Alone Against the Dark - Ironmaster's CoC game (IC)

Wednesday, Sept. 2, 1931 - 1pm

Father Cromwell continues about his thankless task of sorting among the mess on the shelves, when he comes across a map of the heavens pinned under several heavy books. Placing the books on the bed, he reaches back for the map, brushing out a few creases and unfolding it.

You can view a similar map here: http://spider.ipac.caltech.edu/staff/jarrett/talks/pomona/page_3c.jpg.

It looks like a map from antiquity, or at least an excellent reproduction of one. Strangely enough, you have the unsettling feeling that something is dreadfully wrong with this one, a cold rush in your bowels. You feel queasy, and sit down on the bed, placing the map next to you, when you notice a slip of paper sticking out of Breasted's classic A History of Egypt(1905 printing). Opening the book, you see that it marks page 170, and on that page phrases are underlined.

Pararbemis realizes that Amasis is preparing to seize the throne, for there are internal conflicts, and hurries back to make Apries aware of the fact. Apries, however, is so angry on seeing that Amasis has not been brought back that he gives Patarbemis no opportunity to explain, and has his ears and nose cut off. Apries' ill treatment of such a distinguished man as Patarbemis appalls even his supporters, and they go over to Amasis. Apries' throne is tottering; he has lost his domestic support, and now can rely only on his hired troops to prevent the fall of the Old Kingdom.

The page is retranslated within the text again:

Patarbemis could not ignore the meaning of these words, and seeing the preparations as well, speedily departed, planning as rapidly as possible to make the king aware of these events. When he returned to Apries, but not leading Amasis, [the king] without one word and becoming very wrathful, ordered that his ears and nose be cut off. The other Egyptians, who yet favored him, seeing a man so treated without waiting any time, went over to the others, and gave themselves to the crocodile god, and the triumph becomes complete.


Father Cromwell also notices a word on the slip of paper itself. In Gliere's hand it reads "Quattara".

In rifling through some personal papers found inside Gliere's desk, Professor Douglass comes across some curious notes. He sees strange, bird-like markings and some scribbled words in what he recognizes as his colleague's familiar hand. Three of the words seem paired with the symbols - old, heavens, cold. He recognizes the markings as Egyptian heiroglyphics. Perhaps a collegue could interpret them for you...

A locked drawer in the bedstand yields to a little exertion on the part of Solari, revealing a neat stack of notes and letters tied together carefully with a blue ribbon. Untying the silk bow, he takes a look. In rifling through Gliere's notes and letters, he uncovers a portion of a manuscript: "The Great Upheaval Myths Correlated with Climatic Change," by T. Gliere.

These celestial phenomena could not have taken place in the sky over Troy alone: the entire world had to witness the events, if they were not mere creations of the bard. That they were not can be deduced from the fact that these very events, witnessed in all parts of the world, are also described in sacred epics from Finland (Kalevala), Lapland and Iceland (Edda), from Mexico, Peru, India, the South Sea Islands, China and Japan, and, of course, by the poets and dramatists, annalists and astronomers, of the Near and Far East. It would require repeating numerous labors, should we desire here to evidence and illuminate this in some detail.

Perturbations in the celestial sphere, or Theomachy, in which Mars endangered the Earth at nearly regular intervals during this century, preoccupied the minds of men and repeatedly intervened in human history. Pestilence also broke out, and many references in the cuneiform literature ascribe its cause to Nergal (Mars). Earthquakes, overflooding, change of climate, evidenced by Klimasturz, did not spare a single land. These changes moved entire nations to migrations. Calendars were repeatedly thrown out of order and reformed—and the reader will find abundant material where no human testimony, but only the testimony of nature was presented; and this material could be multiplied by any dedicated researcher.


Skimming, Antonio sees a bizzare collection of tales mentioning nearly every rumored land, from Atlantis to Mu. Many stories he does not recognize at all. Apparently Gliere sought out historical and physical evidence for these legends of lands sunken and frozen. He seems to have found common dates for the devastation myths common to nearly every culture. Interesting. Looking a bit further, he finds a letter from a Mr. Velikovsky, postmarked Palestine. The scrawl is difficult, but he can see that the author greets Gliere's work 'with joy.' There is a page about the Vedas and how they confirm something called 'Polar Reversal.' One portion deals wih the 'Era of Fertility on the Frozen Continent.' Velikovsky reports that work on 'Freudian Heroes' - including Ikhenaten - continues.
 
