Archive World of Darkness: The Academy - Chapter 2b: Skeleton Key

Dawn OOC · May 20, 2009

Down near the stable, Zachary, Lucia, Renata, Rachel, Sylvia and Chester are draw to an empty paddock, where two shovels are stuck into the ground. Normally, there would be horses in the paddock, but someone has clearly moved them, leaving the gate open. There is nothing else in the pen, save the two shovels stuck spade-first in the ground.

When everyone who hadn’t resisted arrived, the music faded, leaving no doubt that This Is Where They Were Supposed To Be. But why were they supposed to be here?

Jeremy · May 21, 2009

Chester stopped. What in heck was he doing here? Somehow he was feeling pulled toward somewhere in the stable. He turned around and began walking back. Then he stopped, and saw the other students and teachers walking there. Were they feeling the same tug?

Click to reveal..

Zack · May 21, 2009

Zack felt drawn to the stables, but had enough control over his mental faculties to know it. He looked around and saw the others, Including Lucia and Ms. Dorn. Then he saw another student stop, turn around and start walking back, then stop agian. Now doubt, he was feeling/hearing the call, but aware of himself as well, probably a bit moreso than Zack was, as he'd yet to stop moving forward.

Click to reveal..

Wits+Composure+Apothesis -2 difficulty

(21:55:18) ChatBot: (Zack) rolls 4d10 and gets 5,2,7,9.

(22:02:20) ChatBot: (Zack) rolls 2d10 and gets 3,10.

(22:03:36) ChatBot: (Zack) rolls 1d10 and gets 1.

(2 success)

Sylvia Dorn · May 21, 2009

The cab ride back to campus from the hospital was impossibly long; in the wake of injury and illness, all that Sylvia really wanted to do was head back to Lancaster and the comforts of her room.

As she reviewed the events of the previous days in her mind, walking across the quad, so little made sense. Who were those strangers that had come and sewn such chaos? Was her memory - of a blue-tinged blush, of a sword that turned colours after drawing blood, of impossible statements and claims of another world - truly memories, or had the flu-like sickness that had befallen her muddled her recollection? Until now, Sylvia had always been able to rely on her recollections as surely as a transcript; the innate knack had gotten her through the most difficult courses with ease. But if that was failing... what else was wrong?

Lost in thought, Sylvia was shocked to look - truly look - at her surroundings and find herself not at Lancaster dorm, but at the stables, with students Zack and Chester seeming just as surprised to be there.

What else is wrong, indeed?

Click to reveal..

SalmonMax · May 21, 2009

Renata had spent her first day in a new room woozy and ill...though she'd had it better than her roommate. That thin hair of betterness meant she'd been the one up and about, getting medicine and making some ramen noodles and toast and generally keeping the both of them alive.

Mercifully, she'd started feeling better later on. Not long after that came the music though. It sounded distant, but uncannily clear in her ears. It couldn't be ignored. It was keeping her awake when she just wanted to rest. Her roommate snored right through it...and oddly, the thick sound of her slumbering breath did nothing to offset the strange musical tones Renata heard.

It didn't take long for her to decide what to do. She'd go track it down, and ask whoever was playing it to shut it up.

Now here she was, in the stables of all places, with a bunch of other people who looked just as floored as she felt to be there. She hadn't meant to follow it this far, but it had always seemed like it was just a little farther ahead. Just around that next corner. Just behind those outbuildings. Just a little farther.

Now what?

Her eyes fall to the two small shovels in the ground. Their meaning seemed clear enough. Whoever'd played the song had left these too. Why though?

After a second, Renata crouches down, hugging herself with one arm and reaching out for a spade with her other. She wasn't thrilled about playing along, but it might be the only way to figure any of this out.

Zack · May 21, 2009

Zack watches Renata carefully and takes hold of the second shovel. "Looks like we get the fun job eh?" He grips the shovel with both hands and then begins to dig, his mind already wondering what he'd excavate.

Sylvia Dorn · May 22, 2009

Once the dig had started, it was like a magic spell; years were stripped away from Sylvia with every layer of soil, as her heart went back to the fieldwork and digs of her college - and childhood - day. She settled into the rhythm, looking at each shovelful of overturned sod, gently cautioning her students to be gentle, to feel the earth through the shovel for things more solid than dirt and clay.

