Session 5: Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Fish Report
General Summary
Thursday Evening April 5, 1923 - Saturday Afternoon April 7, 1923
After slight deliberation, we follow the creature into the sewer, where it is waiting for us to follow. We get to what seems to be its lair, where it thanks us. The individual seems to be Stefano Rossi's mother Rhoda née Eliot Rossi, who asks us to help him. She says Stefano and she are cursed, a result of her father selling his soul. However, she doesn't really seem to know what we can do. She says perhaps Booker can exorcise whatever is in them, and as she gets more agitated, the veil slips and we catch a glimpse of her disfigured face. We ask about the Eliots, but she does not know them. In a pile of refuse, Christopher finds a folder marked as belonging to the Sisters of Mercy Orphanage (with information on an individual named Edward Hawkins) and two corpses - a woman missing her face and a gnawed on baby.
Rhoda freaks out, knocking Christopher aside and re-covering the bodies. Her veil slips further, revealing her disfigured face which is wearing the mask of the dead, faceless woman. When she notices that she's been seen, she attacks. Christopher and Solomon are hurt, but then she seemingly gives up and asks to die. She wants us to break the deal and save her family. When asked where her father is, thinking we may need him to break the deal, she tells us to go to Innsmouth to find him. She passes out, and Solomon puts her out of her misery. We patch up the wounded and decide to go confront Nahum Eliot.
We pick up weapons from our places and head to Nahum's place, which looks similar to how it was last time Christopher was there. Unable to sneak up on him, the group begins fighting when Nahum uses some mind power to make Christopher try and push Monte down the fire escape. However, the gang makes quick work of Nahum and we quickly split.
We meet up the next morning. We decide to pay Rossi a visit, but he doesn't really seem to buy into our vague attempts to dissuade him from holding back. With that not working, Monte decides to reveal the truth. We explain, as kindly as we can while not exposing some of the nastier details, what happened with his mother and what could potentially happen to him. After a long, careful conversation, we convince him of what we're saying but he is left borderline mentally broken. Booker tries to assuage his doubts and fears, finally reaching through to him. Rossi gives Booker a ton of money and informs him that he is going to throw the fight. We try to comfort him further, but it doesn't seem to reach him.
Booker looks into betting on Rossi's match, Monte looks into the guy from the orphanage folder. Hawkins is an assistant professor at Miskotonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts. While the bet is met with a little suspicion by the bookie, Atticus "The Abacus" Lewis, it is accepted. We reconvene at the venue for the match.
The fights go on with little issue, and a distraught Rossi does not seem to want to try at first. However, he seems to be naturally/unconsciously dodging/resisting his opponent. In the 5th round, there is a noticeable change in quality in his effort and ability. However, he takes a wild swing and leaves himself open, getting downed by his opponent. After closer inspection, we can tell he's faking, much to his managers' anger. When the fight ends, Rossi is declared the loser. He immediately seeks us out, suddenly back to normal and energetic. Booker gets his money from the bookie amidst much talk and suspicion.
We arrive at his house and find Rossi and his wife Juanita Rossi in the middle of a fight. Juanita demands to know what happened, but he isn't telling. He is vague and unconvincing, and we believe his children are in danger. Around this time, Joab Eliot, Stefano's still living cousin/manager and his posse show up. Stefano tells us to save his wife and throws himself into the fray, blocking both outside and inside. He is almost immediately killed, and the rest of us take some of the fire. We do flee successfully though, all things considered. We try to explain things to Juanita in full honesty, but how much sticks we don't know. We return (without Booker, who has the money) and Juanita cradles her husband through the night. We also find his children, suffocated to death, in the house. The police manage to catch most of the culprits, but not Joab. We report to Jack Johnson and prepare to depart for New Orleans.
Jack . Anderson
Botanist Jack Anderson
( 31 / Male ) from
Brisbane
Leviticus Harrison Mann
Dilletante Leviticus Harrison Mann
( 24 / Male ) from
Arkham, Masschusetts
Montgomery Papadopoulos
Smuggler Monte Papadopoulos
( 38 / Male ) from
Thessaloniki, Greece
Christopher Ericson
Explorer Christopher Ericson
( 24 / M ) from
London
Solomon Carlisle
Big Game Hunter Solomon Carlisle
( 64 / Male ) from
Boma, Belgian Congo
Booker Williams
Clergy The Reverend Booker Williams
( 33 / Yes, please ) from
Harlem, New York
Report Date
28 Sep 2023
Primary Location
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