Call of Cthulhu: Two-Fisted Tales of Terror part 2 "Dead Words"

This session took place 7/8/17 and was the second game in our Pulp Cthulhu game. In this episode I am joined by my daughter playing the part of Beatrice Farwell a minor criminal and friend of The Giant.

We pick up where we left off as Edward Billingsly and the Giant head towards the home of Mr. Richland to get a hold of the priceless book that seems to be so important.

The Giant stopped the car just short of the driveway to the Richland Mansion. As we stepped from the car I couldn't help but notice a dull thumping coming from the trunk. "Is, is there someone in there?" I asked as I looked nervously from the Giant to the car.

The big man grunted and walked round to the rear of the car where he unlocked the trunk. To my surprise a young woman sprang from the back of the car, shook herself and started poking the Giant in the chest with her finger! "Hey, ya know I been in there almost all night! Why couldn't I ride up front wit' you huh?"

The Giant shrugged and pointed to me, then made some sort of sign with his hands that the girl seemed to understand. "So this is who I gotta work with huh, well he don't look like much." I figured her to be perhaps a few years younger than myself, but she certainly had a street savvy way about her. She introduced herself as Beatrice Farwell and that she was going to be my "partner" in our endeavor to get whatever it was the "Butcher" wanted, and by whatever means necessary too. I was shocked to see her pick up and deliberate upon which weapons and tools she was going to bring on our "job".

Beatrice Farwell

After Beatrice slipped a thin bladed knife and a set of lock picks under her skirt, she took my arm winked at the Giant and walked me up the drive towards the door of the Mansion. "Listen Eddie, you just get us inside and I'll take care of the rest okay." 

I knocked on the door of the Richland residence while fumbling in my pocket for the card Prof. Carter had given me. After a long moment the door opened and we were greeted by whom I had to guess was Mrs. Richland. Her brows arched as she looked over the odd pair at her door. I'm pretty sure I heard Beatrice mutter "bitch" under her breath. "Uh Mrs. Richland, I'm Edward Billingsly. Professor Carter sent me to pick up a package from you." She stood in the doorway and seemed to peer into my very being, there was something, something I can't describe about her. My heart raced and I felt terrified as well as enamored at the same time!

"Come in." her tone was like ice. Beatrice and I were led into the parlor and took a seat. "Let me get you some tea." said the tall woman as she turned and disappeared through a swinging door into what I presume was the kitchen. Almost instantly Beatrice was up nosing about, looking everywhere. She even checked behind a few pictures hanging on the wall! "What are you doing?" I whispered.

"Figuring out where the stuff is hid dummy." Beatrice shot me a look like I was a child. The sound of china tinkling made her shoot back to her seat beside me.

Mrs. Strickland Richland

  "As you may have guessed my husband is not home, and I'm afraid what you came for is not here either." she poured tea into a cup and looked directly at the both of us. "I, um, well I see that is a bit of a problem as the Professor was really looking forward to seeing the book." I said as I accepted the cup, "when do you expect him?"

"I don't." she said flatly, "He hasn't been home for two days now, and I haven't been able to reach him at the Museum. Perhaps you could locate him for me?" I sat petrified holding the cup to my lip the steam rising up in front of my eyes giving her a strange otherworldly look. Beatrice elbowed me in the ribs and brought me back to reality. "Two days! That seems very unlike him no? Of course I will help you locate your husband, you can count on us!" I couldn't believe I just said that, and neither apparently could Beatrice.

"Of course you will. Now I have an appointment I cannot miss. I expect to hear from you tomorrow about what you discover." Mrs. Richland rose and handed me a card with her name and address on it. She showed us to the door and we walked quickly down the drive back to the Giant awaiting in the car.

Beatrice laid into me about how I was like a moonstruck boy with the Richland woman. Beatrice then convinced the Giant and I  that we only had to wait untill she left for her appointment and then we could sneak back into the house and look for the book which was probably there regardless of what she told us.

