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This is an old campaign our group placed on hold as the GM allowed RL to get in the way of roleplaying! :D This was a homebrew "Modern Pathfinder" game, using the d20 Modern/Pathfinder Beta rules, and was inspired by urban mythology and popular culture.
The players came from different backgrounds in this campaign and were influenced by a various authors and motion pictures. To help us bring our various characters together, the GM allowed us to use parts of the character creation rules from the Spirit of the Century roleplaying game.
Currently, the campaign is on hold and we have been mumbling about making it active again some time in the future...
The hunters were:
Amelia D'Amour - A university student and hunter, Amelia has suffered tragedy and violence throughout her life. She has two strong mentors in Jack McCandless, a retired hunter, and Dr. Henri Zaid, her honours supervisor and psychic mentor. Amelia works as Henri's assistant and is often responsible for bringing the hunters together for investigations.
Edward de Burgeot - A renowned skeptic turned hunter. He joins the team as the 'voice of reason' and becomes embroiled in a lot of supernatural activity. Edward is slowly beginning to believe, especially after the events he has witnessed. However, he maintains his skepticism to offer alternate theories to his friends.
Kathleen Flowers - A famous psychic who works under the professional name, Eileen Bloom. Kathleen joins the team to assist in their investigations, using her powerful precognition to reveal information about the future.
Henri Zaid - A professor and hunter, Henri is a noted scholar of the paranormal and parapsychology. He is the team leader and through Amelia, his assistant, brings on-board on the hunters to help investigate the Carver House. Henri is rumoured to be a womaniser, though his relationship with Amelia is one of mentor and student. Henri keeps the fact that he is psychic a well-guarded secret.
Robert Timms - A man with a shady past, Timms professes to be a pilot and wizard. He has a long history with Amelia and Joe, though he has worked with Cyrus, Kathleen and Edward in the past. Timms is attempting to redeem himself for past wrongs and to move away from the black magic he was enslaved to through his former lover, Teagan.
Sean O'Riordan - A university student and athlete, Sean is often called on to do the heavy lifting or to act as muscle for the hunters. He mainly suffers these indignities for two reasons: 1) he is has a crush on Amelia; and, 2) he has a crush on Amelia. Sean is not a hunter, though his natural athleticism and strength have made him a successful one.
There were reoccurring characters in the campaign as well. The most notable was Average Joe, a conspiracy theorist and chemist, made regular appearances as a PC. He was a cousin and long-life friend of Timms. Joe was crippled in the fight that led to the death of Timms' parents.
The following posts are based on the public summaries given by the players. The titles (that appear throughout the next series of posts) are the made up pulp titles of novels that never existed. They are simply links that exist between the characters.
Using the Spirit of the Century we created titles for novels that featured our characters and guest starred the other characters to create links within the group. I have to say, it was a great way to bond the group.
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Amelia D'Amour was born in Los Angeles and raised in Israel, before returning to live with her paternal grandmother and namesake in Holland, Michigan, at the age of ten. After a fatal accident, in which she lost her beloved grandmother and almost her own life, Amelia came to live with Jack McCandless at the New Amsterdam. Soon after coming to Lawrence, she began to develop a talent for reading the auras of objects and people.
Now twenty-one years old, Amelia is studying at the University of Indiana where she works as a research assistant and keeps a part-job at the New Amsterdam tending bar. She lives with her best friend Ivy Elgin and is considered, along with Ivy, to be one of Jack's Orphans. In addition to her psychic ability, Amelia is very creative and has a lot of technical knowledge that she has learned around the hunters who frequent Jack's hotel.
Amelia has a strong connection with Dr. Henri Nassir Zaid of the University of Indiana. He also features prominently in By Inferno's Light and After Heaven's Glory. Amelia now works part-time as Dr. Zaid's research assistant.
She has a strong connection to Cyrus Ramirez, a friend of her father Harry D'Amour. Amelia has worked with Cyrus in the past, helping him to track down her father. She also featured in The Tarnished Badge and The Mutiny of the Bounty. Cyrus also appears in After Heaven's Glory.
Amelia has turned to Dr. Doe in the past to assist her with understanding her wild talent. She has also turned to him for assistance during the events of After Heaven's Glory.
Eileen Bloom gave Amelia a tarot reading in Kiss from a Rose on the Grave. The reading came true the following evening and Amelia was impressed by the woman's accuracy.
Amelia has also called on the wizard Robert Timms in the past to fly her to South American and to enlist his aid in defeating the serial killer Father John O'Reilly. After the events of Mid-West to Bogota to Rio, Amelia felt she could not trust Timms but this has changed for the better since the conclusion of After Heaven's Glory.
Amelia boards with Ivy Elgin, who inherited her house when her parents were killed in a car accident. Mutual friends also share the large manor house as well.
While she spends a lot of time at the University of Indiana, Amelia can often be found at the New Amsterdam when in Lawrence. She is often seen hanging out or working behind the bar. Whenever she is able, Amelia cooks and cleans up after Jack, Thom and Toby.
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Cyrus Ramirez is tall, well built, olive skinned and has curly black hair. He looks boyish and has an easy smile. When he thinks nobody is watching his cheeky façade falls away, a deep sadness fills his face, he looks tired and careworn.
The bounty hunter wears faded jeans, a black T-shirt with a metal band logo, a padded black leather jacket (undercover vest) and a pair of black leather steal capped boots. He wears two wedding rings on a chain around his neck he will often subconsciously touch the smaller ring.
Although he does his best to play it down he his intelligent, well spoken and creative. At high school he wasn't the best at anything, but he was good at everything. To top it off he was the kind of nice guy the all the girls wanted, and the fun guy that the guys liked to hang out with. He didn't pick on anybody an would often stand up for people being bullied.
Cyrus does not talk about his past, from what you can gather his name is probably not Cyrus, he was a police officer or detective, and he comes from LA. Amelia knows something of his past but refuses to talk about it.
He works for one Charlie Blackfox of Black Fox Enterprises - Charlie a (Sioux Indian) currently has some problems with the IRS and has suspended business.
Cyrus has an elder brother relationship with Amelia, her father was a good friend and mentor. He believes that he owes it to Harry to keep Amelia safe.
Dr. Henri Nassir Zaid has assisted him with an investigation and has hired him to find a relative. Cyrus is intrigued by Dr Ziad's field of research, even though he thinks it is all flim-flamery and smoke and mirrors.
Last time he saw Average Joe he was curled up on the floor clutching his nose. Cyrus didn't like punching the cripple, but the guy owned a nasty looking shot gun and he didn't want the little doofus to do something stupid and get him self dead.
Launch pad seems a solid if somewhat weird kind of guy, he showed that he had steel cojones when helped out with the side show hypnotist creep of a bounty.
Cyrus has very little cash and no home, he could head out to Arizona where Charlie would put him up in one of his trailers. A hunch or a gut feeling has kept him in town despite the lack of funds.
Cyrus is strong, fast, tough, smart, perceptive, and easy to get along with.
He is good with a gun, and good in a fist fight. He can dig for information or investigate a crime scene with the kind of professionalism that comes from years on the force.
