January 2009 Game: the Red Lion, Banbury
1920 Cthulhu
Setting: Late Autumn, 1925 America
Paul Hurst: Harry Took
Paul Robert: Mr. David Mortenson
Carols Roberts: Dr. Dave Newell
Dave Baker: Professor Meridith Sinclair
The game starts with the players taking a flight from Colorado back to their home city of Boston, what could possibly happen!
While waiting in the departure lounge (OK, hut) in Colorado there is a commotion as a number of journalists arrive along with a large limousine. Out steps one Miss Dawn Peachtree, a well known actress of the silent screen (we later learn that silent movies are golden as she has the one of the broadest Aussie accent, definitely a face for screen and not a voice!)
Flying is a rare and new experience to all the party, and as we board the aircraft our anxiety is made none the less by witnessing one of the photographers get tackled to the ground by an aircraft engineer amid fears of the camera flash igniting fuel vapours.
The first 3 hour hop to the first way point is noisy, cold and generally uncomfortable. The aircraft is fully booked to its 12 passenger compliment (4 of which are players), however we have no opportunity to engage in conversation in the air due to the noise, our Mr Mortenson also doesn’t take to well to flying and is somewhat occupied with the in flight brown paper bag provided. I seem to take to flying with surprising ease. We are all somewhat alarmed at the delicate balance of the aircraft in the air as our in flight engineer, come steward, has to rush away from serving us our brown liquid (masquerading as coffee, apparently) back to his station to trim the engine speeds as even the slightest movement around the cabin appears to upset the balance.
Back on the ground, we land in the middle of nowhere to dine in a make shift canteen and refuel the aircraft. This is the first time that we get to engage in conversation with our fellow travellers.
It appears that Dawn has taken quite a shine to Mr Mortenson which we find quite amusing. Two of the gentlemen (who we later learn are one Mr Gerhard Stumpf and one Mr Ed Gilespe) are obviously engrossed in some very detailed business discussions of their own. Enquiring after their business, as a businesswoman myself, I am met with fairly blunt answers which make it apparent that they have no desire to be distracted.
More to follow...