Posts tagged Horror RPG

Eternal Lies – Session 12

RPG Life January 16, 2021

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 15, 1934: The Investigators decided to travel to the Ethiopia to investigate some of the leads they’d turned up while in Los Angeles. In particular, they wanted to investigate the activities of two archaeologists: GEORGE AYERS and BARTOLO ACUÑA.

It appears that Ayers was a member of RAMON ECHAVARRIA’S cult. In fact he was part of the cult’s inner circle and was close enough to Echavarria to detect the fact that the cult leader seemed to be lying about the entity that the group was worshipping. Echavarria had pointed to GOL- GOROTH, an alien deity drawn to human depravity, but in truth there was another figure that Echavarria sought to contact. Echavarria referred to it as THE LIAR FROM BEYOND.

Whatever occurred between him and Ayers, Echavarria still approved of his associate enough to fund an archaeological dig at his recommendation. In 1924, Ayers joined Acuña on a trip to Dallol, in Abyssinia, to excavate some ancient ruins. As he was out of the country, he evaded the events that led to the death of Echavarria, along with many of his followers, as well as most of WALTER WINSTON’S group of cult-busters.

Nevertheless, while in Ethiopia, Ayers disappeared. Bartolo Acuña is still active and has re-entered Ethiopia recently at the behest of the Italian cultural ministry. He is there to retrieve an ancient stone obelisk from the ancient town of Aksum.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1934: FRANK KEARNS piloted the investigators to Massaua, known to be the most active Eritrean transportation hub. Acuña is said to be in the area, possibly in transit to Aksum, while Dallol lies deep in the Abyssinian desert. Traveling may be somewhat complicated, due to recent.

After their brush with annihilation, the Investigators are now armed with heavy firearms and have procured some explosives. Just in case. They got three rooms in the whitewashed, futurist Hotel Internazionale, an establishment that caters to Europeans and wealthy Ethiopians. Dorothy bought a lemon while they walked along the Massaua docks. A man who was unloading crates from a boat smiled to the Investigators, and they approached him. His name was JEROME. He seemed to extremely curious about the Investigators, but generally benevolent.

The Investigators visited the Gotti saloon, which was crowded with more Europeans and well to do locals. They eventually hired a guide, who claims to know the countryside, as well as the English, Arabic, and Italian languages. His name is ABAI. Luke ordered espresso, and his companions followed suit.

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Eternal Lies – Session 11

RPG Life January 16, 2021

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1934: Luke Davis stirred from a mental haze to find himself, naked in SAMSON TRAMMEL’S study. He was staring at a strange painting of an alien landscape that was hanging on the wall, while Trammel sat on the floor nearby, sketching him. Trammel showed him the bundle of papers and effluvia in which he was drawing. It was stained with what might’ve been blood and other human secretions and bound with hair. Trammel snipped a little of Luke’s own hair and mashed it into what he called his “testament.” He allowed Luke to glance over the pages, which contained peculiar occult meanderings intermixed with business records and correspondence. The information here seemed to link Trammel /or drug trade to locations in Mexico City, Valetta, and Bangkok.

Meanwhile, Chantelle, Dorothy and Tick Tock were locked in a guest bedroom. CAPTAIN WALKER entered and questioned them about who sent them and why. If the Investigators agreed to leave Los Angeles and not return, Walker said he would release them. He cited their powerful friends and his desire to keep the Nectar operation functional. He distanced himself from the religious side of Trammel’s operation, saying he just handled the business. He made it clear that doing so was difficult, given Trammel’s unstable nature.

Luke was brought back to the room, and he and Dorothy exchanged awkward greetings. (At this point, no one in the group was probably finding it easy to look anyone else in the eye.) The Investigators were led outside by one of Trammel’s men. They were given a car with keys. They made haste for the airport, where FRANK KEARNS remarked on their disheveled appearance, before piloting them back to New York.

A mythos themed print by my good friend Gadz

Tick Tock went to church and gave confession to a priest. He felt somewhat comforted. Dorothy spoke with her mother, ABIGAIL HOWARD, and mentioned that she would be traveling overseas with her friend Chantelle. Abigail suggested that Dorothy join the family for dinner. Chantelle turned on her French charm to win the approval of the Howards.

