The Expedition Stage 1: Getting There
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--------------Nolan--------------
Nolan delivered the letters to Ben, but it was very tempting to open the one that Luke Macey had written.  He looked up Luke Macey in the agency personnel files, finding a thin folder with some billing notices for consulting work last year.  James Macey was a far thicker file; there was even a picture, and it looked as if James was indeed related to Luke; they had the same nose and the same grin, dark hair and dark eyes.  James was listed as a researcher, with some contact information that put him in the Boston area.  He had worked for the previous agency in the Grey Building and had placed a few artefacts into the warehouse; a statue of Juno, some Tesla invention only listed by a number (#606), and a 'unknown bakelite and glass artefact, possibly arcane'.   There was no Diana Maxwell in the files, but the one on Algernon Maxwell, PhD, was quite impressive;  Archaeology Professor at Miskatonic University, officially listed as 'missing' in 1922.  Maxwell had been everywhere, on digs all around the world, and his graduate students included most of the staff at the BPRD !  Jack, Spider, and Ben had all been his students.  Maxwell had been consulted on some of the artefacts by the previous administration - something Mills would know all about.

Nolan searches the library at work and the Library of Congress for Antarctic expeditions, and finds the most terrible stories of hardship and death - it is certain that this expedition will be difficult.   Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Henry Shackleton had tried and failed.   He does note that several explorers of the last continent had been contacted and had provided consultation for the BPRD on the expedition.  He also studies the New England Legends and Lore, finds that it gives him horrible nightmares, but also picks up 2% Mythos knowledge.  The stories are compelling and the historical referencing is complete, so there's no way to dismiss it as foolishness.  What is also compelling is the dedication of the book; 'To my grandfather.  Tempus obliviscitur."  The quick translation is 'time forgets'.   There is much to think about, such that when he's walking to his lonely flat, he is surprised to hear a car horn sound.  It is a new red and black Cadillac Phaeton, being driven by Fritz Trachenberg.  "Do you have a minute to talk ?"  the German asked, pulling the car to a stop.
"We're just asking," said a voice behind him; it was Thomas Thorne.  "We might have something in common.   The old man talked to us, too.  And I have a plan."  The Southerner smiled, and Nolan had a sudden feeling that this was not a man you play poker with and win.
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-------------Spider---------------------------------
Spider puts the agents and his boss through an aggressive training course.  His star student is Fritzi, who apparently knows climbing from war time.  His least promising students are Thorne and Ben; Ben being hampered by having only one hand, and Thorne for being out of shape.  As October draws to a close, the agents have the dogs in local kennels, the ice breaker boat in the harbor being loaded under the watchful eye of H.P. Doan, and all seems to going as well as can be expected.  Fritzi proudly reveals custom made belts of ammo for the two Thompson submachine guns, and a variety of special ammo clips for each of the Agents' favourite weapons.  "Highly experimental, and still deadly.  Each clip is colour coded and has raised dots on the end of the case.  The green is poison.  The red is acid.  The yellow is incendiary.  The white is silver, oil of Saints and white oak infused.  Unmarked clips are plain military load."

Spider visits his offspring and their mother, Cressida, who still seems surprised and amused that he is working.  "You and Tris, rushing around saving the world," she said, shaking her head as young Davey hugged Spider's knees and Cici considered him with an appraising eye.    She laughed when he admitted to being stubborn.  "I know you'll come back, if you can.  You'll have to harden your heart when you leave, the howling will be dreadful.  I'll be back in Boston soon, to see the leaves turn and try to get these two into some sort of education."  The twins did some sort of unseen communication, and both fixed Spider, then their mother, with sharp looks.  "No biting the teacher, either," Cressida told them.   It was hard to say farewell.

