TOPIC: Horror on the Orient Express - All Rotations

Sarge wrote:
Thanks.

After posting and seeing how much text I ended up with, I was going to edit them to make them much shorter for easier reading, but the weekend turned out to be really busy, so never got round to it.

Garuda wrote:
No editing required, we love the detail!

Friday 1st February 1923

Morning: Over breakfast we discuss our plans. We decide to keep the Winckelmann diary, rather than return it to Termoni or send it away. With more information gleaned from the transcript and from Helmut Grossinger’s papers we decide to do some research. Cartwright stayed at the hotel to keep an eye on our belongings whilst the rest of us ventured out to brave the Bora once more.

Biblioteca Civica: At the library we researched Bacchus, Roman god of war, wine and madness. His worship dates back to at least 1300BCE. He is associated with maenads and satyrs who were known to practice blood sacrifices to revere the dead. We discover a book of sketches 1759-1761 depicting, among other things (such as the excavations of Pompeii), scenes of Trieste. Trieste architecture in the sketchbook includes the Castello di San Giusto and a doorway with a stone lintel carved with images of Bacchus and dancing maenads and satyrs. In fact Ludwig and Hubert recognised it as the exact same scene that was traced on their window pane last night. The sketch is annotated – “Doorway. Via Marco Polo, 6th June 1761”.

Follow the Turk: It's after 2pm when we exit the library intent on finding our way to the Via Marco Polo. We have not walked far before Letty notices a fez-wearing Turk. The Turk does not seem to have spotted us. As he moves off, Letty shadows him. The rest of us follow but hang back a good distance. It doesn’t take long for the Turk to pick up his pace and turn a corner. Letty, fearing she’s been spotted, but not wanting to lose her quarry, hurries along after him. For several minutes he is lost to sight, but perseverance pays off and Letty picks up his trail again.

The Turk steps through the doorway of a rundown guesthouse. We gather our wits and enter the establishment. Behind a desk sits a slovenly man. Communication proves a problem. Not only do we not speak Italian, but the man isn’t interested in us at all. We cross his palm with a few lire. He pockets the money but continues to look bewildered as to what we want.

Room Thirteen: We notice the register is open and only one room has a recorded occupant. Upstairs, room 13. Now the proprietor, seemingly in the belief we’ve paid him off – wanders out to the back of the building, leaving us free to climb the stairs. We knock at room 13. There’s no reply. Letty picks the lock and Ludwig swings open the door. A fetid smell wafts out of the room, and three machete-wielding Turks are quickly upon us. Each of the Turks has patchwork skin joined with crude stitches.

Ludwig opens fire and receives a machete cut in reply. The scuffle spills into the hallway. Letty, Pierre and Ludwig each struggle with an opponent. Hubert seems to struggle with himself, standing further down the hallway, swigging brandy from a flask and flouncing with his cane. Ludwig, under a second machete blow, runs away. His pursuer accosts Hubert, allowing Ludwig to halt his retreat and aim his luger. Several shots are fired by Letty and Ludwig before two of the Turks are finally brought down. The last of the three is beaten to death with blunt instruments. In the aftermath, Letty seems to be relatively unscathed but Pierre, Hubert and Ludwig have sustained some serious injuries.

Inside room 13, we open a cabinet and a partly decayed, skinned corpse with some missing body parts falls out. On a desk we find a letter, written in Turkish. Pierre does his best to translate. Salleh, my brother...part of the Simulacrum most blessed by our Master has been found...taken to Trieste…Trieste is home to a band of fools who worship a degenerate race…it is certain…offered to these creatures…travel to Trieste with as many of our Brothers as you need….Praise to the Skinless One..S.M.

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Been thinking about HP and healing. We essentially use the Pulp rules for HP, which I think works well with HOTOE.

What isn’t reflected is healing. I think this should be inline with HP, so I am proposing the following: all healing rolls, whether administered by first aid, medicine or overnight rest will now be a straight roll of 1D6

Everyone ok with this?

Seems fair. You really can get battered in a scrap in this game.

Sorry won't be in tonight. COVID got me