CoC D20 "Dunwich Return to the Forgotten Village"

[DallasPA]

March 1st, 1933
Vanguard Club Headquarters
Saltonstall Boarding House
431 West Saltonstall Street
Arkham, Massachusetts


Dr Ernest McTavish, professor of Archaeology approaches the podium in the clubs newly expanded sitting room, his small wiry frame almost disappears as he adjusts his notes. Dr. McTavish was not his normal low-keyed self today. He possessed a heightened level of excitement that was uncommon for a man of his demeanor. In fact, for once, the entire sitting room was filled with a certain sense of excitement, it was truly standing room only. Anyone who didn’t arrive within the next 10 to 15 minutes probably would not be offered admittance. This was an emergency meeting being called by the club; the first of its kind, and your attendance was mandatory. There are members present that you have not seen in years, and others that you have only heard tales of, even the press was on hand for this occasion. Yesterday the following article ran in the local newspaper.



Nelson Surveyors, a geographical
survey team, returned today after
a two-week stint in Brazil, where
they mapped the Eastern Shore of
the Amazon River. But that wasn’t
what caught people’s attention at
their press conference. When asked
if anything had surprised them on the
trip, Jacob Day, the lead surveyor,
admitted, “there was one thing. It
was right as we were leaving-we
were on the plane, and circling over
the jungle to head back here.
Hendricks was looking at the window,
and suddenly shouted “What the-----?”
Well, I ran over to take a look, and
I’ll be! There was a building down there!
Shoudn’t have been, not out in the
middle of the jungle, but there it was!
In an area that we had surveyed
earlier in the week.” When asked
for details, Day just shook his head.
“We passed over it pretty quickly,
and there were lots of trees, of course,
so we only got a quick glimpse. But it
was there, and it wasn’t natural-somebody
built that thing.”


The Vanguard Club certainly did not have the proper accommodations to comfortably seat so many guest. The article that ran yesterday had most certainly added to the throng that was in attendance. The Vanguard Club’s permanent home had recently expanded from one apartment to three. Originally the single apartment’s sitting room served as the club’s meeting room and trophy hall. For the first decade of the Arkham branch’s existence, one of the two small bedrooms was reserved for visiting Vanguards. By 1900, both bedrooms had been taken over by the club’s library, and visitors were billeted in either private homes or university dormitories, depending upon need and availability. The Vanguards have a long-term lease on the Saltonstall Street Rooms, a contribution by a wealthy benefactor paid for the current expansion, the club hopes to some day purchase the entire building.

The Arkham club’s library, which now encompasses the six bedrooms of the three adjoining apartments, contains a wide variety of books, but is especially strong in the areas of Massachusetts and Miskatonic Valley lore, South American geography, and, thanks to the influence of Homer Winside, botany. The Journals, Maps, and diaries for all of the clubs prior expeditions, as well are housed here. Over the years, many fans of sensational crimes, strange events, and the occult have tried to purchase or even steal these volumes, so the Vanguards are particularly wary of granting access to them. Cataloguing for the collection is a bit haphazard, and the Vanguards do not posses an exhaustive index. However, it is rumored, that some Dr. at the Miskatonic University Library, has a personal listing of the books housed in the Vanguard Club Library that is surprisingly complete. How this list was created or gained by the University Library is unknown.


OOC: to be continued

 

[DallasPA]

March 1st, 1933
Vanguard Club Headquarters
Saltonstall Boarding House
431 West Saltonstall Street
Arkham, Massachusetts



Dr. McTavish hits the top of the podium with a gavel and states,

“This meeting is now called to order.”

At this point the doors are locked from the inside of the sitting room and guards are posted there and at the entry to the library. Dr. McTavish looks over the audience and replies,

“Will all members of the Vanguard Club please rise, and in order state your name as is our custom, then you may be seated.”

At this point you stand and wait until it is your turn to call out your name, this day each name seems to hang in the cool evening air. Every name seems to have certain significance, and finally many are able to finally attach the unfamiliar names with faces. Dr. McTavish states:

“As you are all aware, a press conference was held yesterday and during the press conference it was revealed that a building or more correctly a temple has suddenly appeared in the middle the Amazon jungle. Now it is a known fact that such a building does not, or should not exist, but yet it is there. The appearance of this temple looms large in the history of the Arkham branch of the Vanguard Club. And offers us an opportunity to redeem our name and the memory of our founder, so that we might once again be reviled as one of the premier Club’s in our order.”