We waited about 20 minutes before Mrs. Strickland finally drove off, and we pulled around the back of the house and found the servants entrance. After a few minutes we got the back door open only to discover the entry had been boarded up from the inside!? Unable to get past this the Giant just broke the wood down by punching it in. Beatrice and I made our way into the darkened home and quickly found the study of Mr. Richland just beyond the stairs on the first floor. While Beatrice rummaged around I had an odd feeling about the door under the stairs. It should lead to the basement I thought, but felt compelled to look. Opening the door I saw, something. Something that shouldn't be there yet it was...

The hall that wasn't

The hallway seemed to stretch off further than the house could go, and it seemed to compel me inside. Just as I was about to step in Beatrice grabbed my shoulder! "Hey I need your help in here." she motioned to the study. "Besides there ain't nothin' in there." I looked back to see only a small storage space beneath the stairs before me.

We quickly made our way through the desk and shelves in the study. Though it was filled with many items of interest I just knew none of it was exactly what we were looking for. In the end I found Mr. Richlands date book with a note about seeing "O'malley" dated two days prior and a folder stuffed with papers upon which frantically written notes had been scrawled. A few of the words stood out to me as unusual and worth looking at closer so I took them. We left the house and I convinced my two compatriots that we must go to the Museum Offices of Mr. Richland. The pair agreed as it seemed the only logical place to look for more clues. I sat in the back and looked over the notes from the folder. None of which made any sense, but the words ABOTH, DAOLOTH, AZATHOTH, and EIHORT were used repeatedly throughout. 

By the time we reached the museum, it was closed and we wouldn't be able to get in. However I remembered that one of the younger guards that I had become friendly with during my office duties just might be working tonight. I asked the Giant to park in the alleway round the back and I took Beatrice by the hand as we walked towards the loading bay entrance. 

The single bulb buzzed over our heads like an angry insect in the dark as I knocked on the door three times in quick succession, then twice more. Beatrice began to reach for her lock picks and I told her to wait a moment more. The sound of a bolt being drawn startled us both and the door opened inward. "Hey Eddie, is that you?" the young museum guard peered out at us. "Hi Jimmy!" I said, "Look, I was wondering. Do you think we could come in for a little secret tour?" I pulled Beatrice up so he could see her better.

Jimmy's eyes widened, and he started nodding his head as he winked at me, "Sure Eddie, sure. I'll keep old George busy at the other end for an hour at least." We slid inside as Jimmy shut the door and then let us out into the main foyer. "Don't do nothin' I wouldn't." he said with a grin as he closed the door.

"Jimmy's pretty cute." cracked Beatrice. "Well I introduce you later, right now we have to get to the offices c'mon." We took off at a quick walk through the darkened exhibits and made our way to the stairs for the second floor and the administrative offices. Having spent many months working here I knew exactly where to go.  Moments later after Beatrice picked the lock we were in Mr. Richlands office looking for something that might help us find him and or the Book. Unfortunately it looked as though someone had already been here and was none to discreet about it! "This place has been tossed!" hissed Beatrice, "Somebody was already here."

"How would you know?" I said as I looked around and something glass crunched underfoot!

"Who's there!" commanded a thick scottish accent! Both Beatrice and I froze in place. I knew it wasn't old George the guard, and Mr. Richland didn't have an accent, who was this???

A flashlight blinded us and we held up our hands to ward off the brightness. "What're yoo two doin' skulking aboot in here?" the flashlight lowered and I could make out the shadow of a large man in the doorway. He held what I thought might be a gun in his left hand. "It's uh, me Edward Billingsly Sir. I'm here on an errand for Mrs. Richland."

"Mrs. Richland eh, then you two better come with me." 

Beatrice and I sat across from Professor O'malley. He poured a third shot of bourbon from a bottle he had pulled from his desk, drank it and said,"Mrs Richland eh, I thought you worked for old Carter Edward?"

"I did, I mean i do. Yes, I mean." 

Prof. O'malley Occult Investigator

O'malley produced a second then third glass and poured a drink for both Beatrice and myself. I told him everything that had happened so far, and I mean everything. The Professor listened quite intently when I described Mrs. Richland and what had happened in the house, and he was keenly interested in the notes I had. He then revealed that he was also looking for Mr. Richland or Strickland as he called him since they were friends, and that Prof. Carter had involved me in something which he was clueless about. But the most shocking fact was the Mrs. Richland was NOT Sticklands wife, because you see he has never been married!