Strange music rolled through her mind, the notes some how entwined with the pace of the work, the melody evocative of sweet soil and secrets waiting to be uncovered.

Click to reveal..

Jeremy · May 22, 2009

Chester stared at everyone. He had no idea why they were here, so what did they think they were doing? Including Ms Dorn? He didn't know what to do, so he just watched them.

Dawn OOC · May 22, 2009

The digging students got three feet before anything was found. Sylvia had missed the first sign of having found something: the tattered, dirt-stained cloth. But when Renata started to lift out another shovelful, Sylvia gasped and said, "Stop."

The students peered into the hole but they didn't have eyes trained to spot the graceful curves of the human fingerbones that Renata was about to remove from their hand.

Sylvia Dorn · May 22, 2009

"Don't..." Sylvia half-yelled before catching herself, "...touch those. Renata, let me get in there, OK?"

Kneeling carefully, the anthropologist began carefully brushing loose dirt from the remains, the fingers taking definition in the soil as they led to wrist bones, and then ulna and radius.

"Would somebody please get me a small whisk broom and a soft bristled brush?" she said without looking up. "Also, some plastic tarp if you can find some...."

SalmonMax · May 22, 2009

With the digging stopped, Renata realized how tired and sweaty she was. She'd sort of zoned out there, but now it came crashing down on her. Digging was hard work!

She set her shovel up against the wall of the paddock and found a reasonably clean place to sit down.

"Yeah, someone get a...whisk bristle broom," she repeated, "What, do you think we're in a barn or something? Oh wait..."

Zack · May 22, 2009

Zack Set his own shovel aside, and looked to the others. "Can somebody else who actually knows where those things are kept go?"

Dawn OOC · May 23, 2009

Sighing, Renata realized that no one else was going to do it, and finally got up and went looking. She found what Sylvia needed and carried it back. "This work?" she asked, extending her loot to the teacher.

Sylvia Dorn · May 24, 2009

Silvia spared a rare smile, one that actually beamed with genuine warmth. It wasn't something her students often saw.

"That will be perfect, thank you! All right, we'll want to be careful not to disturb the bones too much as we remove the dirt...." With that and other tips and tricks along the way, she led the students through the process of uncovering the skeleton, identity as of yet unknown.

SalmonMax · May 24, 2009

Renata was sufficiently surprised by Sylvia's response that she actually found herself helping take some of the bones out of the ground. It wasn't for at least a few minutes that doubts started seeping back in, and she stopped and stood up to give Ms Dorn a skeptical look as she brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Are you sure we should be doing this? These look like human bones, which probably means they got murdered or something. Shouldn't we call the police or something?"

z022 · May 25, 2009

Lucia had been planning part of the new student council itinerary, altered now because of the late start of classes, when she'd felt the pull towards the stables. She assumed it was nothing more than the want to spend some time with Aphrodite and forget the strange happenings of the day before. Eventually, though, the distraction won out and she headed down to the stables. She frowned at the open gate and the strange sounds coming from the building. Walking quietly up on the group she asked, "What's going on in here? Why is there a hole in the floor of the stables?"

She'd picked out the obvious details of the scene, but her eyes were still adjusting to the dimness. She couldn't quite make out who all was in here and why they'd dug up part of the ground.

Zack · May 25, 2009

Zack looked up to Lucia. "We were all called here. He looks to the others for a moment then back to her. "We saw the shovels and renata and I began digging, that's when Ms. Dorn noticed those." He points to the bones. "We've been watching since then as Ms. Dorn finished excavating the rest."

Dawn OOC · May 26, 2009

Ms. Dorn had worked quickly, revealing the body to the students. A human skeleton lay on its back, hands clasped over a tin box resting on what was once its stomach. The bones were brown with age, but no smell of rot remained, only the fertile smell of death-fertilized soil.

No one needed archaelogy training to see that she was wearing the rotten remains of a Trevor Dalton Academy school uniform.

Sylvia Dorn · May 26, 2009

A small, sharp intake of air was Sylvia's sole response for a moment. She hadn't been certain what to expect, but this? This wasn't even on the map.

