In reply to Pranit Singh Dhillon (msg # 41):

Very interesting version of the way an educated Indian used (or was believed by the British to use) English.

It’s role playing, right? By post. We all exaggerate certain characteristics of our fantasy avatars to create a colorful cast. Wait ‘til you see me murder the ‘Strine accent. And let’s not forget the inevitable anachronisms that will crop up and social faux pas we don’t even guess we’re committing. Looking forward to outraging you all.

Reading your character's background, I certainly would say I'm glad to know, but it's good to know somebody else understands what it was like to navigate an extremely rough homecoming from the Great War.

In reply to Madelyn Brown (msg # 46):

Ironically :) I am Australian, by the way :D

In reply to Jennifer Smallwood (msg # 42):

Bah! The British made to cashier me out of their infamous Army as and Invalid! And all this for injuries sustained in fighting their war against the forces of the Kaiser. Loyalty can only be purchased with admiration or gold. I now sell my loyalty to those who choose to pay for it. My word is my bond, equitably purchased of course.

In reply to Johan Braun (msg # 45):

The vernacular is inspired by some lines from various Kipling stories. He was very vivacious in his use of language. I fear I will do it more harm than good.

In reply to Archibald Washington (msg # 47):

It struck me as a character I can identify with. I am also a former soldier who retired after a long career with experience in the conflicts that US has been involved ranging from the Persian Gulf war of the early 1990's to the Global War on Terror in the late 2010's. Luckily, no one chose to force me into medical retirement for wounds sustained in battle. I look forward to playing this character; the horrors of war meets the horrors of Lovecraft. It ought to be a blast.

Greetings everyone! I have currently posted individual posts in each of your backstory threads with a telegram from Augustus, your arrival at the rooms prepared for you on level 4 Hotel Maury, and those personal threads are open for you to respond regarding your arrival and preparation.

I will soon be opening a joint thread for the 18 March meeting.

...and we're off!

Ok, just a heads up. I've received a response to your telegram in your personal threads from most of you. I was just waiting to see if the last few players wanted to respond. Dr Dibden did let me know that he was wanting to move on, which is fine. I've let Perry and Françoise know that if they would also prefer to just move on, that's fine.

I am planning now that whether or not I receive a response from those two remaining characters, I'll be posting the new thread for the group meeting, which will have everyone in it, and we can get to the actual action.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:55, Fri 06 May 2022.

Some expediency like that is always going to be necessary with a group this big, or we'll just lose steam waiting for every single player to act.

yes, the dreaded play by post creeping pace. just do what you feel is necessary, we are with you.

Ready, cobber!

OOC: If you wait for every applicant to reply, you will never get started. About half will disappear in the first few weeks, and some of those will resurface six months from now wondering why you didn't wait for them. Set your own pace.

Agreed, if a GM ever needs to progress things to avoid stagnation I think we're all for it.

Looking forward to getting underway!

Let's do this.

To get in the mood: central Lima in the 1920s


This message was last edited by the player at 19:00, Fri 06 May 2022.

In reply to Jennifer Smallwood (msg # 60):

More cars than I expected, but then this was in the middle of the capital.

When I was in Lima -- primarily in the Miraflores district -- there were probably six or seven million people in the city, and of course plenty of cars.  (Many people who had cars made extra money by using them as unlicensed taxis.)  But in the entire district there was only one actual stoplight.  And yes, crossing the street was basically taking your life in your hands.

That last part reminds me of being in S. Korean cities in the 1980s. One saying was that the line down the middle of the street just indicated the third lane of traffic.

Hello, Players!

I am the expedition photographer, French-born but having lived in Lima for many years.

In reply to Francoise Pelletier (msg # 64):

Bienvenu, mam'selle. I regret that I, the player, speak French much more badly than Johan, my character, should be able to do. I can read French moderately well, but I cannot improvise conversation in the language. Please just assume I welcome you with fluent enthusiasm.

And please assume the War and all its terrors is too fresh in her experience to allow an enemy into her circle of friendship.


That doesn't preclude a change of heart in the course of our adventures.

I understand, and Johan should understand, Fran's feelings, if she decides to explain the reasons for them to him later in the game. Personally, he feels he did his duty as a subject of the Kaiser by serving in the war, but he sees the French (and other Allied) soldiers as honorable opponents; he is not a Nazi seeking rache (revanche) for the defeat.

Johan suspects nothing about Larkin's illness, but I do --are we looking at a Lord Carnarvon "curse of the pharaohs" type scenario?