Eastern Wastes Of America: Chapter 8 - Lavatories and Lockers

(Read the previous chapter here.)

System: OmegaLite20 
Tools: Gamemaster’s Apprentice Deck; Abandoned Warehouse Hex Flower 
(The above contains affiliate links.)

Scene 1 [Tension Lvl:2]:

Damn, my head hurt! And why did it feel like the world was spinning?

“Hey, guys! I think Alyssa is waking up.”

I opened my eyes to see a giant black rabbit looking down at me.

“Want a Hershey Bar?” The rabbit held out the familiar candy bar, its brown wrapper peeled back about a third of the way, one corner already bitten off.

None of it made sense. Was I Alyssa In Wonderland? I closed my eyes and shook my head to clear the cobwebs. When I opened them again a young bearded man was looking at me. Nate. I remembered his name was Nate.

And the rabbit wasn’t a rabbit. It was a hoop. Sebastian.

I took another look at the partially eaten candy bar. “Can’t chocolate kill a rabbit?” I asked groggily, but with a fair amount of snark.

“You’re thinking about dogs,” Sebastian replied unfazed. “Which gives me an idea. Hey, Charlotte. Maybe we should try leaving a box of these near that camp of arks west of town. If they find it and eat them . . . no more arks?”

It took me a moment to sort out what Sebastian was saying, but eventually, I recalled that “arks” were similar to hoops, except instead of rabbit-people they were dog-people. Just one more bit of surprisingly now-useful holo-vis science show trivia.

“That has to be about the dumbest idea you’ve had, Seb,” responded Charlotte, Sebastian’s brown and white hoop partner.

Sebastian’s face looked hurt . . . or did he have gas. It’s really hard to tell what a rabbit is thinking.

Slowly, I sat up with Nate’s help. Instead of the warehouse floor, the party was resting on one of the raised shelving units. Charlotte was peeking over the edge to spot any approaching security bots while trying to stay far enough back so as not to be easily seen. Nate explained that as soon as I was knocked unconscious by the security bot, Charlotte gave it a good whack with her pipe, permanently disabling it. He shot out the camera and the group lifted me onto the shelf, climbed up themselves, and tried to stay out of sight until they could apply some first aid and wait for me to recover.

[In the last episode, Alyssa took a hit that dropped her to -3 hit points. Charlotte immediately hit the bot for enough damage to end the battle. Omega Lite 20 appears to be very lenient regarding death. If a character is reduced to less than zero hit points they are unconscious, but not dead. Any damage below 0 is counted against their STR stat. Once a character takes enough damage to exceed their STR, they are pronounced dead. However, per the rules as written, there is no mechanic to reduce a character’s hit points except by damage from an attack. Unlike similar rule systems, PC’s in Omega Lite do not automatically bleed hit points while they are below 0. Therefore, unless an enemy targets an unconscious character that is not a threat or uses an Area of Attack weapon, the downed PC is almost certain to recover as long as one party member survives. To me, this seems a little OP and a bit unrealistic. To counter this I am planning on creating a “death table” like I’ve used in other games but, for now, I will be following the standard rules.

The last hex roll from the previous chapter stated there was 50% chance they would find useful items in this area. They made the successful roll and found a random item, which, per randomical.com turned out to be chocolate.

Alyssa gains 1 hp for regaining consciousness and 6 for a healing kit roll. Everyone else makes a healing kit roll as well. Per oracle, no security robots pass by while they wait.]

I was a bit beat up after that last battle, so we all agreed that it might be best if I try to avoid hand-to-hand combat for a while. I did have my pistol, but Charlotte offered me her rifle, as it was more powerful and we had more ammo for it than my own gun. She still had her laser pistol which, if we’re being honest, actually could do more damage than the weapon she gave to me. We climbed down and continued to search the warehouse.

For the next half hour or so, we wandered through the warehouse shooting out cameras, dispatching robots, and picking up product. The first bot we ran into after leaving our shelf put up a bit of a fight and Charlotte took a laser shot that knocked her unconscious.  After a few minutes rest and a healthy dose of B. A. Heal, she was fine and we continued.

As we encountered more cameras and bots we got into a rhythm and were able to take them down quickly, sometimes before the bots got close enough to attack with their claws. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Along the way, we filled our bin with various clothing items and small exercise equipment. Unfortunately, we still hadn’t stumbled across any fuel filters or vehicle parts and our healing supplies were being used up. In fact, we only had enough items left to form what might be considered a single kit.

