Session 1 - 5/02/2022 - The one where it all begins

RUPERT MERRIWEATHER lies on his deathbed in Arkham’s hospital. Besides his family, he
requests four people visit him.

ALYCE - A reporter for STRANGE, BUT TRUE!

ANTONINO - A mobster from NEW JERSEY
BENJAMIN - A Great War veteran with the SCARS to show for it.
FREDERICK - A young psychology student with an interest in the OCCULT

The four introduce themselves to one another as they wait to be allowed into MERRIWEATHER’S
room. They are soon allowed to meet MERRIWEATHER, whose time in this mortal coil is fastly
approaching its end. With conviction in his eyes but desperation in his voice, he tells the party of
his greatest sin:

Back when he was a student, RUPERT had an unhealthy fascination with the OCCULT. Along with
four other students, they were taken under the wing of a man known as MARRION ALLEN. Under
his guidance, and after the purchase of a FARMHOUSE near ROSS’S CORNERS  they
researched what should have been left in the dark, experimented on what was best left alone. This
culminated to their attempt to summon a DJINN, a being said to be able to make any wish come
true. But it was no DJINN they summoned, and the MALEVOLENT ENTITY thus brought into this
world sought to escape and pursue its own indiscernible agenda. Though they managed to bind it
in the ATTIC of the FARMHOUSE, the creature laughed cruelly, telling them that it need only wait -
the bindings would last only until the death of those involved. And unlike mortals whose time is
limited, it had all eternity ahead of it. 

RUPERT is the last one of that group alive, and his time is short. He begs the party to right his
wrongs, to save people from the monster he helped unleash. To aid them in the quest he has set
the party upon, he gives them a BOX. 

Within the box, they find:

-The DEED of the FARMHOUSE, which is situated on BOON ROAD
- A KEY
- A small SARCOPHAGUS with symbols linked to “THE LOST PACIFIC CONTINENT OF MU”
- RUPERT’s JOURNAL
- A LETTER.

The LETTER mentions that RUPERT will use what wealth he has to help combat otherworldly
entities even after he is gone. It also mentions that everything that is needed to banish the
MALEVOLENT ENTITY lies within the FARMHOUSE - translated pages from a BOOK called DE
VERMIIS MYSTERIIS.
The party decides to go to FREDERICK’s office to discuss what they’ll do next. It is decided that
THE MEN will go to ARKHAM UNIVERSITY to seek a copy of DE VERMIIS MYSTERIIS while
ALYCE reads RUPERT’s JOURNAL for any relevant parts. 

While at the UNIVERSITY, THE MEN are told that in order to gain a copy they need to speak with
the HEAD LIBRARIAN, HENRY ARMITAGE. He refuses to give the book, but after BENJAMIN
explains to him why they need it, he says he will attempt to help by reading the relevant parts on
his own. He mentions the book is in LATIN, so handing it over wouldn’t do much anyway. He also
warns against telling more people about the book, for there are those that would seek it for their
own ends, damn the consequences. 

THE MEN return to ALYCE, who has read RUPERT’s JOURNAL and bookmarked the relevant
parts: After stopping the MALEVOLENT ENTITY, MARION ALLEN headed for NEW ORLEANS to
seek out MASTERS OF THE OCCULT to aid with the banishment. He warned RUPERT not to go
to BOSTON. A few months after, MARION ALLEN was MURDERED. Before his death, he also told
RUPERT to keep the GOLDEN SARCOPHAGUS safe. The party checks it, and finds out that after
scratching at it it is indeed GOLDEN.

BENJAMIN & ANTONIO head to the POLICE DEPARTMENT to seek out the PUBLIC RECORDS
of MARION ALLEN in search of further clues about him. They find out the details of MARION
ALLEN’s MURDER: His chest was cut open, his tongue had been cut off, strange symbols had
been etched on his forehead. His heart, and liver were taken, and he died from a stab wound. They
also find out that his PERSONAL EFFECTS were sent to his family in BOSTON. 

With that information, the party decides to head to BOSTON. They drive to ALYCE’s place, so that
she may retrieve her gun, but as she goes she finds a telegram: RUPERT MERRIWEATHER IS
DEAD. 

Upon realizing that time is quickly running out, the party decide to head to the FARMHOUSE to see
if they can banish the MALEVOLENT ENTITY before it runs loose. They arrive at the
FARMHOUSE, and find ELDRITCH CIRCLES on its walls. Frederick remarks that these are
WARDS meant to keep OTHERWORLDLY THINGS out of the FARMHOUSE. The party heads in.
The place looks lived in, with personal effects of what may be a homeless person splayed on a
table. They hear noise from the BASEMENT. ANTONIO & BENJAMIN take point and they head
down the stairs.

