CHARACTERS:
Alexandra "Alex" Scott (Kathy) - Television Journalist
Carole LaFlamme (Angela) - Bookstore Owner
Constable Andrew Harkness (DavidM) - Police Officer
Jennifer Upton (Ellie) - Sophomore University Student
Doctor Jason Harris (Mark) - Doctor
March 24th, 2014 (Monday)
At Harmony House, Alexandra Scott and Jennifer Upton meet with Sheila Finch, the Director of the facility. She's an outwardly brassy, bold woman in her late 30s or early 40s, but as Alexandra talks to her with Ronald filming (and Jennifer acting as her "assistant"), she realises the woman is caring and treats her responsibilities at Harmony House seriously. At Alexandra's questions, Sheila Finch is pretty honest and straightforward. She tells the reporter about the history of Harmony House, how it came to be, and about some of the women whose stories have made the house all that worthwhile. The deaths of both Taylor Rogers and Andrea Whiteshour were both regrettable, but neither seem to be related to the safety of Harmony House. Sheila tells them that the area where Taylor Roger was hit by the car is notorious for that sort of accident, though fortunately not too many people have died there, but most of the time it has been pedestrian fatalities. As for the motive behind the stabbing of Andrea Whiteshour, well that just seems like a clear-cut robbery gone bad.
Back at LaFlamme Books, Carole LaFlamme takes the time to do some research on Karl's client, Mark Namenlos. [She rolls a Colossal Success, and turns a Token Light.] She's learns that he's a 27-year-old German book collector, specialising in occult tomes, and lives in New York City,though he was originally from Berlin. Furthermore, she learns that he has affiliations with the Herren der Nacht (Masters of the Night). She recognises the name, and remembers that they are a small German cult that has been associated in the past with summoning of "creatures of the night". She's more determined than ever to get in touch with Halle Whadjat about the matter. It also raises alarm bells in the back of her brain, and she resolves to be present when Karl sells the book to Mr. Namenlos. She goes back into the store proper, and asks Karl when his client will be in to pick up the book. "Sometime soon," Karl says, rather eagerly.
Near the Mac's convenience store, Cst. Andrew Harkness and his partner, Eddie Hanson, continue to question possible witnesses about the death of Tom Canty. Andrew and Eddie learn that Tom Canty was indeed a homeless man of some 35 years, who was living near the convenience store. He'd always come into the store around the same time of day, twice daily - once during the middle of the evening, and again around 8:00 am in the morning - to see what the clerks could spare him, and what he could dig out of some of the local trash. Talking to Roger Barnes, another of the homeless who frequents the area, they learn that Tom Canty wouldn't have harmed a flea, as he was a peaceful man. But he tells them that it's odd, his death, because Canty looked like he'd been aged a full 70 or so years. Andrew decides they need to take a look at the body, on hearing this.
Over at the Ottawa General, Dr. Jason Harris goes about his rounds, and learns that Amy Schuyler has regained consciousness. He goes back to see her and talk to the supposedly homeless woman, and learns that she is indeed a homeless woman, who makes her home near Harmony House, on Gladstone Avenue. She tells him, barely able to whisper to him, that she was attacked by a young man who came at her with a knife; she had no time to run, and had to protect her possessions. As he talks to her, Jason spots something odd on her neck [he gets a High Success] - what appear to be two teeth or fang marks! He asks her about them, and is not surprised that she doesn't remember where she got them.
Back at Harmony House, Jennifer tells Sheila Finch that she's pursuing her studies at Carleton U., and about her current assignment. The Harmony House director says she'll be more than pleased to talk to her, but that she's got several meetings to attend. Sheila introduces her to her assistant, Melanie Thorpe, and says that she can answer any preliminary questions she might have, and Melanie can also arrange a follow-up interview for her. Jennifer is quite pleased, and after meeting up with Alexandra again (who has done a small film piece with Ronald to open up the story), the two part ways. Jennifer heads back to Carleton U., and Alexandra goes back to the CTV studios.
Andrew and Eddie go back to where the body of Tom Canty is, and look at him. He seems to be a man of roughly 75 years of age, but there is a deceptive smoothness to some of his skin. Seeing as how the coroner has already left the scene and the body is being prepped for being taken to the City Morgue (Andrew vows to talk to the coroner about his findings, later), Andrew examines the area around the smoothness of flesh. He doesn't find anything out of the ordinary. Detective Inspector [Robert] Meadows asks what the two flatfoots are doing on the scene still, and after getting a satisfactory answer, Andrew and Eddie present their findings to him. Meadows is puzzled about the discrepancy in the victim's age. Before they leave the scene, Andrew asks the detective to please keep him apprised of the case. When he's asked why, Andrew tells him that he's got a personal interest in older people getting killed this way. Andrew and Eddie leave the scene, heading back for the precinct house. [Add another Dark Token to the table.]
Jason asks Amy Schuyler if she can remember anything else about what happened to her, but she tells him she can't. He attempts to Sense the Unknown [turns a Token Dark], and can see that she's been the victim of some sort of Unknown power, likely an Evil Way Discipline, though he can't identify which one. He tries to remember what he's been taught about the Disciplines, but can't remember anything that seems relevant. He tells Amy that he'll look in on her again later, before he leaves for the day, and that she should get some rest. He goes and places a call to Carole LaFlamme.
Carole is glad for a little bit of a distraction from the standard day at LaFlamme Books, and talks with Jason. He tells her what's happened and the state of Amy Schuyler, and she considers what she knows of the occult in this respect [she gets a Colossal Success, and turns a Token Light]. She tells him that the evidence he found on Amy Schuyler could be indicative of a vampire at work, but might be something else, perhaps an incubus/succubus, or something else that drinks blood. She asks for more detail on the marks, but Jason says he's not sure what they're dealing with, and he didn't get a chance to closely examine the seeming teeth marks. Carole wryly suggests that he might want to take the opportunity to do so.
Last night's game session of Chill 3rd Edition with the Friday night group was a lot of fun, and quite satisfying for me. The overall plot of the story is hanging together, the player envoys are making good in-roads into what is going on (even if they haven't figured it all out), and the characterisation that I'm seeing from the players with their characters is a joy to watch. Kathy and DavidM are having a great time with the game right now, and even Mark seems to be getting the hang of things, and is becoming more active in the game as we play.
Overall, a great session of Chill 3rd Edition, and I'm looking forward to next week's game.