Pulp 003

[7:05 PM] Osu: So, when last we met, you all extricated yourself from being kidnapped by Nazi occultists in a magic house. You made your way out and were rescued by Sandy's mentor, Alan Swan, adventurer, inventor, and millionaire. Also her friend August Valley. You're now driving up to Alan's estate outside of Boston.

[7:06 PM] Sandy: "...so...plan is to just lay low at Swan Lake?"

[7:07 PM] Joseph: ... not for too long, I hope.

[7:08 PM] Ke: Some of us have things that need to get done

[7:08 PM] Osu: Alan:  No. We don't think you're in any actual danger from the Thule Society.

[7:08 PM] Osu: August:  Except for the kidnapping.

[7:08 PM] Osu: Alan:  Well, yes, except for kidnapping.

[7:08 PM] Osu: Alan:  But as you've seen, they have a vested interest in people like us.

[7:09 PM] Joseph: ... why do they?

[7:09 PM] Sandy: "Good question."

[7:09 PM] Osu: Alan:  It has to do with Planet X.

[7:10 PM] Osu: Alan:  Or Yuggoth, as occultists call it.

[7:10 PM] Sandy: "Where'd they get Yuggoth from?"

[7:11 PM] Osu: Alan:  Ancient texts. Snippets and fragments written down by seers and shamans and magi.

[7:11 PM] Joseph: How does it have to do with Planet X?

[7:13 PM] Osu: Alan:  Magicians have long made it their business to see into other worlds. Heavens, Hells, Faerielands. That's what Planet X is. One of those other realms that brushes against ours.

[7:13 PM] Ke: How did they know who to target?

[7:14 PM] Osu: Alan:  Rituals and divinations made more potent by the event pointed them toward the right people. And of those, they sent invites to those they deemed suitable.

[7:15 PM] Osu: August:  I'm heartbroken at not having received an invitation.

[7:15 PM] Osu: Alan:  Mmm. They're still Nazis.

[7:15 PM] Joseph: They were Nazis. They wouldn't like you.

[7:15 PM] Osu: Alan:  Exactly.

[7:16 PM] Joseph: I am not even sure why they liked certain of us.

[7:16 PM] Osu: Alan:  A little surprised that Miss Ke was invited, but I suppose their process for inviting only apparently white super-powered people isn't foolproof.

[7:17 PM] Sandy: "So, what would've happened if the kidnapping was successful?"

[7:17 PM] Osu: Alan:  They would have taken you to Planet X.

[7:17 PM] Joseph: And then?

[7:17 PM] Osu: Alan:  We're almost there.

[7:18 PM] Osu: Alan:  .... it's not a place for people.

[7:18 PM] Osu: Alan:  People that go there don't come back right.

[7:18 PM] Ke: In what way?

[7:18 PM] Osu: Alan turns August's car down a driveway almost totally obscured by woods.

[7:19 PM] Osu: Alan:  Mentally. Physically.

[7:19 PM] Joseph: shivers.

[7:19 PM] Sandy: "You're being really vague again."

[7:19 PM] Joseph: I'm not sure he is.

[7:19 PM] Osu: Alan:  There's a lot we don't know, to be honest.

[7:20 PM] Osu: The wooded dirt road gives way to this estate in the middle of the woods -- it's sprawling, with a lake at its center, and a large house built on it.

[7:21 PM] Joseph: ... very picturesque.

[7:22 PM] Sandy: "And intead of the Thules, who are Nazis, you want us in your special club who are...who, exactly?"

[7:23 PM] Osu: Alan:  This isn't the first time Planet X has brushed up against our world. You're not the first ones to gain gifts as you have.

[7:23 PM] Osu: Alan:  The last time was January 1, 1900.

[7:24 PM] Osu: Alan:  Before that was 1872.

[7:24 PM] Sandy: "...which one were you a part of?"

[7:24 PM] Osu: Alan:  1795.

[7:25 PM] Sandy: "...if I wasn't picked, would you have ever told me?"

[7:25 PM] Osu: Alan:  I don't see why I wouldn't.

[7:25 PM] Sandy: "Why didn't you before?"

[7:26 PM] Joseph: A very exclusive club, it seems.

[7:26 PM] Joseph: Also, you look very good for your age.

[7:28 PM] Sandy: "...my tools still in the garage?"

