Part 1 - Canis Mysterium: Harlan Dupree the werewolf
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Student of Egyptology |
Dr. Herman Bunyard (Bill) A Great-War Marine Corpsman |
Wednesday, Oct 21, 1925: Victoria is on bed rest, a festering
wound that is stubborn to heal. Her doctor puzzled by the source of such
necrotic damage. Dr. Khatan is taking the time to tend Andrew’s mental
recovery. Psychoanalysis to ease his troubled mind and the torture he’s been
through. James on the other hand has taken it upon himself to deliver the stone
and book to the Miskatonic University (MU) outside of Boston.
His telegram to
Ali Kafour in Egypt led to the suggested contact of one Dr Miller at MU. Meanwhile a Dr.
Herman Bunyard has driven up from Arkansas in search of his cousin Lillian
Bunyard known to have attended MU. Her psychoanalysis emulsion into the occult.
A chance meeting between James and Herman in Dr. Conrad Miller’s office that
leads to them later joining forces.
Dr. Miller sends Herman to the admin office to then
turn his attend to James. And for the
first time his fellow adventurers would remember [if they were here], James is
elusive. Oh he offers up the book [the Kingdom of Shadows] but only vaguely
references the stone as if it is only a rumor. Voices in the Brit’s head
swaying his thoughts and original plan to hand it over.
“We’ve been looking for this book. Discovered in one of
our archaeological digs in France. It and a black stone were to be delivered to
us months ago, but stolen. How did you come by it? And by chance do you know of
the stone?” An inappropriate chuckle as James secretly handles the stone in his
pocket, “I’ll keep a look out for it. Can you describe it?” Dr. Miller arranges
another meeting tomorrow with other professors studied on the artifacts.
Turns out Herman and James are staying at the same
bed-n-breakfast, so Herman offers a ride. Dinner, drinks, and chat as they talk
occult and plans to return to the university in the morning. But a restless
night for James with dreams of a rabbit-headed man offering him all his desires
and even Milly. His vision of her at Carter’s house…what was left of her.
Except in his dream her arms and legs return, “You’ve ignored the invitations
of the One. Climb the 13 steps in the enchanted woods to the dreamworld city of
Althar. Invite us in!” For now, James manages to resist; but intrigued.
Oct 22, 1925: Back at MU, Herman pursues his leads for
his cousin while James goes to the Hoyte Admin office, building 333 Arkham
Street. “Appropriately numbered.” There he meets Doctors Fitzgerald, Jeremy
Manson, and Adelson. Fitz describes their knowledge of the book and the evil
spells within. But the conversation quickly turns to the stone, “Pure black,
absorbing all light. It teases and taunts the holder to invite IT into the
world. Unrelenting throughout the month to the point the holder would fall
under its complete power. What do we want with it? Why to put it under lock and
key safe from human hands.” James tries to barter, “What’s it worth?” Cash
poor, the scholars can only offer a free semester of education. [No mention or
deal made for his associates who helped find the book and stone.]
Which brings them to offer another job (since the
professors are tied to their current semester classes): Investigate a strange
psychotic episode reported 100 miles west in the town of Clearwater Falls.
“Constable Clark has a man in his cell exhibiting extraordinary behavior;
believes himself a wolfman. Found in the alley, on all fours, chewing on a
femur; that of a young girl missing for days.” Another semester offer but this
time James asks them to aid Herman’s search for his cousin. “The doctor has a
car and is studied in Psychology. He would be invaluable to the research. We’ll
leave in the morning.”
Once again Milly enters James’ dreams. The
rabbit-headed man asking to be invited in. The Brit oh so near succumbing to
the call.
Friday,
Oct 23, 1925: James awakes in a sweat. And has Herman
rush him to MU where he hands over the stone [rolled a 001 on his POW check].
“The dreams are worse than you describe. Lock it up. Far out of reach!”
