Masks of Nyarlathothep (Call of Cthulhu) (Completed)

[Richard Loh]

Masks of Nyarlathothep

The Investigators
Skye Thomson - Alienist (Psychologist)
Changchiro Takushi - Yakuza boss
Henry Hassenfeld - Antiquarian
Maria Rodriguez - Athlete
Ivan Smith - "Not a Russian" Spy

Secondary Investigators
Keiko Cain - Girlfriend of Sky Thomson

Retired Investigators
Forrest Peng - Petty thief (Stayed in London to try to make a fortune!)
Kirk Bretz - Pizzeria owner/driver (Stayed in London to learn more pizza making techniques.)
Sam Slade - Police detective (Recalled back to New York after taking a sabbatical in England.)
Abraham Tesla - Criminal underworld driver

Christine Darling - Broadway actress (Got her first lead!)
Casicus Ballchanger "Cassie" - Antique dealer

[Richard Loh]

15 Jan 1925 (Thu)
Investigators found Jackson Elias killed in a ritual murder by the Cult of the Bloody Tongue.
They subdued all 3 cultists and turned them in to the 14th Precinct.
Lt Poole, a homicide detective, recognized Sam Slade and informed him that this is the ninth ritual murder. Apparently, eight others existed, before Captain Robson captured a suspect, Hilton Adams, who is now residing in Sing Sing.
Captain Robson is also suspected to be a corrupt cop.

16 Jan 1925 (Fri)
Received a call from Jonah Kensington, owner of Prospero House (publisher of Jackson's books) to attend Jackson's funeral on 17 Jan at 2pm.
Investigators found evidence that Capt Robson is bribed by Ju-Ju House. Investigating the premises, four police officers were slain, by ciimba which resulted in the suspension of Sam Slade's badge.
The high priest of the cult is supposed to be one M'Dari, whose address cannot be obtained.
Evidence of Capt Robson's corruption has also been turned in to Capt Pete Mitchell, Sam Slade's police chief.

(Scenario ends at 16 Jan 1925, 6pm.)

[Richard Loh]

17 Jan 1925 (Sat)

The investigators had a chat with Erica Carlyle, sister of Roger Carlyle. She agrees to help as much as she can, and loaned them four sets of books. They are:
- The Pnakoptic Manuscripts
- Selections de Livre D'Ivon
- Amongst the Stones
- Life as a God
Keiko Cain have commenced reading the Pnakoptic Manuscripts, whilst both Christine Darling and Cassie started on Life as a God.

Swinging to nearby Sing Sing, where Hilton Adams is incarcerated, they had a chat with him, and all signs point to the high priest, M'Dari as the main culprit.

Moving on to the funeral of Jackson Elias, the investigators are introduced to Carlton Ramsey, his niece Willa Sligh, as well as making the acquaintance of New York Times reporter, Rebecca Shosenburg. Carlton Ramsey invited the investigators to the reading of Jackson Elias' will on Mon, afternoon, 19 Jan 1925.

The investigators managed to secure the help of Rebecca Shosenburg, who brought them over to meet Millie Adams, the wife of Hilton Adams. She maintained her husband's innocence and was particularly upset about his friends, who used to be in the Harlem Hellfighters.

At Teddy's Saloon, the investigators managed to secure the help of Hilton's friends in the hope of finding out where M'Dari is residing. They are Needham Johnson, Douglas Fells, Art Mills, and Jackie Wallace.

(Scenario ends on 17 Jan 1925, 8.45pm)

[Richard Loh]

27 Mar 1925, 8:45pm

Christine Darling bought all 5 paintings from Miles Shipley.
They are:

"Ancient Science"
An alchemist's laboratory in which vials pour forth foul-looking gas. Working at a table is a reptilian humanoid, who seems eagerly involved in the dissection of a creature. Due to the blood and lack of recognizable features, it is impossible to determine the identity of the creature being cut apart.

"The Dark Pharoah"
A processional scene from ancient Egypt in which a golden chariot passes through a mass of people who have fallen to their knees in reverence. Atop the chariot is a pharoah dressed in black and gold robes, whose face is turned away from the viewer. Behind the figure, two men have been impaled on stakes; eviscerated, their internal organs hang down to the ground and are being eaten by a pack of jackals.

"Goat Wood"
Nighttime in a woodland scene, a yellow moon casts sickly rays through dark branches upon a group of naked men and women, who cavort around a bonfire. Rising from the flames is the image of a goat-headed man, whose outstretched arms seem to be conducting the crazed antics of the witches.

"Drawn in Blood"
The unsettling and stomach-churning scene of a man being cut open with a silver dagger, held in the hand of a black-robed figure. An act of ritual blood sacrifice, upon the victim's chest has been carved an occult-looking sigil, which seems to twist and move when viewed.

"Black Mountain"
A towering mountain, possible in Africa over which rises a monstrous demonic creature, its head a great tentacle swathed in blood. Near a temple-like building, tiny human figures lift their hands imploringly skyward, in supplication to the hellish god-like entity. From each of the humans' heads a red tongue or tentacle dangles, looking closely, these appear to be ceremonial headpieces.