[Quick summary of the next several warehouse moves made using the Abandoned Warehouse Hex Flower:

Move 6 - Direction 3 - Security Robot
Failed sneak check but PCs dispatch the robot in 2 rounds, but not before Charlotte is dropped to -6 hp. She survives, however.

Move 7 - Direction 6 - Security Camera
Nate takes it out without being seen.

Move 8 - Direction 6 - 70% Product
They find some clothes.

Move 9 - Direction 6 - Security Robot (only 75% chance of encounter due to the reduction in the total number of robots) They do see a robot, but are able to pass undetected.

Move 10 - Direction 4 - Camera and 50% product.
Camera is disabled but not before the group is seen. One robot arrives but is taken down in two rounds.

HEALING KITS: After healing the characters following this battle I began to think about the practical aspects of the healing kits. OmegaLite 20 rules state nothing about the number of uses of a healing kit. It just says that if you have a healing kit you can heal 1d6 after a battle. While it’s reasonable to expect that these kits can be replenished from time to time if a character has access to loose materials, it also can be assumed that they will run out if not replenished. Already in the warehouse they have healed several times without finding any additional medical equipment. So, I’m going to start making oracle checks for each kit to see if it is exhausted. It’s assumed that Sebastian and Charlotte each have a healing kit. The next two checks (Does the kit still have supplies?) will be at (even) odds, beyond that will be at (bad).  Three of the kits were depleted, leaving the group with only one.

Move 11 - Direction 11 - Security Robot (75% chance)  No robot.

Move 12 - Direction 11 - Camera (75% chance) No camera

Move 13 - Direction 6 - Camera (75% chance) and 50% product
There is a camera and it spots the group, but Nate is able to shoot it out. The robot that arrives is destroyed in 1 round.  No healing to conserve kit.  They find some exercise equipment. ]

“We really need to find first aid supplies,” Sebastian says. “Either that or leave and try again another day.”

“Nate and I don’t have time to wait,” I responded. “Let’s keep going.”

We had worked our way across the warehouse and were now approaching the wall opposite where we originally entered. At the end of the aisle we were currently traveling down was a metal door. Next to the door was a keypad, suggesting it was locked. Still, we had to try. I grabbed the handle and pulled. Yep, it was locked.

Move 14 - Direction 11 - Hallway

[In this case, it seemed likely that you would need to pass through a door to enter the hallway. At the end of the last chapter, I generated a special event that indicated there would be some type of puzzle or riddle blocking the party from advancing. I am resolving that event now with the keypad lock. Figuring WAmazon security would be tight, I drew a difficulty on the Gamemasters Apprentice Deck and added it to a base DC10 to hack. The result was DC19. Eeek!]

“Do we want to try to get through?” Nate asked.

“It would be nice to get out of this warehouse for a while,” Charlotte admits.

“Maybe we can get lucky and find the controls to shut down warehouse security,” I added.

Nate dug his tech kit out of his pack, removed a small buttoned box, and attached a few wires to the keypad. Several minutes pass.

“Any luck?” I ask.

“This security is tight. Not surprising since WAmazon is known to be a leader in adopting the latest and best technology. I’m afraid my descrambler might not be updated for this.”

“I thought you were a Net Security expert?”

“That’s my job.”

“Not very good at it, are you? I mean, you couldn’t even fix Sean’s old desktop unit.”

Nate continued to work on the keypad, but his voice grew agitated. “I explained, it was old tech and I didn’t have the right software with me.”

“That tech was too old. This tech is too new. Let me try!” I pushed him aside and mashed four random numbers with my index finger.  Next, I tried my birthday: 0531. Nothing.

“Sebastian, what’s your street address?”

Confused but compliant he responded with 140 Thistle Way. I tried 1400 in vain.

“Charlotte, give me a random number between 1000 and 9999.”

“Uhh . . . 6892.”

No luck.

I step back. “Yeah, we’re not cracking this.”

“Uh, guys,” Charlotte called out. “We’ve got company!”

[Nate’s hack attempt resulted in a 10+5 Tech Skill = 15. Fail. Just for fun, I decided to give each character one chance to “brute force” the keypad, needing an unmodified 20 to succeed. All fail.

In the meantime, I made a 2-in-6 chance for a wandering security bot. Result was a 2. All PC’s passed a DC10 perception check to notice it coming from a distance.]

