A Case of Impenetrable Darkness: Dementia Præcox

[Rex]

Sam

Sam shifts his position slightly so the man can't get to his compatriots without stopping at Sam and so he is ready in case he tries something. At the same time whispers so the man can't hear him, "Trouble."

[DexterWard]

Man #1

Hearing Wayne’s question about a key, Man #1 gives Wayne a questioning look and takes the cigarette out of his mouth nice and slow. He comes to a gradual stop a few feet away from Sam, and with an even quiet voice, says, Lissin’ pawtner, I’s jus passin’ throughs here ya see. Got’s no qualms wit you’nyers. Catch my drift? I’ll jus pass wraught ons by y’alls and let yous tend ta bizness as you’s will. No hawm no foul. He raises his hands up in the air making a show of peace and gives Sam an easy smile, keeping his eyes on Sam’s the whole time. He continues to hold his hands in the air waiting for Sam to respond or let him pass.

[Rex]

Sam

Sam turns slightly, "Give the man a bit of room to pass" he waves the man past with his left hand and follows him with his eyes the whole way, ready to move if he makes any sort of move towards the others except just walking past.

[Bluehorse]

Wayne

Spot Hidden on the man.
[1d100] = 41

[Grognardsw]

Howard Thurston, stage magician

Thurston puts down Margery into her wheelchair when they reach the top of the stairs.

“If we break down the door,” Thurston warns, “people will hear and we could get in hot water with the buttons. Perhaps we could try the fire escape stairs?”

After the mystery man passes the group and goes down the stairs, Thurston walks the hallway to see if there is a window looking out to the front. If so, he’ll watch to see what the man does or where he goes.

Item for the endeavor list:
- Have black goo sample collected by Thurston identified in lab

[Marullus]

Margery not sure if she is back in her chair at this point or still in Howard's arms
Lets out a squeal and clutches at her temples. She then looked up at the door, wide eyed. We have to get him out of there now! Walter's inside and not in good shape! Bust her down if you have to!

Dr. Twaddle steps back from the door at Maergery's scream. He waits a moment for the man to pass, his owl-eyed bespectacled face watching with evident concern.

"I can hear him breathing, but unable to respond. It is a duty to enter and provide aid," he tells the stronger men. "...and do not touch that black goo. It is... entirely unwholesome."

[DexterWard]

Ptolemy's Scriptorium
Date & Time: Saturday, August 27th, 1927 – 3:27 pm
Weather: 77°F; Scattered Clouds; Wind 9 mph from SE
Sunrise/Sunset: 6:05am – 7:24pm

Walter’s Apt: 1200 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

Man #1 offers Sam a humorous smile as he casually passes by, then eyes the rest of the group, tipping his hat ever so slightly and strolls on down the hall, away from the entrance (on the NE side) and turning the far corner (SW) without a glance back. Wayne’s close scrutinization of the man reveals nothing of interest. His loose-fitting suit jacket hides anything trace of ulterior motive or telling details. The man’s footsteps recede and dissipate a few seconds after rounding the corner.
If Man #1 doesn’t stop at an apartment, and continues walking, he will re-appear at the SE corner in the hallway. The only stairwell is at the front center of the building on Massachusetts Ave. There are inner courtyard apt’s and outer apt’s, and 8 emergency fire escape corridors on each floor. There are no external facing windows, other than inside the apartments.

Walter_Apt_Building.PNG (88.96 KiB) Viewed 839 times

On Walter’s end of the building there are two sets of fire escapes servicing the end apartments, with ladders running all the way to the roof. There are also emergency service corridors on each floor leading the fire escapes, with no inside door (perpendicular to the hallway outside of Walter's front door. Think T-shaped where the bottom of the T is the door to the fire escape). Each fire escape butts up to a small balcony of each apartment. (Left side of balcony on floorplan below).

Walter_Resnick_Apt.PNG (79.99 KiB) Viewed 839 times

Actions!

Future Endeavors:

1. Investigate news article: “Wife of prominent lawyer missing – presumed dead”
2. Margery: Work her sources to see what she can find out about the Black Drug
3. Dr. Twaddle & Wayne (Tuesday): Driving to Nahant to survey the N. Cobb library collection
4. Dr. Twaddle & Wayne (Tuesday): Discuss the Blackwood news ad with Harvey Wallace at the Grand Lodge’s Masonic Library (once finished at Nahant)
5. Have black goo sample From Walter’s apartment collected by Thurston identified in lab

[Bluehorse]

Wayne watches as the man leaves. You suppose he's a tax man?

