federated
oil & chemical

Session 17: A Mysterious Benefactor

September 22-29 1930

Over the next week the incident in Arkham became a national news story - including the recently discovered brainless bodies at the house outside of town. As the rooms in St. Mary's filled up, medical tents were set up on campus to help care for those were injured. By Wednesday, rebuilding and restoration efforts at MU had begun. Perri and Eugene volunteered time at the Orne Library's clean up. Thomas handed over the Brain Cylinder to Dr. Armitage to safely store along with Noakes' Spore Gun. Margaret tried to find some sense of normality - and alerted her family that she might be returning home early as MU's classes had not resumed and she had received a note from the government that her Visa was in question. Norris took the week to settle his mind and take up boxing classes. On Friday, the group each individually received notes from Leon Pasqualle Esq, inviting them to meet with him on Monday to "discuss some mutually beneficial matters in regards to the previous weeks' unfortunate events."

 

September 30 1930

All five met with Mr. Pasqualle at MU's Administration Building. He explained that he worked for Michael Abelard, the founder and president of Federated Oil & Chemical. He told them that the FOC had a good relationship with the University and Mr. Abelard had authorized him to fund the restoration efforts at the school. While organizing things, he spoke with Dr. Armitage who had explained the crucial role that they had played in the situation and that without their assistance the incident could have been exponentially worse. He had looked into their files and arranged the following: The VT arrest records for Perri, Norris, Eugene & Margaret would be sealed, Norris' expulsion from MU was reversed and would not appear on his academic records, Carla Jessup would be released into her family's custody pending any trial - and they were working on getting all charges against her dropped, Margaret's Visa situation had been taken care of and he was authorized to set up private care for Thomas' father (if he wished it) - as well as any medical or mental health care that was needed for the five of them would be covered by the FOC. In return, Mr. Abelard asked if they would take a meeting with him at their convenience. The group agreed to meet with him and were told that they would be picked up the next day and driven to Boston.

 

October 1 1930

Mr. Pasqualle picked the group up and drove them to Boston Harbor, where they were put on a plane and flown to Detroit, where the FOC's corporate headquarters was located. When they arrived they met Mr. Abelard's bodyguard, Peter Murdoch, who checked them for weapons and confiscated the Mist Projector that Perri had brought and the Electric Gun, handgun, Pasquallium and Professor Learmonth's notes that Eugene had brought. Then they were introduced to Mr. Abelard and his private secretary, Selena Preston. Mr. Abelard explained that several years ago, he had a run in with the Mi-Go that resulted in the death of his son and the loss of the use of his legs. Since then, he had dedicated his time and resources to learning as much as he could about them and executing missions to bring about their infestation on Earth. He had heard of the incident in Arkham and surmised that the Mi-Go were behind it and wanted to hear their side of the story. After they explained the details of their time in Cobbs Corners and Arkham - and let him know about the items they had rescued from the Prof Learmonth's safe - he proposed that they join a group of FOC Scientists and Security personnel who would be returning to Cobbs Corners to gather more information about the Mi-Go threat that existed there. They would be there solely as paid advisors as they knew the town, townsfolk and had intimate encounters with the Mi-Go and their Agents that the FOC could benefit from. They group agreed to join in team. He explained that they would be staying at the FOC HQ's guest suites until the operation - for their safety - and then they were whisked away to their new temporary home. They were each provided a room and new wardrobe and were given the evening to settle in and rest. Selena Preston arranged for Eugene to call home and put his families minds at ease (though FOC security guards were present during the call).

 

October 2, 1930

The next morning they met the rest of the team: Dr. Sarah Matherson who would head up the science division, Professor David Drake who would be there to provide his expertise in folklore and psychology, Sam "Captain" Morrison who would bring his military expertise to head the team's security and Larry Nekler who would man the radio that would connect their team with a secondary team of ex-soldiers that would be positioned nearby in case of emergency. The FOC had purchased the MacLearan Farmhouse and was in the process of updating it and installing necessary technology for the mission. While in town, the students would keep up the facade of being there to collect stories about the "creatures in the hills" and follow up any leads that didn't seem too dangerous (like finding more about Deputy John Cutter) or join Captain in his searches around the hills. A number of alarms and traps would be set up around the farmhouse to ensure the team's safety. They were provided with a list of the proposed FOC Supplies & Armory and asked if there was anything else that should be included. It was agreed that a set of Gas Masks and Tear Gas would be included and that Dr. Matherson would work on developing a modified version of bullet proof vests that contained no metal and could be used as Electricity Proof Vests as well. They also came up with a call/response to verify that team members were who they said they were: Flash-Thunder and March-Johnnie. Dr. Matherson explained that she was running tests on the Mi-Go equipment that they had brought with them and Eugene offered to give her a demonstration at some point. They also notified them about the Spore Gun in Dr. Armitage's possession. The mission would move forward in about 1.5-2 weeks time and until them, they could use the time to mentally and physically prepare. As the meeting was adjourned, the group overheard Selena Preston telling Mr. Abelard that "there had been a possible sighting in Canada..."