At the far end of the aisle we just came down, a single security bot glided in our direction, laser pointed and prepared to fire. (By the way, I checked a downed security earlier, and they do have retractable wheels on the bottom of their feet.) We pulled out our weapons but Charlotte already had her laser pistol honed in on her target. When the unit was halfway to us she fired, hitting the thing right in the groin. To be clear, the bots have no sensitive anatomy so I doubt her aim had anything to do with female aggression. What it did have in that area, however, was a gap between its chest and leg plates and Charlotte’s shot slid right in. The thing jerked suddenly to the right and careened into the shelves while white-blue currents snaked over its entire body, accompanied by a few sparks and wisps of smoke. [Charlotte Critically hit and robot critically missed.]

Nate and Sebastian continued to fire on the bot while it tried to correct itself. [Both hit, knocking the bot down to 2 hp. Does the bot move into melee range? (Even) No.] The bot moved back into the center of the aisle but stays put. Instead of coming closer, it raised its laser for another shot. Before it could fire, Charlotte gave it another blast with her pistol, sending the machine sprawling backward into a motionless heap.

“Take that ya giant piece of robo-crap!”

Okay, maybe Charlotte does have a bit of female aggression she needs to work out.

“Give me your crowbar,” Nate ordered and I complied.

Returning to the metal door, he jammed the curved end in between the door and the frame and began to pull.

“Be careful,” I said. “It took me a while to weld those spikes onto it. I don’t want to have to make another one.”

He relaxes. “That door’s not budging anyway. There must be something really important in there.”

“Perhaps,” Charlotte agreed, “But we’ve spent too much time here already. Let’s go.”  Without waiting for a response she moved on.

[Physical check for Nate to pry open the door.  DC15  7+2STR + 5 Physical skill = 14  Fail.  Per an oracle roll they decide to move on.]

Scene 2 [Tension Lvl:3]:

Move 15 - Direction 10 - Hallway w/Security Camera, which means another door to get through.

Charlotte wasn’t wandering aimlessly. Instead, she had noticed a set of double doors several feet further along the wall. Like the previous door, this one was locked with a keypad. Nate gave hacking it a shot, but still could not find the correct code. [Random DC15, however, Nate check was only 14]  Once again, he borrowed my crowbar (so help me if he breaks it) and tried prying the doors open. Sebastian helped and the two of them worked together. Perhaps it was the strength of two people or the fact they were pulling against two slightly moveable objects instead of one movable object and a solid wall, but this time the lock gave.  The door opened slightly before I pressed my palm against them to stop them. [DC15 strength test. 10 + 2 STR + 5 Physical + 1 Sebastian help = 18 Success]

Kneeling next to the doors I pull one open slightly and peered inside. I couldn’t see much, but it appeared to be a small antichamber, or hub, to several other doors. Just below the ceiling line, I saw the expected security camera. Unlike the others we have encountered that pan from side to side, this one appeared to be stationary, pointed permanently at this door. I hoped it hadn’t detected our attempts to break through and so far there were no signs of approaching bots. [DC20 not to trigger camera while prying the door open against Nate Subterfuge: 19+2=21]

After a brief discussion, we decided that I, from my low position, would throw the door open while Nate shoots the camera. With any luck, we can knock it out before it alerts security. I pushed. He shot. Pieces of camera showered down as we all quickly ran into the room and closed the door.

We all held our breaths as I tried to peek through the space between the two doors. I couldn’t see much more than light, but after about fifteen seconds I saw a shadow pass by. Listening closely, I could hear the faint whir of the robot's mechanics. We waited another minute and the bot did not try to open the door. We couldn't be sure it wasn’t just sitting on the other side waiting for us, but we at least felt comfortable enough to explore the other doors.

[The narrative here doesn’t exactly match the assumptions I made while actually playing the game, but Nate rolled a Nat 1 on his sneak check before shooting the camera, so it doesn’t really matter. Security was alerted. However, due to the reduced number of security bots there was only a 60% chance that one would arrive before the group could leave the area. The check was 68 and the group was able to get away.

At this point I put my GM hat on, determined some likely options for what might be behind these doors and made a random roll each time they opened a door, using each option only once.]

We assumed the door opposite the warehouse door led to the main business portion of the building: offices, reception, etc.. We decided to leave that to last and instead went through the door on the right. Remember that joke about the song from the twentieth century that everyone mishears the lyrics. The one that people thought said “There’s a bathroom on the right?” Well, in this instance it wasn’t much of a joke, as we found ourselves in a bathroom, and a pretty nice one at that.

