Rigid Air (conclusion)

April 19^th, 2:30pm: Franklin held the broken picture frame as he puzzled, “Other than the name, this airship looks exactly like the Terra Nova we flew on.” Killian suggested, “Car companies churn out the same model cars in their production lines. This could just be a sister-ship.” Ethel changed topics as she asked the neighbor Jean Simpson, “You found Robert Douglas’ body on the lake shore. Could you show us where? The coroner concluded he fell from a tree. Did the police find which tree?”  

Franklin Campbell (Brian) History teacher. Afraid-of-heights.

Daria Morrison (Max) English teacher. Afraid-of-the-Dark.

Gary Arms (Duane) professional boxer. Fear-of-getting-lost.

Killian O’Mulligans (Geoff) LA Police Detective. Fear-of-Falling.

Ethel (Jen) Outdoors woman, park ranger and wilderness guide.

Eugene (Matt) Defense Lawyer.

Jean led them along the walking path to the lake only 30 yards distance and had just turned left to follow her normal jogging path when Gary [extreme Spot Hidden] called out, “This must be it! Look at the scrape marks on the tree-trunk and the footprints around its base.” As he scanned up into the tree, “Look! There’s some broken branches.” As the team gathered round the tree near the lake edge (a mere 7ft from shore), they all could see evidence someone had climbed this tree. Dislodged tree bark, live branches 10-20 feet up broken and now only 10-inch stubs. Ethel picked up a broken branch under the tree that still had live pine-needles.

They watched as Gary began climbing up and past the broken stubs. Almost 30ft up the 40ft tree when he stopped. “No more scraped bark; he must have stood here before he fell.” Killian suggested, “Or jumped.” Ethel offered, “I don’t see any claw marks on the tree to suggest a bear chased him up and climbed after. I remember Bob as adventurous and a daredevil. During college and our hikes, we climbed trees all the time to get our bearings. But you heard his wife Ellen say he came back from the polar expedition a changed man. Shut-in and withdrawn. Afraid.”

[extreme Spot Hidden] Eugene found blood on some lake-edge rocks, “Here’s where he landed.” Jean remarked, “But I found his body another 50 yards that way, past my house.” They concluded the body must have been carried there by wave action. Killian asked Gary above, “Can you see any more broken branches from your perch to these bloody rocks?” Nothing broken but Gary could see patches of missing pine-needles on the ends of some branches. That observation suggested Bob jumped out as if purposefully diving. “He either jumped as a dare or to escape something.”

[failed Climb] Suddenly Ethel and Daria were showered with pine-needles and bark seconds after hearing noise above. To realize Gary had almost fallen; Gary was clinging to the tree trunk above like a boxer trying to pin his opponent. “Come down here before you hurt yourself! Slowly. We don’t need you re-enacting Bob’s descent.”

When asked, Jean led the group to where she found the body. Killian noted the lake’s wave motion confirmed this was ‘downstream’. There was nothing unique about the spot Jean pointed out. But they decided to search for any evidence the police might have overlooked. Nothing. “Let’s backtrack; maybe things fell out of his pocket in the water.” [extreme Spot Hidden] Gary found a pair of tinted goggles in the lake surf, “Hey, these look like the goggles worn in the picture of the airship officers!” Eugene put them on only to get a headache, “That’s one hell of a powerful prescription set. Everything is distorted.” Ethel noted, “Bob never wore glasses.”

They returned to the cottage to search more. Daria found an address book in his desk, “He’s got Chester Whittle’s address in Seattle. And contact info for that Mr. Chandler.” As she sat at the cluttered desk, crumpled paper with crude scribbling caught her eye. [English Language-92] Daria tried to look at the scribbles from the perspective of ‘a nut case’. “Check this out. Random and mis-aligned but he wrote ‘Old secrets; they always come back at you in the end’.” Jean perked up, “He said the same thing to me the day before he was found dead!”

3:17pm: With no phone in this isolated area, they returned to town to use the library phone and do some research. Eugene tried calling Chester, but the phone rang until the operator came on line, “I’m sorry sir, but he must not be home. Do you have another number for him?” Eugene called Chandler but a butler answered. A servant trained to run interference from the low life. Despite lawyer threats or even Daria’s sweet voice. Till she lost her temper, “Listen you jack-wad, put your boss on the line. One of his old employees is dead.” The response: “You’ll have to take that up with the police.” “Click.”