"Then who is she?" Beatrice and I asked at the same time.

"That my plucky duo is what we're going to find oot!" O'malley stood up and began tossing items in a carpet bag he produced from under his desk. The notes I had, the bourbon bottle as well a weird looking knife and some other things I wasn't able to make out. 

Suddenly there was a crash of breaking glass! O'malley was spooked and turned off the lights. He whispered to us that we needed to make a break for the stairs and get out before "They" get us!! We began to navigate down the darkened hall when I was overcome with the same sensation I felt at the house when looking at that strange hallway. Somehow I lost both Beatrice and O'malley and seemed to lose track of time! The next thing I know I burst out of the maintenance door only to find myself in the museum foyer surrounded by a group of people wearing strange outfits and chanting! The sun seemed to be intently burning through the glass doors and I was very hot, my head was spinning. The people began to converge upon me as I sank to my knees, I wanted to go to the other place!! NO, no I did not want to but I couldn't help myself!!

I felt myself jerked back from falling and I could barely make out O'malley yelling, "stay with us lad!" There was a stacatto sound pounding out next to me and I saw Beatrice firing a tommy-gun at the robed people a wide cheshire grin upon her face.

The next thing I knew we were in the alleyway behind the museum, and we were running for the car as the Giant started the engine! O'malley in the front seat urging the Giant on as Beatrice leaned out the back firing the tommy-gun!

Stay tuned for part 3 coming soon!

Call of Cthulhu: Two-Fisted Tales of Terror Episode 1 "The Appointment"

Location: Arkham, Mass.

Date: 6/11/192?    Time: 3:32pm

Place: Office of Nathaniel Carter Professor of Ancient Languages & History.

My name is Edward Billingsly, friends call me Eddie. I'm a twenty one year old undergraduate at Miskatonic University's Historical & Ancient Languages Dept. I am also a member of the Miskatonic Swim team and consider myself fairly athletic and in good shape. My parents live in Boston with my younger siblings, while I reside here in Arkham with my Uncle William Billingsly.

E. Billingsly

Finally I have been summoned to Professor Carters office for what I hope will be a chance to finally work directly with him and gain his confidence. This could be my only moment to show him how valuable I could be on his upcoming expedition to seek the home origin of the ancient tribe he has been studying these past months. Upon entering his cramped office I am overcome with the stale odor of unwashed bodies and alcohol. My bleary eyed superior gazes at me for a long minute before slurring.  "Ah, Millinglee...come in, set down."
"Um, it's Billingsly sir." I utter while moving a stack of notebooks from a chair in front of his desk. "What can I do for you sir?"

Prof. Carter

"Yes, what can you do for me?" rummaging through papers on his desk he hands me a card with a small note inscribed on the back. "Go to the address here, and get a book from the young woman there. This is of utmost import to my current work and could bring new light on my endeavors." The Professor eyed me quite sternly for a few seconds, then i realized he was lost in a daze.

"Of course Sir, you can count on me. I'll be back before you know I'm gone!" I started to stand, but he sputtered.

"Ah! Oh, yesh well um... no need fur all that. Just um, bring the booksh by tomorrow morning. Uh, no make that after lunch. Yesh, that'll do Millinglee..." he waved me off as he began looking for something in his desk drawers.

"Billingsly sir. Tomorrow after lunch sir, I will see you then." I stood and left the office as I glanced quickly at the handwritten note. The address was just across town, not too far. I could catch the trolley then walk the last block and be there in about half an hour. Even though it was early June, the rains had been keeping the heat at bay and it was quite a nice afternoon. The nearest trolley stop was just over a block away, I stuffed the card in my coat pocket and headed off.

As I turned the corner onto Turner street and was heading towards the trolley, an automobile suddenly turned sharply off the street causing me to dart into an alley to avoid being run down. "I say, you should watch where you're going!" I  began, then i noticed the car was still rolling forwards causing me to back deeper into the alleyway. The auto then stopped and two rather brutish fellows stepped out, the taller of the two muttered something along the lines of "That's him!" and they began to rush towards me. I turned not sure what was happening but knowing it couldn't be good. It was then I saw the alley was a dead end and before I could do anything the men had grabbed me, stuck a sack over my head punched me in the gut and then thrown me into the back of the car!! A third man held me tightly in the back seat as the car now sped off to wherever I was being taken.