The room was large and clean with grey tiled walls. To the right, as you entered, was a counter with long, white porcelain sinks. Each sink had enough faucets to accommodate four people. Mounted on the wall behind them were several counter-to-ceiling mirrors. Opposite the sinks was a row of privacy stalls. The stall closest to the entrance appeared a bit larger and I peeked in. Mounted on the wall were several urinals. I never quite understood urinals. Men can use a bowl at home. Why do they need a urinal in public? To me, they just seemed like a monopolization of space that could have been used for more unisex stalls. Equal inconvenience when crowded.

We found ourselves in a bathroom

I started walking down the row of stalls, peering into each on the off chance there might be something useful inside. When I passed the third door I heard a sound like someone emptying a pitcher of water. I looked back and took a quick headcount. Charlotte. Sebastian. Where’s Nate? I looked at the door to the first stall.

“Nate! Are you taking a leak?”

“Yeah! I’ve been holding it for the past two aisles.”

Charlotte and Sebastian looked at me with . . . with . . . hell, I don’t know what kind of expressions they had. They just looked at me.

“I sorta have to go, too,” Sebastian said.

I looked at Charlotte. She nodded.

“Okay, everybody,” I gave in. “Five-minute potty break.”

Five minutes later everyone was done and back in the center of the bathroom. Sebastian was stuffing a trailing end of toilet paper into his sack.

“What?” he asked when I gave him a questioning look. “This stuff is priceless back in town. You don’t think I’m going to just leave it here.”

To be fair, he’s probably right. You might recall, my parents kept a well-stocked basement and Woodville was near several big stores and a shopping mall. I never had to struggle to find a roll of toilet paper. But I can imagine that in a town as small as Mausdale it wouldn't take too long to go through the supply, especially if they were cut off from Danville.

We scavenged the remaining rolls and left the room.

Scene 3 [Tension Lvl:4]

The next door we went through was the one across from the bathroom. After carefully peeking through to make sure there were no security cameras, we entered a roomy locker room. Like the bathroom, it was very clean and plain. There was little furniture other than some benches. The walls were lined with dual rows of white lockers. Each locker had a keypad. Just glancing aground, there appeared to be about 50 or so lockers.

We entered a roomy locker room

“These must be lockers for the warehouse employees,” Nate said. “And that must’ve been the main employee bathroom.”

“I wonder if there is anything left in the lockers,” mused Charlotte.

“There’s one way to find out,” Sebastian said and began pulling a few open. The first several were unlocked, but eventually, he came to one whose door would not budge.

“I can try to hack it,” Nate offered. “But I don’t know if we want to take the time trying to pick every lock in this room.

“Wait!” Sebastian said, holding up his gloved hand. “Charlotte, we’ve been so careful for so long we’ve forgotten what we can do.”

Charlotte twitched her whiskers while Sebastian removed the glove with his other hand. Then he pressed his bare paw-hand against the edge of the locker next to the keypad. After a second or two, the metal began to flex. He wiggled his fingers into the space between the door and the side of the locker and the gap easily grew wider. He pulled and the door came open.

His touch had turned the metal into rubber, just like Sean had told us.

“Wish you would have remembered that sooner,” Nate said. “It would have come in handy getting through those doors.”

“Sorry,” Sebastian apologized. “We are so careful as to not destroy everything we touch, I guess we just condition ourselves to forget we can.”

[To be fair, I totally forgot Hoops have this ability. I don’t fully understand why they do, but it’s in the rules. When I finally did remember, I had a similar reaction to what I wrote for Nate. This would have made getting through doors a lot easier.]

“Turning metal into rubber,” I chimed in. “Nice trick, but I prefer my own method.” I rammed the straight end of my crowbar into the gap near the lock on another locker and yanked hard. The lock broke and the door flew open. This crapped-up world we found ourselves in was really bringing out my aggressive side and I rather liked it. I always wanted to be a badass like the heroes in the action books I read. Now I had my chance. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure it will get me into trouble someday, but for now I’ll go with it.

The hoops “melted” the doors and I pried them open until we had investigated every locker and scavenged their contents.

We found a rather random collection of items ranging from clothing (most notably a pair of boots that fit me perfectly) to grooming items, such as a small mirror. One of the oddest items was an empty propane bottle. Why would someone bring a propane bottle to work?