[Richard Loh]

Current clues:

Jonah Kensington directed the investigators to Mickey Mahoney, the editor of The Scoop.
Talking to Mickey, they found that Jackson Elias was interested in 3 pieces of news from the tabloid.
- Miles Shipley paintings (solved, as the source of his visions come from the strange drug injected)
- Strange beast attacks in Lesser Edale
- Egyptian Murders, reward provided

Visiting Edward Gavigan at the Penhew Foundation, the investigators found the following
- An unlocked safe box, containing GBP 100
- A photograph of a three storey manor, labelled Misr House
- A telegram from Dr. H Clive updating Gavigan on the works at Mycerinus' Pyramid in the Giza plateau in Egypt.

Blue Pyramid Club is owned by Abdul Nawisha.
He is purportedly afraid of Zahra Shafik, owner of Empire Spices. Below information is given by Yalesha Essam, a belly dancer in the club.
- Zahra and a few guests of the Blue Pyramid Club belongs to the Brotherhood of the Black Pharoah.
- Once a month, around midight, up to 24 Blue Pyramid Club guests will board a truck which seems to head outside of London. 
- Yalesha's boyfriend was murdered by a member of the Brotherhood.

Egyptian Murders modus operandi involves bones broken by a blunt object before a sharp spike was driven into the heart.

Misr House is a manor on an island in Essex.
Lesser Edale is 170 miles north of London.

Notes:
Christine Darling showed the Sceptre and the ceremonial headpiece from the Cult of the Bloody Tongue to Edward Gavigan.
The investigators are chased by the Thing in the Fog. (Chase scene!)

[Richard Loh]

28 Mar 1925, 6pm

Fleeing the Thing in the Fog (which the investigators later learnt was sent by Edward Gavigan), the investigators spent the night in a hotel, aware that the Thing is afraid of bright lights.

With Skye Thomson distracting Zahra Shafik, Sam Slade sneaked into Zahra's apartment, which is located above Empire Spices and stole some items, which upon checking with Professor James Bourbon, confirms that the items she picked up are paraphernalia of the Brotherhood of the Black Pharoah. 

Within, are also instructions on how to use the Mirror of Gal.
By applying obra'an, and concentrating on something (be it a person, item, or a place), the viewer should be able to see the thing in question.
By applying gabeshgal, it allows the viewer to attempt to physically harm the target, or induce great fear in them.

With such knowledge, the investigators headed back to Zahra Shafik and brutally murdered her, and her fanatical boyfriend by framing his boyfriend as a cultist, who sought Zahra's death. 

Notes:
- The boyfriend, Ehto was shot twice by Cassicus Ballchanger. Planting the pistol on Zahra's body, the investigators hoped to convince Inspector James Barrington that they were in-fighting, and that Ehto is responsible for the Egyptian Murders.
- Zahra Shafik mentioned that the next meeting at Misr House would be tonight. (28 Mar 1925)

Used once of each obra'an and gabeshgal.

[Richard Loh]

Egypt

02 May 1925, 11:00

By exploring the secret tunnels underneath the Mycerinous Pyramid, the Investigators discovered the Great Chamber of Nyarlathothep, where they found the missing mummy of Queen Nitocris.
Even Dr. Ali Kafour, the chief Egyptologist of the Egyptian Museum thinks so. 

Distance of locations from nearest to furthest from Cairo:
Cairo - Giza (4 mi) - Memphis (12 mi) - Dahshur (23 mi) - Meidum (60 mi) - El Wasta (65 mi)

Memphis (The Clive Expedition)
Dashur (Bent Pyramid)
Meidum (Collapsed Pyramid)
El Wasta (Nuri, mother of one of the dig site workers)

Omar al-Shakti (Prominent member of the Brotherhood of the Black Pharoah, stays in a palm plantation outside of Cairo.)

Mosque of Ibn Tulun (From Faraz Najjar, the Brotherhood seeks an item within the mosque itself.)

[Richard Loh]

05 May 1925, 22:00

Changchiro was suspected (rightfully) of the murder of Martin Winfield.
Omar al-Shakti bailed Changchiro out, but was given until 08 May to leave Egypt or the group will face the consequences. Omar cannot afford to have more of his associates slaughtered by the Investigators.

Investigators also checked out the Collapsed Pyramid, and found nothing of note.
Visiting El Wasta, they found Nuri who gave them half a protection symbol.

Side note: The Investigators are reading the following books.

