Part 2 (Conclusion) - Doors to Darkness/The Ties that Bind: Return to Sender

FROM THE BEGINNING: https://rigglew4.blogspot.com/2017/07/entry-1-finger-sandwiches.html

Victoria (Bill) mob accountant	Twisted-Digit (Jim) - burglar
Maxwell (Tony) - con-man	Eloise (Hannah) - cop	Dragon (Haven) - acrobat

 
It’s late September in Dr. Hays office, having dropped off the egg clutch in his vault. “You’d want to talk with Dr. Jones in our Religions/Mysticisms Department as to what these could possibly be. Come back tomorrow, say 11am when I’m more refreshed [i.e. sober], and I’ll arrange a meeting.” As we leave, Max is anxious to be done with it, “Let them deal with it. We gave them fair warning what we faced.” Dragon is just now realizing the threat we’ve placed on the university, “You’re a monster for leaving the campus full of innocent students in such grave danger!” Its 10pm when we secure 2 rooms at the nearby Irish-Arms.

 

Morning breakfast with the guys plowing into their food while the girls rub sleep from their eyes, “Mary tossed and turned all night. Kept moaning about her beloved Karl while sobbing about the monster. It was 3:30am before she crashed and we FINALLY got sleep.” No sympathy from Max who stuffs another plate of eggs and hash into his mouth. Victoria opens the newspaper finding two interesting articles, “Max, you playboy. Police found Mary’s purse at the scene. Think it’s a kidnapping. I’d best go comfort Enid letting her know Mary is OK. And find a way to mention our commission.” Twiz will stay with Mary as the others plan for the 11am appointment with Dr. Hays.

Tori steps out of the cab in front of the Carrington estate and weaves her way through a string a police cars. The butler reluctantly lets her in, “Be quick. Mrs Enid is not up for visitors.” Stepping into the parlor, Tori finds the son William comforting his mother. Through the large bay windows she can also see police standing around a tall porch lamp post…that looks to have a body impaled on it! 

Tori steps forward to console Enid, “Oh Victoria. It’s awful. First to find my rocks stolen and the 3 guards slaughtered. Then to read the paper and learn Mary has been kidnapped.” Enid collapses in distress as Tori pulls William aside, “Mary is OK but fraught with her own disturbing witness of events. My team happened to be investigating Alfred in his hotel room when Mary arrived with her professor. That’s when the mob busted through the windows. I think they were there to grab the artifact Alfred had stolen from Enid’s workshop. Mary cracked when she saw Alfred and Karl slain. She must have been sleeping with her professor because she’s gone insane with an unbelievable version of the crime scene. I’ve got her in a hotel room, trying to calm her and keep her out of any news and suggestions of insanity. I can only guess the murders here are related to the artifact; the mob must believe them very valuable to be so gruesome in their efforts.” Final comforting words to his mother before William drives Mary to Arkham to pick up his sister.

Meanwhile the others arrive on campus for the 11am appointment with Dr Hays, “So you say you dropped off a clutch of eggs. A new species WOULD be quite a find. And you saw a hatchling. Care to look through some books of other birds to insure it is a new species?” Dragon insures, “Trust me when I say it ain’t anything you’ve seen before. Ain’t no condor or turkey vulture. Think griffon.” Hays becomes more intrigued, “That’s more for the Mysticism Dept and Dr. Jones; we’re more Natural History. Give me your names so if it is a new species, we can credit you.” Dragon quickly declines, “On the off chance you fail to heed our words of warning and the things escape, don’t blame us for any mayhem in Arkham!”

The others happen to be in the lobby when William and Tori walk into the hotel, “Give me a minute to get your sister Mary ready. “ The others take the clue to wait as W and T ride the elevator to the 2^nd floor where Twiz lets them in per arranged knock. After getting Mary dressed and ready, “Oh William, it was horrific. The marsh wizard swooped in and beheaded my beloved Karl. Karl? That couldn’t be read. Oh Karl, no, NO!!” Tori takes William aside to explain the [truth]: black-robbed mobsters crashed through the windows trying to grab a hatchling Karl was holding. When he resisted, they killed him and Alfred who got in the way. If it wasn’t for Tori and her team, Mary would surely have been killed for interfering. “Karl was holding some kind of bird. Maybe that’s where Mary has connected some marsh wizard story.” William explains Mary’s fascination with the lore of the marsh since childhood, “The salt marshes are only miles from our estate. She made many a visit to the Orne Library at Miskatonic to research it. That’s where she met this Karl Brighton.”