It’s a 4 hour drive along the Aylesbury Pike to the
sleepy grain-mill town of Clearwater Falls (population 830). Lunch at the ‘Blue
Duck’ diner with local chatter, “Poor Bethany Miller gone missing these last
nights. And then to hear they’ve only found her leg with the sock still on!” A
shadow crosses their table as a large man slides into the booth,
“You must be
the investigators the university sent. I’m Constable Archibald Clark. Deputy
Pitts here can take your luggage to the Lockhart Boarding house so we can get
down to business. My prisoner…”
Harlan Dupree, mid-40s. Lives alone outside town in his
house; carves headstones to pay for his booze. Was a gifted sculptor till 1913
when his wife fell ill and died of polio. Been the town drunk since her
death. Lone daughter Clementine, 20s,
lives with Harlan’s sister-in-law Esmerelda who runs the boarding house. Last
Tuesday, 22nd, found in the alley behind the general store (run by Mr.
Kretz) gnawing on the missing girl’s leg bone. “Took 4 deputies to subdue the beast.
Knuckles scraped to the bone as he was walking on all 4, howling like a dog,
snapping at us.”
The diner door opens for a squirrely-looking man who
wipes sweat from his brow as he peers around the room. Then suddenly leaves. “That
was our traveling salesman pushing encyclopedias. Arrived days ago but from
what I hear hasn’t sold anything yet. ” Anyway,
From Herman, “Something caused Dupree to snap. I
suggest we visit his house for clues.” In case we’re stopped, the constable
gives us a signed note. “Does this make us deputies?” House? More like a shack
ready to collapse; disrepair. The insides as expected from a recluse. A dusty
desk with a work ledger whose last entry is 1913.
The backyard full of carved
headstones and angelic statues lying about. Expect these aren’t your typical
smiling angels; more sad and tortured. The headstones with date-of-birth but no
date-of-death. As if pre-ordered for someone on their death bed. His workshop
just as cluttered. His recent work on the table, “John Tobias, b.1896, d….” Beside
it a book of lettering style guide, penciled notes in the margin. And a note
that slips out of the book. “James, come look at this necromancy symbol __.”
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“We need to search for an occult book. What the hell
was he doing?” James turns the house inside out before Herman calls from the
work shed, “Found it.” Prying up a loose floorboard he draws out a pouch that
clinks. Doesn’t feel like coins. Inside: jewelry. Except these rings, tie-clips,
bracelets, and even teeth fillings still have decayed skin attached. Grave
robber!
Herman is ready to confront the wolf Dupree. Per doctor's orders, the constable shoots a sedative into his stomach. Nothing. Dr Herman cannot reach the man;
his mind snapped. He removes the man’s shirt looking for carvings or tattoos.
Nothing. Nothing in his pockets. Meanwhile James is flipping pages from a psych-book
borrowed from the MU library, “Says here clinical lycanthropy.”
We show the constable the jewelry, some engraved. No census here; best go to county courthouse a few towns over. But he does suggest Father Le'Clare and the gravedigger Mr. Lertz (first name Tobias).
It’s late, so off to the boarding house where we meet a 40ish tall-skinny
woman Esmerelda. James is already kissing up trying to get on her good side for
information, when the daughter Clementine enters the room…and James’ jaw hits
the floor. Stunning doesn’t describe her beauty. We quickly learn Esmerelda
despises her brother-in-law, “Let him hang. Killed my sister. Wouldn’t pay the
doctors to heal her.” Clementine is more kind of her father, “I haven’t talked
to him these last 3 years. Then the night before the murder he confronts me
trembling. Says he found out something horrible. How he bargained with the devil
himself. And now my dead mother cannot rest anymore. See here, how he gave me
her wedding ring from her hand.”
And once again the squirrely-looking man appears,
stepping out of the bathroom to then back into his room. “Queer man. Mr. Smith.
Socially awkward. Hasn’t made a sale yet but pays his bills.” Later that
evening James chances upon Clementine and ask her a favor, “Since you clean his
room, while we have breakfast in the morning, would you mind checking his room
and book bag to see just what he's tries to sell?”
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