Zombies D20 Modern (Updated 8-12-05)

[johndaw16]

Good to see you reading Puppy Kicker, having you hooked and looking for updates puts some pressure on me to keep writing. Using the local area as a setting has worked out really well for me. Like I said I grew up here so I know all the ins and outs of Newports News and living in Williamsburg at W&M has helped too. As for background on the PCs, I've got two talented writers as players and one has already said they'd be willing to write a memory or two for posting so you might get your wish. I just wouldn't expect it anytime soon. Tonights session went well and got into a little bit of action, so hopefully it'll be posted sooner than the previous one. Later.

John

P.S. I enjoy pictures a lot myself, especially for a Modern game expect some more coming since I have access to plenty of digital cameras.

 

[rich_fiorella]

Dantalion's appearance (1)

Hello All!

I play Rich in our terrifying little "Zombies" campaign and my GM asked me to post a bit of backstory here for your general enlightenment. Hopefully the dastardly intArweb will not eat THIS post; in order to try to avoid more wanton destruction, I'm going to break this post up into parts. So, here you go - Rich's first encounter with Dantalion:

***

It had only been by a concentrated effort of will that Rich had been able to keep from vomiting upon entering the crime scene. If this was what a promotion to detective meant, he wasn’t sure he wanted it. The girl’s parents (it was assumed) were on the walls. She herself had been laid out on the table and opened up. The inside of her was empty. Sixteen years old, maybe seventeen. There were pictures of her in the hall entryway: blow-dried hair and braces.

Everything pointed to cult activity. They’d found bodies buried in the basement. Rich had discovered a hidden room behind the fireplace (he couldn’t get over it, the whole thing like some b-grade horror movie) with a book in it: The Necromicon. Among the straightforward illustrations of horrific acts was one that looked identical to what had been done to the girl out in the living room. And then there was this that his partner Gabe had just discovered, beneath the charred patch of carpet.

Rich and Gabe bent in to look. “It’s a circle,” said Gabe. “Been carved into the floor.”

Rich shook his head. “Do you think—”

A girl’s voice: LEAVE NOW.

“Did you hear that, Gabe?”

Gabe looked back at him, silent.

Get out! Get out! He’s coming!

Rich stood up suddenly, away from the circle. The walls seemed to lurch at him again, as they had upon his entry. He was aware, in a way that he had not been before, that they were the only two here, taking a further look around after everyone else had taken off. It was quite dark outside.

“Hey, um, you know, it’s getting late and my brain’s feeling sort of fuzzy. You want to take a break, go grab a cup of coffee?”

Gabe stood and smiled at him. “No Rich,” he said. “I do not want coffee.”

Rich backed out of the room. Gabe’s voice seemed wrong. The girl was still screaming in his head: What are you doing, you idiot? I told you, get out get out! Please, leave!

Sense (he was just getting freaked out by the blood on the walls, lack of sleep) warred with instinct (you survived that time in the swamp because you trusted your gut, get out now), and the detective lost to the animal. He turned and walked quickly down the hall. He had to get out of the house.

He was at the door; his hand was on the knob. He heard the click but by that time it was too late to avoid it: the thing that slammed into his shoulder, spraying blood across the white door in front of him. A tiny, strangely lucid part of him thought: ah. Now I’m decorating the house too.

 

[rich_fiorella]

Dantalion's appearance (2/end)

It had been his right shoulder that was hit, and the numbness traveled down the arm into the hand on the knob. Work, turn, he demanded of his hand, but it slipped against the smooth surface. He glanced back, saw Gabe grinning, his Beretta balanced at arm’s length.

“Surprised, Fiorella?”

It’s him! wailed the girl in his head. Idiot, why didn’t you leave when I told you?

Terror surmounted the numbness; he clenched the knob, flipped the deadbolt, and fell out of the house as he heard the gun again fire. This time Gabe missed; Rich landed at the base of the three short steps, crabwalking backward onto the sidewalk. On his feet again, snatching for his gun.

“You sure you want to do that, Rich? Firing on an officer’s a pretty serious offense. They’ll never believe you.”

Rich and Gabe fired simultaneously: Gabe took the shot, unflinching, in the thigh, and Rich felt a bullet graze his ear.

Rich ran for his car, Gabe right behind him. He leaped into his old sedan, fumbled for his keys, and turned the ignition so hard that the engine groaned. Gabe had gotten into the other car. Rich yanked the gearshift into reverse. Halfway out of the driveway Rich felt himself flung sideways; the crunch of metal. Gabe had jammed him into a tree. He scrambled to the other side of the car and out the back door. He flipped open his cell as he ran, calling for backup as he panted: “Something’s wrong with Gabe; he just fired on me; acts like he’s drugged up – on crack or something – got a bullet in him, acts like it’s not even there.” They’ll never believe you, they’ll never believe you.