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----------------Jack--------------------------------------------------
Jack confronts Ben in his office, and Ben gives him his full attention, something that his boss has been unable to do much of lately.  "I'll send those two to get the car and search the hotel room.  They won't need keys."  He got up, stuck his head out the door and yelled for Thorne and Fritz.  Once 'those two' were despatched, Ben shut the door and thought for a short moment, looking Jack in the eye.  "I've had some word from a friend about the paint.  An ally - one who cannot be revealed.  We'll have to deal with whomever has been sending the Countess after us - and guess what.  You're in charge of that now - an official promotion,  Assistant Director. That puts you as second in command for the expedition as well.  As for keeping the Countess locked up, I'd rather keep her close under our watch than farther away.   Ask Agent Black about spells to contain or control another person's access to mana."

Jack visits Irina, who is still out, though the new attending nurse speaks Russian and tells him something hopeful.  "She is speaking, but it's only words here and there.  She said one, Miskat, miskatnik something.  She also said, 'I have to go to the library, and later on, 'it is far'."

Jack also researchs the wand, badgering Trevor Bruttenholm into helping him.   "The owl is the symbol of Athena.  Goddess of war and wisdom, with parallels to Neith, Ishtar, Anat and Inanna.  She is usually depicted in armour, with a spear and helmet.  In the Odyssey she transforms into a sea eagle, and she has been mentioned in several texts as being able to transform into an owl.  I'd say you have her wand."    Trevor seemed almost jealous of that.  "I'll look up what offerings she has accepted, but I think offering an owl statue or olives might be an acceptable gesture.  Her tree is the Olive tree.  Offering to Gods is a dangerous game, Jack.  Be cautious."

Jack visits Reverend Atwell, who is quietly sitting on one of the pews and contemplating the altar, an aged Bible clasped in his arthritic hands.   The church was empty, the last service having been about twenty minutes ago.  "Oh," the old man said, a rare smile creasing his face.   Against all probability, the old man seemed happy to see him.  "Mr...Sterling.  The G-man who needed Holy Water.  What can I help you with today ?"  The bulky, hovering form of Preacher Barry was not in evidence.   At Jack's thanks and information, Atwell's smile fades to the serious look more common to his wrinkled face.  "Of course.  You're very welcome, young man.  I will pray for them - and for you and your friend."  Atwell pauses, as Jack holds back the rest of his tale.   "Something's bothering you," the old man said.  "If you want to tell me, I will do what I can to help.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  If you are worried about who might hear, I sent Barry to get the dry cleaning."  He nodded to the altar.  "I had him refill the candle box before he left, had a feeling it would be needed."
But every candle Jack lit, the flame was a vivid purple.
This produced a raised eyebrow on Atwell, but nothing more.  "There is much more to you than meets the eye," Atwell said, eventually.  "I will pray for you.  And, perhaps, if I may ask, if there is a matter that the Church finds to be - well, more of your sort of job than ours - may I call you ?"
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----------Everyone--------

Ben holds another meeting two days before departure, after painstakingly hand drawing a map on a chalk board.   It was a lonely dark squiggle on a vast sheet of ice, heading towards mountains encased in ice.  "This is the best intelligence we have for the route to the remains of a lost civilisation based at the South Pole.  We can expect to encounter Mythos creatures en route and especially in the city.  Based on the information in the Necronomicon, the oldest edition, the city was built by entities called "Elder Things".  They are technologically superior to us.  There is a high chance we will encounter their creations, which include Shoggoths, giant amoeboid creatures that have the ability to cast spells as well as send out pseudopods to attack.  There is conflicting opinion on whether these Shoggoths are intelligent, but we personally know of an independent Shoggoth of considerable shrewdness.  We will make a semi-permanent camp on the ice twice; Camp One and Camp Two.   These will be tents that we will leave behind.  We have a drop of supplies near each camp so we can resupply.  We will also have two portable radios, though we may have very poor transmission conditions.  Our ship will stay in place waiting for our return for forty days, then I have requested a flyover from the DoD to look for us.  I asked Gruber but he refused, understandably.   It will take six days to travel to each camp; long, rough days, and then we will rest for a day or two at Camp One and Two before heading out again.  We should reach the target three days after travelling out from Camp Two, it may mean bad times out on the ice as we try to find a way into it.   Since we are travelling during the summer, we'll have daylight all day long.   It will still be cold; subzero temperatures.  We will have to contend with frostbite and exhaustion.  Each time we make camp, we need a Barrier spell activated.  The objective remains to find and collect any alien technology so that we can then use it to stop the apocalyptic event foretold for 1937, 15 March.  This expedition is extremely dangerous and if you have any reservations about proceeding, let me know now.  The chain of command on this expedition is me, the leader; then Jack, as my assistant, then Spider.  Chain of command in this office is Edith, then Agent Black, then Mills."