ELMER WICKER delivered The Communion Rites of Victorian Death Cults to Luke. He and Dorothy met up to study it and the UCLA texts. They also had sex.

The Investigators made their way to the Manhattan office of JANET WINSTON-ROGERS. They briefed her on their recent experiences. She asked that they dig deeper, and Tick Tock asked if she really wanted to know the truth about her father, WALTER WINSTON. She said that she did, and that she hoped that Tick Tock would get some answers about his lost friend VINCE STACK as well.

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Eternal Lies – Session 10

RPG Life January 16, 2021

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1934: The Investigators decided to visit the mansion of deceased philanthropist/cult leader RAMON ECHAVARRIA once more. They found what might have been strange patterns in the plaster of the walls—similar to the mouth-like manifestations they’d seen at Joy Grove Sanitarium back in Savannah. But these marks were old and might just have been water damage. Wandering the grounds, Dorothy found a garden area that was featured in the pornographic photographs the Investigators had discovered previously.

Recognizing that most of the evidence they’d collected was pointing toward SAMSON TRAMMEL, the Investigators decided to investigate his mansion. Luke and Tick Tock made their way to Pasadena to surveil Trammel’s home by night. They found that the layout corresponded to the blue prints Chantelle had turned up earlier. Posing as stranded motorists, they positioned themselves on the edge of Trammel’s grounds. Tick Tock approached and noticed that a party was going on inside the mansion. The people who were arriving and leaving were a curious mix of the rich and beautiful and the destitute and disposable. Tick Tock also noticed more thugs in zoot suits guarding the place. He found one entrance that was out of sight. It led to a conservatory. The door was locked, and Tick Tock decided to leave it undisturbed for the time being.

Luke and Tick Tock had seen dead bodies being carried out of the mansion. They decided to follow a car that was carrying a body away. It led them on a long drive into the desert. They evaded detection and were able to see two men burying a body, upright, in the rocky sand. They stayed out of sight till the men left. They dug down to the shoulders of the body and examined its head and neck for signs of mouths. They didn’t find any, but noted that the corpse’s face was covered in a dried, translucent paste. They reburied the body and headed back to the Hotel Roosevelt.

If you ever get a chance, check out House on the Rock in Wisconsin…weird stuff

Meanwhile Chantelle and Dorothy tracked down Samson Trammel at the Cocoanut Grove Ballroom. He seemed to recognize them at this point. They played to his lascivious appetites and were granted an invitation to his mansion. The group met and made preparations to confront Trammel. Having a sense that they were entering a dangerous situation, many of the Investigators sent word of their plans back to their associates. Dresses and firearms were pulled together, and the group set out for Trammel’s mansion.

Back in Pasadena, the Investigators again found a party in full swing. Guards offered to park their cars in the carriage house next to the mansion, but Chantelle declined, saying the group could do so themselves. At this point, the Investigators caught a glimpse of CAPTAIN WALKER, leaving the upper floor of the carriage house. They could see what appeared to be a small personal residence set up inside. Walker made conversation with the guards and nodded at the Investigators, but did not speak to them.

Inside, the Investigators found a strange mixture of guests. Some seemed to be from other countries, while many were American. Some appeared to be quite rich, while others were very poor. Many of the guests were openly having sexual relations of various kinds. Samson Trammel greeted the group and offered them drinks. While everyone accepted what they were give, no one drank right away.

Luke and Dorothy snuck off while Chantelle and Tick Tock remained with Trammel. They pretended to be in search of a private area to have sex, while they made their way into the kitchen. Following a path they’d noted on Chantelle’s blue prints, they made their way to the basement, where they found another pocket of orgiastic activity. They crept through a wine cellar to a hidden area indicated on the blue prints. Inside, they found a broader, more disturbing orgy in progress.

To the strains of a peculiar ballad, groups of people engaged in depraved acts around a gargantuan, twisted mouth. It was about the size of a car, and from it, extended tongues and other body parts. It seemed to be participating sexually, while exuding a thick organic secretion. This substance was being harvested by blank faced men who were not participating in the orgy. Dorothy and Luke were both deeply shocked by this sight to a degree where they inhibitions crumbled—along with any sense of rationality. Luke went down on Dorothy, who eventually reciprocated with a hand job, as the chaos continued around them. (SAN losses of 19 and 12, respectively.)

