Call of Cthulhu, Episode #14 - 'Now that's Magic!'

With McDaid safely ensconced 'on the inside' - even though it may be a very dangerous place to be, the remaining characters deliberate what to do, having received his letter from the American Magician - Will Crowther.

He tells them of strange crates which are to be sent to the show next day. Bearing in mind that they are now aware that the Prime Minister will be there...

'I'm sure McDaid will be fine working undercover...'

 ...they deliberate the following plans:

• Plan A- Straight up assault on the house of the Chinese Magician - Ching Lung Soo, with the Lewis gun 
• Plan B - Disguising Sinead as Crowther (she rolls a 03) and getting her inside the house
• Plan C - Again, a straight up assault on the house of the Chinese Magician - Ching Lung Soo, with the Lewis gun...um, it's a bit like Plan A
• Plan D - Bearing in mind what the trucks might be carrying, possibly sabotaging them before they can leave the house (preferably when McDaid is not inside - although to be fair...he may be dispensable?) 
• Plan E - Another straight up assault on the house of the Chinese Magician - Ching Lung Soo, ...did I mention the Lewis gun? haven't we um..?
• Plan F - Taking out the trucks en route with a planned 'accident' involving (1) a car crash, (2) Sinead's unstable 'devices' ...or, since said devices are beginning to 'weep' dangerously, a combination of both ideas.

'I believe that I can summarise these plans, as a load of these...!'

  Watching the trucks at the back of the Ching Lung Soo's Surbiton townhouse, the characters note that there are two. Crowther informs them that they will be used to move crates to the theatre. Resolving to stop the crates en route, the party adopts 'Plan F'.

"Wait! That's your plan to stop me? Really?"

Clearly Ching Lung Soo hopes to summon something nasty - and it looks like the man they seek - poor old Phillip LeClair ...is done for? ...somehow part of the plan and already lost to fate...

They spend the day getting a university car for the 'incident' whilst Sinead gathers the components of her 'Crowther disguise'. 

They outmaneuver the trucks as they leave, leaving Sinead with her special 'street package' for the second truck...which she lobs successfully into the back and it goes off in the leafy London street, shattering windows, NPCs, cultists, and the local peace,the Professor and McLeoud watch nonchalantly from a sidestreet, ready to slam into the first truck...when...a ghostly apparition of Phillip LeClair appears in the rear seat...on fire...and very briefly...oops!

'You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off...'

 He warns them that:

'...you must help me...get me back from this accursed place...you must get me back...stop the Chinaman...BUT OPEN THE GATE!..OPEN THE GATE! for pity's sake!'

...oooh scary

 

They slowly work out, that the crates contain summoning obelisks, and that Ching Luing Soo is using the trapped Phillip as some sort of sacrificial medium to summon the evil Lan Shee entity...which means that Phillip might yet be alive, and somehow they have to interrupt the ritual to get him back? ...I mean that sounds plausible, right??? 

'Part 3, section 2.3 of Plan F (car whacks truck 1in side on London side-street)'...is therefore not carried out, and the party resolves to attend the Magic Show instead, hoping that somehow, they can save Phillip, and also ensure that the Prime Minister is not swallowed by something large and slimy. 

On the way, Sinead and Crowther come up with a new idea for a trick - since she now looks like him - they could pull off a teleport scam!..I mean trick! They plan how it will work.

'Ta Dahhhhhh! Spoilers - this movie is ruined in the next line...'

 Sinead smuggles Crowther in, outlining to the police outside the theatre that he is 'his' twin and obviously part of the trick ...it seems completely plausible.

McLeoud convinces the heavy police presence that he is a special investigator...and the show gets underway.

Ching Lung Soo announces with a special bang of the gong - that 'Tonight's show will be one that you will never, ever forget , Ladies and Gentlemen...'

...real time footage, of the actual gong...no kitchen appliances were harmed in the making of this programme

 A few dodgy magicians present their tricks...and Crowther and his 'twin' go down a storm...proving that teleportation up the corridor from one box to another IS indeed possible...(as Crowther falls through the stage and the disguised Sinead emerges from the box she has been hiding in further up the isle ..GENIUS! - definitely original, honest!). Even the PM claps.

A nervous Karl Weiss and 'the lovely Karla' then take to the stage, strangely not performing the 'vanish' trick that he stole from Leclair...

The lovely Karla...and some bloke.

...but it is almost time for the finale - the great trick of Ching Lung Soo...what could go wrong? 