My kidnappers.

I'm not sure how long we drove around, somewhere between 10-15 minutes I think, before the car stopped somewhere dark. I was dragged from the backseat and forced to walk down a long hallway. the two men who initially grabbed me were ahead of me and the third unseen fellow still held me in a vice like grip guiding me along. Finally after a few minutes we entered a room that was very cold, which I thought was odd. There was also a strange swooshing and chopping sound that followed an odd cadence. A new voice with a heavy Irish brogue ordered my hood removed. As my eyes became accustomed to the light I was taken aback by the man in front of me. He was easily six feet and a half tall, held the hood in his right hand and gently pushed me down into a chair with his left. I, however could not tear my gaze away from his face! A pair of dark lenses concealed his eyes from me, but his face.... His face!

The Scar-faced giant.

The giant leaned down towards me, patted my shoulder. Then moved so he was directly behind me while still holding me in place. My kidnappers sat just to my right leering at me. The odd sounds I heard were now revealed to be the physical exertions of a man in a butcher's apron directly in front of me carving a pig like an artist paints with oils. The man sliced a slab off pork of the carcass then turned to me while sharpening his knives and asked in that heavy Irish brogue "Do ye know why yuir here lad?"

"I'm going to guess this has to do with my Uncle?" I gulped. If rumor serves me right, i was sitting in the Meat-House owned by none other than Arkham's own Irish Mob-Boss Sean "the Butcher" Kelley. This day couldn't get worse.....

Sean "the Butcher" Kelley

 "Well Eddie, I can call you Eddie right. yuir Uncle owes me quite a bit of money. Now, Willie tells me you work over the Uni with those bits of ancient relics and books an such. So, where was it yew were goin' just before me boys picked you up?"

"I was headed, uh home. Home sir, I was going there yep." Oh jeeze I've bumbled that I thought.

The Giant leaned down and rifled my coat pocket, he then handed over the note card the Professor had given me to the shorter of the two kidnappers who then gave it to Kelley.

"Well what have we here, a wee address and a name. Oh and look look there boys a time. Four thirty it says. I think if the lads were to drive you, you might just make it on time." The Butcher slowly crossed the room to a closed door. He stood by it and turned to me and continued talking.  "See here Eddie, yuir going to make this appointment and pick up what ever it is the Professor has you after. Then yuir going to bring it back to me so I can decide how much of Willie's debt it will cover."

I made to stand but the Giant's hands kept me seated, "I couldn't possibly, that book could be...I mean, the woman I'm to meet could see your men and well..." I stammered trying to think.

"The book could what lad? Be worth quite a bit to the right "Collector". Of that I'm sure, ye see I've heard talk o' wot that lot gets up to over there. I'm going to 'ave a piece o' this whatever old Clark is up to. Because if I don't..." he opened the door to reveal Uncle William gagged and tied to a chair. He had been beaten too and his blood stained his shirt. "Or I'll be hand deliverin' parts o' yuir uncle to ya."

I lowered my head and sighed in agreement, there was nothing much I could do or say at this point. "I can probably get a hold of some other trinkets from the Professor's office. Things you could sell, just let me keep the book I'm picking up today, at least for a little while."

The two thugs began to laugh, and the taller one pointed at me saying. "Get a load of the balls on this one Boss!"

Mr. Kelley slowly closed the door once more concealing my Uncle from sight. "You'll do as I say lad, get the book and bring it to me." He set the knives down next to the pig. "I think I'll have the lads bring this woman back too."

"But she has nothing to do with this!" I yelled and caused the Giant to push down on my shoulders again.

"She has whatever I say she does to do with this Eddie. Now do as yuir told." The man known as the Butcher turned his back to me and began caressing the pig. "You boys get goin' now."

