A Whitby Vampire - June 1929

A Call for Help

For several days before the arrival of the letter from Frederick Davis, several of the investigators had spotted curious stories in the Press about a "vampire" in the town of Whitby. Davis's letter, more than hinting at strange events,  potentially connected to the Shelborough Incident, caused them to make arrangements to travel to Whitby the next day.

It took most of the day to arrive in the picturesque town and was early evening by the time they had arranged lodging at The Royal Hotel. They then ascended the 199 Abbey Steps and made their way round the ruin to Davis's abode at East Cliff House. Davis was delighted to see them and had laid on a splendid High Tea for them -  courtesy of "cook"! Over the meal he explained this his friend Elliot Elder was a member of a group, somewhat similar to their own, that was interested in investigating the unusual. He believed they had stumbled upon something and the members of the group were now in danger, hence the call for help. He informed them that Elder was out of town for a few day but was expected to return shortly. Davis was unaware of exactly what Davis's group had found, and the only other member of the group he was aware of was Steven Mason. Davis had never met him but her believed he lived somewhere in the town.

Next morning after a pleasant night in the Royal Hotel the Investigators set out to discover what they could find out in Whitby. In time-honoured fashion they all spilt up.Billy and Basil took a walk up to prospect Hill and confirmed that Elder's house was all quiet, no one was at home. Carl went to the police station and spoke to the constable there who informed him that the investigation was being run out of York and the lead investigator was Inspector Paul Needham, for whom she obtained contact details. Jimmy and Paul went first to the local library and then to the offices of the Whitby Gazette where they quickly discovered that Steven Mason had been the latest victim of the "Whitby Vampire". They also made contact with Tom Jenkins, a local reporter who, although happy to exploit the "vampire" angle to sell papers, was convinced that the murders were simply burglaries gone wrong.

Meeting back at the Royal, they compared notes and Basil speculated that the other victims may have been members of Elder's group. While Paul settled in the lounge with a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula for research, Basil and Billy decided to see if they could get a look at one of the crime scenes, and decided to head for Michael Green's house in Wellington Terrace. They found the place locked up with one of the upper rear windows boarded up. Basil secured entrance by breaking in through the back door, and they quickly searched the house. There were clear signs of a struggle, including blood-spatter in the rear bedroom, but the only other things they found were a small collection of occult tomes, to which Billy helped himself to a couple, and a letter linking Michael Green to Steven Mason referring to a recent abortive trip to Durham. Confirming that at least two of the victims had indeed been members of Elder's group. That evening after checking a couple of time that Elder had not returned home they retired to their rooms after a rather nice fish supper in the hotel restaurant.

Early next morning they set out fro Elder's house once more. There was no answer at the door, but when they went round the back noticed, that the upper rear window was smashed. Fearing the worst, Basil once more provided a hefty shoulder to the back door and they rushed upstairs. The bedroom was a mess, the window—not just the glass, but the frame as well—had been smashed from the outside, the bedside table next to it, was in pieces. They found what they feared in the living room. A body, presumably Elder lay there, a shotgun next to it. The body was covered in bruises. When Billy examined it, he noted to his horror that in the centre of each bruise was a clear puncture mark!

They quickly searched the area finding on Elliot's desk a handwritten note containing some curious annotation and a somewhat bizarre recipe. They also found a folder containing random photographs of people, buildings , a set of close-ups of strange inhuman footprints on a beach. The final set was obviously photographs of each of the previous crime scenes. One of these was taken at night with flash. It showed the broken window and something impossible to identify that at first sight looked blurred, underexposed, or out of focus.

The final discovery was Elders Journal where they found a list of the previous victims all of whom were confirmed to be friends of Elder. One name however was not crossed off - that of Seth Gray. Another, Gabriel Ward, was crossed off but also had numerous question marks against it. Although there were numerous cryptic references to the others in the journal. There was little about Ward other than his address and curious reference to seals and keeping away from the sea! Another short list of names contained the names of Sam Miller, Professor Benjamin Graham and Seth Gray again - this time with an address for him in Ugthorpe. Two other curiosities they discovered before they left was some strange goo plastered against a wall, in which Billy spotted a shotgun pellet, and that fact that someone had spilled floor over the floor in the hallway.

