The Great Trap-Conclusion

 

The Great Trap-Conclusion (written by Heinrich D. Moore for Call of Cthulhu), GM-Alex

The Esoterics: each of us touched by something unnatural in our past.

Ai-Ling (Bill) 48yo Chinese Astrophysicist

Florence Maxley (Chance) 29yo attractive black medical Student

Professor Flint Larson (Mark) Former MI-8 codebreaker now Mathematician

Professor Nathaniel Daystrom (David) 53yo History Professor

Julia Chase (Xiao) 40ish Accountant, former cult member

 

ReCap: We left the 1892 Kreuz Observatory dedication party in the East Hall and followed the particle beam east towards the Zodiac Hall. The beam ended at a drawn curtain. Over the speaker, Walter warned, “Don’t you see what they are trying to do? Make sacrifices of you like they did my sister.” A wailing noise invited us to check behind the curtain. Flint was the first to open the curtain and ripped down the curtain in shock: a creature stood over a control panel with its frenzy of tentacles operating the machine!

[Sanity Check: by now, most suffered Indefinite Insanity]

Julia- was fascinated “I told you when you go to far…” She plunged her dagger into her own chest and fell to her knees before collapsing dead.

Flo- rushed to Julia’s side to fix her, and pleaded to the witch, “Kaziah, heal her!” Flo’s eyes rolled back as Kaziah took control and put her hands on Julia. Who rose.

Resume: Where she once saw a multi-armed creature at the controls, Ling saw Professor Osterman trapped inside a large fishbowl bubble INSIDE the machine. Ling adjusted her glasses as obviously she was seeing doubles: the index fingers of Adhemar’s 4 arms frantically pointed to the inside of the buttons of the machine panel. Obviously telling Ling which button to push to let him out. “CLICK” The fishbowl slowly started to lift. Everyone saw Professor Osterman climbing out of the opening bubble. Were their minds playing tricks?! Osterman grew 10ft tall.

Flo remembered reading the book Azathoth and Other Horrors, “Don’t be fooled, it’s a Yith that has taken Osterman’s body!” But more pressing was the zombie Julia rising before her and a thick fog boiling out of the fishbowl bubble that restricted vision while causing fits of coughing.

Nathan had seen the zombie rise. “Julia, is that you?!” Enough noise to guide his shotgun barrel at point-blank range: “BLAM!” The flare of the shotgun blast penetrated the fog to reveal a horrific scene of guts/gore/limbs separated as splattered blood painted the front of Nathan’s shirt. He reloaded.

The sound of something “bleating” and crashing guided Flint’s actions as he grabbed Ling’s arm (revealed in the shotgun blast), “Shut it down. Don’t let it escape!” But he also realized the particle beam was gone. “You disabled the time trap; run for the Equatorial Room!”

And that’s when a male version of Julia (her brother Jules from a different timeline) appeared, coming from the South Tower. “Thank God you’re alive. It’s escaping.” He drew a dagger and attacked the Yith. Its normal armored skin should have deflected most damage but Jule’s ceremonial dagger sliced like a knife thru butter.

Insane, Ling only saw Osterman; the Yith Flo spoke of-- hidden in the fog. “Follow us professor. We need to get to the Equatorial Room to recover your time machine.” She rushed after Flint’s retreating outline.

Who knew Yith were 10ft tall?! [build 7] It towered over Jules and lashed with its tentacles, cracking a rib.

[Mythos check] Nathan figured Walter Kreug must have captured the Yith who had switched bodies with Osterman. The time machine probably caught every human version the Yith had ever occupied. He raised his shotgun and blasted point-blank: the pellets tinkled off of the alien’s armored skin. “Oh shit. RUN!”

Exit Stage Left: Flint rushed through the double doors into the East Hallway still filled with the 1892 party goers. “Get outa my way.” [Intimidate-99] He crashed into some display carts and fell prone. Ling, following behind, looked over her shoulder to make certain her favorite professor Osterman was following. And tripped over Flint. Flo managed to hop-scotch jump over both Ling and Flint. Jules managed to duck & roll out of way the rampaging Yith and spilled into the East Hallway.

