Episode 13: Night Shift

GM: Emily

PCs: Ellis and Connie

NPCs: Sonya, Walter Manisha, Eleanor, Lorraine, Vincent

Ellis and Connie both decide to answer Sonya’s call; Solve the disappearances of several customers and worker at the diner she works at. All without a trace with no physical evidence. Deciding to meet their connection at her dorm room, Sonya is busy on her finals so while able to help it is down to the hunter’s to investigate. While there the Hunters learn more information, that the owner Tony doesn’t spend time at the diner and the Hunters start thinking that there perhaps is a connection to the mob. Before they leave Connie attempts to help Sonya by creating a mind illusion, however Connie fails, rather sharing the thoughts of her 14 year old self watching a play, despite this Sonya remains impressed.

Deciding to investigate before heading to the diner the hunters discuss their option, visit one of the suspects; Walter or get information from around the town they decide on the former, with them splitting to “cover more ground” as Ellis puts it. Ellis is able to discover a massive clue by talking to a member of the local true crime club, that from 1952 to 1987 a series of disappearances occurred with one disappearing each year until one girl survived, Connie is less lucky failing to read any minds for suspicious thoughts **THE ENITITY** visits her demanding that she brings some destruction to the diner, or be unable to use its power, its claims there is an evil from it that needs to be removed, Connie has to oblige. Meeting back up the Hunters try to find information on the sole survivor of the original disappearances but are saddened to find that she died a year later, but did give an interview. Using Sonya’s ID the Hunters are able to enter the universities’ library and find the newspaper article. That a dark shadow that extinguished the electric street lamps, came after and what it reached out it gave her frostbite. In an attempt to survive she lit up some fireworks she had on her and was able to burn the creature away. Realising that they have found a way to defeat the monster Ellis and Connie decides to finally visit the diner.

Posing as regular customers they find that the menu is incredibly large and diverse and that one of the cooks Adamm is “sick” and hasn’t picked up any calls or texts. Briefly chatting to Manisha a close friend of Sonya they enquire about the disappearance of Adam but they delay until their break in 30mins in the meantime the Hunters enjoy their food. Talking to Manisha they discover that lights have been going out at the diner and people are only disappearing at around midnight. Believing that darkness and the monster are connected, the Hunters grow more suspicious of the workers at the diner asking if one of them, Eleanor, focuses on one area of the diner in particular. Finding out that she fusses about the locker/staff room. Connie also is able to read Manisha’s mind seeing that Sonya called Connie cool.

Upon returning Connie is able to magic two business cards to look like health inspector IDs. Using this cover they are able to talk to the manager, Lorraine. And is able to convince her to allow them to examine the electrical box under the guise of checking for electrical faults related to the lights going out. While in the Locker room Ellies and Connie are able to discover a lose tile that reveals a compartment that contains a chest that can fit a bunched up body. Jumping into the compartment, Connie opens it up to discover it empty, rather it contains a void. Realising soon if she doesn’t cause some destruction **THE ENTITY** will not lead her its powers. Both Ellis and Connie agree in dropping the lockers onto the hole that contains the chest. The commotion bring Lorainne the manger to the back, both Ellis and Connie however decide to keep up the charade of health inspectors exclaiming that they were almost crushed and asking about who was responsible for the maintenance of the room. Lorainne asks them to join her in the office to check the papers and to discuss it privately, sensing a trap the hunters try to take the conversation to the public diner, but is unable to rather joining her inside her small office.

Lorainne offers a deal, she plans on leaving tomorrow after completing her ritual in return she will explain, why people have been going missing again and why the pattern has changed in return for leaving her alone. Trying to keep acting like Health inspectors the hunters pretend to not know until Lorainne mentions **THE ENITIY’S** name; Hadean. This snaps Connie out the ruse and she demanded how Lorainne knew that name, Lorainne refuses and Connie uses her telepathy to probe her mind. This fails and Lorainne grabs Connies face giving her frostbite. Ellis is able to diffuse the situation and Connie keeps asking questions. Lorainne is confused originally she believed that Connie must be the Herald of Miscreation, but due to her lack of knowledge its clear that’s she is merely a vessel and thus haven’t got long left to live. Deciding to take pity Lorainne tells them that she was the one making the students disappear all those years ago when she came to the town in 1952, as the Herald for the empty space between, she used them to keep her power, the reason why so many are disappearing in quick concession is that she foresaw the Herald of miscreation arriving and fighting with her and that she needed to restore her power as she hadn’t needed to use magic in years, rather she preferred to live a simple life as Lorainne.

Connie indicated to Ellis that they should leave asking Lorianne to walk them to the car, but as Lorainne and Connie moves past a waitress carrying a coffee pot Connie throws it in her face causing Lorainne to fall back into a booth in pain. Ellis runs to the kitchen to grab hot oil to throw on Lorainne. As they do this Lorainne uses her abilities to submerge the dinner into darkness. Dark shadow hands reach out and grab Connie giving her more frostbite damage. Connie is only able to do small amounts of damage before becoming unstable. Ellies is able to cause a distraction throwing hot oil at Lorianne missing but giving Connie the opportunity to heal and most of the customers to run. Lorrianne decides to use the hunters to finish her ritual dragging them through the kitchen to the chest. Desperate and unable to cause her damage without dying Connie calls upon **THE ENTITY** Hadean to give her the ability to destroy Lorainne, willingly tying herself closer to it. Connie is covered in flames her body moves by itself burning Lorianne making her unconscious.

The Hunters find that they are unable to destroy the Chest by conventional means, with it needing a ritual. Taking it back to Sonya’s dorm room, the hunters decide to corrupt it rather than go through the much more difficult and dangerous ritual to destroy it and send it to the Kennebec University, anonymously for safety and further research. With Help from Sonya and Manisha they corrupt the chest sending it to the Agency via UPS. Ellis and Connie sleep through the night in Sonya’s dorm, and as they say goodbyes she gives both a hug and Connie her phone number.

Later Connie and Ellis receives a letter from Lorraine:

Dear Connie and Ellis,

I don't know what you did with my talisman, but I can't feel it in my head anymore. Part of me wants to find it and make myself what I was again. But a stronger part of me wants to take the opportunity you've so generously given me. I think that when Lorraine dies, I will be able to go with her, and that's something I gave up hoping for many centuries ago.

I apologize for trying to kill you. It was all, as Ellis said, very pointless. If you have any need of me in the future, Sonya will know how to contact me. Otherwise I do not expect that we will meet again.

Thank you for your help,

Solène

Herald of the Empty Throne (retired)