Another shot. Rich screamed obscenities and dropped the phone on the asphalt. At least the dispatcher was hearing this. “Hell, Gabe, what the f-ck are you doing?”

It’s not Gabe anymore, Rich, said the girl’s voice. The demon took him.

Rich brought his Beretta around behind him and let off another shot. It took his partner in the shoulder and Gabe just shook his head. “Bad idea, Rich.”

And came after him. Rich turned and ran; he was not particularly good at running. Hell, he’d been little more than a traffic cop until that incident in the swamp. Slightly overweight, high-school education, mediocre job performance. But it had been okay. Really, what was wrong with a decent house and a decent roommate and the occasional barbeque in the backyard? Did you need more than that? Why on earth had he ever wanted to be a detective? Why had he ever decided to go back to school?

Are you really this f-cking stupid? the girl was screaming at him. Get off the street, move your fat ass!

Rich turned and cut between two houses. Beautiful houses, really: the whole neighborhood was two-story buildings with manicured lawns, similar façades. He ran back along the high wooden fence, across a yard with a pool in it, scrambled over another fence, was running through yards that had automated security lights and plastic swingsets in primary colors.

He emerged onto yet another residential street, indistinguishable from the other save for the lack of yellow crime scene tape. He could still hear Gabe behind him. Then, with relief, he heard sirens; saw blue lights reflected against white siding.

The car slewed to a stop and two cops jumped out. Rich saw Gabe run past him, now focused on the newcomers to the scene. “Hold it right there!” shouted one of the men.

“Hey! Hold it!” He leveled his gun.

Gabe swung his own firearm up. Rich knew Gabe had only two bullets left: just enough. The first cop dropped. The other man fired on Gabe, but it was, of course, useless. He had bent to rip the sidearm from the downed cop. Rich saw the other policeman, too, go down. It was obvious that both the men were dead.

Gabe went around the car, presumably to get the other weapon. Rich knew now that there was only one option for him. If he didn’t succeed, there was really nothing left to do. So now, all or nothing. He ran straight for the open driver’s-side door. He jumped over the dead man. Gabe spun around, now holding two Berettas. Rich dove into the car as the shot whistled overhead, and, not bothering to close the door, wrenched the car out of park, slammed his foot onto the accelerator, and screeched down the street. A bullet shattered his back windshield. He pressed the gas pedal harder.

The men were dead because of him. Because he had called for backup, they were dead. Rich pulled one door shut, leaned across the passenger’s side and slammed the other door. The car swerved slightly.

He sped out of the neighborhood; didn’t let his heartrate down until he’d made it onto Warwick Boulevard.

What had just happened? Where did he go now?

“Who are you?” he tried out in the cold interior of the car. Orange fluorescent light from streetlamps pulsed across his windshield.

Maybe he was insane. Maybe he was honest-to-God schizophrenic. Maybe he had been the one who shot those cops, and he was just too much of a mess to realize it.

You know that’s not what happened.

The girl’s voice again.

“Who are you?”

A pause. I’m…my name is Mary.


“Where did you come from?”

I…I don’t know. You were just…there and I just…I don’t know. I needed a place to go.

“Are you…were you…that girl in the living room?”

The voice was emphatic: no.

“Then, one of those others, under the house?”

I told you I don’t know. Her voice became caustic. Why are you worrying about that? You’ve got a demon chasing you.

“All right, so, what the hell is going on? What happened to Gabe?”

You saw what they did to that girl. You saw the circle and all that mess on the walls. They called him in. That f-cking moron thought he could handle a demon. He couldn’t, and now he’s loose.

“Are you saying Gabe’s…possessed?”

Are you slow or something?

“So Gabe’s possessed by this demon. What now? Where do I go?” He thought, suddenly, to go to a church. Demons couldn’t stand holy ground, could they?

Dumb, dumb, dumb. Doesn’t work that way, Rich. He can kill you just as easy in a church as anywhere else.

“I thought—”

It might work if you actually believed, but I don’t think you do.

“I could believe…”

A sensation which felt rather like a rolling of eyes.

“We need to get rid of this car, for one thing.” He was already thinking in terms
of “we.”

Get used to it, Rich. I haven’t got anywhere else to go.

 

[Peterson]

Wow. What to say?

