Deus Machina - The Last Grimoire (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

Discussion Thread for DM:TLG. For now, this will be serving as a practice area for potential players to get used to their characters!

It's the Sunday before classes, and you have arrived at the gates of Miskatonic University. The institution is old - in fact, persistent rumor has it that the school was one of the first major institutions of education established on the Eastern seaboard, originally founded by Englishmen who were no longer welcome to perform their studies at a more... respectable location. Ever since then, the school has had a quiet but constant presence in the academic world, serving as a haven for brilliant but eccentric researchers from a wide variety of fields.

It's orientation day, and you've come to look around the facility and get to know it a little better before classes start. The letter you received was quite firm about one thing - under no circumstances were you to go into the actual research areas or look for a way past any locked door. Knowledge is valuable, after all, and the school is very serious about protecting it. The only thing to really ask now is... where will you go from here?

Dr. Armitage, the University Librarian, is conducting this orientation session, and any questions about the school may be directed his way.

Aiden waits until the session has finished and most of the other students have left to go up and speak with Dr. Armitage.

"Dr. Armitage does Miskatonic have any books or documents pertaining to ancient religions or religions in general? I'm also looking for some books related to the translation of dead languages and old dialects of present day languages.

As a resident of the area, Walter was more than familiar with Miskatonic University, though it had been several years since he had set foot within its grounds and the first time as a student. Being home after a military stint was refreshing and energizing in a way that he couldn't put into words and he was looking forward to beginning his classes more than he had expected. Considering the legends that he had grown up with regarding the place, that is saying something.

Walter attended the orientation primarily because it was required, but also to meet a few of the people he was likely to interact with on a daily basis, students and faculty alike. It was this that led him to be making his way out of the auditorium when he overheard another incoming student's question to Dr. Armitage.

"Excuse me. I don't mean to intrude, but if you're looking for assistance with dead languages, I'm sure I can be of some assistance. They're a bit of a hobby of mine," Walter said that last bit with just a hint of trepidation brought on by years of being ridiculed in the military for his choice in "light" reading material, however unfounded an expectation it might be to receive the same treatment here. "The name is Walter G. Carter."

Walter is a fairly thin man, no more than 160 lbs, with a slightly receding hairline made more pronounced by the way he slicks his hair back, but that same style allows it to meld with a haircut that looks like a military fade allowed to grow for several weeks. He is growing a moustache but it is currently about the same length as the faded portion of his haircut, meaning a couple of centimeters at most; nothing too spectacular and the rest of his face is clean shaven. The way he carries himself though, should tell you that he has either a military background, or he's really trying to play up the suit he's wearing: straight-backed, chest out, chin up, he looks like a man who is used to being in charge. The haircut and the way his eyes seem to never stop taking in his surroundings indicate the former.

The Doctor (of what, precisely, he hasn't said) is a man well into middle-age, but clearly strong and vibrant - possibly from carrying around heavy books all day. He seems vaguely amused by the question Aiden asked. "Mr. Way, this is a University, and Miskatonic has always had a focus on finding things others have forgotten. I dare say you'll find more religion in our archives than any dozen churches you'd care to name." He pushed up his glasses slightly. "As for languages, you'll want to talk to Professor Rice. We like to encourage our students to follow their own path in studies, rather than simply repeating what others have learned, so you'll have plenty of time to delve right into your interests." You couldn't exactly research ancient lore if you were busy being a recording device, after all. Doctor Armitage calmly began walking down one of the paths of the school. Unlike many schools, the central building wasn't the primary place of learning - it was his place, the Library, and all of the other wings of the school surrounded it. The point was to allow easy access to all departments, and goodness knew that many of them made use of the place on a regular basis.

"Thank you Doctor, I'll be certain to meet with him as soon as possible. I assure I meant no offense to the school, I was not sure what to expect as far as archives. I think I'm in exactly the right place for what I intend to study." Aiden says as Doctor Armitage begins walking away.

For a moment he looks as if he will follow Dr. Armitage but then he hesitates and turns to Walter. Aiden is a young man of slightly below average height but stands with excellent but unassuming posture. He is slim but not scrawny but it might be hard to tell if you didn’t look to closely. He has light brown hair that matches his eyes and is just long enough that it could probably be tied back and as Aiden runs his hands through his hair, you see him start to pull it back like he is going to tie back but then he lets it go. He is clean shaven and his skin has light tan. He wears plain blue jeans with a button up shirt that isn’t tucked in, wind breaker and plain black leather boots that look as if they have gotten a fair bit of use even though they are well polished. If you are familiar with outdoor apparel, you can tell it’s all from brands that are affordable but more importantly durable and the boots come from a respected line of hiking boots.