As for the others scanning research material, they soon realized a Canadian library doesn’t hold much material regarding America. They found a few 1921 newspaper articles that chronicled the airship Bellinghausen overflying the continent and even landing to refuel enroute to the north pole. A late February 1923 article spoke about new airship service starting up between Vancouver and Calgary and supporting a few stops along the way. Passenger and cargo rates were listed. “Let’s go to the airfield to ask questions there. Catch a flight back to Vancouver then on to Seattle by car or train.”

6pm: “I’m sorry sir, mam. The Calgary station called early this morning to say the airship’s trial service has been terminated. The Terra Nova took off from there back to their home base in Seattle. Sorry sir, I don’t have any more info. I actually thought we had a good thing going. Passengers and cargo. All I know is I’m out of a job.”

6:21pm: They hailed a cab to take them to the train station. [Hard lowest Luck] They were in-luck: the next departure to Vancouver was scheduled for 9:30pm. At least train service can be counted on to…delays. They finally departed at 11pm. And arrived in Vancouver around 2pm, April 20^th. To then face customs once again, “Anything to declare?” At least luck [04] was on their side: the next train to Seattle departed at 5pm. Three hours to kill. Gary walked the station trolling for anyone who might recognize ‘the great American boxer’. He would stop to flex his muscles in a pose.

Showing off. Not paying attention. He knocked over a magazine stand, spilling merchandizes everywhere. And ran. “Hey YOU! Mr. Muscle Man! You gotta pay damages! Police! POLICE!” It wasn’t hard for the Royal-Mounted-Police bobbies to find him…in the gathering of other Americans. “Come with us, sir.” Eugene stepped forward to argue for his defendant, “A simple accident. What are you going to charge him with… what… littering?” “That’s an excellent idea sir. Glad you understand.” Ethel got involved, “Please now gentlemen, can’t we make amends? An apology?” They followed the officers to the tumbled stand and its owner. “OK, Albert, what do you want us to do with him? Do you really want to waste a day in court to press charges?” Albert stuttered, “Well, well, he should pay for damages. Yes. At least 50 magazines ruined.” Anyone could see Albert never had 50 magazines. The Americans were about to protest, till Albert calculated, “Fifteen cents apiece…that’s $6.25.” Daria corrected him, “Actually, it would total $7.50.” Gary showed his empty pockets; thus, Ethel paid the bill.

“Clickity, clack, clickity, clack.” Ethel and Daria settled into their train bench-seats reading their new and slightly used magazines as the boys gathered at the bar. They arrived in Seattle just after 8pm. At least they ate on the train. Indecision, “The airship or Chester’s?”

They hailed a cab, “403 Lake Washington Blvd.” No porch light, but they could see lights inside. So, they knocked. And knocked. And were about to break in when, “GO AWAY!” A strained and panicky voice. “Chester, we are friends of Douglas. We have the files you sent him.”

10pm: They could hear multiple locks being opened, till the door opened just a little. And Chester peered out with a chain lock still in place, “How do you know Bob? You know his wife Ellen too?” Killian stood at the door and whispered to the others, “He’s holding a rifle. Be careful. The man is edgy to say the least.” In the background, Franklin held up the manilla folder Chester had mailed to Robert. Chester opened the door and ushered them in, “Quick. And shut and bolt the door. Can’t let them in.” They’d just gained a little trust, till Gary just had to mention, “Douglas is dead.”

Inside, they all got a good look at the crazed man: a haggard thick-set man, wearing a pair of aviator goggles, tugging at his unkempt sandy hair and crying. “I warned him. Why didn’t he listen?! I’m the last. I’m next! Why? What did we do wrong?! We promised to keep their secret.” With Daria supporting her from behind, Ethel put on her own goggles (on her forehead) as she tried to reason and calm the man still holding the rifle. Her intent to calm him enough, get close enough to grab the rifle. Till she realized the rifle safety was off. An accident waiting to happen.

[Hard Charm] And that’s when Daria went into an act: another crazed and harried maniac. With a roll of aluminum foil, and crafting her own, “Here, make a hat. It will block your brainwaves. They can’t find you.” She was able to talk him into giving up the rifle as he pleaded, “You gotta help me. Protect me. Find out why they are after me.” Chester filled them in on what he knew: 1921 expedition, Capt Moore said it was government work and had to be kept secret. We were paid well for our silence. Landing at the pole, Moore and all the officers trekked off alone ‘to make measurements.’ But they didn’t carry any gear. Hours later they came back with a rock, said it was a meteorite. Rare metal. Bambury wasn’t happy but he wouldn’t say why. All during the flight home, things felt… unsettling. Like something sitting on my back or in my head. “Then early 1922 I stumbled upon a story of a crewmate found headless in Chile. You’ve got the folder documenting the deaths of all the others. Save me!”