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Session 18: Conversations with Dr. Matherson

October 3-9 1930

Perri, Norris, Eugene, Margaret and Thomas spent the week physically training, doing research and having sessions with Professor Drake.

 

October 10 1930
The group met with Dr. Matherson in her office in the basement. She explained all that the FOC had been able to discover about the Mi-Go through the years: they are an alien race from a planet they refer to as Yuggoth, their bodies are a mixture of flesh and fungi that can be surgically altered to increase their strength, dexterity, intelligence (etc) to fit what tasks are required of them, they communicate via a buzzing insect-like voice, they are looking for certain Earth minerals/metals and therefore are established in remote mountainous areas, they have advanced technology/weaponry, they seem to have some form of mind control over humans and that they quickly deteriorate once killed. Then she took them on a quick walk through the laboratories to let them hear an audio recording of her interrogation of a Mi-Go from several years ago. Along the way they passed several scientists doing experiments, a room with a metal bed with restraints and an electrical generator, a room with 2 scientists doing an autopsy on 2 mummified (very brittle) bodies and 6 others mummies submerged in large tanks of water and a room with several artifacts laid out (spears, knives, jewelry and a greenish-black tablet with a squid-like carving and strange symbols). When asked, she told them that the mummified bodies were recovered at a defunct Mi-Go base in the Andes. They believe that they may be a new "form" of Mi-Go used to more closely pass as human that did not deteriorate immediately after death. The corpses are so brittle that they decided to re-hydrate the majority so as to better examine them in their natural form. She brought the group into a room with a phonograph and explained that the interrogation was also video-taped but the creature's image inexplicably could not be captured on film, so instead showed them an artist's rendition of the Mi-Go's interrogation and played the audio recording. The group did not seem too pleased to hear the recording of Dr. Matherson "torturing" the creature - which cause a bit of tension. Matherson then took them to a room where the Electric Gun, Mist Projector and Spore Gun were laid out. Eugene demonstrated how the Mist Projector worked. Matherson looked at the Electric Gun but was unable to make it shoot - but was able to work the Spore Gun. She thanked them for meeting with her and escorted them back to the elevators. As the doors closed, Norris & Perri saw a handcuffed Louis Gibbons with a bag over his head being escorted into the Labs by FOC Security. They all reconvened the Library to discuss their situation and the upcoming mission to VT. They decided to do some research into the Andes (where the mummified corpses had come from) and "Shub-Niggurath" - the name the Mi-Go seemed to be praying to on Dr. Matherson's recording since it seemed to link up with the Handwritten Prayer and Crude Drawing that was in the book Perri got from Cobb's Corners. They found some books on the Andes that had been notated and marked up with general information - and also a book called British Gods: Religion & Myth in the Western Kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon Britian that said Shub-Nigguarth was an ancient fertility goddess worshiped in remote areas of England 100s of years ago. Margaret and Thomas stayed to do some more research while Perri and Eugene had an awkward dinner date (with Norris watching from a nearby table). After dinner Selena Preston collected the group to speak with Michael Abelard in the Conference Room. He told them that a possible Mi-Go presence had been detected in La Touqe, a small town in Quebec in the form of 2 homeless men being found with their brains removed. He asked them to travel to La Touqe and gather more information to confirm if the incident was Mi-Go related.

 

October 11 1930

The next morning the team was flown to Quebec where they took a train to La Touqe and met with former FOC attorney Nicolas Thibault. Thibault explained that 2 homeless men, Anthony Cornett and Nathan Roche, were recently found dead with the tops of their heads an brains removed. He gave them $500 Canadian for expense and volunteered to act as interpreter as noon spoke French. The group took rooms at the Hotel Beaudetmore and after a quick change (with some looking more dapper than others), they then visited the local police station where they spoke with Detective Julien Degarmo, the man in charge of the investigation. Degarmo explained that the 1st victim, Cornett was a traveler who had worked at the local mill but was laid off some months ago. The medical examiner said the upper scalp and cranium were removed via a saw antemortem (pre-death). He also had a card for a homeless refuge called the YMCFC on his person. The 2nd victim, Roche, was only identified by the name written on his clothes and thinks he might be a local homeless man - though no one on the force recognized him. He marked the locations where the bodies had been found on their map and asked them to report back to him if they uncovered anything. Thibault excused himself to make some phone calls while the group headed to the location where Nathan Roche had been discovered (it was across the way from the police station). Thomas picked up the trail of some footprints that lead to a clearing and then some dragmarks that lead north into the woods. Norris took an unfortunate dive into a mud puddle but Thomas was also able to find a small piece of black cloth that had snagged on some foliage.

