Call of Cthulhu 1890s England IC, The Yorkshire Horrors

[orchitect]

"I'm going to be in the library. The way I see it, Fischbein's death was brought on by a dream, from the subconscious of his murderer. Something had to trigger his subconscious. I'll check the study too."

[Xsesiv]

Spoiler

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There is no library. Post 49 has a link to a map of the manor, with the rooms that are there.

The books in the study are not much use on dreams or the subconscious. They are almost entirely on nature, sports and the hunt, with a few on French art.

The study, containing a few comfortable chairs, Sherrinford's easy chair, and a desk of financial books, is warm, courtesy of a fireplace in the north wall, and friendly-looking, nothing less than what could be expected of a hardy, good-natured country squire. Nothing remarkable or sinister can be found here.

Two Spot Hidden rolls for William.

[orchitect]

"French art... suspicious. Now if there were some nice, greek or roman statues...."

Spot Hidden= 25%
(1d100)[15]

[Xsesiv]

Two Spot Hidden rolls, not one.

William sees some partially erased chalkmarks on the wall behind Sherrinford's easy chair. Hardly any chalk remains but what does seems oddly geometric.

[orchitect]

(1d100)[66]

"Sherrinford doesn't strike me as much a mathematician."

I copy the scribblings as best as I can for later.

((Gotta go.))

[Xsesiv]

There's very little to copy. Possibly a few strange angles and small arcs of a circle, but nothing that could make up a real design.

[littlebottom]

Reverand wanders about, then decides to check the place of rest... the bedroom for clues, as he claims he was sleeping at the time, maybe something happened in there?

[Xsesiv]

The master bedroom, belonging to Sherrinford, is the largest, most lavishly furnished room in the house. Besides his canopied four-poster bed, there is a huge dressing-table, a wardrobe, a bedside table, another desk and chair, an easy chair, and a bookcase. A washbowl, used by Sherrinford to wash up in the mornings, sits on the dressing table, and a ticking timepiece sits on the bedside table alongside a bottle of brandy and a glass. The table is connected to a voice tube, the other end of which is in the foyer. The bookcase holds much the same books as there are to be found in the study, but there are also some Clark Russell sea novels here. An elaborately carved, oval-shaped, full-length mirror sits by the dresser. A fireplace is in the west wall and windows look out on the three sides of the manor that the bedroom faces.

Spot Hidden roll.

[littlebottom]

(d100)[51]

the reverand looks around the room looking for things out of the ordinary or helpful to the investigation.

[Xsesiv]

The first thing you notice is the fireplace...something unusual about it? Perhaps unsafe or simply unusual in design? But you can't put a finger on what's wrong with it.

[littlebottom]

James walks up to it and carefully looks over almost every inch of it, trying to spot something, anything...

[Xsesiv]

One of the ground-level stones in the corner of the fireplace has a tiny chink in it, but you can't see inside for the shadows.

[littlebottom]

its too dark in there... i need a light... a lantern would be perfect infact, but where to get one.

Reverand looks for a store room or someone to ask for a lantern.

[Xsesiv]

The utility building across the paddock is perfect. The lantern is duly filled, lit and handed over by a very loyal Mr. Graves.

[littlebottom]

Reverand james thanks mr. graves prefusely. before returning and lighting it to take a better look into that fireplace.

[Xsesiv]

The crack soon widens into a tunnel that extends inwards, into the wall; a rathole? But surely not through solid stone?

[littlebottom]

Reverand james looks asseses the size of said tunnel, how big is it?

[Xsesiv]

Rathole sized.

[littlebottom]

*cough cough* errrrm... yes ok.

Reverand james wonders to himself what this has to do with it all.

(general knowledge roll)

(d100)[10]

[Xsesiv]

Idea roll would be more appropriate, but wouldn't turn up anything anyway. Sorry.

OK, what does the Reverend do now?

[littlebottom]

Reverand james heads round to the other side of the wall, to see if he can find an entrance.

[Xsesiv]

OK, hes going to have to get a ladder and climb onto the servant's wing roof, where he finds that the rathole does not come out of the other side. Rats =/= Lemmings.

[littlebottom]

Reverand james goes and reports his find to his fellow investigators. and asks them to help finding where it leads.

[Xsesiv]

You're going to have some trouble with that, unless you can think up an absolutely brilliant idea for finding where it leads.

[littlebottom]

possibly pouring a small amount of water down the hole, or feeding through a small rope. maybe even forcing a rat down there with string tied around it!...

[Xsesiv]

The water wouldn't be very well-recieved by the maid who'd have the job of mopping it up wherever it seeped out of the wall, as for string, that might work to an extent but when it reached a wall it wouldn't turn, it would pool; and, if you want to catch a rat for the third option, find a way and you can go ahead.

[littlebottom]

the reverand sighs, "i think i may be needing some help here..."

[Xsesiv]

Robert pops his head round the door. "I'm going to go and interview the servants, Jim. You coming?"

[littlebottom]

"why yes, sure. ill come along."

[Xsesiv]

The servant's wing is fairly newly added. The way in it through the servants' waiting room and through the kitchen, which is a typical country kitchen, with wood-burning stove, cupboards, cabinets, and pots, pans and other utensils hung on brackets. It is also where you meet a tough, stringy old woman called Mrs. Hooper. She immediately assumes you are there for a snack and asks you to sit at a table against the far wall for a sandwich.