And just as they take a few steps down, something comes swinging at ANTONIO…
Session 2 - 12/02/2022 - The one with the undead bear

ANTONIO is hit with a table leg on the head by a man with a red beard. He attempts to run, but is
stopped by FREDERICK. Where calm words fail to calm him, the threat of a shotgun blast does.
The man’s name is RED JAKE, called so because of his red beard. He is a traveler heading for
California, staying in the FARMHOUSE for the night. He was chased by a MONSTER at night in
the woods, a monster who stank of rotting meat, yet was invisible to the common eye. He tries to
leave, but BENJAMIN convinces him to stay and help with the BANISHMENT.

In a trunk the following are found:

- A cloth with WARDS
- BLACK ROBES
- A cigar box that holds two kinds of powder: A WHITE Powder and a BROWN one.
- A LETTER by MARION ALLEN that contains the instructions for a BANISHMENT RITUAL
- YELLOW PAPERS that hold the CHANT needed for the BANISHMENT RITUAL

The RITUAL must begin at MIDNIGHT, and requires uninterrupted CHANTING for TWO HOURS. It
is suggested that enough people join in, to ensure it remains uninterrupted. Failure means
restarting the next evening. It further requires the drawing of a RITUAL CIRCLE, and the burning of
CHEMICALS. ALYCE CHANTS, FREDERICK DRAWS, ANTONIO BURNS and BENJAMIN (+
RED JAKE)  KEEPS WATCH. In preparation for any form of resistance, half the windows are
barred with wooden planks. 

The RITUAL begins, and progresses as per instructions. Not long after, noise is heard from the
ATTIC, which soon grows silent. The pleas of an elderly woman are heard, who begs for help
outside, stating she is wounded. RED JAKE wants to help, but BENJAMIN forbids it, saying it risks
the ritual. The woman approaches one of the windows, and it turns out she is UNDEAD. Her head
is blown to bits with a shotgun, but not before she started damaging one of the WARDS. Not long
after, an undead RACCOON is thrown within the house. It is promptly punched to death by
ANTONIO. Not long after, the sounds of BENJAMIN’s CAR being TRASHED are heard, and soon
the FARMHOUSE is attacked by an UNDEAD BEAR. The bear causes significant damage to the
WARDS before it is taken down. All the while, the MALEVOLENT ENTITY is throwing ACID SPIT
through the broken windows, and attempts to disrupt the ritual to no avail. FREDERICK and
ALYCE persist with the CHANT. A final assault is made by another UNDEAD WOMAN &
RACOON, and they are dispatched the same way: Shotgun blast through the head, and
clobbering. 
The BANISHMENT RITUAL succeeds, the MALEVOLENT ENTITY is entrapped in a piece of
AMBER, and all breathe a sigh of relief. ANTONIO hands RED JAKE 20 bucks, and repairs
BENJAMIN’s car enough to run. BENJAMIN drives RED JAKE to ROSS’s CORNERS, and takes
the rest back to town. With the threat dealt with, and with the AMBER given to DR ARMITAGE for
safekeeping, the party goes their own way. ALYCE publishes a story in STRANGE, BUT TRUE!
Detailing her adventure, ANTONIO heads back to NEW JERSEY to report to his capo, while
FREDERICK & BENJAMIN take a vacation at BENJAMIN’s lodge, where he teaches FREDERICK
how to SHOOT, and in return FREDERICK uses what he’s learned to offer THERAPY.

All seems to have returned to normalcy. But many threads remain unresolved. A victory was struck,
but against the apathetic, unknowable forces of the COSMOS, is it more than a drop of hope in an
ocean of despair? And now that our heroes have become involved in a world of cults, madness
and danger, what awaits them, if not great peril? Where shall their decision to help a dying man lay
to rest a demon from his past lead?

After all, no good deed goes unpunished…

Session 3 - 26/02/2022 - The One Where the Gang goes "Rats!"

Deciding to follow the lead on BOSTON, the party heads to the ALLEN HOUSE there. They find it
boarded up, with a note that directs potential investigators to a MR. KNOTT. After a brief
deliberation, they decide to go to MR. KNOTT’s OFFICE and talk to him about it. 

MR KNOTT tells the party that he’s the owner of the ALLEN ESTATE, but his previous tenants, the
MACARIOS, went insane. Furthermore, there’s a lot of hearsay and rumours that the place is
CURSED, so he wants us to find the source of the rumours and hopefully deal with it, so that he
may be able to get new tenants. Offers a reward of 50 bucks

The party splits to follow different leads. ALYCE heads for BOSTON GLOBE. FREDERICK heads
for the LIBRARY. BENJAMIN and ANDY head for HALL OF RECORDS.