He has had paramedic training and can survive just as well in the wilds as the city.
Cyrus can be if necessary very intimidating.
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Robert "Bobby" Timms, aka Launchpad, is a quiet man with a mop of blonde hair, blue-grey and young, attractive features and a slight build. He has an unassuming prsence but seems confident in himself, adopting a "wait and see" attitude. He almost always wears an overcoat, hat, scarf and fingerless gloves.
Timms was raised in the home-school enviroment. He was alternative growing up and he's stayed that way. He has a family somewhere that he hints about from time to time. He spent several years traveling around the world with a wild gypsy women - a period in his life he refers to as his "wilderness years". These days Timms earns a living as an itinerant helicopter pilot. He's also an expert on the occult and is known for his odd skills in this area. Chances are, no matter what you're problem with the Hidden World, Timms knows something about it.
When in town Timms lives out of the St Lawrence Church as a boarder there. He hangs out the The Amsterdam, listening to whatever stories people tell him. (He isn't there all the time due to his pilot work.) Timms seems a bit of a Fish-Out-of-Water. He's very focussed on learning about the Unknown. Perhaps too focussed. To relax he likes cooking, flying and reading - solitary activities. He's not known to be in any relationship. He rarely drinks more than a social minimum.
Timms is a childhood friend of Average Joe and they share a long history together. Joe was present when Timms' parents were murdered.
In the Mothman Prophecies: Kansas Timms and Edward de Burgeot, the renowned skeptic, team up to investigate the paranormal. He also helped Cyrus out on a bounty.
Timms has travelled extensively through South America. He flew Amelia to Columbia and Brazil in By Inferno's Light. He also went treasure hunting with the famous psychic, Kathleen Flowers.
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In Purgatory's Shadow
Synopsis: Thirteen year old Amelia is possessed of a unique talent: the ability to read the auras of objects and people. However, her new power has revealed almost nothing about the truth concerning herself, her grandmother and the mysterious association of hunters known as Eve's Circle.
Amelia turns to Dr. Henri Zaid, a specialist in the paranormal at the University of Indiana. Instead of finding answers, the mystery deepens as Amelia must confront the psychotic Father John O'Reilly in an attempt to uncover the truth.
However, a startling revelation comes from a surprising source, the fortune teller Eileen Bloom!
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By Inferno's Light
Synopsis: Almost two years have passed since fifteen year old Amelia D'Amour lost her grandmother, and almost her own life, in a tragic car accident. Now, with the appearance of a psychotic priest and a violent spirit, Amelia must confront the mystery surrounding her grandmother and her connection to a secretive association of hunters known as Eve's Circle.
Defying her guardian, the legendary Jack McCandless, Amelia enlists the aid of Robert Timms and his lover Teagan. As the trio make the long journey into South America, Amelia is thrown into a deepening nightmare in which the lines between friend and foe becomes blurred. She is forced to rely on her wild talent and the benevolent spirit of someone she thought she had lost.
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After Heaven's Glory
Synopsis: Nineteen year old Amelia is now at university and has gained some measure of peace since the traumatic events of By Inferno's Light. Studying under Dr. Henri Zaid and keeping a part-time job at the New Amsterdam, Amelia believes that she has finally found happiness.
Until one night she hits her head and slips into the pond outside the Appleseed, where she sees her dead grandmother in the water. Now the nightmare begins again as Amelia seeks an orphan named Emily, who has a strong connection to the D'Amour family.
However, with the appearance of her nemesis, Father John O'Reilly and the dark spirit known only as Seventeen, Amelia needs friends to help her and Emily survive. Enlisting the aid of a renowned sceptic, Edward de Burgeot, her mentor Dr. Zaid, the bounty hunter Cyrus and the wizard Robert Timms, Amelia must confront Father O'Reilly one final time to uncover the truth about herself, Emily, her grandmother and the hunters of Eve's Circle.
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The Extraordinary Werewolf Adventure
Synopsis: Joe, his cousin Tommy, and their friend Tim grew up in the town of Roswell. For all of the mystery that sometimes haunted the town, their childhood was a simple one of games and boyish adventure. But sometimes the simple life does not wear well upon certain brows, and a simple walk in the woods leads to a tragedy that shapes the lives of all three boys forever.
While exploring the wilds on the outskirts of town, the boys become lost in the woods. Cousin Tommy has a 'turn' and the family curse of lycanthropy makes itself known. Joe is left severely injured, his mind numbed by the horror he was seen. Tim, angry at his physical powerlessness and aware now of a supernatural side to life, begins his lifelong exploration into the occult and The Unknown.
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The Mothman Prophecies: Kansas
Synopsis: In 2002 a series of bizarre incidents known as the Mothman Prophecies occurred in a small Kansas town. An expert skeptic from the big city arrives to find the truth. Small town pilot, Bobby Timms, a self-proclaimed white magician also investigates the Prophecies, hoping to unlock further secrets of The Unknown and add to his knowledge and power. Both men find a friendship but the truth they discover only leads to more questions.
After several weeks of sightings and incidents the 'Mothman' disappears. Immediately after a force four tornado rips through the town, killing over forty residents. Many of the community, devastated by the tornado and the loss of town and friends, leave town. Timms, his world-view shaken by what he has learned, leaves his wife and family and disappears.
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The Pirates of the Mar Del Zyr
Synopsis: When Timms and his dangerous girlfriend Teagan find an Incan treasure map they are visited by a psychic, Kathleen, determined to mentor the troublesome youths on their journey. The wild sex and drug fueled search for treasure leads them into the Andes into the clutches of pirates looking for the same Incan treasure.
Witchcraft, magic and psychic precognition keep the three one step ahead of the pirates but the narcissistic lifestyle of Timms & Teagan soon alienates Kathleen. As the three find only empty dreams at the end of the treasure map, Kathleen leaves the others behind her, determined to leave them to their fate and wondering why it was her insight had told her Timms was ever worthwhile.
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The Shadow Bounty
Bounty hunter Cyrus Ramirez has come up against a bounty he just can't take. His target, a murderer, is able to defend himself with some strange occult powers Cyrus just doesn't understand and can barely counter. Cyrus seeks out an ally, an "expert in weird shit" of his own. Some contacts of his point Cyrus towards an itinerant pilot by the name of Timms. The two make a startlingly effective pair and, aided by the 'tricks and nonsense' of Timms, Cyrus soon captures his bounty. Cyrus doesn't understand Timms' world, but whatever it is, it works, and is knows that he can call upon the pilot again should he need to in the future.
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El Lobo Sombro (The Shadow Wolf)
Synopsis: Cyrus Ramirez, ex-cop turned bounty hunter, seeks help from a university professor, Dr. Henri Zaid, when he is hired by a large corporation find the professor's colleague. When it turns out that that Professor O'Toole has been kidnapped by the Russian Mafia things turn deadly.
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The Tarnished Badge
Synopsis: Desperately trying to track down the only witness to the murder of his wife by a corrupt police officer, Cyrus's only clue is a garbled message left by an old friend, the occult investigator Harry D'Amour. Unable to find his friend, the bounty hunter turns to his mentor's daughter, Amelia. Cyrus struggles through a series of deadly encounters before finding Harry's burnt out jeep with a corpse burned beyond recognition in the driver's seat.
