Post by TheUdjat on Jan 2, 2008 11:34:59 GMT -5
[I’ve got Tommy, Joe, Sam, and Jeremy staying in place to talk to the cops, while Rebecca, Jackhammer, and Thurman head to check out the lecture. Let me know if anybody is placed erroneously.]
Room 410
You agree to split up to pursue the most imminent lead, the Cowles Lecture taking place right now. Rebecca (or Thurman) takes the other leads, as directed, to ensure that they don’t vanish with the appearance of the police. Rebecca leaves her gun behind, since the weapon was used extensively in the recent conflict – it’s out of bullets anyway. Jackhammer offers to go with the two academics, in case they run into more unexpected trouble.
Then they depart, hastily but discreetly, as the sirens draw closer. Moments later, the hotel doorman is rushing down the hallway, leading a cadre of officers to Room 410. They have guns drawn and are immediately suspicious – but when they turn the corner to see the scene and all of that changes. One man covers his mouth and nose a little (disembowelment leaves no pleasant scent), and the other merely grimaces. “One of Poole’s,” he says to the other man, who nods.
In short order, they escort all of you from the room, into the hallway, and begin taking statements. They are politely suspicious, but it is clear to most of you that they don’t believe you had anything to do with the murder of Elias. Still, they take down your statements methodically… until they get to Tommy.
“Well well well,” one of the officers says, lips twisting into a little smirk. “You’re the last rat I expected to see around here. I thought gang crime was more your style, Cannon.”
Apparently the NYPD are somewhat familiar with Tommy Cannon and his illustrious career. “Hassle him later, Vicks,” the other officer – probably the more experienced of the two – says. But he gives the PI a curious look as well.
Soon other officers arrive. They secure the scene – outside and inside – and begin taking notes. You are all kept onhand for questioning as witnesses of what happened, but the questions are pretty basic: Why were you here? How did you know Jackson Elias? What did you see? What happened? Do you know the murderers? Do you know why they attacked Elias? And so forth. They seem most interested in speaking with Tommy and Sam, especially given that Jeremy is fairly useless to talk to in his current state.
A paramedic arrives with the other officers, and he soon starts treating Sam – but is pleasantly surprised to see the injury patched up. He redresses it in a more professional manner and suggests Sam head to a hospital for proper treatment, but sees no need to rush the man off – especially when the last officer arrives on the scene.
This man is clearly a detective. He is an older middle aged man with thinning hair and a frank expression. He looks stern and more than a little frustrated, though he hides it well. He moves to your group, interest flickering in his eyes. “I’m Lieutenant Martin Poole,” he says as an introduction. “I realize you’ve been through a lot, but I’d like to ask just a few more questions, if you don’t mind.” His eyes fall on Jeremy at some point. “And what’s wrong with you, son? Anything we can do?”
[Pausing here to allow you all to react to the scene and give me your responses to the initial questioning.]
NYU Schuller Hall
It takes a little work to get out of the hotel unnoticed, but you three encounter no difficulties. With a quick cab ride, you make it to Schuller Hall – the lecture is already in progress when you get there, of course, but you quickly slip inside to catch what you can of it.
The first thing you notice is how empty it is. There are scattered academics and others, but it is clearly not the sort of event most people are interested in. A couple of students even quietly leave as you arrive, thankful for the momentary noise to cover their escape. Rebecca is the only woman in the room, and one of the only people under 30 at all.
Cowles is a wild and exuberant talker, if not an especially skilled one. He has a tendency to ramble and digress, making it something of a challenge to follow his lecture at all. But beyond that, it is certainly an interesting lecture for those that have the motivation to pay close attention – remembering Elias’s body, you thankfully have that sort of attention.
The lecture goes on for well over the two hours scheduled, but most of the people there have already sacrificed enough of their evening that they stay put to listen to it. Some of the information you glean from the lecture is as follows:
- A bat cult once existed among the Aboriginals f Australia. T was known across the continent, and the god of the cult was always known as the Father of All Bats. Adherents believed that by making human sacrifices to their god they themselves would become worthy enough that the Father of All Bats would appear to them. Once he was enticed to appear, he would conquer all men. Sacrifices were run through a gauntlet of worshippers who struck the victims with club embedded with the sharp teeth of bats. The teeth were coated with a substance derived from rabid bats. The poison was fast-acting, but victims apparently went mad before they died. Leaders of the cult reputedly could take the forms of bat-winged snakes, enabling them to steal sacrifices from across the land.
- An Aboriginal song cycle mentions a place where enormous beings gathered, somewhere in the west of Australia. The songs say that these gods, who were not at all like men, built great sleeping walls and dug great caves. But living winds blew down the gods and overthrew them, destroying their camp. When this happened, the way was open for the Father of All Bats, who came into the land and grew strong.
- Cowles shows a set of four over-exposed glass slides. Each shows a few sweating men standing beside enormous blocks of stone, pitted and eroded but clearly dressed and formed for architectural purposes. Dim carvings seem to decorate some. Billows of sand are everywhere. Though he did not bring the book with him, Cowles says that the discoverer, one Arthur MacWhirr of Port Hedland, kept a diary in which he records several attacks on the party by Aboriginals. MacWhirr reportedly records deaths to victims from hundreds of small punctures, reminiscent of the earlier bat cult.
- Cowles tells finally a tale he collected from near the Arafura Sea in northern Australia. In it Sand Bat, or Father of All Bats, has a battle of wits with Rainbow Snake, the Aboriginal deification of water and patron of life. Rainbow Snake succeeds in tricking and trapping Sand Bat and his clan into the depths of a watery place from which Sand Bat can only complain, and is unable to return to trouble the people.
When the lecture is finally, mercifully over, the assembly politely claps for the professor, who sticks around to field any questions from those still around. Almost nobody sticks around. Another man or two have a question for Cowles, but if you wait another few minutes, it would be easy enough to talk to the Professor alone, if you wished it. He seems open and friendly, even if he is rather… verbose. [Approach and ask questions?]
Room 410
You agree to split up to pursue the most imminent lead, the Cowles Lecture taking place right now. Rebecca (or Thurman) takes the other leads, as directed, to ensure that they don’t vanish with the appearance of the police. Rebecca leaves her gun behind, since the weapon was used extensively in the recent conflict – it’s out of bullets anyway. Jackhammer offers to go with the two academics, in case they run into more unexpected trouble.
Then they depart, hastily but discreetly, as the sirens draw closer. Moments later, the hotel doorman is rushing down the hallway, leading a cadre of officers to Room 410. They have guns drawn and are immediately suspicious – but when they turn the corner to see the scene and all of that changes. One man covers his mouth and nose a little (disembowelment leaves no pleasant scent), and the other merely grimaces. “One of Poole’s,” he says to the other man, who nods.
In short order, they escort all of you from the room, into the hallway, and begin taking statements. They are politely suspicious, but it is clear to most of you that they don’t believe you had anything to do with the murder of Elias. Still, they take down your statements methodically… until they get to Tommy.
“Well well well,” one of the officers says, lips twisting into a little smirk. “You’re the last rat I expected to see around here. I thought gang crime was more your style, Cannon.”
Apparently the NYPD are somewhat familiar with Tommy Cannon and his illustrious career. “Hassle him later, Vicks,” the other officer – probably the more experienced of the two – says. But he gives the PI a curious look as well.
Soon other officers arrive. They secure the scene – outside and inside – and begin taking notes. You are all kept onhand for questioning as witnesses of what happened, but the questions are pretty basic: Why were you here? How did you know Jackson Elias? What did you see? What happened? Do you know the murderers? Do you know why they attacked Elias? And so forth. They seem most interested in speaking with Tommy and Sam, especially given that Jeremy is fairly useless to talk to in his current state.
