Episode Synopsis – Session 20 – Tuned To A Dead Channel
[ Author’s Note: This is the episode synopsis for the 20th session of the Dark Waters Rising campaign. This is my take as to what happened during the session. Please let me know if there are any comments or corrections. ]
Lyssa Martin’s Face
The night begins with a restless spirit in the form of a vengeful snuff golem! As it moves toward the house to find it’s prey Ron moves in with a cold-rolled iron machete to attack. With blinding speed the creature reaches out with an extension cord and easily tears the blades from the large Marine’s hands! As it moves forward Ron throws the beast to the ground opening it up for MD to pin it to the ground with a well-placed arrow shot. As it tried to rip free Stone calls forces of magic and the Outer Dark to unleash a terrible blow on the beast! This gives Hunter time to grab the stoned porn actor who is the target of the golem’s rage and move him to safety. Calling Winston the team meets at the morgue where they summarily burn Lyssa’s body. At the scene of the attack Winston’s cleanup crew finds that the snuff golem’s camera head is from a German movie director and is likely cursed. With help from Stone they destroy it.
Aside For Stone – Orion Calling
Alastair gets contacted by his father Orion through the magical pocket watch. Orion first asks if Alastair is ok. He then explains that Medwin did some type of powerful spell without him being present. Alastair describes that Medwin took over the body of an old woman. Orion then ends the communication by suggesting to Alastair that Medwin should not be trusted.
Aside for Ron – Mutual Friend
Ron gets a call from a woman named Danai Mhizha who explains that she has a notebook that was given to her by Ron’s brother Kenny. After meeting for coffee the two get a chance to speak in detail. Danai explains that she tracked down Ron to give him a collection of papers that were left to her by her brother Kenny. She continues to explain that she met Kenny in Zimbabwe where he saved her brother. After helping her brother Kenny took them under his wing making sure that they were not only healthy but had a path to escape from the country. Over the years she kept touch with Kenny. She learned to drive a truck then went to England for a time. She is now driving trucks in America. Danai received the package with the portfolio roughly a month before Kenny was killed. She figured Ron should have it. Ron examines the portfolio and finds it full of notes about monsters and monster hunting. This surprises Ron who knew his brother was informed about monsters but not this early and not to this extent. Danai mentioned reading the notes but not understanding their significance. The meeting is cathartic for Ron and Danai. The two part but she gives Ron her cell phone number as she leaves.
Aside for Winston – Alchemy Book
Winston gets a chance to research the book that he got from a bookseller in Europe. The tome is a German translation of a 10th century Arabic book known as the “Keys Of Wisdom” by an alchemist known as Zosimos. The old tome is water-stained and has several layers of text but using modern scanning devices Winston is slowly extracting the text. The tome describes the four alchemical elements of fire, air, earth, and water. The first section is on fire. The book covers principles of heat transfer and how chemicals and magic can be combined to form a variety of heat, fire, and burning techniques. The books extensive treatment of the topic can be extracted but it will take some time and a lot of study.
Aside for Hunter – Reports From The Field
Val and Christian introduce a new friend Michaela. They plan to celebrate the end of their Symbology final from Dr Stone’s class. Hunter sees them off then gets a call from Jenny Hui, a hunter in the Northwest. She witnessed Anne’s team in action in Alaska on a wendigo hunt. The team used hard core monster hunting gear but their outfits had no insignia of any time. Hunter informs Jenny that they have some type of dark hole where they place people and monsters. Jenny does not seems perturbed and takes it in stride. She suggest that it makes sense then says that she will also put out some feelers and let Hunter know if she finds anything.
Tuned To A Dead Channel
Val returns from her outing with Christian and Michaela then shows Hunter a video. The video was posted in the film area of the New Orleans University forums. According to the poster, a film student named Jonas Gubevitch, posted it. The video begins with the opening of a local monster movie program called Creature Features. As the movie is about to start the screen shows heavy static. Floating in the static are shapes that slowly float into view. The shapes include what appears to be a young boy, a woman, an infant, then a man’s face. The man’s face has deep black eyes and mouth. Hunter and Val are both convinced that the man’s face is a ghost or revenant of some kind. With Winston’s help they track down the address of the film student. Hunter and Val visit the apartment in the guide of film producers while Winston hacks into the student’s computer to retrieve a higher resolution version of the video. After some digging and carefully questioning Val and Hunter figure out that the static only happened on the student’s cable signal. Stone confirms that the student’s apartment is near a lightning strike then joins Val and Hunter at the site of the strike.
At the site Dr Stone switches to his magical sight. He spies a massive swirl of Outer Dark magic at the top of a local electrical pole that appears to be where the lightning hit. The cloud of energy is so severe that Stone feels it could even be influencing those without magic. Also he feels that any monsters or magic nearby would be corrupted then enhanced. During this time Winston researches the site and gathers details on the housing complex and area under it. He finds that over the years there have been three disappearances in what was once referred to as Purdy’s Pool. The people who disappeared were a young boy, an older man, and a woman with a baby. All are people who the group witnessed in the video.
Winston and Ron join the group as they search the new housing complex for the bodies of the three victims. Hunter affirms that this is the best way to stop restless spirits. After some careful searching the group finds some bubbles in one area that radiate with magic. Hunter wades into the water then starts digging. After only one shovelful he sees a white head appear from the brackish pool. Only the eyes of a young boy peer out. They immediately start to entrance the young monster hunter! Acting quickly Val and Stone pull back Hunter while Ron moves forward with his machete. A deathly cold is emanating from the creatures that freezes the blood of anything that gets close to them! Next a woman holding a baby emerges then finally an old man. Hunter and Val open up with pistols while Stone starts blasting with lightning. Eventually the “drowners” turn into a black goo. Winston retrieves some dead man’s blood then dispatches the creatures. Digging up the bones the group salt and burn them. The spirits are now free…