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The Mutiny of the Bounty
Synopsis: Cyrus and Amelia search for her father, the occult investigator Harry D'Amour, who is presumed dead. Refusing to believe her father has died, Cyrus agrees to help Amelia find him, as he is certain Harry has information that may help him. As the hunt for Amelia's father becomes more difficult, Cyrus learns that an old bounty is hunting him. Cyrus must protect Amelia from those that do not want her to uncover the truth and himself from Chubs McGee a psychotic killer bent on revenge.
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Family Reunion
Synopsis: Robert and Joe meet up again some ten years later in Chicago. Joe is now an academic with a healthy interest in the conspiracies governments & the media regularly cover op, and an unhealthy interest in drug manufacturing. Robert, now calling himself 'Timms', is now an itinerant pilot and a 'grey' magician - one who uses both black and white magic. The two go to dinner with Robert's family only to find they are not the only guests from the old days - the Beast is back!
"Cousin Tommy", now fully surrendered to the terrible beast in his soul, rips Robert's parents into chunks of meat right before the eyes of Joe and Robert. Joe's gun play and Robert's magic do nothing to stop the werewolf as it kills and then runs off into the night.
Both men vow not to leave things at that. The hunt is on.
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Episode One - The Haunting of Carver House, Part I
The investigation of a haunted house in Indianapolis draws together old friends and colleges. Will they uncover the secrets of Carver House, or will they too become part of the house's terrible history?
Dr. Henri Nassir Zaid, professor of Philosophy and Psychology at Indiana State university, is researching haunted houses for his new book. He and his research assistants, Amelia D'Amour and Sarah Trenton, have investigated several supposed hauntings in the Mid-West and Appalachians. So far, little conclusive evidence of a true haunting has been uncovered but some unusual phenomenon were recorded.
Recently, Dr. Zaid has been able to secure legal access to Carver House in Indianapolis for a short period of investigation. While Dr. Zaid and doctoral student Sarah Trenton are attending a parapsychology conference in Edinburgh, Amelia D'Amour is entrusted with the investigation of Carver House.
Two old colleges of Dr. Zaid and Amelia, professional skeptic Edward de Burgeot and psychic Kathleen Flowers, are employed to provide research assistance and professional advice during the investigation. However, upon receiving the background material gathered by Dr. Zaid and Amelia, Kathleen cancels her involvement in the investigation without providing. Something has shaken the psychic but she is unwilling to say what.
December 10 to 15
Amelia and Dr. Zaid collect a background dosier of information on Carver House.
December 15
Dr. Zaid departs for Edinburgh with his attractive assistant Sarah Trenton.
December 15 to 17
Edward de Bergeot contributes to the background research, uncovering a few more details of the house's history.
December 18
Edward drives to Indianapolis from Maine to meet with Amelia. Initially they are to meet at the University, but the meeting is shifted to the New Amsterdam Hotel where Amelia is covering a shift behind the bar.
Two post-grad students who were expected to assist in the investigation of the house starting on the 19th have failed to arrive at the meetings. One is accounted for (having returned home for Christmas), the other cannot be contacted by Amelia who now finds herself two hands down for the project.
Not wishing to disappoint her mentor Dr. Zaid, she looks elsewhere for a couple of willing assistants. As she weighs her options, Amelia receives a cell call from Kathleen Flowers warning her of danger if she proceeds with the investigation of the Carver House. Ms. Flowers is obviously shaken and mentions strange dreams she has been having since receiving the photographs of the house. She warns Amelia that should she proceed she will need the help of "old friends". Kathleen also speaks of a strange black man with burning eyes that she saw in a vision.
Taking Kathleen's advice, Amelia approaches Robert Tiims who is at the New Amsterdam with his friend Average Joe. The two are recruited into the investigation, and Amelia promises that some moderate pay is available from the project funds (now that the two student assistants have pulled out).
Edward arrives at the New Amsterdam and the four discuss the background material of Carver House and draw up plans to begin the preliminary investigation tomorrow.
December 19
The four investigators meet at the University, gather the project equipment and drive to Carver House. The two-storey house sits on a large block of land surrounded by a mix of old houses, 1970's era commercial buildings and the beginnings of new residential and commercial redevelopment. The block itself is overgrown and the house shows some signs of wear and weathering.
Amelia and Edward perform an initial survey of the property's boundaries, taking photographs and video. Unfortunately, Edward cuts his shin badly on a rusting lawnmower, concealed beneath the weeds and long grass. During the survey it is noted that little graffiti marks the house, except a recently painted symbol by the back door resembling three "Y" touching to form three-pointed star, with an eye in the centre. Timms departs to the University Library to carry out some further research into one of the former tenants while Edward departs for the emergency ward. Amelia and Joe continue checking the property, moving on to the garage.
In the garage, Amelia receives several "psychic" impressions (if she is to be believed) of the former tenants' objects. An underlying sense of fear taints the impressions she receives. In the workshop of the garage she finds an old band saw, partially covered in canvas. Upon touching she saw she is overwhelmed by an image of a body being cut apart on the saw. She screams and staggers out of the building.
Amelia attempts to convey the impression she received to Joe and Edward, who has returned from the hospital. Edward is obviously unswayed by her description. The trio continue their survey of the garage and find boxes of possessions left from former tenants in the attic of the outbuilding. Little information is gathered from these, except a sense that a large number of tenants seem to have departed without many personal objects.
As the winter evening grows darker, a decision is made to open the coal chute to the cellar and place a camera there for the evening.
Meanwhile, Timms has uncovered some information in newspaper archives and history books regarding Reagan Bridger, Walter Corbin and a group known as the Chapel of Contemplation. Timms returns to Carver House as the others open the coal chute.
Timms and Amelia enter the basement. Timms performs one of his strange rituals, handing a candle to Amelia and draw marks upon her wrists in charcoal. He claims this will protect her from the evil spirits that may haunt the building. The pair search the cellar.
Edward and Joe also enter the cellar. The four investigators discover another symbol like the one painted outside the house. At first, the symbol appears little more than a soft impression in the plaster of the cellar wall, but the plaster is quickly chipped away to reveal a carving in the brickwork, once painted red but now faded.
Amelia touches the symbol and for an instant she hears the sound of a chanting voice, possibly speaking some kind of Slavic or other east European language she cannot identify. Amelia questions the others if the can hear the voice, who look at her strangely – evidently not. As the group discusses what to do next, a soft sound of music is heard drifting down from the house, the sound of an old skipping record. "That I can hear" the others reply.
Amelia identifies the music as legendary blues musician Robert Johnson.
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History of the Carver House
History of Carver House (as provided by Dr. Zaid and Amelia D'Amour and expanded by Edward de Burgeot).
Carver House is a large Queen-Anne style home on the south west edge of downtown Indianapolis. It has two floors, a basement, and an attic. A two-storey garage/barn outhouse stands behind the main house. Oddly, the garage does not show up on the survey plans provided by Dr. Zaid (circa. 1979).
