THE FIELD TRIP

Session 1: No Cow Tipping Allowed

August 15, 1930

Perri Price, Norris Kowalski, Eugene Jessup and Rob Hathaway met at the arranged corner for the Field Trip to Cobbs Corners at a brisk 5:00 AM. They were introduced by Robert Blaine to the other students who would be attending: Roderick "Little Rod" Block, Louis Gibbons, Harry Higgins, Terrence Laslow, William Noakes, Clarissa Thurber and Jason Trent. Professor Roger Harrold explained that there would be 2 groups each with a different focus. His group would be collecting stories of folklore from the locals in town and on the surrounding farms and would be provided with notebooks, a camera, a phonograph with recording cylinders and money to use as incentive. They would also have 2 Chevrolet Model K's at their disposal to travel around to the local farms. Professor Ashley Learmonth explained that his group would be collecting soil samples to determine the type and saturation of different ores found in around the mountains surrounding the town. In particular they were looking for samples of a newly discovered ore called Pasquallium - an ore that appears both green and black with a rough surface that feels slightly greasy. He has been working with Federated Oil & Chemical testing a sample they had provided for the past 2 years and had convinced them to fund the expedition (as they funded the one the previous year). They would be provided with a Ford AA Truck and a local driver to transport them to the dig sites. Blaine explained that the University had rented the MacLearan Farmhouse as their base of operations - and while it didn't have electricity or gas it had been set up with telephone service. Everyone split up into the 3 cars and the group drove the 8 hours to Cobbs Corners. Eugene overheard Higgins and Gibbons talking about some whiskey that they had snuck with them. Perri and Rob made some small chat with the shy Jason Trent about the book he was reading (The Witch-Cult in Western Europe). After a small food break Blane kicked Roderick out of the cab of the truck so that Clarissa could have more room. Now riding with Norris, Roderick made sure he had brought along his gaming supplies for later.

 

They found the MacLearan Farmhouse run down but livable and split up into rooms and began to settle in. Rob noticed that the flowerbed in back was in full bloom and well maintained even though the rest of the property was not. Clarissa and Perri were assigned one of the upstairs bedrooms and Laslow and Norris took the 2nd. Everyone else camped out in the main downstairs space - with Blaine taking residence in the small parlor. Blaine offered to take everyone out to Cobbs Corners to get a lay of the land, supplies and lunch at Jim's Diner (the towns only restaurant). 

 

Outside the diner they met Richard Wendell, reporter/editor of the Cobbs Corners Gazette who questioned them about their expedition and took a photo of the group for the paper. He passed out his card to Eugene, Rob & Norris and told them to stop by sometime because he had some stories for them. Blaine warned them to stay away from Wendell as he had written some smear pieces after the last expedition. Upon entering the diner, they were greeted by Ann Haggerty and Jim Haggerty and their son Jason Haggerty. The group ordered and while they were waiting for their food Sheriff Dan Spencer and Deputy John Cutter paid them a visit. Spencer warned them that any "drunken foolishness" would be met with swift repercussions. After he left Deputy Cutter had a friendly conversation with them about their expedition and told them that house they are staying in was once owned by Sarah & James MacLearan. Sarah was the Sheriff's sister who passed away from consumption years ago. After her death, James MacLearan turned to the bottle and spends most of his time sobering up in a cell at the station. He warned them about him saying that he could be violent. After their lunch he showed them around the town pointing out the Civil War memorial, Library, General Store, Schoolhouse, Church, Town Hall and a few of the locals who he thought would talk with them. The group picked up some supplies from Christine Karner at Karner's Goods and headed back to the Farmhouse for the night.

 

Clarissa and Perri retired to their room so Clarissa could study. Laslow and Norris talked briefly before Laslow turned in and Norris joined Roderick, Gibbons, Higgins, Noakes and Rob at the barn where they started a campfire and passed around the whiskey Higgins had smuggled in. Eugene and Jason Trent stayed behind to read until Jason announced he was going for a night walk in the woods. The guys at the campfire talked about Blaine's involvement in last year's expedition among other things while they passed the bottle and played cards - with Rob noticing Jason Trent walking through the woods. After they turned in for the night both Norris and Eugene experienced odd unsettling dreams but everyone else slept peacefully.

 

August 16, 1930

The next morning as everyone was preparing for the day, Rob noticed a rabbit being menaced by an odd rat-like creature standing upright and wielding a dagger. When he cried out at seeing the thing the rabbit was scared off and the creature shook its fist at him before vanishing back into the woods.