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Trying to fake disappointment, Antonio puts the papers back into the nightstand. After a little sight he moves on to search elsewhere, until Shane approaches him.

OCC1:
my bluff roll is 21... http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=165408 (natural 20!) so Antonio should make a convincing show... When he and Shane will return for the book (read below) he will pick up those papers, too.

OCC2:
how about the interlude with Shane?
if the book might be of any serious interest, Antonio will ask Shane to bring it to Mrs Harding, when he oes asking her for the tea. He will explain her that Antonio and him will come to pick up the book later. If she asks why they don't leave the book in the room, or bring it with them straight away, he can carefully confess her that maybe Antonio is using the book as an excuse to pay her another visit... which is not entirely false... she is respectable and, from the description, quite nice. who knows?
 
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Wednesday, September 2 1931 - 3pm

When Shane shows Antonio the book, Antonio inspects a leatherbound book entitled 'Nameless Cults'. The black finish is rubbed off along the edges, and the corner bumps are horrid to behold, especiallly to a man who holds the written word so dear. The publisher is emblazoned in gold along the spine, Golden Goblin Press, and the author is listed as a 'von Juntz'. You thumb through it--vile stuff, you decide, but something about this book alarms and fascinates you.

It does not appear that anyone notices anything unusual about Solari's actions.

Father Cromwell can make no further gains in deciphering what is written on the paper.

[OOC At this point, you can either continue looking, although you have been through the room quite thoroughly, or you can come up with some other plans.

Professor Douglas has classes coming up at 4pm.]
 

Antonio asks Shane to give mrs. Hading the book.
He then goes to the toilet. After that, when everybody is in the room, he vents the possibility to stop searching and having a break.

"It is futile to keep searching now, especially since I think we are al tired about it, and searching when tired rarely brings some new revelation. I suggest that we could take a break now. I have some personal business to settle, both with father Cromwell and alone. I think it would be a very good idea to meet again, later in the evening, to discuss the matter at hand and decide the best course of action to take. We will have time to think everything over. As professor Douglas surely know, some of the best ideas come away from our work tables, when our mind is free to wander through the endless prairies of thought.
I suggest meeting at Golosone at 7.30. It is a cosy, inexpensive Italian restaurant quite close to the university. Despite the looks are not the best, I can assure you that the food is very good. Maybe they also have a separate room that we could use to discuss without being disturbed. I'm not sure about that... conoscendo i miei polli, they will want an extra if the room is available, but it shouldn't be too much. Else, we can still use some room at university. I am sure that professor Douglas can access some quiet room?"

after that, assuming that we are all agreeing on the time and place, Antonio approaches father Cromwell: "Dear Father, would you mind to take a stroll with me? There are things that are bothering me and I need your help to find some peace. It won't take more than an hour, I promise you."
 

"Yes, I need to get back to the univeristy to a class. I can certianly arrange for a room for us but I think the restaurant shoudl be fine. I will see you gentlemen there at 7:30 then." Replies Professor Douglass
 

Disturbed by the map and filled with questions, Father Cromwell thanks everyone, leaves, and heads for the parish office, where a small library is kept. What could Gliere have been working on?, he wondered. He'd investigate more at the library.

OOC: Research is a 17, Knowledge: religion a 13.
 
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Shane nods and heads downstairs to find Mrs. Harding. When he locates her, he says, "Madam, my friend Antonio asked if it would be possible for him to get a cup of tea. He doesn't want to inconvenience you but he is willing to pay you for your trouble." Shane pauses to let that sink in and then continues. "Oh, and could you hold on to this book for us? Stash it away somewhere where you can easily find it later? Antonio and I will return for it shortly. It may shed some light on what sort of trouble Tibor has gotten into so Antonio and I would like to look it over further a bit later. You probably don't want to read it yourself, the subject matter is somewhat vile, certainly only used for research by Tibor."

OOC: Diplomacy roll on invisiblecastle of 11 with a +6 for Diplomacy for a total of 17.
 



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