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St Erasmus in the Heath
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04-10-2021, 01:25 PM
Post: #1
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St Erasmus in the Heath
St Vincents Rectory
East Side,Arkham,MA. Nov.16,1933 ring..ring..ring..Ring..RING-Hold on I'm opening the door, Joe Diamond ! do you know what time it is?..have you been drinking? Hi Father O'Rilley...er no I had to pawn my watch..& yes I had a few but then I ran out of doe & the bartender refused to do a tab.Hey your wearing a watch what tine is it? Saints preserve me it's 2AM ,Joe we've been through this before,come have a seat, I'll make some coffee........................... Here is your Coffee, strong & black as I recall now tell me about it. Thanks padre,your going to think I'm crazy but.... Joe I've been a priest in Arkham for 20 years ,there's a dark undercurrent here ,be it the Devils work or some other malevolence it exists.Most of the people here don't see it or they pretend they don't see it. I've never called you crazy in the other talks we've had so out with it, you'll never get over whatever it is by holding it in,now tell me. Well Father it all started with a letter from this dame--er woman . 2 Weeks ago I received a alarming and mystifying letter from Prof.Leblanc. We had in our younger days both been interested with the secrets and dangers of the occult and dark knowledge. She had even saved my life on several occasions during several investigations into forbidden realms. Now it seems she is in grave danger and needs my help. I was surprised that she had retired to the hamlet of Dunwich, and being that close to Arkham had never bothered to contact me until now.I of course wanted to make every effort to aide my old colleague. It appears she became interested in the disappearance of young women around Dunwich and not satisfied with the local sheriff's efforts began her own investigation. She came to suspect a local Monastery of sinister activities in these disappearances and decided to learn it's secrets by joining this order.Apparently since she left for her initiation nothing has been heard from her and my letter was a safeguard to be sent by her assistant in case something happened to her. Dunwich is a very closed clannish place and has an unsavory reputation,I suppose it's what caused Prof.Leblanc.to retire in the area.Her curiosity often got ahead of her sense of caution. I'm was vaguely aware of an old Monastery outside Dunwich but thought it was abandoned years ago.Perhaps some type of cult has taken it over as obviously an order of monks would not be initiating a woman. I contacted Sister Mary who teaches a Religion & Myth class here at Miskatonic and inquired about the old the old Monastery Prof.Leblanc mentions in her letter. She tells me that the church closed the St.Erasmus in the Heath Monastery over 30 years ago for reasons that are rather obscure but that 5 years ago it was sold to private group called "The Order". Sister Mary was serving on the Bishops staff at that time and so was acquainted with the purchase,in fact she had showed the buyers around the property. She remembers them as friendly but vague about their group,they did invite her to stop back and see them once they settled into the Monastery. I explained about Prof.Leblanc letter and suspicions concerning this "Order"she was very concerned that the Church's former property was being used for Evil purposes.She has offered to help me find out what has happened to Prof.Leblanc. Sister Mary & I have decided to go the Old Monastery that night and look around.We both felt contacting The Order would just put them on their guard so an unexpected visit would be best. The weather that night was abominable,the sleet hammered into us as we left the car.Carefully approaching the Monastery, we met no opposition as we made our way to the lighted chapel. Standing in the shadows we observed a few robed figures entering the chapel,when no more followed we decided to enter.Upon entering we just caught the backs of the robed figures exiting the far end chapel through a door on the right.I whispered an inquiry to Sister Mary as to where they might be going.She replied that the door led to a hallway leading to the basement. The Chapel itself had obviously been redecorated from it's St. Erasmus days,it was now done in a rather garnished blood red and black colors.The sickly green candles burning contributed to an atmosphere of unwholesomeness. Sister Mary was looking around and getting agitated at what I'm sure she saw as desecration of the Chapel, then she suddenly gasped and bent down to retrieve some object.It was a crucifix! ,it had been set into the floor in such a way that anyone walking down the aisle would have to step on it.She pried loose the crucifix and held it like a dagger and her jaw tightened with a look of holy vengeance. We decided to follow the cultist but upon crossing the chapel I noticed a section of the floor had been cut out with simply a latter leading down.Sister Mary just shrugged and indicated this was not part of the original chapel and we hurried on on so as not to loose sight of the cultists. I just had a feeling that these cultists were being summoned for some Dark Ritual which I hoped did not involve Prof.Leblanc. Sister Mary with grim determination entered the hallway, proceeding quickly to the next door at the end of the corridor and beckoned to me.I followed taking time to check the hallway for any other surprises but found nothing.The Monastery was quiet and Sister Mary said the next hallway led to the basement stairs. She then pushed the door opened and staggered back a little.I whispered what's the matter and she said had a brief vision of something black Twisting Before her but it was gone.She then checked out the rest of the corridor finding nothing. I moved passed her to the basement door and feeling that the good Sister