Leaving the crime scene, they debated whether to report it or not but decided that if the mysterious Seth Gray had not been crossed off the list he might still be alive and they should seek him out urgently. A few enquiries revealed that Ugthorpe was a tiny village on the moors and was served by a bus service that  departed the Quay at 11.30. They dashed back to the hotel to pick up some gear, and then met at the bus stop on they Quay. As they were waiting for the bus, they ran into Tom Jenkins who informed them he was on his way to the scene of the latest murder - someone had obviously reported something.

The motor-bus to Ugthorpe did not actually go to Ugthorpe but dropped them off at  a stop on the moors - of course it was raining!. Walking down what was little more than a muddy track the Investigations arrived in the tiny village. At the local shop cum Post Office they gained directions to Hob Lea House. They met Seth Gray, an elderly man, who walked with the support of a cane. Despite the elderly and obviously infirm occupant and the seeming lack of servants, the house was neat and tidy. Gray was saddened but not surprised to hear of the death of Elder and advised them that he had worked with the group as a researcher as he maintained an extensive library. He invited the Investigators to stay the night as he had put in place certain "protections" round the house and he suspected that their poking around may have drawn the attention of those who had eliminated the other members of his group. Accepting the offer, Basil asked if they could see the library. Seth obliges and leads them down a corridor to the back of the house. The library was the largest room in the house but, in contrast to the other rooms, was completely disorganised. There were books and papers packed onto shelves from floor to ceiling and piled on the carpet, the desk, the tables and chairs. Seth apologised for the mess saying, “it isn’t usually quite this bad.”

Ugthorpe and Beyond

Seth invited the Investigators to go upstairs and settle into one of the bedrooms upstairs. They found the bedrooms to be as in immaculate a condition as the rest of the house, library excluded. Later when summoned by the sound of a bell, found that Seth, despite his infinity, had somehow managed to provide a full roast dinner for them in the intervening period. After dinner over cigars and brandy, Seth continued to fill them in on his researches much of which surrounded a cult dedicated to a god called Azathoth which dated back to pre-Celtic times.  They also discussed the papers they had found in Elders house including some discussion around the "Voorish Sign" and the "Baneful Dust of Hermes Trismegestius", as well as the mysterious assassin. Seth also informed them he had in place several "protections" around the house and that they were welcome to stay a few days.

Next morning after breakfast the Investigators discovered to their amazement that the Library was now as pristine as the rest of the house. Also on the desk was a piece of paper and several packets. Billy gasped as he realised that the papers continued instructions for the use of the Voorish Sign. They guessed that the packets contained what was needed to create the Baneful Dust.

Billy, Basil and Carl headed for the kitchen to prepare the Baneful Dust, while Paul continued browsing the library and Jimmy decided to potter about in the garden. Max announced that he was heading back to Whitby to sort out with the hotel that they would be away for a few days. A short while after Max left, Paul suddenly realised that Max was leaving whatever "protections" Seth had in place here and chased after him to war him. Unfortunately he was unable to catch up with Seth before he boarded the bus!

The Investigators spent the rest of the day, and that evening researching in the Library, or in Billy's case, getting Seth to teach him how to cast the Voorish Sign. Jimmy discovered a badly mutilated copy of a book called "Unaussprechlichen Kulten", while Max was able to piece together another recipe for something called the Powder of Ibn-Ghazi which was also referenced in Elder's journal. After dinner Seth informed them that he a had discovered a link of the cult of Azathoth and a site near Scarborough called Lilla Howe, so the Investigators decided to head off there after Max's return.

Next morning, after a few hours in the library, where Billy found another spell waiting for them, Healing, the Investigators, took leave of Seth, headed up to the bus stop, where Max duly arrived advising his trip to Whitby had been uneventful, though he had run into the reporter from the Whitby Gazette who informed him that another victim, Gabriel Ward's body had been found.

The caught the Scarborough bus, alighting at the Flask Inn, the nearest stop to Lilla Howe. They took rooms there and then set up to hike across the moors. Lilla How was an an ancient burial mound, topped with an ancient Celtic cross. They found little  of interest there and decided to head back to the Inn for dinner.

As they descended and passed through a grove of hawthorn trees, Carl noticed what appeared to be a moss-covered standing stone. He called Paul over to have a look, clearing some of the moss they found strange inscription and a carving of a strange-looking insectoid creature. Looking round they noticed other overgrown stones, making what was clearly a circle. As they did two of the hawthorn tree suddenly moved, revealing themselves to be xiclotan!