Or was it? After all, the insane swordswoman from another world had talked of a previous conflict, and of a truce. If someone had died in that conflict - and local legend had long mentioned students who had gone missing during the so-called "Troubles" - would they have been hidden from local authorities to keep word of the bizarre reality out of the public realm?

She swallowed hard before saying, "I don't have my cell on me; if someone wouldn't mind getting the Headmaster, it'd be appreciated. Tell him... tell him we just found one of the casualties of the Troubles." More to herself than anyone else, she added, "Wish we had someone with a good forensics background. It'd be helpful to know what killed her."

Zack · May 27, 2009

Zack pulled out his phone and dialed His Father's number. It was a moment of Position having its privelages, as well as having a father on the board of Deacons. After promising to explain things further no matter what and mentioning the Troubles, his Father provided the number. He dialed the Headmaster He quickly relayed Ms. Dorn's message and waited for the headmaster's reply. After receiving it he hangs up and looks to Ms. Dorn.

"He's on his way, but he doesn't sound too good. I think whatever's got everyone sick today is affecting him as well."

SalmonMax · May 29, 2009

Renata stood and waited, and finally had to speak up because no one else was.

"I'm really confused here. Does any of this make sense to anyone, because I'm totally lost. I came out here because someone was playing music, and the next thing I know we're digging up the bones of some old schoolboy skeleton, and no one's calling the cops or... I mean, does this kind of stuff happen a LOT here?"

Dawn OOC · May 29, 2009

The Headmaster choose that moment to stumble up, tailed by the Estes Park sheriff and the Chief of security for the Academy. Rogers looked awful; flushed and miserable, he struggled to walk without swaying. "Alright, children," he croaked in a rough voice. "Back to your rooms. Don't say anything to anyone about this. It's demerits for anyone I catch talking about it."

He glanced at Sylvia. "Please stay." Then he pointed waited for the students to leave while the sheriff and security chief looked at the body.

Sylvia Dorn · May 29, 2009

Something - a twig, footfalls, something - had caught Sylvia's ears as the Headmaster and officers of the law had approached the barn. And just as oddly, something told her that the box in this dead girl's hands was vitally and personally important. With quick, deft movements - surprising herself in the process - she pulled the box out of the skeletal fingers, careful not to break them, and had just tucked it inside her jacket when Rogers came shambling up, a finger going quickly to her lips as an indicator to the students that this should not be mentioned.

This was wrong, she knew. She'd just concealed evidence from the scene of a murder, albeit a thirty-year old murder. But at the same time, it somehow felt right: she'd kept a secret, and that resonated with some hidden part of her soul that she never suspected she had.

Click to reveal..

Zack · May 30, 2009

Zack nods, the Headmaster already knew he'd spoken to his father, it's how he'd gotten the number. He made his way back to Lancaster quietly, lost in thought.

SalmonMax · May 31, 2009

Renata glowered sullenly at the Headmaster when he booted them out. What right did he have? He hadn't heard that weird music. This hadn't been left here for HIM. Hell, maybe he was the one that killed this kid!

Abruptly seized with curiosity, Renata pretended to leave dejectedly...but drifted to the end of the group and let the other students get ahead...then doubled back and snuck up to the stable to try to listen in on the conversation within.

(Let me know what to roll...)

Dawn OOC · May 31, 2009

After the kids had left - or had appeared to leave - Rogers turned his steely gaze to Sylvia. "Ms. Dorn? Care to explain what exactly happened here?"

Click to reveal..

Sylvia Dorn · May 31, 2009

"To be honest, I'm fairly confused myself," Sylvia replied. "I came out this way after seeing a few of the students heading here, and we found a pair of shovels standing in the dirt. They took the cue to dig, and this is what we found.

"If you ask me," she offered, "I think someone had a guilty conscience that finally came to the fore, maybe after word of yesterday's little fiasco got out."

If she had a clue that Renata had circled back, the social studies teacher didn't let on.

Click to reveal..

SalmonMax · May 31, 2009

As she sneaks back, Ren puts a lot of effort into it...watching the ground carefully to make sure she doesn't step on any sticks or leaves. Listening for animals around her to make sure she doesn't surprise anything and make it run away.

