@ Harris' House:
The key unlocks the door and there is more than one sigh of relief in the dark basement.
Inside the iron cabinet are two revolvers, a Winchester 1897 pump action shotgun and a springfield M 1903 carabiner.
Fletcher looks at the weapon with astonishment
Hey, see that? It's Lucy, he kept her all the time!
@ Sawmill:
Cummings nods and says
I'll fetch some pieces of cloth from the car cemetary, hopefully we can make a makeshift torch from it! Wait here.
While Cummings leaves the professor looks into the dark hole, he seems not certain that venturing down there is a good idea.
"Perhaps we should accompany him and try to get enough for more then one torch and perhaps a rope of some sort. I would rather lower one of the torches down there befor I go myself."
Charlie reaches for the shotgun. "I used to use a gun like this hunting with my old man," he says, eyeing the weapon curiously. "It's probably the only weapon I'm much use with, if you all don't mind." Charlie fishes around in the cabinet, looking for some shells.
@ Harris House:
There is a small box of shells (20) and the other seems rather relieved that you spent some time hunting. No one interferes as you take the weapon. Fletcher looks at Dr. Aldern and while checking one of the revolvers, asks
Heard you were also in the war - you know how to use the carabiner?
@ Daniel:
The professor pads your shoulder
Good idea, follow him, I'll wait here.
Together with Cummings it takes only about ten minutes to find 10m of rope and enough materials to make three makeshift torches.
Charlie holds up the shotgun, pointing it away from his companions, testing its weight and feel. "I hope we don't need to use this, but it'll come in handy if we do."
"Where to from here, gentlemen? We came searching for Mr. Harris hoping that he could help us. Now we've picked up two more innocents in danger from the Believers and we haven't answered any of our questions. Who are these people and what do they want with us?"
"A car might be our best bet for survival, but we should probably return to our group back at the sawmill--surely they're wondering where we are."
EDIT:
If we do find a rope of sorts, Daniel tries his best to knot one of the torches to the rope, balancing it out as good as possible, so the rope isn't set on fire the moment the burning torch gets lowered down that cellar - possibly drenching the lower end of the rope in water and using a piece of one of the cars, the screen of a headlight perhaps, as a screen for the burning end of the rope.
The professor whistles silently as you build your lighting device
Mr. tauber, it seems like I underestimated you Hollywood folks. That looks pretty nifty!
As you lower the torch a small room with hard-packed earthen walls becomes visible. It seems empty but two dark corridors extend from there.
Daniel smiles and even laughs a bit, something he himself is no longer used to, and it sounds hoarse at first.
"If there is anything we know ho to do, it is how to put ourselfs in the right light.
He checks his brass knuckles and fixes the stove iron and a second torch to his belt.
"Professor, can you hold the rope close to the other side of the stairs, I wpuld like to take a peek into those corridors, not too far as I really have a wretched feeling about this, and I somehow feel much safer knowing there will be a light even if someone or something makes me drop my torch..."
I can use it. Not quite as good with it as I am with my pistol though. If anyone doesn't have a weapon it should probably go to them. We have a couple more men in another location waiting for us.
Looking at the stairs he says Whomever has the shotgun should go first, I will follow immediately behind covering them.
"Alrighty then. Back to the sawmill? At least we know that Harris is probably mixed up in this somehow, but hopefully he's okay."
If nobody has a better idea, Charlie will, when everyone is ready, lead the way back up the stairs to the main house. Before going back to the sawmill, however, he checks the coat closet for a coat big enough to at least partially disguise the shotgun while they're walking, assuming he holds it parallel and pressed up against his body.
Then, back to the sawmill!
Perception (coat)
Stealth (leaving)
Perception (leaving)
Looking at the small arsenal.
"Well looks like I was wrong about the damp. I tend to think of everything in terms of paintings."
"I'm afraid I was too woung for the war. Never really took up with guns, but" Reggie takes a revolver if one is going spare. "..this is as good a time to learn as any.
Reggie pokes about in the locker any bullets or other suprises?
There are some more boxes with bullets - all in all 48 for the two revolvers. Behind the weapons there is also a broad hunting knife with jagged blade.
As Charlie and Victor suggest to go back to the sawmill, Fletcher and Wittingham nod and toegther you cautiously move back to the front door.
The sun is very deep now and scarlet rays pierce through the dark tress around Harris' house.
Two boys - one pretty obese, both not older than 14 years hide behind a large stone on the other side of the road. The yellow cap of one of them pokes out behind their hideout.
@Sawmill:
The professor helps as good as he can while Cummings tries to cover you with the weapon he fetched from Murphy.
I got your back Daniel, don't worry.
the ex-cop says as you slowly descend into the tunnels.
The air is dry and dusty down here and as you light the tunnel entrances, both the southern and the eastern one are empty and filled with darkness.
For a split second you think that something - vaguely humanoid - has moved in the darkness of the southern tunnel.
"I am not sure we should go in more then a few steps, after what happened in that other cellar. If this is an ordinary cellar, we should have an idea what is beyond those corridors, if it is larger then a cellar should be, even for an industrial building, that is something of note by itself and we should check it out when the others return
At the house
Reggie tucks the hunting knife in his belt and drops a revolver in his pocket if no one objects. He also pockets the pistol ammo.
"One of the oothers might be able to use these."
Moving out.
"Looks clear. Back along the trail?"
Perception
"Some kids are hiding over there, I think they're watching us," Charlie says, nodding toward the boulder.
Regie steps back from the door.
"Not good. Looks like we will have company soon. Out the back?"
Wittingham arches an eyebrow
Just kids? What do you fear? Slings?
He tries to laugh, but he seems a bit worried now that Reggie is so fearful.