Rituals of Casting-Out

Once they had got over their initial shock, the Investigator's reacted quickly to the threat of the Xiclotlan. Jimmy, Basil and Carl began taking pot-shots with their revolvers, while Max rapidly loaded his shotgun. Paul, being completely unarmed took off - heading downhill across the moors for the Inn. Basil managed to get too close to one of the Xiclotlan and was badly wounded, the Xiclotlan was just about to swallow the downed sleuth whole when both barrels of Max's shotgun let loose on it, causing him to drop Basil to the ground. Jimmy immediately leaped out of the bushes and calling on the name of Bast, used his recently learned Healing spell to save his uncle. As Max's shotgun proved particularly effective the Xiclotlan were mostly blown apart. and the Investigators, bloody and bruised made their was back to the inn.

After a restorative snifter or two in the bar, the Investigators headed up to their rooms for a bath and to dress for dinner, which turned out to be a rather pleasant mutton stew. After dinner they repaired to the bar where several locals and even a few holidaymakers were enjoying the local ales. They spent a pleasant evening swapping tales with the local, finding out that although Lilla Howe historically had a bad reputation, in more recent years that appears to have been superseded by strange occurrences at nearby Bloody Beck. The pleasantries were interrupted a one point by an arrogant young man named Ashton Brown, who derided the conversation loudly it was all superstitious nonsense. he pronounced that abandoning such outdated ideas and using science is the only way to understand the world, and
that the sooner everyone thinks this way the better. Before he flounced off to his room upstairs.

That night, Jimmy and Carl were awoken by the sounds of movement in the hall outside their room. They investigated and followed a shadowy figure down the stairs till he went out of the inn and headed across the moors. They were unable to identify the figure but they also felt they were vaguely familiar. The rain had stopped by now, and the full moon had emerged from the clouds,  but they decided to return to their rooms and their warm beds.

Next morning they decided to investigate Bloody Beck. A hour or so trek across the moors led them to the are which they noted was full of disturbed earth and muddy footprints. Even more disconcerting, a huge bird-like creature watched them, somewhat improbably perched atop one of the trees that did not look like it would support it's weight. Slightly unnerved by the unnatural observer,they searched the area, but found little other than the mound of disturbed earth. Basil did confirm there was significant amounts of blood mixed in with the earth. As they turned to leave Jimmy decided to make a rude gesture at the silent observer which retaliated by flying down and snapping at him with a most un-birdlike fanged maw as it flew by. Wisely the Investigators decided to retreat, though Basil did take a pot-shot at the thing as it flew off.

Not really sure what to do now the Investigators decided to return to Ugthorpe to consult with Seth once more. Catching the bus, they returned to  Hob Lea to a surprise, Seth, in sharp contrast to the previous day seemed to have become sceptical about the whole affair, feeling that as they had found nothing, there must be nothing to find. He even dismissed their reports of the huge bird-like creature, saying it must have been an eagle which were occasionally found on the moors. Feeling something was distinctly off, the Investigators agreed they would only stay the night and return to Whitby in the morning. 

Paul swung by the library, which looked pristine, but noted on the desk a single sheet of paper and a couple of bundles of dried flowers. Reading the paper, it seemed to be detailing a spell called Cast out Shan, some kind ritual of exorcism. The Investigators retired upstairs, notably not invited to dinner, and convened in Paul's room! They discussed Paul's find and Seth's strange behaviour. 

They wondered how Seth had apparently not been targeted by whatever was hunting them before when Max suddenly recalled that he had mentioned Seth's name to the reporter. Perhaps something had leaked from the Whitby Gazette. Jimmy also recalled mentioning Davis's name to the reporter.

That night they resolved to free Seth from whatever was possessing him. Paul taking the lead, they began following the obscure steps detailed on the page. They first cleared a space in the cellar, then with the aid of an astronomy book and a compass,  constructed a pentagram in the cellar. They burned the plants in a colander retrieved from the kitchen, which created a pungent, sweet smelling smoke. The smoke was wafted into Seth's bedroom and Jimmy and Basil then grabbed the old man from his bed.

They dragged him down to the cellar as he protested as vigorously as his old frame would permit. Dumping him unceremoniously in the the middle of the pentagram, Paul began the ritual, Basil and Jimmy supporting him with the Voorish sign. Immediately Seth's body froze in position, then collapsed to the ground convulsing. As Paul repeated the invocation of Ia Gla'aki a shimmering insectoid figure appeared above Seth's head and his body was still. 

