Story 001: The Haunting at the Edge of Darkness

[Charles Warren]

THE INVESTIGATORS:


Brother Maynard
- (Jason)
- Age 45, Franciscan monk living in Boston, friend and confidant of Dr. Arthur Basham


Malachai Tobias Dexter
- (Joey)
- Age 21, veteran of the Great War, obsessed with ancient stone tablet he found during the war, mentally scarred, a patient of Dr. Arthur Basham

Dr. James "Jim" Daniel
- (Scott)
- Age 30, Professor of Chemistry and Physics at Suffolk University in Boston, friend and colleague of Dr. Arthur Basham

Robert Sandburg
- (Sean)
- Age 34, historian from New York, writer on Psychology and Mesmerism, friend of Dr. Arthur Basham.

And later,

Inspector Kyle of the Boston Police Department
- (Scott)

---

Pemberton Square

Chapter 1

On March 1st, 1920, the investigators are invited to the home and office of Dr. Arthur Basham, psychologist and retired professor at Suffolk University.


Dr. Arthur Basham

Dr. Basham's former housekeeper, Gabriella Macario, has suffered a tragedy and Basham asks the investigators to assist. He introduces them to Adolpho Macario, her brother-in-law, who relays the story to them.


Adolpho Macario


Vittorio and Gabriella Macario

In 1918, Gabriella left Dr. Basham's service when the family was hired to keep the grounds of an abandoned church in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. Three months ago, the husband and wife became violently insane and were committed to Roxbury Asylum. The children were sent to live with Adolpho and his wife in Baltimore. But the two boys are now suffering the same initial symptoms. They speak of seeing a man with a great eye, or with no eye at all. Adolpho is afraid that the madness will soon take them as well. He begs them to find out what happened to the Macario's before it happens to the children too.

The investigators decide to first visit the couple at the asylum. Upon leaving, they get the feeling that they are being followed.


Roxbury Asylum


Dr. Henry Bernard, Roxbury Asylum

The investigators present a letter from Dr. Basham and are received by the head psychologist, Dr. Henry Bernard. Bernard instantly mistrusts them, because of the illusive and strange behavior of Jim, who pretends to be a psychologist. They claim the visit is some sort of therapy for Malacai. Dr. Bernard reluctantly takes them down to the basement to see Vittorio, under the condition that they do not agitate him.

They enter Vittorio's padded cell, but find him in a straight jacket, incoherent and babbling about an eye and about a "granter of secrets." Jim finally shakes Vittorio, demanding that he tell them what he knows. Vittorio goes wild and bites Malacai's cheek, refusing to let go. Malacai cracks Vittorio on the head with the stone tablet. The orderlies subdue Vittorio and Dr. Bernard angrily leads them back up to the infirmary.

While a doctor stitches up Malacai, Dr. Bernard makes an angry phone call to Dr. Basham. Then he throws the investigators out of the asylum, warning them never to return. But Malacai is able to swipe the Macario's medical file as they leave.

The investigators then spend the next day or so going to City Hall, Police Headquarters, and the Boston Globe to try to learn what they can about Macario and the house. They discover many things about the strange happenings in the condemned church and its former owner.


William Corbett, owner of the house until his death in 1866

When leaving Police Headquarters, Jim sees the man who has been following them and sneaks up on him in his car.


Henry Ellis, Private Investigator

The man is a private investigator named Ellis, who says he works for Saleeby and Cox, the law firm that owns the land that the house and the church are on. He's not happy to be caught and leads the investigators to the offices of his employers.


James Cox, of Saleeby and Cox

Mr. Cox tells the investigators that Adopho Macario has been stirring up the neighborhood, making it impossible for them to find a new family to keep the grounds. He threatens them with legal action if Adolpho or them tresspass on the grounds or spread slanderous lies about the property.

As they are being shown out, Malacai brandishes his stone tablet. Cox seems somehow affected by it. Ellis is affected too, although he seems more upset, while Cox displays an almost trance-like calm.