Upstairs, Chantelle continued her banter with Samson Trammel, while Tick Tock took a drink. Tick Tock was again seized by the disturbing pleasure of Nectar. Unable to control himself, he again turned to self-gratification. Trammel was amused and attempted to guide Chantelle into his office and

study. There she caught a glimpse of several old books and a strange painting of an alien landscape. Trammel’s conversation become more pointed and menacing, as he pressed Chantelle for information as to why she had come to Los Angeles. He made it clear that he knew the Investigators had come through Savannah from New York. Chantelle pulled her gun on Trammel, who laughed and indicated that other men had guns trained on her as well.

Chantelle gave up her weapon. From the stairs, Captain Walker threw gave her a glance. Trammel had her and the still transfixed Tick Tock escorted to the basement. The party was reunited, sort of, in front of the mouth. Chantelle and Tick Tock were disturbed by what they saw, but remained calm. (SAN losses of 3 and 1.) Trammel asked Chantelle what they should do next.

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Eternal Lies – Session 9

RPG Life January 16, 2021

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1934: Having questioned attorney ABRAHAM BUCHWALD about his connections to deceased cult leader RAMON ECHAVARRIA, the Investigators made their way back to the Hotel Cecil. Watches were set, and Tick Tock went to visit the bar and to dose himself with Nectar. He experienced a supernatural degree of sexual arousal. He relieved himself in the men’s room, while being watched, part of the time by another man. On his way back to his hotel room, he stopped at the car for further autoerotic experiences.

From the UCLA lot of books Dorothy and Luke have pieced together parts of two rituals—one involving the moon and another that theoretically allows for passage into the demimonde. When Tick Tock returned to their room, Luke noted his strange demeanor, but was unable to determine the cause for it.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1934: In the morning, Tick Tock escaped to the car rental agency. He managed to exchange the sedan he’d visited the night before for a nearly identical car. [GM Note: he rolled a critical success.] Nevertheless, his companions were suspicious of his behavior. They visited the hotel bar and questioned the bartender. She told them that he had exposed himself to another man and soiled a bar stool in urine. She suggested that they check out of the hotel before the management went to the authorities.

Chantelle called JANET WINSTON-ROGERS and asked her to get access to the movie star OLIVIA CLARENDON, whom the Investigators have linked to Echavarria’s social circle in the 1920s. When Tick Tock returned, the group made its way to MGM Studios. Due to the influence of Janet Winston-Rogers’, Clarendon had agreed to be interviewed by them at her trailer.

Elegant and beautiful, she agreed to sign autographs for a star struck Dorothy and her friends. She told them of her past associations to Echavarria and to movie star RICHARD SPEND, both of who died in the 1924 massacre. She described Echavarria’s group as a mixture of a sex cult and high society party circle. As an up and coming starlet, she visited the parties a few times, without participating sexually, but quickly extricated herself from the scene. She claimed to see the manifestation of a large, inhuman mouth at Echavarria’s mansion. It was taking part in an orgy.

Clarendon also mentioned having contact with missing UCLA professor GEORGE AYERS, who also attended these parties and appeared to be a personal friend of Echavarria. Ayers gave her advice about ancient religions in connection with a part she was playing in a film.

The Investigators picked up stakes and moved to the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood. They discussed Nectar and had more of the drug delivered, after Tick Tock made some calls.

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Eternal Lies – Session 7

RPG Life January 16, 2021

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1934: The Investigators finished up their search at RAMON ECHAVARRIA’S farm, noting further scrutiny from the nearby construction workers. They also discovered calcified marks in the remnants that could be mouth-shaped, about 7” across at their widest point. But the scene had clearly been picked over by the police 10 years ago.

The Investigators headed to UCLA to look into EDGAR JOB’S past, including his relationship to Professor GEORGE AYERS of the History department. While they were there, they decided they’d search the university’s books for information concerning the supernatural manifestations they’d encountered or heard about.