 

 

 

 

 

Call of Cthulhu Episode #13...'The return of the revenge of the face of the curse of...the Dread Library of Chung Ling Soo'

 Having managed to persuade Karl Weiss, the suspicious German magician, that he knows a thing or two about magic...McDaid is brought to the house of Ching Lung Soo - the headquarters of the mysterious Inner Brotherhood of Magicians, with plenty of cult security.

'Show me the trick already!'

 Whilst waiting for an audience, he meets a less than stalwart English magician, and a more proficient American - called Will Crowther - who tells him that he knew the missing Phillip Leclair, and was convinced that the German was up to no good, and was stealing Phillip's new 'vanishing' trick...which, now he thought about it, seemed to have something to do with a book that the German had shown him.

Invited upstairs now, and a little nervous, McDaid performs his card trick in front of the old Chinaman and his retinue. 

 

'Actual Footage' from McDaid's magic trick. Now, I can not unsee someone saying: 'now that's magic!'

The Chinese Magician appears impressed ..., and invites McDaid to join the '1st level' of the order, and use the downstairs library and practice rooms, warning him...that one day soon, he may require a favour of his new found 'young apprentice'.

yeah - cuz that never goes wrong!

 As he leaves, the Chinese guard is distracted as Will Crowther beckons him toward the '2nd level library', the thought that Philip might have found something he shouldn't , clearly on his mind.

There, McDaid determines further evidence of the mysterious 'Cult of Lan Shee', convinced now from his Cthulhu Mythos knowledge, thet the entity is some sort of Star Vampire. As Crowther tells him that not only had Phillip disappeared after determining how the new trick might work, but that also he has heard that the Prime Minister himself is to be at the charity Magic Ball, the night after next... Of course, he borrows a book before he leaves...

Uhhh...

 McDaid slowly pieces it together, reasoning now that the heavy Police presence in Surbiton, has something to do with an unscheduled appearance...and the machinations of Ching Lung Soo...and the mysterious 'CULT OF LAN-SHE!' 

Big trouble in little London...

 He resolves to work on the inside, somehow trying to get a message to his friends...before it is too late.

 

Shadowdark #7...'Owlbears are for life, not just for Christmas'

 Emerging over the top of the crest line, and presented with the cavernous valley below, the party lands along the lower treeline, hoping to stealth their way into the cave complex. 

Darkness, stink and dank foreboding greet them...the first room turns nasty as they determine that it is the abode of a large and deadly 'grey ooze'...which leaves a nasty acid burn on Dagmara's (the half orc wizard) face...ouch.

Dagmara, Karlyle, Bjorn, Lidda Puddlefoot, Bernard, Jeralt the Holy and Balin

Simultaneously, the other end of the party is attacked by giant rats, meaning that they have to split their lighting - a spell at one end, and with Jeralt the Holy holding torch for Bernard the dwarf cleric, and Bjorn the mighty.

They're just giant rats right? What could possibly go wrong?  ...Bernard, defeating the last of them, finds that his damage seems heavy - is that bite infected? ...uhh he does not feel well...

Electing to proceed rather than 'medevac' the 'unhealable' Bernard via the griffin currently holding top cover, the party proceed into the darkness..hearing the sound of wierd 'crying'...I mean most people would run away...

Having realised, too late, that they have disturbed the nesting area of an owlbear and its young, chaos ensues:

 Bjorn, Lidda, Jeralt and Balin the thief - all attack the owlbear, launching their 'magic dwarven shield defence' whilst the clerics - being of the holy orders...uhhh - opt to 'steal the baybays!' (yep you read that right).

The noble clerics run for the door with 'playful' owlbears

 The owlbear, neatly bypassing the shield-wall, decides to go straight to protecting its kin, slapping the already wounded Bernard (who is diseased and can not be healed right now) to the floor - dead as the plot of a commercial 5e D&D product! ...the opening however is exploited by the rest of the party who ambush the beast...

"Good thing we didn't lose anyone - ..Bernard? BERNARD!!!"

 'What shall we call the cute owlbears?' is not a quote oft heard... after it's all over.

And then, there were 6... 

"What was his name again?"

 

Call of Cthulhu, Episode 12: 'Not a Fu-Manchu Movie'

Finding their way back to London, Elaine, still at the university, informs Professor Von Junzt that she is extremely worried about a man whom she had been ‘seeing’.

 Philip LeClair, a ‘stage Magician - ohh she is ‘sure’ he is really French…honest’…, seems to have gone missing. 

