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coc:prov:log:s01edgeofdarkness

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Edge of Darkness

[April 15. 1925] (In-person Session, Feb. 27. 16:00)

A former Professor of Brown University has sent the investigators a distressing Telegram asking for help. They travel to Arkham's St. Mary Hospital to figure out what riled him up.

The Investigators

  • Dr. Evelyn Winters
  • Montgomery O'Shae
  • Augustus Thaddeus Johnson III
  • Frederick McCraken

Report

Surprised to run into each other in Arkham after surviving the events at Fox Island the four investigators visited Dr. Merriweather's hospital room. He was in bad shape and barely able to get across a grim warning about a terrible beast he and his friends had summoned during his youth, which was supposedly bound by his life force. While handing over a box of clues and information about its banishment he slipped into a coma.

The investigators then investigated the contents of the box (an apology letter, a diary about the events leading up to the summoning of the monster, a deed and key to a farm near Ross' Corner, and a small empty golden sarcophagus). Augustus studied the diary in detail, finding out much about the “Dark Brotherhood”, its leader Marion Allen, and the other four members apart from Merriweather. Evelyn and Montgomery visited the Orne Library to search for books mentioned in the it. They found that the sarcophagus was likely a genuine artifact from Egypt that used to contain 4 pieces of Amber, though only one was left when the Brotherhood acquired it. Trying to get access to the DeVermiis Mysterii, failed after Dr. Henry Armitage refused to open the restricted section to the investigators. Meanwhile Frederick stopped at two antiques stores in Downtown and an esoterics shop near the MU campus. Neither yielded useful information apart from being pointed to MU's Egyptology department for a translation of the symbols on the golden sarcophagus.

After discussing their initial investigations they went over all their documents again and decided to visit the accursed farmhouse the same day. They stopped at Ross' Corner to ask for directions before entering the derelict farm, well equipped with lamps and guns. A short but violent encounter with a hobo that took up residence there ensued, but after he had fled they were free to investigate the farmhouse. They found the summoning materials and banishment instructions left by the late Marion Allen as well as traces of the ritual that started this problem in the first place.

It took several hours to prepare the house for the banishment rite and just as everything was arranged the monster made itself known by audibly leaving the attic. Shortly before midnight some investigators heard the tortured screams of a man in the distant darkness.

But there was no time to investigate, the dust was thrown into the fire and Montgomery, Evelyn and Frederick started their two hour chant, while Augustus stood watch outside the circle. Realizing the nature of the ritual, the beast in the attic tried to distract and interrupt the investigators in gruesome ways, going as far as resurrecting the corpses of his animal and human victims. The protective seals on the farmhouse helped to keep the Undead outside of the house, but once they started clawing at the arcane marks Augustus had no choice but to destroy the risen corpses. Meanwhile the chanters fought with fatigue, foul stench, raining acid and other tricks of the beast. Yet they persevered and managed to make it to the end of the ritual. When the monster revealed its true form, just before being entrapped in amber, Evelyn and Augustus' psyche took a heavy blow. But the monster was once again bound and put into it's sarcophagus for safe-keeping.

Panicking about the two human corpses now present at the farm, the investigators decided to burn it all down and leave, hoping that all traces to them would be purged by the flames.

Aftermath

  • The investigators now possess a golden sarcophagus containing a monster, purportedly a djinn, trapped in amber,
  • several documents detailing rituals to release and entrap said Djinn,
  • and an unregistered deed to the now burnt farm near Ross' Corner.
  • Having been seen at the village general store the day after the disappearance of Maggie Phirter and the day of the Merriweather farm fire might lead to consequences down the road.
  • Police investigators indeed followed the trail back to Augustus (Bertrand seemed to have been eager to mention his grand-cousins visit). Augustus reported that he and his compatriots inspected the farm on behalf of his late great-uncle and that the group and, having found nothing of note, left at 8pm.
  • After three weeks, the police concluded that the case was a murder suicide commited by the second charred corpse found in the house.

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