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Session 2: Take 2 Garlic and Call Me in the Morning

August 16,1930 (cont)

As the other students prepared for their first real day of the expedition Blaine scolded the entire group about the drinking around the campfire the previous night. When Joe Harlow arrived to drive the Science students to their dig site - which Blaine decided would be around the base of Rice Hill - the Science group (Eugene, Clarissa, Roderick, Louis and Harry) headed off to a hot and humid day of physical labor. Unfortunately Rob was feeling too ill to accompany the Science group and stayed behind at the farmhouse to rest. The Folklorists group (Perri, Norris, Jason, Noakes and Laslow) split up into their 2 cars and headed off to Cobb's Corners to begin their interviews and research. Blaine said that he would flip flop between groups each day and today he would be in town with the Folklorists. 

 

The Science group, under the leadership of Harry Higgins, spent the morning setting up their soil sample areas and then began digging. When they broke for lunch Eugene noticed a petroglyph carved into the rock face of a small section of overhanging cliff near the site. It showed stylized figures some of whom appeared to either be running away from a strange-looking bird-thing flapping above their heads. Other figures seemed to be attacking it with bows and arrows. After lunch - more digging. While no Pasquallium was found, the students did uncover several samples of magneitite (loadstone) and dolomite - both of which are very common in this area. Near the end of the day Roderick uncovered an ancient looking Indian arrowhead.

 

The folklorists split up to canvas the town with Trent, Laslow & Noakes heading off on their own and Perri & Norris teaming up. They walked to the library and spoke with the librarian, Mabel Carruthers and her homely niece Amanda Wells. Mable told them that her grandmother once told her about an Indian graveyard in the area that the farmers who originally founded the town dug up - uncovering all kinds of gold and fancy things. She said the gold was cursed and that the youth of the town now pay a blood debt for what was taken - there are an abnormally high number of accidental deaths among the children of Cobbs Corners and the surroundings farmsteads. She also mentioned that Emily Braithwaite, an 18 year old girl with the mind of a 4 or 5 year old, had wandered off again and was lost. Amanda told them that the MacLearan Farmhouse was haunted by the ghost of Sarah MacLearan. She said the townfolk call her "Sarah's Shade" and blame her for everything from bad weather to dying livestock to crops dying and everything in between. Unfortunately the library doesn't carry any books dealing with the occult, folklore or mythology because people would steal them - and Mable seems to use her own personal method of filing which makes looking for anything without her help nearly impossible. When they left they made their way to Dr. Owen Perry's house & surgery. He told them that before he "retired" to Cobb's Corners 12 years prior a woman named Agnes Bellweather had tended to the locals with tonics and salves and acted as a midwife for pregnant mothers. She had no medical training but her family had lived in these parts for a long time and were familiar with the "old ways". He then told them that throughout the years he had tended to the fatal accidents of the youth in the area - noting that the amount of blood found in the victims and at the scenes of the incidents never really added up to what it should. Eventually he tested some of the blood found at one of the sites -and discovered it was pigs blood. He further regaled them of a time not long after he moved to town when a group of men had been apprehended digging up Sarah MacLearan's grave. Sheriff Spencer wanted to see if the grave robbers had disturbed the body - but when they checked they found the remains of a calf crammed into the casket. Dr. Perry now believes that Sarah MacLearan is a vampire (he recently saw the film Nosferatu and drew his conclusion from the similarities he saw on the screen) and offered them garlic for protection since they were staying at the Farmhouse.

 

When the groups re-joined each other at the Farmhouse for the evening, they shared their stories & findings from the day (w/Jason Trent volunteering that one of the locals told him the Bellweather woman was a witch who had cursed one of their calves in retaliation for her son bothering the woman.) After dinner most people were tired from the day and went to sleep. As the group was drifting off to sleep, Norris went outside to lay in the flowerbed behind the house (thinking about his dream from the night before). Eugene, also thinking about his dreams went for a walk along the Sugar Maple treeline. While lying in the flowers, Norris heard some rustling and then was charged by James "Jimmy" MacLearan who drunkenly ran out of the woods yelling about Norris bothering HER flowers. Eugene distracted him then he and Norris ran to the house where everyone was alerted to the situation. Blaine locked the doors and called the Sheriff who came to collect the intruder and apologized on his behalf. The night was humid and hot but eventually everyone drifted to sleep.

 

August 17, 1930

The next morning Perri, Norris and Eugene got to talking about their dreams the previous night  - and realized they had all dreamt the same dream where they found themselves immobile and looking at a barrage of strange locations until they were in a clearing surrounded by Sugar Maples and could hear a woman scream.