Daria realized, “Bambury! He gave us a tour. Capt Moore was the pilot.” And that’s when Gary mentioned the airship Terra Nova was in town. “IT’S HERE!?” Chester dove under his desk, “It’s too late. I’m a dead man. Maybe I should climb on the house and give myself up.” As Chester crawled out from under the desk, Franklin offered him a swig from his laudanum bottle. [extreme DEX] Franklin realized Chester was about to guzzle the whole thing and slapped it away. Apparently enough to make him drowsy. They tucked him in bed, “Hopefully he’ll sleep for hours. Let’s go checkout that airship.”

Midnight: “Now remember cabbie. Lights off when we see the field fence. Stop short but wait for us.” Killian calmed his concerns by flashing his badge, “Trust me. This is legit. You won’t get in trouble.” The airship was tethered about 100 yards from a hanger. No lights around the airship other than the strobe light atop its mooring mast. A couple of security lights beamed from the front of the hanger. “Which first?” They approached on an angle to the side of the hanger to then try the door inset on the closed hanger door itself.

Killian found it unlocked and cracked the door open just enough to peer inside. It was bathed in dim light shining down from regular bulbs mounted on the overhead center beam. Cavernous, considering it SHOULD be large enough to store the airship: maybe 100ft tall and 550 ft length. They crept inside single file, planting their backs against the hanger door to allow their eyes to adjust. Daria trembled, frozen in a panic attack from her ‘Fear-of-the-Dark’. She fumbled for her flashlight. Killian put his arm on her shoulder to calm her as he whispered, “Not yet. We don’t want to alert anyone.”

Workbenches lined the right-side while stairs to the left climbed toward an office that had a light on inside. They crept toward the stairs. Killian, Gary, Eugene, Ethel, with Daria in trail holding onto Ethel’s shoulder. “Creak, creak.” The stairs announced their displeasure at so much weight. They froze in place listening for the expected arrival of guards or whoever was in the office. But all they could hear was the pounding of their own hearts. And Daria breathing heavily, on the verge of hyperventilating.

Killian continued up the stairs with the others in trail… Daria still frozen on the first step. She spun at a sound behind her: Franklin had wandered on his own to the workbenches and was obviously looking for something. As for the others: Killian stood at the top-of-the-stairs as lookout as the others entered the confirmed empty office. Where Eugene found a cold cup of coffee beside an open journal on the desk.

Capt Moore had recorded the events of the polar expedition. He and the officers led by their cult leader Edward Chandler were there to open a dimensional gate to welcome a ‘Great-Old-One’ into the world. But they only returned to the airship with a crystalline object explained to the workers as a meteorite of rare metals. Chandler was dejected thinking they screwed up: wrong date, incomplete or incorrect ritual? After returning to Seattle, the airship was mothballed with the object still inside. Forgotten.

Chandler off on another quest leaving Moore to tend the object. Months till it hatched. Empty till Moore put on the goggles and saw the creature. That telepathically seemed to control Moore and directed him to gather the officers. Their bodies taken over as the dho-spawn sunk a tentacle into each. Now just ‘puppets on a string’. Theirs thoughts and memories consumed by the being. That desired more. Even though just an egg on the return flight, the interdimensional creature had formed a link to everyone aboard. And now it wanted to feast on the workers’ memories. It compelled them to climb to a high spot to allow the airship to swoop into range for the dho-spawn to impale them with a tentacle and rip out their skull and brain. Leaving a headless murder scene.

A squeaky nose caught Daria’s and Killian’s attention. Franklin was wheeling an acetylene bottle out of the door. Franklin had not heard the journal reading. He just knew something about the airship needed to be eliminated. Daria caught up to Franklin just outside the door and they were halfway to the airship when the others descended the stairs and got to the hanger door.

[group failed Luck] And that’s when someone exited the airship gondola and began walking toward the hanger. Stopping when he heard the squeaky wheels. Daria turned on her flashlight and threw it far to her side hoping to draw the man’s attention away from them. The flashlight hit the ground, spun a few turns, then blinked out. “Who goes there?! Identify yourself.” Franklin froze in his tracks not realizing he was outlined by the hanger security lights. Daria could see the man staring directly at her and tried to bluff, “I’m lost and… thought you could give me directions. I’m looking for my mother’s house.” Didn’t fool the man at all. “I’m the owner Capt Moore and you are trespassing. What where you doing in the hanger?” Daria tried to lie about wanting to buy a passenger ticket.

