PAX Aus 2023 Chaosium Presents

# The Lightless Beacon 2023

## Events

* 0815 12 Apr 1926. The SS Essex County is making its way through stormy seas around Holly Point bound for Rockport, normally guided by the light on Beacon Island. 15 minutes ago that light went out. This is when a wave washes over the ship, setting it sinking. A single lifeboat survives the wreckage, carrying the investigators.
* The introductions somehow still start off randomly with Art Hunter
* It is a new moon and almost pitch black
* Wayne spots an older wreck in the water between the investigators and the lifeboat, which Obediah steers around
* The investigators disembark once they reach the sandy shores. The lifeboat is not in good stead.
* A lightning bolt lights up a path leading up to the lighthouse and the Keeper's Hut
* As they make their way, they notice a set of tracks cutting through the path
* The lighthouse itself has a light on on the lowest level
* The front door is open, but blocked. Beatrice shoulders her way in
* The light is coming from an inside room
* Avery looks at the dark brooding paintings on the walls
* Professor starts investigating the wide-open window ledges, allegedly for sea snails or other mulluscs.
* Professor picks up a note of rotten carrion over the salty smells
* In the study is most notably a large desk covered in the remains of wet paperwork
* Obediah makes the room as secure as he can against the elements
* Obediah also discovers the larder, which also has working electric lights
* It is next to the land-locked galley (kitchen, not ship)
* From there everyone starts to make their way up the circular stairs in the lighthouse interior
* Meanwhile Beatrice is making her way through the notes. Correspondence of George Cassidy, along with his diary. Mr Cassidy has found numerous curious in the sea outside. Mr Cassidy seems to be getting somewhat paranoid about loosing hie precious treasure
* Wayne is the first to stick his head up into the Service Room where there are banks of machinery, clearly damaged. There is a radio set which has been severely damaged.
* In the light room are a number of broken window panes, as well as a number of figures on the ground. A number of approx 2-ft long shapes, one of which is being dragged around by the rotating beacon assembly. Across the room up against the wall sits a haggard wild-eyed man with one of these lamprey-mouthed fish-scaled monstrosities attached to his bearded neck.
* The Professor heads up to the man and investigate the creature, paying no heed to the bleeding
* Meanwhile Obediah is looking to introduce his wrench to the creature
* This causes the Professor to try relaxing it with the help of Avery
* It's now that Beatrice makes her way up the circular stairs, recognizing George Cassidy
* The Professor with the aid of Avery comes to the conclusion that it will take outright surgery to remove the fish thing from Mr Cassidy.
* Beatrice manically reaches in and yanks the thing off Mr Cassidy, killing him immediately
* Obediah whacks the creature with his wrench as it's sucking down the meat from George's neck
* The Professor takes up the unconscious creature and goes downstairs in search of something to keep it in
* Wayne meanwhile finds a latch to open a door to see if there is anything outside, remembering the trails he saw on their approach to the lighthouse
* Obediah finds the spare bulb and starts to install it
* Beatrice finds a gun and a small gold coin in the pockets of the now dead Mr Cassidy
* As the lighthouse lights up, Beatrice and Wayne see a multitude of these creatures starting to approach
* Beatrice goes to throw away the coin, but ends up pocketing it instead.
* In the distance, is a small craft seemingly moored offshore, it's messages with a signal lamp
* Avery gets a small stool and starts to paint the scene
* Wayne hands Beatrice his spare bullets
* Professor finds that his newfound discovery has woken up and is attempting to attack him, causing the creature to be thrown into the midst of its fellows that are flowing in through a broken window
* Obediah is electrifying the trap door between the equipment room and the light room, but something goes horribly wrong, he's getting electrocuted and all the lights go out.
* Beatrice reaches into the Kitchen and grabs a canister of oil just before one of the creatures hits the now closed door
* Avery uses the wooden stool to push Obediah back from the electrical cabling that he's short-circuiting, leaving the floor electrified and the lights out
* Beatrice throws the oil and lights it
* In the light of the burning oil, Wayne shoots / kills the fish creature that the Professor had thrown away
* The professor, being unaware of the electrocuted floor, retreats up the stairs
* Avery and Obediah start to repel down the outside, Obediah bouncing quite heavily against the wall
* Beatrice runs out through a back room
* Wayne stays in the middle opening, firing his last few bullets, but is ultimately overwhelmed
* Having discovered that it's electrified, the Professor gets in and lies down in despair, suffering fatal execution whilst dreaming of copulating fish
* Avery, Beatrice and Obediah escape to the rescue craft.
* The Captain of said craft, with big round eyes and what may well be gill slits, proceed to take them back to Innsmouth Harbour.

### Trivia

* James Coquillat rolled 5 80's in a row, quickly followed by Alex Catton rolling a double-zero on her SAN check
* At one point David Naylor makes the point that it would take something surgical for the Professor to remove the fish thing from Mr Cassidy. Then right at the end Jackson Heenan looks at the back of his sheet to see that the Professor carries ... a scalpel.
* And then at the climax Nick Brooke rolls two double-zeros in succession attempting the electrification
* Making up for that is Alex Cotton rolling a 14 with a penalty die against a 20 throw skill