1897 - Carver House is built by wealthy industrialist Robert J. Carver. Carver owned a textile mills in Indiana, Illinois and New York.
1909 - Robert Carver dies at the age of 65. Robert Carver Junior inherits the porperty.
1912 - The entire carver family falls prey to an influenza epidemic that sweeps through the city. Three die, and the remainder of the family moves to New York. Interestingly, two more members of the family die in New York within a year in separate accidents.
1912 to 1927 - Little information is available for this period of the house's history due mainly to a flood in the city archives during the late twenties.
1927 - Carver House is sold to Walter Corbin, a Hungarian immigrant. The 1927 deed of sale lists the vendor as J. S. Carver.
1950 - Walter Corbin dies. The house is inherited by Reagan Bridger, an associate of Corbin.
1952 - Reagan Bridger is killed by police during a raid on the Chapel of Contemplation, a group suspected by the authorities of involvement in Communist conspiracy. Carver House is seized by the State and sold to property investor Tommie Sefton.
1952 to 1953 - Carver House is rented by the Greyson family. The Greysons vacate the house on December 23. No information regarding the cause of their departure has been uncovered.
January 1954 - Carver House is rented to the Marcario family.
June 1954 - Vittorio Marcario suffers an accident that leaves him partially crippled. He suffers from slowly degrading mental health as the year passes and becomes violent and short-tempered.
November 1954 - Vittorio is institutionalised after attacking his wife with a meat cleaver. He fails to do her any serious injury due to his limited mobility.
22 December 1954 - Gabriela Marcario slashes her wrists in the bathtub. The two Marcario children are sent to live with relatives in
Baltimore.
January 1955 to September 1955 - Carver House is rented by James William Lowell, a man in Indianapolis on business. Numerous police records list his complaints about a feeling of being watched and he believes someone is stalking him at the house. Two later reports also list strange noises, movement within the house and unspecified visions that are put down to nerves by the police.
October 1955 to December 1957 - Carver House is rented to local artist Elliot Lyndon. Mr. Lyndon suffers from deteriorating mental health and is known to maintain a strong drug habit during this time. He also produces his best work and becomes known in local circles for several great works of disturbing nature (one shortly after moving in and two in November/December 1956).
22 December 1957 - Elliot Lyndon kills himself with a kitchen knife. He is found the next morning slumped over a near-complete canvas now obliterated by his blood.
1958 - Tommie Sefton sells Carver House to the Baxter family.
1959 - Mr Baxter dies in an industrial accident. Mrs Baxter is treated by a local physician for nerves and prescribed heavy doses of tranquilisers. She finally moves from the house in October 1959 and moves in with relatives in Florida.
1960 to 1972 - Mrs Baxter maintains posession of Carver House and rents the property through a local agent. A string of tenants inhabit Carver House. All complain of noises, strange movements, misplaced possessions, and strange figures seen creeping about the house in the dead of night. All leave within 6 months of taking up residence.
1972 to 1975 - Carver House sits empty.
1975 - Carver House is sold by Mrs. Baxter, now retired, to Ford Brigham.
1975 to 1990 - Mr. Brigham rents out Carver House. Similar problems plague the house and tenants refuse to stay, most voiding their lease and opting to face legal challenges than remain in the property. During this period two tenants suffer serious illnesses, two die in apparent accidents, and one commits suicide.
1990 to 1998 - Carver House sits empty.
13 January 1994 - Malcolm Baxter, a homeless man, is found dead in the house by police checking on reports of strange lights and movement by neighbours. Forensics put his death sometime in late December but cannot identify cause of death, exposure is suspected.
1998 - Carveer House is purchased by Stephen Hudson, a property developer, as part of a planned redevelopment of the area.
2000 - Stephen Hodson trips and falls down the attic stairs while inspecting the building, breaking his neck. The property is purchased by Kayliegh and Brody Ryder a professional couple from Indianapolis with plans to renovate the old house.
28 October 2001 - Brody Ryder kills his wife and dismembers her body with a saw before hanging himself in the attic.
February 2002 - Kayleigh's older brother James Maclean moves into the house.
Mid 2003 - The Maclean's two-year old son Henry suffers a near fatal accident in the house. Sarak Maclean and Henry leave and move in with her family in Chicago. Neighbours and friends speak of growing tensions between the couple during the course of the year and arguments were often heard.
22 December 2003 - James Maclean puts a shotgun in his mouth.
2003 to 2008 - Carver House sits empty while the Maclean family decides what to do with the property.
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Episode One - The Haunting of Carver House, Part II
Timms, during his research foray on the afternoon of the 19th, has uncovered the following additional information.
* Reagan Bridger, who inherited Carver House in 1950, was a member of a sect or cult called the Chapel of Contemplation.
* In 1952, the Chapel's Temple was raided by local police and FBI agents. Charges of un-American activity were quoted to the media on the night in question and over following days. The raid apparently, was rather violent and five Chapel members died resisting arrest. Two local police officers were also killed, and one more had to be medically retired due to unspecified injuries suffered during the raid. Several provocative paper reports following the raid claim prominent members were released the following evening without charge. Nobody ever stood trial in connection to the Chapel or its activities.
A little further investigation in local paper archives and local histories is able to reveal a few more facts regarding the chapel.
* The Chapel of Contemplation was nominally an unspecified Christian sect established in 1907 in Indianapolis. Its members included a number of wealthy and powerful local families during the early half of the 20th century.
* A pamphlet, printed in 1911 calling for local authorities to shut down the Chapel, claims the Chapel has links back to "the old Starry Wisdom Cult of Massachusetts". Exactly what the Cult was or why this should be a concern is unspecified.
* A local newspaper article from 1928 lists several prominent members including Walter Corbin, a former residence of Carver House (whom Reagan Bridger inherited the home from).
* The Carver family name is never mentioned in connection with the
Chapel.
* The Chapel's Temple is/was located three blocks from Carver House.
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Timms Take on the Research into the Carver House
You've had the facts, now hear the opinion!
Timms, during his research foray on the afternoon of the 19th, has uncovered the following additional information.
* Reagan Bridger, who inherited Carver House in 1950, was a member of a sect or cult called the Chapel of Contemplation.
* In 1952, the Chapel's Temple was raided by local police and FBI agents. Charges of un-American activity were quoted to the media on the night in question and over following days. The raid apparently, was rather violent and five Chapel members died resisting arrest. Two local police officers were also killed, and one more had to be medically retired due to unspecified injuries suffered during the raid. Several provocative paper reports following the raid claim prominent members were released the following evening without charge. Nobody ever stood trial in connection to the Chapel or its activities.
>>> Note the police officer that was "medically retired due to non-specific injuries". The circumstances of this case might prove interesting background research concerning the house and what has gone on here.
>>> I would also recommend tracking down the ones who made the" provocative paper reports following the raid claim prominent members were released the following evening without charge". Whoever filed those stories may know who those prominent members were, and THAT information could be very interesting. (Note that those `prominent members' and their families might be very interested in keeping that information suppressed, so some caution is urged with regards to any investigations.)
