Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to The Disciples Of Grell. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Case #1: Tilden, NE
Topic Started: May 6 2010, 08:17 PM (5,192 Views)
dhorn
Member Avatar
Bio-Hazard
[ *  * ]
Marcus, you and Moulder arrive at the coffee shop first. You step inside and stomp the snow from your shoes. The strong aroma of coffee fills the air. Groups of people sit around tables talking and sipping coffee. A group of four boys play some sort of card game that you may (or may not) recognize as Magic: The Gathering.

As you walk past them, one of the boys says "Boo-yah!" and plays this card:

Posted Image

The other boys moan and one of them hangs his head in defeat.

You and Moulder look around the room for Bobby.

"You remember what this kid looks like?" asks Moulder.

Marcus - roll a memory check: 1d20 with a bonus equal to your IQ/10 (round down). Beat an 6 to remember what Bobby Halls looks like (i.e., short blond hair, about 5'10", thin as a rail) from the photo you saw earlier on the Halls' refrigerator.

Vargas, Sally answers "yes, of course."

Vargas - I was not sure if you meant to ask Sally questions on the phone or if you were going to do it when you got to the coffee shop. For the sake of the story, I will assume that you let her know that you'll be down to the coffee shop shortly and to wait for you there before you hang up.

Vargas and Anna, the two of you and Will jump back in the Escort and make your way to the coffee shop. Will has a bit of difficulty plowing through the snow, but you make it. As he starts to pull into a parking spot, a mini-van sneaks in and takes his spot.

"Oh heck" says Will as he finds another parking spot.

The three of you park the car and enter the coffee shop. When you walk inside, the first person you see is Marcus. He's with another man who looks like a cop. They seem to be looking for someone.

Will starts combing the room for Sally.

"She's not here" he says.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Lunarmage
Member Avatar
Priest
[ *  *  * ]
Check: 9
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Arthotus
Member Avatar
Thread Reaper
[ *  * ]
(Actually that's why Vargus was walking out to the car with his cell phone on. He wanted to keep the teenager on the line and not actually tell her that he was coming so that he could show up and not give her a chance to leave. He REALLY doesn't trust people.)

Vargus openly swears when he reallizes his suspicion had come to pass. "F@CK!"

He turns to the boys and their card game, "Was Sally Jensen just here?"

(If they answer yes,) Vargus Asks, "Where did she go?"
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
dhorn
Member Avatar
Bio-Hazard
[ *  * ]
Marcus, you remember what Bobby looks like from the photo. However, the boy is nowhere to be found. Moulder gestures to the entrance. "Isn't that your partner?"

You see Vargas and that reporter woman from this morning enter the shop. They seem to be looking for someone as well.

Vargas, none of the boys pay too much attention to you. However, a young girl overhears your question and looks over at you.

"Yes. Sally was here. We were having coffee" she says.

"Vargas"
 
"Where did she go?"

"I don't know" says the girl. "She was showing me this cool ring that Bobby Halls had given her. She was going on and on about Bobby - which is weird because she never paid him any attention before and she's not the type to talk about boys much. Then she just stopped talking, got up and left... didn't even say goodbye or nothin'. She just walked out before you got here."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Arthotus
Member Avatar
Thread Reaper
[ *  * ]
Vargus feels he is on the verge of throwing something through a window. Taking a breath to calm himself, he asked the girl, "Which way did she go? How long ago did she leave?" He delivered the questions evenly.

After he gets the answer or not, Vargus walks over to Marcus.
"I'm almost certain the next victim will be Sally Jensen. You're following the Killer I assume?"

If it's that bobby brat I talked to originally, The police won't be able to find his demon worshipping body, He thought to himself. Various ways he could dispose of such a thing flashed through his mind while he waited for Marcus' response.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Snikers
Member Avatar
Follower
[ * ]
Anna frowns at Vargas's burst of profanity before smiling at the kids.

"You know, in my day," she says, tongue firmly in cheek, "we were happy to have dragons or demons. Kids today, always wanting more...

"So, Sally hangs out with you guys a lot? How about Bobby? And where'd someone like him get a cool ring, anyway?"
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Lunarmage
Member Avatar
Priest
[ *  *  * ]
Marcus looks over and sees the two of them enter the shop. "Yeah, one of them is working for the same employer I am. Hold on here". Marcus walks over and waits for him to deal with the girl before he speaks. "I see you have found a lead, I found the book that was missing from the library hidden in this Bobby Halls room. What have you found"?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Arthotus
Member Avatar
Thread Reaper
[ *  * ]
(not going to answer my questions? Dhorn also needs to answer my questions of the girl before I can respond)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
dhorn
Member Avatar
Bio-Hazard
[ *  * ]
Vargas, the girl answers immediately.

"Listen mister, I don't even know who you are..." she says.

"It's alright Laura" says Capstone. "Do you have any idea where Sally was headed?"

Laura thinks for a minute. "Well, I don't know. But she should be at the church at 5 for the youth group meeting."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Arthotus
Member Avatar
Thread Reaper
[ *  * ]
"No, actually, I found a dead end. I just lost the victim, and I was hoping you'd know where the killer is."

