The Mystery of Loch Feinn

Game Master greg white 722

"Perhaps we should call?" Henry asks and cups his hand aside his mouth and yells "Hello? Hello! MacAllans, are you there?"

Edward, a tad surprised at first, then nods agreeably with a smile. [b]"Sometimes the most direct approach is the best one of all, goof chap."[/b}

So the trail winds through a kind of boggy fen, and you can no longer see the lake through the patchy fog. There is something incredibly dreary and depressing about the scene; the brown-yellow sedge grass in the sickly sunlight, with a veil of fog all around.

Carter, you are reminded, uncomfortably, of the opening of Poe's macabre classic; The Fall of the House of Usher , when its narrator first sees the dread House of Usher: "...the after-dream of the reveler upon opium-the bitter lapse into everyday life-the hideous dropping off of the veil".

There is, almost palpable, in this marshy limbo, a terrible sense of oppressiveness, a heaviness of spirit; the possibility of joy and happiness seems to recede into some infinite distance.

Every one must make a Difficulty 4 Stability Roll. You may of course spend Stability Pool points

Sorry about the typos above. I've had to post from my phone. I meant to say "good chap", obviously, not "goof chap" :)

Edward places a hand over his mouth and thanks God that MI6 did not recruit his source of stability, Prof. Stephanie Harrison, to this mission. Edward thinks back to his scholarship on Poe years before, recalling the tranquil pleasure he would derive from pouring over old manuscripts: Poe said, "a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit...".
Edward then shivers.

Edward uses two stability pool points.
Difficulty: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Carter, you are in the most dreadful of 'funks', you are fatigued and despondant: you loose 2 points of stability.

STability: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8 Spending two points.

Edward bends and places his hands on his knees, as if he was simply catching his breath.
Then, he gets a faraway look in his eyes and slowly slumps down, plopping down on the rocky path and pulling his knees to his chest.

"No," he mumbles. "No, no, no, no, no. What is the point of any of this, anyway? Day in and day out it's the same thing: sleeplessness nights, days filled with despair and gloom. I can't go on, gentlemen. I'm too old for this. Too old and too, too tired."

Stability: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 Spending 2 points as well.

Hanmer and Readington-Smythe, are able, for the most part, to shrug off the crushing sense of gloom and despair that seems to almost radiate from the fog.

So, in strictly mechanical terms, while this 'influence' is in play, Hanmer and Readington-Smythe can only spend pool points five consecutive times, and Carter three times. After that, if the 'influence' is still persisting, you're limited to straight die rolls. Your energy, your will, is waning; so you'll need to carefully marshal your inner resources .

Mechanics Question: Prior to the roll, Edward had 4 Stability Points in his Stability Pool.
I used 2 stability points to bolster my d6 roll. Looking at page 69 of the ToC rulebook, it says that, "If you fail, you lose a number of points from your Stability pool, in a addition to any points spent on the test itself. The severity of the loss depends on the situation."

Since I rolled 3 lower than my target number, does that mean that Edward's Stability Pool has gone to negative 1? He had 4 originally; I rolled a 1, so 4-3=1, and also used 2 points, so 1-2 = –1. Is this correct, or have I misunderstood?

Interesting, the 'Consolidated Rules' don't say anything about loosing the points spent. So the penalty was two points, and you spent two points: so you're down to zero. You are now 'shaken', and are unable to make Investigative Spends until you gain Stability. This a 'Pulp' game, so I will allow a one-time Confidence Roll.

It is painfully clear to Readington-Smythe and Hamner that Carter has nearly completely broken down.

Interesting, the 'Consolidated Rules' don't say anything about loosing the points spent. So the penalty was two points, and you spent two points: so you're down to zero. You are now 'shaken', and are unable to make Investigative Spends until you gain Stability. This a 'Pulp' game, so I will allow a one-time Confidence Roll.

Edward presses his palms against his temples.

Confidence: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Emrys sees his cousin, lying on his knees trembling.

"Cousin, everything is all right. This place is a dark and mysterious place but nothing we cannot get through together"

Can I use my abilities in "reassurance" here to attempt to coax Edward back to a more rational state if he is unable to regain his confidence?

"Mister Carter? We have a job to do, sir. We cannot quit while there's a job to do, sir." If this speech doesn't work, Henry moves quickly to the man and slaps him sharply across the face. "Pull yourself together, sir!"

Ok, either LCDR Readington-Smythe or Dr. Hanmer has to make a Reassurance Spend, for the recovery of Mr. Carter's 4 points of Stability.

I'll spend a point of reassurance, my only one!, to bring him back!

Did my Confidence Roll (I got a 4) affect Edward at all?