With each of the Dr’s words the excitement grows until the entire audience begins to stand and clap, after a brief moment he motions for them to take their seats. He continues:

“Our Club, the Arkham Vanguard Club’s, early years proved to be disastrous. In 1890 The Arkham Vanguard Club was founded by German immigrant, Hans Gottering, whose exploration of South America had garnered very positive press in both Europe and America. With his achievements in South America and his close ties to Miskatonic University, which seemed ready to help fund future treks, Gottering easily won a charter from the London Club, and our Club’s future loomed bright.”

“But in 1892, Goettering staged an expedition to South America. Though the expedition suffered no fatalities, a mysterious sickness struck the entire group, forcing a hasty retreat from the jungle. During the grueling trek back to base camp, a fever-wrecked Gottering was separated from the party when unfriendly natives staged an ambush. The explorer spent days wandering the wild, where he glimpsed what he described in his notebooks as “a temple of almost unearthly beauty.” A search party finally discovered Gottering –unconscious, but alive-and carried him to the base camp. When he finally regained consciousness, neither his rescuers nor the locals could confirm his sighting of the temple.”

“Visions of the strange temple haunted Gottering. As president and founder of the Arkham Club, he staged Vanguard-sponsored expeditions back to the jungles in 1893 and 1894 which were financial busts. On the later trip, he discovered a previously unrecorded village of native people near the suspected temple site. These reclusive hunter-gatherers related several unsettling tales of a cursed and time-lost temple, folktales that had passed from generation to generation, but could not help him locate the actual site. On the day before their departure from the village, Gottering staged one last foray into the wild. What happened next is the matter of some speculation, for Gottering’s journals are uncharacteristically silent on the matter. All anyone knows for certain is that the party met with some disaster, with Gottering alone returning from the jungle covered in blood.”

Some members of the audience are shocked by the last words uttered by Dr. McTavish, some gasp, sidebar discussions erupt throughout the audience. But he quickly restores order and continues with his presentation.

OOC: to be continued

 

[DallasPA]

March 1st, 1933
Vanguard Club Headquarters
Saltonstall Boarding House
431 West Saltonstall Street
Arkham, Massachusetts


The Dr. continues,

“It is my pleasure to introduce to you this evening a member of the Nelson Survey Team Dr. Francis Morgan.”

Dr. Morgan was a spry young chap in his early thirties. He came across as being very credible and informed. After a brief twenty-minute discourse concerning his thoughts in regards to the appearance of this temple, he closes his presentation with some blurred photographs taken form the air. The strange building is shown rising above the jungle canopy, shrouded in fog. He’s perplexed by the structure, as it wasn’t seen previously. The temples's exact whereabouts are unknown, as the aircrafts instruments were acting up all afternoon. At this point several of the older members fell into sidebar discussions. As you attempt to listen in, you hear calls for a new expedition, concerns about the danger this temple poses, and the inability of the Club to finance such a trek.

Dr. McTavish approaches the podium and begins to address the audience, but suddenly an older, haggard gentleman interrupts him on stage. You are positive that you’ve seen him before, but you just can’t remember where. He and Dr. McTavish have a brief discussion and the elder gentleman soon departs.

Dr. McTavish appears a little perplexed and looks into the direction in whence the elder gentleman departed, and then states:

“It has been brought to my attention that all of you should have received a small club handbook upon entering this meeting. This is a personal gift, something we are doing to promote our organization. I would like all of you to turn to the rear inside cover of this handbook. A select few of you will find a gold insignia of the crescent moon in the center of this page. If your handbook contains this insignia, you are required to appear at a private meeting to be held in the Vanguard Clubs newly renovated library immediately following this presentation. We thank you all for your attendance and we hope that this presentation has been thought provoking and informative.”

Dr McTavish leaves the stage and as he does you turn to the rear of the handbook that you received, and you find a Gold Crescent Moon centered on the inside cover of the last page. Your mind begins to wonder and your heart races, few are ever allowed admittance to the library and you are to be among the first to enter the newly expanded/renovated facility. As the crowd disperses you see a number of the younger members headed toward the entrance leading into the library. As each one enters, the members guarding the library, check for the Moon insignia on the specified page of the manual before they are offered admittance. You also notice another gentleman who is oddly dressed and appears quite anxious, unlike the rest of you he doesn’t enter library.

The Library is connected to the sitting room by two sets of large oak double doors. A fifteen-foot corridor separates the two sets of doors and you find yourself being ushered into a room of stunning beauty and power. A large round table with 14 chairs is in the center of this annex of the library, there is another small area that has been set a side for food and beverages, from the looks you get the sense that you might as well get comfortable because you may be here for a while. All of the bookshelves appear to be of superb craftsmanship and volumes after volumes of books adorn the walls. And this was just one of three annexes.