The effort pays off...she creeps back to the stable as silent as the mildest of breezes to lurk just around the corner out of sight as she listens in.

Click to reveal..

z022 · June 1, 2009

Lucia trailed after Renata, giving the other girl points for having the guts to sneak back. Lucia herself certainly wasn't going to let something as odd and fascinating as this be taken away from her just because her ID said 'minor'. She rustled more leaves and creaked more boards, but she'd snuck out away from home in the summers when her mom was in one of her paranoid streaks often enough to get the job done now.

Click to reveal.. (Stealth Roll)

Dawn OOC · June 1, 2009

"You let students dig up a grave, and further... you excavated the grave even after learning what you had?" Rogers asked, his voice incredulous. "Sylvia, I'm... so disappointed. This is the kind of thing I expect from Bracks, not you. When you realized you had a body, why did you continue to dig it up? Why didn't you call me then? If any of those students complain to their parents about trauma from being exposed to a body, we'll have a law suit on our hands."

Sylvia Dorn · June 1, 2009

"In part," Sylvia said in a suddenly cold voice, "I let them dig because we honestly didn't know what was there at first. And then, when it became apparent that we had old remains on our hands, I continued the process because I'm the only professional anthropologist this side of Denver and I wanted to make certain that the remains were handled correctly. I'll point out that I don't see a forensic expert or even a coroner in your little entourage," she noted with a hard look at the sheriff and security chief.

"And to be complete honest, these students are exposed to quite an array of things during their enrollment at Dalton, and are a good deal more durable than you give them credit for. We have, in case you've forgotten, a rather thorough biology program, as well as an anthropology course for the past three years. A little field work won't do them any harm... unless of course you want to shelter them from the realities that underlie science." Sylvia speared Rogers with a look that could have peeled paint.

Click to reveal..

Jeremy · June 2, 2009

Chester slipped back to Jupiter. Whatever it was with the Troubles, it probably wasn't good. And not worth worrying over.

Dawn OOC · June 4, 2009

Rogers was startled to find that one of his mousiest teachers had turned into a wolf. Blinking, he said, "Alright, Sylvia, I'll review this and we can talk about it later. You go ahead and head back to your room, and have a good night." It was the most passive dismissal ever given by the Headmaster.

Click to reveal..

Sylvia Dorn · June 4, 2009

Sylvia knew a victory when she had one; after so long denied, it felt good to gain the upper hand in academia, even over the Headmaster of a private academy like Dalton. With a smile as sweet as cherries and as sharp as a knife, she nodded wordlessly to the trio and walked off toward Lancaster, head held high and unaccustomed joy swelling in her heart.

Without hesitation, the teacher headed for her small suite, closing and locking the door behind her. Her back suddenly against the oaken door, a moment was spent in a long exhalation - not a sigh, really, but more a release of tension, as though letting the confrontation and excitement out with her breath. Ah, but there was more to come, she knew. The moment passed, Sylvia hurried over to her desk.

From within a fold of her jacket, she withdrew a box, the tin surface corroded by years in the dark earth. One more breath drawn and released, and she carefully pried loose the lid.

Dawn OOC · June 8, 2009

Inside were two slips of paper. They were yellowed, but not too worse for wear after being buried for who knew how long. The first was a bizarre list:

Quote:

Rotiz, Finger of quartz, honey comb

Lhesk, Silver coin, a cup of salt

Masikaro, Cat whisker, sprig of poison ivy, fresh frog's heart

?????, tsp baby's blood - dangerous!

...

It went on and on in the same format: a strange name followed by a short list of items. Sometimes there was a short note written after. There were about three dozen on the odd list.

The second was more informative.

Quote:

To whomever finds this:

We were sworn to secrecy, and Wilbur told us to burn the list. Makes sense, I suppose, since he's tearing down Lancaster. But as Heja's corpse goes cold, and I am torn by grief, I can't imagine destroying her hard work. For the first woman I ever loved, I will preserve her list of Keys, and bury it with her.

I still can't believe she's dead. Her people live such short lives anyway - why did she have to die now? She only had a few years left, but she choose to come with me, to share them with me. And the damned Caramines killed her, took what little time we had and left me alone to bear my grief. Why didn't that Shadow go left, instead of right? Why couldn't it have killed Dean, that bastard? It was his fault anyway - he convinced us to kill the Nine. And when we failed, we were punished. But only some of us paid the price; his Vena is still alive, still willing to wait until he's old enough to marry. And she lives longer than humans. My sweet Heja had what little left stolen.