Realizing the shotgun was useless against the Yith, rethinking revenge, Nathan ran towards the South Tower and its Latin bronze placard “Futurum”.

Flint clamored to his feet, looked at Ling prone, looked at the mammoth Yith peering thru double doors, and ignored thoughts of chivalry to help Ling to her feet as he reasoned ‘you don’t have to be the fastest, just not the last; especially since SHE did let it out’ as he bolted for the Entrance Hall.

Ling was saved being prone as the Yith entered the East Hallway and began ripping the party-goers to pieces [they re-materialized whole]. She quickly crawled out of range then stood and ran.

Future or Past: Nathan climbed the South Tower where he found a pyramid machine projecting a portal view of Earth covered in 6-legged beetles. He bolted down the stairs and headed for the North Tower (Latin bronze placard “Passato”: Past) and found another pyramid machine projecting a portal view of Ursula holding her silver key as she muttered some ritual. More concerning was her brother Walter, with pure black eyes, advancing with his hands raised with clear intent to chock his sister! Nathan stepped thru…his mind flooded with visions of the life he could have led. Crazed, insane, mad as hell at the 5 years he’d lost, Nathan raised his pistol and point-blank blasted Walter to hell! He grabbed Ursula’s hand leading her back thru the portal, “Come with me, we have to stop your brother.”

Entrance Hall: Flo/Flint/Ling watched Jules bar the double doors to the East Hallway, ignoring the screams of hysteria from within. As if needing an introduction, Jules spoke up, “You guys died in my timeline. I’m Julia’s brother come to hunt for her.”

Equatorial Room: With the particle beam off, we easily climbed the stairs where we found Walter Kreuz standing on the upper gantry access to the main telescope. 3 triangular machines on the floor level hummed as they spung rings around Walter that projected a bubble-like cocoon around him. He stood before a control panel holding a silver key while chanting. He paused to reason, “Don’t you understand? They have to be stopped.” He was mad with delusions. Right?

At distance, Flint braced his pistol hand taking careful aim per his military memories. “Steady.”

Jules tried to reason, “Stop this madness or else.”

Consulting her journal, [Operate Heavy Machinery] Ling stepped to one of the triangular machines and managed to disconnect its wiring. One of the spinning rings above slowed to a stop.

[Electrical Repair+Luck] Flo managed to shut down another machine: another ring slowly stopped.

Zodiac Room: They could hear the Yith rampaging in the other room. Ursula watched as Nathan puzzled at his chain watch, “I feel I don’t belong here in this time. Something is missing beside those 5 years. Walter has distorted everything. I’m Lord of Time- history is the future. We have to get past the Yith and to the others. To Walter and the time-machine.” They entered the East Hallway on hands & knees and used overturned carts as cover. The Yith had more visible targets for its rage. They found the double doors “Barred?!” Nathan used a shotgun blast as his key. Nathan paused to ask Ursula, “What was your brother trying to do exactly?” Ursula replied, “The ritual was to transform him into Umar at Twil: the avatar of Yog Sothoth who has control of time.” They ran west towards the Equatorial Room.

Equatorial Room: One more ring to go; Flint held his aim as he made one last plea, “Walter stop. Don’t do it.” Which only distracted Walter enough in his chanting to see Jules climbing across a catwalk towards him. Walter pulled a lever to retract the catwalk. Jules managed to Jump across the span.

[Operate Heavy Machinery: 99 fumble] Ling stood before the last machine but the off lever was stuck. She pulled with both hands: the metal bracelet on her left wrist shorted the circuit. “KABLOOM!” The detonation threw her across the room where she crumpled against the far wall [almost dead: 1 HP, passed her CONsave to stay awake]. At least the 3^rd ring collapsed.

Flint saw his opening, “Hoist the flag! Yankee Doodle, do or die.” His shot hit Walter in the shoulder.

Now fearing for his life, Walter unplugged his key and jumped through the portal.

Flo found the axillary controls to restore the catwalks, “We can’t let him get away.”

Jules was laser-focused on stopping Walter; so, he didn’t hesitate jumping through the portal.

Of course, Flint climbed to the portal and entered.