So the example they give in the core rules, the flight from the library confuses me (page 79). The hard-boiled detective seems to make the Reassurance Spend, calming down the panicked librarian, but he turn receives the Stability recovery? So, here is how it's going to work here:
LCDR Readington-Smythe makes the Reassurance Spend; you made the roll (4) to see how much you recover.

I'll read that page in the Core Rules. This is a cool game, btw.

Does Carter adds 4 points back to his stability, then?

Yes.

Somewhat red-faced, Carter shakily gets to his feet. He still feels drained and depleted, but he still can function.

Edward takes out a handkerchief, mops his brow and turns and face his colleagues.

"Apologies, chaps. I have felt a power of malaise that strong since... since... well, since those last days in the trenches before London brought me home to work cryptography. Again, my sincere apologies."

Henry nods, looking embarrassed by the emotion-sharing. "Yes, well, soldier on and all that."

"Perhaps, gentlemen, we should designate a meeting location, somewhere nearby, somewhere safe in the event we get separated in this... fog."

Edward says the word "fog" as if it were vulgarity, rather than a common noun.

Someone is approaching; their form indistinct and blurred within the fog.

Edward reaches into his pocket and curls his fingers around the handle of his pistol.

A figure lurches out of the clinging mist; a corpulent farmer, in greasy coveralls; he glares at you with wide, protuberant eyes. He is carrying a
shot-gun.

Trespassers! What are are you doing on my land! His speech is slurred, guttural.

Henry raises his hands in front of him. "Hello there, sir! We are with the government, sent to scout lands for a potential prisoner of war camp. One of the villagers mentioned you might have land for sale or rent?"

Edward, following the Lt-Cmdr's lead, removes his hand from his pistol and raises his hands as well.

"We mean you no harm," Edward says. "We're on a mission to help the war effort!"

He glowers at you with his unblinking eyes.

I've no land for sale! Be off with you!

"Perhaps you could answer us a few questions about the surrounding landowners?"

Edward musters up the strength to engage in the dialog, as well.
"Yes," he says. "This could work out well for the locals. The Crown will be locating some German POWs in these parts, and rumour has it that they'll be put to hard labour until the war is over. Could well be a free workforce at your disposal if we can work out something amenable to all parties."

Edward thinks, I haven't lied like that since I was a school chap at Harrow when we were caught with a keg of wine.

I can have Edward use a Flattery point if it's appropriate in this case.

For a long moment, he says nothing.

You mean,like slaves? I will have to talk with Liam about this, but now, you must get off my land!

Edward whispers to his comrades: "Did either of you see a signpost or boundary marker that this is private property?"

You don't remember seeing any signs or marking posts.

I won't tell you again! Now be off with you!

He raises the shot-gun menacingly in his fleshy hands, while the swirling fog seems to draw in upon this tense scene.

Emrys whsipers to his companions "I believe we should turn about lads. I don't think his gesture to be an empty one."

Henry nods slowly, so as not to antagonise the man. "Sir, we are leaving, but we need to speak with you in regards to your land. May we call on you another time?"

I will talk to Liam. We will send word if we want to speak further.

"Let's turn about, gentlemen, and see if there's another route about the loch," Edward says.

He rubs his balding head and scans the terrain behind them, making sure not to turn back and face the fog again. Edward shudders all over.

That's it, run back to village now; there's nothing out here for the likes of you!

Edward gestures to the Lieutenant-Commander and his cousin and points back the way they came.

"Back to the village, then, gentlemen?"

He nervously fiddles a cigarette out of his pocket and lights it.

Once they're away, Henry gestures back. "He's a bit... off, isn't he?" He jokes, in an 'it's not very funny' sort of way.

"It's not just him who's a bit off, my friend. This whole place. Perhaps we should return to the pub for a ploughman's and brainstorm on our next step?"

As you trudge through the fens back the way you came, you cannot quite shake off the strange impression that the fog that rolls after you is, in an almost dog-like fashion, following you.

"Well gentlemen, I can't help but shake off the feeling that the Gentleman was hiding something. 'There's nothing for the likes of you here?' Feels as if the fog that chases us are similar to that man." Emrys ponders aloud to his compatriots.

Edward mumbles, his voice low and a bit tremulous.

"Don't wanna talk about that damn fog...," he says. "Cannot speak for the two of you, but I could use more than a bit of cheese and pickle. I could use a couple of pints."

How close is the fog?

Is the fog really moving toward us, or is that just a feeling?

About 8 meters back. And it always seems to be that distance.

Edward speaks out of the corner of his mouth to his comrades. "Where do you suggest we go, gents?"

"May as well head back to the pub for a pint. Perhaps they can tell us more about this strange place?"