[7:28 PM] Osu: Alan:  "By the way I'm over 200 years old." It's not an easy conversation to have. And then you left.

[7:28 PM] Osu: Alan:  Thank you, I do try.

[7:28 PM] Osu: He pulls up outside of the house.

[7:29 PM] Sandy: gets out.

[7:29 PM] Joseph: pauses, and then opens his own door.

[7:29 PM] Osu: Alan:  And yes, of course, everything is where you left it.

[7:30 PM] Osu: August gets out and checks his car over.

[7:30 PM] Ke: gets out and looks at the house

[7:30 PM] Osu: Alan:  Mr. Blackwell, our associates will retrieve your car and bring it here when they're done securing the area. Same with your bike, Sandy.

[7:31 PM] Joseph: Best get her in, it's going to rain.

[7:31 PM] Osu: It's a very nice house! Old, well maintained.

[7:31 PM] Joseph: Ah, excellent. Thank you.

[7:31 PM] Ke: Were your associates watching the house yesterday?

[7:31 PM] Sandy: "Tell them to be careful.  The nitros on the bike aren't fully secured yet.  ...that could be bad if they jostle it too much."

[7:31 PM] Osu: August:  Where's the garage?

[7:32 PM] Sandy: "I can show you, August."

[7:32 PM] Joseph: You put nitros on?

[7:32 PM] Osu: August nods.

[7:32 PM] Sandy: "...yeah."

[7:32 PM] Osu: Alan:  They'll likely just put the bike on a trailer.

[7:33 PM] Sandy: "...well, congrats Alan.  I'm back.  You get your way...again."

[7:33 PM] Sandy: "Come on, August."

[7:33 PM] Joseph: .... I approve; however, I do feel it incumbent upon me to recommend wearing a helmet.

[7:33 PM] Osu: Alan gives her a look. "Yes, finally my plan to literally put an alien world in the sky and awaken your latent powers has come to fruition."

[7:34 PM] Osu: August follows Sandy.

[7:34 PM] Sandy: will show him to the garage.

[7:34 PM] Joseph: also follows Sandy.

[7:35 PM] Osu: Alan shows the rest of you into the house.

[7:35 PM] Osu: Well, Ke into the house, apparently. "We didn't know the address until August showed up."

[7:35 PM] Sandy: ((Sorry.))

[7:35 PM] Joseph: wants to see what else is in the garage.

[7:37 PM] Ke: Some one had people watching the place.

[7:38 PM] Osu: Alan:  It was probably the Thule. Another cell, perhaps. One cell in charge of the kidnapping, the other one there to sweep in if something goes wrong.

[7:40 PM] Ke: You know a lot about how they operate.

[7:41 PM] Osu: Alan:  Know your enemy. We've been watching how they operate in other countries. They've only recently become more active in the States.

[7:42 PM] Ke: How recently?

[7:46 PM] Osu: Alan:  We stumbled over a cell in New York about a year ago.

[7:49 PM] Ke: Other than the cell and the party tonight what else have they done?

[7:51 PM] Osu: Alan:  We caught them trying to break into the hidden library of the Black Hart. It's a trove of occult knowledge that the Society has been guarding since vanquishing its master a few years back.

[7:54 PM] Osu: Alan shows you into a sitting room. "You hungry?  Thirsty?  I can have the kitchen send up some coffee if you need it."

[7:57 PM] Ke: Tea and rice if you have any

[7:57 PM] Osu: Alan:  I'll see what we can do.

[7:58 PM] Osu: Alan excuses himself for a moment, leaving you alone in the room.

[7:58 PM] Ke: will look around the room for anything interesting

[8:01 PM] Osu: There's three doors out of this sitting room. There's expensive looking paintings, a nice little table and a couple of couches. You can give me a Perception+INvestigation roll.

[8:01 PM] Ke: ((Am I still at minus 2 dice?))

[8:02 PM] Osu: ((Nah, I'll say you've had some time to recover.))

[8:03 PM] Ke: ((2 successes))

[8:04 PM] Osu: You think there's something behind one of the paintings.

[8:06 PM] Ke: will listen and if she doesn’t hear anyone will check behind the painting.

[8:06 PM] Osu: Perception + Awareness.