Vargus sighed. "Unless you can track someone through the snow, the only way I'm going to find Sally is if she happens to show up at the church at 5 for some meeting. I doubt she'll be there."

Vargus also scans the spot where Sally had been sitting to check if she had forgotten anything in her apparent rush to get away from him.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Lunarmage
Member Avatar
Priest
[ *  *  * ]
"Bobby Halls looks like he may be the perp, but we would need more evidence to that fact. Agent Moulder and I have spoken to his mother, she doesn't know where Bobby is any more than we do it seems".
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Arthotus
Member Avatar
Thread Reaper
[ *  * ]
"Our only option then, is to go wait at the church for the meeting at 5 and hope She and Bobby show. One moment." Turning to Will, Vargus asks, "Do you know of any spots for lovers or young couples and such around here. Lover's point, or lane or something to that effect? What about other teenage hangouts we could check?"
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Snikers
Member Avatar
Follower
[ * ]
"Why don't we call some of Sally's friends?" Anna asks, with a glance at Laura. "She'd have told everyone they were dating. One of them might know where they hang out."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
dhorn
Member Avatar
Bio-Hazard
[ *  * ]
"Anna"
 
"Why don't we call some of Sally's friends? She'd have told everyone they were dating. One of them might know where they hang out."

"That's an excellent idea" says Moulder as he introduces himself to Anna. "Pleased to meet you."

I couldn't remember if they'd met yet.

Anna, you and Laura begin to go through a list of friends and contact each one. At some point in your collaboration Laura comments on the ring.

"I have no idea where he'd have gotten that ring, but it was pretty nice - had some strange native American design on it... at least that's what it looked like."

Unfortunately, none of the friends are able to help.

Marcus, Bobby's mother enters the coffee shop. She looks around and, seeing that Bobby is nowhere to be found, leaves.

Moulder orders a round of coffees.

Vargas, you find a cell phone laying on the floor under the seat that Sally was sitting on. Laura verifies that it is Sally's. When you try to access it, however, you find it to be password protected. You also see that tracking Sally through the snow, even if she'd been the only person walking down the sidewalk and you knew the imprint of her boots, would be difficult due to the rapid accumulation of snow.

It's currently 4 o'clock. The sun is beginning to set behind a thick snowfall.

Sipping his coffee, Moulder asks the group, "well, what do you think Bobby's next move is?"
Edited by dhorn, Dec 10 2010, 09:17 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Arthotus
Member Avatar
Thread Reaper
[ *  * ]
To bring Sally somewhere nice and secluded to kill her, Vargus thinks to himself as he stares angrily at the phone.

He asks Sally's friend if she's here, "Do you know the password to this?"

Whether she answers or not Vargus turns to the group, "It's either something mundane and we are over reacting, or sensible minds most likely will not want to think about it. I think we should get to the church for the meeting. It's got a slightly better chance than most other locations."
Edited by Arthotus, Dec 10 2010, 09:22 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Snikers
Member Avatar
Follower
[ * ]
Anna shakes Moulder's hand and smiles warmly. "The pleasure is all mine," she says.

Laura
 
At some point in your collaboration Laura comments on the ring.

"I have no idea where he'd have gotten that ring, but it was pretty nice - had some strange native American design on it... at least that's what it looked like."


"Really?" Anna asks curiously, reaching into her shoulder bag and withdrawing her much-abused notebook. After a moment's search, she withdraws a cheap black ballpoint pen and opens the notebook to a blank page. "If you remember the design, do you think you could draw it for me? I might be able to identify it for you."

Anna's mood gradually darkens as call after call turn up nothing. Gulping down her coffee, she looks up at Will and is struck with an idea. Reaching a third time into her bag, she unfolds her map of the town on one of the tables and hands Will a pen.

"You probably know where all the bodies were found, right?" she asks slowly. "Do you think you can circle them on this map?"
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
dhorn
Member Avatar
Bio-Hazard
[ *  * ]
Vargas, Laura gives you some ideas for the password, but none of them pan out.

Laura thinks for a moment and then blurts out "Paris! Try Paris! Sally is a huge Paris Hilton fan. I bet that's it!"

Vargas - if you take her advice, you've cracked the password and have access to voicemail, recent calls, and text messages.

Anna, while Laura attempts to draw the design on the ring, Will looks over your map. He takes your pen and makes some marks.

"These are general locations. I don't remember the specifics."

Posted Image

Anna - the murders are numbered in order of occurrence.

1. The first murder - Jessica Fredericks - occurred in the basement a vacant home.
2. Mary Williams - murdered in an alley.
3. Samantha Rae - another vacant home.
4. Janice Black - another vacant home.
5. Chloe Jenks - murdered in a heavily wooded section of the park.
6. Wendy Mitchell - body found in an office building that was under contract with janitorial services with the company that Bernhard Robertson worked for.

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Arthotus
Member Avatar
Thread Reaper
[ *  * ]
Vargus' nods to the girl. "It was Paris"

He began looking through the test messages and recent history to see who she had been communicating with recently.
Computer Operations 98% (1d100=59)

Looking to the map he saw the pattern almost instantly.