"They are spotters. They keep an eye on you while the men bolster their numbers and bravery. This ..... happened before."
Reggie closes the front door.
"But this might work in our favor this time. They are watching the front so if we were to slip out the back they might waste time looking for us in an empty house."
The two ex-soldiers glance over there shoulders at the boulder
You really say these people use their kids as spies...?
Alarmed you move out of the back door and hurry over to the river down the slope. The river bed now already lies in darkness and you just pray that you don't come across the frog again.
Stealth
Perception
Charlie leads the group, holding the shotgun up and at the ready once they've left sight of the houses.
Charlie keeps his eyes peeled, leading the group with the shotgun out and at the ready.
Perception
Stealth
"They use them like gang lookouts in the pulps. But they don't seem too bright."
The way back to the sawmill takes a bit longer, but at least you don't lose orientation and so you reach the dark building again after an hour or two.
Exhausted but thrilled by the adrenaline that's pumpingthrough your veins, you are surprised to find out that no one is in the storage hall anymore.
"Hello?" Charlie calls out, cautiously entering the building and looking about for their friends.
Perception
Reggie looks around for signs of a struggle.......
"This is where we left them......"
It takes some moments until you hear the professor's voice echoing over to you from the sawmill
Over here, we found some tunnels!
"And we found some friends!"
Reggie heads towards the professor's voice.
As you reach the inner of the sawmill's large main hall you see the professor, Cummings and Daniel all round a large iron hatch. Daniel has a makeshift torch in his hand and all three look pretty stressed - especially as soon as they spot the two newcomers and the arsenal of weapons you have brought with you.
Cummings grins nervously and asks
Hello gentlemen, I guess one of you is Mr. Harris, eh?
Quickly Fletcher and Wittingham explain that Harris is missing and that they only accidentally stumbled into this whole thing just as you did.
"We checked them for tattoos, but they seem to know even less about this whole situation than we do. They helped us find these guns, though, so I think that earns them some trust." Charlie looks down at the hatch and continues, "As they said, we didn't find Harris, but there were signs of disturbance in his home: dropped wine glass and a skipping record, and I found an empty room with small white pebbles scattered underneath the carpet. Super strange, huh?"
"Any ideas on what this tunnel could be for?" Charlie asks, nodding toward the hatch.
Daniel thinks for a moment
"Wait, white pebbles? Did they form a pattern under the carpet? Mr Cummins found something strange earlier...Could that be, Professor?"
"Hmmm... a strange pattern? Perhaps, but I'm sure I walked over them and mucked up any pattern there might have been."
Another warding mechanism? Maybe...then we really have to find Mr. Harris, maybe he knows what is going on here...Mr. Poolsworth, we also found certain arcane symbols laid out with white pebbles here in the sawmill - my first idea was that these things could either be used to summon or to banish something.
Something?
Fletcher looks around hoping to get an explanation for "something"
"Maybe those goat men we saw can't enter the warded areas, then?" Charlie explains the wild chase through the woods to the two newcomers, leaving out no details.
Both men's eyes widen as they listen to your story, there is clearly disbelief in there eyes but also a flicker of deep fear.
You mean what you say, huh? Oh feck, this is just weird...
The professor nods and pints at the hatch again
Daniel, why don't you take one of the weapons these gentlemen brought?
Daniel turns pale, gulps, closes his eyes and is almost visibly fighting his inner demons. He then takes a deep breath, nods and turns to the arrivers.
"Right. It would probably be better, if I do. I am not a trained shooter, though, if you would chose one for me that is most easy to use, please?"
Charlie steps up to the hatch and inspects it. "Should we explore it, or move to a new area? I'm not comfortable staying here not knowing what this thing is used for: who knows what could be down there, or what could come up here through this hatch?"
The professor nods and helps Daniel getting down the iron steps
Exactly Charlie, we have to find out, who uses the pebbles as protection...or summoning focus. Whatever is happening here in Dunwich, I think down in this tunnels, we can find a part of the answer. I guess the easiest to use weapon is a knife Daniel, or a pistol. So, if one of you can part with yours, I think it's a great idea to give it to our brave scout here.
The professor looks expectantly at the newcomers.
Reggie silently holds out the hunting knife and the pistol.
His eyes on the dark entrance to the tunnels.
Daniel takes a deep breath, then takes the pistol silently thanking Reggie with a nod.
"You'll want these. Well I hope you wont but..."
Reggie hands Daniel the box of 48 pistol rounds.
"Let's do this, then. Who's taking the light?" Charlie moves to descend into the hatch.
Daniel takes the makeshift torch and cautiously you descend into the tunnels following him and the light he is holding. The two branches Daniel had seen before still look unremarkable, it seems like nothing has changed, but there is a strange tension in the air - sweat runs down your backs, even though it's not as hot down here as in the sawmill, and you hear your hearts pounding like steam hammers. Thoughts and memories of the strange monsters you encountered at the hilltop race through your minds - what if those things also lurk in these tunnels?
Murphy follows up at the rear, pistol in hand...
Reggie sticks close to Daniel and the light, one hand on his kitchen knife.
"Why do you think these tunnels are here? Would the towsfolk use them?"
"I have no Idea, to be honest. After all we witnessed in this town, thinking about literally walking into the bowels of Dunwich does not make me feel particularly confident..."
Fletcher nudges Reggie and whispers
Hey, why did you stop? Choose a tunnel and start moving!
There is sweat on his forehead and you notice that his voice trembles a bit.
Daniel enters the eastern tunnel and you begin following it in the general direction where the town lies. After about 200m the professor whispers
Hey, Daniel, stop...I guess this tunnel will lead back to Dunwich?! We have been following it for at least 200m now and I guess we're not even near its end.
"You want to turn around?"