Ben paused then.  "Questions, clarifications ?  The maps are copied and we will each have one.  Navigation will be challenging but we have some clear landmarks noted on the map."

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GM: Actions, please, up to and including departure on the expedition, please respond by Saturday 15 January, next post Sunday.

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Jack is surprised at his promotion.
     “Thank you, Ben — Dr. Weintraub. I appreciate your confidence in me. I will do my best.
    "Do you mean we should keep the Countess here in the building? Or did you mean somewhere else nearby? And she seems quite resistant to interrogation. Maybe Fritz and Thorne will turn up some clues to her boss that I can pursue.” He will certainly check with Miss Black about how they might keep the Countess from using magic, whether she is kept locked up or allowed to go free.
     At the church, Jack finds comfort in Atwell’s words. When the candles burn purple, he sighs and decides to lower his guard with the man.
     “We fight evil,” he states simply. “It comes in a variety of forms, most of which modern people do not believe exist. That is for the best. Some are monstrous creatures from far, far away — across space and other dimensions. Some have been on Earth longer than we have. We are about to travel to Antarctica, to search their ruins for ancient tools to stop a possible apocalypse that is coming in a few years.” He smiles half-heartedly. “So we could use any assistance we can get.”
     When Atwell asks for help, Jack says, “I and several others are leaving the country soon. But we have skilled colleagues who will be holding down the fort.” He writes down Edith’s name and number for him. “ I’ll come see you when I get back, also.”
     After speaking with Trevor, Jack goes shopping. He makes the rounds of antique shops and import dealers, looking for a well-made, portable statue of Athena in bronze or the like, a small brazier, as well as bunch of wooden figurines of owls and cows (which he has read Athena liked as sacrifice). If he can find some that are especially fine workmanship, and/or made of olive wood, so much the better.
     Jack also stops by the bank. Not knowing what types of people they may have to deal with en route, he packs a stash of 25 gold double eagle ($20) coins in his luggage.

---Jack, prior to departure-----
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Ben almost laughed then when Jack called him Doctor Weintraub.  "It's still Ben, Jack.  And the Countess won't be able to pass the wards.  If this new hospital can keep her locked up, I think we ought to let them.   You might also find that I have done you no favours by promoting you."

Jack decided to speak to Atwell, who nods slightly as he listens to the Agent's story.  "I never thought I would be surprised again, but I am today," the old man says quietly.  "I will bless you and pray for your success.  Here.  Take this with you."  He slowly draws a heavy silver cross from his belt; the patina on it suggests it is very old.  There is a round dent on the bottom part.  "This saved my life once; I ask that you bring it back when your tasks are done and give it to the next person who will stand against the evils of...this world, and the next."  He carefully takes the note with the telephone number and puts it in his Bible.

