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Suddenly Curtis lunges forward out of his chair! Dr. Jones is taken by surprise as Curtis' hands grab his throat and begins to choke him. The doctor falls backwards and hits the floor. Curtis continues to choke him all the while frothing and gibbering in tongues. Ruth screams. "Curtis stop. What are you doing?" He doesn't respond. The squire is standing shocked. What are Evelyn and Robert doing?"
Dr Jones says, "His condition is worse than I had anticipated, and to be honest I'm not really sure how to treat it. I'm going to give him a shot of adrenaline and see if that brings him to his senses for at least a few moments." Dr. Jones pulls a syringe out of his bag and fills it with liquid from a small glass vial. He then injects it into Curtis' arm. Curtis eyes suddenly bulge and he jolts forward in his chair. He screams out, "WHATELEY!". Then collapses back in his seat. Foam begins to build around his mouth and he starts to gibber. "Ny'lesh y'hyl so thoth agraz somore ry'leh xi tith..." The gibbering continues; It is nothing you can understand. The foam gets worse, and he begins to twitch and shake as though he were having a seizure.
Robert it is clear to you that though Curtis certainly needs medical attention, a psychiatrist might be good for him.
Next the doctor takes out his stethoscope and checks Curtis's heart rate. He murmurs a little, but doesn't seem overly concerned. After that he takes out a thermometer and sticks it in the man's mouth. He still doesn't react or blink. After he takes the thermometer out. He then feels Curtis's head and a perplexed look crosses his face. "That's odd, he's forehead feels almost cold to the touch, but his temperature is very high. Feverish in fact. He still hasn't blinked. I'm tempted to give him a shot of adrenaline to see that pulls him out of his catatonic state."
They come from his little cart track that leads up to their home. Some of the mud on his boots (particularly the higher parts where it hasn't had a chance to wear off or get mixed with other soil types) looks quite darker than anything you notice in the immediate area.
Well I'm the only Dr. in the village, so I keep busy enough. The thing is the folk around here don't have much use for modern medicine. They have their own ways of dealing with health issues, and frankly a lot of them are based more on superstition than anything else. It takes about 20 minutes to half an hour to get to the farmhouse. It's a small place not unlike most of the residences in Dunwich. A mangy dog is curled up on the porch gnawing on a bone, and the front door is hanging open. Everyone gets out of the carriage and heads towards the home. As you head up the porch steps you see dark muddy boot prints on the steps and porch that lead into the house. The mud is still wet and fresh. As you enter the home you see a figure that must be Curtis sitting on a chair staring at the wall. He looks rather pale, and it is clear that he hasn't shaven or bathed in a long time. His eyes don't blink and he doesn't show any reaction to any of you as you enter the cottage. He is still wearing his boots and they are clearly the source of the trail of mud. Dr. Jones moves up to him and snaps his fingers in front of his eyes a couple of times and says his name. He still doesn't blink or respond.
Several minutes later the squire returns with a bald, slightly overweight, middle aged man in a black suit carrying a doctor's bag. The Squire introduces him as Dr. Tucker Jones, and he explains that you're reporters and friends of his. He then invites to come with them to meet Curtis. Red prepares the carriage, which can seat all of you. The Squire drives and Robert sits beside him. In the seats in the back sit Dr. Jones, Evelyn and Mrs. Whateley. You head for their farmhouse, which turns out to be a little west of the old Whateley farm and Sentinel Hill.
"I don't want to talk about it. But you probably already heard some rumors anyhow. There were some bad things that happened here last year at that time, and he saw some things..." He voice kind of trails off at this point.
She recovers from her sobbing long enough to answer Robert's question. "It's been since last September, but he's gotten much worse over the last month. I am at my wits end. I worry so much about him. He hasn't spoken a word since before winter, and lately he's been leaving the home for hours before he comes back. And now he refuses to even eat at thing. The Squire's been good to me though. He's too old now to do many chores, but he's sent Red over to help me from time to time by cutting fire wood and that sort of thing." "May I ask how long your husband has been suffering from his condition Ma'am" Robert asks solicitously
"Well unfortunately, these days he doesn't do much of anything due to his condition. In fact he's even recently stopped eating, which is why I want to get Dr. Jones over to see him. I'm really worried about him. It's been very hard on me. I pretty much have to do everything around the home even all the men's work." At this point she starts sobbing.
"I doubt anyone's in any real trouble. Sometimes people around here like to carry on. It helps them clear their heads." "Oh my husband, his name is Curtis."