Probably the two most useful items we found were a gun scope and a bottle of pills. For all we knew, the scope was stolen from the warehouse (unlikely, due to all the security), but that didn’t concern us. Sebastian tried attaching it to his rifle and it fit. [Adds +2 to ranged rifle attacks] The pills, according to the label, were sustenance pills. Basically, one pill contained the amount of nutrition equal to a full day’s meals. They might not be as satisfying as a juicy hamburger, but they will keep you going when food is scarce. The bottle was nearly full and we agreed to divide them up once we were back in Mausdale.

[Total haul from the lockers: A jacket, Gun Scope, Orange Neutralizing Pigment (hair coloring), a small tool kit, a bottle of water, Boots (that fit Alyssa), empty propane bottle, fire extinguisher, calculator, small mirror, bottle of 99 sustenance pills, another pair of soft boots that fit no one in the party.

While checking to see if the soft boots fit anyone I drew a random event.

Norse symbol: Naudiz  

Partial GMA Description: Need/Distress - a trial or test, discovery that your almost-complete quest requires an extra step or backtracking.  I know what this will be if and when the appropriate moment arises.

Tension resets for the next scene.]

(Read the next chapter here.)

==========
Matt. 6:19-21

Halloween Quill 2021 - Shadow and Ink Part 6

 (Read previous letter here.)

Letter 6: Paradise Found

Background info:

Character: Writer (using Journalist profile)  Virginia Marlin (Skill: Detailed  +1 dice to a single Heart test, I know Steady Hand makes more strategic sense, however, the details of this letter makes that option unlikely)

Penmanship: Poor (1d)
Language: Good  (3d)
Heart: Average (2d)

Profile: You are a friend of Issac Barnard, the artist from the previous letter. You live in the nearby town of Essex and you met Issac many years ago when both of you happened to be visiting Manchester. You passed the artist on the street as he worked at his easel, capturing the morning bustle on the streets. Striking up a conversation, you bonded over your creative endeavors -- his painting, and your writing -- and you quickly became friends.

Over the past several years the two of you visited each other and spoke about collaborating on a project. You were working on a novel set in New England and Issac offered to provide some illustrations to accompany the story. It was this project that brought you to Arkham on this brisk fall day. You had arranged to look at a few of his sketches and choose two or three to be fully developed. However, upon arrival at his home on the edge of the Sycamore Wood, you were ill-prepared for what you would find.

Goal: You must convince yourself that you are sound of mind and that what you saw was a
figment - a chemical reaction in your brain. Reason as to what happened and try to maintain your sanity.

Rules of correspondence: There is only darkness. He is here by your door. Your final paragraph must be in capitals.

Inkpot words are written in red.  Flourish words are written in blue. The scores for each paragraph are listed after the letter.

*  *  *  *  *

Finally, I’m able to put my thoughts on paper. I’ve been on the run most of the night, only arriving at this hotel a little before midnight. I asked the desk clerk if there was any food leftover from dinner as I hadn’t eaten since midday. He assured me he could find something and would bring it up to me. I thanked him, retreated to my room, and locked the door. I must settle my mind. I need to make sense of what I saw, lest I go mad. I pray that writing this account will help.

I arrived in Arkham late in the afternoon and made my way to Issac’s house right about dusk. To my surprise, his front door was wide open. When I receive no response to my call, I ventured inside. The entire room was ransacked as though someone had been frantically searching for something. However, I soon came to believe that a struggle was more likely, as I spotted a stain of blood on the floor. Streak marks led to the back of the house. I figured that whatever spilled that blood either crawled or was dragged in that direction.  Fearing for my friend’s safety I followed the trail out the back door and into the fields beyond. The grass was matted where it appeared the body had been dragged, bits of blood and flesh stuck to blades of grass and the branches of shrubs. The trail led into the Sycamore Woods that bordered Issac’s property and, despite the hour, I continued.  If Issac was hurt I might be his only salvation. However, it wasn’t my friend that I found, but Betsy his dog. Her body had been torn to shreds and the exposed bones showed signs of gnawing. Could a cougar have entered the home and dragged the poor animal out here to feast?

I was so focused on finding Issac and the grisly discovery that I was unaware of the macabre scene that was unfolding several feet beyond. It was the voice, laughter, and other strange sounds that caught my attention. I looked up and saw a flicker of flame through the trees. Curious, I approached the clearing and now wish I hadn’t. On the forest floor writhed a couple dozen naken men and women. On top of them were otherworldly beings, demons, the likes of which I had never seen. They were grey and leathery with wings like a bat. Their arms ended in claws which they used to tear into their victims and their beaks were long and filled with razor-sharp teeth. Their bellies bulged as they devoured the people’s flesh.  Presiding over the scene was a tall, sinister-looking man. Satan, I thought, but those being eaten called him by another name: Nyarlathotep.