Grabing a pen, he drew out the following design. (image)

"I can't tell how the 6th murder fits in. Marcus, you found a book on the occult. Look through it for any symbols that resemble this."

Attached to this post:
Attachments: murderlocs.jpg (80.2 KB)
Edited by Arthotus, Dec 11 2010, 03:34 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Lunarmage
Member Avatar
Priest
[ *  *  * ]
Marcus looks over the map and then to Moulder. Marcus points to the position of the proposed 6th murder. "Do you know what is here"?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Snikers
Member Avatar
Follower
[ * ]
Anna looks glumly at the various murder sites on the map. All over town. Obviously Bobby was clever enough to keep the sites from being clustered around his location.

She frowns at the pentagram. (Identify Wards/Runes/Circles 29% : [1d100] = 20 Success!) How does this tie into the magic circles the newspapers described? she wonders.

She checks her watch as well. "We should keep an eye on the time. I have an appointment at five."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Arthotus
Member Avatar
Thread Reaper
[ *  * ]
Vargus gives Marcus a look that says, 'fine ignore me'. He reaches over and grabs the book, and begins to leaf through it for symbols that match or are close to the one on the map, but would also have the 6th murder along a line or at a corner.

Research 87% (1d100=90)(then again, there are those times)

Vargus quickly flips through the book, but doesn't see anything helpful. He hands it to the reporter, "I didn't find anything. You want to look through?"
Edited by Arthotus, Dec 12 2010, 08:06 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Snikers
Member Avatar
Follower
[ * ]
Anna takes the book, trying to gauge its page count. "I can skim it, but if you're looking for the occult element, you should probably know about the circles the murderer drew at the crime scenes. Their purpose varies, but generally speaking they're used to contain things, like summoned creatures or psychic energy."

She shoots a glance at Agent Moulder. "Or, well - that's the murderer believes, anyway."

She thumbs a few of the pages. "I can skim this if you want, but there's no time for me to look in detail right now. Do you want me to look for anything in particular, or just details about this pentagram?" She points to the marked map.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Arthotus
Member Avatar
Thread Reaper
[ *  * ]
"Yes" Vargus answers simply as he puzzles over the symbol.

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Snikers
Member Avatar
Follower
[ * ]
Anna opens to the back cover, trying to see how many pages are in the book.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
dhorn
Member Avatar
Bio-Hazard
[ *  * ]
Point of Clarification: Marcus has not presented the book. It is sealed in an evidence bag in Moulder's car.

Vargas, you access Sally's text messages and find a bunch of teenage gibberish - LOL's, OMG's, BFF's, etc., etc., etc. However, there is one text that catches your attention. It's from someone named 'Bobby'.

"youth group canceled. headed to library. join me?"

Marcus, Agent Moulder studies the map for a moment.

"Well, that is the office building where the most recent murder took place" he says.

Will Capstone interjects, "that is the Montague Building. It's one of the oldest buildings in town. In fact, I think it's on the register of historic buildings."

Anna, you recognize the symbolic significance of the pentagram as far back in history as ancient Greece and Babylonia. The pentagram has magical associations, and many people who practice Neopagan faiths wear jewelry incorporating the symbol. Christians once more commonly used the pentagram to represent the five wounds of Jesus. Generally, the pentagram (or pentangle) is drawn with a circle around it.

To earth-centered religions throughout history as well as to many contemporary pagans, the circle represents the feminine spirit or force, the cosmos or a spiritualism Mother Earth, and a sacred space. The five-pointed star is representative of the four primal elements (earth, air, fire and water,) and traditionally a fifth, called spirit. The circle binds them together to create life. When pointing up, the pentagram can represent spirituality's dominance over the material (pentagram) bound inside the laws of the cosmos (circle). The upside-down facing pentagram, meanwhile, represents the physical world ruling over the spiritual, and has therefore been associated with dark magic. Other sources point to its origin in Chinese five-element philosophy, as the natural balance between fire, water, earth, wood, and metal. This theory states that the direction it is pointing has nothing to do with good or evil, but rather the upside-down facing circle is for banishing. The circle is again for the concept the power within is bound by, this time for the circle of life.

Satanists use a pentagram with two points up, often inscribed in a double circle, with the head of a goat inside the pentagram. This is referred to as the Sigil of Baphomet. They use it much the same way as the Pythagoreans, as Tartaros literally translates from Greek as a "Pit" or "Void" in Christian terminology (the word is used as such in the Bible, referring to the place where the fallen angels are fettered). Less esoteric LaVeyan Satanists use it as a sign of rebellion or religious identification, the three downward points symbolising rejection of the holy Trinity.

In terms of the connection to the murder scenes, the victims' bodies were found within the pentangle, perhaps as a means of harnessing the soul as it left the body. For what purpose, however, is unclear.
Edited by dhorn, Dec 15 2010, 11:56 AM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Beyond the Supernatural: Sigil Macabre · Next Topic »
Add Reply

Black Water created by tiptopolive of IDS