was getting too obsessed with confronting these cultists, I opened the door and descended the basement stairs.I did not want to provoke a confrontation' until I had some clue as to what happened to Prof. Leblanc. The basement seemed to radiate the feeling of "wrongness" I had felt in the Chapel,my sense was that the cultists were being Summoned to Worship for some Dark Ritual,was growing. I quickly entered the basement and suddenly felt a sense of Confinement,the walls seemed to be closing in on me.I closed my eyes to steady myself but my mind slipped a little before I could dispel the feeling of Nyctophobia.Recovering I noticed a small box and upon examination saw it was a puzzle box.I laughed and using my intuition easily opened it.Maggots disgusting Maggots were disgorged from the box causing me to drop it. The box hitting the floor dislodged a small brass key, its sole content besides the Maggots. Sister Mary had followed me down the stairs and had picked up an axe I hadn't noticed . The sight of the good Sister with this weapon was rather out of character but she made no effort to put it down. We then heard a faint noise of a large door being closed,which had to be the Chapel entrance door. Were we now trapped between cultists?Just then a clock chimed out the 11 hour only to be drowned out by a tremendous knocking.The Sister and I jumped but then realized it was only the old water pipes above our heads protesting their use. Sister Mary said "there's someone using the bathroom maybe we can get some information out of them" ,lacking a better idea I go back up the stairs to the hallway. Sister Mary follows and then passes me going to the hallway door.I'm beginning to feel she is being too carried away in our search but she waives me off when I signal her to slow down. The pipes have quit banging now and in the sudden silence I can faintly hear footsteps in the Chapel. Before I can again caution the good Sister she has move down the hallway and I hear moans of anguish and the distinct sounds of a head beating against a wall.She moans out the"Voices the Baffling Voices, they are too loud,but I hear no voices?She then seems to overcome whatever it was she was hearing and opens the bathroom door. I run up the hallway and look into the bathroom, and make out Sister Mary looking at the wall cabinet, blood running from her forehead ,she turns to tell me it's locked. Catching my breath I can't help but feel that something is going on in the monastery,that dark rituals & sumonings are taken place.Sister Mary brings me back to our current situation by asking me to help her with the cabinet as she's looking for a bandage. I go over and pry at it but the cabinet door holds firm, then I look closely & see its brass key hole is about the size of the brass key I found in the puzzle box.Trying my hunch I insert the key & the cabinet swings open. As it opens my mind is struck with an odd phrase but I shake it off and hand Sister Mary a rolled bandage. While she is applying the bandage I look around the bathroom and discover a skeleton in cult robes chained in the corner.Probing the skeleton's robes I find a scroll with a strange poem entitled"Bridge over Darkness".I hand it to Sister Mary with a shrug and return to the hallway. Sister Mary quickly follows and informs me the Bridge over Darkness could be a chasm located in the natural caverns beneath the Monastery. The Monks of St.Erasmus had bridged it over when they made wine storage areas in the caverns. She said this way and returned to the chapel followed by a short cry,she called out "cult leader" and I heard a another door opening. She had evaded the cult leader but then I heard the sound of his pursuit.Loud scuffling ensued and I heard Sister Mary scolding voice telling the cult leader to desist. I then hear the door to the next room open and I trust Sister has escaped unharmed. I run into the Chapel and through to the next room which appears to be a study.The cult leader is there but I am mentally prepared for him,thanks to the Good Sister's warning. The Cult Leader is yelling for help & then cast a bolt of flame at me,I luckily dodge out of the way.The flame bolt sets part of the room and the cult leaders robes on fire. The atmosphere seems to change,it's obvious that a dark ceremony has started and I can see the wounded cult leader growing in menace. Oh God..... it's too ...just too.... Joe what is it ? What happened? I don't know Father,it's all a blank. The only thing I remember is waking up in the car with Sister Mary. Neither of us could recall anything about how we got there. We decided to we had had enough & I drove her back to the University & went back to my rooming house. Father something terrible happened in that Monastery & I can't remember it's driving me crazy.I drank everything I could find in my room & went out to the bar to get more booze to calm me down.But my doe ran out before I found oblivion.So I just walked around around & found myself at the Rectory .So how about some of that Irish Whiskey you keep on hand we have a few & sing "The Rising of the moon"? Joe you don't need more drink,you need rest,I'll make up the couch & you sleep it off.Tomorrow after a good breakfast things will look brighter & we'll talk some more. OK..OK Padre see you in the morning. Goodnight Joe & may a merciful God grant you peace. -------------------------------------------------------------------- This is my take on The Inner Sanctum Scenario from MoM#1.It's a Solo as I AI the Keeper. I started writing this as Joe's Journal entries but at the end both Joe & Sister Mary were totaled. So I added the good father & the black out ending. Joe is my favorite Investigator,I picture him as a not too successful but dogged PI (The Mike Hammer type) with a thing for women & booze. OD Sighing like the night wind and sobbing like the rain,— Wailing for the lost one that comes not again: |
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