The Squire says "Yes, how about the two of you stay for a moment, and I'll go fetch the doctor. Don't worry Ruth, Evelyn and Robert here are both very nice people." She looks at you with a bit of distrust in her eyes, though with one being lazy... Squire Whateley grabs his coat and heads out the door. It has begun to rain a little. Fergus and Rita have headed back to their respective lodgings for the time being. After the Squire leaves, a moment of awkward silence falls over the room, as Ruth continues to sip her tea, but seems to be unsure what to say. From somewhere in the village the fading sounds of someone wailing and shrieking drift into room. For a moment Ruth's head comes up, as though she is listening to the sounds, but her expression doesn't change and after a few seconds she looks back down into her tea. A tear trickles down her cheek. The faint shrieking sounds continues.
She looks at you and is obviously, distressed. "Nice to meet you. Thanks for you concern, but these are personal matters. Unless one of you happens to be a doctor." The squire nods says. "Don't worry Ruth, I'll take you to go find Dr. Jones and we'll see what can be done for your husband."
Since you don't really know where Mr. Amos Whateley is you have to go back to Squire Whateley's place first. You accompany Rita and Fergus, but neither of them seem up for further investigations today. The strain of the exploration in the caves and Fergus's disappearance the previous night have been a little too much for them. When you arrive at the Squire's home, you find that the Squire has a guest. The guest is a woman, probably in her mid 40’s, and she appears to be fairly normal for the most part. She might even be considered attractive for her age if it weren’t for ears that stick out just a bit too much and a lazy right eye. She’s sitting in a chair in the Squire’s living room, and the two of them are drinking tea. She seems somewhat upset. As you enter the squire introduces her to you, “This is Ruth Whateley, my cousin.”
Rita is still not feeling well after her experiences in the caves, and Robert the things that Robert has seen has started to weigh heavy on. He decides that he should take care of Rita and escort her back to the Squire's home for now. Robert and Evelyn are free to continue the investigation. Off to the Amos residence then?
Mother Bishop's wizened old face frowns. "I don't know what to make of all this. However, if what you say about Noah Whateley's grave is true, then I strongly advise that you investigate your hypothesis further."
Mother Bishop ponders your question for a moment. She then says, "Excuse me for a moment dearie." With that she gets up, and with significant effort walks into one of the two back rooms of her cabin. You can hear her rummaging about in there for some time. Finally, she comes back out. She is carry a thin book. She opens the book and you can see that the old yellowed parchment pages are no longer bound and are just sitting loosely between the covers. On the page she shows you is a drawing of the Ferroniere and beside it are some hand written notes done in sepia toned ink. The notes appear to be written in an eastern language, possibly arabic. "Is this the object of which you speak?" You nod. She then continues, "My arabic isn't what it used to be, but according to these notes this object is very very old, crafted by a civilization that may have existed before even the ancient egyptians. They have been referred to as the hyboreans. This artifact is said to have magical properties. According to these notes it has power over the dead. It says something about being able to breath a semblance of life into the body of a deceased."
In that case he continues to run off down the path to the road. Soon you can no longer see him due to the trees. Anything else you wish to ask Mother Bishop?
Evelyn moves up to the window. As she peers out she's just in time to see the back of what appears to be the same man you saw on the road, hurry down the porch steps and start moving towards the trail that leads from the cabin back to the road.
The floor is pretty creaky as Robert moves across. However, Robert as you listen, you hear a sudden creaking on the porch.
Evelyn Spoiler: You suddenly perk up when you hear a creaking sound from the front porch
"Do you think that anyone else who may have knowledge of Amos and his plans would be willing to talk to us?" She thinks for a moment, "There is also something else we have come across." She relays the story about their spelunking adventures, "Do you have any idea what they were using those tunnels for, what the door leads too, or that weird metal room might be?"
"Amos Whateley doesn't have many friends. Perhaps his brother Curtis, but Curtis might be a little hard to talk to. Ever since, the incident on Sentinel hill when Armitage drove the horror back to where it came from, Curtis has not been right in the head. As for the things you saw in the caves, I can't tell you much. Those caves are ancient, and their depths hides secrets that are unknown to me. I do know that long ago there were people living here that thought these hills had significance, enough significance that they covered their domed tops with the standing stones you've seen. Something is down there, and I fear that sometime in the future, when the stars are right, it will awaken from its slumber."