He takes a big inhale and says, "I would be very grateful for the help, but I'm not sure you realize the undertaking I intend. I have a little experience with modern languages but for what I'm looking for we would need to get as close to original language for religious documents and then begin looking for alternate meanings that most translators wouldn't consider because they wouldn't make sense, at least in a purely religious text. Maybe, I'm getting ahead of myself. As a person familiar with languages, I'm sure you are aware that something is often lost in translation but few are aware of how bad this has gotten in religious texts. I think the best way to illustrate this is with a question: where do you think Jesus was born, inside or outside?"

About half through this speech he has to inhale again and when he finally stops he begins going back to normal breathing but quickly adds “Oh sorry, I’m Aiden, Aiden ….” he pauses and gets a frustrated look on his face before his says ”way” in a far less enthusiastic tone than just moments ago. Sorry, I got a bit excited, translation will likely play part in this and any help will go a long way towards it. But back to the question, inside or outside?” The frustration has left his face and his voice seems to be more or less at its normal tone now.

A young man strolls up. You have seen him sitting at the front of the orientation class, taking notes dilligently. "Excuse me, I hear that you are having a very interesting conversation about religion. Mind if I listen in ?
This was all very exciting for Viktor. A new country, a foreign culture... though he has been here for a few weeks, and studied English before he came here, talking to these people in person was quite different.

Viktor is a tall young man with Slavic features, and close-cropped black hair, including a neatly-trimmed beard. A scar runs up from the side of his mouth. He wears a black suit and well-polished black shoes. Viktor has an intense look in his brown eyes, and is struggling to keep a calm demeanor.
"I'm also a student here, Viktor Filnshkin". he says,"making a stiff half-bow. His English is decent, but with a noticeable Slavic accent.

Just wanted to add that Aiden reaches out his hand as he is introducing himself.

Sorry about the lack of posts. I was working nights and am moving to days tomorrow and the shift change had me sleeping more than I've been awake.

Walter's first impression of Aiden is that he was more than a bit mad, and was particularly regretting his offer of assistance towards the man, slipping back into a no-nonsense mindset borne of his military career. And then he realized where he was and what this particular University was known for. Figures, he thought to himself before letting his bearing drop, a sneer of derision transforming into a genuine smile of amusement before he took Aiden's hand in greeting.

"I'm going to stop you there while I have the opportunity and say that, though I consider myself decently learned in historical aspects of various religions worldwide, I have not the slightest clue what you're going on about. Inside or outside of what?"

Walter angles himself to include Viktor in their little circle, merely nodding at Viktor in greeting, most his attention currently focused on Aiden.

"By all means, feel free to listen and chime in as well," Aiden says as he attempts to match the firmness of Walter's hand shake. He turns as well and begins to speak, doing his best to take breathes between sentences rather than once he is out of breath.

"Perhaps, I phrased the question poorly. A better but more obvious way to say it is, did Mary give birth to Jesus in a stable with no one but Joseph to aid because the inns were all full or inside the main room of a home with midwives to assist?"

Sorry for the wall of text to start though I'm happy that Aiden came off a little mad. I'll do my best to keep my posts small to allow for a more natural conversation. Aiden is bit wordy and I'm not used to running a character like that in PbP setting

Regardless of the answer, why is the question important ?".

"Hey Dr. Armitage!" Jerry exclaims as the librarian turns away from the other group of students. "Two questions for ya! Where's the dining hall? And where's the gym?" He smiles easily, his tanned skin and muscled torso showing the result of years of hard work outside.

"What's up, fellas? How y'all doin'?" he waves to the others. "Hey, if you could be any animal, what would you be, and why?" he asks to the group.

Victor, the question itself is not important, as far as I can tell there is no useful information to be gained from that particular section. The question was merely meant to illustrate how poor the translations we have are and that if we had more accurate versions, we might find practical information that was lost or purposely hidden. I think ancient civilizations may have been more advanced than we are in some fields and that they may have recorded that in texts that we assume are purely religious. I have found some examples of this on my own, but I believe I could find a lot more if I was working with originals. Sadly, I am not yet well-versed in dead languages and old dialects, so it will likely be slow going but I hope to learn some of those languages while I am here. Aiden paused and turned to the newcomer. I'd have to think about that one, I'm fairly content with being a human.