A representation of the sigil found on the stone tablet discovered by Malacai Tobias Dexter during the Great War.

Later the investigators visit the Boston Globe where they meet the journalist Ashton Tate. Mr. Tate is fascinated by their tale and insists on helping them.


Ashton Tate, of the Boston Globe

That evening the investigators, with Tate, decide to explore the old house.


The condemned church at the end of Mercer Street.


The house behind the condemned church

Under the cover of darkness, the investigators slip onto the church grounds and back to the house. Someone sees a shape in a window. They crowbar open the back door and enter.

There are sounds of someone moving upstairs, so Malacai and Mr. Tate rush upstairs. They find no one, but lured by a tapping at the window, Malacai steps closer to inspect. Tate begins to scream. Malacai turns and sees that the journalist has gone made, having seen a black, unameable shape writing under the bed. But before he can move it smashes the bed against Malacai. He smashes through the window and crashes into the yard two stories below, cracking his ribs.

Brother Maynard rushes around the house and begins dragging Malacai away, just in time to see Mr. Tate standing at the window. He stretches out his arms and says "Blessed be the Granter of Secrets!" Then he swan dives out of the window to lie unmoving on the lawn.

Meanwhile, Jim and Robert approach the locked basement door. Jim decides to use a dose of phosphorus to burn through the door, but he becomes paralyzed by Tate's screams upstairs. Robert watches as Jim calmly lights the fuse on the phosphorus and then throws it into his mouth! Jim makes a horrific noise as he rushes out of the house and collapses in the yard. Robert is horrified as he sees the phosphorus has melted away Jim's jaw and throat.

Malacai and Brother Maynard huddle by the iron fence, waiting. They see a shape in the window above. Malacai lifts the tablet up to it, and the two seem to see tentacles of moonlight rise from the tablet and the figure!

Robert grabs a container of gasoline and prepares to douse the house. But when he sees another shape in the window above, he drops the can and runs to Malacai and Brother Maynard.

They flee and call the police. Robert takes Malacai to a hospital. Brother Maynard flees back to the home of the archbishop, with whom he confides in. But the archbishop does not believe his wild stories.

The investigators learn that Dr. Jim Daniel was found dead by the police. And Ashton Tate was found with a broken ankle and a broken arm and also quite mad. He was taken to Roxbury Asylum.

A few days later, the investigators gather at Dr. Basham's home to be interviewed by Inspector Kyle, who has been charged with investigating the odd happenings at the house on the church grounds. They tell him everything and Inspector Kyle both shaken by what he hears and determined to help them find out what is going on.

Brother Maynard's prayers have given him the idea that they should explore the vacant church.

Inspector Kyle drives them there during the day and talks their way past the patrolman who has been put there.

Inside the church, they find strange markings similar to the sigil on Malacai's tablet. They get the sense that quite recently, many people have been here for some sort of unspeakable service.

The investigators wipe the symbol away as best as they can, then explore the basement. There they discover, among other things, a book that appears to be bound in human skin!


A book bound in human skin

Inspector Kyle is unhinged by the alien characters he reads in the book, and casts a stick of dynamite into the basement. The investigators escape, but it causes the collapse of part of the church.

Later, Inspector Kyle explains to his superiors that they discovered a cache of explosives and that a spark from a cigarette ignited it.

Then Inspector Kyle begins to study the book, consumed by what he find there, although the knowledge therein claws at his very sanity.

(Next game session will be Friday July 20)

[Charles Warren]

THE INVESTIGATORS:


Brother Maynard
- (Jason)
- Age 45, Franciscan monk living in Boston, friend and confidant of Dr. Arthur Basham


Malachai Tobias Dexter
- (Joey)
- Age 21, veteran of the Great War, obsessed with ancient stone tablet he found during the war, mentally scarred, a patient of Dr. Arthur Basham

Mark Chrisculio
-(Nathan)
-Age 30, brother of Gabriella Vittorio, a drifter who has recently discovered that his sister's family has descended into madness.