As horrid as this was, it barely compared to what I heard. The men and women on the ground, those being torn to shreds and eaten, were laughing. In fact, they seemed to enjoy what was happening and were raising up their voices with rejoicing. I felt something grip my leg and I looked down. A man, everything below his torso torn away, looked up at me and giggled. ‘Nyarlathotop has brought paradise to us,’ he said blissfully. ‘Praise be to him!’  What madness was this? I screamed as the man died at my feet. I ran.  The chanting went on behind me and I couldn’t tell if anyone followed. I didn’t stop. I didn’t look back. I just ran to town, found a vacant carriage, and told the driver to leave with all haste. I begged him not to stop until we reached the next town. I spent the entire trip trying to convince myself that what I saw was a mere illusion. That something did happen to Issac and it was actually only his body I saw, the feeding creature nothing more than a crow or buzzard. But it was to no avail. That didn’t explain the tall man or the words I heard emanate from the dying man’s mouth.

I was dropped off at this fine Inn and . . . WHAT’S THAT? A POUNDING AT MY DOOR. HE HAS FOUND ME! NYARLATHOTEP IS HERE! DID HE JUST SPEAK MY NAME? NO, THAT MUST BE MY IMAGINATION. HE CAN’T KNOW ME? HE CAN’T KNOW I’M HERE. WAIT! HE SPOKE IT AGAIN. “VIRGINIA! YOUR MEAL!” OH LORD! HE’S SERVING ME TO THOSE VILE MONSTERS. I AM THEIR NEXT MEAL!. FATHER IN HEAVEN! YOU ARE HOLY! DELIVER ME FROM THIS EVILLLL . . .  (The letter ends with the pen trailing off in a squiggle.)

P1 - Flourish: 2, 3 fail  Inkpot: 1, 2, 4 - inferior word  Penmanship: 2 fail
        Total Score: 0

P2 - Flourish: 4,4  fail  Inkpot: 3,4,5 - superior word  Penmanship: 3 fail
        Total Score: 1

P3 - Flourish: 1,3  fail  Inkpot: 2,2,6 - superior word  Penmanship: 2 fail
        Total Score: 1

P4 - Flourish: 3,4 (Using skill for +1 die) 1  fail  Inkpot: 2,2,6 - superior word  Penmanship: 6
        success
        Total Score: 2

P5 - Flourish: 1, 4  fail  Inkpot: 2,5,6- superior word  Penmanship: 4 fail, of course
        Total Score: 1

Total Letter Score: 5

0-7 points

You scream and the door opens. Instead of the tall man from the woods, you see the concerned desk clerk holding a plate of hot food in his hand.  He asks if you are okay and, embarrassed, you quickly explain that he just startled you. You grab the plate and shut the door.  No longer hungry, you set the plate down, seal the letter in an envelope, and put it in the drawer. Taking a breath, you tell yourself to calm down. The act of getting everything on paper has eased your mind a bit, and you feel silly at the thought of mistaking the desk clerk for the Devil. Still, you feel uneasy and unsettled, not knowing exactly what you witnessed in the woods. You step over the window and look out over the quiet street. Suddenly, your eye catches faint movement in the shadows across the way.  You focus all your attention in that direction, straining to see what is there. After a few moments, the shadows appear to separate, and, to your horror, you can make out the shape of a tall man dressed in coat and tails and a top hat.

Actual game text: You seal the envelope and slip it into a drawer, holding your head. Writing has made you feel better, but you can’t shake the feeling that something is drawing in. You look outside and see the shape of a tall man. Gain 1 story point.

Total Story Points: 7

CAMPAIGN CONCLUSION (Based on a score of 5-7 points)

You (Virginia Marlin) wake up in the bed of the hotel room. The last thing you remember from the previous evening was retreating to your bed and ducking under the covers. A childish act, you know, but all you could think to do was hide and hope the evil man would just leave.

Slowly you climb out of bed, wondering what time it is. Sunlight streams through the window and the angle makes you think it’s late morning or perhaps early afternoon. Now that it’s day and you’ve gotten some sleep, you seem to be thinking a bit more clearly. While you feel you must have seen something awful in the woods, was it really the grotesque scene you remember? Surely, people weren’t really being eaten by winged beasts. That’s impossible! Maybe an animal predator did get a hold of Issac, dragged him to the woods, and left his half-eaten body there to be found. That’s what you must have seen and the shock caused you to imagine everything else. After all, the novel Issac and you were collaborating on was a mystery. That must’ve been it.