“Screw it.” Franklin began towing the bottle faster, Killian and the others began running toward the scene, and now 8 more men exited the airship from the engine compartment hatchways. Killian and his group ran faster. Ethel put on her special goggles as she ran, then stopped in her tracks gasping, “Oh my GOD!” [Sanity loss seeing tentacles attached to the last 8 men.] Daria aided Franklin pulling the wobbly cart. Killian ran next to Ethel to get her goggles and he too trembled at the sight.

[failed Hard DEX] And that’s when the cart flipped on its back dragging Franklin to stop. Gary rushed to lend aid, setting the bottle back on its wheels. And the airship crew moved closer to the attackers. And Capt Moore, mumbling strange words, held an outstretched hand with his fingers clutched. [failed opposed POW] And Gary’s right hand clinched tight on the cart handle (muscle contraction) as he stopped in his tracks holding his left hand over his heart. As if a heart attack.

Ethel took a long-range pistol shot at Moore hitting his shoulder, but the man maintained his composure and outstretched hand. Daria tried to pry Gary’s hand off the cart handle but failed, “Damn it, let go!” Killian took a shot at a closing airship crewman but missed. He flinched when he realized the bullet hit the airship. He exhaled when the balloon didn’t explode. The crewmen charged with bare fists or raised wrenches… then suddenly stopped short. Wearing the goggles, Killian and now Eugene saw the tentacles stretched taunt… at their limits.

Franklin lit the acetylene torch, burned Gary’s hand to make him let go the handle, and wheeled the bottle closer to the ship. Ethel took another shot at Moore and missed, Daria charged a crewman to brawl, and Killian [failed Sanity – Bout of Madness: Delusional] rushed toward Daria thinking she had now joined the crewmen’s rank. Eugene got within range and shot Moore, who collapsed from a major wound. Gary gasped for breath as his heart-attack faded.

They joined ranks with Franklin, running interference for him to get next to the ship. Seconds for the torch to burn thru the airship skin and ignite an interior hydrogen bag. Fire spread rapidly. They made a fighting withdrawal to get away from the burning airship. And that’s when they all screamed in horror as they witnessed the crewmen’s heads plus spine being ripped from their torse.

EPILOGE

They walked the dirt road back into town. The cabbie had deserted them when he heard the gunshots then saw the airship ablaze. While they had saved Chester from certain death, the poor man was completely insane. He was institutionalized. As for the friends of Robert Douglas, they never flew on an airship again.

BEHIND THE SCREEN

Curled within the enormous volume of gas-bag #4, the dha-spawn was invisible save for a sense of 'oiliness' in the air. Passing through space occupied by the creature imparted the impression that the air had thickened. That is what caused the blurred effects for Martin Biller’s (the passenger flying back to Nelson) telescope sightings outside Nelson.

If an investigator used the goggles, they saw the horror of the alien creature. Just its tentacles at a distance; the full creature if they were within 50 yards. Capt Moore had ‘Powder of Ibn Ghazi’ he would have tossed into the gathered PCs to allow all of them to behold the horror. Drive them mad or at least give them disadvantage in combat.

Realizing the airship was in danger, the creature would have commanded at least half the crew to return to the ship to start engine for liftoff. Had the PCs been aboard, and fire started, the PCs would be left looking for means of their own escape and survival. A slim chance [Luck] to finds parachutes, descend the anchor ropes, or jump and hope they survived… without the burning frame of the airship crashing down on them.

The loathsome spawn was enormous, and without fixed shape as its livid pulsing body shifted and rotated through far more than three dimensions. From its median line sprouted writhing forests of whip-like tendrils which easily (multi-dimensional) passed through the fabric of the gas bag, the ship's airframe, paneling, and even bodies. The tendrils only interacted with solid objects where the dho-spawn desired, such as the base of each crewman's skull.

Ten of the tendrils had knobbed ends, which emitted faint, dissonant moans. Loss for seeing the dho-spawn was 2D3/1D20+2 Sanity points. Had the PCs got close enough (30 yards), the dho-spawn would try to impale them to then control them as puppets.

If the dho-spawn was reduced to half its hit points (near impossible), or if the airship caught fire, the dba-spawn abandoned ship. Leaving the crewmen screaming in agony as the monster's departure tore their spines out through their skulls.