The Doctor raised one eyebrow as he regarded the young farmboy's outburst. "Again, this is a University. I believe there is a small fitness facility in town... or you could make do like most of the human race has and simply use your feet to get around instead of a car." Schools were for studying, not working out - and the staff might well have laughed themselves silly at the thought of something like a school sports team. After all, students generally got into Miskatonic through either money or intellect, and neither group was particularly disposed towards constant physical fitness efforts. Though anybody who carried books around in the library all day might get fairly close...

Sense Motive: DC 10

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Jerry looks at the professor like he has two heads. What does walking or cars have to do with his questions? And there isn't a school in the country without a gym! Maybe the old man was hard of hearing. Or not listening. That was more like it. These pompous stuffed-shirt know-it-alls never listened to Jerry. Whatever. Guess he'd just have to find his way around on his own.

Jerry thought about snapping the old man like a twig, or bending him like a human pretzel...that made him smile and forget the perceived insult. He decided to walk around the campus on his own and get a feel for the place.

Looking at Aiden, Walter seriously considered his question before responding, "As my interests lay in other areas, I've never really given much thought to specific interpretations of the various religions. It's true that I regard myself as a Wiccan, but that is only because out of the belief structure that I have found within myself, Wicca is the predominant influence. In reality, who I am and what I believe has been influenced by various aspects of many religions and philosophies. All of that being said, I like where your mind is at and, as I mentioned earlier, languages are a hobby of mine. If your hypothesis happens to be valid, it's possible that this newfound knowledge could help me in my own studies." Walter's voice was very smooth, his enthusiasm evident, though there was a practiced tranquility borne of years of diplomatically dealing with superiors who had no right to call themselves such.

Walter turned to Jerry as the man looked like he was thinking about leaving and answered his question with very little thought. This was something that he had thought about before, of course. "If you really mean any animal, I'd become a Blink Dog for sheer utility, or a Grim from Harry Potter. Sirius was always one of my favorite characters hahaha. If we're only talking earthly creatures, I think a Californian Grizzly. All of those are assuming that I could move back and forth between the animal and myself at will. If it were to live out the rest of my life as the chosen creature, well then I'd have to agree with Aiden. I'll stick to being the human animal. As a side note, go get yourself one of those door-frame pullup bars. That's the only gym equipment you'd ever need. Maybe a weight belt and up to 100lbs in various weights. But all of those machines are overrated."

As Jerry walks away, Aiden turns to Walter and says, "Do you think we took that question a bit more seriously than he anticipated? There are certainly some animals whose traits I envy but picking one, especially if it was permanent change, would be nearly impossible for me. Speaking of books, the series 'Animorphs' dealt with transforming into animals in some interesting ways, you ever read any of it?

"'Too seriously'? Absolutely not. There are hundreds of mythologies the world over that involve people taking on aspects and even forms of other animals. I don't see why such an idea would be so widespread so far back in our history if there wasn't the slightest possibility of it having some kernel of truth. Animorphs was one of my favorite series growing up. I never did get a chance to finish it, though. It was before my reading level almost before I discovered it, and my parents didn't like that I'd spend my time reading something so simple. I would credit it as a major influence on my imagination though."

Walter started making his way towards the door, walking backwards in order to continue addressing Aiden, "What do you say to exploring the University? This is the first time I've been on the campus and I very much want to take it all in."

"I'd definitely like to get a look around." Aiden says as he begins to follow Walter.

Don't get me wrong, I loved your answer, I just think he may have been expecting something a bit more, I don't know, common for an answer. You know, 'Oh, I want to be a swan' or 'a eagle' or " a wolf', that sort of thing. Which in the right crowd is certainly a fun question. As we both think on such things seriously, we kind of subvert the intention of his question."

"He's certainly a funny fellow, not at all what I was expecting from someone attending here but then again, the reputation this place has makes it a bit hard to know what to expect. What kind of studies do you think he is focusing? Actually, what are you focusing on, Walter?"

Walter looked extremely smug with himself as he answered Aiden, "I'm studying Theoretical Physics and minoring in Mathematics, but it's what I'm not studying that's really interesting. I do agree with you in that much has been lost over time from our forebears - it's one of the reasons I'm so interested in dead languages - but I'm attempting to apply principles that those civilisations were unable to pass on for one reason or another to our current understanding of the physical world. Give me a few years in this place, and I'm sure I would be on the way to a major breakthrough in Non-Euclidean Calculus. I can only imagine what that would do to our understanding of the nature of the universe."

Rednal, is there anything special about the school that we'd come across during a cursory tour? I'm curious even though you said this portion isn't likely to matter much in the grand scheme of the story.