Mother Bishop listens to your tale with little expression on her face. "It seems you already know more about the events of our village than you probably wish you did. I have not seen the journals of Wilbur Whateley, but I'm sure there is knowledge in those journals that could be dangerous in any hands, and Professor Armitage is wise to try and keep them from the Whateleys. I'm not sure what Amos's intentions with them would be, but I can tell you that he is as much of dim witted dullard as Lem, and it is likely that his interest is driven by greed. You of course have heard the rumors that old Noah Whateley was able to make gold. I suspect that Amos may believe there is some truth to those rumors, and perhaps he thinks the secrets to the process can be found in the journals"
"By the way, I know you are not reporters, so I suggest you drop the facade and be truthful about everything you say to me. The man you describe sounds like Lem Whateley. He's a degenerate dullard who is always getting himself into trouble. Lem's Squire Whateley's nephew, but the Squire will have nothing to do with the man. I'd avoid him if I were you. What do you think his interest in you would be?"
"The Whateley's? So many dark stories surround that family; what exactly is it that you want to know?"
You sit yourselves down (though she doesn't have room for everyone to sit), she pours Robert some tea. "What is it that you want here in Dunwich?"
She puts the shall on, and she seems to like it well enough. "Come in then. I suppose I could spare a couple of moments. A little lively conversation will help my keep wits sharp." She leads you inside. The interior of the farmhouse is fairly small. The room you step home is a simply furnished living room. It has a pair of wooden rocking chairs and a couple of stools and a small wooden "coffee table" and an old iron wood stove. A kettle is on the stove and you can hear water starting to boil. There is a tea set sitting on the table with several cups. It is almost as if she were expecting guests. Two wooden doors lead deeper into the home, but they are closed. She points to a coat rack and moves towards one of the rocking chairs and takes a seat. You see a ferret curled up on the chair, and it darts out of the way as she approaches. She navigates the room with ease and takes her seat. "Make yourselves comfortable. Care for some tea?"
"Intruding? Look at me. Does it look like I have places to be? I don't get many outsiders coming around. Do I smell fish?"
You knock on the door and after a few minutes it opens. You see a wizened old crone standing in the doorway. There is an odd musty smell about her. She uses a wooden cane to support her ancient bones, and milky cataracts cloud her, which make you wonder if she can even see. Her face is incredibly wrinkled and she only has a few teeth left. She is certainly ancient, but how old she is you can't be sure.
You make your way a little further down the road, and then turn onto a path that leads to the home of Mother Bishop. It is a single storied cabin and although one might expect it to be run down, it looks like someone has done some work to keep it somewhat maintained. Several strange fetishes (chimes, dreamcatchers and the like) hang from the porch, blowing in the breeze, creating eerie noises. The porch creaks as you approach the wooden front door. You don't see anyone about. The door is closed and the windows are shuttered. What next?
He ignores your question and keeps on walking away.
As you get closer, you can see him more clearly. He's a big man with a stooped posture and large meaty hands. His trousers and shirt are both old and dirty. He appears to be in his mid thirties, but assessing his age is rather difficult, for it is clear that he's lived a hard life. His face is ugly, and he has a large, protruding lower lip, watery eyes, and pock scarred cheeks. He seems to be a little dim and offers little more than a grunt in response to Evelyn's words. "Listen lady. I've said my piece. This town ain't no place for purrty girsl like you and your friend. Go home." He gives you all one last stare and then turns his back and starts walking along the road back towards the village.
The man moves forward a few more steps, but is still probably 50 yards or so away, and you pretty much have to yell back and forth at one another to be heard. "Those were some dark times for this place. We been tryin hard to forgit about all that and git on with our lives. We don't need any city folk muckin about here tryin to dig all that up agin. Yer jus gonna cause us more pain. You ain't welcome here. Go back to the city before you git yerselves inta trouble." "We don't gets many outsiders comin round here. What yee be doing in Dunwich?"Evelyn smiles, "My name is Evelyn and this is Rita, Fergus, and Robert. We work for the The Aylesbury Transcript as reporters and have come to find out more about the accidental police deaths that happened several months back out here. The piece is to be published on the anniversary as a memorial to those who died in the line of duty. Whom might you be and do you have a few moments for some questions?" The rehearsed cover story flowing more easily from her lips the more she tells it.
As Evelyn turns, the man realizes that you are all aware of him walking behind you on the road. He too stops. For a moment he just stares at you then. "We don't gets many outsiders comin round here. What yee be doing in Dunwich?"
