Luckily, unlike the motels, it is manned and functioning. There is even a small store attached to the station, selling food and snacks. The Investigators get out of the car to straighten their backs.

A car is parked next to them. There is an older man sitting in the driver's seat, sipping from a bottle in a brown paper bag.

Ray recognizes the man: it is Tobias Jerkins! They met a couple of years ago, when Tobias proved to be a very useful consultant on a case. They've been corresponding since, exchanging letters on brainwashing, the Tate-LaBianca murders, assorted cult matters... Such a coincidence to meet the man here! As far as Ray remembers, Tobias lives in Arkham with his family.
"I feel as if my soul would be torn out of my body," she gasped. "I am being drawn into a whirlpool. What is happening? What does it mean?" - The Secrets of Dr. Taverner
User avatar
Mr. Handy
Admin
Admin
Posts: 46361
Registered for: 17 years 5 months
17
Location: Philadelphia
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by Mr. Handy »

Image

Julie is wearing a loose-fitting red V-neck blouse and a pair of blue denim bell-bottoms. The wire is concealed underneath the blouse. "I feel like Pepper Anderson in Police Woman," she says.
Doctor Who/CoC Campaign:
(viewforum.php?f=176)The Terror Out of Time
(viewforum.php?f=191)]The Ninth Planet
The Shadow Over Dunwich
The Brotherhood of Death
The Horror in the Blackout
The Masque of Nyarlathotep
User avatar
HelplessBystander
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 1303
Registered for: 6 years 7 months
6
Location: Australia
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by HelplessBystander »

Tobias sat in his car, drinking alcohol and trying to muster up some modicum of motivation to do something productive with his day. He wasn't exactly doing so hot these days, and he suspects that this might have something to do with his unhealthy relationship with alcohol. His family was almost about as dysfunctional as it could get, and his life was in an awful place. He was forced to admit that this vacation wasn't exactly helping things in terms of turning his life around.
My Call of Cthulhu Campaigns:
Dead Men Walking (Looking for new members)
User avatar
aine
Disciple
Disciple
Posts: 4661
Registered for: 12 years 7 months
12
Location: Bristol, England
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by aine »

"Great!" Nat bounds out of the jeep, goes to fill her up and then heads over to the store for food with nary a glance at the old man in the car. He's feeling on top of the world now they are nearing the action and he's glad to be out of the city fug. He just needs to quell a few hunger pangs. "What do you guys want? Chips and cokes?"
User avatar
Mr. Handy
Admin
Admin
Posts: 46361
Registered for: 17 years 5 months
17
Location: Philadelphia
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by Mr. Handy »

Image

"Thanks, sounds good to me," says Julie.
Doctor Who/CoC Campaign:
(viewforum.php?f=176)The Terror Out of Time
(viewforum.php?f=191)]The Ninth Planet
The Shadow Over Dunwich
The Brotherhood of Death
The Horror in the Blackout
The Masque of Nyarlathotep
Cotton
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 561
Registered for: 8 years 2 months
8
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by Cotton »

Image
"That'd be great, Nat", Ray says as he looks at the car, blinking a couple times to make sure what he's seeing is not a trick of the light and heat. When he's sure that the man is in fact, Tobias Jerkins he heads over to the car. Tapping gently on the glass he says, "Hey there old timer. Fancy meeting you here."
User avatar
HelplessBystander
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 1303
Registered for: 6 years 7 months
6
Location: Australia
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by HelplessBystander »

"Mister Raymond?" Tobias looked surprised, eyebrows leaping to the top of his head as recognition dawned on his face. He regained his composure soon enough, putting down his beer in the drink-holder as he regarded the man with a sloppy smile on his face. "I'd walk out of my car to greet you, but my legs had gotten numb from sitting in the car for too long, 'fraid I might fall should I move so much as an inch. Truly, it was a surprise meeting you here...with company as well, I don't suppose y'alls on holiday, shamblin' around like me in this tourist trap?"
My Call of Cthulhu Campaigns:
Dead Men Walking (Looking for new members)
User avatar
aine
Disciple
Disciple
Posts: 4661
Registered for: 12 years 7 months
12
Location: Bristol, England
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by aine »

Nat sees if there is a Kane Spring Map in the shop. Then he saunters back over laden with goodies. He passes most of them through the jeep window to Julie and then leans against the jeep drinking a coke, half listening to Ray and the guy in the car.
User avatar
evil_scientist
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 1467
Registered for: 7 years 4 months
7
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by evil_scientist »

The station manager tells Nat that Kane Springs is just one of the small settlements that pepper this area: they are not proper towns, really, just a bunch of various buildings and hotels and resorts drawn out along the road and the Salton Sea shore. He recommends staying at the Desert Flower motel, which is "very clean", or the Imperial, "but don't let the name fool you, boy". He also gives Nat a yellowed tourist brochure, which describes some local places of interest: beaches, award winning ice cream vendors ("Best Taste in the State! Special Prize, 1963") and a small local museum, the Kane Springs Exhibition Hall ("Come see the Kane Springs dinosaurs!").
"I feel as if my soul would be torn out of my body," she gasped. "I am being drawn into a whirlpool. What is happening? What does it mean?" - The Secrets of Dr. Taverner
User avatar
Mr. Handy
Admin
Admin
Posts: 46361
Registered for: 17 years 5 months
17
Location: Philadelphia
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by Mr. Handy »