How about Nice! Yeah, that's good.

Great storyhour - really, and I love your inspirations (Medallions, Drunk Southern Girls, etc)

Peterson

 

[johndaw16]

Ghosts of the Past: Episode I...Good Morning, Sunshine...cont.

Sunday, Oct. 1st

Everyone tried to look casual as they walked into the Main St. Library, but they still stood out like a sore thumb in the crowd of parents and their kids. Mer grimaced, her hands twitched as she tried to keep herself from taking a drag off her flask. At her insistence they all sat at a corner computer upstairs.

A few key strokes later and they were all reading over the latest headlines of the Red Herring. Mer shook her head, how could anyone actually buy this garbage. It was obvious AJ didn’t know a thing about how it really was.

The website had a slick design, theme music, CPU draining graphics, drop down menus to useful things like: Report a UFO, Alien Abduction Helpline, JFK Conspirator Most-Wanted List, and a Ghost Sighting Counter. A digital supermarket tabloid on steroids ready to spam your hotmail account; the irony of it wasn’t lost on Mer. Here she was, a real vampire, in a library surrounded by book club kids and their doting parents reading a worthless e-zine that spouted nonsense about the unseen world. Had she been this naïve too? This oblivious to everything that went on everyday around them?

Po interrupted her thoughts, “Hey, look at this guys.” She clicked on last months issue; the leading article read A Real-Life Fantastic Four. “Looks like AJ wasn’t kidding when he wanted an interview, he’s made us all some sorta superheroes.”

“F***, that’s just great.” Mer closed the page, going back to the main page. “Like we need more attention, personally I don’t want to be the subject of some nut-jobs comic book fantasies.”

Mer searched around and found a link to the comic shop that AJ owned, the Bazaar of Wonders, at the bottom of the Red Herring site. “Nothing like a bit of free advertising, right?”

They found the address for the shop and wrote it down, North Ave. and Warwick Blvd. barely a five minute drive from the library. Rich took the keyboard, brought up Google and typed in the acronym VAGHRS. A few seconds later they were all looking at the homepage for the Virginia Ghosts and Haunting Research Society.

“Man, you’ve got to be kidding me.” Mer looked at Po. “There’s more people like AJ?”

“Check to see if there’s any information on that guy Steve, AJ mentioned.” Jessica pulled out the letter, double checking for a last name.

Rich shook his head after a few minutes searching, “There’s no members list or anything, there’s just a mention of a guy named Steve in one of the haunting reports. That’s all we got.”

Po shrugged, stood and pushed her chair in. “Looks like that’s all we're gonna get too. Let’s hit that elementary school and see it for ourselves. Then go to AJ’s shop and see if we can get any clue of where he’s at.”

They all slipped out of the library as fast as they could, ignoring the evil eye from the librarian at the front desk. Mer relaxed as soon as she was out, releasing the knots of tension she unconsciously held in her shoulders and neck. It was a short brisk walk across Warwick Blvd. and down Main St. to the school. They passed through the 1920’s era military housing that made up historic Hilton Village: quaint little yards, steep roofs, and arched front doors. They joined the small crowd gathered on the sidewalks and around the Hilton Presbyterian Church.

The sight that attracted the crowd was surreal. The small school was in shambles. Nearly all its windows were broken glass glittered like diamonds in the yard. Papers, pages from books, and pieces of magazines fluttered from the windows, as if a ticker tape parade just blew through town. Window frames rattled as whole desks hurtled through the air to break themselves upon the steel frames. A small rivulet of brown water leaked from beneath the front doors winding its way to the gutter and eventually down to the James. The lights flashed and flickered constantly trying to give the wide-eyed onlookers seizures.

On the church lawn, standing in an arc facing the school, a small crowd of people held hands and gave prayers up to God begging for peace to descend upon the school. Policemen stood in a harried line on the sidewalk in front of the school. They shared worried glances shifting between the crowd and the menace of the school. Traffic on River Rd. crawled past the school, as rubber-neckers took their fill. News vans lined the other side of the road, antennas and bad hair sprouting like weeds.

“Wow…for once guys I think the Daily Press might be right on the money.” Po forced her way through the crowd, only stopping when she stood on the curb.

They silently observed the havoc. The disturbances continued unabated, random and unexplained. The four of them stood there with a feeling of foreboding, wondering if this was really Dantalion's doing. Rich stirred, shoved his hands in his pockets and turned. “There’s nothing we can do. We’re not going to be able to take a closer look with all those cops hanging around. Let’s just get to that shop and find AJ fast.”