Jack also heads down to the market area, hunting for antiques and suchlike.  He finds some very questionable items, noting that some dealers would cheerfully lie and sell him a statue of Diana or Venus and claim it to be Athena.  The seventh shop he goes into, a small and shabby one with a scruffy man in coveralls painting a mirror frame, there is a statue of Pallas Athena in full regalia, in bronze, about a foot tall, with an owl on her shoulder and the gorgon-headed shield enameled in red and black.  It costs more than he was expecting, even though the dealer knocked fifty dollars off the price.  He is given an olive wood bowl for nothing.  Another dealer has some porcelain owls and cow figurines of good quality.   His trip to the bank is easy.
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What was found in the search of the Countess' hotel room was: a suitcase, with a silk dress, underclothes and a wrap, with a pair of new high-heeled leather shoes.  A smaller case held makeup, a fan, and a receipt for the Occidental Grill, on Pennsylvania Avenue, and a false bottom hiding a booklet with some carefully written Russian with diagrams that looked like pentagrams.  Another case was hidden in a vent duct, and had three passports, all with different names, for the Countess; one was Canadian, one was Serbian, and one was Russian; a wad of cash in US dollars, four gold coins of Russian minting, and a small address book written in some kind of code.  The car had nothing in it of note.   The booklet of spells was given to Agent Black to decipher and the coded address book, Edith said she had someone in mind to deal with it.  As far as they could tell the new Hospital would be able to hold the Countess securely for at least a while - though who knew if anyone might come looking for her.
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And in two days, the Agents were boarding Doan's ship, Carstairs 2, and heading south.  The dogs were in kennels lashed to the deck, with one odd addition; a large crate that Thorne had loaded last.  Thorne opened the canvas, to reveal Bruno the Hellhound, who yawned open a foot-wide toothy jaw, blinked its glowing red eyes, and shook out its bristly hide with a rasping sound on the metal bars.  "What ?  He's trained.  He can pull a 500 pound sled by himself."  Thorne said. "And he didn't eat any of the dachshunds."

Ben looked on this without expression, then shook his head slightly.  "Some time you'll have to tell me how you got him out of the building."
"That's easy.  Bacon." said Thorne.  "He's warm, too."  He patted Bruno's muzzle and had a swipe of a huge tongue lather up his hand.  "Good boy, Bruno."  Their gear was quickly and expertly being stowed by Fritz and Doan.  The ship set out for points South in good order, leaving behind a grey fall morning, and going into choppy waters.   For several days, the Agents simply rest, knowing that the future will have little opportunity for such.  As they head South, the air gets colder and the waters more treacherous, but their Captain is equal to the task.

The Agents go over the harnessing for the dogs and the sleds, and their commands.  Line out: lead dog, pull the harness taut.  Hike: start moving forward.  On by: move past a distraction.  Gee: turn right.  Haw: turn left.  Easy: slow down.  Whoa: stop !  Mush: Let's go !   The sleds are long and narrow across, with cargo beds, the foot boards where the musher or driver stands in back. A very basic brake is at the back of the sled, a metal claw to be kicked into the snow.  The runners also have a traction system of chains to slow the sleds down on downhills.  The rigging is the lines, the gangline, tuglines and necklines that attach the dogs to the sleds.  Fritz has also made small booties for the dogs, out of moosehide and wool, to keep them from developing frostbite.  These are attached by some kind of strapping at the ankle.  There are three big sleds and 38 dogs, and one smaller sled, which will be pulled by Bruno alone, driven by Thorne.  The first sled is Ben's sled, with Spider; their lead dog is Kaskae.  The second sled is Jack and Nolan, their lead dog is Megussuk.  The third sled is Fritz, carrying most of their weapons, lead by Eska, and fourth is the small sled with Bruno, driven by Thorne.  Bruno's sled has camping gear.  Eight dogs will be on the sled with one leader, the rest will travel with the sleds loose.

The map puts them as landing on the Ross Ice Shelf, heading into the Transantarctic Mountains towards the South Pole.   The Carstairs 2 rams deep into the ice, mooring safely.  The Agents assemble their gear, putting on the furs and mukluks, as well as shaded goggles to prevent snow blindness, and begin offloading their equipment in truly frigid cold, a bitter wind driving off the snow already.   "I'll wait an extra week for you," Doan shouts over the howling wind.  "But I'll call in for a flyover on day forty !"

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GM:  You are now in Antarctica !  Actions, etc, for the first day of a very cold and stressful trip, using dogsleds to go into the great unknown.  Please respond by 22 January, Saturday, next post is Sunday.  As is fitting, it is snowing right now as I type.
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Spider has made sure that Mathilda is oiled and wrapped well.  He also keeps flares ready to shoot at things that threaten them.  He offers to take the first shift driving so Ben can keep fresh.