[8:06 PM] Ke: ((1 success))

[8:07 PM] Osu: You don't hear anything!

[8:07 PM] Ke: will check behind the painting

[8:08 PM] Osu: There's a safe!

[8:10 PM] Ke: ((How big is the Safe door?))

[8:10 PM] Osu: It's not a big one. Maybe one foot wide, one and a half to two feet tall.

[8:11 PM] Ke: ((1 success on seeing if anyone is coming))

[8:11 PM] Osu: You don't hear anyone.

[8:11 PM] Ke: ((Can I try safecracking ?would that be legerdemain?))

[8:12 PM] Osu: Yep, Legerdemain.

[8:12 PM] Ke: will try and crack the safe ((3 successes))

[8:14 PM] Osu: You crack it!

[8:15 PM] Ke: will open it and take a look inside.

[8:15 PM] Osu: You find a card in there, with very nice handwriting that says 'It's amazing what you can learn about someone when you leave them alone in your room for a few minutes."

[8:16 PM] Ke: will take the card close the safe and replace the painting.

[8:18 PM] Osu: You guys walk up and find Alan waiting outside the sitting room with a little cart with some food and a tea service, sipping a cup of coffee. "Find everything where you left it, Sandra?"

[8:18 PM] Sandy: "Precisely.  Thanks."

[8:19 PM] Joseph: May I?

[8:19 PM] Osu: He opens the sitting room door and wheels the cart in. "Please, help yourselves."

[8:19 PM] Osu: At this point Ke has put everything back where it was.

[8:19 PM] Ke: is sitting on a couch in the room looking out a window.

[8:20 PM] Osu: Alan smiles at Ke. "Sorry it took me a bit, we're a bit short staffed right now."

[8:20 PM] Osu: Alan:  Hopefully you weren't too bored.

[8:20 PM] Joseph: pours tea and offers it to the others before pouring himself a cup.

[8:20 PM] Ke: Wasn’t that long

[8:21 PM] Sandy: "So...when do we meet your secret society?"

[8:21 PM] Joseph: ... and might I trouble you for an aspirin? It has been a trying day.

[8:21 PM] Ke: No, you have a fascinating house.

[8:22 PM] Ke: will drink some tea

[8:23 PM] Osu: He offers Joe some aspirin. "When they finish up in Boston.  You'll just have to deal with me for now."

[8:23 PM] Joseph: swallows it, and sips tea.

[8:23 PM] Joseph: Deal with?

[8:24 PM] Sandy: "...you give Penny the night off?"

[8:24 PM] Osu: Alan:  It's rather late.

[8:24 PM] Joseph: checks the clock.

[8:25 PM] Osu: Almost midnight.

[8:25 PM] Sandy: "Oh yeah, it did get late."

[8:25 PM] Joseph: The night is young.

[8:25 PM] Ke: It is

[8:25 PM] Osu: Alan:  Not when you're my age.

[8:26 PM] Joseph: I should think hardly anyone is.

[8:26 PM] Sandy: "Which is apparently 150."

[8:26 PM] Sandy: "...did you know George Washington?"

[8:27 PM] Osu: Alan:  Not personally.

[8:53 PM] Joseph: Thank you for the tea.

[8:53 PM] Sandy: "...so, we wait out tonight.  I'll call the diner, inform them I'm sick."

[8:53 PM] Osu: Alan:  I'm afraid that we didn't have any rice, miss.

[8:53 PM] Joseph: Diner?

[8:54 PM] Sandy: Sandy: "I waitress at a diner."

[8:55 PM] Joseph: Ah, I see. Which one?

[8:55 PM] Ke: tea is good for now.

[8:56 PM] Joseph: It does rather restore the soul, doesn't it?

[8:58 PM] Sandy: Ruthie's.

[8:58 PM] Ke: Reminds me of home

[8:58 PM] Sandy: I work at Ruthie's Diner.

[8:58 PM] Sandy: "China?"

[8:59 PM] Joseph: Do they do those cheese sandwiches?

[8:59 PM] Sandy: "They do.  Get it with the tomato soup.  You dunk it, it's good."

[8:59 PM] Joseph: That sounds amazing.

[9:00 PM] Osu: Alan sits down. "What do you do, Mr. Blackwell?

[9:00 PM] Joseph: ... do?