As William drives away with Mary and promise of reward, the group climb into their own car to visit the library where they are led to volumes of ‘Superstitions of Essex County’. References starting in the 18th century mentioning disappearing cattle and young girls. A 1906 entry by one Andrew Lemon who even drew a picture of a wizard riding a dragon-like steed.

The Ipswitch marshes only 6-7 miles from the Carrington estate. It’s a short walk to the Mysticism Dept where we are told to wait for Dr. Jim Jones who is a meeting with another Dr. Henry Armitage.

Turns out Max has met with Henry before. As Max begins to spin a hypothetical story, “Come, come Max. Just spill the truth. You of all people should know we’ve seen much worse. The referenced story is a wizard able to control a Byakhee. Centuries of the same stories passed down generations. Andrew Lemon was outcast and ridiculed because he told the wrong folks. Got the newspapers involved. If you’ve encountered the same creature’s hatchling, you’d best scrub any scent off else she goes after you.” Henry realizes the eggs in the campus vault are a threat, “Go to the Science Dept to scrub up [use lye] to remove the top layer of any skin that contacted the egg shell or hatchling. Then take the eggs near the marsh for her to reclaim. We’ll pay for your efforts and any evidence she exists.” Twiz shutters at the memory of him licking the egg; now having to put a bar of lye soap in his mouth!

It’s a quick drive to Ipswitch near the salt marsh when we pull over to unload the eggs, covering them with cut branches. Miles further away, we stop to burn any clothing and gloves that touched the eggs. We continue back to Arkham to lookup one Andrew Lemon living in a rundown apartment. Liquid bribe loosens his tongue, “20 years ago. My horse acting skittish so I got off to check his hooves. Gust of wind got me to turn such that I saw the beast lifting off out of the swamp trees…with a rider on its back! Old, evil looking man. Out by the salt marshes.” Its already 4:30 when we get back to our Arkham hotel.

Morning breakfast and newspaper accounts of the murders at the Ipswitch Carrington estate. And news Mary is safely home. We drive to the marsh confirming the eggs are gone; the mother must have found them as confirmed by the telltale signs of her claw prints. We drive further into the marsh before walking toward the path and copse of trees Andrew mentioned in his story. Saturated ground. We follow animal trails. An hour before Eloise spies an island with potential trees. We approach stealthfully. NOT. Dragon squeals when something snags her pant cuffs, looking down to see bony fingers. Tori behind her realizes it’s a corpse lost in the swamp water. Frog croaks and crickets continue their chorus unabated.

As we draw near, Eloise spots 3 old wooden huts in the clearing of trees. Up closer, we find 3 trees with some kind of carvings, “Warding or Binding spells.” As Tori takes pictures with her camera, Dragon shaves off the carving from one tree. Gasp as a monkey-like creature falls from above, boils, then turns to steam. We find 5 more of the frozen gargoyle-like things in other carved trees. “Click;” another picture. Max cautiously steps across the boundary fully expecting to be rushed by other guardians. Nothing. So we approach to inspect the huts. An ancient campground with kitchen (spoiled food), sleeping quarters (bed of leaves), and a workshop full of vials, beakers, and glass jars full of preserved insect and animal parts [just like you’d expect to find for a spell casting wizard].

But most interesting is the depression at the center of the huts. Suspecting it the Byakhee nest, Dragon cautiously approaches only to find the withered crushed body of an old man. 

“I’d say the master pissed off his steed who retaliated.” Closer look and we find a human-bone whistle in his hand. “Must be what he used to call and control the beast.”  Carvings suggest Neolithic/Sumerian runes. A more thorough search of the workshop uncovers a crumpled sheet and bone dagger. Spell instructions on how to bind and control the steed, using the dagger to draw blood in a test of Will. “Click;” another picture of all.

 

Thankfully the girls find their footprints to guide all back to the car. As opposed to Max who was about to lead us further into the marsh. “Just like men; not willing to ask directions.”

We return to Miskatonic providing evidence of the marsh wizard lore. Collecting our agreed reward.

Epitaph: William proves to be following in his father’s ruthless baron role. No reward is forthcoming, claiming HE returned Mary without aid of others. As for Enid’s request of investigation aid, the topic of pay off-limit due to stressful circumstances. Victoria settles into her chair adjusting her plain clothing and scratched glasses. Plain looking and thus overlooked as expected as she takes to task her temporary accounting job handling the Carrington railroad financial books. A few pen strokes easily moves $2000 into a side account she has access to. A fair amount considering the efforts her team went through.

A package is hand-delivered to Andrew at his rundown apartment. Inside he finds a few pictures, “I just wanted to assure you, you are not crazy. Evidence exists. For your benefit only. Take them to the newspaper, and you’d just be claimed a forger and fraud.”