Session 9 Log - austenrpg/eternallies GitHub Wiki

Session 9 - 23rd March 2025 In-game date: 11th November 1934 - 5.30pm Notes by: William

Present: Mikhail (Ani) William (Austen) Nolan (GE5131) Ralph (Sam) Michael (Maulie)

Scene 1 - regrouping at cafe after Buchwald encounter

We discuss the plan for the next meeting and the future in general.

Mikhail points out that the names in Captain Walker's letter match the false names given at Joy Grove, so some there must be passing him info. Jack will tell Walker we are out of town, so we should have some time before we might face danger again from Walker etc. Mikhail is worried Walker might "clean house" if he discovers we are still investigating. Michael suggests we might be able to use the fact that no one seems to know our appearances to our favour, perhaps going to see the Captain? Mikhail points out we have the building plans. Michael suggests we might watch the place and figure out a way to get inside without being seen, when we might be able to get into the library or similar. He asks Nolan if he has experience in this area. Side eye ensues. Mikhail suggests this might blow the (temporary) cover we have if we are noticed. A meeting with George Ayers is mooted. Mikhail and Michael agree that speaking with Buchwald and Ayers first is a good plan. Mikhail points out that we are on a mission for Janet Winston and that Captain Walker's business dealings might not be in the scope of that - indeed, we might be able to approach him for information without resorting to conflict.

Scene 2 - meeting with Buchwald at hotel

We take the accounts, pictures, etc with us We meet with Buchwald. Mikhail takes out the pictures and checks them to see if Buchwald is in there. He is in one or two. They are briefly shown to him.

Buchwald started his career with Echavarria. He was the executor of his estate. Echavarria died intestate and Buchwald managed to step in as executor on behalf of the state. He was asked about the location of the books - he was approached by Trammel to buy the books directly but this was refused as they had to go to auction. At auction, one lot was bought by UCLA (presumably on behalf of Ayers?); the rest were bought by Trammel. Buchwald says Trammel was in the inner circle of Echavarria's church. He also identifies Ayers and another Siamese woman in the photos as being in the inner circle (he has forgotten her name). He says he wasn't involved in taking the nectar or the church but attended some of the parties. He says that nectar was worth its weight in gold. Once Echavarria died, he stopped being involved. He did not attend the last party. He says by this stage, Echavarria was completely crazy, talking of nothing but worship of Gol-goroth. One time, he asked him if he wanted to hear something truly perverse, telling him all his followers were being deceived and that his god went way, way deeper than they knew. He says he would not be surprised if Trammel would try and continue the works of the church. He warns us to go home, that nothing good will come from this. He has no knowledge of Captain Walker - he either was not involved in the church or was of low rank. He is asked if we can get hold of a sample of Nectar to try. He says no and advises us not to - it turns people into animals with tons of stamina. He doesn't know how it was made or even the components as this information wasn't passed to him for the accounts. He is asked if there is a photo (or other image) of Gol-goroth. He says he never saw one if it exists. He is asked if he can help us get in touch with Ayers. He says no. He says Echavarria sent him somewhere shortly before the summoning but he does not know the details or when/if he returned. He didn't write the postcard but doesn't recognise the handwriting. The books were stolen from his office just before the party. He begs us not to ruin his life with them, as he has a family now and all that is behind him. He is advised to take his family away for a while, due to renewed interest in the case.

12 November 1934

Scene 3 - Breakfast

We discuss the plans for the day. William suggests going to see Phillis Page but we are unsure if she is at work or not. If it is a work day, maybe we go to UCLA, maybe we break into the house? Ralph is expecting information from his contacts relating to Gol-goroth and the symbols on the stones at Echavarria's barn.

Scene 4 - UCLA

We obtain the office details for Ayers and Page. Page has classes, Ayers does not. Michael, Mikhail, and Nolan go to Phillis Page's class, Physics 101. It is busy and she is teaching in an animated fashion. Ralph and William go to Ayer's office. The plaque says Dr Mike Roman. We enter. We don't recognize the man inside from the photos. We ask for Ayers. He says he hasn't been seen for 8 years or so and he now occupies this office. He says all his stuff was taken by administrators when he moved in. He suggests we talk to the admin person in the history dept, Samantha Burnish, He seems cagey. Back in the physics class, it is over, the class has left. Phillis is cleaning the blackboard. She doesn't resemble Ayers and is much younger than him. The group approaches her. Nolan introduces himself and asks about Ayers. She says she has never heard of him - which appears to be true. Nolan asks her out and she rushes off. Quickly. she accepts, telling him to pick her up at 8pm. Ralph and William get to Ms Burnish's office. We tell her we want to speak to Ayers. She calls someone then sends us to speak to the head of the department, Professor Hamish MacDunn. We go to speak to MacDunn. He tells us Ayers is overseas on an expedition but they have not heard from them for a while. Ayers requested permission a few years ago (in 1924) to go to Ethiopia. He was given permission as long as this was externally funded. He wanted to pursue a dig at an ancient site. He went alone, without students. He sent reports but these stopped around a decade ago. He says we can review the paperwork etc from his office. He tries to explain that they still get paid for Ayers even if he is dead overseas. He calls Burnish and tells her to let us see Ayers' things. He stresses that he doesn't want to know if we come across anything around the fate of Ayers. We regroup and go with Burnish to a basement where Ayers' stuff is stored. We start to go through it. We find Ayers' itinerary for the expedition along with his research notes and a telegram from Ayers to MacDunn about acquiring books in the Echavarria auction, specifically "Cults of Aksumite" and "Rift of Maw". It's time for the university to close, so we take the research notes and leave. We will spend the evening studying the notes, apart from Nolan who will spend the evening studying Professor Page. She tells him where he is taking him and they set off into the night. The rest of us read the research. Part of it relates "the Liar from Beyond" with Gol-goroth. Elsewhere, we see he loses faith in Echavarria but regains it after speaking with him; he has corresponded with Bartolo Acuna, a professor in Madrid, about the "Liar From Beyond". Bartolo has retranslated a rare lore book and discovered new facts (see pdf).

Session ends.