The Nocturnum
Episode 2: The Thing in the Park (Part Two)
The original text for this adventure was written by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere and can be found here.This episode makes use of three of our recurring guest stars from Season 1, and more guests will be popping back up as the season goes on. If you want to re-familiarize yourself with these folks, their writeups can be found here.
Brief Synopsis
The group continues their investigations of the murders in Schenley Park, uncovering a horrific and gruesome pattern that stretches back to the French and Indian War, and a cursed creature known as a "Stealer of Faces." Events take a turn for the darker when Detective Joe Knonaem arrives to implore Anita for assistance; Lexie Carver has disappeared into the park after leaving a mysterious voicemail on Joe's phone. Worse, Anita attempts to contact Alan to recruit the assistance of the Rosicrucians, only to be utterly unable to reach him. An associate of his informs Anita the the Rosicrucians have not seen Alan for several days.The Group's investigation takes them into the heart of Schenley Park, to an area called Panther Hollow, where they succeed in rescuing Lexie from the clutches of the Stealer of Faces, and defeat the creature by destroying its original face. During the battle, they face down a small army of zombies and a servitor of the Mad Gods, and deduce that something far more sinister is going on than an accidental release of an imprisoned monster.
The next moring, Alan shows up at Anita's office, looking haggard, worn, and utterly wiped out, and says, "I need your help."
Great Quotes:
Anita: So why did you wake me up at 2:30 in the morning?
Drake: And the idiots removed the talisman. Sure, they might not have known what it did, but you don't just go around moving talismans. They're there for a reason, and moving them always results in strange and evil events. It's not like you can just go, "Oh, here's a talisman. Let's move it." No. They're there for a reason. It's like those tags on mattresses. The ones that say "Do Not Remove." You just don't tear them off because of the cosmic repercussions!
John: Drake, you're not an organized religion. I know you'd like to be some day, but you're not today.
(after wrecking Anita's car)
(Upon seeing Anita's wrecked car)
John: I'm collecting all this stuff so the people with brains can come up with a name for this thing. So they can figure out that it's really saying, "Dagon, protect us."
Anita: I'm sorry for hitting you. I've had a bad day.
Cyan: So...where's Alan?
Anita: So Jamie...why don't you sit down and tell me about this adventure with the serial killer. Go get a cup of coffee. Let's talk.
Anita: I'm just dating him, I'm not stalking him! I'm just standing outside his house.
Cyan (to Drake on phone): Okay, we're in Panther Hollow, and all the foliage is dead. And there's Taint.
Drake: You know, being a necromancer does mean that you can shoot first and then ask questions.
Eric (to Director, after Jason points out the lack of workability of a plan): Screw you, this is going to look cool!
Drake: I'll get her to safety. Think you can handle that tentacled thing?
John: Hey, could use a little help, here!
Drake: You just looked so peaceful. I can't have that.
Drake: May I suggest going before the cops--
Anita: Shut up.
John (Quietly, to Cyan): Just pretend like nothing happened. Everything's normal.
(Anita punches John in the face)
John (to Drake): Now go get the talisman. (To Anita) What the hell was that for?
Anita: Don't say things like that. It's very bad.
John: Hey, at least you didn't have your face stolen and get murdered. Some poor girl got murdered and her face stolen. Her day has been way worse than yours.
Anita: Aw, don't make me hit you, too.
Jamie: Um, maybe you should get some sleep.
Anita: No. Sit down. Have some coffee.
Drake: Right. You're staring into the thing's lair. Here's what I want you to do. Turn around, 180 degrees. Have you done that? Good. Now I want you to run.
Anita: Uh, no, Drake. I will get her to safety, and you can handle that tentacled thing!
Anita: Can't talk, running.
Great moments:
Drake manages to steal the Elder Sign talisman by shifting to wolf form and scaring the archeological dig's foreman from his trailer. He then escapes from the trailer by turning into a raven and flying out through the window.Anita learns that her new employee Jamie, and Jamie's friends remember doing battle with a demon that was Jack the Ripper and the group realizes that the memory tampering that occurred following Season 2 went deeper than they'd anticipated. They suspect Nyarlathotep is behind it.
Drake has a showdown with an Inspired Priest. To his credit, Drake doesn't back down, though he's fairly certain the priest is a match for him. Anita steps in and calms the situation down before it erupts into violence.
Anita frees Lexie and carries her across a battlefield where John and Cyan are in combat with a tentacled horror from Beyond. She reaches the other side of the clearing, and realizes that she left a box behind that may be important, so she lays Lexie down, and dashes back across the battlefield--twice--to retrieve the box.
Drake defeats the Face Stealer by cutting its legs off, then leaping onto its back and hacking it into tiny pieces with his sword.
Like a true Elizabethan gentleman, Drake covers Lexie's beaten and naked body with his trenchcoat. Later, he tells Joe to make sure he gets his damn coat back.