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Session 3: Rain, Rain, Go Away

August 17, 1930 (cont)

Blaine arrived at the Farmhouse as the Perri, Norris and Eugene were discussing their dreams from the previous evening. He had dropped the still stick Rob Hathaway at the train station in Battleborough while picking up late arrival, Margaret Edwards who had just arrived back from visiting family in England. As it was Sunday the groups had the morning off for church - though Perri and Eugene opted to wait in town square at the civil war memorial while services were in attendance.

 

While headed into the Church, Norris noticed Holly Rydell, the local schoolmistress talking to some children and being creepily watched by a group of boys which included Reverend Earl Wilson's son Jacob. Inside, Rev Wilson began his sermon on responsibility by asking for prayers for the Braithwaite's whose daughter had wandered off again. The sermon turned very fire and brimstone and ended with him proclaiming that he would be putting down roots in Cobb's Corners because the people had lost their way and needed guidance back to the Lord. When the sermon was over, Norris spoke to Ms. Rydell briefly and then drove over to the Memorial with the rest of the group. Eugene jumped in the truck with Blaine and the Science students and Joe Harlow met them to drive them back to Rice Hill just as the rain started to fall.

 

William Noakes and Jason Trent paired up and Laslow wandered off on his own to begin their interviews for the day. Perri and Margaret decided to team up and head to the Gazette while Norris took the car to the Library to see if Mabel Carruthers could direct him to the Bellweather farmstead. She gave him directions and passed along a book that she had found in the back that she though Perri might want to look at called Ecstasy, Flames, And the Druids of Briton. She said that they could keep it since it had been defaced by a Handwritten Prayer and Crude Drawing. He then drove out of town slowly through the rain and hilly roads until he reached the Bellweather house. Agnus Bellweather and her cat Beltane greeted him and she told him that the original settlers of the town were warned by local Indians that the area that Cobbs Corners was built on was cursed. They said an entire tribe had tried to settle there and was wiped out in a single night - all of them dying in hideous ways: being frozen, burned and/or ripped apart. Their remains were recovered and buried at the foot of one of the hills in the valley. She went on to describe how there are no bugs in the valley and no predators ever wander down from the hills - and that the land, which shouldn't be good for farming had always produced amazing amounts of crops that never grew weeds.

 

Meanwhile Perri and Margaret met with Richard Wendell, who confirmed stories about the youth experiencing accidents - saying an entire graduating class all died within months of graduating a few years back. He also showed them Wendell's Photograph and explained that he had seen something flying in the sky and snapped a shot and developed it with an emulsion he was trying to perfect. That same night he awoke to find his darkroom ablaze and Deputy John Cutter looking in through his window. When he questioned/accused the Deputy of starting the fire he was told his accusations were ludicrous and that he should drop it. The pair then spent a few hours going through the paper's archives - finding a long trail of child deaths (min 2 per month) going back as far as the paper's archives existed.

 

Meanwhile, the Science group started working in the rain using some tarps to try and shield the site to no avail. As the rain got worse, Blaine suggested everyone wait in the car until it calmed down and said that he was going to hike to a nearby farm and call back to the Farmhouse to see if the Folklore group had retreated back because of the weather. After several hours of waiting in the rain the students got very restless and decided to drive to the nearest farmhouse to ask after Blaine. The farmer said no one had come by so they started driving back to the Farmhouse as the rain made the day a wash. While crossing Gismond Road Bridge, the river surged and the bridge fell into the water along with their truck. Everyone was able to make it out of the river to the banks as Sheriff Spencer and Deputy Cutter arrived - they were checking on the local bridges for just this kind of thing. Sheriff sent Deputy Cutter back into town to gather some folks and rope to help pull the truck out of the water.

 

Dupty Cutter arrived at the Gazette asking for help and letting Perri and Margaret know that he had called the Farmhouse and Blaine, Laslow, Noakes and Trent were on their way to the bridge as well. Wendell and the ladies left with the Deputy and drove back to the bridge in a procession of other townsfolk who were pitching in. Norris noticed his classmates in the procession as he returned to town and followed them to the site. As the truck was being pulled out Joe Harlow pointed out something in the river - and Margaret saw some pinkish blob floating alongside a large lobster-like claw for moment before it washed away. Her instinct was to flea and as Blaine went to follow her, he knocked Perri into the waters. Luckily Eugene had his rope and was able to fish her out. With the car and everyone secured - they returned to the Farmhouse where Norris and Laslow moved out of the room upstairs so that Margaret could move in. Perri and Norris shared their experiences of the day and then joined everyone downstairs by the fire to try and get dry.