Nolan noted the chain of command with more than a little relief. So far, his time as an agent had been somewhat chaotic and, although it allowed him the freedom to investigate as he saw fit, he felt a little more comfortable with a more military feel to an undertaking of this scale.

He regarded the hellhound as they traversed the choppy seas and endeavored to refuse his temptations to imagine the supernatural forces that awaited them. His military tenure had trained him to concentrate on the mission, not engage in flights of fancy. His C.O. called them "unproductive thought patterns". It took great discipline to fend those thoughts off in the dark hours of the trip. In the end, he was mostly successful, his sleep being the major casualty.

As he debarked in Antarctica, he looked back at the ship. It had the feel of a final farewell which he tried unsuccessfully to shake off. This is it, he thought. Now what are those commands? 'Easy', 'Haw', 'Whoa' and, oh yes, 'Gee'. He took a deep breath and headed toward the sled. Since Spider took the first shift driving, he offered to take second. That would give him a bit to observe the process, at least.

As he boarded the sled, he refused to acknowledge the lurking sense of dread that hovered over him. Nor would he give any credence to the chilling feeling that, despite the surrounding desolate landscape, they were being watched. Unproductive thought patterns, he thought with a sardonic smile.
This message was last updated by the player at 17:57, Sat 22 Jan 2022.

OC: Sorry so late!
IC: during the weeks of the voyage, Jack practices praying before the statue of Athena, burning Olivewood sticks in a brazier and trying to go into a meditative trance and make some sort of contact. “Great Athena, wisest of the gods, patroness of human crafts and battle skill, the Fates have brough your wand into my care. I go to fight enemies of all humankind, and to find tools of the enemy to use against them. I humbly ask your guidance, that this powerful tool will not destroy me when I use it for these ends.” He will keep this up every day.
Other than that, he will familiarize himself with the harnesses, sleds, and climbing gear, as well as the radio, lifeboats, and other safety equipment on board the ship.
Once they’re on the ice, he tries to help everyone get ready as efficiently as possible to conserve energy. He notices Nolan‘s apprehension and says “Nolan, you’re with me, not Spider. I’ll take the first try at driving the sled. Here goes nothing!“

Getting There pt 3

The ship was soon lost to view as the wind whipped up snow from the ground, and the dogs hauled the sleds with professional vigor.  Even the Hellhound galloped along, clearly happy to be running around, though his path was more erratic than the huskies.   A lone albatross could been seen far off, back where they had come from.

Spider started off the mushing as Ben braced himself on the sled support and scanned the horizon with binoculars.  Even with Matilda a reassuring weight on his back, Spider still felt uneasy, as if they were headed into trouble.  The light was strange, too, a greyish bright day with no clouds, nothing but snow in sight.  Readings on the compass were difficult, so much so that the compass was put away.  They had to rely on the maps and the landmarks.  The first half of the first day was uneventful; it was when they were headed into the second half that trouble stirred.

Nolan looked back to see Trachenberg checking his watch and making a notation on his wrist notebook.  Back of the line, Bruno was happily running along, slaloming in the back of the line.  Thorne was crouched behind his sled, since the Hellhound's big clawed feet were throwing up snow and ice.  It was getting close to the first rest break when suddenly, their lead dog, Megussuk, started barking; this was seconded by almost hysterical barking by Eska, and the teams began to slow and become less organised.  Bruno added a deep-throated howl that rumbled in their bones, and Ben signalled a stop.  Jack kicked out the anchor and the dogs restlessly clustered together.  Fritz anchored their sled and went to see Thorne, who was trying to undo Bruno's harness.  "They got wind of something they don't like," Thorne bellowed over the wind.  "I'll let Bruno go find it first."  Soon the big ugly beast was galumphing over the ice hills.
"Food and water for the dogs," Fritz Trachenberg said next, pulling out an insulated bucket of water, still steaming warm, for the dogs to drink from, and bricks of dog pemmican.  The dogs seemed more nervous than hungry.   The plan had been to get at least another few miles underway before making camp.