Chantelle Perreault placed a call to JANET WINSTON-ROGERS to let her know what was happening and to ask if she could use her influence to give the Investigators access to the LAPD’s investigation of the 1924 massacre. Meanwhile Arthur Rowe met with Job’s faculty advisor, STUART TICHENER. He revealed that Job was a mediocre but driven student, who drifted out of graduate studies under the influence of drugs and of George Ayers.

Dorothy and Luke talked to the UCLA History department assistant, SAMANTHA BURNISH, who spoke with distaste about George Ayers. She said he was a hedonist and exploited his position to avoid work and corrupt students. She confirmed that Ayers traveled to Abyssinia in 1924 on an archaeological expedition, funded, at least in part, by the university. She offered to make an appointment with the Investigators with HAMISH MACDUNN, chair of the History department. The Investigators agreed to return on the following day.

Dorothy and Luke also visited the History section of the UCLA library. Performing a broad search concerning various phenomena they’d encountered or heard about, they complied a handful of strange books. They used their credentials and wealth to convince the librarian to let them take all but one of these off campus to study. The withheld book was a late edition of the dreaded Unaussprechlichen Kulten of Friedrich von Junzt. The UCLA librarian provisionally agreed to release the book, if Dorothy’s grandfather were to make a very, very large donation to the university.

Cthulhu waits dreaming on the refrigerator

Meanwhile, James “Tick Tock” Cohan surveyed the area to see if the Investigators were still under surveillance. He noted that the same large, angry man was parked nearby. The man approached Tick Tock and offered him nearly $1000 to leave L.A.. Tick Tock refused the money and tried to get the man to tell him who he was working for. The man seemed afraid, despite his bluster, and said that his employer was even scarier than the mob. He told Tick Tock he was through with him.

The Investigators reassembled and then headed back to their hotel. On the way, they noticed they were being followed by a police squad car. Dorothy pulled over so that Chantelle could confront the police. An officer got out of the car and said they were being followed because of they were driving erratically. Chantelle expressed doubt about the motives of the officers. Dorothy stepped in to defuse the situation.

Back at the hotel, a police report of the 1924 incident had been delivered for the Investigators. Some of the Investigators checked in with their contacts. Dorothy convinced her grandfather to make a large investment in UCLA’s library. Dorothy and Luke dug deeper into the handful of books from UCLA. Chantelle called DETECTIVE TRENT HIGGINS, the police officer attached to the 1924 incident. He didn’t know much, but having been told about the officers who were following the Investigators, he alluded to related corruption in the LAPD, including some connection with the real estate developer SAMSON TRAMMEL, who has been linked to Ramon Echavarria.

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Eternal Lies – Session 8

RPG Life December 15, 2020

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1934: Having taken some time to recuperate and study, the Investigators decided to return to UCLA. Having delivered, a very large donation to UCLA, they borrowed its copy of Unaussprechlichen Kulten. (It is ordinarily kept under lock and key.) They also questioned HAMISH MACDUNN, head of the UCLA History Department, about PROFESSOR GEORGE AYERS. They confirmed that Ayers departed for the area of Dallol in Abyssinia in 1924. While abroad, he contacted MacDunn and convinced him to buy up a lot of books, belonging to the recently deceased RAMON ECHAVARRIA. That lot of books, includes the volumes studied by Luke and Dorothy, as well as Unaussprechlichen Kulten.

MacDunn said that Ayers disappeared while in Abyssinia, some time in 1925. He gave the Investigators a box of Ayers’ effects, including Ayers’ research notes, a travel itinerary for his trip to Abyssinia, and a signed photograph from movie star OLIVIA CLARENDON. Previously, the Investigators had linked the actress to Echavarria and deceased movie star RICHARD SPEND. Clarendon’s signature did not match that of a woman the Investigators met at the Joy Grove Asylum in Savannah, who claimed to be Olivia Clarendon.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1934: Despite a dramatic wardrobe failure, Tick Tock arranged the purchase of 3 doses of Nectar from a Hollywood dealer. He decided to hang onto them and possibly use them later that night.

The Investigators made their way to the Los Angeles office of ABRAHAM BUCHWALD, Echavarria’s former attorney and collaborator in the Nectar trade. Dorothy and Luke engaged in a classic Good Cop/Bad Cop questioning of Buchwald, who revealed that he was an adjunct member of Echavarria’s “druidic” cult. He was ignorant of the details of that cult’s practices, but he attended sex parties, at which he encountered Olivia Clarendon and Richard Spend.