As an aside, this is definitely turning much more into an oratory character than I'm used to, but that might just be because it's only the two of us at the moment.

That depends on how you define special. The school clearly has a lot of old buildings, and the grounds are reasonably well-maintained despite the season. Like many educational facilities, it has a number of notice boards and the like, but most of what's on them seems to be fairly high-level and hard to understand. A few make reference to clubs of various types, though the school doesn't seem to have many of those. You may make a perception check (or take 10) to search for a specific type of group, attempt a knowledge check to decipher the posters, or do something else entirely. Remember, this is just an exploration phase to help you get acquainted with the world, so you're free to ask questions, look around, and generally do whatever you want! At any time, you may ask for more details - though the more specific you are, the better my answers can be. ^^

"I once visited a friend at his college and they had boards like this," Aiden says as he wanders over to a notice board. "Those were far more ... mundane though, parties and such. I wonder if there is a religion presence on such a campus, Walter. A sermon, ritual, or mass led by scientists might be a quite interesting thing to see."

Aiden gets closer to the board and studies it.

Perception to find religious clubs or clubs that study relgion: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

That is two 1s in a row, the other was in another game

You are unable to find any information about religious clubs on this noticeboard...

Walter paid only half attention to Aiden as they studied the board, and replied in the same manner, "Yes I suspect so. I think I'd be more interesting in pursuing something a bit more intellectual, though. Even something as typical as a chess club is good to keep the mind sharp, though anything a bit more metaphysical would be up our alley. Particularly if it is less structured than a religious sermon and even better if it is focused on learning something new. But that's probably too specific to hope for."
Perception: 10 + 6 = 16 Not looking for anything in particular, just to see if anything catches his eye.

"Yeah, a good game of chess would be nice. I agree, though, something more academic would be better."

What is the surrounding area of the campus like? In the middle of the town or more on edges? Would there be woods around? If I need to roll to find this out, let me know but I am really looking for super basic info, the stuff anyone would have noticed on the way in.

@Walter: You find advertisements for a variety of clubs, most of which seem to be related to the divisions of the school. Study and research groups seem common, but casual groups are largely absent. A small notice on the bottom of the board notes that club meetings won't begin until the first week of school, at which point you can see who's actually recruiting.

@Aiden: The school is close to one edge of the town, with quick access to the main road. This path is the only major access route the town has, and heads straight into a forested area. Part of the school edges right against the forest, where densely packed trees serve as a fence and visual barrier. A river runs along about half a mile outside of town, but it's too shallow to see much traffic.

Hey, didn't notice this...lol

So...this is Miskatonic. Jonas looked around. The campus seemed spacious enough - space stimulated the brain. There were many things that stimulated his brain. Too many to name. He nsapped out of his temporary reverie, and began to look around. The boy saw a couple of men walking about, exploring the campus - apparently, this was their first time too.

Hi! Who are you guys?The boy said, hustling over. Are you new here too? Maybe we could explore campus together...if you're okay wiht that, anyway.

Repeatedly adjusting the backpack being shifted by his rapid strides, a young man navigates hurriedly through the campus's maze of concrete walks.

Though to be honest, "navigates" is a bit generous.

I'm making good time for not knowing where I'm headed, he thinks as he glances at his watch and winces yet again. He looks over at one of university signs with the boxed "MU" logo to the left of the verbiage. His mind races as it always does when he's under too much pressure to center himself.

Mu. The Greek letter for population mean. Intentional irony? There's nothing "average" about this place. Or "normal!" He glances around at the buildings seemingly haphazardly -- and certainly confusingly -- placed. Hah... more like the Mu of a Möbius function. These sidewalks are as disorienting as walking a Möbius strip. I swear, if I walk into one of those buildings and it's laid out like an Escher print...

Spotting a cluster of people near a notice board up ahead, he double-times towards them.

"Hey!" he calls out. "Excuse me!"

He comes to a halt beside them: A short, brown-haired late-teen. Slightly out of breath, somewhat disheveled, and -- based on the gaudy bowling shirt opened to reveal a white t-shirt beneath -- not particularly concerned with appearances.

"Hi, I'm looking for the auditorium, I got turned around and I'm late for Orientation."

Looks like the GM stealth posted the opening gameplay thread last night haha. GM is this dinner taking place on the same day as the orientation? If so, Walter can I assume we were still wandering around together and headed to the dinner together?

Yep, it appears he's a sneaky one! I'm going to hold back and let you and Walter get there first... plus that'll buy some time for our newest arrival.