Bruno's baying caused another ripple of worry in the huskies.  Fritz and Spider were up the hill first, looking out on a wide ice field, where some lumps indicated some kind of gear left behind, probably by one of the other polar expeditions.  "No, we're not hanging around here," Ben said firmly.  "Jack, Nolan, take the lead.  I'll drive in second position.  Thorne, get that damn hound back."
Thorne whistled shrilly, but the hellhound wouldn't come back.  "Damnation," the Southerner grunted, and set off up the hill after Bruno.  Bruno was digging and baying at an elongated ovoid shape buried in the snow, something about 15 feet long.  "Leave it, Bruno !"
"Get him away from that !"  Ben had also come up the hill.

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GM: Actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday, 29 January, next post Sunday.
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When the first half of the day proved to be uneventful, Nolan almost allowed himself to relax. Almost. It was daylight itself that refused to let him relax. There was a wrongness to it. Something undefinable yet omnipresent.

As he watched the slaloming hellhound trail the sled, half expecting it to turn on them at any moment, Megussuk burst into a fit of hysterical barking, violently ripping Nolan from his thoughts. Presently, the remaining dogs lent their barks to the chorus as the sled slowed to a stop. As Thorne released Bruno to bound over the ice, Nolan was suddenly very happy to have the beast around. Better to fight a monster with a monster, he reasoned.

Once Bruno started his baying, the hair stood up on the back of his neck and he leapt from the sled in anticipation of following Fritz and Spider up the hill. He was stayed by Ben's order and returned to take the lead with Jack. Soon Ben crested the hill and Nolan froze as his words tumbled down the hill to reach him.

Get him away from what? With that thought ringing in his head, he pulled up the sled's anchor and prepared to leave in a hurry.

When the others, even Ben, start heading up the hill, Jack steadfastly stays with his sled. He pulls a flare gun loose from inside his parka for easy use. He is determined to protect their gear and means of transportation.
(OC: Keeper, please also see my horribly late post from last week regarding Jack’s shipboard activities if you missed it. I hope everyone is staying warm and safe despite the weather!)

The Expedition Stage 1: Getting There pt 3

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A sudden high wind rose up, driving past the high basalt peaks of the mountains at the Pole, sending ice crystals like small daggers at them.  Bruno resisted Thorne's efforts to leave the strange shape buried in the snow and ice.   The savage wind worsened, shrieking in their ears, almost carrying the sound of wild piping on a range that went from very low to very high.  Subconsciously the effect was highly unsettling, frazzling everyone's nerves further.  Nolan and Jack stayed at their sled.

Trachenberg trudged up the hill, to stand next to Ben and call the Hellhound, then went onward to try to haul the big beast away from whatever it was digging up.  Bruno would not be moved, and was now uncovering something in the ice, something that stunk worse than decomposed skunk, something that looked like a claw-ended tentacle in a grotesquely greenish hue.  The rest of the dogs were now stirring up in a frenzy, straining at their harnesses, whining and yelping.  Some seemed to want to join Bruno, the rest seemed to want to run away.  In a moment the harness lines were tangled and it looked like it would be some work to undo the mess.

Ben turned and hurried back to the lead sled, rummaging in the cargo area for a fur-wrapped long item stowed there; Fritz also hurried back to his own sled and hauled out a long-handled axe and a canvas satchel.  Thorne continued to try to get Bruno away from whatever the hellhound was digging up, unsuccessfully.   "Get him out of there," Ben snapped at Fritz, who looked startled at the hostile tone, but sped up to get to the site.
"No more, Trip, back off, schnell," Fritz shouted down at Thorne.  He slid down the hill and tossed the satchel to Thorne, who caught it, then the German raised the axe high and smashed into the centre mass of the lump in the snow, furiously breaking a hole in the icy shell of something that smelled truly awful.  "Grenade !"  Thorne dug in the satchel, pulling out a canister of something and tossed it to Fritz, who pulled the pin, shoved it in the hole, and ran for it.  Bruno paused in his attempts at excavation as his two humans ran away, and proved he wasn't entirely stupid by following them.   The brilliant white flare of phosphorous seared the sky, adding a surreal shadow cast by something moving down there, writhing within the confines of the ice.
The sight was the stuff of nightmares.