A little further investigation in local paper archives and local histories is able to reveal a few more facts regarding the chapel.
* The Chapel of Contemplation was nominally an unspecified Christian sect established in 1907 in Indianapolis. Its members included a number of wealthy and powerful local families during the early half of the 20th century.
* A pamphlet, printed in 1911 calling for local authorities to shut down the Chapel, claims the Chapel has links back to "the old Starry Wisdom Cult of Massachusetts". Exactly what the Cult was or why this should be a concern is unspecified.
>>> Ahh, for those who are not aware of "the old Starry Wisdom Cult of Massachusetts" really DO need to research this cult. I cannot stress enough the gravity of anything involving them or their off-shoots.("That is not dead which can eternal lie / And with strange eons even death may die." A much-discussed couplet from Abdul Alhazred.)
* A local newspaper article from 1928 lists several prominent members including Walter Corbin, a former residence of Carver House (whom Reagan Bridger inherited the home from).
* The Carver family name is never mentioned in connection with the Chapel.
>>> Whenever one sees an obfuscation like this, two questions should try to be answered: (1) Who could cover up something like this?; and (2) Why?. Remember Cicero's adage of investigation, `qui bono'.
* The Chapel's Temple is/was located three blocks from Carver House.
Timms' Timeline
1907 – Chapel of Contemplation begins.
1928 – Walter Corbin is a member of the Chapel of Contemplation.
1950 – Reagan Bridger, a member of the Chapel of Contemplation
inherits Carver House from Chapel of Contemplation member Walter Corbin. 1952 – Chapel is raided by FBI & local cops. Several on both sides are killed in the raid. A police officer retires due to psychological stress from the raid. (What did this officer see? Or think they saw?). Several prominent members are released without charge. The Carver House is never linked with the Chapel of Contemplation even though it has been in the hands of members of this cult for over 30 years.
Question: Aside from their link through the Chapel of Contemplation, what was the bond between Corbin & Bridger that prompted Corbin to leave Bridger the Carver House?
Timms' Tips
1) We halt our investigation until further research can be conducted.
2) Research is done into what happened during the police raid of 1952.
3) Research is done into the prominent families that had members involved with the Chapel of Contemplation.
4) Research is done into any possible links between the Chapel of Contemplation and the Cult of Starry Wisdom.
5) The utmost discretion is used in all investigations due to the community connections of those involved. In their desire to remain out of any `public spotlight', some of those involved may attempt to `muddy the waters' and stymie any investigations.
6) We return only when we have discovered the mysteries outlined in points (2) to (4).
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Re: Timms Take on the Research into the Carver House
Whenever one sees an obfuscation like this, two questions should try to be answered: (1) Who could cover up something like this?; and (2) Why?. Remember Cicero's adage of investigation, `qui bono'.
We definitely need to find out what the true motive is behind, as Timm's put it, this obfuscation. Who else has a stake in the house and this Chapel of Contemplation. Who or what exactly is involved and what resources can they access to protect themselves or their interests.
Timms' Tips
1) We halt our investigation until further research can be conducted.
2) Research is done into what happened during the police raid of 1952.
3) Research is done into the prominent families that had members involved with the Chapel of Contemplation.
4) Research is done into any possible links between the Chapel of Contemplation and the Cult of Starry Wisdom.
5) The utmost discretion is used in all investigations due to the community connections of those involved. In their desire to remain out of any `public spotlight', some of those involved may attempt to
`muddy the waters' and stymie any investigations.
6) We return only when we have discovered the mysteries outlined in points (2) to (4).
Amelia's Response
1) We should definitely halt our investigation until we can conduct further research.
2) Cyrus, may be with assistance from Timms, should delve into this research.
3) Edward should conduct research into any family connections to the Chapel of Contemplation.
4) Amelia and Timms should investigate any possible links between the Chapel and the Cult.
5) True.
6) We will do our best to uncover these mysteries, but Dr. Zaid needs us in and out of that house quickly. Our time is short and Christmas is approaching fast.
We also heard, and saw, some interesting things in the house on the 19th. Our investigations should also be extended to people who may have known some of the occupants. We might be able to gain access to secondary information that way.
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Episode One - The Haunting of Carver House, Part II
December 19
Following the faint sounds of music, the four investigators climb the stairs from the basement into the house. A quick sweep of the ground floor reveals little aside from old furniture covered in dust sheets. After a few minutes they determine the music is coming from upstairs, possibly the attic.
Edward, Timms and Average Joe ascend to the second floor while Amelia lingers behind investigating the furnishings in the ground floor living room. By this time, the music has stopped with only the faint hissing sound of an old record player to be heard from the attic. After a brief discussion, AJ (Average Joe) ascends the stairs to the attic, followed by Timms. As AJ reaches the door at the top of the stairs, Timms is thrown roughly back down the staircase (AJ swears he didn't touch him) and is knocked out cold. The group decides discretion is the better part of valour.
Meanwhile, disturbed by recurrent nightmares and ill prophecy, the fortune teller Kathleen Flowers is driving into Lawrence to find Amelia. As Edward and AJ carry Timms downstairs, Amelia receives a phone call from Ms. Flowers warning her of grave danger in the Carver House. Amelia arranges with Kathleen to meet her at the New Amsterdam Hotel in an hour and suggest she look for the Amelia's other friend, the bounty hunter Cyrus.
With Timms slowly regaining consciousness, the group drives back to Lawrence to regroup and treat Timms' injuries. At the New Amsterdam the four meet Kathleen and Cyrus and discuss the events of the day's investigation. Old suspicions and insults are bought back to the surface with the reuniting of Kathleen and Edward and Cyrus and AJ.
December 20
After compiling their research notes the night before, a course of action is decided by the group. Timms and Cyrus head off to pursue some research leads, while the rest of the group returns to Carver House to search the main parts of the house and document their findings.
Timms, consulting his library of occult writings uncovers a little more information on the Chapel of Contemplation. The Chapel appears to have been a Theosophical Society with links to a publicly condemned Cult in Boston from the 19th Century. The list of members includes two of the house's former residents - Reagan Bridger and Walter Corbin - as well as many scions of powerful local families.
Investigating the police raid of 1952 they uncover that several deaths occured during the raid - three police officers and a number of Chapel members. One police officer was medically retired and spent recurring periods of institution at a local mental home. Posing as police investigators, Timms and Cyrus uncover a little of the officer's psychosis - apparent post-traumatic stress, recurrent nightmares and periods of acute paranoia - apparently triggered by something he experienced in the cellar of the Chapel when his three comrades died during the raid. Many of his records appear to have disappeared from the hospital.
During the investigation of the house, the others uncover the paintings of Eliot Lyndon in the attic, including his unfinished work from the night he committed suicide. They are able to remove much of the artist's dried blood to reveal a painting of Carver House. At the gate a half-formed, shadowy figure is depicted watching the house.
While investigating the master bedroom, Amelia experiences a disturbing and vivid vision of the former owner Brody Ryder raping his wife Kayleigh - from the victim's perspective. Amelia is found screaming and in tears by her companions.