Buchwald admitted he had coordinated the Nectar trade, along with other business for Echavarria. He mentioned that Echavarria had told him to avoid the cult’s final gathering on the fateful night when Echavarria perished, along with many of WALTER WINSTON’S 1924 group of occult investigators. He told Buchwald to prepare himself for “the end.” Buchwald said that, at the time, Echavarria also told him he was deceiving those in his cult—that his “work went deeper than Gol-Goroth.”

Buchwald also acknowledged that he’d done some bookwork for sSAMSON TRAMMEL, who he believes has spearheaded the expansion of the Nectar trade. Trammel offered him a bribe to handle the transfer of Echavarria’s property, but Buchwald declined. The person offering the bribe, on Trammel’s behalf, was a CAPTAIN HECTOR WALKER—perhaps the same man Tick Tock played cards with on his first night in L.A.

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Eternal Lies – Session 6

RPG Life December 14, 2020

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1934: Overnight, the Investigators rested at the Hotel Cecil, setting watches in both rooms. Luke insured that the rooms were protected by hamsa symbols. While the others were resting, Tick Tock hit the bar. He struck up a conversation with the bartender there and noticed that the topaz that Dorothy had bought him at the occultist’s shop had taken on the appearance of an eye, watching him. The eye shifted into a grinning mouth.

Dorothy had a nightmare in which, once again, she was wandering the halls of Joy Grove Sanitarium, back in Savannah. She was dressed as a patient. The halls were dim and empty, but she could hear voices speaking in the distance. She glanced at the window of one of the patients’ rooms and saw her own reflection. Her eyes had been replaced by small mouths.

Tick Tock left the bar and noticed a man in the watching him from the hotel lobby. The man turned to leave, and Tick Tock followed him across the street to his car, which turned out to be the sedan that had been shadowing the group earlier. Tick Tock struck up a conversation with the man, who was large and belligerent. He seemed to know who all the Investigators were and where they had come from. He suggested that he’d been ordered to follow them and told Tick Tock that if they didn’t leave Los Angeles, harm might fall on them. Tick Tock mentioned his connections back east and eventually seemed to intimidate the man, who soon left.

A few other cosmic horror RPGs worth checking out

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1934: The Investigators checked in with their various contacts. Chantelle sent word to her mother, while Luke checked in with his black market contact ELMER WICKER, who had acquired a copy of the 1909 edition of Communion Rites of Victorian Death Cults. He confirmed earlier observations about the stone that Douglas Henslowe had hidden in Savannah—that it is almost certainly an artifact taken from Abyssinia, where a war is brewing between the Abyssinians and the Italians. He mentioned Spanish archaeologist, BARTOLO ACUNA, as someone with similar interests who might be in the field there. Dorothy received money and a lecture from her grandfather.

The group looked into movie star RICHARD SPEND, deceased in 1924. He appears in some of the photographs that were stored in Henslowe’s safe deposit box. His sister, YOLANDA SPENZEL, was found working as a live-in domestic at a mid-Wilshire mansion. She was bitter about the collapse of her brother’s career, which she felt was fueled as much by his participation in the orgies hosted by RAMON ECHAVARRIA, as he was by the advent of talking motion pictures. She mentioned other movie stars who attended these parties, such as OLIVIA CLARENDON, a currently popular queen of the screen.

The Investigators visited Ramon Echavarria’s old home in Highland Park. It was unoccupied, but the grounds appeared similar to the settings of some of the erotic photographs. They spoke to FRITZ MCDERMOTT, Echavarria’s former neighbor, a real estate executive, who told them about the strange parties Echavarria used to have in the 20s. He mentioned that there seemed to be very poor people mingling with the very rich. He also recognized SAMSON TRAMMEL’S business card with apparent distaste.

The Investigators moved to the address where the 1924 massacre, as identified by Yolanda Spenzel. They found an overgrown plot of land on the northern outskirts of Los Angeles. The area is currently under development, but this parcel is abandoned, containing the burnt remains of a barn and farmhouse. Arthur, Luke, and Dorothy identified occult symbols in the ruins that might’ve been used to summon something powerful and to focus occult energy on a specific point. The group noted that gasoline had probably been applied to the buildings, and further spread using Molotov cocktails. Chantelle fell into a ditch at the edge of the farm, where she found a head, mummified in some translucent glaze. It belonged to a balding man, appeared to be screaming and bore a second, inhuman mouth in the back of its neck.