This is the discussion thread - no need for OOC tags. XD No, it is not the same day as Orientation - it's about a week later, and the Sunday before classes start. Feel free to post your introductions and find a seat at the table!

Is there any indication of where anyone should sit? Do any of the seats seem like they would be where the proffesor would sit?

Should I do a brief description of Aiden in the game play thread?

There are no indications of where to sit, and you're welcome to do a description if you want to. ^^

Re: OOC, I think we were both just respecting the "practice gameplay." :o)

Just wanted to test this test: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (16) + 0 = 16

Sooo... Who's with me on buying this shirt?

That's great. I might just have to pick that up at some point.

Heh... why not! I already have a fillable MU Diploma downloaded to print on parchment and frame for Denny if he actually manages to survive this. :o)

Just checking in. I figure some of us may be dealing with power outages and such from the storm that came through mid-week.

I'm just waiting for Rednal to tell us what the books are for.

Hmm... Well, I suppose I could advance things shortly. ^^

"... why you think that this particular ritual will do what you say it will. You said this is your 'best guess' pieced together from a small number of details. What if something goes wrong? What safety measures are in place? Don't get me wrong, I've got no problem testing out a hypothesis, but I like to have all of the information before I become a test subject. I wasn't expecting the answer to be 'Now,' when I asked when we were to begin. We haven't even been briefed on what's supposed to happen during the ritual."

It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you. He grew up in Arkham, so he's got some idea of what the University is infamous for... You're just a worry-wort lol

Nah, Denny's not worried. He's just embracing the most rational explanations for (read: "jumping to conclusions about") what he's experiencing.

Plus he doesn't put much stock in "hocus pocus." A view I suspect he'll be modifying as our story unfolds. :o)

The reason he pulled back was the same as with frats: He's worked too hard to get here to jeopardize things. And it suddenly dawned on him that appearing to challenge a faculty member before classes even start might be a CLM (Curriculum-Limiting Move). ;o)

It is true that showing an unwillingness to learn and participate might not endear someone to the staff of this particular school... XD

Hah... "unwillingness to learn" is one vibe you'll never get from Denny. (And if you do, it's time to recalibrate your vibeometer!)

Remember: He was going to study for a well-paying career. An insatiable thirst for knowledge is what sidetracked him from that... and the very reason he's at Miskatonic to pursue research most would consider a pseudo-scientific dead end.

But they don't see what he sees...

(Hint: There Is No Spork.)

I saw it less as an unwillingness to learn and more as a 'We're not observing all the safety procedures we could!' which includes checking for pranks.

Of course we're talking safety procedures for hocus pocus so uh, nobody bought it. Which is odd considering the university ;)

Then again, it wouldn't be an interesting horror movie if people listened to the sensible one?

Oh hey, he can be our Worf!

Also sorry for not posting sooner, long weekend and spent Sunday catching up on sleep.

(Sporks themselves are just a myth anyway.

In reality what you have is a carnivorous spoon.)

Then again, it wouldn't be an interesting horror movie if people listened to the sensible one?

Denny's been more about focusing on research methodology ("How many of these books are there? How long have you had that one? Is that 'your' book, maybe they only work for their owners.") and theorizing (the initial assessment that it must all be a frat prank, questioning if they've considered asemic writing, etc.) It hasn't even occurred to him yet that there might be any risk in what's going on.

Walter will probably save Denny's butt more than once as this tale is told.

Heh, "carnivorous spoon," I like that. :o)

Valory 'Val' Beauchamp wrote:

Then again, it wouldn't be an interesting horror movie if people listened to the sensible one?

Yeah, Walter's the sensible one: He went all "Safety First! Contingency Plans! Full Disclosure!" Which makes perfect sense given what he knows about Miskatonic. "Defense in Depth" makes a lot of sense in this place.

Denny's been more about focusing on research methodology ("How many of these books are there? How long have you had that one? Is that 'your' book, maybe they only work for their owners.") and theorizing (the initial assessment that it must all be a frat prank, questioning if they've considered asemic writing, etc.) It hasn't even occurred to him yet that there might be any risk in what's going on.

Walter will probably save Denny's butt more than once as this tale is told.

Heh, "carnivorous spoon," I like that. :o)

I'm not sure I could play a completely oblivious or reckless character if I tried. Too many safety briefs and force protection plans embedded in my skull... And Walter is the first character I've played who is actually based on me, instead of just taking an attitude or mannerism so he's bound to be more wary and methodical than any of my others.