As the day is drawing late, the group retires to the near-by diner to discuss their plans, leaving Kathleen Flowers to watch the house. At the diner, the elderly black chef - a local resident of over sixty years - offers some background on the house. The consensus is that December 22 seems to be an important date for events in the house. However, the group decides that they will return to make more observations tonight.
Upon returning to the house, Kathleen's car is found to be abandoned and a light can be seen from the attic window. Amelia rushes to the front door to track Kathleen, while the rest of the group track her footprints through the mud and snow to the rear door of the house. The group makes its way up to the second floor, where strange noises are heard from the back bedroom. Upon investigation, no sign can be found for the source of the scraping noises, until the large iron bed in the room suddenly lurches acros the room throwing Cyrus out the window and plummeting to the ground below. Luckily, the ex-cop is relatively unharmed and calmly walks back in through the back door like nothing has happened.
Upon entering the attic, the group finds Kathleen sitting cross-legged with her tarot cards displayed before her. She turns as the group enters and begins muttering about "the crow lying" and the "the crow escaping its cage". Believing her to be possessed by the spirits of the house, she is knocked down by a taser shot from her companions.
Timms begins a ceremony he states will call the spirit into their presence then dismiss it from the house. As he begins his occult ritual with the assistance of Average Joe, Cyrus' eyes glaze over and he raises his shotgun to slay Timms where he stands. Fortunately, Timms is faster and speaks the words of power to dismiss the evil spirit, know believed to be that of Walter Corbin the house's former owner. The spirit controlling Cyrus disappears and he slumps to the floor.
Moments later, all hell breaks loose in the house. The old record player in the corner of the attic begins playing and unattended objects begin moving of their own accord. The sound of doors and windows crashing open and closed can be heard echoing through the house and an evil laughter echoes from below. The EMF meters carried by Edward and Amelia begin spiking off the scale.
It is suggested that perhaps the spirit has not been dismissed and is somehow anchored to the house sufficiently to prevent its banishment. Following the sounds of laughter, the group finds itself in the basement. A brief discussion reaches the consensus that Corbin's body is likely to be buried beneath the house and the walls are searched for signs of a "secret passage". As items start propelling themselves around the room, like they are caught in a hurricane, signs of a bricked-over doorway are discovered.
As the group attempts to batter down the brick-work pieces of timber, smashes furnishings and loose bricks begin to pelt them. Amelia's leg is smashed by the door of the ancient furnace when it flies violently from its hinges. Finally, the group breaks through and Edward moves through to investigate. He enters a room, where the preserved body of Corbin is found. Then, his mind is overwhelmed as the spirit of Corbin takes control of his body.
Edward turns and mutters that nothing is to be seen in the room beyond and makes to leave. When Average Joe tries to prevent his departure, Edward shoots Joe in the stomach and he drops to the ground bleeding-out.
Unable to prevent Edward's escape, Amelia turns to the wounded Joe to staunch the bleeding. Edward, completely controlled by the spirit of Walter Corbin, watches his own actions as if they were someone else he is unable to control his body and begins to feel or hear his controller.
As Edward/Walter approaches the gate of the property a strange shadowy figure can be seen, its eyes burning red like flame. The figure speaks to Walter, saying his time has come to pay his debt or obligation. The spirit of Walter now appears terrified and Edward is able to momentarily regain control of his body. But not long enough, Walter once again seizes control and attempts to flee the tall black featureless man. As the figure with the burning eyes once again corners Edward/Walter, his reaches out with hands that freeze and as they touch Edward he loses consciousness.
Amelia, Cyrus and Timms eventually manage to desert the cellar, no eerily still and quiet, with the unconscious body of Average Joe. They find Edward slumped in the driveway at the gate to the property. Edward is unable to easily describe what had happened.
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Episode One - The Haunting of Carver House, Part II
The Haunting of Carver House - Wrapup
Following Edward's mysterious behaviour, the investigators find him collapsed in the driveway of Carver House. Edward is unable to easily articulate what occurred after he entered the make-shift crypt beneath the house. His memory of those five or ten minutes is vague. For months to come however, his dreams will often be rent by an image of burning eyes set in a featureless shadowy face.
In the space beneath the south-east corner of the house, the investigators find a makeshift crypt. The space is octagonal (shaped by the foundations of the room above) about 10 feet across and accessed through a narrow brick-lined corridor from the basement proper. The walls are bare brick, but painted all about with numerous occult symbols. The concrete floor is likewise adorned. Timms easily identifies several symbols known to be used in European necromantic practices (if such things exist), and Edward is later able to point out several symbols he remembers from a work on East-European witch cults he once read.
In the centre of the crypt is a rough table of dark, heavy timber Lying along the length of the table is the dessicated body of an adult male, wrapped in a heavy cloth that was once white, but now yellowed by the years. More occult symbols are painted onto the cloth in a flaking rust-brown paint. Near the cadaver's head stands an intricately decorated chalice of silver or silver-plate. The chalice is decorated with three panels of what appears to be gatherings of people in a witch's sabbath. A silver dagger lies next to the chalice.
A small trunk stands against one wall. Inside are three leather-bound
handwritten manuscripts and a bundle of letters. The manuscripts are written in a neat, precise hand in what appears to be Magyar (Hungarian), though several phrases of sections of old High German appear scattered throughout each of the manuscripts. At first study, these manuscripts appear to be the diaries and research notes of Walter Corbin, though they will require extensive translation before much can be gleaned from their pages.
The letters are written in English and appear to be part of a set of correspondances between Walter Corbin and Reagan Bridger, covering a ten year period leading up to Walter's death in 1950.
In the earlier letters, Walter hints at the occult secrets he knows and hints at a spirit or guide who set him on his path of initiation. He appears to have taken Reagan as an apprentice of sorts in later letters and constantly teases the other man with secrets he can reveal to him.
Starting in about 1948, Reagen comments a number of times on Walter's distracted behaviour, his withdrawal from the flock at the Chapel of Contemplation and his growing obsession with the music of the Black musician Robert Johnson. Walter hints in one of his replies that the musician's story may not be far from the truth "as the end draws near, I fear I may not be able to outrun my own hell hounds either."
He begins to discuss with Reagan a man or being who has tracked him to America from the Old World, a being he thought initially he had escaped when he crossed the Atlantic. On one occasion he refers to this figure of fear as C'berg.
The last letters speak of success in his research. He informs Reagan he has uncovered a way to "cheat the pact" and secures the younger mans assistance in some task he needs to perform. References are made in the last letter to instructions previously sent and that Reagan must ensure he is placed in "the place that has been made ready".
Following the events of that night, Kathleen and Amelia, who both claimed to be sensitive to the dark presence in the house, can no longer feel the same sense of darkness in the house. The presence of dread and fear that hung over the house appears to have been lifted.
As an interesting aside, the following morning when Cyrus returns to the diner, no sign is found of the old African-American cook who volunteered so much information the night before. When he questions the waitress, she regards him strangely and says she has never heard of anyone like that working here. No sign or memory of the old man can be found when others are questioned either.