Edgar Lewis
-(Scott)
-Age 32, a writer and occultist, he was consulted by Inspector Kyle in his investigation of the strange matter of the Mercer House.

---

Chapter 2

Dr. James Daniel's funeral is held a week later, and Brother Maynard and Malachai Tobias Dexter accompany Dr. Arthur Basham. Adolpho Macario arrives, bringing with him the brother of Gabriella Vittorio Mark Chrisculio. They are all approached by one Edgar Lewis, who says that he worked with Inspector Kyle, who has two days ago been committed to the Roxbury Asylum for the Insane.

The funeral is plagued with talk of the strange manner of Dr. Daniel's death and with rumors of possible criminal activities. After the burial, Dr. Basham invites every one back to his townhouse on Pemberton Square.

They gather in Basham's study with the curtains drawn tight. Basham is weak and his health has declined due to the blow of losing one of his closest friends. Basham is convinced that there must be some sort of hallucenogenic chemical agent present at the house that is causing this sort of madness. Brother Maynard insists that it is the work of the devil. Malachai claims that there is a creature or a ghost tied to the stone tablet he discovered in the Great War. He thinks it is the ghost of William Corbett. Edgar Lewis agrees that the occult is involved and wishes to see the book bound in human skin.


The stone tablet discovered by Malacai Tobias Dexter during the Great War.

After some debate, the investigators work deep into the night researching the book. They find that it contains rituals by which they think caused what is happening in the house and Lewis feels he can modify them to undo what has been done. The only missing components of the ritual are an unidentified "essence of the worm" and a specific sacrificial dagger.

Malachai, Lewis, and Chrisculio study into the morning hours, while the rest of the household retire to bedrooms. Malachai is awoken by the sound of glass breaking. Arising, he sees that someone has broken into the back door. He shouts, "Intruder!" but the men in the study are talking too loudly to hear him.


On the right sits Reverend Michael Thomas, who escaped from prison a few years ago.

Four masked gunmen emerge from the dark hallway below, one of which Maynard will later learn to be the Reverend Michael Thomas, the man who lead the Church of Contemplation and who was quietly arrested.

One man creeps up the stairs after Brother Maynard, while the others burst into the study and hold Lewis, Malachai, and Chrisculio at gunpoint. Thomas takes the stone tablet and Malachai lunges for him. Gunfire breaks out and Malachai and Lewis are shot. Maynard overpowers the gunmen on the stairs with a cudgel. The hankerchief covering his face falls, and he sees that it is Henry Ellis, the investigator working for James Cox. But the other gunmen emerge from the room and tell Maynard to drop the cudgel.

Maynard complies, but wanting to be rid of the accursed book, he asks them why they are leaving the book. Thomas seems suprised, but sends a man back to get it and they flee.

When the police arrive, Maynard tells them that they were attacked by Henry Ellis, who works for Saleeby and Cox.

Malacai and Lewis are rushed to a hospital. Malacai is hospitilized for four weeks. Lewis is released after two weeks and recuperates in Basham's townhouse. Maynard is sent on vacation to the countryside by the archbishop to recuperate. Chrisculio moves in with Dr. Basham and cares for him as his health declines.

During the four weeks, they learn that Ellis was arrested. James Cox told the police that he worked alone in burglarizing Dr. Basham's house. Ellis was freed on bail a few weeks later and has since disappeared.

Four weeks after the shooting, the investigators meet at Dr. Basham's townhouse again. Dr. Basham has resolved to abandon the investigation. Too many have suffered because of it, but Malacai changes his mind, urging him to think of those who could be saved. In the end, the investigators, including Dr. Basham decide to visit the Mercer House.

They drive to Mercer Street and see that two workmen are tending to the grass. Chrisculio pulls the car up and they begin to question the men. He gives them five dollars and the men look nervous and say that the devil is in the church and that strange things happen at night. As they speak, they notice many of the people on the street have frozen and stare at them with blank faces. A watchmen emerges from the house yelling at the investigators. Malacai tells the workmen to jump into the car, and they do. When the watchman gets to the car, Chrisculio points a gun at him and drives away.