'Now madame, if I can pull an actual plot out of this scenario, that really will be magic!'

 The party (minus Sinead, who has disappeared into the London underground to meet her Irish contacts) determine to speak with LeClair’s agent  - ‘Howard Horne – Theatrical Impressario’ of Long acre, London.

  

'Can Oi 'elp?'

Horne talks the talk, but seems to know very little, outlining only that LeClair had developed a very exciting new ‘vanish’ trick, but since his disappearance,  a rival magician at the theatre – a German named ‘Karl Weiss’ (‘The Amazing Karl’) seemed to have appropriated it. He also states, almost matter-of-factly, that both men are involved with a strange society, run by a Chinese collective, known as the ‘Inner Brotherhood of Magicians’ (it helps if you say it in the style of the 1960s Fu Manchu movies). 

Saruman's finest hour

 

The party suspect the worst, and interview Karl – pretending to be Policemen, and of course benefitting from the ID that they …’borrowed’…last week. The Prof (rolling a psychology of 01) watches as the nervous Magician, who seemed very concerned at being watched by two Chinese thugs in the audience, blurts out to the Prof that the aforementioned Magic Society of Ching Lung Soo intimidated him into admitting that he had loaned Philip a book he shouldn’t have. It was at this juncture that Philip was brought before Ching Lung Soo – and he has not been seen since.

The two Chinese thugs in the audience try to gain access to Karl as the characters are interviewing, but are shoo’ed away, at which juncture the Prof and McLeoud decide to create a diversion, having them follow the Prof disguised as Karl…they also notice an enlarged Police presence in London, perhaps in light of the charity performance two nights hence..where the magicians will appear...

McDade, a bit of a dab hand with magic himself, agrees to accompany Karl to the society’s large house in Surbiton, where Karl tells him that if he can perform a trick, he might be allowed to become a 1^st level member of the cult…I mean society…

'We didn't order Prawn Crackers'

 What could go wrong?

Shadowdark #6: 'Tower of Doooom'

Having acquired the 'purple stone of doom', the party explore the rest of the cavern, finding a giant spider guarding the exit ...seemingly infected by the purple stone of dooom in some manner (it can't be good). In bad shape, the party make for the spiral staircase in the hope of outrunning it, though 'mad Bjorn', with very few hit points left, decides to jump madly from the stairs onto it as it scuttles about in thick webs...eventually killing it.

Kicking the door in...uhh the webs in

Scuttler hangs about in the roof after each attack (the jar came in handy again)

Bjorn tears the spider a new web hole...

 

The party need a rest, as they are out of spells and low on hits, but determine to push on, leaving the complex with the stone. Despite the dryads' insistence that the way out is 'that way', and that they should hand over the stone, the party tell them they will guard it to its destination. 

The dryads are upset, but obviously under the malign influence of something more powerful.

After travelling deeper into the forest, and narrowly avoiding a nest of spiders, they emerge into a small clearing, dominated  by a three storey tiered and fortified tower, imposing in its obsidian majesty - and seemingly with a griffin either stuck, or imprisoned on top. They knock the door, though the dryads seem to gain easy entry, as a metal golem appears asking the characters what they desire.

As the characters state that they want to hand over the stone, they are informed that 'Lady Morgana will see them now' ...predictably, the dryads bugger off.

They start up the spiral staircase, shrouded in magical darkness, realising (with damage from a nearby warning statue) that spells do not work on this floor...Another floor, with a tame (for the moment) Otyugh hiding in the corner ready to strike...and they are presented with 3 stones in place in a statue, and a gap for a 4th. Obligingly, Jeralt the paladin places the purple stone...and immediately falls under the charm of Lady Morgana, who is also obligingly, just up the stairs.

The party emerge into her private chamber, and are invited to sit and eat, drink, though they hear both Otyugh and Steel Golem..making their way up.

'Oh I have just made tea? One lump or two?

 

Balin keeps climbing, determined to see what is in the roof, and tries to use his 'move stealthily' advantage roll - and fails utterly...as Lady Morgana says 'stop that young fellow' ...then follows it up with an acid bolt which almost kills him (he is one round from death at one stage until saved by Dagmara)... as her face melts away into the guise of the Weald Hag that she truly is...AAAAAAAND FIGHT!

"Uhhh...where'd everybody go?'