Suddenly, something leaped out of the darkness and grabbed the insect, before retreating into the darkness once more. There was a crunching sound!

An Eventful Return to Whitby

Catching the bus from Ugthorpe next morning, the Investigators returned to Whitby. As the bus began to descend the steep road towards the town, the driver slammed his foot on the accelerator rather than the brake and the bus began careering downhill, throwing the passengers about violently within. The driver threw open the doors and abandoned the vehicle, leaping outside. As the bus began gathering pace Max, who was closest, managed to get into the driver's seat and desperately began trying to get the bus under control - with limited success. While the others struggled to avoid being thrown about further, Carl tried to calm the other passengers. Max finally managed to exert some semblance of control, but was concentrating on wresting control that he missed the sharp right turn at the end of the road and the bus plunged down the bank into the river - throwing everyone violently about once again.

As river water began to pour into the vehicle from the open doors, Paul, who had dislocated his shoulder, and Billy began making their way to Max, who was slumped over the steering. Carl and Jimmy began herding the passengers to the back of the bus where, after Jimmy shot out the rear window, they began evacuating them. Paul and Billy dragged Max into the icy water, which revived him somewhat, and began swimming towards the shore. Billy with a dislocated shoulder found it hard going and then to his horror felt something drag him under!

After some difficulty Max and Paul managed to reach the shore and join the others, just as the emergency services arrived. They scanned the water desperately fro Billy, but there was no sign of him. After being questioned by the police, they were all taken to hospital and after being patched up, returned to the hotel.

Billy meanwhile found himself being dragged through the water at high speed, before being dragged onto a boat and a sack thrust roughly over his head. After a while he was taken off the boat and up what felt like a winding path. He was left in a a darkened room where six shadowy figures interrogated him about Gabriel Ward's death. Seeing he knew nothing, he was summarily clubbed unconscious and then dumped in an alleyway in Whitby. eventually coming to, he made his way to the hospital to have his shoulder seen to and then back to the hotel and his very welcome bed!

In the small hours, Max was woken abruptly as the window of his room exploded inwards. As he rolled out of bed, he felt claws rip across his body. Bleeding heavily, and his pajamas utterly ruined, Max quite sensibly legged it out into the hallway, screaming fro help. The other waken by the screams rushed out to se a bloodied Max dashing down the hallway pursued by nothing. Billy charged down the corridor and found himself crashing into something that apparently wasn't there. Jimmy opening his door, saw Billy stop suddenly, but as he went to leave his room, found something large and invisible blocking his exit. While Paul, still in his room, shrugged hi sway into his dressing gown, Carl looked desperately for something to shoot. Max meanwhile was barrelling down the stairs headed for the foyer!

Billy suddenly recalled that one of the properties of the Voorish Sign was to render the invisible visible and hurriedly made the Sign. He immediately wished he hadn't a a creature, its form is like that of a jellyfish with neither a head or any visible facial features apart from a huge maw. It's body had multiple muscular sucker-tipped tentacles. Immediately Carl, Paul and Billy reacted firing their revolvers into the pulpy mass - to little seeming effect. The creature retaliated  immediately two claw-tipped, tentacles lashing across Jimmy dropping him to the ground, it turned unnaturally, it's great maw fastening on Billy's already battered and bruised body.  Carl, realising their shots seemed to bother the creature little, grabbed billy and pulled him off the creatures feasting maw, torrents of blood pouring from his chest. He dragged Billy down the corridor, running into Paul. The creature pursued them and they desperately made for the fire-escape. Max meanwhile was returning post-haste dragging the night porter along with him. Paul managed to get the fire-door open and they were just about to exit when they heard an unnaturally high-pitched whistle. The creature immediately ceased the pursuit and fled via the way it had entered in Max's room. In short order the police and sever ambulances arrived, Jimmy and Billy being carted off to hospital. The next day the Whitby Gazette led with a story about the "unfortunate gas-fire explosion" at the Royal.

Over the next week as Jimmy and Billy recovered in hospital the rest of the Investigators desperately tried to make sense of what was happening - to little effect. They decided to follow up the information Seth had given them and made arrangement to see Professor Graham at Durham University the following Tuesday.

On Monday, Jimmy and Billy were finally released from hospital and the Investigators made their way to Durham. After taking rooms at the Washington Duke, they spent the afternoon sightseeing and visiting various libraries.