 

[johndaw16]

Ghosts of the Past: Episode I...Serious Breaking and Entering

Sunday, Oct. 1st

The Bazaar of Wonders comic shop sat on the corner of Warwick and North Ave., in a building that looked half private residence, half warehouse. The shop occupied only the first floor of the dilapidated brick building. A worn wooden sign hung from its faux wrought iron mountings the only indication a shop was there. A large window display advertised a Magic tournament and held a painstakingly designed Warhammer 40K battle. A doorbell buzzed the group in; an awkward acne-stricken teenager looked up, surprised by the visitors.

“Uh…Hi, can I help you guys with something.” The kid looked sheepish as if he wasn’t even sure he was supposed to be behind the sales counter.

Everyone looked expectantly at Mer; boys were after all her area of expertise. Mer rolled her eyes, but stepped forward. “Oh…yes. Hi, what’s your name?”

“I’m…I’m…my names Robby.”

Mer glanced over her shoulder, starring daggers at her friends. She turned back to Robby, sauntered up to the counter. “Hi, Robby. Some of my friends were telling me about this game...Magic. Do you know anything about that?”

"Uhh...umm..." Robby struggled to put a sentence together.

Po and Rich laughed as Mer played Robby like a pro. Rich leaned over to whisper to Po and Jessica. "While the kid's distracted I'm gonna give this place a look. Let's see if we can find anything."

Rich started to wander the little shop, moving out of Robby's sight.
You know Rich, you're not so hot with girls either. I've seen Po and Jessica tie your tongue in knots too.
Shutup, Mary. I'm trying to work here.
Then may I suggest you pay a little more attention Rich, there's magic here.

Rich paused, gawking around. Really!?!? Rich took a deep breathe, preparing himself for it, collecting his thoughts and concentrating. He then closed his eyes, imagining the little shop in exquisite detail. When he opened them again everything looked different.

Rich slowly turned, looking about. He can see the blood red miasma of rage and death clinging to Po and Mer, barely kept in check, lurking within. He sees the coruscating hues that drape Jessica like a mantle, and the blazing white that shines from her eyes. More importantly though, Rich can see other auras unfamiliar ones, there is a light blue glow on the half dozen security cameras, and on the glass of the front door the word BEWARE glows in red.

All the magic stunned Rich, AJ must know more than they thought. There was just no way he could be as clueless as he seemed and have enchanted, granted marginally enchanted, security cameras. "Hey, guys. I took a look around and there's more to this place than we thought, all the security cameras are enchanted. It's minor and I'm not sure what the enchantment does but its there."

"What?! Are you serious?" Jessica looked just as surprised as Rich felt.

Po gave a shrug. "That just means we really need to take a closer look here. That's up to you two. Now watch Mer and I give this kid blue balls for a week." Po left with a wink and a grin. She sauntered up behind Mer possessively wrapping her arms around Mer's waist. Po wet her lips and nibbled Mer's earlobe, distracting Robby and Mer. "Baby is this nice boy giving you what you need?"

Robby's voice trailed off, as all decent thoughts left his head. Rich and Jessica took the opportunity to slip off and check out the storage closet and a set off stairs in the back. The stairs led up to what looked like a small above shop apartment. Rich climbed up pausing at the door, Jessica followed close behind. "Should I try it?"

Jessica rationalized for the both of them. "Its not like we haven't done worse before. And besides it's for AJ's own good."

Rich gripped the doorknob and gave it a twist. It just giggled, solidly locked in place. "It's locked, give me your key*."

Jessica stepped up and dug in her purse for a moment. She produced an antique silver skeleton key, well worn and with a deep patina of age. She slipped it into the lock, and with a click opened it. Rich gave the door a shove swinging it open. Before he could take a step alarms blared and lights flashed alerting every one of their trespass. "S***!"

Robby jumped at the awful noise of the air horn. He ran to the far side of the counter tripping over a box of comics. "Hey!! Hey, you can't be up there. That's private. My boss is gonna kill you guys, or well more like sue the pants off you."

Mer and Po jumped, both just as startled as Robby. Mer recovered first, caught up with Robby and snagged his arm in a tight grip. "Hey, Robby. Don't worry about them, just keep helping me." She looked him in the eye and could feel his resistance draining away. Robby was like a cornered mouse falling prey to a cobra. He just stood there face slack, jaw agape.

Mer had always been good with people, charming. But since her turning she'd become even better with people. She didn't understand it but people would just fall for her, overpowered by her will. Po couldn't explain it either; she just said it came naturally to Mer, a manifestation of her powers.