-ALYCE finds out that there was an UNPUBLISHED STORY on the ALLEN HOUSE in 1918. The
ALLEN HOUSE was first bought by FRENCH IMMIGRANTS who left after most of them got
MURDERED. Then it was passed to another family that died to ILLNESS, and whose one member
KILLED HIMSELF with a KNIFE. Finally, the MACARIOS moved in, and also got ILL

-FREDERICK finds out that in 1835 a WEALTHY MERCHANT got the house, got ill, and sold it to
WALTER ALLEN

-BEN & ANDY find that the executor of WALTER ALLEN’s WILL was REVERENT MICHAEL
THOMAS  of THE CHAPEL OF CONTEMPLATION & CHURCH OF OUR LORD GRANTER OF
SECRETS. It closed in 1912 after a secret raid by the police, who suspected that members of the
church KIDNAPPED CHILDREN. Most members were released, and it was believed that an
IMPORTANT LOCAL OFFICIAL illegally tampered with the proceedings. MICHAEL THOMAS was
sentenced to 40 years, but ESCAPED AND FLED THE STATE.

Afterwards the party meets up at the LIBRARY, where they share information. Further investigation
is conducted. 

-WALTER ALLEN was SUED by neighbours to make him LEAVE due to his BAD PERSONALITY.
His WILL stated that he wanted to be BURIED AT THE BASEMENT of the WALLEN HOUSE.
At night, the party goes to THE CHAPEL OF CONTEMPLATION, and gets SPOOKED. As they go
in, the floor under ANDY & ALICE(A&A) collapse BECAUSE OF HIS WEIGHT. BEN & FRED go
find a way down, while A&A look around. They find two SKELETONS in ROBES and a CABINET.
The CABINET contains damaged church records, a copy of DE VERMIIS MYSTERIIS, and a
JOURNAL. It seems that WALTER ALLEN was going to be buried under his house after all, and
MARION ALLEN was EXILED from the church. Nothing else of note was there, so the party left.
The next day, THE MACARIOS are visited at the mental asylum.The husband, VITTORIO
MACARIO, is unresponsive, clutching a bible and only muttering a single phrase: “BY HIS OWN
WEAPON THE DEVIL IS BESTED.” The wife, GABRIELLA, says things moved on their own, being
thrown around violently, and warns the party not to go to the ALLEN HOUSE, 

The party goes to the ALLEN HOUSE. First room to explore is the LIVING ROOM, which is chock
full of CATHOLIC ITEMS. It leads to the DINING ROOM, whose abandoned table is set ready for a
meal. That leads to  the KITCHEN, where expired food has begun to decompose. 

In one of the other rooms a SEALED CUPBOARD is found. Within lie WALTER ALLEN’S DIARIES.
There’s a lot of them to read, so the party decides to bounce and equip themselves with the
KNOWLEDGE the DIARIES entail. As they leave they hear loud noises from the above floors. 

The next few days are spent in a hotel room, studying the DIARIES. The following is discerned:
WALTER ALLEN did many OCCULT experiments, including the summoning of unearthly spirits. He
expresses disappointment at MARRION ALLEN because he failed to successfully do a summoning
ritual. It also makes mention of a SACRED KNIFE that he is holding close to himself, albeit at
RISK.Finally, it details a spell,  to summon OPENER OF WAYS

With that, the party returns to the ALLEN HOUSE, having decided that the way to deal with this is
to take that SACRED KNIFE and plunge it in WALTER’S CORPSE. They go down to the
BASEMENT, where they are assaulted by the FLYING SACRED KNIFE. No sign of WALTER’S
CORPSE is found, but BENJAMIN finds some hollow board and smashes through them to reveal a
hidden part of the BASEMENT. 

RATS make this place their home, however, and do not take kindly to being disturbed…
Session 4 - 05/03/2022 - The One with Louis Armstrong

After dispatching the RATS, BENJAMIN heads further into the BASEMENT while A&A attempt to
subdue the knife. BEN & FRED find WALTER’S CORPSE, which animates. FRED goes to inspect
some PAPERS, as the CORPSE attacks BEN. BEN retreats, and FRED is attacked next. BEN tells
the other two about the CORPSE, reloads, and blasts it. It does not take kindly to that, and
DOMINATES BEN. DOMINATED BEN smacks ANDY in the face, but is restrained. SACRED
KNIFE at the ready, ANDY moves and stabs the CORPSE, which turns to dust.

After surviving that, the party returns to MR KNOTT to collect the reward, visit the MACARIOS to
tell them that THE DEVIL HAS BEEN BESTED BY HIS OWN WEAPON, and head back home.

—--------

Months later, ANDY’S boss tells him that he may know a guy that can help with the GOLDEN
SARCOPHAGUS. He wants a face-to-face meet in a JAZZ CLUB called SMALL’S PARADISE. Are
advised to dress well.

The party heads there by car, and the place is packed. It is also full of INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE,
who are openly breaking PROHIBITION. 

They are placed at table with a STRANGER, who says that the other seat is RESERVED. Party
and STRANGER keep to themselves, enjoying the jazz. A TRUMPETER appears from the back,
trying to get through to the stage, but not able to pass through the STRANGER. The party makes
way for him, and his playing is mesmerizing. But then, a man walks to the table and shoots the
STRANGER in the head.

JAZZ MUSIC STOPS.