Dr. McTavish greets you all individually and welcomes you to the Vanguard Club Library, he explains that you have been invited to sit in on a discussion concerning the temple and the likelihood of forming an investigative expedition to map the site. He states this discussion will begin at 9:30 PM, a quick glimpse at nearby clock reveals that it is only 9:10PM. He states for the time being you should have a bite to eat, unwind, and introduce yourselves. You do recognize a few of the older occupants; Dr. Morgan- Nelson Surveyor, Professor Abram Bethnell-club resident anthropologist, Homer Winside-Botanist, Dr. William Dyer-Head of Natural Science MU, Dr. Laban Shrewsbury-Anthropologist MU, Chester Armwright-MD/MU alumni, Professor Woodbridge-Head of the School of Applies Sciences MU.

 

[ShadowX]

Nick Oppenheimer

Nick saunters over to the snack table and grabs a plate. He proceeds to examine the tables selection of food. After a couple seconds of careful deliberation, a few choice snacks are planted on his plate. Shuffling over to the nearest corner, Nick starts to munch on his goodies and to examine the occupants of the room.

 

[Snipehunt]

Johann Von Schramm

Johann acknowledges Dr. MacTavish's greeting with a slight inclination of his head. Although his features remain impassive, his heart starts to race when Dr. MacTavish mentions an expedition.

So long since I have been in the field. May I be so fortunate as to be chosen for this! But recently my scholarship has proven more valuable than my skills at a dig.

He recognizes the assembled members of Miskatonic's staff. He longs to discuss this news with them, but thinks it would be better, and less a waste of time, to wait for the meeting to begin. He sees a tall man eating food from the buffet, but decides against interrupting a man while eating. That would be rude. Instead, he takes a seat and watches the door for new arrivals.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Paul was one of the late arrivals. Never good with keeping up with time, even though he always stared at his watch, he found himself barely carching the speech in time. Paul was still feeling a bit too rushed when they were taken to the other room. When Dr. MacTavish greeted him, and Paul did his best to remain polite, dispite feeling like he may have insulted the man for nearly being late.

Hearing of an expedition, Paul nodded quickly. He enjoyed travel, even if he didn't know where he was going. And even if it had been mentioned to him, his mind was racing too much to notice. Trying to calm down, Paul found his way to try some of the food.

 

[bruin]

Patrick O’Malley

Patrick was a little put off by the content of the earlier presentation. Ancient temples, disappearing and reappearing, and this odd group has some odd interest in tracking it down. I knew I should've just joined up with the teamsters like I was thinking when I came up here, not falling in with this group of nuts... He was still a bit puzzled why they'd want him in the first place, as these men seemed somewhat more scholarly than the average joe. He grabs a snack and a coffee, standing off to one side of the room. He usually keeps his guard up, even in social settings like these, keeping a keen eye on the door and the people in the room.

 

[ShadowX]

Nick Oppenheimer

Noticing a man take a sudden interest in him and then sit down, Nick discards his plate and paces over to the chair next to the man and plops down. "Hello, the name is Nick Oppenheimer, it is a pleasure to meet you." Nick extends an open hand to the man beside him.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Jasper Bakemeier: (Male/Soldier 1)

Jasper Bakemeier had watched slightly amused when the meeting had proceeded and he had thought that joining this club on a whim had been as wasteful proposition even though archaeology had been an interest shortly after returning from the war. He had no degree nor did he really want one, but the club had expressed interest in him and he always thought that was based upon his combat experience as a captain in the US Army. Part of him thought that was strange and unusually but he accepted the invitation anyway reasoning that maybe of the older members would have daughters his age and that the clubs membership would help him social standing at least and maybe that would lead to a job. He could help but smile to him self as he thumbed threw the book absentmindedly. With a slight sense of interest he found the golden crescent moon in his book.

He took his time finding the place as he had never really walked around but finally he was there and he raped on the door as he saw to people shake hands. No one quested why he as their and he strolled over to the open bar and looks at the spread of food on the table with interest.

 

[Snipehunt]

Johann

Johann initially is put off by the approach of a stranger, but he smiles, revealing large, perfectly white teeth and shakes the hand.

"Guten tag. I am Johann. I heard you received the same greeting given to me. You must tell me, are you already a member of this, aufregend und abenteuerlich, how you say, exciting South American expedition?"

OOC - I don't speak German, so I'm just sprinkling stuff in here and there. If this is annoying, let me know - I can stop.