Margery looks at Wayne like he is an idiot... so like she normally does. You can't be serious?

Wayne looks at Margery. I'm always serious about tax men.

Margery pinching the bridge of her nose. You really think that man looked like a tax man? Never mind... we've got to get in there.
Use your head and bust in the door or head outside and get in through the fire escape!

Wayne shrugs. All you city folk look the same to me... I'll head out to the fire escape. That said, he will hustle down the corridor to head around to the fire escape in order to move around to Walter's place.

[Marullus]

Maergery screams, the strange man walks by, Walter heads back downstairs... Dr. Twaddle looks confused. He looks to Sam and Howard. "Perhaps you two could break the door latch? The man's life is likely in the balance."

[Rex]

Sam

Sam will see if he can force the door.

[DexterWard]

Subject: A Case of Impenetrable Darkness: Dementia Præcox

Sam
Sam will see if he can force the door.

Making this post here for the benefit of everyone (in case some aren't familiar with this aspect of the RPG):

@Rex
Please make a STR Skill Roll (d100). 85% or less and you succeed in shouldering the door open. The door has previously been jimmied with a crowbar (three posts back: "There appear to be heavily grooved marks just above and below the handle, as if a crowbar had recently been used in an attempt to pry the door open.". Normally your STR check would be a Normal or Hard difficulty (65/32) based on the door, but this door has been somewhat compromised already.

If you fail the first check you can Push the Roll, you can state something like: "Sam could feel the door give on the first attempt, and so gives it an extra step or two, slamming his shoulder into the door near the jam."

Make a second roll to see if you succeed, increased % chance to 90% due to weakening of the first attempt. If you fail then I will adjudicate accordingly

You can update the post you already have if you want.

[Rex]

Sam

Sam shoulders the door and feels it open with little resistance.

Force door [1d100] = 31

[DexterWard]

Ptolemy's Scriptorium
Date & Time: Saturday, August 27th, 1927 – 3:30 pm
Weather: 77°F; Scattered Clouds; Wind 9 mph from SE
Sunrise/Sunset: 6:05am – 7:24pm

Walter’s Apt: 1200 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

Wayne hustles out to the fire escape on Margery’s orders, and hops onto Walter’s tiny balcony. The balcony door has been forced open. Shards of wood lay about the floor in the doorway. As Wayne takes in the lay of the room Sam shoulders the front door open with ease. Both men lock eyes and then spot Walter lying on his back, arm and legs splayed akimbo over the edges of a coffee table in the middle of the room, black goo running down the corners of his mouth. The room has been ransacked – pillows torn and shredded, cabinets and bookcases turned over and scattered about. The same chaos has taken place in the bedroom. On the floor near Walter are three small glass vials, each with a small amount of black residue. The room has a stench about, something familiar yet undefinable.

Walter jerks and spasms intermittently and black goo flies from his mouth. His body is visibly emaciated and pale as crisp fresh linen. His eyes roll back, and he begins mumbling nonsense, black…snow…Yyyossss…Yyyyittttt…Ooooh God!....Nooooooo! Heeel….Chaooooo…..Sssssseeeee….kuh… Walter continues to jabber and spasm occasionally as the investigators enter his apartment.

Actions!

Future Endeavors:

1. Investigate news article: ‘i]“Wife of prominent lawyer missing – presumed dead”[/i]
2. Margery: Work her sources to see what she can find out about the Black Drug
3. Dr. Twaddle & Wayne (Tuesday): Driving to Nahant to survey the N. Cobb library collection
4. Dr. Twaddle & Wayne (Tuesday): Discuss the Blackwood news ad with Harvey Wallace at the Grand Lodge’s Masonic Library (once finished at Nahant)
5. Please let me know if I missed something

[Rex]

Sam

Sam quickly moves to Walter and sees if he can aid him.

First aid [1d100] = 46

[Bluehorse]

Wayne looks up at Sam for a moment in surprise before realizing who it is he is looking at. He then focuses on Walter I'm going to look for a phone and call a doctor.

Margery let's The Guys move in before her, knowing she could block their entry with her chair. Seeing Walter on the floor, her mind tries to fall back on her medical knowledge to assess what is wrong and what they can do to aid him until help arrives.

