Call of Cthulhu, Episode 15..."Don't Look at It! Don't Look at It!"

With McDade on the inside, the knowledge that Leclair can only be saved if Ching Lung Soo is allowed to partially complete the summoning (cunningly disguised as a magic trick) that will bring the Lan Shi Star Vampire to Earth, we could say that the characters are (both literally and figuratively) playing a very dangerous game.

The definitively unique architecture of the Theatre in stunning 'not 20mm' scale. ...with clear indication to the players that their characters could, in true 1920s 'dangerous act' style, try and use the lighting rig at right of picture to balance, dive, jump and fall...I mean, I thought it would be obvious, a perfect stunt...no? Dang...it took me literally 5 minutes to cut that out of the cardboard and nobody used it!

 

Having returned to the 'teleportation box' and somehow ended up locked in it, Sinead manages to miss the main part of the show.

A similarly named Chinese bloke

 As Ching Lung Su announces "the greatest trick ever performed anywhere in the world..." in the Master of Arcane Lore's best Chinese accent, the characters manage to fast talk their way backstage. McDade, despite being caught trying to 'borrow' one of the robes for the stage chant, is caught, and forced to sidle up to the stage later, whilst the Professor and McLeoud..manage to persuade a constable that there is a threat to the Prime Minister from 'Chinese-Irish dissidents' (a clear threat in the 1920s - honest Guv'na) ... The Chinese henchmen have now erected the three part summoning archway on the stage, inscribed and daubed with appropriate magical cuneform (or something) runes, and containing the soul of Phillip Leclair as sacrifice to Lan Shi - the Star Vampire.

...and the back of a fag packet version (for our American viewers, a fag is a cigarette...no really)

 The ruse will work for a few valuable minutes, as the crowd watches with awe at Ching Lung Soo in his diabolically stunning red robes, surrounded by his Chinese henchmen in appropriately black cultist cloaks - who start to chant the incantation...that will summon the thing from another realm.

Appropriately armed with smuggled pistols...the party wait for a signal - which they 'hope' is the appearance of the trapped spirit of Leclair. ...and...as the foul words of magic continue...something is forming above the arch...a writhing body of a man?...in a suit...and he is starting to smoke (and not in a good way), and catch fire...flames writhing along his clothing as he floats. The crowd loves it!

"Summoning a Star Vampire - step 1 - make sure your miniature MDF archway is symmetrical"

 

The audience applauds madly, for it is all part of the new trick, right? The Professor and McLeoud rush the stones, McLeoud to try and topple them...McDaid and the Professor grab fire buckets full of sand trying to engulf the flickering, manifesting LeClair before he goes fully up in flames...McCleoud climbs the stone and yanks Leclair - still flaming - to the ground.. He then slams into the stone to topple it as the Prof dodges a knife wielding mad Chinese  maniac cultist...Mcdade is not so lucky being impaled badly by a Chinese blade, and falling unconscious...almost dead. 

The cheap seats

 With guns popping and Chinese cultists stabbing, the Police are totally confused, not least by the fact that the crowd are screaming and heading for the doors, since this is not the magic trick they were expecting. 

McLeoud manages to take down one granite post - dodging the falling masonry, as the Prof is wounded by knife wielding maniacs and Police start to fire at the Chinese men in black cloaks as they seem the obvious bad guys! The Prime Minister is ushered from the scene, as Police struggle to retain any sort of control, the Prof and McLeoud first aid McDade, then take after the escaping Ching Lung Soo, in hot pursuit.

A partially formed Star Vampire, behind the stone blocks...curses as its sacrifice in the shape of Leclair, is saved...and it remains in its horrific home dimension, unable to fully form  (note to self...if characters ask what it looks like - hit them with SAN roll ;)  ) 'Don't LOOK AT IT! DON'T LOOK AT IT!'

Rounds fly down range in the basement corridor as Ching Lung Soo, and most of his remaining party fall to the characters shots. ... a badly sliced up McDade looks away from the partially formed Lan Shi.

The Police are convinced (roughly) by the character's story, without necessarily accepting the whole 'alien fiend was about to be summoned to this mortal plane, and it would have been really bad!' tale, and opting for the preferred 'Irish-Chinese' plot to take out PM Stanley Baldwin. Seems obvious really. The Irish componenet seems to have escaped however. How strange. 

McDade meanwhile tries to ascertain the ease (or otherwise) of re-accessing the Magic Society's library, determining from the local constable and the American Magician Will Crowther - who has also re-appeared, that not  only has a lot of evidence been taken, but a bald man was seen to have made off with most of the books. Crowther also reveals that he managed to spirit Sinead away before she got arrested for being a disguised Irish lass impersonating a dodgy American Magician in the pay of Chinese Sorcerors, or something.

'Don't look at it! Don't look at it!'

 

In a definitive last act, having left LeClair back in the arms of his girlfriend Elaine...and after McDade has interviewed him (for the Cthulhu Mythos at least), the characters find Karl Weiss the German Magician who seems to be to blame for all of this, forcing him to hand over the strange book that started this whole thing... an immaculate English tranlation of the 14th centruy 'Ctahht Aquidatat', stamped with the markings of the British Museum and clearly nicked...The Prof pockets it.

I simply can't imagine what it looks like..ummm...DON'T LOOK AT IT!

 As the characters make their way to Southampton a few days later, a strange bald man with crates of what might be books, or something more sinister...appears to be awaiting his turn at the ticket office...

 

Shadowdark #8 'So...apart from the flesh eating creepers, is everything else ok?'

The party, patching itself up after the owlbear and the death of ...what was his name?...and now porting two baby owlbears (since...why not), move to the ground level cavern where they saw the wagon wheel (and not in a good way).

Balin leads the way - for 5 minutes anyway

 The cavemouth stinks of rot, and is covered in malign looking fungus and rotten plant life, ...but they go in anyway. Lighting a torch, and keeping an eye out however, is not enough for them to see the floor pit trap, with spikes and such...and Jeralt and Balin fall in...the characters behind them narrowly avoiding the trap themselves...the fall triggering an attack from the flesh eating creepers on one side, whilst Jeralt the Paladin, managing to get out of the pit trap, faces giant rats on the other..

Creepers - who clearly have gym memberships

Now these guys seem easy to take down  - until they don't. Balin, having taken damage from the pit, is a 'bit' wounded. Bear that in mind.

Not this Balin...

The party move on to explore the complex, encountering the cannibal creepers' 'larder' (ewww) and more of the warrior creeper types in hidden chambers, at which point the wounded Balin is taken down in combat...with two rounds to live; even the multitude of party members that get to him, seem unable to save him as he bleeds to death...oh Shadowdark, thou art a harsh gaming environment ;)   

ummm man down!

Somebody save him dammit!

 Busted up, the party elect to use Mountainholme - the magic shield - to barricade their position, the shield now passing to Lidda the halfling (whom its magic will turn into a dwarf by morning, meaning that she will have to wear boots - it's complicated...).  

Party of five - Dagmara, Karlyle, Jeralt, Bjorn and Lidda the halfling-uhh dwarf...

 And then, there were five left... :O

 

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 aisle ..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?)