"Untangle the dogs and we are leaving !" Ben snarled at the two of them, and stalked back to his sled, to stow whatever he had brought.  The men worked as fast as they could, and the dogs seemed to respond to being handled and brought back into their places.  Jack and Nolan took the lead and headed out.   Bruno was put back in harness, licking the gooey green ichor on his chops.
The sleds moved over the ice and snow, closer to the whistling wind coming from the dark mountains.    Bruno galloped along behind the rest, hauling Thorne and a small sled with no discernable effort.  It still seemed like a day had passed before Ben at last called for a halt, to make camp.

"So what the hell was that ?"  Thorne asked Ben flat out, as Fritz went to Eska and petted her as she yowled and chirped at him.    The sleds were secured and the dogs seemed calmer.
"I think it was an Elder Thing," Ben said flatly.  "And I don't think it was dead.  They are said to travel through the interstellar void, and deep into oceans, so it takes a good deal to kill one."
"So a phosphorous grenade might not be enough."
"Keep that damned hellhound on a tight leash, Thorne," Ben said angrily. "We can't afford to lose anyone.  We have to be careful !"
"Okay, okay, boss, we'll take care of it," Thorne said smoothly, raising his mittened hands placatingly and backing away.   Jack and Spider started setting up the tent and the wind breaks, as Trachenberg tended to the dogs; Bruno sulked as Thorne leashed him, but allowed himself to be led away.  The tents were rigged so that the dogs could shelter inside one layer of tenting, while the humans had a smaller section, with a fire pit.  But for the bitter cold and the howling wind whispering horrible secrets, the expedition seemed like a normal enough camp site.  Thorne had bought bamboo matting, rolled up and stowed in Bruno's sled, that formed a good insulation against the ice.  The dogs seemed more relaxed around the hellhound now, and soon settled down, most of them curling up close to the beast - who was admittedly warm.   Thorne yawned and settled down as Spider wrestled with the camp stove; Jack was sent out to perform the wards against the Mythos.

So it was Jack, alone, who saw the snow white albatross again, angling through the harsh winds easily.   It was a big bird, with a twelve-foot wingspan.  It banked and looped a long circle around him as he cast the Barrier Spell, the wand in his hand warm and glittering; then he lost sight of it, or perhaps he had imagined it after all.   He got back into the tent as Spider was setting up dinner, a hash of beans, rice and sausages.   Thorne was already snoring.   Ben was checking the map, and going over notes taken by Fritz as they travelled.   Fritz unpacked the sextant and took sighting on the sun, wrote the numbers down, then went to look up information in a book he had brought.   Everyone was tired; the cold and the travel had taken its toll on them.   Nolan caught Ben's whisper to Trachenberg, "How far off are we ?"
"Five miles, correct back to South tomorrow," the German replied softly.  'I will check again in the morning."
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GM:  Please respond with actions, etc, for the 'night' (since it won't get dark), by Saturday, 5 February, next post Sunday.
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Jack is careful to place the wards so there are no gaps, and as close to the campsite as practicable (so as to avoid including any unwanted entities below the visible ice!).
     He knows from his preparatory research that albatrosses are native to the area. Even so, he finds the lone visitor unsettling, and utters a prayer while still holding the wand:
     “Far-seeing Athena, I humbly beg your continued protection for this quest, as you protected and guided the heroes of old. If this bird is a spy or messenger for the evil forces that oppose us, I implore you to use your unrivaled powers to cloud its senses or otherwise misdirect it, as you in your wisdom see fit.”
     Back inside the tent, he gratefully eats Spider’s concoction. He will also keep an eye on Ben, having taken note of the Director’s uncharacteristic snappishness throughout the day.  Then he will set up his tiny shrine to Athena between his bedroll and the wall, and meditate on the myths and tales of the goddess as he falls asleep.
     When they wake and are preparing to move on, he will find a moment to speak to Ben alone. “Ben, is everything alright? I know these conditions are difficult, to say the least, but you seemed to be quite on edge yesterday, even angry. Your level-headed calm has always inspired loyalty and confidence among the team. We need that type of leadership right now, more than ever. “

The Expedition Stage 1: Getting There pt 4

Camp settled down, the strange daylight still shining overhead.   The tent canvas was thick enough that the light didn't trouble them from sleeping.  Thus far they were untroubled by anything worse than the weather, though Jack had picked up on Ben's bad mood.