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Session 4: Into the Woods

August 17, 1930 (cont)

The students continued to wind down, dry off and have dinner as the rain finally died down. Blaine offered the group an apology for the day via a bottle of Bourbon. While most of the students partook, Eugene, Perri and Norris retreated to the front of the house. Hearing someone leave out the backdoor, they snuck around the side of the house to see Jason Trent making his way into the woods and decided to follow him. Margaret saw the group sneaking around and decided to follow them as well. As the trio made their way into the Sugar Maples, Norris spotted a rat-like creature with tentacles overhanging its mouth which scampered off into the trees. Margaret, who had gotten a little turned around, also came across one of the creatures - who seemed fairly friendly. Unfortunately, several others that were watching from the trees were not so friendly and ascended on her. The trio heard her struggling and ran to her rescue - pulling most of them off her - except for one that produced a tiny sword and began hacking at Margaret's hair in an attempt to stab her. Eventually it gave up and scampered into the trees.

 

As the group was composing itself they heard Jason Trent screaming from farther off in the woods. They found him passed out near the edge of a clearing. Within the clearing they found the seemingly lifeless John Jeffrey embedded in a large stone - the top of his head surgically sliced open with wires and other electronics inserted into his brain cavity. Behind him strange scenes from other places played like images on a screen. Eugene threw a stick into the images and it seemed to be transported to the location on the screen - one of the locations showed a tranquil wooded scene filled with the strange rat-like creatures. A closer look at Jeffrey showed that he was somehow still alive on some level. Margaret decided to put him out of his suffering but just before she did Jeffrey spoke directly into their minds saying "Save her" and showed them an image of a shack somewhere nearby in the woods. When Jeffrey had passed, the wires in his brain sparked and he, the rock and the images seemed to blink out of existence. Perri and Norris were able to revive Jason Trent but he couldn't remember exactly what had made him pass out - only that he had come to the woods to look for mandrake root.

 

Margaret and Perri took Jason back to the MacLearan Farmhouse while Norris and Eugene went in search of the cabin. They found it about half a mile from the clearing. There were signs of someone(thing?) recently standing guard outside the shack and an abandoned odd looking spear. Inside in the Root Cellar, they found poor Emily Braithwaite tied up and near death showing signs of having been tortured for several days. They cut her free, retrieved a gnarly looking whip that laid near by and carried her back to Farmhouse. The ladies noticed them loading her into one of the cars and joined them as they took her to Dr. Perry's house. He examined her, called her parents and the police as they told him part of the story of what happened. When Sheriff Spencer arrived they also told him a version of the story. Norris questioned why the police hadn't found her and seemed to anger Sheriff Spencer who took the question very personally. After a short verbal altercation the group drove back to the Farmhouse for some much needed rest.

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Session 5: Up On the Rooftop...

August 18 1930

Perri, Norris, Eugene and Margaret woke up early to discuss what their "story" would be for the events of the previous night. As Perri was convincing Jason Trent to go along with their story of accompanying him to look for mandrake root, Clarissa came upon some human bones sticking up out of the flower bed in the back of the building. Blaine took her inside and called the police. Eventually Sheriff Spencer and Deputy Cutter arrived and collected the bones that they suspected belonged to the Sheriff's sister, Sarah. The group explained their version of last nights' events to the rest of the students and Blaine announced that the Science group would be camping out at Broken Hill for the next 3 nights.

 

Eugene and the Science group rode with Blaine to the new site and began to clear the area and set up equipment. They started making their tests and eventually Blaine left them for the night to check on the Folklore group. As they dug, everyone started to find beads, tools, arrowheads and other items of Indian origin - until Clarissa turned up some human remains. Further digging turned up more remains. They estimated that an entire community of the local Indians had been buried here in a mass grave and decided to call it quits for the night and set up camp. Eugene helped Clarissa put together her tent (and vice versa).