 

Lots of stuff happening now, as attacks go in, acid arrows flying everywhere from the hag, and the wily characters move tables to block the approach of the monsters from below. Bernard and Dagmara the sorceress race to the roof, to release the griffin which is slowly being sucked dry of its life essence on a sacrificial altar of doooom. The hag is eventually defeated, after Dagmara puts Jeralt to sleep lest he attack them and support the hag whilst ensorcelled in her charm.

Getting off the dang roof...

With one round before the monsters break through (d4 timers are superb ideas), they reach the roof...but now they have a problem in terms of getting off the roof three at a time as the monsters try to break through. They manage to move the altar across the roofhatch, with effort, delaying the monsters further, such that the griffin can ferry them from the tower to a safe area in groups...aaaand relaaax... until next week!

 

The Hag with make-up...

...aaaaand without

 (I mean, this band came up during play?)

 

Call of Cthulhu, Episode #11 - 'The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets'

 Resolving to finally investigate the dig site, where (1) Sinead had been consulted in an advisory capacity with regard to 'blowing part of the cliff down', and (2) the party have researched Roman remains, the group, with Fergus (of the witch cult) in the boot (trunk) of the car. What could go wrong?

Discovering Roman remains, and a deserted site, the party first check Henry and Adam's tent HQ.

Sinead has been here before, though of course at that time, it was tidy and ordered - by now, the former witch's minions have effectively destroyed the place in their apparent search for a fragment of the disc! 

I bet he drinks Carling Black Label...

 Searching through the wreckage, the eagle-eyed Sinead (05 on spot hidden) finds a crumpled fragment of notepaper. Henry has recorded that Adam...'worked something out' ...and not in a good way.

 Continuing their search, the party realise that the ruins are in fact an old temple - Roman?...they guess, though the Professor (still recovering) manages to wake up just long enough to alert them to the fact that there are older, even pre-pagan writings at work on the architecture...and then, they find, the ruined temple.

Every Blakes 7 and Dr Who set from the 70s

Dominated by a blacker than black, almost but not quite obsidian, obelisk like altar, with an odd looking faceless sphinx,... McDaid realises that it represents the dark messenger (some might say 'admin manager') of the outer void...none other that Nyarlathotep...and within the body of the altar, lie the openings for three small blocks. A key mechanism? But to open what exactly?

'Yer gettin' better AI...'

McLeoud manages to work out that the symbols are related to alchemy, and the party decides to position the sun facing the east, with Earth to the left..however, the strange direction of the third symbol confounds them, until they use melted wax to determine the nature of the insert shape...as they place the final key ... and hope that nothing goes wrong...

'Oh yes, it all seems perfectly clear...'

 A hatch opens in the base of the sphinx...to reveal the third piece of the sacred disk, most likely hidden there by Adam...although, far below, through holes in the base of the obelisk, something dark, viscous, malleable, big!...is stirring. The characters quickly pull the keys out. still hearing the surging blackness below...did it want a sacrifice?

Thinking upon the situation, they consider, that they still have Fergus, and he is evil...right?...Sinead speaks what everyone else is thinking...suggesting that he might be sacrificed to this 'thing that should not be'...what could go wrong? ...I am sure whoever makes the decision won't have any repercussions for sanity - (as all look at Sinead)...

The cover of the original 'Trail of Tsathoggua' - perhaps a little too 'human' in this case

 The bound Fergus realises what is happening as he is dragged from the car ...as Sinead replaces the keys, and waits for the thing to engulf their 'offering'. As he melts, and Sinead remembers his terrified face as the last thing to be eaten...the black ichor like spawn of Tsathoggua..retreats back into its lair...and it is over. ...for now, as the Keeper of Arcane Lore wonders why so little SAN was lost in the entire encounter. Damn those dice.

...better...

End of the chapter? Not quite. They get the heck out of Dodge, or Cannich...getting the train to London after juggling their cars about. They realise however, that they are being tailed. Confronting the man in trench coat and hat, he reveals himself to be Tommy Hayes, of Scotland Yard, though of course, the characters remain suspicious - even more so when he seems un-phased by the deaths of Ian McDonald and his wife under horrible circumstances.

As McDade makes the witness in the carriage forever indebted to him (01 in fast talk), and takes her for tea and gin, McLeoud and Sinead watch as poor Tommy, 'accidentally' slips, falls, and bounces along the track for a bit. McLeoud even feels bad, for a minute or so. I am sure no one else saw it...

 

Excited passengers wait to see who the characters will get rid of next...

Arriving in London, the recovering Professor returns to his office, to hear that Elaine (from the first adventure) is worried about her stage magician boyfriend having disappeared, while the rest of the party go to the British Museum Library..and determine from an ancient map, that the island pictured on the disk, matches a mythical place, known only as R'Lyeh...