Ling drug herself towards the portal, “Maybe in the next timeline I’ll be back to full health.”

Ursula ran towards the portal but looked back at Nathan who stood over the control where Walter once stood. [Obviously insane] “Give me your key. I’m the true Lord of Time. Walter was too weak.” Ursual pleaded, “You have to help stop Walter. The ritual is wrong.” They struggled as Nathan grabbed the key from her neck. She grabbed his shotgun off of the catwalk.

Chicago: utter chaos as flying polyps blasted nearby buildings. We dodged falling debris as we tried to follow Walter 60 ft away. Flint braced to take careful aim: and fired a split second too late. Walter jumped through another portal. Ling found an abandoned car still running, “Get in! We can catch him faster.” The others jumped on the running boards before she sped away.

No, she did not heal during the portal jump. Severely injured. [Drive: 98- fumble] She swerved around a huge chunk of building rubble. The others saw the pending crash and jumped. The car horn blared as Ling slumped over the wheel, dead. The others jumped through the next portal in pursuit of Walter.

Equatorial Room: Nathan didn’t know the ritual and Ursula damn well wasn’t going to tell him. [Mythos- auto success per his special ability] Nathan began chanting. Ursula lifted the shotgun and fired [Hard success]. [Dodge+Luck: Hard] A few pellets nicked Nathan. They struggled.

Desert: Jules was fastest and quickly brawled Walter. Flint aimed at the two struggling, realizing he might hit the wrong target, but fired anyway. Walter dropped dead. And that’s when they saw Ling running towards them. Another Ling, more buff. [this Ling was a hitman/woman member of the Chinese mafia].

But more disturbing was the multiple Yith who approached and telepathically warned, “You have to stop Nathan. He is trying to complete what Walter started. He captured and imprisoned our Yith member who replaced Osterman who tried to thwart him.” They opened another portal to the scene within the Kreuz Observatory. We could see Nathan and Ursula struggling.

Equatorial Room: For a moment, Nathan came to his senses, “You’re right. I’ve seen it: the future is beetles while the past is Yith. Forget the ritual and just send me back to 1892 so I can stop this from ever happening.” But then he snapped back to his quest, “Ya Yog Sothoth, I am your Lord of Time. Let me be your avatar.” Ursula feebly tried to stop him as she raised the shotgun she’d recovered, “Never! This is madness!” “CLICK.” Nathan grabbed the shotgun from her hands and opened the barrels, “Not even loaded.” He reached into his pocket and loaded both barrels.

And that’s when we arrived through a new portal. Nathan raised his shotgun and fired at Flint who failed to dodge and thus fell unconscious [1 HP left]. Jules rushed across the catwalk and wrestled the shotgun from Nathan’s grasp. Flo watched the chaos unfold. Which prompted Nathan to call out, “Kiziah, join me to rule the world.” [POW failure] Flo felt the inner witch take control of her body.

[During actual gaming I said Ling found a tire-iron but this Ling never was in the Chicago scene] Ling found a monkey-wrench near the machines and sprung forward striking Nathan [extreme: 6pt].

Still conscious, Nathan backed up as he tried to reason, “Can’t you see? We don’t matter to these aliens. They just want to take over Earth for themselves.”

Jules tackled Nathan, but in their struggle, Nathan fought back with a knife and shanked Jules in the stomach.

Ling stood over the prone Nathan and swung with her wrench [Critical]. [opposed brawl- critical but lesser of the two]. Nathan’s eyes fluttered shut as he fell unconscious as he began to bleed out.

EPILOGUE

Using her key, Ursula closed the portal: the pulsing energy receded. The energy monster outside the observatory dissipated.

Flint was rushed to a hospital. He is slowly recovering in a wheelchair.

Ling followed her mobster instincts and is back working for the Chinese mafia.

Nathan was checked into the local asylum where he is routinely gagged when he bursts out in his tiring chant, “Ya Yog Sothoth, I am your Lord of Time. Let me be your avatar.”

 [failed POW check] Flo went back to her university studies. Where Kiziah secretly plots to break Nathan out of the sanitarium so they can take over the world as promised.