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...