Not Dora's map

 A telegram from Edward Call has also arrived, advising the characters to take the Liner Mauretania to New York in a week...giving them time to check up upon this stage magician...

 

Call of Cthulhu, Episode #10...'Lights Out!'

 Realising the probable error in sending back Margaret with Ian, and having ascertained the true nature of the French witch, the party rush back to Cannich, which is terribly quiet (though they stop for bread and milk and a psychology roll of 100 from McDaid, tells him that nothing can possibly go wrong). Sinead plots to use the milk bottle to house her recently acquired acid... 

Rushing then to Ian's farm, all is even quieter, the curtains drawn...and bloody footsteps at the entrance. Sinead and MacLeoid go into to find a charnel house of horror inside - with Ian and his wife having been skinned alive by the witch and her minions, and a bloody note left in Enid's mouth...

Add blood to taste...

 The witch wants her 'baby-back'! ...and not in a good way, as she clearly seeks a new host for possession of her rotten soul. In addition, she has the Prof.!

They need a plan, a good one...

There is talk of explosive vests, dolls, stealthy approaches (which goes horribly wrong), and finally, fillling the car with the last of Sinead's dynamite, with special extras, in the hope of making a portable door (or mountain) opener.

They discover that the door to McBain's house is left open - invitingly so, clearly in an attempt at parley...though the irony of the witch's methods is not lost on the characters. The wreckage of the green car, and the wreckage of McBain outside his cottage, with every window smashed by the explosion, still smokes as they approach..

Meanwhile McDaid tests his new found magic that night, summoning...a Nightgaunt to do his bidding. Is he able to bind it...or does he risk attack from that which he called from the darkness of the netherworld? Luckily, McDaid has a run of good fortune and orders the thing to proceed through the open door and kill the terrible serpent men that they encountered earlier...a nod of its faceless black head is all they need...a flap of black leathery wings and it is gone, into the night... 

There is the sound of otherwordly shrieks inside the cottage and the cavern beyond as morning dawns...the witch and her minions clearly having expected a party of three for dinner, rather than a Nightgaunt...a glittering 'beam weapon' of some nature is seen to be used. 

Appearing in the dark, and needing to eat more...a Night Gaunt

 

Sinead directs the car up the narrow lane, and places the brick on the accelerator at the last moment...rolling an '08' for direction and ease of use...practically stepping from the running board in the nick of time, as the car smashes into the cottage, and goes up...bringing a large part of the mountain down around the cottage...and more importantly, opening up the cavern behind.

NO AI! This is NOT what I asked for...

 

Seeing the opened front of the cavern amongst the smoke...with the Nightgaunt 'troubling' three snake people, and the witch standing by a large black coffin...MacLeòid opens up with the Lewis gun, as McDaid moves toward the witch hoping that the Professor...is inside the coffin...even as she moves to use a sacrificial dagger upon him, and possess his very soul (only as an interim measure you understand).

*sighs* you told me you wuz smart AI!

 The Nightgaunt performs well, though is badly injured. Sinead evades a snake-man, and McDade wounds the French Witch...though has a tingling feeling that tells him not to kill her...a strange French voice inside his head...his friend...?

McEloid ends the discussion with some Lewis gun fire...McDade shakes his head and recovers, emptying the shotgun.

Meanwhile, Sinead picks up a beam weapon, and gives it to McDade taking whatever he found upon the witch  ...  ...the beam weapon makes sure that the French witch won't be re-possessing any time soon. They grab the Professor's limp body from the coffin, ensuring he is still alive, having no time to search for his belongings (including his rare book).

Snake people now start to emerge from the deeper cavern and the party skedaddle, leaving the Nightgaunt to do whatever it can...on the way out they pick up the remnants of the cottage's steel safe.

In safety, well outside the perimeter, they use the acid to open the safe...and find the members of the coven listed, as well as, another part of the disc, realising that is is in fact a map, of an island which does not exist.

Either an island which could not possibly exist...or a pizza

 Returning to Cannich and being somewhat heavy handed with Fergus at the Inn, now known to be a member of the coven, he is saved by Margaret's appearance, and she tells all - that the French Witch had been sent by the Order in America, and that the disk was important to them...and that Henry must have hidden the third piece at the dig site.

They resolve to go to the dig site, ...with Fergus in the boot (trunk)...so that they can deal with him later.