It took a while to get Ben alone; once the pair of Thorne and Fritz had gone out to see to the dogs and Spider and Nolan were setting up breakfast and breaking down the tents for transport, there was finally a short time when Ben was standing alone, looking at the map and scowling.
"No, everything is not all right," Ben replied, the New England twang especially heavy.   He did not look happy.  "We nearly dug up an Elder Thing yesterday.  There's only six of us."  For a few seconds, Ben was clearly weighing telling Jack more.  "And, if I was informed correctly, I'm not coming back from this expedition.   If I need to be removed from command, it will be your call.  I could not stay behind in DC, but my sanity is shattering and you need a mage.  Irina would have been my first choice.  Now - "  he paused, as Fritz went past them to stand on a flat area and set up the sextant again, "I would give my life to save anyone here. So - whatever happens, you have to get everyone home."  Ben started to step away, just as Thorne snapped a picture with his camera, getting Jack, Ben and Fritz in the shot.
"I found a feather," Fritz said, carrying the sextant in its case.  He held up a white and grey feather over a foot long and used it to point in a direction. "It was pointed South.  So, we head this way, we will be at the foot of the mountains in about two days.   I will take another reading at noon."
"Good.  Thank you," Ben said, sounding more like his normal self.
It did not take long for the camp to be packed away into the sleds.  The lethal wind had dropped down to a more moderate wind, and the dogs seemed to be eager to head out.  Fritz was tasked with taking the lead, with Ben and Spider the second sled, Jack and Nolan the third and Thorne with Bruno bringing up the rear.  Eska led at a fast pace, and the distant mountains looked much closer than yesterday.  Faint plumes of ice crystals were whipping around their bare peaks, trailing down like icy fingers.   There was a strangeness to the mountains, sculpted by nightmares, unnatural in their appearance.

Jack kept a weather eye on Ben, who seemed content to let Spider drive the dog team while he checked the horizon with binoculars or rested.   The morning was uneventful and they seemed to be making good progress.  It was later in the day, about five in the evening, when Ben raised his arm to signal a stop.   "Something down there, that plateau in front of the mountains," he said, handing off the binoculars.
"Looks like an abandoned campsite," Thorne said, after scanning it with his spyglass.  "I can see collapsed tents."

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GM: Actions, etc, for the next hour or so of game time, please respond by Saturday, 12 February, next post Sunday
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Spider said, "The odds of whatever caused the campsite to be abandoned still being there seems slim.  How about one or two of us check it out?  Maybe we learn something about the dangers here, or find some useful supplies."  He unslung the big rifle.  "I'm game."

“You can count on me, Ben — on all of us. This is a good crew. Don’t worry about leaning on us now and then. We all want you going back with us. The future is not written in stone — after all, that’s why we’re here.”
     Jack does an almost comical double-take when Fritz shows them the feather and says it was pointing the direction they need to head. “I suppose there are no owls in Antarctica,” he says with a hopeful smile. “Keep an eye ou for a huge white albatross,” he tells everyone. “We’ve been guided by animals working for higher powers before, and I have a hunch this one is similar.”
     When the uninhabited camp is spotted, Jack immediately asks, “Do we know of any previous expeditions in this area?” and tries to remember if any such were mentioned in his preparatory research. “Let’s keep the dogs back from it for now, in case there’s some alien scent. We don’t want them going crazy and getting tangled. Although taking the hellhound might be a good idea. I’ll come with you, Spider.” He once again makes sure the wand, flare gun, and .45 are all handy.