[Image

"Thanks," says Julie, taking the food and drinks and giving Ray his share. She takes a sip of her Coke. "It really is a small world after all, huh?"
Doctor Who/CoC Campaign:
(viewforum.php?f=176)The Terror Out of Time
(viewforum.php?f=191)]The Ninth Planet
The Shadow Over Dunwich
The Brotherhood of Death
The Horror in the Blackout
The Masque of Nyarlathotep
Cotton
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 561
Registered for: 8 years 2 months
8
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by Cotton »

Image
"It is," Ray agrees. "My friends and I are actually here on business. Looking into a fringe religious group known as the Temple of Concordance." Ray is comfortable being upfront about his current job with Tobais since he trusts man, and there's always the possibility that he's heard something that the three of them have not.
User avatar
HelplessBystander
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 1303
Registered for: 6 years 7 months
6
Location: Australia
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by HelplessBystander »

“You say you’re searching for a cult?” Tobias jolted slightly, in shock. “Well, it’s not good news. But it makes sense, you don’t seem like the kind of guy who go out here for a holiday anyways. I haven’t seen any religious groups around here that calls themselves something that obvious, but I’ll keep a lookout for any red flags. Any leads so far?”
My Call of Cthulhu Campaigns:
Dead Men Walking (Looking for new members)
Cotton
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 561
Registered for: 8 years 2 months
8
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by Cotton »

Image
"Well we know where they are and that a man named Malcolm Cavendish is the leader of the group. I've been hired by the parents of a friend of Julie to rescue their daughter, but if I can do more to help out others ensnared by the cult I would like to." Ray says this, nodding towards Julie as he does.
User avatar
Mr. Handy
Admin
Admin
Posts: 46361
Registered for: 17 years 5 months
17
Location: Philadelphia
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by Mr. Handy »

Image

"Hi," says Julie with a wave.
Doctor Who/CoC Campaign:
(viewforum.php?f=176)The Terror Out of Time
(viewforum.php?f=191)]The Ninth Planet
The Shadow Over Dunwich
The Brotherhood of Death
The Horror in the Blackout
The Masque of Nyarlathotep
User avatar
HelplessBystander
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 1303
Registered for: 6 years 7 months
6
Location: Australia
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by HelplessBystander »

"Ah, hello there, young miss. Tobias responded, giving an affable smile. He he made himself acquainted with the group before returning his attention back to Ray, worrying about his daughter's strange acquaintances, he managed to sneak in an excuse to shamelessly investigate the suspicious 'friends' Rachel made. He attempted to reassure himself that he is not being discriminatory and jumping to conclusions definitely does not make him an awful parent. "W-well, *cough* now that I think about it, there is some suspicious people here in Desert Shores. There's some weird teens hanging out in this area, I think they call themselves Do, Ria, and this really weird kid called 'N. *Hic* Bad influence, I tell ya, I think she said she dealt drugs last year, definitely someone to look into, mm-hmm."

Tobias rambled on with an appropriate level of drunkenness about him for a while before describing his encounter with the teens a few days with as much salt and disapproval as he could manage whilst trying to drown himself in liquor .
My Call of Cthulhu Campaigns:
Dead Men Walking (Looking for new members)
User avatar
evil_scientist
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 1467
Registered for: 7 years 4 months
7
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by evil_scientist »

Tobias Jerkins relates his tale about the weird kids hangin around in the parking lot.

---

You may now all read this topic: viewtopic.php?f=428&t=6259
"I feel as if my soul would be torn out of my body," she gasped. "I am being drawn into a whirlpool. What is happening? What does it mean?" - The Secrets of Dr. Taverner
User avatar
Mr. Handy
Admin
Admin
Posts: 46361
Registered for: 17 years 5 months
17
Location: Philadelphia
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by Mr. Handy »

Image

"If you put all those funny names together," says Julie, "you get one real name: Dorian."
Doctor Who/CoC Campaign:
(viewforum.php?f=176)The Terror Out of Time
(viewforum.php?f=191)]The Ninth Planet
The Shadow Over Dunwich
The Brotherhood of Death
The Horror in the Blackout
The Masque of Nyarlathotep
User avatar
HelplessBystander
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 1303
Registered for: 6 years 7 months
6
Location: Australia
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by HelplessBystander »

“...Interesting connections aside, does the name Dorian mean anything to the case?” Tobias asked. “Look, I’m not sure on all the details, but I think y’all could do with a drink. Want some?”

He pulled two trays of beer out from the back of the car, opening can after can with practised ease.
My Call of Cthulhu Campaigns:
Dead Men Walking (Looking for new members)
User avatar
Mr. Handy
Admin
Admin
Posts: 46361
Registered for: 17 years 5 months
17
Location: Philadelphia
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by Mr. Handy »

Image

"Sure, thanks!" says Julie, gratefully accepting a beer.
Doctor Who/CoC Campaign:
(viewforum.php?f=176)The Terror Out of Time
(viewforum.php?f=191)]The Ninth Planet
The Shadow Over Dunwich
The Brotherhood of Death
The Horror in the Blackout
The Masque of Nyarlathotep
Cotton
Keeper
Keeper
Posts: 561
Registered for: 8 years 2 months
8
Contact:

Re: Chapter 3: Approaching the Unknown (everybody)

Post by Cotton »

Image
Ray nods politely as he takes the offered beer and says, "Neither the three names by themselves nor 'Dorian' mean anything to me that I can think of. It's not unusual for people to take on a new name when they convert to a religion, and 'N sounds like the sort of thing a new age group might use. You said that your daughter had wanted to go and visit them at some point right? Did she ever mention them again?" Ray knows its important to keep an eye open for potential information on the job he's working, and that Tobias has a wealth of experience in law enforcement. However, he also knows that sometimes weird teens are just weird teens.
Post Reply

Return to “On the Precipice”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests