"I might be flogging a dead horse but, after
the obvious avenues, would it be worth checking things like bank accounts to
see if there's a paper trail his family/friends aren't aware of...?" says
Sam.
"I fear that might be extremely difficult to
find out," replies the Monsignor, "I doubt the local bankers would be
amenable to strangers asking to see confidential records and until we know whom
we can trust, relying on others may be out of the questions for now. Not that
it is a bad idea, mind you. I am just worried about the risks associated with
following that course now instead of later."
The others nod.
"I am more curious," he continues after a slug of whiskey from his hipflask, "As to why we cannot find any information on John Scott. When did he first arrive and where does he come from? Also, It may be worthwhile for us to find a way to get to the third floor. Perhaps we can fall behind after lodge and investigate?"
"It's time we get to that third floor, my
friends," grins Henry.
And so you formulate a plan. James will find a suitable
hiding spot toward the end of the night as everyone else leaves. Once the
mysterious figure locks up, he will let the others in. Phillip opts to act as
lookout staying outside the building. Hal will remain on the ground floor in
case anyone tries to come back in. Henry, James, Sam and the Monsignor will
case out the third floor. Sam, Hal and Henry carry their handguns, everyone
else opts to go unarmed.
Everything goes according to plan, the main door is easy
enough for a skilled locksmith like James to open. Phillip stands smoking in a
shadowy alley opposite the building, ready to whistle if anyone approaches. Hal
hides in the coat room, just inside the foyer. The others head up to the second
floor where the main lodge room is. You assume access to the upper floor is
behind the massive scarlet drape behind the Noble Philosopher's Dias and you are
right. Behind the curtain is a door that leads to a corridor. To one side is a
storage room, to the other a marble staircase leading up to the third floor.
At the top of the steps is a light switch for the electric
scones along the wall of the corridor ahead but you rely on torches so as not
to attract attention. The decor shows this floor is clearly used by the Order,
no doubt for the upper echelons. The first door off the corridor has a plaque
engraved with the letters KOTSG. Within the room is panelled and plainly
carpeted. Chairs line the walls. An altar stands just off the centre of the
room, about three feet tall with a five-pointed star in a cross-section. On the
far side of the room drape covering the wall, a pulley to one side to open it.
You do so and behind is a mural of night
on a barren landscape. In the middle of it is a door framed in silver, and made
to appear as a magical portal on the barren waste. The room is otherwise bare
and you opt to return to the corridor.
Further down to the left, another door marked SOYS. Again
the walls are panelled and the floor carpeted but there is no altar. There are
more drapes on the east and west wall, with more pulleys. Opening the drape to
the east reveals a horrific mural. It depicts a hill under a clear night sky
with a full moon: at the top of the hill is a circle of stones and in the
centre of the circle is a human figure in garish robes, dancing madly. Moving
into the sky at that point, like a cloud of smoke, is a gigantic mass of slimy,
iridescent spheres. Covering the hill outside the circle of stones are
thousands of partly-decayed, still-living humanoid creatures. You almost hear
them cry with ghoulish glee. As the four of you take it in you are overwhelmed
with a feeling of utter horror and desolation. Henry and Sam are more effected
than the other two but all of you are shaken. The Monsignor quickly returns the
drape to cover it.
More cautiously, the drape on the opposite wall is opened to
reveal a door and beyond, a library. Henry cracks into a smile seeing this,
"I knew it," he hisses, running in like an excited schoolboy.
"We should not dally here, Henry," whispers the
Monsignor. After a quick riffle through the shelves, Henry selects one book and
slips it into his jacket. The others look through the titles, and discover the
what you assume are the meanings of the letters on the doors. SOYS is Sons of
Yog Sothoth and KOTSG is Keeper of the Silver Gate. The books relating to them
appear to describe rituals, the titles being specific degrees within the order,
SOYS being the sixth degree and KOTSG the fourth. There is a third book relating to the fifth
degree, Knights of the Outer Void.
There is nothing in the room other than shelves of books so
you quickly head back to the corridor. The next door is on the right and is
also marked KOTSG. The room is similar to the other KOTSG room, a door to the
right appears to be where the 'magical portal' leads. The altar in this room is
a pentagram but otherwise it is identical, aside from the mural, again behind a
drape. This shows an apparently normal landscape of hills, valleys trees and a
small stream, with a silhouetted figure in the foreground, facing away from the
viewer. There is, however something profoundly alien about the whole thing and
James in particular feels very depressed looking at the thing.
" We need to get Phillip and his camera in here. We can
get this place shut down with a little evidence," whispers James.
"I agree," says Sam, "But let's not miss
anything. I'd wager there's a basement to this building and even more evil
hidden within."
Returning to the corridor, there are two more doors. One
marked with the letters KOTOV, the other a symbol that glows unnaturally.
Entering the Knights of the Outer Void room, It is different
from the other rooms in that it has a bare wood floor, stark white walls and a
black ceiling. An altar sits in the middle, a two and half foot cylinder. A
white linen curtain hides another mural, this one depicting outer space, stars,
nebulae and at its centre a single dark planet. Henry is unfazed, but the
others feel a deep sense of personal insignificance and utter desolation, again
James seems most affected.
The final door you are all unsure of. The glowing symbol on
the door could mean anything. The Monsignor, says a blessing then tries to
door. Locked. James' hands are noticeably shaking so would have no luck trying
to pick it, even if the glowing symbol wasn't scaring the crap out of him. You
decide to leave it for now and head downstairs. Henry returns the drapes back
to their original position and you head back to meet Hal and discuss your next
move.