[9:00 PM] Osu: Alan:  How do you spend your days?

[9:01 PM] Joseph: That's a rather personal question, don't you feel?

[9:01 PM] Osu: Alan:  Usually not.

[9:01 PM] Osu: Alan:  Some one say it's just under 'weather' as the smallest of small talk.

[9:01 PM] Joseph: Most people would say I do as little as possible, I suppose.

[9:02 PM] Osu: Alan:  No career then? No hobbies or interests or pursuits?

[9:03 PM] Sandy: "Women?"

[9:03 PM] Osu: Alan:  Rather crass, Sandy.

[9:05 PM] Joseph: Not inaccurate, however. I read a bit. I write letters. I drive a bit, though I should be put to shame with the skills of those present.

[9:05 PM] Sandy: "You can read minds."

[9:05 PM] Joseph: A gift which I was given through no merit of my own and even less virtue.

[9:05 PM] Osu: Alan:  I assume that's a rather recent development.

[9:06 PM] Joseph: Indeed.

[9:06 PM] Joseph: I swim on a daily basis, does that help?

[9:07 PM] Osu: Alan:  One never knows.

[9:07 PM] Sandy: ".............that explains a bit."

[9:07 PM] Joseph: Swimming does?

[9:07 PM] Sandy: blushes. "Because you...said you wanted to swim earlier.  So...it's clearly a thing...you do."

[9:08 PM] Joseph: I do. At the bottom of the pool, trouble seems... very removed.

[9:08 PM] Ke: is just sipping tea and listening to the conversation.

[9:08 PM] Osu: Alan turns toward Ke. "And you, Miss...?  I don't think I ever caught your name.  Though I do believe I recognize you."

[9:11 PM] Ke: Ke will do and I am currently attached to “Edward Young’s Traveling Spectacular” perhaps you caught one of our performances.

[9:11 PM] Osu: Alan:  That would be the case, yes. I do enjoy the circus.

[9:12 PM] Joseph: The circus? Intriguing.

[9:12 PM] Sandy: "That sounds cool.  What'd you do there?"

[9:14 PM] Ke: Acrobatics ,knife throwing, things like that ,depends on the show

[9:14 PM] Joseph: Knife throwing! How very clever.

[9:15 PM] Sandy: "That sounds wicked."

[9:16 PM] Ke: It’s a living

[9:16 PM] Joseph: A good one, I hope?

[9:17 PM] Ke: A temporary one most likely, I move around a fair bit

[9:18 PM] Sandy: "...what's the big mission here?"

[9:19 PM] Joseph: nods.

[9:19 PM] Joseph: So do I.

[9:20 PM] Joseph: Mission?

[9:21 PM] Sandy: "The Nazis have this Thule group.  We stop them?  Destroy Planet X?  Learn more?  What's the end goal here?"

[9:22 PM] Joseph: "We"?

[9:23 PM] Ke: Hopefully somehow not have the Thule hunting me down, I have had enough of that type of thing.

[9:23 PM] Joseph: Are people looking for you?

[9:23 PM] Osu: Alan:  I see that your impatience remains intact.

[9:24 PM] Sandy: rolls her eyes

[9:24 PM] Joseph: Impatience or initiative?

[9:24 PM] Ke: I don’t think any of us agreed to fighting cultists

[9:25 PM] Osu: Alan:  None of you have. I thought perhaps you miight like some time to decompress from a harrowing experience.

[9:25 PM] Ke: Not my first life threatening experience

[9:26 PM] Joseph: I am willing to clear my social calendar, if you think I could help.

[9:26 PM] Sandy: "And you know I am down to fighting more cultists."

[9:26 PM] Joseph: ... and I would like a swim at some point. If you have a spare swimsuit somewhere.

[9:27 PM] Osu: Alan looks at Sandy. "Do I?  Historically you have very little interest in what I might want you to do."

[9:27 PM] Joseph: Perhaps this time your interests align.

[9:28 PM] Sandy: "...is this still about me moving out?"

[9:29 PM] Osu: Alan:  No, but you can see why I did not want to assume anything about about your willingness to fight cultists.

[9:29 PM] Sandy: "Ok.  ...so long as I can also work on my projects...I would love to fight Nazi cultists."

[9:30 PM] Joseph: ... maybe you should have a talk together. In private.