The sack was pulled over my head again, and I was escorted back to the car by the Giant. I was placed in the passenger seat and sat silently as we moved back out onto the streets of Arkham. The driver mumbled something that I couldn't understand. then I felt a large hand shake me. I reached up and removed the sack just as the car pulled out of an alleyway. I was sitting next to the Scar-faced Giant as he drove us to my appointment.....

Epilogue:

William Billingsly, younger brother of Albert Billingsly owner and operator of Billingsly Imports & Exports.

He is a known gambler and carouser of some note. Always in the thick of it, William has become the Black sheep of the Billingsly Family. His nephew Edward has been trying to help his Uncle get straightened out and back into the good graces of Albert while staying with him and studying at Miskatonic University.


[ This is the first session of a Pulp Cthulhu game being run for me by my GM, Sal. Stay tuned for more pulse pounding action soon!]

Cthulhu on the Orient Express!

A friend of mine has started a CoC Orient Express game. It is something he has wanted to do for a long time. So far the Party consists of 4 players (myself included).

We just finished getting our characters in order and played through the introduction adventure. The party is composed of the following characters:

Sgt. James Parker an ex British Soldier. James saw action in WWI and knows the horrors man can inflict

upon itself. After the war he traveled the United States where he met his soon to be wife Panacea Sullivan at a party in Chicago. They were both present during a Spiritual Seance that turned out to be a hoax of which the couple was instrumental in exposing. Enamored with Panacea the two of them traveled the US "Ghostbusting". The pair were married and spent their honeymoon in New Orleans where again they helped Police expose a ring of "supernatural" grifters. In the process they ended up adopting a young orphan girl that was used by the gang in their schemes.

James and his wife along with Anna have returned to England to meet Prof. Smythe an old friend who says he has come across something he thinks they would find interesting.
(My character)

Panacea Sullivan is the youngest daughter of Charles Sullivan the Chicago Magnate. She was always a bit of a party girl and troublemaker that Charles thought he was going to have trouble marrying her off. The girl

was always getting mixed up in all sorts of psuedo-scientific and spiritual nonsense that was all the rage with the young people. Panacea had actually already exposed about a half dozen cheap frauds who were taking money to "Contact the Spirits" and had taken her own Grandmother for quite a sum. It was however the New Year's eve 1922 when Panacea along with the dashing Englishman James Parker that her Father knew his daughter was destined for an unusual path. A Madame Gustavtra had been commissioned to entertain the guests with a grand seance early in the morning of New Year's Day 1923 where she would summon the revelers of years past to a grand "Ghost Party". Panacea and James were instrumental in exposing the Madame and her accomplices in their scheme. The young Dilettante proved herself to be quite the amateur detective/occultist and with the aid of James foiled a plot that made headlines. The pair were soon to become well known as "Ghostbusters".
Now married Panacea and James look to travel Europe and continue their adventures.
(Played by my Wife)

Anna Parker (adopted), was an orphan in New Orleans that was used by a crew of Grifters in schemes to gain money by promising to be able to return lost children from the grave. Little Anna was used in many

tricks and guises to play as long lost children to gain entry to homes and rob many grieving women. It was while on a Honeymoon trip that James and Panacea Parker looked into the local stories of  the "ghost girl" that they were able to deliver proof to local authorities and by proxy save Anna from her mis-use by the gang. Even though Anna is only 11 years old she is quite an accomplished lockpick and pickpocket. Anna has been adopted by the Parkers and helps her new family stop others from being taken advantage of.
(Played by my daughter)








Dr. Mufasa is an enigmatic young genius. He has a PHD in Archaeology and a BA in photography. The son of the British Ambassador to Egypt born in Cairo to his native mother. Mufasa studied at Harvard and

became friends with Prof. Smythe. Mufasa is a single man with OCD and a secretly repressed emotional pain. Mufasa has been invited to join Prof. Smythe and some others in an interesting investigation to which the Prof. feels his skills will be ideally suited.














Our first evening of play had the characters meet Prof. Smythe at a symposium in London where he spoke various topics. Little did we know the Prof. was fishing for secret occult clues to an ancient plot that was soon to become all to real! A strange murder of three men with the same identity in two different rooms in one hotel, a model train, and a secret summons to meet our friend in a east end slum has put us on the trail of the Sedefkar Simulacrum!

More to come soon.....