Still, you want to get away from here as fast as possible, so you go about gathering your things and packing them in your case. As you are fastening the clasp, you notice a copy of the New England Journal open on the small writing desk.  Funny, you don’t recall it being there before. You step over and take a look at one of the stories on the open page. It tells about strange goings-on in the Sycamore Woods of Arkham. You close your eyes and shiver at the memories of what you imagined the previous night. When you open them again, the newspaper is gone!

Confusion courses through you and you waste no time grabbing your bag and heading downstairs. Your plan is to have the clerk hail you a carriage and leave immediately, presumably never to return. However, when you reach the lobby the room is empty. Stepping over to the counter, you ring the small bell that sits there and wait. After about five minutes no one shows up. Not only that, but you see no other patrons about either. This is certainly strange, but eventually, you resign yourself to the idea that you are going to have to seek out transportation yourself.

You leave the hotel and step into the street . . . the completely empty street. Where is everyone? This is highly unusual, especially for the middle of a bright, sunny day in what usually is a bustling town.  Then, without warning, the sky darkens and you look up. A grey, swirling cloud has formed overhead. Is it about to rain? You look closer and realize what you thought was a cloud was actually a flock of birds. Blackbirds. No. Not quite blackbirds. As they descend further down, instead of chirping or caws you hear shrieking and the flapping wings much heavier than a crow’s. To your horror, you realize what you are looking at are none other than the same grotesque creatures you saw in the woods.  However, instead of fat and bulbous, they were thin and skeletal. Of course they are, you think to yourself. They haven’t eaten yet.

The fall to your knees and the cloud envelopes you as the beasts begin to feast.

============
Rev. 12:9

Halloween Quill 2021 - Shadow and Ink Part 5

 (Read the previous letter here.)

Letter 5: Nyarlathotep

Background info:

Character: Artist  Issac Barnard (Skill: Inspiration  +1 dice to a single Language test) 

 Penmanship: Good (3d)
 Language: Poor  (1d)
 Heart: Average (2d)

Profile: As with the past two letters, the year is 1904. You live on the edge of the northern woods. For the past several months, you have had a front-row seat for the lights, chants, and other phenomena that have been occurring from somewhere within the woods. Because of these unsettling events, you were already contemplating moving to Nebraska to live with your mother when the most recent deaths and disappearances began. First, it was that student and her friend who was staying in the home of Catherine Gale while the owner was recovering in the hospital from a serious illness. Next, a journalist from Boston and his companion went missing after heading into the woods to investigate the same lights and sounds that concerned you. However, it’s the last death, the body you personally discovered, that prompted you to alert others of the evil that might exist in Arkham, Massachusetts.

Goal: You must relay the events to the editor at the New England Journal - telling them what you saw and that people have the right to know about it. Convince them to report on it at once.

Rules of correspondence: You write on high-quality vellum paper with professional stationery. Reroll your first Penmanship test and take the highest number.

Inkpot words will be printed in red,  flourish in blue. The scores for each paragraph are listed after the letter.

*   *   *   *   *

Dear Editor,

My name is Issac Barnard and I have been a resident of Arkham, Massachusetts for nearly ten years. I am an artist by trade, and I moved to New England for an opportunity to capture the homes, people, forests, and oceanscapes of this picturesque corner of our country in my paintings. My life has been enjoyable, but recent events have disrupted the town’s peaceful nature. Several months ago, some type of nighttime gathering began in the woods near my home, and people in town have grown increasingly secretive and curious. These alone could be dismissed as oddities and mere annoyance, however, things have grown more serious with several unexplained deaths and disappearances. I would urge you, Sir, to send some of you best people down here to investigate the facts themselves and report about it in your Journal before more people die.

The worst of this started with two girls. Their bodies were found in an upstairs bedroom of the house in which they were staying. According to my friend Charlie, who worked with the police, both bodies were covered with cuts that resembled shapes and symbols.  The man who found the bodies, a man of science from what I hear, knew one of the young women. He asked a lot of questions about the goings-on around Arkham and the late-night activities in the woods. He contacted a journalist friend of his and the two of them began their own investigation, beginning with a trip into the forest. I don’t believe their search went very far, however, for they never came out and were never heard from since.