Rich peeked back down the stairs to make sure everything was ok. Theres no telling what those two will do.
Rich pitied Robby, he really had no idea what hit him, he just stood mute, staring at Mer's chest. Rich shook his head and got down to some serious breaking and entering. He paused at the top of the stairs, searching with his hands until he found the air horns mounting. With a sharp tug and the splinter of wood he ripped the offending horn from the wall. The horn died with a squawk like a plucked goose.

AJ's apartment was a simple single bedroom, single bath affair. It had a large combination dining/living room and a small kitchen. The whole place was layered in strata of refuse and garbage. The kitchen featured Domino's boxes, Doritos bags, and Zebra Cake wrappers. The living room was littered with everything from dirty socks and dishes, to Diet Coke cans. Piles of comics, cards, and role-playing books were stacked in precarious piles. Newspapers, magazines and clippings carpeted the floor like leaves in an autumn forest.

Jessica looked around in disgust. "How are we going to find anything in all of this?"

Rich began to gingerly pick his way through the living room, making his way towards the two computers on the far wall. "Let's see if we can find anything useful on these. Then we can tackle the rest."

Jessica nodded and stepped up to the second computer. A Windows screensaver password screen greeted her as soon as she moved the mouse. She sat in thought for a moment looking around her trying to judge what AJ would use for a password. "Rich this is hopeless; we can't just guess a password like this." She realized how impossible this would be as she looked around. AJ's tastes were bizarre at best and as paranoid as he was he likely had an obscure password.

Rich scanned the room, cursing AJ's paranoia. He tried to put all the skill he acquired in the force to use. He needed solid investigation skills to find anything in this mess. Rich's diligence was well rewarded. He found peeking out from under a pile of X-Men comics an e-reservation for an Econo Lodge in Williamsburg. The confirmation date read 9-27-05.

Jessica searched through the papers on the desks looking for anything of note. As she scanned the countless slips of stickies and scrap paper notes she found the name and number of a contact in Williamsburg, a Sherry Turner of the Berkley Plantation.

Jessica and Rich turned to one another and simultaneously said, "Found something!!" With a laugh they exchanged pieces of paper.

"We can call that hotel and see what room he was staying in. And maybe this Mrs. Turner will be able to tell us what AJ was doing up there." Rich tucked both pieces of paper into his pants pocket and resumed rifling the apartment. A final look around turned up a small worn notebook covered in notes for Red Herring articles, the name Steven Giapolis and an address were written on the open page. "Bingo, you find anything else?"

"Nah, just more garbage and geek gear."

"Ok then lets rescue that kid from the ladies downstairs before they drive him nuts."

By the time Rich and Jessica came downstairs again, Robby spoke in single syllable words only. Po and Mer were leaning on the sales counter arms around each other asking him question after question about the game of Magic. Rich waved the notebook and the two pieces of paper in the air. "Ladies lets go, leave the poor kid be. I think he's seen more than enough for one day from you two."

Mer gave Rich her best Who-Me? look and batted her eyes at him. "You know you get what you ask for Rich. Remember that."

The group left as quick as they'd come. Leaving Robby dazed and confused, and strangely aroused.

Rich passed the clues they'd found upstairs around and described everything upstairs. "Looks like that'll be enough for a start. The hotel narrows our search down, and hopefully Mrs. Turner will be able to tell us a little about what AJ was working on."

Everyone climbed into the car, as Po started it up to head back to the house. Jessica pulled out her cell phone, double checking the number for Mrs. Turner at the Berkley Plantation. With luck there'd be some trace of AJ left in Williamsburg.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* - Ok so I forgot to explain that one until now, duh. The key is a unique reward Jessica earned for herself on a surreal trip to the realm of the fey. It's a simple magical key, able to unlock any mundane lock. It's powers come with a price, Jessica just doesn't know what that is yet. Its been incredibly useful so far for the group, even though they try to use it sparingly.

 

[johndaw16]

Ghosts of the Past: Episode II...Toe-Tapping Tourist Town

Sunday, Oct. 1st...5:30 PM

The EconoLodge sat on Richmond Rd., one hotel in the long line of tourist pleasing establishments in Williamsburg’s commercial center. The group broke into pairs, Rich and Jessica followed by Po and Mer. Their arrivals spaced by a few minutes wait. They met in the hotel hallway just beyond the ice machines, everyone’s nerves a bit on edge, dreading what they might find in the room.