Maria Rodriguez - Final Confessions of Gaspar Figueroa (17 May 1925)(2 weeks full study)
Henry Hassenfeld - Africa's Dark Sects (14 Jun 1925)(6 weeks full study)
Francoise Pelletier - Equinoxe Divise (09 Aug 1925)(14 weeks full study)
Changchiro Takushi - Life As A God (12 Jul 1925)(10 weeks full study)
Skye Thomson - Pnakoptic Manuscripts (15 Jan 1926)(45 weeks full study)
Ivan "Smith" Nikolae - Amongst the Stones (24 May 1925)(2 weeks full study)

[Richard Loh]

20 May 1925 16:00

Talking to Bundari, the medicine man mentioned several things of note. 
- M'Weru resides in the Mountain of the Black Wind (Mt Satima), and that she prophesied the coming of a child on the New Moon, 2 nights from now. It is part-monster, and that, it will herald the coming of the Black Pharoah.
- Sam Mariga will be able to guide the Investigators to the Mountain of the Black Wind, and that once a year, death, plague, and famine will radiate from the Mountain, due to the summoning of the Black Wind.
Bundari also gave the Investigators two items of note, a cage containing a weird lizard, and a fly whisk which enables them to detect evils of the Mythos kind.

It is also proven from eyewitness accounts that the Carlyle Expedition did not, in fact, perish at Kenya. It was put up as such to close the case quickly. 

Setting off, the Investigators begins to rest at Nvodu Village, a day's hike away from the Mountain of the Black Wind.

[Richard Loh]

23 Jun 1925, 12:00

The Investigators tracked up to Mount Satima, also known as the Mountain of the Black Wind. Seeing many prisoners being kept for sacrifice, the Investigators took the opportunity to release Who-Is-Not-What-She-Seems and transforming into a massive monster, she wreaked havoc amongst the cultists of the Bloody Tongue.

The Investigators went full in against M'Weru, not given her a chance to complete her ceremony, and finally entering the depths of the Mountain, they found Hypatia Masters who is heavily pregnant with the Spawn of Nyarlathotep, the Investigators walked away leaving a dynamite stick in her presence. The only way to slay the Spawn of Nyarlathotep is to prevent it's very birth.

In the meantime, Who laid waste to the cultists who journeyed to the Mountain, before it eventually retiring to the surrounding forest and thence to who knows where.

Travelling to Shanghai from Mombasa on board the White Star Line, the Investigators finally found themselves at Shanghai on the 23 Jun.

During this time, the Investigators have 4 chances to recover from Major Wounds.
Also, they can either learn a new skill (1d10+1%) or to improve 2 skills (+1d4%) with a successful POW check.
Finally, the following Investigators have completed reading their respective Mythos Tomes.
- Maria Rodriguez (17 May 1925) - Completed, 
- Henry Hassenfeld (20 Sep 1925) - Book of Dzyan, Extreme English, tick Occult
- Ivan Smith Nikolae (24 May 1925) - Hard English, tick History

[Richard Loh]

28 Jun 1925; 9.30pm (China, Shanghai)

After consulting with the astrologer, Long Yun, the Investigators gleaned the name of a lady, Madam Lin Yenyu (Madam Swallow), who deals with items or subjects of a more mystical nature.

Walking to the flower house at 88 Lantern Street, they deduced that Jack Brady must be holding up with a lady, Cai Meiling. Meiling was sold off to 140 Lantern Street, before she disappeared. 

The Investigators made an appointment with Mdm Swallow but they broke it off once they received a name card whom they suspected to be Jack Brady. Turning out to be true, they came to the conclusion that Cai Meiling was kidnapped by He Fang, the High Priest of the Order of the Bloated Lady. 

Raiding his warehouse with the New China's militant arm, the Firm Action, led by Chu Ming, the Investigators looted the occult artifacts from the warehouse.

They have also gleaned the following information, to follow up on the next session.
1. He Fang's residence, to rescue Cai Meiling. Jack Brady will do this with or without the Investigators' assistance. 
2. Mdm Lin Yenyu
3. Jack Brady stole the Seven Cryptical Scrolls of Shan from Mdm Lin, within which contained the Spell of the Eye of Light and Darkness, currently being translated by Mu Xian.
4. Sir Aubrey Penhew is suspected to be building rocket parts on the Gray Dragon Island.

[Richard Loh]

13 Jul 1925 00:00 (China, Gray Dragon Island)

With Colonel Endicott starting the ritual, being the only person with enough Power to learn the spells, the Investigators each allowed the Eye of Light & Darkness to ever so slowly drain their life force, but unfortunately their chants attracted the attention of the Deep Ones cultists who sought reinforcements.

It went into a full on assault as chaos reigned as the Investigators tangled with the deep ones, a shoggoth, and in an opportunistic attack, took out Sir Audrey Penhew with a well-placed shot. 

The shoggoth's previous orders was to kill Major Bartholomew Fitch, and with it's controller dead, the shoggoth progressed with a single-mindedness towards Henry, with Maria Rodriguez doing her utmost best to stop it. Seemingly indestructible, it was so until Isoge Taro called a flare strike towards the shoggoth, where the Japanese Navy began an artillery bombardment on Gray Dragon Island itself. 

By sheer luck, the Investigators avoided seriously injury as the shells took out the shoggoth. In the meantime, Chu Min was climbing down the scaffolding around the rocket, when Penhew, (before he was killed) stunned Chu Min with his magical powers, causing him to plummet into a pool of lava.

With the antagonists on Gray Dragon Island all dead, what will the Investigators do next?