First Aid v 30:
[1d100] = 77

But she shakes her head unable to fathom what to do. Get him a pillow or something?

[Marullus]

Dr. Twaddle bustles over to join Sam at the victim's side. "Mind the black ooze," he says, producing a bottle of syrup of Ipicac, "It reminds me of when my aunt -rest her soul - caught the fashion of snuffing mummy dust. It is the distinct smell. I am concerned the lad is consuming the ichor or organs of something less benign than corpses."

He attempts to administer the purgative.

First Aid (50/25/10) [1d100] = 97 extra tens [1d10] = 4

I added the extra tens die in case his extreme occult roll success on the ichor provides advantage forward on now treating the substance. If so, it is a 47 (normal success). If not it is a failure and I push the roll.

First Aid (50/25/10) [1d100] = 24
Hard success.

[Grognardsw]

Howard Thurston, stage magician

"I wonder who tossed this place and what they were looking for?" Thurston asks aloud as he scrounges up a pillow and puts it under Walter's head. He avoids contact with the black goo.

Thurston searches Walter's pocket for keys, looking for the mailbox key in particular.

He pockets one of the empty vials.

[Bluehorse]

Margery remembers the images from earlier but decides the risk is worth it, seeing that Walter is in such a state. She focused her mind on him and the room around them to see what she could learn about what had as well as what was happening here that might give them a clue as to how to help the young man.

Clairvoyance:
[1d100] = 78
Rounds [1d6] = 1 Magic Points [1d6+1] = 2+1 = 3

[DexterWard]

Ptolemy's Scriptorium
Date & Time: Saturday, August 27th, 1927 – 3:40 pm
Weather: 77°F; Scattered Clouds; Wind 9 mph from SE
Sunrise/Sunset: 6:05am – 7:24pm

Walter’s Apt: 1200 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

Sam, Dr. Twaddle, and Howard rush to Walter’s side and try to administer what medical attention they can while Wayne goes to call for help.

Margery, reluctant to see what’s inside Walter’s mind again, decides it might be the only way to know what’s happened here. Closing her eyes she concentrates on Walter…A few moments later images begin to flash in rapid succession in her mind. Walter pleading: “I don’t know the dealer”; Strong hands forcing a bottle of black goo into Walter’s mouth; dark blue pinstripe wool; Hundreds of images flashing in Walter’s mind: Darkness, leathery wings, black snow, stars, nebulas, galaxies, cold reaches of space; a single detached eye on a thick black leathery stalk. You feel as though something ominous, a dark powerful entity, has seen you, and now thirsts for your soul.

@Margery: Please make a Sanity Roll (1/1d3)

Howard pockets one of the mostly empty vials of Black Goo, and finds a set of keys in Walter’s pocket, along with a torn and crumpled piece of paper with two names hastily written on it: “Mary Clawson,” “Franklin Stewart.”

Wayne finds the attendant in his office in the lobby. The man objects to Wayne’s demands to call for help, then at his presence in the building. Wayne’s urgency and insistence convinces the man in the end and he calls for help. As Wayne waits for the attendant to confirm help is coming, he notices, through the open front entrance doors, Man #1 standing on the other side of the street through, smoking a cigarette and casually staring at him. He tips his hat and begin to walk south-east down the sidewalk.

Sam and Dr. Twaddle manage to administration the purgative with a bit of strong encouragement. Walter rolls over and regurgitates his stomach contents, which includes several vials of the Black Goo. The shoes and pantlegs of everyone around him are now covered in the stuff. Walter moans loudly, screams as if the devil were after him, tries to scramble away, and then collapses to the floor in a heap of convulsions.



Actions!

Future Endeavors:

1. Investigate news article: ‘i]“Wife of prominent lawyer missing – presumed dead”[/i]
2. Margery: Work her sources to see what she can find out about the Black Drug
3. Dr. Twaddle & Wayne (Tuesday): Driving to Nahant to survey the N. Cobb library collection
4. Dr. Twaddle & Wayne (Tuesday): Discuss the Blackwood news ad with Harvey Wallace at the Grand Lodge’s Masonic Library (once finished at Nahant)
5. Please let me know if I missed something

[Rex]

Sam

Sam will try and make sure Walter doesn't choke or suffocate as he convulses. "This isn't looking good."

First aid [1d100] = 55