MoN 041: Dinner with the Vanes

Dinner was served. Roberts saw the guests to their seats, and the Vanes also sat. Thus ensued an evening of small talk at which the English upper classes so excel. Sir Robert seemed particularly interested in Dr George’s archaeological doings and suggested he visit several sights some 20 miles distant. 

The dinner progressed most agreeably with excellent food and paired wines. The investigators were concerned when the main course—steaks—arrived, for all the Vanes ate their steaks rare. Ikil—more paranoid than the rest—wondered what the meat was, but to his eye, it seemed like a normal steak. Meanwhile, Jacob was getting stuck into the various wines offered with each course and would end the evening roaringly drunk.

With the dessert and then the cheese and port course finished, Eloise excused herself, and the men retired to the library for cigars and brandy. While there, Charles took the opportunity to investigate the great many books on the shelves. During his "idle" search, he discovered a thin folio obviously lost among the other tomes. While Ikil shielded him from view, the antique dealer stole the book.

Shortly thereafter, the evening drew to a close, and the five guests prepared to leave. As they were leaving, Lawrence offered to walk them back to the village. It was rainy and misty, and the group tottered along in silence. Lawrence seemed lost in his own thoughts but said nothing, and the investigators did not attempt to find out what was troubling the young aristocrat.

The Old Book

The next day, Charles spent much of the afternoon translating the old book as it was written in old English. Written an Edgar Vane in the 16th century, it proved to be a history of the Vanes! Much of the book was of little consequence, but one section caught the antiquarian’s eye: it claimed that the Vane’s ancestors once practised devil worship and venerated something called “Mordee-ganee”. Who or what this was, Charles could not say, and none of the group was any the wiser. However, the Vanes apparently performed charnel rites and cannibalism in its honour! With this revelation, the investigators had much to consider.

In the late afternoon, the group decided to go hunting in the woods. Sadly, though, Jacob was so ill from the excesses of the night before that he had to stay in the pub. The hunting trip revealed little of note, and the four hunters returned to the pub hungry and thirsty.

Inconclusive Doings

The group spent the next few days either trapped in the pub because of the interminable rain or spelunking in Blue John Cavern while it was closed at the weekend. Neither revealed anything of interest, and it appeared that the group had—for the moment—exhausted any possibility of further progress. It was noted that the next full moon was yet a week and a half away. 

No one wanted to waste more time in Lesser Edale, so on the 30th of March, the group left the village and returned to London. Charles couldn't wait to get back to civilisation—partly for the better food and drink on offer at the Savoy and partly because his housekeeper, Alice, should be arriving soon. However, he left his contact details at the Laughing Horse in case the Vanes should need to contact him—they could prove useful business contacts in the future.

About London

Back in London, the group busied themselves researching more of the curious events and legends hanging over Lesser Edale. They spent several days poring through the books at the London Library and the British Museum in search of clues. While they found some facts of note, Dudley brought shame upon himself by badly damaging an old book in the London Library. Unsurprisingly, he was thrown out—meaning that now members of the group had the distinction of being thrown out of libraries on two continents.

By Friday, April the 3rd, that party felt that they had uncovered all they could about Lesser Edale in London. Given that a week yet remained until the next full moon, they turned their eyes to the Blue Pyramid Club…

This post is a session summary for my weekly 7th edition Call of Cthulhu Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign.

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