[9:30 PM] Sandy: "...maybe."

[9:31 PM] Osu: Alan:  There will be time for that later.

[9:32 PM] Sandy: "Yeah."

[9:34 PM] Joseph: looks at them both.

[9:34 PM] Osu: He goes over to a side door and unlocks it. "So, here's the choice, then.   You're right, Mr. Blackwell, in that none of us earned what we have.  But it's up to us to use what we have to help others.  To make the world better than we found it."(edited)

[9:35 PM] Joseph: Oh, I'm quite happy to have a go. Though I can't imagine I'll be of much assistance.

[9:35 PM] Ke: That’s not a choice.

[9:36 PM] Osu: Alan:  You have mind powers, Mr. Blackwell, I"m sure we'll find a use for you.

[9:37 PM] Osu: Alan:  Miss Ke, if you don't wish to join the Society, you needn't. No one will make you. As you've said, you're well experienced in taking care of yourself, surely.

[9:37 PM] Joseph: A few tricks.

[9:38 PM] Osu: Alan:  Sandra, I was always going to offer you the chance to join when your training was complete.

[9:38 PM] Sandy: smiles slightly.

[9:38 PM] Osu: Alan:  Mr. Blackwell, you'd be amazed at how far a few tricks can get you when you're clever.

[9:39 PM] Ke: When do we have to make the decision

[9:39 PM] Joseph: You have already convinced me.

[9:41 PM] Osu: Alan:  sooner rather than later is good.

[9:43 PM] Osu: August:  Well, I"m in.  ....this pays, right?

[9:43 PM] Sandy: snorts

[9:44 PM] Joseph: If it doesn't, it could be made to.

[9:44 PM] Ke: Not the worst pitch or group I have agreed to help, I will regret this I am sure, but I am in.

[9:45 PM] Sandy: "...I mean...I guess it's technically my birthright, right?  ...well, not birthright.  ....wardright?"

[9:45 PM] Osu: Alan:  All right then. Come with me.

[9:48 PM] Sandy: does

[9:48 PM] Joseph: All of us?

[9:48 PM] Osu: Alan:  Of course.

[9:48 PM] Osu: He leads you throw a few doors into a large library. This is not a library you've ever been in, Sandra.

[9:48 PM] Joseph: follows him too.

[9:49 PM] Sandy: "......what is this?"

[9:50 PM] Joseph: examines the books.

[9:51 PM] Ke: will look around the library

[9:52 PM] Osu: This is a very... messy library. Or I should say, it's a well used library. There's a lot of books and stuff, but it's more filled with journals, loose papers, scrolls, artifacts.

[9:52 PM] Osu: Alan:  These are the Aeon Society Archives. We move them every once in awhile.

[9:53 PM] Joseph: ... don't you have an archivist?

[9:53 PM] Osu: Alan:  He's getting your car.

[9:53 PM] Sandy: skims the journals.

[9:54 PM] Sandy: "I've never met an archivist."

[9:54 PM] Sandy: "Not here, anyway."

[9:54 PM] Joseph: Which is appreciated, but...

[9:54 PM] Ke: will look at the artifacts

[9:54 PM] Joseph: picks something up, and tries to work out where it goes.

[9:54 PM] Osu: They're not just his, they're journals of adventurers, some you know of, some you've never heard of.

[9:54 PM] Osu: You can roll Academics.

[9:55 PM] Sandy: ((2 successes))

[9:55 PM] Joseph: ((three successes.))

[9:57 PM] Osu: ((I mean Joe could to find where something goes.))

[9:57 PM] Sandy: ((Oh. Do I recognize any of the names from knowing Alan, though? Like, do adventurers come for tea?))

[9:58 PM] Osu: You do find where the journal goes, but there seems to be some kind of unintuitive organizational system at work here.

[9:58 PM] Joseph: ((Ah, not enough? Okay.))

[9:58 PM] Joseph: ... who designed this system?

[10:00 PM] Osu: i mean, you can find where the book goes in this system. That's easy enough with your oll.

[10:00 PM] Joseph: starts putting things away, in that case.

[10:01 PM] Osu: Ke, the artfacts in cases, under glass -- theres a mummified monkey's paw, an old sextant, an old leather money pouch, among other things.

[10:01 PM] Sandy: "...what are these?"

