Ralph_Haas's page

Ralph isn't very sneaky. He might be a liability. Is there any research he could do in the meantime?

I presume I get the car's license plates?

I agree that we should take turns shadowing, since it'd look weird for the cluster of us to hang out.

When my turn comes, I stand outside the warehouse, looking inconspicuous.

shadowing+2 point spend: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

A stakeout, just like in the pulp novels! Sign me up for the warehouse!

I give a shudder. I wonder what it wards against. Not us, hopefully...

Ralph joins them on the Yacht. Hopefully this doesn't go poorly...

A little time on the water would be agreeable.

I follow along quietly to the hotel but stand in the back. I'm not really a "people person"

A quiet day in a foreign library seems just the thing. I join Evelyn and Anatoly on their trip to the library.

Great question! If only we had located someone with a known address who had more information!

I choose a standard hotel as well. Antiquities have a razor thin margin and I'm afraid my adventures here have been doing little to fill my wallet...unless I was able to sell any of the less dangerous books?

That was...well done Anatoly. Now for the uncomfortable question...who placed the bomb there?

It's my preference that we don't fly with explosives. I've grown fond of Ralph

I place my arms around Joseph and Freddy's shoulders, with myself in the middle.

My friends, just think! The smokey orient! A mysterious letter! An unknown woman! Maybe an opium den? I'm not totally sure, I've never left the states. The point is, who knows what adventure awaits us in Siam?

It sounds as though people in Malta may need help, but we may want to know more of what we're facing...Siam may be our best lead for the most information.

Can you do a quick refresh on the four locations and why we'd want to visit them?

I decide not to trouble my parents too much with what happened outside, though I do encourage them to get deadbolts. San Diego is becoming a bit unsafe these days...

In general, he has a wonderful time with his parents. He makes a note to see if his companions had similar threats during their time off.

My eyes narrow and I begin walking across the street towards the driver. I'm memorizing his license plate as I walk. Provided he doesn't drive off, I confront him.

I upped firearms and flattery.

You'd better believe I want to read the book, once Amadeus is finished with it. stability+3 point spend: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Once I've spent some time with the book, I also delve deeply into the numbers side of it accounting + 1 point spend: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

A bit shaken by what I've learned, I excuse myself from the group for awhile to visit my parents in San Diego. Each parent is a source of stability. Is that 6 points total?

I rub my face a bit. Yes, the mouth was horrible but it seems to have shattered Ra.

I agree we should get out of town post haste. Perhaps our benefactor can assist.

I nod, slowly, my ears ringing and follow Evelyn out of the room. Was it really so bad though, the mouth that is? It was odd for sure, but it's a shame we had to destroy it...

My eyes budge as Anatoly rushes in and I dive for cover...

I knew the mouth wasn't THAT bad. It's just a breach in from a parallel dimension. No big deal!

Meanwhile, all this shooting and screwing is absolutely distasteful. I take a step back from all the chaos.

Sorry for the delay. I was traveling yesterday.

Since the cross came from your shop, I'm going to ask you for a little information about it. Where did the cross come from? Who was the original owner, why is it valuable as an antique or religious item?

It's a cross called the Lima Cross. It was stolen from a church that was due to be torn down after heavy earthquake activity. The cross passed through hands until it reached the estate sale of a George Xander Culp. I purchased it in the intention of reselling it to a rich collector of religious art, but he died in a car crash the day after the auction.

It's very very large, but beautiful. Gold inlay, marble base. It took up a great amount of storage space and no other buyer was forthcoming. I'm glad to be done with it. Maybe it be use in destroying this alien mouth.

Stability for orgy: 1d6 ⇒ 5
stability for mouth +2 : 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

I blanch a bit I regret to admit that while I go to church on occasion I'm not as good of a christian as I'd like to be. Do you think it makes a difference to the magic mouth?

stability, deadman: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Ralph watches with an almost detached annoyance as the cultist dies, then turns to Anatoly.

If someone helps me carry the cross down I'm happy to put it in this "mouth" everyone keeps flipping out about. For the life of me I can't figure out what's the big deal.

I absentmindedly hand Amadaus the papers. Sure. Very scattered work. I'd like to read more, but nothing useful jumps out at me...

I turn to Freddy.

The cross? It's in the trunk of the once-car now battering ram. I hope it's ok...it's very valuable to the right collector...

stability, three point spend: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

I move the drawer out of reach of Trammel.

I've played enough Lovecraft games to know that you NEVER read the spooky books.

Testament of the Dripping...well, this is indeed what we're looking for. Let's see what we can learn about this so called "magic mouth" hmmm?

I read the spooky book.

I rush up and grab the drawer before he can reach it.

being that I'm already in motion, I don't think it'll take a roll to beat a shot man who is crawling.

I grumble under my breath, flecks of blood trailing off my hand as I take off running after the madman.

Will someone with a gun please shoot this man before I have to do too much running?

athletics spent 1 point: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Can I use "fleeing" to outrun him or is that Athletics?

I wrestle with him a bit, keeping him in place.

Now what?!?

Now that the shooting has stopped, I rush up and try to help Amadeus secure Trammel

Scuffling, spend 2 points: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Stability, two points spend: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Provided I keep my shit together

Not being too good at fighting, I try to make myself as small a target as possible. I'm a reader, not a fighter!
Which is better of trying to stay out of the path of the bullets, concealment or stealth?

Sorry, busy day at work! I'll post as soon as my day is done!

I can hardly contain my excitement! I get to have all those wonderful books all to my...wait...

sense trouble 2 point spend: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

I think what we most want...are answers. And those rare books if you have them handy.

I creep alongside the rest of the group, saddened by the seeming loss of the crucifix. Hopefully it may be salvaged, though not at this moment with so many guards at the car.

Spending a point of stealth to piggy back on the leader's roll.

Yes. And...uhhh...yes.

Yeah, I feel like Ralph would have been very useful in the early stages and I'm still trying to get him into book reading mode. I guess the best course of action is for him to grab the big giant crucifix in his office and hoof it to the house...

Looks that way. Guess we gotta go back to the house...

I look over the list of books. Maybe not. The nice thing about books is that even if they're rare they're almost never unique. I might be able to get our hands on some other copies.

I'm no good at chatting up people, but I can kick ass in a library search. Being a dealer of rare and unusual books, I likely know where to look for books like this. Library User? Occult? One of each? I've got plenty of those points to throw around for something just like this. Also, do the files indicate if anyone else bid on those books? If we can find another interested party we might get more information or maybe even an ally.

Evelyn has Bureaucracy. Once again Ralph has no skills that will help us for this task. But if we need to use the library, I'm your guy! Also, I do have a five foot tall crucifix in a storage unit downtown...

I'll accompany you, Anatoly I'm already grabbing my hat and coat. I need to reach out to some of my contacts, as I believe I may be able to locate what became of Echavarria's belongings after his death. There may be something of use there. If we're lucky it was acquired by someone who doesn't know what they have...

I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around this idea.

Suppose, for a moment that all this is true. The mouth is an...intrusion into our world. Is the statue there a second mouth, or is it just the leftovers of closing the last intrusion? Is there maybe a more permanent way of ending this problem or will more mouths just keep coming through? I have some research material back at my shop that might shed some more light into things?

I give an enthusiastic nod. Do you think we'll need a proportionally sized crucifix or do you believe any size will do? I believe I can get my hands on one big enough, though if reports on the mouth are accurate we'll need two people to carry it...

Do I just take it on faith that this mouth is real? Do I take any stability loss for coming to that revelation?

I clean my glasses with my handkerchief. Think you can get invited to an orgy?