Call of Cthulhu 1890s England IC, The Yorkshire Horrors

[Xsesiv]

"No madam, we're here about the murder, it's unlike any we've seen before and I can only guess that some kind of unusual factors are playing a role. Call me superstitious if you like."

"Superstitious, eh? 'Course not. yere's a lot of strangeness round these parts."

[littlebottom]

"so what do you know of the murder? was there any funny goings on the day or so before hand?"

[Xsesiv]

"I couldn't say. 'Lot of strangeness going on...I reck'n Mr. Bell's innocent. I cooked for 'im since 'e were a lad in shorts, an' 'e wouldn' do t'at. I don't like t'way Stark were on t'night though. But t'ats unfair. I never liked t'ired men. T'ey're outcomlins...t'eyre different. T'ey're up t'no good...and Stark 'imself's t'worst, a child of t'devil. Speakin' o' which, t'Catholic church down t'way's 'aunted, ye know." She prattles on for minutes talking about witches and fairies and people who have sold their souls to the devil. "An' ye know, t'witches meet at t'old standin' stones...now what was we talkin' 'bout?"

[littlebottom]

"would you happen to know if theres any rats about at all?"

[Xsesiv]

"Rats? Oo, I 'ope not. I'll look for ye." She searches the cupboards and is horrified to find a rathole in one, leading into the wall. She then goes to the door and calls in a hired man by the name of Scar, who she asks to nail a board over the hole. While he does so she starts laying traps all about the kitchen and talks a lot about getting a cat.

[littlebottom]

hmmm this is suspicious at best, as ive not seen any other evidence for rats to be here, no droppings, none sighted, no food with nibble marks or outright gone missing... suspicious at the least.

[Handsome Dan]

Miss Fletcher

"So what do we think? Explore the other side of the rat-hole or thats actually just a false trail?

Water is a no go? How about smoking them out? A little bit wont leave any smoke damage and we can warn the servants just as we do it incase it was one of them."

[Xsesiv]

"Need I remind you that we are here as investigators, we are not some common exterminators. Jesus, woman, a man has died and we're expected to smoke out rats?"

Robert slips off to check the rest of the servant's rooms.

[orchitect]

"A haunted church you say? Well, that might be a pleasant diversion. Where are the standing stones you mentioned?"

[Xsesiv]

"Standin' stones? Up on t'moors they are."

[Xsesiv]

The maid you met last night, whose name you learn is Lucinda, comes in to help Mrs. Hooper. Reverend James notices she's looking a lot more distressed than previously.

[littlebottom]

"lucinda? whats the matter my child? you seem distressed."

[Xsesiv]

She wipes bitter tears from her eyes. "Yes...there is something wrong...it's about the murder; I don't want to talk about it right now." She leans up and whispers in your ear. "Come to my bedroom, tonight, after everyone's gone to bed. I'll tell all, knock like this...3-3-2." She stares at you all intently for a minute, says "Please be careful," then scurries back off.

[littlebottom]

Reverand simply nods before she leaves, wild thoughts going through his head as to what she could not say... did she find something? or witness the murder? or notice something fishy? who knows?

the thought then crosses his mind momentarily. he, and a young maid, alone tonight in her room... but then he dismisses the idea that she could have such an idea in her head.

[Xsesiv]

Robert slaps the priest across the shoulders. "You got lucky there, Jim. What did she whisper to you?" he says, before Mrs. Hooper smacks him across the back of the head with a large spoon. He assumes he's under attack, and almost retaliates with his bat but then realises who it is. He turns around, sniggering.

"Seriously, though, anything she said to you have any importance?"

[littlebottom]

"well, nothing important yet, but she said she might have some info. and im to meet her.... tomorrow alone." Reverand lies as to keep the meeting between the two of them with no one evesdropping or interupting.

[Xsesiv]

Mrs. Hooper's pots start to boil over. "Right, ev'ryone out, I'm makin' dinner now. Be ready in a few hours."

[littlebottom]

"yes, ma'am" Reverand replies before wandering off to his room for a bit

[Xsesiv]

Robert follows him up to their room, and obtains a nicer hat for the evening. "Any ideas, then, Father?"

[littlebottom]

"at the moment we are still seeing how the pieces we have fit into the main picture, but im hoping to gain more information soon.

[Xsesiv]

Robert sits on the other side of the bed, bouncing James a couple of inches higher under his huge weight. "I can't see much further than the stabbing, myself. But then, thinking's not my strong point, is it? I'll leave you to it, I'm going outside to check Mr. Graves' account of the story."

[Xsesiv]

OK, since the game is slowing...

That evening, after the dinner, an excellent game pie, over which you talk to Sherrinford about your discoveries, you retire to bed. As Reverend James readies himself to go to Lucinda's room, there is a piercing, frightened scream from the servants' wing that awakens anyone not sitting a watch before it is suddenly cut off.

[littlebottom]

"god help me now." he thinks to himself, running to the scream with one hand ready to draw his shotgun

[Xsesiv]

Robert grabs his bat and follows as fast as he possibly can.

In the servant's wing, Graves and Mr. Jevers, dressed in nightclothes, are pounding at Lucinda's door. Mrs. Hooper stands in her doorway, peering round the door, wielding a kindling hatchet, and Stark and the hired men stand in their doorway, watching.

[littlebottom]

"doors locked? stand aside!" he draws his shotgun and prepares to kick the door in or shoot the lock off, whichevers easiest.

[Xsesiv]

"Don't shoot t'lock, sir! Summon could be in there!" Graves says, panicking.

[littlebottom]

james nods and atempts kicking the door in, with help if nessisary

[Xsesiv]

James' foot bounces off the door the first few attempts; when Robert joins in the door begins to bend in, and then when a couple of others help, the door tears free of its latch. The room is illuminated only by starlight, and all you can see is large figure standing over Lucinda's still form. What little light there is glints off a knife in his hand.

Robert cannot make out much of the scene and asks a light to be brought.

[Xsesiv]

When the light comes, Lucinda is found to be dead; stabbed several times, with the design previously found on Fischbein's body carved into her stomach. The large figure is revealed to be Sherrinford, dressed in a bloodied dressing gown, and dazed, as though in shock. Graves and Mr. Jevers exclaim in disbelief, and Stark shouts "Blimey! Now 'e's gone and killed 'er, too!"

[littlebottom]

"stay back! it does not seem he has done this of will, the look on his face seems truely shocked, we need to analyze EVERYTHING in here, quick, restrain him incase he is still a danger to us."