“You know we should get concealed carry permits one day.” Jessica commented, as she caught Po adjusting the sawed-off shotgun beneath her baggy hooded sweatshirt. She turned to Po, “Do you know any good ways to break into a hotel room?”

Po smirked. “Yeah, there’s my foot.”

The reservation confirmation listed AJ’s room as 216; they called ahead on the off chance someone was there. No one answered. If AJ was there nobody was betting he’d be in any shape to talk. The elevator ride was tense and quiet. They hit the second floor filing out of the elevator ready for business. Everyone crowded around the door to 216, checking left and right for witnesses.

The door frame rattled from Po’s kick, the sound of it echoed down the hall. Subtly just was not her strong suit. Rich and Mer flanked Po, guns up. Jessica held back nervously looking either way, hoping no one was around. Luckily most of the guests were at dinner or out still with tour groups. Po stepped into the room, slowly pulling her Desert Eagle from the back of her jeans.

Po sighed and put her gun away, “There’s no one here. It’s just AJ’s junk.” Everyone started to squeeze into the room.

Jessica pulled the door shut after everyone, hiding them from any passerby. The room, like AJ’s home, was a mess. Pizza boxes and takeout cartons spilled from the woefully inadequate trash can. Crushed Doritos dusted the bed, clothes and luggage sat piled in a corner. A half finished two liter of Coke sat next to the phone book on the bedside table.

Rich picked his way through the room, using everything he’d learned in his short stint as a detective for the NNPD. Everyone followed Rich’s lead and minutes later the entire room had been combed for clues.

“I wonder why it’s so cold in here?” Jessica went to the AC by the window, rubbing her arms. Goose bumps running down her arms.

“I dunno, but there’s nothing here that gives us a clue where AJ’s at.” Mer stood in the middle of the room, her frustration apparent. “Let’s get outta here. This is just a dead end”

“Wait! Come look at this guys.” Jessica was bent over the AC unit, looking at the floor just in front of it.

The smell of burnt fabric was what caught her attention. Jessica’s fingers traced the outline of a footprint in the carpet. Probably a size ten, only the imprint of the toes and ball of the foot showed. The foot had burned the carpet, the synthetic fabric melted and fused together. Her gazed traveled up the AC unit, there on the small temperature knob. A finger shaped imprint melted into the black plastic of the knob.

“He was here.” Jessica looked back to everyone else.

Her assumption needed no other confirmation. Dantalion had been in the room. In the group’s estimation AJ’s chances of survival were odds that no bookie would take.

 

[johndaw16]

Ghosts of the Past: Episode II Toe-Tapping Tourist Town 2

Sunday, Oct. 1st...5:56 PM

The group easily slipped unnoticed out of the Econolodge. They said little as they left by a side exit, everyone eager to just get away. A hint of discouragement lingered in everyone's thoughts; nobody liked AJ but leaving him in the hands of a demon was just...wrong. The trip to the hotel was their only solid lead, and it'd turned out a dud. Back to square one with no direction.

As they approached their car to leave, Po felt someone watching them, the slightest of premonitions. She scanned the hotel lot.

"Guys, we've got an audience. A kid, behind those Astro-vans." Po whispered as she slid into the driver seat of their Mercedes sedan. "He looks pretty harmless. Let's see what he has to say for himself."

As the last door shut, Po got the Mercedes moving. She reversed out in rush, barely missing the fender of a Bronco. Po cleared the parking spot and straightened out, she paused shifting into drive just long enough to cut the reverse lights and to check for the kid in the rearview mirror. He was careless, peering around the van to watch them leave. Po smiled, she had him. She dropped back into reverse and goosed it, the Mercedes leapt back in a whiplash inducing 90 degree turn.

Po smiled warmly this time as she stepped from the idling sedan. This kid had some nerve, he hadn't bolted, even though it was obvious he'd been caught off his guard.

Rich spoke up first. "Hey kid, what were you doing watching us?"

"You're them aren't you? You're the friends AJ was talking about." The kid nervously looked over his shoulder as he spoke. "Can we...can we talk somewhere else?"

"You know AJ? Figures." Rich jerked his head towards the Mercedes. "Get in, well talk over dinner."

As they piled back into the car, Mer began to complain again. "This is just great, now AJ's convincing other geeks of our celebrity status." The boy shifted in his seat, uncomfortably aware of Mer's angry glare.

The Chili's was just beginning to fill up with late season tourists, eager for a quick bite to eat. The group settled into a corner booth, insisting that they squeeze into the small table. They were nearest to the bathrooms and kitchen, and as far from anyone else as possible. After fending off their bubbly waitress with orders of coffee all around, they got down to business.