It is the most recent occurrence, however, that greatly affected me. Two days ago I was walking my dog through a field near my home when I discovered a body hidden in some brush. It turned out to be my friend Charlie, who I mentioned earlier. He was dead, of course, but what was even more shocking was the state of his body. His arms, legs, face -- any part I could see -- were covered in shapes and images, all carved into his skin. I remember him telling me about the same marks on the two dead girls. I also remember he took a particular, almost obsessive interest in their case. He suspected occult involvement, primarily due to an old book and other writings that were recovered from the house. Charlie was constantly speaking of the Man from the Stars who was coming to bring peace to our world. He spoke of these things with such passion that I wonder if he might have believed them himself. Regardless, I fear he may have become too involved and that his death is related to the others and the strange gatherings in the woods.

I have saved the next part for last, primarily so you might first have some facts that can be checked out and verified, and thus be more likely to believe what I encountered next. I admit I have taken to drinking lately, and last night I was about a quarter of the way through a fresh bottle of whiskey when I heard the cacophonous music and chanting emanate from the woods. Next, lights from the trees shone through my window and illuminated my room. I built up my courage -- I'm sure the drink helped -- and set out to discover once and for all what was happening in this town. I entered the forest and traveled about two hundred feet when I came to a clearing. A circle of people, many of them whom I recognized, danced and contorted in a circle around a large bonfire. They were buck naked, men and women both, and their bodies were covered in the same gouged-out symbols I saw on Charlie. In the center of the circle, at the edge of the fire, was a finely dressed, lanky giant. He was nearly eight feet tall, wore a coat and tails, had on a top hat, and carried a jeweled cane. I couldn’t be certain if this man, his own face scarred as well, was the dancer’s object of worship or simply the leader of the service. Either way, he cackled as everyone chanted the name Nyarlathotep, along with other nonsense words, as though they were casting some spell. Soon, tendrils of light like lightning coursed through the group, jumping from body to body. Then suddenly, a creature with wings like a bat, a body like a skeleton, and a long pointed beak with needle-like teeth descended from the sky and alit on one of the cultists. That’s when I ran!

Writing this letter is my last duty to Arkham. Once I am done I will be packing my things and making for the station. I have seen too much and I fear it will be my quietus unless I leave immediately. Even then, it might already be too late. I wish I had never heard of Arkham, Massachusetts. If this missive compels you to act -- which I hope it does -- I would urge you to send a team of journalists, for their own protection. And trust no one. This must stop. I wish you well.

Sincerely,

Issac Barnard

P1 - Flourish: pass   Inkpot: 5 - superior word   Penmanship: 4,4,5 reroll per rules 2,3,5  both succeed.           
       Total Score: 2

P2 - Flourish: 4, 4 fail   Inkpot: 2 - inferior word   Penmanship: 3,4,5 success.
        Total Score: 1

P3 - Flourish: 3, 3 fail   Inkpot: 4 - inferior word   Penmanship: 3,5,5 success.
        Total Score: 1

P4 - Flourish: 3, 5 success   Inkpot: 5 - superior word   Penmanship: 2, 5, 6 success.
        Total Score: 4

P4 - Flourish:2, 2 fail   Inkpot  (use skill, +1 die): 1, 5 - superior word   Penmanship: 5,5,5 success.
        Total Score: 2

Total Letter Score: 10

9+ points

The editor of the New England Journal is very intrigued by your letter and receives it with utmost seriousness. After a few inquiries, he is able to confirm the stories of the disappearances and the deaths and feels, based on your account, that a thorough investigative report would be in order. He puts his top reporter, Jacob Hughes, on the story. Hughes writes back, hoping his letter will be forwarded to your new address. He desires to interview you more fully, should that be possible, but in the meantime will travel to Arkham with two other journalists, a seasoned veteran with whom he has teamed up in the past, and a young student just starting at the paper. The three hope to interview the locals and make it out to the woods in the hopes of spying on the activities that go on at night. Hughes promises to contact you when their trip is done to give you an update and schedule a time to visit for an interview.

Actual text from the rules: The letter from the editor is everything you hoped for. He is extremely interested in following this story and is immediately dispatching the Journal’s most seasoned reporter. Before long you’re getting paid a visit by journalist Jacob Hughes who interviews you about what you saw and decides to set out into the woods at night. Gain 2 story points.

Total Story Points: 6

(Read the next letter here.)