The usual crowd is hanging around Joe Osborne's store as you pop in. Joe is still friendly and helpful, and is able to point you towards a small selection of shawls that he has. There's only a few to choose from, but you find one that you hope will be suitable. After paying you head off down Hutchins road toward mother Bishop's place. Squire Whateley was kind enough to give you good directions, so you are confident that you can find the place. As you make your way down the road, you realize you are being followed. Looking back you notice a large man trudging down the road after you. By this time you are out of the village proper and walking along a rural road that is essentially empty except for the odd homestead. The man is a good 150-200 yards down the road from you, so you can't make out his features clearly. Perhaps he isn't following you and is just on his way somewhere, but there is something about his purposeful stride that suggests otherwise. Still, he is making no attempt to hide himself.
So what's the plan?
The next morning you all gather together near Osborne's general store. I believe it is Monday morning. The weather is cool and overcast, but it isn't raining (yet). Mother Bishop lives a little west of the village proper, along Hutchins Road. According to the squire it's about a 10 minute walk from the village. How do you wish to proceed?
Fergus Spoiler: You come out of the trance you were in as Robert gives you a little shake. Gradually, you start to get your bearings. You feel as though you have just woken up from a deep, deep sleep. Images start surging into your head, as though you are recalling dreams you had while sleeping. Unfortunately, you have terrible feeling that they weren't just dreams. The primary image involves you in the middle of a clearing in the woods having sex with an attractive dark haired woman on top of a table like rock. You vaguely recall a dark figure watching the act from the shadows of the trees at the edge of the woods.
Sanity Check: 1d100=51 You loose 1 Sanity.
Good to see everyone is still here. To fast forward things a little: Robert you spend some time searching for Fergus, but see no sign of him about the village. As the chill spring night closes in on you, you make your way to Widow Morgan's to let Evelyn and Rita know what's going on. The three of you venture out to try to solve the mystery, only to see Fergus staggering down the street. He seems to be missing his trousers, and is walking in a daze. You hurry to approach him; he doesn't seem to even notice or recognize you. It's like he's sleep walking. As far as you can tell no one else is around. Fergus Spoiler: Somewhere in your conversation with the woman things got very hazing. You've lost track of the last couple of hours, and have only vague disturbing snipets of imagery to give you any clue as to what happened. Right now you are still in a trance, but I'm sure your companions will shake you out of it in a moment.
Spoiler:
Mrs Ames looks up from her knitting. "Why no, I haven't seen him since he left with you this morning."
Robert (being a gentleman) escorts Rita and Evelyn home and then returns to his own lodgings. It is only about 9 in the evening, but you find the streets are empty and the village seems as though it has shut down. Robert Spoiler: When you get back to the Ames's house you find that Mrs. Ames is still up quietly working on some knitting in her rocker, but her husband and son seem to have retired for the evening. You try to enter the guest room quietly so as not to disturb Fergus. However, when you open the door you are surprised to see that he is not in his bed. You don't see any sign of his coat, shoes or any other belongings he had with him during the day's outing.
Fergus Spoiler: "A father? As in a priest? We don't see too many of them around these parts. Such a pleasure to meet you. So what brings you to Dunwich?" She asks in a friendly manner.
The squire ponders Robert's question. "I'm not sure who would be useful to talk to. Part of me thinks that perhaps you should meet Mother Bishop. She's by far the oldest resident in the village, and knows more about this town than anyone. She's still sharp as a whip, but won't ever show it around strangers. I should warn you though that if you go speak to her I suggest you bring her a gift of some kind or else you won't get any more out of her than some comments about the weather. I know she likes new shawls and fresh fish among other things."
Fergus Spoiler: You are on your way back towards the Ames house, weary, sore and craving a drink. As you walk your mind wanders contemplating all the events of the day. Suddenly a voice calls out, and you look up. You realize you must have been lost deep in thought and looking at the ground while you were walking, for there is woman standing right in front of you and you didn't even notice her approach. She is an attractive lady in her mid thirties with long dark hair and clothing that appears to be from the previous century. She is doubtlessly a local. Her voice is sweet and smile friendly, but her eyes twinkle with a hint of lust.
"Well good evening sir. I had heard there were some strangers in town. You must be one of them. My name's Virginia."
Some good ideas, but how to go about implementing them. Evelyn's suggestion about canvasing people seems like a good one, but where to start?
He pauses for a moment. "The journals make some mention of the item. They suggest that the item was from a culture that is relatively unknown to most people, and there has been much speculation among scholars whether it even exists at all. It is called Hyboria and it was said to exist well thousands of years of before recorded history. According to the notes it is said to have power over the dead. Beyond that there is little information to suggest what its properties are." Evelyn's voice is weary but still polite, "As good as can be expected Dr. Armitage. I was hoping you may have come across something in your further research that may assist us. Anything on that subject I asked you about yesterday?"
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