A paramedic arrives with the other officers, and he soon starts treating Sam – but is pleasantly surprised to see the injury patched up. He redresses it in a more professional manner and suggests Sam head to a hospital for proper treatment, but sees no need to rush the man off – especially when the last officer arrives on the scene.
This man is clearly a detective. He is an older middle aged man with thinning hair and a frank expression. He looks stern and more than a little frustrated, though he hides it well. He moves to your group, interest flickering in his eyes. “I’m Lieutenant Martin Poole,” he says as an introduction. “I realize you’ve been through a lot, but I’d like to ask just a few more questions, if you don’t mind.” His eyes fall on Jeremy at some point. “And what’s wrong with you, son? Anything we can do?”
[Pausing here to allow you all to react to the scene and give me your responses to the initial questioning.]
NYU Schuller Hall
It takes a little work to get out of the hotel unnoticed, but you three encounter no difficulties. With a quick cab ride, you make it to Schuller Hall – the lecture is already in progress when you get there, of course, but you quickly slip inside to catch what you can of it.
The first thing you notice is how empty it is. There are scattered academics and others, but it is clearly not the sort of event most people are interested in. A couple of students even quietly leave as you arrive, thankful for the momentary noise to cover their escape. Rebecca is the only woman in the room, and one of the only people under 30 at all.
Cowles is a wild and exuberant talker, if not an especially skilled one. He has a tendency to ramble and digress, making it something of a challenge to follow his lecture at all. But beyond that, it is certainly an interesting lecture for those that have the motivation to pay close attention – remembering Elias’s body, you thankfully have that sort of attention.
The lecture goes on for well over the two hours scheduled, but most of the people there have already sacrificed enough of their evening that they stay put to listen to it. Some of the information you glean from the lecture is as follows:
- A bat cult once existed among the Aboriginals f Australia. T was known across the continent, and the god of the cult was always known as the Father of All Bats. Adherents believed that by making human sacrifices to their god they themselves would become worthy enough that the Father of All Bats would appear to them. Once he was enticed to appear, he would conquer all men. Sacrifices were run through a gauntlet of worshippers who struck the victims with club embedded with the sharp teeth of bats. The teeth were coated with a substance derived from rabid bats. The poison was fast-acting, but victims apparently went mad before they died. Leaders of the cult reputedly could take the forms of bat-winged snakes, enabling them to steal sacrifices from across the land.
- An Aboriginal song cycle mentions a place where enormous beings gathered, somewhere in the west of Australia. The songs say that these gods, who were not at all like men, built great sleeping walls and dug great caves. But living winds blew down the gods and overthrew them, destroying their camp. When this happened, the way was open for the Father of All Bats, who came into the land and grew strong.
- Cowles shows a set of four over-exposed glass slides. Each shows a few sweating men standing beside enormous blocks of stone, pitted and eroded but clearly dressed and formed for architectural purposes. Dim carvings seem to decorate some. Billows of sand are everywhere. Though he did not bring the book with him, Cowles says that the discoverer, one Arthur MacWhirr of Port Hedland, kept a diary in which he records several attacks on the party by Aboriginals. MacWhirr reportedly records deaths to victims from hundreds of small punctures, reminiscent of the earlier bat cult.
- Cowles tells finally a tale he collected from near the Arafura Sea in northern Australia. In it Sand Bat, or Father of All Bats, has a battle of wits with Rainbow Snake, the Aboriginal deification of water and patron of life. Rainbow Snake succeeds in tricking and trapping Sand Bat and his clan into the depths of a watery place from which Sand Bat can only complain, and is unable to return to trouble the people.
When the lecture is finally, mercifully over, the assembly politely claps for the professor, who sticks around to field any questions from those still around. Almost nobody sticks around. Another man or two have a question for Cowles, but if you wait another few minutes, it would be easy enough to talk to the Professor alone, if you wished it. He seems open and friendly, even if he is rather… verbose. [Approach and ask questions?]