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Eternal Lies – Session 5

RPG Life December 13, 2020

NOVEMBER 3-4, 1934: While the other Investigators taking in the scene at the Cocoanut Grove Lounge, Tick Tock headed to a backroom for a game of poker. A small, serious group of players dealt him in and watched him closely as they played. One of them introduced himself as CAPTAIN WALKER. He questioned Tick Tock about what he was doing in L.A. He said he might send someone around to Tick Tock’s hotel room to offer him some employment opportunities. Tick Tock won big on a hand, and the game shut down.

Back in the Cocoanut Grove, John Barrymore bid Dorothy and Chantelle a good night. Arthur struck up a conversation with an ostentatious, fork-bearded man named CALVINO, who seemed familiar with the local occult scene. Calvino wasn’t especially friendly or open, but when asked about Hamsas, he did give Arthur a business card for the a shop he runs in L.A. Among other items, it carries Hamsa amulets.

The Investigators cashed out and headed back to the Hotel Cecil to compare notes. They made plans to head to the First Bank of Long Beach, but when they called to get information about it, they found that the bank had fallen victim to recent financial upheavals. Its holdings were now in the care of the newly formed FDIC. Nevertheless, they decided to head to the former site of the bank to see if they could find anything.

A mind-map from my last run of Eternal Lies

NOVEMBER 5, 1934: On the way to the bank, they were again followed. This time, only a single driver seemed to be in the car that was tailing them. He seemed to be taking pains to conceal himself, unlike the men the Investigators had clashed with in Savannah. The party seemed to escape his notice and soon arrived at the bank.

The building was largely gutted and had been occupied by transients. The Investigators searched the old area, coming up empty. They also questioned some of the people who were sheltering there. The Investigators donated some money to the people they met, with most of Tick Tock’s poker winning going to a young woman with a badly injured leg.

The Investigators called JANET WINSTON-ROGERS to update her on their progress. She agreed to put a call through to the FDIC to see that Henslowe’s safe deposit box would be waiting for them. They drove across town to the FDIC offices and were given the box, which contained coded books of account, a post card that identified RAMON ECHAVARRIA and someone named ABRAHAM BUCHWALD as being key figures in what appeared to be some sort of large scale—possibly criminal— financial operation. The box also contained photos of a group of people engaged in disturbing sex acts. The location was difficult to ascertain, but the Investigators identified two of the participants as Edgar job and fallen movie star RICHARD SPEND. Spend is probably deceased.

The Investigators stopped at Calvino’s Occult Curiosities shop. The proprietor was no more friendly or helpful than he had been at the Cocoanut Grove, though he did offer a few hints about the parties Ramon Echavarria threw in the early twenties. The group traded some barbs with Calvino and then departed.

The Investigators returned to the Hotel Cecil to find that someone had tossed their rooms. It appeared that the culprits had searched their personal effects with precision. Some items were missing, including all of Dorothy’s travel funds. She called her grandfather to ask for more. He agreed to send the money, but lectured her on fiscal responsibility. Dorothy stopped at the front desk to lodge a complaint with the clerk there. Initially, he was dismissive, but a threat to sue the owners seemed to intimidate him. He promised to take steps to find out what may have happened.

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Eternal Lies – Session 3

RPG Life November 19, 2020

NOVEMBER 1, 1934: Having wrapped up their interviews with Douglas Henslowe and Edgar Job, the Investigators decided to leave the Joy Grove Asylum. On their way out, Dorothy was accosted by a heavyset, disheveled patient who identified herself as the movie star Olivia Clarendon. She appeared to be delusional, as Clarendon is a sleek, polished Hollywood icon, but Dorothy humored her. “Olivia” signed autographs, and the group left for Henslowe’s ancestral estate on the outskirts of Savannah.