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Scrap of an article torn from a newspaper
Police are investigating the murder of a young woman, yet to be identified, found in an abandoned apartment early on Saturday morning. According to one witness, the police arrived at the apartment building around 6 am after a cleaning crew discovered the body inside the apartment.
A local shopkeeper claims to have heard screams coming from a nearby alleyway late Friday night. Accompanied by a customer, he was unable to see anyone in the alleyway and reported to police that he saw no signs of a struggle.
An anonymous source claims the body was found in some form of ritual circle, similar to the "Circle 17" murders just over a year ago that ended in suddenly in controversy and mystery. This has lead to claims that a copycat killer may be active in Sacramento or the "Circle 17" murderer has become active again.
There has been no confirmation if a page from Revelations (with reference to 19:12) has been left with the body. This was a trademark of the "Circle 17" murders.
Police have yet to release a statement.
[Source of this article appears to be The Sacramento Bee, date 22nd December 2008 - Amelia]
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Scrap of an article torn from a newspaper
The small township of Gunnison has been rocked by the murder of a local girl on Wednesday evening. A witness has stated that the body was believed to have been found in an abandoned barn on the edge of town that had been the site of a Christmas Eve party. The body was found in what is being stated as a "satanic circle" drawn in blood.
The tragedy follows the horrific murder of a Sacramento girl earlier this week. There has been no confirmation from police that there is a link between the murders, though one source has revealed that the FBI have been become involved with the investigation as of this morning.
Police are questioning the organizers of the event.
[Source of this article appears to be The Salt Lake Tribune, date 26th December 2008 - Amelia]
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From the Vinalhaven Community News
New Year's Eve Night of Terror
Vinalhaven is in mourning after the terrible tragedy of 31st December 2008. Sixteen souls perished in an orgy of violence during the stormy night of terror at the hands of long-time resident Rick Lancaster.
Sheriff Corvin, who together with Edward De Borgeot, a private investigator from the mainland, brought Mr. Lancaster to justice, said that the killings started after Mr. Lancaster murdered local beauty, Gweneth Cogswell.
'After taking one life, Rick just seems to have snapped. He went around the town killing and killing. He wouldn't stop.'
Mr. Lancaster was eventually confronted in his diner where he had taken several of his staff hostage. Despite repeated efforts to talk Mr. Lancaster down, he opened fire on his hostages, killing all of them before falling to gunfire from Sheriff Corvin and his men. Deputy Anderson also lost his life in the exchange.
Coming as it does immediately after the tragic drowning loss of Jonah Pring on 30th December, the Vinalhaven New Year's Massacre will leave scars on this community for many years to come.
A memorial service for the departed will be held this Sunday at the All Saints Church on Main Street at 10am.
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Caspar Star Tribune, 31st December 2008
Police are investigating the brutal murder of a woman who is believed to be a Los Angeles native. The body was found by three teenagers in an abandoned fishing cottage on Lake Ambrose yesterday morning. A car was found almost a mile from the crime scene, a source claims the driver's door was open through there was no signs of a struggle.
It is alleged the body was found in a ritual circle, similar to the recent murders in Sacramento and Gunnison last week. The FBI and police are working in unison and are appealing to the public for any information on the murder.
A source has revealed that a page from Revelations was found with the body. This was a signature left by the killer in the Circle-17 murders in late 2007. The transient nature of the killer and the signature page torn from the Bible suggests that the Circle-17 killer may be active again.
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Amelia's Journal, 25th January 2009
Henri has been contacted by an old friend, a former student named Christopher Perkins, who is now a Lutheran pastor in the parish of Kent's Crossing.
Pastor Perkins believes that his late mentor is haunting his church after his death last week. Henri has asked me to arrange a team to travel to Marion Country, Illinois and investigate this potential haunting.
I was hoping Timms would be available for this investigation, yet as it turns out I am fortunate enough to have Cyrus, Edward and Eileen willing to take on some extra work. I can probably recruit Benji and Sean for this one as well.
Looking forward to the drive and the opportunity to get out of Lawrence for a couple of days. Kent's Crossing sounds like a nice place.
I haven't been able to tell Henri anything about my dreams, the strange one with the stairs. I know I am sharing my dreams with him, but how can I? He has been dead for almost two years.
Thom has been acting odd as well and this sudden road trip west has just made the situation worse between us. He has been so moody lately and preoccupied with this gentleman from back east.
I need to tell Henri and Jack about the news articles and the dreams, but something is holding me back. May be it is the figure on the stairs? I see it everywhere now.
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Amelia's Journal, 28th January 2009
I saw Emilie in my dream. Not THAT dream, that came later. Amelia wasn't with her, but now I know the truth.
Eileen had that dream as well. May be she has seen what is at the top of the stairs? What else has she seen? Is she keeping anything to herself?
The reading she completed in the church warned of a coming danger. Something is approaching, but what?
I know I shouldn't be keeping what I know from Henri and Jack, yet I sense that if I tell them they too will be in danger. Does that threat come from my own sense or is it a warning?
Timms might be able to help? Still, I am reluctant to ask for his help. Is his magic, his will, strong enough? Is he still influenced by Teagan?
I was in the attic again today, the window was dark again. I could feel him in the room with me, standing just behind me. It was still on the stairs, waiting. If I was strong enough to look out the window, I am sure I would see where he is.
It might answer the question I have been refusing to ask or the truth I have been unwilling to admit.
Eileen's dream scared the hell out of me, though I don't think she could really
tell. She was pretty shaken up herself.
Has she seen him, the figure on the stairs. I wonder if she has seen the writing
on the wall?
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Cyrus Ramirez
OSS 1358
Most Secret
November 5 1944
D,
Vilaeux Ridge Operation:
The following is a summary of the operation at Vilauex Ridge July 7 1944 and the events leading to the death of SOE operative Cpt (Rev) David McTavish (British Army) and disappearance (presumed deaths) of OSS operatives MAJ Randal Davis and 1LT John Vanstone.
Pte Saul Levi states that his platoon (2nd platoon D company 1st Rangers) was ordered to clear a series of bunkers on Vilauex ridge.
Pte Levi states that Cpt McTavish died in the hand to hand fighting. As ordered only German Officers were taken prisoner all other ranks were executed and their bodies burnt.
MAJ Davis and 1LT Vanstone arrived the following day. They interrogated the prisoners, selected one officer to return with them and then ordered that the remaining officers be executed and their bodies burned.
MAJ Davis and 1LT Vanstone and the German Prisoner were last seen heading south along Renmagen Rd from Vilauex ridge in a Jeep, without escort.
Full Details of events in following files:
Recommendations:
This Case must considered priority Black.
All efforts must be made to locate Vanstone, Davis & Prisoner.
Pte Levi does not have enough knowledge of events to be a threat and does not warrant being retired.
Should the Prisoner be found - Execute on sight and follow Black Alert standard body disposal.
Observations & Thoughts:
SOE are holding out on us they must have a spy within the Ahnenerbe.
The prisoner was most likely a member of the Thule Society, possibly one of the Dark 13.
Vanstone & Davis appear to have chosen to side with Robespierre in regards to the use of the enemies weapons. I recommend a full Audit of Section 9 and the "retirement" of any defective tools.