I degress. To whomever finds this list: guard it. The Door will be gone by the time you find this, but I'm sure it will work for other Doors. If you don't know what I'm talking about, please keep it anyway, as the only memento a sixteen year old boy had for the woman he loved.

Sincerely,

Alexander Sinclair Hunter

Junior at Dalton

September 17, 1975

SalmonMax · June 8, 2009

Meanwhile back at the stables...

Renata huddles down when Sylvia comes storming out, but quickly realizes the teacher is leaving, and is unlikely to spot her there. Relaxing a bit, she resumes listening to the conversation going on within.

Dawn OOC · June 8, 2009

Rogers was quiet for a moment, then asked, "So what can be done?"

"Depends on whether you can keep that pretty fence fairy quiet," the county sheriff said, tucking his hands into his pants pockets. They exited the pocket with a cigar in one hand and a lighter in the other.

Security Chief Schinn knelt next to the open grave. He set down his duffel bag and pulled out a heavy-duty garbage sack. As Renata and Lucia peeked out from their hiding places, the chief began to move the bones into the sack.

"Let me keep them quiet," Rogers said. "If there's no body and no proof, there's not much they can do."

SalmonMax · June 12, 2009

Crouching behind the shrubs next to the stable, Renata couldn't decide if she should be terrified or absolutely elated. On the one hand, she had a feeling that the stakes of her getting found out just shot WAY up. The Sheriff was armed, after all.

On the other hand, holy SHIT! They were covering this up! If she could find out where they were going to hide this thing, she could have all of their balls cast in resin and use them as a paperweight until FOREVER. She'd own them, and that was a helluva lot. The school. The county sheriff's department. What COULDN'T she get away with?

It was worth some risk. She pressed her head silently to the stable and closed her eyes to listen more intently.

C'mon, ask him where he's gonna take it...just get nervous and ask him...

Dawn OOC · June 12, 2009

"It's starting again, isn't it, Hudley?" the sheriff asked suddenly. Schinn's movements hesitated for just a moment before he returned to placing the bones in the sack. "Like Wilbur warned."

"Don't be ridiculous," Rogers snapped. "Dalton was a sick old man, full of delusions. I've never believed those stories. Magic doors? Gray-skinned vampires? Some magical army bent on subjugating us and turning us into serfs? Utter nonsense, and I'm shocked you subscribe to it."

The sheriff shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Well, I'm sure you know best, seein' how you're a learned man and all." The sheriff's voice was bland and flat; to Rogers, he was stating fact, but to the students, his tone was too dry to be sincere. And they would know; they'd used that tone all the time when talking to Rogers. "But I'm telling you - my men will have orders to leave any weird shit up here alone. Let the feds handle it, since they did such a bang up job last time."

Schinn tied off the bag and hopped out of the hole. "All done, sir. What are we doing with it?"

Renata tensed eagerly. "I'll take it," the sheriff said, holding out a thick hand for it. "Don't worry Headmaster - you'll never see this body again."

"Very good." Rogers smiled, then frowned as his phone rang. "Yes? Thomas, what- No, don't do anything. I'll be right there." He hung up and coughed violently. "Mark, come with me to the quad. There's been an animal attack. Sheriff, will you join us?"

"I need to take this body to my car, then I'll catch up." The men parted, with the sheriff heading toward the parking lot and the other two heading for the heart of campus.

SalmonMax · June 12, 2009

Renata stayed where she was for a moment, paralyzed. His car! Sheriff's car! She had to stay calm though. Had to think. She could certainly find his car in the school lot (if that's where he parked), but getting into it would be another issue. She needed some kind of tool. Coathanger maybe...sure. Untwist it, hook it under the window.

She had coathangers in her closet in her room.

Finally having settled on a plan, she sets out at a run towards Lancaster, meaning to get that hanger and then make for the parking lot with all speed...for the sheriff's car, and victory!

Archive World of Darkness: The Academy - Chapter 2b: Skeleton Key

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