While driving along the marshy roads, the Investigators convoy of two cars was approached by the sedan that had been tailing them earlier. It moved to ram Dorothy’s car, but Chantelle fired a very large pistol at it. The car went off the road, and the Investigators escaped, shaken, but unharmed.

The Investigators arrived at the Henslowe estate, a decaying plantation. Various outbuildings stood in disrepair, and the grounds themselves were overgrown and being claimed by the nearby swamp. To be cautious, they approached on foot, but they were detected by a trio of guard dogs. In the ensuing scuffle, Luke Davis was badly mauled. The elderly groundskeeper, JOHN CORUTHERS appeared and called his dogs off.

After speaking with the Investigators and reading the letter of introduction Henslowe had given them, Coruthers escorted the Investigators to his shack. There, he tended to Luke’s injury. He also answered a few questions about the Henslowe family. Douglas and his mother are the only surviving members of what was once a very powerful family. As the Investigators already knew, Douglas has been in and out of Joy Grove since 1924, when experienced some sort of breakdown. Coruthers expressed disdain for Douglas, while also making his obeisance to the family clear. They Investigators warned Coruthers about the men in the sedan, as they noticed it was parked up the road.

On the basis of the letter of introduction, Coruthers escorted the Investigators to the main house. The house itself was largely dilapidated, with some sections being closed off entirely. Coruthers asked the Investigators to keep away from MOTHER HENSLOWE, who was resting on her sun porch. The Investigators looked around a bit, finding a dusty gothic interior. They made their way to Douglas’s room, where they found an old shovel standing by the door, caked in old dried mud. Looking around a bit more, they also found a basket full of a strange mix of stuff, including twine and purple ink.

Using a photograph of the house that they found in a book Douglas had mentioned, (indirectly,) the Investigators determined that he had buried a cache of materials from 1924 in the family graveyard, here on the estate. They dug up a box holding, among other things, a key to the safe deposit box Douglas had mentioned before. It is at the First Bank of Long Beach in California. Meanwhile, Tick Tock had put in a call to an associate back in New York. He was trying to identify the men in the sedan that had been following the Investigators. Aside from finding out that they appeared to be Asian and had been seen in Tick Tock’s neighborhood back home, the contact was unable to tell him much.

A heavy downpour began falling. The Investigators turned to leave. Despite their attempts to sneak away—and to use Coruthers as a distraction—they were set upon by the thugs from the sedan. An altercation broke out, with guns drawn, but no shots were fired. The thugs seemed to be speaking a strange alien tongue and who were made up of a peculiar mix of White and Asian men (peculiar for the time and place). They threw a typed sheet of paper at the Investigators, and then left. The paper read “DROP THIS CASE. GO HOME.”

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Eternal Lies – Session 2

RPG Life November 13, 2020

I’m late getting this updated, but I’ve got sessions 2 and 3 ready to go. This one is a long one.

NOVEMBER 1, 1934: The Investigators arrived at the Joy Grove Asylum, finding themselves bumper-to-bumper with another sedan. Its driver, JAMES “TICK TOCK” COHAN was also sent by Janet Winston-Rogers. Tick Tock is a Murder, Incorporated enforcer.

It isn’t clear if Janet knows exactly what his job is, but she seemed to be aware of his capabilities—and of the fact that he was mentored by VINCE STACK, one of Walter Winston’s companions during the 1924 massacre. Vince was stabbed to death during that bloodbath, and Janet is hoping that she and Tick Tock can work together to find out what led to her father’s collapse and Vince’s death. Janet requested that Tick Tock make his way to Savannah and look for the group she had already sent there.

The Investigators compared notes. Tick Tock had noticed the car following them and was interested in meeting the only surviving member of the 1924 group, DOUGLAS HENSLOWE. The group headed inside to speak with Henslowe’s doctor, JONATHAN KEATON, who was impressed by Chantelle Perreault’s French charm and her connection to the Winston name. Keaton revealed himself to be a desperate careerist—willing to share information about his patients if he thinks doing so might improve his fortunes.