After some argument, the investigators finally agree to return that night. The workmen leave in a hurry, frightened by what they hear the investigators discussing.

That evening, the investigators return. This time they park far away and approach from the rear of the property. Malachai sneaks through the treeline and sees lights coming from the condemned church. As he watches, he sees men, women, and children from Mercer Street walking in their nightclothes as if in a trance into the church. He can hear them chanting "Sadu-Hem."



Malachai reports back and the investigators decide to approach the house. They break in through the back door and hear a radio playing in the kitchen. Strange noises begin upstairs, but Malachai urges them to ignore them.

They break into the basement and make their way down the steps. They break through a wooden wall and discover a crude stone room. On each wall are symbols identical to Malachai's stone. On a stone slab in the center of the room lies the bloated, fat body of William Corbett. Out of his stomach rises a fungus stalk, wriggling with wormy extensions. It's bulbous head is capped with a wet eye, very much like a stinging caterpillars.

Dr. Basham momentarily loses his sanity and tries to stab Chrisculio with a sacrificial dagger he has found. Brother Maynard slaps it from his hand.

Edgar Lewis, possessed by lust for Occult knowledge begins to chant the name of Sadu-Hem. He writhes as a caterpillar eye stalk grows from his head. Malachai kills Lewis with his rifle.

Brother Maynard flees, but is met at the top of the stairs by the watchman, also with an eye stalk coming out of his head. Maynard bursts past him and out of the house, leaving Dr. Basham, Malachai, and Chrisculio to fight him.

Outside, Maynard sees the people of Mercer Street have gathered around the house, still in a trance. Reverend Thomas is there dressed in an occult robe. James Cox is there too, holding Malachai's stone. Maynard breaks through them and flees into the treeline.

Inside, the investigators have killed the watchmen, but soon after the Reverend Thomas, Cox and another man descend the steps. Reverend Thomas tells them of the glories of Sadu-Hem, the Granter of Secrets. He shows them the book bound in human skin. But soon, Cox and the other man begin to grow eye-stalks and the investigators open fire on them.

Cox and the other man are killed. But Reverend Thomas kills Malachai, by digging his hand into Malachai's chest. As he does, Malachai's flesh turns into wriggling worm-grubs and before the others can kill him, Reverend Thomas rips Malachai's heart from his chest. The heart begins to spawn blood red worm-grubs.

Seeing that he is not being followed, Brother Maynard rushes back into the house to help the others. He arrives just in time to help them kill Reverend Thomas, who's body has become soft, like cottage cheese.

The investigators now enter the stone room to try to perform the ritual that will dispel the evil here. They draw the horrible symbols around Corbett's body using the sacrificial dagger and the ichor of the worms. And for two hours they chant the words from the yellowed pages found in the book bound in human skin.

The walls around them seem to creak and shift as if geometry has become meaningless, but still they chant. Finally, with the chant almost complete, a repulsive creature, a thing like a giant leech, appears crashes into the chamber.

Brother Maynard goes mad just by the sight of it and collapses to the floor gibbering.

Dr. Basham tries to shoot the thing, while Chrisculio continues the chant. It latches on to Dr. Basham's face and soon he is dead. Chrisculio alone continues to chant, as the thing turns to face him. Knowing the chant is nearly through, Chrisculio let's the thing killhim, so he can finish the ritual with his dying words.


The thing that drove Brother Maynard mad, and killed Dr. Arthur Basham and Mark Chrisculio

Outside of the house, the sky is filed with a sick, green aurora borealis. The begins to be eaten, not by termites, but by impossible grub-like worms. With a horrible sound that defies description, the house collapses in upon itselft. The ground buckles and the whole thing crashes down into a sink hole.

The people of Mercer Street break out of their trance, unable to remember why they were there. And when they look down into the sinkhole, they see not the remains of a house, but something like a brown, as if great coils of mucus had tried into crust and begun to flake away!