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Session 19: House of the Homeless

October 11 1930 (cont)

Perri, Norris, Eugene and Margaret headed towards the location where Anthony Cornett's body had been found (Thomas went back to the hotel with a migraine). They found some odd pointy looking tracks in the vicinity but couldn't identify them. They decided to visit the YMCFC. Since Norris was covered in mud, he passed himself off as a homeless man that the group had found on the streets and brought to the shelter. Father Maxime Dubois was holding a Bible Study with about 20 homeless men when they arrived but cut it short sending Norris and the other men to have some dinner while he took the group into his office. They questioned him about Mr. Cornett & Mr. Roche - but he said that a lot of unfortunates pass through the facility and he didn't remember them. He seemed hard to read but apologized for not being more help and let them say goodbye to Norris before they left. After a quick info swap, Norris went back to dinner and Eugene kept watch while Perri and Margaret snooped around the office. They discovered a deed to a house that was purchased by the YMCFC about 6 months ago and decided to have a look around there. Meanwhile, Norris spoke with some of the other residents - one whom had worked with Cornett at the Mill. He said that he had stayed here one night but had left town the next day. After dinner, Father Dubois talked to Norris in his office. He offered to let him work at their 2nd location to earn some money and a bed at the YMCFC for the night. Norris thanked him and said he would come back but wanted to go out to "look for his cousin" (Cornett) some more first - and left. Eugene, Margaret and Perri found the house owned by the YMCFC unoccupied and locked up. Margaret forced her way into the back door - and then placated a neighbor who had come out to walk her dog. Inside they found blood stains in the kitchen sink, a room filled with boxed up clothes and housing goods and a bedroom set up with a large wooden table, table saw and discolored bucket. In the 2nd bedroom, they found a Phrenology head and 3 extracted brains in enamel dishes marked with Phrenology symbols. They fled the house and met up with Norris and called the police. Detective Julien Degarmo took down what they had found while officers went to the scene and collected the evidence - and then arrested Father Dubois. That night, after reporting in to the FOC, Margaret & Norris met down in the hotel bar and had a deep conversation while Eugene and Perri had a movie date.

 

October 12-18 1930

Nicolas Thibault arranged travel for the group back to Detroit. They spent the next week meeting with Professor Drake and trying to bone up on some skills in preparation for their return to Cobbs Corners the following week.

 

October 19 1930

Selena Preston notified the group that Mr. Abelard wanted to have a final briefing as they would be shipping out to VT the following day. When they met in the conference room, it had been set up to hold a "dance" since the group was missing the Fall Dance at MU. Abelard popped some champagne and the group got to know the team a little more amidst drinking and dancing - until the lights shorted out plunging them into complete darkness.

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Session 20: Unexpected Consequences

October 19 1930 (cont)

When the lights went out Norris and Eugene went with Larry Nekler to try check out the breakers in the basement while the others stayed in the conference room. As they made their way down the stairs they heard screams and light gun fire coming from the 4th floor and then ran into 2 fish-like creatures coming up the stairs. Larry bolted back up to the 5th floor while Norris followed Eugene onto the 4th floor where another of the creatures was ripping into FOC staff. They ran to the kitchen and grabbed some weapons while trying to barricade and unbarricade the door as the creatures followed. Eventually they retreated to the Mess and barricaded that door as well. Larry alerted the group upstairs and Abelard sent Captain to the weapons cache on the 4th floor, accompanied by Perri, Margaret & Thomas. Norris and Margaret ran to the outer Kitchen door while the others held the Mess. After the 3 creatures were dispatched, they all went down to the basement to see what had happened to the other 5 that had been kept down in the labs. They found the electric & phone cables chewed through and a broken window in the lobby - but no other signs of the missing horrors. When the power was restored, a shaken Abelard answered some questions and  assured the group that he would start efforts to located the creatures that had escaped. The group agreed to still leave the following day for VT.