An Inner Call - Part 2

The afternoon of June 1st, 1921 found the investigators gathered outside Rotherhithe Prison, waiting for Home Office officials who had yet to arrive. The party consisted of Reverend Grainger, John Anderton, young Alfie, and Everett Reed, along with journalist Daphne and her assistant Ursula. A pall of distrust had settled over Daphne, whose mysterious knowledge and interest in supernatural matters had raised suspicions among the group. During their wait, Reverend Grainger made a startling revelation - he believed he could perform the spell they had discovered in Dr. Wasserman's office. The ritual appeared to be linked to bodies of water, with larger bodies producing more powerful effects. This knowledge was deliberately kept from Daphne, as the party feared her true intentions. The group discussed witness reports of mysterious figures near the Thames, including a boy who had escaped the prison and a fog-shrouded figure who had walked into the river without a splash. The prison itself bore the scars of supernatural violence. Inside, a monstrous creature with green, rubbery skin roamed the courtyard, while the corridors were littered with bodies showing signs of extreme brutality - limbs torn off and strange bite marks. The investigators had barely escaped with their lives during their previous encounter, dragging the unconscious Daphne to safety. The missing statue from Wasserman's flat suggested the doctor had brought it to the prison for his dark purposes. Seeking more information, Alfie took Ursula aside for a private conversation. The young woman revealed disturbing details about her connection to Julie Lamarck, the French girl from Wasserman's flat. Ursula showed Alfie bite marks on her neck, explaining how Julie had attacked her with hands that sprouted mouths. Despite this horrifying encounter, Ursula maintained they had been friends for a long time, adding another layer of mystery to the supernatural events plaguing London. The party decided to cross the Thames to investigate reports from the north side of the river. They hired Paul, a local ferryman, who provided crucial information about ferrying a scared boy with distinctive big ears from the prison early that morning. Paul also mentioned that the river water had been feeling unusually thick, particularly on the south side near the prison. The boy had fled toward the East End, potentially carrying knowledge of escape routes from the prison. Their investigation led them to the Salty Dog, a rough dockside pub in Wapping. Alfie's attempt to gather information from dock workers ended in a brawl after he threw beer on a man's head during failed negotiations. Reverend Grainger, posing as a concerned prison chaplain, had better luck speaking with the bartender about the prison incident. Eventually, the party paid for information from Charlie, a dock worker, who led them to Jimmy, a night watchman. Jimmy provided the breakthrough they needed. He had witnessed the previous night's events, hearing sounds of violence and screaming from across the river. Most importantly, he had seen a figure in rags walk into the Thames about 200 yards upstream from the prison, disappearing without a splash in an area shrouded in unusual fog. This testimony corroborated the earlier reports and gave the investigators a specific location to examine. Returning to the south side of the Thames, the party discovered a drainage culvert at the spot where the mysterious figure had vanished. With the tide low, they found deep drag marks in the Thames mud leading from the river into a brick-lined tunnel system. The evidence suggested something large and heavy had been pulled from the water into the underground passages. Despite the obvious danger and the approaching high tide, the investigators decided to explore the tunnel. Armed with flashlights and John's pistol, the party ventured into the drainage system. The tunnel led inland toward the prison, with small pipes along the walls draining water from various sources. One pipe carried what appeared to be blood, staining the water red as it flowed past. As they progressed deeper, approximately 500 meters into the tunnel, they began hearing strange humming sounds echoing from ahead. The source of the humming proved to be Dr. Wasserman himself, transformed into the same monstrous creature they had encountered at the prison. The former psychoanalyst retained his intelligence and memories, immediately recognizing Reverend Grainger and calling out to him by name. Wasserman revealed that he had killed the prisoners, dismissing them as "weak vessels" for his supernatural purposes. He desperately tried to convince Grainger to join his cause, promising they could "make them better" together. Most disturbing was Wasserman's declaration that he would "succeed next time" and planned to "release the inner beings of everyone" that very night. His first ritual had failed, but he was confident his next attempt would be more effective. The party retreated from the tunnel as the transformed doctor followed, continuing to call for Grainger to abandon his companions and embrace the dark transformation. Upon returning to the surface, the investigators discovered that Daphne had vanished, leaving them to wonder if she had fled in fear or had her own agenda. With high tide approaching at 11 PM and Wasserman planning another ritual attempt, the party faced a critical decision. They debated involving the police, though London's constabulary was typically unarmed and ill-equipped for supernatural threats. The group considered retrieving weapons from John's arsenal or using Reverend Grainger as bait to lure the creature from its underground lair. The session concluded with the investigators still at the tunnel entrance, planning their strategy to stop Wasserman before he could complete his apocalyptic ritual. They had uncovered the truth behind the prison massacre and located their transformed adversary, but the most dangerous confrontation still lay ahead. With the Thames tide rising and darkness approaching, time was running out to prevent whatever horror Wasserman planned to unleash upon London that night. #cthulhu/timeline