The kid's name was Eric. He was sort of pale, average height, slightly overwieght, unruly hair. His outfit was...absurd, a black fedora, black trenchcoat, black tapered Wranglers, and a black Darth Maul t-shirt. Eric looked like he'd fit right in at AJ's comic shop. Regardless though, he wasn't dumb and he'd recognized everyone off the descriptions AJ had given him. Once the coffee came and introductions went 'round, he began his story.

"I'm a friend of AJ's. I'm a suscriber to the Red Herring and have helped him out on some of his pieces in the past. He gave me a call a few weeks ago, he said he needed help with some major work for the Herring."

"What was he working on up here? It's got something to do with ghosts doesn't it?" Rich leaned forward, jotting quick notes on a scrap of paper Jessica had dug from her purse.

"Yeah it's got a lot to do with ghosts. He'd been working jointly with some pals of his in the VaGHRS on a flurry of hauntings cases in the area. They were mostly at colonial sites, you know old ghosts of tragic southern belles or something."

"So then why were you asked to help? What did you do?" Mer asked, barely veiling her suspicion.

"I'm getting to that. So...like I said these ghost cases had been at all these colonial sites, up until a week or so ago. Then some new ones popped up on campus, at William & Mary." Eric looked Mer in the eye. "That's where I come in, AJ needed some help getting access to the school. I got him into academic buildings and dorms. Helped him research the cases, question witnesses, stuff like that."

Po sipped on her coffee amused by Eric's apparent spunk. "Then what happened? Where's AJ now?"

Eric shook his head in despair, his youth finally beginning to show. "I...I don't know. I haven't talked to him since this past Friday night. I got a call from him that night, it scared the hell outta me."

"Wait, we got a letter from him on Sunday morning. He came to our house in Newport News the night before and left it." Rich dug the ragged piece of paper out. "He wanted our help. Something must have happened this morning or late last night."

"He was freaking out on the phone, he had abandoned his Jeep on the parkway on his way back from some onsite work at Yorktown. He said someone was following him, but he thought he'd lost them in the woods around Jamestown beach."

Po interupted Eric again. "Who'd be following him? Who'd he piss off?"

Eric spun the rest of his story, telling the little that he knew, and adding his own two cents. AJ's curiousity had been especially piqued by the William & Mary ghost cases. And for the past week his focus had been almost entirely dedicated to the campus. On the phone Friday night AJ had admitted that he'd broken into a girl's dormroom looking for clues. AJ suspected the girl of being involved in some sort of conspiracy or cult, that was actively trying to rouse the ire of local ghosts.

AJ had said he had proof that something was "causing" the hauntings, something magical. But he needed more time to put together who was responsible. He thought whoever was following him on the parkway must have been trying to stop him from getting any closer to the truth.

After that AJ had hung up, telling Eric to keep an eye on the hotel and call him back if he saw anyone lurking around the Econolodge. That was the last Eric heard from AJ, and until the four of them had shown up he'd seen nothing at the Econolodge.

"Great cults again." Po paid their small tab. "Looks like we got our next step. We gotta head on campus. Right?"

"It's no cult Po, I'm willing to bet its all Dantalion. If he really is responsible for whats going on in Hilton then he could be causing all of this too." Rich leaned across the table and pulled Eric forward by his trenchcoats lapels. "Listen to me...VERY CAREFULLY! You got to stay out of this, you'll only end up getting hurt or worse. Thanks for your help and everything. But just forget about all of this, and only give us a call if you need help."

After Chilis they drove Eric back to his dorm at Dillard. He gave them his campus ID, the dorm number that AJ had broken into, and a list of the ghosts on campus. Eric spent the rest of night slumped in his favorite bean bag chair, clutching his cellphone, chewing Bazooka, afraid to get a minutes sleep

 

[johndaw16]

Well there you guys have it a little bit of thread necromancy. I've long neglected this piece. All summer its sat around and I'm only just getting back to it. I thought the campaign had come to a close after graduation and the play group breaking up. But good fortune has given us all a chance to get back together this coming Friday and start playing again. Hooray for small miracles. And on that note I pulled out some of my old notes on the game and decided to start catching up this SH. Another post should be up by the end of tomorrow and hopefully another before the weeks out. The SH is about 2 sessions behind where we'll be picking up the game this Friday so if I can buckle down I have a chance to get everything current. These recent posts are going to be a bit foggy and quick since its been months since we played, so please bear with me as I struggle through them. Thanks for reading.