While Keaton was showing the group around Joy Grove, a patient charged down the hall and attacked Dorothy Howard. FRED CULVER was hulking and irrational. He seemed intent on biting Dorothy. Her companions moved to protect her, with Arthur Rowe speaking to Culver casually. Culver was caught off guard by this unexpected attempt at conversation. Orderlies stepped in and restrained him. While all this was going on, Luke Davis once again saw a strange mouth like form emerge out of the wall. It leered and drooled at him. Elsewhere, Luke noticed that someone had painted crude symbols in the plaster around a few water damaged areas. These were shaped like Hamsas, protective amulets worn by some in the Middle East.

Apologizing for the attack on Dorothy, Dr. Keaton led the Investigators to a room that had been set aside for patient interviews. Here, most of them met DOUGLAS HENSLOWE, the lone survivor of the 1924 massacre that led to Vince Stack’s death, as well as the nervous collapse of both Walter Winston and Henslowe. Arthur had long been an admirer of Henslowe and was deeply influenced by his work. Henslowe acknowledged their esthetic bond, before introducing himself to the others.

Henslowe appeared to be late middle-aged. He was sad, distant, and a bit druggy. He spoke with a gentlemanly Southern accent. The Investigators questioned him about the letter he sent to Walter. He answered, filling in some blanks around what happened on August 13, 1924 in Los Angeles. Henslowe said he was a part of a group, led by Walter Winston that was monitoring the activities of a dangerous cult of “fornicators.” All but Winston and Henslowe died. The group included:

WALTER WINSTON – Philanthropist and student of folklore and the occult.
DOUGLAS HENSLOWE – Cultured artist. Sensitive esthetically and otherwise.
VINCE STACK – Tough private investigator. Good as muscle and as an all around fixer. Stabbed to death.
KATHERINE CLARKE – Young, idealistic and clever. Good at manipulating people and learning secrets. Decapitated.
F.C. KULLMAN – Occult scholar and expert in the paranormal. A cynical authority on spiritualism. Shot.

Henslowe also shared the following about August 13 1924:

Katherine Clarke directed the rest of the group to a farm on that night. The cult was moving ahead with something sooner than expected, because “the stars we re right.”
Winston’s group came hastily armed, prepared to do whatever might be necessary to stop the cult. There was a shootout and a fire, with many people on both sides dying.
An unspecified “thing” appeared, perhaps summoned by the cult. It may have been responsible for some of the deaths.
Winston and Henslowe panicked and fled. Henslowe saw Stack shoot a man before being stabbed to death.

Henslowe seemed to sympathize with the Investigators. He directed them to his family’s estate, nearby. He’d stashed a notebook there with his observations on the time spent with Walter. He also mentioned that he’d stashed a key there for a safe deposit box. The box is at the First Bank of Long Beach. Henslowe said he placed some items from the 1924 Investigations in the box.

Doctor Keaton suggested that the Investigators speak to another one of his patients. This man had also been at the 1924 massacre, but had been participating in the cult ritual. His name was EDGAR JOB, and he was responsible for stabbing Vince Stack to death, after Stack shot the cult leader RAMON ECHAVARRIA.

Job was willing to talk to the Investigators about his past. He joined the Los Angeles cult after his friend and fellow student GEORGE AYERS introduced him to Echavarria. In 1923-24, Job attended drug- and sex-fueled parties thrown by Echavarria. Job said that Echavarria recognized that there was something special about him—perhaps his fascination with mathematics. Job is obsessed, in particular, with set theory.

Job mentioned that on the night of the ritual, the cultists were to be gifted with power. He had been singled out to be the focus of a spell, which Echavarria intoned over him. An entity was summoned that “screamed from its hands.” Many people died after Henslowe and Stack showed up with their friends. When questioned by Tick Tock, Job acknowledged that he’d killed Stack and claimed to feel remorse.

Job also bonded somewhat with Arthur, who drew him out by pretending to have attended Echavarria’s parties in the twenties. Arthur also claimed to have used a strange drug enjoyed by Job and the others in the past. It was called Nectar and seemed to serve as an aphrodisiac and as a mild-altering substance. Arthur promised to bring Job some Nectar, if he could.

Job spoke of finger-painting, a hobby which he said he’d taken up in collaboration with Henslowe—despite their profound differences. It became clear that Job was referring to the hamsas. The two men had been painting them in the runny plaster around the asylum. Job said they hoped they would be protected by them.

Eternal Lies cupcakes from my first time running the campaign.

https://site.pelgranepress.com/