I have alerted both Perseus and Cadmus they are already taking action.
Report Ends:
Beowulf
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From the Bethlehem Community Paper
Crows Blacken Logging Town
28 February 2009
Bethlehem, NH - This sleepy mountain town, once known for it timber industry, has today become the site of what can only be called the most unusual mauling attacks in recent memory.
Early this morning, Adrian Ferrell together with his fiance Ketherine Merriman, and four other friends set out for a hike. Before they could leave the edge of town, however, the group found itself being viciously attacked by what has been described by witnesses as a flock of several hundred crows.
"It was horrible", said Ferrell. "Suddenly they were all over me, pecking and scratching. I couldn't see a thing. I couldn't see Katie standing right next to me, but I could hear her screaming".
Crows are not an unusual site in the White Mountains, but rarely in such large flocks. There has never been a recorded incident of crows attacking humans en-masse.
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From the Bethlehem Community Paper
Mountain Town Beseiged by Feathered Fiends
28 February 2009, Late Edition.
Bethlehem, NH - Large flocks of crows, said to be numbering in the thousands, have descended on the small White Mountains town of Bethlehem, NH. The crows began gathering around the town late yesterday evening. Earlier this morning, visiting tourists were attacked by large flocks of crows, suffering minor injuries.
There have been unsubstantiated reports that loggers were attacked in similar circumstances late yesterday, and a visiting television news crew was attacked only hours ago.
This evening, the town appears to be under siege by the birds. So far, no accurate count of the bird numbers is available, but eyewitnesses report their numbers as being "in the thousands" and more birds seem to be gathering by the hour. So far nobody has provided comment on what has caused the bird's strange behaviour.
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From the Bethlehem Community Paper
Crows Disperse After Mauling Town
1 March 2009
Bethlehem, NH - The large flocks of crows that had been gathering in the small mountain town of Bethlehem have dispersed this evening, leaving almost as mysteriously as they appeared.
The crows began dispersing this afternoon, around 3pm and by this evening had all but disappeared. Fish and Wildlife officers sent to the town have used photographic sampling to estimate the crow numbers in the range of over 10,000 birds shortly before they dispersed. "To see that many crows in one place is unheard of" commented an unnamed official. "This would account for nearly every crow, crook and raven in New Hampshire, and the surrounding states".
Fourteen people were injured in attacks by the crows, including one man still in critical condition when his car was run off the road by a large flock of crows while attempting to leave town.
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From the Bethlehem Community Paper
Missing Loggers Found
4 March 2009
Bethlehem, NH - The bodies of three loggers, missing since last weeks mysterious crow migration, have been found on the slopes of Fulton's Ridge several miles out of the town.
Sherriff Balthezar from Bethlehem reported the men appeared to have been mauled by the crows and multiple sustained injuries from the animal attacks appears to be the cause of death in all three cases.
An additional body was found by search crews on high slopes of Fultons Ridge. The body is that of a fourth logger, missing since February 4. The logging surveyor, Steven Miller, has been missing since conducting surveys of timber stands on the high slopes of Fultons Ridge. The man apparently walked out of his home one evening and never returned. At the time, friends noted his strange behaviour and put it down work stress or depression bought on by the impending mill closure. One close source claims he had become obsessed with an Indian artifact he found during one of his recent surveys.
The Sheriff's Office has refused to comment on claims that the man had been shot, but have not rules out murder as a cause of death. The
sheriff has commented, however, that the man's body was partially decomposed and appears to have been dead for at least two weeks.
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Amelia's Journal, 5th March 2009
The investigation of the swarms of crows in Bethlehem, New Hampshire, remains unsolved. Our investigations made tenuous links between the impact of human settlement and the invasion of the township.
While it is not unknown for crows to swarm in great numbers, such as the problems faced in Chifeng, Mongolia, or Tokyo, Japan, I have never read of crows gathering in the numbers we saw in Bethlehem.
The Bible is full of ancient tales of plagues, such as flies, frogs, gnats and locusts. To my knowledge, a plague of crows is either unheard of or extremely rare.
Our best clue was a connection to the Native American people who lived within the Abnaki Nation. However, even this is inconclusive as the borders of the Abnaki Nation were often threatened by tribes from the north, south and west.
We simply do not have the evidence or records to prove if the source of the compelling force, if there was a power responsible for the swarms, was of Abnaki tribal origin or that of another tribal group that may have occupied the region (and has been lost to history). Our knowledge of Native American occupation of this region relies primarily on archaeological evidence and oral sources.
Unfortunately, oral traditions, while they are formulaic, they are subject to the perils of human memory.
To state with certainty that the origin of the plague, or the compelling force behind it, was of Abnaki origin would be assumption only. We simply do not know. The evidence does not exist to support a definite conclusion.
For now, all we know is that the crows the plagued the town of Bethlehem demonstrated a unified purpose and, may be, a greater consciousness we rarely see in animals. This may well have been a natural phenomena, as nature often likes to surprise us, or it may have been the result of some ancient power.
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This is most of the entries created for the campaign and we hope to pick up at some point in the future. Unfortunately, most of the preparation was rushed and, as our campaigns go, it didn't get the attention it deserved.
By the end of the first three episodes, the hunters were:
Amelia D'Amour - is a university student and hunter, who has revealed herself to be a powerful psychic. Amelia has dealt with tragedy in her life and this has had an influence on how her powers manifest. She has also become more distant since her experiences in the Carver House. Amelia works as Henri's assistant and is often responsible for bringing the hunters together for investigations. Her adopted father, Jack McCandless, remains a dominant figure in her life.
Cyrus Ramirez - an ex-cop turned bounty hunter. He was framed for his wife's murder and he is looking to right some wrongs. Cyrus was a friend of Amelia's father and looks out for her. They consider each other family. Cyrus is slowly beginning to believe in the supernatural and his expertise has made him invaluable during investigations.
Edward de Burgeot - is a renowned skeptic turned hunter. His experiences in the Carver House and in the town of Bethlehem have made Edward aware that there are some situations that cannot be explained.
Kathleen Flowers - A famous psychic who works under the professional name, Eileen Bloom. Kathleen joins the team to assist in their investigations, using her powerful precognition to reveal information about the future.
Henri Zaid - A professor and hunter, Henri is a noted scholar of the paranormal and parapsychology. He is the team leader and through Amelia, his assistant, brings on-board on the hunters to help investigate the Carver House. Henri is rumoured to be a womaniser, though his relationship with Amelia is one of mentor and student. Henri keeps the fact that he is psychic a well-guarded secret.
Robert Timms - A man with a shady past, Timms professes to be a pilot and wizard. He has a long history with Amelia and Joe, though he has worked with Cyrus, Kathleen and Edward in the past. Timms is attempting to redeem himself for past wrongs and to move away from the black magic he was enslaved to through his former lover, Teagan.
Sean O'Riordan - A university student and athlete, Sean is often called on to do the heavy lifting or to act as muscle for the hunters. He appears to have an ulterior motive for helping the hunters and his crush on Amelia may conceal something else entirely. Sean is not a hunter, though his natural athleticism and strength have made him a successful one.