Later,

John

 

[johndaw16]

Ghosts of the Past: Episode III Campus Run-Around

Sunday, Oct. 1st...6:15 PM

They black Mercedes idled on Landrum Dr., Barrett dormitory looming over them in the grey evening. A few students wandered the brick paths, the strumming of a solitary guitar drifted over the whisper of the exhaust. Rich turned in the front passenger seat to face everyone, "I say we make a circuit around the dorm, check everything out you know. Maybe I'll be able to sense something useful*."

The group started their slow circle around Barrett, ambling along the jumbled brick sidewalk along Landrum Dr. They didn't standout like a sore thumb necessarily; Mer and Jessica were both college age, Po's age was inscrutable, and Rich could pass as a townie**. But their faces gave them away, no friendly banter passing back and forth, just silent determined concentration like a mask.

They made it all the way around the dorm, their footsteps leading back to the front porch. Rich pulled out Eric's student ID, "Guess that's it, we gotta go to 124."

The double doors unlocked with click as Eric's ID slid through the reader. Room 124 was on the first floor, right wing of Barrett. The door had a bulletin board covered in pictures of Johnny Depp, Beckham, Delta Gamma sorority heraldy, a scattering of notes, and two name tags. Kaitlin Green, and Ruth...somebody, her last name obsured by a barechested Beckham cutout.

"So Eric said this dorm was all girls right?" Po looked at Mer, giving her a knowing wink.

"Please you two, honestly can you think of something else right now." Rich reached over Mer's shoulder and gave the door a solid knock. "Let's see if anyone's home."

They nervoursly fidgeted in the hallway for a minute, knocking once more just to make sure no one was answering. Jessica slipped her key out once more, and they all slipped into the room as fast as they could not wanting to test fate any longer. The room was fairly spacious, decorated in what could be labeled as mainstream American consumerism, with just a touch of fake sorority glamour thrown in.

Everyone spread out, sifting through the room's contents. Jessica bent over Kaitlin's laptop, reading the screen. "She's in the shower. She's got an away message up. We should get out of here fast. She's got a meeting with a Professor at 9 tonight, so we got a chance to come back."

Mer looked up from the floor where she'd been searching beneath the beds. "Who would lock their door while they were in the shower?"

"Someone who's got something to hide?" Po shrugged and looked to Rich. "What is it Rich? You look uncomfortable."

Rich held up a hand for silence, his eyebrows knit together like some great black catepillar. "There's something here...in the closet." Rich eased the door open studying the jumble of clothes, shoes, and junk.

Concentrate Rich, its in there but faint. I know Mary just let me concentrate for once! Rich stared into the dim of the closet letting everything blur, his eyes unfocused and then...it appeared. A slight strobing light, the color of anti-freeze.

"I've found it." Rich gingerly dug through Kaitlin's belongings careful to leave everything just as he'd found it. He emerged from the closet a smile lifting the corners of his mouth. "It's just a Swiss Army knife."

Rich studied the small knife for a few moments, turning it over in his hands and examining the single fragile blade. "This knife, it's not actually magical...I think its just been near a strong source of magic. Conjuration to be exact."

Rich's declaration was met with blank stares. Go on Rich you got to tell them what that means... you do know what it means ? Of course I do Mary! "Guys, conjuration is used to call something up from somewhere else, its how Dantalion came to this world I imagine."

"Well if AJ thought this girl was in some cult, maybe the cults been conjuring ghosts. Maybe unknowingly," suggested Jessica.

"Yeah like in between soccer practice and sorority meetings right?" Mer headed to the door, listening a moment before opening it. "We need to get outta here, we'd be screwed if Kaitlin came back to us snooping in her room."

They decided to give Eric a call to see if he knew some way to obtain Kaitlin's room phone number and where they could get a map of the campus. Eric sent them towards the Williamsburg library saying they could find everything they needed on the William & Mary webpage. The group had just under three hours before Kaitlin's meeting, and they were going to see as many of these "hauntings" on campus before they went back.

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*Rich is the sole spellcaster in the group and as such he possesses the ability to sense magic intuitively. Again a very handy skill to have. The magic system is a slightly dumbed down version of the Medallions SH magic system used by OldDrewId, its an awesome set of rules and is real simple. Many thanks to ODI for putting it up, my game definately wouldn't have had the same flavor without it. Take a peak I bet you'll like it.

I'm behind schedule already, seeing as this update is a day late. Oh well. Attached are some pictures of the exterior of Barrett and the room number for 124 in Barrett. I have more pictures to accompany future updates as well. Hope you guys are enjoying.

Later,

John