[10:01 PM] Osu: SAndy, you recognize some names as people you've met.

[10:02 PM] Sandy: "...wait...Aunt Diana's in the society?"

[10:02 PM] Osu: All the cases are locked.

[10:02 PM] Osu: Alan:  Of course.

[10:03 PM] Joseph: keeps putting things away, absent-mindedly.

[10:03 PM] Osu: Alan:  The current Archivist? That's Nemo. She'll be back soon, you can discuss organization with her then, if you'd like.

[10:04 PM] Osu: Alan:  Hell, you might be able to take the job from her, I don't think she particularly likes keeping the books straight.

[10:04 PM] Ke: Why are the artifacts locked up in a hidden library?

[10:04 PM] Osu: Alan:  .... where would you keep them?

[10:05 PM] Joseph: I've never been gainfully employed before.

[10:06 PM] Sandy: "...what do the artifacts do?"

[10:07 PM] Osu: Alan:  You'd have to ask Nemo. I don't bother with magic overly much.

[10:07 PM] Joseph: ... magic?

[10:07 PM] Sandy: "Is Nemo also a master arcanist?"

[10:07 PM] Osu: Alan:  She knows her stuff.

[10:08 PM] Osu: Alan:  Yes, magic is real.

[10:08 PM] Ke: Given we saw that ritual before and that house changing I would be willing to accept that

[10:09 PM] Joseph: ... magic exists?

[10:10 PM] Ke: The mind reader is surprised by magic existing?

[10:10 PM] Sandy: "I am still bummed there weren't any aliens."

[10:10 PM] Osu: Alan:  Oh, there are. You just have to recontextualize.(edited)

[10:10 PM] Joseph: ... I wish you'd stop referring to me that way.

[10:11 PM] Sandy: "Mentalist seems a better term."

[10:12 PM] Joseph: I'm not comfortable with it.

[10:13 PM] Joseph: is slowly cleaning up the entire room.

[10:13 PM] Sandy: "....have you ever tried it on a willing participant?"

[10:13 PM] Joseph: ... hypnosis, yes.

[10:14 PM] Sandy: "To what extent?"

[10:15 PM] Ke: You say you move the archives around?

[10:15 PM] Joseph: She wanted to stop smoking, so I put her into a trance.

[10:16 PM] Joseph: It worked for a few days.

[10:16 PM] Sandy: "This was your power?"

[10:17 PM] Joseph: It's something I can do.

[10:17 PM] Osu: Alan:  We move them between secure locations every few years, yes. More depending on circumstances. We'll probably start moving them more frequently with the Thule looking for occult artifacts and volumes.

[10:18 PM] Sandy: will look for a log on one of the artifacts and start reading.

[10:18 PM] Osu: Roll academics.

[10:18 PM] Joseph: It isn't the best system for a library open to a group of people.

[10:18 PM] Ke: They have stepped up in trying to get them?

[10:19 PM] Osu: Alan:  They have.

[10:19 PM] Sandy: ((3 successes))

[10:19 PM] Joseph: It's very... idiosyncratic. People won't know where to put things back when they're done with them.

[10:19 PM] Osu: Sandy, you find a book detailing the Monkey's Paw. Yes, it's a Monkey's Paw. Grants wishes, BUT.

[10:20 PM] Osu: That's what a Monkey's Paw does.

[10:20 PM] Osu: And trying to outsmart it only causes worse BUTs.

[10:20 PM] Joseph: Makes a lot of work for the archivist in question.

[10:21 PM] Sandy: "Are there more artifacts in other locations, or all these all that the Aeon Society has in possession?"

[10:21 PM] Joseph: keeps filing things away.

[10:21 PM] Osu: There are more in this room, those were just the three I pointed out to Ke cause I didn't want to come up with an itemized list of every single artifact in the very large library. :p

[10:22 PM] Sandy: ((Ah, I see.))

[10:22 PM] Sandy: ((...Sandy still asks))

[10:22 PM] Ke: will help Joseph file if he points out where things go.

[10:22 PM] Osu: alan:  Yeah, they're kind of scattered around. NOt all of them are actually magic, mind you. Some are just old.

[10:23 PM] Osu: Alan:  Historically significant, that sort of thing.

[10:23 PM] Joseph: points out where to put things to Ke as he goes.

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