You drive to Oriental Delicacies, which is near Hob's Court, and Magnus says is right by his house.

The streets are covered with Halloween decorations.

You enter the small restaurant. There is the smell of incense in the air. All the waiters seem to be quite short people of some exotic Asian physiognomy.

Magnus takes a seat and pulls a chair out for you.

"Thank you for coming, Dr. D'Encre. I have a theory to discuss with you.

"But first, let's order. The meat dishes here are sublime. I have never tasted anything like them!"

He opens a menu.

"The Tcho-Tcho are a little known people in Central Asia, the Himalayas! This is the first restaurant of its sort in America!"

Pascal opens his menu, scanning for something at least relatively familiar.  Despite Magnus's recommendation of a meat dish, he settles on something that sounds like vegetable and noodles, then sets his menu aside.  He waits patiently for Magnus to make his selection.

You order. The waiter looks at you with inscrutable eyes and takes his leave.

Magnus -- who has still not taken off his sunglasses or hat -- leans toward you conspiratorially.

"Dr. D'Encre, I have read a little of your work on serial killers. But that's not why I asked you here. I've seen you at a few of the esoteric bookstores around town, and so I think you might have an open mind."


"First, we should forget about Cpt. Matheson's obsession with the Goths. I know these people, and they are harmless. They have nothing to do with this.

"Second -- you know my specialty, I gather? I have narrated films like The Nosferatu and Dracula: Fact or Myth.I am an expert on vampirism and vampires.

"I ask you to have an open mind. I suggest that what we are dealing with here, our murderer, is not a deranged mortal at all. It is a real vampire. In fact, I think I even know which kind."

He removes his sunglasses for the first time and gazes into your eyes intensely, looking for your reaction.

OOC: give me a Spot Hidden please.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:08, Mon 06 Dec 2021.

He tensed at the request that he have an open mind - that was never a good sign...

He heard Magnus out, withholding judgement until the end when he couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Which kind?  So now, not only are vampires real, but they come in types?"

He took a second to gather himself.  "Mr. Magnus.  Please."

Magnus says,

"Of course! There is the classic Western vampire, as popularized by Bram Stoker. There is the Japanese vampire, which hops and is vulnerable, not to crosses, but to gunfire. There are vampires in many cultures. In different parts of Europe, in Asia -- there is a kind in Indonesian folklore that is a sort of flying head with intestines trailing beneath it.

"I believe that what we are dealing with here is a vrykolakis. This is a Greek vampire that... well, I will have to consult my library, but I will get back to you on this subject tomorrow. I believe that there were some indications of this in the witnesses' testimony that we heard.

"I understand your scepticism, Dr. D'Encre -- in my field, I am used to it! But, think of it...

"The murderer is said to be surrounded by mist. He stinks of death. He removes the blood from his victims. He has the strength of many men. What did he say? -- 'I thirst!'."

He looks at you with an "I rest my case!" expression.

Absurd.

"Yes, and you said the magic word - folklore.  Each of those countries probably has stories about dragons as well, but that doesn't make dragons real." 

He pinched the bridge of his nose for a second, once again taking a centering breath.  He looked around, hoping to see the waiter bringing their food, then began again.

"There is a person, obviously incredibly ill, behind these murders.  Do I know what's going on yet?  No.  But that doesn't give me cause to surrender all reason."

He looks slightly disappointed, but only slightly. He does put his sunglasses back on, though.

The food is delicious.

Magnus suggests taking a little walk through Hob's Court -- it's just a little way away -- to see where the first victim was found. "Given that you don't fear that living dead may haunt the area," he says with a smile.

He'd been wanting to take a walk around anyway.  He stood, put on his coat and said, "The regular living already scare me enough," as he gestured toward the door.

You walk out.

This is a residential street, with Halloween decorations.

"Do you have children, doctor? You married? Planning anything for the holidays? I am single myself."

Magnus points.

"My house is a couple of blocks that way. Hob's Court is on a block further on."

You walk down the street.

"The second victim, if I remember correctly, was found a couple of blocks further down, on the other side of the church -- there is a Greek Orthodox Church at the north end of the park. The body was found near Katakomb -- that's a goth club. I go there occasionally.

"Down this street here is an S&M club. Probably not your kind of thing, I imagine.

"Shall we turn this on?"

He taps the police radio that you are carrying.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:04, Wed 08 Dec 2021.

Pascal just responds with, "Son" to Magnus's first round of questions.

He flicks on the police radio and adjusts the volume.

If he remembered correctly, Lori Atkinson was the second vic.  The college student.  "Since we're heading that way, let's go see where they found number two."

It's currently about 11 pm.

"Let's make this brisk. Remember, we've got to be back at City Hall at 8 in the morning, and that's on the other side of the park." says Magnus.

As you walk north, you see the trees of the park start to appear ahead of you. There's a cop car parked by the road. Not many people on the streets.

Magnus continues talking.

"I know you think I'm crazy, but I recommend that we all equip ourselves with flare guns, crucifixes, and maybe garlic."

Pascal barks a laugh, picturing the task force wearing crosses and garlic necklaces.  They make their way to the scene of the second murder.

I have to prolong the narrative here, so as to make your future posts and those of the other characters' coincide in time, considering that you are currently at different points in the evening. That's the metareason for why Magnus is making all this conversation.


As you walk past the park, you see the shops that line the streets. This is SoHo, so there are art galleries, a wine shop, a tattoo parlor, a New Age bookstore.

Magnus says, "did you know that there is an archaeological expedition in this area? I mean a few blocks from here, in Five Points. Right in the middle of Manhattan.

"You're a specialist in abnormal psychology. Serial killers. Maybe you can tell me what theory you have about our perpetrator, given that you have decided that he is not a member of the undead. What could his motives be?"

OOC: give me a History roll please.

OOC: No problem - Magnus and I can talk or we can skip to our natural meeting place with the other thread.  Whatever is easiest for you.

"I have no theories at this point, Mr. Magnus," Pascal answered as they walked.  He hadn't been to this area in a while.  He admired some of the Halloween decorations, thinking about how much David would enjoy them.

"It's far too early in the game for something like that."

After a moment, he stopped and turned to Magnus.  Genuinely curious, he asked, "What about you?  An old Greek vampire?  How did you come to your conclusion?"

"I have to look through my books when I get home. It will be a sleepless night for me!

"It's the witnesses' references to wolves and changing shape. You see, the vrykolakas is a shape-changer, sort of a vampiric lycanthrope."

He grins.

"Another wolf for you to deal with!"

At that point, the radio starts to sqwuak.

"We've got a body. It's an in alleyway off Wooster Street, between Grand and Canal. Repeat: we've got a body."

Sirens immediately begin to split the night.

"That's right by my house!," shouts Magnus, as turns around and starts running.

"Shit," he says as he takes off at a full sprint, headed for the alley off Wooster.

You run after Magnus.

Closing this thread, and you can now post in the "victim" thread. The cops will let you pass once you tell them who you are (they know about the task force).