 

Meanwhile, Laslow took the car to speak to some of the outlying farms while the rest of the group split off to talk to people in town. Norris ventured over to the Sheriff's Office to try and speak to Jimmy MacLearan in the drunk tank - but mid interview the conversation was hijacked by the Sheriff and Norris was asked to leave. He stopped in at Karners' Goods to pick up some gifts for the Braithwaite's and then went to present them to Mrs. Braithwaite. She was overcome with emotion at what they had done - and then form the gifts and thanked him profusely and offered to bake them a pie. Margaret and Noakes made their way to the Church and spoke with Martha Wilson who talked to them about moving from village to village and how devoted her husband is. Then they spoke to Reverend Wilson himself who told them that after seeing how devoted to the "old ways" many of the locals here were that he had decided to plant his roots in Cobb's Corners to fight the devil. When they left, they canvased the houses nearby and spoke to an old man who told them that his Grandfather had met the Devil out in the hills and had been promised many things by him - but he drove the him away with prayer. Perri and Trent went to speak with Holly Rydell at the Schoolhouse. Mrs. Rydell seemed timid at first but then opened up about her concerns with the children. Not only do many of them seem to suffer from accidents - but others participate in odd games and activities. She showed them some confiscated drawings which she said she took from a child just last week. After they left the schoolhouse, they talked to another woman who told them that she thinks there is something with a spiny head that lives in the river and comes out when it rains. She thinks it may live in some of the underground caves along the riverbed up in the mountains.

 

The Interviewers reconvened at the center of town, where Laslow explained that he had struck out again - some farmer had fired off a warning shot at him after telling him that the students had stirred up the Devil and the ghosts of dead Indians in the hills by digging around. They went back to the Farmhouse where Blaine was preparing diner. After cleaning up and eating - Blaine passed around another bottle of Bourbon. Eventually Margaret and Perri retired upstairs to read and settle in for the night - which had become incredibly foggy. As they were talking about the day's exploits - they started to hear thumping sounds on the roof as if someone or something was walking around.

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Session 6: Betrayed

August 18 1930 (cont)

Norris sat downstairs with Noakes, Jason Trent and Laslow talking and passing around a bottle of bourbon that Blaine had given them. Upstairs Perri and Margaret were looking over Ecstasy, Flames, And the Druids of Briton and talking about the weeks events when they heard a noise on the roof. They went downstairs to see if anyone was up on the building when everyone heard the noises. Blaine took Norris, Margaret and Noakes outside to investigate but the fog was so thick that it was impossible to see anything. As Margaret wandered around to the back to see if she could get a better look, Norris threw a pebble up on the roof that seemed to hit something in the fog. Suddenly a greenish mist shot down from the roof encompassing Noakes - who collapsed to the ground. Norris ran to Noakes as Perri and Jason Trent came outside to what was happening - but another blast of green mist shot out narrowly missing him. Noakes body was grabbed by something in the fog and flown out of eyesight as a blast of green spore filled fog shot out at Perri, who ran inside with Jason. Terrence Laslow bolted for the back door and was hit with the spores as Maraget came around the building. She and Perri pulled Terrence into the kitchen while Norris ran inside. They locked all the doors as something began trying to force its way inside the farmhouse. Windows in the upstairs rooms and the living smashed in and the kitchen door was beaten down as they all barricaded themselves in the Parlor and snuck out of the window and ran into the Sugar Maple woods. Jason Trent tripped on the flower bed and twisted his leg but the group grabbed him and helped him to escape.

 

Meanwhile Eugene, Clarissa, Roderick, Louis and Harry sat around their campfire talking and having dinner while a bottle of bourbon was passed around. As a thick fog floated down off Broken Hill Eugene and Clarissa turned in - eventually followed by the others. Some hours later Clarissa woke Eugene up saying that there was someone in the camp. All Eugene could see through the fog was a few silhouettes moving around the tents, strange lights and a greenish mist being shot out from the fog. He and Clarissa snuck out to the road but Clarissa was grabbed around the waist by an insect-like arm and flown out of site. Eugene ran onto the road towards town. Eventually he was found by Deputy Cutter who started to drive them towards the police station. On the way they came upon Perri, Norris, Margaret & Jason Trent and everyone piled into the car. Once at the police station, Deputy Cutter locked them up in a cell stating he could smell the alcohol on Norris and their stories of the evenings events were just drunken hooey.

 

August 19 1930

The 5 students sat in the cell while Deputy Cutter left to check out the Farmhouse. Several hours later Deputy Cutter and Sheriff Spencer arrived saying that there were no signs of attack at the Farmhouse. They had Blaine, Clarissa and William Noakes with them. All 3 denied that there was a camp-out last night and said that Eugene had provided the alcohol that the group had gotten wasted on last night. The Sheriff took Jason Trent to Dr. Perry's so that his leg could be taken care of. Eventually a very disappointed Professor Harrold arrived, having driven all night. The Sheriff released Perri, Norris, Eugene and Margaret into his custody (Jason Trent couldn't travel because of his leg) and they were driven to the train station in Battleboro and sent back to Arkham.